1. Why Minnesotans Fear ICE
"All of this calculation of distance and I can’t reconcile the most important space of all: the distance between myself and some of my fellow American citizens, who believe that the actions of ICE—from the racial profiling, imprisonment, and detainment of people on American soil, to the killing of Good and Porter—are acceptable. I have felt sick all week. This vast gulf between us, not just as Americans but as human beings, has drained me of hope." Poet, author, and lifelong Minnesotan Bao Phi on the outrage in his community.
2. ICE agents are knocking on doors and asking "Do you know any of your Hmong neighbors?"
In Instagram video posted on Monday, St. Paul Councilmember Hwa Jeong Kim said that she has received first-hand accounts from constituents about ICE agents knocking on doors and asking whether the residents know their Hmong or Asian neighbors.
3. Philadelphia police probe string of violent purse snatchings targeting Asian women
In Philadelphia, police are searching for suspects in a string of violent thefts targeting Asian women in during the holiday season. Investigators say the attacks occurred between Christmas Day and New Year's Day, all within the same area in Northeast Philadelphia and under similar circumstances. All of the victims were Asian women who got their purse snatched in broad daylight by men in ski masks. Police believe the crimes are connected, with three men involved in most, if not all, of the thefts, including two attackers and a getaway driver.
4. 'Squid Game' Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk Sets New Netflix Series 'The Dealer'
Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of Squid Game, is following up the biggest Netflix show of all time with his next series, The Dealer, a crime Korean drama set in a casino that follows a card dealer who is roped into a seedy underworld of gambling. Produced by Hwang for Netflix, the series stars Jung So-min leads the cast as the titular dealer. Here's the official synopsis:
"The Dealer" centers on Geonhwa, a gifted casino dealer whose life is upended when her wedding plans collapse after she becomes entangled in a housing scam. Forced back into a world she had deliberately left behind, Geonhwa plunges into the shadowy underworld of illegal gambling — and is compelled to tap long-suppressed supernatural abilities that give her an unnatural edge at the tables as she fights to reclaim control of her future.
5. The Moon Without Stars by Chanel Miller
The Moon Without Stars, the new book from New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor–winning author Chanel Miller, hits shelves this week. In this household, we are big fans of her 2024 children's book Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All. Her new middle school novel explores the way growing up, finding friends, and discovering who you are can be both awkward and empowering. From the back of the book:
At the beginning of seventh grade, Luna knows who she is: an observant, quiet girl who loves writing and making zines with her best friend, Scott. But when one of their zines takes off, Luna is somehow swept up into the popular group and learns just how much of herself she’s going to have to compromise to stay there. Will she give up her writing? Her best friend? What about her own beliefs about who she is and what she stands for?
Featuring author-illustrator Chanel Miller’s signature line drawings, The Moon Without Stars is a deeply personal and often funny novel about what it means to lose and then find yourself again during the vulnerable, life-changing years of middle school.
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