PROGRESS

10 NYC food carts just went quiet.

A six-month pilot will replace gasoline generators with batteries, cutting fumes and noise while gathering real-world data for thousands of street vendors.

SOURCENYC Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice
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HUMANS

Rwanda cut maternal mortality 27%.

Five years, a 27% decline, and a health system still pushing: Rwanda is pairing community care with faster records and referrals.

SOURCENational Institute of Statistics of Rwanda
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PROGRESS

California legalized plug-in balcony solar.

SB 868 treats certified portable solar more like a household appliance: utilities may require a simple online registration, but not prior approval.

SOURCECalifornia Legislative Information — SB 868
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WEIRD JOY

Backpack won Fat Bear Week.

A brown bear called Backpack packed on enough Alaska to win the internet’s favorite wildlife election.

SOURCENational Park Service
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WEIRD JOY

This one-gram robot can hop over a stair.

DirectHop uses a tiny motor and three folding legs to make controlled, repeated jumps. The prototype can clear a standard stair and twitch itself upright after a fall.

SOURCEUniversity of Washington / Newswise
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