Category Archives: News

2025.01.26

Well! Herr Trump has managed to get two idiots, err, governors out of NoDak and SoDak!

Analysis Energized neo-Nazis feel their moment has come as Trump changes everything Ben Makuch Far-right chatrooms are abuzz as extremists plan to use the next four years as ‘breathing room’ and look to expand https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/26/neo-nazis-trump-extremism

Rediscovered Munch painting with ‘intriguing mystery’ to go on display in UK for first time Striking image will be unveiled at National Portrait Gallery in March, as part of a major exhibition of the Norwegian master’s portraits Dalya Alberge https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/jan/26/rediscovered-munch-painting-with-intriguing-mystery-to-go-on-display-in-uk-for-first-time

From gay clubs to Maga anthem: the absurd, contested history of the Village People’s YMCA A barely recognizable version of the band performed the 1978 classic at Donald Trump’s inauguration, the latest chapter in a strange tale of disco, feuds and showboating Owen Myers https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jan/26/ymca-trump-village-people

Sky High Yorkshire Pudding Recipe METHOD Matters Most

2025.01.25

Brittney Ermon and Ben Henry at KSTP are reporting the plans for George Floyd Square are on hold yet again after the Minneapolis Climate and Infrastructure Committee decided to hold off on voting on a design plan. Via MinnPost https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/5-years-after-murder-future-of-george-floyd-square-on-hold-again/

ARTS & CULTURE Warm up your weekend at Great Northern, Lunar New Year celebrations The 10-day winter festival includes the screening of a Prince film, saunas and more. Plus: Podcaster Celisia Stanton holds a launch party for “Truer Crime” Season 2; and Year of the Snake events across the Twin Cities. https://sahanjournal.com/arts-culture/twin-cities-things-to-do-great-northern-crime-podcast-lunar-new-year/

The oil crisis fuelled by Russia’s war is evaporating – and so are the profits Jillian Ambrose Results from Shell and Exxon this week will be weaker – and Trump’s desire to drill may result in oversupply https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/25/the-oil-crisis-fuelled-by-russias-war-is-evaporating-and-so-are-the-profits

Diamonds lose their sparkle as prices come crashing down Lab-grown rocks and fewer weddings have put a huge dampener on the market. On the bright side, a big dazzler is now affordable for many James Tapper https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/25/diamonds-lose-their-sparkle-as-prices-come-crashing-down

Carl Bloch’s lost masterpiece Prometheus Unbound finds fame again in Athens Work that made its creator a superstar then mysteriously disappeared is mesmerising art lovers once more Helena Smith in Athens https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/25/carl-bloch-lost-masterpiece-prometheus-unbound-finds-fame-again-in-athens

Free ebooks today “Welcome to our first Queer Your eReader event! Queer authors have generously made their books available for free for 24 hours on 25th January, 2025 – there’s a great selection of books below in Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi and Romance. All listings contain the blurb for the book, details of representation and content warnings, as provided by the authors.” https://divinationhollow.com/queer-your-ereader

2025.01.24

Guinness boom prompts owner Diageo to consider sale or spin-off Stout, which has become fashionable with gen Z drinkers, likely to be valued at more than £8bn Zoe Wood https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/24/guinness-diageo-sale-spin-off

How Bread Built Civilization: From the First Farmers to the Modern Factory

2025.01.23

KARE 11’s David Griswold reports: “The James Beard Foundation announced its semifinalists on Wednesday, and it includes six local chefs and five local restaurants.” via MinnPost https://www.kare11.com/article/entertainment/dining/food-drink/6-chefs-5-restaurants-minnesota-james-beard-semifinalists/89-ae9418a3-e3e7-4f84-82ba-440c1d8677fb

Matt Sepic at MPR News reports: “An organization that represents police across Minnesota is suing the state for releasing private information about undercover officers.” via MinnPost https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/01/22/police-group-sues-state-over-release-of-undercover-officers-names

Seven Texas police officers shot while responding to ‘suicide in progress’ call
Suspect later found dead inside an apartment after standoff, says San Antonio police chief
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/23/stone-oak-san-antonio-texas-police-officers

Trump’s executive order on gender uses language pointing to ‘fetal personhood’ Words ‘at conception’ in order gesture to push by anti-abortion movement to give embryos and fetuses legal rights Carter Sherman https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/23/trump-executive-order-fetal-personhood

Republicans reportedly ready to cut Medicaid funding to pay for Trump plans
House and Senate Republicans float ideas to pay for Trump’s immigration crackdown and to fund tax cuts
Adam Gabbatt
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/23/republicans-medicaid-funding-trump

Revealed: Microsoft deepened ties with Israeli military to provide tech support during Gaza war Leaked documents shed light on how Israel integrated the US tech giant into its war effort to meet growing demand for cloud and AI tools Harry Davies and Yuval Abraham in Jerusalem https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/23/israeli-military-gaza-war-microsoft

Storm Éowyn: Scottish parliament and hundreds of schools to close in UK Rare red weather alert issued as storm forecast to bring gusts of up to 100mph, with ‘extreme risk to life’ warning in Ireland https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/23/storm-eowyn-red-weather-warning

How Scandinavian dressing can make us happier Faran Krentcil https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250121-how-scandinavian-dressing-can-make-us-happier

Swede dreams: How Sweden is embracing its sleepy side Lizzie Enfield https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250113-how-sweden-is-embracing-its-sleepy-side

Sundance 2025: the 10 films not to miss at this year’s festival From a Jennifer Lopez musical to an Ayo Edebiri horror to a provocative prison documentary, this year’s Utah-based festival has plenty to be excited about Benjamin Lee https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jan/23/sundance-2025-movies-watch

Oscars nominations 2025: Emilia Pérez breaks record with 13 as The Brutalist and Wicked both trail with 10
Oscars nominations 2025: the full list
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jan/23/oscars-nominations-2025-the-full-list
Jacques Audiard’s trans musical beats record for most nominations by a film not in the English language
Star Karla Sofía Gascón becomes first out trans actor up for an Oscar
Snubs for Pamela Anderson, Denzel Washington, Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie
Catherine Shoard
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jan/23/oscars-nominations-2025-emilia-perez-breaks-record-with-13-as-the-brutalist-and-wicked-both-trail-with-10

2024.09.25

Interview
Will Ferrell and Harper Steele: ‘More people say they’ve seen an alien than a trans person’
Guy Lodge
Saturday Night Live writer Harper Steele came out as a trans woman in 2022 at the age of 61. Her friend of 30 years Will Ferrell had questions. So what else to do but jump in a van, cross the US, and make a documentary about it
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/25/will-ferrell-harper-steele-netflix-documentary-interview

Also see: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2024/sep/24/donald-trump-presidency-republican-lawmakers-targeting-lgbtq-policies

It’s Banned Books Week. LGBTQ+ content tops the most-challenged list.
Attempts to censor or restrict books from U.S. schools and libraries have risen since 2020, reports show. (PayWalled)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/09/24/banned-books-week-lgbtq-challenges/

How newly named Hennepin Arts is charting the ebbs and flows of downtown Minneapolis
In hindsight, buying historic theaters was one of downtown Minneapolis’ all-time best moves.
https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2024/09/how-newly-named-hennepin-arts-is-charting-the-ebbs-and-flows-of-downtown-minneapolis/

Viking Age Expert Answers Viking Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED

Ready or not? The expert guide to buying fruit – so it is always ripe and delicious
Whether you are planning to eat it today or keep it for later, here is how to pick the perfect produce, every time
Tim Dowling
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/sep/25/ready-or-not-the-expert-guide-to-buying-fruit-so-it-is-always-ripe-and-delicious

Dining at the Wild Parties of Regency England
How Refugee Chefs are Bringing Myanmar’s Food Out of the Shadows

The power of the pint: is it time to retire one of the world’s biggest beer measures?
A study suggested last week that adopting a two-thirds serve could improve public health. But is the pint really the problem?
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/sep/24/the-power-of-the-pint-is-it-time-to-retire-one-of-the-worlds-biggest-beer-measures

2024.09.07

Of local interest: HUGE Theater closing in October
After moving into a larger venue, financial barriers are keeping the improv theater from continuing operations.
Melody Hoffmann
https://www.southwestvoices.news/posts/huge-theater-closing-in-october

‘“Well, I would do that, and we’re sitting down — you know, I was, uh, somebody, we had Sen. Marco Rubio [(R-Fla.)] and my daughter, Ivanka, was so, uh, impactful on that issue. It’s a very important issue.
But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I’m talking about, that — because child care is child care. It’s, couldn’t — you know, it’s something, you have to have it. In this country, you have to have it.
But when you talk about those numbers compared to the kind of numbers that I’m talking about by taxing foreign nations at levels that they’re not used to but they’ll get used to it very quickly. And it’s not going to stop them from doing business with us, but they’ll have a very substantial tax when they send product into our country.
Those numbers are so much bigger than any numbers that we’re talking about, including child care, that it’s gonna take care. We’re gonna have — I, I look forward to having no deficits within a fairly short period of time. Coupled with, uh, the reductions that I told you about on waste and fraud and all of the other things that are going on in our country — because I have to say with child care, I want to stay with child care, but those numbers are small relative to the kind of economic numbers that I’m talking about, including growth.
But growth also headed up by what the plan is that I just, uh, that I just told you about. We’re gonna be taking in trillions of dollars, and as much as child care is talked about as being expensive, it’s, relatively speaking, not very expensive compared to the kind of numbers we’ll be taking in.
We’re going to make this into an incredible country that can afford to take care of its people and then we’ll worry about the rest of the world. Let’s help other people. But we’re gonna take care of our country first. This is about America first. It’s about: Make America great again. We have to do it, because right now we’re a failing nation. So we’ll take care of it. Thank you. Very good question.”’
Following Trump’s train of thought as it derails on a child care question
Trump sought out an applause line as if it were the sole exit in a flame-filled room.
Asked about paying for child care, Trump pivots to tariffs
Column by Philip Bump (DePayWalled)
https://wapo.st/3Xoz1B8

‘I’m a new racist’: Michigan judge suspended after insulting gay, Black people on recordings
Court worker secretly recorded calls in which Kathleen Ryan made homophobic slur and called Black people lazy
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/michigan-judge-kathleen-ryan-suspended

Missouri sees first positive bird flu case without known animal contact Also first time for someone with H5 virus to be hospitalized, and CDC says it is studying patient specimen more https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/06/missouri-bird-flu-positive-hospitalized

Interview Pedro Almodóvar: ‘Life needs fiction to make it bearable’ Sam Jones The Spanish film-maker on the raw, real life experiences behind his first collection of short stories – and why his mother is his inspiration https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/07/pedro-almodovar-life-needs-fiction-to-make-it-bearable

Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for white cabbage, peanut butter and gochujang noodles You don’t need to be a straight A student to cook these easy instant noodles https://www.theguardian.com/food/article/2024/sep/07/student-recipe-vegan-cabbage-peanut-butter-noodles

Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes dies aged 83
Mendes, who popularised bossa nova among global audiences in the 1960s, had been suffering from the effects of long-term Covid, his family said
https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/06/brazilian-musician-sergio-mendes-dies-aged-83

For you Novavax fans out there — you know who you are: FDA Authorizes Updated Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine to Better Protect Against Currently Circulating Variants https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-authorizes-updated-novavax-covid-19-vaccine-better-protect-against-currently-circulating

Opinion
The Checkup With Dr. Wen: When to get the new coronavirus shot? That question and more, answered. When is the optimal time to get the updated shot? It depends. (DePayWalled)
https://wapo.st/3TcZeB1

Star Tribune reports Ladan Mohamed Ali plead guilty Thursday to federal charges connected to an attempted bribe in the Feeding Our Future Trial. Ali, also admitted to stealing $80,000 of the cash the defendants gave her to bribe the juror. — MinnPost

Did the media learn nothing from its disastrous coverage of Trump and Clinton in 2016?
Rebecca Solnit
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/06/trump-clinton-harris-election

Stonehenge tale gets ‘weirder’ as Orkney is ruled out as altar stone origin
Weeks after revelation that megalith came from Scotland, researchers make surprise discovery
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/05/stonehenge-tale-gets-weirder-as-orkney-is-ruled-out-as-altar-stone-origin

Meanwhile in Amsterdam:
Amsterdammers left bemused at plan to tackle flowerpot ‘jungle’
Authorities in Dutch capital launch ‘Operation plant pot’, saying excessive pot placement threatens accessibility
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/amsterdam-plan-to-tackle-flowerpot-jungle

Thai Chef Makes KHAO SOI From Scratch!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/gwV9SJtewCY?si=YiXS2AO6x1HFRBtn

2024.07.31

Boar’s Head meat recall: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/boars-head-provisions-co–recalls-ready-eat-liverwurst-and-other-deli-meat-products

Eating processed red meat could increase risk of dementia, study finds
US researchers say they have uncovered potential link after tracking 130,000 people over four decades
Andrew Gregory Health editor
https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/31/eating-processed-red-meat-could-increase-risk-of-dementia-study-finds

‘One of the most disgusting meals I’ve ever eaten’: AI recipes tested
Bratwurst ice-cream. Crockpot mojito. Can you stomach a recipe written by a robot?
Ralph Jones
https://www.theguardian.com/food/article/2024/jul/31/one-of-the-most-disgusting-meals-ive-ever-eaten-ai-recipes-tested

Orange, edible and in a block: a short history of US ‘guv’ment’ cheese
An extract from Andrea Freeman’s Ruin Their Crops on the Ground unpacks government cheese – from Steve Harvey jokes to Jay-Z lyrics and Wahlburgers
Andrea Freeman
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/31/andrea-freeman-book-extract-government-cheese

Venice cuts size of tourist parties to 25 to reduce impact on city
Tourists face fines of €25-500 if they fail to comply with measures, which also ban the use of loudspeakers
Reuters in Rome
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/31/venice-cuts-size-of-tourist-parties-to-25-to-reduce-impact-on-city