Good News Headlines 2/3/2026
New York City has banned fossil fuels in new construction buildings and hopes the rest of the world will follow in its pioneering footsteps. Photo credit: Pexels.com.
NYC Leading The World Away From Fossil Fuels
by Dora Zhao, E Magazine
Whether the Big Apple is truly the “greatest city in the world” may be debated, but one fact is clear: New York City is officially the first large U.S. city to adopt a comprehensive, city-wide mandate requiring most new construction to avoid fossil fuels and rely entirely on electric systems—and its policy is likely to influence other cities and states. “I’m excited that we are finally tackling, statewide, our largest source of fossil-fuel emissions,” said state Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, who sponsored the 2023 legislation.
Once Wiped Out By Blight, Thousands Of American Chestnut Trees Are Thriving On Biologist’s Land In Maine
by Good News Network
Wild American chestnut trees, deemed “functionally extinct” decades ago, may already be quietly mounting an unexpected comeback in the northern forests of the US. Thousands of naturally thriving, wild trees in Maine contradict decades of assumptions about the species’ extinction—and how genetic engineering is the only solution. When an accidental importation of an Asian fungus in 1904 began killing this majestic tree—once abundant along the U.S. East Coast and Canada—ghostly gaps left in the landscape haunted biologists.
Homeless Woman Sleeping On Late Husband’s Grave Visited By An ‘Angel,’ With A Tiny Home
by Andy Corbley, Good News Network
When a Syracuse police officer got the call that there was someone living among the dead at Oakwood Cemetery, you’d forgive them for perhaps being a little on edge. But what they found wasn’t anything out of a horror film. Instead, it was 55-year-old widow Rhea Holmes, sleeping under a winter sky on the cold ground of her husband’s grave. Holmes enjoyed 26 years of wedded bliss with her husband, Eddie. Together, by 2024, they had collected enough money to buy a small home in Syracuse. Offer accepted, they must have been preparing to sign on the dotted line, when Eddie suffered a fatal heart attack the very same day.
Washington State’s First-In-The-Nation Ban On Toxic Bisphenols In Receipts Takes Effect
by What’s Up Media
On January 1, 2026, a new rule took effect in Washington state banning all bisphenols in receipt paper, prioritizing the health of people and safer solutions. This makes Washington the first state in the nation to take this action. Millions of people handle receipts every day from restaurants, retailers, and pharmacies. This has been a hidden source of exposure to bisphenols. These chemicals even rub off onto money. Cashiers and other retail workers face especially high risks, because the chemicals transfer from paper to skin. The new rule applies to thermal receipt paper, as well as thermal paper used for tickets and labels.
