Category Archives: Gay

2026.01.27

ICE

That’s our Gov!
https://youtu.be/Sn53Yjt9_gU

After Alex Pretti killing, Minnesota politicians are inching (definitely not bounding) toward bipartisan solutions
Maybe the Walz-Trump call marked a shift. But politicians on both sides are still reciting familiar lines.
by Matthew Blake
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2026/01/operation-metro-surge-after-alex-pretti-killing-minnesota-politicians-are-inching-definitely-not-bounding-toward-bipartisan-solutions/

WHITE! STRAIGHT! GUNTOTTING MALE!
Why Trump is finally waving a white flag in Minnesota
kos, author
by kos
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/26/2365601/-Why-Trump-is-finally-waving-a-white-flag-in-Minnesota?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_4&pm_medium=web

Border patrol commander to leave Minneapolis after shooting of Alex Pretti
Gregory Bovino, an aggressive promoter of Trump’s deportation agenda, is said to have been stripped of ‘commander at large’ title
Lauren Gambino, George Chidi and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/27/gregory-bovino-minneapolis-minnesota-alex-pretti-shooting

‘A militia that kills’: uproar in Italy over ICE security role at Winter Olympics
Milan’s mayor says agents ‘clearly not welcome’ in co-host city and that Italy can take care of security itself
Angela Giuffrida in Rome and Jakub Krupa
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/27/italy-ice-security-role-winter-olympics

How ICE is using facial recognition in Minnesota
Mobile Fortify app being used to scan faces of citizens and immigrants – but its use has prompted a severe backlash
Sanya Mansoor
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/27/ice-facial-recognition-minnesota

A week of ICE and outrage in Minneapolis: the turmoil of the days leading up to Alex Pretti’s death
Since the Trump administration sent ICE agents into the city in December, there have been 3,000 arrests and two fatal shootings. In the freezing cold, as the crisis deepens, the Minnesotan people continue to resist
Oliver Laughland
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/27/a-week-of-ice-and-outrage-in-minneapolis-the-turmoil-of-the-days-leading-up-to-alex-prettis-death

State, feds clash in court over preserving evidence in Alex Pretti killing
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension filed a lawsuit to prevent the federal government from destroying evidence in the case.
by Katrina Pross
https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/alex-pretti-shooting-immigration-lawsuit-destroying-evidence/

More News

Renowned Minnesota author Kao Kalia Yang’s new picture books meet the current moment
‘I write because I don’t know what to do with all of the things that are going on in the world,’ Yang said.
by Sheila Regan
https://www.minnpost.com/artscape/2026/01/renowned-minnesota-author-kao-kalia-yangs-new-picture-books-meet-the-current-moment/

Families of two men killed in Trump’s military boat strikes sue US government
First-of-its kind suit filed by civil rights attorneys on behalf of families centers on 14 October strike in Caribbean Sea that killed six
Aram Roston
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/27/trump-military-boat-strikes-lawsuit

Alex Vindman, Trump impeachment witness, to run as Democrat for Senate
Vindman, who served on national security council, will challenge Republican incumbent in Florida if nominated
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/27/alex-vindman-running-florida-senate-trump

Girl, 5, deported to Honduras despite being US citizen, becomes latest victim of Trump crackdown
Mother whose visa application was pending says she will send girl back to US soon accompanied by another relative
Claudia Mendoza in Puerto Cortés, Honduras, and Tiago Rogero in Rio de Janeiro
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/27/five-year-old-girl-us-citizen-and-mother-deported-honduras

‘Delays, lowballs, outright denials’: how the LA wildfires have exposed the US’s broken insurance industry
Insurance practices in an age of climate volatility raise troubling questions about home ownership and housing affordability – the bedrock of the American middle class
Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/27/la-wildfires-insurance-industry

Masked thugs, sneering elites and terrified citizens: a picture of the US today. We used to have a name for this
Marina Hyde
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/27/us-masked-thugs-sneering-elites-terrified-citizens-ice-donald-trump

Why I’m launching a feminist video games website in 2026
Maddy Myers
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/jan/26/why-im-launching-a-feminist-video-games-website-in-2026-mothership

2026.01.25

ICE

Video: Klobuchar, Frey on Minneapolis shooting during immigration action
Three shootings, two fatal, have occurred during the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, and Democratic officials are asking agents to leave.
by Associated Press
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/01/video-klobuchar-frey-on-minneapolis-shooting-during-immigration-action/

The man killed by a US Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis was an ICU nurse, family says
by Michael Biesecker, Tim Sullivan and Jim Mustain, AP
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/01/alex-pretti-the-man-killed-by-a-us-border-patrol-officer-in-minneapolis-was-an-icu-nurse-family-says/

Video contradicts Trump’s claim man killed in Minneapolis was a ‘gunman’
Video evidence reviewed by Guardian shows Alex Pretti, killed by agents in Minneapolis, held a phone, not a gun
Robert Mackey
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/24/minneapolis-shooting-ice

Alex Pretti did not brandish gun, witnesses say in sworn testimony
Pair testify that Pretti did not hold weapon and was trying to help woman federal agents had shoved to the ground
Robert Mackey
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/24/alex-pretti-killing-witness-testimony

‘This is what fascism looks like’: terror in Minneapolis reminiscent of civil war
David Smith in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/25/minneapolis-shooting-ice-trump-analysis

Minneapolis officials say feds haven’t shared information with them about Nicollet Avenue shooting
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara says police don’t know what led up to the shooting, and that what they do know comes from civilian videos posted on social media.
by Joey Peters
https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/minneapolis-ice-shooting-nicollet-avenue-brian-ohara-jacob-frey/

The last ICE murder is one-half mile from my house.

Other News

Trump’s not the first US president to fall in love with war. History shows where this is going
Peter Beinart
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/25/trump-venezuela-greenland-war-history

Advantage China: Trump’s tantrums push US allies closer to Beijing
Amy Hawkins Senior China correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/25/china-europe-canada-charm-offensive-trump

Trump news at a glance: groundswell of anger at second fatal shooting by federal agents in weeks
Protests erupt across US after American citizen Alex Pretti shot dead, as video shows he had been holding a phone and not a gun, contradicting federal claims – key US politics stories from 24 January
Guardian staff
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/25/trump-administration-news-updates-today

Josephine review – Channing Tatum is a knockout in shattering drama of lost innocence
Sundance film festival: taut and emotionally intelligent drama follows the aftermath of an eight-year-old witnessing a horrifying sexual assault
Adrian Horton in Park City
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/24/josephine-channing-tatum-review

I Want Your Sex review – vampy Olivia Wilde almost saves Gregg Araki’s tame dom-sub romp
Sundance film festival: As a provocative artist using sex to wield power, the actor is electric but the writer-director’s return to his campy, dayglo roots is largely underwhelming
Benjamin Lee in Park City
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/24/i-want-your-sex-review-gregg-araki

Green Dot author Madeleine Gray: ‘Chosen family is big in the queer community’
Rebecca Liu
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/25/green-dot-author-madeleine-gray-chosen-family-is-big-in-the-queer-community

Minneapolis shooting protests and a free solo in Taipei – photos of the weekend
Warning: this gallery contains sensitive images.
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
Pejman Faratin
https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2026/jan/25/minneapolis-shooting-protests-free-solo-climb-taipei-photos-of-the-weekend

2026.01.24

ICE

LIVE UPDATES | Third shooting in Minneapolis involving federal agents
By Kilat Fitzgerald
https://www.fox9.com/news/ice-mn-third-federal-agents-shooting-minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/jan/24/minneapolis-shooting-live?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-69750ab88f089b46e3ce1655#block-69750ab88f089b46e3ce1655

Rules of the road are at the center of the ICE occupation and resistance
Whenever the ICE occupation finally ends — and it’s no longer necessary to track agents with cars — we need to return to enforcing basic rules for Twin Cities motorists.
by Bill Lindeke
https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2026/01/rules-of-the-road-are-at-the-center-of-the-ice-occupation-and-resistance/

Minneapolis protesters brave subzero temps to oppose federal immigration enforcement
Minneapolis and St. Paul have seen daily protests since Renee Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Jan. 7.
By Giovanna Dell’Orto, Sarah Raza and Jack Brook, AP
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/01/minneapolis-gears-up-for-a-mass-anti-immigration-federal-enforcement-protest-despite-the-dangerous-cold/

Thousands march through Minneapolis, businesses shutter to protest federal immigration operations
The “ICE Out” event is a statewide effort that called on Minnesotans to refrain from shopping, and to stay home from work and school.
by Chris Juhn
https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/minnesota-ice-out-economic-shutdown-protest-target-center/

White House doctoring Minnesota woman’s photo unlikely to derail case, say experts
Altered image shows Nekima Levy Armstrong sobbing after arrest during protest outside a Minneapolis church
Sam Levine in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/23/white-house-minnesota-woman-photo-edit-trial

Women arrested for anti-ICE church protest in St Paul freed from detention
Release of third activist, William Kelly, also involved in the demonstrations was also ordered by a judge
Robert Mackey and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/23/st-paul-ice-protest-women-released

I ain’t a psychic nor do I play one on TV, but I can already predict Karoline Leavitt’s comments: “Several hundred violent, paid, domestic terrorists held up traffic in downtown Minneapolis Friday.”

Other News

Donald Trump doesn’t want us to believe our own eyes
Steven Greenhouse
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/23/donald-trump-lies-ice

Trump’s ‘pay-to-play’ politics fuel a ‘new gilded age’, experts say
Major donors reap influence and material benefits, ethics experts argue, as money and governance intertwine
Peter Stone
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/23/trumps-politics-gilded-age

Trump’s second term has been rife with bizarre moments – here are seven
From derailing meetings by telling fictional stories about serial killers to Davos, the president has left people confused and concerned
Adam Gabbatt
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/23/trump-concerning-moments

What else can be done to force Trump’s DoJ to release all the Epstein files? Legal experts weigh in
The deadline for Trump’s justice department to release the files came and went, but experts say there are still options
Victoria Bekiempis in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/24/legal-experts-epstein-files-release-congress

German media likens US border patrol official’s coat to ‘Nazi look’
Gregory Bovino’s outwear choice prompts German commentators to compare it to fascist aesthetic
Deborah Cole
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/23/gregory-bovino-coat-german-media

Philadelphia sues US government for removal of slavery-related exhibit
Display at President’s House site, residence to George Washington, had information on people enslaved by him
Marina Dunbar
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/23/philadelphia-trump-adminstration-lawsuit-slavery-exhibit

‘Repatriate the gold’: German economists advise withdrawal from US vaults
Shift in relations and unpredictability of Donald Trump make it ‘risky to store so much gold in the US’, say experts
Kate Connolly in Berlin
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/24/repatriate-the-gold-german-economists-advise-withdrawal-from-us-vaults

‘I have the power!‘: Is the new He-Man film taking itself too seriously again?
Any attempt to add a down-to-Earth note to this wildly psychedelic 80s cartoon risks missing the point of its gloriously overblown origins
Ben Child
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/23/new-he-man-film-at-risk-of-taking-itself-too-seriously-again

The History of Concrete review – John Wilson’s first movie is an absurd triumph
Sundance film festival: the documentarian’s feature debut, essentially an extended episode of his HBO series, turns an exploration of concrete into a meditation on change
Adrian Horton
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/23/history-of-concrete-review-john-wilson-movie

New filtration technology could be gamechanger in removal of Pfas ‘forever chemicals’
Researchers found a new way to filter and destroy Pfas chemicals at 100 times the rate of current systems
Tom Perkins
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/23/pfas-forever-chemicals-filtration

Do trees explode in extreme cold?
What happens to trees in extreme cold is a natural physical response to rapid and severe temperature drops.
By Sabrina Halvorson, North Dakota News Cooperative
https://www.minnpost.com/fact-briefs/2026/01/do-trees-explode-in-extreme-cold/

Closure of addiction treatment option for LGBTQ+ patients leads to rush and worry
After 40 years serving the LGBTQ+ community in the Twin Cities, Pennsylvania-based Universal Health Services moved Pride Institute’s residential treatment services to California.
by Andy Steiner
https://www.minnpost.com/mental-health-addiction/2026/01/closure-of-addiction-treatment-option-for-lgbtq-patients-leads-to-rush-and-worry/

High on … mustard? Cannabis industry teams up with chefs in push to stand out
US legal cannabis industry seeks new ways to incorporate weed into meals after a tough year for business in 2025
Hannah Harris Green
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/24/cannabis-culinary-collaborations

The hill I will die on: Bum gun, bidet or shattaf – whatever you call it, install one now
Mona Eltahawy
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/24/hill-i-will-die-on-bidet-shattaf-toilet-zohran-mamdani

‘Displaying the cloth like this showed its true beauty’: Aung Chan Thar’s best phone picture
A beautiful lake, gorgeous fabric: how could the Myanmar photographer resist?
Grace Holliday
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/24/displaying-the-cloth-like-this-showed-its-true-beauty-aung-chan-thars-best-phone-picture

2026.01.22

ICE

US court allows ICE to arrest and pepper-spray peaceful protesters in Minnesota
In victory for Trump administration, appeals court has temporarily lifted injunction as JD Vance set to visit state
Maya Yang
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/ice-arrest-pepper-spray-protesters-minnesota

Minneapolis leaders call the ICE surge a ‘siege’. My reporting from there concurs
Maanvi Singh in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/21/minneapolis-ice-surge-siege

Immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge’s warrant, memo says
Immigrant advocates say the memo is in direct conflict with Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure.
By Rebecca Santana, Associated Press
https://www.minnpost.com/public-safety/2026/01/immigration-officers-assert-sweeping-power-to-enter-homes-without-a-judges-warrant-memo-says/

“Friday is ‘ICE Out of Minnesota: Day of Truth & Freedom,’ a general strike supported by Minnesota’s unions, progressive faith leaders, Democratic lawmakers and community activists,” the Minnesota Reformer reports. “The ‘ICE Out’ day proponents are encouraging all Minnesotans to stay home from work, school and refrain from shopping — suspensions of normal orders of business to protest the presence of federal immigration agents in Minnesota.”
https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/fridays-ice-out-of-minnesota-day-is-a-general-strike-heres-what-that-means/

Two arrested over anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church, Bondi says
Demonstrators alleged that one of church’s pastors was acting field director of St Paul ICE office
Sam Levine in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/22/two-arrests-minnesota-church-protest

Lawfare: Can Minnesota prosecute ICE agent Jonathan Ross
https://youtu.be/YzmBR71KPW8

Other News

Frigid air is expected to blanket Minnesota on Friday, and it’s forecast to get cold enough to cancel some Amtrak trips on its Empire Builder and Borealis lines, the Pioneer Press reports. By Thursday evening, wind chills could dip to -45.
https://www.twincities.com/2026/01/21/amtrak-cancellation-winter-weather/?share=2ttleterowriioticaep

Eight wars settled and Chinese windfarms: factchecking Trump’s Davos claims
The president’s address in Switzerland featured a range of dubious assertions, from exaggerated to false
Joseph Gedeon in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/trump-davos-speech-factcheck

‘Endangered lawyer’ day highlights US justice system’s plummeting standing
International coalition of legal groups focuses on political intimidation of lawyers and judges in US – once a role model
Ed Pilkington in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/22/lawyers-judges-intimidation-trump

The 12 best nonalcoholic beers in the US
From booze-free IPAs to lagers to stouts, here are our beer expert’s picks for the best-tasting nonalcoholic beers
Beth Demmon
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2026/jan/21/best-non-alcoholic-beer

The 13 best nonalcoholic wines in the US
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2026/jan/17/best-nonalcoholic-wines

Vienna closes museums and cuts opening hours as part of austerity drive
Director of Wien Museum says ‘we all have to economise’ as city temporarily reduces access to cultural sites
Philip Oltermann European culture editor
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/vienna-temporarily-closes-museums-cuts-opening-hours-austerity-wien-museum

Why Trump is worried datacenters might cost his party an election
Blake Montgomery
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/22/trump-datacenters-republicans

‘They saw them on their dishes when eating’: The mushroom making people hallucinate dozens of tiny humans (Paywalled?)
Rachel Nuwer
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260121-the-mysterious-mushroom-that-makes-you-see-tiny-people

Release the beast! How Iron Maiden and a naked Ralph Fiennes created the ultimate big-screen needle drop
The Number of the Beast lights up an unforgettable scene in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple thanks to director Nia DaCosta expertly blending ‘craziness and romance’
Michael Hann
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/20/28-years-later-bone-temple-iron-maiden-and-naked-ralph-fiennes

Sundance 2026: the 10 films not to miss at this year’s festival
The first Sundance without founder Robert Redford and the last to take place in Park City, Utah, will see new films starring Natalie Portman, Ethan Hawke and Courtney Love
Benjamin Lee
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/22/sundance-film-festival-top-10-films

Sinners becomes first film in history to earn 16 Oscar nominations
Full list of nominees
Catherine Shoard
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/22/sinners-becomes-first-film-in-history-to-earn-16-oscar-nominations

‘Who was this golden creature?’: the stars of London’s black queer nightlife – in pictures
From newbie drag queens to wild voguing performances, a new archival exhibition boasts images from four decades of riotous nightlife
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/jan/22/london-black-queer-nightlife-in-pictures

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

2026.01.15

All ICE: <cut>

Free speech advocates see a pattern as ICE protesters, observers face violence in Minnesota
Minnesota is the latest state where lawsuits allege federal officials are intentionally using force to suppress free speech.
by Cleo Krejci
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/01/free-speech-advocates-see-a-pattern-as-ice-protesters-observers-face-violence-in-minnesota/

Immigration agents are shooting people. Is it legal?
A law professor explains whether the agent who fatally shot Renee Good could face prosecution.
by Chip Brownlee for The Trace
https://www.minnpost.com/national/2026/01/ice-shooting-legal-prosecution-federal-agent/

The ICE occupation, unlike the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, is an intentional disruption
The most effective and meaningful pushback against the federal government’s terror campaign comes in the form of neighbors helping neighbors.
by Bill Lindeke
https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2026/01/the-ice-occupation-unlike-the-aftermath-of-george-floyds-murder-is-an-intentional-disruption/

A federal judge on Wednesday “did not take immediate action on [Minnesota’s] request for a restraining order to stop the surge of ICE operations in the state, instead setting timelines for the state and federal government to respond,” KARE11 reports. “U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez called the case a ‘frontier’ in constitutional law.” Via MinnPost
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2026/01/judge-sets-deadlines-in-minnesotas-lawsuit-against-ice-no-immediate-restraining-order/

Minnesota’s largest corporate players have been mostly mum about the ongoing Operation Metro Surge, MPR reports. “‘And the lack of voice right now, I think, is deafening,’” said R.T. Rybak, head of the Minneapolis Foundation and the former mayor of Minneapolis. Via MinnPost
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2026/01/judge-sets-deadlines-in-minnesotas-lawsuit-against-ice-no-immediate-restraining-order/

School officials in Crystal say “a parent was arrested by ICE agents while waiting at a school bus stop with their child,” KARE11 reports. A letter sent to parents at Northport Elementary School said “other students at the bus stop and students on the bus might have seen the encounter.” 
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/ice-in-minnesota/parent-arrested-ice-agents-school-bus-crystal/89-6cd97be7-50b8-481a-b19d-ff94ccc9f818

Trump threatens to invoke insurrection act as protests continue in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/jan/15/us-politics-latest-news-updates-donald-trump-venezuela-maria-corina-machado?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-6968ec858f08230f67a73ef2#block-6968ec858f08230f67a73ef2

‘If you people don’t stop protesting ICE torture, I’m going send the military to torture you and control the midterms,’ sayz Our Orange Fearful Leader

Trumps threatens to send federal troops to Minnesota to quell protests
The threat comes after several nights of unrest in the city following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent.
by Ana Radelat
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2026/01/trumps-threatens-to-send-federal-troops-to-minnesota-to-quell-protests/</cut>

The full list of 75 countries where Trump is suspending visa processing
The Trump administration indefinitely suspended immigrant visa processing from 75 countries – see which nations have been affected
Joseph Gedeon in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/14/full-list-75-countries-visa-processing-suspended

Trump is making China – not America – great again, global survey suggests
Exclusive: US is less feared by its traditional adversaries, while its allies feel ever more distant, results show
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/14/global-survey-suggests-trump-is-making-china-not-america-great-again

Suspended Michigan autoworker who heckled Trump gets outpouring of donations
Tens of thousands of dollars raised for TJ Sabula after he reportedly calls Trump ‘pedophile protector’ during Ford plant tour
Michael Sainato
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/14/trump-suspended-michigan-autoworker

Union leaders accuse Trump labor department of echoing Nazi rhetoric
Labor department rhetoric, such as ‘One Homeland. One People. One Heritage’, prompt comparisons to Nazi slogan
Michael Sainato
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/14/union-leaders-trump-administration-white-supremacy

Wolf’s dinner preserved in Siberia for 14,400 years sheds light on woolly rhino
Decoded genome of meat in pup’s stomach helps scientists build picture of what caused extinction of species
Ian Sample Science editor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/14/wolf-cub-preserved-permafrost-woolly-rhino

Seattle UItrasonics C-200 knife review: a powered knife even a pro chef can love
The C-200 vibrates 30,000 times per second, and as our pro chef tester found, it’s not as gimmicky as it sounds
Jonathan Deutsch
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2026/jan/14/ultrasonic-knives-tested

Erotic gay smash Heated Rivalry is a well-timed defense of intimacy coordinators
Adrian Horton
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/14/heated-rivarly-intimacy-coordinators

‘Bigger and lower’: bull in Dutch painting once had much larger testicles
Experts at the Mauritshuis in The Hague believe Paulus Potter toned down The Bull to respect 17th-century sensibilities
Senay Boztas in The Hague
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/15/paulus-potter-the-bull-mauritshuis-dutch-painting-testicles

Review
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy review – Holly Hunter is a transgressive thrill in this horny high-school spinoff
This hormone-fuelled tale of the training college for space voyagers is like Grange Hill, with phasers – and it has a female lead unlike any captain before
Graeme Virtue
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jan/15/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review-holly-hunter-is-a-transgressive-thrill-in-this-horny-high-school-spinoff

Serial houseplant killer? Here’s how to keep them alive (Paywalled?)
Emily Holt
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1lr8vy2v69o

Yodellers, bathing monkeys and a ballroom clean: photos of the day – WednesdayThe Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
Selected by Natasha Rees-Bloor
https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2026/jan/14/yodellers-bathing-monkeys-ballroom-clean-photos-of-the-day-wednesday

2026.01.13

ICE enforcement: Via MinnPost
–The federal government has made more than 2,000 arrests in Minnesota in the immigration enforcement surge that began this month, MPR reports. Federal officials did not say how many people face deportation or provide other details.  
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/12/latest-monday-on-ice-shooting-in-minneapolis

-Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara criticized ICE tactics in an interview with the New York Times, the Star Tribune reports. On the Times’ “The Daily” podcast, O’Hara said the shooting death last week of Renee Good by an ICE agent was “predictable and entirely preventable.”
https://www.startribune.com/in-new-york-times-interview-minneapolis-police-chief-brian-ohara-rails-against-ice-tactics/601562616

-A video captured ICE agents ramming a door and pushing their way inside a home to arrest a man in the Twin Cities. The AP report says a document agents that handed to a woman in the house is different than a warrant signed by a judge and does not authorize forced entry into a private residence.
https://www.twincities.com/2026/01/11/video-captures-minneapolis-immigration-arrest-in-a-city-on-edge-after-shooting-of-renee-good/

Minneapolis-based Sun Country Airlines is merging with the airline Allegiant, the Pioneer Press reports. Sun Country says the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport will remain a base city for the new combined Allegiant airline. Via MinnPost
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2026/01/more-than-2000-arrested-in-twin-cities-ice-operation/

Here’s what’s really happening with child care fraud in Minnesota
Evidence is nowhere near the epidemic levels a viral YouTube video would suggest — but it hasn’t stopped a crackdown on child care funding. Here’s a fact check. Via MinnPost
by Chabeli Carrazana
https://www.minnpost.com/other-nonprofit-media/2026/01/heres-whats-really-happening-with-child-care-fraud-in-minnesota-explained/

Trump administration ends temporary protected status for Somalis in US
Noem claims conditions have improved in east African country so Somalis no longer qualify for legal protections
Joseph Gedeon in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/13/trump-administration-ends-tps-somalia

DoJ attorneys resign over decision not to investigate agent in Minneapolis ICE shooting
At least four leaders across civil rights division step down as FBI presses on with investigation into Renee Nicole Good
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/13/doj-attorneys-resign-minneapolis-ice-shooting

Trump may have to disclose details about assets as part of BBC lawsuit
US president is suing for defamation over documentary that joined two parts of speech he made on 6 January 2021
Michael Savage and Jamie Grierson
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/13/trump-may-have-to-disclose-details-about-his-assets-as-part-of-bbc-lawsuit

‘A bombshell’: doubt cast on discovery of microplastics throughout human body
Exclusive: Some scientists say many detections are most likely error, with one high-profile study called a ‘joke’
Damian Carrington Environment editor
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/13/microplastics-human-body-doubt

David Letterman calls CBS News a ‘wreck’ under newly installed leadership
Former late-night host makes comments amid merger of CBS’s parent company Paramount with Skydance Media
Anna Betts
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/12/david-letterman-cbs-news-bari-weiss

US judge lets Danish firm resume Rhode Island offshore wind project halted by Trump
Ørsted and other wind developers have faced repeated disruptions to multibillion dollar projects under Trump
Reuters
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/12/orsted-rhode-island-wind-project-trump

‘Her time has come’: did Mondrian owe his success to a cross-dressing lesbian artist who lived in a Cornish cove?
Piet Mondrian found fame, fortune and glory with his grid-like paintings lit with basic colours. But did many of his ideas come from Marlow Moss? Our writer celebrates an extraordinary British talent who died in obscurity
Joanna Moorhead
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/jan/12/piet-mondrian-crossdressing-lesbian-artist-marlow-moss-cornish-cove

Women are feral for Heated Rivalry. What does that say about men?
The explosive popularity of the gay hockey TV drama reveals women’s desire for sex and romance without violence or hierarchy
Julia Carrie Wong
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/13/why-do-women-like-heated-rivalry

2026.01.12

“Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith said Sunday that the Trump administration was ‘attempting to cover up what happened‘ in the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday,” ABC News reports. “‘I think what we are seeing here is the federal government — [Department of Homeland Security Secretary] Kristi Noem, Vice President [JD] Vance, [President] Donald Trump — attempting to cover up what happened here in the Twin Cities, and I don’t think that people here and around the country are believing it,’ Smith told ABC News’ ‘This Week’ co-anchor Martha Raddatz.”
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/minnesota-senator-white-house-attempting-cover-good-shooting/story?id=129100690

Four members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe were detained by ICE agents in Minneapolis, according to WCCO. “President Frank Star Comes Out [said] in a Facebook post said the four men are homeless and were living under a bridge near the Little Earth housing complex in the East Phillips neighborhood. Attorneys who represent the tribe were “instructed” [to] reach out to Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan about where they are being detained and what their names are, he said.
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/oglala-sioux-tribe-members-detained-ice-minneapolis/

Trump threatens to block ExxonMobil from Venezuela after CEO calls country ‘uninvestable’
US president says company is ‘playing too cute’ after CEO responds sceptically to his push for oil investment after deposing Nicolás Maduro
Reuters
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/12/donald-trump-threatens-block-exxonmobil-venezuela

We have always been at war with East, err, Malaysia
Malaysia blocks Elon Musk’s Grok AI over fake, sexualised images
Country follows Indonesia in restricting access after global outcry over X’s AI tool
Rebecca Ratcliffe and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/12/malaysia-blocks-elon-musk-grok-ai-fake-sexualised-images-indonesia-x-chatbot

Trump’s cannabis order will still leave users at risk of prosecution, experts say
Justice department is pushing to pursue simple possession cases, and ICE uses cannabis offenses to speed deportation
Hannah Harris Green
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/12/trump-cannabis-executive-order-reschedule

Germany rejects RFK Jr claims about Covid vaccine exemption prosecutions
Health minister Nina Warken says Robert F Kennedy Jr’s assertions that German doctors are facing legal action are unfounded
Jon Henley Europe correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/11/germany-rejects-rfk-jr-claims-about-covid-vaccine-exemption-prosecutions

Chalamet a smash, Sinners shut out: the key Golden Globes snubs and surprises
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another looks unstoppable ahead of the Oscars, despite Timothée Chalamet’s triumph over Leonardo DiCaprio for best actor
Catherine Shoard
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/12/golden-globes-snubs-surprises-timothee-chalamet-one-battle-after-another

How the US supreme court case on trans athletes could unravel LGBTQ+ rights
Sam Levin in Los Angeles
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/12/trans-athletes-supreme-court-lgbtq-rights

I loved my teaching job. But as a trans man in Texas, quitting was the only way to get my dignity back
After the state’s bathroom ban went into effect in December amid a slew of new anti-trans policies, I couldn’t keep trying to hide my identity at work
As told to Alaina Demopoulos
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/12/trans-public-school-teacher-texas

‘Big step forward’: Myanmar military faces Rohingya genocide case at UN court
Survivors of violence hope proceedings will bring justice a step closer and set a precedent for future genocide allegations
Rebecca Ratcliffe South-east Asia correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/12/myanmar-military-rohingya-genocide-case-un-court

Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia’s black summer
Volunteers found thousands of dead bats at Melbourne’s Brimbank park, wildlife expert says
Petra Stock
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/12/flying-foxes-die-in-their-thousands-in-worst-mass-mortality-event-since-australias-black-summer

Newly discovered ‘Port Talbot Pompeii’ may have been Roman centre for agriculture
Academics say the villa, found in Welsh deer park, shows the area was not on fringes of Roman empire
Steven Morris
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/12/newly-discovered-port-talbot-pompeii-may-have-been-roman-centre-for-agriculture

Five decapitated heads displayed on Ecuador beach (Paywalled?)
Vanessa Buschschlüter
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2e13mlr17go

2026.01.10

MinnPost’s The Glean is all ICE again: https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2026/01/trump-targeted-minnesota-long-before-fatal-ice-shooting/

Leaders alarmed about fairness of FBI inquiry into Minneapolis ICE shooting
State and local officials say they do not believe investigation into shooting death of Renee Nicole Good will be objective
George Chidi
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/10/fbi-investigation-minneapolis-ice-shooting-renee-nicole-good

Minneapolis mayor accuses federal authorities of ‘hiding facts’ in ICE killing
Jacob Frey criticizes Trump administration’s response to shooting death of Renee Nicole Good
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/09/jacob-frey-trump-minneapolis-ice-investigation
(Oh my — does The Guaridan have the slightest idea what ‘petrifying cold temperatures’ are?)

Iran protesters tell of brutal police response as regime lashes out
Videos emerging despite internet and mobile phone blackout show demonstrations continuing despite reports of escalating crackdown
William Christou and Deepa Parent
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jan/10/iran-protesters-tell-of-brutal-police-response-deaths-and-forced-confessions

Analysis
Why the white America Trump dreams of is just a fantasy
Eduardo Porter
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/10/trump-immigration-whiteness

Trump’s territorial ambition: new imperialism or a case of the emperor’s new clothes?
Julian Borger
https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/10/trump-territorial-ambition-imperialism

Renee Macklin Good’s wife says she nurtured kindness
Cari Spencer and MPR News Staff
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/09/renee-goods-wife-releases-statement-about-ice-shooting

Analysis
Mamdani’s first 10 days: getting things done despite right’s dystopian fantasies
Adam Gabbatt
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/10/zohran-mamdani-new-york-10-days

Kathy Hochul and Zohran Mamdani are showing what ‘pro-family’ means
Arwa Mahdawi
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/10/kathy-hochul-zohran-mamdani-childcare

The hill I will die on: Decorative cushions and throws on hotel beds should be banned, immediately
Annabel Lee
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/10/the-hill-i-will-die-on-hotel-room-bed-throws-banned

If you’ve grown weary of pumpkin pie, how about cheesecake? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOy0RF4jJMg

Vegetables
Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for roast swede and purple sprouting broccoli curry
Earthy, sweet swede soaks up a curry sauce like a champion, and this ginger, tomato and coconut number is no exception*
Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/jan/10/vegan-roast-swede-purple-sprouting-broccoli-curry-recipe-meera-sodha
*We call swedes rutabegas, brocolli is good enough (sprouting or not), and you can substitute paprika (or parika and chile powder) for kashmiri chilli powder. Your friendly local Asian grocery store is sure to have Thai basil, or you can do like I would do and leave it out.

AI bubble: five things you need to know to shield your finances from a crash
Some experts have voiced fears a tech meltdown could hit our savings and pensions – here’s how to protect yourself
Hilary Osborne
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jan/10/ai-bubble-finances-crash-tech-meltdown-savings-pensions

What does your car say about you? A global portrait of people and their rides, from Shanghai to Santa Monica
You can tell a lot about someone from the vehicle they drive, as Martin Roemers’ collection of photographs show. Introduction by author William Boyd
William Boyd
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/jan/10/martin-roemers-homo-mobilis-photography-book-car-vehicle-owners-portraits

2026.01.07

BREAKING: Feds confirm ICE officer fatally shot woman in south Minneapolis One witness told Sahan Journal she saw first responders performing CPR on someone at E. 34th Street and Portland Avenue. The person had blood on their face and in their hair. by Becky Z. Dernbach, Andrew Hazzard, Katelyn Vue, Shubhanjana Das and Mohamed Ibrahim
https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/federal-shooting-ice-immigration-south-minneapolis-34th-portland/

Much of the talk surrounding the Minnesota governor’s race has focused on Gov. Tim Walz dropping out. And while many Republicans wanted Walz gone, “an early exit from his re-election campaign presents its own challenges,” according to the Minnesota Star Tribune, including how to pivot from a fraud-focused strategy to other issues. Via MinnPost
https://www.startribune.com/after-focus-on-walz-and-fraud-what-comes-next-for-gop-in-governors-race/601558163?utm_source=gift

Axios is reporting that the Trump administration “is freezing $10 billion in funds for child care and poor families in five blue states.” California, Colorado, Illinois, New York and Minnesota have seen these funds suspended, and these five states “will also be asked to provide additional information, including attendance records, inspection reports and complaints from parents.” Via MinnPost
https://www.axios.com/2026/01/05/trump-child-care-minnesota

‘Astounding’ vaccine change puts US behind peer countries, experts warn
Scientists predict increased disease outbreaks after Trump officials no longer recommend third of childhood vaccines
Melody Schreiber
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/07/us-vaccine-schedule-guidelines-change

‘How is it possible?’: Berliners demand answers after sabotage causes blackout
Arson attack that left parts of German capital in darkness for days stirs outrage over infrastructure insecurity
Kate Connolly in Berlin
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/07/how-is-it-possible-berliners-demand-answers-after-sabotage-causes-blackout

Interview
‘It was overwhelming’: Katie Leung on Harry Potter, sudden fame, insecurity – and starring in Bridgerton
Emine Saner
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/07/katie-leung-harry-potter-sudden-fame-insecurity-bridgerton

The place that stayed with me: I fled the Greek Islands to chase a letter home
As his 30th birthday loomed in Greece, Steve MinOn sent a letter to his parents in Australia. Then he waited.
Steve MinOn
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/07/place-stayed-with-me-greek-islands

‘We were sitting with our calculator saying “we can afford that!”’ Joy for families as cystic fibrosis drug prices fall within reach
The cost of medication was too high for thousands of CF sufferers around the world. Now a Bangladeshi company is making a generic version that will change lives
Kat Lay Global health correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/07/families-cystic-fibrosis-drug-prices-affordable-generic-triko-vertex-pharmaceuticals-beximco-trikafta-kaftrio