Why the Texas floods are fuelling far-right conspiracy theories
Guardian contributor Ben Makuch tells Reged Ahmad why so many – including elected representatives – are turning to misinformation in an attempt to understand the tragedy
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump hints he could take over sanctuary cities and arrest mayors
Donald Trump suggested he could impose martial law to take control of sanctuary cities that refuse to comply with federal immigration laws. The president's post to Truth Social Wednesday morning also implied that he could take action to arrest 'insurrectionist' mayors in those cities that uphold policies making it harder for federal immigration enforcement agents to do their jobs. The wild suggestion came in the form of a meme that Trump reposted to his social media account. A pro-MAGA account posted a black and white image of Abraham Lincoln surrounded by words meant to come from the perspective of the 16th U.S. president. ''Sanctuary City' mayors are defying federal law,' it reads. 'They are insurrectionists just like the southern governors during the Civil War.' 'President Trump should declare martial law in those cities, arrest the mayors, appoint military governors, and restore the rule of law, just like I did,' the Lincoln-voiced meme reads. The post came as a response to Trump's lengthy Truth Social post made on Tuesday night demanding that the Senate confirm his 'highly qualified judges and U.S. attorneys.' Trump claimed that the states where his appointments are still outstanding are the ones that have the most crime and need the most help. 'I would never be able to appoint Great Judges or U.S. Attorneys in California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Virginia, and other places, where there is, coincidentally, the highest level of crime and corruption — The places where fantastic people are most needed!' Trump lamented of Democrat blockades. Martial law is invoked by governments during times of extreme crisis, like war, rebellion or major disasters. It usually involves the military helping take control of civilian affairs, and limits normal legal process and other civil liberties. In the U.S., martial law was imposed in certain areas of the country during the Civil War by President Lincoln to suppress rebellion. It was also used in Hawaii during World War II after Pearl Harbor attacks. Many Republicans feel that the mass amounts of illegal immigration and years of open-border policies under former President Joe Biden constitutes a crisis that would justify use of such extreme processes. Trump has recently upped his war with sanctuary cities and states and their leadership. Federal immigration agents under the Department of Homeland Security have been tasked with conducting raids in cities and states that rebuke federal laws.
Reuters
17 minutes ago
- Reuters
VIEW India reacts to Trump's 25% tariff on the country
July 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday a 25% tariff on goods imported from India starting August 1 and an unspecified penalty for buying Russian weapons and oil. Trump's decision dashes hopes of a limited trade agreement between the two countries, which had been under negotiation for several months. Here are some reactions: "While the negotiations seem to have broken down, we don't think the trade-deal haggling between the two nations is over yet. We see it more from the lens of geopolitics than purely economics and see both sides striving to get the deal done, even as the power equations may change a bit in U.S. favour." "Higher tariffs for India compared to countries it competes with, for exports to the U.S., are going to be challenging. However, the expectation is that the trade deal is likely to be finalised shortly and hence the period of applicability of these higher tariffs could be short." "Despite the unpredictable policy making of the U.S., the market was expecting a tariff deal to work out as longer-term U.S.-India strategic interests are aligned. Markets will hope for a 'TACO' trade if better senses prevail. China is defying U.S./UN sanction on Iran oil, Myanmar and Russia trade and North Korea support. Size and the competitiveness of the economy has its advantages. I hope and pray that this unilateral imposition should accelerate Indian policy making to be growth supportive. Our biggest deterrence continues to remain GDP size and competitiveness." "The decision to raise the U.S. tariff to 25% on Indian exports is an unfortunate development, particularly given the strong strategic partnership that has been steadily built between India and the USA in recent years. However, it's important to note that both countries remain positively engaged in active negotiations with the U.S. team expected in India later in August to finalize a comprehensive trade agreement."
The Guardian
17 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Trump imposes 25% tariff on India plus ‘penalty' over ties to Russia
Donald Trump has announced the US will impose a 25% tariff on goods from India plus an extra 'penalty' for the country buying arms and energy from Russia amid the war in Ukraine. Washington has set a 1 August deadline for countries around the world to reach agreements on trade, including India, amid the US president's sweeping global tariff war. While saying that Delhi was a 'friend,' Trump used his Truth Social platform to openly criticise India's trade policies and said the White House would impose a 25% tariff 'plus a penalty' of an unspecified amount. He said the US had a 'massive' trade deficit with India – when imported goods outstrip exports – and linked its 'vast' purchases of military equipment and energy from Russia to Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. Criticising Indian tariffs applied to US imports as 'far too high', he also accused Narendra Modi's government of applying non-monetary barriers to trade that were among the most 'strenuous and obnoxious' in the world. Trump wrote: 'They have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! 'INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MAGA!' Figures compiled by Washington show the US trade in goods with India were an estimated $129.2bn (£97bn) in 2024, making it the US's 10th largest trading partner. The US goods trade deficit was worth $45.7bn. Trump's criticism of India comes as he ramps up pressure on Moscow amid growing frustration with Putin's war in Ukraine. Trump had claimed before his inauguration in January that he would be able to end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office. Dozens of large countries around the world remain locked in negotiations with Washington with only days to go before Trump's deadline of 1 August to reach agreements on trade. The White House has threatened to unilaterally apply higher tariffs if deals cannot be reached. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Washington and Brussels reached a deal on Sunday to limit an increase in US tariffs on most EU goods to 15%, after Trump had threatened to apply a border charge of 30%. Deals have also been reached with Japan, Vietnam and the UK, while an agreement in principle has been reached to extend talks with China. Global investors have monitoring closely amid hopes that damage to the world economy can be avoided after Trump's 2 April 'liberation day' plan sent shock waves through international markets.
