Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
sarisataka
sarisataka's Journal
sarisataka's Journal
February 6, 2026
Meh, who needs facts or reliable sources? Our "leaders" would never lie.
CIA terminates its World Factbook, overthrowing reference regime
CIA terminates its World Factbook, overthrowing reference regime
Taylor Hale was in the middle of teaching a Western geography lesson on Wednesday afternoon when his sixth-grade students informed him that the online reference they usually consulted was gone. He’d instructed them to compare the gross domestic products of Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, and so they turned to the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook. But instead of finding the usual index of countries, they hit a blue webpage announcing that the Factbook was no more.
After decades of serving as a reliable, authoritative public repository of basic information about countries, their economies, and their people, The World Factbook disappeared from the internet on February 4 with no advance notice. Teachers, students, librarians, researchers, and curious citizens in general were abruptly cut off from a reference they had taken for granted.
“The CIA Factbook is not bulletproof perfect, but it’s way better than a lot of other sources out there and it’s free,” Hale, a social studies teacher in Oklahoma City, said. “It was always there, and now it’s not.”
Before this week, teachers like Hale routinely directed their students to The World Factbook for school assignments, international travelers used it to assess security risks and vaccine recommendations, and journalists relied on its data to add context to their reporting.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/05/us/cia-world-factbook-countries-cec
Taylor Hale was in the middle of teaching a Western geography lesson on Wednesday afternoon when his sixth-grade students informed him that the online reference they usually consulted was gone. He’d instructed them to compare the gross domestic products of Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, and so they turned to the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook. But instead of finding the usual index of countries, they hit a blue webpage announcing that the Factbook was no more.
After decades of serving as a reliable, authoritative public repository of basic information about countries, their economies, and their people, The World Factbook disappeared from the internet on February 4 with no advance notice. Teachers, students, librarians, researchers, and curious citizens in general were abruptly cut off from a reference they had taken for granted.
“The CIA Factbook is not bulletproof perfect, but it’s way better than a lot of other sources out there and it’s free,” Hale, a social studies teacher in Oklahoma City, said. “It was always there, and now it’s not.”
Before this week, teachers like Hale routinely directed their students to The World Factbook for school assignments, international travelers used it to assess security risks and vaccine recommendations, and journalists relied on its data to add context to their reporting.
Meh, who needs facts or reliable sources? Our "leaders" would never lie.
February 3, 2026
14 federal prosecutors resigning in protest in just over a month. One wonders if the US Attorney's Office in Minnesota can still function adequately.
Star Tribune: 8 more federal prosecutors leaving Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office
Star Tribune: 8 more federal prosecutors leaving Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eight more federal prosecutors in Minnesota are “in the process of leaving” the U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to reporting from the Star Tribune.
Their exit comes after six prosecutors, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, recently announced their decision to leave due to mounting pressure from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Renee Good’s widow.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is working to independently confirm the reports from the Star Tribune.
Ana Voss is one of the eight prosecutors included in this second wave of resignations, the Star Tribune reported. Voss, the civil division chief, was the point person for the majority of wrongful detention petitions the office has been dealing with, of which there have been hundreds.
As reported by KSTP, the New York Times initially said the DOJ pressed for a criminal investigation into the actions of Renee Good’s widow on the day she was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Good’s wife was seen on video engaging with Ross before the shooting, but none of her actions in the widely shared video appeared to be illegal.
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/star-tribune-8-more-federal-prosecutors-leaving-minnesota-u-s-attorneys-office/
Eight more federal prosecutors in Minnesota are “in the process of leaving” the U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to reporting from the Star Tribune.
Their exit comes after six prosecutors, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, recently announced their decision to leave due to mounting pressure from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Renee Good’s widow.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is working to independently confirm the reports from the Star Tribune.
Ana Voss is one of the eight prosecutors included in this second wave of resignations, the Star Tribune reported. Voss, the civil division chief, was the point person for the majority of wrongful detention petitions the office has been dealing with, of which there have been hundreds.
As reported by KSTP, the New York Times initially said the DOJ pressed for a criminal investigation into the actions of Renee Good’s widow on the day she was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Good’s wife was seen on video engaging with Ross before the shooting, but none of her actions in the widely shared video appeared to be illegal.
14 federal prosecutors resigning in protest in just over a month. One wonders if the US Attorney's Office in Minnesota can still function adequately.
January 29, 2026
Unfortunately most of the people who need to see this are not here and will probably never see this
Less than two minutes shows why we can not remain silent
Unfortunately most of the people who need to see this are not here and will probably never see this
January 28, 2026
The report seems to ignore the facts that it was the agents who initiated contact and escalated the situation violently
Exclusive: Two officers fired their guns during Pretti encounter, Homeland Security says in initial report
Exclusive: Two officers fired their guns during Pretti encounter, Homeland Security says in initial report
Two officers fired their guns during the fatal encounter with Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend, according to an initial report to Congress from the Department of Homeland Security reviewed by CNN.
The report – from Customs and Border Protection’s initial investigation into the shooting of Pretti – says an officer yelled, “He’s got a gun” multiple times before two officers fired as agents struggled with him on the ground.
“CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody. Pretti resisted CBP personnel’s efforts and a struggle ensued,” the report says. “During the struggle, a (Border Patrol agent) yelled, ‘He’s got a gun!’ multiple times.”
The report continues: “Approximately five seconds later, a (Border Patrol agent) discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a (Customs and Border Protection officer) also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti.”
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/27/politics/pretti-shooting-two-officers-homeland-security-report
Two officers fired their guns during the fatal encounter with Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend, according to an initial report to Congress from the Department of Homeland Security reviewed by CNN.
The report – from Customs and Border Protection’s initial investigation into the shooting of Pretti – says an officer yelled, “He’s got a gun” multiple times before two officers fired as agents struggled with him on the ground.
“CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody. Pretti resisted CBP personnel’s efforts and a struggle ensued,” the report says. “During the struggle, a (Border Patrol agent) yelled, ‘He’s got a gun!’ multiple times.”
The report continues: “Approximately five seconds later, a (Border Patrol agent) discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a (Customs and Border Protection officer) also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti.”
The report seems to ignore the facts that it was the agents who initiated contact and escalated the situation violently
January 27, 2026
The infection rate graph is a near vertical line.
If only there was some way that we could build an immunity before my person is infected with the disease, some way that we could strengthen immune system so it is prepared to fight these endemic diseases...
One would think science could come up with something, maybe that even could be given in childhood, that would limit infections
South Carolina measles outbreak is largest in US since measles was declared eliminated
South Carolina measles outbreak is largest in US since measles was declared eliminated
The fast-growing measles outbreak in South Carolina is now the largest in the United States since the disease was declared eliminated in this country more than two decades ago.
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.
South Carolina, which first reported cases in October, has added more than 600 cases in 2026 alone. 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.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/27/health/largest-us-measles-outbreak-south-carolina
The fast-growing measles outbreak in South Carolina is now the largest in the United States since the disease was declared eliminated in this country more than two decades ago.
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.
South Carolina, which first reported cases in October, has added more than 600 cases in 2026 alone. 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.
The infection rate graph is a near vertical line.
If only there was some way that we could build an immunity before my person is infected with the disease, some way that we could strengthen immune system so it is prepared to fight these endemic diseases...
One would think science could come up with something, maybe that even could be given in childhood, that would limit infections
January 26, 2026
People are talking about moving the World Cup, but we have a better opportunity
Boycott the Super Bowl
Start a campaign to have people not watch the game, make it the least watched Super Bowl in history.
Boycott advertisers who will not speak out in favor of the people in opposition to authoritarian government policies.
Have the fans press the teams that if they choose to play, they should make a symbolic on field gesture, such as taking a knee or simply standing in silence for a minute to delay the kickoff.
It is more immediate and the Super Bowl matters far more to Americans than a soccer tournament.
January 25, 2026
2026-
Evolving Republican position on the right to carry
2024-
“Allowing law-abiding citizens to carry their firearms and to protect themselves and to protect their families… that’s an issue that will always be an important one for the Republican Party.”
2026-
“The facts of this situation: this individual showed up to an law enforcement operation with a weapon and dozens of rounds of ammunition,” she said. “He wasn’t there to peacefully protest.”
January 24, 2026
https://gunowners.mn/press-release-shooting-death-alex-pretti/
Press Release: MN Gun Owners Caucus responds to the shooting death of Alex Pretti
Press Release: MN Gun Owners Caucus responds to the shooting death of Alex Pretti
We are deeply concerned by this morning’s reports that a federal law enforcement operation in Minneapolis resulted in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal agents. According to local officials, the man was legally armed, a firearm was recovered at the scene, and he is believed to have been a lawful gun owner and permit to carry holder.
Many critical facts remain unknown.
We do not yet have an independent account of what initiated the encounter or what triggered the use of deadly force. Despite widespread speculation regarding intent, there has been no evidence produced indicating an intent to harm the officers. We are calling for a full and transparent investigation by both state and federal authorities.
Every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms—including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights. These rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed, and they must be respected and protected at all times.
We are deeply concerned by this morning’s reports that a federal law enforcement operation in Minneapolis resulted in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal agents. According to local officials, the man was legally armed, a firearm was recovered at the scene, and he is believed to have been a lawful gun owner and permit to carry holder.
Many critical facts remain unknown.
We do not yet have an independent account of what initiated the encounter or what triggered the use of deadly force. Despite widespread speculation regarding intent, there has been no evidence produced indicating an intent to harm the officers. We are calling for a full and transparent investigation by both state and federal authorities.
Every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms—including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights. These rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed, and they must be respected and protected at all times.
https://gunowners.mn/press-release-shooting-death-alex-pretti/
January 24, 2026
Feds denied state access to crime scene despite investigators having a signed search warrant
Per MN BCA press conference.
ETA> spokesman said getting a warrant to access a scene is highly unusual
-asked is denial of access to a crime scene, the spokesman said in his 20+ years as an investigator this is the first time they have been denied access to a scene
-he was told DHS is going to conduct the investigation, so far DHS has ignored state inquiries for information
January 24, 2026
Minneapolis is a dangerous, crime ridden city facing an epidemic of violence
In just the first 24 days of this year, there have been multiple assaults by gangs attacking citizens openly on the streets.
So far this year, there have been 2 homicides.Both cases have been very similar. A person murdered in broad daylight, in front of witnesses, by groups of armed thugs wearing military style clothing.
These thugs seem to be operating under the assumption that they have immunity and will face no consequences for their actions. These thugs need to be taken off the streets of Minneapolis immediately.
Total murders in Minneapolis so far:
Violent undocumented immigrants-0
ICE agents- 2
All other homicides- 0
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: St Paul MN
Home country: USA
Current location: Here
Member since: Wed Mar 21, 2012, 09:41 PM
Number of posts: 22,355