Program mirrors earlier successful mission to fight new world screwworm fly, whose larvae can infest living tissueThe US government is preparing to breed billions of flies and dump them out of airplanes over Mexico and southern Texas to fight a flesh-eating maggot.That sounds like the plot of a horror movie, but it is part of the government's plans for protecting the US from a bug that could devastate its beef industry, decimate wildlife and even kill household pets. This weird science has worked well before. Continue reading...
US president says goods from Vietnam will face a 20% tariff, a lower rate than the 46% levy he announced in AprilThe United States and Vietnam struck a trade agreement that sets 20% tariffs on many of the Southeast Asian country's exports following last-minute negotiations, Donald Trump and Vietnamese state media said on Wednesday.The rate is lower than an initial 46% levy Trump announced in April on goods from Vietnam which was due to take effect next week. Continue reading...
Critics warn the staggering sum dedicated to the agency in the bill will threaten humanitarian protections and disrupt the economyThousands of new immigration enforcement officers. Tens of thousands of new detention beds. New fees on asylum applications. And new construction on the border wall.Donald Trump's sweeping spending bill would vastly expand the federal government's immigration enforcement machinery and, if passed by the House, supercharge the president's plan to carry out what he has vowed will be the largest deportation campaign in US history. Continue reading...
New York senator had claimed that Democratic nominee for mayor had made references to global jihad'The New York Democrat senator Kirsten Gillibrand has apologized to Zohran Mamdani, the party nominee for New York City mayor, for comments she made claiming that Mamdani had made references to global jihad".Gillibrand apologized for mischaracterizing Mamdani's record and for her tone on the call," according to a readout of a phone call between Gillibrand and Mamdani that was obtained by Politico. Continue reading...
Twenty states say giving immigrants' health data to DHS broke privacy laws and threatens access to emergency careThe Trump administration violated federal privacy laws when it turned over Medicaid data on millions of enrollees to deportation officials, a group of 20 states allege in a lawsuit.Last month health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's advisers ordered the release of a dataset that includes the private health information of people living in California, Illinois, Washington state and Washington DC to the Department of Homeland Security. Continue reading...
by Gaurav Pokharel in Beldangi refugee camp on (#6YCG6)
Dozens of Bhutanese refugees are facing deportation from Nepal, a country that once gave them shelterAshish Subedi never imagined he would be deported once, let alone twice.Subedi, 36, had grown up in the Beldangi refugee camp in eastern Nepal where his family, along with over 100,000 other ethnic Lhotshampas, ended up after being expelled from Bhutan in the early 1990s. Continue reading...
Ward Sakeik was detained in February on her way home from her honeymoon in the US Virgin IslandsThe US government has tried for the second time to deport a stateless Palestinian woman, according to court documents - despite a judge's order barring her removal.Ward Sakeik, a 22-year-old newlywed, was detained in February on her way home from her honeymoon in the US Virgin Islands. Last month, the government attempted to deport her without informing her where she was being sent, according to her husband, Taahir Shaikh. An officer eventually told her that she would be sent to the Israel border - just hours before Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. Continue reading...
Gail Lee, who has challenged the registrations of hundreds of voters in the county, was nominated by the local Republican partyAn Atlanta-area county has appointed a staunch election denier, with a history of challenging voter registrations, to the county's board of registration and elections, a pivotal position to cast doubt on the results of future elections.DeKalb county's Republican committee nominated Gail Lee and a second Republican activist, but the nomination of William Henderson was rejected last week by the chief judge of the DeKalb county superior court, Shondeana Morris, after a letter campaign against the two promoted by the county's Democratic committee and voting rights activists. Continue reading...
Democratic mayors challenge new rules that give millions of people less time to enroll in coverageNew Trump administration rules that give millions of people a shorter timeframe to sign up for the Affordable Care Act's health care coverage are facing a legal challenge from Democratic mayors around the country.The rules, rolled out last month, reverse a Biden-era effort to expand access to the Affordable Care Act's health insurance, commonly called Obamacare" or the ACA. The previous Democratic administration expanded the enrollment window for the coverage, which led to record enrollment. Continue reading...
Week of 20 June was highest level of risk for Fordham Tick Index as scientists remind people to take precautionsTicks have been flourishing recently in the United States.This year, as compared to recent years, there has been an increase in the reported number of blacklegged ticks, the number of such ticks that carry Lyme disease and visits to the emergency room because of bites from the tiny parasitic arachnid, according to data from universities and the US federal government. Continue reading...
Mark Carney's Strong Borders Act would mean a crackdown on refugees as Canada seeks to bolster its relationship with the USThere are many stereotypes about Canada - that we are a nation of extremely polite people, a welcoming melting pot, and that we're the US's laid-back cousin who lives next door.But right now, Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, is bucking all of that lore after pressure from the US in the form of Donald Trump's concerns" about undocumented migrants and fentanyl moving across the US-Canada border. In response, the recently elected Liberal PM put forward a 127-page bill that includes, among other worrying provisions, sweeping changes to immigration policy that would make the process much more precarious for refugees and could pave the way for mass deportations. Continue reading...
Zhi Alan Cheng, 35, admits to filming assaults of patients and acquaintances in his apartment and workplaceA New York City doctor charged with raping or otherwise sexually abusing several hospital patients and acquaintances has pleaded guilty.Zhi Alan Cheng, a gastroenterologist, acknowledged filming assaults in his apartment and the hospital where he had previously worked, New York-Presbyterian Queens, state prosecutors said in a statement on Monday after his guilty plea. Continue reading...
The justices' decision limiting judicial injunctions gives a red light to the most effective check on the president's power grabEver since Donald Trump returned to power, he has carried out an unprecedented assault against the country's rule of law. But we can be thankful that one group of people - federal district court judges - have bravely stood up to him and his many illegal actions.His excesses include gutting federal agencies, deporting immigrants without due process, seeking to cut thousands of federal jobs despite their legal protections, and ordering an end to birthright citizenship. Intent on upholding the constitution and rule of law, district court judges have issued more than 190 orders blocking or temporarily pausing Trump actions they considered illegal. Their decisions have slowed the US president's wrecking ball as it demolishes federal agencies, devastates foreign aid, decimates scientific research and demoralizes government employees.Steven Greenhouse is a journalist and author, focusing on labour and the workplace, as well as economic and legal issues Continue reading...
It shouldn't be hard to lure them into my spaceship. I'd just have to tell them it was hosting a multimillion-dollar wedding partyThoughts and prayers to the thousands of Norwegians who have just had one of the best weekends of their lives, followed by one hell of a comedown. Thanks to a currency conversion snafu by the state lottery operator, numerous people were incorrectly informed on Friday that they had won life-changing amounts of money in the Eurojackpot. On Monday, a text message was sent to players informing them of the mix-up.It seems Norwegians are a prudent bunch; I haven't found any examples of people spending Jeff Bezos-levels of money as soon as they were told they had won big. Me? I would have gone into evil billionaire mode immediately. Continue reading...
The detention center visit seemed to represent a landmark in a defining issue since even before his first term: migrationDonald Trump's tour of the bloodcurdlingly-monikered - and hastily-constructed - Alligator Alcatraz" migrants detention center in Florida's Everglades had the hallmarks of a calculatedly provocative celebration of the dystopian.Accompanied by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, the Florida governor Ron DeSantis and a phalanx of journalists, the US president saw only virtue in the vista of mesh fencing, barbed wire and forbidding steel bunk beds. Continue reading...
It's been over two years since the A's were awarded public funding for their new ballpark. But despite last month's groundbreaking", its completion is anything but certainIt had just turned 8am on a crystal clear, late June Monday morning, but it was already 85F (29F). Despite the tolerable heat (for the desert), a giant air conditioned tent had been erected on the former site of the Tropicana, the famed hotel which was demolished in a controlled implosion last October. Athletics owner John Fisher, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and a gaggle of politicians had all gathered on the compact, nine-acre site for a ceremony over two years in the making: the groundbreaking for the new A's stadium on the Strip, coming your way in 2028.On the surface, it was your run-of-the-mill pomp and circumstance: a series of uneven speeches mixed in with a few kids gushing over how much they can't wait to have the former Oakland and current A's in Las Vegas. But if you had been following the long-running A's stadium saga, one which led them to a temporary minor-league residency in Sacramento this season, you didn't have to look far beyond the rented heavy-duty construction props to see the farce, and you didn't have to dig much deeper than the dignitaries shoveling into the makeshift baseball diamond to understand what this ceremony really was: the latest stop on Fisher's neverending, would-be stadium tour. Continue reading...
A quarter-final collapse against Guatemala laid bare Canada's lack of control, composure and tactical clarity under Jesse MarschWhat a joyous Sunday for the American football family. A rare one too. Has an international fanbase ever celebrated two sudden-death wins in the space of four sweet hours?In a bitter Canadian irony, the only man inside the US Bank Stadium who could have spelled and pronounced schadenfreude on demand was the one on the end of it. Continue reading...
Paramount said it would pay the $16m to Trump's future presidential library and not to Trump himself. It also said the settlement did not include a statement of apology or regret.CBS parent company Paramount on Wednesday settled a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump over an interview broadcast in October, in the latest concession by a media company to the US president, who has targeted outlets over what he describes as false or misleading coverage.Paramount said it would pay $16m to settle the suit with the money allocated to Trump's future presidential library, and not paid to Trump directly or indirectly". Continue reading...
The bill will need approval from the House, where deep divisions among Republican lawmakers remain - key US politics stories from 1 July 2025After days of deliberations that went late into the night on Tuesday, the Senate passed Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending cuts megabill, taking the deeply divisive piece of legislation one step closer to becoming law.At the 11th hour, minority Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer won a small victory in having the name of Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act" stricken, but it wasn't enough to stop its passage - the act was passed just minutes later. Continue reading...
by Cecilia Nowell (now); Lucy Campbell, Marina Dunbar on (#6YBEV)
This blog has now closed. You can read more of our US politics coverage hereThe senate has adopted an amendment offered by Republican senator Joni Ernst - who represents Iowa - to prevent jobless millionaires from claiming unemployment compensation.Lawmakers voted 99-1 to strike the AI regulation ban from the bill by adopting an amendment offered by Republican senator Marsha Blackburn. Continue reading...
Homeland security secretary attempting to end legal status for approximately 521,000 Haitian immigrantsA federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's bid to end temporary deportation protections and work permits for approximately 521,000 Haitian immigrants before the program's scheduled expiration date.Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security rescinded Joe Biden's extension of temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians through 3 February. It called for the program to end on 3 August, and last week pushed back that date to 2 September. Continue reading...
Move comes after rightwing Republican accuses New York City mayoral candidate of concealing support for terrorism'The Trump administration has raised the possibility of stripping Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral candidate for New York City, of his US citizenship as part of a crackdown against foreign-born citizens convicted of certain offences.Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, appeared to pave the way for an investigation into Mamdani's status after Andy Ogles, a rightwing Republican representative for Tennessee, called for his citizenship to be revoked on the grounds that he may have concealed his support for terrorism" during the naturalization process. Continue reading...
Sweeping policy bill had tumultuous road to passage in Senate - will the final version play well with US voters?When Donald Trump's sweeping policy bill arrived in the Senate in late May, its problems seemed unending.It was Trump's top legislative priority, and crafted in such a way that Democrats could not block it by using the filibuster. But it was greeted with skepticism by moderate Republicans, who blanched at the bill's cuts to two major safety net programs to offset expensive outlays elsewhere: tens of billions of dollars to fund mass deportations and build border walls, along with tax-cut extensions and new deductions that could increase the budget deficit by trillions of dollars over the coming decade. Continue reading...
by Niall McVeigh (later) and Daniel Harris (earlier) on (#6YBHB)
Novak Djokovic overcame stomach problems to beat Alex Muller in four sets on a day when several big names went homePaul, yet to settle, hands Monday two break points ... which he hands straight back. From there, the hold is quickly secured.Thinking of Paul more generally, though, he's in the same section of the draw as Sinner. There's not loads else there, so he'll be wondering if, finally, he can beat someone better than him on the biggest stage. Continue reading...
Reignited quarrel centers around Musk's opposition to the president's signature tax bill as it moves through CongressDonald Trump and Elon Musk's feud reignited this week with the former political allies trading sharp public threats of retribution. The blowup, centered around Musk's opposition to Trump's signature tax bill as it moves through Congress, ends a period of rapprochement between two of the world's most powerful men.Musk posted escalating attacks against Trump's sweeping spending bill on his social media platform X, calling the legislation insane" and vowing to form a new political party if it passed late Monday. In response, Trump claimed he could look into" deporting the South Africa-born billionaire, while also suggesting he could cut government subsidies for Musk's companies or set the so-called department of government efficiency" (Doge) on its former leader. Continue reading...
by Chris Stein in Washington and Rachel Leingang on (#6YBVX)
Legislation goes to House but unclear if lower chamber will accept changes to tax and spending bill amid factional splitsSenate Republicans on Tuesday passed a major tax and spending bill demanded by Donald Trump, ending weeks of negotiations over the comprehensive legislation and putting it another step closer to enactment.But it remains unclear whether changes made by the chamber will be accepted by the House of Representatives, which approved an initial draft of the legislation last month by a single vote. While Republicans control both houses of Congress, factionalism in the lower chamber is particularly intense, with rightwing fiscal hardliners demanding deep spending cuts, moderates wary of dismantling safety-net programs and Republicans from Democratic-led states expected to make a stand on a contentious tax provision. Any one of these groups could potentially derail the bill's passage through a chamber where the GOP can lose no more than three votes. Continue reading...
Kristi Noem says we're working with [DoJ] to see if we can prosecute them' while president fumes over Iran reportingDonald Trump and administration officials have threatened CNN over what they said was its promotion of a new app that allows users to track and try to avoid Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents.Speaking to reporters in Florida on a trip to visit a new Ice detention center in Everglades, dubbed Alligator Alcatraz", the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, said her department and the Department of Justice were looking at prosecuting CNN over its reporting on the app, called IceBlock. Continue reading...
Trump's immigration crackdown has made many immigrant farmworkers scared to go to workLisa Tate is a sixth-generation farmer in Ventura county, California, an area that produces billions of dollars worth of fruit and vegetables each year, much of it hand-picked by immigrants in the US illegally.Tate knows the farms around her well. And she says she can see with her own eyes how raids carried out by agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) in the area's fields earlier this month, part of Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, have frightened off workers. Continue reading...
President says immigration jail in Florida Everglades is a little controversial, but I couldn't care less'Donald Trump on Tuesday toured Alligator Alcatraz, a controversial new migrant detention jail in the remote Florida Everglades, and celebrated the harsh conditions that people sent there would experience.The president was chaperoned by Florida's hard-right governor, Ron DeSantis, who hailed the tented camp on mosquito-infested land 50 miles west of Miami as an example for other states that supported Trump's mass deportation agenda. Continue reading...
New White House-approved painting was donated after Trump described the original as purposefully distorted'Months after Donald Trump expressed strong negative opinions about a presidential portrait of him in the Colorado state capitol that he described as purposefully distorted", a White House-approved replacement now hangs in its place.The new portrait, which Trump reportedly demanded be printed with a golden border so it would catch the light and glimmer", bears a close resemblance to Trump's official second-term photograph, which hangs in more than 1,600 federal buildings across the US and thousands more on a voluntary basis. Continue reading...
Jerome Powell says inflationary impact of the president's trade policies needs to be assessed before borrowing costs can be reducedThe chair of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, has blamed Donald Trump's tariffs for preventing the immediate interest rate cuts the president has demanded.Trump has repeatedly urged Powell to reduce borrowing costs in the US economy. On Tuesday, he said: Anybody would be better than J Powell. He's costing us a fortune because he keeps the rate way up." Continue reading...
A new justice department directive may signal a sweeping crackdown on US citizens as part of Trump's deportation agendaA justice department memo directing the department's civil division to target the denaturalization of US citizens around the country has opened up an new avenue for Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda, experts say.In the US, when a person is denaturalized, they return to the status they held before becoming a citizen. If someone was previously a permanent resident, for example, they will be classified as such again, which can open the door to deportation efforts. Continue reading...
by Kat Lay, Global health correspondent on (#6YBJ7)
Former presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush and singer Bono send emotional message to staff as organisation closesBarack Obama and George W Bush have criticised the closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), as a study warned it could result in a staggering number" of avoidable deaths - more than 14 million over five years.The former US presidents made rare public criticisms of the Trump administration as they took part in a video farewell for USAID staffers on Monday on its last day as an independent organisation. Continue reading...
Twenty-year-old man had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only minor contacts with area policeA 20-year-old man's life appeared to have begun to unravel in the months before authorities say he fatally shot two firefighters and severely wounded a third as they responded to a wildfire near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.Wess Roley was living out of his vehicle and his former roommate, TJ Franks Jr, said he shaved off his long hair and started to kind of go downhill". The two lived together for about six months in Sandpoint, Idaho, until Roley moved out in January, Franks said on Monday. Continue reading...
Homeland security secretary was paid by group listed as American Resolve Police Fund, according to PoliticoThe US homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, failed to disclose $80,000 that she accepted while serving as South Dakota's governor, according to a report published on Monday.The investigative news website ProPublica said that tax records from 2023 show Noem was paid the sum by a group listed as American Resolve Policy Fund - but it has never made it on to her public ethics disclosures. Continue reading...
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