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Analysis: As The New UK Prime Minister Cosies Up To Donald Trump, Lisa Nandy Could Be About To Become The Most Consequential Culture Secretary In America In Recent Memory
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who kept her post when ally Andy Burnham became Prime Minister this week, now faces a string of decisions that could significantly affect major American media companies, according to analysis. Her choices on media mergers and broadcasting funding come at a delicate moment, as Burnham seeks to maintain the smooth…
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Convicted fraudster Lou Haigh stripped of public sector fraud brief
Louise (Lou) Haigh, the Labour politician previously known for resigning as Transport Secretary in 2024 after her decade-old fraud conviction came to light, has reportedly been removed from a role focused on tackling public sector fraud. The move highlights the continuing fallout from her conviction, which relates to a false insurance claim she made years…
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Guardiola’s Italy talks advance as FIGC confirms financial concessions
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has confirmed that special financial “exceptions” have been arranged to accommodate Pep Guardiola, should he become Italy’s next head coach, in the clearest sign yet that talks with the former Manchester City manager are progressing. FIGC president Giovanni Malagò named Guardiola directly when discussing the arrangements but stopped short of…
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The battle for Congress gets a Wall Street-style scoreboard powered by real-money bets
Kalshi, the prediction market platform, has launched a “Midterms Hub” offering live, real-money betting odds alongside polling data to track the battle for control of Congress ahead of the November midterm elections. The move highlights the growing role of prediction markets as a complement to traditional opinion polling, giving campaigns, journalists and voters a continuously…
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Trump has campaigned more so far in 2026 midterms than he did at this point in 2018
President Trump is campaigning far more actively ahead of the 2026 midterm elections than he did at the equivalent point in 2018, breaking with the usual pattern of unpopular presidents keeping a low profile during midterms. The approach is notable because his approval rating is currently worse than it was in 2018, when Republicans lost…
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States want to bring Medicaid behind bars. Federal changes make that harder
Around 19 US states have been developing bipartisan programmes to provide Medicaid coverage to people in prisons and jails before their release, aiming to give them access to substance use treatment, medications and mental health care while incarcerated, and to maintain that care once they return to the community. The approach is intended to cut…
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Anthropic pours another $20 million into AI safety group
Anthropic has committed a further $20 million to Public First Action, a bipartisan US advocacy group promoting AI safeguards and transparency. The donation doubles Anthropic’s support for the group to $40 million, highlighting how AI companies are increasingly seeking to influence policy before the US midterm elections. Public First Action campaigns on issues including disclosure…
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Andy Burnham announces new £2 bus fare cap across England
Andy Burnham has announced that most single bus fares in England will be capped at £2 from January, part of a broader package of measures aimed at easing the cost of living under the new prime minister. The move lowers the current £3 nationwide cap and reverses an increase introduced by Sir Keir Starmer and…
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Andy Burnham fails to commit to Healey’s 3 per cent defence spending demand
New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has not committed to former defence secretary John Healey’s call for defence spending to rise to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030, leaving uncertainty over how quickly funding for the armed forces will increase. Healey resigned as defence secretary in June, arguing the existing defence investment plan left the…
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Burnham’s bus shambles: Minister admits £450m funding for £2 fare cap ‘not worked out yet’ – a day after PM told Cabinet ALL policies must be costed
A UK minister has admitted that funding worth £450 million to support Andy Burnham’s proposed £2 bus fare cap has “not been worked out yet”, raising questions over the policy’s viability. The admission is particularly awkward for the Government as it came just a day after the Prime Minister told Cabinet colleagues that all policies…