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GNR for Friday, July 25, 2025: Hanging Together [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-07-25
Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
Today’s Revolutionary War quote was inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s words: “We must all hang together, or we will surely all hang separately.” Wise words, Ben!
As individuals, we are vulnerable. We are easy to pick off, to drag off, to fire, to abuse.
But when we reach out to others, that vulnerability lessens. When when we voice our fears, we see what the problems are and we can address them. When we nurture each other, we heal. When we play together, our spirits learn joy and become resilient. When we work together, we achieve so much and we may even appear invulnerable.
Community so important. This community, for example, means so much to me and has made me stronger.
But there are communities everywhere. Yes, the D party. Churches. Neighbors. Reading groups. Hiking groups.
There are also professional organizations. These are especially important these days, as so many are standing up to the evil of the convicted felon and his fascist allies.
Note that the other side, however, has community too, which is why so many, even as cognitive dissonance sinks in, some people have difficulty leaving (more on this later).
If you are feeling alone and vulnerable, reach out to someone — even if it’s just a kosmail — and start strengthening your connections to community.
We must hang together, or, well, you saw the rest of Ben’s sentence.
Come in, dear gnusies, and see what our community has been doing (a lot of Texas in this GNR).
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 🗽
People have been protesting Avelo Airlines because it’s been helping to deport immigrants. Those protests and boycotts are having an impact:
x Avelo Airlines who faced boycotts protests and backlash for flying ICE deportations flights is shutting down West Coast operations Budget Airline Avelo says the backlash and boycott was not a factor Bullshit. Avelo’s passenger load has dropped dramatically since the ICE Contract #ProudBlue — Marty Taylor (@realmartyt7.bsky.social) 2025-07-15T19:14:41.942Z
The people in the army and the national guard:
x Some National Guard troops who Trump deployed to Los Angeles are demoralized and unhappy with their ostensible mission of quashing the “rebellion” of protests against ICE raids. It’s an indication Trump might not be able to get all the armed forces on board in future authoritarian power grabs. — Jon Cooper (@joncooper-us.bsky.social) 2025-07-21T12:51:04.953Z
This is why they are moving so much money into ICE. But the masked goons are really unpopular.
Speaking of those masked goons and ICE in general, many are protesting. The Department of Injustice is trying to indict some of those protesting — but it’s not working. Well done, fellow citizens! (🎩 Momma O)
x LA Grand Juries Are Refusing To Indict ICE Protestors talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo... — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm.bsky.social) 2025-07-24T14:24:31.741Z
Loved this:
x Jamie Lee Curtis on The Late Show cancellation. “They’re trying to silence us. That won’t work…we’ll just get louder” — LorennaCleary.bsky.social (@lorennacleary.bsky.social) 2025-07-18T19:05:04.100Z
Here’s an example of getting louder. Well done, South Park!
x South Park went after CBS and Paramount too. — Alejandra Caraballo (@esqueer.net) 2025-07-24T04:23:26.079Z
Looking for more ways to make a difference? Go here.
x The key to stopping authoritarian breakthrough isn’t attacking the would-be ruler, but chipping away at the vital institutions upholding their power — making the entire house of cards collapse. We’re training one million Americans to stop Trump’s power grab. Join us: www.mobilize.us/nokings/even... — Indivisible ❌👑 (@indivisible.org) 2025-07-24T12:23:28.535Z
Note I have not yet had the time to watch this in full.
💣 Republicans: Party of Crimes and Chaos 💣
tRump is not that popular (see my own diary with links here)
Disapprove of trump overall performance by 16 points. Do you feel strongly about it? The number of Americans who strongly approve of tRump is 24%, while the number who strongly disapprove is 47%. That’s almost double. In other words the maga base is outnumbered nearly two to one And on specific issues: Do you approve of trump’s handling of immigration ? NO , by a 12-point margin
? , by a Do you approve of trump’s handling of Iran ? NO , by a 12-point margin
? , by a Do you approve of trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas situation ? NO , by a 14-point margin
? , by a Do you approve of trump’s putting tariffs on other countries? NO , by a 20-point margin
on other countries? , by a Do you approve of trump’s Big “Beautiful” bill ? NO , by a 22-point margin
? , by a Do you think that bill will help or hurt your family ? HURT , by a 2 to 1 margin
? , by a Do you approve of trump’s handling of the Epstein situation ? NO , by a 50-point margin
? , by a Should the DOJ release all the information on the Epstein case? YES, by a 78-point margin
Making him unpopular weakens him and allows the Rs to dissent. Here’s a Gallup poll:
x JUST IN: Trump’s approval has dropped to 37%, his lowest this term per new Gallup poll. 58% disapprove. People are finally seeing through the fraud. — Republicans Against Trumpism (@rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social) 2025-07-24T17:07:34.833Z
And finally underwater with white people!
x NEW Economist/YouGov Net favorability of Donald Trump [at the start of his second term | now] among... White Americans +13 | -3 Hispanic Americans -12 | -26 Black Americans -31 | -62 d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/ec... d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/ec... — YouGov America (@today.yougov.com) 2025-07-22T15:48:59.457Z
tRump is so worried that about what this unpopularity is doing to the Rs, that he is getting the TX legislature to work on redrawing their maps. But see what Jessica Craven has to say on the matter:
The biggest takeaway from the Texas fiasco, in my view, is that we can all stop saying “we’re not going to have midterms.” Nonsense. Look no further than the fact that Republicans are desperately trying to rig maps to hold seats they know they’ll lose otherwise due to the massive unpopularity of their policies. They can try every trick they know. We’re still going to beat them. Some supporting facts for that assertion? Democrats now lead the House "generic ballot" 47% to 43%, with 9% undecided. That’s the generic ballot. Polls look better when you swap in actual candidates. Also, Democrats are far more motivated than Republicans for next year’s midterms. And that’s now! Trump still has a year plus to become less popular. Finally, polling confirms that Trump’s disastrous bill is the most unpopular piece of legislation of the 21st century. It’ll only get less popular over time. We’re going to destroy them at the ballot box. And I can’t wait.
More on this below, but it’s so important:
x whatever else republican house speaker mike johnson (and the congressional republicans who serve under him) ever do in this life, this headline will last forever and ever, for their whole blessed lives. (gift link, no paywall) www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/u... — Rachel Maddow (@maddow.msnbc.com) 2025-07-23T01:31:20.649Z
🚚 💙 Democrats Deliver 💙 🚚
The latest edition of the Blue Print is HERE (the DNC publication) 🎩 Momma O
(I can’t get rid of this extra line!!!) DNC provides information on the ugly bill Last week, the DNC launched TrumpTax.Com to highlight how Republicans’ extreme tax and spending bill will directly increase costs for people all over the country. “The Trump Tax is the largest redistribution of wealth and the largest cut to health care in American history,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement. “While Trump steers the US economy toward a financial crisis, the Trump Tax is shuttering hospitals and nursing homes, skyrocketing energy bills, and exploding the deficit.” The website offers a host of information on how the bill will impact each state — including health care cuts, rural hospital closures, and electricity bill increases — all while billionaires get a giant tax cut. I looked up how Arizona will suffer: Nearly 366,000 Arizonans will lose health insurance
366,000 Arizonans will lose health insurance 73,000 Arizonans are at risk of losing food assistance
Arizonans are at risk of losing food assistance Nearly 147,000 Arizonans could lose their job
147,000 Arizonans could lose their job The median household in Arizona will lose nearly $300 from the Trump Tax alone. Combined with Trump’s reckless tariff agenda, the median household will lose nearly $1,600 total
median household in Arizona will lose nearly $300 from the Trump Tax alone. Combined with Trump’s reckless tariff agenda, the median household will lose nearly $1,600 total Five rural hospitals in Arizona are at risk of closing
rural hospitals in Arizona are at risk of closing Arizonans’ electricity bills will rise by 13.4%
13.4% Trump’s reckless tariffs have already cost Arizona businesses $747.3 million
🎩 bilboteach: Dems block the Rs
Democrat politicians (Q2 2025) are more popular than Republican politicians! According to YouGov, the most popular politician is Barack Obama. The second most popular politician is Arnold Schwarzenegger — although he is R, he is not maga. After that we get, in order: 3 Kamala Harris; Bernie Sanders 4 ; Hillary Clinton 5 ;Elizabeth Warren 6 ; 7 Bill Clinton; 8 Joe Biden and so on. Trump is only 16, beaten out even by JD Vance! at 13!
I expect this ranking explains why tRump is trying to gin up arrests of Obama these days.
Always enjoy Rep Jasmine Crockett
x Does anyone bring the 🔥 to Trump better than Jasmine Crockett? #ResistTrump — The Democratic Coalition (@thedemcoalition.bsky.social) 2025-07-22T15:24:08.429Z
💜 Unity? 💜
Despite Speaker Mouse Johnson’s attempt to keep the Epstein files sealed:
x Breaking: A House Oversight subcommittee just moved to subpoena the Justice Department's files on Jeffrey Epstein. Three Republicans voted with Democrats, sending it through on an 8-2 vote. The subcommittee will now work on subpoena language — it could get taken up after the House's summer recess. — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) 2025-07-23T22:05:39.628Z
Joe Talarico. He was also on MSNBC’s The Briefing with Jen Psaki:
x Meet James Talarico, the Texas Democrat that Joe Rogan says should run for President. Read our interview with @jamestalarico.bsky.social here 👇 — Politico (@politico.com) 2025-07-19T15:41:41.678Z
From the Politico article:
In an interview with POLITICO Magazine, Talarico discussed what it was like to go on Rogan’s show and why he thinks the podcaster who endorsed Donald Trump in 2024 is still up for grabs for Democrats going forward. “He speaks for a lot of people who don’t feel like they belong in either political party, and are rightly suspicious of a corrupt political system,” Talarico said. The 36-year-old Talarico is not your average Democratic politician; he’s an aspiring preacher who studies at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and has gained nearly 1 million followers on TikTok by publishing videos that frequently center on the intersection of his Christian faith and politics. And that’s how Rogan found him. Rogan invited Talarico on the podcast after seeing one of his viral videos explaining his opposition to posting the Ten Commandments in public schools. As he was leaving Rogan’s Austin, Texas-area studio, he talked about how his party could win over more white Evangelicals, what national Democrats get wrong about Texas and how the party could win the state in 2026 and beyond.
Talarico was also interviewed by Psaki, and gave the most interesting take on Mary of the Bible that I have ever heard. He pointed out that the Angel of the Lord asked for permission before making her pregnant, which I thought was interesting. Women, at least in this story, can choose whether or not they accept a pregnancy.
📥 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 😈
🎩 Momma O
x I can think of 2 times when leading U.S. officials fled Washington in a panic: August 1814: British forces briefly capture the capital and set fire to government buildings. July 2025: Republicans fear they'll have to vote on the Epstein files, so they adjourn early and run for the hills. — Mark Jacob (@markjacob.bsky.social) 2025-07-23T23:36:58.624Z
Some acts have the potential to backfire severely:
x Last March 1000 FBI agents reviewed files in the criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein. They were instructed to find documents naming Trump. Bondi promised to release the Epstein Client List, then reversed course. Creating 1000 possible leakers may backfire. www.cnbc.com/2025/07/18/t... — Bryan 🌐 🇺🇦 Slava Ukraine (@papootx.bsky.social) 2025-07-20T17:03:39.952Z
Not all of the steps being taken by the current maladministration are quelling the conspiracy theorists:
x Oh, okay. Pam Bondi just fired the Epstein and Maxwell prosecutor, Maureen Comey. That'll kill the conspiracy theories. — emptywheel (@emptywheel.bsky.social) 2025-07-16T22:58:15.935Z
And there’s this:
x Trump is in a hell of a bind of his own making. If he doesn't pardon convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, she'll testify before Congress and blow this up, even if she pleads the fifth. If he does pardon Maxwell for sex trafficking, it'll blow up the whole thing anyway. — Charlotte Clymer (@charlotteclymer.bsky.social) 2025-07-22T19:24:48.553Z
📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️
There are (at least) two sets of people who are paying for their truth telling these past few days.
First, Maurene Comey at FBI and all FBI leakers
From Comey’s farewell letter to her colleagues Erica Orden and Kyle Cheney Politico
Referring to the office’s longstanding motto of operating “without fear or favor,” Comey, who is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey and who prosecuted both Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, told her former colleagues in a note Thursday that “[w]e have entered a new phase where ‘without fear’ may be the challenge.” “If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain. Do not let that happen,” she wrote. “Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought. Instead of fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns at the heart of this place. A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. Of commitment to seek justice for victims. Of dedication to truth above all else.”
Maurene Comey is one of those people who knows what is in those Epstein files. Why piss her off?
We don’t know if she has been leaking, but from what has been going on in the WSJ and the NYT, someone probably has. There are reports the people at the FBI did not like being taken away from their work to watch out for terrorists in order to flag the mentions of the convicted felon in these Epstein files.
We’re also honoring Stephen Colbert at The Late Show. We also need to remember all the staff who are losing their jobs as well, because Colbert did not work alone (I had a cousin who worked for The Late Show when it was hosted by David Letterman).
CBS says Colbert was fired for financial reasons, and I believe those reasons were financial. Paramount’s merger requires approval from the current maladministration, and probably firing Colbert saved them an extra 100 million in bribes.
x Writers’ union urges investigation into Paramount move to cancel Colbert show — The Guardian (@theguardian.com) 2025-07-18T21:26:12Z
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️
This week we’re celebrating Rich Logis, who founded Leaving MAGA. Here is his story (bolding mine):
I began supporting Donald Trump in 2015. I was a political independent, fully estranged from our two-party system. When I realized that both major parties considered Trump a threat, I was all in. He seemed to be exactly whom I’d been waiting for: a needed disruptor, someone who not only was willing to obliterate the established political order, but seemed able to do so. I became a MAGA pundit. I wrote numerous op-eds, and I had my own podcast. Though I supported Trump and MAGA for what I thought were the right reasons, I was wrong, and I will work as long as necessary to make amends. A combination of factors led to my leaving MAGA. The botched handling of the COVID pandemic and the January 6 insurrection were the two major factors; the Republican response to the Uvalde massacre was the last straw. It took a year of an emotionally wrenching internal struggle before I was able to leave MAGA. When I finally left, on August 30, 2022, I traded chaos for stability. The decision was liberating. I no longer had to defend the indefensible or justify the unjustifiable. One of the primary reasons it was so difficult to leave was because MAGA is a community. Leaving MAGA is a new community for those who have left, or are giving thought to leaving. Without a new community to go to, most will never leave MAGA, even if they know they should.
Yes, he’s telling the truth (at last). Yes, he’s promoting unity (so important these days). But he understands, in a way that many here do not, that these people are desperate to belong to something, to a community. And being able to give them that is evidence of love that not all of us can manage.
📎 Odds & Ends 📎
🍄 🐭 Magic mushrooms extend cell life, especially for mice Andy Corbley Good News Network
Researchers have discovered that the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms can extend lifespan and reduce cellular aging by 50% in human cells and 30% in elderly mice. The experiments reveal another potential therapeutic use of the compound—called psilocybin—which has already been studied as a treatment for a myriad of other conditions. The team from Emory University are calling it the first ever long-term study evaluating the systemic effects of psilocybin in aged mice. The animals were the equivalent of 60 to 65 in biological human years, and exhibited hair loss and greying, as well as reduced physical activity.
☀️ Renewables helped prevent blackouts Paige Bennett EcoWatch
According to a recent report from the nonprofit Acadia Center, more than 5 gigawatts of behind-the-meter solar provided additional support during peak demand times, despite the temperature in New England exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit on June 24. ISO New England, a grid operator, issued a Power Caution on June 24 due to the heat, and that evening, peak energy demand reached 26,024 MWh, the highest peak since 2013. Based on Acadia Center’s findings, as much as 22% of power usage in New England on June 24 came from behind-the-meter solar. Thanks to residential solar, customers did not have to face energy blackouts and even saved money on skyrocketing electricity prices during the heat wave. The report from Acadia Center noted that while wholesale electricity prices reached more than $1,000 per megawatt-hour (MWh), customers with behind-the-meter solar saved more than $8.2 million collectively. This estimate may even be much lower than reality, with Acadia Center explaining that behind-the-meter solar may have saved customers $19.4 million in energy costs on June 24 alone.
Just another example of how individual actions are adding up.
🐦 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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