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Ben Cohen and others interrupted RFK Jr at hearing to protest Israel's Gaza blockade and Medicaid cutsBen Cohen, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice-cream, has been charged with crowding and obstructing" others after he was arrested while protesting against the Gaza blockade during a US Senate hearing.Cohen - the Ben in Ben & Jerry's - made his stand on Wednesday while Robert F Kennedy Jr was addressing a hearing of the health, education, labor and pensions committee. A group of activists heckled the health secretary over his anti-vaccine posture, yelling: When Bobby lies, children die," and Anti-vax, anti-science, anti-America". Continue reading...

Officials are offering $20,000 for information about dolphin, originally found intact but later with its head removedWildlife officials in North Carolina are offering a reward of $20,000 for information about the decapitation of a dolphin on a remote coastal island.The 8ft-long dolphin was initially found, intact, on Lea-Hutaff Island in the state by a member of the public. When staff from the marine mammal stranding team from the University of North Carolina Wilmington arrived a few days later to investigate, they found the animal's head had been removed. Continue reading...

I was told my life would change if I let strangers prod my deepest wounds. But I wasn't sure: were these group training sessions empowering or exploitative?On a Saturday in March in a conference room with ugly carpeting near Los Angeles international airport, I meekly muttered thank you" as a group of six people - all strangers until the day before - enumerated my deepest flaws.I see you, Katherine, as inauthentic," led the charge. Continue reading...

Study paints picture of universities increasingly willing to penalize students over expression of their viewsParker Hovis was four courses away from getting his computer science degree from the University of Florida when he was arrested along with several other students at a pro-Palestine protest on campus last spring. While the charges against him were dismissed and a school conduct committee recommended only minor punishment - a form of probation - the university president suspended him for three years. He'll be required to reapply if he wants to come back after that.Hovis, who has since left Florida and is working to pay off his student loans despite never graduating, is one of more than 1,000 students or student groups that were targeted by their universities for punishment between 2020 and 2024 over their speech, according to a report published today by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (Fire). Some 63% of them were ultimately punished. Continue reading...

Many people have decided a trip to the US isn't worth the risk after recent border detentions. But if you are going, what do you need to know? Immigration lawyers explain it allKindness doesn't cost a thing. Putting up a big no foreigners welcome" sign, threatening to annex your neighbour, and throwing visitors to your country into detention for minor visa infractions, however? Such actions are expensive. The United States is on track to lose $12.5bn (9.4bn) in international travel spending this year, according to a study published on Tuesday by the World Travel and Tourism Council.If the Trump administration is concerned that its aggressive rhetoric is costing tourist dollars, it's not showing it. During a recent press conference about the 2026 Fifa World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, vice president JD Vance joked about deporting football fans who outstay their welcome. We'll have visitors from close to 100 countries. We want them to come..." Vance said. But when the time is up, they'll have to go home, otherwise they'll have to talk to [Homeland Security] secretary Noem." That's Kristi Noem, the woman who shot her own dog. Not someone you want to talk to when she's in a bad mood. Continue reading...

MLB's all-time hits leader was exiled from the sport he loved because of his gambling. Now the game is embracing betting at every opportunityThe not-so-bombshell decision on Tuesday by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to reinstate Pete Rose, Shoeless' Joe Jackson and others to eligibility for the Hall of Fame, was actually months in the making. In January, representatives for Rose filed a petition in support of the former Reds star, who died last September, with MLB. Then in an April White House meeting, Manfred met with Donald Trump and discussed the Rose affair. Trump has made his opinions known about Rose for years. Though the wheels were already in motion, the meeting made Rose's reinstatement feel inevitable.Manfred was - and is - in a difficult position. Across American institutions - from law firms to media outlets to universities - the intense pressure from the White House to conform to Trump has been hard to ignore. And with immigration from countries that produce many of MLB's players a major source of contention, it's entirely understandable that Manfred would want to protect the interests of his sport. Continue reading...

Milan is one of the world's most iconic clubs, and Pulisic's performance has been a bright spot in a disappointing seasonIf AC Milan didn't redeem their lost season in the Coppa Italia final against Bologna on Wednesday, it was no fault of Christian Pulisic's.As his teammates failed to grind down their tightly packed opponents in a 1-0 loss, owing to Dan Ndoye's second-half goal, the American did all he could, just as he has all season, toiling and pressing and charging after balls hopeful and hopeless alike. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. You can read more of our US politics coverage hereThe meeting between Donald Trump and Syria's president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, in Saudi Arabia was the culmination of months of diplomacy by the Syrians, as well as their Turkish and Saudi allies, who believed face time with Trump would help end Syria's international isolation, writes William Christou.Damascus had prepared a pitch to Trump that included access to Syrian oil, reassurances of Israel's security and a proposal to build a Trump tower in Damascus. Continue reading...

Trump's foreign policy approach in the Middle East is coming under scrutiny as he announces new deals on his Gulf tour. Key US politics stories from Wednesday 14 May at a glanceAs Donald Trump brushed off fierce criticism over his plan to accept a $400m luxury jet from the Qatari government, the president announced a lucrative deal for Boeing to supply the Gulf nation with 210 planes.Trump announced the $96bn contract -the largest-ever order of widebody Boeing planes - during a trip to Doha on Wednesday. The White House claims the aviation agreement will support 154,000 American jobs annually, though it was unclear how those figures were calculated. Continue reading...

Two highest-ranking employees fired due to opposition to Trump, says Tulsi Gabbard's office, without giving examplesTulsi Gabbard, the US director of national intelligence, has fired the two highest-ranking officials at the National Intelligence Council (NIC) just weeks after the council released an assessment that contradicted Donald Trump's justification for using the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members without due process.Mike Collins was serving as acting chair of the National Intelligence Council before he was dismissed alongside his deputy, Maria Langan-Riekhof. They each had more than 25 years of intelligence experience. Continue reading...

Health secretary cites new data' that emerged from flawed study conservatives are using to pressure US governmentThe US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, said on Wednesday that he had directed the FDA to review the regulations around the abortion pill mifepristone.The review, he said, was necessary due to new data" - data that emerged from a flawed analysis that top US anti-abortion groups are now using to pressure the Trump administration to reimpose restrictions on the abortion pill, if not pull it from the market entirely. Continue reading...

Measure targeting immigrants is to help close added $12bn deficit that Newsom blamed on Trump slump'The California governor, Gavin Newsom, wants his state to stop enrolling more low-income immigrants without legal status in a state-funded healthcare program starting in 2026 and begin charging a monthly premium the following year to those already enrolled.It is one of several measures proposed by Newsom on Wednesday to help close an additional $12bn deficit, a budget shortcoming the Democratic governor squarely placed on the shoulders of the Trump slump". Continue reading...

Georgetown postdoctoral fellow Badar Khan Suri had visa revoked and was arrested by immigration officials in MarchThe Georgetown academic Badar Khan Suri was released from Ice detention hours after a Virginia federal judge's order on Wednesday.Khan Suri was among several individuals legally studying in the US who have been targeted by the Trump administration for their pro-Palestinian activism. He has spent two months in detention. Continue reading...

Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, leapt out of his seat as protesters disrupted his committee hearing on Wednesday. Demonstrators could be heard shouting pro-Palestine slogans and confronting RFK on his record on Aids

Health secretary demurs on questions about vaccine stance and defends Republican plans to cut healthcareThe US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, refused to say whether he would vaccinate his children if he had to choose today, and defended Republicans' proposal to cut healthcare to fund tax cut extensions.Kennedy's back-to-back testimonies before House and Senate committees were his first appearances before lawmakers since his confirmation in February. The secretary was called to discuss Donald Trump's proposed budget, which would impose disproportionately large cuts to scientific enterprises at the health department. Continue reading...

Last-minute add to budget bill aims to stop laws that would create guardrails for automated decision-making systemsRepublicans in US Congress are trying to bar states from being able to introduce or enforce laws that would create guardrails for artificial intelligence or automated decision-making systems for 10 years.A provision in the proposed budgetary bill now before the House of Representatives would prohibit any state or local governing body from pursuing any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems" unless the purpose of the law is to remove legal impediments to, or facilitate the deployment or operation of" these systems. Continue reading...

Richmond residents say 50 dead birds have been found, with signs of injuries maybe caused by BB gun or slingshotResidents of Richmond, a Bay Area town north-east of San Francisco, are grappling with a disturbing mystery after multiple birds were found dead, with some appearing to explode" mid-air.Security footage from one neighborhood captured a bird falling from a power line after a loud popping sound. Concerns and speculation followed. Continue reading...

European tour cancelled after Mexican citizen Yamal Said of Texas-based band detained, despite having US green cardThe Texas-based rock band Lord Buffalo has cancelled its European tour after its drummer, Yamal Said, was detained by US Customs and Border Protection on Monday.Said was removed from a plane en route to the band's summer tour and has had no contact with his bandmates for two days, according to a message posted to the band's Instagram account. Said is a Mexican citizen but a legal permanent resident of the United States, holder of a green card and resident of Austin since the 1980s, according to the Austin Chronicle. Continue reading...

US international affairs scholar who pointed to soft power as a complement to military and economic mightJoseph Nye, who has died aged 88, owed his fame in the diplomatic world to just two words: soft power". The international affairs scholar came up with the phrase while sitting at his kitchen table trying to find a way to condense and encapsulate his approach to US foreign policy.He acknowledged military force and economic power were essential components in pursuit of the national interest but argued there was a third element, one not requiring force, that was under-appreciated. He called it soft power: influence gained through aid, culture, news and agencies promoting human rights, democracy and freedom of speech. Continue reading...

Brothers, convicted of parents' 1989 murders, resentenced to 50 years to life, making them immediately parole eligibleAfter months of delays and decades behind bars, Erik and Lyle Menendez now have a long-awaited chance at freedom after a judge reduced their sentences for the 1989 killings of their parents.Their family and extensive network of supporters celebrated on Tuesday when Judge Michael Jesic resentenced the brothers from life in prison without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life. The judge's decision means they are immediately eligible for parole under California's youthful offender law because of their young ages at the time of the murders. Continue reading...

President announces record-breaking $96bn deal to sell Qatar up to 210 jets and $38bn in future defense investment

An estimated 80,000 people died from overdoses last year - down from 110,000 in 2023 - but still above pre-Covid levelThere were 30,000 fewer US drug overdose deaths in 2024 than the year before - the largest one-year decline ever recorded.An estimated 80,000 people died from overdoses last year, according to provisional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released on Wednesday. That is down 27% from 110,000 in 2023.Increased availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone.Expanded addiction treatment.Shifts in how people use drugs.The growing impact of billions of dollars in opioid lawsuit settlement money.The number of at-risk Americans is shrinking, after waves of deaths in older adults and a shift in teens and younger adults away from the drugs that cause most deaths. Continue reading...

Jay Bratt asserted constitutional right to silence before panel pursuing people involved in prosecutions of TrumpThe former special counsel prosecutor Jay Bratt asserted his fifth amendment right not to answer questions during a Wednesday deposition before a Republican-led House committee looking for evidence of politicization in the prosecutions of Donald Trump, a spokesman said.Bratt, who led the federal criminal case over the US president's alleged mishandling of classified documents as a top deputy to the former special counsel Jack Smith, was invited to testify by the House judiciary committee, which is chaired by the Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, a prominent defender of the president. Continue reading...

Commerce chief Howard Lutnick's firm backed controversial crypto giant Tether as Bukele ties deepenedTrump administration's commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, and his family have had extensive business interests linked to El Salvador, whose authoritarian leader Nayib Bukele has grown close to the White House and who has courted controversy by imprisoning people deported from the US in an immigration crackdown.El Salvador also plays host to a booming cryptocurrency and new media industry, which has numerous ties to Donald Trump allies who are seeking to make money from various ventures which have sometimes drawn the attention of authorities or ethics watchdogs. Continue reading...

Donald Trump said of the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, 'we just like each other', as the pair signed a defence and aviation deal between the US and Qatar. Trump says the deal is worth $200bn (150bn) and includes 160 jets

Estimated 17 million kids would be ineligible for tax credit because their parents wouldn't make enough to qualifyRepublicans' newest tax bill threatens to exclude millions of families from a tax credit meant to ease household financial burdens, even as conservatives are increasingly claiming to tout policies designed to entice families to have more babies.One provision in the bill, which runs nearly 400 pages, seeks to raise the child tax credit from the current $2,000 level to $2,500 per child - but an estimated 17 million children would be ineligible to receive the full credit because their parents do not make enough to qualify, according to a congressional estimate. Another provision of the bill would require a US citizen child's parent or guardian to possess a social security number in order to claim the credit; if the child's parents are married and file their taxes together, both parents would need social security numbers. Continue reading...

Former US supreme court justice nominated by George HW Bush who consistently voted with its liberal wingWhen David H Souter, who has died aged 85, was appointed to the US supreme court by George HW Bush in 1990, it was called a home run for conservativism" by Bush's chief of staff John Sununu, who, as governor of New Hampshire had appointed Souter to the state's supreme court. But it would turn into an appointment whose impact outweighed the appointee's important judicial contributions.Bush had previously considered a number of conservative ideologues: Senator Orrin Hatch, future Bill Clinton nemesis Kenneth Starr and Clarence Thomas (whose nomination was widely assumed to be held until the retirement of Thurgood Marshall, since both were black). As the Democrats held a 55-45 Senate majority, and in 1987 rejected Ronald Reagan's choice, Robert Bork, for being an unrepentant ideologue, when the New Hampshire senator, Warren Rudman, recommended Souter to Sununu, he seemed a safe pair of conservative hands. He also had the advantage of having served quietly in his home state, without leaving a paper trail of controversy on national issues. Continue reading...

New home and away kits for the US men's and women's national teams are bound to elicit opinions. Here's what our experts thinkThe primary kit, white with a star print, will be worn only by the US women to start. Dubbed the Brilliant Kit," the marketing pitch says it's a tribute to the trailblazers who have shaped soccer and inspired generations. Star details are drawn directly from iconic past WNT kits, fused with a modern silhouette to reflect the optimism, leadership, and evolution of the game." Does the kit accomplish this, to you?I appreciate Nike saying the modern silhouette is reflecting all of those very nice-sounding buzzwords and not just we put this design on one of our current kit models instead of reproducing shirt sizes from 1999 because no one wants to run around in baggy polyester any more." Are the star details from past USWNT that are referenced supposed to be the stars they got from winning World Cups? If so, that's a good flex. Unfortunately, the biggest visual reference this one conjures to me is the 94 men's denim kit (which the women did not wear - the USWNT and USMNT designs didn't match up until a couple decades later). I like the retro feel of it all and so that look-back-at-the-past direction succeeds. I can do without the rest of the blurb. AS Continue reading...

Fears sparked that Trump would wield law against groups that file lawsuits or organize voters against his policiesNon-profit groups are sounding the alarm over an attempt by Republican lawmakers to insert a provision allowing the government to cancel the tax-exempt status of organizations it deems terrorist supporting" in a massive bill under negotiation in the House of Representatives.The provision's potential inclusion in the spending and taxation legislation that Donald Trump and his allies refer to as one big, beautiful bill" has sparked fears that the administration will wield it against groups who file lawsuits or organize voters against his policies. Continue reading...

US president meets Syrian counterpart in Saudi Arabia after agreeing to lift sanctions. Plus, why men cause more greenhouse gas emissions on average than womenGood morning.Donald Trump has met the Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Saudi Arabia after agreeing to lift sanctions on Syria, saying that doing so gives them a chance of greatness".What else has Trump said on his tour of the Gulf states? He has said he wants to make a deal with Iran, but it can only go ahead if the regime stops supporting terror" and abandons its nuclear plans.How has the family responded? Anamaria Baralt, a cousin of Erik and Lyle, testified that the brothers had repeatedly expressed remorse for their actions. She said: We all, on both sides of the family, believe that 35 years is enough. They are universally forgiven by our family." Continue reading...

Officials also asked attorneys who were removed in April if they would consider returning to handle civil rights workJustice department officials have asked civil rights division attorneys to reconsider their decision to leave the department in recent weeks, according to people familiar with the matter, a sign that the agency may have been caught off-guard by the wave of personnel leaving.Officials have also asked attorneys, including career managers, who were involuntarily detailed to low-level offices last month, if they would consider returning to their sections to handle civil rights work, the people said. The attorneys were removed in late April in what was widely understood as an effort to force them to accept a paid offer to leave the department. Continue reading...

Vinay Prasad, outspoken critic of pharmaceutical industry and of his peers in public health, to take over CBERVinay Prasad, an oncologist and hematologist who has called for more regulatory scrutiny of pharmaceuticals, including Covid vaccines, was named the top US vaccines official earlier this month.Marty Makary, commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), announced in a 6 May email obtained by the Guardian that Prasad would now lead the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), which oversees biological products like blood, vaccines, and cellular and gene therapies. Biotech stocks plunged at the news. Continue reading...

Kroger stores in multiple states have overcharged customers by listing expired sale tags and then ringing up regular prices - a practice that adds extra burdens on struggling US familiesDerek and Allison Hadfield became more and more fed up whenever they shopped for their family of four at their local Kroger grocery in Belpre, Ohio, a town of about 6,600 across the Ohio River from West Virginia.When they tried to save money by buying stuff on sale, they said, many of the discounts vanished when Kroger rang up their carts at checkout. Personal pizzas posted as on sale for $1 a piece rang up for $1.25 each. An 8oz jar of minced garlic listed at the low price of $2.49 cost $3.99 at checkout - a 60% jump. Continue reading...

Actor and daughter of country star shares heartbreaking story in docuseries of discovering her mom's 2022 suicideAshley Judd has delivered her most complete account yet of the heart-wrenching moments during which she personally discovered her mother's suicide in 2022 - and sought to ensure her parent let go of her guilt and her shame" over what she had done at the conclusion of a long struggle with depression.I ... told her how much I loved her, and it's OK to go," the actor said on The Judd Family: Truth Be Told. Continue reading...

The Argentine superstar has been top-class, but a lack of structure behind him has been his team's undoing. Sound familiar?Inter Miami are used to having a target on their back by now, but no opponent has hit them harder than Minnesota United did on Saturday in a 4-1 rout. As if inflicting Lionel Messi's heaviest-ever defeat in Major League Soccer wasn't enough, the Loons took the opportunity to rub it in on social media, labelling South Florida's Galacticos a Pink Phony Club" - a jibe that irked David Beckham.Beckham's frustration, along with everyone else's at Inter Miami, has built over a number of weeks. The Herons are experiencing an early-season reckoning. Their Concacaf Champions Cup challenge was ended by a rampant Vancouver Whitecaps who ran up a 5-1 aggregate scoreline to make the final despite Inter Miami making the competition a big priority. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: the Ukraine president's call for Putin to meet him in person represents a huge gamble in the prospect of peaceGood morning.Talks. Istanbul. Thursday. In the geopolitical equivalent of a playground challenge, the latest move in the back-and-forth brinkmanship between Russia and Ukraine has seen President Zelenskyy call Putin's bluff.US politics | Donald Trump says he will lift sanctions on Syria and meet with the country's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, during his tour of the gulf states. Sharaa's pitch to woo the US offered access to Syrian oil, reconstruction contracts and to build a Trump Tower in Damascus.UK news | Peter Sullivan, who has spent 38 years in jail, has had his murder conviction quashed in what is thought to be the longest-running miscarriage of justice in British history. Sullivan was wrongly convicted in 1987 for the frenzied murder of a florist and part-time pub worker, Diane Sindall, 21, in Merseyside.Conservatives | An MP has been charged with sexual assault over alleged incidents at London's Groucho Club in 2023, the Crown Prosecution Service has said. Patrick Spencer, the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, was charged with two counts of sexual assault against two separate women, said the CPS.Assisted dying | At least five MPs have decided to vote against the UK assisted dying bill, the Guardian understands. It comes as the Scottish parliament votes to consider a bill to allow assisted dying for terminally ill people for the first time.UK news | A man has been arrested in connection with a series of suspected arson attacks on property linked to Keir Starmer, Scotland Yard has said. The 21-year-old was arrested in the early hours on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and remained in custody, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. Read our latest story hereTrump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Elon Musk were seen chatting briefly during the reception in Riyadh, Reuters reports.Footage shows Trump speaking with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the ceremonial blue room, where he is meeting and greeting officials. Continue reading...

Trump announced Syrian sanctions relief alongside a $142bn arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Key US politics stories from Tuesday 13 May 2025 at a glanceDonald Trump has announced plans to lift sanctions on Syria after holding talks with Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoan, describing it as an effort to give them a chance at greatness".The announcement came as the White House also confirmed that Trump would meet with Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former rebel commander whose forces helped overthrow Bashar al-Assad in 2024. It would be the first face-to-face meeting between a US president and a Syrian leader since 2000, when Bill Clinton met with the late leader Hafez al-Assad in Geneva. Continue reading...

Erik and Lyle Menendez given 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole and giving them chance at freedomA California judge has given Erik and Lyle Menendez, who had been sentenced to life in prison for the murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills home, a chance at freedom after 35 years behind bars.Judge Michael Jesic shortens the brothers' sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life. They're now eligible for parole under California's youthful offender law because they committed the crime under the age of 26. They would still need approval from the state's parole board to be released. Continue reading...

Climber hiked to car in dark and and called for help after group of four scaled peak in Washington state mountainsA rock climber who fell an estimated 400ft while descending a steep gully in Washington's North Cascades mountains survived the fall that killed his three companions, hiked to his car in the dark and then drove to a payphone to call for help, authorities said on Tuesday.The surviving climber, who has not been publicly identified, extricated himself from a tangle of ropes, helmets and other equipment after the accident and made the trek despite suffering internal bleeding and head trauma, Okanogan county undersheriff Dave Yarnell said. Continue reading...

Hannah Dugan was arrested by FBI after reportedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid US authoritiesA federal grand jury has indicted a Wisconsin judge who was arrested by the FBI last month on allegations that she helped an undocumented immigrant avoid federal authorities.Hannah Dugan, a county circuit court judge in Milwaukee, was charged on Tuesday with concealing a person from arrest and obstruction of proceedings, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. Continue reading...