| Five years ago, Fred Hiatt had an idea: chronicle 16 good things that happened in 2016, even as those shaken by the unexpected election of Donald Trump as president focused on the bad. This turned out to be not as hard as we'd all thought. The economy was thriving; transgender people were allowed to serve in the military; Katie Ledecky had dominated in the Rio Olympics. As the years (and consequently, the requisite number of entries) went on, however, the exercise became more difficult. Twenty-one whole good things, we asked ourselves this year? Impossible. Reader, it was possible after all. Coronavirus vaccines allowed friends and family to hug each other again; Juneteenth was declared a national holiday; yes, there was an attempted coup, but the coup failed! Oh, and a surprise asteroid almost smacked right into the Earth — the key word being "almost." Lots of bad things happened this year, too, one of them being that we lost Fred — who himself was, year after year, one of the best things to happen to all of us. Yet writing the list that he dreamed up and doggedly compiled every winter was a warming reminder of his stubborn belief in the good. That's a spirit we'll bring with us into a 2022 that we trust will be full of fodder for next year's catalogue. Happy New Year, and enjoy.  (Danielle Kunitz/The Washington Post) The best thing that might be said about 2021 may be that it wasn't 2020. 2021 in Review ● By the Editorial Board ● Read more » | | | | A test of progressives' ability to get the president to change his mind. By Paul Waldman ● Read more » | | | | Sixty million Americans live in the states covered by the two circuit courts that have turned a federal officer's badge into a license for lawlessness. By George F. Will ● Read more » | | | The White House is playing catch-up and doing damage control as omicron rages across the country. By Gregg Gonsalves ● Read more » | | | | We should break the Build Back Better package into pieces so voters can understand it. By Art Cullen ● Read more » | | | | One speech can't solve the covid-19 crisis. But the president's Tuesday address, chock-full of new initiatives, shows that he's on the case. By E.J. Dionne Jr. ● Read more » | | | We must look harder at large-scale things that would help. By Helaine Olen ● Read more » | | | | He can get whatever he wants and completely transform his state. But he wants nothing. By Paul Waldman ● Read more » | | | | Presidents would rather be lucky than good. By Jennifer Rubin ● Read more » | | | | It shouldn't have to be said, but here goes: Legislators have a responsibility to listen to their constituents. And after they have listened, they should lead. By Norman Leahy ● Read more » | | | |
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