Good News is a weekly collection of stories from this week about things that were actually pretty nice. From pop culture to maybe even some politics, we all deserve a dose of good news.
Trump-appointed judge stops thousands of USAID workers from losing their jobs
After a very dark, tumultuous week for USAID, a major news development in hot at around 5 pm eastern on Friday, February 7: a federal judge has stopped thousands of workers from getting placed on administrative leave at midnight. Even better, the judge, Carl Nichols, is an appointee from Trump’s previous administration.
Starting about a week ago, Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency locked people out of USAID, which provides foreign aid to poorer countries. Musk and Trump planned to effectively shutter the agency, which involved reducing the 5,000 people who work there to a workforce of merely a few hundred.
Judge Nichols’ decree affects the 2,200 workers who were slated to be put on administrative leave just hours later. What happens next is anyone’s guess, but it’s nice to know that the roadblocks to complete executive power within the American government still work. At least sometimes. And the fact this development comes from a Trump appointee is a very nice touch.
Grammys highlights: Janelle Monáe is a national treasure, Beyoncé wins Album of the Year for the first time
Look, regardless of Michael Jackson’s complicated legacy, you have to admit he was an artist difficult to replicate. But during the Grammys on Sunday, Janelle Monáe looked the entire industry square in the eye and said, “I got this. No sweat.”
Monáe provided an absolutely captivating performance of “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” complete with one of the most effortless moonwalks I’ve ever seen. Time and time again, Monáe has proved themselves to be one of the most talented, interesting artists in American music. Absolutely everyone should be paying attention.
Elsewhere, our queen solidified her reign. Somehow, Beyoncé has been nominated for Album of the Year SIX TIMES, but never won. That crime streak ended on Sunday, when Beyoncé finally won Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter.
“I just feel very full and very honored,” Beyoncé said in her speech. “It’s been many years, and I just want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, all the hard work.”
Earlier in the evening, she also became the first Black woman to win Best Country Album. Long live our queen.
Lady Gaga is back, baby
Speaking of the sovereigns of the American pop industry: Lady Gaga. As part of the Grammys, Lady Gaga premiered the music video for her new single, “Abracadabra.” The video even begins with Gaga making a blunt announcement: “The category is … dance … or die.”
Considering the song at hand, that’s a challenge I’d take any day. As both fan and critical consensus would have it, the song is easily the best single that Gaga’s released in well over decade. That chorus is ridiculously catchy. It’s an instant dance floor mainstay.
What’s more, “Abracadabra” is a return to weird Gaga. The music video is aesthetically fascinating, with tall, oppressive black halls and striking costume choices. That red spiky hat Gaga wears for the close-ups? Hell yes. It all feels like a modernized version of Lady Gaga’s peak around 2009.
More of this, please. And we’re getting more of it, soon, on her new album MAYHEM. Which comes out less than a month from now—March 7. Excellent.
We finally got footage of the new Fantastic Four
Marvel Cinematic Universe fans got a huge portion of big news earlier this week, when the first teaser for The Fantastic 4: First Steps dropped. Even if you have Marvel fatigue (don’t worry, I share your affliction), you have to admit that this is a big one.
Basically, for the last decade-or-so, The Fantastic Four and X-Men have been the White Whales of the MCU—known, beloved franchises which have been tied up in legal battles with other studios. Getting Marvel’s “first family” out of those weeds is a triumph for fans. And then you add Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby to that deal, and hot damn.
Other points of interest include the very cute robot and the stylish retro 60s look of the film. Maybe the 60s vibe can keep things feeling fresh, even with a certain controversial casting for the film’s antagonist, Doctor Doom. But, still—Pedro!
For the very specific nerd: One Piece train!!
This one is excellent news for fans of One Piece and Japanese trains. So—me, specifically. But maybe there are ten other people who are really excited about this.
Japan Rail West announced this week that they are launching a One Piece-themed shinkansen (AKA bullet train). The train, called the Setouchi Blue, will run between Shin-Osaka and Hakata, which is one of the northernmost stops on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu. Both the interior and exterior of the train will be decked out in One Piece fare.
This isn’t the first One Piece train. In Kumamoto, there is a smaller train modeled after the Straw Hat’s ship, the Thousand Sunny. While not a bullet train, that means Kumamoto’s train is cheaper to ride. The train is placed near a couple of the bronze statues of the Straw Hat crew scattered throughout Kumamoto prefecture. Those statues, incidentally, were built after One Piece mangaka Eiichiro Oda donated a large sum to his home prefecture after a devastating earthquake. Which is just a nice story, in and of itself.
Creator goes viral for imagine Arcane in high fashion
Lastly, Arcane has become one of Netflix’s standout shows. And as with any good show, it has inspired good fan art. But there’s fan art, and then there’s what Wisdom Kaye has done: reimagine every Arcane character with high fashion outfits.
Kaye went viral on both TikTok and Twitter / X for the stunning outfits, which he both styled and fashioned himself. It’s a stunning and ambitious project. So ambitious, Riot—the studio behind League of Legends, which inspired Arcane—took note and praised Wisdom Kaye’s work.
People can still be creative and cool, it turns out.
Published: Feb 7, 2025 04:54 pm