For every dark, depressing or just plain bad news story you read, there are countless people out there working toward a better world — shifting the narrative, shining light, and pushing back on the ills of society.
Take this week, for example. On Wednesday, NC Newsline reported on the newly released 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, which found that, despite a decline in homelessness nationwide during 2024, North Carolina saw a steep increase due largely to Hurricane Helene.
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Also on Wednesday, Atrium Health announced the launch of its new initiative, the Care Everywhere Street Medicine Project, which deploys teams of physicians and other health care professionals to encampments around the Charlotte area, meeting people who are struggling with homelessness and delivering much-needed health care where they are.
I reported on that project for Queen City Nerve, and it’s a reminder that, while the headlines may lean toward darkness, there are always heroes working to make our communities better.
On Good News Friday, let’s take a look at three more stories from around the state that may not all involve heroes, per se, but give us something to smile at as we close out the first week of June.
Lawmakers move to protect kids from addictive social media apps
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the United States has seen “significant increases” in certain mental health disorders in youth, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.
Many factors play a role in these increases, but social media is believed to be a major factor.
Now lawmakers in North Carolina are acting to protect preteens and younger children from being exposed to certain social media apps at impressionable ages.
House Bill 103, which would prohibit children 13 and under from using “addictive” social media apps, passed through the Senate Judiciary committee without objection on Wednesday and could soon go in front of the NC Senate for a full vote.
The bill passed through the NC House in 2025 on a bipartisan 106-6 vote. Titled “Social Media & AI Safety,” HB 103 also puts policies in place to regulate and direct the use of AI in K-12 classrooms.
The bill defines “addictive” social media platforms as those that have a primary purpose or function to provide a forum for users to interact with each other about the uploaded content of other users; see 10% or more of daily active users younger than 16 years of age spending an average of two or more hours per day on the app; employ algorithms that analyze user data or information on users to select content for users; and have any addictive features such as infinite scrolling, push notifications that cannot be turned off, metrics such as likes or shares that measure post engagement from other users, auto-play videos, or live-streaming.
The bill would also prohibit those same social media platforms from allowing 14- and 15-year-olds from creating accounts without parental consent.
SUN Bucks issued to eligible families across North Carolina
Following a year that saw SNAP benefits in limbo for food-insecure families across the state and country, more than 1 million North Carolina kids will soon benefit from the issuance of SUN Bucks, which started this week.
Now in its third summer, the SUN Bucks program will issue $121 million to eligible families in the form of $120 payments to each eligible child. The payment, mailed to families on preloaded cards, is meant to help with food costs for families who may rely on free or reduced-cost lunches during the school year.
The cards can be used to purchase nutritious food at retailers and farmers markets that accept Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which includes most major grocery stores in North Carolina.
“Too many children are vulnerable to hunger in the summertime because they lose access to the free and reduced-price meals they depend on during the school year,” stated Gov. Josh Stein in a release. “SUN Bucks helps families keep food on the table during the summer, supporting children’s health, development, and readiness to return to school in the fall.”
While philanthropic partners such as The Duke Endowment and Coca-Cola Consolidated fund much of the program, Stein called on state lawmakers to fund it moving forward.
Historic sites expand accessibility with Sunday pilot program
The North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites (DSHS) on Thursday announced the launch of an eight-week pilot program that will open about half of its sites for Sunday hours to expand accessibility for visitors across the state.
With most DSHS sites operating Tuesday-Saturday, the new program will open 13 parks on Sunday from 1-5 p.m., beginning June 14 and ending Aug. 2.
Funded by the “mini-budget” bill passed by the NC General Assembly in summer 2025, the pilot will include the following sites: Aycock Birthplace, Historic Bath, Bentonville Battlefield, Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson, Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, Historic Edenton, Fort Fisher, Historic Halifax, Reed Gold Mine, Roanoke Island Festival Park, Somerset Place, the State Capitol, and Thomas Day State Historic Site.
Learn more about the pilot program at the DSHS website.
