Politics
Having a difficult time finding positive news about national and global politics? Search no further! From public policy to positive leadership to democracy efforts, find the latest good news stories in the world of politics at The Optimist Daily.
Thought Leader Series: Rethinking the virus and the future
Millions of species on Earth, from tiny microorganisms to the blue whale, all work together to maintain a stable biodiverse ecosystem everywhere on the planet. However, somewhere along the line, humans developed a humans-as-supreme, not life-as-supreme, attitude about our role in nature. In Read More...
Rhode Island governor signs order to change state name over slavery ties
The official full name of Rhode Island is “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,” but this is set to change after the governor signed an executive order to shorten the name to just “Rhode Island", detaching any official ties to slavery. Many people are not even aware of Read More...
New data shows tech companies are getting better at stopping hate speech
While social media platforms provide a great medium for us to connect with people, they have also been used as a medium for people to spread hate speech. Fortunately, tech companies are getting much better at managing hate speech, according to the European Commission (EC). The findings come as Read More...
Why the coronavirus recovery is the perfect opportunity to enact change
As cities reopen even while global COVID-19 cases continue to grow, most people are wondering when things will truly get back to normal. In a TED2020 talk on Monday, economist Mariana Mazzucato said that it’s the wrong question to ask. “Really, my view is that we need to do everything we Read More...
This nonprofit teaches former felons digital media to boost job prospects
Each year, around 8,500 people in New York City are released from prison, more than half of which are rearrested within three years. Of those who have jobs a year after release, the recidivism rate drops to 31 percent. The problem, however, is that for someone who’s just gotten out of prison, Read More...
West Coast states are gearing up to build an electric highway
Imagine driving on a highway where semi-trucks don’t belch dirty diesel fumes because they can rely solely on electric power. Well, that could be the case on the West Coast relatively soon. Recently, utilities and state agencies in California, Oregon, and Washington announced a plan to transform Read More...
New agreement significantly lowers the cost of pneumonia vaccine
Pneumonia is the single biggest killer of children under five worldwide, but a new agreement hopes to change this by making the vaccine for the disease much more affordable. A new agreement between UNICEF and the Serum Institute of India will drop the price of the lifesaving drug from $3.50 to Read More...
Juneteenth may soon be recognized as a federal holiday
Juneteenth gained momentum as a celebrated holiday this year in the wake of a rising wave of calls for racial justice and reforms across the US. Now, with the support of corporate executives, sports officials, and elected officials, the move to make Juneteenth a national holiday is gaining Read More...
Senate passes monumental public lands conservation act
The Senate has approved a bill that would make billions of dollars available to fund national parks and public lands infrastructure including trails, roads, and buildings. Called the Great American Outdoors Act, the bill is a significant piece of conservation legislation and was passed thanks to Read More...
US Supreme Court rules in favor of “Dreamers”
The DACA program allows nearly 700,000 young, undocumented immigrants to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation. Yesterday, the Supreme Court protected the program from being dismantled and upheld the rights of immigrants, many of whom came to the US as young children and Read More...