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GNR January 14 - Thanks President Biden - Love, CG and Me [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-01-14
Happy Tuesday, Gnusies. Are you still trying to come to grips with the fact that this is the last sane week of the Biden Administration, like I am? Well, come on in and settle down for some GNR therapy! Followed by good news, as always. WineRev will have the GNR café open momentarily (check the comments!) so you can grab a beverage and maybe a bite to eat, too. Feed your spirit and body!
Now, therapy: First, go and read last Saturday’s GNR by our fearless leader herself, GoodNewsRoundup. It’s really good. It’s really inspiring. Go read it and then come back for the rest of this GNR! 😃
12 Tips for Surviving the Next Few Years: GNR, Mayor Goody Herself, DK, January 11, 2025.
1. Find a Path for Yourself You don’t need to know right now how you are going to make the world a better place over the next few years, but you will need to find a path eventually. I have a ton of ideas at the end of this post for you to check out. Pick one and try it. If it makes you feel good, stick with it. If it doesn’t, do something else. Remember, you are not responsible for saving democracy. You are not responsible for making the world a kind and caring place. You are just one person. But you are one person! You can do your part and, frankly, you must. Some days it may be small things, like smiling at someone or listening to someone or helping someone carry groceries. Remember: fascism is fear and hatred and ugliness. Anything you can do to increase hope and love and beauty is making the world better.
Second, watch this video. I’m not that big on watching videos myself, but I encourage you to watch (or just listen to) this one. It caused my perspective to shift. It really did! This was an excellent interview and a perspective on current events which gave me a welcome little shot of optimism (and I mean the good, sensible kind of optimism, just FYI). If you just can’t watch or listen to it (it was also a podcast so perfect to listen as well — I listened while I was working on a knitting project) then I will summarize the major points below.
For those who prefer a summary, here’s what I thought were the major insights:
- We must stay engaged and face this new reality, even though we wish we didn’t have to. One way or the other, we have to get up each day and do something — so may as well do what we can to make things better.
- We don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow, or next month or any time. Events may surprise us. (Who foresaw the fall of Assad?)
- The MAGA people point a firehose of s*** at us constantly, intended to overwhelm us and make us check out. We can thwart that tactic: Don’t pay attention to every thing they say! Save your energy and attention for the things that they do.
- Reaction to UHC CEO murder was a signal of a change in public tolerance of oligarchy. That seems significant.
- Legacy media is struggling, yes, but people are developing new ways of communicating news, ideas, etc. There is a historic precedent.
- Outrage captures our attention better than anything EXCEPT inspiration. Most humans respond to stories that inspire. That’s a good place to start when trying to reach our fellow Americans.
Starter Suggestions for Better News Sources
There are plenty of excellent blogs and websites that are working to provide better news. Here is a sampling:
I Don't Want To Deal With Trump Again Either, But We Must. This Could Help You Get Through It. Scott Dworkin, The Dworkin Report, January 13, 2025.
Like many of you, I’d love to just keep ignoring him, the way we did before campaign season. But we simply don’t have that luxury anymore. Everything he says and does now affects all of us, even if it seems like it may be a distraction. We can’t act like he doesn’t exist, or pretend we’re not facing the political fight of our lives. Here’s the good news: you won’t need to watch him, follow his dumpster fire social media posts, or listen to any of his unhinged rants. Because we’re happy to keep a vigilant eye on him and his cult members, so you don’t have to.
Letters from an American, Heather Cox Richardson
Weekend Reading, Michael Podhorzer
The Status Kuo, Jay Kuo
Emptywheel
One First, Steve Vladeck
Rachel Maddow returns to 5 nights weekly for first 100 days
Rachel Maddow returns to MSNBC five nights a week for Trump’s first 100 days, Liam Reilly, CNN, January 13, 2025.
Maddow’s show, MSNBC’s highest rated program, has only aired once a week since 2022 when she stepped away to focus on other projects, including films, books and podcasts. Her temporary return to the anchor desk weeknights at 9 p.m. ET will see Alex Wagner, who currently anchors the timeslot Tuesday through Friday, deployed on special assignment to cover the impact of the president-elect’s policies. Starting next week, Wagner’s coverage will be featured across MSNBC’s shows and platforms, the network said. Maddow will also lead the network’s live special inauguration coverage on Jan. 20. “The moment we’re in requires us to cover the early days of the new administration from all over the country — from the nation’s capital, where policy is being implemented, to talking to those in key communities and constituencies impacted by those policies,” MSNBC President Rashida Jones said in a statement. “No one is better equipped to bring those stories from the field to MSNBC viewers than our intrepid Alex Wagner.” In an interview with USA Today, Maddow said the decision to shuffle the network’s prime time schedule was made by Jones, adding that Wagner “has been itching to get out there in the country and to cover what’s coming and the impact of what Trump is going to do in the second term on the ground, from a front-line perspective.” After the 100-day window, there will be a “hard stop,” Maddow said, with both returning to their previous schedules.
Jennifer Rubin leaves WAPO, starts news blog
Unlike most corporate or billionaire media, The Contrarian will not offer Trump the benefit of the doubt. We will not normalize him. We will not engage in false equivalence. We will not excuse enablers in the media, government or business. We will not infantilize his supporters nor treat them as victims; we will confront them with the consequences of their presidential pick.✂️ The urgency of the task before us cannot be overstated. We have already entered the era of oligarchy—rule by a narrow clique of powerful men (almost exclusively men). We have little doubt that billionaires will dominate the Trump regime, shape policy, engage in massive self-dealing, and seek to quash dissent and competition in government and the private sector. As believers in free markets subject to reasonable regulation and economic opportunity for all, we recognize this is a threat not only to our democracy but to our dynamic, vibrant economy that remains the envy of the world. Although the task before us is deadly serious, we emphatically believe that joy, humor, and most of all community are essential to preserving a free people. We will offer all three. We also realize the danger of preaching to the choir and failing to reach outside our bubble. We will offer a platform that includes multi-generational, fresh voices from whatever venue or field who can contribute to our endeavor. We are building a community of passionate defenders of democracy who are fed up with equivocation, timidity, and resignation. x BIG NEWS. I have left the Post. Corporate and billionaire media are failing to meet the moment. With @normeisen.bsky.social I'm launching @contrariannews.bsky.social. We'll have politics but also cooking, humor, film and even pets. Please subscribe and join the fight. contrarian.substack.com
[image or embed] — Jen Rubin (@jenrubin.bsky.social) January 13, 2025 at 8:20 AM
🚨 Late-Breaking News 🚨
I had just queued this GNR when the Jack Smith report was released:
x Jack Smith’s January 6th report is out (link below). Check out his cover letter defending his work as well as a letter from Trump’s lawyers, and Smith’s response, at the end. Smith also sets forth in detail the reasons why he believed a prosecution was warranted. www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
[image or embed] — Renato Mariotti (@renatomariotti.bsky.social) January 13, 2025 at 11:53 PM
🎶 Music for Perspective 🎶
My mother had an embroidered copy of this text hanging in our kitchen. The song was popular on the radio when I was a girl and, to be honest, that was kind of hokey. But the text is actually pretty wise and timeless. I’ve put it in a GNR before, but this feels like a good time to reprise it.
x YouTube Video
Desiderata: Original Text
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
by Max Ehrmann ©1927
🇺🇸 💙 President Joe and the Dems 💙 🇺🇸
Democrats have delivered much of what the people claimed they wanted — including MAGA and the “economic angst” brigade. But, as a story posted below in the ⚡️ roundup asserts, it was never about jobs and economy.
It was (and is) culture war.
Nevertheless, Joe and the Dems are leaving the country in much better shape than it’s been in for many years. Thankfully, some of the progress will continue in spite of the regressive Republican policies likely to come — the long term effects of some of Biden’s signature legislation — the Inflation Reduction Act (with Clean Energy at its core, addressing climate change for future generations) and the CHIPs and Science Act, for instance — will continue to deliver for the American people for many years.
President Biden’s Farewell Address
Biden to deliver a farewell address to the nation on Wednesday, Megan Lebowitz, NBC, January 10, 2025.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will deliver a farewell address to the country next Wednesday, the White House announced on Friday. His speech will be delivered from the Oval Office, a location typically reserved for momentous occasions and major news. The White House did not release additional details about what the president would discuss.
You can watch on C-SPAN, ABC, NBC, CBS and stream on C-SPAN, too. It is scheduled for 8PM ET tomorrow night.
President Biden’s farewell speech to the State Department
WATCH: Outlining his foreign policy legacy, Biden argues he offered the world a steady hand, PBS, January 13, 2025.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Monday that his stewardship of American foreign policy has left the U.S. safer and economically more secure, arguing that President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a nation viewed as stronger and more reliable than it was four years ago. Biden trumpeted his administration’s work on expanding NATO, rallying allies to provide Ukraine with military aid to fight Russia and bolstering American chip manufacturing to better compete with China during a wide-ranging speech to reflect on his foreign policy legacy a week before ceding the White House to Trump.✂️ “Thanks to our administration, the United States is winning the worldwide competition compared to four years ago,” Biden said in his address at the State Department. “America is stronger. Our alliances are stronger. Our adversaries and competitors are weaker. We have not gone to war to make these things happen.” The one-term Democrat took office in the throes of the worst global pandemic in a century, and his plans to repair alliances strained by four years of Trump’s “America First” worldview were quickly stress-tested by international crises: the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and Hamas’ brutal 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war in the Middle East. Biden argued that he provided a steady hand when the world needed it most. He was tested by war, calamity and miscalculation. x 🇺🇸 President Biden, with a POWERFUL reminder: "My administration is leaving the next administration with a very strong hand to play. And we're leaving them an America with more friends and stronger alliances. Whose adversaries are weaker and under pressure..."
[image or embed] — VoteVets (@votevets.bsky.social) January 13, 2025 at 2:30 PM
President Biden’s remarkable record in public health
Biden leaves behind a remarkable legacy in public health, Leana S. Wen, Washington Post, January 9, 2025.
History will remember Biden for his aggressive actions against covid-19, most notably for his part in a mass vaccination campaign that saved an estimated 3.2 million Americans in two years. But his work on health matters went far beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Two areas that deserve highlighting are his efforts to curb the opioid epidemic and to make prescription drugs more affordable. When Biden’s term started, the number of overdose deaths was skyrocketing at a relentless 31 percent a year. The administration’s bold overdose prevention efforts contributed to a remarkable reversal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the year ending in June saw a 14.5 percent decrease in overdose deaths. This is the single-largest recorded reduction in U.S. history. It is also the first time since 2018 that the country has seen a decline. ✂️ Biden fulfilled his campaign promise to cut prescription drug costs for seniors. His signature achievement, the Inflation Reduction Act, contained numerous provisions to make it easier for older adults to afford medications. One of them is a cap on out-of-pocket spending for those enrolled in Medicare Part D. For the first time since this program started, there is now a limit to how much seniors must pay. In 2024, the annual cap was $3,500; in 2025, it’s $2,000. That means no one with Part D has to pay more than $2,000 a year for prescription drugs.✂️ Last year, nearly 1.5 million Part D enrollees hit the $3,500 cap by June 30 and did not need to pay for their drugs over the next six months. This year, the $2,000 cap is expected to lower out-of-pocket costs for 19 million people. In 2026, there will be additional savings because of another historic “first”: Medicare has been allowed to negotiate the prices of drugs with manufacturers. For the first 10 drugs that the administration selected to negotiate, prices for Medicare beneficiaries are 38 to 79 percent lower than list prices. Approximately 9 million people will see a direct benefit, with more to come as CMS is slated to add 15 more drugs next month.
President Biden’s student debt relief helped millions in spite of constant GOP obstruction
Despite collapse of his forgiveness plan, millions had student loans canceled under Biden, PBS, January 13, 2025.
In a last-minute action on Monday, the Education Department canceled loans for 150,000 borrowers through programs that existed before Biden took office. His administration expanded those programs and used them to their fullest extent, pressing on with cancellation even after the Supreme Court rejected Biden’s plan for a new forgiveness policy. “My Administration has taken historic action to reduce the burden of student debt, hold bad actors accountable, and fight on behalf of students across the country,” Biden said in a written statement. In total, the administration says it has waived $183.6 billion in student loans. The wave of cancellation could dry up when President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump hasn’t detailed his student loan policies but previously called cancellation “vile” and illegal. Republicans have fought relentlessly against Biden’s plans, saying cancellation is ultimately shouldered by taxpayers who never attended college or already repaid their loans.
🎶 Music for POTUS 🎶
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Democratic leadership in Congress
Scoop: House Dems plan $10 million opening salvo for 2026, Andrew Solender, Axios, January 13, 2025.
House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) A non-profit closely aligned with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is preparing its first major investment in the 2026 election with a campaign aimed at dinging Republicans on the economy. Why it matters: The effort comes as President-elect Trump and congressional Republicans are preparing a hulking fiscal policy package that could define the 119th Congress. Jeffries has already started to message against the legislation, labeling it the "GOP tax scam part two" at a press conference last week. Driving the news: House Majority Forward, the issue advocacy arm of House Majority PAC, is launching a $10 million "economic accountability" campaign.
Scoop: Schumer's private Hegseth plotting, Stephen Neukam, Axios, January 13, 2025.
Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Democrats on the Armed Services Committee will huddle Monday amid a standoff over Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Only one top Senate Democrat has read Hegseth's FBI background check since it was given to Congress last week. His confirmation hearing begins on Tuesday morning.
Paperwork delays meant the background checks and other materials for top Trump nominees were given to lawmakers late. Democrats have pushed for the reports to be available to all members before the hearings.✂️ The big picture: Schumer has been intimately involved in his caucus' prep for the confirmation hearing showdowns. For him, and for Democrats, the stakes are high. "Republicans spent four years attacking the Democratic brand and we need to use the hearings to begin returning the favor," Schumer told top Democrats in a private meeting in early January.
DNC investing in Better Messaging
Exclusive: DNC taps Harris' viral wizards for new social media push, Erin Doherty, Axios, January 13, 2025.
The Democratic National Committee is tapping veterans of the wildly popular @KamalaHQsocial media team for a new rapid response push ahead of Donald Trump's return to office, Axios learned. Why it matters: The push is the latest sign of the party's efforts to rebrand and bring in new audiences after a disappointing 2024 cycle. Driving the news: The new rapid response @FactPostNews initiative will try to combat online misinformation and respond to Trump administration actions by pushing out memes, videos and graphics. The account will be run by many of the same people who led the @KamalaHQ social media account during the 2024 campaign.
@FactPostNews will start on X, Threads, and Bluesky and will eventually expand to TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
"The Republican disinformation machine is powerful, but we believe a stronger weapon is giving people the facts about how Trump and his administration are screwing over the American people," DNC chief mobilization officer Shelby Cole said in a statement.
Meanwhile in North Carolina...
x Congratulations to Governor Josh Stein on his inauguration this weekend. In a tough state and a difficult cycle, North Carolina Dems (led by @abreezeclayton.bsky.social) powered down-ballot Dems to statewide victories. Let's take notes—and organize and communicate everywhere.
[image or embed] — Ben Wikler (@benwikler.bsky.social) January 13, 2025 at 12:59 PM
⚖️ Law and Justice ⚖️
Monday was a surprisingly good day for the country as the Supreme Court publicized several decisions which actually are good (or potentially good) for regular Americans. (Somebody in the editorial room at AP decided to prioritize SCOTUS announcements today — I found most of these stories on AP through the day!)
SCOTUS agrees to consider reinstating ACA benefits struck down by conservative 5th Circuit
Supreme Court to weigh reinstating Obamacare care requirements struck down by lower court, Lindsay Whitehurst, AP, January 13, 2025.
The federal government appealed to the high court after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with employers who argued they can’t be forced to provide full insurance coverage for things like medication to prevent HIV and some cancer screenings. The lower-court ruling chipped away at the program sometimes referred to as Obamacare. Challengers raised religious and procedural objections to some of the requirements. Not all preventive care was threatened by the ruling. A 2023 analysis prepared by the KFF, a nonprofit, found that some screenings, including mammography and cervical cancer screening, would still be covered without out-of-pocket costs. Services and medications that might not be covered under the ruling include statins to prevent heart disease, lung cancer screening, HIV prevention, as well as medications to lower the risk of breast cancer for high-risk women, the group found. The requirements remain in place for now, except for the eight companies who sued.
Gun control
Supreme Court turns back challenge to strict gun licensing law in Maryland, Lindsay Whitehurst, AP, January 13, 2025.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday turned back a challenge to a strict gun licensing law in Maryland. The high court declined to hear the case in a brief order handed down without elaboration, as is typical. The challengers argued that the handgun law violates the Second Amendment by making it too hard for people to get guns. The law, passed after the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, requires people to get safety training, submit fingerprints and pass a background check before buying a handgun. The state says those are reasonable safety measures.
Electoral district fairness
Supreme Court upholds a North Dakota state House district on an American Indian reservation, AP, January 13, 2025.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a North Dakota state House district on an American Indian reservation, rejecting a challenge by local Republican officials. The Republicans’ lawsuit had previously been rejected by a three-judge court that found North Dakota lawmakers had good reason to create the district to give Native Americans a better chance to elect their candidate of choice, under the federal Voting Rights Act. The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation had asked the justices to leave the district in place.
Climate change
The Biden Administration urged SCOTUS not to take up this case — and thankfully, they didn’t:
Supreme Court allows Hawaii climate change lawsuit to move forward, Lawrence Hurley, NBC, January 13, 2025.
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday turned away appeals filed by various oil companies trying to shut down a lawsuit in Hawaii that seeks to hold them accountable for climate change. The decision means that the municipality of Honolulu can move forward with a closely watched lawsuit against companies, including Sunoco and Shell, that raises claims under Hawaii state law. The companies argue that climate change is inherently an issue of federal law that should not be addressed by state courts. Other companies that were sued include ExxonMobil, Chevron and BP. The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled in October 2023 that the case could move forward, focusing on allegedly deceptive marketing and public statements made by the oil companies rather than the physical impacts of climate change.
And in North Carolina…
🎶 Musical Intermission 🎶
🪐 🌏 🌱 Our Beautiful Universe 🌱 🌎 🪐
Every evening now through the end of this month we will be able to see Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn on clear nights. Last night on our walk, CG and I watched the moon rise over Lake Michigan, eclipse Mars, then climb on up in the sky with Mars at 7 o’clock and Jupiter high overhead. The universe is awesome!
Check out this fantastic article which describes all the celestial phenomena that will be visible throughout the month — and it’s a lot! Really cool!
Visible planets and night sky guide for January, Marcy Curran, John Jardine Goss, Deborah Byrd, and Kelly Kizer Whitt, earth sky.org, January 11, 2025.
By the way, Uranus and Neptune are there as well but require optical aid to see. All these planets will lie along the path the sun travels in daytime (the green line on our chart). Brilliant Venus dazzles in dark skies in the west, with the steady golden light of Saturn nearby. They are closest to each other on the evenings of January 17 and 18. High overhead is bright Jupiter, and visible all night is the red planet Mars. Mars will reach opposition – when it lies opposite Earth from the sun – on January 15-16. January 15-16: Mars biggest and brightest for 2025 Mars can appear bright or faint in our sky. 2024 was mostly a faint year, but Mars has been steadily brightening for a few months. It’ll reach opposition – when Earth will pass between it and the sun, bringing Mars closest and brightest – on January 15-16. It’ll be at its brightest for 2025. The next time it’ll be at its brightest is February 2027. Catch it soon! x x YouTube Video
What’s hotter than the hottest stars in the Universe? Ethan Siegal, BigThink, January 13, 2025.
KEY TAKEAWAYS Across the Universe, energetic and dense collections of matter emit radiation in all forms — including visible light — that travels outward through space.
Looking out through space, the majority of these light sources are stars, mostly found clustered together within galaxies, shining relentlessly and powered by nuclear fusion in their cores.
Although stars range in temperatures from thousands to hundreds of thousands of degrees, there are some places in space that get even hotter than the hottest stars. Here’s how.
Great article on carbon-free energy production
Chart: 96 percent of new US power capacity was carbon-free in 2024, Dan McCarthy, Canary Media, January 10, 2025.
The amount of carbon-free energy built in the U.S. last year far eclipsed the growth of new fossil-fueled power plants. The U.S. grid added a total of just over 56 gigawatts of power capacity last year. A whopping 96 percent of that came from solar, battery, wind, nuclear, and other carbon-free installations, per new Cleanview analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration data. The U.S. has rolled out more clean energy than fossil-fueled power plants for years now, helping the grid get cleaner and less carbon-intensive. Power emissions have fallen steadily since peaking in 2007 as fossil gas and renewables have replaced coal. Still, fossil fuels generate the majority of the country’s power and the U.S. faces an uphill battle to decarbonize its grid by 2035, a goal set by outgoing President Joe Biden.
Weather Trivia 😃🥶🥵
There was progress in 2024 — a lot more than you might have thought!
If you’re feeling hopelessness creeping over you, I encourage you to open this link and read through some of the amazing entries about human progress last year. In fact, consider bookmarking this page and revisiting it any time you need a reminder that no matter how awful things may seem at times, and even as regressive forces try their darnedest to drag us back to the dark ages, they cannot stop people from making the world better.
86 Stories of Progress from 2024, Angus Hervey, Amy Rose, Vedrana Koren, Olivia Boyd, Fix The News, December 19, 2024.
Amidst this year's many horror stories of war and deprivation, classrooms filled with a new generation of students, and school feeding programs reached nearly half a billion of them, along with cleaner drinking water, proper sanitation and access to electricity and the internet. Confounding the doom-mongers, global happiness reached post-pandemic highs, air pollution fell, and many lower and middle income nations made remarkable strides in improving their quality of life. It wasn't all bad news in wealthier nations either; the United States saw improving social and economic indicators, lower drug prices and a return in manufacturing jobs to levels not seen since the 1970s. Even long entrenched inequalities began yielding to pressure, as a worldwide push for tax justice gained momentum. A lot of things went wrong for a lot of people this year, but for millions of others, life got better - even if their stories didn't make the headlines.
🎶 Winter Music Break 🎶
x YouTube Video
🐩 💙 CG’s Picks 💙 🐩
Here I am without any dumb boots on.
Hello Everybody! It’s me, CurlyGirl!! I am so happy to be back writing my section for the GNR! I told Mama that I have to put in LOTS of stories today because I missed my turn last time. We had lots of visitors for the holidays and I got pretty tired but it was really really fun!
We are having something called a “cold snap” this week and it sure is cold and I am feeling snappy! I am vexed because I have to wear those stupid boots on my paws. Mama says it is to protect me from salt, but I don’t even know what she means by that! Salt is in the shaker in the cupboard not on my paws! Plus, boots are just dumb! I love cold weather and I love snow, but I hate boots!
The first story I have for you is a video about lots of animals at the Cincinnati Zoo who are enjoying a snowfall there this week. I notice none of THOSE animals are made to wear stupid boots! And some of them are eating, too, with nary a salt shaker in sight — just like out on the street, Mamaaaa!!
Anyway, I hope you like this video — I think it’s great!
Speaking of zoos!
Our Lincoln Park Zoo had a terrific year in 2024.
Top 10 Lincoln Park Zoo Happenings in 2024, LPZ.org, December 19, 2024.
It has been an eventful year at Lincoln Park Zoo—and a great one! As we look ahead to 2025, here’s a review of some of the exciting things that happened in 2024. 1. The zoo’s prioritization of animal welfare, reflected in its work with a behind-the-scenes-only chimpanzee group that includes former primate performers Eli and Susie, was featured in The New York Times. 2. Cameras placed by the zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute captured North American river otters in Chicagoland for the first time! 3. The zoo welcomed a large number of arrivals this year; births included a Moholi bushbaby and jambu doves raised with human assistance, and other arrivals included a western lowland gorilla named Nyah and mini Nubian goats. 4. The zoo became an accredited botanic garden and upgraded its standing as an arboretum. (Go to the link to read more and get the details for each item on the list!)
🦌 An elk got in a fix in Colorado! Humans helped him!
Elk on a shelf: Colorado wildlife officials rescue elk tangled in rope on ice climbing route, AP, January 7, 2025.
LAKE CITY, Colo. (AP) — Wildlife officials and several climbers rescued a bull elk by lowering it down a cliff after the animal became entangled in a rope at a popular ice climbing area in southwestern Colorado. A different elk, for illustrative purposes! Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said a group of ice climbers in Lake City encountered the distressed elk Friday morning, and a CPW biologist darted the ungulate with a tranquilizer and covered part of its head with a ski mask to protect its eyes during the rescue. The team cut the rope away from the elk’s antlers but needed a way to get the 700-pound (318-kilogram) animal down from the climbing wall. That’s when the ice climbers who reported the stranded elk came to the rescue by helping state wildlife officers rig a system that used two ropes — one under its chest and another along its antlers — to lower it to the base of the route. Once the elk was on more level ground, the CPW team reversed the effects of the tranquilizer, and about 12 minutes later the elk awoke and ran off down the snowy canyon.
🐈⬛ An oldie but goodie cat video
Me and Mama love OwlKitty videos and this one is especially cute for this time of year!
🦜 Wonderful news about birds!
Thousands of bird deaths averted at McCormick Place thanks to polka-dotted windows, Kaitlin Washburn, Chicago Sun ✶ Times, January 9, 2025.
Birds have nearly stopped colliding into the McCormick Place Lakeside Center. Since bird-safe film was installed on the building’s windows last summer, collisions into the mostly glass structure are down over 95% during the recent fall migration compared with previous seasons, according to the Field Museum. The news is a victory for birds, bird advocates and McCormick Place. The building is Chicago’s easternmost structure on the lakefront, sitting squarely along one of the region’s busiest migratory pathways for birds.✂️ “We were glad we got it done right in time for fall migration, and it turned out better than we expected,” Clark said. The dots on the film only cover about 6% to 8% of the surface, but it’s enough to signal to birds that a solid structure lies ahead, Groleau said. “The only way you’ll eliminate strikes entirely is if you remove all the glass in this building,” Groleau said. “But to reduce it by 95% is pretty dramatic. And when you start extrapolating that over all the years and extrapolate it over all the buildings in Chicago if they were also treated, those are massive numbers.” The dots don’t obstruct light or the view out, and they can’t be seen from across the room. The film is also built to last. In the 18 years since Feather Friendly has been in business, it’s never had to replace a client’s window treatment, Groleau said.✂️ Since installing the film at McCormick Place, Feather Friendly has lined up nine more projects in Chicago. “A lot of people called us and said, ‘Can we get what McCormick got?’” Groleau said.
🌾 This Near-Extinct Bird Has Returned to the Rice Fields of Japan’s Sado Island, Elena Valeriote, Mother Jones, January 12, 2025.
It is actually unlikely that you will happen across a crested ibis in the wild. The native toki of Sado went extinct over four decades ago. But through a community-driven and internationally supported initiative, they have returned for an encore.✂️ While toki once thrived on Sado, populations began to decline in the 19th century as they were hunted for meat and feathers. Ultimately, though, it was the introduction of modern agricultural practices that led to their demise. To understand the impact of farming on the crested ibis population, it’s important to know that both the birds and the people of Sado rely heavily on one crop: rice.✂️ Just look at this amazing bird! While rice is a primary form of sustenance and income for Sado residents, the waterlogged fields are an essential habitat for toki, who depend on a diet of fish, frogs, and other small aquatic creatures. In the 20th century, farmers began spraying their paddies with pesticides and chemical fertilizers to increase crop yields. These substances, however, can be lethal for the inhabitants of delicate wetland environments. As their food sources disappeared, local Japanese crested ibis populations—believed to be the last living anywhere in the wild—plummeted. In 1981, the few surviving birds were taken into captivity at the newly established Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center. Fortunately, that same year, seven of these rare birds were discovered in China. Soon after, Chinese and Japanese scientists formed a partnership to breed future generations. Those leading the initiative on Sado also founded an educational conservation space called Toki Forest Park so that visitors could see the crested ibises that remained. The process of breeding toki in captivity, however, was slow and uncertain. Two decades passed and still only a few birds survived. It took another significant loss for more locals to join together to restore the bird’s natural place on the island. In 2004, a typhoon ripped through the Sea of Japan and destroyed Sado’s entire rice harvest. As farmers reflected on the economic and cultural value of this grain, their thoughts also returned to the crested ibis and the importance of making the entire expanse of the island hospitable again to these cherished members of their community.
That’s everything I have for you this week. I hope everyone is staying warm and I hope you do NOT have to wear dumb boots! See you next time! Luv, CG 💙🐾
⚡️ Lightning RoundUp ⚡️
⚡️ How to Survive the Broligarchy, Carole Cadwalladr, The Power, November 17, 2025.
⚡️ Can a good man be president? Tyler Huckabee, Religion News, January 9, 2025.
⚡️ The gratitude we owe to Joseph R. Biden Jr. Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post, January 13, 2025.
⚡️ Exit interview: DOT Sec. Buttigieg on infrastructure act and the road ahead, Scott Detrow, Avery Keatley and Adam Raney, NPR, January 12, 2025.
⚡️ Maybe It Was Never About the Factory Jobs, Jonathan Chait, the Atlantic, January 13, 2025.
⚡️ How Trump “Won”, Michael Podhorzer, Weekend Reading, January 4, 2025.
⚡️ We’re DNC Members. Here’s What We Need From the Next Party Chair. David Atkins and Michael Kapp, Washington Monthly, January 13, 2025.
⚡️ You Don't Have Justin Trudeau to Kick Around Any More, Andrew Fleming, Wonkette, January 12, 2025.
⚡️ Resolutions are not always in our control. Let's try aspirations instead. Jim Wallis, Religion News, January 8, 2025.
⚡️ Can cold water therapy really help you chill out? Jen O’Brien, CBC Life, January 7, 2025.
⚡️ The LA conflagration: It is now painfully clear what matters, Brian Karem, Salon, January 13, 2025.
⚡️ I WILL PAY ANY AMOUNT TO NOT PAY MY TAXES, Andrew Singleton, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency (humor), January 9, 2025.
⚡️ Check out this interview with Russian political prisoner/survivor Vladimir Kara-Murza — truly inspiring and he makes a thrilling prediction near the end (around the 11.25 minute mark).
⚡️ Hello, baby, Alexandra Petrie, Washington Post, January 13, 2025.
⚡️ The best card games to play with just 2 people, Sebastian Yue, CBC Life, January 13, 2025.
⚡️ And just because I think we need a little more love, here’s a beautiful love song:
💙 RoundUp WindDown 💙
That’s it from me and CG for another Tuesday. I’m going to bring back an action list next time, but for today I just wanted to send a message of love and breathing space for this final week of the Biden administration. As Hagrid says in that cartoon that Goody puts at the end of her GNRs — “what’s coming will come and we will meet it when it does” — until then, let’s gather our strength.
Witchhazel blooms in January-March (usually February here in Chicago)
Remember, take good care of yourself and those you love. Get enough rest, eat nutritious food and — now more than ever — try your best to get outdoors for a little fresh air and exercise every day, if you are able. The fresh air and exercise will do you good, but getting them outdoors is the key to resetting your perspective and refreshing your spirit. It is truly important.
When events threaten to overwhelm you, go outside or even stand at the window and look up and out. The sky, the clouds, the clear blueness, sunlight, trees — even bare winter trees against the cold sky — birds circling lazily overhead, rain falling, the swish of tires on a street, voices of passersby, the twittering of birds, laughter of children playing, grass, shrubs and the starry winter blossoms of witch hazel or the beautiful ever-greenness of yews, boxwoods and spruces.
These solid bits of reality in the natural world will help us all stay grounded and help us maintain our equilibrium. They are free to enjoy and we just need to give ourselves the gift of a few minutes each day.
That’s it for another week. Thanks for reading!
🎶 Your Musical Gift 🎶
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