Category Archives: Movies

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

2026.01.11

US protests condemn ICE killing of Renee Good and ‘a regime that is willing to kill its own citizens’
In Philadelphia, protesters demanded ICE leave US communities and Trump end warmongering in Venezuela
Lex McMenamin
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/10/protests-ice-renee-nicole-good-philadelphia

U.S. Reps. Omar, Morrison and Craig denied access to immigration detention facility at Fort Snelling
The three House Democrats were briefly allowed into the Fort Snelling holding facility on Saturday, then told they did not have the right to access it.
by Shubhanjana Das
https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/omar-morrison-craig-denied-access-detention-facility/

Have you experienced or witnessed an ICE arrest, or other immigration enforcement? Let us know.
Sahan Journal is reporting on the evolving changes to immigration enforcement in Minnesota. If you have story ideas or tips, please share them with us.
by Sahan Journal
https://sahanjournal.com/inside-sahan-journal/immigration-story-ideas-tips/

Vouchers, patriotism, and prayer: The Trump administration’s plan to remake public education
by ProPublica
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/10/2362310/-Vouchers-patriotism-and-prayer-The-Trump-administration-s-plan-to-remake-public-education?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_5&pm_medium=web

Peter Mandelson declines to apologise for association with Jeffrey Epstein
Former UK ambassador says he is sorry for system that does not give victims protection they are entitled to expect
Rowena Mason Whitehall editor
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/11/peter-mandelson-declines-to-apologise-for-association-with-jeffrey-epstein

One awards battle after another: A-listers face off at this year’s Golden Globes
Big names from Leonardo DiCaprio to Timothée Chalamet are aiming for a win at Hollywood’s most important Oscars precursor
Benjamin Lee
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/09/golden-globes-preview

Are you taking supplements correctly? Here’s a guide on their dosage limits
From vitamins C and D to calcium and magnesium, it’s critical to know whether you’re taking the correct dosage to avoid health problems
Sarah Sloat
https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2026/jan/08/supplements-vitamins-safety-dosage-limit-guide

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 (UK stonks)
Hilary Osborne
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jan/10/ai-bubble-finances-crash-tech-meltdown-savings-pensions

Trump may be the beginning of the end for ‘enshittification’ – this is our chance to make tech good again
Cory Doctorow
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/10/trump-beginning-of-end-enshittification-make-tech-good-again

Cream of the crop: small brewers take on Guinness with rival ‘nitro’ stouts
Independents muscle in on craze for the black stuff with dark beers that use same nitrogen process as Irish favourite
Rob Davies
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/11/small-brewers-guinness-nitro-stouts

2026.01.06

A major deployment of Department of Homeland Security agents is underway in the Twin Cities, according to CBS News. “The crackdown could involve roughly 2,000 agents … The plan is for the agents and officers to oversee a 30-day surge in operations in the Twin Cities area, making the region the first major target of the Trump administration’s expanded immigration crackdown in the new year, officials said. Agents deployed from Homeland Security Investigations are expected to probe alleged cases of fraud, building on last month’s inspection of dozens of sites in the Minneapolis area.” Via MinnPost
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minneapolis-federal-agents-crackdown/

What are we supposed to make of Tim Walz not running for a third term?
The governor’s remarks Monday were an admission that Medicaid fraud has subsumed his administration.
by Matthew Blake
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2026/01/what-are-we-supposed-to-make-of-tim-walz-not-running-for-a-third-term-re-election/

Now that Gov. Tim Walz has dropped out of the race for a third term as Minnesota’s governor, there is a lot of speculation surrounding possible Democratic candidates. MPR News has the latest on who’s in, who’s out and who might be considering a run. MinnPost’s Washington, D.C. correspondent Ana Radelat also has some insight on possible candidates.  Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/05/who-is-running-for-minnesota-governor-in-2026-with-tim-walz-out

Amy Klobuchar, other Dems eye a run for governor in wake of Walz decision
Secretary of State Steve Simon and Attorney General Keith Ellison are among the Democrats weighing the opportunity.
by Ana Radelat
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2026/01/as-walz-bows-out-of-governors-race-amy-klobuchar-other-dems-eye-a-run/

Could a Minnesota governor appoint themself to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat?
by Brian Arola
https://www.minnpost.com/fact-briefs/2026/01/could-a-minnesota-governor-appoint-themself-to-fill-a-vacant-u-s-senate-seat/

Trump suggests US taxpayers could reimburse oil firms for Venezuela investment
President says a ‘tremendous amount of money’ will need to be spent repairing country’s infrastructure
Guardian staff and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/06/trump-us-taxpayers-oil-firms-venezuela-investment

US justice department has released less than 1% of Epstein files, filing reveals
Federal law required majority of documents to be released by 19 December, but only 125,575 pages have been published
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/06/epstein-files-release-justice-department

January 6, five years on: sustained effort by Trump to rewrite history
President and Republican allies have tried to make sure the deadly attack on the Capitol has been erased from memory
Sam Levine
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/06/january-6-trump-us-capitol-attack

US will be exempt from global tax deal targeting profits of large multinationals
Agreement finalised by the OECD waters down a landmark 2021 deal that set a minimum global corporate tax of 15%
Guardian staff and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/06/us-exemption-oecd-global-tax-deal-multinational-companies

Many schools don’t think students can read full novels anymore. That’s a tragedy
Margaret Sullivan
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/06/many-schools-are-assigning-excerpts-of-novels-to-read-instead-of-full-books-why

Arizona supreme court evacuated after package tests positive for explosives
Department of education, across the street from the supreme court, also evacuated
Abené Clayton
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/05/arizona-supreme-court-evacuated-package-explosives

Narnia! Dune! Charli xcx! The 2026 films Guardian writers are most excited about
From much-anticipated sequels to music mockumentaries to auteur returns, the next 12 months offers up a wide variety of intriguing new movies
Andrew Pulver, Adrian Horton, Veronica Esposito, Benjamin Lee, Jesse Hassenger, Radheyan Simonpillai, Andrew Lawrence, Richard Lawson and Catherine Shoard
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jan/06/new-film-releases-2026

The strangest thing: is the future of cinema … not new movies?
Netflix’s big-screen release of the Stranger Things finale is estimated to have made over $25m at the US box office, the latest example of event cinema proving popular
Jesse Hassenger
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/06/non-traditional-cinema-releases

Industry season four review – truly twisted, top-tier television
It may only be January, but you already know this banking drama is going to be one of the year’s best shows – a daring, debauched and jaw-dropping treat
Hannah J Davies
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/06/industry-season-four-review-bbc-one-iplayer-hbo-binge

Snow, ice and a penguin count: photos of the day – Tuesday
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2026/jan/06/snow-ice-and-a-penguin-count-photos-of-the-day-tuesday

2026.01.01

‘A state of crisis’: record number of Americans are pessimistic about US healthcare system
Costs, insurance delays and difficult-to-obtain mental health treatment plague the US health system
Hannah Harris Green
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/31/healthcare-americans-poll-data-insurance

Trump administration reportedly freezes all childcare payments to all states
Trump official says funds will be released ‘only when states prove they are being spent legitimately’
Carter Sherman
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/31/trump-administration-childcare-funding-freeze

Mystery meat and maggot-infested produce: the disturbing reality of US prison food
Sam Levin in Los Angeles
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/31/eating-behind-bars-book-prison-food

Nine science-backed ways to help you feel better in 2026 (Payqalled?)
BBC Future team
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251231-nine-simple-steps-to-feeling-better-in-2026

Doomed lovers, high heels and The Odyssey: films to get excited about in 2026
Margot Robbie busts her corset in Wuthering Heights, the Devil Wears Prada sequel goes fashionably to war, and Christopher Nolan brings us a Greek epic. Plus much more in our pick of the best films coming to UK cinemas this year
By Peter Bradshaw
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/01/wuthering-heights-devil-wears-prada-odyssey-films-to-get-excited-about-in-2026

Demon Slayer economics: how the anime juggernaut became a saviour
Once underground art form now props up slumped box office sales and is used by governments to build soft power
Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/dec/31/demon-slayer-economics-how-anime-juggernaut-became-saviour

What happened next: how KPop Demon Hunters became a global phenomenon and outranked Lady Gaga
It’s the Korean fantasy movie that came out of nowhere to become Netflix’s most-watched film ever. And social media mentions of its characters are outranking those of real-life superstars
Elle Hunt
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/01/kpop-demon-hunters-netflix-korean-most-watched-film

New year celebrations and Zohran Mamdani sworn in: photos of the day – Thursday
https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2026/jan/01/new-year-celebrations-and-zohran-mamdani-sworn-in-photos-of-the-day-thursday

In pictures: New Year welcomed around the world (Paywalled?)
Matthew TuckerandLucy Talavera
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c050j896q2do

2025.12.31

Beer alternatives from around the world: https://youtu.be/cQ01gCIPit4

What is norovirus and how contagious is it?
Symptoms of the virus include diarrhea and vomiting and it infects about 684 million people globally every year
Adrienne Matei
https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/dec/30/what-is-norovirus-and-how-contagious-is-it

We sacrificed 14 shirts to find the best stain remover in the US, for spills from wine to oil
Even the messiest eaters can find stain fighters for every laundry nightmare, all tested against 10 common culprits
Jenny McGrath
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2025/dec/30/best-stain-removers-laundry-tested

The man taking over the Large Hadron Collider – only to switch it off
Next head of Cern backs massive replacement for world’s largest machine to investigate mysteries of the universe
Ian Sample Science editor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/dec/31/large-hadron-collider-head-of-cern-mark-thomson

‘It’s not a hen party hellscape’: Dublin’s Temple Bar strives to shake off its bad reputation
Despite reviews of the district as a raucous tourist trap, improved policing has restored safety and an eclectic vibe
Rory Carroll Ireland correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/dublin-temple-bar-renaissance-not-hen-party-hellscape

Burkina Faso and Mali ban US nationals in retaliation to Trump’s visa decision
Announcements mark latest twist in the frosty relationship between west African military governments and the US
Guardian staff and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/mali-burkina-faso-retaliatory-travel-ban-us-nationals

Five tech trends we’ll be watching in 2026
From datacenters to AI, we’ll be keeping our eye on the technology that will be shaping your life in the coming year
Blake Montgomery
https://www.theguardian.com/global/2025/dec/30/five-tech-trends-well-be-watching-in-2026

The 50 best films of 2025 in the UK
https://www.theguardian.com/film/ng-interactive/2025/dec/08/the-50-best-films-of-2025-in-the-uk

The 50 best TV shows of 2025
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/ng-interactive/2025/dec/10/the-50-best-tv-shows-of-2025

New Year’s Eve live:​ Sydney fireworks ring in 2026 as Asia sees in the new year ahead of Europe and the US
Yohannes Lowe (now) and Robyn Vinter (earlier)
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/live/2025/dec/31/new-years-eve-2026-world-ring-in-live-latest#top-of-blog

My year:
Three weeks in hospital
Two months in transitional care
Lost 30 pounds
Gained new accoutrements
Ongoing PT
Solar panels installed
Four new ceiling fans
Two Bosch undersink water heaters installed
Difficulty obtaining old, old asthma drug (theophylline)
Gained a handicapped parking permit and MN cancelled my driver’s license

Happy New Year!
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/live/2025/dec/31/new-years-eve-2026-world-ring-in-live-latest?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-6954efe08f083c44d70dd5d5#block-6954efe08f083c44d70dd5d5

2025.12.25

Happy Christmas!

From Lily Allen to six-seven: it’s the 2025 bumper pop culture quiz of the year
Did you watch KPop Demon Hunters? Have you listened to Rosalía? And do you know who ‘fedora guy’ is? If you answered yes to all these, this is the quiz for you
Sian Cain and Steph Harmon
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/dec/24/2025-pop-culture-quiz-of-the-year

Around the world in 50 countries: the globe-trotting Christmas travel quiz
From the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to Donald Trump’s territorial wishlist, test your travel knowledge. Every answer is the name of a country (Not automagical!)
Gavin McOwan
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/25/around-the-world-in-50-countries-globe-trotting-christmas-travel-quiz

‘Freedom is a city where you can breathe’: four experts on Europe’s most liveable capitals
From Copenhagen’s cycle lanes and Vienna’s shared parks to Barcelona and London’s unfulfilled potential, better living is close at hand
Ajit Niranjan
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2025/dec/24/four-experts-on-europe-most-livable-capitals

Why are drug prices so high in America? Trump doesn’t have the right answer
Susi Geiger and Théo Bourgeron
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/24/is-trump-lowering-drug-prices

Falling price of cocaine forces drug traffickers to reuse narco-submarines, say Spanish police
Previously vessels would be sunk once they had completed their cargo runs from South America to Europe
Sam Jones in Madrid
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/25/cocaine-forces-drug-traffickers-narco-submarines-spain

The 12 days of Trump-mas
What has Donald Trump given us in his second term? We look at some of the numbers
Adam Gabbatt
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/23/the-12-days-of-trump-mas

Into the void: how Trump killed international law
The rules-based global order, its institutions and value system face a crisis of legitimacy and credibility as the US turns away
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
https://www.theguardian.com/law/ng-interactive/2025/dec/25/how-donald-trump-killed-international-law

How effective is protesting? According to historians and political scientists: very
From emancipation to women’s suffrage, civil rights and BLM, mass movement has shaped the arc of US history
Robin Buller
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/25/protests-effective-history-impact

Blood test could predict who is most at risk from common inherited heart condition
Exclusive: Scientists find a way to forecast hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which affects millions worldwide
Andrew Gregory Health editor
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/25/blood-test-predict-risk-inherited-heart-condition-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy

MinnPost’s Year in Photos 2025
The best photos of 2025 by MinnPost photojournalist Ellen Schmidt.
by Ellen Schmidt
https://www.minnpost.com/galleries/2025/12/minnposts-year-in-photos-2025/

It’s turkey time! The 12 worst films of 2025
This year has brought us some great movies – and also at least a dozen dire-one star disasters. Here are the Guardian’s critics on the pick of the year’s cinematic calamities
Guardian film
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/25/its-turkey-time-the-12-worst-films-of-2025

2025.12.19

Minnesota health officials urge flu shots as 35 schools report outbreaks this week, including at least one that switched to remote learning, the Star Tribune reports. The strain has a history of hitting children and the elderly particularly hard. Via MinnPost
https://www.startribune.com/flu-strain-that-historically-hits-elderly-and-kids-hard-is-back-in-minnesota/601548805?utm_source=gift

Epstein files to be released after months of delays from Trump officials
Huge archive – set to shed fresh light on Epstein’s misdeeds – legally obliged to be released before midnight deadline
Robert Tait in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/19/epstein-files-release-doj-december-deadline

‘Like Maga disciples’: meet the Trump envoys raising eyebrows in Europe
US president has been blatant in his appointment of relatives, close friends and big donors – almost none of whom have diplomatic experience
Jon Henley in Paris, Helena Smith in Athens and Miranda Bryant
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/19/trump-european-envoys-charles-kushner-andrew-puzder-stacey-feinberg-kimberly-guilfoyle

Conservative legal group aims to export its rightwing Christian mission beyond US borders
Alliance Defending Freedom has ramped up its global spending on litigation and other campaigns to push its ultra conservative Christian values
Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/19/conservative-legal-christian-rightwing-group

Trump signs order reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous
Change will loosen limits on research and certain regulations but stops short of making marijuana legal
Marina Dunbar
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/18/trump-cannabis-executive-order

Revealed: FBI opened domestic terrorism investigations into anti-ICE activity across US
Internal report shared with Guardian shows FBI has launched cases in 23 regions, some linked to Trump memo on thwarting ‘terroristic activities’
Sam Levin in Los Angeles
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/19/fbi-terrorism-investigations-anti-ice-activity

It’s time to accept that the US supreme court is illegitimate and must be replaced
Ryan Doerfler and Samuel Moyn
We need to remake the US high court so Americans don’t suffer future decades of oligarchy-facilitating rule
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/19/us-supreme-court-legitimacy

Sony collars Snoopy in £340m deal to take control of Peanuts franchise
Japanese conglomerate raises to 80% its stake in firm that owns the intellectual property created by Charles Schulz
Mark Sweney
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/19/sony-collars-snoopy-in-340m-deal-to-take-control-of-peanuts-franchise

The 50 best movies of 2025 in the US
https://www.theguardian.com/film/ng-interactive/2025/dec/08/the-50-best-movies-of-2025-in-the-us

Yael van der Wouden : ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy cured my fear of aliens’
The Safekeep author on her secret childhood reading, falling in love with Elizabeth Strout and why she keeps coming back to Zadie Smith
Yael van der Wouden
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/19/yael-van-der-wouden-the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-cured-my-fear-of-aliens