Welcome 😄 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
Sometimes it feels as if you are isolated by your frustration. I am here to tell you that you don’t have to feel lonely. If you express your idea, your desire for action — if you take that first step forward and do something — you will find friends. The first thing you attempt may not work. That’s OK. Most of us don’t succeed the first time. Try something else.
I’ve found story after story with people trying to do the right thing. Such as Hickenlooper, realizing that he won’t be president but could be a senator and making that bid. Then there are neighbors stepping forward to help strangers in need.
You are not alone. Many people are working together to make our country and our planet a better place.
If you come up with an idea to help, implement it. Share it. Or join a group that’s already helping. And if you need help, ask for it. We’re here for each other.
Regular Scheduled Programming
No one here is naïve; we are aware of the very bad stuff that is happening. Some of us expected it: the cheating, the lying, the chaos, and yes, even the attempts to cling to power despite the clear will of the people. 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 from those very bad people. We are furious with them for what they are doing and we are letting them know. Remember:
💚 There are more of us than there are of them.
💛 They are terrified when we organize. THERE IS LOTS OF EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE TERRIFIED!
💔 They want us to be demoralized. We have to keep demoralizing them. Name, blame and shame! IT IS WORKING! WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE DEMORALIZED!
💙 The best way to keep up your spirits is to fight. So, take the time to recharge your batteries, but find ways to contribute to the well-being of our country and our world.
💙 Toxic 🍄 Trump Matters 👎 & Russia, Russia, Russia 🐻
This last week the creep has seemed even more off his rocker, hasn’t he? The absurdity of trying to buy Greenland (as if Trump’s money is good), cancelling a trip to Denmark, or now declaring that he’s the chosen one, that is, approved by God — these seem like mad distractions.
From Rick Wilson at The Daily Beast
Only his most deluded followers still buy that the phrase “Stable Genius” can be applied without irony to this president.
Donald Trump, the conqueror of Greenland, victor of World Trade War I, King of the Jews, richest man in the world, number-one lover man of all ladies, and golden god astride the Fruited Plain is the tallest, smartest, most handsome, best-hung President in this or any era.
Just ask him. Or the voices in his head.
Which makes me wonder what the hell is really going on. What is getting under the cretin’s orange-coated skin? It could be:
The threat of recession?
Signs have been found in the inverted yield curve, the drop in sales of RVs, and the crushing deficit.
The polls? (this is from last week, link from hpg).
And this from Yosef52’s diary last night
Stunning numbers from the newest AP-NORC poll:
About 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s overall job performance, according to a new poll released Thursday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which finds some support for the president’s handling of the U.S. economy but gives him weak marks on other major issues.
Just 36% of Americans approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president; 62% disapprove. [Emphasis added.]
Horrendous ratings for a president facing reelection in little over 14 months
Something else? We know that Trump has been trying to block lots of discovery with respect to his finances, but we also know that Congress has been able to do an end-run around some of it. Other items are still stuck in court. And this diary goes into his money-losing businesses and how he is obviously staying afloat by money laundering. Could this be about to come out?
It feels as if something major is about to drop, and maybe we have to wait until after Labor Day to learn what it is. But something’s brewing. Or possibly several somethings.
🐊 Draining the Swamp 🐊
NY AG office questions Oliver North about the NRA
Investigators with the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James questioned former National Rifle Association President Oliver North on Tuesday, deposing a former NRA official with an axe to grind over the gun group’s strenuous objections.
The interview followed a last-ditch and ultimately unsuccessful effort by the NRA to convince a judge to allow it to send an attorney to sit in on the meeting with the power to object. ✂️
So for James, North could be a real boon for the investigation. In a subpoena to North, James asks him specifically to provide documents relating to “allegations” he made “of financial impropriety, mismanagement, misuse or waste of assets, governance failures or other wrongdoing” at the NRA.
This is behind the Talking Points Memo firewall, sorry. But let me say that I have a crush on Letitia James.
💙 Democrats Are Great 🌊
Republicans 🐘 Got Nothing 👎
While Congress is in recess, there’s a little less news to report. But while Trump is acting like a Nazi while claiming to be the Chosen One:
💙 Hickenlooper announces Senate bid
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), who last week ended his 2020 presidential campaign, announced on Thursday that he will seek a seat in the U.S. Senate.
“I’m not done fighting for the people of Colorado,” he said in a video attacking Washington over preexisting conditions, prescription prices and the opening of public land to developers.
“I don’t think Cory Gardner understands that the games he’s playing with [President] Donald Trump and [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell[R-Ky.] are hurting the people of Colorado,” he said, referring to the incumbent Republican senator.
And why is this good news? Because PPP shows it 51 — 38 💙
Former Gov. John Hickenlooper polling over the 50% threshold as a hypothetical candidate against incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner in this latest poll from Democratic-aligned Public Policy Polling only reinforces the psychological effect of yesterday’s poll showing Hickenlooper over 50% versus the next-best Democratic primary candidate at only 10% support. There’s just no way anyone else in the running today can compete with Gov. Hickenlooper’s overwhelmingly high name in-state name ID and popularity if he decides to get into the U.S. Senate race.
Thank you, Hickenlooper, for realizing that rescuing the United States is more about beating Trump. McConnell needs to be in the minority (or better yet, out of office). And another poll, heard on the Last Word: 53 — 40. 💙
💙 Governor Jay Inslee also announced he was stepping out of the presidential race. There have been several diaries on it, but I listened to him make the announcement on Maddow, and he did it in the classiest manner possible. He’s managed to put the spotlight on the climate, and he says that he will support the Democratic nominee. From the transcript:
INSLEE: No, I`m going to support the Democratic nominee – (CROSSTALK)
MADDOW: No matter who it is?
INSLEE: You bet, it is. I know these candidates. Every single one of them is 100 percent better than the current occupant. No question about that.
BEYOND THE BELTWAY
Governor J.B. Pritzker (IL) pledges continued support for abortion providers
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said clinics in Illinois that provide abortion will receive continued state support after a federal rule change that cut off funding to businesses that offer abortion services.
The Protect Life Rule took effect Monday night. The multi-pronged change is referred to as a “gag rule” by opponents because it forbids medical practitioners from referring patients to providers that perform abortions. It also forbids federal Title X funds from going to medical clinics and other businesses that perform abortions. That money is instead being used to expand funding to other community and faith-based services that focus more on family planning.
President Donald Trump's administration announced it would be enforcing the decades-old rule in 2018
Pritzker also working on expanding broadband services
SPRINGFIELD, IL (WGEM) — With a $420 million investment in broadband infrastructure included in the Rebuild Illinois capital plan, Governor JB Pritzker said he has launched a statewide strategic initiative to guide broadband expansion by naming 25 members to the Broadband Advisory Council.
“Rebuild Illinois will improve our infrastructure at a historic scale, and it lays the foundation for economic progress and educational success for the decades to come,” said Pritzker. “High-speed broadband internet is an absolute necessity for economic progress and educational attainment, but too many of our towns and counties and communities have been left out of the digital revolution, especially downstate. Our Broadband Advisory Council will be guided by three areas of focus for Illinois’ success in the 21st century: education, telehealth and economic development. By working together, we’re going to Connect Illinois.”
The governor’s office stated that Connect Illinois will centralize state agency resources, collaborate with private-sector experts and bipartisan legislators from around Illinois and break down government silos to expand broadband access across the entire state. Their work will be centered around three main outcomes: telehealth, education and economic development.
Governor Newsom (CA) signs law to curb police shootings
California has adopted the strictest law in the United States limiting when police can use deadly force.
Come 1 January, law enforcement in the state will only be allowed to do so if the “officer reasonably believes ... that deadly force is necessary to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury”.
Gavin Newsom, the California governor, signed the legislation on Monday, surrounded by families holding up photos of loved ones killed by police throughout the state.
🐍 Schadenfreude 🍎
This diary discusses how Laura Ingraham has been losing advertisers as well.
⚡️ A bizarre, Butina-loving, deep state conspiracy theorist has been forced out of his CEO position at Overstock, because he is a bizarre, Butina-loving, deep state conspiracy theorist. Too complicated for three paragraphs, but you can read about it here.
And this is super weird, and I don’t think will help Bibi:
📣🏅 Let’s Honor Truth 🏅☀️
I want to honor the New York Times and the 1619 project, for shining a light on this most heinous of crimes. However, as the NYT has a firewall and I haven’t been able to get around it, here’s a link to PBS on the subject.
Four hundred years ago this month, the first enslaved people from Africa arrived in the Virginia colony. To observe the anniversary of American slavery, The New York Times Magazine launched The 1619 Project to reframe America’s history through the lens of slavery. The project lead, reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones, joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss.
Hari Sreenivasan:
Today, the New York Times published the print edition of the 1619 Project. The name marks this month's 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved people brought from Africa to the then-Virginia colony. The Times says the project aims to reframe the country's history, understanding 1619 as our true founding and placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of the story we tell ourselves about who we are. The project is led by New York Times magazine reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones, who is the author of the opening essay. She joins me now.
You have been working on this for a number of years, but you put this together very quickly. First of all, why? Why this topic? Why this issue?
Nikole Hannah-Jones:
Well, you don't have very many opportunities to ever celebrate the 400th anniversary of anything, and it seemed to me that this was a great opportunity to really, as you said in your opening, reframe the way that we have thought about an institution that has impacted almost everything in modern American society, but that we're taught very little about, that we're often taught is marginal to the American story. And we wanted to do something different. We wanted to use the platform of The Times to force us to confront the reality of what slavery has meant for our development as a nation.
There’s more. And I wouldn’t call it celebrate, but commemorate or acknowledge, but it’s about time we face our dreadful past, which, as Faulkner would point out, isn’t even past.
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️ ️
✉️ Turning a nasty note into love ❤️
Prior to receiving the nasty letter last month, Randa Ragland and her family had been facing a variety of tough challenges. Her husband had lost his job; she had been diagnosed with some health issues; but ultimately, her 3-year-old son Jaxen—who is autistic and nonverbal—had been diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma just before his birthday. ✂️
On top of all of this, she opened her mailbox in Pinson, Alabama, to find an unaddressed note from a neighbor criticizing her for the state of her lawn. The note said that since her yard had fallen into disrepair, its appearance was “affecting the resale value” of their homes and that Ragland needed to “do better.” ✂️
She posted a photo of the note on Facebook as a means of encouraging her friends to have patience with their own neighbors because we never know what hardships someone might be going through. ✂️
The very next day, a team of lawn care service members showed up to take care of her grass; dozens of volunteers showed up with chainsaws to clear away tree debris; and people brought groceries from the store, while others tidied up the house.
Perhaps the next time we see someone who’s having trouble with something, we should ask, how can we help instead of criticizing.
Here are other instances of people coming together to do the kind thing:
🚗 El Paso mass shooting widower has thousands at funeral — and receives a new car after his was stolen and wrecked
EL PASO, Texas - An El Paso mass shooting victim’s widower received a free car after a tow truck company worker said his old vehicle was in a crash.
Vanessa Kondow, who works for a towing company, wrote in an Aug. 18 social media post that Antonio Basco’s vehicle was stolen and wrecked Aug. 17. Kondow's Facebook post went viral. She said her husband towed the vehicle back to Basco's house.
No details have been released as to who stole Basco’s vehicle and where it was found.
👷Firefighters build walkway for senior in wheelchair
According to a Facebook post from the Webster Groves Firefighters Community Outreach page in Missouri, several of their responders had been returning from a call last week when they noticed an older woman trying to maneuver her wheelchair across her front lawn.
“Multiple stairs and uneven terrain unfortunately led to the resident falling over in her wheelchair while trying to enter the house,” wrote the fire department. “Luckily the patient was uninjured, but we saw an opportunity to help.”
A team of firefighters then returned to the woman’s home and spent their days off paving a new concrete walkway to her front door.
📎📎Odds & Ends 📎📎
⚡️ Female inmates in Oregon helping to save endangered butterflies.
Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, which is the only women’s prison in the state, hosts a conservation program that recruits inmates to care for the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly.
Since losing most of its habitat in the Pacific Northwest, the butterfly was officially listed as an endangered species several years ago. Thanks to the women in Coffee Creek, however, over 1,200 larvae have been raised and released back into the wild since the program’s creation in 2017.
During the program’s inaugural year alone, the team released almost 600 butterflies that were raised in their facility. In March, they released hundreds more.
⚡️ This isn’t new, but I was listening to a podcast on echolocation and wanted to share some information with you: the evolutionary arms race between bats and moths.
The evolutionary arms race between bats and moths was initiated by bats evolving echolocation, which allowed them to detect moths in complete darkness. Echolocation is a form of biological sonar. Bats emit high frequency calls and frequency is the number of waves of sound generated per second. They locate prey by listening for the echoes generated when their calls are reflected off the prey.
The frequencies used by bats ranges from 12–210 kHz. Since human hearing disappears at about 20 kHz, this means that most bats echolocate at frequencies much higher than humans can hear.
Moths developed an early warning system to defend against the new way bats attack. Moths have evolved ears which allow them to hear bat echolocation, execute evasive flight manoeuvres and avoid being eaten. Some bats in turn improved their offensive weaponry by evolving stealth echolocation – that is, echolocation at frequencies and intensities that are inaudible to moths. Some moths, already equipped with ears, have in turn evolved ultrasonic clicks of their own that are used defensively during a bat attack.
⚡️ And finally, 6 people, aged 62 to 85, arrested for having sex in the woods… I will leave it to your imagination.
💙 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. However, given that we have taken back the House, the tactics moving forward need to be different. Indivisible has ideas to share.
Indivisible 2.0
This Guide is for what comes next. The 2016 Indivisible Guide was about using constituent power to defend our values, our neighbors, and our democracy. This Guide is about using our constituent power to go on offense.
Offense is exciting, but it’s more complex than defense. We have the opportunity to use congressional oversight to hold Trump and his cronies accountable. We can set the legislative agenda with a bold progressive vision rooted in inclusion, fairness, and justice. But none of this is automatic — we have to demand it of Congress.
And some other ideas:
You can relax and recharge.
You can join protests and freeway blog.
You can help register new voters.
You can smile.
You can get out the vote for special elections.
You can reach out to upset Republicans. Remember, a lot of them crossed over in the midterms! Get them to feel good about being blue.
You can share your ideas below.
🌻
🍀 “My experience has been that work is almost
always the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.” 🍀
Eleanor Roosevelt
🔥 If you’re going through hell, keep going! 🔥
Winston Churchill
🌹 🌹 🌹
TRUTH MATTERS. LOVE MATTERS.