In the headlines...

🍎 Overruling a lower court decision, the U.S. Supreme Court said it would allow the Trump administration to continue closing the Education Department. Meanwhile, 24 states are suing the administration to unfreeze more than $6 billion in education grants they need.

📱 A developer who “wanted to do something to fight back” created an iPhone app that lets users alert people to sightings of ICE agents in their area — it currently has more than 20,000 users.

Today’s Top Good News Story

‘Sinners’ is now the first film to offer Black American Sign Language through a streaming service

When “Sinners” first hit theaters in April, it quickly became one of the highest-grossing horror films ever produced — and it earned praise for its inventive depiction of Black history and culture.

When it was released on HBO Max earlier this month, the movie made headlines again, becoming the first film ever to offer Black American Sign Language interpretation through a streaming service.

The divergence of BASL and American Sign Language was largely driven by the segregation of schools in the American South throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. And even with desegregation, the style, structure, and syntax of BASL continued and are still practiced today.

Why is this good news? Offering films in various languages is important for making art and entertainment available and accessible to everyone. There are important nuances that differentiate BASL from ASL, and it’s important to offer it, too.

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More Good News

​New Jersey passed a new law that will expand free preschool and full-day kindergarten statewide by 2030. Among other things, the legislation establishes a three-year preschool cost-sharing pilot program, a committee to guide preschool expansion, and requires the state’s Education Department to provide annual expansion grants.

​A study found that smartphone bans in schools in the Netherlands have improved learning. A survey of more than 300 secondary school leaders reported that children found it easier to concentrate, the social environment and interactions between students were better, and some said results had improved.

​Gisele Pelicot, whose landmark case led to reforms in France’s rape laws, was awarded the country’s highest civilian honor. Pelicot gained recognition and admiration as a symbol of women’s rights in France — and all over the world — after she courageously testified publicly about the decade-long sexual abuse she endured from her ex-husband and strangers.

​An underwater turbine that has been spinning for 6 years off Scotland’s coast is a breakthrough for tidal energy. Keeping a large, or grid-scale, turbine in place in the harsh sea environment for that long is a record that helps pave the way for bigger tidal energy farms and makes the technology more appealing to investors.

Interesting story

An estimated 27 billion diapers are discarded annually — these ‘mushroom diapers’ might lighten the load

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good Data

The share of U.S. adults who say immigration is “a good thing” for the country just hit a record high

According to a new Gallup poll, 79% Americans today say immigration is “a good thing” for the country — up from about 64% just a year ago, and a record high point for the last 25 years.

Even among Republicans, positivity about immigration rose dramatically in the last year, from just 39% saying it was “a good thing” last year — to 64% today.

Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults said immigration was a bad thing, down from 32% last year, and the share who want immigration “decreased” dropped from 55% to 30%. The poll also showed decreasing support for the Trump administration’s mass deportations.

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More Good bits

🚒 A Virginia fire department made herstory.

🎨 An artist in exile is turning nature into art.

🏡 Grassroots groups are helping Altadena fire survivors rebuild and return home.

🏳️‍⚧️ There’s a glimmer of hope for trans rights in Cuba.

🐆 Conservation brings us all together.

What’s good?

Today’s top story has me reallyyyyy wanting to watch “Sinners” ... but I just cannot do horror movies ... I won’t sleep for weeks!

Have you seen it?

Reply and let me know what you thought!

— Megan