Good morning.
Federal agents shot and killed a woman during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on Wednesday. The woman has been identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
The Democratic Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar said the victim was “a legal observer” of action by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which had sent significant additional agents into the city in recent days linked in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.
The fatal shooting by a federal officer on Wednesday took place less than a mile from where George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, prompting mass protests. The Guardian’s Rachel Leingang was on the ground in Minneapolis – in the aftermath, dozens of protesters and community members were seen on the snowy street, shouting at ICE agents and at the local police.
What has the Trump administration said? In a post on X, the homeland security department (DHS) insisted the person was a “domestic terrorist” who “weaponized her vehicle” and attempted “to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them”. Videos appeared to contradict that statement, showing the SUV clearly reversing away from ICE officers as they approach.
What have local elected officials said? Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis, affiliated with the national Democratic party, said the Department of Homeland Security was “trying to spin this as an action of self-defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly, that is bullshit.”
Frey added: “To ICE, get the fuck out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety and you are doing exactly the opposite.”
US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker in Atlantic after two-week pursuit
US European Command said on Wednesday that it had boarded the Marinera, a Russian-flagged oil tanker, over alleged sanctions violations, bringing to an end a dramatic two-week pursuit that began in the Caribbean and concluded in the Atlantic.
The seizure – the first known US military seizure of a Russian-flagged vessel in recent history – is the latest demonstration of brazen US military power and reach.
Separately on Wednesday, the US Coast Guard announced it had intercepted another dark-fleet tanker that was under sanctions, the M Sophia, in a pre-dawn operation in the Caribbean. The White House signalled the US would continue to seize Venezuela-linked oil vessels after Donald Trump last month imposed what he described as a “complete blockade” on ships transporting oil for Caracas.
How has Russia responded so far? The Kremlin’s immediate reaction to the seizure has been notably muted, with Moscow appearing to continue its efforts to improve ties with Washington under Trump in the hope of securing his favour in talks over Ukraine.
Trump pulls US out of 66 international bodies, including key UN climate treaty
Trump has sparked outrage by announcing the US will exit the UN framework convention on climate change, along with 65 other organizations, agencies and commissions.
The state department said in a statement that many international bodies were “redundant … mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity”.
How are analysts interpreting it? Experts on global heating warned it “gives other nations the excuse to delay their own [climate] actions and commitments,” said Stanford University climate scientist Rob Jackson, who chairs the Global Carbon Project.
In other news …
The arraignment of Nick Reiner was delayed yesterday after his attorney asked to be replaced. Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of cities across Colombia to decry Trump’s threats to expand his military campaign in South America into their territory, after last weekend’s deadly attack on Venezuela.
The Trump administration has said it is withholding funding for programs that support needy families with children in five Democratic-led states, citing concerns of fraud – but it has not laid out details of the allegations.
Demonstrations over economic conditions broke out in Kurdish regions of Iran yesterday, despite authorities using violence to try to disperse protests, rights groups said.
Stat of the day: Warner Bros Discovery tells investors to reject latest $108bn hostile Paramount bid
Warner Bros Discovery has again told its shareholders to reject an “inadequate” $108.4bn hostile takeover bid by Paramount Skydance amid an extraordinary corporate battle to control the media conglomerate. Paramount, controlled by the billionaire Ellison family, is fighting to unravel the $82.7bn deal that WBD has agreed with Netflix.
The Filter recommends: ‘I asked experts how to reduce screen time. Here’s what they said’
The Filter’s Lauren Gould went on the hunt for unique tips that went beyond silencing phone notifications or setting time limits. “From putting a rubber band around your phone to writing a breakup letter to it, here are 15 realistic strategies that might actually help cut down on scrolling,” she writes.
Don’t miss this: ‘The Trump doctrine exposes the US as a mafia state’
“The theory of the mafia state was first elaborated by the Hungarian sociologist Bálint Magyar in 2016,” writes Jan-Werner Müller, the Guardian columnist and Princeton politics professor. Among its characteristics: “Public procurement is rigged; large companies are brought under the control of regime-friendly oligarchs, who in turn acquire media to provide favorable coverage to the ruler … As with the mafia, unconditional loyalty is the price for being part of the system.”
Climate check: How aviation emissions could be halved without cutting journeys
Climate-heating emissions from aviation could be slashed in half – without reducing passenger journeys – by getting rid of premium seats, ensuring flights are near full and using the most efficient aircraft, according to an analysis published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. “In reality, [air transport] is very inefficient,” said the study’s lead author.
Last Thing: Fly-arousing orchid and zombie fungus among 2025 ‘weird and wonderful’ botanical and fungal finds
Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew have announced a list of 10 “weird and wonderful” new species discovered last year. They include a zombie fungus that springs from a trapdoor, a flame-like shrub named after the fire demon and an orchid the flowers of which look bloodstained and attract sexually aroused flies.
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