Newsom signs law to shield California elections from federal interference 28. May 2026 (16:18) Governor says law is a response to ‘legitimate anxiety’ about Trump’s tactics targeting Democratic-led cities and statesGavin Newsom, California’s governor, signed legislation on Wednesday that aims to shield California elections from federal interference, saying he expected Donald Trump’s administration to try to meddle in the midterms this year.The law, which took effect immediately and came days before next Tuesday’s primary, prohibits any person – including federal agents – from accessing voter rolls or election technology without a court order. Law enforcement officers are restricted from disrupting election workers, except in public safety emergencies. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
No Kings event set for 14 June, as Trump celebrates birthday with White House UFC bout 28. May 2026 (16:11) A Night to Build Community will feature concert with Bette Midler, Patti Smith and Rufus Wainwright streaming nationwideSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email The No Kings movement has announced a nationwide event on 14 June, directly counter-programming Donald Trump’s 80th birthday celebrations and a Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bout on the south lawn of the White House.The centerpiece is a 90-minute concert at New York’s Town Hall featuring entertainer Bette Midler, songwriter Patti Smith, actor Jane Fonda, musician Rufus Wainwright and commentator Joy Reid – streaming free nationwide, while local groups host watch parties across the country. The event is co-presented by the Committee for the First Amendment, a coalition of artists and cultural figures, and frames the US’s 250th anniversary as a moment of democratic reckoning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Burnham steps back from past calls to end immigration benefits restriction 28. May 2026 (15:59) Labour’s Makerfield byelection candidate understood to have changed stance on no recourse to public funds policyUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham has rolled back from his previous calls for ministers to scrap a restriction on immigrants claiming benefits as the Makerfield byelection places greater scrutiny on his policy positions.As Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham has called several times for an end to the rule known as no recourse to public funds (NRPF), which since 1999 has prevented people moving to the UK getting access to benefits or public housing before they are granted settled status. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘True patriot’: White House pays bizarre tribute to Harambe 10 years after gorilla’s death 28. May 2026 (15:09) White House made lengthy post about gorilla shot dead at Cincinnati zoo after a toddler entered his enclosure in 2016Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email The White House has posted on social media a tribute to mark Thursday’s 10th anniversary of the death of a figure it called “a true patriot”.The hero was not a human, however; it concerned the infamous case of the 400lb western lowland gorilla that had been named Harambe, which was shot dead at the Cincinnati zoo after a toddler entered his enclosure and interacted with the animal. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Irish datacentres have increased household bills by hundreds of euros, report finds 28. May 2026 (15:01) Growing fleet of datacentres last year used 22% of the country’s electricityEnergy demand by datacentres in Ireland has added hundreds of euros to household electricity bills in a pattern that could be replicated across Europe, according to a new report.The centres have “drained” €715m (£620m) from the Irish economy and increased household bills by a cumulative average of €360 between 2015 and 2023, said the report commissioned by Friends of the Earth Ireland and Beyond Fossil Fuels. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fewer men should get prostate cancer screening, committee recommends 28. May 2026 (14:54) Government will consider the expert guidance, which concludes screening ‘likely to cause more harm than good’Most men in the UK will not be offered prostate cancer screening if the government accepts the final recommendation of an expert committee.The UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) said attempting to detect the disease using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test was “likely to cause more harm than good”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump refiles $10bn defamation suit against WSJ over report on Epstein ties – US politics live 28. May 2026 (14:44) The lawsuit is one of several that the president has brought in his personal capacity against news organizationsSign up to the Breaking News US emailAbortion restrictions in the US have made it more difficult to access care for miscarriages, a new study stays.The new research found that since the June 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v Wade, pregnancy care has fractured along state lines; it’s getting increasingly harder to access healthcare for miscarriages in US states with abortion restrictions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Milburn says migrants not to blame for Neets crisis but falling immigration creates ‘opportunity’ – UK politics live 28. May 2026 (14:43) Major report on young people not in employment, education or training warns ‘we have neither a system or a plan to deal with it’Young people in the UK: how has the search for work been for you?Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary, is introducing Alan Milburn.He says Milburn’s report is “really important and powerful”.I could see in the first few weeks after being appointed as the secretary of state what was happening, both in human and in financial terms, [in terms of youth unemployment].And I knew that we had to get properly under the bonnet of this problem, because there’s a lot more thing than one thing happening here … Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Blair’s fossil fuel ideas ‘bizarre’ in face of energy and climate crises, experts say 28. May 2026 (14:41) Energy specialists say abandoning net zero and increasing oil and gas drilling would cause more instability for BritonsAbandoning net zero and drilling for more oil and gas in the North Sea would be a massive setback for the UK and would not help the economy, leading experts have said in response to claims by the former prime minister Tony Blair.“This is a bizarre intervention to make during the worst May heatwave on record and when the Iran crisis is providing yet more evidence of the enormous costs of oil and gas,” said Ed Matthew, the UK programme director at the E3G thinktank. “Clean energy is cheaper energy - it protects our bills from prices skyrocketing, its running costs are virtually zero, and it doesn’t cause climate change which threatens economic collapse ... The government should ignore Blair’s ideological nonsense and focus on what works.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ministers in talks over shelving carbon tax on fertiliser to curb UK food inflation 28. May 2026 (14:39) Exclusive: Package of measures discussed with farmers, including pause on duty due to come into effect next year Ministers are in discussions about suspending a carbon tax on fertilisers, due to come into effect early next year, in an effort to curb food inflation.The move would be part of a package of measures, including the suspension of import tariffs on a range of foods including bread, biscuits and bananas. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
