Extra! Extra! 1/19 🥰
Take a break for good news!
Hi, all, and happy Sunday.
I know. It’s not an easy time. But that’s all the more reason to take breaks for good news. So here’s your latest list!
Enjoy it. Savor it. Read it again. Then share it with everyone you know who needs a lift.
Remember, what we focus on grows. So let’s try to focus, just for a minute, on the many wins we had this week.
Sending hugs.
Jess
P.S. — I made a mistake! My Substack Live with Robert and Jill Hubbell and Jess Piper tomorrow is at 11:45 ET, not Pacific Time. Just open the app at that time and our event should pop up. Hope to see some of you there!
Celebrate This! 🎉
The Department of the Interior announced that no bids were received in the second congressionally managed oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. None!
New York City’s new congestion pricing measure has caused traffic in the city to drop 7.5 percent.
A Minnesota judge confirmed Democrat Brad Tabke as the winner of the State House District 54A election, denying the Republican candidate's contest.
President Biden announced that his administration would forgive student debt for another 150,000 borrowers. That relief includes nearly 85,000 people who attended schools that “cheated and defrauded their students,” 61,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability and another 6,100 public service workers.
Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, the American economy defied expectations by adding a whopping 256,000 new jobs in December.
The Supreme Court declined to hear a case brought by the State of Utah seeking to seize public lands managed by the federal government. This is a big environmental win!
Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal to pause fighting in the Gaza Strip after 15 months of war. Hamas will release 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian women and children who were imprisoned by Israel.
New Jersey will begin stockpiling abortion pills ahead of Trump’s inauguration.
The FDA banned the use of Red No. 3, a synthetic dye that’s been linked to cancer in animals.
President Joe Biden announced that he was commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses
Biden has protected about 674 million acres of federal land, more than any other president in history.
A drug that may temporarily help people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s is expected to be available at pharmacies by the end of March.
New Mexico has received nearly $172.3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to be put towards infrastructure and connectivity projects. These projects include rail, pedestrian, vehicle and cyclist safety in several New Mexico communities.
The New Mexico Supreme Court on Jan. 9 struck down abortion restrictions in conservative cities and counties, helping to ensure that the state remains a go-to destination for people in nearby states with bans and expanding reproductive health protections ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to office.
President Biden's administration announced that it has protected about 84%, or $96.7 billion in clean energy grants created by its signature climate law from any clawback by the next administration.
President Biden pardoned five activists and public servants, including a posthumous grant of clemency to the civil rights leader Marcus Garvey, who mobilized the Black nationalist movement and was convicted of mail fraud in 1923.
Wisconsin’s governor, Tony Evers, has created a new office dedicated to preventing gun violence — and said he plans to introduce new gun safety measures, which are largely supported by the public.
California Democrats reached a $50 million agreement to shore up state and local legal defenses against the incoming Trump administration. Half the money will go to fending off any mass deportation plan the new president might enact early in his administration.
Electric vehicle sales set a new record in the U.S. last year.
A new report shows 2025 is set to be the first time Europe will generate more electricity from wind than coal, marking the first time a single renewable energy source will generate more power than coal in any major region.
The U.S. government clawed back more than $31 million in federal payments that improperly went to dead people.
The very first bill filed in the Colorado state Senate this year is meant to preserve ballot access through a state-level Voting Rights Act, much like some other states have lately pursued.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that more than $6 billion will be awarded to help rural communities build renewable energy projects that will lower greenhouse gas emissions and have the potential to reduce electricity costs while creating jobs. The grants and loans will primarily be used to build new wind, solar, and battery facilities, though some winning proposals also include hydropower and nuclear.
President Biden lifted the state sponsor of terrorism designation for Cuba.
Michelle Obama and Nancy Pelosi are skipping the inauguration.
In a victory for voters, a North Carolina court rejected the Republican National Committee’s request to toss out 60,000 ballots cast in statewide races last November. The GOP claimed these voters did not provide the required ID when registering to vote. Of course this fight still isn’t over, but this is a positive development.
In another win for voters, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to take up a Republican appeal to review North Dakota's legislative map. The plaintiffs argued the state gerrymandered districts to give Native Americans excess power. A lower court rejected the claim.1
The 6th Circuit upheld a lower court's ruling, leaving in place state constitutional amendments that improve voter access in Michigan.
Thank you for the positive news. We need it.
Perhaps this was mentioned yesterday, but great news regarding Biden's acknowledgment of the ERA being official, which is getting no coverage on mainstream media.