New Eric Swalwell accuser Lonna Drewes says 'he raped me,' will file police report
Eric Swalwell already faced a pending criminal investigation by the Manhattan DA's office over an allegation of sexual assault by another woman.
14th April 2026 19:40Data centers could spur a utility spending spree. Here's the impact.
A majority of investor-owned utilities surveyed by PowerLines said data centers are a top driver of capital spending.
14th April 2026 19:37
The Guardian
Atlético Madrid v Barcelona: Champions League quarter-final, second leg – live
⚽ Champions League latest, 8pm BST kick-off (first leg 2-0)
⚽ Liverpool v PSG – live | Live scoreboard | And email Will
I always feel sorry for the young mascots on Champions League nights. They are living the dream but having to dress like a credit card.
The teams are primed in the ‘tunnel’ which is more spacious than my house.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 19:35Swalwell, Gonzales officially resign from Congress, avoiding expulsion votes
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales officially submitted their resignation letters to the House clerk on Tuesday.
14th April 2026 19:35
The Guardian
England v Spain: Women’s World Cup 2027 qualifying – live
⚽ Updates from the Group A3 qualifier; kick-off 7pm BST
⚽ Moving the Goalposts | Follow on Bluesky | Mail Simon
1 min: And we’re off! Spain get the game started.
Right then, nothing between us and football but a few seconds and a whistle.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 19:34
The Guardian
Liverpool v Paris Saint-Germain: Champions League quarter-final, second leg – live
⚽ Champions League latest, 8pm BST kick-off (first leg 0-2)
⚽ Atlético Madrid v Barcelona – updates | Live scoreboard
When Warren Zaïre-Emery ran the show as a 17-year-old in a 3-0 win against Milan, Thierry Henry said “the sky is the limit” for the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder. His stratospheric rise led him too close to the sun, though, and the crash back down to Earth was a rude one. But he has since dusted himself off.
Liverpool Van Dijk, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones.
Paris Saint-Germain Nuno Mendes, Kvaratskhelia.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 19:34Husband of woman missing in Bahamas: "I won't be able to stop looking"
Brian Hooker, whose wife disappeared during a nighttime boat ride in the Bahamas, said he wants to believe his wife is still alive and plans to go back out to look for her as soon as possible.
14th April 2026 19:27
The Guardian
Woman accuses Calfornia congressman Eric Swalwell of rape – US politics live
Lonna Drewes claims in press conference that former candidate for governor drugged and assaulted her; Swalwell has denied all allegations against him
As both chambers of Congress return to Capitol Hill today, the news of two resignation announcements is not the only thing news occupying lawmakers.
The House still needs to pass a bill to fund several Department of Homeland Security (DHS) subagencies, like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Coast Guard, amid a record-breaking partial government shutdown.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 19:24
NPR Topics: News
Justice Department says Biden DOJ weaponized law to go after anti-abortion activists
The Trump administration has said that enforcement of the FACE Act by the Biden DOJ represents "the prototypical example" of the weaponization of the law against conservatives.
14th April 2026 19:13Justice Dept. report accuses Biden-era DOJ of uneven enforcement of FACE Act law
The report claims the Justice Department under Merrick Garland "violated the rights of Americans" by only applying the law to support those in support of abortion rights, not those who worked at anti-abortion rights facilities.
14th April 2026 18:50
The Guardian
About 250 missing after boat carrying Rohingya refugees capsizes in Andaman Sea
Trawler set off from Bangladesh and reportedly capsized due to heavy winds, rough seas and overcrowding
About 250 people are missing after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals capsized in the Andaman Sea, according to the UN’s refugee and migration agencies.
The agencies said the trawler carrying more than 250 men, women and children reportedly sank due to harsh weather and overcrowding. It had departed from Teknaf in southern Bangladesh and was bound for Malaysia.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 18:31
The Guardian
Iran war escalation could trigger global recession, IMF warns
Growth forecasts cut for US and global economy, while UK suffers sharpest downgrade in G7
A further escalation in the Iran war could trigger a global recession that would affect the UK more than any of the other G7 nations, the International Monetary Fund has warned.
Against an increasingly volatile backdrop, the Washington-based fund said the economic damage from the Middle East conflict was steadily rising as it cut its growth forecasts for 2026 based on the impact of the war so far.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 18:26Republicans threaten ActBlue CEO with contempt of Congress in fraud probe
The chairs of three GOP-led House committees say ActBlue "may have deliberately" withheld some documents from their probe into fraudulent political donations.
14th April 2026 18:15
NPR Topics: News
Law enforcement is trying to combat abusive AI. Experts say easier said than done
An Ohio man was convicted of cybercrimes involving obscene AI-generated images of women and children. But experts warn of the difficulties in going after such cases.
14th April 2026 18:11
The Guardian
Javokhir Sindarov earns world chess title shot with stunning Candidates win
Uzbek grandmaster wins Candidates with round to spare
Sindarov, 20, to face India’s Gukesh for world title in fall
Javokhir Sindarov will challenge for Gukesh Dommaraju’s world chess championship this fall after clinching the Candidates tournament with a game to spare on Tuesday afternoon in Cyprus.
The 20-year-old Uzbek grandmaster closed out an emphatic victory in the 14-game double round-robin with a tame 58-move draw playing with the black pieces against Dutch star Anish Giri, moving to 9½ points and leaving the world No 9 two adrift with one round remaining.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 18:03
The Guardian
Why aren’t Republicans thrilled by the fall in teen pregnancies? | Arwa Mahdawi
In the US, the birth rate for 15- to 19-year-olds dropped 7% last year. But what seems like good news for society has been lamented by some leading Maga figures
Teenagers these days, eh? Instead of having unprotected sex and popping out babies, they’re wasting their time on TikTok, or something. According to a recent report, the teenage birth rate in the US fell by 7% in 2025. While this might seem like a positive development, it has been a cause of dismay among the Maga-adjacent crowd.
Take Fox News, which ran a segment framing the drop in teen pregnancies as alarming. “We still have 3.6 million births a year,” noted the medical analyst Marc Siegel. “But the problem is teens and young adults. From ages 15 to 19, the fertility rate is down 7%, and it’s down 70% over the last two decades, meaning we’re telling people that are young not to have babies, to wait until they’re in a more stable life situation.” I’m sorry, that’s a problem?
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 18:03Fed nominee Warsh filings detail vast wealth, far exceeding past chairs
Kevin Warsh, nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, detailed his holdings in newly released financial disclosures.
14th April 2026 18:02
The Guardian
The Guardian view on three years of war in Sudan: a vast humanitarian crisis persists because the fighting does | Editorial
A devastating ‘war of atrocities’ will continue as long as the United Arab Emirates and others back the belligerents
“Bloody unacceptable.” The UN’s top official in Sudan, Denise Brown, abandoned the language of diplomacy in addressing the failure to tackle a devastating three-year conflict which has been overshadowed by Ukraine, then Gaza, and now Iran. The humanitarian crisis has dominated discussions of Sudan, she argued: “How about focusing on finding a solution to end the war?”
The international conference convened in Berlin on Wednesday is intended to inject a sense of urgency, as the conflict enters its fourth year. Since Sudan’s generals turned upon each other, having overthrown the civilian government, tens if not hundreds of thousands of people have been killed. Four million have fled abroad to other fragile nations, and millions more are displaced internally. More than half the population – approaching 30 million people – are acutely food insecure. Much of the capital, Khartoum, lies in ruins.
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.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 18:02
The Guardian
The Guardian view on defence spending: should the UK’s security rest with Donald Trump? | Editorial
A former Nato chief demands more cash while fixing Britain’s global role. Before billions are spent, ministers must define the purpose of its military
George Robertson’s claims about the prime minister’s “corrosive complacency” over Britain’s safety made headlines. But it is a howl of pain, not a sober security analysis. The former Nato secretary general and author of the government’s strategic defence review (SDR) wants Downing Street to back his view of Britain’s role in the world – as Robin to America’s Batman – with billions of pounds of cash. But his argument takes for granted what should be under scrutiny: Britain’s global military role itself.
Donald Trump’s threats over Greenland, his disregard for international law and his U-turn over the Chagos deal expose the fragility of Britain’s defence assumptions. Before spending billions, those commitments must be re-examined. Lord Robertson’s claim of a £28bn black hole assumes that the current strategy is the correct one. But if that strategy – with its emphasis on global deployment and alliance commitments – is open to question, then the funding gap may reflect overstretch rather than insufficient spending.
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.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 18:02
The Guardian
US-Iran peace talks could resume in next two days, Trump says
US president says negotiations could restart in Islamabad under ‘fantastic’ Pakistani army chief Asim Munir
• Middle East crisis – live updates
Donald Trump has said that US-Iranian peace talks could resume in Islamabad over the next two days, and complimented the work of Pakistan’s army chief as mediator.
The US president was speaking on Tuesday to a New York Post reporter who had gone to Islamabad for the first round of ceasefire talks over the weekend. After an interview discussing prospects for negotiations, the reporter said the president had called her back “with an update”.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 18:01
NPR Topics: News
The Iran war created a global natural gas shortage — a windfall for U.S. companies
With Qatar's liquefied natural gas still offline, U.S. companies see an opening and are bringing in new investments.
14th April 2026 17:5011 races that could determine control of the Senate
The unpopular war with Iran and stubborn affordability issues have given Democrats cause to be more hopeful about their chances of flipping key seats — and maybe even winning control of the Senate.
14th April 2026 17:50
The Guardian
‘A pope who uses his brain’: Vatican locals and visitors take sides in Leo v Trump spat
While some US visitors back their president, shopkeepers who serve the papacy and tourists support the pontiff
On the wall of the back room of an optician’s in Borgo Pio, a neighbourhood in Rome that borders the Vatican, hang the photos of five popes dating back to the late 1970s, charting both the recent history of Catholic church leaders and the shop itself.
As its owner, Walter Colantini, who fitted glasses for one of the pontiffs, gestured towards them, he recalled the diplomatic strain between the Vatican and White House over the 1991 Gulf war.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 17:46More U.S.-Iran peace deal talks are in discussion, White House says
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains at a trickle, despite President Donald Trump proclaiming that a ceasefire with Iran depended on it reopening.
14th April 2026 17:33
The Guardian
Javier Mascherano resigns as Inter Miami manager months after winning MLS Cup
Mascherano coached one full season with Messi in Miami
Inter Miami have been off to a slow start in 2026
Javier Mascherano has stunningly stepped down as Inter Miami’s manager, just months after leading the team to their first MLS title.
In the club’s announcement of the move, Mascherano said he was leaving for “personal reasons,” though later on the announcement specifies that his coaching staff will also depart the club.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 17:19
The Guardian
French woman, 86, held by ICE after moving to US to marry 1950s sweetheart
The family of Marie-Thérèse, from Brittany, fear for her health after she was cuffed and placed in a detention centre
An 86-year-old French woman who moved to the US to marry her 1950s sweetheart is being held in a crowded detention centre in Louisiana after she was arrested by immigration agents and cuffed by her hands and feet.
The family of the woman, named only as Marie-Thérèse, said they feared for her health as French consular officials attempted to secure her release. One of her sons told the Ouest-France newspaper that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had treated his mother like a hardened criminal.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 17:18
NPR Topics: News
Historic decline in U.S. overdose deaths threatened by changing street drug supply
Drug overdose deaths are plummeting in the U.S. in ways never seen before. Experts worry new, toxic "synthetic" street drugs could derail the recovery.
14th April 2026 17:03Appeals court shuts down criminal contempt probe over deportation flights
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg launched a criminal contempt inquiry after he said officials defied an order to turn around flights of Venezuelan migrants bound for El Salvador.
14th April 2026 17:01What a United-American merger would mean, from antitrust hurdles to airfare
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby reportedly floated a potential merger with Trump administration officials earlier this year.
14th April 2026 17:01Fed Chair nominee Warsh is worth well over $100 million, documents show
Warsh's wealth far outstrips that of outgoing Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whose most recent disclosure shows he is worth at least $19.5 million.
14th April 2026 16:53
The Guardian
In a joyful Budapest, I see the chance of an unprecedented transition | Timothy Garton Ash
With the ejection of Trumpian hero Viktor Orbán, Hungarians demanded a restored democracy. Now, Europe must support them
To be in Budapest last Sunday evening was to see history again being made on the Danube. As rapturous crowds gathered on the riverbank opposite the brightly illuminated parliament building, chanting “Ria-ria Hungaria!” and “Hungary-Europe!”, we all knew that the implications of the dramatic election victory for the Tisza party of Péter Magyar go far beyond this one central European country. The result is very good news for Ukraine and the European Union. It’s correspondingly bad news for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the US president, Donald Trump, those twin backers of Viktor Orbán’s regime. The critical question now is whether Hungary can be the first country in the world to emerge from such a far-reaching populist erosion of democracy – the “Orbánisation” Trump is trying to emulate in the US – and whether Europe has the political will and imagination to enable it to succeed.
Already on Friday evening, standing amid a huge crowd of young people at a “system-changer” concert on Heroes’ Square, I felt the energy for change. In the very square where, back in 1989, I watched a fiery young student leader named Viktor Orbán call for the end of the weary old communist regime and for the Russians to go home, I now saw a new generation of Hungarians calling for the end of a weary old regime led by this same Orbán and his Fidesz party. “Filthy Fidesz!” they cried and, yes, “Russians go home!” For everyone knows that today’s Orbán is Putin’s man in Brussels.
Timothy Garton Ash is a historian, political writer and Guardian columnist. His book The Magic Lantern contains an eyewitness account of the young Orbán’s 1989 appearance in Heroes’ Square
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 16:43Chevron executive says Venezuelan crude oil is helping lower prices amid Iran war
Andy Walz, Chevron's president of downstream, midstream and chemicals, told CBS News' Lilia Luciano that the energy giant is bringing in Venezuelan crude oil to help lower costs driven up by the Iran war.
14th April 2026 16:42
The Guardian
BP’s new boss to overhaul structure after retreat from green strategy
Meg O’Neill to return to upstream and downstream divisions after shift away from low carbon push
BP’s new boss has set out plans to reinstate the company structure the fossil fuel supermajor ditched six years ago as part of its failed attempt to reorganise the business to pursue a green agenda.
Meg O’Neill told staff that the 117-year-old company would return to a “simpler, stronger” two-business arrangement including an upstream oil and gas production unit and a downstream business focused on refining and distributing fuels and retail activities.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 16:40
The Guardian
Trump and Iran in battle of the blockades - The Latest
The US blockade of ships using Iranian ports has come into force but several Iran-linked tankers have passed through the strait of Hormuz since it began. The blockade is designed to put pressure on Iran, whose economy is dependent on oil and gas exports. It comes after peace talks between Washington and Tehran at the weekend ended without a deal.
Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 16:30
The Guardian
Jamie Dimon says private credit defaults are not threat to major banks
Recent losses on loans in relatively unregulated sector are not a systemic risk to financial sector, says JP Morgan boss
The boss of JP Morgan, Wall Street’s biggest bank, said a downturn across the $3tn private credit market would not put financial stability at risk, adding that losses would have to be “very large” before the pain rippled out to major banks.
Dimon played down the potential impact that a series of private credit loan defaults would have on the wider financial system, arguing that while there were some areas of of weakness, the unregulated industry did not pose a “systemic” risk.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 16:25
The Guardian
Amazon to buy satellite firm Globalstar for $11.57bn in challenge to Musk’s Starlink
Deal, subject to regulatory approval, would give Bezos firm access to Globalstar’s network of two dozen satellites
Amazon said on Tuesday it would acquire a satellite company in an $11.57bn deal, bolstering its own fledgling space business as it looks to take on Elon Musk-led bigger rival Starlink.
The deal gives Amazon access to Globalstar’s network of two dozen satellites, boosting the tech giant’s ambitions to challenge SpaceX unit Starlink, which currently has about 10,000 units in orbit.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 16:20Bodycam video shows St. Louis police officer shooting teen in back of head
Body camera video shows a St. Louis police officer shoot Emeshyon Wilkins in the back of the head as he fled, contradicting an earlier police statement.
14th April 2026 16:14
The Guardian
Itch! review – skin-crawling body horror meets supermarket standoff in low-budget chiller
A killer itch and a trapped group of strangers make for a tense, if uneven, horror that balances grisly shocks with sketchy character drama
This horror is set in a world where a highly contagious disease causes itching so severe that the scratching proves quickly fatal; finally, a film targeting the under-served eczema community! The body horror elements are realised extremely effectively, with a woman literally tearing at her skin being the most effective set-piece. Alas, the film doesn’t have the scope (on what was clearly a modest budget) to indulge in very many of these. Much of the rest of the runtime is the pressure-cooker conversation that occurs between a motley crew of so-far-uninfected civilians caught out at a department store. While the reason they are trapped is horrific, this makes the film at least as much a character study as it is a horror, with variable results.
Scenarios from classic films which the film-makers may have had in mind include the hard-pressed band of isolated scientists confronting a shape-shifting monster in John Carpenter’s The Thing, the mismatched duo defending a defunct police station under siege in John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13, or even a non-John Carpenter film, Night of the Living Dead, in which survivors hole up in a farmhouse. The key to these types of films is a blend of genre excitement and character dynamics. It would have been great to see more of this from Itch!: on the one hand, a slightly bigger budget for more of the gnarly effects it pulls off so well in some brief scenes, and on the other, a sharper script to serve the human aspect.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 16:12
NPR Topics: News
Veteran diplomat offers insights into the war in Iran — and thoughts on what's next
The war entered a new phase when President Trump began a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace explains what this means.
14th April 2026 16:11CEOs are betting AI will augment work rather than displace all workers
Panelists at the Semafor World Economy conference said artificial intelligence can supplement the work that's already done, improving its quantity and quality.
14th April 2026 16:04
The Guardian
V&A censored catalogues after demands by Chinese printer
Exclusive: Victoria and Albert Museum has deleted maps and images deemed sensitive by Beijing censors from exhibition publications
One of the UK’s leading museums has accepted demands by a Chinese firm that publishes its catalogues to remove images that fall foul of the country’s censorship laws.
The Victoria and Albert Museum has agreed to requests by the Chinese printing company to delete maps and images from at least two recent exhibition catalogues, according to documents released to the Guardian after freedom of information requests.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 16:03
The Guardian
Always in crisis mode? You might be catastrophizing – here’s how to stop
When your boss asks to meet, do you assume you’re about to get fired? Experts explain this common pattern
Your boss asks you for a meeting later in the week; you have never received negative feedback, but you automatically assume you’re about to get fired. Thoughts begin to swirl as you imagine the consequences: soon, you’ll be unemployed and unable to pay your rent.
Or, perhaps, when your partner is a little late coming home, you visualize a terrible accident on the motorway, their car crushed in the pile-up.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 16:00
The Guardian
Jon Stewart on Trump’s Jesus photo denial: ‘Do you even care about lying to us any more?’
Late-night hosts discuss Trump posting an AI-generated image of himself as Christ amid his feud with Pope Leo
Late-night hosts reacted to the breakdown of peace talks between the US and Iran and Donald Trump’s one-sided beef with Pope Leo XIV.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 15:45
The Guardian
Israeli ambassador to Germany condemns Bezalel Smotrich’s tirade against chancellor
Ron Prosor says verbal attack on Friedrich Merz referencing Nazi regime ‘erodes the memory of the Holocaust’
Israel’s envoy to Germany has criticised a far-right Israeli cabinet member who made historically charged accusations against the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, saying the attack “[eroded] the memory of the Holocaust”.
In a rare rebuke of a top Israeli official by an active ambassador, Ron Prosor said he wished to “unequivocally condemn” Bezalel Smotrich’s tirade against Merz, in which he made reference to the Nazi regime and said: “You will not force us into ghettos again.”
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 15:45
The Guardian
Placeholder partners: are you ‘the one’ – or just being used as a stopgap?
The abundance of choice on dating apps has led to some people discovering that romance is dead and they are just Mr or Ms Right Now
Name: Placeholder partner.
Age: As a phrase, new. As a concept, less so. It’s probably become more prevalent with the abundance of dating apps.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 15:40
The Guardian
Carney says it’s Canada’s ‘time to come together’ after Liberals secure majority
Byelection wins and defections push Canada’s Liberals into majority government under the prime minister
Mark Carney has said he will govern with “humility, determination and a clear understanding of what this moment demands” after his Liberals swept three byelections Monday evening, forging a parliamentary majority just more than a year after he took power.
Carney has achieved only the third majority government in two decades – and has done so in a highly unusual fashion, cobbling together both ballot box wins and defections from rival parties.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 15:36Lucid names auto industry outsider as CEO, expands Uber deal
Lucid Group has named former chairman and CEO of Schindler Group, an industrial machinery manufacturer of escalators and elevators, as its new chief executive.
14th April 2026 15:26
The Guardian
Michael Rosen wins Hans Christian Andersen award
The former children’s laureate missed the announcement of the award in Bologna due to post-Brexit passport rule changes
Michael Rosen, the poet and author known for books such as We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Chocolate Cake, has won the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen award for writing in recognition of his lifelong contributions to children’s literature.
The former children’s laureate is the fourth Briton to win the award, following Eleanor Farjeon, Aidan Chambers and David Almond.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 15:24
The Guardian
Mother Mary review – Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel are lost in ludicrous pop star drama
Music from Charli xcx can’t save David Lowery’s dour chamber piece, despite some flashes of dazzling style
For a certain stripe of pop fan, diva worship comes along with having a high tolerance for their unique flavor of psychobabble. So when Anne Hathaway, as the titular singer in David Lowery’s Mother Mary, declares that her new single Spooky Action is about Einstein’s “transubstantiation of feelings”, I ignored the snorts from those in the theater beside me. Finally, I thought, fondly casting my mind back to when Lady Gaga would talk about her music as a reverse Warholian explosion: a pop star who is not afraid to lean into high-concept nonsense. My generosity quickly faded when I began to realize that Mother Mary – the character and the film – was missing a crucial component for any modern pop star worth their salt: self-awareness.
Mother Mary is a one-time music A-lister in search of a comeback after a mysterious event that has taken her out of commission. She seems … haunted, and is experiencing a fashion emergency to boot, unable to find anything to wear for her imminent return to the stage. Three days before she is due to make her big appearance she turns up in the rain at the gothic mansion of fashion designer Sam Anselm (an enjoyably over-the-top Michaela Coel), looking like a rat caught in a monsoon, begging for an outfit that “feels like me”. Sam has moved on considerably since she was Mother Mary’s partner in fashion, and perhaps her lover behind closed doors too. In fact, she entirely loathes the pop star. “You are a carcinogen, you are a tumor,” Sam says in an amusingly ominous voiceover. “The bile is rising.”
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 15:18
The Guardian
‘Cheers, Timmy!’ Royal Ballet and Opera head thanks Chalamet for ‘fantastic’ boost to sales
Actor Timothée Chalamet was credited by RBO’s chief exec with inadvertently boosting ticket sales through his high-profile critique of the art forms
The head of the UK’s Royal Ballet and Opera has thanked Hollywood actor Timothée Chalamet for inadvertently boosting ticket sales and engagement through his high-profile critique of the art forms last month.
While promoting his Oscar-tipped film Marty Supreme in March, the star expressed his relief that he was working in cinema, rather than opera or ballet, “where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this any more.’”
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 15:16
The Guardian
UK’s armed forces are in a sad state – and they have only themselves to blame
The MoD shows little sign of learning from its mistakes – no wonder the Treasury is reluctant to agree to its demands
George Robertson, Tony Blair’s first defence secretary, a former Nato secretary general and an author last year of the latest in a series of evasive strategic defence reviews, accused Keir Starmer on Tuesday of a “corrosive complacency towards defence”. He said the prime minister was not willing to make the “necessary investment”.
Lord Robertson could have directed his fire elsewhere. He must know that no government department has been so complacent in the face of years of devastating evidence of waste, profligate contracts, and policy decisions that have avoided confronting new but increasingly clear security threats to Britain and other western countries.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 15:02
The Guardian
Could AI write this column? In a world of slop-inion, I’m certifying myself human | Peter Lewis
I actually don’t want to make my work easier. We should demand authenticity if we care about the sort of society that comes out the other end of this so-called revolution
I never thought I’d have to write these words but here I am: my name is Peter and I am human.
What seems like a self-evident proclamation needs to be made now because the misuse of AI is transforming considered op-eds such as this into “slop-inion” that is infecting the editorial pages of reputable media outlets.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 15:00
The Guardian
Miracle Mile: boy meets girl, romcom meets nuclear war
This 80s thriller straddles both a charming love affair and the threat of impending apocalypse. Somehow, it all works
Miracle Mile is the result of an 80s romcom getting a severe bout of nuclear fear. It’s a uniquely chilling thriller, combining the disparate elements of screwball romance with a paranoid conspiracy to create a beat-the-clock urgency that defies categorisation and expectations.
Jazz musician Harry (Anthony Edwards) meets and falls in love with Julie (Mare Winningham) while visiting Los Angeles, having spent an idyllic afternoon together. Julie rushes off to work and Harry returns to his hotel, with the pair arranging to meet that night.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 15:00
NPR Topics: News
You can order your own blood work now. Interpreting the results is another story
Firms like Function Health and Oura market regular blood tests to people wanting to take their health into their own hands. The process often raises more questions for patients than it can answer.
14th April 2026 14:58
The Guardian
Earthquake jolts rural Nevada near Carson City causing some damage
Video shot in the town of Fallon showed shattered glass and food scattered on the floor in the aisles of a grocery store
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck a rural part of Nevada east of the state’s capital of Carson City on Monday.
The temblor hit just before 6.30pm, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. It was centered 12.9 miles (21km) east of the town of Silver Springs at a depth of 3.1 miles (5km).
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 14:30
The Guardian
Coachella 2026 highlights: big stars, boisterous energy and millennial nostalgia power windy year
The festival might feel more corporate than ever but enthusiasm remained sky high with Bieber fever, a Demon Hunters surprise and a pop takeover
Even in the best of times, Coachella can be a heavy lift – long drive, perhaps longer lines and, if you do it right, extremely long days of careening between live music sets under the intense desert sun. Every year, North America’s largest music festival generates a round of buzz and scorn in near equal measure for good reason – the sky-high prices, the deluge of cringey social media boasts, the overwhelming vibes of influencer culture. Yet the faithful keep returning (and the agnostics keep tuning in online), forking over a minimum of $649 for a three-day pass or securing a brand deal to witness what continues to be the most expansive and comprehensive music slate in the country, a genuinely exciting mix of up-and-comers gunning for a breakout set and you-had-to-be there moments such as, say, the return of Justin Bieber …
While Bieberchella dominated much of the conversation on the ground this year – his low-key but sufficient Saturday headliner set drew perhaps the biggest crowd in festival history – Coachella 2026 offered plenty of range for those not interested in the comeback of the millennial icon. Coachella may be the one thing in America currently safe from actual inflation – there was no rise in ticket prices this year, though I have to imagine that, like last year, over half of attenders are on payment plans. But the inflation mindset prevails. Following its so-called flop era two years ago, when underwhelming headliner billing led to the slowest ticket sales in over a decade, the festival has returned to conversation-dominating form with a more is more approach: more international artists catering to more potential attenders; more infrastructure (a new underground movie theater, the Bunker, was tailor-made for Radiohead’s Kid A Mnesia audiovisual experience); more investment in an impressive livestream operation, as the festival continues its shift from in-person experience to global event/brand; more surprise DJ bookings – the xx’s Romy! John Summit! – that overflowed the EDM-heavy Do LaB.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 14:18
NPR Topics: News
After losing loved ones, an Israeli and a Palestinian work together for Middle East peace
An Israeli whose parents were killed on Oct. 7, 2023, and a Palestinian whose brother died from injuries in Israeli custody say they've become like brothers. Their new book is The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land.
14th April 2026 14:09
The Guardian
Football Daily | Manchester United are pulling their hair out but rules are rules
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Seeing as the Ifab laws of football decree that hair-pulling is an act of violent conduct that is punishable by a straight red card, Football Daily is somewhat perplexed by the controversy surrounding the dismissal of Lisandro Martínez at Old Trafford on Monday night. Approaching the hour mark of his side’s 2-1 defeat by Leeds, the Argentinian quite clearly yanked Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair, sending the Leeds striker’s man-bunned up tresses cascading over his shoulders by pulling off the scrunchy that was holding them in place without so much as a formal invitation.
Should Spurs be relegated (no question mark, this isn’t The Moral Maze), it will be not only funny, not only a salutary Ozymandias moment – the €uropean $uper £eague, anyone? – but also a perfect opportunity for a club with an undoubtedly great heritage to take stock, give its long-suffering supporters a season of winning, and come back up in better shape than they have been since Mauricio Pochettino left” – Mark Dawson.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 14:08Wholesale prices rose 0.5% in March, much less than expected despite war impact
The producer price index was expected to increase 1.1% in March, according to the Dow Jones consensus estimate.
14th April 2026 14:08Vance says 'the ball is in Iran's court' to move peace talks further, as U.S. blockade takes effect
The U.S. team of Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner made progress with Iran during the Islamabad talks, the vice president said.
14th April 2026 14:07A 'systemic' jet fuel shortage is brewing in Europe — and flights could be hit hard
'We've seen constraints in countries like Vietnam and Thailand on air travel, but this is also spilling over to Europe,' an ING analyst told CNBC.
14th April 2026 14:05
The Guardian
Bosses say AI boosts productivity – workers say they’re drowning in ‘workslop’
Workslop refers to AI-generated work that seems polished but is flawed and in need of heavy corrections
Ken, a copywriter for a large, Miami-based cybersecurity firm, used to enjoy his job. But then the “workslop” started piling up.
Workslop is an unintended consequence of the AI boom. It’s what happens when employees use AI to quickly generate work that seems polished – at least superficially – but is in fact so flawed or inaccurate that it needs to be heavily corrected, cleaned upor even completely redone after it’s passed on to colleagues.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 14:00
The Guardian
‘R&B today is like Brazilian football – the creativity, the skill’: Odeal, the genre’s hottest UK star
After being dropped by his label, the British-Nigerian singer became huge as an independent artist. So why did the Brit awards snub him? Ahead of arena dates, he reflects on his journey so far
“I’m not looking at a crowd tonight,” Odeal says hours before his first ever Brixton Academy performance in late March. “I’m looking at my people; aunties, uncles, friends, peers and supporters.”
Dressed in loungewear and stretched across a leather sofa backstage at the south London venue, the British-Nigerian singer seems calm, as if he’s exactly where he expected to be. The 26-year-old has the type of fame particular to the British R&B scene: adoration and many millions of streams from the genre’s global fanbase, to the point where he’ll soon play arenas across the US in support of R&B megastar Summer Walker – though is yet to have much mainstream recognition beyond that.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 14:00
NPR Topics: News
Fuel protests have Ireland's government facing possible no-confidence vote
The prime minister announced new tax cuts to try to end the crisis that began after the U.S.-Israel war on Iran led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The government could face a no-confidence vote over its response to the fuel protests.
14th April 2026 13:56
The Guardian
Naked puppets! Having sex! Lusty, foul-mouthed musical Avenue Q is back
The taboo-busting, Tony-award-winning show has returned. But how will its 00s attitudes land today? Will they still sing Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist and If You Were Gay?
There are certain problems you might expect when rehearsing a West End musical. Then there are the problems arising today, regarding the flaccidity of a prominent performer. “This one’s too floppy,” protests actor Noah Harrison, who is struggling with the choreography because his dance partner lacks backbone. No offence is taken, mind you: the culprit is made of felt. It’s time to swap out this cloth character for a sturdier one, and there are plenty to choose from. Row upon row of Sesame Street-alike puppets flank the room, each awaiting its moment in the spotlight.
This is Avenue Q, the Broadway-to-London hit, with songs by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, and book by Jeff Whitty, now revived to celebrate 20 years since its West End premiere. When it first launched, its mixture of multicoloured kids TV puppets, real-world problems (sex, racism, the housing crisis, existential drift) and outrageous songs felt truly out of the blue, and secured it Tony awards for best musical, best book and best score. But the young people to whom its story was addressed are now all grown up, and a new generation could benefit from the tale it has to tell.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 13:51
The Guardian
JD Vance defends Trump amid spat with Pope Leo: ‘Stick to matters of morality’
Catholic vice-president effectively tells Leo to stay in his lane after pope criticized the White House over the Iran war
JD Vance has weighed in on Donald Trump’s feud with Pope Leo, effectively telling the pontiff to stay in his lane after the head of the Catholic church criticized the White House over the Iran war.
“It would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what’s going on in the Catholic church and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy,” the vice-president – a Catholic convert himself – said in an interview on Fox News on Monday night.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 13:50Meadows seeks reimbursement from DOJ for legal fees from Trump-related probes
Mark Meadows is asking the Justice Dept. to reimburse him for legal fees he incurred in multiple federal and state investigations of President Trump, sources said.
14th April 2026 13:36
NPR Topics: News
Millions of people are pretending to be AI chatbots — for fun
Websites like youraislopbores.me have become playgrounds for people looking for light relief in a bot-heavy world.
14th April 2026 13:30Investigators explain why they think OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was targeted in recent attack
The suspect who threw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's San Francisco home is now facing multiple charges, including attempted murder. Matt Gutman explains why prosecutors believe Altman became a target.
14th April 2026 13:20
The Guardian
Magazine covers and a Dignity Day march in Caracas: photos of the day – Tuesday
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 13:16
The Guardian
Trump pick to lead Federal Reserve has assets worth over $100m, disclosures indicate
Kevin Warsh, seeking to replace Fed chair Jerome Powell, had to file financial disclosures for Senate approval
Kevin Warsh, the former Federal Reserve governor chosen by Donald Trump to lead the central bank, has submitted financial disclosures that suggest he holds assets worth well over $100m.
The document is required for his nomination to advance through the Senate, beginning with a yet-to-be-scheduled hearing.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 13:13Lululemon under investigation over potential "forever chemicals" in clothing
Lululemon faces a new investigation based on claims its yoga pants and other products may contain toxic chemicals. The Texas attorney general says the probe will look at if the clothing giant uses "forever chemicals" in its products. Lululemon says it stopped using those substances years ago.
14th April 2026 13:05
The Guardian
Iraola to leave Bournemouth at end of season with Premier League rivals on notice
Manager’s future has been talking point for months
Players told of exit after training on Tuesday afternoon
Andoni Iraola has informed Bournemouth he will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season. He is expected to consider his options this summer with several Premier League jobs potentially arising.
The 43-year-old’s departure could also open the door for the Basque to join his boyhood club Athletic Bilbao, but the former Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic is thought to be the frontrunner to succeed Ernesto Valverde.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 13:03
The Guardian
Inside a jubilant DC conference where ‘the climate deniers are in charge now’
Trump’s EPA chief Lee Zeldin’s presence shows how much influence climate deniers now have, experts say
As scientists confirmed that March was the United States’ most abnormally hot month in recorded history, dozens of climate deniers gathered to promote misinformation and tout their newfound influence on federal policy.
At a conference hosted by the prominent science-denying thinktank the Heartland Institute last week, a crowd of mostly middle-aged men in suits claimed the world is finally waking up to the idea that the climate crisis does not exist.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 13:00Severe weather slams Midwest as other storms threaten millions
Severe weather hit the Midwest as tornadoes and large hail hammered parts of 11 states. Around 125 million people could be at risk for more dangerous storms Tuesday. Ian Lee has the latest.
14th April 2026 12:52
The Guardian
Behold, another second coming. But this one is Donald Trump – WAY BETTER than that Jesus guy | Marina Hyde
The Middle East on fire, a spat with the pope – and he posts himself as Potus Almighty. Will his disciples now see that their messiah has feet of clay?
You hear such a lot from Maga Republicans about how liberals think Trump voters are stupid. But not nearly enough about the far more salient point: that Donald Trump thinks Trump voters are stupid. Naturally, nobody deplores his own people as passionately as a populist, but even by those exacting historical standards Trump really does regard his supporters as a honking great throng of halfwits. How else to explain his seemingly retrofitted claim yesterday that the AI picture he posted of himself as Jesus was “me as a doctor”. Er, no. After it incensed leading figures in the Christian right, which makes up a large part of his voter base, the US president later deleted it, lamenting of these idiots that he “didn’t want anybody to be confused. People were confused.” Yeah, people are stoopid.
Alas, as you’ve no doubt seen, controversy still attends this image Trump shared on his Truth Social/True Sociopath platform. It depicts Trump in Jesus robes and holding a glowing orb of something – presumably heavenly light or radioactive material he omitted to tell Congress about – which he is transmitting restoratively into the forehead of some midwestern Lazarus. I’m sure we’d all love to know how the AI prompt for it could be “show me Donald Trump as a doctor”, or indeed how the LLM of choice would react when called out on its subsequent error. “You’re right – I overstated that. I shouldn’t have implied the US president is a benign deity who can raise the dead. To clarify – he’s a malignant narcissist and a tumour on the world. Thanks for catching that.”
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 12:44
NPR Topics: News
Virginia joins a national effort to ensure only popular vote winners become president
With Virginia on board, the National Popular Vote Compact is now enacted in states worth 222 electoral votes. Here's what that means.
14th April 2026 12:34
The Guardian
‘We were never friends’: Kremlin plays down loss of ally following Orbán’s election defeat
Loss of closest European ally will force Kremlin to consider whether non-autocratic states can ever be reliable partners
The Kremlin said on Tuesday it was pleased that Hungary’s prime minister-elect, Péter Magyar, appeared open to pragmatic dialogue, as Moscow adopts a wait-and-see approach after the election loss of its closest partner in Europe, Viktor Orbán.
“For now, we can note with satisfaction, as far as we understand, his [Magyar’s] willingness to engage in pragmatic dialogue,” said the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. “In this instance, there is mutual willingness on our part, and we will then proceed to take our cue from the specific steps taken by the new Hungarian government.”
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 12:29
The Guardian
AI companies make powerful tech – but they’re also savvy marketers
Anthropic’s Claude Mythos AI is said to be frighteningly capable, but we shouldn’t get carried away by the hype
Hello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m your host, Blake Montgomery, the Guardian’s US tech editor, writing to you from my happy village in Pokopia.
Tech companies are cutting jobs and betting on AI. The payoff is far from guaranteed
‘There’s a lot of desperation’: skilled older workers turn to AI training to stay afloat
‘It has your name on it, but I don’t think it’s you’: how AI is impersonating musicians on Spotify
‘It feels as if I’ve made a new best friend’: my experiment with AI journalling
‘Irresponsible failure’: Google, Meta, Snap and Microsoft slam EU over child sexual abuse law lapse
‘Abhorrent’: the inside story of the Polymarket gamblers betting millions on war
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home targeted with molotov cocktail
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 12:04
The Guardian
What can I do with leftover rice? | Kitchen aide
Don’t be scared of cooked rice: our experts share safe ways to turn yesterday’s leftovers into something delicious
How do I store cooked rice safely, and what can I make with it the next day?
Michael, by email
“It’s a bit of a running joke with rice, because I think of all the people in China who aren’t spreading their leftover rice immediately on to a tray to cool and are still alive,” says Amy Poon, of Poon’s at Somerset House in London. “But I have to be responsible and say: cool the rice as quickly as possible, within the hour, and put it in an airtight container and pop it in the fridge [or freezer] straight away.” The reason being, as food science guru Harold McGee notes in his bible On Food & Cooking, “Raw rice almost always carries dormant spores of the bacterium Bacillus cereus, which produces powerful gastrointestinal toxins. The spores can tolerate high temperatures, and some survive cooking.” In short: good storage practices will prevent bacterial growth, not to mention open a whole world of dinner opportunities.
“Rice is the most versatile grain to have around as extras,” confirms Ping Coombes, author of Rice, but there’s another benefit, too. “When rice cools, the molecules rearrange into tighter bonds in a process called retrogradation.” This, Coombes continues, creates resistant starch, and the more resistant the starch, the slower the release of energy. “Eating chilled, pre-cooked rice makes it release sugar molecules into the blood stream more slowly, promoting the feelings of fullness for longer and preventing big variations of blood sugar.” But back to Michael’s prospective meals.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 12:00
The Guardian
America’s hiking culture is built on ego
From peak-bagging to thru-hiking, Americans have turned traversing land into personal milestones. This wilderness ranger and Indigenous writer has witnessed it firsthand
Këmituxwe Éhènta Wehikiyànkw
You are walking in our old homeland
After spending 12 years backpacking some of America’s wildest trails as a wilderness ranger for the US Forest Service – and then losing that job to politics – last spring I set out for the Appalachian Trail (AT), the longest hiking-only footpath in the world.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 12:00
The Guardian
Soham murderer Ian Huntley died from ‘blunt head injury’, inquest told
Child killer was allegedly attacked at workshop at HMP Frankland with metal bar and died in hospital
An inquest into the death of the Soham murderer, Ian Huntley, has heard he was struck over the head multiple times with a metal bar in prison.
Huntley, 52, was an inmate in the maximum-security prison HMP Frankland in Durham, where he was allegedly attacked in a workshop on 26 February.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 11:43United CEO floated idea of United-American merger, sources say
United CEO Scott Kirby floated the idea to Trump administration officials of United merging with American Airlines, according to sources familiar with the situation.
14th April 2026 11:42
The Guardian
Welcome to The Hotspot, our new newsletter on sport’s relationship with the climate crisis
We delve into the best stories on how sport is changing around the climate crisis, and what can be done to navigate a way forward
Nelson Mandela said: “Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.” Too optimistic? In 2026, almost certainly. Sport is still a common language, uniting unlikely groups like an all-powerful Esperanto, but it is in trouble.
The pitches we play on, rivers we swim, seas we surf, mountains we climb, parks we run in, air we breathe – all are being degraded by the burning of fossil fuels as the climate crisis turns the sporting landscape upside down.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 11:39House Republican campaign arm touts tax cuts in new 2026 election ad
Republicans are trying to defend a razor-thin majority in the House and are running on tax policies passed last year.
14th April 2026 11:36
The Guardian
Trainer Evan Williams jailed for three years after assaulting dog walker with hockey stick
‘It is never acceptable to take law into own hands’
Barrister tells court future of stables now in doubt
The Welsh Grand National-winning trainer Evan Williams has been jailed for three years for attacking a dog walker who was on his land.
Williams, 55, repeatedly struck Martin Dandridge, 72, with a hockey stick during the assault. Dandridge, from Swindon, suffered injuries including a fractured arm in the incident on Williams’s land at Llancarfan in south Wales in December 2024.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 11:23
The Guardian
Survivors ask why busy market bombed in Nigerian anti-terror campaign
Military has described devastating attack that killed up to 200 people, many of them civilians, as a ‘precision airstrike’
Survivors and observers have questioned the Nigerian military’s rationale for a devastating airstrike on a busy market that killed as many as 200 people, many of them civilians.
The hit on Jilli market on the border of the north-eastern Borno and Yobe states on Saturday is the latest in a string of attacks by the country’s air force over the past decade with a high civilian death toll.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 11:10
The Guardian
Anger at ‘bloody unacceptable’ efforts to end Sudan’s war as conflict enters fourth year
A top UN official has criticised lack of global urgency as reports confirm the world’s largest humanitarian crisis is worsening
Efforts to end Sudan’s catastrophic war have been criticised as “unacceptable” by the country’s top UN official as a series of new reports confirm that the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis is worsening.
Speaking to the Guardian on the eve of the third anniversary of the war, Denise Brown expressed her concern over the apparent lack of political urgency to end a conflict that has forced 14 million Sudanese to flee their homes. Tens of thousands of people are missing.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 11:02
The Guardian
‘Nothing but tree skeletons’: record-breaking wildfires devastate US cattle country
Rising temperatures and extreme drought are driving more destructive spring fires across the Great Plains. This year, forces aligned to create the perfect storm in Nebraska
In a normal year, the vast grasslands that roll across the American Great Plains would be starting to green. But at the center of the US, where most of the nation’s beef producers graze their herds, this spring brought fire instead of moisture, leaving more than a million acres black and barren.
Multiple blazes raged across Nebraska, where the records for the annual acreage burned were obliterated in a single month. The state logged the largest blaze ever recorded when the Morrill fire cascaded across more than 642,000 acres (260,000 hectares) before it was contained in March.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 11:00
The Guardian
Secretive Bilderberg group just met – but who knows what global elite said?
This year’s conference had plenty of newsworthy aspects, but it’s a mystery why the press fails to talk about it
The 72nd meeting of the Bilderberg group, the elite and secretive policy conference that is the longtime subject of endless conspiracy theories, was held at the weekend in Washington DC. A security cordon went up around the opulent Salamander hotel for the notoriously media-shy summit, which was packed as ever with prime ministers, military leaders, tech billionaires and the heads of giant investment companies.
Bilderberg, which since the 1950s has been the intellectual engine room of Nato, took place this year at a time of immense crisis and uncertainty for the alliance. In recent weeks, with Trump threatening at every turn to withdraw from the “paper tiger” of Nato, the “Trans-Atlantic Defence-Industrial Relationship” (as it’s called on the agenda) has reached a strained breaking point.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 11:00L.A. schools strike averted as deal reached; schools open Tuesday
A Los Angeles Unified School District strike has been avoided and schools are open Tuesday after the district and the Service Employees International Union reached an agreement.
14th April 2026 10:59
The Guardian
Spanish prime minister’s wife charged with corruption
Pedro Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, and two others charged after investigation triggered by group with far-right links
Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has been charged with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds at the end of a two-year investigation by a judge in Madrid.
Gómez, 55, has been accused of using her influence as the wife of the socialist prime minister to secure and manage a post at Madrid’s Complutense University, and of using public resources and personal connections to further her private interests.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 10:582 Swalwell accusers discuss his downfall and the fear of coming forward
Annika Albrecht, Ally Sammarco and influencer Cheyenne Hunt, who helped get their stories out, spoke with CBS News about the unraveling of the Democratic congressman's political career.
14th April 2026 10:31
The Guardian
Why are Democratic leaders still ignoring voters on Israel? | Norman Solomon
Decisions at the latest Democratic National Committee meeting emphasized the disconnect between the party’s leadership and its base
When the Democratic party’s governing body adjourned its meeting on Saturday in New Orleans, supporters of Palestine and an end of the genocide in Gaza had few reasons to celebrate. The Democratic National Committee had refused to give any ground to the large majority of the party’s voters with distinctly negative views of Israel.
Last summer, a Quinnipiac Poll found that 77% of Democrats agreed that “Israel is committing genocide”. Last month, an NBC poll found that 67% of Democrats felt more sympathetic to Palestinians than Israelis, compared with 17% who felt more sympathetic to Israelis.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 10:00
The Guardian
Endless Cookie review – Cheech and Chong meet Tristram Shandy in trippy tales of First Nations life
An animator records the shaggy dog stories of his Indigenous brother in a loopy, hallucinatory animation
The call for better self-representation for minorities in cinema has been loud and long over the last decade, and if it means more left-field work like this loopy, brain-fried but thoroughly affable animation about the lives of a Canadian Cree Indigenous family, then keep it coming. Roughly describable as Cheech and Chong meet Tristram Shandy, Endless Cookie consistently interrupts itself and lampoons the methods of its own creation – especially the fact it took half-brothers Seth and Peter Scriver nine years to finish the thing. At one point Seth, in the post-apocalyptic ruins of Toronto, announces he has another deadline extension: “Cool!”
Animator Seth (who voices himself) heads up to the Shamattawa First Nation community in Manitoba to tape his half-brother Peter (also voicing himself, as do other family members); Peter’s mother, unlike Seth’s, was First Nations. His tales are of the shaggy-dog variety – featuring the 12 pooches on their property, two of whom actually are called Cheech and Chong – as well as the seven kids in residence. The stories are manifold and strange: teepee construction; a botched murder stakeout involving a caribou; Peter’s angry-punk stint in 80s Toronto; a friend accosted by a clingy snowy owl; a drawn-out saga about the embarrassment of mangling his hand in his own animal trap.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 10:00
The Guardian
Is the new Super Mario Galaxy movie really that bad?
A shallow plot and advert-adjacent cameos justify the critics’ condemnation of Nintendo’s latest film. But there’s sincere affection for the universe here, too
I was bracing myself for the worst when I headed into the cinema with my children to watch the new Super Mario Galaxy movie over the Easter break. The reviews have been memorably dire. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw called it worse than AI; Empire deemed it a “humourless, hysterical trudge”. It’s been vilified even more than the first Mario movie, which film critics also hated.
I am a lifelong Nintendo fan, though – I literally wrote the book on the company – so even if it was terrible, there was a possibility that the Mario-loving child within me might temporarily take over my critical faculties and get me through it. That’s what happened with the first Mario movie, which I found to be perfectly OK. I was not actively offended by it, as the film critics seemed to be; audiences seemed to land mostly in my camp, if the huge discrepancy between its audience ratings and review ratings were any indication. Could the sequel really be that much worse?
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 09:59Airports could face a jet fuel crunch within 3 weeks as airlines weigh flight cancellations
Europe's Airport Industry said if the Strait of Hormuz doesn't reopen "systemic jet fuel shortage is set to become a reality for the EU."
14th April 2026 09:31
The Guardian
Clannad singer and harpist Moya Brennan dies aged 73
The Grammy and Emmy-winning ‘first lady of Celtic music’ was credited with popularising Irish music and lyrics
Moya Brennan, the lead singer of Irish folk group Clannad, has died aged 73.
In her later years, Brennan had been living with pulmonary fibrosis and faced the possibility of a double lung transplant. A statement from her family said she died peacefully in the company of loved ones in her native County Donegal.
Continue reading... 14th April 2026 09:28
The Guardian
‘It was life-changing’: the celebrated art historian who spent 46 years sitting for Frank Auerbach
Catherine Lampert is a historian, curator and model who spent much of her time sitting for her famous friends. She tells us what the likes of Auerbach, Lucian Freud and Euan Uglow meant to her
Last November, a work titled Potiphar’s Wife by British painter Euan Uglow appeared in a private sale by Christie’s in London. “We were all so excited,” says art historian and curator Catherine Lampert. “I had tried many times to find out where that picture was.” It depicts a woman lying on the ground against a blue wall, legs crossed and arms stretched out behind her to, it seems, stop a man in a T-shirt from leaving. Both cling to a beautifully draped length of orange cloth.
This is the last painting Uglow talked to Lampert about as he lay dying of cancer in August 2000. She had known him since her early 20s, had organised his first big show in 1974 and in those final months of his life, she was working on the catalogue raisonné of his paintings – an annotated list of Uglow’s complete works.
“Euan was quite cryptic,” she says. “But in the last months, he let me record him in anticipation of this book and then he would be quite” – she taps the table decisively with her hand – “‘This is what this picture is about.’ The last time I went to see him in hospital, he said, ‘Let’s get to work.’” Lampert only recorded a few minutes that day. But the details she gleaned – about the vertical yellow band that anchors the whole composition being “satiny and still” and the way the drapery “moves” – she treasured like gold dust.
Lampert is sitting at an aged square table that has been in her London home for 50 years, as has she. The many people who have sat around it (Uglow and Frank Auerbach among them), not to mention the art (Alison Turnbull) and photography (David Hockney in Lucian Freud’s studio; Auerbach and Leon Kossoff at a dinner) on the walls, speak to her status as a quiet giant of contemporary art.