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      Trump administration demands $1bn from UCLA to restore federal funding

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      The Trump administration is seeking a $1bn settlement from the University of California, Los Angeles, a White House official said on Friday.The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the request and spoke on condition of anonymity.The Trump administration has suspended $584m in federal research funding from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy and other agencies, the university’s chancellor, Julio Frenk, said in a message to UCLA staff and students this week.Last week, the justice department notified the university that an investigation by the department’s civil right division had “concluded that UCLA’s response to the protest encampment on its campus in the spring of 2024 was deliberately indifferent to a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students” in violation of federal anti-discrimination law.“This disgusting breach of civil rights against students will not stand: DOJ will force UCLA to pay a heavy price for putting Jewish Americans at risk and continue our ongoing investigations into other campuses in the UC system”, the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, said in a statement.UCLA is the first public university whose federal grants have been targeted by the administration over allegations of civil rights violations related to antisemitism and affirmative action. The Trump administration has frozen or paused federal funding over similar allegations against private colleges.The new University of California president, James B Milliken, who oversees a university system of 10 campuses, six academic health centers and three affiliated national laboratories, confirmed on Friday that the university had received notice from the justice department and was reviewing it.“Earlier this week, we offered to engage in good faith dialogue with the Department to protect the University and its critical research mission,” Milliken said. “As a public university, we are stewards of taxpayer resources and a payment of this scale would completely devastate our country’s greatest public university system as well as inflict great harm on our students and all Californians.“Americans across this great nation rely on the vital work of UCLA and the UC system for technologies and medical therapies that save lives, grow the US economy, and protect our national security,” he added.UCLA recently reached a $6m settlement with three Jewish students and a Jewish professor who sued the university, arguing it violated their civil rights by allowing pro-Palestinian protesters in 2024 to block their access to classes and other areas on campus.The university has said it is committed to campus safety and inclusivity and will continue to implement recommendations. More

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      Trump administration reportedly suspends $200m in grants to UCLA

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      The Trump administration is suspending some research grants to the University of California, Los Angeles, claiming “antisemitism and bias”, the school announced in a statement on Thursday.“UCLA received a notice that the federal government, through its control of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other agencies, is suspending certain research funding to UCLA,” Julio Frenk, the university chancellor, said in a letter to the campus. The move means “life-saving research” will be defunded, he said.“It is a loss for Americans across the nation whose work, health, and future depend on the groundbreaking work we do.”Frenk did not say the value of the grants, but the Los Angeles Times reported that roughly 300 grants amounting to nearly $200m were suspended.The federal government has moved to pull billions of dollars from prominent universities across the US after accusing the institutions of failing to adequately respond to antisemitism during pro-Palestinian protests, and referred some to the Department of Justice. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has reached agreements with Brown University and Columbia University to restore funding and close investigations into the schools.The agreement with Brown requires the institution to commit to nondiscrimination in admissions and programs, and allow the administration access to admissions data. Meanwhile, Columbia’s controversial deal requires it pay more than $220m, expand its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies, review Middle East curriculum and cut programs promoting “unlawful efforts” related to diversity. Harvard remains in a legal fight with the federal government over its move to freeze billions in federal funds.The news out of UCLA comes days after the school reached a nearly $6.5m settlement in a lawsuit by Jewish students and a professor who said the university allowed antisemitic discrimination to take place on campus during protests last year.Earlier this week, the Department of Justice notified the University of California that its investigation found that UCLA’s response to a protest encampment in spring 2024 was “deliberately indifferent to a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students” and that students experienced “severe [and] pervasive” harassment.In his statement about the grant cancellations, Frenk said the university had taken steps to combat antisemitism, and ensure the school is safe and welcoming for all, including the creation of a new Office of Campus and Community Safety and an Initiative to Combat Antisemitism.He also highlighted the university’s history of research, including planetary scientists who search for asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth, a Valley Fever Center and the role researchers played in helping create the internet.“This far-reaching penalty of defunding life-saving research does nothing to address any alleged discrimination,” Frenk wrote. More

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      Kamala Harris announces she will not run for governor of California

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      Kamala Harris, the former vice-president and 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, announced on Wednesday that she will not run for governor of California – a highly anticipated decision that leaves the contest to lead the country’s largest blue state wide open.“For now, my leadership – and public service – will not be in elected office,” Harris said in a statement, ending months of speculation about her political future after losing the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump.“I look forward to getting back out and listening to the American people, helping elect Democrats across the nation who will fight fearlessly, and sharing more details in the months ahead about my own plans,” she added.Harris, 60, who previously served as California’s attorney general and US senator, had been exploring a run for the state’s top job since leaving the White House in January. But, she said in the statement, “after deep reflection, I’ve decided that I will not run for governor in this election”. The decision does not rule out a future run for public office, including a third bid for the White House, after unsuccessful campaigns in 2020 and 2024.Among the other possibilities Harris is exploring is starting a non-profit or leading a policy thinktank, said a personal familiar with her thinking. Allies said she would be a sought-after surrogate and fundraiser ahead of the 2026 midterms.“I think we can expect her to continue to invigorate the younger generation who really vibed off of her energy, her authenticity, and, you know, her willingness to talk about things that you don’t normally talk about when you’re on the campaign trail,” said the California congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, one of the Democrats Harris spoke with in recent months as she weighed a run for governor.Harris’s looming decision had in effect paralyzed the race to replace Gavin Newsom, the term-limited Democratic governor, with early polling suggesting she was Californians’ top choice. The Harris-less race to lead California will now take place in a political landscape dramatically reshaped by her loss to Trump in November, which plunged the party into a period of paralysis and soul-searching.In the months since, the Democratic base has grown increasingly furious with its old guard, demanding fresh leadership and a more combative approach to what they view as Trump’s increasingly authoritarian agenda.In a nod to the discontent roiling her party, and the country, Harris said: “We must recognize that our politics, our government, and our institutions have too often failed the American people, culminating in this moment of crisis. As we look ahead, we must be willing to pursue change through new methods and fresh thinking – committed to our same values and principles, but not bound by the same playbook.”While the decision was disappointing to supporters eager to see Harris square off again with Trump during the final years of his term, Harris had given few signals that she was deeply excited by the prospect of leading the state from the governor’s perch in Sacramento. The months-long slog to next year’s contest would have forced Harris to grapple with her role in Democrats’ losses in November, which has already drawn criticism from corners of the party eager for leaders to step aside and make space for a new generation of candidates.The crowded field of Democrats running for governor in California is so far made up of long-serving or well-known political leaders, including Xavier Becerra, the former attorney general of California who served with Harris in Biden’s cabinet as the secretary of health and human services; Antonio Villaraigosa, the former Democratic mayor of Los Angeles; the state’s lieutenant governor, Eleni Kounalakis, who is close friends with Harris; and the former representative Katie Porter.The most prominent Republicans in the race are Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside county, and Steve Hilton, the former Fox host and former adviser to then UK prime minister David Cameron. Ric Grenell, a longtime Trump ally, has also toyed with the idea of running.In a statement, Villaraigosa commended Harris’s leadership and said that her decision “reflects her continued commitment to serving at the highest levels of government”.Becerra described Harris’s decision as an “important turning point for her and our state” that would reshape the “race for governor, but not the stakes”.“California needs a governor who will treat the cost of living crisis like the emergency it is, and who will stand up to the chaos and corruption of the Trump White House,” he said in a statement.Meanwhile, Newsom, who came up in San Francisco politics with Harris, also praised the former vice-president. “Kamala Harris has courageously served our state and country for her entire career,” he said.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotion“Whether it be as a prosecutor, attorney general, senator, or vice-president she has always kept a simple pledge at the heart of every decision she’s made: For the People. Grateful for her service and friendship – and looking forward to continuing the fight in whatever the future might hold for her.”Republicans – some of whom had been eager to elevate Harris as the face of the Democratic party – nevertheless touted her decision as a political victory for the president.“Kamala Harris’s political career is over thanks to President Trump,” said Kollin Crompton, a spokesperson for the Republican Governors Association, adding, perhaps prematurely: “Americans across the country can sigh in relief that they won’t have to see or hear from Kamala Harris any longer.”Harris had maintained a relatively low profile since she returned home to Los Angeles, offering few clues about her political future. She remained mostly out of view as protests erupted in response to the Trump administration’s immigration raids in Los Angeles earlier this summer. In a statement issued after Trump ordered national guard troops deployed Los Angeles, she said that protest was “a powerful tool” and said she supported the “millions of Americans who are standing up to protect our most fundamental rights and freedoms”.She has been selective about when to weigh in against the Trump administration’s actions. Earlier this year, Harris delivered a sharp speech in which she warned that the US was witnessing a “wholesale abandonment of America’s highest ideals” by the US president.On Wednesday, Harris vowed to remain politically engaged.“We, the People must use our power to fight for freedom, opportunity, fairness, and the dignity of all,” she said. “I will remain in that fight.”Dani Anguiano contributed to this report More

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      How Trump has supercharged the immigration crackdown – in data

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.content–interactive-grid,#feature-body .content–interactive-grid{grid-template-columns:100%;grid-column-gap:10px;grid-template-areas:”title” “headline” “standfirst” “media” “lines” “meta” “body”}#article-body >div .content–interactive-grid #maincontent,.content–interactive >div .content–interactive-grid #maincontent,#comment-body .content–interactive-grid #maincontent,[data-gu-name=body] .content–interactive-grid #maincontent,#feature-body .content–interactive-grid #maincontent{padding-right:80px}}@media (min-width: 61.25em){#article-body >div .content–interactive-grid,.content–interactive >div .content–interactive-grid,#comment-body .content–interactive-grid,[data-gu-name=body] .content–interactive-grid,#feature-body .content–interactive-grid{grid-template-columns:620px 300px;grid-template-areas:”title right-column” “headline right-column” “standfirst right-column” “media right-column” “lines right-column” “meta right-column” “body right-column” “. right-column”}#article-body >div .content–interactive-grid #maincontent,.content–interactive >div .content–interactive-grid #maincontent,#comment-body .content–interactive-grid #maincontent,[data-gu-name=body] .content–interactive-grid #maincontent,#feature-body .content–interactive-grid #maincontent{padding-right:unset}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){#article-body >div .content–interactive-grid,.content–interactive >div .content–interactive-grid,#comment-body .content–interactive-grid,[data-gu-name=body] .content–interactive-grid,#feature-body .content–interactive-grid{grid-template-columns:140px 1px 620px 300px;grid-template-areas:”title border headline right-column” “. border standfirst right-column” “. border media right-column” “. border body right-column” “. border . right-column”}#article-body >div .content–interactive-grid .content__standfirst,.content–interactive >div .content–interactive-grid .content__standfirst,#comment-body .content–interactive-grid .content__standfirst,[data-gu-name=body] .content–interactive-grid .content__standfirst,#feature-body .content–interactive-grid .content__standfirst{padding-bottom:0}#article-body >div .content–interactive-grid figure.element–immersive figcaption,.content–interactive >div .content–interactive-grid figure.element–immersive figcaption,#comment-body .content–interactive-grid figure.element–immersive figcaption,[data-gu-name=body] .content–interactive-grid figure.element–immersive figcaption,#feature-body .content–interactive-grid figure.element–immersive figcaption{padding:4px 0 0}#article-body >div .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines],#article-body >div .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta],.content–interactive >div .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines],.content–interactive >div .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta],#comment-body .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines],#comment-body .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta],[data-gu-name=body] .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines],[data-gu-name=body] .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta],#feature-body .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines],#feature-body .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta]{grid-area:2/1/5/2}#article-body >div .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines],.content–interactive >div .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines],#comment-body .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines],[data-gu-name=body] .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines],#feature-body .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines]{height:-moz-max-content;height:max-content;margin-top:5px}#article-body >div .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta],.content–interactive >div .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta],#comment-body .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta],[data-gu-name=body] .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta],#feature-body .content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta]{margin-top:18px}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){#article-body >div .content–interactive-grid,.content–interactive >div .content–interactive-grid,#comment-body .content–interactive-grid,[data-gu-name=body] .content–interactive-grid,#feature-body .content–interactive-grid{grid-template-columns:219px 1px 620px 80px 300px}}body.ios .article__header .standfirst__inner p,body.android .article__header .standfirst__inner p{font-family:Guardian Headline,Guardian Egyptian Web,Guardian Headline Full,Georgia,serif;font-weight:500}body.ios .article__header .article-kicker__section,body.android .article__header .article-kicker__section{display:block}body.ios .article__header .article-kicker__section:first-letter,body.android .article__header .article-kicker__section:first-letter{text-transform:uppercase}body.ios .article__header .keyline-4,body.android .article__header .keyline-4{padding-top:12px!important}body.ios .article__header .meta__misc .byline__author,body.android .article__header .meta__misc .byline__author{font-family:Guardian Headline,Guardian Egyptian Web,Guardian Headline Full,Georgia,serif;font-weight:700}body.ios .article__header .meta__misc .byline__author a,body.android .article__header .meta__misc .byline__author a{font-weight:700}body.ios .article figure.element-image .figure__inner,body.android .article figure.element-image .figure__inner{height:auto!important}body.ios .article figure.element-atom+p,body.android .article figure.element-atom+p{margin-top:0}:root{–gv-custom-color-dark: #121212;–gv-custom-color-active: #ff4e36;–gv-custom-color-light: #606060;–gv-custom-color-border: #333333;–gv-custom-text-light: #999999;–article-background: var(–gv-custom-color-dark);–article-meta-lines: var(–gv-custom-color-border);–straight-lines: var(–gv-custom-color-border);–article-text: #fff;–headline-colour: #fff;–subheading-text: #fff;–standfirst-text: #fff;–textblock-text: #fff;–mobile-color: var(–gv-custom-text-light);–sub-meta-label-text: var(–gv-custom-text-light);–dateline: var(–gv-custom-text-light);–series-title-text: var(–gv-custom-color-active);–byline: var(–gv-custom-color-active);–byline-anchor: var(–gv-custom-color-active);–article-link-border: var(–gv-custom-color-border);–article-link-text: var(–gv-custom-color-active);–article-link-border-hover: var(–gv-custom-color-active);–article-link-text-hover: var(–gv-custom-color-active);–sub-meta-text: var(–gv-custom-color-active);–share-button: var(–gv-custom-color-active);–standfirst-link-text: var(–gv-custom-color-active);–standfirst-link-border: var(–gv-custom-color-border);–share-button-border: var(–gv-custom-color-border);–sub-meta-background: var(–gv-custom-color-dark);–share-button-hover: var(–gv-custom-color-dark);–interactive-block-background: var(–gv-custom-color-dark);–caption-text: var(–gv-custom-text-light);–article-section-background: #fff;–section-background: #fff}article,main >section:nth-child(3),main >section:nth-child(4){–article-border: var(–gv-custom-color-border)}#maincontent{margin-top:0}#maincontent h2{padding-bottom:10px;max-width:620px}#maincontent hr{background-color:var(–gv-custom-color-border);max-width:620px;width:100%}#maincontent figcaption{margin-top:10px}#maincontent figcaption span:has(svg){display:none}#maincontent hr+h2+p{font-family:Guardian Text Sans Web,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font-size:15px;margin-bottom:20px}[data-gu-name=media] >div{max-width:100%}[data-name=placeholder] >div{background-color:var(–section-background)}[data-gu-name=lines]{margin-top:20px}@media (min-width: 61.25em){[data-gu-name=lines]{margin-top:0}}@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark){article,main >section:nth-child(3),main >section:nth-child(4){background-color:var(–gv-custom-color-dark)!important}article #maincontent figure{background-color:var(–gv-custom-color-dark)}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){#article-body >div .content–interactive-grid .content__standfirst,.content–interactive >div .content–interactive-grid .content__standfirst,#comment-body .content–interactive-grid .content__standfirst,[data-gu-name=body] .content–interactive-grid .content__standfirst,#feature-body .content–interactive-grid .content__standfirst{padding-bottom:14px}}[data-link-name=”Across the Guardian”] div,[data-link-name=”Across the Guardian”] span{–article-text: #121212}[data-link-name=”Across the Guardian”] h4{color:var(–article-text)}[data-link-name=”most popular”] span{–article-text: #121212;color:#121212}
      /**
      * Data font stack
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Serif font stack
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Headline font stack
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Sans serif text font stack
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Sans serif headline font stack
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Default font scale settings
      * See font-scale.html and font-scale.png for visual representations
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Grab all levels of a font the font-scale
      *
      * @param {String} $name – Name of the font-scale matrix (eg: headline)
      * @param {Map} $font-scale ($font-scale)
      *
      * @example
      * font-size: get-scale(header);
      *
      * @requires {variable} $font-scale
      *
      * @return {Map}
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Grab info for a particular level of a font-scale
      *
      * @param {String} $name – Name of the font-scale in the matrix (eg: headline)
      * @param {Number} $level – Level in the matrix
      * @param {Map} $font-scale ($font-scale)
      *
      * @example
      * font-size: get-scale-level(header, 1);
      *
      * @requires {variable} $font-scale
      * @requires {function} get-scale
      *
      * @return {Map}
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Get a font-size for a level in the font-scale matrix
      *
      * @param {String} $name – Name of the font-scale in the matrix (eg: headline)
      * @param {Number} $level – Level in the matrix
      * @param {Map} $font-scale – Configuration
      *
      * @example
      * font-size: get-font-size(header, 3);
      *
      * @requires {variable} $font-scale
      * @requires {function} convert-to-px
      * @requires {function} get-scale-level
      *
      * @return {Number}
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Get a line-height for a level in the font-scale matrix
      *
      * @param {String} $name – Name of the font-scale in the matrix (eg: headline)
      * @param {Number} $level – Level in the matrix
      * @param {Map} $font-scale – Configuration
      *
      * @example
      * font-size: get-line-height(header, 3);
      *
      * @requires {variable} $font-scale
      * @requires {function} convert-to-px
      * @requires {function} get-scale-level
      *
      * @return {Number}
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Turn any value into pixels
      *
      * @param {Number} $value
      *
      * @example
      * font-size: convert-to-px(14); // 14px
      *
      * @return {Number}
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Default typography settings, to be included as soon as possible in the HTML
      * 1. Make type rendering look crisper
      * 2. Set relative line spacing to 1.5 (16px * 1.5 = 24px)
      *
      * @param {String} $font-family ($f-serif-text) – Default global font
      *
      * @requires {variable} $f-serif-text
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Font-size and line-height shorthand
      *
      * @param {Number} $size
      * @param {Number} $line-height ($size)
      *
      * @example
      * @include font-size(18, 24);
      *
      * @requires {function} convert-to-px
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Font styling shorthand
      * Note: prefer the usage of the font-scale mixins to stick to the font scale
      *
      * @param {String} $family
      * @param {String} $weight
      * @param {Number} $size
      * @param {Number} $line-height ($size)
      *
      * @example
      * @include font(arial, bold, 18, 24);
      *
      * @requires {mixin} font-size
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Header family and weight properties.
      *
      * @requires {variable} $f-serif-headline
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Header typography settings.
      *
      * @param {Number} $level
      * @param {Boolean} $size-only
      *
      * @example
      * // Output all properties (font-size, line-height, family, weight)
      * @include fs-header(3);
      *
      * // Output font-size and line-height only
      * @include fs-header(3, $size-only: true);
      *
      * @requires {function} get-font-size
      * @requires {function} get-line-height
      * @requires {mixin} font-size
      * @requires {mixin} f-header
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Healdine family and weight properties.
      *
      * @requires {variable} $f-serif-headline
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Headline typography settings.
      *
      * @param {Number} $level
      * @param {Boolean} $size-only
      *
      * @example
      * // Output all properties (font-size, line-height, family, weight)
      * @include fs-headline(3);
      *
      * // Output font-size and line-height only
      * @include fs-headline(3, $size-only: true);
      *
      * @requires {function} get-font-size
      * @requires {function} get-line-height
      * @requires {mixin} font-size
      * @requires {mixin} f-headline
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Body Heading family and weight properties.
      *
      * @requires {variable} $f-serif-text
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Body Heading typography settings.
      *
      * @param {Number} $level
      * @param {Boolean} $size-only
      *
      * @example
      * // Output all properties (font-size, line-height, family, weight)
      * @include fs-bodyHeading(3);
      *
      * // Output font-size and line-height only
      * @include fs-bodyHeading(3, $size-only: true);
      *
      * @requires {function} get-font-size
      * @requires {function} get-line-height
      * @requires {mixin} font-size
      * @requires {mixin} f-bodyHeading
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Body Copy family property.
      *
      * @requires {variable} $f-serif-text
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Body Copy typography settings.
      *
      * @param {Number} $level
      * @param {Boolean} $size-only
      *
      * @example
      * // Output all properties (font-size, line-height, family)
      * @include fs-bodyCopy(3);
      *
      * // Output font-size and line-height only
      * @include fs-bodyCopy(3, $size-only: true);
      *
      * @requires {function} get-font-size
      * @requires {function} get-line-height
      * @requires {mixin} font-size
      * @requires {mixin} f-bodyCopy
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Data family property.
      *
      * @requires {variable} $f-data
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Data typography settings.
      *
      * @param {Number} $level
      * @param {Boolean} $size-only
      *
      * @example
      * // Output all properties (font-size, line-height, family)
      * @include fs-data(3);
      *
      * // Output font-size and line-height only
      * @include fs-data(3, $size-only: true);
      *
      * @requires {function} get-font-size
      * @requires {function} get-line-height
      * @requires {mixin} font-size
      * @requires {mixin} f-data
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Text Sans family property.
      *
      * @requires {variable} $f-sans-serif-text
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Text Sans typography settings.
      *
      * @param {Number} $level
      * @param {Boolean} $size-only
      *
      * @example
      * // Output all properties (font-size, line-height, family)
      * @include fs-textSans(3);
      *
      * // Output font-size and line-height only
      * @include fs-textSans(3, $size-only: true);
      *
      * @requires {function} get-font-size
      * @requires {function} get-line-height
      * @requires {mixin} font-size
      * @requires {mixin} f-textSans
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      /**
      * Headline Sans family property.
      * Is not currently integrated into our font scale matrix,
      * hence no `fs-` mixin; currently we’re just using it as a
      * replacement font in a few places.
      *
      * @requires {variable} $f-sans-serif-headline
      *
      * @group typography
      */
      @font-face {font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:300;font-style:normal;
      }
      @font-face {font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:300;font-style:italic;
      }
      @font-face {font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:400;font-style:normal;
      }
      @font-face {font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:400;font-style:italic;
      }
      @font-face {font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:500;font-style:normal;
      }
      @font-face {font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:500;font-style:italic;
      }
      @font-face {font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:600;font-style:normal;
      }
      @font-face {font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:600;font-style:italic;
      }
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      Newsom ready to pursue lawsuit against Fox News host despite on-air apology

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      The California governor, Gavin Newsom, and Fox News host Jesse Watters have locked into a political tit-for-tat after the network figure admitted to mistakenly claiming that Newsom lied about a phone call with Donald Trump during June’s anti-immigration enforcement protests in the state.On Thursday, Watters issued an apology on his program stemming from a $787m defamation lawsuit filed by Newsom against the host and Fox News, as the Los Angeles Times and other outlets reported. Newsom’s lawsuit claimed that Watters lied on air about the timeline of the governor’s conversations with the president during the peak of the anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) protests across Los Angeles.Newsom contended that Watters intentionally manipulated his reporting to make it seem as though the governor had lied about a phone call he had with Trump.On 10 June, Trump publicly said that he had spoken to Newsom “a day ago”, adding that he had called the governor to tell him “you’ve got to do a better job, you’re doing a bad job”. Trump’s comments implied that the two leaders had spoken to each other on the same day that the president ordered several hundred US marines to be deployed to Los Angeles – a decision that was met with widespread opposition from California leaders.After Trump’s comments, Newsom pushed back on social media against the president’s narrative. Newsom had publicly said that he spoke to Trump after midnight on 7 June, during which there was no discussion of deploying any marines.In a post on X, Newsom wrote: “There was no call. Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a president deploying marines onto our streets doesn’t even know who he’s talking to.”Trump in response sent a screenshot of his 7 June call log to the Fox News anchor John Roberts. Watters then proceeded to show the screenshot on his program, as well as a video clip of Trump’s comments on 10 June about his call with Newsom. In the video clip, the part where Trump said he had spoken to Newsom “a day ago” was omitted, the Los Angeles Times reported.The outlet, which reviewed the clip, further added that the bottom of the screen said: “Gavin lied about Trump’s call.”View image in fullscreenAs part of the defamation suit Newsom subsequently filed against the network, the governor’s lawyers said that they would dismiss the case if Fox admitted to falsely misrepresenting the timeline of the phone call with Trump.“We expect that you will give the same airtime in retracting these falsehoods as you spent presenting and amplifying them,” Newsom’s lawyers said in a letter to Fox, which the Los Angeles Times reviewed. “Further, Mr Watters and Fox News must issue a formal on-air apology for the lie you have spread about Governor Newsom.”On Thursday, Watters issued a lukewarm apology on air, saying: “‘Not even a voicemail’ – we took that to mean there was no call ever … We thought the dispute was about whether there was a phone call at all when he said without qualification that there was no call.“Now Newsom’s telling us what was in his head when he wrote the tweet,” Watters added. “He didn’t deceive anybody on purpose, so I’m sorry, he wasn’t lying. He was just confusing and unclear. Next time, governor, why don’t you say what you mean.”In response to Watters’s comments on air, Newsom provided a statement to the Los Angeles Times suggesting he would forge on with his lawsuit.“Discovery will be fun,” the statement reportedly said. “See you in court, buddy.” More

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      Newsom threatens to redraw California House maps in protest at Texas plan

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      Seeking to offset a Republican plan to pick up congressional seats in Texas, California Democrats say they are prepared to redraw the state’s 52 congressional districts in a longshot and controversial effort to pick up Democratic seats.Governor Gavin Newsom, seen as a likely presidential candidate in 2028, has been leading the threat in recent days. And Democratic members of California’s delegation in the US House appear to be on board.“We want our gavels back,” Representative Mark Takano, a California Democrat, told Punchbowl News. “That’s what this is about.” Democrats hold 43 of California’s 52 seats and reportedly believe they can pick up an additional five to seven seats by drawing new maps.Newsom is pushing the plan as Texas Republicans are poised to redraw its 38 congressional districts in a special session that begins next week. Texas’s governor, Greg Abbott, put redistricting on the agenda at the request of Donald Trump, who wants Republicans to add five seats in Texas as he seeks to stave off a loss in congressional seats next year. The effort has been widely criticized by Democrats as an anti-democratic ploy to make Republicans unaccountable to their voters.Newsom’s plan in California is unlikely to succeed. More than a decade ago, California voters approved a constitutional amendment that stripped lawmakers of their ability to draw congressional districts and gave it to an independent redistricting commission. Newsom has only offered vague ideas for how to get around that requirement. He has suggested the legislature could call a quick voter referendum to potentially strip the commission of its power. He also said on Wednesday there was a possibility of the legislature trying to enact new maps on its own – a novel legal theory.“It’s not lawful in any way,” said Dan Vicuña, a redistricting expert at the watchdog group Common Cause. “It was clear that this was meant to be done one time after the census, through a public and transparent process that centers community feedback, and then to be not touched again until the next decade.”He added: “It’s not an invitation to them to circumvent the independent process and gerrymander maps in the middle of a decade. That would completely undermine the purpose of the independent process voters approved.”California’s independent commission has long been considered a model for making the process of drawing district lines fairer. There has been a bipartisan push in recent years to get more states to adopt commissions such as California’s, where ordinary citizens – Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated – have the power to draw district lines. After the 2020 census, four states – California, Arizona, Michigan and Colorado – used independent commissions. Democrats sought to require all states to use independent redistricting commissions in federal legislation that stalled in the US Senate during Joe Biden’s presidency.Russell Yee, a Republican who served on California’s commission, said that while he understood Newsom’s frustration, the only solution is redistricting reform at the federal level.“To abandon a commitment to fair and equitable election districts for partisan advantage is to sell family treasures at a pawn shop for a wad of quickly spent cash,” he said.Newsom has noted he supported creating the commission, but frames his willingness to redraw maps as the type of hardball Democrats should be more willing to play as Trump and Republicans have openly defied the law.“They’re playing by a different set of rules. They can’t win by the traditional game so they want to change the game,” Newsom said on Wednesday. “We can act holier than thou. We can sit on the sidelines, talk about the way the world should be. Or we can recognize the existential nature that is this moment.”Alex Lee, a state assemblyman who chairs his chamber’s progressive caucus, rejected that argument. “CA independent citizen redistricting (imperfect) is model for the nation,” he wrote in a post on X. “[Republicans] resort to cheating to win. We win by running clear platform for the working class and delivering.”Trying to push through a redrawing of California’s map could also undermine efforts by Democrats to convince voters of the grave dangers of Trump’s attacks on the rule of law. More

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      Trump officials tour Alcatraz in bid to reopen prison amid outcry from California leaders

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      A delegation of US officials toured Alcatraz on Thursday as part of Donald Trump’s pledge to reopen the shuttered federal prison and tourist attraction in the San Francisco Bay, amid an outcry from California leaders who have called the plan “lunacy”.Doug Burgum, the interior secretary, who visited the island prison with attorney general Pam Bondi, said the federal government was beginning “the work to renovate and reopen the site to house the most dangerous criminals and illegals”.The president’s proposal to reopen Alcatraz, which closed in 1963 due to steep operating costs and is now a National Park Service museum with 1.4 million visitors a year, has attracted fierce criticism from local leaders, California Democrats and the state governor.“With stiff competition, the planned announcement to reopen Alcatraz as a federal penitentiary is the Trump administration’s stupidest initiative yet,” said Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker and San Francisco congresswoman, ahead of the delegation’s visit. She described it as a “diversionary tactic” from the recently passed budget and “lunacy”.“It remains to be seen how this administration could possibly afford to spend billions to convert and maintain Alcatraz as a prison when they are already adding trillions of dollars to the national debt with their sinful law.”In May, Trump said his administration would reopen and expand Alcatraz to “house America’s most ruthless and violent offenders”. This week, as the administration continued to deal with the outcry over the decision not to release additional files related to Jeffrey Epstein, Bondi and Burgum traveled to the site.“Alcatraz is the brand known around the world for being effective at housing people that are in incarceration, so this is something we’re here to take a look at,” Burgum told Fox News on Thursday. “It’s a federal property – its original use was a prison. So part of this would be to test the feasibility of returning it back to its original use.”But reopening the prison would be an enormous logistical and financial undertaking. The facility, known for its brutal conditions and escape attempts, closed because its operating costs were three times more than any other federal prison due to its physical isolation – and million of dollars were needed for restoration. While in operation, nearly 1m gallons of water were transported to the island each week, according to the Bureau of Prisons.The site later became a symbol of Indigenous resistance when Indigenous American activists began a 19-month occupation of Alcatraz in 1969, and opened to the public for tours in 1973. Officials have said it is in no condition to serve as a detention center.“There is no realistic plan for Alcatraz to host anyone other than visitors,” Daniel Lurie, San Francisco’s mayor, said on Thursday. “If the federal government has billions of dollars to spend in San Francisco, we could use that funding to keep our streets safe and clean and help our economy recover.”In response to news of tour, Gavin Newsom’s press office said: “Pam Bondi will reopen Alcatraz the same day Trump lets her release the Epstein files. So … never.” More

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      Trump rescinds $4bn in US funding for California high-speed rail project

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      Donald Trump said on Wednesday the transportation department is rescinding $4bn in US government funding for California’s high-speed rail project.The department said there was no viable path forward for California’s high-speed rail project and it was considering potentially clawing back additional funding related to the project.The Federal Railroad Administration issued a 315-page report last month citing missed deadlines, budget shortfalls and questionable ridership projections.One key issue cited is that California had not identified $7bn in additional funding needed to build an initial 171-mile segment between Merced and Bakersfield, California.The California high-speed rail system is a planned two-phase 800-mile (1,287km) system with speeds of up to 220mph that aims to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim, and in the second phase, extend north to Sacramento and south to San Diego.The California High-Speed Rail Authority said previously it strongly disagrees with the administration’s conclusions “which are misguided and do not reflect the substantial progress made to deliver high-speed rail in California”.It noted California governor Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal before the legislature extends at least $1bn per year in funding for the next 20 years “providing the necessary resources to complete the project’s initial operating segment”.The authority noted in May there is active civil construction along 119 miles in the state’s Central Valley.Transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, said: “Newsom and California’s high-speed rail boondoggle are the definition of government incompetence and possibly corruption.”Newsom responded on social media: “Won’t be taking advice from the guy who can’t keep planes in the sky.”Voters approved $10bn for the project in 2008, but the costs have risen sharply. The transportation department under former president Joe Biden awarded the project about $4bn.The entire San Francisco-to-Los Angeles project was initially supposed to be completed by 2020 for $33bn, but has now jumped from $89bn to $128bn.In 2021, Biden restored a $929m grant for California’s high-speed rail that Trump had revoked in 2019 after the Republican president called the project a “disaster”. More