Miranda Vidak

Hi, folks.Three weeks into 2026, and wow. Checking in on you, and myself in the process. The first few days of the new year, along with the 2025 holiday season, felt promising. What a beautiful thing it was to wake up on New Year’s Day and celebrate the inauguration of Mayor Mamdani— the joy, the hope, the inclusivity, the clarity of both the man and the message, all sprinkled with confetti as the final words were spoken, coming right after the high of a Heated Rivalry Christmas.

Like every other human on the planet who has been witnessing 733 days of daily massacres of the civilian population on my phone, I was ecstatic to see children in Gaza jump with joy at the news of the ceasefire declared on October 9th.

While none of the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels reached Gaza to deliver aid to the starving population, having been illegally intercepted by the Israeli regime in international waters, the mission was nonetheless a great success. It achieved exactly what its organizers intended: pressing the record button and aiming it at the many illegal actions of the Israeli regime. You should feel good about this mission.