Category Archives: TV

2026.03.05

Trump fires homeland security secretary Kristi Noem
Markwayne Mullin, Republican senator and Maga ally, to replace Noem as Democrats cheer departure of ‘disaster’
Chris Stein in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/05/trump-kristi-noem-homeland-security

Trump administration is failing to address spread of measles, experts say
As number of cases climbs past 1,000, experts say CDC is not taking obvious steps amid funding cuts
Hannah Harris Green
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/05/trump-administration-measles

US judge orders refunds for more than $130bn in illegal Trump tariffs
Trade court directs customs to repay importers with interest after supreme court ruled tariffs unlawful
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/05/trump-tariff-refunds-supreme-court

‘A subversion of the justice system’: DoJ shifts into Trump’s ‘political wing’ as criminal investigations accelerate
President has ‘succeeded in completely politicizing’ justice department, experts say, using it to punish his enemies
Peter Stone in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/05/trump-justice-department-politicization

Vladimir review – Rachel Weisz is unswervingly brilliant in a TV show you’ll admire for years to come
This adaptation of the 2022 novel – starring Weisz, Leo Woodall and John Slattery – fits it perfectly to television. It’s a proper show for proper grownups
Lucy Mangan
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/mar/05/vladimir-review-rachel-weisz-is-unswervingly-brilliant-in-a-tv-show-youll-admire-for-years-to-come

Marsupials previously thought extinct for millennia discovered in New Guinea
The chances of finding one mammal species thought to be lost was ‘almost zero’ and finding two is ‘unprecedented’, biologist Tim Flannery says
Adam Morton
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/05/marsupials-discovered-new-guinea

How a clump of moss helped convict grave robbers in Illinois
Four cemetery workers dug up and moved more than 100 bodies to resell the burial plots nearly 20 years ago
Ian Sample Science editor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/mar/05/how-moss-helped-convict-grave-robbers-illinois

2026.02.24

ICE

A former instructor at an ICE training facility in Georgia spoke before a congressional hearing Monday afternoon and shared what training efforts have looked like as DHS rapidly scales up its number of recruits. “…Even in the final days of training, the cadets cannot demonstrate a solid grasp of the tactics or the law required to perform their jobs,” Ryan Schwank said during the hearing organized by congressional Democrats. Schwank resigned “in protest” less than two weeks ago, CBS News reports, and his testimony “will likely fuel Democrats’ refusal to fund the Department of Homeland Security until the Trump administration agrees to a number of reforms for ICE, including a prohibition on agents wearing masks.” Via MinnPost
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-whistleblower-new-recruits-receiving-defective-training/

A group of Minnesota clergy sued the Department of Homeland Security on Monday for repeatedly blocking their visits to immigration detainees at the Whipple Federal Building. “To be able to receive pastoral care is incredibly important. For individuals to be treated with humanity instead of being treated like inventory,” Irina Vaynerman, the CEO of Groundwork Legal and one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, said in an interview with MPR News. Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/02/23/minnesota-clergy-sue-department-of-homeland-security-over-access-to-immigration-detainees

Sahan Journal caught up with three Minnesota Somali immigrants who were detained by ICE last month despite having abided by legal requirements. All three, who have since been released, described their experiences in overcrowded, unsanitary Texas detention facilities. Two were arrested outside of their immigration check-in appointments. “I kept asking them what I violated, because I was worried they might have confused me with someone else, but they refused to tell me, and it turns out there was no violation — they were just lying.” Via MinnPost
https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/minnesota-somali-immigrants-ice-texas-detentions/

Brandi Carlile concert raises over $600,000 for families affected by ICE
Singer criticizes Trump administration’s ‘violent theater’ as she supports people caught up in Minneapolis crackdown
Adrian Horton
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/23/brandi-carlile-benefit-concert-minneapolis-ice

More News

‘We’re losing accessibility’: America says goodbye to the mass-market paperback
The so-called ‘pocket book’ sold in supermarkets is being phased out across the US, the latest sign of an ongoing shift in how people are choosing to read
David Smith in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/feb/24/america-says-goodbye-paperback

Majority believes Trump moving US in wrong direction, poll finds
Study released a day before State of the Union address shows president has lost support among Republicans
Eric Berger
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/23/trump-poll-state-of-the-union

Mexican drug cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ tracked through romantic partner
Killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader sparks wave of violence across western Mexico
Thomas Graham in Tijuana, Oliver Holmes and Tom Phillips
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/23/el-mencho-mexican-drug-cartel-boss-killing-violence

BAFTA Awards incident sparks debate on race and disability after guest with Tourette’s shouts slur
An outburst from a man with Tourette syndrome during the British equivalent of the Oscars has sparked fierce backlash and controversy.
Ariel Messman-Rucker
https://www.out.com/gay-entertainment/bafta-slur-tourette

The dust has not yet settled on the Baftas N-word row. This is why
Peter Bradshaw
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/24/the-dust-has-not-yet-settled-on-the-baftas-n-word-row-this-is-why

‘I like the challenge’: French animator Florence Miailhe on being nominated for an Oscar for the first time aged 70
Phil Hoad
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/24/french-animator-florence-miailhe-nominated-oscar-papillon

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has saved the Game of Thrones universe
Stuart Heritage
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/feb/23/knight-seven-kingdoms-game-thrones

Peter Attia resigns from CBS News amid revelations about ties to Epstein
Controversial doctor steps down as contributor after Epstein files reveal communication between the two men
Sara Braun
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/23/peter-attia-resigns-cbs-news-epstein

Robert Carradine, Revenge of the Nerds and Lizzie McGuire actor, dies aged 71
The actor killed himself, his family said in a statement that aimed to raise awareness of ‘his nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder’
Sian Cain
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/24/robert-carradine-dies-aged-71-death-revenge-of-the-nerds-actor

Maxi Shield, beloved Australian drag queen and Drag Race Down Under star, dies aged 51
Performer appeared in closing ceremony of 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and was a mainstay of city’s drag scene
Josh Taylor
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/24/australian-drag-queen-and-drag-race-down-under-star-maxi-shield-dies

2026.02.19

ICE

Why an ICE plan to turn warehouses in Shakopee and Woodbury into detention centers has failed in Minnesota — and other states
The $38 billion initiative faces hurdles as communities and local politicians oppose it on humanitarian and logistical grounds.
by Ana Radelat
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2026/02/why-an-ice-plan-to-turn-warehouses-in-shakopee-and-woodbury-into-detention-centers-has-failed-in-minnesota-and-other-states/

There’s “no mystery” in how Renee Good and Alex Pretti died, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. At a Wednesday news conference she added that “a trove of investigative materials remains available to state law enforcement,” and “prosecutors are in ‘good shape’ as they consider what would be an unprecedented decision to file state charges against federal agents without the help of the federal government,” the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2026/02/fbi-formally-refuses-to-share-evidence-in-alex-pretti-shooting-with-minnesota-bca/

Minneapolis police are investigating after the memorial for Renee Good was doused in gasoline and set ablaze around 9 p.m. Tuesday evening, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. “A fence was charred, and several items in the memorial were damaged, but the memorial site at 34th Street and Portland Avenue wasn’t burned down. No one was injured, Minneapolis police said.”
https://www.startribune.com/renee-good-memorial-site-doused-in-gasoline/601584109

White House grants ICE power to detain refugees for aggressive ‘rescreening’
A new DHS memo details plan to allow federal immigration officers to detain legal refugees in the US indefinitely
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/19/trump-administration-memo-ice-dhs-refugees-screening

More News

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested: King Charles says ‘law must take its course’ as ex-prince taken into custody – live
Tom Ambrose (now) and Taz Ali (earlier)
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2026/feb/19/police-arrest-former-prince-andrew-mountbatten-windsor-sandringham-latest-updates

South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol jailed for life for leading insurrection
Ex-leader sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour over failed martial law declaration in 2024
Raphael Rashid in Seoul
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/19/yoon-suk-yeol-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-leading-insurrection-in-south-korea

Why Xcel’s bid to reinvent the virtual power plant is so controversial
Most VPPs rely on customers’ solar and batteries. Xcel says its utility-owned alternative can do a better job in Minnesota — but critics question the cost.
By Jeff St. John / Canary Media
https://www.minnpost.com/energy/2026/02/why-xcel-energys-bid-to-reinvent-the-virtual-power-plant-is-so-controversial/

Bill Gates cancels keynote speech in India amid questions over Epstein ties
Billionaire Microsoft co-founder pulls out of India’s AI Impact Summit to ‘ensure the focus’ remains on event’s ‘key priorities’
Robert Booth in Delhi
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/19/bill-gates-cancels-india-ai-impact-summit-keynote-speech-epstein-files

‘We’re no longer attracting top talent’: the brain drain killing American science
As Trump slashes science funding, young researchers flee abroad. Without solid innovation, the US could cease to have the largest biomedical ecosystem in the world
Ed Pilkington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/19/trump-science-funding-cuts

‘People are in awe’: exhibition unveils ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead
A rare gilded and complete Book of the Dead, used by ancient Egyptians to help them to the afterlife, is now on display in Brooklyn
Veronica Esposito
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/feb/19/book-of-the-dead-exhibition-brooklyn-museum-ancient-egypt

‘A queer true crime story’: inside a shocking he-said-he-said murder
A gay couple both have entirely different accounts of a gory murder, a fascinating story unravelled in a new HBO documentary
Owen Myers
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/feb/19/murder-in-glitterball-city-hbo-documentary

‘We’re not hippies’: why these Iowa farmers swapped pigs for mushrooms
Faaborgs rail against oppressive industrial agricultural system with unexpected evolution into indie artisan food firm
By Tom Duggins
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/19/why-iowa-farmers-swapped-pigs-mushrooms

Johann Ludwig Bach: The Leipzig Cantatas album review – this distant cousin’s music is a remarkable discovery
This is the premiere recording of sacred cantatas by JL Bach: works preserved due to his distant cousin, JS Bach, copying them for performance. Conductor Johanna Soller brings them to sensitive and vivid life
Clive Paget
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/19/johann-ludwig-bach-the-leipzig-cantatas-album-review-this-distant-cousins-music-is-a-remarkable-discovery

Nepali bagpipers and a canoe marathon: photos of the day – Thursday
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
Eithne Staunton
https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2026/feb/19/nepali-bagpipers-and-a-canoe-marathon-photos-of-the-day-thursday

2026.02.12

ICE

Federal authorities announce an end to the immigration crackdown in Minnesota Federal officials have announced an end to an immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to mass detentions, protests and two deaths.
by Steve Karnowski, Associated Press
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/02/federal-authorities-announce-an-end-to-the-immigration-crackdown-in-minnesota/

Latest polling shows disapproval of Trump on immigration
About 3 in 10 U.S. adults trust Republicans to do a better job handling immigration, while a similar share say the same of Democrats.
By Steve Peoples and Amelia Thomson-Deveaux, AP https://www.minnpost.com/national/2026/02/latest-poll-shows-disapproval-of-trump-on-immigration/

More News

Reading and writing can lower dementia risk by almost 40%, study finds
Cognitive health in later life is ‘strongly influenced’ by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments, say researchers
Andrew Gregory Health editor
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/feb/11/reading-writing-lower-dementia-risk-study-finds

Why most democracies won’t touch Trump’s Board of Peace
Adam Gabbatt
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/11/the-board-of-peace-most-democracies-wont-touch

Man pardoned by Trump for attacking US Capitol found guilty of child abuse Andrew Paul Johnson was found guilty of five counts including molesting a child under 12 and another under 16
Victoria Bekiempis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/11/man-trump-pardoned-us-capitol-child-sexual-abuse

Why has Maga lost its mind over Bad Bunny?
Moustafa Bayoumi
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/11/bad-bunny-halftime-show-maga-reaction

WCCO has a story about the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ “new web page dedicated to fact-checking claims about Medicaid fraud in Minnesota.” The page lists several unsupported but widely reported claims about fraud in the state. Via MinnPost
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2026/02/ice-crackdown-in-minnesota-widely-unpopular/

US officials lift 10-day closure of El Paso airspace after balloon mistaken for drone FAA initially cited ‘security reasons’ for shutting off skies around Texas airport in area along border with Mexico
Oliver Holmes and Victoria Bekiempis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/11/faa-close-airspace-el-paso-texas-airport

Why is the Washington Post cratering so spectacularly?
Margaret Sullivan
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/12/washington-post-fires-staff

How to Get to Heaven from Belfast review – if you see nothing else this year, watch this
When old school friends reunite at a funeral, they suspect foul play. Cue this frenetic, witty caper from Derry Girls’ Lisa McGee – complete with a sensational performance from Saoirse-Monica Jackson
Lucy Mangan
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/feb/12/how-to-get-to-heaven-from-belfast-review-if-you-see-nothing-else-this-year-watch-this

Apocalypse no: how almost everything we thought we knew about the Maya is wrong For many years the prevailing debate about the Maya centred upon why their civilisation collapsed. Now, many scholars are asking: how did the Maya survive?
By Marcus Haraldsson
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/12/apocalypse-no-how-almost-everything-we-thought-we-knew-about-the-maya-is-wrong

Grisly discovery brings new answers in mystery of Belgian tourist’s disappearance in Australian wilderness
Searchers hope that finding Celine Cremer’s bones, teeth and car key in Tasmania’s north-west will help them solve what happened to her
Tory Shepherd
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/12/celine-cremer-belgian-tourist-tasmania-australia

‘Unprecedented’ spate of toxic mushroom illnesses jar California After state sees four deaths and 40 hospitalizations, public health officials and foraging experts urge caution
Katharine Gammon in Los Angeles
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/12/california-toxic-mushroom-deaths

‘People ought to know’: Blue Boy Trial brings Japan’s trans history up to date Kasho Iizuka’s feature casts trans actors to revisit a notorious 1965 trial that made gender reassignment illegal for more than 30 years. He explains why the history remains unfinished
Blake Simons
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/12/blue-boy-trial-japan-trans-history-kasho-iizuka

Bud Cort, star of Harold and Maude, dies aged 77
Actor best-known for role in Hal Ashby’s black comedy also appeared in films by Robert Altman and Wes Anderson
Benjamin Lee
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/11/bud-cort-dead-harold-and-maude-actor

James Van Der Beek, star of Dawson’s Creek, dies aged 48
Actor who also starred in Varsity Blues and Rules of Attraction revealed in 2024 he had been diagnosed with cancer
Kate Abbott
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/feb/11/james-van-der-beek-dies

Ugly tears and floppy-haired heartthrobs: Dawson’s Creek’s 10 best moments
As fans mourn the death of James Van Der Beek, we look back at the show he made a teen sensation
Anna Spargo-Ryan
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/feb/12/dawsons-creek-10-best-moments-james-van-der-beek

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

2026.01.18

Revolutionary imaging of black hole aims to prove they are not ‘evil vacuum cleaners’
Newly appointed Cambridge professor says feat would accelerate scientific knowledge by an order of magnitude
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/18/astronomers-revolutionary-moving-image-black-hole-cambridge-science

Dublin Bay’s oyster graveyard rises from dead in effort to restore rich ecosystem
Pioneering scheme hopes species that thrived for thousands of years in Irish waters can do so again
Rory Carroll in Dublin
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/18/dublin-bay-oyster-reefs-restoration

AI companies will fail. We can salvage something from the wreckage
Cory Doctorow
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/18/tech-ai-bubble-burst-reverse-centaur

Man accused of aiming laser at Trump helicopter acquitted in 35 minutes
Swift verdict of not guilty in case of Jacob Winkler another high-profile defeat for Jeanine Pirro, US attorney for DC
Marina Dunbar
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/17/laser-beam-trump-jeanine-pirro

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: this glorious grossout comedy is Game of Thrones at its best
My jaw was left agape by this rich, moving spinoff. Its two lead characters have the making of a classic comic double act
Rhik Samadder
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/17/a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-hbo-game-of-thrones-spin-off-got

Growing sense of embarrassment at Fifa over Donald Trump peace prize
Mid-level and senior officials uncomfortable with award
Fifa says it still ‘strongly’ supports the peace prize
Exclusive by Osasu Obayiuwana in Rabat
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jan/18/embarrassment-fifa-donald-trump-peace-prize

JD Vance: ‘despicable toady for Trump’ – and 2028 candidate in all but name
Vice-president has emerged as key defender of Maga flame – and is backed by big tech billions. Is this the heir apparent?
David Smith in Concord, North Carolina and Nick Robins-Early in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/18/jd-vance-profile-trump-presidency

Eight people killed in avalanches in Austrian Alps as rescuers urge skiers to heed warnings
Three Czech skiers swept away in Murtal district while five killed in Pongau area near Salzburg
Agence France-Presse
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/18/eight-people-killed-in-avalanches-in-austrian-alps-as-rescuers-urge-skiers-to-heed-warnings

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

2026.01.08

MinnPost’s Glean is all ICE related this morning
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2026/01/more-on-the-ice-shooting-in-minneapolis-federal-agents-renee-good/

Thousands gather at vigil for woman slain by ICE agent in Minneapolis
Mourners filled an entire city block on Wednesday night following the early morning shooting of a woman who was trying to drive away from ICE agents.
by Katelyn Vue
https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/minneapolis-vigil-woman-slain-ice-agent/

Yes, state and local prosecutors can charge federal law enforcement agents with crimes. But it isn’t easy
Minnesota officials are demanding a role in the investigation of Wednesday’s fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
by Shadi Bushra
https://www.minnpost.com/public-safety/2026/01/minnesota-ice-shooting-yes-state-and-local-prosecutors-can-charge-federal-agents-law-enforcement-with-crimes-but-it-isnt-easy/

Viewed From Across the Pond:

FBI takes over case of ICE agent killing US woman and cuts Minnesota’s access to evidence
Minneapolis remains on edge, with several protests planned after shooting of Renee Nicole Macklin Good
Richard Luscombe, Joseph Gedeon and Lucy Campbell
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/minneapolis-school-class-canceled-ice-killed-woman

‘She behaved horribly’: Trump doubles down on claim ICE agent acted in self-defense in interview
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/jan/08/minneapolis-shooting-ice-minnesota-protests-vigils-donald-trump-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-695fbff28f085fa3d4b405df#block-695fbff28f085fa3d4b405df

‘Poet, writer, wife, mom’: who was Renee Nicole Macklin Good, the woman killed by an ICE agent?
Macklin Good, 37, had moved to Minneapolis last year from Missouri, loved to sing and won an award for her poetry
Richard Luscombe and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/minnesota-ice-shooting-nicole-macklin-good

Minneapolis schools cancel classes after ICE officer’s fatal shooting of woman
City remains on edge, with several protests planned in the day, after the killing of Renee Nicole Macklin Good
Richard Luscombe and Joseph Gedeon
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/minneapolis-school-class-canceled-ice-killed-woman

Minneapolis shooting is a brutal start to Trump’s ‘largest operation’ targeting immigrants
Maanvi Singh
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/minneapolis-ice-renee-nicole-good

Cable news networks scramble to cover fatal Minnesota ICE shooting – with both caution and commentary
Networks brought on former federal and police officials, with varying reactions and responses to Minneapolis killing
Jeremy Barr in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/07/minnesota-ice-shooting-coverage

ICE agents have killed – again. The Trump administration blames the victim
Moira Donegan
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/08/ice-minneapolis-shooting-trump

US immigration agents linked to spike in shootings under Trump administration crackdown
Data compiled by news non-profit the Trace shows 14 firearm incidents and more uses of force cases
Marina Dunbar
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/07/trump-immigration-ice-shootings

‘Out with the Yanks!’: Thousands protest in Colombia as anger builds over Trump’s intervention in Venezuela
President Gustavo Petro called for demonstrations after Trump said he was interested in military action in Colombia
Tom Phillips in Cúcuta
https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/jan/08/thousands-protest-colombia-trump-petro-agree-to-meet-video

Nasa considering early return of crew from ISS due to medical reasons
Astronaut aboard the International Space Station is in stable condition, Nasa said, and a spacewalk was canceled
Reuters
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/08/nasa-crew-return-international-space-station-health

Germany’s dying forests are losing their ability to absorb CO2. Can a new way of planting save them?
Vast swathes of the country’s trees have been killed off by droughts and infestations, in a trend sweeping across Europe. A shift towards more biodiverse cultivation could offer answers
Patrick Greenfield
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/08/germany-forests-bark-beetle-spruce-co2-carbon-sink-monoculture-aoe

Fly-arousing orchid and zombie fungus among 2025 botanical and fungal finds
Scientists also name an overlooked snowdrop growing in the UK and a fruit that tastes like banana and guava
Damian Carrington Enviroment editor
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/08/fly-arousing-orchid-zombie-fungus-among-new-plant-fungus-species-finds-2025

We study glaciers. ‘Artificial glaciers’ and other tech may halt their total collapse
Brent Minchew and Colin Meyer
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/07/we-study-glaciers-artificial-glaciers-and-other-tech-may-halt-their-total-collapse

Studies link some food preservatives to higher diabetes and cancer risk
Of 17 preservatives studied, higher consumption of 12 of them linked with increased risk of type 2 diabetes
Andrew Gregory Health editor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/08/studies-link-some-food-preservatives-to-higher-diabetes-and-cancer-risk

What is Stranger Things’s Conformity Gate craze – and why did it crash Netflix?
An online conspiracy theory has left hysterical fans believing that the Netflix show’s finale was a fake. Could Vecna still come back with a secret episode?
Benjie Goodhart
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/08/what-is-stranger-things-conformity-gate-netflix

Review
His & Hers review – this glossy thriller is ideal new year TV
This six-part adaptation of the bestselling 2020 novel about a murder investigation is twisty, absurd and bingeable. It’s great January viewing
Lucy Mangan
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/08/his-hers-review-netflix-jon-bernthal-tessa-thompson-thriller

Stranded whales and an anti-drone gun: photos of the day – Thursday
Arnel Hecimovic
https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2026/jan/08/stranded-whales-and-an-anti-drone-gun-photos-of-the-day-thursday