US news | The Guardian

Rugby league may not be the world game - yet - but the NRL's showcase event in Las Vegas has proven it is capable of thriving on a global stage.Rugby League has a long and sordid history of promising the world and delivering an atlas, the big dreams only matched by the bigger failures to execute. Not any longer. Over 40,000 fans attended the first premiership matches in the United States in what was a dazzling result for the NRL.The dream of Peter V'Landys to take rugby league to America launched a new reality for the NRL with two outstanding games living up to the unprecedented hype that surrounded the event. The steak matched the sizzle. Continue reading...

Two goals and two assists for the Uruguayan striker in Saturday's Florida derby underline why Inter Miami are more than just MessiIf Inter Miami are to transition from glamour expansion club to true MLS Cup contenders - as the bookmakers suspect - the catalyst was evident within 10 minutes of the Florida derby against Orlando City.It wasn't Leo Messi magic that gave the home side a rapid two-nil lead, but two instinctual, clinical finishes from his former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez. Continue reading...

Interstate closures, avalanche warnings and gale-force winds as storm pummels region with up to 10ft of snowA powerful blizzard pummeling California brought double-digit feet of snow; 190mph wind gusts; closures of a main trucking artery, national parks and ski resorts; and even a tornado. And that was just day one.Ski resorts in the Sierra foothills reported more than 2ft of snow accumulated in the 24 hours from Thursday evening to Friday evening. Snowfall at the Northstar ski resort in Truckee, California, was up to 44 inches (1 meter) since Thursday afternoon. Continue reading...

Former president is awarded all 39 state delegates for November's national convention in Milwaukee, WisconsinDonald Trump continued his march toward the GOP nomination at the Michigan Republican party convention on Saturday, sweeping all 39 delegates.The delegates awarded will fuel Trump ahead of Tuesday, 5 March, when 15 states will hold primaries and Trump's nomination could be all but decided. The Michigan state party delegates met on Saturday at the sprawling Amway Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, huddling in 13 separate meeting rooms representing the state's 13 congressional districts. Continue reading...

Personnel battle to keep largest wildfire in state history from turning more of the Panhandle into a parched wastelandFirefighters in Texas faced rising temperatures, whipped-up winds and dry air Saturday in their battle to keep the largest wildfire in state history from turning more of the Panhandle into a parched wasteland.Firefighters were focused on containing the fire along its northern and eastern perimeters, where aggressive gusts from the south-west threatened to spread the flames and consume more acreage, according to Jason Nedlo, a spokesperson with the team of firefighters battling the Smokehouse Creek fire, which began Monday and has claimed at least two lives. Continue reading...

Wim Wenders' film Perfect Days is on to something with its depiction of main character Hirayama's calm, habitual lifeHirayama loves his routine. The protagonist of Wim Wenders' transcendent new film Perfect Days wakes up each morning and follows the same ritual. He makes his bed, trims his moustache, shaves, waters his saplings, and gets a can of coffee from a dispenser just outside his apartment before he enters a small blue van to head to work as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo.On his way to work, he fits a cassette into his tape-player and listens to a range of popular musicians - from Lou Reed to Van Morrison, Nina Simone to the Animals. After his shift, he sits alone in a park with his milkshake and sandwich, and takes a picture of the trees and the sky. Continue reading...

Move is to comply with state law passed by Governor Ron DeSantis that prohibits public funding of DEI programsThe University of Florida is terminating all its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) positions to comply with a state law passed in January that prohibits state or federal funds from being used to fund the programs.The university, with more than 30,000 undergraduates, said in a memo issued on Friday that it was closing its office of the chief diversity officer, eliminating DEI positions and administrative appointments, and halting DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors. Continue reading...

Despite concerns about the state of the world, Americans have soured on their global policing roleIf Joe Biden believes his record as a world leader will help him get re-elected in November, he may have another think coming. His term began with catastrophe in Afghanistan, was thrown into turmoil by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and is ending on a desperately sour note in Gaza. Add in US-China standoffs and a proxy war with Iran, and the old foreign policy hand begins to look decidedly cack-handed.That was partly the message from Michigan last week, where younger voters used the Democratic presidential primary to signal dismay over Biden's unstinting backing for Israel's war with Hamas. For sure, he has gradually become more critical of Benjamin Netanyahu's criminal clique - and is finally pushing a ceasefire. But his lethal, almost callous misjudgments following 7October will not be forgotten. Continue reading...

The president has a 47% disapproval rating, but it's a mixed bag when accounting for double haters' - those who dislike Trump tooStrong voter disapproval of Joe Biden's job performance has reached 47% - the highest negative polling number at any point in his presidency, according to a survey published on Saturday.The Siena College-conducted poll, commissioned by the New York Times, showed that Biden currently lags behind likely Republican candidate Donald Trump 43% to 48% in registered voters nationally. Continue reading...

The education department said it will launch an inquiry after the non-binary teen died after a fight at an Oklahoma public schoolFederal authorities have announced an investigation into allegations of bullying involving Nex Benedict, the non-binary teen who died last month after a fight with classmates in a women's bathroom at their high school in Oklahoma.The US Department of Education said in a letter on Friday that it was investigating whether Owasso public schools, outside Tulsa, had failed to appropriately respond to alleged harassment of students" - a violation of federal law. Continue reading...

Aaron did not die in vain. He has already inspired so many to stand up for truth and justiceOn Monday 26 February, at 3.43pm, I got a text from a friend.Have you seen the news out of DC today about the air force member? Let me know if you need to talk tonight or later this week." I replied and explained that I had seen the headlines, and that it saddened me. She texted: Since he was based in San Antonio I wondered if he was someone you crossed paths with or had friends in common with."Levi Pierpont is a conscientious objector Continue reading...

The talkshow host's embrace of the weight-loss drug threatens to disrupt our persistent association of weight with moralityBig news in the weight-loss world this week: Oprah Winfrey is exiting WeightWatchers. The talkshow host has been the public face of the company for almost a decade but is stepping away from the board and donating all her shares to charity to eliminate any perceived conflict of interest around her taking weight-loss medications". Continue reading...

President says US will insist' Israel does more to facilitate help, saying children's lives are on the line' Middle East crisis - live updatesJoe Biden twice confused Gaza with Ukraine as he was announcing that the US would provide desperately needed aid to Palestinians.The US president, 81, confirmed on Friday that humanitarian assistance would be airdropped into Gaza and said the US would insist" Israel did more to facilitate help for those affected by famine and the effects of war, saying: Children's lives are on the line". Continue reading...

Prosecution alleges Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was in charge of firearms safety, was sloppy' and left weapons unsecuredWitnesses in the trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer in the troubled western Rust, this week described a chaotic set where safety was secondary" before the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for ensuring that all firearms on the set were safe, is on trial for charges of involuntary manslaughter and tampering in connection with the 23 October 2021 shooting. She is the first to go on trial, and proceedings are expected to have major implications for Alec Baldwin, who will face trial in July. Continue reading...

Dillon and his newborn son Archer Glass each had a one in 1,461 chance of being born on a leap dayAfter being born on a leap day in 1996, Dillon Glass faced thin odds of having his own child be born on the same day.But that is exactly what happened on Thursday, when his baby boy Archer was born at 7.47am at Iowa Methodist medical center in Des Moines, Iowa, according to what the hospital's parent corporation said to news outlets as well as on social media. Continue reading...

Turning Point USA and co-founder Charlie Kirk are raising $108m to mobilize Trump voters and clean house' of election officialsTurning Point USA, a far-right youth group known for its fundraising prowess and for promoting election-conspiracy theories, is mounting a seven-figure voter-mobilization drive via its advocacy arm in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin.Arizona-based TPUSA, a non-profit co-founded in 2012 by then 18-year-old Charlie Kirk that's become a key ally in Donald Trump's Maga ecosystem, has launched the drive through Turning Point Action, which has raised tens of millions of dollars and is hiring hundreds of full-time employees in the three states, according to its spokesperson, Andrew Kolvet. Continue reading...

The state GOP had ousted its party chair, Kristina Karamo, in January, but she has not accepted her removal, dividing membersMichigan Republicans are gathering in Grand Rapids for a convention they hope will be less fraught than the last four months of chaotic power struggle within the state Republican party.During Saturday's convention, the party will choose most of the delegates it will send to the Republican national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in July to formally choose the party's 2024 presidential candidate (Tuesday's primary, which Trump won, determined the rest). Continue reading...

As an influential constant in government and policy formation, Gove has been key to the process of rightwing radicalisationOn the ever more common journey from the centre right to the far right, there are two contrasting routes conservative parties can follow. One is to welcome in demagogues such as Lee Anderson and Suella Braverman, and to borrow or indulge their extreme ideas, or only half-condemn them - thus publicising them further - in the hope that this cynical process will attract a wider range of reactionary voters. In countries widely thought of as nostalgic and disillusioned, such as contemporary Britain, it is assumed that there are a lot of these voters, however much the Tories' terrible poll ratings suggest the contrary.For a week now, the Conservatives' contortions and divisions over Anderson's toxic conspiracy theories have demonstrated the political risks of the demagogue approach. However, there is another way for rightwing parties to radicalise that is more subtle, less controversial and often more successful. It involves more mainstream, less abrasive conservative politicians - people generally regarded and presented by the media as reasonable - exploring and promoting hard-right ideas and turning them into policies, while insisting that nothing harsh or reckless is going on. Continue reading...

The interior designer, tastemaker and fashion icon has died aged 102. Here are some of her most stylish looks from an extraordinary life Continue reading...

Peter Cichuniec one of two paramedics convicted of criminally negligent homicide for role in 23-year-old's death after police stopA former Colorado paramedic has been sentenced to five years in prison in the 2019 killing of Elijah McClain after he was stopped by Aurora police.Peter Cichuniec was one of two paramedics convicted of criminally negligent homicide for their roles in the 23-year-old's death, which sparked years of protests and changes in the law. A jury also found Cichuniec guilty of second-degree assault. The outcome marks an extremely rare instance of a paramedic being found criminally liable and facing a prison sentence for a death in police custody. Continue reading...

The Fulton county DA argues her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade is not a conflict - judge will rule on whether that mattersIs the appearance of impropriety enough to change the trajectory of the Donald Trump trial in Georgia?That's one legal question Scott McAfee, the Fulton county superior court judge, will wrestle with as he contemplates whether to throw the Fulton county district attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade off the trial of the former president and co-defendants in the sprawling racketeering and election interference case. Continue reading...

Residents in California urged to shelter in place as possible record 12ft of snow forecast to be dumped over weekendA dangerous winter storm has arrived in California, battering the Sierra Nevada with snowfall, gale-force winds and blizzard conditions as authorities urge residents to shelter in place and prepare for power outages.Perilous conditions in the mountain region are expected to get significantly worse on Friday evening and over the weekend, with a high risk of whiteout conditions, near-zero visibility and avalanches across the mountain range, making travel impossible, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The severe weather, which forecasters described as life-threatening, could break snowfall records. Continue reading...

Activists protest against fashion designer's use of leather, urging her to use vegan alternativesVictoria Beckham's show at Paris fashion week was interrupted by protesters from the animal rights group Peta, who invaded the runway to protest against her use of animal products.Protesters wore white T-shirts that read turn your back on animal skins" and animals aren't fabric". They walked alongside models on the catwalk, holding up placards that read: Viva vegan leather". Continue reading...

Over much of recorded history, marriage was more about property than love. Perhaps it can now become something else

Trump's last remaining Republican primary challenger says I don't think there should ever be a president that's above the law'Asked if she thought Donald Trump would follow the US constitution if he is elected for a second term as president, Nikki Haley said: I don't know."I don't know. I don't - I don't know," the former South Carolina governor, Trump's last opponent for the Republican presidential nomination, told NBC's Meet the Press in an interview to be broadcast in full on Sunday. Continue reading...

Supreme court rejects Democratic lawsuit challenging new maps drawn by Democratic governor Tony EversThe liberal-controlled Wisconsin supreme court on Friday rejected a Democratic lawsuit that sought to throw out the battleground state's congressional maps, marking a victory for Republicans who argued against the court taking up the case.The decision not to hear the congressional challenge comes after the court in December ordered new legislative maps, saying the Republican-drawn ones were unconstitutional. The GOP-controlled state legislature, out of fear that the court would order maps even more unfavorable to Republicans, passed maps drawn by the Democratic governor, Tony Evers. Evers signed those into law on 19 February and urged the court to take up the congressional map challenge. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. You can read the full report on the Fani Willis hearing here.

Judge Scott McAfee says he hopes to issue decision on what Trump defendants say is conflict of interest in next two weeksLawyers presented their closing arguments on Friday afternoon in a three-day evidentiary hearing to determine whether the district attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from handling the election interference against Donald Trump because of her romantic relationship with a deputy handling the case.The hearing was the coda to a dramatic deviation from the racketeering case against the former US president and 14 remaining co-defendants for trying to overturn the election in Georgia. Continue reading...

Both the S&P 500 and the tech-dominated Nasdaq set new records, with Nvidia closing above $2tn for the first timeUS stock markets closed at record highs on Friday powered by investors' continued enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI).Both the S&P 500 and the tech-dominated Nasdaq set records, with the Nasdaq passing its last peak in 2021, driven higher by gains for Facebook owner Meta and Nvidia, the leading AI chipmaker. Continue reading...

House Republicans continue to block bipartisan Senate agreements on foreign aid and immigrationRepublican and Democratic leaders in Congress managed to ward off a damaging federal government shutdown with a last-minute compromise reached this week - but remain deadlocked over approving further military assistance for Ukraine and Israel, and tightening immigration laws.Congress was up against a Friday midnight deadline to reauthorize government spending or see a chunk of the federal departments cease much of their operations. Continue reading...

Darrell Leon McClanahan, who reportedly acknowledged he was honorary' member of Ku Klux Klan, filed for race as a RepublicanThe Missouri Republican party sought to distance itself from a candidate for governor linked to the Ku Klux Klan, saying it would remove him from the ballot.In a statement, the party said it had been made aware that Darrell Leon McClanahan III filed for governor as a Republican despite his affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan, which fundamentally contradicts our party's values and platform. Continue reading...

Jose Uribe entered plea Friday, after signing a deal to cooperate with prosecutors building a case against MenendezA New Jersey businessman pleaded guilty Friday to trying to bribe the US senator Bob Menendez.Jose Uribe, who signed a deal to cooperate with prosecutors building a case against Menendez, entered the plea in Manhattan federal court in connection with seven charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services wire fraud, obstruction of justice and tax evasion. Prosecutors allege that he gave Menendez's wife a Mercedes-Benz. Continue reading...

What has been the impact of the Smokehouse Creek fire in the Texas Panhandle, and what could happen now?The Smokehouse Creek fire has so far scorched more than 1m acres - 1,600 sq miles - across the Texas Panhandle, as well as tens of thousands of acres in Oklahoma. It stretches over an area larger than Rhode Island, making it the largest ever wildfire in Texas, and the second-largest in US history, according to modern fire records. Continue reading...

Biden applauds decision by CVS and Walgreens to offer drug on prescription at stores in several US states where abortion is legalTwo of the largest pharmacy chains in the US, CVS and Walgreens, will start selling the abortion pill mifepristone on prescription at stores in several US states later this month, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing interviews with officials at both companies.Joe Biden quickly applauded the decision, issuing a statement from the White House hailing an important milestone" in maintaining access to the pill and encouraged other pharmacies to pursue similar options. Continue reading...

Dave Halls, who has struck a plea bargain, says he was ultimately to blame for fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna HutchinsThe first assistant director on Alec Baldwin's blighted western movie Rust in 2021, Dave Halls, has given tearful testimony at the trial of the armorer on set that she was diligent in her work - and that he was ultimately to blame for the fatal shooting during rehearsals of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.Halls admitted in court in New Mexico on Thursday that he believed it was his fault that Hutchins ended up being shot and killed as Baldwin pointed a gun on set during a practice take, as he did not do a final check on the gun. Continue reading...

Spokesman rejects report that California governor allowed bread chain to skirt minimum-wage rules because owner is top donorGavin Newsom is hitting back at a news report that he pushed for an exception to the state's new fast-food minimum wage law that benefits a wealthy campaign donor.California's minimum wage is $16 per hour. But starting on 1 April, most fast-food restaurants in the state must pay their workers at least $20 an hour under legislation Newsom signed last year. However, the law does not apply to restaurants that have on-site bakeries and sell bread as a standalone menu item. Continue reading...

Universal's decision to remove its artists from TikTok has destabilised both companies - and lays bare how record labels have become reliant on random viralityEarlier this month, the music industry was hit with its biggest shake-up in years when Universal Music Group announced that it would be pulling the entirety of its catalogue - which covers everyone from K-pop stars BTS to Taylor Swift and legacy acts such as Abba - from TikTok.In an open letter, UMG said the decision was made in protest at the platform's low compensation rates, lack of protections around AI deepfakes and low safety standards for TikTok users. Universal also alleged that TikTok tried to intimidate" the label by selectively removing the music of ... our developing artists, while keeping on the platform our audience-driving global stars". TikTok's brief response decried UMG's false narrative and rhetoric". Continue reading...

Ex-president tells Sean Hannity that three-term, anti-immigration extremist governor of Texas had done a great job'Greg Abbott, the hard-right governor of Texas, is absolutely" on Donald Trump's shortlist for vice-president should Trump as expected win the Republican nomination to face Joe Biden.Calling Abbott a spectacular man", Trump told Sean Hannity of Fox News the three-term governor, an anti-immigration extremist, had done a great job", adding: Yeah, certainly he would be somebody that I would very much consider." Continue reading...

While Facebook has refused to renew its Australian media deals, robots scraping news sites for content could upend the industry entirelyIt's hardly a surprise that Meta, owner of Facebook, is refusing to renew its deals with Australia's media companies. It was always grudging in its negotiations and never really accepted the principle that it should pay for the benefit of using the work of journalists.Facebook and Google were forced to the bargaining table by the news media bargaining code. That law allowed the government to designate" digital platforms, which would force them to negotiate with media companies. Continue reading...

With details scant about the Princess of Wales's health, diehard royalists are losing their minds. Into the vacuum steps AndySay what you will about King Charles's previously fanfared vision for a slimmed-down monarchy", its injury woes suggest it could do with buying another striker. If that isn't how it works, then it's clear that despite thinking they are the greatest fans in the world, many diehard royalists are simply not happy with what they're seeing out there on the pitch, and are voicing their increasingly hysterical discontent. The king's cancer treatment and the Princess of Wales's convalescence from abdominal surgery have come at the same time, and social media is awash with the type of bizarre and brutal conspiracy theories in which so many of the #BeKind contingent specialise. Traditional media is trying to lose its mind with dignity, and - as so often before - tragically failing.The royal family itself is playing its second team, the implications of that perhaps most eye-catchingly laid bare at this week's memorial service for the former king of Greece. As Constantine's godson, Prince William had been scheduled to do a reading, but pulled out at the very last minute due to a personal matter". So, bring on the U-70 Bs.Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnistDo 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...

Heat as high as 20C above normal is replaced by cold blast causing rapid temperature swingsOver the last few days, the central and northern US has experienced one of its most notable February heatwaves ever, as many February temperature records tumbled.Half a dozen states recorded their highest February temperature, as did more than 130 towns and cities, including Minneapolis, Milwaukee, St Louis and Detroit. Continue reading...

Billions in private equity and corporate taxes could be rolled back, along with what critics say is a sop for child tax creditsSome of largest and most profitable companies in the US are primed to save billions of dollars from a congressional tax deal that critics say gives billions in tax credits to the biggest corporations while giving pennies to middle-class children and families". And private equity funds could be among the deal's biggest beneficiaries, a Guardian analysis suggests.The tax cuts passed the House of Representatives at the end of January as part of an agreement that pairs handouts for businesses with a moderate expansion of the child tax credit. The Senate could vote on the bill over the coming weeks, and the White House has indicated that Joe Biden would sign it into law. Continue reading...

Israeli military denies shooting into large crowds of hungry people and says most were killed in crush or run over trying to escape. Plus, the higher truth of wellness guru Jay ShettyGood morning.More than a hundred Palestinians were killed in the early hours of yesterday morning, Gaza health officials said, when desperate crowds gathered around aid trucks and Israeli troops opened fire, in an incident that the US president, Joe Biden, warned was likely to complicate ceasefire talks.How has the White House reacted? The White House called the deaths tremendously alarming" and called for them to be thoroughly investigated". It reminded Israel that it needed to provide basic security in areas of Gaza under its control. Meanwhile, France has called for an independent investigation into the deaths.Who will attend the funeral? Navalny's mother, Lyudmila, is expected to attend his funeral but it is unclear who else will be allowed into the church for the service. Navalny's wife Yulia, has said she is unsure whether the funeral will pass off peacefully. She is outside Russia. Continue reading...

A new series about the former talkshow host is less of a journalistic expose and more of a voyeuristic messThe new Lifetime series Where Is Wendy Williams? was billed as an unfiltered look at Wendy's life following the end of her iconic talkshow". Instead, the series ghoulishly lays bare Williams's ongoing experiences with a host of legal and health issues, including early onset-dementia.In the four-part documentary, we watch her stumble around sick, confused, incoherent and unable to recognize immediate family members or properly answer questions. Even the signature blond wigs she always had perfectly coiffed while taping the Wendy Williams Show, her polarizing and long-running series, are a straggly mess, her appearance bluntly telegraphing her layered, years-long struggles. Continue reading...

The death of a college student is causing a political reaction - from the right, led by Trump - for all the wrong reasonsAll murders are not treated equally.The killing of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley on the campus of the University of Georgia on Thursday has drawn national media interest and political activity in ways that other homicide cases do not, in part because it provides an easy target for rightwing election sloganeering. Continue reading...