2026.02.26
Feb. 26th, 2026 10:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lsandersonICE
Minnesota nonprofits are in a race to distribute millions in mutual aid to tenants facing eviction
State lawmakers are considering a bill to expand what nonprofits can issue eviction-blocking letters assuring landlords that money is on the way.
by Shadi Bushra
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2026/02/minnesota-nonprofits-are-in-a-race-to-distribute-millions-in-mutual-aid-to-tenants-facing-eviction/
How many federal immigration agents remain in Minnesota after the reported drawdown of Operation Metro Surge? Fewer than 1,000, MPR News reports. “According to court filings this week, that’s down from more than 4,000 combined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and other personnel at the peak of the surge. But it’s still hundreds more than the typical federal footprint in the state.”
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/02/25/federal-officials-fewer-than-1000-immigration-agents-remain-minnesota
Charges against three Minnesotans who have been accused of assaulting federal law enforcement officers have been dropped, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. “The defendants were initially accused of serious crimes. But when asked for evidence, the government dropped their cases.”
https://www.startribune.com/charges-dropped-against-three-minnesotans-accused-of-assaulting-federal-agents/601588422?utm_source=gift
Democrats in four states seek to bar ICE employees from future civil service jobs
Bills aim to make ICE employees ineligible for jobs in law enforcement, public education and state civil service
Chris Stein
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/26/democrats-bar-ice-employees-civil-service-jobs
Disabled activist and guest of Ilhan Omar says she did not intend to disrupt State of the Union
Before arrest at US House chamber Tuesday, Aliya Rahman had only a month earlier been dragged from her car by ICE
Eric Berger
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/26/aliya-rahman-sotu-ilhan-omar
Nearly blind refugee abandoned by US border patrol found dead in Buffalo
Investigation under way after man was dropped off five miles from home but family wasn’t notified, officials say
Sara Braun
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/25/border-patrol-refugee-buffalo
More News
What Trump’s war on fraud actually looks like
President Trump’s SOTU rhetoric around social services fraud in Minnesota was, to editorialize, unhelpful in understanding an already complex issue.
by Matthew Blake
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2026/02/what-trumps-war-on-fraud-actually-looks-like/
Vance says Minnesota’s Medicaid funds halted as part of Trump’s ‘war on fraud’
Vice-president makes announcement with Mehmet Oz, who says other states will be next after Minnesota
Lauren Gambino
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/25/jd-vance-minnesota-medicaid
‘Really a lot of amazing beauty’: emails show how model scout connected Epstein with young women
Daniel Siad, facing allegation of rape in France, appears in more than 1,000 documents in latest declassified files
Amelia Gentleman and Lucy Osborne
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/26/daniel-siad-model-scout-jeffrey-epstein-emails
New GLP-1 pill helps patients lose up to 8% of body weight, trial shows
Orforglipron led to greater weight loss than semaglutide tablets and could offer more effective oral alternative to jabs
Anna Bawden Health and social affairs correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/feb/26/new-glp1-pill-patients-lose-weight-trial
First writing may be 40,000 years earlier than thought (Paywall?)
Georgina Rannard Science reporter
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgknj7yyv2o
Leave big tech behind! How to replace Amazon, Google, X, Meta, Apple – and more
A handful of companies monopolise the web, with unprecedented access to our data. But there are many more ethical – and often distinctively European – alternatives
Steve Rose
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/26/how-to-replace-amazon-google-x-meta-apple-alternatives
The nostalgic winter drink dividing Germany (Paywall?)
Alex Katsomitros
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260225-the-nostalgic-winter-drink-dividing-germany
Martin Clunes loses planning battle with new travellers near Dorset home
Councillors vote to allow couple to stay on plot of land, overruling objections of Wuthering Heights actor
Steven Morris
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/26/martin-clunes-planning-battle-new-travellers-dorset
The secret life of a waitress: my nine nightmare diners – from flirts to complainers
Are influencers really the biggest problem facing waiting staff? Not compared with the customer who demanded I pick up her dog’s poo …
Esme Gordon-Craig
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2026/feb/26/the-secret-life-of-a-waitress-my-nine-nightmare-diners-from-flirts-to-complainers
Norway’s all-conquering Winter Olympians have a message for us all – and it’s not what you think
Cath Bishop
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/26/norway-winter-olympics-message-for-us-all
Jacinda Ardern living and working in Australia after move from US
Exclusive: Former New Zealand PM ‘based out of Australia’, according to spokesperson, after rumours she was looking for houses in Sydney
Eva Corlett in Wellington
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/26/jacinda-ardern-living-in-australia-former-nz-new-zealand-pm
Minnesota nonprofits are in a race to distribute millions in mutual aid to tenants facing eviction
State lawmakers are considering a bill to expand what nonprofits can issue eviction-blocking letters assuring landlords that money is on the way.
by Shadi Bushra
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2026/02/minnesota-nonprofits-are-in-a-race-to-distribute-millions-in-mutual-aid-to-tenants-facing-eviction/
How many federal immigration agents remain in Minnesota after the reported drawdown of Operation Metro Surge? Fewer than 1,000, MPR News reports. “According to court filings this week, that’s down from more than 4,000 combined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and other personnel at the peak of the surge. But it’s still hundreds more than the typical federal footprint in the state.”
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/02/25/federal-officials-fewer-than-1000-immigration-agents-remain-minnesota
Charges against three Minnesotans who have been accused of assaulting federal law enforcement officers have been dropped, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. “The defendants were initially accused of serious crimes. But when asked for evidence, the government dropped their cases.”
https://www.startribune.com/charges-dropped-against-three-minnesotans-accused-of-assaulting-federal-agents/601588422?utm_source=gift
Democrats in four states seek to bar ICE employees from future civil service jobs
Bills aim to make ICE employees ineligible for jobs in law enforcement, public education and state civil service
Chris Stein
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/26/democrats-bar-ice-employees-civil-service-jobs
Disabled activist and guest of Ilhan Omar says she did not intend to disrupt State of the Union
Before arrest at US House chamber Tuesday, Aliya Rahman had only a month earlier been dragged from her car by ICE
Eric Berger
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/26/aliya-rahman-sotu-ilhan-omar
Nearly blind refugee abandoned by US border patrol found dead in Buffalo
Investigation under way after man was dropped off five miles from home but family wasn’t notified, officials say
Sara Braun
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/25/border-patrol-refugee-buffalo
More News
What Trump’s war on fraud actually looks like
President Trump’s SOTU rhetoric around social services fraud in Minnesota was, to editorialize, unhelpful in understanding an already complex issue.
by Matthew Blake
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2026/02/what-trumps-war-on-fraud-actually-looks-like/
Vance says Minnesota’s Medicaid funds halted as part of Trump’s ‘war on fraud’
Vice-president makes announcement with Mehmet Oz, who says other states will be next after Minnesota
Lauren Gambino
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/25/jd-vance-minnesota-medicaid
‘Really a lot of amazing beauty’: emails show how model scout connected Epstein with young women
Daniel Siad, facing allegation of rape in France, appears in more than 1,000 documents in latest declassified files
Amelia Gentleman and Lucy Osborne
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/26/daniel-siad-model-scout-jeffrey-epstein-emails
New GLP-1 pill helps patients lose up to 8% of body weight, trial shows
Orforglipron led to greater weight loss than semaglutide tablets and could offer more effective oral alternative to jabs
Anna Bawden Health and social affairs correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/feb/26/new-glp1-pill-patients-lose-weight-trial
First writing may be 40,000 years earlier than thought (Paywall?)
Georgina Rannard Science reporter
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgknj7yyv2o
Leave big tech behind! How to replace Amazon, Google, X, Meta, Apple – and more
A handful of companies monopolise the web, with unprecedented access to our data. But there are many more ethical – and often distinctively European – alternatives
Steve Rose
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/26/how-to-replace-amazon-google-x-meta-apple-alternatives
The nostalgic winter drink dividing Germany (Paywall?)
Alex Katsomitros
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260225-the-nostalgic-winter-drink-dividing-germany
Martin Clunes loses planning battle with new travellers near Dorset home
Councillors vote to allow couple to stay on plot of land, overruling objections of Wuthering Heights actor
Steven Morris
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/26/martin-clunes-planning-battle-new-travellers-dorset
The secret life of a waitress: my nine nightmare diners – from flirts to complainers
Are influencers really the biggest problem facing waiting staff? Not compared with the customer who demanded I pick up her dog’s poo …
Esme Gordon-Craig
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2026/feb/26/the-secret-life-of-a-waitress-my-nine-nightmare-diners-from-flirts-to-complainers
Norway’s all-conquering Winter Olympians have a message for us all – and it’s not what you think
Cath Bishop
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/26/norway-winter-olympics-message-for-us-all
Jacinda Ardern living and working in Australia after move from US
Exclusive: Former New Zealand PM ‘based out of Australia’, according to spokesperson, after rumours she was looking for houses in Sydney
Eva Corlett in Wellington
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/26/jacinda-ardern-living-in-australia-former-nz-new-zealand-pm
