Former US president understood to have discussed AI and other subjects with PM on informal courtesy' visitBarack Obama has held talks with Rishi Sunak as the former US president paid a courtesy visit" to Downing Street during a trip to London.The pair are understood to have discussed a range of subjects during an hour-long meeting, including one of the prime minister's favourite topics, artificial intelligence. Continue reading...
Vladimir Putin's landslide victory in a fake contest marks the latest phase in a transition from authoritarianism to outright autocracyOne of the curiosities of the Soviet Union was the serious weight its leaders attached to holding elections. In a dictatorship, why bother? Academic studies concluded that ensuring a 99% vote share for the only candidate on the ballot was a useful tool for civic mobilisation, and a way of isolating and intimidating anyone who aspired to a real democratic choice.Under the repressive, paranoid leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russians are going back to the future. Mr Putin's 87% landslide in Russia's presidential election - the highest percentage in any post-Soviet poll - confirms that, almost a quarter of a century after he first entered the Kremlin, the resumption of a form of totalitarian control is all but complete. Having changed the constitution to ensure he can continue to rule, a further victory in 2030 would see him surpass Stalin's 31 years of dictatorial power. Continue reading...
Decision on New Mexico election official's 14th amendment appeal comes two weeks after court said ex-president could stay on ballotThe US supreme court declined an appeal on Monday from a former New Mexico county commissioner who was removed from office for his role in the January 6 attack, leaving intact a significant decision that enforced a constitutional ban on insurrectionists holding office.The commissioner, Couy Griffin, is the only US public official thus far who has been removed from office for his role in the January 6 attack. Citing language in the 14th amendment that bars insurrectionists from holding office, a New Mexico judge removed him in 2022 after he was convicted of trespassing on the Capitol grounds. The New Mexico supreme court dismissed an initial appeal in the state. Continue reading...
Additional federal funding for shelter has been caught in broader political battles about illegal migration and government spendingAn Arizona migrant shelter that has housed thousands of asylum seekers plans to halt most operations in two weeks when funding from Washington runs out, a problem for towns along the border where officials fear a surge in homelessness and extra costs.Arizona's Pima county, which borders Mexico, has said that at the end of the month its contracts must stop with Tucson's Casa Alitas shelter and services that transport migrants north from the border cities of Nogales, Douglas and Lukeville. Continue reading...
Two new studies find no significant differences between US government officials suffering from condition and control groupTwo new medical studies have found that US government officials suffering from Havana syndrome symptoms did not show any discernible physical damage or alteration.One of the studies published on Monday by the federally funded National Institutes of Health (NIH) examined brain imaging, while the other looked at blood biomarkers and clinical assessments of hearing, vision, hand-eye coordination, cognitive ability and balance. Continue reading...
An entirely human-made tragedy is under way as the world looks on. Israel must open the crossings for aid and aid workers nowHere in the north of Gaza, there is virtually no food available. People are resorting to eating animal feed or bird seed to stay alive. For some, there is only grass left to eat. Doctors have been warning for months that the Israeli military's five-month long bombardment and siege of Gaza would end in hunger and starvation. Today, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has reported that famine is imminent" and will take hold in the north of Gaza over the coming two months. Half of the population across Gaza now faces catastrophic levels of hunger, nearly twice as many people as reported in November. Children are already dying of malnutrition and dehydration.Meanwhile, the Israeli government continues to throttle aid at the border crossing into Gaza while the international community watches on. The tiny amount of aid that is allowed to enter is either being prevented from getting to people, especially in the north, or is being chaotically distributed, leaving people desperately scrambling for whatever they can get their hands on. This is stripping my community of its dignity while leaving the most vulnerable without any help at all. Hundreds of people have even paid with their lives trying to get food for their families.Mahmoud Shalabi is a senior programme director for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) in Gaza. This article was co-produced with his colleagues in London, based on WhatsApp messages and voice notesDo 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...
Could one extravagant pro-social act lead to me finally doing all the other ones I promised to do?It's great giving blood when you're O negative. I do absolutely nothing to produce this stuff, I don't even drink water very often, and yet I have these constant, positive interactions with the donation people. Every phone call starts with a five-minute introduction about how great I am. Every email has a heartwarming story about someone who needed O negative, and then got it, and now they're alive, because of me. Sometimes they'll randomly send me a badge or a plastic bracelet saying first responder" on it, which makes me sound like a hero who ran, didn't walk, towards an emergency, as opposed to what I am: a person who goes into town once every four months for 20 minutes of no-big-deal and gets given a pint of squash and an orange Club at the end of it. I love it. Last year, they asked me to go in on Boxing Day, and I said no, don't be daft, it's Boxing Day, and I still came away from that feeling like a king.Then, this morning, I got an email with a slightly different ask: blood is great and all, but have you ever heard of a living organ donation? For instance, would you like to give away a kidney? It was a bit of a gear shift, somewhere in the region of: Thank you for your direct debit of five quid a month, would you like to give us your house?" But I gave it due consideration. I know three people with only one kidney: one because she was born with a kidney problem; one gave his to his sister; one, I don't know what happened to hers - it turns out this is the kind of thing you have to wait to be told. Continue reading...
Suspect in killing of nursing student, 22, is undocumented migrant but father says I think it's being used politically'The father of Laken Riley, whom authorities suspect was murdered by an undocumented migrant in February, has objected to how he says his daughter's death is being used politically" ahead of the upcoming presidential and congressional elections.Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was beaten to death on the University of Georgia's campus on 22 February. Republicans have claimed Riley's slaying represents a failure of the Joe Biden White House's border policies and have used the killing to push legislation which would make it easier for law enforcement to detain unauthorized migrants accused of theft.The Associated Press contributed reporting Continue reading...
Polls also finds that nearly half of respondents, 46% did not trust the supreme court to issue a fair and nonpartisan ruling'Seventy per cent of American voters, and 48% of Republicans, reject Donald Trump's claim to be immune from criminal prosecution for acts committed in office, a new poll said.In the poll from Ipsos and Politico Magazine, just 11% backed the former president and presumptive Republican nominee's claim, as expressed in his federal election subversion case that has reached the supreme court. Continue reading...
US president's new executive order is an important step towards protecting sensitive personal dataLast year, Joe Biden's administration infuriated lobbyists representing big tech firms and others that profit from our personal data by denouncing a proposal that would have gutted domestic data privacy, online civil rights and liberties, and competition safeguards. Now, the US president's new executive order on Americans' data security reveals that the lobbyists had good reason to worry.After decades of data brokers and tech platforms exploiting Americans' personal data without any oversight or restrictions, the Biden administration has announced that it will ban the transfer of certain kinds of data to China and other countries of concern. It is a small, but important, step towards protecting Americans' sensitive personal information, in addition to government-related data. Continue reading...
The best NCAA men's champions often had years to play together before their stars headed to the NBA. Now most standouts are anxious to get to the prosThe first NCAA men's basketball tournament was organized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 1939. The championship game - won by Oregon - was attended by 5,000 spectators and the tournament ran a deficit of $2,531.Times change. March Madness is now a billion-dollar dream machine that thrives on images of greatness. Stories of past dynasties and teams for the ages are reverentially told with the promise of more to come. But in reality, men's college basketball dynasties are a thing of the past. And we may not see a truly great men's college basketball team again. Continue reading...
Tennessee plant is currently the only Volkswagen plant globally without union representation, according to the UAWVolkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee filed a petition to join the United Auto Workers (UAW) on Monday after a supermajority of workers at the plant signed union authorization cards.It is the first union election filing for the union since it launched a massive campaign aimed at organizing 150,000 workers at non-unionized auto plants in the US in the wake of securing historic gains in their contracts at the big three US automakers, Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis last year. Continue reading...
Helping children detach from the zeitgeist feels important in our algorithmic age. Branching out is hard when there's always more of what you already love
House speaker tells CNN he's vehemently opposed to member-on-member action in primaries'US House speaker Mike Johnson asked fractious fellow Republicans to cool it" and stop fighting each other in displays of member-on-member action" during primary elections as he seeks to maintain some sort of control over a caucus at the mercy of the far right, controlling the chamber by a mere two votes.I've asked them all to cool it," Johnson told CNN in remarks published Sunday. I am vehemently opposed to member-on-member action in primaries because it's not productive. And it causes division for obvious reasons, and we should not be engaging in that. Continue reading...
In recent weeks, Unites Airlines planes have had a panel missing, rolled onto the grass at an airport and lost a tire after takeoffUnited Airlines is reviewing recent safety incidents in which it has been involved and using the insights to update safety training and procedures for employees, CEO Scott Kirby said on Monday.The Chicago-based airline has experienced several safety emergencies in the past two weeks. Last Friday, an external panel was found to be missing from a United aircraft when it landed in Oregon, prompting an investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration. Continue reading...
Former president's posts on Truth Social about Republican critic stoke fears of persecution of opponents if he wins 2024 electionDonald Trump has renewed calls for Liz Cheney - his most prominent Republican critic - to be jailed for her role in investigating his actions during the January 6 Capitol attack launched by his supporters in 2021, a move that is bound to raise further fears that the former president could persecute his political opponents if given another White House term.In posts on Sunday on his Truth Social platform, Trump said other members of the congressional committee that investigated the Capitol attack - and concluded he had plotted to overturn his 2020 electoral defeat to Joe Biden - should be imprisoned. Continue reading...
Founded almost 40 years ago, the Fotofest biennial has an ambitious programme of exhibitions, portfolio reviews and artist talks. This year's central show, curated by Steven Evans, reveals the effects of social, cultural, ecological and political forces on places and communities Continue reading...
Republican candidate insists at Ohio rally that Biden had beaten Barack Hussein Obama' in elections that never took placeJoe Biden tore into Donald Trump's mental stability at a dinner in Washington DC on Saturday - just as the former president was making verbal gaffes at a campaign rally in Ohio as well as, during remarks on the economy and auto industry, predicting a bloodbath" for the country if he met defeat in November's election.Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, confused the crowd at an appearance in Vandalia by insisting that Biden had beaten Barack Hussein Obama" in elections nationally that never took place. Continue reading...
Authorities say owner in Erie county neither had a proper permit for the animal nor properly secured the 30-year-old animalA blind alligator weighing more than 700lbs and stretching more than 10ft in length was recently seized from a home in upstate New York, potentially setting up a legal battle between the animal's owner and authorities.The state's environmental conservation department on 12 March seized the 30-year-old, 750lb and 11ft-long alligator called Albert Edward from a home in the Erie county community of Hamburg. Continue reading...
The Kremlin will use this victory to justify an intensified war. But even the state news agency reported election rebellionAlthough Vladimir Putin's landslide victory with 87% of the vote in the Russian election was no surprise, these elections were important both for the Kremlin and for those in opposition to Putin.With voter turnout at 74% - the highest in history - anything less than a landslide victory would have suggested that those who did not vote for Putin represented a significant force in Russian politics. This would have been particularly awkward in the case of young upstart Vladislav Davankov, who, with 3.79% of the vote, came a close third place. Davankov has been mistakenly described as an anti-war candidate - he supports peace and negotiations, but on Russia's conditions and without one step backwards" - but his platform also called for freedom of speech and opinion, instead of intolerance and denunciations", and openness and pragmatism instead of searching for new enemies".Samantha de Bendern is an associate fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House and a political commentator on LCI television in France Continue reading...
by Richard Luscombe in West Palm Beach on (#6KE3R)
Inhumane' legislation on governor Ron DeSantis' desk will require cash-strapped counties to build remote campsWhen Diana Stanley and her team at The Lord's Place, one of Palm Beach county's largest and longest established homelessness charities, opened a new engagement center last year, she figured a few dozen people would show up in search of help.Now, almost 200 people a day are relying on the facility just for lunch. Staff are overwhelmed by the demand for residential accommodation from families, veterans and the elderly in particular. Continue reading...
The 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter's imprisonment is a gross injustice and an affront to press freedomThe photograph, framed and in a place of honor, is precious to me. Taken in 2016 outside a Manhattan restaurant, it's a casual shot of four young people and me, everyone smiling. I was concluding my stint as New York Times public editor, and each of these talented young journalists - plus one more who couldn't make it to the dinner - had served as my editorial assistant at some point over a four-year period.Almost eight years later, I've kept tabs on them. Two still work at the Times, having climbed the newsroom ladder to become a courts reporter and a book-review editor, respectively. One recently has experienced the joy of his first child's birth. Another has bought a house, with her husband, after moving to Seattle.Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...
by Ramon Antonio Vargas in New Orleans on (#6KE1H)
Kia Rousseve, 28, who saved nine children, says she's just happy that God was with me' - especially because she is a mother herselfKia Rousseve had been led to believe the school bus she drove for work in New Orleans was supposed to be relatively pristine, but she never let that lull her into a false sense of security.By a margin of moments, that attitude helped save nine students - and her - from being inside the bus when it unexpectedly exploded and became engulfed in flames. Continue reading...
Ex-president's support for the Russian strongman has experts fretting over American interests and security sources overseasDonald Trump's continuing lavish praise and support for Russian president Vladimir Putin are fueling alarm among former intelligence officials and other experts who fear another Trump presidency would benefit Moscow and harm American democracy and interests overseas.Trump praised Putin as a genius" and pretty savvy" when Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, and has boasted he would end the war in a day", sparking critics' fears that if he's elected again Trump would help Russia achieve a favorable peace deal by cutting off aid to Kyiv. Trump also recently greenlit Russia to do whatever the hell they want" to Nato members who don't pay enough to the alliance. Continue reading...
Colorado congressman Ken Buck's abrupt resignation has left the far-right member with two tough choices, upsetting her re-election plansAs well as further reducing US House speaker Mike Johnson's already threadbare majority in his legislative chamber, last week's abrupt departure of Colorado congressman Ken Buck has the potential to significantly damage another prominent Republican figure: Lauren Boebert.The far-right firebrand seized on Buck's declaration last year that he would not seek re-election by opting to switch from a district the congresswoman barely won in 2022 to run in Buck's soon to be vacant seat. Continue reading...
Louisiana senator expressed disapproval of the former president, saying: Is this a person we want to have an office?'Louisiana's Republican senator Bill Cassidy has issued new criticisms towards Donald Trump while calling the 2024 presidential race a sorry state of affairs".In an interview on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Cassidy expressed his disapproval for Trump's hostile rhetoric towards migrants, saying that it has reflected poorly in terms of regarding folks who are coming here ... illegally - and they shouldn't be, but in a dehumanizing fashion". Continue reading...
by Associated Press and Guardian staff on (#6KDPX)
Mega Millions has a pot of $875m while Powerball is at $645m, generating excitement among players even with unbeatable oddsIf you're feeling some St Patrick's Day magic, you might want to buy a lottery ticket. Mega Millions and Powerball have racked up some massive jackpots after weeks of rollovers.The Mega Millions jackpot is already estimated at a whopping $875m for Tuesday night's drawing after no tickets matched all six numbers drawn on Friday night. Monday night's Powerball jackpot is $645m after no tickets matched the winning numbers drawn Saturday night. Continue reading...
From a fullback's star turn to Aston Villa's substitutes, we hand out honors (and dishonors) from the top-flight weekendRodrigo Muniz continued his dazzling run of form in Fulham's 3-0 upset win over Tottenham on Saturday. The Brazilian forward scored twice, taking his total to seven goals and an assist in his last seven games. Continue reading...
Investigation of items that were stolen during the Okinawa battle began after family discovered them in late father's belongingsThe FBI has returned 22 centuries-old artifacts to Okinawa, Japan, after a family discovered them in their late father's attic in Massachusetts.Agents with the FBI's Boston division on Friday announced that the return of the looted items followed a lengthy investigation that began when they received a call from a family who came across the items while sorting through their dead dad's belongings. Continue reading...
The gunman is suspected of killing his stepmother, his sister, and the mother of his children before being arrested in New JerseyThe suspect involved in the fatal shootings of three people outside a Philadelphia-area suburb on Saturday morning has been arrested and will face charges in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, authorities said on Sunday.According to authorities, 26-year-old Andre Gordon was found near a house in Trenton, New Jersey, after carrying out two separate shootings. Police had surrounded the home for hours in the belief that he was there, but Gordon apparently slipped out before the police cordon went up. He was arrested at around 5 pm, unarmed, when he was spotted walking down a street a few blocks away, police said. Continue reading...
Former vice-president said on Friday he would not endorse former president, but declined to rule out eventually voting for himTwo days after saying he would not endorse a second Donald Trump presidency, former vice-president Mike Pence on Sunday declared his esteem for fellow Republicans who plan to vote for his former boss anyway - and he declined to rule out eventually following suit.Pence reiterated on CBS's Face the Nation that he cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump" in November's election for a number of policy-related decisions that he insisted were not personal between him and the former president whose supporters chanted for Pence to be hanged publicly as they attacked the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. Continue reading...
After its Chinese backers pulled out, Oceanwide Plaza stands abandoned - could it be turned over to those who need it most?An asparagus patch is how the architect Charles Moore described the lackluster skyline of downtown Los Angeles in the 1980s. The tallest stalk and the shortest stalk are just alike, except that the tallest has shot father out of the ground."This sprawling city of bungalows has never been known for the quality of its high-rise buildings, and not much has changed since Moore's day. A 1950s ordinance dictating that every tower must have a flat roof was rescinded in 2014, spawning a handful of clumsy quiffs and crowns atop a fresh crop of swollen glass slabs . It only added further evidence to the notion that architects in this seismic city are probably better suited to staying on the ground. Continue reading...
Consumer groups say it's past time to rid food of unnecessary and potentially harmful chemicalsA new California bill takes aim at the use of food additives in school meals. On 12 March, Democratic state lawmaker Jesse Gabriel introduced a proposal that would prohibit the state's public schools from offering items that contain any of a medley of dyes and colorants.The targeted additives may appear vaguely recognizable to anyone who's ever read an ingredients label: blue 1, blue 2, green 3, red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6 and the white pigment titanium dioxide. These substances can be found in a wide range of products, from brightly colored Froot Loops cereal and sports drinks to less obvious fare such as cake mix and canned peas. Continue reading...
Alabama supreme court's decision causing a temporary halt in IVF care shines spotlight on problem between two groupsThere is a growing rift in the decades-old marriage between anti-abortion activists and Republican lawmakers.The problem came into view last month, after a bombshell decision from the Alabama supreme court temporarily halted in vitro fertilization (IVF). The ruling, which described frozen embryos as extrauterine children", unraveled when the Republican-controlled legislature passed short-term protections for IVF providers. Continue reading...
A $500,000 sand dune collapsed in days after being erected, and residents are looking for help to protect their homesOn the border with New Hampshire and Massachusetts - about 35 miles north of Boston - is Salisbury, a coastal town and popular summer destination for tourists. But for those who live in the town year round, especially those who live on the coastline, life's not a beach.Last month, after a series of storms battered the area, local citizens came together to take the necessary steps to protect their homes. Volunteer organization Salisbury Beach Citizens for Change raised more than $500,000 to erect a 15,000-ton sand dune - a formidable barrier that would hopefully protect at least 15 beach houses from destruction. Continue reading...
The success of this agile grassroots group underlines the discontent over the war - and represents a warning for DemocratsPeople in Michigan, and across the country, had been protesting for months over the Gaza war and the US government's role in it, marching in the streets, showing up at the president's public events, and pressuring their elected officials to support a ceasefire.But it didn't seem as though Joe Biden was listening to a groundswell of Democrats who opposed the war and US media coverage of the protests, and of the war itself, seems to be waning, too. Continue reading...
After a chaotic first term, experienced advisers are ready to usher in a second presidency driven by imaginary grievances'The US election primary season is effectively over. Conventional wisdom holds that the two major candidates will now pivot towards the centre ground in search of moderate voters. But Donald Trump has never been one for conventional wisdom.Detention camps, mass deportations, capital punishment for drug smugglers, tariffs on imported goods, a purge of the justice department and potential withdrawal from Nato - the Trump policy agenda is radical by any standard including his own, pushing the boundaries set during his first presidential run eight years ago. Continue reading...
Staying alive longer is only worth it if the quality of life itself is valuableWe always ask very old people what their secret is. Laughter", some say. Olive oil, sex, cigarettes - I picture the tight smile on the centenarian's face as they roll out their little line every birthday - rum, cold swims, early nights - when presumably, the secret is always, Don't die." And now of course, that question has been repackaged and spotlit, with the longevity market, propelled by the tech industry, expected to be worth $44.2bn by 2030.It's funny, one day you're a young nerd writing BOOBS on a calculator, the next you're a middle-aged billionaire wearing an erection-tracking ring and sucking blood from teenagers in order to live for ever. So goes the modern career of the tech bro", the people who made their money designing apps so dull they can't be described in language, then spend that money on becoming God. It bothers me. It bothers me! Not longevity research itself necessarily, the investment into preventing fatal diseases - no, please, go wild on that - but the grim, empty attempts to extend the lives of people who already have everything. Continue reading...
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