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Good News Roundup for October 7, 2022: Let's Mend What Is Broken [1]
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Date: 2022-10-07
Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
This week we’re borrowing from President Biden’s remarks on Yom Kippur:
For Jewish communities across the United States and around the world, Yom Kippur is a sacred and solemn occasion. During this holiest of days, Jews come together to fast, reflect, and repent; to take stock of their actions in the past year, seek forgiveness, and commit to doing better in the year to come. On this Yom Kippur, our hearts are with all Americans in the path of Hurricane Ian, especially those whose synagogues are shuttered and who will have to break their fast without loved ones beside them. At the heart of Yom Kippur is the universal truth that we are all capable of growth and improvement. Each of us has a role to play not only in healing the wounds we’ve inflicted on others, but in repairing the rifts in our communities, our country, and our world. As these Days of Awe come to a close, let us all take this opportunity to face the injustice and inhumanity in our world honestly and resolve to do our part to mend what is broken.
Sometimes, attempting to mend what is broken seems impossible. Often it requires doing it a different way.
Sometimes, all we can see is the next first step.
Anyway, come in, my dear gnusies, read the good news that’s been gathered, and share your ideas for making the world a better place.
(It occurred to me later that another phrase for Mend What Is Broken is Build Back Better.)
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.
👎 Out with the Bad, In with the Good 👍
Hooray!
x First: I’m pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession. There are thousands of people who were previously convicted of simple possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My pardon will remove this burden. — President Biden (@POTUS) October 6, 2022
Andy Borowitz: “Biden releases marijuana offenders from prison to make room for Trump administration.”
Making a difference in her first week at work!
x “I have a seat at the table now, and I’m ready to work,” she said to thunderous applause. If her first days on the bench are any indicator, Jackson is wasting no time being heard and representing the best of us.
https://t.co/TlCtlkFbOA — Jonathan Capehart (@CapehartJ) October 6, 2022
From a few days ago:
x The US lost 23 tanks during the entire Gulf War.
Russia lost 44 tanks TODAY in Ukraine. — Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) October 5, 2022
And this:
x Some of the videos of Russians surrendering to Ukrainians are so compelling. Reminds us that Russians didn't ask or want to be there. Also, a hotline has been given to Russian soldiers to call to surrender. Reports say they've complained it's always busy and asked for more lines. — Duty To Warn 🔉 (@duty2warn) October 5, 2022
And there’s this. I don’t blame them:
x JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Two Russians fleeing military service take boat to reach remote Alaska island and seek asylum in the U.S. — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 6, 2022
And there’s this:
x BREAKING: U.S. Forces eliminated two ISIS Leaders in Northern Syria.
Good riddance! — Republicans against Trumpism (@RpsAgainstTrump) October 6, 2022
💣 Republicans: Party of Crimes and Chaos 💣
Indictments are to come!
x BREAKING: Fulton County, Georgia investigation into Trump election tampering set for flurry of activity after Election Day — and indictments as early as December.
DA Fani Willis is about to make some major moves — and may be the first to indict Trump. — Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) October 6, 2022
For once this guy is keeping quiet:
x Alex Jones declines to put on a defense in defamation trial
https://t.co/m09oMX1X4I — The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) October 5, 2022
11th circuit not being as tRump-friendly as they would like:
x Just In: The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has GRANTED the DOJ motion to expedite the dates set in Judge Cannon’s latest ruling (attached to her special master order). This is a strong indication that the 11th Circuit takes DOJ seriously and in good faith, which is bad for Trump. — Duty To Warn 🔉 (@duty2warn) October 5, 2022
So many of them are so very awful...
x Alaska’s former Attorney General, Ed Sniffen (R) has been charged with three counts of sexual abuse of a minor after having sex with a 17-year-old girl he coached on a high school mock trial team. — Joel Rosen (@Rosenlaw) October 5, 2022
And here’s part of the circular firing squad
x Governor DeSantis will soon feel the wrath of Florida’s Latino voters outraged by his toying with the lives of those Venezuelan refugees he exploited. — Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) October 5, 2022
And here’s another part of it:
x “We need to get that old bat Mitch McConnell out” - biggest applause line for Kari Lake today. She is now introducing the guy she wants to replace Mitch, @tedcruz. — Tim Miller (@Timodc) October 5, 2022
💙 Democrats Deliver 💙
CHIPS are hip!
x Today brings another massive investment in America thanks to my economic plan.
Micron will invest $20 billion – and up to $100 billion over 20 years – in American chips manufacturing, creating countless good-paying jobs.
We're lowering costs and making it right here at home. — President Biden (@POTUS) October 4, 2022
Michigan to produce cheaper insulin Governor Whitmer, Press Release
LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive to determine how the State of Michigan can lower the cost of insulin, including by developing its own manufacturing capabilities. Michigan is home to over 912,000 Michiganders with diabetes, and far too many are forced to ration or forgo insulin. If the state can feasibly manufacture insulin, it could lower costs for families and create good-paying jobs for Michiganders. A century ago, Michigan opened a state facility to manufacture cost-effective, life-saving medicine for a variety of illnesses. "Our neighbors, family, and friends with diabetes need insulin to survive and for too long, drug companies have been jacking up prices, forcing them to make impossible choices between medication, food, rent, or other bills," said Governor Whitmer. "Today, I signed an executive directive to explore how Michigan can deliver insulin at a lower cost to Michiganders. I am grateful to ongoing, bipartisan efforts in the Michigan Legislature and by Attorney General Nessel to reduce the price of insulin, and I will work with anyone to lower the cost of this life-saving drug. The American people pay ten times more for insulin than citizens of other comparable nations and costs have tripled over the last decade alone. I am confident that the Michigan departments I have tasked in this directive will take swift action to determine feasibility, and together, we will lower the cost of insulin, hold drug companies accountable, and save lives."
Safe jaywalking decriminalized in California Zoe Sottile CNN.
Californians will soon be able to cross the street outside of a formal intersection without being ticketed – as long as it’s safe to do so. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Freedom to Walk Act into law on Friday, according to a news release from Assemblymember Phil Ting, who wrote the bill. The law stipulates that pedestrians can only be ticketed for jaywalking – or crossing outside of an intersection – if there is “immediate danger of a collision,” says the release.
Another situation in which the Ds promote more freedoms, not fewer!
Governor Andy Beshear recoups money forked over by R governor Kentucky Fried Politics
News Release: FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 29, 2022) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that the commonwealth has secured the return of Gov. Matt Bevin’s administration’s $15 million investment in an aluminum mill in Northeastern Kentucky that never materialized. The Governor said that the land, which was previously acquired as part of the proposed project, would also be donated back to the local communities to be used for future economic development opportunities as part of a larger land transaction being negotiated. “This announcement has been a long time coming, and I want to recognize members of this administration and Commonwealth Seed Capital, as well as Unity Aluminum, for coming together to do what is right for the community and Kentucky by returning these funds to the commonwealth,” Gov. Beshear said. “Given the current economic momentum we are experiencing across the state, I am confident we will secure a significant project on the property, as it is a great site for a potential employer.” The state’s investment has been returned to the Commonwealth Seed Capital. That group will now send the dollars to Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA).
Others have brought this up at the GNR, but repetition is good! Repetition is good! Also, this important story shows why it’s so important to vote blue instead of stupid corrupt red.
A public health success story David Leonhardt, New York Times.
The Covid mass vaccination program in the U.S. began on Dec. 14, 2020, when a nurse at a hospital in Queens, N.Y., received a shot on live television. But more than two months later, a major health clinic based in North Birmingham, Ala. — which focused on lower-income, Black and Latino residents — still had not given a single vaccine dose. The clinic, Alabama Regional Medical Services, was not able to give shots because it had not received any from the state supply. The reasons were a matter of dispute. Alabama officials insisted that other Birmingham clinics had signed up first, exhausting the initial supply. Some officials in North Birmingham, however, believed that the state’s white, Republican leadership was ignoring heavily nonwhite, Democratic neighborhoods. ✂️ In the spring of 2021, several months into the mass vaccination program, white Americans were significantly more likely to have been vaccinated than Black or Latino Americans. By late 2021, the Hispanic rate was higher than the white rate, and the Black rate was almost as high as the white rate, according to the C.D.C. As a result, the racial gap in death rates has also disappeared.
It’s not possible, when obeying the rules of fair use, to include all the great steps that were taken by the Biden-Harris administration to get the Black and Latino communities vaccinated, but they did, and it has made a huge difference.
In fact, because so many Rs decided not to get vaccinated, they have been showing greater excess deaths than Ds, at least in FL and OH. This is not exactly good news, but it’s important:
x NBER, J Wallace et al [Yale] (Sep): Excess Death Rates for Republicans and Democrats During the COVID-19 Pandemic
https://t.co/NZO570eM8W Post-vacc avail, excess deaths were 153% higher for GOP than Dems; looked at party registration data [FL & OH] — 🇺🇸 Auriandra 🇺🇦 (@Auriandra) October 4, 2022
💜 Unity? 💜
Russian cosmonaut to fly on US spacecraft William Harwood, CBS News via Yahoo News
Despite frigid U.S.-Russian relations, cosmonaut Anna Kikina is poised to become the first Russian to launch on an American rocket in nearly two decades and the first to fly aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon ferry ship for a flight to the International Space Station. The 38-year-old Kikina, the only active-duty female in Russia's cosmonaut corps, will join Crew 5 commander Nicole Mann, Josh Cassada and Japanese veteran Koichi Wakata for blastoff from historic pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center at 12 p.m. ET Wednesday.
Yeah, it’s SpaceX, which means it’s the disgusting Elon Musk, but still, a veneer of unity. And the story is a little old, so I can tell you the blastoff happened.
US now the leader on green issues Soren Skou Financial Times
Amid an energy crisis exacerbated by the invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act includes a game-changing $369bn for climate and energy funding on top of the $110bn of funding already channelled into climate investments last year. This is expected to unlock more than $1tn in combined climate-related investments. With the IRA the Americans have put themselves at the forefront of the race to become world leader in green energy production and have given the renewables transition a much-needed boost. The legislation is not perfect in every detail. But as the saying at Nasa goes: “Better is the enemy of good enough.” Considering the daunting task we have in front of us, this is the mindset we need. We do not have time to wait for everything to be perfect. ✂️ For years, Europe liked to think of itself as the global frontrunner in the struggle against climate change. But the US is now in the driving seat.
Also, this...
x An under appreciated angle to this year’s midterms: the sizable groups of Republicans rallying behind Democratic candidates for governor in multiple states. (via @MaddowBlog)
https://t.co/ExQcTV1Lj7 — MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 5, 2022
📥 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 😈
Well, this matters:
x BREAKING: High-ranking Proud Boys leader pleads guilty to seditious conspiracy for January 6.
Jeremy Bertino was a top lieutenant to national chair Enrique Tarrio and was part of the inner circle directing the group’s attacks on the Capitol. First leader of the group to flip. — Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) October 6, 2022
Putin’s foot soldiers are now killing off each other. Allison Quinn, The Daily Beast
The Kremlin’s flailing bid to get an edge on the battlefield by deploying mercenaries from the Wagner Group—which now includes hundreds of prison inmates—has reportedly backfired as the private military force butts heads with the Russian military. The growing conflict resulted in a Wagner fighter gunning down a lieutenant colonel in the Russian army—a deadly episode of “friendly fire” that the Kremlin is said to be trying to sweep under the rug, according to the human rights group Gulagu.net. ✂️ The alleged shooting is not the only recent instance of infighting between Russian troops. Earlier this week, a mass brawl broke out between newly drafted Russian troops and contract soldiers at a military base outside Moscow, Baza reported. Nearly two dozen contract soldiers are said to have taken a beating from the draftees and were rescued after locking themselves in a separate room and phoning police for help. The fight reportedly erupted after some of the contract soldiers demanded the newly arrived draftees hand over their mobile phones and gear.
Yeah, I don’t like this much. I hope Zelenskyy adds more surrender lines so these conscripts can get out alive.
The Right Stuff a new dating app for conservatives — is turning out to be stuffed wrong:
x the conservatives-only dating app has been released and the reviews are rolling in pic.twitter.com/kxYDYpSSFE — matt (@mattxiv) October 5, 2022
And a funny to follow:
x My Review of The Right Stuff.
The Dating App for MAGA. pic.twitter.com/CnSbb3NMgb — YS (@ReallyActivist) October 6, 2022
Just because the look is so amazingly bad. Gogo boots to a hurricane cleanup?
x Caption this pic…. pic.twitter.com/RkeqWmJ4RP — Mystery Solvent (@MysterySolvent) October 4, 2022
📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️
Governor Newsom signs bill requiring medical professionals to tell the truth John Woolfolk Mercury News
California doctors will be subject to discipline and possible suspension of their licenses to practice for spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic to patients, following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature of one of the most controversial pieces of pandemic legislation lawmakers sent to his desk. AB 2098 by Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell, was co-sponsored by the California Medical Association to tamp down COVID-19 misinformation, often spread through social media, promoting untested or ineffective treatments and cures and questioning the effectiveness of face masks and vaccines. “Many health professionals, including physicians, have been the culprits of this misinformation and disinformation effort,” the California Medical Association lamented to lawmakers. Vaccine advocacy group and co-sponsor ProtectUS added that “licensed physicians possess a high degree of public trust” that if abused can undermine public confidence in effective health measures.
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️
x A young deaf boy went to Disneyland but was sad because he wouldn't be able to speak with the Disney characters.
When Mickey and Minnie saw he was deaf, they walked over — and gave him the best surprise ever.
Everyone belongs.
🥹 pic.twitter.com/tBVINH3fd7 — Goodable (@Goodable) October 1, 2022
📎 Odds & Ends 📎
People don’t want to have to rely on the grid:
x It's already started. I don't know any preppers/homesteaders who don't have a solar generator or at least solar battery packs. As soon as Jeep or another company gets a truly capable offroad vehicle that's electric in production, it's game over for gas in that community. pic.twitter.com/0eG3Y3PPBf — Beau of The Fifth Column (@BeauTFC) October 6, 2022
Hooray for Planned Parenthood!
x BREAKING: Planned Parenthood will open up a mobile abortion clinic in southern Illinois in order to expand access to the life-saving procedure for people in Missouri and other neighboring states where abortion is almost totally banned. RT IF YOU THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT IDEA! — Occupy Democrats (@OccupyDemocrats) October 3, 2022
Australia vows to work against mammalian extinction crisis Tiffanie Turnbull, BBC News via Yahoo News
Australia plans to halt the loss of any more species and end its status as "the mammal extinction capital of the world", its government says. More than 100 threatened animals and plants - including iconic species like the koala - will be prioritised under new conservation strategies. The plan includes a promise to protect a third of the continent's land mass. Earlier this year a report found Australia's environment is in shocking decline.
Dads on duty! What a great idea!
x In Louisiana, a group of forty dads showed up at a high school after 23 kids were arrested for fighting, all within 3 days.
They called themselves "Dads on Duty" and volunteered to take shifts at the school.
There hasn't been a single incident since the dads showed up. pic.twitter.com/qJoJHGoay9 — Goodable (@Goodable) October 5, 2022
🐦 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
🌹 🌹 🌹
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