First Thing: Court files show how federal agents spied on anti-ICE protesters | Martin Belam
Undercover agents infiltrated meetings, private chats and local events. Plus Wile E Coyote returns to the big screen
Good morning. The extent to which federal law enforcement targeted political opponents and peaceful organizers has been laid bare in newly disclosed court documents.
Internal investigative files reveal that the Department of Homeland Security launched a sweeping surveillance operation against anti-ICE protesters, major labor unions and left-leaning advocacy groups – sending undercover agents to infiltrate community meetings and issuing administrative subpoenas to seize financial records. The documents show that DHS investigators obtained financial records of unions and non-profits, as part of an inquiry into “domestic terrorist financing”.
What did undercover government agents do? They infiltrated community meetings, joined private activist Signal chats and surreptitiously recorded audio at local events – including a “resistance skills training” at a public library and a sparring session at a church gym, where an agent accidentally dropped his recording device. Agents posed as activists and actively engaged participants by offering to help with “direct-action” protests.
How have activists responded? Emilia González Avalos, the executive director of Unidos MN, a Minneapolis social justice non-profit group, said: “I believe that this is a clear attempt to intimidate us, to punish and politically repress disagreement and difference. And that is not the America that we have built through hundreds of years. And it’s definitely not the America that we are organizing for.”
Crimea bomb kills ‘Ukrainian sub commander who defected’
A Russian military officer labelled as a Ukrainian defector was killed in a bomb attack on Thursday in Russian-annexed Crimea. Robert Shageyev was described on Russian Telegram channels as a former Ukrainian naval officer who switched allegiance to Russia during Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 when he was commanding Ukraine’s only submarine, the Zaporizhzhia.
Where did the attack take place? The attack took place in Sevastopol, the biggest city in Russian-annexed Crimea. The regional governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said a woman had been arrested on suspicion of assassinating Shageyev on behalf of Ukrainian special services.
What has Poland said about Russian activity there? A Russian plan to kill a Ukrainian American citizen in Warsaw was thwarted by Poland before it could be carried out, the Polish prime minister has said. Donald Tusk said it was the first time that “someone on the order of Russia” had sought to attack a US citizen on the territory of another Nato country.
Massachusetts teen accused of killing mother and brother used ChatGPT
A Massachusetts teenager accused of killing his mother and younger brother is being held without bail as authorities investigate a double-murder case that prosecutors say is connected to his use of ChatGPT. Arjun Aravind, 17, appeared for his arraignment in Concord district court on Thursday morning, where a not-guilty plea to murder and several additional charges was entered on his behalf.
What did the county district attorney say? Marian Ryan said in a press conference: “The investigation has so far shown that Arjun had recently been demonstrating some concerning behavior, including using the internet and ChatGPT to make searches for theoretical ideas or fantasy stories regarding the killing of his family.”
WNBA condemns ‘bad-faith’ efforts to fuel transgender player debate
The WNBA on has criticized those trying to create a narrative about transgender women playing in the league. A league spokesperson said “There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others.”
The statement came hours after an anti-hate taskforce met virtually and discussed a variety of topics, including social media vitriol and transgender athletes. There has never been a trans woman – a person assigned male at birth who transitions to align with their gender identity – on a WNBA roster.
In other news …
Trump-aligned British politician Nigel Farage has won a special election in England and will return to parliament, having defeated 33 fringe and novelty candidates. He failed to turn up to hear the result. A man with a bin on his head pretending to be from outer space came second.
Trump orders Pentagon to redesign US aircraft carrier to use steam catapults to launch jets saying digital systems are too ‘complicated’.
Max Miller’s ex-wife is suing him for uploading a picture of their infant daughter to a publicly accessible Dropbox folder as part of their custody battle.
A Guatemalan immigrant detained by ICE at a Newark, New Jersey has died, the third person to die after being held at Delaney Hall.
The board of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington is said to have voted once again to inscribe Donald Trump’s name on the facade of its building.
Stat of the day: Severe storms cut power supply to 540,000 homes in US midwest
Power supply was cut on Thursday to about 540,000 homes and businesses across the US midwest as severe storms battered the region. Indiana was the hardest-hit state, with more than 267,000 outages, representing about 8% of its roughly 3.3 million customers.
Culture Pick: How the Looney Toons reboot movie came back from the dead
I cannot wait to see live-action toon hybrid Coyote v Acme. Nick Duerden explains how, having been shelved as a tax write-off three years ago, it is finally set to see the light of day and be a surprise summer hit. Beep, beep!
Don’t miss this: What is the MMR vaccine and how does Trump’s executive order affect parents and children?
On Monday, Donald Trump signed an executive order pushing for revisions to how children in the US are vaccinated. Here’s what you need to know about the executive order’s potential impact and the science behind the debate.
… or this: Are we looking at the death of the kiss?
Elle Hunt speaks to people about the emergence of what some have termed a kissing recession, as more people are reportedly single and having less sex.
Climate check: ‘Unprecedented’ rain kills four in Japan as thousands stranded at airport
At least four people died in eastern Japan after “unprecedented” heavy rain left nearly 7,000 stranded at Tokyo’s Narita airport, and forced thousands to take refuge in government buildings. The torrential rains hit Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, triggering landslide warnings and power outages.
Last Thing: Boy, 8, hooks fearsome exotic fish in Pennsylvania lake
An eight-year-old boy fishing for bass in Pennsylvania was stunned to catch something more associated with the Amazon – and countless horror movies – than the rolling landscape of the eastern US: a piranha!
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