Sheriff in rural Texas says it's still at large' after claim Gracie had been located after wandering off private ranchFor almost two weeks, residents of a rural Texas county have been looking, mostly up, for a missing giraffe called Gracie that wandered off from a private game ranch.On Wednesday, the mystery of the free-roaming mammal's odyssey deepened further, when a local sheriff disputed an account that it was reportedly found safe a little farther out than expected" from its hill country home, and said the search was most definitely still on. Continue reading...

President on National Mall rattles off list of apparent victories and says I am thrilled to declare America is back'Donald Trump kicked off what was intended to be a spectacular birthday party" for American's 250th year of independence with a political rally touting his presidency.I am thrilled to declare that America is back," Trump said at the opening ceremony for the Great American State Fair in Washington DC, held on the National Mall. As you know very well, a short time ago we were a dead country. We were dead. Now we're the hottest country anywhere in the world. We're respected by everybody. Nobody's laughing at us any more." Continue reading...

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Trump says he'll sign housing bill aimed at lowering costs only after Senate passes restrictive voting measure - key US politics stories from Wednesday 24 June at a glanceDespite rare and overwhelming bipartisan support, a US bill aimed at lowering the cost of housing for Americans is being held hostage by Donald Trump.The president said he won't sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act until the Senate meets his demand to pass the Save America Act, which would dramatically change voting regulations by requiring proof of citizenship at voter registration and significantly curtail mail-in voting. Continue reading...

Haiti reveled in their historic World Cup goals, but Morocco staged an impressive comeback to secure their second-place finish in Group CNo region benefited as much from the expansion of the World Cup as Africa. Earlier this week, Jonathan Wilson took a look at how the continent's 10 teams - including Morocco - are doing:Thiago Alcantara, in an appearance on Fox's US prematch show, highlights how Morocco will be looking to remedy some of their recent scoring concerns in this matchup. Across the two games, the Atlas Lions have 26 shots, but just five on target and two goals to show. Continue reading...

Teen fatally shot two people on Monday at library in Chico, which has seen deadly wildfires and nearby shootingsEven before a teenager strolled into the public library in Chico where police say he fatally shot two people on Monday afternoon, this building stood apart in the northern California community.It is the only public library that serves the city of about 107,000 people, and most residents have some connection to it. Continue reading...

Transcript of congressional testimony shows Microsoft founder spoke of veiled' threats made by late sex offenderThe Microsoft founder Bill Gates told US members of Congress that the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had sought to blackmail" him over his extramarital affairs, according to a transcript of the testimony.The tech pioneer testified behind closed doors before the House oversight committee on 10 June regarding his friendship with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 as he awaited trial for sex crimes. Continue reading...

Josue Baires Alfaro, 22, identified as victim in Nevada Fall incident that nearly claimed life of woman who tried to helpA 22-year-old visitor to Yosemite national park in California died after he was swept over a 594ft-high waterfall on Saturday, officials confirmed this week.A fellow parkgoer, Freesia Gaul, was capturing a photo when she noticed the man, reportedly identified by local authorities as Josue Baires Alfaro, in the Merced River. Continue reading...

As the US prepares to celebrate 250 years since its founding, Kai Wright sits down with Eddie Glaude Jr, a Princeton University professor, to talk about the conflicts at the heart of the American project. Glaude argues that Black Americans have played a vital role in establishing the country, but their presence is a constant reminder that the American fantasy - the story of a white republic - doesn't exist. He and Kai discuss how the Trump administration has normalized white supremacist rhetoric and the myriad ways the president is trying to whitewash history. Glaude's book America, USA: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries, is out now.

Ruling is win for democracy advocates who have fought back against Trump's push to take power over votingA US federal court blocked Donald Trump's attempt to regulate elections via executive order, a win for democracy advocates who have fought back against the US president's push to take power over voting.Trump issued an executive order on elections, including a documentary proof of citizenship requirement that would have necessitated that people show passports, birth certificates or other documentation when they registered to vote, or changed their registration. Continue reading...

White House must report by 31 July on purpose of tarp installed while Trump's name was stripped from buildingA federal judge on Wednesday ordered Donald Trump's administration to explain why it placed a tarp over the Kennedy Center's facade after the Republican leader's name was removed from the building under a court order.US district judge Christopher Cooper said the administration must report by 31 July the purpose and status of the tarp and scaffolding" now in place at the building. The tarp was installed as workers stripped Trump's name in a predawn operation this month following an order from Cooper that the Trump administration unlawfully added his name to the facade in December. Continue reading...

Michelle Zajko, in jail since February 2025 on other charges, has been charged in 2022 Pennsylvania killings of parentsA member of the cultlike group known as Zizians, who has denied killing her parents in Pennsylvania in 2022, has been charged with murder, a prosecutor said on Wednesday.Michelle Zajko, who has been jailed in Maryland on other charges since February 2025, has been charged with murder, burglary and conspiracy charges in the deaths of Rita and Richard Zajko, the Delaware county district attorney, Tanner Rouse, said at a news conference. The prosecutor said she did not act alone. Continue reading...

Pro- and anti-AI groups spent $24m on a congressional contest in New York, but it's unclear to what end

Muslims in the UK, Europe and the US are increasingly fearful and frustrated as targeted attacks rise. Others must speak outThe chilling attacks that injured five men in Edinburgh at the weekend, including two who were struck as they left a mosque, have deepened the fear that many Muslims in Britain feel today. The case received remarkably little attention south of the border. A man has now been charged with five counts of attempted murder, allegedly aggravated by reason of having a terrorist connection". The facts of these attacks must now be examined in court in due course.What is beyond doubt is the real and growing fear experienced by Muslim communities in the UK, Europe and elsewhere. The US president has said that I think Islam hates us". Increasingly open Islamophobic rhetoric from political figures, and a muted response from others, as well as violence towards Muslims, have left many feeling vulnerable and frustrated.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...

Agreement is first by federal government to resolve enforcement claims against a major Pfas manufacturerThe Trump administration on Wednesday reached a multi-state settlement with the chemical giant Chemours Co over years-long, illegal discharges of synthetic forever chemicals" used to make products resistant to water, grease and stains. The settlement is the first by the federal government to resolve enforcement claims against a manufacturer of harmful chemicals known as Pfas.Under the agreement, filed in federal court in West Virginia, Chemours will pay a civil penalty of $22.5m for alleged violations and spend $90m over 15 years to mitigate Pfas discharges in three states: West Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey. Continue reading...

The latest news from the tournament before Scotland's final group stage match against Brazil in Group CHow do we feel about the penalty that wasn't?I don't really see how you can't give it. Fatawu was in and Konsa launches into him, getting nowhere near the ball with no chance of getting at the ball - which makes it a red card too. Continue reading...

Former Georgia congresswoman on social media says she's fed up' and done backing a party that betrays its voters'Former US congresswoman and Trump loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene has announced that she is finished backing the Republican party, aligning herself with TV rightwinger Tucker Carlson after his own high-profile rejection of the GOP just months ahead of the midterm elections.During a recent episode of the Can't Be Censored podcast, Carlson said when he appeared as a guest there was no chance" he would support the Republican party any more, after years of being a prominent booster for Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Administration claims website is resource for new and expecting mothers' but group of senators says it raises profound' health and safety concernsA group of 11 senators have sent a letter to Donald Trump and Robert F Kennedy urging them to remove a federal website and cease using federal resources to direct people to anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers".On Mother's Day this year, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched Moms.gov, a resource they claim is for new and expecting mothers" and offers guidance and information to support the health and wellbeing of mothers and their families". Continue reading...

Gen Christopher Donahue, commander of forces in Europe and Africa, is leaving after just 18 months in the jobThe army's commander of its forces in Europe and Africa - who was famously the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan in 2021 - is unexpectedly stepping down from his post after just 18 months in the job, the Army confirmed late Tuesday.Gen Christopher Donahue, commanding general of US Army Europe and Africa and commander of Nato's Allied Land Command, will relinquish his command on 2 July, according to an army statement provided to the Associated Press. He is the latest in a line of nearly two dozen top military leaders to either retire or depart their jobs early under the leadership of the defense secretary Pete Hegseth, who has undertaken an effort to thin the ranks of the military's top brass with the mantra less generals, more GIs". Continue reading...

Camp owners said total debt exceeds $10m in chapter 11 filing after catastrophic flood last JulyCamp Mystic, the Christian summer camp in Texas where 28 people died in a catastrophic flood last July, has filed for bankruptcy, according to court records.In a Chapter 11 filing, submitted Wednesday in the southern district of Texas, the camp's owners said that the camp's total debt exceeds $10m". Continue reading...

For years the United States sought a single soccer identity. Instead, its best team emerged from a patchwork of backgrounds, cultures and development pathsIn 1993, the United States Soccer Federation handed a contract to Rinus Michels. But the Dutch godfather of Total Football, operationalized through his on-field avatar Johan Cruyff, was not hired to coach the national team, or to coach anybody, really.By this time, Michels, who managed the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League in 1979 and 1980, had already turned down the chance to manage the US men's national team twice. Once, in 1983, when it would be entered, disastrously, into the NASL as Team America. And once more in 1991, when Bora Milutinovi was appointed instead. Continue reading...

The New York Knicks might have won in five, but the city's mayor did it in three: a trio of candidates backed by Mamdani appear set to land seats in US Congress

AJ Dybantsa went No 1 in a draft that proved to be low on drama, but loaded with generational talentThe tanking teams Continue reading...

Mamdani-backed candidate won New York's 13th congressional district with no experience in office but ideas for how politics can actually invest in life'

Those who work with animals are at greater risk for infection, but face challenges in accessing healthcareAgricultural workers are among the highest risk group for human infection during the screwworm outbreak in the American south, yet they frequently face challenges in accessing public health - an ongoing concern amid zoonotic spillovers such as H5N1 bird flu.Screwworm has been detected in goats and sheep in three Texas counties in recent days, bringing the total to 16 known cases among animals and none reported in people. Continue reading...

The Dialog society grades its attendees on a hidden scale, tackles issues from sex to world wars, and offers matchmakingWhat would happen if roughly 200 members of the global elite gathered every year for a top secret retreat? What would they do? What would they talk about? Who would be on the guest list?Well, data leaked by the Swiss hacktivist maia arson crimew (who also brought us the justice department's no-fly list back in 2023) is shedding new light on Dialog, the private social club co-created by the former PayPal boss Peter Thiel and the angel investor Auren Hoffman.Tayo Bero is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...

Glaude's new book shows political turmoil historically reaching its boiling point around Fourth of July celebrationsThe mere presence of Black people at the Fourth of July celebrations, acting as if freedom belonged to them, exposed the lie at the heart of this ritual of remembrance by the nation: ours was not a nation committed to liberty and equality." So goes the second chapter of the author Eddie S Glaude Jr's latest book America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries.The Princeton University professor's new text illustrates how political turmoil has historically reached a boiling point around celebrations of the nation's founding on the Fourth of July. The text is especially relevant now as the United States approaches its 250th birthday. Throughout the book, Glaude argues that since the very beginning, Black Americans have played a vital role in establishing this country. Their presence is a constant reminder that the mythological America - one of a white republic - does not exist. Celebrations of the nation's founding, he says, reinforce myth-making at the expense of the truth. They're treated as sacrosanct events, thus justifying the sanitization of the nation's brutal history. Continue reading...

Experts say consolidation and market power have left consumers paying more for less

FTSE 100 firm says Prologis all-share proposal turned down as it falls long way short of its own views on valueThe UK warehouse landlord Segro is at the centre of the latest transatlantic takeover battle after rejecting a 12.6bn takeover approach from the US rival Prologis.Prologis has gone public with its offer for the FTSE 100 company after it was unequivocally rejected" by Segro's board on Tuesday despite valuing the company at almost 25% more than its market value at that day's close. Continue reading...

Mace's TRANS MICE Act is designed to end radical transgender-related experiments on animals'. But is this all a stupid misunderstanding?First they came for your children. As Donald Trump has claimed without evidence (because facts are woke), US schoolkids have been getting gender-reassignment surgery in between classes. Can you imagine you're a parent and ... you say, Jimmy, I love you so much. Go have a good day in school,' and your son comes back with a brutal operation," Trump said during a rally in 2024. What the hell is wrong with our country?"Now it seems the woke brigade has come for poor little mice. According to Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace, who once called herself Trump in high heels", American taxpayers are funding transgender rodents. Last week Mace, who is leaving politics next year after coming last in her state's Republican primary for governor, promoted a new bill called the TRANS MICE Act, designed to put an end to the use of taxpayer dollars for radical transgender-related experiments on animals". Continue reading...

Guardian investigation: Renters at apartment buildings operated by industry giant Greystar complain they're deluged by unfair' and inflated' fees. The company denies these claimsTenants at apartment complexes operated by Greystar, the largest owner and manager of apartments in the US, don't just pay rent. They pay a mass of fees that many renters have never heard of before.These add-ons include boiler management fees", variable refrigerant flow fees", solar rebill" fees, even lifestyle fees". Continue reading...

According to Heidi Blake in the New Yorker, the Tate and Trump circles have overlapped at Mar-a-Lago. What does that mean?Donald Trump has told many stories and denied many others about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. But those questions center on Epstein's actions and crimes, which Trump says he denounces and wasn't a part of. The White House has moved heaven, earth, the truth and much else to protect Trump from what the Epstein files might tell us about him. But there is a larger question about what Trump makes of Epstein's values. Does he reject them, or does he endorse and embrace them? Looking to his administration's ties to Andrew Tate may be instructive.According to Heidi Blake's thorough investigation of Tate in the New Yorker earlier this month, the Trump administration intervened last year to buffer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan from the consequences of their criminal charges in Romania. The Tate and Trump circles, she also reports, have overlapped at Mar-a-Lago. Continue reading...

Progressive supporters of mayor celebrate as former city comptroller's critical approach to Israel helps defeat incumbent congressman Dan Goldman in primaryThe polls closed at 9pm in New York on Tuesday. It took less than five minutes for Brad Lander, the Zohran Mamdani-endorsed candidate, to be announced the winner in the Democratic primary in the 12th district: a dominant victory that reinforced the power of New York City's mayor and the durability of the progressive movement.Cheers rang out at 9.04pm at the bar where Lander held his victory party, as the former city comptroller and former mayoral candidate was declared to have easily defeated Dan Goldman, the district's two-term incumbent, in the Democratic primary. Continue reading...

JFK's grandson Jack Schlossberg fails to advance in election to replace Jerry Nadler in Manhattan districtZohran Mamdani's growing influence over the Democratic party was on show in New York City on Tuesday as three congressional candidates endorsed by New York's democratic socialist mayor won closely watched primaries, while voters in Maryland, Utah and South Carolina cast ballots in primaries and runoffs.Brad Lander, the former New York City comptroller who also ran for mayor last year before endorsing Mamdani, won his race comfortably, defeating the Democratic representative Dan Goldman. Continue reading...

Colombia book their last-32 spot after edging out DR Congo with a goal to Daniel Munoz in GuadalajaraToday's other game was the Group I clash between England and Ghana. Thomas Tuchel's team got a stern reality check from a dogged Ghanaian side who were happy to sit back and defend.David Hytner was at Boston Stadium:England's idea was to maintain the momentum they had generated in the 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening Group L tie but there was no surge here. Only stodge. England laboured to create against an ultra-defensive Ghana team, their only pulse-quickening moments coming towards the very end. Continue reading...

Nancy Lacore will spearhead effort to flip Republican House seat in November's midterm electionsA three-star navy rear-admiral fired by Pete Hegseth last year in the defense secretary's purge of senior US military officials has won the Democratic primary in a closely watched congressional race.Nancy Lacore secured the party's nomination for the US House of Representatives in South Carolina's first congressional district on Tuesday after defeating Mac Deford, a US Coast Guard veteran, in a runoff. Continue reading...

Four Republicans broke with their party to support the measure, which passed the House of Representatives earlier this month - key US politics stories from Tuesday 23 June at a glanceThe US Senate approved a war powers resolution preventing Donald Trump from continuing hostilities against Iran, delivering the president a significant but symbolic rebuke over a conflict that has proven unpopular with the American public.The resolution passed by a 50-48 vote, with four Republicans - Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Rand Paul of Kentucky - breaking with their party to support its adoption. John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania, was the sole Democrat to vote against the resolution. Continue reading...

Judge vacates administrations policies, finding actions of ICE and another government arm arbitrary and capricious'A federal judge in California vacated the Trump administration's nationwide policies expanding arrests at immigration courthouses and the duration for detaining noncitizens in short-term facilities, finding the actions of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and another government arm arbitrary and capricious".US district judge P Casey Pitts of the northern district of California on Tuesday vacated ICE's policies that had rescinded previous strictures on arrests at immigration courthouses and allowed detainees to be held in short-term cells for up to 72 hours. He did the same for a similar policy undertaken by the US Department of Justice's executive office for immigration review that removed limits on courthouse arrests. Continue reading...

Donald Trump has indicated he will sign rare bipartisan initiative to tackle affordability after 358-32 vote in HouseThe House gave final approval on Tuesday to a broad bipartisan bill aimed at lowering the cost of housing, with lawmakers in both parties eager to show progress on affordability issues ahead of this year's midterm elections.The 358-32 vote sends the bill to Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it into law on Wednesday at the Capitol. The Senate passed the legislation 85-5 on Monday. Continue reading...

Firings come less than a week after US president appointed Bill Pulte as acting director after Tulsi Gabbard left the postSeveral staff members have reportedly been fired from the US office of the director of national intelligence (DNI), multiple outlets have reported. These firings come less than a week after Donald Trump appointed Bill Pulte as the acting director after former director Tulsi Gabbard announced she was leaving the post in late May.According to CNN, which was first to report the firings on Monday, political appointees with ties to Gabbard were among those purged. ABC News reported that cuts to the National Terrorism Center were expected to be particularly large. Continue reading...

Gunman, 18, faces first-degree murder charges after killing two people and injuring a child at library in Butte countyAn 18-year-old gunman, who police said wanted to carry out a Columbine high school massacre-type shooting, was expected to face first-degree murder charges after killing two people and injuring a child at a northern California library Monday evening.Chico police dispatchers received multiple 911 calls around 5.12pm on Monday where they could hear what sounded like screaming and gunshots, Billy Aldridge, the city police chief, said during a press conference on Tuesday. Aldridge said police were on the scene and had the suspect in custody within four minutes, crediting the rapid response time for preventing more deaths. Continue reading...

Activists accused of being part of antifa get long prison terms in case seen as test of Trump's crackdown on dissentA group of Texas protesters convicted of terrorism charges received unusually harsh sentences of at least 50 years in prison on Tuesday in a closely watched case that was widely seen as a test case of the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on dissent.After a three-week jury trial, the nine activists were all found guilty of a slew of criminal charges in March, stemming from a Fourth of July protest at an immigrant detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, south of Fort Worth. The demonstrators arrived late at night with a plan to set off fireworks as part of a noise demonstration to show solidarity with those detained inside. A few of the protesters spontaneously broke off from the main group and vandalized cars in the parking lot, a guard shack, slashed the tires on a government van and broke a security camera. When a police officer arrived on the scene and drew his weapon, one of the activists fired an AR-15 from the woods, hitting the officer in the shoulder. The officer survived. Continue reading...

Ruling lets DHS apply expedited removal to non-citizens who are living far from borderA federal appeals court cleared the way on Tuesday for the Trump administration to expand a fast-track deportation process that would allow for the expedited removal of immigrants who are living far from the border.A panel of the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit ruled 2-1 to overturn a decision by a judge who in August 2025 blocked the US Department of Homeland Security's move to expand who qualifies for expedited removal. That expedited removal process has for nearly three decades been used to quickly return migrants apprehended at the border. Continue reading...

US president planned to revamp the now algae-stricken pool ahead of the holiday and America's 250th birthdayDonald Trump has acknowledged that repairs to the algae-stricken reflecting pool in Washington DC may not be completed in time for the Fourth of July, when the president plans to convene a big celebration on the National Mall to ring in the country's 250th birthday.The iconic body of water began filling with algae blooms and peeling paint after the Trump administration ordered a $14.2m renovation to turn it American flag" blue, prompting the president to claim - without providing evidence - that vandals armed with a knife had damaged it. Continue reading...

Prominent Florida real estate broker found not guilty by Miami jury of manslaughter and felony vessel homicideThe family of a teenager left with a permanent disability from a birthday party boat crash that killed another girl has reacted with dismay at the acquittal of the prominent Florida real estate broker helming the vessel.George Pino was found not guilty by a Miami jury on Monday evening of manslaughter and felony vessel homicide after the 4 September 2022 boat wreck during a celebration that he and his wife, Cecilia, were hosting for their daughter's 18th birthday, with 11 of her friends as guests. Continue reading...