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Chinese government appears to be using the workaround of a different character to represent part of the secretary of state's name, to allow him to visit the country for the upcoming Trump summitUS secretary of state Marco Rubio is heading to Beijing with president Donald Trump despite being under Chinese sanctions - a breakthrough that might have been made possible after China changed his name's transliteration.As a US senator, Rubio, who is visiting China for the first time, fiercely championed human rights in China, which retaliated by imposing sanctions on him twice - adopting a tactic more often used by the US against adversaries. Continue reading...

Five Republicans joined all Democrats in the state senate to reject a redistricting proposal that Trump is pushing for - key US politics stories from Tuesday 12 May at a glanceAs Republicans scramble to redraw congressional maps after the US supreme court rendered ineffective a major section of the civil rights law that prevented racial discrimination, South Carolina state senators have so far defied pressure to do the same.On Tuesday afternoon, legislators in South Carolina rejected plans to follow the playbook of other Republican-controlled states, with the state's senate voting 29-17 - two votes short of the two-thirds needed - on the proposal. Five Republicans joined all Democrats in the chamber to reject the proposal. Continue reading...

Kouri Richins, 35, faces up to life in prison for killing her husband, and her three sons say they are afraid' of herThe young sons of Kouri Richins, a Utah author, said ahead of her sentencing hearing Wednesday that they would feel unsafe if their mother was ever released from prison after she was found guilty in March of killing their father.Richins, 35, faces several decades to life in prison on five felony convictions, including aggravated murder. Continue reading...

Police and sheriff's office agree to settlement after Ronald Greene was fatally shocked and punched during 2019 arrestLouisiana's state police and a local sheriff's office have agreed to pay $4.85m to the daughter of Ronald Greene, a Black motorist who was fatally shocked with a stun gun, punched and dragged during a 2019 arrest.The settlement agreement was reached during a mediation that concluded on Tuesday evening, according to a source with direct knowledge of the talks. It is one of the more substantial legal outcomes for a death that otherwise yielded only misdemeanor convictions for two of the officers involved. Continue reading...

FBI director also dismisses allegations of unexplained absences as Democrats challenge him over Atlantic report

Collins, a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the NBA, died after eight-month battle with glioblastomaJason Collins, the retired NBA player who made history as the league's first openly gay athlete, has died after a short battle with stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, his family announced on Tuesday. He was 47.Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar," Collins' family said in a statement released through the NBA. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly." Continue reading...

Michael Mott, 41, jumped the fence at Denver international airport and had reached the runway when he was struckThe man who was fatally struck on Friday by a departing Frontier Airlines flight on the runway of Denver international airport died by suicide, the city's medical examiner said on Tuesday at a news conference.On Friday evening, the man, identified as 41-year-old Michael Mott, jumped an 8ft fence with barbed wire on to the runway, according to Phillip Washington, the airport's chief executive. Roughly two minutes lapsed between Mott's breach of the runway and when he was hit by the Frontier aircraft. Continue reading...

The Inter Miami and LAFC stars are the highest-paid players in the league by a distance, while other new arrivals' numbers are revealed for the first timeLionel Messi is earning even more on his second MLS contract, as unveiled in the MLS Players Association's latest drop of player salary information. The union drops offer a fascinating lens into MLS squad construction, a chance to play sporting director and give pass/fail verdicts on roster construction across the 30-team circuit.The Argentine - whose take-home figure does not include additional amounts earned via Apple streaming subscriptions or jersey sales through Adidas and Fanatics - remains far and away MLS's top earner, earning $28.3m in his fourth season with Inter Miami. Son Heung-min ranks second, with Los Angeles FC paying the Tottenham icon $11.2m, while Rodrigo De Paul joins Messi on the podium not as his bodyguard, but as the proud earner of a $9.7m income. Continue reading...

Oversight panel Democrats hold event at the scene of the crime' in Florida and ask Trump to not pardon MaxwellDemocrats tore into government's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein abuse scandal on Tuesday - revealing new details of the scale of his international sex trafficking ring, and warning Donald Trump not to grant a presidential pardon to the late sex offender's sidekick Ghislaine Maxwell.Several survivors of Epstein's abuse also gave tearful testimony at a congressional field hearing in Florida of their experiences as teenagers in s orbit. Some spoke of being retraumatized after they were outed" by the justice department's failure to redact their names from the so-called Epstein files. Continue reading...

President posted more than 50 times in three hours, attacking on Obama, NY Times and supreme courtDonald Trump unleashed a late-night social media tirade against his political enemies, attacking predecessors including Barack Obama with false accusations and amplifying calls for his Democratic rivals to be prosecuted.Just hours before a high-stakes trip to China for talks with Xi Jinping, the US president posted more than 50 times in a three-hour spree from Monday evening into the early hours of Tuesday. Posts included doctored images of himself on the $100 bill and demands that political opponents be arrested. Continue reading...

Anil Kochhar hopes textile graduates of North Carolina State can leave with greater freedom to pursue goals'Anil Kochhar, a North Carolina State University donor, gave graduates of the school's Wilson College of Textiles a lot more than just words of wisdom when he delivered their keynote commencement address recently.The Indian American entrepreneur also announced that he would pay off any student loans taken out by the college's graduating pupils during their senior year. Continue reading...

The meme stock' company is remembered for Reddit traders sending its share price into orbit but its move on the auction site looks less likely to take off

Candidates jostle to represent the second congressional district, and a Republican's Senate seat looks ripe to flip

James Shirah struck groomsman Terry Taylor Jr with SUV after they had an argument at wedding afterparty in 2024

Prices rose 3.8% over the last year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, highest jump since 2023

No wonder they are upset by the slogan tax the rich'. Despite their wealth increasing 81% since 2020, they need our emotional support now more than everWon't anyone think of the poor, poor, billionaires? Their endless money can buy them political power, but it can't buy them love. Instead of being worshipped by the hoi polloi, titans of industry are denounced! Despised! Disrespected! Insert another D-word of your own!Thankfully, class solidarity is strong among the super-rich. Steve Roth bravely brought attention to the plight of his fellow billionaires during a recent earnings call. I consider the phrase tax the rich' ... spit out with anger and contempt by politicians ... to be just as hateful as some disgusting racial slurs," the Vornado Realty Trust CEO said. Continue reading...

The former TV anchor's tenure leading US global media agency ends after court ruled appointment unlawful

Tim Miller's teen daughter disappeared in 1984, tied to a series of deaths in the Texas killing fields'. After decades, he received a tip that unlocked everythingTim Miller is good at finding missing people - or rather, their bodies. Four years ago, a stranger called him and left a rambling message claiming that he had important information about an unsolved murder case.Miller, who lives in Texas and runs a non-profit search-and-recovery organization called EquuSearch, did not treat the message as a high priority. The caller sounded as if he might have been drunk or on drugs. Although tips are vital to EquuSearch's work, the tip line brings a certain number of hoaxes, cranks and innuendo. Some of the people who leave messages, Miller told me, probably ought to get their medication checked". Continue reading...

Ceasefire on life support', Trump says as he considers restarting US navy military escorts of ships through the strait of Hormuz - key US politics stories from 11 May 2026 at a glanceDonald Trump has dismissed Iran's latest peace proposals as stupid and denied he was under any domestic pressure to reach a deal.Referring to the ceasefire in force since 7 April, Trump said: I would call it the weakest, right now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us - I didn't even finish reading it. Continue reading...

The British political strategist drew swift criticism in a state where tacos are practically the official dish

The trial has exposed even more details about OpenAI's fractious corporate past than previously documentedOpenAI, despite its name, is usually extremely secretive about its operations. It promotes a carefully crafted image to the world. Over the course of Elon Musk's case against the startup and its CEO Sam Altman, however, the artificial intelligence firm has been forced to publicly contend with some of the messiest parts of its rise to power in public.The Musk v OpenAI trial, which on Monday entered its third week, has featured a who's who of Silicon Valley testifying about OpenAI's past and its CEO's contentious leadership. Musk's attorneys have used former executives, private text messages, diary entries and internal email exchanges to portray Altman as untrustworthy. Altman, who denies Musk's allegations, will take the stand in the coming days. OpenAI has likewise issued denials. Continue reading...

Hamilton was fired as acting administrator last year after he opposed plans to abolish the agency at a House hearingDonald Trump has once again nominated Cameron Hamilton to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) after Hamilton was previously fired for publicly opposing plans to abolish the agency.Hamilton was dismissed last year from his role as acting administrator of the disaster relief agency after testifying before a House appropriations subcommittee. During the hearing, he said: I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency." Continue reading...

New voting maps flipped four Republican-held seats to give Democrats an edge in redistricting race sparked by TrumpVirginia Democrats asked the US supreme court on Monday to revive a congressional map designed to boost their party's chances in November's midterm elections, turning to the court as Republicans - including allies of Donald Trump - seek to preserve narrow control of Congress.The case thrusts Virginia into an unusual, mid-decade redistricting showdown, as courts weigh whether lawmakers can remake House districts outside the normal post-census cycle - with control of a narrowly divided Congress potentially hanging in the balance. Continue reading...

Recent consumer alert on ebike safety laws says some vehicles should be classified as mopeds or motorcyclesAmazon said it plans to stop selling certain high-speed electric bicycles in California after a string of high-profile incidents and a consumer alert that the state attorney general issued last month.In April an 81-year-old man in Orange county died after a teenager illegally riding an e-motorcycle struck him. The teen's mother, Tommi Jo Mejer, has since been charged with involuntary manslaughter in Ed Ashman's death as officials say she was warned it was illegal for her son to operate the vehicle. Continue reading...

Palestinian activist is awaiting another legal decision on a separate track in a narrowing effort to stay in the US

Transit advocates laud first stations to open in city in more than 25 years, with World Cup and Olympics coming to townThe roughly 12-mile (19km) drive along Wilshire Boulevard from Los Angeles's downtown core to its Westside region can be a soul-crushing experience. The road is among the busiest in Los Angeles, winding through Westlake, Koreatown, the famed Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills, Century City, Westwood and Santa Monica before ending at the bluffs overlooking the Pacific coast highway, a journey that can take an hour or even two at rush hour.For decades, Angelenos accepted this time-eating crawl as fate. But this week, traversing this bustling corridor reached another level - about 50-70ft underground to be precise. How about Union Station to Beverly Hills in 21 minutes? Continue reading...

US president says he is considering restarting naval escorts in strait of Hormuz in attempt to end Iranian blockade

Chuck Schumer accuses GOP of asking working families to pay the price while Trump pockets the perks' in letter

Brain trauma and football have become inexorably linked. But a recent Harvard study suggests there are other dangers for football playersWhen an NFL player takes his own life, there is often speculation about why. Injuries and unemployment - a common occurrence in a violent sport where players are frequently traded and cut - have been linked with increased risks of suicidal ideation. In parallel to those factors, however, exists chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). A degenerative brain condition caused by repeated trauma to the head, CTE's links with football are established and almost impossible to ignore. Players ranging from widely admired Pro Bowlers such as Junior Seau and Dave Duerson, to those infamous for more notorious reasons, such as Aaron Hernandez and Phillip Adams, were all confirmed to have CTE by autopsies. (The condition can only be diagnosed posthumously.) All four players killed themselves.Such anecdotal observations imply a certain, coherent logic that connects playing football with suicide. Tackle football, by its nature, increases participants' risk of head injury. Head injuries increase the likelihood of an affected individual attempting suicide. CTE is often the cumulative consequence of years of head injuries and, indeed, many high-profile NFL players who have taken their own lives have been confirmed to suffer from CTE. So it's easy to reason that football and/or CTE, by their very nature, lead to an increased risk of suicide.In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Defense secretary accuses senator of disclosing classified info but Kelly says that's not classified, it's a quote from you'Pete Hegseth said he has referred Senator Mark Kelly to Pentagon lawyers for allegedly disclosing classified information about depleted US weapons stockpiles - information Kelly says he heard from the defense secretary, in public, under oath.Speaking on CBS News's Face the Nation on Sunday, Kelly said American inventories of Tomahawk cruise missiles, Army Tactical Missile Systems, SM-3 interceptors, Thaad rounds and Patriot missiles had been severely drawn down during the Iran conflict, warning that replenishment could take years and leave the US exposed in any future confrontation with China. Continue reading...

Cole Tomas Allen, accused of attempting to assassinate Trump last month, did not speak as plea was enteredThe suspect accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump last month at a gala in Washington DC has pleaded not guilty to all charges.Cole Tomas Allen did not speak in court on Monday as his attorney entered the plea on his behalf. Continue reading...

Nine groups in the Sioux Nation say an exploratory graphite drilling project endangers a recognized ceremonial siteAlmost exactly a decade since the start of the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access pipeline gained national and international attention, new disputes are simmering over tribal rights in the Black Hills of South Dakota.Earlier this month, an environmental organization and a Native American advocacy group sued the US Forest Service, claiming that an exploratory graphite drilling project on national forest land threatened a recognized ceremonial site on mountain meadows known as Pe' Sla, or Reynolds Prairie. Continue reading...

Business owners may have to wade through paperwork, but the US government is now actually processing refundsWhen the supreme court struck down Donald Trump's tariffs, many small importers assumed any refunds would be tied up in bureaucracy for years. Surprisingly, that's not what's happening.It's estimated that roughly 330,000 importers paid more than $166bn in tariff fees imposed by Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). If your business was affected, here's good news: you can get your tariffs refunded. You just need to be a little patient. Continue reading...

The economic warnings are bleak, but full extent of shortages are still not felt for many European countriesThe biggest energy shock in modern history, jet fuel shortages within weeks", a global recession - since Iran throttled shipping flows through the strait of Hormuz at the end of February the economic warnings have become increasingly dire.Yet 10 weeks on from the first US-Israeli attacks, share indices, companies and governments have been surprisingly sanguine. Every day the divergence grows between the eerie quiet on markets and alarming warnings of an imminent supply chain crunch. Continue reading...

The supreme court has gutted one of the strongest federal tools we had against the most effective weapon in US politicsMaps can guide us home. They show us where we are, where we have been and where we might go. Electoral maps can do something even more sinister, though. They often tell us what and who is allowed to matter. They can decide, before a single ballot is cast, whether an entire voting bloc will become powerful or be buried by the design of a party that is indifferent - at best - to their needs and wants.Memphis is the latest warning. Tennessee's largest majority-Black city can vote, organize, turn out, remember and resist - and still be cut into pieces by politicians who fear what that city might do with power. This week, Republicans carved up the Memphis-centered congressional district, dividing its only majority-Black district into three Republican-leaning seats while weakening voter-notice requirements in the process. Continue reading...

Independent scientists who reviewed the results said most samples were contaminated with Pfas or phthalatesThe Trump administration announced earlier this month that hundreds of baby formula samples it tested for toxic chemicals meet a high safety standard", but public health advocates warn this claim contradicts data showing a majority were contaminated with dangerous substances, such as Pfas or phthalates.Independent scientists who reviewed the results say the data gaps and the contamination raise concerns, though they added the testing shows some bright spots, and praised the US Food and Drug Administration for expanding the testing program, then making the results public. Continue reading...

President and his party celebrate as Democrats vow to fight Virginia court ruling barring state from enacting new voter-approved congressional maps - key US politics stories from 8 May 2026 at a glanceVirginia's supreme court on Friday ruled that the state cannot use new congressional maps approved by voters to help Democrats gain as many as four new seats in the US House of Representatives, handing Republicans a major win before November's midterm elections.In a 4-3 decision, the court found that the state's general assembly did not follow the appropriate constitutional procedure in approving the map, which voters then passed in a referendum last month. Continue reading...

US judge says halt of $100m in funds allotted by Congress for scholars, writers and research illegal and discriminatoryA federal judge ruled on Thursday that the terminations of hundreds of humanities grants last year by the Trump administration's so-called department of government efficiency" (Doge) were unconstitutional and involved blatant" discrimination. In April last year, Donald Trump's administration terminated more than 1,400 grants, representing more than $100m in congressionally appropriated funds awarded to scholars, writers, research institutions and other humanities organizations.The terminations were part of a cost-cutting drive that billionaire Elon Musk was leading at Doge. Continue reading...

Thomas Shaknovsky botched the surgery of William Bryan, 70, who died on the operating tableA Florida surgeon who is facing criminal charges after allegedly removing a patient's liver instead of his spleen has said he is forever traumatized" by that person's death.In a deposition from November that was recently obtained by NBC, 44-year-old Thomas Shaknovsky described the death of 70-year-old William Bryan as an incredibly unfortunate event that I regret deeply". Continue reading...

Trump administration urges US Postal Service to scrap 100-year-old rule as Democratic state attorneys general protestHandguns could be mailed through the United States Postal Service (USPS) for the first time in nearly 100 years if a proposed Trump administration rule takes effect.Democratic attorneys general in two dozen states have sent a letter in opposition. Continue reading...

Maps, recently approved by voters, would have helped Democrats gain up to four new seats in US House

The gentle French garment is now as cursed as the infamous megacorp, which has accumulated $80m in government contracts in Australia aloneIt's taken me years to find a chore coat with a cut that flatters my big tits but, now that I finally own one, I want to incinerate it.Such is the power of brand contamination; infamous data surveillance megacorp Palantir, has decided to bang a logo on a chore coat to sell as corporate merch. Continue reading...

Star Wars actor later deleted post and apologized, saying president should live long enough to be held accountable'

Claims of nimbyism are a misunderstanding: the movement is about whether regular people have a say in fundamental decisionsSince the surreal scene at the 2024 presidential inauguration, when a row of big tech titans took their VIP seats and signaled their new alliance with Maga, the Trump administration has rolled out the red carpet for Silicon Valley's AI ambitions and shareholder priorities.Washington has doled out billions in lucrative federal subsidies and contracts to the cash-rich sector, bloating an AI bubble that experts warn may imperil the entire economy while prohibiting any guardrails on the fast-moving technology. Continue reading...

Man was reported missing on Sunday and on Wednesday officials found a body with wounds indicating a bear attack

Former David Cameron adviser says a vote for him will make California Califordable' - not everyone is convinced