By Madison McVan | Reporter
Good morning, Reformers.
Happy September.
A delegation of representatives from Unidos MN and the Minneapolis sex shop Smitten Kitten are in Aachen, Germany, accepting the Aachen Peace Prize for their work during Operation Metro Surge and beyond.
Smitten Kitten became a distribution hub for food and household necessities for immigrants who were hiding at home for fear of federal agents. Unidos MN founded Monarca, the rapid response network that hosted “upstander” trainings and alerted Minnesotans to immigration enforcement activity in their neighborhoods.
The Aachen Peace Prize celebrates those who have “brought about peace through a sense of justice, humanity, willingness to help (even towards enemies); through non-violence, civil courage, drive, objectivity and engagement."
Aachen is considered the first city to be liberated by Allied forces — Americans — near the end of World War II. The winners of the peace prize are announced on May 8 each year, the anniversary of the Nazis’ unconditional surrender.
To the rest of the news:
Community members form a bucket bridge as they give donations to a person distributing them at Smitten Kitten, an adult store that’s become a hub for donations to be distributed to people who may be sheltering in place out of fear of ICE Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
By Kevin Hardy
More than 1 million American children have lost access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, following a recent federal law. Now, as schools gear up for a new term, a portion of those children could be at risk of losing free meals — viewed as crucial supports for both childhood hunger and classroom learning.
Students in Minnesota and eight other states that provide free school meals should be shielded from the SNAP fallout for now. But those states could see major financial upheaval.
A school’s percentage of students on SNAP determines how much money the federal government contributes for the school’s meals — so fewer SNAP enrollees translates to less meal funding.
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris
A federal judge in Texas on Sunday paused a lawsuit seeking to revoke nationwide approval of the abortion drug mifepristone, saying the case won’t be heard until at least Dec. 1 and granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s request for a stay to continue its safety review of the drug.
The Republican attorneys general of Florida and Texas filed a lawsuit against the FDA last December seeking to permanently revoke the agency’s initial approval of mifepristone from 2000, along with subsequent decisions over the years that eased access for patients.
If a judge were to rule in favor of Florida and Texas, the medication would become unavailable in all states, regardless of abortion laws.
By Ashley Murray
President Donald Trump does not have to follow a lower court order to stop aboveground construction on his $400 million East Wing ballroom, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday in a 5-4 decision, all but guaranteeing work on the new complex will continue to accelerate.
In an opinion from the conservative super-majority, the justices wrote that historic preservationists who sued to stop the project likely do not have standing and that the administration would be irreparably harmed by halting the construction.
IN OTHER NEWS
Oregon universities brace for international enrollment drop following visa delays, Trump policies | Oregon Capital Chronicle
What happened in Minneapolis | New Yorker
OH BY THE WAY
Here’s a song for your Tuesday. Have a great day!
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