The Gaily Show

It’s just another day of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota: An ICE-related car crash in St. Paul. Former Acting US Attorney quits DOJ and signs up to be Don Lemon’s lawyer. New polling shows how bad it is for MAGA/Trump in Minnesota. And what happens to the “Worst of the Worst” when they are deported?

PLUS: Jake Wittich, Managing Editor of Windy Cites Times, is back to talk about how Chicago’s New Director of LGTBQ+ Affairs Antonio King is now on the job. And Equality Illinois held their annual gala promising a new fight for LGBTQ rights.

Windy City Times has been the voice of Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community since 1985. This year marks the news outlet’s 40th anniversary of uplifting queer stories, reporting with Pride and chronicling LGBTQ+ history. Visit WindyCityTimes.com/newsletters to sign up for the publication’s weekly LGBTQ+ news updates.

Last week, Children’s Minnesota “paused” part of their gender affirming care options to transgender youth. We take a look at their decision and its implications. Hannah Edwards, Executive Director of Transforming Families, joins us to talk about the latest developments and currently available health resources for transgender youth. Connect with Transforming Families here: https://www.tffmn.org

THEN: Tre’vell Anderson is the Executive Director of the Trans Journalists Association. They join us to talk about the arrest of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort. They’ll discuss press freedoms and the larger anti-trans rights campaign waged by MAGA and the Trump administration. Connect with the Trans Journalists Association here: https://www.transjournalists.org

Ulla Nilsen who is a lead organizer at Unidos MN joins us to talk about holding Target accountable to the community it lives in. Ulla leads climate and corporate accountability campaigns focused on holding powerful institutions to their stated values and demanding action that protects workers, communities, and constitutional rights.

Then, Dr. Samuel Clowes Huneke joins us to talk about ICE and whether we should consider them as his secret police. Can they be compared to Nazi SS or the East German Stasi?

Dr. Huneke is an award-winning associate professor of history at George Mason University. A historian of modern Germany, he is the author of numerous books and articles, including States of Liberation: Gay Men between Dictatorship and Democracy in Cold War Germany and A Queer Theory of the State. You can buy his books and learn more about his research at his website: https://samuelcloweshuneke.com. 

Buy A Queer Theory of State: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9783982389462

But States of Liberation: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781487542146

We’re talking about the Winter Olympics with Jim Buzinski who is the co-founder of Outsports.com. Outsports began in 1999 and it won the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association’s Excellence in New Media Journalism Award in 2003. It has been the premier publication for news and information about LGBTQ athletes and sports. Read all of their Team LGBTQ coverage here: https://www.outsports.com

Theatre we discussed on today’s episode:

Men On Boats opens February 19th at Ten Thousand Things. For tickets: https://tenthousandthings.org

Today, we focus on Columbia Heights, Minnesota. It has been one of the most targeted cities in Minnesota during Operation Metro Surge. We talk with MN State Senator Mary Kunesh who represents Columbia Heights (District 39). Joining the conversation is Elijah Norris-Holliday who is running to represent Columbia Heights in the upcoming election (District 39B).

Connect with Senator Kunesh at: https://www.senate.mn/members/member_bio.html?mem_id=1242

Border Czar Tom Homan claims 700 ICE/CBP agents will leave MN today (2/4). Two schools and the teacher union filed a lawsuit today against DHS. And a look at how the Caucuses went last night.

Plus, Joe Reberkenny joins us to discuss his latest reporting from D.C.

Since 1969, The Washington Blade has been the nation’s independent source for fearless reporting earning the paper the moniker “the newspaper of record for the LGBTQ+ community.” Read their award-winning journalism at more than 100 locations throughout the DC region and online at washingtonblade.com.

Joseph Darius Jaafari is the founder and editor in chief of LOOKOUT Publications – Arizona’s independent queer news media. He joins us to discuss ICE activity in Arizona, plus the LGBTQ legislation his LOOKING OUT is tracking. Read all of their award-winning reporting here: https://www.lookoutnews.org

Plus, it’s caucus day in Minnesota. How is the DFL preparing for ICE activity? Will Operation Metro Surge have any impact on the GOP nomination? Elijah Norris-Holliday joins us to discuss how and where you can caucus. He is running for Minnesota House District 39B and you can connect with him here: https://www.votenorrisholliday.com

A ProPublica investigation claims to have found the two CBP agents who shot and killed Alex Pretti. Judge blocks Kristi Noem’s “seven day notice” for members of Congress to inspect DHS facilities. A day after ICE agents killed Renee Nicole Good, they almost killed Alberto Castañeda Mondragón. DOJ arrests two more people associated with the protest at Cities Church in St. Paul. Why are they so obsessed with this Church? We take a look. Plus, a FOX News poll confirms what Harris/Walz voters knew would happen if Trump won.

Plus, yes, MAGA is coming for marriage equality. They’ve launched a new campaign called “Greater Than” and 47 organizations have already signed up.