Dear John,
Award season is upon us, and while Trump’s administration only deserves a Razzie for his presidency, there are countless organizers, activists, and journalists who deserve all the props for fighting to keep our communities intact in the face of extremely hateful and downright illegal attacks.
So, this week’s News Digest is TakeAction’s awards for our favorite and most impactful content covering how we are all fighting back against the Trump administration and MAGA shenanigans in our state.
Here’s what we’re reading, watching, and listening to this week.
1. Best in Strategic Resources: Pro-Democracy Organizing against Autocracy in the United States: A Strategic Assessment & Recommendations
This report is an excellent resource crafted by not only political scientists but also organizers and activists who helped refine and build the strategy. We’re all being intentionally spread thin right now, with a new horrifying executive order or bill proposal coming down the pike nearly every day that makes it hard to get clear and focused on defeating the rising authoritarianism in our country. Check out strategic resources like these that keep us organized and effective.
[link removed]
2. Best in Tracking the Trump Administration: Democracy 2025 Response Center
The Democracy 2025 Response Center serves as an excellent tracker for real-time information and analysis on the actions (and legal reactions) from the Trump administration. You can find the bills and executive orders with updates on how they’re being challenged across America.
[link removed]
3. People’s Choice Lawyer Against Trump: Attorney General Keith Ellison
Attorney General Keith Ellison and his team continue to be a lighthouse in the Trump administration storm by fighting each and every day for the people of Minnesota through challenging Trump’s executive orders. Even if Trump decides to target Minnesota, AG Ellison is more organized than every and ready to deploy his team to protect folks in our state and across the country.
[link removed]
4. Hottest in Unionizing: 1,100 Macalester student workers unionize in first for Minnesota
Undergraduate students at Macalester college have secured a historic win and achieved unionization with an overwhelming vote in favor to unionize undergraduate students. Unionizing undergraduate student workers isn’t common across the United States – Macalasters students are setting a new precedent for fair wages and working conditions for students across Minnesota.
[link removed]
5. Best in Union News and Issues: America’s Work Force Union Podcast
Our labor unions have long been a core part of organizing and are critical to the wellbeing of the American workforce, whether you’re part of a union or not. The America’s Work Force Union Podcast brings voices from across labor movements in America to share direct updates about how they’re fighting for the hard working people of our country. [link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
6. Best in Debunking Trans Athlete Fear Mongering: HRC’s Get the Facts about Bans on Sports Participation By Transgender & Non-Binary Students
The NCAA, which governs college sports in the United States, has banned transgender female athletes from playing in college sports games. This fear-mongering is resulting in wholesale bans on predominantly transgender girls from participation. The Human Rights Campaign has curated answers to common questions, videos debunking myths about trans athletes, and so much more to help fight back against rampant misinformation on trans athletes.
[link removed]
[link removed]
7. Best in Gender Mythology Analysis: Lost in a (Mis)Gendered Appalachia
Many regions across the United States have stereotypes about the type of folks who live there, and Appalachia has some of the most pervasive and embedded of them all. It’s often written off as Trump country, hillbillies, or bumpkins despite its rich history in the labor movement, civil rights, and so much more. Leah Hampton dives into her own experience in Appalachia and examines how this narrative has been crafted and ingrained into the culture.
[link removed]
8. Best in Progressive Perspectives: The Fire These Times Podcast
The Fire These Times podcast brings rich perspectives from across the world, the hosts hailing from the Lebanese, Jewish, Palestinian, Syrian, and Armenian diasporas. This podcast works to address how we build new, equitable society in the shell of the old, capitalistic ways. They tackle deep, complex geopolitical topics from a radically hopeful perspective to fight for a better tomorrow.
[link removed]
9. Best in Documentaries: No Other Land
We’ve seen so much of Palestine through our phones, a sea of horrors and immense grief. No Other Land, a documentary created by Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham documenting life in Adra’s village under Israeli occupation, brings the ongoing struggle for peace and human rightsto the big screen and won an Oscar for best documentary for their courageous work. Co-Director, Basel Adra, called out the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians directly in his acceptance speech, speaking of his family’s and community’s constant fear of violence, home demolitions, and forceful displacements they’ve endured and resisted for decades under Israeli occupation. His directing partner Yuval Abraham makes clear that all our destinies are tied and none of us are safe until all of us are safe. This joint Palestinian and Israeli film is fighting for the peace we know Palestinians and Israelis deserve and will keep fighting for.
[link removed]
[link removed]
10. Best in Keeping the Joy Alive: Lily Tschudi-Campbell and Cassidy Foust's Love Story
Love stories don’t just exist in story books, it can spark at your local book store! Lily and Cassidy met at the Red Balloon Bookshop and their love story is straight out of a storybook. While so many attacks are being hurled at the LGBTQIA+ community, seeing love like Lily and Cassidy’s flourish reminds us there is still good in our world.
[link removed]
And that's a wrap!
Send us what you’re reading, watching and listening to.
Until next time,
Amanda Otero
Co-Executive Director
unsubscribe: [link removed]
TakeAction Minnesota
705 Raymond Ave Ste 100
Saint Paul, MN 55114
United States
Paid for by TakeAction Minnesota
