National Parks: America’s best idea.

The U.S. National Park System is, in a word, remarkable. Both the lands themselves and the idea behind them: Preserving beauty, nature, history, and culture, and making it available to everyone — not just the rich and powerful.

Which is probably why so many people were angry and heartbroken by the recent attacks on the NPS, U.S. Forest Service, and public lands in general.

But the news is not all bad — and the upcoming, first-ever (!!) National Parks Edition of the Goodnewspaper proves it. It’s filled with good news happening in, for, and because of these incredible places and the people who love them.

It’s on its way to your mailbox now — and the digital version will hit your inbox on July 1. We can’t wait for you to read all the good news!

In the headlines...

🗳️ Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded victory to Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s mayoral primary election. Mamdani ran a platform focused on the cost of living, and if elected, he would be the first Muslim and Indian American to lead the largest city in the U.S.

💉 Since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, outside medical groups are organizing to form their own unbiased, independent vaccine panel.

Science & medicine

Scientists used E. coli bacteria to convert a widely used plastic into a common painkiller

Scientists from the University of Edinburgh used Escherichia coli bacteria to convert molecules from a widely used type of plastic — polyethylene terephthalate, or PET — into the common painkiller acetaminophen.

Acetaminophen, like most drugs, is made from fossil fuels, as is plastic. While this solution is not currently scalable at an industrial or commercial level, it has a lot of potential.

As one scientist said, it “demonstrates that PET plastic isn’t just waste or a material destined to become more plastic” — it can be made into “valuable new products, including those with potential for treating disease.”

Why is this good news? Plastic pollution and the use of fossil fuels to manufacture drugs are two of the largest problems facing the planet today, and this solution addresses both, turning something we’d normally consider waste into something really useful.

→ Read more​

More Good News

​A new “hotel” for families and veterans experiencing homelessness just opened in Denver. Expanding on the site’s previous capacity, The Theodora Family Hotel has 60 individual family suites and can house up to 240 people per night — each person or family will have their own private space.

​Ireland just closed its final coal power plant, making it the 15th coal-free country in Europe. Industry observers say the country’s increased renewable energy generation in recent years, particularly in wind, has contributed to this milestone.

​MIT researchers developed new particles that can carry multiple vaccine doses at once. New polymer microparticles can be used to deliver vaccines at different times, which could lead to childhood vaccines being given just once, eliminating the need for booster doses.

U.S. National Parks

To give you a little taste of the good news you can expect in July’s National Parks Edition of the Goodnewspaper (releasing July 1!), here are some more recent headlines:

​Yosemite mules are returning to help patrol and take care of the national park this summer. Part of the country’s third-oldest national park since 1917, the mules help rangers patrol the park, carrying supplies for trail crews as they oversee 800 miles of trail and helping workers who are clearing trails of downed trees.

​Zion National Park’s shuttle service has officially helped 100 million people enjoy the park. This milestone marks 25 years of accommodating millions of visitors while safeguarding park resources with sustainable transportation.

​Congaree National Park is using a “Skeeter Meter” to help visitors prepare for mosquitoes. To protect wildlife and biodiversity in the park, Congaree doesn’t spray pesticides to control the mosquito population, which thrives for the same reasons the park’s record-setting old-growth hardwood forest does.

Clean energy

In a major milestone for the clean energy transition, China just surpassed 1 TW of solar capacity

By the end of May 2025, cumulative solar capacity in China officially reached 1.08 TW, a 56.9% increase year over year. This milestone was driven by a record number of solar installations in the first five months of the year.

Between January and May, new installations totaled 197.85 GW, up 388.03% from the same period in 2024. The country added 92.92 GW in May alone.

Analysts credit the surge in capacity to favorable government policies, which triggered a rush to complete installations before policy changes that are expected in the second half of the year. They also expect this pace to slow as a result.

→ Read more​

More Good bits

🌸 You can create your own little national park. In fact, you should.​

🛝 Parks are also one thing we all definitely agree on.​

🌳 That’s probably because the benefits are endless.​

❤️ HIV advocates are fighting to save lives.​

🎓 “Kindness isn’t a weakness.”​

What’s good?

I’ll be honest, I did not know fossil fuels were used to manufacture my Tylenol! I swear I learn something new fossil fuels are used for every day ...

Did you know!?

Surely I’m not alone, reply and let me know!

— Megan