First Thing: Court files show how federal agents spied on anti-ICE protesters | Martin Belam

A protest against ICE actions in Minnesota earlier this year. Photograph: Star Tribune/Getty Images View image in fullscreen A protest against ICE actions in Minnesota earlier this year. Photograph: Star Tribune/Getty Images First Thing: Court files show how federal agents spied on anti-ICE protesters Undercover agents infiltrated meetings, private chats and local events. Plus Wile E Coyote returns to the big screen Good morning. The extent to which federal law enforcement targeted political opponents and peaceful organizers has been laid bare in newly disclosed court documents. Internal investigative files reveal that the Department of Homeland Security launched a sweeping surveillance operation against anti-ICE protesters, major labor unions and left-leaning advocacy groups – sending undercover agents to infiltrate community meetings and issuing administrative subpoenas to seize financial records. The documents show that DHS investigators obtained financial records of unions and non-profits, as part of an inquiry into “domestic terrorist financing”. What did undercover government agents do? They infiltrated community meetings, joined private activist Signal chats and surreptitiously recorded audio at local events – including a “resistance skills training” at a public library and a sparring session at a church gym, where an agent accidentally dropped his recording device. Agents posed as activists and actively engaged participants by offering to help with “direct-action” protests. How have activists responded? Emilia González Avalos, the executive director of Unidos MN, a Minneapolis social justice non-profit group, said: “I believe that this is a clear attempt to intimidate us, to punish and politically repress disagreement and difference. And that is not the America that we have built through hundreds of years. And it’s definitely not the America that we are organizing for.” Crimea bomb kills ‘Ukrainian sub commander who defected’ View image in fullscreen A portrait of Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, in Sevastopol, where the attack took place. Photograph: Igor Ivanko/AFP/Getty Images A Russian military officer labelled as a Ukrainian defector ⁠was killed in a ⁠bomb ​attack on Thursday in Russian-annexed Crimea. Robert Shageyev was described on Russian Telegram channels as ‌a former Ukrainian naval officer who switched allegiance to ‌Russia during Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 when he was commanding Ukraine’s only submarine, the Zaporizhzhia. Where did the attack take place? The attack took place in Sevastopol, the biggest city in Russian-annexed Crimea. ​The regional governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said a woman had been arrested on suspicion of ⁠assassinating Shageyev on behalf of Ukrainian special services. What has Poland said about Russian activity there? A Russian plan to kill a Ukrainian American citizen in Warsaw was thwarted by Poland before it could be carried out, the Polish prime minister has said. Donald Tusk said it was the first time that “someone on the order of Russia” had sought to attack a US citizen on the territory of another Nato country. Massachusetts teen accused of killing mother and brother used ChatGPT View image in fullscreen Arjun Aravind listens as his lawyer Debra DeWitt speaks. Photograph: Lane Turner/The Boston Globe/AP A Massachusetts teenager accused of killing his mother and younger brother is being held without bail as authorities investigate a double-murder case that prosecutors say is connected to his use of ChatGPT. Arjun Aravind, 17, appeared for his arraignment in Concord district court on Thursday morning, where a not-guilty plea to murder and several additional charges was entered on his behalf. What did the county district attorney say? Marian Ryan said in a press conference: “The investigation has so far shown that Arjun had recently been demonstrating some concerning behavior, including using the internet and ChatGPT to make searches for theoretical ideas or fantasy stories regarding the killing of his family.” WNBA condemns ‘bad-faith’ efforts to fuel transgender player debate View image in fullscreen Golden State Valkyries’ Tiffany Hayes, front, steals the ball from Chicago Sky’s Gabriela Jacquez in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in San Francisco. Photograph: Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle/AP The WNBA on has criticized those trying to create a narrative about transgender women playing in the league. A league spokesperson said “There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others.” The statement came hours after an anti-hate taskforce met virtually and discussed a variety of topics, including social media vitriol and transgender athletes. There has never been a trans woman – a person assigned male at birth who transitions to align with their gender identity – on a WNBA roster. In other news … View image in fullscreen Count Binface gestures while standing with other candidates after Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage was declared the winner. Photograph: Jack Taylor/Reuters Trump-aligned British politician Nigel Farage has won a special election in England and will return to parliament, having defeated 33 fringe and novelty candidates. He failed to turn up to hear the result. A man with a bin on his head pretending to be from outer space came second. 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Here’s what you need to know about the executive order’s potential impact and the science behind the debate. … or this: Are we looking at the death of the kiss? View image in fullscreen Au Lit: Le Baiser (In Bed: The Kiss), 1892, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Photograph: Heritage Images/Getty Images Elle Hunt speaks to people about the emergence of what some have termed a kissing recession, as more people are reportedly single and having less sex. Climate check: ‘Unprecedented’ rain kills four in Japan as thousands stranded at airport View image in fullscreen A flooded road in Ichikawa, Chiba prefecture. Photograph: Jiji Press/EPA At least four people died in eastern Japan after “unprecedented” heavy rain left nearly 7,000 stranded at Tokyo’s Narita airport, and forced thousands to take refuge in government buildings. The torrential rains hit Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, triggering landslide warnings and power outages. Last Thing: Boy, 8, hooks fearsome exotic fish in Pennsylvania lake View image in fullscreen Piranhas. Photograph: Sunbird Images/imageBROKER/Shutterstock An eight-year-old boy fishing for bass in Pennsylvania was stunned to catch something more associated with the Amazon – and countless horror movies – than the rolling landscape of the eastern US: a piranha! If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com Explore more on these topics US news First Thing newsletter news Share Reuse this content