Good News Minute
And I promise it's actual good news
What a week, huh? I’m sure I’m not the only one who spent a good chunk of it wringing my hands, scrolling endlessly and feeling completely helpless. And let’s be clear, there’s a lot to feel helpless about.
But sandwiched between the deluge of announcements from the Trump Administration, there have been some wins. And if we are going to fight and survive the next 4 years, we’re going to need the reassurance and hope that comes from those wins.
Almost immediately after his inauguration, Trump made sweeping efforts to roll back DEI efforts in the public and private sector. While corporations like Target and Walmart caved immediately, other companies are resisting. Last Friday, a whopping 98% of Costco shareholders rejected a shareholder proposal for a report on risks posed by the company’s DEI policies1, implying that they will not be rolling back their diversity and inclusion efforts, at least for now. And just today, Deutsche Bank held a press conference reaffirming their commitment to DEI programs, joining the ranks of JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs2.
As our GOP leaders cut away at trans rights3 and reproductive rights4, there are people like comedian and writer Demi Adejuyigbe, who took to X/Twitter to announce that the money from his two most recent shows were donated to Trans Lifeline and Planned Parenthood.
Even more reassuring is the fact that Project Gutenberg, a site where people can read books for free, has seen over 60,000 hits on a guide to sabotaging fascism in the past month5. That number has likely increased since Bluesky users started posting about the viral phenomenon in the past couple of days.
This brings me to my last piece of news. Yesterday, a priest named Calvin Robinson took to Twitter/X to post footage of himself doing a Nazi salute at a pro-life summit6. Within hours, the Anglican Catholic Church published a statement saying that he is no longer serving as a priest and his license has been revoked7.
The statement from the Anglican Catholic Church goes on to say “Furthermore, we understand that this is not just an administrative matter. The Holocaust was an episode of unspeakable horror, enacted by a regime of evil men. We condemn Nazi ideology and anti-Semitism in all its forms. And we believe that those who mimic the Nazi salute, even as a joke or an attempt to troll their opponents, trivialize the horror of the Holocaust and diminish the sacrifice of those who fought against its perpetrators. Such actions are harmful, divisive, and contrary to the tenets of Christian charity.”
I don’t often side with churches.
I think it’s a sign of what’s to come.
Are our hearts ready for it?
Just today, I posted online saying I am willing to drive kids to and from school if their parents are worried about being detained by ICE. The first two people to respond to my post were people I met on my Mormon mission and during my time at Mormon Church employment. I am no longer Mormon and both of these individuals know that, but something bigger than our religious differences is at play right now. Can you feel it?
It feels so petty and childish to squabble over whether there’s a God, whether He loves us.
The pressing question of our time is, do we love each other? Are we showing up? Do we let our shared humanity bridge the gaps and the differences in our experiences?
It’s time to look for the good in each other and in the moment and get to work.
Jones, Jahan. “Target to End DEI Efforts, While Costco, Other Companies Resist Trump’s War on Diversity.” MSNBC.com, MSNBC, 24 Jan, 2025, https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/trump-dei-companies-target-jpmorgan-goldman-sachs-rcna189196
Murray Conor. “War on DEI: Deutsche Bank Stands ‘Firmly Behind’ Diversity Program as These Major Organizations Drop Them.” Forbes.com, Forbes, 30 Jan, 2025, https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/01/30/war-on-dei-deutsche-bank-stands-firmly-behind-diversity-program-as-these-major-organizations-drop-them/
Archie, Ayana. “Trump Signs an Order Restricting Gender-Affirming Care for Minors.” NPR, 29 Jan. 2025, www.npr.org/2025/01/29/nx-s1-5279092/trump-executive-order-gender-affirming-care.
Baker, Sarah. “Trump Administration Reinstates Policy to Restrict Abortion Worldwide | Center for Reproductive Rights.” Center for Reproductive Rights, 25 Jan. 2025, reproductiverights.org/trump-administration-reinstates-policy-to-restrict-abortion-worldwide/.
Koebler, Jason. “Declassified CIA Guide to Sabotaging Fascism Is Suddenly Viral.” 404 Media, 29 Jan. 2025, www.404media.co/declassified-cia-guide-to-sabotaging-fascism-is-suddenly-viral/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
https://x.com/calvinrobinson/status/1884737392537403840
Munn, Jonathan. “A Statement on Calvin Robinson | Anglican Catholic Church.” Anglicancatholic.org.uk, 2025, www.anglicancatholic.org.uk/2025/01/30/a-statement-on-calvin-robinson/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.