![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatSorry, it's been a while, and I don't know about anyone else? But I've found the news to be a bit tiring. And have emotionally distanced myself from it for the most part - for my own mental and emotional and physical health. Every time I look at it - I feel like I'm watching an absurd ping pong match to the death, between all the States, Federal Courts and Social Activists vs. the corrupt and ineffectual wannabee fascist Federal Government & their cronies. But hey, it is entertaining from a Civics/Student of Government perspective, also if you are a litigation attorney specializing in constitutional law and civil rights law, and anyone who is into political satire and not currently living in the US or affected by its policies. Basically if you are living on a remote island in the China Sea, and in which case, you're probably clueless.
Anyhow, despite all that, here's a list of good news items that I've found.
As always, keep in mind good news is in the eye of the beholder, and mileage may well vary on the below.
Good News Report from the Resistance and their Global Allies
1. Court of Appeals Upholds 83 million dollar judgement against Trump
2.“New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on Friday authorizing pharmacists in the state to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to anyone who wants a shot, becoming the latest Democratic governor to try to countermand the Trump administration’s new limits on inoculations.”
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-signs-executive-order-expanding-access-vaccines-amid-uncertainty-washington
3.A federal judge blocked the Trump regime from ending temporary legal protections that have granted more than 1 million people from Haiti and Venezuela the right to live and work in the US.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-judge-blocks-trump-canceling-legal-status-venezuelans-haitians-2025-09-05/
(This is the second time a judge has entered permanent relief after the Supreme Court or court of appeals had lifted preliminary orders. The other case was the California national guard case. So the trial judges are moving quickly to keep the cases moving to final judgment. We will see what happens on appeal.)
4.An appeals court has upheld the preliminary injunction on Marco Rubio’s transgender passport ban. Trans and nonbinary folks continue to have safe, legal access to accurate passport documents.
https://substack.com/@transolderbrother/note/c-152785843?r=160ms
5. Democracy Forward secured a court order requiring the State Department to preserve and account for Signal messages of senior national security officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
https://democracyforward.org/updates/signalgate-foia/
6. Harvard University secured a win in their fight with Trump over federal research funding.
A federal judge ruled Wednesday the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze more than $2 billion in federal research grants from Harvard University was illegal
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/03/harvard-victory-battle-trump-federal-funding-00542654?utm_source=chatgpt.com
7.This Kennedy heir is making moves to take on RFK Jr. in Congress
Jack Schlossberg (the son of JFK's daughter, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg), a young voice in Democratic party, has gone viral on social media for his pop culture posts and attacks on RFK Jr.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/07/jack-schlossberg-congress-rfk-jr/86030343007/
8. A federal jury has ordered Google to pay $425.7 million for improperly snooping on people's smartphones during a nearly decade-long period of intrusions
[I rarely used Google on my smartphone. I have an iphone.]
https://apnews.com/article/google-smartphone-surveillance-verdict-damages-c93e0150089fd47ec396f1d0abacb4a8?link_source=ta_thread_link&taid=68ba6753125c9e00015bbedd
9. The New Mexico Department of Health has issued a public health order to help ensure all New Mexicans can access the COVID-19 vaccine. (See, it's not just NY, they also did it first. I think Minnesota also did it.)
https://www.nmhealth.org/news/vaccine/2025/8/?view=2267
10.Federal LGBTQ and reproductive health web pages taken down by the Trump administration will be restored online following a litigation settlement between the HHS and several public health organizations.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/trumps-hhs-agrees-to-restore-lgbtq-reproductive-health-data
11.According to a new report, grid connections in the U.S. increased by 33% last year—and 75% of the new additions were solar and energy storage projects!
[yay, a non-legal bit of good news!]
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/08/28/solar-leads-as-u-s-grid-interconnection-agreements-grow-33/
12. In Newbern, Alabama Patrick Braxton won a first-in-sixty-years Mayoral election with 2/3 of the vote! He’s been Mayor of Newbern for 5 years, but the white minority never accepted it so the town held an election. Read more here:
https://capitalbnews.org/newbern-alabama-mayoral-election-patrick-braxton/
13.A federal judge struck down a GOP-backed South Dakota law that would have made it harder for citizens to put issues on the ballot, ruling the law was unconstitutional and a violation of free speech.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/federal-court-blocks-south-dakotas-attack-on-citizen-ballot-measures/?_hsmi=378732219
14. In Colorado, students successfully lobbied the State Board of Education to incorporate more education about climate change into the state’s science standards for K-12 public school students.
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/students-change-colorado-science-standards-include-climate-change/
15. Governors Gavin Newsom, Tina Kotek, and Bob Ferguson announced the formation of the West Coast Health Alliance, citing distrust in this regime's CDC.
https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/09/04/hawaii-to-join-west-coast-health-alliance-with-california-oregon-and-washington/#:~:text=Details%20about%20this%20new%20Alliance&text=The%20Alliance%20will%20help%20safeguard,and%20other%20public%20health%20leaders
16.Five Republicans joined House Democrats to table Rep. Clay Higgins’ (R-La.) motion to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) and remove her from the Homeland Security Committee. [Basically the killed the censure motion for the NJ Congressional Rep, who did nothing but speak out against ICE at the ICE facility in New Jersey.
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/09/03/congress/house-kills-mciver-censure-00542072
17.The Conservation Fund purchased North America’s largest blackwater swamp, saving it from a mining company. Spanning from southern Georgia into northern Florida, the Fund’s purchase is critical to protect the entire Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, including more than 350,000 acres of designated wilderness.
https://augustafreepress.com/news/conservation-funds-purchase-of-georgia-florida-wildlife-refuge-saves-land-from-mining-company/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
18.Oregon state Rep. Cyrus Javadi switched parties, registering as a Democrat. [He did it after Republicans criticized his vote regarding a tax measure.]
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/09/05/oregon-state-representative-cyrus-javadi-switches-parties-now-democrat/
19.A new joint effort by California and Nevada is protecting Lake Tahoe from a record amount of polluted runoff.Pollution control efforts kept over 727,000 pounds of fine sediment out of the lake, protecting water clarity and quality, new California-Nevada report shows
https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/joint-state-effort-shields-lake-tahoe-from-a-record-amount-of-polluted-runoff/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
20.Just months after being arrested, detained and nearly deported by the Trump administration for his activism, Mohsen Mahdawi, the 34-year-old Palestinian student and US permanent resident, returned to Columbia University and vowed to continue speaking out.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/02/mohsen-mahdawi-columbia-university-palestinian
21.Flock said it has "paused all federal pilots (their AI cameras)" after police departments said they didn't realize they were sharing access with Customs and Border Patrol. [Basically - the good news is they blocked the governments use of the cameras now. And they can no longer be utilized for this purpose.]
https://www.404media.co/cbp-had-access-to-more-than-80-000-flock-ai-cameras-nationwide/
22. A federal appeals court ruled against Trump’s use of an 18th-century wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to rapidly deport Venezuelan migrants, finding there is “no invasion or predatory incursion” of migrants. [If you are counting this is about the fifth to sixth time they've blocked it.]
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca5.224134/gov.uscourts.ca5.224134.507678079.1.pdf
23.Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) announced her state will require health insurers operating in the state to cover vaccines recommended by the state’s department of public health.
[The States are taking control of the vaccine issue - since the Federal government is not doing its job and being assassin about it.]
24.A federal appeals court has reinstated Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, a Biden appointee to the FTC, despite President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire her.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/02/trump-firing-ftc-member-dc-circuit-ruling-00540637
25.NJ Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law two bills that ban captive audience meetings and ensure students learn about unions’ critical role in building the middle class. ["Governor Murphy today signed legislation strengthening workers’ rights across New Jersey. The first bill promotes knowledge of labor rights through education, and the second bill safeguards employees’ freedom to make their own choices at work, free from coercion.']
https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/governor-murphy-signs-legislation-strengthening-workers-rights-and-labor-education/
26.As the U.S. Forest Service makes cuts that threaten to hobble federal firefighting capabilities, California is entering into a pact with other western states and parts of Canada to beef up regional firefighting forces.
["Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that the state has joined the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact, an agreement that expedites the movement of personnel and equipment between fire agencies in eight states and five Canadian provinces." - Yeah, I saw them do that this summer with my niece, the Fed's were being difficult and wouldn't let them hire her and other students, so the State stepped in and switched her over to another department where she actually could learn more and be more hands on. All the Federal government is doing right now is making itself more and more redundant and useless.]
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-to-team-up-with-other-states-canada-on-firefighting-amid-federal-cutbacks/ar-AA1LYphx
27.Michigan just became the 48th state to enact a law addressing deepfakes, imposing jail time and penalties up to the felony level for people who make AI-generated nonconsensual abuse imagery of a real person. [This is a real problem - recently a soap actor came forward about the number of scammers using AI to duplicate his voice and image to fool his fans into giving them money.]
https://www.404media.co/michigan-us-states-with-deepfakes-laws/?emci=7dcaea5b-a28a-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=a4be888b-a28a-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
28.More than 1,000 current and former federal health workers called for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s resignation, warning he "continues to endanger the nation's health."
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/03/rfk-jr-resign-hhs-employees-letter-trump-cdc?emci=7dcaea5b-a28a-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=a4be888b-a28a-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
29.D.C. sued the Trump administration over what the complaint said is a “military occupation” that violates the Home Rule Act.
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71267525/1/district-of-columbia-v-trump/
30.California lawmakers passed a bill requiring schools to alert families and teachers when immigration enforcement authorities are on campuses.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/02/california-immigration-enforcement-schools-families?emci=7dcaea5b-a28a-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=a4be888b-a28a-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
31.Attorneys General Peter Neronha (RI) and William Tong (CT) filed a lawsuit in federal district court against the U.S. DOI for a stop-work order that halted an offshore wind farm that was already 80% complete.
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.rid.60307/gov.uscourts.rid.60307.1.0.pdf
32.A state court stopped South Carolina from immediately handing over its entire voter database — including Social Security numbers and driver’s license information — to the U.S. Department of Justice.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/court-blocks-south-carolina-from-giving-voter-data-to-doj-after-voter-sues/?_hsmi=379267458
33. Jimmy Carter will be honored with a commemorative Forever stamp on what would have been his 101st birthday.The USPS will release it on Oct. 1 in Atlanta.
https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-carter-stamp-2dc2169ae5373f2631cb967161b08632?emci=5ecf44c1-8f7f-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=20300de0-8f7f-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
34. Neil Young has released a new song lambasting Donald Trump, entitled Big Crime.
Big Crime in DC at the White House
I don't know - maybe it's a bit too on the nose? But maybe that's the point? Subtle is kind of lost on the thing in the white house.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/aug/29/neil-young-donald-trump-new-song-big-crime?emci=4ca6df17-0585-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=7770b45d-0a85-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
35. A Fox News host called for stricter gun laws live on air after the Minnesota shooting.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trey-gowdy-minnesota-gun-control_n_68af8c7fe4b0bbcc3f8dde42?email_hash=93c31339a16969e49c21271ccb8210b8ce5a62d2&lctg=27193028
36.The Environmental Voter Project announced that their mobilization campaigns in this year's two largest mayoral elections — New York City and San Antonio — both achieved statistically significant increases in turnout! (San Antonio report, New York City report).
https://www.environmentalvoter.org/
https://www.environmentalvoter.org/sites/default/files/documents/may-2025-movement-labs-report.pdf?emci=5c510cbf-1f84-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=8c5a105a-2684-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=7399408
37.Illinois became the first state to launch a legal advice line for LGBTQ+ residents, providing free and confidential legal advice on discrimination, harassment, safety, and more.
https://thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/5469034-lgbtq-illinois-legal-helpline/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
38.On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, FEMA staff published an open letter opposing the Trump administration’s cuts to the agency, and demanding change so the country is prepared in the event of another catastrophic disaster.
https://apnews.com/article/fema-letter-kristi-noem-disasters-836712f383a8b7d393c5ebf0f80143cf?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
39.A federal judge denied the Houston County, Georgia Board of Elections’ bid to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Black voters challenging the county’s at-large method of electing commissioners under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/georgia-houston-county-board-of-commissioners-at-large-electoral-method-challenge/?_hsmi=379267458
40.Denver's public school system said that it would defy demands from the Trump administration to discriminate against transgender students even if it means losing federal funds.
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/denver-schools-defies-trump-trans
41.A conservative justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court announced she will not seek reelection, creating an open race for a seat on the court that’s controlled 4-3 by liberals.
https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-supreme-court-bradley-taylor-de60bec2639836dfa0aacfe6ab7f215a?lctg=27193028
42. Portland is expanding its first responder team dedicated solely to serving those having mental health crises.
https://katu.com/news/local/portland-street-response-grows-thanks-to-city-funding?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
43.Maryland’s Charles County Public Schools is expanding participation in the free school breakfasts program to 32 schools for the 2025–2026 school year.
https://southernmarylandchronicle.com/2025/08/23/more-ccps-students-get-free-breakfast-this-year/?emci=b5e8e3fe-2388-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=89606f33-3088-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=5050778
44. Massive crowds gathered in DC and Chicago to protest Trump, ICE, and the National Guard in their cities this weekend.
45. Ordinary people serving on grand juries continue to repeatedly refuse to indict their fellow residents on charges brought by the Trump administration.
https://archive.ph/wahyy#selection-713.0-713.156
46.In Alabama, Ciara Smith won her election for Anniston mayor, becoming the youngest and first African-American elected mayor in the town’s history.
https://www.wvtm13.com/article/alabama-anniston-mayor-result-election-ciara-smith/65905474
47.A flotilla of ships departed from Barcelona to the Gaza Strip today with humanitarian aid and activists on board in the largest attempt yet to break the long Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory by sea.
https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-war-hamas-thunberg-7599488c66456a4f74aed1cadc0cee5d?link_source=ta_thread_link&taid=68b48df7d43cf90001f639b1
48.A Democratic candidate got the most votes in Georgia’s Senate District 21 election and has taken the lead over six Republicans! It now moves to a run-off.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/georgia/article_17d2098d-28f2-44c8-b4f1-6e50691da9c8.html
49. Democrats flipped an Iowa state senate seat, breaking the GOP supermajority in a Trump +11 district and swinging the seat by 21 points!
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5471284-drey-victory-breaks-gop-majority/amp/
50.A new Quinnipiac University national poll indicates that a majority of registered voters oppose Trump's takeover of the nation's capital.
https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3929
51.A judge has denied Meta’s request to dismiss a lawsuit brought against it by early employee Kelly Stonelake. U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein, who is overseeing the case, ruled this month that parts of Stonelake’s suit had merit, and the case will move forward.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/27/judge-denies-metas-request-to-dismiss-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-filed-by-early-employee/?emci=4ca6df17-0585-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=7770b45d-0a85-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
52. The food workers’ union representing more than 12,000 workers with Stater Bros. Markets voted to ratify a three-year labor contract at grocery stores in Southern California.
https://www.ocregister.com/2025/08/06/food-workers-union-reaches-tentative-deal-for-12000-stater-bros-workers/
53.Ride-hail drivers in California will be able to unionize and collectively bargain for better pay and working conditions under a deal announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom, leaders of the state Legislature, unions, Uber and Lyft.
54.The state of Florida is ordering cities to remove rainbow-painted crosswalks and street art, but cities are fighting back. The city of St. Petersburg asked the state for an exemption, citing proof they’ve actually made the intersections safer and communities stronger, and Delray Beach’s city commission voted to keep theirs intact, too.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2025/08/21/rainbow-crosswalk-st-petersburg-exemption-fdot/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
https://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/delray-beach/delray-beach-commissioners-to-decide-fate-of-pride-mural?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
55.Workers at Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks just won their union elections.
https://onlabor.org/august-26-2025/
56.A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to expand a fast-track deportation process.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/29/trump-deportation-expedited-judge-00538077
57.George Mason University’s president rejected the Trump Admin’s demand for an apology in order to keep its federal funding.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/george-mason-university-president-rejects-education-departments-apolog-rcna227113
58.Paul Prine, the former police chief of Mobile, AL who was fired last year while facing a damning report about his department’s use of force against Black residents, has lost his mayoral race.
https://www.fox10tv.com/video/2025/08/27/after-falling-short-mobile-mayors-race-former-chief-prine-acknowledges-money-matters/
59. Rep. Mark Alford, a Missouri Republican, said the National Guard shouldn't be sent to cities without a governor's request after Trump threatened to send troops to Baltimore and Chicago.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/mark-alford-missouri-at-odds-trump-national-guard-threats-governor-rcna227157
60. Gavin Newsom is now trolling Trump with an online ‘PATRIOT SHOP.’ The collection includes MAGA-style red hats reading “Newsom was right about everything, “Real Patriot” hats, and a “Trump Is Not Hot” tank top.
https://store.gavinnewsom.com/the-patriot-shop/
61. A federal appeals court ruled that many of Trump’s tariffs are not legally permissible. This ruling will not immediately block the tariffs, but it marks a significant blow to Trump's signature trade strategy.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/appeals-court-trump-tariffs-illegal/
62. Fed Governor Lisa Cook announced she is suing Trump for trying to fire her.
https://ground.news/article/fed-governor-lisa-cook-sues-trump-after-he-moves-to-fire-her_560f93?emailIdentifier=dailyGround&edition=Aug-29-2025&token=5dd4925f-db34-48cd-8c83-e64d2a91b391&category=top&subCategory=US
63.AmeriCorps will release all previously withheld funds for jobs and grants supporting western North Carolina’s recovery after Hurricane Helene after a lawsuit by Attorney General Jeff Jackson
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ag-jackson-restores-americorps-funding-for-western-nc-post-hurricane-helene-recovery/ar-AA1LuVTL
64.The Texas Supreme Court has denied Attorney General Ken Paxton’s filing seeking to stop the State Fair of Texas from prohibiting handguns on the property.
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2024/09/27/texas-supreme-court-denies-ag-paxtons-attempt-to-overturn-state-fair-of-texas-gun-ban/
65. A federal judge dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit against every federal district judge in Maryland – calling the Trump administration’s legal maneuver to overturn an immigration court order “novel and potentially calamitous litigation.”
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/judge-dismisses-sweeping-doj-lawsuit-against-maryland-judges/?_hsmi=378091328
66.A Pennsylvania state law required election officials to reject undated or wrongly dated mail-in ballots. But in a win for voters, a federal circuit court ruled this week that the law violated the First and 14th Amendments.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/in-big-win-for-voters-pennsylvania-must-count-undated-mail-in-ballots-court-rules/?_hsmi=378091328
67.In a major win for voting rights, an Arizona court tossed a GOP lawsuit that tried to make voting by mail even harder.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/arizona-court-rejects-gop-lawsuit-targeting-mail-voting/?_hsmi=378091035
68. The DHS has begun moving detainees out of the immigration detention center in the middle of the Florida Everglades dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," days after a federal judge ruled that parts of the facility must be dismantled.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-admin-moving-detainees-alligator-alcatraz-judge-florida/?emci=4ca6df17-0585-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=7770b45d-0a85-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
69.After a multi-state lawsuit over Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to freeze more than $6.8B in education funding to US schools, the Trump administration has agreed to restore the funds for a range of educational services.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/25/trump-administration-education-funding?emci=4ca6df17-0585-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=7770b45d-0a85-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
70.A coalition of cities, doctors, and small businesses represented by Democracy Forward won a preliminary injunction, blocking the Trump-Vance administration’s dangerous new rule that would gut key protections under the Affordable Care Act.
https://democracyforward.org/updates/cms-preliminary-injunction-granted/
71.A federal judge has issued an injunction preventing the Trump administration’s FTC from investigating Media Matters for America, the liberal media watchdog group.
https://apnews.com/article/ftc-trump-administration-media-matters-1d1750656ba5b7eb3f44463f107b034c?emci=5ecf44c1-8f7f-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=20300de0-8f7f-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
72.A judge ruled that the Utah Legislature violated the Utah Constitution when it repealed Prop. 4, which established an independent redistricting commission.
https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/08/25/judge-orders-utah-legislature-to-draw-new-congressional-map/
73. Court restores grants that Trump’s Agriculture Department yanked from farmers and community groups.
https://earthjustice.org/brief/2025/victory-court-restores-grants-that-trumps-agriculture-department-yanked-from-farmers-and-community-groups?sourceid=1048119&emci=25a74a36-0c7a-f011-b481-6045bdfe8e9c&emdi=ced3cfd4-aa7a-f011-b481-6045bdfe8e9c&ceid=2014393
74. Trump admin reopens $5B EV charging program after losses in court.The Transportation Department says states can reapply for funding under the Biden-era program it had halted.
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/ev-charging/trump-reopen-nevi-funding
75.California Supreme Court hands victory to rooftop solar panel owners."In a unanimous vote, justices told a lower court to revisit a ruling that upheld reduced payments to solar panel owners for selling excess power back to utility companies. Justices did not rule on whether the changes to the solar program were legal, requiring the court of appeals to determine this."
https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/08/california-supreme-court-rules-on-net-metering-cuts/
76.PFAS settlement has DuPont, Chemours and Corteva paying New Jersey $2 billion over "forever chemicals." In a historic settlement, three major chemical companies have agreed to pay the state of New Jersey $875 million toward addressing on-site contamination and up to $1.2 billion to establish a remediation fund. It’s the largest settlement of its kind in the state’s history, and a powerful step toward fixing the damage wrought by forever chemicals.
https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/dupont-pfas-settlement-chemours-corteva-new-jersey-repauno-parlin/
77.Commercial fishing in a vast Pacific nature area is halted after a judge blocks a Trump order.
https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-business/ap-commercial-fishing-in-a-vast-pacific-nature-area-is-halted-after-a-judge-blocks-a-trump-order/?email=467cb6399cb7df64551775e431052b43a775c749&emaila=12a6d4d069cd56cfddaa391c24eb7042&emailb=054528e7403871c79f668e49dd3c44b1ec00c7f611bf9388f76bb2324d6ca5f3
78.IEA: Renewables will be world’s top power source by 2026.
"Renewable energy will overtake coal to become the world’s top source of electricity “by 2026 at the latest”, according to new forecasts from the International Energy Agency (IEA). The rise of renewables is being driven by extremely rapid growth in wind and solar output, which topped 4,000 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2024 and will pass 6,000TWh by 2026. Wind and solar are increasingly under attack from populist politicians on the right, such as US president Donald Trump and Reform in the UK. Nevertheless, they will together meet more than 90% of the increase in global electricity demand out to 2026, the IEA says, while modest growth for hydro power will add to renewables’ rise."
[My electricity is 100% Wind and Solar in my apartment. I do have gas radiator heating, but I've no control over that.]
https://www.carbonbrief.org/iea-renewables-will-be-worlds-top-power-source-by-2026/
79.If you live in or develop apartments in California, there’s fresh cash on the table to get Level 2 EV chargers installed. The Communities in Charge project, backed by the California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program, just opened a new funding lane worth up to $56.5 million for multi-family housing and nearby spots where tenants can plug in.
https://electrek.co/2025/08/05/california-greenlights-56-5m-to-amp-up-apartment-ev-chargers/?emci=2f8cf046-f172-f011-8dc9-6045bda9d96b&emdi=de82f560-a373-f011-8dc9-6045bda9d96b&ceid=19345073
80. GM will import batteries from China for new Bolt as it works to get U.S. plant going. General Motors is doing what it can to keep domestic EV production alive! The company is preparing to import two years' worth of batteries from the Chinese company CATL, which they hope will provide them with enough time to strengthen their U.S. manufacturing sites and secure a source of lower-cost batteries.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2025/08/08/gm-to-import-chinese-batteries-until-u-s-plant-begins-production/85574352007/
81. Judge rules that Trump's private attorney cannot legally hold the position he is desperately trying to get her in.
Trump has been illegally trying to keep his attorney Alina Habba in the position of U.S. attorney for New Jersey after New Jersey senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim used blue slips to keep her from getting a Senate vote for confirmation. Trump appointed Habba acting U.S. attorney but after her 120-day interim period expired, a panel of judges skipped over her to appoint her assistant, Desiree Leigh Grace, to the job. Attorney general Pam Bondi then fired Grace, and Trump reappointed Habba. Last week, U.S. district judge Matthew Brann ruled that Habba was not holding the post lawfully.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/24/alina-habba-slams-senate-blue-slips-00522501
82.California and Denmark inked a new partnership advancing climate collaboration, technology and innovation.
https://www.youtube.com/live/CKRRyejX6g4
83.A group of between 30 and 50 critically ill and injured Palestinian children will be evacuated from Gaza to the U.K. for medical treatment in the coming weeks.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c30z17376ego
84.A federal judge ruled that the Education Department cannot terminate funds for two congressionally mandated programs that conduct research to close educational achievement gaps.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-education/2025/08/18/judge-says-trump-cant-defund-education-research-programs-00513295
85.A tri-national nature reserve is being created by Mexico, Guatamala and Belize to protect the Mayan jungle.
https://apnews.com/article/mexico-guatemala-claudia-sheinbaum-bernardo-arevalo-ac95c0c5d2224343580920a2ea84ceb6
86.City councilors in Portland, Maine, paused the development of a new Live Nation concert venue amid concerns that the entertainment monopoly’s efforts could damage the local music scene.
https://www.levernews.com/you-love-to-see-it-monopoly-aint-punk-rock/
87.A University of Colorado Boulder alumna donated a 476-acre wildlife reserve and endowment to the university. Her donation was valued at $10.4 million.
https://www.dailycamera.com/2025/08/12/colorado-university-boulder-donation-10-million-spruce-gulch/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
88.More than 500 Catholic nuns embarked on a “pilgrimage of hope” to support immigrants and the environment.
https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/catholic-sisters-march-for-immigrants
89. New Mexico’s Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham beat Trump at his own game by calling up her National Guard preemptively, making them unavailable for his abuse.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/17/us/national-guard-new-mexico-deployment
90. U.S. developers are reporting that, if all keeps going according to plan, at least half of new electric generating capacity in 2025 will come from solar.
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65964&_hsmi=376947178
91.The 1st Circuit rejected the Trump administration's request to enforce the “defund” Planned Parenthood provision in the reconciliation law while its appeal of the preliminary injunction proceeds.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/the-1st-circuit-rejects-trump-administrations-effort-to-enforce-planned-parenthood-defund-provision
92. Nike's founder Phil Knight and his wife gave $2 billion to Oregon Health and Science University for cancer research and treatment.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2025/08/14/nike-co-founder-phil-knight-gifts-2-billion-to-oregon-cancer-institute-the-largest-university-donation-ever/
93.A federal court ruled that Mississippi’s Supreme Court district lines must be redrawn to ensure Black people in the state don't have their voting power diluted.
https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-court-orders-mississippi-supreme-court-district-lines-be-redrawn
94. DC musicians and activists came together Thursday night for a “Defend the District” Go-Go concert and rally in response to Trump’s military takeover.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNthO-mWiJu/
95. In a reversal of recent trends, hedge funds are now betting against oil and for clean energy.
https://archive.ph/QXpdi#selection-1151.0-1151.62
96.A federal judge in Montana ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the law when it denied critical protections for gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains.
https://worldanimalnews.com/2025/08/07/hope-for-wolves-federal-judge-rules-usfws-broke-the-law-by-denying-wolves-protections/
97. The Senate is now officially in play
With Republican enthusiasm for Trump dropping and great Democrats running, the Senate is up for grabs
https://www.souloftheparty.com/p/the-senate-is-now-officially-in-play
98.For patients with Parkinson’s disease, deep brain stimulation surgery — which involves implanting electrodes into targeted areas of the brain — has been a standard treatment for years now. But that could soon change, thanks to an innovative ultrasound “helmet” that delivers precise brain stimulation without the need for implants or incisions, according to a study published last week.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/sep/05/ultrasound-helmet-could-offer-non-invasive-treatment-for-parkinsons-study-shows?ck_subscriber_id=3259884285
99.The puns are plentiful as police departments around the country buy their own ice cream trucks and roll into neighborhoods to hand out frozen treats for free.
“Copsicle Patrol” is written on the one in Danbury, Connecticut. “Freeze! You have the right to remain frozen,” says another in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. “Let’s Chill Together,” Cleveland’s proclaims. “Frosty Five-O. Get the inside scoop” declares one in Palm Bay, Florida. “To Protect and Soft Serve,” says yet another in Toldedo, Ohio.
https://apnews.com/article/police-ice-cream-trucks-099debb0b9de0265f35216dc0da5f537?ck_subscriber_id=3259884285
100. Authors win up to $1.4 Billion in Copyright Infringement Case against AI firm.
"This historic settlement is a vital step in acknowledging that AI companies cannot simply steal authors' creative work to build their AI just because they need books to develop quality large language models," said Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger. "We expect that the settlement will lead to more licensing that gives authors both compensation and control over the use of their work by AI companies, as should be the case in a functioning free market society."
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/05/nx-s1-5529404/anthropic-settlement-authors-copyright-ai?ck_subscriber_id=3259884285
***
Quotes
* " “If something really matters to you,” Beverley Fehr, a University of Winnipeg psychologist, told me, “there’s a vulnerability in sharing it with someone else.” When we declare a favorite book, movie, or album and introduce it to others, Jeffrey Hall, a communications-studies professor at the University of Kansas, told me, “what we’re doing is saying, ‘This is an aspect of my identity that I’m willingly putting out there in order for other people to know me. And if you reject this thing, you reject me.’” Tom Vanderbilt, the author of You May Also Like, said that recommending something to someone can be like giving a gift, in that “it says something about you, but you’re also trying to anticipate what they might like.”
- The Atlantic
*“When things go wrong, don’t go with them.” – ELVIS PRESLEY
* "Hike your own hike." - Sleep Story (Calm).
***
Lusting after a Vacation
Ah, something to lust after: Skillcations to exotic places...such as photography in Uganda, Knitting in Iceland, cooking in Italy...
***
Nice News Book Rec: The Call of the Honeyguide: What Science Tells Us About How to Live Well with the Rest of Our Life by Rob Dun
In sub-Saharan Africa, a small forest bird called the honeyguide has developed a cooperative relationship with the humans who forage for honey there — the bird responds to people’s calls, leads them to beehives, and then gets to enjoy the discarded beeswax. Biologist and author Rob Dunn explores this and other fascinating ecological mutualisms, which, per the book’s description, “might be the most important forces in the evolution of life.” In doing so, he creates a “call to action for a more beneficent, less lonely future.”
***
Music Rec
In 1975, “Bohemian Rhapsody” became an instant classic. While countless covers (from The Muppets to Glee) have paid tribute to what’s considered one of rock’s most enduring anthems, Queen has never authorized a translation of the song — until now. Fifty years after the single was released, a new version is delighting fans, this time in the Zulu language and performed by South Africa’s acclaimed Ndlovu Youth Choir.
Though the words may not be familiar to most fans, the melody remains unmistakable. The choir — which you may recognize from their appearance on America’s Got Talent — worked for years to preserve the original song’s meaning while adapting the words to fit the Zulu language, although some lyrics intentionally remain unchanged (like “Galileo, Galileo!”).
“We realized that we’d be the first translation that’s been commercially released,” the choir’s artistic director, Ralf Schmitt, told NPR, noting front man Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar. “So, we’re very honored to have got the permission, and we hope that we’ve done the piece justice.”
We’d say mission (above and beyond) accomplished: Watch the music video to decide for yourself.
https://nicenews.com/culture/queen-bohemian-rhapsody-zulu-version/
Anyhow, despite all that, here's a list of good news items that I've found.
As always, keep in mind good news is in the eye of the beholder, and mileage may well vary on the below.
Good News Report from the Resistance and their Global Allies
1. Court of Appeals Upholds 83 million dollar judgement against Trump
2.“New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on Friday authorizing pharmacists in the state to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to anyone who wants a shot, becoming the latest Democratic governor to try to countermand the Trump administration’s new limits on inoculations.”
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-signs-executive-order-expanding-access-vaccines-amid-uncertainty-washington
3.A federal judge blocked the Trump regime from ending temporary legal protections that have granted more than 1 million people from Haiti and Venezuela the right to live and work in the US.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-judge-blocks-trump-canceling-legal-status-venezuelans-haitians-2025-09-05/
(This is the second time a judge has entered permanent relief after the Supreme Court or court of appeals had lifted preliminary orders. The other case was the California national guard case. So the trial judges are moving quickly to keep the cases moving to final judgment. We will see what happens on appeal.)
4.An appeals court has upheld the preliminary injunction on Marco Rubio’s transgender passport ban. Trans and nonbinary folks continue to have safe, legal access to accurate passport documents.
https://substack.com/@transolderbrother/note/c-152785843?r=160ms
5. Democracy Forward secured a court order requiring the State Department to preserve and account for Signal messages of senior national security officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
https://democracyforward.org/updates/signalgate-foia/
6. Harvard University secured a win in their fight with Trump over federal research funding.
A federal judge ruled Wednesday the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze more than $2 billion in federal research grants from Harvard University was illegal
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/03/harvard-victory-battle-trump-federal-funding-00542654?utm_source=chatgpt.com
7.This Kennedy heir is making moves to take on RFK Jr. in Congress
Jack Schlossberg (the son of JFK's daughter, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg), a young voice in Democratic party, has gone viral on social media for his pop culture posts and attacks on RFK Jr.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/07/jack-schlossberg-congress-rfk-jr/86030343007/
8. A federal jury has ordered Google to pay $425.7 million for improperly snooping on people's smartphones during a nearly decade-long period of intrusions
[I rarely used Google on my smartphone. I have an iphone.]
https://apnews.com/article/google-smartphone-surveillance-verdict-damages-c93e0150089fd47ec396f1d0abacb4a8?link_source=ta_thread_link&taid=68ba6753125c9e00015bbedd
9. The New Mexico Department of Health has issued a public health order to help ensure all New Mexicans can access the COVID-19 vaccine. (See, it's not just NY, they also did it first. I think Minnesota also did it.)
https://www.nmhealth.org/news/vaccine/2025/8/?view=2267
10.Federal LGBTQ and reproductive health web pages taken down by the Trump administration will be restored online following a litigation settlement between the HHS and several public health organizations.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/trumps-hhs-agrees-to-restore-lgbtq-reproductive-health-data
11.According to a new report, grid connections in the U.S. increased by 33% last year—and 75% of the new additions were solar and energy storage projects!
[yay, a non-legal bit of good news!]
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/08/28/solar-leads-as-u-s-grid-interconnection-agreements-grow-33/
12. In Newbern, Alabama Patrick Braxton won a first-in-sixty-years Mayoral election with 2/3 of the vote! He’s been Mayor of Newbern for 5 years, but the white minority never accepted it so the town held an election. Read more here:
https://capitalbnews.org/newbern-alabama-mayoral-election-patrick-braxton/
13.A federal judge struck down a GOP-backed South Dakota law that would have made it harder for citizens to put issues on the ballot, ruling the law was unconstitutional and a violation of free speech.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/federal-court-blocks-south-dakotas-attack-on-citizen-ballot-measures/?_hsmi=378732219
14. In Colorado, students successfully lobbied the State Board of Education to incorporate more education about climate change into the state’s science standards for K-12 public school students.
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/students-change-colorado-science-standards-include-climate-change/
15. Governors Gavin Newsom, Tina Kotek, and Bob Ferguson announced the formation of the West Coast Health Alliance, citing distrust in this regime's CDC.
https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/09/04/hawaii-to-join-west-coast-health-alliance-with-california-oregon-and-washington/#:~:text=Details%20about%20this%20new%20Alliance&text=The%20Alliance%20will%20help%20safeguard,and%20other%20public%20health%20leaders
16.Five Republicans joined House Democrats to table Rep. Clay Higgins’ (R-La.) motion to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) and remove her from the Homeland Security Committee. [Basically the killed the censure motion for the NJ Congressional Rep, who did nothing but speak out against ICE at the ICE facility in New Jersey.
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/09/03/congress/house-kills-mciver-censure-00542072
17.The Conservation Fund purchased North America’s largest blackwater swamp, saving it from a mining company. Spanning from southern Georgia into northern Florida, the Fund’s purchase is critical to protect the entire Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, including more than 350,000 acres of designated wilderness.
https://augustafreepress.com/news/conservation-funds-purchase-of-georgia-florida-wildlife-refuge-saves-land-from-mining-company/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
18.Oregon state Rep. Cyrus Javadi switched parties, registering as a Democrat. [He did it after Republicans criticized his vote regarding a tax measure.]
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/09/05/oregon-state-representative-cyrus-javadi-switches-parties-now-democrat/
19.A new joint effort by California and Nevada is protecting Lake Tahoe from a record amount of polluted runoff.Pollution control efforts kept over 727,000 pounds of fine sediment out of the lake, protecting water clarity and quality, new California-Nevada report shows
https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/joint-state-effort-shields-lake-tahoe-from-a-record-amount-of-polluted-runoff/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
20.Just months after being arrested, detained and nearly deported by the Trump administration for his activism, Mohsen Mahdawi, the 34-year-old Palestinian student and US permanent resident, returned to Columbia University and vowed to continue speaking out.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/02/mohsen-mahdawi-columbia-university-palestinian
21.Flock said it has "paused all federal pilots (their AI cameras)" after police departments said they didn't realize they were sharing access with Customs and Border Patrol. [Basically - the good news is they blocked the governments use of the cameras now. And they can no longer be utilized for this purpose.]
https://www.404media.co/cbp-had-access-to-more-than-80-000-flock-ai-cameras-nationwide/
22. A federal appeals court ruled against Trump’s use of an 18th-century wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to rapidly deport Venezuelan migrants, finding there is “no invasion or predatory incursion” of migrants. [If you are counting this is about the fifth to sixth time they've blocked it.]
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca5.224134/gov.uscourts.ca5.224134.507678079.1.pdf
23.Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) announced her state will require health insurers operating in the state to cover vaccines recommended by the state’s department of public health.
[The States are taking control of the vaccine issue - since the Federal government is not doing its job and being assassin about it.]
24.A federal appeals court has reinstated Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, a Biden appointee to the FTC, despite President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire her.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/02/trump-firing-ftc-member-dc-circuit-ruling-00540637
25.NJ Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law two bills that ban captive audience meetings and ensure students learn about unions’ critical role in building the middle class. ["Governor Murphy today signed legislation strengthening workers’ rights across New Jersey. The first bill promotes knowledge of labor rights through education, and the second bill safeguards employees’ freedom to make their own choices at work, free from coercion.']
https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/governor-murphy-signs-legislation-strengthening-workers-rights-and-labor-education/
26.As the U.S. Forest Service makes cuts that threaten to hobble federal firefighting capabilities, California is entering into a pact with other western states and parts of Canada to beef up regional firefighting forces.
["Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that the state has joined the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact, an agreement that expedites the movement of personnel and equipment between fire agencies in eight states and five Canadian provinces." - Yeah, I saw them do that this summer with my niece, the Fed's were being difficult and wouldn't let them hire her and other students, so the State stepped in and switched her over to another department where she actually could learn more and be more hands on. All the Federal government is doing right now is making itself more and more redundant and useless.]
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-to-team-up-with-other-states-canada-on-firefighting-amid-federal-cutbacks/ar-AA1LYphx
27.Michigan just became the 48th state to enact a law addressing deepfakes, imposing jail time and penalties up to the felony level for people who make AI-generated nonconsensual abuse imagery of a real person. [This is a real problem - recently a soap actor came forward about the number of scammers using AI to duplicate his voice and image to fool his fans into giving them money.]
https://www.404media.co/michigan-us-states-with-deepfakes-laws/?emci=7dcaea5b-a28a-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=a4be888b-a28a-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
28.More than 1,000 current and former federal health workers called for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s resignation, warning he "continues to endanger the nation's health."
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/03/rfk-jr-resign-hhs-employees-letter-trump-cdc?emci=7dcaea5b-a28a-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=a4be888b-a28a-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
29.D.C. sued the Trump administration over what the complaint said is a “military occupation” that violates the Home Rule Act.
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71267525/1/district-of-columbia-v-trump/
30.California lawmakers passed a bill requiring schools to alert families and teachers when immigration enforcement authorities are on campuses.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/02/california-immigration-enforcement-schools-families?emci=7dcaea5b-a28a-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=a4be888b-a28a-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
31.Attorneys General Peter Neronha (RI) and William Tong (CT) filed a lawsuit in federal district court against the U.S. DOI for a stop-work order that halted an offshore wind farm that was already 80% complete.
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.rid.60307/gov.uscourts.rid.60307.1.0.pdf
32.A state court stopped South Carolina from immediately handing over its entire voter database — including Social Security numbers and driver’s license information — to the U.S. Department of Justice.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/court-blocks-south-carolina-from-giving-voter-data-to-doj-after-voter-sues/?_hsmi=379267458
33. Jimmy Carter will be honored with a commemorative Forever stamp on what would have been his 101st birthday.The USPS will release it on Oct. 1 in Atlanta.
https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-carter-stamp-2dc2169ae5373f2631cb967161b08632?emci=5ecf44c1-8f7f-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=20300de0-8f7f-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
34. Neil Young has released a new song lambasting Donald Trump, entitled Big Crime.
Big Crime in DC at the White House
I don't know - maybe it's a bit too on the nose? But maybe that's the point? Subtle is kind of lost on the thing in the white house.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/aug/29/neil-young-donald-trump-new-song-big-crime?emci=4ca6df17-0585-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=7770b45d-0a85-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
35. A Fox News host called for stricter gun laws live on air after the Minnesota shooting.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trey-gowdy-minnesota-gun-control_n_68af8c7fe4b0bbcc3f8dde42?email_hash=93c31339a16969e49c21271ccb8210b8ce5a62d2&lctg=27193028
36.The Environmental Voter Project announced that their mobilization campaigns in this year's two largest mayoral elections — New York City and San Antonio — both achieved statistically significant increases in turnout! (San Antonio report, New York City report).
https://www.environmentalvoter.org/
https://www.environmentalvoter.org/sites/default/files/documents/may-2025-movement-labs-report.pdf?emci=5c510cbf-1f84-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=8c5a105a-2684-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=7399408
37.Illinois became the first state to launch a legal advice line for LGBTQ+ residents, providing free and confidential legal advice on discrimination, harassment, safety, and more.
https://thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/5469034-lgbtq-illinois-legal-helpline/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
38.On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, FEMA staff published an open letter opposing the Trump administration’s cuts to the agency, and demanding change so the country is prepared in the event of another catastrophic disaster.
https://apnews.com/article/fema-letter-kristi-noem-disasters-836712f383a8b7d393c5ebf0f80143cf?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
39.A federal judge denied the Houston County, Georgia Board of Elections’ bid to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Black voters challenging the county’s at-large method of electing commissioners under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/georgia-houston-county-board-of-commissioners-at-large-electoral-method-challenge/?_hsmi=379267458
40.Denver's public school system said that it would defy demands from the Trump administration to discriminate against transgender students even if it means losing federal funds.
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/denver-schools-defies-trump-trans
41.A conservative justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court announced she will not seek reelection, creating an open race for a seat on the court that’s controlled 4-3 by liberals.
https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-supreme-court-bradley-taylor-de60bec2639836dfa0aacfe6ab7f215a?lctg=27193028
42. Portland is expanding its first responder team dedicated solely to serving those having mental health crises.
https://katu.com/news/local/portland-street-response-grows-thanks-to-city-funding?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
43.Maryland’s Charles County Public Schools is expanding participation in the free school breakfasts program to 32 schools for the 2025–2026 school year.
https://southernmarylandchronicle.com/2025/08/23/more-ccps-students-get-free-breakfast-this-year/?emci=b5e8e3fe-2388-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=89606f33-3088-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=5050778
44. Massive crowds gathered in DC and Chicago to protest Trump, ICE, and the National Guard in their cities this weekend.
45. Ordinary people serving on grand juries continue to repeatedly refuse to indict their fellow residents on charges brought by the Trump administration.
https://archive.ph/wahyy#selection-713.0-713.156
46.In Alabama, Ciara Smith won her election for Anniston mayor, becoming the youngest and first African-American elected mayor in the town’s history.
https://www.wvtm13.com/article/alabama-anniston-mayor-result-election-ciara-smith/65905474
47.A flotilla of ships departed from Barcelona to the Gaza Strip today with humanitarian aid and activists on board in the largest attempt yet to break the long Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory by sea.
https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-war-hamas-thunberg-7599488c66456a4f74aed1cadc0cee5d?link_source=ta_thread_link&taid=68b48df7d43cf90001f639b1
48.A Democratic candidate got the most votes in Georgia’s Senate District 21 election and has taken the lead over six Republicans! It now moves to a run-off.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/georgia/article_17d2098d-28f2-44c8-b4f1-6e50691da9c8.html
49. Democrats flipped an Iowa state senate seat, breaking the GOP supermajority in a Trump +11 district and swinging the seat by 21 points!
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5471284-drey-victory-breaks-gop-majority/amp/
50.A new Quinnipiac University national poll indicates that a majority of registered voters oppose Trump's takeover of the nation's capital.
https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3929
51.A judge has denied Meta’s request to dismiss a lawsuit brought against it by early employee Kelly Stonelake. U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein, who is overseeing the case, ruled this month that parts of Stonelake’s suit had merit, and the case will move forward.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/27/judge-denies-metas-request-to-dismiss-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-filed-by-early-employee/?emci=4ca6df17-0585-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=7770b45d-0a85-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
52. The food workers’ union representing more than 12,000 workers with Stater Bros. Markets voted to ratify a three-year labor contract at grocery stores in Southern California.
https://www.ocregister.com/2025/08/06/food-workers-union-reaches-tentative-deal-for-12000-stater-bros-workers/
53.Ride-hail drivers in California will be able to unionize and collectively bargain for better pay and working conditions under a deal announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom, leaders of the state Legislature, unions, Uber and Lyft.
54.The state of Florida is ordering cities to remove rainbow-painted crosswalks and street art, but cities are fighting back. The city of St. Petersburg asked the state for an exemption, citing proof they’ve actually made the intersections safer and communities stronger, and Delray Beach’s city commission voted to keep theirs intact, too.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2025/08/21/rainbow-crosswalk-st-petersburg-exemption-fdot/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
https://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/delray-beach/delray-beach-commissioners-to-decide-fate-of-pride-mural?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
55.Workers at Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks just won their union elections.
https://onlabor.org/august-26-2025/
56.A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to expand a fast-track deportation process.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/29/trump-deportation-expedited-judge-00538077
57.George Mason University’s president rejected the Trump Admin’s demand for an apology in order to keep its federal funding.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/george-mason-university-president-rejects-education-departments-apolog-rcna227113
58.Paul Prine, the former police chief of Mobile, AL who was fired last year while facing a damning report about his department’s use of force against Black residents, has lost his mayoral race.
https://www.fox10tv.com/video/2025/08/27/after-falling-short-mobile-mayors-race-former-chief-prine-acknowledges-money-matters/
59. Rep. Mark Alford, a Missouri Republican, said the National Guard shouldn't be sent to cities without a governor's request after Trump threatened to send troops to Baltimore and Chicago.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/mark-alford-missouri-at-odds-trump-national-guard-threats-governor-rcna227157
60. Gavin Newsom is now trolling Trump with an online ‘PATRIOT SHOP.’ The collection includes MAGA-style red hats reading “Newsom was right about everything, “Real Patriot” hats, and a “Trump Is Not Hot” tank top.
https://store.gavinnewsom.com/the-patriot-shop/
61. A federal appeals court ruled that many of Trump’s tariffs are not legally permissible. This ruling will not immediately block the tariffs, but it marks a significant blow to Trump's signature trade strategy.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/appeals-court-trump-tariffs-illegal/
62. Fed Governor Lisa Cook announced she is suing Trump for trying to fire her.
https://ground.news/article/fed-governor-lisa-cook-sues-trump-after-he-moves-to-fire-her_560f93?emailIdentifier=dailyGround&edition=Aug-29-2025&token=5dd4925f-db34-48cd-8c83-e64d2a91b391&category=top&subCategory=US
63.AmeriCorps will release all previously withheld funds for jobs and grants supporting western North Carolina’s recovery after Hurricane Helene after a lawsuit by Attorney General Jeff Jackson
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ag-jackson-restores-americorps-funding-for-western-nc-post-hurricane-helene-recovery/ar-AA1LuVTL
64.The Texas Supreme Court has denied Attorney General Ken Paxton’s filing seeking to stop the State Fair of Texas from prohibiting handguns on the property.
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2024/09/27/texas-supreme-court-denies-ag-paxtons-attempt-to-overturn-state-fair-of-texas-gun-ban/
65. A federal judge dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit against every federal district judge in Maryland – calling the Trump administration’s legal maneuver to overturn an immigration court order “novel and potentially calamitous litigation.”
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/judge-dismisses-sweeping-doj-lawsuit-against-maryland-judges/?_hsmi=378091328
66.A Pennsylvania state law required election officials to reject undated or wrongly dated mail-in ballots. But in a win for voters, a federal circuit court ruled this week that the law violated the First and 14th Amendments.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/in-big-win-for-voters-pennsylvania-must-count-undated-mail-in-ballots-court-rules/?_hsmi=378091328
67.In a major win for voting rights, an Arizona court tossed a GOP lawsuit that tried to make voting by mail even harder.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/arizona-court-rejects-gop-lawsuit-targeting-mail-voting/?_hsmi=378091035
68. The DHS has begun moving detainees out of the immigration detention center in the middle of the Florida Everglades dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," days after a federal judge ruled that parts of the facility must be dismantled.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-admin-moving-detainees-alligator-alcatraz-judge-florida/?emci=4ca6df17-0585-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=7770b45d-0a85-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
69.After a multi-state lawsuit over Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to freeze more than $6.8B in education funding to US schools, the Trump administration has agreed to restore the funds for a range of educational services.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/25/trump-administration-education-funding?emci=4ca6df17-0585-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=7770b45d-0a85-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
70.A coalition of cities, doctors, and small businesses represented by Democracy Forward won a preliminary injunction, blocking the Trump-Vance administration’s dangerous new rule that would gut key protections under the Affordable Care Act.
https://democracyforward.org/updates/cms-preliminary-injunction-granted/
71.A federal judge has issued an injunction preventing the Trump administration’s FTC from investigating Media Matters for America, the liberal media watchdog group.
https://apnews.com/article/ftc-trump-administration-media-matters-1d1750656ba5b7eb3f44463f107b034c?emci=5ecf44c1-8f7f-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=20300de0-8f7f-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
72.A judge ruled that the Utah Legislature violated the Utah Constitution when it repealed Prop. 4, which established an independent redistricting commission.
https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/08/25/judge-orders-utah-legislature-to-draw-new-congressional-map/
73. Court restores grants that Trump’s Agriculture Department yanked from farmers and community groups.
https://earthjustice.org/brief/2025/victory-court-restores-grants-that-trumps-agriculture-department-yanked-from-farmers-and-community-groups?sourceid=1048119&emci=25a74a36-0c7a-f011-b481-6045bdfe8e9c&emdi=ced3cfd4-aa7a-f011-b481-6045bdfe8e9c&ceid=2014393
74. Trump admin reopens $5B EV charging program after losses in court.The Transportation Department says states can reapply for funding under the Biden-era program it had halted.
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/ev-charging/trump-reopen-nevi-funding
75.California Supreme Court hands victory to rooftop solar panel owners."In a unanimous vote, justices told a lower court to revisit a ruling that upheld reduced payments to solar panel owners for selling excess power back to utility companies. Justices did not rule on whether the changes to the solar program were legal, requiring the court of appeals to determine this."
https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/08/california-supreme-court-rules-on-net-metering-cuts/
76.PFAS settlement has DuPont, Chemours and Corteva paying New Jersey $2 billion over "forever chemicals." In a historic settlement, three major chemical companies have agreed to pay the state of New Jersey $875 million toward addressing on-site contamination and up to $1.2 billion to establish a remediation fund. It’s the largest settlement of its kind in the state’s history, and a powerful step toward fixing the damage wrought by forever chemicals.
https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/dupont-pfas-settlement-chemours-corteva-new-jersey-repauno-parlin/
77.Commercial fishing in a vast Pacific nature area is halted after a judge blocks a Trump order.
https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-business/ap-commercial-fishing-in-a-vast-pacific-nature-area-is-halted-after-a-judge-blocks-a-trump-order/?email=467cb6399cb7df64551775e431052b43a775c749&emaila=12a6d4d069cd56cfddaa391c24eb7042&emailb=054528e7403871c79f668e49dd3c44b1ec00c7f611bf9388f76bb2324d6ca5f3
78.IEA: Renewables will be world’s top power source by 2026.
"Renewable energy will overtake coal to become the world’s top source of electricity “by 2026 at the latest”, according to new forecasts from the International Energy Agency (IEA). The rise of renewables is being driven by extremely rapid growth in wind and solar output, which topped 4,000 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2024 and will pass 6,000TWh by 2026. Wind and solar are increasingly under attack from populist politicians on the right, such as US president Donald Trump and Reform in the UK. Nevertheless, they will together meet more than 90% of the increase in global electricity demand out to 2026, the IEA says, while modest growth for hydro power will add to renewables’ rise."
[My electricity is 100% Wind and Solar in my apartment. I do have gas radiator heating, but I've no control over that.]
https://www.carbonbrief.org/iea-renewables-will-be-worlds-top-power-source-by-2026/
79.If you live in or develop apartments in California, there’s fresh cash on the table to get Level 2 EV chargers installed. The Communities in Charge project, backed by the California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program, just opened a new funding lane worth up to $56.5 million for multi-family housing and nearby spots where tenants can plug in.
https://electrek.co/2025/08/05/california-greenlights-56-5m-to-amp-up-apartment-ev-chargers/?emci=2f8cf046-f172-f011-8dc9-6045bda9d96b&emdi=de82f560-a373-f011-8dc9-6045bda9d96b&ceid=19345073
80. GM will import batteries from China for new Bolt as it works to get U.S. plant going. General Motors is doing what it can to keep domestic EV production alive! The company is preparing to import two years' worth of batteries from the Chinese company CATL, which they hope will provide them with enough time to strengthen their U.S. manufacturing sites and secure a source of lower-cost batteries.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2025/08/08/gm-to-import-chinese-batteries-until-u-s-plant-begins-production/85574352007/
81. Judge rules that Trump's private attorney cannot legally hold the position he is desperately trying to get her in.
Trump has been illegally trying to keep his attorney Alina Habba in the position of U.S. attorney for New Jersey after New Jersey senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim used blue slips to keep her from getting a Senate vote for confirmation. Trump appointed Habba acting U.S. attorney but after her 120-day interim period expired, a panel of judges skipped over her to appoint her assistant, Desiree Leigh Grace, to the job. Attorney general Pam Bondi then fired Grace, and Trump reappointed Habba. Last week, U.S. district judge Matthew Brann ruled that Habba was not holding the post lawfully.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/24/alina-habba-slams-senate-blue-slips-00522501
82.California and Denmark inked a new partnership advancing climate collaboration, technology and innovation.
https://www.youtube.com/live/CKRRyejX6g4
83.A group of between 30 and 50 critically ill and injured Palestinian children will be evacuated from Gaza to the U.K. for medical treatment in the coming weeks.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c30z17376ego
84.A federal judge ruled that the Education Department cannot terminate funds for two congressionally mandated programs that conduct research to close educational achievement gaps.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-education/2025/08/18/judge-says-trump-cant-defund-education-research-programs-00513295
85.A tri-national nature reserve is being created by Mexico, Guatamala and Belize to protect the Mayan jungle.
https://apnews.com/article/mexico-guatemala-claudia-sheinbaum-bernardo-arevalo-ac95c0c5d2224343580920a2ea84ceb6
86.City councilors in Portland, Maine, paused the development of a new Live Nation concert venue amid concerns that the entertainment monopoly’s efforts could damage the local music scene.
https://www.levernews.com/you-love-to-see-it-monopoly-aint-punk-rock/
87.A University of Colorado Boulder alumna donated a 476-acre wildlife reserve and endowment to the university. Her donation was valued at $10.4 million.
https://www.dailycamera.com/2025/08/12/colorado-university-boulder-donation-10-million-spruce-gulch/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
88.More than 500 Catholic nuns embarked on a “pilgrimage of hope” to support immigrants and the environment.
https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/catholic-sisters-march-for-immigrants
89. New Mexico’s Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham beat Trump at his own game by calling up her National Guard preemptively, making them unavailable for his abuse.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/17/us/national-guard-new-mexico-deployment
90. U.S. developers are reporting that, if all keeps going according to plan, at least half of new electric generating capacity in 2025 will come from solar.
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65964&_hsmi=376947178
91.The 1st Circuit rejected the Trump administration's request to enforce the “defund” Planned Parenthood provision in the reconciliation law while its appeal of the preliminary injunction proceeds.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/the-1st-circuit-rejects-trump-administrations-effort-to-enforce-planned-parenthood-defund-provision
92. Nike's founder Phil Knight and his wife gave $2 billion to Oregon Health and Science University for cancer research and treatment.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2025/08/14/nike-co-founder-phil-knight-gifts-2-billion-to-oregon-cancer-institute-the-largest-university-donation-ever/
93.A federal court ruled that Mississippi’s Supreme Court district lines must be redrawn to ensure Black people in the state don't have their voting power diluted.
https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-court-orders-mississippi-supreme-court-district-lines-be-redrawn
94. DC musicians and activists came together Thursday night for a “Defend the District” Go-Go concert and rally in response to Trump’s military takeover.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNthO-mWiJu/
95. In a reversal of recent trends, hedge funds are now betting against oil and for clean energy.
https://archive.ph/QXpdi#selection-1151.0-1151.62
96.A federal judge in Montana ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the law when it denied critical protections for gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains.
https://worldanimalnews.com/2025/08/07/hope-for-wolves-federal-judge-rules-usfws-broke-the-law-by-denying-wolves-protections/
97. The Senate is now officially in play
With Republican enthusiasm for Trump dropping and great Democrats running, the Senate is up for grabs
https://www.souloftheparty.com/p/the-senate-is-now-officially-in-play
98.For patients with Parkinson’s disease, deep brain stimulation surgery — which involves implanting electrodes into targeted areas of the brain — has been a standard treatment for years now. But that could soon change, thanks to an innovative ultrasound “helmet” that delivers precise brain stimulation without the need for implants or incisions, according to a study published last week.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/sep/05/ultrasound-helmet-could-offer-non-invasive-treatment-for-parkinsons-study-shows?ck_subscriber_id=3259884285
99.The puns are plentiful as police departments around the country buy their own ice cream trucks and roll into neighborhoods to hand out frozen treats for free.
“Copsicle Patrol” is written on the one in Danbury, Connecticut. “Freeze! You have the right to remain frozen,” says another in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. “Let’s Chill Together,” Cleveland’s proclaims. “Frosty Five-O. Get the inside scoop” declares one in Palm Bay, Florida. “To Protect and Soft Serve,” says yet another in Toldedo, Ohio.
https://apnews.com/article/police-ice-cream-trucks-099debb0b9de0265f35216dc0da5f537?ck_subscriber_id=3259884285
100. Authors win up to $1.4 Billion in Copyright Infringement Case against AI firm.
"This historic settlement is a vital step in acknowledging that AI companies cannot simply steal authors' creative work to build their AI just because they need books to develop quality large language models," said Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger. "We expect that the settlement will lead to more licensing that gives authors both compensation and control over the use of their work by AI companies, as should be the case in a functioning free market society."
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/05/nx-s1-5529404/anthropic-settlement-authors-copyright-ai?ck_subscriber_id=3259884285
***
Quotes
* " “If something really matters to you,” Beverley Fehr, a University of Winnipeg psychologist, told me, “there’s a vulnerability in sharing it with someone else.” When we declare a favorite book, movie, or album and introduce it to others, Jeffrey Hall, a communications-studies professor at the University of Kansas, told me, “what we’re doing is saying, ‘This is an aspect of my identity that I’m willingly putting out there in order for other people to know me. And if you reject this thing, you reject me.’” Tom Vanderbilt, the author of You May Also Like, said that recommending something to someone can be like giving a gift, in that “it says something about you, but you’re also trying to anticipate what they might like.”
- The Atlantic
*“When things go wrong, don’t go with them.” – ELVIS PRESLEY
* "Hike your own hike." - Sleep Story (Calm).
***
Lusting after a Vacation
Ah, something to lust after: Skillcations to exotic places...such as photography in Uganda, Knitting in Iceland, cooking in Italy...
***
Nice News Book Rec: The Call of the Honeyguide: What Science Tells Us About How to Live Well with the Rest of Our Life by Rob Dun
In sub-Saharan Africa, a small forest bird called the honeyguide has developed a cooperative relationship with the humans who forage for honey there — the bird responds to people’s calls, leads them to beehives, and then gets to enjoy the discarded beeswax. Biologist and author Rob Dunn explores this and other fascinating ecological mutualisms, which, per the book’s description, “might be the most important forces in the evolution of life.” In doing so, he creates a “call to action for a more beneficent, less lonely future.”
***
Music Rec
In 1975, “Bohemian Rhapsody” became an instant classic. While countless covers (from The Muppets to Glee) have paid tribute to what’s considered one of rock’s most enduring anthems, Queen has never authorized a translation of the song — until now. Fifty years after the single was released, a new version is delighting fans, this time in the Zulu language and performed by South Africa’s acclaimed Ndlovu Youth Choir.
Though the words may not be familiar to most fans, the melody remains unmistakable. The choir — which you may recognize from their appearance on America’s Got Talent — worked for years to preserve the original song’s meaning while adapting the words to fit the Zulu language, although some lyrics intentionally remain unchanged (like “Galileo, Galileo!”).
“We realized that we’d be the first translation that’s been commercially released,” the choir’s artistic director, Ralf Schmitt, told NPR, noting front man Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar. “So, we’re very honored to have got the permission, and we hope that we’ve done the piece justice.”
We’d say mission (above and beyond) accomplished: Watch the music video to decide for yourself.
https://nicenews.com/culture/queen-bohemian-rhapsody-zulu-version/
no subject
Date: 2025-09-11 05:08 am (UTC)Pretty roses!