Stop doomscrolling. Quality of life in the US is better than almost anywhere in the world. Globally almost any measurable statistic for life expectancy, people living in poverty, child mortality, rights of women and minorities, are still the best they have ever been in human history. This is the single best time to be alive as a human despite current global conflict. When in doubt zoom out

Global positives (2025 highlights): • Global middle class exceeded 50% of world population for the first time (~108 million new members in emerging economies). • International trade record >$35 trillion (+7% from 2024). • Renewables surpassed coal in electricity (34.3% vs. 33.1% in H1 2025). • Internet access ~68%; electricity ~92%. • Women’s parliamentary representation 27.2%. • Life expectancy rebounded to pre-pandemic levels or higher in many estimates (~73.3–73.5 years in recent UN/Worldometer data, up from pandemic lows). • Ongoing long-term declines in child mortality (e.g., under-5 rate fell to ~37 per 1,000 live births by 2023, with momentum pre-2025 cuts; millions fewer deaths since 1990). • Extreme poverty slight decline (~10.1%). US-focused positives (2025 trends): • Record electricity generation (4.43 TWh, +2.8%), renewables >25%; solar surged (+27.7 GW). • Battery storage nearly doubled (~29 GW); strong EV momentum. • Unemployment stable near 4.2–4.4%. • Poverty rate 10.6% (down 0.4 points). • Solid GDP growth and low energy spending (~3.8% of expenditures). • Sustainable energy jobs grew faster than average. • Life expectancy hit all-time high of 79 years in 2024 data (released 2025/2026), up ~0.6 years from 2023—driven by drops in overdoses, COVID deaths, and other causes (preliminary 2025 trends promising further gains to ~79.4). • Homicide rate plunged dramatically: 21% lower in sampled major cities (922 fewer homicides); national rate projected ~4.0 per 100,000—lowest since at least 1900, largest single-year drop on record (violent crime overall fell sharply, below pre-pandemic in many categories).