Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
Gnusies, I’m fighting jet-lag and a cold (not covid, according to the test) and so I’m not feeling inspirational today. No serious complaints; after all, I am not fleeing a bombed country and I can tell the cold is in the end stages. However, wearing a mask for 24+ hours of travel with a runny nose is disgusting, and I have learned that, after you use hand sanitizer, you should wait several hours before you rub your eyes with those disinfected hands.
But let me welcome you anyway!
You know what to do: if you have good news, share what you can. Optimism is good for you!
Regular Scheduled Programming
No one here is naïve; we are aware of the many who are fighting to destroy our country. Some of us expected it: the cheating, the lying, the chaos, and yes, even the attempts to cling to power despite the clear will of the people. But we are here to read the efforts and the positive results of those (including us and our fellow gnus) who are working so hard to save our country from those very bad people. We are furious with them for what they are doing and we are letting them know. Remember:
💙 There are more of us than there are of them.
💛 They are terrified when we organize. THERE IS LOTS OF EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE TERRIFIED!
💔 They want us to be demoralized. The best way to keep up your spirits is to fight. So, take the time to recharge your batteries, but find ways to contribute to the well-being of our country and our world.
🗽 Biden as President!🗽
Biden, Harris and their administration have been hard at work. Here are the last week’s posts at the White House briefing room.
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Remarks by President Biden at the Democratic National Committee’s Winter Meeting
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Statement by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Senate Passage of the Bipartisan Funding Bill
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Joint Statement by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. of the United States and President Iván Duque Márquez of the Republic of Colombia U.S.-Colombia Bicentennial Partnership
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan Meeting with Africa Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Remarks by President Biden and President Duque of the Republic of Colombia Before Bilateral Meeting
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: CORRECTED: Remarks by Vice President Harris and President Andrzej Duda of Poland in Joint Press Conference
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Statement of President Joe Biden on the Justice Department Naming a Chief Pandemic Prosecutor
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Press Release: Nominations Sent to the Senate
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Memorandum on the Designation of the State of Qatar as a Major Non-NATO Ally
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris and Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada Before Bilateral Meeting
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris Before a Roundtable Discussion with People Displaced from Ukraine
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Readout of President Biden’s Call with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Bills Signed: H.R. 2044 and H.R. 3210
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials Previewing the Visit of President Duque of Colombia
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Applauds House Passage of Bipartisan Government Funding Bill
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris and President Andrzej Duda of Poland in Joint Press Conference
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Statement by President Biden on Consumer Price Index in February
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: During Week of Anniversary of American Rescue Plan, Biden-Harris Administration Highlights Health Insurance Subsidies That Promoted Critical Increases in Enrollment and Cost Savings
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Vice President Kamala Harris Announces Additional U.S. Funding to Respond to Humanitarian Needs in Ukraine and Eastern Europe
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris and Prime Minister Morawiecki of Poland Before Bilateral Meeting
- Wednesday, March 9, 2022: Readout of Joseph R. Biden, Jr.’s Call with President-Elect Yoon Suk-yeol of the Republic of Korea
- Wednesday, March 9, 2022: Remarks by President Biden in Roundtable With CEOs and Governors in Support of the Bipartisan Innovation Act
- Wednesday, March 9, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, March 9, 2022
- Wednesday, March 9, 2022: Readout of President Joe Biden’s Roundtable with CEOs and Bipartisan Governors in Support of the Bipartisan Innovation Act
- Wednesday, March 9, 2022: Statement by National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy on EPA’s Reinstatement of the California Waiver
- Wednesday, March 9, 2022: President Biden Announces Key Nominees
- Wednesday, March 9, 2022: Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on the President’s New Digital Assets Executive Order
- Wednesday, March 9, 2022: Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets
- Wednesday, March 9, 2022: Statement by NEC Director Brian Deese and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on New Digital Assets Executive Order
- Wednesday, March 9, 2022: FACT SHEET: President Biden to Sign Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Innovation in Digital Assets
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Statement of President Joe Biden on the Return of American Detainees from Venezuela
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Remarks by President Biden on Supporting Veterans as Part of the Unity Agenda
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Statement by President Biden on the Shooting at East High School
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Remarks by President Biden After Air Force One Arrival
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Statement by Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger on President Biden’s Cyber Executive Order
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: President Biden Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Chile to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Gabriel Boric Font
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jen Psaki
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Press Release: Nominations Sent to the Senate
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official on Announcement of U.S. Ban on Imports of Russian Oil, Liquefied Natural Gas, and Coal
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Remarks by President Biden Announcing U.S. Ban on Imports of Russian Oil, Liquefied Natural Gas, and Coal
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: FACT SHEET: State-by-State Analysis of American Rescue Plan Tax Credits for Families and Workers
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: President Biden Announces Key Nominees
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Message to the Congress on Prohibiting Certain Imports and New Investments With Respect to Continued Russian Federation Efforts to Undermine the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine.
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Executive Order on Prohibiting Certain Imports and New Investments With Respect to Continued Russian Federation Efforts to Undermine the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: FACT SHEET: United States Bans Imports of Russian Oil, Liquefied Natural Gas, and Coal
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Celebrates First Anniversary of the Establishment of the White House Gender Policy Council
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Statement by First Lady Jill Biden on International Women’s Day
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Statement by President Joe Biden on International Women’s Day
- Monday, March 7, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, March 7th, 2022
- Monday, March 7, 2022: Press Release: Nominations Sent to the Senate
- Monday, March 7, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Clean Transit Event
- Monday, March 7, 2022: Readout of President Joe Biden’s Call with President Macron of France, Chancellor Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Johnson of the United Kingdom
- Monday, March 7, 2022: FACT SHEET: Department of Education Announces State-by-State American Rescue Plan Funding for Colleges and Universities
- Monday, March 7, 2022: FACT SHEET: State-by-State Analysis of Record $2.7 Billion American Rescue Plan Investment in Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- Monday, March 7, 2022: Fact Sheet: Vice President Harris Announces Actions to Accelerate Clean Transit Buses, School Buses, and Trucks
- Sunday, March 6, 2022: Remarks by Vice President Harris to Commemorate the 57th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday
- Sunday, March 6, 2022: Statement by President Biden on the Anniversary of Bloody Sunday
- Saturday, March 5, 2022: Readout of President Biden meeting with National Union Labor Leaders
- Saturday, March 5, 2022: Readout of President Biden’s Call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine
- Saturday, March 5, 2022: Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on Russian Disinformation and Efforts to Undermine Free Press
- Friday, March 4, 2022: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Cecilia Rouse, March 4, 2022
- Friday, March 4, 2022: Readout of President Biden’s Meeting with President of Finland Sauli Niinistö
- Friday, March 4, 2022: Remarks By President Biden on Delivering On Made In America Commitments
- Friday, March 4, 2022: Remarks by President Biden and President Niinistö of the Republic of Finland Before Bilateral Meeting
- Friday, March 4, 2022: Statement by Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh on Vice President Harris’s Travel to Poland and Romania
- Friday, March 4, 2022: National Consumer Protection Week, 2022
- Friday, March 4, 2022: Readout of Vice President Harris’s Meeting with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain
- Friday, March 4, 2022: President Biden Announces Presidential Delegation to the United Arab Emirates to Attend the United States National Day at the Expo 2020 Dubai
- Friday, March 4, 2022: Readout of President Biden’s Call With President Andrzej Duda of Poland
- Friday, March 4, 2022: Statement by Vice President Kamala Harris on Florida House Bill 5
👎 Out with the Bad, In with the Good 👍
🎩 Ice Blue 💙 This good guy is in — wonder what bad guys he’ll take out...
Hope this means what it should mean:
❌ ✈️ ❌ No airplane parts for Russia (or tRump — see Schadenfreude)
🌻 This would be so good
Some Russian state TV pundits are striking a different tune. They’re blaming Americans for the war (the sanctions in particular), but they’re starting to speak differently about the actual invasion (which they may not call an invasion. Julia Davis, The Daily Beast
State TV pundit Karen Shakhnazarov pointed out: “The war in Ukraine paints a frightening picture, it has a very oppressive influence on our society. Ukraine, whichever way you see it, is something with which Russia has thousands of human links. The suffering of one group of innocents does not compensate for the suffering of other innocent people... I don’t see the probability of denazification of such an enormous country. We would need to bring in 1.5 million soldiers to control all of it. At the same time, I don’t see any political power that would consolidate the Ukrainian society in a pro-Russian direction... Those who talked of their mass attraction to Russia obviously didn’t see things the way they are. The most important thing in this scenario is to stop our military action. Others will say that sanctions will remain. Yes, they will remain, but in my opinion discontinuing the active phase of a military operation is very important.” ✂️
Bagdasarov continued: “Now about Ukraine. I agree with Karen. We had prior experiences of bringing in our troops, destroying the military infrastructure and leaving. I think that our army fulfilled their task of demilitarization of the country by destroying most of their military installations... To restore their military they will need at least 10 years... Let Ukrainians do this denazification on their own. We can’t do it for them... As for their neutrality, yes, we should squeeze it out of them, and that’s it. We don’t need to stay there longer than necessary... Do we need to get into another Afghanistan, but even worse? There are more people and they’re more advanced in their handling of weapons. We don’t need that. Enough already... As for the sanctions, the world has never seen such massive sanctions.” ✂️
Prior to the invasion of Ukraine, state TV experts predicted that Russia could overtake it in a matter of minutes or a few days. Stunned by the fierce resistance on the part of Ukrainians, Soloviev described them as “the army that is second in Europe, after ours, and which has been prepared for eight years and armed with everything you can imagine.”
Note that this gives Russia a face-saving way out. They can say they have “denazified” (whatever the hell that means) Ukraine and leave. There was more in the piece about the pain being felt with respect to sanctions (well done, Biden).
💣 Republicans in Disarray 💣
I am not a fan of George Will, but I think his take on 💛 governors is interesting. Washington Post
After eight years as Arizona’s governor, he [Doug Ducey] has firmly rejected many entreaties from Republican U.S. senators urging him to give six years to being their colleague. He could have been the Republicans’ most formidable possible challenger against the incumbent Democrat, Mark Kelly. But Ducey might have won, and he refused to run that risk.
He is the third popular Republican governor, joining Maryland’s Larry Hogan and New Hampshire’s Chris Sununu, who has found the Senate a resistible temptation. The most unhappy senators are former governors. The Senate has decayed into a performative arena for striking poses, so governors, who have known the executive satisfactions of decision and responsibility, must wonder: Why join an institution that cannot even perform what should be the routine business of budgeting? For the pleasure of having grandstanders such as South Carolina’s Lindsey O. Graham and Missouri’s Josh Hawley as colleagues? It is not clear why, but it is clear that, some of the Republicans who add the most value to the Senate — e.g., Missouri’s Roy Blunt, Ohio’s Rob Portman, Pennsylvania’s Patrick J. Toomey — are retiring.
Really, George? It’s not clear why the Senate is so awful for old-fashioned Rs who want to govern and not grandstand?
I respect Jennifer Rubin’s opinions much more Washington Post
As the Associated Press points out, “a series of Republican missteps including recruiting stumbles, weak fundraising and intense infighting is threatening the GOP’s path to the Senate majority.” The GOP recruits, many selected by former president Donald Trump, come with plenty of baggage.
In Georgia and Missouri, GOP Senate candidates have a planeload of baggage, including substantial allegations of domestic violence, though they deny wrongdoing. In Ohio, a duel has broken out between J.D. Vance and Josh Mandel to determine who is the most outlandish MAGA crowd-pleaser. In other cases, Republicans haven’t been able to persuade their favorite recruits to run (e.g., Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and former senator Kelly Ayotte from New Hampshire, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey).
But arguably more damaging than the weak candidate selection and tepid fundraising, the self-inflicted wounds from candidates’ own mouths provide a steady stream of gifts to Democrats eager to run on the “At least we’re trying, but the other guys are bonkers” message. ✂️
Then late last month came what might have been the worst policy gaffe in recent political history: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) rolled out a plan to raise taxes on 100 million Americans and to let Social Security and Medicare expire in five years. Furthermore, he apparently aims to ban abortion nationwide and dictate what every school teaches students about race. (Why else put these items in an 11-point plan for the Senate?) He managed to combine the worst Republican economic ideas with the most abusive designs for government overreach.
💙 Democrats Being Cool 💙
Biden is reducing the deficit WH Briefing Room
Finally, I want to be clear: we can do all this, and reduce the huge federal budget deficit that I inherited from my predecessor. Earlier this week, we learned that after reducing the deficit last year — for the first time since 2015 – CBO reported that we are on track to cut the deficit this year by over $1 trillion – the largest one year reduction in the deficit in US history.
☕️ Governor Kelly of Kansas earns governor’s cup! Josh Witt Wichita Business Journal
A national corporate real estate and economic development magazine awarded Kansas its "Governor's Cup" this week for having the most qualifying new and expanded facilities, per capita, of any state in 2021. ✂️
As Kansas continues to work on attracting new economic activity, one national publication is giving the state recognition for its efforts. Site Selection, a corporate real estate and economic development magazine based in Atlanta, awarded Kansas its “Governor’s Cup” this week for having the most qualifying new and expanded facilities, per capita, of any state in 2021. It is the state’s first win.”
Gosh, it’s almost as if Dems are good for business…!
📚 Governor Lujan Grisham (New Mexico) signs bill making college tuition-free Press release from governor’s office
SILVER CITY, NM – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday signed Senate Bill 140, the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship Act, making college tuition-free for most New Mexicans and establishing the most wide-reaching tuition-free scholarship program in the United States. The governor signed the legislation alongside college students in a ceremony at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, where more than 125 students have already benefited from the scholarship.
“For over a quarter of a century, New Mexico has been a national leader in providing free college to its residents. A fully funded Opportunity Scholarship opens the door for every New Mexican to reach higher, strengthening our economy, our families and our communities,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said. “Signing this legislation sends a clear message to New Mexicans that we believe in them and the contributions they will make for their families and the future of our great state.”
Senate Bill 140 was sponsored by Sen. Liz Stefanics and Rep. Joy Garratt.
New Mexico’s Opportunity Scholarship, implemented by the Lujan Grisham administration in 2020, is the only state-funded scholarship program in the nation to include both recent high school graduates and returning adult learners; accommodate part-time students; include career training certificates, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees; and cover summer courses. In addition to covering full tuition and fees at in-state public colleges and universities, the scholarship lets students stack federal aid such as Pell Grants, local scholarships, and private scholarships so that they can use these funds to pay for books, materials, housing, food, transportation, childcare and other college costs.
🚢 Governor Cooper (NC) tours Wilmington’s improvement of port capacity Press Release
Governor Roy Cooper visited the Port of Wilmington and highlighted North Carolina’s strategic and long-term investments in the trade and infrastructure sectors. The Governor toured the new South Gate Container Complex, the Port’s container berth and a NeoPanamax Crane.
“The increase in capacity at the Port of Wilmington brings North Carolina better paying jobs, helps ease supply chain problems and helps reduce the cost of goods to every day working families,” said Governor Cooper.
“As today’s tour illustrates, North Carolina is actively working to help address nationwide shipping issues,” said State Transportation Secretary J. Eric Boyette. “Facilities like our ports, and the Carolina Connector intermodal terminal, show how important it is to invest in infrastructure that moves goods throughout North Carolina and beyond.”
Governor Evers signs bills to help military with jobs and education Paul Holley Racine County Eye 👀
UNION GROVE – Governor Evers signed a pair of bills, designed to assist military service members and families with employment and education, at the Wisconsin Veterans Home here Tuesday.
“Our service members and their families give so much in service to our country, and they exemplify some of the best of what Wisconsin has to offer, tackling each task with the same sort of grit, resilience, and determination as they do in their military service,” Governor Evers said in a news release. “I am proud to sign these bipartisan bills today because they will not only help bolster the Wisconsin workforce, especially in the healthcare industry where we have struggled with shortages for years, but they will help our service members and their families secure education and employment opportunities so they can continue to grow and succeed.”
💜 Unity? 💜
There have been instances of unity, or at least some bipartisanship, lately. I think some of this is due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Why exactly? Good question. Even though many of the politicians have sold themselves to Russia (RoJo), the rubes are often those who heard anti-Russian talk for so long that being anti-Russian is in their bones. Maybe because Ukrainians tend to be white? Maybe because Russia no longer has the goods.
At any rate, a few things have passed, at least in part, with joint support, while there may be cooperation in other areas.
Statement by Jen Psaki on Senate passage of the Bipartisan Spending Bill WH Press Briefing
The bipartisan funding bill proves once more that members of both parties can come together to deliver results for the American people. It will reduce costs for families and businesses, support our economic recovery, and advance American leadership abroad. With these resources, we will be able to deliver historic support for the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and democracy, launch a bold new initiative to drive unprecedented progress in curing cancer and other diseases, and provide additional support to our law enforcement so they can protect our communities.
The bill also ends a damaging series of short-term continuing resolutions that have undermined the government’s ability to meet pressing challenges. We thank leaders in the House and Senate for their partnership in getting this bill done, and the President looks forward to signing it into law. At the same time, we continue to call on Congress to provide the funds urgently needed to prevent severe disruptions to our COVID response.
Post office in better shape The Associated Press, NPR
Congress mustered rare bipartisan support for the Postal Service package, dropping some of the more controversial proposals to settle on core ways to save the service and ensure its future operations. Last month, the House approved the bill, 342-92, with all Democrats and most Republicans voting for it. On Tuesday, the Senate sent it to Biden's desk on a 79-19 vote.
Republican Sen. Jerry Moran said the Postal Service has been in a "death spiral" that is particularly hard on rural Americans, including in his state of Kansas, as post offices shuttered and services were cut. "Smart reforms were needed," he said. ✂️
The bill would end a requirement that the Postal Service finance workers' health care benefits ahead of time for the next 75 years, an obligation that private companies and federal agencies do not face.
Instead, the Postal Service would require future retirees to enroll in Medicare and would pay current retirees' actual health care costs that aren't covered by the federal health insurance program for older people.
Gone for now are ideas for cutting back on mail delivery, which had become politically toxic. Also set aside, for now, are other proposals that have been floated over the years to change postal operations, including those to privatize some services.
We still need to get rid of DeJoy, who is trying to make the new post office vehicles guzzle gas.
And, after 200 (!!) attempts, an anti-lynching bill is finally passed:
Working on the “Bipartisan Innovation Act” WH Press Release
Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. joined by Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese, met with business leaders and a bipartisan pair of governors to call on Congress to take swift action and deliver competitiveness legislation like the Bipartisan Innovation Act to the President’s desk.
The governors and business leaders—which included some of the world’s leading manufacturing and semiconductor firms—discussed how the bill will foster domestic semiconductor manufacturing, create more resilient supply chains, invest in basic research and set a course for America’s innovation agenda while lowering costs for the middle class. Business leaders discussed their plans to reshore manufacturing and make more in America, building on the momentum of 423,000 manufacturing jobs created since President Biden took office. They discussed how their companies are trying to build more resilient supply chains, leading them to re-locate production in America, and how the bill would result in quicker innovation in American manufacturing and more investments in worker training. They also discussed how domestic production can help Americans by addressing bottlenecks that are raising the costs of household goods like appliances, air conditioners, and washing machines. And the group discussed how, as we’ve seen over the past years, global events like the pandemic or Russia’s unprovoked aggression in Ukraine can result in higher prices for American consumers, which further underscores the importance of strengthening our economy and making it more resilient to these types of shocks.
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, spoke to the economic imperative of passing this bipartisan legislation for the economies of their states. Governor Holcomb said “Slow speed kills—we need to get this done and get it to your desk” and Governor Whitmer explained “Chip shortages have impacted more than 575,000 American jobs…These shortages are driving up costs, are jeopardizing families, and increasing the manufacturing here at home will reduce supply chain delays in transportation as well as lowering the costs of consumer electronics.”
📥 Actions You Can Take 📤
Voting rights. This may be the biggest issue threatening our democracy right now. Besides contacting your representatives at the state and federal level to do the right thing (depending on who they are), you can support and contact these organizations:
ACLU — American Civil Liberties Union
Democracy Docket — founded by Marc Elias, so important in fighting the challenges after the last election.
Fair Fight — founded by Stacey Abrams
🌱Grass roots. Biden and Harris can do the top-down stuff, but we have to support from the bottom. I don’t know how to deprogram 75 million people, but some things have been written about, such as deep canvassing, and lots of people are talking about this. If you know someone (who did not storm the Capitol), then see if you can be pleasant. Instead of trying to reason with them (logic is obviously not their strong point) distract them with something else. We need to remove the sources of lies and to take down the temperature. If we get more of the Rs to wear masks and to get vaccinated and to vote for Ds, the country will be a better place. We need to coax some of them out of the rabbit holes and diffuse the anger and the crazy.
🏃 Run for something. If you want to run for something, but have no idea what to do, these people will help you. They also like money and volunteers to help those people who are running, so even if you’re not in a position to stand for office, you can help. Note: they are especially planning to target the 57 Rs in local governments who participated in the insurrection.
👎 Defund the seditionists. This is a list with companies that sometimes have donated to the seditionists, and their current approach to supporting or not supporting the seditionists. The list is long. You will recognize many of the corporations, and you probably have a relationship with some — either you are a customer, a shareholder, or maybe even an employee. Contact them and compliment or complain, but let them know you are watching. Forward it to others.
🐍 Schadenfreude 😈
Developments at the top. Now, “crime-ing” is a new word, but I prefer to spell it “criming.”
FAFO
More in the works!
And this:
Grifters are going to grift
📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️
Working around restrictions to get the truth to Russians Rebecca Falconer Axios
Companies affected by Russia's free speech crackdown in the wake of the Putin-ordered invasion of Ukraine are responding with technical workarounds to the censorship. ✂️
What's happening: Twitter this week launched an official Tor onion service version of the microblogging site, enabling users in Russia to bypass surveillance and censorship by using the Tor anonymity network to reach the platform. ✂️ .
The BBC has issued a post, titled "How to get around the BBC block in Russia," pointing to the broadcaster's "dedicated" site on the Tor Browser and the Psiphon censorship circumvention tool. ✂️
Voice of America, which the Kremlin last week threatened to block over its independent reporting on Russia's invasion, this week also launched broadcasts via shortwave radio — something that had been phased out in most places in the past decade.
And there’s this:
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️
When terrible things happen, it gives a chance for others to do something loving:
And this:
📎Odds & Ends 📎
Making progress on hydrogen power? Alan NeuhauserAxios
The big picture: Plug Power taps ABB for $300M hydrogen plantsThe first of the company's two new plants, "Project Gateway," will be North America's largest production facility for so-called green hydrogen. Located in Gennessee County in Upstate New York, it is set to produce 45 metric tons of liquid hydrogen daily. ✂️
Context: Companies are racing to deploy clean-burning hydrogen as a fuel in vehicles — especially those where batteries face greater technical and economic challenges, such as heavy trucks — and as a power source. ✂️
Reality check: Producing hydrogen with renewable energy remains relatively costly — last year, about twice as much as other methods.
- "If we can bring down the cost of the molecule, alleviate some of the concern about, 'Is this green or not,' this is going to grow the market for us," Kopczynski says, though he declined to state how much hydrogen from the new plants will cost once they're completed.
💙 😄 Optimism is good for you Good News Network
“Don’t worry, be happy,” is more than just a song lyric. A growing body of evidence supports an association between optimism and healthy aging.
A new study has found that being more optimistic appears to promote emotional well-being by limiting how often older men experience stressful situations, like arguments, or effecting the way they interpret such stress.
“This study tests one possible explanation, assessing if more optimistic people handle daily stress more constructively and therefore enjoy better emotional well-being,” said corresponding author Lewina Lee, PhD, clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine.
🐦 I do a lot of other writing. A recent offering: Hunters of the Feather, a story about a thinker-linker crow who wants to save birdkind from extinction, and the sequel, Scavengers of Mind. (They’re really good! They’re really cheap! Buy and review or rate positively! And Hunters is also available on Audible!) Other stories, based on Jane Austen novels — including a new one for lovers of Pride & Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet’s Advice to Young Ladies — and others on Greek mythology, can be found here.
💙 What You Can Do to Rescue Democracy 💙
It turns out that participation in democracy is not just an every-four-years event but requires active participation, like, whenever you can find time.
Current projects:
Look in the comments for Progressive Muse’s report on Postcards to Voters
And some other ideas:
You can relax and recharge.
You can join protests and freeway blog.
You can help register new voters.
You can smile.
You can get out the vote for special elections.
You can reach out to upset Republicans. We need to win some back.
You can share your ideas below.
🌻
💙 “Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we all are created equal and the harsh ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization have long torn us apart. The battle is perennial, and victory is never assured.” 💙
President Joseph R. Biden
🌹 🌹 🌹
TRUTH MATTERS. LOVE MATTERS.