Trump's Assault on What's Right
Minneapolis mourns Renee Nicole Good, ICE’s immorality hits a new low, and the National Portrait Gallery quietly edits out Trump’s ugly past.
On this day in 1932, Hattie Caraway of Arkansas became the first woman ever elected to the US Senate. Today, women make up about one quarter of the upper chamber.
Good morning! Prem here. I hope you’re all taking care of yourselves and each other. This is actually my first time addressing you through our morning newsletter, so thank you for having me 🙂.
Please note that there will not be an ‘Ask The Editor’ today, as Mehdi is away for the next few days. But hold onto your questions and join him next Monday!
…Before we get into the news, my three words of the day for you: Khruangbin. Serendipity. Boomerang.
In today’s ‘First Draft,’ I share my diary from ICE-occupied Minneapolis. Plus, anti-ICE protests erupt across the US, the Fed responds to Trump, and the latest on the deadly protests in Iran.
🚨 Don’t miss our LIVE in-person event in DC: Join Mehdi, Swin, Rep. Ro Khanna, Joy Reid, Jim Acosta, Sarah Matthews, and Miles Taylor for a powerful evening at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, to mark one year of Trump, on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026!
What I Saw in Minneapolis
As Zeteo readers know, we have been reporting from the ground in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the wake of the horrific ICE murder of Renee Nicole Good, and amid the surge of masked agents to the state. I’m thankful we came here, because there are aspects of what’s going on you cannot fully understand until you see it for yourself. I want to share those with you, here.
The first day we arrived, we visited a memorial at the spot where Good was killed. A group of Somali Minnesotans was hosting a rally in her honor. Mind you, this is a group of people who have been viciously attacked by the most powerful people in the country over the past few weeks. And still, they so readily sprang into action for the sake of someone else.
On the ground, there were hundreds of flowers, stuffed animals, and notes commemorating Good. Interspersed were glowing candles, persisting in the cold. An artist, Noval Noir, was painting the larger-than-life portrait of Good seen below.