We’re all hungry for hope, and malign actors are meeting that need with a proliferation of fake feel-good tales. False hope is more dangerous than no hope at all, so I only share stories I can verify — and that keeps getting harder. Today we offer a year-end wrap up of hopeful real stories. If you need a boost, click through!
A few months ago nationwide demonstrations made Sinclair and Nexstar un-cancel Kimmel. Now CBS cancelled a 60-minutes documentary on illegal deportation of immigrants hours before it was scheduled to air. Pushback is still organizing, but you know who keeps on going through every scandal? PBS, despite the funding cuts.
For $5/mo get extended content and help support PBS.
While endlessly relitigating past elections hurts us, it’s also important to engage in genuine, fact-based analysis of losses. The DNC did just that, promising to release the report…then decided not to release it. With conspiracy theories swirling and distrust rampant, transparency is more important than ever.
Email DNC Chair Ken Martin, demanding he release the report.
On this, the last night of Chanukah, the internet is swarming with claims that the massacre one week ago on Bondi Beach was a false-flag operation. This is the kind of obviously false propaganda we laugh at MAGA believing, yet some anti-Trump groups have hundreds of comments insisting Israel killed Jews in Australia. Disinformation fuels fascism, so we fight it wherever we encounter it.
Fight antisemitism Find Out How »
Movies teach us resistance is about complicated plots and brave attacks, but mostly, it isn’t. Resistance is about sticking together and refusing to give up. Yesterday I felt blue, and first a friend mentioned getting a good idea on this site, then another friend showed up to laugh and eat at a public Chanukiah lighting. I feel better today. Who can you encourage, right now?
Trump’s approval rating keeps dropping. The more people learn about his actions, the less they like them. Yes, even MAGA (see footnote.)
A UK researcher maintains a list organized by “domains” like violating norms or attacking institutions. Bookmark the site and browse through it periodically. Each listing has a link to reporting. When something surprises you, share the link so others learn about it too.
