Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
Usually I make a good start on my GNRs early in the week, but the news is changing so fast that I fear anything I write will be irrelevant after only a few hours. Moreover, I am sorry, but I am traveling on Friday, on the day when this appears, and so I won’t be around much to host.
So this is squished from both sides!
Let me say that you are all amazing, and stronger than you give yourselves credit for, and you know what to do. You know how to encourage each other, the rest of the world, and yourselves. You know how to tackle problems.
And you make a difference.
If you are feeling the frustration of not being to help Ukraine more actively, remember that our actions in 2018 — electing a D House, which was able to investigate “do me a favor, though” — and in 2020 — dumping tRump and bringing in Biden — has made Ukraine’s stand possible. If tfdg had not been expelled, he would have removed us from NATO and handed Ukraine to Russia.
That does not mean things are going to go well anytime soon, not unless something happens to Putin. Nevertheless, we have been shown bravery.
A friend of mine, who expected Ukraine to fall easily, is now saying that China’s got to be thinking twice about going to Taiwan.
Because of you. Us. Working together. We have made a difference.
So carry on, and come up with more ideas, and do those too. 💙 🌻💙 🌻💙 🌻💙 🌻💙 🌻
The people of Ukraine need your help. Over a million refugees have already fled Putin’s invasion, and the situation is only getting worse. If you can, please donate to these charities helping the Ukrainian people in this desperate hour.
Regular Scheduled Programming
No one here is naïve; we are aware ofthe many who are fighting to destroy our country. Some of us expected it: thecheating, the lying, the chaos, and yes, even the attempts to cling to powerdespite the clear will of the people. But we are here to read the efforts andthe positive results of those (including us and our fellow gnus) who areworking so hard to save our country from those very bad people. We arefurious with them for what they are doing and we are letting them know. Remember:
💙 There aremore of us than there are of them.
💛 They areterrified when we organize. THERE IS LOTS OF EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARETERRIFIED!
💔 They want us tobe demoralized. The best way to keep up your spirits is to fight. So, take thetime to recharge your batteries, but find ways to contribute to the well-beingof 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 briefingroom.
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: Wide Range of Constituencies Applaud President Biden’s State of the Union Address
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris at Signing of H.R. 4445, “Ending the Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021”
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: Bills Signed: H.R. 4445
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: Remarks by President Biden Before Cabinet Meeting
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, March 3rd, 2022
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: Readout of White House Meeting with Florida Reproductive Rights Advocates
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: A Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Iran
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Venezuela
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: A Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Venezuela
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Members of the Congress Applaud President Biden’s State of the Union Address
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: FACT SHEET: The United States Continues to Target Russian Oligarchs Enabling Putin’s War of Choice
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: Joint Readout of Quad Leaders Call
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Zimbabwe
- Thursday, March 3, 2022: A Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Zimbabwe
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: Statement by President Biden on Texas’ Attacks on Transgender Youth
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: Remarks By President Biden On Building A Better America
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: Statement by the President on the United Nations General Assembly Vote Condemning Russia’s Aggression Against Ukraine
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at the University of Wisconsin-Superior
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: Press Briefing by White House and HHS Public Health Officials, March 2, 2022
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: FACT SHEET: The United States Continues to Impose Costs on Russia and Belarus for Putin’s War of Choice
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: Statement by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the Visit of President Iván Duque Márquez of the Republic of Colombia
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: Remarks by President Biden Before Marine One Departure
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: Remarks by President Biden in State of the Union Address
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: A Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Ukraine
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Ukraine
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: FACT SHEET: Addressing Addiction and the Overdose Epidemic
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: Remarks of President Joe Biden – State of the Union Address As Prepared for Delivery
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: Fact Sheet: President Biden to Announce New Steps to Combat Criminal Fraud and Identity Theft in Pandemic Relief Programs
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: Fact Sheet: President Biden’s Historic Actions to Make Our Communities Safer by Reducing Gun Crime
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: Excerpts from President Biden’s State of the Union Address as Prepared for Delivery
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: FACT SHEET: The Biden Administration’s Historic Investments To Create Opportunity and Build Wealth in Rural America
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: Memorandum on the Finding that a Drawdown and Sale of Petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is Required by U.S. Obligations Under the International Energy Program Implemented by the International Energy Agency
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: Letter to Certain Congressional Committees on the Annual Report on the Legal and Policy Frameworks Guiding the United States’ Use of Military Force and Related National Security Operations
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: The White House Announces Guest List for the First Lady’s Box for the 2022 State of the Union Address
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: Readout of Vice President Harris’s Calls with European Leaders
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: Readout of President Biden’s Call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: Memorandum on Maximizing Assistance to Respond to COVID-19
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: FACT SHEET: Supporting Veterans Experiencing Financial Hardship and Addressing the Harmful Effects of Military Environmental Exposures
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: A Proclamation on Read Across America Day, 2022
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Coordinated IEA Release to Support Global Energy Security
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022: FACT SHEET: President Biden to Announce Strategy to Address Our National Mental Health Crisis, As Part of Unity Agenda in his First State of the Union
- Monday, February 28, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, February 28, 2022
- Monday, February 28, 2022: Remarks by President Biden at a Celebration to Mark Black History Month
- Monday, February 28, 2022: Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Call with Ibrahim Kalin, Spokesperson and Chief Advisor to the President of Turkey
- Monday, February 28, 2022: FACT SHEET: The White House and Department of Justice Announced 99 Law Schools in 35 States and Puerto Rico Continue to Answer the Attorney General’s Call to Action for Stronger Access to Justice and Court Reform on Eviction Prevention
- Monday, February 28, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Celebration to Mark Black History Month
- Monday, February 28, 2022: Press Release: Nominations Sent to the Senate
- Monday, February 28, 2022: Statement by Vice President Kamala Harris on the Passing of Richard Blum
- Monday, February 28, 2022: Statement of President Joe Biden on the Passing of Dick Blum
- Monday, February 28, 2022: FACT SHEET: The Biden-Harris Administration Advances Equity and Opportunity for Black People and Communities Across the Country
- Monday, February 28, 2022: Readout of President Biden’s Call with Allies and Partners
- Monday, February 28, 2022: FACT SHEET: President Biden to Highlight Clean Energy Manufacturing and Deployment Investments that Cut Consumer Costs, Strengthen U.S. Energy Sector, and Create Good-Paying Jobs
- Monday, February 28, 2022: Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on New Economic Restrictive Measures on Russia
- Monday, February 28, 2022: FACT SHEET: Background on President Biden’s Remarks on the Economy During His First State of The Union Address
- Monday, February 28, 2022: FACT SHEET: Protecting Seniors and People with Disabilities by Improving Safety and Quality of Care in the Nation’s Nursing Homes
- Monday, February 28, 2022: FACT SHEET: Lowering Prices and Leveling the Playing Field in Ocean Shipping
- Monday, February 28, 2022: FACT SHEET: President Biden to Lay Out Bold Commitments on Rebuilding America’s Crumbling Infrastructure Over the Next year
- Monday, February 28, 2022: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Amends Puerto Rico Disaster Declaration
- Monday, February 28, 2022: A Proclamation on American Red Cross Month, 2022
- Monday, February 28, 2022: A Proclamation on Women’s History Month, 2022
- Monday, February 28, 2022: A Proclamation on National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, 2022
- Monday, February 28, 2022: A Proclamation on Irish-American Heritage Month, 2022
- Sunday, February 27, 2022: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Kentucky Disaster Declaration
- Sunday, February 27, 2022: Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official on Imposing Additional Severe Costs on Russia
- Sunday, February 27, 2022: Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Japan’s Announcement to Hold Russia Accountable
- Sunday, February 27, 2022: Joint Statement on Further Restrictive Economic Measures
- Saturday, February 26, 2022: Readout of White House Virtual Celebration of Afro-Latino Heritage
- Saturday, February 26, 2022: Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on U.S. Support for the People of Afghanistan
- Friday, February 25, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, February 25, 2022
- Friday, February 25, 2022: Memorandum on the Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(1) and Section 614(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
- Friday, February 25, 2022: Remarks by President Biden on his Nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to Serve as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
- Friday, February 25, 2022: Statement of the President on the NATO Summit and Call with President Zelenskyy
- Friday, February 25, 2022: President Biden Announces Key Nominees
👎 Out with the Bad, In with the Good 👍
This one I really like:
(Shouldn’t it be “ill-gotten” and not “ill-begotten” — feel like we’re in the begats of Genesis).
And this is good.
And Germany:
And there is more unison
💣Republicans in Disarray 💣
🎩 Nanny Ogg
Abbott’s deployment stunt a political nightmare Matt Shuham Talking Points Memo
And as Republican voters decide, Abbott is hitting one point harder than any other: stopping migration from Mexico across the southern border. “SECURING THE BORDER,” reads the top issue on Abbott’s website. On social media, he seethes about the Russian and Chinese migrants detained at the border — “We will get to the bottom of it” — and declares that, in contrast to the Biden administration, “TX is building a wall.”
But the “we” in Abbott’s statement isn’t Abbott: It’s the Texas Military Department, and specifically, thousands upon thousands of members of the Texas National Guard who’ve been deployed to the border on a “disaster” basis since last fall. The deployment, named “Operation Lone Star,” is Abbott’s mission to use state military resources to supplement federal immigration law enforcement.
The ploy has come with a steep price: Thousands of National Guard members have been away from their families for months at a time, with no end in sight. They’re living in densely-packed trailers and dealing with an array of pay issues and missing equipment. Many feel as though they’ve been sent to do a political errand, not an essential state security operation.
Six members on the mission have died since October, four of those from suicide, and reports of alcohol abuse, depression, and anger at the state are common.
Rs are dyed-in-the-wool hypocrites — but you knew that
🌻💙 Democrats Being Cool 💙🌻
Biden delivered his first SOTU speech. Jennifer Rubin Washington Post
Biden’s opening (“Freedom will always triumph over tyranny”) and the presence of the Ukrainian ambassador in the chamber engendered big ovations. The president devoted the first part of his speech to Ukraine and a forceful defense of democracy, seeming to feed off the energy in the room. Instead of flowery language, he opted for short declarative sentences. He recognized the unprecedented worldwide reaction to Russia’s invasion and attempt to eradicate a neighboring country. Taking a victory lap for diplomacy and for rebuilding alliances, Biden declared that NATO matters and “American diplomacy matters.” He continued, “Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home. Putin was wrong. We were ready.” He touted Putin’s isolation, outlined plans to go after oligarchs’ “ill-begotten gains” and reminded viewers of the U.S. role in preparing for the invasion.
It was received positively; I saw polls with approval in the 70s. For this country, that’s fantastic.
After change to federal guidelines, Governor Inslee lifting mask mandate on March 12 Joseph O’Sullivan, Jenn Smith, Monica Velez and Sarah Grace Taylor Seattle Times
OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee has pushed up the timeline for lifting Washington’s COVID-19 mask requirements for schools and businesses to Saturday, March 12, after federal officials last week loosened public health guidelines on face coverings.
Made in conjunction with the governors of Oregon and California, Monday’s announcement comes as the number of cases and hospitalizations due to the new coronavirus in Washington continues to decline.
Other Dem governors are doing the same. Of course, if you still wish to wear a mask, go right ahead!
And there’s this:
🌻💜 Unity? 💜🌻
Well, almost unity. 3 GQP holdouts:
⚡️ And even the defeated former guy thinks Russia should stop — perhaps he wants the assets not to be frozen KM Wehrstein, Daily Kos⚡️
A little story: in my Swiss village, my home is at the end of a little private road. It’s in the shape of a J, and when the J turns, it also goes up steeply. Now, we all lived in peace for years, but then a guy inherited a chalet from his mother. The chalet was at the turn of the J.
He decided to make life as difficult as possible for everyone on our little chemin, refusing to let people cross his driveway to the communal path, not letting people turn in front of his house, and so on. Now, he had to let me through because I had the right to continue through to the end, but it was unpleasant. He harassed our visitors. And the one time I wore a different coat, he came running forward to tell me to stop — until he recognized I did have the right of way.
However, because he annoyed everyone on the chemin, we all got talking. We all became friends. We ignored him and worked around him. Then he sold the house, and we have a new neighbor now.
And the guy actually took his own life two years ago, an indication that he was mentally ill all the time.
A blueprint for Putin? Don’t know. But if you want to unite people, give them a common enemy. As we see below.
And the EU is popular these days!
🌻📥 Actions You Can Take 📤🌻
Voting rights. This may be the biggest issue threateningour democracy right now. Besides contacting your representatives at the stateand federal level to do the right thing (depending on who they are), you cansupport and contact these organizations:
ACLU — American CivilLiberties Union
Democracy Docket — founded by MarcElias, so important in fighting the challenges after the last election.
Fair Fight — founded by Stacey Abrams
🌱Grass roots. Biden and Harris can dothe top-down stuff, but we have to support from the bottom. I don’t know how todeprogram 75 million people, but some things have been written about, such asdeep 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 oftrying to reason with them (logic is obviously not their strong point) distractthem with something else. We need to remove the sources of lies and to takedown the temperature. If we get more of the Rs to wear masks and to getvaccinated and to vote for Ds, the country will be a better place. We need tocoax some of them out of the rabbit holes and diffuse the anger and the crazy.
🏃 Run for something. If you want to runfor something, but have no idea what to do, these people will help you. They alsolike money and volunteers to help those people who are running, so even ifyou’re not in a position to stand for office, you can help. Note: theyare especially planning to target the 57 Rs in local governments whoparticipated in the insurrection.
👎 Defund the seditionists. This is a list with companiesthat sometimes have donated to the seditionists, and their current approach tosupporting or not supporting the seditionists. The list islong. You will recognize many of the corporations, and you probably have arelationship with some — either you are a customer, a shareholder, or maybeeven an employee. Contact them and compliment or complain, but let them knowyou are watching. Forward it to others.
🐍 Schadenfreude 😈
tRump “may” have engaged in illegal acts… Jan 6th committee is on it Steve Benen Maddow Blog
As the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack has proceeded with its examination, many have speculated about how far the panel might go in making accusations directly implicating Donald Trump. It’s what made last night’s court filing so striking. NBC News reported:
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol argued in a new court filing that former President Donald Trump and members of his campaign were part of a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results.
Let’s quickly review how we arrived at this point. A Trump-allied lawyer named John Eastman allegedly played a central and direct role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election, not only pressuring then-Vice President Mike Pence by way of a memo that effectively outlined a coup, but also helping pressure states not to send Democratic electors, even after the Democratic ticket won those states. ✂️
It led the Jan. 6 committee to file a motion in court last night, making the opposite case: Communications between attorneys and clients are not protected if they’re discussing committing crimes. In other words, if you were planning to do something illegal, and you coordinated with your lawyer to execute the criminal scheme, you couldn’t hide the evidence by claiming the communications must be shielded.
It’s against this backdrop that the Jan. 6 committee said in its new court filing that congressional investigators now believe Trump and Eastman allegedly committed crimes, voiding any potential attorney-client-privilege concerns.
.
Want to do some reading? See the link:
⚡️ What do you call a convoy where no one showed up? A failed pickup line ContinueToServe Daily Kos ⚡️ 🚚
Worried about that real convoy in Ukraine?
🚢 news
More 🚢 news
Predictions regarding those sanctions:
Some Russian soldiers really don’t want to be in this fight:
🌻📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️🌻
Teen tracking Russian oligarchs Josh Valinsky CNN Business
New York CNN Business — Jack Sweeney, a Florida teen who tracks Elon Musk’s private jet online has a new aviation-themed target: Russian oligarchs and billionaires.
The 19-year-old, who rejected Musk’s $5,000 offer to delete his Twitter account, recently launched two new automated Twitter handles — @RUOligarchJets and @Putinjet — following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The two profiles have amassed nearly 300,000 followers combined and provide nearly live updates of the private jets’ movements along with pictures of maps locating them.
Sometimes the truth just needs shoe leather or eyeballs. Here’s the oligarch jet version:
And someone else is going after the yachts:
Twitter takes an important step Sara Fischer Axios
Twitter on Monday said it will start labeling all tweets that contain content from Russian state-affiliated media websites.
Why it matters: Twitter says most of the Russian state media content being shared on its platform comes from individuals sharing links to their websites, not the state media accounts themselves. ✂️
- Twitter will also reduce the visibility and amplification of any tweets that contain content from Russian state media links, meaning they won’t appear in Twitter's "Top Search" results and they won’t be recommended by Twitter.
🌻🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️🌻
Food:
And shelter:
🌻📎Odds & Ends 📎🌻
💙 If you can’t beat them, eat them! Michaela Haas Reasons to Be Cheerful
A new kind of out-of-town visitor likes to check out the famous Brandenburg Tor in Berlin these days: Louisiana crawfish scuttles through the site when it rains. After business consultants Lukas and Juliane Bosch learned three years ago that they had become invasive in Berlin, the couple had an aha-moment. “We read that the invasive species has no natural enemies in the ecosystem,” Lukas says, which is why they’d come to run rampant. “That logic only works if you omit humans from the food chain.”
Why not simply eat the invaders? After all, the crawfish is a delicacy in Louisiana because it tastes almost like lobster. Together with Berlin gourmet chef Andreas Michelus, the couple started buying the crawfish from a licensed fisherman, developed recipes and bought a food truck. Their company, Holycrab!, was born. “Why fly exotic ingredients around the world when they live outside your front door?” the founders ask. “If you can’t beat them, eat them.”
The main challenge was getting Germans interested in trying new foods, “so we put it in dishes people were already familiar with, such as crab rolls or ‘pasta di plague,’” Juliane says. When the crawfish season ended in the fall, they switched to wild boar and Nile goose, which are also invasive.
🐦 I do a lot of other writing. A recentoffering: Hunters of the Feather, a story about athinker-linker crow who wants to save birdkind from extinction, and the sequel,Scavengers of Mind. (They’re reallygood! They’re really cheap! Buy and review or rate positively! And Hunters isalso available on Audible!) Other stories, based on JaneAusten 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 indemocracy is not just an every-four-years event but requires activeparticipation, like, whenever you can find time.
Current projects:
Look in the comments for ProgressiveMuse’s report on Postcards to Voters
And some other ideas:
You can relax and recharge.
You can join protests and freewayblog.
You can help register new voters.
You can smile.
You can get out the vote for specialelections.
You can reach out to upsetRepublicans. We need to win some back.
You can share your ideas below.
🌻
💙 “Ourhistory has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we all arecreated equal and the harsh ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear,demonization have long torn us apart. The battle is perennial, and victory isnever assured.” 💙
President Joseph R. Biden
🌹 🌹🌹
TRUTH MATTERS. LOVE MATTERS.