The latest news and opinion, plus the biggest stories from the Guardian

The Guardian Today US | The Guardian

Support independent journalism

The Guardian Today US
Headlines
Risks to children playing Roblox ‘deeply disturbing’, say researchers
Exclusive  
Risks to children playing Roblox ‘deeply disturbing’, say researchers
Gaming platform accused of ‘troubling disconnect between child-friendly appearance and reality’
Far right  
Fears over extremism in US military as soldier revealed as neo-Nazi TikTok follower
Business  
‘The sky won’t fall’: China plays down Trump tariff risks as stock markets rally
Live  
Katy Perry and Jeff Bezos’ fiancee Lauren Sanchez ready for space flight with all-female crew
US politics live  
Trump to meet El Salvador’s president at White House amid backlash over deportations
Trump presidency
Critics slam deregulation of crypto as Trump family expands its footprint in industry
Trump administration  
Critics slam deregulation of crypto as Trump family expands its footprint in industry
Watchdogs say cryptocurrency regulation and enforcement has plummeted while Trump family invests heavily in it
US news  
Trump official who oversaw dismantling of USAID leaves US state department
Business  
UN calls on Trump to exempt poorest countries from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs
Trump briefing  
Deep confusion as Trump signals new tariffs on smartphones and computers
 

Betsy Reed

Editor, Guardian US

Person Image

I hope you appreciated this newsletter. Before you move on, I wanted to ask whether you could support the Guardian’s journalism as we face the unprecedented challenges of covering the second Trump administration.

As Trump himself observed: “The first term, everybody was fighting me. In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.”

He’s not entirely wrong. All around us, media organizations have begun to capitulate. First, two news outlets pulled election endorsements at the behest of their billionaire owners. Next, prominent reporters bent the knee at Mar-a-Lago. And then a major network – ABC News – rolled over in response to Trump’s legal challenges and agreed to a $16m million settlement in his favor.

The Guardian is clear: we have no interest in being Donald Trump’s – or any politician’s – friend. Our allegiance as independent journalists is not to those in power but to the public.

How are we able to stand firm in the face of intimidation and threats? As journalists say: follow the money. The Guardian has neither a self-interested billionaire owner nor profit-seeking corporate henchmen pressuring us to appease the rich and powerful. We are funded by our readers and owned by the Scott Trust – whose only financial obligation is to preserve our journalistic mission in perpetuity.

With the new administration boasting about its desire to punish journalists, and Trump and his allies already pursuing lawsuits against newspapers whose stories they don’t like, it has never been more urgent, or more perilous, to pursue fair, accurate reporting. Can you support the Guardian today?

We value whatever you can spare, but a recurring contribution makes the most impact, enabling greater investment in our most crucial, fearless journalism. As our thanks to you, we can offer you some great benefits. We’ve made it very quick to set up, so we hope you’ll consider it.

However you choose to support us: thank you for helping protect the free press. Whatever happens in the coming months and years, you can rely on the Guardian never to bow down to power, nor back down from truth.

 
In focus
‘I became like a slave’: why 43 women are suing the secretive Opus Dei Catholic group in Argentina
Rights and freedom  
‘I became like a slave’: why 43 women are suing the secretive Opus Dei Catholic group in Argentina
Lured by promises of an education but allegedly trapped in servitude and self-mortification, the former members are suing the ultra-conservative organisation over their ‘exploitation and abuse’
Global development  
Killed, dismembered and scattered: the Honduran father and son who made a stand against illegal logging
Analysis  
Sky-high US-China tariffs are a mutual trade embargo that will hurt both sides
Spotlight
‘I’ve pulled myself out of a very dark abyss’: Garbage’s Shirley Manson on depression, sexism, dodgy hips and happiness
Music  
‘I’ve pulled myself out of a very dark abyss’: Garbage’s Shirley Manson on depression, sexism, dodgy hips and happiness
The press loved her – but also hated her. Her band was huge – and then it fractured. She started two tours – and had to abandon them. The singer talks about 30 years of heaven and hell
Film  
‘The Citizen Kane of rock movies’: glam rockers Slade and their bid for cinema greatness
Music  
Music can lift mood, foster community and even rewire brains – but does it need to have a purpose?
The one change that worked  
I conquered my fear of public speaking – with just one night of pure panic
Environment  
‘It looks like I’ve gone 10 rounds with a boxer’: when hay fever becomes debilitating – and potentially deadly
Art and design  
‘Gunshots were my obsession’: the nicked golden toilet’s creator on his new pump-action art
Opinion
It is difficult to imagine a post-American world. But imagine it we must