Move to raise levy on goods made with polysilicon aims to protect domestic US supply chains from China, the major producerDonald Trump has ordered a new 15% tariff on imported products made of polysilicon, an important ingredient in microchip manufacturing that is primarily produced by China.The new tariff, which will take effect on 4 December, is aimed at supporting US chip and solar panel supply chains to compete with Beijing on artificial intelligence and energy. Continue reading...
• The ACLU has condemned President Trump's new executive orders targeting birthright citizenship, arguing the measures are unconstitutional and destined to fail in court.
• These orders follow a recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down a previous administration attempt to restrict citizenship rights enshrined in the US Constitution.
• In separate developments, leaked emails suggest Palmer Luckey engaged in political fundraising while his company secured sole-source government contracts.
Executive orders come after supreme court rejected president’s first bid to restrict guarantee enshrined in US constitutionDonald Trump on Thursday signed two executive orders that the White House said aims to restrict eligibility for birthright citizenship and ban “birth tourism”.The orders come just over a month after the United States supreme court rejected Trump’s first attempt to restrict the guarantee of birthright citizenship enshrined in the US constitution. Continue reading...
Exclusive: court records reviewed by the Guardian show medical procedures included force-feeding, intravenous forced hydration and involuntary blood drawsHomeland security officials under the Trump administration have quietly attempted to subject at least 10 hunger strikers in US immigrant detention to involuntary medical procedures, including force-feeding, a Guardian investigation has found.In 2025 and 2026, officials had definitely performed the procedures on at least three detained immigrants and likely subjected two more to the forced treatment – widely considered torture by human rights groups. The other five people gave in and broke their hunger strike at the last minute as force-feeding procedures loomed.One Kurdish asylum seeker and hunger striker detained at the privately-run Port Isabel service processing center in Los Fresnos, south Texas, was subjected to force-feeding for nearly eight months, according to a series of filings in the southern district of Texas federal court, beginning in May 2025 and ending only when he was deported.Another hunger striker at the same facility was subjected to involuntary medical procedures, including force-feeding, for nearly six months between September 2025 and March 2026, filings in the same court show.Someone detained at the Krome service processing center in Miami, a privately-run ICE jail, was subjected to forced medical procedures for nearly three months, filings in the southern district of Florida federal court show. DHS seemingly began the forced practices three days before Trump’s 2025 inauguration for a second term, then continued.Two other hunger strikers, one at the Northwest ICE processing center in Washington state and another inside the Montgomery processing center on the outskirts of Houston, Texas, were likely subjected to forced medical procedures, according to filings in the western district of Washington and in the southern district of Texas federal courts.In at least five cases, hunger strikers detained in Texas, Arizona and Florida, ended their hunger strike right before officials began with the forced medical procedures, filings in the southern district of Texas, district of Arizona and southern district of Florida federal courts show.The forced procedures were performed inside the detention centers.In six cases reviewed by the Guardian, detained immigrants did not have any legal representation during the court proceedings granting the involuntary medical procedures.DHS and ICE have conducted these procedures throughout the years, regardless of which presidential administration is in power. In 2024, under Joe Biden, the Guardian found that DHS attempted to subject at least 10 hunger strikers in ICE detention to forced medical treatment. It definitely proceeded with at least two people, and likely subjected at least four more people to them. However, since the return of Trump to the White House and the dramatic increase in immigration arrests and detention , medical experts and advocates worry more hunger strikes will occur and strikers will be subjected to the practices.Look out for Force-fed by ICE parts two and three in the coming days Continue reading...
Americans are facing a deepening affordability crisis but at least Trump and co have ... 250 new Cadillac EscaladesThis was originally published in This Week in Trumpland. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every WednesdayGas prices are up almost a dollar a gallon since the day Donald Trump took office; mortgage rates just hit their highest level in nearly a year, and over the weekend a prominent economist said the Iran war is costing the average US household more than $1,200.Americans are struggling through a deepening affordability crisis caused largely by Trump’s ill-fated war against Iran. They are in need of a boost, something to lift the spirits. Perhaps the president could give a speech, letting the people know that we are all in this together. Continue reading...
PM Mark Carney says Canada has made proposals to resolve dispute as tariffs are due to be imposed on wide range of goodsSign up for US Breaking News emailHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has said that Ottawa is ready to deepen trade talks with the United States, after US president Donald Trump ordered fresh tariffs targeting Canada.Canadians across the political spectrum united in anger at Trump. “If these tariffs proceed, Canada should respond tariff for tariff, dollar for dollar,” Ontario premier Doug Ford said. Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, called the tariffs a “direct violation” of the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement Trump negotiated. Canada’s Conservatives called the tariffs “another unacceptable and unjustified attack on Canadian workers and our businesses,” adding: “Canadians are not a punching bag.” The leader of Canada’s New Democrats called them “the latest economic grenade thrown over the border by an out of control President who has lost touch with reality.”Ilya Somin, a professor of law at George Mason University who helped file the successful challenge to Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs, points out, the president’s new 50% tariffs on Canadian imports “are based on Section 338 of the notorious 1930 Smoot-Hawley tariff legislation, which severely exacerbated the Great Depression.”Nancy Mace, a Republican congresswoman from South Carolina, announced on Monday that she is not entering the race to replace the late senator Lindsey Graham in the snap Republican primary next month. Continue reading...
• Donald Trump has ordered the United States to cease all trade with Spain, citing the country's role as a "terrible partner" within NATO.
• The move creates a significant economic challenge for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is currently phasing out Spain's nuclear reactors.
• This trade cut is particularly critical because Spain's electricity grid and storage capacity are currently insufficient to rely solely on solar and wind energy.
Officials given 21 days to comply with order after Angel Kelley condemns administration for ‘telling half-truths’A US district court judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate any history or science materials it removed from the nation’s public monuments, finding that the White House’s actions “set a dangerous precedent of censorship and sanitization”.In March 2025, Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “restoring truth and sanity to American history”, calling upon the secretary of interior to examine monuments, memorials and statues to see if they had been altered after January 2020 to represent a “false construction of American history”. Continue reading...
• Europe is adopting stricter border laws aimed at curbing illegal immigration, with the author suggesting these measures echo policies previously championed by Donald Trump.
• The report highlights a demographic crisis, noting that while native European populations face a "death spiral," migrant populations are growing rapidly.
• The author argues that most European political leaders are too weak to implement mass repatriations, leaving only a few nations like Poland as exceptions.
Direct exchange of fire between warring nations in apparent defiance of Trump was in response to an Israeli attack on Beirut, and breaks April’s ceasefire. Plus: incredible pictures of the Beatles’ final tour of the USGood morning. Israel has again attacked Iran, in apparent defiance of the US president, Donald Trump, who had said in an recent interview that “I call all the shots”, not the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.The attack was the first exchange of direct strikes between the two enemies since a ceasefire paused the US-Israel war with Iran in April. Iranian state media reported explosions in Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj and Tabriz. Iran also launched about 10 ballistic missiles at northern Israel, in response to Israel bombing a target in southern Beirut.How has Trump responded? “Israel and Iran must immediately stop ‘shooting,’” he wrote in a social media post.How is the wider region being affected? Saudi Arabia sounded missile alert sirens in an area home to Prince Sultan airbase that hosts US forces. The Israeli army also said it was working to intercept a missile launched from Yemen. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who joined the Middle East war in March in support of Iran, have previously launched attacks on Israel.What is the continuing economic impact? Brent crude jumped $3.50 to $96.59 a barrel on Monday, while stocks in Asia, a region heavily dependent on oil imports, fell sharply in early trading.How did Welker respond? When the veteran reporter asked the president for any evidence, he accused her of being “crooked”. “You know that these elections are rigged. Your network knows that they’re rigged. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time.” Continue reading...
Judge called Adriana Maria Quiroz Zapata’s deportation to the Democratic Republic of Congo ‘likely illegal’A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to bring a Colombian woman back to the US from the Democratic Republic of Congo, after she was deported to the African country that had refused to accept her.The deportation of Adriana María Quiroz Zapata “was likely illegal”, the US district judge Richard Leon ruled on Wednesday. Continue reading...
• A federal judge has directed Trump administration officials to lay out plans regarding the disputed Washington D.C. golf course, and specifically instructed officials not to cut trees without prior notice to the court.
• The ruling represents an ongoing legal battle over control and management of the golf course property involving the Trump administration.
• The judge's intervention reflects heightened judicial scrutiny of Trump administration actions affecting District of Columbia properties and governance.
• President Trump announced US forces will 'guide ships safely' out of the Strait of Hormuz beginning May 4, 2026, amid regional tensions.
• The move follows Iran's new peace proposal, which Trump is reviewing after rejecting a prior offer this week.
• Sen. Jack Reed criticized Trump's Iran strategy as lacking a clear plan, while GOP Rep. Tillis opposes hasty war authorization.
Eight local broadcasting licenses under review after White House launched attack on late-night host over commentSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US’s top media watchdog announced on Tuesday that it is accelerating the review of eight local broadcasting licenses used by ABC, in a move critics see as a clear example of political and regulatory retribution against a disfavored broadcaster.The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) announcement comes after the White House launched a full-on attack against the ABC’s late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel, over a joke he made last week about Melania Trump. Continue reading...
• President Donald Trump signed a series of emergency executive orders from the Oval Office on April 25, 2026, enacting the 'World's Most Powerful Reset' to address national security and economic stability.
• The orders grant the administration vast new powers over the U.S. economy and financial system, potentially altering the Federal Reserve's role amid foreign threats.
• The actions have triggered fierce debate over constitutional authority, with volatile reactions from Democrats and Republicans, and shockwaves in global markets.
• President Donald Trump signed a series of emergency executive orders from the Oval Office, dubbed the 'World's Most Powerful Reset,' targeting U.S. economic stability and national security.
• The orders grant the administration expanded powers over the economy and financial system, including potential alterations to the Federal Reserve's role amid foreign threats.
• The actions have triggered market volatility, fierce partisan debate, and questions over constitutional authority from Democrats and some Republicans.
US president claims ‘total control’ of strait of Hormuz despite Iranian seizure of two ships and report warning it could take months to clear waterway of minesTrump claims US has total control over strait of Hormuz after Iran seizes two container shipsAnalysis: Trump may talk of regime infighting, but Iran seems united by strategy born of warHello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.Donald Trump has ordered the US military to “shoot and kill” small Iranian boats that deploy mines in the strait of Hormuz and claimed that US minesweepers “are clearing the strait right now” amid the standoff over the key waterway.Trump said the US had “hit about 75% of our targets” in Iran and that a deal had not yet been reached because Iran was “in turmoil”. Trump added to reporters in the Oval Office that he would not use a nuclear weapon against Iran as the conflict continues without a clear end in sight.Trump also said the US had “total control over the strait of Hormuz” – a claim that has drawn scepticism in the face of Iran’s seizure of two container ships and a US report warning it could take six months to clear the strait of mines.Israel’s killing of a Lebanese journalist in a strike has been met with international outrage as Lebanon’s prime minister described the attack as a “war crime”. Amal Khalil, 43, was killed in what colleagues described as a sustained attack by Israeli forces, with rescuers attempting to dig her out of the rubble of a building also targeted and prevented from providing life-saving assistance.Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said there were no “hardliners” or “moderates” in Iran, responding a Trump claim there was internal division in Iran’s leadership. Separately, Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, said Iranian state institutions “continue to act with unity, purpose and discipline”.Italian sports officials say Italy is not interested in replacing Iran at the upcoming World Cup after a suggestion to that effect by a Trump administration official. Sports minister Andrea Abodi said “it’s not a good idea” while finance minister Giancarlo Giorgetti called the suggestion “shameful”. The US said it had no objections to Iranian players participating in the Cup but they would not be allowed to bring along people with ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.Pope Leo XIV urged the US and Iran to return to talks to end the war and condemned capital punishment, calling for a new “culture of peace” to replace the recourse to violence.It remained unclear if the US and Iran would hold another round of talks in Pakistan amid efforts from mediators there towards a peace deal. Continue reading...
• President Donald Trump signed a series of emergency executive orders from the Oval Office, described by the White House as the 'World's Most Powerful Reset,' impacting the US economy and financial system.
• The orders invoke national security protocols to grant the administration new powers over the Federal Reserve and address economic stability amid foreign threats.
• The actions triggered fierce bipartisan debate over constitutional authority, volatile market reactions, and shockwaves globally.
• President Donald Trump signed a series of emergency executive orders from the Oval Office, with the White House describing them as the 'World's Most Powerful Reset,' reportedly granting the administration vast new powers over the U.S. economy and financial system.
• The orders are grounded in national security protocols and reportedly address economic stability and foreign threats, with details remaining tightly controlled by the White House.
• The executive action has triggered fierce debate over presidential constitutional authority and sparked volatile political reactions from both Democrats and Republicans across the political spectrum.
Liberal judge attacks emergency-docket rulings designed to benefit president as ‘scratch-paper musings’The supreme court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has delivered a sustained attack on her conservative colleagues’ use of emergency orders to benefit the Trump administration, calling the orders “scratch-paper musings” that can “seem oblivious and thus ring hollow”.Jackson, the court’s newest justice, delivered a lengthy assessment of roughly two dozen court orders issued last year that allowed Donald Trump to put in place controversial policies on immigration, steep federal funding cuts and other topics, after lower courts found they were probably illegal. Continue reading...
• Peace talks between the US, Israel, and Iran held in Islamabad have broken down, prompting the Trump administration to announce a US Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
• The breakdown in diplomatic negotiations marks an escalation in US-Iran tensions and threatens to further disrupt global energy supplies already stressed by Middle East instability.
• The blockade decision signals a shift from diplomatic engagement to military enforcement, with potential consequences for international shipping and energy markets worldwide.
US Navy to impose blockade today in bid to choke off flow of Iranian oil Explainer: strait of Hormuz blockadeBusiness live – latest updatesOil prices have jumped back above $100 a barrel after weekend talks between the US and Iran ended without an agreement and Donald Trump imposed a blockade of the strait of Hormuz.The US president announced the blockade on Sunday, targeting Iranian vessels and ships that have paid a toll to Iran for passage through the strait, in an attempt to choke off the flow of Iranian oil. Continue reading...
• President Donald Trump signed a series of emergency executive orders from the Oval Office on April 13, 2026, with the White House calling them the 'World's Most Powerful Reset,' sending shockwaves across U.S. and global markets.
• The unprecedented executive action, grounded in national security protocols, reportedly grants the administration vast new powers over the U.S. economy and financial system, potentially altering the role of the Federal Reserve.
• Details remain tightly controlled, but sources suggest the orders address economic stability and foreign threats, prompting immediate debate over the President's constitutional authority and fierce political reaction from both Democrats and Republicans.
• Resistance groups have filed multiple lawsuits targeting President Trump's executive orders early in his second term.
• The legal actions focus on policies enacted since his January 20, 2025, inauguration.
• This wave of litigation could delay implementation and test judicial responses to executive actions.
Legal experts say attacking Iran’s infrastructure would constitute a war crime – but would military officers be held responsible?Middle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump’s threats to carry out mass bombing of civilian infrastructure in Iran present US military officers with a dilemma: disobey orders or help commit war crimes.It is an urgent matter for the US chain of command. In an explicit-laden threat, he set a Tuesday 8pm Washington time deadline for the Iranian government to open the strait of Hormuz or face “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one”. Continue reading...
US president demolished East Wing of White House last year to make way for 90,000-sq-ft projectSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA US judge has halted the construction of Donald Trump’s $400m White House ballroom.The US president demolished the historic East Wing of the White House last year to make way for the project. Continue reading...
• President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA agents after House Republicans blocked the Senate's funding plan for the agency.
• The partial government shutdown has caused widespread disruptions at airports across the country, with long security lines and traveler frustrations continuing nationwide.
• The executive action represents an attempt to maintain airport security operations while funding negotiations continue between Congress and the White House.
Removal of Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez after arrest during green-card appointment decried as ‘flagrant violation’ of legal rightsA federal judge ordered the Trump administration to return a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) to the United States, ruling that her deportation to Mexico last month was a “flagrant violation” of the legal protections afforded to immigrants who arrived in the country as children.Judge Dena Coggins said in her Monday ruling the administration must return Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez, a Daca recipient, to the United States within seven days. She was arrested on 18 February in Sacramento during her green-card appointment, and was deported to Mexico the next day. Continue reading...
• The Pentagon has deployed approximately 2,000 soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, providing President Trump with additional military options while he pursues diplomatic efforts with Iran.
• The troop movement occurs as the Trump administration has sent Iran a 15-point ceasefire plan through Pakistani intermediaries, according to officials briefed on the diplomacy.
• The dual strategy reflects efforts to find an economic off-ramp from the Middle East conflict while maintaining military readiness, though Iran has given a negative response to the ceasefire proposal.
• President Trump ordered federal immigration agents to assist TSA at U.S. airports by guarding exit lanes and checking IDs amid a partial DHS shutdown causing hourslong traveler waits and unpaid screeners.
• Democrats express concerns that adding ICE presence could escalate tensions, demanding changes to immigration operations following deaths of two U.S. citizens by agents in Minneapolis.
• Senate advanced Sen. Markwayne Mullin's nomination as DHS secretary by 54-37 vote, potentially confirming him Monday after Kristi Noem's tenure; border czar Tom Homan leads the airport effort.