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Some of Trump’s party’s signature policies enjoy only meagre public support but rightwing judges and state legislators are proving adept at finding workarounds“We called for you all to ban assault weapons, and you respond with an assault on democracy.” These were the words of Justin Jones, a Black Democrat, to Tennessee Republicans after he and a colleague, Justin Pearson, were expelled for leading a gun protest on the state house of representatives floor.A week later, Jones and Pearson were reinstated amid applause, whoops and cheers at the state capitol in Nashville. But few believe that the assault on democracy is at an end. What happened in Tennessee is seen as indicative of a Donald Trump-led Republican party ready to push its extremist agenda by any means necessary. Continue reading...

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls Jack Teixeira ‘white, male, Christian and anti-war’ as Tucker Carlson says his sin was ‘telling the truth’Washington lawmakers have written off Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old air national guardsman accused of being behind the worst US intelligence leak in a decade, as an “alleged criminal” after his arrest yesterday, but that hasn’t stopped him from winning praise from the political right.“He revealed the crimes, therefore he’s the criminal. That’s how Washington works. Telling the truth is the only real sin,” declared the Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson on Thursday evening in the opening monologue of his show, which is the most watched on cable television. “The news media are celebrating the capture of the kid who told Americans what’s actually happening in Ukraine. They are treating him like Osama bin Laden,” the late al-Qaida terrorist leader. Continue reading...

An online sleuthing group, a news media outlet and the FBI all followed digital breadcrumbs leading to the 21-year-oldUntil Jack Teixeira appeared in federal court on Friday morning, the unmasking of the alleged Pentagon leaker had taken on the air of a fascinating mystery novel.Among those vying for starring roles were the online sleuthing group Bellingcat, which on 9 April publicly identified the private Discord server where Teixeira is said to have posted classified documents; and the New York Times, which matched images of the Teixeira family kitchen where the top secret papers were supposedly photographed to the 21-year-old defendant’s social media profile. Continue reading...

Measure against popular app now awaits signature of Republican governor but is expected to face legal challengesMontana lawmakers gave final passage on Friday to a bill banning the social media app TikTok from operating in the state, a move that is bound to face legal challenges but also serve as a testing ground for the TikTok-free America many national lawmakers have envisioned.The measure now goes to the Republican governor, Greg Gianforte, for his consideration. Continue reading...

Temporary pause on lower court rulings gives court additional time to consider a longer stay

Member of air national guard, 21, accused of leaking sensitive documents pertaining to US intelligence

Jacob Frey makes remark during announcement that Minneapolis reached $8.9m settlement in two excessive force lawsuitsThe mayor of Minneapolis said George Floyd would still be alive if the city’s police department had “done the right thing” and fired officer Derek Chauvin in 2017 after complaints he knelt on the necks of two people he arrested.Jacob Frey was speaking at a press conference on Thursday announcing the city had reached a $8.9m settlement in two excessive force lawsuits. Continue reading...

US president, whose son Beau Biden died of brain cancer in 2015, tearful after chance meeting with Fr Frank O’Grady in Co MayoJoe Biden broke down in tears on the final day of his four-day trip to Ireland after a chance meeting with the priest who gave his son Beau the last rites before he died in 2015.Fr Richard Gibbons, parish priest and rector of Knock Shrine, said Fr Frank O’Grady – the chaplain who was by Beau Biden’s side as he died – had moved to Knock to work there, leading to an unplanned meeting with the president. Continue reading...

The 21-year-old suspect was charged on Friday under the Espionage Act – here’s what to know about FBI efforts to identify him

Government to seek 10 years on each of two charges, says prosecutor in Boston court

Limits slated to go into effect at 12.01am Saturday following lower court’s order revoking the FDA’s approval of mifepristoneThe Biden administration appealed to the US supreme court on Friday asking it to halt an appellate ruling that adds onerous restrictions to a key abortion drug. The restrictions were slated to go into effect at 12.01am on Saturday morning.The ruling at the center of the emergency application to the high court was issued on Wednesday night by the fifth circuit court of appeals. The US Department of Justice had asked the appeals court to block a lower court order revoking the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone in 2000. Continue reading...

Former IT specialist, 21, arrested on Thursday is accused of intelligence leak believed to have started on DiscordThe 21-year-old suspect in the recent leaks of Pentagon intelligence appeared in federal court in Boston on Friday.Jack Teixeira was detained at his home by FBI agents, the US attorney general, Merrick Garland, announced on Thursday. The arrest was made “in connection with an investigation into an alleged unauthorised removal, retention and transmission of classified national defence information”, he said. Continue reading...

Court filings reveal social posts of Daniel Perry, found guilty of killing Garrett Foster in 2020, as officials weigh pardon requestThe man who was found guilty last week of the murder of a Black Lives Matter supporter at a 2020 demonstration had previously gone on social media to discuss his desire to kill protesters amid a series of remarks that were also racist, according to a court filing ordered unsealed as Texas state officials weigh a request from the state’s governor to pardon him.Daniel Perry’s social media screeds resurfaced on Thursday at a delicate time in his case, which saw jurors reject his claim that he shot Black Lives Matter demonstrator Garrett Foster to death in self-defense. Continue reading...

Computer network was designed for use by much smaller number of people amid questions over amount of classified material on the system

Inflation and the climate crisis are hitting developing economies hardest. Trade is the key to helping them

Intercept of Russian intelligence shows Beijing wanted to disguise lethal aid as civilian items, says report

After a brief stop in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Joe Biden undertook a three-day personal and political pilgrimage to the Republic of Ireland, timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement. The US president spent time in Dublin on Thursday, and on Friday visited County Mayo Continue reading...

Chief executive Jamie Dimon upbeat as bank’s earnings benefit from rise in US and global interest rates

US president’s ‘homecoming’ visit has alchemised politics, diplomacy and the personal into a feelgood glow for visitor and hostsJohn F Kennedy set the template for US presidential forays to Ireland with a rapturous visit in 1963 that he called the best four days of his life.Joe Biden’s visit this week did not quite match that fervour but at times it came close, alchemising politics, diplomacy and the personal into a feelgood glow for visitor and hosts. Continue reading...

Former IT specialist, 21, arrested on Thursday is accused of intelligence leak believed to have started on Discord. Plus, are Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson actually brothers?

Micheál Martin says remarks by former DUP leader during US president’s visit ‘misplaced’Ireland’s deputy prime minister, Micheál Martin, has criticised remarks by the former Democratic Unionist party leader, Arlene Foster, who said Joe Biden “hates” the UK.Martin said Foster was “wrong”, saying her remarks about the US president were “misplaced” as Biden did not hate anyone. “I’m very surprised by that comment,” Martin told RTÉ’s This Morning on Friday. Continue reading...

The Cash App founder’s death highlights that public safety remains a contentious topic for city leaders to reckon withLast Wednesday, San Francisco woke to shocking news of the death of Bob Lee, the 43-year-old founder of the popular Cash App. Police had found Lee overnight suffering from multiple stab wounds on a sidewalk in the city’s Rincon Hill neighborhood. He was transported to a hospital, where he died.For days, law enforcement officials stayed mum on the circumstances around the case, and the San Francisco mayor, London Breed, urged residents not to jump to conclusions. Continue reading...

Florida’s new catalog of hardline legislation may not grab headlines but signals demonization of immigrants is a top priority as governor prepares for White House runA popular political souvenir in Florida currently is a range of merchandise touting the services of a nonexistent travel company named DeSantis Airlines.T-shirts, drinks glasses and car decals alike bear the motto “Bringing the border to you”, a mocking commemoration of the time last year when Ron DeSantis, the state’s Republican governor, baited a load of mostly Venezuelan asylum seekers on to two chartered planes in Texas with false promises of jobs and housing in Boston, then promptly dumped them in Martha’s Vineyard. Continue reading...

US planemaker says latest snag with troubled bestselling model is not ‘safety of flight issue’Boeing has revealed that deliveries of its bestselling 737 Max plane will be delayed, in the latest blow to the US manufacturer in its long recovery from a crisis started by the troubled model.The company said a “significant” number of 737 Max deliveries would be delayed because a supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, had made a component using a “non-standard” manufacturing process. Continue reading...

Residents of town of Dighton, Massachusetts, stunned by news of arrest of 21-year-old air national guardsman Jack Teixeira

Phoebe Waller-Bridge has received $60m from Amazon without making a new show, and it appears she’s not aloneHow hard do you have to work to earn $60m in just three years? The answer, for Phoebe Waller-Bridge, at least, is not very hard at all. In 2019 the Emmy-winning creator of the hit TV show Fleabag signed a $20m-a-year deal with Amazon Studios. Originally, she was supposed to collaborate with Donald Glover on a series based on the 2005 movie Mr and Mrs Smith, but she reportedly left the show after a few months because of clashing creative styles. No worries, Amazon said, you can work on a Tomb Raider series instead. However, the Hollywood Reporter notes, since a showrunner (the person who has overall creative authority over a show) was also being hired, it’s questionable just how much work would actually be needed by the Fleabag creator. In short: Waller-Bridge has collected $60m from Amazon over the last few years without ever making a new show.I’m not shaming Waller-Bridge, to be clear. I think this is brilliant work if you can get it. Taking away some of Jeff Bezos’s joyrides-in-space money as payment for staring into space? A+ work! And I should state for the record that Amazon Studios has rejected recent allegations that Waller-Bridge is being paid simply to exist. Apparently, she is “feeling very committed” to Tomb Raider and they expect her to be worth the money. “When she does deliver, she delivers,” the Amazon Studios head of television, Vernon Sanders, has said. Not everyone is so sure the deal was a good idea, however. One showrunner described Amazon’s behavior to the Hollywood Reporter as “star-fucking”. Continue reading...

Bill gives governor key political victory ahead of expected presidential campaignThe Republican-dominated Florida legislature on Thursday approved a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, a proposal supported by the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, as he prepares for an expected presidential run.DeSantis, a Republican, later signed the bill into law. “We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” he said in a statement. Florida currently prohibits abortions after 15 weeks. Continue reading...

The 21-year-old air national guardsman was arrested in Massachusetts in connection with the leaking of Pentagon intelligence documents

Jack Teixeira, 21-year-old US air national guardsman, is believed to have led online group where classified files appeared

Firefighters rescued one employee from the fire at South Fork Dairy family farm near DimmittMore than 18,000 cows died after an explosion and fire at a family dairy farm in west Texas, marking the deadliest such barn blaze on record in the United States.Firefighters rescued one employee from the South Fork Dairy near Dimmitt on Monday as flames raced through a building and into holding pens, according to images and statements from the Castro county sheriff’s office. Continue reading...

Nima Momeni, 38, appears to work in tech industry and reportedly knew Lee who was found with stab wounds on TuesdaySan Francisco police have made an arrest in the killing of the tech executive and Cash App creator Bob Lee, who was fatally stabbed last week in a crime that sent shock waves through the city and the tech industry.Law enforcement officers made an arrest early Thursday morning in nearby Emeryville, officials confirmed at a press conference Thursday afternoon. The suspect in the case, Nima Momeni, knew Lee, officials said, and appears to work in the tech industry. Continue reading...

US president makes strong defence of democracy before the Oireachtas in Dublin and urges No 10 to work ‘closer’ with Irish governmentJoe Biden declared that Ireland and the US have a “partnership for the ages” in a highly personal address to the Irish parliament. The US president celebrated his Irish heritage and made a passionate defence of democracy in a speech to a joint sitting of the Oireachtas – both houses of parliament – in Dublin on Thursday evening.“Tá mé seo abhaile,” Biden told the chamber in Irish. “I’m at home.” He added: “I just wish I could stay longer.” Continue reading...

The attorney general, Merrick Garland, announced that the Department of Justice has apprehended Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old suspect in the recent leaks of US intelligence online. Garland said Teixeira was taken into custody by FBI agents 'in connection with an investigation into an alleged unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information'. Teixeira is currently employed by the United States Air Force National Guard. Teixeira will have an initial appearance at the US district court in Massachusetts, Garland said, thanking the FBI and the DOJ for their work on the case

Proposal would allow Daca participants to access health insurance under Medicaid and Affordable Care Act exchangesThe Biden administration is seeking to allow immigrants known as Dreamers, who were brought to the US as children by undocumented parents, greater access to health insurance through federal programs, the White House said on Thursday.The proposal would allow participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or Daca, to access to health insurance under Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges, it said. Continue reading...

Attorney general says DoJ will ask supreme court to review appeals court decision that preserved drug access but with limits

An appeals court has reimposed restrictions on mifepristone in a closely watched case that could have a major impact on access to medication abortionLate on Wednesday, an appellate court ruled partially in favor of anti-abortion advocates in a case challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s authorization of mifepristone, a key abortion drug.The decision by the fifth circuit court of appeals imposes restrictions on mifepristone that include lowering the use of the drug to seven weeks of pregnancy instead of the current 10-week limit, and requiring in-person doctor visits for those looking to obtain the drug. Continue reading...

US air national guardsman has been identified as prime suspect in leak of classified documentsIn photographs, Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old air national guardsman who has been identified as the prime suspect in the leak of classified intelligence documents, is slim in his dark blue air force uniform. He is youthful looking, barely older than the teenage friends seen in the online group in which the classified documents were leaked.On Thursday evening, the FBI arrested Teixeira and were searching his home. Video footage from a local television station showed him being led away in handcuffs. Continue reading...

The perception of corruption is undermining Britain. King Charles should lead by example – and get his house in order

Joshua McLemore died of malnutrition after 20 days in windowless Indiana jail cell with no medical treatment

DoJ move comes after court ruling that mifepristone can remain available for now but will be subject to significant restrictionsThe justice department says it will immediately appeal to the supreme court following an appeals court ruling that the abortion pill mifepristone can remain available in the US but will be subject to significant restrictions.Late on Wednesday, the fifth circuit court of appeals ruled partially in favour of anti-abortion advocates, imposing restrictions on mifepristone that include lowering the allowable use of the drug to seven weeks of pregnancy instead of the current 10-week limit, and requiring in-person doctor visits for those looking to obtain the drug. Continue reading...

Reinstatement by unanimous vote of local commission follows similar move for fellow Black Democrat Justin JonesThe second of two Black Democrats who were kicked out of the Republican-led house of representatives in the Tennessee legislature followed his colleague back to work at the capitol on Thursday, a week after their expulsion for participating in a gun control protest propelled them into the national spotlight.State representative Justin Pearson, a lawmaker from Memphis, was sworn in on Thursday outside the statehouse in Nashville. The day before, Shelby county commissioners had unanimously voted to reinstate him after an expulsion he, his fellow expelled lawmaker Justin Jones and others have denounced as motivated by racism. Continue reading...

A new V&A exhibition sweeps aside connotations of misogyny and scorn. Let’s hope the diva’s joyful silliness survivesWho do you think of when you hear the word diva? A trailblazing punk singer? A civil rights activist and second world war spy? A man?Well, maybe – especially if that man is Elton John: notorious tantrummer, expert celebrity feuder and wearer of fabulously ludicrous costumes, one of which – an enormous, luxuriously befeathered Louis XIV-inspired look designed for his 50th birthday party – is among the centrepieces of the V&A’s upcoming exhibition, Diva. Celebrating “the power and creativity of iconic performers”, it aims to recast the diva as a force for social change by focusing on those who have embraced, and subverted, diva-dom and “challenged the status quo” in the process, including rockstars Debbie Harry and Siouxsie Sioux, and war hero and showgirl Josephine Baker. Continue reading...

Michael Barzman sold paintings created in ‘maximum of 30 minutes’ by accomplice, justice department saysTo the admiring patrons of a special exhibition at the Orlando Museum of Art, they were among Jean-Michel Basquiat’s finest works, the angst of the troubled 1980s neo-expressionist rebel shining through the vivid colors of the compositions before them.But what the paying public was really viewing were fakes, hastily slapped on offcuts of cardboard in 30 minutes or less by an unscrupulous auctioneer and an accomplice cashing in on the late artist’s famous name. Continue reading...

The US president, Joe Biden, has said that though he is concerned about the leaking of a tranche of confidential documents from the Pentagon, there was nothing of consequence contained in them. Biden told reporters during a visit to Ireland: 'There’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great consequence.'He said an investigation was under way by the intelligence services and the justice department to ascertain the source of the leaks, adding that 'they're getting close'.

Forecasts predicted more rain on Thursday as Fort Lauderdale issues a state of emergency with flooding persisting in parts of cityStorms in South Florida brought almost a foot (30cm) of rain in a matter of hours on Wednesday, causing widespread flooding, closing the Fort Lauderdale airport and turning thoroughfares into rivers.That amount of rain in a 24-hour period was a “1-in-1,000 year event”, Ana Torres-Vazquez of the National Weather Service’s Miami office told CNN. Continue reading...