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GNR for Friday, February 28, 2025: Don't Buy Today [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-02-28

Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!

You probably have heard about the economic boycott, where we’re making a point to the broligarchs that we are not happy with them and their policies. They need to realize they need us more than we need them. They need to support their customers, not the convicted felon. We are the people who have made them rich — not the convicted felon.

Today is a complete economic boycott, although emergency purchases are OK, as are local shops. More targeted boycotts are down below, in the Get Ready to Fight section.

It will be interesting to see the impact, but that won’t be until we all do — or don’t do — our part.

Enjoy a meal at home, or only shop local.

Also, don’t buy the propaganda they are selling. Sure, a few good ideas may be sprinkled in with all the bad (I think it’s time to retire the penny) but nearly all they are saying is full of things that don’t make sense. Or are outright lies.

Lots of people are working hard against the fascists. Come on in and see what some of the good guys are doing, and see how you can help.

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, and the chaos. 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 and the planet from those very bad people. We are furious with them for what they are doing and we are letting them know.

Remember:

💜 Although they lie all the time, reality matters. And our goals — based on reality — are more popular.

💙 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, make sure to protect yourself, your family and your friends, but find ways to contribute to the well-being of our country and our world.

🗽 Reports on Resisters 🗽

Jessica Craven, Chop Wood, Carry Water: some words from her Monday email:

Overall, though, I’m encouraged by the strength of the burgeoning resistance, as well as by the swift and fierce backlash against the men involved in the Coeur D’Alene incident. MAGA may be rising, but the opposition is, too, and it’s taking all kinds of forms. Yesterday, for example, I was driving along a busy thoroughfare in Northeast Los Angeles when I saw a lone woman in a tank top walking in the street with a giant sign that said “TRUMP+MUSK=TYRANNY!” Just one woman! She wasn’t part of a march or with any group. She’d just gotten up that morning and decided to go register her outrage in the public square. I couldn’t have been more impressed. It was an excellent reminder that every single one of us has a platform. For some it is in the tens or hundreds of thousands of people. For some it’s a few hundred. For some it is simply on the street where they live.

💪 Get Ready to Fight 💪

The idea is to make them realize they need us more than we need them.

💣 Republicans: Party of Crimes and Chaos 💣

Republican majority in House is razor-thin

x Speaker Mike Johnson revealed on Monday why Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York has yet to have her confirmation vote to serve as ambassador to the United Nations: He cannot afford to lose another Republican vote in the House. — The New York Times (@nytimes.com) 2025-02-25T01:20:41.203Z

And these are the most vulnerable Rs. By the time this comes out, the budget resolution has already passed, but these people are the ones to put most pressure on. Know them. Let them know that you know them.

x 🚨If YOU live in 1 of these REPUBLICAN districts, these are the MOST vulnerable R's whose seats will be FLIPPED next year if they vote YES to cut Medicaid. Please CALL your representative the vote is TOMORROW & help SAVE this program. YOUR voice does matter and does make a DIFFERENCE. 202-224-3121.🚨 — Peter Morley 💙 ♿️ (@petermorley.bsky.social) 2025-02-24T18:10:20.272Z

My message to Ciscomani:

The idea of cutting Medicaid in order to line the already stuffed pockets of billionaires is insane.

I wish Congress would invest in ordinary Americans to build a great country, and not sell out to liars and oligarchs.

I'm sure you know all this, but I'm reminding you that people in your district know it too.

After voting for the bill, he sent me a weaselly email saying he planned to try to cut federal waste and that it was an honor to represent me. I wrote back that he does not represent me, he represents billionaires.

Still, there’s some good news for Arizona voters:

x 🚨BREAKING: Ninth Circuit AFFIRMS lower court decision striking down Arizona voter suppression law H.B. 2492 which imposed unconstitutional and burdensome proof of citizenship requirements. A big victory for our clients and the voters of Arizona. A stinging defeat for the RNC. — Marc Elias (@marcelias.bsky.social) 2025-02-25T18:00:13.911Z

🚚 💙 Democrats Deliver 💙 🚚

I have been waiting to see something like this, but I didn’t know how to implement it.

x This is the act of defiance that will destroy Trump. There’s more of us, more money in the blue states, and more will to take him down. Hold the money! — LC (@lc1summit.bsky.social) 2025-02-25T14:46:37.475Z

Apparently she does!

And look what weed has been done in New Jersey!

x Just last year, our adult-use cannabis market surpassed $1 billion in sales. The tax revenue we have generated from this market is providing funding, in part, to support violence intervention programs across our state. — Governor Phil Murphy (@govmurphy.bsky.social) 2025-02-25T21:05:56.505Z

x In just five years, cannabis has gone from destroying lives — in the form of excessive criminal sentences — to helping save lives. — Governor Phil Murphy (@govmurphy.bsky.social) 2025-02-25T21:05:56.506Z

Someone pointed out that it was not the cannabis destroying lives, but the government’s position on it. I have never really tried it myself, and don’t intend to unless it’s a medical necessity.

I am a big fangirl of NY AG Letitia James:

x For years, DoorDash cheated its delivery workers by using customers' tips to meet its workers’ guaranteed pay instead of giving them the tips they earned. Today, we're making DoorDash pay $16.75 million that will go back into the pockets of tens of thousands of workers. — New York Attorney General Letitia James (@newyorkstateag.bsky.social) 2025-02-24T19:13:17.691Z

And, there’s more:

x We just won a court order stopping DOGE and unauthorized, unelected, and unvetted individuals like Elon Musk from accessing people's private data and blocking federal funds. We will keep fighting to protect all Americans from this administration’s destruction. — New York Attorney General Letitia James (@newyorkstateag.bsky.social) 2025-02-21T23:46:40.559Z

💜 Unity? 💜

Most people in Mountain Western states support conservation of the environment over the abuse of the land Cristen Hemingway Jaynes EcoWatch

Huh, maybe we should keep the lights turned on at the EPA as well as the National Parks.

DOGE resignations. You have probably seen this before, but it was so brave and principled that I want to highlight it again.

x Trump administration briefing: Musk’s demands trigger mass Doge resignations and cabinet backlash — The Guardian (@theguardian.com) 2025-02-26T07:23:18Z

link in post above

More than 20 staffers of Elon Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) stepped down on Tuesday, saying in a joint letter they refused to use their expertise to “dismantle critical public services”. The mass resignations are the latest rebuke to the billionaire entrepreneur’s hard-handed approach to slashing jobs and resources from federal government agencies. Musk had demanded federal workers email his office with five things they did the week prior to justify their positions.

📥 Actions You Can Take 📤

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. Join with local communities to make a difference. It could be your local Dems. It could be your school board or your library. Reach out to people. We all need each other these days.

🏃 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.

🔎 Want to check out what’s going on with campaign contributions? Check out this diary. 👀

🐍 Schadenfreude 😈

Consumer confidence plummets — let’s shake it up even more today Associated Press via The Guardian

US consumer confidence plummeted in February, the biggest monthly decline in nearly four years, a business research group said on Tuesday, with inflation seemingly stuck and a trade war under Donald Trump seen by a growing number of Americans as inevitable. The Conference Board reported that its consumer confidence index sank this month to 98.3 from 105.3 in January. That’s far below the expectations of economists, who projected a reading of 103, according to a survey by FactSet. The seven-point drop was the biggest month-to-month decline since August of 2021.

And there’s Tesla:

x Every worker deserves a safe a secure retirement. Just this week we saw Tesla stock continue to sink faster than a Cybertruck in quicksand. So we're asking asset managers to honestly look at their investments in Tesla. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/b... — Randi Weingarten (@rweingarten.bsky.social) 2025-02-27T13:53:44.984Z

Some people are noticing the cognitive dissonance:

x I think Trump might’ve lost Dave. — Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) 2025-02-27T22:16:24.672Z

Does this belong in Schadenfreude section — or in the Truth section?

x Apple, there is no problem here. TRUMP is synonymous with RACIST. — Stephanie Kennedy (@wordswithsteph.bsky.social) 2025-02-26T02:56:46.082Z

📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️

This week we’re honoring President Emanuel Macron, who took on tRump’s lies in real time, to his face, and in English, even though it is not his first language. Well done, Monsieur le Président!

🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️

San Diego hero reunites with toddler she saved 64 years ago

📎 Odds & Ends 📎

🎩 WineRev for bringing my attention to this story: Just wanted to apologize: Americans pick up tab for everyone at Canadian restaurant Michelle Maluske, CTV News

Many people enjoyed a free breakfast on Saturday at Windsor, Ont.‘s restaurant, Toast, as an unknown American couple paid for everyone’s bill. The gesture acted as an apology for the rift between Canada and the U.S. Windsorite Susan Taylor was at Toast, ready to pay for her breakfast when she was told the bill had been covered. “The waitress made an announcement in the restaurant that this lovely couple in the corner is paying for everyone who is in the restaurant at the time for breakfast,” Taylor told AM800’s Mornings with Mike and Meg. “It was packed, as it usually is in there on a Saturday.” Taylor estimates there were between 40 to 60 people in the Erie Street restaurant at the time.

Japan and green parking lot roofs:

x In Japan, they have begun installing floating gardens on public parking lots' roofs, turning these areas into green spaces. These gardens beautify the urban setting and provide crucial habitats for bees and other pollinators, essential for biodiversity. — Ron Stonebear Shields (@stonebear4747.bsky.social) 2025-02-27T01:37:39.156Z

And even in Brazil’s slums, where they are working on the problems of cost and construction:

x An interesting article about a new way to build green roofs for favelas, wich mild the heat indoors during summer days with soaring temperatures in Brazil. #health #climate www.npr.org/sections/goa... — Tony Johansson (@tonyjohansson75.bsky.social) 2025-01-26T11:51:45.114Z

France bans forever chemicals from many products Cristen Hemingway Jaynes, EcoWatch

The French Parliament voted on Thursday (2/13/2025) for ambitious new legislation to limit the sale and production of some products that contain toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “forever chemicals,” including cosmetics, most clothing and ski wax. The bill seeks to prevent the import, sale and production of any product that has an alternative to PFAS, except certain industrial textiles that are deemed “essential,” beginning in January of 2026, reported AFP. “In a relatively short space of time, two and a half years, thanks to the mobilization of members of parliament, NGOs, scientists and investigative journalists, a subject that was under the radar has made its way into the public debate, to the point where France now has one of the world’s most ambitious laws on PFAS,” said French environmentalist Nicolas Thierry, a Green Party MP and the bill’s rapporteur, as Le Monde reported.

🐦 I do a lot of other writing. Don’t buy them today, but please, buy them tomorrow! Unless you’re doing Kindle Unlimited, which will not impact their bottom line on the day (but will help mine). Newest offering! Messing with the Myths: The Maxotaur, the start of a really fun series. Older offerings: the Crow Nickels (chronicles), a trilogy about crows who want to save birdkind from extinction: Hunters of the Feather, Scavengers of Mind and Familiars of the Flock (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 — such as The Meryton Murders — and others based on history and Greek mythology, such as Jocasta: The Mother-Wife of Oedipus, 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:

Do Nott Obey in Advance

Defend Institutions

Beware the One-Party System

Take Responsibility for the Face of the World

Remember Professional Ethics

Be Wary of Paramilitaries

Be Reflective if You Must Own a Gun

Stand Out (this means, speak up, even when others do not)

Be Kind to Our Language

Believe in Truth

Investigate

Make Eye Contact and Small Talk

Practice Corporeal Politics

Establish a Private Life

Contribute to Good Causes

Learn from Peers in Other Countries

Listen for Dangerous Words

Be Calm When the Unthinkable Arrives

Be a Patriot

Be as Courageous as You Can

🌻

💙 President Joseph R. Biden: “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.” 💙

Sir Winston Churchill: When you’re going through hell, keep going.

🌹 🌹 🌹

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