Arizona desert town breaks record for hottest March temperature in US history

Martinez Lake, about 145 miles west of Phoenix, reached 110F (43.3C) on Thursday amid scorching south-west heat

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A small community in the Arizona desert has broken a record for the highest March temperature ever recorded in the US, as the south-west bakes in a blistering late-winter heatwave.

The astonishing temperature was recorded just outside Martinez Lake, Arizona, which reached 110F (43.3C) on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

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Cryptocurrency firms suffer heavy losses in Illinois primaries after spending big

Cryptocurrency’s biggest Pac spent more than $10m for their candidates, only to be defeated by those who are anti-crypto

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The cryptocurrency industry spent big and lost often in this week’s Illinois primaries.

As the industry prepares to make massive donations in the 2026 midterm elections to replicate its success in 2024, the Illinois losses mark an early setback for firms that are trying to establish themselves as power players in American politics.

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Death toll at start of Covid-19 pandemic likely higher than US count, study says

Finding suggests as many as 155,000 deaths, likely occurring outside of hospitals, not recognized at Covid related

The Covid-19 pandemic’s early death toll was much higher than the official US count, according to a new study that spotlights dramatic disparities in the uncounted deaths.

About 840,000 Covid-19 deaths were reported on death certificates in 2020 and 2021. But a group of researchers – using a form of artificial intelligence – estimate that as many as 155,000 unrecognized additional deaths likely occurred in that time outside of hospitals. That would mean about 16% of Covid-19 deaths went uncounted in those years.

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Arizona charges Kalshi, alleging illegal gambling with election bets

Kalshi calls Arizona’s case ‘paper-thin’ and says the platform should not be overseen by ‘inconsistent state laws’

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Arizona’s attorney general on Tuesday filed criminal charges against Kalshi, accusing the prediction markets platform of operating an illegal gambling business in the state and unlawfully allowing people to place bets on elections.

The charges filed by Kris Mayes, the Arizona attorney general, marked the first time a state has pursued a criminal case against Kalshi, which has been at the center of an escalating battle over the ability of state gaming regulators to police prediction markets operators.

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US west coast prepares for 'dangerous' heatwave in early spring

Severe weather is plaguing the US from coast to coast, bringing a mix of extreme heat and bitter cold.

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US oil prices could see another day of wild fluctuation as Iran war drags on

One analyst predicting that prices at the pump might hit $3.85 per gallon on Monday as war enters third week

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US oil prices could see another day of wild fluctuation as the US-Israel campaign against Iran extends into a third week, with one analyst predicting that prices at the pump might hit $3.85 per gallon on Monday.

Petroleum prices have spiraled upward as the broadening conflict has imperiled oil and gas production infrastructure in the region. On Friday, the US conducted strikes on Kharg Island, an essential oil processing hub in Iran. Tehran, meanwhile, continues to block ships from passing through the strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the international oil supply typically passes through.

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Ecuador deploys 75,000 soldiers and police to combat drug gangs

Citizens of the most violent-wracked provinces have been warned the government is "at war" with the gangs.

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Airline CEOs urge Congress to end shutdown and pay airport TSA officers

Nearly month-long funding lapse has disrupted US air travel and caused long wait times amid security officers’ absences

The CEOs of major US airlines urged Congress on Sunday to move quickly to end a 29-day partial government shutdown that has forced 50,000 airport security officers to work without pay, warning it could further disrupt US air travel.

Absences by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers had already disrupted travel at some major airports over the previous week, raising alarm as the busy spring break travel season continues.

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'Gruesome' war bets fuel calls for crackdown on prediction markets

Predictions markets have hosted millions of dollars of bets related to the war in Iran.

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UK faces ‘seismic moment’ as nationalists target election wins, says John Swinney

SNP leader hails prospect of success for parties in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland that want to break up union

The UK is facing an “absolutely seismic moment”, John Swinney has said, with the prospect of the election of first ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in May who are all committed to the break-up of the union.

Speaking at the Scottish National party’s campaign conference ahead of the Scottish parliament elections, the first minister told delegates: “For people watching around the world, there could be no clearer sign that Westminster’s time is up.”

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