Edition #118 · Monday, August 17, 2026 · 2818 positive stories

What went right: week 33 of 2026

August 10 to 16, 2026 · the 8 stories most worth remembering, one per corner of the good-news world

Seven days of headlines, boiled down to the handful that actually made the world a little better. Every story links to the original publisher.

Science & Breakthroughs · NASA Breaking News

APOD: 2026 August 16 - Milky Way over Yellowstone

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 16 - Milky… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Pict…

Kindness & Community · Nice News

A Man Biked Across the US in 1979 With a Stranger He Met Through a Newspaper Ad - 45 Years Later, They Reconnected

In 1979, when New Yorker Joel Greenia was in his early 20s, he decided to embark on an adventure he’d dreamed about for years: riding coast to coast o…

Tech for Good · Ars Technica Science

So much solar: Digging into the list of every US power plant that went online this year

It’s been a wild first half of the year in the US power sector, with announcements of gigantic natural gas power plants and some long-awaited renewabl…

Environment & Climate · Reasons to Be Cheerful

More American Dads Are Taking Parental Leave

This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education. Sign up for free newsletters from The 74 to get more like this in your …

Health · ScienceDaily Top News

Ozempic may have revealed the brain’s hidden “craving center”

Ozempic-like drugs appear to weaken more than hunger - they may also reduce cravings for alcohol and other addictive substances. Scientists are increa…

Animals · Phys.org Latest

After commercial whaling nearly erased them, blue and fin whales are slowly reclaiming the southeast Atlantic

More than 40 years after the end of commercial whaling, new research reveals a recent increase in sightings of the world's two largest whale species i…

World · BBC News World

Lebanon parliament votes to abolish death penalty

The new law - which next goes to the cabinet for approval - would make Lebanon the first country in the Middle East to end capital punishment.

Underdog Wins · BBC News World

Moment family rescued after 16 hours floating on jet ski off Thailand

A 50-year-old father and his two sons were found floating off Koh Samui island, a local official told AFP on Saturday.

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Previous weeks

Week 32 of 2026

August 3 to 9, 2026 · 8 picks

Week 31 of 2026

July 27 to August 2, 2026 · 8 picks

Week 30 of 2026

July 20 to 26, 2026 · 8 picks