by Tiago Rogero South America correspondent on (#741GJ)
Critics sceptical Pentagon chief's plan for increased military force - amid rising US intervention - will stop drug gangsPete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, has urged Latin American countries to adopt a more aggressive approach against drug cartels, warning that the Trump administration may otherwise act unilaterally in the region.Hegseth's remarks come in a context of escalating US intervention in the region, both militarily and in elections, which culminated in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro - the first US ground military attack on a South American country. Continue reading...
In leaked chats, students at Florida International University referenced Nazis and made antisemitic and racist remarksIt only took three weeks for a group chat for conservative students at Florida International University (FIU) to become a place where participants eagerly used racist slurs, prompting widespread condemnation from community leaders.Abel Alexander Carvajal, secretary of Miami-Dade county's Republican party and a student at FIU's College of Law, reportedly started the chat after the killing of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, in September 2025. Continue reading...
The US and Israel started a war that is escalating rapidly, with repercussions beyond the region tooThere will be no quick or easy wins - even on US and Israeli terms. They have celebrated assassinating Iran's supreme leader; their offensive has also killed more than 1,000 civilians so far, including scores of children, according to a US-based rights group. As Iran retaliates, hoping America's allies will try to rein it back, it is targeting US bases and civilian sites across the region - even in Oman, which was at the forefront of efforts to stave off the war. Gulf powers are increasingly irate, though wary of acting on threats to go beyond defensive action. Israel has ordered hundreds of thousands of civilians to leave a vast swathe of southern Lebanon, blaming Hezbollah's retaliation for the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Those who warned that the US-Israeli attack on Iran would lead to war engulfing the Middle East have proved, if anything, conservative in their predictions. A Hezbollah-launched drone hit an RAF airbase in Cyprus at the weekend. On Wednesday, Azerbaijan reported strikes on an airbase (though Iran denied responsibility, as it did over a missile fired towards Turkey). The day before, the US sank an Iranian warship 2,000 miles away, in waters close to Sri Lanka, as it returned from multilateral exercises with India - killing at least 87 people. And governments around the world face soaring energy prices and rattled markets thanks to Iran's chokehold on the strait of Hormuz.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...
Under RFK Jr and the Maha movement, Republicans have claimed the mantle - but their actions are full of contradictionsOn 25 February, in her opening remarks at her Senate confirmation hearing, Casey Means, Donald Trump's nominee for surgeon general, called on the US government to address key drivers of chronic disease, including ultraprocessed foods, industrial chemical exposure" and other factors. The same month, in a provocative Super Bowl ad for the federal government's RealFood.gov site, Mike Tyson warned of the dangers of processed food. The recent developments confirm what's becoming conventional wisdom: the GOP is now the party of healthy food.It's not just Robert F Kennedy Jr's high-profile moves on red food dyes or the USDA food pyramid. Conservative politicians and influencers are now attacking chemical additives, plastics, and ultra-processed ingredients as drivers of chronic disease. Republicans see Maha, the make America healthy again" movement, as a rare cultural wedge that resonates outside the party's Maga base. The GOP's own polling memos show that Kennedy's movement could be their single most promising midterm strategy. Continue reading...
Is the Islamic Republic a messianic theocracy or a brittle dictatorship? It's neither - as those attacking it are finding outWhen the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran on 28 February, the campaign was structured like a textbook air war: destroy defences, degrade retaliatory capabilities and decapitate leadership. Iranian air defences - already battered in last summer's war - were further dismantled to secure uncontested skies. Missile factories, drone infrastructure and naval assets were hit to erode Iran's ability to retaliate. And a steady cadence of precision strikes removed senior commanders in what amounted to a sustained attempt to disorient Tehran's decision-making.From a purely operational perspective, the advantages have been stark. Once skies are open, the war becomes cheaper: plentiful, relatively inexpensive munitions can replace the long-range systems that defended airspace typically demands.Ali Vaez is Iran project director and senior adviser to the president at the International Crisis GroupDo 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...
In Dallas and Williamson counties, voters faced long lines, extended wait times and confusion about voting locationOn Tuesday, Texas held its Democratic and Republican primaries ahead of the upcoming November midterms. Democratic voters chose between Jasmine Crockett, the anti-Trump firebrand congresswoman, and James Talarico, the populist state representative, in an election that attracted national attention. Crockett conceded the race and endorsed Talarico on Wednesday, but only after claiming late on election night that she wasn't ready to concede because of a voting issue in Dallas.We don't have any of the results because there was a lot of confusion today," Crockett told supporters at her election-night party: We were able to keep the polls open, but I can tell you now that people have been disenfranchised." Crockett received 45.6% of the vote, compared to Talarico's 53.1%. Continue reading...
Trade court directs customs to repay importers with interest after supreme court ruled tariffs unlawfulA US trade court judge on Wednesday ordered the government to begin paying potentially billions of dollars in refunds to importers who paid tariffs that the supreme court said last month were collected illegally. Richard Eaton, a judge of the US Court of International Trade in Manhattan, ordered the government to finalize the cost of bringing millions of shipments into the US without assessing a tariff, according to a court filing. He ordered the refunds to be made with interest.When merchandise is brought into the United States, an importer pays an estimated amount at entry which is then finalized around 314 days later, a process known as liquidation. Eaton directed Customs and Border Protection to finalize the entry cost on shipments without the tariff being assessed, resulting in a refund. Continue reading...
The Guardian asked US readers about the military action in Iran - their responses were largely disapprovingAs hundreds of civilians and some US service members have been killed in the aftermath of the 28 February strike against Iran by the United States and Israel, the Guardian asked readers in the US what their thoughts are on the latest military action in Iran.Their responses were largely disapproving, with some acknowledging that the Iranian regime needed to be toppled, even with a high cost. Continue reading...
Only one person working job that today would be called deportation officer' has died from act of violence, Guardian review showsSince Donald Trump returned to the presidency, homeland security officials have consistently argued that deportation officers are facing unprecedented threats.To better understand the dangers facing those officers, the Guardian examined the agency's own tracking of its fallen officers, as well as recent violent incidents targeting immigration officers flagged by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Continue reading...
Conspiracy claims have erupted over the star's appearance. These days, I can't blame people for endless skepticismLast week, my ex-wife texted me. She usually does that when my son falls off his skateboard or learns a new expletive to say on the playground. This time was different. Have you seen Jim Carrey?" she asked, apropos of nothing we had discussed previously. It was as if she was asking me if I'd seen her misplaced keys.No, I have not seen Jim Carrey. Have you looked under the couch?" I replied.Dave Schilling is a Los Angeles-based writer and humorist Continue reading...
US-Israeli strikes have continued to hit Iran, leaving a second police station in rubble and damaging residential buildings in Tehran.Intense waves of airstrikes have also hit dozens of military positions, frontier posts and police stations along northern parts of Iran's border with Iraq in what appears to be preparation by the US and Israel for a new front in their war
Harris's 2024 campaign lacked authenticity and conviction. We can't afford to repeat the mistakes of the pastI've got some good news and some bad news for you today. The bad news is, well, everything. As you may have noticed, the world is on fire. The good news, however, is that a savior may be at hand. Kamala Harris, a politician who has never won a presidential primary and lost the popular vote to Donald Trump in 2024, hasn't ruled out running for president again.Harris has kept a fairly low profile since November 2024, focusing most of her energy on promoting 107 Days, her account of her truncated presidential run, and appearing as the guest of honour at the 2025 Australian Real Estate Conference. But she has also made it clear that she still has an eye on the White House: in an interview with the BBC last October, Harris said she was not done" with politics and strongly suggested she might run for president again. Harris echoed these sentiments in a conversation with the podcaster Sharon McMahon last week. I might," she said when asked if she will run again.Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Green card holders are now ineligible for loans through the SBA as agency carries out Trump's America First' agendaThe US federal agency in charge of helping small businesses has cut off an essential line of funding for immigrant entrepreneurs for the first time in the agency's history.Legal residents, or green card holders, are now ineligible for loans backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The change was first announced in February and comes as the agency carries out an America First" agenda under SBA administrator Kelly Loeffler, a billionaire and staunch Donald Trump loyalist who was appointed last February. Continue reading...
Experts warn backing Iran's ethnic communities could increase the risk of a chaotic civil war. Plus, Pam Bondi subpoenaed by US House in Jeffrey Epstein investigation
President has succeeded in completely politicizing' justice department, experts say, using it to punish his enemiesDonald Trump's Department of Justice (DoJ) has increasingly become his administration's political wing" with criminal investigations of economic and political foes and an FBI raid of a Georgia election office seeking evidence for Trump's debunked claim that his 2020 election loss was rigged, say ex-prosecutors.The shifts at the DoJ have been especially marked since the start of 2026 and the growing politicization of the department - headed by Trump's loyalist attorney general, Pam Bondi - was symbolized on 19 February , when a large banner with Trump's picture was unfurled over the door of the DoJ headquarters. Continue reading...
At the Third Way conference in Charleston, centrists debated ways to win - and were sure electoral success lies with themJoe Walsh half jumped out of his seat when discussion at the Third Way conference in Charleston turned to how Democrats sound to voters.Tone! My God!" the former Republican congressman shouted. The Democrats come across as, like, professors, academics, elites. I mean, my God, rip off your freaking sport coat and talk to me! Listen to me like a regular human being." Continue reading...
Israel's role in drawing the US into a war on Iran is attracting healthy scrutiny. It's also creating a permission structure for antisemitismThe joint US-Israel military strikes on Iran have forced a reckoning that American political culture has been approaching for years, but has perhaps never had to face as head-on as it does right now. It is a reckoning that contains two urgent, legitimate, and partially contradictory imperatives - and neither should be abandoned.Let us start with one simple truth. Israel's role in drawing the United States into military action against Iran warrants serious scrutiny. Whatever one believes about the strategic logic of the strikes, the process by which the United States came to participate in them raises profound questions about the relationship between the two countries. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has claimed that the US struck Iran partly because it knew Israel was going to act unilaterally and feared the blowback. In other words, Israeli strategic priorities shaped American military timing, and by extension, American casualties. Continue reading...
The Americans finished fifth in the medal table in 2022. A strong team will be looking to improve that record in Italy in the coming daysThe first-time Paralympian only turned 19 at the start of March, but she has been in the news for her skiing prowess since she was a second-grader. She's also going to Italy on a roll, having reached the podium in two World Cup downhill races in early February. In the 2024-25 season, she had two World Cup podium finishes in giant slalom, and she took bronze in giant slalom and fifth in slalom at the world championships, where the other three events were canceled. Though she was born without her lower right arm, she was still an honorable mention All-State softball player in Colorado. Continue reading...
When presidents ask the country to support a war, honesty is not optionalThe bombs fell in our name before any of us knew. Then the president saw fit to inform us.Legal scholars and politicians alike began debating whether they were constitutional. Markets responded within hours. Cities across the United States moved to heightened alert amid fears of retaliation. Continue reading...
The tournament is celebrating its 20th anniversary and some of the best players on the planet are competing for a title that means somethingFor years, while football fans salivated over Fifa World Cups, and basketball and hockey enthusiasts enjoyed an endless parade of NBA and NHL stars at the Olympics, baseball fans had bupkis, with no legitimate international tournament to speak of. Instead, there was something called the Baseball World Cup. Played without a Yankee, Cub or Dodger in sight, but with representatives from teams including the Montgomery Biscuits, Mexico Red Devils and Winnipeg Goldeyes, few fans in North America knew it existed, or when it was played. The only team with legit talent, Cuba, with players who could play in Major League Baseball, but did not because of politics, dominated the tournament.Then in 2006 came a breakthrough with the debut of the 16-nation World Baseball Classic, which featured legitimate professional stars. The platform was built, the mysterious Cubans finally got to play in the US and the fans came. The tournament averaged nearly 19,000 fans a game, and that included the empty seat, Australia-Italy type match-ups. The face paint was bright, the vibes were October-like and the games were compelling; Japan held off Cuba as they took the maiden crown. The WBC passed its first test with a flourish and moved boldly into the future. Continue reading...
Misty Roberts, 43, faces sentences of up to 10 and seven years in prison after July 2024 sexual assault at pool partyThe former mayor of a Louisiana city has been convicted of raping a 16-year-old boy during a party at her house while she was still in office.Misty Roberts, 43, faces sentences of up to 10 and seven years in prison after a jury in the municipality of DeRidder on Tuesday found her guilty of two felonies: carnal knowledge of a juvenile - or statutory rape - as well as indecent behavior with a minor. Continue reading...
US military has not taken responsibility for the strike, which killed at least 165 students, according to Iranian officials - key US politics stories from Wednesday 4 March at a glancePete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, offered few details and was evasive when asked about the deadly strike on a girls' school in Iran, saying only that the US was investigating" the incident. Iranian officials say the attack, which happened on Saturday, killed at least 165 students.All I can say is we're investigating that," Hegseth said when asked about the bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' school in Minab. We, of course, never target civilian targets, but we're taking a look and investigating that." Continue reading...
Trump ally Daines confirms resignation and withdraws bid for a third term, saying: It is time for new leaders'Republican US senator Steve Daines of Montana dropped his bid for re-election to a third term Wednesday.Daines withdrew his name just minutes before the deadline for candidates to file for the November election with the Montana secretary of state's office. Daines confirmed his resignation in a written statement as well as a video posted to social media. Continue reading...
Modest mid-century home in Studio City, used for sitcom's exterior shots, designated a historic-cultural monumentHere's the story ... of how a modest mid-century home became a Los Angeles landmark.The Los Angeles city council voted unanimously on Wednesday to designate the Brady Bunch house in the San Fernando Valley as a historic-cultural monument. Continue reading...
Lawyer for Peters says he expects Jared Polis to commute nine-year sentence over voting breach in 2020 electionA lawyer representing Tina Peters said he expects the Democratic Colorado governor Jared Polis to commute her nine-year prison sentence, a move that could release the only person serving a sentence related to trying to overturn the 2020 election from prison.Peters was the county clerk in western Colorado's Mesa county in 2020 and allowed an unauthorized person to use a security badge and access her county's voting equipment. Passwords and other sensitive information related to the county's election equipment later became public and was used by election deniers to try and question the 2020 election results. Continue reading...
GoFan penalized for breaching privacy laws after students used service to sign up for football games and school promThe California Privacy Protection Agency has fined tech company GoFan $1.1m for swiping and selling data from high school students across the state who used the service to sign up for events including football games, school plays and senior prom.Before signing up for school events, software by GoFan - a ticketing business owned by PlayOn, a media company that streams high school sports games - prompted users to accept conditions, including allowing the company to collect users' personal information and sell it to advertisers. Users could only proceed to buy their tickets if they hit a white agree" button. They did not have the option to opt out. Continue reading...
Faculty members stop short of calling for Leon Botstein to resign in wake of revelations about ties with sex offenderMembers of Bard College's faculty have called on the group's board of trustees to develop a transition in leadership" plan for Leon Botstein but stopped short of calling for the college president to resign in the wake of revelations about his relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The board of trustees announced on 19 February that it had retained the outside lawfirm of WilmerHale to conduct an independent review" into communications between Epstein and Botstein, who has served as the college's president for 50 years.Do you have a tip on this story?
Latest outage darkens island facing dwindling oil reserves and increasing pressure from WashingtonA blackout hit the western half of Cuba on Wednesday, leaving millions of people in Havana and beyond without power in the latest outage to affect an island struggling with dwindling oil reserves and a crumbling electricity grid.The government's Electric Union confirmed the outage on social platform X, saying it affected people from the eastern town of Pinar del Rio to the central town of Camaguey. Continue reading...
An unreliable and volatile American president makes a compelling case for closer security and defence cooperation with continental alliesThere is truth to Donald Trump's declaration earlier this week that the UK-US relationship is not what it was", although there is no indication that he understands the reasons for the change.The US president is very disappointed" that Sir Keir Starmer has been uncooperative" in the war against Iran, offering only limited logistical support to American forces. The prime minister's concession that RAF resources can be involved in defensive operations does not compensate for the prior refusal to put Britain's military assets at American disposal. It came too late for Mr Trump, whose irritation turned to culture-war jibes about windmills" ruining British landscapes and a false claim about the prevalence of sharia courts.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...
It's monstrously presumptuous? Unforgivably glib? Perhaps. But this stylised drama is the show we all need right nowIf you are looking for a break in the clouds from this terrible news cycle, can I direct you towards Love Story, the nine-part series executive-produced - but crucially, not written! - by Ryan Murphy, which documents the love and untimely deaths of John F Kennedy Jr and his wife, Carolyn Bessette. You might think this isn't for you, that it'll be too tabloidy or that you're not interested in JFK Jr. But while Love Story, which takes us back to a very particular version of early-1990s New York, might not seem like the show we want right now, it is exactly the show that we need.This probably sounds like a heartless summary of a true story that ends in the terrible deaths of two young people (in 1999, while flying his wife and her sister from New Jersey to Martha's Vineyard, Kennedy crashed his light aircraft, killing everyone on board). But that tragic end only suffuses the preceding nine hours of storytelling with a kind of pearly, nostalgic light, just the thing to see off the iron-grey wash of today's reality. The New York of Love Story isn't the city's current iteration, with its impossible rents and charmless finance bros ruining downtown. Nor is it the 1990s New York of, say, Home Alone 2, in which Donald Trump strides through the Plaza Hotel and Central Park is a crime-ridden disaster.Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnistDo 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...
The Pentagon chief claims Tehran cannot outlast' US as strikes intensify and civilian toll climbsThe US will have complete, uncontested control of Iranian airspace within days, the Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, declared Wednesday, saying Iran cannot outlast" American military power and that its capabilities were evaporating by the hour".The joint US-Israeli operation to attack Iran, which began on Saturday, had already delivered twice the air power of shock and awe of Iraq in 2003" and seven times the intensity of Israel's previous operations against Iran during the 12-day war", Hegseth claimed at a press conference alongside Dan Caine, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Continue reading...
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