Dear John,
#HotSummer turned up the heat this week with Hurricane Idalia wreaking havoc in Florida. We are heartbroken to see the devastation brought to the communities along the coast and are in solidarity with those in Florida who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods due to the wreckage.
In this week’s News Digest, we’re highlighting climate justice and the environmental health impacts of climate change. You’ll also see #HotLaborSummer articles to start your Labor Day weekend off right, commemorating the long history of organizing for workers’ rights and solidarity with our current labor movement.
Here’s what we’re reading, watching and listening to this week.
1. Hurricane Idalia
The Category 3 storm hit Florida’s coast, from Gainesville to just south of Tallahassee. Winds reached up to 125 mph, and more than 160,000 residents lost power. With Desantis’ immigration policy that went into law July 1, groups like the Florida Immigrant Coalition are organizing to make sure immigrants are informed about their rights to shelter and resources and that immigration authorities are not unlawfully operating during the state of emergency.
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2. Water Protectors still fighting criminal charges
Minnesota law enforcement made over 1,000 arrests of activists protesting Line 3 between 2020 and 2021. At least 967 criminal charges were made, and Water Protectors are still organizing to get charges cleared. Says Claire Glenn, attorney at the Climate Defense Project, “The pattern of heavier and heavier criminalization is undeniable. It’s a tactic which aims to divide and distract activists, suppress dissent and stop ordinary folks getting involved as more and more people wake-up to the urgency of the situation … tying people up for years is a huge emotional and energy drag.”
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3. Walking for water
Nibi Walks (Nibi means water in Ojibwe) are Indigenous-led ceremonies spanning two decades of solidarity that “express gratitude for water and pray for its health.” Water walkers are now gathering once again to fill their traditional copper pails with water and walk in solitude for a portion of the circumference of Lake Superior. Their practice is inspiring me (Laura) as we organize for clean water across our state. This passage from the article struck me: “picking up whatever — or whomever — may come, and carrying, ceaselessly, onward.” Onward we will go.
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4. #BigCleanEnergy goals
Minnesota’s own city of Morris has been recognized nationally by the U.S. Department of Energy for their revolutionary strides towards renewable energy and sustainability! In fact, there’s even a name for their accomplishment: the Morris Model. The town has over 100 active sustainability projects, “from renewable energy to composting food waste.” Yes, even the town liquor store is now powered by solar panels! We love to see rural Minnesota leading the way in environmental sustainability. :)
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5. Spreading compost love
Organizers in Baltimore are fighting environmental injustice by diverting food waste away from the waste-to-energy incinerator into compost. Read more about Marvin Hayes, his all-electric fleet and the Baltimore Compost Collective in this Mother Jones feature.
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6. Air Pollution: The world’s greatest external risk to human health
New studies are out about the impact of dirty air on life expectancy. Check out this Minnesota Reformer article with more information about air quality in Minnesota, around the world, and how policies and climate change are impacting health outcomes.
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7. Medical Debt: Cleared
In St. Paul, Mayor Melvin Carter released his 2024 budget proposal. His proposal includes using federal pandemic funds to provide medical relief for St. Paul residents.
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8. Voting Rights: Restored
I (Laura) am so proud of my former co-worker, Antonio Williams, who has been a leader in Minnesota’s Restore the Vote campaign. Antonio and I worked closely together on several campaigns, from a Public Safety Deep Canvass in 2021 to the Minneapolis municipal elections. Yet, this November will be the first time he will be able to participate as a voter since being released from prison. “Now here I am able to vote . . . it's gonna be like, 'Oh, wow, I just did it.'" Now that formerly incarcerated people have their voting rights restored, the next challenge for organizers like Antonio is to get them to the polls.
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9. UPS Teamsters share lessons learned
The biggest lesson learned? “Unions work, and not just for the workers being represented, but for all workers.” Thanks to the success of the Teamsters and their tentative agreement with the UPS, their employees will have the highest wages in the parcel industry, higher than both Amazon or FedEx!
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10. Reality TV stars… are organizing
Bethenny Frankel of the Real Housewives of New York is pushing for a….. Union?! That’s right, as she is quoted by the LA Times, “Reality stars are the stepchildren, the losers, the mules, the pack horses, the ones that the entertainment industry is going to rely on right now…” and they deserve worker protections too. Pop off, Bethenny!
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And that’s a wrap!
Send us what you’re reading, watching and listening to.
Until next time,
Laura Kiernan (she/her)
Fundraising Specialist
Jessica Zimmerman (she/her)
Development Director
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