64 days in Chicago: The story of Operation Midway Blitz

What happened here for more than two months is unlike anything in recent American history: the federal government sending agents dressed for war into neighborhoods of the country’s third-largest city to arrest mostly people who look Latino and to ask questions later. To target people largely on the basis of their skin color, on the presumption that they may be in the country without documentation, or that they may have a criminal record, or an association with a gang.

Chicago Tribune

Dragged down by an unpopular president, Republicans are bracing for a midterm trouncing

As Americans tire of Donald Trump, a Democratic midterm ‘tsunami’ could sweep the GOP out of power

The Guardian

Broadview detainees during Operation Midway Blitz were self-deporting at alarming rates, analysis finds

A WBEZ and Sun-Times analysis shows detainees initially booked at Broadview were nearly twice as likely as detainees nationwide to self-deport. Legal experts said inhumane conditions, coercion and a lack of legal counsel were contributing factors.

Chicago Sun-Times

How Trump’s ‘crony capitalism’ has shaken up U.S. business

“When the American government appears to favor a company over rival companies, that distorts the marketplace,” says Ann Lipton, a veteran business law expert and professor at University of Colorado’s law school.

“It means that other firms have less incentive to compete on innovation, which is sort of the opposite of how a free market is supposed to operate,” she adds. “It’s just bad for the economy.”

NPR

For young transgender runner, racing wasn’t the hardest thing

Verónica García overcame poverty to become a high school track champion — twice. It made her famous for all the wrong reasons.

The Washington Post

What America Might Look Like With Zero Immigration

The Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the foreign-born population are being felt in hospitals and soccer leagues and on Main Streets across the country, with hints of what’s to come.

The New York Times

The Trump Administration Has Already Accomplished Vast Portions of Project 2025

The conservative policy wishlist for Trump’s second term has severely impacted women and LGBTQ+ Americans.

Truthout

Mississippi-based photographer’s unseen Civil Rights images are shown in Alabama, seven decades later

Seven decades after Rosa Parks was thrust indelibly into American history for refusing to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, new photos of the Civil Rights Movement icon have been made public for the first time, and they illustrate aspects of her legacy that are often overlooked.

Mississippi Today

Memory loss: As AI gobbles up chips, prices for devices may rise

The explosion in AI-related cloud computing and data centers has led to so much demand for certain types of memory chips that now there’s a shortage. The imbalance is expected to start affecting prices of all sorts of products powered by technology.

NPR

Leigh H. Mosley is documenting the legacy of D.C.’s Black lesbian elders

The artist and activist has been photographing an ever-changing city for more than six decades.

The 51st

This Green Queen Raised a Million Bucks for Charity by Hiking 100 Miles in Drag

“Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you can’t make a difference,” she wrote on social media after completing the journey. “When I started being Pattie, everyone told me I was crazy. When I told people I wanted to do this fundraiser, [they] laughed in my face.

“Seven years later and I hope I can be a little bit of proof to you that combining who you are and what you’re good at to fight for the change you want to see in the world works.”

Mother Jones

NSA Employee Sues the Trump Administration Over Transgender Rights and ‘Immutable’ Genders

Sarah O’Neill, an NSA data scientist who is transgender, disputes the legality of President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day executive order that required the federal government, in all operations and printed materials, to recognize only two “immutable” sexes: male and female.

The lawsuit filed Monday says Trump’s order “declares that it is the policy of the United States government to deny Ms. O’Neill’s very existence.”

Mississippi Free Press

US Jewish organizations call on Trump to rescind travel ban on Palestinians

The new ban blocks travel to the U.S. for people with Palestinian Authority documents, essentially most Palestinians in the West Bank. The U.S. is also trying to act as a broker for a peace deal that would give the PA authority to govern Gaza.

Religion News Service

For Ukrainians, a nuclear missile museum is a bitter reminder of what the country gave up

“I think it’s a part of our history and it’s important to know about it,” says Kravchuk. But she says it also makes her angry: “If we had kept these weapons, probably Russia would not have attacked. The nuclear weapons were our insurance.”

NPR

Nepal’s not so concrete future

In Nepal, the project has generated at least 10,000 jobs, built roads, and boosted regional trade. Yet this narrative of shared prosperity also masks an imbalance. While profits and prestige flow upward, the environmental and social costs often settle quietly in the valleys where the limestone is mined and the dust never fully clears.

Global Voices

Nigerian Town Bombed by Trump Has No Known History of Anti-Christian Violence

Experts say Trump’s narrative of a “holy war” in Nigeria threatens to inflame religious tensions and incite violence.

Turthout

The bombing of Gaza Sky Geeks

For over a decade, Gaza Sky Geeks built a tech future for the Gaza Strip. Then came war.

Rest of World

Brigitte Bardot’s 30 years of sympathy for the far right

Convicted five times for racist remarks, the actress – whose foundation announced her death on Sunday, December 28 – remained one of the only French celebrities to openly embrace far-right views.

Le Monde

UK campaigner targeted by Trump accuses tech giants of ‘sociopathic greed’

Exclusive: Imran Ahmed says US companies are ‘corrupting the system’ of politics by seeking to avoid accountability

The Guardian

Viral global TikToks: A twist on soccer, Tanzania’s Charlie Chaplin, hope in Gaza

Every year, NPR interviews TikTok creators from around the world, exploring the trends, subcultures and stories that drive culture and social change in the Global South. This year, we interviewed creators from Brazil, Gaza, Kenya and Tanzania. The four creators each have amassed millions of views, but they also contributed to a much bigger story: one of hope, advocacy and connection.

NPR

The undercurrent of exploitation in Nigeria’s lithium mining supply chain

On the continent, Zimbabwe, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have the largest lithium reserves. Namibia and Ghana also produce significant amounts of this raw material. Already present in some countries on the continent, China has set its sights on Nigeria in particular. Although Nigeria is not an African powerhouse in this field, recent discoveries of the untapped lithium deposits in this West African country have illuminated its potential as a mining partner. 

Global Voices

‘An alien in the house of God’: Canterbury’s gay dean wrestles with inaction on LGBTQ+ rights

Ahead of a vote in the Church of England’s House of Bishops on same-sex marriage, David Monteith feels the church has given up on its commitment to reconciliation.

Religion News Service

Knife attack near Suriname’s capital Paramaribo kills at least 9 people, including kids, police say

Officials said the victims included the attacker’s children and neighbors who came to their aid. Local media reported the victims were located at multiple homes.

AP News

Why Territorial Concessions Are a Constitutional Near-Impossibility for Ukraine

Since the territorial issue is the prime focus of the Trump–Zelenskyy meeting, with ideas being floated about a national referendum to accept partial territorial surrender, it is worth reviewing what such a process would actually require under Ukrainian law.

Public discussion often treats “a referendum” as if it were a single switch that could be flipped. In reality, Ukrainian constitutional law imposes multiple sequential barriers—some legal, some procedural, and some existential to the state itself. Here is a step-by-step outline of what would need to happen, and how likely each step is.

Onest.