Politics

Buc-ee's dodges John Oliver to sue another small business

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Landmark crypto bill stalls in US Senate despite $225mn spending push

Lobby struggles to pass top priority in Congress as lawmakers spar over legislation

America’s new oligarchy

Under Trump an ultra-wealthy clique has infiltrated government, raising concerns about democratic integrity

DOGE's wild, unverifiable savings claims discredited in US government report

DOGE’s inflated “Wall of Receipts”: 96% of grant savings unverifiable, GAO says.

Trump is losing his war on wind power

A court rules that a hold on all wind projects clearly violates the law.

Voters face uneven AI deepfake protections

Americans across the country could have very different experiences with AI deepfakes leading up to Election Day, thanks to a patchwork of state rules.

Mexico deploys hundreds of troops to secure avocado heartlands

Violence in Michoacán state prompts US to withdraw its inspectors and suspends imports of the fruit

Donald Trump allowed to delay release of financial details in $10bn BBC defamation case

US court agrees with emergency stay requested by lawyers acting for president’s investment trust

SoftBank donated $50 million to Trump’s library months before federal data center deal

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The good, the bad and the green of Badenoch

The Tory leader’s stance on climate exposes her greatest strength and weaknesses

How AI is breaking the British state

The British state is struggling. Railways go unbuilt and potholes unfilled. Welfare bills go up and shoplifters go uncollared. Andy Burnham, the new prime minister, says he can get Whitehall moving; but then again, so did the previous guy. Yet the British state’s ability to function is about to get dramatically worse—a warning to rich democracies everywhere. Citizens frustrated by the poor deal they get from the authorities are turning to artificial intelligence to file objections and appeals, and claim their dues. The resulting deluge of complaints, and demands, will overwhelm bureaucracies built for the age of the post and the telephone. Too little is being done to prevent the state from drowning.

The tragedy of the commons, AI edition

British employment law contains a provision called “interim relief”, an emergency measure under which a judge can order a firm to reinstate a fired employee, or at least pay their wages. The subject may be a whistleblower who has complained of safety breaches, or a troublesome trade-union official. Little known outside legal circles, this provision has been sought infrequently—across Britain tribunals used to get about 20 applications a year—and rarely granted.