Sam Levin

Tennessee plans to execute 66-year-old Darrell Hines after the state’s previous lethal injection of Tony Carruthers was abandoned following more than an hour of failed attempts to establish intravenous access. Hines’s lawyers argue that his age, severe muscular atrophy, recent strokes and limited mobility make a similar ordeal likely, and they have asked the US Supreme Court to intervene. They also question the qualifications of execution personnel, the state’s secrecy, and whether the lethal-injection drugs were properly tested, stored and unexpired. Governor Bill Lee has denied clemency and refused to pause executions, despite criticism from Republican lawmakers calling for an independent review.

Attorneys for Carlitos Ricardo Parias, an immigration detainee at the Adelanto ICE facility in California, released grainy video appearing to show worm-like creatures or larvae in drinking water provided to detainees. The footage follows longstanding complaints about discolored, foul-tasting and intermittently unavailable water, as well as a federal judge’s order requiring ICE to provide continuous access to clean, potable water. DHS said water samples met FDA standards, while facility operator Geo Group said the water came from the municipal system, was regularly tested and that drinking containers were sanitized and refilled three times daily. The exact contaminant and how widely the water was distributed remain unclear.

A court-appointed monitor found that California City, California’s largest ICE detention facility, failed to comply with all eight healthcare requirements set by a federal judge. The 51-page report identified inadequate staffing and intake screenings, delayed medications and specialist care, deficient emergency and psychiatric services, and insufficient disability accommodations, warning that systemic failures placed detainees at serious risk. ICE and operator CoreCivic defended their healthcare procedures, while attorneys for detained immigrants said the findings confirmed widespread neglect. The report recommends reforms to care delivery and oversight as the detained population reaches record levels.

College professor Erik Davis is facing up to six years in prison as one of 15 Minnesota defendants charged with conspiring to obstruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Prosecutors cite organizing meetings, Signal messages, protest planning and alleged connections to antifa, but do not accuse Davis of violence or specific interference with ICE officers. Another defendant, Natasha Rakotz, faces an additional assault charge related to a vehicle collision and could receive up to 26 years. Davis, Rakotz and civil-rights advocates argue that the case criminalizes lawful organizing, imposes severe personal costs and is intended to intimidate opponents of deportation policies. The government maintains that physical injury to officers is not required for criminal liability, while the defendants expect the charges to collapse.

The US attorney’s office in Los Angeles has moved to dismiss all charges against David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union United Service Workers West, who was arrested during a June 2025 protest against an ICE operation in Los Angeles. Huerta was initially charged with felony conspiracy and later with misdemeanor obstruction after being accused of blocking an immigration-enforcement operation; he and his lawyers maintained that he was peacefully exercising his First Amendment rights and was subjected to excessive force. The case is expected to be dismissed with prejudice by the end of August, preventing the charges from being filed again. The Justice Department defended the prosecution and said Huerta agreed to accept responsibility while complying with pretrial conditions, but no such agreement had been filed and Huerta denied criminal wrongdoing. The dismissal follows a series of failed federal prosecutions involving protesters and immigration officers.

The Trump administration signed a 30-year civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that may permit domestic uranium enrichment, prompting Democratic Representative Brad Sherman to call for congressional oversight and safeguards comparable to the UAE’s nonproliferation agreement. Critics including Bernie Sanders warn that weaker inspections could create a pathway to Saudi nuclear weapons, while the administration says the deal meets high safety and nonproliferation standards. The live coverage also reports House passage of a $1.15tn defense bill amid the US-Israel war with Iran, renewed regional attacks involving Houthi rebels, Trump’s partisan Georgia rally, and Democratic tensions over Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan Senate campaign.

A Guardian review of 26 vehicle-assault cases promoted by the Department of Homeland Security found that nearly all accusations against immigrants and protesters were disproven, dismissed or never charged. Only one case produced an assault conviction, while five people were shot during the encounters, including one fatally. The investigation identifies contradictory officer accounts, missing or exculpatory video evidence, procedural failures and repeated DHS promotion of allegations after they collapsed in court. The findings intensify scrutiny of ICE traffic stops and the administration’s claim that vehicle attacks have surged, particularly amid fatal shootings in Texas and Maine.

The discussion examines the US supreme court’s decision allowing Idaho and West Virginia to continue enforcing bans on transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, situating it within a broader rise in political and legal actions targeting transgender youth. Reporting and legal analysis highlight the strategies behind the anti-trans movement and warn that the ruling could weaken wider civil liberties. Interviews with a Guardian reporter and an ACLU attorney underscore the stakes for LGBTQ+ rights amid escalating state-level restrictions.

The US supreme court upheld bans on transgender girls participating in girls’ sports teams in West Virginia and Idaho, a narrow ruling that nonetheless reinforces restrictions in more than two dozen states. While the court declined to mandate nationwide bans, civil rights advocates warn the decision will embolden broader anti‑LGBTQ+ efforts, intensify state‑level conflicts, and expose trans youth to increased harassment and invasive enforcement measures. Supporters of inclusive policies note that protections in many states remain intact, but fear the ruling will encourage local challenges and deepen the toll on affected students.

The Supreme Court rejected Donald Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship by executive order, ruling 6-3 that children born in the US to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment. Trump said he would pursue legislation through Congress, though the Senate filibuster makes that difficult. The court also upheld state restrictions barring transgender girls and women from female school sports and struck down limits on coordinated party campaign spending, while agreeing to hear challenges to semiautomatic-rifle bans. Other developments included plans for the first Republican midterm convention in Dallas, major reported crypto income for Trump, a House vote to disclose sexual-misconduct settlement records, a judge’s block on a student-loan-forgiveness restriction, and continuing disputes over election, immigration and media-access policies.

The video examines the revival of firing squad executions in the United States under Donald Trump and Republican-led state governments. It explains how Idaho has opened a new execution chamber and discusses concerns raised by lawyers and advocates, including allegations that a firing squad execution in South Carolina went badly and may have been botched.

Transgender youth athletes and their families vow to continue participating in sports despite a US supreme court ruling upholding bans on trans girls’ participation in women’s sports teams in West Virginia and Idaho. LGBTQ+ advocates emphasize that while the ruling bolsters similar laws in numerous states, it does not establish a national ban, and more than 20 states still allow inclusive participation. Trans athletes describe the personal importance of sports and the harm caused by political attacks, while supporters warn of increased discrimination, safety risks and invasive enforcement measures. Democratic officials across several states condemn the ruling and reaffirm commitments to protecting transgender youth.

The Guardian’s live coverage follows preparations for the 2026 World Cup’s final group matches. Reece James is expected to miss England’s game against Panama with a tight hamstring, while Declan Rice is also a doubt. Norway appear set to rotate against France, potentially resting Erling Haaland, and France will be without Didier Deschamps, who returned home for his mother’s funeral. Bastian Schweinsteiger defended comments describing Côte d’Ivoire’s style as “unorthodox” and “wild,” while coach Emerse Fae and others criticised the remarks as racist. Ecuador celebrated reaching the knockout stage after beating Germany, Australia and Paraguay qualified after a goalless draw, and tournament organisers faced controversy over Seattle’s planned Pride celebrations for Egypt v Iran. The liveblog also covers team lineups, transfer activity and wider analysis of the tournament.

Seattle’s World Cup organizing committee plans to proceed with Pride Match celebrations around the Egypt-Iran game on 26 June, despite objections from both countries’ football authorities. Events will include watch parties, themed merchandise and LGBTQ+ community programming. FIFA has distanced itself from the Pride Match branding but says rainbow flags and other LGBTQ+ symbols are permitted under stadium rules. Seattle activists describe the event as an opportunity to highlight queer, trans and Iranian identities, while acknowledging anti-LGBTQ+ policies in Iran, Egypt and parts of the United States.

Seattle’s World Cup committee is proceeding with Pride Match celebrations on 26 June, when Iran and Egypt are scheduled to play in the city. The plans, created independently of FIFA to coincide with Seattle’s Pride weekend, have drawn condemnation from both countries, which called for the LGBTQ+ rights festivities to be cancelled.

Jonathan Freedland and Sam Levin examine a chaotic California primary that produced several unexpected results, including the prominence of a British candidate, a billionaire and reality-TV figure Spencer Pratt. The discussion also covers strong performances by establishment Democrats and the failure of a candidate endorsed by Donald Trump to advance.

Jonathan Freedland speaks with Guardian reporter Sam Levin about the surprising results of California’s primary elections, including the involvement of a British candidate, a billionaire, and Spencer Pratt. The discussion covers establishment Democrats’ strong performance, a Trump-backed candidate’s failure to advance, and the influence of wealthy technology donors on the elections.

Progressive Democrats Ro Khanna and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned the Democratic National Committee’s 192-page review of the 2024 election for failing to mention Gaza, Israel or the Uncommitted movement. Khanna argued that unconditional US support for Israel contributed to the party’s defeat, while Ocasio-Cortez called the omission a major oversight and renewed her criticism of aid linked to human-rights violations. The live coverage also reported calls for DNC chair Ken Martin to resign over the report, House Democrats’ criticism of Republicans for postponing a war-powers vote on Iran, and controversy over Stephen Miller’s defense of a $1.776 billion compensation fund that could benefit January 6 rioters. Other developments included Trump’s announcement of 5,000 additional troops for Poland, scrutiny of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s corporate-sponsored family reality show, a federal alert targeting an immigration-enforcement satirist, protests against a new US consulate in Greenland, and opposition to a South Carolina congressional map that would eliminate the state’s only majority-Black district.

Body-camera footage from an October 2025 ICE operation in Woodburn, Oregon, shows agents smashing the windows of a van carrying farm workers, forcibly removing and handcuffing the occupants, and using facial-recognition technology to identify at least one detainee. Court testimony indicated that agents lacked warrants, relied on uncertain data and had been given a target of eight arrests per day. Federal judge Mustafa Kasubhai later found apparent unlawful conduct, inaccurate ICE reports and unfounded smuggling claims, and issued restrictions on warrantless arrests in Oregon. DHS defended the arrests and described its Mobile Fortify and Elite apps as lawful tools, while immigrant-rights lawyers argued that the footage demonstrated excessive force, racial profiling and violations of due process. Four detainees were later deported, and the broader class-action lawsuit remains ongoing.

ICE agents arrested US citizen Christian Cerna at gunpoint after a protest outside a Department of Homeland Security office in California, using vehicle maneuvers, flash-bang grenades and assault rifles while his partner and two young children were in the car. Court-disclosed footage showed agents planning and filming the operation, after which DHS and ICE promoted edited or misleading accounts portraying Cerna as a violent rioter who tried to flee. Cerna pleaded guilty to a lesser assault charge after prosecutors initially pursued a felony, and a judge sentenced him to probation without jail while condemning both his protest conduct and ICE’s unnecessary, potentially vindictive arrest tactics. The case left Cerna and his family with significant physical, financial and psychological harm.

In June 2025, US citizen Christian Cerna attended a neighborhood protest against ICE raids and later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault after allegedly punching a Border Patrol agent, although he denies striking the officer. Days later, ICE officers violently arrested him in front of his family, filmed the operation and posted the footage on social media. Cerna describes the arrest’s lasting emotional impact, while Carter Sherman and Sam Levin explain the reporting behind the story.