US news | The Guardian

If the US's oldest university bends the knee, the door to authoritarianism opens and democracy fades, experts warnIn mortarboards and crimson-fringed gowns, thousands of students were joined by smiling families for the centuries-old ritual of graduation day. But this year was different.Alan Garber, the president of Harvard University, received a standing ovation and welcomed graduates from down the street, across the country and around the world", drawing applause for the last words: Around the world - just as it should be." Continue reading...

Proposal to limit student loans for professional programs' risks driving people away from medicine, critics sayDoctors' associations, medical schools and student advocates warn that a proposal in the Republican-led budget bill being considered by Congress restricts graduate federal student loans and could worsen a national shortage of doctors.The new Republican proposal would limit federal student loans for professional programs" - such as medical school - to $150,000, eliminate a federal graduate loan program and put limits on loan forgiveness. Continue reading...

LAFC trailed for much of the second half but scored in the 89th minute to force extra time, where Bouanga and Olivier Giroud took over.Let's get em in! Who do you think will win this game to qualify for the Club World Cup?And how do you think they'll do once they're in the CWC? Continue reading...

The US president's strange mix of weakness and anti-Beijing hostility may be pushing Xi Jinping towards a fateful decisionThe belief that bad things come in threes is an old superstition with scant basis in fact. Still, in these disordered times, it's natural to wonder whether war in Europe and the Middle East will be followed by war in Asia. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, firing off insults and missiles, recently demonstrated how real that prospect is. Emboldened by its alliance with Russia, North Korea's unpredictable rogue regime threatens almost everyone.Yet it is China's accelerating confrontation with US-backed Taiwan that forms the most alarming panel in this gloomy Asian triptych. China's president, Xi Jinping, has reportedly told his generals to be ready by 2027 to conquer the self-governing island, which he regards as stolen sovereign territory. US officials warned last week that China already has sufficient capability to invade now, with amphibious landing craft, D-day-style floating docks, paratroopers and expanded air combat and missile forces in a constant state of readiness.Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign affairs commentator Continue reading...

Prior associations' appear to cost billionaire the chance to be Nasa administrator, as US president says new nominee will be mission aligned'The White House has withdrawn Jared Isaacman as its nominee for Nasa administrator, abruptly yanking a close ally of Elon Musk from consideration to lead the space agency.Donald Trump said he would announce a new candidate soon. After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head Nasa," the US president posted online. I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be mission aligned, and put America first in space." Continue reading...

At Singapore summit, US defense secretary says Beijing could be preparing to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. Key US politics stories from Saturday 31 May at a glancePete Hegseth has called on Asian countries to increase their military spending to increase regional deterrence against China which was rehearsing for the real deal" of taking over Taiwan.The US defense secretary, addressing the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, reiterated pledges to increase the US presence in the Indo-Pacific and outlined a range of new joint projects. Continue reading...

Emmy award-winning TV, stage and film actor also known for her role in Young Sheldon died of cancerValerie Mahaffey, the Emmy-award winning actor known for her roles on Northern Exposure, Desperate Housewives and Young Sheldon, died on Friday. She was 71.Her husband, actor Joseph Kell, said in a statement to Variety: I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses. She will be missed." Continue reading...

Washington state officials swarmed to scene to find 70,000lbs of hives and bees abuzz in a sticky situationOfficials near the US border were abuzz after being relentlessly attacked on Friday morning by a swarm of fugitives: honeybees had escaped after a truck carrying hives overturned near the Canadian border. About 250 million honeybees flew free of the truck around 4am a few miles south of Canada.The truck that was transporting around 70,000lbs of hives and honeybees rolled over on a road in north-western Washington state. Local sheriff deputies and bee experts swarmed to the scene, where they removed the box hives to help recover and rescue as many bees as possible. The driver of the truck was not injured. Continue reading...

The middle Saturday saw the world No 1 in awesome form, as was the British No 1 in beating the teenage BrazilianMake that 3-0. Sinner wants to get this one done, and perhaps get himself settled before the Champions League final later. He lands three break points for 4-0. And takes the second one.Sinner, rangy and usually implacable, is already 2-0 up on Lehecka, who has never previously taken a set off him. This is awesome stuff, and already. Continue reading...

Ramon Morales-Reyes might have been set up by man who allegedly attacked and robbed him in 2023An undocumented man who was accused by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, Kristi Noem, last week of threatening to assassinate Donald Trump in a letter may have been framed by someone accused of previously attacking the man, according to news reports.Investigators are said to be looking into whether the letter was an attempt to get the man deported, to prevent him from testifying against his alleged attacker. Continue reading...

It's not the first time the president has sought to curry favor this way. His instincts about Black Americans are clearThis week, Donald Trump issued two dozen presidential pardons to a motley crew of wrongdoers, including shady politicians, fraudulent CEOs and other wealthy ne'er-do-wells. On that list were the Louisiana rapper NBA YoungBoy (whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden) and the Chicago gangster Larry Hoover.Regardless of where you stand on American carceral culture and what we know about the ways the criminal justice system squashes Black people who have the misfortune of interacting with it, Trump handing out pardons to Hoover and Gaulden isn't the magnanimous or justice-focused move he wants us to believe it is. Instead, it's a clear effort to garner support from the Black community by way of its big names. Continue reading...

Law enforcement used license-plate readers in several states to search for a woman who had an abortionHello and welcome to the latest edition of lo and behold, the dystopian thing that women and activists warned would happen ends up happening". This time the issue is automated license plate readers (ALPRs), which capture (no prizes for guessing!) license plate data and allow law enforcement to build a picture of where a particular vehicle has been. There's no opting out of being tracked: if you drive, you should simply assume that these cameras, which are sometimes hidden in objects such as traffic cones, are logging your movements. And you should assume that this license plate data can be combined with other surveillance data to paint a very detailed picture of your life. Privacy only exists for our billionaire overlords these days. The rest of us are just data points.Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Leaks and a Dateline special have complicated matters but Bryan Kohberger due to face trial - and possible executionBryan Kohberger, the suspect accused of killing four young University of Idaho students in 2022, is set to go to trial in August in a case that could see him sentenced to death.He is charged with the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin - who were together in the same house when someone broke in at night and stabbed them to death. Continue reading...

Collection of migrants' DNA has increased by 5,000% in three years in a massive expansion of genetic surveillance'US immigration authorities are collecting and uploading the DNA information of migrants, including children, to a national criminal database, according to government documents released earlier this month.The database includes the DNA of people who were either arrested or convicted of a crime, which law enforcement uses when seeking a match for DNA collected at a crime scene. However, most of the people whose DNA has been collected by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), the agency that published the documents, were not listed as having been accused of any felonies. Regardless, CBP is now creating a detailed DNA profile on migrants that will be permanently searchable by law enforcement, which amounts to a massive expansion of genetic surveillance", one expert said. Continue reading...

Employees say cuts and deregulation undermine department's ability to function and will cause cost hikesWorkers at the US Department of Energy say cuts and deregulations are undermining the ability for the department to function and will result in significant energy cost hikes for consumers.Trump's big, beautiful bill" will raise energy costs for American households by as much as 7% in 2035 due to the repeal of energy tax credits and could put significant investment and energy innovation at risk, according to a report by the Rhodium Group. The non-partisan think tank Energy Innovation calculated the average US household will see its utility bills rise by over $230 by 2035 as a result of cuts to renewable energy investments. Continue reading...

The political swing state has a $900bn economy, with hospitality, industrial manufacturing - and moviesIf you want a bellwether to measure the broad impact of Donald Trump's tariffs on the economy, look south, to Georgia. The political swing state has a $900bn economy - somewhere between the GDPs of Taiwan and Switzerland.The hospitality industry is facing an existential crisis. Wine merchants wonder aloud if they will survive the year. But others, like those in industrial manufacturing, will carefully argue that well-positioned businesses will profit. Some say they're insulated from international competition by the nature of their industry. Others, like the movie industry, are simply confused by the proposals that have been raised, and are looking for entirely different answers. So far, it's a mixed bag. Continue reading...

As the administration continues to exploit antisemitism to arrest protesters and curb academic freedoms, more American Jews are saying not in my name'On the morning of Columbia University's commencement last week, an intergenerational group of Jewish alumni gathered in the rain outside the Manhattan campus's heavily policed gates, wearing keffiyehs and shirts emblazoned with the words not in our name". Two had graduated more than 60 years earlier, and one spoke of having fled the Nazis to the US as a child. Others recalled participating in Columbia protests of the past, including those that led the university to divest from apartheid South Africa.They spoke as alumni and as Jews to condemn the university's investments in Israel, its repression of pro-Palestinian speech, and its capitulation to the Trump administration's assault on academic freedom in the name of fighting antisemitism on campus. They had planned to burn their Columbia diplomas in protest, but the rain got in their way, so many ripped them to pieces instead. Continue reading...

A study suggests the global population has been undercounted - but we shouldn't let the overpopulation alarmists win the argumentAccording to the UN, the world's population stands at just over 8.2 billion. However, a recent study suggests the figure could be hundreds of millions or even billions higher. This news might sound terrifying, but it is important to remember that anxieties about overpopulation are rarely just about the numbers. They reflect power struggles over which lives matter, who is a burden or a threat and ultimately what the future should look like.The world's population reached 1 billion just after the turn of the 19th century. The number of people on the planet then began to grow exponentially, doubling to 2 billion by about 1925 and again to 4 billion about 50 years later. On 15November 2022, the UN announced the birth of the eight billionth human.Jonathan Kennedy teaches politics and global health at Queen Mary University of London, and is the author of Pathogenesis: How Germs Made HistoryDo 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...

California parole board says 77-year-old - the state's longest-serving female inmate - poses little risk of reoffendingA California prisons panel has recommended that Patricia Krenwinkel, serving a life sentence for her role in the 1969 Los Angeles killing spree by followers of cult leader Charles Manson, be released on parole.The state Board of Parole Hearings found that Krenwinkel, 77 - the longest-serving female inmate in California prisons - posed little risk of reoffending based on her age and a spotless behaviour record while incarcerated, according to the CBS News affiliate in San Diego, KFMP-TV. Continue reading...

Exclusive: British officials hope to have deals covering cars, metals and aeroplane parts within weeksBritish officials are forging ahead in their trade talks with the US despite a recent court decision overturning many of Donald Trump's tariffs, and hope to have a deals covering cars, metals and aeroplane parts in place within weeks.A team of British negotiators spent much of last week in Washington talking to their American counterparts about how to implement the deal was signed earlier this month, including how quickly it can be passed by parliament and Congress. Continue reading...

Speaking at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, the US defence secretary outlined a range of new joint projects in the regionThe US secretary of defence has called on Asian countries to boost their military spending to increase regional deterrence against China, which was rehearsing for the real deal" when it comes to taking over Taiwan.Pete Hegseth, addressing the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, reiterated pledges to increase the US presence in the Indo-Pacific and outlined a range of new joint projects, including expanding access to military ship and plane repair, including in Australia. Continue reading...

The US president told steelworkers he was planning to double the tariffs to 50%. Key US politics stories from Friday 30 May at a glanceDonald Trump said he was doubling tariffs on imported steel to 50% at a rally celebrating a partnership" deal between US Steel and Japan-based Nippon Steel on Friday.Speaking in front of an audience of steelworkers, the US president said: We are going to be imposing a 25% increase. We're going to bring it from 25% to 50%, the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States." Continue reading...

The US president marked his billionaire ally's departure from Doge - but said Elon's not really leaving'Donald Trump hosted an Oval Office press conference with Elon Musk on Friday to mark the end of the tech billionaire's tenure as a special government employee overseeing the so-called department of government efficiency", or Doge.Musk's departure comes after weeks of increasing pressure over his time leading Doge, in which he slashed thousands of jobs, resources and public spending. Continue reading...

President says director Kim Sajet has been fired but experts suggest president does not have legal grounds to do soDonald Trump says he is firing the first female director of the National Portrait Gallery, which contained a caption that referenced the attack on the US Capitol that his supporters carried out in early 2021.The president announced the termination on Friday in a post on his social media platform that accused Sajet - born in Nigeria, raised in Australia and a citizen of the Netherlands - of being a strong supporter" of diversity initiatives that his administration opposes as well as highly partisan". He cited no evidence for either claim. Continue reading...

Send-off of special government employee', who oversaw Doge, dogged by drug use report and tax bill criticismAnother day, another made-for-great-television encounter between Donald Trump and the media in the Oval Office.The president, quite perversely, prides himself on the access he grants to a group of professionals he has routinely denounced as the fake news" and enemies of the people" - although any pain suffered from doing so has been eased by widening the net to include formerly fringe rightwing news organizations, who have responded in kind by lobbing friendly questions. Continue reading...

Elena Rybakina demolished Jelena Ostapenko while Carlos Alcaraz surprisingly dropped a set against Damir DzumhurXheng goes through, having beaten Mboko 6-3 6-4. Amanda Anisimova, the American is involved in a ding dong with Denmark's Clara Tauson. The first set went to Anismova 7-6, and it's 3-3 in the second set.Sabalenka claims the first set, having swiftly pulled her game back together after losing those two games. Continue reading...

US president presents top ally with golden key as Musk says Doge unit will only grow stronger over time'Donald Trump saw Elon Musk off from the White House on Friday, as the Tesla chief concluded his more than four months leading the so-called department of government efficiency's disruptive foray into federal departments that achieved far fewer cost savings than expected.Standing alongside Trump in the Oval Office, Musk, who faced a 130-day limit in his tenure as a special government employee that had ended two days prior, vowed that his departure is not the end" of Doge. Continue reading...

Police announce allegations against Christian Anderson, 33, after body of Adan Manzano, 27, found on 5 FebruaryAuthorities investigating the apparent drugging death and robbery of a Telemundo reporter who was covering February's Super Bowl have arrested a third suspect in the case.On Friday, the Kenner police department in Louisiana announced the arrest of 33-year-old Christian Anderson on allegations that he had a role in the death of Adan Manzano, 27, whose body was found on 5 February in his hotel room in the city just west of New Orleans. Continue reading...

Elon Musk credited his bruised right eye to his five-year-old son X during an Oval Office appearance on 30 May marking the end of his formal role in President Donald Trump's administration. Initially Musk quipped that he wasn't 'anywhere near France', a reference to a video of that country's president, Emmanuel Macron, being pushed in the face by his wife. Trump was asked about the Macron incident earlier in the news conference, and whether he had any advice for the President of France. 'Make sure the door remains closed. That was not good,' Trump responded

Remains dating back to late 18th century are being repatriated and interred, with commemoration and jazz funeralIn the late 1800s, 19 Black New Orleanians' heads were dismembered and shipped to Leipzig University in Germany for research. The 19 had died at New Orleans' charity hospital between 1871 and 1872, and the research, which was commonplace at the time, sought to confirm and explore the now widely debunked theory that Black people's brains were smaller than those of other races.In the 1880s, Dr Henry D Schmidt, a New Orleans physician, sent the skulls to Dr Emil Ludwig Schmidt. They were taken from the bodies of 13 men, four women and two unidentified people. Continue reading...

SEC sued Binance in 2023 over alleged trading irregularities and misleading investors about surveillance controlsThe US on Thursday voluntarily dismissed its civil lawsuit against Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. The move extends the new, friendly approach to cryptocurrencies of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a major financial regulator, since Donald Trump re-entered the White House.A joint stipulation of dismissal signed by lawyers for the SEC, Binance and its founder, Changpeng Zhao, was filed in the Washington DC federal court. Its dismissal is with prejudice, meaning the SEC cannot pursue the case again. The SEC said that dismissing the enforcement case was appropriate in the exercise of its discretion and as a policy matter". Continue reading...

President took to social media to denounce Beijing in the latest development in his ongoing tariff warDonald Trump declared that China has totally violated its agreement" against the US on trade just two weeks after the countries reached a deal, raising fears that the trade war will continue to rattle the global economy.I made a FAST DEAL with China in order to save them from what I thought was going to be a very bad situation," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday morning. Everybody was happy! That is the good news!!! The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US." Continue reading...

Alfred Williamson's future in doubt after US president's attempt to stop foreign nationals studying at the universityA British freshman at Harvard fears he will not be able to return to the US to complete his degree after Donald Trump demanded the university stops teaching international students.Alfred Williamson, 20, from Cardiff, left Boston when the academic year ended two weeks ago to visit family in Denmark, only to wake up on 23 May to dozens of missed calls and messages from loved ones about the decision to prevent the Ivy League university from enrolling or retaining foreign nationals. Continue reading...

State department move to cancel student visa interviews at all US embassies has shocked international scholars

Director Ryan Coogler kicked off screenings and a cultural festival in the influential Mississippi delta cityIn April, the director Ryan Coogler released Sinners, a thriller about two brothers in the 1930s who return home to Clarksdale, Mississippi, to open a juke joint. Less than a month after the film was released, Sinners made over $200m in the US and Canada, something no original film has done in almost a decade.But residents in Clarksdale, a town with about 14,000 people, the majority of whom are Black, had no way to see themselves on screen in their community. There are no active movie theaters in or near the town. Continue reading...

Report finds US children would have extra 25.4m cavities in five years if plan backed by RFK Jr were implementedA new study published in Jama Health Forum estimates that if the US were to remove fluoride from public drinking water supplies - as Donald Trump's health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has advocated - American children would suffer an additional 25.4m cavities in five years.The additional cases represent a 7.5% increase in cavities, an added cost of $9.8bn and the loss of 2.9m quality-adjusted life years. Those cases would disproportionately be borne by children most at-risk for tooth decay - those on public health insurance or who lack insurance entirely. Continue reading...

Kell Morris' wife held his head above water to prevent him from drowning while waiting for rescuers to arriveAn Alaska man who was pinned facedown in an icy creek by a 700lb (318kg) boulder for three hours survived the ordeal with only minor injuries, thanks in part to his wife's quick thinking and lots of luck.Kell Morris' wife held his head above water to prevent him from drowning while waiting for rescuers to arrive after Morris was pinned by the boulder, which crashed onto him during a hike near a remote glacier south of Anchorage. Continue reading...

Wiles' contacts on her personal cellphone were purportedly hacked and AI used to communicate with lawmakers

CEO of Europe's largest industrial group says he has been in direct talks with Donald Trump's administrationVolkswagen, Europe's largest industrial group, has said it will make a massive" investment in the US. The group, which includes Porsche, revealed it has been in direct talks with Donald Trump's administration as it faces damaging tariffs.Oliver Blume, who heads the group, said the talks were constructive" and fair", in an interview that suggests the company, whose market capital is 44bn, is not willing to leave tariff negotiations to Brussels alone. Continue reading...