With 789 cases reported as of Tuesday, the South Carolina outbreak surpassed a massive outbreak in Texas, which reached 762 cases before it ended in August last year. Two children died during the outbreak in Texas. At least 18 people – adults and children – have been hospitalized for complications of measles, the state health department said Tuesday, and no deaths have been reported. There are an additional 557 people in quarantine in South Carolina, meaning they may have been exposed to measles and don't have immunity to it through vaccination or prior infection. The health department reported exposures at three additional schools Tuesday, on top of existing quarantines among students at 20 others. Measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, meaning there has not been continuous transmission for more than a year at a time. Before 2025, there were an average of about 180 measles cases reported each year since elimination, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The US reported more than 2,200 confirmed measles cases in 2025 — significantly more than there have been in any year since 2000. The CDC said on Friday that there have been 416 confirmed measles cases reported in the US so far in 2026, but its update included data up until Thursday, before South Carolina's latest numbers came in. At least 14 states have reported a confirmed measles case so far this year, and another large outbreak continues to grow along the Arizona-Utah border. The CDC previously called measles elimination “a historic public health achievement,” possible in large part because of vaccination.The measles vaccine was licensed in 1963 and the combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine that is most commonly used first became widely available in the US in the 1970s. Under US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, the federal government's posture toward measles has changed. CDC Principal Deputy Director Dr. Ralph Abraham, a former Louisiana surgeon general who ended some vaccine promotion in his state before taking his new post late last year, argued last week that ongoing measles transmission from the Texas outbreak, which started in January 2025, has not been proved. Nonetheless, Abraham said the loss of measles elimination status would “not really” be significant. “It's just the cost of doing business with our borders,” Abraham told reporters in a briefing. “We have these communities that choose to be unvaccinated. The vast majority of cases in the South Carolina outbreak are among children, nearly all of whom were not fully vaccinated with the recommended two doses of MMR vaccine. State health officials have been encouraging vaccination, including through facilitating mobile health unit vaccination events, to try to contain the outbreak. Public health experts say a 95% vaccination rate is typically needed to keep measles from spreading in a community because the virus is so contagious. The MMR vaccine is widely available at doctors' offices, pharmacies and health departments, and is free for many families through the Vaccines for Children program or health insurance, State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said last week. “As we continue to watch this daily surge in cases, [the Department of Public Health] strongly encourages those who are not protected to take advantage of the opportunity to get protected against unexpected exposures and illnesses now to help us stop this outbreak and to help us protect our communities,” Bell said.

Paul Allen's comments came when people were demonstrating against ICE's killing of Renee Nicole Good A veteran Minneapolis sports radio commentator has apologized and says he is “taking a few days off” after invoking on air a conservative conspiracy theory that people demonstrating against the Trump administration's deadly immigration crackdown were being paid to protest. Paul Allen's remarks about the protesters on his show Friday came a little more than two weeks after a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot Renee Nicole Good to death on 7 January as she drove away from an encounter with him in Minneapolis, igniting street protests. Those comments from Allen also came one day before border patrol personnel in the city set off more protests after disarming, restraining and then fatally shooting Alex Pretti – who, like Good, was a 37-year-old US citizen. “I made a comment … about protesters … that was insensitive and poorly timed, and I'm sorry,” Allen said Monday in a pre-recorded statement aired by the KFAN sports station that has employed him since 1998. He later continued: “My best was lacking Friday, and for that I am sorry. Allen's protesters commentary on Friday, which came during a conversation on KFAN with Chad Greenway, a former Minnesota Vikings pro football team player, had subsequently drawn backlash. “In conditions like this, do paid protesters get hazard pay?” said Allen, who has done the play-by-play for radio broadcasts of Vikings games on KFAN since 2002. Allen pressed on after Greenway ignored the comment, saying “everyone's catching strays” (or facing criticism), including other football personalities. There were then demands from some quarters for Allen to resign. The show – 9 to Noon – “doesn't formulate political opinions”, he said. “We serve you – not the other way around,” he added. KFAN program director Chad Abbott did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking more details about the nature of Allen's time off, including whether or not it was voluntarily taken. The Vikings also did not reply when asked for comment. President Trump's allies on the US political right have frequently sought to dismiss large protests against his two presidencies with allegations that they are the work of compensated agitators rather than genuine expressions of discontent with his administration. Nonetheless, on Monday, just two days after Pretti's killing, the Trump administration reportedly removed border patrol official Gregory Bovino from his role as the agency's “commander at large” position.

Hundreds of people have gathered to say farewell to two popular pandas departing Tokyo for China, leaving Japan without any of the beloved bears for the first time in 50 years, as ties between the Asian neighbours fray. Panda twins Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao were transported by truck out of Ueno zoological gardens, their birthplace, disappointing many Japanese fans who have grown attached to the furry four-year-olds. “It feels like my own children are going somewhere far away. The animals, loaned out as part of China's “panda diplomacy” programme, have symbolised friendship between Beijing and Tokyo since they normalised ties in 1972. Their repatriation comes a month before their loan period expires in February, according to the Tokyo metropolitan government, which operates Ueno zoo. Guo Jiakun, China's foreign ministry spokesperson, said: “According to the relevant agreement between China and Japan, the giant pandas who were living in Japan, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, today began their return trip to China. “As always, we welcome the Japanese public to come see giant pandas in China.” However, a weekend poll by the liberal Asahi Shimbun newspaper showed that 70% of those surveyed did not think the government should negotiate with China on the lease of new pandas, while 26% said they would like it to. Well-wishers wearing panda-themed clothes, hats and badges waited for hours on the streets lining the zoo two days later to say their final goodbyes. “It's so sad,” said Daisaku Hirota, a 37-year-old shop worker who said he tried to visit the pandas as often as he could on his days off. “I lost one part of my heart,” he said. Since late last year, China has discouraged its nationals from travelling to Japan, citing deteriorating public security and criminal acts against Chinese nationals in the country. However, China routinely removes pandas from foreign countries and the latest move might not be politically motivated, said Masaki Ienaga, a professor at Tokyo Woman's Christian University and an expert in east Asian international relations. “If you talk about [Chinese] politics, the timing of sending pandas is what counts,” and pandas could return to Japan if bilateral ties warm, Ienaga said.

LONDON, January 27. /TASS/. The number of British military personnel in Ukraine who provide security for the embassy in Kiev and are involved in military operations has increased since the Labor Party came to power in July 2024, said Defense Secretary John Healy. "We have a number of UK personnel in Ukraine, they are providing support to the embassy and they are providing support to Ukraine in its defense," he told the defense committee of the House of Commons (lower house) of the British parliament. "This has been the case since we reopened the defense section in April 2022. Since the election [in July 2024], that number has grown. We continue to step up UK support at Ukraine's request." Russian ambassador to London Andrey Kelin told TASS earlier that Britain was involved in the conflict in Ukraine, perhaps deeper than any other NATO member country. He said that the presence in Ukraine of special forces, instructors, and military specialists involved in the launch of long-range Storm Shadow missiles had been officially confirmed.

15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony,” Glass wrote in the letter, which was shared with CNN. “Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.” The world premiere of Symphony No. 15 was scheduled at the Kennedy Center for June 12 and 13. CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment. Glass's withdrawal follows a string of cancellations at the Kennedy Center after the board moved to change the arts institution's name to recognize President Donald Trump. Kristy Lee, a folk singer-songwriter, who last month canceled her January 14 show, said in a social media post, “When American history starts getting treated like something you can ban, erase, rename, or rebrand for somebody else's ego, I can't stand on that stage and sleep right at night.” Since returning to the White House, Trump has dramatically reshaped the performing arts center, gutting the board of trustees and ousting its chairman. Glass was among the Kennedy Center honorees recognized in 2018. Trump — then serving his first term — skipped the event. But the president was center stage at the 2025 awards show, serving as its host as musicians George Strait, Gloria Gaynor and the band KISS were honored, along with actors Sylvester Stallone and Michael Crawford. CNN's Kevin Liptak, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report. CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.

The controversial “commander at large” of US President Donald Trump's federal immigration enforcement push in Minnesota has been removed from his post following two deadly shootings, several media outlets have reported. The incidents sparked a public outcry and nationwide protests. A source told Reuters on Tuesday that Bovino would be returning to his former job as the head of California's El Centro sector of the US-Mexico border. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a post on X that “some federal agents” will start leaving the city, but did not mention Bovino directly. “I will continue pushing for the rest involved in this operation to go,” Frey added. CNN claimed that Trump was “unhappy” with how Bovino and US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem handled the fallout of Pretti's killing. Noem was reportedly criticized for making premature statements while defending the agents involved. Bonino has insisted that the slain US citizen was armed and wanted to “massacre law enforcement.” The video footage circulating online appears to show Pretti holding a phone immediately before he was tackled and shot. Bovino critics online have also claimed that the commander had “Nazi looks” due to his closely cropped haircut and military-style greatcoat that went viral. You really can't make up a more cartoonish ICE villain. Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said on X that despite the transfer, Bovino remains “a key part of the President's team and a great American.” The police said that 26 people were arrested overnight as they protested outside a hotel where Bovino was believed to have been staying.

“WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING?” Trump asked in a recent Truth Social post. If you think our work is valuable, support us with a donation of any size. “Could the Environmental Insurrectionists please explain — WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING?? Trump has frequently peddled disinformation about the climate crisis over the years, and has dismantled a wide range of climate protections while in office. He has, for example, expanded non-renewable energy production in the U.S., including oil and coal, and early in his second term (as he did in his first), he withdrew the U.S. from the international Paris Climate Agreement. “Big waves like this are more common when the Arctic is unusually warm, and it's near record-warm right now,” Jennifer Francis, an atmospheric scientist and senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, told Inside Climate News. This is observable even to people without a degree in meteorology: In Chicago on Friday, wind chill temperatures reached -36 degrees Fahrenheit, while in Nuuk, Greenland, evening temperatures on the same day were a positive 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Over this past weekend, at least 30 people in the U.S. died due to the extreme cold, and as of Monday, more than 600,000 homes and businesses were still without power. Meanwhile, Trump has made major cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Such cuts could have devastating consequences, limiting how effective the agency can be in helping Americans in need of aid during extreme weather events. Importantly, the federal government paused some FEMA layoffs and funding cuts as this storm was approaching. But those cuts will likely be implemented at some point, meaning future events could see more distressing outcomes. If that trend continues, future extreme events, including intense polar vortices, will be commonplace. Progressive nonprofits are the latest target caught in Trump's crosshairs. With the aim of eliminating political opposition, Trump and his sycophants are working to curb government funding, constrain private foundations, and even cut tax-exempt status from organizations he dislikes. We're concerned, because Truthout is not immune to such bad-faith attacks. We can only resist Trump's attacks by cultivating a strong base of support. The right-wing mediasphere is funded comfortably by billionaire owners and venture capitalist philanthropists. Truthout has launched a fundraiser, and we have only 48 hours left to raise $22,000. Chris Walker is a news writer at Truthout, based in Madison, Wisconsin. He can be found on most social media platforms under the handle @thatchriswalker. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day. Truthout must raise $22,000 for our basic publishing costs this month.

Since this “ceasefire” started, I've witnessed two strikes on my camp in Gaza. Please support our boldly independent journalism with a donation of any size. Since the supposed “ceasefire” in Gaza came into effect on October 10, 2025, I have personally borne witness to two ceasefire breaches in my refugee camp. I was juggling my studies ahead of a musculoskeletal exam for medical school, planning to go to the café for a stable internet connection. Midway through taking my exam in my refugee camp, an explosion shook the ground, and billowing smoke blurred our vision. Then it turned out to be the Twix Café I used to visit — the strike left six patrons killed and many injured. People were left with nothing but to believe in this fragile truce. The second ceasefire breach that touched me personally occurred on November 22, when the Israeli military committed a massacre in my neighborhood against an entire family. Only their eldest daughter survived because she had happened to step into her room just minutes before the airstrike. The family had survived many attacks before, but this one tore them into pieces, inflicting devastation beyond repair. In an instant, Israel wiped out an entire family, tearing them apart and leaving only one survivor — alone, cold, speechless, carrying muffled memories inside a shattered home. This Sham Ceasefire Follows Decades of Other Broken Promises In 1993, Palestinians hoped the Oslo Accords, signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Israeli occupation, would bring an end to Israel's expansionist, settler-colonial project and entrench Palestinians' right to self-determination and sovereignty over their own land — at the cost of relinquishing armed resistance. Nearly three decades later, this decree — branded as a “peace process” — was preserved, yet it has never yielded peace of any kind. Oslo was neither a perfect nor an optimal solution to the Palestinian struggle, but it was believed (perhaps desperately) that it might mitigate decades of apartheid and oppression. Instead, Israeli forces reneged on their promises, further entrenching Palestinian statelessness. Since then, more than six wars have been unleashed on Gaza City, punctuated by countless shorter aggressions. After two years of genocide, Donald Trump advanced a so-called 20-point peace plan, unveiled at the White House, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu standing beside him. The plan sidelined Palestinian sovereignty and proposed the establishment of foreign forces to control Gaza, while Palestinian technocrats would be responsible for day-to-day governance under severely limited authority. Violence is imposed whenever Israeli leaders choose, paused when convenient, and resumed explicitly without charge. Purveyors of genocide have long mastered the choreography of violence: When the fire turns against them, they mask their language as salvation; when it serves them, they ignite it and rebrand devastation as a world-changing necessity. Yes, ultimately, a ceasefire was declared in October 2025. At best, it has produced “reduced fire” or “slow fire.” A ceasefire that does not halt killing, does not stop the targeting of buildings, does not mandate the withdrawal of Israeli military forces, and continues to block food, medicine, and fuel from entering except in insufficient quantities cannot, by any definition, be called a ceasefire. Rather, it is a transformed form of death — one that operates in the shadows, not in broad daylight — while the world convinces itself that a chapter of today's atrocities has been closed and numbly moves on to the next eye-catching catastrophe. Since 1948, the pattern has been glaringly obvious: Israel has never reliably complied with treaties, kept promises, or abided by international law. It wreaks havoc as though the world were not governed by any order, embarking on genocide now justified as a response to October 7 — without mentioning the decades spent killing and dispossessing Palestinians, when neither October 7 nor resistance factions even existed to be blamed. Violence is imposed whenever Israeli leaders choose, paused when convenient, and resumed explicitly without charge, only for them to be praised as possessing “the most ethical military in the world” — shielded from accountability and trusting that time alone will be enough for the world to forget. What usually happens in occupied Palestine is that Palestinians cease, and Israelis fire. In mid-December, a wedding ceremony was turned into a bloodbath, killing at least six people and severely wounding dozens more. Back then, people were fooled too by the illusion of a ceasefire, naively believing that this would be the last breach. Instead, violence continues unabated in myriad forms, seemingly designed not merely to kill Palestinians but to deny us any attempt at living. Violence continues unabated in myriad forms, seemingly designed not merely to kill Palestinians but to deny us any attempt at living. Western media outlets turn their backs and endorse Trump's plans as if they are unfolding effectively, all while they are buried under the weight of silence. Even Amnesty International declared in November that Gaza's genocide is far from over. As of December 2025, evacuation orders were issued in Gaza City's Al-Tuffah neighborhood, aimed at expanding the Yellow Line and consolidating control over Gaza. Meanwhile, during this supposed “ceasefire,” Israeli forces attacked young girls in Khan Younis, claiming they posed a threat, and the menacing drone flying overhead continues to fill us with dread. The bombs may be reduced in number, but they are still falling. Progressive nonprofits are the latest target caught in Trump's crosshairs. With the aim of eliminating political opposition, Trump and his sycophants are working to curb government funding, constrain private foundations, and even cut tax-exempt status from organizations he dislikes. We're concerned, because Truthout is not immune to such bad-faith attacks. We can only resist Trump's attacks by cultivating a strong base of support. The right-wing mediasphere is funded comfortably by billionaire owners and venture capitalist philanthropists. Truthout has launched a fundraiser, and we have only 48 hours left to raise $22,000. This article is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), and you are free to share and republish under the following terms: Hend Salama Abo Helow is a researcher, writer and medical student at Al-Azhar University in Gaza. She is also a writer with We Are Not Numbers and has published in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Institute for Palestinian Studies, Mondoweiss and Al Jazeera. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day. Truthout must raise $22,000 for our basic publishing costs this month.

The commander of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis is leaving the city after federal agents fatally shot two people in less than three weeks. The Border Patrol chief led agents in Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans before he headed to Minnesota in December for what the Department of Homeland Security called its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation. He's also been heavily criticized for his norm-breaking tactics. Agents have smashed car windows, blown open a door to a house and patrolled the fabled MacArthur Park in Los Angeles on horseback. White House softens tone on Minnesota crackdown, shuffles ICE leadership Bovino often appears in tactical gear, as he did outside California Gov. Gavin Newsom's news conference on congressional redistricting in August. Agents rappelled down to the apartment building from a Black Hawk helicopter. Authorities said they were targeting the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, but only two of the 37 immigrants arrested were gang members. One U.S. citizen was arrested on an outstanding narcotics warrant. Bovino also drew a rare public rebuke from a federal judge who said he misled the court about the threats posed by protesters and deployed tear gas and pepper balls without justification during a chaotic confrontation downtown. Gregory Bovino outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on January 8.Tom Baker/The Associated Press U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency primarily responsible for interior immigration enforcement since its was created in 2003, has historically made arrests in the streets after lengthy investigations of individual targets, including surveillance that an official once likened to watching paint dry. Minnesota killing prompts criticism against Trump administration from Second Amendment advocates It is not a pace that will lead to the mass deportations Trump has promised. “We're going to turn and burn to that next target and the next and the next and the next, and we're not going to stop,” he said in an interview in a seventh-floor conference room of the federal building in West Los Angeles, where an unused office wing serves as a sparsely furnished temporary base. Bovino was one of 20 regional Border Patrol chiefs around the country when he was relieved of his command leading the agency's sector in El Centro, California. He blamed an online profile picture of him posing with an M4 assault rifle; social media posts that were considered inappropriate; and sworn congressional testimony that he and other sector chiefs gave on the state of the border during a record surge of migrants. Thirty minutes after his second congressional hearing, Bovino said, he was removed from his position and asked, “Are you going to retire now?” Federal agents fire flash-bang grenades as they advance toward protesters during clashes on January 24 in Minneapolis.KEREM YUCEL/AFP/Getty Images He served as Border Patrol chief in El Centro, California, long a relatively quiet part of the southern border that has become even quieter as illegal crossings have plummeted to their lowest levels in six decades. His media savvy is on display each summer when Border Patrol sector chiefs hold news conferences to warn against illegal crossings. “The folks undercutting American businesses, is that right?” he said. Bovino's sense of mission never strayed from the Border Patrol's roots. When assigned to lead a station in Blythe, California, he pitched his boss, Paul Beeson, on raiding the airport and bus stations in Las Vegas. The 2010 operation was supposed to last three days but got called off after the first hour yielded dozens of arrests and unleashed a furious reaction from then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat. “He's not afraid to push the envelope, very articulate, leads from the front,” said Beeson, who, as a sector chief, selected Bovino to lead stations in Blythe and in Imperial Beach, California. Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova has proposed establishing a dedicated checkpoint on the border with Ukraine to facilitate the reunification of Russian citizens with their relatives. She announced this initiative during a meeting of the Communist Party faction in the State Duma. "Perhaps we should consider opening a single checkpoint for Russian citizens in Ukraine who wish to visit their family and friends in Russia," Moskalkova suggested. She explained that many Russian nationals in Ukraine with expired passports are unable to leave the country - even through third states. Over the past year, more than 50 families separated by the escalation of the conflict have been able to reunite, Moskalkova noted. She is actively working on this issue in cooperation with her Ukrainian counterpart.

Fourteen European countries warned on Jan. 26 that ships sailing in the Baltic Sea and North Sea under multiple flags may be treated as stateless vessels, part of a crackdown against Moscow's shadow fleet. The shadow fleet is a group of aging, poorly insured tankers that Moscow uses to evade international sanctions. Western governments have linked the fleet to Russian-backed hybrid operations, while experts say it poses environmental risks due to an increased likelihood of oil spills. Several Russia-linked shadow tankers were detained in recent weeks by the U.S. as part of Washington's crackdown on the Venezuelan oil trade. All vessels are at risk," the statement read. The European nations urged the international community to recognize GNSS interference and Automatic Identification System (AIS) manipulation as "threats to maritime safety and security" and develop alternative systems in the event of GNSS disruptions. Western officials have repeatedly warned about Russia carrying out GPS jamming and radar interference across NATO's eastern flank, a move seen as part of Moscow's hybrid warfare. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. Odesa was the hardest hit among Ukrainian cities overnight. Fourteen European countries warned on Jan. 26 that ships sailing in the Baltic Sea and North Sea under multiple flags may be treated as stateless vessels. "People with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular conditions are advised, if possible, to stay indoors," officials said. Hungary and Slovakia plan to sue the European Union over its REPowerEU plan to phase out imports of Russian oil and gas, officials wrote on Jan. 26. Seapeak's share of Yamal LNG's trade in 2025 amounted to 37.3%, more than any other company, according to Urgewald's analysis based on Kpler data. The reasons could be "possible limitations of a technical or political character," Ukraine's military intelligence told the Kyiv Independent. A full ban on Russian LNG will take effect in early 2027, followed by pipeline gas imports in the autumn of that year.

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last Tuesday.Denis Balibouse/Reuters In his Davos speech, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that we find ourselves in the same position as the manager of a fruit and vegetable shop in Havel's 1978 essay, who puts a “Workers of the world, unite!” sign in his window. This man does not believe in the slogan, or any of the other dogmas of Soviet communism. The sign is there because he wants to signal compliance. His peace and comfort depend on publicly performative fealty to a totalitarian ideology. Havel called this “living within the lie.” Opinion: Carney rang an opening bell in Davos. Mr. Carney said that the current international order had become a lie. He didn't name the United States or President Donald Trump, but all his listeners had them in mind. He said that economic ties were being weaponized by superpowers to impose upon the weak, and that the response – from leaders of nations to titans of industry – had been to pretend that it wasn't happening. But, said Mr. Carney, “you cannot ‘live within the lie' of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination.” He said that we have to “stop pretending” that the world as it was is the world as it is. We have to talk about objective reality – rather than saying obsequious things about a certain president, in the hope that we will be rewarded with the quiet enjoyment of yesterday's economic and security benefits. “It is time,” he said “for companies and countries to take their signs down.” But it's important to understand what he's right about, including the extent to which Havel's situation applies to our own – and the many ways it does not. If by “take their signs down,” Mr. Carney means that the free world has to stop pretending that the insane and threatening things Mr. Trump has said and done are not, in fact, insane and threatening, then he's absolutely correct. We must “live within the truth,” as Havel put it. Mr. Carney said that means we must “stop invoking the ‘rules-based international order' as though it still functions as advertised.” He said we must recognize that superpowers are pursuing their interests “using economic integration as coercion.” Opinion: The hard truths Mark Carney left unsaid in Davos That poster was a lie, full stop. It had been non-viable, and widely unwanted, from day one. It always had been maintained at the barrel of a gun. That gets something very wrong about what Mr. Trump has done, and is doing. Joining NATO was not supporting a lie. Pre-Trump America didn't always live up to its best principles but neither do any countries, or human beings. This is not what Havel's “living a lie” was about. It was an Orwellian ideology of make believe, where everyone pledged allegiance to untruths. He is what Havel would have classified as an old-style dictatorship. He takes from others to the extent of his wants, and to the extent that he can. He demands obedience, but unlike left-wing ideologies of the past, or wokeism in the present, there is no elaborate ideology to provide his followers with a philosophical justification for going along. And that, paradoxically, is a reason for hope. Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following. © Copyright 2026 The Globe and Mail Inc. All rights reserved.

A federal appeals court on Jan. 26 granted the Trump administration a full stay of a lower court ruling that prevented ICE agents from detaining protesters or using nonlethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools during protests in Minnesota without probable cause. In its ruling, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel said that U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez's Jan. 16 injunction was “too vague” and that the Department of Homeland Security has made “a strong showing” that its challenge is likely to succeed on the merits.