Monthly Archives: March 2026

2026.03.06

Does private equity deserve to be the scourge of eldercare? Minnesota lawmakers demand more information
DFL legislation would make nursing and assisted living homes disclose their corporate structure.
by Matthew Blake
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2026/03/does-private-equity-in-eldercare-deserve-scrutiny-minnesota-lawmakers-demand-more-information-on-nursing-home-ownership-structure/

After failed resolution, Democrats’ last leverage over Iran war may be Pentagon budget
“We have the power of the purse,” said Rep. Betty McCollum, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
by Ana Radelat
https://www.minnpost.com/dc-memo/2026/03/after-failed-resolution-democrats-last-leverage-over-iran-war-may-be-pentagon-budget/

Minnesota has an ambitious goal to replace lead lines by 2033. More funding is needed to keep it on track.
State and federal funding for lead service line replacement will run out in 2027 if no action is taken.
by Brian Arola
https://www.minnpost.com/greater-minnesota/2026/03/minnesota-has-an-ambitious-goal-to-replace-lead-lines-by-2033-more-funding-is-needed-to-keep-it-on-track/

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is out, and Minnesota lawmakers are publicly reacting to her departure from DHS, WCCO-TV reports. “Kristi Noem has done a stunning amount of damage and it’s good she’s gone. But this doesn’t change the fact that we need a complete overhaul of DHS, impartial investigations into the killings of two American citizens, and information on children that were taken from Minnesota,” Gov. Walz posted on X. Via MinnPost
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/kristi-noem-dhs-minnesota-minneapolis-reactions/
https://x.com/GovTimWalz/status/2029642594825748501

Good riddance to Kristi Noem. Her replacement won’t be an improvement
Moira Donegan
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/06/good-riddance-to-kristi-noem-her-replacement-wont-be-an-improvement

Kristi Noem confronts grim truth that everyone is expendable in Trump world
David Smith
in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/05/kristi-noem-fired

Legal experts sound alarm over federal interference in Minnesota elections
Threats to deploy federal agents to polling places, along with a Congressional bill requiring proof of citizenship, would create barriers for many naturalized and U.S. citizens.
by Mohamed Ibrahim
https://sahanjournal.com/democracy-politics/minnesota-election-interference-midterms/

US lost 92,000 jobs in February just before Trump joined Iran conflict
The unemployment rate was 4.4% in February, with 130,000 jobs added in January
Michael Sainato
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/06/february-jobs-report

Texas lawmaker ends re-election bid after admitting to affair with ex-staffer
Republican congressman Tony Gonzales had repeatedly denied affair with former aide who later died by suicide
Guardian staff and agency
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/06/texas-tony-gonzales-reelection

Humanity heating planet faster than ever before, study finds
Researchers identify sharp rise to about 0.35C every decade, after excluding natural fluctuations such as El Niño
Ajit Niranjan Europe environment correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/06/humanity-heating-planet-faster-than-ever-before-study-finds

Weight-loss jab could be made for $3 a month, study finds
Cheap semaglutide, the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy, could help millions with diabetes and obesity in 160 countries
Kat Lay, Global health corespondent
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/mar/06/generic-drugs-weight-loss-semaglutide-ozempic-wegovy-diabetes-obesity-study

10 of the best fruit and vegetables to plant now for a hassle-free harvest
If you long for freshly picked produce but don’t know where to start, try these sure-fire winners
Jack Wallington
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/mar/06/best-fruit-vegetables-to-plant-hassle-free-harvest

Hard core! Apple peeling champion slices through competition to produce nearly four-metre strip of skin
Though she lives with constant pain, Stanthorpe’s Kerrie Stratford still has what it takes to claim her 22nd harvest festival title
Susan Chenery
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/mar/06/stanthorpe-apple-peeling-champion-kerrie-stratford-queensland

2026.03.05

Trump fires homeland security secretary Kristi Noem
Markwayne Mullin, Republican senator and Maga ally, to replace Noem as Democrats cheer departure of ‘disaster’
Chris Stein in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/05/trump-kristi-noem-homeland-security

Trump administration is failing to address spread of measles, experts say
As number of cases climbs past 1,000, experts say CDC is not taking obvious steps amid funding cuts
Hannah Harris Green
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/05/trump-administration-measles

US judge orders refunds for more than $130bn in illegal Trump tariffs
Trade court directs customs to repay importers with interest after supreme court ruled tariffs unlawful
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/05/trump-tariff-refunds-supreme-court

‘A subversion of the justice system’: DoJ shifts into Trump’s ‘political wing’ as criminal investigations accelerate
President has ‘succeeded in completely politicizing’ justice department, experts say, using it to punish his enemies
Peter Stone in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/05/trump-justice-department-politicization

Vladimir review – Rachel Weisz is unswervingly brilliant in a TV show you’ll admire for years to come
This adaptation of the 2022 novel – starring Weisz, Leo Woodall and John Slattery – fits it perfectly to television. It’s a proper show for proper grownups
Lucy Mangan
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/mar/05/vladimir-review-rachel-weisz-is-unswervingly-brilliant-in-a-tv-show-youll-admire-for-years-to-come

Marsupials previously thought extinct for millennia discovered in New Guinea
The chances of finding one mammal species thought to be lost was ‘almost zero’ and finding two is ‘unprecedented’, biologist Tim Flannery says
Adam Morton
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/05/marsupials-discovered-new-guinea

How a clump of moss helped convict grave robbers in Illinois
Four cemetery workers dug up and moved more than 100 bodies to resell the burial plots nearly 20 years ago
Ian Sample Science editor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/mar/05/how-moss-helped-convict-grave-robbers-illinois

2026.03.04

Protesters demanded hotels ban ICE agents. Here’s why that didn’t happen.
Despite widespread opposition to Operation Metro Surge, local leaders have so far been stymied in efforts to limit their hotel stays.
by Trevor Mitchell
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/03/protesters-demanded-hotels-ban-ice-agents-heres-why-that-didnt-happen/

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended her characterization of Minnesotans killed during Operation Metro Surge as “agitators” during a nearly five-hour Senate hearing on Tuesday, the AP reports. “It was Noem’s first congressional appearance since the shooting deaths of the two protesters galvanized widespread opposition to how the Trump administration is executing its mass deportation agenda, a centerpiece policy of President Donald Trump’s second term.” Via MinnPost
https://apnews.com/article/noem-testifies-congress-homeland-security-immigration-enforcement-ebb715699e3f4f6dd6fdd22157b4e1a7

Minnesota Republicans ask Kristi Noem to limit ICE activity near schools
In a mid-February letter, four House Republicans asked the Homeland Security secretary to keep enforcement actions away from schools and children when possible.
Avatar photo
by Becky Z. Dernbach
https://sahanjournal.com/education/minnesota-republicans-kristi-noem-ice-action-near-schools/

Federal judge weighs contempt charge for Minnesota’s top federal prosecutor over ICE failures
A federal judge told Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen that he isn’t ruling out imprisonment over government failures to follow through with court orders related to immigrants released from federal custody.
Avatar photo
by Andrew Hazzard
https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/federal-judge-contempt-imprisonment-us-attorney-daniel-rosen-ice-immigration/

Minnesota Congress members expected to vote with parties on resolution to stop Trump’s military strikes on Iran
While the attempt to rein in the president’s war-making power is expected to fail, lawmakers are demanding the administration justify Operation Epic Fury as the conflict escalates.
by Ana Radelat
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2026/03/minnesotas-lawmakers-emmer-illhan-omar-to-vote-on-halting-trumps-military-strikes-on-iran/

At House hearing, Walz will defend anti-fraud actions and accuse Trump administration of political retribution
Walz and Ellison have been asked to testify before a House committee investigating fraud and plan to pivot from fraud to Operation Metro Surge.
by Ana Radelat
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2026/03/house-hearing-tim-walz-anti-fraud-accuse-trump-administration-political-retribution/

Global sea levels have been underestimated due to poor modelling, research suggests
Analysis shows average levels are 30cm higher than thought, and up to 150cm in south-east Asia and Indo-Pacific
Tara Russell
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/04/global-sea-levels-underestimated-poor-modelling-research

House opens inquiry into Texas lawmaker over alleged affair with aide
Tony Gonzales allegedly had affair with Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, who later died after setting herself on fire
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/04/tony-gonzales-texas-rep-alleged-affair

Louisiana mayor convicted of raping 16-year-old boy at her home while still in office
Misty Roberts, 43, faces sentences of up to 10 and seven years in prison after July 2024 sexual assault at pool party
Ramon Antonio Vargas
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/04/louisiana-mayor-convicted-rape-16-year-old

Workers at top 20 US low-wage firms rely on public assistance, report says
Exclusive: study finds workers at 20 S&P 500 firms rely on Medicaid and Snap as CEO pay and buybacks soar
Michael Sainato
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/04/workers-medicaid-snap-low-pay

‘Thought it was a collapsed drain’: golf course sinkhole exposes lost wine cellar
Groundsman stumbles across room, sealed for more than 100 years, that was part of 12th-century Manchester hall
Mark Brown North of England correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/04/thought-it-was-a-collapsed-drain-golf-course-sinkhole-exposes-lost-wine-cellar

‘He paints phalluses the way others paint landscapes’: the disturbing genius of erotica pioneer Félicien Rops
A new exhibition at Kunsthaus Zurich revisits the Belgian artist whose wild women of the demimonde scandalised the belle epoque – and still shock audiences today
Christian House
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/mar/04/laboratory-of-lust-exhibition-kunsthaus-zurich-felicien-rops

2026.03.03

Minnesota launches investigation that could bring charges against US immigration officers
US county attorney is ‘confident’ her office will be able to pursue charges in cases which led to criticisms of use-of-force policies
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/03/minnesota-investigation-us-immigration-officers

GOP lawmakers introduce impeachment articles against Walz, Ellison
By Howard Thompson
https://www.fox9.com/news/gop-lawmakers-introduce-impeachment-articles-against-walz-ellison

Trump’s show of force in the Middle East creates a weakness China can exploit
Amy Hawkins in Beijing
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/03/trump-us-iran-middle-east-china

Minab school bombing: how the worst mass casualty event of the Iran war unfolded – a visual guide
A strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh school during the US-Israeli bombing campaign killed up to 168 people. The Guardian has pieced together the incident and its aftermath using verified footage and images from the site
Tess McClure and Deepa Parent
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/mar/03/minab-school-bombing-how-the-worst-mass-casualty-event-of-the-iran-war-unfolded-a-visual-guide

The Dutch method: could this improve your sleep – and social life?
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/mar/03/dutch-method-improve-sleep-social-life

US supreme court blocks California privacy protections for trans students
State laws had limited sharing of information with parents about gender identity of trans students in public schools
Abené Clayton
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/02/us-supreme-court-california-trans-students-privacy-law

Supreme court hands Republicans win over preserving New York City voting district
Ruling retains boundaries for 2026 elections despite state court ruling it was unfair to Black and Hispanic residents
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/02/supreme-court-new-york-city-republican-district

Worldbreaker review – a big bear hug from Luke Evans in flimsy sci-fi survival drama
A father trains his teenage daughter to fight monsters, while mum, Milla Jovovich, is away leading the human resistance
Leslie Felperin
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/mar/03/worldbreaker-review-luke-evans-sci-fi-survival-drama-milla-jovovich

‘You know when you’ve hit it – it’s a transformation’: Ruth E Carter on building the bold world of Sinners
The two-time Oscar winner on dressing Michael B Jordan’s twin antiheroes, her start with Spike Lee and crafting the period detail of Ryan Coogler’s genre-bending epic
Hannah J Davies
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/costume-and-culture/2026/mar/02/you-know-when-youve-hit-it-its-a-transformation-ruth-e-carter-on-building-the-bold-world-of-sinners

The Anyday glass food containers transformed how I store leftovers
Don’t let leftovers languish in the fridge. These oven, microwave and freezer-safe glass containers from Anyday will help you waste less food – and cut back on dirty dishes
Emily Farris
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2025/dec/25/glass-food-containers-to-store-leftovers

I got to participate yesterday in the standard ER scene, although the paddles were different, and I lost all mumble years of chest hairs (at least three). They even shaved my wrist! Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any pictures since I was sedated. I was ordered not to over-exercise for a week and I’m having no trouble following that advice.

2026.03.02

More than 250 Minnesota National Guard members are currently serving in the Middle East amid the the U.S. and Israel’s attacks on Iran. In response to a KARE 11 inquiry, a guard spokesperson did not release their locations but said the troops are “grateful for the strong support of those back home.” The Minnesota National Guard units hail from Duluth, Marshall and Stillwater.
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/mn-national-guard-in-iran-attacks-continue/89-d22e34f2-8983-4d17-badb-22b0160c8597

The Pioneer Press reported the beaver expert in the new Pixar movie “Hoppers” is a nod to a University of Minnesota beaver expert who helped the film producers learn about beavers.
https://www.twincities.com/2026/03/01/emily-fairfax-umn-beaver-expert-hoppers-pixar/

Thousands flee Beirut and southern Lebanon amid Israeli strikes: what we know so far on day three of the Iran war
Middle East conflict spreads as Hezbollah attacks Israel, prompting strikes on Beirut; oil prices soar; drone hits UK base in Cyprus
Guardian staff
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/02/thousands-flee-beirut-and-southern-lebanon-amid-israeli-strikes-what-we-know-so-far-on-day-three-of-the-iran-war

Private jet prices soar as wealthy scramble to leave Dubai
People drive to Oman and Saudi in hope of a flight, while most tourists stay stuck in hotels and on cruise ships
Pjotr Sauer, Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo and Kate Connolly in Berlin
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/02/dubai-private-jet-prices-soar-tourists-stuck-wealthy-leave

Middle East crisis pushes up oil prices – and could drive inflation rises too
Heather Stewart Economics editor
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/02/middle-east-crisis-oil-prices-inflation-us-iran-interest-rates-growth

As measles spreads in South Carolina, RFK Jr’s allies work to gut vaccine laws
Activists who dispute safety of vaccines are pushing to limit immunization requirements in schools
Michelle R Smith
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/02/measles-south-carolina-rfk-jr-vaccine-laws

The Democrat who schools Republicans – ‘I would say do more of that’
Isaiah Martin’s videos have gone viral – he thinks his party should follow his lead and stand up to Republican excess
Adam Gabbatt
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/01/isaiah-martin-democrats-republicans

The UK has arrested high-profile figures connected to Jeffrey Epstein. Will the US?
In contrast with the takedowns of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson, US consequences have been limited to resignations and apologies
Victoria Bekiempis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/02/jeffrey-epstein-uk-us-arrests

Rijksmuseum reveals painting to be early work by Rembrandt
17th-century Dutch master’s Vision of Zacharias in the Temple to go on display this week
Senay Boztas in Amsterdam
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/mar/02/rijksmuseum-painting-early-work-rembrandt-van-rijn-amsterdam

‘I’m dying for the day heterosexuals have to come out’: Catherine Opie and her astonishing shots of queer America
Famed for having a child’s drawing of a family carved into her back, the photographer has devoted her life to queer America, from endurance swimmers to drag artists to her son in a tutu. Now she’s finally getting a major UK show
Emma Brockes
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/mar/02/catherine-opie-photographer-queer-america-drag-pink-tutu

Stardew Valley at 10: the anticapitalist game that cures burnout and inspires queer art
Since 2016, the cosy, inclusive, non-heteronormative escapism of the beloved farming sim has inspired a community of devoted fans, and helped it shift 50m units
Jordan Erica Webber
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/mar/02/stardew-valley-at-10-the-anticapitalist-game-that-cures-burnout-and-inspires-queer-art

My search for the perfect brown bar in Amsterdam
I swerved the tourist traps and went on a bar crawl of the city’s bruine kroegen, the cosy, dimly lit pubs that are the Netherlands’ ‘surrogate living rooms’
Ben West
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2026/mar/02/my-search-for-the-perfect-brown-bar-in-amsterdam

Rare ‘blood moon’ total lunar eclipse to loom over North America, Australia and New Zealand
Eclipse will feature a deep, coppery-red full moon on 3 March, with scientists predicting the best times to see it
Ima Caldwell
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/mar/02/blood-moon-total-lunar-eclipse-2026-march-3-full-worm-what-date-time-australia-america

2026.03.01

Trump’s current war on Iran picks up where a longstanding enmity left off
Robert Tait in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/01/trump-us-iran-war-history

Hundreds of thousands of travellers stranded or diverted by airspace closures in Middle East
Chaos as key transit hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha close, and more than 1,000 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines cancelled
Mark Sweney and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/01/hundreds-of-thousands-of-travellers-stranded-or-diverted-amid-air-space-closures-in-middle-east

Trump’s Iran strike tests the Maga vow of ‘no more wars’
David Smith in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/01/trump-iran-strike-maga-war-promise

What the US–Israeli strikes on Iran mean for the price of oil
Effective closure of the strait of Hormuz could spell trouble for many developed economies
Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/01/us-israel-strikes-iran-oil-price

‘We thought it was fireworks’: Dubai’s luxury seekers shaken by Iranian missiles
Authorities seek to reassure visitors after tourists at five-star resorts had to shelter in underground car parks
Pjotr Sauer
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/01/dubai-missile-drone-attack-iran-us-israel-war-middle-east

Outcry grows over ‘clown car’ cabinet but no sign Trump ready for shakeup
Antics of RFK Jr, Kristi Noem and others prompt derision – could their erratic behaviour prove president’s undoing?
David Smith in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/01/trump-cabinet-rfjk-jr

US moving pregnant immigrant girls to Texas to avoid providing abortions, critics say
Ex-official calls transfer of unaccompanied girls as young as 13, many pregnant due to rape, a human rights violation
Melody Schreiber
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/01/pregnant-immigrant-children-texas-abortion

Austin bar shooting leaves three people dead and 14 wounded, police say
Police confronted man with gun at popular beer garden and then ‘returned fire, killing the suspect’
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/01/texas-bar-shooting

Shia LaBeouf blames ‘small man complex’ for alleged assaults and homophobic slurs
Transformers film franchise star says ‘big gay people are scary’ to him in interview and he doesn’t want to go to rehab
Ramon Antonio Vargas in New Orleans
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/mar/01/shia-labeouf-alleged-assaults-homophobic-slurs

Missiles in the Middle East and lunar new year celebrations: photos of the weekend
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2026/mar/01/missiles-middle-east-iran-israel-strikes-lunar-new-year-weekend-photos