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In the headlines...

🇺🇦 France and the U.K. pledged to deploy forces to Ukraine if and when it reaches a peace deal with Russia as part of a growing push to ensure the country’s security post-war.

👏 Wyoming struck down a near-total abortion ban, with justices saying the laws violated a state amendment protecting healthcare choices.

🍼 In one of her first acts as mayor of Detroit, Mary Sheffield launched a program to financially support new mothers facing the high cost of taking care of children.

Environment

One year after its launch, New York City’s congestion pricing has reduced air pollution by 22%

Congestion pricing went into effect in New York City on January 5, 2025, and it’s already resulted in 23.7 million fewer vehicles, traffic delays down 25%, and a 22% drop in air pollution within the “congestion relief zone” alone.

Traffic injuries are also down 15%, with pedestrian fatalities down at least 15%, levels not seen since 2018. Plus, honking and vehicle noise complaints are down 45%.

Despite controversy and ongoing challenges to the program, proponents say it’s clearly “overwhelmingly successful.”

Even better: It’s also raising money for transit projects, and $1.75 billion has already been allocated to things like modernizing subway signals, which are a major cause of subway delays.

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More Good News

​California’s first 3D-printed neighborhood is nearly complete, and the homes are weather- and fire-resistant. The homes aim to do it all: Resist climate change, provide affordable housing, and act as a blueprint to scale 3D printing to mitigate the housing shortage statewide.

​Officials unveiled the first urban cable car connecting an isolated suburb of Paris to the city. The first-of-its-kind project is aimed at cutting travel times and improving links between isolated neighborhoods and the metro network.

​Studies have found that vaccines have many “off-target” benefits, like reducing the risk of dementia. (Gifted link) A recent meta-analysis found reduced risks of dementia after vaccination for an array of diseases, showing how the “downstream effects” of vaccines “are key tools to promote healthy aging and prevent physical and cognitive decline.”

​Missy Elliot donated $50,000 to fight food insecurity in her Virginia hometown. Over the years, Elliot has provided socks and shoes to hundreds of elementary school students, helped families with rent relief, and donated more than $60,000 in toys to families in need throughout Portsmouth.

Mental health

New study finds the reason for why warm hugs feel so good. It could shape future mental health treatments

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good data

A new study found that a vegan diet can reduce a person’s carbon footprint by 46%, without sacrificing nutrients

While research has shown that moving from a typical Western diet to a vegan diet can have serious health benefits by lowering the risk of premature death from noncommunicable diseases by as much as 21% — a new study calculates its environmental impact, too.

The study found that switching to a vegan diet can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 46%, land use by 33%, and water use by 7%. Notably, it also met nearly all essential nutrient needs.

The study results demonstrated “the environmental and health advantages of plant-based diets compared with the omnivorous baseline.”

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You may also like: Vegan grocery list: 555+ ideas for plant-based shopping​

More Good bits

🏠 You could have a real-life LEGO house.

✈️ We can cut aviation emissions in half … and you don’t have to fly less.

🧸 We hear there are some new hockey fans. There’s a lot to love.

🌳 For medium-sized problems, we are the solution. (Reels)

👚 A fashion label makes shopping more accessible.

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