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Reports that Donald Trump's administration is planning to accept a jet valued at $400m from Qatar have raised ethical questions over gifts from foreign leadersReports that Donald Trump's administration is preparing to accept a luxury plane from the Qatari royal family have set off a storm of criticism, as ethics experts say such a gift would violate rules within the constitution that seek to guard against bribery and corruption.There is a long history of US presidents accepting gifts from foreign powers. The very desk from which Trump has signed a record number of executive order was given to the US by Queen Victoria in 1880. The Resolute Desk" was given to President Rutherford B Hayes and is made from the oak timbers of the British ship HMS Resolute. Continue reading...

Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American soldier kidnapped on 7 October, set to be released on Tuesday, Trump confirmsHamas announced on Sunday that it would release the last living American hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American soldier who was kidnapped on 7 October 2023.Donald Trump confirmed the news in a social media post, writing that Alexander, 21, is coming home to his family". Continue reading...

The president indicated he was preparing to accept a jet described as a flying palace' from the Qatari royal family. Key US politics stories from Sunday 11 May at a glanceDonald Trump has flown into another ethical minefield after indicating he is preparing to accept a luxury Boeing jet from the Qatari royal family for use as Air Force One, despite strict rules on US presidential gifts.The flying palace" would possibly be the most expensive gift ever received by the American government, ABC News reported. Continue reading...

News of present known as flying palace' from royal family to replace Air Force One has ignited accusations of bribery and corruptionDonald Trump has indicated he is ready to accept a luxury plane being offered to the US president as a gift from Qatar's royal family, almost immediately igniting accusations of bribery and corruption as well as commensurate criticism.A statement from Qatar on Sunday acknowledged it had held discussions with the US about the possible transfer" of a plane to be used temporarily by Trump as his presidential aircraft, usurping Air Force One. The emirate's statement denied a final decision over the transfer had been made - or that it was a gift. Continue reading...

Group, including families and small children, departed for US after Trump order created relocation programA group of 49 white South Africans departed their homeland on Sunday for the United States on a private charter plane having been offered refugee status by the Trump administration under a new program announced in February.The group, which included families and small children, was due to arrive at Dulles international airport outside Washington DC on Monday morning local time, according to Collen Msibi, a spokesperson for South Africa's transport ministry. Continue reading...

US announcement comes after treasury secretary touted progress in two days of talks with Chinese vice-premier in GenevaThe White House has announced that a trade deal with China has been struck after two days of talks in Geneva, while Beijing has hailed important first steps."The announcement on Sunday came after the US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, told reporters that there had been substantial progress" in talks between his team and that of the Chinese vice-premier, He Lifeng, in Geneva on defusing the trade war between the world's two largest economies sparked by Donald Trump's 145% tariffs. Continue reading...

Democratic Congress members who visited detention center with mayor say Ice officials created the chaos'Trump administration homeland security officials were responsible for starting the confrontation on Friday at a New Jersey immigration jail that led to the arrest of Newark's mayor as well as threats to detain three members of Congress, the representatives said Sunday on CNN's State of the Union.The Democratic representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, LaMonica McIver and Rob Menendez - all of New Jersey - visited the controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detention center known as Delaney Hall on Friday to inspect the facility. As they waited to enter Delaney Hall, Newark's mayor, Ras Baraka, arrived - and as he left the property, he was arrested outside by Ice officials accusing him of trespassing, leading to a commotion at the entrance of the jail. Continue reading...

Move after airport sees radar outages, flight delays and cancellations due to shortage of traffic controllersThe US transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, plans to reduce the number of flights in and out of the Newark Liberty international airport for the next several weeks", as the facility - one of the country's busiest airports - struggles with radar outages, numerous flight delays and cancellations due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press, Duffy said he would convene a meeting with all the airlines flying out of Newark this week to determine the reduction, adding that it would fluctuate, with a larger reduction coming in the afternoons when international flight arrivals make it busier at the airport, one of the main hubs serving the New York City area. Continue reading...

Some business owners think AI is ready to perform work tasks, but it's not yet reliable enough to make the switchLike a lot of business people, I am interested in artificial intelligence (AI). So I recently asked ChatGPT to give me quotes from tech leaders telling businesses about the importance of AI for their companies".This came back from Apple's Tim Cook: AI is already making businesses more efficient, more responsive, and more personalized. It's a growth driver." Continue reading...

Group marches from New York City to Washington, carrying on a long tradition of Quaker activismA group of Quakers were marching more than 300 miles from New York City to Washington DC to demonstrate against the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants.The march extends a long tradition of Quaker activism. Historically, Quakers have been involved in peaceful protests to end wars and slavery, and support women's voting rights in line with their commitment to justice and peace. Far more recently, Quakers sued the federal government earlier this year over immigration agents' ability to make arrests at houses of worship. Continue reading...

From showerheads to plastic straws, the president brags that he's expanding options for consumers - while drastically restricting choices in almost all other spheresFreedom of choice is a venerable American value. Donald Trump's attachment to it is, however, highly selective.Over the first four months of his administration, Trump has been eagerly promoting the expansion of choice in our economic lives. That's especially the case when it comes to our role as consumers. Think kitchens, baths and automobiles; the stated goal every time he talks about commodities has been increasing the number of options so we can select and buy what we like best - environmental effects notwithstanding. Even his tariffs are only supposed to bring temporary pain, as in emptier toy shelves, before American-made abundance starts to rule the day once again. Continue reading...

Means is popular in right-leaning wellness circles - but does her inactive medical license disqualify her from the top job?Donald Trump nominated Casey Means, a wellness influencer and medical doctor with an inactive license for US surgeon general this week - his second nominee to serve as the nation's doctor".Trump abruptly withdrew his first nominee, Dr Janette Nesheiwat, before her Senate confirmation hearing, amid criticism from the right and confusion about her medical credentials. Continue reading...

President eager to discuss trade and investment but no plans to visit Israel amid tensions over Gaza warDonald Trump this week will embark on the first foreign trip of his second administration with a tour of the Middle East, as he looks to secure investment, trade and technology deals from friendly leaders with deep pockets amid turbulent negotiations around numerous regional conflicts, including Israel's war in Gaza.The tour through the Middle East is largely a repeat of his first international trip in 2017, when he was feted in the region as a transactional leader eager to secure quick wins and capable of providing support for the regional monarchies' economic and geopolitical interests. Continue reading...

PhD student says she is excited to get back to her studies during what has been a very difficult' timeA Tufts University student from Turkey has returned to Boston, one day after being released from a Louisiana immigration detention center where she was held for more than six weeks after being arrested for her political speech.

The mayor, who was arrested on Tuesday, has vowed to take legal action against an immigration detention facility in New Jersey - key US politics stories from Saturday 10 May at a glanceThe battle with the Trump administration over illegal immigration continues, with Newark mayor Ras Baraka saying he would fight his arrest in court.The mayor was arrested on Tuesday after joining three members of Congress at a protest and press conference outside a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detention facility in Newark called Delaney Hall. The mayor was released about five hours later and charged with trespassing. Continue reading...

Newark's Ras Baraka says court fight against Geo Group will go on despite being jailed and charged with trespassingSpeaking out after his arrest on Tuesday, the Newark mayor Ras Baraka said his city would continue its fight in court against the company that runs an immigration detention facility in New Jersey.I know there are some protests that other people are planning, and if I feel obligated to be there, I will," Baraka told the Rev Al Sharpton on MSNBC Saturday afternoon. This doesn't stop the city's contention with the Geo Group, and we're going to continue in court with them." Continue reading...

Ramona Sarsgaard, 18, given ticket for criminal trespassing after Wednesday's actions against Israel's war in GazaThe daughter of actors Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard was among those arrested at the latest Columbia University protests, marking the latest development in the anti-war demonstrations that also led to the temporary suspension of student journalists.On Friday, the New York Post reported that 18-year-old Ramona Sarsgaard, a Columbia freshman, was arrested during Wednesday's campus protests where students demonstrated against Israel's deadly war in Gaza. Continue reading...

State attorney general said company secretly tracked users' movements, searches, voiceprints and facial geometryGoogle has agreed to pay $1.375bn in a settlement in principle reached with the state of Texas over allegations the company violated users' data privacy, the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, said on Friday.The agreement settles two lawsuits that covered three products for allegedly violating Texas consumer protection laws. Continue reading...

Meteorologists at television news stations serving Georgia and North Carolina reported feeling the tremorsA 4.1-magnitude earthquake in Tennessee woke up families and rattled homes as far away as Atlanta as it spread tremors across portions of the southern US on Saturday morning. No injuries or major damage were immediately reported.The website for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake originated shortly after 9am EDT about 12 miles (20km) from Greenback, Tennessee, which is about 30 miles (48km) south of Knoxville. Continue reading...

Robert Hadden, sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual abuse, kept practicing even as allegations piled upIt was a shocking scandal involving the betrayal of one of the most sacred bonds in medicine, as one of New York's top doctors abused hundreds of women under his care.Now, after a fresh settlement agreement last week from Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian hospital, the compensation for the crimes of Robert Hadden has approached almost a billion dollars and raised further questions as to how he was able to carry out his crimes for so long. Continue reading...

As universities begin to push back on Trump's policies, those in Republican-led states face multiple threatsDays after the University of Michigan president, Santa Ono, announced that he was leaving his post to lead the University of Florida, his name was quietly removed on Wednesday from a letter signed by more than 600 university presidents denouncing the Trump administration's unprecedented government overreach and political interference" with academic institutions.As Ono is set to become the highest-paid public university president in the country, in a state that has often been at the forefront of the rightwing battle against higher education, the reversal, first reported on by Talking Points Memo, underscored the challenges of standing up against the government's sweeping attacks on education in solidly red states. Continue reading...

Another memo told academies to ignore race, ethnicity or sex' in admissions but athleticism could be consideredMilitary leaders and commanders at the Pentagon were ordered on Friday to go through their libraries and review all books that were related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), in the US military's latest anti-DEI move.Leaders were ordered to promptly identify" materials that promote divisive concepts and gender ideology [that] are incompatible with the department's core mission", according to a memo sent to leaders that was seen by the Associated Press. The department gave leaders until 21 May to remove the books. Continue reading...

I volunteered at a Maine detention center for 10 years. Then the Trump administration cut its programs - because we made space for women like AshleyEvery Monday for over a decade, I left my home on Peaks Island, Maine, boarded a ferry to town then drove inland to the Maine correctional center to lead a creative writing class for incarcerated women.After a 30-minute drive, I park my car, walk to the facility, leave my cellphone and keys with the front desk guard, walk through a metal detector and several sets of sliding doors until I reach the women's unit. My classroom is a tiny space, bare bones, with plastic chairs, cinderblock walls and fluorescent lights. Continue reading...

San Francisco district judge says Congress did not authorize large-scale staffing cuts and restructuring of agenciesDonald Trump's administration must temporarily halt its sweeping government overhaul because Congress did not authorize it to carry out large-scale staffing cuts and the restructuring of agencies, a federal judge in California said on Friday.US district judge Susan Illston in San Francisco sided with a group of unions, non-profits and local governments in blocking large-scale mass layoffs known as reductions in force" for 14 days. Continue reading...

White House communications have adopted a Trumpian air that's either completely malevolent or completely brilliant'There was a disturbance in the Force. Donald Trump celebrated Star Wars Day" this week with an AI-generated image of himself as a muscle-bound warrior holding a red lightsaber in front of two US flags and eagles.It seemed like a bit of fun but appeared on the White House's official X account with a dark political message: Happy May the 4th to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting so hard to bring Sith Lords, Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, & well known MS-13 Gang Members, back into our Galaxy. You're not the Rebellion - you're the Empire. May the 4th be with you." Continue reading...

Startling allegations that the Base's leader is a Russian spy lead to suggestions that the Kremlin is playing the long game'A former Pentagon contractor works with secretive sections of US special forces, then ups and moves to Russia. He gets married, radicalizes and starts popping up on Telegram channels as the leader of a neo-Nazi terrorist group recruiting Americans.Soon, allegations swirl that he is a Russian spy. Continue reading...

The specifics of the administration's economic masterplan - from strollers to movies to China - change by the dayDecades of economic orthodoxy failed millions of Americans, according to Donald Trump, who marched back into the White House promising to shred the status quo. But the specifics of his alternative - exactly how his administration claims it will make America great again - change by the day.The US president declared this week to be a key milestone of his second term, as he unveiled his first major trade deal since returning to office following accelerated talks with the UK. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. Read the latest hereLarge institutional investors have massively increased their holdings of Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) in recent months according to SEC filings, with many enlarging their positions by hundreds of millions of dollars.The revelations raise further questions about big business's desire to curry favor with Donald Trump and his administration via the enterprises he has maintained or commenced. TMTG runs the Truth Social social media platform - on which the US president himself posts almost daily - as well as financial services and a film and TV streaming service.Donald Trump's refusal to divest from his publicly traded company has predictably prompted huge investments from wealthy special interests that could use a favor from the president.Institutional Wall Street investors and even a foreign company with business before the administration have effectively offered a form of tribute by bulk purchasing shares in DJT on the open market, which helps juice the value of Trump's own shares. Continue reading...

Presidential adviser Stephen Miller announces potential move, which US has made only four times in historyThe Trump administration is considering suspending the writ of habeas corpus, the legal right to challenge one's detention, Stephen Miller, a top White House adviser, said on Friday.The constitution is clear, and that of course is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus could be suspended in time of invasion. So that's an option we're actively looking at. A lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not," Miller said to a group of reporters at the White House. Continue reading...

Exasperated by turmoil dogging defense secretary, the White House will block his new choice, sources say - key US politics stories from 9 May 2025 at a glanceExasperated by the turmoil that has dogged Pete Hegseth's office in recent weeks, the White House will block the US defense secretary's choice of chief of staff and select a candidate of its own, according to two people familiar with the matter.Hegseth had suggested giving the chief of staff position to Marine Col Ricky Buria after the first person in the role, Joe Kasper, left last month in the wake of a contentious leak investigation that brought the ouster of three other senior aides. But the White House has made clear to Hegseth that Buria will not be elevated. Continue reading...

Mayor's wife accuses government of targeting her husband as video shows him being placed in handcuffs by officialsThe mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, was arrested for alleged trespass at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detention center in New Jersey on Friday and released after several hours.Baraka was released shortly after 8pm and, after stepping out of an SUV with flashing emergency lights, told waiting supporters: The reality is this: I didn't do anything wrong." Continue reading...

Exclusive: Jay Bratt, who led Mar-a-Lago case, first special prosecutor known to be summoned after Trump vows revengeThe former special counsel prosecutor Jay Bratt is scheduled to appear before the Republican-led House judiciary committee next week as it attempts to find instances of politicization in the federal criminal cases brought against Donald Trump, according to three people familiar with the matter.The deposition of Bratt, who led the criminal case over Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents as a top deputy to the former special counsel Jack Smith, has been scheduled for 10am ET next Wednesday, according to a notice reviewed by the Guardian. Continue reading...

PhD student arrested in March for political speech released on Friday after federal judge's rulingRumeysa Ozturk, the Tufts University student arrested in March for her political speech, has been released from the Louisiana detention center where she was being held in what she and her lawyers had argued was a breach of her constitutional rights.A federal judge on Friday morning had ordered Ozturk's return to Vermont, where she was briefly held after being grabbed on the street by masked immigration agents near Boston, for hearings. But the judge decided not to wait for her physical transportation and she appeared remotely from Louisiana at the hearing in Burlington on Friday. Continue reading...

Brothers granted hearing that could lead to freedom but attorneys withdraw bid to remove prosecutors from caseAfter months of legal battles, Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were convicted of killing their parents in 1989, will finally get a resentencing hearing in Los Angeles court next week, giving the brothers a new chance at freedom.LA county superior court judge Michael Jesic ruled on Friday that the resentencing hearing can take place, starting next Tuesday. Continue reading...

Teal Health offers alternative to pap smear tests that need to be undertaken at a doctor's office, slated for June rolloutThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first at-home test for cervical cancer screening, its maker Teal Health said on Friday, offering an alternative to smear tests that need to be undertaken at a doctor's office.Pap smear tests have significantly reduced cancer incidence from when they were first introduced 80 years ago. But they can be uncomfortable and inconvenient owing to the requirement for an in-clinic exam. Continue reading...

Kaja Sokola says disgraced movie mogul forced her to touch his genitals in Manhattan apartment when she was 16A former model has told a New York court that the disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her when she was 16, calling it the most horrifying thing I ever experienced".Kaja Sokola told jurors at Weinstein's retrial that he put his hand inside her underwear and made her touch his genitals at his Manhattan apartment in 2002 when she was 16. Continue reading...

Landmark legislation follows local uproar over a Guardian investigation into a major non-profit's high pricesIndiana's governor, Mike Braun, has signed a landmark bill that would strip charity hospitals of their non-profit status if they continue to charge high prices.The legislation, the first of its kind in the United States, followed uproar across the state after a Guardian series in October that investigated how one major Indiana non-profit hospital system bought up its competition, then hiked its prices, leaving businesses and patients struggling to pay their medical costs. Continue reading...

Souter was a New Hampshire Republican who became a darling of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the benchRetired supreme court Justice David H Souter, the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a darling of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench, has died. He was 85.Souter died on Thursday at his home in New Hampshire, the court said in a statement Friday. John Roberts, the chief justice, said Souter, who retired from the court in 2009, brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service". Continue reading...

Already vulnerable from the pandemic and gentrification, Chinatown's immigrant-run businesses now face a trade warOn a balmy afternoon last month, Amy Tran unboxed a delivery at Yue Wa Market, a small grocery and herbal medicine shop in Los Angeles's Chinatown that she opened 17 years ago.The package contained two dozen units of Shou Wu Chih, a Chinese herbal concoction known to rebuild kidney function and promote hair health. The shipment arrived two weeks after the US implemented new tariffs on Chinese imports, so her distributor charged her $115, a $35 markup from her previous order. Continue reading...

Move comes after US president withdraws nomination of Ed Martin, GOP loyalist who supported January 6 pardons

Clint Curtis, who once claimed to build vote-flipping software, will now lead elections in a conservative countyClint Curtis is a familiar face among election skeptics in the United States. The Florida-based lawyer and former computer programmer has said he once developed a software that could change votes. He opposes the use of voting machines and highlights his connection to proponents of election conspiracy theories, including Mike Lindell and Steve Bannon.Soon he is slated to start overseeing elections in Shasta county, California, a conservative region of 180,000 people in the state's far north where Republicans vastly outnumber Democrats. Continue reading...

Grace Marsceau promised to pack A Million Lives event. Authors arrived to empty rooms, unpaid bills and no decorIn the days leading up to the A Million Lives book festival, things already seemed amiss. Grace Marsceau, the event organizer, messaged an attending author that the DJ was in the hospital and the company had no replacement. She owed the hotel six figures" because the room block hadn't sold out, according to messages.Oh my gosh that's awful!" author Sarah Zane responded. The excuses seemed unusual, but as a veteran of book events, Zane expected to deal with some mismanagement. Continue reading...

SEC filing revelations raise questions about big business's desire to curry favor with Trump and his administrationLarge institutional investors have massively increased their holdings of Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) in recent months according to SEC filings, with many enlarging their positions by hundreds of millions of dollars.The revelations raise further questions about big business's desire to curry favor with Donald Trump and his administration via the enterprises he has maintained or commenced. TMTG runs the Truth Social social media platform - on which the US president himself posts almost daily - as well as financial services and a film and TV streaming service. Continue reading...