Extra! Extra! 6/1 🥰
Hope in the midst of darkness.
Hi, all, and happy Sunday.
It’s been another rough week, (including today, ugh; sending love and hugs to everyone in Boulder 😭)—but somehow you guys are keeping on, showing up, leading with love, and continuing to do the work. Thank you. You deserve—and likely need—a morale boost.
So take a look below at all the good stuff that’s happened this week—all the people who’ve risen up, all the progress that’s been made, all the ways the world got better while we were busy trying to stave off fascism. Yes, there’s a lot to grieve about, but this list shows that there’s also some stuff going right. Let’s practice some self care and dwell on that for a few minutes, why don’t we?
Thank you for who you are and all you do. At the very top of this list, every week, really should be your name. Please imagine it there, because YOU are the good news that just keeps on coming. And Lord knows we need it.
Love you guys. Have a good rest of the weekend if you can.
Read This 📖
"Stay Sane: 80 Tiny Moves to Resist Digital Despair." Really, really good.
Celebrate This! 🎉
Three Republican lawmakers in Florida whose families fled Cuba are pushing back on the Trump administration’s efforts to end programs that protect many of the region’s immigrant communities from deportation.
European sales of Tesla vehicles plunged in April.
A group of climber-activists hung a large Trans Pride flag on El Capitan, visible to onlookers in Yosemite Valley.
NPR is suing Trump over his executive order that aimed to end federal funding for NPR and PBS.
A new South Carolina law expands access to free and reduced-price school lunches, and bans schools from punishing students over unpaid school meal debt.
The European Union stepped in to provide Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty an infusion of millions of dollars to keep functioning
A California appeals court ruled that a small southern California school district must immediately pause its ban on critical race theory.
Insurance company Chubb has decided to stop insuring Calcasieu Pass, a major LNG project on the Gulf Coast!
Finland will supply $101.35 million of ammunition to Ukraine by using proceeds from Russian financial assets frozen by the European Union after Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Alameda County, CA plans to give away 15 million free diapers to families in need.
Bruce Springsteen doubled down and released a six-track EP titled “Land of Hope & Dreams” that includes his full remarks about Trump from the Manchester show. You can stream the EP here.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that 14 states can proceed with their lawsuit against billionaire Elon Musk and the “Department of Government Efficiency.”
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon struck down Trump’s March 27 executive order targeting the law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, more commonly known as WilmerHale.
US Congressman Mike Flood faced a torrent of boos and jeers as he spoke to town hall attendees in his Nebraska district.
22 Youth from Montana and 4 other states sued the Trump administration for violating their constitutional rights with executive orders that fast-track fossil fuel projects, worsen the climate crisis, and suppress climate science.
Traders are calling Trump TACO for “Trump Always Chickens Out.” He’s upset about it—very. It’s a gift.
Almost all 381 books that the Naval Academy removed from its libraries have been returned to shelves after the Pentagon reviewed the military branch’s DEI book ban.
California approved $59.5 million in grant funding to preserve some of the state’s most ecologically significant habitats.
Colorado’s governor signed a bill to protect wild bison by classifying them as big game wildlife. Nice!
Constituents in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District met GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson with boos, jeers and laughs during a town hall in Decorah.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump regime from ending NYC’s congestion pricing program.
GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson held another town hall in Elkader, Iowa and got roundly booed and jeered at again! [Clip here]
Pope Leo is holding a virtual (and in person) mass for youth on 6/14—at the same time as Trump’s military parade.
Trump is lashing out at Leonard Leo.
Lindsey Graham has a new challenger, Dr. Annie Andrews, and her campaign ad is 🔥🔥🔥.
Rep. Scott Perry has avoided holding town halls for six years, but his constituents made sure their voices were heard by delivering letters directly to his office after he voted to cut Medicaid funding.
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst faced vocal opposition at a Town Hall for her support for spending cuts to programs such as Medicaid and SNAP, and for saying, “Well, we’re all going to die” when asked about the fatality of GOPs’ policies.
Judges are ruling against Trump at an accelerating pace, with the monthly percentage of losses by Trump from February to May trending upward: 53%, 74%, 76%, and 96%.
For the first time, a wrongful death case was brought against fossil fuel companies for their alleged role in global warming, causing a heat wave in the Pacific Northwest, where a woman died from overheating.
Following a lawsuit brought by farmers and environmental groups, the USDA will restore to its official website information about climate change that was removed when the current president took office.
There are now more than 1,400 No Kings events scheduled nationwide on June 14.
Dem Sen. Chris Murphy started his ninth annual walk across Connecticut. Along the way, Murphy will connect with citizens from all walks of life, host town halls, and rally grassroots support.
Dozens of people rallied outside the Bakersfield office of Republican Congressman David Valadao on Friday to protest his vote in favor of significant cuts to Medicaid.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has rejected a request from the Trump administration to pause a lower court ruling that halted the unlawful reorganization of the federal government while a case challenging the constitutionality of the mass firings proceeds.
Rep. Gabe Evans, who represents Colorado’s most hotly contested Congressional district, did a presser on the steps of the state Capitol to tout his vote on the reconciliation bill. Protesters booed through virtually the entire event.
Following months of protests, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new law, unanimously passed by state lawmakers, preventing any development projects on the state’s protected lands.
Harvard is offering free courses on US history, civic engagement, and politics.
Trump’s pick to be NASA administrator—who also happened to be Musk’s pick—was just pulled with no explanation.
New Mexico’s recreational marijuana tax is funding a basic income program for vulnerable families. The program provides $750 monthly payments to 80 families in two districts where students struggle with low academic performance, as well as financial counseling to the families.
Striking workers in Washington state will qualify for unemployment benefits starting next year, making it the third state to provide such benefits to workers on strike.
Contradicting RFK Jr., the CDC is going to keep recommending the covid vaccine for kids.
Dr. Otto Liebmann, an Emergency Medicine physician, sat in protest on the steps of the Rhode Island statehouse for 25 hours this weekend to focus attention on looming healthcare cuts.
Ukraine launched a “large-scale” drone attack against Russian military bombers in Siberia and struck more than 40 warplanes thousands of miles from its own territory. MAN does it feel good to see Ukraine score a win!
Most Americans, 58%, now say that the government should do more to solve the country’s problems – a record high in more than 30 years of CNN’s polling.
Because of two bills passed this week Illinois will be the first state in the Midwest to protect consumers and businesses transacting in cryptocurrency and other digital assets.
Watch This! 👀
Protesters gathered yesterday to form a giant banner reading “Resist! No Going Back” on Santa Cruz Beach to protest against the corrupt Trump administration and to celebrate Pride Month 🏳️🌈 (From a post here. Video credit: @painchaudkevin on Threads)
Thank you for keeping me aware of the better news that I often miss due to the endless horrific news that I have to stop reading when I reach my overload quota. Your newsletter really do help.
Thank you, Jess, you do the work and provide the information that gives this 85 year old woman hope for the future of my grandchildren and one great grandchild. I will make every effort to find a march in my area on the 14th.