All good news
- A federal court dismisses a case brought by Border Patrol against Anthony Ruiz and Marimar Martinez who was shot by an agent during an immigration enforcement encounter.
- A U.S. district court rules that the presidential administration cannot dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services and several other small federal agencies.
- Seventeen Air Force service members sue the administration over being denied their retirement benefits after being removed from active duty under a discriminatory anti-transgender policy.
- A federal court blocks the administration from eliminating collective bargaining agreements for employees of the independent media agencies U.S. Agency for Global Media and Voice of America.
- The Dept. of Transportation will require car companies to test vehicle safety using female-modeled crash test dummies.
- OR will cover cut Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood clinics.
- VT’s investment in subsidized childcare has created 1,700 additional childcare slots.
- Five New England states launch a $450M effort to install 500,000 energy efficient heat pumps in residents’ homes.
- An energy company will not move forward with a proposed data center project on public lands in Kalkaska County, MI due to community opposition.
- Orrville, AL will soon open its very first public library.
- Free bus transportation in Iowa City results in cleaner air and less traffic.
- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting agrees to revive a $36M deal with NPR that it had initially pulled under pressure from the White House in retaliation against NPR for news coverage disagreeable to the administration.
- A Wisconsin coal terminal will close after 50 years due to a lack of demand for coal products.
- Renewable energy sources could increase low-and middle-income countries’ GDP by about 10% in 25 years, according to an Oxford University study.
- The League of Women Voters and other organizations sue the administration to overturn a new rule banning any group other than the federal government from assisting newly naturalized citizens with registering to vote.
- MacKenzie Scott donates millions of dollars in no-strings-attached gifts to tribal colleges in the wake of the administration’s attempted funding cuts.
- The Windfall Bio tech company discovers microscopic organisms that devour methane, a potential avenue to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- To reduce consumer waste, communities around the world host “repair café” events where people can have their broken goods repaired for free.
- Researchers successfully treat Huntington’s disease for the first time.
- Dakota descendants file suit against the U.S. government for tribal recognition and $5B in damages for being denied cultural identity, land rights, and economic opportunity.
- ME residents vote in favor of strengthening the state’s laws around removing firearms from people who pose a danger to themselves or others.
- PA: The Attorney General’s office launches the Elder Exploitation Section to better protect seniors from financial exploitation, deception, and theft.
- RI’s Ethics Commission votes to close a loophole that allowed public officials and employees to accept unlimited gifts from lobbyists.
- VA: May Nivar is elected to the House of Delegates, becoming the first Chinese American elected to the General Assembly.
- 13 women will serve as governors in 2025, a new record for the greatest number of women governors serving at once.
- Chicago Alderperson Jessie Fuentes files a claim for $100,000 in damages after ICE arrested her at Humboldt Health Hospital, where she was checking on a constituent injured during an immigration arrest.
- Thanks to local activism, Google withdraws plans to construct a data center in Marion, IN following community pushback over concerns about environmental impacts and higher energy costs.
- High school students in Iowa start a book club to read and discuss books that were removed from school libraries due to state censorship.
- The Veterans Community Project opens their sixth tiny home village in Milwaukee, where military veterans can access stable housing and individualized care.
- Incidents of gun violence have decreased in more than three-quarters of the U.S.’s most affected cities.
- Former library director Terri Lesley wins a $700,000 settlement after being fired for resisting censorship of library materials.
- Restoring bison to Yellowstone results in a healthier ecosystem across the bison migration corridor.
- The final remaining coal plant in New England has closed.
Take action before the end of 2025!
We’re hoping to exceed 52,000 reported actions before the end of the year. It’s never too late to let your elected officials know what you think, support a grassroots organization, or even our work at Americans of Conscience!
- Open our most recent checklist: December 5, 2025. (Remember to check the “I did it” box!)
- Read my article about the day “phoning it it” made history.
Our team will be taking a break for the second half of December, but we’ll be back at it in the new year. Join us and let’s keep carrying on together! In the meantime, we wish you a peaceful and nourishing season of light.
Gratefully,
— Jen Hofmann and the AoCC team