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The ex-president has spent his time out of office attacking Republicans who dare to criticize him – and it could cause trouble for the party in the midtermsDays after being acquitted in his second impeachment trial last month, Donald Trump issued a statement lashing out against one of the very Republican senators who made that acquittal possible.“The Republican party can never again be respected or strong with political ‘leaders’ like Senator Mitch McConnell at its helm,” the former president said in a statement, after the Republican leader criticized him for inciting the 6 January insurrection at the Capitol. Trump added: “Mitch is a dour, sullen and unsmiling political hack, and if Republican senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again.” Continue reading...

As unaccompanied children reach the US, Republicans seek political gain. The White House has a fight on its handsLauded for his human touch, Joe Biden is facing an early political and moral test over how his government treats thousands of migrant children who make the dangerous journey to America alone.Related: Is there a crisis at the border? Advocates in Texas say it's 'political manipulation' Continue reading...

The discovery of 329 people, including 114 unaccompanied minors, shows people are ignoring Joe Biden’s call to stay at homeThree trailer trucks packed with hundreds of migrants have been found in Mexico in the latest sign that many would-be immigrants are ignoring calls from Joe Biden not to risk trying to enter the United States.Mexican migration agents along with national guard police said they stopped the trucks early on Thursday near the border with Guatemala as part of routine checks and discovered 329 Guatemalans and Hondurans inside, including 114 unaccompanied minors. Continue reading...

Names of remaining victims released as more details emerge from family and friendsAuthorities have named all of the victims of the Atlanta spa shootings, as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris visited in Atlanta to meet with local Asian American leaders and offered support to a grieving community.The Fulton county medical examiner’s office on Friday updated the list of shooting victims with the names of four women that had not been previously released. The eight who were killed on Tuesday have now been identified as: Continue reading...

President and vice-president address nation reckoning with ‘heinous act’ that killed eight, including six women of Asian descentJoe Biden and Kamala Harris have condemned a “heinous act of violence” during a trip to Atlanta, hoping to console a city and Asian American communities rocked by the attack this week that left eight people dead and one injured.Delivering remarks on Friday evening at Emory University after a day spent meeting with Asian American community leaders and politicians, the president and vice-president spoke out forcefully against the shooting, in which six of the victims were women of Asian descent, as well as the rise in anti-Asian violence. Continue reading...

White House spokesperson blames windy weather after Biden loses his footing three times boarding presidential planeSupporters of Joe Biden were tempting fate when they claimed he had not put a foot wrong during his first two months in office.Related: US reaches 100m Covid vaccine milestone six weeks early as Fauci urges vigilance – live Continue reading...

Video of an injured and crying Xiao Zhen Xie standing on a street corner prompted thousands to share messages and donateThe GoFundMe pages for two elderly, Asian victims of assault in San Francisco have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors around the world, as the US reels from the Atlanta shootings that killed eight people, including six Asian women.A day after the Atlanta shootings, Xiao Zhen Xie, 75, was standing at a San Francisco intersection, waiting to cross the street, when a white man ran up to her and punched her face. In a video of the incident, Xie points to the wooden plank she used to strike back at him. Footage of her sobbing, holding a cold pack up to her bleeding eye as police apprehend her assailant struck a raw nerve, as the country contends with a surge of anti-Asian attacks. Continue reading...

Grant died at Gold Spa and one of her two sons said she was ‘one of my best friends and the strongest influence on who we are today’Hyun Jung Grant, 51, was an elementary school teacher in Korea before coming to the US, according to her son. Grant was identified by the Fulton County medical examiner’s office as one of the victims killed in the Atlanta shootings on Tuesday.Related: Paul Andre Michels: 'very good-hearted' handyman killed in Atlanta shootings Continue reading...

Openings of summits are often dull affairs, but the tense exchanges in Alaska hint at turbulent times aheadIn a protracted, unplanned public spat in Anchorage late on Thursday, China and America’s top diplomats traded barbs for over an hour in front of astonished journalists.The openings to diplomatic summits are usually dull and carefully choreographed, a showcase for the world’s cameras before the doors close and the real talks begin. Continue reading...

Tan, the owner of Youngs Asian Massage in Acworth, had lived ‘the American dream’: raising a family and opening two businessesXiaojie Tan, 49, owned Youngs Asian Massage in Acworth, on the outskirts of Atlanta, and was killed in the shootings that took place on Tuesday evening.Her daughter, Jami Webb, said that she and her mother were best friends. They soon planned on celebrating Tan’s 50th birthday with a slice of strawberry cake. Continue reading...

Leading industrial nations support a possible $500bn rise in IMF currency reserves to help poorer states cope with Covid crisisThe world’s leading industrial nations have moved a decisive step closer to providing pandemic financial support for developing countries after they backed plans to increase currency reserves provided by the International Monetary Fund.After the US dropped its opposition to a fresh allocation of the IMF’s special drawing rights, extra funds to help developing nations cope with the economic effects of Covid-19 looks certain to be rubber-stamped next month. Continue reading...

The US president stumbled while boarding Air Force One on his way to visit to Atlanta, Georgia, to meet with Asian American community leaders. Biden tripped on the steps up to the plane, before recovering and carrying on unaided, turning to salute at the top. The 78-year-old fractured his right foot in November 2020 while playing with his dog Major

In a separate ruling, judge said he would allow jury to hear limited evidence from George Floyd’s 2019 arrestA judge on Friday denied a defense request to delay or move the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death, following the announcement a week ago of a record $27m settlement between the city and Floyd’s family, which raised concern about the prospect of a tainted jury.George Floyd was killed in the city last May when Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck in the street during an attempted arrest. Chauvin was fired and is now standing trial for murder, with opening arguments expected before the end of the month. Continue reading...

Warning: some viewers may find the following footage distressingThe FBI has released new footage of the deadly 6 January US Capitol insurrection as it seeks to identify 10 suspects involved in what the agency says were 'some of the most violent attacks on officers'. Law enforcement are still pursuing more than 100 suspects from the attack on Congress, which the then president, Donald Trump, was accused of inciting and led to his historic second impeachment.But the 10 suspects highlighted this week by the federal authorities are considered among the most dangerous still at large

Agency says suspects highlighted this week were involved in ‘some of the most violent attacks on officers’The FBI has released new footage of the deadly 6 January US Capitol insurrection as it seeks to identify 10 suspects involved in what the agency says were “some of the most violent attacks on officers”.Law enforcement are still pursuing more than 100 suspects from the attack on Congress, which Donald Trump was accused of inciting and led to his historic second impeachment. Hundreds have been arrested after the violent mob invaded the Capitol to try to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. Continue reading...

Statue of ex-president apparently had deep gouges inflicted by museum patrons who clawed and punched it, local report saidA wax figure of Donald Trump has been pulled from the display of a wax works exhibit after visitors keep attacking it, local US media have reported.“When it’s a highly political figure, attacks can be a problem,” said Clay Stewart, the regional manager for Ripley Entertainment, which owns the Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks in San Antonio, Texas. Continue reading...

The ease with which the alleged shooter acquired a firearm has generated outrage but also hope for legislative reformsProminent gun control groups angered by the ease with which the alleged Atlanta spa shooter was able to acquire his weapon are calling on politicians to convert their outrage at the massacre into a renewed push for legislative reforms.The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Giffords Law Center, the advocacy group named for the former congresswoman and gun violence survivor Gabrielle Giffords, say the deaths of eight people, including six Asian American women, merely hastens the need for action in Washington DC and at state level. Continue reading...

Residents express frustration over shootings and local law enforcement’s responseWoojin Kang, a young man of Korean descent, stood on the sidewalk in front of Gold Spa in northeast Atlanta on Thursday afternoon, wearing a black Adidas windbreaker, black shorts and black Nike sneakers, holding a neon yellow sign that read “Asian women’s bodies have been slayed” above the hashtag “#StopAsianHate”.The heavy rains of an eastbound southern storm front had subsided, and the skies had some clouds but otherwise were bright blue on Piedmont Avenue. Continue reading...

Strip clubs ask court to declare it a violation of constitution to keep establishments closed while letting other places open upA group of New York City exotic dancing clubs sued New York state Thursday, saying it’s not fair that they’re being kept closed when everything from axe-throwing venues to bars with live music and casinos can open up.The lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court claimed that thousands of employees are forced out of work by the state’s ban due to the coronavirus. Defendants included governor Andrew Cuomo and the state’s liquor licensing authority. Continue reading...

The Asian American lawmaker Grace Meng called out the violence and discrimination against her community at a hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday. 'Our community is bleeding. We are in pain. And for the last year, we’ve been screaming out for help,' she said. She told a panel the rising tide of anti-Asian bigotry was fuelled in part by rhetoric from Donald Trump and his allies, who have referred to Covid-19 as the 'China virus' and 'kung flu'

A first trip to a restaurant is bliss. But reopening has brought new tensions tooIt’s a weird time in the life of the pandemic as the vaccinated, half-vaccinated and yet to be vaccinated venture out and tentatively try to co-mingle. I’m half done, shortly to be full, on the basis of which, in a moment of rashness, I promised to take my children to a water park in New Jersey on spring break. Too late now, but it’s something which, on reflection, it might have been worth living without antibodies for a few more months to avoid. Continue reading...

The two countries clashed over human rights, democracy and power at their first summit of the Biden administration. Plus, lawmakers said anti-Asian hate was at ‘crisis point’Good morning.The US and China butted heads in extraordinary scenes at their first high-level talks of the Biden era, which took place in Alaska yesterday. The secretary of state, Antony Blinken, took aim at China’s human rights record as well as cyber-attacks on the US and “economic coercion of our allies”. Continue reading...

When men harm women, we obscure their role. Instead, we blame women for the injustice that happens to themThe alleged murderer of eight people, six of whom were Asian American women, reportedly said that he was trying to “eliminate temptation”. It’s as if he thought others were responsible for his inner life, as though the horrific act of taking others’ lives rather than learning some form of self-control was appropriate. This aspect of a crime that was also horrifically racist reflects a culture in which men and the society at large blame women for men’s behavior and the things men do to women. The idea of women as temptresses goes back to the Old Testament and is heavily stressed in white evangelical Christianity; the victims were workers and others present in massage parlors; the killer was reportedly on his way to shoot up Florida’s porn industry when he was apprehended.Related: Why do so many straight men come to resent the women they find attractive? | Moira Donegan Continue reading...

The increased presence has provided relief for some, while others argue it’s a temporary and ineffective solution to a crisisPolice in cities across the country increased foot patrols in Asian neighborhoods following the shootings at three Asian-owned spas in the Atlanta area.From San Francisco to New York, Chicago to Philadelphia, police departments this week directed officers to step up their presence amid fears of anti-Asian violence after a shooter killed eight people, six of them Asian women, on Tuesday night. Continue reading...

The ex-England captain is playing for San Diego, living in Las Vegas and has a baby on the way. No one said America would be easy“I was talking to Ben Foden and telling him the pitches are so hard here, because obviously it’s the desert. And he said, ‘Well, they’re harder here – because they’re frozen and covered in snow.”Chris Robshaw, 66 caps as an England flanker and most often captain, is speaking from Las Vegas about Foden, 34 caps at full-back and wing, shivering in New York. Both are preparing for Major League Rugby, which kicks off on Saturday with Robshaw’s San Diego Legion facing Foden and Rugby United New York. Continue reading...

The Texas governor has sent troops to fortify the border while advocates say the immigration numbers are being politicizedAlong the winding road which follows the Rio Grande west from Mission, Texas, dozens of armed border patrol agents, state troopers, soldiers, and state and local police are dotted about to catch undocumented migrants entering the country from Mexico.This is a so-called hotspot for irregular migration – folks crossing the border river without permission to enter the US – in what the Republican party and anti-immigrant activists are calling a crisis at the border. During one afternoon this week, there were more law enforcement vehicles cruising along this dusty 15-mile stretch towards Los Ebanos, a tiny border community connected to Mexico by a hand operated cable ferry, than there was local traffic. Continue reading...

The United States and China publicly rebuked each other in the first face-to-face talks between senior officials from the two countries since Joe Biden took office. Representatives from the two countries met in Alaska, where a highly unusual extended back-and-forth took place in front of the cameras. When US secretary of state Antony Blinken pointed out "deep concerns" over China's actions relating to "Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, cyber attacks on the United States, economic coercion of our allies", China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi responded with a 15-minute speech in Chinese lashing out out at what he called a struggling democracy in the US, poor treatment of minorities and foreign and trade policies.

House legislators hold hearing as Biden and Harris plan meetings with Atlanta leadersAsian American lawmakers and leaders warned that violence and discrimination targeting their community have reached a “crisis point” following the shootings in Atlanta this week that killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent.The hearing, the first to examine anti-Asian discrimination in more than three decades, had been scheduled weeks ago amid a surge in violence against the Asian community since the pandemic began. But it took on heightened urgency after the mass shooting that left Asian Americans in Atlanta and across the country shaken and afraid. Continue reading...

Measure, which aims to undo Trump’s hardline immigration policies, is likely to hit a wall in the evenly divided SenateThe US House of Representatives has passed a bill that would give undocumented immigrants, including “Dreamers”, a pathway to citizenship.

Joe Biden said the US will have successfully administered 100m vaccine doses by 19 March – his 58th day in office. ‘That’s weeks ahead of schedule, and even with the setbacks we faced during the winter storms,’ he said. Upon taking office, Biden set his administration the target of reaching the number in his first 100 days.

CDC data found that the state has given a smaller proportion of vaccines to counties with the most vulnerable residentsCalifornia has failed to equitably distribute vaccines to residents in its poorest and most vulnerable regions, according to a new report from federal researchers that found the nation’s most populous state has one of most unequal vaccine programs.The report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that California ranked among the worst five states for unequal vaccine distribution. Researchers from the CDC analyzed vaccines administered from 14 December to 1 March, and compared where doses were distributed against county-level demographic data. Continue reading...

In his first speech as a US senator, the Rev Raphael Warnock warned Americans of a rightwing attack on voting rights. Here are his remarks

Atlanta shooting victim, 33, would go out of her way to help others and often take in friends who were in need of a place to stay

The 54-year-old who worked at the Youngs Asian Massage had served in the US army and at one point owned a home security and theater businessPaul Andre Michels was a handyman at Youngs Asian Massage who was among the eight killed in the spa shootings in the Atlanta area on Tuesday.Related: Atlanta shootings: House holds hearing as representative warns of 'crisis point' for Asian Americans – latest updates Continue reading...