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Trump might not embody Christian values yet is the religious right's chosen instrument to turn the tide against liberal, godless America

While the US president's many mentions in the Esptein files seem to have no consequences, in the UK Starmer could be the first world leader to fallAll around Europe, the political and business elite are facing an inquest on what blinded so many to think it was permissible to consort with a known child sex offender. As the 3m emails and 1,800 photos released on Friday by the US Department of Justice start to percolate across the continent and through to national media, questions about the moral fibre of this elite are starting to be asked at markedly different levels of intensity.Squirming businessmen, bankers, politicians, royals, academics, tech bros and partners in law firms have become entangled in Jeffrey Epstein's interlocking circles of money, power and sex. It seems there was no one in a position of power that Epstein was not in email contact with, and that there was little limit to what this networking elite was prepared to do in return for a gift, a contact or an invite to a sexually charged party. Elon Musk was right when in July 2025 he tweeted - only to quickly delete it - that so many powerful people want that list suppressed". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Luxury aircraft owned by property tycoon close to US president's family has twice flown Palestinian men from Arizona to Tel AvivOn the morning of 21 January, Israeli authorities left eight Palestinian men at a West Bank checkpoint. Disoriented and cold, they were dressed in prison-issued tracksuits and carried their few belongings in plastic bags.Hours earlier, they had been sitting with their wrists and ankles shackled on the plush leather seats of a private jet owned by the Florida property tycoon Gil Dezer, a longtime business partner of Donald Trump. Continue reading...

It is not good enough just to criticize Trump. We must offer a positive vision that will improve the lives of AmericansAt this difficult moment in American history, it's imperative that we have the courage to be honest with ourselves.The United States, once the envy of the world, is now a nation in profound decline. For the sake of our children and future generations, we must reverse that decline and change, in very fundamental ways, the direction of our country.We must create a vibrant democracy by ending Citizens United and preventing billionaires from buying elections.

Today show host Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have published a video statement calling for the safe return of their mother, Nancy Guthrie, 84, reported missing on Sunday. Guthrie said her mother's health was fragile and she needed her medicine to survive. She said she had heard of the reports of a ransom letter and continued: 'We are ready to talk, however we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive'

US federal judge issued a preliminary injunction barring warrantless arrests unless there is a likelihood of escapeUS immigration agents in Oregon must stop arresting people without warrants unless there is a likelihood of escape, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.US district judge Mustafa Kasubhai issued a preliminary injunction in a proposed class-action lawsuit targeting the Department of Homeland Security's practice of arresting immigrants they happen to come across while conducting ramped-up enforcement operations - which critics have described as arrest first, justify later". Continue reading...

The Guardian reviewed figures from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection since Trump's inaugurationDonald Trump campaigned on a platform of mass deportation. Since he took office, his administration has reshaped immigration enforcement across the country. The Guardian, using data published every two weeks by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is tracking the number of people the administration has arrested, detained and deported. Continue reading...

Elizabeth Caisaguano and her mother released from Texas facility hit by measles outbreak. Plus, the Epstein stories you may have missedGood morning.A 10-year-old Minnesota girl has been released from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after a month in detention in Dilley, Texas, school officials said, one of hundreds of children detained at the facility.What are the conditions like at the detention center? Federal officials have confirmed that Dilley, which houses families, is now the site of a measles outbreak.What did the judge say? On Monday, Fred Biery, a federal judge in Texas Western District, issued an order blocking the removal or transfer of Elizabeth and her mother and giving the federal government five days to respond to the family's release petition. This didn't have to happen. ... They did everything they were supposed to do and still found themselves detained and separated," he said.Brad Karp has resigned as chair of the powerful law firm Paul Weiss after revelations of extensive communications with Epstein.The documents provide a high level of insight into Epstein's close relationship with the former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, in which Bannon acted as a mentor for Epstein's appearances in the media.The UK prime minister is fighting for his political future amid fury over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite his friendship with Epstein. Mandelson appeared to leak confidential information to Epstein while a minister.Bill Gates has said he regrets" ever knowing Epstein, as his former wife Melinda French Gates alluded to muck" in their marriage, and said the Microsoft founder has questions to answer.The release included Epstein's full household manual" detailing strict, cult-like requirements for his Florida mansion staff, who were expected to see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing". Continue reading...

At least two cases confirmed at detention center for children and their parents in TexasAt least two cases of measles have been confirmed at a major immigration detention center for children and their parents in Texas as cases of the dangerous virus in South Carolina, Arizona, Utah and other US states continue growing and alarming experts.In January alone, the US saw 25% of the total confirmed in all of last year, and the outbreak shows no sign of slowing as federal officials stay silent on vaccination. Continue reading...

Experts say Tom Homan's charge, replacing Greg Bovino's aggressive tactics, may change the tone, but not the missionIn his clearest attempt yet to deescalate" tensions in Minneapolis, Tom Homan, Donald Trump's border czar", announced on Wednesday that the administration will draw down 700 federal immigration officers as the statewide crackdown continues.The Twin Cities remain on edge, waiting to see whether the fear will ease. Continue reading...

The president's policies have weakened the US's competitive position and undermined its alliances to China's advantageIf Donald Trump's presidency has any theme (beyond self-promotion), it's that his America First" agenda will Make America Great Again. Unfortunately for the American people, if Trump's maneuvers and machinations have made any nation greater, it's been China, not the United States.During Trump's first term, he treated China as a strategic rival and often talked of checking its rise. His administration complained that China was seeking to challenge American power" and erode American security and prosperity". But during his first year back in the White House, Trump - in governing by whim and impulse with little strategic vision - has done lots to Make China Great Again.Steven Greenhouse is a journalist and author, focusing on labour and the workplace, as well as economic and legal issues Continue reading...

Writers and theatre groups across the country are creating works in response to crackdowns on their communitiesOn a cool winter night in Los Angeles, dozens gathered to protest the Trump administration's attacks on the arts and the recent federal immigration raids in southern California. But these protestors didn't carry signs or chant in front of a government building - they recited poems such as Antifa Tea Party and Love in Times of Fascism. They performed anti-fascist improv to a small but lively crowd at The Glendale Room, a library-themed theater, as part of the monthly show Unquiet: A Night of Creative Resistance.If you've got talent or skills as a communicator, you can move people," Chris Kessler, a writer and poet, said after performing at Unquiet. I really believe that we need to be moving people toward a stronger sense of collectivism in the face of fascism." Continue reading...

Seattle's Aden Durde will be the first British coach to appear in the Super Bowl. He wants to ensure he's not the lastMidway through the 2023 NFL season, Dallas Cowboys star edge rusher Micah Parsons was frustrated. Asked about the source - a feeling of being held by opponents all the time - Parsons credited his defensive line coach Aden Durde with keeping him in check.[Coach Durde] pulled me aside and said, You gotta remember, you're Micah fucking Parsons," he recalled. This shit is going to happen. You just gotta keep going. Fuck all the other stuff.'" Continue reading...

The interview, revealed in the latest tranche of Epstein files, was reportedly intended for a sympathetic documentarySteve Bannon, a one-time adviser to Donald Trump, has long styled himself as a populist nemesis of the global elites. Yet the latest release of Jeffrey Epstein files shows that he exchanged hundreds of friendly texts with the wealthy financier, discussing politics, travel and other topics.One of the biggest surprises in the files was a bizarre video in which Epstein - who exploited and abused dozens of young girls - is interviewed by Bannon at what appears to be Epstein's New York home. Continue reading...

If US elites can find the courage to speak up, we can still prevent our country from descending into full-blown autocracyAlex Pretti - an ICU nurse documenting alleged cases of federal immigration agents' overreach - was killed by federal agents in Minneapolis on 24 January. Just hours later, Minnesotans gathered in their neighborhoods for vigils to mourn his death and demand an end to the federal incursion on their state.Meanwhile, the CEOs of Apple, Amazon, Zoom and the New York Stock Exchange attended a glitzy screening of the new Melania documentary at the White House, where they munched on popcorn in special commemorative black-and-white boxes and took home Melania-branded cookies. Continue reading...

New Start expires on Thursday. That leaves no limits on US and Russian nuclear arsenalsLet's be honest: America needs another nuclear weapon about as much as Donald Trump deserves a Nobel peace prize.Yet on Thursday, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the U S and Russia will expire. When the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty - New Start - goes away, there will be no limits on US and Russian nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than 50 years.Edward J Markey represents Massachusetts in the US Senate. He is a co-chair of the bicameral congressional nuclear weapons and arms control working group Continue reading...

As his team returns to the Super Bowl, the New England owner who once stood up on social issues proves he is just another transactional billionaireDuring the worst of it, when Philando Castile and Alton Sterling were killed by police a decade ago and Colin Kaepernick took a knee in protest, when a widespread reaction was to tell the highly accomplished, overwhelmingly Black professional athletes they were un-American, or well-paid farmhands who needed to get back to work, or both, and some of his peers in the ownership class were releasing players as punishment for joining the protest, it was New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft who positioned himself as the voice of reason.Kraft attempted to broker peace between the ownership hawks who saw the high-paid kneelers as ungrateful mutineers and, after decades of docility, the radicalized players unwilling to collect their checks in exchange for political silence. Kraft encouraged two of his players - the twins Devin and Jason McCourty - into deeper citizenship, to engage with the legal and political systems and promote reforms. As a sign of compassion and a willingness to listen, Kraft visited the incarcerated rapper Meek Mill, and later the two partnered with another artist, Jay-Z, on various criminal justice initiatives. Continue reading...

Stars, new events, iconic Alpine venues and a return to full Olympic atmosphere after the pandemic era. Here's everything you need to know about Milano Cortina 2026The Winter Olympics are back - and this time they're zigzagging across northern Italy. Milano Cortina 2026 will be the most spread-out Winter Games ever staged, jumping from Milan's arenas to the Dolomites' classic Alpine slopes. With returning superstars, brand-new events and Italy leaning hard into its Olympic heritage, these Games may feel like they've arrived quietly - but there is a lot going on. From how and when to watch, to who matters and why these Olympics could look very different, here are your most pressing questions answered. Continue reading...

The five-time Olympian leads a young US team into Milan after nearly two decades at the vanguard of women's hockey's rise and transformationFor nearly two decades, Hilary Knight has been the heartbeat of USA women's ice hockey - the constant through gold-medal ecstasy and silver-medal heartbreaks, coaching changes, domestic league collapses and the sport's long, uneven push toward professional stability. Now, at 36, she's arrived in Milan chasing one more Olympic gold before bringing down the curtain on one of the most influential careers the game has known.The Olympic women's hockey tournament opens on Thursday with the United States bringing one of their youngest and fastest teams in years - and their longest-tenured player in the captain's sweater. Only 11 players return from the team that won silver in Beijing four years ago. Seven are still in college. Many developed inside a professional structure that did not exist for most of Knight's career, shaped by the emergence of the Professional Women's Hockey League and the broader surge in investment across women's sports. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: A police investigation, newly released documents and longstanding questions about accountability have converged to place one of Labour's most enduring figures under unprecedented scrutinyGood morning. Older readers may remember Peter Mandelson as a man in a sharp suit drifting through New Labour's 1990s heyday like a Bond villain with a Filofax. An architect of Labour's modernisation and a lightning rod for right-wing press ire, he has been in the orbit of power for more than three decades.That run has now come to a shuddering halt after the release of the so-called Epstein files by the US Department of Justice, which detail the extent of Mandelson's contact with the late billionaire financier and convicted child sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein. While the Met police investigate Mandelson on suspicion of misconduct in public office, the disclosures from the files have also raised urgent questions about judgment, access and accountability at the highest levels of public life.UK politics | Labour MPs have warned that Keir Starmer's days as prime minister are numbered after a day of fury over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.Gaza | Israeli forces have bulldozed part of a Gaza cemetery containing the war graves of dozens of British, Australian and other allied soldiers killed in the first and second world wars.Crime | An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a student in his 20s was stabbed in Leicester city centre and later died in hospital, Leicestershire police have said.Media | Washington Post editor in chief Matt Murray on Wednesday morning announced internally a broad strategic reset" that will result in significant" layoffs across the company.Immigration | Donald Trump's border tsar said about 700 federal agents would leave Minnesota, a large drop in agents on the ground but still leaving about 2,000 agents there, far above typical levels for the state. Continue reading...

Huge release of files provides extraordinary detail on the extent of the disgraced financier's networkAmong the new trove of 3m files relating to Jeffrey Epstein released last week are a vast number of stories shedding light on his relationships with prominent figures in the US, the UK, and around the world. Inclusion in the files does not imply wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's wrongdoing - but a sampling of some of the details they include provides extraordinary detail on the extent of his network. Continue reading...

The chairman of Paul Weiss dined with Jeffrey Epstein and sought his help getting his son a job with a Woody Allen film productionBrad Karp, the longtime chair of powerful Wall Street law firm Paul Weiss, has resigned his top leadership role and will be replaced by partner Scott Barshay, the firm said on Wednesday.Karp has faced scrutiny after emails released by the US Department of Justice on Friday revealed extensive personal and business communications he had with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Continue reading...

Illinois governor pledges to put science, preparedness and people' first by participating in global response network, following similar move by CaliforniaThe state of Illinois and New York City have both announced that they will join the World Health Organization's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), following Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the global body in 2025.Illinois's governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, made the announcement on Tuesday, confirming that Illinois will become part of the coordinated international network dedicated to monitoring and responding to global disease outbreaks. Continue reading...

Today show host acknowledges reports of alleged ransom letter and calls for safe return of 84-year-old mother onlineToday show host Savannah Guthrie, along with her siblings Annie and Cameron, has published a video statement calling for the safe return of their 84-year-old mother Nancy Guthrie, who was reported missing on Sunday.In a video posted to Instagram on Wednesday, the siblings said that their mother is in poor health and is without her medication. Savannah Guthrie also acknowledged reports about a reported ransom letter from alleged kidnappers. Continue reading...

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Ex-House speaker says at dinner facts are challenged, truth is distorted and press is treated as enemy' by those in powerThe Democratic former speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said on Wednesday that press freedom is under siege" in the United States after the Trump administration arrested a prominent journalist and searched the home of another.The warning from Pelosi comes on the same day that the Washington Post, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, the Amazon billionaire who has recently sought to curry favor with Donald Trump, conducted mass layoffs of its reporters and editors worldwide. Continue reading...

Trump told NBC News the decision to pull 700 officers from state came from him, but that administration is waiting for [Minnesota] to release prisoners' - key US politics stories from 4 February 2026 at a glanceTom Homan, the White House border czar, said about 700 federal agents would leave Minnesota, a large drop in agents on the ground but still leaving about 2,000 agents there, far above typical levels for the state.Homan said the reduction came as county jails were negotiating over increased coordination with federal officials, though it's not clear which counties have agreed to coordinate with immigration enforcement officials. Continue reading...

EEOC demands firm turn over DEI-related objectives' amid Trump administration's crackdown on diversity initiativesThe US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has launched an investigation into Nike over allegations that the sports giant discriminated against white employees and job applicants.The federal agency is demanding that Nike turn over information related to the allegations, including the company's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-related 2025 Targets and other DEI-related objectives", it announced on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Approved by voters, the new map gives Democrats as many as five seats, neutralizing five GOP seats added by TexasCalifornia can use a new congressional map that was approved by voters in November, the supreme court has ruled, handing Democrats a major victory in their effort to neutralize Donald Trump's push to protect Republicans' fragile House majority in this year's midterm elections.In December, the court said Texas could use its redrawn congressional map in 2026, designed to carve out as many as five Republican-friendly congressional districts, rejecting a lower-court ruling that found it had been racially gerrymandered. Continue reading...

Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano and her mother released from Texas facility to head back home to reunite with her fatherA 10-year-old Minnesota girl has been released from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after a month in detention in Dilley, Texas, school officials said, one of hundreds of children detained at the facility.Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano, a fourth-grader, and her mother walked free from the immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas, on Tuesday night. Elizabeth is a student in the school district of Columbia Heights, a Minneapolis suburb, which is also home to five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was released from Dilley over the weekend amid widespread outrage about his detention. Continue reading...

Report offers alternative of the US navy retaining boats and operating them out of Australian bases

The documentary premiered at the Kennedy Center. Three days later, the president announced he was shutting it down

The bill would mandate use of the biblical term Judea and Samaria' after a similar effort passed in ArkansasFlorida legislators are pushing to pass legislation that would ban the use of the term West Bank" in K-12 public schools and state agencies, including public colleges and universities, and mandate use of the term Judea and Samaria".The West Bank is the internationally recognized term for the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory west of the Jordan River that was seized from Jordan by Israel in 1967. The rightwing Israeli government refers to the area as Judea and Samaria" in reference to the biblical kingdoms of ancient Israel as part of broader efforts to bolster historical and religious claims to the land. The international community, on the other hand, broadly recognizes the West Bank as occupied land that must be part of a future Palestinian state. Continue reading...

The American has earned the trust of Luciano Spalletti in Italy, but his role with the USMNT remains an open questionJuventus have tried to get rid of Weston McKennie. They even succeeded once, sending him on loan to Leeds United only for the American to return six months later. When he got back to Turin, as US coach Gregg Berhalter told the story at the time, Juve had emptied his locker and given away his parking spot. Despite this, McKennie stuck around.It's just as well for the Old Lady that he did - McKennie is now in the form of his life. The 27-year-old has scored four times in just eight games since the start of 2026. He has become one of Juve's most important players and arguably the biggest driving force behind their recent upturn in form. Luciano Spalletti - among the most big-name coaches currently working in Italian football - has used McKennie to mould the team in his own image. Continue reading...

Casey Wasserman has said he regrets 2003 emails with the convicted sex traffickerSeveral Los Angeles officials have urged Casey Wasserman, the chair of the LA28 Olympics committee, to step down after emails between him and the convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell surfaced.The emails date back to 2003 and appear among more than 3m files related to Jeffrey Epstein released by the justice department last week. Continue reading...

Ex-Trump adviser adds to elections officials' concern about potential interference from Trump administration in votingSteve Bannon, the former White House strategist and rightwing podcast host, said he wants to see immigration agents at the polls in November, a proposal that election officials have feared.Bannon has no formal power, but is an influential figure on the far right and is closely tied with the Trump administration. Continue reading...

Ryan Routh who tried to kill president in 2024 also gets a consecutive seven-year sentence for gun convictionA man convicted of trying to assassinate Donald Trump on a Florida golf course in 2024 was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison.

Suit is the first under new law allowing residents to sue providers protected in their states under shield laws'A physician based in California has become the first medical provider sued under a recently enacted Texas statute that empowers private individuals to file civil lawsuits against providers who mail abortion medication into the state.The case was brought by Jerry Rodriguez, who claims that Remy Coeytaux, a doctor practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area, violated a Texas law that allows abortion providers to face penalties of at least $100,000 if they mail pills into Texas. The filing alleges Coeytaux mailed abortion medication to end Rodriguez's girlfriend's pregnancies twice, once in 2024 and again in early 2025. Continue reading...

Departure marks large drop in agents on the ground but still leaves about 2,000 there, far above typical levels for state

The FBI raid in Georgia is not an aberration. It fits a broader playbook, with troubling historic precedentsWhat in the hell were FBI agents doing in an election facility in Fulton county, Georgia, last week? They surely weren't investigating a crime. Nor were they serving the public.Justifying President Trump's Big Lie about winning the 2020 election may seem like his own lost cause - but like his Confederate forebears, he is weaponizing it, damage be damned. Not even his subsequent election victory has quieted Trump's appetite for more power, earned or otherwise.Jamil Smith is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...

Penny, a doberman pinscher, won best in show at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York Continue reading...

Sheriff's department says detectives are speaking with anyone who may have been in contact with Nancy GuthrieAuthorities in Arizona have still not identified a suspect in the investigation surrounding the apparent abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the elderly mother of the Today show host Savannah Guthrie.In a statement posted on X, the Pima county sheriff's department said that detectives were continuing to speak with anyone who may have been in contact with Nancy Guthrie and were working with the Guthrie family. Continue reading...

House Democrats say US anti-trafficking efforts have been hamstrung by diversion of resources to immigration raidsA diversion of law enforcement personnel and resources to assist with Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign and deployments to US cities has undermined the government's efforts to combat child exploitation and human trafficking, Democratic lawmakers warned.In the letter, sent on Wednesday and first shared with the Guardian, nearly two dozen House Democrats demand that the homeland security and justice departments immediately" restore full staffing and resources to their anti-trafficking divisions. It also makes reference to the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files, arguing that the government's failure to publicly release the full scope of the documents in its possession damages trust in institutions meant to deliver justice". Continue reading...

Julie Le expressed frustration to judge, in response to questions on why ICE has failed to comply with court ordersAn ICE attorney who publicly expressed frustrations with her role and told a court this job sucks" is no longer detailed to the US attorney's office for the district of Minnesota, according to NBC News.The system sucks. This job sucks," Julie Le, an attorney representing the US attorney's office in Minnesota, said in response to a federal judge's questions on why ICE has repeatedly failed to comply with court orders. Continue reading...

As Westminster week once again put dog breeding under the spotlight, Peta's messaging remains as incisive as ever. But its moral clarity fades when the conversation shifts to catsEvery February, the Westminster Dog Show arrives in New York City trailing equal parts pageantry, nostalgia and protest. The dogs come to be judged. The owners and handlers come to uphold breed standards. And, almost as reliably as the movie references and the best-in-show ribbon, Peta arrives ready to dominate the conversation.If there is one certainty about the Super Bowl of canines, it's that the protest will share the stage with the pageantry. Westminster is an annual collision of tradition, spectacle and dissent, and Peta has become exceptionally good at owning that moment. This year was no different. Two enormous billboards screamed down from across the street of the Javits Center, where breed judging unfolded on Monday and Tuesday ahead of the prime-time sessions at Madison Square Garden. One read: Flat-faced dogs struggle to breathe. NEVER buy them. Another: You can get a nose job. They can't. DON'T buy breathing-impaired breeds. Continue reading...

Defense department says it may end support unless youth group abandons inclusivity and returns to God and country' valuesThe Pentagon is again threatening to sever ties with Scouting America unless the organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America reverts to core values", and realigns itself with service to God and country".A warning to end the US military's long-standing partnership with one of the nation's largest and most popular youth organizations came in a Monday night post to social media by the Pentagon spokesperson, Sean Parnell, who insisted the scouting movement lost its way" in a 2025 rebrand that promoted inclusivity and included admitted girls and LBGTQ+ members. Continue reading...

Anniversary depicts a rightwing takeover of the US inspired by a book of essays. But it's fuzzy on the bits in betweenAs we all know from history and the current news cycle, autocracy is bad. But it can also be boring. For every explosive confrontation in Minneapolis, there is a quieter, less tangible threat in the form of Kash Patel's FBI seizing voting records from Fulton county, Georgia - a state Donald Trump lost by fewer than 12,000 votes in 2020 - or the steady implementation of 900-page manifesto by the influential rightwing thinktank the Heritage Foundation, neither of which lend themselves to blockbuster treatment. And so we have a problem: how to animate the quiet part of what's happening in the US to reflect a dangerous but tedious reality - namely, that this thing ends not with a bang, but a combination of voter manipulation and federal electoral interference that undermines faith in the democratic process.I bring this up after a week of watching popular movies that resonate in Trump's US, most of which go heavy on the firefights and light on the details of how we arrive at them. The latest, Anniversary, which launched this week on Netflix - a streamer increasingly uninterested in the subtleties of any situation, let alone this one - depicts a US in which an evil rightwing genius in the shape of a beautiful young woman talks the country into ditching democracy via the medium of (I love this detail; the sheer optimism of it) a stirring book of essays. Continue reading...

A new painting by the maestro of Trumpian kitsch offers a fever dream of musical unity - and fundamentally misunderstands orchestras and conductors. And where are the music stands?Events in the United States of Trumpland continue to reveal staggering new dimensions to the possibilities of orchestral music. Trump's announcement that his Trump Kennedy Center" is to be shut for a refit is a brilliantly cynical way to stop the noise when artists try to cancel their appearances during the rest of his presidential tenure: it's shut already! Bigly losers, all of you!But that's not the new dawn for the artform I'm talking about. I mean the inspirational painting unveiled by the maestro of Trumpian kitsch, Jon McNaughton (and stamped with the presidential seal of approval - ie a post on Truth Social). Continue reading...

The USMNT manager said players should stay out of conversations that don't deal with soccerLast week, Mauricio Pochettino began a World Cup year with an unforced error.At the tail-end of a virtual press conference that covered a wide range of ongoing USMNT business, the 53-year-old Argentine - who has made himself commendably available to the American soccer press - was asked about recent comments by Tim Weah.Leander Schaerlaeckens' book on the United States men's national soccer team, The Long Game, is out on 12 May. You can preorder it here. He teaches at Marist University. Continue reading...