Latin Americans fear precedent set by legal justification for Syria intervention

Countries fear that legal standard of states being ‘unwilling or unable’ to deal with terrorism could be used in Latin America

Latin American states are mounting a challenge to the acceptance of a legal standard promoted by the US, UK and their allies to justify military operations in the Middle East, fearing the same standard could eventually be used to justify intervention in their own hemisphere.

The Mexican government is spearheading an effort at the UN to bring greater transparency to the formal legal justifications presented by western powers for military operations in Syria and elsewhere.

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Donald Trump gripes about Puerto Rico hurricane aid – live updates

President says all island’s politicians do is ‘complain & ask for money’ and that he is ‘the best thing that ever happened to Puerto Rico

Donald Trump is tweeting this morning and on a bit of a roll.

Puerto Rico got 91 Billion Dollars for the hurricane, more money than has ever been gotten for a hurricane before, & all their local politicians do is complain & ask for more money. The pols are grossly incompetent, spend the money foolishly or corruptly, & only take from USA....

....The best thing that ever happened to Puerto Rico is President Donald J. Trump. So many wonderful people, but with such bad Island leadership and with so much money wasted. Cannot continue to hurt our Farmers and States with these massive payments, and so little appreciation!

In 1998, Rep.Jerry Nadler strongly opposed the release of the Starr Report on Bill Clinton. No information whatsoever would or could be legally released. But with the NO COLLUSION Mueller Report, which the Dems hate, he wants it all. NOTHING WILL EVER SATISFY THEM! @foxandfriends

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Washington and all things politics.

Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to recognize Equal Pay Day – the day into the year that women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity. It’s 2 April.

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Google staff call out treatment of temp workers in ‘historic’ show of solidarity

More than 900 employees sign letter criticizing abrupt firing of contractors, who make up 54% of Google’s workforce

More than 900 Google workers have signed a letter objecting to the tech giant’s treatment of temporary contractors, in what organizers are calling a “historical coalition” between Google’s full-time employees (FTEs) and temps, vendors and contractors (TVCs).

In March, Google abruptly shortened the contracts of 34 temp workers on the “personality” team for Google Assistant – the Alexa-like digital assistant that reads you the weather, manages your calendar, sends a text message, or calls you an Uber through your phone or smart speaker.

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Joe Biden’s very bad week: has his White House run failed before it begins?

After accusations of inappropriate physical contact from several women, Democrats are asking whether Biden is a ‘relic of the past’

Some presidential campaigns take time to hit their stride while others hit the ground running. But Joe Biden appears to be hobbling even before he reaches the starting blocks.

The past week has delivered a barrage of damaging news reports that might persuade the former vice president, long agonising over whether to make a third bid for the White House, to keep procrastinating a little while longer.

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Trump shutting Mexico border would ‘cripple’ El Paso, Republican mayor says

Dee Margo warned Donald Trump that closing the border would have a ‘detrimental, almost draconian’ impact on the region

The Republican mayor of El Paso, the largest American city on the US border with Mexico, has warned Donald Trump that if he goes ahead this week with his threat to close the border it would have a “detrimental, almost draconian” impact on the entire region.

“It would be a critical killer to us, frankly”, the mayor, Dee Margo, said.

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North Dakota: police discover several bodies inside Bismarck building

  • Police say ‘several people deceased inside’ at Mandan business
  • Vehicles clustered around RJR Maintenance and Management

Police responding to a medical call at a North Dakota business on Monday found “several” bodies, authorities said.

The Mandan police department issued a three-sentence news release confirming that officers had found “several people who were deceased inside” the business in the city of about 22,000 just across the Missouri River west of Bismarck.

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White House reversed more than 25 security clearance denials, says whistleblower – live

A fight between Donald Trump and Democrats over hurricane relief for Puerto Rico is imperiling a widely backed disaster aid bill that’s a top priority for some of the president’s southern Republican allies, the Associated Press reports.

More from the AP:

Democrats should stop fighting Sen. David Perdue’s disaster relief bill. They are blocking funding and relief for our great farmers and rural America!

From my colleague Lauren Gambino, an update on progressive superstar and perhaps the only member of Congress known by her initials, AOC:

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has raised more than $90,000 for progressive, swing-district Democrats less than 24 hours after she urged supporters to donate to their re-election campaigns.

Last night @AOC helped raise 3 candidates in tough districts more than 30k each in a few hours. Corporate PACs can give candidates 5K - & it comes with strings. Grassroots $$ lets us stay accountable to the people. That’s the power of this movement — let’s keep building, together

Can’t thank my friend @AOC enough for helping me to reach my Q1 goal. We rise by lifting others. Onward!! https://t.co/AoI7PM2vC0

The @DCCC’s new rule to blacklist+boycott anyone who does business w/ primary challengers is extremely divisive & harmful to the party.

My recommendation, if you’re a small-dollar donor: pause your donations to DCCC & give directly to swing candidates instead.

Some great ones:

The fact that I challenged an incumbent meant a lot of folks were told not to come anywhere near my campaign. But I was lucky to build a dynamic, innovative team of staff & consultants who understood the challenges our campaign faced, and who were willing to take a risk (4/x)

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Joe Biden: ex-defense secretary’s wife says viral photo used ‘misleadingly’

Stephanie Carter said former vice-president had his hands on her shoulders ‘as a means of offering his support’

As Joe Biden faced intense scrutiny of his behavior toward women, the wife of former defense secretary Ash Carter dismissed claims a picture of her with the former vice-president was an example of unwanted touching.

Related: Biden denies inappropriate behavior after claim he kissed Nevada lawmaker

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US will run out of avocados in three weeks if Trump closes Mexico border

President says there is a ‘good likelihood’ he will close border this week if Mexico does not stop immigrants from reaching US

US consumers would run out of avocados in three weeks if Donald Trump makes good on his threat to close down the US–Mexico border.

Trump said on Friday that there was a “very good likelihood” he would close the border this week if Mexico did not stop immigrants from reaching the United States.

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Fans pay tribute after rapper Nipsey Hussle killed in LA shooting – video

A large crowd of fans gathers to pay tribute to the rapper Nipsey Hussle after he was shot dead outside his Los Angeles clothing store on Sunday. The 33-year-old earned a Grammy nomination this year for his major-label debut and was a respected figure in south LA, where he grew up

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New Orleans to apologise for worst mass lynching in America’s history

Mayor LaToya Cantrell will say sorry for 1891 killing of 11 Italian Americans after some were acquitted of murdering police chief

The mayor of New Orleans is to apologise to Italian Americans for the historical lynching of 11 Italian immigrants in what is considered the nation’s worst such incident.

“This has been a longstanding wound,” said Michael Santo of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy. Santo said that when the city was asked earlier this year for an apology, Mayor LaToya Cantrell embraced the idea, appointing Human Relations Commission head Vincenzo Pasquantonio as liaison.

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Mulvaney: only ‘something dramatic’ will stop Trump closing Mexico border

  • Move could have severe consequences for US economy
  • US citizens who cross border for work or family fear hardship

The Trump administration reiterated on Sunday the president’s threat to close the border with Mexico, regardless of potentially severe consequences for the US economy.

Related: Under the bridge: migrants held in El Paso tell of dust, cold and hunger

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Trump is ‘world’s worst cheat at golf’, new book says

Fellow players have accused president of cheating, says former Sports Illustrated columnist in book to be published Tuesday

Donald Trump played golf on Saturday and Sunday at his course in Jupiter, Florida. According to custom, once off the fairways the president tweeted angrily on political subjects.

Related: From victory to vengeance: Trump scents blood in 2020 fight

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Quebec’s religious symbol ban targets minorities in the name of secularism | Martin Patriquin

Bill 62 is the fruit of over a decade of institutionalized animus directed towards the province’s religious minorities

The government of Quebec, Canada’s second-most populous province, wishes to assure everyone that its newly proposed religious symbol ban doesn’t target hijabs, kippa, kirpans and the like. Rather, by outlawing the wearing of such accoutrements by certain government workers, it is ensuring that those who police streets, judge defendants, guard prisoners and teach children do not betray even a modicum of faith to those in their care – “a concrete affirmation that the Quebec state is secular”, as Quebec’s immigration minister, Simon Jolin-Barrette, put it recently.

Related: US woman kidnapped in Afghanistan says husband's abuse was just like captors'

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The small Texas town where Trump’s wall will destroy families and livelihoods

Deep in the deep Rio Grande Valley, plans for president Trump’s wall would cut through towns and communities. In Madero, families fear the loss of their livelihood but vow to resist

Rey Anzaldua walks the path, through a pluvial afternoon on the Rio Grande reach opposite Mexico, towards the little church where he has worshipped “since I was five years old”– the lovely chapel of La Lomita, built in 1865 on a Spanish land grant of 1767. It is a jewel: candle smoke and the musky scent of whitewashed stone wrapping the Virgin of Guadalupe icon and offerings of flowers and corn.

Rey’s family has been here since the 1750s. His extended family “had three Spanish land grants between 16,000 and 18,000 acres along the Rio Grande river and the bridge between,” Rey said. “We don’t have much of that now.”

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‘Cause-play’: swamp monsters and unicorns take on Congress

Humorously absurd characters have been appearing in the background of congressional hearings for Trump nominees

Some unlikely protesters have been gracing the confirmation hearings of nominees for top government posts during Donald Trump’s time in office.

This week, the Senate energy and natural resources committee held a confirmation hearing for David Bernhardt, a former oil lobbyist who has been serving as the acting interior secretary since the resignation of Ryan Zinke in January. And as the committee pressed him on his lobbying record Thursday, a protester in the gallery highlighted the contradiction inherent in his nomination by dawning a swamp creature mask.

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‘Grave terrorist attack’: North Korea condemns raid on its Madrid embassy

In first official comment on February incident, Pyongyang suggests Washington’s possible involvement

North Korea on Sunday described the February raid on its embassy in Madrid by a dissident group as a “grave terrorist attack” and urged an investigation into the perpetrators.

A group of armed men burst into Pyongyang’s Spanish embassy last month and roughed up employees before fleeing with documents and computers.

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Trump Fed pick was held in contempt for failing to pay ex-wife over $300,000

Records obtained by Guardian show Stephen Moore reprimanded by judge for not paying alimony, child support and other debts

Stephen Moore, the economics commentator chosen by Donald Trump for a seat on the Federal Reserve board, was found in contempt of court after failing to pay his ex-wife hundreds of thousands of dollars in alimony, child support and other debts.

Related: Trump’s Federal Reserve pick owes $75,000 in taxes, US government alleges

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The Rolling Stones postpone tour due to Mick Jagger’s health

Singer ‘devastated’ but expects to make full recovery and tells fans to keep tickets

Sir Mick Jagger has said he is “devastated” to let down fans after the Rolling Stones announced they were postponing a tour of the US and Canada while the frontman seeks medical treatment.

The singer, 75, has been told by doctors that he cannot go on tour at the moment but has been advised that he is expected to make a full recovery. No further details of his condition were given.

A statement from the group said: “Unfortunately today the Rolling Stones have had to announce the postponement of their upcoming US/Canada tour dates – we apologise for any inconvenience this causes those who have tickets to shows but wish to reassure fans to hold on to these existing tickets, as they will be valid for rescheduled dates, which will be announced shortly.

“Mick has been advised by doctors that he cannot go on tour at this time, as he needs medical treatment.

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College bribery scandal: professors respond to our anonymous column

We published one professor’s account of student entitlement, and the response from readers was enormous. Here, we share replies from other educators

“If you think corruption in elite US college admissions is bad, what happens once those students are in the classroom is even worse,” wrote an anonymous professor in the Guardian this week.

Related: What happens after rich kids bribe their way into college? I teach them | Anonymous

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