These are the stories shaping our communities right now: From hostile architecture designed to push people out, to immigration raids tearing families apart, to a deadly disease making a comeback. Plus, the grassroots media fighting to survive and the environmental racism killing entire towns. Here’s what you need to know.
- How URL Media wants to revolutionize community news: We at URL Media are thrilled to announce that we’ve landed $5 million from the Knight Foundation to revolutionize how Black and Brown community news survives. Founded by two media veterans, the network connects 37 local outlets reaching 25 million people and plans to expand to 100 partners by 2028. Our goal? Making sustainable journalism actually profitable for communities that need it most. Keep reading at URL Media.
- Big Oil’s plastic boom is killing Black communities: A Louisiana community is disappearing. Lake Charles became America’s fastest-shrinking city after losing nearly 10% of its population between 2019 and 2024. The culprit? A toxic combination of petrochemical plants, climate disasters, and environmental racism. While oil companies profit from both fossil fuels and the plastic boom, historically Black communities are left with contaminated water, cancer clusters, and flooding. Ramirez refuses to stay silent about the crisis killing her home. Keep reading at Capital B.
- Minneapolis fights back against ICE sweeps: ICE swept through Minneapolis this week. Federal agents targeted Somali malls, day laborer spots, and apartment towers while Trump attacked Minnesota’s Somali community online. The mayor just banned immigration operations from city property, and local officials are mobilizing to fight back against the crackdown. Keep reading at Sahan Journal.
- Whooping cough cases up 25x in two years: Whooping cough cases in the U.S. have exploded to 25 times 2023 levels, with Texas alone reporting over 3,500 cases by October 2025. Falling vaccination rates, easier exemption rules, and fear of ICE are driving the surge. Babies under one are most at risk, with some stopping breathing during coughing fits. Plus, antibiotic-resistant strains are emerging globally. Keep reading at India Currents.
- The racist design hiding in plain sight: Those hostile bus benches with armrests in the middle? They’re designed to keep you out. Bryan C. Lee Jr., the new president of the National Organization of Minority Architects, is exposing how cities weaponize design against Black, poor, and unhoused people through something called CPTED. Despite studies proving it doesn’t work, cities like Kansas City still use it. Now Lee is leading a movement to build liberatory architecture instead of oppressive spaces. Keep reading at The Kansas City Defender.
LET US HELP YOU CATCH UP
- Mother Viola Fletcher, Black women’s employment, Tribal education and more stories you missed
- Small businesses, a concert for student debt, your Thanksgiving dinner politics cheat sheet and more stories you missed
- Refugees, the threat to Black voters, the Haitian soccer star who vanished and more stories you missed
- Citizenship tests, how to run NYC on values and more stories you missed
- A deadly hurricane, gambling athletes, menopause in prisons and more stories you missed
This content was created with AI collection or assistance.
