Anyone want some good news?
Apr. 28th, 2025 06:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatI know I do. So, found some and it made me smile today. As did the lovely blue sky, and the tulips I saw at lunch time, and the warm weather. Outside my window, it is quiet and peaceful, the trees are green and golden, with a smattering of red. And the sky is hazy blue with streaks of clouds fading slowly into twilight. Although we should still have light until at least 8pm.
It's the little things that make life worth living, I think? Not the big ones. Considering how many places around the world are war torn and struggling, I am reminded once again...there but for the grace of god, go I. I forget occasionally. I was reminded again today, by an unexpected source, who in an odd way provided me with the courage to send out the first of my cards to the US Federal Government for Project Snail Mail. Then hunted down more cards and stationary provided over the years by various charitable institutions in order to send more. (I don't know about anyone else? But I get a lot of stationary items from charitable foundations, even ones that I never give money too.)
It's scary writing these posts and making them public - since I do not know who is reading? One really never does when posting on social media. It's akin to posting on a bulletin board in the middle of Times Square. But I hope in some small way by posting them - I've made at least one person's day a little brighter? Or happier? Or put a smile on someone's face? There's a song about this, from the musical Pippin: Spread a Little Sunshine.
I can't do the rallys, protests, marches or the phone calls - that's not my bailiwick, but I am a good writer - and can write, or so I've been told. So I will do that. I can also draw and paint. And take photos. So I will do that too.
So, I'll be brave and continue...to post these lists in unlocked posts.
As always, the good news is in the eye of the beholder. With any luck some of it has brought a smile to your face or a sense of a relief, or at least a spark of hope however small in this crazy mixed up world.
Without further ado, Hopefully Spreading Sunshine and Tulips...with some Good News from the US Resistance and It's Global Allies
1. Trump regime REVERSES cancellation of foreign student visas for ~4700 students. This, after 23 judges nationwide blocked enforcement & activists filed 100+ lawsuits challenging the fascist act.
2.Trump can’t withhold funds from ‘sanctuary’ cities, federal judge says.
U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick, a federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from pulling federal funds from San Francisco, Santa Clara County, and 14 other cities and counties it deems “sanctuary jurisdictions,” handing another legal blow to Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration. U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick of the Northern District of California granted the preliminary injunction and in his order cited a similar executive action from the Trump administration in 2017 — which Orrick also presided over and blocked — that attempted to halt funds and was found to be unconstitutional nationwide. Orrick referred to precedent in that ruling and in his order said again that such spending powers are constitutionally vested in Congress. He said attempts by the president to place conditions on federal funds violate the separation of powers. Go Here - Washington Post and HERE - AP News Wire
3. Tesla saw profits slide 71% in first-quarter earnings! SEVENTY-ONE PERCENT!! Go HERE
4.Sara Palin sued the New York Times for liable. She lost. Repeatedly. Go HERE
5.A judge paused the NYC Deputy Mayor’s executive order allowing ICE to operate out of Riker’s Island jail. Go HERE
6.The Old Growth Forest Network has officially recognized 32 acres of old-growth forest within the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, which contains trees estimated to be 300 years old. Go HERE
7.A panel of Brazil’s supreme court justices unanimously accepted criminal charges against six more allies of former president Jair Bolsonaro, over an alleged coup plot to keep him in office after his 2022 election defeat.
Go HERE
8.Wyoming’s only abortion clinic is resuming abortions after a judge suspended two state laws that were blocking them. Go HERE
9.Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a pair of bills into law that safeguard access to abortion and gender-affirming care in the state. GO HERE
10.Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (Virgin Islands Congressional Rep) and Sen. Cory Booker (Senator from NJ) had been doing a sit-in on the Capitol steps all day Sunday (6am to 6pm) to defend—and protest cuts to—Medicaid. (I watched part of this actually.). GO HERE - Streamed live on Apr 27, 2025.
11.Three "more" career prosecutors at the DOJ resigned rather than apologize for prosecuting Eric Adams. (Already five resigned). Go HERE (Eric Adams is not going to be re-elected.)
12. The DNC announced it is making its biggest investment ever in state parties, including doubling down on investments in red states. Go HERE.
13. A majority of likely voters (52%) now support impeaching Trump, including a majority of independents (55%). Go Here
14.Former Republican Congressman George Santos was sentenced to seven years in prison. Go HERE
15.Seven in 10 Republican voters now believe that the richest Americans should pay more tax – a significant increase from 62% six years ago, according to Morning Consult. What’s more, two-thirds back proposals to raise taxes on those earning more than $400,000. Go HERE
16.A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from gutting collective bargaining for most federal employees. Go HERE
17. A day after his big win, Bell paid a visit to Castlemont High School to share that he'll be pledging $183,000 of his winnings to support Oakland teachers across 63 schools and $53,000 to support teachers at 22 schools in Mobile, Ala., the city where his father lives. Go Here (I actually watched a few episodes of that - he was excellent.)
18.A U.S. District Court granted a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration's freeze on billions in congressionally approved infrastructure and environmental funding for communities across the nation.
Go HERE
19. Judge Boasberg issued an opinion and order finding probable cause that the Trump administration’s actions in the ongoing matter of J.G.G. et al v. Trump constitutes contempt. [He gets enough contempt citations - they'll have to impeach him. ]
20.The Guardian recreated an interactive climate future risk tool that was developed by FEMA and deleted by the Trump administration.
Go HERE.
[This amuses me to no end. Every single one that has been deleted has since been recreated by a non-profit organization. Folks? Gotta love the internet. Also, maybe it's time I start donating to the UK Guardian?]
21.AOC raised $9.6 million in the first quarter of 2025. [AOC is the Congressional Rep from Queens, and I'm beginning to think she may be looking to run for a higher office soon.]
22. New Jersey is now among 16 states that have declined to sign a letter from the Trump administration asking states to certify that they are not using "illegal DEI" policies in public schools. [Pretty much all of the North-Eastern States at this point.] Go Here
23. Rep. Garcia was able to extract a promise from the US Ambassador in El Salvador that he would look into the whereabouts of Andry Romero, the wrongly disappeared-to-El-Salvador gay hairdresser. Go HERE
24. Public isn’t buying Trump’s message about Kilmar Abrego García, polls show: More Americans say the mistakenly deported man should be returned to the United States than say he should remain in prison in El Salvador, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released Friday.
25.Republican Rep. Byron Donalds (Congressional Representative for Deep Red Lee County Florida) got booed and yelled at almost continuously by hundreds of pre-screened, in-district participants at his Town Hall in a safely red district. Go HERE There was room for 700 people, you had to be a resident of the district and could only sign up a certain amount of people per family. Byron pre-screened the audience in deep red Lee County and this is still what he got. Angry constituents. Per the tweet - people were furious, and started walking out.
26. More than 150 current presidents of U.S. colleges and universities — large and small — have signed a letter denouncing the White House’s “unprecedented government overreach and political interference” with higher education. [It's actually up to 400 at last count.] Go HERE
27.A federal judge ordered the state of Florida to address water pollution that led to a record number of manatee deaths. Go HERE
28.A federal judge in Maryland has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of a 20-year-old Venezuelan man deported to El Salvador, whose removal violated a previous court settlement. Go HERE
29.The West Sacramento, CA City Council unanimously approved the first reading of a new ordinance that would change city zoning code to allow tiny homes on wheels to be considered legal dwellings. Go HERE
30.Despite Trump administration orders, a coal-fired power plant in Colorado is still set to shut down this year. Go HERE
31.Trump tried so hard to kill NPR. The bipartisan Federal Election Commission unanimously dismissed a complaint from conservative activists who alleged NPR is controlled by the Democratic Party and “clearly and unmistakably” advocated for 2024 presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Go HERE
32.A federal judge found the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle Voice of America and affiliated news services likely were unlawful, indefinitely blocking the shuttering of the government-funded news outlet and affiliated news services. Go HERE.
33. The Treasury Inspector General for the Tax Administration office, Heather M. Hill, has opened a criminal investigation into Elon Musk and his DOGE team for accessing and stealing highly restricted taxpayer information. Go HERE
34.Rep. Don Bacon, a prominent Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, became the first sitting GOP lawmaker to suggest Trump should fire Pete Hegseth. Go HERE.
35.A federal judge ruled that President Trump’s proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act exceeds the President’s authority. Go HERE.
36. A federal court temporarily blocked North Carolina from taking steps to throw out ballots in the Griffin-Riggs lawsuit. Go HERE
37.IL Gov. JB Pritzker announced that he is making moves to have the state of Illinois boycott companies controlled by El Salvador, as a way to push back against Abrego Garcia’s unlawful detention in the country. Go HERE
38. Colorado passed a bipartisan bill requiring medical research animals to be put up for adoption before they are euthanized. Go HERE.
39.A new global study found that endangered sea turtles are showing signs of recovery in a majority of places where they are found in the world. Experts say it’s a “real conservation success” story. Go HERE
40.A record-breaking 3.8 million pounds of compost was collected in the second week of a new recycling mandate in New York City — a number so overwhelming that the city is opening a new site dedicated to the “black gold.” GO HERE
41.A dozen states sued the Trump administration in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York to stop its tariff policy, saying it is unlawful and has brought chaos to the American economy. GO HERE
42. Michigan’s supreme court ruled that it is unconstitutional to impose an automatic sentence of life without the possibility of parole on young adults up to age 20. Go HERE
43. AZ Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill passed by the GOP-run legislature that would have forced local officials in Arizona to comply with ICE directives and that would have required administrators to allow ICE agents to come into schools. Go HERE
44.The Supreme Court appears likely to keep the Affordable Care Act’s provision requiring insurers to cover some preventive services at no cost, such as health screenings, tests and HIV drugs.
GO HERE
45. A group of international students whose legal statuses were revoked by the Trump administration took the matter to court — and won. GO HERE
46. Maryland has now become the first state to reach its pledge to protect 30% of the state’s land — six years ahead of schedule. Nine states pledged to do so and Maryland got there first. GO HERE
47.A huge 89% majority of the world’s people want stronger action to fight the climate crisis. GO HERE
48.A panel of North Carolina judges struck down a new Republican-led law that sought to move the state’s elections board under the control of the GOP state auditor — siding with Democratic Gov. Josh Stein and declaring the law unconstitutional. GO HERE.
49.A federal judge blocked Trump administration directives that threatened to cut federal funding for public schools with diversity, equity and inclusion programs. GO HERE
50. On the same day, a different federal judge blocked the Trump administration from immediately enacting certain changes to how federal elections are run, including adding a proof-of-citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form. GO HERE
51.Federal judge blocked the Trump administration from withholding federal funding from more than a dozen sanctuary jurisdictions that have declined to cooperate with the Republican president's hardline immigration crackdown. Go HERE.
52.The Pentagon will resume gender-affirming care for transgender service members. GO HERE
53.The HHS is not going to create a new “autism registry” after all. Go HERE ("The federal health department is not creating a new registry of Americans with autism, a Department of Health and Human Services official said in a written statement Thursday. Instead, the official said, HHS will launch a $50 million research effort to understand the causes of autism spectrum disorder and improve treatments. The announcement arrives two days after National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya announced the intent to create such a registry at an all staff meeting, kicking off a firestorm of panic and confusion among autism self-advocates and the broader research community.")
54. The Trump Admin was forced to reverse the cancellation of 1800 student visas. Go HERE.
55.Vaccine scientists and medical leaders announced they are launching “the Vaccine Integrity Project,” an initiative to react to vaccine misinformation and scientifically unfounded vaccine decisions by the U.S. government. GO HERE
56.Kentucky's Supreme Court made history, swearing in Justice Pamela Goodwine — the first Black woman elected to serve on the commonwealth's high court. Go HERE
57.In Tennessee the cruel Lamberth & Watson bill to kick undocumented kids out of schools is DEAD FOR THE YEAR, after huge pushback. Go HERE
58.In Washington, Governor Ferguson signed a bill into law that ensures people can access a one-year supply of birth control upon initial prescription. GO HERE
59.A federal judge has once again blocked Department of Government Efficiency staffers who are operating inside the Social Security Administration (SSA) from accessing sensitive personal information of millions of Americans. GO HERE
60. A U.S. judge barred the Trump administration from rapidly deporting hundreds if not thousands of migrants to countries other than their own without giving them a chance to show they fear being persecuted, tortured or killed there. GO HERE
61. A judge in Idaho expanded the medical exemptions that apply to the state’s near-total abortion ban.
62.The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the Wisconsin governor can lock in 400-year school funding increase using a veto.
GO HERE
63.U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered the Trump administration to halt a round of mass firings that attempted to eliminate as much as 90% of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s staff.
GO HERE
64.New York City is cutting emissions and saving money by making vegetarian meals the default in public hospitals.
GO HERE
65.Prosecutors filed charges against private security guards who helped drag Teresa Borrenphol out of a Republican town hall earlier this year.
Go HERE
66. The Supreme Court told the Trump administration not to take any action to deport Venezuelan men based in Texas it alleges are gang members. This ruling is temporary but seems encouraging. Go HERE
67.Over 200 prominent former government officials and other American leaders joined together in an open letter condemning President Trump's retaliatory investigations targeting Chris Krebs and Miles Taylor– and all others illegitimately targeted by the administration. GO HERE
68.A two-year-old boy who spent a night alone in the Arizona wilderness was found and led to safety by a rancher’s dog. GO HERE
69.After being sued by the ACLU, the Border Patrol said it will retrain hundreds of California agents on how to comply with the Constitution. Go HERE (and this is why I donate to the ACLU)
70.Bernie Sanders & AOC spoke to 20,000 people in Salt Lake City with 5,000 people in the overflow area. That’s more than 10% of Salt Lake City’s entire population!Bernie Sanders and AOC filled a 13,000 seat arena to capacity for their “Fighting Oligarch Tour” in Nampa, Idaho. [Note both of these areas are RED and deeply conservative.]
GO HERE
71.More than 70% of four-wheeled vehicles imported into Nepal last year were electric, showing a stunning rise in EV adoption. GO HERE
72. Harvard is standing up to Donald Trump and refusing to meet his demands for institutional policy changes. More than 70 current and former college presidents signed a letter supporting Harvard’s pushback.
GO HERE
and
Go HERE.
73. Colorado just made it illegal to buy, sell, and manufacture most semi-automatic firearms without background checks and training, and puts limits on who qualifies for that training. GO HERE
74. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN body that regulates global shipping, approved new regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions across the maritime sector—one of the most polluting and least regulated industries on Earth. Go HERE
75.Newark is now the third U.S. city, and the first in New Jersey, to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections. Go HERE
76.More Americans now disapprove of Trump on immigration than approve, by 50% to 45% . Plus, a MAJORITY of Americans now disapprove of Trump on deportations by 53% to 42%. GO HERE
77.In the wake of President Donald Trump imposing tariffs on dozens of countries, a vast majority of voters (72% percent) think the tariffs will hurt the U.S. economy in the short-term, while a smaller majority (53 percent) think the tariffs will hurt the U.S. economy in the long-term as well, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea- ack) University national poll of registered voters released today. Go HERE [I never know what to make of polls. I find statistics confusing, and polls difficult to determine. But elected officials kind of live by them. Trump is obsessed with them.]
78.The Church of the Latter-day Saints has added a brand-new “Caring for the Earth” page to their main church website.
GO HERE
79.The webmaster at Case Western University was told to remove three DEI pages from the school’s website. She refused. (The good news is she refused.) Go HERE
80.Over 400 Olympic athletes urge the next IOC president to prioritize climate action, calling it a growing threat to the future of sports. GO HERE
81. Trump officials decided not to invoke the Insurrection Act on April 20th for now. Not happening. (This serves as another reminder to please not believe everything we read on social media -i.e. fact check folks. It's easier now than it used to, you no longer need to use boolean search engines.) Go HERE
82. Elon Musk’s net worth has declined by a staggering $122 billion this year. GO HERE
83. Democrat Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez got raked over the coals at a town hall this week for her vote on the SAVE Act. GO HERE "Perez is defending her position but added, "I also understand the SAVE Act stands no chance of passage in the Senate due to the filibuster, as well as several deeply flawed provisions," and, "I am also deeply concerned about a provision in a recent executive order that would invalidate ballots postmarked by Election Day if not received by Election Day.""[ Honestly, I guess the angry crowd is good news, but the whole executive order bit is not.]
84.A new survey found that plastic pollution on Australian coastlines dropped by 39% over the last decade. Additionally, there was a 16% increase in coastal areas with “no plastic debris at all.”
Go HERE
85.Representative Brian Mast, a Florida Republican, was booed roundly while defending President Donald Trump’s tariffs during a town hall on Tuesday. GO HERE
86.4chan, the notorious, hate-embracing online forum, got hacked. Badly. It may spell the end of the platform.
GO HERE (It's under a pay wall for me, but you might be able to access. And no, I've never heard of it - but then I tend to avoid hate forums like the plague.)
87.CA Gov. Newsom made $24 generic Narcan available to all Californians. GO HERE "SACRAMENTO — California residents are now eligible to buy naloxone — a drug commonly sold under the brand name Narcan
and used to treat opioid overdoses — for $24 through the state’s prescription website CalRx, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said in a news release Monday."
88. The April 5th Hands OFF protest brought 5 million people out in the streets. The April 19th No Kings protest brought out 4 million + (The numbers are tabulated by the coalition leaders based on check-ins, but not completely accurate - since not everywhere was counted. People have been forming their own rallies and marches in suburban and small town locals. So I'd say closer to 7-10 million from what I've seen of the photos, etc posted on social media.) There are people out in the street every single day, all over the country. These people coming out are the PROTECTORS OF OUR DEMOCRACY, defending the US Constitution and the Rule of Law. [That's true enough. Wales has been to three rally's to date. And I know other friends from college who are doing the same. There's another big one on May 1, at 5pm. Most of the NYC rallies and marches are held in Bryant Park or Midtown Manhattan, but people rally and march throughout New York State.]
GO HERE - the press is actually being forced to cover some of them due to the size, and the local. (NYC always does it, but Boise, Idaho? Not so much. We have Conservative Areas in deep RED States protesting. Which is amazing - if you know anything about Conservative Americans. They tend for the most part to be anti-protest. For most of them? This is the first time in their lives that they've protested anything by marching or rallying.)
Whew. Most of that was folks standing up, pushing back and resisting. There are a few non-political, non-court related links up there - mainly environmental related.
Hope you found something above to make you smile?
If not? Here's a photo of Tulips.
It's the little things that make life worth living, I think? Not the big ones. Considering how many places around the world are war torn and struggling, I am reminded once again...there but for the grace of god, go I. I forget occasionally. I was reminded again today, by an unexpected source, who in an odd way provided me with the courage to send out the first of my cards to the US Federal Government for Project Snail Mail. Then hunted down more cards and stationary provided over the years by various charitable institutions in order to send more. (I don't know about anyone else? But I get a lot of stationary items from charitable foundations, even ones that I never give money too.)
It's scary writing these posts and making them public - since I do not know who is reading? One really never does when posting on social media. It's akin to posting on a bulletin board in the middle of Times Square. But I hope in some small way by posting them - I've made at least one person's day a little brighter? Or happier? Or put a smile on someone's face? There's a song about this, from the musical Pippin: Spread a Little Sunshine.
I can't do the rallys, protests, marches or the phone calls - that's not my bailiwick, but I am a good writer - and can write, or so I've been told. So I will do that. I can also draw and paint. And take photos. So I will do that too.
So, I'll be brave and continue...to post these lists in unlocked posts.
As always, the good news is in the eye of the beholder. With any luck some of it has brought a smile to your face or a sense of a relief, or at least a spark of hope however small in this crazy mixed up world.
Without further ado, Hopefully Spreading Sunshine and Tulips...with some Good News from the US Resistance and It's Global Allies
1. Trump regime REVERSES cancellation of foreign student visas for ~4700 students. This, after 23 judges nationwide blocked enforcement & activists filed 100+ lawsuits challenging the fascist act.
2.Trump can’t withhold funds from ‘sanctuary’ cities, federal judge says.
U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick, a federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from pulling federal funds from San Francisco, Santa Clara County, and 14 other cities and counties it deems “sanctuary jurisdictions,” handing another legal blow to Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration. U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick of the Northern District of California granted the preliminary injunction and in his order cited a similar executive action from the Trump administration in 2017 — which Orrick also presided over and blocked — that attempted to halt funds and was found to be unconstitutional nationwide. Orrick referred to precedent in that ruling and in his order said again that such spending powers are constitutionally vested in Congress. He said attempts by the president to place conditions on federal funds violate the separation of powers. Go Here - Washington Post and HERE - AP News Wire
3. Tesla saw profits slide 71% in first-quarter earnings! SEVENTY-ONE PERCENT!! Go HERE
4.Sara Palin sued the New York Times for liable. She lost. Repeatedly. Go HERE
5.A judge paused the NYC Deputy Mayor’s executive order allowing ICE to operate out of Riker’s Island jail. Go HERE
6.The Old Growth Forest Network has officially recognized 32 acres of old-growth forest within the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, which contains trees estimated to be 300 years old. Go HERE
7.A panel of Brazil’s supreme court justices unanimously accepted criminal charges against six more allies of former president Jair Bolsonaro, over an alleged coup plot to keep him in office after his 2022 election defeat.
Go HERE
8.Wyoming’s only abortion clinic is resuming abortions after a judge suspended two state laws that were blocking them. Go HERE
9.Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a pair of bills into law that safeguard access to abortion and gender-affirming care in the state. GO HERE
10.Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (Virgin Islands Congressional Rep) and Sen. Cory Booker (Senator from NJ) had been doing a sit-in on the Capitol steps all day Sunday (6am to 6pm) to defend—and protest cuts to—Medicaid. (I watched part of this actually.). GO HERE - Streamed live on Apr 27, 2025.
11.Three "more" career prosecutors at the DOJ resigned rather than apologize for prosecuting Eric Adams. (Already five resigned). Go HERE (Eric Adams is not going to be re-elected.)
12. The DNC announced it is making its biggest investment ever in state parties, including doubling down on investments in red states. Go HERE.
13. A majority of likely voters (52%) now support impeaching Trump, including a majority of independents (55%). Go Here
14.Former Republican Congressman George Santos was sentenced to seven years in prison. Go HERE
15.Seven in 10 Republican voters now believe that the richest Americans should pay more tax – a significant increase from 62% six years ago, according to Morning Consult. What’s more, two-thirds back proposals to raise taxes on those earning more than $400,000. Go HERE
16.A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from gutting collective bargaining for most federal employees. Go HERE
17. A day after his big win, Bell paid a visit to Castlemont High School to share that he'll be pledging $183,000 of his winnings to support Oakland teachers across 63 schools and $53,000 to support teachers at 22 schools in Mobile, Ala., the city where his father lives. Go Here (I actually watched a few episodes of that - he was excellent.)
18.A U.S. District Court granted a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration's freeze on billions in congressionally approved infrastructure and environmental funding for communities across the nation.
Go HERE
19. Judge Boasberg issued an opinion and order finding probable cause that the Trump administration’s actions in the ongoing matter of J.G.G. et al v. Trump constitutes contempt. [He gets enough contempt citations - they'll have to impeach him. ]
20.The Guardian recreated an interactive climate future risk tool that was developed by FEMA and deleted by the Trump administration.
Go HERE.
[This amuses me to no end. Every single one that has been deleted has since been recreated by a non-profit organization. Folks? Gotta love the internet. Also, maybe it's time I start donating to the UK Guardian?]
21.AOC raised $9.6 million in the first quarter of 2025. [AOC is the Congressional Rep from Queens, and I'm beginning to think she may be looking to run for a higher office soon.]
22. New Jersey is now among 16 states that have declined to sign a letter from the Trump administration asking states to certify that they are not using "illegal DEI" policies in public schools. [Pretty much all of the North-Eastern States at this point.] Go Here
23. Rep. Garcia was able to extract a promise from the US Ambassador in El Salvador that he would look into the whereabouts of Andry Romero, the wrongly disappeared-to-El-Salvador gay hairdresser. Go HERE
24. Public isn’t buying Trump’s message about Kilmar Abrego García, polls show: More Americans say the mistakenly deported man should be returned to the United States than say he should remain in prison in El Salvador, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released Friday.
25.Republican Rep. Byron Donalds (Congressional Representative for Deep Red Lee County Florida) got booed and yelled at almost continuously by hundreds of pre-screened, in-district participants at his Town Hall in a safely red district. Go HERE There was room for 700 people, you had to be a resident of the district and could only sign up a certain amount of people per family. Byron pre-screened the audience in deep red Lee County and this is still what he got. Angry constituents. Per the tweet - people were furious, and started walking out.
26. More than 150 current presidents of U.S. colleges and universities — large and small — have signed a letter denouncing the White House’s “unprecedented government overreach and political interference” with higher education. [It's actually up to 400 at last count.] Go HERE
27.A federal judge ordered the state of Florida to address water pollution that led to a record number of manatee deaths. Go HERE
28.A federal judge in Maryland has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of a 20-year-old Venezuelan man deported to El Salvador, whose removal violated a previous court settlement. Go HERE
29.The West Sacramento, CA City Council unanimously approved the first reading of a new ordinance that would change city zoning code to allow tiny homes on wheels to be considered legal dwellings. Go HERE
30.Despite Trump administration orders, a coal-fired power plant in Colorado is still set to shut down this year. Go HERE
31.Trump tried so hard to kill NPR. The bipartisan Federal Election Commission unanimously dismissed a complaint from conservative activists who alleged NPR is controlled by the Democratic Party and “clearly and unmistakably” advocated for 2024 presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Go HERE
32.A federal judge found the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle Voice of America and affiliated news services likely were unlawful, indefinitely blocking the shuttering of the government-funded news outlet and affiliated news services. Go HERE.
33. The Treasury Inspector General for the Tax Administration office, Heather M. Hill, has opened a criminal investigation into Elon Musk and his DOGE team for accessing and stealing highly restricted taxpayer information. Go HERE
34.Rep. Don Bacon, a prominent Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, became the first sitting GOP lawmaker to suggest Trump should fire Pete Hegseth. Go HERE.
35.A federal judge ruled that President Trump’s proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act exceeds the President’s authority. Go HERE.
36. A federal court temporarily blocked North Carolina from taking steps to throw out ballots in the Griffin-Riggs lawsuit. Go HERE
37.IL Gov. JB Pritzker announced that he is making moves to have the state of Illinois boycott companies controlled by El Salvador, as a way to push back against Abrego Garcia’s unlawful detention in the country. Go HERE
38. Colorado passed a bipartisan bill requiring medical research animals to be put up for adoption before they are euthanized. Go HERE.
39.A new global study found that endangered sea turtles are showing signs of recovery in a majority of places where they are found in the world. Experts say it’s a “real conservation success” story. Go HERE
40.A record-breaking 3.8 million pounds of compost was collected in the second week of a new recycling mandate in New York City — a number so overwhelming that the city is opening a new site dedicated to the “black gold.” GO HERE
41.A dozen states sued the Trump administration in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York to stop its tariff policy, saying it is unlawful and has brought chaos to the American economy. GO HERE
42. Michigan’s supreme court ruled that it is unconstitutional to impose an automatic sentence of life without the possibility of parole on young adults up to age 20. Go HERE
43. AZ Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill passed by the GOP-run legislature that would have forced local officials in Arizona to comply with ICE directives and that would have required administrators to allow ICE agents to come into schools. Go HERE
44.The Supreme Court appears likely to keep the Affordable Care Act’s provision requiring insurers to cover some preventive services at no cost, such as health screenings, tests and HIV drugs.
GO HERE
45. A group of international students whose legal statuses were revoked by the Trump administration took the matter to court — and won. GO HERE
46. Maryland has now become the first state to reach its pledge to protect 30% of the state’s land — six years ahead of schedule. Nine states pledged to do so and Maryland got there first. GO HERE
47.A huge 89% majority of the world’s people want stronger action to fight the climate crisis. GO HERE
48.A panel of North Carolina judges struck down a new Republican-led law that sought to move the state’s elections board under the control of the GOP state auditor — siding with Democratic Gov. Josh Stein and declaring the law unconstitutional. GO HERE.
49.A federal judge blocked Trump administration directives that threatened to cut federal funding for public schools with diversity, equity and inclusion programs. GO HERE
50. On the same day, a different federal judge blocked the Trump administration from immediately enacting certain changes to how federal elections are run, including adding a proof-of-citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form. GO HERE
51.Federal judge blocked the Trump administration from withholding federal funding from more than a dozen sanctuary jurisdictions that have declined to cooperate with the Republican president's hardline immigration crackdown. Go HERE.
52.The Pentagon will resume gender-affirming care for transgender service members. GO HERE
53.The HHS is not going to create a new “autism registry” after all. Go HERE ("The federal health department is not creating a new registry of Americans with autism, a Department of Health and Human Services official said in a written statement Thursday. Instead, the official said, HHS will launch a $50 million research effort to understand the causes of autism spectrum disorder and improve treatments. The announcement arrives two days after National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya announced the intent to create such a registry at an all staff meeting, kicking off a firestorm of panic and confusion among autism self-advocates and the broader research community.")
54. The Trump Admin was forced to reverse the cancellation of 1800 student visas. Go HERE.
55.Vaccine scientists and medical leaders announced they are launching “the Vaccine Integrity Project,” an initiative to react to vaccine misinformation and scientifically unfounded vaccine decisions by the U.S. government. GO HERE
56.Kentucky's Supreme Court made history, swearing in Justice Pamela Goodwine — the first Black woman elected to serve on the commonwealth's high court. Go HERE
57.In Tennessee the cruel Lamberth & Watson bill to kick undocumented kids out of schools is DEAD FOR THE YEAR, after huge pushback. Go HERE
58.In Washington, Governor Ferguson signed a bill into law that ensures people can access a one-year supply of birth control upon initial prescription. GO HERE
59.A federal judge has once again blocked Department of Government Efficiency staffers who are operating inside the Social Security Administration (SSA) from accessing sensitive personal information of millions of Americans. GO HERE
60. A U.S. judge barred the Trump administration from rapidly deporting hundreds if not thousands of migrants to countries other than their own without giving them a chance to show they fear being persecuted, tortured or killed there. GO HERE
61. A judge in Idaho expanded the medical exemptions that apply to the state’s near-total abortion ban.
62.The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the Wisconsin governor can lock in 400-year school funding increase using a veto.
GO HERE
63.U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered the Trump administration to halt a round of mass firings that attempted to eliminate as much as 90% of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s staff.
GO HERE
64.New York City is cutting emissions and saving money by making vegetarian meals the default in public hospitals.
GO HERE
65.Prosecutors filed charges against private security guards who helped drag Teresa Borrenphol out of a Republican town hall earlier this year.
Go HERE
66. The Supreme Court told the Trump administration not to take any action to deport Venezuelan men based in Texas it alleges are gang members. This ruling is temporary but seems encouraging. Go HERE
67.Over 200 prominent former government officials and other American leaders joined together in an open letter condemning President Trump's retaliatory investigations targeting Chris Krebs and Miles Taylor– and all others illegitimately targeted by the administration. GO HERE
68.A two-year-old boy who spent a night alone in the Arizona wilderness was found and led to safety by a rancher’s dog. GO HERE
69.After being sued by the ACLU, the Border Patrol said it will retrain hundreds of California agents on how to comply with the Constitution. Go HERE (and this is why I donate to the ACLU)
70.Bernie Sanders & AOC spoke to 20,000 people in Salt Lake City with 5,000 people in the overflow area. That’s more than 10% of Salt Lake City’s entire population!Bernie Sanders and AOC filled a 13,000 seat arena to capacity for their “Fighting Oligarch Tour” in Nampa, Idaho. [Note both of these areas are RED and deeply conservative.]
GO HERE
71.More than 70% of four-wheeled vehicles imported into Nepal last year were electric, showing a stunning rise in EV adoption. GO HERE
72. Harvard is standing up to Donald Trump and refusing to meet his demands for institutional policy changes. More than 70 current and former college presidents signed a letter supporting Harvard’s pushback.
GO HERE
and
Go HERE.
73. Colorado just made it illegal to buy, sell, and manufacture most semi-automatic firearms without background checks and training, and puts limits on who qualifies for that training. GO HERE
74. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN body that regulates global shipping, approved new regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions across the maritime sector—one of the most polluting and least regulated industries on Earth. Go HERE
75.Newark is now the third U.S. city, and the first in New Jersey, to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections. Go HERE
76.More Americans now disapprove of Trump on immigration than approve, by 50% to 45% . Plus, a MAJORITY of Americans now disapprove of Trump on deportations by 53% to 42%. GO HERE
77.In the wake of President Donald Trump imposing tariffs on dozens of countries, a vast majority of voters (72% percent) think the tariffs will hurt the U.S. economy in the short-term, while a smaller majority (53 percent) think the tariffs will hurt the U.S. economy in the long-term as well, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea- ack) University national poll of registered voters released today. Go HERE [I never know what to make of polls. I find statistics confusing, and polls difficult to determine. But elected officials kind of live by them. Trump is obsessed with them.]
78.The Church of the Latter-day Saints has added a brand-new “Caring for the Earth” page to their main church website.
GO HERE
79.The webmaster at Case Western University was told to remove three DEI pages from the school’s website. She refused. (The good news is she refused.) Go HERE
80.Over 400 Olympic athletes urge the next IOC president to prioritize climate action, calling it a growing threat to the future of sports. GO HERE
81. Trump officials decided not to invoke the Insurrection Act on April 20th for now. Not happening. (This serves as another reminder to please not believe everything we read on social media -i.e. fact check folks. It's easier now than it used to, you no longer need to use boolean search engines.) Go HERE
82. Elon Musk’s net worth has declined by a staggering $122 billion this year. GO HERE
83. Democrat Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez got raked over the coals at a town hall this week for her vote on the SAVE Act. GO HERE "Perez is defending her position but added, "I also understand the SAVE Act stands no chance of passage in the Senate due to the filibuster, as well as several deeply flawed provisions," and, "I am also deeply concerned about a provision in a recent executive order that would invalidate ballots postmarked by Election Day if not received by Election Day.""[ Honestly, I guess the angry crowd is good news, but the whole executive order bit is not.]
84.A new survey found that plastic pollution on Australian coastlines dropped by 39% over the last decade. Additionally, there was a 16% increase in coastal areas with “no plastic debris at all.”
Go HERE
85.Representative Brian Mast, a Florida Republican, was booed roundly while defending President Donald Trump’s tariffs during a town hall on Tuesday. GO HERE
86.4chan, the notorious, hate-embracing online forum, got hacked. Badly. It may spell the end of the platform.
GO HERE (It's under a pay wall for me, but you might be able to access. And no, I've never heard of it - but then I tend to avoid hate forums like the plague.)
87.CA Gov. Newsom made $24 generic Narcan available to all Californians. GO HERE "SACRAMENTO — California residents are now eligible to buy naloxone — a drug commonly sold under the brand name Narcan
and used to treat opioid overdoses — for $24 through the state’s prescription website CalRx, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said in a news release Monday."
88. The April 5th Hands OFF protest brought 5 million people out in the streets. The April 19th No Kings protest brought out 4 million + (The numbers are tabulated by the coalition leaders based on check-ins, but not completely accurate - since not everywhere was counted. People have been forming their own rallies and marches in suburban and small town locals. So I'd say closer to 7-10 million from what I've seen of the photos, etc posted on social media.) There are people out in the street every single day, all over the country. These people coming out are the PROTECTORS OF OUR DEMOCRACY, defending the US Constitution and the Rule of Law. [That's true enough. Wales has been to three rally's to date. And I know other friends from college who are doing the same. There's another big one on May 1, at 5pm. Most of the NYC rallies and marches are held in Bryant Park or Midtown Manhattan, but people rally and march throughout New York State.]
GO HERE - the press is actually being forced to cover some of them due to the size, and the local. (NYC always does it, but Boise, Idaho? Not so much. We have Conservative Areas in deep RED States protesting. Which is amazing - if you know anything about Conservative Americans. They tend for the most part to be anti-protest. For most of them? This is the first time in their lives that they've protested anything by marching or rallying.)
Whew. Most of that was folks standing up, pushing back and resisting. There are a few non-political, non-court related links up there - mainly environmental related.
Hope you found something above to make you smile?
If not? Here's a photo of Tulips.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-29 02:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-29 11:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-29 01:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-29 10:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-30 12:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-29 11:19 pm (UTC)According to the encyclopedia, they originally come from Iran.
It’s fascinating how similar these flowers look all around the world.
https://i.postimg.cc/SxQdm8rF/DSC-0209.jpg
no subject
Date: 2025-04-30 12:18 am (UTC)Thanks, I didn't know that.
There are cross breeds here and there.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-30 12:46 am (UTC)Other things- Holland is only a region of the Netherlands. i wondered, many people thought that its still a country)
The name "Tulips" is very close to the name of population middle East national headrest turban.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-30 12:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-30 06:45 pm (UTC)I remember shops in airports all over the world from Holland)
And i make photo of them this evening:
https://i.postimg.cc/xTvFXNy0/signal-2025-04-30-214129.jpg
no subject
Date: 2025-05-01 01:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-05-23 05:55 pm (UTC)"It's scary writing these posts and making them public"
I really appreciate that you do. I read news once a week, and your posts are a big part of my reading.