North & Central America

This archive covers progress stories from North and Central America, spanning the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the nations of Central America. Readers will find reporting on health, environment, community resilience, and policy advances across the region.

Minneapolis skyline, for article on nudification app ban

Minnesota passes ban on fake A.I. nudes

By / / Good News For Humankind

Minnesota’s nudification app ban just cleared the state Senate with a 65-0 vote, and it carries real teeth: fines up to $500,000 per fake image, with the money flowing directly to services for survivors of sexual assault and abuse. The bill targets the tools themselves — apps built specifically to strip images of real people without consent — while exempting general-purpose software like Photoshop. It exists because survivor Molly Kelley spent two years organizing after a man in her social circle used a nudifying service to fabricate images of more than 80 women he knew. Her advocacy turned a legal void into unanimous bipartisan action, offering a template other states are already studying as AI-enabled abuse outpaces older laws.

Scientist filling tubes, for article on reversible male contraception

Cornell researchers achieve first reversible male birth control in mice

By / / Good News For Humankind

Reversible male birth control just cleared a major hurdle: in a new Cornell study, male mice stopped producing sperm entirely after three weeks of treatment, then bounced back to full fertility within six weeks of stopping. The approach skips hormones altogether, targeting a specific window of sperm development in the testis so libido and other traits stay untouched. Even better, the mice went on to father healthy pups who were themselves fertile. The researchers are now testing new molecular targets and hope to launch a company within two years to move toward human trials. If the science holds up across species, it could finally give men a real long-acting option — and ease a contraceptive burden women have shouldered alone for generations.

Salmon in river, for article on coho salmon recovery

Coho salmon returns surge 10x on California’s Mendocino Coast over last decade

By / / Good News For Humankind

Coho salmon are back on California’s Mendocino Coast in numbers no one alive expected to see: more than 30,000 endangered adults returned to spawn this past season, roughly ten times the count from a decade ago. Biologists who once walked miles of empty stream are now finding fish tucked under their boots and spawning in channels barely a foot and a half wide. The turnaround follows decades of patient work — over 100 restoration projects, removed culverts, and rebuilt floodplains — meeting a rare stretch of favorable ocean conditions. It’s a reminder that endangered species can come back when communities commit to the long, unglamorous work of healing the places they depend on.

A nurse in a rural Mexican clinic checks a patient's blood pressure, for an article about Mexico universal healthcare

Mexico launches universal healthcare for all 133 million citizens

By / / Good News For Humankind

Mexico universal healthcare is now officially a reality, with the country launching a system designed to cover all 133 million citizens through the restructured IMSS-Bienestar network. Before this reform, an estimated 50 million Mexicans had no formal health insurance, with rural and Indigenous communities bearing the heaviest burden of untreated illness and medical debt. The new system severs the long-standing tie between employment and healthcare access, providing free consultations, medicines, and hospital services regardless of income. If implemented effectively, Mexico’s move could serve as a powerful model for other middle-income nations still navigating fragmented, inequitable health systems.

Researcher examining brain scan imagery for an article about Alzheimer's prevention trial results

U.S. researchers cut Alzheimer’s risk by half in first-ever prevention trial

By / / Good News For Humankind

Alzheimer’s prevention may have reached a turning point after a landmark trial showed that removing amyloid plaques before symptoms appear can cut the risk of developing the disease by roughly 50%. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine studied people with rare genetic mutations that make Alzheimer’s nearly inevitable, finding that early, aggressive treatment can genuinely alter the disease’s course. The results, published in The Lancet Neurology, mark the first time any intervention has shown potential to prevent Alzheimer’s from appearing at all, not merely slow its progression. That distinction matters enormously, since amyloid begins accumulating in the brain two decades before symptoms emerge.

A person sitting quietly on a bench at sunset, for an article about global suicide rate decline — 15 words.

Global suicide rate has dropped nearly 40% since the 1990s

By / / Good News For Humankind

Global suicide rates have dropped nearly 40% since the early 1990s, falling from roughly 15 deaths per 100,000 people to around nine — one of modern public health’s most significant and underreported victories. This decline was driven by expanded mental health services, crisis intervention programs, and proven strategies like restricting access to lethal means. The progress spans dozens of countries, with especially sharp declines in East Asia and Europe. Critically, this trend demonstrates that suicide is preventable at a population level — making the case for sustained investment in mental health infrastructure worldwide.

A California condor in flight with wings fully spread, for an article about California condor recovery on Yurok tribal land

California condors nest on Yurok land in the Pacific Northwest for the first time in over a century

By / / Good News For Humankind

California condors are nesting in the Pacific Northwest for the first time in over a century, on Yurok Tribe territory in Northern California. The confirmed nest marks a landmark moment in condor recovery and represents deep cultural restoration for the Yurok people, who consider the condor — prey-go-neesh — a sacred relative. The Yurok Tribe has led reintroduction efforts since 2008, combining Indigenous ecological knowledge with conventional conservation science. Successful wild nesting signals the recovering population is crossing a critical threshold, demonstrating that Indigenous-led conservation produces measurable, meaningful results.

Aerial view of Canadian boreal forest and lake for an article about Canada 30x30 conservation

Canada commits .8 billion to protect 30% of its lands and waters by 2030

By / / Good News For Humankind

Canada 30×30 conservation commitment: Canada has pledged .8 billion to protect 30% of its lands and waters by 2030, one of the largest conservation investments in the country’s history. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the plan under the global Kunming-Montréal biodiversity framework, with Indigenous-led conservation and Guardians programs at its center. The commitment matters globally because Canada’s boreal forests, Arctic tundra, and freshwater systems regulate climate far beyond its borders. Whether the pledge delivers lasting protection will depend on the strength of legal frameworks and the quality of Indigenous partnership.

Washington state capitol building in Olympia with blue sky for an article about Washington state millionaires tax — 15 words.

Washington state enacts a millionaires tax to fund schools and families

By / / Good News For Humankind

Washington state millionaires tax marks one of the boldest state-level tax equity moves in recent U.S. history, imposing a surcharge on capital gains and investment income earned by the state’s wealthiest residents. The revenue will fund K-12 public schools, early childhood programs, and relief for small businesses long burdened by the state’s business and occupation tax structure. The law is especially significant because Washington has historically had one of the most regressive tax systems in the country, with lower-income residents paying a far higher share of their income in taxes than the wealthy. By targeting investment income, the state begins correcting that structural imbalance without adding burdens to working families.

A mother holding a newborn in a hospital setting for an article about the Detroit RxKids cash program

Detroit RxKids sends .4 million in free cash to new mothers in its first month

By / / Good News For Humankind

Detroit RxKids cash program distributed .4 million in its first month of citywide operation, reaching hundreds of pregnant women and new mothers across one of America’s most economically strained cities. The program, designed by Flint water crisis whistleblower Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, provides 00 monthly during pregnancy and 00 monthly through a child’s first year with no spending restrictions. Detroit has among the highest infant mortality rates of any major U.S. city, making the intervention urgent and overdue. Research consistently shows unconditional cash transfers improve maternal health, reduce food insecurity, and support early brain development without reducing workforce participation.