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Kari Lake of Arizona warned supporters of intense' election year in which Democrats will come after them with everything'Republican US Senate candidate Kari Lake has told supporters to strap on a Glock" ahead of the 2024 elections as she struggles to gain ground against her Democratic rival in Arizona.In a campaign speech made to a crowd in Arizona's Mohave county on Sunday, Lake echoed Trump-like terms in calling Washington DC a swamp" - and used a reference to carrying guns when she told people to prepare for an intense" election year. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. For the latest on Mayorkas impeachment, read our story here.Chuck Schumer has released a lengthy statement about the commencement (and presumably very swift termination) of the impeachment trial of homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this afternoon.It is the least legitimate, least substantive, and most politicized impeachment trial in the history of the United States," the Democratic Senate majority leader said, encapsulating remarks he made in the chamber just now and posted to Facebook:The charges brought against Secretary Mayorkas fail to meet the high standard of high crimes and misdemeanors. To validate this gross abuse by the House would be a grave mistake and could set a dangerous precedent for the future.For the sake of the Senate's integrity, and to protect impeachment for those rare cases we truly need it, Senators should dismiss today's charges.It is beneath the dignity of the Senate to entertain this nakedly partisan exercise.Impeachment should never be used to settle policy disagreements. That would set a disastrous precedent for the Congress and could throw our system of checks and balances into endless cycles of chaos. Continue reading...

Minouche Shafik appeared beleaguered as House members grilled her over reported upsurge in antisemitism on campusThe head of a prestigious US university clashed with members of Congress today in highly charged hearings over a reported upsurge in antisemitism on campus in the wake of Israel's war in Gaza.Minouche Shafik, the president of Columbia University, appeared beleaguered and uncertain as one Congress member after another assailed her over her institution's supposed inaction to stop it becoming what one called a hotbed of antisemitism and hatred".This article was amended on 17 April 2024 to correctly identify the school where Elizabeth Magill resigned as president last year. The school was the University of Pennsylvania, not Pennsylvania University. Continue reading...

Two fellow Republicans have threatened to remove House speaker if he advances Ukraine funding proposalThe House speaker, Mike Johnson, is pushing ahead with his plan to hold votes on four separate foreign aid bills this week, despite threats from two fellow Republicans to oust him if he advances a Ukraine funding proposal.Shortly after noon on Wednesday, the rules committee posted text for three bills that would provide funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The text of a fourth bill, which is expected to include measures to redirect seized Russian assets toward Ukraine and force the sale of TikTok, will be released later on Wednesday, Johnson said in a note to members. Continue reading...

The University of Southern California canceled its valedictorian's planned speech after pro-Palestinian posts. It's no surpriseIf you want to get ahead in life then I have some advice: keep your mouth shut about Palestine. Or, if you must say something, then make sure it is nuanced like - I'm just paraphrasing a former Mossad agent here - no Palestinian over the age of four is an innocent civilian and they all deserve to be starved to death. Certainly make sure you don't use controversial words like genocide" or occupation", even if those are accurate descriptions according to international law and UN human rights experts. Best to avoid considering Palestinians as humans altogether, rather think of them as Israel's defense minister does - human animals" - if you want to avoid unpleasantness.Asna Tabassum, a first-generation south Asian American Muslim from near Los Angeles, is the latest person to learn this lesson the hard way. Tabassum, who is graduating from the University of Southern California (USC) with a major in biomedical engineering and a minor in resistance to genocide, was recently named her class valedictorian and due to give a speech at her May graduation. Giving a valedictorian address, in which a student reflects on shared experiences and imparts wisdom about the future, is a major honour. It would have been a high point in Tabassum's academic life. Continue reading...

Indian voters ought to think hard about giving Narendra Modi another popular mandateThe world's largest elections begin this weekend in India, amid claims that the race to lead the country has already been won. If Narendra Modi were to secure a third term with a big parliamentary majority, his achievement would match that of the country's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Whatever the outcome, the loser has been Indian democracy. Unlike Mr Nehru, who anonymously criticised his own leadership, Mr Modi has little time for his opponents.Democracies run best when there is a contest of ideas and equal treatment of citizens in everyday administration. These are in short supply in Modi's India. The main opposition Congress party found its bank accounts frozen. It can't be a coincidence that all the leading Indian politicians arrested by enforcement and tax authorities belong to the opposition and none to the ruling party. Weaponising India's prosecutorial apparatus seems unnecessary, as Mr Modi can massively outspend his rivals. Since 2018, Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata party has received about 1.25bn from wealthy donors, more than all other political parties combined. Continue reading...

St Louis officer Jatonya Muldrow claimed she was transferred to undesirable new job because of her sexThe US supreme court on Wednesday gave a boost to a St Louis police officer who sued after claiming she was transferred to an undesirable new job because of her sex, in a case testing the scope of federal workplace protections.The 9-0 ruling by the justices threw out a decision by a lower court to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the officer, Jatonya Muldrow, and directed it to reconsider the matter. Continue reading...

The American Diabetes Association takes millions from companies that stand to profit from our reliance on drugs. Is that affecting their guidance?For a glimpse into how big business influences the $4tn US healthcare system, look no further than the world's most powerful diabetes advocacy and research non-profit, the American Diabetes Association (ADA).Diabetes afflicts 38 million Americans, with another 90 million considered pre-diabetic. Every year the disease claims the lives of over 100,000 Americans and disproportionately affects people of color. It is also ruinously expensive, as doctors visits, hospital stays, insulin, blood test strips, leg amputations, continuous glucose monitors and numerous glucose-lowering drugs add up to about $400bn a year. To put it bluntly, we are losing the war on diabetes. Continue reading...

The core of the Golden State team that won four NBA titles may hang around for a while longer. But there seem few options to reverse the declineThe detractors of the Golden State Warriors dynasty of the past decade thought the party was over when Kevin Durant left in 2019 after three seasons and two NBA titles. They thought it again when the Warriors were a dreadful 15-50 in 2019-2020 and missed the playoffs again the next year. But the doubters have yet to be proved correct and Golden State got the band back together to win the championship in 2022.This time, however, those waiting for an end to this Warriors era of dominance may have a point. On Tuesday, Golden State lost in the NBA's Play-In Tournament to the Sacramento Kings, 118-94. The game was never close, and it was heavy on symbolism. Sharpshooting guard Klay Thompson had perhaps the worst game of his career, going 0-for-10 from the field and putting a zero on his scoreline. Draymond Green, the defensive and playmaking wizard, found himself bullied in the post by the Kings' Domantas Sabonis. Chris Paul, the future Hall of Fame guard, had all of three points in 18 minutes of action. Underpinning it all was the face of the franchise, Stephen Curry, scoring a fine 22 points but unable to carry the whole team. Continue reading...

Smartmatic sued OAN in 2021, saying it was a victim of OAN's disinformation' that its equipment flipped the election for BidenThe voting equipment company Smartmatic has agreed to settle a defamation lawsuit with the far-right One America News Network (OAN) over lies broadcast on the network about the 2020 election.Erik Connolly, a lawyer for Smartmatic, confirmed the case had been settled, but said the details were confidential. Attorneys for Smartmatic and OAN notified a federal judge in Washington on Tuesday that they were agreeing to dismiss the case, which Smartmatic filed in 2021. Continue reading...

Airline says it experienced IT issue during upgrade to system that calculates weight and balanceThe US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop advisory on Wednesday for Alaska Airlines, saying: All Alaska mainline and subcarrier flights ground stopped."In a separate statement, the FAA said the carrier asked the FAA to pause the airline's mainline departures nationwide". It did not provide a reason for the stoppage. CNBC reported that the problem may have been an IT issue and that the airline's system used to calculate weight and balance for flights was not functioning correctly. Continue reading...

Luther Hall was severely injured by his own colleagues while undercover at a 2017 protest in MissouriA Missouri judge awarded more than $23m to a former St Louis police officer who was beaten by other officers while working undercover at a protest in 2017.On Monday Luther Hall was awarded the significant sum in a default judgment by Joseph Whyte, the St Louis circuit judge, after one of the defendants failed to respond to a lawsuit over the 2017 attack. Continue reading...

The president's moral failure in Gaza has taken on historic proportions, like Lyndon Johnson's in Vietnam before himAmerica is big, diverse and polarized. Yet, when it comes to the war in Gaza, opinions here are converging. A Gallup poll in March found 55% of respondents disapprove of Israel's actions", up from 45% in November. Among registered Democrats, the figure is 75%. As the number of citizens voting uncommitted" in Democratic primaries makes plain, President Biden's unqualified support for Israel is a problem. Beyond the human carnage - 32,000 Palestinians, including over 14,000 children, have been killed by Israel in Gaza - Biden's Israel policy could cost him the election.We have given Biden and his administration and the party a gift," said Layla Elabed, organizer of the Listen to Michigan campaign, where 100,000 voters marked the uncommitted" box in February. The vote in Michigan, a battleground state where Biden beat Trump by a little more than 154,000 votes in 2020, has triggered a cascade of protest votes in primaries across the country. At least 25 uncommitted delegates will be sent to the Democratic national convention in August. Continue reading...

Restored trifecta could allow Democrats to pass laws protecting voting rights and election administrationSpecial elections for two vacant seats in the Michigan house of representatives flipped control back to Democrats, who organizers say could use their restored trifecta in the state to pass legislation protecting voting rights and election administration.A push to codify voter protections stalled after two Democratic lawmakers resigned and the party lost its majority in the house of representatives last November. With the election on Tuesday of Mai Xiong and Peter Herzberg, who represent sections of Detroit and its suburbs, legislators could use their newfound majorities to renew those efforts. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Residents of Ukraine's second city tell of impact of Russian attacks targeting suburbs and power suppliesKharkiv is at risk of becoming a second Aleppo" unless US politicians vote for fresh military aid to help Ukraine obtain the air defences needed to prevent long-range Russian attacks, the city's mayor has warned.Ihor Terekhov said Russia had switched tactics to try to destroy the city's power supply and terrorise its 1.3 million residents by firing into residential areas, with people experiencing unscheduled power cuts for hours at a time. Continue reading...

Providers are optimistic for a different future for abortion in the state even as Republicans flounder in their responseThe waiting room of the Acacia Women's Center in Phoenix, Arizona, was calm and quiet on Friday. Patients sat with their mothers, friends or partners, paying no mind to the slapstick Tyler Perry movie on the TV and an arrangement of Vogue magazines resting on a table.It had been three days since the state's highest court reinstated an 1864 law that would ban almost all abortions and send abortion providers to prison for up to five years. Continue reading...

Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush face formidable challenges but Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar in Summer Lee much stronger positionsQuarterly campaign finance reports reveal the Democratic representatives Jamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri - progressive Squad" members - will face formidable challenges in their 2024 congressional primaries, partly due to the influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups.Ilhan Omar, of Minnesota, and Summer Lee, of Pennsylvania, meanwhile, have far outspent their primary challengers, and the Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American member whose outspoken criticism of Israel has brought the ire of her political opponents, does not yet face a challenger. Continue reading...

United Auto Workers faces first real test in campaign to unionize 13 automakers across US as Volkswagen workers vote in TennesseeThe United Auto Workers (UAW) has launched an ambitious campaign to unionize 13 non-union automakers across the US, and the first big test begins this Wednesday when 4,300 Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, start voting on whether to unionize. Many VW workers are predicting victory.We're going to win," said Lisa Elliott, a quality control worker at VW. We have the momentum. I know this will be a historic event." Continue reading...

House speaker seeks to split US aid into separate votes. Plus, Trump rebuked by judge in warning against juror intimidation'

SpaceX is trying to kill a federal agency that accused it of labor violations. Ostensibly progressive brands have leaped to join inElon Musk boasts that he's a free speech absolutist", but that didn't stop his rocket company, SpaceX, from firing eight workers who had criticized him for making light of reports that SpaceX had settled a sexual harassment claim against him.Not stopping there, SpaceX has moved to put the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the US's top labor watchdog, out of business. Earlier this year, a day after the board accused SpaceX of illegally retaliating against those workers, SpaceX filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that seeks to have the labor board - which has successfully overseen relations between business and unions since the 1930s - declared unconstitutional and shut down.Steven Greenhouse, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, is an American labor and workplace journalist and writer Continue reading...

Mike Flynn, Mike Lindell and others to attend event on election fraud by Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers AssociationA group of far-right sheriffs is set to meet Donald Trump allies in Las Vegas on Wednesday for talks with dozens of Republican state officials and candidates focused partly on potential election fraud by non-citizens, which experts say is wildly overblown.The far-right Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, which the former Arizona sheriff Richard Mack founded in 2011 and which boasts hundreds of members nationwide, is hosting the day-long event, which it bills as a training session". The group is known for attacks on Covid mask mandates and gun control measures. Continue reading...

Carrier says three-week grounding of 737 Max 9 planes after Alaska Airlines blowout cost it profitUnited Airlines has blamed a $200m (161m) hit to its earnings in the first three months of the year on the mid-flight blowout that forced it to ground many of its Boeing planes.The US carrier said the three-week grounding of 737 Max 9 jets after a cabin panel blew out on a flight operated by rival Alaska Airlines at the start of January contributed to a $124m loss in the three months to the end of March. Continue reading...

Dozens indicated they could not be fair and impartial to the ex-president in his home town - others were even more expressiveAs jury selection in Donald Trump's criminal hush-money case started this week, it seemed like the former president would face a tough crowd. When Judge Juan Merchan asked the first group of 96 prospective jurors whether any thought themselves incapable of being be fair and impartial, more than 50 raised their hands.These prospective jurors were excused from serving on the case, of course, but it still might have smarted for the real estate tycoon turned TV star turned America's 45th president. New York is Trump's home town, but it appears he's so polarizing that his fellow citizens wanted an out.A guide to Trump's hush-money trial - so farThe key arguments prosecutors will use against TrumpHow will Trump's trial work?From Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels: the key players Continue reading...

The franchise has long been dismissed as backwards looking. But it is set to draft a star who happily pushes back on athlete stereotypesAmong the NFL's heirloom franchises, the Chicago Bears are the still living in the last century - the pride of George Papa Bear" Halas, a league founding father. From their neoclassical stadium to their 101-year-old owner-matriarch to their stubborn reverence for Bear Weather" (ie: lake-effect winter conditions that only affect the other team), everything about the franchise is old-fashioned. Even the Bears being in position to select a quarterback with the first pick in this month's draft has arrived about 30 years too late in a league where the passing game dominates. What's notable is that the passer in their sights isn't the second-coming of 1940s hero Sid Luckman or a Harvard man or some other statuesque golden boy. It's Caleb Williams, Gen Z's poster boy quarterback.On paper, Williams would appear to possess precisely the resume that Virginia McCaskey, the owner-matriarch in question, might describe as the cat's pajamas." He went to USC - a college football program that Chicagoland's many Notre Dame fans at least respect. He won the Heisman trophy, putting him in a league with early Bears two-way star Johnny Lujack. And Williams played most of his college games in the LA Memorial Coliseum, one of the few stadiums left that can rival Soldier Field's antiquity - so he shouldn't be a snob about the patchy quality of the Bears natural home turf. Continue reading...

Democrat praised for serving with immense dignity and courage' during five-decade career while also perfecting workdays' to connect with constituentsFormer US senator and two-term Florida governor Bob Graham, who gained national prominence as chairman of the Senate intelligence committee in the aftermath of the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks and as an early critic of the Iraq war, has died aged 87.Graham's family announced the death in a statement posted on X by his daughter Gwen Graham on Tuesday. Continue reading...

After a contentious redrawing of Alabama's congressional map, two candidates will compete in November for a seat, and perhaps congressional controlShomari Figures, an attorney and Obama White House executive from a politically-prominent civil rights family, has won the Democratic nomination to run in Alabama's redrawn second congressional district Tuesday night, defeating state representative Anthony Daniels.The runoff election has been closely watched because of its implications for control of Congress in November, and for the effect of supreme court orders requiring southern states to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act and eliminate racial gerrymandering. Continue reading...

Asna Tabassum says university is succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice' after decision to scrap speechThe University of Southern California is facing intense backlash for the decision to cancel the valedictorian speech of a Muslim student at the commencement ceremony in May, a decision which the student has criticized as being silenced by anti-Palestinian hatred for her views on human rights.In a missive to the USC community, the university's provost, Andrew Guzman, wrote that the Los Angeles university took the unprecedented step of canceling Asna Tabassum's planned speech because the alarming tenor" of reactions to her selection as valedictorian - along with the intensity of feelings" surrounding Israel's ongoing military strikes in Gaza - had created substantial risks relating to security". Continue reading...

Juan Merchan admonishes ex-president for gesturing and speaking in the direction of the juror' as jury selection continuesDonald Trump met a stern rebuke on Tuesday from the jurist presiding over his criminal hush-money trial, with the judge warning: I won't have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom."Trump's apparent misbehavior did not derail the trial's progress; seven jurors were picked by day's end.A guide to Trump's hush-money trial - so farThe key arguments prosecutors will use against TrumpHow will Trump's trial work?From Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels: the key players Continue reading...

It has not taken long for Donald Trump to land himself in hot water with Juan Merchan, the judge in his hush-money trial

Animal recaptured without harm, local outlet reports, and is safe with handlers after escaping Jordan World CircusAn elephant escaped from the circus and ambled through the streets of Butte, Montana, before being recaptured without harm, local news reported.NBC Montana showed a video of the enormous pachyderm walking across a busy multi-lane street in front of stopped cars and gawping drivers. A later picture showed the elephant standing on a suburban house's lawn. Continue reading...

The Piper PA-32, a single engine plane, crashed off the coast across from Trump's LA golf club in Ranchos Palos VerdesA pilot and his dog survived a plane crash off the California coast, swimming to shore where they were met by authorities responding to the incident.A 911 call came in on Sunday afternoon at 5.22pm about a plane crashing into the ocean off the coast across from the Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles, in Ranchos Palos Verdes, the Los Angeles county sheriff's department said on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Engineer Sam Salehpour calls on planemaker ahead of testimony before Senate homeland security committeeA whistleblower has urged Boeing to ground every 787 Dreamliner jet worldwide after warning they are at risk of premature failure ahead of a high-profile hearing on Capitol Hill.The planemaker has been grappling with its latest crisis since a cabin panel blowout in January raised fresh questions about the production of its bestselling commercial jet, the 737 Max. Continue reading...

Democratic members have argued the articles are a matter of policy dispute and not high crimes' outlined in the constitutionHouse Republicans on Tuesday formally presented articles of impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, to the Senate, part of the party's attempt to force an election-year showdown with the Biden administration over immigration and border security.In a ceremonial procession, 11 House Republican impeachment managers carried the two articles of impeachment across the rotunda of the US Capitol, where they informed the Senate they were prepared, for the first time in American history, to prosecute a sitting cabinet secretary for willful and systemic refusal" to enforce border policies and a breach of public trust". Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. For the latest on Republicans' impeachment efforts, read our full report:

Outcry as Cotton says those inconvenienced by protesters blocking roads and airports should take matters into own hands'The Republican senator Tom Cotton has urged Americans to take matters into their own hands" when encountering pro-Palestine supporters, an apparent call to vigilantism as Israel's military strikes in Gaza continued despite global calls for a ceasefire.Demonstrations on Monday by supporters of Palestine blocked roads in major US cities, including New York and Philadelphia; delayed flights at the bustling Chicago O'Hare and Seattle-Tacoma international airports; and caused traffic congestion on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Continue reading...

If court curtails use of statute in connection with Capitol riot it could eliminate two of the four charges against Donald TrumpThe US supreme court expressed concern on Tuesday with prosecutors using an obstruction statute to charge hundreds of January 6 Capitol riot defendants, with the justices leaning towards a position that could jeopardize those prosecutions and the criminal case against Donald Trump.The Trump case was not mentioned at the argument. But a decision curtailing the use of the obstruction statute in connection with the Capitol attack could eliminate two of the four charges against the former president. Continue reading...

Mother of Nasir Davis calls Andrew Podolak, 33, who averted a potential tragedy in Cleveland, Ohio, a really special person'An Ohio man who used his arm to deflect a hockey puck flying directly toward a four-year-old boy - sparing him from serious injury or worse - is being heralded as a hero.The heroic - and coordinated - feat took place last Thursday at a minor league hockey game in Cleveland. The Cleveland Monsters match was nearly finished when a hockey puck launched into the crowd headed straight for little Nasir Davis. Continue reading...

Kelly Slater's long career appears to be ending after the 52-year-old - widely acknowledged as the greatest surfer - missed the World Surf League's mid-season cut at Margaret River. Missing the cut means he has not qualified for the rest of the 2024 Championship Tour, as well as the start of next year's. The 11-time WSL champion was holding back tears as he said: "Everything comes to an end. If you don't adapt, you don't survive."

Baywatch star will return to the big screen in the remake of the 80s and 90s crime spoof, directed by the Lonely Island's Akiva SchafferPamela Anderson is headed back to the big screen for a remake of the Naked Gun, opposite Liam Neeson.The Lonely Island alum Akiva Schaffer will direct the as-yet-untitled remake, based on the series of crime spoof comedies released in the 1980s and 90s, for Paramount. Schaffer, Doug Mand and Dan Gregor - the trio behind the popular Emmy-winning Disney+ movie Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers - will pen the script. Continue reading...

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg alleges former president violated gag order with Truth Social posts about witnesses in hush-money case

Congressman Thomas Massie says he would co-sponsor motion to vacate resolution introduced by Marjorie Taylor GreeneA second House Republican has joined the effort to oust the speaker, Mike Johnson, escalating the risk of another leadership election just six months after the Louisiana congressman assumed the top job.Congressman Thomas Massie, a Republican of Kentucky, announced on Tuesday that he would co-sponsor the motion to vacate resolution introduced last month by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican of Georgia. Continue reading...

Bill strengthens yellow flag' law, boosts background checks and makes it a crime to recklessly sell guns to a prohibited personAfter experiencing the deadliest mass shooting in the state's history last year, Maine is poised to pass a series of new gun safety bills meant to minimize the chances of an even worse attack occurring in the future.Maine's state house on Monday followed its senate in approving the governor's omnibus gun safety bill that strengthens the state's so-called yellow flag" law, boosts background checks for private sales of guns and makes it a crime to recklessly sell a gun to a prohibited person. The bill also funds violence prevention initiatives and opens a mental health crisis receiving center in Lewiston, Maine, where 18 people were killed and 13 others were wounded in a shooting on 25 October. Continue reading...

As a rising crop of young stars lead their teams into the NBA postseason, the league's old guard are thriving past their sell-by dates - and none more than the Lakers' ageless superstarThe second-youngest team in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder, just clinched the top seed in a feverishly competitive Western Conference. A Minnesota Timberwolves squad, led by 22-year-old phenom Anthony Edwards, are hot on their tails. But on the bottom end of the bracket, and the other end of the age spectrum, await surefire first-ballot Hall of Famers like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and LeBron James.Yes, their respective teams had up-and-down seasons that left them with unfavorable seedings entering the NBA postseason, which soft-launches on Tuesday night with the play-in tournament. And no one would argue that the future isn't looking bright in the association with stars like Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in full bloom. But the youngsters in Oklahoma and Minnesota would be the first to tell you: the NBA's old guard is still waiting in the wings, cleaver in hand. Continue reading...

Uri Berliner suspended without pay for five days by National Public Radio for unauthorised outside work for another outletThe National Public Radio employee who recently published a scorching letter accusing the media organization of a liberal slant has been suspended without pay for five days.Uri Berliner, an NPR senior business editor, was punished last Friday after backlash from an article he wrote for the Free Press, a website operated by the former New York Times editor Bari Weiss. Continue reading...

The first female vice-president was supposed to be the future of the Democratic party - now she looks like ancient historyRemember Kamala Harris? Just a few years ago the first female vice-president of the US was surrounded by fanfare, splashed on the cover of Vogue and being feted as the future of the Democratic party. For a brief moment, it seemed plausible that Joe Biden, the oldest inaugurated president in history, might serve just a single term and then gracefully hand the reins over to his VP. Ms Harris now finds herself the most clearly positioned heir to the White House," the New York Times mused after the 2020 election.Four years on and Harris's position is a lot less clear. Indeed, you could be forgiven for forgetting that the vice-president even exists. And, to be fair, that's because part of her job is ensuring she doesn't steal the spotlight from her boss. Very few vice-presidents shine in the role; there is a reason Teddy Roosevelt once opined that the position is not a stepping stone to anything except oblivion". Biden, of course, was an exception to that. Still, he jokingly complained that being number two was a bitch" back in 2014, when he was VP.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...

Public spending on private sweep contractors is soaring across the state - and unhoused people allege poor treatmentThis story was produced in partnership with Type Investigations with support from the Wayne Barrett ProjectOn an October morning, a small army arrived to evict Rudy Ortega from his home in the Crash Zone, an encampment located near the end of the airport runway in San Jose, California, Silicon Valley's largest city. As jets roared overhead, garbage trucks and police squad cars encircled Ortega's hand-built shelter. Heavy machinery operators stood by for the signal to bulldoze Ortega's camp. Continue reading...