FBI investigating deaths, disappearances of staff at government labs

The disappearances and deaths of 10 government workers tied to nuclear or space technology have sparked speculation online. President Trump said the cases are "hopefully, coincidence."

Cherfilus-McCormick resigns from Congress before Ethics hearing on sanctions

The Florida Democrat stepped down shortly before a House Ethics Committee hearing to determine whether she should be punished.

Southern Poverty Law Center indicted on federal fraud charges

The indictment came shortly after SPLC revealed the existence of a criminal investigation into its program to pay informants to infiltrate extremist groups and gather information on their activities.

DOJ charges Southern Poverty Law Center with fraud over secret funding of extremist groups

The Southern Poverty Law Center said it is "outraged" by what it called the "false allegations" by the Department of Justice.

Trump recounts Tim Cook call to 'kiss my ass,' in stark look at White House dealmaking

Tech executives from Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta have dined with Trump and donated millions to his inauguration fund and the White House ballroom.

DOJ charges Southern Poverty Law Center with fraud

A federal grand jury indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on wire and bank fraud-related charges on Tuesday, the Justice Department says, accusing it of paying members of extremist groups as part of its efforts to investigate them.

Middle East crisis live: Trump unilaterally extends ceasefire; US navy continues blockade of Iranian ports

US president moved off earlier threat to resume bombing, saying Pakistan officials requested ceasefire extension; military blockade on Iranian ports to continue, Trump says

Iran’s armed forces are ready to deliver an “immediate and decisive response” to any renewed hostile action by its adversaries, Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, was quoted by the Tasnim news agency as having said.

He said Tehran had the upper hand militarily, including in the management of the strait of Hormuz, and would not allow Donald Trump to “create false narratives over the situation on the ground.”

Contract reveals fundraising deal for Trump's East Wing overhaul

The agreement, which was signed this fall, ensures donor anonymity, establishes a fee structure and institutes a ban on foreign contributions.

Lawmakers demand answers at hearing on hospice fraud

Congress asks experts, advocates and victims how to combat hospice fraud, after a CBS News investigation uncovered widespread signs of potential fraud in California.

Trump administration discussing currency swap line with United Arab Emirates

Such a move would provide liquidity in dollars to the oil-rich UAE, but could be politically tenuous for the administration amid higher prices at home.

United Airlines slashes 2026 forecast as fuel costs surge

The carrier's first-quarter earnings topped Wall Street's expectations.

Florida opens criminal probe into OpenAI over ChatGPT's alleged role in FSU shooting

Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI after reviewing conversation logs between ChatGPT and a Florida State University student accused of killing two people last year.

Meta failed to protect social media users from scam ads, lawsuit alleges

The Consumer Federation of America accused Meta of allowing scam advertisements to "proliferate on its platforms."

Parents of Loyola student fatally shot in Chicago call for change: "This can't happen"

The parents of Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman called for change after a Venezuelan man, who was illegally in the U.S., allegedly shot and killed their daughter in Chicago last month. "This can't happen. We've got to make changes," they said in an exclusive interview with CBS News' Matt Gutman airing Wednesday on "CBS Mornings."

Florida to open criminal investigation into OpenAI over ChatGPT’s influence on alleged mass shooter

State attorney general said inquiry will look into whether AI tool offered ‘significant advice’ to campus shooting suspect

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Florida’s top prosecutor is to launch a criminal investigation into how the tech company OpenAI and its software tool ChatGPT may influence users’ threats of harm to themselves or others, including whether it “offered significant advice” to a gunman accused of conducting a mass shooting in the state last year.

State attorney general James Uthmeier said at a news conference on Tuesday that his office is expanding an examination of OpenAI, saying a “criminal investigation is necessary” and the state had issued subpoenas to the $852bn California-based tech firm.

Gates Foundation reviewing Jeffrey Epstein ties, will slash 20% of staff, WSJ reports

Berkshire Hathaway Chair Warren Buffett had told CNBC he hasn't spoken to Bill Gates since details of Jeffrey Epstein's communications with him were revealed.

Trump’s Fed chair pick says he’ll maintain independence – but won’t say president lost 2020 election

Kevin Warsh says ‘we need to take politics out of monetary policy’ as Elizabeth Warren calls him Trump’s ‘sock puppet’

Donald Trump’s nominee for US Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, faced a tumultuous hearing in Washington on Tuesday, fielding scrutiny over his wealth and his ability to operate independently of the president who appointed him.

Should he be confirmed, Warsh will hold one of the most powerful roles in the US federal government, with massive influence over the global economy and the ability to move markets.

California man arrested for allegedly swapping in pasta for Lego pieces then returning them

Irvine police department announces bust in pun-filled social media post about alleged $34,000 Lego looting

So much for using his noodle.

A California man pilfered thousands of dollars in Lego toy sets from the retailer Target in a return-based scam, sometimes swapping valuable figurines with dried pasta pieces and before returning the construction-centric toys, authorities recently alleged.

Trump extends ceasefire in Iran, citing 'seriously fractured' Iranian government

Trump's announcement came after an expected trip by Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan for a peace talks with Iranian officials was put on hold.

Brighton subject Chelsea and Rosenior to fifth league defeat in a row without scoring

Perhaps time to celebrate Brighton’s achievements, though it would be hard not to view this windswept South Coast evening through the lens of Chelsea’s latest crisis. Following another grim chapter in the Liam Rosenior saga, his name taken in vain by angry away fans, Chelsea look on at Brighton as an example of responsible stewardship, of careful recruitment, a model they have failed to emulate and now lag behind in the Premier League table.

Brighton’s return to the European football enjoyed under Roberto De Zerbi is fully on the cards. Fabian Hürzeler, an appointment in which there was considerable doubt earlier this season, has revived his team. He has still never been defeated by an opposing English manager. Goals by Ferdi Kadioglu and Jack Hinshelwood had done damage to Chelsea, even if much of it was self-inflicted. The margin of victory might have been far more by the time Danny Welbeck scored the third in stoppage time to complete as convincing a win– and defeat – as it gets.

Senate GOP advances budget resolution, kickstarting process to fund ICE

Senate Republicans advanced a budget resolution to begin the process of funding immigration agencies under DHS without help from Democrats.

MasterChef review – the BBC’s disgraced cookery show is warmer, sharper and funnier than ever

New hosts Grace Dent and chef Anna Haugh have shaken off the show’s crusty, stale feel. They’re a real improvement on John Torode and Gregg Wallace

MasterChef is back, emboldened by the strange and giddy euphoria of an enforced refresh. For nigh on 20 years, the BBC’s premier cookery contest was judged by John Torode and Gregg Wallace and was just sort of … there. Not bad, but not very exciting either. That the hosts might have become a little crusty and stale wasn’t widely noticed or discussed.

One unsavoury year of allegations, investigations and cancellations later, not one but both of the show’s long-serving overlords have abruptly departed. Yet there’s something freeing about an unplanned change and MasterChef, happily, has embraced that by hiring two relatively low-profile women to replace the old men: season 22 is brought to you by Myrtle chef patron Anna Haugh and Guardian restaurant critic Grace Dent.

Trump extends ceasefire in Iran indefinitely

President Trump said he's extending the ceasefire until Iran has submitted a proposal in talks with the U.S. "and discussions are concluded."

Dozens of US lawmakers have been accused of sexual harassment, study finds

Analysis finds 53 workplace harassment allegations against 30 lawmakers amid wave of resignations in Congress

Fifty-three allegations of workplace sexual harassment have been made against at least 30 House and Senate lawmakers over the past two decades, an advocacy group said in a study that was released Tuesday amid a spate of ethics-fueled resignations in Congress.

Most of the lawmakers from 13 states and Guam who have faced allegations have since left office, but nine continue to hold seats, the nonpartisan National Women’s Defense League (NWDL) said.

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns, third House member to quit this month

Cherfilus-McCormick was indicted in November in Miami federal court on charges accusing her of stealing $5 million in Covid-19 disaster funds.

Instead of civil war, a naked mole rat colony changed queens peacefully

These matriarchal rodents often have bloody succession wars to replace their queen. But in a colony in California, Queen Tere ceded the throne to her daughter, Arwen, without violence.

UPS, FedEx and DHL file for tariff refunds. What it means for consumers.

Shippers have pledged to share refunds with customers who paid tariffs once the government issues refunds.

Florida AG launches criminal investigation into ChatGPT over FSU shooting

Florida's attorney general is launching a criminal investigation into the alleged role of ChatGPT in a mass shooting at Florida State University last year.

Head’s up: 12 main-course cauliflower recipes from easy to ambitious

From quick and easy roasts to warming curries and a centrepiece wellington, these dishes make for filling dinners, with plenty left over for lunch

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Cauliflower looks like the ghost of broccoli, or a human brain that has been drained of blood. As is the case with many overlooked vegetables, boiling is the absolutely second-worst way to cook it (we do not talk about cauliflower rice), while roasting is best, to coax out its sweet and nutty flavours. A whole head is very good and affordable in Australia at the moment and can easily feed a whole family.

Analysis: Warsh emerges from a difficult hearing with his Fed 'regime-change' plan intact

The Fed chair faced many questions about his finances, but few about his plan to overhaul the central bank.

Microsoft cuts Game Pass subscription prices after new Xbox CEO promises to 'recommit' to gamers

Microsoft's new gaming leader, Asha Sharma, is making the Xbox flagship subscription more affordable. But it won't have every game at launch.

Vance trip to Pakistan for Iran talks is on hold, NYT reports

Trump told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Tuesday morning that he thinks the U.S. is "going to end up with a great deal" with Iran to end the war.

Lawrence Okolie’s fight against Tony Yoka off after British boxer’s failed drugs test

• Heavyweight vows to clear his name with bout cancelled

• Fighter cites elbow treatment and hopes ‘sense prevails’

Lawrence Okolie has pledged to clear his name after a failed drugs test that has led to the cancellation of his heavyweight bout against Tony Yoka this weekend.

The British fighter, a former cruiserweight world champion who moved up to heavyweight, had been scheduled to face the Frenchman in Paris on Saturday. Okolie is the No 1-ranked contender by the WBC, whose belt is held by Oleksandr Usyk.

Kevin Warsh testifies that the Fed will remain "strictly independent"

Warsh, nominated by President Trump to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell, also said he'll work with the White House on some matters.

Will gas dip below $3 a gallon this year? Here's what experts think.

It could take months for U.S. gas prices to recede to their level before the outbreak of war in Iran, economists and energy experts say.

Chart shows what you're paying for when you buy a gallon of gas

U.S. gas prices are surging as the Iran war drives up the global cost of oil. But what exactly accounts for what you pay at the pump?

Florida Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, facing possible expulsion, resigns

The Florida Democrat faced a potential expulsion vote in the House as she prepares for a federal trial on allegations that she stole disaster funds and used some of the money to finance her campaign.

Victims of sexual violence distressed by MPs’ ‘pugnacious’ questioning

Exclusive: Victims’ commissioner makes formal complaint after committee session left one attender ‘shocked, upset and extremely distressed’

Victims of rape and sexual violence have told parliamentarians they felt anxious and distressed during a Westminster evidence session, with one stating that witnessing “pugnacious” questioning had resulted in her “breaking down, sobbing and struggling to breathe”.

The victims’ commissioner has made a formal complaint to the chair of an influential group of MPs after a highly charged evidence session carried out by the public bill committee for the courts and tribunals bill about controversial changes to jury trials.

The Olympics’ trans policy polices womanhood | Moira Donegan

Sports bans have humiliated trans women and girls across America. Now, the Olympics joins in

Last month, the International Olympic Committee announced that transgender women athletes would be barred from competing in all Olympic events in the women’s category – but not the men’s events. In addition to trans women athletes, cisgender women with conditions known as DSDs – differences in sexual development – will also be banned from competition. The new rules effectively redefine womanhood – but not manhood – as a novel and previously unrecognized category consisting only of those with a specific set of genetic prerequisites. To comply with this new requirement, women athletes – but not male ones – will be made to submit to genetic testing, to determine whether their womanhood meets the committee’s standards. The rule will be in effect for the upcoming summer Olympics, scheduled to take place in Los Angeles in 2028.

The move comes as increased political and media attention to the issue of trans rights and visibility over the past years – along with pressure from the Trump administration – has led athletic federations to ban trans women from sports competitions, a demand that has largely not been made for transgender men in women’s or men’s sports. The vitriol and intensity of this controversy has been acute. Twenty-eight states ban trans girls and women from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity; last year, the NCAA announced a ban on trans athletes competing in women’s collegiate leagues.

The Guardian view on Starmer and Mandelson: when process follows power | Editorial

Olly Robbins exposed a deeper failure: when the prime minister’s decision came first, security vetting was left to catch up after the fact

It was a classic Whitehall performance: understated and explosive. Sir Olly Robbins did not bluster in front of MPs. The sacked Foreign Office chief calmly stuck to the language of process. He admitted clearing Peter Mandelson to be US ambassador despite UK Security Vetting (UKSV) – in his own words – “leaning against” approval. But the context was key: Downing Street had already set a “very, very strong expectation” that the peer would be in Washington fast and had a dismissive attitude to vetting. The decision to back the peer had effectively been made before the system could catch up.

On Monday, MPs skewered Sir Keir Starmer over appointing Lord Mandelson. The issue was not what the prime minister knew, but what he chose to do with the knowledge. By December 2024, he had seen Cabinet Office “due diligence” and was aware of the peer’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after the financier’s child sex conviction. Sir Keir went ahead anyway. Announcement, royal approval and US “agrément” swiftly turned that judgment into policy – before vetting had even begun. Sir Keir insisted that he should have been told Lord Mandelson was, in his words, denied security clearance for the role of US ambassador. Diane Abbott cut through this defence with a single question: “Why didn’t you ask?”

The Guardian view on the true cost of the Iran war: bombs kill – but so does the economic fallout | Editorial

There is growing international concern as the fragile two-week ceasefire reaches its Wednesday deadline. Whatever happens next, the poor will pay

More than 3,300 Iranians, including 383 children, have been killed since the US and Israel launched their illegal war, authorities said this week. Asked about Wednesday’s ceasefire deadline, Donald Trump first said that he expected to resume bombing, then unilaterally announced that he was extending the truce “until discussions are concluded”. Whatever happens – or doesn’t – with the US-Iranian peace talks due to take place in Islamabad, the costs of this disastrous conflict will keep growing. The only thing that the sides have in common is that each needs peace, but thinks that it can force the other into significant concessions.

Iran has deployed its drones and missiles to punishing effect, but knows that its chief weapon is the economic pain it can inflict, primarily through control of the strait of Hormuz. The International Monetary Fund warned last week that a further escalation could trigger a global recession. Its head, Kristalina Georgieva, had already said that the crisis would remain a threat to the global economy even if it ended overnight. The costs mount over time. But while the pain is widely spread, it is far from evenly shared. The combination of higher energy, food and fertiliser costs will increasingly hammer poorer and heavily import-reliant nations.

Bill banning people born after 2008 from buying tobacco clears UK parliament

Ministers hope tobacco and vapes bill, which will become law next week, will create a ‘smoke-free generation’

A bill banning anyone born after 2008 from buying tobacco in the UK has completed its progress through parliament in a move that ministers hope will create a “smoke-free generation”.

Under the tobacco and vapes bill anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be able to be legally sold tobacco across the UK, in an effort to save lives and reduce the burden on the NHS.

Prolific unregulated sperm donor loses UK legal fight to be named as child’s father

Robert Albon cannot be declared four-year-old’s father because he ran illegal sperm donation business, court rules

A prolific unregulated sperm donor described in the high court as a “highly dangerous man” has lost a legal fight to be named as the father of a child conceived using his sperm.

Robert Albon, who calls himself Joe Donor, was not entitled to be declared the father of a four-year-old child because he was running an illegal sperm donation business, Britain’s most senior family court judge ruled.

Four key takeaways from Apple’s change of leadership

Analysts say next boss John Ternus should diversify tech giant away from iPhones and raise its game in AI

John Ternus takes over from Tim Cook as chief executive of Apple in September. A company insider, Ternus is moving up from his role as head of engineering to take control of the entire $4tn (£3tn) business.

Apple is a vast, successful tech company and one of the most recognised brands in the world. But it faces challenges nonetheless. Here is a look at Ternus’s in-tray.

Taiwan president blames China for forced cancellation of Eswatini trip

Lai Ching-te abandons visit after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoke overflight permission

Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, has cancelled his trip to Eswatini, the democratic island’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, after his government said several countries had revoked overflight permits because of “intense pressure” from China.

Lai was to leave on Wednesday for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession.

‘I’ll key your car’: ChatGPT can become abusive when fed real-life arguments, study finds

Researchers find model starts to mirror tone when exposed to impoliteness – sometimes escalating into explicit threats

ChatGPT can escalate into abusive and even threatening language when drawn into prolonged, human-style conflict, according to a new study.

Researchers tested how large language models (LLMs) responded to sustained hostility by feeding ChatGPT exchanges from real-life arguments and tracking how its behaviour changed over time.

Tim Cook turned Apple into a $4 trillion juggernaut by not trying to be Steve Jobs

Tim Cook's 15-year tenure at the helm of Apple was highly profitable for Wall Street, as the company's market cap swelled from $350 billion to $4 trillion.

Senate Republicans unveil immigration funding framework as DHS shutdown drags on

Democrats have opposed funding for ICE and Customs and Border Patrol since federal immigration enforcement agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.

Two Israeli soldiers jailed over smashing of Jesus statue in Lebanon village

Israel Defense Forces say the ‘soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and value’

Two Israeli soldiers have been removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in jail after one used a sledgehammer to smash a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon while the other filmed him, the Israel Defense Forces have said.

An image circulating on social media on Monday showed an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen from its cross in a Christian village in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, prompting outrage among Christian communities worldwide.

Seven more arrested after arson attacks on London Jewish sites

Seven held over alleged plot to commit another attack and man held over drone incident near Israeli embassy

Detectives investigating a series of attacks on Jewish targets have arrested seven people for allegedly plotting a further new firebombing, as a teenager pleaded guilty to an arson attack on a synagogue on Saturday.

The arrests by counter-terrorism officers follow fire bombings or attempted arson of synagogues and other Jewish targets across London.

Terrible poll ratings would bother some politicians. Donald Trump isn’t one of them | Arwa Mahdawi

A low approval rating will not cause the US president to hang his head in shame. He’s more likely to dig in

You’ll know the famous quote, bastardised from a 1926 column by the Baltimore journalist HL Mencken, that “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.” The rest of the quote, less often cited, is: “Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.” It’s hard to disagree when you look at the polls. Because, despite everything, more than a third of Americans continue to think Donald Trump is doing a great job.

I’m not saying all is rosy for Trump: a new NBC News poll has found Trump’s popularity has plummeted to a second-term low. The cost of living in the US is rocketing and the country is embroiled in an immoral and economically disastrous war: two-thirds of Americans say the country is on the wrong path. But 37% still approve of Trump’s overall performance. That’s down from 42% in December but it’s still pretty damn high considering the US is being led by an adjudicated sexual predator who has started wars with both Iran and the pope recently, while making life at home harder. Trump can’t be blamed for everything, but there is evidence his policies have negatively affected growth, jobs and inflation.

Social media executives deny platforms are inherently addictive to children

UK representatives from Meta, Roblox and TikTok also tell MPs they believe under-16 ban would be ‘unenforceable’

Executives from three social media companies have denied their platforms are inherently addictive to children and young people, in a combative appearance before MPs in Westminster.

Representatives from Meta, Roblox and TikTok faced robust questioning from the cross-party education select committee about the impact of screen time and social media on children.

Hegseth scraps mandatory flu shots for troops

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. service members will no longer be required to get annual flu shots.

Brady’s stadium own goal means her West Ham exit will not be mourned by fans | Jacob Steinberg

Karren Brady, who is stepping down as vice-chair at West Ham after 16 years, leaves a questionable legacy

The “No More BS” campaign led by dissenting West Ham fans needs an update. One half of the double act has left the building but the protesters do not see it as job done. They are celebrating the departure of Karren Brady, who has stepped down as vice-chair after 16 years, and will not stop pushing for change in the way their dysfunctional club is run until David Sullivan has followed her out of the door.

That, though, is not happening yet. No sooner had Brady’s departure been announced than some fans started predicting that Sullivan would not be far behind. But a move by the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky to increase his West Ham stake by lining up a deal to buy a chunk of the Gold family’s shares is not expected to lead to Sullivan going. Kretinsky, it is said, is merely strengthening his hand. Sullivan, who is also planning to buy some of the Gold shares, is not going anywhere. Kretinsky will match the 77-year-old’s old stake, slightly diluting the era of Sullivanism, but the outcome could have been different.

Carney names broad team to advise on tense US-Canada trade talks

Conservatives and former provincial premiers among those PM names to advisory committee on economic relations

Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, says his new advisory committee on economic relations with the United States will draw on the “best advice and the broadest perspectives” as the country braces for what many expect will be tense trade negotiations with its southern neighbour.

The 24-member advisory committee, announced on Tuesday, shows the prime minister’s eagerness to reach across the political spectrum to ensure Canada is “well positioned to advance its interests” at the looming trade talks.

The snuggle is real: what happens when you can’t fall asleep without your partner?

Experts share why you might sleep better with that special someone and how couples can find healthy sleep dynamics

• Tell us: do you use AI for fitness?

I don’t live with my partner, but when we sleep in the same bed, I doze off almost instantly. When I’m alone in my own bed, I toss and turn throughout the night.

Between talk of “sleep divorces” being key to a healthy relationship and boyfriends being embarrassing, it’s been hard to admit that I sleep much better with my partner.

New Call of Duty games will no longer be part of Xbox’s Game Pass

Microsoft has also reduced the price of its Xbox Game Pass video game subscription service, Microsoft Gaming boss Asha Sharma has announced

Microsoft’s gaming subscription service Xbox Game Pass will be coming down in price from today, but future Call of Duty titles will no longer be available on the service at launch. Other games from Microsoft-owned studios will still be playable on Game Pass from the day of their release, and older Call of Duty games will remain available, the company has clarified.

Last October, Microsoft increased the price of its top-tier Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription by almost 50%. From today the price will reduce from £22.99/month to £16.99/month in the UK, and from $29.99 to $22.99 a month in the US. PC Game Pass will also drop from $16.49 to $13.99/£13.49 to £10.99 a month.

Jannik Sinner says Alcaraz’s absence from Madrid Open ‘tough to swallow’

• Injured Alcaraz out of event for second year in a row

• ‘It is different when Carlos and Novak are not in the draw’

Jannik Sinner described Carlos Alcaraz’s injury withdrawal from the Madrid Open as “tough to swallow” for the tournament and believes the absence of his greatest rival will make a big difference as he tries to win a record fifth straight Masters title.

“It’s a very tough thing for the tournament,” said Sinner. “Last year he didn’t play, so twice in a row is tough. And also Novak [Djokovic] is not here, it’s tough to swallow for the tournament. It is always different when Carlos and Novak are not in the draw. I would say [this situation is] unique because we have shared since last year a lot of tournaments.”

Trump tells CNBC he expects U.S. to make ‘great deal’ with Iran

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he expects the U.S. and Israel war against Iran to end soon since it began in late February.

UK agriculture deal with EU will not remove all red tape, peers told

Lords told sales of Scottish shellfish among areas that may benefit – but agreement will not erase all paperwork

• Europe live – latest updates

A new agriculture agreement with the EU will not wipe out all Brexit paperwork but might pave the way for sales of Scottish langoustines and oysters, the House of Lords has heard.

The UK and EU are close to finalising a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to reduce Brexit trade barriers, and while it will have “modest” impact on the UK economy the agreement will be significant, peers on the European affairs committee were told on Tuesday.

Ethics panel to decide penalty for Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick over theft allegations

The Florida Democrat is accused of stealing $5 million in FEMA funds for her campaign.

Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars selfie: was this the moment pop culture shattered into a billion pieces?

When DeGeneres posted her A-list snap at the 2014 Academy Awards, it made a splash. But it was probably the end of monoculture – and now we’re all alone in our TikTok bubbles

Name: The Oscars selfie.

Age: Once upon a time (2 March 2014, to be precise), at the Oscars, the actor Bradley Cooper, who was nominated for best supporting actor, took a selfie with the host, Ellen DeGeneres, and a whole load of A-listers …

UnitedHealth tops quarterly estimates, hikes profit outlook as insurer manages high medical costs

The nation's largest private insurer expects 2026 adjusted earnings of more than $18.25 per share, up from a previous outlook of greater than $17.75 per share.

Meet the 2026 National Teacher of the Year

"CBS Mornings" exclusively revealed Leon Smith, who teaches at Haverford High School in Pennsylvania, as the 2026 National Teacher of the Year.

The Hours won awards for Nicole Kidman’s fake nose – and hearts as a queer classic

Stephen Daldry’s 2002 film, which secured Kidman an Oscar for her depiction of Virginia Woolf, is a groundbreaking depiction of queer sexuality across the 20th century

Michael Cunningham’s Pulitzer prize-winning book The Hours – inspired by Virginia Woolf’s seminal 1925 novel, Mrs Dalloway – imagines one day in the lives of three women separated across time periods. The triptych follows Woolf in the throes of writing Mrs Dalloway; Laura Brown, a depressed housewife who is reading Woolf’s novel in postwar America; and Clarissa Vaughan, a New Yorker who acts as a contemporary embodiment of Woolf’s titular character.

Cunningham’s 1998 text, though widely acclaimed, was initially deemed unadaptable due to its nonlinear structure and stream-of-consciousness approach that paid homage to Woolf’s pioneering style. However, since its publication, The Hours (which takes its name from Mrs Dalloway’s working title), has been reinterpreted as an opera and, most notably, a 2002 film directed by Stephen Daldry.

Timor-Leste parliament questions president over proposed resort’s links to ‘scam’ empire

Jose Ramos-Horta urged by opposition to explain diplomatic passport given to businessman behind resort project, who denies any involvement with organised crime

Timor-Leste’s opposition has questioned how foreign investors in a proposed cryptocurrency resort obtained prime beachfront real estate in the country’s capital, and has called on the president to explain why he issued a diplomatic passport to a Chinese businessman involved in the project.

Speaking in parliament in Dili on Monday, Fretilin opposition party MP Florentino Ximenes da Costa “Sinarai” raised concerns about the proposed AB Digital Technology Resort, which was the subject of a months-long investigation by the Guardian and Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

Trump says 'maybe' government should help struggling Spirit Airlines

Trump told CNBC's "Squawk Box": "I think I'd love somebody to buy Spirit, as an example."

Kevin Warsh faces lawmakers in Fed chair confirmation hearing today

Senators are likely to press Warsh, President Trump's nominee to succeed Jerome Powell as Fed chair, on his views about inflation and interest rates.

Trump says 'I'll remember' companies that don’t seek tariff refunds

Trump said he was "not happy with the Supreme Court" for ruling IEEPA tariffs were illegal, and for not allowing the U.S. to keep tariffs already collected.

Alan Osmond, eldest of the Osmonds family band, dies at 76

Alongside siblings Donny and Marie, the musician was a 1970s teen idol with family hits such as Crazy Horses

Alan Osmond, the eldest sibling of the Osmonds family band, has died aged 76. A spokesperson confirmed that he died at 8.30pm local time in Salt Lake City, Utah. His wife and eight children were by his side.

“My brother has now stepped into the presence of our Father in Heaven with honor and peace,” Merrill Osmond, his brother, wrote on Facebook. “He gave everything he had to the Lord, to his family, and to all of you … He truly was a saint.”

Want to lighten your mental load? First, let go of these gender myths

"Men can't see the mess." "Women are better at chores." These myths position women to take on more emotional thinking, says researcher Leah Ruppanner. She shares what works to reclaim your headspace.

Tucker Carlson says he regrets backing Donald Trump and is ‘tormented by it’

Podcaster admits he ‘misled’ supporters as his rift with the US president deepens over the Iran war

• US politics live – latest updates

Tucker Carlson, a conservative podcaster, has said he is “tormented” by his support of Donald Trump, issuing in an extraordinary mea culpa that called for “a moment to wrestle with our own consciences”.

Carlson delivered that comment in a conversation with Buckley Carlson, his brother and a former Trump speechwriter, on The Tucker Carlson Show on Monday that reviewed the sidelining of traditional conservative values in a Republican party now dominated by the president.

O’Sullivan leads World Snooker Championship first-round match despite rare error at Crucible

• Seven-time world champion heads out to wrong table

• Murphy hits back after sweary heckle

Ronnie O’Sullivan started with a rare Crucible misstep but still emerged with a 7-2 lead after the opening session of his first-round match against China’s He Guoqiang at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.

Heading out for his 34th consecutive appearance in the event, the 50-year-old accidentally headed towards the wrong table and had to be steered in the right direction by a subtle nudge from the referee Rob Spencer.

What went wrong in Israel? A genocide scholar examines ‘what Zionism became’

In his new book, Omer Bartov tracks how a liberatory strand of Zionism transformed into an extremist ideology that he sees as responsible for genocide in Gaza

Former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, when asked to explain the apparent about-face that led him to advocate the unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, quoted a beloved Israeli pop ballad. “What you can see from there, you can’t see from here,” he said, referring to the shift in perspective he had supposedly undergone since coming to power.

Although the 2005 Gaza disengagement was perhaps less a change of heart than one of strategy, as his senior adviser later admitted, the lyric became a byword of Israeli politics, an oft-cited reminder that perspective is everything.

Trump wants $1.5tn for the Pentagon – and cuts to healthcare and housing | Steven Greenhouse

The president’s proposed $445bn increase in military spending would batter popular domestic programs as millions struggle

With Americans focused on Donald Trump’s deeply unpopular war against Iran, far too few Americans are focusing on another disastrous Trump idea: increasing the Pentagon’s budget to a colossal $1.5tn. Just as Trump’s Iran war has hurt millions of Americans by sending gas prices skyward, Trump’s supersized Pentagon budget will hurt millions of Americans because Trump, to help finance that budget, is pushing for painful cuts in health, education, and housing programs.

By proposing a record-breaking $445bn increase in military spending, Trump is showing he’s gung-ho for guns, but not for butter, even though millions of Americans are struggling financially and are eager for more butter – social spending – to make their lives easier. Trump’s proposed military budget would mean a spectacular jump – it would be 42% above this year’s budget and two-thirds bigger than Joe Biden’s last Pentagon budget. Asserting that human needs are woefully underfunded, a coalition of 289 groups denounced Trump’s “gigantic” increase as “grossly irresponsible”, especially since the US already spends more on its military than the next nine biggest defense-spending countries combined.

‘Is it life? We can’t tell’: Nasa’s Curiosity rover finds organic molecules on Mars

Scientists think they are looking at chemical building blocks of life preserved for 3.5bn years

Nasa’s Curiosity rover has detected organic molecules on Mars, including chemicals widely considered building blocks for the origin of life on Earth.

Five of the seven molecules identified in a dried lakebed near the equator had never previously been observed on the red planet. The analysis performed by the robotic rover cannot establish whether the organic compounds are linked to potential ancient life on Mars or were delivered by meteorites or formed through geological processes. However, the finding implies that if microbial life once thrived on Mars, chemical fingerprints should remain there today.

"CBS Mornings" exclusively reveals 2026 National Teacher of the Year

"CBS Mornings" exclusively revealed Leon Smith, a social studies teacher at Haverford High School in Havertown, Pennsylvania, has been selected as the 2026 National Teacher of the Year. Smith discusses the honor, how he starts his class each day and his tips for young teachers.

How young professionals can find meaningful and successful work in the age of AI

Award-winning journalist Jodi Kantor addresses how young professionals and students can find a career path in the age of artificial intelligence while pursuing their dreams and finding meaning in their work.

Tariff refund portal off to bumpy start as some businesses report glitches

Some U.S. importers reported problems filing tariff refund claims after Customs and Border Patrol launched its dedicated portal on Monday.

Kremlin forcing big firms to join ‘witch-hunt’ against internet rebels, claims report

Campaigners say banks and web platforms are being told to collect data on customers visiting blocked sites

Major Russian companies have been conscripted into a “witch-hunt” against users trying to circumvent online controls, researchers have said, as the Kremlin continues trying to cut its citizens off from the global internet.

Banks and web platforms are collecting data on users of virtual private networks (VPN) tools, which obscure an individual’s real location and allow them to access sites blocked in Russia, according to an investigation by RKS global, an advocacy group for internet freedoms.

How Trump's messaging on Iran has shifted since saying they "agreed to everything"

Less than 48 hours after President Trump said Iran has "agreed to everything," he threatened the whole country would get "blown up" without a deal soon.

Olly Robbins says he faced ‘constant pressure’ to get Mandelson in post

Sacked civil servant discloses he overturned vetting ruling without knowing full extent of national security concerns

The sacked senior civil servant Oliver Robbins has said he was subject to “constant pressure” when he started working at the Foreign Office to get Peter Mandelson in post as soon as possible.

He said the Cabinet Office urged the Foreign Office to allow Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the US without the usual vetting process but the Foreign Office pushed back and the vetting eventually went ahead.

It’s a nightmare on Downing Street: Starmer has no one left to blame for this Mandelson horror show | Marina Hyde

Olly Robbins’s testimony will have been painful for the PM. The No 10 omnishambles was publicly laid bare – and Keir’s fresh out of scapegoats

‘How dare Olly Robbins not have made me look like a chaotic, unprincipled plonker?” is an interesting defence for a prime minister to go for. But we are where we are. Never mind “this is the future liberals want”: this is the past that Keir Starmer wants. What follows is the alternative branch of history the endlessly victimised PM apparently wishes we’d lived through instead.

In this version, he chooses a career liability to be US ambassador, who is well known to have been big pals with a notorious sex trafficker of underage girls and to have spent years involved in questionable business associations, some with Russian and Chinese firms. He immediately announces the appointment. When that guy is deemed a risk by the famously stringent developed national security vetting process – seriously, who’d-a-thunk-it?! – then Starmer has to go out and tell the public that the wrong ’un isn’t actually going to be his US ambassador after all, for “reasons”. Not to be one of the many people who has to explain how basic politics works to the PM, but after that notional fiasco, we’d have spent a very long time indeed talking about his bad judgment. Just like we are now. It’s almost as if all branches of history lead to a discussion about Keir Starmer’s bad judgment. The only person who doesn’t judge this to be the situation is Keir Starmer, which is another instance of his bad judgment. Monday found him chuntering away at the dispatch box like an arsonist complaining about the price of matches.

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

Raging Florida wildfires strand hundreds of Amtrak passengers

Multiple wildfires in northern Florida have disrupted Amtrak's rail service, impacting at least three train routes, the company says. Some passengers were stranded for more than 30 hours. Cristian Benavides reports.

Bears chase, bite visitors at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are closed after visitors encountered aggressive bears over the weekend.

Brits fled to Dubai for low taxes — now war is making some rethink the deal

The U.K. is seeking to lure British residents back from the UAE as war in the Middle East rattles confidence in Dubai’s safe‑haven image.

Here's what to expect from Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh's Senate hearing Tuesday

In a much-anticipated hearing before the Banking Committee, the former Fed governor will face questioning over a variety of subjects

Amazon 'strong-armed' Levi's, Hanes to hike prices on rival sites, California AG says

Amazon allegedly coerced major vendors into convincing rival retailers like Walmart, Target and Home Depot to raise prices

Kevin Warsh would be the first tech bro Fed chair. How Silicon Valley shaped him

The nominee to lead the Fed is an AI optimist who counts tech titans Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen among his friends.

What really controls our appetite – hunger, stress or habit?

Knowing the difference between hunger and appetite, and understanding the sensory cues behind them, can help us make better decisions about what we eat

Imagine you’re in a meeting room when someone brings out the biscuits – a packet of Jammie Dodgers, perhaps, or a nice little plate of custard creams. Maybe you want one and maybe you don’t, but the chances are the people around you are all responding differently: someone will grab a couple straight away, someone else will eat one without seeming to notice, another will barely be aware the biscuits exist, and someone will spend the whole meeting wanting one but not taking it. Our appetites and responses to food vary wildly – but what’s going on behind the scenes to govern them? And has modern food somehow hijacked the process? Grab a biscuit (or don’t) and settle in.

“First, it’s important to distinguish between hunger and appetite,” says Giles Yeo, a professor of molecular neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge and the author of Why Calories Don’t Count. “Hunger is a feeling – it’s what happens in the run-up to you deciding you need to eat something. Appetite is everything that surrounds why we eat – including hunger, fullness and reward, or how you actually feel when you eat. Those three sensations all use completely different parts of the brain, but they all work together.”

Michael review – cliched Jackson biopic is bland, bowdlerised … and bad

Rammed with every music-movie cliche, an almost mute supporting cast and a Michael who only produces endless smiley blandness, this is a frustratingly shallow film

Antoine Fuqua’s demi-biopic of Michael Jackson gives you the chimp, the llama, the giraffe … but not the elephant in the living room. It’s like a 127-minute trailer montage assembling every music-movie cliche you can think of: the producers’ astonishment in the recording studio, the tour bus, the billboard chart ascent, the meeting with the uncool corporate execs in their offices.

The film skates through Jackson’s life from the early days of the Jackson Five, terrorised by belt-wielding dad Joe, to his emergence as a stunningly original, globally adored solo act, culminating in the colossal Wembley Stadium concert in 1988, at which stage he was 30-years-old. And there we leave it, with the baffling surtitle flashed up on screen before the end credits roll: “The story continues”. It certainly does. Does this mean a second, darker movie is in the works? Maybe. Producer Graham King and the Jackson family estate are reportedly considering a “Michael 2”; if this happens, they will have to find a very different film-making style, something other than this bland, slick, corporate hagiography. And there is certainly no clear commitment to anything. All concerned might well think it’s best to exit here, and avoid the controversy, like the stage show MJ: The Musical.

Half Man review – more brave, brutal, blazing TV from the maker of Baby Reindeer

Richard Gadd’s at it again. His unforgiving new drama tackles the damage men do to each other head on, by pulling out his insides and smearing them everywhere. Every man should watch this queasy masterpiece

We have known for some time, I think, that men are not OK. Richard Gadd’s new drama, conceived before his astounding, semi-autobiographical creation Baby Reindeer sent his reputation stratospheric, and now broadcast in the slipstream of that success, is a fiercely intelligent, unforgiving, harrowing attempt to show us how and why.

Half Man begins in the present, with two men circling each other in a dark barn. One, Niall (Jamie Bell), is in full Scottish wedding fig. The other, Ruben (Gadd), is stripped to the waist and has his hands wrapped like a sparring boxer. The fight that is surely about to come does not seem a fair one.

A Shinto spring festival and a stranded whale: photos of the day – Tuesday

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO after 15-year tenure

Tim Cook, who has been with Apple for nearly three decades and has served as the company's CEO for 15 years, will step down in September and stay on as chairman. The tech giant announced Monday who will replace Cook. Jo Ling Kent reports.

2 Southwest planes come within 500 feet of each other in close call

An investigation is underway after two Southwest planes avoided a potential midair collision at Nashville's airport. The FAA says air traffic control instructions put one flight in the path of another. Kris Van Cleave has more.

FBI Director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic over its story on his alleged drinking

FBI Director Kash Patel has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic over an article on his alleged drinking and absences. Sources told the magazine that Patel "has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences." Patel has denied the allegations.

Trump extends U.S. ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan's request

The extension was announced just hours before it was set to expire. The president did not provide details on how long the new ceasefire extension will last.

A typical Social Security strategy could cost you $182,000

Americans "have to change their thinking" about the government benefits program to get the most out of it, one expert says.

‘We feel unsafe in our own homes’: women in Brazil’s favelas learn to fight back amid rising violence

Demand for martial arts classes grows as women face increase in gender-based attacks

In a martial arts studio at the entrance to one of Rio de Janeiro’s beachside favelas, a muay thai instructor teaches a group of young women how to avoid blows, protect their head while falling and break free from an arm grab. “Women are vulnerable,” Ana Paula Lima tells them, “but we don’t have to be helpless.”

Sabrina Fortunato, a law student, is one of the 30 women who turned up for this free self-defence class on a Saturday, organised by the civil rights organisation Instituto de Defesa da População Negra and Rio city hall after a flood of gender-based violence grabbed headlines in Brazil.

How do I get texture and that umami hit without meat? | Kitchen aide

Smoky peppers, spices, soy and oil all help with that fatty, salty, deeply savoury flavour, breadcrumbs and mushrooms add texture

I’ve recently given up eating pork, but I’m struggling to compensate for its umami. How can I recreate the taste and texture in, say, carbonara or my beloved chorizo dishes?
James, by email
For Joe Woodhouse, author of Weeknight Vegetarian, there’s just something about white beans: “Whether cooked from dried, then dropping chopped onion, garlic, sage and thyme into the broth, or just dumping a jar or tin into a pan with fried garlic and sage, the smell that fills the kitchen is like that of sausagemeat,” he says. “It tastes a bit like it, too – or at least the memory of it, bearing in mind I haven’t eaten the stuff for 30 years.”

The quest for that umami savouriness could start with soy sauce, Woodhouse says (“or Slow Sauce’s oat shoyu”), while chef Mike Davies’ first port of call would be Totole’s Chinese mushroom seasoning powder: “It’s super-effective in replacing the richness and fattiness that comes from cooking with any meat, and especially pork,” says the chef-director of the Camberwell Arms, south London. “Honestly, it’s such a cheat-code ingredient.”