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Senior official alleges in court filing that damage included about 70 fence post tops thrown' into the poolA senior National Park Service (NPS) official has said a liner along the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool was cut with a sharp knife or razor" earlier this month, repeating Donald Trump's claims of vandalism.Frank Lands, the deputy director for operations for NPS, made the allegation in a court filing on Wednesday, as part of a lawsuit brought by a non-profit group seeking to stop the US president's renovation of the site. Continue reading...

Seattle's World Cup committee is pushing forward with Pride Match" celebrations this week despite backlash from Egypt and Iran, who have called for the cancellation of LGBTQ+ rights festivities around the game.Last year, Seattle's local organising committee, which is separate from Fifa, made plans for 26 June to be a Pride-themed match coinciding with the city's annual Pride weekend.In December, Egypt and Iran were drawn to play each other on that date in Seattle, causing a swift firestorm and condemnation from the two countries, as Sam Levin explains

Decision affects hundreds of thousands of people who have permission to live and work in the US because their home countries are unsafe

Wyden says in a letter addressed to Robert F Kennedy Jr that HHS is preparing an unprecedented legal framework'Ron Wyden, a US senator of Oregon, accused the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of preparing to use what he describes as an unprecedented legal framework" to deport more than 500 unaccompanied migrant children currently in the custody of the agency's Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).In a letter addressed to the HHS secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, Wyden said he had obtained credible information" that the department was using a list of more than 500 children as targets for expedited removal under a new administrative process that he says lacks statutory authority. He called the reported initiative deeply alarming" and urged HHS to immediately suspend any related screening or removal efforts. Continue reading...

Top Democrat signals party will not back paying for unpopular conflict never authorized by CongressThe White House has requested Congress approve $87.6bn in new funding, much of which would go towards the costs of Donald Trump's war with Iran, but a top Democrat has signaled the party will not support paying for an unpopular conflict that lawmakers never authorized.The Trump administration's supplemental funding request released on Wednesday comes amid a logjam in US Congress sparked by the president's demand that the Senate pass a measure to impose sweeping new restrictions on voting nationwide. Continue reading...

Consumer prices rose 4.1% in May from a year earlier - a sign rising costs could pose problem for Trump in midtermsThe Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge rose to a new three-year high in May as gas prices peaked, a sign rising costs could pose political problems for Donald Trump and his political party as midterm elections near.Consumer prices rose 4.1% in May from a year earlier, the US commerce department said Thursday, the largest annual increase since April 2023. On a monthly basis, inflation was 0.4% last month, matching April's increase and down from 0.7% in March. Continue reading...

The case, Monsanto v Durnell, specifically dealt with claims that the company failed to warn users of product risks

Ruling comes amid drive by Republican administration to reshape rules around voting ahead of midtermsThe Trump administration's plan to deny mail-in ballots to states that would not give their voter rolls to federal officials was blocked Thursday morning by a federal judge in Boston.US district judge Indira Talwani ruled that the provisions of an executive order issued by Donald Trump on 31 March requiring the postal service to require the use of a barcode tracking system for ballot envelopes tied to US Citizenship and Immigration Services data was unconstitutional. Continue reading...

We are looking to hear from people born on 4 July about what it means to share a birthday with the US when it turns 250 years oldThe United States will celebrate its 250th anniversary of its independence on 4 July, marking a milestone in the nation's history with events and commemorations across the country.For some Americans, however, the date carries a more personal significance: it's also their birthday. Continue reading...

As the country reaches this historic milestone, we would like to hear from people in the US on how they are feeling about the country's futureThe United States will mark 250 years since declaring independence from the British on 4 July, with commemorations in Washington DC overseen by Donald Trump and a series of events planned across the National Mall.The milestone also comes at a turbulent moment for the country. Internationally, the Trump administration has moved away from some longstanding European allies while navigating ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Move comes after Hegseth made shot optional for military in April and Texas outbreak has sickened nearly 300 peopleThe Pentagon has said that boot camps for all the military services are once again requiring the flu vaccination for all recruits after the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, made the shot optional for the military at the end of April.The development on Wednesday was confirmed by a Pentagon official to the Associated Press and came amid a growing, weeks-long, flu outbreak at the US air force's boot camp at Lackland air force base in San Antonio, Texas. Continue reading...

The Thrive Act will create a pilot program that offers mental health resources for shooting survivors and witnesses under 25When Marvin Perez and his family moved from their home country of Guatemala to Oakland, California, he thought it would lead to a better life for them all. But two years ago, when he was 23, Perez was walking home from a store just four blocks from his family's house. Someone drove past him and shot at Perez multiple times, hitting him in his left leg.His physical recovery was difficult. The bullet couldn't be removed and remains lodged inside the leg. Perez spent about three months doing physical therapy and resting at home, which meant he couldn't play soccer, his favorite pastime. The mental toll he endured, however, was far tougher. During the day, all he could think about was the shooting, and when he slept, he had nightmares about what happened to him. It was made even harder by the fact that he felt as if he didn't have anyone he could share these feelings with. Continue reading...

As long as Israel continues its attacks on Lebanon, any deal between the US and Iran will be at riskOn 18 June, JD Vance stood in the White House press briefing room and tore into Israeli critics of the Iran deal that his boss, Donald Trump, had signed the previous day. The vice-president argued that Trump was the only world leader who was still sympathetic to Israel after nearly three years of wars and destruction across the Middle East. If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government," Vance said, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world."Vance also pointed out that, during the recent US-Israeli war on Iran, two-thirds of the defensive weapons used to protect Israel from Iranian retaliation have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars". Vance publicly scolded Israel's leaders in a way they have rarely been criticized by a high-level US politician. And while Vance did not directly target his criticism at the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the subtext was clear: the Trump administration is willing to call out the Israeli leader for sabotaging ceasefire agreements so that he could prolong regional wars and maintain power.Mohamad Bazzi is a Guardian US columnist. He is also director of the Center for Near Eastern Studies and a journalism professor at New York University Continue reading...

Buildings collapse after twin 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes. Plus, why apartment renters are facing a rising tide of fees

Advocates condemn change that caps loans at $20,500 per year - less than half median annual cost of PA programStrict new caps on federal student loans are causing would-be physician assistants to reconsider training, groups representing physician assistants said.An overhaul of the federal student loan system scheduled to go into effect 1 July strictly caps the annual amount of federal loans physician assistants can borrow to $20,500 per year - less than half the median annual cost of a PA program. Continue reading...

A document on an embryo adoption program may be marginal - but it marks an escalation in the pursuit of fetal personhoodThe Trump administration quietly declared frozen embryos to be children last week. In a call for grant applications related to a nearly 20-year-old program meant to raise awareness about frozen embryo adoption, the Department of Health and Human Services referred to frozen embryos using the terms child" and children", calling for screening standards for frozen embryo purchasers to be raised to those applied to parents seeking to adopt actual children. The document refers to frozen embryos as children who already exist and are in need of a family".The language is strange and conspicuous in context, even if that context itself may seem marginal: what the Trump administration has done here is change its phrasing in the guidelines for a longstanding and somewhat obscure grant program. Continue reading...

Tenants push for tougher rules against unfair add-on charges. Industry players argue against policies that they say could limit the effective use of fees'

Randy Smith's resignation was part of plea deal after attack on podcaster Bobby Couvillion at a Madisonville restaurantA suburban New Orleans sheriff who had held one of his community's most prominent political offices for a decade has retired shortly after pleading guilty to battering a podcaster who often criticized him.Randy Smith, 61, also agreed to serve more than a year of probation after admitting to a late May beating at a steakhouse where he had bought 18 alcoholic beverages on his tab on a Friday afternoon - which all but halted his four-decade policing career. Continue reading...

Although fleeting, sporting events have the enduring power to crumble divisions and highlight the beauty of kinshipThe thrill of victory, the agony of defeat," went the tagline for the long-running TV show The Wide World of Sports.We're all familiar with those rollercoaster emotions whether we follow professional football or dabble in sandlot softball. Continue reading...

Vice-president, leading a foundering peace deal to end the kind of war he's opposed in the past, is left holding the bagJD Vance has taken the greatest gamble of his vice-presidency by making himself the face of the Iran ceasefire deal - a shaky agreement that already seems to be unraveling at the seams.But after months spent in limbo due to the war, it may be the best chance for him to find his feet again. Continue reading...

Ahead of Saturday's title unification fight in Brooklyn, the unbeaten American talks about family legacy, putting on for North Philly and life as one of boxing's most feared fightersFor years, boxing's chattering class has treated Jaron Boots" Ennis less like a champion than a prophecy. The next great one. The future pound-for-pound king. The fighter who one day would justify the steady hype that has followed him since he emerged as a teenager from Bozy's Dungeon in North Philadelphia as one of the country's top amateurs.Even now, undefeated in 36 professional fights with 31 knockouts and world championships at two different weights, Ennis approaches Saturday night's title unification bout with Xander Zayas at Brooklyn's Barclays Center in an unusual position: celebrated as one of the world's most gifted fighters while still being discussed as though his breakthrough lies ahead. Continue reading...

Senator warns of tsunami of anger' against big companies and suggests future administrations may undo key dealsDemocratic senator Elizabeth Warren has warned that corporate mergers approved by the Trump administration - including a pending deal that would put two of America's largest news outlets under the control of a family sympathetic to the president - could be undone by a future administration.After 2028, we'll have new players in Washington, and everyone who's engaged in this merger frenzy right now is aware of that," Warren said in an interview. Continue reading...

The former Tottenham coach experienced three body blows early in his tenure with the US, each contributing to the solid World Cup to comeTears welled in Mauricio Pochettino's eyes. His US team had just lost the 2025 Gold Cup final in a hard-fought match to determine the regional crown. To make matters worse they had been beaten by Mexico, their arch-rivals.Were they tears of sadness, of frustration at the result? Perhaps in part. But as Pochettino explained this week, these were also tears of empathy for his players. They had just played a tournament final. In Houston, one of the largest metro areas in the United States. Continue reading...

The US president told reporters the former Manchester mayor probably won't open up the North Sea' for oil explorationDonald Trump has labelled Andy Burnham extremely liberal", in his first public comments about the former Greater Manchester mayor since he emerged as the frontrunner to replace Keir Starmer.The US president told reporters Burnham probably won't open up the North Sea" for oil exploration, and that the UK is dying", signalling that the newly elected Labour MP could face a rocky relationship with Trump. Continue reading...

The milestone called for the epic vision of a JFK or the soaring oratory of a Barack Obama. Instead it got a Trump rallyIf that's the way America celebrates its birthday, you would not want to be present at its funeral. The shining city on a hill is losing some of its lustre these days. The land that promised life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is struggling to deliver.A milestone anniversary like 250 years of independence calls for the epic vision of a John F Kennedy, the immaculate timing of a Ronald Reagan or the soaring oratory of a Barack Obama. What it got instead on Wednesday was an 80-year-old convicted criminal who appeared in Home Alone 2 and seems hellbent on dividing the nation. Continue reading...

Sheriff in rural Texas says it's still at large' after claim Gracie had been located after wandering off private ranchFor almost two weeks, residents of a rural Texas county have been looking, mostly up, for a missing giraffe called Gracie that wandered off from a private game ranch.On Wednesday, the mystery of the free-roaming mammal's odyssey deepened further, when a local sheriff disputed an account that it was reportedly found safe a little farther out than expected" from its hill country home, and said the search was most definitely still on. Continue reading...

President on National Mall rattles off list of apparent victories and says I am thrilled to declare America is back'Donald Trump kicked off what was intended to be a spectacular birthday party" for American's 250th year of independence with a political rally touting his presidency.I am thrilled to declare that America is back," Trump said at the opening ceremony for the Great American State Fair in Washington DC, held on the National Mall. As you know very well, a short time ago we were a dead country. We were dead. Now we're the hottest country anywhere in the world. We're respected by everybody. Nobody's laughing at us any more." Continue reading...

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Trump says he'll sign housing bill aimed at lowering costs only after Senate passes restrictive voting measure - key US politics stories from Wednesday 24 June at a glanceDespite rare and overwhelming bipartisan support, a US bill aimed at lowering the cost of housing for Americans is being held hostage by Donald Trump.The president said he won't sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act until the Senate meets his demand to pass the Save America Act, which would dramatically change voting regulations by requiring proof of citizenship at voter registration and significantly curtail mail-in voting. Continue reading...

Haiti reveled in their historic World Cup goals, but Morocco staged an impressive comeback to secure their second-place finish in Group CNo region benefited as much from the expansion of the World Cup as Africa. Earlier this week, Jonathan Wilson took a look at how the continent's 10 teams - including Morocco - are doing:Thiago Alcantara, in an appearance on Fox's US prematch show, highlights how Morocco will be looking to remedy some of their recent scoring concerns in this matchup. Across the two games, the Atlas Lions have 26 shots, but just five on target and two goals to show. Continue reading...

Teen fatally shot two people on Monday at library in Chico, which has seen deadly wildfires and nearby shootingsEven before a teenager strolled into the public library in Chico where police say he fatally shot two people on Monday afternoon, this building stood apart in the northern California community.It is the only public library that serves the city of about 107,000 people, and most residents have some connection to it. Continue reading...

Transcript of congressional testimony shows Microsoft founder spoke of veiled' threats made by late sex offenderThe Microsoft founder Bill Gates told US members of Congress that the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had sought to blackmail" him over his extramarital affairs, according to a transcript of the testimony.The tech pioneer testified behind closed doors before the House oversight committee on 10 June regarding his friendship with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 as he awaited trial for sex crimes. Continue reading...

Josue Baires Alfaro, 22, identified as victim in Nevada Fall incident that nearly claimed life of woman who tried to helpA 22-year-old visitor to Yosemite national park in California died after he was swept over a 594ft-high waterfall on Saturday, officials confirmed this week.A fellow parkgoer, Freesia Gaul, was capturing a photo when she noticed the man, reportedly identified by local authorities as Josue Baires Alfaro, in the Merced River. Continue reading...

As the US prepares to celebrate 250 years since its founding, Kai Wright sits down with Eddie Glaude Jr, a Princeton University professor, to talk about the conflicts at the heart of the American project. Glaude argues that Black Americans have played a vital role in establishing the country, but their presence is a constant reminder that the American fantasy - the story of a white republic - doesn't exist. He and Kai discuss how the Trump administration has normalized white supremacist rhetoric and the myriad ways the president is trying to whitewash history. Glaude's book America, USA: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries, is out now.

Ruling is win for democracy advocates who have fought back against Trump's push to take power over votingA US federal court blocked Donald Trump's attempt to regulate elections via executive order, a win for democracy advocates who have fought back against the US president's push to take power over voting.Trump issued an executive order on elections, including a documentary proof of citizenship requirement that would have necessitated that people show passports, birth certificates or other documentation when they registered to vote, or changed their registration. Continue reading...

White House must report by 31 July on purpose of tarp installed while Trump's name was stripped from buildingA federal judge on Wednesday ordered Donald Trump's administration to explain why it placed a tarp over the Kennedy Center's facade after the Republican leader's name was removed from the building under a court order.US district judge Christopher Cooper said the administration must report by 31 July the purpose and status of the tarp and scaffolding" now in place at the building. The tarp was installed as workers stripped Trump's name in a predawn operation this month following an order from Cooper that the Trump administration unlawfully added his name to the facade in December. Continue reading...

Michelle Zajko, in jail since February 2025 on other charges, has been charged in 2022 Pennsylvania killings of parentsA member of the cultlike group known as Zizians, who has denied killing her parents in Pennsylvania in 2022, has been charged with murder, a prosecutor said on Wednesday.Michelle Zajko, who has been jailed in Maryland on other charges since February 2025, has been charged with murder, burglary and conspiracy charges in the deaths of Rita and Richard Zajko, the Delaware county district attorney, Tanner Rouse, said at a news conference. The prosecutor said she did not act alone. Continue reading...

Pro- and anti-AI groups spent $24m on a congressional contest in New York, but it's unclear to what end

Muslims in the UK, Europe and the US are increasingly fearful and frustrated as targeted attacks rise. Others must speak outThe chilling attacks that injured five men in Edinburgh at the weekend, including two who were struck as they left a mosque, have deepened the fear that many Muslims in Britain feel today. The case received remarkably little attention south of the border. A man has now been charged with five counts of attempted murder, allegedly aggravated by reason of having a terrorist connection". The facts of these attacks must now be examined in court in due course.What is beyond doubt is the real and growing fear experienced by Muslim communities in the UK, Europe and elsewhere. The US president has said that I think Islam hates us". Increasingly open Islamophobic rhetoric from political figures, and a muted response from others, as well as violence towards Muslims, have left many feeling vulnerable and frustrated.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Agreement is first by federal government to resolve enforcement claims against a major Pfas manufacturerThe Trump administration on Wednesday reached a multi-state settlement with the chemical giant Chemours Co over years-long, illegal discharges of synthetic forever chemicals" used to make products resistant to water, grease and stains. The settlement is the first by the federal government to resolve enforcement claims against a manufacturer of harmful chemicals known as Pfas.Under the agreement, filed in federal court in West Virginia, Chemours will pay a civil penalty of $22.5m for alleged violations and spend $90m over 15 years to mitigate Pfas discharges in three states: West Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey. Continue reading...

The latest news from the tournament before Scotland's final group stage match against Brazil in Group CHow do we feel about the penalty that wasn't?I don't really see how you can't give it. Fatawu was in and Konsa launches into him, getting nowhere near the ball with no chance of getting at the ball - which makes it a red card too. Continue reading...

Former Georgia congresswoman on social media says she's fed up' and done backing a party that betrays its voters'Former US congresswoman and Trump loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene has announced that she is finished backing the Republican party, aligning herself with TV rightwinger Tucker Carlson after his own high-profile rejection of the GOP just months ahead of the midterm elections.During a recent episode of the Can't Be Censored podcast, Carlson said when he appeared as a guest there was no chance" he would support the Republican party any more, after years of being a prominent booster for Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Administration claims website is resource for new and expecting mothers' but group of senators says it raises profound' health and safety concernsA group of 11 senators have sent a letter to Donald Trump and Robert F Kennedy urging them to remove a federal website and cease using federal resources to direct people to anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers".On Mother's Day this year, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched Moms.gov, a resource they claim is for new and expecting mothers" and offers guidance and information to support the health and wellbeing of mothers and their families". Continue reading...

Gen Christopher Donahue, commander of forces in Europe and Africa, is leaving after just 18 months in the jobThe army's commander of its forces in Europe and Africa - who was famously the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan in 2021 - is unexpectedly stepping down from his post after just 18 months in the job, the Army confirmed late Tuesday.Gen Christopher Donahue, commanding general of US Army Europe and Africa and commander of Nato's Allied Land Command, will relinquish his command on 2 July, according to an army statement provided to the Associated Press. He is the latest in a line of nearly two dozen top military leaders to either retire or depart their jobs early under the leadership of the defense secretary Pete Hegseth, who has undertaken an effort to thin the ranks of the military's top brass with the mantra less generals, more GIs". Continue reading...

Camp owners said total debt exceeds $10m in chapter 11 filing after catastrophic flood last JulyCamp Mystic, the Christian summer camp in Texas where 28 people died in a catastrophic flood last July, has filed for bankruptcy, according to court records.In a Chapter 11 filing, submitted Wednesday in the southern district of Texas, the camp's owners said that the camp's total debt exceeds $10m". Continue reading...

For years the United States sought a single soccer identity. Instead, its best team emerged from a patchwork of backgrounds, cultures and development pathsIn 1993, the United States Soccer Federation handed a contract to Rinus Michels. But the Dutch godfather of Total Football, operationalized through his on-field avatar Johan Cruyff, was not hired to coach the national team, or to coach anybody, really.By this time, Michels, who managed the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League in 1979 and 1980, had already turned down the chance to manage the US men's national team twice. Once, in 1983, when it would be entered, disastrously, into the NASL as Team America. And once more in 1991, when Bora Milutinovi was appointed instead. Continue reading...