From trade wars and deglobalisation to ageing populations and populist politics, there’s no shortage of inflationary threats on the horizonThere is a growing debate about whether the inflation that will arise over the next few months will be temporary, reflecting the sharp bounce-back from the Covid-19 recession, or persistent, reflecting demand-pull and cost-push factors.Several arguments point to a persistent secular increase in inflation, which has remained below most central banks’ annual 2% target for more than a decade. The first holds that the US has enacted excessive fiscal stimulus for an economy that already appears to be recovering faster than expected. The additional $1.9tn (£1.4tn) of spending approved in March came on top of a $3tn package last spring and a $900bn stimulus in December, and a $2tn infrastructure bill will soon follow. The US response to the crisis is thus an order of magnitude larger than its response to the 2008 global financial crisis. Continue reading...

The more than 200 anti-trans bills under consideration across the country are not about youth sports, but about attacking and eradicating the most vulnerableI wasn’t always an NFL player. Professional athletes aren’t born – despite popular opinion – we are built. Yes, there are those of us who have athletic traits and given the time and opportunity can hone them into a mastery of our craft, but we aren’t born. Many professional athletes know someone along the way, a sister, a peer, a teammate who was just as talented as them, if not more so, but didn’t make it. Ninety-nine out of a hundred times the reason athletes of similar ability don’t go the same distance or don’t make the leap from amateur to professional is circumstance and opportunity, two things that in our day and age – unlike mastery of a sport – you are born into. After the past few weeks, most trans children including those who have immense potential to be great athletes or, at the very least, find love and joy in sports, can’t even pick up a ball without legislation telling them they don’t belong. Being born Black, queer, trans or of any marginalized community puts you behind the starting line of any race, even when you might need that love and community more than we imagine.I grew up in Dallas, Texas, to a single mother who worked three jobs to put food on the table and clothes on my back. I woke up early in the morning to find my mother had already left for work, and when I returned from school, she would call me from another job and ask me about my day, ask me how much homework I had, tell me what was in the fridge and how to reheat it, and tell me that she loved me. Though my mother was a teenager when I was born, she went above and beyond to raise me. But there was one thing I was missing, one thing that all kids need: an opportunity. Continue reading...

Wright, who was fatally shot by Minneapolis police, is remembered by friends and family as a witty, popular, ‘charismatic kid’Daunte Wright became a father while he was still a teenager, and seemed to relish the role of a doting young dad, his family and friends said.A family photograph shows a beaming Wright holding his son, Daunte Jr, at his first birthday party. Another shows Wright, wearing a mask and his son wearing a bib with the inscription, “Always hungry”. Continue reading...

A nearly century-long effort to explicitly enshrine gender equality in the United States constitution may finally be coming to a headWith renewed attention on anti-discrimination policies following the #MeToo movement and a record number of women serving in Congress, a nearly century-long effort to explicitly enshrine gender equality in the United States constitution may finally be coming to a head.If the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) were incorporated into America’s founding document, it would represent a huge victory for women and people across the gender spectrum, whose fundamental rights are too often tied to partisan disagreements. Continue reading...

This week’s roundup also features plenty of football nostalgia, Shannon Courtenay and the art of trailer racing1) Nostalgia aplenty in this weekend’s Premier League fixtures. West Ham play Newcastle nearly 35 years to the day since John Lyall’s Hammers walloped them, three different goalies and all, 8-1. Spurs visit Everton, whom they thrashed 4-1 on the opening day of the 1984-85 season – Everton went on to win the title – and by whom they were thrashed 4-1 in the semi-finals of the 1994-95 FA Cup. Leeds host Liverpool, a fixture that yielded the famous ruck between Billy Bremner and Kevin Keegan during the 1974 Charity Shield and which was settled, in August 1995, by Tony Yeboah’s thunder-expletive.2) The world snooker championship begins on Monday, so let’s relive Alex Higgins’ unbelievable 69 break from his semi-final against Jimmy White in 1982 and his 135 to clinch the title. Here’s frame 24 of the 1992 final between Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White, featuring the former’s famous broon, part one and part two; and Ronnie O’Sullivan’s frankly revolting 92 against Ali Carter in the 2012 final. In this year’s qualifiers, Louis Heathcote produced this piece of wizardry: Continue reading...

Oclo in Florida exploiting fears around new virus strains by selling chlorine dioxide, despite FDA warnings against fraudulent ‘cures’Peddlers of industrial bleach who urge Americans to drink the fluid as a “miracle cure” for cancer, HIV/Aids and other diseases have begun touting the product illegally as a treatment for the latest variants of Covid-19.Chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleaching agent used in textile and paper manufacturing, is being compounded and sold out of a makeshift laboratory in Miami, Florida. The company, Oclo Nanotechnology Science, is playing on fears of the new strain of the coronavirus discovered in the UK, which is now spreading rapidly and widely through the US. Continue reading...

After so long in lockdown, I’d rather sniff my dates than talk about our rich inner livesGod help me, I’m dating again. I thought about this with reverent anticipation for so long and now it’s here. Of course, I have forgotten how to speak, and what an attractive woman is supposed to wear, and how many messages a day it is legal to send to someone you fancy.There are, unsurprisingly, several differences between dating now and dating before I spent months on end living alone, becoming eccentric and fundamentally intolerant of other people. One of them is that I have lost all interest in the traditional dating foreplay of trading cultural interests with the object of my desire. Continue reading...

House panel backs legislation to examine slavery and discrimination since 1619, and recommend education and remediesA panel of US lawmakers has advanced a decades-long effort to pay reparations to the descendants of slaves by approving legislation that would create a commission to study the issue.After an impassioned debate, the House judiciary committee voted by 25-17 to advance the bill late on Wednesday, marking the first time that it has acted on the legislation. Continue reading...

Proposal, aimed at breaking up a conservative majority on the court, is predicted to draw opposition from RepublicansDemocrats are planning to introduce a bill to expand the supreme court – proposing to add four justices to the US’s highest court. Continue reading...

Ben Crump, attorney for the family of Daunte Wright, said he could not believe that a white police officer could shoot and kill Wright just miles from where former cop Derek Chauvin was on trial for murdering George Floyd. ‘I cannot even believe it,’ Crump said. ‘If ever there was a time in America when the police should be on their best behaviour, it should be now, and especially in Minnesota.’

Dr David Fowler, testifying for the defense, also said vehicle exhaust may have played a part in Floyd’s deathA leading forensic pathologist has told the Derek Chauvin trial that George Floyd was killed by his heart condition and drug use.Dr David Fowler, testifying for the defence, also introduced the idea that vehicle exhaust may have played a part in Floyd’s death by raising the amount of carbon monoxide in his blood and affecting his heart. Continue reading...

Joe Biden has declared that it is time ‘to end America’s longest war’, announcing that nearly 10,000 US and Nato troops would return home in the run-up to the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Biden said he was the fourth US president to serve in office during the US-led fight against the Taliban. ‘I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth,’ he said

New initiative to become more inclusive for its workers, who will have more autonomy when dressing for workDisney employees will now be able to have visible tattoos and more freely express themselves with their clothes and haircuts as a result of a new initiative from the company to become more inclusive for its workers and visitors.Josh D’Amaro, Disney Parks chairman, said a 16-month focus group of employees suggested adding “inclusion” to the company’s core values, saying the new key element will be “essential to our culture and leads us forward”. Continue reading...

Financier who defrauded thousands of investors through a multibillion-dollar Ponzi schemeWhen, in 2008, Bernie Madoff was revealed as the world’s biggest ever conman, the general reaction was: “Bernie who?” Outside Wall Street, he was almost unknown. But investors around the world, most of whom had never heard the name Madoff, soon discovered they were victims of his $65bn Ponzi – or circular money – scheme.An undiscerning fraudster, Madoff, who has died in prison aged 82, conned relatives, close friends, longstanding clients and charities as well as supposedly savvy banks and fund managers. There was no advertising. It was all by word of mouth: personal recommendations from well-rewarded Madoff middlemen at country clubs, golf courses and marinas. The pitch was exclusivity. The fund was closed – but maybe he would let you in. Continue reading...

Covid restrictions hit Islamic centers reliant on individual donations hard but GoFundMe appeals have had mixed resultsThe building facade is deteriorating. The heating system is a fire hazard. When it rains outside, it also rains inside – a plastic container near the prayer area collects water. Masjid An-Noor, a mosque serving the Muslim community of Bridgeport, Connecticut, for over 30 years, is barely holding on – and it is part of a trend of mosques across America facing dire financial problems during the Covid-19 pandemic.In April last year, as states across America went into lockdown, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan was just beginning. The holy month is a time when mosques open their doors each night, welcoming members and guests for iftar – a communal meal to break the day’s fast. It’s also one of the most fruitful times of year for fundraising, particularly for local mosques, which cover the majority of expenses through individual donations. Continue reading...

Meaningful change would be holding law enforcement to the same impossible standard that athletes are duty boundThirty-three weeks. That’s how long it had been since the Milwaukee Bucks walked away from a playoff game against the Orlando Magic. That boycott – hatched after police in Wisconsin shot an unarmed black man named Jacob Blake – started out as a surprise to the Orlando Magic only to become news to the world as other NBA, WNBA, MLB and NHL teams and the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament took timeouts, too. “We are expected to play at a high level, give maximum effort and hold each other accountable,” the Bucks said in a statement explaining their boycott. “We are demanding the same from our lawmakers and law enforcement.”For a single summer weekend America was denied its escape into sports and couldn’t blame the blackout dates on Covid. It felt like a turning point. But now? It feels like turning circles. Continue reading...

Can Rafael Nadal’s uncle transfer his winning touch to a new protégé, four years after his last triumph at Roland Garros?In professional tennis, comebacks are as present as the air we breathe. Players return to competition on a whim, coaches inevitably find their way back to the circus and no one seems to be gone for too long. Still, few returns have resonated as strongly as that of the past week.Four years after his tearful final stanza as coach of his nephew, Rafael Nadal, as they clinched their 10th Roland Garros title in 2017, on Monday Toni Nadal returned to the ATP. However, when he took his spot in the Monte Carlo stands it was not in his old seat. He will now attempt to help guide the 20-year-old Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime to the top of the sport. Continue reading...

‘Voting is the lifeblood of our democracy,’ says the double-page letter published in the New York Times and Washington PostAmazon, BlackRock, Google, Starbucks, billionaire investor Warren Buffett and hundreds of other companies published a letter on Wednesday condemning “discriminatory legislation” designed to hinder voting rights in the US.The letter – the biggest statement yet from corporate America – follows weeks of heated debate over corporate opposition to a series of Republican-sponsored bills that critics charge will restrict voting rights in states across the US. Continue reading...

Inspector general report describes old and faulty equipment, inadequate training and intelligence that had few set standardsA blistering internal report by the US Capitol police describes a multitude of missteps that left the force unprepared for the 6 January insurrection – riot shields that shattered upon impact, expired weapons that couldn’t be used, inadequate training and an intelligence division that had few set standards.Related: Republicans are in a messy divorce with big business. Democrats could benefit | Andrew Gawthorpe Continue reading...

After a white officer shot dead Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop on Sunday, protests continued as a makeshift memorial grewOutraged and spiritually exhausted residents of Brooklyn Center on the outskirts of Minneapolis have condemned what they described as a long track record of racial targeting by police in the small city.Related: Families of George Floyd and Daunte Wright join together in grief: ‘The world is traumatized’ Continue reading...

Certified ‘B corporations’ balance purpose and profit – it means not only having a social conscience but also putting your money where your mouth isThese days doing good business means more than making money – it also means doing good. And now there’s an increasingly popular way to show you’re serious. It’s called a “B corporation”. Have you considered this for your small business?Saxby’s has. The Philadelphia-based coffee chain recently reached the standards necessary to attain “B corporation” status. According to Technical.ly Philly, the company has joined other local Philadelphia companies, such as Arcweb Technologies, Simply Good Jars, Roar for Good and Houwzer, in getting this certification. But these companies aren’t alone. Continue reading...

Last month, 130 countries had yet to administer a single dose of vaccine. Meanwhile the US has enough for three times its populationOld colonial lines are being reinforced. As western nations edge closer to effectively vaccinating their populations, much of the rest of the planet languishes in fear of new Covid variants and the long-term impacts of the pandemic and its economic consequences. The US has acquired enough vaccines for three times its population. At the same time, according to Unicef, 130 countries had yet to administer a single dose of vaccine as of mid-February. Some countries aren’t poised to see widespread vaccine access until 2023. While there are questions of unequal distribution within western countries like the US and UK, the larger problem is how the greed of governments – and the corporations that bully them – has caused a new and dangerous form of global inequality.The US is, for lack of a better term, hoarding vaccines. It began with Donald Trump and his refusal to participate in Covax, a global initiative that aims to ensure the distribution of 2bn vaccines to countries in need. Joe Biden joined Covax but has for the most part deprioritized the organization for the sake of ensuring that Americans are vaccinated first and foremost – even if that means scores of vaccines go unused. After some criticism, Biden agreed to distribute some superfluous vaccines to Mexico and Canada. This is less an act of generosity than an act of self-interest, intended to ensure that the US vaccination process isn’t undone by having unvaccinated nations at its borders. In true American fashion, these vaccines are essentially loans. Continue reading...

As corporations flee the Republican Party, liberals should welcome them into the Democratic coalition – with conditionsOne of the central facts of modern American politics has been the strong bond between the Republican party and the country’s business elite. Even Donald Trump, who briefly campaigned as an economic populist in 2016, governed like the plutocrat he was. Businesses could rely on Republicans for the regressive tax cuts and supply-side economics that helped their bottom lines – and the personal bank accounts of their executives. Democrats, meanwhile, have drifted to the left economically, embracing much higher taxes and a new era of trust-busting. If Republicans are the capitalists, then Democrats are the socialists.That, at least, is the conventional narrative. And it gets some things right. But it struggles to explain what happened in the past few weeks, as large companies such as Delta and Coca-Cola spoke out against Georgia’s new voter-suppression legislation. Republicans were blistering in response, with the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, accusing the private sector of behaving like a “woke parallel government” and warning of “serious consequences” if they didn’t stop. This threat isn’t idle – efforts are under way to hit companies on their bottom line, with Georgia Republicans voting to strip Delta of a lucrative tax break and Trump calling for boycotts of companies like Coca-Cola. (Freedom Pepsi, anyone?) Continue reading...

Kim Potter, who shot 20-year-old Wright dead during a traffic stop, resigned yesterday, along with her police chief. Plus, Biden to announce the withdrawal of all US troops from AfghanistanGood morning.The Minnesota police officer who shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright dead during a traffic stop resigned yesterday, along with her police chief. Authorities said that officer Kim Potter had meant to discharge her Taser on Wright to stop him driving away, and accidentally discharged a handgun. Continue reading...

Mayor London Breed tells the Guardian the city is ramping up efforts to expand supportive housing for homeless peopleSan Francisco is poised to see a marked increase in funding and resources to address homelessness in the city, with local officials hopeful that the efforts will become a turning point in a longstanding crisis. Continue reading...

Signatories include CEOS of Ford and GM as Republican-controlled legislature weighs suite of new restrictionsAbout three dozen executives from some of Michigan’s largest companies signed a letter on Tuesday saying they oppose efforts to make it harder to vote. Continue reading...

The state has furnished half a billion dollars in emergency funding as drought sets stage for megafiresBracing for another year of severe, destructive fires, California’s governor on Tuesday approved a half-a-billion dollar emergency funding plan to prepare for the looming wildfire season. The state, which saw its worst fire season on record last year, is descending deep into a drought that portends even more megablazes this year.But experts say that while the huge spending plan is a start, it isn’t nearly enough to avert the crisis ahead. Continue reading...

The new Georgia voting rights law makes it harder to vote, especially for communities that tend to vote for Democrats – and that's what Republicans want. But it's not just Georgia: these restrictive voting laws are being considered in nearly every state in America, from Arizona to Texas to Florida.These efforts come on the heels of the 2020 presidential election, which Republicans lost by slim margins in several states. Many Republicans claimed they lost because of voter fraud – because people who were ineligible to vote found a way to skirt the rules and cast ballots. Election officials around the nation said there was no widespread fraud, but Republicans are using this argument to push for a wide array of laws that will skew election in their favor.If enacted, Americans will have to ask a hard question: is the US still a democracy?Alvin Chang and Sam Levine explain this Republican effort to suppress voting rights as part of the Guardian's Fight to Vote series Continue reading...

As the US entered the latest phase of the fight against the pandemic, photographer Filip Wolak felt it was important to capture the unprecedented efforts that the healthcare communities put into place to help mitigate the virus’s lasting effects.This photo project attempts to capture the largest vaccination sites across the country. Some of the sites pictured were documented in their early stages when the vaccination supply was still limited – Wolak hopes to return to them again.The photographs were taken from a small airplane, overflying the locations at a high altitude. This point of view allowed Wolak to capture the magnitude of these efforts. In some of the cases, multiple images were combined into one, which allowed a wider reach without degradation of details Continue reading...

It’s not our fault! It’s Europe! It’s the states! It’s everyone but us!

As the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics draws nearer, here’s a look at 25 athletes from Team USA worth keeping an eye onThe 24-year-old from suburban Houston, who has won every major team and individual all-around competition she’s entered since her senior debut in 2013, is favored to become the first woman to repeat as Olympic all-around champion in 53 years. The 19-time world champion will also take a second crack at becoming the first US woman in any sport to win five golds at a single Olympics (team, all-around, vault, floor and beam), a feat she came within a momentary slip of achieving in Rio. Continue reading...

In a clumsy attempt to create a new trend, the son of Tom Hanks has created a range of merchandise and laid out his ‘rules and regs’. But no one actually knows what he means

Skaters, dancers, hustlers, boxers … Swiss photographer Willy Spiller prowled the streets of the Big Apple from 1977 to 1985, capturing characters from all walks of life Continue reading...

Shared sorrow outside the court seems distant as Derek Chauvin’s defence seeks to tell different storyAs court broke for lunch on the 12th day of the Derek Chauvin murder trial, the grounds of Hennepin county government center filled with grieving families.In a poignant news conference, distraught relatives of Daunte Wright and George Floyd took turns talking about the parallels between the two cases of fatal police violence and the grief they were experiencing in the aftermath. Snow fell and wind whipped the microphones. Continue reading...

Paul Flores was last person seen with Smart on California Polytechnic State University campus 25 years agoThe “prime suspect” in the 25-year-old disappearance and murder of a California college student was arrested on Tuesday.Paul Flores, 44, was the last person seen with Kristin Smart on the California Polytechnic State University campus in San Luis Obispo before she vanished in 1996. Continue reading...