Gina Kaufmann
@ginak.bsky.social
Journalist-reader-writer-watcher-worrier-joker
Editor @theworld.org
Formerly: Real Humans, Central Standard & Midwesternish @KCUR + freelance for Nieman Reports, PRX, Mass Humanities, WBUR’s Cognoscenti, Boston Globe, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls
Editor @theworld.org
Formerly: Real Humans, Central Standard & Midwesternish @KCUR + freelance for Nieman Reports, PRX, Mass Humanities, WBUR’s Cognoscenti, Boston Globe, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls
Reposted by Gina Kaufmann
The story is not that there are two conflicting versions of what happened.
The story is that the federal government is lying about what happened.
There is plenty of evidence.
Your job, our job, is to sift that evidence and describe what actually happened ffs.
The story is that the federal government is lying about what happened.
There is plenty of evidence.
Your job, our job, is to sift that evidence and describe what actually happened ffs.
January 25, 2026 at 11:33 AM
The story is not that there are two conflicting versions of what happened.
The story is that the federal government is lying about what happened.
There is plenty of evidence.
Your job, our job, is to sift that evidence and describe what actually happened ffs.
The story is that the federal government is lying about what happened.
There is plenty of evidence.
Your job, our job, is to sift that evidence and describe what actually happened ffs.
Reposted by Gina Kaufmann
State troopers in riot gear are protecting ICE agents who have long guns. People yelling at the state troopers, “turn around and arrest them! They just killed a Minnesotan!”
January 24, 2026 at 5:12 PM
State troopers in riot gear are protecting ICE agents who have long guns. People yelling at the state troopers, “turn around and arrest them! They just killed a Minnesotan!”
“He was tearing them up and just shoving them in as fast as he could… like when you see people in a hot dog eating contest”
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
Meet the Alaska Student Arrested for Eating an AI Art Exhibit
A conversation with Graham Granger, whose combination of protest and performance art spread beyond campus. “AI chews up and spits out art made by other people.”
www.thenation.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:53 PM
“He was tearing them up and just shoving them in as fast as he could… like when you see people in a hot dog eating contest”
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
That sounds right?
This year’s Oscar nominees convey a sense that, from today’s perspective, life is too mercurial and overwhelming to fit into neat formats or plots. It is also unfair
Run for your life! The world, according to the Oscars
The Academy Award nominees for Best Picture are entertainingly frantic and defiantly political
econ.st
January 23, 2026 at 11:01 PM
That sounds right?
We asked @dsorennie.bsky.social for one word or phrase to describe foreign policy under Trump 2.0.
He did not hesitate:
“Dominance.”
The whole conversation is a great synthesis of a disorienting year.
theworld.org/segments/202...
He did not hesitate:
“Dominance.”
The whole conversation is a great synthesis of a disorienting year.
theworld.org/segments/202...
Trump's first year reshapes the global economy — Part 1 - The World from PRX
One year on, US President Donald Trump’s second term has rattled the global economy. Terms like “weaponized tariffs” and “trade bazooka” suggest we’re clearly in new territory. The World’s Host Caroly...
theworld.org
January 21, 2026 at 1:45 AM
We asked @dsorennie.bsky.social for one word or phrase to describe foreign policy under Trump 2.0.
He did not hesitate:
“Dominance.”
The whole conversation is a great synthesis of a disorienting year.
theworld.org/segments/202...
He did not hesitate:
“Dominance.”
The whole conversation is a great synthesis of a disorienting year.
theworld.org/segments/202...
“It inserts a sense of sanity and morality into our troubling climate right now.”
apnews.com/article/mlk-...
apnews.com/article/mlk-...
Why Bernice King sees MLK Day as a 'saving grace' in today's political climate
Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter says the holiday honoring her father's legacy is a “saving grace” amid political division. The Rev.
apnews.com
January 19, 2026 at 9:54 PM
“It inserts a sense of sanity and morality into our troubling climate right now.”
apnews.com/article/mlk-...
apnews.com/article/mlk-...
Reposted by Gina Kaufmann
Folks, if you know any Minnesotan, you'll know that many of us will bring up Minnesota and Minnesota things at every possible opportunity. If we manage to ride out military occupation, we're going to be absolutely insufferable for the next 20 years. Think about what you're risking here.
January 18, 2026 at 6:26 PM
Folks, if you know any Minnesotan, you'll know that many of us will bring up Minnesota and Minnesota things at every possible opportunity. If we manage to ride out military occupation, we're going to be absolutely insufferable for the next 20 years. Think about what you're risking here.
Reposted by Gina Kaufmann
I was telling one of my kids that it was physically impossible for an ad to play between songs on any of the records I own, and they asked "and you only have to pay for it once?" and you could see how strange that seemed. You cannot overstate how many basic rules of media consumption have changed.
January 16, 2026 at 4:59 AM
I was telling one of my kids that it was physically impossible for an ad to play between songs on any of the records I own, and they asked "and you only have to pay for it once?" and you could see how strange that seemed. You cannot overstate how many basic rules of media consumption have changed.
Reposted by Gina Kaufmann
When I joined the FT, we weren't even allowed to print the word "fuck". If you'd told me then that one day we'd be quoting it from the US president I would have fallen over.
January 16, 2026 at 10:50 AM
When I joined the FT, we weren't even allowed to print the word "fuck". If you'd told me then that one day we'd be quoting it from the US president I would have fallen over.
Reposted by Gina Kaufmann
"“They specifically asked me if I knew where the Hmong families lived on my street & in the neighborhood.” Lugert-Thom responded, “I don’t know anything about that” & she said they then asked, “Well, what about the Asian families?”"
"“I was a bit shaken & a bit shocked of what I was asked to do.”"
"“I was a bit shaken & a bit shocked of what I was asked to do.”"
A St. Paul resident says federal officers knocked on her door and asked her to identify Hmong and Asian households in her North End neighborhood last week.
ICE in St. Paul: Man roughly detained at gas station, Border Patrol chief jeered in Midway Target
Videos and photos show a prevalence of federal agents in St. Paul recently.
trib.al
January 13, 2026 at 10:37 PM
"“They specifically asked me if I knew where the Hmong families lived on my street & in the neighborhood.” Lugert-Thom responded, “I don’t know anything about that” & she said they then asked, “Well, what about the Asian families?”"
"“I was a bit shaken & a bit shocked of what I was asked to do.”"
"“I was a bit shaken & a bit shocked of what I was asked to do.”"
Essential listening from @theworld.org halfway through the week: a thread
January 15, 2026 at 12:08 AM
Essential listening from @theworld.org halfway through the week: a thread
Reposted by Gina Kaufmann
NEW: State of MN, Minneapolis & St. Paul have filed a federal lawsuit to halt a federal government "invasion" by ICE agents, arguing the deployment amounts to a constitutional violation and a direct threat to public safety.
Minnesota Sues to Stop ICE ‘Invasion’
The state of Minnesota, along with the Twin Cities, have sued the US government and several officials to halt the flood of agents carrying out an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation.
www.wired.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:45 PM
NEW: State of MN, Minneapolis & St. Paul have filed a federal lawsuit to halt a federal government "invasion" by ICE agents, arguing the deployment amounts to a constitutional violation and a direct threat to public safety.
Reposted by Gina Kaufmann
The only synagogue in Jackson, MS burned last night. It was arson. They've been here before--they were attacked by the KKK because the rabbi spoke in favor of civil rights.
They have no usable torah for services, all burned. Torahs are handmade! If you can donate a bit this week, here's a spot.
They have no usable torah for services, all burned. Torahs are handmade! If you can donate a bit this week, here's a spot.
For anyone else reading this, feeling helpless, and wondering what they can do: the synagogue has a donation form and I've donated with a note that it's for fire recovery immediate expenses. www.bethisraelms.org
Beth Israel Congregation
www.bethisraelms.org
January 11, 2026 at 3:30 PM
The only synagogue in Jackson, MS burned last night. It was arson. They've been here before--they were attacked by the KKK because the rabbi spoke in favor of civil rights.
They have no usable torah for services, all burned. Torahs are handmade! If you can donate a bit this week, here's a spot.
They have no usable torah for services, all burned. Torahs are handmade! If you can donate a bit this week, here's a spot.
Reposted by Gina Kaufmann
Nordic governments are rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertions that Russian and Chinese vessels are operating near Greenland, warning that the claims are not supported by intelligence and are fueling destabilizing rhetoric.
Nordic officials reportedly dismiss Trump’s Greenland claims
Nordic diplomats tell the FT intelligence shows no Russian or Chinese ship presence near Greenland, challenging Washington’s justification for control.
www.politico.eu
January 11, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Nordic governments are rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertions that Russian and Chinese vessels are operating near Greenland, warning that the claims are not supported by intelligence and are fueling destabilizing rhetoric.
Reposted by Gina Kaufmann
I’m not suggesting a conspiracy. Or even that people who wear glasses need to see themselves represented on screen
I just think the absence of anyone in contemporary TV and movies wearing glasses is **weird** considering 2/3 of the population needs corrected vision!
This week's newsletter
I just think the absence of anyone in contemporary TV and movies wearing glasses is **weird** considering 2/3 of the population needs corrected vision!
This week's newsletter
Why does nobody wear glasses on screen anymore?
People who wear glasses are everywhere in real life. So why isn’t that true on screen?
buttondown.com
January 9, 2026 at 4:37 PM
I’m not suggesting a conspiracy. Or even that people who wear glasses need to see themselves represented on screen
I just think the absence of anyone in contemporary TV and movies wearing glasses is **weird** considering 2/3 of the population needs corrected vision!
This week's newsletter
I just think the absence of anyone in contemporary TV and movies wearing glasses is **weird** considering 2/3 of the population needs corrected vision!
This week's newsletter
Reposted by Gina Kaufmann
Looks like ICE is now cracking down on … Native Americans.
This letter was just posted by the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North/South Dakota:
“Our Nation is a sovereign government and our members are not immigrants. We are not subject to immigration enforcement on our own lands.”
This letter was just posted by the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North/South Dakota:
“Our Nation is a sovereign government and our members are not immigrants. We are not subject to immigration enforcement on our own lands.”
January 10, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Looks like ICE is now cracking down on … Native Americans.
This letter was just posted by the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North/South Dakota:
“Our Nation is a sovereign government and our members are not immigrants. We are not subject to immigration enforcement on our own lands.”
This letter was just posted by the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North/South Dakota:
“Our Nation is a sovereign government and our members are not immigrants. We are not subject to immigration enforcement on our own lands.”
Dehumanization makes the worst things possible
I do a lot of little things the way I do not because I think it’s going to directly make a difference but because I want to stay human which means my preferences and values matter — as soon as I say “why bother” I’m part of a machine
I do a lot of little things the way I do not because I think it’s going to directly make a difference but because I want to stay human which means my preferences and values matter — as soon as I say “why bother” I’m part of a machine
January 9, 2026 at 12:31 PM
Dehumanization makes the worst things possible
I do a lot of little things the way I do not because I think it’s going to directly make a difference but because I want to stay human which means my preferences and values matter — as soon as I say “why bother” I’m part of a machine
I do a lot of little things the way I do not because I think it’s going to directly make a difference but because I want to stay human which means my preferences and values matter — as soon as I say “why bother” I’m part of a machine
There is a lot of crazy stuff happening.
For perspective on rhetoric about a U.S. takeover of Greenland, we have voices of people who live there + an expert on international law. You can stop doomscrolling for 15 min while you listen.
theworld.org/episodes/202...
For perspective on rhetoric about a U.S. takeover of Greenland, we have voices of people who live there + an expert on international law. You can stop doomscrolling for 15 min while you listen.
theworld.org/episodes/202...
Greenlanders react to US threats to take over their territory - The World from PRX
The White House has renewed its rhetoric on acquiring Greenland. We hear how the news is being received by people who live there. Also, a discussion about the erosion of international law. And, a look...
theworld.org
January 7, 2026 at 10:59 PM
There is a lot of crazy stuff happening.
For perspective on rhetoric about a U.S. takeover of Greenland, we have voices of people who live there + an expert on international law. You can stop doomscrolling for 15 min while you listen.
theworld.org/episodes/202...
For perspective on rhetoric about a U.S. takeover of Greenland, we have voices of people who live there + an expert on international law. You can stop doomscrolling for 15 min while you listen.
theworld.org/episodes/202...
Bjork speaks www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Björk Calls for Greenland Independence as Trump Revives Takeover Threats
Bjork expressed solidarity with the people of Greenland after Donald Trump revived his threats of a takeover following the capture of Nicolas Maduro.
www.rollingstone.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:53 AM
Bjork speaks www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
One of the subtler joys of Kansas City: long shadows. I lived there for about 40 years all together and only this trip put my finger on this feature of the landscape. I love it.
January 4, 2026 at 5:40 PM
One of the subtler joys of Kansas City: long shadows. I lived there for about 40 years all together and only this trip put my finger on this feature of the landscape. I love it.
I read this today and had lots of thoughts. My attitude is strictly hate-the-game-not-the-player, but WOW, I really really really hate the game.
www.vogue.co.uk/article/plus...
www.vogue.co.uk/article/plus...
The Cost of Letting Ultra-Thin Win
The retreat from body diversity reached a new low in 2025. As curve models disappeared from catwalks, GLP-1 use expanded and a more conservative cultural climate took hold, pressure on women to lose w...
www.vogue.co.uk
January 2, 2026 at 5:57 PM
I read this today and had lots of thoughts. My attitude is strictly hate-the-game-not-the-player, but WOW, I really really really hate the game.
www.vogue.co.uk/article/plus...
www.vogue.co.uk/article/plus...