Taking the gloves off
A new series lifting up the leaders who are bringing the fight + hope we need to win
In these dark days for our country, I have found myself seeking out light and hope wherever it can be found. I’m back in my happy winter home of New Orleans for the next few months (shoutout if you’re passing through!), I turn 40 next week surrounded by my favorite humans 🥳, and just yesterday, I launched a new podcast / YouTube series at COURIER that I have been itching to tell you all about! Gloves Off is a show I wished had existed but couldn’t find - a series with less talk about the chaotic and horrifying news of the day - and more thoughtful conversations filled with stories and wisdom that inspires and informs those of us paying any attention to what’s happening right now about how we can better show up in this moment- without burning out or disassociating entirely. Gloves Off is that show - a weekly interview series where I will be having longer conversations with some of the individuals - from rising political leaders and organizers to regular citizens - who are each rising to this moment and fight in their own unique way, and in doing so, are showing all of us how we can do the same - and win.
In my first episode, I spoke with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who’s running in the competitive Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Texas, about how she thinks about power, where she sources her courage from, and why she thinks it’s absolutely possible to turn Texas blue this year. I was deeply inspired and fired up by the conversation and hope you will be as well. You can watch the full episode on YouTube linked below, and please don’t forget to subscribe to COURIER’s page to get alerts when new episodes drop as we have some incredible leaders in the queue…!
🙏 🎙️ 🥊 🇺🇸
What I’m reading this week
These Democrats voted for the DHS funding bill despite ICE furor (The Hill, 1/22)
“Several House Democrats joined with nearly all Republicans to approve a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday, as anger grows over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics. The $64.4 billion bill, which includes roughly $10 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), passed the House by a vote of 220-207. All but one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.), voted for the measure.”
“We Ran High-Level U.S. Civil War Simulations. Minnesota is Exactly How They Start.” (The Guardian, 1/21)
“The core danger we identified is now emerging: a violent confrontation between state and federal military forces in a major American city.”
Minnesotans strike to protest ICE surge in state: ‘No work, no school, no shopping’ (The Guardian, 1/23)
“A childcare worker in Minneapolis, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation toward the immigrant families they serve, explained they were shutting down for the day after consulting and receiving immense support from the families of the children they care for.”
Maryland redistricting commission passes new congressional map | What happens next? (WBAL TV, 1/21)
“Gov. Wes Moore first floated the idea of changing the state’s maps in August, amid a proposal in Texas aimed at increasing the number of Republicans in the House of Representatives. The commission’s approved map heads to the General Assembly, which will make tweaks and turn it into a bill to be voted on.”