Good News Headlines 2/23/2026

Photo courtesy of Village Enterprise

With $48M In Philanthropic Backing, A Division Of USAID Relaunches As A Nonprofit

by Thalia Beaty, AP News

A division of the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated by Trump administration cuts last year was reborn Thursday as an independent nonprofit, allowing its international work to continue in a new form. This reincarnation of USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures as the nonprofit DIV Fund is thanks to $48 million raised from two private donors. It is a rare instance of continuation after the Trump administration froze all foreign funding last year and unleashed Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to tear down the agency that delivered U.S. foreign aid for 60 years.

World Central Kitchen Serving 1 Million Daily Hot Meals In Gaza

by World Central Kitchen

Today, World Central Kitchen reached a milestone, serving one million meals daily across Gaza. Thanks to our network of Field Kitchens, community kitchens, bakeries, and partners, more families—close to half of the total population—can count on a reliable meal each day. Since 2023, our teams in Gaza have served more than 272 million meals, 73 million loaves of bread, and 6.4 million gallons of water. We are now serving more daily meals than ever. This scale is possible because food and supplies are now entering Gaza more predictably, allowing WCK teams to plan, cook, and distribute meals consistently.

Urban Farm Shops Combine Dutch Greenhouse Technology And Food-Retail Into One

by Andy Corbley, Good News Network

In the city of The Hague, a Dutch agri-tech firm has had the bright idea of combining a greenhouse grow operation with a grocery and delivery business. Called LocalDutch, their idea is that the greenhouse grocers will integrate on-site food production with direct-to-consumer retail and local delivery in a single location, hoping the result will reduce transportation costs and food waste. LocalDutch is calling its idea Urban Farm Shops, and believe the concept is straightforward and scalable—produce fresh vegetables year-round, sell them locally, and build a social meeting point around food that is grown in the community.

‘The Normal Should Be Darkness’: Why One Belgian National Park Is Turning Off ‘Pointless’ Streetlights

by Phoebe Weston, The Guardian

Two yellowing street lamps cast a pool of light on the dark road winding into the woods outside Mazée village. This scene is typical for narrow countryside roads in Wallonia in the south of Belgium. “Having lights here is logical,” says André Detournay, 77, who has lived in the village for four decades. “I walk here with my dog and it makes me feel safe and gives me some protection from theft.” Belgium glows like a Christmas decoration at night, as witnessed from space. It is one of the most light-polluted countries in Europe, with the Milky Way scarcely visible except in the most remote areas.