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Attack brings death toll to at least 207 since administration began targeting people it calls narcoterrorists'The US military attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, killing two men, as the Trump administration wages a months-long campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the US military to at least 207 since the administration began targeting people it calls narcoterrorists" in early September. Continue reading...

Vote sends resolution to the US Senate, where the chamber must promptly take up the measure under law - key US politics stories from Wednesday, 3 June at a glanceThe US House of Representatives delivered a stunning rebuke to Donald Trump over his war on Iran on Wednesday, as representatives backed a move to force him to seek approval from Congress or withdraw US forces.The House voted 215 to 208 in favor of the war powers resolution, as four Republicans voted with Democrats. The dissident Republicans were Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Tom Barrett of Michigan. Continue reading...

Incumbent leads in primary, but with less than 50% of votes must face either Spencer Pratt or Nithya RamanLos Angeles's high-profile mayoral contest remained unsettled Wednesday evening as the city waited to learn who will join incumbent Karen Bass in November's general election.Bass came out ahead in Tuesday's heated primary but, after securing less than 50% of the vote, she'll have to defend her seat against either Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV star, or progressive city council member Nithya Raman. As of Wednesday evening, with more than 60% of votes counted, Pratt had secured just under 30% of the vote, while Raman had won nearly 23%. Continue reading...

Silicon Valley is fighting against regulation, taxes and growth of AI and will benefit from having political leverageSilicon Valley had a big night in California's primary election, proving that the tens of millions of dollars funding candidates across the state was money well spent. While the tech industry's preferred candidate for governor came in a scant sixth place, donations to smaller elections proved to be a successful strategy.Tech billionaires have in past months thrown their full weight into politics as the industry fights regulations, taxation and promotes the unfettered growth of artificial intelligence. Getting the right candidates in office, especially in its home turf of California, is existential. With favorable candidates, tech companies can gain both political and regulatory leverage to maintain their dominance in business. Continue reading...

Order strips job protections from workers earning up to about $200,000 a year and deemed to be influencing' policyDonald Trump has signed an executive order making it easier to fire thousands of the best-paid workers in the US government aspart of a broader drive by his administration to overhaul the federal workforce.The order, released by the White House and the office of personnel management (OPM) on Wednesday, strips job protections from a mostly senior group of federal workers - about 8,000 employees - earning up to almost $200,000 a year, and who are deemed to be influencing" government policy. Continue reading...

Guardian sources say Ernst Tanner has not rejoined the club after he was found to have violated league policiesDespite being eligible for reinstatement, former Philadelphia Union sporting director Ernst Tanner has not resumed duties with the club, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation said this week, in part because he has yet to complete his league-ordered restorative practices training.Tanner was suspended through 1 June by Major League Soccer after a league-ordered investigation found he had violated policies and standards of professional conduct required of League and Club leadership". That investigation, which concluded in March, was the league's second inquiry into alleged misconduct by Tanner; he had previously been investigated after an MLS Players Association complaint alleged multiple instances of racist, sexist and homophobic behavior. Continue reading...

Ocean Observatories Initiative, $368m network that has provided crucial climate data, latest victim of Trump cutsThe Trump administration plans to dismantle a $368m deep-sea observation system that has for more than a decade provided crucial data on ocean systems and climate change.In a notice, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that it had initiated descoping of the Ocean Observatories Initiative" (OOI), a vast ocean observation network comprising more than 900 instruments that collect data on ocean health, including current patterns, climate variability and marine biodiversity. Continue reading...

Hearing in New York state case over shooting of healthcare executive sealed at short notice at request of the defense'Luigi Mangione's New York state case in the killing of the healthcare executive Brian Thompson descended into secrecy on Wednesday when Judge Gregory Carro held sealed proceedings despite press objections.Mangione's state trial for allegedly shooting dead Thompson on a Manhattan Street in late 2024 is scheduled for 8 September. Mangione also faces a federal trial in relation to Thompson's killing. The murder triggered an intense manhunt but also prompted an outpouring of public rage against the practices of the for-profit US healthcare industry. Continue reading...

Faculty who support Palestinian rights are applying for compensation, claiming they faced harassment as Jews for their positionsWhen Columbia University reached a settlement with the Trump administration last year, the deal included a $21m fund to compensate Jewish employees for an allegedly hostile work environment due to heated protests against Israel's war in Gaza.This week, as the window to file claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission came to a close, several Jewish faculty members filed claims to say they had experienced harassment as Jews on campus - but probably not on grounds Trump's EEOC intended. Continue reading...

Early results show Steve Hilton, Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer emerging in front, with many ballots to be counted

Two-time Grammy winner was best known for songs from Beauty and the Beast and AladdinPeabo Bryson, the R&B singer best known as the voice behind the Oscar-winning Disney film duets Beauty and the Beast with Celine Dion, and A Whole New World with Regina Belle from Aladdin, has died. He was 75.His family said in a statement that Bryson, who won two Grammy awards, died on Tuesday, days after having a stroke. Continue reading...

Prosecutors seek to try 17-year-old as adult after animals injured at major barrel racing eventA teenage girl who allegedly stabbed three show horses at a weekend rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a crazy, obsessed stalker" who waited in a darkened barn to commit the attacks, the owner of one of the animals has said.The Nevada city's police department arrested a 17-year-old female on Saturday for the incidents at the National Barrel Horse Association's supershow, a competition for the sport's top riders at the South Point equestrian arena on the Las Vegas strip. Continue reading...

US president says I think he will' when asked if the acting attorney general would take on a permanent roleDonald Trump said he believed he would make acting attorney general Todd Blanche permanent as the top US law enforcement officer.Asked in an interview broadcast Wednesday on Pod Force One if Blanche would be US attorney general, Trump said: I think he will." Continue reading...

In Winooski, Vermont, where more than a third of children are English learners, a school superintendent is taking a stand to protect immigrant studentsOn an April morning at Winooki high school, the day started with a writing prompt: Do you feel safe in school? Why or why not?The students - whose families hail from across the globe and speak Arabic, Nepali, Spanish, Somali and more - wrote their responses before reading them aloud. Continue reading...

New York police are investigating a bizarre mystery involving groups of people emerging from the city's manholes in recent weeks. Video recorded on 29 May shows seven people climb through a manhole at the intersection of Bedford Avenue and Lynch Street in Brooklyn.The NYPD, to make sure there was not a threat to the public, sent their highly trained Emergency Services Unit officers into the sewer system to make sure nothing nefarious had been left behind by the individuals - nothing was found," the New York City police department told NBC in a statement on 1 June

In the first of a new series of dispatches, fans in US, Mexico and Canada tell us that they want visitors to have a good time but are angry about ticket prices, Fifa's priorities and a lack of long-term thinking from politiciansThe 2026 World Cup features 104 matches in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico and the USA, from Vancouver to Mexico City and San Francisco to Boston. Before, throughout and after the tournament we'll be hearing from fans in those cities about their experiences - some shared and some different - in our My World Cup" series. Here some of our correspondents share their first thoughts. Continue reading...

Bill Pulte, who does not have any national intelligence experience, is nicknamed Little Trump' among someDonald Trump's decision to appoint Bill Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence has set off alarm bells in Washington, as a staunch Trump loyalist with little government experience who has shown an eagerness to retaliate against the president's political rivals will now sit atop the US intelligence apparatus.Pulte, whose grandfather started PulteGroup, a major residential homebuilder, had no government experience before Trump appointed him to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), an under-the-radar regulator that oversees the government lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Shortly after arriving at the agency, he began to gut it, firing sizable chunks of the boards of both and appointing himself as chair. Pulte had no government experience before being appointed to the role and does not have national intelligence experience. Continue reading...

Politicians' statements reflect difficulty facing pro-Israel Democrats as voter support for country falls

Updates from Tuesday's quarter-final matches in Paris

US president says head of Federal Housing Finance Agency will serve as acting director days after Gabbard exits roleDonald Trump has tapped a close ally to serve as the country's top intelligence official, days after Tulsi Gabbard announced her exit from the role.The US president said that Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), and heir to a home construction company fortune, will serve as acting director of national intelligence. Continue reading...

Police say four found dead in a home in Muscatine and two were shot elsewhere in apparent domestic-related dispute'A mass shooting in Iowa on Monday, in which six people were killed by a man who then took his own life, is being investigated as a so-called family annihilation" in which the murderer and victims are closely related.Police in Muscatine, about 50 miles (80km) south-east of Cedar Rapids, said 52-year-old Ryan Willis McFarland fatally shot four people at a home in the city, then killed himself on a riverfront trail as officers spoke to him. Continue reading...

State attorneys general argue $1bn deal to terminate major offshore wind lease off the coast of New York is unlawfulSix states sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over its decision to cancel of a major offshore wind lease off the coast of New York.In March, federal officials announced they would pay nearly $1bn in taxpayer dollars to French energy firm TotalEnergies in exchange for the company killing plans to erect two offshore windfarms off New York and North Carolina. TotalEnergies agreed to terminate the projects and pledged not to develop any new offshore wind projects in the United States, while investing hundreds of millions of dollars in oil and gas projects. Continue reading...

Former US first lady says she has sat at every powerful table' and not met a single white man with such doubtsWhite men do not have to worry about impostor syndrome, according to Michelle Obama, who said she had sat at every powerful table there is" and not found one who admitted feeling such self-doubt.The former US first lady told SXSW London that she wanted to demystify" what it was like to sit in elite meetings, which she said were often populated by people from diverse backgrounds who felt like outsiders. Continue reading...

It could be the puff of steam from a manhole or a horse wandering into view - whatever the moment', the iconic US photographer has always had a camera in hand to capture it Continue reading...

Democrats decry president's most brazen act of self-dealing yet' and vow to challenge fund in CongressDonald Trump is reconsidering whether to keep pressing for a $1.8bn fund to compensate his allies, a person familiar with his thinking said on Monday, as the justice department paused the program to comply with a court order.Trump's anti-weaponization" fund has faced legal setbacks since it was announced two weeks ago. The idea has also faced a mounting political backlash from Republicans concerned by a lack of oversight and the possibility of payouts to participants in the January 6 2021 riot at the US Capitol. Continue reading...

Tehran says Israel's operation in Lebanon is violation of existing ceasefire with US, throwing wrench in planned peace talks - key US politics stories from Monday 1 JunePeace talks planned between the US and Iran are in limbo yet again, sparked by the Israeli offensive in Lebanon.The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said unequivocal violation of the ceasefire on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts" and the US and Israel would be held responsible. A news agency aligned to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tehran was suspending its participation in talks designed to end the blockade of the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

Revocation of access newest attempt by Trump's defense department to restrict reporting on military affairsJournalists may no longer enter the Pentagon's press office, which has been designated as a classified space amid growing moves to restrict press access to the defense department.This is the most transparent war department in history. No amount of spin from the Fake News media will change that," Jose Valdez, the acting defense department press secretary, said in a social media post. The Pentagon Press Office has been redesignated as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility due to speechwriters from the Office of the Secretary of War sharing the facility." Continue reading...

Fans of the Hollywood icon set a new world record as 1,034 people descended on the California desert town to celebrate what would have been her 100th birthday. It was the largest ever gathering of people dressed as Marilyn Monroe Continue reading...

Ohio-based slider chain introduces Southwest Veggie Slider permanently after customer feedback for meatless optionVegetarians have a new reason to celebrate: White Castle has added a permanent meat-free option to its menu.On Monday, the Columbus, Ohio-based slider chain announced the launch of the Southwest Veggie Slider, featuring a crispy brown rice crust and a smoky chipotle- and barbecue-inspired veggie patty made with sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, red bell peppers, onions and carrots. Continue reading...

Dozens reportedly arrested for defying curfew at Delaney Hall in Newark amid hunger and labor strikes at facilityOn Monday afternoon, over an hour south of Newark, a few dozen protesters outside the New Jersey state legislature in Trenton condemned Democratic governor Mikie Sherrill's decision to send in the state police to Delaney Hall, the Newark immigration detention center that has seen more than a week of chaotic and often violent clashes.Across the street, two people silently held a giant NO CONCENTRATION CAMPS" sign. Members of local chapters from Indivisible, a national movement behind the No Kings protests, held handmade posters reading Gov Sherrill, stop lying about Delaney Hall" and NJ Staties were the aggressors" - a reference to Sherrill and state attorney general Jennifer Davenport's calling the anti-ICE protesters violent". Continue reading...

New York mayor refused to attend as other Democrats drew rebukes for marching with Israel's far-right finance ministerAs they have done for decades, prominent members of the Democratic party establishment marched on Sunday in New York City's annual Israel Day parade. Perhaps more noteworthy, however, was who was missing.Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, refused to attend, citing his opposition to the Israeli government, which he has accused of committing genocide in Gaza. Continue reading...

Robert Garcia became the lead contender in Tuesday's primaries for congressional district 42 after redistrictingThe conservative California community of Huntington Beach, known for banning the Pride flag from city property and fighting the state over pandemic and housing policy, could soon be represented by a gay, Democratic congressman.Robert Garcia, an incumbent two-term Democratic LGBTQ+ congressman, immigrant and Donald Trump critic, is considered the leading contender in Tuesday's primary race for the US House seat. Thanks to a successful restricting effort that redrew California's voting maps to favor Democrats, Huntington Beach is now part of Garcia's congressional district 42. Continue reading...

Last summer, Wisconsin comedian Charlie Berens started getting messages from people in his state about plans for a major datacenter in their community. When Berens dug in, he was shocked to discover the impact the datacenter would have on local residents. So he responded with comedy. The video he posted online about the datacenter went viral, and Berens has been on the frontlines of the fight against datacenters ever since. Carter Sherman speaks to Berens about how he is using his comedy as a tool for activism

Split decision deals blow to Trump administration's anti-diversity agenda, calling the ban arbitrary, and based on animus'Transgender troops can remain in the US military, but the armed services can continue to block their enlistment, an appeals court ruled on Monday in a split decision with potentially significant consequences for the Trump administration's anti-diversity agenda.The divided, majority opinion by a three-judge panel of the US court of appeals for Washington DC is expected to be challenged by the government. And the case is ultimately likely to reach the US supreme court. Continue reading...

The US president's war of choice has accomplished nothing and cost the world greatlyDonald Trump claims to have mastered the Art of the Deal, but he has just given us a master class in negotiating incompetence. I would love to see an Iranian government that no longer represses its people, menaces its neighbors, or can build a nuclear weapon. Trump has set back all of these efforts. His cabinet of sycophants offered little resistance as he naively bombed first and faced reality later.Trump is reviewing and tinkering with a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) drafted by American and Iranian diplomats with the aid of Pakistan and Qatar. It would continue the current ceasefire for 60 days while a more permanent peace accord is negotiated. The precise contours of this preliminary agreement are not known, but its gist seems clear - and is a profound embarrassment for Trump. His unprovoked war of choice has accomplished all of nothing. A new approach is urgently needed. Continue reading...

Remains of Los Alamos employee Melissa Casias found alongside handgun in case that stirred online speculationAuthorities in New Mexico have identified human remains which they recently discovered as those of a Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) employee who had been missing for more than a year.In a statement released over the weekend, state police said the remains belonged to Melissa Casias, a 53-year-old resident of Taos, New Mexico, who was last seen walking eastbound along a state highway on 26 June 2025. Continue reading...

The Canadian fourth seed and the former Wimbledon runner-up both won through in straight sets but Madison Keys was defeated by Diana ShnaiderPotapova, having lost five games in a row, makes advantage on the Kalinskaya serve, a pair of backhands, one cross then another down the line, seizing the break to trail 4-6 1-0. Neither player is really at it here, meaning the match is there for whichever of them can stay composed.On Chatrier, Svajda is improving, surviving to break points for lead 2-1 in set two, having lost the first 6-2. If he can attack Cobolli's second serve and backhand, he might yet make an impression in this match. Continue reading...

Castlelake's move raises questions over valuation and ownership rules as well as whether Stelios Haji-Ioannou could throw a spanner in the works

Attorney general Keith Ellison says gesture at convention was an act of profound cruelty' to George Floyd's familyThe Minnesota Republican party's decision to hold a moment of silence for Derek Chauvin, the former police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, has angered the state's attorney general - who was the lead prosecutor in the case.Keith Ellison, a Democrat, said Saturday's gesture at the state Republicans' annual convention in Duluth was an act of profound cruelty" to Floyd's family and disrespectful" to Minnesota's law enforcement personnel. Continue reading...

Peters, a conspiracy theorist convicted after 2020 election, served less than a quarter of her nine-year sentenceTina Peters, the former clerk convicted of participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories promulgated by Donald Trump, was released from prison on Monday after the president successfully pressured Colorado's Democratic governor into commuting her sentence.Peters' release was confirmed by the Colorado corrections department. The state agency said it would have no more information about the 70-year-old. Continue reading...

Powell says central bank has been facing stress test' under Trump, as supreme court weighs decision on Fed governor that president tried to fire

Miami-Dade county officials agreed to pay HRP Group more than double the price for land on Fisher Island to protect fuel depot used by the cruise industryA three-way tug-of-war erupted in recent months over ownership of a property on Fisher Island - one of the wealthiest zip codes in the United States - that sits in Biscayne Bay opposite the skyline of downtown Miami. When TransMontaigne Partners, a Denver-based global energy company, put the parcel on the market in May 2024, interest ran high because that land represented the last remaining piece of real estate available for development on the island.The eventual winner of the bidding war was a Chicago-based developer called the HRP Group, which purchased the property for $180m in late September last year. The developer then announced ambitious plans to build condominium towers on the property at an estimated cost of $2bn. Continue reading...

Focus on casino operator is sharp departure from media for Diller as markets remain volatileMedia mogul Barry Diller's People Inc said on Monday it had proposed to buy MGM Resorts, valuing the casino operator at more than $18bn.The offer comes just weeks after Diller, the digital media company's chair, told shareholders in a 28 April letter that People would sharpen its focus on its MGM stake, calling the stock wildly undervalued". Continue reading...