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GNR for Friday, July 4, 2025: Independence from Tyrants [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-07-04
Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
As some of us are learning — others have known this all along — freedom from tyranny is not something we can take for granted.
On this 249th anniversary (+/- 2 days, see John Adams) of the Declaration of Independence, we declare our independence again.
No kings. No dictators. No taxation without representation. And that means our representatives need to represent US, not the billionaires.
We also affirm our dedication to the Constitution, the rule of law, the bill or rights, and fair elections. No more agents in masks.
The founders did it. We can do it again. It’s our generation’s turn.
Come on in, enjoy what America has been and enjoy how some people are making it — and the rest of the world — better.
Regular Scheduled Programming
No one here is naïve; we are aware of the many who are fighting to destroy our country. Some of us expected it: the cheating, the lying, 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 🗽
Americans are protesting the billionaire bailout budget bill. Yes, we should keep protesting even though the bill has passed.
x 300+ person die-in outside Rep Fitzpatrick’s office opposing the billionaire giveaway 👇👇👇 — Leah Greenberg ❌👑 (@leahgreenberg.bsky.social) 2025-07-03T00:32:22.112Z
Seems that the boycott on Tesla has forced at least one dealership out of business
x TESLA GOING OUT OF BUSINESS! JUNE 28, SUNDAY, BURBANK, 11am-1pm #teslatakedown #indivisible #musk #doge #coup @teslatakedown.com — Joel Lava (@joellava.bsky.social) 2025-06-28T20:29:22.588Z
Resistance in the fine print! Only in French, from an American company selling shirts in France, but look at the apology in the last two lines:
x Sometimes you can find resistance in the most unlikely of places. — Steve Marmel (@marmel.bsky.social) 2025-06-30T03:17:22.216Z
Next big day of resistance is July 17. If you’re able to participate, you can find out where and how here:
x July 17th is the #GoodTroubleLivesOn Day of Action—a nationwide call to defend civil rights, inspired by #JohnLewis. Peaceful protests, teach-ins, and rallies across the U.S. Learn more: goodtroubleliveson.org #DefendDemocracy #JLVRAA #FreedomToVote #NativeVote #DCStatehood — Fight for Progress (@fightforprogress.org) 2025-07-02T22:00:00.000Z
💣 Republicans: Party of Crimes and Chaos 💣
Senator Tom Tillis (NC) says he’s not running again By Lisa Kashinsky, Nicholas Wu, Elena Schneider and Dasha Burns Politico
Democrats just scored a massive new pickup opportunity in North Carolina. Republicans are determined not to let them have it. GOP Sen. Thom Tillis’ abrupt retirement announcement Sunday has blown the door open for potential juggernaut candidates on both sides of the aisle. Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper plans to make a decision this summer on whether he’ll mount a bid, according to a person close to him and granted anonymity to disclose private conversations. Democrats widely believe the popular former governor would give the party its best chance of winning the competitive seat. Meanwhile, former Rep. Wiley Nickel is already running.
This is a pick-up opportunity for the Ds, as we have already seen some Ds make it state-wide in NC. Roy Cooper, the former D governor, may run.
Predictions:
x Lots of Republicans are going to lose their seats over this budget - federal, state, and local. It will not cost Trump anything, other than finally some House oversight his last 2 years maybe. Which is how these things always go with Trump - others always pay for his sins. — Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) 2025-06-29T23:14:47.804Z
The House has a mistake in that ugly bill — pointed out by the Ds. Daren DeFrankThe Wrap
“The incompetent Republicans did such a bad job of writing that very simple, one-paragraph rule that Jim McGovern was able to stop everything in the House of Representatives today by announcing: ‘It has a mistake in it,’” O’Donnell said in disbelief. “We’ve never seen anything like that in the House—not something that stupid,” he continued. “For the next 11 hours, the Republican-controlled House was paralyzed by that mistake. Usually in the House, no one in the Republican Party listens to anything said by Democrats on the floor. But this time, everyone heard what Congressman Jim McGovern said when he started a drama like we’ve never seen before.” The host explained in layman’s terms that Republicans pushed forward the bill and didn’t include an out for themselves. So if they began debating, and the GOP realized they didn’t have the votes, they would still have to take the vote. O’Donnell chastised Speaker Mike Johnson for not knowing anything about governmental procedure and that it quickly became clear they didn’t have the votes. “Panic set in among House Republicans and within the Trump White House,” O’Donnell said. “While Republicans may now try to fix the error with an amendment, McGovern posed a critical question: ‘If this Republican leadership cannot get a one-paragraph rule right, can we really trust them to get an 870-page bill right?’” x x YouTube Video
🚚 💙 Democrats Deliver 💙 🚚
Well done, Rep Jeffries:
x BREAKING: Hakeem Jeffries has now been speaking for 8 hours straight against the Big Beautiful Bill. He just got a standing ovation for this: "It's extraordinary to me, Mr. Speaker, you got folks in this town talkin' about 'drainin' the swamp!' Guess what? You ARE the swamp! YOU are the swamp!" — Krassensteins (@krassenstein.bsky.social) 2025-07-03T17:13:11.984Z
You know about the progressive win in NYC. Well, San Diego also had an election:
x Democrats maintain control of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday's special election. Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre finished with a 6-point lead, and her Republican opponent, Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, has conceded the next day. — The Downballot (@the-downballot.com) 2025-07-02T18:20:54.929Z
San Diego county is the 5th largest in the country (population). Local government matters.
WI SCOTUS: abortion remains legal in Wisconsin Maayan Silver NPR
MILWAUKEE – Supporters of reproductive rights are celebrating a win in Wisconsin. After years of litigation over an 1849 law that conservatives argue criminalizes abortions in the state, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the law does not ban abortion. This means abortions can continue in the state. It marks the end of a saga that began when Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, ending federal constitutional protections for abortion. While it was clear in some states that abortion would be banned, and in others that abortion would be protected, Wisconsin found itself in a legal gray area. ✂️ Because of the 1849 law, abortion providers in the state stopped offering the procedure. But Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul sued at the time, challenging the law, and the issue of how to interpret the 1849 statute has been in the courts since June of 2022. In December 2023, the trial court found that the law doesn't outlaw abortions, that it is actually a feticide law that makes it illegal to attack and kill a woman's child without her consent. Since that ruling, people have been able to get abortions in Wisconsin, up to 20 weeks or beyond if necessary to save the life or health of the mother, according to a law passed in the 1980s . On Wednesday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled—along ideological lines—that the law does not ban abortion. The court has a 4-3 liberal majority, which it maintained after some highly publicized and heavily funded elections for its open seats in 2023 and 2025
We need this (remember how Musk lost that WI SCOTUS seat, but how he helped the current tyrant win the election)
x Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) unveiled her new "Economic War Plan" where she called for the elimination of all corporate PAC money in politics. Ending dark money in politics has been a long standing goal of progressives and they seem to have found an ally in Slotkin on this issue. — Distill Social (@distillsocial.bsky.social) 2025-06-27T00:35:03.346Z
MD Governor Moore grants ~7000 pardons in cannabis equity push Benjamin Adams Forbes
Recently Gov. Wes Moore announced a series of actions designed to close the racial wealth gap in Maryland’s cannabis industry, including nearly 7,000 additional pardons for simple possession. The designations—seeking to right the wrongs of systemic flaws in the state—are set to take effect Tuesday. At a Juneteenth event last week, in front of a congregation at Bethel AME Church in Cambridge, the governor announced new Just Community designations to prioritize up to $400 million in competitive state investments in communities that have been disproportionately impacted through the years by cannabis policies. This follows the governor’s clemency order he signed last year to pardon 175,000 convictions for possession. “We know the racial wealth gap affects all of us. It hurts our economy; it restrains job growth and it limits our potential as a state,” said Gov. Moore. “If you want a growing economy, you have to make sure it is an inclusive one. We cannot afford to simply ‘meet’ about the situation before us and delay progress—we need action. Together, we are going to continue the work of repair with action that delivers results.”
💜 Unity? 💜
Key West has decided to unite with its people instead of ICE
These people stood up together to take a stand. EPA workers declare dissent Cristen Hemingway Jaynes EcoWatch
A group of more than 170 employees of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday published a Declaration of Dissent from policies under the Trump administration. The employees said the administration’s policies “undermine the EPA mission of protecting human health and the environment.” “Since the Agency’s founding in 1970, EPA has accomplished this mission by leveraging science, funding, and expert staff in service to the American people. Today, we stand together in dissent against the current administration’s focus on harmful deregulation, mischaracterization of previous EPA actions, and disregard for scientific expertise,” the declaration states. x 🔥🔥>400 brave EPA signatories & 3,500+ Supporters have voiced support for preserving the EPA’s mission to protect health and the environment. We need everyone in this fight. Take action: Read the EPA Declaration of Dissent here ➡️zurl.co/l3zMU Sign your support here ➡️zurl.co/Ygcq7 — Stand Up for Science! (@standupforscience.bsky.social) 2025-07-01T22:37:45.176Z
You, too, can sign your support!
Now, more actions you can take:
📥 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.
👎 Defund the seditionists. This is a list with companies that sometimes have donated to the seditionists. The list is long. You will recognize many of the corporations, and you probably have a relationship with some — either you are a customer, a shareholder, or maybe even an employee. Contact them and compliment or complain, but let them know you are watching. Forward it to others.
🐍 Schadenfreude 😈
This would be fun!
x So what would it take for Iran to release the emails? 🤔 — Laura Haynes👩🔬⚾️🐾💙 (@drlaurahaynes.bsky.social) 2025-07-01T02:35:36.815Z
And some FAFO
x It doesn’t get more FAFO than this. — Headly Westerfield (@auntyem.bsky.social) 2025-07-02T18:12:25.821Z
⚡️ Also note kos’s diary on the terrible Cybertruck and Tesla.
📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️
Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, has been under a lot of pressure Allison Detzel MSNBC News. Note this is from June 23, but we still want to honor her. It’s gotta be tough:
Over the weekend, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that several key parts of Trump’s tax and spending bill violate the chamber’s rules and recommended they be removed from the final package.
Governor Gavin Newsom, for suing FOX News
x Gavin Newsom is suing Fox over a deceptively edited clip by Jesse Watters. meidasnews.com/news/gavin-n... — Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) 2025-06-27T14:16:37.073Z
I know defamation standards can be hard to meet, and court cases take a long time. But we have to go over the enablers and repeaters of lies.
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️
📫 🐶 What, a mailman who liked the dog?!?
x Texas Mailman Adopts Beloved Dog from His Old Route After its Vietnam Veteran Owner Passes Away: www.goodnewsnetwork.org/texas-mailma... — Raymond Norman (@raymondnorman.bsky.social) 2025-06-28T16:59:36.209Z
📎 Odds & Ends 📎
⭐️ Meteor showers in late July Andy Corbley Good News Network
Two meteor showers are visible in the late July skies, and they happen to peak at the same evening in a rare case of perfect timing. Especially visible in the Southern Hemisphere, but also visible farther south in the Northern Hemisphere, the α-Capricornids and the Southern δ-Aquariids will light up the night of July 30th-31st with a combined total of 30 shooting stars per hour. Better still, the event will take place during the waxing crescent Moon, so moonlight won’t obscure the view. The Moon will set in the evening, and the night sky will be perfectly dark. In order to find them, look for the constellations they take their names from. Valerie from Space Tourism Guide generally recommends finding Capricorn first, as it’s easier to find in the south-southeastern sky. Once you find Capricorn, the much more active Southern δ-Aquariids, radiating from the constellation Aquarius, can be spotted slightly more eastward.
☀️ China solar and wind installations break records Paige Bennett EcoWatch
China is leading the world in new solar and wind installations and doing so at a record-shattering pace. In May 2025 alone, the country added 93 gigawatts of solar capacity, or nearly 100 solar panels per second, and 26 gigawatts of wind capacity, or about 5,300 wind turbines. This breaks down to about one turbine installed every 10 minutes, according to Lauri Myllyvirta, non-resident senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute who analyzed China’s recent renewable capacity increase. As PV Magazine reported, added solar capacity for January to May 2025 reached nearly 198 gigawatts, a 388% increase compared to the same period in 2024, a year when China had set a renewable power installation record for the second consecutive year. During the same time period in 2025, the country also increased wind energy capacity by 46 gigawatts.
Hiking for detention Andy Corbley Good News Network
Getting in fights, texting too much in class, skipping school—they are the kinds of stories that the parents of most high schools will have heard of before, and know the ending of. But at Morse High School in Maine, detention is enforced with an altogether different approach—a hike. Misbehaving students can, of course, choose normal detention, but ever since school counselor Leslie Trundy started offering hiking detentions, the children overwhelmingly pick that. ✂️ Nicholas Tanguay, who yelled at his teacher, says that the walking, heavy breathing, and sense of accomplishment were together a focusing and calming influence that day, and without admitting he felt his mental health improved, said that he believed it’s true that nature and walking can improve a person’s mentality. Sona Kipoy wasn’t in detention, Smith reports, but just came along in order to “find herself.”
Note some parents are against this because it seems like a reward instead of a punishment, but I think if many of us walked a little more, the world would be less cranky.
🐦 I do a lot of other writing. Newest offerings: Messing with the Myths — two books so far in this series. Older offerings: the Crow Nickels (chronicles), about crows who want to save birdkind from extinction (Hunters of the Feather). Mysteries based on Jane Austen’s novels, such as The Meryton Murders. Others based on history and Greek mythology, e.g., Jocasta: The Mother-Wife of Oedipus. All titles also available through Kindle Unlimited. Want to support me but not interested in my books? Buy one and donate to a library.
💙 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.
I know it’s tough to see the path forward. And I can’t guarantee that there is a path forward. But people who are smarter and braver than I have seen ways to move ahead.
Their (the fascists’) plans really are dark, but many of them are also dumb, in the sense that they don’t make sense. So many of them cannot succeed.
Here are some quick hits.
Stay involved. Yeah, that’s tough. I want to look away too, but by taking simple actions you can make a difference. Keep contacting your representatives, both in DC and at home.
Support causes that will fight. Send money if you can. Also, spread their news with clicks and conversation.
Slow them down. Oppose and block at every turn.
Make tRump unpopular. Doing this weakens him. And it should not be that difficult. The GOP made a lot out of Biden is old and eggs cost too much. Well, tRump is older than Biden was at the beginning of his term and tRump has no policies that are going to bring down inflation. And a host of other problems, like he’s a convicted felon.
Divide the GOP from each other. They are a coalition based on contradictory promises, so there’s plenty to work with.
Keep telling the truth and showing love.
Make sure to pace yourselves in this marathon and to practice self-care.
Current projects:
Look in the comments for Progressive Muse’s report on Postcards to Voters
And Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny Lessons:
(1) Do Not Obey in Advance; (2) Defend Institutions; (3) Beware the One-Party System; (4) Take Responsibility for the Face of the World; (5) Remember Professional Ethics; (6) Be Wary of Paramilitaries; (7) Be Reflective if You Must Own a Gun; (8) Stand Out (this means, speak up, even when others do not); (9) Be Kind to Our Language; (10) Believe in Truth; (11) Investigate; (12) Make Eye Contact and Small Talk; (13) Practice Corporeal Politics; (14) Establish a Private Life; (15) Contribute to Good Causes; (16) Learn from Peers in Other Countries; (17) Listen for Dangerous Words; (18) Be Calm When the Unthinkable Arrives; (19) Be a Patriot; (20) 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.
🌹 🌹 🌹
TRUTH MATTERS. LOVE MATTERS.
[END]
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