US news | The Guardian

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado presented' her Nobel prize to Trump in White House meeting - key US politics stories from Thursday 15 January at a glanceIn an apparent attempt to win back Donald Trump's favour, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told reporters she had presented" her gold Nobel peace prize medal to the US president during a private meeting at the White House on Thursday.Machado, who received the award last year for her struggle against Nicolas Maduro's brutal, authoritarian state", told reporters she had done so in recognition [of] his unique commitment [to] our freedom". It was not immediately clear whether Trump had accepted the gift. Continue reading...

Karoline Leavitt brands journalist who asked about deaths in ICE custody and killing of Renee Good a leftwing activist'The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, accused a reporter of being a leftwing activist" during a heated confrontation on Thursday over the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent last week.Beginning his question during the White House press briefing, Niall Stanage, a White House columnist for the Hill, referred to the Trump administration's staunch defense of ICE agents and the assertion by the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, that ICE are doing everything correctly". He pointed to statistics showing that last year 32 people died in ICE custody and 170 US citizens were detained by ICE, before noting that Good was shot in the head and killed by an ICE agent". Continue reading...

Setback for president, who has called windfarms losers', as Empire Wind project allowed to move forwardA federal judge on Thursday cleared the way for a New York offshore wind project to resume construction, a victory for the developer who said a Trump administration order to pause it would probably kill the project in a matter of days.District judge Carl J Nichols, an appointee of Donald Trump, ruled construction on the Empire Wind project could go forward while he considers the merits of the government's order to suspend the project. He faulted the government for not responding to key points in Empire Wind's court filings, including the contention that the administration violated proper procedure. Continue reading...

Officials to offer 50% subsidy up to $310,000 in effort to make one of world's most expensive cities more affordableSan Francisco will offer free childcare to families earning less than $230,000 a year, and a 50% subsidy to those earning up to $310,000, in an expansion of the city's childcare offerings designed to make one of the world's most expensive cities more affordable for residents.San Francisco's mayor, Daniel Lurie, announced the initiative as part of his Family Opportunity Agenda" on Wednesday, alongside a package of housing, education, food, healthcare, transportation and other programs focused on affordability. Continue reading...

Months after Trump spoke of concepts of a plan', framework offers few specifics - and could stall in CongressDonald Trump has finally unveiled his long-awaited framework for healthcare affordability, almost a year and a half after announcing during a pre-election presidential debate that he had the concepts of a plan" for healthcare reform.The short document, titled the Great Healthcare Plan, provides four headline objectives, but few specific details as to how they will be achieved. Continue reading...

Madison Sheahan was appointed to DHS position in March despite having no law enforcement experienceMadison Sheahan, a Trump ally and the second-ranking official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said on Thursday she was ditching her leadership position to run for Congress in Ohio.The 28-year-old, who describes herself as a Trump conservative", announced her candidacy in a video in which she highlighted the agency's expansion under her tenure. Continue reading...

The US military seized another Venezuela-linked tanker known as Veronica in a pre-dawn action on Thursday. Monochrome video showed a helicopter flying next to the tanker and US troops boarding the vessel. The seizure marks the sixth vessel targeted in recent weeks as part of the effort by the Trump administration to control the Venezuelan oil industry

The 2026 World Cup is set to be a polarising event but, even if it will not be the first to be politically contentious, it will expose a growing uneaseFive months out from the World Cup the politics are impossible to avoid. There are concerns relating to one of the host countries, the US, with armed immigration officials roaming through its cities and visa restrictions stepped up against foreign visitors. One qualifying nation, Iran, is experiencing a public uprising against its leadership, with the regime attacking its citizens in response. Among other qualifiers there are concerns over democratic backsliding in Tunisia, ecological crimes in Ecuador and , in the future host country Saudi Arabia. And that's just for starters.It sometimes feels as if this summer's tournament, the one Gianni Infantino recently described as the greatest show ever on planet Earth", will serve as an inescapable reminder of the depressing state of the world in 2026. It could yet be an event that goes down in infamy. But it is hardly the only tournament to have prompted ethical concerns and serves as a reminder that the issue of how global sport should engage with such issues has remained largely unresolved. Continue reading...

Protests continue across state as governor urges peace a week after ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good

The US president delights in his inconsistency. But his short-term victories have profound long-term costs for his country and the worldThe Middle East was braced on Wednesday night, but the anxious petitioning of Gulf states and Iran's attempts to appease the US president appeared to win out - at least for the moment. No bombs fell on Tehran. After all his threats, and with military options under discussion in Washington, Donald Trump stepped back, announcing that the killing [of protesters] has stopped".Despite the telecommunications blackout, it seems clear that a ruthless regime has shed still more blood than in previous protest crackdowns. Rights groups say that thousands have been killed and vast numbers arrested; one official spoke of 2,000 deaths. Witnesses compared the streets to a war zone. If the large-scale killings have indeed ebbed, that is probably because Iranians have been terrified out of the streets - for now, at least. Iran's foreign minister chose Fox News to insist no hangings were imminent, in case the identity of the message's one-man audience was in any doubt. But while retribution may have been postponed, it will not be cancelled as it should be: the calls for the regime's downfall are seen as an existential threat. The Iranian authorities can wait. Mr Trump will move on. Continue reading...

Thousands sign petition calling on Iceland's foreign minister to reject Trump ally Billy Long's nominationThousands of people have signed a petition expressing anger after Donald Trump's nominee for ambassador to Iceland reportedly joked that the Nordic country should become the 52nd US state.On Wednesday, hours before top officials from Greenland and Denmark were to meet with the US in the hope of warding off Trump's threats to seize the Arctic island, the news outlet Politico said it had heard of musings regarding another Nordic island. Continue reading...

Brooke Rollins said Americans can save money by eating a tortilla, a piece of broccoli and a piece of chicken - and one other thing'

The Trump administration has paused immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries. We're looking to speak to applicants, especially those close to a final decision, about the impact of the suspensionThe Trump administration has indefinitely suspended immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries, freezing applications from 21 January as part of a sweeping crackdown on legal immigration pathways.We would like to hear from people from countries on the visa ban list who are currently in the immigrant visa application process, particularly those who are at an advanced or final stage. Continue reading...

Amid Donald Trump's push for control of the Arctic island, Greenland's prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, told a joint press conference this week that it would not be owned or governed by Washington, saying: 'We choose Denmark.' Denmark used to run Greenland as a colony and continues to control its foreign and security policy. Trump first raised the idea of a US takeover of Greenland in 2019, during his first term, and has ramped up his rhetoric significantly since returning to the White House last year, saying the US would take it 'one way or the other'. But what do people in Greenland think of Trump's threats? The Guardian's Nordic correspondent, Miranda Bryant, reports from Greenland's snow-covered capital, Nuuk, where the fear is palpable Continue reading...

Gavin Newsom says state will reject Louisiana's ask, citing laws protecting providers from out-of-state prosecutionCalifornia will defy Louisiana's request to extradite a doctor indicted for mailing abortion pills into the southern state, Gavin Newsom, California's governor, said on Wednesday.Louisiana's request is denied," Newsom, a Democrat, said in a statement. We will not allow extremist politicians from other states to reach into California and try to punish doctors based on allegations that they provided reproductive health care services. Not today. Not ever." Continue reading...

Three House members claim they're being targeted for saying that troops don't need to comply with illegal ordersThree House Democrats confirmed on Wednesday they have been approached by federal prosecutors investigating their participation in a November video about military duty, widening the circle of legislators being targeted by the Trump administration.Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania disclosed that the US attorney's office for the District of Columbia, led by Jeanine Pirro, had requested interviews about the 90-second video in which they said troops don't need to comply with illegal orders. Continue reading...

US marines boarded foreign-flagged crude carrier Veronica in a pre-dawn operation backing Trump's sanctions pushThe US military has seized another oil tanker at sea in support of Donald Trump's sanctions against Venezuela, military officials announced on Thursday.Veronica, a crude oil tanker that marine records suggest is sailing under a Guyanese flag, was boarded in a pre-dawn action by US marines and sailors, the US Southern Command said in a post on social media. Continue reading...

Grand slam qualifying used to be an oasis for tennis hipsters but a game of one upmanship between the Australian and US Opens has set the standard for spectacular lead-in weeksDuring the early days of the US Open singles main draw last year, the tournament director, Stacey Allaster, was holding court with a small group of journalists in a suite overlooking Arthur Ashe Stadium. Much of the discussion centred on the revamped mixed doubles tournament, which had dominated the tennis discourse for days. With a smile, Allaster explained the amount of work that had gone into the event and cited the final attendance numbers throughout the week it was held. The US Open, she asserted, is now a three-week event.For many years, the traditional grand slam fortnight was preceded by a nondescript week of preparation. While lower-ranked players quietly worked through the qualifying draw before vacant stands, the top players finished their preparation to minimal fanfare. Access to the tournament grounds at the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open were free for qualifying. Still, few people came. To most hardcore fans, grand slam qualifying was an oasis for tennis hipsters, the sport's best-kept secret. Continue reading...

The trend of invading newsrooms, in violation of federal law, has now spread to the highest levels of the federal governmentThe raid of a journalist's home, along with the jailing of their alleged source, are shocking acts of authoritarianism. And they are in line with Trump's willingness to use the national security state as a weapon against the press, which is a serious threat to our democracy. But those weapons were not invented by Trump nor did he pioneer their use against free press.The raid of Hannah Natanson, is a shocking escalation, not a rupture. The United States has been backsliding to this point - at both the federal and local levels - for quite some time.Seth Stern is the Director of Advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation and a first amendment lawyerChip Gibbons is the policy director of Defending Rights & Dissent. A journalist and researcher focusing on the US national security state, Gibbons is currently working on The Imperial Bureau, forthcoming from Verso Books; based heavily on archival research and documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act Continue reading...

With a huge audience and serving as an avatar for millions of centrist Americans, Rogan compares ICE raids to GestapoJoe Rogan's comparison of US immigration raids to Gestapo operations, made during a podcast episode earlier this week, has sparked speculation about whether the wildly popular podcaster, who endorsed Donald Trump in 2024, has fully soured on Trump's presidency - and what that might say of the millions of mainly young men who listen to Rogan's show.Rogan's views, as expressed in the podcast discussion, were more complicated than the Gestapo remark taken alone might make them seem. Yet even his more measured skepticism about ICE immigration raids feels somewhat significant, given Rogan's cultural status and the evidence that Americans in general are turning against Trump's hardline anti-immigration efforts. Continue reading...

The city has become the locus of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown - and citizens who refuse to submit Continue reading...

A summit between Greenland, Denmark and Washington has done nothing to calm our fears as the US steps up its efforts to take control of my countryThe year has started out in familiar fashion for Kalaallit - the people of Greenland. The US president has once again threatened to take control of the world's biggest island, just like he did back in 2019 and in 2024/25. Yet it feels different this time.This time it seems as if there are more concrete plans being shaped within the Trump administration to annex Greenland. Trump wants to take" it whether they like it or not", as he stated at a recent White House press conference. And the only option he seems to be offering currently is to do it either the nice way or the more difficult way" - whatever that means. These are obviously plans for the forceful theft of Indigenous land and a self-governing territory; they are loud threats against our democracy - threats that are coming directly from the US president, again and again, through the media. That is scary. And the Greenlandic people do not feel safe.Malu Rosing is a Greenlandic writer and an Arctic adviser at the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs Continue reading...

Breads Bakery workers demand better pay and conditions and criticize chain for supporting the genocide in Palestine'Workers at popular New York City bakery chain Breads Bakery announced a move to unionize, claiming it has underpaid, undervalued, disrespected, discriminated against, intimidated and hurt" staff, as well as supported the genocide happening in Palestine".The company, which has ties to Israel, expressed concern that divisive political issues" had been introduced into its stores. We make babka; we don't engage in politics," a spokesperson said. Continue reading...

US president's friend Ronald Lauder - who first proposed Arctic expansion - is now making deals in the islandOne day during his first term, Donald Trump summoned a top aide to discuss a new idea. Trump called me down to the Oval Office," John Bolton, national security adviser in 2018, told the Guardian. He said a prominent businessman had just suggested the US buy Greenland."It was an extraordinary proposal. And it originated from a longtime friend of the president who would go on to acquire business interests in the Danish territory. Continue reading...

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel prize winner had been sidelined by White House after US seized MaduroDonald Trump will host Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel peace prize winner, at the White House on Thursday for a high-stakes talks on the oil-rich nation's future following the US capture of Nicolas Maduro.Many in Venezuela and abroad had expected Machado to take charge after an elite US military team seized Maduro in a pre-dawn raid on 3 January and transported him to a New York City jail. Continue reading...

There are no salary caps and no luxury taxes, yet the world's most-watched soccer league is only getting more balancedDavid Stern used to tell a joke. In his early years as NBA commissioner, he liked to say, his job was essentially to travel back and forth between Boston and Los Angeles to hand out the championship trophy. In the first five NBA Finals after he took the helm in early 1984, the Celtics and Lakers won all five titles, each missing the decisive series just once.Current commissioner Adam Silver recalled the anecdote last June, ahead of the 2025 NBA Finals, by which time the league was guaranteed a seventh different champion in seven years. We set out to create a system that allowed for more competition around the league," Silver said then in his annual news conference. The goal being to have 30 teams all in the position, if well managed, to compete for championships. And that's what we're seeing here." Continue reading...

The US president vowed to end childhood cancer'. But his administration is dismantling the search for a cure and sending families scrambling for treatmentFor seven years, Jenn Janosko cared for children with cancer on the ninth floor of New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital.It's the happiest sad place she knows. Continue reading...

A new exhibition at the New York Historical museum looks at the immigrant experience in New York City through a range of revealing and diverse viewpoints, with more than 100 photographs and objects showing how the city has been shaped by people from across the globe. The exhibition runs to 29 March Continue reading...

Just more than a year after the new luxury behemoth was formed, it announced it had filed for chapter 11 bankruptcyEvery year, the stores down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue dress up their windows at Christmastime. Tourists from all over the world come to gawk at all the glitter, lace, ruffles and bows.Saks's Fifth Avenue location, so iconic that it's embedded in the brand's name, is usually dressed top to bottom during the holidays. In 2023, the store partnered with Christian Dior to display a giant zodiac calendar. As part of the light show, fireworks were released from the top of the store to the oohs and aahs of spectators. Continue reading...

The eight remaining teams all have elements of brilliance. But they also have weaknesses that could send them crashing out of the postseasonDefending the run has long been a sore spot for the Bills - they finished the season 25th in defensive rush success rate. Inside, they lack mass, and are too easily pushed around by teams committed to a smashmouth approach. Outside, they struggle with discipline and technique. Against Jacksonville last weekend, both fell apart. The Jaguars rushed for 154 yards, with 119 of those yards coming on outside runs. It was the Jags' highest total on outside runs this season. This weekend, against a Broncos offense that is happy to punch anyone in the mouth, that could put the Bills in a lot of trouble. Continue reading...

Several hundred protesters gathered at the scene where a federal officer shot a man in the leg during an enforcement operation in north Minneapolis.ICE agents blocked off the area and used smoke and other crowd control weapons.There has been a week of demonstrations in the US city after a federal agent killed Renee Nicole Good

The EU must be more robust in order to stem the tide of international disorder, or it risks falling to authoritarian imperialismDonald Trump is threatening to take over Greenland, the territory of a Nato ally, possibly by military force, as Vladimir Putin is trying to take over Ukraine. Even if he doesn't actually do it, this is a new era: a post-western world of illiberal international disorder.The task now for liberal democracies in general, and Europe in particular, is twofold: to see this world as it is and to work out what the hell we're going to do about it.Timothy Garton Ash is a historian, political writer and Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Mayor urged calm as protesters gathered on the scene, as city continues to reel in aftermath of Renee Nicole Good's killingA federal officer has shot a man in the leg during an enforcement operation in north Minneapolis, sparking protests in a city still on edge after the killing of Renee Nicole Good by a federal agent last week.The shooting occurred about 7pm local time, according to witnesses. Several hundred protesters gathered at the scene on Wednesday night facing off with agents who blocked off the area and used smoke and other crowd control weapons. Continue reading...

The US I grew up in was built on the rule of law. Now my Indian-born dad is scared ICE will take him from his American care homeAs an American of mixed Danish and Indian heritage, who is also a citizen of France and, therefore, of the EU, Donald Trump's contempt for the rule of law fills me with dread. I don't need international law," he boasted on 7 January in an interview with the New York Times. For Louis XIV, it was L'etat, c'est moi". For Trump, it's the Donroe doctrine", or the western hemisphere is mine for whatever profit I and my elite group of loyal courtiers can wring from it".At the same time, Trump's honesty about his intention to use the astonishing military power he wields for unfettered plunder is at least refreshing. No more American pieties to democracy and human rights. The world hasn't seen this kind of unabashed dedication to amassing wealth since the British East India Company. All hail the new king emperor! Or else.Mira Kamdar is a Paris-based writer and author of India in the 21st Century. She writes Mixed Borders on SubstackDo 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...

This live blog is now closed.

List includes war-torn nations, allies and countries with long-standing immigration ties to US - key US politics stories from 14 January 2026The Trump administration has indefinitely suspended immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries, marking one of its most expansive efforts yet to restrict legal pathways to the United States.The freeze, which takes effect on 21 January, targets applicants officials deem likely to become a public charge" - whom they describe as people who may rely on government benefits for basic needs. Continue reading...

Luis David Nino-Moncada, shot the day after Renee Good was killed, denies using vehicle as weapon against officerA man shot and wounded by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration stop in Portland last week has plead not guilty to charges of aggravated assault against a federal officer and damaging federal property.Luis David Nino-Moncada, who was taken into custody after sustaining an injury in the arm from the shooting, was indicted on Tuesday and entered his plea on Wednesday. The Department of Homeland Security alleges that Nino-Moncada, who is of Venezuelan descent, entered the US illegally and used his vehicle as a weapon when agents attempted to apprehend him. Continue reading...

Republicans Josh Hawley and Todd Young flipped after receiving assurances' from Trump administration

Exclusive: US is less feared by its traditional adversaries, while its allies feel ever more distant, results showA year after Donald Trump's return to the White House, a global survey suggests much of the world believes his nation-first, Make America Great Again" approach is instead helping to make China great again.The 21-country survey for the influential European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) thinktank also found that under Trump, the US is less feared by its traditional adversaries, while its allies - particularly in Europe - feel ever more distant. Continue reading...

Image with question Which way, Greenland man?' is a key concept in neo-Nazi and white supremacist subculture'The Trump administration has been called out, yet again, for using explicitly white supremacist verbiage in its increasingly aggressive social media strategy.The White House posted a cartoon to X on Wednesday of two Greenlandic mush teams with three huskies each, pointing towards the choice of the white pillars and the South Lawn or a tempestuous scene by the Great Wall of China and Red Square in Russia. Continue reading...

Judges uphold redrawing to offset Texas gerrymandering as Newsom attacks lawsuit as weak attempt to silence voters'A federal appeals panel on Wednesday upheld the California ballot initiative that allows temporary changes to congressional district maps designed to benefit Democrats in upcoming elections.The measure, known as Proposition 50, emerged in response to actions taken in Texas, where Republican leaders sought to adjust congressional districts to increase GOP representation in the US House. As the midterm elections approach, a period when shifts in party control are common, Trump urged Texas officials to redraw their maps to boost Republican seats. Continue reading...

Move allowing whole and 2% milk to be served in cafeterias overturns Obama-era limits to higher-fat milk optionsWhole milk is heading back to school cafeterias across the country after Donald Trump signed a bill on Wednesday overturning Obama-era limits on higher-fat milk options.Non-dairy drinks such as fortified soy milk may also be on the menu in the coming months after adoption of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which cleared Congress in the fall. Continue reading...

It's unclear whether bear removed from Altadena house is same one seen under other homesLast week, it appeared the the saga of a black bear that had captivated the Los Angeles community of Altadena for months had come to an end: the Bear League, a Lake Tahoe-based non-profit, was able to successfully remove a 550lb black bear that had been living in a crawlspace under Ken Johnson's home in Altadena since late November.This week, however, reports emerged of bears appearing under other homes. Continue reading...

The Trump administration indefinitely suspended immigrant visa processing from 75 countries - see which nations have been affected

Slate journalist Laura Jedeed documented hiring process and said she got offer despite not completing paperworkA reporter has become embroiled in a public dispute with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after penning an article on how she was in effect offered a position with the organization following an interview that took less than six minutes and did not require her to complete a single signature on agency paperwork".Her hiring, and latter claim about the hiring process, have both been challenged by the Department of Homeland Security and called a lie". Continue reading...

Scenic coastal throughfare from Los Angeles to San Francisco had been cut in tourism-reliant Big Sur areaA portion of California's scenic Highway 1, which winds through rugged cliffs along the coast and has long been a highlight for travelers admiring the ocean views, reopened on Wednesday after a years-long closure.A large section of the road in Big Sur has been cut off due to landslides since 2023, creating challenges for visitors and businesses that rely on tourism. Continue reading...