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State superintendent Ryan Walters tapped chief of Heritage Foundation, key player behind Project 2025, for curriculumAs part of the latest Republican push in red states to promote ideologies sympathetic to Donald Trump, Oklahoma's new social studies curriculum will ask high school students to identify discrepancies" in the 2020 election results.The previous standard for studying the 2020 election merely said: Examine issues related to the election of 2020 and its outcome." The new version is more expansive: Identify discrepancies in 2020 elections results by looking at graphs and other information, including the sudden halting of ballot-counting in select cities in key battleground states, the security risks of mail-in balloting, sudden batch dumps, an unforeseen record number of voters, and the unprecedented contradiction of bellwether county' trends." Continue reading...

In social media posts, president also slams Walmart for price increases and spreads anti-Clinton conspiracy theoriesDonald Trump said that he will speak to both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an effort to stop what he called the bloodbath" war in Ukraine amid a barrage of new social media posts that included baseless conspiracy theories and a demand that Walmart not raise prices for customers because of tariffs he has imposed.Trump, posting on his Truth Social account on Saturday, wrote that he will speak to Putin on Monday morning. THE SUBJECTS OF THE CALL WILL BE, STOPPING THE BLOODBATH' THAT IS KILLING, ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 5000 RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS A WEEK, AND TRADE," Trump wrote, in his customary all-capitalized prose. The president has repeatedly cited a death toll for the conflict that is much higher than any official figures, or estimates based on an open-source investigation, without explaining why. Continue reading...

The actor urged artists to keep expressing themselves after the US president called singer Bruce Springsteen a 'pushy, obnoxious JERK' on his social media platform Truth Social. Pascal was in Cannes on Saturday promoting his new film Eddington, directed by Ari Aster, a conspiracy theory satire set during the Covid-19 pandemic

Total of 10 men escaped from hole behind toilet in cell; authorities are investigating whether they had inside helpSeven men - including one convicted in four killings and others charged with murder - remained on the run after a breakout at New Orleans' jail that officials fear may have been enabled by help from within their own ranks.A total of 10 men participated in the brazen overnight escape by fleeing through a hole behind a toilet and scaling a wall while the lone staffer assigned to their cell pod was away getting food. Continue reading...

Interview by special counsel shows then president having problems remembering key dates and life eventsA newly released recording appears to confirm that Joe Biden suffered some memory lapses while US president, struggling to recall the year his son died or when Donald Trump was first elected.While being interviewed by a special counsel over his handling of classified records, the audio shows Biden's responses are marked by long pauses, a faint whispered voice and confusion over key dates, such as when his son Beau died (2015) or when Trump won his first presidency (2016). Continue reading...

Comments at Cannes come after US president's social media posts against Bruce Springsteen and Taylor SwiftPedro Pascal has sharply criticised Donald Trump's attacks against artists, as the director of a conspiracy theory satire starring the actor said he feared the political messages of films could be weaponised by US border guards.Fuck the people that try to make you scared," the Game of Thrones and The Last of Us actor said at a press conference at the Cannes film festival, promoting Ari Aster's new film Eddington. And fight back. And don't let them win." Continue reading...

Verbal attacks by Trump and allies are creating a hostile climate that endangers judges' safety, experts sayUS judges who have increasingly rebuked the Trump administration's harsh deportation agenda and other Maga policies are facing intense verbal assaults from the president and his allies, which seem to be spurring other dangerous threats against judges, say legal experts and former judges.The Trump administration's escalating fight with the courts has come as more than 200 lawsuits have challenged executive orders and policies on multiple issues including immigrant deportations, penalizing law firms with links to political foes, agency spending and workforce cuts, and other matters. Continue reading...

Much remains uncertain about Valeria Marquez's death. But it shines a light on a universal issueValeria Marquez was killed in one of the most horrifically public ways possible. On Tuesday evening, the 23-year-old Mexican social media influencer, who had built up a large following with videos about beauty and makeup, was recording a TikTok livestream in the beauty salon where she worked in Jalisco, a state in west-central Mexico. A man entered the establishment and, with her video still running, shot her dead.Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

The New York Mets slugger was booed lustily on his return to Yankee Stadium after departing in free agency, showing just how deep the Subway Series rivalry now runsDuring the last game of the 2024 baseball season - as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series to clinch a championship in front of a sold-out crowd of disappointed New Yorkers - there were still Yankees fans buying No 22 Juan Soto jerseys at the ballpark. This was noteworthy because as soon as the game ended, Soto was a free agent.He had been traded to New York from the San Diego Padres - where he landed after a bombshell trade from the Washington National team that drafted him and with whom he won a World Series in 2019 - just ahead of his walk year. But Soto had endeared himself to the fervent fanbase quickly. In 2024, he was 80% better than average at the plate according to wRC+ and, with the towering Aaron Judge hitting behind him, led the American League in runs scored. And it seemed his swagger fit with the famous franchise that brought him back to the Fall Classic for the first time since he was 20 years old. Continue reading...

The deals stand to enrich tech CEOs substantially by opening up new audiences for their productsOn his tour of the Middle East this week, Donald Trump announced a slew of multibillion-dollar tech deals with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. With the sale of the US's most advanced technology, he also sold the American model of the industry that made it: enormous amounts of power concentrated in the hands of a few men.The announcements poured in last week: the US and the United Arab Emirates agreed on Abu Dhabi as the site of the largest artificial intelligence campus outside the US. The deal reportedly allows the UAE to import half a million Nvidia semiconductor chips, considered the most advanced in the world for the creation of artificial intelligence products. Saudi Arabia struck a similar deal for semiconductors, obtaining the promise of the sale of hundreds of thousands of Nvidia Blackwell chips to Humain, an AI startup owned by its sovereign wealth fund. Cisco said it had signed a deal with a UAE AI firm to develop the country's AI sector. The agreements also directed some investment by Saudi firms into US technology and manufacturing. Amazon Web Services and Qualcomm likewise announced deals on cloud computing and cybersecurity. Continue reading...

A new book has fueled controversy over press handling of the ex-president's decline. But that distracts from a bigger problemWith a new book out about Joe Biden's failed re-election campaign, a media reckoning is in full swing.It goes something like this: mainstream journalism failed the voters. Reporters were complicit; they didn't tell us how much the elderly president had declined. They didn't dig beneath the surface of what Biden aides were doing as they covered up the physical and cognitive decline of the leader of the free world.Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...

Legislation would establish fees to seek asylum, care for a minor in US custody or apply for humanitarian paroleCongressional Republicans are proposing an array of new fees on immigrants seeking to remain in the United States in a move that advocates warn will create insurmountable financial barriers.Legislation moving through the GOP-controlled House of Representatives could require immigrants to pay potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars to seek asylum, care for a minor in the government's custody, or apply for humanitarian parole. Continue reading...

The administration seems to be getting clobbered in court, but it's still unsettled whether the government can detain and deport noncitizens over political speechThe Trump administration suffered yet another blow this past week to its efforts to deport international students over their pro-Palestinian speech, when a third federal judge threw a wrench into a government campaign widely criticized as a political witch hunt with little historical precedent.On Wednesday, a federal judge in Virginia ordered immigration authorities to release Georgetown University postdoctoral fellow Badar Khan Suri from custody. The Indian scholar's release followed that of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University student from Turkey, and Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian permanent resident and Columbia University student. The administration is seeking to deport all of them on the grounds that their presence in the US is harmful to the country's foreign policy, part of a crackdown on political dissent that has sent shockwaves through US campuses. Continue reading...

White House remakes foreign policy under pay-for-access code that critics say could violate US constitutionFormer White House lawyers, diplomatic protocol officers and foreign affairs experts have told the Guardian that Donald Trump's receipt of overseas gifts and targeted investments are unprecedented", as the White House remakes US foreign policy under a pay-for-access code that eclipses past administrations with characteristic Trumpian excess.The openness to foreign largesse was on full display this week as the US president was feted in the Gulf states during his first major diplomatic trip abroad this term, inking deals he claimed were worth trillions of dollars and pumping local leaders for investments as he says he remakes US foreign policy to prioritise America first" - putting aside concerns of human rights or international law for the bottom line of American businesses and taxpayers. Continue reading...

The impact of those six chaotic weeks, from higher prices to slowing growth, is still unfolding, and the story continuesDonald Trump hailed a new chapter in the US's economic history on 2 April, dubbed liberation day" by his administration, as he announced plans for an extraordinary barrage of US tariffs on the world. The chapter lasted 40 days.The page has already been turned. But the impact of those six chaotic weeks, from higher prices to slowing growth, is still unfolding - and the US president is already threatening further adjustments. The story continues. Continue reading...

The long-suffering Knickerbockers were the butt of jokes around the league for at least two decades, but now they're just four games from the NBA finalsOn Friday night in New York City, more than 19,000 Knicks fans poured out of Madison Square Garden and onto Seventh Avenue, celebrating their team's improbable 4-2 series victory over the Boston Celtics. The NBA's social media peanut gallery had previously taken issue with Knicks fans for their overly exuberant early-round victory celebrations, but after landing in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in a quarter-century, this party was as legit as the Knicks newfound title hopes.New York had beaten their rivals by a franchise playoff-record margin of 38 points, ending Boston's reign as NBA champs. If you watched the way they suffocated the Celtics, you know it wasn't even that close. The way this series ended was as stunning as how it began, with consecutive historic Celtic meltdowns at TD Garden, when the home team surrendered 20-point second-half leads not once but twice. Then New York were moments from wrapping up another improbable victory in Game 4 when Boston cornerstone Jayson Tatum went down with an achilles injury. Back in Boston, down three games to one, with their season on the brink and their all-NBA player in the hospital recovering from season-ending surgery, Boston powered through Game 5 on pure adrenaline. That wave of raw energy had crashed by the start of Game 6, and the Celtics finally tapped out. The Garden crowd let out 25 years of shpilkes as they watched their team bounce the champs. Continue reading...

We recognise extreme poverty as ruinous, but this turbo-charged affluence is deeply damaging too. Treat it as such

The US president has introduced an evolving slate of tariffs over the last few months. Here's their current statusOver the last few months, Donald Trump has introduced a confusing and evolving slate of tariffs against specific countries and industries that the president has deemed as threats to US industry.Many of his harshest tariffs have been paused, and some exemptions have been made, but a handful of tariffs are still in place. Trump has continued to threaten more of them, though the future of the president's trade war remains unclear.10% universal tariff

Justices block Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan migrants; judge frustrated by DoJ's failure to detail efforts to return wrongly deported man. This blog is now closed.

James Comey posted picture of shells arranged to say 8647', using common slang for kicking a customer out of a bar

Homeland security department reviewing out-of-the-box' pitch in which immigrants would compete for citizenshipThe US Department of Homeland Security is reportedly considering an out-of-the-box" pitch to participate in a television gameshow that would have immigrants compete to obtain US citizenship.Department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin described the pitch to the New York Times as a celebration of being an American" and said the show would include challenges based on American traditions. Continue reading...

The supreme court blocks White House bid to resume deportations as lawyers say Venezuelans face torture' in El Salvador. Key US politics stories from Friday 16 May at a glanceDonald Trump faced setbacks in the courts and Congress on Friday, as the president finished a visit to the Middle East that included stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates but not Israel.Trump posted on social media: THE SUPREME COURT WON'T ALLOW US TO GET CRIMINALS OUT OF OUR COUNTRY!", after the court rejected the Trump administration's request to remove a temporary block on deportations of Venezuelans under a rarely used 18th-century wartime law. Continue reading...

Mayor confirms deaths after roofs torn off and trees downed, while multiple states brace for high winds and heatAt least four people died and others were hurt after severe storms including a possible tornado swept through St Louis on Friday, as tens of millions of Americans in multiple states braced for possible damage from expected high winds and severe weather this weekend.St Louis mayor Cara Spencer confirmed the deaths after storms tore roofs off some buildings, ripped away brick facades and downed trees and power lines as residents were urged to take cover. Continue reading...

Administration's appeal to quickly deport Venezuelans under Alien Enemies Act rejected with two dissentingThe supreme court has rejected the Trump administration's request to remove a temporary block on deportations of Venezuelans under a rarely used 18th-century wartime law.Over two dissenting votes, the justices acted on an emergency appeal from lawyers for Venezuelan men who have been accused of being gang members, a designation that the administration says makes them eligible for rapid removal from the United States under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Continue reading...

Celebration of 250th anniversary, falling on Trump's birthday, to also feature tanks and hundreds of vehiclesA major military parade to celebrate the US army's 250th anniversary - which will also coincide with Donald Trump's 79th birthday - could cost up to $45m and involve thousands of soldiers, hundreds of army vehicles and dozens of warplanes and battle tanks.The 14 June parade in Washington DC will feature 6,600 soldiers, as well as 50 military aircraft and 150 vehicles, multiple US outlets reported, citing US army spokespeople. Continue reading...

Nearly a dozen crews battled blaze at Nottoway, a historic structure converted to place of reflection and education'Flames ripped through a massive mansion in Louisiana, destroying much of the historic structure that was used as a plantation house when it was completed in 1859 before eventually becoming a place of reflection, education and dialogue" given the more than 150 people who were enslaved there before the abolition of slavery in the US, authorities said.The fire that engulfed the Nottoway plantation house on Thursday devastated the building along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Chris Daigle, the president of Iberville parish (Louisiana's term for county), said on social media. Nearly a dozen fire departments from surrounding towns battled the blaze, he said. No injuries were reported. Continue reading...

Players should remember the effect of golf's fiscal vulgarity before they seek to dictate terms of media questioningMud balls. Hardly a provocative topic in the grand scheme of life. A chunk of soil attaches itself to a golf ball, meaning the individual hitting said object has less control than they would like. Scottie Scheffler and others believe the element of chance created by mud balls at the US PGA Championship is unbefitting of a major. There is an opposing view, one which says golf is not supposed to be perfect or fair. It's a run-of-the-mill sporting debate.Scheffler had volunteered his own mud ball situation as rationale for a shot that flew into water on the 16th hole during round one at Quail Hollow. Within only three more questions, the world No 1 wanted to shut the conversation down. By the way, this is going to be the last answer that I give [on this subject]," Scheffler began. Scheffler, once such a placid soul, was dictating what he may and may not be asked. About golf balls. Continue reading...

Lawyers hired by Venezuela have been unable to confirm proof of life' for 252 migrants imprisoned in El SalvadorLawyers for 252 Venezuelans deported by the Trump administration and imprisoned in El Salvador for two months have alleged that the migrants are victims of physical and emotional torture".A law firm hired by the Venezuelan government said that it had been unable to visit the migrants in the mega-prison where they are locked up. Continue reading...

Trump's justice department is considering a non-prosecution agreement, through which Boeing would not need to plead guiltyBoeing is set to avoid prosecution in a fraud case sparked by two fatal crashes of its bestselling 737 Max jet that killed 346 people, according to sources familiar with the matter.The US Department of Justice is considering a non-prosecution agreement, relatives of the victims were told on Friday, through which the US aerospace giant would not be required to plead guilty. Continue reading...

As with many words, its origin is obscure, but it's commonly used to eject an unruly patron or signal a dish has run out

London-listed Character Group paused shipping Chinese-made goods in April due to Donald Trump tariffs

Priya Saxena was studying in South Dakota when Trump administration revoke her visa over traffic infractionAn Indian PhD graduate who was studying at a university in South Dakota, whom the Trump administration has been attempting to deport, was granted an injunction by a federal judge, allowing her to stay in the country after having received her degree.Priya Saxena's student visa was terminated by the Trump administration in April, which would have prevented her from completing her doctoral program and graduating on 10 May. Continue reading...

The new pick for surgeon general, Casey Means, doesn't have an active medical license. But she does have impeccable Maha credentials'The US health secretary doesn't think you should really listen to him when it comes to health issues. During an appearance before House and Senate committees this week, Robert F Kennedy Jr, famous for his unconventional views about medicine and his revelation that a parasite ate part of his brain, seemed to think it was strange that lawmakers were asking him about vaccines.What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant," Kennedy said when pressed on whether he would vaccinate his child for measles. I don't want to seem like I'm being evasive, but I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice, from me." The US health secretary repeated his refrain about not wanting to give advice a number of other times. Continue reading...

Concerns China could access the technology. Plus, James Comey investigated over photo of seashells

The struggle to obtain these medications illustrates the dangerous mess the US healthcare system has become, writes the former FDA chiefThe American healthcare system is broken. It is too complicated and too hard for people to get the care and medications they need. More than 70% of Americans feel it has failed them. The level of frustration and anger directed at this system is palpable. In fact, what is increasingly apparent is there is no system" at all.New GLP-1 drugs - a class that includes Wegovy and Ozempic - have revolutionized our understanding of weight loss, but they have also illuminated the flaws in our healthcare delivery. People who have struggled with their weight for their entire lives are rightfully frustrated when they learn there is now a medication that can help them but they cannot access it. I carry three health insurance plans and none of them would cover payment for the drug. Faced with this reality, and my increasing percentage of body fat, I decided to pay out of pocket - over $1,000 a month - for a GLP-1 to treat my prediabetes. For most people, that is not an option.David A Kessler MD served as commissioner of the FDA under Presidents George HW Bush and Bill Clinton. He co-led Operation Warp Speed in the Biden administration and has been the dean of the medical schools at Yale and the University of California, San Francisco. His latest book is Diet, Drugs, and Dopamine: The New Science of Achieving a Healthy Weight. Continue reading...

Power isn't equal in an unhealthy relationship. But it's no surprise Sean Diddy' Combs's team is deploying the tacticSean Diddy" Combs's sex-trafficking and racketeering trial is under way, and the music mogul's lawyers gave us a glimpse into what their strategy would be during jury selection last week, when they finally admitted that he was violent toward his ex Cassie Ventura. But now they're claiming that the violence was mutual.In a statement to the judge, the defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said they plan to take the position [that] there was mutual violence in their relationship". Combs's lawyers also describe Ventura, the prosecution's star witness, as strong" with a nature of violence", and capable of starting physical confrontation".Tayo Bero is a Guardian US columnistIn the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women's Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org. Continue reading...

Hogg, a Florida activist, presses on importance of strong fighters in face of Trump for isolated' Democratic baseDavid Hogg believes the Democratic party not only needs better messengers - it needs stronger fighters.The base of the party, they just want us to do anything," the 25-year-old Florida activist and Democratic National Committee (DNC) vice-chair said in an interview last week. They feel alone, they feel isolated, they feel unheard, and they feel like they're not being fought for." Continue reading...

The war in Gaza means the European Broadcasting Union is risking its liberal reputation, but to ban Israel would be to undermine the organisation's fundamental purposeAs they get ready to watch this year's final on Saturday, many Eurovision fans will be feeling conflicted. Some will not watch at all. The reason is the participation of Israel. Isn't Eurovision supposed to be about love, love, peace, peace" (as the 2016 contest's Swedish hosts so memorably portrayed it)? If so, they may ask, what's the besieger of Gaza doing there?Some people argue that the people who run Eurovision, members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), are simply spineless. Others point to the sponsorship of the event by Moroccanoil, which despite its name is Israeli. But a big international organisation is hardly dependent on a beauty products company.Chris West is the author of Eurovision: A History of Modern Europe Through the World's Greatest Song Contest, published by Melville House UK

This blog is now closed. Read our latest story hereHere are some pictures from when Donald Trump arrived in the United Arab Emirates a short while ago, where he was greeted by the UAE president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at the Abu Dhabi airport. It's day three of Trump's Middle East trip aimed at drumming up investment in the US and securing lucrative economic deals with the oil-rich Gulf nations.Donald Trump said there won't be movement on Ukraine peace talks until he and Russian president Vladimir Putin get together. Continue reading...

Central to the court's discussions is whether federal judges should retain their powers to issue nationwide injunctions - key US politics stories from Thursday 15 May 2025 at a glanceUS supreme court justices on Thursday took issue with Donald Trump's attempt to sidestep the constitution to limit birthright citizenship, in a trio of immigration cases that could reshape presidential power and the role of federal courts.The cases before the court stem from the president's January executive order that would deny US citizenship to babies born on American soil if their parents aren't citizens or permanent residents. The plan is likely to be ultimately struck down, as it directly contradicts the 14th amendment, which grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States". Continue reading...

Glen Rogers, 62, convicted over 1995 murder of mother of two, receives lethal injection in state prisonA suspected serial killer once scrutinized for a possible link to the OJ Simpson case that riveted the nation in the 1990s was executed on Thursday in Florida for the murder of a woman found dead in a Tampa motel room.Glen Rogers, 62, received a lethal injection at Florida state prison near Starke and was pronounced dead at 6.16pm, authorities said. He was convicted in Florida of the 1995 murder of Tina Marie Cribbs, a 34-year-old mother of two he had met at a bar. Continue reading...