2026.04.07

[lsanderson]

Hennepin County officials look for solutions to food stamp shortfalls and other federal funding cuts
In addition to SNAP cuts, the county also expects a $12 million reduction in Housing and Urban Development grants, but commissioners hope to avoid property tax increases.
by Trevor Mitchell
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/04/hennepin-county-snap-shortfalls-federal-cuts/

With HCMC’s survival threatened, staff and leaders call for state action
Hospital employees and county leaders warn of statewide ‘catastrophe’ if lawmakers don’t act to direct more funds to the safety-net hospital.
by Maddie Robinson
https://www.minnpost.com/race-health-equity/2026/04/with-hcmc-survival-threatened-staff-and-leaders-call-for-state-action/

How Minnesota home insurance rates stack up
A new report ranked Minnesota among the top 10 most expensive states for home insurance as severe weather drives up rates nationwide.
By Grist
https://www.minnpost.com/environment/2026/04/home-insurance-rates-minnesota-stack-up/

DC’s highly qualified workers can’t find jobs: ‘What is happening?’
Washington DC has the highest unemployment rate in the US
Alba Asenjo Domínguez in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/07/washington-dc-highly-qualified-workers-unemployment

Democrats accuse ICE of creating ‘disappearances’ on US soil
Lawmakers led by Elizabeth Warren in scathing letter say system used to track detainees ‘increasingly unreliable’
José Olivares
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/07/democrats-letter-ice-disappearances

Wireless festival cancelled after Kanye West banned from entering UK
Rapper had been booked to play at festival in London, prompting outcry over his past antisemitic remarks
Jamie Grierson, Rajeev Syal and Lanre Bakare
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/apr/07/home-office-bans-kanye-west-from-entering-uk-wireless-festival

Porn, dog poo and social media snaps: the ‘taskers’ scraping the internet for Meta-owned AI firm
Scale AI gig workers describe desperation of using people’s personal profiles and copyrighted work to train AI
Aisha Down
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/07/meta-scale-ai-social-media-technology

Scientists develop gene-edited wheat that can make toasted bread less carcinogenic
Bread and biscuits made from Crispr-edited wheat showed substantially reduced acrylamide levels
Helena Horton
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/07/crispr-gene-edited-wheat-toasted-bread-less-carcinogenic-acrylamide

Spanish politicians clash over request to move Picasso’s Guernica
Madrid and Basque government leaders call each other ‘provincial’ in dispute over the artwork
Stephen Burgen in Barcelona
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/07/spain-politician-clash-picasso-guernica

Iowa can restrict LGBTQ+ books and topics at schools, appellate court rules
Ruling, vacating lower court’s temporary block, applies to classrooms and libraries up to sixth grade
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/06/iowa-lgbtq-book-ban-schools

California county records sixth person bitten by rattlesnake in under a month
Two fatalities reported in southern California so far, with warmer spring bringing reptiles out on trails earlier
Cecilia Nowell
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/06/california-sixth-person-bitten-rattlesnake

Bangladesh launches measles vaccination drive as child death toll passes 100
UN assists in emergency vaccination drive as country battles worst surge in cases in years amid fall in vaccination rates
Hannah Ellis-Petersen South Asia correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/07/bangladesh-measles-vaccination-drive-child-death-toll

Scientists identify ‘neural fingerprint’ of psychedelic drugs in the brain
Analysis of more than 500 brain scans finds LSD, psilocybin and other psychedelics increase cross-talk between brain systems
Ian Sample Science editor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/06/scientists-identify-neural-fingerprint-of-psychedelic-drugs-in-the-brain