US news | The Guardian

This blog has now closed. Read our latest story here

Appeals court grants temporary stay of ruling that blocked tariffs as president's allies rail against major blow to signature policy - key US politics stories from Thursday at a glancePresident Trump's tariffs remain in place, at least for now, after an appeals court ruled that his administration can continue to collect import fees.The latest ruling came just a day after a separate court ruled that Trump had overstepped his power, a judgment that his administration has pushed back against. Continue reading...

Director, composer and actor appeared at event in Clarksdale attended by hundreds after community petitionHundreds of people packed inside a local auditorium on Thursday to see the hit film Sinners, set in their community and steeped in Mississippi Delta culture.The special screening of the blockbuster horror film included an appearance by director Ryan Coogler and was made possible by a community petition. Continue reading...

The National Spelling Bee, which began Tuesday and will conclude with Thursday's nationally televised championship finals, invited 243 spellers to compete for a $50,000 cash prize and orthographic immortality

The target was delivered by Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem, and triples figures from earlier this yearThe Trump administration has set aggressive new goals in its anti-immigration agenda, demanding that federal agents arrest 3,000 people a day - or more than a million in a year.The new target, tripling arrest figures from earlier this year, was delivered to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) leaders by Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, and Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, in a strained meeting last week. Continue reading...

Draper battled against the crowd and an inspired opponent to win in four sets, Gauff advanced but Boulter went out, while Norrie and Fearnley set up an all-British meetingI can't lie, I'd like further detail on the Roland-Garros tattoo parlour. How busy is it? Who's been? What kind of thing are people getting? Any spider webs on faces or tears beneath eyes?Krueger is playing nicely. Andreeva forces her through deuce in order to endorse, but she get there in the end; they're both smacking it, but it's the American whose radar is working better so far and she leads 2-0. Continue reading...

California city's council to provide 24/7 armed patrol for lots and vacant homes devastated by blazesNearly five months after wildfires tore through Los Angeles, killing dozens of people and destroying thousands of homes, the city of Malibu has hired private security to protect burned lots and vacant homes after the disaster.The city council voted last week to contract with a private security firm to provide 24/7 armed patrols in areas affected by the recent fires as a section of the Pacific Coast Highway reopens for the first time since the fire. Continue reading...

The 97th edition of the Scripps National Spelling Bee takes place this week in National Harbor, Maryland. Can you spell the winning words from previous years' competitions?

Exclusive: One in six female survivors surveyed felt forced to engage in survival sex' for necessities after 2023 catastrophic Hawaii fireSexual exploitation and domestic violence soared after the catastrophic Lahaina wildfire in 2023, with pre-existing gender inequalities exposed and exacerbated by the post-disaster response, new research has found.In the weeks and months after the deadliest American fire in a century, one in six female fire survivors surveyed felt forced to engage in sexual acts in exchange for basic necessities such as food, clothing and housing. Continue reading...

As an aid worker, I despaired at news of Israeli troops opening fire on people seeking food. This is no answer to our sufferingTwo days ago, Israeli soldiers fired on a massive crowd of starving Palestinians who just wanted to eat. Some of them had walked more than 10km to reach what was then the only aid distribution point in Gaza. They were looking for help from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a newly formed Israeli-backed logistics group that had set up a distribution centre in Rafah. Israel and GHF lost control of the crowd; Palestinians were shot and killed for seeking food, and dozens were injured.What the GHF is doing is nothing more than a public relations campaign: it is promoting the illusion that aid has begun entering the Strip in a meaningful way. What we have learned is that GHF only distributed eight trucks' worth of food on Wednesday. Moreover, a US charity, Rahma Worldwide, which had food parcels that it couldn't get into Gaza and so allowed them to be taken custody" by GHF, has accused the organisation of using its logo without permission in the aid distribution. (Rahma said it's opposed to working alongside GHF because of its use of armed security contractors.) Ultimately, there are tens of thousands of people across the Gaza Strip who will not be able to reach the newly created centres. Even if they function, they will not meet the ever-growing daily needs of the population here. Continue reading...

Police also find widespread animal mistreatment, relocating 310 of the 450 animals and euthanizing threeOregon police have arrested a safari park owner on drug charges following a police raid at the facility earlier this month that found drugs and widespread animal mistreatment.The Coos county sheriff's office said that Brian Tenney, the owner of West Coast Game Park Safari, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of methamphetamine possession, manufacturing and attempted distribution. He was later released as the district attorney's office awaited more information, a staff member at the Coos county jail said when reached by the Associated Press. Continue reading...

Some Republicans attempted to frame decision as part of a broader fight between the Trump administration and US justice system

The Thunder ended the Timberwolves' playoff run in brutal fashion on Wednesday night. But Minnesota have come far, and can still push onThe definition of success is subjective, ephemeral. But in today's sports zeitgeist, it's becoming less so: rings culture" dominates all, serving as the wall into which any nuanced conversation inevitably crashes: But did they win?" Of course, each NBA team enters the season every year with the same goal: to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy. But only one team can every year, so does that make the other 29 failures?The Minnesota Timberwolves present an interesting counterpoint: their fanbase is, no doubt, deeply disappointed this morning after a harrowing blowout loss in Oklahoma City, which means the team came up short of the NBA finals in devastating, decisive fashion for the second year in a row. On the other hand, they've made back to back Western Conference finals for the first time in team history, gone from league laughing stock to bona fide perennial contender, and have one of the most exciting young stars in basketball, 23-year-old Anthony Edwards. Continue reading...

The ruling says Trump exceeded authority in imposing sweeping tariffs. Plus, Elon Musk confirms government exit

US president Donald Trump lashed out at a reporter who asked him about claims that he chickens out of tariffs. 'Wall Street analysts have coined a new term called the taco trade,' the reporter said. 'They're saying Trump always chickens out on your tariff threats.' Trump called it a 'nasty question' and insisted setting high initial tariffs was part of the negotiation process

Elizabeth Warren and others urge investigation over clear conflict of interest and potential criminal violation'Employees of Elon Musk's department of government efficiency" (Doge) own lucrative stock in companies that stand to directly benefit from their work gutting federal agencies, Democratic senators have alleged.The potential ethics violations merit an investigation by the justice department and other oversight bodies, urges a letter co-authored by senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Jack Reed of Rhode Island and obtained by the Guardian. Continue reading...

With Sophia Wilson, Trinity Rodman, and Mallory Swanson all out for a while, this next US camp is about establishing alternativesThe first time we saw the free-flowing force of Mallory Swanson, Sophia Wilson (nee Smith) and Trinity Rodman starting together was 1 June 2024 - Emma Hayes' first match in charge of the national team, with little more than a month to go before the Olympics.Their mutual arrival to the US frontline was delayed by injuries and other uncertainties, but they emerged just in time for a blistering gold medal run. The self-styled Triple Espresso' trio combined for 10 of the USA's 12 goals in Paris. They were dynamic. They were fun. They were each capable of match-saving heroics, sparks of individual radiance that propelled the team to the next round: Rodman's heroic quarter-final strike in the 105th minute against Japan; Wilson's goal 95 minutes into a grueling semi final against Germany; then Swanson with the decisive gold medal goal against Brazil. Continue reading...

The league is exploring plans to set up a competition in Europe. But, from playing style to fan culture, it would be a clash of visionsWhile the multibillion dollar behemoth that is the NBA means North America is basketball's powerhouse, the sport thrives in Europe where raucous crowds give the professional game across the Atlantic a compelling charisma while producing superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doni and Nikola Joki.The character of professional basketball could be about to change though. Continue reading...

Foreign ministry hits back at political and discriminatory' move announced by Marco Rubio

Right now, the monarch's political leanings appear in sympathy with the mood of Britain. But what if the public moves further to the right?It requires an effort to keep reminding yourself of the sheer historical oddity of monarchy's healthy survival into the modern democratic age. Yet so rooted is the monarchy in the mental furniture of Britain that most people in our politics barely think about it. This week, however, the modern British monarchy has stood up and demanded to be counted, doing something new and perhaps genuinely consequential.Judged by any yardstick, Charles III's visit to Canada was an audaciously disjunctive event. The idea that a vibrant democracy such as Canada, with a highly sophisticated sense of its own complex identity, might summon an elderly hereditary monarch from across the ocean to provide a focal point for its resistance to Donald Trump's existential threat takes some believing. Yet that was exactly what played out this week, when the king travelled to Ottawa to open the new Canadian parliament. Continue reading...

Tens of thousands of Americans serve in the country's ranks amid genocide, investing in and propagating occupationIn his 1971 novel The Day of the Jackal, Frederick Forsyth renders a rich plot to assassinate Charles de Gaulle, the French president. The conspirators are pied-noirs, the term used to describe Frenchmen born in Algeria during the colonial occupation there. They grieve De Gaulle's exit from north Africa, which they regard as a betrayal. Unable to remain in the former colony, they return home - dejected and emasculated - and murderous. In many ways, the pied-noirs regard themselves as being more French than the French.The novel derives some of its appeal from the fact that it's rooted in history - revanchist Frenchmen made at least six attempts to assassinate De Gaulle in the 1960s. Yigal Amir, the Israeli settler who assassinated Yitzhak Rabin in 1994, reportedly devoured the book, and drew inspiration from it.Ahmed Moor is a writer and fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace Continue reading...

As activists against segregation, we've been told it's about language, or behaviour, or choice. In reality, it's pure discriminationIt may come as a surprise to many, but racial segregation in schools exists today in several countries in the EU. In Slovakia, more than 60% of Roma children attend schools where they are in the majority. Worse still: segregation is being rebranded, not removed.In nearly a quarter of all primary schools, Roma children are separated into Roma schools" or Roma classes" - often in overcrowded buildings, with lower academic expectations, higher drop-out and grade repetition rates, and with little or no clear path to equal participation in life. Furthermore, Roma pupils are often placed in schools and classes for children with mental disabilities.Kamila Guniova is a researcher at Amnesty International Slovakia and Michal Zaleak is a legal consultant for the European Roma Rights Centre and attorney-in-law working in Slovakia Continue reading...

The billionaire CEO of Tesla thanked the president for the opportunity and said the Doge mission will only strengthen'Elon Musk has announced on social media that he is leaving his role in the Trump administration, a departure the White House confirmed was in process on Wednesday evening.As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," the billionaire wrote on X, his social media platform. Continue reading...

Musk's exit was planned for May but comes after he publicly split with Donald Trump over his one big beautiful' tax bill - key US politics stories from Wednesday 28 May at a glanceThe honeymoon between Donald Trump and Elon Musk appears to be over, after the tech billionaire announced his official exit from the White House to get back to business.Musk's term as a special advisor to the president was due to expire this month, but his announcement that he was wrapping up follows a rash of social media posts and interviews, in which Musk criticised Trump's tax spending bill, known as One Big Beautiful Bill Act". Continue reading...

Michael Farbiarz stops short of ordering Khalil released from jail, saying lawyers must first address another chargeThe Trump administration's bid to deport Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist, is likely unconstitutional, a US judge has said.In a lengthy order issued Wednesday, Judge Michael Farbiarz wrote that the government's primary justification for removing Khalil - that his beliefs may pose a threat to US foreign policy - could open the door to vague and arbitrary enforcement. Continue reading...

The Boeing 747-8, a present from the Gulf state, is more than 18ft longer than the current Air Force OneDonald Trump's big, beautiful new plane from the government of Qatar has arrived - but the US president says it's too big to be his personal perk.The problem for the US president is not the smack of impropriety that comes with accepting a luxury 747 jumbo jet from the Gulf state and intended as a replacement Air Force One - Trump has already brushed off any criticism on that front. Continue reading...

Ashley Hinson's praise of president's One Big Beautiful bill and efficiency' agency was criticized by constituentsConstituents booed Republican congresswoman Ashley Hinson at a town hall in her Iowa district Wednesday when she praised Donald Trump's tax-and-spending plan and spoke approvingly of the department of government efficiency's" (Doge) efforts to downsize the federal government.It was the latest instance of a Republican lawmaker being taken to task at a public event over their support for Trump's policies, and came days after Hinson had voted for the the One Big Beautiful bill when it passed the House of Representatives. The wide-ranging bill will extend tax cuts enacted during Trump's first term, create new deductions for tips, overtime and car loan interest and fund mass deportations, while slashing federal social safety net programs. Continue reading...

Larry Hoover, 74, ex-chief of Gangster Disciples in Chicago, had been serving multiple life sentences for over 50 yearsDonald Trump has commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, a former Chicago gang leader, who had been serving multiple life sentences for more than five decades.Hoover, 74, is the co-founder of Gangster Disciples, a gang described in court documents as large and vicious" that sold great quantities of cocaine, heroin, and other drugs in Chicago". Continue reading...

The billionaire mogul is signaling far and wide that he's back to business, and even criticizing Trump's tax billElon Musk really wants the public - and investors - to know that he's leaving Washington DC behind.In a series of interviews and social media posts this week, Musk has criticized Donald Trump's marquee tax bill and emphasized his recommitment to leading SpaceX, Tesla and the artificial intelligence company xAI. The world's richest person claimed that he was back to working around the clock at his companies - to the point of sleeping in conference rooms and factory offices once again. Continue reading...

Russian-born scientist Kseniia Petrova was doing research to advance cancer cures, colleagues testifiedA federal judge in Vermont on Wednesday released a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher from immigration custody as she deals with a criminal charge of smuggling frog embryos into the United States.Colleagues and academics also testified on Kseniia Petrova's behalf, saying she is doing valuable research to advance cures for cancer. Continue reading...

Latest pardons build on pattern of granting clemency to people who align with president politicallyDonald Trump pardoned the hosts of a reality TV show convicted of defrauding banks to fund their luxurious lifestyle in the same week that he pardoned a sheriff who accepted bribes from businessman in order to make them into law enforcement officers.The latest pardons build on Trump's pattern of granting clemency to people who align with him politically and who he believes were part of a justice system weaponized against conservatives, particularly Trump supporters. Continue reading...

Trump officials offer to move 300 birds to Mehmet Oz's Florida ranch after Canada's kill order over avian flu fears

Minneapolis-to-Madison flight was fowled by two feathered stowaways that were eventually captured and deplanedMayhem erupted just before takeoff on a plane heading from Minneapolis to Madison, Wisconsin, after passengers realized their aircraft wasn't the only thing trying to take flight.A flap ensued as two pigeons were found inside the cabin of the Delta Air Lines domestic flight on Saturday, causing brief scenes of chaos as passengers and crew tried to capture the birds flying around the cabin before the jet could take wing. Continue reading...

The office connected government leaders with academic experts, thinktanks and research institutions

A pigeon that managed to board a Delta Air Lines flight caused panic as the plane prepared for takeoff from Minneapolis-Saint Paul airport to Madison, Wisconsin. The footage was filmed by Tom Caw, a passenger on the flight, who said the plane was returned to its gate so the bird could be removed. Caw said in an Instagram post that the footage captured the second pigeon that disrupted the flight Continue reading...

With the court slated to issue a flood of rulings by early July, the justices have an important choice: to bend to Trump or to grow a real backboneWith the most authoritarian and lawless president in history sitting in the White House, the US supreme court is no doubt worried about looking weak in one of two ways. First, the court fears it will look pathetically weak if it becomes the first supreme court in history to have a president defy its rulings in a wholesale way. With that in mind, the court seems to be taking pains to avoid provoking Donald Trump's defiance - it has issued several decisions upholding the president's actions while in other cases, it has given him lots of wiggle room even as it objected to his administration's moves.Then there's the court's second, big worry - that it will look pathetically weak if it doesn't stand up to the most authoritarian president in US history. Many legal experts criticize the court for not standing up more to Trump, even though he has brazenly attacked the court and many lower-court judges, has defied several judicial orders and has, according to numerous judges, repeatedly violated the law - whether by deporting immigrants without due process or by freezing funds approved by Congress. Continue reading...

Couple was found guilty in 2022 of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30m and tax evasionDonald Trump has pardoned a reality TV couple who were sentenced to prison after defrauding banks of at least $30m, the White House announced on Tuesday, the latest in a string of gestures that appear to benefit supporters of the US president.Julie and Todd Chrisley, stars of the USA Network show Chrisley Knows Best and Growing Up Chrisley that showed the family's lavish lifestyle, were convicted in 2022 of taking out more than $30m in fraudulent loans from community banks. After their conviction, a judge sentenced Todd Chrisley to 12 years in prison, while his wife received seven years behind bars. Continue reading...

Federal judge had found Trump administration violated order by sending people from other countries to African nationThe Trump administration asked the US supreme court late on Tuesday to halt an order allowing people to challenge their deportations from the US to South Sudan, an appeal that came hours after the federal judge overseeing the case suggested the Trump administration was manufacturing" chaos and said he hoped that reason can get the better of rhetoric".Judge Brian Murphy found the White House violated a court order with a deportation flight bound for the chaotic African nation carrying people from other countries who the Trump administration said had been convicted of crimes in the US. Murphy said those people must get a real chance to raise any fears that being sent there could put them in danger. Continue reading...

As the administration slashes jobs and hobbles research, current and former workers say the mood inside US national parks - described as America's best idea' - is bleakThrowing up his hands in disgust and abruptly resigning was not how Mark Nebel envisioned he would end his long career with the National Park Service. He loved his job at the Grand Canyon, where he had worked for 15 years.As manager of the park's geosciences program, Nebel, 68, oversaw efforts to protect its geology and paleontology as well as monitoring water sources, air quality and the effects of climate change. He had planned to stay in his position at least five more years before retiring. There was still much research to do to support the vulnerable ecosystems in one of the world's greatest natural wonders. Continue reading...

US to introduce social media screening for any international students. Plus, the notorious facilities used to rehabilitate' disobedient Saudi women

Farms rely on seasonal workers and undocumented immigrants, but the Republican's plans to fill the gap would legalize oppression', advocates sayLast spring, Carmelo Mendez was pruning peach trees in Colorado on a temporary visa, missing his children and wife back home, but excited about how his $17.70 hourly wage would improve their lives. This spring, he's back in the Mexican state of Tlaxcala frantically searching Facebook for a job on one of the thousands of farms across the US that primarily employ guest workers like him.Mendez is one of the more than 300,000 foreign agricultural workers who comes to the US every year on an H-2A visa, which allows him to temporarily work plowing fields, pruning trees and harvesting crops in states from Washington to Georgia, Florida to New York, Texas to California. But as federal immigration policies change rapidly, farmers and workers alike are uncertain about their future. Continue reading...

Brandon Licciardi pleaded guilty to assisting ex-NFL player Darren Sharper's efforts to drug women so as to rape themA former Louisiana sheriff's deputy who admitted in 2016 that he raped a woman drugged by serial rapist Darren Sharper - the ex-National Football League champion - has been transferred from federal prison to a halfway house as he approaches the completion of his sentence.At the culmination of what was once a nationally prominent criminal case, Brandon Licciardi, 40, pleaded guilty in federal and state courthouses in New Orleans to assisting Sharper's efforts during prior years to surreptitiously drug women's drinks with sedatives or anti-anxiety medication so as to rape them.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...