Category Archives: Photography

2026.02.08

ICE

‘A profound sense of being hunted’: with all eyes on Minneapolis, ICE arrests continue quietly across the US
Immigration operations are still stoking fear and disrupting the ability to go to work, school or doctor’s appointments
Chris Stein in Washington DC, George Chidi in Charlotte, Amanda Ulrich in San Diego and Jeremiah Hayden in Portland
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/07/ice-arrests-continue

More News

From New York to New Mexico: new Epstein files shed light on his sprawling ranch outside Santa Fe
Several men appear in photos on the nearly 10,000-acre Zorro ranch, which included a 26,700 sq ft mansion
Anna Betts and Victoria Bekiempis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/08/epstein-files-new-mexico-ranch

Washington Post publisher Will Lewis abruptly resigns amid criticism of staff cuts
Departure comes days after newspaper laid off nearly one-third of staff, including more than 300 journalists
Jeremy Barr
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/07/washington-post-will-lewis-resigns

NSA detected foreign intelligence phone call about a person close to Trump
Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff
Cate Brown
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/07/nsa-foreign-intelligence-trump-whistleblower

Rightwing critics blame Mamdani as New York snow fails to melt
Murdoch tabloid leads charge as big freeze persists – could the mayor please do something about the weather?
Adam Gabbatt in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/08/mamdani-snow-ice-freeze-storm

These US states want polluters to pay for the rising insurance costs of climate disasters
Proposals by California, Hawaii and New York lawmakers aim to hold fossil fuel industry accountable for soaring rates
Dharna Noor
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/08/proposal-fossil-fuel-companies-insurance-costs

Trump shifts blame to aide as he refuses to apologize for racist video of Obamas
After first dismissing uproar over depiction of Obamas as apes, White House then said it was erroneously posted by staffer
Hugo Lowell in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/07/white-house-blame-trump-racist-video

Bad Bunny to meet political moment as Maga fumes over Super Bowl show
Puerto Rican superstar promises ‘the world will dance’ in all-Spanish half-time gig that comes as Trump agents wage deadly crackdown
Lauren Gambino in Los Angeles
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/08/bad-bunny-super-bowl-trump-maga

The world heard JD Vance being booed at the Olympics. Except for viewers in the US
Bryan Armen Graham in Milan
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/07/jd-vance-boos-winter-olympics

In your face: Close-up Photographer of the Year Awards 2026 – in pictures
Animals, insects, flora and fauna – the world photographed in close-up in the annual competition dedicated to micro and macro photography. Cupoty 7 was won by underwater photographer Ross Gudgeon, triumphing over 12,000 entries from 63 countries
Sarah Gilbert
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/feb/08/in-your-face-close-up-photographer-of-the-year-awards-2026-in-pictures

2026.02.05

ICE

Without immigrants, our cities would grind to a halt
It’s impossible to imagine the Twin Cities — or any major U.S. city — prospering without the contributions of immigrants.
by Bill Lindeke
https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2026/02/without-immigrants-our-cities-would-grind-to-a-halt/

County attorneys nix proposal for Minnesota sheriffs to coordinate with ICE
The Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association sought a way around Minnesota law that prohibits holding inmates past their release date for ICE.
by Ana Radelat
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2026/02/county-attorneys-nix-proposal-for-minnesota-sheriffs-to-coordinate-with-ice/

Trump’s border-czar takeover does little to calm Minneapolis tensions: ‘The agenda is still the same’
Experts say Tom Homan’s charge, replacing Greg Bovino’s aggressive tactics, may change the tone, but not the mission
Shrai Popat in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/05/tom-homan-minnesota-gregory-bovino

ICE agents in Oregon cannot arrest people without warrants, judge rules
US federal judge issued a preliminary injunction barring warrantless arrests unless there is a likelihood of escape
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/05/ice-immigration-raids-oregon

More News

Revealed: private jet owned by Trump friend used by ICE to deport Palestinians to West Bank
Exclusive: Luxury aircraft owned by property tycoon close to US president’s family has twice flown Palestinian men from Arizona to Tel Aviv
Harry Davies, Alice Speri and Sufian Taha
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/05/revealed-private-jet-owned-by-trump-friend-used-by-ice-to-deport-palestinians-to-west-bank

Steve Bannon calls for immigration agents at polling sites during midterms
Ex-Trump adviser adds to elections officials’ concern about potential interference from Trump administration in voting
Rachel Leingang
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/steve-bannon-ice-immigration-agents-polling-sites-midterm-elections

Trump is Leading America’s Global Collapse (w/ Robert Kagan) | The Bulwark Podcast
https://youtu.be/YTfhw69fy6U?si=QeIXj919xnel9951

‘It’s an absolute bloodbath’: Washington Post lays off hundreds of workers
Former Post executive editor blasts owner Jeff Bezos’s ‘sickening efforts to curry favor’ with Trump
Jeremy Barr in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/04/washington-post-layoffs

California can use new congressional maps in November, supreme court rules
Approved by voters, the new maps give Democrats as many as five seats, neutralizing five GOP seats added by Texas
Lauren Gambino
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/california-new-voting-maps-supreme-court

Pro-gun groups quickly rallied for Alex Pretti. Why didn’t they do the same for a Black gun owner?
Abené Clayton
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/alex-pretti-philando-castile-pro-gun-groups

LaMonte McLemore, Grammy-winning singer with 5th Dimension, dies aged 90
Singer was member of vocal group that scored 1960s hits with Up, Up and Away and Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/04/lamonte-mclemore-dies-5th-dimension

Woody Allen, a Florida mansion rulebook and a Paris ‘wife hunt’: stories you may have missed from the Epstein files
Huge release of files provides extraordinary detail on the extent of the disgraced financier’s network
Jason Burke, Daniel Boffey, Emine Sinmaz, and Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/05/woody-allen-a-florida-mansion-rulebook-and-a-paris-wife-hunt-stories-you-may-have-missed-from-the-epstein-files

From Jay Kelly to Wicked 2: the Oscar-primed films that fizzled this season
It was a great year for Sinners and One Battle After Another but films with megastars like George Clooney, Julia Roberts and The Rock all struggled
Benjamin Lee
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/05/oscar-primed-films-that-fizzled

Craft beer has gone stale: let’s hear it for age-old favourites
Richard Godwin
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/feb/05/craft-beer-old-favourites-beer-richard-godwin

‘Do you love me?’: The Viking messages unearthed on Sweden’s rune stones (Paywalled?)
Matilda Welin
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260202-the-viking-secrets-revealed-by-swedens-rune-stones

A Winter Olympics training ski crash and a graduation ceremony: photos of the day – Thursday
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
Arnel Hecimovic
https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2026/feb/05/winter-olympics-training-ski-crash-graduation-ceremony-photos-of-the-day-thursday

2026.02.04

ICE

As Minnesota legislative session nears and Operation Metro Surge drags on, lawmakers ready response to ICE
Minnesota DFLers are considering laws similar to ones that passed in other blue states. But they are still likely to see legal (and Republican) scrutiny.
by Cleo Krejci and Matthew Blake
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2026/02/as-minnesota-legislative-session-nears-and-operation-metro-surge-drags-on-lawmakers-ready-response-to-ice/

Trump’s border czar says 700 immigration officers to leave Minnesota immediately
About 2,000 officers will remain in the state after this week’s drawdown.
by Steve Karnowski, Associated Press
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/02/trumps-border-czar-says-700-immigration-officers-to-leave-minnesota-immediately/

U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison visited the Whipple Federal Building on Monday and described the conditions she observed in a video posted to YouTube, KARE 11 reports. “During my visit yesterday, I got confirmation that the facility has no specific medical policy and no real medical care on site. There was not a nurse present yesterday at all. There are no beds, no real blankets, minimal food, extremely cold temperatures. People are in locked cells with leg shackles.” Agents did not answer her questions about how many people are currently being held, and how many had been sent to the hospital over the past week. Via MinnPost
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/ice-in-minnesota/no-real-medical-care-representative-describes-conditions-for-detainees-at-whipple-building/89-0995e964-97b1-4d52-97ac-20aaf3b043c5

On Tuesday U.S. citizens who have been affected by the federal immigration crackdown spoke at a public forum organized by Democratic lawmakers in Washington. Renee Macklin Good’s brothers were among the speakers. “[Another] was Aliya Rahman of Minneapolis, who was dragged out of her car by federal immigration enforcement agents three weeks ago. Rahman said she is autistic and has a traumatic brain injury.” Rahman also described conditions at Whipple. “I saw Black and brown bodies shackled together, chained together, being marched by yelling agents outdoors. I continue to hear the word ‘bodies’ because that is how agents refer to us.” Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/02/04/renee-macklin-goods-brothers-others-call-for-ice-reforms-at-public-forum

ICE attorney who said ‘this job sucks’ removed from detail
Julie Le expressed frustration to judge, in response to questions on why ICE has failed to comply with court orders
Sara Braun
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/ice-attorney-minnesota-removed-after-court-statement

Democrats say Trump’s immigration crackdown has undermined efforts to combat human trafficking
House Democrats say US anti-trafficking efforts have been hamstrung by diversion of resources to immigration raids
Lauren Gambino
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/trump-immigration-hinders-human-trafficking-efforts

I knew Trump would target Minnesota. I didn’t expect this level of violence
Rachel Leingang in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/trump-minnesota-ice-immigration

More News

Precinct caucuses showed early GOP frontrunners, KSTP reports. “As of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Minnesota Republican Party was reporting 76% of caucus results, with House Speaker Lisa Demuth leading the crowded field of candidates with 4,837 votes (32.5%). Kendall Qualls was second at 3,804 (25.6%) with Mike Lindell next at 2,583 votes (17.3%). The party’s 2022 gubernatorial nominee, Scott Jensen, was fourth with 884 votes but well behind the top three and basically on par with the number of “undecided” votes (865).” Via MinnPost
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/minnesota-caucus-results-show-early-frontrunners-among-gop-governor-candidates/

Revealed: Israel bulldozed part of Gaza war cemetery containing allied graves
Satellite images and witness testimony show destruction as IDF claims it was forced to take defensive measures
Seham Tantesh in Gaza, Julian Borger in London and Ben Doherty in Sydney
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/04/idf-bulldoze-gaza-war-cemetery-allied-graves-satellite-images

‘It’s an absolute bloodbath’: Washington Post lays off hundreds of workers
Former Post executive editor blasts owner Jeff Bezos’s ‘sickening efforts to curry favor’ with Trump
Jeremy Barr in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/04/washington-post-layoffs

Fulton county commission chair says he was warned of arrest before FBI election office raid
Robb Pitts said call came days before federal agents seized 2020 election documents in Georgia
George Chidi
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/fulton-county-georgia-fbi-election-warns-office-raid

Pentagon threatens to cut ties with Scouting America over ‘core values’
Defense department says it may end support unless youth group abandons inclusivity and returns to ‘God and country’ values
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/boy-scouting-america-pentagon-threat

‘One moment it was a little blip. The next, our friends are dying’: the gay porn soundtrack composers lost to the Aids crisis
Gay porn in the 80s was home to beautifully moody synth music that is only now getting rediscovered – tragically too late for many of its creators
Daniel Dylan Wray
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/04/gay-porn-soundtrack-composers-lost-to-aids-crisis-80s

The place that stayed with me: I was cautious in showing my queerness, until a night spent dancing at a Tokyo gay bar
Despite hearing many words of warning about expressing public affection, travelling in Japan with my boyfriend helped me loosen up
Daniel Nour
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/feb/05/the-place-that-stayed-with-me-i-was-cautious-in-showing-my-queerness-until-a-night-spent-dancing-at-a-tokyo-gay-bar

‘She thought it was too sexy!’: portraits of Kate Moss, Grace Jones and a tea-drinking chimp – in pictures
From a gold-covered Dennis Rodman to Jack Nicholson sitting in the snow, Albert Watson has spent a career shooting the stars – as well as the occasional giant coffee spoon
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/feb/04/she-thought-it-was-too-sexy-portraits-of-kate-moss-grace-jones-and-a-tea-drinking-chimp-in-pictures

Wildlife photographer of the year – people’s choice 2026
A shortlist of 24 images has been selected for the wildlife photographer of the year people’s choice award. You can vote for your favourite image online. The winner will be announced on 25 March and shown from that date as part of the overall wildlife photographer of the year exhibition, which runs until 12 July at the Natural History Museum in London
Elena Goodinson
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2026/feb/04/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-peoples-choice-2026

2026.02.01

ICE

Building power
ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
Backing down isn’t an option’: Minnesota ICE shootings mobilize Americans to join ICE observer groups
The killings of Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti have inspired people across the US to document federal agents’ activities in their communities
Lex McMenamin
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/31/ice-observer-document-immigration-agents

‘We’re fighting for the soul of the country’: how Minnesota residents came together to face ICE
Networks created after police killed George Floyd were reactivated to challenge Trump’s mass deportation policy
Rachel Leingang in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/01/minnesota-twin-cities-ice-protests

Chicago mayor orders police to investigate alleged illegal ICE activity in city
Brandon Johnson gives police ‘clear procedure’ to follow if they witness or get reports of agents involved in illegal activity
Edward Helmore
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/31/chicago-ice-brandon-johnson

More News

Shooting at Mardi Gras parade in Louisiana leaves six people injured
One person taken into custody after a mass shooting in Clinton leaves six injured, including a child
Coral Murphy Marcos
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/31/mardi-gras-parade-shooting-louisiana

Resistance to Trump 2.0 is getting more confrontational
Dana R Fisher
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/01/trump-resistance-protests

The FBI’s seizure of 2020 ballots in Georgia is a signal of what’s to come
Austin Sarat
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/01/fbi-raid-georgia-2020-election-ballots

Jeffrey Epstein files: don’t be fooled. Millions of files are still unreleased
Moira Donegan
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/31/jeffrey-epstein-unreleased-files

Handling of Epstein files is ‘outrageous’, say attorneys of his sex trafficking survivors
Tranche of government-held files filled with ‘ham-fisted redactions’ and expose survivors’ identities, say attorneys
Edward Helmore
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/01/jeffrey-epstein-files-sex-trafficking-survivors

Democrats accuse DoJ of not releasing millions of Epstein files despite legal requirement
Justice department on Friday released 3m pages and lawmakers accuse it of not releasing roughly 50% of records
Lauren Gambino
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/31/democrats-justice-department-epstein-files

US committee is reconsidering all vaccine recommendations
Move is dramatic departure for advisory group under Kirk Milhoan, who says he doesn’t like the term ‘established science’
Melody Schreiber
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/01/vaccine-recommendations-acip

America’s contract to protect white women has always been tenuous
Saida Grundy
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/feb/01/white-supremacy-women-renee-good-ice-killing

Why TikTok’s first week of American ownership was a disaster
Blake Montgomery
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/01/tiktok-first-week

‘I never imagined this!’ How KPop Demon Hunters could make history at the Grammys and the Oscars
As the film’s megahit song Golden looks likely to sweep everything in awards season, its singer Ejae explains why she’s ready to step out from behind her animated alter ego
Katie Hawthorne
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/31/kpop-demon-hunters-grammys-oscars-real-life-singers-ejae-golden

Animators React to KPop Demon Hunters – ft. THE DIRECTORS!
Corridor Crew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7L-ka-MsEE

Interview
Milli Vanilli’s Fab Morvan on his lip-syncing downfall and Grammys comeback: ‘The truth will set you free’
Garth Cartwright
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/01/milli-vanilli-fab-morvan-interview-grammy-book-you-know-its-true

How to make mulligatawny – recipe
Have you forgotten how good this spicy soup tastes? Here are nine easy steps to rediscovering the Indian-inspired winter warmer
Felicity Cloake
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/feb/01/how-to-make-mulligatawny-recipe-felicity-cloake

Inside Myanmar’s five-year armed resistance – a photo essay
Five years after the junta’s coup, the civil war devastating Myanmar has reached a turning point. The military is carrying out large-scale counter-offensives across the country to reclaim territory seized by pro-democracy rebels of various ethnic and religious backgrounds
By Robin Tutenges
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/01/inside-myanmar-armed-resistance-junta-coup-photo-essay

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

2026.01.23

ICE

Minnesotans strike to protest ICE surge in state: ‘No work, no school, no shopping’
Organizers demand ICE leave state and agency be investigated for constitutional violations
Michael Sainato and Rachel Leingang in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/23/minnesota-economic-blackout-ice-protests

Vice President JD Vance held a press conference in Minneapolis on Thursday, calling for “more cooperation with state, local and federal officials as a way to ‘tone down the temperature a little bit but still enforce the nation’s immigration laws’ during the federal government’s immigration enforcement surge in the Twin Cities but then blamed Minnesota officials for the problems and defended the tactics of federal agents,” according to MPR News. Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/22/jd-vance-heads-to-minnesota-amid-high-tensions-over-immigration-actions

When will the immigration crackdown end? The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that “federal agents have no plans to end the surge of immigration enforcement in Minnesota,” citing U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Greg Bovino. Via MinnPost
https://www.startribune.com/no-set-end-date-for-immigration-crackdown-in-minnesota-officials-say/601568476?utm_source=gift

A knock at the door: fear of ICE is transforming daily life in America
Abdul Wahid Gulrani
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/23/ice-fear-life-america-change

More News

Klobuchar files paperwork to run for governor of Minnesota
The long-serving U.S. senator would be the only Democrat vying for the seat after Gov. Tim Walz decided against seeking a third term.
by Ana Radelat
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2026/01/klobuchar-files-paperwork-to-run-for-governor-of-minnesota/

Pentagon contractor indicted over alleged leak tied to raided Washington Post reporter
Worker illegally provided classified information ‘related to national defense’ to journalist, justice department says
Richard Luscombe and agency
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/23/pentagon-contractor-indicted-washington-post-reporter

Nine bedrooms, seven untimely deaths: can ‘cursed’ Venice palace finally attract a buyer?
Palazzo Ca’ Dario, empty for years, has failed to find a new owner, with local legends suggesting it is jinxed
Angela Giuffrida in Rome
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/23/venice-cursed-palace-palazzo-ca-dario-for-sale

Kangaroos’ giant ancestor probably able to hop despite 250kg weight, scientists say
Research for first time suggests tendon and bones in heavier species would have made bounding possible
Nicola Davis Science correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/22/giant-kangaroo-ancestor-hop-250kg-weight

Grok AI generated about 3m sexualised images in 11 days, study finds
Estimate made by Center for Countering Digital Hate after Elon Musk’s AI image generation tool sparked outrage
Robert Booth UK technology editor
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/22/grok-ai-generated-millions-sexualised-images-in-month-research-says

Leaked video shows Venezuela regime’s desperate struggle to control message
Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez told influencers of US threat to kill leaders if they did not cooperate after capture of Maduro
Tiago Rogero South America correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/23/venezuela-leaked-video-delcy-rodriguez-maduro

Democrats are campaigning as if the 2026 election will be fair. That’s a mistake
Austin Sarat
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/23/midterm-elections-project-2025

British crown was world’s largest buyer of enslaved people by 1807, book reveals
Exclusive: Author of The Crown’s Silence tells how navy and monarchy protected slave trade for hundreds of years
Chris Osuh Community affairs correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/23/british-crown-was-worlds-largest-buyer-of-enslaved-people-by-1807-book-reveals

‘Everybody’s at each other’s throats’: James Cameron says he has left the US permanently
Avatar director, who moved to New Zealand after the Covid pandemic says he will soon be a citizen of a country where people ‘are, for the most part, sane’
Catherine Shoard
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/23/james-cameron-left-the-us-permanently-covid-new-zealand

Week in wildlife: a proud eagle, an adorable axolotl and a goofy seal
This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world
Joanna Ruck
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2026/jan/23/week-in-wildlife-a-proud-eagle-an-adorable-axolotl-and-a-goofy-seal

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

2026.01.17

ICE

A march organized by a right-wing influencer is planned for Saturday, Jan. 17 in Minneapolis, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. The event “is organized by conservative influencer Jake Lang, who has been advertising the march on X. In a post, he called for ‘crusaders’ to ‘take back’ Minnesota from Democrats. … Minneapolis Police Inspector Bill Peterson reassured residents at Tuesday’s meeting in Minneapolis that they have prepared for the event. He also noted the city is ‘hyper aware’ that the Cedar Riverside neighborhood could be a target.” Via MinnPost
https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-prepares-for-march-against-minnesota-fraud-led-by-right-wing-influencer/601564188?utm_source=gift

Judge rules feds in Minneapolis immigration operation can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters
U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez’s ruling addresses a case filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists.
By Audrey McAvoy and Steve Karnowski, AP
https://www.minnpost.com/public-safety/2026/01/judge-rules-feds-in-minneapolis-immigration-operation-cant-detain-or-tear-gas-peaceful-protesters/

Our visual coverage of federal immigration enforcement and community response
We continue with a look at the images Ellen Schmidt made in the Twin Cities this week.
by Ellen Schmidt
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/01/our-visual-coverage-of-federal-immigration-enforcement-and-community-response/

The people who run some of your favorite Twin Cities restaurants are scared and exhausted — but determined to survive the ICE crackdown
Some restaurants are receiving community support, but they still face difficult circumstances as they try to keep staff and customers safe.
by Shadi Bushra
https://www.minnpost.com/economy/2026/01/immigrant-run-restaurants-minneapolis-twin-cities-determined-to-survive-ice-crackdown/

‘Make no mistake, this is an occupation’: ICE’s deadly presence casts long shadow over Minneapolis
Classrooms have emptied, shops have shut, and the mood is tense – but as the federal operation has ramped up, so has residents’ response
Rachel Leingang and Maanvi Singh in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/17/minneapolis-twin-cities-ice-dispatch

US cities increasingly compelled to police abuses by immigration agents
Federal agents face widespread accusations of misconduct – but Trump administration leaders won’t prosecute them
George Chidi
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/16/ice-agent-local-police-abuse

Judge to protect noncitizen academics involved in case from ‘authoritarian’ Trump
Reagan appointee moves to protect those challenging arrest and deportation of pro-Palestinian activists
Alice Speri and agency
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/16/authoritarian-trump-court-protection-order

Trump set to pardon ex-Puerto Rico governor after ‘political prosecution’
Wanda Vázquez Garced, who accepted plea deal over campaign finance violation, endorsed Trump in 2020
Maya Yang and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/16/trump-puerto-rico-governor-pardon

How Trump’s promise to slash energy bills in half has failed across the US
Guardian analysis shows electricity bills were up 6.7% last year, and much higher in some states, and gas bills up 5.2%
Trump’s failed energy bill pledge leaves US households struggling: ‘It’s obscene’
Oliver Milman and Dharna Noor, with data reporting by Aliya Uteuova
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/17/trump-energy-bill-prices-increase

US House candidate buys nazis.us domain to redirect visitors to homeland security
Mark Davis, running in Florida, says he bought domain because Republican party had gone ‘full fascist’
Ramon Antonio Vargas
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/17/nazis-us-domain-homeland-security

‘She had a hidden identity’: new film uncovers a mother’s second world war secrets
In harrowing documentary My Underground Mother, a woman finds out what really happened to her mother in the war
Jim Farber
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/17/my-underground-mother-second-world-war-documentary

The Pitt continues to shine a light on the horrors of the US healthcare system
Adrian Horton
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/16/the-pitt-season-2-us-healthcare

Press advocates condemn Pentagon move to seize editorial control of Stars and Stripes
Trump administration struck policy requiring news outlet to have civilian editor and independent ombudsman
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/16/defense-department-stars-and-stripes-editorial-control

China blocks Nvidia H200 AI chips that US government cleared for export – report
Parts suppliers ‘put production on hold’ amid mounting confusion as China restricts purchase of the chips and US puts 25% roundabout tariff on their sale
Guardian staff and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/17/china-blocks-nvidia-h200-ai-chips-that-us-government-cleared-for-export-report

‘The dollar is losing credibility’: why central banks are scrambling for gold
Experts say central banks are increasingly stuffing their vaults as an insurance policy in a volatile world
Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/16/the-dollar-is-losing-credibility-why-central-banks-are-scrambling-for-gold

The week around the world in 20 pictures
The brutal crackdown in Iran, ICE in Minneapolis, Russian aistrikes in Kyiv and heavy rain in Gaza – the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists
Warning: this gallery contains images some readers may find distressing
Jim Powell
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/jan/16/the-week-around-the-world-in-20-pictures