The Equal Rights Amendment: A promise unfulfilled

An Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – guaranteeing rights to all Americans regardless of sex – was first proposed to Congress in 1923. More than a century later, the ERA still has not become a formal part of our nation's bedrock of laws.

Extended interview: Feminism then and now

In this web exclusive, correspondent Martha Teichner talked with three generations of women – Ms. Magazine co-founder Letty Cottin Pogrebin and her daughter, New York Times journalist Robin Pogrebin, and granddaughter Maya Klaris – about the Equal Rights Amendment and their views of gender equality from the 1960s to today.

The Equal Rights Amendment: A promise unfulfilled

An Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – guaranteeing rights to all Americans regardless of sex – was first proposed to Congress in 1923. More than a century later, it still has not become a formal part of our nation's bedrock of laws. Correspondent Martha Teichner looks at the long road of the ERA, and talks with three generations of women for whom equal rights under the Constitution remains an unfulfilled goal.

How trains drove American history

The transcontinental railroad changed just about everything in America: transportation, communications, commerce, cities, politics, even our perception of time. Correspondent David Pogue visits Steamtown National Historic Site, in Scranton, Pa., home to Big Boy, the biggest functioning steam train in the world, to learn how trains helped define an expansive America.

This week on "Sunday Morning" (June 28)

Jane Pauley hosts a special program celebrating our nation's semiquincentennial, "These United States - America at 250."

Only in America: The rise of Viet-Cajun cuisine

Chef Trong Nguyen came from Vietnam as a teenager in the 1980s, and discovered that the clean bright flavors of Vietnamese food he grew up with paired perfectly with, of all things, the earthy, smoky spice of Cajun cuisine. Since then, Nguyen's Houston restaurant, Crawfish & Noodles, has been a leading proponent of Viet-Cajun fusion cuisine. Luke Burbank reports on how the American melting pot has become a cauldron of international flavors.

Governors Island: An oasis in New York Harbor

One of New York City's most unique public spaces is a 172-acre island off the tip of Manhattan. Jane Pauley offers a tour of Governors Island, celebrated for its parks, cultural events, and sweeping harbor views.

Historic Route 66: Americana on the go

Though long bypassed by interstates, the historic "Mother Road," stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, remained a place for drivers to "get their kicks." Today, marking its first 100 years, Route 66 continues to attract travelers searching for an America of yesterday.

Historic Route 66: Americana on the go

Route 66, the "Mother Road" stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, was also a place for drivers to "get their kicks." Though long bypassed by interstates, the historic highway, home of scenic vistas and roadside curiosities, continues to attract travelers searching for an America of yesterday. Correspondent Lee Cowan takes a drive along Route 66, which is now marking its centennial.

The Founding Fathers: Why their radical beliefs continue to shape America

The men who signed the Declaration of Independence were flawed, but what they did in the summer of 1776 changed the world forever – and their fight for equality continues today.

The radicalism of our Founding Fathers

The men who signed the Declaration of Independence were flawed, but what they did in the summer of 1776 changed the world forever. Correspondent Mo Rocca talks with experts about how 18th century colonists such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams defied a king and proposed a government of the people, and how their fight for equality continues today.

Austrian Grand Prix: Formula One – live

️ F1 race day updates from 2pm BST
️ Russell on pole in Spielberg | Mail Philip

And we are off on the formation lap.

The hills are now alive to the sound of jet engines, as we get a fly past.

England v New Zealand: third men’s cricket Test, day four – live

Updates from Trent Bridge, play starts 11am BST
Day three report | Read the Spin | Mail James

39th over: New Zealand 125-3 (Ravindra 62, Mitchell 29) Archer from the Stuart Broad End, he’s up to the mid to high eighties on the speed gun and gets a nasty ball to lift and smash Mitchell on the hand. The batter wrings it out and briefly resembles Ali G as he does so. Mitchell drops into the leg side and gets off strike. Ravindra clips off his hip to make it two singles off the over.

How’s everyone doing out there? England need wickets…

World Cup 2026: England to face DRC, Clarke quits Scotland, South Korea president blasts team – live

⚽ All the latest news from as we reach the knockouts
⚽ Player guide | Power rankings | Golden Boot | Mail us

England reaction from our writers in New York/New Jersey.

Bellingham can be dismissed a little by some as a player of moments. Is that bad? Moments win games. Bellingham is 22 and still finding his final form. He promises to do these things, walks and talks like he might do them. But then he also does them, which seems important. With England paddling here, he had the will and the craft to take out the spoons and rattle something off on his knee just when they needed it most.

Poll: America at 250 and some of what Americans think is best about U.S.

Americans weighed in on what's best about the U.S., its greatest invention, most representative food and more in latest CBS News poll.

Donald Trump threatens to annihilate Iran after crossfire over Hormuz – Middle East crisis live

Iran attacked Bahrain and Kuwait after US strikes, and threatened a ‘complete halt’ to talks

• US and Iran trade strikes as both sides accuse the other of endangering ceasefire

New Israeli strikes have been reported in Lebanon, only two days after a US-brokered agreement was signed between Israel, Lebanon and the US – according to CNN.

The deal was designed to work towards an end to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Included in the deal is plans to disarm Hezbollah.

Trump again threatens Iran with annihilation as Kuwait and Bahrain report attacks

Iran says it targeted U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain following U.S. strikes on targets in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

I’ve always hated houseflies – but maybe I misjudged the little sods

Yes, they’re filthy and annoying. But they’re also far smarter and more interesting than you’d think if you just watched one throwing itself against a window pane

I consider myself a broadly live-and-let-live sort. I don’t eat animals and treat my garden as a habitat for wildlife, including greenfly, blackfly and the slugs eating all my strawberries. I love bees and tolerate wasps. We’re all just trying to survive; I get it. But here are some things I have said recently (minus the expletives that made up the majority of each sentence) to houseflies: “You’ll be dead soon, because I’m going to murder you”; “Get out – I hate you”; “If you don’t leave, I’ll kill you”; “Shut UP”; “That’s it – you’re dead.”

I can’t stand flies. Bloodlust boils in me at the sight and sound of a bluebottle casually vibing in the fruit bowl, buzzing frantically around my office or banging against the window again and again like a dopey drunk. Opening windows in search of a heatwave cross-breeze has brought them buzzing in; they seemingly have no inclination or ability to leave and it’s driving me wild.

Do you need electrolytes? Will tea cool you down? Is it safe to drink beer? How to stay hydrated in a heatwave

The hotter it gets, the faster our bodies lose water. Obviously, we need to replace it – but is anything better than plain H₂O? And does timing matter? Here’s what the science says

Hydration is important. In temperatures like those we’re increasingly seeing in much of the world, sweating can be the only way for our bodies to cool down, and our thirst isn’t always the best indicator of how much water we’ve lost or need. The consequences of not being sufficiently hydrated as temperatures creep towards the 40s can be severe, and can kick in much faster than most people realise. The good news is that remembering to drink plenty of water at regular intervals throughout the day will be enough for most people to avoid the worst. But if you’d like to understand why dehydration is so dangerous, whether you really need extra electrolytes, or if a cup of tea really can cool you down, read on.

To start with, it’s helpful to understand that our bodies are producing heat – and therefore losing water – all the time. “All the cells in our body are constantly using fuel for energy for various different processes, whether that’s movement or just staying alive,” says Dr Lewis James, a lecturer in sport, exercise and health sciences at Loughborough University. “About 75 to 80% of the energy that we use appears as heat.” If we didn’t have any way of dissipating this heat, then even lying on the couch would see your body temperature rise about 1.3C in a single hour (already enough to make you noticeably feverish) – but of course, we do. Normally, we lose a decent amount of heat through a combination of convection and radiation: the blood vessels in our skin dilate, allowing the blood to be cooled by the outside air. The problem is that when the external temperature goes up, this process becomes less effective and eventually stops working altogether. At this point, our main way of losing heat is through sweating: our bodies produce tiny droplets of warm water mixed with trace minerals, which (usually) evaporate on contact with the air, drawing heat away from the skin in the process. And as we rely more on sweating, it’s increasingly important to replace the fluids our bodies are losing.

French skydiving plane crashes near Nancy, reportedly killing all 11 onboard

Five pairs of students and instructors dead along with pilot after plane fell suddenly near aerodrome, says prefect

A skydiving plane has crashed in north-eastern France, killing all 11 people onboard, according to the region’s prefect.

The parachuting-school plane crashed near Nancy at 11am, said Yves Séguy, the prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle region.

A melon-eating contest and a naked bike ride: photos of the weekend

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

How to make the perfect chicken souvlaki – recipe | Felicity Cloake's How to make the perfect …

Interpretations of Greece’s most popular street food abound, but whose version of these smoky, juicy skewers is the best?

I’m aware that, fittingly, I’m dancing across hot coals by tackling souvlaki: in her book Taverna, Georgina Hayden devotes an entire page to the subtle differences between Greek and Cypriot barbecued meat kebabs (souvla, souvlaki, kalamaki, kontosouvli … the list goes on), yet, as Carolina Doriti observes in her beginner’s guide, “the beauty of souvlaki, Greece’s most popular street food, is its simplicity”. Though I’d steer you elsewhere for a more definitive explanation of what qualifies in different places, the name comes from the word souvla, or “skewer”; souvlaki is the diminutive, and it’s usually cooked on small skewers rather than on a big spit. That’s all you need to know, because – although what’s on there, how it’s seasoned and what accompanies it changes according to region and season – the ancient pleasure of smoky, juicy, grilled meat (as featured in the Iliad!) or indeed vegetables, remains the same wherever you go.

Seniors in Medicare are about to get landmark obesity drug coverage — but many may not know it yet

Many seniors may be unaware of the landmark coverage shift starting on July 1, with limited advertising seen from the government or Eli Lilly and Novo.

Temperature records tumble across Europe as heatwave moves east

More than 191m people in Europe face temperatures over 35C, with extreme heat warnings from Germany to Hungary

• ‘A sad inevitability’: after decades of climate warnings, why is Europe so unprepared for rising heat?

Poland, Czechia and Slovakia are braced for record temperatures of over 40C as a heatwave linked to hundreds of deaths in western Europe spreads east.

More than 191 million people in Europe faced temperatures of at least 35C on Sunday, with extreme heat warnings in Germany, Czechia, Poland and Hungary.

3 firefighters killed, 2 injured fighting wildfires near Colorado-Utah border

The U.S. Wildland Fire Service said the firefighters had been part of an interagency response to the Knowles and Gore fires near the Colorado-Utah border.

World Cup glory could all come down to penalties. What’s the best strategy?

As the knockout stages begin, penalties are inevitable. What do the stats say about the best ways to take them?

The 2022 World Cup final was a nail-biting affair, decided by a penalty shootout after Argentina and France were evenly matched with three goals apiece. Argentina subsequently won 4-2 on penalties, taking the title.

Even outside penalty shootouts, a single spot kick can easily decide the outcome of a game at a World Cup, making any advantage in taking a penalty crucial. So what can we learn about the best strategy for penalty kicks from statistics and research?

World Cup 2026 colour chart: fans of all 48 teams join the party – in pictures

As the World Cup enters the knockout rounds, we take a look at the creativity and emotion that fans of all 48 teams showed in the group stage

The 2026 World Cup has set a new all-time attendance record for the men’s tournament, surpassing the previous record of 3,587,538 set during the 1994 World Cup – and the group stages have only just ended.

As ever, fans have brought colour and fun to the tournament – from Mexico’s duck mascot to Norway’s Viking rowers, with plenty more in between. Here are a selection of our favourite images of fans at the matches and at watch parties across the globe.

‘British food will disappear’: trade deal after Brexit is hitting UK farmers hard

Home-grown food may become a niche product for wealthy in our supermarkets as British farmers’ incomes plummet

For Liz Webster, who farms 647 hectares (1600 acres) in Wiltshire, south west England, the latest impact of Brexit has been particularly brutal. About £400 per animal has been wiped off the price she can get for her beef cattle, a hefty blow at a time when all the inputs – feed, energy, fertiliser – are going through the roof.

The fall in price, on livestock that typically fetch £2,000 to £3,000 per animal, is the result of a flood of cheaper meat arriving from Australia, the result of one of the new trade deals the government has signed since the UK left the European Union. Prices for beef in the supermarkets have remained broadly the same, but farmers have seen their income plummet.

Home is where the art is: the rise of the epic domestic novel

Writing about home life doesn’t have to be humdrum argues the author of Natural Disaster – just look at world-spanning, taboo-shattering works such as Ducks, Newburyport and All Fours

‘There’s no place like home,” Dorothy declares at the end of The Wizard of Oz, as she departs the dazzling Emerald City for Aunt Em’s Kansas farmhouse. It’s a powerful metaphor for the way the domestic sphere is often portrayed in art: action, adventure and drama happen “out there” in glorious Technicolor, with the home rendered by contrast in sober sepia tones. Home may be the place we ultimately yearn for, but only once we have left it behind.

While working on my second novel, Natural Disaster, I was periodically plagued by the potential pitfalls of putting domestic life front and centre. The story takes place over 24 hours, following a woman who plans to spend her final day of maternity leave having a nice time with her two small boys (spoiler: it doesn’t go to plan).

These church members disagree on politics. Together they're wiping out medical debt

Trinity Moravian Church, a politically diverse congregation in Winston-Salem, N. C., has been raising money to retire medical debt in the surrounding community.

250 essential American songs to mark nation's birthday

What are the essential American songs? Ahead of the nation's 250th birthday, we asked that question to Sunday Morning's familiar faces, from performers to artists and writers to community leaders.

Letlow wins Louisiana GOP Senate runoff, AP projects

Rep. Julia Letlow was endorsed by President Trump in the state's Republican Senate runoff to replace Sen. Bill Cassidy, who did not receive enough votes in the primary to advance.

Anti-ICE organizers shift focus to defend democracy from Trump assault

Citizens in Minnesota using lessons learned from migrant crackdown to protect elections from president’s threats

When thousands of immigration agents flooded Minnesota earlier this year, a loose network of neighbors sprang into action. They fed each other. They got kids to and from school safely. They tracked the surge that tore through their communities.

After organizing, block by block, to monitor Donald Trump’s extraordinary crackdown on their state, the same neighbors are shifting their focus to a different threat. What if the US president tries to steal an election?

This is how we do it: ‘I expected to be a little old spinster, but kinky sex broadened my horizons’

Graham and Josephine were friends for years, but after their spouses died they discovered a mutual attraction – and a fondness for adventurous sex

• How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously

Our sexual preferences cover everything from vanilla to being tied up and spanked

July 4th fireworks in Washington: What's different for America's 250th?

This year's fireworks display in Washington, D.C., is scheduled toWhat to know about the massive July 4 firework show for America's 250th

Venezuelan earthquakes test Trump’s new western hemisphere policy after gutting of USAID

Marco Rubio is scrambling to provide effective disaster response to country whose president US deposed in January

This week’s dual earthquakes in Venezuela are a test for the new era of American power in the western hemisphere, as the Trump administration scrambles to provide an effective disaster response mission to a country that it now calls an ally in Latin America, after a US special forces raid in January deposed the country’s strongman leader, Nicolás Maduro.

The US is marshalling what secretary of state Marco Rubio called a “big, fast, effective” and “whole-of-government” response as the state department sent three specialised urban search and rescue teams and pledged a $150m assistance fund that one former disaster relief expert called the largest he had seen within 24 hours of an incident.

Prince Harry and family’s UK visit ‘pulled from under their feet at 11th hour’

Duke reportedly fears his children will not get to meet king after government declines request for police protection

The Duke of Sussex fears his children will not meet King Charles in the coming days after their UK visit was “pulled out from under their feet at the 11th hour”.

Prince Harry and Meghan were planning their first trip to Britain as a family in four years for events related to the Invictus Games, due to be held in Birmingham in July.

I’m a psychiatrist who was terrified of horror films – until I learned about ‘cinematic neurosis’

Why do scary movies thrill some viewers and send others running for the hills? Our writer gets to the bottom of his fear of the genre – with the assistance of Freud, clinical researchers and his six-year-old self

I am six years old, and I am watching a man turn into a werewolf. The film is Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, a 1948 comedy. I am staring up at our black-and-white TV fixated on the werewolf transformation unfolding in slow motion and I begin to scream so inconsolably that my parents must carry me upstairs to calm me down.

That night was the beginning of my lifelong fear of horror films and of the supernatural, of darkness and of being alone in a house.

Stir-fry, soup, smoothies and even cake: 17 delicious ways with lettuce – that aren’t salad

Forget vinaigrette: if you really want to make the most of these leaves, apply some heat, herbs or double cream and bacon

When wild lettuce plants were first domesticated in the Caucasus 6,000 years ago, the crop was the seed, which could be pressed into oil. As cultivated plants migrated west through Egypt into Europe, the Greeks and Romans transformed them into salad leaves.

There are now hundreds of commercially grown varieties of lettuce, available all year round. But if you do grow them, you’ll probably be in the midst of your annual glut right now. And while lettuce is not difficult to give away – nobody hates it – in my experience it doesn’t make for a very exciting present.

Will the new student loan limits actually drive down tuition? Economists weigh in

The idea that there's a connection between federal student loans and what colleges charge dates back almost four decades. But it's unclear that link can lead to lower costs.

Food defined social hierarchy in 1776. Here's what was on the table

Around the time the United States was founded, Americans' diets included Parmesan ice cream and terrapin. But what you ate depended on your social status.

'If you are alive, make any noise': Venezuela searches rubble on day 4

Rescue teams are racing against time after twin earthquakes killed more than 1,400 people and left tens of thousands unaccounted for.

World Cup 2026 power rankings: France still kings but who has climbed 26 places?

From Algeria to Uzbekistan, we assess the standing of the 48 nations after the group stage of the tournament

It took a little over an hour for Kylian Mbappé to find his groove. Irked by a poor refereeing decision, he scored twice in France’s opener against Senegal. Ably supported by a stunning cast, Mbappé will already have his sights on winning the competition. Michael Olise has shown his class throughout, while Ousmane Dembélé dazzled with a hat-trick against Norway. We’ll see if anyone can stop Didier Deschamps’ team.

Paul Hogan has reportedly called Pauline Hanson a ‘pelican’. Please explain?

Crocodile Dundee was held up by the One Nation leader as an exemplar of ‘Australian monoculture’. Hoges had other ideas

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In one swift rhetorical blow, Crocodile Dundee has disarmed Pauline Hanson’s latest attack on multiculturalism.

But his weapon of choice has left some scratching their heads.

Germany trapped between past and future with team lost in identity malaise | Jonathan Liew

The ghosts of 2014 and Jürgen Klopp dominate the debate, leaving Julian Nagelsmann’s side caught between two eras

“No, please, stop with this nonsense,” snapped Julian Nagelsmann. Germany had just lost 2-1 to Ecuador in their final group game and the television interviewer was suggesting that with Germany already qualified, perhaps the Ecuadoreans had simply wanted it more. “They didn’t want it more,” Nagelsmann bristled. “I cannot tell any of my players that they didn’t give it their all. That’s far too simplistic.”

If that was the line, then fair enough. Albeit, a line Nagelsmann may have wanted to run past his players before they did their post-match media duties. “The difference today was that the opponent wanted to win more than us,” said Joshua Kimmich. “I had the feeling they wanted it more than us,” said the substitute Deniz Undav.

The hill I will die on: Forget potholes – the true indicator of societal decline is the ropey shoelace | Coco Khan

They have one job, the clue’s right there in their name – but I’ve noticed that ‘optimised’ shoelaces on pricey trainers are anything but

If political coverage has you never wanting to hear the word “pothole” again, let me spice things up with an entirely new symbol of decline – one even more everyday, more easily fixed (and therefore even more damning). Potholes 2.0: ladies and gentlemen, I give you the shoelace, and how they do not stay tied any more.

If you’re wondering what my evidence is, I say: evidence schmevidence. Like most political grievances (PC gone mad! Migrants stealing our jobs!) it doesn’t need to be true, only to feel true. And a quick search online suggests I am not the only one who feels like shoelaces – which, let’s be clear, have one job! – are rubbish now. Reddit, Quora, Facebook: the shoelace‑curious are everywhere, with some even turning to the science of the knot itself. (Apparently common ways to tie shoelaces are versions of “the granny knot”, which physicists say is “destined to fail” – much like we are if we keep putting our physicists on jobs like this.)

Coco Khan is a freelance writer and co-host of the politics podcast Pod Save the UK

Onto the knockout round: 4 takeaways from the FIFA World Cup so far

The anxieties before the World Cup were many. But with the knockout round set to begin Sunday, it's fair to say: The North American World Cup has been a thrill.

Did a father use his 6-year-old son as an alibi for murder?

Reginald Reed Sr. said he was playing video games with his son, Reginald "Reggie" Reed Jr., when his wife, Selonia Reed, was killed. But detectives doubt his story.

‘Hearty fare, red gingham tablecloths and chalkboard menus’: my search for the perfect bouchon in Lyon

These traditional restaurants are the culinary backbone of this gastronomic capital, but finding the real deal means tackling offal – and red wine – for breakfast

I first went to a bouchon as a 20-year-old Erasmus student. I’d accidentally ended up spending a semester of my year abroad in the Auvergne countryside, which meant every weekend I’d thumb a ride to the nearest big city – Lyon. I didn’t know much about Lyon, except that it was famous for its food – in particular the hearty fare served up at these traditional restaurants with their red gingham tablecloths and chalkboard menus. So when I found myself eating stringy, overpriced beef muscle that cost more than my night at a hostel, I wondered what the hype was about.

But after nearly five years living in the city, I’ve now learned how to avoid the tourist traps (which largely line Vieux Lyon between souvenir shops selling fridge magnets and sweet shops). Historically, most bouchons weren’t in Lyon’s old town anyway, writes Yves Rouèche in Histoire(s) De La Gastronomie Lyonnaise, but in the neighbourhoods of Vaise, Croix-Rousse and La Guillotière, the gateways to the city in the Renaissance period where merchants and travellers stopped for the night.

Will Andy Burnham ‘go big’ in expanding the role of the state?

In the first of a series on nationalisation, we look at the critical tests ahead for the PM-in-waiting, from choosing a chancellor to the future of Thames Water

As he swept towards victory in the Makerfield byelection, Andy Burnham told voters he wanted to see “the essentials of life being run primarily for the public interest, not for the private interests”.

Citing the Bee Network of buses and trams across Manchester city region, brought together on his watch, Burnham repeatedly highlighted the need for more “public control” over the necessities of life. Water, energy, transport and housing are at the top of his list.

Venezuela earthquakes: death toll rises again to more than 1,400

Search for survivors continues with nearly 70,000 people reported unaccounted for by their family members

The ⁠death toll ⁠in ⁠the twin ​earthquakes that struck ⁠Venezuela earlier ⁠this ​week ‌has ‌risen to ‌1,430, according to one of the country’s top politicians, Jorge Rodríguez.

Another 3,200 ​people were injured ⁠and 3,100 ​left homeless ​by the ​disaster, ​the National Assembly president added, speaking ​on ​state television.

Jaron Ennis survives scare to stop Xander Zayas and unify 154lb titles in instant classic

• Ennis stops Zayas in seventh to unify 154lb titles

• Boots survives toughest test to stay unbeaten

• ‘I loved it’: Ennis says hostile crowd fueled win

Jaron “Boots” Ennis navigated the deepest waters of his professional career before stopping Xander Zayas on Saturday night in a wildly entertaining scrap to capture the WBA and WBO super-welterweight titles and become a two-division world champion.

The unbeaten Ennis knocked Zayas down three times and fought through a heart-stopping third-round crisis before referee Harvey Dock halted the bout at 1:49 of the seventh round in front of an announced sellout crowd at Barclays Center, giving the Philadelphia native the signature victory that had eluded him despite years of being regarded as one of boxing’s brightest talents.

I wish my son wanted to spend more time with me | Ask Annalisa Barbieri

You say you don’t put him under pressure, but he seems to feel it. Could you be overcompensating for your initial reluctance to have children?

My husband and I have one son, in his late 20s. We’ve always been devoted to him, keep in touch on a weekly basis and see him about once a month (he has a busy job and has recently started a new relationship, which seems to be making him very happy).

I never really wanted children, possibly due to my traumatic childhood: an absent, mentally ill father; and a single, emotionally imbalanced mother who made me the centre of her life. When my husband talked about having children, I gave it careful consideration and decided in the end to give it a go. Once our son was born, I embraced motherhood fully. We both adore him.

Reform UK makes dramatic first impression in Senedd opposition role

With more than a third of Welsh parliament seats, Reform MSs have caused tears and walkouts – and voted against their own party

Tears, walkouts, own-goal votes: the Welsh parliament has only been sitting for a few weeks, but Reform UK has already made a dramatic first impression in its new role as the official Senedd opposition.

Plaid Cymru won May’s historic Welsh elections, ending 100 years of Labour dominance and blocking the momentum of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which came second. He had aimed to become Wales’s biggest party but Reform still performed better than any Welsh Conservative result on record, and increased its vote share from 1% in 2021 to 29% in 2026.

Still blazing after all these years: Mel Brooks at 100

The director of The Producers hits his century as a uniquely beloved entertainer who embodies his conviction that ‘comedy is the opposite of death’

Mel Brooks’ story is that of the US and Jews and American Jewish comedy. He was born on the kitchen table of a tenement in Brooklyn a century ago in the same month Marilyn Monroe made her own entrance on the opposite coast. The son of European immigrants, Brooks was brought up by his mother after his father died when Melvin was just two years old. He was a small, sickly child and the youngest of four brothers, perhaps an explanation for an almost pathological desire for attention. In the words of his colleague Larry Gelbart: “Mel thought when he got slapped in the ass by the doctor who delivered him that was applause, and he has not stopped performing since.”

In his youth, Brooks’ preferred method of making a noise was playing the drums and he was actually taught the instrument by Buddy Rich. Neither could possibly have known at the time that they would both go on to have seismic effects on the two great American artforms: comedy and jazz. That youth, like so many others, was interrupted by Adolf Hitler. The teenage Brooks joined the army and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. If one is looking to understand the artist’s fearlessness or his utter commitment to mocking Nazis for the remainder of his days, those war years provide ample explanation. It may also explain his assertion that “comedy is the opposite of death”.

Will the Mamdani effect make 2028 the year of the leftwing president?

The mayor hopes to ‘write a new chapter in the party’s history’ – and recent democratic socialist wins prove he might be able to do it

In the back yard of a Brooklyn bar, beneath strung-up lightbulbs and swaths of fabric that swooped like great sails, an ecstatic crowd greeted Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayor, and his victorious ally, Brad Lander. These Democrats also had a withering verdict on their own party establishment.

“To me, centrists can go fuck themselves,” said Léa Zimmerman, 34. “They’re fucking useless, they don’t stand for anything, and if they do stand on something, it’s pathetic. I’m done with pathetic, performative people.”

The 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule and how to watch

With 104 World Cup games being played in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, it's like "a Super Bowl every single day for five weeks," U.S. team captain Tim Ream told CBS News.

I was a whinger, a cynic, a misanthrope. Then I saw Harry Styles live – and I will never be the same again

I knew my 11-year-old son would love an evening at Wembley with his favourite star. But nothing prepared me for what it would mean to me

The answers to some little questions are hugely revealing. We pass it off as small talk, but asking about somebody’s first anything often reveals all you need to know about who they are today and why. If only I’d understood the implications of buying Wig Wam Bam by Black Lace as my debut music purchase – had known it would shape so many future interactions and realised how ridiculous you feel simply saying those words, even to those too young or cool to be familiar with the full sonic horror.

So, to halt generational trauma, when the opportunity came to supply my son with the dream reply to “What was your first concert?” I took him to Harry Styles at Wembley during a thermometer-shattering heatwave.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Detective believes 6-year-old's mother was killed in next room while he slept

For most of his life, Reggie Reed has wondered who murdered his mother Selonia Reed decades ago in Hammond, Louisiana. A fresh look at the evidence ultimately implicated the man he called his "rock" — Reginald Reed Sr., the man who lovingly raised him.

Utah declares emergency, limits fireworks as crews battle largest U.S. wildfire

Utah is restricting fireworks as the largest wildfire in the nation grows, fueled by dry conditions and gusting winds.

New Caledonia polls open in first local vote in the French territory since 2019

Election will determine balance of power in New Caledonia before fresh negotiations with France on the territory’s status

Polls opened in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia on Sunday for the archipelago’s first provincial elections since 2019, after the vote was delayed as talks stalled over its political future.

The election, initially planned for 2024, will determine the balance of power in New Caledonia ahead of fresh negotiations with France on the territory’s status, with independence remaining the defining political issue.

‘We will step up’: Thomas Tuchel feels England will thrive in World Cup knockouts

• ‘The bigger the games get, the bigger we will get,’ he says

• Jarell Quansah hopes to be fit for last 32 after ankle sprain

Thomas Tuchel believes England can only get better after sealing top spot in Group L and has backed his side to “step up” for the knockout stages of the World Cup.

After the goalless draw against Ghana, England struggled to break down Panama and began the second half behind Croatia in the standings. But goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane – whose header made him England’s highest World Cup scorer – secured a 2-0 win and ensured they will travel to Atlanta for a last-32 tie against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday.

Sources say Taylor Swift has rented Madison Square Garden for possible wedding

Sources in City Hall say an application has been filed for an event in and around Madison Square Garden on Friday for 999 people, as speculation about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding grows. Ali Bauman reports.

Rescue workers race against time in Venezuela after earthquakes

Rescuers are in a race against time in Venezuela to save survivors of the earthquakes that hit nearly three days ago. Rescue workers from Virginia and California have arrived to help. Camilo Montoya-Galvez reports.

New volley of strikes between U.S. and Iran

U.S. forces have struck additional targets near the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said. Earlier on Saturday, Iran struck another ship in the strait and took aim at a U.S. ally. Aaron Navarro reports from the White House.

High winds and heat fuel Utah's out-of-control wildfires

Several major wildfires burned across the western U.S. this weekend. Utah declared a state of emergency as scorching heat fueled the flames. Adam Yamaguchi reports and Andrew Kozak has the forecast.

Historian retraces Underground Railroad to mark America's 250-year journey

Anthony Cohen has spent his life bringing attention to the Underground Railroad, secret routes once used by enslaved people seeking freedom.

Retracing and remembering the Underground Railroad route

As the U.S. prepares to mark 250 years since its start, one man is making sure Americans remember and preserve the history of the Underground Railroad. Jericka Duncan has the story.

Video shows Boeing 777 making very low pass over Texas airfield

Data from FlightRadar24 showed the plane was no more than 25 feet above the ground during the low pass as it approached the Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center airport.

Four people have died from flash floods in Kentucky, governor says

Floods caused by thunderstorms that have dumped inches of rain on Kentucky and Indiana, with more possible

Andy Beshear, the Kentucky governor, says four people have died as a result of flash floods from thunderstorms that have brought as much as 7in (18cm) of rain to the state.

Beshear confirmed the four deaths in a social media post, noting three people were from Madison county and one was from Jackson county. “Please join Britainy and me as we pray for their families during this difficult time,” Beshear said.

Fatboy Slim says he felt paralysed at prospect of DJing sober after rehab

Speaking on Desert Island Discs, the Grammy-nominated musician referred to his alcoholism as a parasite

Fatboy Slim has said he felt paralysed and “rigid with fear” at the prospect of DJing sober after spending time in rehab to deal with his alcohol addiction.

The artist, whose real name is Norman Cook, referred to his alcoholism as a parasite and said getting sober was “probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done” during an appearance on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs with Lauren Laverne.

U.S. military attacks Iranian targets after commercial tanker hit in the Strait of Hormuz

The attacks come as the United States and Iran are supposed to be engaging in a 60-day ceasefire as they attempt to work toward a resolution.

6/27: CBS Weekend News

High winds and heat are fueling Utah's out-of-control wildfires; Iranian drones target Bahrain after U.S. strikes Iran.

Trump nominates former Oklahoma state trooper to head ICE

President Trump nominated Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, to direct Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency hasn't had a Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration.

Trump nominates former Oklahoma trooper Lance Schroyer to be ICE director

President Trump on Saturday said he has nominated Lance Schroyer to be the next director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Chelsea interested in Granit Xhaka to reunite midfielder with Xabi Alonso

• Sunderland want to keep former Leverkusen player

• Como have eye on Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah

Chelsea are interested in signing Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka, who was a key player for Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen.

Xhaka, who has two years on his deal, joined Sunderland last summer and played a major role in them qualifying for the Europa League after their promotion to the Premier League.

The moment I knew: After witnessing trauma at a refugee detention centre, we held each other and cried

First Liza Shaw and Rohan were housemates, then they had a casual relationship. But a protest at Woomera would deepen their emotional connection

• Find more stories from the moment I knew series

I met Rohan in 1998 in Lismore, New South Wales, where we were both going to university. Before that, I’d noticed him around town in his sarong and peacock feather earrings. He was distinctive and slightly dandyish, sometimes wearing dresses on campus. I had another partner at the time but our mutual friend introduced us, and Rohan and I became housemates.

We bonded living together and hosting dinner parties, where we’d talk about life and politics well into the night. I was intrigued by his friends. One time Rohan invited a member of the Black Panthers to come and stay at our house.

‘Really good flatmate’: what happens when the love is gone but it costs too much to move out?

The cost of living is putting pressure on relationships – and preventing some couples from properly splitting up

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The separate sleeping arrangement started seven years before the marriage finished. When Mary-Ann’s* hot flushes turned the bed into a furnace, her husband, Bill, moved into another bedroom. For the next two years there was some travel between the bedrooms for the purposes of intimacy. Then that stopped too.

The distance grew after each argument; they took separate holidays and, when Bill inherited money, he separated it from their pooled finances. Mary-Ann says it was clear Bill’s mind was no longer in the marriage – he was what is termed “quiet quitting”. But she acknowledges she was drifting away too, focused on a demanding new job.

Critical fire weather complicates firefighting efforts in massive Utah wildfire

Firefighters working on the nation's largest current wildfire, burning in southern Utah, are being challenged by historic weather conditions. Extreme wildfire behavior is expected to continue through the weekend.

Utah’s Cottonwood fire spreads overnight to cover 92,000 acres

Firefighters are battling the blaze in Fishlake national park that was stoked by strong winds and low humidity

Hundreds of firefighters in Utah have struggled to suppress a wildfire that scorched an additional 20,000 acres (8,000 hectares) as of Saturday, as low humidity and strong winds accelerated the fire spread, according to state officials.

The Cottonwood fire erupted on Monday in the Fishlake national forest, located in central Utah. The blaze intensified overnight, growing from about 70,000 acres (28,000 hectares) to more than 92,000 acres (37,000 hectares) on Saturday morning, according to the US Forest Service. The fire is at a 0% containment level and is the largest blaze currently burning in the US, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

UK minister working up plans for state-owned housing developer

Exclusive: Steve Reed is looking at government run scheme that could borrow at lower rates than private developers

The housing secretary has been working up plans for a state-owned housing developer, according to details leaked to the Guardian, as the government looks for ways to stimulate stubbornly low rates of housebuilding.

Steve Reed has been looking at proposals to set up a new state-owned developer which could borrow at lower rates than private developers and housing associations, according to plans leaked to the Guardian.

‘Inspirational and epic’: Djokovic inspired by Serena Williams as he targets Wimbledon history

• ‘I always admired her career, her journey, her story’

• Fellow seven-time singles champion making return

As a seven-time champion, Novak Djokovic is never going to be lacking in motivation when it comes to Wimbledon. But as he continued his preparations for this year’s event, the 39-year-old said the return of 44-year-old Serena Williams has put an extra spring in his step.

“What she’s doing is inspirational and it’s epic,” said Djokovic, who will join Roger Federer on eight titles if he wins this year. “That’s what I told her. I always admired her career, her journey, her story. Of course, Venus, as well.

The AI bubble has further to run despite the looming crash

As tech firms make huge profits and investors fear losing out, both are doing their best to hold off the day of reckoning

• OpenAI staggers AI model release after White House request

Every couple of decades, investors will ask themselves how long can the stock market keep climbing. Is it safe to buy more shares? Is their pension or equity portfolio vulnerable should financial markets, and especially those in the US, come crashing down to earth?

When stock markets rise to historically high levels – and beyond the level when normal profits can sustain share prices – a few “experts” typically warn of an impending crash.

U.S. strikes Iran after Trump accuses Tehran of ceasefire violation in Strait of Hormuz

The attack comes as the United States and Iran are supposed to be engaging in a 60-period of no hostilities as they hold talks to end their war.

Appeals court rejects Trump EPA bid to abandon rule restricting deadly soot pollution

Decision leaves in place Biden-era standard on pollution from coal-fired plants, factories and other industrial sources

A federal appeals court on Friday rejected the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to abandon a Biden-era rule that sets tough standards for deadly soot pollution.

The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel is a setback for the Trump administration’s deregulatory agenda and its repeated efforts to boost coal, a reliable but polluting energy source.

‘Like a dead body’: after warehouse fire, LA residents say air thick with smell of rotting food

Cleanup under way after week-long fire at a Boyle Heights facility spoiled tens of millions of pounds of frozen food

Something is rotten in the neighborhood of Boyle Heights.

For a week, thick black smoke filled the air while a massive warehouse burned near downtown Los Angeles, prompting a state of emergency and evacuation orders in the immediate area as air quality worsened. Firefighters finally extinguished the flames on Wednesday, but not before half the warehouse’s 85m lbs of frozen food were lost in the fire – leaving roughly 40m lbs of food to rot.

Uzbekistan makes its World Cup debut, a first for Central Asia

The country is the first Central Asian nation to qualify for the World Cup, and Uzbek fans have reveled in showcasing their country and culture. The country's president calls the team a symbol of the "new Uzbekistan."

Red Lobster's Ultimate Endless Shrimp promotion is described as a 'car crash' for the company, lawsuit says

"Thai Union doubled down on a campaign to squeeze out every drop of value that it could," creditors said

The memory shortage shaking Apple and Microsoft is 'existential crisis' for smaller players

While Apple and Microsoft raise prices on key devices to help cover the soaring costs of memory, smaller consumer electronics companies are in dire straits.

‘I’m missing out’: the cash-strapped UK university students forced to live at home

Experts say students from poorer backgrounds increasingly having to limit their options because of money worries

Most days, Mariam spends hours simply waiting.

The 19-year-old University College London student often finishes her lectures by mid-morning but has careers events or society meetings in the evening. The three-hour round trip to her family home means travelling back and forth makes little sense, so she waits on campus instead. More often than not, by the time the event starts, she is too exhausted to stay long.

The UFC match plot: how a far-right group tried to assassinate Trump at his own event

Court files show how men connected through TikTok and encrypted apps planned attack on White House UFC fight

When Tycen Proper, 19, finished high school, his family gave him at least $3,000 of “graduation money”, according to court documents. Despite the generosity, he seemed content to just live at his parents’ home, in a tiny Ohio town near Amish country, and spend more and more time on the internet.

But Proper did have ambition of a kind, an affidavit says. He quit his job to focus on a special project that he was planning with friends from the internet. His mother saw him studying maps of Washington DC. He also put his graduation money into investments that made his father uneasy: a rifle, a shotgun, body armor, ammunition.

Opinion: Ranch dressing is a winner at the World Cup games

NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the popularity of ranch dressing among international visitors to the U.S. during the World Cup games.

Police arrived to arrest her father for sexual abuse. But he was making it all up

Mark described abusing his daughter in a chatroom. Then it turned out nothing he had posted was true – and he walked free. With ‘fantasy abuse’ on the rise, can Emily and her mother win their fight to make it illegal?

For the first 20 years of her life, Emily had what she thought was a “completely normal” relationship with her dad, Mark. “He was an ordinary man,” she says. “A good dad. We were really close.” Then one morning, police officers arrived at her family home to arrest him for sexually abusing her. Emily wasn’t there. “I had just moved out to live with friends and start my first proper job,” she explains, “but the police didn’t know that. They were trying to protect me.” Emily is telling this story two years on, with her mum, Fiona, by her side. They are close, supporting each other during this difficult conversation, finishing each other’s sentences.

When Fiona heard the door go at 7am, she had just got up. “I wasn’t even fully dressed,” she says. “It sounds stupid but I had just got on an exercise bike so I was in a T-shirt and pants. I looked out of the bedroom window and saw eight people on the doorstep. They weren’t in uniform but they looked official. They had lanyards on and a dog with them.

David Hencke, Guardian journalist who exposed cash-for-questions scandal, dies aged 79

Former Westminster correspondent earned a reputation for uncovering political wrongdoing in the 1990s

The acclaimed journalist David Hencke, whose career at the Guardian spanned more than three decades, has died of liver cancer aged 79.

As Westminster correspondent, Hencke was instrumental in exposing the cash-for-questions scandal that forced the resignations of two Conservative ministers, and the scoop that led to Peter Mandelson’s first resignation from government.

‘Not puff pieces and kid gloves’: why Bari Weiss is hiring British journalists at CBS News

Editor-in-chief has developed network of UK thinkers she believes reject what she regards as overly ‘woke’ consensus

In the six years since she very publicly resigned from the New York Times, and in her tumultuous eight months as editor-in-chief of one of the US’s most prestigious television networks, Bari Weiss has become renowned as a media disruptor and challenger of what she regards as an overly “woke” journalistic consensus.

As Weiss continues to face bitter internal and external opposition to her leadership of CBS News, she has been turning to figures from UK journalism in her attempts to tackle what she sees as US newsroom “groupthink”.

‘A sad inevitability’: after decades of climate warnings, why is Europe so unprepared for rising heat?

Scorching summer of 2003 triggered first efforts to deal with the problem but heatwaves still have devastating impact

On Wednesday, Pierre Masselot received a text from his daughter’s nursery – less than 50 miles from the weather station that was the first this week to break the UK June temperature record – asking parents to collect children early because the school buildings were about to get worryingly hot.

Similar scenes were repeated across Europe this week as the continent swelters through its most severe and widespread heatwave on record – an oppressive force made hotter by carbon pollution and less bearable by repeated failures to prepare for it. France experienced its hottest day and night on record, while the UK and Switzerland both broke their heat records for a June day.

Young country diary: The house martins are back – I can hear the chicks from my bedroom

Norfolk: My dad said they hadn’t been on this street for 20 years – so where have they been?

Looking out of my bedroom window, I kept seeing movement – something fast and blurry. I went outside with my dad to see what it was. He couldn’t believe it – they were house martins.

He told me that house martins were all around these houses 20 years ago, but then they all left and never came back, and we don’t know why. This is the first summer that they have returned to this street since then, and they were building a nest right next to my bedroom window.

Haunted hooks and bone-chilling screams: how Chanel Beads became the indie breakout of the year

Tipped by Lorde and Billie Eilish, the New York musician twists sublime folk and chaotic synths into bewitching new shapes

At first Shane Lavers can’t get through. Then he’s on video call but I cannot speak. When we finally make a clear connection over the phone, I can hear that he’s surrounded by nature, with faint snatches of birdsong at the edge of his measured, slightly gravelly speech. The musician who performs both in and as Chanel Beads (it remains unclear even to its core members whether they’re a band or a solo project) is on location shooting a music video somewhere on the coast of North Carolina. Encountering him as a disembodied voice, never mind one competing with worldly twittering and chirping, somehow feels more fitting than it would for most other musicians.

For years, Lavers has honed in on a cryptic, panoramic sound that ricochets from catchy, shout-along rock music to flare-ups of dissonant experimental noise. If the typical payoff of a pop song is to encapsulate a clear emotional arch in three-minute, verse-chorus structures, the appeal of a Chanel Beads track is much more unwieldy. Earlier singles such as Ef, Police Scanner and Male Friendship flicker in and out of focus, establishing a ground-floor of groove, only for Lavers and his bandmates to upend it with swelling strings, chiming guitar and ear-splitting samples. Lyrically, his songwriting gathers around an unstable emotional core that is so dense in its unspoken feeling that it manages to achieve an aching kind of orbit. It’s Lavers’s great talent to handle all of that swirling intensity while keeping everything suspended in the air.

I’ve fought for victims’ rights for decades. Sarah Steele’s story has stunned me | Jess Phillips

A US military court denied her so many of the rights we have secured in the UK. I will do all I can to stop this happening again

• Read more from our Base Justice series here

Over decades, battles have been fought to win the rights that victims of domestic, sexual and physical violence can expect in a UK court. Separate entrances organised so victims do not have to face their abusers. The option of video evidence. Giving evidence from behind a screen. Reams of guidance for judges and legal teams about what is and isn’t an appropriate way to handle an accuser. We have rules about what you can ask a victim about their previous sexual history, and about what in their medical history can and cannot be requested.

Many of us who have campaigned on this issue have pretty much dedicated our lives to trying to make the harrowing experience of facing the man who attacked you even slightly more palatable, not just for the sake of vulnerable victims and witnesses, but for the sake of justice. It is not perfect, the system fails regularly, but as someone who decided to proceed in an alleged stalking case, I can say that if going to court had meant I would be testifying for hours on end in full view of the accused, I would have likely pulled out of the case.

Jess Phillips is MP for Birmingham Yardley

Nigel Farage’s anti-WHO campaign moves to US with allies added to board

Relocation of Action on World Health raises questions over why Reform UK leader is involved in a US pressure group

Nigel Farage’s campaign against the World Health Organization (WHO) is moving to the US with a new board of lobbyists, raising questions over why the Reform UK leader is involved in an American pressure group.

The Action on World Health campaign, co-founded by Farage, is relocating to the US state of Delaware as a charitable foundation and grassroots non-profit.