10 h. ago Rent’s due and people will ‘starve’: Congress is racing towards the shutdown cliff

Division within the GOP caucus over food stamps could give Democrats a key opening to ramp up the pressure on Republicans to make concessions and earn their votes to end the shutdown, John Bowden and Eric Garcia report

Events

4 d. ago ‘It’s insanely sinister’: horror writers on the scariest stories they’ve ever read

Bloodthirsty ghosts, sadistic supercomputers, creepy childhood games ... Mariana Enríquez, Paul Tremblay, Daisy Johnson and others on the tales that kept them up at nightThe Summer People by Shirley Jackson I read this years ago and it’s a story that’s truly haunted me ever since. The titular “summer people” are the Allisons from New York, who rent the same off-grid country cottage each year. This time, instead of heading back to the city, they decide to extend their holiday for a month longer – something that seems to unsettle everyone in the nearby town. All pass on the same veiled caution that nobody has ever stayed at the lake beyond Labor Day. Nonetheless, the Allisons are determined to remain, and that’s when things start to get increasingly weird. The man who delivers the kerosene won’t sell to them. No one will deliver groceries to the cottage, and when the Allisons attempt to drive into town, the car won’t start. A storm gathers, the batteries in the radio fade, and as dark...

Events

7 d. ago Benefits uplift still unlikely to cover cost of essentials, say experts

Anti-poverty charities have warned an above-inflation rise from April would still see many people struggling with the costs of heat, rent and energy.

Science

1 week ago How to get your rental deposit back and what to do if your landlord refuses

Renting can be a minefield, and one of the biggest issues people face is getting their deposit back, experts share how to get rental deposits back and what people's rights are

Politics

3 w. ago Young people fed up of living with housemates from hell in shared accommodation

Joe Thomas, the actor known for his roles in The Inbetweeners and Fresh Meat, has backed a move to try to help young people in shared rental accommodation

Politics

3 w. ago The winner (if there is such a thing) of the government shutdown will be determined by these two races

Sorting out who wins when workers are being furloughed and services to Americans frozen is a fool’s errand, writes Eric Garcia, but two races ahead of the 2026 midterms will serve as bellwethers.

Politics

3 w. ago Trump blocks $18B in NYC funding as he blames Schumer for shutdown and with ‘radical’ Mamdani leading mayoral race

The money was set to fund the Hudson Tunnel Project and the Second Avenue Subway projects

Politics