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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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US halts all immigrant visa applications amid tightening restrictions
Move by state department to limit access is part of Trump’s crackdown on both lawful and undocumented immigration All US immigrant visa applications have been paused by the Trump administration as the state department moves to tighten restrictions and limit access to applicants who they deem could end up relying on US assistance, a state department official confirmed Tuesday. The agency launched the initiative at all embassies and consulates in early August, according to the official and visa appointments had to be adjusted to accommodate “in-depth training”, according to the official. The state department has been working on updated guidance and training since early this year, “to ensure all consular officers are fully equipped to evaluate every visa applicant comprehensively and consistently”, they added. Continue reading...
South Carolina chooses Darline Graham as Republican nominee for US Senate
Darline Graham, sister of late Lindsey Graham and backed by Trump, overcomes concern about lack of experience South Carolina voters have chosen Darline Graham as the Republican nominee for US Senate, the seat formerly held by her late brother, Lindsey, on November’s ballot. Darline Graham, with Donald Trump’s full-throated support, overcame concern about her lack of legislative experience to beat five-term congressman Ralph Norman in Tuesday’s Republican special primary runoff. Continue reading...
Suburban Rail Loop: Victorian government secretly increased public transport fares to help pay for controversial SRL
Labor put ‘levy on all public transport fares in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria’ since January 2025, auditor-general says The Victorian government secretly increased public transport fares to raise money to help pay for the Suburban Rail Loop and other Big Build projects, the state’s auditor-general has revealed. The auditor-general’s report, tabled in parliament on Wednesday, also questioned whether the first stage of the multibillion-dollar project – a 26km stretch of twin tunnels from Cheltenham to Box Hill dubbed SRL East – can be delivered on time or within budget. Continue reading...
Billionaire investor says he used AI to write critique of former mentee Scott Bessent
Stanley Druckenmiller said he was ‘proud of using it’ as wider media grapples with parameters around AI use Stanley Druckenmiller, a billionaire investor, said he used artificial intelligence to pen his viral Wall Street Journal op-ed in which he sharply criticized the interference of Scott Bessent , the US treasury secretary, in the US bond market. Many news outlets, including the Guardian, covered the editorial, highlighting Druckenmiller’s rebuke of his former mentee, Bessent. As the story circulated online, some readers questioned rhetorical choices that resembled AI-generated text. Continue reading...
Polygamous sect leader serving 50 years for child sex abuse gets another 24 years
Samuel Bateman, 50, is convicted of three state child abuse counts after previous conviction on federal counts A polygamous sect leader already serving a 50-year federal sentence for orchestrating sex involving children was given another 24 years in prison Tuesday on separate state convictions for child abuse for hauling girls in an unventilated trailer in Arizona. Samuel Bateman, 50, was convicted of three child abuse counts stemming from an August 2022 traffic stop in Flagstaff that led to the discovery of three girls, aged 11 to 14, in the trailer. It had a makeshift toilet, sofa and camping chairs and lacked air conditioning and seat belts. Someone tipped off authorities about the trailer after seeing small fingers reaching through gaps in the doors. Continue reading...
Olympic hero Alysa Liu to sit out figure skating season before 2027 return
US star plans to return for 2027-28 season Liu will continue training during year away Skater says break ‘makes the most sense’ Olympic champion Alysa Liu will sit out the 2026-27 figure skating season, taking another break from competition while continuing to train ahead of a planned return the following year. The 21-year-old American announced her decision on social media , saying she wanted time to “recalibrate” and develop her skating away from the demands of competition. Continue reading...
Gavin Newsom puts Spanish-style California mansion up for sale for $7.5m
The 12-bath, seven-bed home near the state capital boasts a 5,000-bottle wine cellar, a pool and a tennis court California governor Gavin Newsom has put his Sacramento-area mansion up for sale, before his term will end in January. The 12-bath, seven-bed Spanish-style home in Fair Oaks, a suburb of the California capital, hit the market on Monday with an asking price of $7.5m. The estate, which sits on a 8.2-acre (3.3-hectare) parcel of land, boasts an array of amenities including a full-size tennis court, a 5,000-bottle wine cellar, a pool, a cold plunge and a hot tub, according to a Zillow listing from realtors Matthew Hindy and Nick Sadek. Continue reading...
ICE arrests mother and daughter at Florida hospital after car crash
Agents arrest women who ‘almost died’ after they were hit by vehicle and their car flipped over four times, family say An Ecuadorian mother and daughter were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) agents at a hospital after a car crash in central Florida. On 20 August, Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla, 39, and her daughter, Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero, 19, were involved in a car crash in Poinciana, Florida, according to arrest reports reviewed by multiple news outlets. Continue reading...
Record-breaking heat dome expected to bring dangerous temperatures to US south-west
As wildfires rage and intense heat builds across the region, daytime highs of 110-11F (43-46C) are forecast Surging temperatures are expected to broil more than 45 million people as a heat dome settles in across the south-western US through the end of August and into early September, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). As wildfires rage in some parts and intense heat builds across the region, daytime highs of 110-115F (43-46C) are forecast, with limited cooling relief in the evenings and overnight. Experts predict that some record highs could be tied or broken this month and the weather agency warned of the scorching late summer heat as a potential health hazard. Continue reading...
Father of USS Lincoln sailor detained by ICE released from detention
Arrest of Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, sparked backlash as he was detained while his son, Joshua, was deployed in Middle East The father of a US navy sailor who has been deployed in the Middle East for a record-breaking nine months on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has been released from immigration detention, according to his family. His arrest sparked intense backlash after the Associated Press reported that his son was entering his ninth month on the Lincoln with the navy when his father was detained. The carrier had just set a US military record for uninterrupted time at sea and has raised concerns about supply shortages and deteriorating mental health among those serving onboard. Continue reading...
Expert witnesses challenge claim that Lindsay Clancy experienced psychosis
One more day of testimony expected as closing arguments set for Thursday and jury likely begins deliberations Friday One more day of rebuttal testimony was expected this week in the trial against Lindsay Clancy, followed by closing statements likely on Thursday. The jury, which will likely begin deliberations on Friday, will decide whether the Massachusetts mother was experiencing postpartum psychosis when she killed her three children in January 2023. 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. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
S. 32: LACA
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: This bill passed in the Senate on February 12, 2025 and goes to the House next for consideration.
S. 858: Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: This bill passed in the Senate on March 25, 2026 and goes to the House next for consideration.
S. 307: Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: This bill passed in the Senate on April 29, 2025 and goes to the House next for consideration.
Australia news live: man charged after allegedly stabbing woman with scissors in Melbourne
Woman and her son, who was allegedly punched, were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries on Tuesday. Follow updates live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Good morning, and happy Wednesday. It’s Nick Visser here to get the morning news off to a start, with a bit of melancholy as we remember the unmatched Dolly Parton . Let’s get to it. Continue reading...
Trump threatens to demolish Kennedy Center if $250m renovation not done
US president’s lawyers in court filing say Washington arts complex must undergo repairs or risk demolition The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts could be demolished if repairs are not carried out, Donald Trump’s administration warned in a court filing on Monday. Lawyers for the US president said the national arts complex in Washington DC must undergo a $250m renovation or risk facing the wrecking ball. Continue reading...
FBI raided Spanish vacation rental of wealthy leftwing funder James ‘Fergie’ Cox after his arrest
Lawyer Baltasar Garzón, representing Cox, said case against his client is ‘very strange’ as US requests extradition FBI agents raided the Ibiza, Spain, vacation rental of 41-year-old James “Fergie” Chambers, a US citizen and wealthy donor to leftwing and humanitarian projects worldwide, in the days following his arrest last month, the Guardian has learned. Baltasar Garzón, a human rights lawyer representing Chambers, revealed the details in an exclusive interview. Chambers is wanted for extradition by the Trump administration for alleged financial support of Hamas , as well as other charges. Continue reading...
El-Sayed pushes to keep affordability message focus amid scrutiny from both sides
Democratic Senate candidate for Michigan distances himself from Hasan Piker and debates Fox News host The Democratic candidate for Senate in the swing state of Michigan has spent the week trying to keep his affordability message front and center as scrutiny mounts from both ends of the political spectrum. In the span of two days, Abdul El-Sayed distanced himself from leftwing streamer Hasan Piker, spoke out against rightwing hate directed at the Muslim community, and debated Fox News host Jesse Watters on taxing billionaires. The clip circulating most from the Fox interview, though, focused on circumcision - specifically, El-Sayed asking Watters if he was, in a retort to Watters’ question about gender-affirming care. Continue reading...
Wife of US soldier deported after Trump rollback on military family protections
Cristy Maryori Villafranca-Trejo, deported to Honduras, is latest military spouse to face removal amid Trump 2.0 The wife of an active-duty US soldier was deported on Monday to her native Honduras , according to her family and the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Cristy Maryori Villafranca-Trejo is at least the seventh spouse or parent of an active-duty US soldier to be deported under the immigration crackdown during Donald Trump ’s second presidency. Continue reading...
Why do some Labour MPs want electoral reform and will it happen?
Despite the policy not being included in the party’s 2024 manifesto, Andy Burnham is under pressure to act Andy Burnham is facing new pressure to act over electoral reform, with nearly 100 of his MPs backing a commission to decide on a route to replace the first-past-the-post voting system. Why is this an issue for Labour – and will anything happen? Continue reading...
Labour MPs will push Burnham to back voting reform in first 100 days
Exclusive: Nearly 100 Labour MPs support commission on changing the system used for Westminster election Why do some Labour MPs want electoral reform and will it happen? Andy Burnham will face an immediate test of his backing for electoral reform in his first week in parliament as prime minister, with almost 100 Labour MPs supporting a bid for a new national commission. Burnham, a longtime advocate of electoral reform, will be asked to support the new commission into ditching first past the post in his first 100 days as prime minister. Continue reading...
Celebrity tributes pour in for Dolly Parton: ‘a gift to the world’
Lily Tomlin, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bernie Sanders and Kacey Musgraves are among those remembering the queen of country after she died aged 80 Alexis Petridis on Dolly Parton’s peerless career which turned country music cliches inside out Dolly Parton – a life in pictures Country music legend Dolly Parton dies aged 80 – latest updates Tributes have poured in for Dolly Parton , the country singer and actor, after her death aged 80. News of her death was shared by her nephew on social media . “Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,” he said. Continue reading...
Taiwan charges nine people for smuggling ‘high-end’ AI servers to China
Among those charged are two Super Micro employees and one from Nvidia, marking another flashpoint in US-China AI rivalry Taiwanese prosecutors charged nine people Monday, including one from Nvidia and two from Super Micro, for illegally exporting “high-end AI servers” to mainland China, adding another wave of turbulence in the AI rivalry between China and the United States. Prosecutors said the servers involved were graphics processing units known as “B300,” which have been banned from sale to China. Continue reading...
Hakeem Jeffries defends his meeting with Trump envoy Jared Kushner
House minority leader is under attack from his own party for ‘affordability crisis’ meeting with president’s son-in-law Democrats incredulous over Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner meeting US politics live – latest updates Hakeem Jeffries , the Democratic minority leader in the US House of Representatives, has defended his meeting with Jared Kushner and claimed it was arranged at the request of Donald Trump ’s son-in-law. Jeffries, who has come under attack from Democrats since the New York Times reported on Sunday that the two met privately to discuss common ground on issues like housing, immigration and the high cost of living, said he agreed to the meeting “to discuss the affordability crisis” in the US. Continue reading...