2 hours ago McCarthyism stalked my family. Its paranoia contains a lesson for Trump’s second term | Richard Sennett

Trump’s eerily familiar evocations of the ‘enemy within’ may be harder to shake off than the man who targeted my parentsThe rise of Donald Trump aroused in me an old fear of Senator Joseph McCarthy. Both McCarthy and Trump rose to power as demagogues who fed on the American public’s fear of “enemies within”. My family had cause to fear on the biggest of these counts: my parents were communists from an early age, although they had quit the party in 1939 after Hitler’s pact with Stalin. In the heyday of US power, families such as mine were persecuted for a cause in which they no longer believed. We developed ways to avoid or resist persecution that worked pretty well, and I think these help to illuminate the combat that is to come with Trumpism.Some connections between McCarthy and Trump are straightforward, both having been charismatic performers with a base of willing believers, both exploiting patriotism, both making up “facts” on the spur of the moment. There is a personal bridge ...

Politics

16 hours ago U.S. homelessness crisis surges to record levels alongside rising rents and immigration

Advocates demand urgent action on housing and family support while Trump promises tent cities and ‘mental institutions’

Society

13 hours ago US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, in push to get aid out before leaving office

U.S. officials say the United States is expected to announce it will send another $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine

Economics

28 hours ago UFC, boxing and golf: what is Donald Trump’s relationship with sport? – podcast

The US president-elect’s ties with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and boxing, as well as World Wrestling Entertainment, might tell us about the kinds of sport he appreciates. But then there’s golf As the US prepares to host the World Cup and the Olympics during Trump’s presidency, Jonathan Freedland and Karim Zidan walk through his history with sport to see if it explains more about himArchive: BBC, WWE, Fox 9 Minneapolis, NBC 10 Philadelphia, PBS Newshour, TMZ, MSNBC Continue reading...

Sport

13 hours ago Many believe US healthcare industry was to blame in CEO killing, poll reveals

Americans point to coverage denials and steep profits from insurance industry after Brian Thompson’s killingIn a new poll, more than two-thirds of respondents said they believed denials of coverage and profits in the health insurance industry were partially responsible for the killing of Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO, in early December.Thompson was shot dead on the streets of Manhattan. His killer fled, sparking a nationwide manhunt, which ended when Luigi Mangione was arrested and charged with the killing after being arrested in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s. Mangione’s alleged writings indicated that he was angry at the US healthcare industry and saw it as exploitative. Continue reading...

Events

21 hours ago The top 25 holiday destinations of 2025, picked by experts: These are the festivals, events and secret relaxing hotspots you should book NOW to get an amazing bargain

In its annual report on travel trends, hospitality giant Hilton declared 2025 the 'Year of the Travel Maximizer' - industry jargon for the idea that we all want more experiences.

Culture

16 hours ago Severe weather threatens US flights during one of busiest travel weekends

Nearly 900 flights have been cancelled already as tornado watches are issued in Texas and LouisianaAs the US braces for one of its busiest travel weekends of the year, the threat of severe weather has already led to hundreds of flight cancellations.Tornado watches were issued in the southern states of Texas and Louisiana on Thursday, CNN reported. In Texas, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered ground stops at two airports, CBS reported. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas activated emergency response resources in the state on Thursday. Continue reading...

Transport

3 hours ago Starmer wins historic landslide, Biden drops out and Trump survives assassination bid

New prime minister faced with riots while Grangemouth owners announce oil refinery closure

Politics

20 hours ago ‘It’s not just a dancefloor’: the precipitous decline of UK nightclubs

A cocktail of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis has left larger ‘chrome and carpet’ venues high and dry as struggling chains look to party bars‘A taste of Ibiza in grotty King’s Cross’: memories of closed UK nightclubsWhen the patrons of Watford’s Pryzm nightclub celebrated New Year’s Eve on 31 December 2023, they were marking the end of an era, or rather, the end of seven eras. Like every beloved local club, the venue had been known by multiple names over the years: Top Rank, Bailey’s, Paradise Lost, Kudos, Destiny and Oceana.Now, it will be reincarnated no more, after failing to reach a deal with its landlord. Continue reading...

Society

16 hours ago Biden administration pledges additional military aid to Ukraine amid Russia war

Security assistance package in works as North Korean troops are deployed in Kursk after Putin-Kim agreementThe Biden administration is pledging to approve fresh military aid to Ukraine in the coming days, including crucial air defense systems, as North Korean forces face mounting casualties in their first major deployment to a European conflict.John Kirby, the US national security communications adviser, told reporters on Friday that in just the last week North Korean troops had suffered more than 1,000 casualties in what he referred to as failed “human wave” assaults near the Kursk border-region, which confirms similar figures reported by South Korea. Continue reading...

Events

7 hours ago Donald Trump to make history with second state visit to the UK hosted by the Royal Family

Donald Trump is to become the first elected politician in modern history to be hosted for two state visits by the Royal Family, it was reported last night.

Politics

16 hours ago MAGA backlash as Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy defend visa program for skilled workers: Live updates

MAGA supporters clash with top Trump lieutenants as they laud the benefits of H-1B visa program for American companies

Events

9 hours ago Canadian cabinet ministers meet Trump team amid threat of tariffs and jibes about ‘51st state’

Finance minister Dominic LeBlanc and foreign minister Mélanie Joly made the trip to Mar-a-Lago as the incoming president continues to make ominous noises about relations between their two countries

Politics

17 hours ago 2 Florida tourist spots halt drones in shows following a separate accident that injured a boy

A theme park resort and a huge hotel in central Florida either have stopped using drones or canceled their drone-based shows after several drones collided and fell from the sky during a separate holiday celebration in downtown Orlando

Events

10 hours ago Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban to enable ‘political solution’

Legislation would force Chinese-owned ByteDance to divest video app by January 19 or be restricted in the US

Politics

18 hours ago Russia warns Trump NOT to test nuclear weapon and says it would 'not rule anything out' in response

During Trump's first term as president, his administration discussed whether or not to conduct the first US nuclear test since 1992

Events

10 hours ago Trump asks Supreme Court to block TikTok ban as he considers ‘political resolution’

The nation’s highest court will hear arguments over challenges to an imminent ban on January 10

Politics

19 hours ago World War Three countdown as experts predict escalating global tensions in 2025

Donald Trump will become President of the US again in 2025 and it will be a year of "greatest challenges to international order since World War 2 ended 80 years ago", say experts

Events

10 hours ago Canadian Cabinet ministers meet with Trump's nominee for commerce secretary in bid to avoid tariffs

Two top Canadian Cabinet ministers have met with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary at Mar-a-Lago as Canada tries to avoid sweeping tariffs when Trump takes office

Politics

24 hours ago Countdown to WW3 begins in 2025 with huge land grab forcing UK into war, says expert

Donald Trump has promised to end the war in Ukraine but experts warn his plans will only spur on Vladimir Putin who will eventually attempt a major land grab sparking WW3

Events

10 hours ago Donald Trump in major TikTok ban move as he makes special request of Supreme Court

Donald Trump has stepped in to potentially reverse a ban on TikTok in the United States in a move of major significance for the social media industry - he has 14.7million followers on the app himself...

Politics

26 hours ago Can Europe switch to a ‘wartime mindset’? Take it from us in Ukraine: here is what that means | Oleksandr Mykhed

Nato’s warning reached me as I braced for a missile attack in Kyiv – where we’ve learned how to survive in the era of Russian hybrid warfareDay 1,024 of the invasion. Kyiv, 7am. Friday the 13th. In a former life, someone would have observed that this is a day that portends bad luck. But in a country where shelling is a daily occurrence, it has become irrelevant. I wake up to the sound of an app on my phone warning me of an increased missile threat. While my partner and I are hiding in the corridor, I read the news that the Nato chief, Mark Rutte, has called on members of the US-led transatlantic alliance to “shift to a wartime mindset”.With the first bang of the air defence system, a thought strikes me: for those who have not already been living with it for nearly three years, how would you explain this mindset? What is this wartime thinking? Continue reading...

Events

10 hours ago Trump shares bizarre Truth Social post claiming Bill Gates asked to come to Mar

President-elect’s cryptic message comes amid his ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk’s feud with other MAGA allies over H-1B visas

Politics

31 hours ago MAGA civil war as Elon Musk and Vivek clash with hard right on key immigration issue

The MAGA movement is embroiled in a fierce debate over the H-1B visa program after Vivek Ramaswamy, a Trump appointee, defended hiring skilled foreign workers and criticized American culture.

Events

11 hours ago Donald Trump 'set to be first elected politician to be given two state visits' to UK

Downing Street is considering inviting Donald Trump for unprecedented second state visit, according to reports

Politics

12 hours ago Donald Trump 'set to be first elected politician given two state visits' to UK

Downing Street are considering inviting Donald Trump for unprecedented second state visit, according to reports

Politics

13 hours ago Family detention, raids and ‘no price tag’: Trump’s mass deportation plan comes into focus

Migrant families will be given impossible choices under Tom Homan’s agenda while Trump invokes wartime law and surges law enforcement across the country, Alex Woodward reports

Politics

13 hours ago Trump accidentally shares cryptic message intended for Elon Musk with the world

President-elect Donald Trump sent a cryptic message to his billionaire tech friend Elon Musk on Friday hours after a brutal social media debate on immigration blew up in his face.

Politics

14 hours ago Musk’s fight with Maga reveals split on immigration within Trump’s circle

President-elect’s new allies in Silicon Valley suffer backlash over foreign workers from his core supporters

Politics

14 hours ago Maga v Musk: Trump camp divided in bitter fight over immigration policy

Feud flared up when president-elect chose Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-born entrepreneur, as his AI adviserBitter in-fighting has broken out between tech billionaire Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s hardline Make America great again (Maga) base after the US president-elect chose an Indian-born entrepreneur to be his adviser on artificial intelligence.The row has pitted Musk and his fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy against die-hard supporters including the far-right activist Laura Loomer and Matt Gaetz, the former congress member and abortive nominee for attorney general. The spat threatens to open up a chasm among Trump’s supporters over immigration, a key issue in his election victory. Continue reading...

Politics

14 hours ago An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition

An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in the president-elect’s political movement into public display

Politics

15 hours ago Secrets of Melania Trump's brilliant style tactics: From statuesque suits to Dior opulence... how the First Lady now lets restrained elegance do all the talking

Even when she says nothing - Melania seems intent on being heard. Impeccably attired in a Ralph Lauren Collection chalk grey and white flannel double-breasted pant suit - she stood out.

Politics

16 hours ago Shark Tank star says there’s ‘something great’ about Trump wanting to make Canada the 51st state

“Because if you figured out a way to put these two countries together, it would be the most powerful country on earth,” Kevin O’Leary declared on Fox News.

Politics

16 hours ago ANDREW NEIL: Trump in. Reform rising. And humiliation for Macron, Scholz and Trudeau. Why 2025 will see the collapse of the Left... and nowhere more than Britain

There are, alas, precious few signs that 2025 will be a great year for any of us, which is a pity given 2024 was hardly one to write home about. But it could be an especially miserable year for the Left.

Politics