After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the Trump administration vowed to prosecute "antifa" activists for domestic terrorism. Now, it's made good on that threat. A group of activists who joined an anti-ICE protest that went dangerously awry have been sentenced to decades in prison, and the case could have enormous consequences for the future of the First Amendment and American protests. Carter Sherman speaks with Guardian reporter Lex McMenamin, one of the few journalists to have interviewed the activists at the heart of the case.

• Lex McMenmanin’s story ‘This is injustice’: how leftist zines were used to sentence anti-ICE protesters to decades in prison
• Sam Levine’s reporting on the Prairieland trial and additional background on the case

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Over the past two decades, Taylor Swift has changed the music industry, and how we think about girlhood. From songs like Fifteen about first love and heartbreak to introspective tracks like Mirrorball from Folklore, Swift has chronicled the emotional lives of young women in a way few artists have. Her music says that the experiences of girlhood deserve to be immortalized. But as fans celebrate her upcoming marriage and the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Carter Sherman and the Guardian's deputy music editor, Laura Snapes, ask: is she leaving that stage of her life behind, and if so, what's in store for her next era?

• 20 ways Taylor Swift remade pop culture in her image (2026)
• Taylor Swift: ‘I was literally about to break’ (2019)

Correction note added 26 June 2026: This video incorrectly says Taylor Swift's jet has burned hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel since March. The figure is actually reported to be tens of thousands of gallons.

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As the US prepares to celebrate 250 years since its founding, Kai Wright sits down with Eddie Glaude Jr, a Princeton University professor, to talk about the conflicts at the heart of the American project. Glaude argues that Black Americans have played a vital role in establishing the country, but their presence is a constant reminder that the American fantasy – the story of a white republic – doesn’t exist. He and Kai discuss how the Trump administration has normalized white supremacist rhetoric and the myriad ways the president is trying to whitewash history. Glaude’s book America, USA: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries, is out now.

• 'We’re witnessing the end of the America that made our lives possible’: author Eddie Glaude on US’s 250th birthday

• Trump is desecrating the Lincoln memorial - a civic sacred ground

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