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Hinckley says bad things keep happening' at Washington Hilton and it was not a secure place to hold big events'

Lawsuit alleges DoJ breached transparency law by withholding records on Jeffrey Epstein and over-redacting disclosuresTodd Blanche, the acting attorney general, engaged in a brazen, shocking, and ongoing violation" of a law requiring the justice department (DoJ) to release the entirety of the so-called Epstein files, a lawsuit filed in Washington DC alleges.The action on Monday by Katie Phang, an investigative journalist and legal analyst, seeks to hold Blanche personally responsible for the DoJ's alleged failure to publish all the documents the government holds about Jeffrey Epstein, the late sex offender. A full release was mandated by a landmark transparency act passed by Congress in November, with a deadline of 19 December. Continue reading...

Hallucinogens have come a long way from the 60s counterculture to Trump's White House - propelled by veterans' lobbying and Silicon Valley capital

US president has accused organisation of ripping off the rest of the world' by inflating oil prices

He has said he is tormented' by his previous support for Donald Trump - and some suggest the former Fox News host is positioning himself for the GOP nominationA few years ago, Tucker Carlson was sleeping peacefully alongside his wife and four dogs when, all of a sudden, he was physically mauled" by a demon. This supernatural attack left bloody claw marks on his side, the former Fox News star claimed in a documentary about spirituality. Shaken by this unusual ordeal, Carlson called an evangelical friend who told him: Yeah, that happens - people are attacked in their bed by demons." The whole thing, he said, was a transformative experience".Fast forward to the present day and poor old Carlson seems to be plagued by demons again, although this time they're more metaphorical than metaphysical. The far-right personality, who started his own media company after parting ways with Fox in 2023, has said that he is tormented" by his previous support for Donald Trump. In a recent episode of his podcast, Carlson spoke to his brother, Buckley, a former Trump speechwriter, about their shared disappointment with the president and said he was sorry for misleading people". This was a moment, Carlson said, to wrestle with our own consciences". Continue reading...

King Charles and Queen Camilla visit the White House at a notably tense time between the two allies - key US politics stories from 27 April 2026 at a glanceKing Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at the White House on Monday for a state visit in Washington, a city still rattled by a weekend shooting and a transatlantic alliance showing fresh signs of strain.British flags could be seen lining lamp-posts outside the White House, where Donald Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, greeted Charles and Camilla with handshakes. The four appeared to exchange pleasantries and posed for several photographs before heading inside the White House for a private tea. Continue reading...

Paramedics on Atlanta-Portland flight help Ashley Blair give birth to gorgeous' Brielle Renee just before landingWhen baby Brielle Renee was born, new mom Ashley Blair was flying high - quite literally. Blair unexpectedly went into labor shortly before her full Delta flight from Atlanta to Portland touched down on Friday night.The surprise birth was just one of two medical emergencies on board that emergency medical technicians Tina Fritz and Caarin Powell responded to during the flight, capping the end to their vacation in the Dominican Republic, the pair told the Associated Press. They were helping another passenger when flight crews called for assistance for Blair. Continue reading...

Dances With Wolves actor assaulted Indigenous women and girls, exploiting his position as a spiritual leaderNathan Chasing Horse has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls.A Nevada judge gave the Dances With Wolves actor his sentence Monday. A jury had previously convicted him of 13 charges, mostly related to sexual assault. He was accused by three women, including one who was 14 when the assaults began. He was acquitted on some charges. Continue reading...

Jay Bryant's admission came more than two decades after the rapper's killing, but he didn't name others involved

The case is part of a national redistricting fight with high stakes for the November midterm elections

Questions about how shooter was able to get so close to Trump, cabinet members and lawmakers are likely to be asked. Key US politics stories from Sunday 26 April at a glanceUS law enforcement officials are reportedly reassessing security arrangements after a gunman opened fire near the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, raising questions about how he was able to get so close to an event attended by president Donald Trump, cabinet members and lawmakers.Former Secret Service agents and senior US officials told the Reuters news agency that federal agents appeared to carry out their plan to protect the president effectively on Saturday night, stopping the alleged gunman before he reached the basement level of the Washington Hilton, where Trump was set to speak. Continue reading...

Law enforcement agencies name Cole Tomas Allen as Trump posts video of man sprinting through checkpointThe suspected gunman in the shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner that has roiled Washington has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old man from southern California.Allen, of Torrance, a suburb of Los Angeles, has no record of criminal charges or a civil court history in Los Angeles county, according to a records search. Continue reading...

Acting attorney general says suspect was believed to have been targeting top Trump administration officials

Nearly 1 million Californians supported push by Republican Carl DeMaio but it faces historic opposition from DemocratsCalifornia voters will decide in November whether to require photo identification to cast a ballot, making California the latest battleground in a long-running effort by conservatives to push voter ID laws that have been bolstered in recent years by Donald Trump's repeated and unfounded accusations of widespread voter fraud.Nearly 1 million Californians signed on to support the ballot measure championed by Carl DeMaio, a Republican state representative from San Diego. Continue reading...

Extreme weather likely to continue after devastating homes and endangering millions in US south and midwestAt least two people are dead after a very powerful tornado struck northern Texas on Saturday night, as extreme weather continued to devastate homes and put millions across the south and midwestern US at risk, with wildfires also raging on in parts of Georgia.Officials from Wise county in Texas said the storm reached the area at around 10pm and caused significant damage across multiple neighborhoods. In addition to the confirmed deaths, six people were treated or transported by emergency responders to be treated for storm-related injuries. Continue reading...

Questions raised about political violence, security and gun control after brazen attack at event attended by top officials

Smiles turned to shock and fear, Trump dived to the ground and guests ducked under tables after loud bangs were heard

Leaders of Canada, Mexico and UK denounce political violence and express thanks Donald Trump and guests are unharmed

Determining the attacker's motivation may take time. But toxic rhetoric, polarisation and the ubiquity of firearms are a dangerous mixForty-five years ago, John Hinckley Jr attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan as he left the Hilton hotel in Washington, injuring the US president and three others. Obsessed with the actor Jodie Foster, and seeking to gain her attention, the shooter had initially pursued Reagan's Democratic predecessor, Jimmy Carter.On Saturday night, the hotel again rang to shots as it hosted the annual White House correspondents' dinner.Tuxedo-clad politicians and journalists dived under tables as bangs were heard from the lobby, and Donald Trump was rushed from the stage. A secret service agent was shot, though saved by his ballistics vest. The echoes of the 1981 attack are a potent reminder that violence has long been a tragic strand of the American political tradition. Gun violence is grimly familiar. This doesnot diminish the seriousness of an incident that was widely and rightly condemned. Rather, it highlights its importance.Do 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...

Secret Service says US president and first lady are safe and suspect is in custody after shooting incident in DC

Officials say the suspect in the shooting, which left another officer in critical condition, has been taken into custodyA shooting at a Chicago hospital on Saturday morning left a police officer dead and another critically injured, according to Chicago police superintendent Larry Snelling.The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, is in custody, according to Andre Vasquez, alderperson for the city's 40th ward. Continue reading...

Blazes in US south-east have blown smoke over a wide area, and contributed to at least one death in FloridaTwo wildfires in south-eastern Georgia that have destroyed more than 120 homes continued to threaten property and lives on Saturday as officials warned that strong winds could spread the flames.The Brantley county manager, Joey Cason, called it a dynamic situation" in a Saturday-morning video posted to social media and begged residents to please evacuate" if they are ordered to do so. Continue reading...

Hayam El Gamal and five children were held for 10 months after husband allegedly threw molotov cocktails at crowdAn Egyptian family of six has been taken back into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, days after they were released from a detention facility in Texas on Thursday, according to their attorney Eric Lee.Lee said Saturday morning that Hayam El Gamal and her five children were on a private jet in Denver bound for Egypt because of a court order violation. Continue reading...

Camp Mystic must make changes to its emergency notification processes to receive its operating licenseThe Texas Christian summer camp where 27 girls and counselors died in a catastrophic flood in July 2025 may not be allowed to open again this upcoming summer after state officials found it has not met health and safety requirements.Camp Mystic must make several changes, including to its emergency and parent-notification processes, in order to receive its license to operate, according to a letter from the Texas department of state health services. Continue reading...

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were to travel to Islamabad to attempt to revive ceasefire negotiationsDonald Trump said he has told US envoys not to go to Pakistan for more talks with Iran, shortly after Tehran's top diplomat left Islamabad late on Saturday.Trump added to Fox News: They can call us anytime they want." The White House on Friday said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would travel to Pakistan's capital to attempt to revive ceasefire negotiations. Continue reading...

Claim of nefarious plot draws attention of lawmakers and president - but are disappearances and deaths really linked?Are the disappearances or deaths of at least 11 US scientists, each allegedly connected in some way to space, defense and nuclear research, really linked in a nefarious plot: one that involves the Chinese or other state enemies, or possibly links back to UFOs?A conspiracy theory positing exactly that has roared through sections of the US population in recent weeks, spreading rapidly from the internet into rightwing media and hence into the mainstream press and prompting an inquiry from Congress and questions from Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Industry analysts say fuel price surge could lead to canceled flight routes that could snarl travelers' plansCalifornia's jet fuel supply has dropped to a level not seen since 2023, as turmoil in the Middle East continues to squeeze the global oil market.As of 17 April, the state's jet fuel stock was just over 2.6m barrels, in comparison to 3.2m barrels two years prior, according to the California energy commission (CEC), which publishes a refinery stocks data dashboard. Continue reading...

Do No Harm, a conservative group, wants the scholarship, which has helped islands' underserved communities, declared unconstitutionalDoctors and health experts in Hawaii say a decades-old federal program meant to support Native Hawaiians through medical school and better serve some of the islands' most underserved communities is under attack after a conservative group filed suit.For more than 35 years, hundreds of medical students have received support under the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program and, to give back, worked in underserved areas on the islands in the following years. Continue reading...

Students aged 12 to 15 steered bus to safety and called for help after driver lost consciousness from asthma attackMiddle school students in Mississippi acted quickly to halt their school bus from crashing after their driver passed out while on a highway, prompting the operator to declare: They saved my life."The bus in question had just left the Hancock middle school in the Mississippi community of Kiln on Wednesday when the driver, Leah Taylor, suffered an asthma attack and lost consciousness. Continue reading...

Hisham Abugharbieh was arrested after standoff with police and charged with killing Zamil Limon and Nahida BristyThe man who was detained after two Bangladeshi doctoral students went missing from the University of South Florida (USF) has been booked with two counts of murder.Hisham Abugharbieh faces two counts of premeditated murder in the first degree with a weapon in the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, the Hillsborough county sheriff's office announced on Saturday. Continue reading...

She backed the president as he ran millions of dollars in anti-trans ads. Now she's disappointed her passport has the wrong genderThoughts and prayers for Caitlyn Jenner. It seems that it's starting to dawn on the Olympian and reality TV star that being a rich, white, Maga supporter doesn't entirely shield her from Donald Trump's transphobic policies.What sparked that realization? Was it the millions of dollars spent by the Trump campaign on anti-trans ads during the 2024 election? Was it, perhaps, the fact that one of Trump's very first acts in his second term, conducted just hours after he took office, was to sign an executive order which stated that government-issued identification documents would be changed to reflect the holder's immutable biological classification as either male or female", defined by a person's cells at conception - in other words, your passport would reflect the sex you were assigned at birth?Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

High concentration of toxic forever chemicals' found in groundwater at former military facility in LouisianaDonald Trump's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning a detention facility for children and their families on one the nation's most Pfas-contaminated sites, which also serves as a hub for the president's deportation program.The England air force base, now called England Airpark, is a sprawling former military facility in Louisiana where Pfas levels in the groundwater have been found at at least 41m parts per trillion (ppt). Continue reading...

Anti-war, anti-ICE, anti-authoritarian Christians and Catholics are organizing around their faith in opposition to the version claimed by Trump and HegsethThe Trump administration has long tried to wrap itself in Christianity, with Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, invoking warfare in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ". Trump even recently posted an AI image of himself as a Christ-like figure (later claiming he thought it was a doctor) and streamed himself reading the Bible.But in reality, faith leaders have been some of the loudest and most consistent voices organizing against the administration's policies. Continue reading...

Brussels officials will draw up a plan on how to use the EU's little-known mutual assistance pact in the event of a foreign attack - key US politics stories from Friday 24 AprilEU leaders have agreed that the European Commission will prepare a blueprint" on how the bloc will respond if the little-known mutual assistance clause is triggered, according to Nikos Christodoulides, the president of Cyprus, who is hosting the talks.They discussed the mutual defence clause, article 42.7 of the EU treaty, on Thursday night, before reports emerged that the US was exploring how to suspend Spain from Nato. Continue reading...

Trump's DoJ says it is taking steps to strengthen the federal death penalty' in opposition to Biden-era policiesThe US justice department announced on Friday that it is taking steps to strengthen the federal death penalty", including bringing back firing squads and readopting the lethal injection protocol utilized during the first Trump administration.Today, the Department of Justice acted to restore its solemn duty to seek, obtain, and implement lawful capital sentences - clearing the way for the Department to carry out executions once death-sentenced inmates have exhausted their appeals," the justice department said in a news release. Continue reading...

Appellate panel finds president can't circumvent laws that allow people to apply for asylum at the US-Mexico border

US report warns it could take six months to clear strait of mines as Trump declares total control' over key waterway - key US politics stories from Thursday 23 April at a glanceDonald Trump has again said that the US has total control over the strait of Hormuz", adding that Iran's leadership was so hobbled by infighting that it was unclear who was in charge.But the US president's claim seemed questionable in the face of the seizure of two container ships by Iranian commandos and a US report warning it could take six months to clear the strait of mines. Continue reading...

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who allegedly made more than $400,000 on Polymarket, could face up to 60 years in prisonA US soldier who played a role in the January capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro is now in custody after allegedly cashing in over $400,000 on wagers about the politician's removal from office, federal authorities announced on Thursday.Prosecutors say beginning in early December the soldier, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, was involved in planning for the military operation to capture and depose Maduro. Continue reading...

These are the agencies detaining people across the US - mostly, but not all, under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland SecurityWhen the Trump administration ordered a surge of armed federal immigration enforcement personnel on to the streets of Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security declared it the largest operation in its history and the liberal midwestern city became Donald Trump's latest chosen hotspot.Such escalations mark the US president's agenda of mass arrests and deportations from the US interior. The highest-profile efforts involve officers from multiple agencies rushing to prominent Democratic-led US cities, against local leaders' wishes. But coast to coast, federal officers have been raiding homes, businesses, commercial parking lots - even schools, hospitals and courthouses. The efforts have delighted the president's hardcore Make America Great Again voter base, but are also tearing families apart and spreading fear and even death on the streets and in detention. Continue reading...

Baton Rouge police chief says attack unfolded after argument inside food court at Mall of Louisiana

Result could help Democrats win four extra US House seats in tit-for-tat redistricting battle begun by TexasVoters in Virginia on Tuesday approved new congressional maps intended to boost Democrats' chances of retaking the House of Representatives, in the latest blow to Donald Trump's effort to use mid-decade redistricting to preserve his control of Congress.The tit-for-tat redistricting battle began last year after Trump pressed Texas's Republican-controlled legislature to redraw that state's congressional maps in an effort to oust as many as five Democratic House lawmakers in the November midterm elections. Continue reading...

On Tuesday, the president read from the Bible in a taped message. Religious scholars were not impressed

The pontiff's criticisms of Donald Trump's illegal war in Iran indicate a welcome resolve to follow in his predecessor's footsepsOne year after the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican this week hosted the premiere of a documentary tribute by Martin Scorsese. For a pontiff whose charisma and crowd-pleasing style helped cut through to a secular audience, marking the anniversary with the help of one of the world's most famous film directors was a nice touch.Francis's successor, Leo XIV, is a far less flamboyant personality. In his inaugural year in St Peter's chair, the first pope to come from the United States has generally taken a cautious, circumspect approach to his role. But it turns out that an aura of mildness and restraint makes him no less effective when criticising the posturing that passes for Christian piety in DonaldTrump's Washington.Do 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...

Democrats within reach of House majority after voters rebel against Republican gerrymandering

The case is part of a messy legal dispute about a section of the Line 5 energy pipeline beneath a Great Lakes channelThe supreme court on Wednesday sided with Michigan in ruling that the state's lawsuit seeking to shut down a section of an ageing pipeline beneath a Great Lakes channel will stay in state court.Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote for a unanimous court that the Enbridge energy company waited too long to try to move the case to federal court. Continue reading...

Rising costs have continued to plague the company, now facing soaring fuel costs due to the war with Iran