Bill Lindeke
@blindeke.bsky.social
Urban Geographer @ UMN. Cityscape columnist @ Minnpost. Skyway Don Quixote. Tread lightly on earth. he/him Author of "St. Paul: Urban Biography”
"I had my phone in one hand and my keys in my other hand, and they all started screaming, like, 'Get her! She’s got a weapon! Get her!'" www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Fear factor: Intimidation becomes a calling card as Twin Cities ICE surge widens
Six weeks into the immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota, observers say there are signs that federal agents are employing violence more frequently and with little apparent restraint against citiz...
www.mprnews.org
January 16, 2026 at 10:27 PM
"I had my phone in one hand and my keys in my other hand, and they all started screaming, like, 'Get her! She’s got a weapon! Get her!'" www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
PROTIP: if you are trying to keep people from laughing at your Cybertruck, park it by the dumpster for highly effective camouflage.
January 16, 2026 at 9:26 PM
PROTIP: if you are trying to keep people from laughing at your Cybertruck, park it by the dumpster for highly effective camouflage.
Big ol' list of all the things. mn-ice-witness.org
MN ICE Witness - Sourced Database of ICE/CBP Incidents in Minnesota
Up-to-date sourced database of ICE and CBP civil rights incidents in Minnesota during Operation Metro Surge
mn-ice-witness.org
January 16, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Big ol' list of all the things. mn-ice-witness.org
Reposted by Bill Lindeke
Here is the full story, they’re stopped two special ed busses in Saint Paul and now the school district is taking two days off so that teachers can prepare virtual options for the indefinite future. Special ed kids cannot go to school safely without being hassled by armed and masked federal goons.
St. Paul Schools van full of teachers, students pulled over by ICE agents
St. Paul Public Schools says one of its contracted transport vans was pulled over by ICE agents with both students and staff on board.
www.fox9.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:39 PM
Here is the full story, they’re stopped two special ed busses in Saint Paul and now the school district is taking two days off so that teachers can prepare virtual options for the indefinite future. Special ed kids cannot go to school safely without being hassled by armed and masked federal goons.
Pretty good, deep overview of Minnesota’s political culture around immigration and identity. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/m...
Trump’s Fight With Minnesota Is About More Than Immigration
www.nytimes.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Pretty good, deep overview of Minnesota’s political culture around immigration and identity. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/m...
"An untold number of immigrants, like the man in the bus shelter, have been arrested without the whistles and cameras — plucked out of their lives in an instant." minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/16/t...
These are the arrests you’re not seeing • Minnesota Reformer
A man shelters alone under the heaters of a south Minneapolis bus stop on a cold January morning, the hood of a grey sweatshirt pulled over his thick dark hair. He unzips his black outer coat and look...
minnesotareformer.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:19 PM
"An untold number of immigrants, like the man in the bus shelter, have been arrested without the whistles and cameras — plucked out of their lives in an instant." minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/16/t...
If you don't tell people your name, badge number, or show your face, you are not legitimate law enforcement.
January 16, 2026 at 4:15 PM
If you don't tell people your name, badge number, or show your face, you are not legitimate law enforcement.
Thing that always seemed too good to be true, probably is. www.railway.supply/brightline-c...
Brightline cash crunch deepens despite Florida gains
Brightline cash crunch fears are growing even as the company reports stronger ridership and revenue in Florida, as outlined in a Trains.com analysis. Investors,
www.railway.supply
January 16, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Thing that always seemed too good to be true, probably is. www.railway.supply/brightline-c...
That is St Paul, but OK
Red Bull quietly cancelled its snowboarding event that was supposed to be held in Minneapolis this weekend.
bringmethenews.com/minnesota-li...
bringmethenews.com/minnesota-li...
Red Bull quietly cancels snowboarding competition in Minneapolis this weekend
The event page does not offer a reason for the cancellation.
bringmethenews.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:40 AM
That is St Paul, but OK
Reposted by Bill Lindeke
January 16, 2026 at 2:36 AM
Reposted by Bill Lindeke
Update: A judge has ruled that ICE must release Gibson by noon on Friday.
Good example of the kind of people ICE is extrajudicially targeting. www.minnpost.com/public-safet...
Attorney: No proper warrant for Minneapolis man's arrest in home
The arrest of Garrison Gibson came in a city increasingly on edge after an immigration agent shot and killed Renee Good last week.
www.minnpost.com
January 16, 2026 at 3:22 AM
Update: A judge has ruled that ICE must release Gibson by noon on Friday.
"No state has ever challenged in court an invocation of the Insurrection Act... Instead, we have a history of presidents deciding unilaterally that they lack the power to invoke the Act." talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-i...
Trump Threatened to Invoke the Insurrection Act — He’ll Need an Insurrection First
The Trump administration has flooded Minneapolis with thousands of immigration enforcement officials...
talkingpointsmemo.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:12 PM
"No state has ever challenged in court an invocation of the Insurrection Act... Instead, we have a history of presidents deciding unilaterally that they lack the power to invoke the Act." talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-i...
"The state has an overwhelming and compelling reason to have these materials, and the federal government has little to none to deny it. Whether or not it plays out like that in practice, that is the legal terrain." talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-f...
The FBI Freeze-out in Minnesota Is a Bigger Deal Than You Think
You’ve probably seen that the FBI asserted exclusive control over the investigation...
talkingpointsmemo.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:11 PM
"The state has an overwhelming and compelling reason to have these materials, and the federal government has little to none to deny it. Whether or not it plays out like that in practice, that is the legal terrain." talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-f...
"I’ve been puzzling over why he may succeed in Minneapolis when he failed elsewhere, but I don’t think it has much to do with Minnesotans... but rather w/ the escalating use of violence that culminated w/ the shooting of Renee Good... captured on video." talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
With Blood on His Hands, Trump Is Eager To Invoke Insurrection Act
Programming Note We’re hosting our first Morning Memo Live event on Jan....
talkingpointsmemo.com
January 15, 2026 at 6:33 PM
"I’ve been puzzling over why he may succeed in Minneapolis when he failed elsewhere, but I don’t think it has much to do with Minnesotans... but rather w/ the escalating use of violence that culminated w/ the shooting of Renee Good... captured on video." talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Checking in at Midtown Global Market, a good Lake Street barometer. sahanjournal.com/business-wor...
ICE raids leave Minnesota businesses reeling
Increased ICE activity in Minnesota leaves immigrant-owned and operated businesses struggling with staffing, revenue and safety.
sahanjournal.com
January 15, 2026 at 6:19 PM
Checking in at Midtown Global Market, a good Lake Street barometer. sahanjournal.com/business-wor...
"I hadn’t fully grasped how much the idea of a better future sustained me – how it made life more livable, hardship more bearable and creativity possible... But in our current political and environmental context, that vision has grown hazier." www.theguardian.com/wellness/202...
We are living in a time of polycrisis. If you feel trapped – you’re not alone
I hadn’t fully grasped how the idea of a better future sustained me – now I, like many others, find it difficult to be productive
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2026 at 6:14 PM
"I hadn’t fully grasped how much the idea of a better future sustained me – how it made life more livable, hardship more bearable and creativity possible... But in our current political and environmental context, that vision has grown hazier." www.theguardian.com/wellness/202...
"The cities with the highest LGA shares aren’t spread randomly across the state; they’re concentrated in Greater Minnesota." (h/t @anondson.bsky.social) streets.mn/2015/12/29/m...
Minnesota Needs More Ghost Towns
Cargill may be headquartered in Minnesota now, but it got its start 150 years ago in a small Iowa town. Conover was one of many prairie communities that sprang up as the railroads ventured westward…
streets.mn
January 15, 2026 at 5:27 PM
"The cities with the highest LGA shares aren’t spread randomly across the state; they’re concentrated in Greater Minnesota." (h/t @anondson.bsky.social) streets.mn/2015/12/29/m...
What a loaf of bread costs, great data viz: kottke.org/26/01/bread-...
Bread Infographic
London bakery The Dusty Knuckle cleverly used a loaf of bread as a graph to illustrate the costs of running their business:
Fro
kottke.org
January 15, 2026 at 5:25 PM
What a loaf of bread costs, great data viz: kottke.org/26/01/bread-...
Reposted by Bill Lindeke
Yo, @nytimes.com — we’ve got a hot Nisswa tip for you to dig into if your reporters are sticking around until next Tuesday, when the council votes on this mess
January 15, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Yo, @nytimes.com — we’ve got a hot Nisswa tip for you to dig into if your reporters are sticking around until next Tuesday, when the council votes on this mess
A good take on political platforms from my buddy in Bemidji. www.gonzotheater.com/2026/01/ruin...
Ruined Pizza Theory
The Ruined Pizza Theory (A Model of Modern Politics) Let me introduce you to Ruined Pizza Theory, as it applies to political platforms and m...
www.gonzotheater.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:10 PM
A good take on political platforms from my buddy in Bemidji. www.gonzotheater.com/2026/01/ruin...
Good example of the kind of people ICE is extrajudicially targeting. www.minnpost.com/public-safet...
Attorney: No proper warrant for Minneapolis man's arrest in home
The arrest of Garrison Gibson came in a city increasingly on edge after an immigration agent shot and killed Renee Good last week.
www.minnpost.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Good example of the kind of people ICE is extrajudicially targeting. www.minnpost.com/public-safet...
Rare freeway pedestrian bridge cover photo in use here. www.minnpost.com/national/202...
Democrats push for state law changes amid Minnesota ICE news
Momentum is growing for state law changes as legislatures return to work during President Donald Trump’s national immigration crackdown.
www.minnpost.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:05 PM
Rare freeway pedestrian bridge cover photo in use here. www.minnpost.com/national/202...
"this year, iron ore shipments were down 16 percent due in part to fewer shipments to Canadian steel mills, because of the Trump administration’s trade conflict with Canada." #winning www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
A tough shipping season ends with Duluth’s Twin Ports facing stiff economic headwinds
Shipments of iron ore plummeted in the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior this year, and closures were announced of key grain and coal terminals as port officials work to find new cargoes.
www.mprnews.org
January 15, 2026 at 3:04 PM
"this year, iron ore shipments were down 16 percent due in part to fewer shipments to Canadian steel mills, because of the Trump administration’s trade conflict with Canada." #winning www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
"The bus stops are a prime target for ICE." sahanjournal.com/immigration/...
Metro Transit workers decry ICE activity at transit stops
Metro Transit drivers say they’re witnessing ICE arrests at bus stops and in the streets of the Twin Cities.
sahanjournal.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:01 PM
"The bus stops are a prime target for ICE." sahanjournal.com/immigration/...
"Just as alarming as what ICE has done in American cities in the first year of Trump’s second term is what the agency has in store for the next three — no matter the tide of public opinion." www.nytimes.com/2026/01/14/o...
Opinion | ICE Is Waging War on Blue Cities
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 2:34 AM
"Just as alarming as what ICE has done in American cities in the first year of Trump’s second term is what the agency has in store for the next three — no matter the tide of public opinion." www.nytimes.com/2026/01/14/o...