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.
Berkeley bans unhealthy snacks from grocery store checkout lines
Those tempting candy bars and chip bags flanking the grocery store checkout line aren’t placed there by accident, but these impulse buy items will soon be a thing of the past in Berkeley, California after the city became the first to ban “junk food” displays in checkout lines. The ban, Read More...
New Jersey to pass nation’s most comprehensive single use plastics ban
New Jersey has been at the forefront of progressive action recently with a new bill that protects poor communities from pollution and a law that helps undocumented workers find jobs. Now, the state is on the verge of passing the country’s most progressive single-use plastic ban that would outlaw Read More...
Maine will be the first state to use ranked-choice voting for elections
In a country dominated by two political parties, voting for an independent third-party candidate is often seen as a vote wasted. But that won’t be the case for voters in Maine where the state’s Supreme Judicial Court just upheld the use of ranked-choice voting for its presidential and Read More...
California to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035
When it comes to the transition to cleaner means of transportation, California has been at the forefront of efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. Earlier this summer, the Golden State introduced a new law requiring all commercial trucks and vans sold in the state to be Read More...
China pledges to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060
The UN climate summit, Cop26, has been delayed until November 2021 due to the pandemic, but many participating countries aren’t waiting until next year to quantify their emissions reductions commitments. After the EU pledged to cut emissions by 55 percent by 2030, China made an unexpected Read More...
Connecting rentership and registration can empower marginalized voters
The 2020 election is fast approaching and we’ve been sharing stories on vote-in mailing, companies giving paid leave for employees to work the polls, and even NBA arenas turning into voting locations. Today we’re sharing another incredibly simple strategy to register more Americans to vote: Read More...
Washington becomes seventh state to ban wildlife killing competitions
As ridiculous as it sounds, many states in the US still allow hunting competitions where participants compete for prizes and awards by killing wild animals. Fortunately, more are starting to realize the ethical and environmental concerns of such outdated events, with Washington recently becoming Read More...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A legacy of justice and optimism
At The Optimist Daily, we share solutions to promote a culture of determined optimism. This week, we are celebrating the life and legacy of one of the world’s most inspirational determined optimists: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg, who passed away September 18 at the age Read More...
New Jersey passes bill to protect poor communities from pollution
In the past months, the state of New Jersey has passed some landmark laws that have been worth sharing. It started in June when the state mandated that climate change education must be a part of the curriculum in schools. Then, just weeks ago, Gov. Phil Murphy signed off on a new law that allows Read More...
Lyft is once again offering free or low-cost rides on Election Day
With the elections coming up, ride-sharing giant Lyft is offering free and discounted rides to help people get to their local polling stations. When election day arrives, riders will be able to get 50 percent off one ride (up to $10) to a dropbox or polling location when you use the code Read More...