Thursday, February 12, 2026
PMT: El Paso Airport mysteries
Yesterday I woke up and saw some alarming news: for "security" reasons, the FAA was closing the El Paso airport for 10 days.
El Paso is a place I know. From 2002-2010, I went there every year to train defense attorneys on the federal sentencing guidelines. I liked it a lot; great food, fascinating people, and mountains nearby. It also was (and is) one of the safest cities in the US, despite having the often-dangerous Juarez just over the border.
I enjoyed flying into El Paso. The airport is the only decent-sized airport for hundreds of miles-- there are a lot of wide-open spaces in West Texas and Southern New Mexico. That's why it seemed so odd that they would close this particular airport so abruptly and for so long.
The closure didn't last long-- later in the day the airport was re-opened at the direction of the White House.
According to the New York Times, here is what happened:
-- Justified or not, there was concern about Mexican drug cartels using drones in the area.
-- The Defense Department lent the Customs and Border Protection agency a military grade drone-destroying laser. No one notified the FAA.
-- Then they used the high-energy laser to destroy a "party balloon" that they thought was a drug cartel drone.
-- After the party balloon was eliminated for good, they closed airspace around the airport until after a meeting between bureaucrats that was scheduled for February 20.
I have so many questions! First, what kind of party balloon was this? I imagine something like Snoopy or a big number 3. Also, maybe they could have moved that meeting up instead of closing the airport for 10 days? And isn't it nice to have the news be kind of funny once in a while?
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
People who give us hope: DC Grand Jurors
In the five years I was a federal prosecutor, I indicted hundreds of people in front of grand juries. I never lost an indictment (technically, a loss is termed a "No True Bill"), and neither did most of the people I knew who did that job. Because the prosecutor controls the grand jury in a way not possible elsewhere in law-- there is no defense attorney or judge present-- you really have to have a bad case or a terrible error in presentation to get a No True Bill.
And yet... the DOJ seems to be getting a lot of them lately, particularly in DC. There was the sandwich-throwing guy, of course (he got a No True Bill on felony charges and then was acquitted of a misdemeanor), but more recently-- and probably more significantly-- the DOJ failed to get indictments on six Democratic members of Congress who had produced a video telling service members that they did not have to follow unlawful orders.
The Grand Jury is supposed to be a guard against bad cases, but it has rarely served that purpose in modern America-- until now. Thanks for giving us hope, Grand Jurors of DC!
And just in time.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
A message from Waco
William Richter of Waco made this video and sent it to me yesterday. I think it is really beautiful.
The song ("Bridge Over Troubled Waters") is one that stirs a deep emotional reaction in me. My parents had several Simon and Garfunkel albums, and they were in heavy rotation when I was young. The mournfulness of this one runs deep.
Monday, February 09, 2026
Newspaper poems
You guys sure showed up this week!
Here is something I did not see coming: not one but two tributes to the Richmond Dispatch! First, this one from Craig:
Love newspapers: a
Foundational part of my
Life since my childhood.
Small town papers like
the Townsman, Mid-York Weekly,
Center Daily Times.
And the Boston Globe,
the New York and Seattle Times,
and Richmond Dispatch!
Foundational part of my
Life since my childhood.
Small town papers like
the Townsman, Mid-York Weekly,
Center Daily Times.
And the Boston Globe,
the New York and Seattle Times,
and Richmond Dispatch!
Then also from Des:
Richmond Times Dispatch
helped us follow Aloka,
the monks to DC.
helped us follow Aloka,
the monks to DC.
IPLawGuy cares about this, and put in poems once:
I "read" the "funnies"
Before I knew how to read
intro to sports, news.
Before I knew how to read
intro to sports, news.
Twice:
The Fairfax Journal
The Evening Star, The Post
Delivered them all.
The Evening Star, The Post
Delivered them all.
Three times:
Bond Villian Jeff Bezos
Sucking up to Trump to get
Government contracts.
Sucking up to Trump to get
Government contracts.
And one more time (though a little off-theme):
MAGA hates "Deep State."
It's Gov'ment workers, but
Fed'ral contractors.
It's Gov'ment workers, but
Fed'ral contractors.
And an anonymous entry:
Comes a time we’ll read
Our paper in the sand—truth
Hastily erase .
Our paper in the sand—truth
Hastily erase .
And finally Christine had a strong entry:
Turn first to comics
Then horoscopes and sport scores
Finally the news.
Then horoscopes and sport scores
Finally the news.
Saturday, February 07, 2026
On the radio
On Thursday, I got to talk a little bit on NPR's "All Things Considered." The topic was latest crazy story out of Minneapolis-- the federal prosecutor who said "My job sucks" at a hearing here this week. You can listen here.
Much as I love newspapers, I love radio. I grew up with "All Things Considered" as the background noise, as my parents were devotees. I still listen when I can, and it is a thrill to be a tiny part of it every once in a while.
Friday, February 06, 2026
On Newspapers
After yesterday's terrible news about the Washington Post, I thought it might be a good time for nostalgic-- or not-- poems about newspapers. Here, I will go first:
Always nearby me
At home or when traveling
My daily truth bomb.
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern and have some fun!
Thursday, February 05, 2026
PMT: The diminishment of the Washington Post
The Washington Post announced yesterday that it was chopping 300 jobs from a staff of 800-- cuts that mean no more sports reporting and huge cutbacks in other areas, including cultural reporting and international news. What has been an exodus of subscribers (due to a variety of factors, including editorial shifts pushed by owner Jeff Bezos) will become a flood, inevitably leading to further cuts.
It's heartbreaking for those of us who count on the Post as a secondary paper (which I have for decades), but worse for those who have relied on it their whole lives. When I read about the cuts, I thought immediately of IPLawGuy, a lifelong Northern Virginia resident who explained to me the role of the Post in that area-- that it was a local paper that still had a big sports section, local news, and comics, despite its concurrent role in national politics.
In a way, it is fitting that we learn that the Kennedy Center will be torn down about the same time that the Post revealed its self-immolation. It seems that Washington's cultural touchstones are just being bulldozed all at once.
For political discourse there is a huge cost, as the Post has been home to objective and investigative reporting that few other papers (or other media outlets) could match.
My friend Ron Fournier has often (and correctly) placed the demise of objective journalism at the feet of us, the readers. We have declined to pay for journalism as we have turned to other sources-- either because we don't have to pay for them, or because they confirm our own biases. (Well, not me, actually; I subscribe to three papers and another for my mom, and still get home delivery.)
There is a connection between our failed cultural, political, and journalistic institutions and at some point we are going to have to rebuild all three from rubble or worse.
Wednesday, February 04, 2026
People who give us hope: The singing resistance of Minneapolis
I love this new/old form of resistance. It's non-violent, compelling, and sends a great message of unity.
I've written about this a few times before, of course, but there is a critical mass building around this idea day by day, and I expect that this weekend there may be some huge singing event that will change the dialogue yet again.
Meanwhile, regular life is going on here, but kind of in a super-charged way. Last night there were political caususes for both parties, and reported turnout was very high. I get the sense that people want to do something, and political activity is one that they reach for (though more on the DFL side than Republicans, for the moment).
No one wants to hear me sing, and that's ok-- but I'm proud to be a in a city that is embracing beauty in a dark time.
Tuesday, February 03, 2026
More singing....
I just think this is so beautiful-- my neighbors taking on injustice through mass singing. My nephew mentioned that this happened as Estonia broke from the Soviet Union; most of the population showed up to sing for their freedom.
Monday, February 02, 2026
Bruuuuuuce!
Such good haiku about Springsteen this week! We had these two from Des:
Hot take— best line in
a song: “You ain’t a beauty
but, hey you’re alright”
a song: “You ain’t a beauty
but, hey you’re alright”
The River makes me
tear up every time. Such sad
quiet hopelessness.
tear up every time. Such sad
quiet hopelessness.
And IPLawGuy chimed in:
Nor really a fan
Until I saw Springsteen live
HIgh crowd energy!
Until I saw Springsteen live
HIgh crowd energy!
Darkness on the Edge
A bitter album I love
Spoke to me when young.
A bitter album I love
Spoke to me when young.
And then, on a more current note, this anonymous poem:
Who have we become
When "Dude I'm not mad at you"
Is a death sentence.
When "Dude I'm not mad at you"
Is a death sentence.
And more from IPLawGuy:
Music with messages
In our country's DNA
Listen, think and act.
In our country's DNA
Listen, think and act.
kids will remember
Those who stood up and spoke up
Repressors will fade.
Those who stood up and spoke up
Repressors will fade.
And from Anonymous:
Soft bunny ear hat
And his Spiderman backpack
Return sweet Liam.
And his Spiderman backpack
Return sweet Liam.
And finally, and just right, is this from CraigA:
The Boss: Giving voice
and song to wounds, the wounded,
and victims of hate.
and song to wounds, the wounded,
and victims of hate.
Sunday, February 01, 2026
Sunday Reflection: My very own faculty statement
One thing academics have struggled with is coming up with statements in their individual capacity about what is going on. Institutions are fearful of making bold statements because they fear retribution (including for their students). We professors, though, shouldn't have that same fear. I wrote a statement on my own behalf, which is set out below. I thought it was important to both name the harm and call for an end to that harm.
An Open Letter to those who have eyes to see or ears to hear:
I write in my individual capacity as a member of the faculty of the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, Minnesota to address the wrongs that I see as a teacher, a scholar, a neighbor and as a Christian. My objection to the realities of “Operation Metro Surge” in our city are rooted in my chosen vocation, which directs me to care deeply about our students, to engage with and support our neighbors, and to search for and value the truth. As a Catholic institution, our focus on human dignity means that we cannot turn a blind eye to the degradation and harm done to people in our midst.
St. Thomas Law was founded on and animated by the idea of community. The value of supporting one another, even when we disagree, is a core ethic here. That means that we cannot stay silent when members of our community are threatened and harmed. I condemn the actions of the federal government that have terrified and harmed people in our community because of the color of their skin, the accent in their voice, or their expression of fundamental First Amendment rights. It seems that all in our community are at the very least adjacent—by blood, love, faith, or friendship—to someone who has a been harmed in some way by the actions of ICE and the federal agents working with them. There has been too much blood on the snow, too many people forced into hiding, and too much carelessness in the enforcement of our laws.
As a scholar, I am appalled by not only the assault on human dignity that has been at the center of Operation Metro Surge, but the assault on truth. With each death and lesser tragedy, those in power have made claims that are facially false and brutally offensive to those who have suffered. People who understand the normal mechanisms of a rational criminal law system are united in calling for a vigorous truth-seeking investigation into potential crimes committed by federal agents, and vigorous prosecution where those truths reveal a crime.
Not all moments are equal, and this one is extraordinary for our community, for our state, and for our nation. Operation Metro Surge must end now.
Saturday, January 31, 2026
So... has anyone seen the Melania movie?
Friday, January 30, 2026
Haiku Friday: The Boss
We've never haiku'd about Bruce Springsteen before, so this is the time. It can be about the song/video above, or anything else you might want to address! Here, I will go first:
He gets it, I think
The song is not about ICE
It is about us.
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern, and have some fun!
Thursday, January 29, 2026
PMT: Rampaging over human dignity
Not long ago, I posted about 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was detained and sent to Texas from his home here in Minnesota. His blue bunny hat has become a symbol for people here; many are being knit by fireplaces across Minnesota for events this coming weekend. Part of Liam's name is Conejo, which is Spanish for rabbit. According to the family's lawyer, his father had no criminal record and an active asylum case.
Yesterday, two members of Congress visited Liam at a detention center in Texas. They said he was "lethargic," and that he asked about his bunny hat and Spiderman backpack, which apparently were taken from him.
There are more gruesome stories from all this mess, of course-- involving actual death-- but there is something about a little kid having not only his home and much of his family but his bunny hat taken away that makes the whole thing seem all the more outrageous and wrong.
A part of Operation Metro Surge's operating orders seems designed to strip human dignity from those who are targeted. We are told, for example, that the people swept up are "the worst of the worst," when that very clearly is not true in the vast majority of cases, and those who are detained have too often been treated brutally. The entire project rests on a false dichotomy between "us" and "them," with "us" being protected from "them"-- a group that, apparently, includes a little kid who wonders what happened to his blue bunny hat.
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
People who give us hope: Singers of Minneapolis
Yesterday I heard a remarkable story from the Dean of the University of Minnesota school of music. He lives in South Minneapolis, the part of town where both Alex Pretti and Renee Good were killed by federal agents.
On Saturday, the night Pretti was killed, a call went out for every neighborhood to have a candlelight vigil in his memory. As he described it, in his neighborhood there were several, and the same thing happened at each as people stood around a firepit in a driveway or holding candles at a street corner-- they began to sing. So he went from one group to the next, joining them in songs sent out into the dark night.
That really epitomizes the spirit of the people here, who have somehow combined kindness and caring with a deep resolve to do what is right.
Not long ago, I wrote that this past weekend felt like it marked a turning point towards the good, and it is beginning to feel more and more that way.
Genesis describes a world that was sung into existence, and perhaps it will be preserved in that same way.
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
How Can I Help?
Over the past few weeks, many people from outside of Minnesota have asked me how they can help. Below is my list of opportunities, which goes beyond “call your Senator” (though that can be important).
Truth-Telling
Much of what ICE is doing in Minnesota rests on a bed of falsehoods that are being endlessly repeated by Trump-affiliated politicians. Other than Trump and a few high-level cabinet members, they rarely get called on it. So, if your member of Congress or state legislator is saying that ICE is focused on the “worst of the worst,” or that Alex Pretti was a “paid agitator,” post on social media and elsewhere the evidence that this is not true. Start a web site cataloguing those lies by a particular individual. Go to their social media feeds and correct the falsehoods one by one and link to sources. They are living in a bubble of misinformation. Let’s burst it.
Donating
Yes, there are a lot of good organizations doing great work here. Many of them are catalogued at https://www.standwithminnesota.com/
A knowledgeable observer particularly recommends Manarca (https://monarcamn.org/) and MIRAC (https://www.miracmn.com/)
Encouraging
There are some real heroes here. If you read about someone doing something good, find their email or socials and give them encouragement. You would not believe how much that has meant to me and others—to hear from people outside of this mess that we are seen. I realize that many people on the internet read a lot but don’t interact. Usually that’s fine, but if you really care, give someone a shot of love (especially if you don’t know them).
Visiting
Many people have asked if they should come here to help, and I’m urging caution. After the murder of George Floyd, people from other states came here for looting and violence (it worked), and that has made some people very wary of outsiders. However, if you are going to work on a specific project or join in a big public daytime march, you will probably be welcome. Wear mittens. Also a hat. And long underwear.
Tipping
Finally, wherever you are there are scared immigrants, documented and not, who are working for you in places you do not see—in kitchens making your food, or cleaning your hotel room. They aren’t murdering and raping. They are making your life better. Be generous.
Please, please, please—this is not an exhaustive list! Put your own ideas in the comments. Stay safe. Be brave.
Monday, January 26, 2026
On winter ice
We had a great batch of haiku this week on the ambiguous topic of winter weather! There was this from CraigA:
Bracing for big storm:
Shovels, brooms, window scrapers,
Lanterns, and blankets.
Shovels, brooms, window scrapers,
Lanterns, and blankets.
And I always love to hear from Sleepy Walleye:
For now, we have ice.
Long may it linger. I dread.
A summer of ICE.
Long may it linger. I dread.
A summer of ICE.
IPLawGuy got the ambiguity, too:
I see what you did
Yes, those thugs are invasive!
And fragile snowflakes.
Yes, those thugs are invasive!
And fragile snowflakes.
Then he had two more to explain why his first one was listed as "anonymous":
Forgot to sign in
Yes, that’s me, IPlawGuy
Not anonymous.
Yes, that’s me, IPlawGuy
Not anonymous.
Did it work this time?
It should be easier to
Sign in on a phone.
It should be easier to
Sign in on a phone.
This was a good anonymous entry:
Ice is for skating
Cooling a good drink, ice packs
Not for spreading fear.
Cooling a good drink, ice packs
Not for spreading fear.
Christine had the storm down South to worry about:
Calm before the storm
Hoping we don't lose power
Inevitable.
Hoping we don't lose power
Inevitable.
And this one might have been talking about the trees in our Minneapolis forest:
The branches are bare
But the forest holds itself
Tall, for each tree stands.
But the forest holds itself
Tall, for each tree stands.
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Sunday Reflection: I'm ok. Our country is not.
Yesterday I was getting ready to go to the gym and listening to reports about the killing of Alex Pretti, a VA nurse, by federal agents who held him down and then shot him several times.
It made me mad, something that had been building in me-- a righteous anger at what is being done to my city. I decided to go down to the scene of the killing and observe what was happening.
The federal agents had blocked off an intersection at 26th and Nicollet and were massed at the far end. At the other end protesters were chanting and waving signs behind police tape. I walked past several police officers to get there on the sidewalk and wasn't stopped-- I did not cross a perimeter or anything, and there was no apparent effort to clear that area.
About a minute after I arrived and as I stood towards the back of that crowd, a canister of tear gas/chemical irritant landed very close to me and a toxic cloud enveloped me and those around me. Everyone began to run to get out from the cloud. I could barely see and couldn't breathe, which made it hard to run. It was like drowning. I finally turned a corner and fell into a snowbank to recover as people ran past.
It was a peaceful protest, taking place on the other side of the line that the authorities had established. The ICE officers were dozens of yards away, on the other side of the intersection.
The gas was terrifying, but I suffered nothing compared to many others.
But... how is this not a spiritual crisis, not about the way we treat our neighbors?
And the original, with lyrics:
Saturday, January 24, 2026
In the cold
Yesterday was the coldest one I can remember in Minnesota as it got down to -23 and no higher than -8. And that is COLD, real hair-freezing, car-killing cold. And yet, this:
Friday, January 23, 2026
Haiku Friday: The Heart of Winter
Winter is coming hard all over the country. It is well below zero here, which should keep the ICE out, ironically. But winter here is a good thing, especially this deepest part-- it keeps the invasive species away, so that the ecosystem doesn't have a destructive jolt. It's purifying.
So let's haiku about any of it this week-- here, I will go first:
Don't walk outside now
If your hair is wet (or at all)
That sting is a smack.
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern, and have some fun!
