Politics & Government Good News

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

Close-up of a wet sidewalk with raindrops visible on its surface, blurred vehicles and street lights in the background.

As climate change worsens flooding, some places are becoming 'sponge cities'

Across the continental U.S., intense single-day precipitation events are growing more frequent, fueled by warming air that can hold increasing levels of moisture.

Aerial view of a blue and yellow basketball court with multiple hoops surrounded by brick apartment buildings, railroad tracks, and trees in an urban neighborhood with a city skyline in the distance.

These new NYC basketball courts double as massive sponges that mitigate flooding

The courts can hold 330,000 gallons of water, half the volume of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Two yellow mobile cranes with extended booms position large curved concrete sections on the ground at a construction site in an arid landscape, with construction vehicles and workers nearby.

Wyoming's largest wildlife crossing is ahead of schedule. It plans to reduce deer-vehicle collisions by 90%

There are an average of 6,000 vehicle collisions with big game every year in Wyoming. A new overpass aims to slash those numbers.

Three women sit on a raised platform beneath a pink brick archway of a building with windows and a blue door. Green potted plants are visible in the foreground and to the sides.

Indian families living in slums given opportunity to transform one-room shacks into their dream homes

The Sanjaynagar Redevelopment Project engaged residents in solving their own housing crisis.

Aerial view of a circular atoll surrounded by deep blue ocean water, with a narrow white sand reef, dense green vegetation covering the interior, and a developed settlement visible along the shore.

For 60 years, people have mispronounced the world's third-smallest country. It just reclaimed its traditional name

To honor the country’s native language, the country has changed its name from Nauru to the Republic of Naoero.

A woman, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, wearing glasses and dark blazer seated at desk speaking, with American flag and gold seal visible in background.

Virginia Gov. Spanberger restores voting rights to 66,000 people with past felony convictions

The announcement comes ahead of the November referendum that would make rights restoration automatic after release from incarceration.

A man in a dark suit and tie speaks at a wooden podium labeled "BLOCK by BLOCK" with an official seal, standing before a railing with a cityscape and waterfront in the background.

Mamdani breaks ground on 50K affordable homes in NYC, ensuring 'city-owned land is not sitting idle'

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s “Block By Block” housing plan is officially becoming a reality.

A small dark-colored salamander or newt on wet sandy ground, with a prominent dark eye and smooth skin glistening with moisture.

A small New Hampshire city is building tunnels just for salamanders. They're already saving lives

In the neighboring state of Vermont, salamander crossings constructed in 2015 have reduced the number of amphibian deaths at that site by 80%.

A teacher sitting on a yellow chair speaks to a group of young children seated in front of her in a classroom with alphabet and number posters on the wall. Several children have their hands raised.

Kentucky asked 40 people to figure out what to do about childcare. They just achieved bipartisan reform

Recent legislation boosts provider benefits, raises subsidy reimbursement rates, and removes obstacles for childcare providers in Kentucky.

White modern apartment building with a rainbow flag on its facade, situated among green trees and other residential buildings in an urban street scene.

This new subsidized apartment complex in Berlin was made exclusively for lesbians and bisexual women

The 72 units are joined by an LGBTQ+ cultural center, neighborhood cafe, and event spaces.

Two Stamford Police vehicles with emergency lights activated parked on a road at dusk, with bare trees visible in the background.

Crime is on a historic decline, with homicide rates approaching century lows in cities across the US

Homicides fell 18% in the first half of 2026 across a sample of 30 U.S. cities.

A red and white "NOW HIRING" sign is taped to a storefront window.

This state now requires employers to disclose salaries in job postings: 'Close those pay gaps'

There are now at least 14 states across the country with pay transparency laws.