Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
First, many thanks to niftywriter for subbing for me last week, and an extra thanks to 2thanks for taking over many of the Welcome Comment postings.
As I missed last week, I wasn’t here to comment on President Biden’s September 21 speech to the United Nations. Here are a few relevant bits:
Let me end with this: This institution, guided by the U.N. Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is at its core an act of dauntless hope. Let me say that again: It’s an act of dauntless hope.
Think about the vision of those first delegates who undertook a seemingly impossible task while the world was still smoldering. Think about how divided the people of the world must have felt with the fresh grief of millions dead, the genocidal horrors of the Holocaust exposed.
They had every right to believe only the worst of humanity. Instead, they reached for what was best in all of us, and they strove to build something better: enduring peace; comity among nations; equal rights for every member of the human family; cooperation for the advancement of all humankind.
Fascism is having another go at humanity. However, now we’re seeing that it’s not just the women who are suffering. The men in Russia are being rounded up to fight a war they don’t want to fight. That’s where it leads, guys.
But lots of people are pushing back. The women in Iran. The arsonists in Russia. And we, too, must push back.
Come on in, my friends, and fortify yourself with the good news, and then let us know what you’re going to do in order to Get Out the f***ing Vote!
Regular Scheduled Programming
No one here is naïve; we are aware of the many who are fighting to destroy our country. Some of us expected it: the cheating, the lying, the chaos, and yes, even the attempts to cling to power despite the clear will of the people. But we are here to read the efforts and the positive results of those (including us and our fellow gnus) who are working so hard to save our country from those very bad people. We are furious with them for what they are doing, and we are letting them know. Remember:
💙 There are more of us than there are of them.
💛 They are terrified when we organize. THERE IS LOTS OF EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE TERRIFIED!
💔 They want us to be demoralized. The best way to keep up your spirits is to fight. So, take the time to recharge your batteries, but find ways to contribute to the well-being of our country and our world.
🗽 Biden as President!🗽
Biden, Harris and their administration have been hard at work. Here are the last week’s posts at the White House briefing room.
- Thursday, September 29, 2022: Remarks by President Biden on Hurricane Ian and Ongoing Federal Response Efforts
- Thursday, September 29, 2022: Readout of President Joe Biden’s Call with Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell
- Thursday, September 29, 2022: Nomination and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate
- Thursday, September 29, 2022: Bills Signed: S. 2293
- Thursday, September 29, 2022: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Amends Alaska Disaster Declaration
- Thursday, September 29, 2022: Readout of Vice President Harris’s Meeting with Korean Women Leaders
- Thursday, September 29, 2022: Remarks by President Biden at a Democratic Governors Association Reception
- Thursday, September 29, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris After Tour of the Korean Demilitarized Zone
- Thursday, September 29, 2022: Readout of President Joe Biden’s Call with Governor Ron DeSantis
- Thursday, September 29, 2022: FACT SHEET: President Biden Unveils First-Ever Pacific Partnership Strategy
- Thursday, September 29, 2022: FACT SHEET: Roadmap for a 21st-Century U.S.-Pacific Island Partnership
- Thursday, September 29, 2022: Readout of Vice President Harris’s Meeting with President Yoon of the Republic of Korea
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: FACT SHEET: The Biden Administration Continues to Support Hurricane Fiona Response Efforts in Puerto Rico
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, September 28, 2022
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Remarks by President Biden on the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Remarks by President Biden at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Readout of President Joe Biden’s Calls to Florida Local Officials
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Statement by NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with Israeli National Security Advisor Eyal Hulata
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Press Briefing by White House Monkeypox Response Team and Public Health Officials
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Readout of President Joe Biden’s Meeting with his Economic Team
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Remarks by First Lady Jill Biden on the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden to the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) at the Commander’s Conference
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials Previewing the U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Iran’s Missile and Drone Attacks in Northern Iraq
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris Aboard the USS Howard Naval Ship
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris in Press Gaggle During Tour of the USS Howard Naval Ship
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: FACT SHEET: The Biden Administration’s Preparation for Hurricane Ian
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: FACT SHEET: The Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $8 Billion in New Commitments as Part of Call to Action for White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
- Wednesday, September 28, 2022: Readout of Vice President Harris’s Meeting with Japanese Business Executives
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Roundtable Discussion with Japanese Business Executives on the CHIPS and Science Act
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Memorandum on Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Remarks by President Biden on Medicare and the Inflation Reduction Act
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Nominations Sent to the Senate
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Readout of Los Angeles Declaration Implementation Launch
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Readout of President Joe Biden’s Calls with Florida Officials on Hurricane Ian Preparation
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Background Press Briefing on the Vice President’s Meetings in Japan
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Press Gaggle by Vice President Harris After Tour of the Zojoji Temple
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo of the Republic of Korea Before Bilateral Meeting
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of the Commonwealth of Australia Before Bilateral Meeting
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: The White House Announces 2022 Fall Garden Tours
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Biden-Harris Administration National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Readout of Vice President Harris’s Meeting with Prime Minister Albanese of Australia
- Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Readout of Vice President Harris’s Meeting with Prime Minister Han of the Republic of Korea
- Monday, September 26, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris and Prime Minister Kishida of Japan Before Bilateral Meeting
- Monday, September 26, 2022: Readout of the Third Meeting of the White House Competition Council
- Monday, September 26, 2022: Remarks by Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall at the First Meeting of the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council
- Monday, September 26, 2022: Remarks by President Biden at the Third Meeting of the White House Competition Council
- Monday, September 26, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, September 26, 2022
- Monday, September 26, 2022: Remarks by President Biden Honoring the 2021 World Series Champions, the Atlanta Braves
- Monday, September 26, 2022: Statement by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the State Visit of President Macron and Mrs. Macron of France
- Monday, September 26, 2022: Readout of Vice President Harris’s Meeting with Prime Minister Kishida of Japan
- Sunday, September 25, 2022: Statement by President Joe Biden on Rosh Hashanah
- Saturday, September 24, 2022: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Florida Emergency Declaration
- Saturday, September 24, 2022: What They Are Reading in the States: Biden-Harris Administration Awards $1.5 Billion to States and Tribes to Combat Overdose Epidemic
- Saturday, September 24, 2022: Remarks by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme,” a Musical Performance by Sir Elton John to Honor Everyday History-Makers
- Saturday, September 24, 2022: Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Arizona’s Court Decision
- Friday, September 23, 2022: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Alaska Disaster Declaration
- Friday, September 23, 2022: Readout of Vice President Kamala Harris’s Meeting with NAACP Youth and College Leaders
- Friday, September 23, 2022: President Biden Announces Twenty-Fifth Operation Fly Formula Mission
- Friday, September 23, 2022: Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European Commission
- Friday, September 23, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, September 23, 2022
- Friday, September 23, 2022: Memorandum on Presidential Determination Terminating the Designation of Afghanistan as a Major Non-NATO Ally
- Friday, September 23, 2022: Readout of President Joe Biden Meeting with Economic Team
- Friday, September 23, 2022: Background Press Call Previewing the Vice President’s Upcoming Travel to Japan and the Republic of Korea
- Friday, September 23, 2022: Remarks by President Biden at a Democratic National Committee Event
- Friday, September 23, 2022: Statement from President Biden on Russia’s Sham Referenda in Ukraine
- Friday, September 23, 2022: Joint Leaders Statement to Mark One Year of AUKUS
- Friday, September 23, 2022: G7 Leaders’ Statement
- Friday, September 23, 2022: A Proclamation on National Hunting And Fishing Day, 2022
- Friday, September 23, 2022: President Biden Announces Presidential Delegation to Japan to Attend the State Funeral of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo of Japan
- Friday, September 23, 2022: A Proclamation on National Public Lands Day, 2022
👎 Out with the Bad, In with the Good 👍
Around the world — Ukraine, Iran, the US — people are saying NO to fascism (well, not Italy, but they change their government frequently, so we can hope the just-elected doesn’t last).
Students walk out after Youngkin targets the trans community Cady Stanton and Alia Wong, USA Today
ARLINGTON, Va. – More than 1,000 students walked out of Virginia middle and high schools Tuesday, organizers said, leaving class in protest of the state's reversal of transgender protections that put decisions on students' identities and preferred names at school exclusively in the hands of their parents.
What's in the policy: The guidelines, released Sept. 16 by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's administration, require students to use restrooms, pronouns and names based on their official school records. It limits sports teams to gender assigned at birth, and it tightens parental notification requirements.
Women in even more oppressed places than Idaho are speaking out
Note that the US is trying to make things easier for Iranian women by facilitating communication Fatima Hussein ABC News, Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- American tech firms will be allowed to expand their business in Iran, where most internet access has been cut off in response to anti-government protests, the Treasury Department said Friday.
Iran has been cracking down on demonstrators protesting the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of its morality police. Iranian state TV suggests that as many as 26 protesters and police have been killed since violence erupted over the weekend.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the move will help counter the government's surveillance efforts.
Manchin’s dirty side deal is out, at least for now Olivia Rosane, EcoWatch
The so-called Manchin side deal that would have fast-tracked energy projects including the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline has been defeated, for now.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had added the permitting reform language to a funding bill that Congress must pass by Friday to prevent a government shutdown, The New York Times explained. Schumer’s actions came in exchange for Senator Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) support of landmark climate bill the Inflation Reduction Act in August. However, Manchin asked Schumer to remove the language Tuesday evening when it became clear it did not have enough votes to pass.
“A failed vote on something as critical as comprehensive permitting reform only serves to embolden leaders like Putin who wish to see America fail,” Manchin said in a statement explaining his decision. “For that reason and my firmly held belief that we should never come to the brink of a government shutdown over politics, I have asked Majority Leader Schumer to remove the permitting language from the Contributing Resolution we will vote on this evening.”
A bit of a stretch to blame Putin, but hey, blaming him may unify the public, so why not?
Supporting Ukraine!
Russia and Iran have demonstrated how frail their regimes are Jennifer Rubin Washington Post
Repressive regimes such as Iran and Russia operate under the premise that if they admit any error, allow any dissent or countenance any protest, their society might crumble. But what we are seeing in Russia and Iran reveals something equally true: Regimes that push their people to the breaking point risk a full-scale rebellion.
Maricopa County prosecutor says she won’t prosecute those who have abortions! Ja’han Jones, MSNBC news.
Following an Arizona judge’s decision to reinstate a near-total ban on abortion, first enacted in 1864, the top attorney in the state’s most populous county said she won’t prosecute women who undergo the procedure.
In a video posted to Twitter on Tuesday, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, a Republican, argued the ban conflicts with existing state laws, and she said she’d seek a court’s “guidance” before prosecuting a case under the more than 150-year-old statute. ✂️
“I know this is a highly emotionally charged subject, and I want the community to know that I will not prosecute women for having abortions and no statute even suggests a woman will be prosecuted for her decision,” she added. “Likewise, I will not victimize victims of rape, incest or molestation.”
In case you missed it, a terrible judge reinstated an ancient Arizona law forbidding abortions. What’s notable in the above is that Rachel Mitchell is an R. I don’t think we can trust her — she’s got a bad history -- but it’s sure better than her saying stuff the other way. And it shows that at least some people know which way the wind is blowing.
💣 Republicans: Party of Crimes and Chaos 💣
Maybe this will get tRump to shut up at last? Josh Dawsey, Isaac Arnsdorf, Washington Post
A company that organized a lucrative series of post-White House paid speeches for former president Donald Trump is now struggling to pay vendors, investors and employees, angering Trump allies who supported the effort.
The American Freedom Tour, which struck a multimillion-dollar deal with Trump after he left office, has lost two top executives and canceled events in a number of locations as it has failed to pay its bills, according to people familiar with the activities and documents obtained by The Washington Post. Its founder and owner, who has a history of bankruptcy filings, recently sought bankruptcy protection again.
The group has promised events in a number of locales but canceled them before they began and appears to be banking on a large event at Mar-a-Lago in December to turn its financial position around
Nearly put this in the Schadenfreude section!
And tRump will need lawyers
So do other guys:
💙 Democrats Deliver 💙
Here’s an instance of Actual Delivery:
EPA announces new environmental justice office Olivia Rosane, EcoWatch
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new office focused on solving environmental problems in marginalized communities.
The agency announced the formation of the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights on Saturday, a move it said was in keeping with President Joe Biden’s environmental priorities.
“From day one, President Biden and EPA have been committed to delivering progress on environmental justice and civil rights and ensuring that underserved and overburdened communities are at the forefront of our work,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a statement. “With the launch of a new national program office, we are embedding environmental justice and civil rights into the DNA of EPA and ensuring that people who’ve struggled to have their concerns addressed see action to solve the problems they’ve been facing for generations.”
And the DOJ is on fire!
Michael Steele predicts a pink wave Egberto Willes, Daily Kos
Recently, Michael Steele validated what many activists believe. The polls are likely as wrong as they were in Kansas, where the closing poll had the anti-choice position ahead, if slightly. As we all know now, the pro-choice won by north of 19 points.
Steele said that none of the current polls are taking the pink wave into account. Women of all stripes are poised to vote in droves for progressive candidates. But Steele went further. He reminded us that every election held since Roe showed significant gains for Democrats.
“It is going to be a very dynamic election,” Steele said. “But I still contend the plan is there for Democrats to hold the House.
Weirdly, I read the “pink wave” as a pale red wave at first, before thinking of us ladies. Anyway, Steele, as a former RNC chair, does not wear rose-colored glasses, so he may be right. GOTV!
💜 Unity? 💜
Not only did the Senate move forward on a bill to stop a government shutdown before the midterms, now everyone hates Joe Manchin. Azi Paybarah, Washington Post
Note: if you need context, Rs are mad at Manchin for the Inflation Reduction Act. Now, in return for Manchin’s support for the IRA, Schumer agreed to some nasty stuff with respect to fossil fuels. But because the Rs are mad at Manchin, they would not support it.
The Senate moved ahead on a short-term spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown later this week, a sweeping measure that would provide more than $12 billion to Ukraine, steer millions to Jackson, Miss., to deal with its water crisis and deliver billions in domestic disaster aid.
The chamber advanced the bill by a vote of 72-23. ✂️
Republicans made no effort to hide their intention to punish Manchin.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), a member of GOP leadership, called the Schumer-Manchin permitting deal a “political payoff” to Manchin. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) said the deal and Manchin’s crucial vote for the climate/health-care bill “engendered a lot of bad blood” among Republicans. “There’s not a lot of sympathy on our side to provide Senator Manchin a reward,” he said.
And some more stuff that is not quite unity, but close enough:
📥 Actions You Can Take 📤
DONATE TO GNR SAVES DEMOCRACY!
newish!!! Tax-exempt organization complaint referrals. 13909. You can fill this out for the NRA and lots of other organizations. How about if some of us white folk go into some of the MAGA churches and video record what they’re saying?
Voting rights. This may be the biggest issue threatening our democracy right now. Besides contacting your representatives at the state and federal level to do the right thing (depending on who they are), you can support and contact these organizations:
ACLU — American Civil Liberties Union
Democracy Docket — founded by Marc Elias, so important in fighting the challenges after the last election.
Fair Fight — founded by Stacey Abrams
🌱Grass roots. Biden and Harris can do the top-down stuff, but we have to support from the bottom. I don’t know how to deprogram 75 million people, but some things have been written about, such as deep canvassing, and lots of people are talking about this. If you know someone (who did not storm the Capitol), then see if you can be pleasant. Instead of trying to reason with them (logic is obviously not their strong point) distract them with something else. We need to remove the sources of lies and to take down the temperature. If we get more of the Rs to wear masks and to get vaccinated and to vote for Ds, the country will be a better place. We need to coax some of them out of the rabbit holes and diffuse the anger and the crazy.
🏃 Run for something. If you want to run for something, but have no idea what to do, these people will help you. They also like money and volunteers to help those people who are running, so even if you’re not in a position to stand for office, you can help. Note: they are especially planning to target the 57 Rs in local governments who participated in the insurrection.
👎 Defund the seditionists. Defund the seditionists. This is a list with companies that sometimes have donated to the seditionists. The list is long. You will recognize many of the corporations, and you probably have a relationship with some — either you are a customer, a shareholder, or maybe even an employee. Contact them and compliment or complain, but let them know you are watching. Forward it to others.
🐍 Schadenfreude 😈
AK Rep David Eastman’s participation in a far-right group could cost him his seat in Alaska Casey Grove, Alaska Public Media
Wasilla Republican state Rep. David Eastman can continue to run for reelection, but his membership in a far-right group could still result in his disqualification, just not until after the election.
That’s according to a decision by an Anchorage Superior Court judge in a lawsuit over whether Eastman’s membership in the Oath Keepers organization violates the state constitution’s “disloyalty clause.”
The judge, Jack McKenna, ruled Thursday that Eastman is likely ineligible to hold office, but that Eastman’s name can remain on ballots for the Nov. 8 election. The catch? Should he win, Eastman could still be removed from office, pending the results of a trial set to be held in December.
This is just so much fun!
FAFO
More FAFO
📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️
Woman taking on Iran Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker
Women from across Iran are pulling off their hijabs and lighting them on fire, flouting the country’s gray-bearded theocrats in dramatic scenes of a population struggling to set itself free. Of all the astonishments pouring forth from the Islamic Republic, perhaps the most remarkable is the fact that Iran was brought to this point, at least in part, by an unpaid forty-six-year-old mother working from an F.B.I. safehouse in New York City.
Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist who was driven into exile thirteen years ago, has helped galvanize the country’s women, amassing some ten million followers on her social-media sites and spurring them to trash the most potent symbol of the regime’s legalized gender-apartheid: the hijab, the hair covering mandated for every adult woman. ✂️
When we met in New York, Alinejad was bursting with excitement. Her wild shock of curly hair stands as a rebuke to the dour rigidities of the regime she is confronting. “They hate me because I am mobilizing women against them,’’ she said, and likened the hijab requirement to the Berlin Wall. “If we bring it down, the entire system will collapse.”
She was a guest on MSNBC recently.
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️
Cruelty seems to be the point for so many these days. But here’s a team that is about inclusion
📎Odds & Ends 📎
Delhi is rolling out electric buses Manish Kumar Mongabay
According to the Delhi transport department, Delhi currently has a total of 7,310 public transport buses which include 7,060 CNG buses and a total of 250 e-buses. The average mileage of CNG buses is 200 kilometres per day, according to the Delhi Statistical Handbook, 2020. These buses are run by the Delhi Transport Corporation and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DMIT).
The Delhi government has announced 80 percent electrification of its buses in the next three years while it plans to have a total of 8000 e-buses by 2025. The numbers of e-buses are expected to increase by the end of this year itself. According to sources in the department, 50 more e-buses are likely to come on to the road in the next few months while tenders for 4000 additional e-buses are also going to be floated soon.
Researchers of the Kyushu University study, Tavoos Hassan Bhat and Hooman Farzaneh, told Mongabay-India that this transition can help in significant reduction of Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 emissions up to 44 tonnes per year which helps avoid about 1,370 deaths due to air pollution and a reduction in approximately 2,808 respiratory disease-related hospital admissions per year. This, the researchers claimed, can help in saving about $383 million that is borne by the government and citizens because of expected reduced mortality and morbidity.
🐦 I do a lot of other writing. A recent offering: Hunters of the Feather, a story about a thinker-linker crow who wants to save birdkind from extinction, and the sequel, Scavengers of Mind. (They’re really good! They’re really cheap! Buy and review or rate positively! And Hunters is also available on Audible!) Other stories, based on Jane Austen novels — including a new one for lovers of Pride & Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet’s Advice to Young Ladies — and others on Greek mythology, can be found here. All titles are available through Kindle Unlimited, but I only get paid if you turn the pages.
💙 What You Can Do to Rescue Democracy 💙
It turns out that participation in democracy is not just an every-four-years event but requires active participation, like, whenever you can find time.
Current projects:
Look in the comments for Progressive Muse’s report on Postcards to Voters
And some other ideas:
You can relax and recharge.
You can join protests and freeway blog.
You can help register new voters.
You can smile.
You can get out the vote for special elections.
You can reach out to upset Republicans. We need to win some back.
You can share your ideas below.
🌻
💙 “Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we all are created equal and the harsh ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization have long torn us apart. The battle is perennial, and victory is never assured.” 💙
President Joseph R. Biden
🌹 🌹 🌹
TRUTH MATTERS. LOVE MATTERS.