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Rachel Reeves told the elites gathered in Switzerland she was relaxed about wealth creation'. She's in the minority on thatRachel Reeves might give the impression of being someone who's never late for social engagements, but she is increasingly late to the party. At a breakfast event on the second day of Davos, after she'd spelled out her faith in artificial intelligence and a high-skilled workforce, someone asked Britain's chancellor how she felt about wealth creation" - was she relaxed, in a Blairite sense? Absolutely," Reeves replied. Absolutely relaxed."Wealth creation isn't quite the same as just wealth, but wealth creators" is famously the moniker the super-rich use for themselves. And so Reeves's exceedingly relaxed tone here puts her in a minority - possibly a minority of one. As Elon Musk salutes his way into political power, not even rich people are relaxed about wealth any more. On the first day of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, the pro-tax campaign group Patriotic Millionaires released survey results from 2,000 high net-worth individuals across the G20: more than half of them thought extreme wealth was a threat to democracy, and over two-thirds agreed that the visible influence of the wealthy was leading to a decline in trust of the media, the justice system and democracy.Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Daniel Ball granted clemency by Trump over riot-related offenses but remains in jail under separate gun chargeA Florida man pardoned for his role in the January 6 Capitol riot was swiftly rearrested on Wednesday on federal gun charges.Daniel Ball, 38, of Homosassa, Florida, remains detained after federal authorities executed an arrest warrant for illegal firearm possession - a charge that predates but emerged from his involvement in the 2021 Capitol insurrection. The arrest marks a complex legal move that suggests presidential pardons may not provide absolute protection from prosecution. Continue reading...

House and Senate Republicans float ideas to pay for Trump's immigration crackdown and to fund tax cutsRepublicans are reportedly prepared to cut Medicaid funding to pay for Donald Trump's promised crackdown on immigration and to fund tax cuts which would mostly benefit the wealthy.The GOP in the House and Senate have floated a series of ideas - many of which would target lower income Americans - to cover the cost of extending tax cuts passed by Trump in 2017, the New York Times reported. Continue reading...

Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, was too strong for Paula Badosa, while Madison Keys outlasted Iga Swiatek in an epic to set up an enticing finalSabalenka 0-1 Badosa* (denotes server) A big service-winner down the T makes 15-all, but Sabalenka takes control of the next point with a booming forehand return, cleaning up with with another down the line Then, facing a second serve, she steps in a little and starts thwacking ... but just when15-40 seems a matter of time, a backhand on the stretch and on to the line hauls Badosa back into the point and eventually the error comes; 30-all. But a double presents break point; another service-winner confiscates it, and so far, the underdog is coping with the pressure well, as I type spanking an ace down the T for advantage. And though she oughtn't win the next rally, Sabalenka in at the net and unable to finish, she makes her opponent play enough balls such that the error comes. Badosa is into this!Badosa to serve and ready ... play. Continue reading...

Words at conception' in order gesture to push by anti-abortion movement to give embryos and fetuses legal rights

President defends offering clemency to the 1,500 people involved in the insurrection. Plus, an oral history of the making of Twin PeaksGood morning.Donald Trump has described attacks by insurrectionists on police officers at the US Capitol on January 6 2021 as very minor incidents" after he offered sweeping clemency to those who took part.Why so many pardons? Media reports suggest Trump was too impatient to go through cases individually, with Axios quoting an adviser as saying: Trump just said: Fuck it: Release 'em all'."What other action are Republicans taking related to January 6? House Republicans will continue investigating the insurrection to try to undermine the previous inquiry that found Trump responsible for the deadly attack.Which aspects of the ACA will be affected? Trump cannot repeal the act by executive order but his directives are restricting eligibility requirements, cutting federal subsidies and affecting enrolment deadlines. Continue reading...

While the global PR firm blames economic fears' for this age of grievance', the executive class doesn't seem very fearfulHigh up in the Swiss Alps this week, an influential public relations executive issued a stark warning to the world's corporate and political elite. Public trust is plummeting", Richard Edelman declared, prompting a global descent into grievance".For the 25th year, the PR agency Edelman released its annual trust barometer" at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The survey asks respondents in dozens of countries if they trust governments, NGOs, media outlets and corporations. Continue reading...

NLRB-sanctioned vote in February of 4,300 workers could produce only second unionized Amazon warehouse in USAn independent group of workers at an Amazon warehouse in Garner, North Carolina, are seeking to form the second unionized warehouse at Amazon in the US.Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (Cause) filed to hold a union election at the warehouse, which, despite Amazon claiming they were very skeptical" the group would have enough legitimate signatures for the petition, was approved by the National Labor Relations Board. Continue reading...

The simple truth is that Trump ignored almost every major issue facing this country's working families in his first speechI was at the Trump inauguration on Monday, and needless to say, I disagree with almost everything he had to say.What really struck me, however, is not what he said, which was not surprising given his general rhetoric - but what he didn't say. The simple truth is that Donald Trump gave a major speech, the first speech of his second presidency, and ignored almost every significant issue facing the working families of this country. Continue reading...

After 30,000 appointments to apply for asylum were cancelled, the fragile calm at the US-Mexico border is at risk

Just when you're braced for emotional resolution, you get the dreaded words: To be continued ...' Hollywood needs to stop this nowI'll never forget my experience of taking my seven-year-old to see. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in the cinema, and I don't mean that in a good way. The little fellow enjoyed it enormously - we devoured a half bucket of pick'n'mix and cheered at the spidey-dino - and then, right at the climax, decided he needed to go to the loo. We rushed out, did the thing as fast as a seven-year-old can, rushed back - and everyone was leaving. It finished just after you left," said a sympathetic fellow parent, as the cinema staff vacuumed up popcorn. I think there's going to be a sequel."Maybe I'm an idiot - I definitely still don't understand how a multiverse works - but I sort of think this ought to be illegal, or at least a matter for trading standards. As far as I can remember, it was heavily implied that this was going to be a self-contained story. To make matters worse, this trend seems to be gathering steam - Dune got away with it because nobody expected Denis Villeneuve to cram all that delicious spice into one film, but when even Fast X is leaving you without any emotional resolution, you know something's rotten in Hollywood. And now there's Wicked - famously based on a show that's already split into two parts but still lasts less than three hours. I'm not sure who's to blame for this - Kevin Feige? George Lucas? - but at least I know going in that Star Wars and Marvel are never, ever going to end.Joel Snape is a writer and fitness expert Continue reading...

Aside from legal challenges, those who didn't vote for the man have little means of resisting - and are frankly still in shockIt is a strange effect of the second Trump presidency that, where Donald Trump and his allies know the ropes this time round and have grown in assertiveness, their opposition seems paralysed, rather than emboldened, by experience. After Trump's inauguration in 2017, millions of people took to the streets. This week, a lot of Trump-haters in Washington simply skipped town for the inauguration weekend. This, it seems to me, is less an indication of resignation than caution and lingering shock. Whatever happened last time didn't work. So now what?It is an unnerving position, not knowing what to do, and in this case requires a lot of self-soothing in the form of mantras, It's only four years", and He's a lame duck, anyway" (because he cannot serve another term). Opposition will not be about sending a message through the medium of public demonstration - the time for that, clearly, has passed, not least because Trump won the popular vote.Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

As we approach this weekend's championship games, we look at how the Chiefs, Eagles, Commanders and Bills can go all the wayThe Bills offense is a machine, with Josh Allen playing the best all-around ball of his career. But the Bills will only go as deep as McDermott, their head coach and defensive architect, can take them. Continue reading...

By avoiding the standard cliches, the far-right leader comes across as moderate even as she backs extremist rhetoricAlice? Who the fuck is Alice?" wondered European audiences in 1995 when the Dutch band Gompie landed an unlikely success by adding this risque line to Smokie's 1970s hit Living Next Door to Alice. Thirty years on, the question is on many minds again, this time regarding the mercurial co-leader of Germany's buoyant anti-immigration party Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD). Ahead of the German elections on 23 February, many want to know: who exactly is Alice Weidel?It's a pertinent question. For the first time since the Nazi era, a far-right party has ambitions to head a German government. The AfD is fielding the 45-year-old Weidel as its first-ever chancellor candidate. She is unlikely to win office this time, but her party is polling in second place and set to double its vote share to over 20%.Katja Hoyer is a German-British historian and journalist. Her latest book is Beyond the Wall: East Germany, 1949-1990

We see untrammelled power with fawning courtiers. George Washington would have recognised the new system at the White HouseDonald Trump's triumphal return to the White House was American political theatre on steroids. This was, of course, exactly the returning president's intention. Shock and awe" was the en vogue phrase in the Trump camp to describe it, as the president sought to obliterate the Biden era in a blizzard of executive presidential orders and day-one Maga movement payoffs.Trump's second inauguration was exceptionally well worked. Where or whether it all lands in the form of delivered policy is a different issue. To some, it may feel petty to note that the last US shock and awe" exercise - the Iraq invasion of 2003 - also generated a feast of indelible images of American power. But that one certainly did not end well. Continue reading...

In interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, US president also hinted that predecessor Joe Biden made an error by not pardoning himselfDonald Trump has described attacks on police officers at the US Capitol on January 6 2021 as very minor incidents" as he sought to defend his decision to pardon the insurrectionists.The US president hinted that those who put him through four years of hell" via criminal prosecutions should themselves be investigated, adding ominously that his predecessor Joe Biden made a mistake by not pardoning himself. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. You can read all our coverage of the Trump administration hereThe Wall Street Journal has spoken to some federal workers affected by the slew of executive orders signed by president Donald Trump at the outset of his second term as president, and reports a sense of anxiety and confusion" among staff.One person, a product-support manager for the US navy, said It's leaving a lot of uncertainty that folks have never really had to feel. It seems like there is a level of distrust with how things are working." Continue reading...

Before Trump appointee Brendan Carr stepped in, outgoing chair had rejected complaints as trying to weaponize' FCCThe Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday reinstated complaints about how ABC News moderated the pre-election TV debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and appearances of Kamala Harris on CBS's 60 Minutes and NBC's Saturday Night Live.Last week, then FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said the commission was rejecting complaints that seek to weaponize the licensing authority of the FCC in a way that is fundamentally at odds with the First Amendment". Then, on Wednesday, the FCC said in a series of orders the complaints had been dismissed prematurely based on an insufficient investigatory record". Continue reading...

Forty-six Democrats joined Republicans to further bill requiring detention of undocumented immigrants for theftThe US House on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill requiring the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft-related crimes, sending the proposal to Donald Trump's desk and giving the new president his first legislative victory as he presses his hardline immigration agenda on multiple fronts.The House vote was 263 to 158, with 46 Democrats joining every present Republican in supporting the Laken Riley Act, named after a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan national who was in the US unlawfully. The House vote came two days after the US Senate passed the legislation in a vote of 64 to 35, with a dozen Democratic members backing the bill. Continue reading...

Hughes fire ignites north of Los Angeles late Wednesday morning as Eaton and Palisades fires burn for third weekAdditional evacuations were ordered for residents near a large fast-moving wildfire north of Los Angeles, as parched southern California endured another round of dangerous winds ahead of possible rain over the weekend.The Hughes fire broke out late on Wednesday morning and quickly ripped through more than 9,400 acres (3,760ha), sending up an enormous plume of dark smoke near Castaic Lake, a popular recreation area about 40 miles (64 km) from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that are burning for a third week. Continue reading...

Letter from Academy leadership also says show will move away' from live performances to celebrate songwritersThe Oscars will go on as planned in March, though with special accommodations to acknowledge to devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, according to a new update from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.A letter from the CEO, Bill Kramer, and president Janet Yang, sent to all members on Wednesday, confirmed that the ceremony will celebrate the work that unites us as a global film community and acknowledge those who fought so bravely against the wildfires". Continue reading...

Orders repeal directives expanding healthcare access and options for lower-income and middle-class AmericansWithin his first 48 hours back in office, Trump has signed several executive orders that threaten the healthcare of millions of Americans.Amid a flurry of executive orders, some of which were signed live on TV on inauguration night, the US president issued several orders that repeal Biden-era directives that had expanded healthcare access and options for lower-income and middle-class Americans. Continue reading...

Mike Johnson says party has exposed the false narratives' of the attack but that there is still more work to be done'House Republicans will continue investigating the January 6 insurrection, attempting to undermine the prior investigation that found Donald Trump responsible and rewrite the narrative about the deadly Capitol siege.House speaker Mike Johnson announced on Wednesday that a new select subcommittee will be formed to investigate all events leading up to and after January 6". The move comes after the president pardoned or commuted sentences for every defendant convicted for their roles in January 6, including those convicted of violence against Capitol police and the leaders of extremist groups. Continue reading...

The 17-year-old shooter, also a student at Antioch high school, killed himself, police saidOne student was killed and another wounded on Wednesday in a shooting in a Nashville-area high school cafeteria, police said.The 17-year-old shooter later shot and killed himself, Don Aaron, a Metro Nashville police spokesperson said during a news conference. Continue reading...

Donald Trump signed executive order to rename body of water in honor of American greatness'The US Coast Guard (USCG) and the state of Florida have started referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America - a new label pushed by Donald Trump - despite the name of the body of water not yet being formally changed.On Tuesday, following a flurry of executive orders signed by Trump on his first days in office, the USCG announced that it would deploy additional assets to multiple locations, including the maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of America'". Similarly, Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, cited the new moniker in a winter storm executive order on Monday, saying an area of low pressure [was] moving across the Gulf of America". Continue reading...

Groups worked furiously before inauguration to settle refugees, before order to halt all arrivals on Wednesday

Affidavit to senators claims defense secretary pick's alleged behavior prompted his second wife to fear for her safetySenators have received an affidavit from the former sister-in-law of Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's controversial pick for secretary of defense, alleging that the nominee's aggressive behavior prompted his second wife to fear for her safety. Hegseth and his ex-wife, who divorced in 2018, have denied the allegations.As NBC News first reported, the former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, submitted the affidavit after the top Democrat on the Senate armed forces committee, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, sent her a letter requesting a statement on her personal knowledge about Mr Hegseth's fitness to occupy this important position". Continue reading...

Budde, 65, asked president to have mercy' on immigrants and LGBTQ+ people in prayer service on Tuesday

Justice department directive comes amid slate of executive orders targeting US immigrants and asylum seekers

Proposal comes after the Guardian investigated Parkview, a Fort Wayne-based non-profit chain that charges some of the highest prices in the countryIndiana lawmakers are pushing to slash hospital prices after a Guardian investigation chronicled how one of the state's largest non-profit hospital chains bought up its competition and used its market power to stick patients with some of the highest bills in the country.A new bill introduced last week in the Indiana general assembly would strip non-profit hospitals of their tax-free status if they continue to charge commercially insured patients more than 200% of what the federal government pays for the same services under Medicare. Continue reading...

Florida declared state of emergency and blizzard warning had been issued for first time ever in Louisiana and TexasSevere cold weather has engulfed parts of the US south as a major winter storm bringing record-breaking snowfall and frigid temperatures to parts of the Gulf coast region on Tuesday, with icy conditions expected to continue into Wednesday.In anticipation of the dangerous winter weather, governors across the south, including Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, declared states of emergency earlier this week, and a blizzard warning for parts of Louisiana and Texas was issued for the first time ever, but has since been discontinued. Continue reading...

President decrees end of DEI offices, roles and initiatives within 60 days and repeals civil rights-era equity policies

Documents, including phone number and invitation to join us', distributed same day Trump took officeKentucky police are investigating after a series of racist Ku Klux Klan flyers telling immigrants to leave now" were distributed across the state on inauguration day.The KKK is one of the most infamous white supremacist hate groups in the US. Continue reading...

Thousands of refugees now stranded around the globe after undergoing lengthy process to be permitted to come to US

As the climate crisis turbocharges wildfires, adding resources alone won't be enough to stop the destruction - our relationship with the land must be remadeWhen Edward Kelly, the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), toured the wildfire destruction zones in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods of Los Angeles last week, he saw thousands of homes burned to the ground. The level of devastation is apocalyptic," he said.Propelled by hurricane-force winds, the flames that tore through Los Angeles earlier this month left little more than ashes in their wake, destroying more than 12,000 structures and killing at least 25 people. Continue reading...

Donald Trump defended his decision to grant clemency to people convicted of assaulting police officers during the 2021 attack on the Capitol, saying they had 'served years in jail' that they 'should not have served'. Trump used the opening hours of his second presidency to erase the records of more than 200 people who pleaded guilty to assaulting officers at the Capitol siege on 6 January 2021, granting reprieves to all 1,500-plus people charged in the insurrection that took place after he refused to accept he had lost the 2020 presidential election

Six million fewer US viewers tuned in than for his first inauguration - and nine million fewer people than for Biden in 2021Nine million fewer viewers tuned in for Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony than for Joe Biden's in 2021. According to audience measurement company Nielsen, 24.6 million people watched the former reality TV personality take office, compared with 33.8 million who saw Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration.The number of viewers was also significantly down on the 30.6 million Americans who watched coverage of Trump's first inauguration. This time, the majority of viewers were aged 55 and over, with 17% of all US citizens in that age bracket watching, compared with 1.9% of people aged 18 to 34. Continue reading...

Fraternal Order of Police and International Association of Chiefs of Police criticize blanket clemency to 1,500The largest police union in the US, which endorsed Donald Trump during his campaign, said Trump's decision to pardon more than 1,500 people convicted over the January 6 insurrection sends a dangerous message", in a statement on Tuesday.The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), which endorsed Trump in September 2024, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) warned that the blanket clemency offered to rioters - including those convicted of violent offenses, and several leaders of the attack on the Capitol - threatened Americans' safety. Continue reading...

Ulbricht, sentenced to life in prison in 2015, given full and unconditional' pardon by presidentDonald Trump has granted a full and unconditional" pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the illegal online drug marketplace the Silk Road.Ulbricht has been incarcerated since 2013 and was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 for running the underground market where drug dealers and others conducted more than $200m in illicit trade using the cryptocurrency bitcoin. Trump said he had called Ulbricht's mother to tell her he would pardon her son in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly". Continue reading...

After the state hourly minimum wage increased to $20 in April, CEOs warned of price rises and job cuts - yet staff say that's a lie'Joe Erlinger did not mince his words. This lopsided, hypocritical and ill-considered legislation hurts everyone," the top McDonald's executive declared in 2022, as California considered a landmark $20 hourly minimum wage for fast-food workers.The state ignored such warnings, enforcing a pay rise for an estimated 500,000 people in California - home to some of lowest-paid staff in the US workforce - last April. Continue reading...

President says he'll help states execute people but experts skeptical of bold pledge to expand capital punishmentDonald Trump has signed an executive order committing to pursue federal death sentences and pledging to ensure that states have sufficient supplies of lethal injection drugs for executions.The order promises that Trump's attorney general will seek capital punishment for all crimes of a severity demanding its use", specifying that the US will seek the death penalty in every case involving murder of law enforcement and a capital crime committed by an undocumented person, regardless of other factors". Trump has also pledged to pursue the overruling of longstanding US supreme court precedents that limit the scope of capital punishment. Continue reading...

Any funding disparities can be addressed, but another pandemic is coming - and we'll need the WHO to help fight itThis week, in East Sussex, a case of mpox was announced, the sixth UK case since October. New cases have also been detected recently in France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Canada and the US as mpox spreads out of Africa. Also this week, Tanzania's president confirmed an outbreak of Marburg, an Ebola-like virus, which the country's health minister had previously denied, only after the World Health Organization (WHO) independently reported an outbreak of nine suspected cases and eight deaths.These two new reports of infectious diseases, thousands of miles apart, emphasise why, if a World Health Organization did not exist, it would have to be created to identify and prevent the spread of infectious diseases worldwide.Gordon Brown was UK prime minister from 2007 to 2010 Continue reading...

Right Rev Mariann Budde's appeal followed executive orders preparing US for mass deportations and targeting of transgender peopleGood morning.The Episcopal bishop of Washington implored Donald Trump to have mercy upon" immigrants and LGBTQ+ people across the country after he unleashed a slate of executive orders targeting communities.What executive orders does it follow? Trump has already signed directives undoing Biden-era protections for transgender Americans and paving the way for mass deportations.Who supports the Patriotic Millionaires' campaign? The group has sent a letter calling on world leaders to implement a wealth tax, which is signed by more than 370 millionaires and billionaires from 22 countries. This includes the film producer and philanthropist Abigail Disney, the musician Brian Eno and the director Richard Curtis. Continue reading...

Yuan and Chinese stocks fall despite suggestion of lower tariff than president mentioned during campaign

No inauguration of any modern American president has been viewed in Europe with such ambiguity as that of Ronald ReaganBy John Palmer in Brussels

With more than 15,000 structures burned to the ground, experts say Angelenos of all income levels will be affectedHours after losing her house to the Palisades fire in Los Angeles, Charlotta La Via was looking out of her hotel window and half-wishing she'd booked the hotel across the street when she spotted a for lease" sign on a building nearby.It was advertising a luxury apartment complex in downtown Santa Monica, more like a five-star hotel than conventional living, with prices to match. But she and her husband didn't hesitate. They signed a lease on a three-bedroom apartment almost as soon as they'd finished touring it. Continue reading...