Insight ::: 11.18.2024

By Philip Klinkner James S. Sherman Professor of Government, Hamilton College

According to The New York Times, “… a newly triumphant Republican president” is “once again in the headlines.”

What will it take to break “the present national divide, between the narrow but solid Republican majority and a Democratic party seemingly trapped in second place,” asks the Times. That pattern “may be hardening” into one “that will persist for years to come.” Perhaps breaking the divide will require “an act of God,” the Times writes.

The article quotes a number of eminent historians and political scientists who predict a new era of enduring Republican electoral dominance. In the words of one: “The Republicans are basically unchecked … There is no check in the federal government and no check in the world. They have an unfettered playing field.”

This isn’t a recent take on the 2024 election.

The quote comes from 2004, when George W. Bush won

By Michael Goldberg Associated Press

Gov. Tim Walz vowed on Friday to make Minnesota a safe haven for the values that drove the Democratic presidential ticket he helped lead, while at the same time promising to work harder to understand the concerns of President-elect Donald Trump’s voters.

Inside a high school auditorium in Eagan, Minnesota, a suburb just south of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Walz addressed a crowd of supporters with his reflections on Trump’s election victory, an outcome he said left him searching for answers.

“It’s hard to understand why so many of our fellow citizens, people who we have fought so long and hard for, wound up choosing the other path,” Walz said. “It’s hard to reckon with what that path looks like for the next four years.”

Several audience members donned Harris Walz camo campaign hats and

reelection by 2.4 percentage points, a slightly larger margin than Donald Trump had on Nov. 12, 2024, over Kamala Harris in the election results.

Of course, none of these predictions came to pass. The supposed enduring Republican majority evaporated as Hurricane Katrina, the ongoing war in Iraq and the financial crisis caused President Bush’s popularity to plummet. As a result, Democrats retook the House and the Senate in 2006, and Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008.

Despite the lessons of this history, a new round of doomsayers are ready to write the Democrats’ obituary in 2024. According to one journalist, “Democrats are a lost party. Come January, they’ll have scant power in the federal government, and shriveling clout in the courts and states.”

The Washington Post reports, “More broadly, many Democrats view their defeat – with Trump making inroads with Latinos, firsttime voters, and lower- and middle-income households, according to preliminary exit polls – not just as a series of tactical campaign blunders, but as evidence of a shattered party with a brand in shambles.”

exchanged hugs before the governor took the stage. They gave him a standing ovation and chanted his name as he and his wife, Gwen Walz, delivered remarks.

Tim Walz thanked Kamala Harris for selecting him as her running mate and for her friendship. His ascension to the Democratic ticket allowed him to learn more about the country he had hoped to serve as vice president, he said. Even in the face of defeat and a polarized political climate, Walz maintained that most Americans shared similar concerns.

“People really want the same basic things out of an American life. And I want to be clear when I say basic things. I mean things like meaningful work, safe neighborhoods, good schools, affordable quality health care. But I also mean something more,” Walz said. “It became clear to me, people want security. I mean that broadly. They want to feel like their life is built on a solid foundation that won’t collapse under them.”

Walz also said Americans wanted the freedom

I believe – as the author of a book about how political parties respond to election defeats, and as the example of 2004 shows –it’s easy to overstate the enduring impact of an election. Unforeseen events arise that alter the political landscape in unpredictable ways. The party in power often makes mistakes. New candidates emerge to energize and inspire the defeated party.

Zigging and zagging The parties themselves are often incapable of figuring out the best way forward. Following Mitt Romney’s loss in the 2012 presidential election, the Republican National Committee commissioned what it called an “autopsy” to determine how the party should move forward. The report urged Republicans to become more inclusive to women, young people, Asians, Latinos and gay Americans by softening their tone on immigration and social issues. The report was a thoughtful and thorough examination of the problems confronting the GOP. Nonetheless, in 2016 Donald Trump took the party in exactly the opposite direction and ended up winning anyway.

to live their lives as they see fit, a message that had been a cornerstone of the Harris-Walz campaign. To that end, Walz promised to make Minnesota a bulwark against a second Trump administration’s potential attacks on abortion rights, immigrants and labor unions.

“Look, we know what’s coming down the pike. We know it because they told us,” Walz said. “The moment they try and bring a hateful agenda in this state, I’m going to stand ready to stand up and fight.”

Walz returned home from the presidential campaign trail to a new era of divided state government, now that Republicans appear to have broken the full Democratic control that helped put him on Kamala Harris’ radar. He was elected governor in 2018 and was reelected in 2022 in an election that handed Democrats both chambers of the state Legislature. In his remarks on Friday, Walz touted several of policies Democrats were able to implement during that period, including stronger protections

I’d be the last person to try to predict the 2028 election, but there are a number of reasons to be skeptical of doom and gloom scenarios for the Democratic Party.

First, the 2024 election was extremely close. Once all the votes are counted, it will probably end up being the closest popular vote contest since 2000. In addition, it’s possible that Donald Trump will fall below 50% of the popular vote. Any loss is difficult, but this is hardly the 49-state drubbing that Democrats endured against Ronald Reagan in 1984.

In addition, the 2024 results fall pretty close to the outcome predicted by election models that were based on economic fundamentals. This suggests that voters were registering dissatisfaction with poor economic conditions rather than offering a wholesale rejection of the Democratic ideology.

And even if the public has become less enamored of liberal governance over the past four years, this is both natural and temporary. Political scientists have long observed the thermostatic nature of American politics. That’s a fancy way of saying that when a Republican occupies the White House, the

public becomes more liberal. Conversely, under Democratic presidents, the American people become more conservative.

Given this pattern, it seems very likely that in four years the public will be in a more liberal mood.

Self-reflection is good

Democrats should also remember that Donald Trump has been a uniquely polarizing and unpopular figure in American politics.

Despite a generally strong economy during his first term in office, he was never able to rise above a 50% approval rating. Trump did himself no favors in this regard.

As political scientists John Sides, Chris Tausanovitch and Lynn Vavreck point out in their book on the 2020 election, on issue after issue during his first term, Trump rejected policies that the majority of Americans supported and instead chose those that aligned only with his Republican base. There seems to be little reason to think that Trump will govern any differently in his next term.

Since Trump can’t run again in 2028, that also means that Democrats will likely face a better political environment in 2028. Since 1900, the out-

party (the party that doesn’t control the White House) has won eight of the 11 elections without an incumbent president on the ballot. In fact, the last time the out-party failed to defeat a nonincumbent was nearly 40 years ago when Republican George H.W. Bush defeated Democrat Michael Dukakis in 1988. None of this guarantees a Democratic victory in 2028. Most importantly, a strong economy might be enough to lift the GOP to victory in 2028. Nor should the Democrats just assume that everything will be fine. Selfreflection is good for political parties as well as individuals. Still, the lesson of history is that it’s a good idea for Democrats to resist the temptation to catastrophize their loss. Instead, they might consider using the Serenity Prayer as a guide for the next four years: “Give us the serenity to accept the things that can’t be changed, the courage to change the things that can be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference.” This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

for abortion rights, child tax credits, paid family and medical leave, free school meals for all kids and gun safety measures. Those policy victories allowed him to tell a story on the presidential campaign trail about Minnesota’s progress, he said. First lady of Minnesota Gwen Walz, who often joined her husband on the campaign trail, said Minnesota

would remain a safe haven. In processing the election results, she said the Walzes have found solace in their favorite bible verse: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.” “Minnesota, we have kept the

Ayrton Breckenridge/Star Tribune

Walz speaks at Eagan High School in Eagan, Minn., Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

New elect President, Donald Trump

By Haley Taylor Schlitz, Esq.

There’s a painful irony here—an irony that should be obvious to anyone watching. Black women, the backbone of the Democratic Party, who consistently turn out in record numbers and give over 90% of our votes to support progressive causes, are now under attack by some of those who claim to be our allies. The latest blow comes from “progressives” who, disappointed by recent election outcomes, have chosen to scapegoat Vice President Kamala Harris. But let’s be clear: this isn’t about political strategy. This is a thinly veiled attack on her as a powerful Black woman—a reality that too many so-called allies still struggle to accept. I see it. My sorors in Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., see it. And we feel the sting of this betrayal because we know firsthand what it’s like to be dismissed, overlooked, and scapegoated. As members of the Divine Nine, we are reminded daily of what it means to be Black women in America. We remember it when we think of our sister, Sandra Bland, who represents the challenges, struggles, and risks we face every day simply for existing in a society that sees us as expendable. This isn’t just politics—this is about the lived reality of every Black woman who’s been told she doesn’t belong, who’s been policed, doubted, and sidelined.

Consider the words of Victoria Hammett, the Deputy Executive Director, Programming Director for the organization Gen Z For Change, who recently tweeted, “People saying ‘Harris needed to go further right’ (whatever tf that

Kamala Harris

means) don’t understand the difference between left-wing populism and the brand of liberalism we saw from Harris. She ran on an uninspiring platform and lost ground with the working class.” Let’s be real—“uninspiring” is code. It’s a word Black women know all too well, used to subtly question our presence, our worth, our leadership. This isn’t about whether her platform was progressive enough. It’s about discomfort—discomfort with a Black woman holding power in a space many believe she doesn’t “deserve.”

The truth is, Kamala Harris is a monumental figure for Black women, especially for Gen Z Black women like myself. Her run for president—a

campaign shortened to an improbable 100 days—was a HERstoric act that showed every Black girl in America that she, too, has the right to dream big. For Black women, Harris represents something powerful. When she became the Presidential nominee, we once again went to work and made HERstory. Forty-four thousand Black women joined the largest Zoom call ever recorded, raising over $1.5 million in just three hours, because we believed in her, believed in what she represented for us and for future generations. That’s the level of inspiration she brings. That’s the impact she has.

And yet here we are, with some of these same progressives labeling her

“uninspiring,” with Bernie Sanders openly criticizing the Democratic strategy in ways that target Harris more than any other figure. These attacks have little to do with Harris’s policies and everything to do with the discomfort her presence brings. By blaming her for election results, they’re not just attacking her; they’re attacking the Black women who support her, who showed up for the Democratic Party when it mattered most. As Black women, we know these criticisms aren’t just disappointing— they’re a betrayal. We are the very foundation of the Democratic Party’s success. Without Black women, there’s no President Biden. There’s no Senator Warnock, no Senator

Ossoff. We showed up and gave everything, yet here we are, facing resentment and critiques designed to make us doubt our worth. To call Harris “uninspiring” is to erase the value of her leadership and the inspiration she brings to so many of us who understand what it means to navigate spaces that weren’t made for us. For my sisters in the Divine Nine and for Black women everywhere, we know what’s really at play. When people talk about Harris’s “brand of liberalism” as falling short, they’re saying that Black women—despite being the most loyal Democratic base—aren’t enough. They’re saying that our voices, our presence, don’t align with their vision of leadership.

But the truth is, these so-called progressives need to confront their own biases, because these attacks on Kamala Harris are more than political critiques. They’re a dismissal of everything Black women have done to make the Democratic Party and progressive movement what it is today. What’s truly “uninspiring” is that some so-called allies can’t see past their own discomfort with a Black woman in leadership. Without Black women, there is no Democratic victory, no progressive future. And if progressives truly want to see change, they need to stop undermining the very women who make that change possible.

Black History Month II Crosswords creator

By Simon Burris Puzzle Master

I’m Simon Burris, a 91-yearold Afrocentric historian, researcher, activist and author of 700 Notable Persons of African Ancestry: 1400 BC To Present Day. www.Simonburris700.com

I’m also a freelance professional crossword puzzle constructor for the past six decades. My works have been featured in

high-profile newspapers and magazines such as the New York Tribune, Boston Globe, Chicago Daily, Publishers’ Newspaper Syndicate and several other publications.

I began creating puzzles that focused solely of Black history and culture long before the era Black Lives Matter and the fake outrage over Critical Race Theory. It’s imperative our young people be exposed to our proud, rich history chronicled from biblical

epoch to the present-day.

That’s the African(a) Diaspora. I’m currently networking with several diverse Black media namely: The Los Angeles Sentinel, Oakland Post, San Diego Voice (CA); Minnesota Spokesman-Reporter (MN), New Amsterdam News (NYC); African Descent Lutheran Association (Natl.), Morehouse College (Atlanta GA), Howard University (WDC), also Church ministries: Holy

Trinity Lutheran (Inglewood, CA, Eternal Promise Baptist (Los Angeles, CA and several other institutions. (There are 230 plus Black-owned newspapers in the U.S.A.) I’ve submitted Africana Diaspora stock since 2012 to Black-owned newspaper editors, historically Black churches, school and college administrators *Africana Diaspora: A collection of history, life, and culture pertaining to people of Black/African ancestry.

Columnist

Simon Burris, creator -

Kamala Harris

Reflections on election losses

By Pulane Choane Contributing Writer

Following a surprising election outcome, The Conversation with Al McFarlane captured the sentiments of Minnesota’s community, bringing in voices who grappled with disappointment yet called for resilience and unity. Host Al McFarlane opened with the day’s pressing question, stating, “I think that towards 3:00 today, we can expect a press statement from Vice President Harris conceding the election… we want to talk about that.” Inviting Minnesotans to weigh in, McFarlane encouraged the community to voice their thoughts on what the path forward should look like. “We want to know how you feel, what you think we are going to be doing going forward as a community,” he urged.

One of the most poignant voices of the discussion was Haley Taylor Schlitz, a young assistant

attorney general for the state of Minnesota, who spoke for her generation—particularly Black Gen Z women who felt the weight of both racism and sexism in the election results.

“This election reminded us how far we still have to go,” she said. Reflecting on her Nigerian and European heritage, she emphasized, “I’m 50% Nigerian, and this election is a reminder of what my ancestors knew all too well: that progress is fragile. We still wake up to the reality our ancestors faced.”

For Schlitz, the results echoed a long history of struggle for Black Americans, especially Black women who continue to show up for progressive change. She observed, “This was supposed to be a turning point, a new chapter in HERstory. We thought America was ready, but this result… this is the reality check that our ancestors experienced. It’s painful, but we’re not done fighting.” Her words conveyed both a deep frustration and an unyielding drive to press forward, grounded in the legacy

of generations before her. Adding to the conversation, former state senator Jeff Hayden, who had been watching the election unfold live from the Care 11 Studios, offered insights into the factors that swayed the outcome. “The message that resonated was the economy, plain and simple,” Hayden said. “It wasn’t about who caused it or why; it was the here and now. What people are paying for gas, what they’re paying for food.” He noted how the campaign strategically framed these issues, often overlooking systemic factors but still resonating with voters’ immediate concerns. “Immigration and public safety, those became central issues,” he said, explaining how Trump’s messaging tapped into worries that, for many, felt urgent and pressing. This conversation didn’t stop at the surface issues but delved into how political parties communicate, or fail to communicate, with communities of color. Hayden

emphasized that outreach needs to be more than a last-minute scramble. “If the only time we’re talking to people is a month before an election, we’re taking that vote for granted,” he stated, pressing on the need for consistent connection. The Democratic Party, he warned, must deepen its engagement if it wants to retain loyalty among voters of color.

Nonprofit leader Jonathan Palmer, another guest on the show, expanded on Hayden’s points, emphasizing that systemic barriers play a pivotal role in shaping these outcomes. “We have systems that were built to keep Black and brown people, women, and immigrants on the margins,” Palmer explained. “Until we start deconstructing those foundations, we’ll keep seeing the same results—systems penalizing people for being poor rather than providing real solutions.” Palmer’s words drew attention to the structures beneath policies, hinting at

Democrats called to face hard truths after US election result

By Pulane Choane Contributing Writer

The outcome of the recent U.S. election has sent shockwaves through Minnesota’s Black and immigrant communities, as local leaders urge Democrats to confront cracks in their strategy—or risk further losses.

On The Conversation with Al McFarlane public affairs live stream program, McFarlane hosted former DemocraticFarmer-Labor (DFL) executive director Corey Day and Liberian author Wilfred Harris, probing the election’s results and its implications for the state and nation. Their message was clear: Democrats need a wakeup call to avoid losing their grip on crucial voting blocs.

“We’ve got to look deep inside ourselves,” Day emphasized, pointing to a critical error: Democrats’ tendency to lump minority voters into monolithic groups.

I argued recently with one of my favorite people who shouted out what was considered an insult, “old man.” I informed them that, indeed, I owned a copy of my birth certificate and knew exactly how old I was. The argument continued, got ugly before moving past all that for the relationship to endure. Both of us had to summon all the positive forces we had to make that progress.

I have lived long enough to learn a lot, and particularly that one of the most powerful forces on Earth is positivity. Certainly not a new concept, but one that we can forget in these tough, turbulent, trying times. This column will cover a lot of ground, but at the core, it will seek higher ground, positive approaches, and uplifting perspectives. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light

(Source: OCS Newsletter) Office of Community Safety (OCS) Commissioner Toddrick Barnette was sworn into office late last fall, tasked with leading the relatively new office that unifies all safety functions in the city, including Police, Fire, Neighborhood Safety, 911 and Emergency Management. For Barnette,

McFarlane, who led the hour-long conversation with a focus on unravelling the roots of this dissatisfaction, urged listeners to reflect on economic divides in Minnesota’s communities. He raised questions about an apparent gap between economic reality and public sentiment, noting, “I drive through the suburbs, and I see packed restaurants, people driving new cars. But I hear people saying they’re worse off and it doesn’t add up. What am I missing?”

For Day, this disconnect was less about failed policy and more about ineffective messaging.

“Look, if I go and look at my 401k, it’s doing fine. But Biden’s administration couldn’t

“Our problem is we put everyone in buckets… African Americans, Latinos, everyone is treated the same, but that’s not real. We can’t just throw the same blanket over everyone.” Day’s observation highlights mounting concerns within Democratic circles over a growing defection of Black and Latino men to the Republican Party, a trend he believes signals broader voter disillusionment with the Democratic approach.

sell the story,” he argued. “The economy is strong; inflation is coming down. But because of his age, Biden just couldn’t get out there and rally people around what’s been done.” Day contrasted Biden’s challenges with Trump’s communication prowess. “Trump’s base? They have a message, and people are hearing it. And we’re sitting here saying, ‘Hey, things are good,’ but that isn’t resonating with people.” Day also commended

Vice President Kamala Harris for her dedication to engaging Black communities, though he acknowledged the unique challenges she faced in building broad enthusiasm in a divided landscape. “Once again, the Black woman saved the Democratic Party,” he stated, emphasizing Harris’s essential role in rallying core Democratic voters and maintaining unity in the face of unprecedented

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great

Elvis Presley, Charlie Parker, Charlie Mingus, Michael

By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D, NNPA Newswire Culture and Entertainment Editor

Screenshot from Conversations with Al McFarlane Corey Day

Screenshot from The Conversation with Al McFarlane

Al McFarlane hosts a thought-provoking discussion The Conversation with Al McFarlane, joined by Assistant Attorney General Haley Taylor Schlitz, Nonprofi

By Louis Porter II Columnist

Screenshot

McFarlane Wilfred Harris

New CEO at CVS begins to build his team with a goal

By Tom Murphy AP Health Writer

CVS Health fell short on thirdquarter profit, but it posted strong sales and the health care giant shook up leadership under new CEO David Joyner after a rough year that has sent shares plunging.

Shares jumped Wednesday along with markets as a whole surged on an election that will send Donald Trump back to the White House. Joyner named UnitedHealth executive Steve Nelson as the leader of the company’s troubled health insurance wing, Aetna. That appointment is effective immediately.

Prem Shah, who joined the company in 2013, will lead CVS Caremark, CVS Pharmacy, and the company’s Health Care Delivery businesses.

CVS Health runs one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains and a huge pharmacy benefit management business that operates prescription drug coverage for employers,

By Haleluya Hadero

Business Writer

It’s one of the most underpublicized policies of some of the biggest U.S. retailers: sometimes they give customers full refunds and let them keep unwanted items too.

Returnless refunds are a tool that more retailers are using to keep online shoppers happy and to reduce shipping fees, processing time and other ballooning costs from returned products.

Companies such as Amazon, Walmart and Target have decided some items are not worth the cost or hassle of getting back. Think a $20 T-shirt that might cost $30 in shipping and handling to recover. There are also single-use items, such as a package of plastic straws, that might be difficult to resell or medicines that could be unsafe to market again.

insurers and other big clients. It also covers nearly 27 million people through its Aetna insurance arm.

CVS’ insurance business has dragged on the company’s performance and many see in Nelson an industry veteran who can provide a needed jolt.

“The new leadership announcement gives us hope that CVS is moving quickly to improve its business execution,” said John Boylan at Edward Jones. “However, we also believe that these are the first steps in CVS improving its operations, which may take time. Having said that, we will be watching closely what changes management will make and how those changes may translate into sustainable sales and earnings growth rates.”

The company earned $87 million in the three months ended in September, down 96% from a year ago. Results were weighed down by hefty restructuring charges. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share totaled $1.09, falling short of the average Street forecast of $1.44 per share. Revenue rose 6.3% to $95.43 billion, topping

Analysts say the companies offering returnless refunds do it somewhat sporadically, typically reserving the option for low-cost objects or ones with limited resale value. But some online shoppers said they’ve also been allowed to keep more pricey products.

Dalya Harel, 48, received a return-free refund recently after ordering a desk from Amazon that cost roughly $300. When the desk arrived, she noticed it was missing some key pieces and would be impossible to put together, Harel said. She couldn’t request a replacement and have it within a reasonable time for the office of her New York lice detection removal service because the item was out of stock.

Harel, who routinely buys towels and other products from Amazon for her business, said her team reached out to the company’s customer service line. She was pleasantly surprised to hear she would get

the struggling health care giant

analysts’ estimates of $92.72 billion, according to a FactSet survey.

The company said Oct. 18, when it announced the resignation of CEO Karen Lynch, that adjusted earnings in the quarter would fall between $1.05 and $1.10 per share. Analysts at the time expected $1.69 per share.

CVS Health has cut its forecast three times this year. The company is slashing costs but, like some rivals, has been

a refund without having to send back the desk.

“That’s one less headache to deal with,” Harel said. “It was really nice for us to not have to make an extra trip up to the post office.” She used the desk pieces to create makeshift shelves in her office in Brooklyn.

A mysterious process

While the retail practice of letting customers keep merchandise and get their money back is not exactly a trade secret, the way it works is shrouded in mystery. Companies are not keen to publicize the circumstances in which they issue returnless refunds due to concerns over the potential for return fraud.

Even if brands don’t provide details about such policies on their websites, returnless refunds are expanding in at least some retail corners.

Amazon, which industry experts say has engaged in the practice for years, announced in August that it would extend the option to the third-party sellers who drive most of the sales on the e-commerce giant’s platform. Under the program, sellers who use the company’s fulfillment services in the U.S. could choose to offer customers a traditional refund for purchases under $75 along with no obligation to return what they ordered.

Amazon did not immediately respond to questions about how the program works. But publicly, it has pitched returnless refunds more directly to international sellers and those who offer cheaper goods. Items sold in an upcoming section of Amazon’s website, which will allow U.S. shoppers to buy low-cost goods shipped directly from China, will also be eligible for returnless refunds, according to documents seen by The Associated Press.

In January, Walmart gave a similar option to merchants who sell products on its growing online marketplace, leaving it up to sellers to set price limits and determine if or how they want to participate.

China-foundede-commerce

dogged by rising claims from its Medicare Advantage coverage. That involves privately run versions of the federal government’s coverage program mainly for people age 65 and older.

CVS Health also said it has been hurt by a quality ratings drop for those plans and pressure from Medicaid coverage it manages in several states. The performance has drawn criticism from shareholders like the hedge fund

Glenview Capital Management, which has said the company was operating well below its potential.

Glenview said last month that CVS Health’s struggles in Medicare Advantage “reflect the poor decisions and risk management of a select few.

“We believe these issues are quite fixable with strong leadership and appropriate (board) oversight and risk management,” Glenview said in a

companies Shein and Temu say they also offer returnless refunds on a small number of orders, as does Target, the online shopping site Overstock and pet products e-tailer Chewy, which some customer said had encouraged them to donate unwanted items to local animal shelters. Wayfair, another online retailer cited by some customers as offering returnless refunds, did not reply to a request for comment on its policies.

Deciding who is eligible - and when Overall, retailers and brands tend to be careful about how often they let customers keep items for free. Many of them are deploying algorithms to determine who should be given the option and who should not.

To make the decision, the algorithms assess multiple factors, including the extent to which a shopper should be trusted based on prior purchasing – and returning –patterns, shipping costs and the demand for the product in the customer’s hands, according to Sender Shamiss, CEO of goTRG, a reverse logistics company that works with retailers like Walmart.

Optoro, a company that helps streamline returns for Best Buy, Staples and Gap Inc.,

has observed retailers assessing the lifetime value of a customer and extending returnless refunds as a type of unofficial, discreet loyalty benefit, according to CEO Amena Ali.

The king of online retail appeared to verify the process works that way.

In a statement, Amazon said it offers returnless refunds on a “very small number” of items as a “convenience to customers.”

The company also said it’s hearing positive feedback from sellers about its new program that authorized them to tell customers they could keep some products and still be reimbursed. Amazon said it was monitoring for signs of fraud and setting eligibility criteria for sellers and customers. It didn’t provide additional details on what that encompassed.

Online shopping and the cost of returns

Some retailers also are stiffening the liberal return policies they long employed to encourage online orders. Shoppers who enjoyed making purchases on their computers or cellphones became accustomed to loading up their digital shopping baskets with the intent of returning items they ended up not liking.

Shopping online also grew significantly during the

COVID-19 pandemic, when homebound consumers reduced their trips to stores and relied on sites like Amazon for everyday items. Retail companies have talked in recent years about returns becoming more expensive to process due to the growing volume, rising inflation and labor costs.

Last year, U.S. consumers returned $743 billion worth of merchandise, or 14.5% of the products they purchased - up from 10.6% in 2020, according to the National Retail Federation. In 2019, returned merchandise was valued at $309 billion, according to loss prevention company Appriss Retail. Last year, roughly 14% of returns were fraudulent, costing retailers $101 billion in losses, according to a joint report from the National Retail federation and Appriss Retail. The problem spans from lowlevel forms of fraud - such as shoppers returning already worn clothing -

AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File

People return items purchased online at an Amazon counter inside a Kohl’s department store in Clifton, New Jersey, on September 3, 2021.

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File

A sign marks a CVS branch on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Pasadena, Calif.

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the historical roots of many contemporary challenges.

McFarlane then invited Schlitz to provide insight into how Gen Z views this shifting political landscape. Schlitz painted a picture of a generation both disillusioned and emboldened, describing Gen Z as driven to defend freedoms that prior generations have fought to secure. “We’ve grown up watching, we know what’s at stake,” she stated passionately. “This election, especially for Black women, was a blatant act of sexism and racism. But we’re not going anywhere. We’re in this fight for our liberty and our rights.” Schlitz’s perspective underscored a broader generational shift toward more active social justice advocacy, particularly among young women and marginalized communities.

Por ter II Porter

In a powerful closing moment, Hayden reflected on the importance of engaging even

with those who might not agree, recognizing that all voices, even opposing ones, are essential in understanding broader community concerns. “We have to listen,” he said, emphasizing the necessity of open dialogue. “If we cancel people out because they don’t align with us, we’ll end up with these silent blocks that only emerge at the polls.” His words underscored

a need for an inclusive conversation, resonating with The Conversation’s mission of fostering dialogue across diverse perspectives.

The discussion, which saw McFarlane, Hayden, Palmer, and Schlitz exploring complex layers of identity, policy, and community connection, echoed a common message: Minnesota’s path forward lies in conversation, unity, and an enduring commitment to change. Through platforms like The Conversation with Al McFarlane, these dialogues offer a chance to understand, to listen, and, as McFarlane aptly put it, to “stay present.”

Upon arriving in the Twin Cities, I was fortunate enough to have my amazing godmother and her family in the area. I remember looking at all the Minnesota snow outside their townhouse and saying to myself, “I’ll be outta here in two or three years.” That was 40 years

Democrats

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The conversation then shifted to U.S. international relations, as McFarlane explored the election’s impact on America’s global standing. He highlighted the Biden administration’s measured responses to the Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Palestine issue as examples of principled diplomacy. “We took a path

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emergency situation or a nonemergency, we’re responding appropriately.”

Implementation of the Safe and Thriving Communities plan is currently in its first phase, which will lay the groundwork for a sustainable and innovative ecosystem that focuses on a collaboration of public safety services. This includes non-police response, focus on preventative programs that address the root causes of violence, and service coordination to better serve the Minneapolis community.

Forming foundational work groups, building key relationships and engaging the community have been key pieces in moving the work forward.

Community engagement is key

Barnette stresses the importance of fully engaging Minneapolis community members, providing space to gather thoughts, input, and direction as OCS works to redesign and rebuild a safety system that works to effectively

ago. I guess that whole two- or three-year plan did not work out. But Minnesota has been good to me. Since leaving the world of daily newspaper reporting, I have worked in non-profit, philanthropy, state government and education. For years, I resisted education because it was like going into the family business. So many members of my New Orleans based family exceeded as educators that I wanted to chart my own course. Yet, I was destined to teach, perhaps from that summer school long

that I think was balanced,” McFarlane said, praising Biden’s cautious but consistent international stance. Yet, with Trump’s return to office, McFarlane voiced fears that the country’s leadership approach could undergo a radical shift, potentially impacting allies and international obligations. Adding an international perspective, Wilfred Harris, a Liberian author and historian, underscored the weight of this election for immigrant communities in the U.S. and abroad. Harris noted that African diasporas worldwide had been closely

serve all residents and visitors.

“Minneapolis is a very diverse community, and we want to hear all those voices,” said Barnette. “Through this past year, our team focused on organizing over 40 community engagement sessions that were vitally important to designing our future safety centers.”

Reflecting on the feedback gathered from sessions, Barnette said it is key to create that space and opportunity. “There are so many Minneapolis residents who have been historically underserved and unheard. The future of our city depends on these voices,” said Barnette.

Barnette also discussed the importance of reporting back to the community on progress. A new series of community engagement update sessions will be held late fall and through the winter with the purpose of updating the community on how their feedback is being used to shape the safety center plans.

“Now that we’ve gathered this feedback, opened the Lake Street Safety Center, and are continuing on our path to open the South Minneapolis Safety Center, we’re going back to the community to provide updates. Constant and consistent communication is keeps us accountable,” he said.

ago when my mother made me an unofficial, unpaid assistant teacher. (Was she planting a seed or just keeping her young son busy?)

These days, I teach writing and critical thinking at Dougherty Family College (DFC) a division of University of St. Thomas. There, we welcome underrepresented students, including those of color, first-generation and immigrant to prepare them for the challenges of a liberal arts college. After two years and receiving an associate’s degree,

watching the race, inspired by Harris’s candidacy but disillusioned by the broader implications of Trump’s win. Reflecting on the long-standing bond between the U.S. and Liberia, he asked a compelling question: “America has always been the stabilizer of this world. But what happens when that stabilizer starts wavering?” Harris’s remarks on America’s declining reputation struck a chord, particularly as he highlighted Trump’s disparaging language about African nations. “This is not the first time. The slave master used to say the slaves were

Path for police reform When he was sworn into office, Barnette’s work with the City’s settlement agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights began, which sets out compliance measures that must be met by the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and across the City enterprise. Monitored by an independent evaluator, the settlement agreement requires action steps and changes in policies, training, use of force, data collection, among other compliance measures. To carry out this work, the Implementation Unit, comprised of sworn and professional staff, was formed to coordinate compliance with the settlement agreement.

“I want to emphasize what’s been great about the Implementation Unit is that they got started with their work well before the independent evaluator got here,” said Barnette. “We don’t want to go back. We want to continue to go forward. Compliance with settlement agreement is setting us up for a sustainable and exemplary police department long-term.”

“We’re serious about reform, and we want to get it right,” added Barnette, who further explained that

they are ready to pursue a bachelor’s degree at St. Thomas or another university. Professors at DFC serve as mentors and advisors, doing what is called “intrusive” advising. That means if a scholar - the positive term we use for our students - does not show up for a scheduled meeting, we seek them out. Emails, phone calls or in-person pursuit are among the methods we use. Borrowing from an old military ad, I often say my work there is “the toughest job I’ve ever loved.” This state has

lazy… but they built the world.” Harris’s words cut to the heart of anxieties within African and immigrant communities as they contemplate what Trump’s return could mean for global partnerships and domestic policies affecting minority populations.

McFarlane, aware of the broader stakes at play, turned the discussion back to the local level, asking what the election’s results could mean for Black political representation in Minnesota. “We’ve seen Black elected officials dwindle in numbers in the legislature,” said Day, expressing concern about

the Implementation Unit has concentrated efforts to engage and gather feedback from the community. “It’s not just about checking off boxes, but actually getting it right for the residents.”

Recruitment of first responders To properly serve the Minneapolis community, a fully staffed Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is another priority for Commissioner Barnette. Spring 2024 marked the beginning of significant MPD recruitment efforts. With the launch of the ‘Imagine Yourself’ campaign, the multiyear recruitment efforts will continue through the OCS, with a goal of increasing the number of sworn officers who are the right fit.

“It is essential that we hire and employ the right people to serve on our police force, and that can take time,” he said.

“Not only are we reforming the department, amending policies and rebuilding culture, but this is specialized work that requires the right people with the right character to do the job.”

Strengthening Neighborhood Safety partnerships

Focusing efforts on preventative strategies, the

powered my positive state in many ways. I have acquired a lot more formal and informal education of my own, as well as a family, friends, and multiple communities. My neighborhoods went from downtown St. Paul to the West Side of St. Paul to Rochester (where I worked in media relations and development at Mayo Clinic) and for the last two decades, North Minneapolis. In this column I plan to go from my own neighborhood to all over the planet, talking about major and minor things.

the barriers Black candidates face without adequate community and financial support. “We have to financially support each other,” he urged. “We need to run campaigns, support local leaders, show up, volunteer, and get Black and Brown voices back in the halls of power.”

The Conversation concluded with a familiar call to action from McFarlane, underscoring the importance of unity and resilience.

“What do we do? We keep the conversation going,” he reminded listeners, urging them to remain vigilant and

City’s former Office of Violence Prevention has been restructured into the Neighborhood Safety department, a key department within OCS that utilizes a public health approach to violence.

“We want Neighborhood Safety to have strong sustainability because a lot of our non-police responses come from the work of this department,” said Barnette, who added that this past year has been about building the right infrastructure for current and new pilot programs focusing on violence prevention strategies and alternative response.

“Establishing procedures for data collection, research and analysis is another part of Neighborhood Safety that we are focusing on,” said Barnette.

“Tracking data and coordinating all safety services across the enterprise, including county, state and federal resources, will take time, but will be key to moving this work forward.”

Welcoming new Emergency Management leader

The common denominator will be a positive approach. I hope you will provide lots of feedback when you agree and when you disagree. Come along. It is going to be a wild, meaningful, and positive ride! (Louis Porter II is a teaching professor at University of St. Thomas and a former executive director of the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage. His column is set to run monthly.)

hopeful. Recalling the words of his mentor, Dr. Mahmoud ElKati, he said, “This is about the resistance. We keep resisting, no matter who is in power.” In an era marked by political tension, The Conversation on KFAI 90.3 FM provides a vital forum for Minnesota’s diverse communities to tackle challenging issues. With candid dialogues like these, McFarlane and his guests reflect the pulse of the Minnesota community, ensuring that local voices stay engaged, informed, and united in confronting the issues that matter most.

Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Frank Sinatra to name a few. He scored many films and produced iconic films like The Wiz, The Italian Job, In Cold Blood, In the Heat of the Night, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial and The Color Purple. He also had a film and television production company, which famously produced The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, launching rapper Will Smith’s acting career.

Jones was born in Chicago, to parents who descended from slaves. After his parents divorced, he moved to Seattle at age 14 with his father where he learned to play multiple musical instruments. He studied music at Seattle University, eventually moving to Boston and then NYC to play with legendary bandleader Lionel Hampton. The rest is history. Jones has been nominated for seven Academy Awards. In 1968, Jones became the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “The Eyes of Love” from

the film, “Banning.” Jones was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on the 1967 film, “In Cold Blood,” making him the first African American to be nominated twice in the same year. In 1971, the trailblazer became the first African American to be the musical director and conductor of the Academy Awards. In 1986, he was nominated for Best Picture for the Color Purple, which he scored and produced. Over the course of his 75-year career, Jones won 28 Grammys, including three Producer of the Year awards, two Song of the Year awards, and two Album of the Year awards. The multi-hyphenate produced three of the most successful albums by music superstar Michael Jackson: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). He also won the Grammy Living Legend Award (1991). In 2001, Jones received a Kennedy Center honor and in 2010, he received a National Medal of Arts medal from President Barack Obama. The iconic bandleader was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. In 1995. Jones gathered 45 music legends and pop stars to produce the single,

“We are the World,” for the USA for Africa charity. The single sold 800,000 copies in three days and raised more than $60 million for African famine relief and inspired other musiciandriven charitable efforts.

Jones won the Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award that same year. Jones was recently had a 90th birthday celebration at the Hollywood Bowl featuring iconic performers like Steve Wonder, Angélique Kidjo, Patti Austin, Aloe Blacc, John Legend, Jennifer Hudson and rising stars Samara Joy and BJ the Chicago Kid.

Jones was married three times and has seven children. He was married to Jeri Caldwell (1957-1966), Swedish actress Ulla Andersson (19671974) and actress Peggy Lipton (1984-1989), who is the mother of actress Rashida Jones and designer Kidada Jones. He is survived by his children Jolie, Rachel, Martina, Quincy III, Kidada, Rashida, and Kenya and six grandchildren. He was 91. Rest in power. This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on social media @Ntellectual.

“I have full confidence in our leadership team to make strides in each department,” said Barnette. “Especially as we look toward a comprehensive, effective community safety ecosystem across the enterprise.”

A Safe and Thriving Minneapolis Looking ahead, Barnette is continuing to build a culture of trust in the City, where every resident feels respected and heard. With a focus on improved collaborations and partnerships, implementing strategies that address crime prevention, innovating safety services and creating a new public safety model, Barnette said the next year will add onto ongoing efforts of transformational changes, part of a foundational process for lasting change to occur.

Beyond the Minneapolis Police Department and Neighborhood Safety, Barnette emphasized the importance of alignment and coordination of all the safety departments within OCS, which also includes Fire, Emergency Management, and 911. He recently completed his executive leadership cabinet with the hire of Rachel Sayre, Emergency Management Director, who brings a wealth of experience in international crisis and emergency response efforts.

Barnette

“Our

ancestors taught us to

By Pulane Choane Contributing Writer

“Our slave ancestors taught us to never give up,” declared historian and community elder Dr. Mahmoud El-Kati, whose words captured a profound moment of resilience in a recent conversation on the future of democracy and Black liberation. For Dr. El-Kati, this reminder was not only a call for hope but also a rallying cry for the generations whose rights and freedom were secured through hard-won battles. This powerful exchange came amid the 2024 election aftermath, which saw Kamala Harris narrowly claim the presidency against Donald Trump in one of the most polarized elections in U.S. history. As the political dust settles, communities across the country are grappling with heightened fears over the erosion of democratic norms.

El-Kati reflected on the gravity of this moment by drawing on centuries of resilience within Black communities, emphasizing that “If Black people are free, everybody is free.” His words echoed a sentiment that has fueled every wave of progress in American history: that Black liberation has always set a standard for freedom, justice, and equality for all. “Our struggle is essentially moral, not political,” he continued. “We must tell people that White supremacy is on its last legs; we’re going to win if humanity is to win.” For El-Kati, the fight for justice goes beyond the political arena and must be grounded in moral purpose, making the stakes in today’s polarized climate all the more significant.

The discussion, moderated by The Conversation host Al McFarlane, was enriched by a sense of urgency as participants voiced their concerns about preserving democracy in a postelection landscape. MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow’s urgent warnings were a touchstone in the conversation, reminding listeners that authoritarian forces rely on the complacency of the masses to seize power. “They’re counting on the half of the country that voted against them to feel powerless, to check out,” Maddow said in a recorded message aired during the show. Maddow cautioned that authoritarian figures quickly exploit the gaps left by an apathetic public. “We have to decide if we’re going to resist

By Pulane Choane Contributing Writer

Following a powerful discussion on defending democracy, Minnesota leaders gathered again to explore deeper themes of historical trauma, the power of bearing witness, and the community’s role in reclaiming narratives. The conversation, a continuation of The Conversation with Al McFarlane livestream on YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn, invited listeners into a “Healing Circle,” where voices from Minnesota’s Black community reflected on resilience in times of political turmoil and what it means to fight for an inclusive future.

Dr. BraVada GarrettAkinsanya, a psychologist and healer, led the circle with an invocation that honored African traditions. “Our ritual reminds us that everyone in the circle has equal access to power, with no beginning, no end,” she said, grounding the conversation in a sense of shared strength. “In this space, we acknowledge our elders, our ancestors, the shoulders upon which we stand. It is through their strength that we find our own,” she said, asking listeners to inhale peace and exhale fear. For Dr. GarrettAkinsanya, collective healing is as necessary as resistance, especially in a world grappling with fractured politics and racial trauma. Al McFarlane,

never

give up”: Re flections on the future of democracy

this, and we must do it now,” she urged.

Al McFarlane tied Maddow’s message back to the election fallout, noting how the intense political divides between Trump and Harris have left communities feeling fractured and uncertain. “This is the time for vigilance,” McFarlane said.

“We’ve been here before, and we know what resistance looks like.” The panel reflected on this sentiment, sharing their own experiences of navigating racial tension, political unrest, and the psychological impacts of an era that feels eerily reminiscent of past struggles.

Dr. BraVada GarrettAkinsanya, a psychologist, emphasized the importance of processing these feelings, particularly among Black Americans who experience compounded layers of trauma.

“In this sacred space, we acknowledge our elders and our ancestors,” she said, leading listeners in a calming exercise to help relieve the anxiety many feel amid today’s divisive climate. Garrett-Akinsanya described a persistent “fear of erasure” within communities of color, a concept that resonated with listeners processing the racial and political divides laid bare in this election. “There is a psychological acrobatic denial of problems at the top,” she said, noting how the psychological toll of these denials affects

community well-being.

El-Kati’s historical lens grounded these discussions in context, as he reminded listeners that the battle for justice is both longstanding and ongoing. Reflecting on the recent election, El-Kati underscored how today’s struggle for democracy is not a new phenomenon but a continuation of battles fought across generations. “The civil rights movement didn’t start with Martin Luther King Jr. It started when that first slave was dragged off a ship, kicking and screaming,” he explained. For El-Kati, each generation must pick up where the last left off drawing strength from their ancestors’ refusal to yield to oppression. “White supremacy is an affliction, and if we’re to survive, we need to confront it head-on,” he said. In the midst of this deep historical reflection, Dr. Oliver Williams, a panelist, shared the importance of intergenerational understanding, especially as younger Americans confront racial injustices that may feel overwhelming. “What did it feel like during slavery, or during the Civil Rights Movement?” he asked, urging younger generations to seek knowledge of these past struggles to better understand today’s challenges. Williams recounted his own experiences marching with his parents in

Detroit during the Civil Rights Movement, stressing that it is history that provides the tools and resilience to face modernday battles. “Every victory in Black history has made society more free,” he said, noting how each step forward has improved conditions not only for Black Americans but for the entire nation.

Dr. GarrettAkinsanya emphasized the need for healing as an essential part of resistance. “The more you clench, the less you can get,” she reflected, pointing out that embracing openness over fear allows communities to grow and heal. Through her work, she stressed that Black Americans have developed unique forms of resilience over centuries, often expressed through cultural traditions, music, and spiritual practices. “In our music, in our stories, you see the evidence

of our strength,” she noted, adding that cultural expressions serve as a testament to the community’s endurance.

As the conversation drew to a close, Al McFarlane centered the importance of building institutions within the Black community to provide lasting support and a foundation for future generations.

“Institutions make behavior predictable,” he explained, noting that such structures are essential for creating stability in the face of persistent challenges.

McFarlane underscored that institutional strength is key to any movement’s survival, emphasizing that the fight for social justice needs to be sustained and carefully nurtured.

El-Kati echoed this sentiment, pointing to examples of local institutions that provide resources and safe spaces for

host of the show, steered the conversation toward the concept of “bearing witness”—a theme that panelists explored as both a personal responsibility and a cultural necessity. “Bearing witness is what makes our struggle moral,” Dr. Mahmoud El-Kati reflected. He explained that through music, stories, and daily acts, Black Americans have testified to both injustice and resilience, reminding the world of what is at stake. Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya echoed his

sentiment, citing an African proverb: “The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.” For her, this represents a profound truth about trauma: that while systems of oppression may try to erase histories, communities carry these memories forward as testimony and as strength. The discussion naturally turned toward the power of reclaiming narratives within the Black community. Dr. Oliver Williams reflected on what this reclamation looks

like for younger generations, especially those growing up without direct connections to the Civil Rights Movement or the struggle for racial justice. “Our young people have to know that we are not new to this fight,” he said. “The stories we pass down are more than history—they’re survival guides.” He noted that while each generation faces unique challenges, historical understanding provides a crucial foundation, especially in the face of efforts to distort

Black identity and history. This sense of reclaiming narratives was particularly resonant for McFarlane, who reflected on the importance of building platforms where these stories can thrive. “Institutions sustain communities; they give us a way to shape our stories, to direct our narratives instead of having them defined for us,” he said.

Panelists agreed that cultural and community institutions— whether large or small—anchor

the community.

“Building institutions is the legacy we leave our children. It’s how we secure their future,” he stated. He emphasized that the community’s resilience is embedded in its ability to organize, strategize, and support each other across generations. This insightful conversation, recorded for The Conversation with Al McFarlane livestream on YouTube, showcased Minnesota voices calling for vigilance, healing, and historical awareness to safeguard democracy. Reflecting on both past struggles and today’s political landscape, the panel offered listeners a sense of purpose and direction in a time of national reflection. As Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya concluded, “Let’s hold onto hope, and let’s not let anybody—especially ourselves—steal it from us.”

collective identity and provide resources to combat trauma, inspire action, and create spaces for healing.

As the conversation came to a close, GarrettAkinsanya reflected on a painful reality many Black Americans face: the internalized belief that they must justify their existence. “Part of our healing,” she explained, “is realizing we don’t need to cling to what others say about us. We don’t need to clench our fists to be powerful; our openness is our strength.” She noted that this openness also challenges those who fear being “erased” by a world becoming more diverse, a point the panel saw as central to dismantling White supremacy. El-Kati ended with a note of optimism, calling on the community to expand on its institutions. “This is how we win,” he said, “by claiming spaces where we control the story, where we turn our history into our victory.” McFarlane closed by encouraging listeners to carry these reflections forward, to “speak up, build up, and never give up,” ensuring that future generations inherit a strong foundation from which to advocate for justice. Together, the two discussions on The Conversation with Al McFarlane brought an urgent call to Minnesota’s communities: to safeguard democracy, bear witness, and build narratives that empower future generations.

Screenshot from The Conversation with Al McFarlane

A Dire Picture”: Al McFarlane, Dr. Mahmoud El-Kati, Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, and Dr. Oliver Williams discuss the implications of Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris, emphasizing the resilience needed in uncertain times.

Dr. Oliver Williams

Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya

Dr. Mahmoud El-Kati

Aesthetically It

At CTC through January 5, 2025

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Children’s Theatre Company’s (CTC) return engagement of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! runs throughJanuary 5, 2025 directed for the first time by CTC Company member Dean Holt, with choreography by Kelli Foster Warder. The production is adapted from How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss.

This is the 12th time CTC has produced this show, which they originally commissioned and premiered in 1994. It also marks the seventh time CTC Company Member Reed Sigmund will portray The Grinch.

“This story carries so many wonderful memories for CTC and its audience,” said Director Dean Holt. “Mostly, it reminds us that the true meaning of our holiday gatherings and traditions lie not in the ‘stuff’ of the season, but rather in the people and community we are surrounded by.”

A miserly and miserable, ever-socantankerous Grinch has observed the despicable Christmas joy of the Whos with disdain, from a distance, for decades. ENOUGH! In this beloved holiday favorite,

filled with music and Seussian rhymes, he plots the greatest heist imaginable—stealing the very thing they love the most! Until, that is, the smallest of the Whos, tiny Cindy Lou, extends a hand. Through the combination of kindness and community, we witness not only a change in the course of Who-History, but the size and capacity of the old green guy’s heart.

“This will be my 7th time stealing Christmas, and I’m still as nervous and excited as I was the first year I donned the green,” said Reed Sigmund. “This character and story are so rich I can’t stop exploring and playing in their gorgeous world. And this year I’m exploring it with my best friend, Dean Holt, sitting in the Director’s chair. His understanding and commitment to this story is absolutely inspiring and full of countless new ideas and surprises that I can’t wait to share with our audience.”

This show is for all ages. Tickets can be purchased at childrenstheatre.org/grinch or by calling the ticket office at 612.874.0400.

The adult cast of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! features Reed

Sigmund* as The Grinch, Dean Holt* as Old Max, C. Ryan Shipley as JP Who, Autumn Ness* as Mama Who, Adam Qualls* as Grandpa Who (Understudy Grinch), Suzie Juul* as Grandma Who, and Janely Rodriguez* as Betty- Lou Who. The adult Who ensemble includes Davon Cochran, Tyler Susan Jennings, and Jack Strub (Understudy Grandpa Who) The student cast of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! features Adelyn Frost and Harriet Spencer alternating as Young Max, Batya Rose Green Hofkin and Chloe Hu alternating as CindyLou Who, Dallas Downey as Danny Who, Mollie Allen as Annie Who, Chloe Sorensen as Boo Who/Mini Max, Cortlan Gosa as Who Ensemble/ Mini Grinch, and Kenza Ahmed as Who Ensemble/ Mini Max (Understudy Mini Grinch). The student Who ensemble includes Liam BeckO’Sullivan (Understudy Danny Who), Brody Breen, El Kost (Understudy Young Max), Brecken Lee, Luciana Erika Mayer (Understudy Annie Who), and Junia Morrow (Understudy Betty-Lou Who).

The adult understudies include Neal Beckman (Old Max, JP Who); Antonisia Collins (Grandma Who, Ensemble); Keegan Robinson (Who Ensemble); and Angela Steele (Mama Who, Who Ensemble, Dance Captain).

The student understudies include Maya Haugen (Who Ensemble), Jon Schumacher (Who Ensemble), and Alice

Welciek (Who Ensemble). In addition to Timothy Mason, Mel Marvin, Dean Holt, and Kelli Foster Warder, the creative team and production staff for Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! includes Victor Zupanc (Music Director/ Conductor), Denise Prosek (Music Director), Tom Butsch (Scenic Designer), David Kay Mickelsen (Costume Designer), Nancy Schertler (Lighting

Present Practice: Art in times of collapse

By Sheila Regan MinnPost

Artist Piotr Szyhalski describes his most recent large-scale drawing as being like a landscape painting.

It was up for just a few days at Northeast Sculpture | Gallery Factory over the weekend. The piece took up two walls and spanned nearly sixty-feet at six-feet tall. Titled “Model Collapse,” the work unraveled a narrative of war, destruction, violence, and hope.

The artist took the name of the piece from a term that is used to describe how the process of artificial intelligence training itself inevitably reaches a degenerative spiral when it begins to “learn” from errors propagated by its own process.

Szyhalski links the concept to the destructive atrocities taking place in our world, in a time when world leaders have seemingly learned nothing from previous mistakes over the course of the past century.

Recently diagnosed with cancer — Szyhalski was putting all those things together – including wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and recent political events.

“Disinformation is happening, the culture wars are happening, but also my cancer is happening,” he told me. “A lot of it is pretty dark, but there are also some hopeful moments and things that I would hold on to.”

Szyhalski, who goes by the artist moniker Labor Camp, says he doesn’t think of it as a political work. “I think of politics the way a landscape painter thinks about landscape,” he said. “I just look out and draw what I see,” he told me.

Szyhalski opened a different exhibition, “War Reports,” a series of large poster-sized ink drawings, at NE Sculpture at the beginning of October. When he was planning for that show, he knew he wanted to put together a closing event, but wasn’t sure what it would be at first. Sometime around the opening, he told me, he realized he wanted to install an entirely different exhibition for the closing event. He completed it just days beforehand.

Szyhalski has a very bold drawing style — in previous series he used ink, but in this case, he employed an iPad and an Apple pencil. His mark-making lives somewhere between volatility and vulnerability.

At the far left of the first wall, a woman plays a piano, looking on to heaps of rubble overgrown mess, buildings floating in flooded waters, sculls lying on the ground, and a helmeted soldier looks on nonchalantly at an enormous explosion where the two walls intersect.

On the second wall, a

mother reads to her two children as debris swirls around them, a young person looks on his phone while sitting a landed missile, a white flag rises in a sea of muck, an oversized boot digs a shovel into the dirt. Further on, bison graze as black clouds hover above, another mother holds her child in a bed over oversized flowers, and books burn in engulfing flames.

I went to see this work — which is now deinstalled – on Sunday. The panoramic drawing spoke to many of the things that I’ve been thinking about both before the election and after— particularly the daily horrors we hear about every day taking place across the ocean, but also fears I have about the rise of fascism, increased violence, and environmental crisis.

The work felt extremely present. Its raw expression was like an improvisational snapshot of the world as it is in a moment.

In times of crisis, go to practice

In an essay called “further notes on shape,” artist and essayist Amy Sillman revealed her idea that you could divide artists into drawers versus painters. Painters, she contends in the piece, work from a big idea and then move down into the details. Draw-ers, by contrast, “work from the weeds outward, building up from particulars, inductively, scratching and pawing at their paper with tools the scale of their hands.”

Sillman then likens draw-ers to moles or beavers building a thatch. In speaking about the essay, artist Jonathan Herrera Soto says a draw-er, in Sillman’s framework, “is someone who is in the mess of things,” he told me. “Nose to the ground, muddy and wet, and trudging things along.”

Herrera Soto mentioned Sillman’s essay when I was talking to him about a show he curated at Public Functionary, called “Your hands were making artifacts in the corner of my mind.” He used the essay as a prompt in the curation of the show, along with thinking about shape, and the value of sketching and doodling. “The sketch can tell something more true than a reference photo,” Herrera Soto said.

While there are many forms of art beyond drawing in the show — including painting, sculpture, mixed media work, and textiles, Herrera Soto used drawing as a concept to help guide the artists.

“Drawing teaches how to be observant,” he said. “how to be present.” Herrera Soto, who is a former student of Szyhalski, by chance helped his mentor install the “Model Collapse.” He had meant to simply stop

by to say hello because he was in town (Herrera Soto is now based on the East Coast), but ended up helping to wheat-paste the drawings onto Northeast Sculpture’s walls along with another former MCAD student, Nancy Julia Hicks.

At Public Functionary, Herrera Soto has been working with the artists in the PF Studio Program, where emerging artists are supported with workspace, mentorship, and career development

opportunities. The exhibition he curated focuses on artmaking practice, examining the doing of art as worthy of consideration beyond a final product.

“Artists are always in their messes,” Herrera Soto said.

“The metaphorical connection is the big mess we’re in right now. But we’re in good practice of making something connective and beautiful from that mess.”

An example of this “mess-making” is León Valencia Currie’s work, “push/

through” (2024). There’s a lot going on in the piece. The artist has hung from the ceiling gunrange targets covered in bullet holes alongside photographs of the artist, and drawings that juxtapose geometric shapes with furiously detailed patterns inspired from natural forms. On the floor there’s a crate filled with medicine bottles. Exploring notions of health and safety, the piece searches for answers through process.

In “You Can’t Go Home Again,” (2024) Arnée Martin investigated their family archive and memories. Hung on a pillar, one part of the piece uses cross stitching to re-create a family portrait. On the other, Martin layers mylar, perforated plastic, and the original photo. Blurry and muted, the process portion of the work points to Martin’s thoughts and steps in creating the “final” piece.

Many of the pieces explicitly take a point of view, though often on peripheries. Whitney Terrill’s two prints, “Abstracted Emotions” #1 and #2 (2024), grapples with the emotional experiences of living in this world with abstract lines and expressive use of a paintbrush. Nafyar’s painting juxtaposes childhood photos with archival images to meditate

on a disconnected feeling of home, with ghostly figures and objects populating an outdoor scene. Grover Hogan, meanwhile, working with paint and multimedia, explores a relationship to labor, complete with decorative tassels on the top and bottom of the piece. In a way, the whole exhibition acts as a kind of resistance to permanence in favor of motion and mutability. It’s a celebration of making, of materials, and of how art isn’t just something that becomes completed, but is something to attend to, to return to, to evolve. In a time when there’s lots to be worried about around the planet and here at home, it’s a reminder that even when we don’t have answers, we have the work to do that reveals itself in the doing of it. To practice is to be present.

“Our Hands Were Making Artifacts in the Corner of My Mind” runs through Nov. 30 at Public Functionary (free).

Sheila Regan

Sheila Regan is a Twin Cities-based arts journalist. She writes MinnPost’s twice-weekly Artscape column. She can be reached at sregan@minnpost. com.

Designer), Sean Healey (Sound Designer), Craig Gottschalk (Projection Designer), Stacy McIntosh (Assistant Director), Tyson Insixiengmai (Assistant Choreographer), Ellie Simonett (Assistant Lighting Designer), Nate Stanger* (Stage Manager), Shelby Reddig* (Assistant Stage Manager), and Elijah Virgil Hughes (Stage Management Fellow).

MinnPost photo by Sheila Regan

Artist Piotr Szyhalski, who goes by the artist moniker Labor Camp, links the concept to the destructive atrocities taking place in our world, in a time when world leaders have seemingly learned nothing from previous mistakes over the course of the past century.

Photo by Glen Stubbe Photography

The Company of Children’s Theatre Company’s 2024 production of ‘Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’

Education

SHAPE America (the Society of Health and Physical Educators) serves as the voice for 200,000+ health and physical education professionals across the United States and recognizes the importance of early childhood education. It suggests these activities to help teach families the importance of physical activity for young children.

SHAPE America offers a variety of ideas, strategies, information, and resources for parents to use the space within their homes, the materials they have, and their limited time to model and encourage physical activity.

Here’s an idea for infants (age 2 months or when the child can lie on their tummy and hold up his/her head):

Setting

Description

As you are lying on your back on the floor, place the infant on your tummy, so that the child is facing you. Begin by holding the child with both of your hands on his/her back. Gently roll your body from side to side. This will cause the child to explore using his/her body to maintain a balanced position, thus contracting many muscles.

As the child gains more control, let go little by little, to the point where you are barely holding on

to the child as you gently roll from side to side. As the child gets older, you can make this a bit more “rough and tumble” by holding onto the child and increasing your rolling motion from side to side. As you play this game, make the sounds of an airplane engine taking off and banking through the air.

Learning Outcomes

Large Motor Skills: The child begins to gain voluntary control of arm movements, using arms, legs, and torso to maintain balance.

Social Emotional Development: The child displays pleasure in interacting with familiar adults, and engaging in social games through playful, back-and-forth interactions. It’s important to

know that balance requires the use of many different parts of the body at one time. To fully balance, the body must learn to work its different parts together, contracting and relaxing various muscles to achieve the desired posture. As infants lay on their tummies and move their arms and legs, they work very hard, contracting numerous muscles while relaxing others, allowing them to achieve the constantly changing postures while achieving some sense of balance.

Movement Milestone

Most children can lie on their tummies and hold up their heads to look around by the age of 1-4 months. Here’s a pre-K activity that teaches families the importance of

physical activity for young children.

Get ready Space: Outdoors

Stuff:Your imagination Time: Playing after school, weekend fun

Get set Throw a leaf or bunch of leaves up in the air and watch them float through space. Talk about how they move high and low and fast and slow. Some leaves even twist and twirl as they float down toward the ground.

Go Now it is your turn.

Use your imagination to pretend you are a leaf that has just fallen from a tree. Float all over space. Dart high and low, fast and slow,

Kaligaa Ma Tihid

By W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

(Kaligaa Ma Tihid)

By Habiba Mohamed Illustrated by Victoria Medi

This past weekend marked the 8th annual Minnesota Black Authors Expo and this year’s theme Bringing Black Books to Life. The kickoff event was held at the Minneapolis Central Library in downtown Minneapolis, and it was amazing. Authors representing a variety of genres, the powerful Writers Bootcamp, a workshop for teens and a wonderful Kids’ Corner. And let us not forget the awesome Joe Davis as he brought to the attendees “From the Page to the Stage.” For those of you who missed this event, there are three more scheduled for 2025, so stay tuned.

With that being said, it is my pleasure to bring to you one of the authors from the event: Habiba Mohamed and her children’s book You Are Not Alone.

Mohamed’s multicultural and bilingual book speaks to children, letting them know, as stated in the title, that they aren’t alone, especially if they feel different, isolated, or for some reason not accepted. Children can feel alone in

such areas as their moods, health, school, or tough times. However, Mohamed, with the collaboration of Victoria Medi, illustrates that others feel or have felt the same way, and there is love, support, and people who care all around them.

When it comes to the affirming support, this can take the form of family, teachers, friends, neighbors, and the larger community, people who, according to Mohamed, “believe in their dreams.” This is a book that touches hearts, as it did mine.

With a master’s degree in educational leadership and a background of early childhood teaching, Mohamed

serves as the Director of Clinical Operations within an Applied Behavioral Analysis program. She speaks from empowerment for children, and I acknowledge her gifts, which have indeed made room for her. You Are Not Alone (Kaligaa Ma Tihid) is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Diverse Voices Press, the Minnesota Black Authors Expo website (www. mnblackauthorsexpo.com), and her website (authorhabiba.com)

Thank you, Habiba, for your voice of encouragement, comfort, empowerment, and affirmation of all children to be their authentic selves.

Insight 2 Health

Weight loss plans are less effective for many Black women because existing ones often don’t meet their unique needs

By Loneke Blackman

Carr

Assistant Professor of Community and Public Health Nutrition, University of Connecticut and Jameta Nicole Barlow

Associate Professor of Writing, Health Policy & Management and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies,, George Washington University

The popularity of weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro continue to reflect Americans’ desire to slim down. While these new drugs have offered a solution for people struggling with obesity, many eligible patients – especially Black adults –cannot afford the high price.

These drugs are also not a one-stop solution for better health, as healthy eating and regular exercise are also key to losing weight. But current weight loss interventions based on lifestyle changes largely fail to meet the needs of Black women.

As community health researchers, we wondered why scientists have been unable to craft a lifestylebased weight loss solution that works for Black women.

So we reviewed 10 years of research on weight loss interventions based on lifestyle changes. We found that only a few studies focused on Black women, and those that did often resulted in only small amounts of weight loss and were inconsistent in how they approached weight loss. Why is that?

Missing the mark for Black women

Obesity increases the risk of developing weightrelated conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. Nearly 60% of Black women in the U.S. are obese, placing them at greater risk of developing these conditions.

Lifestyle interventions focusing on healthy diet and increased physical activity are proven to help most people lose weight, typically resulting in a 5% to 10% weight reduction that also reduces the risk of chronic disease. However, these lifestyle interventions usually result in only a 2% to 3% weight loss in Black women.

Our review suggests that lifestyle-based weight loss has been stymied among Black women because they often aren’t included in this research. Because their lived experiences aren’t considered in these studies, these interventions might not meet their specific needs. Of the 138 studies we assessed, Black women made up at least half of the participants in only eight studies. Research on why lifestyle interventions are often less effective for Black women is lacking. However, some studies highlight the effects of race and gender on their daily lives as potential factors.

The superwoman role

Black women exposed to the persistent stress of navigating everyday racism and sexism face the additional burden of what researchers call the superwoman role. Not only do Black women have to weather their own experiences of raceand gender-based inequalities, they’re also expected to be invulnerable, hyperindependent and suppress their emotions in order to seem strong to their family and community. Many minimize their vulnerabilities and overstress their capabilities in order to fulfill an overwhelming obligation to take care of other people. Many famous names have spoken about the effects of being the strong superwoman. Actress Taraji P. Henson has pointed to how the need to display strength can lead to ignoring the physical and emotional needs of Black women.

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion spoke about the emotional toll of the superwoman role after being shot by rapper Tory Lanez. “As a Black woman … people expect me to take the punches, take the beating, take

the lashings, and handle it with grace. But I’m human.”

The superwoman role levies a heavy tax on Black women, leaving little room to prioritize their health. To cope with the stress, some engage in emotional eating or binge eating. The constant demands of playing multiple caregiver roles can also disrupt physical activity.

Naturally, these challenges make it difficult to adopt healthier eating habits and a consistent exercise routine. Even when working toward weight loss, some Black women continue to gain weight.

Improving weight loss for Black women

Lifestyle interventions that fully integrate the lived experiences of Black women into treatment may be key to improving weight loss. We argue that Black Feminism and Womanism, which focus on the experiences of women of color, can guide researchers to rebuild and reframe weight loss interventions to be more effective for Black women.

Black Feminism and Womanism are approaches guiding Black women and

girls to surviving and thriving, specifically by always considering the role that gender and race play in different issues. These frameworks focus on multiple areas of health and wellness, including physical, mental and emotional health, arguing that selfcare and wellness practices are acts of social change. Focusing on the full context of Black women’s lives can lead to better overall health. Obesity, specifically, is influenced by multiple factors, and treating obesity requires a focus on holistic health and well-being. This includes addressing Black women’s economic needs, incorporating faith practices central to Black life, attending to emotional and mental health, and building an environment that makes acquiring healthy food and engaging in daily exercise an easy choice. Current weight loss interventions vary widely in which elements of Black women’s lives they focus on. For example, some emphasize spirituality, while others concentrate on emotional health. Approaches to weight loss that respond to individual needs and move away from one-size-fits-all will be critical to addressing the various aspects of Black women’s lives that affect their wellness. If health care providers and researchers begin listening to and working with Black women to redesign weight loss interventions, they will likely find that their efforts at addressing obesity among Black women are more effective. Loneke Blackman Carr receives, or previously received, funding from The National Institutes of Health and the United States Department of Agriculture. Jameta Nicole Barlow does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Sports

Winning alongside the liberty

In a historic showdown, the New York Liberty clinched their first-ever WNBA championship, edging out the Minnesota Lynx in a hard-fought series. For the Liberty, it was truly a case of “fifth time’s the charm” after previous attempts that fell short. Liberty fans celebrated as the franchise finally reached the pinnacle of success, powered

by their dynamic roster and a relentless pursuit of the title. With star players like Breanna Steward and Sabrina Ionescu leading the charge, the Liberty broke their championship drought, showing the power of perseverance. For the Lynx, it was a hard-fought journey, though they came up short this time around.

Beyond the court, the championship spotlight shined on both familiar and unique figures. Perhaps none more so than the Liberty’s symbolic mascot, Ellie the Elephant, a beloved character who had become the franchise’s biggest winner – prior to their championship. In true New

York fashion, further solidifying her iconic status among the league’s mascots, Ellie has her own personal stylists – her style “aunties,” Liberty entertainment executives Criscia Long and Shenay Rivers, and celebrity stylist Harrison Crite. In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Ellie described her personal style as “sports baddie streetwear couture.” The game also brought extra attention to Napheesa Collier, the Lynx’s Defensive Player of the Year and fan-favorite. Known for her skill on the court, Collier has been making waves with her style as well, thanks to her stylist, Kimberly “Kimble”

A die-hard Lynx season ticket holder, Steward has been curating Collier’s standout look this season. Steward’s styling of Collier has elevated her presence off the court. Her bold outfits have even inspired a new feature column, “Pheese Fits,” set to debut in Insight News and showcase the athlete’s sense of style. But Collier’s influence doesn’t stop at fashion. She and Liberty star Breanna Steward have cofounded Unrivaled, a new U.S.-based league offering 30 of the WNBA’s most exciting players an alternative to the traditional overseas off-season

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gigs many WNBA athletes have taken on to earn a six-figure income. This groundbreaking league will allow top players to continue their craft stateside while keeping up their high earnings. For players, fans, and the league itself, this initiative represents a huge leap forward, aiming to elevate the WNBA by providing athletes with better work-life balance and a stronger professional platform. All Unrivaled games are set to be televised by TNT, allowing fans to stay connected with their favorite players even in the off

Steward.

Sports Editor

By Leahjean M. Denley, MBA

Kimble Steward Napheesa Collier

Getty Images Ellie the Elephant

imble Steward

Kimberly “Kimble” Steward