The league is exploring plans to set up a competition in Europe. But, from playing style to fan culture, it would be a clash of visionsWhile the multibillion dollar behemoth that is the NBA means North America is basketball's powerhouse, the sport thrives in Europe where raucous crowds give the professional game across the Atlantic a compelling charisma while producing superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doni and Nikola Joki.The character of professional basketball could be about to change though. Continue reading...
Right now, the monarch's political leanings appear in sympathy with the mood of Britain. But what if the public moves further to the right?It requires an effort to keep reminding yourself of the sheer historical oddity of monarchy's healthy survival into the modern democratic age. Yet so rooted is the monarchy in the mental furniture of Britain that most people in our politics barely think about it. This week, however, the modern British monarchy has stood up and demanded to be counted, doing something new and perhaps genuinely consequential.Judged by any yardstick, Charles III's visit to Canada was an audaciously disjunctive event. The idea that a vibrant democracy such as Canada, with a highly sophisticated sense of its own complex identity, might summon an elderly hereditary monarch from across the ocean to provide a focal point for its resistance to Donald Trump's existential threat takes some believing. Yet that was exactly what played out this week, when the king travelled to Ottawa to open the new Canadian parliament. Continue reading...
Tens of thousands of Americans serve in the country's ranks amid genocide, investing in and propagating occupationIn his 1971 novel The Day of the Jackal, Frederick Forsyth renders a rich plot to assassinate Charles de Gaulle, the French president. The conspirators are pied-noirs, the term used to describe Frenchmen born in Algeria during the colonial occupation there. They grieve De Gaulle's exit from north Africa, which they regard as a betrayal. Unable to remain in the former colony, they return home - dejected and emasculated - and murderous. In many ways, the pied-noirs regard themselves as being more French than the French.The novel derives some of its appeal from the fact that it's rooted in history - revanchist Frenchmen made at least six attempts to assassinate De Gaulle in the 1960s. Yigal Amir, the Israeli settler who assassinated Yitzhak Rabin in 1994, reportedly devoured the book, and drew inspiration from it.Ahmed Moor is a writer and fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace Continue reading...
As activists against segregation, we've been told it's about language, or behaviour, or choice. In reality, it's pure discriminationIt may come as a surprise to many, but racial segregation in schools exists today in several countries in the EU. In Slovakia, more than 60% of Roma children attend schools where they are in the majority. Worse still: segregation is being rebranded, not removed.In nearly a quarter of all primary schools, Roma children are separated into Roma schools" or Roma classes" - often in overcrowded buildings, with lower academic expectations, higher drop-out and grade repetition rates, and with little or no clear path to equal participation in life. Furthermore, Roma pupils are often placed in schools and classes for children with mental disabilities.Kamila Guniova is a researcher at Amnesty International Slovakia and Michal Zaleak is a legal consultant for the European Roma Rights Centre and attorney-in-law working in Slovakia Continue reading...
The billionaire CEO of Tesla thanked the president for the opportunity and said the Doge mission will only strengthen'Elon Musk has announced on social media that he is leaving his role in the Trump administration, a departure the White House confirmed was in process on Wednesday evening.As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," the billionaire wrote on X, his social media platform. Continue reading...
Musk's exit was planned for May but comes after he publicly split with Donald Trump over his one big beautiful' tax bill - key US politics stories from Wednesday 28 May at a glanceThe honeymoon between Donald Trump and Elon Musk appears to be over, after the tech billionaire announced his official exit from the White House to get back to business.Musk's term as a special advisor to the president was due to expire this month, but his announcement that he was wrapping up follows a rash of social media posts and interviews, in which Musk criticised Trump's tax spending bill, known as One Big Beautiful Bill Act". Continue reading...
Michael Farbiarz stops short of ordering Khalil released from jail, saying lawyers must first address another chargeThe Trump administration's bid to deport Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist, is likely unconstitutional, a US judge has said.In a lengthy order issued Wednesday, Judge Michael Farbiarz wrote that the government's primary justification for removing Khalil - that his beliefs may pose a threat to US foreign policy - could open the door to vague and arbitrary enforcement. Continue reading...
The Boeing 747-8, a present from the Gulf state, is more than 18ft longer than the current Air Force OneDonald Trump's big, beautiful new plane from the government of Qatar has arrived - but the US president says it's too big to be his personal perk.The problem for the US president is not the smack of impropriety that comes with accepting a luxury 747 jumbo jet from the Gulf state and intended as a replacement Air Force One - Trump has already brushed off any criticism on that front. Continue reading...
Ashley Hinson's praise of president's One Big Beautiful bill and efficiency' agency was criticized by constituentsConstituents booed Republican congresswoman Ashley Hinson at a town hall in her Iowa district Wednesday when she praised Donald Trump's tax-and-spending plan and spoke approvingly of the department of government efficiency's" (Doge) efforts to downsize the federal government.It was the latest instance of a Republican lawmaker being taken to task at a public event over their support for Trump's policies, and came days after Hinson had voted for the the One Big Beautiful bill when it passed the House of Representatives. The wide-ranging bill will extend tax cuts enacted during Trump's first term, create new deductions for tips, overtime and car loan interest and fund mass deportations, while slashing federal social safety net programs. Continue reading...
Larry Hoover, 74, ex-chief of Gangster Disciples in Chicago, had been serving multiple life sentences for over 50 yearsDonald Trump has commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, a former Chicago gang leader, who had been serving multiple life sentences for more than five decades.Hoover, 74, is the co-founder of Gangster Disciples, a gang described in court documents as large and vicious" that sold great quantities of cocaine, heroin, and other drugs in Chicago". Continue reading...
The administration has torn up the rule book as it seeks to implement a hardline agenda to expel people from the USDonald Trump retook the White House vowing to stage the largest deportation operation in American history". As previewed, the administration set about further militarizing the US-Mexico border and targeting people requesting asylum and refugees while conducting raids and deportations in undocumented communities, detaining and deporting immigrants and spreading fear.Critics are outraged, if not surprised. But few expected the new legal chapter that unfolded next: a multipronged crackdown on certain people seen as opponents of the US president's ideological agenda. This extraordinary assault has come in the context of wider attacks on higher education, the courts and the constitution. Continue reading...
The billionaire mogul is signaling far and wide that he's back to business, and even criticizing Trump's tax billElon Musk really wants the public - and investors - to know that he's leaving Washington DC behind.In a series of interviews and social media posts this week, Musk has criticized Donald Trump's marquee tax bill and emphasized his recommitment to leading SpaceX, Tesla and the artificial intelligence company xAI. The world's richest person claimed that he was back to working around the clock at his companies - to the point of sleeping in conference rooms and factory offices once again. Continue reading...
Russian-born scientist Kseniia Petrova was doing research to advance cancer cures, colleagues testifiedA federal judge in Vermont on Wednesday released a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher from immigration custody as she deals with a criminal charge of smuggling frog embryos into the United States.Colleagues and academics also testified on Kseniia Petrova's behalf, saying she is doing valuable research to advance cures for cancer. Continue reading...
Latest pardons build on pattern of granting clemency to people who align with president politicallyDonald Trump pardoned the hosts of a reality TV show convicted of defrauding banks to fund their luxurious lifestyle in the same week that he pardoned a sheriff who accepted bribes from businessman in order to make them into law enforcement officers.The latest pardons build on Trump's pattern of granting clemency to people who align with him politically and who he believes were part of a justice system weaponized against conservatives, particularly Trump supporters. Continue reading...
Minneapolis-to-Madison flight was fowled by two feathered stowaways that were eventually captured and deplanedMayhem erupted just before takeoff on a plane heading from Minneapolis to Madison, Wisconsin, after passengers realized their aircraft wasn't the only thing trying to take flight.A flap ensued as two pigeons were found inside the cabin of the Delta Air Lines domestic flight on Saturday, causing brief scenes of chaos as passengers and crew tried to capture the birds flying around the cabin before the jet could take wing. Continue reading...
A pigeon that managed to board a Delta Air Lines flight caused panic as the plane prepared for takeoff from Minneapolis-Saint Paul airport to Madison, Wisconsin. The footage was filmed by Tom Caw, a passenger on the flight, who said the plane was returned to its gate so the bird could be removed. Caw said in an Instagram post that the footage captured the second pigeon that disrupted the flight Continue reading...
With the court slated to issue a flood of rulings by early July, the justices have an important choice: to bend to Trump or to grow a real backboneWith the most authoritarian and lawless president in history sitting in the White House, the US supreme court is no doubt worried about looking weak in one of two ways. First, the court fears it will look pathetically weak if it becomes the first supreme court in history to have a president defy its rulings in a wholesale way. With that in mind, the court seems to be taking pains to avoid provoking Donald Trump's defiance - it has issued several decisions upholding the president's actions while in other cases, it has given him lots of wiggle room even as it objected to his administration's moves.Then there's the court's second, big worry - that it will look pathetically weak if it doesn't stand up to the most authoritarian president in US history. Many legal experts criticize the court for not standing up more to Trump, even though he has brazenly attacked the court and many lower-court judges, has defied several judicial orders and has, according to numerous judges, repeatedly violated the law - whether by deporting immigrants without due process or by freezing funds approved by Congress. Continue reading...
Couple was found guilty in 2022 of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30m and tax evasionDonald Trump has pardoned a reality TV couple who were sentenced to prison after defrauding banks of at least $30m, the White House announced on Tuesday, the latest in a string of gestures that appear to benefit supporters of the US president.Julie and Todd Chrisley, stars of the USA Network show Chrisley Knows Best and Growing Up Chrisley that showed the family's lavish lifestyle, were convicted in 2022 of taking out more than $30m in fraudulent loans from community banks. After their conviction, a judge sentenced Todd Chrisley to 12 years in prison, while his wife received seven years behind bars. Continue reading...
Federal judge had found Trump administration violated order by sending people from other countries to African nationThe Trump administration asked the US supreme court late on Tuesday to halt an order allowing people to challenge their deportations from the US to South Sudan, an appeal that came hours after the federal judge overseeing the case suggested the Trump administration was manufacturing" chaos and said he hoped that reason can get the better of rhetoric".Judge Brian Murphy found the White House violated a court order with a deportation flight bound for the chaotic African nation carrying people from other countries who the Trump administration said had been convicted of crimes in the US. Murphy said those people must get a real chance to raise any fears that being sent there could put them in danger. Continue reading...
by Annette McGivney in Cortez, Colorado on (#6XK4S)
As the administration slashes jobs and hobbles research, current and former workers say the mood inside US national parks - described as America's best idea' - is bleakThrowing up his hands in disgust and abruptly resigning was not how Mark Nebel envisioned he would end his long career with the National Park Service. He loved his job at the Grand Canyon, where he had worked for 15 years.As manager of the park's geosciences program, Nebel, 68, oversaw efforts to protect its geology and paleontology as well as monitoring water sources, air quality and the effects of climate change. He had planned to stay in his position at least five more years before retiring. There was still much research to do to support the vulnerable ecosystems in one of the world's greatest natural wonders. Continue reading...
Farms rely on seasonal workers and undocumented immigrants, but the Republican's plans to fill the gap would legalize oppression', advocates sayLast spring, Carmelo Mendez was pruning peach trees in Colorado on a temporary visa, missing his children and wife back home, but excited about how his $17.70 hourly wage would improve their lives. This spring, he's back in the Mexican state of Tlaxcala frantically searching Facebook for a job on one of the thousands of farms across the US that primarily employ guest workers like him.Mendez is one of the more than 300,000 foreign agricultural workers who comes to the US every year on an H-2A visa, which allows him to temporarily work plowing fields, pruning trees and harvesting crops in states from Washington to Georgia, Florida to New York, Texas to California. But as federal immigration policies change rapidly, farmers and workers alike are uncertain about their future. Continue reading...
by Ramon Antonio Vargas in New Orleans on (#6XK2G)
Brandon Licciardi pleaded guilty to assisting ex-NFL player Darren Sharper's efforts to drug women so as to rape themA former Louisiana sheriff's deputy who admitted in 2016 that he raped a woman drugged by serial rapist Darren Sharper - the ex-National Football League champion - has been transferred from federal prison to a halfway house as he approaches the completion of his sentence.At the culmination of what was once a nationally prominent criminal case, Brandon Licciardi, 40, pleaded guilty in federal and state courthouses in New Orleans to assisting Sharper's efforts during prior years to surreptitiously drug women's drinks with sedatives or anti-anxiety medication so as to rape them.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...
The US coach is short on big names and time, and will spend this summer hoping for a spark from the domestic leagueSo far, the conversation around the United States' Gold Cup camp roster is primarily about absence. Christian Pulisic isn't there. Neither is Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, or Gio Reyna. Yunus Musah is missing for personal reasons. Josh Sargent is out for football reasons."Mauricio Pochettino doesn't have this name, he doesn't have that name. He also doesn't have much time. That was already the case when he took on the US job with just two years to go before a home World Cup, but the situation seems all the more pressing now, a year away from the international game's signature event and only a couple months removed from some Concacaf Nations League results that were, well, a bit catastrophic. Continue reading...
Mrs Trump is seemingly so disinterested in her role as first lady that along with being mostly absent from the White House, she's got an AI to read her audiobook. How long before she replaces herself with a robot?I imagine students at the US Military Academy at West Point are trained to handle unexpected situations, but I'm not sure anyone could have prepared them for the bonkers speech Donald Trump delivered to graduates on Saturday. I wish I could point you to a government transcript, but the White House recently started removing official transcripts of the president's public remarks, replacing them with curated videos instead. I imagine (just a hypothesis!) that this is to make Trump seem more coherent.One of the highlights" of the disjointed ramble Trump delivered at West Point was his thoughts on trophy wives: I must tell ya. A lot of trophy wives, doesn't work out [sic]," he mused in the middle of an anecdote about a divorced real estate developer (not him). This has raised a few eyebrows; particularly as Michael Wolff's 2018 book about Trump claimed the president used to boast that Melania was his trophy wife." Continue reading...
by Coral Murphy Marcos (now); Lucy Campbell, Léonie on (#6XJ6E)
This liveblog is now closedEarlier this morning, Alan Garber, president of Harvard University, told NPR's Morning Edition that elite institutions need to double down on their commitment to the good of the nation" and be firm in our commitments to what we stand for".Garber said he finds the measures taken by the Trump administration to be perplexing"; while he acknowledges there is work to be done on campus regarding viewpoint diversity, he said he struggles to see a link between funding freezes and fighting antisemitism.I think that we have heard from some people that they do feel that [Harvard lacks viewpoint diversity]. What is perplexing is the measures that they have taken to address these that don't even hit the same people that they believe are causing the problems. Why cut off research funding? Sure, it hurts Harvard, but it hurts the country because after all, the research funding is not a gift. The research funding is given to universities and other research institutions to carry out work - research work - that the federal government designates as high-priority work. It is work that they want done. They are paying to have that work conducted. Shutting off that work does not help the country, even as it punishes Harvard, and it is hard to see the link between that and, say, antisemitism.I would say that the federal government has the authority through the budgeting process to reallocate funds. But the question to ask is what problem is [Trump] trying to solve by doing that? The money that goes to research universities in the form of grants and contracts, which is almost all of the federal support that we get, is used to pay for work that we perform at the behest of the government. So in reallocating to some other use, including trade schools, it means that work just won't be performed. So the right question is, is this the most effective use of federal funding? Do you really want to cut back on research dollars? I'm less concerned about whether it goes to a trade school or if it goes to some other project, like working on highways. The real question is, how much value does the federal government get from its expenditures on research? There is a lot of actual research demonstrating the returns to the American people have been enormous.I would say that we need to be firm in our commitments to what we stand for. And what we stand for - I believe I speak for other universities - is education, pursuit of the truth, helping to educate people for better futures. And hopefully our own students, after they graduate from our institutions, go out and serve the world. In the end, we're about producing and disseminating knowledge and serving our nation and our world. When we fail in that, then we can expect to be attacked. So number one, I think we all need to redouble our commitment to the good of the nation and the world. And I know my fellow leaders fully embrace that. Continue reading...
State's interscholastic federation said it was extending access for more biological females' at track and field meetThe governing board for California high school sports is changing its competition rules at this weekend's state track and field championships to allow more girls to take part amid controversy over the participation of a trans student-athlete.The California Interscholastic Federation said it was extending access for more biological female" athletes to participate in the championship meet. The group announced the change Tuesday after Donald Trump posted on his social media site about the participation of a trans athlete in the competition. Continue reading...
New cable directs US embassies to stop processing visas for new students; federal agencies cancel $1oom in contracts with Harvard. Key US politics stories from Tuesday 27 May at a glanceThe Trump administration has continued its crackdown on American universities by ordering US embassies worldwide to immediately stop scheduling visa interviews for foreign students.The directive comes as the government prepares to implement comprehensive social media screening for all international applicants and after the president's assault on Harvard that followed pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations last year. Continue reading...
Body of Matthew Kelemen found and roommate - who died in car chase last week - identified as suspect, officials sayThe remains of a freelance writer in Las Vegas were found last week inside a container at a downtown business, authorities said.Las Vegas police said in a news release that they discovered the body of Matthew Kelemen, 56, while responding to a report of a foul-smelling odor" coming from the container. Continue reading...
Reservoir lost 27.8m acre-feet of groundwater in 20 years, Nasa study finds, vanishing twice as fast as surface water'The Colorado River basin has lost 27.8m acre-feet of groundwater in the past 20 years, an amount of water nearly equivalent to the full capacity of Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, a new study has found.The research findings, based on Nasa satellite imagery from across the south-west, highlight the scale of the ongoing water crisis in the region, as both groundwater and surface water are being severely depleted. Continue reading...
Antoine Massey and Derrick Groves still at large, while at least 11 people arrested on suspicion of aiding prisonersTwo of the 10 prisoners who escaped from New Orleans's jail on 16 May remained on the run as of Tuesday, after three more of the group were rearrested on Monday, authorities said.One of the men was arrested by local police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, about 80 miles north-west of New Orleans. Two others were arrested in Walker county, Texas, Louisiana state police said on the Twitter/X. Continue reading...
Tuberville, who transitioned from college football coach to politician, aims to succeed Republican governor Kay IveyRepublican US senator Tommy Tuberville has officially entered the race for governor of Alabama, revealing a campaign website on Tuesday to launch his candidacy.If the campaign is successful, Tuberville could become Alabama's governor-elect by the end of 2026. He aims to succeed Republican governor Kay Ivey, who is finishing her second term and is barred from running again due to term limits. Continue reading...
Cam Norrie beat Daniil Mevedev in a thriller and there were also wins for Sonay Kartal, Jack Draper, Novak Djokovic and Coco GauffNorrie, leading 2-1 on serve, has two more break points against Medvedev on Simonne Matheiu, to add to the one he had in the second game. But these come and go too, the second when Medvedev draws Norrie in with a drop shot before pulling off the pass. After a few deuces Medvedev holds, but he's not looking too comfortable.Naomi Osaka has a tendency to be hard on herself and yesterday was no different after her absorbing 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-4 defeat against the 1oth seed, Paula Badosa. The four-times grand slam champion has struggled to rediscover her best form since returning to tennis last January after the birth of her daughter, and said yesterday: I think as time goes on, I feel like I should be doing better. But also I hate disappointing people. So, like, even with Patrick [Mouratoglou], I was thinking this just now, but he goes from working with the greatest player ever [Serena Williams] to, like, what the fuck this is. You know what I mean?" Continue reading...
Man believed to be high on methamphetamine swam in alligator-infested waters before charging at officersA Florida man was shot and killed by sheriff's deputies after he was bitten by an alligator during an early morning dip in a lake, then threatened the officers with garden shears as he attempted to enter their patrol vehicle, the sheriff said.Photos posted to social media by deputies in Polk county showed the aftermath of Monday's fatal, exceptionally chaotic events in Lakeland that ended with Timothy Schulz, 42, dead in what Grady Judd, the sheriff, called a rampage". Continue reading...
US president launches fresh criticism of Russian counterpart and suggests US sanctions could be increasedDonald Trump has warned Vladimir Putin that he is playing with fire", launching a fresh broadside at his Russian counterpart over stalled Ukraine peace efforts.Trump's latest comments came after he called the Kremlin leader CRAZY" over the weekend following a mass Russian air attack on Kyiv, and warned that Moscow risked new sanctions. Continue reading...
The move ends the CDC's booster recommendation for healthy children and pregnant women, bypassing normsThe US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, announced that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would remove Covid-19 booster shots from its recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women.Legal experts said the Trump administration appointee's decision, which Kennedy announced on social media, circumvented the CDC's authority to recommend such changes - and that it is unprecedented for a health secretary to unilaterally make such a decision. Continue reading...
A Guardian investigation found that legal claims against private-equity backed healthcare companies are increasingly being delayed or obstructed in bankruptcy courtGene Davis was in his 50s when he could no longer ignore the pain in his knee. He worked two jobs he loved in Stamford, Connecticut - he and his brothers were all firefighters, and they also ran a real estate business together. It meant a lot of walking up stairs. Finally, in July 2019, Davis got his knee replaced with an implant. At first, he was recovering fine. Then, the pain got worse.An X-ray revealed that bits of the implant had begun to splinter into his leg. He assumed it was bad luck. After a second surgery to get a new version of the same device, manufactured by a Florida-based company called Exactech, things just got worse. Here we go again," he thought, I'm haemorrhaging a lot of blood ... and I'm wondering why." Eventually, Davis, who had always been conscientious about his health and, at 60, still fit into his Marine uniform, had to leave his job at the fire department. Continue reading...
US news | The Guardian