Top Biden administration officials have begun rewriting their ironclad support of Israel throughout the end of President Joe Biden’s term, now claiming to oppose Israel’s starvation policy in Gaza as it’s officially tipped into famine — a famine that they fully laid the groundwork for over the first 16 months of the genocide. In an interview with “The Bulwark” published Wednesday…

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As part of Capital B’s coverage of the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina later this month, we’re proud to present “What Was Lost,” a series of reflections by Louisianans who survived the storm, produced by our collaborators at Verite News.

When I snuck into New Orleans after Katrina, the city was absent of sound. Not only were the dogs voiceless when I encountered a pack of them in a neighbor’s alley, but all the living things of the air that composed the whispering background of my daily life were missing. Hummingbirds didn’t buzz the four o’ clocks. Flies didn’t circle my porch snack. Cicadas didn’t hiss goodnight and lizards didn’t crackle the leaves as they jumped from branch to branch. The silence was eerie. 

I was the daughter of singers and whistlers. They were not performers. They were people who hummed and scatted in the kitchen, and who joined the television entertainers or radio commercials in the last refrains. The women whistled as they gardened — both my second mother and biological mother, who taught me to do the same. We were not alone in our joyful noises. 

The repertoire of my 7th Ward neighborhood had the same quasi-public quality. We all sang along with the advertisements in the Circle Theater. We added our harmony to the popular tunes played through someone’s open screen door. 

Elementary school band practices and times tables sung by children wafted from the windows of the school down the street. At sunset during my childhood, Débria M. Brown practiced to become an opera singer. She kept up the schedule when she returned to town successfully from her German opera company residencies as an adult. By then, I was an adult, too.  

I am told unreliably that A.J. Piron lived in the neighborhood. I know that his music played on the jukebox at Smithy’s along with “Iceman” and “Eh La Bas.” 

Outside on the sidewalk, the voices of children rang, “Tag. You’re it!” Their feet smacked the ground playing hopscotch. There were no voices of children for many years after Katrina on these surrounding blocks and no rote singing coming from the windows of the evolving charter schools. Mostly, the windows were shut, and the spirit of gladness seemed locked in young hearts.

I went to visit Corpus Christi Church sometime during the year after Katrina. For some reason, the priest met me in the school building. He asked me if I wanted a piano. I thought this was a strange question. He led me into the cafeteria where upright pianos seemed to fill the length and breadth of the room. They stood, all makes and models that had lifted the air in so many peoples’ homes but had to be abandoned during the chores of reconstruction. I stood in silence, breathless while imagining the soul-crushing losses. 

Music has returned to the city in festivals and new venues. Musicians must always play. The sets have an organized quality, and are rife with good intentions. Maybe it’s just me. But the songs don’t feel the same as when family and friends gathered and someone brought out a guitar to strum or someone played boogie-woogie on the piano, or some child sang in a shrill, wavering voice. 

Now, the sparrows only twitter outside very early in the morning. They seem intimidated by the crows who caw loudly now on the electric lines. And I haven’t heard the screech of a cat being beaned by a mockingbird in a while, or the rustling bushes of who-knows-what wild thing gliding along the side fence. 

But I did hear children playing in the street recently, and a car passed with its radio blaring a few four-letter words that I recognized. Thankfully, the car didn’t stop. Still, even those sounds ignited my memories of the familiar racket that I didn’t hear anymore. Perhaps, as the city evolves, there will be new, welcoming sounds to replace those that were lost. 

The post What Was Lost: Neighborhood Sounds After Hurricane Katrina appeared first on Capital B News.

I'm pretty sure I'm a competitive person. When I start something I want to be good at it immediately. Earlier this year, a friend invited me to skate at a local roller rink. I hadn't ever skated as an adult. In the days leading up to the skate night, I secretly hoped I would be a natural at it. I'd kick off from the edge and turn out a triple axel, I don't know.

That didn't happen. I stumbled a lot. I lost my balance several times and felt generally unsteady most of the night. I did fall once, but I did it in such a graceful way. I skated towards some speaker boxes on the corner of the rink and forgot how to turn. It was more of crumple, really. By the end of the night I was scooting around with a single arm splayed out, ready to grab a railing when I needed it.

It's an aspect of modern society that I hate. It's not enough for people to do something, they have to do it very well. It feels like a waste of time otherwise. Like meditation, there are plenty of things I'm not good at that I still like doing. And how do we start doing them, anyway? I think we should just try it. Here's how:

how long will you give yourself?

For most activities, a week is a great amount of time. If your goal is to do something once a week, that might not work. Neither will deciding to go bouldering every day for six months. That's too much to start! Think of something reasonable. This period is an experiment with no further expectations beyond that. It should be long enough to get over the first-try jitters or even build a little routine. The experiment should not be so long that it feels daunting to even start.

you won't be good at it

Keep this in mind up front. Sara Burnett tried out free diving for the first time and almost immediately the u.s. women's free diving team invited her to join them. She is a lifelong swimmer who discovered a passion and skill for competitive free diving. If this is you (or if you're Sara Burnett reading this, hi!), congratulations. You found something you're incredible at. For the rest of us, an experiment is not often a period of time that creates experts. The important thing at that moment is that we're trying.

look for what you did like

The experiment is a chance to figure out what you do and don't like. I know folks who save dance music, a podcast, or an audiobook for their exercise time. I'm sure there's a fancy psychology that says to tie a thing you love to a thing you have to do. That's how we used to get our cats to take medicine, and I'm sure it works in humans too.

don't forget to check in

Check back in with yourself after a week, or whatever time you set aside to experiment. Did it work? Was it worth it? What were the good parts? What was bad? And this one's important: did you give it a real try? If not, would tweaking your plan or your goal help? If you did give it a try, decide if it's worth it to you to keep going. Consider setting another goal. It could be an indefinite one, or it could be another week. There are no rules around experiments (disclaimer: I was once a scientist).

try, try again

I started doing meditation a few years ago. Most nights before bed I sit down and try to quiet the incessant chatter of my brain. I don't know what it means to be "good" at meditation, but I would never tell someone I was good at it. I've finally stopped telling people I'm bad at it. One day, at my therapist's suggestion, I gave it a try. I downloaded an app. I took a class. Now I find a comfortable spot on the bed, on a chair, on the floor. Over time, it became a practice that I make time for. That's good enough for me.

By Erica C. Barnett City Hall has been speculating for months about who’s behind a series of short Youtube videos…

The post An Interview With the Creator of the Seattle City Council Sock Puppets appeared first on PubliCola.

NEWBERN, Ala. — On a quiet, sunny morning, Gabrielle Cook and her 20-year-old son Mark Cabil walked into their town hall to cast their ballots in an election that will decide the future of their rural Alabama town.

For the first time in Newbern’s history, the citizens of this majority-Black town will get to participate directly in the democratic process. 

Cook and the 177 other registered voters will choose between incumbent Mayor Patrick Braxton, who is Black, or Laird Cole, a white man who is a real estate agent and auctioneer. The second race on the ballot is for council seat 1 between two Black women, Patricia A. Jackson and Voncille Brown Thomas. Brown Thomas was the only Black woman who served on the majority-white council prior to Braxton’s election in 2020.

Cook grew up seeing her mom, a Newbern resident, vote in elections in neighboring Perry County. Newbern is in Hale County. Cook has never known or seen any mayor in her hometown prior to 2020. 

Five years ago, Braxton, a volunteer firefighter, won the election after being the only person to file his statement of candidacy and statement of economic interest.  

Yet, he never got to serve until last year. After he won in 2020, he says he was harassed and faced intimidation by the former, majority-white Town Council. He finally got to serve as a result of a settlement reached in federal court in July 2024. 

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Read More: After Years of Litigation, First Black Mayor in Rural Alabama Town Gets to Serve

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Cook, a mother of seven, said she knew she had to get out and vote because finally, “we have a voice in who becomes mayor.” 

Cook and her son Cabil said they cast their vote for Braxton. Not only have they known him for years, but they say he’s working to do good things for the community. 

“Newbern hasn’t really had a mayor in a long time … so it feels good to have something happening here, to have somebody that can actually lead us in a good direction,” Cabil said. He hopes through Braxton’s leadership, if he gets reelected, the town will “get more stores and maybe even renew our park for the kids. Maybe we could even get a police department here, because right now we only get sheriffs and state troopers who rarely come down.”

No matter who wins, this is an era where “monarchy ends” and that marks the beginning of a new chapter for the town, said the Alabama Conference of Black Mayors in a statement.

“This transformation is a testament to the enduring power of hope, perseverance, and collective action,” the statement read. “As we gather here, let us remember that the right to vote is both a privilege and a duty. May this day stand as a beacon of hope, not only for Newbern but for communities everywhere that strive for freedom, fairness, and democracy.”

“What the people want” 

After leaving the town hall, Cook dropped off a family member, Byron Cook, 41, to cast his vote in the election. For him, the responsibility has never felt more important, after “how they did Patrick” a few years ago, he said. 

After Braxton was sworn in as the Newbern’s first Black mayor, council members, which included Brown Thomas, locked him out of the town hall and reappointed themselves to their positions after ordering a special election that no one knew about, according to court documents. He filed a federal civil rights lawsuit accusing town officials of conspiring to deny his civil rights and his position because of his race.

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Read More: Newbern’s First Black Mayor Won in the Courts, but the Fight Is Far From Over

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Now, Braxton is ready to hear from the people and not the courts and hopes to serve a full term this time, if he’s elected.

“I’ll know the people put me there this time, not the court,” he told Capital B. “That’s the main thing the people — what the people want.”

With Braxton only serving one year, Byron Cook said he wanted to give him a chance to show what he can really do for the community.

“He’s someone who has always been around, very grassroots, talking to everybody, checking on people, making sure they’re OK. When you find people like that in life, you want to do something to show that you appreciate them,” Byron Cook said. “I would love to see the community come together like he’s always done. He’s been bringing people together long before he became mayor, and now is the chance to really do that.” 

On Tuesday, Braxton sat across the street from the town hall in his straw hat, campaign T-shirt and blue jeans. He doesn’t have any campaign signs. He’s calm and quiet in between taking phone calls, waving as people drive by or stopping to make conversation after they leave the polls.

Over the past few months, Braxton had knocked on doors, made speeches at church, and placed a few campaign signs in the yards. He’s shared the progress he and his council Braxton have made.

They partnered with the Equal Justice Initiative to bring a mobile grocery truck to the town, which does not have a grocery store. The only store in town, the Mercantile, closed in 2024. This effort with EJI helped bring fresh produce and groceries to dozens of residents at discounted prices.

Under the Braxton administration, the council has also started working with the University of Alabama, Auburn University, and a host of other universities and organizations to design a modern sewer system to address the town’s decades-long wastewater and sanitation issues.

This has caused some tension with mostly white residents.

Cole, his opponent in this mayoral race, is suing the town of Newbern and others, alleging the project is illegally dumping untreated sewage onto his residential property. He didn’t respond to Capital B’s questions about the lawsuit.  

On Election Day, Cole sat only a few feet away from Braxton, relaxing in his lounge chair near his truck and also waving to people as they drove by. He was surrounded by campaign signs and played popular hip-hop songs such as “Swag Surfing” and “My Hitta” on speaker.

Although he was hesitant to speak to Capital B, he did make it clear that he’s ready to lead Newbern. He mentioned his decades of experiences as a businessman and his service, such as providing equipment to help maintain the nearby baseball field. He also recently purchased Sunshine High School, which closed in 2016, which he hopes to use to provide athletics for students who are homeschooled.

Whether he wins or not, he said he’s still committed to the betterment of the town.

Brown Thomas, who has served on the Town Council for over 25 years, is once again vying for a council seat. Even though she was named in Braxton’s lawsuit alleging harassment, she said those “allegations were not against me, however, the law determined that he was right.” 

The retired school teacher, who now works for the county sheriff’s office, said she also went door to door and spoke to citizens to let them know her intentions. She said she hopes to see the park improved and create a space for people to come together. 

Patricia Jackson, the candidate running against Brown Thomas, said she’s running because she loves Newbern and wants to see the town grow. She also wants everyone across racial lines to work together. 

At a July 7, town council meeting, white residents and Black residents sat opposite one another. A couple of white residents made loud outbursts and made disruptions throughout the meeting, Capital B observed. Jackson referenced other town hall meetings where the sheriff’s office had to be called to conduct business.

“We stay here together. It ain’t but one race, and that’s the human race,” she said. “We got a long way to go. But with Braxton, me, it can happen. It really can.”

Regardless of the election outcome, many voters that Capital B spoke with shared their excitement about having an election at all.

“I really smile about it. It’s something that should have been happening way back. I’ve been in Newbern for over 50 years, and this is my first time ever voting for mayor,” said Barbara Carlisle, an elder in the community. “I think it’s great, really tremendous. I’m happy to do it.”

The post Black Mayor in Rural Alabama Once Denied His Seat Faces Opponent appeared first on Capital B News.