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.
US to rejoin Paris climate accord
In a victory for climate activists and environmental action, the United States has committed to rejoining the 2015 Paris climate accord. Although this is the easiest step in a long road of climate action ahead, the re-entry demonstrates to the US and the world that climate change is once again a Read More...
US court strikes down coal-friendly climate rule just before inauguration
In 2019, the administration of the (now former) President of the United States attempted to relax restrictions on power plant greenhouse emissions. In a move that could only harm the environment, the administration’s EPA lawyers filed a lawsuit that argued that the federal government does not Read More...
Dr. Rachel Levine will be first openly transgender health secretary
Dr. Rachel Levine, the current secretary of health in Pennsylvania, is leading the fight against Covid-19 in the state. She will take on an even bigger public health leadership role and break down barriers as the newly-nominated assistant secretary for the Department of Health and Human Read More...
Why West Virginia’s nursing home vaccine rollout has been so successful
As particularly vulnerable hot spots for covid-19, nursing homes have been prioritized to receive the vaccine, but most states fell short of their goal to vaccinate nursing home residents by Christmas. One outlier, however, is West Virginia. On December 30, the state celebrated the completion of Read More...
Ivory Coast designates first-ever marine sanctuary
Grand-Bereby is a tiny western town on the Ivory Coast home to mangroves, reefs, and important nesting grounds for sea turtles. It is also home to the Ivory Coast’s first-ever marine protected area. The 1,000 square mile area is the first of five that the Ivory Coast government has Read More...
New River Gorge, West Virginia becomes America’s newest national park
As a part of the Covid-19 relief bill that was passed on Dec. 27, lawmakers have created the first national park in the state of West Virginia. New River Gorge, which is located in Fayetteville, has officially changed from a national river to a national park, becoming the nation’s 63rd national Read More...
Raphael Warnock wins election to become Georgia’s first Black senator
At The Optimist Daily, our focus is on solutions. We are not interested in following mainstream news outlets in their pursuit of the latest political news. With that said, there are times when events occur in the political arena that are very much worth writing about. The recent Georgia Senate Read More...
Do you have unused frequent flier miles? Here's where to donate them
If you’re looking for more ways to give back this year, your frequent flier miles could be a surprisingly good place to start. If your miles are piling up without this year’s usual travel, you can donate them to someone in need with just the click of a button. Here are some of the ways to put Read More...
Court grants ‘priority status’ to historic youth-driven climate case
Back in September, we wrote about a groundbreaking court case filed by young activists from Portugal that demanded 33 countries to make more ambitious emissions cuts to protect their future physical and mental wellbeing. Those countries include all the EU states, as well as the UK, Norway, Russia, Read More...
New fathers to get as much paid leave as mothers in Finland
In Finland, a coalition of five political parties began their terms in office this past December. All five parties are led by women of whom four are under 35 years old, and one of their main priorities is gender equality. In a testament to this goal, Finland’s government has announced plans to Read More...