Hope is something we can cultivate
We know that although there’s a growing list of concerning things happening in the US, there is also value in pausing to appreciate what’s going well. This practice brings balance to times of uncertainty and even hope. We invite you to enjoy this week’s longer-than-usual list of good news on this Thanksgiving Day.
- Harriett Tubman receives posthumous recognition for her service as a spy, scout, nurse and cook during the Civil War. Her great-great-great-grandniece, Tina Wyatt, received the commissioning on her behalf.
- The Senate confirms David Huitema as Director of the Office of Government Ethics for a five-year term.
- The Dept. of Human Services will make an additional 64,716 temporary nonagricultural visas available in Fiscal Year 2025, addressing the need for seasonal and temporary workers in particular U.S. industries.
- The FBI investigates threatening texts sent to people from Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ communities following the 2024 election.
- Andy Kim is elected to the Senate, becoming the first Korean-American senator in history.
- Angela Alsobrooks (MD) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE) become the first two Black women to serve in the U.S. Senate simultaneously.
- GA: State court strikes down seven Election Board rules, declaring them “illegal, unconstitutional, and void.”
- MI passes four laws to safeguard voting rights and accessibility and that make voting easier, including early voting, expanded absentee voting options, and increased voter protections.
- Nebraska Supreme Court restores voting rights to individuals who’ve completed the terms of their felony convictions, making strides in criminal justice reform.
- NC expands Medicaid access, providing healthcare coverage to hundreds of thousands of low-income residents. This policy supports greater equality in healthcare access.
- NC: A state court strikes down gerrymandered maps and ordered fairer districts for the 2024 elections, ensuring a more balanced political representation.
- NE: The Nebraska Supreme Court restores voting rights to people who have completed felony convictions.
- NY’s new public campaign financing system is reducing the influence of big money in politics and in 2024, more than 300 candidates for New York State Senate and Assembly opted-in to the Public Campaign Finance Program (PCFP), allowing candidates to qualify for public matching funds.
- PR: A majority of voters in Puerto Rico favor the territory becoming a U.S. state.
- RI voters approve a $10M bond initiative benefiting the arts and culture sectors.
- WA: Emily Randall becomes the first openly LGBTQ+ Latina elected to the U.S. Congress, signaling progress for intersectional representation.
- Governors across the U.S. form the nonpartisan coalition Governors Safeguarding Democracy to protect state-level institutions of democracy ahead of the incoming presidential administration.
- The Palm Springs City Council approves $5.9M in reparations for Black and Latino families whose homes were burned by the city 60 years ago.
- 103 years after the Tulsa Race Massacre, Monroe Nichols is elected to serve as mayor of Tulsa, OK, becoming the city’s first ever Black mayor.
- CNN publishes resources offering counseling, support, and practical guidance for the transgender and nonbinary community.
- We Need Diverse Books sends curated care packages of books and resources to LGBTQ+ teens.
- The American Civil Liberties Union outlines a comprehensive plan to challenge any voting rights restrictions anticipated during Trump’s second term including litigation against unconstitutional measures, advocating for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and promoting voter protection initiatives at state and local levels.
- Over 200 city mayors and county leaders organize to supporting pro-immigration policies.
- Several states and cities have committed to use no funding of their own police forces to assist ICE with Trumps’ threats to deport every “illegal immigrant” on “day one”.
- Former public defenders who now serve as federal judges draw on their professional experience to treat defendants with dignity, respect, and fairness.
- Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, the rate of vasectomy surgeries has increased.
- People are proactively stockpiling abortion medication from Aid Access.
- A federal court orders a former NYC mayor to turn over control of his valuable possessions and penthouse to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, the Georgia election workers he defamed.
- A new study shows that vigorous exercise can slow Parkinson’s more effectively than any current pharmaceutical intervention and lower the likelihood of developing the disease.
- In Oregon and California, tribes celebrate as four dams on the Klamath River are removed, bringing back hundreds salmon to spawn for the first time in over 100 years.
- A community-driven initiative in East Nashville has transformed an abandoned lot into a thriving urban garden, where local families can access free fresh produce.
- After losing his voice to a stroke, beloved country singer Randy Travis is back on tour thanks to his band and AI ingenuity.
- Mette Kvam, 81, in Norway is visited twice a day by a wild stag since her husband’s passing.
- A waiter in Canada learns the Cree language to better serve Indigenous customers, creating new connections within his community.
- Bakery owner discovers that a longtime customer is her biological son in a heartwarming reunion..
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Americans of Conscience Checklist
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