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.
The UK will pay wages to any worker facing unemployment amidst pandemic
In a truly unprecedented move, the UK government has announced that it will subsidize the wages of any worker facing unemployment because of the coronavirus pandemic as it ordered the closure of pubs and restaurants to try to contain the outbreak. According to finance minister Rishi Sunak, the Read More...
Colorado created the first paid state holiday honoring a woman in America
It took quite a while, but Colorado has finally passed new legislation to scrap Columbus Day as a recognized paid state holiday. In its place, the first Monday of October will now honor Frances Xavier Cabrini, who according to the bill, is the woman responsible for creating 67 schools, hospitals, Read More...
This tiny island just became the world’s first “dark sky” nation
Whether it’s urbanization, satellites in space or the increased use of greenhouses lit up by LEDs, there are many causes of light pollution that are spoiling the beauty of our night skies. That’s a crying shame, which is why a nonprofit known as the International Dark-Sky Association is working Read More...
Virginia’s new law demonstrates the power of green corporate voices
Yesterday we shared an article about how Virginia is the first southern state to commit to 100 percent renewable energy. Today, we take a deeper look at how companies in the state played a critical role in passing the landmark Virginia Clean Economy Act. Numerous clean energy businesses, Read More...
Virginia is the first southern state to commit to 100 percent renewable energy
Virginia passed a landmark law on March 6 which makes it the first state in the southern United States to commit to achieving 100 percent renewable energy. The Virginia Clean Economy Act of 2020 includes plans to eliminate emissions from the electricity sector and create 13,000 new clean energy Read More...
House passes coronavirus aid package, including free tests and paid sick leave
As efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus in the US are getting more extreme with each passing day, many companies have banned non-essential travel, told the symptomatic to isolate themselves, and encouraged workers to work from home. The problem, however, is that there is a great Read More...
Cities to ban evictions for workers affected by coronavirus response
The coronavirus is certainly a worrying development—and while it doesn’t necessarily feel that the federal government is acting swiftly enough to protect people, cities such as San Jose, California, are taking steps to help those who need it most. As you might know, someone trying to survive Read More...
After a 29 percent drop, UK carbon emissions are now back at 1988 levels
A carbon brief has revealed that the United Kingdom’s carbon dioxide emissions have dropped 29 percent since 2010. The analysis found that carbon emissions dropped 2.9 percent last year alone, bringing 2019 emissions down to 1988 levels. The drop in emissions is largely attributed to coal Read More...
The Netherlands is doubling its 2020 green subsidies to meet climate goals
Let’s start with the bad news: The Netherlands is struggling to meet its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 25% below 1990 levels by the end of this year. The good news: the Dutch government is actually taking this seriously. This week, the government Read More...
California designates 300 state buildings to house homeless
California Governor Gavin Newsom made addressing homelessness a key issue of his campaign. Last month, he dedicated his State of the State address to the issue with a plan to allocate 286 state properties for use as homeless shelters. This plan builds on his previously proposed plan of Read More...