(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
GNR for March 4th — More resistance springs up! [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-03-04
A Union Takes On Musk via Tesla’s Stock
From The NY Times (gift link):
The latest pushback [against Musk] comes from the American Federation of Teachers, one of the nation’s biggest labor unions, with an unexpected line of attack: applying pressure on some of the largest investors in Tesla, DealBook is first to report. The A.F.T.’s leader, Randi Weingarten, is writing to the C.E.O.s of six asset managers: Larry Fink of BlackRock, Abigail Johnson of Fidelity, Ronald O’Hanley of State Street, Thasunda Duckett of TIAA, Robert Sharps of T. Rowe Price and Salim Ramji of Vanguard. (Musk and the Tesla board were copied.) She is calling on them to review Tesla’s current valuation. “This is about safeguarding workers’ retirements,” she said in a statement. “Just this week we saw Tesla stock continue to sink faster than a Cybertruck in quicksand as European sales fell off a cliff. So, we knew we needed to act.” ✂️ Weingarten argues that Tesla is overvalued, potentially weighing on the investment portfolios of its 1.8 million members. The union chief writes that she’s acting on behalf of an estimated $4 trillion in retirement assets — both through pension funds and other collective vehicles and members’ individual accounts. Weingarten noted that Tesla’s shares have fallen to $290, down 28 percent over the past month. [She] pointed to what [she] said were a number of signs that the company was facing even more headwinds, including: Falling quarterly earnings and profit margins, which the union said implied that Tesla was losing its pricing power
Tumbling sales in California, a major market, and in Europe
Greater competition in electric vehicle charging, a business Tesla has long dominated. Biggest of all is the damage that Musk has done to Tesla’s brand, Weingarten argues. Customers considering buying an E.V. now view the entrepreneur negatively, citing data from the American EV Jobs Alliance, a bipartisan group. The stakes are big. “If it were to decline to the price target of $135 that some analysts have projected, the resulting loss would be 1.2 percent of asset owners’ total S&P 500 indexed portfolio,” she writes.
How Federal Employees Are Fighting Back Against Elon Musk
From the NY Times (gift link):
On Feb. 7, as rumors spread through the ranks of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that Elon Musk’s team had entered their building, federal workers took out their phones. On high alert, they filmed unidentified young men from the team known as the Department of Government Efficiency being escorted by security through the glass doors of their downtown Washington headquarters. ... Once the men were inside, one agency worker even confronted them in a conference room, demanding to see their credentials, in an incident described to The New York Times. One of the Musk aides used his laptop to block his ID badge from view. As Mr. Musk and his associates have swept rapidly through government agencies, dismantling programs and seizing access to sensitive databases, some federal employees are pushing back — using whatever levers they have to resist the orders of the world’s richest man, both in public and behind closed doors. Federal workers at a protest in DC They have stepped down from their posts and filed more than two dozen lawsuits. They have staged protests outside the federal buildings that Mr. Musk’s aides have penetrated and joined federal worker unions in droves. They have sent emails to hundreds of colleagues, blasting the new administration at the risk of their own livelihoods and careers. They have set up encrypted Signal chats, Zoom calls and Instagram accounts to share information and plan future actions. ✂️ Some civil servants have also turned Slack, the workplace chatting app, into a weapon of resistance. The Slack channel of the Technology Transformation Services — the tech-focused arm of the General Services Administration — has emerged as a forum for protest in recent weeks as employees have pushed back against moves by the Trump administration.
18F fights back and gets help
First this happened:
x I got laid off today, with the rest of 18F. 18F was an elite federal software shop. We made gov't websites work better, more efficiently for the American people. We saved taxpayers from getting screwed over by contractors. And were fired for it. We made this website to tell our story:
18f.org
[image or embed] — John Skiles Skinner (@skiles.bsky.social) March 1, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Then this happened:
x If you worked for 18F and got fired, Group together to start a consulting company. It’s just a matter of time before DOGE needs you to fix the mess they inevitably create. They will have to hire your company as a contractor to fix it. But on your terms. I’m happy to invest and/or help — Mark Cuban (@mcuban.bsky.social) March 1, 2025 at 4:34 PM
* * * * *
Woman from PA absolutely burns Trump
And we know she’s speaking for millions of us, here and around the world.
Republican Senator literally runs away from constituents!
x NEW: Senator Marshall (R-KS) RUNS AWAY, fleeing his own town hall after being asked about DOGE firing Veterans. MAKE HIM GO VIRAL.
[image or embed] — Mueller, She Wrote (@muellershewrote.bsky.social) March 1, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Florida and New York special elections could flip the House!
Note the opportunity to boost Josh Weil with Postcards to Voters — see the “Action Steps to Take Now” section near the end of today’s GNR.
💙 Please share widely. This is our chance to #FlipTheHouse. Supporting these candidates in ANY way you can is an act of #resistance. #BlueWave #FloridaSpecialElection #Resist @gayforcongress.bsky.social
@joshweil.bsky.social
@blakegendebien.bsky.social
Wyoming Legislature Chairman Gets A Dose Of His Own Medicine
From Crooks and Liars:
A body of the Wyoming legislature voted that preferred pronouns cannot be "compelled speech", so a caller to their open hearing decided to prove their point. She called their MALE Chairman as MADAM Chairman, which he did not like. His response? "You can call me MISTER Chairman, if you want" She responded: "Well, I cannot be compelled to use your preferred pronouns..." He responded: "We are talking about preferred pronouns, a lot of people are, I prefer to be called CHAIRMAN French. That is my preferred pronoun." She explained: "I know. And you all voted that preferred pronouns cannot be compelled speech." WOMP WOMP. Chances of them getting the connection AT all? Zero. Maybe less than zero. But she tried and that is awesome. Pronouns for me for not for thee.
* * * * *
Good political commentary
Wreckage, Rapists, and Resistance: Week Six of the Coup
By Rebecca Solnit in her Substack Meditations in an Emergency. I highly recommend you sign up to get her posts. No one is better at putting the current moment into a useful context.
They used to say war is how Americans learn geography. This civil war as Team Trump lays waste to most federal institutions is how Americans are going to learn what their federal government did. Specifically what it did for us, and for the world, for air safety and mail delivery, for campgrounds and cancer research and for manatees, salmon, farmers, seniors, poor children, veterans, people with AIDS, people in ebola outbreaks, people in malaria-plagued regions, people in famines, people in need of clean water, people whose neighborhoods are on fire or under floodwaters. I'm cognizant of all the bad things the federal government has done and have since the 1980s protested some of them; the left has done a very good job of talking about them throughout my lifetime, while the right since Reagan has pretended that government was just bloated bureaucracy spinning its wheels and rewarding the undeserving. (This right-wing parsimony is why people in surveys routinely overestimated the percent of the federal budget spent on foreign aid and aid to the poor.) It was uncool to sing the government's praises, and that made the government an easy target for this attack. ✂️ They used to say war is how Americans learn geography, and maybe we could say that political upheaval is how people learn history, as the lesson that a nation can change suddenly in the worst and the best ways. Most nations on earth have a collective memory of invasion, revolution, decolonization, or coup within the last century. Their people live with the awareness that things can change suddenly for the better or the worse, and that if they live in a decent democracy they need to protect against its loss That's a lesson I'm not sure most of us learned in this country, which got through more than two centuries without this kind of upheaval, much of it with a "it can't happen here" mentality. Until now. ✂️ [Use] your voice to not let this stuff get normalized or forgotten, to encourage others to stand up and speak up, to remind them we don't have to accept this and we do have power. Courage and hope are as contagious as their opposites. As the idiots in charge crash the economy, people who are affluent and consider themselves safe will be impacted. Many who formerly supported the administration or ignored politics are reeling from the impacts to themselves, to people they know, to services they depend up, and we have a choice about whether to recruit or revile them. In a sense the breadth of the attack is offering the possibility of the broadest coalitions this nation has seen. If we build them. Great uprisings are often both carefully prepared for and essentially unpredictable. It's as if the fuel has been gathered for a bonfire but a lightning strike suddenly ignites it. You can gather the wood, but you can't predict the lightning. We can gather wood. And perhaps we can be lightning.
The Contrarian: Americans are standing up! x YouTube Video
* * * * *
Reckless Republicans Running Rampant, Reaping Ruin
And they’re now in disarray!!
Mike Johnson Breaks With Trump, Calls Putin a ‘Threat to America,’ Warns of New Axis Forming on President’s Watch
Note that this story comes from The Daily Boulder, not from WaPo or the NYTimes, who probably haven’t yet figured out how to spin it into bad news for Dems.
From Daily Boulder:
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) publicly distanced himself from President Donald Trump on Sunday, calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “threat to America” and warning of a dangerous new alliance forming between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea—what he described as a “new Axis” of hostile nations. In an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, Johnson firmly stated, “I think Vladimir Putin is an old-school communist, a former KGB agent, and he’s not to be trusted and he is dangerous.” He added that these nations, including Russia, are aligning against the U.S. and that the situation under Trump’s watch could lead to severe consequences. “Let’s be crystal clear about that,” Johnson emphasized. ✂️ While Trump has tried to play the role of a peacemaker, Johnson made it clear that he does not agree with Trump’s approach, especially regarding Putin. He expressed skepticism about relying on Putin’s promises... Johnson underscored that Putin’s past actions show he is a threat to the U.S. and that America must be cautious in trusting him. Johnson also weighed in on Trump’s recent statements about Putin, saying Trump should “verify” whether Putin will keep his word if a peace agreement is reached. He made it clear that he believes Putin is an adversary that must be confronted, adding, “I’d like to see Putin defeated, frankly. He is an adversary of the United States.”
People are calling into right-wing radio shows to voice frustrations with the Trump administration
Jessiestaf noted this story in yesterday’s GNR, but I thought you might like a few more details. I’m giving you just the bullet points, so click the link if you want more.
From Media Matters:
Fox host and loyal Trump ally Sean Hannity told a listener who was pleading for the jobs of military vets in the federal government that “there will be other opportunities.”
Another caller to Hannity’s show asked him to stand up for “rank and file” agents...
A listener called into The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show to say that they are “not happy with his [Trump’s] recent comments on Ukraine.”
A caller into Hannity’s show who described themselves as a “strong supporter of this administration” pleaded for advice with the firings: “How do you make life decisions?”
A caller to The Alex Jones Show accused Trump of “lying” about birthright citizenship: “If they want to pass this, we're going to get rid of 150 million U.S. citizens.”
A Canadian listener called into Hannity’s radio show to discuss boycotts there against the U.S.: “You've disrespected us to this point, and we have to respond.”
A caller told Hannity, “I cannot agree with you on the Gaza situation.”
A listener called into Hannity’s show to discuss their child’s cancer diagnosis and advocate for cancer research funding
Chris Stigall, host of The Chris Stigall Podcast, noted that he’s received “quite a bit of outreach from you federal workers.”
A caller to Fox host Brian Kilmeade’s radio show accused Trump of trying to “bribe” people with DOGE dividends.
Bezos' changes at 'Washington Post' lead to mass subscription cancellations — again
From NPR:
More than 75,000 digital subscribers to The Washington Post have cancelled since its owner, billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced on Wednesday that he would radically overhaul the paper's opinion pages to reflect libertarian priorities and to exclude opposing points of view. Wednesday's announcement led to the immediate resignation of Opinions Editor David Shipley. He had vainly sought to persuade Bezos to drop the plans, according to a person with direct knowledge. Shipley did not respond to requests for comment. Bezos' decision also prompted an outcry from longtime Post figures, including Associate Editor David Maraniss and former Executive Editor Marty Baron. Baron called the move "craven" and told Zeteo News that Bezos, whom he praised extensively in his 2023 memoir, was "basically fearful" of President Trump.
* * * * *
Good news from my corner of the world
x Ron Wyden Doing What Every Dem Should Do For Donald's Address To Congress: Oregon Democrat U.S. Senator Ron Wyden is doing precisely what all Democrats should do for Donald Krasnov Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday night. While some Democrats are not boycotting Donald's address to a…
[image or embed] — #TuckFrump (@realtuckfrumper.bsky.social) March 3, 2025 at 1:12 PM
9,500 attend telephone town hall hosted by Congresswoman Dexter, Attorney General Rayfield
From KGW:
Thousands of constituents and concerned citizens attended a telephone town hall Thursday night, hosted by Rep. Maxine Dexter from Oregon's 3rd Congressional District and Attorney General Dan Rayfield. The elected leaders vowed to keep holding the executive branch accountable after both offices received numerous complaints during President Donald Trump's first month in office. ✂️ People in Portland are pushing back against the Trump administration and the large-scale federal layoffs by expressing their disapproval through protests this week. One federal worker, fearful that his position might be on the chopping block next, called into Dexter's meeting Thursday night. "What should federal workers in Oregon be doing or what can we do to protect ourselves? How would you recommend we approach the next few months?" the federal worker said. While the attorney general detailed the now six multi-state lawsuits he's a part of, with the intention to keep fighting back and holding President Trump accountable, Congresswoman Dexter encouraged the caller — and others — to get in touch with her office so she can communicate the impacts to her colleagues in Congress. "Your voices are going to have more importance than ever, as these policies and the decisions impact people," Rayfield said. "As your attorney general we're going to use every legal tool at our disposal to protect communities, our values, Oregon's future."
Here’s a video from one of the attendees, and it’s well worth watching — at least the first half, which runs about 9 minutes. (BTW, the closed captioning is garbage, just try to ignore it.) She mentions that Rep. Dexter revealed that Republican reps are getting death threats against themselves and their families, so getting them to stand up for their constituents is going to be more challenging than ever. She makes the point that we need to make those reps more scared of us (i.e., scared of losing their seats) than they are of Trump/Musk.
x YouTube Video
This key piece of Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s housing effort has finally launched
From Oregon Public Broadcasting:
A central piece of Gov. Tina Kotek’s plan to boost housing production in Oregon launched on Thursday. The $75 million “revolving loan fund” is aimed at helping cities and counties boost affordable housing stock. The idea is to create a program to help local governments offer interest-free loans to developers who are building moderate and affordable home projects but have a funding gap. The $75 million is the starting point and will be replenished once the loans are paid off. This was a signature piece of Kotek’s larger housing package that passed the legislative session in 2024. Since then, the state has worked with city and county leaders to build the infrastructure for the loan program. Tillamook County Commissioner Erin Skaar said the rental housing vacancy rate at the coast “hovers around zero.” “We need everything,” she said in an interview with OPB. “We have a huge need for affordable housing. We have a huge need for workforce housing. The hospitality industry is employing so many, and some of those folks make a little too much to be in affordable housing, but couldn’t afford market rate.”Skaar hopes the money will help the county build more projects.
Portland resident “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark” donated her Tesla to NPR
A few years ago, Cassandra moved into a house across the street from a couple of dear friends of mine. Very cool!
* * * * *
Good news from around the nation — lots of resistance!
Posted on Bluesky on Saturday:
Volunteers use bullhorns and sirens to warn immigrants when ICE is in their area
From The Independent:
Just before dawn, 10 people met at a parking lot...in South Central Los Angeles on what has become a daily mission: Look for immigration officers and warn people of their presence to try to prevent arrests. Bullhorns and sirens are ready for use. “There’s raza that’s been detained,” Ron Gochez, [high school history teacher and] founder of Union del Barrio's Los Angeles chapter, said before they split up in five cars. “It seems like there’s more activity now. Let’s keep a close eye out.” Working with other similar-size groups and using walkie-talkies, the Community Self-Defense Coalition, made up of more than 60 organizations, found nothing Thursday but appeared to have disrupted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations earlier in the week. In Los Angeles and across the country, these tactics have been a thorn in ICE's side as it tries to carry out President Donald Trump's promise of mass deportations. ✂️ Counter-ICE operations have had “a huge impact,” said John Fabbricatore, a former head of ICE's enforcement and removal division in Denver. “...[the ICE officers] are trying to get into a situation, maybe undercover, trying to make an arrest without alarming the neighborhood, and then these guys come out here with these bullhorns and they start yelling and screaming,” Fabbricatore said. Advocates “go right to the edge” of a law against impeding federal law enforcement to avoid criminal prosecution, he said. Advocates say they are exercising free speech and reminding people of their rights. ICE officers cannot forcibly enter a home without a judicial warrant, which they rarely have. Sophisticated “know-your- rights” campaigns urge people to stay inside and not open the door. ✂️ Trump's border czar Tom Homan was visibly angry after joining ICE officers who were met at apartments in the Denver area by activists who insulted them and used bullhorns to alert residents. He insisted word of the operation was leaked. “The less people know about these operations, the better,” Homan said...
Yosemite protesters did a genius thing with the park's webcams
From SF Gate:
As protesters at national parks around the country hold demonstrations against the Trump administration’s extensive federal staffing cuts, some activists have found a way to get their messages to a broader audience: by placing signs in front of parks’ live webcams. Yosemite’s High Sierra webcam at 12:25 p.m., March 1, 2025. At Yosemite National Park, signs have been spotted on at least four different webcams throughout the park. On Saturday afternoon, a sign placed in front of the park’s High Sierra webcam reads, “Stand Up! 4 Public Land + the People Who Protect It” as a snow-dusted Half Dome looms in the background. A sign in front of the webcam at the Badger Yosemite’s Badger Pass webcam at 12:27 p.m., March 1, 2025. Pass Ski Area says, “Go Badger Your Reps,” with the phone number for the office of Congressman Tom McClintock. McClintock is the U.S. representative for California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes the park. ✂️ Webcam messages have appeared at other parks as well, including Washington’s Olympic National Park, where a sign reading “Olympic National Park Not For Sale” has been placed in front of the park’s webcam overlooking Lake Crescent. Protests at dozens of national parks kicked off Saturday afternoon. On the Instagram account of the Resistance Rangers, an online platform identifying itself as being made up of hundreds of off-duty park rangers that has been rallying a slew of supporters since the staffing cuts began, Instagram stories reposted from other accounts show protests taking place at a large number of parks across the country. In videos reposted by the account, large groups of protesters can be seen marching, chanting and holding signs at Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Arches, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Saguaro, Great Smoky Mountains, Mammoth Cave, Indiana Dunes, Olympic, Shenandoah and Cuyahoga Valley national parks. Actions are also seen taking place at several national forests, historic sites and recreation areas, including the National Mall in Washington, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore.
NSO makes a statement for gender equality with Julia Wolfe’s “Her Story”
Good for the NSO for performing a piece celebrating the 19th amendment and “the fight for women’s equality” at the Kennedy Center right in the face of its new mis-management!
From Washington Classical Review:
The coronavirus pandemic canceled the National Symphony Orchestra’s originally scheduled world premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Her Story back in 2021. After the work made the rounds of the other co-commissioning orchestras since then, it finally came to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall Thursday night. The context, in the wake of a Republican takeover at the performing arts center earlier this month, felt completely different. Inspired by the centennial of the ratification of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote, Wolfe’s new piece “dramatizes text from the fight for women’s equality.”
* * * * *
Good news from around the world
UK gives royal welcome to Zelenskyy after White House meltdown
King Charles will hold an official audience at Sandringham with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday as the UK and EU demonstrate their “unwavering” support after his humiliation at the hands of Donald Trump and JD Vance in the White House. Keir Starmer will also host European heads of government and the leaders of Canada and Turkey at a special defence summit aimed at presenting a united front on the Ukraine crisis. On arrival in Downing Street for a meeting with Starmer on Saturday night, just 24 hours after Trump and his vice-president Vance subjected him to a 10-minute tirade in the Oval Office, Zelenskyy said he was “very happy” that the king had agreed to the meeting. The offer of a royal audience was seen at Westminster as a deliberate move to give the Ukrainian president equal treatment to Trump, who was presented during his meeting at the White House on Wednesday by Starmer with an invitation to a second state visit to the UK, including a meeting with King Charles. [On the evening of Feb. 28th,] there were reports that the UK would show further solidarity by unlocking billions of pounds of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. The Sunday Times claimed Rachel Reeves would divert money earmarked for green investment in the UK to the defence industry. It would be the first time that money from frozen Russian assets would contribute towards military spending.
And I love this photo!
And here’s the story of Zelenskyy’s meeting with King Charles:
Warm reception for Zelensky as he meets King at Sandringham
From BBC:
Volodymyr Zelensky has met King Charles III at Sandringham, after attending a summit of European leaders on ending the war in Ukraine. As the Ukrainian president arrived at the King's Norfolk residence, local residents, some holding Ukraine flags, gathered outside the estate to witness his entrance by helicopter. Zelensky was in London over the weekend for the talks on European defence, after a fiery exchange with US President Donald Trump in the White House on Friday. Ukraine's president was "warmly received", and the meeting lasted just under an hour, royal sources said. The pair were served tea in Sandringham's Saloon room. Zelensky described it as "a very good meeting".
Innovative machine recycles rubble into bricks to build homes for displaced Ukrainians
🎩 to Edward Song for mentioning this wonderful news in a comment yesterday. I think this machine has the potential to create building materials on-site out of rubble anywhere in the world, from Ukraine to Gaza to California.
From GoodGoodGood:
Since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2023, millions of people have been displaced from their homes. With buildings destroyed, and an estimated 3.6 million people still internally displaced from their permanent residences, keeping them safe and housed is a major challenge. LayGo bricks being used for rebuilding in Ukraine Australia-based nonprofit Mobile Crisis Construction (MCC) has stepped in to help rebuild. MCC sets up mobile block factories in disaster and war zones which help accelerate building and help people return to safety — and normalcy. In these factories, a mill crushes up rubble, like old walls, glass, and debris, and presses it into recycled, interlocking blocks — reminiscent of a colorful LEGO brick. In fact, MCC calls them LayGo bricks. Using a little bit of clay, cement, and water, and waiting a few days to cure, the blocks can then be used to rapidly build shelter and critical infrastructure. “The concept is to recycle and use what’s there,” [said] Nic Matich, one of MCC’s founders... The brick-building machine A single machine can make up to 8,000 bricks in a day, producing enough to construct the exterior structure of 10 homes every three days. MCC says the bricks are earthquake-, fire-, and cyclone-resistant, and include slots to help reinforce the structures during construction. ✂️ Each machine costs about $70,000 to $80,000 to build, and the ongoing war garnered the support needed to get their operation up and running. ✂️ Through a collaboration with a local nonprofit, the project has helped to rebuild several townhouses. In the summer of 2024, MCC announced a second mobile factory was headed to Ukraine, as well.✂️ MCC hopes their technology proves to be replicable in other areas recovering from disaster. “The U.N. might send in food, water, and temporary shelters,” Matich said. “And then we could have our machines roll in as a second phase response … to rebuild the area.”
How Spain’s radically different approach to migration helped its economy soar
As birth rates fall around the developed world (see the link to a New Yorker article in “Hot Lynx”), welcoming immigrants is a win-win.
From The Guardian:
Spain has become Europe’s buzziest economy – named the world’s best by the Economist in 2024 – fuelled in part by what analysts have described as the government’s strikingly different approach to migration. This difference was laid bare late last year when Spain’s prime minister gave a stark warning on migration. But unlike his counterparts in Italy, Germany or France, Pedro Sánchez was intent on rallying the country behind a markedly different approach. “Spain needs to choose between being an open and prosperous country or a closed-off, poor country,” he told parliament in October. “It’s as simple as that.” Migration was not only a question of humanity, he said, but – in a country where the birthrate ranked among the lowest in the EU – it was the only realistic means of growing the economy and sustaining the welfare state. Months on, his stance has seemingly been backed by economic data: Spain’s economy expanded by 3.2% last year. This far outpaced Germany’s 0.2% contraction, France’s 1.1% growth and Italy’s 0.5%. The figure was also ahead of Britain, whose total GDP grew by 0.9% last year and the Netherlands’ 0.8% growth. Crucial to this growth was the movement of people, said Javier Díaz-Giménez, a professor of economics at the IESE Business School. “It’s been done with a lot of tourists and a lot of immigrants.” A record 94 million tourists visited Spain last year – up 10% on the previous year – creating jobs in hotels, restaurants and other tourist services. High rates of migration have allowed Spain to take advantage, and push unemployment levels to their lowest since 2008, as migrants have plugged the gaps in a labour market where the working-age population is ageing.
* * * * *
My favorite recent quotes, memes, and cartoons
* * * * *
Good news in medicine
Advanced MRI Scanner Using Ultra-Low Magnetic Fields Promises Better Cancer Detection
From Medscape:
Scientists at the University of Aberdeen have developed an ultra-low magnetic scanner, which can perform MRI scans without the need for intravenous contrast agents and with unprecedented precision. The team from the university’s Biomedical Imaging Centre reported that the technique, known as field-cycling imaging (FCI), could identify previously undetectable cancer spread. Lionel Broche, a senior research fellow in biomedical physics at Aberdeen, said in a press release, “The potential impact of this on patients is extraordinary.” Initially, a prototype version of the scanner demonstrated effectiveness in identifying brain damage caused by strokes. In a new study, published in Nature Communications Medicine, the researchers collaborated with National Health Service (NHS) Grampian to test the FCI scanner on nine newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with 10 tumours. The scanner was able to distinguish between tumour tissue and healthy tissue more accurately than current MRI methods. Researchers said the technology could “change the course of treatment for millions of people with cancer.”
Novel bone marrow transplant can cure sickle cell disease, study suggests
From Science Daily:
A bone marrow transplant process co-developed by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center is safe and curative for adults with sickle cell disease, according to results of a trial completed at Johns Hopkins and about 20 additional cancer centers nationwide and in London. The treatment, available at multiple U.S. medical centers, is a viable and less costly alternative to recently approved gene therapy products for sickle cell disease, the authors say. During this type of transplant, called reduced-intensity haploidentical bone marrow transplantation, bone marrow is given by a "half-matched" donor, such as a parent, sibling, child, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle or cousin of the patient. This means the proteins that help the body's immune system function, and which are present on a donor's marrow cells, must match at least half of those proteins on the recipient's cells to be a good fit and to not attack the recipient's body after the transplant. Before the transplant, patients are treated with low doses of chemotherapy and given total body irradiation. Following the transplant, they are given cyclophosphamide (a drug to prevent graft-versus-host disease, in which immune cells in the donor marrow attack their new host) and other drugs for up to one year. Of 42 people with severe sickle cell disease who had the procedure during the trial, 95% were alive two years after the transplant, and 88% are considered cured and are experiencing no disease-related events. These results will be published in the Feb. 25 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine Evidence. Early results were presented in December 2023 during the American Society of Hematology annual meeting. The trial shows very high engraftment of the donor cells and very high cure rates, the authors say.
* * * * *
Good news in science
Comprehensive resource describes functions of more than 20,000 human genes
From Science Daily:
A new resource from the Gene Ontology Consortium, a comprehensive encyclopedia of the known functions of all protein-coding human genes, has just been completed and released on a new website. For the first time, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and other institutions used large-scale evolutionary modeling to integrate data on human genes with genetic data collected from other organisms. This has culminated in a searchable public resource that lists the known functions of more than 20,000 genes using the most accurate and complete evidence available. A paper describing the resource was just published in the journal Nature. The Gene Ontology, a National Institutes of Health-funded knowledge base that has been continually expanded and improved for more than 25 years, has become a mainstay of the biomedical research process. Already, it is used in more than 30,000 publications each year to aid with data analysis and interpretation. Biomedical researchers who conduct "omics" experiments -- large-scale studies of DNA, RNA, proteins and other biological molecules -- generate data that can identify hundreds of genes of interest. For example, a researcher might learn which genes are turned "on" or "off" in cancerous cells compared to healthy ones. Reviewing thousands of published papers on the known functions of each gene is not feasible, so many scientists turn instead to the Gene Ontology. "Our knowledge base allows scientists to go from just a list of genes to an understanding of their biological functions, including what might be useful for treatment," said Paul D. Thomas, PhD, a principal investigator of the Gene Ontology Consortium and director of the division of bioinformatics and a professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine. Now, this latest milestone provides a new resource within the knowledge base that uses evolutionary modeling to make the tool even more powerful. The approach allows the researchers to combine experimental data collected from human genes with that obtained from related genes in model organisms, such as mice and zebrafish. It provides a more complete picture of human gene function, including filling in gaps in scientific knowledge where direct evidence from human studies is not available.
Firefly’s Blue Ghost captures its first sunrise on the moon
Let’s hear it for Firefly! May they eventually overtake SpaceX!!
x Via #FireflyAerospace - "Firefly’s #BlueGhost lander captured its first sunrise on the Moon, marking the start of surface operations in its new home. Our #GhostRiders have already begun operating many of the 10 NASA Payloads
and will continue operations over the next two weeks " #BGM1
[image or embed] — Gene J. Mikulka (@genejm1017.bsky.social) March 3, 2025 at 6:59 AM
* * * * *
Good news for the environment
How Tearing Down Small Dams Is Helping Restore Northeast Rivers
From Yale Environment 360:
[American eels are] not the only species in trouble [in the Northeastern U.S.]. Alewife and blueback herring, shad, shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon, and Atlantic salmon are all on the decline in Northeastern river systems. In response, a range of government agencies, private landowners, and environmental groups have been collaborating to restore these populations — by removing the dams that block their passage. Although dam removals have been happening since 1912, the vast majority have occurred since the mid-2010s, and they have picked up steam since the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided funding for such projects. To date, 806 Northeastern dams have come down, with hundreds more in the pipeline. Across the country, 2023 was a watershed year, with a total of 80 dam removals. Says Andrew Fisk, Northeast regional director of the nonprofit American Rivers, “The increasing intensity and frequency of storm events, and the dramatically reduced sizes of our migratory fish populations, are accelerating our efforts.” ✂️\ Jeremy Dietrich, an aquatic ecologist at the New York State Water Resources Institute, monitors dam sites both pre- and post-removal. Environments upstream of an intact dam, he explains, “are dominated by midges, aquatic worms, small crustaceans, organisms you typically might find in a pond.” In 2017 and 2018 assessments of recent Hudson River dam removals, some of which also included riverbank restorations to further enhance habitat for native species, he found improved water quality and more populous communities of beetles, mayflies, and caddisflies, which are “more sensitive to environmental perturbation, and thus used as bioindicators,” he says. “You have this big polarity of ecological conditions, because the barrier has severed the natural connectivity of the system. [After removal], we generally see streams recover to a point where we didn’t even know there was a dam there.” Quassaick Creek flows freely after the removal of the Strooks Felt Dam, Newburgh, New York. American Rivers estimates that 85 percent of U.S. dams are unnecessary at best and pose risks to public safety at worst, should they collapse and flood downstream communities. The nonprofit has been involved with roughly 1,000 removals across the country, 38 of them since 2018. This effort was boosted by $800 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. But states will likely need to contribute more of their own funding should the Trump administration claw back unspent money, and organizations involved in dam removal are now scrambling to assess the potential impact to their work.
Walmart investing in 74 rooftop community solar projects
Since Walmart has more square feet of rooftop space than any other U.S. company, this is excellent news.
From Environment America:
Walmart is investing in 74 different rooftop solar projects in Maryland and Illinois in partnership with Solar Landscape. The bulk of the commercial rooftop solar projects are expected to be up-and-running by the end of 2025 and estimated to produce enough electricity to power more than 3,600 homes. “Walmart’s community solar investments underscore the fact that that the big flat sunny roofs of commercial buildings are perfect for hosting solar panels,” said Johanna Neumann, Senior Director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy at Environment America Research & Policy Center. In 2024, Walmart outlined plans to support 10 GW worth of clean projects – including 2 GW of community solar. It’s estimated that nearly half of all American households can’t install their own solar system. Community solar, which allows community members to purchase a portion of electricity from a solar farm, helps those who can’t get solar panels themselves still find a way to reap the benefits of clean energy. Walmart has more rooftop solar potential than any other retailer in America according to the report Solar on Superstores.
* * * * *
Good news for and about animals
Brought to you by Rascal and Margot, and the beautiful spirits of Rosy and Nora.
Big birds like emus are technical innovators, study shows
Rascal’s choice today shows that even big clumsy birds are smart!
From Science Daily:
Large birds -- our closest relations to dinosaurs -- are capable of technical innovation, by solving a physical task to gain access to food. This is the first time scientists have been able to show that palaeognath birds such as emus and rheas can solve tricky problems. In the study, published today in Scientific Reports, emus, which have previously been called the 'world's dumbest bird' were able to create one new technique to access food (lining up a hole with a food chamber) and moved the hole in the most efficient direction towards food in 90% of cases. A male rhea used this technique but also created a second one, rotating the bolt in the middle of the wheel until the task fell apart. Lead author Dr Fay Clark, from Bristol's School of Psychological Science, explained: "A large body of research shows that crows and parrots are effective problem-solvers, and while scientists have recently taken interest in other birds like gulls and birds of prey, all of these birds belong to the same phylogenetic group, Neognathae. The problem? The more we study the same species repeatedly, the more we create an 'echo chamber' of knowledge and create a false impression that other species are less 'intelligent' but in reality they haven't been studied to the same level." Working with three palaeognath species at a local zoo, they based their research on previous research using a rotating wheel that that had to be moved to align with a hole for a food reward. Each species -- emus, rheas and ostriches -- were given the test in ten sessions. This particular set of ostriches did not innovate. Dr Clark explained: "We classify palaeognath innovation as low level or simplistic -- and it is certainly not as complex as the innovation we see in crows and parrots. However, it is still a very important finding. There were no reports of technical innovation in palaeognaths before our study, and there was a prevailing view that they are 'dumb' birds. Our research suggests that is not true and that technical innovation may have evolved far earlier in birds than previously thought."
'For us, snow leopards are deities': The farmers protecting Nepal's snow leopards
Margot thinks snow leopards are absolutely gorgeous, and I agree.
From BBC:
Those eyes! Those paws!! Farmers who lose livestock to snow leopards – and so face the loss of their livelihood – sometimes choose to kill these cats in an attempt to prevent further attacks. But a pioneering conservationist in Nepal is working to change attitudes. And she couldn't do it without the help of local women. ✂️ ...by giving local people a stake in the animals' conservation, [Nepali conservationist Tshiring Lhamu Lama] argues they will gradually come to understand the value of conservation. ... Tshiring says the main way to reduce retaliatory killings of snow leopards is to minimise the mass night-time killings of livestock... To that end, supported by the Snow Leopard Conservancy, a non-profit, she has provided outdoor, battery-powered lights to around 100 farmers and hopes to distribute them to around 500 more. These devices emit colourful lights at night, which deter snow leopards. They are portable, durable, charge up using solar energy, and at night are easily fixed on a pole near to traditional livestock enclosures, also known as corrals. However, the lights are only a short-term solution. After a few years of exposure to them, the snow leopards learn to ignore them. Playing radios and burning dung have also proved effective for deterring snow leopards from farms at night, says Rinzin Phunjok Lama, a conservation biologist and founder of UKALI, an organisation that works in community-based biodiversity conservation in western Nepal. However, both Rinzin and Tshiring agree the best long-term strategy for reducing mass killings of livestock is to make livestock enclosures or corrals predator-proof. Corrals in Dolpa tend to be roofless structures with low walls, which keep the livestock herd together but do not keep snow leopards out. So, in early 2024, Tshiring, along with local herders from the remote village of Tilling, designed and built Dolpa's first leopard-proof corral. ✂️ The first leopard-proof corral Women are able to transport the materials needed to build these hardened corrals. This is important because men are often absent, as they leave villages to trade, so women must take care of the livestock. "Women are the main people who have to deal with the snow leopards – so they must be involved," stresses Tshiring.
Rosy would have enthusiastically agreed to forgo a dog story so I could give you these sweet videos of Portland’s new baby elephant. Tula is already a superstar — her keepers say she’s as precocious as she is precious!
x YouTube Video
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/4/2305398/-GNR-for-March-4th-More-resistance-springs-up?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
