Dear John,

We made it to the end of the year! Thank you so much for reading along and making meaning of the news and culture with us each week. Another big thanks if you attended the People’s Celebration last weekend. It was an incredible event. ICYMI: check out these videos from the People’s Celebration honoring the movements to #StopLine3 and to transform and expand public safety in Minneapolis. 

I’ll be off for the next couple weeks. The news digest will be back in January. I’m excited to spend the holidays with family (and play a lot of chess!). I hope the next couple weeks are cozy, joyful, and refreshing for you. We need our strength and spirit next year. Until then…

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

1. bell hooks

The legendary Black, feminist author bell hooks passed away this week. Read more.

2. Congresswoman Omar

Led by Rep. Omar, the House passed a bill this week aimed at combating Islamophobia around the world. Read more in Politico.

3. Twin Cities History (Thread)

“The Twin Cities have a reputation as progressive community not because there’s something magic in the drinking water here, and certainly not we have especially enlightened business and political elites...” This is a fantastic Twitter thread published in 2019 about anti-fascist organizing and political history in the Twin Cities. Read it here.

4. Organizing in 2021

Read and bookmark the best pieces on organizing this year from Forge Organizing. Check them out.

5. Great Resignation

New data is out about who’s leaving the workforce in the great resignation (it’s older workers). Learn more.

6. Abortion Care

The FDA is lifting restrictions to make abortion pills available by mail through telehealth visits – and red states are already mobilizing against access. See the latest news in the New York Times.

7. #Insulin4All

Big Pharma has price-gouged insulin by 1,100% in the last 20 years, killing people for profit. Now, PhRMA is fighting the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act in court. Read more in the Star Tribune.

8. Smell

This article called What your smell says about you blew my mind. Learn more in the Wall Street Journal.

9. Representation

This is a highly recommended piece in the L.A. Times on how Indigenous artists are changing Hollywood, fighting for visibility and representation, and making strides in Native-led storytelling in the TV and film industries. Read more.

10. Nur-D

One of my favorite artists this year is Nur-D who rocked his performance at the People’s Celebration. Add Glorious to your playlist.

That’s a wrap. Happy holidays & see you next year!

- Kenza Hadj-Moussa