Everything Isn’t Total Shit: A Few Good Things Happened Recently
A reminder that there are good things happening!
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration recovered more than $9 million in unpaid fines from Amazon.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced this week that his administration has successfully recovered more than $9 million from Amazon after the company’s delivery vehicles accrued fines due to idling violations.
“Amazon is worth $2 trillion. Yet, it did not deign to pay the millions of dollars it racked up in unpaid fines as its’ trucks illegally polluted our air and forced New Yorkers to breathe in their exhaust. We are going to collect every dollar they owe the people of this city,” Mayor Mamdani said. “These laws exist for a reason: cleaner air, healthier communities, and a city where corporations are held to the same standard as everyone else. Today we are making clear that no company – no matter how large or powerful – is above the law.”
An animal park in the U.K. is marking a “conservation milestone” following the birth of four tiger cubs from a critically endangered species.
Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent, which is overseen by the animal conservation charity the Aspinall Foundation, has marked what they are calling a “conservation milestone” following the birth of four Sumatran tiger cubs. (Sumatran tigers are critically endangered due to habitat destruction and poaching, with less than 400 remaining in the wild.)
Howletts’ success in breeding critically endangered species and reintroducing them into the wild has contributed significantly to global conservation efforts.
Rep. Mark Pocan has committed to working with the USDA and NIH to completely shut down Ridglan Farms and save the remaining beagles still there.
Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI) announced this week that he is committing to working with the USDA and NIH to completely shut down Ridglan Farms – a Wisconsin animal breeding testing facility that was recently at the center of multiple direct actions leading to them selling the majority of the beagles they had been testing on.
According to Rep. Pocan, 650 beagles remain at the facility. He has committed to saving them and finding them new homes while also committing to completely shutting the facility down.
Bernie Sanders and Summer Lee introduced a bill to stop corporations and billionaires from spending unlimited amounts to influence U.S. elections
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Summer Lee (D-PA) introduced companion bills in the Senate and House, respectively, to abolish Super PACs, which allow corporations and wealthy individuals to spend unlimited amounts of money on U.S. elections.
The Abolish Super PACs Act would cap Super PAC donations from individuals at $5,000.
In a joint fact sheet released by Sanders and Lee, they say: “Unlimited contributions by billionaire oligarchs to super PACs corrupt our politics, make politicians more beholden to the billionaire class, and undermine Americans’ confidence in the political system. Congress must act to ensure that billionaires do not continue to determine the outcome of our elections.”
A bill which bans child marriage in Oklahoma has officially become law, set to go into effect in November.
Senate Bill 504, which takes effect November 1, officially became law on May 13 without signature from Governor Kevin Stitt.
The new law sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 18 with no exceptions. This change removes current statutory language that allows 16 and 17-year-olds to get married with parental consent and minors under 16 to wed with court approval if pregnancy or childbirth is involved.
The new law makes Oklahoma the 17th state to outlaw child marriage in the United States since 2018.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan blocked a £50 million deal between Metropolitan police deal and Palantir.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, blocked a £50 million deal between the Metropolitan Police and U.S. tech company Palantir that would have allowed police to use Palantir’s AI to automate intelligence analysis in criminal investigations.
The Mayor’s office said there had been a “clear and serious breach” of procurement rules and said that the police department had only seriously considered one supplier (Palantir).
A bill was introduced in Congress that would create a nonprofit to fund digital literacy and broadband adoption nationwide.
Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) introduced The Digital Opportunity Foundation Act of 2026, which would create a nonprofit to leverage public and private funding for programs to help Americans access and use broadband internet, digital devices, and emerging technologies.
“Access to the internet is not optional. It is how Americans learn, apply for jobs, access healthcare, and stay connected to one another. Yet too many families are being left behind, unable to fully plug into opportunity because of where they live, how much they make, or whether they have the tools to get online. [This bill] recognizes that closing the digital divide takes more than building broadband networks. It requires sustained investment in digital skills, devices, and trusted community partnerships that help people fully participate in our economy and society. I am proud to support this legislation to help make lasting digital equity a reality for communities across the country,” said Congresswoman Matsui.
French and African leaders announced more than $11 billion in renewable energy investments across Africa.
During a closed-door CEO forum held alongside the France-Africa Summit in Nairobi, leaders from France and Africa announced more than $11 billion in clean energy investments across Africa.
Executives from major companies announced projects spanning sustainable aviation fuel, hydropower, solar energy, wind generation, and clean cooking initiatives.
African leaders pledged to promote green industrialization through investment in renewable or clean energy.
Lawmakers in New York have re-introduced the “Not On Our Dime Act,” which bans New York nonprofits from fundraising for the IOF and settler terrorism in the occupied West Bank.
The “Not On Our Dime Act,” which prohibits New York-based organizations claiming non-profit status from abusing this status to reinforce and further Israeli war crimes, has been reintroduced in the New York State Assembly.
The bill (A11289/S606), which was initially introduced by then-Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani in 2023, clarifies that funding Israeli settlement activity and any violations of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by New York State charities is illegal.
Bernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar introduced a bill to offer free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack to every student in the country, and eliminate outstanding school meal debt.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) introduced The Universal School Meals Program Act of 2026 this week, which is co-sponsored by more than 100 of their colleagues in Congress and endorsed by nearly 100 organizations including the American Heart Association and Hunger Free America.
Among other things, the bill would:
Provide free breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack to every student — regardless of income.
Eliminate school meal debt for every public school student in the U.S. by reimbursing schools and ending harassment of parents and students over unpaid bills.
Incentivize schools to buy from local farms, bringing food from nearby farms into schools while supporting local economies.
Some extra quick hit good news headlines (because I know I need some extra good news):
A Florida biologist who was fired over a Charlie Kirk social media post won a $485,000 settlement
France passed a law on the restitution of cultural artifacts looted during colonial rule
Hundreds of volunteers led the UK’s largest-ever oyster reef restoration
Florida sea turtles are off to a record-breaking start for nesting season
A bill was introduced in Congress that would block the sale of federal lands
The Illinois Senate passed a bill to reduce barriers to menopause care
“What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something.” – Howard Zinn