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THIS IS ILLEGAL
14:27
Hasan Abi • Jan 12, 2026

THIS IS ILLEGAL

The Decolonial Mind of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
Current Affairs • Jan 12, 2026

The Decolonial Mind of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

The BBC termed him a “giant of African literature.” In a Guardian obituary, Lyn Innes called Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o “a founding father of African literature in English.” For the scholar Helon Habila he “belonged to an age of prophets,” and “we must honor his teaching.” For others, he “was not just a writer, he was a militant.” For his writing, Ngũgĩ received numerous awards. Yet the Nobel Prize in literature always eluded him, perhaps because of his unrelenting criticism of colonialism, neo-colonial imperialism, and the capitalist West. For the literary establishment he was a dangerous intellectual who was still bitter about colonialism and its aftereffects. He was often seen as a leading and deserving candidate for the Nobel Prize for literature; so much so that in 2010 many reporters gathered outside his home on the day of its announcement. When it became clear that the award had gone to Mario Vargas Llosa, Ngũgĩ “seemed much less disappointed than the reporters, whom he had to console.” 

The ‘single story’ of African credit ratings
Semafor • Jan 12, 2026

The ‘single story’ of African credit ratings

African credit rating agencies say the “Big Three” overestimate the risk of sovereign debt on the continent because they lack a deep understanding of its economies.

"All the Walls Came Down": L.A. Fire Survivors Fight Foreclosure & Demand Justice in Altadena
Democracy Now • Jan 12, 2026

"All the Walls Came Down": L.A. Fire Survivors Fight Foreclosure & Demand Justice in Altadena

We look at All the Walls Came Down, a new short documentary directed by filmmaker Ondi Timoner that looks back at the devastating 2025 fires in Los Angeles, which destroyed Timoner’s home and left the historically Black community of Altadena in ruins. The film, which has been shortlisted for an Academy Award, follows community organizer Heavenly Hughes as residents confront the aftermath of the fires and organize to rebuild their town. “We feel like we’re being forced out because of this fire and not really getting the support that we need from our elected officials to be sure to preserve and protect our Black and Brown community,” says Hughes. Timoner says Southern California Edison, which has taken responsibility for the Eaton Fire, has refused to tap its emergency funds. The utility company needs to “bridge families over so that they’re not pushed off their generational land,” Timoner says. “It’s an urgent situation in our town.” (Watch Part 2 of this interview.)

"We Had Whistles. They Had Guns": Nationwide Protests Held over ICE Killing of Renee Good
Democracy Now • Jan 12, 2026

"We Had Whistles. They Had Guns": Nationwide Protests Held over ICE Killing of Renee Good

We speak with civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong in Minneapolis as protests continue in the city following the killing of activist Renee Good last week. The ICE agent who fatally shot Good in her car has been identified as Jonathan Ross, an Iraq War veteran described by family and friends as a hardcore conservative Christian and MAGA supporter. This comes as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem continues to claim Good was engaged in “domestic terrorism.” “Folks at the highest levels of government are perpetuating falsehoods … and working overtime to justify the brutal murder of Renee Good,” says Levy Armstrong, who urges local authorities to arrest Ross.

Iran Escalates Deadly Crackdown on Mass Protests as Trump Threatens to Launch Military Attack
Democracy Now • Jan 12, 2026

Iran Escalates Deadly Crackdown on Mass Protests as Trump Threatens to Launch Military Attack

Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed in Iran as authorities crack down on protests against inflation and the government’s handling of the economic crisis, with thousands more arrested amid a nationwide communications blackout. The protests started in late December and quickly spread across the country, marking the strongest internal challenge to the Iranian government in years. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran in support of the protesters. “Many civil and political activists in Iran have warned against any kind of foreign intervention, because it actually increases repression inside of the country,” says Narges Bajoghli, associate professor of Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University. We also speak with Iranian dissident Hamidreza Mohammadi, brother of the imprisoned Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi. Speaking from Oslo, he says he has been unable to reach his family inside Iran since the start of the protests. “In the lack of internet and telephone communication, the regime has been able to kill a lot of people,” Mohammadi says. “People in Iran simply want [a] different system, and they don’t want to be enslaved by this regime for its ideological purposes.”

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