(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Good News Roundup for Friday, July 7, 2023: The Power of Numbers [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-07-07 Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News! “There are three types of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics” (saying attributed to Mark Twain, Benjamin Disraeli, and anonymous). Numbers can be used to lie. Using a number can give a lie more gravitas, especially when it sounds reasonable. I think there was one recently about the idea that there were 17 recordings of Biden taking bribes, a story that has fallen out of the news cycle because it is not true. Numbers can be used to mislead, even when they are technically correct. For example, tRump has gone around saying that in the 2020 election, he got more votes than any other incumbent president. True. But Biden still got more votes, so tRump did not win. Numbers can be difficult to get right. The last few election cycles have proved very difficult for pollsters. And, unfortunately, some pollsters are deliberately biased. Nevertheless, numbers sometimes illuminate the truth. I have been thrilled with how Simon Rosenberg has been using actual data to show how well the economy does under democrats compared to Rs. Then there’s Propublica, which has been combing through financial information to display the corruption of certain members of the Supreme Court. I think it’s important not to be afraid of numbers, but to check them and to understand what they are saying. We need to review sources. We need to add things up and to make sure things add up. Numbers, when used correctly, are powerful. They can help us find the truth and they can help us find our way. I know this is an odd (oreven?) intro to a GNR. My apologies. I rather like numbers, but I know not everyone is keen on them. Come on in, and 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 hard at work. Here are the last week’s posts at the White House briefing room. 👎 Out with the Bad, In with the Good 👍 Order limiting what Biden officials can say on shaky legal ground Brendan Pierson and Andrew Goudsward,Reuters The order bars government agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services and certain government officials from communicating with social media companies for "the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech" under the First Amendment. The ruling is not a final decision, but is meant to remain in effect while the judge considers the merits of the case. On appeal, the 5th Circuit will consider both Doughty's finding, laid out in a 155-page opinion, that the government violated the First Amendment, as well as whether the order he issued in response was too broad, or necessary to prevent harm to the plaintiffs. While the 5th Circuit is considered to be among the most conservative of the federal appeals courts, it has reversed previous orders by Doughty in the case that would have allowed senior administration officials to be questioned. The Biden administration has argued that there was no threat of harm because the lawsuit challenged communications that ended more than a year ago. It also said that while it urged social media companies to stop the spread of dangerous misinformation, the companies themselves - including Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), YouTube owner Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) and Twitter Inc - ultimately made their own decisions. I had already found this article before arhpdx used it. But repetition is good! Miss Texas is using her position for good Molly Hennesy-Fisk Washington Post The day of the school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Tex., last year, Averie Bishop posted a TikTok video, sobbing. “These things happen all the time and nothing changes,” she said. After the Supreme Court overturned abortion rights, following her home state’s own restrictions, she posted again: “When you live in Texas and all you wanted was a hot girl summer, but now you have a ‘no reproductive rights’ summer.” In March, she posted about the need for comprehensive sex education and mourned the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the abortion precedent abandoned by the court. In May, she posted videos touting the need for affordable health and reproductive care. What is startling is that Bishop has spoken out while competing for, and as, Miss Texas. The perch has normally been occupied by apolitical women, but in Bishop’s case, the pageant queen has used it to push back against the far-right policies supported by Texas’s White male leaders. 💣 Republicans: Party of Crimes and Chaos 💣 California is no surprise, but Texas seems interested too! x California and Texas officials are asking the Biden administration to open an investigation into whether Florida acted unlawfully when it sent people seeking asylum to California and Massachusetts over the past 10 months. https://t.co/eJGd69MkoA — NBC News (@NBCNews) July 6, 2023 RNC wishes Americans a happy fourth — but with the Liberian flag Matthew Chapman, Raw Story On Tuesday, the Republican Party's official Twitter account posted to mark the Fourth of July, writing, "247 years ago, our forefathers told Ol' King George to get lost! Happy Independence Day from the GOP!" There was just one problem: the flags they used in the graphic were not the American flag. They were the Liberian flag. ✂️ The GOP's tweet was swiftly deleted — but not before being buried in an avalanche of mockery and criticism from commenters on social media. "You'd think they'd recognize the flag they beat cops with," wrote the account @iputadollarin. "BREAKING: GOP officially pledges loyalty to Liberia by posting their flag on the 4th of F**king July," tweeted @middleageriot. 🌵🐊 Kari Lake has been wearing out her welcome in Mar-a-Lago Zachary Petrizzo, The Daily Beast When the annual Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll was taken this year, Kari Lake handily came in first to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick. It hasn’t gone so well for Lake since. The failed Arizona governor candidate has stumbled repeatedly, both with MAGA diehards and with the one person who matters most in the decision: Trump himself. ✂️ Two Trump advisers who spoke to The Daily Beast said the heart of Trump’s frustration with Lake is that, in his eyes, she always wants attention. As one of the advisers put it, she’s a “spotlight hound.” What a surprise: narcissists don’t make good team players! But seriously, this is good news. Kari Lake, by hanging out at Mar-a-Lago, is making herself into a less attractive Senate candidate. Also, if she is not chosen, it may be harder for the Rs to take Arizona, which was close in 2020. RNC having trouble getting people to vote early Hunter Walker, Talking Points Memo RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel launched the “Bank Your Vote” initiative on Jun. 7. The official website described it as a plan to have supporters “vote by mail or early in-person, and ballot harvest where permitted.” Of course, mail-in voting, early voting, and so-called “ballot harvesting,” a term for having teams collect completed mail or absentee ballots from voters, have all been the target of criticisms and conspiracy theories from Trump, McDaniel, and other Republicans for years. The about face embrace of these voting techniques from the RNC – which did not respond to a request for comment on this story – comes as experts increasingly believe right-wing conspiracy rhetoric about voting has actually suppressed turnout among the Republican base. Even though there are clear reasons for the GOP to change its course, the new initiative has angered some right wing activists who remain devoted to the Big Lie and distrustful of election systems. Notably, My Pillow pitchman Mike Lindell, the prominent election conspiracist who ran an unsuccessful campaign to usurp McDaniel as RNC chair last year, told TPM the initiative was “the worst plan … in history” and suggested it might be part of a “grand scheme” to undermine Trump. 🚚 💙 Democrats Deliver 💙 🚚 The job market’s pain-free rebalancing Neil Irwin Axios A remarkably robust U.S. labor market is coming into better balance. Why it matters: That's the broad takeaway from not one or two, but three reports out Thursday morning that show what's happening beneath the surface of the economy. Driving the news: The number of vacant job openings fell by 496,000 in May, the Labor Department said, suggesting a cooling of demand for workers. But the same report showed the number of workers voluntarily quitting their jobs rose by 250,000 — a sign that workers still feel empowered. Meanwhile, the number of people hired was up (by 107,000) and the number laid off down slightly (35,000). Also Thursday morning, payroll processor ADP said the private sector added a stunning 497,000 jobs in June. The report isn't a perfect harbinger of the official government release, but the blockbuster number is worth paying attention to. As promised, some information from a guy who has been running the numbers: x Much to celebrate today: - best recovery of any advanced economy - growth remains strong, no recession on horizon - inflation has come way down, 1.2% in May - deficit, flows to the border, murder rates all significantly down Things are better in America.https://t.co/pBx85QusX0 — Simon Rosenberg (@SimonWDC) July 4, 2023 Wisconsin governor Tony Ever slashes tax cuts and boosts school funding — for centuries? Associated Press via The Guardian Wisconsin’s governor, Tony Evers, signed off on a two-year spending plan on Wednesday after gutting a Republican tax cut and using his broad veto powers to increase school funding for centuries. Evers angered Republicans with both moves, with some saying the Democratic governor was going back on deals he had made with them. Wisconsin governors have broad partial veto power and Evers got creative with his use of it in this budget, which is the third passed by a Republican legislature that he’s signed. He reduced the GOP income tax cut from $3.5bn to $175m, and did away entirely with lower rates for the two highest-earning brackets. He also edited the plan to increase how much revenue K-12 public schools can raise per student, by $325 a year until 2425. Or, if you prefer (and can still read) tweets: x This is AMAZING. Wisconsin Gov. Toni Evers just signed a new state budge that increases funding for public schools for the next FOUR CENTURIES! This is what it looks like to have a Governor who cares about young people. Democrats can & do get shit done & it's incredible. — Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) July 5, 2023 New York city delivery workers react to their new minimum pay Aaliyah Fisher Reasons to Be Cheerful Mayor Eric Adams recently announced a major change that will deeply impact busy workers like Williams: app-based delivery workers will be paid $17.96 an hour starting July 12th — and nearly $20 an hour by 2025 — marking the nation’s first minimum pay for such workers. “Our delivery workers have consistently delivered for us — now, we are delivering for them,” he said. “They should not be delivering food to your household, if they can’t put food on the plate in their household.” ✂️ “I had to figure out something fast, for my kids,” says Jose Guiterrez, a delivery worker from Texas, when explaining how he got started using the apps. “I was working in no time, but I wasn’t making much.” Guiterrez, his wife, and their three daughters moved from El Paso, Texas to the Bronx at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. He considers Mayor Adams’ announcement a victory for workers such as himself. 💜 Unity? 💜 Ohio groups get more than enough signatures for abortion initiative Kate Riga, Talking Points Memo The groups behind the effort to put abortion rights to a vote in Ohio this fall announced Wednesday that they’d officially turned in “over 700,000” signatures to get the proposal on the ballot. Per the groups, they only needed 413,487 signatures to qualify. Organizers told TPM that they were aiming far above that threshold, to ensure plenty of buffer. “The signatures were collected over the course of approximately 12 weeks and secured in all 88 Ohio counties,” they said in a press release. ✂️ Meanwhile, Republican state legislators have been pushing their own ballot amendment, transparently meant to sink the abortion rights effort. Among other things, the Republican proposal would raise the threshold for citizen-initiated ballot amendments to 60 percent from its current simple majority. Proposals initiated in the legislature, interestingly, would not be subject to an increased threshold. The Republicans’ amendment would land on the ballot in an oddly timed August election — three months before the abortion one goes before voters. Guys, this is the battle to fight. Bilboteach has had some diaries on it. If you post ideas in the comments, I’ll try to elevate them to the diary during the day. (As I am overseas, I may be blocked from some websites.) 📥 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 😈 Looks like GOP House dummies gonna censure Adam Schiff to the Senate Stephen Robinson, Wonkette Last month, House Republicans successfully censured Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff for saying true things about traitor weasel Donald Trump. This was their second attempt after epically face-planting when they tried to tack on a fine of one million dollars!$16 million. The censure resolution, which came from attention-seeking freshman Rep. NAME REDACTED, is mostly ceremonial, but it did give Schiff the chance to read the cowardly, Trump-humping Republicans — so, all of them —for filth. The Republicans' petty move had the expected result: People still don't know who Rep. NAME REDACTED is or care that much, and Schiff's national profile has elevated even more, which is convenient considering he's currently running for the US Senate. ✂️ That was April. Now, maybe Schiff can start taking his lead for granted a little. He raised more than $8.1 million in the year’s second quarter, with more than $29.5 million cash on hand (though I hope he uses a bank). It's fair to point out that Porter spent a lot of money defending her seat in a tough election, whereas Schiff's seat is solidly Democratic, so he banked more money for this race. But fairness alone won’t win you jack. The cash gap was a known issue and Porter hasn't been able to catch up with Schiff. She's not yet released her own second quarter totals, which is usually not encouraging. Lee has raised less than $2 million over the past two quarters. Filing lawsuits can backfire: x My favorite part is the shade. Judge Jackson says trump clearly has time to be deposed since he’s out here filing his own lawsuits. 😂🤣🙃 pic.twitter.com/tEiOcsX2EQ — Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) July 6, 2023 Sniping among ex members of Project Veritas Kelly Weill, The Daily Beast A high-profile member of the far-right media group Project Veritas has left the organization and is threatening to release new details on this year’s messy ouster of Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe. Matthew Tyrmand, a conservative commentator, confirmed on Twitter this week that he left Project Veritas. His departure comes months after that of O’Keefe, who was removed from his leadership role in February over allegations that he had been “outright cruel” to employees and spent company money on expensive personal pursuits. After O’Keefe’s ouster, his allies accused Tyrmand of spearheading the “coup.” (Tyrmand appears to have dismissed some of those accusations.) Oath Keepers leader tells tRump he will be found guilty Jared Gans The Hill Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes warned former President Trump that he will be found guilty if he goes to trial in federal court, calling on his own experience facing a jury last year. Rhodes alleged in a jailhouse interview with the Washington Times that the federal government is working to turn Trump’s close allies against him and try to scare possible witnesses who could defend the former president. The interview took place in the Washington, D.C., Department of Corrections Central Detention Facility, where Rhodes is serving his 18-year sentence for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Lin Wood leaves law before law can leave him: x 🚨🚨THIS IS AWESOME NEWS: Trump-supporting, election-denying attorney Lin Wood just voluntarily gave up his license in advance of official disciplinary proceedings that would have led to him being disbarred. The fact that he has surrendered his law license means that he is now… pic.twitter.com/9jP60J3gyR — Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) July 5, 2023 📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️ The Guardian has been doing some terrific reporting. Here’s a story investigating how fossil fuel billionaires are buying influence in climate groups. Kiran Stacey, The Guardian Some of the world’s best-known climate campaign groups have taken millions of pounds in donations from a foundation run by billionaire hedge fund bosses whose investment fund has invested in fossil fuel companies, the Guardian has learned. Groups including the European Climate Foundation, the Carbon Tracker Initiative and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have taken millions of pounds in grants over the past two years from Quadrature Climate Foundation, according to filings with the Charity Commission. WWF told the Guardian on Tuesday it would investigate the donation. according to filings with US regulators. Quadrature Climate Foundation was set up by Quadrature Capital, a multibillion-pound investment fund founded by the enigmatic billionaires Greg Skinner and Suneil Setiya. Quadrature Capital has stakes worth more than $170m (£135m) in fossil fuel companies,with US regulators. Also with The Guardian is Hugo Lowell, who has done incredible reporting on tRump and the documents case. I also want to salute all the people who whip out their cell phones and make recordings of the police when they’re doing illegal stuff. Sometimes they suffer for it. CBS News 🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️ Neighbors lending a hand: x Meanwhile in Canada: After a tornado destroyed a woman's home, she went on social media asking for help to clean up the damage. More than 100 people showed up. Read the full, incredible story on the Goodable App 👉🏼 https://t.co/7F3Dyzol5o pic.twitter.com/IxBnjicMKB — Goodable (@Goodable) July 5, 2023 📎 Odds & Ends 📎 Renewables have been saving Texas Catherine Rampell, Washington Post This summer, like last summer, Texas has battled a brutal heat wave that regularly reaches triple-digit temperatures. This summer, like last summer, the heat wave triggered record levels of energy demand. This summer, like last summer, there have miraculously been no rolling blackouts; in fact, this year, the state’s grid operator has so far asked for just one day of voluntary energy conservation. heroes of the story — yet they remain curiously vilified by politicians in the Lone Star State. And this summer, like last summer, renewables have been theof the story — yet they remain curiously vilified by politicians in the Lone Star State. In recent years, renewable energy has been ramping up across Texas. The state has rapidly increased solar capacity, for instance, enabling as much as 16,800 megawatts of solar power to be produced on the grid as of the end of May. That’s roughly six times the capacity that existed in 2019 (about 2,600 megawatts), according to data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s grid operator This is cool. I hope most readers can see it! x This is the Selaginella Lepidophylla plant, also known as the resurrection plant. It can survive for years with hardly any water, but the moment it's exposed to even a small amount of moisture, it comes back to life.pic.twitter.com/UgDLxdnm39 — Goodable (@Goodable) July 3, 2023 ☀️ China ahead of schedule for solar and wind Cristen Hemingway Jaynes, EcoWatch China’s central government has set a target of 1,200 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale wind and solar capacity by 2030, but a new Global Energy Monitor (GEM) report says the country is set to double its current capacity and meet the goal five years early, a GEM press release said. Prospective projects that have already been announced or are in construction or pre-construction equal about 371 GW of wind capacity and 379 GW of solar capacity — approximately the same amount as the currently installed operating capacity of China, according to the Global Solar and Wind Power Trackers. “This new data provides unrivaled granularity about China’s jaw-dropping surge in solar and wind capacity. As we closely monitor the implementation of prospective projects, this detailed information becomes indispensable in navigating the country’s energy landscape,” said Dorothy Mei, project manager at GEM, in the press release. 🐦 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. Also: Hunters of the Feather — at least the Kindle version — is currently free to those with US Amazon Prime! 💙 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/2023/7/7/2179018/-Good-News-Roundup-for-Friday-July-7-2023-The-Power-of-Numbers 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/