This week’s edition covers storiesÂ
from June 5th to June 11th, 2025.
Today’s issue is 700 words, a 6-minute read
Hey folks, Isabella here.
Only in Minneapolis can you go from watching nine people dressed as No. 2 pencils dancing to Prince to catching a new rapid bus down Lake Street, all in the same week.
ICYMI: the Fourth Annual Giant Pencil Sharpening popped off this weekend at Lake of the Isles. Over 2,000 people pulled up for what can only be described as a hyper-local fever dream. There were purple smoke bombs. Pencil hats. Ice cream. Children chanting “YAY PENCILS!” And a 20-foot wooden pencil made from a fallen oak tree. Honestly? Peak Minnesota.
Meanwhile, the METRO B Line is about to bless our commutes. Starting Saturday, June 14, it’ll replace Route 21 with faster, more frequent service along Lake, Marshall, and Selby. Expect off-board payment, comfier buses, and less time wondering if your ride ghosted you. Heads-up though: Marshall Ave’s getting a temp westbound bus lane (construction girlies, this one’s for you), so say goodbye to weekday parking in that stretch.
Anyway, sharpen your pencils and your wits. This city isn’t slowing down.
Queer Joy Is the Revolution: From D.C. to L.A.
to ATL, the Party Is the Protest
From the Capitol steps to warehouse raves, queer folks are reclaiming space, one dance floor at a time. WorldPride 2025 lit up Washington, D.C. for the first time ever, with a 1,000-foot rainbow flag and tens of thousands marching through Logan Circle. But behind the glitter, shadows loomed, Trump-era orders slashing trans rights, major sponsors bailing, and the National Park Service literally fencing off Dupont Circle. Still, the people showed up. “We got to celebrate, and be, and be seen,” said Kylen Mahaney. That’s the resistance.
Out West, L.A.’s Getty Center is finally catching up. $3 Bill: Evidence of Queer Lives, its first fully queer exhibit, spotlights a century of LGBTQ+ artistry, from Harlem drag balls to Harmony Hammond. “This is historic,” said featured photographer Rick Castro for Huck. “I’ll proudly take my flowers”
And in Atlanta, queer joy goes underground. Tired of cishet-dominated clubs, queer creatives are building their own utopias. Moon Glow Market throws backyard raves for “hot trans ppl.” Club Saturn curates radical femme-inclusive dance nights. Malware mixes rage and rhythm into cathartic chaos. As DJ Jaguar puts it: “Malware exists to break it all apart.”
These aren’t just parties. They’re portals. They’re protection. They’re proof we’ve always existed and always will. When the system tries to erase you, the most radical thing you can do is turn up the bass, take up space, and dance like your joy is gospel.
L.A. Is Burning, But We Are Not Broken:
The Uprising Against ICE and Militarized Fear
The streets of Los Angeles are loud with rage, resistance, and the sound of boots where they don’t belong. As ICE raids rip through immigrant neighborhoods and President Trump sends in 700 Marines without California’s consent, Angelenos are saying no through fire, chants, and mass mobilization. What started as protests against immigration arrests exploded into a citywide standoff after Trump dropped National Guard troops and Marines into Compton, Paramount, and downtown L.A. without warning. By Tuesday, armored vehicles rolled down the 101. Self-driving cars burned. The sky filled with tear gas. Downtown was put under an 8 p.m. curfew.
Across the country, the resistance is catching fire. Over 25 cities, New York, Atlanta, Philly, and Omaha, have joined the call: End the raids. End the fear. From meatpacking plants to downtown freeways, people are linking arms, chanting for dignity.
Still, the arrests climb. Over 300 in L.A. alone. Dissenters are charged, surveilled, and gassed. And yet, the marches grow. “This is not an insurrection,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said for NBC News. Because when a government sends in soldiers to silence grief, grief fights back. It organizes. It dances. It disrupts. And Los Angeles is done being quiet. This isn’t just a protest. It’s proof that people won’t be erased without a fight.
Latino Changemakers in Minnesota
Named 2025 Bush Fellows
The Bush Foundation has named three powerful Latino leaders from Minnesota as 2025 Bush Fellows: Elvis Rivera, Amáda Márquez Simula, and Ma Elena Gutierrez. Rivera, a financial advisor and former homeless youth, empowers immigrant communities to build wealth. Márquez Simula, Columbia Heights’ first Chicana mayor, is redefining inclusive city leadership. Gutierrez, founder of Fe y Justicia, organizes immigrant workers for dignity and rights. Each will receive financial support to pursue personal growth and amplify their impact. These changemakers are transforming systems from the ground up, proving that when communities lead, equity becomes a lived reality. Read more about here.Â
Two Minnesota college students were detained by ICE last week, part of a broader Trump administration crackdown on foreign nationals in U.S. universities. A University of Minnesota graduate student and a Minnesota State University-Mankato student were both arrested off-campus, sparking outrage from campus leaders and elected officials.
Minnesota State President Edward Inch condemned the arrests, emphasizing the value international students bring to campus and the harm these actions cause. Governor Tim Walz echoed concerns over due process, questioning whether these detainments align with fundamental legal rights.
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While DHS claims one arrest was linked to a visa revocation for a prior DUI, many fear these crackdowns disproportionately target students based on political beliefs–particularly those supporting Palestinian causes. With similar detentions occurring nationwide, this is more than an isolated incident; it’s part of a troubling pattern threatening academic freedom and the safety of international students in the U.S.
Stay informed, stay connected.
See you next week!
–
Isabella and the NewPrensa team
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Hi, friend: Isabella here!Â
I’m a Communications Specialist by day and
finding the silver lining by night!
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