Chart: The world is now investing twice as much in clean energy as in fossil fuels. From Canary Media
Hi, all, and happy Sunday!
It’s been an absolutely brutal week, but we’ve still got good news to celebrate—in fact quite a lot of it. So take a break from doomscrolling and spend some time reveling in the wins we saw both here and in other countries over the last seven days.
Remember, what we focus on tends to grow, so let’s spend at least a bit of time focussing on progress, success, and goodness. It’s still out there!
Have a lovely Sunday, and please share this good news widely.
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We Do What We Can. Gorgeous.
Celebrate This! 🎉
Senator Chris Van Hollen’s amendment in the Senate Appropriations Committee to “retain, preserve and compile” any records related to Jeffrey Epstein passed unanimously. On that note, the Epstein files are proving to be a real thorn in Trump’s shoe, and I’m here for it.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials in Germany have discovered a new, low-carbon way to source nickel using hydrogen plasma—instead of coal-derived coke—to extract it from ore.
Former state officials from Montana have launched an ambitious effort to ban dark money and corporate spending from local politics in the state.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass has signed an executive order to provide cash cards worth several hundred dollars—funded by philanthropy—to undocumented immigrants who miss work due to fear of ICE raids.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from defunding Planned Parenthood.
US District Court Judge Nina Wang has fined two of Mike Lindell’s attorneys $3,000 apiece for their error-riddled AI-generated legal brief. Lindell, of My Pillow, lost the defamation case and is on the hook for $2.3M in damages.
Amazon’s first day traffic on Amazon Prime Day was down 41%.
A federal appeals court in New York officially affirmed the jury verdict that found President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll and fined him 5M.
The DNC launched an automated account on Twitter that updates the public about Trump’s refusal to release the Epstein files.
Linda Yaccarino announced she is stepping down from her role as CEO of X.
Mahmoud Khalil filed a claim for $20 million in damages against the Trump administration for wrongful imprisonment.
Poland generated more power from clean energy sources than coal for the first time in June.
Michael Jordan opened his fourth free clinic for people who are uninsured or underserved in North Carolina, his home state.
Pattie Gonia became the first drag queen to make the Time 100 list.
Over 20 scientists from research institutions across the nation whose grants have been canceled by the Trump administration showed up to Capitol Hill to hold an old-fashioned science fair titled “The Things We’ll Never Know: A Science Fair of Canceled Grants.”
Mexico sent water rescue teams and firefighters to help in Texas after the holiday weekend floods.
A new Gallup poll taken over the month of June shows Trump support on “handling the immigration issue” now stands at 35% with 62% opposing.
The California Department of Education and California Interscholastic Federation leaders refused to sign a pledge to ban transgender athletes from competition, defying the Trump administration.
Gavin Newsom did a two-day tour of South Carolina, calling on voters across rural areas to exercise their “moral authority” in standing up to Trump and Republicans in next year’s midterm elections.
The former Librarian of Congress abruptly fired by President Donald Trump has found a new position with the country’s largest philanthropic supporter of the arts.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has cleared the way for a ban on LGBTQ+ conversion therapy, deciding that a Republican-controlled legislative committee rule blocking bans on the practice was unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to revive an aggressive Florida immigration law that had been blocked by lower courts. The law would let state officials prosecute unauthorized migrants who enter the state.
The White House is backing away from plans to abolish FEMA.
A prominent Georgia Republican was charged by the feds with running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded 300 investors of at least $140 million.
Ken Paxton’s wife announced she is divorcing him— “on Biblical grounds.”
Rhode Island expanded access to their permanent mail ballot application list to all voters AND established new election worker protections.
New Mexico’s automatic voter registration law officially went into effect.1
Americans who think global warming is happening now outnumber those who think it is not by a ratio of more than 4 to 1 (69% versus 15%).
Pope Leo XIV held a special Mass in the gardens of the Vatican’s new ecological educational center, calling on people to change their mind about what is causing “the world to burn” and urging Catholics to “hear the cry of the poor.”
Larry David is returning to HBO with an American history sketch show produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company.
The Catholic Church’s approval of blessings of couples in same-sex relationships “will remain” under Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Vatican’s doctrine office told an Italian reporter in a brief interview.
In a searing ruling against the Trump administration, a federal judge temporarily blocked federal agents from using racial profiling to carry out indiscriminate immigration arrests that advocates say have terrorized Los Angelenos, forced people into hiding and damaged L.A.’s local economy.
Texas clarified the definition of consent in its sexual assault laws in the last minutes of state lawmakers’ latest legislative session. This was a direct result of the activism of one woman, Summer Willis.
The River Seine in Paris reopened to public swimming for the first time in a century.
Lisbon, Portugal launched a citywide reusable cup scheme to reduce plastic waste.
TSA changed its “shoe rule” and will no longer require airline passengers to remove their shoes at security.
Saudi Arabia is building “an entire industrial ecosystem” around electric vehicles.
A newly completed investigation by Wyoming’s largest county found no evidence of noncitizen voting in the 2024 elections, undercutting claims used to justify the state’s controversial proof of citizenship law.
U.S. charitable giving increased 3.3% to $593 billion in 2024.
After decades of conservation efforts, Maryland is now home to one of the biggest populations of bald eagles in the U.S.
A federal judge AGAIN blocked the Trump administration from enforcing his executive order ending birthright citizenship.
In 2024, men spent an average of 100 minutes per day doing household activities like laundry and cleaning, a record-high amount as captured by the American Time Use Survey.
A city workers’ union struck a deal with the Philadelphia government to end a strike that had paused garbage pickup for over a week.
Minnesota legislators committed more than $800,000 in grant money to fund outdoor learning experiences for students in grades 4 through 12.
A three-judge panel of the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s ruling that election officials must certify election results by the legal deadline.
Governor Josh Stein signed a bill to strengthen North Carolina’s Medicaid program.
Shares in Tesla are heading for a sharp fall in the US as investors fear Elon Musk’s launch of a new political party will present further problems for the electric carmaker.
French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into X over allegations that the company manipulated its algorithms for the puepose of “froreign interference.”
Atlanta passed a ordinance updating the city’s building code to require reflective roofing materials on new buildings, a move aimed at cutting down heat trapped by traditional dark roofs.
Colorado, Connecticut, and Maine all passed legislation in June tightening requirements on companies offering recurring billing, including clearer disclosures, timely renewal reminders, and easier cancellation options.
A lawsuit alleging that Workday, one of the largest recruiting software platforms, uses discriminatory job applicant screening technology was recently granted collective action status by a California judge. This marks the first time a class-action challenge to the use of artificial intelligence in applicant screening and hiring has been allowed to move forward.
30 Indigenous Amazonian communities just won a historic court case against a gold mine in Colombia.
A coalition of eight countries has pledged to tax so-called premium fliers as a way to raise funds for climate action.
Watch This! 👀
By @chaseejamess on Instagram.
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The first graph actually IS bad news. Look at that plot. Investment in new fossil fuel infrastructure isn’t decreasing. We’re not getting a transition from fossil fuels to renewables. We’re getting a world of fossil fuels AND renewables.
This is the crucial failure of relying on market forces to power the energy transition. Capitalism is good at nothing if not finding and exploiting useful resources, and there are no more useful resources than energy. As long as fossil fuels are still available, someone WILL find a use for them. And ultimately only ending fossil fuel use will help the climate. The number of solar panels and wind turbines we build is irrelevant to the climate. All that matters is how much carbon we emit into the atmosphere.
Now, there is one silver lining to this. Eventually we are going to have to outright ban fossil fuels extraction. We may even have to use military force to end fossil fuel extraction. And that only becomes possible if fossil fuels represent a small portion of our overall energy mix. Banning fossil fuels isn’t possible when they represent the majority of our energy use. But if they represent just 10%, then we’ll be in a position to finally just straight-up make it illegal to drill for oil.