Dear John,

Today I’m thinking about our undocumented neighbors and their families, especially the people abducted by ICE agents in St. Paul on Tuesday. I’m thinking about the community members who rallied in their defense and faced state violence in response to exercising their First Amendment rights to protest. These acts of violence are unacceptable. 

While I am disgusted at the current administration’s acts of hate, I am proud to be a member of a community that says no — no to violence, no to kidnapping, no to racism, no to authoritarianism. Every member of our community deserves safety, and we will continue fighting for it. Want to take action, but don’t know where to begin? Monarca’s next Raid Response Training is this Sunday in Longfellow — register now to be prepared for the next time ICE attempts to abduct members of our community.

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

1. ICE in St. Paul

Community members rallied to protest a federal raid on Bro-Tex Inc. in Hampden Park on Tuesday where several workers were detained. At a vigil the following day, organizers and elected officials called for more government and community defense of immigrants.

2. Katie Wilson wins Seattle mayoral race

Seattle’s mayor-elect Katie Wilson is a self-described socialist whose policy goals have drawn comparison to Zohran Mamdani’s. Wilson ousted the Democratic incumbent on a platform of affordability and housing for all.

3. Trump signs Epstein file bill

A bill requiring the release of the unclassified Epstein files passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by Trump on Wednesday. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the House, and included yes votes from Minnesota Republicans like Tom Emmer who broke from the party’s previous hardline stance against it.

4. New HUD plan would displace 170k Americans

A new plan released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, under the direction of the Trump Administration, would strip $3.9 billion from Housing First programs that provide permanent housing for people. The Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness reported yesterday that this could push almost 5,000 Minnesotans out of their homes.

5. CDC pushes debunked link between vaccines and autism

Under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s charge, the CDC’s website now claims that a link between vaccines and autism cannot be ruled out, despite decades of research that shows the opposite. Public health experts fear this could exacerbate the rate of reemerging diseases like measles and whooping cough.

6. The case for smaller class sizes at MPS

“This isn’t about teacher quality. Parents still trust teachers. What they don’t trust is a system that allowed classrooms to become too crowded for students to feel seen, supported or challenged. The newly negotiated teacher contract, which includes enforceable class-size caps, is a needed reset,” writes Edward F. Kouneski in an op-ed supporting the class size limits in the new union contract.

7. MN joins pushback against DOJ's voter data request

MN Secretary of State Steve Simon was among ten to sign onto a letter expressing concern over the Trump admin sharing voter data with Homeland Security. Voting rights groups worry the data could be used to illegally purge voter rolls.

8. Ridgedale Library removes Palestine display

Hennepin County forced the removal of a Palestinian solidarity book display at the Ridgedale Library after receiving complaints from patrons. A coalition of local groups including Jewish Voice for Peace, American Muslims for Palestine, and the Anti-War Committee are demanding the display be reinstated.

9. How Democrats can lean into anti-corruption politics

In this video, political scientist Adam Bonica and The New Republic journalist Perry Bacon discuss how Democrats need to stop trying to toe the moderate line and be the party against corruption, oligarchy, and billionaire control.

10. Catholic-owned land returned to Tribal Nation

Ending on a hopeful note, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration transferred ownership of the Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center property in Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin back to the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. It was the first known land return of its kind. 

That's a wrap!

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

Until next time,

Charlie Bartlett
TakeAction Member