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The war in Ukraine is showing up the inconsistency and moral sloppiness of how Britain deals with regimesWar is a good time to bury scruples. We may hate Vladimir Putin, but one dictator at a time appears all we can handle. So Britain’s Boris Johnson is to make a humiliating dash to plead with Saudi Arabia’s ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to lower the price of oil. What will he offer in return? Will it be a blind eye to the state murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the continued devastation of the Yemenis, or the execution at the weekend of 81 men, some of them political prisoners? Who next is to be appeased, the “oligarchs” of the UAE, or Nicolás Maduro, ruler of oil-rich Venezuela? How kind must Britain suddenly be to China, as the latter equivocates in its attitude to Putin and greedily eyes Taiwan?Ukraine has brought an enhanced moral sloppiness to British policymaking. Sanctions were thought a price worth paying in lieu of coming more directly to Kyiv’s aid against Putin. But as the war has not gone well for Putin, nor have sanctions for the west. They have sent energy prices and inflation soaring. At first this was to be a noble display of sharing Ukraine’s agony, sort of. Now it has all got too much. Political scientists may call it realpolitik, but in truth it is merely starting to hurt.Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Family were sitting in their car when child somehow found weapon owned by father and fired itA three-year-old boy accidentally shot his mother dead as the family sat in their car in a parking lot at a supermarket in a suburb of Chicago, police said.The woman was shot on Saturday in Dolton and pronounced dead at hospital, police said. Continue reading...

Suspect believed to have attacked people sleeping on the streets in both cities, killing two and injuring threePolice in Washington DC and New York said they were searching for a man believed to have attacked people sleeping on the streets in both cities, killing two and injuring three.District of Columbia police said on Sunday investigators were working with the New York police department to find the man who left a victim in a burning tent after fatally shooting and stabbing him on Wednesday, then killed another man on Saturday in New York.The Associated Press contributed to this report Continue reading...

Barbara Goldberg Goldman wrote in her email that three previous attempts to elect a Black governor had failedDoubts about the electability of Black candidates “should have no place in America in 2022”, a contender for the Democratic nomination for governor in Maryland said, after an email from a party official and donor expressing such doubt went public.The email from Barbara Goldberg Goldman, deputy treasurer of the state Democratic party, was obtained by Axios. The news site noted the disparity between such doubts and Democratic reliance on Black voters in states across the US, not least in the election of Joe Biden as president. Continue reading...

The quarterback still believes he has plenty to offer his team. But it is often the game, rather than the player, that decides when a career is overApparently, we haven’t learned anything from horror movies. If we had, we would have remembered that the villain always returns the very second the world believes they are finally vanquished. So, it was on a random Sunday night in March – during the hours normally set aside in the US for college basketball discussion – that Tom Brady announced he is returning to the NFL.“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady wrote on his Twitter account. “That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business. LFG.” Continue reading...

A total of 14 states have now passed legislation restricting how and what teachers can teach about race and racism in America. But resources aboundRightwing legislators across the country have seized on the bogeyman of so-called “critical race theory” as the latest weapon in their centuries-long practice of trying to scare white people that their hold on the country is slipping away. A total of 14 states have now passed legislation restricting how and what teachers can teach about race and racism in America. But their ideological, white people-first zeal far surpasses their actual understanding of US history. Even after the rushed attempts to whitewash US history, there is still abundant material to cover that can give a clear, accurate and truthful picture of this country and the centuries-long role of systemic racism in shaping the United States of America.The most far-reaching and proscriptive of these bills is the legislation passed last year in Texas, and I have done a deep dive into the revised Texas education code so that you don’t have to (finally putting to good use the experience gained from serving on a school board for eight years, passing controversial policies to diversify San Francisco’s literature curriculum, and being a lawyer for 24 years). So, as a resource for people who believe in teaching the truth, here are five documents you still can – and should – teach even under the new anti-CRT laws.Steve Phillips is the founder of Democracy in Color and author of Brown is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority. He is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...

The four-time grand slam champion was reduced to tears by a heckler at Indian Wells. But abuse from the stands appears to be on the increaseNaomi Osaka’s emotional, tear-filled comments after she was heckled during her second-round loss in Indian Wells on Saturday immediately drew comparisons to the infamous incident at the same tournament in 2001 when the Williams sisters were mercilessly – and unjustly - booed. While the setting was the same and both instances reveal an ugly side of fandom, the circumstances surrounding each are decidedly not similar.At the 2001 tournament, minutes before a highly anticipated semi-final clash between Venus and Serena (who at that point were already both slam champions), Venus withdrew due to an injury. The next day, during the final between Serena and Kim Clijsters, a significant portion of the crowd heckled and booed Serena, as well as Venus and their father Richard who were watching the match at courtside. Serena eventually won the final as a proud and defiant Richard looked on. Continue reading...

Zelenskiy pushes for meeting with Putin after deadly strike near Polish border. Plus, are there more wheels or doors in the world?Diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine have increased, with Ukrainian and Russian negotiators to resume talks after Russia attacked a base near the Polish border and fighting raged across Ukraine.A barrage of Russian missiles hit Yavoriv International Center for Peacekeeping and Security, a base just 15 miles (25km) from the Polish border that previously hosted Nato military instructors, killing 35 people and wounding 134, a Ukrainian official said yesterday.What’s happening in the villages Russia has taken over? Witnesses have said Russian soldiers are shooting randomly at buildings, throwing grenades down roads and going from house to house confiscating phones and laptops. People have also been shot dead in the street.Why is Tucker Carlson in the news today? According to a report on Sunday, earlier this month the Putin regime in Moscow sent out an instruction to friendly media outlets: use more clips of Carlson.What else is happening? Here’s everything we know on day 19 of the Russian invasion. Continue reading...

Guardian review of company’s policies raises privacy concerns amid fears records could be shared or monetizedThe Biden administration is proposing to expand a controversial surveillance program that tracks the whereabouts of more than 180,000 immigrants awaiting their day in court. But there is little transparency about what data is collected by the private company with an exclusive contract to run the program, or what may happen to that data in the future.In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US lawmakers on 23 February raised fresh concerns about the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, and the data collection practices of BI Inc, the private company running the effort for US Immigration and Custom Enforcement (Ice). Continue reading...

Questions also arise about possible violations of a lobbying disclosure law known as the Foreign Agents Registration ActConservative influence powerhouse CPAC and the American Conservative Union that sponsors it, face criticism on multiple fronts over financial and other dealings with foreign backers, and charges their gatherings have become pay-to-play affairs with corporate lobbyists as Donald Trump allies gain power and influence.The Conservative Political Action Conference’s annual meeting is a hugely influential date on the conservative calendar every year and attracts a wide array of power players in the Republican party and broader conservative movement. CPAC’s “straw poll” is seen as a potential predictor of Republican presidential candidates. Last month it was held in Florida where Trump was the star attraction, and won the straw poll by a healthy margin. Continue reading...

Workers are under intense strain amid grueling schedules, union contract negotiations and an arcane attendance policy systemAmerican railroad workers are criticizing a new restrictive attendance policy at one of the largest railroad freight networks in the US, as they experience grueling schedules and labor cuts in the midst of new union contract negotiations, which have hit an impasse, prompting federal mediation.The Guardian spoke with several railroad trainmen and engineers who requested to remain anonymous as they are prohibited by their employer from speaking to the media. Continue reading...

Russian government document instructed outlets to show Fox News host ‘as much as possible’, Mother Jones saysThe Fox News primetime host Tucker Carlson has been widely accused of echoing Russian propaganda about the invasion of Ukraine. According to a report on Sunday, earlier this month the Putin regime in Moscow sent out an instruction to friendly media outlets: use more clips of Carlson.Mother Jones, a progressive magazine, said it had obtained memos produced by the Russian Department of Information and Telecommunications Support. Continue reading...

Amid reports that Russia has requested military help in Ukraine, Jake Sullivan is due to meet China’s top diplomat in Rome on Monday

Rob Portman of Ohio urges US and Nato as US intelligence community says creating no-fly zone risks escalation of conflict

Analysis: Disputes with Biden administration mean Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are likely to drive hard bargainJoe Biden’s hardline stance on Russia has won him widespread plaudits, but with the most serious oil shock in decades now a reality, the US president’s attempt to cushion the blowback continues to meet resistance from the two allies he needs most.Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Mohammed bin Salman, and his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, are yet to agree to a phone call with the west’s most powerful man – a scenario all but unthinkable during previous administrations. Continue reading...

Ex-attorney general excoriates old boss in book but refuses to budge from vow to vote for him if he is Republican nominee again

Man who was denied entrance on Saturday for previous incidents of disorderly conduct identified as 60-year-old Gary CabanaVideo from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City showed the moment a man leaped over a reception desk and stabbed two employees as they tried to flee on Saturday.The video released by police showed a man identified as 60-year-old Gary Cabana enter the museum lobby through a revolving door then climb onto the desk and jump over it as a man carrying what appeared to be a walkie-talkie tried in vain to stop him. Continue reading...

Supermajority runs out of time to greenlight House version of bill but does pass abortion restrictionRepublicans who enjoy a supermajority in the West Virginia legislature nonetheless failed to pass a controversial bill restricting how race is taught in public schools because they missed a midnight deadline in the final moments of the 2022 session.Lawmakers spent weeks during the legislative session debating and advancing proposed bills similar to the Anti-Racism Act of 2022. It wasn’t immediately clear why Republicans waited until late on Saturday to take a final vote. The act had passed the Senate and House overwhelmingly and the vote was merely to greenlight the House version. Continue reading...

Tom Rice faces Trumpist challenger because of vote to impeach over the deadly Capitol attackA Republican congressman attacked by Donald Trump at a rally in South Carolina on Saturday called the former president a “would-be tyrant”.Tom Rice voted to impeach Trump over the deadly Capitol attack and will face a Trump-endorsed challenger later this year. Continue reading...

We remember the murdered bakers, the postal workers, the animal shelter volunteers and we say: there will be justice

It has been two years since the US declared a national emergency because of Covid – these graphics show the costs and cautious hopes for the futureThe Covid-19 pandemic has hit the United States hard, sparing no region, race or ethnicity, though some groups have suffered more than others.The virus has caused more than 965,000 US deaths; strained healthcare systems; changed companies and employees’ expectations of one another; and sparked political battles over vaccine mandates and controls. Continue reading...

Chair of board advising on legalisation of psychedelic mushrooms resigns after being accused to standing to profit from own rulesThe chair of a board advising on the legalisation of psychedelic mushrooms in Oregon has resigned after being accused of standing to profit financially from the potentially $1bn industry he is helping to shape.In 2020, after a landmark US-first vote, Oregon legalized the therapeutic use of psilocybin. But the ructions at the board could throw the whole industry into disarray. Continue reading...

When it comes to allowing Russian oligarchs to pay their way into the upper echelons of society, Britain really does ‘lead the world’

A variety of factors, from Russia’s invasion to the pandemic, are causing higher bills – and Americans should expect to see higher prices until the end of the year

Owning and operating a car is getting more expensive in the US – but the largely ineffective public transport means many have little choice but to use carsAt the Lehigh Valley Mall, on the outskirts of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Tony Saba is already feeling the impact of the rising cost of gas.“The price is going up to hell,” he said. “I cannot move like before. My car is in my garage. I can’t move it because I have no money.” Continue reading...

Can the New York governor accused of sexual harassment as well as a Covid cover-up succeed in his comeback campaign?Last summer, the three-term New York governor Andrew Cuomo was considered, in political terms, dead and buried after one of the most spectacular falls from grace in modern US politics.A year earlier, he’d been an empathetic pandemic hero, offering New Yorkers a measure of confidence in the state’s response to the early waves of Covid-19 while the US president, Donald Trump, floundered or blustered his way through daily briefings as the terrifying death toll mounted. Continue reading...

Joe Biden, whose son Beau’s cancer may have been connected to exposure, has advocated for a better responseJoe Biden visited Texas last week. But it was no ordinary campaigning trip to a state Democrats hungrily eye as a target to flip from red to blue.Instead the US president was speaking about an issue with personal resonance: burn pits. That is the catch-all term used to describe how American soldiers in foreign wars were exposed to toxic chemicals from incinerated military waste that years later causes debilitating disease and death to thousands of veterans. Continue reading...

Toby Price’s termination for sharing the humorous children’s book has sparked criticism and a wave of supportAn elementary school administrator in Mississippi has said he was fired for reading I Need a New Butt!, a humorous children’s book about bottoms, to a class of second-graders.The incident has spurred criticism from free speech advocates, who claim the termination could have a chilling effect at a time of conservative-fueled pushes for book bans in schools across the US. Continue reading...

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate compared his Republican opponent to the Russian president Vladimir Putin

The woman told police she attacked the man in retaliation for the US drone strike that killed senior Revolutionary Guards leader Qassem SuleimaniA woman allegedly stabbed a man she had met on a dating website in retaliation for the 2020 death of an Iranian military leader killed in an American drone strike, police say.Nika Nikoubin, 21, has been charged with attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon and burglary, KLAS-TV reported. Continue reading...

New York police said the man’s membership had been revoked for previous incidents of disorderly conductA man stabbed two people inside the Museum of Modern Art in New York on Saturday afternoon after he was denied entrance for previous incidents of disorderly conduct, authorities said.Police said the two people who were stabbed were museum employees. Both were in stable condition at Bellevue hospital. Continue reading...

Powerful late-winter storm comes with predicted snowfall up to about 13in and potential to cause travel issues and outagesA powerful late-winter storm combining rivers of moisture and frigid temperatures – a phenomenon known to some as a “bomb cyclone” – was expected to dump snow from the US deep south all the way to the Canadian border over the weekend, forecasters said.With forecast snowfall ranging from about 4in in northern Alabama and Mississippi to about 13in in northern Maine, forecasters expected travel problems and power outages across much of the eastern US.The Associated Press contributed to this report Continue reading...

Six men and a woman were taken to hospitals on Thursday in an incident that highlights a two-year trend in suspected opioid overdosesPolice have made an arrest in connection with fentanyl overdoses that involved five cadets from the US Military Academy at a Florida vacation home during spring break this week.Wilton Manors police said six men and a woman overdosed on fentanyl-laced cocaine and were taken to hospitals on Thursday. Authorities said late on Friday they had made an arrest, but did not offer specifics. Continue reading...

He’s now won more games than anyone in NBA history, but the Air Force veteran’s most important legacy will be speaking out on injustice, racism, police brutality to a red-state audienceWith San Antonio’s 104-102 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, longtime Spurs coach Gregg Popovich recorded his 1,336th regular-season win to pass Don Nelson for the most in NBA history.Popovich coached Tim Duncan for almost two decades, never missing the playoffs during a span that included five NBA championships. Under his leadership, the Spurs organization became the league standard for professionalism, respectability and doing things the “right way”, a reputation that rubbed off on San Antonio greats like David Robinson, Manu Ginobli, Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, Avery Johnson, Sean Elliott, LaMarcus Aldridge, Patty Mills, DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay and countless others. Continue reading...

Entertainment giant suspends political donations as CEO apologises for silence and governor hits back with ‘communist’ barbThe Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, claimed the Walt Disney Company was too cozy with communist China, as the chief executive of the tourism and entertainment criticized a state bill that bars teachers from instructing early grades on LGBTQ+ issues.DeSantis, who has not yet signed the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, also reportedly criticized Disney as “woke”, after the company’s leader opposed the legislation. Continue reading...

The court is set to rule this year on divisive issues including abortion, gun control, the climate crisis and voting rights

The reauthorization of the Violence Against Women act gives authorities new powers to crack down on domestic abusers with illegal gunsEditor’s note: This story was produced by the non-profit newsroom Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. Get email alerts on its investigations.State and local prosecutors and law enforcement across the US will have sweeping new powers to crack down on domestic abusers with illegal guns under a bipartisan deal approved by Congress. Continue reading...

Member of House January 6 committee admits regret that he voted against former president’s first impeachment

Sheriff’s deputies destroyed the animal after finding ‘two unconscious victims’ and ‘a camel still on the looseA camel killed two men after escaping a petting zoo in Tennessee, a county sheriff said.Officials from the Obion county sheriff’s office said the fatal incident unfolded around 5.44pm on Thursday, when they “received a call of a loose camel near Shirley Farms on South Bluff Road in Obion … attacking people”. Continue reading...

Like Gigi Hadid, my dad is a Palestinian refugee, and I’ve been harassed for suggesting Palestinians deserve human rightsWhat starts with “P” ends with “E” and is too terrifying a word for many people to so much as mention? “Palestine”, of course! Simply uttering the P-word in a vaguely sympathetic way can be enough to elicit bad faith accusations of antisemitism. The topic has become so loaded that some people seemingly prefer to pretend Palestine and Palestinians don’t exist and just ignore the issue altogether. Nothing makes liberals abandon their progressive values, or their courage, like someone mentioning Palestine. Continue reading...

16-year-old was killed during an argument outside a care home in the Ohio capital in April 2021The Columbus police officer who shot and killed 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing, Ohio prosecutors said on Friday.Ma’Khia was killed in April 2021 by officer Nicholas Reardon as she swung a knife at a young woman, seconds after pushing another woman to the ground. Bryant was Black. Reardon is white. Continue reading...

Candidates for secretary of state are raising huge sums after Trump’s lies shook 2020 electionLast year, Brad Raffensperger was attracting national headlines for taking a stand against Donald Trump and his lies about the 2020 election.In a phone call that was quickly made public, Trump demanded that Raffensperger, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, “find” enough votes to deprive Joe Biden of a victory in the battleground state. Raffensperger refused to do so and won widespread praise for his courage. Continue reading...

Critics say party has seized on price hikes to exploit war in Ukraine for its own benefit – ‘an unconscionable act of political cowardice’In a Washington riven by discord, it can seem like a throwback to a gentler time.“I’m proud to stand with my Republican and Democrat colleagues” to send help to Ukraine, Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the US House of Representatives’ foreign affairs committee, said this week. Continue reading...

The star of Free Solo is back with a new series featuring terrifying climbs – this time using virtual realityThe great promise of virtual reality lies in its potential to replicate otherwise unattainable experiences. And few in the physical world can match the experiences of Alex Honnold, the American rock climber who has distinguished himself with ropeless ascents up some of the world’s most fearsome cliffs.No one had ever completed a “free-solo” climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park before Honnold famously did so in 2017, a feat that was the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary. Continue reading...