As I reflected on the topic of Optimism, and Independence Day, I was struck by just how outrageously bold and optimistic the signers of the Declaration of Independence were. Two British battalions were already on American soil in March of 1775. On the Fourth of July, 1776, that momentous signing meant facing the might of the entire British Empire. That took some extreme optimism! For me that’s a valuable example of taking a calculated risk.
Note: This will be a relatively brief Roundup for one major reason- the author is recovering from a Covid 19 infection after travelling to Wis. and Col. Thank dogs for science and the development of Paxlovid!! So, before I venture into providing some new good news, and a few revivals of especially good news, I want to repeat a refrain from past GNRs.
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, 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. 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.
* FAFO for trying to subvert democracy is in full swing. In the last 5-6 weeks alone, another 3 dozen alleged Capitol rioters have been named and added to the defendants list.
NPRs update of the cases involving the Jan 6th insurrection as follows.
NPR is tracking every criminal case stemming from that day's events. This database makes publicly available — and searchable — information on hundreds of cases, including alleged affiliation with extremist ideologies and past or present police or military experience.
An overview of the cases so far
- Number of people charged, federal: 1,049
- Number of people who have pleaded guilty: 609
- Number of individuals who have had jury or bench trials: 96
- The number with mixed verdicts: 37
- The number convicted on all charges: 58
- The number acquitted on all charges: 1
- Number of people sentenced: 553
- The percentage of people sentenced who have received prison time: 62
- The median sentence for those who received prison time, in days: 90
- The number of cases dismissed: 5 federal
- The wheels of justice move slowly, but they have effectively dealt with a large number of those who decided to take over the US Congress rather than abide by the US election outcome. What a colossal mistake!!!
* One piece of information not getting news is this: TDFG did not get any bump from his latest indictment regarding the National Archives Documents case. Doubters may click on the Civiqs Polls listed on the DK site, and they (or you) will note that “Support for Donald Trump” has been flat since shortly after the E. Jean Carroll & NY-DOJ cases. Is it possible that he has gone to the Well of Victimhood once too often. I sure as hell hope so!
As I have noted in previous comments & diaries, those Civiqs tracking polls demonstrate that the BLOATTM (Biggest Loser of all Time), began losing large numbers on Republican supporters immediately after the Insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. That act of rebellion, and the consequent news, Hearings, and the reports of Jan 6 Committee, eroded his R support from about 94% to about 74% of his Party. More:
Therefore, I don’t think the BLOAT has more than a prayer of winning the Presidential election in 2024 against Joe Biden. And that is before we work harder than we have in any 21st Century election to register and turn out record numbers of Democratic voters- which is essential if we want to keep our democratic republic!
* Nearly 40% of the new jobs in the US are in the energy sector. (HT to Andrew Cockburn).
In the electricity sector alone, clean-energy technologies accounted for 84% of net new jobs.
*Advances in care: Heart disease is responsible for one in every five deaths in the United States. However, at a conference hosted last month by the American College of Cardiology, researchers revealed that between 1999 and 2020, the rate of deaths from heart attacks fell from 87 per 100,000 people to 38 per 100,000 people, and racial disparities narrowed by nearly half. This is astonishing news. Despite setbacks caused by the pandemic, the risk of death from America's biggest killer of people has more than halved since the beginning of the 21st century.
*Canada is making its largest investment ever in protection for its fresh water. The government just committed $650 million over ten years for the Fraser River, the Mackenzie River, Lake Winnipeg, the Lake of the Woods, Lake Simcoe, the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. The funds will be used for monitoring, restoration, preventing harmful chemicals and reducing algae blooms.
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The world’s first large-scale shark rewilding is underway in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago. ReShark is raising endangered zebra sharks from aquariums and aims to release 500 of them into Indonesian waters. Marine reintroductions are tricky business, but experts think the plan will work… which means zebra sharks may be just the beginning. Nat Geo
It’s such a milestone. This is such a hopeful, momentous moment.
Nesha Ichida, Indonesian Marine Scientist, ReShark
* Australia becomes the first nation to approve psychedelic mushrooms.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration surprised researchers by approving the psychedelic chemicals found in magic mushrooms and MDMA for use by patients with specific mental health issues, making Australia the first country to recognize psychedelics as medicines.
MDMA and psilocybin
MDMA and psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, will be classified as schedule 8 drugs, which means they will be available for controlled use when prescribed by a psychiatrist, beginning in July this year, after the TGA acknowledged that patients with specific treatment-resistant mental illnesses had few other options.
The modifications will allow MDMA and psilocybin to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment-resistant depression, respectively. For all other purposes, they will remain illegal substances – or category 9 narcotics.
“Prescribing will be limited to psychiatrists, given their specialized qualifications and expertise to diagnose and treat patients with serious mental health conditions,” a TGA statement published on Friday said. Psychiatrists must also be approved by the TGA’s authorized prescriber system first.
However, because the TGA has not yet examined any approved goods containing psilocybin or MDMA, psychiatrists will be forced to access and legally supply unapproved medicines for the specified authorized applications.
***The War In Ukraine grinds on, and the drain on resources for that country and its people has been horrific. I uplifted this DK action to add more light and hope for the people of Ukraine, rather than focusing the large number of domestic action choices for DK readers.
*When Russian invaded Ukraine , they thought the country would fall in a matter of weeks. Sixteen months later, the people of Ukraine have shown unbreakable resilience as they continue to fight for their independence. Unfortunately, there has been an extremely high cost for that resistance.
The United nations estimates that 8.3 million people fled the country to neighboring European countries, while another 5.4million were displaced within the country. They estimate that nearly 18 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance within Ukraine.
In early June, the destruction of Ukraine's largest dam forced thousands of families from the region and left communities without access to clean water, electricity, and medicine. The charities that we have been supporting since the beginning of the war are responding to this crisis while also providing hugely beneficial work in the hardest hit regions of the country.
- Razom for Ukraine: is helping local Ukrainian volunteer organizations provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the people affected by the war. They have been delivering food and medicine, evacuating people, and providing shelter. So far, they have provided grants to more than a hundred organizations in most regions in Ukraine.
- World Central Kitchen: the WCK team is working hard to meet the pressing and unique needs of each Ukrainian community. They are oftentimes the first humanitarian organization to recently liberated communities. Not only are they providing warm meals, but also shelter, access to electricity, and the internet.
- International Fund for Animal Welfare: has been providing emergency relief and funds to Ukraine since the start of the war, including when Ukraine's largest dam was destroyed last month. They have helped over 100,000 animals by providing local shelters and rescue centers with food, supplies, and veterinary services (including vaccinations, chipping, and sterilization).
- Americares: has provided nearly $100 million in aid since the start of the war to meet the health needs of displaced families and survivors of the violence in Ukraine. Americares response focuses on the delivery of medicine and medical supplies, providing generators and heating equipment, supporting safety and protection and expanding mental health support.
- DONATE: Now, Please DONATE (I was unable to copy the link- so please use your email link, or find the link on the DK site)
** In my next GNR, I am planning to focus on recruiting more voters, especially the Youth Voters aged 18-29, who helped blunt the hypothetical "Red Wave" of the 2022 election. DK readers may recall that roughly 63% of the Youth Voters registering in the 2022 elections were Democratic voters, leaving the Inds and Repubs to split the remaining 37%.
* With 3 members of my family now experiencing Covid 19, I am entrusting DK readers to carry on without me today. Please read and comment, but please keep it civil as well. I’ expect to be back in it all with you in a few days!! Slava Ukraini!!