dailykos--2020-03-31--"Just keep up the faith" - Good News Roundup - March 31

I have to level with you all .
I was so angry earlier ( you know why , same as ever ) , I could hardly write .
In my native parlance , I was “ spitting tacks ” .
And yet ... there is still good news .
Like the story about the 30 year old machinist in Madison , WI who spoke directly to his fellow Americans and said , “ Just keep up the faith ” as he finished another 12 hour shift making ventilators — which he has been doing without a day off since February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good news , the stronger and more determined I feel .
We ’ ve got people like him pulling for this country !
Newsies , we are going to beat those bast*rds in November and we are going to prosecute them in 2021 .
We are going to use this anger to fuel us and we are going to finally bring this country back on the track that was so briefly , haltingly begun in the 20th century .
In the 1930 ’ s , the 1960 ’ s in such fits and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts — which still were tinged with so much racism and sexism — and we will make this country great at long last !
How ’ s that for irony ?
Now this covid-19 business is shaking everyone up .
Me too .
I started self-isolating nearly 3 weeks ago , because my immune system is still not back to normal after last year ’ s cancer treatment , and at times I have really had to tamp down some anxiety .
I am sure you can all relate as every one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to be concerned about .
For perspective , though , I remind myself of the odds .
Yes , it ’ s possible that I might get sick and even die in this pandemic .
More frightening for me is the chance that someone I love could get sick .
But the odds are that won ’ t happen .
Although it ’ s likely that a high per centage of the population will contract covid-19 , up to 90 % of those infected are expected to experience mild to moderate illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become critically ill and even fewer to die .
Of course that number of casualties is still horrific and I wish this wasn ’ t happening at all .
But when anxiety threatened to overwhelm me one day I recalled those odds and I realised that those odds are better than my odds are to survive the cancer I have been fighting !
And I am feeling pretty dang good about my chances of beating the cancer .
Odds are a bit of a crap shoot , but I still feel better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help some of you , too .
Not to say we should all be like Jeff Bridges in Fearless , mind .
I ’ m practicing strict physical distancing , staying home except to walk the curlygirl and doing all the handwashing and disinfecting that ’ s been recommended .
Oh and here ’ s a tip for everyone !
Wash your face , too !
morning , mid day and night and apply some moisturizer ( you too , men ! )
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Keeping your face clean and will help it not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands away easier .
Now , on to the news !
😌 Reports of the End of Civilization are Greatly Exaggerated 😌 Check out this amazing thread about the myth of disaster-caused collapse of civilization .
It is well-sourced and sound .
This crisis — and even the disaster which is the Dumpy administration — will not lead to civil war , social collapse or any of the other things with which malicious disinformation campaigns bombard us .
Read this for a reassuring perspective : For a contemporaneous example of exactly this phenomena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fearful uncertainty about the coronavirus , look at what is happening right now at sea .
A Holland America cruise ship , the Zaandam , has had an outbreak of covid-19 , including four deaths and over a hundred passengers and crew positive for the virus .
With a global pandemic , the usual assistance from nearby ports is not forthcoming as countries are overwhelmed , so the cruise line dispatched another of its ships — the Rotterdam — to assist its sister ship .
The Rotterdam will take on healthy passengers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply the Zaandam with provisions , fresh medical supplies and relief healthcare staff .
Rotterdam crew were naturally concerned about the risks to themselves and here is what their captain told them : That ’ s pro-social behavior and we can find examples of it happening every day — from our healthcare workers , to grocery workers , to delivery people , to the people who keep our towns and cities functioning .
It ’ s going to be a rough road , but we are traveling it together .
The way these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fun and joy , reminds me so much of my own twin boys at that age !
And what talent !
Enjoy !
( I hope someone speaks Italian and can put in the comments what the boys say ! )
These decontamination systems were given an expedited FDA approval Sunday night : Technology To Clean And Reuse PPE Is Being Deployed To Hotspot Hospitals , Paige Pfleger , NPR News , March 30 , 2020 .
Abbott Launches 5-Minute Virus Test for Use Almost Anywhere , Michelle Fay Cortez , Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This has already been reported in earlier GNRs but since it is also local news for me and it is so important in the current crisis , I am going to repeat it here .
In case anyone missed an important point in this news — there are already 18,000 of the Abbott testing units out in the medical field ( already in use for other types of testing ) and this new coronavirus test can use the very familiar and popular equipment already in service : Until we fix our healthcare , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Here is great news for anyone who has one of these insurance providers : Some Insurers Waive Patients ' Share Of Costs For COVID-19 Treatment , Selena Simmons-Duffin , NPR News , March 30 , 2020 .
Masks — To wear or not to wear ?
If you , like me , have been a bit concerned about the conflicting advice about wearing masks ( like this story claiming that the CDC would soon be recommending universal mask-wearing ) , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) came out early Tuesday reiterating its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are sick or looking after someone who is sick .
This is a great relief to me and probably other people who don ’ t own any masks or a sewing machine and we all know it would be impossible to find any ( and even if we could find them , obviously we would be donating them to hospital workers ! )
: WHO stands by recommendation to not wear masks if you are not sick or not caring for someone who is sick , Jacqueline Howard , CNN , March 31 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives AND The Economy Dumpy ’ s impulsive and idiotic announcements have caused a lot of unnecessary angst over whether we should save peoples ’ lives or save the economy — as if that were a binary choice .
It turns out that it is not at all such a stark and cold-blooded situation at all , and we have historical data to back this up .
This article appeared under “ Opinion ” in the WAPO , but it is well-sourced with studies and historical data : Saving lives in the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long run , Catherine Rampell , Washington Post Opinion , March 30 , 2020 .
My governor ( who rocks ) is getting ahead of any landlords planning to be ignorant bigoted assh*les : d*mn virus doing what seemed impossible : spurring labor to fight for itself again This is a complicated story .
The workers who walked off were a small number led by Chris Smalls , who raised the alarm after sending a worker with covid-19 symptoms home .
The walkout was not well-attended ( which kind of dampens the labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - > ) , and yet Amazon was clearly shook by it .
Their statement tried to minimize the walkout while simultaneously praising their workers AND upping wages , overtime and sick leave .
This is very good news because as awful as this coronavirus crisis is , one very good thing it is doing is revealing just who the real makers and doers are in our society .
And that is very , very scary for the corner office class !
Amazon warehouse workers in New York walk off the job ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bill Hutchinson , ABC News , March 30 , 2020 .
And people are beginning to explore their power in other ways , too : 'We Were Out of Options ' : Chicago Tenants Are Refusing to Pay April Rent , Taylor Moore , Vice.com , March 30 , 2020 .
Last week , snowball2015 posted this snippet of very local good news and they inspired me to put a musical segment in today ’ s roundup .
Quoting the lyrics from Handel ’ s opera Xerxes where King Xerxes waxes poetic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to talk a bit about renewing the planet and how if we make a little effort , we can bring things like bee populations back — perhaps more quickly than we can imagine .
THEN , buglady99 posted this today and I was blown away .
You will be too !
It is such an exciting followup to the Great Green Wall story we have all read about here in GNR and in Mokurai ’ s sustainable planet diaries .
And the bonus is that it dovetails beautifully with my music and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trees that give so much back to their ecosystems !
This is ongoing good news and down in the Lightning RoundUp , you will find the other video that buglady99 posted yesterday , which is a longer viewing but so worth it .
Just as jessiestaf reported yesterday the ozone layer is recovering thanks to global efforts begun 30 years ago , so we can renew the planet , renew deforested land and in the process solve many other problems facing humanity .
Talk about good news !
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Tender and beautiful fronds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fate smile upon you .
May thunder , lightning , and storms never disturb your dear peace , nor may you by blowing winds be profaned .
Never was a shade of any plant dearer and more lovely , or more sweet .
Machinists making ventilators , transit workers keeping public transportation running , nurses holding down the front lines , and thousands of support workers are keeping hospitals , city public works , groceries and many other essential services operating in this crisis .
They are literally holding the country together right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , extraordinary we , the people .
Most of them never dreamed that one day they would be called to perform such vital service to their communities , and they are stepping up : ‘ Just Keep Up the Faith ’ : Workers Are Stepping Up to Beat the Coronavirus , John Nichols , the Nation , March 30 , 2020 .
Powell 's Books rehires over 100 employees after surge of online orders , KGW8 Portland , OR , March 29 , 2020 .
And how about this Republican sheriff in Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of violating 'safer-at-home ' order by holding Sunday services , Chelsea Tatham and Eric Glasser , WTSP News Miami , March 30 , 2020 .
I decided to do a little digging to find out more about this sheriff to understand how he came to do this sensible thing , being a Republican and all .
It turns out that his story is pretty interesting but my eyes bugged and my jaw hit the floor when I came across this little tidbit from February ( looks like Sheriff Chronister didn ’ t catch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-political ” supporter , Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne — whoops ! )
: 'READING RAINBOW ' HOST LEVAR BURTON WANTS TO HOST A CORONAVIRUS READING TIME LIVESTREAM FOR 'FOLKS WHO COULD USE SOME DIVERSION ' , Aristos Georgiou , Newsweek , March 29 , 2020 .
John Krasinski 's 'Some Good News ' show inspires people to share uplifting stories , Gwen Aviles , NBC , March 30 , 2020 .
( Here ’ s the link to Some Good News . )
🎶 What the world needs now is ... LOVE 🎶 DOJ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who will rule on lifting William Barr ’ s redactions , David Edwards , Raw Story , March 30 , 2020 .
Several Republican-controlled states have predictably used the coronavirus crisis to try to ban abortion , among them Texas , Iowa , Ohio and Oklahoma .
A ruling Monday in Texas has thankfully upheld a woman ’ s right to reproductive freedom : ( Update 2 : And now Alabama has been stopped as well !
Federal judges in 3 states block orders limiting abortion access over coronavirus , Caroline Kelly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll leave this here with little comment — except to say it looks like the GOP has it in for Richard Burr .
The Justice Department is reportedly investigating actions by US lawmakers who dumped stocks before the market plunged over coronavirus fears , Sonam Sheth , Business Insider , March 30 , 2020 .
When we take back control of the Senate and White House next January , we will investigate Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) and all the rest of the Republican grifters and criminals , too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ After This Crisis ⛅ We are living through a turbulent time — one which history will record as hugely important and pivotal .
There is not one corner of human life that will not be impacted by this crisis , and the cascading effects will be phenomenal .
Economy , employment , healthcare , housing , environment — everything is going to feel the impact .
It will not be an easy time and yet I am excited at the potential for positive change .
The crisis has ripped the flimsy veil off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and revealed the complicated and challenging reality underneath .
Since the crisis is forcing us to do what even the deepening horror of the past 3 years could not , there will be a chance to start fresh having been forced to essentially shut everything down and reset .
No one can deny anymore that we are all interconnected and interdependent .
No one can doubt the value of manufacturing workers , healthcare workers , street and sanitation workers , grocery and food supply chain workers .
These are the people who actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we could not continue as a functioning society .
No one can continue to argue in good faith that our “ health system ” is working for anyone ( not even the rich ! )
as the for-profit , just in time business model — not just our consumer supply chains but even for medicine — is failing in the face of a long-predicted pandemic .
Maybe cutting costs and offshoring our manufacturing is not the smartest approach nor the highest priority we should have as a country .
Maybe it makes sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some manufacturing capacity stateside as part of a plan for any future global crisis ?
The peoples ’ view of the world — how it works , who is important and what our own work is worth — is going to undergo a profound shift and nothing will ever be the same again .
For many of us , that shift began years ago and intensified after Dumpy was elected .
For others , the light only began to dawn with the election of Dumpy .
As Jared Yates Sexton writes in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ malignant mango-faced monster clarified the reality for many — and the coronavirus has ripped away the last tattered remnants of collective delusion .
Yes , I know the MAGAts will continue to delude themselves , will continue to support Dumpy and Rs and continue to hate so hard that they will hurt themselves in order to hurt “ others ” worse .
These people will always be with us .
They have always been a part of the human population .
But they are a minority .
30-35 % at most .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth-loving people who want the best for all Americans .
This crisis will mobilize us like never before ( and that ’ s saying something after 2018 ! )
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We will crawl over glass and through fire to vote in November and after November we will be demanding progress .
Progressives in “ red state ” America will be doing the same , you can count on it !
We may see some surprising results in November , and I am confident that we will see a big blue wave .
⚡ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Accept that Everything You Understand About the World Will Fundamentally Change , bonddad , DailyKos , March 29 , 2020 .
⚡ We need to get a grip on this reality in order to fight effectively for democracy : NO , THE ENTIRE GOP IS NOT BEING BLACKMAILED , Teri Kanefield , blog , March 27 , 2020 .
⚡ These people must be prevented from holding positions of influence in the public sphere : Authoritarian Christians are deliberately undermining the public health response to coronavirus , Chrissy Stroop , the Conversationalist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city : doing physical distancing right !
PHOTOS : This Is What Chicago Looks Like Without People Everywhere , NPR News , March 30 , 2020 .
⚡ For your quarantine movie night 🎥 : 5 perfect movies for addressing big moods people are feeling during the outbreak , John SIngh , Upworthy.com , March 30 , 2020 .
⚡ This video will restore your hope and faith in humanity ( thanks buglady99 ) : Regreening the Planet with John D. Liu P.S .
John Liu is from Nashville TN !
A reminder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ red ” states and it ’ s time to throw away that divisive us/them shorthand once and for all .
⚡ More quarantine fun : Cooped Up at Home ?
Help Scientists Spot Penguins from Space or Seek Out Galaxies , Meghan Bartels , Space.com via Scientific American , March 30 , 2020 .
⚡ But wait !
There ’ s more quarantine fun !
20 Indoor Activities to Keep Kids Busy During the Coronavirus Crisis , MommyNearest , March 11 , 2020 .
⚡ Late addition , thanks Andrew Cockburn !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Make Your Life Awesome ( Pandemic Edition ) Tomorrow is April 1 .
If you haven ’ t already gone online to fill out your census form , do it today !
Good News : You can still help save the world in self-isolation !
Here ’ s a bunch of links to help you stay involved at home : Act Blue — fundraising for Democratic candidates in one easy site .
Vote Forward — currently organizing an effort to encourage voter registration , including providing addressees with voter registration forms !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it at home ” projects through which many of us can really make a difference .
Voter to voter initiatives have a track record of increasing voter turnout .
The Vote Forward letter system is ideal for those who want to contribute but can ’ t write too much .
The letter templates are provided and all you do is put in a line or two of your own and make sure the letters get to the voters on your list !
Postcards to Voters — Our own gnusie , Progressive Muse posts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ updates on current campaigns and progress .
This is the ideal “ do it at home ” contribution especially suited to those who enjoy getting a little creative and connecting with fellow voters around the country .
Fair Fight — Stacey Abrams ’ initiative which has already made a difference in several elections !
Find out how you can help out at this link .
Spread the Vote — wonderful organization which works hard to help eligible voters obtain valid ID so they can register and vote .
From Kat at Spread the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote — This site covers everything any eligible voter needs to know , from how to register , how to check that you are still registered , how to obtain an absentee ballot and what to do if your right to vote is challenged or you are stopped from voting .
Around this time last year , I invited everyone to mention a bit of good news from their own community .
With so much going on around us — and so much cause for anxiety — it is more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rather , it is proof that goodness is all around us , good people who share our values are everywhere .
It ’ s important to be reminded of this fact every day , if possible , because there are terrible people out there who are working hard to convince us that we are outnumbered by vicious racists .
It isn ’ t true .
There are some out there , but they are not nearly as numerous as the campaigns of disinformation might lead us to believe .
The truth doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can succeed psychologically .
They will damage us as if it were true , if they can make us believe it .
So we must fight back against such psychological warfare and one way to do that is to remind ourselves every day of the truth about our communities .
We must amplify and share the reality that every single day in every single community around the country — and around the world — decent human beings are doing good , decent things .
This is what will save us ; there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to authoritarianism than who are .
And this majority will survive the pandemic and then we will make the world a bit better .
Dr. Janjua ( the doc in the cop story above ) crystalizes this simple truth : `` I have to say , illogical as it may seem , '' she said , `` I have also worried a little less about my parents since I met Trooper Schwartz .
I know there are good people like him everywhere . ''
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I ’ m going to start a thread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posters , please give me a couple of minutes this morning to get it posted before commenting , thank you ! )
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I would like to invite you to drop a piece of local good news as replies to my comment starting the thread .
I promise you there is good news every day in your community and the few minutes it takes you to search for it will restore your faith in humanity .
When you share it with the rest of us , you help paint a portrait of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will restore all of us .
There are thousands of Trooper Schwartzes and there are thousands of Dr Janjuas and there are millions of other good , decent pro-society human beings all around us .
Together we are going to survive the pandemic and then we are going to beat back authoritarianism and bring in a better , more humane society that will work better for all the people .
Let ’ s finish up with the original artists ’ rendition of the song the two delightful boys in Italy performed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tale for a few oligarchs we know… 😉… and to all of us : Viva La Vida !

I have to level with you all. I was so angry earlier (you know why, same as ever), I could hardly write. In my native parlance, I was “spitting tacks”. And yet... there is still good news. Like the story about the 30 year old machinist in Madison, WI who spoke directly to his fellow Americans and said, “Just keep up the faith” as he finished another 12 hour shift making ventilators — which he has been doing without a day off since February. The more I write up the good news, the stronger and more determined I feel. We’ve got people like him pulling for this country!
Newsies, we are going to beat those bast*rds in November and we are going to prosecute them in 2021. We are going to use this anger to fuel us and we are going to finally bring this country back on the track that was so briefly, haltingly begun in the 20th century. In the 1930’s, the 1960’s in such fits and starts. We will go beyond those efforts — which still were tinged with so much racism and sexism — and we will make this country great at long last! How’s that for irony?
All right, let’s talk about the elephant in the room — covid-19
Now this covid-19 business is shaking everyone up. Me too. I started self-isolating nearly 3 weeks ago, because my immune system is still not back to normal after last year’s cancer treatment, and at times I have really had to tamp down some anxiety. I am sure you can all relate as every one of us has reasons to be concerned and people to be concerned about. For perspective, though, I remind myself of the odds. Yes, it’s possible that I might get sick and even die in this pandemic. More frightening for me is the chance that someone I love could get sick. But the odds are that won’t happen. Although it’s likely that a high per centage of the population will contract covid-19, up to 90% of those infected are expected to experience mild to moderate illness while less than 5% are expected to become critically ill and even fewer to die.
Of course that number of casualties is still horrific and I wish this wasn’t happening at all. But when anxiety threatened to overwhelm me one day I recalled those odds and I realised that those odds are better than my odds are to survive the cancer I have been fighting! And I am feeling pretty dang good about my chances of beating the cancer. Odds are a bit of a crap shoot, but I still feel better with that perspective and maybe it will help some of you, too. Not to say we should all be like Jeff Bridges in Fearless, mind. I’m practicing strict physical distancing, staying home except to walk the curlygirl and doing all the handwashing and disinfecting that’s been recommended.
Oh and here’s a tip for everyone! Wash your face, too! morning, mid day and night and apply some moisturizer (you too, men!). Keeping your face clean and moisturized will help it not to itch! That makes keeping your hands away easier.
Now, on to the news!
😌 Reports of the End of Civilization are Greatly Exaggerated 😌
Check out this amazing thread about the myth of disaster-caused collapse of civilization. It is well-sourced and sound. This crisis — and even the disaster which is the Dumpy administration — will not lead to civil war, social collapse or any of the other things with which malicious disinformation campaigns bombard us. Read this for a reassuring perspective:
x Please remember: The idea that when disaster strikes people panic and social order collapses is very popular. It is also a myth. A huge research literature shows disaster makes people *more* pro-social. They cooperate. They support each other. They're better than ever. 1/x Ã¢ÂÂ Dan Gardner (@dgardner) March 26, 2020
For a contemporaneous example of exactly this phenomena of pro-social behavior even in the face of fearful uncertainty about the coronavirus, look at what is happening right now at sea. A Holland America cruise ship, the Zaandam, has had an outbreak of covid-19, including four deaths and over a hundred passengers and crew positive for the virus. With a global pandemic, the usual assistance from nearby ports is not forthcoming as countries are overwhelmed, so the cruise line dispatched another of its ships — the Rotterdam — to assist its sister ship. The Rotterdam will take on healthy passengers — following strict pandemic precautions — and supply the Zaandam with provisions, fresh medical supplies and relief healthcare staff. Rotterdam crew were naturally concerned about the risks to themselves and here is what their captain told them:
"We are mariners, and we consider this our duty and our obligation, and so in the tradition, we are proceeding with helping our sister ship the Zaandam," the captain of the Rotterdam said in the leaked audio. "Our guests and our fellow crew members on board need us. There are no easy choices here. In order to protect the Zaandam guests and crew members, we need to move guests to the Rotterdam."
That’s pro-social behavior and we can find examples of it happening every day — from our healthcare workers, to grocery workers, to delivery people, to the people who keep our towns and cities functioning. It’s going to be a rough road, but we are traveling it together.
🎶 Musical Smile 🎶
The way these twin brothers interact, full of confidence, fun and joy, reminds me so much of my own twin boys at that age! And what talent! Enjoy! (I hope someone speaks Italian and can put in the comments what the boys say!)
x YouTube Video
😷 Fighting the Coronavirus 😷
These decontamination systems were given an expedited FDA approval Sunday night:
Technology To Clean And Reuse PPE Is Being Deployed To Hotspot Hospitals, Paige Pfleger, NPR News, March 30, 2020.
"We're looking at the Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System that we've developed to be able to decontaminate PPE for health care workers on the front-line," says Will Richter, a researcher at the Columbus, Ohio-based company. Hospitals around the country are starting to run low on personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves and goggles. The looming shortage puts health care workers in danger as they treat the influx of COVID-19 patients. The Critical Care Decontamination System is the first of its kind, capable of cleaning up to 80,000 pieces of PPE (personal protective equipment) at a time. Battelle's system was designed to be modular so it can be easily shipped and scaled up — the more units in one area, the more rapidly they will be able to clean mass amounts of PPE and return them to where they're needed.
Abbott Launches 5-Minute Virus Test for Use Almost Anywhere, Michelle Fay Cortez, Bloomberg News, March 27, 2020.
This has already been reported in earlier GNRs but since it is also local news for me and it is so important in the current crisis, I am going to repeat it here. In case anyone missed an important point in this news — there are already 18,000 of the Abbott testing units out in the medical field (already in use for other types of testing) and this new coronavirus test can use the very familiar and popular equipment already in service:
The medical-device maker plans to supply 50,000 tests a day starting April 1, said John Frels, vice president of research and development at Abbott Diagnostics. The molecular test looks for fragments of the coronavirus genome, which can quickly be detected when present at high levels. A thorough search to definitively rule out an infection can take up to 13 minutes, he said. ✄ The technology builds on Illinois-based Abbott’s ID Now platform, the most common point-of-care test currently available in the U.S., with more than 18,000 units spread across the country. It is widely used to detect influenza, strep throat and respiratory syncytial virus, a common bug that causes cold-like symptoms. ✄ The equipment can be set up almost anywhere, but the company is working with its customers and the Trump administration to ensure the first cartridges used to perform the tests are sent to where they are most needed. They are targeting hospital emergency rooms, urgent-care clinics and doctors’ offices.
Some Good News Re Health Insurance
Until we fix our healthcare, we are still stuck with insurance. Here is great news for anyone who has one of these insurance providers:
Some Insurers Waive Patients' Share Of Costs For COVID-19 Treatment, Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR News, March 30, 2020.
Three major health insurance providers have now pledged to shield patients from high medical bills if they need treatment for COVID-19. Insurers Cigna and Humana announced Monday that they would waive consumer costs associated with COVID-19 treatment. Last week, CVS Health announced a more limited change — that Aetna would waive costs to patients for hospital admissions related to the coronavirus. These announcements are a "big deal" says Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University. She notes that, on average, people's deductibles for health policies in the U.S. run between $1,800 and $6,500. "That's — for most families — a lot more cash than they have sitting in their bank account," she says. "So that's really scary." All three insurers have now pledged to waive the patient's portion of a medical bill — what's called a patient's "cost sharing." That means, if your plan qualifies, you won't have to pay your full deductible before insurance will take over, or have to pay the usual fixed amount for a medical service or treatment (the copayment), or a percentage of the total bill (coinsurance). These insurers have also pledged to waive costs to patients for coronavirus testing and telemedicine visits related to COVID-19 and its symptoms.
Masks — To wear or not to wear?
If you, like me, have been a bit concerned about the conflicting advice about wearing masks (like this story claiming that the CDC would soon be recommending universal mask-wearing), the World Health Organization (WHO) came out early Tuesday reiterating its advice not to wear masks unless you are sick or looking after someone who is sick. This is a great relief to me and probably other people who don’t own any masks or a sewing machine and we all know it would be impossible to find any (and even if we could find them, obviously we would be donating them to hospital workers!):
WHO stands by recommendation to not wear masks if you are not sick or not caring for someone who is sick, Jacqueline Howard, CNN, March 31, 2020.
WHO — trusted global health authority since 1948 "There is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any potential benefit. In fact, there's some evidence to suggest the opposite in the misuse of wearing a mask properly or fitting it properly," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO health emergencies program, said at a media briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday. "There is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any potential benefit. In fact, there's some evidence to suggest the opposite in the misuse of wearing a mask properly or fitting it properly," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO health emergencies program,in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday. "There also is the issue that we have a massive global shortage," Ryan said about masks and other medical supplies. "Right now the people most at risk from this virus are frontline health workers who are exposed to the virus every second of every day. The thought of them not having masks is horrific."
Locking Down Will Save Lives AND The Economy
Dumpy’s impulsive and idiotic announcements have caused a lot of unnecessary angst over whether we should save peoples’ lives or save the economy — as if that were a binary choice. It turns out that it is not at all such a stark and cold-blooded situation at all, and we have historical data to back this up. This article appeared under “Opinion” in the WAPO, but it is well-sourced with studies and historical data:
Saving lives in the pandemic will also save the economy in the long run, Catherine Rampell, Washington Post Opinion, March 30, 2020.
In a recent University of Chicago IGM Economic Experts Panel survey, 80 percent agreed that “Abandoning severe lockdowns at a time when the likelihood of a resurgence in infections remains high will lead to greater total economic damage than sustaining the lockdowns to eliminate the resurgence risk.” Not a single economist surveyed disagreed with the statement; remaining respondents instead said they were “uncertain.” A bipartisan group of high-profile economists and former economic policymakers likewise signed onto a recent letter reading in part: “Saving lives and saving the economy are not in conflict right now; we will hasten the return to robust economic activity by taking steps to stem the spread of the virus and save lives.” These conclusions are informed by both theoretical models and historical data.
My governor (who rocks) is getting ahead of any landlords planning to be ignorant bigoted assh*les:
x To landlords who lease to medical professionals:
In other states, we've seen news stories about nurses being thrown out of apartments or denied leases out of fear of exposure.
We haven't yet specifically seen that here, but let me be clear, it will not be tolerated in Illinois. Ã¢ÂÂ Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) March 30, 2020
d*mn virus doing what seemed impossible: spurring labor to fight for itself again
This is a complicated story. The workers who walked off were a small number led by Chris Smalls, who raised the alarm after sending a worker with covid-19 symptoms home. The walkout was not well-attended (which kind of dampens the labor good news aspect of this, BUT ->), and yet Amazon was clearly shook by it. Their statement tried to minimize the walkout while simultaneously praising their workers AND upping wages, overtime and sick leave. This is very good news because as awful as this coronavirus crisis is, one very good thing it is doing is revealing just who the real makers and doers are in our society. And that is very, very scary for the corner office class!
Amazon warehouse workers in New York walk off the job; Instacart and Whole Foods employees to follow, Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, March 30, 2020.
A group of workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York City walked off the job and went on strike Monday afternoon, demanding the company shut down and thoroughly clean the sprawling facility after they say multiple employees there have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. ✄ "We’re trying to get the building closed down and sanitized. That’s all we’re asking for," Smalls said. ✄ "Of the 5,000 employees at our Staten Island site, 15 people -- less than a half a precent of associates -- participated in today's demonstration," Amazon's statement reads. "Our employees are heroes fighting for their communities and helping people get critical items they need in this crisis. ✄ Amazon employees working in the grocery and delivery services have been classified as essential workers by government officials across the country. The company says it's upping hourly wages from $17.50 to $23 to workers at the Staten Island warehouse and paying double overtime to those who show up to work. The company is also offering extended leave to full-time employees who prefer to stay home during the crisis.
And people are beginning to explore their power in other ways, too:
'We Were Out of Options': Chicago Tenants Are Refusing to Pay April Rent, Taylor Moore, Vice.com, March 30, 2020.
Illinois is one of many states that has temporarily suspended evictions. But landlords are still asking for their money, which for most tenants is due on Wednesday, the first of the month. And some renters are preparing to refuse: As of Sunday evening, 32 tenants across 13 buildings have called on their landlord, Mac Properties. Otherwise, residents of the newly formed Mac Tenants United will go on strike, withholding April rent payments on Wednesday, the first of the month. ✄ Mac is one of the biggest landlords in Hyde Park, a diverse, professional-class neighborhood on the South Side that’s home to the University of Chicago. Mac owns 32 properties in the area, housing everyone from students and professors to the elderly and young families in both mid-range and luxury accomodations. Notably, Mac is owned by the private realty group Antheus Capital, which profits off of gentrification in areas like Hyde Park, which is surrounded by poorer and historically discriminated-against Black neighborhoods. “We have been able to take advantage of early stage gentrification trends to acquire assets at significant discounts and reposition them to command above-market rents and long-term rental growth,” its website reads.
🌱 Take a Break in Nature 🌱
Last week, snowball2015 posted this snippet of very local good news and they inspired me to put a musical segment in today’s roundup. Quoting the lyrics from Handel’s opera Xerxes where King Xerxes waxes poetic about his beloved plane tree, I wanted to talk a bit about renewing the planet and how if we make a little effort, we can bring things like bee populations back — perhaps more quickly than we can imagine.
THEN, buglady99 posted this today and I was blown away. You will be too! It is such an exciting followup to the Great Green Wall story we have all read about here in GNR and in Mokurai’s sustainable planet diaries. And the bonus is that it dovetails beautifully with my music and poem because this is also about precious trees that give so much back to their ecosystems!
This is ongoing good news and down in the Lightning RoundUp, you will find the other video that buglady99 posted yesterday, which is a longer viewing but so worth it. Just as jessiestaf reported yesterday the ozone layer is recovering thanks to global efforts begun 30 years ago, so we can renew the planet, renew deforested land and in the process solve many other problems facing humanity. Talk about good news!!
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King Xerxes’s Paean to the Plane Tree
Tender and beautiful fronds
of my beloved plane tree,
let Fate smile upon you.
May thunder, lightning, and storms
never disturb your dear peace,
nor may you by blowing winds be profaned.
Never was a shade
of any plant
dearer and more lovely,
or more sweet.
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🏭🏥 Ordinary Folks Being Extraordinary 🏥🏭
Machinists making ventilators, transit workers keeping public transportation running, nurses holding down the front lines, and thousands of support workers are keeping hospitals, city public works, groceries and many other essential services operating in this crisis. They are literally holding the country together right now — regular, ordinary, amazing, extraordinary we, the people. Most of them never dreamed that one day they would be called to perform such vital service to their communities, and they are stepping up:
‘Just Keep Up the Faith’: Workers Are Stepping Up to Beat the Coronavirus, John Nichols, the Nation, March 30, 2020.
(The prospect of the country running out of ventilators) has given Smedal and his fellow members of International Association of Machinists (IAM) union Local 1406 in Madison, Wisconsin, a sense of mission. “The term ‘this is a wartime situation’ has definitely flown around our plant quite a bit,” explains the 30-year-old, who has been pulling 12-hour shifts since February, without a day off. “We are not going to shut our doors. When everybody else is out there really stressing out about what’s going to happen in the future, we can’t really dwell on that—because we got to get this stuff done. We’ve got to show up every day, and get as many of these machines out to the people all over the world.” The machinists union and the AFL-CIO have circulated a brief video of Smedal as part of an effort to highlight the role union workers have played in addressing the coronavirus outbreak. Looking into the camera, he tells an anxious America, “Just keep up the faith. I know that my coworkers, we’re going to show up every day and we’re going to get out as many as we can.” ✄ The battle to get ahead of the coronavirus curve is so serious, and so demanding, that the list of working-class heroes grows with each passing day. Nurses and doctors are on the front lines. With them stand respiratory therapists, technicians, assistants, janitors, cooks, and all the other workers who are keeping hospitals going amid the overwhelming challenge that we are asking them to take on. The Senate’s “phase three” response to the pandemic includes $100 billion in funding for hospitals. That aid is critical. But there’s more, much more, to be done.
GE workers demand to build ventilators
General Electric workers stage protest, demand company start producing ventilators, David Matthews, New York Daily News, March 30, 2020.
General Electric factory workers protested Monday while demanding the company start manufacturing ventilators at its idle jet engine factories. Workers at an aviation factory in Lynn, Mass., as well as union members at GE’s Boston headquarters participated in the protest, according to Motherboard. GE recently announced it would lay off nearly 2,600 aviation workers and 50% of its maintenance workers in order to save money despite Congress recently passing a multi-trillion dollar corporate bailout that includes nearly $100 billion in relief and assistance for the aviation industry and defense contractors, like General Electric. ✄ Union members believe that since GE’s Healthcare Division is already a large producer of ventilators, other idle factories could be quickly converted to produce the life-saving devices.
Support for independent booksellers
Powell's Books rehires over 100 employees after surge of online orders, KGW8 Portland, OR, March 29, 2020.
Powell's Books announced on Friday that over 100 employees were working again to fulfill online orders from Powells.com. Powell's CEO Emily Powell said in a community message "Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your incredible and unwavering support. Your kind words, messages of encouragement, ideas for perseverance, and orders for books have taken our breath away." Powell said that orders may be slow as they take the necessary precautions to keep everyone healthy. Powell's also said that while they don't know what the future holds, they will keep fulfilling orders and keep their booksellers employed and on health insurance.
Good cop, good doc
Minnesota trooper's roadside gesture during traffic stop brings doctor to tears, Paul Walsh, StarTribune, March 29, 2020.
Photo apparently comes from Dr. Janjua’s Facebook post. A state trooper pulled over a doctor for speeding on an east-central Minnesota interstate, told her she should know better and sent her on her way grateful for receiving only a warning and not a ticket. The trooper also gave her a fistful of coveted N95 medical masks that were issued for his protection from the deadly and relentless coronavirus that has swept the globe. "I burst into tears," Dr. Sarosh Ashraf Janjua, a Boston native and cardiologist, wrote in a detailed Facebook account of the traffic stop on March 21 along Interstate 35 in North Branch as she traveled from work in Duluth for time off in Minneapolis. "I think he teared up a little as well before wishing me well and walking away." ✄ "This complete stranger, who owed me nothing and is more on the front lines than I am, shared his precious masks with me, without my even asking," she wrote. "The veil of civilization may be thin, but not all that lies behind it is savage. We are going to be OK."
And how about this Republican sheriff in Florida, eh?
Pastor arrested, accused of violating 'safer-at-home' order by holding Sunday services, Chelsea Tatham and Eric Glasser, WTSP News Miami, March 30, 2020.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said the River at Tampa Bay Church violated the county's order related to large gatherings and social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. A live stream from the church on Sunday showed the building packed with worshippers. When Chronister saw images from a crowded Sunday service at the church posted online, he was furious. “We received an anonymous tip that Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne refused a request to temporarily stop holding large gatherings at his church,” he said. “And instead, he was encouraging his large congregation to meet at his church.” Hours later, the sheriff along with Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren, filed a pair of charges against Howard-Browne, including unlawful assembly. Chronister said it was a "reckless disregard for public safety."
I decided to do a little digging to find out more about this sheriff to understand how he came to do this sensible thing, being a Republican and all. It turns out that his story is pretty interesting but my eyes bugged and my jaw hit the floor when I came across this little tidbit from February (looks like Sheriff Chronister didn’t catch that wink and nod from his “non-political” supporter, Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne — whoops!):
Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister finally files for re-election, William March, Tampa Bay Times, February 19, 2020. He’s not ignoring Republicans. The River at Tampa Bay Church, a large evangelical church with ties to the Hillsborough County Republican Party, honored Chronister with a Sheriff Appreciation Day last month, billed as non-political support for law enforcement.
⭐ Stars Step Up Too ⭐
'READING RAINBOW' HOST LEVAR BURTON WANTS TO HOST A CORONAVIRUS READING TIME LIVESTREAM FOR 'FOLKS WHO COULD USE SOME DIVERSION', Aristos Georgiou, Newsweek, March 29, 2020.
"In order to avoid legal complications, I've gone down the rabbit hole searching through volumes of short stories in the public domain for appropriate content for families and have come up empty," he wrote. However, several social media users stepped in to help, either by granting Burton permission to read out their works or providing him with other useful resources. For example, English short fiction writer Neil Gaiman wrote on Twitter, "You have my blanket permission for any of my stories Levar." Meanwhile, HarperCollins said that online readings of the publisher's Children's Books titles will be permitted until May 31.
John Krasinski's 'Some Good News' show inspires people to share uplifting stories, Gwen Aviles, NBC, March 30, 2020. (Here’s the link to Some Good News.)
Amid a deluge of updates regarding how the global pandemic is disrupting daily life, the "Jack Ryan" actor asked his Twitter followers Wednesday to share some positive stories that "made you feel good this week or just made you smile." He then compiled some of the thousands of responses in a video, posted to YouTube Sunday. "For years now, I've been wondering, why is there not a news show dedicated entirely to good news?" Krasinski, dressed as a news anchor, said. "Well, desperately seeking my fix somewhere else, I reached out to all of you this week, asking — nay, begging — for some good news. And boy, did you deliver." ✄ In honor of the 15th anniversary of NBC's "The Office," Krasinski invited his former co-star Steve Carell on "Some Good News." The two shared some of their favorite memories of the show, which included the "Dinner Party" and "Fun Run" episodes. While Krasinski acknowledged that some fans have been "hoping for a reunion," he said he hopes the cast will be able to connect in person "as people, just to say hi" after the coronavirus pandemic ends.
🎶 What the world needs now is...LOVE 🎶
⚖ Justice News ⚖
still mueller time
DOJ turns over full Mueller report to judge who will rule on lifting William Barr’s redactions, David Edwards, Raw Story, March 30, 2020.
The Department of Justice on Monday turned over an unredacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on the Russia investigation to a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton of the District of Columbia has pledge to conduct an independent review of the redactions after he questioned the impartiality of Attorney General William Barr. “The court has grave concerns about the objectivity of the process that preceded the public release of the redacted version of the Mueller Report and its impacts on the department’s subsequent justifications that its redactions of the Mueller Report are authorized by the FOIA,” Walton wrote in a ruling earlier this month.
abortion ban blocked
Several Republican-controlled states have predictably used the coronavirus crisis to try to ban abortion, among them Texas, Iowa, Ohio and Oklahoma. A ruling Monday in Texas has thankfully upheld a woman’s right to reproductive freedom:
Federal Judge Blocks Texas Ban on Abortions During Outbreak, David Lee, Courthouse News, March 30, 2020.
AUSTIN, Texas (CN) – A federal judge on Monday blocked Texas’ temporary halt of abortions to conserve personal protective equipment and hospital beds for the Covid-19 pandemic patient surge, calling it a violation of abortion patients’ due process rights. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel in Austin, a George W. Bush appointee, granted Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas’ request for a temporary restraining order against Governor Greg Abbott’s March 21 executive order, concluding abortion patients would “suffer serious and irreparable harm” without it. ✄ “This court will not speculate on whether the Supreme Court included a silent ‘except-in-a-national-emergency-clause’ in its previous writings on the issue,” the judge wrote. “Only the Supreme Court may restrict the breadth of its rulings. The court will not predict what the Supreme Court will do if this case reaches that court. For now, the state defendants, and perhaps the others, agree that the executive order bans all pre-fetal-viability abortions. That is inconsistent with Supreme Court precedent.”
(Update: More good news: Ohio has also been stopped from using the pandemic to ban abortion. Federal Judges Block Texas and Ohio Coronavirus Abortion Bans, Dahlia Lithwick, Slate, March 30, 2020.)
(Update 2: And now Alabama has been stopped as well! Federal judges in 3 states block orders limiting abortion access over coronavirus, Caroline Kelly, CNN, March 30, 2020.
Insider trading investigation
I’ll leave this here with little comment — except to say it looks like the GOP has it in for Richard Burr.
The Justice Department is reportedly investigating actions by US lawmakers who dumped stocks before the market plunged over coronavirus fears, Sonam Sheth, Business Insider, March 30, 2020.
The investigation is still in its early stages, and the report said the DOJ is working with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the matter. As part of the probe, the FBI has reached out to North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, who dumped up to $1.72 million in stocks before the market tanked. ✄ Burr is the chairman of the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee, which has access to the federal government's most classified and sensitive information. According to Reuters, Burr's committee was getting daily briefings on the threat of the coronavirus around the time he dumped his stock. But a source familiar with the matter told CNN his committee did not get a briefing the week he sold his stocks.
When we take back control of the Senate and White House next January, we will investigate Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and all the rest of the Republican grifters and criminals, too.
⛅ We Will Rebuild A Better World After This Crisis ⛅
We are living through a turbulent time — one which history will record as hugely important and pivotal. There is not one corner of human life that will not be impacted by this crisis, and the cascading effects will be phenomenal. Economy, employment, healthcare, housing, environment — everything is going to feel the impact. It will not be an easy time and yet I am excited at the potential for positive change. The crisis has ripped the flimsy veil off our bloated and bubbly first world image and revealed the complicated and challenging reality underneath. Since the crisis is forcing us to do what even the deepening horror of the past 3 years could not, there will be a chance to start fresh having been forced to essentially shut everything down and reset.
No one can deny anymore that we are all interconnected and interdependent. No one can doubt the value of manufacturing workers, healthcare workers, street and sanitation workers, grocery and food supply chain workers. These are the people who actually keep the country running and without whom we could not continue as a functioning society.
No one can continue to argue in good faith that our “health system” is working for anyone (not even the rich!) as the for-profit, just in time business model — not just our consumer supply chains but even for medicine — is failing in the face of a long-predicted pandemic. Maybe cutting costs and offshoring our manufacturing is not the smartest approach nor the highest priority we should have as a country. Maybe it makes sense to trim profits a bit and keep some manufacturing capacity stateside as part of a plan for any future global crisis?
x Trump is a moment of clarity. He embodies and make transparent so many of America's worst and most dangerous flaws.
He's like a Rosetta Stone that helps translates our history and reveals the truth of what American myth has hidden. We have to seek that truth.
20/ Ã¢ÂÂ Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) March 29, 2020
The peoples’ view of the world — how it works, who is important and what our own work is worth — is going to undergo a profound shift and nothing will ever be the same again. For many of us, that shift began years ago and intensified after Dumpy was elected. For others, the light only began to dawn with the election of Dumpy. As Jared Yates Sexton writes in the tweet above, the election of the malignant mango-faced monster clarified the reality for many — and the coronavirus has ripped away the last tattered remnants of collective delusion.
It’s coming! Get ready to ride it and GOTV!
Yes, I know the MAGAts will continue to delude themselves, will continue to support Dumpy and Rs and continue to hate so hard that they will hurt themselves in order to hurt “others” worse. These people will always be with us. They have always been a part of the human population. But they are a minority. 30-35% at most. We are the majority — progressive love and truth-loving people who want the best for all Americans. This crisis will mobilize us like never before (and that’s saying something after 2018!). We will crawl over glass and through fire to vote in November and after November we will be demanding progress. Progressives in “red state” America will be doing the same, you can count on it! We may see some surprising results in November, and I am confident that we will see a big blue wave.
(As always, remember that even in so-called “red” states, 30-49% of those populations are progressive, Democratic voters! Not only are we the majority in the country, but even in the most regressive states, there are an impressive number of Democrats.)
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⚡ Lightning RoundUp ⚡
⚡ Excellent diary (thanks Mrmuni12): Accept that Everything You Understand About the World Will Fundamentally Change, bonddad, DailyKos, March 29, 2020.
⚡ We need to get a grip on this reality in order to fight effectively for democracy: NO, THE ENTIRE GOP IS NOT BEING BLACKMAILED, Teri Kanefield, blog, March 27, 2020.
⚡ These people must be prevented from holding positions of influence in the public sphere: Authoritarian Christians are deliberately undermining the public health response to coronavirus, Chrissy Stroop, the Conversationalist, March 27, 2020.
⚡ My city: doing physical distancing right! PHOTOS: This Is What Chicago Looks Like Without People Everywhere, NPR News, March 30, 2020.
⚡ For your quarantine movie night 🎥: 5 perfect movies for addressing big moods people are feeling during the outbreak, John SIngh, Upworthy.com, March 30, 2020.
⚡ This video will restore your hope and faith in humanity (thanks buglady99): Regreening the Planet with John D. Liu P.S. John Liu is from Nashville TN! A reminder that there are lots of progressives in “red” states and it’s time to throw away that divisive us/them shorthand once and for all.
⚡ More quarantine fun: Cooped Up at Home? Help Scientists Spot Penguins from Space or Seek Out Galaxies, Meghan Bartels, Space.com via Scientific American, March 30, 2020.
⚡ But wait! There’s more quarantine fun! 20 Indoor Activities to Keep Kids Busy During the Coronavirus Crisis, MommyNearest, March 11, 2020.
⚡ Late addition, thanks Andrew Cockburn!: This is the Most Fun Way to Make Your Life Awesome (Pandemic Edition)
PSA: Fill out your census forms!
Tomorrow is April 1. If you haven’t already gone online to fill out your census form, do it today!
(Thanks to WineRev for pointing to these hilarious Quarantine Kitchen videos!)
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🔗 Helpful Links 🔗
Good News: You can still help save the world in self-isolation!
Here’s a bunch of links to help you stay involved at home:
Act Blue — fundraising for Democratic candidates in one easy site.
Vote Forward — currently organizing an effort to encourage voter registration, including providing addressees with voter registration forms! This is one of several “do it at home” projects through which many of us can really make a difference. Voter to voter initiatives have a track record of increasing voter turnout. The Vote Forward letter system is ideal for those who want to contribute but can’t write too much. The letter templates are provided and all you do is put in a line or two of your own and make sure the letters get to the voters on your list!
Postcards to Voters — Our own gnusie, Progressive Muse posts most days with information about PtV and updates on current campaigns and progress. This is the ideal “do it at home” contribution especially suited to those who enjoy getting a little creative and connecting with fellow voters around the country.
Fair Fight — Stacey Abrams’ initiative which has already made a difference in several elections! Find out how you can help out at this link.
Spread the Vote — wonderful organization which works hard to help eligible voters obtain valid ID so they can register and vote.
From Kat at Spread the Vote:
There are a few ways you can help from home (please stay home!!!!!): . These items are going to our partners on the ground (shelters, food banks, etc.) who are still serving our clients and communities. Buy an item or two from our AMAZON WISH LIST . These items are going to our partners on the ground (shelters, food banks, etc.) who are still serving our clients and communities. Donate to Spread The Vote so that we can keep working today and, most importantly, have the funds we need to hit the ground running when this crisis is over. 12 states , ! We’ll be hosting regular training sessions and we’re moving up our bi-annual Volunteer Virtual Summit so that everyone is ready to go on day one. If you live in one of our sign up to volunteer ! We’ll be hosting regular training sessions and we’re moving up our bi-annual Volunteer Virtual Summit so that everyone is ready to go on day one. If you don’t live in one of our states, follow us at @spreadthevoteus on all of the social media channels and help spread the word about how this pandemic is affecting the most vulnerable people in the country. I can’t thank you enough for always standing by us and I really really beg you to please stay home, #flattenthecurve, and watch as much Netflix as humanly possible. We will get through this together.
And finally, for one-stop all-purpose voter information:
Everything you need to know to vote — This site covers everything any eligible voter needs to know, from how to register, how to check that you are still registered, how to obtain an absentee ballot and what to do if your right to vote is challenged or you are stopped from voting.
💚 RoundUp WindDown 💙
Around this time last year, I invited everyone to mention a bit of good news from their own community. With so much going on around us — and so much cause for anxiety — it is more than a mere nicety to share local good news. Rather, it is proof that goodness is all around us, good people who share our values are everywhere. It’s important to be reminded of this fact every day, if possible, because there are terrible people out there who are working hard to convince us that we are outnumbered by vicious racists. It isn’t true. There are some out there, but they are not nearly as numerous as the campaigns of disinformation might lead us to believe. The truth doesn’t matter if the malign campaign can succeed psychologically. They will damage us as if it were true, if they can make us believe it. So we must fight back against such psychological warfare and one way to do that is to remind ourselves every day of the truth about our communities.
Together we will get through these challenging times!
In truth and love, Nifty and Curlygirly
We must amplify and share the reality that every single day in every single community around the country — and around the world — decent human beings are doing good, decent things. This is what will save us; there are MORE people who are not in thrall to authoritarianism than who are. And this majority will survive the pandemic and then we will make the world a bit better. Dr. Janjua (the doc in the cop story above) crystalizes this simple truth: "I have to say, illogical as it may seem," she said, "I have also worried a little less about my parents since I met Trooper Schwartz. I know there are good people like him everywhere." .
I’m going to start a thread under the welcome comment today (early posters, please give me a couple of minutes this morning to get it posted before commenting, thank you!). I would like to invite you to drop a piece of local good news as replies to my comment starting the thread. I promise you there is good news every day in your community and the few minutes it takes you to search for it will restore your faith in humanity. When you share it with the rest of us, you help paint a portrait of the truth about our human community, and that will restore all of us.
”The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” Winston Churchill
There are thousands of Trooper Schwartzes and there are thousands of Dr Janjuas and there are millions of other good, decent pro-society human beings all around us. Together we are going to survive the pandemic and then we are going to beat back authoritarianism and bring in a better, more humane society that will work better for all the people.
Let’s finish up with the original artists’ rendition of the song the two delightful boys in Italy performed for us. It could be a cautionary tale for a few oligarchs we know… 😉… and to all of us: Viva La Vida!


dailykos--2020-03-27--So what is it with this TP business????

So what is it with this TP business????

They take things literally .
They take the Bible literally — word for exact word .
( You are not @ @ @ @ @ millions of “ literal interpretations ” .
Their favorite SCOTUS Justices proclaim the infallible doctrine @ @ @ @ @ .
Some get this confused with “ Original Sin ” but I digress… He assumed @ @ @ @ @ divine what the Founding Fathers had in mind ( originally ) on any given topic @ @ @ @ @ the Internet and Beanie Boos as well .
And COVID-19 struck .
Someone looked at @ @ @ @ @ This whole thing is going to turn to shit ” .
The took it literally… @ @ @ @ @

They take things literally. They take the Bible literally — word for exact word. (You are not supposed to notice there are millions of “literal interpretations”.
Their favorite SCOTUS Justices proclaim the infallible doctrine of “Original Intent”. Some get this confused with “Original Sin” but I digress… He assumed that he could not only divine what the Founding Fathers really had in mind (originally) on any given topic. Apparently they knew about the Internet and Beanie Boos as well.
And COVID-19 struck. Someone looked at it and said, “This whole thing is going to turn to shit”.
The took it literally…
God help us all...


dailykos--2020-03-26--Trump Literally Puts "America First"

Trump Literally Puts "America First"

In Coronavirus cases .
Today the United States moved ahead of both Italy and even China to lead the world @ @ @ @ @ ’ s more we are adding new cases much faster than these nations and will @ @ @ @ @ quite sometime .
A nation wants to be Number 1 in whatever it does .
@ @ @ @ @ !

In Coronavirus cases. Today the United States moved ahead of both Italy and even China to lead the world in this category. What’s more we are adding new cases much faster than these nations and will continue to pull away for quite sometime.
A nation wants to be Number 1 in whatever it does. #MAGA Baybeee #Scoreboard!