Dear John,
It can be all too easy to be overwhelmed at the news, but this week we're drawing courage from people relentlessly calling for peace in Palestine and organizing for a better world - from college students and elected leaders like Summer Lee and Ilhan Omar speaking out against genocide, to climate organizers and Minneapolis educators pushing for wins that will impact generations. When we get discouraged contending with a status quo that prioritizes profit over peace and our planet, it helps to remember how many people are bravely fighting for a better world, and support or join them.
Here's what we're reading, watching, and listening to this week:
1. College protests against genocide of Palestinians
Following arrests at Columbia University, students at 40+ colleges have begun their own protests against the ongoing genocide in Palestine, including at University of Minnesota.
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2. Recognizing past and present climate wins
In 1972, DDT was banned, saving many bird species from extinction. Since the 1980s, the end of our use of chlorofluorocarbons ended the degradation of the ozone, which has slowly been repairing. And the threat of acid rain is no more, after the Clean Air Act of 1990 limited sulfur emissions. With rising efficiency of renewables thanks to both scientific advancement and government investment, coal is in a tailspin, and many experts forecast carbon dioxide emissions peaking sometime between 2025 and 2030. We still have a long way to go, but climate organizers around the world have much progress to celebrate.
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3. Summer Lee beats back primary contender
Summer Lee, a progressive elected in 2022 despite heavy opposition by AIPAC, has beat her own primary challenger, all while championing progressive values, including loudly supporting Palestine. She reminds us that all politics starts at the local level, and that no impact is too small to be worth fighting for.
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4. Minneapolis teachers win tentative union agreement
Minneapolis Federation of Teachers 59 has reached a tentative agreement, and are asking attention and support be redirected to their ESP chapter. We love to see the power of collective organizing and solidarity!
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5. Trump doubles down on fascism
In deeply concerning news, Trump's lawyer argued that the president has "absolute immunity", even if he should decide to "order the military to assassinate [his rival]" or even "order the military to stage a coup".
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6. The ethics of extraction
The transition away from fossil fuels requires a massive amount of lithium and other precious metals. We must move away from the extractive mindset that drove us into the climate crisis, and set clear moral safeguards and pollution standards that ensure we do not poison local communities and create another form of climate crisis.
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7. Minneapolis leading American cities in recovery
Downtown districts have struggled since 2020 and the ongoing COVID pandemic. However, despite detractors who fearmonger about the impact of Defund the Police protests and claim that progressive policies of the Twin Cities have made them too dangerous, Minneapolis saw the strongest recovery in 2023 of any major US city. It just goes to show that policies that redress racial inequalities and support working class people make a world that is better for all of us, and there is so much more we can do.
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8. Ilhan Omar joins Columbia University protesters
Minnesota's own Ilhan Omar joined students at Columbia University to support their organizing and vocal opposition to apartheid and genocide in Gaza.
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9. Thousands of U of M workers could unionize with new bill
Current state law makes unionization very difficult for specific subsets of U of M workers, but state legislators are looking to change that with a new bill.
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10. Raffi fighting facism
Pick up your Bananaphones and download Raffi’s new album, “Penny Penguin,” which dropped on April 19! One of our favorite children’s singers, we loved to read in this article that Raffi also speaks out against facism, supports a Ceasefire in Gaza, and is a climate activist.
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And that's a wrap!
Send us what you’re reading, watching and listening to.
Until next time,
Mattias Lehman (he/him)
Communications & Narrative Director
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