Federal Agents Arrest Don Lemon Over Minnesota Church Protest; The New York Times, January 30, 2026

Hamed Aleaziz, Devlin Barrett and Alan Feuer, The New York Times ; Federal Agents Arrest Don Lemon Over Minnesota Church Protest

The former CNN anchor has said he was not demonstrating, but reporting as a journalist, during the interruption of a service inside a St. Paul church earlier this month.

"The former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested late Thursday night on charges that he violated federal law during a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minn., his lawyer said, in a case rejected last week by a magistrate judge.

Mr. Lemon has said he was simply reporting as a journalist when he entered the Cities Church on Jan. 18 to observe a demonstration against the immigration crackdown in the area.

The protesters interrupted a service at the church, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official serves as a pastor, and chanted “ICE out.” Afterward, the Trump administration sought to charge eight people over the episode, including Mr. Lemon, citing a law that protects people seeking to participate in a service in a house of worship.

But the magistrate judge who reviewed the evidence approved charges against only three of the people, rejecting the evidence against Mr. Lemon and the others as insufficient. The Justice Department then petitioned a federal appeals court to force the judge to issue the additional warrants, only to be denied."

She Fought a Book Ban. She May Never Teach Again.; The New York Times, January 29, 2026

Dana Goldstein

Photographs by Nick Oxford

, The New York Times ; She Fought a Book Ban. She May Never Teach Again.

Summer Boismier, a high school English teacher in Oklahoma, lost her teaching license after she protested a book ban. Now she is fighting to return to the classroom.

"When Oklahoma passed laws that pressured teachers to remove books on race, gender and sexuality from their classrooms, she refused. Other teachers resisted, too — but Ms. Boismier did so loudly. She plastered her 10th-grade English classroom with signs of protest, posted to social media and advised her students on how they could find books online. Eventually she resigned.

She knew that in her conservative state she would be criticized, but the reaction was much more severe than she expected. And in 2024, the state took away Ms. Boismier’s teaching license.

It was an extraordinary punishment. More than 20 states, including Oklahoma, have passed laws over the past five years restricting the curriculum around race, gender, sexuality and American history. Hundreds of teachers have faced discipline or lost their jobs as a result of these laws. But Ms. Boismier is perhaps the only one whose certification has been fully revoked."

Faith leaders criticize Trump administration’s removal of Philadelphia slavery exhibit; Episcopal News Service (ENS), January 29, 2026

Adelle M. Banks, Episcopal News Service (ENS); Faith leaders criticize Trump administration’s removal of Philadelphia slavery exhibit

"Religious leaders are among those objecting to the National Park Service’s removal of a historic exhibit about slavery located steps away from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s Liberty Bell and that featured African Methodist Episcopal Church founder Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, the first Black priest in The Episcopal Church.

On Jan. 22, exhibit supporters and city officials learned that NPS staffers had removed panels from “The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation,” an exhibit that, according to a page on the park service’s website, examined “the paradox between slavery and freedom in the founding of the nation.” As of the afternoon of Jan. 28, the website said “Page not found” where that information previously had been.

The open-air exhibit, which opened in 2010, is located on the site where Presidents George Washington and John Adams lived in the 1790s and features a replica of the exterior of the dwelling and a wall with the names of the nine enslaved Africans Washington brought there.

Independence National Historical Park, which hosted the exhibit, was cited in a March 2025 executive order signed by President Donald Trump. Titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” the order directed the U.S. Department of the Interior to ensure that monuments at national sites “do not contain descriptions, depictions, or other content that inappropriately disparage Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times), and instead focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people.”

The Rev. Mark Tyler, historiographer for the AME Church and former pastor of Mother Bethel AME Church, which was founded by Allen and is within walking distance of the exhibit, said the loss of the panels is “a gut punch.”"

Key Witness in Alex Pretti Shooting Says Feds Are Totally Ignoring Her; The New Republic (TNR), January 28, 2026

Malcolm Ferguson, The New Republic (TNR); Key Witness in Alex Pretti Shooting Says Feds Are Totally Ignoring Her

"The woman who filmed federal agents shooting and killing Alex Pretti still hasn’t been contacted by the government days later, only fanning accusations of a federal cover-up. 

“Have you been contacted by anyone from the federal government?” CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked Minnesota resident Stella Carlson, whose footage has been crucial in delegitimizing the Trump administration’s lies about Pretti. “FBI?”

“No, no, I have not. I do have a legal team now who are fielding much of that, and I am no longer accessible in those ways,” Carlson replied. 

“I talked to your attorney this morning; she said she had not received any outreach from the FBI or anybody from the federal government,” Cooper said.

“I do not think they have my name yet,” said Carlson, a shocking oversight given that it’s been four days since the shooting. She then expressed that she had zero confidence in a federal investigation into Pretti’s killing."

What happens when libraries disappear?; Creative Commons, January 27, 2026

 Creative Commons; What happens when libraries disappear? 

"This month, NASA announced the closure of its largest research library at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Staff were left reeling from the sudden loss of their jobs and access to a collection spanning back to the 1800s. The majority of this collection is not yet digitized and is now at risk of disappearing from public reach.

Today, libraries and archives face mounting threats—from physical closures like this one to digital risks from AI systems that extract value without giving back. At CC, we recognize that, now more than ever, we must take a stand to protect these institutions. They are vital to a thriving democracy. 

This is top of mind as we mark our 25th anniversary. For a quarter century, we’ve fought to protect access to knowledge, and we have no plans to stop. In 2026, we'll continue to engage libraries and other academic institutions, while defending and advocating for the commons more broadly. We invite you to learn more here."

Park Service removes slavery exhibit at Independence Park in Philadelphia; The Washington Post, January 22, 2026

Jake Spring, The Washington Post; Park Service removes slavery exhibit at Independence Park in Philadelphia

"National Park Service staff on Thursday took down an exhibit on slavery at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, which had been targeted last year by President Donald Trump in an executive orderon “restoring truth and sanity to American history.”

The exhibit was at the President’s House Site, where George Washington lived as president. The informational panels discussed Washington’s ownership of enslaved people, as well as the broader history of slavery, and included details about their lives.

The Park Service has been removing information on historic racism, sexism, LGBT rights, slavery and climate change since last year as it carries out Trump’s executive order...

The exhibit included information on the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 alongside images of slaves being beaten. Michael Coard, a founding member of the coalition, said removing the signs sought to erase history.

“Don’t you think that Black men, Black women, Black children were whipped and beaten before and after the Fugitive Slave Act?” Coard said.

The removals come as nearby Independence Hall is closed for renovations in preparations for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

“It’s not only the erasure of history. On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the birth of this country, this is a historical outrage,” Coard said. “This is historical blasphemy.”

Cindy MacLeod, former superintendent at the park, praised the work that had gone into the exhibit, calling the removal “vandalism.”

The exhibit was at the President’s House Site, where George Washington lived as president. The informational panels discussed Washington’s ownership of enslaved people, as well as the broader history of slavery, and included details about their lives

'It's about freedom of the press': photographer tackled by ICE throws camera to save it – video; The Guardian, January 26, 2026

Lauren Hurrell , The Guardian; 'It's about freedom of the press': photographer tackled by ICE throws camera to save it – video

"Last week, the independent photographer John Abernathy was tackled to the ground by ICE agents during a protest in Minneapolis. He said he tossed his camera in the hope of saving his photographs because the images of the protests 'deserve to be seen'. The Department of Homeland Security told CNN Abernathy had been arrested for obstructing pedestrian and vehicle traffic on federal property."

Most Fox News Reporting on Minneapolis Shooting Supports Official Version; The New York Times, January 25, 2026

Ken Bensinger, The New York Times; Most Fox News Reporting on Minneapolis Shooting Supports Official Version

Fox anchors were laser focused on promoting the Trump administration’s narrative that the slain protester, Alex Pretti, had brought the violence upon himself.

"On Sunday morning, reporters on many TV networks were poring over multiple videos of the shooting over the weekend of a protester in Minneapolis by immigration agents, trying to understand what happened from slow-mo footage and freeze-frame images.

But on Fox News, the nation’s top-rated cable news network, there was little of that kind of analysis. Instead, most of its hosts, reporters and guests appeared laser focused since the shooting late Saturday morning on supporting the Trump administration’s official narrative: that Alex Pretti, a 37-year old intensive care nurse, brought the violence upon himself."

Jimmy Kimmel slams FCC after chair demands changes to talk shows: 'Doing everything he can to shut us up'; Entertainment Weekly, January 23, 2026

Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly; Jimmy Kimmel slams FCC after chair demands changes to talk shows: 'Doing everything he can to shut us up'

"Jimmy Kimmel is fighting with the FCC once again.

The comedian used his Jimmy Kimmel Live monologue on Thursday night to draw attention to the organization's chair, Brendan Carr, after he demanded that talk shows like Live and The View give an equal amount of time to political candidates on both sides of the aisle.

"[Carr] is doing everything he can to shut us up, the easy way or the hard way," Kimmel said in the monologue.

The FCC released new guidance on Wednesday that argued that talk shows and late-night shows should not be considered "bona fide" news programs, and thus should not continue to receive exemption from the equal time rule. That night, President Trump posted a link to a Los Angeles Times article with the caption, "FCC takes aim at The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live in fight over ‘equal time’ rules for politicians."

The new guidance effectively states that shows like Jimmy Kimmel Liveand The Late Show With Stephen Colbert must now give equal time to all political candidates running for the same office.

"They're reinterpreting long-agreed-upon rules to stifle us," Kimmel said. "And this one's a little bit complicated. It's not as easy as what happened the last time.  So I want to break it down.""

Philadelphia sues US government for removal of slavery-related exhibit; The Guardian, January 23, 2026

Marina Dunbar , The Guardian; Philadelphia sues US government for removal of slavery-related exhibit

"Philadelphia is taking legal action against the Trump administration following the National Park Service’s decision to dismantle a long-established slavery-related exhibit at Independence National Historical park, which holds the former residence of George Washington.

The city filed its lawsuit in federal court on Thursday, naming the US Department of Interior and its secretary, Doug Burgum, the National Park Service, and its acting director, Jessica Bowron, as defendants. The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring the exhibits to be restored while the case proceeds.

The display stood at the President’s House site, once home to George Washington and John Adams, and included information recognizing people enslaved by Washington, along with a broader chronology of slavery in the US...

The Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, sharply criticized the decision to take down the signs, arguing that Trump “will take any opportunity to rewrite and whitewash our history”

“But he picked the wrong city – and he sure as hell picked the wrong Commonwealth,” Shapiro added in a message posted on X. “We learn from our history in Pennsylvania, even when it’s painful.”...

Congress had encouraged the National Park Service in 2003 to formally acknowledge the enslaved people who lived and worked at the President’s House. The lawsuit states that in 2006, the city and the agency agreed to collaborate on creating an exhibit for the site, which opened in 2010 with a memorial and informational panels focused on slavery.

The removal of the exhibit is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to eliminate cultural content that does not align with his policy agenda."

How the National Park Service Is Deleting American History; The New York Times, January 23, 2026

Maxine Joselow and Jennifer Schuessler, The New York Times; How the National Park Service Is Deleting American History

[Kip Currier: Trump 2.0's ongoing efforts to censor and erase history and science are appallingly Orwellian, yet also childishly regressive and unevolved.

When this modern Dark Age of willful ignorance and information suppression has passed, the uncomfortable truths, silenced voices, and inescapable facts will need to be restored to our collective historical record and cultural heritage institutions.]

[Excerpt]

"At Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, the Trump administration took down an exhibit on the contradiction between President George Washington’s enslavement of people and the Declaration of Independence’s promise of liberty.

At Muir Woods National Monument in California, the administration dismantled a plaque about how the tallest trees on the planet could help store carbon dioxide and slow the Earth’s dangerous warming.

And at Lowell National Historical Park in Massachusetts, Trump officials ordered the National Park Service to stop showing films about the women and immigrants who once toiled in the city’s textile mills.

Across the country, Park Service workers have started taking down plaques, films and other materials in connection with a directive from President Trump to remove or rewrite content that may “disparage Americans” or promote “corrosive ideology.”"

Sergeant Bluff library utilizes virtual reality to showcase preserved Holocaust survivors’ stories; KTIV.com, January 21, 2026

Taylor Deckert , KTIV.com; Sergeant Bluff library utilizes virtual reality to showcase preserved Holocaust survivors’ stories

"The Sergeant Bluff Public Library is preserving one of history’s darkest chapters for a generation that will never meet a Holocaust survivor face-to-face. 

They’re using virtual reality. The headsets are from the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, a trunk full of technology that brings history to life with a 360-degree view...

When visitors come to try the virtual reality experience at the Sergeant Bluff Public Library, they have multiple options of stories with different time lengths for different experiences...

“We’re at a time where most of the survivors are gone. And we’re really down to very, very few. And we are at a desperate place where we need to remember what happened because it’s so easy to repeat the past,” Torgerson said. “So it was really important to me because I feel like we are, it’s so easy to forget what has happened in the past.”

While the library has a selection of books on the Holocaust, it’s hoped the virtual reality experience will bring a new perspective on this time in history."

Fears Iran's internet shutdown could lead to 'extreme digital isolation'; BBC, January 18, 2026

Joe Tidy,BBC cybersecurity correspondentand

Farshad Bayan,BBC Persian

, BBC; Fears Iran's internet shutdown could lead to 'extreme digital isolation'

 "Iran is 10 days into one of the most extreme internet shutdowns in history, with 92 million citizens cut off from all internet services and even disruption to phone and text messaging.

The Iranian government cut off services on 8 January, apparently to stifle dissent and prevent international scrutiny of a government crack down on protesters.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the internet was cut off in response to what he described as externally directed "terrorist operations".

The government has not said when internet services will return, but new reports suggest that, behind the scenes, the authorities may be making plans to restrict it permanently. 

On 15 January, the news website IranWire reported that government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani told journalists that international web access will not be available until at least the Iranian New Year in late March. 

Internet freedom observers at FilterWatch believe the government is hastily implementing new systems and rules to cut Iran off from the international internet."

Microsoft Shuts Down Library, Replaces It With AI; Futurism, January 16, 2026

 Frank Landymore, Futurism; Microsoft Shuts Down Library, Replaces It With AI

"Does Microsoft hate books more, or its own workers? It’s hard to say, because The Verge reports that the multitrillion dollar giant is gutting its employee library and cutting down on digital subscriptions in favor of pursuing what’s internally described as an “AI-powered learning experience” — whatever in Clippy’s name that’s supposed to mean."

Microsoft is closing its employee library and cutting back on subscriptions; The Verge, January 15, 2026

Tom Warren, The Verge; Microsoft is closing its employee library and cutting back on subscriptions

"Microsoft is closing its physical library of books and cutting employee subscriptions. It's part of cost cutting and a move to AI."

Smithsonian removes Trump impeachment text as it swaps his portrait; The Washington Post, January 10, 2026

Samantha Chery

, 

Janay Kingsberry

 and 

Kelsey Ables

, The Washington Post; Smithsonian removes Trump impeachment text as it swaps his portrait

[Kip Currier: Trump 2.0's efforts to censor, distort, and propagandize history, as these Smithsonian instances illustrate, are appalling; but they're nothing the world hasn't experienced before from other despotic rulers throughout history who have striven to falsify and hide their conduct and crimes. 

The good news is that people like these reporters are documenting as many of these examples as possible and, at some future point, the historical record can be restored.

Moroever, as the article's comments frequently note, many, many people already know the truth about Trump's two impeachments, arraignments in four separate criminal cases, conviction for 34 felonies, etc. That knowledge can't be purged from the minds of the people who already know his character and actions.]

[Excerpt]

"The National Portrait Gallery removed a swath of text that mentioned President Donald Trump’s two impeachments and the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection as it swapped out a prominent photo of him this week."

With Pittsburgh set to lose legacy paper, experts talk impact of Post-Gazette closure announcement; WESA, January 7, 2026

Julia Maruca , 90.5 WESA; With Pittsburgh set to lose legacy paper, experts talk impact of Post-Gazette closure announcement

"Wednesday’s announced closure of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has left media experts reeling and wondering about what the future holds for the city’s news environment...

The Blocks’ announced intention to shut down the Post-Gazette — following a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to deny the company’s application for a stay in reinstating health care for the workers — means Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas will lose their oldest newspaper.

The legacy publication, first started in 1786 by John Scull and Joseph Hall as the Pittsburgh Gazette, has long touted itself as the “the first newspaper west of the Allegheny Mountains.” And after the paper publishes its last issue this May, the Pittsburgh metropolitan area of 1.2 million people will be without a daily newspaper specifically dedicated to covering the city...

“ One would imagine any number of other parties may be interested in talking with the Blocks about possibly purchasing some or all of the assets of the paper. There are still a lot of open questions,” Davidson said. “I don't think we've seen the end of this story yet.”"

Trump’s assault on the Smithsonian: ‘The goal is to reframe the entire culture of the US’; The Guardian, January 8, 2026

Charlotte Higgins , The Guardian; Trump’s assault on the Smithsonian: ‘The goal is to reframe the entire culture of the US’

[Kip Currier: Informative reporting by The Guardian on Trump 2.0 efforts to whitewash and erase centuries of history and culture by imprinting one man's and one movement's views on the Smithsonian museums.

Share this with as many people as possible to raise awareness and promote advocacy for the historical integrity and unfiltered authenticity of museums within the Smithsonian Institution system.]

[Excerpt]

"Lonnie Bunch, in the meantime, is holding a delicate line. On 18 December, a new letter from the White House arrived for him. The Smithsonian had fallen short in providing the information requested on 12 August, it said. “We wish to be assured,” it continued, “that none of the leadership of the Smithsonian museums is confused about the fact that the United States has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world. The American people will have no patience for any museum that is diffident about America’s founding or otherwise uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history.” Then came the threat. “As you may know, funds apportioned for the Smithsonian Institution are only available for use in a manner consistent with Executive Order 14253, ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,’ and the fulfilment of the requests set forth in our August 12, 2025 letter.”

Bunch wrote a note to all his staff the following day, quietly affirming, once more, the organisation’s autonomy. “For nearly 180 years, the Smithsonian has served our country as an independent and nonpartisan institution committed to its mission – the increase and diffusion of knowledge – for all Americans. As we all know, all content, programming, and curatorial decisions are made by the Smithsonian.”

With JD Vance on the board of regents, along with Republican members of Congress, the question hovers: how long will 73-year-old Bunch survive in his position? “Lonnie knows his time is short,” one DC museum director told me. “It’s a question of how he decides to go, and of which hill he chooses to die on.”"

Trumpy Owners Close Major City’s Pulitzer-Winning Newspaper: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is the region’s largest newspaper.; The Daily Beast, January 7, 2026

Laura Esposito , The Daily Beast; Trumpy Owners Close Major City’s Pulitzer-Winning Newspaper: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is the region’s largest newspaper.

"Billionaire twins John and Allan Block suddenly told dozens of workers for the 125-year-old Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that it will cease publication on May 3. The paper had won a Pulitzer Prize in 2019 for its coverage of the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre. But at 1:15 p.m., with just 45 minutes notice, they played a pre-taped Zoom announcement that the newspaper would close completely...

The twins are third generation owners of the paper through the family company Block Communications which also owns the Toledo Blade...

The twins, 71, have heavily backed President Donald Trump and have donated thousands of dollars to Republican causes...

Two years later, the Post-Gazette made national headlines for “shifting right” after John Block fired the Post-Gazette’s veteran cartoonist, Rob Rogers, over cartoons critical of Trump.

During the president’s 2020 campaign, John Block ordered the editorial board to endorse Trump—despite previously granting its request not to endorse a candidate—an insider at the publication told the Daily Beast. The board was forced to scrap its planned editorial just an hour before the print deadline and hastily write a new piece backing Trump, much to the staffers’ dismay.

On Wednesday, the brothers delivered the stunning news to staff via a brief, pre-recorded video, Post-Gazette reporters told the Daily Beast—despite owning multiple properties within short driving distance of the newsroom, including John Block’s sprawling Squirrel Hill mansion worth over $1.5 million.

Instead, staffers received an email at 12:34 p.m. informing them of a mandatory online meeting scheduled for 1:15 p.m. The meeting turned out to be a pre-recorded message that reporters described as “dehumanizing.”"...

Tensions between ownership and union journalists reached a boiling point in 2019, when John Block reportedly stormed into the newsroom and threatened to “burn the place down.”

Several staffers believe the Blocks are shutting down the outlet as punishment after a federal appeals court upheld a November ruling finding that the Post-Gazette illegally declared an impasse in union negotiations to impose its own terms."

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Announces It Will Cease Operations; The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 7, 2026

 Mark Walker, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Announces It Will Cease Operations

[Kip Currier: As someone who loves and depends on the vital access to information that newspapers singularly provide, my heart sunk when I saw this breaking news New York Times story about the Block family's decision to shutter The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, as of May 3, 2026. It's a shocking and yet not surprising development, given the appalling manner in which the Block family has managed this storied newspaper for more than a decade:

• Read about the Block family's firing of celebrated cartoonist Rob Rogers in 2018 for his depictions of Donald Trump.
• Read about the Block family's tirades against newspaper staff in 2019.
• Read about an appellate court ruling against the Block family on labor union grounds in a November 2025 decision.

The most unfortunate victims of the Block family's actions are the newspaper staff, the residents of the Greater Pittsburgh area, and all those who are interested in news involving this region.]

[Excerpt]

"The family-owned company that operates The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said on Wednesday that the newspaper would cease publication on Sunday, May 3, signaling the end of a newspaper whose origins date to 1786.

The company, Block Communications Inc., said it had lost more than $350 million over the past 20 years while publishing the newspaper. In a statement, it said the financial pressures facing local journalism had made “continued cash losses at this scale no longer sustainable.”

The company cited recent court decisions that would require The Post-Gazette to operate under the terms of a 2014 labor contract, which it described as imposing “outdated and inflexible operational practices.” 

The Post-Gazette’s closure will not affect The Toledo Blade in Ohio, which is also owned by Block Communications. The company is based in Toledo.

The Post-Gazette’s closure will not affect The Toledo Blade in Ohio, which is also owned by Block Communications. The company is based in Toledo.

In a statement, the Block family said it regretted how the loss of the newspaper would affect the communities it has served. The family said it was “proud of the service The Post-Gazette has provided to Pittsburgh for nearly a century.”"