META MAG

Saturday, February 7, 2026

Flushing Toilets With Buckets: What Two Weeks Without Power Really Looks Like

Administrator February 07, 2026

It's been almost two weeks since an ice storm cut the power at Barbara Bishop's house in rural Mississippi, and she still finds herself lacking basic amenities such as light and unspoiled food. Light switches that don't work, a fridge full of spoiled food and the unsavory smells that come from it are just a few symptoms of the harsh winter storm they endured.

Barbara, 79, and her husband George, 85, live outside Oxford, where that ice storm didn't just knock out power but turned the entire community upside down. It turned trees into weapons. Ice-coated branches took down power lines and made roads so badly damaged that you couldn't drive on them even if you wanted to.

After the storm hit, the Bishops' home became a refuge. Their son showed up. Then their granddaughter with her two kids. All of them had lost power and water. So now it's seven people in one house, huddled around a single gas heater, trying to stay warm through days of bitter cold. For a stretch, they lost water, too.

"It's just been one of those times you just have to grit, grit your teeth and bare it," Barbara said.

That's what nearly 15,000 people across northern Mississippi were still doing Saturday morning – gritting their teeth two weeks later. PowerOutage.us showed the number had dropped from 180,000 customers in the immediate aftermath, but "dropping" doesn't mean much when you're still one of the thousands sitting in the dark.

Lafayette County, where Oxford is located, still has more than 3,000 customers without power.

Lafayette County had the most outages as of Saturday – about 3,244 customers. Tippah County had 2,879. Panola has over 2,000, while Yalobusha and Tishomingo counties both had more than 1,700 each. These aren't just numbers. These are families heating water on gas stoves. Elderly couples in their 80s wondering when normal comes back.

By Friday, temperatures in Oxford hit 70 degrees. But chunks of ice still covered the ground in shaded spots – a reminder that winter isn't done with them yet. Downed trees had been stacked into massive piles along the roadsides, some still smoldering from controlled burns. Power lines hung low over streets in places, dangling in parking lots. Tree limbs hung overhead like they were deciding whether to fall.

Mother Nature has finally started to bring some relief in terms of temperatures, with more consistently warmer weather expected this week, says meteorologist Rob Shackelford. The high Sunday is in the lower 60s, increasing to the upper 60s and lower 70s starting Monday. Weather shouldn't be too hazardous, with only slight chances of showers Tuesday night into Wednesday and to end the week.

Across the street from the Bishops, Russ Jones and his wife have been living without electricity or water. For days, they filled 5-gallon buckets to flush toilets. Cooked on their gas stove. Stayed warm by the fireplace. It works, technically. But it wears you down.

"It's been a shock to the system," Jones said.

He and his wife started staying with friends a few days ago – the kind of decision you don't want to make but eventually have to.

Friday, his yard was full of volunteers from Eight Days of Hope, a nonprofit that shows up when disasters hit. They cleared snapped limbs, hauled away a massive tree from his backyard and moved with the kind of efficiency that only comes from doing this over and over. The organization has been there for days, helping dozens of homeowners patch roofs and clean up yards. They've served more than 16,000 free meals.

Jones said it was a relief to have one less thing weighing on him. When a volunteer handed him a free T-shirt and a blanket for his wife, he had to hold back tears.

"It's just beyond anything I could ever imagine," he said.

Sometimes the help isn't what fixes everything. It's just what reminds you that you're not forgotten.

Portions of this report are from the Associated Press.

Renee Good's partner addresses Minneapolis immigration crackdown one month after killing

Administrator February 07, 2026

A man visits a makeshift memorial for Renee Good on Jan. 14, 2026, at the site where she was killed a week ago in Minneapolis. (Stephen Maturen / Getty Images file)

A month after Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an immigration officer in Minneapolis, her partner spoke out on Saturday, condemning the federal government's immigration crackdown that took Good's life and urging the city to remember those whose names are never known.

In a rare statement issued through her attorney, Becca Good thanked the city and said she was "so proud to call Minneapolis my home."

She also criticized the federal government's immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities, during which federal law enforcementkilled her partnerand ICU nurseAlex Pretti, 37.

"Renee was not the first person killed, and she was not the last," she said. "You know my wife's name and you know Alex's name, but there are many others in this city being harmed that you don't know — their families are hurting just like mine, even if they don't look like mine."

"They are neighbors, friends, coworkers, classmates. And we must also know their names," she added. "Because this shouldn't happen to anyone."

Becca Good has seldom spoken publicly since her partner's killing on Jan. 7.

The killing occurred about a month after the Trump administration surged 3,000 immigration agents to the Twin Cities in what officials have dubbed Operation Metro Surge. Agents descended on Minnesota after right-wing influencers renewed scrutiny in a state fraud scandal involving Somali nationals.

More than 4,000 undocumented immigrants have been apprehended since the operation began in December,according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The operation, which has led to the apprehensions of some children, has sparked near-daily protests in the Twin Cities. It has alsotransformed the daily livesof many who live there, with people volunteering to deliver groceries to undocumented immigrants and safeguard their neighborhoods from immigration authorities.

A representative for DHS did not immediately return a request for comment.

Weeks after Good's killing, Alex Pretti was shot and killed by Customs and Border Protection agents. Trump administration officials initially defended the agents, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem calling Pretti a "domestic terrorist." However, days after his killing, the administration said it would be drawing down its operation in the state. This week, officials said they wouldsend home 700 agents.

The Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights probe into Pretti's death but has not done so for Good.

"Renee and I chose kindness. We believed that every life deserves the same care, treatment, and dignity, no matter who they are or what they look like," Becca Good said in her statement. "That shouldn't be radical. If it is, then I want Renee and our family to be known for how we practiced radical kindness every day."

The killings have prompted calls toreform DHS and forNoem to resign. Two of Renee Good's brothers addressed lawmakers this week at a public forum to raise concerns about the violent tactics used by DHS.

"The deep distress our family feels because of Nee's loss in such a violent and unnecessary way is complicated by feelings of disbelief, distress and desperation for change," Luke Ganger, one of the brothers, testified.

Judge grants continuance in the asylum case of Liam Conejo Ramos and his family

Administrator February 07, 2026

Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro shared this photo of Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, and his father, Adrian, after the pair was released from a family detention center in Texas. - Office of Joaquin Castro

Five-year-oldLiam Conejo Ramosand his family will have more time to make their case for asylum.

At a Friday court hearing for the family's asylum case, a judge granted a continuance, which postpones the case to a later date, family attorney Danielle Molliver told CNN.

There is no indication when the next hearing is expected, said Molliver, who added, "We're grateful for the outpouring from the community and we remain committed to the family and this community."

Attorneys for the family had asked the court for more time to respond to the motion by the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the family is not slated for expedited removal and the motion is standard procedure.

"There is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation's immigration laws," she said in a statement to CNN.

Zena Stenvik, superintendent of Liam's school district, Columbia Heights Public Schools, said Friday's ruling "provides additional time, and with that, continued uncertainty for a child and his family," as she stressed the family is asking for privacy.

"Our concern remains centered on Liam and all children who deserve stability, safety and the opportunity to be in school without fear. We will continue to advocate for outcomes that prioritize children," Stenvik said.

The 5‑year‑old and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, weretaken from their snowy suburban Minneapolis drivewaylast month to a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, sparkingwidespread outrageafter images of a federal agent clutching the boy's Spider‑Man backpack as he looked on beneath a cartoon bunny hat circulated.

Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, is detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after arriving home from preschool, January 20, in a Minneapolis suburb. - Ali Daniels/AP

After more than a week at the Dilley center, the preschooler and his Ecuadorian father areback home in Minneapolisafter a judge ordered them to be released, which ended their detention but left their future in the United States in limbo.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, the Texas Democrat who helped escort them back to Minnesota on Sunday, emphasized at a Friday news conference the father and son "don't have a criminal record" and represent no threat to the community.

"They should leave Liam alone," Castro told reporters, referring to the federal government.

"His family came in legally through the asylum process," Castro said. "And when I left the Dilley detention center, one of the ICE officers explained to me that his father was on a one-year parole in place, so they should allow that to continue."

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

WNBA submits new collective bargaining proposal to players' union

Administrator February 07, 2026

When the WNBA and players' union meton Mondayin New York, the league promised a new collective bargaining agreement proposal. It delivered that offer on Friday, Feb. 6, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports. The details of the new proposal were not available.

WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike toldthe Associated PressFriday that the gap between the two sides on issues like revenue sharing continues to be vast. But the players' union wants to close it and avoid a lock out or strike.

"I know our players 100% want to play this year," she said. "We want a season.

"We made the point that once we nail (revenue sharing), we can get everything else done."

A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces celebrates with Chelsea Gray #12 and Jewell Loyd #24 after winning Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on October 10, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Las Vegas Aces defeat the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 to win the championship.