Dear John,

Happy October! It may not quite feel like fall here in Minnesota yet, but that won’t stop me from drinking pumpkin cold brew, eating apple cider donuts, and starting my annual Over the Garden Wall rewatch. 

As much as I enjoy the spooky season and consuming all kinds of fictional horror, there are a lot of non-fictional scary things happening right now, too. Even curating this news digest feels increasingly difficult when there is a seemingly endless barrage of important stories to cover. All-too-true tales of government shutdowns, military occupations of American cities, threats to our trans and immigrant neighbors, and the terrifying rise of Christian nationalism coupled with fascist rhetoric dot our daily newsfeeds. 

In one of today’s featured pieces, local writer and activist Naomi Kritzer reminds me of why, when things on a national and global level feel helpless and overwhelming, I ground myself in the local work. Naomi offers this simple yet crucial bit of wisdom: “pick a favorite [mayoral candidate] as soon as possible and donate and doorknock.” I know I plan to hit some doors for Omar Fateh this month, and I hope to see you out there, too. And for our many readers outside of Minneapolis, the advice still applies — the local level is where our impact is most tangible, and where I go to find the light amidst the darkness. Not sure where to start? Check out what we’re up to at TakeAction, and sign up for something that’s meaningful and accessible to you. Oh, and don’t forget to vote as soon as possible! Just maybe, this election season doesn’t have to be so spooky.

Here's what we're reading, watching, and listening to this week: 

1. Government shutdown's MN impact

The federal government shut down on Wednesday after the senate failed to pass a spending bill. The shutdown is already affecting thousands of Minnesota workers, and could have even worse consequences if prolonged.

2. Naomi Kritzer makes case for Davis, Fateh, and Hampton
  

While TakeAction has endorsed Omar Fateh as our first choice, we encourage voters to rank DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton (in any order) for their second and third choices. Naomi Kritzer, while endorsing Davis as her first choice pick, makes a strong case for all three candidates AND the importance of hitting the doors as soon as possible.

3. County Attorney to stop low-level traffic enforcement

“Pretext stops are not just biased, they’re ineffective. The DOJ found that only 0.3% of Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) traffic stops resulted in the recovery of weapons. And the racial double standard is unmistakable: Police disproportionately pull over Black motorists, yet they’re more likely to recover contraband from vehicles operated by white drivers,” writes St. Thomas professor Yohuru Williams in a Star Tribune op-ed about Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s new policy refusing to prosecute cases arising from traffic stops for low-level infractions, taking effect Oct. 15.

4. Feds target MN immigrant community 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an expansive crackdown on immigrants in Minnesota this week, targeting apartments, workplaces, and the UMN. Students held a rally to protest the escalation.

5. Trump admin threatens MN schools over trans athletes

Since 2015, Minnesota has protected the rights of trans student athletes to compete in sports that align with their identities. Now, Trump is threatening to strip federal funding from MN schools unless they revoke that right.

6. Israel intercepts last flotilla vessel

Reports broke early this morning that Israel intercepted and detained the last humanitarian ship headed toward Gaza as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Some 500 global civilians, including Greta Thunberg, are currently in Israeli detention.

7. How cities should prepare in wake of Portland occupation

Local government officials from L.A., Chicago, and D.C. share their thoughts on how Democratic-led cities should be preparing to resist Trump’s promised fascist sieges.

8. We should be more concerned about Trump's NSPM-7

Last week, Trump released a national security directive labeling things such as “anti-capitalism” and “anti-Americanism” as indicators of violence. Legal experts say this could cause the domestic terrorism watchlist to double as those who hold left-wing views are persecuted as pre-criminals.

9. Gully Boys debut album released today!

One of my favorite local bands dropped their self-titled debut album today, and MPR did a great writeup, including an interview with guitarist Mariah Mercedes.

10. Twin Cities toilets (yep, you read that right)

As something of a local bathroom connoisseur myself (fun fact: my—somewhat defunct—Minneapolis bathroom rating Instagram account got its start when I was a full-time canvasser), I was enthralled by Racket’s recent coverage of the best local johns.

That's a wrap!

Send us what you’re reading, watching, and listening to.

Until next time,

Charlie Bartlett
TakeAction Member