{"id":14058,"date":"2013-02-27T15:25:52","date_gmt":"2013-02-27T20:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/slacktivist\/?p=14058"},"modified":"2013-02-27T15:25:52","modified_gmt":"2013-02-27T20:25:52","slug":"more-good-news-for-people-who-like-good-news-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/slacktivist\/2013\/02\/27\/more-good-news-for-people-who-like-good-news-2\/","title":{"rendered":"More good news for people who like good news"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4KYIo0NsQl4<\/a>\n<\/p>

\u2022 \u201cUnited States on Track to Graduate 90 Percent of High School Students By 2020<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

Much of the jump in high school graduation had to do with increases in the graduation rate of Hispanic and African American students. The Hispanic high school completion rate was only 61 percent in 2006; it was 71.4 percent in 2010. The African American graduation rates increased from 59.2 percent in 2006 to more than 66 percent in 2010.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u2022 \u201cAt the time of repeal [of Don\u2019t Ask, Don\u2019t Tell], I committed to reviewing benefits that had not previously been available to same-sex partners based on existing law and policy. It is a matter of fundamental equity that we provide similar benefits to all of those men and women in uniform who serve their country. The department already provides a group of benefits that are member-designated. Today, I am pleased to announce that after a thorough and deliberate review, the department will extend additional benefits to same-sex partners of service members<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cRenewable-energy capacity in the U.S. almost doubled from 2009 to 2012<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cThe YouTube orchestra CDZA found four couples at a New York City senior living center and performed their wedding song. Each couple shares with the camera the story of their relationship<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cThe rate of juvenile detention has fallen to its lowest national level in 35 years<\/a>, with almost every state indicating fewer young people being incarcerated, a new analysis of federal statistics shows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 World<\/em> magazine has published yet another article allowing an actual historian to point out that David Barton is, at best, woefully confused and misinformed<\/a>. Yes, everyone ought to know that by now, but it\u2019s good to see it being said in an arch-conservative evangelical publication.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Illinois Senate voted in favor of marriage equality by a margin of 34-21<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cAt this point, the gay guy had had it<\/a>. He jumps back up from his seat and says, \u2018I am a man. And I\u2019m a good man.\u00a0 And I\u2019m a gay man. And Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me. Jesus \u2026\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this point, you hear another guy say \u2018yeah!\u2019 and the entire train starts applauding the gay man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 Shane Koyczan\u2019s \u201cTo This Day Project<\/a>\u201d video has been viewed more than 4.3 million times on YouTube.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Charles Kuffner relays the news<\/a> that:<\/p>\n

Mayor Annise Parker and the Houston Police Department today announced details of a plan that will eliminate the backlog of untested sexual assault kits. Under the plan, which will be formally considered by Houston City Council next week, the untested kits will be sent to two outside labs for testing. It is anticipated the work will be completed in 12-14 months.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Justice delayed is, at least, better than nothing. Houston isn\u2019t the only big city with a huge backlog of untested rape kits. If we didn\u2019t have a dysfunctional Congress, fixing that with federal grants would help create jobs as well as improve public safety. If we didn\u2019t have a dysfunctional Congress.<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cAcross America fewer homes are boarded up<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

And fewer people are \u201cdoubled up\u201d sharing a tight apartment with friends or parents.<\/p>\n

According to the Census Bureau, vacancy rates for residential housing in the United States have fallen to levels last seen before the peak of the housing boom in 2006 and the subsequent recession.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2022 The Westboro Baptist Church\u2019s attempt to picket a high school in Santa Monica, Calif., did not go well for the Westboro Baptist Church<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Jesus loves Fred far more than Fred loves Jesus, but he at least has the decency to recognize the unfairness of that lopsided relationship and he has long wished that he were better at maybe kind of sort of doing something more to correct that some day. A Baptist, an amateur, a Gen-Xer, a Gemini and a Mets fan, Fred lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with his wife and two teenage daughters. 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A former managing editor of Prism magazine, Fred worked in the parachurch nonprofit world for a decade and then for a decade in the newspaper biz. He began blogging in 2002. In 2003 he began writing a review of the best-selling Left Behind series. Eight years later he still hasn\u2019t finished reviewing the second book of that series and the experience has left him a broken shell of a man. Fred knows the difference between the possessive \u201cits\u201d and the contraction \u201cit\u2019s,\u201d and he is acutely bothered when others mistakenly confuse the two, yet he himself just kind of instinctively types the apostrophe whether or not it belongs there. Some feel this is his greatest hypocrisy, but those who know him better know better. He\u2019s guilty of much greater hypocrisies. Jesus loves Fred far more than Fred loves Jesus, but he at least has the decency to recognize the unfairness of that lopsided relationship and he has long wished that he were better at maybe kind of sort of doing something more to correct that some day. A Baptist, an amateur, a Gen-Xer, a Gemini and a Mets fan, Fred lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with his wife and two teenage daughters. 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