(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . From the GNR Newsroom: its the Monday Good News Roundup [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-10-09 Welcome back friends, to the Monday Good News Roundup, where your tireless GNR Newsroom (Myself, Killer300 and Bhu) brings you all the good news to start your week off right. First off, I wish everyone a very solemn and respectful Indigenous people’s day. And the less said about a certain genocidal colonial twit the better. That out of the way, lets get on with the good news. The glorified charcoal is rare on American farms, yet it has become a focal point in the movement to turn agriculture into a climate solution. Biochar can lock up planet-warming carbon for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years, and unlike other, higher-tech technologies that suck carbon out of the air, it’s relatively straightforward and accessible. “Look at the playing field. What else is out there that’s commercially viable right now?” said Kathleen Draper, board chair at the International Biochar Initiative. “The reality is: It’s a shovel-ready technology.” This sounds really cool. Hopefully they can use it on a wider scale soon. For years, grid batteries couldn’t get much respect from the U.S. electricity sector. But this summer, the up-and-coming clean energy technology notched several big wins that signaled its arrival as a serious player in the industry. Battery developers built more new grid-storage capacity in the second quarter of 2023 than in any previous quarter, according to newly tabulated data from the American Clean Power industry group and research partner Wood Mackenzie. That constituted a return to form for the industry after two quarters of declining installations hindered by lingering Covid-related supply-chain constraints. How many times do I have to say it? I love living in the future. The Supreme Court will not take up the latest attempt by landlord lobbyists to upend New York City’s 50-year-old rent control laws. But two other related cases may yet make it to the highest court. The court denied the petition for writ of certiorari—a formal request to review a lower court decision—on Monday morning. The request was filed in May by Community Housing Improvement Program, a lobby for landlords with rent stabilized units, that argued that NYC’s 50-year-old rent control law violated their rights under the Fifth Amendment’s Takings Clause, which says that private property can not be “taken for public use, without just compensation.” The landlords believe that the Rent Stabilization Law’s requirement of lease renewal violates this clause. They were joined by individual building owners and the Rent Stabilization Association, another landlord lobby that represents owners of rent-stabilized units. Good. Housing should not be a commodity. Let people have a roof over their head. The initiative to create a fair and open internet − one where your internet service provider doesn’t block or slow legal traffic, or charge more to deliver some content quicker − is back on the Federal Communication Commission’s radar. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced last week that open internet access − or net neutrality − was “a necessity for daily life,” and rules needed to be set for internet service providers. “In the wake of the pandemic and the generational investment in internet access, we have a window to update our policies to make sure that the internet is not only open but fast and fair, safe and secure,” said Rosenworcel. The proposal would reclassify broadband under Title II of the Communications Act, which categorizes broadband providers as common carriers under the same framework as telephone providers, according to Public Knowledge, a nonprofit that advocates for open internet. WE’RE GETTING NET NEUTRALITY BACK! *Hits party button to release confetti* Rome CNN — Pope Francis has suggested for the first time that people in same-sex unions could be blessed by Catholic priests on a “case-by-case” basis, a seeming reversal of previous statements. The Pope made the suggestion in a letter to his harshest critics within the Catholic ranks, written in response to a letter from five conservative cardinals with formal questions – called a “dubia” (Latin for “doubt”) – which is an official request for a yes or no answer from a sitting pontiff regarding his running of the Church. The cardinals, Walter Brandmuller, Raymond Leo Burke, Juan Sandoval Iniguez, Robert Sarah and Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, first sent the letter to Pope Francis on July 10. It focused on an upcoming October meeting of bishops, asking what impact it could have on Church’s teaching, and included questions about the Pope’s intention to bless same-sex unions, and whether he intends to open the door to women priests through ordination. You want to know how normalized LGTBQ people are becoming? Even the Catholic church is starting to come around. Speaking as a Catholic myself that’s pretty big news. I don’t always agree with Pope Francis’s decisions, but he does seem like a good guy to me. he Supreme Court declined on Monday to take up an appeal from an anti-abortion group known for releasing secretly recorded footage of abortion providers, leaving in place a lower court ruling that went in favor of Planned Parenthood. The anti-abortion group had argued that its actions were protected by the First Amendment and sought to reverse millions of dollars in damages awarded to the abortion providers. The case involved David Daleiden, a longtime anti-abortion activist who partnered with other like-minded activists, Troy Newman and Albin Rhomberg, to start a group called the Center for Medical Progress, meant to infiltrate organizations like Planned Parenthood. Oh right, these dipshits. Glad to see the Supreme Court is cutting them no slack. Then again after how their last abortion related ruling went its no surprise the Supreme Court is keeping their head down. In September, Illinois became the first state in the country to end cash bail, overhauling a system that ties pretrial incarceration to one’s ability to pay large sums of money. Days before that, the newly formed Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (a product of decades of organizing for a more independent police oversight structure) moved to end the use of the city’s gang database, a tool that has enabled faulty ​“gang affiliation” accusations and led to racial profiling and increased surveillance of Black and brown Chicagoans. Also last month, Chicago made moves toward ending the subminimum wage for tipped workers, increasing the pay of a large segment of the city’s workforce. And at the September 14 city council meeting, an ordinance was passed to create a working group to plan the implementation of Treatment Not Trauma, a community proposal to expand public mental health services and non-police responses to behavioral and mental health crises. At that council meeting, two important housing measures were also introduced. The South Shore Housing Preservation Ordinance was put forth by Alderman Desmon Yancy and Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor (both former community organizers). This legislation would mitigate the harm of displacement and gentrification connected to the Obama Presidential Center currently being constructed in Jackson Park. A plan to ​“Bring Chicago Home,” which would create a ​“mansion tax” on property sales valued over $1 million specifically in order to fund housing for Chicago’s houseless population, was also introduced. Once passed through city council, this proposal will be put to Chicago voters in a March referendum (since it involves changes to the city’s tax code). All of these were made possible by the long-term organizing efforts of left-wing social movements and community advocates — and many were moved forward by a mayor and city council that shifted significantly left in the last election. When we vote we win, and when we win we make amazing things happen. Again, very confident going into 2024. Record growth of clean energy technologies boosts hope. Global renewable power capacity could triple by 2030. The world is set to invest a record USD 1.8 trillion in clean energy in 2023. Renewed hope with cleaner energy "The pathway to 1.5°C has narrowed in the past two years, but clean energy technologies are keeping it open," said Dr. Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director. There's still a chance to limit global warming to 1.5°C. A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) offers optimism. This is thanks to the unprecedented growth of clean energy technologies like solar power and electric cars. The world is set to invest a record USD 1.8 trillion in clean energy in 2023. It will be close, but I think we can do it. Its that time again, time for a GNR LIGHTNING ROUND! State college chose parking over people. People fought back Natural disasters are much less disastrous Climate action game changers Plastic eating Bacteria could change the world She got off Dialysis, others could do Girl receives UK’s first rejection free kidney from mum Japan Pharma startup developing drug to grow new teeth Worlds most gender equal countries Law will yet young people find sperm donors London Black Ballet school aims to break racial barriers Out of one Monday GNR special segement and into another, pop the popcorn its time for another edition of GNR Theater! Enjoy the show? Good, lets wrap up the GNR then. There's a surging movement that aims to bring us all a little closer together, it’s called placemaking, a practice centered around transforming public spaces into thriving community hubs. By taking underutilized streets, parks, or corners and giving them a fresh purpose, placemaking is stitching the fabric of community closer, one block at a time. We are naturally a communal species. There is nothing more human than the impulse to help others. We need to remember that. Friday, October 6th - The October Bureau of Labor Statistics monthy jobs report is out and it’s another good one: 336k net new jobs, 119k more w/upward revisions, for a total of 455k new jobs - smokin’! average hourly earnings up 0.2% in October and 4.2% over the past 12 months. With inflation now at 3.7% over the past 12 months, real earnings over the past year remain firmly in positive territory. The Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow livecast is showing the Q3 GDP number coming in at 4.9%. We will get the real number later this month but this is very encouraging. With this new data our monthly jobs tracker clocks in at: 33.8m jobs - 16 years of Clinton, Obama 13.9m jobs - 32 months of Biden 1.9m jobs - 16 years of Bush, Bush and Trump Biden's 13.9m jobs are more than 7 times as many jobs as were created in the 16 years of the last 3 Republican Presidencies, combined. Since 1989 and the end of the Cold War, the US has seen 50 million new jobs created. Remarkably 48 million of those 50 million jobs - 96% - were created under Democratic Presidents. Essentially all of them. Biden continues to knock it out of the park. While the UAW’s strike against the Big Three is ongoing and bargaining continues, union president Shawn Fain announced an important victory on Friday. He said that General Motors had agreed, in writing, to include its EV battery manufacturing facilities in the UAW’s national union contract. “Our strike is working. But we’re not there yet,” Fain said. Once again strikes and unions are kicking ass and taking names, this is a major turnaround for our country and I hope it continues. And speaking of continuation, we will have to continue this next week, I hope everyone has a happy and productive week. 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