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Lethal injection was a way for us to deny the reality of capital punishment. Pike's experience shows us what it isChrista Pike had asked to be hanged. In the weeks before her botched execution by lethal injection on 30 September, in which she survived two lethal doses of barbiturate pentobarbital and had to be hospitalized, Pike and her legal team had challenged Tennessee's execution protocol.The state's lethal injection regimen had failed before. In May, Tony Carruthers was also sent to Tennessee's death chamber, only to leave alive after prison officials struggled to find a vein.Moira Donegan is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...

Pete Hegseth has said the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, will be a public event when the sentence is carried out later this year. A defence department official later confirmed the execution would be livestreamed. In an interview with the rightwing channel Real America's Voice, the defence secretary said the firing squad would carry out the sentence at Fort Hood, Texas on 3 December. It would be the first US military execution in more than 60 years

Crystal Palace's American import had never lived anywhere but Utah before moving to London. Now, he's aiming for more Premier League minutesMuch has changed in Zavier Gozo's life since May.Back then, Gozo was a day removed from learning that he wasn't among Mauricio Pochettino's 26 selections for the World Cup, having just made what proved to be his third-to-last appearance with boyhood club Real Salt Lake. Continue reading...

Candidates traded personal attacks and clashed over a range of issues in closely watched US Senate debates on Thursday, with control of Congress at stakeWith just weeks left in the contentious midterm election campaign, candidates in a trio of highly-competitive Senate races debated Thursday night, clashing over the economy, tariffs, the Iran war and abortion rights, with control of the upper chamber at stake.In Georgia, incumbent Democratic senator Jon Ossoff faced GOP representative Mike Collins. In Michigan, Democrat Abdul Al-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers debated over the state's open Senate seat. And in Maine, longtime senator Susan Collins met Democratic challenger Troy Jackson. Democrats need to flip four Republican-held Senate seats to win the majority. Continue reading...

Pentagon chief joins Trump in attempt to use deadly shooting at Texas base to attack former Democratic president

Police say man taken to hospital and mayor says child physically unharmed as he condemns unconscionable' actA US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and injured a man in New York City on Thursday afternoon during an enforcement operation, federal officials said.The man was conscious and hospitalized, authorities said, and the shooting quickly sparked angry protests from local residents and elected officials in the neighborhood. Continue reading...

Residents in areas from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Florida urged to evacuate if told to do so'Millions of people from Louisiana to Florida were under hurricane warnings on Thursday as Hurricane Isaias heads toward the US Gulf coast, with weather officials warning of dangerous storm surge, hurricane-force winds, heavy rainfall and flooding.Isaias intensified from a tropical storm into the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season on Wednesday night, and has prompted state of emergency declarations in Florida, Alabama and Georgia, as well as evacuation orders and school closures in several Florida counties as officials urge residents to prepare for its arrival. Continue reading...

A proposal to livestream the killing of Nidal Hasan by firing squad opens a window ever wider to the Trump administration's complete moral vacuityMore fool me! Here I was thinking nothing that America's Trump administration could do or say, no matter how politically and morally bankrupt, no matter how venal or violent, was capable of shocking me any longer.Then I woke to today's news that one of the Trump cabinet's bigger boofheads - the uber Christian nationalist, crusader-fantasist and secretary of war" Pete Hegseth had announced that America would have a public firing squad execution of murderer Nidal Hasan.Paul Daley is a Guardian Australia columnist Continue reading...

Nidal Hasan, army psychiatrist who killed 13 people, will be executed by firing squad on 3 DecemberPete Hegseth has said the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, will be a public event when the sentence is carried out later this year. A defense department official later confirmed the execution will be livestreamed.In an interview with Real America's Voice, the Pentagon secretary said the firing squad will carry out the sentence at Fort Hood, Texas, at 1pm on Thursday, 3 December. This would be the first US military execution in more than 60 years. Continue reading...

Flowers, tried six times over 1996 murders of four people, faced execution before supreme court tossed his convictionCurtis Flowers, a Black man who spent more than 22 years in prison and was on death row in Mississippi before the US supreme court threw out his conviction and death sentence, has died. He was 56.Flowers' family confirmed that he died on Wednesday at his home in Mississippi, attorney Rob McDuff told the Associated Press on Thursday. Continue reading...

Military families admit mixed emotions' as aircraft carrier finally returns to San Diego after fraught stretch at sea that took severe toll

Production of Pawn Shop allowed to go on despite concern about disruption and portrayal of immigration crackdownA Daily Wire film production that appears to re-enact elements of Renee Good's killing has been allowed to continue filming in a rural Montana town.Production of Pawn Shop, the conservative media company's upcoming movie, was temporarily halted earlier this month after residents of Livingston complained about inconvenient road closures, as well as the film's portrayal of the Trump administration's ongoing immigration crackdown. Continue reading...

Chris Murphy says Pentagon blocked him from military base in Qatar and Iran strike on US embassy in Riyadh far worse than public led to believeSenator Chris Murphy said the Pentagon blocked him from a major US base in Qatar, yet saw enough damage on the US embassy in Saudi Arabia to conclude that an Iranian strike would have been deadly had it happened during the day.The Connecticut Democrat, who sits on the Senate foreign relations and appropriations committees, described the destruction he witnessed in Riyadh as extraordinary" and much more damaging than the public has been led to believe. Continue reading...

Eric Deters says US ambassador to Greece asked him to pay off American Express credit card bill in return for accessA Trump donor accused Kimberly Guilfoyle, the US ambassador to Greece and Trump family ally, of engaging in a quid pro quo" by asking him to pay off her $100,000 debt in exchange for access to administration officials.Eric Deters, a former congressional candidate and lawyer, told MS Now on Thursday that Guilfoyle had ambushed" him last year with an offer to provide access to government officials if he paid her American Express credit card bill, before her US Senate confirmation hearing as ambassador to Greece. Continue reading...

Cassidy Hutchinson told panel she had been told Trump lunged for wheel of SUV to try to join mob at CapitolProsecutors in the justice department's civil rights division are seeking criminal charges against Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top Trump White House aide who gave explosive testimony to the committee that investigated the US attack on the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the matter.The potential charges involve lying to Congress, the person said. Continue reading...

Vice-president also says Adobe is barred from visa program that allows high-skilled workers to apply for US residencyMicrosoft is suspended from applying for permanent residency for workers employed through a US visa program for high-skilled workers, JD Vance announced on Thursday.The US vice-president accused the tech company of abusing the H-1B system, which allows those on the visa to work while they apply for and are in the process of obtaining a green card. Continue reading...

Eye-watering sum, to be split between 20 bankers, is one of the biggest payouts in the bank's historyTop bosses at Goldman Sachs are in line to share a bonus pot worth up to $500m (378m) this year, marking one of the biggest payouts in the Wall Street bank's history.The eye-watering sum will be shared between 20 bankers, with its chief executive, David Solomon, due to take about $100m (75.6m) of the reward, which is made up of Goldman Sachs stock. Continue reading...

Statement outlines pause on protracted war US president has struggled to end after almost eight monthsDonald Trump has promised not to attack Iran before November's US midterm elections, outlining a pause on the protracted war he has struggled to end after almost eight months.In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump said Washington was having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran", which he claimed was in very bad condition, both Economically and Militarily". Continue reading...

How will the Buccaneers and Cowboys fare today? Here is what to know, including kick-off time, TV channels and live stream optionsThe bad news for the Buccaneers: Their 0-4 start has been an unmitigated disaster that, in normal circumstances, would have already evaporated their playoff chances. The good news for Tampa Bay, however, is that they play in the NFC South, meaning they're still just two games out of a tie for the lead in what is often the worst division in the NFL. All is not quite lost yet.If the Bucs want to join the 1992 Chargers and become the second team to make the postseason after an 0-4 opening, they'll need to stop the bleeding on Thursday night in north Texas. They'll have to do it without Baker Mayfield, who continues to nurse an injury to his throwing thumb. Continue reading...

The US have been defined for so long by the next singular player. This past perfect window shows that era may be over

Lawyers for Wells's family have called for a federal investigation into 18-year-old's disappearance and deathOn Wednesday, Donald Trump said he was considering asking the FBI to investigate the death of Nolan Wells, a Black college freshman who was last seen alive on a 4 July boating trip with friends.Wells, 18, went missing while on Horn Island, a barrier island off the coast of Mississippi. His body was found on the island two days later. Wells's cause and manner of death are still undetermined. Continue reading...

State residents express anger at Republicans who allowed chaotic voting maps saga to unfold ahead of the midterms

Some of the biggest names in European football will bid for a franchise in ESL-style league, now due to launch in 2028The launch of NBA Europe will be delayed 12 months until 2028, with a pre-qualifying competition planned for next year to find four temporary members to join the 16-team league's inaugural season alongside 12 permanent franchises.The NBA is planning to invest about $10bn (7.6bn) over 10 years in what sources have described as the sporting world's biggest-ever startup competition. It is understood to have received multiple offers for the 12 franchises that exceed their targets, with prices expected to range from $500m to more than $1bn for the London franchise. Continue reading...

Our business, labor and consumer rights reporters will answer your questions in a live Q&A on Thursday 15 OctoberThe US economy is top of voters' minds ahead of the November midterms with food and gas prices remaining high, the job market unstable, consumers angrier than ever, and a new Fed chair, Kevin Warsh, in place.We'll be hosting a live midterm election Q&A on Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 12pm EDT on the Guardian US site with a panel of our business, labor and consumer rights reporters: Lauren Aratani, Michael Sainato, Heather Timmons and Gaya Gupta. The team will cover cost of living challenges, tariffs, inflation and new federal policy proposals from local candidates.Will the Iran war cost Trump in the US midterm elections? Your questions answeredWho are the groups financially backing the candidates in the midterms?The makeup of the Democratic party, plus key races to watch Continue reading...

According to city's rent board, eviction notices are up 44% and tenants are on edge over landlords swooping in over their homesTo say that Maria Zamudio and her team have been busy lately would be a gross understatement.Every Monday at 9am, the phone lines at the downtown clinic of San Francisco's Housing Rights Committee start ringing, and they keep ringing until closing at 5 pm. In-person counseling appointments for renters facing eviction or landlord misconduct fill days in advance. After every weekend, the staff of seven sits in their office and sifts through more than 150 voicemails. The rental assistance hotline averages 200 calls a week. Continue reading...

Recovery marks a dramatic turnaround for Pike, who remains in hospital after a botched execution in TennesseeChrista Pike is up and walking" in hospital, her lawyer said, just more than a week after she survived two lethal injections during a botched execution in Tennessee.The recovery marks a dramatic turnaround after Pike was declared brain dead on Monday, before waking up and beginning to speak on Tuesday. Her ordeal has shocked many in the US and overseas and galvanized critics of the death penalty. Continue reading...

The president was repeatedly interrupted at a rally, and faces a legal challenge over taxpayer-funded adverts. Plus Jonathan the giant tortoise, who may have the secret to longevityGood morning. Donald Trump suffered a torrid night at a rally in Texas that was rocked by repeated protests. The US president briefly stepped away from the microphone after one protester appeared to approach the stage. At least half a dozen demonstrators interrupted Trump during his remarks in San Antonio, with some led away by police. One was physically assaulted by an older Trump supporter as he tried to leave the arena.What is the latest development in the saga over taxpayer-funded pro-Trump ads? The Democratic National Committee has sued the Trump administration in federal court, asking a judge in Washington to stop the president from using taxpayer funds to air a series of ads promoting himself. The ads have cost taxpayers more than $12m so far, according to the media tracking firm AdImpact.Why has Trump been forced to distance himself from two top aides? Trump claimed he did not have any idea who else they work for" after it was reported that Chris LaCivita, the co-manager of his 2024 presidential campaign, and James Blair, a campaign adviser and White House deputy chief of staff on leave of absence, spent the weekend assisting the pro-Russia government in Republika Srpska in the Balkans. Trump said: I will terminate them, immediately" if he determined there was a conflict of interest.What is the latest in the diplomatic dispute between the UK and Israel? Britain is rebranding its East Jerusalem consulate as a UK mission. The move was forced by the Israeli government as punishment for Britain's decision to ban trade with illegal settlements. There has been some dispute within the UK government over whether taking tough measures at this time against Israel could help Benjamin Netanyahu's re-election prospects this month. Continue reading...

Global bond market sell-off continues and stocks fall amid reports White House has asked to see options for more strikes against Iran

A coalition of Democratic attorneys general is working to make sure voters across the spectrum have their voices heardElections have consequences. So do the Trump administration's exhaustive efforts to undermine them.Voters will be confident in their choices, but less certain whose voice will count in the face of myriad intrusions by the executive branch. A coalition of Democratic attorneys general are working to make sure voters across the political spectrum have their say.Nick Brown is the attorney general of the state of Washington Continue reading...

Wren Michelle Roberts was born with heterotaxy, a syndrome so rare a specialist could only find 15 similar casesSouth-eastern Louisiana couple Nick and Savannah Roberts planned to bury their infant daughter the weekend after she was born in September with an exceedingly rare combination of birth defects that her doctors feared was unsurvivable.But an unforeseen congenital trait in Wren Michelle Roberts' heart, combined with her parents' dedication to her complex medical care, has allowed her to defy her bleak initial prognosis and meet weeks' worth of milestones that each are a miracle in [their] own way", according to her doctor. Continue reading...

Donald Trump's latest campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas, was rocked by repeated protests as the US president urged Texas voters to back the embattled Senate candidate Ken Paxton. At least half a dozen demonstrators interrupted the US president during his speech, with some led away by police. One was physically assaulted by a Trump supporter as he tried to leave the arena. The Republican campaign to maintain control of the Senate has become increasingly focused on Texas, where the Democrat James Talarico has emerged as a serious threat Continue reading...

Children are being detained in record numbers, sometimes alone and where lawyers and family cannot find themThe image of immigration officers arresting five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos - in a blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack - in January sparked outrage across the country.Celebrities from Ms Rachel to Madonna called for the closure of the Dilley immigration processing center, the Texas immigrant camp that held Ramos and many children like him. Lawyers filed complaints about contaminated food and shoddy healthcare, and hundreds of activists protested outside the detention camp. Within months, the government began sending fewer children to Dilley. Continue reading...

Teams have always symbolized division within America. And the Fever have come to prominence during a time of dark political intensityIt's over for now, but no professional sports team spent more time receiving and drawing attention to itself than did the Indiana Fever this season. The Fever has broken, the team eliminated by the defending champion Las Vegas Aces for the second straight season, but Indiana succeeded in being the WNBA's canary in the coal mine, embodying both the obvious and unintended consequences of rapid growth, while also allowing themselves to be a season-long distraction: part-time professional basketball team, part-time right-wing culture war centerpiece. Less than a decade ago, Atlanta and Minneapolis were praised for their unified political stances. Today, Trumpism has replaced social justice as the defining characteristic of the league - and as the curtain closed on the 2026 WNBA regular season, Indiana stood at its epicenter.The Fever were the most polarizing team in professional sports, known less for their basketball than their culpability in pulling the league from its old cultural identity as a Black/queer league into the current ugliness of the Magasphere - a calculated and dangerous path to popularity. There was the basketball of the WNBA, and then there was the Indiana Fever.This article originally appeared on Howard Bryant's Substack. You can subscribe here. Continue reading...

Trump briefly stepped away from the microphone after one protester appeared to approach the stageDonald Trump's latest campaign rally was rocked by repeated protests on Wednesday as the US president urged Texas voters to back embattled Senate candidate Ken Paxton.At least half a dozen demonstrators interrupted the US president during his remarks in San Antonio, with some led away by police. One was physically assaulted by an older Trump supporter as he tried to leave the arena. Continue reading...

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A warning for this episode - it covers details of a murder and an execution that some might find distressing.In this episode of Guardian Australia's US politics podcast, co-hosts Jonathan Yerushalmy and Reged Ahmad examine what happened when the state of Tennessee tried to execute prisoner Christa Pike. They also look at the controversy over taxpayer-funded ads promoting US president Donald Trump, midterm AI attack ads and the Elon Musk-Trump bromance that appears to be back on. Continue reading...

Jamaal Howard, 46, executed by fatal dose of pentobarbital after lawyers' bid for stay had been deniedA Texas man was put to death Wednesday in the first US execution since the botched lethal injection of Christa Pike in Tennessee last week.Jamaal Howard, 46, was pronounced dead at 8.03pm after receiving a fatal dose of pentobarbital, a sedative, at the state prison in Huntsville. Continue reading...

The 78-year-old has spent nearly six decades in prison and California governor has overturned last two parole grantsPatricia Krenwinkel, a former Charles Manson follower, was granted parole on Tuesday after nearly six decades in prison for her role in the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders in Los Angeles.This is the third time that Krenwinkel, 78, has been approved for release by California's board of parole hearings. After both of her last two parole grants, Gavin Newsom, California's governor, reversed the parole board's decisions and denied her freedom, and Krenwinkel's attorneys are now urging the Democrat to allow this latest ruling to stand. Continue reading...

Jamie Raskin says startling' email asked whether young woman was for me, or are you keeping her for yourself'A powerful Democratic lawmaker has called for a criminal investigation into former Bard College president Leon Botstein after congressional investigators uncovered an email from Botstein to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein in which he says Botstein asked if a young woman was for me, or are you keeping her for yourself".The latest development appears to have triggered the immediate resignation of Botstein from all Bard-affiliated positions, including his professorship and roles in Bard's music programs. Botstein had led the college for 50 years and only recently stepped down as president. Continue reading...

Ads promoting the president have cost more than $12m and his Super Pac has refused to reimburse taxpayers

Attorneys say Pike was set to be taken off life support before she woke up, as judge orders officials to preserve evidenceChrista Pike awoke angry and confused" after surviving two lethal injections, her attorneys said on Wednesday, as a judge ordered Tennessee state officials to preserve all evidence related to the failed execution.Pike, 50, was taken to hospital unconscious but alive from Tennessee's execution chamber last Wednesday after two supposedly lethal doses of the barbiturate pentobarbital. Continue reading...

President floats firing Chris LaCivita and James Blair over any conflict' after reports of work in Republika SrpskaDonald Trump distanced himself from two top advisers on Wednesday, claiming he did not have any idea who else they work for", after it was reported they spent the weekend assisting a pro-Russia government in the Balkans.On Truth Social, Trump wrote that Chris LaCivita, the co-manager of his 2024 presidential campaign, and James Blair, a campaign adviser and White House deputy chief of staff on leave of absence, are outside consultants" and do not work for me other than as outside consultants". Continue reading...

Authorities say they arrested an 18-year-old who was planning a shooting attack at the Mall of AmericaFBI officials stopped a potential terrorist attack on the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, authorities announced Wednesday. An 18-year-old was arrested on one count of obtaining a firearm to carry out an act of terrorism.Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud had been investigated over the last nearly two years by the FBI. He was arrested Tuesday in a public park after he paid $600 to an undercover FBI employee posing as a member of the Islamic State for an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammunition, according to the criminal complaint. Continue reading...

Lawyers for Christa Pike, who survived two lethal injections, gave updates on her condition, saying she is severely unwell, and angry and confused about everything right now'. Following a court hearing on Wednesday, a judge ordered Tennessee officials to preserve all evidence from the botched execution Continue reading...

Bernadette Greene-Placentia says she is sharing her story in order to fight for victims of sexual assaultThis article contains graphic descriptions of sexual assault.A congressional candidate in Arizona says she was attacked and raped in August while trying to repair one of her damaged campaign signs.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...