Extra! Extra! 11/17
Hi, all, and happy Sunday.
I in no way want to pretend that everything is hunky dory—it’s most definitely not—but good things are also happening, even now. Letting that information in will provide a bit of a balm to troubled souls, so let’s do that. Here’s a list of this week’s wins, as well as a poem someone sent me that soothed my soul and a video that fired me up.
Enjoy them all. You’re amazing and, in your hurting, you deserve this salve.
Read This 📖
Thanks to subscriber Kate Feldman, who sent this poem to me. The poet is Chelan Harkin.
Its when the earth shakes and foundations crumble
That our light is called
To rise up.
It’s when everything falls away And shakes us to the core And awakens
all Of our hidden ghosts
That we dig deeper to find Once inaccessible strength.
It’s in times when division is fierce That we must reach for each other
And hold each other much
Much tighter.
Do not fall away now.
This is the time to rise.
Your light is being summoned.
Your integrity is being tested
That it may stand more tall.
When everything collapses
We must find within us
That which is indomitable.
Rise, and find the strength in your heart.
Rise, and find the strength in each other
Burn through your devastation,
Make it your fuel.
Bring forth your light.
Now is not the time to be afraid of the dark.
Celebrate This! 🎉
The Onion has purchased InfoWars, which Alex jones was forced to sell in bankruptcy proceedings. Going forth, the satirical news company will run Infowars as a parody of itself. The move has the official backing of Everytown for Gun Safety, as well as support from the families of Sandy Hook.
Janelle Bynum won her Congressional race in Oregon!
Veteran homelessness in the U.S. has reached a record low, decreasing by 7.5% since 2023.
At COP29, six countries just committed to increasing their energy storage capacity six times by 2030. That’s in addition to the 133 countries who promised to double it over that time period - and the U.S. is already on its way.
A new fossil fuel divestment campus campaign launched by high schoolers across 11 countries is gaining support in the US.
After 54 years, a woodpecker species found in East Texas is officially no longer endangered.
California will get $35 million in federal funding to plug orphaned oil and gas wells. The $35 million is coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is providing an overall $660 million in phase one formula grant funds being released on a rolling basis.
An influx of over $60 million in federal funds is set to benefit four Arizona rail improvement projects designed to strengthen supply chains and make transportation safer. The funds from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) are part of a national flush of over $2.4 billion that will support 122 rail improvement projects in 41 states.
With more ballots coming in, Trump has fallen below 50% in the national vote count. His popular vote margin over Kamala Harris is now smaller than Hillary Clinton's margin over him when she lost in 2016.
A new, very special, protected area has been established in Brazil’s state of Pará, guarding some of the most majestic trees in the Amazon rainforest.
Brazil also announced a plan to restore an area of degraded land about half the size of the U.K. by 2030, in a bid to combat climate change and biodiversity loss.
The federal government provided $72.8M to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to improve freight and passenger rail services in Wisconsin. The funds come from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff who was charged as a co-conspirator in the 2020 Georgia election interference case asked SCOTUS once again to move his part of the case to federal court. SCOTUS said no. It remains a state-level case.1
Senators Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff announced Georgia would be getting more than $37 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Safer Streets program. The funds will be used to help local governments across Georgia strengthen road safety for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers, as well as improve connections between communities.
Over $2.4 million in federal grant money is on its way to New Mexico to help clean up dangerous and often polluting abandoned coal mines.
South Florida’s three major airports — Palm Beach (PBI), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Miami (MIA) — have been awarded a combined $84 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to improve their facilities. The funds come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve and expand airports around the country. More than 100 airports will receive grants totaling nearly $1 billion.
The Senate confirmed Biden’s nominee to serve as head of the Office of Government Ethics, giving him a term that will last through President-elect Trump’s tenure.
Monique Worrell, in Florida, successfully reclaimed her State’s Attorney seat in Orange County after Gov. Ron DeSantis removed her from office.
Colorado voters passed Amendment J, which takes language out of the state’s constitution that declared marriage only to be valid if it’s between a man and a woman.
The U.S. Department of Commerce finalized its CHIPS and Science Act agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., essentially guaranteeing the company will receive $6.6 billion to construct its $65 billion north Phoenix facility. This protects the TSMC investment even if Trump and congressional Republicans decide to repeal the CHIPS Act.
A number of Democratic governors and local leaders from coast to coast are beginning to take action to resist Donald Trump’s authoritarian agenda.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that starting in 2027, students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals cannot be charged processing fees. The new rule, announced by the Biden-Harris administration, will lower costs for families with income well under federal poverty guidelines.
A new class action lawsuit alleges that a “ghost network” of mental health care providers maintained by insurance company Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of New York defrauded patients of thousands of dollars by forcing them to seek out-of-network care.
The Northern California-based Valero Refining Company has been slapped with the largest fine in the region's history—82M—for its recurrent toxic chemical releases and other violations at its Benicia refinery since 2003.2
Secretary Deb Haaland joined Winnebago Tribal leaders in Nebraska to release 13 bison, adding important genetic diversity to the Tribe’s existing herd.
Derek Tran has now taken the lead in the race for CA’s 45th Congressional district, and he’s likely not looking back. Dave Min also won in CA-47 and George Whitesides did in CA-27, too!
In North Carolina, Judge Alison Riggs is now ahead by 24 votes out of 5.7M! There are still more to count and NC activists are cautiously optimistic they will favor her.
Great Britain has approved new subsea power cables to connect its offshore windfarms with grids in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Germany, to help share renewable electricity across borders.
Since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, American entrepreneurs have filed over 20 million new business applications, the most in any single Presidential term in history.
The CDC announced some good news: Last year, the rates of primary and secondary syphilis, the most infectious stages of the disease, dropped more than they have in the past two decades.
A federal jury ruled that U.S. defense contractor CACI International must award $42 million to three Iraqi men who say they were tortured at the Abu Ghraib prison two decades ago. It marks the first time a civilian contractor has been held liable for inhumane treatment at the prison, ending a 16-year legal battle by the men.
A record number of women will serve as state governors next year — building on the historic gains made during the 2022 elections.
Harriet Tubman, who was the first woman to oversee an American military action during a time of war, was posthumously awarded the rank of general on Monday.
It’s going to be difficult—if not impossible— for Trump to reverse the transition to clean energy completely.
Washington State voters overwhelmingly voted to keep their landmark climate bill— a cap-and-trade law that has already raised more than $2 billion.
Watch This! 👀
This needs to be all of us right now.
This and the three items above it from the Lever’s “You Love to See It.”
Today's posting was like a balm for my soul. I have been on a news blackout since Nov. 6, and you are the one that I wanted to "get back on the horse" with. Inspirational and aspirational. Thanks.
Oh my gosh that Māori protest!! This 74 year old grandma felt that in my soul. Righteous!!