Brent Staples
@bstaples.bsky.social
Garden guy. Fellow, Society of American Historians. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for writing on the legacies of slavery “with extraordinary moral clarity.”
Reposted by Brent Staples
WOW on Pretti's denial of medical treatment
"I informed the ICE agents that I am a physician, and I asked to
assess the victim.
At first, the ICE agents wouldn't let me through. ... But none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, ... None of the agents were helping him."
"I informed the ICE agents that I am a physician, and I asked to
assess the victim.
At first, the ICE agents wouldn't let me through. ... But none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, ... None of the agents were helping him."
January 25, 2026 at 1:58 AM
WOW on Pretti's denial of medical treatment
"I informed the ICE agents that I am a physician, and I asked to
assess the victim.
At first, the ICE agents wouldn't let me through. ... But none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, ... None of the agents were helping him."
"I informed the ICE agents that I am a physician, and I asked to
assess the victim.
At first, the ICE agents wouldn't let me through. ... But none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, ... None of the agents were helping him."
Reposted by Brent Staples
"Ransom" is exactly right.
"In Minnesota, we will continue to follow the letter of the law, which requires us to protect the private data of our voters.
"It is deeply disturbing that the US AG would make this unlawful request a part of an apparent ransom to pay for our state’s peace & security.*
www.kttc.com/2026/01/25/m...
"It is deeply disturbing that the US AG would make this unlawful request a part of an apparent ransom to pay for our state’s peace & security.*
www.kttc.com/2026/01/25/m...
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon releases statement in response to U.S. AG Pam Bondi letter
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon has issued a statement in response to a letter written by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to Governor Tim Walz.
www.kttc.com
January 26, 2026 at 12:25 PM
"Ransom" is exactly right.
Reposted by Brent Staples
The EU launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s X following a public outcry over sexualized deepfake images created by its Grok AI service.
EU Probes Elon Musk’s X Amid Grok Deepfake Outcry
The investigation follows a public backlash over sexualized deepfake images created by X’s Grok AI service.
on.wsj.com
January 26, 2026 at 12:15 PM
The EU launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s X following a public outcry over sexualized deepfake images created by its Grok AI service.
Trump and his minions are fine with killing people in plain public view; how many will they kill or maim in secret? Our friend @vinsoncunningham.bsky.social asks the pertinent question. www.newyorker.com/culture/on-t...
Witnessing Another Public Killing in Minneapolis
Videos of Alex Pretti’s fatal shooting, rapidly disseminated on social media, reveal a brazen display of brute power.
www.newyorker.com
January 25, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Trump and his minions are fine with killing people in plain public view; how many will they kill or maim in secret? Our friend @vinsoncunningham.bsky.social asks the pertinent question. www.newyorker.com/culture/on-t...
Reposted by Brent Staples
Walz: "We have got children in Minnesota hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside. Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank. Somebody is gonna write that children's story about Minnesota."
January 25, 2026 at 8:49 PM
Walz: "We have got children in Minnesota hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside. Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank. Somebody is gonna write that children's story about Minnesota."
Reposted by Brent Staples
My friend Sara posted this about the superb care her father received from with Alex Pretti
Absolutely heartbreaking
Absolutely heartbreaking
January 25, 2026 at 4:19 PM
My friend Sara posted this about the superb care her father received from with Alex Pretti
Absolutely heartbreaking
Absolutely heartbreaking
Reposted by Brent Staples
MAGA is at heart a terror movement
ICYMI: Following Renee Good’s murder by ICE, her son’s Minneapolis charter school was forced to go fully online due to right-wing attacks
sahanjournal.com/education/mi...
sahanjournal.com/education/mi...
January 25, 2026 at 7:57 PM
MAGA is at heart a terror movement
Reposted by Brent Staples
Since July, I've tracked at least 2,300 cases in which federal judges have ruled ICE has illegally detained people without bond or due process.
This is one that stands out:
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
This is one that stands out:
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
January 25, 2026 at 2:36 AM
Since July, I've tracked at least 2,300 cases in which federal judges have ruled ICE has illegally detained people without bond or due process.
This is one that stands out:
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
This is one that stands out:
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Carroll Gardens Brooklyn - 11:27 AM
January 25, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Carroll Gardens Brooklyn - 11:27 AM
Reposted by Brent Staples
"Why are they dressed like that?" @captmarkkelly.bsky.social says of ICE agents.
Full interview with Kelly here: open.spotify.com/episode/019T...
Full interview with Kelly here: open.spotify.com/episode/019T...
January 24, 2026 at 6:20 PM
"Why are they dressed like that?" @captmarkkelly.bsky.social says of ICE agents.
Full interview with Kelly here: open.spotify.com/episode/019T...
Full interview with Kelly here: open.spotify.com/episode/019T...
Reposted by Brent Staples
Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti.
"Please get the truth out about our son."
"Please get the truth out about our son."
January 25, 2026 at 12:43 AM
Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti.
"Please get the truth out about our son."
"Please get the truth out about our son."
Reposted by Brent Staples
Imagine how much they’d be lying about what happened without all the videos showing it from multiple angles.
January 24, 2026 at 10:24 PM
Imagine how much they’d be lying about what happened without all the videos showing it from multiple angles.
Reposted by Brent Staples
The work being done by these observers of ICE to document, illuminate, and share what is being done in Minneapolis, in below freezing temperatures, given all that has transpired is so remarkably courageous. They are being killed for that courage, as ICE further reveals their cruelty and cowardice.
January 24, 2026 at 9:19 PM
The work being done by these observers of ICE to document, illuminate, and share what is being done in Minneapolis, in below freezing temperatures, given all that has transpired is so remarkably courageous. They are being killed for that courage, as ICE further reveals their cruelty and cowardice.
Steaming fish soup (with crab, lobster etc) on a frigid day. cc: @theferocity.bsky.social
January 24, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Steaming fish soup (with crab, lobster etc) on a frigid day. cc: @theferocity.bsky.social
Reposted by Brent Staples
Been in Minneapolis the past week ish. Here are some photos I took while I was here.
January 24, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Been in Minneapolis the past week ish. Here are some photos I took while I was here.
Reposted by Brent Staples
this guy is a terrible liar who genuinely believes he is great at lying
CNN put together a clip of JD Vance claiming ICE agents have "absolute immunity" followed by him two weeks later claiming "I didn't say that officers who engage in wrongdoing would enjoy immunity"
January 24, 2026 at 3:20 AM
this guy is a terrible liar who genuinely believes he is great at lying
Reposted by Brent Staples
Danes, tired of being pushed around by Donald Trump, are turning to mobile apps to boycott everyday products associated with the US.
Trump-Weary Danes Turn to Technology in Boycott of US Brands
Vegemite, the yeasty spread from Australia, gets a passing green checkmark. So does a French bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. But Diet Coke, a favorite of President Donald Trump? To that, a popular new mobile app in Denmark assigns a failing red X — a message to shoppers to put that American stuff back on the shelf.
bloom.bg
January 24, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Danes, tired of being pushed around by Donald Trump, are turning to mobile apps to boycott everyday products associated with the US.
Reposted by Brent Staples
Tragic farce in the late-stage decay of a superpower. My column. foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/23/t...
The Soviet Lessons for Trump’s Greenland Gambit
A 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia offers a key to understanding how Trump’s adventurism plays out.
foreignpolicy.com
January 24, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Tragic farce in the late-stage decay of a superpower. My column. foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/23/t...
Time for split pea soup - flavored with ham hock or smoked turkey.
January 24, 2026 at 12:47 PM
Time for split pea soup - flavored with ham hock or smoked turkey.
Reposted by Brent Staples
🚨🚨🚨 "At least 63 times since 2007, data from some of the 28 human genomic repositories that the N.I.H. controls was improperly released to researchers, used for unapproved purposes or made vulnerable to theft..." (Gift Link) www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused for ‘Race Science’
www.nytimes.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:19 PM
🚨🚨🚨 "At least 63 times since 2007, data from some of the 28 human genomic repositories that the N.I.H. controls was improperly released to researchers, used for unapproved purposes or made vulnerable to theft..." (Gift Link) www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
Reposted by Brent Staples
Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 24, 2026
January 23, 2026 at 11:45 PM
Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 24, 2026
Cause I’m built for comfort/
I ain’t built for speed/
I ain’t built for speed/
January 24, 2026 at 1:04 AM
Cause I’m built for comfort/
I ain’t built for speed/
I ain’t built for speed/
Reposted by Brent Staples
Anyway what’s amazing is that it’s a vampire movie but the real monster is the inescapable labyrinth of the Jim Crow economy. www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
The Jim Crow Economy Is the True Horror in 'Sinners'
The film illustrates the near-impossibility of upward mobility during the segregation era.
www.theatlantic.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Anyway what’s amazing is that it’s a vampire movie but the real monster is the inescapable labyrinth of the Jim Crow economy. www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
“I, too, am American” - Langston Hughes
January 22, 2026 at 1:16 PM
“I, too, am American” - Langston Hughes