06/01/2026
GOOD NEWS of the past week compiled by Jess Craven:
A federal judge in Miami reopened Trump’s $10 billion case against the I.R.S., saying that she wanted to investigate “grievous allegations” that the hasty deal to resolve it was “premised on deception.” This happened after 35 former federal judges filed a motion in Miami Federal District Court asking her to do this.
Separately, a federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia temporarily blocked the Trump administration from taking any further steps to set up or disburse money from the fund. This is HUGE!
A majority of the artists who were announced as performers for Trump’s “Great American State Fair” have dropped out of their appearances. All that remain are half of Milli Vanilli and Vanilla Ice. Sad! Trump now wants to cancel the concert completely.
A federal judge ordered that the Kennedy Center remove Trump’s name from the building’s facade and all official branding. He also temporarily blocked the institution from shuttering this summer for renovations. Trump is furious and threatening to quit oversight of the institution. That’s the best part of all!
The U.S. House’s transportation committee folded rail safety legislation into Congress’ must-pass transportation bill, all but guaranteeing its passage.
Amid ticket prices reaching well into the thousands of dollars, the New York Knicks announced it would provide hundreds of free tickets to the NBA Finals for underprivileged youth across the city.
Some internet connectivity is returning in Iran after nearly 90 days offline. It isn’t clear if the reconnection is permanent, but it’s something.
Maryland enacted a package of bills improving election administration and voter access.
Colorado’s League of Women Voters chapter withdrew a planned “Leader of Democracy” award for CO Governor Polis due to his granting clemency to Tina Peters.
DuckDuckGo installs are up 30% as people leave Google AI overview behind.
Bruce Springsteen took a moment during a concert in DC to draw attention to the unrest that’s been revolving around Delaney Hall in his native New Jersey and demand better treatment for immigrants.
In Tennessee the Knox County Schools Superintendent informed the Board of Ed that KCS was to return "Roots" by Alex Haley to circulation in KCS school libraries, "effective immediately." Because yes, they tried to ban it two weeks ago.
The Trump administration is looking into selling some of the large warehouses that ICE purchased earlier this year to serve as mega-detention centers for immigrants, according to two DHS officials. ICE is also considering selling several planes that were purchased or leased under Noem’s leadership.
Doctors have hailed “unprecedented” trial results that show a triple-action cancer jab can eradicate entire tumors in patients.
Netflix Animation Studios production workers have ratified their first union contract with The Animation Guild.
Peter Magyar is allowing Budapest Pride to take place this year! It was banned under Orban.
A faith-based movement is destroying guns and turning them into gardening tools.
Rep. Mike Flood, a Republican from a ruby-red district in Nebraska, was jeered by constituents angry with Trump’s policies at a town hall Tuesday evening.
The cost of a used EV is now competitive with that of a used gas car.
The No Kings movement has announced a nationwide event on June 14, directly counter-programming Trump’s 80th birthday celebrations and an Ultimate Fighting Championship bout on the south lawn of the White House.
A federal trade court has ordered Rodney S. Scott, the head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to appear at a hearing next month on the Trump administration’s handling of roughly $166 billion in tariff refunds.
Trump this week became the most unpopular president since the Economist’s poll started in 2009.
California fire officials conducted an operation that eliminated the risk of a chemical tank explosion in California, allowing around 50,000 residents to return to their homes. This is an enormous relief to all of us in SoCal.
In his first published manifesto, Pope Leo XIV called for robust AI regulation and condemned its use in military operations.
A study found that wetlands created by beavers store carbon at rates up to ten times greater than nearby systems without beavers.
Bruce Springsteen, the Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Brittany Howard and Joan Baez will headline a star-studded protest festival set for the Washington, D.C., area a month before the midterm elections.
The Portland City Council approved an ordinance to ban masks and require clear identification for federal agents and other law enforcement officers.
A data center in La Pine, OR was unanimously vetoed by the city council after mass protest from residents of the extremely red town.
A Pew Research Center study finds that 60% of Americans across the political spectrum believe that environmental protections are worth the cost.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation prohibiting federal agents from accessing voter rolls or election technology without a court order, with the law taking effect immediately.
Brazil's deforestation fell to its lowest level since 2019 in 2025.
Federal judges dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuits against Maine and Wisconsin that sought to force state officials to turn over voters’ private information.
RI state Rep. Katherine Kazarian was elected House Majority Leader, becoming the first woman in state history to serve in the position.
Law enforcement officials from Minnesota and Texas arrested an ICE agent accused of shooting a Venezuelan immigrant this year and lying about it.
The level of “forever chemicals” in Canadian seabird eggs dropped dramatically in the last 55 years. Conservationists hailed the decline as a clear sign that environmental regulations can create real change.
Drivers for ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft celebrated after Massachusetts became the first state to recognize their union, a milestone in the growing effort to organize gig-economy workers classified as independent contractors under federal labor law.
For the first time, Planned Parenthood clinics in Washington and Hawaii will offer “just in case abortion pills,” which allow patients to stock up on medication before they need it.
Pope Leo XIV made a historic apology for the Vatican’s role in legitimizing slavery and for having failed to condemn it for centuries, calling it a “wound in Christian memory.
House Democrats have introduced a bill to block Trump’s proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington Memorial Cemetery.
South Carolina became the first Republican state to fail at passing a new map since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act last month. The effort collapsed when the state senate abruptly adjourned its special session without passing a redistricting bill.
Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that calls for state agencies to explore ways to mitigate job losses stemming from AI.
Activist Erin Brockovich has launched a map to track data centers (find the website here).
After local pushback, Andover New Jersey canceled a data center project and passed a complete ban on constructing any others!
The East Vincent Board of Supervisors in PA denied an application to build a hyperscale data center on the grounds of the former Pennhurst Hospital.
New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores and State Senator Mike Gianaris have proposed what Bores dubbed the “Anti-Insurrectionist Act,” taxing any payoffs Trump gives to New York residents at 100%. California is doing something similar!
Vietnam War veterans sued the Trump regime over his arch blocking the view of Arlington Cemetery.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the creation of a new Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE), aimed at making city government work better for ordinary people.
Berkeley just became the first city in the nation to implement a policy mandating environmental upgrades for home sales.
Vermont became the first US state to ban the weedkilling pesticide paraquat, citing concerns about research showing the chemical substantially increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
The Supreme Court threw out a long-shot lawsuit in which Florida sought to sue California and Washington for allegedly allowing people who entered the country illegally to obtain commercial truck driver’s licenses.
YouTube announced it would now automatically label AI videos as such.
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