Category Archives: Politics

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

2026.01.21

Ice

US justice department subpoenas Minnesota Democrats accused of impeding ICE efforts
Minnesota governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey among officials who received subpoenas
Sam Levine in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/20/minnesota-democrats-subpoenas-justice-department

“Three local law enforcement leaders expressed concern over federal immigration agents’ behavior over the last few weeks, including stopping off-duty officers of color,” reports Sahan Journal. … The law enforcement leaders also said federal agents don’t seem to be coordinating their work across the metro, and that a small group of federal agents are causing problems by stopping community members in traffic and in the street with no cause, and demanding that they produce paperwork proving they’re in the country legally.” 
https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/minnesota-police-concerns-federal-immigration-agents/

“Last week, Minnesota-based faith leaders, unions, and other community groups called for a strike and economic blackout on Jan. 23 in response to the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge,” Bring Me The News reports. The news site has a list of businesses closing on Friday, Jan. 23. 
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/growing-number-of-minnesota-businesses-announce-plans-to-close-for-jan-23-strike

How To Help if You are Outside Minnesota

Other News

If you need a midwinter break, here’s a YouTube visit to the Spice Islands: https://youtu.be/2IHSRjEOnoI

Toxicology report says late US chess star Daniel Naroditsky had drugs in his system
29-year-old had stimulants and kratom in system
Death investigated as possible overdose or suicide
Bryan Armen Graham
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jan/20/daniel-naroditsky-toxicology-report-drugs-chess-death

New York’s Met Opera announces ‘necessary’ layoffs and pay cuts
‘Cost-cutting’ announcement comes amid uncertainty over deal struck with Saudi Arabia to perform in Riyadh
Maya Yang
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/20/new-york-met-opera-cuts

Is it true that … you lose most body heat from your head?
This 1970s notion is a bit of a myth – but it’s still a good idea to wear a hat if it’s cold out
Kate Lloyd
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/19/is-it-true-lose-most-body-heat-from-head

Hand shape in Indonesian cave may be world’s oldest known rock art
Archaeologists say stencil painted with ochre in limestone cave on Muna Island was created at least 67,800 years ago
Ian Sample Science editor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/21/hand-shape-indonesia-cave-rock-art-67800-years-old

Europe’s moment of truth over Greenland looms, as leaders ditch appeasement of Trump
From the ‘big bazooka’ to a world cup boycott, Europe has powerful weapons beyond ‘dialogue. An emergency EU summit could be a turning point
Katherine Butler, Associate editor, Europe
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/the-moment-of-truth-over-greenland-as-leaders-ditch-appeasement-of-trump

Doge improperly shared sensitive social security data, DoJ court filing reveals
Trump administration acknowledges that Elon Musk’s cost-cutting operation accessed Americans’ sensitive data
Joseph Gedeon in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/doge-social-security-data

American democracy on the brink a year after Trump’s election, experts say
Scale and speed of president’s moves have stunned observers of authoritarian regimes – is the US in democratic peril?
Lauren Gambino
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/trump-american-democracy

‘Who will stand up and oppose it?’: Trump’s relentless campaign of retribution in his second term
From firing lawyers and government officials to pursuing indictments – president has created a culture of vengeance
Sam Levine
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/trump-retribution-campaign

‘I could not stay silent’: Palestinian prisoner tells of sexual abuse in Israeli jail
Sami al-Saei has defied social stigma to speak out about what a report calls a ‘grave pattern’ of sexual violence
Emma Graham-Harrison and Quique Kierszenbaum in Qalqilya
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/not-stay-silent-palestinian-prisoner-sexual-abuse-israeli-jail

‘Nostalgia is not a strategy’: Mark Carney is emerging as the unflinching realist ready to tackle Trump
Leyland Cecco in Toronto
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/nostalgia-is-not-a-strategy-mark-carney-is-emerging-as-the-unflinching-realist-ready-to-tackle-trump

‘The most dangerous man in America’: how Paul Robeson went from Hollywood to blacklist
The groundbreaking singer, actor and athlete became a victim of McCarthyism and saw his shining career destroyed and his legacy tarnished
Howard Bryant
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/21/paul-robeson-hollywood-blacklist-mccarthyism

We ran high-level US civil war simulations. Minnesota is exactly how they start
Claire Finkelstein
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/21/ice-minnesota-trump

Mercy review – Chris Pratt takes on AI judge Rebecca Ferguson in ingenious sci-fi thriller
It is the year 2029 and an LA cop finds himself accused of murdering his wife. He has 90 minutes to clear his name before robo-justice sends him down
Peter Bradshaw
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/21/mercy-review-chris-pratt-takes-on-ai-judge-rebecca-ferguson-in-ingenious-sci-fi-thriller

2026.01.20

ICE

Local Hugo Award winning author, Naomi Kritzer has compiled a list for locals who want to help on her blog. (She’s going to compile a list for nonlocals.)
https://naomikritzer.com/2026/01/19/how-to-help-twin-cities-residents/

Christian leaders urge protection of worshippers’ rights after protesters interrupt service
The Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention called the intrusion in a St. Paul church ‘an unacceptable trauma.’
by Giovanna Dell’Orto, AP
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/01/christian-leaders-urge-protection-of-worshippers-rights-after-protesters-interrupt-service/

Noem backtracks on ICE pepper spray denial amid tension in Minneapolis
US justice department announced it is investigating protesters in Minnesota who disrupted church services
Edward Helmore
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/19/kristi-noem-pepper-spray-minneapolis-ice

‘2020 never ended’: Minneapolis organizes amid Trump’s ICE crackdown
From community watch to mutual aid, grassroots networks in the Twin Cities build on efforts spurred during the 2020 George Floyd protests
Alyssa Oursler in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/20/minneapolis-organizes-trump-ice-crackdown

‘Gestapo tactics’: Bruce Springsteen condemns Trump team’s ICE crackdown
New Jersey musician said during concert in home state that US core values ‘have never been as endangered’ as now
Eric Berger
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/19/bruce-springsteen-trump-ice-concert

Other News

I’m always kinda fuzzy on YouTube’s Dust SF short flics. The one released today starts out a bit fuzzy itself, then sharpens up. The man at the blackboard and a bit of the dialog echoes a Mike Ford panel on Saturday night at Minicon from a couple of years ago. (The body count, however, is considerably higher.) It’s time travel doncha know.
https://youtu.be/TBzepYD1b64

Trump made 10 key pledges a year ago – here’s what happened since then
A review of Trump’s bold promises about immigration, the economy, the US’s standing in the world and much more
David Smith in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/20/trump-inaugural-speech-10-key-promises

How Trump has tried to undermine the powers of Congress: ‘Violation of norms’
Over his second term, Trump has taken aim at and circumvented the legislative branch – from mass firings to tariffs
Chris Stein in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/20/trump-congress-government-powers-second-term

Might is right: US ‘foreign policy’ held hostage to mad king Trump’s whims
Increasingly unpopular at home, a president obsessed by his legacy has turned his scattergun on the world stage
Andrew Roth Global affairs correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/20/us-foreign-policy-mad-king-trump-whims

In Davos, the rich talk about ‘global threats’. Here’s why they’re silent about the biggest of them all
Ingrid Robeyns
https://www.theguardian.com/global/2026/jan/19/davos-rich-global-threat-economic-inequality-wealth

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

2026.01.16

ICE

Formerly bustling businesses and markets are struggling to stay afloat amid ICE raids that have generated fear among workers and customers, Sahan Journal reports. “With the influx of federal agents flooding the Twin Cities’ streets, immigrant-owned and operated businesses across the metro are facing dire circumstances. … In many places across the Twin Cities, including in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, businesses aren’t covering operating costs, even if they take the risk and stay open. The once-bustling sidewalks of the Somali and East African cultural hub now sit unnervingly calm.”  Via MinnPost
https://sahanjournal.com/business-work/ice-surge-impacts-minnesota-businesses-restaurants/

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office has launched a webpage that asks residents “to share the impact that escalating federal immigration enforcement across the state has had on their lives,” according to Bring Me The News. On the page, “Minnesotans can report impacts to themselves or someone close to them, as well as incidents that they have personally witnessed, with the option of adding photos and videos. … Residents are asked not to report rumors, secondhand information that’s unverifiable, or social media posts of events they did not witness or experience.”  Via MinnPost
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Federal-Action/
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/minnesota-encourages-residents-to-report-impacts-of-ice-surge

It took years to rebuild trust in Minneapolis after George Floyd. Then ICE came.
Community organizers fear that ICE’s shooting of Renee Good could erode fragile gains made between residents and law enforcement.
by Josiah Bates, for The Trace
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/01/it-took-years-to-rebuild-trust-in-minneapolis-after-george-floyd-then-ice-came/

ACLU sues Trump administration over ‘racial profiling and unlawful arrests’ in Minnesota ICE surge
Civil rights organization says federal immigration agents are violating US citizens’ constitutional rights
Maya Yang
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/15/aclu-lawsuit-ice-minnesota-trump

Giving Trump the Nobel peace prize medal is ‘absurd’, say Norwegian politicians
US president criticised for accepting medal awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado
Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/16/maria-corina-machado-giving-trump-nobel-peace-prize-medal-absurd-say-norwegian-politicians

At the root of all our problems stands one travesty: politicians’ surrender to the super-rich
George Monbiot
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/16/super-rich-inequality-politicians-extreme-wealth

Fatberg the size of four buses likely birthed poo balls that closed Sydney beaches – and it can’t be cleared
Exclusive: Secret report suggests fats, oils and grease accumulate in ‘inaccessible dead zone’ at Malabar plant, then dislodge when pumping pressure ‘rapidly increases’
Anne Davies NSW state correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/17/fatberg-poo-balls-sydney-beaches-malabar-outfall-secret-report

‘Garden of Eden’: the Spanish farm growing citrus you’ve never heard of
Todolí foundation produces varieties from Buddha’s hands to sudachi and hopes to help citrus survive climate change
Helena Horton Environment reporter
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/16/garden-of-eden-the-spanish-farm-growing-citrus-youve-never-heard-of

Extreme rainfall inundates South Africa and Mozambique
Ishani Mistry and Ollie Lewis
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/16/weather-tracer-extreme-rainfall-inundates-south-africa-mozambique-flood-warning

What’s the easiest way to get healthy? I tried biohacking my life to live longer
Small changes to sleep, diet, and exercise can have significant benefits – and I’m all for barely perceptible adjustments
Tim Dowling
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/16/whats-the-easiest-way-to-get-healthy-i-tried-biohacking-my-life-to-live-longer

Heated socks and puffy booties: what people in the coldest cities on Earth are wearing
Whether dog-sledding in Mongolia or braving grocery store trips in Alaska’s 40mph winds, these writers recommend the gear they swear by
Lauren Gould
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2026/jan/15/cold-weather-clothing-around-the-world

Vevcani carnival – in pictures
The North Macedonian town celebrated the 1,400-year-old festival over two days. The part-pagan, part-satire carnival is believed to scare away evil spirits, and marks the beginning of the Julian calendar’s New Year.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2026/jan/16/vevcani-carnival-in-pictures

2026.01.15

All ICE: <cut>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2026.01.13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2026.01.12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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