Category Archives: Art

2026.01.19

ICE

A Minnesota-based ICE agent is also a pastor at a church in St. Paul, where protesters interrupted service on Sunday, the Pioneer Press reports. The U.S. Department of Justice says it’s investigating. Via MinnPost
https://www.twincities.com/2026/01/18/protesters-interrupt-st-paul-church-service-citing-pastors-ice-ties/

Retired police officer: The Renee Good shooting was a failure of tactics and law
It’s likely that ICE’s behavior in Minnesota is due to a mix of incompetence and impunity granted to the agency by the current administration.
by Matt Koncar
https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2026/01/retired-police-officer-the-renee-good-shooting-was-a-failure-of-tactics-and-law/

Who is on the frontline of Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown?
These are the federal agencies detaining people across the US – mostly, but not all, under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security
Roque Planas and Andrew Witherspoon
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/19/donald-trump-immigration-crackdown

Other News

Donald Trump links threats to seize Greenland to Nobel prize snub in letter
US president says he no longer feels the need to think ‘purely of peace’ in letter to Norwegian prime minister
Jon Henley Europe correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/19/donald-trump-greenland-threats-nobel-prize-snub-letter

Nearly all Epstein files still unreleased a month after Congress deadline
Over 2 million documents are under DoJ review despite ‘legal obligation’ from Epstein Files Transparency Act
Victoria Bekiempis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/19/jeffrey-epstein-files-unreleased-trump-doj

Back-scratching bovine leads scientists to reassess intelligence of cows
Brown Swiss in Austria has been discovered using tools in multiple ways – something only ever seen in humans and chimpanzees
Ian Sample Science editor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/19/back-scratching-cow-veronika-bovine-intelligence

Scientists warn of ‘regime shift’ as seaweed blooms expand worldwide
Study links rapid growth of ocean macroalgae to global heating and nutrient pollution
Damien Gayle Environment correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/19/scientists-seaweed-blooms-expand-worldwide-ocean-pollution

‘I was afraid for my life’: the transgender refugees fleeing Trump’s America
Fear, abuse and eroding rights for trans people have created a hostile environment in the US – can they claim asylum in the Netherlands?
Helen Pidd and Eli Block
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/19/i-was-afraid-for-my-life-the-transgender-refugees-fleeing-trumps-america

At nine, I disappeared into home schooling. No one came looking
a photo collage featuring an adult and a child in a field
Mom insisted I needed a ‘free-form education’ outside public school. After four years of loneliness, I gave up hope that someone would get me out
Stefan Merrill Block
https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2026/jan/19/homeschooled-memoir-excerpt

Baking Steel v Ooni v Gozney: I tested the three best pizza makers for home in the US
I spent weeks testing popular at-home pizza tools. Here’s what I found was worth the money, no matter your budget
Sal Vaglica
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2026/jan/19/best-at-home-pizza-makers

World’s oldest monastic brewery to be sold as German beer sales slide
Brewing tradition of nearly 1,000 years at Weltenburg Abbey in Bavaria to be bought up by Munich company Schneider Weisse
Deborah Cole in Berlin
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/19/weltenburg-abbey-oldest-monastic-brewery-sold-german-beer-sales-decline

Review
Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox review – space-hopping comedy asks the big question
Stimson Snead’s preposterous time-leaping indie starring multiple Samuel Dunnings is just about rescued by cameos from Keith David and Danny Trejo
Peter Bradshaw
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/19/tim-travers-and-the-time-travelers-paradox-review

Mary Nolan’s ‘extraordinary’ photos: evocative, nostalgic and overlooked – in pictures
Once the home of Australian artist Arthur Boyd and his wife Yvonne, Bundanon – set across 1,000 hectares on the NSW south coast – is now home to an art museum, where the latest exhibition celebrates the Boyd women whose artistic careers have been overlooked.
Among them is Arthur’s sister Lady Mary Nolan (nee Boyd), who had four children with her first husband, the artist John Perceval, before moving to London and marrying Sidney Nolan in 1978. A painter and a potter, Mary is less known for her photographs, 48 of which are now on show after being unearthed at the National Library of Australia
The Hidden Line: Art of the Boyd Women is open at Bundanon gallery until 15 February
Steph Harmon
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/jan/20/mary-nolans-extraordinary-photos-evocative-nostalgic-and-overlooked-in-pictures

2026.01.09

Trump administration unleashes torrent of untruths after woman shot dead by ICE
Victim-blaming began almost as soon as Renee Nicole Good was killed – we examine the claims and the reality
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/09/white-house-minneapolis-ice-killing

Democrats threaten to withhold funding after ICE killing in Minneapolis
Lawmakers issue warning about homeland security budget after shooting death by federal agent of Renee Nicole Good
Lauren Gambino
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/democrats-homeland-security-renee-nicole-good

US congressmen ask judge to appoint official to force release of all Epstein files
Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie seek to compel justice department to release full set of files
Maya Yang
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/judge-appoint-official-release-epstein-files

Doge cuts cost US taxpayers $10bn to cover workers’ paid leave, analysis finds
Analysis estimates Trump administration ‘wasted’ billions to compensate over 154,000 federal employees on leave
Tom Perkins
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/09/doge-taxpayer-costs-federal-workers

Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery
Editing function to be limited to paying subscribers after X threatened with fines and regulatory action
Helena Horton, Dan Milmo and Amelia Gentleman
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/09/grok-image-generator-outcry-sexualised-ai-imagery

Why Spain’s prime minister has broken ranks in Europe – and dared to confront Trump
María Ramírez
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/09/why-spains-prime-minister-has-broken-ranks-in-europe-and-dared-to-confront-trump

Tennessee university reinstates professor fired for post criticizing Charlie Kirk
Austin Peay State University will also pay theater and dance professor Darren Michael $500,000 in settlement
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/tennessee-university-professor-reinstated-charlie-kirk-post

Alzheimer’s therapies should target a particular gene, researchers say
Scientists at UCL say drug developers should focus on two risk-raising variants of the Apoe gene
Ian Sample Science editor
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/09/alzheimers-therapies-target-apoe-gene-variants-researchers-say

Human eggs ‘rejuvenated’ in an advance that could boost IVF success rates
Exclusive: Research suggests supplementing eggs with a key protein reduces age-related defects, raising hopes of improved IVF for older women
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/09/human-eggs-rejuvenated-in-advance-that-could-boost-ivf-success-rates

Review
A Thousand Blows season two review – Erin Doherty is so good it’s hard to think about anything else
Almost every scene in Steven Knight’s late-Victorian thriller is stolen by its female lead. You absolutely marvel at her in this darker second outing
Rachel Aroesti
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/09/a-thousand-blows-season-two-review-disney

‘Damage is piling up’: has the Netherlands forgotten how to cope with snow?
Cyclists and others voice frustration as transport infrastructure descends into chaos amid increasingly rare cold snap
Senay Boztas in Amsterdam
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/09/climate-netherlands-snow-dutch-transport-infrastructure-chaos

Anonymous painting bought at auction on ‘hunch’ identified as two-in-one Rubens
Study of man often featured in works by the Flemish master reveals hidden painting of woman beneath model’s beard
Philip Oltermann European culture editor
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/jan/09/anonymous-painting-bought-at-auction-on-hunch-identified-as-two-in-one-rubens

Review
The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup
Godfall by Van Jensen; The Salt Bind by Rebecca Ferrier; The Poet Empress by Shen Tao; A Hole in the Sky by Peter F Hamilton; Hello Earth, Are You There? by Brian Aldiss
Lisa Tuttle
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/09/the-best-recent-science-fiction-fantasy-and-horror-review-roundup

Trevi fountain coins and a Melbourne heatwave: photos of the day – Friday
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
Arnel Hecimovic
https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2026/jan/09/trevi-fountain-coins-melbourne-heatwave-photos-of-the-day-friday

2025.12.28

Brigitte Bardot, French screen legend, dies aged 91
Emmanuel Macron leads tributes to​ actor who became an international sex symbol ​and later embraced animal rights​ and far-right politics
Brigitte Bardot: a life in pictures
Andrew Pulver, and Angelique Chrisafis in Paris
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/28/brigitte-bardot-french-screen-legend-and-animal-rights-activist-dies

Brigitte Bardot – a life in pictures
The French actor Brigitte Bardot has died – we look back at her life, relationships and films
Sarah Gilbert
https://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2025/dec/28/brigitte-bardot-a-life-in-pictures

America in pictures – the Guardian’s best photos of 2025
The collection of top images published in 2025 offers a layered portrait of the nation
Thalia Juarez
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/27/america-guardians-best-photos-of-2025

Snow-covered Mount Etna erupts spewing lava and ash – video
https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2025/dec/28/snow-covered-mount-etna-erupts-spewing-lava-and-ash-video

US voters linking climate crisis to rising bills despite Trump’s ‘green scam’ claims
New polling shows 65% of registered US voters believe global heating is affecting cost of living
Oliver Milman
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/26/us-voters-link-climate-crisis-affordability

The 2025 US economy – in charts: rising prices, hiring slowdown, rollercoaster growth
Looking at the government’s own report cards, how did the US fare under the first year of Trumponomics 2.0?
Callum Jones and Aliya Uteuova
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/28/2025-us-economy-in-charts

The best films of 2025 … you may not have seen
From an old-fashioned western to a charming baseball comedy, Guardian writers pick their favourite lesser-known films of the year
Radheyan Simonpillai, Jesse Hassenger, Veronica Esposito, Tammy Tarng, Pamela Hutchinson, Benjamin Lee, Andrew Pulver, Richard Lawson, Andrew Lawrence, Scott Tobias and Adrian Horton
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/dec/28/2025-best-hidden-gem-underrated-films

The deals aren’t done yet: 25 of the best after-Christmas sales in the US
MasterClass, Roku, Apple, Aritzia – we rounded up the best post-holiday sales for tech, fashion and more that you can snag before the end of the year
Nick Mokey and Filter staff
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2025/dec/27/best-after-christmas-holiday-sales

Bayeux tapestry to be insured for £800m for British Museum exhibition
The 70-metre-long cloth about the Norman invasion has not been seen in England since it was created in 11th century
Nadeem Badshah
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/27/bayeux-tapestry-to-be-insured-for-800m-for-british-museum-exhibition

Soak it up: everything science taught us about health and wellness in 2025
Do hot baths improve endurance? Will creatine bolster your brain power? Does pickle juice prevent cramp? Here’s what we learned about living well this year
Joel Snape
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/28/soak-it-up-everything-science-taught-us-about-health-and-wellness-in-2025

2025.12.20

Analysis
Trickle release of Epstein files on a Friday signals move to bury Trump ties
Sam Levine in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/20/epstein-files-release-strategy-trump

Analysis
Trump over-promises and under-delivers with heavily redacted Epstein cache
David Smith in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/19/doj-epstein-files-release-redacted-trump

Trump, tech barons and a title-less Andrew: how well do you remember 2025? – quiz
From pop to politics, it’s been quite the year. Were you paying attention? Let’s find out …
Will Dean
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/20/trump-tech-barons-and-a-title-less-andrew-2025-quiz

Unseen Tennessee Williams radio play published in literary magazine
The Strangers, a horror tale written during the playwright’s college days, appeared in the Strand magazine this week
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/dec/20/tennessee-williams-radio-play

I took my kids to Lapland on the Santa Claus Express – but would the big man deliver?
If meeting Santa is on your family wishlist, this trip on a festive sleeper train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, with reindeer and huskies thrown in, is Christmas with jingle bells on
Monisha Rajesh
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/dec/20/lapland-santa-claus-express-sleeper-train-family-trip

2025.12.18

Both St. Paul, Minneapolis have Christmas markets worth visiting
St. Paul’s European Christmas Market is the clear No. 1, but the Minneapolis Christkindl Market in the North Loop is worth a stop, too.
by Bill Lindeke
https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2025/12/both-st-paul-minneapolis-have-christmas-markets-worth-visiting/

Rainfall creates crimson spectacle at beach on Iran’s Hormuz Island
Streams of soil turn sand and surrounding water red, creating sharp contrast with blue waters of Persian Gulf
Associated Press in Tehran
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/18/rainfall-iran-hormuz-island-red-beach

Man sues Tennessee county after he was jailed over meme related to Charlie Kirk killing
Lawsuit alleges that Larry Bushart’s first amendment rights were violated when he was arrested and jailed for 37 days
Anna Betts
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/18/tennessee-charlie-kirk-meme-arrest-lawsuit

Bavarian pensioner lays trap to catch phone fraudster who was out for his gold
Second ‘exemplary’ success for 85-year-old who had already rumbled bogus police officer demanding €60,000
Deborah Cole in Berlin
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/18/german-pensioner-lays-trap-catch-fraudsters-after-gold

‘It’s an open invasion’: how millions of quagga mussels changed Lake Geneva for ever
The molluscs are decimating food chains in Switzerland, have devastated the Great Lakes in the US, and this week were spotted in Northern Ireland for the first time
By Phoebe Weston
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/18/invasive-quagga-mussels-lake-geneva-aoe

US government admits negligence in helicopter-plane collision that killed 67
Official response to lawsuit filed by victims’ relatives admits FAA and army failures played role in Washington DC crash
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/17/us-government-helicopter-crash-washington-dc

The motorcyclist fighting a deadly disease in the African bush
8 hours ago
Kang-Chun Cheng
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251217-the-motorcyclist-fighting-the-worlds-second-deadliest-parasite-in-the-african-bush


2025.12.14

‘Like a mini Louvre’: two generations of Rothschilds fight over treasure trove of artworks
Baronesses Nadine and Ariane de Rothschild at odds over future of Swiss chateau’s priceless contents
Kim Willsher in Paris
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/14/like-a-mini-louvre-two-generations-of-rothschilds-fight-over-treasure-trove-of-artworks

Two girls, 9 and 11, awarded $31.5m after sister’s California torture death
Arabella McCormack, 11, died after being tortured and starved by adoptive family and police and church failed to intervene
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/13/adopted-girl-torture-death-california-settlement

Review
The Revenge Club review – this starry divorce caper makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time
Martin Compston and Meera Syal are among the names in this tale of divorcees hitting back at their exes. It’s a thriller, comedy and psychodrama all at once – but could maybe do with being more simple
Lucy Mangan
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/12/the-revenge-club-review-this-starry-divorce-caper-makes-you-want-to-laugh-and-cry-at-the-same-time

Washington state flood waters receding after days of rescues and evacuations
No fatalities reported in flooding, which prompted Trump to approve emergency declaration request from governor
Marina Dunbar
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/13/washington-state-flood-waters-recede

Psychedelic treatments show promise for OCD while cannabis doesn’t, review finds
Psychiatry professor theorizes that the difference is related to how the substances interact with areas of the brain
Hannah Harris Green
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/13/psychedelics-ocd-treatment-psilocybin

The Geminid meteor shower and hundreds of Santas: photos of the weekend
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
Arnel Hecimovic
https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2025/dec/14/the-geminid-meteor-shower-and-hundreds-of-santas-photos-of-the-weekend

Bondi — It was heading for 100 degrees fondly Fahrenheit, the only time I’ve been to Bondi Beach. No shooters, though. FYI: It’s pronounced BOND-EYE Beach, not Bondy Beach. Who knew?

2025.12.12

Mike Lindell has officially decided to throw his pillow, er, hat, into the ring, WCCO reports. The MyPillow founder and staunch supporter of President Donald Trump has joined the contest to be the GOP nominee for governor of Minnesota. Incumbent Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is running for an unprecedented third consecutive term. Via MinnPost
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/mike-lindell-minnesota-governor-republican-campaign-mypillow/

Trump signs executive order aimed at preventing states from regulating AI
Order, which lacks the force of law, also creates taskforce whose ‘sole responsibility’ will be challenging states’ AI laws
Nick Robins-Early and Dara Kerr
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/11/trump-executive-order-artificial-intelligence

‘Soil is more important than oil’: inside the perennial grain revolution
Scientists in Kansas believe Kernza could cut emissions, restore degraded soils and reshape the future of agriculture
By Ben Martynoga in Kansas
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/12/soil-is-more-important-than-oil-inside-the-perennial-grain-revolution

Dozens killed in hospital strike in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state
Conflict monitors say the junta has increased airstrikes year-on-year since the start of Myanmar’s civil war
Guardian staff and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/12/dozens-killed-in-hospital-strike-in-myanmars-western-rakhine-state

Changes to polar bear DNA could help them adapt to global heating, study finds
Scientists say bears in southern Greenland differ genetically to those in the north, suggesting they could adjust
Helena Horton Environment reporter
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/12/changes-to-polar-bear-dna-could-help-them-adapt-to-global-heating-study-finds

Papua New Guinea grapples with HIV epidemic as it battles stigma and US aid cuts
Papua New Guinea has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the Asia-Pacific region, with many unaware they have the virus
Marjorie Finkeo in Port Moresby and Virginia Harrison
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/12/papua-new-guinea-hiv-epidemic-stigma-us-aid-cuts

‘Men explicitly loving men is so threatening to the status quo’: why are gay male pop stars being shut out of the music industry?
Not long ago, artists such as Lil Nas X and Olly Alexander were ruling pop. But success has stalled as acts face industry obstacles and rising homophobia. What now?
Jeffrey Ingold
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/dec/12/gay-male-pop-stars-being-shut-out-of-the-music-industry-lil-nas-x-olly-alexander

Review
The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup
Halcyon Years by Alastair Reynolds; Paris Fantastique by Nicholas Royle; All Tomorrows by CM Kosemen; The Salt Oracle by Lorraine Wilson; The Witching Hour by various authors
Lisa Tuttle
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/12/the-best-recent-science-fiction-fantasy-and-horror-review-roundup

The Director to Flesh: The 25 best books of 2025
Rebecca Laurence and Lindsay Baker
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250619-the-best-books-of-2025

‘It’s amazing’ – the wonder material very few can make
Chris Baraniuk
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c24l223d9n7o

‘Beyond gender’: Psychedelics are revealing hidden sides to people’s identity
By Rachel Nuwer
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251211-psychedelics-are-altering-how-people-see-their-own-gender-and-sexuality

2025.12.11

After weeks of debate, Minneapolis City Council approves $2B budget
Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne called it “the hardest budget season that I think I’ve been in.”
by Trevor Mitchell
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2025/12/minneapolis-city-council-approves-2b-budget/

‘Somalis are the scapegoat’: fear rises as Trump targets Minneapolis community
Residents have had to adjust how they’re living – staying home, carrying passports – since Trump launched his attack
Rachel Leingang
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/11/somali-minneapolis-fear-trump-ice-deportation

That time a bunch of radical artists got under the hood at Mia – and stayed there
Fifty years on, the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program continues to provide an experimental, artist-curated space inside one of the region’s premier museums.
by Sheila Regan
https://www.minnpost.com/artscape/2025/12/that-time-a-bunch-of-radical-artists-got-under-the-hood-at-mia-and-stayed-there/

The Trump administration’s fight against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has reached Minneapolis Public Schools. The U.S. Department of Justice has filed suit against the state’s third-largest school district, accusing it “of providing discriminatory protections to teachers of color in layoff and reassignment decisions,” specially “the district’s efforts to bolster its minority teaching ranks,” The Minnesota Star Tribune reports. Via MinnPost
https://www.startribune.com/trump-administration-accuses-minneapolis-schools-of-racism-in-protecting-minority-teachers/601543618?utm_source=gift

It’s cold outside. But what should you do if it’s cold indoors? If you have drafty windows or a sputtering furnace, MPR News offers “five things to know about making improvements to your home to save energy and cut heating costs this winter.” Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/12/10/reducing-home-heating-costs-5-things-to-know

‘The whole thing disgusts me’: Australians ditch US travel as new rules require social media to be declared
Visitors will have to reveal at the border all social media activity over the past five years
Daisy Dumas and Ben Doherty
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/11/australia-us-tourism-new-visa-rules-social-media-history

Trump launches $1m ‘gold card’ visa scheme amid immigration crackdown
Wealthy immigrants will be able to buy residency, and $5m ‘platinum card’ will exempt holders from some US taxes
Marina Dunbar in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/10/trump-us-gold-card-visa-launch

The town on the banks of the Nile that turned floods into fortune
After record flooding submerged Bor in South Sudan in 2020, the emergency response ended up turning it into a beacon of climate crisis adaptation
Florence Miettaux in Bor
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/dec/11/the-town-on-the-banks-of-the-nile-that-turned-floods-into-fortune

How monogamous are humans? Scientists compile ‘league table’ of pairing up
Helen Briggs
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gpvx3exglo

Jacinda Ardern once auditioned to be a Hobbit
The former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tells Graham Norton she auditioned for Lord of the Rings but fell short on a specific requirement.
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0mlyy58/jacinda-ardern-once-auditioned-to-be-a-hobbit

2025.12.06

Swedish navy encountering Russian submarines ‘almost weekly’ – and more could be on the way
Moscow ‘continuously reinforcing’ its presence in the region, says Swedish chief of operations Capt Marko Petkovic
Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/06/swedish-navy-chief-russia-baltic-presence-ukraine-peace

DoJ moves to eliminate sexual abuse protections for LGBTQ+ people in prisons
Memo says the policy shift, which advocates call ‘reckless’, was designed to align with one of Trump’s anti-trans orders
Sam Levin in Los Angeles
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/05/doj-prison-lgbtq-sexual-abuse-protections

US federal judge orders release of Epstein grand jury materials
Ruling compels unsealing of documents from 2006-2007 federal investigation into Epstein in Florida
Joseph Gedeon in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/05/federal-judge-epstein-grand-jury-materials

Trump releases racist blueprint for the world
by Oliver Willis
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/12/5/2357010/-Trump-releases-racist-blueprint-for-the-world?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_11&pm_medium=web

Frank Gehry obituary
Canadian–American architect who explored crumpling and fish curves in such buildings as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao
Charles Jencks and Oliver Wainwright
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/dec/06/frank-gehry-obituary

From Bilbao to Las Vegas: Frank Gehry’s incredible architecture – in pictures
The award-winning designer and architect leaves behind unique buildings all across the world from Dundee to Düsseldorf. He died after a brief respiratory illness at the age of 96
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2025/dec/05/frank-gehry-architecture-in-pictures

Science journal retracts study on safety of Monsanto’s Roundup: ‘Serious ethical concerns’
Paper published in 2000 found glyphosate was not harmful, while internal emails later revealed company’s influence
Carey Gillam
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/05/monsanto-roundup-safety-study-retracted

‘I’ve had all the luck you can get’: Michael Caine retires for the fourth time
The 92-year-old actor made the announcement again as he received an award at the Red Sea international film festival in Saudi Arabia
Catherine Shoard
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/05/michael-caine-actor-retires-for-fourth-time

Opinion: How much does it cost to buy a Minnesota school board election?
What once may have been innocent administrative positions are now hotly contested culture-war battles — in Minnesota and around the country — that carry the fate of the public education system in their hands.
by Kyle Steinberg
https://sahanjournal.com/opinion/minnesota-school-board-election-right-wing-funding/

Alexander Skarsgård’s encounter with Miriam Margolyes
Alexander Skarsgård reveals to Graham Norton that he once almost rented a room in Miriam Margolyes’ condo in Santa Monica.
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0mkfwyw/alexander-skarsg-rd-s-encounter-with-miriam-margolyes

2025.12.05

Winona State University is now home to “Medusa,” which might be a dinosaur mummy, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. Medusa appears to be “the remains of an Edmontosaurus [dinosaur] about 66 million years old that researchers believe contains a significant amount of skin and tendon tissue.” There are only about a dozen such specimens in the world — and researchers aren’t sure what they’ll ultimately find. Via MinnPost
https://www.startribune.com/rare-dinosaur-mummy-winona-state-university/601537755

In the midst of yesterday’s cold snap, “hundreds of people just outside Alexandria have gone without heat on Thursday following a car crash that lead to a natural gas leak,” according to Bring Me The News. A suspected drunk driver took out a natural gas pipe. Via MinnPost
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/gas-outage-loss-of-heat-to-hundreds-of-homes-near-alexandria-at-worst-possible-time

Baby fur seal wanders into a bar in New Zealand
The surprise visitor waddled around the pub during what’s known as ‘silly season’ where seals pop up in unexpected places
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/05/baby-fur-seal-wanders-into-bar-in-new-zealand

60,000 African penguins starved to death after sardine numbers collapsed – study
Climate crisis and overfishing contributed to loss of 95% of penguins in two breeding colonies in South Africa, research finds
Phoebe Weston
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/05/african-penguins-starve-to-death-south-africa-sardine-population-aoe

Patient police say they have recovered Fabergé pendant from man accused of swallowing it
Six days after alleged incident, evidence emerges without requiring medical intervention, New Zealand police say
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/05/police-say-recovered-faberge-pendant-after-new-zealand-man-allegedly-swallowed-it

‘Three sheets to the wind’: how everyday phrases blew in from the sea
David Hambling
From ‘all at sea’ to ‘by and large’, windy weather has had quite an impact on the English language
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/dec/05/weather-watch-everyday-phrases-nautical-expressions-wind-language

Review
Five of the best science fiction books of 2025
An eco-masterpiece, icy intrigue, cyberpunkish cyborgs, memory-eating aliens and super-fast travel sends the world spinning out of control
Adam Roberts
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/05/best-science-fiction-books-2025-ej-swift-jacek-dukaj-silvia-park

Review
The best poetry books of 2025
From Seamus Heaney’s collected poems and Simon Armitage’s animal spirits, to prizewinners Karen Solie and Vidyan Ravinthiran
Rishi Dastidar
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/05/the-best-poetry-books-of-2025

Review
The best memoirs and biographies of 2025
Anthony Hopkins and Kathy Burke on acting, Jacinda Ardern and Nicola Sturgeon on politics, plus Margaret Atwood on a life well lived
Fiona Sturges
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/04/best-memoirs-biographies-2025-anthony-hopkins-kathy-burke-margaret-atwood-josephine-baker

Review
Five of the best young adult books of 2025
Space-travelling telepaths, LGBTQ+ activism, a war-torn Britain, online alter egos and feminist trailblazers
Imogen Russell Williams
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/04/five-of-the-best-young-adult-books-of-2025-kate-mosse-nathanael-lessore-moira-buffini-david-roberts

Review
The five best romance books of 2025
A tricky age gap, a dose of wedding day drama, literary love affairs, office rivals and the sexy side of Brexit
Jenny Colgan
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/04/five-best-romance-books-2025-ali-hazelwood-bolu-babalola-jessica-stanley

Sinners to One Battle After Another: The 25 best films of 2025
Nicholas Barber and Caryn James
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250423-the-best-films-of-2025