Extra! Extra! 6/29
Good. Things. Are. Happening.
Hi, all, and happy Sunday.
Here’s your weekly list of the good things that happened this week. Enjoy it, because wow, the last seven days were rough! Still, we did have our victories, and it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate them. We’re even holding on with Trump’s horrific bill, although it’s definitely touch and go. I’m not sure we can stop it, but at least we haven’t lost the fight yet, and every day that goes by makes our chances a bit better.
On that note, the Parliamentarian has been doing the Lord’s work stripping bad stuff out of the bill. I listed some of the most notable wins below, but there are far too many to catalogue. You can find a live document with all of them listed here.
Anyway. I’m sending you all so much love. This is an insanely difficult moment in history, but even on the worst days our fight still bears fruit. So enjoy reading about it!
Tomorrow we’ll go back to work. ❤️❤️
Celebrate This! 🎉
Zohran Mamdani won the NYC mayoral primary!!
A successful policy for community solar in Minnesota has survived a political fight to end it.
A federal judge in Massachusetts said he plans to deny a motion by the Trump administration to dismiss a lawsuit over its blocking of wind energy projects, siding with a coalition of state attorneys general.
Public lands are safe from being sold off in the reconciliation bill.
Gavin Newsom sued Fox News, accusing the network of defaming him in its coverage of a phone call he had with President Trump this month. The suit seeks damages of at least $787 million.
Nearly 8,000 acres of forest in Alabama’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta, one of the most biodiverse places in North America, is now protected as the E.O. Wilson Land Between the Rivers Preserve — named after a pioneering biologist from the state.
A new Pine Tree State poll in Maine finds Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) at just 14% favorability and with an unfavorability of 57 percent.
A court in Costa Rica ordered the government to release about 200 people, including 80 children, who were flown to a detention center there from the U.S. by the Trump administration in February.
Ireland has joined a small but growing group of European countries that have completely ended coal power generation.
Massachusetts enacted a revamped version of its solar incentive program that developers and advocates say should keep the state’s solar industry moving forward even as the Trump administration pushes to undermine federal support for clean energy.
A solar project in Knox County, Ohio that fossil fuel interests tried hard to block has finally received approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board, which oversees the development of energy projects in the state.
After a nearly seven-week pause, World Central Kitchen resumed its operations in Gaza, serving 10,000 meals on its first day from its first food shipment in 12 weeks.
Since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, outside medical groups are organizing to form their own unbiased, independent vaccine panel.
The Supreme Court sided with a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and upheld the constitutionality of a federal program that promotes universal broadband access.
The Senate parliamentarian ruled to reject Republican language in the Senate megabill that would prohibit federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act from going to qualified health plans that cover abortion services.
A new law in Colorado has established Black history education standards for public schools.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee signed a bill into law banning the sale and transfer of assault weapons in Rhode Island.
Kenneth Chesebro, the alleged architect behind the fake electors scheme to keep Donald Trump in the White House following his 2020 election loss, has been disbarred in New York.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court delivered a victory for environmentalists in the fight over “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, issuing a ruling that advocates said will hold polluters accountable.
The Senate parliamentarian rejected language in the GOP megabill authorizing states to conduct border security and immigration enforcement, which traditionally have been duties of the federal government.
She also ruled against language in the bill that would increase the Federal Employees Retirement Systems contribution rate for new civil servants if they do not agree to give up civil service protections to become at-will employees.
She also advised against a section of the bill that would allow the executive branch to reorganize federal government agencies — or eliminate whole agencies — without congressional oversight.
And she ruled against language in the bill mandating the sale of all U.S. Postal Service electric vehicles and charging infrastructure! (Phew.)
She also ruled against a controversial provision that would have made it significantly more difficult for courts to enforce contempt findings against the Trump administration.
She also ruled against provisions in the GOP megabill that would dramatically accelerate the approval of offshore oil and gas projects.
The parliamentarian also struck down provisions meant to block the use of Medicaid funds for gender-affirming care and to prevent unauthorized immigrants from receiving Medicaid or CHIP coverage.
The Governor of Delaware Matt Meyer signed an executive order declaring the entire state a sanctuary for gender affirming care.
Jeff Bezos was forced to relocate his Venice wedding reception due to protesters. These protests included a life-size Jeff Bezos mannequin gripping onto an Amazon box being set afloat in the canals.
Protesters—some in wheelchairs—were arrested in the halls of Congress while rallying against GOP cuts to Medicaid. I hate that they were zip-tied, but I love that they were fighting for our healthcare.
Jerry Nadler has endorsed Zohran Mamdani! So has Elizabeth Warren!
Sen. Lisa Murkowski says there are certain situations in which she'd consider becoming an independent and caucusing with Democrats.
Since Zohran Mamdani won on Tuesday night, almost 5000 young people have reached out to Run For Something to explore a run for local office -- their biggest spike of the year yet!
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has contacted Tesla to express concern just one day after its Robotaxi launch after videos surfaced showing the company’s autonomous vehicles acting erratic.
Europeans still aren’t buying Teslas.
The L.A. Dodgers pledged $1 million for families of immigrants “impacted by recent events in the region.” It’s not nearly enough, but it’s a start.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of upholding key provisions of the Affordable Care Act—a WIN for health care access.
Senator Thom Tillis announced his retirement after asserting that he was a NO on Trump’s awful bill.
Elon Musk is tweeting against the Trump bill again. (The enemy of my enemy, and all that.)
In Twin Lakes, CO, the community has officially revived an iconic Colorado mountain pond, restoring water flow that was diverted by a developer.
Nestle said it will eliminate artificial colors from its U.S. food and beverages by the middle of 2026.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore granted 7,000 more pardons for cannabis-related offenses.
The Charlotte City Council voted 6-3 to remove Tesla from a list of pre-approved electric vehicles the city can purchase.
A student-led group in LA is delivering groceries to people sheltering at home amidst ongoing immigration raids. In fact the Los Angeles community is standing with the immigrant community in all kinds of ways.
More than 100 former gang members celebrated getting their diplomas thanks to Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention program in the world.
The Democracy Defenders Fund has filed a class action lawsuit to protect birthright citizenship for everyone in America.
A federal judge permanently blocked a White House executive order against law firm Susman Godfrey.
In Nevada, landlords who collect an application fee to rent an apartment must now return the fee to the prospective tenant if they do not get the apartment, thanks to a new law which prohibits junk fees from landlords when paying rent.
CA Governor Newsom announced $135 million in new wildfire prevention grants.
Media Matters for America filed suit to block the FTC’s investigation into them.
Nebraska Republican Rep. Don Bacon announced he will not seek reelection. This presents a major pickup opportunity for Democrats.
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction after ruling that the Trump administration likely violated the law by stripping nearly a million federal government employees of their union rights.
Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation allowing refreshments to be provided to voters as they wait in line to exercise their civic duty. Georgia, you’re next!
Sen. Bernie Sanders continued his Fighting Oligarchy tour in Shreveport, LA —the home of Speaker Mike Johnson—then Tulsa, OK, then McAllen, TX.
Meta tried to ban the Tennessee Holler account (which everyone should be following if they’re on those platforms) and the outcry was so massive that they unbanned them.
Workers at a Texas-based beef processing plant just voted by a 98 percent margin to authorize a strike at the facility amid ongoing negotiations.
A protester was heard just now on the Senate floor yelling: “How do you sleep at night Republicans?! Listen to the Democrats! You people are awful! You’re awful! These Medicaid cuts! You’re horrible!” Bravo.
Watch This! 👀
I don’t love that this was made with AI, but sheesh. It’s amazing. If you haven’t yet seen clips of the Tucker Carlson/Ted Cruz debate it’s taken from you might want to search for those first. (Posted by this Threads account.)
Wow. I really really needed this today.
We just need a couple of more Tillis’s and Bacons. No pearl clutching Collins from Maine, I hope she tanks big time. The only time she votes against the president is when it’s safe to do that, when he has enough votes. Murkowski is a little bit of a sly one too, apparently she was promised some good thing for Alaska if she would toe the line.