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Congressional leaders work to keep government funded and pass wartime aid for Ukraine as far-Republicans refuse to budgeWith a government shutdown looming and Ukraine desperate for Washington's aid, the House returns to session on Wednesday to face a towering to-do list and strong objections from the Republican right flank.Congressional leaders worked frantically to reach a deal ahead of the 1 March deadline to avert a partial government shutdown that could shutter vital services in several key departments, temporarily endangering access to federal food assistance programs and federal housing vouchers. Continue reading...

Critical resources' on way to draw contrasts with Republicans tied to Trump and to hammer home reproductive rightsDemocrats are targeting seven battlegrounds in their first campaign spend of the year on state legislature elections, the Guardian has learned, and intend to draw clear contrasts" with Republican candidates tied to former US president Donald Trump.The latest round of investments will deliver critical resources" to Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) said. Continue reading...

US climate chief hits out at disinformation' and demagoguery' by special interests to delay climate action. Plus, the lost 80s song baffling the internetGood morning.The populist backlash against net zero around the world is imperilling the fight against climate breakdown and must be countered urgently to avoid facing planetary destruction beyond comprehension", the US climate chief, John Kerry, has warned.Did he name any politicians? No. Though Kerry refused to name any specific interests or people, his words reflect the widespread concern that the climate is likely to be weaponised in the US election campaign this year, and in other countries as billions of people around the world head to the polls.How did Trump do? Donald Trump has won Michigan's Republican primary election, the latest in a string of primary victories as he closes in on the GOP presidential nomination. The Associated Press called the race for Trump over the former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley at 9pm ET. Continue reading...

I have investigated the EU border agency's role in the Adriana shipwreck. There is a chasm between rhetoric and reality

A focus on young South American players has underpinned Miami's star-driven transfer strategyInter Miami already had the actual Sergio Busquets. Now they also have the young midfielder described as his natural successor. Federico Redondo certainly isn't the biggest name or most recognisable face to have pitched up at Chase Stadium recently, but his arrival in Major League Soccer proves Inter Miami's project is about more than just Messi.Of course, a lot of it is about Messi. He's the reason countless celebrities - including Will Smith for last week's season opener - have made the trip to Fort Lauderdale for a game. He has doubled Inter Miami's valuation as a franchise to $1bn and sold out stadiums in El Salvador, Hong Kong, Japan and Saudi Arabia on a global pre-season tour. There is a gravity around Messi and MLS has been sucked into it. Continue reading...

Joe Biden has backed a Native American lacrosse team's bid to compete at the Los Angeles Games in 2028. But IOC rules stand in their wayLacrosse is returning to the Olympics in 2028, and the Haudenosaunee Nationals have no intention of watching from the sidelines. The team represents the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the sport's birthplace, which straddles the US-Canadian border and is made up of the Mohawk, Oneida, Tuscarora, Seneca, Onondaga and Cayuga people. The Haudenosaunee Nationals' Olympic campaign in 2028 wouldn't be a first. In 1904 a team of Mohawk players took part in the St Louis Olympics, but they were officially representing Canada. Now these longtime contenders on the international scene seek to make history and play under their own flag at Los Angeles 2028, making them the first North American Indigenous nation to do so.[Lacrosse] is part of our existence," says Leo Nolan, executive director of the Nationals. It's us, so it's as important as anything else in our lifestyle, who we are. It's about who we are, so it's absolutely important for us to contribute this game to the rest of the world." Continue reading...

As president, Trump's approach was chaotic - but after four years of international upheaval, his views may resonate with the American peopleDonald Trump has all but clinched the Republican presidential nomination, kicking off a US general election campaign between two elderly one-term presidents, each of whom is profoundly unpopular in their own way. Perhaps more unusually for the US, however, it also kicks off an election in which the foreign policy stakes are far higher than usual, and one in which the two presidential rivals offer radically different visions of the US's role in the world.Political scientists have long known that American voters do not typically vote on foreign policy issues, which pale in comparison with economic or social issues. In 2024, however, that rule is not likely to hold. A plethora of recent polls suggest that Americans are increasingly concerned about foreign policy; one survey found that four in 10 voters rank the issue among their top concerns.Emma Ashford is a senior fellow with the Reimagining US Grand Strategy programme at the Stimson Center, Washington DC, and the author of Oil, the State and War Continue reading...

Defeated former South Carolina governor has pledged to stay in Republican presidential primaries at least through Super Tuesday

Firearms expert says he sees no evidence gun was broken, despite actor's claim it went off without his pulling the triggerCourtroom testimony by an independent gun expert on Tuesday cast new doubt on Alec Baldwin's account that his gun went off without his pulling the trigger in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer during a 2021 rehearsal on the set of the western movie Rust.Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, with a trial scheduled for July in the death of Halyna Hutchins during a movie rehearsal on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Continue reading...

People who lost loved ones or were injured may be eligible for payout from fund announced Tuesday - but there's a catchHawaii governor Josh Green unveiled on Tuesday a multimillion-dollar fund to compensate families of people who were killed on Maui during the deadliest wildfire in the nation in more than a century.The announcement marks the first phase of the $175m One Ohana Fund that was proposed on 8 November, two months after at least 101 were killed in Lahaina, a coastal town on Maui. If found eligible, people who lost a loved one will receive $1.5m, and disbursements for those who survived but were gravely injured will vary, according to Green's press release. The fund will begin accepting applications on 1 March. Continue reading...

Taking photos of random strangers in public places can create little gems of personal interactionDo you ask before you take someone's picture?" It's the first question people ask when they see my photos. The answer is no. If I see an interesting scene like this shirtless sunbaker, I frame it and press the shutter button.This is kind of unremarkable to me - candid street photography is a genre almost as old as the medium itself, and I spend a lot of time looking at it. But I can see why going for little walks to take pictures of strangers might seem a strange, even slightly deviant, hobby. Continue reading...

Biden faces campaign by anti-war activists to abandon him, while Trump faces local leaders embroiled in a factional dispute

All 11 board members sign as sponsors of historic' resolution, with several supervisors stating this was just the start of reparationsSupervisors in San Francisco formally apologized Tuesday to African Americans and their descendants for the city's role in perpetuating racism and discrimination, with several stating that this was just the beginning of reparations for Black residents and not the end.The vote was unanimous with all 11 board members signed on as sponsors of the resolution. Continue reading...

Joint statement announces agreement to work toward labor agreements on constructive path forward'Starbucks and the union organizing its US workers said Tuesday they have agreed to begin talks with the aim of reaching labor agreements.The announcement was a breakthrough for the two sides, which have been at odds since Workers United first organized baristas at a Starbucks store in Buffalo, New York, in late 2021. Continue reading...

Samuel Meyer, 99, received France's highest decoration by Laurent Bili, the country's ambassador to the USFor decades, Samuel Meyer has been New Orleans's most celebrated hatter, devoted to a now-iconic business founded by his grandfather in 1894, and steering it into its second century with a fifth generation of family members in training.On Tuesday, the 99-year-old military veteran was celebrated for an altogether different achievement: becoming a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor in recognition of his service to the allies during the second world war. Continue reading...

Amin Mitchell, who is Black, posted about incident on social media and believes it was racist response to disagreement with managerBus drivers in Missouri staged a protest this week after a coworker found a noose at his work station and posted about it on social media.Amin Mitchell, a diesel mechanic, shared video of the noose on the floor of his employer - Missouri Central School Bus - on Facebook on 22 February. Continue reading...

An anonymous Brooklyn federal jury delivered the verdict on Tuesday in the trial of Karl Jordan Jr and Ronald WashingtonTwo men have been convicted of murder in the 2002 slaying of Jam Master Jay, a member of the pioneering hip-hop group Run-DMC.On Tuesday, a Brooklyn jury found Karl Jordan Jr and Ronald Washington guilty, prompting much commotion in the courtroom. Both men had been charged with one count of murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking and one count of firearm-related murder for the fatal shooting of Jason Mizell, better known as Jam Master Jay. Continue reading...

President met congressional leaders ahead of partial shutdown threat on Friday; Schumer and Johnson both described talks as frank' and intense' Biden and Harris meet congressional leaders to try to avert government shutdownIn brief remarks at the start of his meeting with congressional leaders, Joe Biden warned that a government shutdown would significantly" damage the nation's economy, which saw strong growth last year despite tenacious inflation and high interest rates.Here's what he had to say, from CNN: Continue reading...

Chuck Schumer says we're hopeful we can get this done quickly' after meeting in Oval Office before 1 March deadlineJoe Biden and Kamala Harris met congressional leaders on Tuesday in hopes of striking a deal to try to avert a government shutdown.We're making good progress, and we're hopeful we can get this done quickly," the top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said after the meeting, adding that the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, said unequivocally he wants to avoid a government shutdown". Continue reading...

Vote to sanction New College follows investigation into governor's politically, racially, and ideologically motivated attacks'A national university professors union has voted to sanction New College of Florida, the former liberal arts school where Ron DeSantis orchestrated an unprecedented aggressively ideological and politically motivated" takeover by a group of ultra-conservative cronies.The vote to sanction New College came after an investigation by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), which has placed only 12 other universities on its sanctioned list since 1995. Continue reading...

Lieutenant governor Winsome Earle-Sears misgendered Danica Roem, the first transgender person to serve in any state legislatureA top Republican in Virginia has apologized for misgendering a state senate Democrat in a row that caused legislative activity in the chamber to be temporarily suspended.We are all equal under the law. And so I apologize, I apologize, I apologize, and I would hope that everyone would understand there is no intent to offend but that we would also give each other the ability to forgive each other," the lieutenant governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, said in an address to the state senate on Monday. Continue reading...

Aaron Bushnell also grew up in a strict religious sect, the Community of Jesus, whose members would often join the militaryA uniformed airman who burned himself to death in protest over the US's role in Israel's military strikes in Gaza was an anarchist who grew up in a strict religious sect with links to a school in Canada that controlled, intimidated and humiliated" students, it was reported on Tuesday.Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty US air force senior airman from San Antonio, Texas, died in hospital on Sunday several hours after he doused himself in a flammable liquid and set himself alight outside the Israeli embassy in Washington DC.In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Multimillionaire Gary Pilnick was excoriated on the internet, especially as cereal prices have risen 28% over the last four yearsThe multimillionaire chief executive officer of the US food processing giant Kellogg's has drawn scorn from some quarters after recently suggesting that families with strained finances could cope by eating cereal for dinner".Gary Pilnick was speaking live on CNBC's Squawk on the Street on 21 February when he delivered the remarks in question, which some have compared to the let them eat cake" phrase frequently attributed without evidence to Marie Antoinette before her execution during the French Revolution. Continue reading...

Lawmakers postpone legislation that attempts to define a fetus as an unborn child' over concerns it could affect IVF treatmentsFlorida lawmakers have postponed a bill that would give fetuses civil rights after a similar ruling in Alabama has halted in vitro fertilization treatment at several clinics in the state.The fetal personhood" bill had been gaining support amid Florida's mostly Republican lawmakers. The legislation attempts to define a fetus as an unborn child", allowing parents to collect financial damages in the case of wrongful death, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Continue reading...

I spent much of my 20s working for a feminist magazine, but as a show at the Tate reminded me, my mum and auntie got there firstI often joke that my mum, dad and auntie will forever be cooler than I am, even as they head into their 60s. The latest evidence of this was when I started receiving pictures of my mum and auntie, the twins", taken at the Tate's landmark exhibition of feminist art, Women in Revolt!, showing them on the front cover of a radical zine called Shocking Pink.The twins had no idea they were going to be in the exhibition, and accepted the news in typically nonchalant style. They couldn't remember the magazine, having the picture taken, nor whether or not they did an interview for the magazine. I sighed and rolled my eyes, as I have been doing since I was a teenager. But inside, I was still pleased for them. As musicians, their legacy lives on in unexpected ways. I feel lucky to hear them on the radio every now and then, to see an old image of them in a restaurant toilet (true story), or to have a friend's parent tell me how much they loved their band, Soho.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...

Congressman Ken Buck introduces resolution claiming president is incapable of executing duties - but it has little chance of successA Colorado Republican introduced a congressional resolution calling for Kamala Harris to invoke the 25th amendment to the US constitution and remove Joe Biden because he is too old.The resolution from the US House member Ken Buck has little chance of success. Continue reading...

Department store will close dozens of outlets this year and the rest over a three-year period after issuing muted trading outlookMacy's has announced plans to close 150 underproductive" stores - more than a fifth of its department store empire - over the next three years.The business said it would shutter about 50 outlets by the end of 2024 after issuing a muted trading outlook for the year ahead. Continue reading...

Dramatic political and demographic changes have made Ronald Reagan's domain one of the few true purple regions in a deeply divided countryIn the battle between Democrats and Republicans for control of the US House of Representatives, one region could hold the key to victory - Orange county, California's historically conservative heartland.For decades, the region - perhaps most famously described by Ronald Reagan as the place where the good Republicans go before they die" - was a Republican stronghold and a hotbed for radical conservatives. Continue reading...

Faye Carruthers, Suzanne Wrack, Mark Parsons, and Megan Swanick look ahead to the new National Women's Soccer League seasonOn today's pod: Mark Parsons and Megan Swanick join to give you the full lowdown on what's to come in the forthcoming NWSL season. Who to look out for, and who their favourites are to win. The panel also asks: how does the draft system work and how do teams successfully navigate it?Also, the panel discuss the expansion teams' as two new clubs join the league, Bay FC and Utah Royals. Plus they assess the commercial viability of the league and deliver a team-by-team analysis of all their chances going into the season. Continue reading...

The company had faults - not least its treatment of staff - but my former colleagues were unfailingly original and phenomenally talentedOn Friday it was announced that the media company Vice would lay off hundreds of workers and halt publishing. It's an ignominious end for an organisation that once promised to transform the way we consume media, and will have devastating consequences for young talent hoping to break into a shrinking industry.I joined Vice in 2015. I was 26. I had newly quit a soul-destroying corporate job. I had no experience, no contacts and no journalism qualifications. I cold-pitched editors at Vice incessantly, and eventually one gave me a three-month paid internship. When my internship ended, my boss - a woman of luminous, shining goodness, so much so that I'd paint her into the Sistine Chapel if someone gave me a ladder and a brush - got me a job as a staff writer.Sirin Kale is a features writer for the Guardian Continue reading...

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx plans to be tuition-free for students, after a $1bn donation from former professor Dr Ruth Gottesman. The donation is among the largest to date for an educational institution in the US. Half of Einstein's most recent class of students are New Yorkers, according to the medical school - 59% are women and the majority are people of color. Einstein's students graduate with higher amounts of debt than other medical students at New York City schools. Gottesman said she hoped that it made medical school more accessible to those who could not previously afford it

Weird things do happen in US politics, but unless something very weird happens, we are looking at this reality: a rematch of 2020Get Margaret Sullivan's latest columns delivered straight to your inbox.It can be diverting - even fun - to fantasize about who might become the next president of the United States.

Company's 5G network covers about 290 million people, who grappled with a disruption hampering ability to make 911 callsAT&T will award $5 credits to consumers affected or potentially affected last week by an outage across the US because of the service disruption last week, the company said late on Saturday.AT&T, whose 5G network covers about 290 million people across the US, grappled with interruptions to its service for more than 10 hours on Thursday. AT&T restored wireless service later that day, saying it believed the issue had been caused by the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network". The company said on Saturday it was crediting affected consumers for the average cost of a full day of service. Continue reading...

UN special rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, says denial of food is war crime and constitutes a situation of genocide'. Plus, Eric Clapton letters detailing George Harrison love triangle to be auctioned

A Trump presidency would usher in dark consortium dedicated to stripping millions of Americans of our freedomsFifty years ago, then governor Ronald Reagan headlined the inaugural Conservative Political Action Conference. He spoke of the US as a city on a hill, an example of human virtue and excellence, a divinely inspired nation whose best days were ahead.The speakers at last week's conference were decidedly less inspiring. A lineup of extremists, insurrectionists and conspiracy theorists gathered for panels like Cat Fight? Michelle v Kamala" and Putting Our Heads in the Gas Stove". At CPAC, you can drink Woke Tears Water", buy rhinestone-studded firearms and play a January 6-themed pinball machine. Continue reading...

Trump and Biden are likely to win on Tuesday, despite a complicated process and the Israel-Gaza warMichigan moved up its primary contest this year, creating a domino effect for the state's Republican party that led to a primary and a caucus being held in yet another confusing moment for the US primary election.The midwestern state's primary will be held on 27 February for Republicans and Democrats, who voted to move up the date to meet requests from national Democrats and President Joe Biden to diversify the states with earlier primaries. Continue reading...

Officers in the British Transport Police no longer have to take the bleep test' to prove their stamina. But I reckon a lot of menopausal women would smash it faster than the patriarchyThe British Transport Police have axed their annual compulsory fitness test, on the basis that it is discriminatory. Women were more likely to fail the bleep test" - a multi-stage, short-interval running test - and therefore more likely to get shunted to the back office, which a 2021 report showed was contributing to the gender pay gap.It was a particular source of indirect discrimination against menopausal women, which makes instinctive sense to people who conceive menopause as one universal, unavoidable negative - but I think, as an assumption, this is a little too casual. Menopause, however intense a form it takes - and the variation is massive - is a physical stocktaking event, and a lot of women end up fitter during and after it than they were before. I remember a personal trainer describing it as forcing you to engage with your body, and ask what kind of old age you wanted to have, concluding that women live longer than men because of that midlife period of reflection and adjustment. I said that in a meeting, once, and a colleague, who is also my friend, replied: That is complete bollocks."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...

From Aston Villa's maestro to Burnley's woes, we hand out honors (and dishonors) from the top-flight weekendAston Villa's Leon Bailey was in the middle of all that was right and good about his team's 4-2 win over Nottingham Forest. Bailey finished with a goal and two assists, tormenting the left side of Forest's defence.They have conceded more shots than any side this season other than Sheffield United.They have conceded more shots in February than Manchester City have all season.They rank 13th in goals per game.They've scored the eighth fewest goals in open play.They've been outscored in the expected goals tally in open play. Continue reading...

Researchers probed posters' motivations on sites like Tattle Life and Guru Gossip - and found something unexpectedWe hear a lot these days about young people's infatuation with influencers - obsessive followers who treat social media stars like world-class musicians or decorated actors, as though posting sponsored content for a living conveyed dazzling talent. There are fans who hang on their every word, who travel far and wide to attend meet-and-greets with someone known for dance routines or kooky videos, who come out in the tens of thousands to buy up branded products, and who excitedly repost influencer pregnancy or engagement announcements as though they were about their closest friends.But we almost never hear about an arguably more dedicated group: their anti-fans. These are the people who unite around a shared hatred of particular social media stars. They post on sites such as Tattle Life, Guru Gossip and Reddit's Blogsnark, which host many forums where anti-fans post biting criticism of influencers' appearance, weight and lifestyle, calling them bad mothers or suggesting their partners have cheated. This rampant cruelty occasionally slips into territory that is actively dangerous, with posters doxing influencers and their families through chillingly crafty sleuthing.Sarah Manavis is an American writer covering technology, culture, and societyDo 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...

US president's appearance on Late Night a rare media event as he faces criticism for avoiding traditional interviewsJoe Biden joked that a potential 2024 endorsement by Taylor Swift is classified" as he made a rare media appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers.Biden's arrival was apparently a surprise to the audience. He stepped on stage after the announced guest - the comedian and actor Amy Poehler - noted that Biden when vice-president had been a guest on Meyers's first show. Poehler said she could get him to return, prompting Biden to enter. Continue reading...

US president appears upbeat as Hamas reportedly mulls 40-day halt in fighting with Palestinian prisoners swapped for Israeli hostages

President Joe Biden says that he hopes to have a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza by the start of next week, saying his national security adviser has told him that 'we're close' to a deal. The US president offered the update spontaneously during a visit to New York on Monday, in response to reporters' inquiries. Over the weekend, Israel's war cabinet approved the broad terms of a deal to pause fighting for several weeks in exchange for hostage releases. However, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has vowed to continue Israel's bombardment after the pause.

Steve Marshall, state's attorney general, says no staff or personnel injured by explosion in Montgomery on SaturdayOfficials in Alabama said on Monday they had launched an investigation into the detonation of an explosive device outside the office of the state's attorney general at the weekend.Thankfully, no staff or personnel were injured by the explosion. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (Alea) will be leading the investigation, and we are urging anyone with information to contact them immediately," the attorney general, Steve Marshall, said in a statement. Continue reading...

President Zelenskiy says 'millions will be killed' if US aid is not approved within one monthVladimir Putin gains every day" the US House does not pass a new aid package for Ukraine, Joe Biden's national security adviser has warned, as its president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, warned of dire outcomes unless Ukraine receives US military aid within one month.Ahead of a crunch week in Washington that could end in a government shutdown - in part made possible by hardline Republican opposition to new support for Kyiv - Jake Sullivan told CNN that the reality is that Putin gains every day that Ukraine does not get the resources it needs, and Ukraine suffers". Continue reading...

Biden says he didn't know my good friend, apparently, is going' as he plans Brownsville visit while Trump heads for Eagle PassJoe Biden and Donald Trump will both travel to the US border with Mexico on Thursday, dueling visits by the president and his probable opponent for re-election underlining the importance of immigration as an issue in the coming campaign.Biden will visit Brownsville, Texas, in the Rio Grande valley, while his presidential predecessor will head for Eagle Pass, about 325 miles distant. Continue reading...