Alondra Sotelo Garcia took over her father's business when he was deported to Mexico after three decades in the USAlondra Sotelo Garcia saw the same headlines as everybody else. Masked immigration agents making increasingly bold arrests. Community members disappearing without warning.As the middle child of immigrants, she feared for her parents. She started tracking her father's iPhone location, put in her two weeks' notice at her job, and told her father she wanted to start working at the vineyard management company he founded after decades in the wine industry. Continue reading...
Trump is using the presidency as a branding opportunity. He's slapping his name on as many buildings, monuments and government projects as he canIn 2011, Donald Trump published a book with the self-help guru Robert Kiyosaki titled Midas Touch. It's a typical self-empowerment manual in which the pair expound on the secrets of entrepreneurial success while drawing on their personal experiences. At one point, they write, Building a brand may be more important than building a business."That was certainly Trump's approach to business: he was the New York real estate tycoon who turned his fame into a brand that symbolized luxury and savvy strategy - even if his companies had filed for bankruptcy six times. Trump spent decades trying to use his name to turn a profit: he owned an airline and a university, and slapped his moniker on vodka, steaks, neckties, board games and even bottled water. Leveraging the fame he gained from the Apprentice TV show, he expanded to licensing Trump-branded global real estate projects built by other developers. In many of these ventures, Trump collected licensing fees, rather than investing his own money, ensuring that he profited even if the businesses collapsed. Continue reading...
Rightwing parties want to follow in US's footsteps of minimal government intervention, but at what cost?Next month, Donald Trump will welcome a poverty-stricken family to peruse his plans for a $300m glitzy state ballroom in the White House. The event will be staged as part of National Poverty in America Awareness Month, the time every year when charities document the number of US residents surviving on low incomes.Of course, the president will do no such thing, preferring to summon the press to watch him rub shoulders with the billionaire class as he did at last month's black tie dinner for the Saudi ruler and his entourage. Continue reading...
by Jason Berry of the National Catholic Reporter in N on (#72DY7)
Long-winded legal wrangling and recalcitrant Catholic church leadership thwarted hopes for timely settlementAn image of his great-grandmother stayed with James Adams for years and strengthened his faith: she was withered, nearly blind, touching his cheeks when they sat together, as if the feel of his face gave her sight. A working woman whose husband, a police officer, killed himself, she raised four children; her faith was a rock against life's travails. She died at 98, when Adams was 28, about to marry.Many years later, in 2020, Adams, a New Orleans banker, was president of the Catholic Community Foundation, the archdiocese's fundraising arm, when Archbishop Gregory Aymond ousted him - as he's recounted from a witness stand in court and in multiple media interviews. Overnight, Adams became a church enemy because of what a priest did to him as a boy. His story mirrors the legal saga that has tarnished Aymond's career. Continue reading...
Historically, when organizers have used tactical innovation, movement activity has peakedFederal agents in military fatigues carrying assault rifles in major cities. Huge cuts to healthcare, science and the US's largest anti-hunger program. Immigrants dragged from cars and courthouse hallways. Rising authoritarianism, corruption and anti-democratic behavior. These are just some of the reasons pushback against the Trump administration is growing with each passing day.While traditional marches such as the massive No Kings protests are a critical part of any resistance movement, sociologist Doug McAdam has shown how tactical innovation - the introduction of creative or novel protest methods - was a key part of the success of the civil rights movement in the US. Historically, when organizers established new tactics, movement activity peaked. Continue reading...
Drummer Chuck Redd decided to cancel his yearly Jazz Jam after Donald Trump added his name to the venueThe president of the Kennedy Center has demanded $1m in damages and fiercely criticized a musician's sudden decision to cancel a Christmas Eve performance at the venue days after the White House announced that Donald Trump's name would be added to the facility.Your decision to withdraw at the last moment - explicitly in response to the Center's recent renaming, which honors President Trump's extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure - is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution," the venue's president, Richard Grenell, wrote in a letter to musician Chuck Redd that was shared with the Associated Press. Continue reading...
By puncturing Oklahoma City's aura of inevitability, Victor Wembanyama and co have restored suspense, drama and joy to a season that was in danger of becoming dullI've seen enough: Give the San Antonio Spurs the keys to Santa Claus' workshop. Put Stephon Castle in charge of toy assembly. Let De'Aaron Fox toss presents into chimneys, from whatever range he'd like. Devin Vassell can customize the Christmas cookies. Harrison Barnes has the army of elves covered. And, of course, Santa Claus's sleigh must immediately be resized for a taller, thinner pilot so that the towering Victor Wembanyama can drive it comfortably. The sensational Spurs have felled the Oklahoma City Thunder three times in two weeks, and in doing so revitalized this NBA season. I now have more faith in the Spurs' ability to grant joy to the masses than any holiday legends of old.It looked dire for a while there. The Thunder might have won the Larry O'Brien trophy in June, but began this season in even more ominous form. They reeled off 24 wins in their first 25 games (the lone loss was a fluky 20-point comeback). In most of them, Jalen Williams, their second-best player, was on the sidelines recovering from wrist surgery. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, their best, seldom had to play in fourth quarters. The Thunder beat the Sacramento Kings by 31. The Los Angeles Lakers, who some expected to be a plausible rival, lost by 29; their basketball savant Luka Doncic looked like he was playing against ten men. The Phoenix Suns' valiant first earned them a close loss, by just four points. When they met again 12 days later, the Thunder won by 49. This game knocked all the remaining leaves off the trees and started winter 10 days ahead of schedule. Oklahoma City looked capable of shredding anything in its path, even the 2016 Golden State Warriors' legendary regular season record of 73-9. Continue reading...
Lawmakers spent much of 2025 seeking to reprimand each other - here's a look back at what sparked such outrageIt's been a year for the history books in the House of Representatives. Lawmakers broke the record for longest floor speech and longest vote, and presided over the lengthiest government shutdown.They also spent plenty of time seeking to reprimand each other by passing censures, as the House's formal mechanism for discipline is known. A search on Congress.gov reveals at least 17 attempts since the start of the year to condemn another lawmaker, in the form of a censure or a less formal disapproval resolution. Continue reading...
The year 2025 saw a Swift engagement, a rapid rollback of rights and a slow release of the heavily redacted Epstein filesThe year 2025 would have been far better if we could have sent a few billionaires and world leaders into intergalactic exile. Instead, we had to make do with Katy Perry spending 11 minutes on the edge of space as part of Blue Origin's all-female crewed mission. Perry promised us all that, in service of women's empowerment, the crew would put the ass' in astronaut" and make space and science glam". Truly, one giant leap for womankind!Space may have got glam, but it was another glum year for many on Earth. The war in Ukraine continued, with increasing numbers of women volunteering to fight. The civil war in Sudan raged on, with the UN urging the world not to ignore harrowing details of targeted sexual violence, torture, and abductions from the region. The slaughter in Sudan is so extreme that the blood can even be seen from space. Although I'm not sure the billionaires and celebs doing celestial joyrides in their expensive rockets are particularly bothered by that view.Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist and the author of Strong Female Lead Continue reading...
Kentucky's Thomas Massie used the president's insult to raise funds to run against a Trump-endorsed candidateA Kentucky congressman singled out by Donald Trump on Christmas as a lowlife" after co-authoring a law requiring the federal government to release all of its Jeffrey Epstein files says the president attacked him for keeping a commitment to help victims".Thomas Massie then successfully sought donations for his run for another term in the 2026 midterm elections against an opponent that Trump - his fellow Republican - has already endorsed. Continue reading...
by Martin Rowson, Ella Baron, Nicola Jennings and Ben on (#72DT3)
Our cartoonists look back at a year of covering tragedy, farce and everything in between - and having to draw far too many Donald TrumpsIn a year in which I've drawn too many cartoons about powerful people acting with impunity, the fall of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor stood out to me as a rare win for justice and accountability. Dark humour feels vital to make light of everything that's going wrong, but I've also been trying to draw cartoons that highlight reasons for hope, such as the fragile ceasefire in Gaza or Zohran Mamdani's win in New York. Continue reading...
Country's foreign minister says his president signed off on US air attack - key US politics stories from 26 December at a glanceUS airstrikes in Nigeria on Christmas Day were aided by intelligence provided by the Nigerian government, the country's foreign minister said on Friday.Donald Trump had announced the strikes against Islamic State militants in north-west Nigeria after spending weeks decrying the group for targeting Christians. Continue reading...
At least three people killed across state since atmospheric river storms began earlier this weekMudslides buried cars and homes up to their windows in a California mountain town as a powerful storm system brought the wettest Christmas in decades to the southern part of the state.As much as 12in of rain fell across the area on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, triggering flooding and washing out roads. Continue reading...
Stevenson Charles, Yusuf Minor and Naod Yohannes, all incarcerated for murder, recaptured on TuesdayThree men who escaped from a Georgia jail for three days hijacked a Lyft rideshare as part of a brazen attempt to flee to south Florida, according to newly released federal court documents.Stevenson Charles, 24; Yusuf Minor, 31; and Naod Yohannes, 25, are accused of escaping from the DeKalb county jail, located 15 miles (24km) outside Atlanta, on Sunday before being recaptured in Florida on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Some even celebrated mass killing' and the president's resolve' in attacking Islamic State targetsThe US's Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State targets in Nigeria have been met with praise by Donald Trump supporters who for months had been agitating for the president to respond forcefully to the killings of Christians in the country.I can't think of a better way to celebrate Christmas than by avenging the death of Christians through the justified mass killing of Islamic terrorists," the far-right political activist Laura Loomer posted on X. You've got to love it! Death to all Islamic terrorists! Thank you." Continue reading...
Every Sunday, protesters from Florida and beyond go to the notorious immigration jail and advocate for its closureThey come on buses, in cars and RVs. Some ride on motorcycles. Every Sunday afternoon, convoys of protesters from all over Florida, and others from out of state, descend on the notorious Alligator Alcatraz" immigration jail in the Everglades to stand vigil for those held inside.It is a ritual that began in August, a month after the opening of the remote detention camp celebrated by Donald Trump for its harsh conditions, and hailed by Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, as a model for the president's aggressive detention and deportation agenda. Continue reading...
Alain Rodriguez Colina was working at a scrapyard that the UPS cargo plane crashed into on 4 NovemberThe death toll from the UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky in early November has risen to 15 after a man injured on the ground died on Christmas from his wounds, according to officials.Alain Rodriguez Colina was working at a scrapyard that was one of the businesses into which UPS Flight 2976 crashed as it took off from Louisville's airport on 4 November. Kentucky's governor, Andy Beshear, and Louisville's mayor, Craig Greenberg, each confirmed that Rodriguez died on Thursday. Continue reading...
Fiber artists across the US are using their craft to protest against everything from national guard deployments to rollbacks on abortion rightsIn early October, Tracy Wright invited a group of other women in her social circle - all fellow knitters - to gather outside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in their home town of Portland, Oregon. They were armed with their weapons of mass construction".Donald Trump had just ordered national guard troops deployed to the city, which he called war ravaged" in order to protect ICE facilities he said were under siege" by anti-fascists and other domestic terrorists". Continue reading...
Week 17 delivers a decisive at Soldier Field as Chicago and San Francisco battle for positioning in a crowded NFC race for the No 1 seed and a precious first-round byeChicago Bears (11-4) v San Francisco 49ers (11-4) Continue reading...
President's professed satisfaction with his cabinet may be a reflection of how difficult it would be to get a replacement confirmedFor more than a decade he built his brand on two words: You're fired!" And in his first term in the White House, Donald Trump did not hesitate to show his staff the door, often via an abrasive tweet.But since resuming the US presidency in January, Trump, the former host of the reality TV show The Apprentice, appears to have become an uncharacteristically bashful boss, more disposed to hiring than firing. Continue reading...
After the writers' and actors' strikes, the pandemic, and structural shifts in technology, LA's trying to find its footing in a changed industryThe veteran Hollywood cinematographer Bruce McCleery knows all about Los Angeles's struggles to maintain its dominance in the entertainment industry, because for most of the past 16 years he has lived on the road, never short of work but unable to land a major job within striking distance of his home and family in southern California.It's an increasingly common experience for many successful professionals in Hollywood who are hired by studios and production houses still largely based in Los Angeles, but do the actual work in Atlanta, or Toronto, or London, or Budapest. Continue reading...
Imran Ahmed of Center for Countering Digital Hate files complaint against senior Trump alliesA US judge has blocked US authorities from detaining or deporting a British anti-disinformation campaigner who is among five European nationals targeted by the Trump administration because of moves to push back against hate speech and misinformation.Imran Ahmed, the chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), filed a complaint on Thursday against senior Trump allies including the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the attorney general, Pam Bondi, in an attempt to prevent what he says would be an unconstitutional arrest and removal. Continue reading...
Donald Trump has said the US carried out airstrikes against Islamic State militants in north-west Nigeria on Thursday, after weeks of decrying the group for targeting Christians. Nigeria's foreign ministry said the onslaught was part of ongoing security cooperation with the US, involving intelligence sharing and strategic coordination to target militant groups. 'This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria through airstrikes in the north-west,' the ministry said in a post on X
by Catarina Fernandes Martins in Lisbon on (#72DA9)
Claudio Valente and one of victims, Nuno FG Loureiro, both studied at notoriously challenging Tecnico in LisbonAs investigators in Massachusetts work to piece together a motive for the murders of two Brown University students and an MIT physics professor, former classmates of the suspected gunman and one of the victims have been asking if the roots of the tragedy lie in their shared experience at a top university in Portugal.The suspected gunman, Claudio Valente, and one of those killed, Nuno FG Loureiro, studied at the prestigious and notoriously challenging University of Lisbon engineering and technology school, known locally as Tecnico, both graduating in 2000. Continue reading...
Trump also wishes merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists', after strikes. Key US politics stories from Thursday 25 DecemberDonald Trump has launched powerful and deadly" strikes on Christmas Day against Islamic State militants in Nigeria, weeks after the US president warned against any systemic assault on Christians in the country.Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Thursday that he had previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was". Continue reading...
Some parts of LA saw more than 11in of rain, with flooding, road closures and debris flows reported across the regionA strong rain and wind storm, carried by an atmospheric river from the Pacific, has been blamed for a third death in southern California as flooding, road closures and debris flows are reported across the region.A flood watch was also extended through Thursday for almost all of the area, as more than 11in of rainfall was measured in some parts Los Angeles county as of Wednesday night and evacuation warnings were issued for mountain communities in San Bernardino county. Continue reading...
by Eromo Egbejule west Africa correspondent on (#72D70)
President claims strikes targeted militants in country's north-west, accusing group of attacking Christian communitiesDonald Trump has said the US carried out airstrikes against Islamic State militants in north-west Nigeria on Thursday, after spending weeks decrying the group for targeting Christians.The president said in a post on his Truth Social platform: Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries! Continue reading...
When the president targeted me and my TV show, millions said no. So don't give up on us - and always remember, we're not all like himI have no idea if you know who I am, but I was asked to deliver this year's alternative Christmas message (which I've heard is a big deal) so I hope you do, but if not I host what you call a chatshow (we call it a talkshow) in what you call the colonies, I think? I honestly have no idea what's going on over there.I do know what's going on over here though, and I can tell you that, from a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year. Tyranny is booming over here. Continue reading...
Imran Ahmed, an anti-disinformation advocate, claims he is being targeted for scrutinising social media companiesA British anti-disinformation campaigner close to Keir Starmer's chief of staff has launched a legal challenge against the Trump administration after being told he could face deportation from the US in a row over freedom of speech.Imran Ahmed, the chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), has filed a complaint against senior Trump allies including the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the attorney general, Pam Bondi, in an attempt to prevent what he says would be an unconstitutional arrest and removal. Continue reading...
Are her recent candid remarks about Trump an attempt to distance herself from an increasingly unpopular president?She was now one of the family. When Donald Trump addressed supporters in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, in early December, he asked: Susie Trump - do you know Susie Trump? Sometimes referred to as Susie Wiles."The US president was referring to his chief of staff, who he said had persuaded him to return to the campaign trail ahead of the 2026 congressional midterm elections. But a week later, Wiles appeared at risk of becoming the family outcast. Continue reading...
It was the second-largest lottery windfall in US history, with a lump-sum cash payment option of $834.9mA Powerball player in Arkansas won a $1.817bn jackpot in Wednesday's Christmas Eve drawing, ending the lottery game's three-month stretch without a top-prize winner.Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot higher than previously expected, making it the second-largest in US history and the largest Powerball prize of 2025, according to www.powerball.com. The jackpot had a lump sum cash payment option of $834.9m. Continue reading...
From emancipation to women's suffrage, civil rights and BLM, mass movement has shaped the arc of US historyTrump's first and second terms have been marked by huge protests, from the 2017 Women's March to the protests for racial justice after George Floyd's murder, to this year's No Kings demonstrations. But how effective is this type of collective action?According to historians and political scientists who study protest: very. From emancipation to women's suffrage, from civil rights to Black Lives Matter, mass movement has shaped the arc of American history. Protest has led to the passage of legislation that gave women the right to vote, banned segregation and legalized same-sex marriage. It has also sparked cultural shifts in how Americans perceive things like bodily autonomy, economic inequality and racial bias. Continue reading...
Many US immigrants are facing endless separations. In San Francisco, community groups offer solace - and purposeInside St Peter's Catholic church in San Francisco's Mission District, families took refuge from a chilly December night to celebrate a mass in honor of immigrant rights.A choir sang hymns. A majestic Christmas tree stood sentinel at the entrance. Continue reading...
AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler says union ready to stand up for struggling Americans: Which side are you on?'Donald Trump has staged a year of unrelenting attacks on working people," according to the head of the largest federation of the labor unions in the US. Now they're preparing to fight back.Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, said it was gearing up to challenge the US president's Billionaire First" agenda in 2026 - and drive candidates in key elections to stand up for struggling" Americans. Continue reading...
It felt like nothing would top Tiger Woods's Masters win, but then the Northern Irishman completed his career grand slam on an extraordinary final day at AugustaAt 7am on 14 April in an Augusta rental home, Rory McIlroy awoke and immediately spotted a Green Jacket draped over a chair. You think: Yeah, that did happen yesterday,'" he says. That." McIlroy was now the sixth man to win all four of golf's majors.The detail of what lay around in the bedroom of my own Augusta billet is of no interest to anybody. That was, however, a memorable morning. I had previously and wrongly believed nothing would top Tiger Woods's 2019 Masters win in respect of seismic reaction. Scores of messages from friends, colleagues, family members - umpteen of whom have no interest whatsoever in golf - had landed. Broadcast outlets across the world wanted my assessment of what had played out on Masters Sunday. Yeah, that did happen yesterday. Continue reading...
European leaders including Emmanuel Macron accused Washington of coercion and intimidation'. Key US politics stories from Wednesday 24 DecemberThe EU could respond swiftly and decisively" against the unjustified" US visa bans on five Europeans involved in combating online hate and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.European leaders including Emmanuel Macron accused Washington of coercion and intimidation", after the visa ban on the figures who have been at the heart of campaigns to introduce laws regulating American tech companies. Continue reading...
Governor declared emergency in several counties, with near white-out snow conditions in parts of the Sierra NevadaA powerful winter storm swept across California on Wednesday, with heavy rain and gusty winds leading to evacuation warnings for mudslides in parts of the southern part of the state, bringing near white-out snow conditions in the mountains and hazardous travel for millions of holiday drivers.California's governor, Gavin Newsom, declared a state of emergency in several counties, including Los Angeles. Continue reading...
DoJ says more documents have been uncovered amid criticisms for missing 19 December deadline for full releaseThe US justice department said on Wednesday that it has been told by federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the FBI that they have uncovered more than a million more documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case and processing these for release could take a few more weeks".In a post on X, the justice department said it had received the documents from the US attorney for the southern district of New York and the FBI in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, existing statutes, and judicial orders". Continue reading...
Joyce Beatty seeks to remove the president's name from the newly minted Trump-Kennedy Center'Democratic US representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio sued Donald Trump on Monday to seek the removal of his name from the John F Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington DC.The lawsuit from Beatty, an ex-officio trustee on the board, argued that the vote to rename the Kennedy Center is a flagrant violation" of law as congressional approval is required for such an action. Continue reading...
Judge said cuts were another example' of Trump administration tying state assistance to its immigration crackdownA federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's efforts to reduce federal homeland security funding, including for disasters, for states that do not comply with immigration enforcement policies.US district judge Mary McElroy of Rhode Island, a 2018 Trump appointee, ruled on Monday that the latest case was another example" of the Trump administration tying state and local government assistance to its immigration crackdown. Continue reading...
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