Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
We often talk about the ways the Rs brainwash so many of their followers. They appeal to emotions. They appeal to fear. They appeal to the amygdala. And they lie, entertaining their followers with new conspiracy theories, but repeating the lies so often that they reach their followers.
We talk less about the tactics used on us by the Rs. Our brains tend to work differently, so the tactics are different. They divide us from each other, e.g. Sanders supporters v. Clinton supporters. They distract us with things that matter (Roe v. Wade) and things that should not matter (Dr. Seuss).
And they attempt to demoralize us. Because people who are demoralized — people who assume their efforts will fail — often will not bother.
We heard this about the hearings. That they wouldn’t make a difference. That people would not be interested.
Turns out they were wrong! The hearings are making a difference. (And I’m sorry there’s not more in here on yesterday’s hearings, but I’ve had a time crunch.)
So, remember there is a lot of effort to make us fail, to divide, distract and demoralize us.
Just do the next right thing, and do it as well as you can. It may just happen to succeed.
Come in, dear gnusies, and see what our friends and allies are doing.
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 (and the world) 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.
🗽 Biden as President!🗽
Biden, Harris and their administration have been hard at work. Here are the last week’s posts at the White House briefing room.
- Thursday, June 16, 2022: Bill Signed: H.R. 3613 and S. 4160
- Thursday, June 16, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris Announcing the Launch of the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse
- Thursday, June 16, 2022: Bill Signed: S. 3580
- Thursday, June 16, 2022: Readout of Healthcare Cybersecurity Executive Forum Hosted by National Cyber Director Chris Inglis
- Thursday, June 16, 2022: President Joe Biden will Host Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Leaders Meeting
- Thursday, June 16, 2022: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Montana Disaster Declaration
- Thursday, June 16, 2022: Statement by President Joe Biden on Bipartisan Senate Passage of the PACT Act
- Thursday, June 16, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris in a Press Call on Improving Maternal Health Outcomes
- Thursday, June 16, 2022: Bills Signed: H.R. 1298, S. 66, and S. 2201
- Thursday, June 16, 2022: Memorandum on the Establishment of the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse
- Thursday, June 16, 2022: FACT SHEET: Presidential Memorandum Establishing the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: Readout of the President’s Meeting with Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: Remarks by First Lady Jill Biden at a Reception to Celebrate Pride Month
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: Memorandum on Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: Executive Order on Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: Nominations Sent to the Senate
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: President Biden Announces Key Nominees
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: President Biden Announces Key Appointments
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: Background Press Call Previewing an Executive Order Advancing LGBTQI+ Equality During Pride Month
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: Statement by President Joe Biden on Support for Ukraine and Call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: President Biden Announces Seventh Operation Fly Formula Mission
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: FACT SHEET: President Biden to Sign Historic Executive Order Advancing LGBTQI+ Equality During Pride Month
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: The Biden-Harris Administration Celebrates the Contributions of Dreamers on Ten-Year Anniversary of DACA
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: Bills Signed: H.R. 3579 and H.R. 4168
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: President Biden Names Nineteenth Round of Judicial Nominees
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Combatting PFAS Pollution to Safeguard Clean Drinking Water for All Americans
- Wednesday, June 15, 2022: President Biden Announces Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms as Senior Advisor for Public Engagement
- Tuesday, June 14, 2022: Readout from Vice President Harris’s Meeting with Constitutional Law, Privacy, and Technology Experts on Reproductive Rights
- Tuesday, June 14, 2022: Readout of White House Meeting with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Leaders on Reproductive Rights
- Tuesday, June 14, 2022: Remarks by President Biden at the 29th AFL-CIO Quadrennial Constitutional Convention
- Tuesday, June 14, 2022: Readout of White House Meeting with State Legislative Leaders on Reproductive Rights
- Tuesday, June 14, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris Before Roundtable to Discuss Roe V. Wade
- Tuesday, June 14, 2022: A Proclamation on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 2022
- Tuesday, June 14, 2022: Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official on the President’s Trip to The Middle East
- Tuesday, June 14, 2022: Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Philadelphia, PA
- Tuesday, June 14, 2022: Statement by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on President Biden’s Travel to Israel, the West Bank, and Saudi Arabia
- Monday, June 13, 2022: Summit of the Americas Agriculture Producers Declaration
- Monday, June 13, 2022: Statement by President Joe Biden on Congressional Passage of Ocean Shipping Reform Act
- Monday, June 13, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, June 13, 2022
- Monday, June 13, 2022: A Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Belarus
- Monday, June 13, 2022: Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Belarus
- Monday, June 13, 2022: A Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the North Korea
- Monday, June 13, 2022: Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to North Korea
- Monday, June 13, 2022: A Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Western Balkans
- Monday, June 13, 2022: Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Western Balkans
- Monday, June 13, 2022: Remarks by President Biden and Vice President Harris at Signing of H.R. 3525, the “Commission To Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act”
- Monday, June 13, 2022: Bill Signed: H.R. 3525
- Sunday, June 12, 2022: Statement by President Biden on Bipartisan Senate Gun Safety Proposal
- Sunday, June 12, 2022: Remarks by President Biden Before Air Force One Departure
- Saturday, June 11, 2022: Remarks by President Biden in an Overview of the New Mexico State Emergency Operations Center
- Saturday, June 11, 2022: Remarks by President Biden in a Briefing on the New Mexico Wildfires
- Saturday, June 11, 2022: Remarks by President Biden at a Reception for the Democratic National Committee
- Saturday, June 11, 2022: Remarks by President Biden at a Reception for the Democratic National Committee
- Saturday, June 11, 2022: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Amends New Mexico Disaster Declaration
- Friday, June 10, 2022: Remarks by President Biden at Endorsement Event for the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection
- Friday, June 10, 2022: Joint Readout of President Joe Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris’ Meeting with Leaders of The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic
- Friday, June 10, 2022: Readout of White House Meeting with Disabled Activists on Reproductive Rights
- Friday, June 10, 2022: Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection
- Friday, June 10, 2022: Remarks by President Biden on Inflation and Actions Taken to Lower Prices and Address Supply Chain Challenges
- Friday, June 10, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris at the South Carolina Democratic Party Blue Palmetto Dinner
- Friday, June 10, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris at the South Carolina Democratic Party Blue Palmetto Dinner
- Friday, June 10, 2022: Statement by President Biden on Consumer Price Index (CPI) in May
- Friday, June 10, 2022: President Biden Announces Sixth Operation Fly Formula Mission
- Friday, June 10, 2022: A Proclamation on Flag Day And National Flag Week, 2022
- Friday, June 10, 2022: Fact Sheet: The Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection U.S. Government and Foreign Partner Deliverables
- Friday, June 10, 2022: Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official Previewing the Summit of the Americas Migration Deliverables and Accomplishments
👎 Out with the Bad, In with the Good 👍
👎 👍
👍 I’m not usually a fan of WalMart, but this is fun:
Russians sabotage their own missile system
💣 Republicans: Party of Crimes and Chaos 💣
Problems when an R loser in a primary calls fraud Igor Derysh Salon via Raw Story
The Nevada Republican Party on Tuesday refuted baseless allegations of voter fraud from losing Republican gubernatorial primary candidate Joey Gilbert.
Joe Lombardo, the former Clark County sheriff who rebranded in the primary as a hardline right-winger, is projected by the Associated Press to defeat Gilbert, a COVID truther and voter fraud conspiracy theorist who marched on the Capitol on Jan. 6. Lombardo led Gilbert 38.4% to 27.6% with 82% of precincts reporting Wednesday morning.
Gilbert immediately declared that he would not concede the race and may even file a lawsuit contesting the race.
Yeah, a problem with baseless accusations of fraud being your modus operandi is that anyone can make them.
Chaotic endorsements from tRump sparks backlash Zachary Petrizzo The Daily Beast
Former President Donald Trump has once again created tensions within Trumpworld over a recent campaign endorsement.
This time, Trump’s backing of Alabama Senate hopeful Katie Britt has enraged allies, following the ex-president pulling his endorsement from Britt’s GOP primary challenger Rep. Mo Brooks. ✂️
“This is a gut punch,” Fox News host Mark Levin wrote on Trump’s Truth Social platform. “Very disappointing. Britt is a McConnell-supported RINO praised by the head of the Alabama Democrat Party. I hope Mo [Brooks] can pull it off. Lord knows we need his conservative voice and vote in the Senate.”
The Fox News host would later double down, calling Britt a “disaster” while citing an article from Breitbart that alleges the now Trump-backed candidate “surrounds herself” with “never Trumpers.”
I think this retaliation from the former guy is because Mo Brooks wanted to move on from the 2020 election.
Talking Points Memo reminds us how Rs screwed themselves over the committee Kate Riga TPM (sorry, an exclusive piece)
In his opening statement of the first public hearing, Jan. 6 committee chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) reminded listeners of the different, and likely more toothless, version of the panel he and his fellow Democrats were clamoring for around this time last summer.
“My colleagues and I all wanted an outside, independent commission to investigate January 6th, similar to what we had after 9/11,” he said. “But after first agreeing to the idea, Donald Trump’s allies in Congress put a stop to it. Apparently, they don’t want January 6th investigated at all.”
It’s a callback to a time when short-sighted Republicans saved Democrats from a version of the fact-finding effort that Trump’s allies could have much more easily obstructed.
GOP criminal causes chaos in NM primary Morgan Lee Yahoo News
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s secretary of state on Tuesday asked the state Supreme Court to order the Republican-led commission of rural Otero County to certify primary election results after it refused to do so over distrust of Dominion vote-tallying machines.
Democratic Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Olive's request came a day after the three-member Otero County commission, in its role as a county canvassing board, voted unanimously against certifying the results of the June 7 primary without raising specific concerns about discrepancies.
The commission's members include Cowboys for Trump co-founder Couy Griffin, who ascribes to unsubstantiated claims that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election. Griffin was convicted of illegally entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds — though not the building — amid the riots on Jan. 6, 2021, and is scheduled for sentencing later this month. He acknowledged that the standoff over this primary could delay the outcome of local election races.
Well, this isn’t good news, but people need to see it.
💙 Democrats Deliver 💙
Sometimes, it’s actual deliveries!
Biden spoke well before the unions Jennifer Rubin Washington Post
President Biden and his White House staff have received a lot of criticism lately, much of it from Democrats nervous that his message isn’t breaking through or that he isn’t hard enough on Republicans. Biden must have heard the complaints.
At a rousing speech before the AFL-CIO in Philadelphia on Tuesday, he sounded like he used to as vice president and on the campaign trail when he inhabited the persona of “Joe from Scranton.” His delivery was punchier and at times angrier than usual. He mocked and knocked Republicans’ plutocratic economics. And he made a stronger-than-usual case that Republicans are blocking economic progress. He was rewarded with multiple ovations.
Biden took his time reminding the audience what a mess the country was when he took office, including Americans “waiting in line for an hour for a box of food.” "That’s what we inherited,” he said. His argument boiled down to an effective message: Look how much better off we are, even if there’s more room for improvement.
💜 Unity? 💜
The country, if not the Congress, is united:
You’ve probably read about the progress being made in the Senate on gun safety. Several reasons why this may be possible: the NRA has been weakened; the people are furious; CEOS are mad too. More progress, too, is happening in blue states.
Canada and Denmark resolve their dispute over an island Ashley Burke CBC News
Canada and Denmark have reached an agreement to divide a tiny uninhabited island in the Arctic, ending a nearly 50-year-long international dispute between two friendly countries.
The Canadian government posted an order-in-council this week confirming the Hans Island deal. The government plans to announce the details Tuesday.
Martin Breum, a Copenhagen journalist and expert on the Arctic, said he's been briefed by government officials in Denmark on parts of the deal. He said the settlement shows the two countries agreed to split the 1.3-square-kilometre rock almost down the middle.
Some people say that the agreement came because non putin countries want to show a united front.
Now, if you know people coming out of the tRump/GOP cult, here’s some advice:
📥 Actions You Can Take 📤
DONATE TO GNR SAVES DEMOCRACY!
newish!!! Tax-exempt organization complaint referrals. 13909. This has been filled out for the NRA, but, hey, you can use it for a lot 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. Biden and Harris can do the top-down stuff, but we have to support from the bottom. I don’t know how to deprogram 75 million people, but some things have been written about, such as deep canvassing, and lots of people are talking about this. If you know someone (who did not storm the Capitol), then see if you can be pleasant. Instead of trying to reason with them (logic is obviously not their strong point) distract them with something else. We need to remove the sources of lies and to take down the temperature. If we get more of the Rs to wear masks and to get vaccinated and to vote for Ds, the country will be a better place. We need to coax some of them out of the rabbit holes and diffuse the anger and the crazy.
🏃 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. Note: they are especially planning to target the 57 Rs in local governments who participated in the insurrection.
👎 Defund the seditionists. This is a list with companies that sometimes have donated to the seditionists, and their current approach to supporting or not supporting 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 😈
Anti-vax doctor sentenced to prison for storming the Capitol TuAnh Dam Axios
A doctor who is a leader in the anti-vaccine movement was sentenced to two months in prison on Thursday for storming the U.S. Capitol, according to the Department of Justice.
The big picture: Simone Gold was sentenced to two months in jail and one year of supervised release for her role in the attack on Jan. 6, 2021, and was ordered to pay a $9,500 fine and $500 restitution.
Occupied Ukrainians are fighting back with poisoned fruit Allison Quinn Yahoo News
Russian authorities have gone all out to tighten their grip on cities taken over by Putin’s troops in eastern Ukraine, but ordinary citizens are fighting back—with arson attacks and poisoned fruit.
The latest surprise for Russian troops came in Melitopol, where Mayor Ivan Fyodorov said local farmers had caused “mass illness” among Russians by poisoning cherries.
“Our farmers prepared another gift for the [Russians]—recently treated sweet cherries, which caused mass illness among those who stole them from the farmers. It’s the latest kind of partisan resistance on the territory of Melitopol,” Fyodorov told local reporters on Thursday.
He said pro-Ukrainian sentiment remains strong in the city, despite Russian authorities portraying themselves as saviors who “rescued” residents from Ukraine.
“Melitopol residents fully ignored the celebration of Russia Day. The whole country saw—last Sunday only 15 people out of 70,000 residents who stayed in the temporarily occupied city stood in line for [Russian] passports,” he said.
tRump election “auditor” may be disbarred after meltdown Mark Joseph Stern Slate
On Wednesday, Republicans’ fake investigation into Wisconsin’s 2020 election fell apart in the most spectacular manner possible. This implosion took the form of a stunning 25-page ruling that marks the end of this particular road for the state’s election deniers. After undergoing a full-on meltdown in open court, the man in charge of the partisan probe—former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman—is now at risk of losing his law license. His office faces fines of $2,000 a day. And the records surrounding his conspiracy-fueled 2020 election “investigation” that he has fought so hard to conceal from the public will soon see the light of day.
It is difficult to imagine a more humiliating conclusion to this sad chapter in Wisconsin history for those in the state pushing Trump’s Big Lie. The lawyers who were supposed to find evidence of fraud have destroyed their professional careers. The GOP politicians who supported this bogus audit are in contempt of court. And no one has produced an iota of evidence to suggest that Democrats stole the election. While attempting to discredit Joe Biden’s victory, Wisconsin Republicans have only bolstered its legitimacy. ✂️
At Friday’s hearing, Gableman threw a “tantrum,” as Remington described it. Gableman refused to answer questions, instead accusing the judge of acting “as an advocate” for American Oversight. He then gestured toward the bailiff and “taunted” the court by saying: “I see you have a jail officer here. You want to put me in jail, Judge Remington? I’m not gonna be railroaded.” With a “raised voice,” “accusatory tone,” and “twisted facial expression,” Gableman “pointed and shook his finger at the judge” while accusing him of engaging in a “fishing expedition.” (The ex-justice did not, it seems, see the irony in this accusation.)
The thread has some good stuff on how Loudermilk’s lies are lies. But also, enjoying the gotchas.
Dan Rather makes a funny:
And one U-Haul domestic terrorist needs a new home:
📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️
Again, I have to honor the Jan 6 Committee, because it is actually inspiring others to come forward and to tell the truth.
Some of the new truth-tellers may have wanted to come forward but were too frightened to do so before (threats or kompromat). Others may have not wanted to come forward but are now too frightened not to come forward. Whatever the reason, truth is a GOOD thing.
Another note: DOJ has asked for a complete set of transcripts from Jan 6 committee, indicating that DOJ is investigating and that Jan 6 committee is doing a great job. Sorry for no link; it was on the Maddow analysis podcast from last night.
🔥 And Ginni Thomas is feeling some heat:
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️
The kids, indeed, are alright
📎Odds & Ends 📎
🍦 Ben & Jerry’s are putting their cows on a low methane diet! Linnea Harris EcoWatch
Do cows eat seaweed? On a Ben & Jerry’s dairy farm, yes. In May, the popular ice cream maker announced that they’ll be putting their cattle on a special diet to reduce emissions of methane.
It’s no secret that animal agriculture and dairy farming are major contributors to global climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions. As a whole, the livestock sector is responsible for 14.5% of all GHG emissions; and, 40% of all methane emissions – a greenhouse gas 80x more potent that carbon dioxide – are specifically attributed to cows and other livestock.
Ben and Jerry’s, of course, relies on dairy to make their famous ice cream products (imagine a world without Cherry Garcia!), but acknowledges that their milk consumption comes at a cost to the environment; nearly 50% of the company’s carbon footprint comes from the dairy they purchase from farms. They’ve launched an initiative – dubbed Project Mootopia – to tackle their climate impacts from their legions of dairy cows. The three-pronged approach includes stoking electricity-producing digestors with the 80 pounds of manure each cow produces every day, feeding their herd with crops that contain less synthetics and contribute to healthy soils, and, finally, slashing “enteric” emissions from their bovine friends.
As mad as I am at Abbott, I don’t want Texans to suffer from the heat. So this is good news:
Just because I like birds:
🐦 I do a lot of other writing. A recent offering: Hunters of the Feather, a story about a thinker-linker crow who wants to save birdkind from extinction, and the sequel, Scavengers of Mind. (They’re really good! They’re really cheap! Buy and review or rate positively! And Hunters is also available on Audible!) Other stories, based on Jane Austen novels — including a new one for lovers of Pride & Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet’s Advice to Young Ladies — and others on Greek mythology, can be found here. All titles are available through Kindle Unlimited, but I only get paid if you turn the pages.
💙 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.
Current projects:
Look in the comments for Progressive Muse’s report on Postcards to Voters
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. We need to win some back.
You can share your ideas below.
🌻
💙 “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.” 💙
President Joseph R. Biden
🌹 🌹 🌹
TRUTH MATTERS. LOVE MATTERS.