US news | The Guardian

Shasta county, hotbed of US election denialism movement, set to appoint ex-Colorado clerk who served prison termA northern California county that has become a hotbed of activism for those who sow doubts about the reliability of voting machines plans to hire Tina Peters, the prominent Colorado election denier recently released from prison, to work on elections.Clint Curtis, the top election official in Shasta county, told the Guardian he plans to hire Peters as a consultant to replace Brent Turner, his top deputy, who has been on medical leave. He said Peters would not have access to the county's voting system and did not directly respond when asked what her responsibilities would be. Plans to hire Peters, who is still on parole and must receive permission to travel outside of Colorado, were first reported by Action News Now. Continue reading...

President hosts Nathanial Rai and lifeguard Ryder Williams at White House after video of California rescue went viralNathanial Rai had been swept off his feet along the California coast, was rescued by a 16-year-old lifeguard - and was now sitting in the Oval Office with Donald Trump.Of the rescuer, Ryder Williams, Trump said to Nathanial: He's a real hero. I don't know if I'd do it. Continue reading...

Paula Musgrove stated her daughter had said medications were destroying' her mind and she was becoming paranoid'The defense in the Lindsay Clancy filicide case called the defendant's mother as one of its first witnesses Monday, after three weeks of prosecution evidence laid out, in often harrowing detail, events surrounding Clancy's killing of her three children.Under questioning from defense attorney David Reddington, Clancy's mother, Paula Musgrove, testified that her daughter's statements and actions had unsettled her in the months leading up to 24 January 2023. Continue reading...

Donald Trump berated a CNN reporter at a press availability, insisting that she 'be quiet' after she asked about a reduction in US military exercises with South Korea. The CNN correspondent, Kristen Holmes, pressed Trump on whether Kim Jong-un had requested a reduction in military activities. When another reporter asked about the extensive accounts of deteriorating living conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln during its lengthy deployment in the strait of Hormuz, the president dismissed the complaints: 'It was fake news reporting from CNN'

Lawyers seek dismissal of state charges after Mangione pleaded guilty in federal case over Brian Thompson killingA New York state judge on Monday effectively postponed Luigi Mangione's trial on murder and weapons charges over the 2024 killing of a health insurance company CEO, after Mangione pleaded guilty last week to separate federal charges.The trial had previously been scheduled to begin on September 8. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the state charges. Mangione's lawyers on Friday asked New York state justice Gregory Carro, who is overseeing the state case, to dismiss the charges. Continue reading...

USS Benfold lost power after engineering casualty' leaving sailors without galley services, toilets and air conditioningA US guided-missile destroyer reportedly spent four days adrift and without power in the South China Sea in July, furthering concerns about strain being placed on deployed military members.The USS Benfold, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer which had been sailing with the George Washington carrier strike group, was reported to have been towed to Subic Bay in the Philippines, according to the US Naval Institute News, an independent military publication. Continue reading...

Storm that brought heavy rains and winds damaged at least 100 homes and bridges and left over 100,000 without powerHawaii residents began to clean up after tropical storm Lala blew past the Big Island, leaving more than 100,000 without power and damaging at least 100 homes and bridges.Lala was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it grazed the islands, but it brought heavy rains and winds to the Big Island. Hawaii's total rainfall over 48 hours topped 3.5ft in some areas, according to AccuWeather. The rising floodwaters damaged or swept away about 100 homes in the area, along with six bridges. Continue reading...

When 18-year-old Nolan Wells went missing, his story immediately touched a nerve in Black families. He was last seen while hanging out with a group of white friends, at a popular beach near Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Wells never came home from the trip, and he was found dead days later. Many questions about how he died remain unanswered publicly. And the mystery surrounding his death has revived an old conversation within Black communities: are we ever truly safe in white-dominated spaces? Who will feel responsible for our children's safety when we send them out into a world where Black life is not valued? Host Kai Wright talks with historian Stacey Patton and writer Ashley Stoney about why Wells' story has captured so much attention - and sparked so much anxiety - among Black parents, in particular. What does our collective reaction to Wells' disappearance and death reveal about the limits of interracial society today? Continue reading...

President says US carrier is beautifully maintained' and calls CNN fake news' over reports of poor conditionsDonald Trump claimed he had third-hand reports that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is beautifully maintained" despite extensive accounts of deteriorating living conditions during its lengthy deployment in the strait of Hormuz.At the White House on Monday, Trump berated a CNN reporter at a press availability, insisting that she be quiet" and describing the reporting as fake news. Continue reading...

Controversial project has faced bipartisan opposition by critics who say it mars pristine environmental area in TexasConstruction on a US-Mexico border project in Big Bend national park has halted, the Trump administration said Monday, as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) evaluates the controversial project in Texas.CBP is pausing all construction activity in Big Bend National Park while I visit and conduct a personal, on-the-ground evaluation," CBP's head, Rodney Scott, wrote in a social media post. Continue reading...

Democratic senator Jon Ossoff attacked Donald Trump andthe defense secretary, Pete Hegseth,over the Iran war, saying they lied 'the nation into a war'. Ossoff, who is running for re-election in Georgia in November, made the comments while speaking at a rally in midtown Atlanta on Sunday afternoon

Decision leaves intact $5m civil judgment against Trump after jury found him liable for sexually abusing writerThe US supreme court has rejected for a second time Donald Trump's attempt to overturn a jury verdict in 2023 that found him liable for sexually abusing writer E Jean Carroll, and later defaming her.The court announced the decision in an unsigned order on Monday, without providing an explanation of their decision. The order just listed the US president's petition, along with several other petitions, under rehearings denied". Continue reading...

Georgia Democratic senator has stoked speculation for 2028 presidency bid by delivering stinging attacks on TrumpDemocratic senator Jon Ossoff has attacked Donald Trump's uniquely despicable" handling of the US-Israel war on Iran, accusing the US president of re-rigging" a corrupt system for himself in an excoriating speech.Ossoff, who is running for re-election in Georgia in November, has repeatedly stoked speculation that he is laying the ground for a bid for the US presidency in 2028 by delivering a series of stinging attacks on Trump and his administration. Continue reading...

Authorities say man, 50, shot wife in Louisiana and put her body in car before driving and being stopped in TennesseeA man in Louisiana killed his wife and then took her body on a driving tour through several states before he was arrested in Tennessee, authorities allege.The suspect's macabre purported odyssey began in Baton Rouge when, according to Louisiana investigators, Tyronne Brazille, 50, shot dead his wife, Lanessa Bradford, also 50, during an argument at the city's Independence Community Park. Continue reading...

Energy prices have been high since the US-Israel war with Iran began and the strait of Hormuz was blockedUS gas prices this month are so far the highest ever recorded for August as peace talks between the US and Iran have stalled and Donald Trump launched fresh threats against Oman.The national average price of gas was $4.06 per gallon on Monday, according to data from AAA, $0.05 higher than last week and $1 more expensive than a year ago. In California and Hawaii, averages hit about $5.50 a gallon. Continue reading...

Concern over impact of Iran war pushes up government bond yields in US, UK, France, Germany and JapanGovernment borrowing costs in several advanced economies hit their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, or even earlier, on Monday as investors feared the Middle East crisis would keep inflation persistently high.Concerns over rising prices and government spending pushed up the cost of debt issued by Paris, Berlin, Washington DC, Tokyo and London as investors fretted that rising prices would push up interest rates. Continue reading...

Trump's son-in-law and envoy held rare meeting with Hamas chief in Egypt in push for progress on ceasefireDonald Trump's son-in-law and envoy, Jared Kushner, held a rare meeting with Hamas's political chief on Sunday in Egypt, in a new diplomatic effort to make progress in the stalled Gaza ceasefire. Kushner will meet on Monday with Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under pressure after rejecting the new 15-point, US-backed road map.The talks aim to salvage the plan for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territory shattered by war. Continue reading...

Sixteen-year-old dead and four others wounded including two children at community celebration in LexingtonAuthorities in Kentucky charged an 18-year-old man with murder and several counts of assault after a shooting in Lexington park left a teenager dead and four others injured - one of multiple similar cases around the US over the weekend.Jametrius Griffin was arrested less than 24 hours after Saturday night's mass shooting at Charles Young Park in the city's downtown. According to the Lexington police department, officers responded to reports of gunfire in the park at about 7pm and found five people shot, including two adults, a 14-year-old and a four-year-old. Continue reading...

I understand gen Z's concerns about the cost of romance. But anything can be a date if you want it to beA couple of months ago, I wrote a column imploring young people to keep trying to find love, to not become cynical about romance and avoid the temptation of the accursed loneliness influencers" peddling antisocial behavior as some sort of newfangled experiment that no one had thought of before. I stand here today saying, hey, I can't be right all the time. Maybe it is better to be alone, since it costs a hell of a lot less.Apparently, young people across the country are forgoing dating because it's too damn expensive. Or at least, I think they are, based on the multiple newspaper articles saying so that came out in the last two weeks. As the New York Times put it, the prospect of a tab of $150 or more for two entrees, two drinks, an appetizer and tip" is too pricey for many gen Z singles. I say, only $150? Where are you going, Chili's? I went on a date with (shameful brag incoming) a very famous political figure from the late 90s and spent twice that amount, sending my bank account into cardiac arrest. I practically begged her to get dessert, even though it was clear our decade of age difference and general lack of chemistry meant I was better off going home and journaling about it. I paid for the whole thing, and in return, I got an amazing story to tell at parties. Continue reading...

Grant cancellations at leading research institutions appear to target study of impacts of racism on brain healthA new round of scientific grant cancellations has hit brain health and Alzheimer's disease research at two leading research institutions, Emory University and the University of Pittsburgh.The latest cancellations are the Trump administration's most recent effort to remove disfavored topics from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) $47bn scientific portfolio - and appear to target the study of the impacts of racism. Continue reading...

Hi-tech cameras orbiting Earth and on the ground, along with AI, help firefighters extinguish blazes before they spreadThe fires in Spokane, Washington, this summer are the latest reminder that when a wildfire is detected can be just as important as where it starts. A blaze found within minutes can often be contained before it spreads. Wait too long, and a small spark can become a major disaster.A new effort to shorten that timeline began in July when a SpaceX rocket carried the first three FireSat satellites into orbit. The trio is the first part of a planned network of 50 satellites built solely to spot wildfires while they are still small enough to stop. Continue reading...

Four-year-old boy, three men and three women among fatalities since storms began on 11 August, officials sayDays of storms and flooding in Indiana left at least seven people dead as floodwaters peaked in Indianapolis's White River - and rains were expected to ease in the state capital region and other parts of the state on Sunday.A four-year-old boy, three men and three women were among those who had died since the storms began on 11 August, state homeland security department spokesperson Liz Woods said. Continue reading...

President said he was not happy' with plans for large-scale joint exercises he described as inappropriate and hostile'. Plus, how five obscure horses have ended up at the center of a transatlantic betting mysteryGood morning. Donald Trump has said he is scaling back joint US military drills with South Korea aimed at deterring North Korea, despite military officials from both countries warning that Kim Jong-un's regime is learning new battlefield tactics from the Ukraine war.The president said he was not happy" with US participation based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong-un". He added that the drills were costly and send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a country that, as long as Donald J Trump has been president, has been unthreatening and respectful". Trump added that it was too late to cancel the drills so he had ordered the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce" them.Why are there continuing concerns about USS Abraham Lincoln? Democrats have intensified their demands for answers from the Trump administration over conditions onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln amid concern over crew morale, mental health and living conditions. Ruben Gallego, a Democratic senator from Arizona, said he blamed the carrier's prolonged deployment on the unresolved war that Donald Trump started in February with Iran as well as lackluster leadership in general from the Republican president's administration. Continue reading...

Did you lose someone in 9/11? What do you want people to remember about them 25 years later?To mark 25 years since 9/11, we would like to hear from people who lost loved ones in the attacks. What do you want people to remember about them 25 years later?If you're having trouble using the form, click here. Read the terms of service here and the privacy policy here. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Raul Torrez is drafting two bills with state lawmakers to bolster consumer protections and child safety online, building on state's landmark case against MetaNew Mexico's attorney general is mounting a full-court press against technology companies to improve their child safety measures, capitalizing on a landmark win in court against Meta earlier this year.Raul Torrez is working with state lawmakers to draft two new bills he says will strengthen consumer protections and child safety online. The legislation, expected to be announced in the coming weeks, will build on the state's case against the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. A jury found in March that the company misled its users about the safety of its platforms and enabled harm, including child sexual exploitation. The social media giant was fined nearly $1bn as a result of the case. Continue reading...

Observers call Peltola, who won the red state's House seat twice and is running to unseat Dan Sullivan, a unicorn'Dan J Sullivan is a retired schoolteacher and US Forest Service employee living in the town of Petersburg in south-eastern Alaska, who is running as a Republican for the US Senate. Dan S Sullivan is a Republican US senator, who has represented Alaska since 2015.Both candidates will appear on the ballot, one name after the other, when Alaskans vote in primary elections this week - a complicated quirk of the contest that has drawn howls from Republicans. Continue reading...

The president was forced to hide in a catering truck amid the Iran war, in an encapsulation of the conflict's failuresFor decades, Donald Trump cultivated a public image based on strength and dominance. He was a brash New York real estate mogul; a reality TV star who deployed his signature phrase: You're fired!" to eliminate contestants from The Apprentice; and eventually US president and undisputed leader of the Republican party.In recent months, Trump has taken his boastfulness to an extreme, reportedly telling confidants that he's the most powerful person to ever live" and comparing himself with some of history's most feared leaders, including Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin and Mao. Continue reading...

The American has proved again that she's in a class of her own. But is that a good thing for her sport?Over the weekend, more than 16,000 fans, including former and current world champions such as Floyd Mayweather, Terence Crawford, and Shakur Stevenson, filled State Farm Arena in Atlanta to witness Claressa Shields dominate Kaye Scott.Shields made quick work of Scott winning by TKO in six rounds after unleashing a flurry of punches against the Australian, whose corner threw in the towel to stop the fight before more damage could be done. Continue reading...

The 12-time national title-winning coach discusses Connecticut's time on top, his bond with Paige Bueckers, the Pat Summitt rivalry and why he isn't retiring just yetLet's get one thing out of the way right from the jump: UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma says he isn't retiring anytime in the foreseeable future".That may come as a relief to fans of the program who have never known anyone else to be at its helm. Though he declined to promise an exact timeline, Auriemma made one thing clear while speaking to the Guardian last week: he's going to be sticking around. Continue reading...

The American actor known for her roles in Nashville, Heroes and Remember the Titans has died aged 36 Continue reading...

Outgoing Louisiana senator Bill Cassidy, a medical doctor, voted to confirm anti-vaccine activist RFK Jr as health secretary before speaking outRepublican senator Bill Cassidy - a medical doctor who voted to confirm anti-vaccine activist Robert F Kennedy as federal health secretary in early 2025 - on Sunday denounced Donald Trump's crazy, stupid" claims about the safety of the combined MMR vaccine for undermining faith in immunization.When Trump recently ordered changes to the recommended childhood vaccination schedule, with Kennedy by his side, the president called for two shots of the combined Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine to be scrapped in favor of two doses of three separate vaccines, claiming that the MMR shots are sort of like a nuclear weapon" that could be quite lethal". Continue reading...

Suspect, 19, who is not enrolled at the university arrested in connection with shooting of five people, authorities sayA young man suspected in connection with the shooting of five people on Saturday on the campus of Virginia State University (VSU) hid in a dormitory closet for more than 14 hours before being found and arrested, according to authorities.The suspect - identified as 19-year-old Camron Harris - was found in Seward Hall on VSU's campus at 4pm, local police Lt James Lamb said, according to the Virginia news outlet WTVR. The shooting occurred at about 1.30am on Saturday. Continue reading...

Senator Ruben Gallego calls carrier's months-long deployment a deep problem' as wellbeing concerns mountDemocrats on Sunday intensified their demands for answers from the Trump administration over conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as the aircraft carrier's nearly nine-month deployment continued fueling concern over crew morale, mental health and living conditions.Ruben Gallego, a Democratic senator from Arizona, said on Sunday that problems aboard the Lincoln had kept mounting - and he blamed the carrier's prolonged deployment on the unresolved war that Donald Trump started in February with Iran as well as lackluster leadership in general from the Republican president's administration. Continue reading...

US attorney general says no one in his role should ever' make this vow amid concern over Trump steering DoJUS attorney general Todd Blanche on Sunday declined to assure that the federal justice department he helms would always act independently of the White House and Donald Trump.No, I'm not going to pledge that," he said when asked about the topic by NBC's Meet the Press host, Kristen Welker. And no attorney general should ever pledge that." Continue reading...

Girl called police after she was shot four times in shooting spree that left six dead, including gunmanA 13-year-old girl in Michigan survived being shot four times in a shooting spree that left six people dead - including the suspected attacker - and called emergency help herself shortly before investigators identified the gunman, according to a state police official and her family.Those actions made the teen a hero", said a relative of hers as well as two of the dead victims. Continue reading...

Famous raptor helped livestream viewers in difficult moments, and inspired a conservation project at her lake homeThe bald eagle Jackie made her home on the shore of southern California's Big Bear Lake for most of her 14 years. But her death earlier this week drew international attention.The Los Angeles Times described her as arguably the world's most famous bald eagle". For years, millions of people tuned into a live stream of Jackie's nest, watching her rear her eaglets, work out life with her mate, Shadow, and, perhaps most memorably, incubate her eggs while almost completely buried in snow. Continue reading...

The Federal Reserve, the ECB and the Bank of England appear unclear on how to tackle inflation amid the Iran war

A broad group of diseases in the agricultural powerhouse is top of mind for the midterm electionsIn Iowa, one of the key battleground states in November's midterm elections, just about every political candidate agrees on one thing: something must be done about the state's rising rates of cancer.The midwestern state has the second-highest rate of cancer nationwide and, together with Utah and West Virginia, is one of only three states where incidences of the disease are rising, according to cancer rate monitoring from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Continue reading...

Legislation requiring disclosure of chemicals in diapers passed assembly and will go before state senate soonNew California legislation would require manufacturers to disclose the mystery cocktail" of toxic chemicals used in disposable diapers.Diapers often contain among the most toxic substances - phthalates, lead, Pfas, quats, arsenic, a range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fragrance", which can include any number of 1,200 compounds thought to be hazardous to human health. Continue reading...

Danny Monteverde had been protesting the closure of a courtroom during indictment of state attorney generalThe outrageous" handcuffing of a New Orleans journalist covering the indictment in July of Louisiana's attorney general - a case that ultimately was dismissed - conveyed a chilling message to members of the press and the public" for which there is no excuse, according to a prominent media rights advocacy organization.An attorney for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) made those assertions in a recent letter to the New Orleans criminal district courthouse where deputies temporarily detained WWL Louisiana investigative producer Danny Monteverde and outlet lawyer Elana Beiser in the course of their duties in early July. Continue reading...

Sony Pictures in July announced that the celebrated theater, built in 1963 and shuttered during Covid, will reopen in 2028Drive down Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and you'll see a movie theater straight out of The Jetsons.Built in 1963, the Cinerama dome is instantly memorable: a white, geodesic construction that looks like a giant golf ball cut in half and plopped down in the middle of the city. Continue reading...

Law was set to go into effect in January, months before cyclosporiasis outbreak, but now is set for 2028Congress passed a law to help federal agencies investigate outbreaks of foodborne illness - a regulation experts said could have stopped the US's largest cyclosporiasis outbreak much sooner.The only problem? The rule has been delayed - for 15 years, including most recently amid lobbying in 2025. Continue reading...

One US sailor's mother asks: My son signed up to serve his country. But why isn't his country serving him?'Naval families with loved ones deployed for months on US warships amid the Iran war have reacted with fury to Donald Trump and the defense secretary Pete Hegseth's dismissal of their concerns about the extreme pressures and dire conditions they are enduring.The Guardian has talked to three naval families who have been following the physical and mental stresses bearing down on their relatives with mounting alarm. The families, with loved ones on board the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli, all spoke anonymously for fear of retribution against their active duty relatives. Continue reading...

Complete unraveling' of Trump and Republican project reflects attitude of not caring at all about governanceHe was always one step ahead. Donald Trump won the US presidency as a wildly unlikely outsider in 2016 and staged an astonishing comeback to win it again in 2024. Even his foes grudgingly called him a political savant with an intuition for exploiting grievances that left so-called experts floundering.But now they are asking if the dark genius has lost his touch. Trump is trapped in the quagmire of an unpopular war, obsessing over monuments in Washington and looking for a new spokesperson after his White House press secretary quit. If the 80-year-old was deliberately trying to sabotage his Republican party in November's midterm elections, it is not clear what he would do differently. Continue reading...

Molendotech will collate data from daily tests that detect E coli and other bacteria amid reports of swimmers falling illA UK university spinout behind a rapid bacterial water testing kit is planning to launch live water quality maps, as scores of beachgoers report falling ill after swimming.Molendotech, a spinout from the University of Plymouth, sells a portable test that detects E coli and other bacteria in water and delivers results on the spot, without waiting for days to get laboratory results. Continue reading...

Four horses with little record of success suddenly won in the US. A seemingly coordinated betting operation across London did too - and now racing authorities want answersTo understand why horse racing on both sides of the pond has been gripped by the Fair Hill Five over the past week, start with a basic principle of betting: when two unlikely horses win in back-to-back races, a wager correctly picking both should pay off handsomely. Last Sunday at New Jersey's Monmouth Park, it did not.The sequence began with The Great Amira, a 17-1 longshot who went from finishing last in her previous two starts to winning wire to wire by nine and a half lengths. Her trainer then won the very next race with Tepeyac, who went off at about 4-1, and the meager Daily Double payout for picking both outsiders suggested the exact combination had been unusually well backed. Later that afternoon, two more longshot winners emerged at Saratoga. They were among five runners with recent workouts at Maryland's Fair Hill Training Center, the common link behind the name Fair Hill Five. Continue reading...

As chief US diplomat, Rubio could do great good. His pandering and neglect are a disgrace we shouldn't ignoreViewed from the state department in Washington DC, the world is on fire - but record heatwaves are not to blame. The unresolved Iran war has badly burned Donald Trump. His military campaign conclusively failed, energy and food prices are still rising, and a Republican rout in November's midterm elections looms. Humiliatingly, Israel this week flatly rejected his latest Gaza peace proposals, days after Trump congratulated himself on a historic breakthrough". In Europe, Russia's attacks on Nato allies grow increasingly brazen, threatening a wider escalation. The Ukraine war, which Trump vowed to end, is now well into its fifth year, with civilians on both sides caught in the killing fields. And these are just the bigger firestorms. There are plenty more.Rarely has the need for effective, professional diplomacy been more pressing. So step forward Marco Rubio, US secretary of state and chief American diplomat. These are challenges that, if successfully tackled, could propel the 55-year-old son of Cuban immigrants and the former US senator for Florida into pole position in the 2028 Republican presidential nomination race. Here is a chance for Rubio to defy critics who dismiss him as a lickspittle and Trump dogsbody, and transform himself into respected global statesman. His boss mocked him as little Marco" and a loser" when they were election rivals in 2016. (Rubio called him a conman.) Now is Rubio's opportunity to go big, be brave and prove he's a winner. Continue reading...