News without the noise
US politics: the White House, Congress, the courts and the elections.
1053 articles · page 10 of 22
Donald Trump on Saturday again called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to leave office, blaming him for continuing the war and for striking Russian diesel refineries, as the US president's deal to buy Russian diesel sends relations between Washington and Kyiv to a fresh low.
· 11 sourcesThe New York Police Department has released surveillance footage related to a shooting incident involving US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, according to reports from multiple Australian news outlets.
· 4 sourcesThe Trump administration has suspended eight technology companies from sponsoring foreign workers for green cards, prompting Vice President JD Vance to accuse Microsoft of replacing the 6,000 workers it laid off in 2025 with H-1B visa holders. Government data, however, shows that the two biggest H-1B sponsors, Amazon and Meta, were not on the suspension list.
Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in congressional history, is facing backlash from within her own party after releasing a campaign ad in which she says she voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of schools and that boys should not play in girls' sports. The ad has drawn condemnation from two county Democratic parties in her north-west Ohio district, the head of the country's largest LGBTQ+ rights group, and a former intern, while Kaptur argues it was necessary to confront an issue her Republican opponent is sure to use against her.
The US Food and Drug Administration is proposing to expand a controversial exemption so that some of the world's most toxic chemicals could be added directly to food as ingredients without a safety review, according to public health advocates alarmed by the plan.
Lawyers for a New York City man shot by a U.S. immigration officer while his young son sat in the back seat alleged in a federal court filing Wednesday that the agent never identified himself before smashing the car window and opening fire, directly contradicting the Department of Homeland Security's version of events. The man, Oscar Belgal, 28, was struck in the neck and remains detained.
· 7 sourcesA BBC report says public executions are returning to the United States nearly a century after the practice was abandoned. The report revisits the last high-profile public hanging, that of Rainey Bethea before an estimated 20,000 people in Owensboro, Kentucky, in August 1936, and the reform backlash it triggered.
President Donald Trump said Friday his administration is still deciding whether to livestream the execution of former army psychologist Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people in a 2009 military base shooting, as bipartisan criticism mounts over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's proposal.
· 5 sourcesA widely condemned trial that would expose newborns in Guinea-Bissau to hepatitis B is reportedly still being pushed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the agency's directors office asking the budget office in late September to set aside $1.6 million to fund it. The trial was suspended in January after international outcry over its unethical design.
· 2 sourcesA US federal judge ruled on Friday that the Trump administration's Justice Department unlawfully sought state voter rolls to cross-check against a federal immigration database and identify voters it considered ineligible, in another setback to the president's efforts to expand federal oversight of elections ahead of the November 3 midterms.
· 2 sourcesA Democratic congressional candidate has accused the New York Police Department of violating the spirit of the city's sanctuary laws during protests following the shooting of a man by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, as federal officials defended the operation that left a 28-year-old Dominican man wounded and in custody.
· 3 sourcesPresident Donald Trump has fired Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary, ending her week-long tenure after a turbulent debut marked by questions over her legal credentials and a confusing exchange about the bar exam. Trump told reporters he had suggested Zacharia reconsider the role, saying she did not need the job, and White House officials confirmed she is transitioning out and will leave in the coming days.
· 19 sourcesPresident Donald Trump has formally created a 'committee of inquiry' to investigate allegations that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook made false statements concerning mortgage instruments, the White House announced Friday, marking a new escalation in Trump's ongoing efforts to remove the Biden appointee from the central bank's board.
· 3 sourcesUS Vice-President JD Vance has cast doubt on the Pentagon's plan to livestream the firing squad execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, saying he does not know if it will happen and that he will not watch. The United Nations has condemned the proposal as 'abhorrent', warning that broadcasting the killing would breach the absolute prohibition of torture.
· 10 sourcesElderly Americans stand to lose an average of $2,152 in annual Social Security benefits, an 8.6% reduction by 2034, if the Trump administration's anti-immigration policies continue, according to a new report commissioned by America's Voice and conducted by Economic Insights and Research Consulting. The study, shared exclusively with the Guardian, projects economic fallout from the abrupt departure of 1.2 million foreign-born workers over the past two years.
· 2 sourcesHurricane Isaias could be the first major test of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's ability to deploy a large surge workforce after sweeping cuts and restructuring under the Trump administration, emergency management experts say. Gulf state officials have declared states of emergency in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, while Fema says it is pre-positioning supplies and personnel.
Leading New York Democrats expressed anger and demanded curbs on Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday, a day after a federal officer shot Oscar Belgal, 28, in his car in the Bronx while his five-year-old son sat in the back seat. Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the incident "unconscionable" and said he would ask President Donald Trump to end all ICE enforcement actions in the city. Governor Kathy Hochul said she had spoken to Trump and urged the release of body-camera footage.
· 9 sourcesUS President Donald Trump has awarded the National Medal of Science to Elon Musk, Sergey Brin, Jensen Huang and Lisa Su, and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to Michael Dell and Satya Nadella, in a ceremony that underscored the close ties between his administration and Silicon Valley. The honours were presented on Thursday, hours after the Trump administration announced it was suspending Microsoft and other tech companies from the H-1B visa system over alleged fraud.
A soldier who survived the 2009 Fort Hood shooting has said the firing squad execution of the gunman is "befitting", but questioned the Pentagon's plan to livestream it, as the US prepares for its first Army firing squad execution since 1945.
· 3 sourcesPresident Donald Trump has reversed the Pentagon's plan to livestream the December 3 execution of convicted mass shooter Nidal Hasan, saying the event will not be streamed despite earlier support. The decision comes after widespread condemnation from US lawmakers and the United Nations, who argued livestreaming a firing squad execution would amount to torture and violate international law.
· 10 sourcesThe US Justice Department's civil rights division is seeking criminal charges against Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top Trump White House aide who gave explosive testimony to the committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the matter. The potential charges involve lying to Congress.
The Trump administration has suspended Microsoft, Adobe and several other major technology companies from a US program that helps skilled foreign workers obtain permanent residency, accusing the firms of fraud. Vice President JD Vance announced the move on Thursday, alongside a separate investigation into nine universities over their use of international student programs.
· 2 sourcesA lawyer for CNN, MS Now and Politico told a federal judge on Thursday that President Donald Trump's own recent interview made clear he banned the three news organizations from the White House because of their critical coverage, a direct violation of First Amendment precedent. The comments came during a hearing where a Trump-appointed judge extended a temporary order requiring the White House to lift the ban until at least Tuesday.
· 2 sourcesPresident Donald Trump said the United States will not attack Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, sending oil prices lower on Friday and lifting bitcoin above $82,000. But uncertainty persists as Iranian media reported “massive explosions” in the Strait of Hormuz, and diplomats continue to haggle over a broader ceasefire deal.
· 4 sourcesUS President Donald Trump has proposed creating a presidential retreat similar to Camp David at his Florida golf club, with the club covering construction costs as a 'gift' to Americans and providing free memberships to future presidents and accommodations to visiting foreign dignitaries.
The Democratic National Committee and the democracy watchdog group Common Cause have filed separate lawsuits against President Donald Trump over a publicly funded television advertising campaign, alleging the ads misappropriate taxpayer money for political propaganda in violation of federal law.
Donald Trump's campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas, was repeatedly interrupted by protesters on Wednesday, as the US president urged voters to support Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton in a race that polls show is unexpectedly competitive.
· 2 sourcesPatricia Krenwinkel, a former follower of cult leader Charles Manson, was granted parole on Tuesday after nearly six decades in prison for her role in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders. This is the third time California's parole board has approved her release, but Governor Gavin Newsom has reversed both previous grants, and advocates are urging him to let this ruling stand.
Leon Botstein has resigned from all Bard College-affiliated positions, including his professorship and roles in its music programs, after a top Democratic lawmaker called for a criminal investigation into an email he sent to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The email, uncovered by congressional investigators, reportedly shows Botstein asking Epstein about a young woman: 'for me, or are you keeping her for yourself.' Botstein denies any knowledge of Epstein's criminal behavior.
President Donald Trump awarded the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to six leading technology executives at a science summit on Thursday, recognizing their contributions to American innovation. The recipients include Elon Musk, Sergey Brin, Jensen Huang, Lisa Su, Michael Dell and Satya Nadella.
· 3 sourcesTexas is scheduled on Wednesday to execute Jamaal Howard, 46, in the first US execution since the botched lethal injection of Christa Pike in Tennessee last week. A Texas court denied a stay request, rejecting arguments that Howard faces similar risks and is ineligible for the death penalty because of intellectual disability.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has renewed its longstanding call for a ban on the sale of raw milk, warning that the product poses serious health risks to children, as pediatricians face what they describe as rising anti-science rhetoric from federal and state officials.
Anna Gomez, the Democratic member of the US Federal Communications Commission, has urged the agency to reject a petition that would allow political groups to use AI-generated robocalls without prior permission, warning that the move could flood voters with misinformation days before the midterm elections in November.
Donald Trump has publicly distanced himself from two senior advisers, claiming he does not know who else they work for, after reports that Chris LaCivita and James Blair spent the weekend assisting the pro-Russia government of Republika Srpska, an autonomous entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina, ahead of elections.
The Consumer Technology Association has attempted to estimate the price of President Trump’s goal for all technology products to be manufactured entirely within the United States, warning that the push for self-sustaining supply chains is not grounded in reality.
With less than a month to go before the US midterm elections, a new Gallup poll has found that only 37 percent of Republicans and 35 percent of independents are confident in the honesty of the country's elections, compared with 63 percent of Democrats. Overall, 49 percent of Americans expressed confidence, unchanged from the 2022 midterms.
FBI officials stopped a potential terrorist attack on the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, authorities announced Wednesday. An 18-year-old, Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, was arrested on one count of obtaining a firearm to carry out an act of terrorism after purchasing an AK-47 from an undercover FBI employee posing as a member of the Islamic State.
· 2 sourcesA former Central Intelligence Agency officer has pleaded guilty to defrauding the U.S. government of nearly $200 million by fabricating a top secret intelligence program, using his position to funnel funds into his personal possession, including hundreds of gold bars. David J. Rush, a Virginia resident, admitted to one count of wire fraud, the Department of Justice confirmed Tuesday.
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll has found that 86 percent of Americans, including four out of five Republicans, believe it is inappropriate for taxpayer dollars to fund television advertisements featuring President Donald Trump or members of his cabinet, as the administration faces mounting criticism over a series of government-funded spots airing ahead of November's midterm elections.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order allowing truckers to use off-road diesel fuel on highways without federal penalties, but the relief is limited: the measure only defers the 24.4-cents-per-gallon federal excise tax until year-end and does not address higher state taxes, which average 35.5 cents nationally. Analysts say truckers may see little net benefit, especially as states could still enforce local laws against red-dyed fuel.
The US Supreme Court on Wednesday began hearing arguments in a case that could determine whether the Air Force can continue using a beach in Guam to detonate unexploded munitions. The challenge, brought by the conservation group Prutehi Guahan, contends that the longstanding practice at Tarague Beach violates environmental laws and threatens culturally significant land, and it raises broader questions about the rights of residents of US territories.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate in a competitive Senate race, has been heard on leaked audio acknowledging that rising fuel prices resulting from Donald Trump's Iran war are dragging his campaign and hurting his party ahead of next month's midterm elections. In a recording obtained by Axios, Paxton told donors that affordability is Republicans' 'biggest problem' and that polling shows Democrats ahead in many races, including his own.
Voters in Washington state will head to the polls in November to decide whether to repeal the state's new millionaire tax, a 9.9% income tax on earnings above $1 million that was signed into law in March. The repeal initiative, backed by conservative groups, argues the tax represents a slippery slope, while opponents say it could raise billions for education and healthcare.
An analysis published by Foreign Policy argues that US President Donald Trump's explicit threats at the United Nations General Assembly on September 22 constitute war crimes under international law, citing prohibitions on threats of aggression and indiscriminate threats against civilian populations.
At least 73 detained immigrants at the Folkston D Ray James ICE processing center in Georgia have launched a mass hunger strike to protest their prolonged detention and conditions inside the privately-run facility, according to advocates and family members. The strike began this week with participants releasing a video and an open letter detailing their demands and allegations of mistreatment.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement signed a $16.7 million contract for 6,000 pairs of electric-shock gloves in August, despite a previously unreleased army study showing the devices caused intense pain, immediate cessation of resistance, and lingering apprehension among participants, according to records obtained by watchdog American Oversight and shared with the Associated Press.
Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang, a California couple accused of abusing at least 14 surrogate-born children in what prosecutors have called a 'House of Horrors', pleaded not guilty at a Pasadena courthouse on Tuesday, CBS News reported.
· 2 sourcesDavid Rush, 49, a former CIA officer, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a sweeping $200m scheme involving fake contracts and real estate, and has admitted to disclosing secrets to a foreign government in a disclosure prosecutors said could endanger lives.