Dear John,

I hope this finds you well – I had a wild week with my car breaking down not once, but twice. Anyway, this is the last news digest before Tuesday’s Primary Election. Make your plan to vote! I’ll be heading to the polls Tuesday morning to vote for Mary Moriarty and Congresswoman Omar. Let’s get to the news.

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

1. Primary Elections

We will be on the phone and doors all weekend to support Mary Moriarty for Hennepin County Attorney, Congresswoman Omar, and others in the #PeoplesPrimary happening on Tuesday. Learn more about Moriarty in an interview with the Sahan Journal. See the powerful counter-point endorsement for Ilhan in the Star Tribune. Checkout TakeAction’s blog Get Ready for the #PeoplesPrimary.

2. Office of Community Safety

Get caught up on what’s happening with the new Office of Community Safety (I’m quoted!). The bottom line is that the Mayor and City Council could easily vote to eliminate MPD staffing minimums in the charter. This would allow the new Commissioner to focus on the big picture, instead of a 1961 charter mandate that will force him to scramble to recruit more officers into a fundamentally broken department.

3. Amane Badhasso

This is an excellent profile of TakeAction-endorsed Amane Badhasso, running for Congress in Minnesota’s 4^th District. No matter where you live, Amane’s is a powerful story that led her to challenge a 22-year incumbent for Congressional office.

4. Freedom Dreams

Recommended from a co-worker, this is a deep and thoughtful piece reflecting on the 20^th anniversary of Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination.

5. Abortion Rights Victory

With record voter turnout, Kansas voters—including many conservatives—overwhelmingly struck down an anti-abortion ballot amendment. Read about the victory for abortion rights in the New York Times and more on what the Kansas vote means for the country in The Nation.

6. Kansas

Watch the incredible moment abortion rights activists saw the votes come in.

7. Visible Poverty

This is one of the most important pieces of the week: People "Feel Unsafe" Because Visible Poverty Is Everywhere.

8. Nichelle Nichols

The groundbreaking Black actress who made history on Star Trek passed away this week. Learn more about Nichelle Nichols life and legacy.

9. Heidi World

It’s is a spicier recommendation, but I was riveted by the podcast HeidiWorld: The Heidi Floss Story. The podcast chronicles the infamous “Hollywood Madam,” connecting Heidi’s story with a broader picture of Los Angeles after the 1991 uprisings, police corruption and scapegoating of women and sex workers, and the fact that it was easier for the media to cover tabloid news instead of the actual issues of race, class, gender in L.A.

10. Greenland Shark

 Typically found in the Arctic, a Greenland shark—which can live to over 500 years old­­­­­—was found near Belize. Checkout the scoop on the world’s longest living animal.

That’s a wrap. Have a great weekend. Remember to vote by August 9!

- Kenza Hadj-Moussa