This week’s edition covers stories
from November 10th to November 16th, 2022.
Today’s issue is 1000 words, a 7.7–minute read.
In today’s edition Isabella and Helene talk Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, Paris 2024 Olympic mascots, Steve Jobs auctioned Birkenstocks, Leonard Peltier AIM ‘Walk to Justice’ from MN to DC, and Pakistan bans ‘Joyland’.
Continue reading to find out more..
Good Morning NewPrensa Readers,
Isabella here. Winter seemed to be delayed this year. But it is here and clear. Snow is on the streets, covering the rooftops and hanging from the trees. As it gets colder outside, I get cozier inside with my warm cup of cocoa and creamy pumpkin soup. This is the perfect weather to cook savory meals, read that book you postponed all summer, and binge watch an hour-long episode TV show.
Speaking of TV shows, Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ is out with its fifth season shedding light on Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s divorce, and a revisit of the British royal family’s occurrences in the 90s.
Former President Donald Trump announced the launch for his 2024 presidential campaign Tuesday night. This is his third time running, after 2016 and 2020. He has filed papers with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to declare himself as a candidate. In his announcement Tuesday night, Trump said “This campaign will be about issues, visions, and success. And we will not stop, we will not quit until we’ve achieved our highest goals and made our country greater than it has ever been before.”
Trump referred to Biden and his team as the “radical left lunatics” who are running our government “right into the ground”. He associates the current government with the cause for the country’s decline. “The American people will overwhelmingly reject the left’s platform of national ruin,” Trump said. “And they will embrace our platform of national greatness and glory, to America.” Although these words might seem simple and objectively part of the discourse of a presidential campaign, the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol would state otherwise.
It is indisputable that Trump’s followers are loyal, and they will remain loyal to his presidential run for 2024. Nonetheless, he has a big rival this season, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Whilst this is only the beginning, we shall keep a close eye on Trump’s propositions for 2024.
For those into sports, the Paris 2024 Olympic unveiled their two Phrygian cap mascots. What’s a Phrygian cap? If you’re familiar with Eugène Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People”, a symbol of the French Revolution, a woman wearing a Phrygian cap stands amongst the revolutionary men with the French flag in one hand. If you don’t recognize the painting by name, you might know the image from Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” (2008) album cover. Although the mascots don’t look as serious as the traditional hat, their names are Olympic Phryge and Paralympic Phryge! One’s a bit taller holding a French flag and has a racing blade, the other is just a tad shorter. No matter the event, the people competing are all athletes – and that’s what matters. ‘Les Phryges’ are quite adorable, and if you’re interested in purchasing a plush mascot or any 2024 Olympics merch, you can do so here.
This one is kinda weird… Or maybe not if you like Steve Jobs. His worn-out Birkenstocks were sold for $218,000 at an auction in New York City on Sunday. Yes, you read that right. His sandals were sold for the price of a 2 bedroom home in Minneapolis. If you don’t believe me, just check Zillow. I would love to dive into a tangent about how much a celebrity’s item should be worth, because the market has got creative with what is considered profitable. We have NFT’s selling images for millions. The auction even sold images of these Birkenstocks! I guess you’re wondering like me: what is the buyer going to do with the sandals? It seems like they were first sold for only $2,000 in 2016. I can only imagine the buyer will profit twice as much off of these sandals in the future… or maybe they’ll keep it in a little glass box to stare at.
Helene here! This past Sunday, after nearly two months of walking, a group of AIM (American Indian Movement) supporters completed their journey from Minneapolis to Washington D.C. The walk was in solidarity and support of Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist and former AIM member. Peltier was accused of “aiding and abetting the murder of two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents” on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975. He’s been in prison for over 47 years, and concerns for his health have encouraged increased efforts to secure his release. The walk between Minneapolis, where the AIM is headquartered, and Washington D.C. was 1,100 miles, and has been in the works for some time. The walk organizer, Rachel Thunder, said that the idea for the walk came to her in a dream.
Leonard Peltier is widely understood to be an Indigenous political prisoner, and many invested parties have followed his case closely. Peltier was denied clemency by President Bush in 2009 and by President Obama in 2017. A decision by President Biden is still pending, and many groups are calling for his release citing his poor health and amount of time already served. You can write to Peltier where he is imprisoned in Florida, and can stay up to date with his case on the AIM website.
Finally, dear readers, I’ll leave you with this. Pakistan has banned Joyland, its would-be Oscar nominee for “highly objectionable content” (read: trans-cis romance). Despite the ban, the film can still qualify for the Oscars! But how?? Well, the film will be given its required 7-day theatrical run in France before November 30th, the cut-off date for Oscar nominations. If you’re interested in the particulars, this Variety piece nicely spells out all the hows and whys. The film director, Saim Sadiq released a statement detailing the unconstitutionality of the ban and urged the Pakistani Prime Minister to review the ban. And what about the film itself? You can watch the official trailer, to start. I did, and found the visuals warm and nostalgic. The story follows the youngest son of a conservative family who becomes romantically involved with a transgender performer at a local nightclub. This review does a nice job, I think: “Tartly funny and plungingly sad in equal measure, this is nuanced, humane queer filmmaking”. We’ll be back next week.
Isabella and Helene