Good News Headlines 7/20/2022
Photo courtesy Change the Ref
Parkland Parents Launch ‘NRA Children’s Museum’ With 52 School Buses—All Empty But One
by Annie Reneau, Upworthy
When Joaquin Oliver was 12, he wrote a letter to gun owners imploring them to support background check legislation. When he was 17, he was shot and killed in a hallway outside his creative writing class. Oliver’s parents, Manuel and Patricia, have been on a mission to raise awareness and reduce the influence of the gun lobby ever since. They founded the gun control advocacy organization Change the Ref and their latest initiative may be their most powerful yet. On July 14, the Olivers took a mile-long convoy of 52 school buses—dubbed The NRA Children’s Museum—to Ted Cruz’s offices in Houston, Texas, to deliver Joaquin’s letter to him.
DC Subways Will Have $50M in Revenue From New Solar Panels Covering Parking Lots With Shade
by Good News Network
The transit agency for the Washington, DC Metro area announced Friday a deal worth up to $50 million over 25 years to install solar panels atop buildings and parking structures at four subway rail bus stations. Combined, Metro says the four sites will generate 12.8 megawatts of electrical capacity and make this “the largest community solar project in the National Capital Area and one of the largest in the nation”. It will also provide Metro customers who park their cars at the stations with new shaded parking and protection from the elements.
No State Can Deny Abortion To Those Needing Emergency Care, Biden Admin Says
by Chris Walker, Truthout
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued new guidance on Monday clarifying that emergency medical care, including abortion care when needed, takes precedence over state laws that ban abortions, even when the health of a pregnant person is at risk. The new announcement from HHS, which cites the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), is part of a recent executive order issued by President Joe Biden directing the department to reexamine its guidance relating to providing abortion services for emergency health care situations.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Gun Safety Bill Modeled After Texas Abortion Ban
by Lydia O’Connor, HuffPost
When the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block a Texas law last year that deputized private citizens to enforce a new six-week abortion ban, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vowed to use the same legislative tactic to prevent gun violence. That idea came to life this week when he signed a bill that establishes a new code of conduct for gun manufacturers and distributors and allows private citizens ― as well as the state and local governments ― to sue the firearms businesses if they’ve caused them harm. “It’s well known that nearly every industry is held to account when their products cause harm or injury, except one: the gun industry,” Newsom said.
Fin Whales, Once Considered Endangered, Have Staged A Stunning Comeback
by Evan Bush, NBC News
Fin whales, which were nearly hunted to extinction, have returned in huge numbers to their ancestral feeding grounds off the coast of Antarctica, according to research published Thursday. In the journal Scientific Reports, researchers for the first time shared details of massive feeding frenzies among fin whales near Elephant Island. More than once, they observed about 150 whales — lunging and diving with mouths wide open — gulping down krill. The scientists also completed abundance estimates, finding a higher concentration of fin whales there than in other regions known for sightings.
