Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
In my first GNR of the felon’s second term, the subtitle was “Let’s make that guy unpopular.”
Depressed, I had been searching for how to get through this, action we could take. It didn’t seem like much, but it was the most concrete advice that I had read as the best way to weaken his hold on the country.
It was also something that we, as individuals could do. Each small act might not seem like much, but, added together, they become a movement.
I am so proud of and impressed by how many people have stepped up. Have contacted their reps. Have complained to corporate enablers. Have boycotted. Have gone to rallies. Have donated. Have acted to protect people and property. And of course, this week, have voted.
The felon and his enablers have made it easy, by doing lots of really unpopular things. Of course, if they weren’t doing so many unpopular things, we wouldn’t be so angry!
Metaphor: check out the beaver video in the Odds & Ends section, to see how hard work and persistence can make a huge difference. We are like the beavers, gnawing away at their foundations, while working quietly to build something better. Yeah, sometimes we make mistakes and chew down fruit trees or mess up a sewer system, but we are rehydrating and nourishing the land.
Come on in, and gnaw your way through the good gnus.
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, and the chaos. 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 and the planet from those very bad people. We are furious with them for what they are doing and we are letting them know.
Remember:
💜Although they lie all the time, reality matters. And our goals — based on reality — are more popular.
💙 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, make sure to protect yourself, your family and your friends, but find ways to contribute to the well-being of our country and our world.
🗽 Reports on Resisters 🗽
I love how people are standing up to ICE:
and
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"Hours after the confrontation in Lakeview, dozens of parents stood guard outside a school in Bucktown after hearing ICE and border patrol were in the area.
Some parents set up an informal checkpoint next to the school to check cars for immigration agents..."
www.reuters.com/world/us/wer...
— Rachel Maddow (@maddow.msnbc.com) 2025-11-03T18:04:59.765Z
🚲 Chicago cyclists buy out vendors so they can go home early to avoid ICE raids Leigh Giangreco for Block Club Chicago, Via Reasons to Be Cheerful
As ICE patrols swarm Chicago, the tamale vendors who serve up steaming hot corn husks from the sidewalks or sell them to hungry bar patrons from coolers have retreated from their regular spots for fear of being snatched.
That has prompted a brigade of bicyclists to take to the streets in a show of support, buying out the vendors so they can go home to safety while making the money they need to survive.
At least three street vendors have been detained by federal agents since the Trump administration started operations Midway Blitz and At Large last month. The controversial immigration enforcement operations are supposed to target undocumented people with serious criminal histories — but many Chicagoans have reported loved ones being taken even if they do not have a history.
Also, rallies are still happening. Some are demanding that the felon go now. Which is what really should happen.
💣 Republicans: Party of Crimes, Chaos and Cowardice💣
Mike Johnson pretends to know nothing. Tom Latchem The Daily Beast
Mike Johnson would like you to believe that he doesn’t really follow the news, doesn’t keep up with events in Washington, D.C., and most definitely doesn’t listen to a word Donald Trump ever says.
The 53-year-old House speaker is fast gaining a reputation for feigning ignorance whenever he’s asked a difficult question.
This week, Johnson told reporters he hadn’t seen Trump’s 60 Minutes interview in which the president said he had pardoned crypto mogul Changpeng “CZ” Zhao but “know[s] nothing about it.”
Nor, Johnson claims, does he.
The FBI knows, and some of the GOP may know too:
One reason Sherrill won the NJ governorship was because the felon canceled the tunnel. Which he did out of spite. Matt Chapman Raw Story
Trump continues to lick his wounds and publicly proclaim the Democrats' massive wins around the country were not his fault. But, Lemire said, there is one clear thing he did to make New Jersey voters angry, and GOP strategists were seeing it with their own eyes.
"Some of this was a response to Trump overreaction," said Lemire. "On the New Jersey race. I heard from two different operatives last night, one Republican, one Democrat, who more or less said the same thing. One word: Gateway. The tunnel that Trump killed, the project that would have helped—"
"He was bragging about it," cut in anchor Joe Scarborough. "Bragging about it two weeks before the election, bragging about having a Darth Vader hand. He basically said, I killed that project."
"A tunnel that would have really helped New Jersey residents commuting into New York City," said Lemire. "He killed it out of spite because he's angry at Charles Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries because of the shutdown. And they, Democrats, were who were very nervous about this race and were frankly, surprised by the margin of victory last night, said the Gateway Tunnel was sort of the turning point."
Some Rs are scared:
More on Epstein:
From the article (Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic):
But the disturbing new rumor has dredged up far more support, with “more than 100 Republicans” planning to vote alongside Democrats in an effort to “get in front of what’s coming,” reported Schuster.
The Trump administration has failed at every turn to mitigate anxieties about the president’s long-time friendship with the child sex criminal. The typically bombastic Attorney General Pam Bondi was silent when asked about the photos during a Senate hearing last month, a choice that further “spooked” several GOP lawmakers, with many interpreting her nonresponse as a very vocal “yes.”
Can help explain why MTG has been distancing herself from the felon. And, look: MTG acknowledges the competence of Pelosi and compares it to the incompetence of her party:
🚚 💙 Democrats Deliver 💙 🚚
Well, this week was fun, wasn’t it? Sorry if I repeat some of the wins that you have seen elsewhere, but repetition is good!
Part of a press release from Hakeem Jeffries (11/5)
Last night was a big night for the American people and, of course, a big night for the Democratic Party and our candidates who were successful all across the country in making it clear to the American people that we're going to fight to lower the high cost of living, to stand up for them, improve their quality of life, address the Republican healthcare crisis and push back against the extremism that is being unleashed with record speed on the American people. It's clear that last night was also a decisive repudiation of Donald Trump and failed Republican policies. America is too expensive. The cost of living is way too high. Donald Trump and Republicans promised that they would lower costs on day one. Costs aren't going down. They are going up. Inflation is going up. Housing costs out of control. Grocery costs out of control. Child care costs out of control. Electricity prices through the roof. And now that we are in day 36 of the Trump-Republican shutdown
Really good news from Mississippi:
Texas elections mostly did not go blue, but there were a few seats flipped, kicking out book banners:
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In the heart of Texas Trump Country, we parents (and past parents) unseated Project 2025 Christian Nationalists from the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District Board. The Board will now be able to undo book & inclusivity bans, and science & climate change denial. www.cyfairvoices.com
— (@replica145.bsky.social) 2025-11-05T16:56:26.571Z
And in Colorado, they want to feed the kids:
Evidence that the Dems are winning the energy messaging war Politico
President Donald Trump made slashing energy costs a top theme of his administration — but Democrats are suddenly winning the messaging war.
Lawmakers and analysts said Wednesday that the partisan turnabout on energy affordability is one of the prime takeaways from the decisive Democratic electoral wins in Virginia, New Jersey and Georgia, where the minority party pounded the rising electricity prices that consumers are paying on Trump’s watch.
Trump declared a national energy emergency immediately after taking office, saying the U.S. was plagued by inadequate energy supply from the Biden administration’s push for renewable power. But he has also pushed policies that appeared to frustrate the goal of lowering prices — championing the speedy build-out of electricity-gobbling data centers while canceling major clean-energy power projects that could have helped meet the increased demand
That has given Democratic candidates an opening to pummel the GOP on affordability. And for now, voters appear to be listening.
🌵 Here’s Rep Ansari (AZ) (her sign needs better lettering)
💜 Unity?💜
FBI Agents Association rebukes Kash Patel and the felon Josephine Walker, Axios
The FBI Agents Association issued a scathing rebuke against Director Kash Patel on Tuesday, calling his recent firings and reinstatements of several agents "erratic and arbitrary retribution."
Why it matters: The association — which represents 14,000 agents, including over 90% of all active agents — joined a long list of federal personnel condemning the Justice Departments' ongoing personnel purge as the administration seeks to target President Trump's perceived enemies.
What they're saying: An association spokesperson told Axios that the bureau's decision to fire, reinstate, and then once again fire agents Tuesday "highlight the chaos that occurs when long-standing policies and processes are ignored."
- "An Agent simply being assigned to an investigation and conducting it appropriately within the law should never be grounds for termination," the association said in an emailed statement.
- "Director Patel has disregarded the law and launched a campaign of erratic and arbitrary retribution. FBI Agents deal in facts, and we urge Director Patel to do the same."
- "When leadership abandons due process, it doesn't just erode trust — it makes the American public less safe. FBI Agents must be free to focus on protecting the American people, not fear losing their jobs over third party social media posts."
The FBI know about the crimes going on. And this group represents 90% of the FBI!!! Note that as I am outside of the US, I could not access the website of the actual organization. There was also a discussion on Meidas Touch.
Americans will not indict sandwich guy
Moldova likes the EU
Sorry for showing the felon’s ugly mug:
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Businesses, lawmakers, farmers and former US officials are pressing the US #SupremeCourt to rule against #DonaldTrump ’s use of emergency tariff powers ahead of a showpiece hearing this week on.ft.com/4hASxUo via @FT #Tariifs #inflation #KingDonald #Republicans #MakeAmeticaSmall
— (@alexvonwitzleben.bsky.social) 2025-11-03T07:53:54.351Z
And doctors want RFK to go:
📥Actions You Can Take 📤
Note I have removed the tax thingy for now because it is so unlikely that this IRS under the felon’s badministration will do anything about it. Will reinstate when conditions change.
Chop Wood, Carry Water — This always has a lot of ideas about what you can do today. Also, Jess Craven has some state specific newsletters.
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. Join with local communities to make a difference. It could be your local Dems. It could be your school board or your library. Reach out to people. We all need each other these days.
🏃 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.
👎 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 😈
And, this post is in this section because it mocks the felon. But I also want to emphasize how proud I am of America at this moment. There’s still lots of work to do. We won the battle — a very important one! — but we have yet to win the war.
I want to remind people, we were invaded. By Russia through the Putin puppet. By oligarchs who don’t give a damn. Some of our institutions failed us.
No one was coming to help us, but us, but we have fought anyway.
We are making America stand tall again.
Normally I would not take pleasure in someone’s dementia. I’m making an exception.
The governor of Texas is angry at NYC Diana Falzone, The Hill via Yahoo News
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) wrote on the eve of Election Day that he would impose tariffs on any New Yorker who moves to Texas after voting ended.
“After the polls close tomorrow night, I will impose a 100% tariff on anyone moving to Texas from NYC,” Abbott posted on social platform X.
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for more information from NewsNation, The Hill’s sister network, on how those tariffs would work.
The power to impose tariffs falls within the federal government’s authority in the Constitution, not the states.
I included this because it’s just so stupid. Not only illegal, probably not possible, but it means that if there were NYC residents who wanted to flee their city after Mamdani’s victory — presumably because they don’t like Mamdani — they will not be welcome in Texas.
Again, sorry for the picture:
🎩 theghostofjohndewey (and a nod to Slideman, thanks to the language)
📣 Let’s Honor Truth☀️️
This week we’re honoring Norm Eisen, who has worked for years to defend democracy and continues the battle today.
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Trump tried to seize control of our elections via an illegal EO
We stopped him in court with @lulacorg.bsky.social & other great partners & clients
Democracy keeps showing up and working
I discuss this week on the @contrariannews.org 👇
contrarian.substack.com/p/contrarian...
— Norm Eisen (@normeisen.bsky.social) 2025-11-01T19:58:37.892Z
He’s working with Jen Rubin at Contrarian. Rubin left WaPo a little while after Bezos quashed the endorsement of Harris.
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love❤️
This just one example of neighbors stepping up in these uncertain times to help neighbors — this time from Portland Andy Corbley, Good News Network
Having crested 30 days of government shutdown, a Portland coffee shop has stepped up to channel donations towards supporting those in need.
With Americans’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits lagging, Heretic Coffee Shop, which itself operates on a not-for-profit base, has raised $87,000 to replace that welfare.
With a model of selling coffee to afford the time and supplies to help people train to become coffee roasters and baristas, Heretic already radiates a civic mindset,
Run by volunteers at 5120 S.E. 28th Ave., Heretic began soliciting donations on Tuesday. By 10 a.m., the shop had raised $72,000, rising to $86,000 by closing time.
Note that it’s WAY more money than what I’m reporting. Now up to 310,000 and more!
And here’s Evanston, Illinois:
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Chicagoland going for MVP:
“This is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination in the best possible way,” Khan said. “It’s overwhelmingly amazing, and we just want to make sure we get food to people who need it the most.”
www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/e...
— Rachel Maddow (@maddow.msnbc.com) 2025-11-03T03:56:37.823Z
📎Odds & Ends📎
I have not watched this, but I like what it says. People are dreaming of something better. People have hope:
Still liking the American pope:
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"Pope Leo said Scripture emphasizes the question that will be posed at the end of the world:
'How did you receive the foreigner, did you receive him and welcome him, or not? I think there is a deep reflection that needs to be made about what is happening'..."
chicago.suntimes.com/pope-leo-xiv...
— Rachel Maddow (@maddow.msnbc.com) 2025-11-06T05:02:10.702Z
Beavers at work. They bring back land, water and life. Yeah, sometimes they gnaw through fruit trees and mess up human plumning, but they are amazing engineers.
They can also be a source of inspiration, as they remind us how important it is to work at projects for a while. Destruction is easy; building takes time. Well, building doesn’t always take time. The documentary includes the recent example in the Czech Republic, where a group of humans was working on trying to create a set of dams to restore an area, and running into arguments and red tape and worrying about funding — but then beavers moved in and did the project better than the humans ever could.
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And, cool, this week we had the beaver moon, which I didn’t know was a thing (the Beaver Moon is the largest and brightest full moon of the year. 'Supermoon' is the name given to the Moon when it's both full, and at – or near – the closest point to Earth in its orbit).
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🐦 I do a lot of other writing. Newest offerings: Messing with the Myths — two books so far in this series. Older offerings: the Crow Nickels (chronicles), about crows who want to save birdkind from extinction (Hunters of the Feather). Mysteries based on Jane Austen’s novels, such as The Meryton Murders. Others based on history and Greek mythology, e.g., Jocasta: The Mother-Wife of Oedipus. All titles also available through Kindle Unlimited. Want to support me but not interested in my books? Buy one and donate to a library.
💙 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.
I know it’s tough to see the path forward. And I can’t guarantee that there is a path forward. But people who are smarter and braver than I have seen ways to move ahead.
Their (the fascists’) plans really are dark, but many of them are also dumb, in the sense that they don’t make sense. So many of them cannot succeed.
Here are some quick hits.
- Stay involved. Yeah, that’s tough. I want to look away too, but by taking simple actions you can make a difference. Keep contacting your representatives, both in DC and at home.
- Support causes that will fight. Send money if you can. Also, spread their news with clicks and conversation.
- Slow them down. Oppose and block at every turn.
- Make tRump unpopular. Doing this weakens him. And it should not be that difficult. The GOP made a lot out of Biden is old and eggs cost too much. Well, tRump is older than Biden was at the beginning of his term and tRump has no policies that are going to bring down inflation. And a host of other problems, like he’s a convicted felon.
- Divide the GOP from each other. They are a coalition based on contradictory promises, so there’s plenty to work with.
- Keep telling the truth and showing love.
- Make sure to pace yourselves in this marathon and to practice self-care.
Current projects:
- We need just 3 seats to take back the House. GoodNewsRoundup (a.k.a. Goodie or Madam Mayor) has put together a page for donations via ActBlue. Note you can opt out of emails.
- bilboteach has another fundraiser: Win the Majority 2026 – and here you can also opt out of all those fundraising emails.
- Look in the comments for Progressive Muse’s report on Postcards to Voters
And Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny Lessons:
(1) Do Not Obey in Advance; (2) Defend Institutions; (3) Beware the One-Party System; (4) Take Responsibility for the Face of the World; (5) Remember Professional Ethics; (6) Be Wary of Paramilitaries; (7) Be Reflective if You Must Own a Gun; (8) Stand Out (this means, speak up, even when others do not); (9) Be Kind to Our Language; (10) Believe in Truth; (11) Investigate; (12) Make Eye Contact and Small Talk; (13) Practice Corporeal Politics; (14) Establish a Private Life; (15) Contribute to Good Causes; (16) Learn from Peers in Other Countries; (17) Listen for Dangerous Words; (18) Be Calm When the Unthinkable Arrives; (19) Be a Patriot; (20) Be as Courageous as You Can.
🌻
💙 President Joseph R. Biden: “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.”
💙 Sir Winston Churchill: When you’re going through hell, keep going.
🌹 🌹 🌹
TRUTH MATTERS. LOVE MATTERS.
