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In the headlines...

🪧 Today, thousands of people across the country are joining in a “Free America Walkout” at 2:00 p.m. local time. Organized by Women’s March and other advocacy groups, there are more than 600 walkouts and other events planned across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and internationally.

🖊️ On her first day as governor of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger repealed an ICE cooperation order put in place by the previous governor.

🥘 For the first time since 2023, humanitarian assistance is meeting 100% of basic food and minimum nutritional needs in Gaza.

Art & culture

A Minneapolis brass band founded after the murder of George Floyd is helping its community heal again

In 2021, Minnesota brass band Brass Solidarity was formed in response to the murder of George Floyd to bring people together to promote social justice through music.

For more than four years, the diverse group of musicians has met weekly on Mondays, performing in George Floyd Square, and occasionally at rallies and protests for a myriad of causes, as well as picnics and parades.

On January 12, the Monday following the death of Renee Good, the group gathered at a memorial, with instruments accompanying the words, “Ain’t gonna let no ‘fraidy cat ICE agent turn me ‘round. I’m gonna keep on walkin,’ I’m gonna keep on talkin’ … until freedom rings.”

Why is this good news? Music and art have healing powers, and the work of Brass Solidarity is even more critical in times of grief and crisis — and people agreed, saying the “good trouble” and “good energy” of the band was “the antidote” to ICE’s occupation in the Twin Cities.

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More Good News

​A rare moose sighting in Romania is giving conservationists hope for biodiversity returning to the region. Moose can be highly influential on their surrounding habitat since they feed on young saplings like willows and birch, clearing the way for other plant species to grow and encouraging biodiversity.

​The first solar power plant in Kyrgyzstan will prevent 120k tons of carbon emissions every year. The 100-megawatt installation will generate 210 million kWh of clean electricity annually, and represents one of the largest foreign investments into the Central Asian nation of any kind since independence.

​A St. Paul high school student is helping give classmates fearful of ICE raids a ride to school. While there have been no instances of ICE agents on school grounds in St. Paul so far, students in the city are scared, and many are staying home. Schools in the area are transitioning to remote learning this week, too.

​For the first time, the global population requiring interventions against trachoma fell below 100 million people. Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, and there were 1.5 billion people estimated to be at risk in 2002, dropping to 97.1 million as of November 2025, a 94% reduction that reflects decades of sustained efforts by national health ministries, local communities, and international partners.

People doing good

This man has spent over 500 nights in jail. His crime? Feeding homeless communities without a permit

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good progress

For the third year in a row, college students report lower rates of depression and suicidal thoughts

Every year since 2007, researchers have conducted the Healthy Minds Study, gathering confidential data about the mental and behavioral health trends of college students.

For the third year in a row, respondents reported decreased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.

The 2024-2025 study recorded responses from more than 84,000 students at 135 colleges and universities. Results showed continuing declines, including severe depression dropping to 18% in 2025, down from 23% in 2022, and suicidal thoughts decreased to 11% from 15%.

“These sustained reductions tell me this is not a blip,” said Justin Heinze, a co-principal investigator of the study.

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More Good bits

⛸️ Another day, another video to get you hyped for the Olympics. (TikTok)

🏆 The Indiana Hoosiers are college football champions ... but this is even cooler. (Reels)

🇵🇸 Ms. Rachel curated an art exhibition featuring children in Gaza.

🚽 A solution to long bathroom lines.

🏈 An NFL player shared an important message.

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