We have six paid news subscriptions, all digital. Today I decided to check the ownership of each news outlet to understand which could be most susceptible to political interference. None is owned by a conglomerate or individual with strong ties to a political party. Click through for a table showing ownership of each news source.
Category: In This Together
Fragments of humanity
On my walk, Fragments Reimagined, a call to end gun violence in our communities, at MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design). For me, these paintings hit the mark because they focus on our common humanity. Many of the pieces focused on guns and violence which I suspect many perpetrators would find exciting and may promote more guns. Until we all agree on our common humanity, I believe gun violence will not be contained.
Riding the line
Cycled over to the U for a blood draw to get the labs done a couple of days ahead of a consult with my oncologist. Over a breakfast bagel in the Coffman Union, this graph came up in MyChart: the tumor marker is taking off again at a fair clip. I’ve been riding this rollercoaster for over 10 years now, and remain hopeful for a few more descents. I’m grateful Dwight rides with me.
Arms clasped around the world
On our regular Sunday morning walking route, I was surprised by this art installation at Boom Island Park. That’s me stretching as high as possible to get a shot that would capture a recognizable section of the piece, but I only managed to get details of some fingers. Interpretive signs featured a drone shot and explained that this is part of “Beyond Walls,” a “human chain around the world” spanning 23 cities, beginning in Paris.
School’s out for summer
One class marked the end of the school year with a potluck, including a generous supply of the ubiquitous and delicious Somali bur (beignets) and sambusas (samosas) on the right.
What we learned in the last year
It was a cycle ride in honor of our umpteenth anniversary with a stop for a late lunch at Longfellow’s washed down with beer. Next door at Loons Cafe, we picked up some recently roasted beans and reviewed what people learned in the last (presumably school) year. A lot of us learned to resist the federal government, a force that attacked our values and caused serious damage to our local economy.
Density, transit, and trails
On a bike ride to Hopkins with a friend, we stopped to take in this view. The cycle path has been seriously upgraded, separated in this case from the new LRT line, a freight line, and, just beyond, a busy road that crosses the tracks. A dense development is going in, including a commuter parking ramp, commercial space, and a mix of market-rate and affordable apartments. It may not be pretty, but we need more of these dense, brownfield developments near transit.
Building new foundations
Spotted this mural as I walked through the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on my way home from a tutoring session at the Franklin Library. In the late 19th century, this neighborhood was home to Scandinavian immigrants; several waves of immigration later, it is now home to a vibrant Somali community. Today, 54% of the population speaks a language other than English at home. Learning English plays a vital role in lifting these families up.
Neighborhood input, neighborhood ownership
Washington Avenue is the main drag near our home. On Thursdays, it’s where I pick up coffee at FRGMNT before catching the bus to school. Today, a QR code on a flyer intentionally stuck to the sidewalk caught my attention. I scanned the code and learned the county plans to make this section of road safer, including physically separating the bike lane at the top of the photo from traffic. An interactive map is collecting pinned comments, all of them highly constructive. I give the plan 👍👍.
So many wars
My friend and I started our bike ride a bit earlier than usual today to beat the afternoon heat. We paused here after cycling along Victory Memorial Parkway. The parkway and its surrounding area were created after World War I to honor the servicemen and nurses from Hennepin County who lost their lives in the conflict. As we were about to head back, we spotted something we’d never noticed before, partially hidden by the trees: a bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln.