~theguardian-world | Bookmarks (46)

Ex-Democrat, reported contender for Trump running mate, sued Clinton for Russia remark but dropped caseTulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman, has repeated a discredited claim about Hillary Clinton that previously saw Gabbard lodge then drop a $50m defamation suit in a new book published as she seeks to be named Donald Trump’s running mate for US president.Accusing Democrats of making up “a conspiracy theory...

This live blog is now closed. For the latest on Trump’s criminal trial, read our full report:All 12 jurors seated in Trump hush-money trial after two dismissalsJudge Merchan, in directing the press not to use physical descriptors to describe jurors, complained specifically about mentioning one of the jurors had an Irish accent.“We just lost” what would have been a good juror for the case,...

Focus on reproductive rights has yielded big wins and Democrats hope threat of more Republican bans will mobilize votersKamala Harris’s Friday visit to Arizona was planned before the state’s top court upheld a 160-year-old law that bans almost all abortions. But the news galvanized the vice-president’s message, one that has already yielded stunning victories for liberals since Roe v Wade fell nearly two years...

Proposal sails through, with one vocal opponent saying gay first cousins do not risk having a child with birth defectsThe Republican-led Tennessee legislature has overwhelmingly voted to send the Republican governor, Bill Lee, a proposal that would ban marriage between first cousins.The statehouse cast a 75-2 vote on Thursday on the bill after the senate previously approved it without any opposition. Continue reading...

Adam Schiff introduces bill amid growing legal battle over whether major AI companies have made illegal use of copyrighted worksA bill introduced in the US Congress on Tuesday intends to force artificial intelligence companies to reveal the copyrighted material they use to make their generative AI models. The legislation adds to a growing number of attempts from lawmakers, news outlets and artists to establish...

Lieberman, Connecticut senator for four terms, was Al Gore’s Democratic running mate in 2000The former US senator Joe Lieberman, who ran as the Democratic nominee for vice-president in the 2000 election and became the first Jewish candidate on a major-party ticket for the White House, alongside presidential candidate Al Gore, has died at the age of 82.Lieberman died in New York due to complications...

Tammy Murphy was campaigning for Bob Menendez’s seat and her exit leaves Andy Kim as clear winner for Democratic nominationNew Jersey’s first lady Tammy Murphy has announced the suspension of her Senate campaign.In a video message posted to Twitter/X on Sunday, Murphy said: “After many busy, invigorating, and yet challenging months, I am suspending my Senate campaign today. I’ve been genuine and factual throughout....

The success of this agile grassroots group underlines the discontent over the war – and represents a warning for DemocratsPeople in Michigan, and across the country, had been protesting for months over the Gaza war and the US government’s role in it, marching in the streets, showing up at the president’s public events, and pressuring their elected officials to support a ceasefire.But it didn’t...

Judge agrees to month-long postponement after Trump lawyers say they need more time to sift through newly released documentsA judge on Friday delayed Donald Trump’s hush-money criminal trial until at least mid-April after the former president’s lawyers said they needed more time to sift through a profusion of evidence they only recently obtained from a previous federal investigation into the matter.Judge Juan Manuel Merchan...

Jim Himes says comparisons between Trump’s attitude to Putin and 1930s PM’s stance on Hitler ‘give Trump way too much credit’Donald Trump is a worse appeaser in his attitude to Vladimir Putin and Russia than the 1930s British prime minister Neville Chamberlain was towards Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, a senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee said.Jim Himes of Connecticut, the ranking Democrat...

Congressman and ex-Dodgers player emerge as top two contenders, boxing out progressives Katie Porter and Barbara LeeAdam Schiff, the centrist Democratic congressman, is poised to be the next US senator from California after securing enough votes to advance to the November election. He will face off with Republican Steve Garvey, a former professional baseball player, who also performed well in the nonpartisan primary on...

Congressman fails against Biden in Democratic primary, capping string of poor showings, as questions swirl over fate of candidacyLive Super Tuesday results and delegates trackerFollow Super Tuesday live updatesThe Minnesota congressman running against President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary lost his home state on Tuesday, capping off a stretch of poor showings.Dean Phillips, who represents a wealthier suburban area outside Minneapolis, entered the...

Democratic senator Sherrod Brown endorsed the Sesame Street star’s complaint on products getting smaller as prices remain sameThe Ohio Democratic senator Sherrod Brown endorsed a key voice in the American public square – Cookie Monster – in a complaint about shrinkflation.“Me hate shrinkflation!” the Sesame Street character posted on social media on Monday, referring to an economic phenomenon Merriam-Webster defines as “the practice of...

The bill sets a discretionary spending level of $1.66tn for fiscal 2024 and still faces opposition from hardline House RepublicansUS congressional negotiators on Sunday revealed a bill to fund key parts of the government through the rest of the fiscal year that began in October, as lawmakers faced yet another threat of a partial shutdown if they fail to act by Friday.The legislation sets...

Supreme court rejects Democratic lawsuit challenging new maps drawn by Democratic governor Tony Evers The liberal-controlled Wisconsin supreme court on Friday rejected a Democratic lawsuit that sought to throw out the battleground state’s congressional maps, marking a victory for Republicans who argued against the court taking up the case.The decision not to hear the congressional challenge comes after the court in December ordered new...

In today’s newsletter: What the results in Michigan may mean for the Democratic party’s prospects in the US election• Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.Over the next two newsletters I’ll look at very two different elections that are thousands of miles apart but similarly fractured by the war in Gaza. Today we will be in a midwestern state in the...

Follow live as the state’s Republican and Democratic voters choose their preferred candidate for the US presidential electionWhat to know about Michigan’s primary electionDemocrats and Republicans went to the polls on Tuesday for Michigan’s presidential primary. The critical swing state’s election will prove a test for both frontrunners, Joe Biden and Donald Trump. But a separate Republican convention held on Saturday will determine the...

The contest between Democrat Suozzi and little-known Republican Mazi Pilip was seen as a bellwether for November’s presidential electionDemocrat Tom Suozzi won the New York congressional seat vacated by the disgraced Republican George Santos on Tuesday night, in a boost for Joe Biden ahead of the presidential election.The victory narrows the slim Republican majority in the House and gives Democrats a much-needed win in...

Alejandro Mayorkas, rebuked by Republicans who voted against key immigration bill, first to face such punishment in over 150 yearsThe US House of Representatives has voted to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, Joe Biden’s secretary of homeland security, on explicitly political charges related to conditions at the southern border as Republicans attempt to capitalize on the issue in an election year.The evening roll call proved tight,...

Illegal immigration via the US-Mexico border remains one of the most pressing problems for Congress. And yet the much anticipated $118bn border security bill, which included aid packages to Ukraine and Israel, was blocked by senators after a chaotic week. Why did this crucial piece of legislation with bipartisan support get rejected by the very people who demanded it? This week, Joan E Greve...

Trump is only major candidate in Republican caucuses, days after Haley loses Republican primary and Biden wins Democratic voteWho’s running for president?Nevada residents headed to meeting sites across the state on Thursday, 8 February, for the state’s Republican-held caucuses. Donald Trump is the only major candidate running in the caucuses, and is expected a victory by the end of the night over Ryan Binkley...

The self-help author made the announcement after securing 3% of the vote in Nevada’s primary electionSelf-help author and wellness guru Marianne Williamson has announced the end of her long-shot Democratic challenge to President Joe Biden.“I hope future candidates will take what works for them, drinking from the well of information we prepared,” Williamson wrote in a statement announcing the end of her bid. “My...

Haley suffers embarrassing result with Trump not on ballot and contesting delegate-selecting caucuses on Thursday insteadWhat’s next in the US primary election: key datesJoe Biden secured another primary victory, after a soggy, subdued election day in Nevada.The AP called the results about two hours after polls closed. Biden’s nearest challenger, Marianne Williamson, registered only in the low single digits Continue reading...

Election day off to a quiet start with no major candidates in the state and with voters slow to trickle into polling sitesPolls have closed in Nevada, which is holding its first presidential primary contest in the US west, has been damp – and oddly quiet.None of the major candidates are in the state, and voters have been slow to trickle into polling sites....