Dear John,

This November has, somehow, simultaneously felt like the longest and shortest month ever. It kicked off with an Election Day that left many of us with deeply mixed emotions as we celebrated some major local and national wins coupled with a few devastating losses, including the Minneapolis mayoral race. Now, we see the impacts of electing centrist, corporate Democratic leadership playing out on the national stage with the end of the government shutdown that afforded essentially no progressive wins.

But, lest we lose hope, we’ve got more news on the labor front that proves our collective action and solidarity can win real change, even in the face of certain politicians trying to rig the rules against working people and our families.

Here’s what we’re reading, watching, and listening to this week.

MFE and MPS reach tentative agreement
The Minneapolis Federation of Educators and Minneapolis Public Schools reached a tentative settlement agreement on Monday, potentially averting a strike. Minneapolis Families for Public Schools (MFPS) member Shannon Gibney, said, “I actually believe right now, particularly with the rise of authoritarianism, and incursions on public civil liberties and safety, having strong public schools is more important than ever. But in order to do that right, you have to commit to fully fund them.” In the past month, MFPS mobilized 1,500+ families to contract district leadership to urge them to settle a strong contract with MFE.
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Government shutdown ending, at a cost
The 43-day shutdown ended on Wednesday after Congress passed a spending bill. Federal workers say it will take time to get things back to normal, however, and many are angry with Democratic lawmakers for all but giving up the power they held over the Trump administration’s gutting of social services.
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Grijalva sworn in amid Epstein email release
Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona was finally sworn in on Wednesday after Speaker Mike Johnson stalled for seven weeks, knowing she would be the deciding vote to release the Epstein files. This coincided with emails released by House Democrats showing that Trump was aware of Epstein’s abuse of underage girls.
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Minnesota’s THC industry at risk
There is a provision in the new federal funding bill outlawing Hemp-derived THC products that could decimate Minnesota’s booming THC beverage and edible industry. The provision was championed by Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, because of course it was.
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Zohran’s win is not an anomaly
“The real power of the campaign came from voters who rallied around a set of simple beliefs: that every person deserves a home; that child care should be free; that elections shouldn’t be bought; that racial diversity is a strength worth defending; that working people matter; that the time for generational change in politics has come. What began as a race about affordability became a campaign for human dignity,” writes Mara Gay in a NYT op-ed.
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Starbucks workers strike
Yesterday, on “Red Cup Day,” Starbucks workers across the nation began an open-ended strike after the company failed to negotiate a fair contract with Starbucks Workers United. Two MN locations are currently participating in the strike.
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Queer marriage wins at Supreme Court
On Monday, the Supreme Court turned down a petition from former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis to revisit the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in 2015. Despite this, conservatives are still seeking ways to attack marriage equality on other fronts.
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The case for an East Phillips urban farm
High School student Janya Dieringer makes a strong case for supporting the Roof Depot urban farm project in East Phillips.
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Remembering Jamar Clark
Tomorrow marks ten years since Minneapolis police murdered Jamar Clark. Jamar’s sister Tiffany Burns spoke to MPR about her brother, while Nekima Levy Armstrong and Jeremiah Ellison spoke about the legacy of activism sparked by his death.
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Auroras light up the skies
Did you catch the light show this week? I could see the pink and green lights with my naked eye from my porch in South Minneapolis, and so could many others around the state and country — check out this gorgeous photo gallery!
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And that’s a wrap!

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

Charlie Bartlett
TakeAction Member




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