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Republican Senator Backs Federal Reserve Chair Amid Trump Criticism
Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, left, has expressed confidence in Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images <ul><li>Jerome Powell has drawn the ire of Trump… [+3090 chars]
Ramp's Pursuit of Government Contracts Raises Eyebrows
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.Four days before Donald Trumps inauguration, financi… [+11309 chars]
Trump Administration's Move to Lower Prescription Drug Prices Faces Skepticism
The Trump administration pledged this week to substantially reduce the high prices Americans commonly pay for their prescription drugs. It’s a promise that will undoubtedly come up short. On Tuesday… [+5200 chars]
Vice President JD Vance Meets with Pope Francis for Easter Greetings Amid Migration Tensions
VATICAN CITY (AP) U.S. Vice President JD Vance met briefly with Pope Francis on Sunday to exchange Easter greetings, after they got into a long-distance tangle over the Trump administration's migrant… [+2478 chars]
The 2025 White House Easter Egg Roll Goes Corporate: A New Era of Sponsorship
The White House Easter Egg Roll is an annual event first hosted in 1878.Kent Nishimura/Getty Images <ul><li>The 2025 White House Easter Egg Roll will take place on Monday.</li><li>The event secured … [+4240 chars]
Dismantling Democracy: Insights from Hungary's Viktor Orban for Aspiring Autocrats
BUDAPEST, Hungary Atop a cobblestone hill overlooking the Danube River and the medieval lanes of Budapest, tour groups surround a changing of the guard ceremony in front of a 13th century baroque cas… [+12066 chars]
The Hidden Struggles of Adoptees: One Woman's Journey to Citizenship
For the better part of A's life, she never suspected anything was wrong. She breezed through getting her driver's license. She applied to college and filed her taxes year after year without any hicc… [+10636 chars]
Pope Francis Skips Meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Delegates Discussion to Cardinal Parolin
Pope Francis did not attend the Vaticans official meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Saturday, instead having his No. 2 deliver a lecture on compassion, according to a Vatican statement. P… [+2806 chars]
Iran and the U.S. Initiate Expert-Level Discussions on Nuclear Program
ROME Iran and the United States will begin having experts meet to discuss details of a possible deal over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, the top Iranian diplomat said Saturday after a se… [+5417 chars]
Republican Lawmakers Investigate 23andMe Bankruptcy and Data Privacy Concerns
Republican lawmakers associated with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce are probing the 23andMe bankruptcy out of concern for Americans’ DNA information. The troubled genomics company has be… [+2501 chars]
Harvard and Over 100 Schools Defy Trumps Attack on Higher Education
President Trumps unprovoked attack on higher education was a call to action which has been answered by Harvard and leaders from over 100 other schools. It has also taught an important lesson: giving … [+4665 chars]
Nigel Farage Defends Chlorinated Chicken Imports Amid Rising Popularity of Reform Party
Reform UK leader on campaign trail as poll predicts rightwing party could be on course to win in a general electionNigel Farage has defended allowing labelled chlorinated chicken from the US as part of a trade deal, as a new poll suggested his Reform party could be on course to take the highest number of seats at a general election.Speaking ahead of the local elections in England, the Reform leader said British consumers already eat chicken from places such as Thailand reared in poor conditions, and accept chlorine-washed lettuce. Continue reading...
Returning to the Lion's Den: A Ted Talk on Technology and Democracy
In her final piece for the Observer, Carole Cadwalladr reveals what happened when she returned last week to give the opening speech at technology conference Ted, where she gave her first – life-changing – talk six years agoTo walk into the lion’s den once might be considered foolhardy. To do so again after being mauled by the lion? It’s what … ill-advised? Reckless? Suicidal? Six years ago I gave a talk at Ted, the world’s leading technology and ideas conference. It led to a gruelling lawsuit and a series of consequences that reverberate through my life to this day.And last week I returned. To give another talk that would incorporate some of my experience: a Ted Talk about being sued for giving a Ted Talk, and how the lessons I’d learned from surviving all that were a model for surviving “broligarchy” – a concept I first wrote about in the Observer in July last year: the alignment of Silicon Valley and autocracy, and a kind of power the world has never seen before. The key point I wanted to get across to this powerful and important audience is that politics is technology now. And technology is politics. Continue reading...
Nationwide Protests Erupt Against Trump Administration Policies
More large-scale protests, rallies and other actions against the Trump administration are set to take place in cities across the U.S. this weekend, with organizers hoping to seize on what they say is… [+2622 chars]
Tunisian Opposition Leaders Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Terms on Terror Charges
A court in Tunisia has sentenced a group of senior politicians, businessmen and lawyers to long prison sentences on conspiracy and terrorism charges. The defendants received sentences of up to 66 ye… [+1714 chars]
Trump's Nuclear Policy: A Double-Edged Sword
Lack of coherence in Trump’s policies raises risks of proliferation
Pierre Poilievre's Political Strategy in Turbulent Times: A Deep Dive
The opposition is fighting among themselves a week before elections
Elon Musk's Doge Initiative Targets National Gallery Amid Cultural Warfare
Move by Doge comes as Trump administration is seeking changes to America’s cultural institutions
Surge in Antisemitism in Canada Amid Political Tensions Ahead of Federal Elections
Antisemitic incidents in Canada have surged 124.6% since 2022, affecting its Jewish community of roughly 400,000, which is estimated to be the fourth-largest in the world.
Lessons from Hungary and the Czech Republic: Mass Protests and Political Change
Massive, sustained protests led to the 2021 downfall of billionaire oligarch Andrej Babiš, dubbed ‘the Czech Trump’A former cold war communist dictatorship and component part of the Habsburg empire seems an unlikely source of hope for Donald Trump’s opponents.One such country, Hungary, is often cited as the model for Trump’s no-holds-barred authoritarian assault on US institutions. Viktor Orbán, the central European country’s prime minister, has been a guest at the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate and has won Trump’s praise for transforming Hungary into an “illiberal state” that extols “traditional” values – and for projecting the kind of “strongman” persona the president admires. Continue reading...
Economic Turmoil Revisited: IMF Meetings in the Shadow of Trumps Trade Policy
Where once the world came together to fight the credit crunch, Trump’s tariffs will set a more divisive testWhen the world’s finance ministers and central bank governors gather at the International Monetary Fund in Washington this week, it may kindle memories of another meeting, also held against the backdrop of a global economic crisis, in autumn 2008.Then, as the aftershocks from the collapse of Lehman Brothers ripped through financial markets, central banks coordinated drastic emergency rate cuts, and the UK chancellor, Alistair Darling, urged his G7 counterparts to emulate the UK’s approach and shore up stricken banks. Continue reading...
Labours Response to Global Financial Changes Amidst Trumps Policies
As Rachel Reeves heads to US for IMF meetings, stance appears unaltered despite chaos unleashed by White HouseKeir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have underlined how much the world has changed after Donald Trump’s “liberation day”, with the UK prime minister even declaring an end to globalisation.But as the chancellor prepares to fly to Washington this week to meet her global counterparts at the International Monetary Fund meetings, Labour appears to see the risks purely in terms of the hit to international trade. Continue reading...
This Week's Surge: A Deep Dive into Political Drama
Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images. Sign up for the Surge, the newsletter that covers most important political nonsense of the week, delivered to your inbox every Satur… [+11039 chars]
'King Donald': Economist Jeffrey Sachs Launches Scathing Critique on Trump's Tariff Policies
Jeffrey Sachs has strongly criticized Donald Trump's trade policies, deeming them "delusional" and economically damaging. Sachs estimates a $10 trillion loss in global wealth due to Trump's strategies, highlighting the president's misunderstanding of trade deficits and his imposition of tariffs based on flawed logic. He also points to automation, not trade, as the primary cause of manufacturing job losses.
Union Leaders Face Challenges Amidst Trump Administration Policies
Leaders of the union representing government workers say their battle is galvanizing but also alarming. “It’s insulting to say,” one said, “that we are lazy.”
Proposed White House Executive Order Aims to Overhaul State Department Operations
The draft executive order to be signed by President Trump would eliminate Africa operations and shut down bureaus working on democracy, human rights and refugee issues.
Zelenskyy Accuses Russia of Deceptive Ceasefire Amid Ongoing Shelling
‘Easter truce’ ordered by Putin on Saturday but Ukraine president says Russian army continuing efforts to advanceLuke Harding, a Guardian foreign correspondent, writes that the ceasefire declaration came amid reports that the White House was ready to recognise Russian control of Crimea as part of a broad US proposal to end the war in Ukraine.Here is an extract from his piece:According to sources cited by Bloomberg, the US may be willing to give Putin a strategic victory and to accept Russian control over the peninsula. In 2014, Russian special forces seized Crimea, which Putin annexed after a sham referendum.US diplomatic recognition would violate the UN charter and the post-1945 consensus that countries cannot seize territory by force. Most states, including the UK, have refused to recognise Russia’s illegal takeover. Continue reading...
American Democracy at a Crossroads: The Consequences of Lawlessness and the Shifting Landscape of Reproductive Rights
Ever since March 15, when three flights carrying hundreds of men who had been afforded zero due process left United States airspace and landed in El Salvador, American democracy has been hurtling tow… [+1494 chars]
French Author Renaud Camus Barred from Entering the UK Amidst Free Speech Concerns
French philosopher Renaud Camus, known for his anti-immigration views and 'Great Replacement' theory, has been barred from entering the UK. No official reason was provided, but the Home Office said his presence wasn't "conducive to the public good." Camus, planning to appeal with the Free Speech Union's help, was scheduled for a speaking engagement.
Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Deportations of Venezuelans Under Historic Law
The Supreme Court on Saturday blocked, for now, the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th century wartime law. In a brief order, the court directed the Trump administr… [+5373 chars]
Upcoming Local Elections: A Crucial Test for Keir Starmer and Labour
Badenoch is braced for heavy losses in the local elections on 1 May, but as Labour stumbles and Greens and Lib Dems surge, the contest is wide openA byelection in a normally safe Labour seat was Keir Starmer’s first big electoral test as Labour leader. A similar scenario now provides his first test as prime minister. The loss of Hartlepool to Boris Johnson’s Conservatives in 2021 provoked the biggest crisis of Starmer’s time as opposition leader, forcing sweeping changes in personnel and approach. The loss of Runcorn and Helsby to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK could be similarly bruising. Labour ought to start as favourites, having won this socially mixed marginal corner of Cheshire by a massive margin less than a year ago. But with polls showing a Labour slump, a Reform surge and a restive, dissatisfied public, all bets are off.The Runcorn result will set the tone for this year’s round of local and mayoral elections. A Labour hold will take the pressure off a harried government; a Reform breakthrough will stoke the heat up further, boosting Farage’s claim to be parking his tanks on Labour’s lawn, and jangling the nerves of anxious Labour MPs in the restored “red wall”. While Farage may hurt Labour in Runcorn, it is the Conservatives who face the most pain in this year’s English local elections. Most are in blue-leaning parts of the Midlands and south, and the Tories swept the board when they were last contested in 2021, with Farage off the scene and the government riding a “vaccine bounce” in the polls. Nearly 1,000 Conservative councillors are up for re-election in May, and with Kemi Badenoch’s party polling below its disastrous showing last July, hundreds look set to lose their jobs. Nearly a year on from their worst ever general election result, the Conservatives still have further to fall. Continue reading...
U.S. Vice President JD Vance Meets with Vatican Officials Amid Tensions Over Immigration Policies
VATICAN CITY (AP) U.S. Vice President JD Vance is meeting with the Vatican No. 2 official, following a remarkable papal rebuke of the Trump administrations crackdown on migrants and Vances theologica… [+3863 chars]
Controversial Release of RFK Assassination Files Sparks Outrage from Family Members
Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert F Kennedy Sr, has criticised the release of records related to her father's assassination. She has criticised the Trump administration and her brother, Robert F Kennedy Jr, for releasing the records. The released files included documents, notes by Sirhan Sirhan, and autopsy images. Kerry expressed her pain and linked the release to Trump-era actions.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance Begins Four-Day Visit to India to Strengthen Economic Ties
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is set to visit India on a four-day tour as the two countries seek to strengthen their partnership by negotiating a bilateral trade deal.
Implications of the 2024 US Election for Egypt and the Gaza Conflict
Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has sought to kill proposal to expel population while preserving good relations with US president
Orbn's Threat to Sanctions on Russian Assets Raises Concerns for EU and G7 Financial Stability
Foreign minister says unfreezing €210bn of Russian assets would leave Europe footing the bill for loans to Kyiv
