MLK Day
It’s easier to celebrate a dead MLK than face the injustice that shaped him
If Martin Luther King Jr.’s martyrdom means anything, it offers a challenge to today’s America. Denying events of the past is what has kept us from self-correction and from becoming a great nation.
Courier-Journal
RFK Jr’s vow to ban syrup sows concern among corn farmers in Trump heartland
Loss of high fructose corn syrup would be a major blow for producers if Trump’s health pick is true to his word
The Guardian
In their 90s, Sisters of Mercy have spent their lives fighting for immigrant justice. And they’re not stopping now.
Persch and Murphy, who is 95, have devoted their lives advocating for local and federal immigration legislation to fix a broken system. They’ve been arrested four times at demonstrations. They’ve fought for detained immigrants to gain more access to pastoral care. They’ve been foster moms.
Chicago Tribune (Gift)
For historically Black Altadena, the combined wildfire loss of generational wealth and personal heirlooms is indescribable
Nestled at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena is about 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles, but for locals it may as well be a world away.
The area has long been racially diverse – African Americans began settling here during the Great Migration, when Black people fled the racism of the South in search of a better life.
At its height, in 1970, Black residents accounted for nearly 30% of the town’s population. Today, that number hovers around 18%. But more than 80% of Black folks who live here own their homes, according to The Associated Press, which is nearly double the national average.
CNN
Biden Pardons Five More, Including Late Civil Rights Leader Marcus Garvey
Civil rights leaders and lawmakers have long said that Mr. Garvey’s 1923 conviction for mail fraud was unjust, arguing that he was targeted for his work.
The New York Times (Gift)
Civil rights leaders and King family mark MLK Day as a special call to action as Trump takes office
“I’m glad it occurred on that day because it gives the United States of America and the world the contrast in pictures. Is this the way you want to go — or is this the way you want to go?” said the Rev. Bernice King, the late King’s youngest daughter and CEO of the King Center.
AP News
When Bob Uecker and Bob Gibson created an iconic gay moment in the 1960s, Johnny Carson had the perfect line
Bob Uecker made intimidating pitcher Bob Gibson smile when the two struck this pose together in a 1964 team photo.
Outsports
Democrats look to inject fresh energy into the LGBTQ+ movement
Stonewall Democrats had long gone defunct. But under Trump, it’s back.
Politico
‘The discourse is chilling’: aid groups on US-Mexico border prepare for Trump
“I am also worried about more criminalization as local judges and courts get into Trumpy Republican hands. It’s clear we’re going down the path of courts being increasingly used against activists,” said a 29-year-old female volunteer from Pennsylvania who has also participated in peaceful protests against fossil fuel pipelines where scores of climate activists have been prosecuted and sued on trumped up charges.
The Guardian
Trump Barely Won the Popular Vote. Why Doesn’t It Feel That Way?
Biden has no authentic relationship with social media, nor does Harris. They treat it cautiously, preferring to make fewer mistakes, even if that means commanding less attention. Since the election, I have heard no end of Democrats lament their “media problem,” and I’ve found the language telling. Democrats won voters who consume heavy amounts of political news, but they lost voters who don’t follow the news at all. What Democrats have is an attention problem, not a media problem, and it stems partly from the fact that they still treat attention as something the media controls rather than as something they have to fight for themselves.
The New York Times (Gift)
They were sentenced to death. But they don’t want President Biden’s commutation to life in prison
The inmates, Shannon Agofsky and Len Davis, filed petitions in federal court on December 30, a week after Biden announced he would remove 37 out of 40 federal inmates from death row. The order did not include three inmates whose crimes included high-profile mass shootings or acts of terrorism.
CNN
The Tongva’s land burned in Eaton fire. But leaders say traditional practices mitigated damage
Wallace Cleaves, president of the conservancy’s board, credits traditional stewardship practices — including the removal of 97 fire-prone eucalyptus trees — with reducing the wildfire’s impact.
Los Angeles Times
Trump’s ‘pivot counties’
Places that were Democratic before 2016, and reliably red since, reveal much about a changing American landscape
The Globe and Mail (Gift)
Mississippi Income Tax Elimination Plan Passes House, Includes New Gas Tax and Grocery Tax Cut
House Bill 1, the “Build Up Mississippi Act,” would lower taxes by $2.2 billion and add another $1.1 billion in taxes to make up for lost revenue at the city and county levels.
Mississippi Free Press
The End of L.A.’s Magical Thinking
The fires around Los Angeles are getting under control. But, inevitably, another fire will start.
The Atlantic (Gift)
While Hollywood ignored stories of Black resistance, Cuban filmmakers celebrated Black power
In general, Black points of view, Black voices and Black historical achievement have been marginalized or overlooked in Hollywood. And in particular, there is a notable lack of films that centre Black resistance to slavery. From overt anti-Black racism in slavery films dating from the earlier part of the 20th century, to a deep-seated and enduring aversion to depicting Black resistance, Hollywood has always lived in a fantasyland when it comes to Black history.
The Conversation
Why My Memories of Being Taken From My Mom at the Border Came Flooding Back
I was separated from my mom at age 10. Donald Trump’s reelection has reignited my family’s fears.
The Intercept
TikTok is restoring service, thanks Trump
TikTok said on Sunday it was restoring its service after President-elect Donald Trump said he would revive the app’s access in the U.S. when he returns to power on Monday.
Reuters
The World
More than 80 people killed in Colombia as peace talks fail, say officials
Twenty others injured in violence involving National Liberation Army rebels in north-east region
The Guardian
Colombian drug gang violence kills 60 people
The death toll from attacks by a rebel group in Colombia’s Catatumbo region has risen to 60, the country’s human rights office has said.
BBC
An imprisoned Nobel laureate underscores human rights abuses in Belarus
Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko often claimed in his three decades in power that Belarus has no political prisoners, but activists say it currently holds about 1,300 of them. Many endure harsh conditions like Bialiatski, 62, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 for his human rights activism and is believed to be in worsening health.
AP News
Supreme Court to hold meeting of justices Monday over protesters’ court attack due to Yoon’s arrest
The Supreme Court chief justice will hold an emergency meeting of justices this week over the impact of violent protesters storming a local court due to a decision to formally arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid, officials said Sunday.
Yoonhap News Agency
‘Should we grieve, rejoice or cry?’: Palestinians in Gaza react to ceasefire
Celebrations break out across the territory but many are worried the deal will break down and war will resume
The Guardian
Palestinians trek across rubble to return to their homes as Gaza ceasefire takes hold
Despite the vast scale of the destruction and uncertain prospects for rebuilding, “people were celebrating,” he said. “They started clearing the streets and removing the rubble of their homes. It’s a moment they’ve waited for for 15 months.”
AP News
Nearly 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned since Assad’s fall
Syria is riddled with damaged and destroyed infrastructure following over a decade of war, a factor inhibiting many refugees from being able to return.
The New Arab
South Korean impeached president’s detention extended
A court in Seoul has extended the time South Korea’s impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol will be detained over his botched attempt to impose martial law in the country last month.
BBC
Three hostages released by Hamas reunited with mothers after ceasefire deal
Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher return to Israel after 15 months in captivity
The Guardian
