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US president's new executive order is an important step towards protecting sensitive personal dataLast year, Joe Biden's administration infuriated lobbyists representing big tech firms and others that profit from our personal data by denouncing a proposal that would have gutted domestic data privacy, online civil rights and liberties, and competition safeguards. Now, the US president's new executive order on Americans' data security reveals that the lobbyists had good reason to worry.After decades of data brokers and tech platforms exploiting Americans' personal data without any oversight or restrictions, the Biden administration has announced that it will ban the transfer of certain kinds of data to China and other countries of concern. It is a small, but important, step towards protecting Americans' sensitive personal information, in addition to government-related data. Continue reading...

The best NCAA men's champions often had years to play together before their stars headed to the NBA. Now most standouts are anxious to get to the prosThe first NCAA men's basketball tournament was organized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 1939. The championship game - won by Oregon - was attended by 5,000 spectators and the tournament ran a deficit of $2,531.Times change. March Madness is now a billion-dollar dream machine that thrives on images of greatness. Stories of past dynasties and teams for the ages are reverentially told with the promise of more to come. But in reality, men's college basketball dynasties are a thing of the past. And we may not see a truly great men's college basketball team again. Continue reading...

The 4-3 win over Liverpool may not save Erik ten Hag's job. But it has cemented lasting goodwill

Tennessee plant is currently the only Volkswagen plant globally without union representation, according to the UAWVolkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee filed a petition to join the United Auto Workers (UAW) on Monday after a supermajority of workers at the plant signed union authorization cards.It is the first union election filing for the union since it launched a massive campaign aimed at organizing 150,000 workers at non-unionized auto plants in the US in the wake of securing historic gains in their contracts at the big three US automakers, Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis last year. Continue reading...

Helping children detach from the zeitgeist feels important in our algorithmic age. Branching out is hard when there's always more of what you already love

House speaker tells CNN he's vehemently opposed to member-on-member action in primaries'US House speaker Mike Johnson asked fractious fellow Republicans to cool it" and stop fighting each other in displays of member-on-member action" during primary elections as he seeks to maintain some sort of control over a caucus at the mercy of the far right, controlling the chamber by a mere two votes.I've asked them all to cool it," Johnson told CNN in remarks published Sunday. I am vehemently opposed to member-on-member action in primaries because it's not productive. And it causes division for obvious reasons, and we should not be engaging in that. Continue reading...

In recent weeks, Unites Airlines planes have had a panel missing, rolled onto the grass at an airport and lost a tire after takeoffUnited Airlines is reviewing recent safety incidents in which it has been involved and using the insights to update safety training and procedures for employees, CEO Scott Kirby said on Monday.The Chicago-based airline has experienced several safety emergencies in the past two weeks. Last Friday, an external panel was found to be missing from a United aircraft when it landed in Oregon, prompting an investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration. Continue reading...

Former president's posts on Truth Social about Republican critic stoke fears of persecution of opponents if he wins 2024 electionDonald Trump has renewed calls for Liz Cheney - his most prominent Republican critic - to be jailed for her role in investigating his actions during the January 6 Capitol attack launched by his supporters in 2021, a move that is bound to raise further fears that the former president could persecute his political opponents if given another White House term.In posts on Sunday on his Truth Social platform, Trump said other members of the congressional committee that investigated the Capitol attack - and concluded he had plotted to overturn his 2020 electoral defeat to Joe Biden - should be imprisoned. Continue reading...

Founded almost 40 years ago, the Fotofest biennial has an ambitious programme of exhibitions, portfolio reviews and artist talks. This year's central show, curated by Steven Evans, reveals the effects of social, cultural, ecological and political forces on places and communities Continue reading...

Republican candidate insists at Ohio rally that Biden had beaten Barack Hussein Obama' in elections that never took placeJoe Biden tore into Donald Trump's mental stability at a dinner in Washington DC on Saturday - just as the former president was making verbal gaffes at a campaign rally in Ohio as well as, during remarks on the economy and auto industry, predicting a bloodbath" for the country if he met defeat in November's election.Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, confused the crowd at an appearance in Vandalia by insisting that Biden had beaten Barack Hussein Obama" in elections nationally that never took place. Continue reading...

Authorities say owner in Erie county neither had a proper permit for the animal nor properly secured the 30-year-old animalA blind alligator weighing more than 700lbs and stretching more than 10ft in length was recently seized from a home in upstate New York, potentially setting up a legal battle between the animal's owner and authorities.The state's environmental conservation department on 12 March seized the 30-year-old, 750lb and 11ft-long alligator called Albert Edward from a home in the Erie county community of Hamburg. Continue reading...

Trump's support for Putin has intelligence community worried about US interests abroad. Plus, Parvati Shallow's journey from Survivor to life coach

The Kremlin will use this victory to justify an intensified war. But even the state news agency reported election rebellionAlthough Vladimir Putin's landslide victory with 87% of the vote in the Russian election was no surprise, these elections were important both for the Kremlin and for those in opposition to Putin.With voter turnout at 74% - the highest in history - anything less than a landslide victory would have suggested that those who did not vote for Putin represented a significant force in Russian politics. This would have been particularly awkward in the case of young upstart Vladislav Davankov, who, with 3.79% of the vote, came a close third place. Davankov has been mistakenly described as an anti-war candidate - he supports peace and negotiations, but on Russia's conditions and without one step backwards" - but his platform also called for freedom of speech and opinion, instead of intolerance and denunciations", and openness and pragmatism instead of searching for new enemies".Samantha de Bendern is an associate fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House and a political commentator on LCI television in France Continue reading...

Inhumane' legislation on governor Ron DeSantis' desk will require cash-strapped counties to build remote campsWhen Diana Stanley and her team at The Lord's Place, one of Palm Beach county's largest and longest established homelessness charities, opened a new engagement center last year, she figured a few dozen people would show up in search of help.Now, almost 200 people a day are relying on the facility just for lunch. Staff are overwhelmed by the demand for residential accommodation from families, veterans and the elderly in particular. Continue reading...

Whether I'm relaxed, stressed, doing yoga or ingesting enough salt to kill a slug, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the figures

The 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter's imprisonment is a gross injustice and an affront to press freedomThe photograph, framed and in a place of honor, is precious to me. Taken in 2016 outside a Manhattan restaurant, it's a casual shot of four young people and me, everyone smiling. I was concluding my stint as New York Times public editor, and each of these talented young journalists - plus one more who couldn't make it to the dinner - had served as my editorial assistant at some point over a four-year period.Almost eight years later, I've kept tabs on them. Two still work at the Times, having climbed the newsroom ladder to become a courts reporter and a book-review editor, respectively. One recently has experienced the joy of his first child's birth. Another has bought a house, with her husband, after moving to Seattle.Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...

Kia Rousseve, 28, who saved nine children, says she's just happy that God was with me' - especially because she is a mother herselfKia Rousseve had been led to believe the school bus she drove for work in New Orleans was supposed to be relatively pristine, but she never let that lull her into a false sense of security.By a margin of moments, that attitude helped save nine students - and her - from being inside the bus when it unexpectedly exploded and became engulfed in flames. Continue reading...

Ex-president's support for the Russian strongman has experts fretting over American interests and security sources overseasDonald Trump's continuing lavish praise and support for Russian president Vladimir Putin are fueling alarm among former intelligence officials and other experts who fear another Trump presidency would benefit Moscow and harm American democracy and interests overseas.Trump praised Putin as a genius" and pretty savvy" when Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, and has boasted he would end the war in a day", sparking critics' fears that if he's elected again Trump would help Russia achieve a favorable peace deal by cutting off aid to Kyiv. Trump also recently greenlit Russia to do whatever the hell they want" to Nato members who don't pay enough to the alliance. Continue reading...

Colorado congressman Ken Buck's abrupt resignation has left the far-right member with two tough choices, upsetting her re-election plansAs well as further reducing US House speaker Mike Johnson's already threadbare majority in his legislative chamber, last week's abrupt departure of Colorado congressman Ken Buck has the potential to significantly damage another prominent Republican figure: Lauren Boebert.The far-right firebrand seized on Buck's declaration last year that he would not seek re-election by opting to switch from a district the congresswoman barely won in 2022 to run in Buck's soon to be vacant seat. Continue reading...

Louisiana senator expressed disapproval of the former president, saying: Is this a person we want to have an office?'Louisiana's Republican senator Bill Cassidy has issued new criticisms towards Donald Trump while calling the 2024 presidential race a sorry state of affairs".In an interview on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Cassidy expressed his disapproval for Trump's hostile rhetoric towards migrants, saying that it has reflected poorly in terms of regarding folks who are coming here ... illegally - and they shouldn't be, but in a dehumanizing fashion". Continue reading...

Mega Millions has a pot of $875m while Powerball is at $645m, generating excitement among players even with unbeatable oddsIf you're feeling some St Patrick's Day magic, you might want to buy a lottery ticket. Mega Millions and Powerball have racked up some massive jackpots after weeks of rollovers.The Mega Millions jackpot is already estimated at a whopping $875m for Tuesday night's drawing after no tickets matched all six numbers drawn on Friday night. Monday night's Powerball jackpot is $645m after no tickets matched the winning numbers drawn Saturday night. Continue reading...

From a fullback's star turn to Aston Villa's substitutes, we hand out honors (and dishonors) from the top-flight weekendRodrigo Muniz continued his dazzling run of form in Fulham's 3-0 upset win over Tottenham on Saturday. The Brazilian forward scored twice, taking his total to seven goals and an assist in his last seven games. Continue reading...

Investigation of items that were stolen during the Okinawa battle began after family discovered them in late father's belongingsThe FBI has returned 22 centuries-old artifacts to Okinawa, Japan, after a family discovered them in their late father's attic in Massachusetts.Agents with the FBI's Boston division on Friday announced that the return of the looted items followed a lengthy investigation that began when they received a call from a family who came across the items while sorting through their dead dad's belongings. Continue reading...

The gunman is suspected of killing his stepmother, his sister, and the mother of his children before being arrested in New JerseyThe suspect involved in the fatal shootings of three people outside a Philadelphia-area suburb on Saturday morning has been arrested and will face charges in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, authorities said on Sunday.According to authorities, 26-year-old Andre Gordon was found near a house in Trenton, New Jersey, after carrying out two separate shootings. Police had surrounded the home for hours in the belief that he was there, but Gordon apparently slipped out before the police cordon went up. He was arrested at around 5 pm, unarmed, when he was spotted walking down a street a few blocks away, police said. Continue reading...

Former vice-president said on Friday he would not endorse former president, but declined to rule out eventually voting for himTwo days after saying he would not endorse a second Donald Trump presidency, former vice-president Mike Pence on Sunday declared his esteem for fellow Republicans who plan to vote for his former boss anyway - and he declined to rule out eventually following suit.Pence reiterated on CBS's Face the Nation that he cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump" in November's election for a number of policy-related decisions that he insisted were not personal between him and the former president whose supporters chanted for Pence to be hanged publicly as they attacked the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. Continue reading...

After its Chinese backers pulled out, Oceanwide Plaza stands abandoned - could it be turned over to those who need it most?An asparagus patch is how the architect Charles Moore described the lackluster skyline of downtown Los Angeles in the 1980s. The tallest stalk and the shortest stalk are just alike, except that the tallest has shot father out of the ground."This sprawling city of bungalows has never been known for the quality of its high-rise buildings, and not much has changed since Moore's day. A 1950s ordinance dictating that every tower must have a flat roof was rescinded in 2014, spawning a handful of clumsy quiffs and crowns atop a fresh crop of swollen glass slabs . It only added further evidence to the notion that architects in this seismic city are probably better suited to staying on the ground. Continue reading...

Consumer groups say it's past time to rid food of unnecessary and potentially harmful chemicalsA new California bill takes aim at the use of food additives in school meals. On 12 March, Democratic state lawmaker Jesse Gabriel introduced a proposal that would prohibit the state's public schools from offering items that contain any of a medley of dyes and colorants.The targeted additives may appear vaguely recognizable to anyone who's ever read an ingredients label: blue 1, blue 2, green 3, red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6 and the white pigment titanium dioxide. These substances can be found in a wide range of products, from brightly colored Froot Loops cereal and sports drinks to less obvious fare such as cake mix and canned peas. Continue reading...

Alabama supreme court's decision causing a temporary halt in IVF care shines spotlight on problem between two groupsThere is a growing rift in the decades-old marriage between anti-abortion activists and Republican lawmakers.The problem came into view last month, after a bombshell decision from the Alabama supreme court temporarily halted in vitro fertilization (IVF). The ruling, which described frozen embryos as extrauterine children", unraveled when the Republican-controlled legislature passed short-term protections for IVF providers. Continue reading...

A $500,000 sand dune collapsed in days after being erected, and residents are looking for help to protect their homesOn the border with New Hampshire and Massachusetts - about 35 miles north of Boston - is Salisbury, a coastal town and popular summer destination for tourists. But for those who live in the town year round, especially those who live on the coastline, life's not a beach.Last month, after a series of storms battered the area, local citizens came together to take the necessary steps to protect their homes. Volunteer organization Salisbury Beach Citizens for Change raised more than $500,000 to erect a 15,000-ton sand dune - a formidable barrier that would hopefully protect at least 15 beach houses from destruction. Continue reading...

The success of this agile grassroots group underlines the discontent over the war - and represents a warning for DemocratsPeople in Michigan, and across the country, had been protesting for months over the Gaza war and the US government's role in it, marching in the streets, showing up at the president's public events, and pressuring their elected officials to support a ceasefire.But it didn't seem as though Joe Biden was listening to a groundswell of Democrats who opposed the war and US media coverage of the protests, and of the war itself, seems to be waning, too. Continue reading...

After a chaotic first term, experienced advisers are ready to usher in a second presidency driven by imaginary grievances'The US election primary season is effectively over. Conventional wisdom holds that the two major candidates will now pivot towards the centre ground in search of moderate voters. But Donald Trump has never been one for conventional wisdom.Detention camps, mass deportations, capital punishment for drug smugglers, tariffs on imported goods, a purge of the justice department and potential withdrawal from Nato - the Trump policy agenda is radical by any standard including his own, pushing the boundaries set during his first presidential run eight years ago. Continue reading...

Staying alive longer is only worth it if the quality of life itself is valuableWe always ask very old people what their secret is. Laughter", some say. Olive oil, sex, cigarettes - I picture the tight smile on the centenarian's face as they roll out their little line every birthday - rum, cold swims, early nights - when presumably, the secret is always, Don't die." And now of course, that question has been repackaged and spotlit, with the longevity market, propelled by the tech industry, expected to be worth $44.2bn by 2030.It's funny, one day you're a young nerd writing BOOBS on a calculator, the next you're a middle-aged billionaire wearing an erection-tracking ring and sucking blood from teenagers in order to live for ever. So goes the modern career of the tech bro", the people who made their money designing apps so dull they can't be described in language, then spend that money on becoming God. It bothers me. It bothers me! Not longevity research itself necessarily, the investment into preventing fatal diseases - no, please, go wild on that - but the grim, empty attempts to extend the lives of people who already have everything. Continue reading...

Successive foreign governments plunged it into unpayable debt and left its citizens in penuryIn December 1914, the USS Machias dropped anchor in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Eight US marines disembarked, sauntered to the Banque National de la Republique d'Haiti (BNRH), removed $500,000 worth of gold belonging to the Haitian government - $15m in today's money - packed it in wooden crates to carry back to the ship and thence to New York, where it was deposited in the vaults of the investment bank, Hallgarten & Co.The BNRH was Haiti's central bank. It was also a foreign private corporation. Originally set up in 1880 through a concession granted to a French bank, pressure from America brought in US investors. By 1920, the BNRH was wholly owned by the American National City Bank. Haiti's central bank it may have been but the Haitian government was charged for every transaction and the eye-popping profits spirited off to Paris or New York.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at observer.letters@observer.co.uk Continue reading...

Mychal Threets' sudden rise to fame as a pusher of library joy' isn't over despite his exit from his job to focus on himselfMychal Threets has spent most of his 34 years in libraries - first as a homeschooled kid finding community and refuge in the world of books and then as an adult working as a librarian.I grew up in libraries, raised by libraries, loved everything about libraries," he said in an interview. It is a place where you can just be as you are, you can come on inside, you can take joy in that as an introvert [or] an extrovert." Continue reading...

Just as Britain gets the hang of cooking risotto, its future has been thrown into doubtI know, I know. How peak middle class to make mention of a risotto crisis; don't most of us have enough on our plates already without getting worked up about the cost of posh rice to boot? But at the risk of impaling myself with my own privilege - there it goes, clean through my Toast linen apron like an expensive Japanese knife - I'm going to jump in anyway, truffle grater in hand (I'm joking, I don't own a truffle grater). The bad news is that hard times lie ahead for Italian rice, and while I think this is a grave development for Italians, as for all Europeans, perhaps it's a particular sadness for we British, who came a bit late to risotto, and have only just started truly to get the hang of it.The trouble has to do with the climate crisis. Risotto rice varieties such as arborio and carnaroli are grown in the Po valley, a floodplain in the north of Italy where the challenge for farmers used to be to keep the water away. But now everything's topsy turvy. In 2022, the worst drought in 200 years struck the Po, the river that feeds the system of canals that irrigates the paddy fields. As a result, Italy lost 26,000 hectares of rice fields, and production of the grain dropped by more than 30%. Things haven't improved since. Last year, therewas again a drought, and a further7,500 hectares were lost. Some farmers are getting out, replacing rice with crops that require less water. Others are pondering the cultivation of other varieties of rice: grains that are hardier than carnaroli, but which are also less suitable for making risotto, which requires rice both to be super-absorbent and to maintain its texture after slow cooking. Continue reading...

Josh Pieters and Archie Manners posed as George', a Kensington Palace employee, in interview with former Fox News hostPranksters claiming to be a Kensington Palace employee fired over the Kate Middleton edited photograph fiasco say they duped former Fox News host Tucker Carlson into interviewing them for his streaming show.In a video posted on X that has already received more than a million views, Josh Pieters and Archie Manners explained how they concocted a story about being released by the Prince and Princess of Wales for not doing a good enough job" in manipulating a photograph of Middleton and her children that has stoked an international furore and endless conspiracy theories. Continue reading...

Despite Congress threatening to ban the Chinese-owned app, the service has unexpectedly been handed a presidential jokerLast week, the US House of Representatives, a dysfunctional body that hitherto could not agree on anything, suddenly converged on a common project: a bipartisan bill that would force TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the app to an owner of another nationality, or else face a ban in the US, TikTok's largest market.American legislators' concerns about the social media app have been simmering for years, mostly focused on worries that the Chinese government could compel ByteDance (and therefore TikTok) to hand over data on TikTok users or manipulate content on the platform. A year ago, Christopher Wray, the director of the FBI, told Congress that TikTok is a tool that is ultimately within the control of the Chinese government - and it, to me, it screams out with national security concerns". Continue reading...

A ceasefire on Russia's terms would embolden the tyrant to pick new targets for his expansionist aimsPope Francis's suggestion that Ukraine's leaders should admit defeat, find the courage to raise the white flag" and negotiate a halt to the war with Russia provoked justified fury in Kyiv and eastern Europe. He was wrong to say Ukraine is beaten, and gravely remiss in failing to condemn Moscow's illegal aggression and war crimes. Yet Francis is not alone in wondering how this conflict ends.Two years on, there's no sign of a winner. Maybe that's just as well, in the sense that outright victory for either side could be disastrous for all. Does this unheroic consideration tacitly influence the cautious approach of Kyiv's two biggest western backers, the US and Germany? If so, it makes the absence of a credible peace process all the more regrettable - and potentially very dangerous. Continue reading...

Democrat Chris Van Hollen says Biden must cease giving arms to Israel until it lifts restrictions on aid and does more to protect livesJoe Biden should use his leverage and the law to pressure Israel to change how it is prosecuting the war in Gaza, the Democratic senator Chris Van Hollen said.Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, is among a group of senators urging Biden to stop providing Israel with offensive weapons until it lifts restrictions on the delivery of food and medicine into Gaza, where children are now dying of hunger and famine looms. Continue reading...

Peter Navarro is appealing his conviction for contempt of Congress after he refused to cooperate with the January 6 House inquiryDonald Trump White House official Peter Navarro appealed to the US supreme court on Friday to allow him to stay out of prison as he appeals his contempt of Congress conviction.Navarro is due to report to a federal prison on Tuesday after an appeals court ruled that his appeal wasn't likely to overturn his conviction for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the January 6 attack that Trump supporters aimed at the US Capitol in 2021. Continue reading...

Before Robert Card killed 18 last year, police had opportunity to seize his guns and place him in custody after several incidentsLaw enforcement should have seized a man's guns and put him in protective custody weeks before he committed Maine's deadliest mass shooting, a report found Friday.An independent commission has been reviewing the events that led up to army reservist Robert Card killing 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston on 25 October, as well as the subsequent response. Continue reading...