Good news for people who want to do good: Week 63

Welcome to your weekly roundup of good news about good people, how you can help make a difference — and a picture of President Obama to make you smile.

A record number of women are running for the House 

Women candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives set a record this week!

As of Thursday, a total of 309 mostly Democratic women are running for the House, topping the previous record of 298 set in 2012. And, with over half of states’ filing periods still open, the number could go even higher!

According to the Associated Press, this year marks “one of the best opportunities for women to make real gains in terms of representation and a change in priorities.”

ACTION ALERT: Boot Pruitt

With EPA chief Scott Pruitt at the center of so many scandals, it can be hard to remember that he has a responsibility to Americans to protect the environment.

And he’s failing us big time. In response, the #BootPruitt campaign is seeking Pruitt’s resignation — not just because he’s an ethics disaster, but because Americans deserve to live the healthiest lives they can live.

Sign the petition here.

100,000 teens are pre-registered to vote in California

California’s push to get 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote has reached 100,000 teenagers, according to California’s secretary of state.

“This is a big milestone,” Alex Padilla, the California secretary of state, told the L.A. Times. “I’m optimistic it’s going to translate into action at the ballot box.”

The numbers showed a surge in teen sign-ups following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and the massive national protests in March.

ACTION ALERT: Tax March is Sunday, April 15

Sunday, April 15, marks the one-year anniversary of the 2017 Tax March, when citizens came together to demand that Trump release his tax forms.

This year, events are planned across the country to demand an end to the GOP tax scam, which will raise taxes for nearly 100 million families and strip health care from 13 million people — all to benefit the wealthiest Americans and corporations.

Find an event near you to make your voice heard!

5,000 new voters registered at March for Our Lives

The teens leading the #NeverAgain and March for Our Lives movement won’t be stopped. According to the nonprofit Headcount, 4,800 people, mostly under 30, registered to vote on the day of the March for Our Lives — and that’s not including those who went online to register.

“When Emma Gonzalez gave that incredible speech that ended with a call to everybody to register to vote, it was like, ‘Okay, what can we do?’” Aaron Ghitelman, director of communications at Headcount, told Voice of America News.

What they did was shatter their single-day voter registration record. The gun lobby is on notice!

You can register to vote with Headcount or become a volunteer at one of their events here.

ACTION ALERT: Sign the petition to #defenddiplomacy

More than 200 former ambassadors and diplomats have signed a letter urging the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to thoroughly examine Mike Pompeo, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state following his Twitter-firing of Rex Tillerson.

The letter pretty righteously calls on the committee to ask Pompeo how he plans to “restore the power and influence of American diplomacy.” The signatories are demanding better leadership and more resources — we think that’s the bare minimum.

Pompeo’s confirmation hearing is set for April 12. Read the full letter and sign the petition to demand action here.

ACTION ALERT: Stop Pompeo

If you have no patience at all for Pompeo, you’re not alone. The #StopPompeo Twitter campaign allows you to target Senate Democrats who voted to confirm Pompeo as CIA director. You can also join a #StopPompeo Thunderclap organized by MoveOn from now until April 11.

Florida mayors are suing for their right to protect their cities from gun violence

A group of Florida mayors is suing the state to win back the right to implement gun regulations in their municipalities.

Because of a 2011 statute backed by the gun lobby, elected local officials currently face fines of up to $5,000 or risk losing their jobs for trying to enact local gun control law.

Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli of Coral Gables, Florida, told the Sun-Sentinel, “It’s the right thing to do… [Current rules are] unconstitutional because we have the duty to regulate our zoning and public safety. The state is making it impossible for us.”

Gwen Graham’s new ad aims directly at Trump in Florida

Gwen Graham, a boss Democrat running for governor of Florida, knows exactly where to hit Trump — namely, Twitter and Mar-a-Lago.

Graham plans to heavily promote an ad, in which she emphatically states “Donald Trump is an embarrassment,” across social media platforms, including Twitter, in the Palm Beach region of Florida, to make absolutely sure it won’t be missed at Trump’s favorite private getaway.

Governor Kate Brown of Oregon is standing up to Trump

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is not putting up with Trump’s nonsense.

She took to Twitter to confirm she has no plans to dispatch troops to U.S.-Mexico border at Trump’s behest, following a proclamation he signed last week ordering more troops to the border based on truly bogus claims of greater “illegal activity.”

If @realDonaldTrump asks me to deploy Oregon Guard troops to the Mexico border, I’ll say no. As Commander of Oregon’s Guard, I’m deeply troubled by Trump’s plan to militarize our border.

— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) April 4, 2018

Beloved political portraitist named editor at the Paris Review 

Thirty-four-year-old Emily Nemens has just been named editor of the Paris Review, after a long search to replace a male editor who resigned after multiple claims of sexual misconduct made against him by female employees and writers.

Nemens, an editor, writer, and illustrator, made headlines in 2013 and 2014 for her depictions of the gender imbalance in Congress, and illustrations of women such as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Hillary Clinton.

[media-credit name=”Women of the 113th Congress — Emily Nemens” align=”aligncenter” width=”696″][/media-credit]

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