Welcome 😊 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
The first Friday of 2022, and so much is going on.
Yesterday marks the anniversary of the storming of the Capitol. We survived that, and President Biden was installed in the most moving inauguration I have ever watched.
But despite the defeated former guy finally leaving the White House, many of us have been frustrated by the lack of action. Why isn’t tdfg in prison?
Yesterday, Biden and Harris gave speeches (finally!) that assure us they are fighting the right fights. Biden finally blamed tdfg for the insurrection. The day before, AG Garland was more restrained, because he is preparing cases, but he assured us the DOJ is on it. And the Jan 6 select committee has been on fire!
So the good guys are working on it, and they are finally talking about it.
And we still have the stupid virus to deal with, made worse by stupid people who endanger the health of everyone, especially their own. But our side is protected by vaccinations, and evidence is mounting that the current variant is less dangerous.
Economic signs have been really, really good.
Still, we have a lot to do, to save the country and the planet. People are working on it. There is a lot of great news.
So, welcome to the first Friday of 2022! I hope you’re in good health, and that after you fortify your spirits with the GNR, that you roll up your sleeves and get to work.
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 6, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, January 6, 2022
- Thursday, January 6, 2022: Remarks By President Biden To Mark One Year Since The January 6th Deadly Assault On The U.S. Capitol
- Thursday, January 6, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris Marking One Year Since the January 6th Deadly Assault on the U.S. Capitol
- Wednesday, January 5, 2022: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Washington Disaster Declaration
- Wednesday, January 5, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Port Envoy to the White House Supply Chain Task Force John Porcari, January 5, 2022
- Wednesday, January 5, 2022: Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
- Tuesday, January 4, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, January 4, 2022
- Tuesday, January 4, 2022: Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Call with Nordic Counterparts
- Tuesday, January 4, 2022: Remarks by President Biden Before Meeting on COVID-19
- Tuesday, January 4, 2022: Nominations Sent to the Senate
- Tuesday, January 4, 2022: Statement by President Joe Biden on 5G Deployment Agreement
- Monday, January 3, 2022: Readout of President Joe Biden’s Event with Farmers, Ranchers on his Action Plan for a More Competitive Meat and Poultry Supply Chain
- Monday, January 3, 2022: Nominations Sent to the Senate
- Monday, January 3, 2022: Remarks by President Biden During a Virtual Meeting to Discuss Boosting Competition and Reducing Prices in the Meat-Processing Industry
- Monday, January 3, 2022: Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races
- Monday, January 3, 2022: FACT SHEET: The Biden-Harris Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain
- Sunday, January 2, 2022: Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on President Biden’s Call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine
- Saturday, January 1, 2022: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Colorado Disaster Declaration
- Friday, December 1, 2021: Remarks by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in Press Gaggle
- Friday, December 1, 2021: Readout of President Biden’s Call with Colorado Governor Jared Polis
According to the CDC, as of the morning of Jan 6, 2022, 86% of US adults have had at least one jab.
👎 Out with the Bad, In with the Good 👍
👍 An astronomer I know told me this was the nailbiting stage:
👢 Dave Bateman booted from Entrata Jaclyn Peiser Washington Post
“I believe there is a sadistic effort underway to euthanize the American people,” Dave Bateman, the founder of Entrata, a property management software company, wrote Tuesday, KTSU first reported.
“I believe the Jews are behind this,” he added.
The email, littered with baseless claims and antisemitic tropes about the vaccine, led to an immediate backlash from the
Utah tech community, religious leaders and politicians. Bateman
resigned as chairman on Tuesday.
🐮 Representative Devin Nunes, the Russian asset who made a midnight run, has left Congress to run tRump’s media company. Chandelis Duster CNN. ⚡️ Yeah, that’s gonna work out well, like all tdfg’s former endeavors.
👢 MTG banned from Twitter! Katanga Johnson Reuters 👢 Also temporarily banned from FB.
💣 Republicans in Disarray 💣
tRump did not hold a presser on the sixth Jonathan Swan Axios
Before Donald Trump canceled his planned Jan. 6 press conference, several key allies — including hardline Fox News host Laura Ingraham and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) — made clear they thought it was a bad idea to invite the national media to Mar-a-Lago to mark the deadly riot.
Why it matters: Trump would have inevitably used his press conference Thursday to portray the rioters as political prisoners, whitewash their actions that day and lie about a "stolen election."
- Divisions had widened between the former president and congressional Republican leaders over how to handle the anniversary.
- Trump — like his most fervent allies — wanted to go on offense.
I have seen all sorts of speculation as to why tfg has pulled the plug. Omicron. Pushback from the GOP who still talk to him. Pushback from the folks at FOX. No interest from the media. Concern he could say something that gets him in trouble.
And, how did they get him to do that video in the end? It wasn’t the pleas of Ivanka or Hannity. No, it was this:
💙 Democrats Being Cool 💙
Biden speaks Scott Bixby The Daily Beast
“For the first time in our history, a president had not just lost an election—he tried to prevent a peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol,” Biden said, speaking from the Capitol’s Statuary Hall where once stood. “But they failed. They failed.”
“On this day of remembrance, let us make sure that such attack, never, never happens again.”
Biden, without mentioning his predecessor by name once in his 25-minute remarks, condemned Trump’s role in fomenting the failed putsch with discredited claims of election fraud, as well as his silence during the worst of the rioting, which threatened the life of his own vice president.
If you want to watch:
Some reactions:
Are we still a great nation? Gosh, I hope so. Then there’s this:
And this:
And this, just because we need to remember it:
The FL commissioner of agriculture has some unexpected (at least unexpected to me) duties. What exactly is the relationship between agriculture and concealed weapons? But, hey, cool!
And she’s also running for governor. And there’s more:
So, AG Merrick Garland has finally addressed the elephants in the room, saying the DoJ is on the case, planning to hold those responsible for Jan 6 accountable. Matt Zapotosky and Devlin Barrett Washington Post
Attorney General Merrick Garland vowed to hold all those responsible for the Jan. 6 riot accountable — whether they were at the Capitol or committed other crimes surrounding the day’s events — saying investigators are methodically building more complicated and serious cases and would prosecute people “at any level.”
“The actions we have taken thus far will not be our last,” Garland said Wednesday, speaking in the Justice Department’s Great Hall in
an address that was broadcast live online and by cable news channels. “The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6th perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law — whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy. We will follow the facts wherever they lead.” ✂️
The attorney general did not name the former president or those close to him, and many of his statements were common-sense assurances that could be said of any investigation. Still, they seemed designed to address complaints that the department was not taking a broad enough view of possible crimes connected to Jan. 6, or looking at sufficiently high-profile targets, including Trump.
Some people reacted negatively, but many have been positive about this. Now, there’s some speculation, but it’s speculation from those who have been watching closely:
💜 Unity? 💜
Some agreement on facts! Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post
A new Associated Press-NORC poll shows results similar to other major polling. Some 57 percent say former president Donald Trump deserves “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of the blame; that number grows to 70 percent hold when we include respondents who think Trump was moderately to blame.
Even 4 in 10 Republicans say he bears at least a moderate amount of responsibility. It’s still mind-blowing that 60 percent of Republicans say Trump bears little or no responsibility; that number, however, is 11 points lower than it was a year ago.
Here’s something you may have not been worrying about much lately, even though it would be horrendous: nuclear war. Fortunately, President Biden has been on this. Five of the world’s most powerful nations agree to do what they can to avoid nuclear war. Julian Borger, The Guardian
Five of the world’s most powerful nations have agreed that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought” in a rare joint pledge to reduce the risk of such a conflict ever starting.
The pledge was signed by the US, Russia, China, the UK and France, the five nuclear weapons states recognised by the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) who are also the five permanent members of the UN security council. They are known as the P5 or the N5.
Such a common statement on a major issue of global security has become a rarity at a time of increasing friction between Russia, China and the west. With Moscow threatening to invade Ukraine and China signaling its readiness to use military force against Taiwan, the joint statement represents a renewed commitment to prevent any confrontation turning into a nuclear catastrophe.
There’s also a Jan 3 link in the White House briefing room section.
📥 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.
👎 Here is a list of companies that has resumed donating money to seditionists. Refuse to use them, or, if you have a relationship, let them know how much you disapprove. Darragh Roche Newsweek
Those companies, according to reports from the Washington Post, Daily Beast and Bloomberg, include: American Airlines, health insurance firm Cigna, insurance company Aflac, UPS, defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, Boeing, General Motors, Ford, JetBlue, and Southern Co. a gas an electric company based in Atlanta, Georgia.
🐍 Schadenfreude 😈
Candlelight vigil for Jan 6 rioters draws only a few Zachary Petrizzo The Daily Beast
With more journalists and members of the media, including The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper, in attendence than participants, candles given to protesters over the hour-long event burned low, with some of them burning their hands.
Upon the conclusion of the gathering, Braynard told The Daily Beast the event went “great,” while gloating about the amount of press that showed up.
“Look at this, hundreds of you guys!” he said, while standing next to a security guard there to protect him.
Lots of media, but otherwise, no one gives a damn about these losers.
⚡️ Cyberninjas hit with fines if they don’t turn over records ⚡️
Go, Jan 6 committee, go!
Another fraud arrest at The Villages
Go, Australia!
Macron of France talked smack (emmerder) about the unvaccinated, wanting to keep them out of restaurants, etc (and France is pretty strict). Canada’s Trudeau is pretty similar:
And this:
📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️
This is a wonderful speech. Only about 2 minutes.
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️
Many of us are worried about the deep divisions in our country — and in the world. It seems impossible to reach the other side, especially when they are spouting absolute nonsense or doing things that will hurt us, others, and even themselves.
I spent some time over the holiday break with one such person. I know he’s a tRumper. We did not discuss politics, so he does not know how intensely liberal I am. But, despite our differences, I like him. And he was really sweet and helpful during the time we spent together.
Although we did not discuss politics, we did discuss covid, and although he’s vaxxed he tried to tout ivermectin. I pointed out the studies were flawed, with people only showing improvements when they were infected with worms (I didn’t get around to all the fake “studies”). He looked surprised. I pierced the bubble, just a little, by being nice first and then by saying something, matter-of-factly, about something he had been too siloed to hear about before.
Divisions are tough to overcome, but they are not always insurmountable. There’s a series at Reasons to Be Cheerful showing instances of overcoming divisions. And here’s an example of a prison working to overcome the barriers for some young women. Maurice Chammah, Reasons to Be Cheerful
Despite their names, state “departments of correction” in the United States aren’t known for correcting much. More than seven of every 10 prisoners, according to some studies, are arrested again less than four years after they are released. And while recent years have seen the beginning of a national decline in the number of male prisoners, the situation has not improved much for women, who remain incarcerated at stubbornly high levels.
Connecticut is trying to push back by focusing on one group that is especially likely to return to prison: young women, ages 18 to 25.
It began in the summer of 2015, when Scott Semple, who runs the Connecticut state prison system, spent a week visiting prisons in Germany. Two American nonprofit organizations have been running such trips in recent years, and they have helped to inspire a handful of prison reform experiments in both red and blue states. The goal is to promote rehabilitation by mimicking the European emphasis on personal dignity. For example, Pennsylvania is teaching corrections officers to think like therapists, while North Dakota has been giving prisoners keys so they can lock their own doors.
Note the article is not brand new, but acts of love, unlike violent acts of hate, take time.
And, because this dog deserves it, here’s Tinsley:
📎Odds & Ends 📎
New packaging could prolong food life and is eco-friendly Good News Network
A new ‘smart’ form of packaging could eradicate food poisoning, according to a new study.
Scientists say it kills harmful bugs—such as E.coli, Salmonella, and listeria—keeping meat, fish, fruit, and veg fresh for longer.
The waterproof wrapping may also help save the planet by reducing waste, according to the research team. It looks just like plastic—but is biodegradable. ✂️
“The smart release of antimicrobials only occurs when bacteria or high humidity is present.”
Have you hugged a shark today? Their antibody-like proteins may help us fight the next coronavirus. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Science Daily
Small, unique antibody-like proteins known as VNARs -- derived from the immune systems of sharks -- can prevent the virus that causes COVID-19, its variants, and related coronaviruses from infecting human cells, according to a new study published Dec. 16.
The new VNARs will not be immediately available as a treatment in people, but they can help prepare for future coronavirus outbreaks. The shark VNARs were able to neutralize WIV1-CoV, a coronavirus that is capable of infecting human cells but currently circulates only in bats, where SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, likely originated.
Beijing meets air quality standards for the first time in 2021 Thomas Peter, Reuters
BEIJING, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The Chinese capital Beijing met state air quality standards for the first time last year, officials said on Tuesday, following a concerted effort to cut coal consumption, reduce transportation emissions and relocate heavy industry.
China declared war on pollution in 2014 after a series of hazardous smog build-ups in Beijing and elsewhere triggered widespread public anger.
Average readings of small, hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 reached 33 micrograms per cubic metre in Beijing over the whole of 2021, down 13% compared to a year earlier and meeting China's interim standard of 35 micrograms for the first time on record, officials said during a briefing on Tuesday.
I was in Beijing in 2004; it was incredibly bad. Hope this report is true. At least they are aiming at the right direction.
🐦 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.