Sabrina German, a poll official in Chatham county, details a typical election day, the pressure election workers face, and fallout from 2020 disputesIt's not that Sabrina German doesn't have political views. But as the director of voter registration for Chatham county, Georgia, talking politics is like breakdancing in traffic. I don't talk politics with anyone," says German; she knows better.America's partisan minefield has trained much of the country - aside from that one uncle you avoid at weddings and funerals - to get pretty good at the art of political diplomacy in polite company. Continue reading...
Katie Zacharia describes herself as a lawyer but no public record shows she has been licensed in the US states where she residedDonald Trump's new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, has repeatedly described herself as a lawyer. But when asked after her inaugural press briefing on Tuesday to name the state where she passed the bar exam, she replied curiously: when I moved to China".No public record shows she has ever been licensed to practice law in the US states where she resided, and her answer to reporters' questions on Tuesday only deepened scrutiny. Continue reading...
The one I worry about most is voter anger - which both parties are not taking seriously enoughThat chill in the air you are feeling is not the weather, it is the Republicans freaking out about the 2026 midterm elections. Midterms are always referendums on the incumbent, though the party in power usually would rather they weren't.This midterm feels less like a referendum on Trumpism than a dirge. It's easy to see how Republicans got here, lulled into thinking that their guy, Donald Trump, could once again defy political gravity. Trump certainly thought he could.Molly Jong-Fast is the host of the Fast Politics pod, contributing writer for the times and an analyst for MS Now Continue reading...
Expanding plume of fuel exhaust crystalized in the sky and reflected sunlight off frozen particles after Florida launchA SpaceX rocket provided a stunning pre-dawn display over Florida as a egiant, luminescent jellyfish cloud" spread for miles, caused by an expanding plume of fuel exhaust crystalizing in the sky and reflecting sunlight off the frozen particles.The phenomenon occurred shortly after Tuesday's 6.33am ET launch of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying cargo to the International Space Station. Continue reading...
Blow for Trump administration as Dawn and Taag hail important step in unraveling the ICC sanctions regime'A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from placing sanctions on two US-based human rights groups for working to help the international criminal court's (ICC) investigations into war crimes in Gaza.In a 30-page order issued on Tuesday, Jesse M Furman, a judge at the US district court for the southern district of New York, granted a preliminary injunction to the two groups, Democracy for the Arab World Now (Dawn) and Taxpayer Alliance Against Genocide (Taag). Continue reading...
Two-mile stretch of Huntington Beach closed after sighting at location popular with surfers and swimmersA popular southern California beach was closed after a great white shark was reportedly spotted exhibiting aggressive behavior" on Tuesday afternoon.The Huntington Beach fire department said there was a credible report" of a 10-12ft great white shark circling near a lifeguard tower, which is considered aggressive behavior according to the city's marine safety division's shark response protocols". Continue reading...
The protests around an anti-ICE T-shirt show that politics can never be separated from sports, especially nowOn 26 September, Daniela Silva was expelled from Austin FC's match with San Diego FC for wearing a T-shirt reading Abolish ICE". She says she was banned from Q2 Stadium for a year (Austin FC said that the ban was issued by the Austin Police Department, not the club, and that they offered to rescind it but that Silva declined).This happened, really, truly, and you cannot make this up, during Austin FC's Hispanic Heritage Night. It also happened six days after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot a Venezuelan delivery driver, 28-year-old Wilber Garces Perez, in the torso in Austin, sparking protests in the city.Leander Schaerlaeckens is the author of The Long Game: US Men's Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts, which is out now. He teaches at Marist University.This article was amended on 14 October to reflect MLS's clarification that, though the wordings of the league's fan code of conduct and the Q2 Stadium fan code of conduct are identical, the league's does not govern articles of clothing while a stadium's may. Continue reading...
Michael Kotlikoff addressed his administration's handling of the 2024 allegations as he faces calls for his resignationMichael Kotlikoff, the president of Cornell University, has spoken to the New York Times about sexual assault allegations at the school, acknowledging for the first time that he knew a student had reported being sexually assaulted in November 2024, but did not follow up with the Jane Doe involved in the months after learning about the alleged assault.He also revealed that he did not know she had dropped out of Cornell until she filed a lawsuit last month.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...
Seniors have spent years watching their expenses outpacing their benefits' advocate saysSocial security recipients will see a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (Cola) in 2027, increasing retirement benefits by an average of $75 a month as millions of Americans continue to grapple with rising prices.Nearly 72 million social security beneficiaries will see higher payments beginning in January 2027, while approximately 7.3 million supplemental security income (SSI) recipients will receive increased payments starting on 31 December 2026, according to the Social Security Administration. Continue reading...
Mamdani and city council leader agree on ban that would make it illegal to operate horse-drawn carriages in the cityMayor Zohran Mamdani and the leader of the New York City council have agreed to ban horse-drawn carriages from the city, a popular tourist attraction that has faced widespread scrutiny.Mamdani has agreed to back a bill supported by Julie Menin, the speaker of the New York city council, that would make it illegal to operate horse-drawn carriages beginning in June 2028, Politico reported on Tuesday. The city council is expected to vote on the legislation next week. Continue reading...
A conviction on the possible charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon could mean up to 20 years in prisonA Texas prosecutor said he was considering felony assault charges for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who ran over a man following an attempted traffic stop and broke his leg in multiple places.Sean Teare, district attorney for Harris county, said video of the incident in west Houston on Saturday morning, in which the officer's unmarked SUV is seen veering into the man as he runs away across an empty parking lot, could support a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Continue reading...
Tom Cruise's latest film could lose $250m (190m) - could one reason be that audiences are tired of Hollywood telling them what they already know about the super-rich?It seems as if nobody can decide who should shoulder most of the blame for the recent box office flop of Digger.Was it the ousted Warner Bros film executives Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, whose love of big-budget auteur cinema usually came with a hefty price tag? Or was it the marketing team, who were responsible for hiding the movie's biggest swing from all trailers, ensuring many viewers would be left alienated from its early meta-reveal onwards? Continue reading...
Texas AG and US Senate hopeful announced inquiry into alleged conspiracy between pediatricians, vaccine makers and insurance firmsKen Paxton, the attorney general of Texas and the Republican candidate for the US Senate, is aligning himself with the Make America Healthy Again (Maha) movement by investigating pediatricians for giving vaccines - actions that could further restrict access to vaccines as deadly outbreaks unfold.Paxton announced he would investigate an alleged conspiracy between pediatricians, vaccine makers and insurance companies in January, and at least one Texas pediatrician now says she is under investigation. Paxton linked his efforts to a campaign against vaccines from Donald Trump and Robert F Kennedy Jr, the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and directly referenced the Maha movement in his announcement. The president endorsed Paxton's Senate run in May. Continue reading...
Third largest fine in US treasury's history, due to failure to report suspicious activity, may affect third-quarter earningsBank of America (BAC.N), has been fined $1.21bn by US regulators for widespread failures to detect potential money laundering and other illicit activity, a penalty the bank said will hurt third-quarter earnings.The treasury department said the fine, the third-largest in department history, is due to the bank's failure to report more than $5bn in suspicious activity to the government, including $1bn that posed national security-related and other priority illicit finance risks. Continue reading...
Conservative court asked to rule on several signature policies in 2026-27 term - will it rule in president's favor?Several of Donald Trump's second-term policies will be tested at the supreme court in the coming months: it is being asked to rule on challenges to theadministration's harsh immigration and deportation policies, along with a climate change lawsuit against energy companies and an attempt to loosen restrictions on assault-style rifles.The Roberts court is often split in favor of conservative issues 6-3, but it has also diverged from Trump on some key cases, leading the president at times to rage against some of the justices he nominated for the bench. Continue reading...
by Fabiola Cineas, Hazel Tang, Karif Wat and John Far on (#791QF)
Recent polls show that American voters across the political spectrum are deeply dissatisfied with the Trump administration, and the upcoming midterm elections will provide them an opportunity to express how they feel. The Guardian's reporter Fabiola Cineas breaks down the four key issues that will drive voters to the polls Continue reading...
The raid is meant to cast an air of suspicion and criminality over Democratic candidates who, like Omar, are facing the voters in a matter of weeksOn Monday, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security raided the Washington DC area home of Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota congresswoman and a progressive Democrat, in the latest instance of Donald Trump's effort to weaponize the national security state to harass, punish and embarrass his political opponents.The raid, which was approved by a judge after a reportedly extensive back and forth with federal security officials, was nominally carried out in connection with a spurious criminal investigation into Omar's childhood immigration to the US.Moira Donegan is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...
A fight over a datacentre in Utah has been a testing ground for citizens' assemblies, paving the way to oversightWhat's your (p)doom" - the percentage chance that rogue AI will create an existential catastrophe? Judging by their recent warnings, it is rising among tech bosses.On 25 September, OpenAI paused training of its latest frontier models as reports of AI agents going rogue mounted. A day later, Australia's Senate asked the bosses of OpenAI and Anthropic to appear before an inquiry after rogue OpenAI agents broke into US government websites and an Australian health portal. Both declined.Richard Wilson is the CEO of Iswe Foundation and Clara Long is the co-executive director of the Bloom Project Continue reading...
The once heroic boxer showcases a frankness in this compelling new series but also an unwillingness to take accountability for his darkest momentsMike Tyson never envisioned old age. And yet here he still is, having outlived his parents, Brooklynites of ill repute who died when he was a teenager, and the Brownsville tough guys who teased him for being scrawny and having a lisp. Here he is after doing hard time for rape in his prime, winning and losing great fortunes and battling addiction to drink, drugs and fame. Here he still is, 60 years old and a grandfather now, mixing it up with Jake Paul in the ring, opening up to manosphere-adjacent podcasters, bobbing into an impromptu White House press briefing - Mori face-tattoo unmistakably in the frame - while on a DC visit to buck up his old pal as his party faces a bleak midterm forecast. I don't have to exist," the champ says in Tyson, the latest four-part vanity project on his turbulent life and times. Some reason, something allowed me to exist."In his heyday, Tyson was a mesmerizing sporting event unto himself - the ruthless knockout machine who struck fear into opponents at first sight, felled them in seconds and looked back on the carnage with cool nonchalance. His darkest episodes - the combustive relationship with actor Robin Givens, the six-year prison sentence for rape, biting off Evander Holyfield's ear - only deepened the public fascination with him, adding to the lore of boxing's baddest man. In the winter of his life, Tyson's self-reflection, so deep it tips into self-parody, is the enthralling spectacle now. And if generations of Black comedians have proved anything, it's that the appetite for Mike Tyson impersonations is inexhaustible. Continue reading...
by Presented by Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy ; on (#791MA)
In this episode of Guardian Australia's US politics podcast, co-hosts Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy take a look at the midterms, which are coming up in early November. All 435 house seats are up in this election as representatives only serve fixed two-year terms. In the Senate, 35 of 100 seats are up for grabs too, as senators serve six-year terms.There are many predictions of a blue wave - a big win for the Democrats, who are tipped to take back the House and Senate. But are pollsters being too optimistic? What are the factors that could instead allow the Republican party and the Trump administration to hold onto power in Congress? They also look at why the US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, has been ousted from her job - and whether criticism of the new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, is fair
Republican senator Dan S Sullivan is vying for re-election against Democrat Mary Peltola - and another candidate called Dan J SullivanDonald Trump has encouraged Alaskans to vote for the real" Dan Sullivan, as he sought a breakthrough for the Republican incumbent senator in a tightly fought Senate race complicated by a rival candidate with a near-identical name.Sullivan's re-election campaign this year against Democrat Mary Peltola, a former US House lawmaker, has turned into one of the most hotly contested battles of the midterm elections, in which Democrats are hoping to seize back control of Congress and hamper Trump for the final two years of his presidency. Continue reading...
District court judge Timothy Kelly was ruling after the Trump administration blocked access to the three outlets in SeptemberA federal judge ordered the White House on Tuesday to continue allowing journalists from CNN, MS Now and Politico to access the building as the media coalition's lawsuit against the Trump administration plays out.Timothy Kelly, a district court judge, had on 24 September granted a 14-day reprieve for the news organizations, which six days earlier had been banned by the president in an extraordinary move from entering the White House grounds as a result of their constant reporting' FAKE NEWS". Continue reading...
by Pablo Iglesias Maurer at Subaru Park on (#791HR)
The US were on the verge of losing two straight at home, but second-half goals from Ashley Sanchez and Mallory Swanson saved a drawIt was nearly time for the panic button. Maybe not to press it, but to look at it - to acknowledge that it's within reach. A listless, shorthanded US women's national team were struggling against Spain, down 2-0, and facing the ignominy of two straight decisive losses at home after Saturday's 2-0 drubbing in Washington DC.Then two players who had just returned to the team after long absences turned the tide. Ashley Sanchez and Mallory Swanson, after international scoring droughts of 1,648 days and 801 days, respectively, each scored in the second half to earn a 2-2 draw with the defending World Cup winners. Continue reading...
Microbiologist Aili Wang, 32, poisoned tea of colleague in Wyoming who had pending patents, prosecutors allegeA Wyoming microbiology graduate student from China has been arrested on accusations she poisoned the tea of a colleague who had pending patents and with whom she did not get along, then tried to flee the country after police questioned her.Aili Wang, 32, was arrested 6 October at Los Angeles international airport, where prosecutors allege she sought to return to China. With her were laptops, electronic storage devices and documents now in the possession of police, who allege Wang was seen on surveillance video rummaging through the desk of the victim who specialized in technology for disease treatment - research similar to work she had done in China. Continue reading...
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was a father of 10-year-old daughter, and overcame two bouts of cancer, his family saysPolice on Tuesday identified the victim of the fatal accident at Six Flags Over Georgia as 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem of Atlanta.Kariem fell to his death after being ejected from his seat and several others were injured in an incident involving a rollercoaster at the theme park. Continue reading...
Boardwalk destroyed in Long Beach and homes damaged, while Baja California in Mexico and Las Vegas also affectedSouthern California coastal communities are picking up the pieces after a weekend of extreme weather brought flooding that overtook city streets and intense waves battered beachside homes.The remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel hit Mexico's Baja California over the weekend as well as southern California and Las Vegas. While meteorologists noted that Rachel weakened into a post-tropical cyclone as it approached California, it still left a trail of destruction. Continue reading...
Governor Ron DeSantis says death toll sad' but praises work of local officials for helping to minimize storm's impactSix deaths have been confirmed in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaias.In a press conference on Tuesday, Florida governor Ron DeSantis praised the work of local officials for minimizing the impact of the storm, which made landfall late on Friday, bringing strong winds, rain, flash floods and tornado threats across parts of the US south-east, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power. Continue reading...
Katie Zacharia's maiden briefing was excruciating - at least her predecessor had delivered her propaganda hotWell, that was weird. Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, made her debut on the podium on Tuesday with all the warmth, wisdom and political dexterity of an AI avatar.Zacharia was all stilted delivery, nervous tics and lack of eye contact. With an eerie lack of emotion, she served up pro-Trump talking points, took only three questions and vanished after 14 minutes. It was like the West Wing had turned into uncanny valley. Continue reading...
District judge Ana Reyes halts tree-cutting at the East Potomac golf course until 26 October, and now requires advance notice before making course changesUS district judge Ana Reyes on Tuesday ordered a halt to tree-cutting at the East Potomac golf course until 26 October, putting a further pause on work at the historic Washington DC course that has been part of Donald Trump's plans to remake the country''s capital city.Reyes issued the order one day after a tense three-hour hearing in which she harshly criticized the government for having deceived her with its actions over the holiday weekend. Continue reading...
When asked about the decision to request US ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle's resignation, Donald Trump told the press she 'was doing a good job' but that the administration 'didn't like what we were reading', referring to allegations that Guilfoyle had asked a Trump donor to pay her credit card bill. Guilfoyle, who was once engaged to Trump's son, Donald Jr, was a longstanding political ally
Musk's midterm donations, mostly for rightwing candidates and causes, surpass his contributions to Trump in 2024Elon Musk has become the biggest political donor of the 2026 US midterm elections cycle, funneling about $366m into political groups and campaigns as he backs conservative candidates and rightwing causes. The world's richest person has poured more than $276m into politics since July alone, some of the most rapid political spending in US history. He's targeting key races that will determine which party controls the US Senate.The New York Times first reported the spending numbers, which will be released in a federal filing on Thursday. Musk's spending outpaces his 2024 presidential election contributions, in which he sunk nearly $300m into Donald Trump's re-election campaign. Continue reading...
Martin Shkreli's 2022 release conditions bar him from participating in the pharmaceutical industry, including ownership stakes or business decisionsThe Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and seven US states have alleged that pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli repeatedly violated a lifetime ban on participating in the pharmaceutical industry, and they are asking a judge to hold him in contempt.In a motion filed on Tuesday in US district court in New York City, the FTC and its state co-plaintiffs allege that 43-year-old Shkreli - nicknamed the Pharma Bro" - has traded stocks in at least 60 pharmaceutical companies and publicly commented on their businesses since his release from prison in May 2022. Continue reading...
by Presented by Lucy Hough with Shrai Popat ; produce on (#7916Q)
Democrats have described a raid on the home of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar as deeply disturbing" and a rogue abuse of power" by the Trump administration. The Democratic representative for Minnesota has long been a target of highly personal attacks by Donald Trump, who claims he was not involved in ordering the Justice Department raid. Omar criticised the raid as an attempt to weaponize law enforcement" as part of a campaign of political intimidation" against her. Lucy Hough speaks to Guardian US political reporter Shrai Popat - watch on YouTube Continue reading...
The Maga member believes the 2020 election was stolen and seemingly her new boss is saving the world from a cabal of satanic paedophiles. She'll fit right in thenPoor Donald Trump. His (third) wife seemingly can't bear to be near him and his (fifth) press secretary recently abandoned him to be with a baby she had only recently met.She decided she loved her children more than she loved Donald Trump," the president lamented in August when Karoline Leavitt decided to step down a few months after giving birth. I'm very upset about this. She has to go home and spend time with her children. That does happen on occasion with some people - when they love their children." Continue reading...
Russian meddling probably didn't affect the referendum result - but the Kremlin's motives for wanting to undermine the EU still matterRussian territorial aggression against Ukraine didn't feature much in the Brexit referendum campaign. It made headlines briefly when Boris Johnson blamed Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea on the European Union.According to the Vote Leave frontman, Vladimir Putin's land grab was a consequence of Brussels making foreign policy on the hoof" and having pretensions to running a defence policy".Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Theme park company Six Flags temporarily closed nine rollercoasters across six amusement parks on Monday after one person died and several others were injured in an incident involving a coaster in Georgia. Officials did not confirm how the person died, nor how the others were injured or their conditions. Witnesses who spoke to NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta said they saw a man fall from the Goliath rollercoaster. He fell and hit the car three different times," one witness told the station.
Sean Duffy targets bike lanes and immigrant truck drivers while steering funds away from addressing lethal US roadsBarbara McCann may have been the first person to notice that the Federal Highway Administration had removed several safety policies from public view.McCann worked on road safety policy at the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) for more than a decade across multiple administrations, retiring in January 2025 just before Donald Trump's second term started. After Sean Duffy, the president's ally and former Fox news host, took the wheel at USDOT, she became increasingly worried as the secretary appeared unmotivated to address pedestrian safety and regularly bashed bike infrastructure. Continue reading...
Latest fatality is unvaccinated woman, 39, with underlying conditions' but CDC still lists only two deaths nationwideA sixth death has been announced in Pennsylvania's measles outbreak, as new figures show cases in the state have risen above 1,100.The most recent fatality was reported in Franklin county on Monday in a statement posted to Facebook by its coroner. The victim was identified as a 39-year-old female who had several underlying conditions, including a past diagnosis of measles with treatment". Continue reading...
Author Natasha Lennard discusses how to disrupt the certainties' that don't serve us and how to fight backAt the onset of the Covid pandemic in 2020, journalist Natasha Lennard started noticing a constant thrum of collective apprehension, epitomized in the phrase in these uncertain times". The expression acknowledged we didn't have solutions for many of society's problems: a globally spreading virus, the rise of the far right and stark haves v have-nots" inequalities. In the years since, that uncertainty" hasn't gone anywhere, risking enabling paralysis - not knowing where to start to fix things and therefore giving up before trying.In her new book, On Un/Certainty: The Uses of Doubt in Dangerous Times, Lennard, who also was an organizer in the 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement, deconstructs the problematic nature of giving in to uncertainty. She also uses the Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein's 1969 book On Certainty to question what is held as certain" in today's world, and who gets to make those calls. Continue reading...
US news | The Guardian