The franchise has long been dismissed as backwards looking. But it is set to draft a star who happily pushes back on athlete stereotypesAmong the NFL's heirloom franchises, the Chicago Bears are the still living in the last century - the pride of George Papa Bear" Halas, a league founding father. From their neoclassical stadium to their 101-year-old owner-matriarch to their stubborn reverence for Bear Weather" (ie: lake-effect winter conditions that only affect the other team), everything about the franchise is old-fashioned. Even the Bears being in position to select a quarterback with the first pick in this month's draft has arrived about 30 years too late in a league where the passing game dominates. What's notable is that the passer in their sights isn't the second-coming of 1940s hero Sid Luckman or a Harvard man or some other statuesque golden boy. It's Caleb Williams, Gen Z's poster boy quarterback.On paper, Williams would appear to possess precisely the resume that Virginia McCaskey, the owner-matriarch in question, might describe as the cat's pajamas." He went to USC - a college football program that Chicagoland's many Notre Dame fans at least respect. He won the Heisman trophy, putting him in a league with early Bears two-way star Johnny Lujack. And Williams played most of his college games in the LA Memorial Coliseum, one of the few stadiums left that can rival Soldier Field's antiquity - so he shouldn't be a snob about the patchy quality of the Bears natural home turf. Continue reading...

Democrat praised for serving with immense dignity and courage' during five-decade career while also perfecting workdays' to connect with constituentsFormer US senator and two-term Florida governor Bob Graham, who gained national prominence as chairman of the Senate intelligence committee in the aftermath of the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks and as an early critic of the Iraq war, has died aged 87.Graham's family announced the death in a statement posted on X by his daughter Gwen Graham on Tuesday. Continue reading...

After a contentious redrawing of Alabama's congressional map, two candidates will compete in November for a seat, and perhaps congressional controlShomari Figures, an attorney and Obama White House executive from a politically-prominent civil rights family, has won the Democratic nomination to run in Alabama's redrawn second congressional district Tuesday night, defeating state representative Anthony Daniels.The runoff election has been closely watched because of its implications for control of Congress in November, and for the effect of supreme court orders requiring southern states to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act and eliminate racial gerrymandering. Continue reading...

Asna Tabassum says university is succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice' after decision to scrap speechThe University of Southern California is facing intense backlash for the decision to cancel the valedictorian speech of a Muslim student at the commencement ceremony in May, a decision which the student has criticized as being silenced by anti-Palestinian hatred for her views on human rights.In a missive to the USC community, the university's provost, Andrew Guzman, wrote that the Los Angeles university took the unprecedented step of canceling Asna Tabassum's planned speech because the alarming tenor" of reactions to her selection as valedictorian - along with the intensity of feelings" surrounding Israel's ongoing military strikes in Gaza - had created substantial risks relating to security". Continue reading...

Juan Merchan admonishes ex-president for gesturing and speaking in the direction of the juror' as jury selection continuesDonald Trump met a stern rebuke on Tuesday from the jurist presiding over his criminal hush-money trial, with the judge warning: I won't have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom."Trump's apparent misbehavior did not derail the trial's progress; seven jurors were picked by day's end.A guide to Trump's hush-money trial - so farThe key arguments prosecutors will use against TrumpHow will Trump's trial work?From Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels: the key players Continue reading...

It has not taken long for Donald Trump to land himself in hot water with Juan Merchan, the judge in his hush-money trial

Animal recaptured without harm, local outlet reports, and is safe with handlers after escaping Jordan World CircusAn elephant escaped from the circus and ambled through the streets of Butte, Montana, before being recaptured without harm, local news reported.NBC Montana showed a video of the enormous pachyderm walking across a busy multi-lane street in front of stopped cars and gawping drivers. A later picture showed the elephant standing on a suburban house's lawn. Continue reading...

The Piper PA-32, a single engine plane, crashed off the coast across from Trump's LA golf club in Ranchos Palos VerdesA pilot and his dog survived a plane crash off the California coast, swimming to shore where they were met by authorities responding to the incident.A 911 call came in on Sunday afternoon at 5.22pm about a plane crashing into the ocean off the coast across from the Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles, in Ranchos Palos Verdes, the Los Angeles county sheriff's department said on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Engineer Sam Salehpour calls on planemaker ahead of testimony before Senate homeland security committeeA whistleblower has urged Boeing to ground every 787 Dreamliner jet worldwide after warning they are at risk of premature failure ahead of a high-profile hearing on Capitol Hill.The planemaker has been grappling with its latest crisis since a cabin panel blowout in January raised fresh questions about the production of its bestselling commercial jet, the 737 Max. Continue reading...

Democratic members have argued the articles are a matter of policy dispute and not high crimes' outlined in the constitutionHouse Republicans on Tuesday formally presented articles of impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, to the Senate, part of the party's attempt to force an election-year showdown with the Biden administration over immigration and border security.In a ceremonial procession, 11 House Republican impeachment managers carried the two articles of impeachment across the rotunda of the US Capitol, where they informed the Senate they were prepared, for the first time in American history, to prosecute a sitting cabinet secretary for willful and systemic refusal" to enforce border policies and a breach of public trust". Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. For the latest on Republicans' impeachment efforts, read our full report:

Outcry as Cotton says those inconvenienced by protesters blocking roads and airports should take matters into own hands'The Republican senator Tom Cotton has urged Americans to take matters into their own hands" when encountering pro-Palestine supporters, an apparent call to vigilantism as Israel's military strikes in Gaza continued despite global calls for a ceasefire.Demonstrations on Monday by supporters of Palestine blocked roads in major US cities, including New York and Philadelphia; delayed flights at the bustling Chicago O'Hare and Seattle-Tacoma international airports; and caused traffic congestion on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Continue reading...

If court curtails use of statute in connection with Capitol riot it could eliminate two of the four charges against Donald TrumpThe US supreme court expressed concern on Tuesday with prosecutors using an obstruction statute to charge hundreds of January 6 Capitol riot defendants, with the justices leaning towards a position that could jeopardize those prosecutions and the criminal case against Donald Trump.The Trump case was not mentioned at the argument. But a decision curtailing the use of the obstruction statute in connection with the Capitol attack could eliminate two of the four charges against the former president. Continue reading...

Mother of Nasir Davis calls Andrew Podolak, 33, who averted a potential tragedy in Cleveland, Ohio, a really special person'An Ohio man who used his arm to deflect a hockey puck flying directly toward a four-year-old boy - sparing him from serious injury or worse - is being heralded as a hero.The heroic - and coordinated - feat took place last Thursday at a minor league hockey game in Cleveland. The Cleveland Monsters match was nearly finished when a hockey puck launched into the crowd headed straight for little Nasir Davis. Continue reading...

Kelly Slater's long career appears to be ending after the 52-year-old - widely acknowledged as the greatest surfer - missed the World Surf League's mid-season cut at Margaret River. Missing the cut means he has not qualified for the rest of the 2024 Championship Tour, as well as the start of next year's. The 11-time WSL champion was holding back tears as he said: "Everything comes to an end. If you don't adapt, you don't survive."

Baywatch star will return to the big screen in the remake of the 80s and 90s crime spoof, directed by the Lonely Island's Akiva SchafferPamela Anderson is headed back to the big screen for a remake of the Naked Gun, opposite Liam Neeson.The Lonely Island alum Akiva Schaffer will direct the as-yet-untitled remake, based on the series of crime spoof comedies released in the 1980s and 90s, for Paramount. Schaffer, Doug Mand and Dan Gregor - the trio behind the popular Emmy-winning Disney+ movie Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers - will pen the script. Continue reading...

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg alleges former president violated gag order with Truth Social posts about witnesses in hush-money case

Congressman Thomas Massie says he would co-sponsor motion to vacate resolution introduced by Marjorie Taylor GreeneA second House Republican has joined the effort to oust the speaker, Mike Johnson, escalating the risk of another leadership election just six months after the Louisiana congressman assumed the top job.Congressman Thomas Massie, a Republican of Kentucky, announced on Tuesday that he would co-sponsor the motion to vacate resolution introduced last month by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican of Georgia. Continue reading...

Bill strengthens yellow flag' law, boosts background checks and makes it a crime to recklessly sell guns to a prohibited personAfter experiencing the deadliest mass shooting in the state's history last year, Maine is poised to pass a series of new gun safety bills meant to minimize the chances of an even worse attack occurring in the future.Maine's state house on Monday followed its senate in approving the governor's omnibus gun safety bill that strengthens the state's so-called yellow flag" law, boosts background checks for private sales of guns and makes it a crime to recklessly sell a gun to a prohibited person. The bill also funds violence prevention initiatives and opens a mental health crisis receiving center in Lewiston, Maine, where 18 people were killed and 13 others were wounded in a shooting on 25 October. Continue reading...

As a rising crop of young stars lead their teams into the NBA postseason, the league's old guard are thriving past their sell-by dates - and none more than the Lakers' ageless superstarThe second-youngest team in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder, just clinched the top seed in a feverishly competitive Western Conference. A Minnesota Timberwolves squad, led by 22-year-old phenom Anthony Edwards, are hot on their tails. But on the bottom end of the bracket, and the other end of the age spectrum, await surefire first-ballot Hall of Famers like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and LeBron James.Yes, their respective teams had up-and-down seasons that left them with unfavorable seedings entering the NBA postseason, which soft-launches on Tuesday night with the play-in tournament. And no one would argue that the future isn't looking bright in the association with stars like Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in full bloom. But the youngsters in Oklahoma and Minnesota would be the first to tell you: the NBA's old guard is still waiting in the wings, cleaver in hand. Continue reading...

Uri Berliner suspended without pay for five days by National Public Radio for unauthorised outside work for another outletThe National Public Radio employee who recently published a scorching letter accusing the media organization of a liberal slant has been suspended without pay for five days.Uri Berliner, an NPR senior business editor, was punished last Friday after backlash from an article he wrote for the Free Press, a website operated by the former New York Times editor Bari Weiss. Continue reading...

The first female vice-president was supposed to be the future of the Democratic party - now she looks like ancient historyRemember Kamala Harris? Just a few years ago the first female vice-president of the US was surrounded by fanfare, splashed on the cover of Vogue and being feted as the future of the Democratic party. For a brief moment, it seemed plausible that Joe Biden, the oldest inaugurated president in history, might serve just a single term and then gracefully hand the reins over to his VP. Ms Harris now finds herself the most clearly positioned heir to the White House," the New York Times mused after the 2020 election.Four years on and Harris's position is a lot less clear. Indeed, you could be forgiven for forgetting that the vice-president even exists. And, to be fair, that's because part of her job is ensuring she doesn't steal the spotlight from her boss. Very few vice-presidents shine in the role; there is a reason Teddy Roosevelt once opined that the position is not a stepping stone to anything except oblivion". Biden, of course, was an exception to that. Still, he jokingly complained that being number two was a bitch" back in 2014, when he was VP.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...

Public spending on private sweep contractors is soaring across the state - and unhoused people allege poor treatmentThis story was produced in partnership with Type Investigations with support from the Wayne Barrett ProjectOn an October morning, a small army arrived to evict Rudy Ortega from his home in the Crash Zone, an encampment located near the end of the airport runway in San Jose, California, Silicon Valley's largest city. As jets roared overhead, garbage trucks and police squad cars encircled Ortega's hand-built shelter. Heavy machinery operators stood by for the signal to bulldoze Ortega's camp. Continue reading...

Simpson's former agent and two friends of Al Cowlings - who drove the vehicle during the infamous chase - hope to fetch $1.5mThe current owners of the white Ford Bronco at the center of the infamous 1994 OJ Simpson police chase say they hope to sell the vehicle for at least $1.5m now that he has died.Simpson's former agent Michael Gilbert and two friends of Al Cowlings - the SUV's original owner - said they would probably sell the vehicle amid burgeoning interest following Simpson's death on 10 April, the collections website cllct first reported. Continue reading...

My sister Loujain has been placed under a travel ban and lives in constant fear of arrest. She is one of many

Marty Small and his wife, a local school district superintendent, were charged with assaulting daughter on multiple occasions'The mayor of New Jersey's Atlantic City, Marty Small, and his wife - the local school district superintendent - were charged on Monday with abusing and assaulting their teenage daughter on multiple occasions, including hitting her in the head with a broom and knocking her unconscious.The Atlantic county prosecutor's office said it filed charges of endangering the welfare of a child against both parents.In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International Continue reading...

Chance Brannon firebombed a Planned Parenthood clinic in 2022 and had plans to attack a power station and a Pride celebrationA former US marine was sentenced on Monday to nine years in prison for firebombing a southern California Planned Parenthood clinic in 2022, federal prosecutors said.Chance Brannon, 24, pleaded guilty in November to four felony counts, including malicious destruction of property by fire as well as explosives and intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility. Continue reading...

Caitlin Clark's professional basketball career has begun after she was selected by the Indiana Fever as the No 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft. The former Iowa star became a household name among basketball fans during her record-breaking college career, and she will now try and help revive the Indiana franchise along with last season's No 1 pick, Aliyah Boston, who previously played with Clark on the USA Basketball Under-19 team

About 27 children have died of hunger and malnutrition, raising concerns many more will suffer lifelong effects. Plus, dozens of potential Trump trial jurors excusedGood morning,Iran's attack on Israel tested the country's air defences, but has for now repaired Tel Aviv's fractured relationship with Washington - pushing the war and tightening famine in Gaza out of the headlines and down the diplomatic agenda.What's the latest on famine in Gaza? The UN World Food Programme says malnutrition is spreading at record pace among children. More than 90% of young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women are subsisting on two or fewer food groups - mainly bread - with no access to fruit, vegetables, milk or proteins.Compounding the problem: Gaza's healthcare system has collapsed, making malnutrition alleviation nearly impossible.What is Israel's position on retaliation against Iran? On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff said the launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles and drones" will be met with a response." The IDF interprets the use of ballistic missiles as an escalatory factor by Iran. Continue reading...

In fact, terror attacks and hostage-taking sparked several recent conflicts that US presidents of both parties labeled genocideMy old boss Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, bravely said recently what Joe Biden has been afraid to: Palestinian civilians do not deserve to suffer for the sins of Hamas, and Israel has a moral obligation to do better. The United States has an obligation to do better."The ongoing violence, Schumer noted, threatens not just the lives of Palestinians but the security of Jewish people worldwide by alienating global allies appalled by the bloodshed. If Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to desist, he concluded, the US must start shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage" - which obviously includes military, diplomatic and economic aspects. Continue reading...

Thousands of people held demonstrations across the US on Monday, blocking roads and traffic along major thoroughfares to protest against Israel's war on Gaza. People were seen calling for a ceasefire on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, Wall Street and on the Kennedy expressway into Chicago O'Hare airport, one of the country's busiest hubs

Flights delayed and traffic disrupted as protesters in major US cities intensify call for ceasefire in GazaThousands of people held protests across the US on Monday condemning Israel's attack on Gaza, shutting down airports and disrupting traffic in major cities from New York to San Francisco.A portion of the Kennedy Expressway into Chicago O'Hare international airport, one of the US's busiest, was blocked off by protesters calling for an end to the violence. Continue reading...

Speaker rejects pressure to approve package sent over by Senate, leaving its path to passage deeply uncertainMike Johnson, the US House speaker, has unveiled a complicated proposal for passing wartime aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, rejecting pressure to approve a package sent over by the Senate and leaving its path to passage deeply uncertain.The Republican speaker huddled with fellow GOP lawmakers on Monday evening to lay out his strategy to gain House approval for the funding package. Facing an outright rebellion from conservatives who fiercely oppose aiding Ukraine, Johnson said he would push to get the package to the House floor under a single debate rule, then hold separate votes on aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and several foreign policy proposals, according to Republican lawmakers. Continue reading...

Since 2021, eight employees of Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, charged with assaulting female prisonersThe US Bureau of Prisons (BoP) is closing a federal women's prison in California that has been plagued by rampant staff sexual abuse of incarcerated residents.Colette Peters, the BoP director, said in a statement to the Associated Press on Monday that Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Dublin was not meeting expected standards and that the best course of action is to close the facility". Continue reading...

Everything you need to know about the ex-president's 34 felony charges for falsifying business records for his 2016 campaign

Monday's day in court indicated that jury selection could take weeks - and that Trump could yet be held in contemptDonald Trump struggled through the opening day of his New York criminal trial on Monday as the jury selection process formally got under way in Manhattan in the first criminal trial of a current or former US president.Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in trying to cover up hush-money payments to an adult film star that influenced the 2016 election. Continue reading...

Ex-president dozed off during calm day of proceedings in trial over hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, with some potential jurors chosen. This blog is now closed.Shortly, we should have the first set of potential jurors enter the courtroom where they will give their responses verbally to a 42-point questionnaire.There are several categories of questions, including: in which New York neighborhood they live, their educational background, whether they've engaged in political activism or previously served on a jury. Continue reading...

William Brock, 81, who is white, was arrested after he fatally shot Lo-Letha Hall, 61, outside his home in South Charleston, OhioAn Ohio man was charged with murder after shooting a Black ride-share driver in an unprovoked attack, following the most recent string of cases of Black Americans being shot while doing mundane things.William Brock, 81, who is white, was arrested after he fatally shot Lo-Letha Hall, 61, outside his home in South Charleston, Ohio, about an hour outside Dayton, NBC News reported. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. For more US politics news, you can read our coverage here.Supreme court justice Clarence Thomas's failure to turn up for court this morning has people scratching their heads, as no explanation has been given and it's usual for the court to mention if a member of the bench is under the weather.It's an important few weeks for the court, hearing final oral arguments of the session that began last October, major decisions from which are expected this June. Continue reading...

Jon and Carie Hallford accused of fraudulently obtaining nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds from US governmentThe couple who owned a Colorado funeral home - where 190 decaying bodies were discovered last year - have been indicted on federal charges for fraudulently obtaining nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds from the US government, according to court documents unsealed on Monday.The new federal charges against Jon and Carie Hallford add to charges in Colorado state court for abusing corpses. The 15 fraud charges filed against each of the Hallfords carry potential penalties of 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines, according to the indictment. Continue reading...

Findings also detailed how a bald man in black' thought by service members to be the bomber was misidentifiedThe suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that killed US troops and Afghans in August 2021 was not preventable, and a bald man in black" spotted by US service members on the morning of the attack was not the bomber, according to a new review by US Central Command.The findings, released on Monday, refute assertions by some service members who believed they had a chance to take out the would-be bomber but did not get approval. And, for the first time, the USmilitary confirmed that the bomber was Abdul Rahman al-Logari, an Islamic State militant who had been in an Afghan prison but was released by the Taliban as the group took control of the country that summer. Continue reading...

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's punishment is most substantial criminal consequence yet over Alec Baldwin shooting cinematographerThe chief weapons handler on Rust was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the 2021 fatal, on-set shooting of the movie's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by the actor Alec Baldwin.Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March for mistakenly loading a live round into the revolver Baldwin used in the film. The judge in the case said on Monday she had failed to take responsibility for her role in Hutchins's death and sentenced her to prison.Reuters contributed to this report Continue reading...

The world does not know what's been unleashed in the tit-for-tat attacks. But it is unlikely to be anything goodIt is troubling that what started with Israel's attack on Iran's consular building in Syria on 1 April may not end with Tehran's Operation True Promise. The bombing in Damascus, which killed at least two top Iranian generals, resulted in the first-ever direct strikes launched against Israel from Iranian territory. For the Islamic regime, unpopular at home, crossing the Rubicon would have been very hard, if not impossible, to avoid. As British foreign secretary, David Cameron, admitted, the UK would take very strong action" if a hostile power had flattened one of its consulates.This is a defining moment in the Middle East. The world does not know what's been unleashed here. But it is unlikely to be anything good. That is why it is right for world leaders to urge Benjamin Netanyahu's government to show restraint. The wise choice for Mr Netanyahu would be, in US president Joe Biden's words, to take the win" of having seen off the strikes and not respond militarily. Israel's prime minister could then turn his attention to the on-and-off talks with Hamas to free Israeli hostages and seek an end to the fighting in Gaza. Trading military restraint forinternational support might appeal to MrNetanyahu's opportunism.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...