US Politics

The tourist attraction just unveiled an elaborate, full-scale overhaul to match Trump’s second-term aestheticSitting behind a replica Resolute Desk, nine-year-old Sydney Wright posed for the camera like a future US president. “I love it,” she smiled. And what about the dazzling gold appliqués, gold leaf and gold trim surrounding her? “It’s cool.”Sydney was among a steady stream of visitors on Thursday to The People’s House: A White House Experience, an interactive museum – with an orientation film narrated by The West Wing star Martin Sheen – at 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue, just 150 yards from the real thing. Continue reading… More

Fain was dogged by investigation but still decisively beat challenger Rich Boyer, who received just 13% of vote The president of the United Auto Workers, Shawn Fain, has easily won his re-election bid after an campaign period marred by accusations of corruption and election interference.The union’s election of leadership for a four-year term began with mail-in ballots being sent out in late August 2026, with vote tabulating commencing on 6 October. Continue reading… More

Democrat in Congress since 1983 rebuked over ‘dangerous’ campaign ad – will it harm her chances in tight Ohio race?Last month, Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in congressional history, released a video advertisement in which she looks directly at the camera and says exactly what she thinks about one of the most divisive issues facing Democrats today.“Here’s the truth: I voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools because parents know what’s best for their kids,” Kaptur says, “and boys should not play in girls’ sports.” Continue reading… More

Order for workers to remain standing to ‘reinforce professionalism’ draws rebuke amid plunging moraleUnion officials have launched a campaign to allow airport security staff to sit once more after the Trump administration unilaterally removed all the chairs for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff at checkpoints.“People are pissed,” said Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) TSA council 100 and president of AFGE local 1040, which represents TSA workers in Dallas-Fort Worth. Continue reading… More

Are we really living through ‘end times fascism’? Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor think so.In a new series from the Guardian, the pair speak to Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty in an extended interview. From Trump 2.0 and the rise of the tech billionaire to Gaza and the climate emergency, Klein and Taylor argue we are not just lurching from crisis to crisis but are in a new and dangerous moment in history. But they haven’t given up hope of a fightbackRadical Thinking will be published every Saturday in the Politics Weekly feedYou can watch the full interview with Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor here.
Aditya’s suggested reading:Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor’s End Times Fascism is out now and available here. It began life as a special essay in the Guardian, which you can read here.A different take on whether Trump 2.0 is fascist comes from the economist Branko Milanović on his brilliant Substack.Elon Musk gives Donald Trump millions, and Trump gives Musk vast access to power. To read more, look at Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff’s Long Read for the Guardian and their recent book Muskism: a Guide for the Perplexed.For some sensational reporting on Trump’s second term, look at Regime Change by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan.How did the business class learn to love Trump and embrace chaos? Paul Heideman gives a lucid analysis in his recent book Rogue Elephant.If you want more on the new tech bros of Silicon Valley, here are four recommendations:- In their book, Klein and Taylor regularly cite Karen Hao’s Empire of AI.- There’s also The Nerd Reich, just out from Gil Durán. Continue reading… More

President complains about not winning prize in year he started war with Iran and says: ‘We will not forget, Norway’Donald Trump complained Friday about not winning the Nobel peace prize for 2026, a year in which he started a war with Iran.At what was supposed to be a rally for other Republican candidates in Syracuse, New York, the US president devoted a long portion of his speech airing his grievances with the Nobel committee. Continue reading… More

President says deal essential to lower US fuel prices but move set to create fresh crisis with Ukraine and Nato alliesDonald Trump was on a fresh collision course with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European allies on Friday after a stunning agreement to buy Russian diesel, upending years of US and western pressure on the Kremlin to end its four-and-a-half year war against Ukraine.Zelenskyy reacted furiously to Trump’s announcement of the deal with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, calling it “absolutely terrible” and “not fair and not honest”. Continue reading… More

Zacharia will replace Karoline Leavitt, who left the role at the end of August after giving birth to her second childDonald Trump on Friday announced that he had picked Katie Zacharia to be the next White House press secretary, lining up a conservative commentator he called a “devoted fan” to be his most prominent spokesperson.Zacharia will replace Karoline Leavitt, who left the role at the end of August after the birth to her second child. Continue reading… More