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These days, I'm feeling more aligned with Catholicism than I have since my first communion. I'm not alone in thatI've had my ups and downs with the church of my childhood.On the one hand, as a cradle Catholic", I've received the sacraments, often get to Sunday mass, and am the product of a Catholic education, right through Georgetown University, with its Jesuit history. My father was a daily communicant" - he received the Eucharist every morning before heading to his law office; his sister, my aunt, was a nun, a Sister of Charity with a PhD in classic languages. Continue reading...

Patchy employment records, bankruptcies and allegations of wrongdoing blemish the records of several new recruits

When it comes to theology, Donald Trump's vice-president clearly knows best. Are we about to see an American break with Rome?The battle to be the absolute worst Trump henchman can feel so closely fought. But in the end, it's always JD Vance, isn't it? You would say Stephen Miller, but Miller's too hidden to qualify as a front-of-house henchman among the US president's court of grotesques. Stephen's clearly been judged so wantonly horrifying that the administration must keep him out of public view. If you enter the store, Miller is the only-for-the-initiated entity alluded to in a whisper by the oleaginous sales assistant. We do have something in the back - off-the-books, as it were - if sir is after something a little more ... specialist."But Vance? Vance besets us like the 11th plague - the plague of media appearances. For the next South Park season, I hope the creators give their brilliantly ghastly little vice-president avatar a papal mitre to wear. After all, here we have a man whose pick-me book on his journey to Catholicism has yet to even be published. That tome currently lies in the rectum of HarperCollins, ready to be excreted in June - yet inevitably, Vance is already giving menacing doctrinal advice to the pope as part of the multi-theatre fallout of Operation Epic Facepalm.Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

At 1.5C of global warming, up to 90% of coral reefs could be lost. The next few months could be a defining momentWhere I come from - Hawai'i - the reef isn't just something you look at. It's part of us. It feeds our families, protects our shores, and lives at the center of our culture. In our stories, coral is one of our oldest ancestors. It's a reminder that everything in the ocean, and all of us, are connected.Right now, that integral connection is under threat.Jason Momoa is an actor, film-maker, and UNEP Advocate for Life Below Water, dedicated to protecting our oceans and advancing global awareness around coral reef conservation Continue reading...

Critics warn smaller and immigrant-run restaurants risk being overlooked as city-funded deal shapes dining mapWhen Michelin announced that it was expanding its world-renowned restaurant guide into the Great Lakes region of the United States, including Minneapolis, one prominent city was left off the map - Saint Paul, the state capital.Despite being just 11 miles apart, the second half of Minnesota's Twin Cities" was absent from the highly anticipated announcement. The omission has raised concerns among food critics and locals that Saint Paul - and, more widely, smaller local restaurants in Minneapolis and elsewhere - could be left behind. Continue reading...

Bipartisan backing for special relationship is fraying as Middle East conflicts turn public opinionIsrael's conflicts in the Middle East have driven a sea change in US public opinion, threatening a bipartisan consensus of support for military aid for Israel that has been the status quo for decades.In public opinion polling of Americans, among likely candidates for president, and even in pro-Israel lobbying circles, the special relationship enjoyed by Israel with the US is now under fire as human rights concerns from the left and a new America First" foreign policy groundswell on the right could impact coming elections - including the 2028 presidential elections. Continue reading...

America First Policy Institute, which boasts close ties to president, discussed transgender policy reform' at DC eventChildren are the low-hanging fruit" in a longer effort to end gender-affirming care for all Americans, an official at a Trump administration-aligned thinktank recently said.Bans on medical transition comprise just one part of the larger, unprecedented assault on transgender rights mounted by a coordinated campaign of mostly conservative activists and policymakers in the US in recent years. So far, these restrictions have primarily affected minors. But leaders in the emboldened movement have begun to more openly admit their desire to attempt to end gender-affirming care for adults, too.This article was produced in partnership with Documented, an investigative watchdog and journalism project. Phoebe Petrovic is a senior democracy researcher with Documented Continue reading...

Store opened in 1971 in Seattle's Pike Place Market joins growing unionization campaign across the coffee chainWorkers at the historic first Starbucks store are seeking to unionize as the coffee retail giant and its union appear stalemated over their first contract.The first Starbucks store opened in 1971 in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the store serves as a tourist site in Seattle. Continue reading...

Halt to fighting will be followed by first Israeli-Lebanese summit in decades. Plus, why are there so many false claims that famous lines in cinema were improvised?

A Trace analysis found that revenue from fining white-collar criminals is drying up - due to presidential pardonsThis story was originally published by the Trace, a non-profit newsroom covering gun violence in America. Sign up for its newsletters here.Since his return to office last year, Donald Trump has pardoned dozens of white-collar criminals. He's also forgiven their fines, penalties and restitution, to the tune of billions. Some of that revenue was supposed to go to a fund to help victims of violent crime - and the organizations that serve them are feeling the pinch. Continue reading...

Musician, born David Anthony Burke, arrested in Los Angeles over the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who went missing in 2024R&B singer D4vd has been arrested in connection with the killing of a teenage girl whose severely decomposed body was found in his Tesla, Los Angeles police said on Thursday.The 21-year-old musician, who was born David Anthony Burke, is being held without bail, according to city authorities. Continue reading...

Lyons, who led agency since March 2025, to resign after turbulent year carrying out Trump's immigration agendaTodd Lyons, the acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is stepping down after a turbulent year carrying out Donald Trump's immigration agenda.Lyons, who has been leading the agency since March 2025, will resign at the end of May and move to the private sector, Markwayne Mullin, the Department of Homeland Security secretary, said in a statement on Thursday. Continue reading...

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Victory means Democrats hold on to the 11th district seat in the House, where Republicans hold a thin majorityDemocrat Analilia Mejia won a New Jersey special election for the US House on Thursday, defeating Republican Joe Hathaway on a message of standing up to Donald Trump.Mejia, a former head of the Working Families Alliance who had support from the senator Bernie Sanders, will fill the seat previously held by the Democratic governor Mikie Sherrill and serve until January. Continue reading...

Authorities identified Kenneth and Barbara Martin and their daughter Barbie from remains in car in Columbia RiverDNA analysis has identified the remains found in a car in the Columbia River as those of an Oregon family that went missing in 1958 while on a trip to find Christmas greenery, authorities said Thursday.The state medical examiner's office identified Kenneth and Barbara Martin and their daughter Barbie from remains located in the river within the wreckage of the car, according to the Hood River county sheriff's office. The sheriff's office said it concluded its investigation and found no evidence of a crime. Continue reading...

Trump says 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon will be followed by a meeting between Israeli and Lebanese leaders next week - key US politics stories from 16 April at a glanceDonald Trump has announced a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon to be followed by a meeting between Israeli and Lebanese leaders next week, in a deal that it is hoped will bring progress toward a parallel peace agreement between the US and Iran.The ceasefire took effect at midnight on Thursday in Lebanon, where Israel has been conducting devastating airstrikes aimed at wiping out the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia. Continue reading...

New York mayor, C-list rapper' who went by Mr Cardamon and Young Cardamon, collected $1,643 in royalties last yearThe New York mayor Zohran Mamdani is still making money from his short-lived career as a multilingual rapper, tax filings show.But the 34-year-old Democrat's meteoric rise as a celebrity politician has brought only a modest increase in hip-hop profits: he took home $1,643 in music royalties last year, up only slightly from $1,267 in 2024, according to the filings. Continue reading...

Police say couple were living together amid divorce and that teenage children called 911 from Annandale home

Democratic representative from California has suspended gubernatorial campaign and resigned from CongressThe US Department of Justice (DoJ) has opened an investigation into Eric Swalwell following his resignation from Congress, according to a source familiar with the matter.The news of a federal investigation comes days after the Democratic representative from California stepped down due to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Continue reading...

Schwartz was deputy surgeon general under Trump's first administration and is a rear admiral in the US Coast GuardDonald Trump has selected Erica Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bringing to an end a months-long search for a permanent head of the troubled public health agency.Trump revealed his choice on Truth Social, saying: I am pleased to announce the new leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is my Honor to nominate the incredibly talented Dr Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH, as my Director of the CDC," he wrote. She is a STAR!" Continue reading...

Democratic lawmakers urged Republican leaders to postpone the confirmation hearing of Kevin Warsh

Trump ally grilled by lawmakers over terrible decisions' on vaccines, public health and funding cuts to key programs

Rare rebuke of Trump's mass deportation agenda, enabled by small group of Republican defectors, to last three years

Health secretary and chef Robert Irvine claim Americans could eat healthier and more cheaply if they shopped better

The defense secretary said his prayer drew on Ezekiel, but wording closely matches Quentin Tarantino dialogueIt was perhaps inevitable that a braggadocious Christian nationalist defense secretary elevated from his role as a weekend Fox News television host would pluck a fake Bible verse from a violent Hollywood blockbuster and present it at a Pentagon prayer session to rally the troops for the holy war" in Iran.Certainly among a glut of stories swirling around Pete Hegseth this week, including articles of impeachment brought against him by a group of ambitious Democratic lawmakers, the bizarre allegation that the Bible-thumping Hegseth was passing off a fire-and-brimstone script by Quentin Tarantino, an Oscar-winning director, as the word of the Lord was far too compelling to ignore. Continue reading...

Prosecutors say this is first criminal case against a federal agent involved in Trump's immigration crackdown

US calls free-market capitalism surest path to prosperity' and seeks to forgo direct aid to developing countries

Data shows 85% of those infected in the state have been not vaccinated against measles as dozens are hospitalized

Resolution needed two more votes to pass, but Democrats now appear solidified in opposition

US Commission of Fine Arts reviews plan while judge lets below-ground work at White House ballroom site proceedDonald Trump's design for the triumphal arch he wants built at an entrance to the nation's capital moved a step forward on Thursday after a key agency reviewed the proposal for the first time.One commissioner suggested changes, including losing the Lady Liberty-like statue and pair of eagles that would sit on top of the arch and add to its height. Continue reading...

Men aged 18-29 who see religion as central rises to 42%, Gallup survey finds, compared with 30% of young womenYoung men are now more likely than young women in the US to say religion plays a major role in their lives, according to the newest findings from Gallup.Data covering 2024-25 indicates that 42% of men aged 18 to 29 describe religion as very important to them, a significant rise from 28% in 2022-23. In comparison, young women's responses have remained largely unchanged over the same period, holding at roughly 30%. Continue reading...

Health secretary in a diary entry said his kids were in the car as he cut off animal's genitals in 2001 to study them later'Robert F Kennedy Jr once cut the penis off a road-killed raccoon in an incident that is just one of several involving dead animals that the controversial US health secretary has been involved in.A new book called RFK Jr: The Fall and Rise was published this week and reveals a diary entry for Kennedy that describes the prominent vaccine critic and leader of the Make America healthy again" (Maha) movement stopping his car on a New York highway on 11 November 2001. Continue reading...

Hampshire is latest school to fall to declining enrollment amid a decades-long crisis affecting liberal arts colleges

Meenu Batra, the state's only licensed Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu interpreter, says she was treated like a criminal'

It's a relief to see the pontiff decrying brutality, because it seems most current world leaders lack the necessary spineI have never been a religious or spiritual person, even though I grew up in a religious area and had friends (and strangers) throughout school and university trying to lure me into whatever prayer disguised as organised fun they were up to. I did try it out shortly for a desperate period when I was young, attempting to pray to a god I didn't really believe in to make me not gay, but blessedly he never answered.Despite my resistance to organised religion, I have always had a soft spot for nuns and their counterparts. The girlies.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...

New York mayor Mamdani calls footage of arrest of wrongly identified suspect extremely disturbing and unacceptable'

US defense secretary says Iran's energy infrastructure is not destroyed yet' while also lambasting the mediaIran's energy infrastructure is not destroyed yet" and the US is locked and loaded" to finish the job, Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, said on Thursday as he called many of the press corps gathered the moral equivalent of the Pharisees who conspired to destroy Jesus Christ.Hegseth's comments from the Pentagon podium came as a naval blockade of Iranian ports began this week and he called on Tehran to accept a nuclear deal or face consequences for its remaining infrastructure, power generation and energy industry. Continue reading...

The semi-finals are set after a dazzling meeting between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. But there was plenty more to talk about in the last eightBayern Munich's thrilling 4-3 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday, which gave them a 6-4 victory on aggregate and set up a semi-final meeting with PSG, was a stone-cold classic. If either of the semis is as good as Real and Bayern's quarter-final, this season will have been blessed. Arda Guler showed off his brilliance on Wednesday, first with his presence of mind after Manuel Neuer's mistake led to the opening goal and again from a free-kick in the 29th minute. Guler's goals gave Madrid hope, but Harry Kane made another difficult finish look routine before Luis Diaz and Michael Olise's late goals settled the tie. Bayern's wing wizards were crucial in defeating the 15-time champions. This game had it all. That includes controversy, with a post-match scuffle set off by Madrid players enraged by Eduardo Camavinga's dismissal for two quickfire yellow cards. Neuer, the hero of the first leg, had his blushes saved by his Bayern teammates, though one save from Kylian Mbappe was him at his best, combining reflexes with brute strength. Fine margins decided a battle of the giants. Continue reading...

In prison, I witnessed the gap in accountability between the poor and the elite. A banker's message to Epstein is racist and reductiveHere is an email that should bring shame to Jes Staley:you want to know why we are not Sao Paolo, watch the TV adds on the Superbowl. Its all about hip blacks in hip cars with white women.The group that should be in the streets, has been bought off. By Jay Z Continue reading...

After two devastating hurricanes, El Yunque national forest has built a new visitors center that hosts a vibrant arts festival Continue reading...

Washington and Tehran will have to make compromises and the current deadline must be extended. But with the will there's clearly a wayThe failure of the Islamabad talks to end the US-Israel war on Iran was hardly surprising, given the stark differences between Washington's 15-point proposal and Tehran's 10-point equivalent. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which capped Iran's uranium enrichment, took more than two years to negotiate, and its roots actually reach back to 2003. The US vice-president, JD Vance, spent less than a full day in Islamabad for negotiations that included the nuclear question and several others.The surprise was Vance's explanation for the failure - that Iran rejected the terms presented by the US. The American side was not in a position to dictate terms because Iran stood firm when the 8 April ceasefire took effect. But Vance seemed to believe, as does his boss Donald Trump, that the Iranians had been defeated and the US didn't have to budge.Rajan Menon is professor emeritus of international relations at Powell School, City University of New York, and senior research fellow at Columbia University's Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies Continue reading...

Risks from cancer and other diseases could be hidden with little accountability if justices favor big firms, critics warnThe US could face foreign attacks, food shortages and agricultural devastation" if the supreme court rules against Monsanto in a closely watched case over pesticide regulation that is set for arguments later this month, according to a series of legal briefs supporting the company.In contrast, opposing legal briefs warn that if the court sides with Monsanto, consumers will be stripped of their rights to sue when they develop cancer or other serious diseases they attribute to exposure to dangerous chemicals. Companies will be able to hide product risks with little accountability, they warn. Continue reading...

Guardian readers describe how their lives have been upended by cost hikes stemming from Trump's Iran warWith the US and Israel's war on Iran now in its seventh week, with a fragile ceasefire in place since earlier this month, Americans are continuing to feel the effects at the pump as global fuel prices rise.For several readers who spoke to the Guardian, the impact has forced difficult trade-offs - from accessing essential medicines and groceries to facing the brink of homelessness amid an already rising cost of living. Continue reading...

The case of two fired judges - and one who kept his job - offers a lesson in the administration's view of free speechThe Trump administration believes some noncitizens may not even have first amendment rights. And it's turning that legal fantasy into a reality by making immigration judges choose between the constitution and their jobs.Last week, the judge who rejected the deportation of Rumeysa Ozturk, the Tufts doctoral student whose only offense was co-writing an op-ed critical of Israel, was fired after upholding the law. Judge Roopal Patel rejected the administration's argument that expressing views shared by millions of Americans disturbed by the carnage in Gaza - sometimes including Donald Trump himself - equates to supporting terrorism and antisemitism. Continue reading...

The longtime USMNT standout is following in the footsteps of his father, coaching with a deep appreciation of what makes American soccer specialThe timing was ideal. The day after Red Bull New York won their 2026 MLS home opener 1-0, with three academy products becoming the youngest trio to combine for a goal in the history of the league, the club hosted their annual youth summit. Coaches and administrators convened in the Audi Club Lounge of Sports Illustrated Stadium where they were fed, presented to, encouraged to learn, network and, of course, stick around until head coach Michael Bradley arrived for a panel to wrap up the event.Most of them did. A long line quickly formed between Bradley and his exit, and he obliged all of the people waiting for a photo. It's the same patience he still affords the media, whose numbers noticeably increased at RBNY games when the New Jersey native took the reins, following in the footsteps of his father, Bob, under whom Michael learned as a son, a player, and an assistant before striking out on his own. Continue reading...

Investigation of Family Dollar and Dollar General prompts lawmakers to double penalties for retailers that repeatedly charge more at checkout than prices listed on shelvesUtah lawmakers have voted to stiffen penalties on retailers who chronically overcharge customers.The new state law, which takes effect on 6 May, was introduced in direct response to a Guardian investigation of pricing practices at two national chains, Dollar General and Family Dollar, according to an official who oversees the state's price-accuracy inspections. Continue reading...