Extra! Extra! 5/12 🙌🏼
The worm has turned.
Hi, all, and happy Sunday!
Happy Mother’s Day, too, to anyone who celebrates it.
Here’s your list of fabulous things that happened this week while we weren’t paying attention. There are some really good ones. Take a few minutes away from doomscrolling and luxuriate in the wins!
Then don’t forget to share them widely.
I have, as usual, popped an 🪓 next to every item folks like you helped make happen, or that got done by lawmakers you helped elect. THANKS FOR THAT!
Read This 📖
THIS WAS YOU! YOU WERE PART OF THIS!
Celebrate This! 🎉
A federal judge rebuked Republican Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s threatened prosecution of those who help people in Alabama obtain abortions out of state in a location where abortions are legal.
Across Tennessee, more and more districts are rejecting the GOP's bad idea of arming teachers. 🪓
Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor and lifelong Republican Geoff Duncan endorsed President Biden over Trump.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing crisis pregnancy center powerhouse Heartbeat International, along with eleven specific clinics, for lying to women about abortion “reversal.” 🪓
The US announced a new $400 million military aid package to Ukraine.
Vanderbilt University in Tennessee now has a vending machine with emergency contraception thanks to a collaboration between the student government and Planned Parenthood. 🪓
The International Energy Agency says despite bumps in the road, the world’s electric car fleet is headed for a banner year. 🪓
In response to a K-pop protest over climate concerns, Hyundai ended its aluminum deal with a major coal supporter. The carmaker will no longer get aluminum from Adaro Minerals, which plans to build 2.2 gigawatts of coal-fired power plants to power its aluminum smelter. 🪓
The Connecticut Senate has passed a bill that will ensure every worker in the state has at least 5 paid sick days. 🪓
Vice President Kamala Harris announced a series of initiatives to support the U.S. auto industry, particularly focusing on small and medium-sized auto suppliers and workers. 🪓
After over a year of bargaining, Condé Nast reached a tentative agreement with its unionized workers. 🪓
Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY) was sworn in on the House floor, replacing the now-retired Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) and leaving Republicans with just a one-vote margin for any partisan vote. 🪓
The world reached a huge milestone in 2023: Renewable sources accounted for 30% of global electricity for the first time. The rapid growth in solar and wind power has brought the world to a crucial pivot point — likely this year — where fossil fuel-powered generation will start to decline at a global level. 🪓
In this week’s Republican primary in Indiana Nikki Haley, who didn’t campaign but was still on the ballot, won 22 percent of the vote.
Paul Ryan said he won’t support Trump in the general election.
Donald Trump’s “let the states decide” approach to abortion is backfiring badly.
President Biden went to Racine, Wis., to announce that Microsoft will spend $3.3 billion to build an artificial intelligence data center there. 🪓
The California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously to list Southern California Steelhead as endangered under the state's Endangered Species Act.
Vice President Harris announced a significant funding initiative of $5.5 billion to enhance affordable housing and economic growth across America. This initiative aims to assist 1,200 communities through more than 2,400 grants. 🪓
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name to Scouting America in an effort to be more inclusive. It’s the first name-change in the group’s 114-year history.
Fourteeen more Starbucks stores, including one in my old stomping grounds of Brooklyn, have voted to unionize so far this month. 🪓
Utah’s trans bathroom ban bill has backfired somewhat spectacularly in implementation. 🪓
A federal court has approved a historic settlement involving the ACLU’s years-long lawsuit on behalf of thousands of traumatized children and parents who were forcibly torn from each other under the Trump administration’s illegal zero-tolerance practice of separating families at the border.
In Montana, Marlee Sunchild won re-election to the Great Falls School Board. Markers For Democracy wrote postcards for this race! 🪓
In Texas, public school advocates Lauren White & Phillip Davis narrowly won re-election to the Lake Travis ISD Board of Trustees (School Board) this past Saturday. It was a squeaker, and once again Markers For Democracy volunteers made the difference with their postcards! (Four more important School Board races are up on PostcardsForDemocracy. Three are for elections on May 21st. Write 5 cards, anyone?) 🪓
Violent crime is way down across America, including mass shootings. There have been 29% fewer mass shootings this year, with 91 fewer deaths and 220 fewer injuries. YOU GUYS!!! 🪓
President Biden stated that the U.S. will not provide Israel with offensive weapons that could be used in a potential assault on Rafah. 🪓
Kristi Noem has cut short her book tour, citing ‘bad weather.’ I’ll bet.
Kevin McCarthy is escalating his revenge campaign against Rep. Matt Gaetz.
In a major defeat for Marjorie Taylor Greene, members of both parties in the House voted to block her motion to oust Speaker Mike Johnson. They then heckled her. Wow.
A new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that 94% of fish stocks were not subject to overfishing in 2023, marking an all-time low.
New data shows that California’s record 10 gigawatts of grid batteries are finally pushing solar generation into post-sunset hours at a meaningful scale.
A fully-electric, 10,000-ton container ship just began service in China. The vessel can save 8,600 pounds of fuel for every 100 nautical miles traveled, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 12.4 tons.
Democrats won a county commission race in the most Republican county in Michigan—WOW! 🪓
3 out of 4 voters in New Jersey say abortion is a main factor in their 2024 vote;
A New York appeals court once again rejected the Republican National Committee's lawsuit challenging a new law expanding mail-in voting opportunities — keeping the law in place for the state's 2024 elections.
A federal court rejected the right-wing group United Sovereign Americans' long-shot lawsuit seeking to upend election administration and voter roll list maintenance in Maryland ahead of the 2024 elections.
Trump was denied a second mistrial request in the NY trial.
An 18-month-old British girl born with profound genetic deafness can now hear unaided after the “groundbreaking” trial.
A ranch in San Luis Obispo, California, will be protected in perpetuity after the land was entered into a conservation easement, blocking future development on 27,512 acres of property (an area nearly the size of San Francisco).
Rudy Giuliani was suspended by WABC radio and his daily talk show was canceled after he violated station policy by trying to discuss discredited claims about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election on air.
The Biden administration is making more than $175 million in funds available on a variety of fronts to try to halt the spread of avian influenza into cows and humans. 🪓
A federal appeals court upheld Steve Bannon’s criminal conviction for defying a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He is going to prison for four months, y’all!
A tiny town in the Texas Panhandle will not join the growing list of "Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn” after the Clarendon City Council voted 3-0 against the proposed ordinance.
First Lady Jill Biden hosted the first-ever “Teachers of the Year” State Dinner at the White House. Ahead of the dinner and Teacher Appreciation Week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new efforts to strengthen the teaching profession and support schools across the country. 🪓
Louisiana is the latest state to opt in to participate in Summer EBT for summer 2024, joining 36 other states in providing nutrition benefits to children this summer.
The US military is going big on geothermal energy.
An IRS audit of Trump could cost him more than $100 million.
The US District Court in New Jersey ruled in favor of the U.S. government in challenges to drug price negotiations brought by pharmaceutical giants Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Bristol Myers Squibb. 🪓
Microsoft will ban police departments across the country from using the company’s newest AI technologies.
Vermont lawmakers just passed a bill establishing a climate superfund that will make Big Oil pay for the consequences of global warming.1 🪓
The tiny southern town of Pornainen, Finland is getting a 1-megawatt sand battery. The battery will be capable of storing up to 100 megawatt hours of thermal energy for months at a time, entirely weaning the town off oil.
A Florida Chamber of Commerce poll found that 61% of Florida voters approve of the ballot measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.
Gravity, an EV startup backed by Google Ventures, has recently opened what is now being called the fastest charger in America. The charging station, located in midtown Manhattan, could add 200 miles of range in just five minutes of charging.
Georgia’s Republican Party has removed one of its officers after an administrative law judge found he voted illegally nine times after moving to the state.
Federal prosecutors are seeking 40 years in prison for the man convicted of attacking Paul Pelosi.
I so appreciate these good news roundups -- they put things in perspective!
Reading your list is a bright spot of my week. Thank you for all you do. Keep on keeping on 😋