Evelyn Reynolds

Barack Obama headlined a rally for Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for the US Senate, in Detroit on the first day of early voting in Michigan. The former US president told thousands of supporters at Cass technical high school that the 3 November election was an ‘inflection point’ for American politicsObama rallies rapturous Michigan crowd for El-Sayed: ‘He’ll finish the job we started’ Continue reading… More

Joanna Coles and Michael Wolff spend most of their days thinking about the president’s follies for their podcast, Inside Trump’s Head. Someone’s gotta do itFor a couple of journalists who spend such an inordinate amount of time sloshing around the putrid inner recesses of Donald Trump’s mind, they come across as remarkably chipper.Michael Wolff, chronicler of the 45th and 47th president, and Joanna Coles, chief creative and content officer of the Daily Beast, are just about to record the 168th episode of their runaway podcast, Inside Trump’s Head. Now in its 15th month, the thrice-weekly show is attracting an expanding audience as it digs down into Trump’s unique blend of megalomania, narcissism and insatiable lust for fame. Continue reading… More

James Blair’s data-driven approach delivered victory in 2024 but president’s unpopularity and idiosyncratic style do not bode well this timeThey are both young, bald and fathers of four. They are also the brains behind Donald Trump. But while Stephen Miller is infamous as the US president’s ideological enforcer, James Blair could, in the words of Time magazine, “be the most important person in Donald Trump’s Washington you’ve never heard of”.That imbalance is deceptive, however. Blair has sufficiently impressed Trump to earn the nickname “Brilliant James”. And a well-positioned source told the Guardian: “I would say that James is probably twice, five times, 10 times more effective than Stephen Miller.” Continue reading… More

Brazil, Israel, Serbia and the US are holding elections within the space of 10 days. Will the authoritarian right cement its global gains, or can pro-democracy forces make a comeback?Four elections on four continents within 10 days could profoundly reshape global politics, propelling the world further along its current authoritarian trajectory or marking a limited comeback for democratic norms.In all four contests, basic democratic norms are at stake at a time when autocracy is advancing worldwide at an alarming rate. According to the Sweden-based V-Dem Institute, which uses multivariable assessment tools, the democratic freedoms enjoyed by the average global citizen are down to levels last seen in 1978 – long before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism in Europe. Continue reading… More

State attorney general said Trump’s justice department’s directive to verify 20,000 ballots is completely improperCalifornia’s attorney general on Saturday rebuked the Trump administration’s efforts to quash alleged noncitizen voting, calling it “politicizing and weaponizing the law”.Rob Bonta, the state’s attorney general, said the justice department acted at Donald Trump’s direction. Continue reading… More

Former president speaks to crowd of thousands in support of Abdul El-Sayed for US Senate and Democratic ticketBarack Obama told a Detroit crowd on Saturday that Abdul El-Sayed was “fighting for change, real change, that will get money out of politics and put money in your pocket”, as he threw his weight behind the Democratic Senate candidate and the rest of the ticket on the first day of early voting in Michigan.Obama said in front of thousands of onlookers at Cass technical high school in Detroit that El-Sayed would “finish the job we started with the Affordable Care Act and guarantee quality, affordable healthcare to every single American”. Continue reading… More

This live blog is now closed. For more on the rally, read our full report: Obama rallies Michigan crowd for El-Sayed, saying he’s ‘fighting for real change’Sign up for Breaking News US emailDonald Trump voted in West Palm Beach, Florida today, telling reporters at the polls that he voted straight Republican on his ballot. Trump has historically mailed-in his ballot rather than voting in-person.Speaking from the polling site, Trump defended an ad from Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, his administration’s lawsuit seeking to block certification of the Alaska Senate race if Repubican senator Dan Sullivan loses his race and the war in Iran. Continue reading… More

Death inside Folkston facility comes as officials allegedly threaten hunger strikers there with force-feedingAn immigrant detained at a sprawling detention center complex in Georgia died on Friday, local and federal officials confirmed, after the facility has already faced national scrutiny for its response to an ongoing hunger strike inside.The death inside the D Ray James facility in Folkston, Georgia, comes as federal immigration officials and private contractors are allegedly threatening hunger strikers there with force-feeding, a detained hunger striker, his wife, attorneys and advocates all said this week. Detainees are refusing food to protest prolonged captivity and bad conditions. Continue reading… More