A common theme in the GNR is that we all focus too much on the negative and not enough on the good. We have shared many reasons for that — our minds are designed to focus on possible dangers so negative things are more salient, the press covers negative events more because they get more clicks, and negative things stand out more in our lives because they contrast against the generally positive (and many other reasons). All of those are true (and I have argued for many of them), but they suggest a lack of power on our part. And that isn’t true.
You have the ability to shift your own focus. You can seek out good news articles and click on them more. You can make good news in your own life by sharing kindness, joy, and love. You can lift your spirits by working to make the world a better place. Nothing makes us feel better than action. Nothing makes us see the best in the world like working with likeminded people to make the world a better place.
You can decide not to click on the panic porn. You can avoid the comments sections on basically everything but the GNR.
This isn’t about burying your head in the sand. That isn’t an option — the bad news is pushed at you from every angle. You are going to see it. You are going to see plenty of it. But you don’t have to bathe in it.
Bathe in optimism. Bathe in joy. Bathe in fellowship. Bathe in love. Bathe in light.
Good Legal News
After the Rittenhouse fiasco there was A LOT written about the end of our legal protections. As awful as that was, it was one case with weird legal rules in Wisconsin.
Here are some recent examples, since then, of the legal system working
Ex-prosecutor charged in Ahmaud Arbery case booked at jail
The former prosecutor charged with misconduct for her handling of the Ahmaud Arbery case was booked at a Georgia jail on Wednesday
Richard Spencer, Jason Kessler and Christopher Cantwell and others found liable in deadly Unite the Right rally
Prominent white supremacists Richard Spencer, Jason Kessler and Christopher Cantwell and others engaged in a conspiracy to intimidate, harass or harm in advance of the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017, a jury has found.
Jurors granted plaintiffs a large monetary judgment — a total of $26 million in compensatory and punitive damages from the 12 individual defendants and five groups. Of that, more than $14 million was assessed against James Alex Fields Jr., who is serving a life sentence for killing Heather Heyer when he drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters.
A 77-year-old Arizona man was convicted after he left a threatening voicemail for Nancy Pelosi saying "I'm coming to kill you"
An Arizona man was found guilty after he sent a threatening voicemail to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Imperfect but historic justice
A white cop still employed by the Kansas City Police Department in Missouri was convicted on Friday of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action after he shot and killed a Black man and planted evidence to justify his actions, prosecutors said. Detective Eric DeValkenaere, who has been suspended without pay, was convicted in a bench trial for the death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb. Jackson County Judge Dale Youngs issued the ruling, making this the first time a white Kansas City cop has been charged for the death of a Black person since 1942, the Associated Press reported.
Judge orders two lawyers who filed suit challenging 2020 election to pay hefty fees: ‘They need to take responsibility’
A federal judge has ordered two Colorado lawyers who filed a lawsuit late last year challenging the 2020 election results to pay nearly $187,000 to defray the legal fees of groups they sued, arguing that the hefty penalty was proper to deter others from using frivolous suits to undermine the democratic system.
Good Economic News
Yes, the market went down on fears of the new strain. Everyone take a deep breath. That isn’t permanent and it isn’t the only economic news
Good Virus News
The headlines on the virus are all about the strain that might cause problems from South Africa. But it isn’t the only news
First, this was identified QUICKLY and action was take — Vaccine scientists are already testing the new coronavirus variant
Scientists at BioNTech have already started investigating the impact of a new coronavirus variant on its Covid-19 vaccine, with data expected within the next couple of weeks.
“We understand the concern of experts and have immediately initiated investigations on variant B.1.1.529,” BioNTech, the German company that partnered with Pfizer to make its Covid-19 vaccine, said in a statement Friday. “We expect more data from the laboratory tests in two weeks at the latest.”
Second, we don’t know yet that this is a worst case scenario. There is reason to think that it might not be
To start with, it appears that while “Nu” is outcompeting Delta, it is doing so in regions where Delta is more dormant and with low vaccination rates. Bloom Lab has a lengthy thread detailing why we should not be panicking. Concerned, evaluating, and being responsible, but we are not to the “send in the HAZMAT suits and lock the town down” stage.
There is a lot to unpack, but the bottom line is your ability to defeat a variant is multi-pronged, so panic about vaccine escape, while it is possible, is not warranted. We also have no firm evidence it is able to outcompete Delta, as it is spreading in areas where, like I said, Delta does not seem to be competing with it. All of this is subject to change with new data, however.
There is other good news, in a sense. I have several sources of confirmation that the six cases of breakthrough transmission with the Nu Variant, all are said to be asymptomatic.
and there is other virus good news:
Pfizer and BioNTech say COVID-19 vaccine is 100% effective in adolescents
Pfizer and BioNTech announced Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine is 100% effective in adolescents 12-15 years of age, signaling the shot offers strong, long-term protection in the age group against the deadly coronavirus.
The companies released findings from a late-stage trial of more than 2,200 adolescents between November 2020 and September 2021. Of the 30 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the study, all 30 cases were in the placebo group; zero were in the group which received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Reasons to be thankful
These all come from this amazing article
- President Biden did take office with past presidents and members of both parties in attendance.
- Biden proceeded to nominate qualified, ethical officials to executive branch positions and restored a sense of competence and professionalism absent for four years.
- A Democratic House passed a slew of bills, including H.R. 1′s package of voting, ethics and campaign finance reforms.
- We can also be grateful for the methodical and professional work of the House select committee on the Jan. 6 insurrection.
- We can give thanks as well for the new attorney general and reinvigorated Justice Department
- We can be thankful the jury reached a fair and just verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin
- We can deeply appreciate the judges who have punished former Trump attorneys for filing frivolous lawsuits that sought to undermine the integrity of the 2020 election.
- We can salute New Yorkers, who forced an abusive governor out of office, and California voters, who rejected a recall of their governor, striking a blow against the tyranny of the minority.
- We can be thankful for groups such as Protect Democracy, the Center for Election Innovation and Research, the Campaign Legal Center, the Brennan Center for Justice, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington — all of which work tirelessly to promote voting reform, the rule of law and the preservation of democratic institutions.
- We should all give thanks for U.S. military and civilian personnel around the world who endure personal hardships and, in many cases, undertake dangerous missions to preserve our freedom and defend American interests.
and these all come from this amazing article:
Silver Linings
Look, there are a lot of nuts in our country, but some of what feels like overwhelming awful is led by other countries trying to mess with us. Keep that in mind when Twitter seems awful. Like this:
On the Lighter Side
Save Democracy
What can you do to save democracy?
Most important: DON'T LOSE HOPE. This is a giant and important fight for us but, win or lose, we keep fighting and voting and organizing and spreading truth and light. We never give up.
That is it for today.
I am so lucky and so proud to be in this with you ✊🏾✊🏻♥💙💚💛💜🧡✊🏽✊🏻