Category Archives: Politics

2026.02.02

ICE

Two federal agents reportedly identified in fatal shooting of Alex Pretti
Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez are both officers with Customs and Border Protection, ProPublica reports
Marina Dunbar
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/01/border-patrol-agents-identified-alex-pretti-minneapolis

Public health crisis unfolding in Minneapolis as residents avoid healthcare
Providers are arranging home visits and telehealth as neighbors pick up prescriptions, groceries and diapers
Melody Schreiber
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/02/public-health-crisis-minneapolis-ice

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Kennedy Center will halt entertainment operations for two years, Trump says
DC arts venue, which has seen wave of canceled events after Trump’s takeover, will start renovations in July
Diana Ramirez-Simon
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/01/kennedy-center-dc-closed-trump

Democrat flips reliably red Texas district in victory that stuns Republican party
Taylor Rehmet’s win adds to Democrats’ record of overperforming in special elections so far this cycle
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/01/democrat-wins-red-texas-district-taylor-rehmet

Kyrsten Sinema gave $9,000 to man she’s accused of having an affair with
Funds, paid to former security guard Matthew Ammel, were from former US senator’s campaign committee in October
Marina Dunbar
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/01/kyrsten-sinema-senator-bodyguard-payment

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

New Epstein files reveal he may have trafficked girls to others despite official denials
Allegations prompt questions about officials’ contentions that there isn’t evidence to investigate third parties
Victoria Bekiempis in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/02/epstein-files-new-batch

Trump threatens to sue Trevor Noah over Epstein joke at Grammys
Awards host alluded to president’s association with late sex offender in awards ceremony remarks
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/02/trevor-noah-trump-grammys

Lisa Bloom on the fight for Epstein’s victims: ‘So many powerful men were enablers’
The US lawyer on her fearsome reputation, the criticism she faced for advising Harvey Weinstein, and how 40 years of legal experience did not prepare her for the Epstein files
By Amelia Gentleman
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/feb/02/epstein-files-victims-lawyer-lisa-bloom-harvey-weinstein

Norway’s crown princess had years of contact with Epstein, files suggest
Mette-Marit apologises for ‘poor judgment’ as documents reportedly include scores of email exchanges with child sex offender
Ashifa Kassam European community affairs correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/01/norway-crown-princess-contact-epstein-files-appear-to-show

Son of Norway’s crown princess arrested on new charges before start of rape trial
Marius Borg Høiby arrested on suspicion of assault and threats with knife as mother faces questions over Epstein
Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/02/marius-borg-hoiby-son-of-norway-crown-princess-arrested-new-charges-before-rape-trial

These states voted to protect abortion rights. Conservative lawmakers are not standing down
A trial in Missouri illustrates how hard it is to restore abortion rights, even when voters demand it
Carter Sherman
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/02/abortion-rights-conservative-lawmakers

Is Jeff Bezos going to destroy the Washington Post? It sure looks like it
Margaret Sullivan
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/02/jeff-bezos-destroy-washington-post

Gold and silver prices seesaw as FTSE 100 hits record high
Trump’s pick of ‘respected central banker’ Kevin Warsh as Fed chair prompts investors to sell safe haven assets
Lauren Almeida
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/feb/02/plunge-in-price-of-gold-and-silver-rattles-global-stock-markets

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

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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

2026.01.31

ICE

Pho, handwarmers, grief and loss: a week on the block where Alex Pretti was killed
Residents line up to support businesses that became refuges from teargas, and refresh the memorial daily
Maanvi Singh in Minneapolis, with photographs by Paola Chapdelaine
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/31/a-week-on-the-block-where-alex-pretti-was-killed

CBP employee in Minnesota charged after reportedly being found ‘covered in vomit’ in car
Alfredo Mancillas was reportedly slumped in vehicle and ‘covered in vomit’ when state troopers found him in St Paul
Ramon Antonio Vargas
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/31/cbp-border-agent-charged-drunk-driving

Trump’s post-truth agenda beaten back as Americans refuse to accept ICE lies
Effort to manipulate killing of Alex Pretti collapsed after footage torpedoed ‘domestic terrorist’ claim – could this be a turning point?
David Smith in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/31/trump-facts-ice-lies-alex-pretti-killing

French MPs demand explanation over tech firm’s contract to help ICE in US
Revelation that subsidiary of Capgemini is to help trace and expel migrants in US provokes outrage in France
Kim Willsher in Paris
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/31/french-mps-demand-explanation-over-tech-firm-capgemini-contract-ice

More News

One dead and six missing as fishing boat out of historic Massachusetts port is lost at sea
Fate of the Lily Jean, out of Gloucester with crew of seven, remains unknown after empty life boat and debris field discovered
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/31/lily-jean-fishing-boat-gloucester-massachusetts

What have we learned from the newly released Epstein files?
Latest documents indicate high-profile figures continued friendships with financier after child sex abuse convictions
Epstein files – latest updates
Geraldine McKelvie
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/31/epstein-files-what-have-we-learned-prince-andrew-peter-mandelson-elon-musk-donald-trump

Epstein documents shed new light on ‘manipulator’ Ghislaine Maxwell
Accusers’ accounts say Maxwell, convicted in 2021 of sex-trafficking, ‘acted sweet’ but displayed ‘dark side’
Victoria Bekiempis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/31/epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-documents

Trump has tapped a new Federal Reserve chair. Has he finally found his yes-man?
Lauren Aratani in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/31/trump-new-federal-reserve-chair

As US influence wanes, the Chinese trade surplus strangles manufacturing across the globe
Eduardo Porter
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/31/china-global-trade-us-economy

This one weird trick could stop US women from voting
Arwa Mahdawi
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/31/save-act-voting-arwa-mahdawi

Record harvest sparks mass giveaway of free potatoes across Berlin
From zoos to soup kitchens, people are hauling away tonnes of surplus spuds after the biggest crop in 25 years
Kate Connolly in Berlin
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/31/record-harvest-berlin-giveaway-potatoes

Mass grave in Jordan sheds new light on world’s earliest recorded pandemic
Researchers tell ‘human story’ about crisis during plague of Justinian, which killed millions in Byzantine empire
Richard Luscombe in Miami
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/31/plague-of-justinian-pandemic

Catherine Connolly is the third woman to become what? The Saturday quiz
From the Cloak of Invisibility and the Elder Wand to Eugène Manet on the Isle of Wight, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz (It ain’t automagical!)
Thomas Eaton
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/31/catherine-connolly-is-the-third-woman-to-become-what-the-saturday-quiz

Can you eat pineapple leaves and how do our taste buds work? The kids’ quiz
Five multiple-choice questions – set by children – to test your knowledge, and a chance to submit your own junior brainteasers for future quizzes (It’s automagical!)
Molly Oldfield
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/31/can-you-eat-pineapple-leaves-and-how-do-our-taste-buds-work-the-kids-quiz

Review
Displacement Film Fund review – Cate Blanchett masterminds short film collection that brims with life and intensity
Rotterdam film festival
A set of shorts by film-makers from Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine, Syria and Somalia are shocking, funny and mysterious in equal measure
Peter Bradshaw
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/30/displacement-film-fund-review-cate-blanchett-short-film-collection-that-brims-with-life-and-intensity

Meera Sodha’s vegetarian recipe for patates yahni
Sometimes, all that’s required for supper is simply stewed Mediterranean vegetables and potatoes with a dollop of yoghurt on top …
Meera Sodha
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/jan/31/vegetarian-patates-yiachni-recipe-vegetable-stew-meera-sodha

2026.01.30

ICE

‘Streets of Minneapolis’: 32 protest songs inspired by the Twin Cities’ ICE resistance
MinnPost contributor Jim Walsh compiles a playlist by songwriters who are tapping into their talent, anger, artistry and empathy to support Minnesota.
by Jim Walsh
https://www.minnpost.com/arts-culture/2026/01/streets-of-minneapolis-32-protest-songs-inspired-by-the-twin-cities-ice-resistance/

“ICE officers in Minnesota were directed on Wednesday to avoid engaging with ‘agitators’ as they carry out President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown,” Reuters reports. “The new guidance, offering the most detailed look so far at how operations would change after two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens protesting in Minneapolis, also orders U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers only to target immigrants who have criminal charges or convictions.”
https://www.reuters.com/world/ice-officers-minnesota-directed-not-interact-with-agitators-new-orders-2026-01-29/

Ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon arrested on charges connected to Minnesota church protest
Lemon’s lawyer said he was taken into custody after attending protest in which demonstrators disrupted a church service earlier in January
Sam Levine, Jeremy Barr and Anna Betts in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/30/don-lemon-minnesota-protest-charges

Antifa used to unmask neo-Nazis, now it’s exposing ICE: ‘Predators don’t get anonymity’
Following in a long American tradition of identifying fascists, a network of leftists has set out to name and shame Trump’s immigration agents
Christopher Mathias
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/30/antifa-unmasking-ice

Minneapolis is in a state of chaos. Racist immigration policies are to blame
Jamil Smith
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/30/minneapolis-ice-chaos-racist-governance

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“Minnesota and Wisconsin are among the 11 states reporting their first measles cases of 2026,” WCCO reports. Minnesota’s first reported case stems from exposure from within the United States. “The best way to prevent measles, health experts say, is through immunization.” Via MinnPost
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-wisconsin-report-first-measles-cases-of-2026/

Small risk of severe acute pancreatitis with weight-loss jabs, UK regulator warns
Agency updates guidance after increase in reports of condition to its yellow card scheme
Anna Bawden Health and social affairs correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/29/small-risk-severe-acute-pancreatitis-weight-loss-jabs-mhra

The secret to long life? It could be in the genes after all, say scientists
New study into ‘heritability’ shows that 50% of the variation in human lifespan could be down to genetics
Nicola Davis Science correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/29/long-life-age-health-genetics-science-research

AI use in breast cancer screening cuts rate of later diagnosis by 12%, study finds
Swedish study of 100,000 women found higher rate of early detection, suggesting potential to support radiologists
Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/29/ai-use-in-breast-cancer-screening-cuts-rate-of-later-diagnosis-by-12-study-finds

Why a T-shirt in a hit movie is trending with Brazilian progressives: ‘Almost every day they sell out’
Even Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has received one, after Wagner Moura wore it in The Secret Agent
Tiago Rogero in Rio de Janeiro
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/30/brazil-secret-agent-tshirt-politics

Judge rules Luigi Mangione will not face death penalty in healthcare CEO case
Capital punishment taken off table but Mangione will still face federal charges over killing of Brian Thompson
Anna Betts in New York and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/30/luigi-mangione-death-penalty-dismissed

Catherine O’Hara, actor known for Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek, dies aged 71
Actor, also known for Beetlejuice and her work with Christopher Guest, died after a brief illness
Benjamin Lee
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/30/catherine-o-hara-dead-actor-home-alone

2026.01.29

ICE

Trump’s border czar suggests a possible drawdown in Minnesota but only after ‘cooperation’
President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan says immigration enforcement will reduce the number of officers in Minnesota.
By Giovanna Dell’Orto and Rebecca Santana, Associated Press
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/01/trumps-border-czar-suggests-a-possible-drawdown-in-minnesota-but-only-after-cooperation/

“If Minnesota officials try to prosecute the federal agents who recently killed two people in Minneapolis, they’ll face steep obstacles from a century-old Supreme Court precedent — one that helped sink a similar case just a few years ago,” according to Politico. “The 2017 shooting of Bijan Ghaisar by two U.S. Park Police officers in a Northern Virginia neighborhood — and the protracted legal battles that followed — may be the best preview of what Minnesota officials can expect if they pursue criminal charges against federal immigration agents. And the same legal theory that stymied Virginia’s prosecution may also block Minnesota’s.” 
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/28/minnesota-ice-shootings-deaths-prosecution-00753301

ICE ends surge in Maine as border czar pledges to keep operation in Minnesota
Tom Homan acknowledges immigration enforcement needs ‘certain improvements’, without offering any details
Cate Brown
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/29/ice-ends-surge-maine-minnesota-continues

Videos show altercation between Alex Pretti and federal officers 11 days before he was killed
Three newly discovered videos show the Minneapolis ICU nurse being tackled by federal agents in a prior confrontation
Sam Levin and Robert Mackey
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/29/alex-pretti-shooting-11-days-before-federal-officers-clash

Minneapolis ICE observers keep showing up despite risk of arrest and violence
Bystanders say they are determined to keep recording federal agents’ actions: ‘There will be absolutely no accountability unless people are documenting’
Rachel Leingang and Maanvi Singh in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/29/minneapolis-ice-observers

More News

Trump says DOJ, Congress to investigate Ilhan Omar, though no proof of wrongdoing has been given
Trump’s focus is the sharp increase in value reported by Omar of two companies in which her husband has interests.
by Ana Radelat
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2026/01/trump-says-doj-congress-to-investigate-ilhan-omar-though-no-proof-of-wrongdoing-has-been-given/https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2026/01/trump-says-doj-congress-to-investigate-ilhan-omar-though-no-proof-of-wrongdoing-has-been-given/

Why did Trump blame the Pretti shooting on a ‘dangerous gun’?
The president’s comments merged online speculation with documented concerns about one of America’s most popular handguns, SIG Sauer’s P320.
By Champe Barton for The Trace
https://www.minnpost.com/public-safety/2026/01/why-did-trump-blame-the-pretti-shooting-on-a-dangerous-gun/

US leads record global surge in gas-fired power driven by AI demands, with big costs for the climate
Projects in development expected to grow global capacity by nearly 50% amid growing concern over impact on planet
Oliver Milman and graphics by Andrew Witherspoon
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/29/gas-power-ai-climate

Kennedy Center official resigns less than two weeks after hiring
Kevin Couch says he ‘resigned yesterday’, amid recent turmoil following a leadership overhaul initiated by Trump
Anna Betts
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/29/trump-kennedy-center-kevin-couch-resigns

A potentially habitable new planet has been discovered 146 light-years away – but it may be -70C
The Earth-size planet HD 137010 b has a ‘50% chance of residing in the habitable zone’ of its sun-like star, scientists say
Donna Lu
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/29/a-potentially-habitable-new-planet-has-been-discovered-146-light-years-awfrom-earth-but-it-may-be–70c

Review
Bridgerton season four review – fear not nudity fans, the sex scenes continue apace
This period drama’s puddingy mix of clunking soap and fairytale wish-fulfilment is hard to resist. It is, however, utterly bananas
Sarah Dempster
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/29/bridgerton-season-four-review-netflix

2026.01.28

ICE

“Gov. Tim Walz said that President Donald Trump pledged to “do things differently” on the federal immigration surge during a 10-minute Monday morning call,” according to MPR News. Walz also said “Trump agreed to consider reducing the number of immigration enforcement agents in the Twin Cities and ensure the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension could conduct independent investigations into the killings of [Alex] Pretti and Renee Macklin Good.” Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/26/gov-tim-walzs-first-sit-down-interview-since-dropping-out-of-2026-race

“Border czar” Tom Homan is taking over ICE operations in Minnesota at President Donald Trump’s behest. The 64 year old “became the face of Trump’s immigration policy when the president began his second term. Homan, a staunch supporter of Trump, was on record advocating for deporting illegal immigrants and opposing sanctuary-city policies,” according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Homan was investigated for allegedly accepting a $50,000 bribe from undercover agents posing as businessmen during an FBI operation; the Department of Justice shut the investigation down, citing insufficient evidence. Via MinnPost
https://www.startribune.com/tom-homan-is-coming-to-minneapolis-to-lead-ice-who-is-he/601571692?utm_source=gift

Two women are facing federal charges “after allegedly biting the fingers of federal agents during the protests that followed the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday,” KARE11 reports. “Claire Feng and Emily Baierl are each charged with assaulting and interfering with a federal law enforcement officer in violation of U.S. codes.” Via MinnPost
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/ice-in-minnesota/federal-charges-filed-against-2-women-accused-of-biting-federal-agents-fingers/89-ca186edd-5ebb-40ad-8565-470b5acb33d6

A federal judge has ruled that “any removal or transfer of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, is on hold while a court case proceeds,” PBS reports. “The father and son are now at family detention facility in Dilley, Texas, near San Antonio.”  Via MinnPost
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-issues-temporary-order-barring-removal-of-5-year-old-and-father-detained-in-minnesota

The gun lobby is divided in its response to the Alex Pretti shooting
Some National Rifle Association members were not happy with the gun group’s failure to back Pretti’s right to carry. Via MinnPost
by Jennifer Mascia and Alma Beauvais for The Trace
https://www.minnpost.com/news/2026/01/gun-rights-pretti-shooting-nra-goa-nagr/

‘Sanctuary’ label obscures actual levels of ICE cooperation across Minnesota
State prisons are in full compliance with ICE on inmate transfer requests, recent data shows, while counties provide various levels of coordination.
by Ana Radelat and Shadi Bushra
https://www.minnpost.com/public-safety/2026/01/sanctuary-label-obscures-actual-levels-of-ice-cooperation-across-minnesota/

Two agents who shot Alex Pretti put on leave as Trump tries to quell backlash
Fallout from second fatal shooting amid immigration operation in city dogs White House, though raids continue
Hugo Lowell
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/28/trump-minnesota-immigration-enforcement-raids

ICE thwarted from entering Ecuador’s consulate in Minneapolis by employee
Action comes amid federal agencies’ campaign in the city, prompting an official complaint to US embassy in Quito
Chris Stein
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/28/ice-ecuador-consulate-minneapolis

Bruce Springsteen releases anti-ICE song dedicated to Minneapolis
Singer says song is in response to ‘state terror’ visiting city, painting image of unrest due to ‘King Trump’s private army’
Marina Dunbar
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/28/bruce-springsteen-minneapolis-trump-ice-song

More News

Threat of US-Iran war escalates as Trump warns time running out for deal
US president says armada heading towards Iran is ‘prepared to fulfil its missions with violence if necessary’
Patrick Wintour and Andrew Roth
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/28/trump-threat-us-iran-war-armada-nuclear-programme

“The Trump administration on Monday targeted Minnesota schools, saying they have violated federal law by allowing transgender girls to play sports with their peers,” according to The 19th. “Minnesota is not the first state to be targeted by the administration over trans girls in sports, but the move came as the administration confronts backlash to the increasingly unpopular wave of immigration enforcement action focused in the state.” Via MinnPost
https://19thnews.org/2026/01/minnesota-schools-targeted-trans-girls-in-sports/

FBI executes search warrant at election office in Fulton county, Georgia
County spokesperson says warrant seeks number of 2020 election records while FBI declines to give further details
Sam Levine in New York and George Chidi in Atlanta
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/28/fbi-search-warrant-fulton-county-georgia

Live TV report on cougar capture in San Francisco neighborhood interrupted by coyote
‘Your eyes do not deceive you,’ ABC7 told viewers about unexpected turn during report from Pacific Heights
Marina Dunbar
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/28/san-francisco-mountain-lion-coyote

Maine’s ‘Lobster Lady’ who fished for nearly a century dies aged 105
Virginia ‘Ginny’ Oliver, had entered the business when she was eight and liked ‘being along the water’
Ramon Antonio Vargas and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/28/maine-lobster-lady-dies-aged-105

What really causes migraines? (Paywalled?)
Sofia Quaglia
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260127-what-really-causes-migraines

2026.01.27

ICE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2026.01.26

ICE

The Glean
Video evidence contradicts federal officials’ claims after fatal shooting of Alex Pretti
Plus: DOC launches website to fight misinformation; judge bars federal officials from destroying evidence related to Saturday’s shooting; and AG Bondi makes demands for ICE withdrawal.
by Peter Majerle
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2026/01/video-evidence-contradicts-federal-officials-claims-after-fatal-shooting-of-alex-pretti/

Quick! Somebody get a shopping bag and $50.000 cash!
Donald Trump says his administration is reviewing Alex Pretti shooting
President announces he is sending his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minneapolis as outrage mounts over killing
George Chidi and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/26/donald-trump-administration-reviewing-alex-pretti-shooting

Trump moved to cut funding for ICE body cameras and reduced oversight
Administration opposed efforts last year to expand use of cameras by immigration agents and cut oversight staffing
Reuters
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/26/ice-body-cameras-immigration-trump

Trump officials continue to push lies after fatal shooting of Alex Pretti
George Chidi
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/26/trump-administration-alex-pretti-shooting-statements

Federal agents use teargas on protesters outside ICE agents’ alleged Minneapolis hotel
Protesters reportedly had gathered at the hotel after the killing of Alex Pretti, with some vandalizing the building
Sam Levine in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/26/minnesota-minneapolis-ice-hotel-protests

How to avoid ICE entanglements when seeking health care: Doctors offer tips
Online appointments and streamlining prescription pickups can ease risk and stress, health care providers say.
by Sheila Mulrooney Eldred
https://sahanjournal.com/health/avoiding-ice-when-seeking-health-care/

More News

Gold price tops $5,000 an ounce for first time as investors seek safe haven from Trump turmoil
Rising fears that another US shutdown looms pushes gold price to new height amid nearly 90% rise since Trump’s inauguration
Patrick Commins
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/26/gold-prices-record-5000-ounce-trump-turmoil

Fraud focus: why is Trump granting clemency to convicted fraudsters?
Adam Gabbatt
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/26/why-trump-pardons-fraud-clemency

Severe heatwave envelops South Australia as Victoria braces for record-breaking weather and fire threats
Residents near Otways fire in Victoria urged to prepare to evacuate, while Ouyen and Mildura forecast to record 49C on Tuesday
Petra Stock and Stephanie Convery
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/26/severe-heatwave-envelops-south-australia-as-victoria-braces-for-record-breaking-weather

Meatballs, Persian rice and Korean stew: John Gregory-Smith’s globetrotting chicken traybake recipes
Mediterranean chicken meatballs with feta and black olives, Persian-style saffron chicken and rice, and a garlicky, Korean-inspired chicken and potato traybake
John Gregory-Smith
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/jan/26/chicken-traybake-recipes-meatballs-persian-rice-korean-garlic-john-gregory-smith

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