section
Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
3095 stories archived
Suspect in shooting death of teen on Missouri highway charged in second road incident
Man accused of shooting teen, who was driving to a party, has also been linked to shooting of a vehicle days earlier A man accused in the shooting death of a Missouri teen has been charged in a second shooting incident – both of which involve firing into cars on the highway. Alyssa Wilson, 17, was shot and killed as she drove down Interstate 170 in Overland, Missouri, on 14 October. The teen was on her way to a Halloween party at St Louis Zoo, called Boo at the Zoo, when a suspect fired a single shot into the back of Wilson’s Buick Encore. Continue reading...
Almost two-thirds of Australians bulk-billed for all GP care amid extra incentives for doctors
Exclusive: RACGP survey reflects Medicare investments, but experts caution quality of care and outcomes also matter Get our new political email , free app or daily news podcast The proportion of general practitioners bulk-billing all of their patients has more than doubled in a year, a report has found, after the government introduced financial incentives for doctors and practices. And almost two-thirds (63%) of Australians are now bulk-billed for all their GP care, up from 56% in both 2024 and 2025, which the report says is “likely a reflection of the federal government’s recent investment in Medicare bulk billing incentives”. Continue reading...
All aboard the TrainTok trend: spotters and staff boost rail content online
Number of videos about British trains doubles in three months as creators find audiences interested in workings of railways They are not just gathered at the end of your local train station platform any more. Now they are on your social media platforms too. Trainspotters have played a part in more than doubling the number of videos about British trains on TikTok in the last three months. According to the platform, the rise in rail content is also down to more people seeking information on cheap tickets, facts about the London Underground and tales from train staff. Continue reading...
A child of Japanese incarceration’s call to arms: ‘The lessons of Manzanar have never been more urgent’
How a rebuilt, historic California baseball diamond embodies ‘the contradictions in America’s legacy’ When Dan Kwong first dreamed of staging baseball games at the Japanese American concentration camp where his family was held captive during the second world war , he thought of it as an exercise in living history, an eye-catching way to convey the trauma of 120,000 men, women and children who were locked up in the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Baseball was a passion for Kwong, a 71-year-old performance artist from Los Angeles . He knew that the wartime internees had played the game not just as a distraction from their predicament, but as a quiet expression of their loyalty to the United States. He wanted to stage an event that would cast the game as an act of resistance, and teach new generations about the damage governments do when they strip a whole segment of the population of their constitutional rights. Continue reading...
Volkswagen to build $4bn Audi SUV factory in US despite job cuts at home
VW investment creates 4,500 jobs in Georgia comes amid Trump’s damaging tariffs, intense Chinese competition and costly shift towards EVs Audi has said it will spend $4bn (£3bn) to build its first factory in the US, as its parent company Volkswagen struggles with the impact of steep tariffs imposed by Donald Trump. The German brand’s chief executive, Gernot Döllner, joined Trump on stage at a campaign rally on Saturday night to announce the factory in Macon, Georgia, in an unusual move by a big European brand just days before the US midterm elections. Continue reading...
Burnham call for debate on free movement with EU draws mixed Labour response
Angela Rayner backs PM’s plea for ‘honest discussion’ but MPs in heavily pro-Brexit seats may be more cautious Andy Burnham’s call for the UK to consider a return to free movement with Europe has been backed by senior cabinet ministers including Angela Rayner but risks causing concern among fellow red wall MPs. The prime minister made his plea for an “honest discussion” about free movement in an interview with the Sunday Times, making clear that staying out of it would no longer be a red line in talks with the EU. Continue reading...
Ethnic minorities in England less likely to get breast cancer diagnosis from routine screening
Exclusive: People from marginalised groups more likely to be diagnosed via urgent referral or in emergency setting, research finds People from minority ethnic backgrounds in England are up to a third less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer via routine screening, and are more likely to be diagnosed in an emergency setting, analysis has found. The research, carried out by academics at the University of Surrey and funded by the charity Breast Cancer Now, involved analysis of 86,564 adults diagnosed with the disease between 2009 and 2019, from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and the Cancer Registration Tumour and Treatment datasets. Continue reading...
Cutting ‘red tape’ is nothing but a red herring – and arguably counterproductive | Heather Stewart
Blaming a moribund economy on too many rules is a hackneyed neoliberal trope – UK plc needs smarter regulation, not less regulation Before becoming prime minister, Andy Burnham pledged to “end 40 years of neoliberalism”. But as he prepares for his first budget on Wednesday, his government is yet to let go of one of its most tedious cliches: red tape. In the run up to chancellor John Healey’s high-stakes Commons address, the government issued a press release last week promising his plans would include measures to “slash the red tape choking firms”. Continue reading...
How to build a police state | William Wheeler
To understand where Trump is trying to take the US, we should look to the authoritarian playbook of his favorite ally: El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele One afternoon last year, Donald Trump welcomed “a friend” to the White House – El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, the world’s most popular authoritarian. “I knew him as a very young man,” the US president said before the cameras. “He’s done a fantastic job. Mr President, it’s an honor to have you.” Since March 2022, when gangs in El Salvador murdered 87 people over a weekend, Bukele has maintained a state of emergency in which key civil liberties are suspended and 2% of the adult population has been jailed – about 100,000 people, at least half of whom are probably not gang members, say local rights groups. The narrative of “the Bukele miracle” – that he swiftly dismantled fearsome gangs and restored order – has made him an icon across Latin America, where a new host of rightwing leaders have sought to replicate his heavy-handed tactics. And in the US, Bukele’s overnight success as a strongman has made him a hero of the American right. Continue reading...
FDR made it a blue bastion – now it’s Trump’s stronghold in California. Is it forever lost?
Shasta has embraced the Maga movement with gusto – can Democrats ever win back the rural, working-class voters they once relied upon? A crucial election was approaching and the country was desperate. Despite promises that economic conditions were improving, nearly a quarter of the US was out of work as voters headed to the polls in 1932. It was the darkest time since the civil war, a period so dire that in California’s capital people fought each other for work. In early 1931, a crowd of 200 men scuffled over a handful of temporary jobs moving back-breaking loads of granite, the Sacramento Bee reported. Continue reading...
Former Tory candidate suspended over contract killer claims was adviser in Kemi Badenoch’s office
Sources close to Tory leader say Jack Ross, who faces party investigation after undercover report, worked as social media consultant A former Conservative election candidate who was suspended after he was filmed discussing the cost of hiring contract killers worked as a consultant in Kemi Badenoch’s office as recently as last year. Jack Ross is facing an investigation by the Tories after he was filmed apparently asking an undercover reporter: “What do you want done?” and apparently offering to “broker” the services of an alleged far-right paramilitary group. Continue reading...
The WNBA finals are a basketball wonderland – unless you’re part of the Maga machine
The Dream and Valkyries are tied at 2-2 after four absorbing games. Many in America would rather we revisited the national anthem debate When Tyler Perry leading lady Crystal Renee took center stage at State Farm Arena to sing the national anthem before the Atlanta Dream’s WNBA finals clash with the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday afternoon, a smattering of photographers, game officials and event security took their familiar places around her as the capacity crowd stood for the flag. As soon as the lights went back up, the teams returned to the floor to resume their shootarounds. Anyone genuinely invested in the finals would have been unfazed by them briefly stepping away – if they remembered it at all after the Valkyries’ 67-62 win tied the series at two games apiece. But for many watching the game, basketball is beside the point. Seven years ago, Jay-Z declared that the culture had “ moved past kneeling ” and similar national anthem protests, seemingly sounding the death knell for an era of sports activism that had helped raise awareness of racial disparities as a broader social movement gathered force. The line cemented his partnership with the NFL as the league bowed to political pressure to crack down on anthem protests, with other major US sports eventually following the NFL’s lead. But rightwing media and politicians never got the memo. They’re still making sports a battleground for patriotism, with basketball as the war’s chief casualty. Continue reading...
Interest rates unlikely to reach 4.75% by next summer, say City economists
Experts say Bank of England unlikely to increase rates by full percentage point – and could lower them by end of 2027 Financial markets are wrong to predict the Bank of England will raise UK interest rates by a full percentage point or more by next summer, City economists believe. According to market-implied interest rate expectations, the Bank is likely to raise interest rates at least four times over the next year, lifting the bank rate from 3.75% today to 4.75% by the end of July, and possibly to 5% – meaning five rises – by December 2027. Continue reading...
US military gives Elon Musk’s SpaceX access to sensitive tracking data
This gives the company an advantage in tracking objects in orbit, raising national security concerns and fears of greater control over the space industry The US military has given Elon Musk’s SpaceX access to restricted space tracking data, raising a new round of questions about whether the Trump administration is attempting to hand over traffic control in Earth’s orbit to a controversial donor. The access also raises new national security questions, industry observers say. Continue reading...
Bird flu outbreak at Utah mink farm sparks concerns about government response
State veterinarian attempted to get help from federal government but was told USDA didn’t regulate mink farms An outbreak of bird flu at a mink farm in Utah – and the response from its owner and regulators – have sparked concerns from infectious disease experts about the Trump administration ’s ability to manage such viruses. While the mink becoming sick is unlikely to produce a “tidal wave of human infections”, an apparent lack of transparency from government officials about the infections is very troubling, said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiology professor and director of the pandemic center at Brown University School of Public Health. Continue reading...
Two children’s laureates to give Sally Rooney royalties after ban on UK sales
Irish and Welsh authors Chris Haughton and Nicola Davies show solidarity over Rooney’s support for Palestine Action The children’s laureates for Ireland and Wales are donating royalties from their works to Sally Rooney in a show of solidarity after she was forced to stop selling books in the UK because of her support for Palestine Action. Chris Haughton, Ireland’s children’s literature laureate, said he also wanted to demonstrate the “absurdity” of the bestselling author being unable to receive royalties from her own UK sales because of her public support for the direct action group. Continue reading...
Jokić says booing fans ‘not welcome’ after Nuggets rally from 23 points down to beat Pelicans
New Orleans Pelicans 135-141 Denver Nuggets (OT) Nuggets fans showed displeasure at half-time Nikola Jokić scored eight of his 35 points in overtime and finished with 15 rebounds and 10 assists, and the short-handed Denver Nuggets rallied from 23 points down to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 141-135 on Saturday night. Jokić had his 199th career triple-double in the regular season, second to Russell Westbrook, who retired with 209. Continue reading...
Trump administration has pushed off 13% of Americans enrolled in food stamps
Stakeholders concerned more people at risk of food insecurity after One Big Beautiful Act took effect Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) has decreased significantly over the past year in the US following restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, which has forced more people to seek help from food banks or go hungry, stakeholders say. The number of people who receive food stamps has dropped from 41.6 million in July 2025, before the One Big Beautiful Act took effect, to 36.5 million in June 2026, a 13% decrease, according to the latest data from the US Department of Agriculture , which administers the program. Continue reading...
‘Brilliant James’ helped return Trump to the White House. Can he conquer the midterms?
James Blair’s data-driven approach delivered victory in 2024 but president’s unpopularity and idiosyncratic style do not bode well this time They are both young, bald and fathers of four. They are also the brains behind Donald Trump. But while Stephen Miller is infamous as the US president’s ideological enforcer, James Blair could, in the words of Time magazine , “be the most important person in Donald Trump’s Washington you’ve never heard of”. That imbalance is deceptive, however. Blair has sufficiently impressed Trump to earn the nickname “Brilliant James”. And a well-positioned source told the Guardian: “I would say that James is probably twice, five times, 10 times more effective than Stephen Miller .” Continue reading...
Influencers have taken over my city. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em | Dave Schilling
I can’t say I’m enjoying my new gig as a would-be creator. But these days, I don’t have much choice I recently started posting videos on Instagram. Like, actual videos. Reels, as they call them. Where I say things, with one of those obnoxiously tiny microphones with the fuzzy head on top. I remember when microphones were gigantic tubular monstrosities that you couldn’t accidentally swallow without a pretty substantial effort and a handful of God-given talent. Dave Schilling is a Los Angeles-based writer and humorist Continue reading...
Demand for UK government action 10 months after British man’s death in Grenada
Police closed case of Andrew Frederick despite autopsy report ruling his death a homicide A time-critical investigation into the death of a British man whose body was found in a ransacked property on the Caribbean island of Grenada has stalled because of diplomatic delays between the two countries. Charity workers supporting the family of Andrew Frederick are demanding immediate government intervention to clear the path for a full investigation to begin almost 10 months after his death, which has been ruled a homicide by a pathologist. Continue reading...
Storm Boelo: warnings in place in Scotland, Northern Ireland and north of England as high winds batter UK
Met Office reports gusts of 80mph in exposed coastal spots and advises people in affected areas to stay indoors Strong winds have battered Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England overnight, as Storm Boelo hit the UK. It was the second named storm in as many days, after Storm Austen brought strong winds to parts of the UK on Friday. The Met Office said wind speeds reached 60-70mph, affecting areas in the amber warning zone, which came into force at 9pm on Saturday. Continue reading...
‘Talking to every single person matters’: ‘prairie populists’ canvass the rural US heartland to win in midterms
Democratic and independent candidates stump the US midwest and prairie states, hoping to win over Republican strongholds In this final stretch of the US midterm elections, Democrats and independents could win back communities and towns across America’s rural heartlands through a combination of resurgent “prairie populism”, local despair over the impact of Donald Trump ’s agenda and an old-fashioned tenet of shoe-leather politics: showing up everywhere. When Dan Osborn rolled into one of the most rural counties in Nebraska earlier this month, he started walking into businesses in the tiny main drag of Arthur, ready to meet whomever he could in the town of about 100. Continue reading...
Signs suggest Thomas Markle Sr may be ‘sex offender of the grossest kind’, says Philippine minister
Exclusive: Meghan’s father denies possessing child sexual abuse images as forensic analysis of found images continues All signs point to Thomas Markle Sr being a “possible sex offender of the grossest kind” although a full forensic investigation will give a “definitive picture”, the Philippine interior minister has told the Guardian. Authorities in the south-east Asian country are analysing digital images allegedly belonging to the estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex that were said to have been found at his former home in Cebu. Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, reported to authorities last week that he had apparently discovered a stash of child sexual abuse images. Continue reading...