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The GuardianHumanityArizona
The abortion doctor who leads with her faith: ‘God is forgiving’

The abortion doctor who leads with her faith: ‘God is forgiving’

Dr DeShawn Taylor runs Arizona’s only Black woman-owned abortion clinic amid rapid legal changes When gynecologist and abortion provider Dr DeShawn Taylor has conversations with patients about the afterlife, they ask her if they will be condemned for their choices. To quell their concerns, she shares with them bible verses about free will. “If God wants that vessel, that spirit to get here, God will choose another vessel. You get to say, ‘I’ll pass,’” Taylor said at her clinic one spring afternoon, her short curly hair matching the color of her maroon scrubs. “I think that makes people feel a lot better with that understanding.” As the founder and CEO of Desert Star Institute for Family Planning in Phoenix, Arizona, Taylor heads the only Black woman-run abortion clinic in the state, which also boasts a staff of women of color. On a Tuesday in March, pop music wafted throughout the waiting room filled mostly with Black and brown women, some with their children in tow. Bilingual posters about abortion care taped to the wall reflected the diversity of the clinic’s staff and clientele. On 6 February, an Arizona judge struck down state laws requiring patients to receive an ultrasound and to wait at least a day before receiving an abortion. With abortions now more accessible, a steady stream of clients poured into the office the week that the laws were repealed. By mid-March, appointments had petered out to a more manageable about 10 services a day.

12h ago
The GuardianHumanityUnited Kingdom
It’s absurd that ‘Black English’ is not on the census. We should be free to claim that identity if we choose | Calum Jacobs

It’s absurd that ‘Black English’ is not on the census. We should be free to claim that identity if we choose | Calum Jacobs

The arguments have been endless and they are fatuous. Wales and Scotland stopped conflating national identity with race: why can’t England? In 2021, the then shadow justice secretary, David Lammy, asserted his Englishness on the Saturday LBC programme he hosted, only for a caller named Jean to insist that his African-Caribbean heritage disqualified him. He could be British, she maintained, but “never be English”. Jean defended Englishness as though it were a possession she would never surrender to the country’s Black populace. Lammy’s entreaties to recognise it as a civic identity were ignored, as Jean attempted to demarcate its racial boundary live, on air. After cross-party condemnation of Jean’s nativist screed, Lammy would go on to appeal for census options that would allow him, his children and other Black people building lives in England to identify as English, but the Office for National Statistics (ONS) stood firm. A spokesperson responded: “The evidence did not support a change to include Black English in England.” This was despite the ONS having recommended Black Welsh and Asian Welsh categories, with equivalent options available in Scotland. In Wales, the change followed criticism that census categories recognised Welsh identity among white respondents but not ethnic minorities; Scotland’s approach was informed by research and consultation showing that Scottishness was integral to the identities of many people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

18h ago
The GuardianDiplomacyWestern Europe
Andy Burnham says UK has ‘lost more than we gained’ through Brexit

Andy Burnham says UK has ‘lost more than we gained’ through Brexit

PM accuses Tories of burning ‘all our bridges’ and says deal he is pursuing with EU will ‘get food prices down’ Andy Burnham has said the UK has “lost more than we gained” since leaving the EU, the prime minister’s latest in a string of comments criticising Brexit. Outlining his desire to form closer ties with Brussels, Burnham accused the Conservative party of having “burned all our bridges” with the bloc after Brexit and said a new deal he hopes to secure with the EU next week will “get food prices down” and put more money in the pockets of British exporters.

8h ago
The GuardianElectionsUnited Kingdom
Andy Burnham urges Labour to ‘rearm’ for Kemi Badenoch comeback

Andy Burnham urges Labour to ‘rearm’ for Kemi Badenoch comeback

No 10 sources say PM wants party to refocus on Tories as electoral threat after prioritising Reform and Greens Andy Burnham has instructed the Labour party to “rearm” to fight the Conservatives at the next election amid concern inside government that they must take the prospect of a Kemi Badenoch-led recovery seriously. Downing Street sources said the prime minister wanted Labour headquarters to refocus on the Tories as an electoral threat after more than two years of prioritising Nigel Farage’s Reform and, on their left flank, the Greens.

1d ago
The GuardianElectionsWestern Europe
Fight the climate crisis or go for growth? There is a way Burnham can do both | Jonathan Freedland

Fight the climate crisis or go for growth? There is a way Burnham can do both | Jonathan Freedland

The environmental and economic dilemmas he faces are formidable but, with a bold plan, he could set an example for leaders around the world For politicians of the centre-left especially, it’s the great dilemma of the age. How do you do what everyone can see is essential to save the planet from boiling – even as your voters demand action to get the economy growing and to make life more affordable? Plenty of activists will tell you there’s no contradiction, that tackling the climate crisis makes economic as well as ecological sense and, in the long term, you know they’re right. But you don’t live in the long term. You’re running the government right now and facing several unavoidable, binary choices. Andy Burnham is a prime example. This week, he addressed the Cop summit in Antalya, promising “a new era of British leadership” in the struggle against global heating. It’s important to him to talk that way: his political strategy relies on shrinking the appeal of the Green party, whose electoral success earlier this year helped remove his predecessor. But talk only takes you so far. Eventually the words have to be matched by action. Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist

1d ago
The TelegraphSex & Identity
Labour’s new trans law is worse for gays and lesbians than Section 28

Labour’s new trans law is worse for gays and lesbians than Section 28

There are only a few days left for the public to respond to the call for evidence on the Government’s draft Conversion Practices Bill, and those of us who consider it dangerous are doing all we can to get our voices heard above the din from trans activists. Among the legislation’s opponents is the feminist philanthropist and author JK Rowling, who this week endorsed a post on X explaining how the bill, if passed, will adversely affect lesbian and gay rights.

1d ago
The GuardianScandalHungary
Hungary seizes $19.5m in cash found buried in forests amid graft inquiry

Hungary seizes $19.5m in cash found buried in forests amid graft inquiry

Anti-corruption agency carried out searches as part of investigation into Orbán-era minister accused of taking bribes Hungary’s anti-corruption agency said on Friday it had seized cash worth $19.5m (£14.8m) buried in forests and hidden elsewhere while investigating an ex-minister of nationalist former leader Viktor Orbán’s cabinet. Miklós Seszták, Hungary’s minister of national development between 2014 and 2018, is accused of taking bribes in a scheme involving the state transport company, purchasing secondhand buses at inflated prices.

1d ago
The GuardianPublic Policy
What the choice between Chuck Schumer and Chris Van Hollen for Senate leader is all about | Bernie Sanders

What the choice between Chuck Schumer and Chris Van Hollen for Senate leader is all about | Bernie Sanders

This is not a personality contest. This is a debate about the future of the Democratic party The election for Democratic Senate leader between Chuck Schumer and Chris Van Hollen must be understood for what it is. This is not a personality contest. This is a debate about the future of the Democratic party. It is a debate about whether the Democratic party remains a top-down party dominated by billionaire campaign contributors, inside-the-beltway consultants and 30-second TV ads, or whether we can transform it into a grassroots party of, by and for the working families of our country.

1d ago
The GuardianElectionsUSA
Progressive versus moderate? Democrats deny party rift as they head into new Congress

Progressive versus moderate? Democrats deny party rift as they head into new Congress

Incoming lawmakers have more in common with each other than they have divisions, even across ideological factions Democrats who won in the midterms, including those in places previously considered off the blue map and those in Democratic strongholds, crafted their campaigns around economic populism and accountability. Lawmakers in the anti-establishment incoming congressional class have more in common with each other than divisions, even across ideological factions. Voters sent a resounding message to work on affordability and rein in the Trump administration, and Democrats across the party have many more shared goals than Republicans, who face a more existential level of discord.

8h ago
The GuardianPoliticians
Corporate Democrats are weaponizing identity politics to smear progressives | Arwa Mahdawi

Corporate Democrats are weaponizing identity politics to smear progressives | Arwa Mahdawi

House members have responded to legitimate criticism with cynicism. Let’s not have another ‘Bernie bros’ moment Before we get started, some ground rules. You are, of course, completely free to disagree with everything I have to say here. However, doing so might mean that you’re racist, homophobic and/or sexist. (Not to boast, but I have a lot of oppression cards to play.) So, you might want to tread carefully, OK? That might sound ridiculous, but I don’t make the rules: I’m just taking a page from the corporate Democrat playbook. From Haley Stevens to Hakeem Jeffries, cynically weaponizing identity politics to ward off reasonable criticism seems to be all the rage. Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist

11h ago
The GuardianElections
As Van Hollen wages a challenge, Senate Democrats are torn on whom to elect as their leader

As Van Hollen wages a challenge, Senate Democrats are torn on whom to elect as their leader

Maryland senator’s bid against Chuck Schumer for leadership could decide direction of the Democratic party US politics live – latest updates Ever since Donald Trump returned to the White House, Democratic officeholders and voters alike have been divided over whether their leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, is up to the task of taking the president on. That debate intensified on Thursday, when the Maryland senator Chris Van Hollen announced he will challenge Schumer for the post of Democratic Senate leader, which will become one of the most powerful jobs in Washington when the party takes control of Congress’s upper chamber next year.

1d ago
Irish IndependentDiplomacyEurope
Micheál Martin's big week: EU Summit, public sector pay deal and the Taoiseach's future

Micheál Martin's big week: EU Summit, public sector pay deal and the Taoiseach's future

Dublin has been the main attraction on the political stage this week as 50 world leaders came to the capital for the European Political Community summit. Micheál Martin has been enthusiastically playing host, and it appears to have largely turned out to be a positive week for the Taoiseach. The Irish Independent‘s political team of Mary Regan, Aisling Moloney and Cónal Thomas have convened to break it all down; from continued full-throated support of Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelensky to what kind of food the various dignitaries have been enjoying. There’s also the public sector pay deal and the Taoiseach’s political future to consider, following what has proved a very busy week indeed. The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalismThis episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by Indo Politics – keep up with the show on YouTube.

1d ago
The GuardianRelationships
How I survived being forced into pornography: ‘I died in that hotel room. I was a walking corpse’

How I survived being forced into pornography: ‘I died in that hotel room. I was a walking corpse’

In 2016, Mariah Rief, then 19, thought she was going to a modelling job at a hotel. Once there, she was sex trafficked. She knows of 15 fellow victims who have since died by suicide or drug overdose – and is determined to stop it ever happening again When people ask Mariah Rief about her experience as a survivor of sex trafficking, they tend to start with the Craigslist ad which led the then 19-year-old to a “modelling shoot” at the Hilton hotel in San Diego. For others, the story starts when Rief enters the lobby and meets Theodore Gyi, the “photographer”. Or after they’ve taken the elevator up to a room, Rief standing at the threshold, Gyi behind her blocking her exit – and just inside the door, the silhouette of a second man waiting. Whenever she talks about it, and whatever the questions, Rief always braces herself for blame, because, to some, it makes no sense. “You get, ‘But why did she answer that ad?’ ‘Why did she walk inside?’ and, my favourite, ‘Where were her parents?’” says Rief. “If you live in an idyllic world, it’s hard to imagine how this could happen.” The true starting point is years earlier. Rief’s beginnings, her childhood, layers of trauma and chaos, fast-tracked her to that hotel room in November 2016, believing that finally, life might be giving her a break. “It’s painful to say it but I was truly the perfect victim,” she says. “I saw that job as an opportunity. When I arrived at that hotel, I thought I was so lucky.”

19h ago
The GuardianPublic PolicyUSA
Mamdani and Trump agree to delay on food stamp rules that put benefit at risk for millions

Mamdani and Trump agree to delay on food stamp rules that put benefit at risk for millions

New York City mayor says deal will allow bodegas and convenience stores across the country more time to comply Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayor, has struck a deal with Donald Trump to secure a 90-day delay on new rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), so that bodegas and corner stores across the country have time to comply. The extension, Mamdani said, starts Friday as a result of conversations he had with Trump and Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary.

1d ago
Revista OesteEducation
Whoever tells the story can say whatever they want: the age-old art of erasing the facts

Whoever tells the story can say whatever they want: the age-old art of erasing the facts

I had an uncle, my maternal grandfather’s brother, who would always tell me and the many children in our family: “Whoever tells the story can say whatever they want.” That was because Uncle Simão, a gifted storyteller despite being illiterate and a rough-hewn man from the fields of São Bento do Sapucaí, would rarely tell his “tales”—mostly ghost stories—exactly the same way twice, even when the plot was the same.

2h ago
The GuardianScandal
Trump ‘whiplash’ on deportations putting Afghans in turmoil: ‘People already survived a war’

Trump ‘whiplash’ on deportations putting Afghans in turmoil: ‘People already survived a war’

Members of Congress and advocates warn that returning people to their home countries could be a death sentence Dozens of Afghans who are currently in the US but fear being deported back to Afghanistan along with a larger group and possibly killed by the Taliban are experiencing “fragile relief” this weekend after it appeared that the Trump administration had put on hold plans to remove them within days. Members of Congress and advocates have repeatedly warned that the deportations could effectively be a death sentence.

11h ago
The GuardianScandalEurope
Public media freedom has been eroded across central Europe. Now Czechs are rallying to protect theirs

Public media freedom has been eroded across central Europe. Now Czechs are rallying to protect theirs

Huge protest planned in Prague to oppose government’s plan to scrap licence fee, which critics say could give ministers more leverage over newsrooms Daniel Stach was an erstwhile junior international slalom kayaker when he first walked into the headquarters of Czech Television in 2010. He had answered a Facebook ad inviting viewers to a behind-the-scenes tour of his favourite programme, a current affairs show called Hyde Park CT24. He did not expect to be offered a job shortly afterwards. Stach, now 38, presents a science offshoot of that show doing long-form interviews. But he has also emerged as one of the most recognised public faces of the campaign to save the mandatory licence fees that fund the nation’s public broadcasters.

14h ago
The GuardianLiteratureUnited Kingdom
Families clear homes of David Walliams books after sexual offence allegations

Families clear homes of David Walliams books after sexual offence allegations

Parents take action while several independent bookshops say they had already stopped stocking his titles In Sarah’s house, David Walliams has been a bedtime staple for years. Her children, aged eight, six and four, have dressed up as his characters for World Book Day – they love the over-the-top, unusual names and illustrations. Now, all the books are going. “I’ll probably take them away and replace them with other authors,” says Sarah, a mother in west London. “Sooner rather than later, so they don’t realise.” If any of her children ask why, she will tell them “that his choices aren’t great and that I think we should be reading other books”.

1d ago
The GuardianCinematic ArtsLondon
UK ministers look at quick ways to limit NDAs after Walliams allegations

UK ministers look at quick ways to limit NDAs after Walliams allegations

Government considers further curbs on non-disclosure agreements after Guardian investigation of TV personality Ministers are looking at ways to change the law quickly to expand protections that stop non-disclosure agreements being used to cover up harassment or discrimination in the wake of the allegations about David Walliams. This could involve extending measures that mean an NDA cannot be used this way to silence an employee so that it also applies to others, such as freelancers or volunteers.

2d ago