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Homeland security secretary backs broad restrictions after guard member's killing, echoing Trump's hardline stanceKristi Noem, the US homeland security secretary, has advocated for a new travel ban on visitors from an unspecified number of countries following the shooting death in Washington DC of a national guard member by an Afghan national.Noem posted to X her proposal on Monday night after she said she had spoken with Donald Trump, whose first term travel ban on seven Muslim countries faced widespread criticism and followed a rocky legal path before it was eventually upheld by the supreme court. Continue reading...

US paused asylum decisions, halted Afghan visas, and will review green card requests after national guard shootingNews that the Trump administration has paused asylum decisions, halted visas for Afghans who assisted the US war effort and is reevaluating green card applications for people from countries of concern" has left asylum seekers across the US reeling - and pushed deeper into limbo.People say that fear travels faster than information. And that's exactly what has happened," said Reza Hussaini, a 23-year-old asylum seeker from Afghanistan who came to the US in 2022 and is still awaiting an interview to evaluate his case. Continue reading...

Under the chief justice, the US supreme court has bolstered authoritarian agendas while undercutting the voice of votersThroughout his two decades as chief justice of the US supreme court, John Roberts has sought to project the notion that he is the ultimate institutionalist, striving (supposedly) to safeguard the venerated foundations of American democracy. But with each passing year, it has become increasingly clear that Roberts will be remembered as the chief justice who helped wreck numerous institutions vital to our democracy - they include fair, non-gerrymandered elections, a sane campaign finance system, the Voting Rights Act's protections of minority voters, and the bedrock notion that presidents are not above the law.Roberts said in his confirmation hearings that he would merely call balls and strikes" as chief justice, but now two decades later, many legal commentators are deeply dismayed that he has shunned the role of neutral umpire and instead spearheaded a rightwing judicial revolution that took a wrecking ball to many precedents, laws and institutions. Some have called him the worst chief justice since Roger Taney, who wrote the horrific Dred Scott decision of 1857, which held that enslaved Black people couldn't be citizens. Continue reading...

Andrea Gonzalez and Norma Fajardo of Clean Carwash Worker Center, an advocacy group, describe ICE's psychological warfare' as carwash workers are disappearedIn June, Donald Trump's administration turned Los Angeles into a testing ground for the tactics that have come to define its sweeping mass deportation agenda across the US - launching large scale, public arrests aimed at netting as many people as possible into a growing immigrant detention system.Throughout the raids, one of the recurring targets of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has been carwash workers. Continue reading...

Defense secretary shares anecdote in The War on Warriors and rails against rules and regulations' governing warPete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, told soldiers under his command in Iraq to ignore legal advice about when they were permitted to kill enemy combatants under their rules of engagement.The anecdote is contained in a book Hegseth wrote last year in which he also repeatedly railed against the constraints placed on American warfighters" by the laws of war and the Geneva conventions. Continue reading...

Despite the speed at which it is progressing, AI is getting far too little discussion in Congress, the media and within the general population. That has got to changeArtificial intelligence and robotics will transform the world. It will bring unimaginable changes to our economy, our politics, warfare, our emotional wellbeing, our environment, and how we educate and raise our children. Further, there is a very real fear that, in the not-so-distant future, a super-intelligent AI could replace humans in controlling the planet.Despite the extraordinary importance of this issue and the speed at which it is progressing, AI is getting far too little discussion in Congress, the media and within the general population. That has got to change. Now. Continue reading...

Our cartoonist on the people and themes that are fuelling the buildup to next summer's tournament in North America

Steve Witkoff is due to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Plus, a new book highlights the forgotten builders of the Empire State Building

The site isn't exposing misleading reporting - it's revealing the bubble Trump increasingly inhabitsDonald Trump has used the mainstream press as a punching bag for many years, but in recent weeks his jabs have become even more frequent - and more ill-tempered.He threatened to sue the BBC for $1bn last month over the editing of a documentary that aired more than a year ago. He called one White House reporter piggy", and told another - the well-regarded Mary Bruce of ABC News - that she was a terrible person and a terrible reporter". He called a New York Times reporter ugly, both inside and out".Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...

Four years after workers at a Starbucks store in upstate New York became the first to unionize, hundreds of outlets followed - defying intense resistance from the coffee chain. What happened next?Thousands of Starbucks baristas are on strike across the US, warning the world's largest coffee chain to brace for the longest and biggest" bout of industrial action in its history.Barely a year after Brian Niccol, the Starbucks CEO, tried to draw a line under bitter divisions between its management and unionized workers, pledging to engage constructively" with them, the American coffee giant is now grappling with an escalating strike during its lucrative holiday trading season. Continue reading...

Trinidad PM rejects claims installation is in support of US campaign but opposition says they have sold soul of nation'

Your essential guide to Friday's draw in Washington DC, including where to watch it, who to watch out for and a look at Fifa's peace prizeThe World Cup draw will start at Washington DC's Kennedy Center at 12pm local time on Friday 5 December (5pm GMT/4am Saturday AEST). Although don't worry if you tune in late: based on previous draws there will be a few speeches about Fifa being on the verge of bringing about world peace via the medium of football, some interpretive dance about Fifa being on the verge of bringing about world peace via the medium of football, some videos with kids kicking a ball about to show that Fifa is on the verge of bringing about world peace via the medium of football, and then, hopefully, Fifa actually bringing about world peace via the medium of football. And if you miss any of that, don't worry Fifa will also be awarding a peace prize to the person most likely to bring about world peace in the next few months (more on that zinger later). At some point in all of that, they'll place teams into groups and at long last give this expanded tournament an actual schedule. Continue reading...

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Trump reportedly had a blunt message' for Venezuelan president: leave power and your country immediately - key US politics stories from 1 December at a glanceDonald Trump reportedly had a blunt message for Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro: leave power - and your country - immediately.Sources told the Miami Herald the US president had a phone call with his South American counterpart, who is the focus of a four-month pressure campaign in which Trump has ordered a major naval deployment off Venezuela's northern coast. Continue reading...

Prediction for New England area comes after travelers experienced disruption over Thanksgiving holiday weekendA winter storm is expected to slam much of the north-east United States with rain, ice and heavy snow on Monday night through Tuesday, forecasters have said, with millions of Americans under winter storm advisories.The bulk of the storm is expected to arrive in the region later on Monday, with the system forecast to develop over the Gulf states then move up the eastern seaboard. Most of the heaviest snowfall is expected to end by Tuesday night, with conditions clearing by Wednesday. Continue reading...

Mental health of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who is charged with murder, had reportedly been unravelling for yearsThe suspect in the shooting of two West Virginia national guard soldiers in Washington DC on the eve of Thanksgiving had been struggling with his mental health, sometimes spending weeks on end" in isolation, as he tried to assimilate in the years since arriving in the United States, it has emerged.According to emails obtained by the Associated Press, Rahmanullah Lakanwal's mental health had been unravelling for years, leaving him unable to hold a job and flipping between long, dark stretches of isolation and taking sudden, weeks-long cross-country drives. Continue reading...

Corrections officer testifies that Mangione had constant watch to prevent him from dying in custody like EpsteinLuigi Mangione was kept under tight supervision in a Pennsylvania state prison last year because officials did not want an Epstein-style situation", a corrections officer said during Manhattan state court testimony on Monday.This striking allusion to Jeffrey Epstein, the well-connected financier who died in jail awaiting trial on sex-trafficking, came during day one of a potentially week-long proceeding to weigh the legality of evidence gathered during Mangione's arrest at a McDonald's restaurant after the killing of a prominent healthcare executive. Continue reading...

Michael Bohacek, an Indiana state senator, says US president's choices of words have consequences'An Indiana Republican lawmaker whose child has Down syndrome has promised to oppose efforts to redraw the state's congressional map to favor his party after Donald Trump aimed a slur for people with intellectual disabilities at a political opponent.Michael Bohacek, a member of Indiana's state senate, wrote Friday on Facebook that he has been an unapologetic advocate for people with intellectual disabilities" since one of his daughters was born with Down. Referring to how the president used an ableist slur to insult Tim Walz, the Democratic Minnesota governor, a day earlier, Bohacek's post added, His choices of words have consequences." Continue reading...

Search continues after four people, including three children, were killed and 11 were injured in StocktonResidents of Stockton, California, are reeling after a deadly shooting at a toddler's birthday party killed four people, including three children ages eight, nine and 14, and injured 11.Authorities are still looking to understand what happened at the celebration on Saturday, and urged witnesses to come forward. Continue reading...

US president, who is 79, had October exam amid concerns over his cognitive abilities and mental fitness

Demonstrators blocked the exit of ICE vehicles from a parking lot using garbage bags and metal barriersA raid by federal immigration authorities on Saturday in New York City was thwarted by about 200 protesters, several of whom were arrested after scuffles with police officers.The episode was the latest in which citizen activists have stood up to agents enforcing Donald Trump's aggressive immigration agenda through targeted raids in various cities across the country after his second presidency began in January. Continue reading...

Leaked assessment based on confidential accounts from 24 FBI sources describes organization as a rudderless ship'

Why has Trump blown up alleged narco boats in the Caribbean and at the same time decided to let a big time trafficker off the hook?

Left-leaning challengers in the Rust belt are throwing chaos into a divided party struggling to rebuild after Trump's winIn the run-up to last month's mayoral election in Dayton, Ohio, candidate Shenise Turner-Sloss found herself up against it.Her opponent, mayor Jeffrey Mims, was a 78-year-old local Democratic party doyen who had served on school boards and teachers' unions in the city for decades. His campaign budget was three times hers and an incumbent hadn't been unseated from the mayoral role in the city for over a decade. Continue reading...

Kaja Kallas says negotiators should not lose focus that it's actually Russia who has started this war'

Popular American golfer hailed for winning the US Masters and the US OpenThe golfer Fuzzy Zoeller, who has died aged 74, won two majors - the US Masters in 1979 and the US Open in 1984, both by virtue of a playoff. His Masters success was especially notable for the fact that it was Zoeller's debut in the competition, making him the first golfer since 1935 (and still only the third) to win on his first appearance. He won the sudden-death playoff against Tom Watson and Ed Sneed with a par and a birdie, sinking a six-foot putt on the second extra hole and hurling his putter high into the air as the ball disappeared into the cup.Zoeller's US Open victory at Winged Foot five years later was remembered for his light-hearted interaction with his play-off rival, Greg Norman. When Norman holed a lengthy putt on the last of the 72 holes, Zoeller, who was behind him on the fairway, mistakenly thought the Australian had gone into the lead, and waved a white towel in mock surrender. But Norman's putt had only drawn him level, and Zoeller was able to secure a par on the last to maintain parity. During the subsequent 18-hole playoff, which Zoeller won by eight strokes, Norman returned the gesture by flapping his own white towel at the 18th. Continue reading...

You've heard of caregivers in the sandwich generation. In this anti-compassion Trump 2.0 era, it's more like a triple-decker sandwich. Alissa Quart has experienced this first-handIt was a crisp autumn day day, but I had been trapped inside for hours, breathing the cold air of one of Memorial Sloan Kettering's cancer centers with my mom. We were waiting for her latest infusion to finish dripping.Time in hospitals moves differently - minutes stretch and lose their meaning. Meanwhile, my daughter kept calling. Would I be able to go to her school volleyball game? After a few calls, I had to break it to her: the answer was no. Continue reading...

Habba disqualified from serving as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, appeals court saysDonald Trump's former personal lawyer Alina Habba, whom his administration has maneuvered to keep in place as New Jersey top federal prosecutor, is disqualified from serving in the role, an appeals court said Monday.A panel of judges from the third US circuit court of appeals sitting in Philadelphia sided with a lower court judge's ruling after hearing oral arguments at which Habba herself was present on 20 October. Continue reading...

Shares in French manufacturer tumble as second problem comes to light after weekend of flight disruptionAirbus has fixed most of its jets affected by a software glitch after a technical problem grounded thousands of its planes, but its shares tumbled on Monday after it discovered a separate issue with its fuselage panels.Airlines around the world cancelled and delayed flights over the weekend after the French plane manufacturer ordered immediate repairs to 6,000 of its A320 family of jets, more than half of its global fleet. Continue reading...

More than 95 candidates have submitted paperwork but here are the early frontrunners for next year's electionThe race is on to succeed Gavin Newsom, the California governor with presidential ambitions whose terms runs out next year - and it's already a crowded field.More than 95 candidates have so far submitted paperwork indicating their intention to run, though the official filing period doesn't start until 9 February. Continue reading...

Even a close second could be a bellwether of Republican loss of control of House of Representatives in midtermsFresh off a wave of successes in November's off-year elections, Democrats are angling for an audacious victory in a Republican-heavy Tennessee congressional district where an upset win could amount to a major blow against Donald Trump's legislative agenda.Voters on Tuesday will cast ballots in a special election to replace Mark Green, a Republican representing a middle Tennessee district who resigned from Congress in July. Drawn by the state's Republican leaders to ensure its voters favored their party, the district last year backed Trump and Green by 22-point margins. Continue reading...

Morgan Geyser, who stabbed a classmate as a 12-year-old, fled after a decade being raised by state institutionsThe haunting apparition of Slender Man" reappeared last week when Morgan Geyser, a central character in an 11-year-old attempted murder case, briefly absconded from a Wisconsin care home to which she had been transferred after being released from a psychiatric institution over the summer.Geyser was 12 in 2014 when she pleaded guilty to stabbing a sixth-grade classmate to appease the mythical Slender Man. Continue reading...

Hundreds remain missing in Indonesia and Sri Lanka as rescue efforts continue. Plus, law changes could bring cheap balcony solar to millions of Americans

Democrats like congressman Ritchie Torres face backlash for pro-Israel stances as Americans' views of Israel sourAt a campaign event in the Bronx last month, a congressional candidate quizzed a cheering crowd: What do you think would happen if the US ended all aid to Israel?" At a Thanksgiving gathering with voters, another candidate in the same race fielded questions about affordability - but also about moral leadership" when it came to Israel's war in Gaza. A third candidate vying for the same seat devoted much of his campaign's launch video to lambasting the current member of Congress representing the district over the funding he's received from the pro-Israel lobby.The incumbent in question - congressman Ritchie Torres - is one of the most staunchly pro-Israel advocates in Congress. Dalourny Nemorin, one of his challengers for the Democratic nomination to represent the district calls him the poster boy" for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or Aipac. Ritchie Torres cares more about Bibi than he does about the Bronx," Michael Blake, another challenger, said in the launch video. Continue reading...

Bans on the dangerous practice, condemned by national mental health organizations, could soon be struck downHomosexuality is an illness that therapists can and should cure: that's the rationale for conversion therapy", a practice promoted as a way to change an individual's sexual orientation from gay to straight.But a host of studies conclude that such counseling doesn't work - small wonder, since sexual orientation is a core part of an individual's identity. It's also potentially harmful, especially for minors. Research shows that youth subjected to conversion practices, often at the insistence of misguided parents, are prone to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness and suicide.David Kirp is professor emeritus at the University of California-Berkeley and a frequent Guardian contributor.In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Malls are popular with zoomers, but they show less brand loyalty and are happy to settle for dupes' over the real thingTikTok finds and homemade gifts, trips to the mall and the endless search for dupes" - gen Z's shopping habits are shaking up retail in the run-up to Christmas. And with price tags climbing and brand loyalty slipping, retailers this season must work harder to earn this generation's dollar.Gen Z's spending power is expected to near $12tn by 2030. But this year those aged 13 to 28 are expected to cut their holiday spending by a whopping 23% - a sharper decline compared to other generations - according to a recent PwC report. Continue reading...

In MLS and NWSL alike, edge-of-your-seat contests have delivered indelible moments that even the best title race run-in can't matchThere's a TV commercial that's been running on Apple TV during MLS games for Lowe's hardware stores. Lionel Messi carefully places a soccer ball on a field, ready to take a free kick. He is flanked by Lionel Messi and Lionel Messi. On the sideline, manager Lionel Messi, assisted by Lionel Messi, gesticulates. Lionel Messi lays off the ball for Lionel Messi, who crosses it to Lionel Messi. Lionel Messi chests and volleys it into the net and is mobbed by another half dozen Lionel Messis (or is it Lionels Messi?).Facing Inter Miami in the ongoing MLS playoffs must feel more or less like living inside this ad. Before Saturday's Eastern Conference final against New York City FC, Messi had either scored or assisted on all 12 goals Miami had scored in the postseason. Messi has smashed up the league this year, but he has saved the real savagery for the playoffs. Continue reading...

San Francisco are a flawed team with serious injuries. But with no great teams in the league this year, the playoffs are wide openThe 49ers' season felt over after Week 6's loss to Tampa Bay. Yes, they were 4-2. Yes, they were tied with the Seahawks and Rams and had already won head-to-head games against both. But that's when they hit rock bottom. All Pro linebacker Fred Warner was the latest casualty, following in the footsteps of All Pro edge rusher Nick Bosa with a season-ending injury. Brock Purdy had also struggled with injuries. George Kittle was hurt in Week 1. Both were not expected to return for several games. Brandon Aiyuk had no plans to play any time soon, at least not for San Francisco. By Week 7, the only big names in action were Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams.Dire as the 49ers appeared on paper, they hung in. It helped that the Cardinals, Falcons, Giants, and Panthers featured in their upcoming schedule. They beat all four of them, losing only to the Texans and Rams in the next few weeks. None of the wins inspired much confidence, though. The Cardinals outgained the 49ers by 200 yards. Purdy threw three interceptions against the Panthers. Continue reading...

Response to national guard shooting has no time limit'; gutting of DHS watchdog could pave way for abuse - key US politics stories from 30 November at a glanceUS President Donald Trump has said his administration intends to maintain a pause on asylum decisions for a long time", after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard members near the White House, killing one of them.When asked to specify how long it would last, Trump said he had no time limit" in mind for the measure, which the Department of Homeland Security says is linked to a list of 19 countries already facing US travel restrictions. Continue reading...

President plans to honor Sarah Beckstrom, who was fatally shot, as well as Andrew Wolfe, who is in critical conditionDonald Trump said on Sunday that he invited the family of a national guard member fatally shot last week to the White House, adding that he spoke to her parents and they were devastated".US army specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed in a shooting on Wednesday in Washington DC. Her fellow service member, US air force staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains hospitalized in critical condition. Vigils across West Virginia have taken place in their memory. Continue reading...

Chicago Bears are now the No 1 team in the NFC after the Carolina Panthers defeated the Los Angeles RamsPanthers 7-7 Rams 6:11, 1st quarterThe Rams are quickly back into the red zone. Davante Adams hooks up with Stafford again with a darting run across the field for a 32-yard pickup, Continue reading...

Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meet Kyiv delegation amid more deadly Russian attacks in UkraineUkrainian negotiators have met US officials in Florida to thrash out details of Washington's proposed framework to end Russia's war in Ukraine, as Kyiv faces pressure on military and political fronts.The secretary of state, Marco Rubio; the special envoy, Steve Witkoff; and Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law; sat down with a Ukrainian delegation on Sunday before planned US talks this week in Moscow with Vladimir Putin. Continue reading...

Victims who died in Stockton attack reportedly between ages eight and 21, while 11 others were woundedPolice are searching for the suspect who killed four people, including three children, and injured 11 in a shooting at a family gathering in Stockton, California, on Saturday night - and they are appealing to the public for any tips people may have.If you have surveillance footage, if you're a local business here, if you're in the area, live in the area, or maybe you've heard rumors - please contact the sheriff's office," said Heather Brent, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin county sheriff's office. Continue reading...

Plane skidded off runway and 45 cars were piled up as 53 million were under winter weather alerts over ThanksgivingA Thanksgiving weekend storm system brought over a foot of snow and strong winds across the US midwest and thunderstorms across the south, as 53 million people from South Dakota to New York were under winter weather alerts.Over the weekend, ahead of one of the busiest travel days of the year on Sunday, a 45-car pile-up occurred on interstate 78 in Indiana and a Delta Air Lines plane skidded off the runway in Des Moines, Iowa, during landing. Continue reading...