Category Archives: Travel

2025.12.13

The great outdoor freezer has roared back to life! Stay warm!

Subzero temperatures are on their way to the Twin Cities this weekend, and it could be the coldest December day in decades. If “the temperature drops to -11 or colder Saturday night, that will be the earliest we’ve seen that kind of reading or colder since 1996. If we can slip to -12 or colder, that bar is even farther back, 1989,” according to Bring Me The News. And while that’s cold, it’s also worth noting that we had much colder Decembers in decades past: “December as a whole has warmed an eye-popping 5.5 degrees in just 50 years, our fastest warming winter month.” 
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-weather/deep-freeze-could-bring-cold-the-twin-cities-hasnt-felt-this-early-in-30-years

There’s finally a plan for George Floyd Square. The Minneapolis City Council approved the “flexible-open” option for the intersection of 38th and Chicago, KSTP reports. This option “will keep Chicago Avenue open to traffic — including buses — but will allow for temporary closures for special events.” 
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/minneapolis-city-council-finalizes-plan-for-george-floyd-square-that-allows-through-traffic/

If you’re willing to brave the cold, Racket offered their weekly compendium of free things to do this weekend. You’ll find plenty of holiday-related activities to do gratis. 
https://racketmn.com/freeloader-friday-163-free-things-to-do-this-weekend

The level of disfunction in Twin Lakes has grown such that many townsfolk are calling for the city government to be dissolved, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. “The shouting, threats and sarcastic barbs have been flying for months at city meetings in this town of 130 near the Iowa border. There are complaints about tap water running black, fights over city hiring and multiple allegations of misdeeds. … In a small-town smackdown, 34 residents have signed a petition to take Twin Lakes off the map by dissolving the city government.” This piece reads with all the intrigue and tension of a reality TV drama. Via MinnPost
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2025/12/calls-to-dissolve-twin-lakes-city-government/

Counterpoint: Ranked-choice voting didn’t fail Minneapolis
RCV has ensured majority winners, given voters more meaningful choices, eliminated low-turnout primaries and opened the political process to a broader, more diverse field of candidates.
by Michael Minta
https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2025/12/counterpoint-ranked-choice-voting-didnt-fail-minneapolis/

House Republicans propose healthcare plan with no extension of tax credits
With insurance premiums set to rise sharply for at least 22 million Americans, Mike Johnson unveils alternative
Guardian staff and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/12/house-republicans-health-insurance-plan

Trump attacks old foe Biden – but presidential parallels hard to avoid
US president finds himself shouldering same burdens of affordability crisis and the inexorable march of time
David Smith in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/13/trump-biden-rivals

Epstein Pr0n
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/gallery/2025/dec/12/jeffrey-epstein-released-photos

Our 25 favourite European travel discoveries of 2025
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/dec/13/travel-writers-top-25-favourite-travel-discoveries-europe-2025

Not automagical and quite hard:
Dorothy Parker ‘fwowed up’ in a 1928 review of which children’s classic? The Saturday quiz
From demon, equal and encyclopedia to The Tour of Life and Before the Dawn, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz
Thomas Eaton
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/13/dorothy-parker-fwowed-1928-childrens-classic-book-review-saturday-quiz

A Quiz for the Rest o’ Us
Why do moths eat clothes and how old is the universe? 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
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/13/why-moths-eat-clothes-how-old-universe-kids-quiz

Automagical Quiz and hard:
Weekly quiz: Which countries said they would boycott Eurovision?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1j9867wppxo

2025.12.12

Mike Lindell has officially decided to throw his pillow, er, hat, into the ring, WCCO reports. The MyPillow founder and staunch supporter of President Donald Trump has joined the contest to be the GOP nominee for governor of Minnesota. Incumbent Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is running for an unprecedented third consecutive term. Via MinnPost
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/mike-lindell-minnesota-governor-republican-campaign-mypillow/

Trump signs executive order aimed at preventing states from regulating AI
Order, which lacks the force of law, also creates taskforce whose ‘sole responsibility’ will be challenging states’ AI laws
Nick Robins-Early and Dara Kerr
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/11/trump-executive-order-artificial-intelligence

‘Soil is more important than oil’: inside the perennial grain revolution
Scientists in Kansas believe Kernza could cut emissions, restore degraded soils and reshape the future of agriculture
By Ben Martynoga in Kansas
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/12/soil-is-more-important-than-oil-inside-the-perennial-grain-revolution

Dozens killed in hospital strike in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state
Conflict monitors say the junta has increased airstrikes year-on-year since the start of Myanmar’s civil war
Guardian staff and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/12/dozens-killed-in-hospital-strike-in-myanmars-western-rakhine-state

Changes to polar bear DNA could help them adapt to global heating, study finds
Scientists say bears in southern Greenland differ genetically to those in the north, suggesting they could adjust
Helena Horton Environment reporter
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/12/changes-to-polar-bear-dna-could-help-them-adapt-to-global-heating-study-finds

Papua New Guinea grapples with HIV epidemic as it battles stigma and US aid cuts
Papua New Guinea has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the Asia-Pacific region, with many unaware they have the virus
Marjorie Finkeo in Port Moresby and Virginia Harrison
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/12/papua-new-guinea-hiv-epidemic-stigma-us-aid-cuts

‘Men explicitly loving men is so threatening to the status quo’: why are gay male pop stars being shut out of the music industry?
Not long ago, artists such as Lil Nas X and Olly Alexander were ruling pop. But success has stalled as acts face industry obstacles and rising homophobia. What now?
Jeffrey Ingold
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/dec/12/gay-male-pop-stars-being-shut-out-of-the-music-industry-lil-nas-x-olly-alexander

Review
The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup
Halcyon Years by Alastair Reynolds; Paris Fantastique by Nicholas Royle; All Tomorrows by CM Kosemen; The Salt Oracle by Lorraine Wilson; The Witching Hour by various authors
Lisa Tuttle
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/12/the-best-recent-science-fiction-fantasy-and-horror-review-roundup

The Director to Flesh: The 25 best books of 2025
Rebecca Laurence and Lindsay Baker
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250619-the-best-books-of-2025

‘It’s amazing’ – the wonder material very few can make
Chris Baraniuk
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c24l223d9n7o

‘Beyond gender’: Psychedelics are revealing hidden sides to people’s identity
By Rachel Nuwer
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251211-psychedelics-are-altering-how-people-see-their-own-gender-and-sexuality

2025.12.11

After weeks of debate, Minneapolis City Council approves $2B budget
Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne called it “the hardest budget season that I think I’ve been in.”
by Trevor Mitchell
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2025/12/minneapolis-city-council-approves-2b-budget/

‘Somalis are the scapegoat’: fear rises as Trump targets Minneapolis community
Residents have had to adjust how they’re living – staying home, carrying passports – since Trump launched his attack
Rachel Leingang
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/11/somali-minneapolis-fear-trump-ice-deportation

That time a bunch of radical artists got under the hood at Mia – and stayed there
Fifty years on, the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program continues to provide an experimental, artist-curated space inside one of the region’s premier museums.
by Sheila Regan
https://www.minnpost.com/artscape/2025/12/that-time-a-bunch-of-radical-artists-got-under-the-hood-at-mia-and-stayed-there/

The Trump administration’s fight against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has reached Minneapolis Public Schools. The U.S. Department of Justice has filed suit against the state’s third-largest school district, accusing it “of providing discriminatory protections to teachers of color in layoff and reassignment decisions,” specially “the district’s efforts to bolster its minority teaching ranks,” The Minnesota Star Tribune reports. Via MinnPost
https://www.startribune.com/trump-administration-accuses-minneapolis-schools-of-racism-in-protecting-minority-teachers/601543618?utm_source=gift

It’s cold outside. But what should you do if it’s cold indoors? If you have drafty windows or a sputtering furnace, MPR News offers “five things to know about making improvements to your home to save energy and cut heating costs this winter.” Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/12/10/reducing-home-heating-costs-5-things-to-know

‘The whole thing disgusts me’: Australians ditch US travel as new rules require social media to be declared
Visitors will have to reveal at the border all social media activity over the past five years
Daisy Dumas and Ben Doherty
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/11/australia-us-tourism-new-visa-rules-social-media-history

Trump launches $1m ‘gold card’ visa scheme amid immigration crackdown
Wealthy immigrants will be able to buy residency, and $5m ‘platinum card’ will exempt holders from some US taxes
Marina Dunbar in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/10/trump-us-gold-card-visa-launch

The town on the banks of the Nile that turned floods into fortune
After record flooding submerged Bor in South Sudan in 2020, the emergency response ended up turning it into a beacon of climate crisis adaptation
Florence Miettaux in Bor
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/dec/11/the-town-on-the-banks-of-the-nile-that-turned-floods-into-fortune

How monogamous are humans? Scientists compile ‘league table’ of pairing up
Helen Briggs
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gpvx3exglo

Jacinda Ardern once auditioned to be a Hobbit
The former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tells Graham Norton she auditioned for Lord of the Rings but fell short on a specific requirement.
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0mlyy58/jacinda-ardern-once-auditioned-to-be-a-hobbit

2025.12.10

Nothing to see here, folks. These aren’t the grifters you’re looking for. Move along.
US senator calls for insider trading inquiry over Trump donors buying $12m worth of shares
Co-chairs of LNG firm, who bought stock worth almost $12m each after meeting with Trump officials, deny wrongdoing
Nina Lakhani and Joseph Gedeon
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/10/trump-donors-insider-trading-investigation-senate

Hindsight is always 20/20
Wrong voters, wrong message: progressives’ autopsy lays bare Kamala Harris failures
RootsAction report finds Harris courted moderates instead of working-class Democrats – and Gaza stance did not help
David Smith in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/10/kamala-harris-election-autopsy

Just 0.001% hold three times the wealth of poorest half of humanity, report finds
Data from World Inequality Report also showed top 10% of income-earners earn more than the other 90%
Jon Henley
https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2025/dec/10/just-0001-hold-three-times-the-wealth-of-poorest-half-of-humanity-report-finds

Tourists to US would have to reveal five years of social media activity under new Trump plan
Proposed plan would apply to tourists of all countries, including those not required to get a visa to visit the US
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/10/tourists-social-media-trump

Trump’s crackdown on factchecker visas will not protect free speech
Margaret Sullivan
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/09/trumps-fact-checker-visa-free-speech

Font of ‘wasteful’ diversity: Trump’s state department orders return to Times New Roman
Memo from Marco Rubio reportedly said cutting Calibri from official communication would ‘abolish yet another wasteful DEIA program’
Reuters
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/10/trump-times-new-roman-font-return-state-department

Gen-Zine: DIY publications find new life as form of resistance against Trump
an illustration of people making zines
People of all ages, from all regions, are making, printing and distributing zines on the streets, in libraries and at local gathering spots.
Zines have made a resurgence as communities seek to share information on everything from ICE raids to local elections
Mallory Carra
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/dec/10/zine-revival-organizing-social-media

Why has the price of silver hit a record high?
Osmond Chia
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62vn22523xo

2025.12.09

Anybody heard of a rehearsal? Mangling nominees’ names may be traditional – but it’s still embarrassing
Yesterday’s Golden Globes announcement was a masterclass in mispronunciation that threatens to undo every effort to internationalise awards. Why can’t producers just make their presenters practise?
Stuart Heritage
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/09/anybody-heard-of-a-rehearsal-mangling-nominees-names-may-be-traditional-but-its-still-embarrassing

Review
Heated Rivalry: this horny gay ice hockey drama has everyone talking – but is it any good?
HBO’s new show is part of a wave of gay-themed romance – from Heartstopper to Red, White and Royal Blue – that desexes gay men just enough to make them palatable, like pets for young women
Tim Byrne
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/08/heated-rivalry-ice-hockey-tv-show-review

Pluribus to Alien: Earth: The 25 best TV shows of 2025
Caryn James and Hugh Montgomery
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250417-the-best-tv-shows-of-2025

‘This is the real Santa’s workshop’: a trip to Germany’s toy village
You don’t have to be a child to enjoy Seiffen, the magical ‘home of Christmas’ where they’ve been making traditional wooden toys for hundreds of years
Rebecca Smith
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/dec/09/germanys-toy-village-seiffen-home-christmas

A new start after 60: I moved on to a boat, fell in love – then opened my own restaurant
After a lifetime of working for others, Rich Baker threw caution to the wind. The result was a national award for his pizza and a surprising surge in confidence
Paula Cocozza
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/08/new-start-after-60-moved-to-boat-fell-in-love-opened-restaurant

‘When the church door opens, it’s like a miracle’: the phone app that’s a key to Italy’s religious art
A cultural initiative in Piedmont is unlocking a trove of priceless medieval frescoes in rural churches
Lavinia Nocelli
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/dec/08/new-app-helped-me-discover-beautiful-art-churches-chapels-piedmont-italy

We asked activists from authoritarian regimes what they wish they’d known sooner. Here’s what they said
Activists from Hungary, El Salvador and Turkey offer advice to the US about what they’ve learned about authoritarians
Danielle Renwick
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/09/experts-authoritarian-regimes-trump

Minnesota’s budget is headed for an imbalance, but who or what’s to blame? We asked economists to weigh in
Spending on health and human services is growing, but so is economic volatility from tariffs and other federal policies.
by Shadi Bushra
https://www.minnpost.com/economy/2025/12/minnesotas-budget-is-headed-for-an-imbalance-but-who-or-whats-to-blame-we-asked-economists-to-weigh-in/

The anti-materialist Christmas: Rituals around the world that swap gifts for meaning
Laura Hall
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20251208-the-anti-materialist-christmas-rituals-around-the-world-that-swap-gifts-for-meaning

Pioneering new treatment reverses incurable blood cancer in some patients
James Gallagher
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj38ymeyg4mo

New mpox strain identified in England
Philippa Roxby
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2087g0z9po

2025.12.03

Fabergé egg made for mother of Russia’s last tsar sells for £23m
Christie’s says the sale price is the highest for a Fabergé, beating a £8.9m auction in 2007
Serena Richards
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/dec/02/faberge-egg-mother-russia-

Man charged with theft over claims he swallowed $19k Fabergé egg
Kelly Ng
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7vm754r80vo

Minneapolis, St. Paul leaders condemn reports of immigration enforcement against Somali immigrants
An immigrant rights organization says they’ve received reports that four Somali residents and one Latino resident were arrested by federal agents Monday and Tuesday.
by Joey Peters and Katelyn Vue
https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/ice-enforcement-somali-immigrants-minnesota-minneapolis-stpaul/

Federal authorities plan operation in Minnesota focusing on Somali immigrants, AP source says
Federal authorities are preparing an immigration enforcement operation targeting people in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area with final deportation orders.
By MIKE BALSAMO and STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2025/12/federal-authorities-plan-operation-in-minnesota-focusing-on-somali-immigrants-ap-source-says/

FDA drug chief signals possible exit as agency turmoil deepens
Richard Pazdur’s potential retirement weeks into the role adds to upheaval at the FDA amid political pressure
Melody Schreiber
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/dec/03/fda-drug-chief-signals-retires-pazdur

Trump ally admits goal of eliminating same-day registration in federal voting rights trial
Cleta Mitchell was compelled to testify in North Carolina over a recent law that hiked up requirements
George Chidi
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/03/same-day-registration-north-carolina

An eco obscenity: Norman Foster’s steroidal new skyscraper is an affront to the New York skyline
It contains enough steel to go round the world twice – and even has a fake breeze to flutter the stars-and-stripes flag in its lobby. If this colossus is just the first of a new breed of bulky supertalls, is Britain next?
Oliver Wainwright
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/dec/03/eco-obscenity-norman-foster-skyscraper-jp-morgan-new-york

‘BDSM on screen used to just mean a gimp in the basement’: the kink community’s verdict on Pillion
Pillion, which explores a relationship between leather dom Ray (Alexander Skarsgård) and submissive Colin (Harry Melling), has just opened in UK cinemas. But how realistic is its portrayal of a group little seen in mainstream cinema?
Barry Levitt
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/03/bdsm-on-screen-kink-community-pillion-alexander-skarsgard-harry-melling

We found the authentic Liguria: an off-season road trip through north-west Italy’s brilliant villages and cuisine
By avoiding the famous hotspots and travelling in December, we enjoy culinary delights and historic charms without the summer crowds
Alexis Steinman
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/dec/03/liguria-italy-out-of-season-road-trip

Thailand relaxes afternoon alcohol ban to boost tourism
Joel Guinto
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0mprzzxn73o

Five of the world’s safest countries for 2025
Lindsey Galloway
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250822-five-of-the-worlds-safest-countries-for-2025

2025.11.29

Revealed: Europe’s water reserves drying up due to climate breakdown
Exclusive: UCL scientists find large swathes of southern Europe are drying up, with ‘far-reaching’ implications
Rachel Salvidge
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/29/climate-crisis-depleting-europe-groundwater-reserves-analysis

Analysis
They tried to overturn the 2020 US election. Now, they hold power in Trump’s Washington
Rachel Leingang
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/29/2020-election-deniers-trump

‘Nature’s original engineers’: scientists explore the amazing potential of fungi
Unique properties of fungi have led to groundbreaking innovations in recent years, from nappies to electronics
Linda Geddes
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/nov/29/fungi-scientists-innovations

At least 460 killed in south-east Asia floods and landslides, reports say
More than 300 people killed on Indonesia’s Sumatra island with 162 reported dead across Thailand
Donna Ferguson and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/29/indonesia-and-thailand-flooding-death-toll-tops-350-as-rescuers-struggle-to-reach-worst-hit-areas

Airbus issues major A320 recall after mid-air incident grounds planes, disrupting global travel
Immediate software change on ‘significant number’ of jets to result in disruption to half the worldwide fleet
Nadeem Badshah and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/28/airbus-issues-major-a320-recall-after-recent-mid-air-incident

Meera Sodha’s recipe for Christmas aubergine and rice timbale
A stunning but simple festive vegetarian centrepiece for the whole table to enjoy
Meera Sodha
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/nov/29/christmas-spiced-aubergine-timbale-cream-cheese-fruit-nuts-recipes-meera-sodha

Interview
‘If I was American, I’d be worried about my country’: Margaret Atwood answers questions from Ai Weiwei, Rebecca Solnit and more
Introduction by Lisa Allardice
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/29/if-i-was-american-id-be-worried-about-my-country-margaret-atwood-answers-questions-from-ai-weiwei-rebecca-solnit-and-more

Cats became our companions way later than you think
Helen Briggs
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq8dvdp9gn7o

Lightning detected on Mars for the first time, scientists say
Fiona Nimoni
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q5w13e58zo

2025.11.28

US regulators ‘taking seriously’ allegations of bankers’ support for Epstein
Exclusive: It follows calls from US senator Elizabeth Warren to investigate bank executives including ex-Barclays boss Jes Staley
Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/28/us-regulators-taking-seriously-allegations-of-bankers-support-for-epstein

Alabama priest leaves clergy after woman alleges ‘private companionship’ beginning when she was 17
Robert Sullivan’s self-imposed removal comes after accusations he provided financial support in exchange for arrangement which included sex
Ramon Antonio Vargas
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/28/robert-sullivan-alabama-catholic-priest

Amid ‘instability and fear’ in Trump’s economy, Americans are cutting holiday spending
In addition to rising prices and tariffs, readers cite growing unemployment as a reason not to exchange gifts this year
Lauren Aratani
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/28/trump-economy-holiday-spending

Florida professor may have solved mystery of Peru’s Band of Holes
Charles Stanish surmised indentations were rudimentary market place and later adapted as accounting and storage system
Richard Luscombe in Miami
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/27/peru-band-of-holes-mystery

The Beatles Anthology: the flammed together ‘new episode’ feels totally pointless
The TV equivalent of raiding a bare cupboard, the supposed extra hour here is cobbled together from previous DVD extras – but you can’t miss the tension between Harrison and McCartney
Alexis Petridis
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/26/the-beatles-anthology-new-tv-episode-feels-pointless

Avatar: Fire and Ash to Marty Supreme: 12 of the best films to watch this December
Nicholas Barber
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20251126-12-of-the-best-films-to-watch-this-december

The mysterious black fungus from Chernobyl that may eat radiation
Alex Riley
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251125-the-mysterious-black-fungus-from-chernobyl-that-appears-to-eat-radiation

Facing burnout, she chased her dream of making pie – and built an empire: ‘Pie brings us together’
She left Silicon Valley to master pie, became Hollywood’s baker and now films its healing power
Victoria Clayton
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/nov/27/pie-movie-pieowa-beth-howard

2025.11.27

And with tomorrow’s [today’s] menu at the top of mind, did you know that Minnesota produces more turkeys than any other state? WCCO shares how we got there. Via MinnPost
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-turkey-production-thanksgiving/

Speaking of turkeys, it’s Turkey Day here in the USA. Happy Thanksgiving.

How to be a good party host (or guest)
From picking your guests (always add a random) and your outfit, to coping with drunks and nudity, this is what you need to know
Zoe Williams
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/26/how-to-be-a-good-party-host-or-guest

‘Stay tuned’: new Anne Rice film could foretell release of unpublished work by late author
Documentary series of Interview with the Vampire writer available to stream with potential for further releases
Ramon Antonio Vargas in New Orleans
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/27/anne-rice-author-anthology

Netflix crashes within minutes of releasing Stranger Things series five
Viewers unable to watch episodes of long-awaited final series on TV when the streaming service briefly froze
Rachel Hall
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/27/netflix-crashes-stranger-things-series-five

Review
Stranger Things season five review – this luxurious final run will have you standing on a chair, yelling with joy
The kids growing up might have changed this show’s appeal, but they manage to go out in a flame-throwing, bullet-dodging blaze of glory – while still being more moving than ever before
Jack Seale
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/27/stranger-things-final-season-five-review-netflix

‘We like it a lot’: how Romania created the largest deposit return scheme in the world
In the two years since the system was launched, beverage-packaging collection and recycling has risen to 94%
By Andrei Popoviciu in Bucharest, Romania
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/27/we-like-it-a-lot-how-romania-created-the-largest-deposit-return-scheme-in-the-world

‘I didn’t even know this type of attack existed’: more than 200 women allege drugging by senior French civil servant
In a case echoing the Pelicot trial, dozens of women allege they were given hot drinks mixed with a diuretic to make them urinate. Three of them speak out here
Angelique Chrisafis in Paris
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/26/women-allege-drugging-by-senior-french-civil-servant

‘Extraordinary discovery’ at Orkney Neolithic site
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7836wvx4q4o

Novel scientific method proves pit circle near Stonehenge was man-made, say researchers
Archaeologists use multiple types of geophysics equipment to analyse ‘extraordinary structure’
Steven Morris
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/nov/27/novel-scientific-method-proves-pit-circle-near-stonehenge-was-man-made-say-researchers

Scottish fashion designer Pam Hogg dies
Steven McIntosh
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm28v743mpyo

From Paul Krugman: https://youtu.be/tJE3KDxTbWI?si=vKYHnCMiS0nDelby

2025.11.24

There’s a creek flowing beneath downtown Minneapolis
Starting in 1992, the creek known as Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ in Dakota and Bassett Creek in English began flowing under downtown Minneapolis, discharging into the Mississippi River.
By Crystal Boyd, MNopedia
https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2025/11/theres-a-creek-flowing-beneath-downtown-minneapolis/

It’s been a mild first three weeks to November, but that’s about to change. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the northern portion of Minnesota ahead of “heavy snow” on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Bring Me The News. Current estimates forecast 3-7 inches of snow, “though some higher appoints may be possible in parts of northern Minnesota.”  Via MinnPost
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-weather/winter-storm-watch-issued-in-minnesota-ahead-of-heavy-snow-tuesday-wednesday

PUBLIC SAFETY
‘It feels like we’re living a prison’: Frustrations rise along fenced-in Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis
Fencing installed by state officials along the busy corridor to deter homeless encampments is still in place years later. It’s forcing pedestrians to make dangerous choices and hindering efforts to establish a cultural district, Native leaders say.
by Shubhanjana Das
https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/minneapolis-franklin-avenue-fencing-homelessness/

Lava spews out from Hawaii’s Kilauea as volcano erupts again
One of the world’s most active volcanoes has erupted again in Hawaii.
Timelapse footage from Mount Kilauea shows lava flowing down the volcano, as ash and smoke spew into the air.
According to the United States Geological Survey, this is the 37th eruption episode since December 2024.
https://bbc.com/news/videos/c8e9lx2gx4eo

Ethiopian volcano erupts for first time in 12,000 years
Ash clouds from Hayli Gubbi volcano sent drifting across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman
Guardian staff and agencies in Addis Ababa
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/24/ethiopian-volcano-hayli-gubbi-erupts-first-time-12000-years

How rolling sand dunes are creeping up on last remaining oases on edge of Sahara
In western Chad, villagers are desperately trying to hold back the sand as the climate crisis wreaks havoc on one of the hottest countries in the world
By Julie Bourdin. Photographs by Tommy Trenchard
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/nov/24/chad-desert-oases-wadi-water-gold-climate-crisis

‘We used a beachball as an alien!’ John Carpenter on his gloriously shonky sci-fi comedy Dark Star
‘The control room buttons were upside-down ice-cube trays, one space suit had a dish-drying rack on it – and the special effects guy wrote the theme tune lyrics’
Interviews by Chris Broughton
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/24/john-carpenter-brian-narelle-interview-dark-star-alien-sci-fi-comedy

An inner duty’: the 35-year quest to bring Bach’s lost organ works to light
Musicologist Peter Wollny chanced upon the manuscripts in 1992 and authenticating them took half of his lifetime
Philip Oltermann European culture editor
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/nov/24/an-inner-duty-the-35-year-quest-to-bring-bachs-lost-organ-works-to-light

The Indigenous tribes reclaiming travel
Brandon Withrow
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230828-the-indigenous-tribes-reclaiming-travel