Wisconsin's recall vote will decide more than just confidence in Scott Walker
Thursday 31st May 2012,
, Photograph: Andy Manis/AP
"There are no second acts in American lives," F Scott Fitzgerald once famously wrote. But once in a while in American elections there is the opportunity for a do-over.
Why do poor white voters reject the Democrats? Well, why shouldn't they?
Friday 25th May 2012,
, Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP
So white people who are struggling financially are going to vote Republican. And not by a narrow margin. Asked in a recent Washington Post poll which candidate would do more to advance their families' economic interests, middle-class white voters who said they were struggling to maintain their financial positions chose Mitt Romney. And not by a small margin. In this category he beats Barack Obama by 58% to 32%.
Nato talks security and peace, Chicago has neither
Sunday 20th May 2012,
, Illustration: Andrzej Krauze
On Friday morning in Brighton Park, a neighbourhood in southwest Chicago, around half a dozen Latina volunteers in luminous bibs patrolled the streets around Davis Elementary school. The school sits in the crossfire of three gangs; the Kings, the 2/6s and the SDs (Satan's Disciples). The trees and walls nearby are peppered with "tags" denoting territory and mourning fallen gang members. There is a shooting in the area every couple of weeks, explains Mariela Estrada of the Brighton Park Neighbourhood Council, which facilitates the volunteers.
Three Nato protesters planned Obama campaign HQ attack, prosecutors say
Saturday 19th May 2012,
, Photograph: Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
Three Nato protesters arrested in a late night raid on Wednesday have each been held on a $1.5m bond over alleged terrorism-related offences.
Nato protesters arrested in Chicago raid held on terrorism charges
Saturday 19th May 2012,
, Photograph: Scott Olson/Getty
Three Nato protesters, arrested in a late night raid on Wednesday, have been charged on terrorism-related offences.
Chicagoans take cover as Nato summit attracts protesters and police
Friday 18th May 2012,
, Photograph: Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
Chicagoans woke up on Friday to the prospect of a long weekend of global attention and local chaos, as around 60 world leaders started to arrive for the Nato summit. The front page of the Chicago Sun-Times suggested Nato was an acronym for Now Arrives The Ordeal.
Rahm Emanuel, king of Chicago, goes into battle as Nato comes to town
Thursday 17th May 2012,
, Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/Getty
Explaining his desire to host both the G8 and the Nato summits in Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, the city's mayor told an aide: "It's just like the Olympics, only easier to get."
How being 'the party of no' is working for the GOP
Monday 14th May 2012,
, Photograph: TJ Kirkpatrick/Getty Images
In exit polls during the Republican primaries, voters were given four choices about what they believed to be the most important quality in a candidate: "can defeat Obama", "true conservative", "strong moral character" and "right experience".
A web of privilege supports this so-called meritocracy
Sunday 6th May 2012,
, Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty
Shortly after Mitt Romney's failed 2008 campaign for the Republican nomination his son Tagg set up a private equity fund with the campaign's top fundraiser. One of the first donors was his mum, Anne. Next came several of his dad's financial backers. Tagg had no experience in the world of finance, but after two years in the middle of a deep recession the company had netted $244m from just 64 investors.
Osama bin Laden's death has had zero impact on America's security
Tuesday 1st May 2012,
, Photograph: Sky News
Last week, two coalition troops were injured and one killed by Afghan soldiers; the US reached an agreement with the Afghan government to maintain a presence in the country until 2024; and the US failed to break a diplomatic deadlock with Pakistan after the US refused to apologise for killing 25 Pakistani soldiers in November.