figment

Pandemic preparedness ‘dramatically eroding’ under Trump, experts say
With misinformation and murky details on bird flu and measles outbreaks, experts worry about the next pandemic
Melody Schreiber
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/20/us-pandemic-preparedness-dramatically-eroding-trump

Judge blocks Trump plan to tie states’ transportation funds to immigration enforcement
States argued US transportation secretary lacks authority to impose conditions on funding appropriated by Congress
Reuters
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/19/transportation-funds-immigration-enforcement-trump-lawsuit

Fuel firms can challenge California’s emission limits, supreme court rules
Court votes to back challenge to state waiver that allows it to set tougher car emission standards than federal limits
Oliver Milman
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/20/supreme-court-ruling-california-emission-limits

‘My grandmother never used yuzu’: global gastronomy is out as Catalan chefs celebrate tradition
Top chefs in this year’s World Region of Gastronomy are looking back as they shift from avant-garde cuisine to something more homespun
Stephen Burgen in Barcelona
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/20/catalan-traditional-food-world-region-gastronomy

America made a catastrophic mistake with the Iraq war. Is it about to repeat it in Iran?
Stephen Wertheim
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/20/america-made-a-catastrophic-mistake-with-the-iraq-war-is-it-about-to-repeat-it-in-iran

‘True model of humility’: hundreds pay tribute to victims of Minnesota killings
Candlelight vigil honoring Melissa Hortman and husband at state capitol was attended by Tim Walz and couple’s son
Victoria Bekiempis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/19/minnesota-capitol-vigil-killings-melissa-hortman

The 12 best books of 2025 so far
Rebecca Laurence and Lindsay Baker
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250619-the-best-books-of-2025

'I swapped nursing for erotic fiction - but I won't let mum read my books'
Steven McKenzie
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1dewy56n04o

The science behind brewing tastier non-alcoholic beer
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0ljxvlq/the-science-behind-brewing-tastier-non-alcoholic-beer

New York City mayoral candidate Brad Lander arrested by Ice agents
Lander, who has been released, was arrested at courthouse, where he said he intended to ‘accompany’ immigrants out of the building
Jenna Amatulli
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/17/brad-lander-arrested-new-york-city-comptroller

‘Ice raids while the wealthy party next door’: the migrants living in the shadow of Mar-a-Lago
Five residents of Lake Worth Beach – just 10 miles from Trump’s Maga fortress – share their stories of survival as an immigration crackdown takes its toll
Clare Considine
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/18/lake-worth-beach-immigration-crackdown-trump

Tough, whip-smart and selfless: Melissa Hortman, ‘singular force for democracy’, remembered
Colleagues speak of Hortman’s legislative accomplishments, a ‘steely negotiator’ who went into politics ‘to do something, not to be something’
Rachel Leingang in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/18/melissa-hortman-remembered ( Read more... )

The Glean
More on the Hortman assasination
For this morning’s Glean, I’m sharing a few headlines that add depth to our coverage of this weekend’s shootings.
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2025/06/more-depth-on-the-hortman-assasination/

Violence is coming to define American political life
Stephen Marche
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/16/us-politics-violence-trump-parade-protests

‘Extremely disturbing and unethical’: new rules allow VA doctors to refuse to treat Democrats, unmarried veterans
Department of Veterans Affairs says the changes come in response to a Trump executive order ‘defending women’
Aaron Glantz
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/16/va-doctors-refuse-treat-patients
( Read more... )

‘Her mirthful eyes, her sharp humor’: Colleagues remember Melissa Hortman, assassinated at age 55
Hortman reshaped education, environment and health care through years in Minnesota House leadership.
by Matthew Blake
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2025/06/her-mirthful-eyes-her-sharp-humor-colleagues-remember-melissa-hortman-assassinated-at-age-55/

Flood of tributes for Minnesota Democrat killed in ‘targeted violence’
Governor Tim Walz calls Melissa Hortman, state speaker shot dead along with husband Mark, ‘dearest of friends’
Edward Helmore in New York and Rachel Leingang in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/14/minnesota-democrat-melissa-hortman-tribute

Manhunt continues for suspect in shootings of Minnesota lawmakers
Gunman believed to have left Minneapolis region after killing one legislator and wounding another
Victoria Bekiempis and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/15/minnesota-shooting-suspect-manhunt

Manhunt after two Minnesota state politicians targeted, one of them killed
Mike Wendling in Brooklyn Park and Danai Nesta Kupemba
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgj83q2e562o

Millions across US turn out for ‘No Kings’ protests against Donald Trump
Protesters demonstrate at about 2,000 sites nationwide on day US president holds military parade in Washington
Rachel Leingang in Minneapolis, Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles and Melissa Hellmann in Philadelphia
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/14/no-kings-protests-trump-military-parade

Trump, Netanyahu and Khamenei – three angry old men who could get us all killed
Simon Tisdall
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/15/trump-netanyahu-khamenei-three-angry-old-men

A £2.5m dud? Fresh doubt cast on authenticity of National Gallery Rubens
Former curator’s comments, later withdrawn, reignite debate over attribution of Samson and Delilah painting
Dalya Alberge
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/jun/15/claim-casts-doubt-on-origin-of-national-gallery-rubnes

It's Estimated Tax Day, well, almost. Due Tomorrow.

Last night the valet at Orchestra Hall could drive a stick and was excited at the chance. There went my private parking! They tried to pawn off a new car on me when I went to pick it up, but I resisted.

The Minneapolis Courthouse Gets Corny
A new crop art exhibit, Seeds of Justice, is on display at the Diane E. Murphy U.S. Courthouse, featuring 17 pieces that depict significant figures and events about U.S. democracy.
by Madeline Cisneros
https://mspmag.com/arts-and-culture/the-minneapolis-courthouse-gets-corny/

From the Minnesota Star Tribune: “Federal searches conducted in eight places across the Twin Cities metro area last week were sparked by the discovery of more than 900 pounds of methamphetamine in a Burnsville storage unit, according to an indictment filed Tuesday. Via MinnPost

Minnesota lawmakers grit teeth, pass state budget in crammed special session
Legislators voiced ambivalence and frustration with spending bills as the 2025 session finally wrapped.
by Matthew Blake
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2025/06/minnesota-lawmakers-grit-teeth-pass-state-budget-in-crammed-special-session/

Troops and marines deeply troubled by LA deployment: ‘Morale is not great’
Several service members told advocacy groups they felt like pawns in a political game and assignment was unnecessary
Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/12/los-angeles-national-guard-troops-marines-morale

Newsom calls Trump a 'stone cold liar' and says president didn't speak to him about sending troops to LA
Joanna Walters
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/jun/12/la-protests-los-angeles-california-curfew-ice-immigration-marines-national-guard-donald-trump-latest-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-684ad0638f0814dfee5fe986#block-684ad0638f0814dfee5fe986

Families arrested in LA Ice raids held in basements with little food or water, lawyers say
Agents confiscated belongings and rushed deportees to California’s high desert or Texas, saying local facilities had not prepared for influx
Maanvi Singh in Los Angeles
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/11/la-ice-raids-immigration-conditions

‘This isn’t an isolated incident’: Trump’s show of military force in LA was years in the making
The president had been waiting for this made-for-TV clash that allows the administration to ‘manufacture’ a crisis
Rachel Leingang and Lauren Gambinoin Los Angeles
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/11/trump-military-force-plotting

Boos, cheers and a heavy dose of irony as Trump takes in Les Mis against backdrop of LA protests
The tuxedo-clad US president promised a ‘golden era’ for the US at his first Kennedy Center production in Washington
David Smith in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/12/boos-cheers-and-a-heavy-dose-of-irony-as-trump-takes-in-les-mis-against-backdrop-of-la-protests

My unexpected Pride icon: The Green Roasting Tin, a cookbook no lesbian vegetarian can be without
Sure, Rukmini Iyer’s recipes are not specifically aimed at queer people, but the first time I cooked one, it was with my girlfriend – and she is now my wife
Lucy Knight
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2025/jun/12/my-unexpected-pride-icon-the-green-roasting-tin-a-cookbook-no-lesbian-vegetarian-can-be-without

How Pakistan fell in love with sushi
Once upon a time, Pakistanis scorned raw fish. Now sushi is everywhere from Ramadan meals to wedding buffets – and it all started with one man and a dream
By Sanam Maher
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/jun/12/how-pakistan-fell-in-love-with-sushi

‘The quality of Lebanese wine is absolutely incredible’
Lebanon is one of the most ancient wine-producing regions of the world, so it’s well worth our attention
Hannah Crosbie
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/jun/12/lebanese-wine-musar-hannah-crosbie

Scientists develop methanol breathalyser that could prevent thousands of poisonings each year
Prototype is able to detect small concentrations of the toxic substance in alcoholic drinks or on someone’s breath
Petra Stock
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/11/scientists-develop-methanol-breathalyser-that-could-prevent-thousands-of-poisonings-each-year

BYD launches cheapest UK model in bid to overtake Tesla as biggest electric carmaker
Dolphin Surf will start at £18,650 – among the cheapest new vehicles on sale in Britain
Jasper Jolly
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/12/byd-dolphin-surf-cheapest-uk-model-electric-carmaker-tesla

New species of dinosaur discovered that 'rewrites' T.rex family tree
Victoria Gill
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8dzv3vp5jo

From Dubai to the Parthenon: the ‘strawberry moon’ around the world - in pictures
The strawberry moon, so named because it traditionally denoted the start of strawberry picking in the northern hemisphere was viewable on 10-11 June
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2025/jun/12/from-dubai-to-the-parthenon-the-strawberry-moon-around-the-world-in-pictures

MyPillow founder Mike Lindell sticks by false 2020 election claims in defamation trial
Lindell took the stand for the first time during the trial in Denver.
by Colleen Slevin Associated Press
https://www.minnpost.com/national/2025/06/mypillow-founder-mike-lindell-sticks-by-false-2020-election-claims-in-defamation-trial/

From Bring Me The News: “Anxiety over current U.S. border and LGBTQ policies under the Trump administration has led a Canadian group to scrap the Minnesota leg of its annual cross-border Pride parade. Borderland Pride has announced that its cross-border Pride March will not start in International Falls this year. The event will instead take place entirely within Fort Frances on the Canadian side of the border.” Via MinnPost

Sumer is icumen in: From MPR News: “Our weather pattern will take a more typical summery and thundery June turn this week. Tuesday brings plenty of sunshine and warmer temperatures in the 80s to much of Minnesota. Then a warm front will stall across southern Minnesota along the Interstate 90 corridor between Wednesday and Friday. That front will be the focus of a few rounds of thunderstorms.” Via MinnPost

‘They tell you every minor inconvenience’: bartenders on which generation has the worst behavior
Gen Z patrons have stopped opening bar tabs and can’t order quickly, but older customers’ etiquette isn’t perfect either
Alaina Demopoulos
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2025/jun/10/gen-z-bar-tabs-etiquette

Compare the courage of Greta Thunberg’s Gaza aid mission with the inaction and complicity of western governments
Owen Jones
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/10/greta-thunberg-gaza-aid-mission-madleen

New blood test for coeliac disease can diagnose autoimmune condition without need to eat gluten
Australian researchers hope test is a ‘game-changer’ for diagnosing those following a strict gluten-free diet
Natasha May Health reporter
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/10/new-blood-test-for-coeliac-disease-can-diagnose-autoimmune-condition-without-need-to-eat-gluten

Mythica: Stormbound review – new chunk of swords and sorcery tale ripe for avid franchise audience
The sixth instalment in this low-budget series has a meagre plot and shonky visual effects but the director and cast clearly care about the franchise’s audience
Leslie Felperin
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jun/09/mythica-stormbound-review-new-chunk-of-swords-and-sorcery-tale-ripe-for-avid-franchise-audience

‘It makes me sick!’ How the French impressionists went from ‘lunatics’ to luminaries
The National Gallery of Victoria’s new show, French Impressionism, celebrates the likes of Monet, Renoir, Degas, Morisot and Pissarro, who painted in the face of public outrage
Sian Cain
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/jun/09/it-makes-me-sick-how-the-likes-of-the-french-impressionists-went-from-lunatics-to-luminaries

Frederick Forsyth, Day of the Jackal author and former MI6 agent, dies aged 86
Writer used his experience reporting on De Gaulle’s France to plot his thriller, and continued to draw on real-world research for subsequent bestsellers
Richard Lea
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jun/09/frederick-forsyth-day-of-the-jackal-author-and-former-mi6-agent-dies-aged-86

Sly Stone obituary
Funk and soul musician whose band, Sly and the Family Stone, had a profound effect on US music in the 1960s and 70s
Garth Cartwright
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jun/10/sly-stone-obituary

Lojo Russo Pop-Up Concert
The Warehouse at Wonderwoman
3715 Minnehaha Ave
Monday, June 9 between 7p and 9p.
Hope you can make!
https://facebook.com/events/s/pop-up-lojo/715128571213095/

Trump news at a glance: California’s Newsom compares Trump to a ‘dictator’ over national guard deployment
The governor is in a showdown with the president over the policing of protests in LA and Paramount – key US politics stories from Sunday 8 June at a glance
Guardian staff
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/09/trump-administration-news-updates-today

A free flat for a fortnight: the German city offering perks to fight depopulation
Eisenhüttenstadt, once a socialist vision but now at risk of becoming a ghost town, seeks to ditch its far-right image
Deborah Cole in Eisenhüttenstadt
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/09/a-free-flat-for-a-fortnight-the-german-city-offering-perks-to-fight-depopulation

Toxic truth? The cookware craze redefining ‘ceramic’ and ‘nontoxic’
Designer brands such as Always Pan and Caraway are booming – but safety experts are raising questions
Tom Perkins
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jun/09/ceramic-nontoxic-cookware

Inside one of the world's most advanced supercomputers
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0lgb2xd/inside-one-of-the-world-s-most-advanced-supercomputers

Will the Trump-Musk rift really change anything?
Jan-Werner Müller
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/09/musk-trump-rift-change

The Guardian view on coming-out tales: from A Boy’s Own Story to What It Feels Like for a Girl
Editorial
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/08/the-guardian-view-on-coming-out-tales-from-a-boys-own-story-to-what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl

Who drank all the matcha? How tourism drained a Japanese town
Marina Wang
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250606-matcha-how-tourism-drained-a-japanese-town

From Tabasco sauce to Taiwanese Tex-Mex: Felicity Cloake's American odyssey
Laura Hall
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250606-felicity-cloakes-american-food-odyssey

Outrage after Republican representative disparages Sikh prayer in the US House
Mary Miller had first mistaken Giani Singh for a Muslim and said it was ‘deeply troubling’ he was allowed to lead prayer
Maya Yang
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/06/us-house-prayer-republican-mary-miller

Money can’t buy him love: Republicans give Elon Musk the cold shoulder
Robert Tait in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/06/trump-elon-musk-reaction

Trump bill set to add trillions to US debt pile – can America stop it climbing?
Economists are concerned, politicians are angry – but the national debt keeps growing, no matter who’s in charge
Callum Jones in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jun/07/trump-bill-us-national-debt

The Trump-Musk feud shows danger of handing the keys of power to one person
Nick Robins-Early
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/07/trump-musk-feud-power

Musk and Trump are enemies made for each other – united in their ability to trash their own brands
Jonathan Freedland
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/06/donald-trump-elon-musk-enemies-trash-twitter-tesla

Neo-Nazi group ‘actively seeking to grow in US’ with planned paramilitary training event
The Base is emerging from shadows and ramping up its ranks as White House turns blind eye to the far right
Ben Makuch
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/07/the-base-neo-nazi-group-paramilitary-training

RFK Jr’s report calls farmers ‘backbone’ of US – but cuts leave workers lacking support
Small farmers face ‘two personalities’ as Trump team slashes $1bn in resources despite Kennedy’s vow to protect them
Jessica Glenza
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/07/farmers-trump-cuts-rfk-jr

Russia is at war with Britain and US is no longer a reliable ally, UK adviser says
Government defence expert Fiona Hill warns UK to respond to threats by becoming more cohesive and resilient
Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/06/russia-is-at-war-with-uk-and-us-no-longer-reliable-ally

International Pride Orchestra plays outside DC in rebuff to Trump snub at Kennedy Center
LGBTQ+ ensemble was to appear at performing arts center but moved to Maryland after president reorganized venue
Guardian staff and agency
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/06/international-pride-orchestra-kennedy-center

Key takeaways from world’s largest cancer conference in Chicago
Experts announce findings on immunotherapy, a breast cancer breakthrough and the value of exercise
Andrew Gregory in Chicago
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/06/key-takeaways-from-worlds-largest-cancer-conference-in-chicago

Alzheimer’s blood test can spot people with early symptoms, study suggests
New test accurately picks up on memory problems by examining two proteins in blood plasma, US researchers find
PA Media
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/07/alzheimers-blood-test-can-spot-people-with-early-symptoms-study-suggests

It’s my goal to live to 100 – and it’s not just diet and exercise that will help me achieve it
Devi Sridhar
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/07/live-to-100-diet-exercise-long-life

Jantelagen: Why Swedes won't talk about wealth
A high income is a badge of success in many countries, but in Sweden a deep-rooted cultural code called Jantelagen stops many from talking about it.
Video by Maddy Savage and Benoît Derrier
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p07qgx5d/jantelagen-why-swedes-won-t-talk-about-wealth

If books could kill: The poison legacy lurking in libraries
Pauline McLean
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g2y9xq58no

Lost Turner oil painting found after 150 years
Leigh Boobyer
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyzp4r70m8o