(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Good News Roundup for Friday, April 7, 2023: Talk the Talk and Walk the Talk [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-04-07 Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News! When we show up, we win. 🐮 Wasn’t Wisconsin wonderful? Thanks so much to everyone here who helped make it possible. I switched continents this week and am too jet-lagged to compose a good intro. How is it possible that even my hair is tired? But President Biden has many good words in his op-ed at the beginning of Passover about fighting hate in general and anti-semitism in particular: But Passover teaches that remembering is not enough; we must also speak out. The word “Haggadah” means “telling” – and it reminds us of our moral obligation to state clearly and forcefully that this scourge of antisemitism must stop. ✂️ But as we speak out, we must also act. Central to the seder are actions, rituals and reenactments that help us feel the exodus experience and collectively reinforce the truth that words alone are insufficient. ✂️ But government alone cannot root out antisemitism and hate. All Americans, including businesses and community leaders, educators, students, athletes, entertainers and influencers must help confront bigotry in all its forms. We must each do our part to create a culture of respect in our workplaces, in our schools, on our social media and in our homes. We have to talk and walk. When MAGA extremists show up, we can’t obey in advance (that’s from Timothy Snyder, and picked up by Simon Rosenberg below). That doesn’t mean there won’t be setbacks and challenges — for example, I don’t know what the move against the Tennessee lawmakers should be — but sometimes we will win. Come on in, friends, and let’s see what the good guys are doing. Regular Scheduled Programming No one here is naïve; we are aware of the many who are fighting to destroy our country. Some of us expected it: the cheating, the lying, the chaos, and yes, even the attempts to cling to power despite the clear will of the people. But we are here to read the efforts and the positive results of those (including us and our fellow gnus) who are working so hard to save our country from those very bad people. We are furious with them for what they are doing and we are letting them know. Remember: 💙 There are more of us than there are of them. 💛 They are terrified when we organize. THERE IS LOTS OF EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE TERRIFIED! 💔 They want us to be demoralized. The best way to keep up your spirits is to fight. So, take the time to recharge your batteries, but find ways to contribute to the well-being of our country and our world. 🗽 Biden as President ! 🗽 Biden, Harris and their administration have been VERY hard at work. Here are the last week’s posts at the White House briefing room. 👎 Out with the Bad, In with the Good 👍 elite security guy defects from Putin Erika Kinetz, Yahoo News LONDON (AP) — On Oct. 14, a Russian engineer named Gleb Karakulov boarded a flight from Kazakhstan to Turkey with his wife and daughter. He switched off his phone to shut out the crescendo of urgent, enraged messages, said goodbye to his life in Russia and tried to calm his fast-beating heart. But this was no ordinary Russian defector. Karakulov was an officer in President Vladimir Putin’s secretive elite personal security service — one of the few Russians to flee and go public who have rank, as well as knowledge of intimate details of Putin’s life and potentially classified information. Karakulov, who was responsible for secure communications, said moral opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and his fear of dying there drove him to speak out, despite the risks to himself and his family. He said he hoped to inspire other Russians to speak out also. “Our president has become a war criminal,” he said. “It is time to end this war and stop being silent.” Dangerous for this guy to stay, dangerous for him to leave. Hope he gives us some useful intelligence. Hope he and his family stay safe. ✈️ Many US airports have made improvements Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios As travelers take to the skies this spring and summer, many are in for a delightful surprise: Several of the country's airports have made big improvements in recent months, including some whose very names had long been met with something between weariness and outright dread. Why it matters: Airports are gateways to their city, where travelers make their first impression upon arrival. More importantly, the latest improvements aren't just about aesthetics — they're also about accessibility and accommodations for travelers with different needs. Driving the news: The most notable recent airport glow-up? New York's LaGuardia, of course. Now, having just sampled several US airports, there were things that impressed me and things that did not. But I did not go through LaGuardia. 💣 Republicans: Party of Crimes and Chaos 💣 Republican donor (MN) convicted of sex trafficking Associated Press via The Guardian A formerly well-connected Republican donor was convicted on Friday of enticing teenage girls with gifts, cash and money in exchange for sex. A federal jury found Anton “Tony” Lazzaro, 32, guilty of seven counts involving “commercial sex acts” with five girls aged 15 and 16 in 2020, when he was 30 years old. The charges carry mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years with a maximum of life in prison. The jury will return to court on Monday to determine what property the government can seize based on each conviction, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. No honor among right wing extremists — right-wing sheriff stealing from anti-vaxxers? The Daily Beast The leader of a conspiracy-driven sheriffs’ movement is facing a criminal investigation over his stewardship of a hydroxychloroquine-hyping group, which accuses him of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars while acting as their president. Richard Mack is the founder of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, a far-right group with ties to the militia movement. In November, he announced a step back from the CSPOA, instead focusing his efforts on leading America’s Frontline Doctors (AFLDS), an anti-vaccine group. The AFLDS is mired in legal troubles, with former leaders suing each other over lavish payouts and disputes over who actually works there. Mike Pence to testify — finally! Ermine Yücel, Talking Points Memo Former Vice President Mike Pence will not appeal a federal judge’s order that he testify in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Pence’s decision comes a week after D.C. Chief Judge James Boasberg shut down Trump’s argument that Pence shouldn’t have to testify on the grounds of executive privilege, emphasizing the former vice president is not immune from testifying on alleged illegal actions by Trump. Trump’s team could still appeal that decision. ✂️ Following last week’s decision, Pence hinted during a visit to Iowa that he may stop fighting the subpoena, saying, “I have nothing to hide. I have written and spoken extensively about that day. At the end of the day, we’ll obey the law.” They don’t yet know the date. And I bet watching tRump get indicted for something, especially hush money to a porn star, made it easier for Pence to walk away from his old boss. 🚚 💙 Democrats Deliver 💙 🚚 President Biden protects clean water Mariana Alfaro, Washington Post President Biden issued the second veto of his presidency Thursday to protect a rule issued by his administration that set new bounds for which bodies of water are protected under the Clean Water Act. Biden previously promised to veto the GOP-led measure, which would have overturned new protections for many of the nation’s waterways, including wetlands and small streams. Republicans argued that the Biden administration’s new rule would have harmed businesses, farmers, manufacturers and developers by forcing “sweeping changes to the federal government’s authority to regulate what is considered a navigable water.” Governor Whitmer (Michigan) slays three zombie laws! Abigail Weinberg, Mother Jones Michigan enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution last November, but a 1931 abortion ban remained on the books. On Wednesday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a law repealing that abortion ban, ensuring that Michigan’s laws align with its constitution and solidifying the right to an abortion in the state. Whitmer struck down three laws: one that banned abortion except when necessary to save the life of a woman, and another that made it illegal to advertise abortion drugs. She also signed a law striking abortion-related felonies from the state’s penal code. Governor Pritzker and some underpass construction Patrick Keck, State Journal-Register Part of the ongoing multi-year Springfield Rail Improvements Program, Gov. JB Pritzker and local legislative leaders met in Springfield on Wednesday to announce the start of new underpass construction on the east side of town. Construction beginning on Wednesday, Madison and Jefferson streets between 9th and 11th streets will be closed for the next 14 months to allow for the $68.3 million construction of two underpasses. These roads will be lowered where railroad bridges with a set of double tracks would carry the existing Norfolk Southern Railroad and new proposed lines for Union Pacific Railroad and Amtrak. Yeah, this isn’t earth-shattering, but it is what government is supposed to do. The roads! 💜 Unity? 💜 Portland students show support for gun safety Elizabeth Miller, OPB Hundreds of Portland students left their classes on Wednesday to protest gun violence in a march downtown. Holding signs with gun violence statistics and messages such as “kids over guns,” students took turns at the mic, giving passionate speeches demanding action from lawmakers and elected officials. “I care that I have to think about going to school and dying, I have to think about my brother going to school and dying,” said one protesting student who didn’t state their name. “I have to think about not coming home today.” The student asked: “Why do you only care that it should be your right to own a gun? Why do you not care that it should be our right to live?” Many students are walking out in protest. Moms and dads are protesting. And apologies, arhpdx, for picking up some news from your neighborhood. There’s a reason the students feel the way they do: x Watching republicans ban books, demand genital inspections, whitewash history, perpetuate gun violence, and take away people’s rights is resulting in a massive youth rebellion. Kids aren’t stupid. Republicans are for underestimating them. I give it two more election cycles. — Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) April 6, 2023 Of course, it won’t be easy. The Tennessee legislators who joined the students are getting expelled from the legislature. Don’t obey in advance: x From Tel Aviv to Nashville to Disney to Wisconsin people are rising up to challenge the extremism of MAGA. Some thoughts on the promise of this moment, and the importance of not obeying in advance (h/t @TimothyDSnyder)https://t.co/xfxlodgShK — Simon Rosenberg (@SimonWDC) April 5, 2023 Finland joins NATO — President Biden’s statement WH Briefing Room Today, I am proud to welcome Finland as NATO’s 31st Ally. ✂️ In May 2022, Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership. Both countries are strong democracies with highly capable militaries, who share our values and vision for the world. Less than a year later, we are welcoming Finland as a member—the fastest ratification process in NATO’s modern history. I look forward to welcoming Sweden as a NATO member as soon as possible, and encourage Turkiye and Hungary to conclude their ratification processes without delay. When Putin launched his brutal war of aggression against the people of Ukraine, he thought he could divide Europe and NATO. He was wrong. Today, we are more united than ever. And together—strengthened by our newest Ally Finland—we will continue to preserve transatlantic security, defend every inch of NATO territory, and meet any and all challenges we face. 📥 Actions You Can Take 📤 Tax-exempt organization complaint referrals. 13909. You can fill this out for the NRA and lots of other organizations. How about if some of us white folk go into some of the MAGA churches and video record what they’re saying? Voting rights. This may be the biggest issue threatening our democracy right now. Besides contacting your representatives at the state and federal level to do the right thing (depending on who they are), you can support and contact these organizations: ACLU — American Civil Liberties Union Democracy Docket — founded by Marc Elias, so important in fighting the challenges after the last election. Fair Fight — founded by Stacey Abrams 🌱Grass roots. Biden and Harris can do the top-down stuff, but we have to support from the bottom. I don’t know how to deprogram 75 million people, but some things have been written about, such as deep canvassing, and lots of people are talking about this. If you know someone (who did not storm the Capitol), then see if you can be pleasant. Instead of trying to reason with them (logic is obviously not their strong point) distract them with something else. We need to remove the sources of lies and to take down the temperature. If we get more of the Rs to wear masks and to get vaccinated and to vote for Ds, the country will be a better place. We need to coax some of them out of the rabbit holes and diffuse the anger and the crazy. 🏃 Run for something. If you want to run for something, but have no idea what to do, these people will help you. They also like money and volunteers to help those people who are running, so even if you’re not in a position to stand for office, you can help. Note: they are especially planning to target the 57 Rs in local governments who participated in the insurrection. 👎 Defund the seditionists. Defund the seditionists. This is a list with companies that sometimes have donated to the seditionists. The list is long. You will recognize many of the corporations, and you probably have a relationship with some — either you are a customer, a shareholder, or maybe even an employee. Contact them and compliment or complain, but let them know you are watching. Forward it to others. 🔎 Want to check out what’s going on with campaign contributions? Check out this diary. 👀 🐍 Schadenfreude 😈 Michael Moore email: We are being admonished today in the media by some so-called liberals that we should not celebrate Trump’s formal arrest in court tomorrow, telling us rather that “this is a sad day for Democracy.” Are you effing kidding me? THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! Finally, one of these bastards is being brought to Justice. I don’t care if it’s for tax fraud or for trying to overthrow the government. Ya gotta start somewhere! We’ve put up with this long enough. 📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️ tRump lies. Most people know this, yet all too often reporters accept his statements without doing any fact-checking. For example, a whole bunch were snookered into getting us to celebrate indictment week too early! Some people, however, actually do the research. That’s true of David Cay Johnston, who has been following tRump for too many years (what an awful raison d’être). Anyway, one of tRump’s recent lies was about the rally size in Waco, Texas. How big was that rally, really? David Cay Johnston, DC Reports ✂️ Applying these standards, we could not even count 1,500 people at the rally. That’s not thousands. Fans packed the three sets of risers behind Trump. Each had fewer than 240 people. In front of Trump, the images showed many empty chairs. There were also images of people leaving partway through Trump’s wandering recitation of grievances and falsehoods, a common occurrence at Trump rallies that is also seldom reported. DCReport and other news organizations long ago established that many people at Trump rallies are super fans who show up repeatedly. Finding these people in images and interviewing them at rallies is easy. The Trump rallies are thus analogous to the claim that “Atlantic City is America’s No. 1 tourist destination with 32 million visitors” in the late 1980s when I covered that city for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Actually, Atlantic City had about two million gamblers who visited the casinos on average every three weeks. I’ve been pleased by some of the MSNBC pundits recently, who have wondered about the claims of the huge amounts of fundraising tRump has been doing off the indictments. 🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️ Well, elk aren’t gnus, but I assume they’re distant cousins (I checked, and they are in the same order, but not the same family, Artiodactyla, even-toed ungulates). Here are some good humans helping an elk who fell through the ice: x In Canada, an elk fell through an icy lake and was trapped in freezing water. Within minutes, rescuers arrived, saved his life, and reunited the elk with its herd. 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/PLUaHIOjRZ — Goodable (@Goodable) April 5, 2023 📎 Odds & Ends 📎 New Mexico sets up conservation fund Judy Calman, Audubon After four years of difficult negotiations, New Mexico created the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund during the 2023 legislative session. Until this year, New Mexico was one of the only western states without a dedicated revenue stream for conservation and restoration projects. This meant that our state agencies were completely reliant on whatever they could get through the annual budget process to complete special projects. Because many conservation programs in the state do not have a specific line item in our state’s budget, they sometimes had no money at all unless the agency secured a special appropriation on a year-to-year basis. Most substantially, it also meant that New Mexico was not claiming significant federal money, which frequently requires states to put up some percentage as a match to get the federal funds. Audubon began working with a coalition four years ago to address this problem. As the coalition grew, we had many challenging conversations about how a fund should work, and which programs should receive funding. This year, with a partnership that included groups representing conservation, agriculture, state agencies, outdoor recreation, and industry, combined with an unprecedented budget surplus—the stars aligned. Last week, Gov. Lujan-Grisham signed the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund. It passed both chambers of the legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support. 📚 How to fight book banning Alyssa Rosenberg, Washington Post Book lovers should take heart. The censors can be beaten. And longtime library advocates have mustered an arsenal of statistics, talking points and legal strategies to keep shelves full and fascinating. The most powerful fact: Censorship isn’t popular. Fifty-six percent of respondents to an August 2022 survey disagreed with the statement: “If any parent objects to a book in the public school library, that book should be removed, even if other parents like the book.” A poll published in March 2023 by Wall Street Journal-NORC found 61 percent were more concerned that “some schools may ban books and censor topics that are educationally important” than by the prospect that instructional materials might offend students or parents. That skepticism isn’t partisan, either. There’s some good, practical advice on concrete actions if this is taking place in your community. Trafficking victims are becoming anti-trafficking warriors Kavitha Yarlagadda, Reasons to Be Cheerful Surrounded by books and dressed in a colorful outfit, Riya Parvin, a law student from West Bengal, India, studies for her upcoming exams –– an improbable achievement in and of itself. At 17, while Parvin and a friend were visiting her sister, a man drugged and abducted them. When they regained consciousness they found themselves in a brothel, held against their will. They were tortured and sexually abused for 15 days before a Bengali man helped them escape. For many trafficking victims, the traumatic experience might have been a turning point toward a darker future –– one defined by stigma, ostracization and discrimination. But Parvin’s story is different. Just three years after her abduction, she is pursuing a law degree under the School for Justice program, a path that will position her to protect girls from the same fate she suffered from. “I have learned a lot and I want to work to get justice for girls like me,” says Parvin. “No girl should be forced and exploited like me, and I want to see the victims get justice.” 👑 Jill Biden going to the coronation of King Charles III WH Briefing President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with King Charles III, underscoring the strength of the relationship between our countries and the friendship between our peoples. The President congratulated the King on his upcoming Coronation and informed him that First Lady Jill Biden looks forward to attending on behalf of the United States. The President also conveyed his desire to meet with the King in the United Kingdom at a future date. Some people have criticized President Biden for refusing to go. I think it would be inappropriate for him to go. The USA exists because we don’t think one person should rule a whole bunch of other people. Our macrophages are eating those microplastics Andy Corbley, Good News Network Japanese scientists have made a breakthrough discovery on the effects of ingesting microplastics, namely that our immune system is capable of protecting us from them. ✂️ Trying to figure out the potentially toxic effects of microplastic exposure in our bodies, the scientists discovered that one of the same cellular signals that guide macrophages to remove dead cells from the body, also guides them to remove microplastics. ✂️ When microplastics enter the body, they are engulfed preferentially by macrophages, and Professor Nakayama found that the act of doing so doesn’t cause acute inflammation by monitoring a suite of the most common inflammatory compounds like nitric oxide, IL-1, TNF-alpha, and reactive oxygen species, which are all typically released in small amounts during efferocytosis. Furthermore, this was not shown to be harmful to the macrophages themselves; they were able to engulf the polystyrene and carry on with their important work. Microplastics are still terrible, of course, but this is a relief. If it’s true … certainly I am a bit worried that such news may be too good to be true. Any comments out there? 🐳 Thanks, friend PW, for letting me know about this whale of a story! x The Massachusetts Environmental Police escorted two whales through the Cape Cod Canal two days after they said about 20% of all the North Atlantic right whales left on Earth are gathered in Cape Cod Bay. https://t.co/NgQHRF4jiK — WISN 12 NEWS (@WISN12News) April 3, 2023 🐦 I do a lot of other writing. A recent offering: Hunters of the Feather, a story about a thinker-linker crow who wants to save birdkind from extinction, and sequels, Scavengers of Mind and the brand-new Familiars of the Flock (They’re really good! They’re really cheap! Buy and review or rate positively! And Hunters is also available on Audible!) Other stories, based on Jane Austen novels — including a new one for lovers of Pride & Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet’s Advice to Young Ladies — and others on Greek mythology, can be found here. All titles are available through Kindle Unlimited, but I only get paid if you turn the pages. 💙 What You Can Do to Rescue Democracy 💙 It turns out that participation in democracy is not just an every-four-years event but requires active participation, like, whenever you can find time. Current projects: Look in the comments for Progressive Muse’s report on Postcards to Voters And some other ideas: You can relax and recharge. You can join protests and freeway blog. You can help register new voters. You can smile. You can say something nice to friend or a stranger. You can get out the vote for special elections. You can reach out to upset Republicans. We need to win some back. You can share your ideas below. 🌻 💙 “Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we all are created equal and the harsh ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization have long torn us apart. The battle is perennial, and victory is never assured.” 💙 President Joseph R. Biden 🌹 🌹 🌹 [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/7/2161454/-Good-News-Roundup-for-Friday-April-7-2023-Talk-the-Talk-and-Walk-the-Talk Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/