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shadowkatAs always, the good news depends on your perspective, and mileage may vary on this.
To the tune of We're Accentuating the Positive, Eliminating the Negative...and Hanging on to the Affirmative but Don't Mess around with Mr. in Between...sung by Aretha Franklyn (mainly because her version is the only one I like.)
A lot of it is just showing the positive results from non-violent resistance via the courts, etc. But basically as my source states: "We the people are pushing back and making good news." However, there's also a lot of positive environmental news - showing that progress happens regardless, and we are globally making progress in regards to managing climate change and preserving the environment.
1.The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction that will block the Trump administration’s unlawful reorganization of the federal government while the case proceeds.
"Washington, D.C. – A coalition that includes nationwide labor organizations, vital non-profit groups, and local cities and counties in California, Illinois, Maryland, Texas, and Washington all united today to challenge the Trump administration’s unlawful reorganization of the federal government underway without legislative authority. The coalition is represented by Democracy Forward, Altshuler Berzon LLP, Protect Democracy, Public Rights Project, and State Democracy Defenders Fund.
The coalition includes the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and four AFGE locals; American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and SEIU Local 1000; Alliance for Retired Americans, American Geophysical Union; American Public Health Association; Center for Taxpayer Rights; Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks; Common Defense; Main Street Alliance; NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council); Northeast Organic Farming Association Inc.; VoteVets; Western Watersheds Project; City and County of San Francisco, California; County of Santa Clara, California; City of Chicago, Illinois; City of Baltimore, Maryland; Harris County, Texas; and King County, Washington. The case, AFGE v. Trump, was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California."
https://democracyforward.org/updates/massive-coalition-of-unions-non-profit-groups-and-local-governments-file-omnibus-challenge-to-unconstitutional-reorganization-of-federal-government/
The court filing can be found HERE
2.This week was the deadline for Congress to act on a resolution that could have overturned the ban on TCE [not to be confused with ICE, this is a toxic chemical]. But thanks to your voices, your stories, and your pressure—Congress didn’t act. The ban on TCE stands.
"When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final ban on most uses of toxic trichloroethylene (TCE) in December 2024, it marked a long overdue victory for public health. This cancer-causing solvent is known as one of the “worst of the worst” toxic chemicals—linked to Parkinson’s disease, cancer, reproductive harm, and neurological damage."
https://toxicfreefuture.org/blog/we-finally-won-a-ban-on-toxic-tce-now-some-in-congress-are-trying-to-roll-it-back/
3. Calling for “freedom from partisan interference in programming,” administrative staffers at the Kennedy Center went public with a push to unionize following an overhaul of the institution by the Trump clan.
Go HERE
4. The MeidasTouch Podcast, a show critical of Trump, won Podcast of the Year at the Webby Awards.
https://www.newsweek.com/medias-touch-podcast-webby-award-donald-trump-democrat-2071984?emci=c60a435f-ab32-f011-a5f1-6045bda9d96b&emdi=d3638486-ab32-f011-a5f1-6045bda9d96b&ceid=417324
5. Trump’s support among Latino voters, including those who voted for him in 2024, is fracturing.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/exclusive-trump-losing-the-latino-voters-he-won-in-2024-equis-poll-survey-registered
6.Democrat Sam Sutton defeated his Republican opponent to win New York’s 22nd State Senate District special election — a district Trump won by 55 points in 2024.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5310726-democrat-sam-sutton-wins-new-york-seat/
7. New record for batteries in California (CAISO) On May 20, 2025, battery discharge crossed 10 GW for the first time. That was enough meet a third of evening peak demand. Solar moved fast, but batteries are moving even faster.
https://energycentral.com/c/em/batteries-hit-new-heights-californias-energy-mix
8. In 2019, California's state wide battery capacity was 770 MW. California’s Energy storage has surge to 15,700 MW - including 2300 MW added since last September. That means a clean resilient energy grid to meet peak demand.
https://energycentral.com/c/em/batteries-hit-new-heights-californias-energy-mix
9. Fusion overtakes scission April 2025: for the first time ever, solar power generated more electricity than nuclear worldwide.
https://environmentamerica.org/center/updates/theres-now-five-times-more-solar-than-nuclear-power-in-the-world/
10. For the first time, a surge on China's renewable energy output has led to a 4.7% drop in the countries carbon and missions despite a 2.5% increase in power demand. This marks is major mile stone and China's energy transition.
https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-clean-energy-just-put-chinas-co2-emissions-into-reverse-for-first-time/
11. Wind boom helps Finland join the growing list of countries quitting coal power. On 1 April 2025, Finnish energy company Helen switched off the coal-fired Salmisaari facility, which produced both electricity and heat. It says the move will make Finland more self-sufficient in energy (it imported coal) while also reducing nation-wide emissions 2% and cutting electricity costs.
The country’s switch from coal, which made up 18% of its power mix in 2010, has not pushed up electricity prices, Helen says, citing national statistics showing Finland has the third-cheapest electricity in Europe, after Sweden and Norway. The three countries produce some of the lowest-carbon power in the world.
“The clean transition, cost efficiency and Finland’s security of supply can go hand in hand,” Helen’s CEO, Olli Sirkka, said in a statement. The company says its own emissions will be 95% below 1990 levels by 2030.
https://theprogressplaybook.com/2025/04/14/wind-boom-helps-finland-join-the-list-of-countries-quitting-coal-power/
12. The U.S. Institute of Peace retook control of its headquarters just two days after a federal judge ruled that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency illegally fired its board and staff. Acting president George Moose re-entered the building for the first time since March, accompanied by private security and the institute’s attorney. He and most of the board were ousted during DOGE’s mass purge of the federal workforce.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-institute-of-peace-headquarters-df9dc7d4b1ea744db647527a4b28d807
13. A federal judge ruled that Trump’s dismissal of Democratic-selected members to the five-person Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, an independent civil liberties watchdog, without cause in January was illegal, and ordered the regime to reinstate them.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2025/05/federal-judge-blocks-trumps-firing-of-two-democratic-members-of-privacy-oversight-board-2/
14.A federal judge blocked Trump's executive order shutting down the Education Department, and ordered the regime to reinstate more than 1,300 federal employees laid off in March, saying only an act of Congress can eliminate the department.
https://www.eschoolnews.com/educational-leadership/2025/05/26/federal-judge-blocks-trumps-education-dept-shutdown/
15.A report by the Government Accountability Office found the Trump regime improperly withheld funds under a $5 billion federal infrastructure program, finding regime officials had violated the law by refusing to spend money on electric vehicle charging stations as authorized by Congress, calling it improper impoundment.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/22/trump-administration-violated-impoundment-law-gao-finds-00365728
16.Maryland passes the Second Look Act, which creates a pathway for incarcerated Marylanders to petition for a judicial review after serving 20 years of their sentences.
https://www.sentencingproject.org/press-releases/the-sentencing-project-applauds-governor-wes-moore-signing-of-the-maryland-second-look-act/
17. Postcards to Voters candidate Danielle Chesek was handily re-elected to the Scranton School Board. Chesek was the top vote-getter as she pursues a second four-year term on the board of the county’s largest school district. PTV’s slate of four candidates for the Lehighton Area School Board all came out winners, too.
https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/2025/05/20/chesek-leads-early-in-dem-gop-primaries-for-scranton-school-board/
18.The latest draft of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which passed the House Budget Committee, no longer includes a provision that critics have dubbed the “nonprofit killer bill.” (Still tons of awful in there, but at least that one bad thing is gone. They also removed the portion that was going to sell off public lands.)
https://archive.ph/UOKjv#selection-747.0-747.190
"It was not immediately clear why the provision was absent from the latest draft of the bill, but a Democratic congressional aide said the removal was indeed a deliberate move by the GOP.
“Apparently Republican staffers removed it after hearing about it from stakeholders and working with leadership on a solution, but I’m not sure what the solution is,” the source told The Intercept.
The removal of the clause prompted cautious optimism from civil-society advocates, according to Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union."
[I know a lot of non-profits are also conservative religious institutions, and most likely they realized that at some point. Conservative Republicans aren't very good at seeing the big picture or past their own nostrils most of the time, or so I've discovered. "Oh wait, that clause will kill the funding for my church? My family is going to kill me as are all my constituents! Ack! Ack! Let's get rid of that."]
19.The Kennedy Center lost Yo Yo Ma to an alternative venue; they continue to hemorrhage ticket sales, donors, and performers after Trump took over.
[This one like the last one kind of fits into the category of yes, good news, but marginal at best? It's also not like the Kennedy Center doesn't have competition or anything? Every State in the country has huge performing arts venues, and some are not financed by the Federal Government in any way. Trump taking over the Kennedy Center was vindictive and colossally stupid.]
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-yo-yo-ma-kennedy-center/
20. Two different class action suits have been filed against Elon Musk’s America PAC, alleging that he promised to pay people, but didn’t. A third suit claims that “winners” of the “$1 million-a-day giveaway” to voters were predetermined. [Musk regrets entering politics - most expensive mistake he's made - he's lost billions.]
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5302053-elon-musk-america-first-pac-second-lawsuit-petition/
21. Someone trolled Jim Jordan during a speech at a private event by playing “Send in the Clowns” as soon as he started speaking. (Please give that person a medal) [I'm not sure this is good news - so much as just wildly amusing? People have gotten creative in how they are protesting. He tried to shuffle off of it - by quoting RFK Jr stating it's never the good guys who promote censorship...which ...apparently people really are this un-self-aware?]
22.Around 18,000 people took part in the “Hands Across Chicagoland” protest that spanned 30 miles from Chicago to Aurora. (It was yesterday. Apparently there were a lot protests this weekend around the country.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/05/19/hands-across-chicagoland-protest/
23. Protestors gathered while the Attorney General Kristi Noem spoke at a graduation. "As Coast Guard Academy cadets and their families arrived on the New London campus Wednesday morning for graduation, protesters filled nearby McKinley Park to voice their opposition to the academy’s commencement speaker, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “Congratulations!” the protesters called out to the cadets and their family members as they passed by on the sidewalk. Some of the graduation attendees thanked the protesters for their presence outside the academy."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/at-coast-guard-graduation-kristi-noem-talks-as-protesters-gather/ar-AA1Fe1Ii
24. J.D. Vance was met by protesters ahead of his Naval Academy commencement speech. "On a cool spring morning, demonstrators lined the streets at the corner of Taylor Avenue and Rowe Boulevard in Annapolis to protest the arrival of Vice President J.D. Vance. Vance served as this year’s keynote speaker at the United States Naval Academy graduation.
As graduates prepared for commencement, the protesters chanted, “This is what diversity looks like!” and “Hey hey, ho ho, J.D. Vance has got to go!”
https://thebaynet.com/vance-met-by-protesters-ahead-of-naval-academy-commencement/
25. Trump spoke at West Point and was met by protestors on both sides of the river.
"Across the Hudson River in Garrison, the academy’s stone towers serving as a backdrop, anti-Trump protesters joined in singing Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful.” They toted American flags and signs with a portrait of George Washington, whose Continental Army faced off the British in a spot not far from here during the American Revolution. “This man saved America from a tyrant. No More Tyrants! ” they read."
https://www.lohud.com/story/news/2025/05/24/protesters-counter-trumps-message-to-west-points-graduating-cadets/83821905007/
26.Protesters outside of Trump’s crypto-corruption event chanted and displayed signs blasting the gala as a pay-for-play event. "Protesters outside the event -- which included Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. -- chanted slogans and displayed signs reading "Stop Trump's Crypto Corruption" and "America is not for sale" as attendees made their way into the venue."
[At least they protested it - that's good news? The fact it was held is bad news.]
https://abcnews.go.com/US/protesters-decry-crypto-corruption-trump-fetes-top-investors/story?id=122111834
27. As previously reported above? The provision allowing the sale of public lands was removed from Republicans’ Budget Bill. Let's hope it doesn't make its way back in..
https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/public-land-sales-amendment-withdrawn/
[I know enough about law making - to know that the Budget Bill is going to get ripped apart in the Senate, and then again in the House, and then again in the Senate, before it gets passed. The lovely thing about people? Is we don't agree on anything. I had an administrative law professor once explain government to me in this manner: " Government is organized chaos. Everyone puts their problems in a hat, they dip in and select one, then everyone throws their solutions in a hat and they dip in and choose one." Also, that's not the end of the process? It then has to be interpreted, enforced and agreed to by the States, and their courts and legislatures, and the Supreme Court, and if anything is determined to be in violation of the US Constitution - it is thrown out. Trump still thinks he can run the US like a business or corporation and so do his cronies and idiotic followers, but you can't. Governing and government is not a business. I know I've worked in both - they have different mentalities.]
28.A federal judge ruled that Trump's executive order targeting the law firm Jenner & Block is unconstitutional and permanently blocked the administration from enforcing it. [ The President of the US can't use the office to persecute law firms that has filed lawsuits against him.]
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-strikes-down-trump-order-targeting-law-firm-jenner-block/ar-AA1Fnb3y
29.The U.S. Supreme Court denied Republicans’ request to hear their challenge to pro-voter amendments to the Michigan Constitution, approved by voters in 2018 and 2022. The amendments will now remain in effect. [Basically the Republicans are trying to fix the system in their favor, and the Supreme Court keeps knocking them down. Because that is cheating.]
https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/michigan-voting-rights-constitutional-amendments-challenge/?hss_channel=tw-841489249157468161&_hsmi=362868598
30.Colorado law now explicitly protects transgender people from being deadnamed or misgendered in certain places under legislation signed into law Friday by Gov. Jared Polis.
https://www.denverpost.com/2025/05/16/colorado-trans-rights-discrimination-bill-signing-jared-polis/amp/
31.Despite incurring a higher tariff rate than Tesla, Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD sold more pure battery electric vehicles in Europe than them for the first time ever last month — a “watershed moment” for the region’s car market.
https://www.jato.com/resources/media-and-press-releases/byd-outsells-tesla-in-europe-for-the-first-time-as-registrations-surge-in-April
32.In 2024, deforestation declined in all six nature biomes in Brazil for the first time in six years — and total deforestation was 32.4% lower than in 2023. It’s the second year in a row of lower deforestation. [ I don't know about anyone else? But the environmental news makes me the happiest and gives me the most hope. We got more trees! I know NY increased the number of trees in the last ten years alone.]
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/record-decrease-in-brazil-deforestation-in-2024-report-209221?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
33.A federal judge blocked Trump’s firing of two Democratic members of a Privacy Oversight Board.
https://apnews.com/article/privacy-oversight-federal-judge-8ec805e2b97f31bd6af65dada3448809
34.The Supreme Court, in a 4-4 ruling, said Oklahoma cannot create the nation’s first religious charter school funded directly with taxpayer dollars.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/supreme-court-oklahoma-launch-taxpayer-funded-religious-charter/story?id=120902550&lctg=27193028
35. A federal judge in Boston has blocked Trump’s executive order to shut down the Department of Education. This is the most significant defeat to the administration’s effort to remake education and advance its Project 2025 platform to date. [If you've been following these posts, you may have picked up on a pattern? Trump keeps trying to dismantle education and remake it the way he and his cronies want, and the courts keep ruling it is unconstitutional and not up to him - and this is legislative and State, so no, you can't shut down a government agency that isn't under your authority to shut down. He's exceeding his authority and wasting tax payer dollars doing it.]
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-blocksfump-s-orders-to-dismantle-the-education-department-and-fire-employees/ar-AA1FhTdi
That same judge also ordered the Department of Education to reinstate employees who were fired in mass layoffs.
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/22/trump-education-department-closing
[It's probably worth noting that most of the judges blocking Trump and ordering these things - were ironically appointed by Trump.]
36.A new report finds that the popularity of labor unions has surged over the last ten years, while American sentiment toward big business has fallen.
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/22/americans-support-business-over-labor?lctg=27193028
37.The community of Springfield, Ohio — once targeted by Trump — is giving driving lessons to Haitian immigrants in their own language, and it’s improving road safety.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/13/haitians-springfield-ohio-driver-training-program?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
38. A new Data For Progress poll shows that 72% of voters have favorable attitudes about renewable energy like solar or wind, compared to just 18% who have unfavorable attitudes.
https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2025/4/dfp_critical_minerals.pdf?link_id=15&can_id=239815ac26bf47454eff88110b2df461&source=email-epc-environmental-polling-roundup-51625&email_referrer=email_2747878&email_subject=epc-environmental-polling-roundup-52325
39.Emergency contraceptives are hitting shelves at 11,000 convenience stores in 48 states.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/emergency-contraception-morning-after-available-convenience-stores-rcna204952?ck_subscriber_id=2496857656
[As an aside? Menopause is really freeing. Just saying.]
40.Over 75% of NYC’s vehicle fleet is green, a sign of the government’s progress toward climate goals. [It's about to get greener - I know that the MTA is planning on making its bus fleet 100% sustainable, and 0 emissions. And is close to 90% of that goal.]
https://gothamist.com/news/some-positive-climate-news-for-once-nycs-vehicle-fleet-is-75-green?ck_subscriber_id=2496857
41. Larry Krasner easily won his primary in Philadelphia, a boost to progressives and more broadly to the network of reform-minded DAs that have emerged over the last decade.
https://boltsmag.org/larry-krasner-wins-philadelphia-primary/
42. Carbon dioxide emissions in China were down 1.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, and by 1% in the past 12 months. It’s not because demand is down, either, but because renewables are up![Excellent news considering at the time of the last Olympics - the emissions were so bad, they had air pollution warnings.]
https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-clean-energy-just-put-chinas-co2-emissions-into-reverse-for-first-time/
43.The 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100 survey of public perception of brands (1 being best) found Tesla dropped 50 points from 33 to 83, and SpaceX dropping 36 points from 48 to 84. Btw, Meta is number 94 of 100. Trump Org is 99.
https://www.newsweek.com/tesla-spacex-elon-musk-popularity-2074639
"The 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100 survey, which measures public perceptions of the most visible companies in the United States, shows Tesla plummeting 50 spots to No. 83, while SpaceX dropped 36 places to No. 84.
The steep declines place the two companies in the bottom fifth of the annual reputation list, a stark contrast from their previous positions.
Why It Matters
The Axios Harris Poll is a widely followed gauge of corporate reputation in the U.S., capturing how Americans view companies across seven key traits, including character and trust. Tesla and SpaceX's declines are among the most severe in this year's rankings.
The poll suggests that Musk's actions over the past year and role within President Donald Trump's administration may be impacting Americans' perceptions of his companies."
[Trump's background is in marketing, spin-doctoring, and competitive marketing. If anyone watched the television reality series - The Apprentice, they know that. And marketing folks live by polls. I took marketing once - it was all about polls and statistical manipulation of them. It's why I hated marketing.]
44. The Treasure Department has confirmed that it is phasing out the penny and has placed its last order for blank coins. The American penny isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The US Treasury Department announced Thursday that it plans to start winding down production of the one-cent coin it has been minting for more than 230 years. But the penny will still remain legal tender, and will still be in use at thousands of retailers around the country for sometime to come. [It also may go up in value if they stop producing it?]
“If we look at the experience in Canada, for the first year after they stopped making pennies, there’s really no change in transactions,” Jeff Lenard, spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores, told CNN. Convenience stores do more cash transactions than any other group, about 32 million a day, or about 20% of the total number of purchases by their customers, Lenard said.
The National Retail Federation, which represents most major US store chains as well as thousands of small retailers, also said it anticipates its members will use pennies even after production stops at some point early next year, although it does anticipate that many will round cash transactions to the nearest nickel once the supply of pennies at banks starts to run short.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/25/business/penny-what-happens-to-them?cid=ios_app
45.As the result of a lawsuit filed by EarthJustice on behalf of Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York and other clients, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is restoring climate-focused webpages it purged from its websites, providing vital resources and information for farmers. [The law is still one of the most effective tools we have against a government that attempts to dismantle the rule of law and deny our climate reality. This victory is just the beginning.]
46.Here are some of the other ways EarthJustice is working to hold the line on climate: They took the administration to court for freezing federal grants that were earmarked by Congress to benefit farmers and communities across the country. They have sued the Trump administration for its illegal attempt to expand offshore drilling to every coastline in America.
They are suing to stop the Trump administration’s attempts to meddle in states’ environmental policies. [Apparently I need to start donating to Earth Justice?]
47.Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey are having a rough month. The foundation set up by Ron and Casey DeSantis is facing a criminal probe. [So much for that political dynasty they were setting up.]
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/27/politics/ron-casey-desantis-florida-scandal/index.html?lctg=27193028
https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-wifes-foundation-faces-criminal-probe-2075200
48.Four major partners just left Paul, Weiss as a result of them making a deal with Trump. [This is a horrible firm - it fired a friend of mine who worked in IT while she was on disability.]
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/23/partners-exit-paul-weiss-trump-00368940
49.In Tennessee former Republican speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff Cade Cothren were found guilty of corruption by a jury of their peers. [I don't know if I'd categorize either this or the above as good news exactly? But I'm posting them - because they are anti-Trump and anti-Republican, which some may categorize as good news?]
https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-house-speaker-trial-glen-casada-cothren-75fa261c4fd190012016d9193de69b44
50. "The Trump administration told Harvard University that because it had not handed over information on foreign students’ protest activities, violent activity, and coursework, the university had “lost [the] privilege” of enrolling foreign students. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said this decision was based on the administration’s determination to “enforce the law and root out the evils of anti-Americanism and antisemitism in society and campuses.” —-This argument has always been a thinly veiled way to use actual antisemitism to destroy universities, a reality illustrated by Trump’s hosting last night of cryptocurrency investors whose coins are literally named things like “F*CK THE JEWS.”
Harvard promptly sued, noting that the administration has engaged in an “unprecedented and retaliatory attack on academic freedom at Harvard” and calling the attack “a blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act.” “With the stroke of a pen,” the lawsuit reads, “the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission.”
Hours later, Judge Allison Burroughs of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts granted Harvard’s request for a temporary restraining order barring the administration’s change from taking effect. She wrote that the new policy would cause “immediate and irreparable injury” to Harvard. (Letters from an American - H C Richardson)"
They keep trying to hurt Harvard - and keep failing. It's hilarious.
51. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis vetoed a bill on Friday afternoon that would have repealed a requirement for a second election to form a union, a provision that’s unique to the state.
https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/gov-polis-vetoes-colorado-union-bill-that-would-have-eased-union-formation/
52.TARGET:Target announced that sales fell more than expected in the first quarter, and the retailer warned they will slip for all of 2025. “The company in part blamed falling consumer sentiment, uncertainty about tariffs and backlash to its rollback of key diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for its performance.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/21/target-tgt-q1-2025-earnings.html?__source=iosappshare
https://apnews.com/article/target-first-quarter-earnings-tariffs-ed5765bac92257a0bab3815ece31f5c1
53. Sesame Street announced it has found a new home on Netflix. Also, the show’s administrative employees, including early childhood education experts, fundraisers, producers, and paralegals...
https://sesameworkshop.org/about-us/press-room/sesame-street-is-coming-to-netflix/#
""We are excited to announce that all new Sesame Street episodes are coming tonetflix worldwide along with library episodes, and new episodes will also release the same day on pbs Stations and pbskids platforms in the US, preserving a 50+ year relationship,” the show said on X.
"The support of Netflix, PBS, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting serve as a unique public-private partnership to enable Sesame Street to continue to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder."
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/sesame-street-inks-deal-netflix-new-season-stream-year-rcna207679
[I may cancel MAX and stick with Netflix.]
54. Microsoft is purchasing up to 623K tons of “low-carbon cement” to reduce their construction emissions.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250522620990/en/Sublime-Systems-and-Microsoft-Sign-Binding-Long-Term-Purchase-Transforming-the-Market-for-Clean-Cement?_hsmi=362948997
55.The U.S. Geological Survey reported that geothermal energy in the Great Basin of Nevada and adjoining states could produce electricity equivalent to 10% of the current U.S. power supply.
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/us-agency-says-geothermal-energy-nevadas-great-basin-could-play-larger-role-2025-05-22/?_hsmi=362948997
There you have it. This weeks list of how people helped slay their monsters and change the world peacefully and without violence. Slayers every one.
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https://www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=indivisible
Join us on June 14th, all across this country, when we all show up and say NO, we have no kings, we are a representative democracy and we the people have a say in how our lives are run. Let's stand up for those being harmed by these policies, let's take care of our communities, let's take care of each other."
[No pressure, I'm not doing it - I can't physically and mentally do it. I do this instead. But if you can - please do.]
And here's a picture:
To the tune of We're Accentuating the Positive, Eliminating the Negative...and Hanging on to the Affirmative but Don't Mess around with Mr. in Between...sung by Aretha Franklyn (mainly because her version is the only one I like.)
A lot of it is just showing the positive results from non-violent resistance via the courts, etc. But basically as my source states: "We the people are pushing back and making good news." However, there's also a lot of positive environmental news - showing that progress happens regardless, and we are globally making progress in regards to managing climate change and preserving the environment.
1.The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction that will block the Trump administration’s unlawful reorganization of the federal government while the case proceeds.
"Washington, D.C. – A coalition that includes nationwide labor organizations, vital non-profit groups, and local cities and counties in California, Illinois, Maryland, Texas, and Washington all united today to challenge the Trump administration’s unlawful reorganization of the federal government underway without legislative authority. The coalition is represented by Democracy Forward, Altshuler Berzon LLP, Protect Democracy, Public Rights Project, and State Democracy Defenders Fund.
The coalition includes the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and four AFGE locals; American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and SEIU Local 1000; Alliance for Retired Americans, American Geophysical Union; American Public Health Association; Center for Taxpayer Rights; Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks; Common Defense; Main Street Alliance; NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council); Northeast Organic Farming Association Inc.; VoteVets; Western Watersheds Project; City and County of San Francisco, California; County of Santa Clara, California; City of Chicago, Illinois; City of Baltimore, Maryland; Harris County, Texas; and King County, Washington. The case, AFGE v. Trump, was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California."
https://democracyforward.org/updates/massive-coalition-of-unions-non-profit-groups-and-local-governments-file-omnibus-challenge-to-unconstitutional-reorganization-of-federal-government/
The court filing can be found HERE
2.This week was the deadline for Congress to act on a resolution that could have overturned the ban on TCE [not to be confused with ICE, this is a toxic chemical]. But thanks to your voices, your stories, and your pressure—Congress didn’t act. The ban on TCE stands.
"When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final ban on most uses of toxic trichloroethylene (TCE) in December 2024, it marked a long overdue victory for public health. This cancer-causing solvent is known as one of the “worst of the worst” toxic chemicals—linked to Parkinson’s disease, cancer, reproductive harm, and neurological damage."
https://toxicfreefuture.org/blog/we-finally-won-a-ban-on-toxic-tce-now-some-in-congress-are-trying-to-roll-it-back/
3. Calling for “freedom from partisan interference in programming,” administrative staffers at the Kennedy Center went public with a push to unionize following an overhaul of the institution by the Trump clan.
Go HERE
4. The MeidasTouch Podcast, a show critical of Trump, won Podcast of the Year at the Webby Awards.
https://www.newsweek.com/medias-touch-podcast-webby-award-donald-trump-democrat-2071984?emci=c60a435f-ab32-f011-a5f1-6045bda9d96b&emdi=d3638486-ab32-f011-a5f1-6045bda9d96b&ceid=417324
5. Trump’s support among Latino voters, including those who voted for him in 2024, is fracturing.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/exclusive-trump-losing-the-latino-voters-he-won-in-2024-equis-poll-survey-registered
6.Democrat Sam Sutton defeated his Republican opponent to win New York’s 22nd State Senate District special election — a district Trump won by 55 points in 2024.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5310726-democrat-sam-sutton-wins-new-york-seat/
7. New record for batteries in California (CAISO) On May 20, 2025, battery discharge crossed 10 GW for the first time. That was enough meet a third of evening peak demand. Solar moved fast, but batteries are moving even faster.
https://energycentral.com/c/em/batteries-hit-new-heights-californias-energy-mix
8. In 2019, California's state wide battery capacity was 770 MW. California’s Energy storage has surge to 15,700 MW - including 2300 MW added since last September. That means a clean resilient energy grid to meet peak demand.
https://energycentral.com/c/em/batteries-hit-new-heights-californias-energy-mix
9. Fusion overtakes scission April 2025: for the first time ever, solar power generated more electricity than nuclear worldwide.
https://environmentamerica.org/center/updates/theres-now-five-times-more-solar-than-nuclear-power-in-the-world/
10. For the first time, a surge on China's renewable energy output has led to a 4.7% drop in the countries carbon and missions despite a 2.5% increase in power demand. This marks is major mile stone and China's energy transition.
https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-clean-energy-just-put-chinas-co2-emissions-into-reverse-for-first-time/
11. Wind boom helps Finland join the growing list of countries quitting coal power. On 1 April 2025, Finnish energy company Helen switched off the coal-fired Salmisaari facility, which produced both electricity and heat. It says the move will make Finland more self-sufficient in energy (it imported coal) while also reducing nation-wide emissions 2% and cutting electricity costs.
The country’s switch from coal, which made up 18% of its power mix in 2010, has not pushed up electricity prices, Helen says, citing national statistics showing Finland has the third-cheapest electricity in Europe, after Sweden and Norway. The three countries produce some of the lowest-carbon power in the world.
“The clean transition, cost efficiency and Finland’s security of supply can go hand in hand,” Helen’s CEO, Olli Sirkka, said in a statement. The company says its own emissions will be 95% below 1990 levels by 2030.
https://theprogressplaybook.com/2025/04/14/wind-boom-helps-finland-join-the-list-of-countries-quitting-coal-power/
12. The U.S. Institute of Peace retook control of its headquarters just two days after a federal judge ruled that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency illegally fired its board and staff. Acting president George Moose re-entered the building for the first time since March, accompanied by private security and the institute’s attorney. He and most of the board were ousted during DOGE’s mass purge of the federal workforce.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-institute-of-peace-headquarters-df9dc7d4b1ea744db647527a4b28d807
13. A federal judge ruled that Trump’s dismissal of Democratic-selected members to the five-person Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, an independent civil liberties watchdog, without cause in January was illegal, and ordered the regime to reinstate them.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2025/05/federal-judge-blocks-trumps-firing-of-two-democratic-members-of-privacy-oversight-board-2/
14.A federal judge blocked Trump's executive order shutting down the Education Department, and ordered the regime to reinstate more than 1,300 federal employees laid off in March, saying only an act of Congress can eliminate the department.
https://www.eschoolnews.com/educational-leadership/2025/05/26/federal-judge-blocks-trumps-education-dept-shutdown/
15.A report by the Government Accountability Office found the Trump regime improperly withheld funds under a $5 billion federal infrastructure program, finding regime officials had violated the law by refusing to spend money on electric vehicle charging stations as authorized by Congress, calling it improper impoundment.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/22/trump-administration-violated-impoundment-law-gao-finds-00365728
16.Maryland passes the Second Look Act, which creates a pathway for incarcerated Marylanders to petition for a judicial review after serving 20 years of their sentences.
https://www.sentencingproject.org/press-releases/the-sentencing-project-applauds-governor-wes-moore-signing-of-the-maryland-second-look-act/
17. Postcards to Voters candidate Danielle Chesek was handily re-elected to the Scranton School Board. Chesek was the top vote-getter as she pursues a second four-year term on the board of the county’s largest school district. PTV’s slate of four candidates for the Lehighton Area School Board all came out winners, too.
https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/2025/05/20/chesek-leads-early-in-dem-gop-primaries-for-scranton-school-board/
18.The latest draft of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which passed the House Budget Committee, no longer includes a provision that critics have dubbed the “nonprofit killer bill.” (Still tons of awful in there, but at least that one bad thing is gone. They also removed the portion that was going to sell off public lands.)
https://archive.ph/UOKjv#selection-747.0-747.190
"It was not immediately clear why the provision was absent from the latest draft of the bill, but a Democratic congressional aide said the removal was indeed a deliberate move by the GOP.
“Apparently Republican staffers removed it after hearing about it from stakeholders and working with leadership on a solution, but I’m not sure what the solution is,” the source told The Intercept.
The removal of the clause prompted cautious optimism from civil-society advocates, according to Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union."
[I know a lot of non-profits are also conservative religious institutions, and most likely they realized that at some point. Conservative Republicans aren't very good at seeing the big picture or past their own nostrils most of the time, or so I've discovered. "Oh wait, that clause will kill the funding for my church? My family is going to kill me as are all my constituents! Ack! Ack! Let's get rid of that."]
19.The Kennedy Center lost Yo Yo Ma to an alternative venue; they continue to hemorrhage ticket sales, donors, and performers after Trump took over.
[This one like the last one kind of fits into the category of yes, good news, but marginal at best? It's also not like the Kennedy Center doesn't have competition or anything? Every State in the country has huge performing arts venues, and some are not financed by the Federal Government in any way. Trump taking over the Kennedy Center was vindictive and colossally stupid.]
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-yo-yo-ma-kennedy-center/
20. Two different class action suits have been filed against Elon Musk’s America PAC, alleging that he promised to pay people, but didn’t. A third suit claims that “winners” of the “$1 million-a-day giveaway” to voters were predetermined. [Musk regrets entering politics - most expensive mistake he's made - he's lost billions.]
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5302053-elon-musk-america-first-pac-second-lawsuit-petition/
21. Someone trolled Jim Jordan during a speech at a private event by playing “Send in the Clowns” as soon as he started speaking. (Please give that person a medal) [I'm not sure this is good news - so much as just wildly amusing? People have gotten creative in how they are protesting. He tried to shuffle off of it - by quoting RFK Jr stating it's never the good guys who promote censorship...which ...apparently people really are this un-self-aware?]
22.Around 18,000 people took part in the “Hands Across Chicagoland” protest that spanned 30 miles from Chicago to Aurora. (It was yesterday. Apparently there were a lot protests this weekend around the country.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/05/19/hands-across-chicagoland-protest/
23. Protestors gathered while the Attorney General Kristi Noem spoke at a graduation. "As Coast Guard Academy cadets and their families arrived on the New London campus Wednesday morning for graduation, protesters filled nearby McKinley Park to voice their opposition to the academy’s commencement speaker, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “Congratulations!” the protesters called out to the cadets and their family members as they passed by on the sidewalk. Some of the graduation attendees thanked the protesters for their presence outside the academy."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/at-coast-guard-graduation-kristi-noem-talks-as-protesters-gather/ar-AA1Fe1Ii
24. J.D. Vance was met by protesters ahead of his Naval Academy commencement speech. "On a cool spring morning, demonstrators lined the streets at the corner of Taylor Avenue and Rowe Boulevard in Annapolis to protest the arrival of Vice President J.D. Vance. Vance served as this year’s keynote speaker at the United States Naval Academy graduation.
As graduates prepared for commencement, the protesters chanted, “This is what diversity looks like!” and “Hey hey, ho ho, J.D. Vance has got to go!”
https://thebaynet.com/vance-met-by-protesters-ahead-of-naval-academy-commencement/
25. Trump spoke at West Point and was met by protestors on both sides of the river.
"Across the Hudson River in Garrison, the academy’s stone towers serving as a backdrop, anti-Trump protesters joined in singing Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful.” They toted American flags and signs with a portrait of George Washington, whose Continental Army faced off the British in a spot not far from here during the American Revolution. “This man saved America from a tyrant. No More Tyrants! ” they read."
https://www.lohud.com/story/news/2025/05/24/protesters-counter-trumps-message-to-west-points-graduating-cadets/83821905007/
26.Protesters outside of Trump’s crypto-corruption event chanted and displayed signs blasting the gala as a pay-for-play event. "Protesters outside the event -- which included Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. -- chanted slogans and displayed signs reading "Stop Trump's Crypto Corruption" and "America is not for sale" as attendees made their way into the venue."
[At least they protested it - that's good news? The fact it was held is bad news.]
https://abcnews.go.com/US/protesters-decry-crypto-corruption-trump-fetes-top-investors/story?id=122111834
27. As previously reported above? The provision allowing the sale of public lands was removed from Republicans’ Budget Bill. Let's hope it doesn't make its way back in..
https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/public-land-sales-amendment-withdrawn/
[I know enough about law making - to know that the Budget Bill is going to get ripped apart in the Senate, and then again in the House, and then again in the Senate, before it gets passed. The lovely thing about people? Is we don't agree on anything. I had an administrative law professor once explain government to me in this manner: " Government is organized chaos. Everyone puts their problems in a hat, they dip in and select one, then everyone throws their solutions in a hat and they dip in and choose one." Also, that's not the end of the process? It then has to be interpreted, enforced and agreed to by the States, and their courts and legislatures, and the Supreme Court, and if anything is determined to be in violation of the US Constitution - it is thrown out. Trump still thinks he can run the US like a business or corporation and so do his cronies and idiotic followers, but you can't. Governing and government is not a business. I know I've worked in both - they have different mentalities.]
28.A federal judge ruled that Trump's executive order targeting the law firm Jenner & Block is unconstitutional and permanently blocked the administration from enforcing it. [ The President of the US can't use the office to persecute law firms that has filed lawsuits against him.]
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-strikes-down-trump-order-targeting-law-firm-jenner-block/ar-AA1Fnb3y
29.The U.S. Supreme Court denied Republicans’ request to hear their challenge to pro-voter amendments to the Michigan Constitution, approved by voters in 2018 and 2022. The amendments will now remain in effect. [Basically the Republicans are trying to fix the system in their favor, and the Supreme Court keeps knocking them down. Because that is cheating.]
https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/michigan-voting-rights-constitutional-amendments-challenge/?hss_channel=tw-841489249157468161&_hsmi=362868598
30.Colorado law now explicitly protects transgender people from being deadnamed or misgendered in certain places under legislation signed into law Friday by Gov. Jared Polis.
https://www.denverpost.com/2025/05/16/colorado-trans-rights-discrimination-bill-signing-jared-polis/amp/
31.Despite incurring a higher tariff rate than Tesla, Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD sold more pure battery electric vehicles in Europe than them for the first time ever last month — a “watershed moment” for the region’s car market.
https://www.jato.com/resources/media-and-press-releases/byd-outsells-tesla-in-europe-for-the-first-time-as-registrations-surge-in-April
32.In 2024, deforestation declined in all six nature biomes in Brazil for the first time in six years — and total deforestation was 32.4% lower than in 2023. It’s the second year in a row of lower deforestation. [ I don't know about anyone else? But the environmental news makes me the happiest and gives me the most hope. We got more trees! I know NY increased the number of trees in the last ten years alone.]
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/record-decrease-in-brazil-deforestation-in-2024-report-209221?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
33.A federal judge blocked Trump’s firing of two Democratic members of a Privacy Oversight Board.
https://apnews.com/article/privacy-oversight-federal-judge-8ec805e2b97f31bd6af65dada3448809
34.The Supreme Court, in a 4-4 ruling, said Oklahoma cannot create the nation’s first religious charter school funded directly with taxpayer dollars.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/supreme-court-oklahoma-launch-taxpayer-funded-religious-charter/story?id=120902550&lctg=27193028
35. A federal judge in Boston has blocked Trump’s executive order to shut down the Department of Education. This is the most significant defeat to the administration’s effort to remake education and advance its Project 2025 platform to date. [If you've been following these posts, you may have picked up on a pattern? Trump keeps trying to dismantle education and remake it the way he and his cronies want, and the courts keep ruling it is unconstitutional and not up to him - and this is legislative and State, so no, you can't shut down a government agency that isn't under your authority to shut down. He's exceeding his authority and wasting tax payer dollars doing it.]
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-blocksfump-s-orders-to-dismantle-the-education-department-and-fire-employees/ar-AA1FhTdi
That same judge also ordered the Department of Education to reinstate employees who were fired in mass layoffs.
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/22/trump-education-department-closing
[It's probably worth noting that most of the judges blocking Trump and ordering these things - were ironically appointed by Trump.]
36.A new report finds that the popularity of labor unions has surged over the last ten years, while American sentiment toward big business has fallen.
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/22/americans-support-business-over-labor?lctg=27193028
37.The community of Springfield, Ohio — once targeted by Trump — is giving driving lessons to Haitian immigrants in their own language, and it’s improving road safety.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/13/haitians-springfield-ohio-driver-training-program?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
38. A new Data For Progress poll shows that 72% of voters have favorable attitudes about renewable energy like solar or wind, compared to just 18% who have unfavorable attitudes.
https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2025/4/dfp_critical_minerals.pdf?link_id=15&can_id=239815ac26bf47454eff88110b2df461&source=email-epc-environmental-polling-roundup-51625&email_referrer=email_2747878&email_subject=epc-environmental-polling-roundup-52325
39.Emergency contraceptives are hitting shelves at 11,000 convenience stores in 48 states.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/emergency-contraception-morning-after-available-convenience-stores-rcna204952?ck_subscriber_id=2496857656
[As an aside? Menopause is really freeing. Just saying.]
40.Over 75% of NYC’s vehicle fleet is green, a sign of the government’s progress toward climate goals. [It's about to get greener - I know that the MTA is planning on making its bus fleet 100% sustainable, and 0 emissions. And is close to 90% of that goal.]
https://gothamist.com/news/some-positive-climate-news-for-once-nycs-vehicle-fleet-is-75-green?ck_subscriber_id=2496857
41. Larry Krasner easily won his primary in Philadelphia, a boost to progressives and more broadly to the network of reform-minded DAs that have emerged over the last decade.
https://boltsmag.org/larry-krasner-wins-philadelphia-primary/
42. Carbon dioxide emissions in China were down 1.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, and by 1% in the past 12 months. It’s not because demand is down, either, but because renewables are up![Excellent news considering at the time of the last Olympics - the emissions were so bad, they had air pollution warnings.]
https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-clean-energy-just-put-chinas-co2-emissions-into-reverse-for-first-time/
43.The 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100 survey of public perception of brands (1 being best) found Tesla dropped 50 points from 33 to 83, and SpaceX dropping 36 points from 48 to 84. Btw, Meta is number 94 of 100. Trump Org is 99.
https://www.newsweek.com/tesla-spacex-elon-musk-popularity-2074639
"The 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100 survey, which measures public perceptions of the most visible companies in the United States, shows Tesla plummeting 50 spots to No. 83, while SpaceX dropped 36 places to No. 84.
The steep declines place the two companies in the bottom fifth of the annual reputation list, a stark contrast from their previous positions.
Why It Matters
The Axios Harris Poll is a widely followed gauge of corporate reputation in the U.S., capturing how Americans view companies across seven key traits, including character and trust. Tesla and SpaceX's declines are among the most severe in this year's rankings.
The poll suggests that Musk's actions over the past year and role within President Donald Trump's administration may be impacting Americans' perceptions of his companies."
[Trump's background is in marketing, spin-doctoring, and competitive marketing. If anyone watched the television reality series - The Apprentice, they know that. And marketing folks live by polls. I took marketing once - it was all about polls and statistical manipulation of them. It's why I hated marketing.]
44. The Treasure Department has confirmed that it is phasing out the penny and has placed its last order for blank coins. The American penny isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The US Treasury Department announced Thursday that it plans to start winding down production of the one-cent coin it has been minting for more than 230 years. But the penny will still remain legal tender, and will still be in use at thousands of retailers around the country for sometime to come. [It also may go up in value if they stop producing it?]
“If we look at the experience in Canada, for the first year after they stopped making pennies, there’s really no change in transactions,” Jeff Lenard, spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores, told CNN. Convenience stores do more cash transactions than any other group, about 32 million a day, or about 20% of the total number of purchases by their customers, Lenard said.
The National Retail Federation, which represents most major US store chains as well as thousands of small retailers, also said it anticipates its members will use pennies even after production stops at some point early next year, although it does anticipate that many will round cash transactions to the nearest nickel once the supply of pennies at banks starts to run short.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/25/business/penny-what-happens-to-them?cid=ios_app
45.As the result of a lawsuit filed by EarthJustice on behalf of Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York and other clients, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is restoring climate-focused webpages it purged from its websites, providing vital resources and information for farmers. [The law is still one of the most effective tools we have against a government that attempts to dismantle the rule of law and deny our climate reality. This victory is just the beginning.]
46.Here are some of the other ways EarthJustice is working to hold the line on climate: They took the administration to court for freezing federal grants that were earmarked by Congress to benefit farmers and communities across the country. They have sued the Trump administration for its illegal attempt to expand offshore drilling to every coastline in America.
They are suing to stop the Trump administration’s attempts to meddle in states’ environmental policies. [Apparently I need to start donating to Earth Justice?]
47.Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey are having a rough month. The foundation set up by Ron and Casey DeSantis is facing a criminal probe. [So much for that political dynasty they were setting up.]
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/27/politics/ron-casey-desantis-florida-scandal/index.html?lctg=27193028
https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-wifes-foundation-faces-criminal-probe-2075200
48.Four major partners just left Paul, Weiss as a result of them making a deal with Trump. [This is a horrible firm - it fired a friend of mine who worked in IT while she was on disability.]
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/23/partners-exit-paul-weiss-trump-00368940
49.In Tennessee former Republican speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff Cade Cothren were found guilty of corruption by a jury of their peers. [I don't know if I'd categorize either this or the above as good news exactly? But I'm posting them - because they are anti-Trump and anti-Republican, which some may categorize as good news?]
https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-house-speaker-trial-glen-casada-cothren-75fa261c4fd190012016d9193de69b44
50. "The Trump administration told Harvard University that because it had not handed over information on foreign students’ protest activities, violent activity, and coursework, the university had “lost [the] privilege” of enrolling foreign students. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said this decision was based on the administration’s determination to “enforce the law and root out the evils of anti-Americanism and antisemitism in society and campuses.” —-This argument has always been a thinly veiled way to use actual antisemitism to destroy universities, a reality illustrated by Trump’s hosting last night of cryptocurrency investors whose coins are literally named things like “F*CK THE JEWS.”
Harvard promptly sued, noting that the administration has engaged in an “unprecedented and retaliatory attack on academic freedom at Harvard” and calling the attack “a blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act.” “With the stroke of a pen,” the lawsuit reads, “the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission.”
Hours later, Judge Allison Burroughs of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts granted Harvard’s request for a temporary restraining order barring the administration’s change from taking effect. She wrote that the new policy would cause “immediate and irreparable injury” to Harvard. (Letters from an American - H C Richardson)"
They keep trying to hurt Harvard - and keep failing. It's hilarious.
51. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis vetoed a bill on Friday afternoon that would have repealed a requirement for a second election to form a union, a provision that’s unique to the state.
https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/gov-polis-vetoes-colorado-union-bill-that-would-have-eased-union-formation/
52.TARGET:Target announced that sales fell more than expected in the first quarter, and the retailer warned they will slip for all of 2025. “The company in part blamed falling consumer sentiment, uncertainty about tariffs and backlash to its rollback of key diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for its performance.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/21/target-tgt-q1-2025-earnings.html?__source=iosappshare
https://apnews.com/article/target-first-quarter-earnings-tariffs-ed5765bac92257a0bab3815ece31f5c1
53. Sesame Street announced it has found a new home on Netflix. Also, the show’s administrative employees, including early childhood education experts, fundraisers, producers, and paralegals...
https://sesameworkshop.org/about-us/press-room/sesame-street-is-coming-to-netflix/#
""We are excited to announce that all new Sesame Street episodes are coming to
netflix worldwide along with library episodes, and new episodes will also release the same day on pbs Stations and pbskids platforms in the US, preserving a 50+ year relationship,” the show said on X."The support of Netflix, PBS, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting serve as a unique public-private partnership to enable Sesame Street to continue to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder."
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/sesame-street-inks-deal-netflix-new-season-stream-year-rcna207679
[I may cancel MAX and stick with Netflix.]
54. Microsoft is purchasing up to 623K tons of “low-carbon cement” to reduce their construction emissions.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250522620990/en/Sublime-Systems-and-Microsoft-Sign-Binding-Long-Term-Purchase-Transforming-the-Market-for-Clean-Cement?_hsmi=362948997
55.The U.S. Geological Survey reported that geothermal energy in the Great Basin of Nevada and adjoining states could produce electricity equivalent to 10% of the current U.S. power supply.
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/us-agency-says-geothermal-energy-nevadas-great-basin-could-play-larger-role-2025-05-22/?_hsmi=362948997
There you have it. This weeks list of how people helped slay their monsters and change the world peacefully and without violence. Slayers every one.
And an advertisement.
"Three weeks from right now, people will be taking to the streets across the United States on No Kings Day. Over 1,000 events are planned in all 50 states. Find an event near you: Click on the link and enter your zip code to see all the gatherings near you."
https://www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=indivisible
Join us on June 14th, all across this country, when we all show up and say NO, we have no kings, we are a representative democracy and we the people have a say in how our lives are run. Let's stand up for those being harmed by these policies, let's take care of our communities, let's take care of each other."
[No pressure, I'm not doing it - I can't physically and mentally do it. I do this instead. But if you can - please do.]
And here's a picture:
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Date: 2025-05-27 07:38 am (UTC)