From Kansas City’s revolutionary response to food deserts to Latino voters grappling with shifting priorities and more communities across the U.S. are taking matters into their own hands when institutions fail them. These stories from this week reveal how ordinary citizens are navigating an increasingly complex political landscape, building power from the ground up, and refusing to wait for politicians to save them.
- Travel tips immigrants should know: If you’re undocumented or unsure about your immigration status but want to travel, some modes of transportation are much riskier than others. From knowing which forms of transit to avoid to understanding your rights when stopped by authorities, there are crucial safety tips every immigrant should know before hitting the road. Read more at Documented.
- Revolutionary food program launches: When the last grocery store shut down in a Kansas City neighborhood, creating a massive food desert, the Black community didn’t wait for politicians to save them. Instead, they launched something revolutionary. The Hamer Free Food Program connects Black farms directly to Black families, delivering fresh produce boxes at zero cost within miles of the closure. It’s mutual aid meets food justice, and it’s just the beginning of their plan to build lasting food sovereignty. Read more at The Kansas City Defender.
- An unexpected Trump ally: When Trump returned to the White House, Guatemala’s conservative elites celebrated, expecting their ally Marco Rubio to lift sanctions and travel bans imposed by Biden. But plot twist: Rubio shocked everyone by backing Guatemala’s progressive President Bernardo Arévalo instead. Now Arévalo has become Trump’s unexpected partner in mass deportations, agreeing to accept 100,000 deportees annually while his political enemies plot revenge. Meanwhile, award-winning journalist José Rubén Zamora sits in prison for exposing corruption. It’s a wild political chess game with international consequences. Read more at palabra.
- How a year changed everything for Latinos: Remember when immigration wasn’t Latino voters’ biggest worry? That was just last year. Now it’s jumped to their second-highest priority as nearly half of all Latinos fear deportation for themselves or loved ones. Trump’s approval among Latinos has dropped significantly, with even some of his own 2024 voters turning against his immigration policies. The community’s political awakening is reshaping American politics in unexpected ways. Read more at La Noticia.
- When big dreams meet poor planning: In 2010, a planner helped design New Jersey’s first urban solar farm on a former brownfield, envisioning it as both a power generator and outdoor classroom for local students. The solar panels went up, but the educational dream died due to poor partnerships. Now the site just produces electricity while missing its bigger potential to inspire the next generation. Read more at Trenton Journal.
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This content may have been created with AI collection or assistance.
