2026.02.04
Feb. 4th, 2026 11:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lsandersonICE
As Minnesota legislative session nears and Operation Metro Surge drags on, lawmakers ready response to ICE
Minnesota DFLers are considering laws similar to ones that passed in other blue states. But they are still likely to see legal (and Republican) scrutiny.
by Cleo Krejci and Matthew Blake
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2026/02/as-minnesota-legislative-session-nears-and-operation-metro-surge-drags-on-lawmakers-ready-response-to-ice/
Trump’s border czar says 700 immigration officers to leave Minnesota immediately
About 2,000 officers will remain in the state after this week’s drawdown.
by Steve Karnowski, Associated Press
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/02/trumps-border-czar-says-700-immigration-officers-to-leave-minnesota-immediately/
U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison visited the Whipple Federal Building on Monday and described the conditions she observed in a video posted to YouTube, KARE 11 reports. “During my visit yesterday, I got confirmation that the facility has no specific medical policy and no real medical care on site. There was not a nurse present yesterday at all. There are no beds, no real blankets, minimal food, extremely cold temperatures. People are in locked cells with leg shackles.” Agents did not answer her questions about how many people are currently being held, and how many had been sent to the hospital over the past week. Via MinnPost
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/ice-in-minnesota/no-real-medical-care-representative-describes-conditions-for-detainees-at-whipple-building/89-0995e964-97b1-4d52-97ac-20aaf3b043c5
On Tuesday U.S. citizens who have been affected by the federal immigration crackdown spoke at a public forum organized by Democratic lawmakers in Washington. Renee Macklin Good’s brothers were among the speakers. “[Another] was Aliya Rahman of Minneapolis, who was dragged out of her car by federal immigration enforcement agents three weeks ago. Rahman said she is autistic and has a traumatic brain injury.” Rahman also described conditions at Whipple. “I saw Black and brown bodies shackled together, chained together, being marched by yelling agents outdoors. I continue to hear the word ‘bodies’ because that is how agents refer to us.” Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/02/04/renee-macklin-goods-brothers-others-call-for-ice-reforms-at-public-forum
ICE attorney who said ‘this job sucks’ removed from detail
Julie Le expressed frustration to judge, in response to questions on why ICE has failed to comply with court orders
Sara Braun
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/ice-attorney-minnesota-removed-after-court-statement
Democrats say Trump’s immigration crackdown has undermined efforts to combat human trafficking
House Democrats say US anti-trafficking efforts have been hamstrung by diversion of resources to immigration raids
Lauren Gambino
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/trump-immigration-hinders-human-trafficking-efforts
I knew Trump would target Minnesota. I didn’t expect this level of violence
Rachel Leingang in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/trump-minnesota-ice-immigration
More News
Precinct caucuses showed early GOP frontrunners, KSTP reports. “As of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Minnesota Republican Party was reporting 76% of caucus results, with House Speaker Lisa Demuth leading the crowded field of candidates with 4,837 votes (32.5%). Kendall Qualls was second at 3,804 (25.6%) with Mike Lindell next at 2,583 votes (17.3%). The party’s 2022 gubernatorial nominee, Scott Jensen, was fourth with 884 votes but well behind the top three and basically on par with the number of “undecided” votes (865).” Via MinnPost
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/minnesota-caucus-results-show-early-frontrunners-among-gop-governor-candidates/
Revealed: Israel bulldozed part of Gaza war cemetery containing allied graves
Satellite images and witness testimony show destruction as IDF claims it was forced to take defensive measures
Seham Tantesh in Gaza, Julian Borger in London and Ben Doherty in Sydney
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/04/idf-bulldoze-gaza-war-cemetery-allied-graves-satellite-images
‘It’s an absolute bloodbath’: Washington Post lays off hundreds of workers
Former Post executive editor blasts owner Jeff Bezos’s ‘sickening efforts to curry favor’ with Trump
Jeremy Barr in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/04/washington-post-layoffs
Fulton county commission chair says he was warned of arrest before FBI election office raid
Robb Pitts said call came days before federal agents seized 2020 election documents in Georgia
George Chidi
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/fulton-county-georgia-fbi-election-warns-office-raid
Pentagon threatens to cut ties with Scouting America over ‘core values’
Defense department says it may end support unless youth group abandons inclusivity and returns to ‘God and country’ values
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/boy-scouting-america-pentagon-threat
‘One moment it was a little blip. The next, our friends are dying’: the gay porn soundtrack composers lost to the Aids crisis
Gay porn in the 80s was home to beautifully moody synth music that is only now getting rediscovered – tragically too late for many of its creators
Daniel Dylan Wray
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/04/gay-porn-soundtrack-composers-lost-to-aids-crisis-80s
The place that stayed with me: I was cautious in showing my queerness, until a night spent dancing at a Tokyo gay bar
Despite hearing many words of warning about expressing public affection, travelling in Japan with my boyfriend helped me loosen up
Daniel Nour
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/feb/05/the-place-that-stayed-with-me-i-was-cautious-in-showing-my-queerness-until-a-night-spent-dancing-at-a-tokyo-gay-bar
‘She thought it was too sexy!’: portraits of Kate Moss, Grace Jones and a tea-drinking chimp – in pictures
From a gold-covered Dennis Rodman to Jack Nicholson sitting in the snow, Albert Watson has spent a career shooting the stars – as well as the occasional giant coffee spoon
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/feb/04/she-thought-it-was-too-sexy-portraits-of-kate-moss-grace-jones-and-a-tea-drinking-chimp-in-pictures
Wildlife photographer of the year – people’s choice 2026
A shortlist of 24 images has been selected for the wildlife photographer of the year people’s choice award. You can vote for your favourite image online. The winner will be announced on 25 March and shown from that date as part of the overall wildlife photographer of the year exhibition, which runs until 12 July at the Natural History Museum in London
Elena Goodinson
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2026/feb/04/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-peoples-choice-2026
As Minnesota legislative session nears and Operation Metro Surge drags on, lawmakers ready response to ICE
Minnesota DFLers are considering laws similar to ones that passed in other blue states. But they are still likely to see legal (and Republican) scrutiny.
by Cleo Krejci and Matthew Blake
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2026/02/as-minnesota-legislative-session-nears-and-operation-metro-surge-drags-on-lawmakers-ready-response-to-ice/
Trump’s border czar says 700 immigration officers to leave Minnesota immediately
About 2,000 officers will remain in the state after this week’s drawdown.
by Steve Karnowski, Associated Press
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/02/trumps-border-czar-says-700-immigration-officers-to-leave-minnesota-immediately/
U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison visited the Whipple Federal Building on Monday and described the conditions she observed in a video posted to YouTube, KARE 11 reports. “During my visit yesterday, I got confirmation that the facility has no specific medical policy and no real medical care on site. There was not a nurse present yesterday at all. There are no beds, no real blankets, minimal food, extremely cold temperatures. People are in locked cells with leg shackles.” Agents did not answer her questions about how many people are currently being held, and how many had been sent to the hospital over the past week. Via MinnPost
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/ice-in-minnesota/no-real-medical-care-representative-describes-conditions-for-detainees-at-whipple-building/89-0995e964-97b1-4d52-97ac-20aaf3b043c5
On Tuesday U.S. citizens who have been affected by the federal immigration crackdown spoke at a public forum organized by Democratic lawmakers in Washington. Renee Macklin Good’s brothers were among the speakers. “[Another] was Aliya Rahman of Minneapolis, who was dragged out of her car by federal immigration enforcement agents three weeks ago. Rahman said she is autistic and has a traumatic brain injury.” Rahman also described conditions at Whipple. “I saw Black and brown bodies shackled together, chained together, being marched by yelling agents outdoors. I continue to hear the word ‘bodies’ because that is how agents refer to us.” Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/02/04/renee-macklin-goods-brothers-others-call-for-ice-reforms-at-public-forum
ICE attorney who said ‘this job sucks’ removed from detail
Julie Le expressed frustration to judge, in response to questions on why ICE has failed to comply with court orders
Sara Braun
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/ice-attorney-minnesota-removed-after-court-statement
Democrats say Trump’s immigration crackdown has undermined efforts to combat human trafficking
House Democrats say US anti-trafficking efforts have been hamstrung by diversion of resources to immigration raids
Lauren Gambino
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/trump-immigration-hinders-human-trafficking-efforts
I knew Trump would target Minnesota. I didn’t expect this level of violence
Rachel Leingang in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/trump-minnesota-ice-immigration
More News
Precinct caucuses showed early GOP frontrunners, KSTP reports. “As of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Minnesota Republican Party was reporting 76% of caucus results, with House Speaker Lisa Demuth leading the crowded field of candidates with 4,837 votes (32.5%). Kendall Qualls was second at 3,804 (25.6%) with Mike Lindell next at 2,583 votes (17.3%). The party’s 2022 gubernatorial nominee, Scott Jensen, was fourth with 884 votes but well behind the top three and basically on par with the number of “undecided” votes (865).” Via MinnPost
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/minnesota-caucus-results-show-early-frontrunners-among-gop-governor-candidates/
Revealed: Israel bulldozed part of Gaza war cemetery containing allied graves
Satellite images and witness testimony show destruction as IDF claims it was forced to take defensive measures
Seham Tantesh in Gaza, Julian Borger in London and Ben Doherty in Sydney
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/04/idf-bulldoze-gaza-war-cemetery-allied-graves-satellite-images
‘It’s an absolute bloodbath’: Washington Post lays off hundreds of workers
Former Post executive editor blasts owner Jeff Bezos’s ‘sickening efforts to curry favor’ with Trump
Jeremy Barr in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/04/washington-post-layoffs
Fulton county commission chair says he was warned of arrest before FBI election office raid
Robb Pitts said call came days before federal agents seized 2020 election documents in Georgia
George Chidi
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/fulton-county-georgia-fbi-election-warns-office-raid
Pentagon threatens to cut ties with Scouting America over ‘core values’
Defense department says it may end support unless youth group abandons inclusivity and returns to ‘God and country’ values
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/boy-scouting-america-pentagon-threat
‘One moment it was a little blip. The next, our friends are dying’: the gay porn soundtrack composers lost to the Aids crisis
Gay porn in the 80s was home to beautifully moody synth music that is only now getting rediscovered – tragically too late for many of its creators
Daniel Dylan Wray
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/04/gay-porn-soundtrack-composers-lost-to-aids-crisis-80s
The place that stayed with me: I was cautious in showing my queerness, until a night spent dancing at a Tokyo gay bar
Despite hearing many words of warning about expressing public affection, travelling in Japan with my boyfriend helped me loosen up
Daniel Nour
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/feb/05/the-place-that-stayed-with-me-i-was-cautious-in-showing-my-queerness-until-a-night-spent-dancing-at-a-tokyo-gay-bar
‘She thought it was too sexy!’: portraits of Kate Moss, Grace Jones and a tea-drinking chimp – in pictures
From a gold-covered Dennis Rodman to Jack Nicholson sitting in the snow, Albert Watson has spent a career shooting the stars – as well as the occasional giant coffee spoon
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/feb/04/she-thought-it-was-too-sexy-portraits-of-kate-moss-grace-jones-and-a-tea-drinking-chimp-in-pictures
Wildlife photographer of the year – people’s choice 2026
A shortlist of 24 images has been selected for the wildlife photographer of the year people’s choice award. You can vote for your favourite image online. The winner will be announced on 25 March and shown from that date as part of the overall wildlife photographer of the year exhibition, which runs until 12 July at the Natural History Museum in London
Elena Goodinson
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2026/feb/04/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-peoples-choice-2026
