28 Captivating Articles You Need To Read Today

These inspiring 2020 news stories will brighten your mood.

As 2019 came to a close, my friends and I chatted about our aspirations for this century’s ‘roaring ‘20s.’ Gatsby-like parties, a booming economy, and new technologies painted our imaginations. As young, carefree adults, life was infinite — and we believed the next decade would be even better.

Needless to say, we were wrong.

This year’s chaos is still difficult to fathom. Society now mourns life before the pandemic; before the riots; before anxiety overshadowed each day. Losing faith is easy, especially when fear-mongering news stories bombard us 24/7.

But despite how bleak the world seems, 2020 is not hopeless. After spending too much time drowning in negativity, I decided to scour the internet for the good news.

Below are 28 summaries of the best news stories I found, organized into four categories: World Politics, Acts of Kindness, Environment, and Humanity.

Happy reading:)

World Politics

1. The KKK might soon be classified as a terrorist group.

After Trump declared on May 31st that Antifa would be designated as a terrorist group, several online petitions demanding that the KKK be classified the same way went viral.

There’s no official category for domestic terrorist organizations in the U.S. yet. So as of now, the KKK is considered a ‘domestic extremist organization.’

But in just four days in early June, the change.org petitions amassed over a million signatures.

2. After a peaceful protest, gun-rights activists clean the streets in Richmond.

Over 20,000 pro-gun activists took to the streets this past January for a gun-rights rally, but afterwards, locals remarked how clean the city was.

The protests were peaceful, and participants left the city better than it looked before. Matthew Keisling, a protester, went above and beyond to protect the message he was trying to spread. “I’ve been in the area when there have been other protests, and demonstrations and people leave a lot of trash behind, and it waters down the message,” Keisling said.

3. A new organization, founded by LeBron James, aims to stop black voter suppression.

LeBron James announced last month that he and several other professional athletes are founding an organization to protect black Americans’ voting rights. The charity is called More Than A Vote and encourages the black community to register and vote on November 3rd.

4. Paid paternity leave doubles in Finland

As of February, Finland plans to give new fathers the same amount of paid time off work as new mothers, nearly doubling paternity leave. Minister of Health and Social Affairs Aino-Kaisa Pekonen said the aim of the “radical reform” was to improve gender equality and boost a declining birth rate.

5. Australia and Taiwan agree to exchange materials to battle Corona.

Taiwan and Australia reached an agreement last March in which the two countries transferred raw materials desperately needed to battle the coronavirus.

Australia provided 1 million liters of alcohol for disinfectant, and Taiwan contributed three metric tons of mask fabric.

Acts of Kindness

6. Anonymous donors pay off 400 graduates student debt.

Anonymous donors paid off the student debt of 400 California college graduates. The donors donated over $8 million to a San Francisco-based nonprofit, Students Rising Above, that helps send low-income, first-generation students to college.

7. A bus driver graduates college after his students inspire him to follow his dreams.

A school bus driver from Massachusetts, Clayton Ward, recently graduated from MassBay Community College. He says conversations with his students as he drove them to and from school inspired him, especially when some of them wanted him to be their teacher. So, he got inspired and motivated.

He completed his degree with a 4.0 GPA and earned several awards. Now, he plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in education to become a history teacher.

8. A group of young girls sold bracelets, raising $100,000 to support black-owned businesses.

In Minnesota, 9-year old Kamryn Johnson and five of her friends opened a stand selling friendship bracelets. The group is called “Kamryn &; Friends: Bracelets For Unity &; Justice.” Over June, they raised almost $100,000, and are donating the proceeds to businesses and food banks in Minneapolis.

9. Miami Beach residents throw a ‘Thank You’ party to surprise their garbage men.

Saul and Keon are sanitation workers from Miami Beach. While on their usual route one-day last month, residents surprised them by waking up early and lining the streets with signs and balloons.

Jennifer Elegant was the lady who organized the celebration, and says the essential workers, “bring incredible, positive energy to the entire neighborhood.” Dan Gelber, the Miami Beach mayor, even showed up to honor them.

10. A teacher helps his student after no one came to his graduation.

Dominque Moore is a high school teacher who helped to plan his school’s graduation ceremony this May. After the service ended, Moore noticed his student sitting alone, with nobody to give him a ride home.

Moore offered to take the student home, and on the way, they decided to stop at a restaurant for dinner. After learning more about his student, he posted on Facebook, sharing his online cash app.

Before long, generous people — many of them strangers — had sent more than $5,000 in donations. Moore took the teen to open a bank account with the money, hoping to help him buy a car, and save up to attend college one day.

11. Tyler Perry helps senior citizens by paying for their groceries.

In April, Tyler Perry paid the grocery bills for all shoppers during senior hour at 44 Krogers in Atlanta and 29 Winn-Dixies in New Orleans.

“Senior and higher-risk Kroger shoppers in metro Atlanta did receive a nice surprise at the register this morning when they learned Tyler Perry had paid their grocery tab in full,” said Felix Turner, the Atlanta spokesman for Kroger.

12. A customer tips restaurant workers his entire stimulus check.

A struggling restaurant in Arkansas, Colonial Steakhouse, recently received a $1,200 tip from their regulars. Allison Hall, the General Manager, states, “We just started crying and thanking God because it came at a time that most of our staff really needed it.”

The owner said it was enough for every employee to receive $100.

13. A local girl raises funds to donate multicultural Crayons to schools.

An elementary school student, Madison Wilson, is raising money to donate multicultural crayons and books to local schools.

Wilson learned that Crayola would be releasing a 24-pack of multicultural crayons called ‘Colors of the World’ in July and asked her mom if she could raise funds to donate these crayons.

Wilson said she wanted children of all colors of skin to draw themselves in school accurately.

Environment

14. Australian forests are beginning to recover after devastating wildfires.

The Australian wildfires from earlier this year feel like they happened a decade ago. The fires, which didn’t officially end until early March, burned over 20% of the country’s eucalyptus forests.

But nature is recovering. This article features 20 images of wildlife beginning to grow back in Australia.

15. Bicycle sales are skyrocketing in Italy.

In early May, the Italian government began an incentive to get people off public transit. For citizens living in the city, they would contribute up to 500 euros ($562.70) for those who buy traditional or electrical bicycles.

Since then, over 500,000 new bikes have been sold across the nation (a 60% increase compared to the same 2019 period).

16. Sydney, Australia, is now running on 100% renewable energy.

As of July 1st, Sydney began powering 100% of operations with renewable energy from local sources. The sources include two solar farms and one wind turbine farm. They’ve also installed solar panels on many buildings, and plan to keep expanding the number of solar panels to their electrical network. It’s predicted that it will save the city over half a million dollars over the next ten years.

17. Germany takes a step towards banning plastic.

Germany agreed to begin phasing out single-use plastic products, including plates, balloon holders, stirring-sticks, cutlery, etc., by the beginning of next year. And as of July 3rd, 2021, the use of single-use plastic straws, food containers, and cotton buds will be prohibited.

18. Rare snow leopards spotted near Kazakh city amid lockdown.

Kazakhstan, a country located in Central Asia, recently saw several snow leopards wandering around a now off-limits hiking destination due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Snow leopards are rarely seen in the wild and are critically endangered. There are only 150 left in Kazakhstan and less than 10,000 left in the world.

However, in the past few weeks, a lone male and a female with a cub were caught on film by a motion-sensor camera set up to protect the species.

19. An Ohio zoo is celebrating the births of several endangered baby animals.

Last week, The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium celebrated the arrival of several baby animals over the past month, including a Masai giraffe calf, two red panda cubs, a sea lion pup, and a siamang, a type of small ape.

They are adorable, and these babies are also contributing to the survival of their species, which all face significant challenges in the wild.

20. Pakistan is planting 10 billion trees while creating thousands of jobs.

Newly unemployed workers in Pakistan have been offered new positions called "Jungle Workers." Now, tens of thousands of out-of-work laborers are working to plant billions of trees as part of the country's 10 Billion Tree Tsunami program.

21. Critically endangered gorilla is pregnant with her first baby.

In the New Orleans zoo, a critically endangered gorilla is pregnant with her first baby. The due date is anywhere between mid-July and August 20th

The expectant mother is receiving twice monthly ultrasounds and has undergone training on how to pick up the doll, including how to hold it to her chest where a baby gorilla could nurse.

22. An island in the Caribbean will soon become the first nation resilient to hurricanes.

Two years ago, Hurricane Maria, a category five hurricane, struck the Caribbean Islands. One such island was the small country of Dominica. The storm destroyed 226% of the country's GDP, along with 90% of its buildings.

Now, Dominica is on course to hurricane-proof its country.

After Maria hit, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit asked the UN for funds to create the first "climate-resilient" nation that can resist powerful storms. The plan is to build infrastructure that won't leave mountains of debris behind after storms.

Humanity

23. Animal Shelters Are Empty

Animal shelters across the country are reporting massive upswings in animals adopted or placed in foster homes.

The Humane Society says the rates of fostering in some cities has increased by 90%. Some New York City shelters have seen application numbers increase by 1000%, and a shelter in Pennsylvania saw foster application numbers rise to 40 per day'--'this is compared to the 3-5 per week they used to have.

Many shelters are waiving adoption fees to help those already struggling due to the coronavirus.

24. A nine-year-old boy with cerebral palsy finishes a marathon.

In London, Tobias Weller, a young boy with cerebral palsy and autism, has raised $100,000 for charity. He did this by finishing a marathon using his walker, and as he crossed the finish line, he was surrounded by socially-distanced neighbors and supporters.

25. Nicholas Johnson becomes the first black valedictorian in Princeton's history.

"He said he appreciates the encouragement he has received at Princeton in developing his academic interests. The University's support through opportunities, including international internships and cultural immersion trips to Peru, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom, was especially significant, Johnson said. But most of all, he treasures his relationships with his classmates."

26. A 106-year-old man who survived the Spanish Flu survives the coronavirus.

A centenarian man from Delhi, who was four years old during the 1918 Spanish Flu, has survived COVID-19 and recovered faster than his son (who is in his 70s).

The 106-year-old man also had a co-morbid condition of hypertension, but he fought through and survived, the doctors said.

27. An Ex-KKK member turns his life around and is now combatting hate.

Chris Buckley, a man living in Georgia, used to be a leader in the KKK.

He says he learned to hate from his troubling childhood and while serving overseas for 13 years.

In 2016, however, he left the group after realizing the genuine compassion and acceptance from the Black and refugee communities. He’s now working with a nonprofit called Parents for Peace, and helping others combat hate by identifying the trauma that caused their hateful views; Buckley says he’s using “what he knows to change the world.”

28. Parents find their missing son 32 years after his disappearance

In 1988, two-year-old Mao Yin disappeared from Xian, China, and was sold to another family who raised him as their own son. This past May, police used facial recognition technology to analyze old photos of Mao and track him down.

On Mother’s Day, his mother and father received the news that Mao had been found. They wept and hugged their son. While holding her son’s hands, his mother said, “I don’t want to be separated from him anymore.”

Those were 28 news stories that remind us of the optimism, hope, and positivity in the world.

No matter how scary the headlines become, countless articles like these help us take a step back from our anxieties. Remember this. Remember how beautiful things have and will come from the chaos, and humanity will rise from the ashes.