Thanksgiving was just a warm-up to the quality family time Olympics that are the winter holidays.
Once you've survived the postmortem on your dating life and job prospects, you may find yourself in a conversation about the news. But what do you say when most of it seems like such a downer? Terrorism, global warming, Trump: they all seem distinctly lacking in the holiday spirit.
Don't panic, we've got you covered. Whatever the news, we promise there's an upside - creative responses, good ideas, smart people, stuff the media usually leaves out - that you can bring to the discussion. And as the bearer of better news, you'll be everyone's hero when you avert yet another argument between your uncle and sister as to the correct acronym for the Islamic State. (That one's on you.)
Terrorism
Unfortunately, there's plenty to discuss here, from the Islamic State to Boko Haram, not to mention the unproductive responses from politicians who'd rather scapegoat than actually search for real solutions. But while conversations about terrorism seem to be driven almost exclusively by fear, there's a great deal being done around the world to make the world safer, for everyone.
There's President Obama's call to reject Islamophobia, the badass Americans who helped 100 Iraqi Christians escape ISIS, Anonymous vigilantes working to cripple ISIS on the Internet, and the UN Security Council's unanimous vote to cripple ISIS financing. In Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim organization launched a huge anti-extremism campaign.
Climate Change
You're not going to be able to avoid this one given the 65-degree Christmas we have in store in New York (which is, for the record, thanks to El Niño, not warp-speed global warming), and also just because the weather is the original conversation gap-filler.
Fortunately, 2015 has been a year of incredible progress: First, the climate accord in Paris signed by 188 countries is a big deal - literally. Three U.S. cities now run on 100 percent renewable energy, and big ones like San Diego are committing to do the same.
Gun Violence
It's true, our gun violence issue is out of hand. And while the fight for responsible gun control might seem hopeless, there are efforts, here and abroad, to address the problem. Some of them have yielded incredible results.
Australia changed its gun laws in 1996 after a mass shooting and a whole generation has grown up without gun violence. Japan, too, has basically eliminated gun deaths. A "natural experiment" in Missouri (which relaxed its gun laws in recent years) all but proves that gun laws decrease gun homicides. One major US city has managed to avoid gun violence in recent years. We're still a violent country - but much less violent than we have been in the past.
The Refugee Crisis
Who are they? Why are they all leaving the Middle East? Whose responsibility is it to house them? How are we to integrate them into Western countries?
All valid questions, but there have already been many encouraging responses, including outpourings of support for refugees from celebrities, politicians, small towns, and big cities. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed them with open arms in Canada. The refugee crisis is actually having positive economic benefits in the EU. And breakout humanitarian of the year Angela Merkel's embrace of refugees coming to Germany over the summer was a symbolic and practical game-changer.
The Addiction Epidemic
2015 was the year we woke up to the heroin and opiate crisis ravaging American families. More than 40,000 Americans died of an overdose last year alone. But there's an incredible range of responses already underway.
Calls for a "gentler war on drugs" reached policymakers in a big way in 2015. Medication-assisted treatment programs actually work pretty well. In Gloucester, MA, one police chief piloted a 100 percent amnesty approach toward addicts that's getting high praise. A New Hampshire senator pushed for a $600 million response to the heroin epidemic and the FDA approved a nasal spray version of the overdose drug Naloxone.
Police Brutality
The epidemic of police brutality in America merits a lot of further discussion. And the same goes for all the responses.
Here are a few: The Police Unions Contract Project is trying to clean up police contracts that protect officers from having to be accountable for their actions on the job. The Chicago PD (finally) fired its police superintendent. And, President Obama has been remarkably evenhanded in addressing police issues, saying that police are often "scapegoats" for larger societal failures.
The Election
We'll leave this one to Adele. Good luck, and happy holidays!