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GNR for Friday, May 8, 2026: We’re not giving up!!! [1]

['Chloris Creator', 'View Profile', 'Greg Dworkin', 'Dan K', 'Thom Hartmann']

Date: 2026-05-08  

Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Good News!

We are in awful times, but this is helping us to find all the good in the ordinary extraordinary people around us. Once a week I get an email from Laura Conover, the Pima County Attorney (in AZ). I’ve got more of her email down below, but I wanted to highlight this excerpt:

No one is giving up. No one is crawling into the fetal position and waiting to see what happens. No one is allowing their righteous anger or fear to overwhelm them. Not these people, that’s for sure. And these are the people for me! Laura Conover, Pima County Attorney

Come on in, friends, and read about some of the people who are not giving up, then, when you’re fortified, go out and do likewise!

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🗽

Here’s a report on last week’s May Day economic boycott Lex McMenamin The Guardian

Thousands have joined an economic blackout for International Workers’ Day, as part of 3,500 “May Day Strong” events across the country. Organizers have called for “no school, no work, no shopping”, with walkouts, marches, block parties and demonstrations held outside of institutions such as the New York Stock Exchange.

On Friday afternoon in Manhattan, protesters from the youth-led Sunrise Movement chained themselves to the front of the stock exchange while more sat blocking the exits to the property. They were joined by about 100 protesters before being arrested and removed about an hour later. A small crowd remained, playing music and chanting: “Tax the rich!”

Sunrise protesters also led demonstrations in other cities that ended in arrests. In Portland, they occupied a Hilton hotel lobby where Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials were allegedly staying, and in Minneapolis, six Sunrise protesters were arrested for blocking a bridge. ✂️

Earlier this morning, a group of Amazon workers, Teamsters and local politicians marched from the New York public library’s main branch to Amazon’s nearby corporate offices to demand the corporation cut its contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the DHS. In the nation’s capital, protesters with the organization Free DC shut down intersections across the city, holding handmade banners reading “Workers over billionaires” and “Healthcare not warfare”.

Keep organizing!

Nearly 3,000 Indivisible groups are organizing across 430 congressional districts to reclaim the power of the pro-democracy majority. Join us: indivisible.org/get-involved… — Indivisible ❌👑 (@indivisible.org) 2026-05-05T01:18:43.644Z

Judge rules against DOGE and the mass purge of grants Matthew Chapman Raw Story

A federal judge ruled against President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency on Thursday, finding that the group’s mass cancellation of National Endowment for the Humanities grants was illegal — and that a key part of the process relied on ChatGPT.

DOGE, partly the brainchild of tech billionaire Elon Musk when he was advising the Trump administration, promised to find and reform government waste and make federal agencies run a leaner operation — something that the project failed to do in terms of federal spending.

A key part of the case, noted Meryl Kornfeld of The Washington Post, turned on the fact that DOGE officials asked ChatGPT to determine what grants were part of “DEI” (diversity, equity, and inclusion) projects, and canceling them on that basis — which U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon found to be an illegal basis for revoking grants.

💣GOP: Crimes, Chaos, Cowardice💣

White House preps staff to deal with a Democratic Congress Emily Davies Washington Post

It’s obvious to everyone that it’s very likely,” said one of the two officials, who attended a private briefing, referring to the possibility of Republicans losing at least one chamber come November. “It was a sober-eyed conversation.”

A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, said the counsel’s office “has provided guidance to relevant stakeholders to ensure oversight compliance and that best practices are followed since January 2025.”

“This is nothing new,” the official said.

But the more recent briefings, at least some of which have occurred over the past month, have taken place in a very different context and have “a strong overtone” of the midterms, said one of the two people who spoke to The Washington Post.

At least some staff members have considered the briefings preparatory, given the growing sense across the Trump administration that the Republican Party is in trouble and that the time has come to prepare for worst-case scenarios.

Why are they doing this? Because, even with the SCOTUS delivering a hail Mary, they think they are going to lose.

The felon lies so much, that even his own people don’t believe him Robert Davis Raw Story

Nine voters who voted for Trump at least twice told The Bulwark that they believe Trump may have staged the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Some noted that the circumstances of the shooting seem implausible, given the level of security that follows the president.

Will Sommer, a writer for The Bulwark, was stunned by what some of the voters told the outlet. He argued in a new article that their responses illustrate the political moment that Trump has helped create.

We’re at the point in Trump’s lame duck term where his once-committed voters are preferring the ravings of someone like Candace Owens over the word of the president himself. Good luck in the midterms, Republicans! Will Sommer, The Bulwark

Although my original impulse was to assume it was staged as well, as details came out I revised my opinion. But the fact that his own (former) supporters don’t believe him is a bad sign for the felon.

Apparently these billboards are a thing…

A billboard in Des Moines is urging people to leave the MAGA movement — KCCI 8 News (@kcci.bsky.social) 2026-04-28T11:47:04.622Z

Even in Florida!

We're around a third of the way to our goal! Support a Leaving MAGA billboard 4 miles from Mar-a-Lago! Our welcoming message encourages those in MAGA to leave. Help us get the attention of Trump!www.gofundme.com/f/leaving-ma… — Leaving MAGA (@leavingmaga.org) 2026-03-29T15:06:40.369Z

There were others that would not embed.

🚚💙Democrats Deliver💙🚚

Chedrick Greene in Michigan won by A LOT

Saginaw Democrat Chedrick Greene won the 35th Senate District special election Tuesday in an astonishing 19-point landslide, returning the long-vacant seat to Democratic control and restoring the party’s 20-18 majority in the Senate for the rest of the year.https://bit.ly/4uqMN4N — Gongwer News Service – Michigan (@gongwermichigan.bsky.social) 2026-05-06T12:50:42.586716922Z

ACCOUNTABILITY: Rep Robert Garcia was on The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell on Monday. They discussed what the Ds will do if when they retake power in the House. Garcia is on the very powerful Oversight committee, and he issued warnings, naming names, including Kushner, Bondi, Noem, Lewandowski and more, regarding their massive, massive corruption. Garcia said they are preparing robust lists of people, documents, subpoenas, etc. SO GLAD we can expect some accountability!

In the meantime, even though not in charge, Garcia is making as much noise as possible:

NEW: Rep Robert Garcia (D-CA), ranking member of House Oversight Cmte, urges GOP leadership to ensure Pam Bondi’s forthcoming interview with panel about Epstein files is released “The videotaping of Ms Bondi’s testimony. Bondi’s testimony must be filmed and made available to the American people” — Scott MacFarlane (@macfarlanenews.bsky.social) 2026-05-04T13:58:24.778Z

Also, Garcia said they are planning an event/hearing with survivors next week in Palm Beach, Florida, which is where so many of the girls/young women were recruited.

💜 Unity?💜

🌵I’m on the email list for Laura Conover, the Pima County (AZ) Attorney. She sends out a note every Sunday. This is from last Sunday

After four days in Alabama a week ago, I found myself Wednesday at a national election protection meeting with our Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes. We were meeting with national leaders in similar official positions from across the country.

That same day, my election law attorney in the Civil Division and my criminal chief joined our County Recorder at the AZ Statewide training, arranged by the Secretary of State, to continue to develop our plans leading up to election day.

These are security and legal exercises to prepare for:

voter intimidation,

interference with our early ballot delivery/receipt,

deployment of ICE or military or National Guard or whomever or whatever Trump dreams up at our polls.

So at my national meeting, Fontes and I are supposed to each lecture, and we did.

But the whole conference started out early Wednesday morning in alarm with key organizers up early, tracking the United States Supreme Court and getting a hold of the 93 page decision released in the matter of Callais. This latest case is yet another massive, destructive, gut punch against the Voting Rights Act. ✂️

No one is giving up. No one is crawling into the fetal position and waiting to see what happens. No one is allowing their righteous anger or fear to overwhelm them. Not these people, that’s for sure. And these are the people for me!

You should truly feel both reassured and inspired at the work going on even right now on Sunday afternoon, in defense of our rights and our democracy.

📥Actions You Can Take 📤

Note I have removed the tax thingy for now because it is so unlikely that this IRS under the felon’s badministration will do anything about it. Will reinstate when conditions change.

Chop Wood, Carry Water— This always has a lot of ideas about what you can do today. Also, Jess Craven has some state specific newsletters.

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

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😈

🏌️ The felon misses every putt when he tries to show off to kids Rachel Vickers-Price, The Mirror

US President Donald Trump has shown off his golfing skills on Tuesday, taking a group of schoolchildren out to the White House lawn to demonstrate his sporting prowess with a putt or two.

But, instead of wowing the kids, Trump instead missed everyone one of his putts – before eventually giving up.

Of course, the embarrassing blunder was caught on camera. A member of the gathered press took to social media to share the awkward golf gaffe writing: “At the [White House]… today, Trump takes the kids outside to demonstrate his athletic ability with a little putting display. He misses every putt before giving up.”

You can easily watch this, but I didn’t embed the video as we try not to show the felon’s face. But remember all those trophies? He cheats every time.

We’ve been lamenting the problems with good media, but RWNJ media is having trouble too

eagerly awaiting the posts like “well guys we had a good run but unfortunately I’ve been laid off as the Phrenology Reporter at Daily Wire after five years. Open to any opportunities in the field of race science and genocide denial. Samples at request’ Love y’all!” — Jesse (@requiemarm.bsky.social) 2026-05-01T23:17:25.816Z

Tomorrow, Russia’s having its annual military parade without any military equipment

Zelensky: "Russia has announced a May 9th parade in Moscow without military equipment. It will be the first time in many years they cannot afford military equipment and they fear drones may buzz over Red Square. This is telling. It shows they are not strong now." — Hoodlum 🇺🇸 (@nothoodlum.bsky.social) 2026-05-04T16:29:39.760Z

It’s not just the lack of weapons. Russians are experiencing economic despair under Putin Jason Ma, Fortune via Yahoo News

Vladimir Putin is losing the Russian people as the economy and his war machine go in reverse amid withering Ukrainian attacks. On the economic front, Putin himself recently revealed that GDP contracted in the first two months of the year. And on the Ukraine front, Russian forces suffered a net loss of territory last month for the first time since 2024. After Russia launched a sudden invasion in 2022, Putin has not only failed to defeat Ukraine, his forces have been unable to take full control of the Donetsk region. “The overall mood is that’s enough already; you’ve been fighting for long enough,” a Russian official told the Washington Post last week on condition of anonymity. “It seems to everyone that it’s been going on for longer than World War II, the Great Patriotic War—and at the same time we can’t even take one region.”

The Economist talks about this too:

❗️👀 Putin is losing control of Russia. Every step he takes accelerates its decline, —The Economist"A bleak view from Moscow" from a former senior Russian government official:▪️"Putin has led Russia into a dead end, and no one knows what will happen next"; — MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 (@maks23.bsky.social) 2026-05-06T19:08:31.591Z

🌻In the meantime, over in Ukraine

It’s astounding that Zelensky survived a full-scale war without ever having a ballroom. — Hoodlum 🇺🇸 (@nothoodlum.bsky.social) 2026-05-02T01:35:48.543Z

More bad golf news for the felon: nobody came to the felon’s golf event:

And, I love this was the first I’ve heard of it. Loser has nobody willing to pay to play with him. 😂 #fdt #pinks #voteblue #86meansREMOVE HIM — Neon Antifa Life 🎰🌴😎 🏁 (@aliceknew.bsky.social) 2026-05-03T07:56:00.763Z

This could be why the Saudis are not as happy with the felon these days:

Kingdom announces sharp rise in budget shortfall amid the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. — Al Jazeera English (@aljazeera.com) 2026-05-07T01:00:04.581Z

Let’s hope they stop giving so much money to Kushner! But anyway, apparently the real reason the felon cancelled “Project Freedom” was because the Saudis would not allow the US to fly (Cameron Adams, The Daily Beast)

📣 Let’s Honor Truth☀️️

This week we’re honoring Sarah Fitzpatrick and everyone at The Atlantic, for publishing stories on Kash Patel’s drinking habits. It takes courage to go after the director of the FBI, even when he is inebriated and incompetent.

BREAKING from The Atlantic:Kash Patel has given out bottles of a personalized whiskey to FBI staff as well as civilians he encounters in his duties, according to eight people, including current and former FBI and Department of Justice employees and others who are familiar. — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) 2026-05-06T20:40:13.039Z

🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love❤️

Making things right by returning what was stolen Good News Network

A man who stole 700-year-old floor tiles from a Medieval monastery when he was a child has finally returned them to English Heritage after finding them inside a candy tin where they’d been kept for nearly 60 years. Simon White was a nine-year-old boy when he took the pieces as a souvenir from Wenlock Priory, in Shropshire, England during a family vacation in 1967. The retired surveyor’s family kept the three decorative tiles—dating from the late 13th to early 14th century—stored inside a 1920s Thorne’s Creme Toffee tin. ✂️ Simon said he had always felt guilty about stealing the historic tiles as a boy after being encouraged by his dad, so he was delighted to return them to their rightful home at the 12th-century Anglo-Saxon priory.

His dad was obviously a jerk. This story appeals to me because once we get rid of the badministration, we’re going to have to make so many amends.

📎Odds & Ends📎

Some scientists are still getting to do neat things!

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team now is targeting as soon as early September 2026 for launch, ahead of the agency’s commitment to flight no later than May 2027.By the end of its five-year primary mission, Roman is expected to amass a 20,000-terabyte data archive. #NASARoman — Space Telescope Science Institute (@stsci.edu) 2026-05-01T17:39:03.102326656Z

Eating eggs can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s Science Daily

Researchers at Loma Linda University Health report that eating eggs may be linked to a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in adults age 65 and older. Their findings suggest that regular egg consumption could play a role in supporting long-term brain health.

The study found that people who ate at least one egg per day for five or more days each week had up to a 27% lower risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“Compared to never eating eggs, eating at least five eggs per week can decrease risk of Alzheimer’s,” said Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, a professor at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and the study’s principal investigator.

Even smaller amounts of egg consumption were associated with benefits. Eating eggs just 1 to 3 times per month was linked to a 17% reduction in risk, while those who ate eggs 2 to 4 times per week saw about a 20% lower risk, Sabaté said.

I remember when people turned against eggs, sometime in the 1980s, and how stupid I thought they were.

This is cool! Well done, San Diego!

Once a poster child for #drought, San Diego now produces surplus water: enough to export to other states, thanks to decades of investment in #recycling and #desalination. The city is now negotiating deals to supply Arizona and Nevada, easing pressure on the Colorado River. — Whoa 🤯 in Slow-Mo (@0lsi.bsky.social) 2026-05-05T00:07:03.253Z

☕☕☕And yet another study confirming that coffee is a health food!

Researchers at APC Microbiome Ireland, a leading research center at University College Cork, have taken a major step toward understanding how coffee benefits the body. For the first time, scientists have closely examined how coffee interacts with the gut-brain axis, the communication network that links the digestive system and the brain.

The findings, published in Nature Communications and supported by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), show that regularly drinking both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee can shape the gut microbiome and influence mood and stress.

How Coffee Affects the Gut Microbiome and Mood

Coffee has long been associated with digestive and mental health benefits, but the biological reasons behind these effects have not been fully understood. This study focused on how coffee impacts the microbiota-gut-brain axis — the bidirectional communication between the gut microbiome and the brain — using a wide range of biological and psychological measurements.

So, go ahead and get another cup and then join in the conversation!

🐦I do a lot of other writing. Newest offerings: Messing with the Myths — three books so far in this series (new one is Ragnarok & Roll). 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.

💙 What to 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, including to independent and honest news organizations. Also, spread their news with clicks and conversation.

Slow them down. Oppose and block at every turn.

Make the felon unpopular. Doing this weakens him. And it should not be that difficult.

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:

We need just 3 seats to take back the House. GoodNewsRoundup (a.k.a. Goodie or Madam Mayor) has put together a page for donations via ActBlue. Note you can opt out of emails.

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.

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