2026.01.21
Jan. 21st, 2026 11:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lsandersonIce
US justice department subpoenas Minnesota Democrats accused of impeding ICE efforts
Minnesota governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey among officials who received subpoenas
Sam Levine in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/20/minnesota-democrats-subpoenas-justice-department
“Three local law enforcement leaders expressed concern over federal immigration agents’ behavior over the last few weeks, including stopping off-duty officers of color,” reports Sahan Journal. … The law enforcement leaders also said federal agents don’t seem to be coordinating their work across the metro, and that a small group of federal agents are causing problems by stopping community members in traffic and in the street with no cause, and demanding that they produce paperwork proving they’re in the country legally.”
https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/minnesota-police-concerns-federal-immigration-agents/
“Last week, Minnesota-based faith leaders, unions, and other community groups called for a strike and economic blackout on Jan. 23 in response to the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge,” Bring Me The News reports. The news site has a list of businesses closing on Friday, Jan. 23.
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/growing-number-of-minnesota-businesses-announce-plans-to-close-for-jan-23-strike
https://naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/how-to-help-if-you-are-outside-minnesota/
Other News
If you need a midwinter break, here's a YouTube visit to the Spice Islands: https://youtu.be/2IHSRjEOnoI
Toxicology report says late US chess star Daniel Naroditsky had drugs in his system
29-year-old had stimulants and kratom in system
Death investigated as possible overdose or suicide
Bryan Armen Graham
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jan/20/daniel-naroditsky-toxicology-report-drugs-chess-death
New York’s Met Opera announces ‘necessary’ layoffs and pay cuts
‘Cost-cutting’ announcement comes amid uncertainty over deal struck with Saudi Arabia to perform in Riyadh
Maya Yang
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/20/new-york-met-opera-cuts
Is it true that … you lose most body heat from your head?
This 1970s notion is a bit of a myth – but it’s still a good idea to wear a hat if it’s cold out
Kate Lloyd
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/19/is-it-true-lose-most-body-heat-from-head
Hand shape in Indonesian cave may be world’s oldest known rock art
Archaeologists say stencil painted with ochre in limestone cave on Muna Island was created at least 67,800 years ago
Ian Sample Science editor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/21/hand-shape-indonesia-cave-rock-art-67800-years-old
Europe’s moment of truth over Greenland looms, as leaders ditch appeasement of Trump
From the ‘big bazooka’ to a world cup boycott, Europe has powerful weapons beyond ‘dialogue. An emergency EU summit could be a turning point
Katherine Butler, Associate editor, Europe
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/the-moment-of-truth-over-greenland-as-leaders-ditch-appeasement-of-trump
Doge improperly shared sensitive social security data, DoJ court filing reveals
Trump administration acknowledges that Elon Musk’s cost-cutting operation accessed Americans’ sensitive data
Joseph Gedeon in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/doge-social-security-data
American democracy on the brink a year after Trump’s election, experts say
Scale and speed of president’s moves have stunned observers of authoritarian regimes – is the US in democratic peril?
Lauren Gambino
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/trump-american-democracy
‘Who will stand up and oppose it?’: Trump’s relentless campaign of retribution in his second term
From firing lawyers and government officials to pursuing indictments – president has created a culture of vengeance
Sam Levine
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/trump-retribution-campaign
‘I could not stay silent’: Palestinian prisoner tells of sexual abuse in Israeli jail
Sami al-Saei has defied social stigma to speak out about what a report calls a ‘grave pattern’ of sexual violence
Emma Graham-Harrison and Quique Kierszenbaum in Qalqilya
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/not-stay-silent-palestinian-prisoner-sexual-abuse-israeli-jail
‘Nostalgia is not a strategy’: Mark Carney is emerging as the unflinching realist ready to tackle Trump
Leyland Cecco in Toronto
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/nostalgia-is-not-a-strategy-mark-carney-is-emerging-as-the-unflinching-realist-ready-to-tackle-trump
‘The most dangerous man in America’: how Paul Robeson went from Hollywood to blacklist
The groundbreaking singer, actor and athlete became a victim of McCarthyism and saw his shining career destroyed and his legacy tarnished
Howard Bryant
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/21/paul-robeson-hollywood-blacklist-mccarthyism
We ran high-level US civil war simulations. Minnesota is exactly how they start
Claire Finkelstein
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/21/ice-minnesota-trump
Mercy review – Chris Pratt takes on AI judge Rebecca Ferguson in ingenious sci-fi thriller
It is the year 2029 and an LA cop finds himself accused of murdering his wife. He has 90 minutes to clear his name before robo-justice sends him down
Peter Bradshaw
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/21/mercy-review-chris-pratt-takes-on-ai-judge-rebecca-ferguson-in-ingenious-sci-fi-thriller
US justice department subpoenas Minnesota Democrats accused of impeding ICE efforts
Minnesota governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey among officials who received subpoenas
Sam Levine in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/20/minnesota-democrats-subpoenas-justice-department
“Three local law enforcement leaders expressed concern over federal immigration agents’ behavior over the last few weeks, including stopping off-duty officers of color,” reports Sahan Journal. … The law enforcement leaders also said federal agents don’t seem to be coordinating their work across the metro, and that a small group of federal agents are causing problems by stopping community members in traffic and in the street with no cause, and demanding that they produce paperwork proving they’re in the country legally.”
https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/minnesota-police-concerns-federal-immigration-agents/
“Last week, Minnesota-based faith leaders, unions, and other community groups called for a strike and economic blackout on Jan. 23 in response to the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge,” Bring Me The News reports. The news site has a list of businesses closing on Friday, Jan. 23.
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/growing-number-of-minnesota-businesses-announce-plans-to-close-for-jan-23-strike
https://naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/how-to-help-if-you-are-outside-minnesota/
Other News
If you need a midwinter break, here's a YouTube visit to the Spice Islands: https://youtu.be/2IHSRjEOnoI
Toxicology report says late US chess star Daniel Naroditsky had drugs in his system
29-year-old had stimulants and kratom in system
Death investigated as possible overdose or suicide
Bryan Armen Graham
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jan/20/daniel-naroditsky-toxicology-report-drugs-chess-death
New York’s Met Opera announces ‘necessary’ layoffs and pay cuts
‘Cost-cutting’ announcement comes amid uncertainty over deal struck with Saudi Arabia to perform in Riyadh
Maya Yang
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/20/new-york-met-opera-cuts
Is it true that … you lose most body heat from your head?
This 1970s notion is a bit of a myth – but it’s still a good idea to wear a hat if it’s cold out
Kate Lloyd
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/19/is-it-true-lose-most-body-heat-from-head
Hand shape in Indonesian cave may be world’s oldest known rock art
Archaeologists say stencil painted with ochre in limestone cave on Muna Island was created at least 67,800 years ago
Ian Sample Science editor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/21/hand-shape-indonesia-cave-rock-art-67800-years-old
Europe’s moment of truth over Greenland looms, as leaders ditch appeasement of Trump
From the ‘big bazooka’ to a world cup boycott, Europe has powerful weapons beyond ‘dialogue. An emergency EU summit could be a turning point
Katherine Butler, Associate editor, Europe
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/the-moment-of-truth-over-greenland-as-leaders-ditch-appeasement-of-trump
Doge improperly shared sensitive social security data, DoJ court filing reveals
Trump administration acknowledges that Elon Musk’s cost-cutting operation accessed Americans’ sensitive data
Joseph Gedeon in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/doge-social-security-data
American democracy on the brink a year after Trump’s election, experts say
Scale and speed of president’s moves have stunned observers of authoritarian regimes – is the US in democratic peril?
Lauren Gambino
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/trump-american-democracy
‘Who will stand up and oppose it?’: Trump’s relentless campaign of retribution in his second term
From firing lawyers and government officials to pursuing indictments – president has created a culture of vengeance
Sam Levine
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/trump-retribution-campaign
‘I could not stay silent’: Palestinian prisoner tells of sexual abuse in Israeli jail
Sami al-Saei has defied social stigma to speak out about what a report calls a ‘grave pattern’ of sexual violence
Emma Graham-Harrison and Quique Kierszenbaum in Qalqilya
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/not-stay-silent-palestinian-prisoner-sexual-abuse-israeli-jail
‘Nostalgia is not a strategy’: Mark Carney is emerging as the unflinching realist ready to tackle Trump
Leyland Cecco in Toronto
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/nostalgia-is-not-a-strategy-mark-carney-is-emerging-as-the-unflinching-realist-ready-to-tackle-trump
‘The most dangerous man in America’: how Paul Robeson went from Hollywood to blacklist
The groundbreaking singer, actor and athlete became a victim of McCarthyism and saw his shining career destroyed and his legacy tarnished
Howard Bryant
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/21/paul-robeson-hollywood-blacklist-mccarthyism
We ran high-level US civil war simulations. Minnesota is exactly how they start
Claire Finkelstein
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/21/ice-minnesota-trump
Mercy review – Chris Pratt takes on AI judge Rebecca Ferguson in ingenious sci-fi thriller
It is the year 2029 and an LA cop finds himself accused of murdering his wife. He has 90 minutes to clear his name before robo-justice sends him down
Peter Bradshaw
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/21/mercy-review-chris-pratt-takes-on-ai-judge-rebecca-ferguson-in-ingenious-sci-fi-thriller
