In the headlines...

🌋 Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano resumed its eruption, shooting lava and volcanic material hundreds of feet into the air. Fortunately, it has not impacted any residential areas.

🎓 President Trump sent a letter to all federal agencies, instructing them to end contracts with Harvard University, totaling about $100 million. Harvard is standing strong and says it will “not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.” (More below)

Education

Harvard is offering free courses on US history, civic engagement, and politics

While Harvard University has offered free online courses for several years, with tensions rising in relation to the Trump administration, more attention is on the institution than ever.

In its commitment to serving the American people, not only has the university has expanded its financial aid offerings this year, it also released 122 free courses for 2025 that anyone with access to a computer can take.

While it is unclear if they have been offered in response to the administration, 40 government classes are also available online to anyone who wants to learn (some free, some with a fee) — including lessons on constitutional foundations, U.S. public policy, and civic engagement in a constitutional democracy.

Why is this good news? Higher education, especially when it comes to being an engaged, knowledgeable citizen, should be accessible to everyone. While civics lessons are taught in public schools, it’s often not enough to gain a true understanding of U.S. government and politics.

It’s very good news that Harvard is offering its educational resources to anyone and everyone who wants to continue learning.

→ Read more​

More Good News

​New Mexico’s recreational marijuana tax is funding a basic income program for vulnerable families. The program provides $750 monthly payments to 80 families in two districts where students struggle with low academic performance, as well as financial counseling to the families.

​A recycling team in Connecticut is collecting oyster shells from restaurant trash bins to rebuild oyster habitat. Empty oyster shells play a key role in the oyster life cycle: Oyster larvae attach to shells, where they grow into adults and form reefs that improve water quality, prevent coastal erosion, and create habitat for other marine life. (Gifted link)

​Paris unveiled a massive, steel star monument as a memorial to LGBTQ+ victims of the Nazi regime. The monument is located in public gardens at the heart of Paris, and aims to fulfill a duty to remember and to fight discrimination, according to the city’s mayor.

​A Korean-born artist is passing along a centuries-old dye tradition to art students in Maryland. The class at the Maryland Institute College of Art uses plants like indigo and marigold to create hues of blue and gold through a meticulous process of soaking plants to get the right color.

Animals & environment

Scientists believe penguin poop might be cooling Antarctica by kicking off an atmospheric chain reaction

→ Read more​

LGBTQ+

Offering familial support to those who may not have it, a group of dads invite Pride attendees to ‘play catch’

John Piermatteo — an ally and father of two, including one nonbinary child — wanted to come up with a creative way to show familial support to LGBTQ+ people at Pride events.

Remembering how much tossing a ball around with his dad meant to him growing up, he started Play Catch With A Dad in 2019.

After a pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Piermatteo came back with lifelong friends joining him at Play Catch With a Dad events. He would take the offering on the road for Pride festivals across Pennsylvania — and nationwide, including at two of the country’s largest Pride gatherings.

→ Read more​

More Good bits

🌻 Flowers make everything better.​

🐾 Two very good boys are keeping wildlife and people safe at the airport.

✏️ Pedals for Pencils is officially on! (What the heck is Pedals for Pencils?) (TikTok)

🥤 “Reverse vending machines” tackle plastic pollution.

🏳️‍⚧️ We’re celebrating with you, Zaya! (TikTok)

What’s good?

I’m a regular student of “America’s government teacher”, but I am totally checking out Harvard’s free civics course listing! Then I could also rock a Harvard sweatshirt unironically.

Would you consider taking one of the university’s free courses?

Let me know if we’ll be classmates!

— Megan