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Duties of US defense secretary, 70, whose cancer treatment in December was initially undisclosed, were briefly carried out by deputyThe US defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, underwent hospital treatment for a bladder issue for the second time in just over three months, the Pentagon announced.A Pentagon spokesperson, Maj Gen Pat Ryder, said the 70-year-old Austin entered Walter Reed military medical center on Friday evening to undergo what he called a scheduled, elective, and minimally invasive follow-up non-surgical procedure" to treat his previously disclosed bladder condition. Continue reading...

Shruthi Kumar gives unscripted condemnation of university after 13 students barred from graduation over involvement in protestsA graduating Harvard University student went off script and upbraided Harvard over the university's treatment of students protesting against what they say is a genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza.As I stand here today, I must take a moment to recognize my peers - the 13 undergraduates in the class of 2024 that will not graduate today," said student Shruthi Kumar, who was chosen to deliver the English commencement remarks for the undergraduate class. Continue reading...

Ali Abbasi's film, which shocked audiences at its world premiere at Cannes, depicts former president raping his first wifeLawyers for Donald Trump have sent a cease-and-desist letter to the producers of The Apprentice in an attempt to block its US sale and release after the film - which depicts the former US president raping his first wife - shocked audiences at its world premiere at the Cannes film festival.The Trump campaign said earlier this week they would take legal action against Ali Abbasi's film, with spokesperson Stephen Cheung vowing to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend film-makers". Continue reading...

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Adrian Fontes made comments on NBC panel of elections officials from states whose voters could decide 2024 presidential electionThe rising threats against US elections officials are a form of domestic terrorism, the secretary of state in the presidential campaign battleground state of Arizona has said.Terrorism is defined as a threat of violence for a political outcome," Adrian Fontes said in remarks recorded for an NBC Meet the Press episode airing on Sunday morning. That's what this is, and ... we do have to address it for what it is." Continue reading...

Two young men are promoting a grab-bag ideology celebrating honor' and condemning global elites' - and winning powerful friends on the rightIn the last few years, a self-styled political movement that sounds like a contradiction in terms has gained ground online: Maga communism".Promoted by its two most prominent spokespeople, Haz Al-Din, 27, and Jackson Hinkle, 24, Maga communism comprises a grab bag of ideas that can seem lacking in coherence - ranging from a belief in the power of Donald Trump's followers to wrest power from global elites" to an emphasis on masculine honor", admiration for Vladimir Putin and support for Palestinian liberation. Continue reading...

Missouri state representative Ben Baker's daughter and her husband were reportedly ambushed when leaving a churchThe daughter and son-in-law of a Republican politician are among three US missionaries who have been killed by gang members in Haiti as it emerged that the long-awaited deployment of an multinational security force tasked with rescuing the Caribbean country from months of bloodshed had been delayed.Ben Baker, a Republican state representative from Missouri, announced the news of the couple's murder on Facebook late on Thursday, writing: My heart is broken in a thousand pieces. I've never felt this kind of pain." Continue reading...

Edan On, 18, held on $30,000 bail after being identified by CNN throwing objects and beating protesters with wooden polePolice have arrested a man suspected of assaulting pro-Palestinian demonstrators in a violent attack at the University of California, Los Angeles, last month.In late April, a group of masked people marched on to the campus at night and attacked a Gaza solidarity encampment. They threw fireworks, beat students, and attacked staff and student journalists while law enforcement and campus-hired security guards failed to intervene for hours. Continue reading...

Voters want progress, but there must also be accountability. When you pick up a ballot paper, remember all the waste and incompetenceElections are a choice about the future, they say. We should look forward, not back, they say. And most of the time, that's true. But every now and then we should make an exception - and this is one of those times. Because the coming general election must also be about the past. It must be about holding the Conservatives to account for the colossal damage they have done to this country over the past 14 years. It must be a punishment election.The Tories need to face the consequences of what they have done, starting with the cold fact that they have made people poorer. People are worse off now than they were at the last general election, a feat with little or no precedent. Every day, thousands of Britons pay hundreds or thousands more on their mortgages, thanks to the wrecking ball a smirking Liz Truss aimed at the UK economy. Continue reading...

US border patrol records daily average of 3,700 in first 21 days of March, down from reported average of 8,000, in boost for BidenNon-authorized crossings by people into the United States along the US-Mexico border have dropped by more than 50% compared with record high crossings in December 2023, according to a new report citing federal statistics.According to the US border patrol, agents recorded a daily average of 3,700 apprehensions of migrants along the border in the first 21 days of May, a 54% decrease compared with daily average of 8,000 in December, CBS reported late on Thursday, with the TV channel saying it obtained internal government data. Continue reading...

Mike DeWine ordered emergency session to fix scheduling issues preventing Biden's name from being placed on November ballotOhio's Republican governor, Mike DeWine, has called an emergency legislative session to put Joe Biden's name on the presidential ballot after what he called an absurd" threat from the state's top election officer to remove the president for missing its deadline.For weeks, Ohio's secretary of state, Frank LaRose, has been at loggerheads with the Democrats over how to put Biden and his vice-president, Kamala Harris, on the ballot given that their official nomination comes after the expiry of the state's deadline of 90 days before the November election. Continue reading...

Extraordinary measures turn Maricopa county elections office into fortress ahead of 2024 vote to protect staff and ballotsMaricopa county, Arizona - a campaign battleground where election workers have faced violent threats - has taken extraordinary measures to protect its staff and the counting of ballots.The Guardian obtained a document from the county listing security changes it has made since the 2020 election. Those include stationing a Swat team on-site at the main building where votes are tabulated and deploying the sheriff on horseback.This story has been updated with new information from Maricopa officials about how many people can access the tabulation and server rooms. Continue reading...

All that hatred, that anger, can only blossom into a miracle': the prize-winning author calls for a bigger response to the tragedyI don't know how many have died

Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke, NFL stars and Olympic athletes are finding inspiration in the characters' resilienceThe Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke twice thought he had scored the opening goal against Brentford on 11 May. Each time he wheeled away to celebrate, he put on an orange mask with a spiral pattern and one eyehole before posing in front of the cameras.The goal was ruled out by VAR but the celebration went viral, as journalists wrote about masked mayhem" and others wondered what this bizarre" celebration could mean. Continue reading...

A drowned-rat PM, a blank-page contender and frit Farage refusing to stand at all. All in the first 48 hours - are you not entertained?Even in a year of largely lacklustre summer movies, you have to accept the reality that Rishi Sunak has scheduled his election against the release of Beverly Hills Cop 4. Coming back again, you say? Same old hapless colleagues? Straight to streaming? Whether the public really craves a fourth consecutive outing for previously beloved franchise The Conservative Government is not altogether unclear: audience tracking suggests the IP is knackered and people want to see this one about as much as they wanted to see the Cats movie. At least in that they were able to VFX out the arseholes.But look, stay with the PM on this one! And please note, we're already into the phase of election berserkery in which you can always find a sympathetic party thinker to tell you that, actually, the bad thing you just saw with your own eyes will play so, so well where it matters. Rishi did not look like someone who is ready to compromise, and I think that's really good," judged the Mail's Sarah Vine of his election announcement. I thought his vibe was really good." Mm-hm. Continue reading...

Governor Greg Abbott would have us believe this was a case of self-defense. Would he say that if the situation were reversed?This month, the Texas state parole board unanimously recommended the pardon and release of convicted killer and former US army sergeant Daniel Perry, along with the restoration of his firearm rights. Perry had been working as an Uber driver in July 2020 when he shot and killed Garrett Foster, a white man who was attending a Black Lives Matter protest with his Black fiancee. Perry was later indicted for murder, tried, convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison by an Austin jury.Almost a year from the date of his sentencing, Perry's pardon was granted by Texas governor Greg Abbott, and he now walks free. As terrifying as the initial incident was, this pardon sends a chilling message: that politically motivated killing is OK, and that politicians are more focused on pandering to political pressure than protecting people's lives.Tayo Bero is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...

Exclusive: senator condemns dysfunctional' system and says his bill would help tens of millions who struggle to afford careA bill introduced by the US senator Bernie Sanders would dramatically expand access to oral healthcare by adding dental benefits to Medicare and enhance them in Medicaid, public health insurance programs that together cover 115 million older and lower-income Americans.Despite Americans' reputation for the flashy Hollywood smile", millions struggle to access basic dental care. One in five US seniors have lost all their natural teeth, almost half of adults have some kind of gum disease and painful cavities are one of the most common reasons children miss school. Continue reading...

The Spokane community revived the paper to capture the nuance of the Black community - beyond the feel-good stories'One man wants to write an informed column on his experiences of being arrested dozens of times when protesting during the civil rights movement in segregated Chicago.Another writer bags a profile on the author of a celebrated book into the psychological impact of slavery. And a woman originally from New Orleans talks about using genealogical records to discover she is descended from slaves owned by Jesuit priests. Continue reading...

Two Senate committee chairs sent letters to eight oil companies after Trump reportedly requested $1bn in contributions to his campaign. Plus, ICJ set to rule on Israel's Gaza offensive

A venomous Arizona training course, Reese Witherspoon's book club and not remaining calm in the face of disasterIt's rattlesnake season in the American south-west, which, if average June temperatures of 40C (104F) don't deter you, might give you pause before planning a trip. This week, in Scottsdale, Arizona, the state's annual venomous snake training course got under way, a series of events that take place every spring as the weather warms up and the snakes start to stir from their slumber. Three broad groups of people attend this course: park and wildlife rangers; Arizona residents with experience of finding snakes in their homes; and reporters from New York on the regional-Americans-are-a-hoot circuit. Continue reading...

The real purpose of this nasty political farce is to pressure US universities to crack down on criticism of IsraelIf you didn't know what was really going on at US college campuses, the congressional hearing on Thursday - in which the presidents of Northwestern and Rutger's and the chancellor of UCLA were called to testify before a Republican-controlled House committee - would do little to inform you.The House committee on education and the workforce has held six - yes, six - public events to draw attention to the supposed crisis on campus in the months since the 7 October attack on Israel. They've hauled university presidents to Washington to harangue them, allegedly for not being sufficiently punitive toward pro-Palestinian students and faculty. These hearings have been used to belittle and antagonize university faculty and students and have fed racist and anti-intellectual moral panics that have led to the resignations of several of the university presidents who have been called to testify, notably including Liz Magill of the University of Pennsylvania and Claudine Gay of Harvard.Moira Donegan is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...

Revealed: anti-government People's Rights Network, founded by Ammon Bundy, appearing to follow entryism' strategyAt least 66 members of an anti-government group founded by far-right militia figure Ammon Bundy have attempted to win local positions of influence in the Republican party in Oregon, the Guardian can reveal.The candidates stood for Republican precinct committee person (PCP) slots in three central Oregon counties in this week's elections, with some facing no opponent and thus winning their positions by default. The role of PCPs includes electing the executive of the county-level GOP apparatus. Continue reading...

The Emirates is arming and supporting one side in the conflict, but UK and US officials have shied from confronting itThe war in Sudan has become one of the worst ongoing humanitarian crises in the world. In a little over a year of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), there have been 6.8 million people internally displaced, 2 million fleeing the country, and 24.8 million, almost half the population, in dire need of humanitarian assistance.The United Arab Emirates is the foreign player most invested in the war. In fact, without its direct and all-around support, the RSF would not have been able to wage war to the same extent. Continue reading...

The Shark Tank star formed an unlikely partnership with the Adelson family. But like any successful entrepreneur he can be flexible when it suitsIn another era it might have been hailed as a laudable example of bipartisan bridge-building - a Republican megadonor partnering with a staunchly anti-Donald Trump entrepreneur.But in today's politically polarised environment it looks odd, or even hypocritical: Mark Cuban selling the Dallas Mavericks, who are currently flying high in the NBA playoffs, to Miriam Adelson, perhaps the Trumpiest billionaire of them all. Continue reading...

A quarter-century on from Andre Agassi's sole triumph at Roland Garros, America's men are mired in another protracted Paris hoodoo. And this slump shows no signs of abatingWhen a cramping Michael Chang and his infamous underhanded serves shocked tournament favorite Ivan Lendl and the entire tennis world en route to winning the 1989 French Open, it marked the first time an American man had won at Roland Garros since Tony Trabert in 1955, an infamous streak of 34 years.Following Chang's sole major triumph, there was a mini-renaissance of sorts for the American men in Paris over the next decade and it appeared that the Americans' futility on clay was a thing of the past; Jim Courier would take home back-to-back French trophies in 1991 and 1992, and Andre Agassi capped his career grand slam taking the title in 1999. Continue reading...

Photographer Phillip Buehler, who captured the death of the American mall in a 2022 photo series, has a new exhibition of pictures from the last 50 years that trace the often forgotten history of the islands surrounding Manhattan. No Man Is an Island: Poetry in the Ruins of the New York Archipelago is now on show until 23 June at the Front Room Gallery in New York.

The Ukrainian world heavyweight boxing champion beat back a giant opponent, but his country can't defeat Russia on its ownAs I contemplate a forest of small Ukrainian flags on the Maidan in central Kyiv, placed there by bereaved relatives as a memorial to the war dead, I'm accosted by a burly Ukrainian soldier in combat uniform. He's with the elite 95th Air Assault Brigade and he has been fighting Russian aggression for more than a decade. At the moment of victory," he tells me, please pour the first glass on to the ground for those who have fallen."Gesturing to the seemingly normal life around us in the Ukrainian capital, with young people drinking at nice cafes, almost as though this were Paris or Vienna, he says, Every peaceful day here costs a lot of lives at the front." But he chokes up on the last words and his eyes fill with tears. Sorry, sorry!" he exclaims, embarrassed by this moment of weakness. Then he grips my hand one more time, grasps the straps of his khaki rucksack, and marches off through the civilian crowd like a ghost from the trenches of the first world war. Continue reading...

The Republican presidential candidate held a rally in the South Bronx, one of the most diverse and impoverished neighbourhoods in New YorkEven for a man known for his bombast, Donald Trump's foray into one of the poorest, most diverse and staunchly Democratic parts of America, New York city's South Bronx, on Thursday night was an offensive move of breathtaking audacity.His rally in the crucible of hiphop, where 95% of the population is Black or Hispanic and where 35% live below the poverty line, was like voluntarily stepping into the lion's den. Being Trump, he declared it a historic victory. Continue reading...

Court may order a halt to offensive, in what would be another sign of growing international isolation for Benjamin NetanyahuThe international court of justice is expected to issue a new ruling on Israel's conduct of its war in Gaza at 3pm (1400 BST) on Friday, as the US expressed concern over Israel's growing diplomatic isolation among countries that have traditionally supported it.Amid speculation that the ICJ could order a halt to Israel's offensive, a second top global court - the international criminal court - identified the three judges who will hear a request for arrest warrants against Hamas leaders, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and its defence minister, Yoav Gallant. Continue reading...

Northwestern president becomes lightning rod in Republican-led committee hearing also featuring chiefs of Rutgers and UCLAMembers of a Republican-led congressional committee confronted another set of university heads on Thursday over their approach to pro-Palestinian protests in the latest hearings on Capitol Hill on a reported increase of campus antisemitism.Republicans on the House of Representatives' education and workforce committee repeatedly clashed fiercely with Michael Schill, president of Northwestern University in Illinois, over his decision to negotiate an end to a tented protest community rather than call in police, as has happened on other campuses. Continue reading...

Mosby, who led prosecution of police over Freddie Gray death, sentenced to 12 months home confinementA former Baltimore city prosecutor who achieved a national profile for charging police officers in a Black man's death was spared prison time in her sentence on Thursday for perjury and mortgage fraud.Former state's attorney Marilyn Mosby's sentence includes 12 months of home confinement, 100 hours of community service and three years of supervised release. Continue reading...

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Democrats had forced vote to try to prove argument that Republicans are not serious about situation at US-Mexico borderSenate Republicans blocked a bipartisan border security bill for a second time, part of an attempt by Chuck Schumer to flip the script on immigration - a major political liability for Joe Biden and Democrats in this year's election.The 43-50 vote was far short of the necessary 60 votes needed to advance the legislation. Republicans, who have repeatedly demanded Democrats act on the border, abandoned the compromise proposal at the behest of Donald Trump who saw it was a political gift" for Biden's re-election chances. Continue reading...

First-of-its-kind bill on mifepristone and misoprostol passed state legislature and is expected to be signed into law by governorTwo abortion-inducing drugs could soon be reclassified as controlled and dangerous substances in Louisiana under a first-of-its-kind bill that received final legislative passage on Thursday and is expected to be signed into law by the governor.Supporters of the reclassification of mifepristone and misoprostol, commonly known as abortion pills", say it would protect expectant mothers from coerced abortions. Numerous doctors, meanwhile, have said it will make it harder for them to prescribe the medicines they use for other important reproductive healthcare needs, and could delay treatment. Continue reading...

Lawmakers urge US supreme court justice to recuse himself from certain cases after new report of flags linked to Capitol attackLeading Democrats are demanding that Samuel Alito recuse himself from election-related cases and also face investigation after a second report that a flag now associated with the far right was flying above one of his homes.Dick Durbin, the Senate judiciary chair, urged the US supreme court justice to step back from certain major cases and demanded John Roberts, the chief justice, implement an enforceable code of conduct on his bench, while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on the US Senate investigate. Continue reading...

Justices send case back to lower court, saying it didn't properly evaluate evidence in ruling Republican plan was discriminatory

Merrick Garland says agency's standard operations plan' was also used for Biden, as ex-Trump lawyer excoriates Mar-a-Lago delaysDonald Trump's former White House lawyer has attacked the judge handling the classified documents criminal case for repeated delays and incompetence" - while the US attorney general separately criticized as dangerous" Trump's claim this week that the FBI had been authorized to shoot him during its investigation.Former presidential counsel Ty Cobb said decisions made by Aileen Cannon, a Trump-appointed judge in the US district court in Florida who is overseeing the federal documents case, virtually guaranteed that the case would not be tried before November's presidential poll. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have all provided object lessons in how not to govern wisely or wellAnd so, at last and unlamented, the 2019 parliament will finally be laid to rest on Friday. This parliament's prorogation is not shamelessly illegal, as BorisJohnson's lawless attempt to end its predecessorwas five years ago. But that is just about all that can be said in its favour. In almost every respect, this hasbeen as shoddy and as discreditable a period as British government has had to endure. Therecan rarely have been a parliament that comes to its end as unmourned as this one.Yet the 2019 parliament is dying as it lived, amid needless chaos and with political desperation once again taking precedence over legislative substance. Rishi Sunak's gamble on a July election means that most of the government's programme, which was announced in the king's speech in November, will now never reach the statute book at all. This underscores a very troubling truth: that modern government is becoming more performative than effective, with MPs increasingly expected to campaign rather than to scrutinise or legislate.Do 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...

Steve Kramer charged in New Hampshire for AI-generated impersonation of Biden that urged residents not to vote in primarySteve Kramer, a political consultant who admitted that he deepfaked Joe Biden's voice in a robocall that was sent out to thousands of US voters in January 2024, has been indicted and fined $6m.The robocall, which went out ahead of the first Democratic presidential primary in the US in New Hampshire, used artificial intelligence to fake Biden's voice telling voters to stay home and save" their votes for the November general election. Continue reading...

This is a moment of extreme crisis for Israel. Resorting to calling the ruling antisemitic', as Netanyahu did, won't cut itRegardless of what the final international criminal court decision will be, Israel has entered a new era regarding its relations with its western allies, including the United States. The actions it takes against the Palestinians will no longer go unaccounted for.This situation was accelerated by the war with Hamas. But the reality is that the international reckoning would have come regardless. That's because a 57-year occupation of the Palestinian people without a just resolution, coupled with a fascistic, racist government led by the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu - and reinforced by the far-right settler leaders Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, and the homeland security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir - cannot play without consequences in polite global company.Jo-Ann Mort is co-author of Our Hearts Invented a Place: Can Kibbutzim Survive in Today's Israel? She writes frequently about Israel for US, UK and Israeli publications Continue reading...

Dr Ingrid Skop has argued in favor of forcing rape and incest victims as young as nine or 10 to carry pregnancies to termOne of the US's leading anti-abortion activists has been appointed to a Texas health committee tasked with reviewing maternal deaths.The move worries reproductive justice advocates who say the state's abortion ban - among the strictest in the US - has placed pregnant women's lives in jeopardy. The appointment could undermine the committee's ability to accurately examine the impact of the law on deaths during and in the immediate aftermath of pregnancy, they say. Continue reading...

You'll hear no apology, no disavowal, no expression of regret for what he did. And certainly no promise that this will never happen againWe've been here before. Donald Trump says or does something outrageous, and then walks it back slightly. But his message as a would-be authoritarian - or far worse - gets through.The latest iteration was a video shared this week on his Truth Social account that (by featuring would-be headlines) promised a unified reich" if Trump wins a second term as president.Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...

Now there is little difference with the Tories in terms of ideology, Labour's promise is both an opportunity and a burdenWe are told the focus groups are clear as a bell. No, Labour's Keir Starmer is not exhilarating. No, the economy is not screaming for new management. Yes, the world is a mess. But one message for sure was splashed across Starmer's lectern on Wednesday: give us change".Rishi Sunak has not been a signally worse prime minister than his recent predecessors. Eighteen months ago he was handed a tougher job than that of possibly any postwar holder of his office. The closest parallel was Douglas-Home's year-long inheritance of the wreck of Macmillan's government in 1963. Sunak confronted a second-rate cabinet, a crippled economy and a destitute public sector. It would have taken a political titan to have succeeded. He has struggled at least to be responsible, sincere and well-meaning. Continue reading...

New Reuters/Ipsos poll found widespread worries that US could see a repeat of the unrest that followed Trump's 2020 defeatTwo out of three Americans say they are concerned that political violence could follow the 5 November election rematch between Joe Biden and his Republican predecessor and challenger, Donald Trump, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found.The survey of 3,934 US adults found widespread worries that the US could see a repeat of the unrest that followed Trump's 2020 election defeat, when the then president's false claim that his loss was the result of fraud prompted thousands of followers to storm the US Capitol. Continue reading...

The former Republican presidential candidate invested in the media company intending to shift its strategy'Vivek Ramaswamy, the former Republican presidential candidate who has regularly attacked the media and made claims that climate change is a hoax", has acquired a large stake in BuzzFeed in order to shift its strategy".The 7.7% stake in the media company that helped pioneer viral social media content and moved into digital news is worth more than $2.7m, according to a filing with the SEC, which also states Ramaswamy intends to engage with BuzzFeed's board of directors as an activist investor. Continue reading...

Weihong Hu raised money for Eric Adams' campaign and helped his friends while winning favorable regulatory decisions and city contract funds, an investigation by the Guardian US, the City and Documented has foundAn ambitious hotel developer held multiple, previously unreported fundraisers with the New York City mayor, Eric Adams, and provided benefits to several of the mayor's longtime associates. She then scored behind-the-scenes favors and millions more in city contract dollars from his administration, a new investigation by the Guardian US, the City and Documented has found.That fundraiser, Weihong Hu, was previously the subject of a February investigation by this reporting partnership which unearthed allegations that Hu's family secretly bankrolled illegal donations to Adams' re-election campaign. Continue reading...