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.
Alphabet makes its low-cost water harvester open-source
According to WHO/UNICEF, about a third of the global population doesn’t have access to safe drinking water. More than half of these people, however, live in areas with just the right climate conditions to enable special water harvesting technologies to provide clean drinking water. This is Read More...
New French law helps independent bookstores compete with online retailers
A French law passed in 2014 that prohibits retailers from discounting new books has helped small bookstores survive amidst heavy competition from powerful online retailers. However, the owners of independent shops are still at a disadvantage because online marketplace giants such as Amazon have Read More...
Jersey City program expands access to local vertical farms
Vertical farms have been praised for their adaptability in dense spaces as well as low resource use. Another advantage is that they offer locally-grown produce to consumers that live miles away from traditional farmlands. In Jersey City, an innovative scheme is combining these different benefits of Read More...
New Zealand swears in first Indigenous Māori Governor-general
Last week, Dame Cindy Kiro was formally sworn in as New Zealand’s first Indigenous Māori woman to be named Governor-general. The Māori peoples account for around 17 percent of New Zealand’s population but are still socially and economically disadvantaged. They continue to be Read More...
Study: Start of season metrics provide strong insights into future famine risks
Researchers from UC Santa Barbara’s Climate Hazards Center have released a new study that identifies how the start of season indicators could predict potential famines. Two key metrics are used to determine famine risk: availability and accessibility. Availability refers to yields, while Read More...
Barbados elects Dame Sandra Mason as new republic’s first president
Barbados is preparing to become a republic and has recently elected its first female, and first-ever, president. Dame Sandra Mason was the first woman to serve on the Barbados Court of Appeals and has served as the governor-general since 2018. In a bid to finally leave its colonial past behind, Read More...
Éléonore Laloux changes lives as first French public official with Down syndrome
In Arras, France, a city council member is making history as the city’s public official in charge of inclusion and happiness. Éléonore Laloux is the first and only person with Down syndrome to be elected to public office in the country. Laloux was recently awarded membership in the National Read More...
New Zealand mandates climate change disclosures for financial institutions
New Zealand has introduced legislation to increase climate transparency in banking. The country’s new policy will require publicly listed companies and large insurers, banks, non-bank deposit takers, and investment managers to make climate-related disclosures. Most companies and banks Read More...
Costa Rica approves legalization of medicinal cannabis
Last week, Costa Rica’s Congress approved the legalization of medicinal cannabis, overcoming the opposition from conservative groups and President Carlos Alvarado, who has yet to ratify the law. If President Alvarado vetoes the law, then lawmakers would have to vote on it again and approve it Read More...
Egypt's State Council swears-in the nation's first female judges
Egypt’s State Council was established in 1946 and is an independent judicial body that deals with administrative disputes, disciplinary cases, appeals, reviews draft laws, decisions, and contracts that involve the government or a government-run body. And until recently, was exclusively Read More...