Team Capitalism, Not Team Elon

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘U.S. Against the World’ on HBO Max, a Five-Part Documentary Series Following the US Men’s National Team in the Leadup to the 2026 World Cup

Go deeper with the USMNT during this summer's World Cup.

Major Antiracist Rally Held in Belfast to Condemn Anti-Immigrant Riots Egged On by Elon Musk

Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman is in Belfast, where several days of racist riots have targeted immigrants and ethnic minorities with violence, threats and property destruction. It is the third consecutive summer of organized mob violence against immigrants in Northern Ireland, with roots in the extant paramilitary structures that remain there after decades of sectarian warfare. Our broadcast from the Northern Ireland capital features guests Sinéad Marmion, an immigration lawyer, and Patrick Corrigan, the Northern Ireland director of Amnesty International UK. Both were among the tens of thousands who attended a recent rally in Belfast condemning racism and standing in solidarity with immigrants. “The vast majority of people in Belfast, as across Northern Ireland, are antiracist and very welcoming to the people who have come here to make their lives from around the world,” says Corrigan. “We wanted to send, most importantly, a message to them, to say, 'You are welcome. This is your city. This is your home, just as much as it is ours.'” As mob violence drives residents from their homes and leaves many fearing for their lives, “it’s the community that has picked up the pieces. It’s women in the community, it’s migrant women in the community, that have organized and mobilized the response. And our authorities have been left wanting,” says Marmion. “We have political parties that are stoking the flames and encouraging what they call a 'legitimate concern on immigration,' … and the conversation, resultingly, is always toxic.”

Elon Musk gets dealt blow by Biden-appointed judge days after becoming trillionaire

A judge dismissed a lawsuit from Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI accusing a rival of trying to steal trading secrets — three days after Musk became […]

DOJ abandons billionaire's charges after Trump personal lawyer joins team: report

President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Boris Epshteyn, allegedly joined an Indian billionaire's criminal defense team — and the Justice Department then moved to drop the charges, according to a new Wall Street Journal investigation.Epshteyn, who serves as Trump's legal coordinator and closest legal adviser, was said to have joined the defense of Gautam Adani — an Indian billionaire indicted in October 2024 on charges he schemed to pay more than $250 million in bribes to Indian officials.The alleged bribes were meant to secure solar-energy contracts. Initial defense lawyers had already tried and failed to get the case dropped. By spring 2025, senior Justice Department officials had greenlit proceeding with the prosecution.Then Sullivan & Cromwell — a white-shoe law firm that also represents Trump — took over Adani's defense last July. Around that same time, the Adani family told associates that Epshteyn was helping them.That account came from seven sources familiar with the matter, the Journal reported. Epshteyn never appeared in court filings or attended meetings with prosecutors. But his name was discussed inside the Justice Department.After two presentations by Sullivan & Cromwell lawyers, senior Justice Department officials on May 18 asked a federal judge in Brooklyn to dismiss all charges. The motion notably lacked the signatures of the line prosecutors who built the case — a sign of their disagreement.Epshteyn has spent nearly a decade at Trump's side, starting as a senior adviser on his 2016 campaign. He helped secure Justice Department posts for several officials — including Trent McCotter, the principal associate deputy attorney general who had the final say over the Adani dismissal.Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who defended Trump through multiple criminal prosecutions, was previously Epshteyn's own criminal-defense lawyer."The claims in this personal attack are false, malicious, and defamatory," Epshteyn said in a statement. The Adani Group said it "have not retained him in any capacity."Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Blanche demanding an explanation."This administration has made clear that it is not the world police," a Justice Department spokeswoman said.

Underdog Team Delivers Shocking Result at World Cup Game, Thanks to Amazing Play From Goalie

Even After “Deal,” the U.S. Is Treating Iran’s Soccer Team Horribly

Iran’s national soccer team is dealing with unnecessary hardship during the World Cup thanks to the Trump administration, with acquiescence from FIFA, international soccer’s governing body.The team was forced to leave the U.S. immediately after its World Cup match with New Zealand Monday night in Los Angeles, which ended in a hard-fought 2–2 draw, and head back to their Tijuana, Mexico, base camp.“After the game today they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately,’” coach Amir Ghalenoi told the press after the match. “Whereas today it’s very important for us to have recovery.“We’ve been asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that. They are forcing us to go back early. They are making the situation more and more difficult, more hurdles, but we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best.”Iran wasn’t even supposed to have its tournament base camp in Mexico. They were forced to abandon their original plans for a base camp in Tucson, Arizona, thanks to the Trump administration, which isn’t letting them stay overnight in the U.S. despite their group stage games taking place in Los Angeles and Seattle. Their fan base is also being punished: Iran’s entire ticket allocation was taken away last week, although it’s not clear if that was a U.S. or FIFA decision.Before their match, the team had to go through five hours of travel and security checks on Sunday, despite the distance between Tijuana and Los Angeles only being 140 miles. “We don’t know why they’re returning us, to be honest. I think it’s very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us.… We were supposed to arrive two nights before the game, but they didn’t permit [it],” Ghalenoi said. “We were supposed to stay here tonight to recover and return tomorrow lunchtime.“I think our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup. Our federation isn’t here, our media isn’t here, our management isn’t here.”The U.S. government initially denied visas to 15 of the Iranian team’s support staff, later reducing that number to 11 after some visas were approved. Those excluded from the U.S. include both of the team’s media officers, analysts, and Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj. Inexplicably, winger Mehdi Torabi’s visa has also expired, as he was only granted a single entry visa to the U.S., Iranian state media reported. The Iranian federation is scrambling to get Torabi a new one that lets him take part in the remaining matches.“I think it’s not good for the football,” team captain Mehdi Taremi said of the team’s situation. “In [the] World Cup, you have to prepare good for the next game, which is a lot of stress for the players and the staff and everyone. But we don’t have that support, and I think FIFA have to help us more than this. Let’s see what’s going to happen in the future.” 🚨🇮🇷 BREAKING — World Cup “Disaster”Mohammad Mohebi and Mehri Taremi Say:“Not to Make Excuses but This Is Not a Fair Competition.”Iranian Players argued they should arrive 2 days before matches instead of traveling, training, and playing while exhausted by 5 hours in… pic.twitter.com/Z0ViTFEoRO— Pamphlets (@PamphletsY) June 16, 2026

"Land Grab": Trillionaire Elon Musk Sued in South Texas to Block SpaceX's Takeover of Wildlife Refuge

Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire on Friday with the largest initial public offering in stock market history for his rocket and AI company SpaceX. The company is based in South Texas in a city controlled by Musk known as Starbase, which SpaceX has used for rocket launches since 2014. Environmental and conservation groups recently filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block a land swap approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that would give SpaceX more than 700 acres of a national wildlife refuge in South Texas. With Starbase, “SpaceX has already burned down dozens of acres of wildlife habitat, is dumping polluted water on our beach, has sent rocket debris into our communities, into communities in Mexico,” says Bekah Hinojosa, co-founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, which is part of the lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Elon Musk is using our impoverished community as his laboratory to blow up dangerous experimental SpaceX rockets.” While groups like the South Texas Environmental Justice Network are organizing opposition to Musk’s operations in South Texas, local officials are ignoring constituents’ complaints that SpaceX is degrading the environment and their quality of life, says Hinojosa. “We’ve seen elected officials take money from SpaceX here and lobby in favor of more bills that benefit SpaceX.”

Farage Shakes Up Social Media Team to Face Threat From the Right

Nigel Farage privately vowed to overhaul the team that manages his Facebook account because they were under-performing Rupert Lowe, the leader of a rival right-wing party who boasts a huge following on social media.