Return of Good News Report...
Sep. 28th, 2025 11:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatGood News From the American Resistance and Its Global Allies
Disclaimer: As always, Good News like beauty and humor is often in the eyes of the beholder, hopefully something makes you smile, even if its just a picture at the end.
1. Amazon will pay $2.5 billion to settle claims that it tricked customers into signing up for Prime, then made it hard to cancel.
How to determine you are eligible and how to get your refund
It's really just for folks who signed up in 2019, and it's no more than $51.
2. "Prototype device controlled by silent speech
A wearable device offers a similar experience to brain-computer interfaces without the invasive implants or the privacy concerns that come along with mind-reading. The ‘AlterEgo’ device detects electrical signals in the muscles used to formulate speech that are sent by the brain when you silently mouth or even just internally articulate words. Its makers say it could be used by people who have issues with speaking, or to interact with voice-controlled applications without having to talk out loud."
Alterego - https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03084-7
3.The health and economic benefits generated by vaccines against COVID-19 in the first year alone — a return of $60 to $475 on the dollar.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2496200-covid-19-vaccine-benefits-worth-up-to-38-trillion-in-first-year-alone/
4. "Podcast: an AI health oracle
A new AI tool, called Delphi-2M, can calculate a person’s risk of developing different diseases, sometimes years in advance. The model was trained to identify patterns of disease progression using the health records of 400,000 people, which allows the tool to predict someone’s future disease risks, based on their current medical record. The typical set up for AI health-prediction systems is “one tool for one disease”, says AI researcher and study co-author Moritz Gerstung. “There is not really a tool that does provide a very comprehensive assessment.” Delphi-2M could fill that gap — it can calculate the risk of over 1,000 diseases at once.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03026-3
5. Colorado pastor and wife ordered to repay $3.4M to victims of their crypto scam
A judge ruled that Eli and Kaitlyn Regalado used faith and fake coins to defraud more than 300 Christians. A Colorado pastor and his wife have been banned for 20 years from participating in private securities transactions—including crypto—and ordered to pay back the nearly $3.4 million they stole from more than 300 followers while they ran an illicit cryptocurrency exchange. They still could face lengthy prison sentences.
A grand jury indicted them on 40 felony criminal charges of theft, securities fraud, and racketeering. (That’s a separate case, by the way!) It’s a far cry from the days when money-loving preachers would con their followers by convincing them they were sowing a seed into The Kingdom™. Eli and Kaitlyn Regalado ran the online-only Victorious Grace Church before launching a much more lucrative grift: selling Christians a different kind of invisible salvation.
https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/colorado-pastor-and-wife-ordered?publication_id=95153&post_id=173867959&isFreemail=true&r=335kz&triedRedirect=true
6. New research on nature’s effect on focus is so compelling.
The Study: University of Utah researchers had participants take an attention test, then walk either through an arboretum or around an urban medical campus before testing again. Scores improved after both walks, but EEG told a different story: the nature group showed quieter brain activity immediately post-stroll and bigger, sharper spikes during the second test — a pattern consistent with a brain that rested, then came back online more efficiently.
The Takeaway: Short doses of green space may help restore attention and executive function. Feeling drained? A 40-minute loop through a park, garden, or tree-lined path could be a simple way to reset.
Keep In Mind: The “why” is still being worked out. Attention Restoration Theory is one explanation; other contributors may include movement, fewer competing stimuli, better air quality, or even natural scents."
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/nature-walk-focus-attention-1.7109264
7. "With dementia rates expected to double by 2060, it’s normal to think about ways to stay sharp. Unfortunately, many popular brain-training apps and games don't produce lasting memory benefits, but there’s a simpler approach that doesn’t even require a screen.
The New Approach: Adaptive working memory training (i.e., practicing recall tasks that get a bit harder each time you improve) is easy to build into your everyday life and can give your brain a boost.
The Benefits: Australian researchers recently published a review in the Journal of Intelligence showing that adults who practiced these kinds of tasks made modest but reliable gains in working memory. The changes were small, but they suggest that training your adaptive working memory can help you move through daily life with a bit more ease, whether that means recalling things more accurately or staying on task.
How to Do It: You don’t need an app to start. On your next quick grocery run, make a short list and try shopping without looking at it. Picture the items in your mind and only check the list at the end. Once that feels easy, add a few more items each time. That regular, gentle stretch should help your memory get stronger."
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/12/11/114
8.New research reveals a connection between grip strength and mental health.
https://www.askmen.com/fitness/mental-health/the-surprising-connection-between-grip-strength-and-mental-health.html
9.Remember the race to cure HIV? We're closer than you think. Remember the race to cure HIV? We're closer than you think.
A new clinical trial in South Africa delivered a rare but extraordinary outcome: One young woman may be cured of the virus.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/08/25/g-s1-84393/whatever-happened-to-the-race-to-cure-hiv-theres-promising-news
10. The Dutch are quietly shifting towards a four-day work week
Opponents say they make us less productive. Fans say they give us freedom. What do the results really say?
https://www.ft.com/content/7b61e52c-93fc-4634-b9ad-fdacac5d6538
11. Oakland law firm prevails in long battle against corruption — but too late for the defendent. $22.5 million settlement in malicious prosecution case sends message to law enforcement who abuse power.
https://oaklandside.org/2025/09/18/oakland-law-firm-prevails-in-long-battle-against-corruption-but-too-late-for-the-defendent/
12. Four U.S. states issued their own vaccination guidelines for three common seasonal vaccines, the flu, COVID-19, and RSV.
https://www.newsweek.com/west-coast-alliance-vaccines-guidance-rfk-cdc-trump-2131550
13. A new report found that the Global Fund partnership has saved 70 million lives since 2002, reducing the combined death rate from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria by 63%.
https://www.theglobalfight.org/new-report-global-fund-partnership-has-saved-70-million-lives-since-2002/
14. Six schools in Tennessee joined in nationwide school walkouts that called on state and federal lawmakers to take action for gun violence prevention.
https://nashvillebanner.com/2025/09/08/nashville-school-walkouts-tennessee-gun-violence/
15.A judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting Guatemalan migrant children.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportations-guatemalan-migrant-children-supreme-court-2bfc00faa704819f11ef472d809d6c22
16. Teachers in New Jersey are receiving student loan relief through a program created to tackle teacher shortages.
https://www.newsweek.com/teachers-student-loans-2126370?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
17. AOC has joined forces with GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis on a bill to fund Healthy Start—which provides healthcare and birthing assistance to mothers and families with young children in 39 states, Puerto Rico, and DC.
https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ocasio-cortez-malliotakis-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-improve-support-new
18.California became the first state to ban most law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business.
https://abc7news.com/post/ice-immigration-california-gov-gavin-newsom-signs-law-banning-most-enforcement-officers-wearing-masks-during-operations/17855875/
19.The Yes on Prop 50 campaign has received over $20 million in small dollar contributions from all 50 states as well as large scale contributions.
["California's Proposition 50 is a statewide ballot measure aimed at temporarily redrawing the state's congressional districts to counter redistricting efforts by Republicans in other states
. Set for a special election on November 4, 2025, the measure was a response by Governor Gavin Newsom to former President Donald Trump's call for Republican-controlled state legislatures to redraw congressional maps in their favor."]
https://www.threads.com/@vincedmonroy/post/DOywDzvgdZ1?xmt=AQF0O7Os-L5Cezqo1VHuXlV9QADfTQriDa06gPjAZ-f9Pg
20.An Iowa teacher who was fired after posting on social media in the wake of Charlie Kirk's shooting death is suing the school district and its superintendent.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/matthew-kargol-oskaloosa-teacher-fired-post-wake-charlie-kirk-shooting-dues-district-supt-michael-fisher/17847825/
21. Chippewa Valley Indivisible hit their six-month anniversary of weekly protests in Eau Claire, Wisconsin! Over 300 of them celebrated with a Wizard-of-Oz themed protest.
https://www.wqow.com/eye-on-eau-claire/chippewa-valley-indivisible-celebrates-6-months-of-protests-with-wizard-of-oz-themed-protest/article_4ba0a627-1c9a-49ea-a545-41c9ff497c5d.html
22. A judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's unlawful restrictions on certain federal housing funds. This means providers won’t be barred from competing for lifesaving resources simply because they are in jurisdictions that don’t adopt the administration's ideological agenda.
https://bsky.app/profile/democracyforward.org/post/3lyo7qwydmc2t
23. Tax the Greedy Billionaires released new polling that found strong majorities of voters in congressional battlegrounds and key states want to raise taxes on the very rich.
https://taxgreed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Impact_Billionaire_Tax_Poll_Memo_09-05-2025.pdf
24.Delaware is providing free school breakfast to every public school student this year due to new legislation signed into law on July 30.
https://www.foodservicedirector.com/k-12-schools/delaware-students-to-receive-free-school-breakfast-this-year?emci=3e51c3d2-4f92-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=34754ad1-6292-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=5050778
25. Lawmakers in California are working on a $23 billion plan to restore funding for scientific research. They want to create a state-level equivalent of the National Institutes of Health, but the plan would need to be approved by other state lawmakers and voters.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/us/california-scientific-research-bond.html?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
26. A municipal grocery store will soon open in downtown Atlanta, aiming to provide nutritional assistance to one of the city’s many food deserts.
https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/08/28/first-of-its-kind-grocery-store-opening-food-desert-downtown-atlanta/
27.Pope Leo is using his platform to condemn gross wealth inequality.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/15/pope-leo-concerned-elon-musk-pay.
[EM has clearly misunderstood the meaning of the song "Stairway to Heaven".]
28. Channel 4 welcomed Donald Trump to the U.K. with a special program: an unbroken catalogue of over 100 falsehoods, distortions and inaccuracies he’s come up with since taking office in January.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/channel-4-donald-trump-uk-visit-truth-untruth-lies-program-1236371565/?lctg=27193028
29.A federal judge threw out Trump’s lawsuit against the New York Times, ruling that the lawsuit “lacked any legitimate legal claims.” The judge handed them their head.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/federal-judge-tosses-trumps-15b-defamation-lawsuit-against-the-new-york-times/ar-AA1MVAqg
30.Democrat Xp Lee won a special election for a seat previously held by the late Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated in June, and in the process restored a tie in the Minnesota House.
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-special-election-house-district-34b-melissa-hortman-seat/?emci=e2f07d8d-3494-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=c4d468b3-7195-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
31. Missourians fighting the gerrymandered congressional map passed last week by Republican state lawmakers are laying the groundwork for a ballot referendum that could give voters the power to block the map from going into effect.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/missourians-could-block-the-gop-gerrymander-with-a-referendum-vote/?emci=e2f07d8d-3494-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=c4d468b3-7195-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
32.A coalition of labor groups sued the Trump administration over what they called the use of civil rights laws as a “coercive cudgel” to attack the University of California system and the rights of union members.
https://www.kqed.org/news/12056118/uc-labor-groups-sue-trump-over-coercive-antisemitism-investigations-and-demands?emci=e2f07d8d-3494-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=c4d468b3-7195-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
33. The Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily put on hold proposed new social studies standards for K-12 public school students that include conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-standards-election-misinformation-ryan-walters-bd2f5336aeada1b3b9f353c0b9e048a9?emci=e2f07d8d-3494-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=c4d468b3-7195-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
34.LGBTQ+ nominees made a strong showing at the 77th Annual Emmy Awards, with queer performers taking home four of the evening’s 12 acting trophies.
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/09/lgbtq-people-won-a-third-of-the-acting-trophies-at-this-years-emmy-awards/
35. A Boston church unveiled a monument to the more than 200 people who were enslaved once held by members of the congregation. The historic King’s Chapel is located along the city’s Freedom Trail, a red-brick path through the city that visits key sites in America’s revolutionary history.
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/15/nx-s1-5535851/boston-church-honors-enslaved-people-held-by-members-of-the-congregation?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
36.Tufts University announced it will start providing free tuition for U.S. families earning less than $150,000 annually.
https://now.tufts.edu/2025/09/09/tufts-will-be-tuition-free-us-families-earning-less-150000?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
37. The High Seas Treaty has officially been ratified! For the first time, nations can establish marine protected areas in international waters - a critical step toward the global goal of safeguarding 30% of the ocean by 2030.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1165901
38.Sir Keir Starmer has announced the UK's recognition of a Palestinian state, in what represents a significant change in government policy.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce800enrglzo
39.An appeals board ruled that the state of Iowa must pay $85,000 to a group of transgender students after they were barred from entering a restroom at the Capitol five years ago.
https://www.advocate.com/law/iowa-trans-students-bathroom-settlement
40.Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) formally rejected the DOJ’s second demand to access the state’s voter rolls and other sensitive voter data.
https://www.maine.gov/sos/news/secretary-state-denies-justice-department-demand-personally-identifying-information-pii-more-1?_hsmi=379613708
41.Democrats notched a victory against the civil rights division of the Department of Justice, negotiating an agreement to keep about 98,000 North Carolina voters from being prevented from voting.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/03/trump-north-carolina-elections-lawsuit
42.Illinois became the first Midwest state to require public university health centers to offer medication abortion and contraception.
https://msmagazine.com/2025/09/02/chicago-illinois-abortion-pills-birth-control-contraception-college-university-health-center-students/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
43.Global maternal mortality rates have fallen by almost 60% since 1985
https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights/global-maternal-mortality-rates-have-fallen-by-almost-60-since-1985?ck_subscriber_id=2496857656
44.Registered nurses at HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. voted decisively in favor of joining National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). This win is all the more significant because 70% of the people in Okaloosa County voted for Trump.
https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/hca-fort-walton-destin-hospital-nurses-vote-decisively-to-join-nnoc-nnu
45.Philanthropist Melinda French Gates has announced a new partnership that will commit $100 million to accelerate women's health research.
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/melinda-gates-announces-100m-investment-womens-health-research-125409962?ck_subscriber_id=2496857656
46.Nepali citizens had a WILD week! Led by Gen Z protestors, they toppled a corrupt government, put their first female, anti-corruption PM in power, and then went and cleaned up the streets. New elections are set for March 5, 2026.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/12/nepal-appoints-its-first-female-pm-after-historic-week-of-deadly-protests?emci=5981e12b-0990-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=acf1cb66-3b90-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
Disclaimer: As always, Good News like beauty and humor is often in the eyes of the beholder, hopefully something makes you smile, even if its just a picture at the end.
1. Amazon will pay $2.5 billion to settle claims that it tricked customers into signing up for Prime, then made it hard to cancel.
How to determine you are eligible and how to get your refund
It's really just for folks who signed up in 2019, and it's no more than $51.
2. "Prototype device controlled by silent speech
A wearable device offers a similar experience to brain-computer interfaces without the invasive implants or the privacy concerns that come along with mind-reading. The ‘AlterEgo’ device detects electrical signals in the muscles used to formulate speech that are sent by the brain when you silently mouth or even just internally articulate words. Its makers say it could be used by people who have issues with speaking, or to interact with voice-controlled applications without having to talk out loud."
Alterego - https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03084-7
3.The health and economic benefits generated by vaccines against COVID-19 in the first year alone — a return of $60 to $475 on the dollar.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2496200-covid-19-vaccine-benefits-worth-up-to-38-trillion-in-first-year-alone/
4. "Podcast: an AI health oracle
A new AI tool, called Delphi-2M, can calculate a person’s risk of developing different diseases, sometimes years in advance. The model was trained to identify patterns of disease progression using the health records of 400,000 people, which allows the tool to predict someone’s future disease risks, based on their current medical record. The typical set up for AI health-prediction systems is “one tool for one disease”, says AI researcher and study co-author Moritz Gerstung. “There is not really a tool that does provide a very comprehensive assessment.” Delphi-2M could fill that gap — it can calculate the risk of over 1,000 diseases at once.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03026-3
5. Colorado pastor and wife ordered to repay $3.4M to victims of their crypto scam
A judge ruled that Eli and Kaitlyn Regalado used faith and fake coins to defraud more than 300 Christians. A Colorado pastor and his wife have been banned for 20 years from participating in private securities transactions—including crypto—and ordered to pay back the nearly $3.4 million they stole from more than 300 followers while they ran an illicit cryptocurrency exchange. They still could face lengthy prison sentences.
A grand jury indicted them on 40 felony criminal charges of theft, securities fraud, and racketeering. (That’s a separate case, by the way!) It’s a far cry from the days when money-loving preachers would con their followers by convincing them they were sowing a seed into The Kingdom™. Eli and Kaitlyn Regalado ran the online-only Victorious Grace Church before launching a much more lucrative grift: selling Christians a different kind of invisible salvation.
https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/colorado-pastor-and-wife-ordered?publication_id=95153&post_id=173867959&isFreemail=true&r=335kz&triedRedirect=true
6. New research on nature’s effect on focus is so compelling.
The Study: University of Utah researchers had participants take an attention test, then walk either through an arboretum or around an urban medical campus before testing again. Scores improved after both walks, but EEG told a different story: the nature group showed quieter brain activity immediately post-stroll and bigger, sharper spikes during the second test — a pattern consistent with a brain that rested, then came back online more efficiently.
The Takeaway: Short doses of green space may help restore attention and executive function. Feeling drained? A 40-minute loop through a park, garden, or tree-lined path could be a simple way to reset.
Keep In Mind: The “why” is still being worked out. Attention Restoration Theory is one explanation; other contributors may include movement, fewer competing stimuli, better air quality, or even natural scents."
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/nature-walk-focus-attention-1.7109264
7. "With dementia rates expected to double by 2060, it’s normal to think about ways to stay sharp. Unfortunately, many popular brain-training apps and games don't produce lasting memory benefits, but there’s a simpler approach that doesn’t even require a screen.
The New Approach: Adaptive working memory training (i.e., practicing recall tasks that get a bit harder each time you improve) is easy to build into your everyday life and can give your brain a boost.
The Benefits: Australian researchers recently published a review in the Journal of Intelligence showing that adults who practiced these kinds of tasks made modest but reliable gains in working memory. The changes were small, but they suggest that training your adaptive working memory can help you move through daily life with a bit more ease, whether that means recalling things more accurately or staying on task.
How to Do It: You don’t need an app to start. On your next quick grocery run, make a short list and try shopping without looking at it. Picture the items in your mind and only check the list at the end. Once that feels easy, add a few more items each time. That regular, gentle stretch should help your memory get stronger."
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/12/11/114
8.New research reveals a connection between grip strength and mental health.
https://www.askmen.com/fitness/mental-health/the-surprising-connection-between-grip-strength-and-mental-health.html
9.Remember the race to cure HIV? We're closer than you think. Remember the race to cure HIV? We're closer than you think.
A new clinical trial in South Africa delivered a rare but extraordinary outcome: One young woman may be cured of the virus.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/08/25/g-s1-84393/whatever-happened-to-the-race-to-cure-hiv-theres-promising-news
10. The Dutch are quietly shifting towards a four-day work week
Opponents say they make us less productive. Fans say they give us freedom. What do the results really say?
https://www.ft.com/content/7b61e52c-93fc-4634-b9ad-fdacac5d6538
11. Oakland law firm prevails in long battle against corruption — but too late for the defendent. $22.5 million settlement in malicious prosecution case sends message to law enforcement who abuse power.
https://oaklandside.org/2025/09/18/oakland-law-firm-prevails-in-long-battle-against-corruption-but-too-late-for-the-defendent/
12. Four U.S. states issued their own vaccination guidelines for three common seasonal vaccines, the flu, COVID-19, and RSV.
https://www.newsweek.com/west-coast-alliance-vaccines-guidance-rfk-cdc-trump-2131550
13. A new report found that the Global Fund partnership has saved 70 million lives since 2002, reducing the combined death rate from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria by 63%.
https://www.theglobalfight.org/new-report-global-fund-partnership-has-saved-70-million-lives-since-2002/
14. Six schools in Tennessee joined in nationwide school walkouts that called on state and federal lawmakers to take action for gun violence prevention.
https://nashvillebanner.com/2025/09/08/nashville-school-walkouts-tennessee-gun-violence/
15.A judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting Guatemalan migrant children.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportations-guatemalan-migrant-children-supreme-court-2bfc00faa704819f11ef472d809d6c22
16. Teachers in New Jersey are receiving student loan relief through a program created to tackle teacher shortages.
https://www.newsweek.com/teachers-student-loans-2126370?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
17. AOC has joined forces with GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis on a bill to fund Healthy Start—which provides healthcare and birthing assistance to mothers and families with young children in 39 states, Puerto Rico, and DC.
https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ocasio-cortez-malliotakis-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-improve-support-new
18.California became the first state to ban most law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business.
https://abc7news.com/post/ice-immigration-california-gov-gavin-newsom-signs-law-banning-most-enforcement-officers-wearing-masks-during-operations/17855875/
19.The Yes on Prop 50 campaign has received over $20 million in small dollar contributions from all 50 states as well as large scale contributions.
["California's Proposition 50 is a statewide ballot measure aimed at temporarily redrawing the state's congressional districts to counter redistricting efforts by Republicans in other states
. Set for a special election on November 4, 2025, the measure was a response by Governor Gavin Newsom to former President Donald Trump's call for Republican-controlled state legislatures to redraw congressional maps in their favor."]
https://www.threads.com/@vincedmonroy/post/DOywDzvgdZ1?xmt=AQF0O7Os-L5Cezqo1VHuXlV9QADfTQriDa06gPjAZ-f9Pg
20.An Iowa teacher who was fired after posting on social media in the wake of Charlie Kirk's shooting death is suing the school district and its superintendent.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/matthew-kargol-oskaloosa-teacher-fired-post-wake-charlie-kirk-shooting-dues-district-supt-michael-fisher/17847825/
21. Chippewa Valley Indivisible hit their six-month anniversary of weekly protests in Eau Claire, Wisconsin! Over 300 of them celebrated with a Wizard-of-Oz themed protest.
https://www.wqow.com/eye-on-eau-claire/chippewa-valley-indivisible-celebrates-6-months-of-protests-with-wizard-of-oz-themed-protest/article_4ba0a627-1c9a-49ea-a545-41c9ff497c5d.html
22. A judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's unlawful restrictions on certain federal housing funds. This means providers won’t be barred from competing for lifesaving resources simply because they are in jurisdictions that don’t adopt the administration's ideological agenda.
https://bsky.app/profile/democracyforward.org/post/3lyo7qwydmc2t
23. Tax the Greedy Billionaires released new polling that found strong majorities of voters in congressional battlegrounds and key states want to raise taxes on the very rich.
https://taxgreed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Impact_Billionaire_Tax_Poll_Memo_09-05-2025.pdf
24.Delaware is providing free school breakfast to every public school student this year due to new legislation signed into law on July 30.
https://www.foodservicedirector.com/k-12-schools/delaware-students-to-receive-free-school-breakfast-this-year?emci=3e51c3d2-4f92-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=34754ad1-6292-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=5050778
25. Lawmakers in California are working on a $23 billion plan to restore funding for scientific research. They want to create a state-level equivalent of the National Institutes of Health, but the plan would need to be approved by other state lawmakers and voters.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/us/california-scientific-research-bond.html?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
26. A municipal grocery store will soon open in downtown Atlanta, aiming to provide nutritional assistance to one of the city’s many food deserts.
https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/08/28/first-of-its-kind-grocery-store-opening-food-desert-downtown-atlanta/
27.Pope Leo is using his platform to condemn gross wealth inequality.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/15/pope-leo-concerned-elon-musk-pay.
[EM has clearly misunderstood the meaning of the song "Stairway to Heaven".]
28. Channel 4 welcomed Donald Trump to the U.K. with a special program: an unbroken catalogue of over 100 falsehoods, distortions and inaccuracies he’s come up with since taking office in January.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/channel-4-donald-trump-uk-visit-truth-untruth-lies-program-1236371565/?lctg=27193028
29.A federal judge threw out Trump’s lawsuit against the New York Times, ruling that the lawsuit “lacked any legitimate legal claims.” The judge handed them their head.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/federal-judge-tosses-trumps-15b-defamation-lawsuit-against-the-new-york-times/ar-AA1MVAqg
30.Democrat Xp Lee won a special election for a seat previously held by the late Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated in June, and in the process restored a tie in the Minnesota House.
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-special-election-house-district-34b-melissa-hortman-seat/?emci=e2f07d8d-3494-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=c4d468b3-7195-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
31. Missourians fighting the gerrymandered congressional map passed last week by Republican state lawmakers are laying the groundwork for a ballot referendum that could give voters the power to block the map from going into effect.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/missourians-could-block-the-gop-gerrymander-with-a-referendum-vote/?emci=e2f07d8d-3494-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=c4d468b3-7195-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
32.A coalition of labor groups sued the Trump administration over what they called the use of civil rights laws as a “coercive cudgel” to attack the University of California system and the rights of union members.
https://www.kqed.org/news/12056118/uc-labor-groups-sue-trump-over-coercive-antisemitism-investigations-and-demands?emci=e2f07d8d-3494-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=c4d468b3-7195-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
33. The Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily put on hold proposed new social studies standards for K-12 public school students that include conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-standards-election-misinformation-ryan-walters-bd2f5336aeada1b3b9f353c0b9e048a9?emci=e2f07d8d-3494-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=c4d468b3-7195-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
34.LGBTQ+ nominees made a strong showing at the 77th Annual Emmy Awards, with queer performers taking home four of the evening’s 12 acting trophies.
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/09/lgbtq-people-won-a-third-of-the-acting-trophies-at-this-years-emmy-awards/
35. A Boston church unveiled a monument to the more than 200 people who were enslaved once held by members of the congregation. The historic King’s Chapel is located along the city’s Freedom Trail, a red-brick path through the city that visits key sites in America’s revolutionary history.
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/15/nx-s1-5535851/boston-church-honors-enslaved-people-held-by-members-of-the-congregation?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
36.Tufts University announced it will start providing free tuition for U.S. families earning less than $150,000 annually.
https://now.tufts.edu/2025/09/09/tufts-will-be-tuition-free-us-families-earning-less-150000?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
37. The High Seas Treaty has officially been ratified! For the first time, nations can establish marine protected areas in international waters - a critical step toward the global goal of safeguarding 30% of the ocean by 2030.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1165901
38.Sir Keir Starmer has announced the UK's recognition of a Palestinian state, in what represents a significant change in government policy.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce800enrglzo
39.An appeals board ruled that the state of Iowa must pay $85,000 to a group of transgender students after they were barred from entering a restroom at the Capitol five years ago.
https://www.advocate.com/law/iowa-trans-students-bathroom-settlement
40.Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) formally rejected the DOJ’s second demand to access the state’s voter rolls and other sensitive voter data.
https://www.maine.gov/sos/news/secretary-state-denies-justice-department-demand-personally-identifying-information-pii-more-1?_hsmi=379613708
41.Democrats notched a victory against the civil rights division of the Department of Justice, negotiating an agreement to keep about 98,000 North Carolina voters from being prevented from voting.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/03/trump-north-carolina-elections-lawsuit
42.Illinois became the first Midwest state to require public university health centers to offer medication abortion and contraception.
https://msmagazine.com/2025/09/02/chicago-illinois-abortion-pills-birth-control-contraception-college-university-health-center-students/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40
43.Global maternal mortality rates have fallen by almost 60% since 1985
https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights/global-maternal-mortality-rates-have-fallen-by-almost-60-since-1985?ck_subscriber_id=2496857656
44.Registered nurses at HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. voted decisively in favor of joining National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). This win is all the more significant because 70% of the people in Okaloosa County voted for Trump.
https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/hca-fort-walton-destin-hospital-nurses-vote-decisively-to-join-nnoc-nnu
45.Philanthropist Melinda French Gates has announced a new partnership that will commit $100 million to accelerate women's health research.
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/melinda-gates-announces-100m-investment-womens-health-research-125409962?ck_subscriber_id=2496857656
46.Nepali citizens had a WILD week! Led by Gen Z protestors, they toppled a corrupt government, put their first female, anti-corruption PM in power, and then went and cleaned up the streets. New elections are set for March 5, 2026.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/12/nepal-appoints-its-first-female-pm-after-historic-week-of-deadly-protests?emci=5981e12b-0990-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&emdi=acf1cb66-3b90-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&ceid=24376453
no subject
Date: 2025-09-29 12:45 am (UTC)The Financial Times has a paywall but that's interesting about the Dutch workweek, since it runs counter to a lot of things happening elsewhere. Here's a different recent article on it: https://fortune.com/2025/08/28/netherlands-four-day-workweek-europe-us-staffers-grindset-working-women-flexible-schedules-rto-wfh/