Welcome 😊 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
President Biden and VP Harris have been in office just over a year, for which we are still profoundly grateful. Many things have gotten better. Other things are stalled.
And, as others have noted, many of us are exhausted. We’re not just exhausted, we’re worried: for ourselves, for our friends and families, for our country and for our planet.
Now, many readers may be suffering from additional problems that aren’t addressed here. If you feel OK about it, share what worries you. In the meantime, here are some glimmers of a promising spring:
- COVID: the vaccinated are doing well, and the Omicron variant, although spreading like wildfire, appears to be burning out quickly. That’s not to say there won’t be a few more dreadful weeks, but then things (and the economy, and inflation) should ease. Do your best to stay healthy!
- The January 6th Select Committee is promising televised hearings that should shock the nation into awareness and action.
- The DOJ has a new Domestic Terrorism unit. The DOJ has charged 11 Oath Keepers with Seditious Conspiracy. I wish they would move faster, but I do believe they are moving.
Still, if you’re feeling uneasy, do something. Give money if you can. Give time, either by going to protests or contacting reps or corporations. Doing Something is the best antidote to despair.
And, who knows, it might just work! Especially if enough of us Do Something.
And come in, dear gnusies, and refresh yourselves as you see all the other somethings our allies are doing. And if you’re doing something, or know someone else who is, please include it below.
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, January 20, 2022: Readout of President Biden’s Meeting with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: Remarks by President Biden Before Meeting with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, January 20, 2022
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: President Biden Announces Key Regional Appointments for USDA, FEMA, and HUD
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: Press Release: Nominations Sent to the Senate
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: Background Press Call By Senior Administration Officials On the Summit of the Americas
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: Remarks by President Biden Before Meeting with the Infrastructure Implementation Task Force
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: FACT SHEET: The Biden-Harris Administration Supports Puerto Rico’s Recovery and Renewal in its First Year in Office
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Call with Secretary General of Japan’s National Security Secretariat Akiba Takeo
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Call with B9 Counterparts
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Advances Equity and Opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Communities Across the Country
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: Readout of the President’s Meeting with the Infrastructure Implementation Task Force
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: Bill Signed: H.R. 1192
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Bringing Semiconductor Manufacturing Back to America
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: Remarks by President Biden in Press Conference
- Thursday, January 20, 2022: Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on the Senate Vote on Voting Rights
- Wednesday, January 19, 2022: Statement of President Joe Biden on the Senate Vote on Voting Rights
- Wednesday, January 19, 2022: Readout of Listening Session on Addressing Barriers to Competition and Innovation in Tech
- Wednesday, January 19, 2022: Statement from Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Russian Aggression Towards Ukraine
- Wednesday, January 19, 2022: FACT SHEET: President Biden and Vice President Harris Delivered Results for Working Families in First Year
- Wednesday, January 19, 2022: Fast Facts: Record Firsts in President Biden’s First Year
- Wednesday, January 19, 2022: Statement by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on President Biden’s Meeting with Bipartisan Senators on Ukraine
- Wednesday, January 19, 2022: Nominations Sent to the Senate
- Wednesday, January 19, 2022: President Biden Announces Nominees for Ambassadors and Key Roles
- Wednesday, January 19, 2022: FACT SHEET: President Biden Signs National Security Memorandum to Improve the Cybersecurity of National Security, Department of Defense, and Intelligence Community Systems
- Wednesday, January 19, 2022: Memorandum on Improving the Cybersecurity of National Security, Department of Defense, and Intelligence Community Systems
- Wednesday, January 19, 2022: President Biden Names Thirteenth Round of Judicial Nominees
- Tuesday, January 18, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, January 18, 2022
- Tuesday, January 18, 2022: President Biden Announces Host City for Ninth Summit of the Americas
- Tuesday, January 18, 2022: Readout of President Biden’s Call with President Sauli Niinistö of Finland
- Tuesday, January 18, 2022: Statement From Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh on the Vice President’s Travel to Honduras
- Tuesday, January 18, 2022: President Biden Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Honduras to Attend the Inauguration of Her Excellency Xiomara Castro
- Tuesday, January 18, 2022: Statement by President Biden on 5G Agreement
- Tuesday, January 18, 2022: President Biden Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of The Gambia to Attend Presidential Inauguration of His Excellency Adama Barrow
- Monday, January 17, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris During Service Event at Martha’s Table
- Monday, January 17, 2022: Statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Houthi Attack Against UAE
- Monday, January 17, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris at Martin Luther King Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service
- Sunday, January 16, 2022: Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on President Biden’s Virtual Meeting with Prime Minister Kishida of Japan
- Sunday, January 16, 2022: Remarks by President Biden on the Hostage Situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas
- Sunday, January 16, 2022: Statement by Vice President Kamala Harris on the Hostage Situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas
- Saturday, January 15, 2022: Statement by President Biden on the Hostage Situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas
- Saturday, January 15, 2022: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Alaska Disaster Declaration
- Friday, January 14, 2022: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Tennessee Disaster Declaration
- Friday, January 14, 2022: Background Press Call on the Rollout of 500 Million Free Tests to American Homes
- Friday, January 14, 2022: President Biden Announces Key Appointments to Boards and Commissions
- Friday, January 14, 2022: Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official on Cybersecurity
- Friday, January 14, 2022: Remarks by President Biden on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
- Friday, January 14, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, January 14, 2022
- Friday, January 14, 2022: Fact Sheet: The Biden Administration to Begin Distributing At-Home, Rapid COVID-19 Tests to Americans for Free
- Friday, January 14, 2022: A Proclamation on Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2022
- Friday, January 14, 2022: A Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day, 2022
- Friday, January 14, 2022: Nominations Sent to the Senate
- Friday, January 14, 2022: President Biden Nominates Sarah Bloom Raskin to Serve as Vice Chair for Supervision of the Federal Reserve, and Lisa Cook and Philip Jefferson to Serve as Governors
- Friday, January 14, 2022: FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Hits the Ground Running 60 Days into Infrastructure Implementation
According to the CDC, as of January 20, 2022, 87.2% of US adults have had at least one jab against covid.
👎 Out with the Bad, In with the Good 👍
Omicron is in retreat David Leonhardt New York Times (sorry for no link, but this was in an email they sent me, and I don’t currently subscribe to the NYT).
The latest Omicron developments continue to be encouraging. New Covid-19 cases are plummeting in a growing list of places. The percentage of cases causing severe illness is much lower than it was with the Delta variant. And vaccines — particularly after a booster shot — remain extremely effective in preventing hospitalization and death. ✂️
Since early last week, new cases in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and New York have fallen by more than 30 percent. They’re down by more than 10 percent in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. In California, cases may have peaked.
If anything, numbers are even better than these show, because there’s a lag with respect to testing. Oh, and some thermometer data is also excellent.
A Glimpse at What Has Reached the Jan 6 Committee Summer Concepcion Talking Points Memo
Days after the Jan. 6 committee began receiving records from the National Archives following the Supreme Court’s rejection of former President Trump’s effort to bar the release of documents, some details have reportedly started to emerge regarding documents from Trump’s White House that the panel has received thus far.
According to Politico on Thursday, the committee has received four notable items: two drafts of tweets that the former president ultimately sent the day before the deadly Capitol insurrection last year, as well as a legal memo and a handwritten note on White House stationery. ✂️
Politico noted that the immediacy of the four notable documents signal that the committee will soon receive a wide variety of documents, some of which the panel could obtain on a daily basis.
New York Food Waste Recycling Law Goes into Effect Paige Bennett EcoWatch
The law, called the Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law, first passed in 2019. As of the start of this year, businesses and institutions with an average of two tons of food waste per week now must donate edible foods and recycle any food scraps, given that the business or institution is located within 25 miles of a facility that can process the scraps.
While the law will help reduce food waste and related emissions, there are some caveats. This law does not apply to New York City, which already has similar Commercial Organics Requirements in place. These laws took affect in 2020, but the city has extended the warning period until July 2022 due to the pandemic. Hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, K-12 schools and farms are also excluded from the Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law.
The state estimates that about 7.8 billion pounds of food go to waste here each year, or about the weight of over 17,000 Statues of Liberty. The new law is meant to reduce that amount while also providing jobs and creating compost for healthier local soils. Job opportunities at composting facilities average about twice as much as job opportunities at landfills and four times as much as at incinerators. Food donations will also help the over 2.2 million people in New York who face food insecurity.
Note that some parts are already in effect, and others exist in other states. Vermont has seen a tripling of donations to food banks for the needy.
💣 Republicans in Disarray 💣
tRumps in trouble in NYS Shayna Jacobs, Jonathan O’Connell and Josh Dawsey Washington Post
In a nearly 160-page filing, James cited multiple examples of Trump allegedly lending his signature to financial statements that estimated the worth of properties in the Trump Organization portfolio and the value of his own fortune — estimates that James’s team has long suggested were misleading and potentially key to taking legal action against the Manhattan-based company.
“Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., and Ivanka Trump have all been closely involved in the transactions in question, so we won’t tolerate their attempts to evade testifying in this investigation,” James said in a statement released late Tuesday night along with the documents.
James said that their testimony is necessary to progress a probe that is based on at least 900,000 documents obtained from the Trump Organization, interviews with employees and other evidence.
Remember, the RNC is paying for the tRumps’ legal bills, which is why this story is in the Rs in disarray section. Oh, and here’s some commentary:
Want more? Remember Melania’s good friend?
GOP not telling their plans Steve Benen Maddow Blog
During his White House press conference yesterday, President Joe Biden literally read Sununu's quotes while highlighting the challenges of dealing with GOP lawmakers who too often don't care about governing. The Democrat added:
"I did not anticipate that there'd be such a stalwart effort to make sure that the most important thing was that President Biden didn't get anything done. Think about this: What are Republicans for? What are they for? Name me one thing they're for."
The president had good timing. Not long before his press conference began, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell fielded some questions from reporters, and NBC News' Leigh Ann Caldwell asked the Kentucky Republican what his party's policy agenda would be if the GOP takes back control of Congress.
"That is a very good question," McConnell responded. "And I'll let you know when we take it back."
Georgia Prosecutor requests special grand jury John Wagner Washington Post
The Atlanta-area prosecutor weighing whether former president Donald Trump and others committed crimes by trying to pressure Georgia election officials has requested a special purpose grand jury to aid in her investigation.
In a letter Thursday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) told the chief judge of Fulton County’s Superior Court that the move was needed because a “significant number of witnesses and prospective witnesses have refused to cooperate with the investigation absent a subpoena requiring their testimony.”
Willis cited Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) as an example. Willis has previously confirmed that part of her probe centers on the Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between Trump and Raffensperger in which Trump asked Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn Joe Biden’s win in the state’s presidential election.
💙 Democrats Being Cool 💙
President Biden held a fantastic presser to celebrate one year of being in office, showing more stamina than any other previous president — as well as not telling anyone to shove a lightbulb up their ass.
Still, Faux news was allowed to play:
And people aren’t being fired by mean tweets:
And, a sweet memory:
💜 Unity? 💜
I am all in favor of using Tom Hanks in this:
Remember:
I would argue this is a battle that will take even longer. But progress is being made on many fronts. Don’t stop, Do Something!
📥 Actions You Can Take 📤
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. This is a list with companies that sometimes have donated to the seditionists, and their current approach to supporting or not supporting 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 😈
Some guys are getting nervous!
Not the brightest...
📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️
Abigail Spanberger and the Trust in Congress Act Jennifer Rubin Washington Post
The result of Spanberger’s push was the Trust in Congress Act, introduced by her and Roy in 2020 and then reintroduced in 2021. Under the bill, members, their spouses and dependent children would be required to place covered investments into a qualified blind trust within 90 days of the member assuming office. Affected individuals could remove assets from the blind trust 180 days after leaving. The legislation now has 20 co-sponsors, and Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) have introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
Spanberger tells me that when she discusses the issue with voters, they often react with surprise. A common response is: “I can’t believe you’re allowed to do this now!” The stock ban legislation naturally gets rave reviews. “If I’m talking about the legislation, it comes up in the context of ‘Congress is not working. Congress is not working for me. The system is not working.’ ” At a time when trust in Congress is low and voters are convinced most politicians are crooks, Spanberger thinks the bill is a no-brainer: “This is an opportunity to proactively affirm to the American people we are absolutely trustworthy.”
The bill has attracted plenty of buzz, and Spanberger continues to get positive reaction from members on both sides of the aisle (although some take the attitude that they are not doing anything wrong — so the legislation is unnecessary). Good-government groups of all political bents have lined up in support, too.
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️
❄️ The assigned workout: shovel snow for neighbors Good News Network
Coach Brian DeLallo at Bethel Park High School near Pittsburgh, took to Twitter to announce that Monday’s weightlifting session in the gymnasium was cancelled—but he had an alternative assignment for the young men.
“Due to the expected severe weather, Monday’s weightlifting workout has been cancelled. Find an elderly or disabled neighbor and shovel their driveway… that’s our Monday workout.” ✂️
By mid-morning more than 27 of the athletes were texting photos to the coach, with some saying they were on their 6th driveway.
Note that the coach told them not to accept money, but some of the recipients insisted on donating money anyway.
And this brings me to a point from last Saturday’s GNR, when GoodNewsRoundup said that one way to help yourself out of the blues is to do something nice for others. Especially something unexpected.
📎Odds & Ends 📎
Advances in recycling? Chris Velazco Washington Post
There’s no shortage of high-profile tech firms trying to dial down their impact on the environment through sweeping climate pledges and about-faces on repairability. What has been less common are companies attempting to address the sort of banal environmental challenges — like what to do with all those bags from the grocery store — we face every day.
And while it might sound a little easier to keep a couple of dedicated recycling bins around, both companies are, in their own way, tackling a flaw in our waste management systems that many people probably aren’t aware of. As it turns out, much of the material we toss into our recycling bins doesn’t actually ever get recycled. That’s for a whole host of reasons: improperly cleaned materials can contaminate others that would have been recyclable otherwise, and some of the items people might just assume are recyclable — say, plastic cutlery — usually aren’t. And ultimately, that means more trips to the landfill.
The answers are not completely there. But people are working on it.
🐦 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.
💙 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.