2025.02.16

Well! Imagine that! Elon Musk’s mass government cuts could make private companies millions Defense and tech firms – including Musk’s own – await potential contracts as Doge decimates US agencies Nick Robins-Early https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/16/elon-musk-doge-government-privatization

DeSantis urged to declare emergency over toxic red tide algae off Florida coast Harmful algae bloom off south-west coast blamed for deaths of marine life and poses threat to beaches Richard Luscombe in Miami https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/16/florida-red-tide-ron-desantis

‘The greatest propaganda op in history’: Trump’s reshaping of US culture evokes past antidemocratic regimes The president’s full-court press to dominate media and control cultural institutions is straight out of the authoritarian playbook David Smith in Washington https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/16/trump-culture-democracy

‘It can be really frightening’: knowing the common signs that a loved one is dying can help in their final days Lydia Hales https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/16/it-can-be-really-frightening-knowing-the-common-signs-that-a-loved-one-is-dying-can-help-in-their-final-days

The Narrow Road to the Deep North review: This WW2 miniseries is a ‘stunning’ showcase for Jacob Elordi Hugh Montgomery https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250215-the-narrow-road-to-the-deep-north-review-this-ww2-miniseries-is-a-stunning-showcase-for-jacob-elordi

2025.02.15

Explainer
‘Thought crime’ and cancelled elections: how do JD Vance’s claims about Europe stand up?
US vice-president told litany of tales of Europe’s rights infringements in speech to leaders at defence gathering
Daniel Boffey and Alexandra Topping https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/14/thought-and-cancelled-elections-how-do-jd-vances-europe-claims-stand-up

Previous victim of woman linked to death of journalist says he tried to warn public David Butler survived being drugged and robbed in 2021 by Danette Colbert, now tied to death of Adan Manzano Ramon Antonio Vargas in Kenner, Louisiana https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/15/adan-manzano-super-bowl-journalist

British professor makes ‘thrilling’ breakthrough for cancer that killed his mother
Paul Workman has researched untreatable chordoma for years. Now new technology points towards to a potential drug to beat it
Robin McKie Science editor https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/feb/15/british-professor-paul-workman-cancer-breakthrough-chordoma

Extreme weather expected to cause food price volatility in 2025 after cost of cocoa and coffee doubles
Trend towards more extreme-weather events will continue to hit crop yields and create price spikes, Inverto says
Damien Gayle https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/15/extreme-weather-likely-to-cause-further-food-price-volatility-analysts-say

Pathfinder 1: The airship that could usher in a new age
QOTD: “Helium is less flammable than hydrogen, but there is a trade-off for this increased safety. ”
Mark Piesing
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250214-pathfinder-1-the-airship-that-could-usher-in-a-new-age

2025.02.14

‘We’re like sitting ducks’: the right’s ‘war on woke’ has a well-tested playbook to take down academics The campaign against Claudine Gay, Harvard’s first Black president, has become a blueprint increasingly wielded against women and scholars of color Alice Speri https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/14/chris-rufo-jo-boaler-academics-woke

‘No one wants to pay $25 for breakfast’: US restaurants are cracking under inflation It’s not just eggs, but coffee, orange juice and bacon, making life especially hard for diners, bakeries and brunch spots Danielle Renwick https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/14/restaurants-inflation-egg-prices

Dating apps could be in trouble – here’s what might take their place Fiona Macdonald https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7zxgxdggjo

Stars pull out of shows and positions at Kennedy Center after Trump takeover Issa Rae, Ben Folds and Shonda Rhimes among those who chose not to associate with the institution and president Adrian Horton and Benjamin Lee https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/feb/13/kennedy-center-trump-issa-rae-shonda-rhimes

‘It changed my life’: Get Millie Black, the thrilling Caribbean crime drama shaking up TV
Booker prize winner Marlon James is breaking into television with his rave-reviewed cop show. Its creator and star talk wigs, unfinished business – and what it’s really like being queer in Jamaica today
Ellen E Jones
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/feb/14/marlon-james-get-millie-black-the-thrilling-caribbean-cop-show-tamara-lawrence

‘Another woke disaster from Hollywood!’ How Captain America joined the culture wars In the latest film from the Marvel franchise, Captain America: Brave New World, a Black hero squares up to a raging red baddie trashing the White House. Cue the conservative outrage … Steve Rose https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/feb/14/woke-disaster-hollywood-how-captain-america-joined-culture-wars

Tilda Swinton decries ‘internationally enabled mass murder’ at Berlin film festival Actor speaks out against ‘the unacceptable complacency of our greed-addicted governments’ as she picks up a Golden Bear award for lifetime achievement Andrew Pulver https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/feb/14/tilda-swinton-berlin-film-festival

2025.02.13

Riley Moser, Frankie McLister at WCCO report: “The Department of Education announced Wednesday it is investigating the Minnesota State High School League for allowing transgender student-athletes to compete in sports consistent with their gender identity.” Via MinnPost https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/education-department-mshsl-title-ix-investigation/

Tommy Wiita at Bring Me the News reports: “Eden Prairie-based UnitedHealth Group has agreed to pay $20.25 million to settle a lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Labor, after it was found to have wrongly denied thousands of medical claims via its third-party administrator.” Via MinnPost https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/unitedhealth-group-to-pay-20m-to-settle-lawsuit-over-denied-coverage

The Star Tribune’s Paul Walsh reports: “A woman lured a man she met on a dating app to a predawn meetup in north Minneapolis, where her accomplice fatally shot him as part of a carjacking plot, according to criminal complaints filed Wednesday and Thursday.” Via MinnPost https://www.startribune.com/charge-carjacking-victim-killed-after-being-lured-on-dating-app-to-predawn-meetup-in-minneapolis/601221200

Nick Longworth at FOX 9 reports: “Minnesota lawmakers are considering a new bill that would stiffen the penalties for those who engage in the prostitution of minors.” Via MinnPost https://www.fox9.com/news/minor-prostitution-penalties-law-change-proposal

Kevin Drum is in hospital and doing poorly. https://jabberwocking.com/health-update-89/

Rape under wraps: how Tinder, Hinge and their corporate owner chose profits over safety Match Group has known since 2016 about abusive users on its dozen dating apps, but leaves millions of people in the dark Emily Elena Dugdale and Hanisha Harjani https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/13/tinder-hinge-match-investigation

It’s a cowboy show out there’: the deadly lottery of the snakebite antivenom industry Investigation reveals ineffective products being sold across Africa, with poor regulation and shortage of effective medication leading to needless deaths By Paul Eccles, Andjela Milivojevic and Rachel Schraer. Additional reporting by Shafa’atu Suleiman and Laura Margottini https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/feb/13/its-a-cowboy-show-out-there-the-deadly-lottery-of-the-snakebite-antivenom-industry

‘Here lives the monster’s brain’: the man who exposed Switzerland’s dirty secrets Inspired by Che Guevara, Jean Ziegler has spent the past 60 years exposing how Switzerland enabled global wrongdoing. His enemies accuse him of treason By Atossa Araxia Abrahamian https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/feb/13/here-lives-the-monsters-brain-the-man-who-exposed-switzerlands-dirty-secrets

London’s first Roman basilica found under office block Archaeologists hail discovery of near-2,000-year-old structure as one of most significant recent finds in the city Esther Addley https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/13/londons-first-roman-basilica-found-under-office-block

From Timothée Chalamet to TV’s latest epic series: Six reasons the 2025 Berlin Film Festival is set to make waves Hugh Montgomery and Nicholas Barber https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250212-six-ways-the-berlin-film-festival-will-make-waves

2025.02.12

Crime Former St. Paul high school volleyball coach pleads guilty to criminal sexual conduct By WCCO Staff https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/st-paul-volleyball-coach-guilty-sexual-assault/

With federal funds on the line, officials in Minneapolis and St. Paul are feeling the impact of Trump’s presidency Officials say they were caught off guard by the breadth of the January executive order — later blocked by a federal judge — intended to shut off grant spending. by Winter Keefer https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2025/02/with-federal-funds-on-the-line-officials-in-minneapolis-and-st-paul-are-feeling-the-impact-of-trumps-presidency/

Please, somebody tell me the trains ran on time: Inflation picks up speed after Trump promised to ‘rapidly’ bring down prices onsumer price index rose by 3% in January as president has yet to fulfill pledge of tackling high cost of living Callum Jones in New York https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/feb/12/trump-january-inflation

FBI says it has discovered 2,400 new records related to JFK assassination The agency was transferring the records for declassification and did not say what information they contained https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/11/fbi-jfk-assassination-new-records

The whole Icelandic nation in one face: Ragnar Axelsson’s best photograph ‘
Guðjón was kind of angry that day. He was looking for a mink that had been killing his eider ducks. This image opened doors for him, leading to advert and movie work’ Interview
by Chris Broughton https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/feb/12/ragnar-axelssons-best-photograph-icelandic
Book: https://qerndu.com/books/behind-mountains/

2025.02.11

Brian Bakst and Mathew Holding Eagle III at MPR report: “Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald added a second burglary charge Monday against state Sen. Nicole Mitchell focusing on items she had with her when police encountered her stepmother’s home in April 2024 in Detroit Lakes.” Via MinnPost https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/02/10/new-felony-count-added-to-charges-against-sen-nicole-mitchell-for-april-2024-incident

With a new hit film, Netflix has reduced disabled lives to feelgood fodder – and got the facts shockingly wrong Archie Bland and Ruth Spencer https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/11/netflix-film-disabled-lives-feelgood-child-cerebral-palsy-families

Lockboxes ‘littering’ Dublin’s streets become latest front in overtourism battle Council to remove keyboxes left in public areas by landlords Lisa O’Carroll in Dublin https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/feb/11/key-lockboxes-dublin-overtourism

At Bisto and Aardman’s new pop-up floating restaurant you can pour gravy over your pudding or down a gravy drink – but where’s the cheese board, Gromit? Stuart Heritage https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/feb/11/gravy-cocktail-wallace-gromit-cheese-free-dining-venture-bisto-aardman

On board the maiden sleeper from Brussels to Venice: we got there in the end Affordable couchettes, wonderful scenery and good company make up for the teething problems en route Monisha Rajesh https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/feb/11/brussels-to-venice-on-board-a-new-sleeper-train

Manchester theatre suspends Dolly Parton musical over homophobic abuse Actor in Here You Come Again says cast left stage because ‘a woman was so disgusted there was a gay character’ Nadeem Badshah https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/feb/10/manchester-performance-of-dolly-parton-musical-suspended-due-to-homophobic-abuse

2025.02.10

Euclid telescope captures Einstein ring revealing warping of space Dazzling image shows galaxy more than 4bn light years away, whose starlight has been bent due to gravity Hannah Devlin https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/feb/10/euclid-telescope-captures-einstein-ring-revealing-warping-of-space

Why we all need sisu – the Finnish concept of action and creativity in hard times This is something more profound than resilience. It is the part of us that comes alive when we feel we have nothing left Moya Sarner https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/feb/10/why-we-all-need-sisu-the-finnish-concept-of-action-and-creativity-in-hard-times

Sewer fatberg of ‘grease and rags’ forces Bryan Adams to cancel Perth concert Singer was due to perform Sunday night but authorities worried large blockage could cause sewage to back up in venue toilets Mostafa Rachwani https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/10/sewer-fatberg-of-grease-and-rags-forces-bryan-adams-to-postpone-perth-concert

Moment India police unplug Ed Sheeran’s street performance British pop star Ed Sheeran was stopped from busking on a street in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru by local police. The incident happened on Sunday, ahead of his concert in the city. Video taken by onlookers showed the moment a police officer unplugged his microphone. Officials told the ANI news agency that a request from Sheeran’s team to busk was rejected to avoid congestion in the area. In a social media post, Sheeran insisted he did have the permission to busk. https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c4g3ve3ll21o

2025.02.09

Bad Meta! Bad! Bad! Bad!
Revealed: gambling firms secretly sharing users’ data with Facebook without permission Meta accounts of those affected flooded with ads for casinos and betting sites
We didn’t click ‘consent’ on any gambling website. So how did Facebook know where we’d been?
Shanti Das and Jon Ungoed-Thomas https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/08/gambling-firms-secretly-shared-users-data-with-facebook-without-permission

Matisse’s muse: new exhibition dedicated to the illegitimate daughter he spent a lifetime painting Marguerite, who survived diphtheria and torture by the Gestapo, is the focus of Musée d’Art Moderne showcase Kim Willsher in Paris https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/feb/08/matisse-muse-new-paris-exhibition-dedicated-to-the-illegitimate-daughter-he-spent-a-lifetime-painting

Flat whites or long blacks? What our changing coffee tastes say about us From a 13th-century Yemen brew to the latest full-on blast of beans, the quest for the perfect caffeine hit continues Rachel Cooke https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/feb/09/flat-whites-or-long-blacks-what-our-changing-coffee-tastes-say-about-us

Anti-ageing jabs – they can rejuvenate mice, but will they work on humans? Senescent cells power the body’s ageing process, and scientists are developing treatments to annihilate them David Cox https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/feb/08/anti-ageing-jabs-they-can-rejuvenate-mice-but-will-they-work-on-humans

Frozen in time: Rare early images of the Himalayas from Italian pioneer Sudha G Tilak https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8edg6n5xp3o

How a former slave became the world’s first drag queen Over 100 years before RuPaul was telling us to “sashay away”, William Dorsey Swann, who had been born into slavery in 19th Century America, was making a name for himself as the world’s first self-described “drag queen”. LGBTQ+ historian Channing Joseph, author of House of Swann, explains how he discovered this forgotten history of one of the earliest efforts at queer resistance and liberation in America. Video by Alva French Animation by Dan John https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p08ts62f/how-a-former-slave-became-the-world-s-first-drag-queen

The dishes Singaporeans turn to when illness strikes Daniel Seifert https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250205-rasam-to-congee-singapore-dishes-for-flu

Pastis: The French cocktail born from a banned spirit Emily Monaco https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250207-pastis-the-french-cocktail-born-from-a-banned-spirit

2025.02.08

How an outsider captured the intimacy of Gullah Geechee life in 13 portraits Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe’s exhibit at the Whitney Museum depicts the rich culture of Daufuskie Island Gloria Oladipo https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/feb/08/jeanne-moutoussamy-ashe-whitney-museum-gullah-geechee

Three-hundred-year-old Stradivarius violin sells for $11m in New York Proceeds from sale of 1714 instrument will be used to fund scholarships for violinists at New England Conservatory Richard Luscombe https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/07/stradivarius-violin-auction-sale

Rediscovered, a young English novelist’s warning of the Nazi threat Crooked Cross, Sally Carson’s ‘electrifying masterpiece’ from 1934, to be republished Vanessa Thorpe Arts and media correspondent https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/08/rediscovered-a-young-english-novelists-warning-of-the-nazi-threat

Splat’s entertainment: I watched Rotten Tomatoes’ 40 lowest-rated films to find out which was worst Our brave victim writer sits through the film site’s 0%ers to see what makes a bad movie. Will she emerge with her sanity intact – and are all these flops really so bad?

“It was the hardest movie I ever did,” Billy Bob Thornton said ahead of its release. “We were squeezing 10lb of shit into a 5lb bag. We didn’t have enough money or enough time […] We hope we do you proud with the film. If we let you down, I apologise in advance, but we sure gave it our best.” It’s a moving quote…

Rebecca Liu https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/feb/08/watching-rotten-tomatoes-lowest-rated-films

Trump says he will appoint himself chair of Kennedy Center President plans to fire board members and chair David Rubenstein to bring about ‘golden age in arts and culture’ Dara Kerr https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/07/trump-kennedy-center

All 10 people aboard Alaska plane that crashed died, says US Coast Guard Authorities found the plane, which was carrying passengers across Norton Sound, about 34 miles south-east of Nome Marina Dunbar and agencies https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/07/alaska-missing-plane

Crew on boat that hit rocks off Tasmanian coast rescued by swimming police officer The 13-metre vessel, crewed by a man in his 70s and a woman in her 60s, hit rocks near Wynyard just after midnight on Friday Cait Kelly https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/08/crew-on-boat-that-hit-rocks-off-tasmanian-coast-rescued-by-swimming-police-officer

Donald Trump revokes Joe Biden’s security clearance in latest revenge move US president cites Biden’s removal of Trump’s security clearance in 2021 in the wake of the January 6 attacks and attempts to overturn the 2020 election result https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/08/donald-trump-revokes-joe-bidens-security-clearance-in-latest-revenge-move

Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for beetroot risotto with curry leaf butter All the rich, savoury creaminess of a risotto with an enticing Indian temper of spice, chilli and lime Meera Sodha https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/feb/04/vegan-beetroot-risotto-with-curry-leaf-butter-recipe-meera-sodha

2025.02.07

From Jon Bream at the Star Tribune: “It’s official: The controversial nine-hour authorized Prince documentary directed by Oscar-winning Ezra Edelman for Netflix will not be released.” Via MinnPost https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2025/02/minnesota-ag-to-sue-trump-administration-over-doge/

Prince estate blocks release of Netflix documentary by Oscar-winning director Ezra Edelman Nine-hour film will not be seen, after ‘mutual agreement’ between estate and Netflix, with estate announcing plans for its own film Ben Beaumont-Thomas https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/feb/07/prince-estate-blocks-release-of-netflix-documentary-by-oscar-winning-director-ezra-edelman

Interview New DNC vice-chair David Hogg on reaching young voters: ‘We need to be a tsunami of content’ Joan E Greve in Washington https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/07/dnc-vice-chair-david-hogg

Sweden plans to tighten gun laws in wake of Örebro mass shooting ‘We have to ensure that only the right people have guns in Sweden,’ says the prime minister, Ulf Kristersson Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/07/sweden-to-tighten-gun-laws-in-wake-of-orebro-mass-shooting

Detox your kitchen: three things you can do right now to avoid toxic chemicals Pfas and microplastics lurk everywhere – from pots and pans to storage containers and utensils. These simple changes are a first step in reducing them quickly Tom Perkins https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/feb/07/how-to-remove-pfas-microplastics-chemicals-kitchen