Two days before registered Republicans voted in the party’s primary election in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District on May 20, Donald Trump called the incumbent representative, Thomas Massie, “the worst Republican congressman in history”.

Massie subsequently lost the primary to a political newcomer with no prior office-holding experience. Ed Gallrein’s not-so-secret weapon was that he had the backing of the US president.

Just over a week later, Texas voters were asked to decide whether 22-year Senate veteran John Cornyn should be ousted in favour of the state’s attorney-general, Ken Paxton – who was also endorsed by Trump. Despite all the baggage Paxton carried into the race: an indictment for fraud (charges were later dropped) and an impeachment for bribery, which he denied before being acquitted in the state senate. He has also gone through an acrimonious divorce accompanied by accusations of adultery (which he has also denied), Paxton won the May 26 primary handsomely with more than 60% of the vote.

Trump has long threatened to “primary” – back a rival candidate in the upcoming primary election – Republicans who displease him in some way. But with the midterm elections looming in November, we’re seeing this put into practice. And it’s making the conservative “old Republican” wing of his party very nervous.

America’s high-profile November elections involve straightforward contests between the nominees of the main parties. But before a candidate can represent their party, they must first win an internal election. These primaries are open to registered party voters (and, in some states, independents)

American political parties have no centralised power to simply appoint or protect their candidates. The process is genuinely competitive and, as the current cycle is demonstrating, potentially dangerous for incumbents.

For the president to mount a primary challenge is to use a particularly powerful weapon in American political life – it can end a career without the opposing party winning a single vote. On one level, the 2026 GOP primaries are rolling out in the usual manner. However, who is orchestrating them, and why, is worthy of note.

According to the Brookings Institute, Thomas Massie drew Trump’s ire not for any ideological deviation from the GOP line, but for opposing a short-term funding bill and for joining a Democrat in calling for the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files.

The Texas case has a similar logic. Prior to his decades in the Senate, John Cornyn served as Texas attorney general and sat on the Texas Supreme Court. He is a stalwart conservative by any conventional measure. However, he was associated with a bipartisan gun safety bill in 2022, and he has at times been willing to work across the aisle. His challenger, Ken Paxton, is a Maga true believer who survived a bipartisan impeachment attempt in the Texas senate, largely on the strength of Trump’s support.

The pattern extends well beyond these two cases. In one state alone, Trump endorsed challengers to eight GOP state senators who had voted against a redistricting bill, with his allies spending millions in an effort to remove them. The message is clear: vote against the president’s wishes, and he will come for your seat.

Electoral gamble

This strategy is inevitably unnerving for the more traditional wing of the Republican Party. Democrats are confident, and Republicans concerned, that a Paxton nomination in Texas will make it harder for Republicans to hold the seat in November. The Democratic nominee, state representative James Talarico, raised a staggering US$27 million (£21 million) in the first three months of the year alone.

There is some Trumpian precedent for all of this. In 2017, the 45th president endorsed Luther Strange in an Alabama senate primary. Strange lost to Roy Moore, who then lost the general election to Democrat candidate Doug Jones. The lesson that a rock-solid Republican seat can be lost was clear, although apparently unlearned.

Republicans are defending slim majorities in both the House and Senate in 2026. They can afford few losses. Replacing electable incumbents with ideologically pure but extreme and therefore electorally risky challengers, is a strategy that appears to prioritise control over the party above control of Congress.

The effect on Capitol Hill

Even where Trump’s candidates win, the consequences may be destabilising. Some Republicans have acknowledged that Trump’s aggressive involvement in primaries could create complications, not least for members who are no longer worried about reelection. Senators in their final term, for example, might be emboldened to act independently knowing there is no electoral sword hanging over them.

But the more immediate effect is silence. Had Massie or Cornyn survived their primary challenge, more members of Congress might have been willing to vote against Trump’s interests. Their defeat sends the reverse signal. When a solid incumbent with a strong conservative record can be unseated for insufficient loyalty, other Republicans in Congress will be watching and calculating.

This is how party discipline can slide into something more troubling. It is one thing for a party leader to want to manage unwieldy factions but enforcing one’s authority via electoral intimidation is another matter.

What is being challenged in these primaries are the remnants of what the Republican Party once was. This included a coalition of business conservatives, foreign policy hawks, libertarian-leaning figures and traditional social conservatives. Massie represented one strand of that tradition. Cornyn represented another. They have now been treated as enemies of the Maga agenda.

Historically, US election scholarship has suggested there may be a tendency in primaries to swing towards the party’s base, and then back in the direction of the median voter for the general election. In this new incarnation of the GOP, the pendulum appears stuck to the right.

During primary season, this may be an attractive Maga trait. But come November, not every GOP voter may cast their ballot for a cult of loyalty.

Police Scotland have now confirmed they will support the event.

The annual Edinburgh Taxi Outing for sick children looks set to go ahead after police agreed support for the event.

On Monday, it was announced that the outing had been “reluctantly” cancelled after organisers said a policy change left police officers unable to escort the cabs.

The annual event, organised and funded by taxi drivers, gives children with special needs, life-limiting conditions and terminal illnesses a day out where they are driven around the city in colourfully decorated taxis.

It was due to be held for the 78th time on June 9, but outing committee secretary Keith Bell had said that organisers had “no option” but to cancel.

However, a statement by Police Scotland on Wednesday appears to confirm that the outing can go ahead as planned.

Superintendent Neil Wilson said: “Our focus throughout has been to support the Edinburgh Taxi Outing as we have done for many years.

“We have held constructive discussions today with the event organiser and have agreed an outline plan which allows the event to run safely on its original route.

“Further discussions will take place in the coming days to finalise the police operation to support the event and ensure the children enjoy their day.”

Mr Bell previously said that a policy change meant officers would no longer escort such events through the streets of Edinburgh and East Lothian and that the taxi outing did not meet the new criteria for a police escort.

He had raised concerns about proposals for static support at key places, saying the children involved in the outing had “a variety of needs and some will not manage to cope with sitting stationary for who knows how long waiting for the taxis at the back to catch up”.

A final decision is expected to be confirmed during a meeting between the police, taxi drivers and the City of Edinburgh Council on Thursday.

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Plans to put up a pergola in the outdoor seating area of the Dark Horse Espresso Bar have been approved by City of York Council.

The business stated the plans would see it remain in keeping with the vibrant café culture of Bishopthorpe Road while also enhancing the area.

Council planning officers stated the changes would preserve the character and appearance of the street scene and there would be no additional impact on nearby households.

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The approved plans are set to see louvered pergola would be mounted on an outside wall and positioned above the outdoor seating area at the front of the building.

It would replace an existing umbrella which has struggled to stay up during strong winds while also providing shelter.

The pergola will be finished in dark grey metal to match the colour scheme of the outside of the building.

Plans stated the scale of the pergola was modest and it would not dominate the front of the building.

The existing outdoor area of the Dark Horse Espresso Bar (Image: Supplied)

The application stated: “Bishopthorpe Road is a well-established and
vibrant mixed-use high street, characterised by a variety of independent shops, cafés, and small commercial premises at ground floor level, with residential accommodation typically located above a few properties seen on the street.

“The street is widely recognised for its strong local identity and active frontage, contributing to a lively and well-used public realm.

“The proposal represents a modest and functional addition that supports the existing commercial use, enhances the quality of the outdoor seating provision, and responds appropriately to the character and activity of Bishopthorpe Road.

“The proposed pergola will provide shelter over the existing outdoor seating area, enhancing the usability and functionality of the space while respecting the active frontage and vibrant café culture of Bishopthorpe Road.”

Mark Edwards, originally from Australia, and his York-born wife Laura received planning permission to convert the former kitchen showroom at 147, Bishopthorpe Road into a café in 2023.

They have run the Dark Horse Espresso Bar in Shambles Market since 2018.

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A temporary traffic regulation order has been issued for this Thursday (May 28) on Marine Road East from its junction with Broadway to its junction with Lord Street, from 6am to noon.

From noon until 6pm, the closure will move along Marine Road East between Lord Street and Northumberland Street.

A further order will affect several nearby side streets – Skipton Street, Back Crescent Street, Graham Street, Derby Street, Tunstall Street and Anderton Street – between 6pm and 8pm the same day, temporarily prohibiting any motor vehicle, cycle or pedestrian (except for filming staff and participants) from using those roads.

Traffic signs on Marine Road state that residents’ access and businesses will be open as usual.

In a notice issued by Lancashire County Council, the authority said: “The police, fire and ambulance services have been informed and emergency access will be maintained at all times.

“The temporary prohibitions are necessary to enable the filming of the television series The Bay.

“The prohibitions will only be operative when indicated on site by the presence of the appropriate traffic signs in accordance with The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.

“Diversions will be signed locally.”

A separate residents’ letter, seen by the Lancashire Telegraph, explains that the beginning of the filming day will be on Marine Road Central and Marine Road East, with an “action vehicle” driving away from Morecambe starting at the roundabout outside Buzz Bingo and down to Broadway, with “several goes” running the same sequence using different camera set‑ups.

The next stage of filming will take place on Marine Road Central between Northumberland Road and the Buzz Bingo roundabout, with two action vehicles driving along the front and then turning down Skipton Street and behind onto Back Crescent Street.

Derby Street and Graham Street will also be closed “to maintain maximum safety”, with residents told that foot access to their homes will be maintained throughout.

Another traffic regulation order will prevent traffic and pedestrians from using the Coastal Road from the entrance to Cheyette Fitness to the junction with Elm Grove from 9am to 3pm on Thursday, June 11.

The cast and crew of the Morecambe‑based show, which stars Marsha Thomason as DS Jenn Townsend and Daniel Ryan as DI Tony Manning, recently returned to the town to shoot scenes for its sixth series.

The South Belfast park is popular for water sports

A new piece of infrastructure has been approved for the popular Shaw’s Bridge area in South Belfast, to replace an important water sports access point in the park.

Belfast City Council has approved an application by the Stormont Department for Infrastructure for the installation of a new floating pontoon to replace the existing wooden jetty.

It will be at the river bank approximately 150 metres north east of the Shaws Bridge Car Park, BT9. The pontoon will be at an important access point for water sports at Clement Wilson Park.

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The fundamental difference between a jetty and a pontoon is that a pontoon floats and rises and falls with the tide or water level, while a jetty is a rigid structure built on fixed pilings that remains at a constant height regardless of the water level.

The existing wooden jetty at Shaw’s Bridge was closed due to its poor condition. The new infrastructure will take the form of a modular floating pontoon system, secured by two steel locating piles, and connected to the shore via a hinged access gangway and walkway with handrails. Concrete plinths will be installed at the existing ground level on the bank.

Clement Wilson Park is a designated site of local conservation importance. It is an area of parkland and walking trails within the wider designated Lagan Valley Regional Park and Lagan Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, owned by Belfast City Council.

The river Lagan runs through the parkland with a number of community greenways accessible nearby. The site is accessed from the Malone Road.

There were no objections from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency or Department for Infrastructure Rivers. No third representations were received by the council.

The council officer states in the Planning report on the application: “The proposal retains the use as facilities ancillary to water sports as an access point to the waterway. It supports policy positions promoting healthy and active lifestyles and the provision of community infrastructure in the form of leisure facilities.

“The floating pontoon will allow for year-round access to the river due to its nature as not fixed but floating, promoting increased accessibility for users.”

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Newcastle United have reportedly agreed a £69.3m plus add-ons deal with Barcelona for Anthony Gordon, with the transfer said to leave Marcus Rashford’s future at Manchester United uncertain

Anthony Gordon is poised to complete a move to Barcelona after Newcastle United accepted a £69.3million plus add-ons offer, casting doubt over Marcus Rashford’s prospects at the club. Following a day of negotiations between the sides, Gordon is now due to undergo a medical as the deal edges closer to completion.

The England winger is anticipated to double his earnings to approximately £300,000 per week, as Barcelona invest heavily ahead of the World Cup. The La Liga champions have adopted a markedly different strategy in their dealings with the Magpies compared to their negotiations with Manchester United.

They have the option to secure Rashford for £26m through a clause in his loan agreement, during which the 28-year-old performed well after arriving from United. However, Barcelona have been working to reduce that fee as they navigate their financial regulations in Spain.

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Gordon’s preferred position is on the left wing, where he’s set to compete with Rashford for a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England lineup. Nevertheless, it’s been suggested that Hansi Flick is willing to bring in both players this summer.

Rashford has reportedly already consented to sacrificing nearly half his weekly wage to stay at Barcelona, while another loan arrangement has been mooted and would now appear a more probable outcome. United’s preference would be to sell at the figure they agreed last summer.

Whether United’s hierarchy are open to alternative arrangements following Barcelona’s pursuit of Gordon is yet to be determined. The Catalan side are flexing their financial muscle but could also use the Gordon transfer as justification for limiting further expenditure.

Gordon’s signing will also enable Barcelona to demonstrate they aren’t desperately in need of reinforcement in that area. Rashford drifted in and out of Barca’s first XI, despite contributing 14 goals and 14 assists.

This places United in an awkward situation regarding Rashford’s future. The homegrown talent is tied down until 2028, though he’d only intended to remain at Camp Nou this summer.

After securing the league title with Barca, Rashford expressed hope of prolonging his spell but seemed to suggest it wasn’t guaranteed. “This is the perfect way I want it to end,” he said.

“I’m very happy, I just want to enjoy today. I live in the moment. At the end of the season we will see.

“I came here to win and we do this so I’m very happy. It’s an incredible feeling.

“Over the season we deserved it, we were the best team. We had some bad moments but we always come back and fight to improve.”

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — A second person who was injured when a large chemical tank ruptured at a Washington state paper mill has died, authorities said Wednesday, bringing the presumed death toll to 11, including nine workers still missing in one of the deadliest U.S. workplace accidents in years.

Authorities said there was no hope of finding more survivors, but crews were ready to resume searching Wednesday for those who went missing following Tuesday’s tank failure at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview, which also injured eight people, including a firefighter who was treated and released by a hospital.

If the 11 deaths are confirmed, it would be one of the deadliest industrial accidents in the U.S. in recent decades — alongside a series of blasts that killed 16 people at an explosives plant in Tennessee last fall; a fire and detonation that killed 14 people at a fertilizer plant in Texas in 2013; and the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion that killed 11 people in 2010.

Officials said Wednesday that the paper mill tank spilled more than 500,000 gallons (1.9 million liters) of “white liquor,” a highly destructive chemical mixture used in paper manufacturing.

After delaying the search over concerns that the tank might collapse further and spill more liquid, crews determined that it contained less than initially thought and that the tank was stable enough to resume efforts to find the missing.

“We do not know where all nine are,” said Scott Goldstein, a Cowlitz County fire chief.

The rupture caused the huge circular tank to buckle on one side, and officials said late Tuesday that they would only work during daylight because of the dangers.

Authorities said the rupture hasn’t affected the safety of the air and drinking water in Longview, a Columbia River city of about 40,000 people with long ties to the Washington and Oregon paper and lumber industries. But they did say some of the contamination reached the river and that testing was ongoing. They also warned residents to keep away from ditches and dikes.

It was the second notable issue with a chemical tank in days on the West Coast, following the evacuation of thousands of Southern California residents due to an overheated tank an aerospace plant before those orders were lifted Tuesday night.

The paper mill tank could hold about 900,000 gallons (3.4 million liters) and was more than half full when it ruptured, Goldstein said. White liquor, which is made mostly of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, is used with heat to break down wood to make kraft paper, a durable material used in packaging, shopping bags and other products.

The sprawling plant, which employs about 1,000 people, makes material for tissues, printing paper, cups, plates, and cartons. It sits along the river next to other timber, paper and chemical businesses.

Paper mill worker was always there to help, friend says

Authorities haven’t released the names of the dead or missing, but some names have begun to trickle out.

Todd Cornwell said his friend, Gilbert Bernal, was an electrician at the plant and was the first confirmed death. They knew each other through church and were in the same Bible study group, he said.

“We actually had our group last night and instead of doing Bible study, we talked about him,” Cornwell said. “He was always there willing to help in whatever needed to be done. When the local church school started flooding, he was one of the people there.”

Brian Williquette, a chemical supplier for the region’s mills, was at the plant Tuesday morning when he heard an alarm over the intercom and first wondered if it was drill. He was able to get out safely and didn’t see any of the damage.

“It’s just unfathomable,” he said at a community vigil Tuesday. “There’s not anybody that lives here that doesn’t know somebody at a paper mill.”

Crystal Moldenhauer, a Longview resident, said she has friends at the plant who remained unaccounted for. She said people called and texted each other all day trying to figure out what happened.

“We’re all still waiting for answers,” she said. “There’s families that have been torn apart, and we don’t know why.”

The cause of the rupture remained unclear.

Authorities press for answers about the rupture

Nippon Paper Group in a statement said Wednesday that it was offering its “deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families.”

Some of those who were injured suffered burns or inhalation injuries, authorities said.

Following the tank’s rupture, the liquid spilled into a drainage ditch, said Brittny Goodsell, a state Ecology Department spokesperson.

“I know there’s a lot of questions about how all of this happened and I want to assure you that we will all continue to pressure to get answers to those questions,” Murray said.

The mill faced complaints and fines

Safety complaints were filed against Nippon Dynawave in March and May. The state’s labor and industries department said on X that both were unrelated to the current situation. One was an anonymous complaint about a valve on a tank, according to the department, which noted that it was not the tank that imploded.

Nippon Dynawave, a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Paper Group, has been fined $3,400 for three separate health and safety violations found by Washington Department of Labor and Industries inspectors since the start of 2021, according to the department’s online database.

Just over 40 people died between January 2021 and mid-October 2023 as a result of hazardous chemical incidents in the U.S., according to a paper released by a network of environmental justice organizations in late 2023.

___

Associated Press reporters Gene Johnson and Hallie Golden in Seattle, Kathy McCormack in Concord New Hampshire, Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, and Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed.

The organisation Veritau, which provides a counter-fraud service to the local authority, also said 32 formal investigations took place in 2025/26.

A report for the council’s governance committee said: “These reports come from a range of sources, including council officers, members of the public, and data matching exercises. 

“Each referral is reviewed to determine if an investigation is necessary. 

“Where issues are raised relating to other organisations, such as the DWP, then our service passes the referral onto the relevant agency. 

“Cases are allocated in order of urgency, including consideration of the potential financial impact on the local authority, should the allegation be proven.”

It added: “We use qualified criminal investigators to support departments with fraud prevention, proactively identify issues through data matching exercises, and investigate suspected fraud. 

“To deter fraud, offenders face a range of outcomes, including prosecution in the most serious cases.”

The report did not detail the outcome of every investigation, but gave some examples of some outcomes.

It said: “Three [criminal] cautions were given to drivers, in lieu of prosecution, who admitted misusing blue badges in the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council area. 

“In an adult social care investigation, the counter fraud team was able to suspend a family member’s inappropriate access to a [resident’s] bank account. 

“As a result, £55,000 in unpaid care fees is in the process of being recovered.

“Investigative work identified overpayments [to the public] of £80,000 in 2025/26 and 90 pedr cent of this related to issues identified in adult social care.”

Social care was the biggest council area in which suspected fraud was investigated with council tax payments the next biggest category.

Meanwhile, further work identified six members of council staff who were said to have a second, paid role at another public sector organisation, but who had failed to make HR aware.

The report said in all of the cases there were no indications of fraud risks or “concerns of polygamous working”, but the employees concerned were required to fill out relevant paperwork to fully explain their circumstances.

The home of Darlington RFC and Darlington Football Club, Blackwell Meadows, played host to the TeamLuke Family Fun Day.

TeamLuke Foundation chairman Mark Bell said: “Luke would have thrived in this environment.”

More than 1,600 people attended the TeamLuke Family Fun Day at Blackwell Meadows in Darlington to support a charity fundraiser in memory of Luke Bell (Image: Supplied)

“He would have enjoyed all the different activities we had on the day.

“Luke loved being around people and having fun. The family fun day captured that.”

The event was held in memory of Luke Bell, who sadly lost his life to neuroblastoma, a rare form of children’s cancer.

More than 1,600 people attended the TeamLuke Family Fun Day at Blackwell Meadows in Darlington to support a charity fundraiser in memory of Luke Bell (Image: Supplied)

Families got to experience a range of giant inflatables including an assault course, bouncy castles, giant darts, axe throwing, a ‘death’ slide and drop, gladiator dual and destructor.

Alongside this, they could turn their hand to mini golf and sample the range of food vendors on site, whilst enjoying live entertainment from the Party Boppers, The Decades, Michael Hirst Music and the Polaroids.

Mr Bell said: “He would have really enjoyed watching the rugby matches.

Climbing activities (Image: Supplied)

“The players ran out onto the pitch to some of his favourite songs.

“Both his sister and I represented his team and he would have taken great pleasure in that.

“It was a very emotional day seeing everyone get behind the charity.

“Collaborating with the Wooden Spoon Society on the day was incredible, they are a brilliant charity and they immerse themselves in what these events are all about.

Family fun (Image: Supplied)

“Many players have commented about the day capturing the spirit of rugby.”

The Wooden Spoon Society took to the field in its eye-catching red, green, blue and white colours for the first time as part of the event.

Matt Mitchell, rugby and communities manager with Wooden Spoon, said.”This event was a fantastic collaboration between two charities to support children and young people,”

“The rugby matches were played in great spirit and the whole day created a terrific family atmosphere for everyone involved.

Facepainting for the young (Image: Supplied)

“Events like this showcase the power of rugby to bring people together while raising vital funds and awareness for important causes.”

The charity rugby matches offered a new experience bringing together teams from TeamLuke, Wooden Spoon Society and Darlington RFC, for men’s, women’s and veterans’ rugby all while being accompanied by a pitch-side DJ.

Darlington Building Society marked the occasion by donating a cheque for £930.

Family fun (Image: Supplied)

In the run-up to the event, it held a treadmill fundraiser covering 114 miles with volunteers teaming up to take on the distance in their Darlington branch.

Mr Bell said: “The volunteers on the day went above and beyond.

“They made people feel welcome and worked really hard, which is a massive support to the foundation.

Money raised for TeamLuke (Image: Supplied)

“Our sponsors have been a huge support.

“This year the event was bigger and better with the addition of live music.

“Thank you to our sponsors Hubspoke Media, G & A Security, Darlington Building Society, Darlington Roofing Contractors, Resilient Business Systems Limited and TG Med.”

More information can be found at www.teamluke.org.uk.

Musical entertainment (Image: Supplied)