Politics & Government Good News

Ways that people, organizations, and governments are fighting to strengthen democracy in the United States and around the world

A couple holds their small, fluffy dog like a baby, swaddled in a blue cable knit blanket

This judge ruled that dogs are legally considered 'immediate family.' What does that actually mean?

Dog owners know that the bond they share with their pets is real, but in the eyes of the law, dogs have historically been treated like personal property.

We can prevent elections from being stolen. Here's how, according to a human rights expert

By learning from other countries, the United States can prepare for safe and fair elections.

An aerial view of a forest, a sea of green trees

Bolivia's Indigenous communities have helped protect nearly 1 million hectares of the Amazon rainforest

Bolivia has created four new protected areas covering 907,244 hectares (2.2 million acres) of Amazon lowlands and Andean highlands.

A long, abandoned house in New Mexico with red paint chipping off the exterior

New Mexico pays landlords to refurbish abandoned homes and rent to people experiencing homelessness

The statewide program, Rehab-2-Rental, solves multiple problems at once.

Two students converse next to a 3D model of a wind turbine, trees, and houses

A new law requires Illinois high schoolers to learn about climate change. It was written by two local teens

Two high schoolers themselves were foundational in efforts to mandate climate curriculum in Illinois high schools.

Two photos side by side. On the left, John and Hank Green smile in front of a maroon backdrop. On the right are hospital beds in the Sierra Leone Maternal Center of Excellence

The first-ever NICU in Sierra Leone just opened its doors — with the help of Hank & John Green

The Paul E. Farmer Maternal Center of Excellence was over a decade in the making. A large-scale fundraising effort by Hank and John Green made it possible.

A photo collage of the Golden State Building, a building and its front lot, a woman with face paint holds an LGBTQ+ flag, an aerial view of a solar farm, and a fuel company's factory

Good News This Week: February 14, 2026 - Braids, Blankets, & Flowers

Your weekly roundup of the best good news worth celebrating...

Researchers find most local governments are 'insulated' from political polarization

A survey of more than 1,400 local officials found that local governments are “largely insulated from the harshest effects of polarization.”

Trees stand before the Melbourne skyline

Australians send emails to trees in 'Tree-Mail' project designed to improve urban green space

Ideally, your messages are finding the trees well, but you can also report damaged limbs or declining health to ecology experts.

A mother and daughter snuggled up at home, behind a laptop

New study: Denmark's child care and parental leave policies are saving working moms thousands

Denmark is a test case that shows what’s possible when governments make financially supporting parents a high priority.

The Colorado state flag flies on a home flagpole in front of a mountain scenery

Colorado is the first state to give cash back to renters, in a program designed to put home ownership in reach

The program is a first-in-the-nation effort to reward low-income tenants for paying rent on time.

A woman wearing a knitted hat, a person hands money to a cashier, a wide shot of windmills and people on a hill, a woman prays in front of a vigil, and a knitted hat

Good News This Week: January 31, 2026 - Taxis, Monks, & Knitted Hats