Photo: Bill Griepenstroh/Unsplash (CC0)
In today’s edition of Squirrel News, we’re taking a closer look at three stories making headlines: Denver’s big drop in homicides, Detroit’s enormous reduction in the number of abandoned homes, and the rise of baby-friendly comedy clubs giving mums a chance to swap nursery rhymes for punchlines.
Denver saw a sharp decline in homicides last year, with police reporting only 37 killings in 2025, down from 70 the year before. This 48% decrease means the homicide rate for 2025 was one of the city’s lowest since 1990.
Source: CBS News
A new law requires the Tennessee bureau of investigation to maintain a database of people who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to at least two domestic violence offenses. The database will include the offender’s name, date of birth, and a photo and location of their convictions.
Source: The Guardian
Mayor Mike Duggan announced that Detroit’s residential blight removal programme has nearly fulfilled one of his signature campaign promises, cutting the number of abandoned Detroit Land Bank properties from 47,000 to fewer than 1,000. Vacant homes can become magnets for crime and create safety problems for nearby residents.
Source: WXYZ
A nationwide ban on the production and sale of PFAS chemicals – often called “forever chemicals” because they persist aggressively in the environment – goes into force on Thursday in France. The new rules cover a wide range of cosmetics and clothing and require authorities to regularly test drinking water for multiple types of PFAS.
Source: France24
Stockton’s JobsPlus is a pilot scheme with caseworkers who connect individual people with potential jobs, providing direct financial help where necessary.
Source: The Guardian
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has proposed making every city bus free to ride. One French city has already done it and seen big results: in 2014, Dunkirk cut fares on its public transit system. Today, about 150 buses operate fare-free seven days a week across 18 routes, giving roughly 200,000 residents free, citywide transportation.
Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful
The effort is part of a broader strategy to build national resilience against propaganda and disinformation, particularly from across its 1,340km border with Russia. As false narratives have intensified in Europe following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Finnish teachers are now expanding lessons to include AI literacy.
Source: AP News
Albatrosses spend nearly half their lives over the open ocean, where they are especially at risk of injury or death from commercial fishing operations. BirdLife South Africa has been working for the past 20 years to protect the birds through its Albatross Task Force, keeping albatrosses safe from fishing trawlers.
Source: BBC News
At the Phoenix Theatre in Bordon, Hampshire, a mix of mums, babies, and some decidedly judgmental toddlers gather for Every Other Mother, a baby-friendly event combining stand-up, poetry, short stories, and other creative performances. The events are designed to give new parents a break from infant-centric conversation and meet others in their position.
Source: Positive News
What started as a grassroots campaign in Santa Barbara has grown into a programme with tens of thousands of volunteers. Cycling Without Age is helping tackle loneliness by offering older adults and people with limited mobility the simple joy of a bike ride.
Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful
