Backlash

The chief justice defends court’s impartiality after decisions on abortion, presidential immunity and voting rightsUS chief justice John Roberts has insisted supreme court judges are not “political actors” amid outrage over its recent decision undermining the Voting Right Act, and other moves that have benefited Donald Trump and his allies.“I think, at a very basic level, people think we’re making policy decisions, we’re saying we think this is how things should be, as opposed to what the law provides,” Roberts told a conference for judges and lawyers in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. “I think they view us as purely political actors, which I don’t think is an accurate understanding of what we do.” Continue reading...

Former Scottish Labour leader says she understands that expressing respect for author caused ‘worry, anger and upset’The incoming chair of the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, says she is “truly sorry” after she expressed “huge respect” for JK Rowling in an interview with the Guardian.Kezia Dugdale, the former leader of Scottish Labour, said she understood that her words had caused “worry, anger and upset and I am truly sorry about that”. Continue reading...

Georgia players celebrated championship at White HousePresident shakes hands of men, not women in videoFormer tennis star Navratilova leads criticismA White House photo celebrating a champion women’s sports team has drawn backlash due to the positioning of Donald Trump and a group of men, who overshadowed the female athletes by lining up in front of them.The University of Georgia women’s tennis team was one of several collegiate teams to visit the White House on Wednesday to mark a recent championship win. In a photo shared by press aide Margo Martin, a group of six men, including Donald Trump, took up the front row of a stage setup, with 11 women standing in the background largely obscured. Continue reading...

Bills are response to election petitions challenging Godwin Friday and fellow politician’s eligibility to be MPs because of dual citizenshipThe St Vincent and the Grenadines government has delayed a controversial effort to amend a section of the country’s constitution that the opposition says renders the prime minister ineligible for his position in parliament.Two bills, among six listed for the parliament session on Tuesday this week, were aimed at clarifying a section of the 1979 constitution governing the citizenship eligibility of members of parliament. Continue reading...

• Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent anti-vaccine voice, praised President Trump's nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC Director and expressed his intention to work with her to restore the agency's mission. • Kennedy's public endorsement of the pro-vaccine nominee marked a sharp reversal from his previously hard-line stance on CDC leadership and sparked significant backlash among MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) loyalists online. • The shift comes amid congressional scrutiny of Kennedy's conflicting rhetoric on measles vaccination safety during a Thursday hearing, as measles outbreaks rise across the U.S.

Petition started by workers gained more than 7,300 signatures after CEO said flags would be removedA San Francisco-based coffee chain that sparked backlash with a policy to remove Pride flags from their stores has reversed its decision over a week later.“I made a mistake and I am sincerely sorry,” said Mahesh Sadarangani, the chief executive of Philz Coffee, in a statement on Friday. “The Pride flag is a symbol of safety and belonging for people who don’t always find that in the world, and that is not something I want to take away from anyone who walks into a Philz.” Continue reading...

Péter Magyar’s stunning victory in Hungary is a boost for liberal democracy. But don’t bank on similar upsets in upcoming European electionsWhen future historians come to write about the stunning electoral overthrow of Viktor Orbán on 12 April 2026, let’s hope they devote at least footnotes to zebras and golden toilet brushes. The zebras were spotted by drones on the sprawling grounds of a countryside palace belonging to Orbán’s extended family. The 72 gilded toilet brushes were said to have been bought at a cost of almost €10,000, for a lavish renovation of Hungary’s central bank. For Orbán’s opponents, such excesses became symbols of the rampant corruption among cronies of Orbán’s ruling party Fidesz, which drained Hungary’s economy and earned the country the worst ranking on the crookedness league tables in the EU, as Ashifa Kassam and Flora Garamvolgyi reported.In the end, it was disgust with corruption and how that corruption affected people’s livelihoods that were the main factors behind Sunday’s election rout. But the landslide achieved by Peter Magyar’s Tisza party – despite an electoral system designed to favour Fidesz – suggests that these eye-popping details were merely the last straws for a population desperate to reclaim their country as a functioning democracy. Continue reading...

• Justin Bieber drew furious fan backlash for his headline set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, labeled as 'lazy' and underwhelming. • Critics pointed to minimal effort in choreography and vocals during the high-profile event. • The reaction impacts Bieber's reputation amid his return to major festival stages.

Petition with 4,000 signatures decries ‘slap in the face’, saying Philz made fortune off LGBTQ+ communitySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxPhilz, a popular coffee chain with locations across California, is facing growing criticism after news broke that the San Francisco-based company planned to remove Pride flags from its stores.The move is part of an effort to “[create] a more consistent, inclusive experience across all our stores, including removing a variety of flags and other decor”, Mahesh Sadarangani, the company’s CEO, said in a statement to SFGate. The company did not immediately respond to the Guardian’s request for comment. Continue reading...

Rapper who has previously made antisemitic remarks responds to criticism over his booking at London festivalThe rapper formerly known as Kanye West has broken his silence and offered to “meet and listen” to members of the UK’s Jewish community after a fierce backlash over his booking at London’s Wireless festival.West, who is legally known as Ye, has been criticised for making antisemitic remarks including voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler. Last year he released a song called Heil Hitler, a few months after advertising a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website. Continue reading...

US president’s 19-minute Wednesday address at the White House was met with bewilderment from commentatorsDonald Trump’s primetime nationwide address on the war with Iran caused widespread bewilderment, with commentators voicing shock at his vow to continue bombing to “bring them back to the stone ages”.Speculation before Wednesday’s speech from the White House Blue Room suggested that the president might be about to signal a winding up of the US military effort, which began on 28 February. Continue reading...

Michael Rousseau faced mockery for speaking English and not French while addressing fatal LaGuardia airport crashThe head of Canada’s largest airline is stepping down after his video tribute to pilots killed in a fatal collision became a public relations nightmare for Air Canada, prompting a wave of mockery and indignation at him from both the public and politicians for not speaking French.Air Canada’s CEO, Michael Rousseau, will retire by the end of the third quarter of 2026, the company said Monday. He will continue to lead the company and serve on the board of directors until that time, the carrier said. Continue reading...

Critics say £15 toy designed for children aged two and over risks exposing them to ‘a very adult, performative world’Argos has ignited a debate among parents and child development campaigners after promoting a wooden “influencer kit” aimed at toddlers.Critics have warned that the play set could normalise the precarious world of digital labour and prematurely expose children to the pressures of online visibility. Continue reading...

Fintech company’s profits leap to £1.7bn as it gears up for US push after getting UK banking licence this month Business live – latest updatesThe UK banking app Revolut has said it could face a backlash over its support for energy-intensive sectors such as crypto and AI, as it posted a 57% increase in annual profits.The fintech, which can now launch as a fully fledged UK bank after a five-year wait for regulatory approval, warned in its 2025 results that such activities posed a “reputational risk”. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration designated AI company Anthropic as a 'supply chain risk' and ordered federal agencies to stop using its technology, prompting Anthropic to file a lawsuit against the government. • Major tech firms including Google, Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI have backed Anthropic through amicus briefs and legal support, warning that blacklisting an American company harms U.S. innovation and competitiveness against China. • The conflict stems from late February tensions when Trump publicly criticized Anthropic, leading to contract cancellations and raising concerns about uncertainty throughout the broader technology industry.

PM will consider exempting large numbers from proposed changes, which would leave people waiting 10 years for settled statusKeir Starmer is hoping to soften the impact of his government’s changes to the immigration system after a backlash from Labour MPs and a dramatic intervention from his former deputy Angela Rayner.The prime minister is considering exempting large numbers of people from the proposed changes, which would make it harder to achieve settled status in the UK, as he attempts to keep his restive party onboard. Continue reading...

President made contradictory comment to reporters on Air Force One after pleading with allies to help US secure Strait of HormuzSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump drew a backlash on Sunday for suggesting US efforts to protect the Strait of Hormuz were unnecessary – and that “maybe we shouldn’t even be there at all” because his country has plenty of oil of its own.The president made the contradictory comment to reporters on Air Force One after pleading with European and Nato allies to enter the war in Iran to help the US secure the strait amid the largest oil supply disruption in history. Continue reading...

• President Donald Trump is experiencing political fallout two weeks after U.S. and Israel strikes on Iran, with rising U.S. soldier deaths and questions over securing the Strait of Hormuz. • Trump attended a closed-door fundraiser for his MAGA Inc. super PAC at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday after golfing, amid criticism for lacking long-term planning on the conflict. • Democrats like Kelly Dietrich of the National Democratic Training Committee predict strong midterm positioning, citing Trump's unfulfilled promises on prices amid rising gasoline costs.

• US mayors are pushing back against the rapid boom in data centers driven by surging AI demands, citing concerns over energy consumption and local impacts. • The backlash highlights tensions in communities facing infrastructure strain from AI infrastructure growth, as reported by Agence France-Presse on March 15, 2026. • This resistance underscores broader debates on balancing technological advancement with environmental and economic sustainability in the US.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's daughter Sunday Rose, 17, debuted on a New York Fashion Week runway, intensifying debates over celebrity nepo babies. Bored Panda reports 1.2 million Instagram views of her walk, criticized as unearned privilege. Fashion insiders note her poise but question industry nepotism, with 68% of polled Gen Z opposing family connections. The event ties into broader cultural entitlement discussions.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's daughter Sunday Rose, 18, debuted on the Miu Miu runway March 13, intensifying public frustration with Hollywood nepo babies dominating fashion and film. Bored Panda notes commenters decrying unequal opportunities as nepotism debates rage pre-Oscars. The event at Paris Fashion Week underscores intergenerational celebrity privilege in US entertainment discourse. Critics argue it disadvantages emerging talents without famous parents.