And a Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope this holiday season has gone well for you and yours. We may already be two weeks into the year, but we can certainly continue setting our intentions for the next twelve months. What are your goals for 2026? How will you sustain them, in a world increasingly more taxing to the average American?

The universe has placed an unexpected goal in my lap this year: leaning into fear. Despite having an anxiety disorder, I would not have assumed that mine was a life guided by fear. Fear has never been my focus, and I've built a life full of good friends and good work; so what is there to fear? I've only recently realized the various ways that fear has guided some of my life choices, and how much I want to change that. It takes time and skill to figure out if that gut feeling of aversion is from disagreement, disinterest, or simply a fear of change and the unknown.

So what does leaning into fear mean for me? On a personal level, it means not being afraid to hold myself to a higher standard. Fear of failure is a hell of a drug, but I'm trying to remind myself that I can do hard things! From a wider view, it also means not letting how scary the world is getting distract me from hope. 2026 has only just begun, and already things are worse than I expected. Last year was the first time that I truly struggled to keep up with the news. It felt like one hit after another from the Trump administration, and there were plenty of moments where I found myself spiraling. It took months for me to get out of panic mode and start rebuilding my stomach for the news, curating my feed so it wouldn't take me out again. You can't do good work if you get paralyzed by fear. The intention I am setting with all of you is to find sustainable routines to stick to, with wiggle room to take a break. A REAL break, when you delete Tiktok and Instagram and Facebook from your phone, and remove yourself from the whims of whatever the internet wants to show you. Control the flow of news, so that you can keep doing what you need to do. I suspect we will all have big work ahead of us this year <3

What We're Reading

Los Angeles community seeks justice for Black man killed by off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve (The Grio): Tragically, Renee Good is not the only person murdered by ICE this year. One common thread between this story and the killing of Good in Minneapolis: their alleged crimes are not punishable by death. Shooting into the air on NYE to celebrate may deserve a citation from the city, but it certainly does not deserve death. Legally observing ICE agents and refusing them entry to your vehicle does not warrant a death sentence. In a court of law, neither of these crimes would be punishable by death; so why are these ICE agents able to so callously take lives anyway? The federal government may want to normalize their extrajudicial killings, but we can never allow this to become normal.
Over 400,000 Transgender People Have Moved States Since Trump's Election (Erin in the Morning): A great migration has been brewing for trans Americans, and we are now seeing early statistics on this phenomenon. This is likely not surprising news, as Illinois has become a safe-haven state for many trans individuals during this administration. But seeing the numbers makes it all the more striking. As we continue to build support networks for our new friends from less-friendly states, let's also remember to continue supporting the queer and trans communities that remain in these harsh environments. As a grandchild of The Great Migration, I have always greatly admired the folks willing to stay, and continue building up the communities they were raised in, despite the hardship. No one should have to leave their home to survive.
'Playing with our lives': Decatur residents cite concerns over city's ADM CO2 easement (WAND): Talk of carbon capture has been big in CU, and it's important to keep track of water protection work in other parts of Central Illinois. This story illustrates prevalent community concerns about carbon capture, and what it could do to our aquifer.
Minneapolis ICE shooter lived in Peoria, graduated from Richwoods (WGLT): Central Illinois is in the news for the wrong reasons: ICE agents may seem like some far away Gestapo, but in reality, these are people in our communities. We grew up with these people, we go to church with these people, our kids go to school with these people. Be vigilant and remember they are not your friends.
“We Are Facing a Tsunami of Hate”: Amid ICE Crackdown, Unions and Community Groups Call for Minnesota Shutdown in 10 Days (Inthesetimes): Love a little general strike! Keep up with this, because this is sick.

Lavender Vibes

The films of Howard Hawks: I love old movies. The slower pace, the drama, the femme fatales, I love it! When I wake up a little too early and can't fall asleep, these are the perfect old movies to put on to help you fall back asleep.
“Last Holiday” starring Queen Latifah: The best holiday rom-com movie there is. If you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for?
“Democracy Now!” by Amy Goodman and Juan González: This is how I'm keeping up with news that sucks. Just like my folks watch The Nightly News every night, I try to watch this every night while I figure out what to do for dinner. It's been a trusted source of information for lefties for years, and it takes a global look at news rather than focusing exclusively on what's happening in America. Definitely worth checking out their daily show.