👟 Nina Kuscsik, the first woman to enter the New York City Marathon and the first official female winner of the Boston Marathon, died at 86 years old. Kuscsik broke barriers and challenged the unfounded belief that women could not and should not run 26.2 miles. (Gifted link)
Housing & Environment
Photo: Parker Miles Blohm/KNKX
Seattle is preserving tree cover while meeting demand for more housing
Cities around the U.S. balance both the need for more housing with the need to preserve and grow trees to combat climate change — and Seattle is finding the sweet spot.
While a new state law requires more housing density but not more trees, developments are still aiming to do both. Architects at one project placed 86 housing units where there were once only four, while preserving more than 30 trees.
One tree is more than 100 feet tall, now standing at the center of a group of apartment buildings and cooling the nearby buildings with its shade — not to mention filtering cleaner air for residents.
Why is this good news? Trees provide cooling shade, absorb carbon pollution, reduce stormwater runoff, reduce flood risk, and so much more. Architects and developers are proving that even in urban areas, we can address the need for more housing and for accessible green space — no tradeoffs needed.
Drug deaths among young people in the U.S. are dropping rapidly
In 2021, fentanyl and other drugs killed more than 31,000 people under the age of 35 — in 2024, that number dropped to around 16,690 fatal overdoses.
While the exact cause of the decline is unknown, it’s likely a number of factors. One, for example, could be advocacy from the thousands of grieving families impacted by the overdose crisis, who worked to educate people about the unique dangers of fentanyl.
Researchers also point to factors like the wider distribution of Narcan, or naloxone, more accessible addiction healthcare, and less risky drug and alcohol use among young people — the number of teens abstaining from substances was at its highest level in 2024.
There is so much new housing going up around where I live too, and while I know it’s needed, it really is heartbreaking to see so much land filled with lush tree cover cleared! I was excited to read about Seattle’s creative solutions.
Which good news story did you enjoy reading most today?
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