gNewsense is alive and well.
Currently in beta phase for gNewsense 4.0 Ucclia, tracking Debian Wheezy.
Work will begin soon on the next version based on Debian Jessie.
There should be more love for gNewsense and Trisquel, especially between the
two communities. They are more like siblings then the other distros.
Trisquel is great for those that want bleeding edge latest programs and
Ubuntu additions,gNewsense for those who value stability and a more
conservative approach, or for those that do not like Ubuntu or its
derivatives.