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A vegetarian diet seems unusual at best and anti-patriotic at worst to many folks. But I haven’t eaten red meat since 1980, and I’ve been able to accrue a whole lotta benefits from my decision to focus on eating plants — and so has the planet. Here’s the story of my journey to being a vegetarian, told at a time of year when we give thanks for the gifts bestowed on us. “We are the earth, made of the same stuff; there is no other, no division between us and ‘lower’ or ‘higher’ forms of being.” — Estella Lauder I am a Vietnam War child. I was part of the first youth group to view war through a television screen. I saw young people drafted and shipped to a faraway land that had no personal or political meaning for them. Protests connected the essential precious life we are given to the natural world around us, and texts like Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and The Sea around Us spoke to me as an integral part of my identity formation. I came to understand that humans are one with the Earth — that we share ecosystems and life forces. I became a tree hugger, an eco-warrior, eco-nut, eagle freak — these derogatory terms for living in ways connected to the planet didn’t faze me. They empowered me. “What we most need to do is to hear within us the sound of the Earth crying.” — Thich Nhat Hanh When I was twelve years old, I was seated at the periphery of a group of older female relatives who were bemoaning the discovery of breast cancer in our aunt. It was a time before pre-screenings; my aunt was diagnosed with stage four, terminal. I swore I would never be someone who was susceptible to cancer and began to look into its causes. There I was in the 1970s, and the meat-processing industry was denying how chemicals like nitrates and nitrites react with meat and form cancer-causing compounds. The health risks weren’t important to these meat producers, as using these additives made curing cheaper and quicker, extended shelf life, and gave meat a pleasing pink color. I announced that I wanted to be a vegetarian; my mother said that, as long as I ate in her house, I would eat what she cooked. Meat, canned vegetables, and a potato it was. Since this time I learned that vegetarians have 14% lower cancer risk than meat-eaters. “What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?” – E.M. Forster In a few years I became a first-generation college student. On my own financially, I found a sporadic income source working in bars and restaurants as I figured out college. Soon I was lining up bar pour glasses, churning blenders with exotic frozen drinks, and rolling kegs. At one point I worked for a very kind family who happened to be vegetarians. Yes! I announced that I was going to join them in renouncing meat. Feeling responsible for my decision, they asked me to read a book titled Protein for Vegetarians . (I see now that the author is questioned for “pseudo-scientific” methodology.) Ah, I soon learned it was going to take a lot more than saying No to Meat in order to eat healthy. I continue to seek out protein every day of my life and take vitamin B12, too. “Realize that everything connects to everything else.” ― Leonardo Da Vinci In my 20s I came to understand the appalling treatment that animals receive in the industrial agriculture system. Cattle, pigs, and poultry are managed in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). Many of these animals remain their entire lives in cages with little to no room to move. The Union of Concerned Scientists has criticized such practices. As a vegetarian, I have made a conscious and ethical choice to live in a way that reflects values of compassion, respect for animals, sustainability, and social justice. It makes me a more critical thinker, as I examine my consumer choices and the impact they have on the lives of animals, the environment, and other humans. “Our relationship with nature is more one of being than having. We are nature: we do not have nature.” — Steven Harper Yes, I stuck to a vegetarian diet across the decades. Sometimes I did eat seafood or chicken, trying to adapt to a partner’s diet. Pressure to eat meat was profound — countries like the US, UAE, and Brazil make up the top 20 meat-consuming countries in the world , consuming more than 160 kg of meat per person per year. According to Our World in Data , half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture, with most of this used to raise livestock for dairy and meat. Livestock are fed from two sources – lands on which the animals graze and land on which feeding crops, such as soy and cereals, are grown. If everyone shifted to a plant-based diet, we would reduce global land use for agriculture by 75% due to a reduction in land used for grazing and a smaller need for land to grow crops. For the last decade I’ve been a lacto-ovo vegetarian — a bit of dairy and eggs, the rest plants. “Nature is the source of all true knowledge.” – Leonardo da Vinci The 21st century was a time that raised our consciousness about the need to reduce burning fossil fuels and power our world with renewables. Additionally, we became aware that reducing emissions takes place along various parts of the supply chain . Compared to plant-based proteins including beans and legumes, beef is responsible for some 20 times more emissions per edible gram of protein . Switching to a plant-based diet can reduce an individual’s annual carbon footprint by up to 2.1 tons with a vegan diet or up to 1.5 tons for vegetarians. I learned that my vegetarian diet dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions. “In a real sense all life is inter-related. All are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be... This is the inter-related structure of reality.” ― Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail” I began to model what plant-based eating looks like for family and friends — olive oil butter, vegan bacon, soy milk, dark green vegetables. I held dinner parties and served intricate vegetable main dishes like vegan jambalaya, vegetarian mushroom Wellington, vegan sausage and rice casserole, vegan cream of carrot soup, and so many more. I am now a climate activist, drawing upon my experiences of being a vegetarian to guide my path toward sustainability. As I write, I hope that you, too, will consider choosing plant-based meals whenever possible. “Wonderful how completely everything in wild nature fits into us, as if truly part and parent of us. The sun shines not on us, but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.” — John Muir CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook X Email Mastodon RedditTrump taps forceful ally of hard-line immigration policies to head Customs and Border ProtectionPhillies have no plans to start pitching prospect Andrew Painter in spring training following injury
As the leaves fall, the heat goes on, the temperatures drop and the sweaters and jackets are pulled from storage, it’s also a great time to think about making a pot of soup. Soup is one of the best comfort foods, perfect for those New England fall and winter days. Whether you fancy clam or corn chowder, a roasted butternut squash soup, a classic Italian sausage orzo or something unique like lasagna soup, there’s a special place in everyone’s heart for that big pot on the stove. We have found five recipes that are sure to make your mouth water. No matter what soup preference you may have, you’ll find something to cook for the whole family. This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Directions This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Directions This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Noodles: Soup Base: Cheese Mixture: Garnish: Directions This recipe is by juliasalbum.com . Ingredients Directions This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Directions
Shares of Rivian Automotive Inc. ($RIVN) surged nearly 14% on Monday, driven by two key developments. Tesla ($TSLA) reached a “conditional” settlement in its lawsuit against Rivian, which had accused the electric vehicle maker of poaching employees and stealing trade secrets. The Elon Musk-owned electric vehicle maker did not disclose specifics of the settlement but expects to seek dismissal of the case by Dec. 24, according to Bloomberg. Secondly, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to propose a new version of the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program (CVRP) if President-elect Donald Trump moves forward with eliminating federal EV tax credits. Newsom’s proposal aims to replace federal incentives with state-level rebates, which could be funded by California’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, according to the statement from the governor’s office. It cited that the original CVRP, phased out in 2023, had funded 594,000 electric vehicles and saved 456 million gallons of fuel. California is touted as a national leader in clean vehicle adoption with over 2 million zero-emission vehicles sold. However, Tesla may face hurdles under the new proposal, as market-share caps in the draft plan could exclude its best-selling models, the governor’s office told Bloomberg. Despite Tesla's stock hitting a two-year high earlier in the day after UBS raised its price target to $226 from $197 while maintaining a ‘Sell’ rating, shares dipped over 1% by midday. Retail sentiment around the stock was in the ‘bullish’ territory (65/100) with users suggesting the downtick is temporary. Meanwhile, Newsom’s proposal not only lifted Rivian’s stock, but also boosted shares of other EV makers, including Lucid ($LCID), which rose 5%, and VinFast Auto Ltd. ($VFS), which gained 1%. Retail sentiment around Rivian turned ‘bullish’ (69/100) from ‘neutral’ a day ago but users are divided over what’s driving its most recent stock surge. However, users on Stocktwits are divided over the stock's recent rally, with many attributing the surge not to tax credits or Tesla’s lawsuit settlement but to optimism surrounding Rivian’s anticipated fourth-quarter earnings in February. Rivian’s stock has lost 46% of its value this year, while Tesla has gained 40% year to date. For updates and corrections email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.< Read also: Robinhood Stock Gains After Morgan Stanley Doubles Price Target Citing ‘Animal Spirits’ Post Election: Retail RoarsSindh govt seeks amendment to bill aimed at overseeing educational boardsThe gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fled New York City by bus, police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. Here's the latest: The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer may have fled the city on a bus, New York City police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. “We have reason to believe that the person in question has left New York City,” Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer made sure to wear a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence in view of the nation’s biggest city and its network of security cameras that have aided authorities piecing together his movements and his identity. A law enforcement official said Friday that new surveillance footage shows the suspect riding the subway and visiting establishments in Manhattan and provided more clues about his actions in the days before he ambushed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . The gunman’s whereabouts and identity remain unknown Friday, as did the reason for Wednesday’s killing. New York City police say evidence firmly points to it being a targeted attack . ▶ Read more about the search for the gunman In many companies, investor meetings like the one UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was walking to when he was fatally shot are viewed as very risky because details on the location and who will be speaking are highly publicized. “It gives people an opportunity to arrive well in advance and take a look at the room, take a look at how people would probably come and go out of a location,” said Dave Komendat, president of DSKomendat Risk Management Services, which is based in the greater Seattle area. Some firms respond by beefing up security. For example, tech companies routinely require everyone attending a major event, such as Apple’s annual unveiling of the next iPhone or a shareholder meeting, to go through airport-style security checkpoints before entering. Others forgo in-person meetings with shareholders. ▶ Read more about how companies protect their leaders Those images include New York’s subway system, a law enforcement official said. In establishments where the person was captured on camera, he always appeared to pay with cash, the official said. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. — Mike Balsamo Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm that serves 1.5 million customers in 12 states, said it’s temporarily closing all six locations. The firm has offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota, and employs about 3,000 people. Employees will work from home, Medica spokesman Greg Bury said in an email Friday. “The safety of Medica employees is our top priority and we have increased security both for all of our employees,” a statement from Medica said. “Although we have received no specific threats related to our campuses, our office buildings will be temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution.” Bury also said biographical information on the company’s executives was taken down from its website as a precaution. The insurer cited the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in its announcement about the Dec. 12 event. “All of us at Centene are deeply saddened by Brian Thompson’s death and want to express our support for all of those affected. Health insurance is a big industry and a small community; many members of the CenTeam crossed paths with Brian during their careers,” Centene CEO Sarah M. London said in a news release. “He was a person with a deep sense of empathy and clear passion for improving access to care. Our hearts are with his family and his colleagues during this difficult time.” Centene Corp. has grown in recent years to become the largest insurer in Medicaid, the state- and federally funded program that covers care for people with low incomes. Insurers manage Medicaid coverage for states, and Centene has more than 13 million people enrolled in that coverage. The insurance company also said it’s focused on ensuring the safety of employees and assisting investigators. “While our hearts are broken, we have been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place,” the company said. But he said Friday that he’s confident police will arrest the shooter. “We are on the right road to apprehend him and bring him to justice,” Adams said on TV station WPIX. Later, it removed their names and biographies entirely. Police and federal agents have been collecting information from Greyhound in an attempt to identify the suspect and are working to determine whether he purchased the ticket to New York in late November, a law enforcement official said. Investigators were also trying to obtain additional information from a cellphone recovered from a pedestrian plaza through which the shooter fled. The fatal shooting of Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. Experts say today’s political, economic and technological climate is only going to make the job of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them even more difficult, experts say. Some organizations have a protective intelligence group that uses digital tools such as machine learning or artificial intelligence to comb through online comments to detect threats not only on social media platforms such as X but also on the dark web, says Komendat. They look for what’s being said about the company, its employees and its leadership to uncover risks. ▶ Read more about the steps companies take to protect their leadership Police said Thursday they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper from a trash can near the scene of the ambush and think the suspect bought them from a Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The items were being tested by the city’s medical examiner.
Judge hears closing arguments on whether Google's advertising tech constitutes a monopoly ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The Justice Department and Google have made their closing arguments in a trial alleging Google’s online advertising technology constitutes an illegal monopoly. The arguments in federal court Monday in northern Virginia came as Google already faces a possible breakup of the company over its ubiquitous search engine. The Justice Department says it will seek the breakup of Google to remedy its search engine monopoly. The case in Virginia focuses not on the search engine but on technology that matches online advertisers to consumers on the internet. A judge is expected to rule by the end of the year. ‘Busiest Thanksgiving ever’: How the TSA plans to handle record air travel DALLAS (AP) — The Thanksgiving travel rush is expected to be bigger than ever this year. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million people in the U.S. will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday — most of them by car. Thanksgiving Day falling so late this year has altered traditional travel patterns. At airports, the Transportation Security Administration says it could screen a record number of U.S. air travelers on Sunday. Meanwhile, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration says a shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays. Transportation analytics company INRIX says roads could be congested on Monday with both commuters and returning holiday travelers. Macy’s says employee hid up to $154 million in expenses, delaying Q3 earnings Macy’s says it’s delaying the release of its fiscal third-quarter earnings results after it discovered an up to $154 million accounting-related issue. The company did provide some preliminary results for its third quarter, including that net sales fell 2.4% to $4.74 billion. It anticipates reporting its full third-quarter financial results by Dec. 11. Newsom says California could offer electric vehicle rebates if Trump eliminates federal tax credit SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California could offer state tax rebates for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration eliminates the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. Gov. Gavin Newsom says Monday he'll propose creating a new version of the state’s successful Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, which was phased out in 2023 after funding nearly 600,000 new cars and trucks. Officials didn’t say how much the program would cost or how the rebates would work. Newsom’s proposal is part of his plan to protect California’s progressive policies ahead of Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. But a budget shortfall could complicate California’s resistance efforts. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by announcing plans Monday to hand more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. Stock market today: Wall Street closes higher as the Dow reaches another record NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to another all-time high. The Dow added 1% Monday to the record it set on Friday. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. Treasury yields eased in the bond market after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Smaller companies can feel a big boost from easier borrowing costs, and the Russell 2000 index of small stocks jumped 1.5%, closing just shy of the record high it set three years ago. Workers at Charlotte airport, an American Airlines hub, go on strike during Thanksgiving travel week CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — American Airlines says it doesn’t expect significant disruptions to flights this week as a result of a labor strike at its hub in Charlotte, North Carolina. Service workers there walked out Monday during a busy week of Thanksgiving travel to protest what they say are unlivable wages. Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services authorized the work stoppage. Union spokesperson Sean Keady says the strike is expected to last 24 hours. The companies contract with American Airlines to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs. The companies have acknowledged the seriousness of a strike during the holiday travel season. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Eggs are available -- but pricier -- as the holiday baking season begins Egg prices are on the rise again as a lingering outbreak of bird flu coincides with high demand during the holiday baking season. The average price for a dozen eggs in U.S. cities was $3.37 in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was up 63% from October 2023, when a dozen eggs cost an average of $2.07. Avian influenza is the main culprit. The current bird flu outbreak that began in February 2022 has led to the slaughter of more than 111 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens. But the American Egg Board says egg shortages at grocery stores have been isolated and temporary so far. ‘Buy now, pay later’ is more popular than ever. It can cost more than you think NEW YORK (AP) — More shoppers are using ‘buy now, pay later’ plans heading into Black Friday and the holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt. Experts say the short-term loans can lead consumers to overextend themselves and warn that those who use credit cards for the service face higher interest expenses. The data firm Adobe Analytics predicts shoppers will spend 11.4% more this holiday season using buy now, pay later than they did a year ago.Political tension escalate in Odisha as Congress, BJD, BJP trade barbs over Modi's remarksThe Chanticleers evened their season record at 6-6 with the win and finished 3-5 in the Sun Belt East. The loss leaves Georgia State (3-9) with just one win in eight conference games. Vasko threw 10 yards to Senika McKie for the game's first score midway through the first quarter, but the Panthers got a Liam Rickman 28-yard field goal and a 19-yard touchdown run by Freddie Brock to take a 10-7 second-quarter lead. Vasko threw his second TD pass, this one a five-yard strike to Zach Courtney to take the lead and Kade Hensley booted a 43-yard field goal as time expired to put Coastal Carolina up 17-10 at halftime. Christian Washington ran 18-yards for a touchdown to open up a 24-10 lead four minutes into the third quarter. Vasko hit McKie for their second touchdown, this one from 31-yards out and Vasko ran 10 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown to make it 38-10 with under 10 minutes to play. Vasko was 13 of 17 passing for 200 yards and carried 13 times for another 68. Washington carried 20 times for 124 yards. McKie caught five passes for 81 yards Georgia State amassed 428 yards of offense, but the Panthers turned the ball over six times. Christian Veilleux completed 15 of 26 passes for 205 yards but was picked off four times and fumbled. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Canada's Trudeau returns home after Trump meeting without assurances that tariffs are off the tableAs LIV-style breakaway looms large over the Champions Cup kick-off, could this season mark the end of European rugby as we know it?
PARIS (CP-AP) — Canadian striker Jonathan David scored twice to go past the 100-goal career mark for Lille in a 3-1 win over Brest in Ligue 1 play Friday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $14.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! PARIS (CP-AP) — Canadian striker Jonathan David scored twice to go past the 100-goal career mark for Lille in a 3-1 win over Brest in Ligue 1 play Friday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? PARIS (CP-AP) — Canadian striker Jonathan David scored twice to go past the 100-goal career mark for Lille in a 3-1 win over Brest in Ligue 1 play Friday. The 24-year-old from Ottawa turned in a man-of-the-match performance at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, assisting on his team’s other goal as Lille extended its unbeaten run to 10 matches. David now has 17 in 23 games in all competitions this season and leads the French top tier with 11 goals. David, who joined Lille in August 2020 in a $46.5-million transfer from Belgium’s KAA Gent, went into the game with 99 goals in all competitions. He finished it with 101 goals in 206 appearances for Lille. He put Lille ahead from the penalty spot after nine minutes and set up a second just before halftime when he got away from his marker and sent in a cross that Iceland international winger Hákon Haraladsson knocked home . Ludovic Ajorque got one back for Brest early in the second half but David restored Lille’s two-goal cushion when he pounced on a loose ball and scored. David, who tops Canada’s men’s scoring list with 31 goals from 59 appearances, is out of contract after this season and has been linked with a move to several top European clubs. Lille has not lost to Brest at home since 1989. Lille joined Marseille and Monaco in second place on 26 points, seven behind leader Paris Saint-Germain, which played Auxerre later on Friday. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer AdvertisementMINNEAPOLIS — U.S. Attorney Andy Luger is stepping down soon as the top federal law enforcement official in Minnesota. As is custom for political appointees, he’s resigning to make way for a yet-to-be-announced successor chosen by incoming President Donald Trump. After serving under President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden appointed Luger, 65, to a second term that began in 2022. Luger spoke Thursday afternoon with MPR News correspondent Matt Sepic. This is a condensed version of the interview. In May of that year, you launched a violent crime initiative that focused initially on carjacking and gun cases, particularly machine guns. Where does that stand now nearly three years later? Has it been successful? We hear from defendants and community members that our initiatives are having an effect. Someone who commits a carjacking gets arrested and they’re in the car, one of the questions they ask the police is, is this going federal? Last year, you expanded that effort to focus on Minneapolis street gangs. Why was it important for you to make gangs a priority for federal law enforcement? Both north-side community leaders as well as law enforcement leaders said that following the murder of George Floyd and the riots that ensued, and the downturn in number of officers on the street, the gangs really saw an opportunity and took advantage of it. They began to become more violent against each other, which both affects them, affects the neighborhoods and innocent bystanders. What have you learned about Minneapolis gangs, and specifically their inner workings as a result of this investigation and the trial a few months ago? This is almost incredible to say, but when you ask a member of the Highs, what’s their purpose, what are they doing, their answer is to kill members of the Lows. And when you ask a member of the Lows, what’s your purpose, why do you do this, their answer is to kill the Highs. It’s just that simple. You returned for your second term as U.S. attorney amid the FBI’s investigation into an alleged $250 million COVID fraud scheme centered around the Twin Cities nonprofit Feeding Our Future. After having prosecuted many different kinds of crimes over the decades in your career, what did you think when you first sat down and cracked open that case file? The day before the search warrants were executed in January 2022, I got a call from Joe Thompson, who’s the white-collar chief in this office, and he said, “When are you coming?” Because we were waiting daily for my confirmation. And I said, any day. And he said, “All right, well, watch the news Thursday.” I think it was pretty much from the day I got here, Joe Thompson and I with the FBI agents and others, talking about we need more people on this, and we’re going to turn this into one of the biggest cases this office has ever seen, because it had to be. After you step down, what happens with this case and all of the other pending cases that are in this office and the trials next year, half a dozen of them related to Feeding Our Future? We have been very careful in the months leading up to the election, knowing that I could leave if the election goes in a particular way, in plotting out what 2025 looks like, it could take a year or more to have a new U.S. attorney confirmed. They’ll pick up the mantle. They’ll make changes where that person sees fit, just like I did. But I got to believe the core mission of this office on violent crime and on Feeding Our Future and other large government fraud investigations that could ensue, I got to believe that’s going to go forward. What’s next for you? Under Department of Justice rules and my own sense of propriety, I’m not going to talk about my future while I still sit in this chair. I think the state of Minnesota deserves a full-time U.S. attorney (who is) focused on that, and that’s where I’m at. Somebody asked me earlier today in the office, will you retire? And I said, I really don’t know the meaning of that word, so I don’t plan on retiring. I will stay active in the law and in causes and ideas that I believe in, the most important of which is faith in our government institutions. I believe so much in our criminal justice system that I’ll be a vocal advocate for that system going forward. This story was originally published on MPRNews.org
By KENYA HUNTER, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington . As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race , held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating residents’ pets , he didn’t just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris , many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris’ loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women’s concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution , which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government programs and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people . Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,”’ she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Some of Trump’s plans affect people in Olivia Gordon’s immediate community, which is why she struggled to get behind the “Black women rest” wave. Gordon, a New York-based lawyer who supported the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential nominee, Claudia de la Cruz, worries about who may be left behind if the 92% of Black women voters who backed Harris simply stopped advocating. “We’re talking millions of Black women here. If millions of Black women take a step back, it absolutely leaves holes, but for other Black women,” she said. “I think we sometimes are in the bubble of if it’s not in your immediate circle, maybe it doesn’t apply to you. And I truly implore people to understand that it does.” Nicole Lewis, an Alabama-based therapist who specializes in treating Black women’s stress, said she’s aware that Black women withdrawing from social impact movements could have a fallout. But she also hopes that it forces a reckoning for the nation to understand the consequences of not standing in solidarity with Black women. “It could impact things negatively because there isn’t that voice from the most empathetic group,” she said. “I also think it’s going to give other groups an opportunity to step up. ... My hope is that they do show up for themselves and everyone else.” Brown said a reckoning might be exactly what the country needs, but it’s a reckoning for everyone else. Black women, she said, did their job when they supported Harris in droves in hopes they could thwart the massive changes expected under Trump. “This ain’t our reckoning,” she said. “I don’t feel no guilt.” AP polling editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 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