US news | The Guardian

Though denied, the mere fact a foreign billionaire could chuck so much money at one party might just spur rule changesElon Musk has denied he is gearing up to chuck $100m at Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, as it pushes to take on the Tories. But the very fact the question arose is a reminder of the pressing need for political funding reform on this side of the Atlantic.Musk is the living embodiment of economic power in the modern US: a multibillionaire, with spicy political views, who has bought his way into a role as Donald Trump's costcutter-in-chief. Continue reading...

While so many Americans struggle to get by, the US is spending record-breaking amounts of money on the militaryToday in America, 60% of our people live paycheck to paycheck, 85 million people are uninsured or underinsured and 21.5 million households are paying more than 50% of their income on housing. We have one of the highest rates of childhood poverty of almost any developed country on Earth, and 25% of older adults are trying to survive on $15,000 a year or less. In other words, the United States has fallen far behind other major countries in protecting the most vulnerable, and our government has failed millions of working families.But while so many Americans are struggling to get by, the United States is spending record-breaking amounts of money on the military. In the coming days, with relatively little debate, Congress will overwhelmingly pass the National Defense Authorization Act, approving close to $900bn for the Department of Defense (DoD). When spending on nuclear weapons and emergency" defense spending is included, the total will approach $1tn. We now spend more than the next nine countries combined. Continue reading...

The Democrats had lost their connection with core voters - it could happen in the UK unless the government gives a clear message that there will be changeGiven how events unfolded, it was never going to be easy for Kamala Harris. Many Democrats are convinced her campaign saved the party from an even worse result. To be fair, it achieved some real highs: she won the debate. But she never won the argument, at least not with the voters who mattered most.The US election triggered a scary deja vu moment for those of us who had watched the 2019 general election from behind our sofas, hands over eyes. The Democrats lost votes with almost everyone, almost everywhere, but, like Labour in the red wall", most dramatically with traditional heartland voters: working class, low paid, non-graduates. And, like Labour back in 2019, that lost connection with core voters had not happened overnight. Continue reading...

Sir Keir Starmer is confronted with several stark strategic dilemmas and they won't be resolved by wishful thinkingI don't know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they frighten me." I thought of the Duke of Wellington's remark about his soldiers when Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the chief of the defence staff, gave a speech last week in which he shivered the blood by describing the security outlook as more contested, more ambiguous and more dangerous" than at any time in his career. This came a couple of days after a spine-chiller from Richard Horne, the head of the National Cyber Security Centre, who warned that there is a clearly widening gap" between the UK's vulnerability to escalating cyber warfare by adversaries and the defences that are in place to protect us". Another call to put up our guard has been issued by Sir Richard Moore, the head of MI6, who raised the alarm about a staggeringly reckless campaign of Russian sabotage in Europe". In 37 years in intelligence, he has never seen the world in a more dangerous state". If you are not scared yet, have a listen to Ken McCallum, the director general of MI5, saying that his agency has had to pare back" its work on counter-terrorism to meet the growing threat from Russia, Iran and other hostile states.The cynically minded in government note that these quasi-apocalyptic alerts are being issued in the midst of a strategic defence review, which is due to report early next year, and a comprehensive spending review, which is scheduled to conclude in June. Those responsible for our security are in competition for additional resources against all the demands for more spending from the civilian side of the street. Continue reading...

With illiberal regimes advancing across the globe, youthful voters are standing up to make their voices heardIt has been a testing week for democracy across Europe and Asia. But the good news is that, by and large, countries that trust the people to decide who governs them are weathering the storm. This outcome is by no means final or certain, nor can it be in an era when authoritarian, dictatorial and illiberal regimes are advancing. It is now commonplace, indeed normal, for democratic electoral processes to be subverted, disrupted and disputed from within and by external forces using clandestine, hybrid methods. The latest upheavals also come amid signs of regression in the US, the country most closely identified with democratic rights and freedoms.A video of a young South Korean woman seizing the barrel of a soldier's rifle during scuffles outside the national assembly in Seoul last week provided one of those symbolic moments when the unending battle between right and might is captured for the world to see. The footage of Ahn Gwi-ryeong, a former TV anchor who is spokesperson for South Korea's opposition Democratic party, was watched by millions. Are you not ashamed?" she asked the soldier. Thousands of other people, many young or younger than she is, showed similar courage. They formed protective human chains around the parliament building as lawmakers gathered to vote down President Yoon Suk Yeol's unjustified and outrageous declaration of martial law. Continue reading...

Two former senior advisers to Labour analyse the clear messages from US voters' preference for Trump Don't dodge your responsibilities,' Starmer warns English councils that block new homesGiven how events unfolded, it was never going to be easy for Kamala Harris. Many Democrats are convinced her campaign saved the party from an even worse result. To be fair, it achieved some real highs: she won the debate. But she never won the argument, at least not with the voters who mattered most.The US election triggered a scary deja vu moment for those of us who had watched the 2019 UK general election from behind our sofas, hands over our eyes. The Democrats lost votes with almost everyone, almost everywhere, but, like Labour in the red wall", most dramatically with traditional heartland voters: working-class, low-paid, non-graduates. And, like Labour back in 2019, that lost connection with core voters had not happened overnight. Continue reading...

The FDA is taking steps to ban red 3, which is derived from oil, amid concerns about its health effectsA red food dye that is ubiquitous in American drinks, snacks, candies and cereals may finally be banned by the federal government after years of concern that it has adverse health impacts, particularly upon children.The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that it could soon act to crack down upon the additive known as red 3, derived from petroleum and used to provide a cherry-red coloring to an array of foods. Continue reading...

Svetlana Dali, 57, told investigators she had tried to travel for free at several US airports by sneaking into secure areasA woman who evaded security to be a stowaway on a New York-to-Paris flight in November claims she had previously tried to sneak into secure areas of other US airports in a bid to travel without a ticket, a prosecutor said on on Friday.Svetlana Dali, 57, told investigators that she had tried to travel for free at several domestic airports, assistant US attorney Brooke Theodora said at a bail hearing in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, as she described concerns by the government that Dali might flee while awaiting trial on a stowaway charge. Continue reading...

The world must prepare for a US president who will be even more chaotic and less open to diplomacy and compromise than beforeSucking up to Donald Trump is the order of the day as the European allies calculate what his imminent return to the White House means for them. The consensus seems to be that massaging his ego with shameless flattery is the best way to avoid a repeat of past bust-ups and name-calling. But another school of thought warns: Trump will be far worse this time. Know your enemy. Prepare to fight back.The US president-elect's appearance in Paris this weekend, at the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral, is akin to throwing down a gauntlet. A nightmare Europeans believed was over has come back to haunt them. It's real. He's here again, demanding attention and obeisance. The fawning responses of politicians who previously reviled him speak volumes about Europe's weakness and divisions. Continue reading...

Minnesota executive was gunned down in Manhattan on Wednesday, and police are still searching for the suspectThe FBI has said it is offering $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman who fatally shot the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare in New York City, as efforts to identify and locate a suspect continue.The FBI's reward, which is in addition to a $10,000 reward offered by police, come as investigators try to piece together the movements of the man suspected of what they called the targeted" attack that killed Brian Thompson in Manhattan early on Wednesday morning. Continue reading...

Far-right influencer allegedly attacked woman outside his house after he tweeted misogynistic statementThe notorious white supremacist Nick Fuentes is facing battery charges in Illinois after authorities say he pepper-sprayed a woman who had knocked on his front door after he enraged many on the internet by tweeting the misogynistic slogan your body, my choice" following Donald Trump's victory in the recent presidential election.Fuentes, 26, was arrested on 27 November on a count of misdemeanor battery and released the same day, according to documents filed on Wednesday in the Cook county circuit court that were reported on by the Chicago Sun-Times. He is tentatively scheduled to appear in court on 19 December. Continue reading...

Automakers face uncertainty as top-selling vehicles, such as the Ford F-150 truck, are sourced from around the globeFew vehicles are as emblematic of the American auto industry's might as the Ford F-150 pickup truck, the nation's best-selling vehicle for over 40 years. But the F-150 is much less American than its image suggests. A fact that could present unique challenges for the company as Donald Trump moves to make America great again".Only about 32% of its components are made in the US or Canada, federal data shows, and that could spell trouble if Trump's proposed tariffs on imported goods are implemented. Even less of the F-150 Lightning electric truck is made in the US - about 24%, a Cars.com analysis of federal data showed. Continue reading...

Experts claim cramped cabin conditions create perfect storm' of stressors that lead to mid-flight meltdownsWas it the too-big carry-on bag? Or perhaps a rise in passenger intoxication? Or the gate lice"? US airlines are attempting a crackdown on passengers' bad behaviour without anyone being exactly sure what led to the increase in problematic travellers.Last week saw Svetlana Dali, a US resident travelling on a Russian passport, appearing in court in Manhattan after stowing away on a Delta Air Lines flight to Paris. Continue reading...

UnitedHealthcare is egregious among US insurers for charging enormous premiums, then denying careIf you spotted the person who shot Brian Thompson, would you a) turn them in to the police or b) continue to go merrily about your day? Continue reading...

Scheffler, Woods, Cantlay and co talk of being happy to play for free while not objecting to payments. The optics are badWhat the United States Ryder Cup players will not say has very quickly become far more interesting than what they will. Uncomfortable shuffling has become this year's norm at the Hero World Challenge, an event regarded as a stress-free opportunity to wind down at the conclusion of a hectic season. Last place in the Bahamas collects $150,000 (117,000). Money, money, money, must be funny, in a rich man's world.It emerged last month that discussions are under way regarding payments of roughly $400,000 each to the dozen players who will represent the US against Europe at Bethpage in September. Validation can only arrive when the PGA of America appoints a new chief executive; it seems improbable at best that Seth Waugh's successor will start his tenure by irritating golfers who became dangerously empoweredlong ago. Continue reading...

Patel has praised QAnon and suggested shutting down the bureau's headquarters - and even the president-elect has called him kind of crazy'. Now new questions are emerging over his non-profit foundationA lot of people say he's crazy," Donald Trump is reported to have once said of Kash Patel. I think he's kind of crazy. But sometimes you need a little crazy."If Trump gets his way, crazy will now be coming to the FBI, the 116-year-old national security and law enforcement agency charged with protecting the US from terrorism, cybercrime and other threats. Continue reading...

Renowned for what he can do on a pair of skis, Petersen aims to bring more vulnerability to professional skiing, by starting with his biggest strugglesFrom the outside, Drew Petersen is living the dream. As a professional skier, he is paid to travel the world, ski powder, and make turns in front of a camera. It's the life kids dream of, but it isn't the full truth.Petersen, 30, has fought a lifelong battle with mental health, nearly ending his life multiple times before seeking help. He was diagnosed with type-two bipolar disorder, PTSD, depression, suicidal thinking, and post concussion syndrome. With the support of a therapist, EMDR treatments, and brain rehab, Petersen forged a new path and started talking about his struggles.In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. 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...

The world's oldest Sunday paper must have resources, a modern strategy and a new focus to thrive. This agreement guarantees all threeThe strategic direction of the Observer was set several years ago - to enhance its position as the leading liberal voice in the UK Sunday print market. This goal has been achieved, but in such a challenging media environment it cannot stand still. The Observer must develop a sustainable digital position with a younger audience to ensure it can continue to be successful in the years ahead.After extensive internal and external consultation, the Scott Trust has decided this would be best achieved outside the Guardian Media Group, and we have in principle approved the sale of the Observer to Tortoise Media.Ole Jacob Sunde is chair of the Scott TrustDo 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...

Aitana Bonmati finishes top of our rankings for a second consecutive year, with Caroline Graham Hansen second and Sophia Smith third

AfD parliamentary candidate and influencers posed for photos with now president-elect at his Florida homeAs Donald Trump gathered his supporters, family and friends at Mar-a-Lago on US election day last month to wait for the results to trickle in, a small group of far-right Germans went largely unnoticed.Among them was the purported semi-professional, one-time porn actor, self-confessed former cocaine user, convicted thief and hard-right candidate for the German parliament Phillipp-Anders Rau. Together with a compact delegation of young political activists and influencers, Rau posed for the cameras with the American president-elect at his invitation, chanting Fight! Fight! Fight!" in English and German. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. Read our latest story hereA small number of Democrats have signaled a willingness to work with the Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) on whatever it ends up doing.DOGE's function remains a bit of a mystery, owing to the fact that Donald Trump is not president yet and the department does not seem to be a real department, but rather more of an advisory body.Does this senior, anonymous Republican aide trashing @DOGE & @VivekGRamaswamy & @elonmusk happen to be someone who is pushing for a larger bloated defense budget and concerned the 5 primes may lose contracts? Asking not for a lobbyist, but the American people.The *quality* of defense spending matters far more than the quantity. Good for @RoKhanna asking some tough questions. Continue reading...

Killing of Jazmir Tucker sparks outrage over quick use of assault rifle and delay in rendering aid to wounded boyPolice in Akron, Ohio, have released body-camera footage of the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy, in an incident the city's mayor called deeply troubling".Video of the Thanksgiving night killing of Jazmir Tucker does not clearly show what led up to the shooting, but suggests that an officer quickly fired at the teenager upon encountering him, and that a group of officers waited seven minutes to approach the boy after he had been shot. The family's attorneys have said officers did not start rendering aid for 10 minutes. Continue reading...

Brazen shooting in Manhattan turns up evidence including video and bullets but, two days on, suspect remains at largeAfter the United Healthcare chief executive Brian Thompson was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel on Wednesday morning in a brazen targeted attack", clue after clue swiftly emerged.Surveillance video seems to show the shooter leaving a nearby subway station at 6.15am and buying two energy bars, as well as a bottle of water, at a nearby Starbucks, CNN reported. Continue reading...

Police had been searching for four days for Elizabeth Pollard, who fell into a sinkhole above a shuttered coal mineThe remains of a Pennsylvania woman who fell into a sinkhole were recovered Friday, four days after she went missing while searching for her cat, a state police spokesperson said.Trooper Steve Limani said the body of 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard was sent to the coroner's office of Westmoreland county near Pittsburgh for an autopsy after rescuers used machinery to bring her to the surface. Continue reading...

In comments shared with the Guardian, Andrew Witty said permanent' changes would make campuses less welcoming'The CEO of UnitedHealth Group, Andrew Witty, told employees he would increase security, including perimeter protection", at the company's sites following the killing of one of their colleagues, CEO of the company's health insurance branch Brian Thompson.In comments shared with the Guardian, Witty said the company would make permanent" changes that would make campuses less welcoming", but they were necessary in the country's current climate". Continue reading...

Shaurn Thomas, whose 1990 murder conviction was thrown out, pleads guilty to killing man over drug debt in 2023After spending 24 years in prison on an overturned murder conviction, Shaurn Thomas received a $4.1m payout from the city of Philadelphia - and became a standard-bearer for the Pennsylvania Innocence Project.Now, seven years after his release, Thomas has admitted to killing a different man in early 2023 over a comparatively paltry $1,200 drug debt. And as a result, Thomas will probably go back to a cell for the rest of his life. Continue reading...

I did the best I could,' Democratic vice-presidential nominee says in first post-race television interviewIn his first television interview since their defeat in the 5 November presidential election, Tim Walz said he was a little surprised" that he and his fellow Democrat Kamala Harris lost the race to the Republican ticket headed by Donald Trump.It felt like at the rallies, at the things I was going to, the shops I was going in, that the momentum was going our way," the Minnesota governor told KSTP, one of his state's news outlets, in an interview published on Thursday. So, yeah, I was a little surprised. Continue reading...

On 4 December, Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in New York near the midtown Manhattan branch of the Hilton hotel. The search for his killer has entered its third day, with police revealing clues about the suspect's identity. However, many details surrounding the shocking shooting remain unclear. Here is a timeline compiled by The Guardian covering the incident and the suspect's escape route

Debra Tice and other relatives spoke at White House Friday after meeting with national security officialsThe mother of Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for more than a decade, said on Friday that she was confident her son was alive, citing information she said had come from a significant source" that she did not identify but that had been vetted by the US government and treated as credible.He is being cared for and he is well - we do know that," Debra Tice said. Continue reading...

New York congresswoman to take on Gerry Connolly for oversight committee role amid wider tensions within partyAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez formally launched her bid to become the lead Democrat on the House oversight committee, setting up a race against the veteran representative Gerry Connolly for a crucial minority leadership position.The 35-year-old New York congresswoman's announcement comes as Democrats are reshaping their committee leadership, with the oversight committee set to play a critical role in challenging potential actions during the next second Trump administration. Continue reading...

Planned Parenthood affiliates ask for strike down of near-total abortion ban and other limiting statutes in lawsuitAn amendment to Missouri's constitution protecting the right to abortion took effect late on Thursday, two years after the state banned the procedure - but abortions have not yet resumed in the state.The day after Missouri voters supported the measure to amend the constitution, Planned Parenthood affiliates in the state filed a lawsuit asking the court to strike down the state's near-total abortion ban as well as a raft of other restrictions that, Planned Parenthood said, make it impossible to perform the procedure. In a hearing on Wednesday, the groups asked the Jackson county circuit judge Jerri Zhang to quickly issue an order to freeze the restrictions and allow abortions in the state to resume on Friday. Continue reading...

The president needs to find a new PM to stabilise France's standing on the world stage, even if that means turning to the SocialistsHaving failed to solve France's political crisis with a prime minister dependent on the far right, President Emmanuel Macron is exploring a deal with the Socialist party (PS) to give the country a new government, pass an overdue budget and avert financial turmoil. But his room for manoeuvre is severely limited and a non-aggression pact with the centre left may be only a temporary fix.It has been a humiliating week for the centrist president, seen as a great hope for European leadership when he was first elected in 2017. Macron's first choice of prime minister, after his impulsive dissolution of the National Assembly in June led to a hung parliament, was Michel Barnier, the EU's master Brexit negotiator. But the silver-haired Alpine rambler failed to weave his consensus-building magic on stubborn French politicians who didn't want to share responsibility for public spending cuts - and are already jostling for the race to succeed Macron. Continue reading...

With a dictatorship under pressure, a nation's chaos could reshape regional alliances and risk broader instability across the Middle EastIs the Syrian war - the 21st century's most protracted and second-deadliest conflict - finally nearing its end? One would not bet on it. While a coalition of rebels is closing in from the north toward the capital, Damascus, and has seized key southern border crossings, the fall of the House of Assad remains more prophecy than reality. Yet the odds of President Bashar al-Assad's departure are shortening. The military forces that once saved his regime - Russian airpower and Hezbollah's militant fighters - are now preoccupied in Ukraine and Lebanon. Mr Assad looks increasingly vulnerable.Since the Arab spring reached Syria in March 2011, Mr Assad's regime has repeatedly defied predictions of collapse. Ruling through fear and intimidation, he has been credibly accused of using chemical weapons, lethal force and brutal torture against his own people. Syria would be better off without him. His fortunes seemed to shift last year when he was welcomed back into the Arab fold after a decade of isolation. Yet this return reflected the self-interest of Arab monarchs and autocrats rather than genuine reconciliation. They saw Mr Assad as a safer bet than the chaos his fall might unleash. Continue reading...

Audience also taunted Canada in chant of 51', suggesting northern neighbour should be 51st US stateDonald Trump belittled the leaders of the United States' closest neighbours, Canada and Mexico, at a Fox awards ceremony intended to celebrate his role as America's greatest patriot".Two weeks after threatening the two countries with 25% tariffs on their imports for supposedly failing to prevent drugs and migrants from crossing the border, the president-elect took evident pleasure in an audience chant that taunted Canada as the 51st US state. Continue reading...

Police release information about UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing on Manhattan street but suspect remains at largeThe search for the suspected assassin in the brazen Manhattan killing of the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, has entered a third day as police revealed clues to the killer's identity but many facts about the shocking shooting still remain unknown.Thompson was fatally shot at about 6.40am ET on Wednesday in front of a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan, just before he was scheduled to speak at the company's annual investor conference. Continue reading...

Fire closes section of expressway, light rail line, and roads and schools as more than 100 firefighters tackle blazeFirefighters were battling a huge wind-driven fire at a Baltimore wood recycling yard that for a time closed a section of the expressway into the city's downtown, the neighboring light rail line, and nearby roads and schools.Crews were called to the Camp Small yard, where large trees and logs were stacked about 30ft (about 9 meters) high, after 5pm on Thursday, the Baltimore city fire chief, James Wallace, said at a briefing. Continue reading...

Critics fear absolute disaster' and say Pete Hegseth's far-right views will hinder attempts to tackle serious problemPete Hegseth, Donald Trump's embattled choice for secretary of defense, will struggle to handle the serious problem of extremism in the US military due to his own far-right political views, experts in the subject have warned.I think it's going to be an absolute disaster," said Kristofer Goldsmith, an Iraq war veteran and the CEO of nonprofit watchdog Task Force Butler. Pete Hegseth is a domestic extremist." Continue reading...

President's staff look into possibility of protecting public officials named by Trump in vows to seek retributionJoe Biden's staff are considering the possibility of him granting mass pardons to a broad range of public officials to protect them against the possibility of retribution and revenge from Donald Trump when he assumes power, it has been confirmed.The pardons could be extended to people who believe they have committed no crimes but have been publicly named by Trump in multiple diatribes claiming that investigations against him have been driven by a political witch-hunt. Continue reading...

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as American private sector adds 227,000 jobs in NovemberThe sale of the Observer, the world's oldest Sunday newspaper, to Tortoise Media has been agreed in principle.The announcement by the Scott Trust, the ultimate owner of the Guardian and Observer, came as it also revealed that it would invest in Tortoise to become a key shareholder and take a seat on both the editorial and commercial boards of the media company. Continue reading...

Mike Johnson praised the two innovators', but their efficiency agency faces political and practical hurdlesElon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, two technology billionaires with an anti-government axe to grind, aim to cut $500bn from the federal budget. They took to Capitol Hill on Thursday to explain their intentions to Republican lawmakers. But how, exactly, is the Department of Government Efficiency" supposed to work?For starters, it is not actually a department of anything in the government. Continue reading...

It's in a world of hurt

Wisdom the Laysan albatross has laid what experts estimate may be her 60th egg, and her first in four yearsThe oldest-known wild bird in the world has laid an egg at the ripe age of about 74, her first in four years, US wildlife officials said.The long-winged seabird named Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, returned to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge at the north-western edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago and laid what experts estimate may be her 60th egg, the Pacific Region of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said in a Facebook post this week. Continue reading...

More than half of states treat drug possession as a felony, even as 75% of Americans say it's a health problem, poll saysNew polling data from the Legal Action Center shows that more Americans than ever think substance use should be treated as a health issue, rather than a criminal justice issue.But many state and federal laws continue to criminalize substance use - more than half of states still treat drug possession as a felony. Continue reading...