Boing Boing Newsletter, January 30, 2026
Pam Bondi arrests Don Lemon anyway, Grey’s Anatomy joins the shutdown, and a man dressed as a duck pours cereal on himself
Today: Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered Don Lemon’s arrest after a judge rejected the case and an appeals court refused to intervene. Grey’s Anatomy halts production to join the national anti-ICE shutdown. National Nurses United joins the protests. The man who squirted vinegar on Rep. Ilhan Omar faces federal charges. France moves to abolish its law requiring married couples to have sex. Germany warns of U.S. street violence in a travel advisory. LEGO’s Smart Brick sets ship in March. Los Angeles is considering a ban on non-recyclable printer cartridges. Luigi Mangione won’t face the death penalty. The Melania documentary is projected to lose $74 million. And a man dressed as a duck pours milk and cereal over himself on a Glasgow subway train. Thanks for reading!
Man dressed as duck pours milk and cereal over himself in subway train
By Rob Beschizza / January 30, 2026
A half-naked man, his body painted yellow, a duck’s beak affixed to his nose, and his belly inscribed with “flappy one” in thick black marker, vandalized a subway train in Glasgow by pouring milk and cereal over his head.
“Behaviour such as this is clearly unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) said in a statement. “It causes delays in the Subway service as we need to remove the train from the system for clean-up and negatively impacts passengers travelling with us. The incident has been reported to British Transport Police.”
The escapade appeared to be a social media stunt.
“As the milk pooled on the floor, the man shouted then got to his feet leaving his fellow commuters confused,” reports The Manchester Evening News.
One person wrote: “I was wondering (what) happened in that carriage.”
A second said: “I got on the subway after this happened never been more confused in my life.”
Some commuters were disgusted by the stunt, with some calling for him to be fined and banned. Another added: “I feel bad for the person who has to clean that up.”
No seats for mainstream media at premiere of “Melania”
By Rob Beschizza / January 30, 2026
There’s the classic “not screened for critics,” and then there’s this: Variety reports that mainstream press were “blocked” from watching the premiere of “Melania,” the “documentary” that cost Amazon $40m up front and another $35m in marketing costs.
Reporters from The New York Times, The Washington Post, AP and Vanity Fair, among dozens of other outlets on the carpet, were not granted tickets to the invite-only screening in the Opera House, located one floor above the carpet. The only press from the carpet allowed into the screening (not counting those separately invited) were One America News anchor Dan Ball and his wife Peyton Drew, a producer for the far-right news channel.
Melania herself reportedly pockets $28m to have appeared in the “documentary” about her—and had editorial control over it. The whole thing smells of Amazon boss Jeff Bezos bribing the Trumps. The New York Times barely minced its own words on the matter, and was happy to put the word itself in quotes in an article all but accusing him of exactly that.
“This has to be the most expensive documentary ever made that didn’t involve music licensing,” said Ted Hope, who worked at Amazon from 2015 to 2020 and was instrumental in starting the company’s film division. “How can it not be equated with currying favor or an outright bribe? How can that not be the case?”
Some employees in Amazon’s entertainment division had similar concerns, according to three sources with knowledge of discussions inside Amazon. They were told that the project was mandated by the company’s leadership and that employees could not opt out of working on the film for political reasons. Andy Jassy, Amazon’s chief executive, and Mike Hopkins, who runs Amazon Studios, attended a private screening of the film at the White House on Saturday.
Ticket sales were reportedly underwhelming, even for a “documentary.” I’m sure it’ll be a big hit on Prime Video.
Previously:
• Melania Trump debuts a trailer that is very impressed with itself
• Melania a no-show at Trump’s 75th birthday event
• Melania leads low-effort battle against the cyber bullies
• Brilliant visual analysis of Melania Trump’s 470 Twitter photos
• Melania’s representatives backpedal after attempt to fleece CNN
Bondi arrests Don Lemon after judge and appeals court refused
By Ellsworth Toohey / January 30, 2026
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested late Thursday on federal charges stemming from a January 18 protest at a St. Paul church where an ICE official serves as pastor.
Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered the arrests of Lemon along with three others: activists Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy, and independent journalist Georgia Fort.
A magistrate judge rejected the case against them last week, finding insufficient evidence. When the DOJ asked an appeals court to override the judge, the court refused. Bondi ordered the arrests anyway.
Lemon and Fort both say they were documenting the protest as journalists when demonstrators interrupted a service at Cities Church and chanted “ICE out.” Fort called the charges a violation of her constitutional rights. The administration cited a law protecting worshippers — curious, given they’re charging journalists for covering a protest.
Lemon was scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday morning to contest the charges. The arrest came as new protests erupted in Minneapolis, and organizers called for demonstrations coast to coast. Tom Homan, sent by Trump to oversee the Minnesota operation, acknowledged Thursday that it needed to be “fixed” and that “not everything that has been done here has been perfect.”
Previously:
• Worldwide journalists warn of Trump’s threats to press freedom
• The White House now has an official enemies list for journalists
• After 17 years, CNN fires “stunned” Don Lemon without warning
“Grey’s Anatomy” halts production for ICE shutdown
By Ellsworth Toohey / January 30, 2026
“Grey’s Anatomy” is halting production Friday to join the national anti-ICE shutdown, TheWrap reports. The long-running ABC medical drama is shutting down for the day in solidarity with protests following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Filming resumes Saturday. It’s the first known TV production to join.
The shutdown follows calls from University of Minnesota student groups — the Somali Student Association, Black Student Union, and Graduate Labor Union — for a nationwide day of no work, no school, and no shopping. “The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country — to stop ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN,” the protest’s website stated.
The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles is also closing Friday “in recognition of calls for a nationwide pause.”
Ariana Grande, Pedro Pascal, and Hannah Einbinder have all promoted the shutdown on social media.
Previously:
• National shutdown Friday, ICE Out protests Saturday: what to know
• Snoop Dogg’s solidarity with the WGA and questions about artists and streaming profits
• Genius picket signs from the Hollywood writers’ strike
Judge rules Luigi Mangione will not receive death penalty if convicted
By Rob Beschizza / January 30, 2026
Luigi Mangione, the man accused of shooting and killing insurance executive Brian Thompson, will not receive the death penalty if convicted. A federal judge ruled today that capital punishment may not be sought in the case, disappointing prosecutors who demanded it.
They’ll be happy about Judge Margaret Garnett’s evidentiary ruling, though: they can use at trial evidence seized from his backpack, despite accusations of improper handling.
Law enforcement seized several items from Mangione’s backpack, including a handgun, a loaded magazine and a red notebook – key pieces of evidence that authorities have said tie him to the killing.
Mangione’s attorneys had argued for the evidence to be barred from trial, contending the search of their client’s backpack was illegal because they had not yet obtained a warrant and there was no immediate threat to justify a warrantless search.
Mangione now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
Thompson, 50, was shot dead on December 4, 2024, near the midtown hotel where UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference was taking place. “Delay”, “deny” and “depose” were allegedly written on the ammunition used, echoing the strategy used by insurers to avoid paying claims. Mangione was arrested 5 days later at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, 230 miles away.
Despite the horrific nature of the crime, many Americans sympathize with Magnione: UnitedHealth is one of the most despised insurance companies in the U.S., infamous for denying legitimate claims. A typically ice-cold headline: CEO’s Slaying Lays Bare The Disdain People Feel About Insurance Industry.
Previously:
• Read Luigi Mangione’s birthday gratitude list
• First trailer for new Luigi Mangione propaganda documentary
• New York Times memo tells staff to avoid showing Luigi Mangione’s face
• Luigi Mangione shares first public statement since incarceration
• Luigi Mangione’s manifesto
• Luigi Mangione planned to kill CEO with bomb, then realized it ‘could kill innocents’
• Oh rats! Google snuffs out McDonald’s ‘review bomb’ after Luigi Mangione’s arrest
Lego Smart brick sets shipping in march
By Rob Beschizza / January 30, 2026
The Lego Smart Brick is the building block for its new Smart Play ecosystem of lights, sensors, location tags and other gadgets to trigger sounds and LEDs. It reacts to movements, touch and other interactions (including being combined with other bricks). Builds won’t require an app to program or play with, making the platform a screen-free environment.
The LEGO SMART Brick is packed with technologies that bring play to life including sensors, accelerometers, light sensing and a sound sensor as well as a miniature speaker driven by an onboard synthesiser, and much more, in addition to easy wireless charging.
LEGO SMART Tags and LEGO SMART Minifigures are paired with the LEGO SMART Brick to power the system and allow builders’ creations to become interactive, responding to actions with appropriate sounds and behaviours, allowing for a truly responsive play experience. All elements are compatible with the existing LEGO System-in-Play.
The licenses are all in, with Star Wars stuff up first. Eight sets are coming in March. Here’s a pre-review of the system from RacingBrick: “In this video I break down the technical details of the Smart Brick, Smart Tag, and Smart Minifigure, go through the strengths and weaknesses of the system, and talk about who it’s actually for, and how it could become a huge success… or a huge failure”
Los Angeles may ban unrecyclable printer ink cartridges
By Rob Beschizza / January 30, 2026
Printer ink is more expensive than vintage champagne, human blood and fine perfume, lubricating a “razor and blades“ business model where they sell you the printer cheap then run you with recurring costs. This is facilitated by the DRM ink cartridges, which are designed to be single-use to deter refilling. Los Angeles is considering a ban on such cartridges, unless they can be recycled or returned for a deposit.
The City Council has voted to create an ordinance that will ban single-use printer cartridges that can’t be refilled or that don’t have a take-back program offered by the vendor. This includes basically any ink or toner module that’s bound to end up in landfill — unable to be properly recycled and therefore in the way of Los Angeles’ zero-waste ambitions.
Printer cartridges are usually built with a combination of plastic, metal, and chemicals that makes them hard to easily dispose. They can be treated as hazardous waste by the city, but even then it would take them hundreds of years to actually disintegrate at a waste site. Since they’re designed to be thrown away in the first place, the real solution is to target the root of the issue — hence the ban.
DRM ink having environmental consequences is a good example of a negative externality. Some companies do make printers with refillable tanks rather than cartridges: the Epson Ecotank models are great.
Previously:
• HP detonates its timebomb: printers stop accepting third party ink en masse
• Brother printers joins the Evil Empire, blocks third-party ink with stealth updates
• Forced by shortages to sell chipless ink cartridges, Canon tells customers how to bypass DRM warnings
• Perfume that smells like ink
• HP’s ink DRM instructs your printer to ignore the ink in your cartridge when you cancel your subscription
“ICE messed with the wrong profession”: National Nurses United joins ICE Out of Everywhere National Day of Action
By Jennifer Sandlin / January 30, 2026
In a series of press releases over the past week, National Nurses United (NNU), the largest union of registered nurses, with more than 225,000 members across the United States, has expressed their “outrage“ against ICE, has stated that ICE’s “violence, terror, and lawlessness” constitute “a dire public health threat to the entire country and all our communities,” and has demanded “the immediate abolition of ICE.”
National Nurses United has also shared their plans for mobilization. In addition to participating in the “ICE Out of Minnesota Day of Action“ that occurred on Friday, January 23, NNU announced on Monday that they are holding a week of vigils, demonstrations, and protests— including the nation-wide “ICE Out of Everywhere National Day of Action” taking place on January 30 — to honor and seek justice for the murder of one of their own, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs who was killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026. National Nurses United are also demanding that members of the U.S. House and Senate vote against funding ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies.
In a January 26 press release, National Nurses United quoted NNU President Mary Turner, an intensive care unit registered nurse in the Twin Cities, who stated: “ICE messed with the wrong profession.” She continued:
“Never get between nurses and our patients. We nurses are forever patient advocates, and that means we will fight to protect you at the bedside and we will fight to protect you in the streets — just as Alex was doing when he was executed in cold blood by border patrol. This stops now. Nurses want ICE abolished. Not one more penny for their crimes.”
Read the full press releases National Nurses United from January 23, January 24, and January 26. And check out the list of events and actions in NNU’s Week of Action here.
Previously:
• Federal agents kill third person in Minneapolis
• Fake ICE website tricks racist into exposing herself
• ICE a ‘protected characteristic’ on BlueSky?
• ICE detaining Native American tribal citizens at concentration camp
ICE OUT national shutdown Friday. Protests in all 50 states on Saturday.
By Ellsworth Toohey / January 30, 2026
University of Minnesota students are leading a national shutdown on Friday, January 30, calling on Americans to skip work, school, and shopping to protest ICE operations. On Saturday, the grassroots organization 50501 has coordinated “ICE Out of Everywhere” protests in all 50 states. Organizers predict it could be the largest protest in American history — Indivisible’s Ezra Levin told the AP he expects up to 9 million people to participate, reports The New York Times.
The actions follow the January 23 general strike in Minneapolis — the first in the U.S. in 80 years — where hundreds of businesses closed, and thousands marched. That was one day before federal agents killed Alex Pretti, adding to the fury over the earlier killing of Renee Good.
“They wanted to intimidate us and to spread fear in our hearts, but that isn’t going to work,” said Dahir Munye, president of the University of Minnesota’s Somali Student Association, at a press conference announcing the shutdown. “The only way to truly fight back is to extend and expand the shutdown movement.”
Ariana Grande and Pedro Pascal have promoted the strike on Instagram. Pascal captioned his post with drawings of Pretti and Good: “Pretti Good reason for a national strike.” Beyond street protests, 50501 is pushing “No Housing for ICE” campaigns targeting hotels and a “#DontServeICE” boycott of businesses that serve agents, reports The Guardian.
Congress faces a Friday deadline to pass a spending package that includes DHS funding. Senate Democrats are demanding ICE reforms before they’ll sign off.
Previously:
• Weekend of peaceful protests after ICE slays Renee Good
• ICE approval drops 30 points in a year as Americans call tactics “too forceful”
• Minnesota officials say they’re being blocked from investigating fatal ICE shooting
As part of the “ICE OUT” strike, consider boycotting these companies that have the biggest ICE contracts
By Jennifer Sandlin / January 30, 2026
Hundreds of demonstrations and similar actions are planned for this weekend, January 30 and 31, 2026 as part of the “ICE OUT” strike and protest against the violent reign of terror that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are inflicting upon our neighborhoods, cities, communities, and residents. The Guardian states that organizers of the actions, including several student groups at the University of Minnesota, are calling for a national shutdown, which means that people should not attend work or school, nor go shopping. Across the weekend, people across the country will be participating in walkouts; demonstrations; protests; and vigils. Other actions including calling members of Congress to block DHS funding; calling, emailing, or leaving reviews for hotels to urge them to stop providing accommodations to ICE, CBP, and DHS agents; calling or emailing chambers of commerce and business associations to urge them to adopt pledges of non-cooperation with ICE; and boycotting companies that have connections with ICE, including Target.
The Guardian explains: “the ‘blackout’ day, which many online are referring to as a ‘general strike,’ is an effort to ‘shut down the economy,’ organizers say.”
In addition to not going to work or school (if you’re able, of course) on Friday (January 30), and putting a hold on any shopping you were planning to do, as part of the “ICE OUT” strike, you might also consider stopping your support for any of the following companies that, according to Forbes, have the biggest ICE contracts:
Palantir: The tech and analytics software provider was awarded $139.3 million in 2022 to assist “investigative case management operations,” maintenance support and “custom enhancements.”
AT&T: The telecommunications giant was awarded $90.7 million in 2021 to provide ICE with IT, network products and support in a contract set to expire in September, though it includes a potential end date of 2032 that could push the deal’s value to $165.2 million
Deloitte: ICE has awarded the consulting firm several multiyear contracts in recent years, including a $24 million contract in 2023 to provide “data modernization support” through 2027.
Dell: The company’s government contracting arm was awarded $18.8 million in April 2025 to support the office of ICE’s chief information officer “through the purchase of the Microsoft Enterprise software licenses.”
Motorola Solutions: A separate firm from the cell phone maker Motorola Mobility that produces walkie-talkies and video surveillance systems, Motorola Solutions was awarded a $15.6 million contract in September 2023 to “implement and maintain” ICE’s tactical communication infrastructure.
General Dynamics: The defense firm holds a $9.6 million contract with ICE to provide “background investigative services.”
L3 Harris: Defense contractor L3 Harris was awarded a $4.4 million contract with ICE in 2022 to provide equipment to “determine the location of targeted mobile handsets to investigate crimes and threats.”
FedEx: The mail carrier provides delivery services for ICE through March 2027 in a contract valued at $2.3 million.
Comcast: The company holds an ICE award valued at $60,965.64 to provide the agency with broadcast cable at five “regional wire rooms.”
Charter Communications: The company provides cable and internet services for ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations field office in Beaumont, Texas, in a contract valued at $12,837, which may expand to $21,839 and extend until 2028.
Let’s take care of our friends, family, neighbors, and communities! And please be safe out there, friends.
Previously:
• MAGA calls for Hilton boycott after hotel turned away ICE agents
• Fake ICE website tricks racist into exposing herself
• ICE shoots and kills mother of 3 in Minneapolis
Charges announced for man who squirted vinegar on Ilhan Omar
By Rob Beschizza / January 29, 2026
MAGA man Anthony Kazmierczak, who squirted Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar with vinegar at an event in Minneapolis on Tuesday night, now faces federal charges of assault and intimidation.
Authorities also say that Kazmierczak told a close associate several years ago that “somebody should kill” Omar, court documents say. Kazmierczak appeared briefly in federal court Thursday afternoon. His attorney, Jean Brandl, told the judge her client was unmedicated at the time of the incident and has not had access to the medications he needs to treat Parkinson’s disease and other serious conditions he suffers from. U.S. Magistrate Judge Dulce Foster ordered that Kazmierczak remain in custody and told officials he needs to see a nurse when he is transferred to the Sherburne County Jail.
The incident was notable not only for the alarming attack on a House representative, but her own forceful response: Omar pursued Kazmierczak afterward and readied to punch him, but he was tackled by security before she got a lick in.
Just before that Omar had called for the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment. Calls are mounting on Capitol Hill for Noem to step down after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two people who protested deportations. Few Republicans have risen to her defense.
Kazmierczak’s life over the last few years, traced through social media postings, reveals a brain slowly pickled by toxic politics, misfortune and extremely poor life choices. Omar took aim at Donald Trump’s ‘hateful rhetoric’ yesterday.
“Every time the president of the United States has chosen to use hateful rhetoric to talk about me and the community that I represent, my death threats skyrocket,” Omar said during a press conference. Asked if she was nervous about appearing in public, she said, “Fear and intimidation doesn’t work on me.”
Germany warns of U.S. street violence in travel advisory
By Rob Beschizza / January 29, 2026
The German government issued a travel advisory for the United States, warning travelers about political instability and street violence—and to expect to be required to show ID to local security forces. They’ve seen this movie before.
Protests have been held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and other cities against the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol officers enforcing Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Federal agents deployed to the city under the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge” shot and killed U.S. citizen Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday and fellow American Renée Good on January 7.
Germany updated its travel information for the U.S. last March to make clear that visas (or waivers) no longer guarantee its citizens entry to the U.S. But the new advisory explicitly describes the crackdown on immigration and risk of politically-motivated unrest. Travelers are advised to stay away from large crowds, protests, and demonstrations where violence could occur.
Reporters from Italy’s state broadcaster were threatened by ICE agents while covering protests last week, an incident widely covered by European news media. This made a scandal of ICE agents being used as security at the forthcoming Winter Olympics there, forcing the U.S. to change those plans.
Current and former lawmakers urged Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to intervene and block their presence in the wake of two fatal shootings during Trump’s ongoing immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
The former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte urged the country’s government to “set our own limits” and “make clear decisions,” following increasingly aggressive tactics by the agency in the US.
Previously:
• CDC issues travel advisory as leprosy spreads in Florida
• Planned Parenthood issues travel advisory warning pregnant women to stay out of Tennessee
France to abolish marital duty to have sex
By Rob Beschizza / January 29, 2026
France made marital rape a crime in 1994, but it nonetheless retains in law a marital duty to have sex. In 2026, the land of love is to finally abolish conjugal rights.
A bill approved on Wednesday in the National Assembly adds a clause to the country’s civil code to make clear that “community of living” does not create an “obligation for sexual relations”.
The proposed law also makes it impossible to use lack of sexual relations as an argument in fault-based divorce.
Though unlikely to have a major impact in the courts, supporters hope the law will help deter marital rape.
“By allowing such a right or duty to persist, we are collectively giving our approval to a system of domination and predation by husband on wife,” said the bill’s sponsor, Green MP Marie-Charlotte Garin.
The legislation follows a 2019 case in which a man was granted an at-fault divorce because his wife wouldn’t have sex with him any more: “the European Court of Human Rights … last year condemned France for allowing refusal of sex to be grounds for a fault-based divorce.” Last year’s Pelicot rape case, which revealed the appalling treatment of a woman repeatedly drugged and raped by her husband and other men, “is seen as emblematic,” reports the BBC.
Conjugal rights were abolished in England in 1970, though marital rape was not criminalized until 1991. In the U.S., laws against marital rape appeared state by state from 1974 and was a crime nationwide by 1993, though “there are still states where marital rape and non-marital rape are treated quite differently under the law.”
$75m “Melania” documentary projected to make $1m in first week
By Rob Beschizza / January 29, 2026
Early ticket sales were a warning, and early screenings are now sounding the alarm about tomorrow’s general release of Melania, the documentary about America’s beloved first lady. It’s projected to make just $1m in its first week, reports The New Republic, having cost $75m to make and market.
Directed by Brett Ratner, with Melania Trump having significant control over its production, editing and marketing, the movie covers whatever, I can’t be bothered to even look it up. I don’t really care—do u?
Melania‘s early failure comes as a new report from Rolling Stone details serious labor issues behind the scenes and a whopping two-thirds of the film’s staff requesting not to be credited at the end of the film. Director Brett Ratner, who made headlines after six women accused him of sexual assault and harassment during the #MeToo movement in 2017, was perhaps the most loathed person on set. (Actress Natasha Henstridge alleged that Ratner forced her to perform oral sex on him when she was 19, Olivia Munn claimed that Ratner masturbated in front of her, and more recently, he was pictured shirtless in the Epstein files.)
According to reports, Melania pockets at least $28m to appear in the “documentary.” The official premiere is at the Kennedy Center today; she will be in attendance with President Trump and, one assumes, some other people as well.
Previously:
• Melania Trump debuts a trailer that is very impressed with itself
• Melania’s representatives backpedal after attempt to fleece CNN
• Trump threatens NYC it’ll get the ‘very minimum,’ like Melania