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Politics
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‘Smart, articulate and guided by his heart’: James Talarico’s journey from teacher to potential Texas senator
The Texan could pull off a historic victory in the Lone Star state, which hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1988 When a young, untested former school teacher stood up to address a modest gathering of local donors in Austin, the state capital of Texas, Wendy Davis felt sorry for him. “Poor kid,” she remembers thinking. Then James Talarico began speaking. “He was like five or six sentences in and I knew that something was different about him,” recalls Davis, a former Democratic state senator. “He was as articulate and unique then as he is now. From that day, I started calling him ‘Baby Obama’.” Continue reading...
Unions gain access to thousands of Google workers after UK employment rights overhaul
Prospect to hold workplace sessions and recruit members under agreement with tech company Trade unions are expected to make further inroads into big tech companies in the UK after new rights for unions to access workplaces came into force , with Google UK signing an agreement on Monday. Prospect union has reached an agreement with Google to begin organising among about 7,000 workers across its UK operations, including YouTube but excluding DeepMind. Continue reading...
‘Politics of electricity’ over rising bills could power Democratic win, say clean energy advocates
Concerns about datacenters and high energy bills could help Democrats clinch races in Ohio, Arizona and Michigan In Arizona, where summer temperatures regularly hit triple digits, air conditioning can be a matter of life and death. This year, as the state recorded its hottest summer on record , Diali Avila’s monthly power bill went up to $400, the highest it has ever been. Avila, the state director for Climate Power, an advocacy group, said the upcoming elections offered voters an opportunity to elect candidates who can ease their utility bills. “People are making the connection: they’re looking at their electricity bills that they get at the end of the month, and then they’re looking at their ballot, and they’re [realizing], this is my moment to take action,” she said. Continue reading...
Mamdani threatens ICE with legal action over use of New York parking lots
Letter from mayor tells federal agents to stay out of city-owned facilities for immigration operations Mayor Zohran Mamdani has threatened to take legal action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement over allegations the agency’s officers at the agency are using parking lots owned by New York City for operations in the area. In a letter to the Trump administration, Mamdani noted the agency’s use of property owned by the city was “unauthorized and is therefore illegal, endangers City residents, and sows fear among those who seek to access City property”. Continue reading...
Colorado town braces for historic flood as heavy rains batter south-west
Mandatory evacuations in Arizona and New Mexico with Pagosa Springs warned of potentially ‘catastrophic’ deluge Heavy rainfall produced flash flooding and mandatory evacuations in a swath of the south-west on Sunday, including in a Colorado tourist town bracing for its main river to rise to historic levels, as weary residents in the normally arid region deal with another drenching. Officials in Pagosa Springs, a town of more than 2,000 in the Rockies located near ski resorts and known for its hot springs, warned of potentially “catastrophic flooding” as the San Juan River was forecast to crest at more than 20ft (6.1 meters) late on Sunday night. Continue reading...
First Thing: Stevens defects to back El-Sayed’s Michigan opponent as Trump delivers anti-Muslim tirade
Trump called Democratic candidate a ‘jihadist’ as El-Sayed’s defeated primary opponent backs Republican Mike Rogers. Plus an Australian fish worth its weight in gold Good morning. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who lost the Michigan Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, has endorsed his Republican rival in an extraordinary rebuke of her party’s nominee on the eve of the midterm elections. Tensions between El-Sayed and Stevens had already led to him asking her to stay away from his campaign events , and her endorsement of Mike Rogers comes as the US president unleashed a racist tirade against El-Sayed in Iowa . What did Stevens do? Her endorsement came in a video posted to X after she attended an event with Rogers at the predominantly Black Perfecting church in Detroit on Sunday. Stevens’s endorsement was the culmination of an escalating feud between the former primary rivals – primarily over support for Israel – that has roiled one of the most fiercely contested Senate contests of the cycle. What did Trump say? The president bashed El-Sayed, a practicing Muslim, in brazenly racist terms, saying that Congress would have to “get a special metal detector for Abdul” if he were elected. “If you vote for this jihadist lunatic that wants to destroy you, you’re crazy. Mike Rodgers is apple pie. And you know what this country needs? A little apple pie. We don’t need the communists or jihadists, the Muslim Brotherhood. We need apple pie.” Continue reading...
Snowball fight: Cadbury owner in trademark row over festive chocolate treat
Mini Snow Balls’ maker Mondelēz is demanding vegan brand Moo Free remove its White Choccy Snowballs from shelves Toblerone owner sues British vegan chocolate brand over chunky shape The owner of Cadbury and Toblerone has demanded that a small vegan chocolate brand remove its products from shelves in a trademark dispute over the use of the word snowball. Mondelēz International has written a legal letter to Moo Free accusing it of trademark infringement by selling its White Choccy Snowballs – gluten free biscuit-flavoured rice balls covered in dairy free white chocolate. Continue reading...
A lackluster response to North Carolina flooding disasters is eroding Republican support in one county
At more than $52m, the race has become the most expensive in US history, but residents are fed up with flooding Aida Havel mulled her fate over coffee after working the early voting polls all day in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. “We are trapped,” she concluded. The Dare county commission candidate lives about 50 miles (80km) south, on Hatteras Island on the state’s Outer Banks. Continue reading...
You can go your own way: US diverges from world on emergency preparedness
As governments urge public to prepare for cyber-attacks and natural disasters, US focuses on military preparation Governments around the world are spearheading new campaigns to encourage the general public to be prepared for a host of emergencies that could disrupt essential services, including cyber-attacks and natural disasters. The United States, however, is taking a different approach: focusing on military preparation, as opposed to the general population. With an influx of global messaging regarding emergency preparedness, the Guardian spoke with emergency experts about the Pentagon’s latest initiative and the state of US disaster preparedness at large. Continue reading...
I’m a wealthy Californian. The billionaire tax is a win for everyone | George Zimmer
The measure would ease inequality and bolster healthcare – without draining our coffers or triggering a billionaire exodus On Tuesday, California voters will decide whether to enact Proposition 40 , a one-time, 5% tax on the net worth of about 250 California billionaires . In recent months, a number of California billionaires and their apologists in the media and in government have come out swinging against the ballot measure. I’m not a billionaire, but I’m a Californian wealthy enough to know that they have no valid reason to fight the proposition. For multimillionaires like me, paying a 5% tax would not change our lives materially, and if we can afford this as people well below the billionaire line, certainly those at the very top can too. George Zimmer, a member of Patriotic Millionaires, is the chairperson, CEO and founder of Generation Tux, an online rental platform for tuxedos and suits. He is also the founder, former CEO and chair of the Men’s Wearhouse Continue reading...
ICE rapidly re-arresting immigrants released after winning court petitions
Many are challenging their detention using habeas corpus filings only to be arrested again, in violation of court orders Immigrants who have been granted release from detention after winning habeas corpus petitions in court are being re-arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ). The Guardian has identified at least 20 cases nationwide relating to people who were detained after being released on habeas corpus petition in the last year, according to court records, attorneys and media reports. Continue reading...
Folarin Balogun takes a first, tiny step toward moving on from a calamitous summer
The USMNT striker scored his first goal since the World Cup in a losing effort against Paris FC. Could it lead to something more? Before this weekend, the last time Folarin Balogun scored was in the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina at this past summer’s World Cup. In the immediate aftermath, the outlook for Balogun seemed rosy; an ascendant player who could muster a goal in tense games. At half-time against Bosnia, US fans weren’t just wondering how far his team could advance – they were sizing Balogun up against some of the world’s best strikers. But for most of the ensuing four months, Balogun has been in limbo. His breakout World Cup was overshadowed by a red card in that same game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by a scandal of which he wanted no part. Just as it seemed a summer move away from Monaco could get his club career on track, he broke off a possible deadline-day move to Everton after a lengthy visit to the training grounds and a medical he felt was improperly handled. Continue reading...
‘Sad lost souls’: Taika Waititi lambasts critics after Klara and the Sun box-office disaster
The Jojo Rabbit director blamed the dismal numbers for his film of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel on ‘obsolete’ reviewers’ notices, adding that he works ‘for the people’ – whose Rotten Tomatoes ratings are much higher Taika Waititi has launched a furious broadside at “critics” following the disastrous commercial performance of Klara and the Sun, his new film adapted from a Kazuo Ishiguro novel. In a post on social media , Waititi wrote: “This Halloween, let’s spare a thought for those sad lost souls who couldn’t achieve their dreams of becoming artists, and thus settled, and became critics.” Continue reading...
UK’s largest brickmaker hit by sales slump as housebuilding downturn deepens
Ibstock, which has cut production by a fifth, criticises government for delay in help for housing sector Sales at the UK’s largest brickmaker plunged by more than a fifth over the summer, as it criticised the government for not introducing fresh help for the housing sector faster. Leicestershire-based Ibstock said on Monday that sales slumped by 22% below its expectations in the quarter to the end of September, prompting it to slash production levels by a fifth. Continue reading...
Steve Ellis, frontman of Everlasting Love hitmakers Love Affair, dies aged 76
Singer hit No 1 with pop-rock band in 1968 and scored three more Top 10 hits with them, before solo career featuring collaborations with Paul Weller Steve Ellis, the singer who found fame as the frontman of 60s pop-rockers Love Affair, has died aged 76. A message on social media announced that Ellis died “peacefully” on 30 October, after “complications from a chronic illness”. With his stirring, heartfelt croon, Ellis gave voice to one of the most enduring hits of the 1960s: Everlasting Love, which topped the UK chart in 1968. Continue reading...
Supermarket freezers across Europe hit by second suspected cyber-attack
Chains in Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg said fridge temperatures rose overnight, similar to hack that hit French stores in October Supermarket chains in Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg have said the temperatures of their refrigerators and freezers in dozens of stores rose overnight, prompting fears of a cyber-attack similar to one that caused millions of euros of food losses in France. Sweden’s Coop chain told the daily Aftonbladet on Monday that six of its stores had been affected, while ICA said it was “aware that a limited number of stores were affected by an incident overnight which impacted their refrigeration and freezer systems”. Continue reading...
Hackers send fake nuclear threat alert to Ukraine emergency app
Residents in Kyiv also warned of chemical attack and street-to-street fighting in false message sent by unknown party Europe live – latest updates Unknown hackers have targeted Ukraine’s nationwide emergency alert mobile app, sending residents in Kyiv a warning that they were at risk of an imminent nuclear strike. The app reported a high possibility of nuclear radiation late on Sunday. It also wrongly warned of a chemical threat to the Ukrainian capital and street-to-street fighting. The messages were written in English with spelling mistakes, as well as in Ukrainian. Continue reading...
Democrats condemn Haley Stevens’ ‘betrayal’ following endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers – US politics live
The latest move has roiled one of the most fiercely contested Senate contests Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. Democratic politicians have condemned congresswoman Haley Stevens, who lost the Michigan Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, over her endorsement of his Republican rival just days before the midterm vote. Senate Democrats are united in our support for Abdul El-Sayed, because we know he will fight for the economic interests of working families in Michigan, unlike Mike Rogers, who is a tool of Donald Trump and billionaire donors. We Democrats equally united in our total revulsion at the racist, Islamophobic, and over-the-top false attacks on Abdul by Republicans . These attacks are evidence of the total bankruptcy of the Republican Party today, who resort to ugly and un-American fearmongering because they have nothing to offer on the problems that concern people today. Haley Stevens’ decision to campaign with Rogers – a man who has repeatedly sold out Michigan’s working class, wants to pass a national abortion ban, and has pledged to be a loyal vote for Trump’s agenda – shows that she has abandoned everything she claims to care about. We reject the attempts by Stevens and bad-faith actors to divide our party and undermine our momentum, and will not allow these eleventh-hour distractions deter us. Donald Trump railed against Democratic US senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed at a campaign event in Iowa Sunday, repeatedly referring to the Michigan progressive as a “jihadist”. The president bashed El-Sayed, a practicing Muslim, in brazenly racist terms, saying that Congress would have to “get a special metal detector for Abdul” if he were elected. “If you vote for this jihadist lunatic that wants to destroy you, you’re crazy,” Trump said. A judge has dismissed the Donald Trump-backed lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska’s US Senate race if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses. Trump said on 23 October that he had ordered the justice department to file the lawsuit in a move that voting rights experts called an “unprecedented intervention” by the federal government with control of Congress in the balance. Democratic US Senator Chris Murphy has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke. Murphy, 53, started feeling numbness in his arm while attending his son’s hockey game on Saturday, according to the Connecticut senator’s chief of staff, Allison Herwitt. A hospital visit confirmed that Murphy had experienced a stroke. Continue reading...
Europe could face colder weather as polar vortex weakens
Disruption to winds above Arctic threatens to alter weather patterns across parts of continent in coming weeks The stratospheric polar vortex over the northern hemisphere is facing the prospect of an unusually early weakening. Forecast models suggest it could weaken significantly over the next 10 days, when it would typically be strengthening. A major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event is possible. This could influence weather patterns in the following weeks, increasing the likelihood of persistent areas of high pressure across the mid-latitudes and colder conditions weeks later. Continue reading...
Spoiler candidates are nothing new in US politics. It’s clear why Trump is targeting Peltola | Petala Ironcloud
Republicans are focused on a race that could flip the Senate – and where an Alaska Native is favored Days before Alaskans get to vote, the federal government is already trying to overturn the result. Last week, at Donald Trump’s behest, the justice department sued to block the certification of Alaska’s US Senate race, if the Republican incumbent narrowly loses; a judge dismissed that suit on Sunday, though the administration said it planned to appeal . On Wednesday, Trump demanded that Mary Peltola, the Alaska Native Democrat whom polls favor to win , be removed from the ballot and prosecuted. Piling on, Alaska’s Republican governor has since ordered an investigation into Peltola’s campaign. Continue reading...
Texas voters on high gas prices under Trump: ‘Probably made me go more Democrat’
In state where driving is part of life, president’s pledge to lower prices at the pumps cuts little ice Behind the granite countertops of Fuel City, a gas station in Dallas where taxidermy deer flank the entrance and hot tacos are served 24/7, Alina Cardenas sees first-hand that Texans are stretched thin. Drivers are filling up less, she said, while ringing people up for cigarettes and beer, and fewer people are buying a full tank. Some stop once they’ve reached $10 or $20 worth of gasoline. Continue reading...
‘A despicable betrayal’: Democrats incensed by Haley Stevens’ endorsement of Mike Rogers
Stevens’ decision sparked fierce backlash from members of the party, while Donald Trump praised the sudden switch Michigan Democrat Haley Stevens’ shocking last-minute endorsement of Mike Rogers, a Republican Senate candidate, has sparked fierce backlash from members of her party. Stevens, who narrowly lost in the Democratic primary for Senate to Abdul El-Sayed, announced her support for Rogers after a feud with the El-Sayed campaign over an outside group’s campaign ad that blamed the high cost of living on US support for Israel. Continue reading...
‘The content creator election’: digital streamers and TV networks face off for midterms coverage
Journalists such as Jim Acosta and Scott MacFarlane are now competing against their former employers for eyeballs On Tuesday, for the first time in more than 20 years, Jim Acosta, a former CNN stalwart, will not be working for a mainstream television network on election night. Acosta, who left CNN last year after nearly 18 years at the network, is putting on his own live broadcast at the University of Virginia that will air on YouTube and his Substack platform. Continue reading...
Prediction market bettors are the new political pundits. Why are we listening to them? | Judith Levine
Sites like Kalshi and Polymarket offer faux populism as elites reap the benefits – and voters risk being misled Online betting is a bit like Donald Trump. The prediction markets – platforms where users bet on whether events will occur – pretend to be populist, pushing the nabobs aside and representing the “wisdom of the crowd”. “This data is bottom-up, not elites-driven,” a Kalshi spokesperson told Reuters . But in fact, the markets are controlled by a few, skillful traders. Continue reading...