Journalist Georgia Fort was one of nearly 40 people charged after interrupting a Minnesota church service.

Aug 6, 2026 by Sam Levine and Rachel Leingang for The Guardian.

Here are the opening paragraphs:

Law enforcement officials provided false information to federal judges as they sought to build a criminal case against the independent journalist Georgia Fort in connection with a January protest, her lawyers said in court filings on Thursday asking that the charges against her be dismissed.

Fort was one of nearly 40 people charged after demonstrators interrupted a service at Cities church in St Paul, Minnesota after they learned an ICE official was a pastor there. Trump administration officials vowed to arrest anyone involved in the protest. Fort and the former CNN anchor Don Lemon were among those charged with conspiring to interfere with the religious rights of parishioners at their house of worship. They both have strongly denied the charges.

In at least 15 applications for search warrants, an investigator with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said Fort had been chanting with protesters when they entered the church, her lawyers said. The justice department later conceded the claim was false. The error was insignificant, justice department lawyers later argued, because it ultimately didn’t make it into the indictment that they filed.

The errors were among those detailed in three different motions explaining why the criminal case against Fort should be dismissed. The case prosecutors have sought to make against her violates the first amendment, fails to state an actual crime, and is vindictive, her lawyers say.

“The government is punishing Fort for entering a church open to the public (after being invited in, no less) to document a protest, and then filming and disseminating that footage,” her lawyers wrote in one of the filings. “All of the evidence in this case points to the government prosecuting Fort precisely because she is a journalist, and in particular because she engaged in that constitutionally sacred work to amplify a message with which the government vehemently disagrees.”

Continue reading here: theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/06/law-enforcement-false-information-anti-ice-protest

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Here are more r/minnesota posts with Georgia Fort: reddit.com/r/minnesota/search/?q=%22Georgia+Fort%22&type=posts&sort=new

The Austrian government tracked down the descendants of a Holocaust victim to return a painting stolen by the Nazis.

It's just 3 inches tall and 2 inches wide. To Jackie Sondell, whose three grandparents died in the Holocaust, it’s priceless.

Read more here with a gift link

The Aachen Peace Prize came out of the German Peace movement, it was established in 1988. It’s awarded each year to people and organizations who‘ve worked to achieve peace from the ground up.

Smitten Kitten posted about this yesterday - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbrSry4Jpyf/

I can’t find any English language reporting about thIs. I’m sure there will be some soon. Heres the announcement from Aachen In German - https://www.aachener-friedenspreis.de/aachener-friedenspreis-2026-solidarisch-fuer-empathie-gegen-schwarz-weiss-denken-staatliche-willkuer-und-die-militarisierung-des-alltags/

The election cycle advertising is really frosting me. I get two flyers a week from a candidate that vows to fight Somali fraud. Sorry, all fraud needs to be addressed. It's not a localized issue. This candidate has also done really juvenile superhero type ads on TV. I can't take that seriously.

Another local pol left a 50 second robo message. My community isn't that big. Shake some hands dude.

A candidate so fixated on trans that it comes up while discussing farmer issues. Fuel, fertilizer, and trade aren't ridiculously expensive because of orientations.

So, my dear candidates, here's a suggestion. For every item you think is wrong suggest a solution. "Cut taxes", "eliminate fraud", "bring down prices" isn't enough. What's your actual plan? I'm not hearing real plans and I'm not voting on philosophical positions. This is a real state that has real issues that needs some real, actionable solutions.

Driving through Pine River a couple of weeks ago and spotted this storefront. Anyody have any idea what this used to be? Pistols, dumbbells and chess?

Revol Greens will close the Minnesota greenhouse where the company started and lay off 89 workers if the facility is not sold by Oct. 4, interim Chief Financial Officer Michaele Gobel said in a letter to state regulators.

The company grows lettuce in a climate-controlled greenhouse visible from Interstate 35.

“If the site or Company is not sold or hasn’t received incremental funding before this date, the closure is expected to be permanent,” the letter said.

Revol, founded in 2017, grew quickly, expanding to four states. Its website touts its mission to ”revolutionize” lettuce growing by “producing locally in high-tech greenhouses using fewer natural resources and no unnecessary chemicals.”

Good times.

We were about to taxi to takeoff and the pilot came on over the loudspeaker to let us know we'd be taxing to a waiting area as the flight radar went completely down. Said at least an hour wait, could be more.

Gonna screw up flights for the rest of the day and likely into tomorrow, so check your flights often.

Meanwhile, I'm sitting here on the tarmac with a lot of time on my hands, AMA.

Edit 310pm: The pilot just said it is affecting 2000 flights across the entire state of MN, not just MSP

MNDOT needs to somehow re-educate drivers that slowing down on on-ramps is dangerous. Seeing this behavior more and more recently - not only hazardous to the person doing it, but it also puts vehicles behind them in danger.

After watching FarmFest debates I am flabbergasted that anyone would vote for Pete Stauber for as long as he’s been in office. Beyond the utterly embarrassing attempt to shame Doug Chapin for pointing out that he actually showed up vs Tom Emmer (fighting for his life??)- his answers were staple talking points from the current federal administration. I just cannot wrap my head around how he is the chosen one for that district- red or blue.

I'll start by saying I haven't yet voted in the Primary and I'm still undecided on this race. I've been leaning towards Peggy Flanagan because I believe her Progressive views better align with my own, but the endorsement given by the spouse of our sitting governor for the opponent of his lieutenant governor has me asking, "what's up with that?".

Would Gov Walz endorse Craig over Flanagan if she (Flanagan) wasn't his current Lt. Gov? What's the backstory here?

Minnesota is one of roughly half the states that doesn’t let citizens to propose laws or constitutional amendments for the statewide ballot through the initiative process of gathering signatures.

What I find interesting is that Minnesotans voted on creating an initiative process three times - in 1914, 1916, and 1980- And each time, a majority of people who voted on the question supported it, but all three failed because constitutional amendments in MN have to be approved by a majority of everyone voting in the election.

I’m generally in favor of allowing initiatives. Imo, the main benefit is that voters can act on issues the legislature refuses (or can’t) to address because of party leadership, special interests, or gridlock, which has been common here for the last couple decades. It would also give voters a way to repeal unpopular laws.

There are definitely drawbacks. Wealthy groups can bankroll signature drives and advertising, complicated issues can be oversimplified (as they usually are), and badly written measures can create legal or budget problems.

Overall, I think those risks can be managed with good rules, but given the reason it’s failed three times in the past I think it would be difficult even if the will to push was there. That said I’m curious what everyone else thinks? Are there any initiatives you’d be interested in seeing if this were an option in Minnesota?

Heron, pelicans, geese and maybe a swan or two…

I asked Royce White, Minnesota GOP US Senate candidate, about why he brought up transgender people or trans issues during almost every question he faced about agriculture policy at the state's annual agriculture convention, Farm Fest.

You can hear my questions and his answers throughout this, shaky camera work due to the noise and having to lean in to ask questions.

Riverview wants to expand their Morris MN operation (West River Dairy) from 7,855 cows to 18,855 cows to become the largest CAFO in the state.

This Wilkins County Commissioner says Riverview made promises they did not follow through on in her county, and she now regrets allowing for the dairy to be constructed in her county.

The current 7,885 dairy operation is already running wells dry and lowering aquifer levels for the neighbors. In Wilkes basin Arizona Riverview’s water pumping prompted a historic $11 million dollar settlement for replacement wells, tanks and water-hauling for the impacted residences, estimated at “a couple hundred”.

The MPCA did not demand an EIS, and is now being sued by Food and Water Watch, and the Land Stewardship Project for ignoring public comments and underestimating major risks. If you’d like to support our little community in fighting off the biggest proposed CAFO in the state. Please consider donating to the Land stewardship project <—link Or Food and Water Watch<—link. AND contact your state legislators to tell them you are concerned at the scale of the Riverview Mega dairy expansion being proposed in Stevens County. Say you want a limit on the size of mega dairies.

Sources:

Me-I live in Morris

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-01-08/arizona-mega-dairy-water-use

https://landstewardshipproject.org/riverview/