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35 Americans Share The Good Things Happening In The U.S. That No One Talks About
It’s easy to feel like you're drowning in a sea of bad news, a constant tide of division and crisis that pulls you under. It can feel like the whole story, the only story. One day, it's fires, the next day, racial divides, all topped off with the constant threat of war, whether civil or abroad...
But just beyond the noise, there are thousands of smaller, quieter currents of progress and decency pushing things in the right direction. They don't always make the headlines, but they are just as real. An online community asked a powerful, refreshing question: What's something positive going on in America people should be aware of?
More info: Reddit
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#2
We shouldn't need this, but my state of Delaware forgave 19 million in medical debt for over 18,000 residents in December. The state also passed a law in October that excludes medical debt from credit reporting.
#3
There was a new jaguar spotted in southern arizona! it’s the fifth in 15 years, and means that the species is recovering. :).
It’s easy to feel like you're drowning in a sea of bad news, a constant tide of division and crisis that pulls you under. It can feel like the whole story, the only story. One day, it's fires, the next day, racial divides, all topped off with the constant threat of war, whether civil or abroad...
But just beyond the noise, there are thousands of smaller, quieter currents of progress and decency pushing things in the right direction. They don't always make the headlines, but they are just as real. An online community asked a powerful, refreshing question: What's something positive going on in America people should be aware of?
More info: Reddit
Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.
#5
Oregon may become the first state to implement universal healthcare. A measure to make it a state Constitutional right was passed in 2022, with a report outlining plans set to be released in September 2026, with a guarantee for a legislative vote in 2027. .
It’s easy to feel like you're drowning in a sea of bad news, a constant tide of division and crisis that pulls you under. It can feel like the whole story, the only story. One day, it's fires, the next day, racial divides, all topped off with the constant threat of war, whether civil or abroad...
But just beyond the noise, there are thousands of smaller, quieter currents of progress and decency pushing things in the right direction. They don't always make the headlines, but they are just as real. An online community asked a powerful, refreshing question: What's something positive going on in America people should be aware of?
More info: Reddit
Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.
#7
In the city of Tacoma, in washingston state, residents gather together every Chinese New Year to hunt for MonkeyShines: glass baubles and ornaments emblazoned with that years Zodiac, made by local glass artists, while also leaving "rogue" monkeyshines for others to find. They all follow the rule of "only take one" and you can rehide other shines you find.
The entire city turns into a collective scavenger hunt for roughly a month and it's common to see packs of humans hunting in the rain and snow, even at night with flashlights.
In this small corner of the world, tucked into the armpit of the PNW, someone decided one day that they would make the city brighter by hiding little tokens for others to find. And now it's officially A Thing, with it's own subreddit and websites and whatnot.
There's still magic worth seeking out, no matter how grim the outlook may be.
#8
California is no longer in a drought and all our reservoirs are significantly over capacity
Edit: spelling.
#9
Cancer survival rates are up due to early detection and advances in treatment. This is especially true of colorectal and breast cancers.
It’s easy to feel like you're drowning in a sea of bad news, a constant tide of division and crisis that pulls you under. It can feel like the whole story, the only story. One day, it's fires, the next day, racial divides, all topped off with the constant threat of war, whether civil or abroad...
But just beyond the noise, there are thousands of smaller, quieter currents of progress and decency pushing things in the right direction. They don't always make the headlines, but they are just as real. An online community asked a powerful, refreshing question: What's something positive going on in America people should be aware of?
More info: Reddit
Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.
#11
I heard a mom and her very young daughter go completely crazy several aisles down from me because Target had a diabetic Barbie. 🥹
Inclusion may seem minimal to most but that little girl was over the moon.
It’s easy to feel like you're drowning in a sea of bad news, a constant tide of division and crisis that pulls you under. It can feel like the whole story, the only story. One day, it's fires, the next day, racial divides, all topped off with the constant threat of war, whether civil or abroad...
But just beyond the noise, there are thousands of smaller, quieter currents of progress and decency pushing things in the right direction. They don't always make the headlines, but they are just as real. An online community asked a powerful, refreshing question: What's something positive going on in America people should be aware of?
More info: Reddit
Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.
#13
The American chestnut tree is beginning a comeback tour after two extensive projects to make strains that are resistant to the fungus that swept the legs out from under the species after it was imported along with Chinese chestnuts.
(Edit- there was an issue with one of the lines and it suffered a setback in 2023/4 but it is still moving forward per SUNY-ESF).
#14
Young women are rejecting the ridiculous and unrealistic beauty standards of the last several decades. I’m seeing more natural and relaxed women who feel comfortable in their own skin.
#15
Medicine and access to PrEP and antivirals has advanced to the extent that having HIV is now a manageable chronic condition rather than an "end" sentence.
It’s easy to feel like you're drowning in a sea of bad news, a constant tide of division and crisis that pulls you under. It can feel like the whole story, the only story. One day, it's fires, the next day, racial divides, all topped off with the constant threat of war, whether civil or abroad...
But just beyond the noise, there are thousands of smaller, quieter currents of progress and decency pushing things in the right direction. They don't always make the headlines, but they are just as real. An online community asked a powerful, refreshing question: What's something positive going on in America people should be aware of?
More info: Reddit
Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.
#16
Parents and stepparents can be added to employer provided health insurance in IL if they meet criteria.
#17
Colorado starts offering extended parental leave for NICU parents this year!
So if your newborn is in the NICU you can focus on them and then still get time to bond and adjust to having them home when released.
#18
The California Privacy DROP Act just went active. Data Brokers, companies that sell your personal data (name, address, phone number, email), have to delete info on people that submit a request not directly them but to the CalPrivacy site.
Sites like deleteme, Incogni and others that offer this as a subscription aren’t needed (they would send requests on your behalf as part of CCPA or Vanita’s USDP framework). Usually when California does something other progressive states follow.
If you are Californian and want to reduce the amount of spam calls and junk mail you can use the site here: https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/about-drop-and-the-delete-act/
Added later: The act starts today but brokers have until August to implement the capability and up to 6 months to do the deletion (iirc). It’s not timely but it makes sense it will take awhile since it is onerous to setup if not automated.
#21
Health insurance is broken but there’s a lot of amazing stuff happening in medicine.
Specifically, bispecific antibody treatment is emerging as a more effective and much safer alternative to chemotherapy for some types of cancer. Right now it’s mainly used for blood cancers.
The treatment forces your own immune system to fight off the cancer. Almost no serious side effects. Over the next 5-10 years it’s going to become standard treatment for many cancers.
#22
While not as fast as it should be, we are increasing our renewable energy installed capacity. Especially wind power. Also crime, teen pregnancy are all on the decline.
#23
The [Bureau of Land Management](https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/adoptions-and-sales) successfully adopts out tens of thousands of wild horses and burros (donkeys) per year. 290,000 have been adopted out to private owners to manage American’s wild herds.
#24
People are starting businesses at record rates since the pandemic in response to the economic challenges of the time.
In other words, rather than let the challenging job market defeat them, many of us are hiring ourselves and doing much better today than if we had given up and accepted the offers that were available.
Today, people like me remember what that was like, so we offer more to the people we hire as our businesses grow, offering more to our community than the bare minimum.
Choose local businesses that pay workers well and put money back into your community. That's the way we make thinks better.
#25
I got hired to work at the Super Bowl halftime show. So that will be 2 weeks of me not being bored, freezing, and miserable and I get to go to California for the first time. So that’s a positive development in my American life, I suppose.
#26
There is tons of content online on how to every hobbie imaginable. There are programs where you can volunteer at foster homes and animal shelters. You can tweek your content to just funny cats and plan the perfect vacation anywhere in the world.
You can completely opt out of the negative content and doom scrolling with a few content resets. .
#27
Today Florida launches a public, searchable animal mistreatment database. This will prevent animals being placed with a person who is violent toward animals. It’s part of Dexter’s law. Justice for the animals ♥️.
#28
My local library started a program where you can "check out" a person for a 30-minute conversation to hear their life story. it's like human audiobooks and it's quietly the most wholesome thing happening in my zip code.
#29
One underrated positive is how much stuff is getting fixed at the local level.
A lot of cities and towns are quietly improving public spaces, libraries, transit, and job training programs. It doesn’t get national attention, but it does make day-to-day life better for people.
#30
I work at a non profit, and although the current political and economic landscape is hard on us, we're still doing good work. Kids are learning real world skills that translate to careers. Poor kids are still joining our summer camps along with the rich kids. Old boats are getting new lives and providing enriching experiences to little kids and silver hairs and everyone in between.
Psa: if you can afford to give, whatever cause is important to you, please do so. One of the very first things that people cut back on during leaner times is charitable giving (I get it, I do too).
#32
Crime rates are dropping all over the country a lot of cities are seeing historic lows too!
#33
It may not be of their own choosing (I hear it’s because they can’t afford it), but younger people are apparently drinking less these days!
#34
On an individual level, Americans (& people as a whole) are still kind & friendly as anywhere else and I genuinely believe that most would do something nice if given the opportunity.
I believe that even has only increased as s**t has hit the fan.
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