A federal appeals court appeared unlikely to immediately agree to the Trump administration’s bid to segregate 20,000 California ballots it says are likely from noncitizen voters, expressing skepticism at a rare Sunday hearing that a trial judge needs to move quicker. “I don’t see how we have jurisdiction,” said U.S. Circuit Judge Mark Bennett.  The Department of Justice…

President Trump on Sunday blasted Fox News for giving too much airtime to Democratic candidates ahead of the midterm elections, arguing that the network’s coverage was bringing too much attention to Republican opponents that could hurt them in tight races. “FoxNews is spending far too much time putting on the OPPONENTS of Republican Party Candidates,…

A list of records in the Kennedy Center's possession suggests that Trump has been in "near-constant contact" with the center's management, either directly or through intermediaries, plaintiffs' lawyers said in a court filing on Sunday.

Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, on Sunday said the economy is the “best we’ve ever seen” as the Trump administration and Republicans make their final pitches heading into the midterm elections. “So, the great big picture about the economy is that it’s about the best economy we’ve ever seen,” Hassett said during…

Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday accused CBS News’s “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan of giving a “misleading” description of the Alaska Senate race, where two candidates with similar names will appear on the ballot. Brennan said the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Alaska preemptively to block the certification of the results if Sen.…

It’s time to see these horrid crimes for what they are: patterned, persistent, predictable and preventable.

Democratic strategist David Axelrod called out President Trump on Saturday, following Trump’s remarks at an evening rally where he told supporters he “did not give a damn” about high fuel prices because “we’re making a freaking fortune” on oil. “HE’s making money like he’s never made before. And he doesn’t give a damn about high…

Gas, diesel and food prices are high and expected to remain elevated through Election Day, creating a strong political headwind for Republicans who are at serious risk of losing control of the House and possibly the Senate, as well. President Trump’s diesel deal with Russia has had little lasting impact on fuel prices, according to…

Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday said President Trump doesn’t consider Alaska’s Senate race to be a fair contest because of the controversial appearance on the ballot of a candidate with the same name as incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R), which he argued could confuse voters and potentially cost Republicans the seat. During his “State…

He recognizes a cool thing when he sees it.

President Trump went after Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Alaska’s ranked choice voting system Saturday. “The Republicans’ Worst Senator, by far, Lisa Murkowski, of the Great State of Alaska (A State for which I produced, on a continuing basis, Billions and Billions of Dollars, and which Crooked Joe Biden and the Dumocrats had totally shut…

VW investment, creating 4,500 jobs in Georgia, comes amid Trump’s damaging tariffs, intense Chinese competition and costly shift towards EVs

Audi has said it will spend $4bn (£3bn) to build its first factory in the US, as its parent company, Volkswagen, struggles with the impact of steep tariffs imposed by Donald Trump.

The German brand’s chief executive, Gernot Döllner, joined Trump on stage at a campaign rally on Saturday night to announce the factory in Macon, Georgia, in an unusual move by a big European brand just days before the US midterm elections.

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© Photograph: Friso Gentsch/EPA

© Photograph: Friso Gentsch/EPA

© Photograph: Friso Gentsch/EPA

With less than two weeks to go before the midterms, the Trump administration is ramping up its warnings about voter fraud and is not ruling out the prospect of weighing in on states’ election certification efforts. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is holding a rare weekend hearing as the Justice Department (DOJ) seeks…

President Trump announced a new Audi factory Saturday while campaigning in Georgia, a move that arrived almost a week before November’s midterms. “Today, I’m thrilled to announce a massive auto manufacturing investment in the great state of Georgia by a fantastic company,” Trump said during Saturday’s rally.  “Audi has just committed to invest $4.2 billion…

James ‘Fergie’ Chambers, in prison in Spain, has applied for asylum as US seeks extradition over alleged Hamas support

US authorities seized wealthy activist James “Fergie” Chambers’s cellphone at some point after Spanish police arrested him in July without notifying him or his attorneys, the Guardian has learned.

Chambers, a US citizen and wealthy donor to leftwing and humanitarian projects, is imprisoned in Madrid. His case is the first known instance of the US seeking to extradite a citizen over alleged support for Hamas, an accusation tied to money Chambers has donated to support Palestinians, including the Sameer Project, in Gaza.

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© Photograph: Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto via Getty Images

© Photograph: Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto via Getty Images

© Photograph: Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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.

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© Illustration: Guardian Design/Getty Images

© Illustration: Guardian Design/Getty Images

© Illustration: Guardian Design/Getty Images

Nonprofit watchdog group Common Cause, represented by attorneys from American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), has filed a motion to intervene in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit over Alaska’s Senate election. The DOJ filed a lawsuit Thursday claiming the presence of a candidate with the same name as incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) could give…

Attorneys representing President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner have sent a letter to Vanity Fair and Condé Nast over allegations published in an article Thursday, calling them “false” and “defamatory.” “We formally put Vanity Fair and Condé Nast on notice regarding the false and defamatory allegations published about our client, Jared Kushner,” Chad Mizelle, the Justice…

The U.S. military has drawn up options to potentially attack Iran after the U.S. midterm elections, possibly renewing the conflict that has lasted over eight months.  The U.S. Central Command (Centcom), which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, has plans ready to conduct follow-up strikes against Iran if there’s authorization from the White House,…