D'oh! Running late ... — LiveJournal

11:08 am - 2026.02.27

ICE

ICE won’t be at polling places in 2026 election, Trump administration official says
Election officials had feared that federal agents would interfere with the 2026 midterms, even though federal law prohibits armed troops at polling places.
By Nathaniel Rakich, Votebeat
https://www.minnpost.com/elections/2026/02/ice-wont-be-at-polling-places-in-2026-election-trump-administration-official-says/

Will Trump try to seize voting machines to disrupt the midterm elections?
State election leaders have been raising concerns about the intent behind Trump’s recent moves on elections
George Chidi in Atlanta
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/27/trump-voting-machines-midterm-election

Minnesota nonprofits are in a race to distribute millions in mutual aid to tenants facing eviction
State lawmakers are considering a bill to expand which 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/

A story of surviving Minnesota’s record surge in legal appeals over unconstitutional ICE detentions
Attorneys and advocates say it’s critical to be prepared and act quickly in order to get home.
by Cleo Krejci and Shadi Bushra
https://www.minnpost.com/public-safety/2026/02/a-story-of-surviving-minnesotas-record-surge-in-legal-appeals-over-unconstitutional-ice-detentions/

10:15 am - 2026.02.26

ICE

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

09:39 am - 2026.02.25

ICE

Singer, medical researcher, ICU nurse, outdoor adventurer. The Minnesota Star Tribune has a lengthy profile of Alex Pretti’s life before he entered the national spotlight as the second observer in Minneapolis killed by an immigration agent. “Outside of work, Pretti’s penchant for action translated to activism.” Via MinnPost
https://www.startribune.com/alex-prettis-journey-to-the-center-of-a-crisis/601575572?utm_source=gift

Stand With Minnesota, the mutual aid clearinghouse organized by Ashley Fairbanks that MinnPost reported on earlier this month, has raised over $20 million dollars for Minnesotans affected by Operation Metro Surge. The Guardian has a Q&A with Fairbanks, where she again emphasized the need for rent relief. “Everything else, we can rebuild. There’s other assistance. But with rent, no one’s coming to save them,” she said. Via MinnPost
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/02/inside-minnesotans-moonshot-to-cover-rent-for-their-immigrant-neighbors/

‘I can’t risk going to work’: As ICE arrests escalated, mom, son huddled at home, afraid to leave for groceries or school
Nuvia and her son relied on a network of mutual aid donations, which are dwindling as Operation Metro Surge winds down. Volunteers say many families are still recovering from the impacts of the ICE surge.
by Anshu Patel
https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/minneapolis-minnesota-mutual-aid-recipient-ice-operation-metro-surge/

07:54 am - 2026.02.24

ICE

A former instructor at an ICE training facility in Georgia spoke before a congressional hearing Monday afternoon and shared what training efforts have looked like as DHS rapidly scales up its number of recruits. “…Even in the final days of training, the cadets cannot demonstrate a solid grasp of the tactics or the law required to perform their jobs,” Ryan Schwank said during the hearing organized by congressional Democrats. Schwank resigned “in protest” less than two weeks ago, CBS News reports, and his testimony “will likely fuel Democrats’ refusal to fund the Department of Homeland Security until the Trump administration agrees to a number of reforms for ICE, including a prohibition on agents wearing masks.” Via MinnPost
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-whistleblower-new-recruits-receiving-defective-training/

A group of Minnesota clergy sued the Department of Homeland Security on Monday for repeatedly blocking their visits to immigration detainees at the Whipple Federal Building. “To be able to receive pastoral care is incredibly important. For individuals to be treated with humanity instead of being treated like inventory,” Irina Vaynerman, the CEO of Groundwork Legal and one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, said in an interview with MPR News. Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/02/23/minnesota-clergy-sue-department-of-homeland-security-over-access-to-immigration-detainees

09:33 am - 2026.02.23

Killing of Mexican drug cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ triggers wave of violence
Schools close and flights suspended after military raid kills Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes
Tom Phillips and Oliver Holmes
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/23/el-mencho-mexican-drug-cartel-boss-killing-violence

A rush of blood to the penis – and vaginal tenting: what happens to our bodies when we get turned on
Arousal may be spontaneous, or arise in response to sensory stimulation, memory, fantasy or emotional connection. Here’s how to understand the differences
Joel Snape
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/feb/23/what-happens-to-our-bodies-when-we-get-turned-on-vaginal-tenting

Wegovy and Ozempic owner dealt blow as next-gen weight-loss drug is branded ‘obsolete’
Novo Nordisk’s shares fall sharply after testing of CagriSema falls short of investors’ expectations
Julia Kollewe
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/feb/23/wegovy-ozempic-weight-loss-drug-novo-nordisk-cagrisema

A new start after 60: I baked a pie every day for a year – and it changed my life
Vickie Hardin Woods was worried she would lose her identity when she retired. Instead, she came up with a plan that made her feel more creative, connected and valued than ever
Paula Cocozza
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/feb/22/a-new-start-after-60-i-baked-a-pie-every-day-for-a-year-and-it-changed-my-life

11:09 am - 2026.02.22

ICE

Worst of the worst? Most US immigrants targeted for deportation in 2025 had no criminal charges, documents reveal
A Guardian analysis finds the vast majority of people who entered deportation proceedings for the first time from January to August last year had no criminal convictions
Will Craft
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/22/us-immigration-trump-administration

How daily routines in Minneapolis and St Paul have changed amid 3,000 federal immigration agents – in pictures
Many people have been sheltering at home. Protests have become part of the daily rhythm. Community networks continue to patrol and document agents’ interactions
Bridget Bennett in Minneapolis and St Paul
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/feb/22/minneapolis-st-paul-daily-routines-immigration

More News

Homeland security to suspend TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs
Democrats accuse DHS of ‘kneecapping’ programs that help speed registered travelers through security lines
Guardian staff and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/22/homeland-security-suspends-tsa-precheck-global-entry-airport-security-programs

Trump warns Netflix of ‘consequences’ unless it pulls top Democrat from board
US president calls for removal of Susan Rice as streaming platform pursues takeover of Warner Bros Discovery
Joanna Partridge
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/22/trump-warns-netflix-of-consequences-unless-it-pulls-top-democrat-susan-rice-from-board

10:11 am - 2026.02.21

ICE

The Department of Homeland Security maintains a website detailing the “worst of the worst” who were arrested in Minnesota that is rife with errors, KARE 11 reports. “The Department of Homeland Security’s “Worst of the Worst” website features people arrested in Minnesota who the department says have been convicted of serious crimes. But the list has raised many questions. The Minnesota Department of Corrections’ ongoing fact-check is having trouble confirming that some of the crimes listed were committed, even in other states. Officials also point out that hat a number of the “worst of the worst” arrests did not take place in the community during Operation Metro Surge, but actually were direct transfers from Minnesota prisons to ICE custody.”
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/ice-in-minnesota/worst-of-the-worst-website-rife-with-errors-cnn/89-f052d30f-4ce0-4334-ae87-cc7bf3948936

10:06 am - 2026.02.20

ICE

Minnesota attorney general’s evidence portal draws nearly 1,500 submissions in first month
The portal launched Jan. 15 to gather evidence that could be used to hold federal immigration agents accountable for constitutional violations during Operation Metro Surge.
by Cleo Krejci
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2026/02/minnesota-attorney-generals-evidence-portal-draws-nearly-1500-submissions-in-first-month/

What’s it like to be trapped inside, hiding from ICE? “MPR News collected stories from several people under those circumstances across the state. They recorded voice memos or spoke to a reporter over three days between Jan. 24 and Feb. 4, sharing what their day was like.” As one person put it, “The most difficult part of this whole situation; it’s feeling like we’re nothing. It’s feeling like we’re unwanted.” Via MinnPost
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2026/02/minnesota-prosecutors-worry-they-could-lack-the-staff-to-charge-serious-offenders/

10:46 am - 2026.02.19

ICE

Why an ICE plan to turn warehouses in Shakopee and Woodbury into detention centers has failed in Minnesota — and other states
The $38 billion initiative faces hurdles as communities and local politicians oppose it on humanitarian and logistical grounds.
by Ana Radelat
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2026/02/why-an-ice-plan-to-turn-warehouses-in-shakopee-and-woodbury-into-detention-centers-has-failed-in-minnesota-and-other-states/

There’s “no mystery” in how Renee Good and Alex Pretti died, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. At a Wednesday news conference she added that “a trove of investigative materials remains available to state law enforcement,” and “prosecutors are in ‘good shape’ as they consider what would be an unprecedented decision to file state charges against federal agents without the help of the federal government,” the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2026/02/fbi-formally-refuses-to-share-evidence-in-alex-pretti-shooting-with-minnesota-bca/

Minneapolis police are investigating after the memorial for Renee Good was doused in gasoline and set ablaze around 9 p.m. Tuesday evening, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. “A fence was charred, and several items in the memorial were damaged, but the memorial site at 34th Street and Portland Avenue wasn’t burned down. No one was injured, Minneapolis police said.”
https://www.startribune.com/renee-good-memorial-site-doused-in-gasoline/601584109

10:34 am - 2026.02.18

ICE

After my ICE arrest, I learned one crucial way to treat trauma. We can all take part
An illustration of numerous gentle, overlapping hands forming the shape of a protective flower enclosing a small, curled up child.
I was detained for writing a op-ed about Gaza as a student at Tufts. My experience has only made me feel more connected to others facing oppression
Rümeysa Öztürk
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/feb/18/rumeysa-ozturk-trauma-children-ice-gaza

Conservative Georgia town pushes back against ICE detention center: ‘We are Americans after all’
Social Circle, a mostly Maga town, builds strange bedfellow coalition against plans to convert warehouse
Timothy Pratt in Social Circle, Georgia
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/18/ice-detention-center-warehouse-georgia

More News

In other session news, a bill backed by more than two dozen GOP lawmakers would make protesting in front of someone’s place of residence a gross misdemeanor. Legal repercussions could also include restraining orders, Fox 9 reports. Via MinnPost
https://www.fox9.com/news/residential-protesting-minnesota-new-gop-proposal-feb-2026

Nevada sues Kalshi to block company’s prediction market operation in state
State regulators seek to block Kalshi from offering events contracts that would allow residents to bet on sports
Reuters
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/18/nevada-kalshi-lawsuit-prediction-market