US news | The Guardian

The increase in snow puts the drought-struck state in a much more optimistic spot', but experts say more moisture is neededCalifornia's mountain peaks are coated in white after a strong set of storms pummelled the state last week, with before and after images offering a promising sign for the state's snowpack.The atmospheric river-fueled storms were deadly and destructive, but also critical to replenishing water supplies in a state that has experienced a prolonged drought. The heavy rain dropped several feet of fresh snow, replenished reservoirs, and fed waterfalls and ephemeral lakes. Continue reading...

Many of 915,000 students unable to log into Zoom after city opts for remote learning instead of fully canceling classes for stormParts of the north-east US were hit on Tuesday by a snowstorm that canceled and delayed flights, made roads slippery and prompted many school districts to cancel classes or switch to remote learning - or at least try to switch.In New York City, the online learning system that serves the nation's largest school district experienced technical problems first thing in the morning, preventing many of the 915,000 students from logging into Zoom. The school system's administrators had announced the day before that all of its schools would close due to severe weather and that all instruction will take place remotely". Continue reading...

Never before have unmanned aerial vehicles been used so intensely in conflict, with even commercial devices enlisted in battleThree days into his presidency, Barack Obama ordered his first drone strikes. Over the next eight years, he oversaw a massive expansion of the US programme of targeted killings using armed drones. The initial appeal was that the US did not risk its personnel, and strikes could be carried out without attracting much attention and, supposedly, with more precision - though civilian deaths were ignored or played down.But in the ensuing years, drone wars have undergone a dramatic evolution. Never before have so many drones been used, so intensely. The US programme relied on expensive Predator drones costing about $12m (9.5m). But much cheaper drones made by Turkey, Iran and China have been credited for victories, including Ethiopia's reversal of the rapid advance of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, and for damaging attacks by non-state actors. In 2021, Gen Kenneth McKenzie, then commander of US Central Command, observed: For the first time since the Korean war, we are operating without complete air superiority." Continue reading...

Former president endorses Lara Trump and other loyalists for leadership positions in Republican National CommitteeDonald Trump moved to tighten his grip on the Republican party, announcing a slate of endorsements, including his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, for leadership positions within the Republican National Committee.The approach of turbulence within the RNC - which helps organize the party and its elections - has been apparent since last week, when its chair, Ronna McDaniel, who has held the position since 2017, told the former US president that she would be stepping down. Continue reading...

The perception of the president's inability to control has been compounded by actual policy failures, in particular Israel-GazaWith the primaries all but over, the stage is set for the general election, and one thing is clear: Joe Biden is losing. Despite the fact that Donald Trump is under indictment on 91 felony counts, is incredibly unpopular and attempted a coup at the end of his last term, he is currently in the pole position to win a second term. The stakes of this election are extraordinarily high. Still, the top-of-mind issue for voters is something Democrats can't change and can barely hope to mitigate: Joe Biden's age and acuity.Polling has shown that Biden's age and the resulting perception of confusion and incompetence are the top issues preventing voters from pulling the lever for him. The vast majority of voters believe he is too old and lacks the mental acuity to be president and should not run again. Clips of him forgetting words and seeming confused regularly play on cable news and go viral online. This was before a special counsel's report alleged that in interviews, the president forgot when he was vice-president and even when his son Beau died of cancer. Matters were not helped by his defensive emergency press conference, which did little to assuage anyone watching of his ability to be president. This is clearly an issue for voters that will continue to grow. Continue reading...

Threats to US judges more than doubled in past three years amid the most sustained spate of violence since the 1970sSerious threats to US federal judges have more than doubled over the past three years, part of a growing wave of politically driven violence, according to US. marshals service data reviewed by Reuters.The agency, responsible for the protection of 2,700 federal judges and more than 30,000 federal prosecutors and other court personnel, has seen a sharp rise in threats related to the country's bitter political divisions, the marshals director, Ronald Davis, told Reuters in a recent interview. Continue reading...

The US Senate has approved a foreign military aid bill worth $95bn but its passage through Congress is anything but assuredThe US Senate early on Tuesday morning passed a national security bill, by 70 votes to 29, which mainly includes foreign military aid - chiefly to Ukraine - and is worth $95bn.Today, the Senate made sure that the United States is closer to meeting the monumental and consequential moment that we are in," said Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader in the US Senate. Now, it's up to the House to meet this moment, to do the right thing and save democracy as we know it. Questions?" Continue reading...

Pre-dawn vote comes amid growing doubts about fate of legislation in Republican-controlled House of Representatives

Genesse Ivonne Moreno, who had also been arrested several times, had harassed, threatened and brandished firearms at neighborsThe shooter who opened fire in a Texas megachurch on Sunday had legally purchased the firearm despite having a past criminal record and a history of mental illness.The Lakewood church is run by the prominent evangelical Christian pastor Joel Osteen. Continue reading...

Meteorologists predicted New York City could get as much as 8in of snow, with a foot or more possible in BostonA strong nor'easter storm hit the north-east of the United States overnight on Tuesday, causing airlines to cancel more than 1,000 flights and disrupt the morning work commute for millions.Meteorologists predicted New York City could get as much as 8in of snow, with a foot or more possible in Boston. However, warm ground temperatures meant that snow was not yet heavily accumulating in Manhattan. Continue reading...

Josh Schriver has privileges removed for social media post on great replacement' theory but can still vote on legislationA Republican Michigan politician has been stripped of his office staff and committee assignments after sharing a social media post about the racist great replacement" theory about a coordinated effort to diminish the influence of white people through immigration and low birth rates.The Republican state representative Josh Schriver had his privileges removed by the Michigan house speaker, Joe Tate, but will still be able to vote on legislation. Continue reading...

For centuries, LGBTQ+ lives have been wiped from the record - February represents a chance to celebrate our contributionAt the start of this LGBT+ History Month, Netflix unveiled its new series about Alexander the Great, only to see complaints that the streaming service had turned him gay". When these drew the response that Alexander is widely believed to have had same-sex relationships, a typical reply was that this was unproven speculation". As a patron of LGBT+ History Month, I see this as an opportunity to argue for the importance of knowing our queer history.For centuries, LGBTQ+ history has been wiped from the record. Oppressors have found it all too easy to deny our existence because in most of the world - for most of history - our lives have had to be led in secret. Exposure could lead to familial rejection, social and professional ruin, imprisonment, torture and even execution. Any evidence of queer lives that did exist was often destroyed, sometimes by descendants keen to protect reputations. Continue reading...

If there's one (near) universal truth about the illness, this is it: every patient wants human connectionIt must be cancer. Just look at her face and hair."Even knowing that she meant well, I stopped my friend from speculating about his aunt.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...

From another De Bruyne masterclass to Nottingham Forest's goalkeeper troubles, we hand out honors (and dishonors) from the Premier League weekendArsenal are on a roll. Post winter break, they've reestablished their title credentials. Before the break, they had lost three games on the spin and scored just five goals in seven games. After the break, they have ripped off four straight wins and scored 16 times. Continue reading...

Jazwares claims that rival has created its own pillow-like toys to cash in on its viral successThe company behind Squishmallows, the squidgy pillows-with-a-face that count Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian among their fans, has filed a lawsuit against Build-A-Bear over claims it has produced a knock-off" to cash in on its success.Jazwares, which Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway acquired two years ago as Squishmallows became a global TikTok sensation, said that Build-A-Bear Workshop's new Skoosherz toys look too similar to its own plush, huggable toy. Continue reading...

Democrat Tom Suozzi and Republican Mazi Pilip battle to win New York district after expulsion of fabulist congressmanThe replacement for George Santos, the disgraced Republican congressman, is set to be decided on Tuesday, as New Yorkers head to the polls in what has become a closely watched election nationwide.Voters in Long Island, east of New York City, face a choice between Tom Suozzi, a Democrat who previously spent six years in Congress, and Mazi Pilip, a relatively unknown local politician, in an election that will impact Republican's narrow majority in the House of Representatives. Continue reading...

Margaret Hoover takes issue with president and rival for using predecessor who battled Great Depression as example of failureJoe Biden is taking a cheap shot" whenever he gleefully compares Donald Trump to Herbert Hoover, a prominent political commentator said, defending the 31st president whose single term in office coincided with the Great Depression.It's such a cheap shot," Margaret Hoover, the president's great granddaughter and a commentator for CNN and PBS, told Politico. If a person spent a minute studying Herbert Hoover's contributions, one would come to see that these political jabs have obscured a shining example of an uncommon public servant." Continue reading...

New Orleans carnival attendees have long protested against injustice - this year, Palestinian solidarity is part of the pictureCarnival in New Orleans, a time of indulgence before the Lenten season, is known for its bright, boldly decorated parades and floats, and celebratory atmosphere. Mardi Gras Day, or Fat Tuesday, the last day of revelry, is a culmination of this indulgence. But, historically, carnival has also been an occasion for protesting against injustice and subverting political norms.This year's festival pushed that tradition forward with krewes - groups that host parades and balls - that incorporated demonstrations of Palestinian solidarity into their processions. Amid the Israel-Gaza war, hundreds of carnival participants have used the marches to bring awareness to the conflict. Continue reading...

Pasco county, near Tampa, Florida, was most perilous, while Sarasota and Manatee counties ranked second and thirdOf the top 10 deadliest areas for cycling in the US, seven are in Florida, according to a new analysis of federal highway data.Conducted by the Georgia-based personal injury law firm Bader Scott, the study looked at National Highway Traffic Safety Administration figures from the country's 200 most populous counties, and the number of road crashes in each that killed pedal cyclists between 2017 and 2021. Continue reading...

Protests come as over two-thirds of flight attendants in the US are currently in new union contract negotiationsFlight attendants are holding picket protests at over 30 major airports across the US today as part of the Worldwide Flight Attendant Day of Action.Picket line events are planned in New York City, Orlando, Miami, San Francisco, Charlotte, Washington DC, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and several other major cities. Some 100,000 flight attendants across three different labor unions are expected to participate. Continue reading...

Joe Biden has called on Benjamin Netanyahu to show restraint - but he is still too wary of alienating voters in an election yearDespite the pressure coming from the Biden administration, there is little sign of the Netanyahu government changing its plan to destroy Hamas - whatever the cost in death and destruction in Gaza.The immediate risk is to the city of Rafah, where Israel is launching intensive airstrikes and planning a full ground offensive. Rafah and its immediate surroundings are sheltering about 1.5 million people, many of them in flimsy tents, while food and clean water are scarce and medical support is minimal. Warning of a ground assault, the UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Turk, described it as terrifying, given the prospect that an extremely high number of civilians, again mostly children and women, will likely be killed and injured". On Monday, at least 67 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes on Rafah, which coincided with an Israeli mission to free two hostages.Paul Rogers is emeritus professor of peace studies at Bradford University and an honorary fellow at the Joint Service Command and Staff College Continue reading...

US president says gaps remain' in truce proposal and that planned Israeli operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible plan'. Plus: wall off coast of Germany may be Europe's oldest known human-built megastructure

An argument between two groups of teenagers left one person dead and five others injured in a shooting at a New York subway station on Monday, police said. The shooting started after the train's doors opened on the elevated platform at the Mount Eden Avenue station in The Bronx at about 4.38pm - the start of the evening commute. A 34-year-old man was killed. The wounded included a 14-year-old girl, 15-year-old boy and three adults aged 28, 29 and 71. Some of the victims were believed to have been involved in the dispute and others were bystanders waiting for the train, police said, describing four of the injuries as serious

In the desperate scramble to combat AI, there is a real danger of penalising students who have done nothing wrong

From Russell Brand to Steve Bannon, pundits are distorting our past oppression - when it should be a source of solidarity with refugeesWestern liberal democracies are apparently inhabited by vast and increasing numbers of disaffected, dissatisfied citizens who could conceivably put populists in power on both sides of the Atlantic over the coming year. Donald Trump's White House comeback bid should be the stuff of dystopian fantasy, not a news story. But as Naomi Klein describes brilliantly in her new book, Doppelganger, our collective trajectory away from reality seems to be in freefall.Why are populist narratives gaining so much traction even in mainstream political discourse? Perhaps the truth is too boring or complex for our shortened attention spans: after all, who has the time to make sense of reality when we can entertain ourselves with fantasy? Vanishingly few politicians keep their promises, which fuels a sense that we may as well just listen to the best storyteller, or the best shit-poster, whoever gets us riled up most effectively.Emma Dabiri is an Irish academic and broadcaster, and the author of Don't Touch My Hair and Disobedient Bodies. She is a Guardian Europe columnistDo 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...

Wartime funding bill likely to pass in Senate after procedural hurdle cleared but prospects uncertain in Republican-led HouseAfter many setbacks and much suspense, the Senate appeared on track this week to approve a long-awaited package of wartime funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as Republican opponents staged a filibuster to register their disapproval over a measure they could not block.The Senate voted 66-33, exceeding a 60-vote margin, to sweep aside the last procedural hurdle and limit debate on the measure to a final 30 hours before a vote on passage that could come on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Man, 34, killed at Bronx station in afternoon shooting police say was prompted by argument between two teen groupsAn argument between two groups of teenagers left one person killed and five others injured in a shooting at a New York subway station on Monday, police said.The shooting started after the train's doors opened on the elevated platform at the Mount Eden Avenue station in The Bronx at about 4.38pm - a time when stations throughout the city are filled with kids returning from school and when many workers are beginning their evening commute. Continue reading...

The Guardian and Mission Local unravel grey money' network flooding progressive city with conservative cashIn a way, it's a story as old as time: ultra-wealthy figures pouring a flood of money into city politics in an effort to shape the way it is run.Still, the political-influence machine that tech billionaires and venture capitalists have recently built in San Francisco stands out for its size and ambition. A new analysis of campaign filings, non-profit records and political contributions by the Guardian and Mission Local reveals the extent of this network, which is using its financial and organizational muscle to push the famously progressive city into adopting policies that are tougher on crime and homelessness, and more favorable to business and housing construction. Continue reading...

Hearing provides new hurdle for Fulton county DA: county administrators have not handed over key subpoenaed documentsA blockbuster hearing with details of Fulton county district attorney Fani Willis's relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade will go forward Thursday, after the presiding judge chose not to immediately quash subpoenas for their testimony.But the hearing revealed a possible new hurdle for Willis: county administrators have not turned over key documents subpoenaed by Ashleigh Merchant, attorney for former Trump White House aide Michael Roman, one of the 19 defendants charged in the county's sweeping election interference and racketeering case with the former president. Continue reading...

Ex-president met deadline imposed by federal appeals court to keep the criminal case on hold as he prepares a last-ditch challengeLawyers for Donald Trump asked the US supreme court on Monday to keep on hold the criminal case over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results while he prepares to challenge a recent appeals court ruling that found he was not immune from prosecution.The former US president also asked the nation's highest court to stay the US court of appeals for the DC circuit order that prevented him from seeking what is known as an en banc" rehearing of the case by the full bench of appeals judges. Continue reading...

Kentucky senator who opposes the aid package has indicated he will use every tool at his disposal to delay the final voteThe House majority leader, Republican Steve Scalise of Louisiana, will return to Capitol Hill tomorrow after undergoing cancer treatment in recent weeks.The House speaker, Republican Mike Johnson of Louisiana, welcomed Scalise back with a tweet noting that the majority leader was now in remission. Continue reading...

Tom Cotton echoes fellow GOP senators, saying former president was simply ringing the warning bell'

Ex-president's presence could raise stakes for judge as she decides if prosecutors are allowed to withhold some classified documentsDonald Trump attended on Monday a critical court hearing where his lawyers presented their defense theories to the federal judge presiding in the criminal case over his retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club and obstruction of justice.The presence of the former president in the courtroom could raise the stakes for the US district judge, Aileen Cannon, as she decides whether prosecutors in the office of special counsel Jack Smith should be permitted to withhold or redact certain classified documents that will be turned over in discovery. Continue reading...

US defense secretary underwent non-surgical procedures for bladder issue and cancer prognosis remains excellent'The US defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, is expected to resume his normal duties" on Tuesday, a day after he was admitted to a hospital for what the Pentagon described as an emergent bladder issue".A statement issued by the Pentagon said Austin, 70, had undergone non-surgical procedures under general anesthesia to address the bladder issue. We anticipate a successful recovery and will closely monitor him overnight," the statement read. Continue reading...

Police chief Troy Finner says unclear whether five-year-old boy wounded in incident was struck by officers who shot at attackerA shooter with a rifle was killed by two off-duty police officers and a child was critically wounded at a Houston megachurch run by the prominent evangelical Christian pastor Joel Osteen, the city's police chief said.Troy Finner said it was not clear whether the boy, five, was struck by the officers who returned fire after the shooter, wearing a trenchcoat, entered Osteen's Lakewood church with the boy shortly before 2pm and began shooting. Continue reading...

Council for American-Islamic Relations calls for release of Samaher Esmail and other Palestinian Americans seized by IDFAn influential Arab-American group sought to increase pressure on Monday on the Joe Biden White House to use its influence with Israel to help free a US-Palestinian grandmother detained by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank.Samaher Esmail's family also alleges that she has been beaten and denied access to medical attention. Continue reading...

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Biden's top military adviser is receiving treatment for an emergent bladder issue' and has transferred duties to deputyJoe Biden's top military adviser, Lloyd Austin, has cancelled a trip to Brussels to meet with Nato counterparts this week, following his hospitalization on Sunday because of an emergent bladder issue".A US official told Reuters on Monday that Austin had cancelled a meeting with Nato defense ministers due to be held on Thursday, and a separate meeting with allies for Wednesday on how to continue supporting Ukraine in countering Russia's invasion. Continue reading...

New York City closes public schools ahead of storm as meteorologists predict snowfall rate of 2in an hourThe north-east of the US is bracing for possibly the largest nor'easter snow storm in two years, with New York City public schools closing in-person attendance on Tuesday amid forecasts of up to 8in of accumulation.Meteorologists are predicting snowfall rates of 2in an hour from eastern Pennsylvania to Massachusetts, with the heaviest snowfall forecast to intersect with Tuesday morning's rush hour. Higher rates of 2 to 3in an hour are possible across eastern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, the Hudson Valley, and up through northern Connecticut and Rhode Island.The Associated Press contributed reporting Continue reading...

California authorities investigating if attack on Google's Waymo car is latest in series of protests targeting autonomous vehiclesAuthorities in California are working to determine if the destruction of a driverless taxi in an arson attack by a mob of lunar new year revelers was the latest in a series of protests targeting autonomous vehicles in the state.According to the San Francisco fire department, which posted images of the incinerated SUV on Twitter/X, a group of people jumped on the electric vehicle in the city's Chinatown district Saturday night, smashing windows and spraying it with graffiti before setting it alight with a firework. Continue reading...

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end is suddenly one of the most familiar faces in the world. But after a confrontation with his coach he helped clinch the Super BowlIs Travis Kelce out of his natural born mind?That was the question on millions of lips when CBS cameras caught the Kansas City star screaming in Andy Reid's face and bodychecking the Chiefs coach on the sideline, to the point of staggering the 65-year-old. Kelce looked upset about Reid's decision to take him off the field in the second quarter of Sunday's Super Bowl as the Chiefs drove towards the San Francisco 49ers' goalline. Right when the Chiefs were poised to score, running back Isiah Pacheco coughed up the ball, and San Francisco recovered to preserve a 3-0 lead. Continue reading...

Saying he would encourage' Russian attacks on non-paying members was outrageous. Europe needs a vision for peace, with or without US supportDonald Trump is appalling and unhinged", says everyone. His invitation to Vladimir Putin at the weekend to invade Nato and do what the hell he wants" if Europe does not spend more on its own defence, puts all our security at risk", warns Nato boss Jens Stoltenberg. The alliance is supposed to be the bastion of liberty against dictatorship, not about who pays for what.We might start by pointing out to Trump that the most outrageous abuse of Nato has been by the US. Washington's demand that the alliance support its retaliatory invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11 was a costly, drawn-out fiasco that had nothing to do with western security and everything with American neo-imperialism. Likewise, its summoning of allies to join other militaristic interventions, from Vietnam to Iraq and across the Middle East. The US's withdrawal from empire" is proving as bloody as was Britain's, and if anything, more ham-fisted. For a former US president to incite Putin to war on Nato is outrageous.Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnistDo 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...

Refugio Jimenez Jr and Angela Renee Jimenez plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter over firefighter killed battling fireA California couple whose gender-reveal party caused a fatal California wildfire pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on Friday.Refugio Jimenez Jr and his partner, Angela Renee Jimenez, also pleaded guilty to several other counts in connection to a the El Dorado fire, which they set off at a ranch park in Yucaipa, California, on 5 September 2020, when a firework used in a photo shoot set the dry grass on fire. Continue reading...

After suffering the biggest tournament defeat since Brazil at 2014 World Cup and sacking their coach, the hosts triumphed