Good news for DACA!

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Immigrant youth won today.

Our plaintiffs, along with co-counsel at Make the Road New York and Yale Law School’s Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic, asked the court to help protect Dreamers, and today we got our wish: a federal court has rejected President Trump’s rationale for ending DACA and put in place another important block to protect Dreamers.

This means that anyone who had DACA in the past must be allowed to re-apply for DACA.

This ruling is particularly important as the arbitrary March 5th deadline that resulted in the crisis President Trump created is right around the corner.

Now all eyes turn to the Supreme Court as it decides whether it will take on a separate case regarding Trump’s DACA termination. It is likely that the Trump administration may appeal rapidly to the Supreme Court in an effort to take away this victory from our plaintiffs and all immigrant youth across the country.

This case is a testament to the bravery of Dreamers like our plaintiffs — this decision wouldn’t have happened if not for their courage to stand up for their rights. Continue reading “Good news for DACA!” →

Sanity-saving Good News – The “Alabama Miracle” Edition

(Photo of Alexia Bravo explaining her energy project. She is 11 years old).

The kids are alright!

In the continuing series of kids who make me realize how I wasted my childhood, this one. Alexia Bravo and her goal of creating a carbon emissions-free power plant in one deployable, self-contained kit.

This kind of stuff always makes me cry…in a good way…

Interesting stories about economics for the rest of us.

Low-income adults, including women, are being trained in green construction in California. via @splinter_news pic.twitter.com/1lVNomn7S0

— Earther (@EARTH3R) December 16, 2017

Scroll through this amazing visual analysis of the obstacles millennials have had in achieving the full independent adult life that their parents and grandparents took for granted. Comes with some interesting conclusions of what can be done to address the issues.

Continue reading “Sanity-saving Good News – The “Alabama Miracle” Edition” →

Sanity-Saving Good News – The #MeToo Edition

Good News for Women!

Time Magazine chose the women brave enough to stand up to their harrassers as “Person of the Year” over the man accused of being a harrasser himself. Which is great!

However, as we learn more about the #MeToo movement, it is disappointing to learn that the actual original author, Tarana Burke, who started it as part of her work with young harrassment and assault survivors more than ten years ago, wasn’t included on the cover. Our thanks and congratulations to her.

Continue reading “Sanity-Saving Good News – The #MeToo Edition” →

Sanity-Saving Good News – “History of Resistance” – Edition

The kids are alright!

(Editor’s note: I don’t remember doing anything like this as a kid. I’m in awe of these young people…)

College students take classes to learn how to be philanthropists. We can also learn on-line, thanks to Warren Buffett’s sister.

“No Spencer, no KKK, no fascist USA.” University of Michigan students practiced the art of peaceful protest when Richard Spencer requested to speak on campus. (Hey, Ivanka, this is how you use the word “complicit“!) Meanwhile, 26 European countries have simply banned him.

These DACA/Dreamers went far beyond a simple march with signs in support of Dreamers.

Continue reading “Sanity-Saving Good News – “History of Resistance” – Edition” →

Sanity-Saving Good News -“Thanksgiving” Edition

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello everyone! We’ve made it the first Thanksgiving in the age of Trump. Thanks to all of you who’ve been working hard to protect our citizens, our immigrants, our students, our environment, and our civil rights from those who stand to gain by harming us.

Welcome to those who’ve just started on this seemingly endless battlefield. You will meet some of the most amazing people and friends amongst your new comrades-in-arms.

For today, we’re gathering as much good news and useful things together to make your day better, even if that uncle that makes everyone crazy comes…

If fact…ESPECIALLY if that uncle comes. If he want to talk about taxes, send him here. If he wants to denigrate fellow Americans for their religion, their race, or their relationship preferences, the Women’s March has put together a conversational toolkit called “Daring Discussions“. “The stakes are too high to remain silent in the face of bigotry and injustice.” It’s up to us to be willing to confront current injustices, as well as acknowledging historical ones, like the violence inflicted on indigenous peoples and recognize that Thanksgiving is a day of mourning for many of our indigenous citizens.

So, let’s start by putting aside childish things…Like the fairy tale of Thanksgiving itself.

In related news, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians have distributed 10,000 turkeys as part of their 32 year long Thanksgiving Outreach Program.

The kids are alright!

Continue reading “Sanity-Saving Good News -“Thanksgiving” Edition” →

Sanity-Saving Good news – Pull some more chairs up to the table!

Starting with a little music…and a tool kit to start your own Resistance Choir.

The kids are alright!

These Spelman and Morehouse college students kids used old-school resistance tactics on their college administration. They went on an actual hunger strike to call attention to food insecurity on campus—and convinced both schools to offer 14,000 free meals to students each year. #WhyWeStrike

Continue reading “Sanity-Saving Good news – Pull some more chairs up to the table!” →

Sanity-saving GOOD news! “Taking a deep breath” – Edition

Take a moment to let in the good news from last week…

The kids are alright!

A group of Boston teenagers secured $4.6 million in funding for a community center in a low-income neighborhood after discovering a hidden law and holding a corporation accountable—and they’re just getting started.

Continue reading “Sanity-saving GOOD news! “Taking a deep breath” – Edition” →

This Week in Sanity-saving Good News – “The Kids are Alright” Edition…

Lego welcomes the women of NASA.

The kids are alright.

First, let’s talk about this 11 year-old girl who’s been worried about the Flint water situation since she’s been 9. Along with playing piano, swimming, fencing and taking dance lessons, she has invented the cheapest, most effective test for lead in water and won “America’s Top Young Scientist”. God, what was I doing when I was 11?

Then there’s Ames Mayfield, who in 14 years or so, will be running for office. Put in on your calendars now.

Continue reading “This Week in Sanity-saving Good News – “The Kids are Alright” Edition…” →

Sanity-saving good news – “‘Respect’ is more than a song by Aretha” Edition.

Starting this hard week’s good news off with this song…

Good news in resistance!

On Columbus Day, people in New York City and Pittsburgh protested for the holiday to be renamed Indigenous People’s Day.

After Jemele Hill was suspended from ESPN, again, people showed up at their headquarters to protest. Hey ESPN, this is worth a read. #TakeAKnee & #StandWithJemele

If you missed the story about why Colin Kaepernick knelt during anthems, here it is… Pass it on to that person on your Facebook feed that’s losing his mind over this. Continue reading “Sanity-saving good news – “‘Respect’ is more than a song by Aretha” Edition.” →

Sanity-Saving good news – “Using your anger for good” – Edition

Good news in basic humanity.

Lin-Manuel’s advice works for everything, actually. This was a hard week where we wonder about our basic humanity. But then all this happens and, well, it helps a bit.

San Juan Mayor Carment Cruz does not back down.

“This terrible and abominable view of him throwing paper towels and throwing provisions at people, it does not embody the spirit of the American nation.” –San Juan Mayor Carmen Cruz on 45’s trip to Puerto Rico

Racial slurs were shouted at a Nevada Union High School student in Grass Valley as he walked down Mill Street, according to his father on an amazing Facebook heart-to-heart to the white people in his community. Concerned local residents, including the police and the Nevada Union High principal, asked the community to do better and stand up to racism. And this happened.