Extra! Extra! 2/11
Hi, all, and happy Sunday!
Sorry this is so late—my family and I went on a six-mile hike today and yesterday I canvassed much of the day for Laura Friedman (running for Congress in Adam Schiff’s district) so I am exhausted and very behind! I’ll cut the preamble short and just say that once again, and despite the many horrors of the week, we had a LOT of wins in the last seven days!
Read them slowly. Enjoy each one. Soak them up. Revel in them. Because it was you— or people just like you—that made them happen. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
After you’ve been cheered by this litany of victories get a good night’s sleep. Then let’s get back to work making more wins tomorrow!
PS.—I have, as usual, popped an 🪓 next to every item folks like you helped make happen, or that got done by lawmakers we helped elect.
Read This 📖
The 2024 election will be determined by two things. Neither one is Joe Biden’s age. I always love Mike Lux, and this piece is no exception.
Celebrate This! 🎉
President Joe Biden's campaign raked in the highest number of grassroots donations in January since he launched his reelection bid last year! 🪓
A judge in London threw out Trump’s lawsuit that accused a former British spy of making “shocking and scandalous claims” that were false and harmed his reputation.
Jennifer Crumbley, the 45-year-old mother of the Oxford High School shooter, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter by an Oakland County jury.
A federal appeals court unanimously rejected former President Donald Trump's claim that he is immune from prosecution for actions he took as president in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. 🎉🎉🎉
The U.S. Senate confirmed Joseph Goffman as Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. 🪓
Ronna McDaniel is bye-bye.
THE MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT FAILED! 🪓
Work is beginning on restoring vast swathes of rainforest in places including Devon, Wales, and the Isle of Mann.
A major analysis of global food policy released last week concluded that a regenerative food system could create up to $10 trillion of benefits a year, improve human health, and help the climate crisis.
A panel of three judges, two of whom were appointed by Trump, ruled that former Justice Department official Jeff Clark cannot delay the District of Columbia Bar from pursuing disciplinary proceedings against him.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, elected in 2023 on a progressive platform, gave his blessing last week for the Chicago Board of Education to end its $10.3 million contract with Chicago Police to maintain officers in dozens of high schools. 🪓
Taylor Swift made history as the first artist to win Album of the Year four times.
The world’s biggest builder of recycling plants is rolling out AI systems that use cameras and computers to sort recycling more accurately.
The Environmental Protection Agency is strengthening limits on fine particulate matter, one of the nation’s most widespread deadly air pollutants. 🪓
Germany’s hard-right, anti-immigration AfD party is facing growing public backlash. 🪓
Michael Mann, a prominent climate scientist, won his long-standing legal battle against two right-wing bloggers who defamed him.
Jenna Ellis is increasingly attacking Trump, his associates, and MAGA media figures.
Prescription drug costs are falling this year for more than a million seniors — in many cases, by thousands of dollars. 🪓
National residential real-estate brokerage Keller Williams Realty reached a $70 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit alleging the industry conspired to keep prices high.
A New York trial court dismissed the Republican Party's lawsuit challenging the state's new expansive mail-in voting law.
Brad Lander, the NYC Comptroller, has issued a report called "Facts not Fear: How Welcoming Immigrants Benefits New York City."
Duke Energy is piloting its first floating solar farm on a cooling pond in Polk County, Florida.
Amtrak received a $500,000 federal grant for a high-speed rail project that would cut travel times between Houston and Dallas by almost half, allowing Texans to avoid the "most deadly" road in the U.S. 🪓
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged that Indian Railways will achieve 100% electrification within “a few months”.
Marianne Williamson dropped out of the presidential race.
65% of voters now support the Green New Deal after reading a brief, one-paragraph description of it.
The Biden-Harris Administration announced it expects to invest over $5 billion in semiconductor-related research, development, and workforce needs. 🪓
The IRS is poised to take in hundreds of billions of dollars more in overdue and unpaid taxes than previously anticipated, according to new analysis released Tuesday by the Treasury Department and the IRS. 🪓
California fast food workers announced a new union! 🪓
The man convicted of crashing his car into a Danville abortion clinic and attempting to set it on fire was sentenced this week to five years in prison.
Virginia lawmakers voted down a near total abortion ban this week. 🪓
New Zealand is banning so-called “forever chemicals” in cosmetics from 2026, in what could be the first example of a country doing so. 🪓
A newly released study from the CBO found that rising immigration will add about to add $7 trillion to the economy.
Mike Johnson was humiliated twice in one day. 🪓
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been named a target in a federal investigation into whether his government plotted a military takeover of the country.
Trump admitted that January 6 was an insurrection.
Greece is set to become the first Christian Orthodox country to legalize same-sex marriage. 🪓
The EU has drafted rules that will require companies linked to microplastic pollution to partially pay for cleanup. Companies will have to pay at least 80% of microplastic recovery costs, while the government will subsidize the rest. 🪓
Pandora, the world's largest jeweler by amount of products sold, has stopped using mined silver and gold and now only manufactures with recycled precious metals, which require less energy to produce.
Composting is now mandatory in France under new 'compost obligatoire' rules.
Also, Parisians just voted in a referendum in favor of subjecting large SUVs to a threefold increase in parking charges as the French capital presses on with long-term plans to become a fully bikeable city. 🪓
Due to wildlife corridors and conservation efforts jaguars are reappearing in the American Southwest. 🪓
The Department of the Interior received $18 million in funding for the preservation of native seeds. 🪓
President Biden issued a new National Security Memorandum that strengthened oversight and transparency measures for US military aid. Bravo! 🪓
Barclays pledged to stop directly financing new oil and gas projects and move its capital towards supporting companies engaged in decarbonization! 🪓
Puerto Rico just protected its solar net metering policy until at least the end of the decade.
The Federal Communications Commission outlawed robocalls that contain voices generated by artificial intelligence. 🪓
The Arizona Legislature passed a crucial bill to move up the state's primary and ensure military ballots are sent on time and certification isn't delayed.
In a win for voters, a federal judge struck down Louisiana's state House and Senate districts for violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voting power. The Louisiana Legislature is ordered to draw new districts. 1
Federal officials have launched the first comprehensive effort to collect data on cryptocurrency mining’s energy use. 🪓
Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada made history tonight as the first National Football League (NFL) stadium powered entirely by renewables to host the Super Bowl.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) announced that his administration will be canceling hundreds of millions in medical debt for around 250,000 eligible residents. 🪓
Vermont is trying to make fossil fuel companies pay billions for climate disasters in order to fund resilience projects. 2 🪓
Democrats in VA defeated EVERY ANTI-TRANS BILL IN THE STATE despite their narrow majority. Elections matter! 🪓
Watch This! 👀
Jessica Valenti linked to this new ad out of Texas in her stellar
newsletter and it is 🔥🔥🔥.🚨 WARNING: contains (many) profanities. 🚨
Thank you!! So good to see these. You should know that most of us don't track the timeliness of these celebratory posts, and probably 99-100% of us admire you greatly for all you do on behalf of democracy! Please don't apologize every time you feel like you're behind with us, because you DESERVE to rest and to enjoy time with your family! We are so grateful for you.
Take care of yourself. 💜💜💜
Just in case some people don't know, the phrase "Fu*k Around, Find Out" which is used to such powerful effect in the abortion access video at the end of Jessica's good news post, is using the far-right's language against it. That is a phrase used as a macho challenge by the Proud Boys, and these pro-choice activists with FindOutPAC.com who are working to protect a woman's right to make the decision whether their life is in sufficient danger to have a procedure or not, have appropriated it and applied it to voting power. Awesome.