GOOD NEWS UP TO JUNE 29, 2024

… Biden bounced back with an energetic North Carolina rally. Attendees noted a night and day difference between the campaign stop and his “lackluster” debate. (Watch the very short embedded video. You’ll be relieved! Promise: The Guardian. ) During the 15-minute speech in a sweltering building that saw at least one person faint, Biden ran through a list of issues from high-speed internet to border security, but spent a good deal of his time denouncing Donald Trump’s honesty and integrity.

“I know I’m not a young man,” Biden said to cheers. “I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth!” Biden added that he would not be running for a second term if he did not believe “with all my heart and soul I can do this.”

“Yes you can,” the crowd chanted in response. NPR

After the debate, Joe Biden saw his strongest grassroots fundraising since his campaign launch. He won on many policy points but lost momentum with his delivery. Nevertheless, in the hours after, supporters poured in donations to bolster his campaign against Trump. People

Trump could actually lose Florida. Democrats insist the state is in play. After two years of Governor Ron DeSantis pushing his extremist agenda, including one of the toughest abortion bans in the country, policies curtailing the teaching of Black history, prohibiting cities from removing Confederate monuments, encouraging parental book banning, and requiring driver licenses to display a person’s gender at birth, there’s a case to be made that voters have had enough. DeSantis’ popularity has plummeted since his failed presidential campaign. Bloomberg

Florida Democrats have secured a candidate in every House and Senate district race in the state, all 140 legislative seats—an historic achievement. “Since control of Florida flipped in the mid-90s, no party has contested every seat in both chambers of the legislature.” Republicans must now spend more defending their position and unpopular policies. Democrats flipped a red district in January, hinting at voter dissatisfaction with the reigning conservative party, voter anger that maybe they have not understood. The New Republic

Eugene Vindman won his Democratic House primary in Virginia. Vindman, a native of Ukraine, together with his twin brother, Alexander, were both lieutenant colonels in the Army and aides on the White House National Security Council. They raised internal alarms about the phone call in which Trump asked Ukraine’s President Zelensky to announce an investigation into Hunter Biden. I would like you to do us a favor, though. It was Alexander who testified but, after Trump was acquitted, Eugene was fired from the National Security Council. His military career was sacrificed in exposing Trump’s corruption. We’re cheering him on. The New York Times

Republican Jim Jordan was branded “the worst villain in Congress from Ohio” by a news podcast based in his home state, criticizing his role in voting to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. This was contrasted with that of fellow Ohio Republican, Representative Dave Joyce, who voted against holding Garland in contempt and whom the podcast host described as “principled.” Newsweek

69% of Americans continue to believe that marriage between same-sex couples should be legal, and nearly as many say gay or lesbian relations are morally acceptable. Gallup

Thousands of Christians signed a petition demanding Samuel Alito resign. They accuse him of being unfit, twisting their faith, endorsing a Christian-nationalist agenda, and violating the Constitutional separation of church and state. Newsweek

The Mar-a-Lago search warrant was properly granted, says Trump documents judge. U.S. district judge Aileen Cannon suggests she will deny Trump’s attempt to exclude documents seized by the FBI. The Guardian

The Supreme Court overturned an injunction that would have limited contacts between government officials and social media companies on a wide range of issues, tossing out a claim that the Biden administration coerced social media companies to remove content. NBC News

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has stopped what would have been the first publicly funded religious charter school in the U.S., turning back conservatives and the state’s GOP governor who have welcomed religious groups into public education. Seattle Pi

The Supreme Court has rejected Trump ally Steve Bannon’s bid to delay his prison sentence. He must report Monday for a four month sentence. Associated Press

Trump’s “wartime consigliere” now faces legal peril of his own. Boris Epshteyn, a Trump fixer, is being indicted in Arizona on nine felony charges for election interference. The New York Times

Biden has pardoned U.S. service members convicted because they were gay, allowing them to apply for back pay. This will affect potentially 100,000 people. Biden has also used mass amnesty for simple marijuana offenses. Bloomberg

“Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, a well-funded IRS is closing a loophole to make the rich pay their taxes,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Billions are at stake. The Treasury Department estimates that the new initiative could raise more than $50 billion in federal revenue over the next decade. Common Dreams

The Biden administration is lowering costs for 64 drugs through inflation penalties on drugmakers. CNBC

Biden’s climate law has created more than 300,000 clean energy jobs. The Inflation Reduction Act has provided more than $369 billion in clean energy incentives, including $375 million for rural renewables. Trump wants to gut it. Huffington Post, The Hill

The Biden-⁠Harris administration is proposing new steps to conserve, restore, and expand old-growth forests, supporting a Department of Agriculture management plan across the entire National Forest Service. The White House

What was true last week is true today, after Thursday night’s debate. Keeping the U.S. Senate, flipping the House, as well as statewide elections and citizen ballot questions across the country, are critical and realistic goals. Through 2018, 2020, 2022, and special elections on all levels, Democrats have been continuing to demonstrate their strength on issues and policy. The path to the presidency is unknown. Regardless, we are not powerless. The majority of Americans believe in the right to choose, protecting the environment, equality, justice, and democracy. We will continue to work towards building the blue wave on all levels of government.