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Ex-FBI director indicted on counts of making false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. Plus, human origins may reach back far deeper in time than previously thought

Trump is clearing the way for US investors to control a wildly popular platform where millions get their newsIn 2020, only a tiny fraction of Americans got news from TikTok. These days, that number has soared to one in five.For young adults, those figures are much higher, with almost half of adults under 30 getting news there, according to the Pew Research Center.Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...

Have you been following the big stories in football, rugby union, golf, athletics, cricket and the NFL? Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. Read the full story hereDozens of House Democrats have signed a letter to Donald Trump and secretary of state Marco Rubio, urging the administration to recognize Palestinian statehood.The letter, led by California Democrat Ro Khanna, has 46 signatures, and lawmakers will send it to the US president on Friday, according to plans first provided to the Guardian. Continue reading...

President announces 100% tariffs on imported branded drugs, 25% on heavy-duty trucks and 50% on cabinetsDonald Trump on Thursday announced a new round of punishing tariffs, saying the United States will impose a 100% tariffs on imported branded drugs, 25% tariff on imports of all heavy-duty trucks and 50% tariffs on kitchen cabinets.The US president also said he would start charging a 50% tariff on bathroom vanities and a 30% tariff on upholstered furniture next week, with all the new duties to take effect from 1 October. Continue reading...

The former FBI director was fired by Trump in 2017, and has been a longtime target for the presidentDonald Trump's long public campaign to get someone in his administration to bring criminal charges against James Comey, the former FBI director he fired in 2017, finally succeeded on Thursday, but the president has been so public about his loathing of the indicted man, and his desire to see him jailed, that it might be hard for prosecutors to convince a jury that the case was not brought for political reasons.Comey was fired by Trump in 2017 after he reportedly refused a request to pledge his loyalty to the newly elected president, and then publicly confirmed to Congress that the FBI was conducting a counterintelligence investigation of Russian efforts to help Trump get elected in 2016. Continue reading...

Former FBI director James Comey has said he is innocent, adding let's have a trial and keep the faith'. Key US politics stories from 25 September 2025 at a glanceFormer FBI director James Comey has said he knew there would be costs to standing up to Donald Trump," after he was indicted on Thursday on one count of making a false statement to Congress and one count of obstruction of justice, in the latest move in the president's expansive retribution campaign against his political adversaries.In a video published online, Comey said he was innocent, adding let's have a trial and keep the faith." Continue reading...

US president criticizes anarchists and agitators' as he unveils memo expected to meet fierce legal pushbackDonald Trump issued a presidential memorandum on Thursday aimed at reining in what he has called a radical leftwing domestic terror network" but which seemed likely to meet fierce legal pushback from critics depicting it as a licence for a broad crackdown on his political opponents.Prompted by journalists, Trump suggested that George Soros, the billionaire Hungarian-born philanthropist who funds the Open Society Foundations, could be in his sights. He also identified Reid Hoffman, a billionaire venture capitalist, adding: I hear about him. Maybe it could be him. It could be a lot of people." Continue reading...

Asked by a reporter if he promised leaders of Arab and Muslim countries he met this week that he would block Israel from formally annexing the West Bank territory it has occupied since 1967, Donald Trump replied: 'I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Nope. I won't allow it. It's not going to happen'

Police had been searching for Travis Decker since bodies of his three daughters were found at campground in JulyForensic tests confirmed that human remains found on a remote mountain in Washington state this month were those of a former soldier wanted in the deaths of his three young daughters last spring, officials confirmed on Thursday.Travis Decker's remains were discovered in a remote wooded area in central Washington, south of the city of Leavenworth, the Chelan county sheriff's office said. Continue reading...

Democrats accuse Trump of intimidation tactics after memo outlines much more aggressive step than previous shutdownsThe White House is telling federal agencies to prepare large-scale firings of workers if the government shuts down next week in a partisan fight over spending plans - prompting the Democrats to accuse Donald Trump of intimidation tactics.In a memo released on Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next week, is not otherwise funded and is not consistent with the president's priorities". Continue reading...

Cook's lawyers say president's unprecedented move would destroy Fed's independence and disrupt financial marketsFederal Reserve governor Lisa Cook urged the US supreme court on Thursday to reject Donald Trump's attempt to fire her, telling the justices the Republican president's unprecedented move would destroy the central bank's independence and disrupt financial markets.Lawyers for Cook filed a written response opposing the justice department's 18 September emergency request to lift a federal judge's order that blocked Trump from immediately removing Cook, an appointee of Democratic former president Joe Biden, while her legal challenge continues. Continue reading...

KION-TV announces partnership with San Francisco CBS affiliate as workers condemn disservice to the community'This week KION-TV, a broadcast news outlet on California's central coast that's been on the air for more than 50 years, announced it was entering a new chapter" with a San Francisco CBS affiliate to bring expanded coverage to its viewers.But staff say the development has been devastating for the operation - the newsroom, which covers Salinas, Santa Cruz and Monterey, suddenly shuttered and more than a dozen people were laid off. Continue reading...

Texas authorities say the shooting at an Ice detention center came after a high degree of planning'Authorities said on Thursday that the words of the suspect in the shooting on Wednesday at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detention facility in Texas were definitively anti-Ice" but said that they did not find evidence that the suspect was a member of any specific group or entity, nor did he mention any specific government agency other than Ice".At a news conference on Thursday afternoon, Texas authorities provided more details on the shooting investigation describing messages and notes they found at the suspect's residence. Continue reading...

The 32-year-old is a polarizing figure but he is committed to getting American fans behind their team as they aim to capture victory on home soilBryson DeChambeau is not shying away from the spectacle as golf's matchplay carnival touches down on America's toughest public course. On the eve of the Ryder Cup, the 32-year-old admitted he sees it as his responsibility, and his privilege, to feed off Bethpage Black's notoriously rowdy galleries and leverage their energy into a weapon.This week is an amazing opportunity," he said on a soggy Thursday in Farmingdale. New York fans are incredible. As rowdy and raucous as they get, they still love the game of golf. I couldn't be more excited to hopefully get them riled up and excited for what's to come." Continue reading...

New York Times reports justice department is pushing attorneys to investigate as Trump ramps up attack on rivalsThe Open Society Foundations (OSF), the major philanthropic group funded by George Soros, has criticized the Trump administration for politically motivated attacks on civil society" after a report that the justice department had instructed federal prosecutors to come up with plans to investigate the charity.The New York Times reported on Thursday that a lawyer in the office of Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, sent a memo to several federal prosecutors in attorney's offices in California, New York, Washington DC, Chicago and Detroit, offering a range of charges to consider against the group. Those charges included racketeering, arson, wire fraud and material support for terrorism, the newspaper reported. Continue reading...

The shadow boxing is over now but every serious competition needs jeopardy and home teams cannot prevail time and againWhat made Keegan Bradley's opening ceremony blooper, when he muddled surnames, so outstanding was not the basic fact Justin Rose is an Englishman who could not possibly have sunk the winning putt for the USA in the 1999 Ryder Cup. Instead, this was simply such a much-needed antidote to the micromanagement that now dulls the buildup to a biennial joust between a continent and a country. Golfers who ordinarily have plenty to say and who revel in the rarity of team combat find themselves delivering anodyne soundbites. Bradley's blunder was such an endearing reminder of days gone by, when the Ryder Cup was more open to rogue elements. The whiff of cordite was never far away.The Ryder Cup needs a little more fizz. That may well be provided by a volatile New York crowd, the arrival of a US president who polarises opinion and stars such as Rory McIlroy or Bryson DeChambeau who should not be backwards in coming forwards when the proper stuff starts. The shadow boxing is now over. What is so striking and impressive is that golfers who bump into each other on Floridian school runs somehow manage to summon the spirit of a great rivalry for one week out of every 104. Continue reading...

As Israel inflicts untold misery on Palestinians, it is time for football's governing bodies to stand by the principles they claim to upholdWhen Israel takes the pitch against Norway on 11 October for their 2026 World Cup qualifier, the most important question will not be who wins, but whether Israel should be allowed to play at all.Fifa, the world's governing body for football, positions itself as a human-rights advocate. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Fifa moved with lightning speed, banning Russia from all competitions four days later. In a joint statement with Uefa, Europe's football governing body, they asserted, Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine." And yet, little solidarity has been afforded Palestinians. When it comes to Israel, Fifa and Uefa have foot-dragged. Continue reading...

Interior department says National Park Service removed statue of pair holding hands because of incorrect permitAn impromptu statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands was unceremoniously removed from the National Mall in Washington just a day after a group of anonymous artists erected it there.The piece showed the president and the late convicted sex offender, who were friends in the past, looking joyful together, with wide grins and feet kicked back. Continue reading...

Shareholders want ABC owner to turn over documents related to decision to temporarily suspend late-night showA group of Disney investors is asking the company to turn over documents related to the company's decision to temporarily suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show, amid charges the media company may have been complicit in succumbing" to media censorship.The investors, composed of lawyers for the American Federation of Teachers and Reporters Without Borders, noted that Disney's stock suffered significant declines in response to the company's abrupt decision to suspend Mr. Kimmel and his show", it said in a letter to Disney. Continue reading...

Outdated alert process led to delays in warning residents to evacuate during Eaton and Palisades fires, per the reportAn outside review of Los Angeles county's response to January's deadly wildfires found a lack of resources and outdated policies for sending emergency alerts led to delays in warning residents about the need to evacuate as flames began consuming neighborhoods in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.The Independent After-Action Report, produced by the consulting firm McChrystal Group, was commissioned by county supervisors just weeks after the Eaton and Palisades fires killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes in highly dense areas of Los Angeles county. Continue reading...

Ryan Walters, who has led Oklahoma public schools since 2022, is quitting to run a conservative education non-profitOklahoma's superintendent, who has attracted national attention as he sought to install religion and rightwing viewpoints in Oklahoma schools, will resign to run a conservative education non-profit.Ryan Walters, who has led public schools in Oklahoma since 2022, has put Donald Trump-endorsed Bibles into classrooms and required teaching 2020 election conspiracies. Continue reading...

Restructuring comes after six quarters of falling sales and growing pressure from unions over working conditionsStarbucks will lay off around 900 staff and pull down the shutters on some 100 cafes across North America as part of a $1bn restructuring plan to revive the world's largest coffee chain.The business, which eliminated 1,100 corporate positions earlier this year, will also close many" open or vacant positions as it notifies affected employees affected by cuts on Friday. Continue reading...

Ana Reyes says firings likely violated federal law but do not justify reinstatement before lawsuit endsA federal judge refused on Wednesday evening to reinstate eight former inspectors general who filed a lawsuit after the Trump administration fired them with no warning and little explanation.US district judge Ana Reyes said that while Donald Trump likely violated the federal law governing the process for removing the non-partisan watchdogs from office, the president's firings didn't cause enough irreparable harm to justify reinstating the watchdogs before the lawsuit is resolved. Continue reading...

The budget measure will hurt poor people and boost rich people. It should really be called the Billionaires' Tax Cut ActJust a few months ago, Donald Trump sought to bamboozle the American people into believing that his One Big Beautiful Bill Act - with its trillions in tax cuts for the rich - was a legislative wonder stuffed with one marvel after another. But a Pew opinion poll in August found that millions of Americans have wised up about the measure and now view it as a big, unbeautiful monstrosity.Many Americans have come to realize that Trump's not-so-beautiful bill - instead of being filled with good things that benefit average Americans - is overflowing with big tax cuts for the wealthy as well as many unfortunate things that will hurt typical working families. As we saw in the town halls held across the US, many Americans are furious about some painful things that Trump and congressional Republicans inserted into the bill: cuts that will make health insurance more expensive, cuts that reduce food assistance, cuts that make it harder for students from working families to afford college. All this is bad news for working families who struggle to make ends meet.Steven Greenhouse is a journalist and author, focusing on labour and the workplace, as well as economic and legal issues Continue reading...

The Kansas City quarterback's greatness is not in doubt. But without a strong strong supporting case he is struggling to entertain ... and winPatrick Mahomes has never been here before. Lose to the Ravens on Sunday, and they'll sink to 1-3, falling further behind the Chargers in the AFC West, a division Kansas City have owned for nearly a decade.After three weeks of the season, it's clear: these are not the Chiefs of old. And Mahomes, while still dazzling in moments, is not the irrepressible force he was three years ago. Continue reading...

Exclusive: letter, led by Ro Khanna, has 46 signatories and calls for long overdue need to recognize Palestinian self-determination'Dozens of House Democrats have signed a letter to Donald Trump and secretary of state Marco Rubio, urging the administration to recognize Palestinian statehood.The letter, led by California Democrat Ro Khanna, has 46 signatures, and lawmakers will send it to the US president on Friday, according to plans first provided to the Guardian. Continue reading...

Ayman Soliman recalls isolation, abuse and fear of deportation and the community that fought for his releaseOn a recent rain-drenched fall afternoon, the mood at the Clifton Mosque in Cincinnati was one of elation and relief.Last Friday, Ayman Soliman, an Egyptian imam and hospital chaplain who had been detained at a county jail for more than 10 weeks, was released and is expected to have his visa status fully returned. Continue reading...

In the aftermath of Kirk's death, the far-right and Trump administration have turned up attacks on transgender peopleOn the day anti-LGBTQ+ activist Charlie Kirk was shot, fear rippled through the left that the far right would seize the moment to consolidate power. Nowhere was that fear more acute than in the transgender community.Within hours, Republicans were already blaming trans people; one commentator even claimed the bullets carried transgender symbols", a claim investigators quickly debunked. But the deeper fear wasn't misinformation - it was the crackdown that would follow. With fragile rights hanging by the thread of court rulings and blue-state protections, trans people braced for the worst. And they were right: The right has seized on the shooting as its own Reichstag fire, accelerating a campaign to target transgender existence - now with the full weight of the Trump administration behind it.Erin Reed is a transgender journalist based in Washington DC. She tracks LGBTQ+ legislation around the United States for her subscription newsletter, Erin in the Morning Continue reading...

Public health leaders worry proposed 53% CDC slash would weaken disease prevention and pose a national security riskDonald Trump's budget would cut funding for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by 53%, eliminating 61 programs and laying off another 16% of health agency staff, according to a new report - moves that would drastically reduce disease prevention and fuel more chronic illness, public health leaders say.We cannot lose this," said Joseph Kanter, CEO of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). This is crucial to the health of every person in every community across this country, whether they realize it or not." Continue reading...

The Latinos in Heritage Conservation group warns various sites are in danger of being lost forever due to lack of fundsNumerous historic landmarks across the US recognizing Latino history and culture are in danger of being lost forever, according to a preservation group that has published a list of what it finds to be the most vulnerable to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month.Many of the 13 sites named in the first Latinos in Heritage Conservation study have become rundown or fallen into disrepair through a lack of funds to maintain them, according to the group, which said they were largely left outside of the mainstream narratives of preservation". Continue reading...

The New York City mayoral candidate's petition blends progressive politics to an audience that's been near-monopolized by the rightIf Zohran Mamdani had not intended it as a campaigning opportunity, he probably wouldn't have worn a full suit - the universal candidate's uniform. But there he was, the 33-year-old Democratic nominee for November's New York City mayoral election; the upstart democratic socialist who has stormed on to the national stage with a wildfire campaign on an unabashedly progressive platform of affordability in one of the world's most expensive cities. Last Sunday, he mingled in an Arsenal bar in Brooklyn, flanked by fellow Gooner Spike Lee, peering at the big screen with a solemnity befitting the showdown with Manchester City.Mamdani is the overwhelming favorite in the race to run the United States' largest city, sitting 15 points clear of his nearest rival, Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani is potentially New York's first Muslim mayor. And also its first soccer mayor. Continue reading...

Governments have failed the people of Gaza. Now, ordinary people are taking humanitarian matters into their own hands - and putting their lives on the lineRight now - as presidential planes touch down in New York City for the UN general assembly - a fleet of civilian vessels is sailing to Gaza: the largest convoy in history to traverse the Mediterranean Sea with a mission to establish a humanitarian corridor to reach the starving people of Palestine.I am a member of that mission. Since the first batch of boats departed from Barcelona, I have been assigned to Family, the lead vessel of the fleet: a humble motor-cruiser carrying doctors and lawyers, journalists and parliamentarians, students and sea rescue workers from 10 countries across the world. Continue reading...

Latest snub is part of US president's attempts to delegitimise his predecessor with unproven claimsPresident Donald Trump has added a Presidential Walk of Fame" to the exterior of the White House, featuring portraits of each of the previous commanders-in-chief - except for one.Instead of a headshot of Joe Biden, the Republican incumbent instead placed a photo of an autopen signing the Democrat's name - a reference to Trump's frequent allegation that the former president was addled by the end of his term in office and not really the one making decisions. Continue reading...

Club-tangling rough, narrow fairways and a tough workout lie in wait for USA and Europe in the 45th Ryder CupHow much of this hole players will actually see or remember is open to question. Ryder Cup nerves tend to trigger blurry sensations on the 1st tee. That area has been shortened slightly through necessity; namely the installation of a huge grandstand. There is a dog leg to the right from an elevated tee. Any drive leaking right will have an approach blocked out by trees. Those who cut the corner with drivers will have only a flick for their approach, towards a green that is well protected by bunkers. The putting surface is Bethpage Black's smallest, with a steep slope punishing any shot left short. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer has spent the best part of a year cosying up to the US president. It will be no surprise when he gets bittenFor all the ink shed on the subject of Donald Trump, hardly a word is said about his love of poetry. Yet there is at least one piece of verse he adores and regularly performs to cheering crowds. Last month, the White House even turned it into a short film. Called The Snake (and originally written as a song by Oscar Brown Jr), it is as close as this president gets to a credo.The poem begins with a half-frozen snake, all frosted with the dew" and begging to be taken into the warmth. His plea is heeded by a tender-hearted woman":Aditya Chakrabortty is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

This liveblog is now closed. You can find more of our politics coverage hereThe Kremlin on Wednesday brushed off a comment by US president Donald Trump describing Russia as a paper tiger", and said president Vladimir Putin valued his efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was a bear, not a tiger, and there is no such thing as a paper bear". Continue reading...

Obama said Donald Trump's claims linking paracetamol to autism in infants is violence against the truth'. Key US politics stories from 24 September 2025Barack Obama has said the US is in the middle of a tug of war" between two visions of the future, criticising progressives for becoming smug" and complacent" while populists pushed a conservative vision.The former US president said on one side was the progressive view in which change comes through democracy, while the other, driven by populists including Trump, see a return to an older, more conservative worldview. Continue reading...

Trump claims teleprompter and audio issues, and a stopped escalator that UN says may be due to US delegation stafferDonald Trump alleged triple sabotage" at the United Nations, after the US president was plagued by a series of unfortunate events surrounding his address to the global body.A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday," Trump wrote Wednesday in a 357-word social media chronicle of Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!" Continue reading...

Europe's captain was roundly booed but took his chance to subtly highlight the issue of payment for the US team, tooTurns out that European is only the second-worst thing you can be at Bethpage this week. Luke Donald and his team may have been booed at the opening ceremony on Wednesday, but the reception they got from the tens of thousands of liquored-up golf fans who had hung around to watch was a warm welcome compared to the one they gave New York state's governor, the Democrat Kathy Hochul, who was jeered so loudly that her short speech was just about drowned out. Donald should maybe think about bringing her in as a lastminute vice-captain, just to draw the fire away from his team.Relax everybody, she's not Roger Goodell," said the master of ceremonies, Carson Daly, referencing the unpopular NFL commissioner. It didn't help. What should everyone coming here for the first time know about New York?" he asked Hochul. (She has no idea! She lives in Albany!" bellowed a man standing nearby, Get her outta here!" roared another.) Hochul, a rictus grin fixed on her face, said something about how we have the most friendly people you will ever meet" and was immediately shouted down by the locals. That went well," Daly said, deadpan, after Hochul beat a retreat from the stage. Continue reading...

Former president says successor's claims about drug branded Tylenol in US undermines public health that can do harm to women'Barack Obama has said Donald Trump's claims linking paracetamol to autism in infants is violence against the truth" that could harm pregnant women if they were too scared to take pain relief.Obama, who was being interviewed by David Olusoga at the O2 Arena, told the audience that Trump's claims about paracetamol - branded as Tylenol in the US - had been continuously disproved" and posed a danger to public health. Continue reading...

Edwin Cardona was waiting for an appointment with his wife and son outside the Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement building when a shooter opened fire at the facility on Wednesday. Four people were reportedly shot, one fatally, in an attack which the FBI said was being investigated as an act of targeted violence'. The Department of Homeland Security said one detainee was killed and two others were in critical condition

One detainee was killed and two were critically wounded in shooting the White House says is politically motivated'

Democrats say Trump allies are using incident for political points' against the left despite the victims being detaineesA deadly shooting at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) field office in Dallas has been met with markedly different reactions from the political right and left.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed shortly after the news broke that detainees were the victims of the sniper attack on the facility and that no federal agents had been injured. The president and his allies, however, were quick to frame the shooting as an attack on Ice and place blame on the radical left". Continue reading...