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Amid Russia’s war on Ukraine and a global pandemic, pressure is once again building to think about how people can protect themselves during a crisisGary Lynch is the CEO of Rising S Company in Texas. When I first visited his warehouse in 2018, I watched his crew assemble, deliver, and bury a handful of bunkers in people’s backyards every month. The bunkers are thick plate steel boxes that are welded together like a giant Lego set – the size of the bunker limited only by a client’s resources.Sales, he says, have spiked 1,000% since that time as anxieties around the pandemic, civil unrest, climate change and war have driven more buyers to his company. Continue reading...

The comedy legend’s cultural and commercial power have waned as he struggles to resist going lowbrowAt this point in his gilded career, Chris Rock doesn’t take an Oscars gig for the clout. He takes it for the check. And the 57-year-old funnyman made clear from the moment he took LA’s Dolby Theatre stage to present the prize for best feature documentary that he wouldn’t be sweating for it.Rather than launch into a meticulous bit that might remind the world why he was once so big that he hosted this program all by himself twice, he made fun of the crowd – hack moves. He singled out Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia, maligning her with a near 30-year-old movie reference, and everyone in the room laughed on reflex – because he’s Chris Rock. For his brief guest spot to end with Will Smith slapping him on live television and then heckling him from a front-row seat in some ways speaks to how much the comedy legend has slipped. (Smith apologized to Rock in an Instagram post on Monday.) Continue reading...

Ayanna Pressley and others say comic’s joke about Jada Pinkett Smith was demeaning to 147m people worldwide with alopeciaCongresswoman Ayanna Pressley and others with alopecia have spoken out about Will Smith hitting Chris Rock at the Oscars, after Rock joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s short hair.Pinkett Smith has talked about living with alopecia-related hair loss. Pressley, who in 2020 opened up about her own journey with alopecia, shared her thoughts on Twitter on Sunday night. Continue reading...

Every time you hear someone say it’s time to ‘live with the virus’, remember that doesn’t mean doing nothing about itSo, is that it? After wave upon wave of infections, the combination of vaccination and Omicron’s comparatively mild (though still serious) properties has led the UK to declare the pandemic, essentially, over.After two lockdowns, a huge burden on healthcare and at last an extremely prompt and effective vaccination campaign, the UK has still registered more than 160,000 lives lost to the pandemic, roughly half of them in the Alpha wave. Continue reading...

Select committee unanimously agrees to advance contempt of Congress citations against Peter Navarro and Dan ScavinoThe House select committee investigating the Capitol attack voted on Monday to recommend the criminal prosecution of two of Donald Trump’s top former White House aides – Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino – for defying subpoenas in a bid to undermine the January 6 inquiry.The select committee unanimously approved the contempt of Congress report it had been examining. The citations now head for a vote before the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, which is expected to approve resolutions for referrals to the justice department. Continue reading...

Joe Biden said his remark in Warsaw that Vladimir Putin should not remain in power reflected his own moral outrage, not an administration policy shift. 'I wasn’t then nor am I now articulating a policy change. I was expressing moral outrage that I felt and I make no apologies,' he said, noting that he had just visited with families displaced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Biden added that he was 'not walking anything back' by clarifying the remark. Asked whether the remark would spur a negative response from Putin, Biden said: 'I don’t care what he thinks ... He’s going to do what he’s going to do'

Tax on households over $100m aims to ensure wealthiest Americans no longer pay lower rate than teachers and firefightersJoe Biden proposed a new tax on America’s richest households when he unveiled his latest budget on Monday.The Biden administration wants to impose a 20% minimum tax on households worth more than $100m. The proposal would raise more than $360bn over the next decade and “would make sure that the wealthiest Americans no longer pay a tax rate lower than teachers and firefighters”, according to a factsheet released by the White House. Continue reading...

Measure bars teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third gradeThe Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has signed into law a bill that forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, a policy that has drawn intense national scrutiny from critics who argue it risks marginalizing LGBTQ+ people.LGBTQ+ advocates, students, Democrats, the entertainment industry and the White House have denounced what critics have called the “don’t say gay” bill. The issue has led to a clash between DeSantis and Disney, a major player in the Florida tourism industry. Continue reading...

President says he was not calling for regime change but was expressing personal ‘moral outrage’ over Russia’s invasionJoe Biden on Monday defended the unscripted remarks he made at the end of an important speech in Poland at the weekend, in which he said that Russian president Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power”, which had prompted hurried efforts by other senior figures in the administration to play down the comment in the face of international criticism.The US president, when questioned on Sunday after attending church following his return to the White House, denied that he was seeking “regime change” as a new policy. Continue reading...

Local advocate says ‘events like this remind us that there is no safe space’ for the homelessFour people died and several were injured after a driver in Salem, Oregon, crashed a car into a homeless encampment early Sunday morning.Police arrested Enrique Rodriguez Jr, 24, on Sunday evening. He was charged with four counts of first-degree manslaughter, second- and third-degree assault and six counts of reckless endangerment. Continue reading...

Zelenskiy is a master of mobilising his nation’s defence. But his plight must not become a plaything of western politicsAn iron maxim of war is to imagine what your enemy most wants you to do, and not to do it. Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is floundering. He has lied to the Russian people to justify it. He has told them it is not Ukraine but Nato and the west that seek their defeat and his overthrow. That is why they must support him in his fight. To a large extent they have done so.Nato has so far been scrupulous in not playing Putin’s game. It has stood aloof from active military support to Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy, as have its individual member countries. Continue reading...

The actor cited the father of Serena Williams as another man who protects his family. But there is no comparison: Smith has no excuseWill Smith has spoken. Chris Rock has spoken. The Academy has spoken. Even the Los Angeles Police Department has spoken. But the person I really want to hear from has remained silent.What does Jada Pinkett Smith think of her husband slapping the Oscars host? What was it that caused Smith to switch from laughing at Rock’s joke about her “GI Jane” look to, less than 10 seconds later, striding onstage, slapping him, marching back to his seat and shouting to the stage, “Keep my wife’s name out your fucking mouth”. After which, in case anyone watching might still have thought it was some kind of pre-rehearsed skit, he shouted the same thing again, and twice as loud.Joseph Harker is the Guardian’s senior editor, diversity and development. He is a former editor and publisher of the weekly newspaper Black Briton Continue reading...

Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino have refused to cooperate with House panel investigating January 6 insurrectionTwo of Donald Trump’s top former advisers, Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino, are facing mounting legal peril after the House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol moved a step closer to recommending criminal charges against them.The members of the committee were expected to meet on Monday night to discuss whether to hold Navarro, Trump’s former trade adviser, and Scavino, his former deputy chief of staff, in criminal contempt of Congress. Continue reading...

While the dial only seemed to be turning one way, the 94th Academy Awards was unexpectedly rich in sexist ‘her-indoors’ gags, undoing any progressIf this year’s Oscars had a spirit animal, you’d have to say it was Les Dawson. An uncharacteristically aggressive and unfunny Dawson, perhaps. But the 94th Academy Awards proved to be an evening unexpectedly rich in “her-indoors” gags for the lads, while women stood on the sidelines making abashed cracks about their own physical shortcomings.The most generous possible reading of Chris Rock’s joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, for instance, is that he simply finds the idea of a woman having short hair hilarious. This does not seem unlikely. After all, his preceding gag concerned the domestic nightmare which would await poor Javier Bardem should he win best actor but his missus, Penélope Cruz, fail to bag best actress. You know what women are like! Continue reading...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reinstated penalties that could cost manufacturers hundreds of millionsThe US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reinstated a sharp increase in penalties for automakers whose vehicles do not meet fuel efficiency requirements for model years 2019 and beyond.The decision is a win for Tesla that could cost other automakers hundreds of millions of dollars or more. Continue reading...

Rick Scott of Florida grilled on Fox News Sunday about suggested income tax rise and letting social security and Medicare fallA Republican senator and reputed presidential hopeful found himself in a tough spot when he claimed tax rises contained in his own “11 point plan to rescue America” were “Democratic talking points” instead.“No, no, it’s in the plan!” his interviewer exclaimed, on Fox News Sunday. “It’s in the plan!” Continue reading...

Let’s assume for a moment that Putin does fall. What happens next? Here are three scenariosVladimir Putin’s full-blown invasion of Ukraine aimed at toppling the Kyiv government – based on the preposterous claim that it’s run by “neo-Nazis” – has produced Europe’s worst war in a generation, and it has taken a terrible toll on civilians. The Russian armed forces have hit hospitals, apartment buildings, a shopping center and a theater that was serving as a shelter. The immense suffering has been made worse by sieges, above all the one around Mariupol, large parts of which have also been reduced to rubble.The war has also forced millions from their homes. The UN high commissioner for refugees reports that more than 3.7 million Ukrainians have fled their homeland and that another 6.7 million have been internally displaced. The two figures together – children account for nearly half the total – comprise 20% of Ukraine’s population.Rajan Menon is the director of the grand strategy program at Defense Priorities, senior research fellow at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University, and Anne and Bernard Spitzer emeritus at Powell School, City College of New York Continue reading...

Talks to start in Turkey as Ukraine president seeks peace ‘without delay’. Plus, drama at the Oscars as Will Smith attacks Chris Rock on stageGood morning.Ukraine is willing to discuss “neutral status” at face-to-face talks with Russia in Turkey, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said.What else did he say? Zelenskiy said he was not willing to discuss demilitarisation, and said Ukrainians would need to vote in a referendum to approve their country adopting a neutral status.What about international diplomacy? The French president has cautioned against verbal escalations after the US is forced to deny it is seeking regime change.What else is happening? Here’s everything we know on day 33 of the Russian invasion.How did Hollywood react to the incident? Reactions to the most talked-about moment of the Oscars ranged from delight to concern.What else happened? The eventful 94th Academy Awards ceremony delivered drama in spades. Here are some of the standout moments. It was also an historic night for women.Who else won? Here’s a full list of all the Oscar winners. Continue reading...

Ban would shift US uranium production into overdrive – posing environmental and spiritual threats to Indigenous communities who live near the minesSacred Native American sites such as the Grand Canyon and Bears Ears may seem a long way from the devastation unfolding in Ukraine. But as the US mulls a ban on Russian uranium, part of economic levers to stop Putin’s war, Indigenous communities living near US mines could pay the price.John Barrasso, a senator from Wyoming, recently introduced a bill that calls for a ban on all forms of uranium imported from Russia. Uranium fuels America’s nuclear power plants, and about 20% of that comes from Russia, while close to another 30% is imported from the Russian allies of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Continue reading...

The best actor winner Will Smith apologised in his acceptance speech for striking presenter Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaven head.Accepting the Oscar for his role as Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, in King Richard, Smith apologised to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and his fellow nominees but not to Rock.'Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,' a tearful Smith said and continued: 'Love will make you do crazy things', adding: 'I hope the academy invites me back'

The 2022 Oscars ceremony went off script in a dramatic way as Will Smith walked on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Moments later Smith gave a teary acceptance speech and apologised for his outburst after winning the best actor award for his role as Richard Williams, the father of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams, in King Richard. ‘Love will make you do crazy things,' Smith said.Troy Kotsur made history as the first deaf man to win an Oscar for his role in Coda, while West Side Story's Ariana DeBose won the best supporting actress award. Jessica Chastain won best lead actress for her role in The Eyes of Tammy Faye and delivered a powerful acceptance speech lamenting attacks on the LGBTQ community. ‘For any of you out there who do in fact feel hopeless or alone I just want you to know that you are unconditionally loved for the uniqueness that is you,' she said

A new, democratic Russia is impossible without a change of national mindset – and an acknowledgment of national guiltBombed-out Ukrainian cities and the corpses of children are not shown on Russian TV. Brave young people in Russia who protest against the war are being beaten up and arrested, while most people remain silent – there are no mass protests, no strikes. It hurts to see that many of my fellow citizens support the war against Ukraine: they put the Z on their windows at home and on their cars.Russian television now repeatedly shows an interview with the famous actor Sergei Bodrov, a cult figure in Russia. “During a war one cannot speak poorly of one’s own,” he says. “Even if they’re wrong. Even if your country is wrong during the war, you shouldn’t talk poorly about it.” And that’s what people do, willing to support “their own” even if they are shooting at Ukrainians.Mikhail Shishkin is a novelist, and the only author to have won the Russian Booker, Russian National Bestseller and Big Book prizes Continue reading...

Testimony could play a major role in establishing whether Trump oversaw a criminal conspiracy in efforts to overturn 2020 electionBehind closed doors in a nondescript conference room at the foot of Capitol Hill, the House select committee investigating 6 January next week expects to hear testimony about the connections between the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys militia groups and the Capitol attack.The panel expects to hear how the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys coordinated their plans and movements in the days before the insurrection to the same level of detail secured by the justice department and referenced in recent prosecutions for seditious conspiracy. Continue reading...

In this new series, I promise not to write as though I am the first ever to have given birth to a child, but I do have different questions to askIf you are reading this, it means that I have just become a mother. For reasons of practicality, and superstition, I am writing this column in advance. I am currently 29 weeks pregnant, just into my third trimester, but this will not run until, all being well, my baby is born.Born, too – hopefully less painfully – is this series, The Republic of Parenthood, which will hopefully speak to other parents, and examine some of the philosophical, political and cultural issues around modern parenthood. I chose the name to honour The Republic of Motherhood, a beautiful poem by Liz Berry that evokes the feeling of which many new mothers speak; of joining a new society, almost, which feels like a closed-off state separate from the rest of the world, one that necessitates the learning of new rules and customs:“I stood with my sisters in the queues of Motherhood –

Smith takes top actor prize for his role as Venus and Serena Williams’ father Richard as he guides his daughters to tennis success• Follow all the action with our liveblog

Best actor nominee Will Smith appeared to smack presenter Chris Rock in the face with an open hand and shouted a vulgarity at the comedian for making a joke about his wife's appearance at the Oscars ceremony. Rock made a joke about the hairstyle of Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith that referenced the movie GI Jane in which actress Demi Moore shaved her head. Pinkett Smith suffers from the hair loss condition, alopecia. Smith, who later won best actor for 'King Richard,' walked on stage and slapped Rock in what at first appeared to be a scripted joke. But the mood turned somber moments later when Smith, back in his seat, shouted back, 'Keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth'

French president Emmanuel Macron has called for restraint in both words and actions in dealing with the Ukraine conflict, after US president Joe Biden described Russian president Vladimir Putin as a ‘butcher’ and said he should not remain in power. ‘I wouldn't use this type of wording because I continue to hold discussions with president Putin,’ Macron told France 3. 'What do we want to do collectively? We want to stop the war that Russia has launched in Ukraine without waging war and without escalation.'

John Herdman’s team beat Jamaica 4-0 on Sunday in front of a packed house to complete a remarkable 12 months for Canadian footballOh? Canada? Yes, Canada.Almost four decades after their only appearance at a men’s World Cup, Canada are back, becoming the first North American nation to secure passage to Qatar 2022. Continue reading...

Adam Kinzinger vows to ‘get to the bottom’ of insurrection after Clarence Thomas’s wife reportedly urged White House to overturn Trump’s election defeatAdam Kinzinger, one of two Republican members on January 6 committee, on Sunday vowed to “get to the bottom” of events surrounding the 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol but refused to reveal whether the panel intends to question Ginni Thomas – wife of US supreme court justice Clarence Thomas – over reports of her urging the White House to overturn Donald Trump’s election defeat.Senior Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said Clarence Thomas must recuse himself from relevant cases and warned the integrity of the supreme court is at stake. Continue reading...

Joint event had been planned ahead of Doha Forum that would have set process in motion to grant group diplomatic recognitionThe US was poised to set the Taliban on the path to diplomatic recognition before the plan was derailed by the Afghan rulers’ sudden U-turn on a promise to allow girls’ education, the Guardian understands.The group prompted international outrage and confusion on Wednesday when it reneged on a deal to allow teenage girls to go to secondary school, just a week after the education ministry announced that schools would open for all students. Continue reading...

Howard Hubbard made admission during a deposition last year as part of a response to dozens of claims filed in New YorkThe former bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Albany, New York, has acknowledged covering up allegations of sexual abuse against children by priests in part to avoid scandal and protect the reputation of the diocese.Howard Hubbard made the admission during a deposition taken last year as part of a response to dozens of claims filed under New York state’s Child Victims Act. A judge ordered the deposition released on Friday. Continue reading...

The Russian president may look isolated over Ukraine, but important players are hedging their betsWhen Vladimir Putin recognised Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics, days before his invasion of Ukraine, one of the most powerful denunciations came from Kenya’s envoy to the UN. Martin Kimani cited his country’s own history as he warned against irredentism and expansionism: “We must complete our recovery from the embers of dead empires in a way that does not plunge us back into new forms of domination and oppression,” he said.On two general assembly resolutions – the first denouncing the invasion, the second blaming Russia for creating a humanitarian crisis – 140 or more nations have approved. Only four have voted with Russia to oppose them: a rogues’ gallery of Belarus, Eritrea, Syria and North Korea. Yet widespread condemnation, along with the west’s unexpected unity, should not be mistaken for Russian isolation. Having boasted of a relationship with “no limits”, and sharing a common interest in countering the global might of the US and Nato, China is now seeking to portray itself in a more nuanced light and avoid economic and political damage – but is not, in reality, distancing itself from Russia. Beijing is not alone. Few of the world’s most populous nations, and only a few leading players outside the west, have assailed Mr Putin. Continue reading...

Journalist’s new show begins on archrival CNN’s streaming service after nearly 20 years with the right-leaning cable channelChris Wallace has said working at Fox News became “increasingly unsustainable” before he jumped ship to CNN last December after almost 20 years with the right-leaning cable channel.His departure dealt a blow to Fox’s news operation at a time when its opinion side had become preeminent. The veteran journalist’s new show begins on archrival CNN’s streaming service this week and the 74-year-old spoke to the New York Times. Continue reading...

Ex-president also had warm words for Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un at event as primary races heat up before midterms electionsDonald Trump chose a rally in Georgia on Saturday night once again to praise Vladimir Putin, calling the Russian president “smart” even as he said the invasion of Ukraine amounted to a “big mistake”.The Republican former president also had warm words for China’s president Xi Jinping and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and referred to such leaders collectively by saying: “The smartest one gets to the top.” Continue reading...

Analysis: Any unseating of Russia’s president is that country’s business, not that of the US president

French president cautions against verbal escalations after US is forced to deny it is seeking regime change

Ginni Thomas’s advocacy for an overturned 2020 election show a clear conflict of interest on the supreme courtGinni Thomas is a rightwing firebrand, married to the supreme court justice Clarence Thomas. She is also wedded to the lie that Joe Biden stole the 2020 presidential election. In a recently revealed 10 November 2020 email to Mark Meadows, Trump’s then chief of staff, she opined: “The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History.” It was up to Meadows to help overturn the election.Unfortunately for all of us, Justice Thomas may agree with his wife’s political agenda. In February 2021, Thomas dissented from the rejection by the court of a challenge brought by Pennsylvania Republicans to the results of the 2020 election. He called the refusal by the six-person majority “inexplicable”, even as he acknowledged that the election had been “free from strong evidence of systemic fraud”. Continue reading...

With a potential second booster on the horizon for vulnerable groups, the White House is still struggling to drum up interest for additional shots – and fundingAs vaccine makers seek authorization for a fourth dose of their Covid vaccines in America, existing delays with vaccination and a lack of federal funding could slow the next booster rollout across the country, experts say.“We’re way behind the eight-ball,” said Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. The rollout of the first round of boosters, authorized in the US last fall, “just fell off the cliff”, with many Americans still not realizing they are eligible or that the booster is recommended. Continue reading...

As the world awaits Beijing’s response to the Ukraine war, history shows its reaction could be complicatedThe troops gathered on the border. The supreme leader decided that it was time to invade, to teach the other side a lesson. Shortly afterwards, troops breached the internationally recognised border and clashed with local forces.Not Ukraine 2022, but Vietnam 1979. In January of that year, the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping told the US president Jimmy Carter that he wanted to “spank the butt” of his neighbours. For a month, Chinese and Vietnamese forces clashed, leading to a death toll of tens of thousands. Chinese troops withdrew in March 1979, when, unlike Vladimir Putin, Deng sensibly decided to declare a famous victory and head home. Since then, there has been no unambiguous breach of an international border by Chinese troops. Continue reading...

The brave protests of 1968 spawned an organisation that is still giving voice to Putin’s critics todayIn August 1968, as Soviet tanks rolled into Prague, a small group of students and writers in Moscow organised a protest in solidarity with the people of Czechoslovakia. The poet Natalya Gorbanevskaya and seven other dissidents sat down in Moscow’s Red Square and unfurled banners with slogans that have a chilling resonance today: “We are Losing Our Friends”; “Shame on Occupiers”; “For Your Freedom and Ours”; and “Long Live a Free and Independent Czechoslovakia”.This extraordinary act of courage was met with customary brutality. The activists were arrested and most served long sentences in penal colonies. Gorbanevskaya was sent to a psychiatric hospital. Continue reading...

West must prepare for a long fight ahead, president says, as Russian missiles hit Lviv in act of defiance