Dear John,
So excited to introduce myself to your inboxes this week, and thanks for passing me the News Digest torch, Amanda!
My name is Charlie — I’m a longtime member of TakeAction Minnesota, and am honored to deepen my engagement by situating our organizing work in a larger context and making meaning of a seemingly endless stream of news. Currently, I serve on the Political Committee, where I organize alongside the most passionate, badass folks to endorse and elect the municipal candidates who will fight the hardest for our communities (and we’ve had a pretty great year so far — who else is still buzzing from Omar Fateh’s big win at the convention??). Beyond writing and organizing, I love to read books of all genres, watch horror movies, go for sunset swims at Lake Nokomis, make collages in my journal, and hang out with my mischievous black cat, Yarrow. I believe deeply in collective power, and whether it’s through these emails or at an upcoming doorknock, I can’t wait to connect with you!
Here’s what we’re reading, watching, and listening to this week.
Not-so-beautiful bill
A heartbreaking analysis finds that up to 140,000 Minnesotans could lose their healthcare coverage under Trump’s new “Big Beautiful Bill.”
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A separate analysis back in May demonstrated how the bill will overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest members of our state at the expense of the working class. [link removed]
Mass starvation is a weapon of genocide in Gaza
Israeli forces have frequently attacked and killed Gazans attempting to seek aid for themselves and their families amid mass starvation, with many of the attacks taking place near Israeli-backed aid distribution sites that have already been facing harsh criticism for failing to provide enough aid.
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Smoky air will likely linger, experts say
Unfortunately, it’s not looking like the hazy skies from Canada’s wildfires will clear up in time to greet the new month, according to experts from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. While the poor air quality can affect everyone, those most at risk include Northern Minnesotans close to the Canadian border, children and seniors, pregnant folks, those with chronic conditions like asthma, and those who lack access to shelter and air filtration resources.
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Hennepin County drags its feet on HERC, community applies pressure
While wildfire smoke continues to linger in the air, so too does smoke from the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC), the trash incinerator located on the north end of Downtown Minneapolis. Despite efforts from community members and activists like the Zero Burn Coalition, as well as a resolution by Hennepin county commissioners asking for a plan to close the facility, the county has indicated they have no immediate plans to work toward closure. [link removed]
The majority of those being detained by ICE haven’t been convicted of any crime
As the Trump administration ramps up its cruelty toward undocumented communities under the pretense of cracking down on crime, new data shows that only 40% of those being arrested have any sort of criminal convictions, most of which are for non-violent offenses. This data confirms what immigrant rights activists have already known — it’s never been about safety.
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The brutal, anti-labor history behind the Aquatennial
Minneapolis celebrated the annual Aquatennial this past weekend (with some weather-related disruptions). While the festivities provide many Minneapolitans an opportunity to connect with their neighbors and celebrate their city, the celebration was initially conceived by local business owners as a way to overshadow an annual picnic honoring labor organizers killed by police in 1934.
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Duluth voters will get to vote for Duluth Right to Repair by November 4!
Members of Duluth Tenants filed a nearly 6,000-signature petition in June to include a measure on November ballots that would give tenants a tool to get timely repairs in their rental properties within a cost limit. Too many Duluth renters are living with common repairs for weeks or months. Just this week, the City Council approved the official ballot language for Duluth Right to Repair, which is a huge milestone in the campaign!
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“There’s a lot of energy around our vision for change” — Sen. Omar Fateh discusses his DFL endorsement
As I mentioned earlier, we’re all still riding that victory high from seeing Omar Fateh win the DFL endorsement after a long and contentious convention. Omar says it best himself in his interview yesterday with Sam Seder (beginning at 24:10) — this is a movement by the people and for the people, made up of workers, teachers, young people, immigrants, movement leaders, and even longtime DFLers fed up with the status quo. All that said, we still have a long road ahead of us to election day, and we can’t lose our momentum now.
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Trump doesn’t like the Star Tribune reporting…ahem…facts?
Minnesota mentioned! Earlier this week, the White House issued a press release
singling out the Star Tribune for its coverage of immigration, which apparently is a bit too accurate for Trump’s liking. That’s right, the radically left-wing Strib is at it again with its pesky fact-finding operations.
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Which new State Fair food are you most excited to try?
I’m feeling pretty partial to the pimento cheese puffs or the birthday cake cookie dough on a stick, personally. Thankfully, the writers at Racket have come out with their predictions for the foodie winners and losers (based on very rigorous journalism, no doubt), so you can be best prepared with your route this year.
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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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