No Kings and fatherhood, political violence in Minnesota, what to expect this fire season, and how ICE raids will affect graduation day.

It’s Pride Month, an annual celebration and call to action to protect LGBTQ+ communities both in the U.S. and abroad. This month wouldn’t exist without the Stonewall Riots, a forceful protest that underscored the urgency of addressing state-sanctioned violence against LGBTQ people, particularly trans communities and trans people of color.

Right now, protests are growing to address the violence perpetuated by the current administration. From immigration sweeps to restrictions on reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ communities are disproportionately impacted by these harsh policies and practices. And, LGBTQ+ people are at increased risk for violence while protesting the issues that affect them.

Black & Pink National is a prison abolitionist organization dedicated to abolishing the criminal punishment system. Through through advocacy, support, and organizing, they aim to both protect and LGBTQ+ communities and ensure our voices are heard. They offer ways to support, including a pen pal program and a monthly giving program.&

As protests grow, the Trump administration is rapidly expanding the surveillance state. Immigrants are only the first target of a rapidly expanding digital dragnet that can track our individual movements. Truthout >

Texas bill to restrict voting rights runs out of time, but organizers warn of similar state and federal bills. The SAVE Act in Texas is dead after organizers educated the public, but the bill might pass at the national level. Prism >

The police are searching for 57-year-old Vance Boelter after he killed of a state lawmaker and her husband, and shot a state senator and his wife in a separate attack. Gov. Tim Walz called the attacks an “act of targeted political violence.” NPR >

Rep. Melissa Hortman, killed in targeted attack, was a champion for Minnesotan families. Hortman worked closely with Gov. Tim Walz to enact policies that prioritized children and expanded protections for abortion and gender-affirming care. 19th News >

Cuts to USAID severed longstanding American support for Indigenous peoples around the world. Without U.S. funding, Indigenous communities in Peru and elsewhere face increasing threats to their land, livelihoods, and human rights. Grist >

IMMIGRATION

How Home Depot parking lots turned Into deportation hotspots. Undocumented day laborers have been gathering at the fringes of America’s biggest home-improvement retailer for decades. Federal agents are turning up there, too. Bloomberg >

Amid ICE raids, L.A. schools say they’ll protect students at graduation. But will their families come? Some parents in the district — which includes an estimated 30,000 immigrant students — plan to sit out commencements over immigration enforcement concerns. 19th News >

EDUCATION

Teachers and students are rising up to defend anti-racist education in the U.S. An intergenerational movement is defending knowledge that challenges the status quo — on campus and in the streets. Truthout >

Hundreds of ‘DEI’ books are back at the Naval Academy. An alum and a bookshop fought their removal. Following a public outcry, the academy returned titles by Maya Angelou, Harper Lee and others — many by women — that were purged under Pentagon orders targeting race and gender discourse. 19th News >

Teacher sues Philadelphia school district for discrimination over response to Palestine lessons. Philadelphia teacher Keziah Ridgeway alleges the district engaged in a pattern of discrimination and retaliation against her following a slew of incidents related to her support of Palestine. Prism >

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

The truth about immigration detention in the United States. President Trump’s mass deportation agenda threatens to dramatically escalate the use of detention, a system plagued by abuse and neglect. Vera >

The Feds are offering migrants cash to self-deport. Lawyers call these incentives misleading. The government’s offer to pay a stipend, waive fees, and let people return legally to the U.S. go against current law and court practices, immigration lawyers say. Marshall Project >

CLIMATE

From Gaza to LA, the right to remain is under attack. Across borders and crises, homes are being destroyed by airstrikes, fire, and force. Climate justice requires naming this violence: domicide. Atmos >

Trump officials open up millions of acres in Alaska to drilling and mining. Doug Burgum says Biden order that banned drilling in National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska will be reversed. Grist >

The Trump administration has shut down more than 100 climate studies. Tens of millions of dollars in NSF grants have been slashed, and scientists fear the US is about to lose a generation of climate researchers. Technology Review >

After massive cuts to forest service, the U.S. is entering fire season woefully unprepared. The results could be catastrophic, especially in states that have experienced unprecedented fires in recent years. Truthout >

Social movements require us to sustain our work for a lifetime, not just a single moment. I appreciated this interview with Professor Emeritus John Wright, a fourth-generation Minnesotan who’s taught at the University of Minnesota’s African American and African Studies Department for over thirty years, on building stamina for trans-generational social change. The Forge >

Debra Bruno confronted a history of enslavers in her family, and her journey illuminates the often overlooked history of slavery in the North. As a New Englander, I hope fellow readers from the region look more into this history. NYTimes >

At the No Kings protest this weekend in New Orleans, I saw several people dressed as Lady Liberty. This podcast explores the nods to liberation in the statue’s design that you may not have known. WABE >

We’re meeting this Wendesday, June 18 for our discussion for the May Book Club!

"Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro is a dystopian novel published in 2005 that explores themes of humanity, fate, and the ethics of scientific progress. Set in an alternate England during the late 1990s, the story follows three main characters—Kathy H., Ruth, and Tommy—who grow up at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic boarding school. As they mature, they gradually discover the disturbing truth about their purpose in society: they are clones created to donate their vital organs.

“Never Let Me Go” has been banned from libraries in Florida for its content. Yet as we see our government prioritize AI over human needs, and treat citizens like they’re second-class, we believe this book is a timely look at how technology and capitalism impact everyday people.