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Good News Roundup for Friday, April 19, 2024: Maybe we need a soundtrack [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2024-04-19  

Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!

There’s lots of good news out there! Polling looks better for President Biden! tRump is sleeping in the courtroom! And he is IN a courtroom.

And there are bad things that did not happen! Gee, last weekend it looked as if things were getting much, much worse in the Middle East! (Note: there were some bombs last night. That’s not good — but the Biden admin is working to deescalate.) The Senate dispensed with the stupid Mayorkas impeachment.

But sometimes it’s hard to feel it, to recognize it. Partly because we all have some PTSD, and partly because too much of the media is droning on and on about the former guy.

Maybe we just need soundtracks to lift us up.

Please share what tunes you listen to in order to improve your mood. Here’s mine. Perhaps hokey, but apt.

My grandkid reported seeing this on a sign: “I was addicted to the hokey-pokey, but I turned myself around.”

😄

Come on in, dear gnusies, and find out what the good guys are doing! And learn how the bad guys are finding out!

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.

🗽 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.

👎 Out with the Bad, In with the Good 👍

👎 BrooklyDad_Defiant: Both impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have been DISMISSED, after Senate votes found them “unconstitutional.”

x 🚨BREAKING: Both impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have been DISMISSED, after Senate votes found them "unconstitutional." pic.twitter.com/KXWCsiYe0a — BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) April 17, 2024

At least on the 1st article, votes were along party lines, except for Murkowski, who voted present (Hey, Murkowski — come and caucus with the Ds — you’ll look great in blue).

👎 West Virginia transgender sports ban overturned Nick Robertson The Hill

A federal appeals court blocked a West Virginia law Tuesday banning transgender students from sports teams consistent with their gender identity, finding that the measure violates their constitutional rights. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the measure in 2021 shortly after it was signed into law, claiming that it discriminated against transgender students. The organization brought the suit on behalf of eighth grade track athlete Becky Pepper-Jackson.

👎 Utah school board member who questioned student’s gender loses party nomination for re-election Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY — A conservative Utah State Board of Education member who faced calls to resign after lawmakers said she bullied a student on social media lost her nomination for reelection Saturday. Natalie Cline needed at least 40% of the delegate votes at the Salt Lake County Republican Convention, but she fell short of that threshold Saturday. She faced Jordan School District administrator Amanda Bollinger, who won sufficient support to become the party nominee in that school board race. ✂️ Cline had faced backlash from Republicans and Democrats after her social media post questioning the gender of a high school basketball player prompted threats against the girl. Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox said Cline’s actions embarrassed the state, and the Legislature formally censured her but allowed her to stay in office without any real power.

Cline was rejected by Republicans, which is good. Although sometimes the Rs in Utah do seem a little nicer than the Rs in other states.

👍 Good news in Nevada: Nevada Supreme Court allows abortion measure to be on the ballot this November.

x BREAKING: Nevada Supreme Court allows abortion measure to be on the ballot this November. If passed, the measure would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution.



Read the ruling: https://t.co/2SGZg7DP88 pic.twitter.com/dKTac4ekRy — Democracy Docket (@DemocracyDocket) April 18, 2024

💣 Republicans: Party of Crimes and Chaos 💣

Instead of supporting downballot candidates, tRump is holding them up.

Just how awful is the House GOP? They’re sending each other death threats. Sarah K Burris Raw Story

Gallagher announced he would not seek re-election in February after he refused to support the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Instead of stepping out of the post after the election, he decided to leave on April 19. Now, he's revealing details about the possible reason why. “This is more just me wanting to prioritize being with my family," Gallagher reportedly said. "I signed up for the death threats and the late-night swatting, but they did not. And for a young family, I would say this job is really hard." A local NBC News affiliate said spoke to the Brown County Sheriff's Office, which patrols the town in which Gallagher lives, and reported, "A case number was assigned late last year to a swatting incident related to the congressman."

Oh, look! Forgeries:

x AZ State Rep who works for Charlie Kirk’s TPUSA drops out of his race for Congress today after allegations surfaced that he forged signatures on petitions to get on the ballot. Story …https://t.co/iakGUulMma — Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 18, 2024

🚚 💙 Democrats Deliver 💙 🚚

Dems win two special elections in Michigan, regaining trifecta control Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press

Democrats in the Michigan House of Representatives saw their majority restored with a pair of victories in special elections Tuesday to represent metro Detroit-based districts left vacant after elections last year. Democrat Mai Xiong — a current Macomb County commissioner — won the 13th state House district's special election with 65% of the vote against Republican Ronald Singer who secured 34% of the vote to represent part of Detroit and part of Warren, according to unofficial results. Democrat Peter Herzberg — a current Westland City Council member — won 60% of the vote in the 25th state House district's special election against Republican Josh Powell — who won 38% of the vote — and U.S. Taxpayer candidate Robert Stano who secured 2% of the vote, per unofficial results. Herzberg will go on to represent all of Wayne along with parts of Canton Township, Dearborn Heights and Westland.

The Democratic senate candidates seem to have more money than the Rs.

💰 And we’re seeing good numbers in the House races, too! Ben Kamisar, Bridget Bowman and Joe Murphy NBC News

Democratic candidates outraised Republicans in almost every one of the most competitive seats in the race for the House, according to new fundraising reports filed this week, a setback for Republicans who had been hoping their candidates were turning a corner. Money alone doesn’t determine winners and losers, especially in a presidential cycle where most voter attention will be focused on the top of the ticket. And Republicans expect their candidates and outside effort to be well-funded. But as Democrats need a net gain of just four seats to retake control of the House, their incumbents and challengers entered April in a significantly better financial position than their Republican rivals.

Crime, especially violent crime, is way down!

x 🚨 NEW: In an election year, the U.S. is on track to see one of the lowest levels of violent crimes and homicides since President Obama was in office.



• Murders declined by nearly 20% in 204 cities during the first three months. https://t.co/oKjxqz1zeh pic.twitter.com/YNXyYSA8Fy — Axios (@axios) April 16, 2024

💜 Unity? 💜

Working with other countries before the next pandemic White House Briefing Room

Today, I am proud to announce that my Administration is releasing a new Global Health Security Strategy—outlining actions the United States will take over the next five years to prevent, detect, and effectively respond to biological threats wherever they emerge. This has been a priority for me since day one. Every American experienced the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. And every American saw how this global health challenge had local consequences—on our hospitals, our schools, our businesses, and our communities. No sector of society was immune. That’s why—as my Administration worked to end the COVID-19 pandemic—we’ve also focused on ensuring our nation is prepared for any future pandemic, outbreak, or biological threat. This new Global Health Security Strategy lays out how we will deliver on this goal. It will help drive comprehensive and cohesive efforts across our government, while generating greater support from foreign partners, the private sector, and civil society to ensure long-term impact. It will help protect people—across our nation and around the world—from security threats, particularly those posed by infectious diseases. And it will make the United States stronger, safer, and healthier than ever before at this critical moment. ### All Kennedys but RFK Jr supporting President Biden: x .@KerryKennedyRFK: Trump is the most anti-democratic president in American history. I can only imagine how Donald Trump's outrageous lies and behavior would have horrified my father. Daddy stood for equal justice, for human rights and freedom from fear just as President Biden… pic.twitter.com/R4HOTnRf72 — Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) April 18, 2024 Why Dems may save Mike Johnson — this time, anyway. Andrew Solender, Axios One reason will stand out if Democrats rescue House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from an ouster attempt: He's not Kevin McCarthy. Why it matters: Johnson has accrued credit with his colleagues across the aisle by pursuing a foreign aid package despite threats to his job for doing so. "McCarthy was both incompetent and dishonest," said Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), but "Johnson is just incompetent."

Johnson has been "courageous" in standing up to the "anti-government" wing of his conference, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told Axios. It has not yet happened, so we’re not yet counting 🐔🐔🐔. However, I think Johnson has been genuinely moved by the situation in Ukraine, and he must feel that people like Biden, Jeffries, McConnell and Schumer are much more serious and reliable than tRump (who he pointed out as a hardened criminal). Also, Johnson has a son who is about to enroll in the Naval Academy, and probably does not want us to have to go to war in Europe. 📥 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. 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. 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.

🔎 Want to check out what’s going on with campaign contributions? Check out this diary. 👀

🐍 Schadenfreude 😈

⚡️ Alvin Bragg filed a Sandoval notice, which shows the many ways he plans to “impeach the credibility” of the defendant. Link to it here.

George Santos campaign raised nothing in March Lauren Sforza The Hill

A new campaign committee for former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) raised nothing last month for the ousted lawmaker-turned-independent candidate, according to a new filing. Despite his surprise announcement last month that he would run again, a filing with the Federal Election Commission on Monday showed that the new campaign committee for Santos reported no spending or fundraising during March

Made in Iran: Of the between 115 and 130 ballistic missiles fired by Iran, approximately 62 veered off course or failed during lift off. US officials assess a failure rate of 50%.

x MADE IN IRAN: Of the between 115 and 130 ballistic missiles fired by Iran, approximately 62 veered off course or failed during lift off. US officials assess a failure rate of 50%.https://t.co/Y4Qu7vCyZF — Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | (@ChuckPfarrer) April 15, 2024

I sort of wonder if Iran — which felt obliged to attack as Israel recently attacked them — pulled its punches.

Seamus Hughes: The FBI has arrested a Kansas woman for threatening Bill Clinton and Joe Biden.

x The FBI has arrested a Kansas woman for threatening Bill Clinton and Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/8ljSYe7CUx — Seamus Hughes (@SeamusHughes) April 17, 2024

Putin-loving Texas man abducted by Russians while in Ukraine Allison Quinn The Daily Beast

The tragicomic tale of a down-on-his-luck Texan who reinvented himself as a renegade war hero in a fake Russian republic took an unexpected turn this week when he was allegedly abducted by Russian troops—after apparently being accused of being a CIA spy. Russell Bentley, also known as “Texas,” is perhaps the last person one would expect to have pulled off cunning spycraft for the nearly 10 years he’s been living among Russian fighters in Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk region. A Dallas native with a conviction on drug charges back home, Bentley briefly seized international headlines back in 2014 when he was spotted in a cowboy hat with Russian fighters and spewing Kremlin propaganda about “Nazis” in Ukraine. He obtained Russian citizenship in 2020 after remodeling himself as a combat-vet-turned-“journalist” for Kremlin-controlled media. News of his disappearance earlier this month largely went under the radar until his wife, Lyudmila Bentley, went public Tuesday with claims he’d been snatched and taken hostage by Russian troops. “Russell was brutally detained on April 8,” Lyudmila Bentley wrote in a statement on Telegram. “I CALL ON EVERYONE to do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to save my husband, our ‘Texas,’” she said, describing him as a “friend of Donbass and Russia.”

Sometimes you have to protect people from themselves. Other times, you can’t. They are just too determined to make terrible choices.

Enjoy! Bank of America decides to close the accounts of John Eastman.

x Oh that’s too bad. BofA has closed Eastman’s account. They don’t want to do business with him any longer. pic.twitter.com/wEsrAPAnjD — Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) April 18, 2024

📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️

One reason we don’t all have nice things is due to the crap going on in state legislatures. So, take a look at The States Project and an interview done with Politics Girl.

Need a shot of hope? This podcast episode is for you. Our Head of Giving Circles, Melissa Walker, sat down with Leigh McGowan, host of PoliticsGirl, to discuss how state legislatures drive every issue you care about — from abortion access, to democracy, and even preventing gun violence. Read a snippet of their conversation below and listen in to learn how you (yes, you!) can join a network of everyday people who are having a real impact in the states. Leigh McGowan, Host of PoliticsGirl: People want to know that they are making a difference — that the effort and money they put in is actually going to go somewhere. You’re the Head of Giving Circles at The States Project. Talk to me a little bit about what a Giving Circle is. Melissa Walker, The States Project: The States Project Giving Circles bring everyday people together to focus on state legislatures. They gather their friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues, choose a target state to support, and work together to raise a meaningful total that can help shift or defend the balance of power in their selected state. And it is incredible to watch how quickly policies change when state legislative majorities change. In 2018, we went into North Carolina to help break a supermajority, which was incredibly consequential for a Democratic Governor who got his veto power back. In Arizona, we helped flip four seats in the State House, leading to the closest balance of power since 1966. Now we are one seat away from a tie and two seats away from a flip in Arizona, a state we think about as one that passes some of the most restrictive policies in the country. And in Maine, we worked with two Giving Circles in 2018, and were able to change the balance of power in the State Senate. Over the next year we watched lawmakers in Augusta raise teacher pay, expand abortion access, pass automatic voter registration, pass environmental protection, and ban conversion therapy.

🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️

Love is brave. See this series from Goodable:

0/ As a reminder, whenever a mass casualty event happens (which is sadly too often) our policy at Goodable is that we'll never EVER mention the name of the attacker. Why give them the fame that they crave? Instead, we believe in focusing on the heroes. They're the ones who deserve recognition. Like Mister Rogers once said, society would be better if we all looked for the heroes.

x A knife-wielding attacker went on a stabbing spree inside a mall in Sydney, Australia, killing six innocent people.



Why are we posting about it?



Because you deserve to know all the heroes who risked their own lives to stop him.



A thread 🧵 — Goodable (@Goodable) April 13, 2024

1/ A knife-wielding attacker went on a stabbing spree inside a mall in Sydney, Australia, killing six innocent people. Why are we posting about it? Because you deserve to know all the heroes who risked their own lives to stop him. A thread:

2/ This is Amy Scott. She's a police inspector. She charged into the scene of danger at West Bondi Junction mall with no regard for her personal safety, then subdued the attacker. She did it all ON HER OWN before any police backup could even arrive. Hero.

3/ Mall footage also shows Inspector Scott attending to a victim and trying to save their life by performing chest compressions. Imagine taking down an armed attacker and also rushing to a victim to save their life. All within just a few minutes. Hero.

4/ This unidentified man stood between the attacker and other victims — with nothing but a bollard (a metal post) to protect himself. His actions saved countless lives. Hero.

x This unidentified man stood between the attacker and other victims — with nothing but a bollard (a metal post) to protect himself.



His actions saved countless lives.



Hero. pic.twitter.com/vhjEYpwYnO — Goodable (@Goodable) April 13, 2024

5/ This father was shopping with his family when the attacker came towards them. The dad turned around and stood between the attacker and his family, putting himself directly into harm's way to save his wife and child.It worked and the attacker walked away. Hero Dad for the win.

6/ After making it out safely, this father had the presence of mind to cover his children's eyes as they made their way out of the mall. He may not have saved lives, but he saved them from a lifetime of trauma. Dads gonna dad.

📎 Odds & Ends 📎

Memory of the good:

x Jackie Robinson’s widow Rachel attending a game tonight to celebrate the 77th anniversary today in 1947 of Jackie’s first MLB game that broke the color barrier. She will be 102 (!) years old in 3 months. ❤️ Jackie died in 1972. pic.twitter.com/75KyiPj4Ia — Spiro’s Ghost (@AntiToxicPeople) April 16, 2024

✈️ 💩 Airline places order for fuel made from human waste Paige Bennett EcoWatch

Wizz Air, a budget airline based in Hungary, has placed an order for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from human waste. The SAF is developed by a Bristol, UK-based startup, Firefly, which has come up with a way to turn treated sewage into fuel. Wizz Air recently placed an order for up to 525,000 metric tons of SAF for over the next 15 years from Firefly as a way of investing in the idea, The Guardian reported. ✂️ According to the International Energy Agency, the aviation industry is responsible for about 2% of global carbon emissions, but advancements such as SAF can reduce the impact of air travel. However, as The Guardian reported, developing SAF can be cost- and resource-restrictive. It can be more expensive to develop than conventional aviation fuel, and many SAFs rely on materials with limited stocks, such as spent cooking oil or other food waste.

I think it’s cool that a company called Wizz would invest in poop!

🐶 Maybe not the soundtrack you want to hear, but still, adorable:

🐦 I do a lot of other writing. A recent offering: the Crow Nickels (chronicles), a trilogy about crows who want to save birdkind from extinction: Hunters of the Feather, Scavengers of Mind and Familiars of the Flock (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 — such as The Meryton Murders — and others based on history and Greek mythology, such as Jocasta: The Mother-Wife of Oedipus, 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 say something nice to friend or a stranger.

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

🌹 🌹 🌹

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