Good News Headlines 5/8/2023
Photo©Mandy Bialas/123rf
New York Takes Big Step Toward Renewable Energy In ‘Historic’ Climate Win
by Aliya Uteuova, The Guardian
New York state has passed legislation that will scale up the state’s renewable energy production and signals a major step toward moving utilities out of private hands to become publicly owned. The bill, included in the state’s new budget, will require the state’s public power provider to generate all of its electricity from clean energy by 2030. It also allows the public utility to build and own renewables while phasing out fossil fuels. “It’s a historic win for the climate and for clean jobs,” said Lee Ziesche, organizer with Public Power New York. “It’ll create a model of public power for the whole country, and it’s really showing that our energy should be a public good.”
As Teacher Shortages Loom, One District Grows Future Educators In High School
by Cory Turner, NPR
Something remarkable is happening at Nora Forester Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, in teacher Patrice Bravo’s STEM lab. “If the wind is going against your hand, what’s your hand going to do?” Bravo asks. Today’s lesson: aerodynamics. Bravo asks student Christopher Olivarez to help by being the wind, and together they perform a playful duet between wind and wing, student and teacher. This is the remarkable part. While Christopher is a student, he is taller than the other second-graders, his voice deeper. Because he’s actually a ninth-grader — part of a brand new high school, just a couple miles away, for teens who are interested in becoming teachers.
States Prepare To Send Checks To Consumers Tricked Into Paying For Turbotax
by Paul Kiel, ProPublica
A year after a $141 million settlement with Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, that emerged from an investigation sparked by ProPublica’s reporting, 4.4 million customers will receive compensation. One year ago, all 50 states and the District of Columbia announced a $141 million settlement with Intuit, the maker of TurboTax. The investigation, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, centered on how the company had steered customers into paying for tax preparation even though they qualified for a free government program. About 4.4 million low-income Americans will receive payments under the agreement.
Philly’s Ban Has Prevented 200 Million Plastic Bags From Being Used
by Frank Kummer, Philadelphia Inquirer
A Philadelphia ban has prevented 200 million plastic bags from being used — the equivalent to filling City Hall with bags every eight months, according to a report. The report was commissioned by the city to gauge the impact of a ban passed by Council, which went into effect July 1, 2021. The ban prohibited retailers from giving out single-use plastic bags and paper bags not made of at least 40% recycled material or face penalties of $150 or more per violation. The study was conducted between June 2021 (to establish a baseline) and August 2022 to get a one-year snapshot of the ban.
Woman Saved After Her Dog Found A Kidney Donor At The Beach: One-In-22 Million Odds
by Andy Corbley, Good News Network
In an absolutely jaw-dropping change of fortune, a Welshwoman with late-stage renal failure met a kidney donor on the beach who happened to be a perfect match. 44-year-old Lucy Humphrey has lived her whole adult life with lupus. Humphrey and her partner Cenydd Owen decided to drive to the beach to have a barbeque. While they were there, one of their two Dobermans, a big lug called Indie, kept running over to another camper to pester her. There were no hard feelings between the camper, 40-year-old Katie James, and Indie, and in fact she was soon over at the barbeque chatting with Humphrey. It was there James learned that Humphrey needed a kidney.
