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shadowkatI don't know about anyone else? But I need good news or at least a feeling that some things are working?
Aretha singing "Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negate, and Hang on the Affirmative, and Don't Mess Mr. InBetween
Found on FB via NASA-Cosmos as posted by Gladys Eric. Extremely rare halo of fire, looks like an eye captured over Alaska.
Last week was yet another horrible news week, but: Americans are rising up. Voices are getting louder. Protests are getting bigger. Dems are getting stronger. Republicans are getting…well, they’re getting an earful. And progress, believe it or not, continues to be made across the country and world.
The Revolution Won't Be Televised Report aka Positive Reports on the Progress of the American Resistance and its Global Allies
1. A Minnesota court ruled that AG Keith Ellison’s lawsuit against ExxonMobil, Koch industries, and the American Petroleum Institute can continue.
2. Missouri Congressman Mark Alford (R) got “the exact warm reception he deserved” at his coffee chat on Monday morning. [Apparently he was booed.]
3.Federal judge blocks Trump policy allowing ICE to enter houses of worship: A federal judge in Maryland blocked the Trump administration’s plan to enable ICE agents to enter houses of worship for immigration enforcement actions. This ruling stems from a Democracy Forward lawsuit filed last month on behalf of a group of Quaker meetings.
4. Activists targeted London bus stops with parody Tesla ads, including one that said “Goes from 0 to 1939 in 3 seconds!”
5. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went to Kyiv and pledged 25 light armored vehicles to Ukraine. He also says Canada will provide $5 billion in seized Russian assets.[Go Canada.]
6. A bipartisan coalition of mayors, lawmakers, and law enforcement in Alabama endorsed a public safety package last week that would ban devices used to convert semiautomatic weapons into machine guns.
7. A judge blocked the Education Department and OPM from sharing personal info with DOGE.
8. More than 75,000 digital subscribers to The Washington Post have cancelled their subscriptions since Jeff Bezos changed the opinion section, per NPR. [From New York Post Article]
"More than 75,000 digital subscribers have canceled their subscriptions to The Washington Post following an announcement by its owner, Jeff Bezos, that the paper’s opinion section would be revamped to align with libertarian ideals touting “personal liberties” and “free markets,” according to a report. The decision, which Bezos announced on Wednesday, triggered immediate upheaval within the organization, including the resignation of opinions editor David Shipley, who had unsuccessfully attempted to dissuade Bezos from the change. Between that decision and Election Day, over 300,000 subscribers severed ties with the Post, amounting to more than 12% of its digital subscribers."
9. After Alt Nat’l Park Service published a public audit on Saturday, Elon Musk’s DOGE deleted hundreds more claims from its mistake-plagued “wall of receipts,” wiping out an additional $4 billion in so-called savings that the group had claimed to secure for U.S. taxpayers. By late Sunday night, DOGE had erased or altered more than 1,000 contracts it previously claimed to have canceled—amounting to over 40% of all contracts listed on its site last week.
10.Judge orders Trump admin to rescind memo directing mass firing of federal workers. A federal judge ruled the Office of Personnel Management has no authority "under any statute in the history of the universe, to hire and fire employees within another agency.” A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Office of Personnel Management to rescind earlier instructions telling federal agencies to “promptly determine whether these employees should be retained at the agency.” The directions, communicated in a Jan. 20 memo and Feb. 14 internal email, are “illegal” and “should be stopped, rescinded,” Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California said from the bench. The ruling does not reinstate dismissed employees. The judge instructed the Office of Personnel Management to communicate to the Department of Defense on Friday — ahead of expected probationary terminations — that he has ruled they are invalid.[NBC NEWS Posted this and then it vanished. But it can be found HERE.
"“The Office of Personnel Management does not have any authority whatsoever under any statute in the history of the universe to hire and fire employees at another agency,” Alsup said.
The American Federation of Government Employees and other groups brought the suit, arguing the Trump administration had ignored federal laws governing probationary employee staff and had essentially issued reductions in force without following the proper procedures."
11.Something is shifting,” scholar of authoritarianism Timothy Snyder posted on Bluesky yesterday. “They are still breaking things and stealing things. And they will keep trying to break and to steal. But the propaganda magic around the oligarchical coup is fading.
12.Actress Cassandra Peterson, better known as her horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, has donated her Tesla to NPR.
#Swasticar
13.Someone hacked into all the government TVs on Monday morning and posted an AI video of Trump licking Musk’s toes. Seriously.
TV screens at the Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters displayed an AI-generated video of Trump kissing Elon Musk’s feet, accompanied by the phrase “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING.” The prank coincided with the first day of Trump’s ban on remote work. Employees had to manually turn off each monitor, and HUD officials condemned the prank as a “waste of taxpayer dollars” and promised disciplinary action.
14. It’s not just the American people pushing back on this administration. A petrol giant in Norway has announced a ban on fuel sales to all US forces following Donald Trump's treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. Norway fuel giant 'refuses to fill US submarines' after Trump-Zelensky clash. Norwegian petroleum giant Haltbakk Bunkers has declared it will no longer help the US Navy. [I think the US is going to have a gasoline crisis shortly..]
15.The International Refugee Assistance Program announced that they had filed lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s refugee suspension and to access immigrants held at Guantánamo Bay. [Oh, my donations are useful, I see?]
16.Canadian flag maker Flags Unlimited has doubled its sales in the past six weeks.
17.Country music star Sheryl Crow sold her Tesla and will donate the proceeds to NPR.
18.The GAO confirmed that it will pursue an investigation into how and why DOGE accessed the Treasury’s payment system. The GAO, it should be noted, was created by Congress and works for Congress – not the Executive Branch—so it is likely safe from cuts or erasure by Musk or Trump. [Ah, I applied to that agency once upon a time - they are Congress's auditors.]
19. The Center for Taxpayer Rights and other orgs filed suit to prevent DOGE from having unfettered, unlawful access to personal and business data at the IRS.
20.Even the people working at DOGE say it is a lawless nightmare for America. In fact, they know it better than anyone. Thanks to these true public servants who won’t stand for such a dangerous betrayal of the American people.
21.Huge analysis out as a preprint! For every 9 years an animal spends in the wildlife trade, it shares an additional pathogen with humans. Clear long-term impacts based on 40 years of global trade data. [I don't know if this is exactly good news - so much as the scientific discovery is useful? Can be found HERE
22. Philly-area lawmakers walk out of meeting with Penn president over DEI cuts.[The Good News is they walked out on the Dean who was bragging about cutting DEI. "City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier was among the elected officials who tore into the university for abandoning the values of its founder, Benjamin Franklin, by refusing to affirm diversity, equity and inclusion, and failing to stand up to a “tyrannical king,” like he did during the American Revolution.
Other local leaders in attendance, including State Sen. Anthony Williams and State Rep. Rick Krajewski, said they disagreed with Penn’s interpretation of President Donald Trump’s flurry of executive orders and directives, which prompted Penn to erase dozens of DEI initiatives, programs and committees online as it reviews their compliance with federal law. "]
23.As of last week, 29 judicial rulings have ordered at least temporary halts to Trump Administration initiatives, thanks to a well-coordinated court strategy that began on Inauguration Day. The Musk-driven effort to gut USAID is at least partly on hold; As is an order to cut funding on scientific research at the National Institutes of Health. There is also pending legal action challenging the freeze on foreign aid, civil servant firings, the federal funding freeze, the powers of DOGE, immigration policies, and more. We won’t win all of these cases — and some could reach the Supreme Court sooner rather than later — but partners and allies all across the country are seeing positive results already.
24.Dozens of state attorneys general have already taken action on the legal front to protect their states from Trump’s dangerous orders, and Democratic governors and state officials are doing everything they can to put protections in place and sound the alarm about the negative impacts of this Administration on people’s everyday lives. Local elected officials will continue to play a key role in preventing the implementation of Trump’s illegal orders.
25.Democrats in Illinois' Congressional delegation said they are ready to “fight until hell freezes over” to protect federal programs that help the neediest Americans.
26.Americans’ approval of President Trump’s handling of the economy hit an all-time low, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
27.Mitch McConnell announced that he won’t seek re-election. Buh-bye. [He's in his 80s. I mean come on. No one over the age of 70 should run for public office.]
28.A federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s administration from illegally firing Cathy Harris, chair of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.
29.The Wisconsin Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit from a right-wing group seeking to limit early absentee voting sites.
30.Kendrick Lamar just did what NO rapper has ever done before! He’s now the first rapper in history to have three albums in the Billboard 200's Top 10 at the same time—GNX, DAMN, and Good Kid, M.A.A.D City are all dominating the charts. AND a #1 single that’s not even on them. This comes after a MASSIVE month where he swept the Grammys, shut down the Super Bowl halftime show, and saw his streams skyrocket. "Not Like Us" surged 430% in just three hours after his performance, while classics like “HUMBLE.” (+300%) and “All The Stars” (+290%) also exploded. At this point, Kendrick is the greatest of his generation.
31.Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill which would limit where mail-in ballots can be returned and require voters who return mail ballots after the Friday before Election Day to provide photo ID.
32.Dominion Energy executives say they expect the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project to be completed and operational next year, despite efforts by the Trump administration to halt wind energy projects.
33.Americans who think global warming is happening outnumber those who think it is not by a ratio of more than 5 to 1.
34.Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) sued the Trump administration to unfreeze over $3 billion in federal funding for his state. [ Pennsylvania voted for Trump.]
35. The CDC has restored a $257,000 contract for 9/11-related cancer research after DOGE tried to cancel it, officials say. Why? BLOWBACK! Nice work! (Let's make sure that money actually is released, not like what they said with HIV & Ebola.)
36.Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), who sits in a safely red seat, got booed by constituents as he faced anger and pushback over his support for the Trump administration’s cost-cutting crusade in the federal government.
37.The parent company of Trump’s social networking site Truth Social says it lost $400.9 million last year and its annual revenue declined 12% to $3.6 million.
38.A federal judge in Maryland temporarily blocked key portions of the Republican president's executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government and corporate America.
39.Retirees and unions sued to halt DOGE’s unprecedented seizure of personal, confidential, private and sensitive data from the Social Security Administration.
40.Government failure, stock market crash, and dictatorial alliances are not popular. People are starting to realize that there is no truth here beyond the desire for personal wealth and power.
41.Trump backed down from Elon Musk’s threat to fire every federal employee who failed to respond to his email by midnight, listing 5 things they accomplished this week. Politico broke the story that the admin is leaving it up to the discretion each agency to determine whether their employees have to respond. Most have waived the requirement, but Commerce, Education, Transportation, and GSA have instructed employees to comply.
42.DOGE Secretly Changes Its Website After Being Caught in Huge Lies.
DOGE’s supposed savings have been riddled with errors and lies.
43.71% of Trump voters oppose cutting Medicaid, despite House Republicans advancing a budget resolution that could require $880 billion in spending cuts. Overall, 82% of voters said Medicaid cuts were unacceptable.
44.The Supreme Court, in its first decision on President Trump’s use of executive power in his second term, ruled that he cannot, for now, remove a government lawyer who leads the watchdog agency that protects whistle-blowers.
45.The Philly Eagles have once again declined Trump’s invitation to the White House.
46.Republican lawmakers may be acting unconcerned publicly, but privately they’re freaking out over Trump and DOGE. Your calls are part of this! GOOD JOB!
47.The Associated Press is suing the Trump administration for access to presidential events, citing the First Amendment’s freedom of the press.
48.Local TV stations around the country have begun running human interest stories about veterans, members of military families or Trump supporters getting fired as part of Elon’s purge.
49.A federal appeals court declined to lift a block on Trump’s executive order to deny citizenship to some children born on U.S. soil.
50.Hundreds gathered outside the Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, protesting the Trump administration's decision to slash jobs and budgets at multiple agencies.
51.Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed Senate Bill 59, a bipartisan bill that allows Arkansas schools to offer free breakfast to all public school students.
52.A new Economist and YouGov poll reveals that only small minorities want to cut the EPA or NWS. Americans, in fact, would rather cut or eliminate DOGE than the agencies it’s targeting.
53.NY Governor Kathy Hochul has promised to take the Trump Admin to court over its attack on congestion pricing. [Already kind of has? Also set up a website to hire fired/laid off Federal Workers.]
54.Maine’s Governor Janet Mills also promised to “see Trump in court” over his Executive Order that would bar transgender student athletes from playing on girls' sports teams. As a nice coda, a “flash rally” happened spontaneously in Augusta today to thank her!
55.The clean-heat transition is speeding up in the U.S.: Americans bought 32% more heat pumps than the next-most-popular heating appliance, gas furnaces, last year. That smashes 2023’s record-setting lead of 21%.
56.Authors Against Book Bans defeated a book banning campaign in St. John’s County, FL—an extremely red part of the country.
57.Clean-energy technologies made up more than 10% of China’s economy in 2024 for the first time ever.
58.Already this year, Democrats are seeing victories in special elections across the country — a bellwether for future wins in Virginia this November and in the midterms next year. Dems are winning in Iowa, New York, Minnesota, Virginia, and even Oklahoma, and are fighting hard for wins in upcoming elections in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Historically, Virginia’s gubernatorial elections have served as a major opportunity for Democrats to push back and make a strong statement of our electoral intentions, and this year is no different.
59.Four out of 10 Americans have already shifted their spending over the last few months to be more consistent with their moral views, according to a Harris poll.
60.States are moving forward with Buy Clean policies despite Trump’s roadblocks
61.Ten new electric vehicle battery factories are on track to go online this year in the United States.
62.Bans on fur farming and public awareness of animal mistreatment have curbed the fur farming industry drastically.
63.Global sales of combustion engine cars have peaked! Global Sales of Combustion Engine Cars Haven't Only Peaked, They are Falling.
64.The Episcopal Church has now fully divested from the fossil fuel industry.
65.There are now already over 90 pending lawsuits against the Trump administration.
66.The CIA is conducting a formal review to assess any potential damage from an unclassified email sent to the WH in early February that identified for possible layoffs some officers by first name and last initial and could’ve exposed the roles of people working undercover. A senior career Treasury official delivered a memo warning Sec Scott Bessent that granting a 25-year-old with Musk’s DOGE access to the government’s ultra-sensitive payments system risked exposing highly classified CIA payments that flow through it.
67.Boycotts are taking hold.
Americans are changing shopping habits in a backlash against corporations that have shifted their public policies to align with Trump.
Millions pledged to halt discretionary spending for 24 hours on February 28 in protest against major retailers — chiefly Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy — for scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in response to Trump.
68. Calls to boycott Tesla apparently are having an effect. After a disappointing 2024, Tesla sales declined further in January. In California, a key market for Tesla, nearly 12 percent fewer Teslas were registered in January 2025 than in January 2024. An analysis by Electrek points to even more trouble for Tesla in Europe, where Tesla sales have dropped in every market. Also that the exterior panels are falling off (failing adhesive) may have something to do with continued disappointing sales. Also a Tesla showroom has burned to the ground in France.
69.Colorado Parks and Wildlife just acquired 120 acres to create the Michigan Creek State Wildlife Area.
70.Twitter X users are shifting over to Bluesky at a rapid rate, even as Musk adds more advertisers to his ongoing lawsuit against those that have justifiably boycotted X after he turned it into a cesspool of lies and hate (this week, he added Lego, Nestle, Tyson Foods, and Shell). [Okay, not a problem - I already don't buy anything by Lego, Nestle, Tyson Foods or Shell and haven't for years. Nestle makes horrible chocolate.]
71.International resistance is rising.
Canada has helped lead the way: A grassroots boycott of American products and tourism is underway there. Prime Minister Trudeau has in effect become a “wartime prime minister” as he stands up to Trump’s bullying. Jean Chrétien, who served as prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003, is urging Canada to join with leaders in Denmark, Panama, and Mexico, as well as with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, to fight back against Trump’s threats. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum is standing up to Trump. She has defended not just Mexico but also the sovereignty of Latin American countries Trump has threatened and insulted.
72.The federal courts are hitting back.
So far, at least 74 lawsuits have been filed by state attorneys general, nonprofits, and unions against the Trump regime. And at least 17 judges — including several appointed by Republicans — already have issued orders blocking or temporarily halting actions by the Trump regime. The blocking orders include Trump initiatives to restrict birthright citizenship, suspend or cut off domestic and foreign U.S. spending, shrink the federal workforce, oust independent agency heads, and roll back legal protections and medical care for transgender adults and youths. In other cases, the Trump regime has agreed to a pause to give judges time to rule, another way that legal fights are forcing a slowdown.
73.In Washington, D.C., thousands gathered at the Capitol Reflecting Pool, chanting “Where is Congress?” and urging members of Congress to “Do your job!” despite nearly 40-degree temperatures and 20-mile-per-hour wind gusts. The nationwide protests are part of the 50501 Movement, which stands for “50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement.” One of its leaders urged the crowd of protesters in Washington to stand united in order to “uphold the Constitution.” “To oppose tyranny is to stand behind democracy and remind our elected officials that we, the people, are who they’re elected to serve, not themselves. The events over the past month have been built to exhaust us, to break our wills. But we are the American people. We will not break.” I expect that in the coming weeks and months protests will grow larger and louder.
74.First known cookbook by a Black American woman gets new edition 160 years later. Malinda Russell wrote A Domestic Cookbook: Containing a Careful Selection of Useful Recipes for the kitchen in 1866.
75.A federal judge gave the Trump administration about 36 hours to pay out hundreds millions of dollars for work performed by foreign aid contractors — and is demanding details about potential defiance of his orders. A federal judge expressed frustration Tuesday that the Trump administration appears to be ignoring his two-week-old order to unfreeze billions of dollars for foreign assistance grants and contracts, prompting him to set a short deadline for the State Department to begin paying out funds and to explain its recalcitrance. During a telephone hearing, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali grew impatient with a lack of clear responses from the administration’s lawyers. “I don’t know why I can’t get a straight answer from you,” the judge lamented. Judge Ali also raised concerns about an order by Secretary of State Marco Rubio — issued five days after the restraining order took effect — pausing $15.9 billion in foreign assistance grants. “That, again, is the very action that was held to be likely arbitrary and capricious,” Ali said. The judge ordered the State Department to pay all aid contractors who completed work before his order by midnight Wednesday. He also demanded that the government file with the court “any directive or guidance” issued about his order or about the suspension or termination of aid agreements. “I want those documents by noon tomorrow,” the judge said. The judge also has the power to order Rubio or other officials to appear in his courtroom or hold them in contempt of court. But, he didn’t. Yet.
76. A new ABC News poll shows that Americans may have voted by a narrow margin for Trump, but they don't actually agree with much of anything he's doing, either domestically or on the international stage... though they sort of like the idea of brutalizing trans children and suppressing gays. [Gad. I don't understand the homophobia and transphobia. Ugh. That's just depressing. Although it did bite them in the ass, unfortunately it bit the rest of us as well. Note? When you decide to hurt someone else - there's also a price.]
77.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was expected to cruise to an easy victory a month ago in Canada’s upcoming election, but that has all changed recently because of his alliance with Trump. Trump’s anti-Canada rhetoric is not helping his friend Poilievre at all. Ontario PM Doug Ford: “Every time Trump goes after Trudeau, the Liberals’ numbers go up. It was going to be a landslide for Pierre Poilievre, now it’s literally neck and neck. How does that happen? From almost a 20 point lead down to neck and neck.”
78.At a Republican town hall in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Democratic candidate Teresa Borrenpohl was forcibly removed by plainclothes security officers after repeatedly interrupting speakers, leading to public outcry and an ongoing investigation into the security firm's conduct.
79.The Hill reported that fed employee unions who have a pending lawsuit against DOGE for mass firings of probationary employees have amended their lawsuit to include this latest insanity. The updated lawsuit says that OPM, at Musk’s direction, “has not complied with any procedural requirements” under the Administrative Procedure Act: “No notice was published, in the Federal Register or anywhere else, regarding any OPM program, rule, policy, or regulation requiring all federal employees to provide a report regarding their work to OPM.” (I don’t think Musk has heard of the Administrative Procedure Act.) [Well, no, he's a tech billionaire, he never bothered to learn administrative laws and regulations nor understand them. ]
80.Organizers are planning to mob Tesla dealerships, showrooms, factories to protest ‘how Elon Musk’s DOGE coup is harming working families.’ SpaceX and X HQ are also targeted for chants and signs: ‘FIRE ELON MUSK,’ ‘TRAITOR.
81.Republican members of Congress continued to get hammered across the country by angry constituents in their districts - with most of the venom directed at Elon Musk. Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) was booed, heckled and harassed repeatedly during a town hall in his district today. The crowd erupted when he said this: “Elon Musk has contracts with the federal government, but he is also, I think, doing an effective job at weeding out the waste, abuse, and fraud in the government.” His constituents: “BOOO!!! SHOW ME!!! CONFLICT OF INTEREST!!! HE IS THE WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE!!!” Then when attempting to answer a question about immigration, Alford said: “Do you know who Stephen Miller is?” His constituents: BOOOOOO!!!!!
82.Trump’s Own Pollster Just Hit Him With Very Bad News—and a Warning
A poll of swing-district voters is already showing heaps of warning signs for Republicans bent on helping billionaires. That was fast.
83.A federal judge in Seattle blocked Trump’s executive order suspending the U.S. refugee admissions program. Judge Jamal Whitehead ruled that Trump’s directive amounted to a “nullification of congressional will” and exceeded the president’s authority. The lawsuit, brought by refugee aid groups, argued that the order disrupted services and left approved refugees stranded. The Justice Department signaled it may appeal the decision.
84. Okay this is just weird? A federal judge declined to temporarily restore the Associated Press’ access to certain White House events after Trump banned the outlet for refusing to use his preferred name, “Gulf of America,” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.” Judge Trevor McFadden ruled that AP had not proven “irreparable harm” but set a March 20 hearing to reconsider the case. [ I'd seen this on FB, but dear god, that's why he banned them?]
85.Twenty-one federal technology staffers resigned from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, citing concerns over dismantling public services. The employees, formerly part of the U.S. Digital Service, said they would “not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services.” Their resignation letter warned that Musk’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce relied on inexperienced political appointees and posed security risks. The White House dismissed the resignations, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying “Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits, and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock.”
86.An employee of the VA since 2006, who took law classes at night to get a promotion to the general counsel's office in 2024, was fired as a "probationary" employee because of her recent job change. She is asking a court for her job back.
87.Mexico is suing major US gun manufacturers for $10 billion, alleging they contribute to cartel violence through illegal trafficking. The Supreme Court will hear arguments today on whether manufacturers can be held liable under the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.
An estimated 200,000 firearms are smuggled from the US to Mexico yearly, with 74% of crime scene weapons traced to US sources. The Court's decision could reshape gun manufacturer liability and impact international efforts to combat weapons trafficking.
Aretha singing "Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negate, and Hang on the Affirmative, and Don't Mess Mr. InBetween
Found on FB via NASA-Cosmos as posted by Gladys Eric. Extremely rare halo of fire, looks like an eye captured over Alaska.
Last week was yet another horrible news week, but: Americans are rising up. Voices are getting louder. Protests are getting bigger. Dems are getting stronger. Republicans are getting…well, they’re getting an earful. And progress, believe it or not, continues to be made across the country and world.
The Revolution Won't Be Televised Report aka Positive Reports on the Progress of the American Resistance and its Global Allies
1. A Minnesota court ruled that AG Keith Ellison’s lawsuit against ExxonMobil, Koch industries, and the American Petroleum Institute can continue.
2. Missouri Congressman Mark Alford (R) got “the exact warm reception he deserved” at his coffee chat on Monday morning. [Apparently he was booed.]
3.Federal judge blocks Trump policy allowing ICE to enter houses of worship: A federal judge in Maryland blocked the Trump administration’s plan to enable ICE agents to enter houses of worship for immigration enforcement actions. This ruling stems from a Democracy Forward lawsuit filed last month on behalf of a group of Quaker meetings.
4. Activists targeted London bus stops with parody Tesla ads, including one that said “Goes from 0 to 1939 in 3 seconds!”
5. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went to Kyiv and pledged 25 light armored vehicles to Ukraine. He also says Canada will provide $5 billion in seized Russian assets.[Go Canada.]
6. A bipartisan coalition of mayors, lawmakers, and law enforcement in Alabama endorsed a public safety package last week that would ban devices used to convert semiautomatic weapons into machine guns.
7. A judge blocked the Education Department and OPM from sharing personal info with DOGE.
8. More than 75,000 digital subscribers to The Washington Post have cancelled their subscriptions since Jeff Bezos changed the opinion section, per NPR. [From New York Post Article]
"More than 75,000 digital subscribers have canceled their subscriptions to The Washington Post following an announcement by its owner, Jeff Bezos, that the paper’s opinion section would be revamped to align with libertarian ideals touting “personal liberties” and “free markets,” according to a report. The decision, which Bezos announced on Wednesday, triggered immediate upheaval within the organization, including the resignation of opinions editor David Shipley, who had unsuccessfully attempted to dissuade Bezos from the change. Between that decision and Election Day, over 300,000 subscribers severed ties with the Post, amounting to more than 12% of its digital subscribers."
9. After Alt Nat’l Park Service published a public audit on Saturday, Elon Musk’s DOGE deleted hundreds more claims from its mistake-plagued “wall of receipts,” wiping out an additional $4 billion in so-called savings that the group had claimed to secure for U.S. taxpayers. By late Sunday night, DOGE had erased or altered more than 1,000 contracts it previously claimed to have canceled—amounting to over 40% of all contracts listed on its site last week.
10.Judge orders Trump admin to rescind memo directing mass firing of federal workers. A federal judge ruled the Office of Personnel Management has no authority "under any statute in the history of the universe, to hire and fire employees within another agency.” A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Office of Personnel Management to rescind earlier instructions telling federal agencies to “promptly determine whether these employees should be retained at the agency.” The directions, communicated in a Jan. 20 memo and Feb. 14 internal email, are “illegal” and “should be stopped, rescinded,” Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California said from the bench. The ruling does not reinstate dismissed employees. The judge instructed the Office of Personnel Management to communicate to the Department of Defense on Friday — ahead of expected probationary terminations — that he has ruled they are invalid.[NBC NEWS Posted this and then it vanished. But it can be found HERE.
"“The Office of Personnel Management does not have any authority whatsoever under any statute in the history of the universe to hire and fire employees at another agency,” Alsup said.
The American Federation of Government Employees and other groups brought the suit, arguing the Trump administration had ignored federal laws governing probationary employee staff and had essentially issued reductions in force without following the proper procedures."
11.Something is shifting,” scholar of authoritarianism Timothy Snyder posted on Bluesky yesterday. “They are still breaking things and stealing things. And they will keep trying to break and to steal. But the propaganda magic around the oligarchical coup is fading.
12.Actress Cassandra Peterson, better known as her horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, has donated her Tesla to NPR.
#Swasticar
13.Someone hacked into all the government TVs on Monday morning and posted an AI video of Trump licking Musk’s toes. Seriously.
TV screens at the Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters displayed an AI-generated video of Trump kissing Elon Musk’s feet, accompanied by the phrase “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING.” The prank coincided with the first day of Trump’s ban on remote work. Employees had to manually turn off each monitor, and HUD officials condemned the prank as a “waste of taxpayer dollars” and promised disciplinary action.
14. It’s not just the American people pushing back on this administration. A petrol giant in Norway has announced a ban on fuel sales to all US forces following Donald Trump's treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. Norway fuel giant 'refuses to fill US submarines' after Trump-Zelensky clash. Norwegian petroleum giant Haltbakk Bunkers has declared it will no longer help the US Navy. [I think the US is going to have a gasoline crisis shortly..]
15.The International Refugee Assistance Program announced that they had filed lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s refugee suspension and to access immigrants held at Guantánamo Bay. [Oh, my donations are useful, I see?]
16.Canadian flag maker Flags Unlimited has doubled its sales in the past six weeks.
17.Country music star Sheryl Crow sold her Tesla and will donate the proceeds to NPR.
18.The GAO confirmed that it will pursue an investigation into how and why DOGE accessed the Treasury’s payment system. The GAO, it should be noted, was created by Congress and works for Congress – not the Executive Branch—so it is likely safe from cuts or erasure by Musk or Trump. [Ah, I applied to that agency once upon a time - they are Congress's auditors.]
19. The Center for Taxpayer Rights and other orgs filed suit to prevent DOGE from having unfettered, unlawful access to personal and business data at the IRS.
20.Even the people working at DOGE say it is a lawless nightmare for America. In fact, they know it better than anyone. Thanks to these true public servants who won’t stand for such a dangerous betrayal of the American people.
21.Huge analysis out as a preprint! For every 9 years an animal spends in the wildlife trade, it shares an additional pathogen with humans. Clear long-term impacts based on 40 years of global trade data. [I don't know if this is exactly good news - so much as the scientific discovery is useful? Can be found HERE
22. Philly-area lawmakers walk out of meeting with Penn president over DEI cuts.[The Good News is they walked out on the Dean who was bragging about cutting DEI. "City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier was among the elected officials who tore into the university for abandoning the values of its founder, Benjamin Franklin, by refusing to affirm diversity, equity and inclusion, and failing to stand up to a “tyrannical king,” like he did during the American Revolution.
Other local leaders in attendance, including State Sen. Anthony Williams and State Rep. Rick Krajewski, said they disagreed with Penn’s interpretation of President Donald Trump’s flurry of executive orders and directives, which prompted Penn to erase dozens of DEI initiatives, programs and committees online as it reviews their compliance with federal law. "]
23.As of last week, 29 judicial rulings have ordered at least temporary halts to Trump Administration initiatives, thanks to a well-coordinated court strategy that began on Inauguration Day. The Musk-driven effort to gut USAID is at least partly on hold; As is an order to cut funding on scientific research at the National Institutes of Health. There is also pending legal action challenging the freeze on foreign aid, civil servant firings, the federal funding freeze, the powers of DOGE, immigration policies, and more. We won’t win all of these cases — and some could reach the Supreme Court sooner rather than later — but partners and allies all across the country are seeing positive results already.
24.Dozens of state attorneys general have already taken action on the legal front to protect their states from Trump’s dangerous orders, and Democratic governors and state officials are doing everything they can to put protections in place and sound the alarm about the negative impacts of this Administration on people’s everyday lives. Local elected officials will continue to play a key role in preventing the implementation of Trump’s illegal orders.
25.Democrats in Illinois' Congressional delegation said they are ready to “fight until hell freezes over” to protect federal programs that help the neediest Americans.
26.Americans’ approval of President Trump’s handling of the economy hit an all-time low, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
27.Mitch McConnell announced that he won’t seek re-election. Buh-bye. [He's in his 80s. I mean come on. No one over the age of 70 should run for public office.]
28.A federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s administration from illegally firing Cathy Harris, chair of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.
29.The Wisconsin Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit from a right-wing group seeking to limit early absentee voting sites.
30.Kendrick Lamar just did what NO rapper has ever done before! He’s now the first rapper in history to have three albums in the Billboard 200's Top 10 at the same time—GNX, DAMN, and Good Kid, M.A.A.D City are all dominating the charts. AND a #1 single that’s not even on them. This comes after a MASSIVE month where he swept the Grammys, shut down the Super Bowl halftime show, and saw his streams skyrocket. "Not Like Us" surged 430% in just three hours after his performance, while classics like “HUMBLE.” (+300%) and “All The Stars” (+290%) also exploded. At this point, Kendrick is the greatest of his generation.
31.Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill which would limit where mail-in ballots can be returned and require voters who return mail ballots after the Friday before Election Day to provide photo ID.
32.Dominion Energy executives say they expect the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project to be completed and operational next year, despite efforts by the Trump administration to halt wind energy projects.
33.Americans who think global warming is happening outnumber those who think it is not by a ratio of more than 5 to 1.
34.Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) sued the Trump administration to unfreeze over $3 billion in federal funding for his state. [ Pennsylvania voted for Trump.]
35. The CDC has restored a $257,000 contract for 9/11-related cancer research after DOGE tried to cancel it, officials say. Why? BLOWBACK! Nice work! (Let's make sure that money actually is released, not like what they said with HIV & Ebola.)
36.Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), who sits in a safely red seat, got booed by constituents as he faced anger and pushback over his support for the Trump administration’s cost-cutting crusade in the federal government.
37.The parent company of Trump’s social networking site Truth Social says it lost $400.9 million last year and its annual revenue declined 12% to $3.6 million.
38.A federal judge in Maryland temporarily blocked key portions of the Republican president's executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government and corporate America.
39.Retirees and unions sued to halt DOGE’s unprecedented seizure of personal, confidential, private and sensitive data from the Social Security Administration.
40.Government failure, stock market crash, and dictatorial alliances are not popular. People are starting to realize that there is no truth here beyond the desire for personal wealth and power.
41.Trump backed down from Elon Musk’s threat to fire every federal employee who failed to respond to his email by midnight, listing 5 things they accomplished this week. Politico broke the story that the admin is leaving it up to the discretion each agency to determine whether their employees have to respond. Most have waived the requirement, but Commerce, Education, Transportation, and GSA have instructed employees to comply.
42.DOGE Secretly Changes Its Website After Being Caught in Huge Lies.
DOGE’s supposed savings have been riddled with errors and lies.
43.71% of Trump voters oppose cutting Medicaid, despite House Republicans advancing a budget resolution that could require $880 billion in spending cuts. Overall, 82% of voters said Medicaid cuts were unacceptable.
44.The Supreme Court, in its first decision on President Trump’s use of executive power in his second term, ruled that he cannot, for now, remove a government lawyer who leads the watchdog agency that protects whistle-blowers.
45.The Philly Eagles have once again declined Trump’s invitation to the White House.
46.Republican lawmakers may be acting unconcerned publicly, but privately they’re freaking out over Trump and DOGE. Your calls are part of this! GOOD JOB!
47.The Associated Press is suing the Trump administration for access to presidential events, citing the First Amendment’s freedom of the press.
48.Local TV stations around the country have begun running human interest stories about veterans, members of military families or Trump supporters getting fired as part of Elon’s purge.
49.A federal appeals court declined to lift a block on Trump’s executive order to deny citizenship to some children born on U.S. soil.
50.Hundreds gathered outside the Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, protesting the Trump administration's decision to slash jobs and budgets at multiple agencies.
51.Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed Senate Bill 59, a bipartisan bill that allows Arkansas schools to offer free breakfast to all public school students.
52.A new Economist and YouGov poll reveals that only small minorities want to cut the EPA or NWS. Americans, in fact, would rather cut or eliminate DOGE than the agencies it’s targeting.
53.NY Governor Kathy Hochul has promised to take the Trump Admin to court over its attack on congestion pricing. [Already kind of has? Also set up a website to hire fired/laid off Federal Workers.]
54.Maine’s Governor Janet Mills also promised to “see Trump in court” over his Executive Order that would bar transgender student athletes from playing on girls' sports teams. As a nice coda, a “flash rally” happened spontaneously in Augusta today to thank her!
55.The clean-heat transition is speeding up in the U.S.: Americans bought 32% more heat pumps than the next-most-popular heating appliance, gas furnaces, last year. That smashes 2023’s record-setting lead of 21%.
56.Authors Against Book Bans defeated a book banning campaign in St. John’s County, FL—an extremely red part of the country.
57.Clean-energy technologies made up more than 10% of China’s economy in 2024 for the first time ever.
58.Already this year, Democrats are seeing victories in special elections across the country — a bellwether for future wins in Virginia this November and in the midterms next year. Dems are winning in Iowa, New York, Minnesota, Virginia, and even Oklahoma, and are fighting hard for wins in upcoming elections in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Historically, Virginia’s gubernatorial elections have served as a major opportunity for Democrats to push back and make a strong statement of our electoral intentions, and this year is no different.
59.Four out of 10 Americans have already shifted their spending over the last few months to be more consistent with their moral views, according to a Harris poll.
60.States are moving forward with Buy Clean policies despite Trump’s roadblocks
61.Ten new electric vehicle battery factories are on track to go online this year in the United States.
62.Bans on fur farming and public awareness of animal mistreatment have curbed the fur farming industry drastically.
63.Global sales of combustion engine cars have peaked! Global Sales of Combustion Engine Cars Haven't Only Peaked, They are Falling.
64.The Episcopal Church has now fully divested from the fossil fuel industry.
65.There are now already over 90 pending lawsuits against the Trump administration.
66.The CIA is conducting a formal review to assess any potential damage from an unclassified email sent to the WH in early February that identified for possible layoffs some officers by first name and last initial and could’ve exposed the roles of people working undercover. A senior career Treasury official delivered a memo warning Sec Scott Bessent that granting a 25-year-old with Musk’s DOGE access to the government’s ultra-sensitive payments system risked exposing highly classified CIA payments that flow through it.
67.Boycotts are taking hold.
Americans are changing shopping habits in a backlash against corporations that have shifted their public policies to align with Trump.
Millions pledged to halt discretionary spending for 24 hours on February 28 in protest against major retailers — chiefly Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy — for scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in response to Trump.
68. Calls to boycott Tesla apparently are having an effect. After a disappointing 2024, Tesla sales declined further in January. In California, a key market for Tesla, nearly 12 percent fewer Teslas were registered in January 2025 than in January 2024. An analysis by Electrek points to even more trouble for Tesla in Europe, where Tesla sales have dropped in every market. Also that the exterior panels are falling off (failing adhesive) may have something to do with continued disappointing sales. Also a Tesla showroom has burned to the ground in France.
69.Colorado Parks and Wildlife just acquired 120 acres to create the Michigan Creek State Wildlife Area.
70.Twitter X users are shifting over to Bluesky at a rapid rate, even as Musk adds more advertisers to his ongoing lawsuit against those that have justifiably boycotted X after he turned it into a cesspool of lies and hate (this week, he added Lego, Nestle, Tyson Foods, and Shell). [Okay, not a problem - I already don't buy anything by Lego, Nestle, Tyson Foods or Shell and haven't for years. Nestle makes horrible chocolate.]
71.International resistance is rising.
Canada has helped lead the way: A grassroots boycott of American products and tourism is underway there. Prime Minister Trudeau has in effect become a “wartime prime minister” as he stands up to Trump’s bullying. Jean Chrétien, who served as prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003, is urging Canada to join with leaders in Denmark, Panama, and Mexico, as well as with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, to fight back against Trump’s threats. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum is standing up to Trump. She has defended not just Mexico but also the sovereignty of Latin American countries Trump has threatened and insulted.
72.The federal courts are hitting back.
So far, at least 74 lawsuits have been filed by state attorneys general, nonprofits, and unions against the Trump regime. And at least 17 judges — including several appointed by Republicans — already have issued orders blocking or temporarily halting actions by the Trump regime. The blocking orders include Trump initiatives to restrict birthright citizenship, suspend or cut off domestic and foreign U.S. spending, shrink the federal workforce, oust independent agency heads, and roll back legal protections and medical care for transgender adults and youths. In other cases, the Trump regime has agreed to a pause to give judges time to rule, another way that legal fights are forcing a slowdown.
73.In Washington, D.C., thousands gathered at the Capitol Reflecting Pool, chanting “Where is Congress?” and urging members of Congress to “Do your job!” despite nearly 40-degree temperatures and 20-mile-per-hour wind gusts. The nationwide protests are part of the 50501 Movement, which stands for “50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement.” One of its leaders urged the crowd of protesters in Washington to stand united in order to “uphold the Constitution.” “To oppose tyranny is to stand behind democracy and remind our elected officials that we, the people, are who they’re elected to serve, not themselves. The events over the past month have been built to exhaust us, to break our wills. But we are the American people. We will not break.” I expect that in the coming weeks and months protests will grow larger and louder.
74.First known cookbook by a Black American woman gets new edition 160 years later. Malinda Russell wrote A Domestic Cookbook: Containing a Careful Selection of Useful Recipes for the kitchen in 1866.
75.A federal judge gave the Trump administration about 36 hours to pay out hundreds millions of dollars for work performed by foreign aid contractors — and is demanding details about potential defiance of his orders. A federal judge expressed frustration Tuesday that the Trump administration appears to be ignoring his two-week-old order to unfreeze billions of dollars for foreign assistance grants and contracts, prompting him to set a short deadline for the State Department to begin paying out funds and to explain its recalcitrance. During a telephone hearing, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali grew impatient with a lack of clear responses from the administration’s lawyers. “I don’t know why I can’t get a straight answer from you,” the judge lamented. Judge Ali also raised concerns about an order by Secretary of State Marco Rubio — issued five days after the restraining order took effect — pausing $15.9 billion in foreign assistance grants. “That, again, is the very action that was held to be likely arbitrary and capricious,” Ali said. The judge ordered the State Department to pay all aid contractors who completed work before his order by midnight Wednesday. He also demanded that the government file with the court “any directive or guidance” issued about his order or about the suspension or termination of aid agreements. “I want those documents by noon tomorrow,” the judge said. The judge also has the power to order Rubio or other officials to appear in his courtroom or hold them in contempt of court. But, he didn’t. Yet.
76. A new ABC News poll shows that Americans may have voted by a narrow margin for Trump, but they don't actually agree with much of anything he's doing, either domestically or on the international stage... though they sort of like the idea of brutalizing trans children and suppressing gays. [Gad. I don't understand the homophobia and transphobia. Ugh. That's just depressing. Although it did bite them in the ass, unfortunately it bit the rest of us as well. Note? When you decide to hurt someone else - there's also a price.]
77.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was expected to cruise to an easy victory a month ago in Canada’s upcoming election, but that has all changed recently because of his alliance with Trump. Trump’s anti-Canada rhetoric is not helping his friend Poilievre at all. Ontario PM Doug Ford: “Every time Trump goes after Trudeau, the Liberals’ numbers go up. It was going to be a landslide for Pierre Poilievre, now it’s literally neck and neck. How does that happen? From almost a 20 point lead down to neck and neck.”
78.At a Republican town hall in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Democratic candidate Teresa Borrenpohl was forcibly removed by plainclothes security officers after repeatedly interrupting speakers, leading to public outcry and an ongoing investigation into the security firm's conduct.
79.The Hill reported that fed employee unions who have a pending lawsuit against DOGE for mass firings of probationary employees have amended their lawsuit to include this latest insanity. The updated lawsuit says that OPM, at Musk’s direction, “has not complied with any procedural requirements” under the Administrative Procedure Act: “No notice was published, in the Federal Register or anywhere else, regarding any OPM program, rule, policy, or regulation requiring all federal employees to provide a report regarding their work to OPM.” (I don’t think Musk has heard of the Administrative Procedure Act.) [Well, no, he's a tech billionaire, he never bothered to learn administrative laws and regulations nor understand them. ]
80.Organizers are planning to mob Tesla dealerships, showrooms, factories to protest ‘how Elon Musk’s DOGE coup is harming working families.’ SpaceX and X HQ are also targeted for chants and signs: ‘FIRE ELON MUSK,’ ‘TRAITOR.
81.Republican members of Congress continued to get hammered across the country by angry constituents in their districts - with most of the venom directed at Elon Musk. Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) was booed, heckled and harassed repeatedly during a town hall in his district today. The crowd erupted when he said this: “Elon Musk has contracts with the federal government, but he is also, I think, doing an effective job at weeding out the waste, abuse, and fraud in the government.” His constituents: “BOOO!!! SHOW ME!!! CONFLICT OF INTEREST!!! HE IS THE WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE!!!” Then when attempting to answer a question about immigration, Alford said: “Do you know who Stephen Miller is?” His constituents: BOOOOOO!!!!!
82.Trump’s Own Pollster Just Hit Him With Very Bad News—and a Warning
A poll of swing-district voters is already showing heaps of warning signs for Republicans bent on helping billionaires. That was fast.
83.A federal judge in Seattle blocked Trump’s executive order suspending the U.S. refugee admissions program. Judge Jamal Whitehead ruled that Trump’s directive amounted to a “nullification of congressional will” and exceeded the president’s authority. The lawsuit, brought by refugee aid groups, argued that the order disrupted services and left approved refugees stranded. The Justice Department signaled it may appeal the decision.
84. Okay this is just weird? A federal judge declined to temporarily restore the Associated Press’ access to certain White House events after Trump banned the outlet for refusing to use his preferred name, “Gulf of America,” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.” Judge Trevor McFadden ruled that AP had not proven “irreparable harm” but set a March 20 hearing to reconsider the case. [ I'd seen this on FB, but dear god, that's why he banned them?]
85.Twenty-one federal technology staffers resigned from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, citing concerns over dismantling public services. The employees, formerly part of the U.S. Digital Service, said they would “not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services.” Their resignation letter warned that Musk’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce relied on inexperienced political appointees and posed security risks. The White House dismissed the resignations, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying “Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits, and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock.”
86.An employee of the VA since 2006, who took law classes at night to get a promotion to the general counsel's office in 2024, was fired as a "probationary" employee because of her recent job change. She is asking a court for her job back.
87.Mexico is suing major US gun manufacturers for $10 billion, alleging they contribute to cartel violence through illegal trafficking. The Supreme Court will hear arguments today on whether manufacturers can be held liable under the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.
An estimated 200,000 firearms are smuggled from the US to Mexico yearly, with 74% of crime scene weapons traced to US sources. The Court's decision could reshape gun manufacturer liability and impact international efforts to combat weapons trafficking.
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