Stitch-the-News
To process the chaos, I'm spending a few minutes each night stitching a news diary—embroidering tiny icons representing an important story of the day.
And by tiny here, I really do mean tiny. The canvas is only 8.5 inches in diameter, and the largest icons are smaller than a dime, while the smallest are smaller than a pencil eraser.
January 2026
One month in, and it feels like I've already sewn a year's worth of news. But it helps me make sense of it all, so I think I can manage eleven more.
Here’s a rundown so far:
Trident: Indiana University wins the Rose Bowl
Rama Duwaji’s Pointy-Toed Boot: Rama Duwaji faces sexist backlash for wearing $600 boots to Zohran Mamdani’s swearing in as the mayor of NYC
Venezuelan Flag: The US military kidnaps Venezuelan President Maduro, without Congressional knowledge, and at the bidding of President Trump
Peace Sign: In Venezuela and the US, demonstrators call for peace in the wake of Trump’s illegal capture of Maduro
Empty Vaccine: The US Department of Health and Human Services cuts its vaccine recommendations for children
Money Bag: Trump freezes more than $10 billion in funding for aid programs in blue states, based on false allegations of waste fraud and abuse
Memorial Candle: ICE officer Jonathan Ross murders legal observer Renee Good in the midst of Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, Minnesota; peaceful protests and vigils follow
Greenland: Trump doubles down on prior statements suggesting his intention to purchase Greenland
Oil Tanker: US military forces seize a fifth Venezuelan oil tanker, as part of a bid to control and profit from Venezuelan oil
Three X Logos: X (formerly known as Twitter) faces pushback for allowing its AI feature to produce explicit and offensive images, including of children
Shattered Ice Cube: ICE Out protests are held in communities across the US
Golden Globe: At the Golden Globe Awards, many attendees wear anti-ICE pins
Federal Reserve Building: Trump threatens the Federal Reserve Board Chairman with criminal indictment related to renovations on the Federal Reserve Building, as a pressure tactic to lower interest rates
Price Tag: Trump claims grocery prices are falling, despite evidence to the contrary
T-Bone Steak: RFK Jr. flips the food pyramid, with an emphasis on beef tallow, based on dubious health claims
Iranian Flag: Protests continue in Iran, and the Iranian government shuts down the internet
Champagne Bottle: Trump threatens to place enormous tariffs on Europe if he isn't allowed to buy Greenland
Taco: ICE officers arrest migrants after eating in the restaurants where they work; also, Trump always chickens out
Graduation Cap: Trump administration delays plans to garnish the wages of federal student loan borrowers who default on their loans (see also TACO above)
Text Message Thread: Text messages between Trump and Norway's Prime Minister are released, showing Trump rebuffing efforts to de-escalate conflict over Greenland
Trans Pride Flag: Congressional Democrats successfully strip anti-trans riders from funding bills for major US programs
Liam Ramos’s Blue Fuzzy Hat: Federal immigration officials detail 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father in Minneapolis, after using Liam as bait; images of Liam in a fuzzy blue hat with floppy ears go viral, prompting widespread backlash
Snow Shovel: Massive winter storm dumps snow across much of the US, including in southern states
Alex Pretti’s Hat and Sunglasses: ICE Officers in Minneapolis murder legal observer Alex Pretti, who was filming them with his cell phone while helping a woman they knocked to the ground
Macron’s Sunglasses: French President Macron wears blue sunglasses to speak at the World Economic Forum, prompting a spike in demand
Thermostat and Tear Gas: Under Operation Metro Surge, ICE agents attack legal observers and protesters in Minneapolis with tear gas and pepper spray, even when they are already pinned down on the ground in frigid cold
Bovino’s Coat: Border Patrol official Greg Bovino is photographed wearing an overcoat reminiscent of similar ones worn by Nazi officials in Germany
Ring Doorbell: Amazon’s Ring announces a new partnership with Flock, a surveillance technology company, prompting concerns about Ring cameras being used by ICE
Wind Turbine and Airplane: Trump faces a legal setback in his efforts to shut down windfarms; Trump announces on Truth Social that he is de-certifying Canadian-made planes
File Boxes: The Justice Department releases more than 3 million additional documents from the Epstein files, with hundreds of mentions of Trump and more high-profile associates named
Protester with ICE OUT Sign: ICE OUT protests are held in cities across the US
February 2026
Stay tuned!
March 2026
Stay tuned!