Today (2017 C.E. - 2025 C.E.)

This archive spans one of the most eventful periods in recent history, from 2017 through 2025. Browse more than 4,100 articles documenting scientific breakthroughs, policy wins, social progress, and human ingenuity from the present era. Each story highlights what people and communities around the world are building, solving, and achieving right now.

A nurse-midwife consulting with a pregnant patient in a rural clinic for an article about autonomous midwifery practice

Virginia gives nurse-midwives the right to practice without physician oversight

By / / Good News For Humankind

Certified nurse-midwives in Virginia can now practice independently after the state eliminated its physician supervision requirement. The change addresses a critical gap in maternity care, particularly in rural counties where obstetric services are scarce or entirely absent. Research consistently shows that midwife-led care for low-risk pregnancies produces strong outcomes for mothers and newborns while reducing unnecessary medical interventions. Virginia joins a growing number of states aligning licensing laws with full practice authority standards, reflecting national momentum to expand access to qualified maternal care providers.

Workers walking through a German city street for an article about Germany minimum wage increase

Germany’s minimum wage will rise to €14.60 an hour by 2027

By / / Good News For Humankind

Germany’s minimum wage is rising in two steps, from €12.82 per hour today to €13.90 in January 2026, then to €14.60 by January 2027, a combined increase of nearly 14%. The decision, made by a commission of trade union and employer representatives, will push full-time monthly earnings close to €2,500, making Germany second only to Luxembourg for minimum wage levels in the EU. The increase benefits roughly four million workers and is anchored to the EU’s Minimum Wage Directive, which defines adequate pay as at least 60% of median wages. Germany’s experience since introducing its first statutory minimum wage in 2015 suggests employment disruption will be minimal.

A Vietnamese court building at dusk for an article about Vietnam death penalty reform — 12 words

Vietnam cuts death penalty for eight crimes including corruption and drug offenses

By / / Good News For Humankind

Vietnam death penalty reform marks one of the most significant shifts in the country’s criminal justice history, removing capital punishment from eight categories of offenses including economic crimes and corruption. The revised penal code introduces a restitution pathway allowing convicted individuals to have death sentences commuted to life imprisonment by returning illegally obtained assets, prioritizing recovery of public funds over retribution. This structurally novel approach creates transparent, measurable criteria for sentencing rather than leaving mercy to judicial discretion. The reform aligns Vietnam with a growing global movement to narrow the scope of capital punishment, even where full abolition remains politically difficult.

A diverse group of elected officials at a government building for an article about LGBTQ+ political representation

Out LGBTQ+ elected officials in the U.S. have tripled since 2017

By / / Good News For Humankind

LGBTQ+ elected officials across the United States have more than tripled since 2017, marking an unprecedented expansion in American political history documented by the Victory Fund Institute. Wins are occurring not just in coastal cities but in suburban districts, rural counties, and states once considered out of reach — suggesting a genuine nationwide shift. Research links higher LGBTQ+ representation to stronger non-discrimination protections and more equitable public health policy. For young LGBTQ+ people, seeing someone like themselves hold office measurably affects civic identity and belief that participation matters. The tripling is a milestone, not an endpoint.

Rows of solar panels extending across a vast installation for an article about China's 1 terawatt solar milestone

China becomes the first country to install 1 terawatt of solar power

By / / Good News For Humankind

China’s solar milestone reached one terawatt of installed photovoltaic capacity in 2025, making it the first nation in history to hit that mark, arriving ahead of schedule. The achievement is equivalent to 1.6 million utility-scale solar arrays running simultaneously and now represents half of all solar capacity installed worldwide as recently as 2024. Beyond climate goals, the buildout reflects a strategic push toward energy independence, reducing exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets. Most significantly, China’s manufacturing scale has driven global panel prices to historic lows, making clean energy newly affordable for developing nations that once had no realistic alternative.

Aerial view of a coastal power station at dusk for an article about Ireland coal-free Moneypoint closure

Ireland closes its last coal-fired power plant at Moneypoint

By / / Good News For Humankind

Ireland’s coal-free milestone arrived in 2025 when Moneypoint power station, the country’s only coal-fired plant, shut down permanently after nearly six decades of operation. The closure makes Ireland one of Europe’s first fully coal-free nations and eliminates the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from its electricity grid. Wind power, now generating 35-40% of Irish electricity, effectively replaced what coal once provided. Communities near Moneypoint in County Clare stand to see direct air quality improvements, while Ireland’s shift from imported coal to domestic wind also strengthens energy security against volatile global commodity markets.

A laboratory technician handling forensic evidence kits for an article about rape kit tracking — 13 words.

Kansas gives sexual assault survivors real-time access to rape kit tracking

By / / Good News For Humankind

Kansas rape kit tracking system gives sexual assault survivors secure online access to the status of their own forensic evidence, removing the need to contact law enforcement directly. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation assigns each kit a unique code at collection, letting survivors check its location and testing progress through a private portal. This shift in information access represents a meaningful step toward survivor agency, a factor researchers consistently link to trauma recovery. The system also creates an audit trail that increases institutional accountability and helps surface backlogs before they go unaddressed.

Close-up of psilocybin mushrooms in a clinical research setting for an article about psilocybin therapy

New Zealand approves psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression

By / / Good News For Humankind

Psilocybin therapy has received formal approval in New Zealand as a supervised treatment for severe, treatment-resistant depression, making the country one of a small but growing number of nations to authorize the psychedelic compound for clinical use. The decision opens a legal pathway for patients who have exhausted conventional antidepressants and talk therapies — a group estimated to represent roughly one-third of all depression patients globally. Access is tightly structured, requiring licensed clinicians, controlled settings, and follow-up integration support. New Zealand joins Australia, Canada, and several U.S. states in signaling a broader shift in how governments are responding to mounting clinical evidence around psychedelic-assisted mental health care.

Hens walking freely in a bright cage-free barn for an article about cage-free egg pledges

Over 1,400 companies worldwide have made cage-free egg pledges

By / / Good News For Humankind

Cage-free egg commitments are reshaping the global food industry, with more than 1,400 companies now pledging to eliminate conventional battery cages from their supply chains. Many of those deadlines fall in 2025, turning corporate promises into real changes for hundreds of millions of hens worldwide. Cage-free systems allow hens to walk, perch, nest, and spread their wings — basic behaviors impossible in battery cages smaller than a sheet of paper. What makes this significant is that coordinated advocacy, not government regulation, drove the shift by targeting major buyers and tracking compliance publicly.

A gray crowned crane standing in a wetland marsh, for an article about gray crowned crane recovery in Rwanda

Rwanda’s gray crowned crane population has tripled since 2017

By / / Good News For Humankind

Gray crowned crane recovery in Rwanda offers a rare conservation success story worth examining closely. The vulnerable species has seen its national population triple since 2017, driven by anti-poaching laws, wetland restoration, and rehabilitation programs returning captive birds to the wild. Crucially, Rwanda embedded local communities into the solution, offering residents paid roles as wildlife monitors and ecotourism workers, replacing economic incentives to capture cranes with incentives to protect them. The approach demonstrates that species recovery and habitat protection must be treated as a single challenge, not separate ones.