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.
Coronavirus exposed the social safety net for what it truly is: a good idea
While there are many grim aspects of coronavirus and the ensuing quarantine, we can not deny that some very positive developments are taking place. At the policy level, many of the ideas that were once deemed crazy are now being seen as viable. Suddenly even federal lawmakers who have long resisted Read More...
Ireland’s Prime Minister is joining the medical staff to fight COVID-19
Before joining politics, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar had been working as a junior doctor in Dublin. Now, as Ireland is battling with the ongoing pandemic, Varadkar has rejoined the country’s medical register and will work one shift a week to help out the overwhelmed health services. After Read More...
Spain is on the verge of implementing a basic income program
The coronavirus has prompted governments around the world to think of ways to pandemic-proof the world. One of the main ideas that is gaining traction is universal basic income (UBI), something we’ve written quite a few stories about (see here and here). If you’re not familiar with UBI, Read More...
Portugal gives migrants full citizenship rights during pandemic
Coronavirus is unique because of its truly global impact, but with that said, it’s also exposing inequalities in our world. For many migrants, for instance, sheltering in a safe space is not always a possibility. Gaining access to healthcare is also not so simple. To make amends for this, Read More...
Study suggests quick action could successfully restore oceans by 2050
A global team of researchers recently published an article in the scientific journal Nature detailing the state of our ocean's health, and unlike most projections of the ocean’s future health, this paper cautiously explains that we can successfully restore the ocean by 2050—if we act fast. Read More...
Thunberg says COVID-19 demonstrates power of large-scale collective action
COVID-19 has quickly shut down global schools, travel, and production. Its effect on society is nearly unprecedented. Climate activist Greta Thunberg remarks that while the global event is catastrophic, it does demonstrate the human ability to act fast in the face of a crisis Thunberg, who Read More...
These CEOs gave up their salaries to avoid layoffs and closures
COVID-19 wreaked havoc on our economic system, but some CEOs stepped up and forgoed their own salaries to protect workers from layoffs and store closures. Many key players in the airline industry, which has taken a particularly large hit during the outbreak, sacrificed corporate income for Read More...
The southern jet stream is moving back to normal thanks to global efforts
Have you ever heard of the southern jet stream? It’s a powerful wind that shapes weather patterns and ocean currents in the southern hemisphere, particularly in the summer. Up until about 2000, it had been shifting from its usual course and moving southwards towards the Antarctic at a rate of one Read More...
Deepak Chopra: Why we need a well-being state, not a welfare state
This week, Deepak Chopra published a sharp, insightful column about coronavirus in SF Gate. We’re not going to publish the whole piece right here, but we want to share a snippet here because it provides a fantastic perspective on how we can take the lessons from COVID 19 to build a state that Read More...
The UK’s parliament pension fund is dumping fossil fuel investments
Good news from the clean energy front in the UK: The Parliament’s pension fund, which takes care of the pensions for members of parliament (MP), has made record investments in renewable energy and cut its exposure to fossil fuel companies. A new report from the £700m pension fund showed that Read More...