Statistics say that Americans are disconnected—but Minnesota’s response to ICE shows how many neighbors care enough about one another to “stand up to armed federal agents, and even risk death,” Julie Beck argues. www.theatlantic.com/family/2026/...

Artificial intelligence may be hurtling America toward a mass job-loss event—that is, if the country’s CEOs and business leaders are to be believed. Does anyone have a plan? Josh Tyrangiel reports:n www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

www.science.org/content/arti... Football helmets have improved dramatically in recent years. “We’ve seen more change in roughly the last 14 years than we probably did in the previous 40,”

www.wired.com/story/irans-... The Iranian govt completely shut down connections to the internet while it killed thousands of anti-regime protesters.The shutdown follows years of Tehran imposing connectivity filtering, digital curfews, & total blackouts as part of previous attempts to quell unrest.

www.axios.com/2026/02/09/e... The avalanche of released Epstein files has buried high-ranking European government officials w/ties to the convicted sex offender in shame. In the US, some powerful people have faced public scrutiny, but have so far avoided professional consequences.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i... People have been placed under de facto house arrest. Immigrants, as well as a range of residents who fear they may be apprehended by agents due to the color of their skin or their accents, have ceased to leave the safety of their homes.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026... A federal judge on Monday blocked a California law from going into effect that would ban federal immigration agents from covering their faces, but they will still be required to wear clear identification showing their agency and badge number.

www.huffpost.com/entry/black-... Black Women’s HIV Stories Have Long Been Undertold. This Magazine Hopes To Change That. Still Here is on a mission to re-center the voices and experiences of Black women who have been disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS.

www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-mi... While the Trump admin may not be easing up in its efforts to intimidate & hunt down immigrants, neither are the residents of the Minneapolis-St.Paul region. They are coordinating operations to keep their neighbors safe during ICE’s “occupation” here.

www.politico.com/news/2026/02... Trump’s federal govt has done more than just shrink revenues of many federal contractors; it’s tougher to do business w/Washington. Some have had payment delays, others say fewer federal staff members to handle contracts led to more headaches & longer wait times.

www.sfgate.com/sports/artic... “San Francisco…Then you get here and like, ‘Oh, it’s actually a beautiful city with awesome food, great scenery.’ The weather’s fantastic. Like, awesome vibes, plenty to do. It’s actually a really fun place to be.”

www.404media.co/inspector-ge... DHS’s Inspector General is investigating potential privacy abuses associated with ICE surveillance and biometric data programs, according to a letter sent to Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.

www.propublica.org/article/chic... New documents confirm that what prompted the raid was more pedestrian: allegations that immigrants were squatting in the complex. The landlord had given federal officials, who were already targeting immigrants in Chicago, the blessing to search the building.

www.propublica.org/article/inst... The Institute of Museum and Library Services is accepting applications for its 2026 grant cycle. But this time, it has unusually specific criteria. In the application cover letters: “particularly welcomes” projects that align w/President Trump’s vision for America.

www.wired.com/story/public... Doctors, nurses, and other officers are increasingly being deployed to ICE detention centers. Some have resigned in protest, while others offer a rare look into bleak conditions.

www.wired.com/story/jonath... The govt has withheld details of the investigation of Renee Good’s killing, but an unrelated case involving ICE agent Ross who shot her could force new revelations. Ross has not been charged in Good’s killing, & the DOJ has said it will not pursue criminal charges.

www.wired.com/story/mobile... Immigration agents have used Mobile Fortify to scan the faces of countless people in the US—including many citizens.

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/u... Some offices are so decimated that the Justice Department has sent in military lawyers. More recently, officials asked for volunteers from other offices who can quickly deploy to places in desperate need.

grist.org/politics/tru... New investment in clean energy projects last year was dwarfed by a cascade of cancellations for projects already in progress. For every dollar announced in new clean energy projects, companies canceled, closed, or downsized roughly three dollars’ worth.

grist.org/indigenous/i... Trump is considering allowing companies to lease >113 million acres of waters off Alaska for seabed mining. Alaska is home to Indigenous peoples with ancestral ties to the ocean, and the proposal is raising cultural and environmental concerns.

If the Super Bowl isn’t your cup of tea, our tenth-annual photo collection of superb owls just might be. Take a look at these magnificent birds via @TheAtlPhoto: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

The Epstein case continues to threaten prominent figures around the globe—yet the latest files could topple British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a way they've not affected American politicians, @imkahloon argues: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

😂”Tech makes many things better, but you shouldn’t have to learn how to use a house,” @jasonfried writes: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0... You shouldn’t need a tech tour & an app (or 5) to turn the heat down or clean the dishes. 😂

Gift article from The Atlantic Sep 04, 2019. Some languages are better at packing information into each syllable, & some languages are better at tumbling more quickly out of people's mouths. But a new study suggests no language can be good at both www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...

If a quiet method of mineral exploration is successful, it could thread a loophole in the law governing public lands, helping open these areas for mining that much more quickly—and controversially, Lauren Steele reports. www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...

The White House says that an unidentified staffer was responsible for posting a racist video of the Obamas—yet the video remained on President Trump’s Truth Social account for 12 hours, @hanamkiros writes. www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...

apnews.com/article/immi... ICE told nurses Castañeda Mondragón “purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall,” an account that was immediately doubted. A CT scan showed fractures to the front, back & both sides of his skull: he had 8 skull fractures & 5 areas of life-threatening brain bleeding.

apnews.com/article/trum... Trump received rare blowback from Republican lawmakers over a video posted to social media that included a racist image of former President Barack Obama & Michelle Obama, depicted as primates.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026... The most recent ICE tactic has been “smash & grab” w/arrests taking only a few minutes. Agents appear, do a sweep, grab people, & are gone by the time any observers w/cameras, protesters, or legal aid arrive. “they’re flying under the radar by doing it faster.”

Joy is its own resistance. If you need inspiration on how to spread it, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has a calendar to give you ideas for every day of the year. Goodnight, folks! www.randomactsofkindness.org/printables/c...

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026... These disclosures come at a time when Kennedy, as Trump’s health secretary has used his position by to overhaul US immunization guidance & raise suspicion about the safety & importance of vaccines, including the measles vaccine.

www.axios.com/2026/02/05/t... Research looking at the state governments that have adopted similar at-will policies shows it raises the risk that workers are fired for political reasons unrelated to performance, & that it discourages whistleblowing. The policy also increases turnover & raises costs.

www.propublica.org/article/mass... A WBUR-ProPublica investigation found that no DNA match, testimony or even confession could allow a rape to be prosecuted after the state’s 15-year deadline. The governor aims to “help survivors who have had to wait far too long for justice.”

www.propublica.org/article/why-... Residents have every right and should be demanding that, ‘Hey, state authorities, police, local police: Protect us. Arrest people who kill us, who batter us, who point guns at us and threaten and assault us without legal cause to do so.’

apnews.com/projects/pfa... The full story of Georgia’s power structures prioritizing an industry over public health is now emerging thru interviews & pages of court records from lawsuits. Those records detail how carpet companies were able to keep using forever chemicals.