Prosecutors charge Heidi Beirich with financial crimes as part of case against the Southern Poverty Law CenterThe justice department on Wednesday arrested a leading expert on far-right extremism, charging her with financial crimes as part of the government's ongoing case against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).Federal prosecutors charged Heidi Beirich, who formerly served as the group's chief financial officer, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to submit false statements to a federally insured bank and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. Continue reading...
Justice department asks justices to pause decision that blocked Trump's order to tighten voting by mail rulesDonald Trump's administration again asked the US supreme court on Wednesday to intervene to fully implement the president's executive order restricting the use of mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterm elections that will decide control of US Congress.The US Department of Justice filed a request asking the justices to put on hold a decision made on Tuesday by US district judge Indira Talwani in Boston that blocks the US Postal Service from nationwide enforcement of the directive's tighter rules for voting by mail. Continue reading...
Darrell Hines's lawyers ask supreme court to intervene, arguing he could face fate similar to failed execution in MayTennessee is scheduled to execute a man this week despite bipartisan backlash after the state botched its previous lethal injection, which dragged on for more than an hour before it was canceled.Darrell Hines, who was convicted of the 1985 murder of Catherine Jean Jackson Jenkins, a motel maid and mother of four, is due to be put to death on Thursday. Continue reading...
Mortgage and student loan balances saw small decline' with increases elsewhere, says post alongside Fed reportCredit card debt in the United States is growing close to a record high, having crept up from $54bn to $1.26tn between April and June compared with the same period last year, according to a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.That figure is just shy of last year's record high of $1.28tn. Continue reading...
by Shandra Back in Santa Rosa, California on (#77MJV)
LandPaths takes at-risk youth out of their concrete, urban environments and into the natural one, offering many their first encounters with the landAlejandro Elizarraraz stands in the middle of a grassy field with a saw in his hands. On a hillside overlooking the lush forests of northern California, the 18 year old cuts back brush and branches as a way to help prevent wildfires.We're going to give the tree a high fade cuz it's 10 feet," he said, grinning. You get it?" Continue reading...
Energy is cheaper than at its peak in late April, but gas is still nearly $1 a gallon more expensive than before the Iran warUS consumer prices cooled slightly in July as the annualized inflation rate dipped down to 3.4%, though prices still remain higher than levels seen before the war with Iran.Though inflation decreased 0.7% in June during a brief ceasefire between the US and Iran that brought energy prices down, consumer prices have remained elevated. Price increases hit a three-year high in May, with annual inflation reaching 4.2%. Continue reading...
Primaries across US included Darline Graham advancing to runoff, while progressive Francesca Hong and MyPillow's Mike Lindell fell shortA series of primary elections on Tuesday shaped the future of both the Democratic and Republican parties, pitting newcomers against established candidates and testing name recognition.Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alabama, South Carolina, Vermont and Connecticut held elections, with a gubernatorial race in Wisconsin capturing nationwide attention. Continue reading...
US immigration has ramped up operations against Haitians, whose temporary protected status was removed by TrumpWhen Monsanto Maler walked out of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Blue Ash, Ohio, at 9.15am on Sunday with an ankle monitor freshly attached to his left leg, he put his hand over his face, burst into tears and fell to the ground.He had come to the US in June 2023, fleeing gangs in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, where he had been hit over the right side of his head, leaving a large, visible scar. Continue reading...
Democrats demand congressional briefing after passenger-laden Air Force One sent on decoy flight despite security scare. Plus, the 11 biggest wellness trends of 2026 so farGood morning.Democrats have called for a congressional briefing after a charade in which Donald Trump was secretly spirited into a different plane than the one the public and press believed he was travelling on.How did the plot to smuggle Trump off the plane unfold? In this video, the Guardian breaks down the footage from that day, showing how the president reportedly boarded the old Air Force One jet in view of television cameras, and then was secretly shuttled minutes later to a smaller plane via an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies before flight.Where have progressives enjoyed electoral success this week? Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota's lieutenant governor, won her Democratic primary for US Senate in a race centered on immigration enforcement. Flanagan, who beat the congresswoman Angie Craig, recently told the Guardian: So often I think Democrats are like: What do we think we can win?' Instead of: What are the fights that we should be picking?'"What happened in South Carolina's abbreviated special Republican primary? Darline Graham, appointed to complete the Senate term of her late brother, Lindsey, will face the congressman Ralph Norman in a runoff on 25 August. The winner will face the Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November's midterms. Continue reading...
Marni von Wilpert helped draft Protecting the Right to Organize act, and now wants work toward implementing itLegislation that would modernize federal labor law began with a handful of lawyers meeting, of all places, in an ice-cream shop.We wrote for hours what we would do to amend the National Labor Relations Act," said Marni von Wilpert, a member of the San Diego city council who was then an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Bringing together our collective experience as labor lawyers over the years, really trying to unrig the rules so that working people could have a fair shot". Continue reading...
Iran lost top leaders in the war and US humiliation ... a form of revenge', say experts, after administration's flight ruseSince the joint US-Israeli strikes in February that killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and scores of other senior Iranian officials on the first day of the war, a revenge plot to kill Donald Trump should not have appeared far-fetched.But the US administration's elaborate ruse to spirit Trump off of Air Force One in Turkey last month indicates a credibility to the Iranian threat that has surprised many in Washington - including the Trump aides and journalists left on the jet that may have remained the target of an Iranian missile strike. Continue reading...
With wing spans up to 3ft, the shy cownose ray species typically arrive in Long Island waters in the warmer monthsDrone footage of dozens of stingrays in the ocean off New York has captivated beachgoers and marine enthusiasts, offering a rare bird's-eye view of a species that scientists say has visited the area for decades.The footage was captured las`t Friday off the coast of Southampton on the Long Island peninsula by Joanna Steidle, a Hamptons-based professional drone pilot known for her aerial ocean shots. It shows cownose rays gliding through the water en masse near the surface. Continue reading...
by Bruce Schneier and Nathan E Sanders on (#77MES)
From space to telecommunications, the US has a long history of fostering technology for the public good. These AI models could be aligned to democratic values, not corporate profitsOpenAI, and then Anthropic, were each formed by AI developers who feared unrestrained corporate AI development - specifically, that companies like Google and Meta would steer the technology towards deleterious, maybe even catastrophically unsafe, outcomes for society. Their founders proclaimed that their new labs, uniquely, could be trusted to develop the technology in humanity's best interest. But each, in turn, were themselves co-opted by the same market incentives, themselves becoming corporate behemoths zealously guarding future investor value rather than the public interest.It was only a few weeks ago, in June, when OpenAI and Anthropic each filed for their IPOs and were met with buzz about trillion-dollar valuations. The hype around their valuations is so extreme that many worry about their potential for concentrating wealth on a global scale. In an effort to leave something for the rest of us, some observers have proposed that the federal government seize a share of these companies' stock to create a US sovereign wealth fund, or redistribute their revenues to produce a dividend for taxpayers. Continue reading...
In documenting the process, AOC is defying the right's pronatalist narratives about motherhood and women's careersOn Sunday, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced that she is freezing her eggs. The 36-year-old New York congresswoman took to Instagram to document the process, complete with jabbing a syringe into her stomach on camera.Don't be weird about this," Ocasio-Cortez said, even though I know all of you will be." Continue reading...
It's a great betrayal: poor communities neglected while multimillionaires peddle a global Maga agenda. How is that America first?THE CORRUPTION IS AT LEVELS RARELY SEEN BEFORE," Donald Trump posted on Truth Social in February 2025. He was not referring to his own administration, but to the US Agency for International Development (USAID). CLOSE IT DOWN!" the president added.Just a few hours later USAID was in effect closed down, with most of the staff placed on indefinite administration leave. This was framed as part of Trump's America first" agenda. USAID, the Trump administration and his sycophants in the rightwing media had argued, was wasting taxpayers' hard-earned money on ridiculous projects abroad instead of improving life at home. In the lead-up to the shuttering of USAID, for example, one of the most shameless lies about the agency, repeated without any evidence by the likes of Fox News, was that it was spending millions on condoms for Gaza.Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Democratic socialist is frontrunner in four-way race to face Republican Tom Tiffany in test of anti-establishment moodWisconsin voters will decide on Tuesday whether to nominate a democratic socialist for the state's highest office in the latest test of an anti-establishment wave among Democratic primary voters.Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist state lawmaker, emerged as the frontrunner in a four-way race to succeed Tony Evers, the Democratic governor who is not seeking another term. Continue reading...
State's Democratic lieutenant governor bests Angie Craig in another election contest pitting a progressive against a moderatePeggy Flanagan, Minnesota's lieutenant governor, won the Democratic primary for US Senate in a race centered on immigration enforcement after the Trump administration crackdown turned deadly and destructive earlier this year.Flanagan ousted congresswoman Angie Craig in yet another example of progressive campaigns toppling moderates amid an anti-establishment wave among Democrats. Continue reading...
Nearly 500 personnel battle Timber fire in Los Padres national forest as blaze grows to 3,000 acresEvacuations have been ordered for areas along California's famous Big Sur coast as a wildfire burns in the nearby steep, rugged mountains.The Timber fire in Monterey county started on Sunday and grew to nearly 3,000 acres by Tuesday evening, according to Cal Fire, the state's fire agency. Nearly 500 fire personnel had been assigned to the fire in the Los Padres national forest. Continue reading...
According to manufacturer, shock is usually effective in bringing individuals into compliance in less than three seconds'ICE plans to spend up to $20m (15m) to purchase thousands of gloves for officers and agents that can deliver painful electric shocks by March, according to a notice published Monday by the Department of Homeland Security.The devices, called Glove (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter), are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky. Continue reading...
Brittany Boltinhouse's attorney says removal of title and crown another troubling example of cancel culture'A lawyer for beauty queen Brittany Boltinhouse, dethroned as Miss North Carolina USA last week, is threatening legal action, claiming the actions of pageant organizers were wrongful and unjustified".The attorney, Patrick Mincey, described the removal of her title and crown another troubling example of cancel culture". Continue reading...
Revocations targeted foreign nationals who allegedly broke terms of their visas, government saysThe US Department of State has canceled more than 175,000 visas since Donald Trump returned to office, quadrupling the pace of revocations under Joe Biden's final year in the White House, according to a new tally released by the department this week.The announcement said the revocations targeted foreign nationals who allegedly broke the terms of their visas, committed crimes, called for violence against Americans, defrauded US citizens, abused the immigration system or endangered national security. Many followed run-ins with law enforcement, the department said, with assault, drunk driving, theft and drug offenses the leading causes, alongside reckless driving, sexual assault, child abuse and fraud. Continue reading...
by Elena Morresi, John Farrell and Sarah Bertram on (#77M15)
In July, Donald Trump hid in a catering truck and reportedly secretly switched planes in a security ruse prompted by a credible Iranian assassination threat.The Guardian breaks down the footage from that day, showing how the president reportedly boarded the old Air Force One jumbo jet in view of television cameras, and then was secretly shuttled minutes later to a smaller plane via an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies preflight. Trump's actual location was concealed from journalists and some White House staff, who thought they were traveling with Trump on the older plane
Amid public concern over the impact of new technology, Silicon Valley's use of its wealth to influence specific election races is an unwelcome developmentAs the huge societal ramifications of artificial intelligence have become clear, some of the tech industry's most senior figures have taken to writing thinkpieces on what comes next. The latest to do so is Mark Zuckerberg, who this week published 6,500 words making the case for a laissez-faire approach to AI development. Worrying too much about regulation, Meta's CEO unsurprisingly opines, could lead to the United States falling behind in the race to own the future.Mr Zuckerberg's plea for maximum autonomy is, of course, self-serving. Much of his essay - which airily envisions invention superpowers" for every entrepreneur and an abundance of jobs in the future" - reads like unadulterated tech-utopianism. But the lobbying at least has the merit of being out there in the open. As midterm elections loom in the US, darker arts are also being used to counter popular concern about what AI will mean for a host of topics, from the labour market to child safety, the environment and cybersecurity. Continue reading...
Jacob Jake' Whisenant died in Sequoia and Kings Canyon wilderness in climbing-related incident', authorities sayA 30-year-old California climber known for breaking speed records died after falling in the Sierra Nevada wilderness last week, according to authorities.Jacob Jake" Whisenant, from Mammoth Lakes, California, died in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon wilderness on 3 August, according to the Tulare county sheriff's office coroner unit and the National Park Service (NPS). Continue reading...
Our children should be able to visit our nation's capital without having to think about Donald Trump and about how much he did to deface itHistory has shown us how much dictators and aspiring dictators love building monuments to themselves. They enjoy reminding the world that they can do anything, no matter who is responsible for the physical labor or who will be paying the financial and human cost.They prefer outsized structures, heroic arches, towers and columns designed to prove that their signature and their esthetic will be with us forever, even after they're dead, though dictators often seem to believe they are too powerful to die.Francine Prose is a former president of PEN American Center and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Continue reading...
Prosecutors allege that Mangione gunned down Brian Thompson outside New York City hotel in December 2024Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, appeared Tuesday morning in Manhattan state court for a final pre-trial conference, where the judge addressed contentious issues surrounding media access at the highly anticipated trial.Judge Gregory Carro announced that there would be an overflow courtroom for the 8 September trial. The media access plan for Mangione's case did not initially include an overflow courtroom - which is common in high-profile cases, such as Donald Trump's New York criminal trial. Continue reading...
Baltimore officer Dequwan Houchins, 30, indicted for allegedly making false traffic stop reports for monthsA Baltimore, Maryland, police officer avoided service calls by claiming he was on traffic stops when he was in fact sitting idle in his car", according to an indictment filed by city prosecutors.Dequwan Houchins, 30, is accused of four counts of false entry in a public record and five counts of misconduct in office and could face 12 years in jail and a $4,000 fine for each of the false entry charges, if convicted. Continue reading...
Tuskegee University's dress code is a marker of a harmful politics of respectability. In my academic career, it's become all too familiarIn anticipation of the coming school year, the president of Tuskegee University, Dr Mark A Brown, sent welcome letters to students and their parents last month. Part of the message focused on the university's policy for student attire. A newly enforced dress code prohibits students from wearing revealing clothing in class, to the cafeteria or in official settings like Convocation. They are also not able to wear bedroom shoes, bonnets, or durags to class or the cafeteria." Dr Brown goes on to let the students know: Faculty will be empowered to respond to students who are inappropriately dressed based on these guidelines."The policy has produced polarized responses. Supporters believe that since the university is a private school, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have often been places where Black people learn discipline and earn entrance into the professional world, this dress code is simply reinforcing a tradition that calls for students to exhibit professionalism during their training. It harkens back to WEB DuBois's idea of a Talented Tenth", which would consist of upwardly mobile Black leaders such as teachers and other professionals whose example of hard work and social standing would uplift the entire race. Continue reading...
Largest for-profit hospital system and operator in the US reported $6.8bn in profits, while employees find it difficult to make ends meetUnion workers with HCA Healthcare, the largest for-profit hospital system and operator in the US, are holding picket protests across the country as they push for pay and staffing increases in a new contract.The hospital system has over 300,000 employees in the US and the UK, with 22,000 US workers represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) who are in contract negotiations with HCA. Workers are asking for a pathway to a $25 an hour minimum wage, improved wage scales and raises that match the increased cost of living, along with benefits including paid vacation, sick time and bolstered work protections. Continue reading...
It doesn't have to be this way. We know what needs to be doneDisturbing news about our water resources is now constant and unrelenting. In just the past few weeks, media have reported that Puerto Rico is suffering a deep water crisis as severe drought has cut water supplies to thousands. The Rhine and Po rivers in Europe are at record low levels. The seven states sharing the Colorado River in the US are fighting over unprecedented shortages, while its major reservoirs have shrunk to their lowest levels since they were built.Hungary's only nuclear power plant is on the verge of shutting down because there isn't enough water in the Danube River to cool it. Toxic chemicals have been found in all English water bodies. Continue reading...
Two advisers have links to a venture fund co-investing in US defense companies that benefit from federal spendingPete Hegseth's appointments to a key Pentagon advisory body include two men with ties to the venture capital fund where Donald Trump Jr is a partner, which has lucrative investments in military and space technology.Defense Policy Board appointee Marc Andreessen's firm, Andreessen Horowitz, one of Silicon Valley's largest venture capital firms and known by the name a16z", co-invests alongside the Trump partnership 1789 Capital in three defense contractors. Fellow DPB appointee Blake Masters also sits on the boards of three ventures tied to 1789 Capital. Continue reading...
From progressive and moderate to election deniers, state sees wide spectrum of candidates in test of direction for both partiesMinnesota voters on both sides of the aisle are weighing the direction of their parties - and their chances of winning over the general electorate - in marquee statewide races on Tuesday.On the left, Peggy Flanagan, the state lieutenant governor and a progressive, faces off against Angie Craig, a US representative, for the Democratic bid for US senate in a race punctuated by the role of immigration enforcement in the state that saw two residents killed by immigration agents in a winter surge. Continue reading...
Republicans, including Graham's sister Darline, expedite campaigns to replace late senator in special primary raceIn the race to replace the late US senator Lindsey Graham, 10 candidates have been barnstorming South Carolina diners, church halls and recreation centers, compressing a normal year of campaigning into about a fortnight.The Republican party is staging a special primary election in the state on Tuesday to choose Graham's replacement. His sister, Darline, who has been serving as interim senator following his sudden death last month, is on the ballot. Continue reading...
There's no evidence that vaccines cause autism, or that we should separate MMR shots. This order is dangerousThis is based on what I feel." That was the president last September, explaining why he wanted the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine broken into three separate shots. On Monday, he signed an executive order instructing exactly that.Four decades in intensive care have taught me what a feeling costs once it becomes national policy. Children will be hospitalized who did not need to be. Some of them will die. No one can name those the vaccine has saved, because prevented harm is invisible by definition, and that invisibility is what makes preventive medicine easy to dismantle and hard to defend. Continue reading...
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