The Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared likely to rule for parents in Maryland who objected on religious grounds to books made available in a school district's elementary schools that feature stories about gay and transgender characters. Members of the 6-3 conservative majority, which often backs religious rights, seemed sympathetic during the lively 2½-hour oral argument toward the parents’ claims that the Montgomery County Board of Education violated their religious rights by...

Elon Musk has vowed to spend “significantly” less time working for Donald Trump’s administration and focus on Tesla after profits plummeted to a five-year low. The electric car company’s net income slumped by 71pc to $409m in the three months to the end of March, marking its least profitable quarter since 2020.

A federal jury in Manhattan on Tuesday found the New York Times (NYT.N), opens new tab not liable for allegedly defaming Sarah Palin in a 2017 editorial about gun control, dealing the former Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate a second loss at trial. The verdict came in a retrial of Palin's case, after a federal appeals court threw out a 2022 verdict in the Times' favor.

About 200 university presidents and chancellors signed onto a Tuesday letter denouncing the Trump administration's "coercive use of public research funding." Why it matters: Dissent to President Trump's higher education threats is slowly growing. What they're saying: "We speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education," the university leaders said in their letter.

Not seeing any kind of appeal.

Perfect every time.

by Harley Schlanger, LaRouche Organization: From shooting wars to tariff wars to hybrid warfare, the establishment is doing everything possible to hide the truth: that their globalist system is dying and waiting for burial.  There is a growing recognition among leading nations outside of the TransAtlantic region that a new security and development architecture is […]

BREAKING: Senator Ron Johnson reveals Feds are DESTROYING Epstein files, 9/11 files, Covid records and more! Where is Attorney General Pam Bondi!?pic.twitter.com/wpmXVq55Rs — Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) April 21, 2025

Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Let us know what you think at info@reasonstobecheerful.world. Bus time How do you get more people to opt for mass transit in the sprawling suburbs found across much of North America? According to a Bloomberg CityLab story shared by RTBC Audience Engagement Manager Vignesh Ramachandran, it might be as simple as running frequent, reliable buses. Vignesh says:   This was an interesting read about a Toronto suburb that has found success growing its bus ridership namely by running frequent buses. “With a population of about 700,000, Brampton has 226,500 bus riders on an average weekday,” Bloomberg reports, adding that there was “288 percent ridership growth from 2004 to 2018.” It counters the typical narrative that high urban density or major transit-oriented development is a prerequisite for solid public transit, as Brampton is structured like many North American suburbs. Fuel change Here at RTBC, we’ve reported on how energy-efficient heat pumps are and the key role they are playing in the transition away from fossil fuels. But there is an ironic catch, according to a Grist story shared by Executive Editor Will Doig: The refrigerant that pumps through them can be released as a powerful greenhouse gas. The good news? Alternative refrigerants are on the way. Will says:   Heat pumps are a much more sustainable way to heat and cool homes than most other methods, but as it turns out, they could be even greener. What else we’re reading In Midwest farm country, a tradition of duck hunting has healed the dried-out landscape — shared by Editorial Director Rebecca Worby from the Minnesota Star Tribune How a Funeral Director Brought Wind Power to Rural Missouri — shared by RTBC founder David Byrne from the New York Times Vultures are among the least loved animals. African conservationists are trying to change that — shared by Rebecca Worby from the Associated Press From our readers… This week, RTBC reader Michael Luckett sent us a story about the resurrection of the Southwestern peach. Navajo horticulturist Reagan Wytsalucy is working with the U.S. National Park Service to bring back this particular peach as part of a larger effort to make traditional crops more available to Indigenous communities. According to the Park Service, her research has shown that this peach, which Indigenous peoples grew in orchards in what’s now Canyon de Chelly National Monument for centuries, is more drought-tolerant than modern peaches. Thanks for the tip, Michael! The post What We’re Reading: How a Toronto Suburb Supercharged Its Mass Transit appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.