Dear John,

I hope your weekend is off to a good start. There is a lot that didn’t make it into the news digest this week, but I’ve got some key stories.

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

1. Matt Birk

Watching his beyond controversial speech, I’m sorry for his three daughters. Follow the Matt Birk story in the Minnesota Reformer and read Vanity Fair’s piece Minnesota Republican Matt Birk warns abortion leads to women having careers, claims pro-choice advocates are always playing “the rape card”. 

2. Abortion Rights

Thank you to the members of Congress, including Congresswoman Omar, for using every tool they have—including civil disobedience—to fight for our reproductive freedom. Read more on the abortion rights action and arrests.

3. Radical Reforms

We highly recommend Congresswoman Omar’s commentary in the The Nation. Shout it from the rooftops: our democracy requires radical reform.

4. Voter Intimidation

From NPR, read and listen to: The Election Denial Movement is Now Going Door to Door.

5. 'Greedflation'

This is an important commentary and analysis of how corporations are driving up the cost of food.

6. Build Back Better

The path to passing Biden’s signature climate-healthcare-progressive tax bill has been long and frustrating. From our friends at the Green New Deal Network, read this analysis about climate politics, Manchin, and neoliberalism, Build Back Better, Dead Again.

7. The Secret Police

We continue to track this story from MIT Technology Review. See The Secret Police: A private security group regularly sent Minnesota police misinformation about protesters.

8. The Handmaid's Tale

From Teen Vogue: The Handmaid’s Tale and Abortion Rights: Protesters Ignore Truths About Reproductive Access.

9. Psychedelic Therapy Reform

This is an interesting, strange bedfellow story about AOC and Republicans working together to advance psychedelic therapy laws to treat PTSD.

10. Elvis

 I’ll be taking my parents to see this next week. Watch the trailer for Elvis and let me know if you’ve seen it.

That’s a wrap. Have a great weekend. 

- Kenza Hadj-Moussa