This article is part of HuffPost’s biweekly politics newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Now that former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial has started in earnest, it’s thrown a spotlight onto a grimy corner of the media business: pay-to-play tabloid journalism, where editors pluck the juiciest stories from a marketplace of potential scandals. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump had the king of the tabloids in his pocket — the National Enquirer, headed at the time by American Media Inc. CEO David Pecker.  In court this week, reporters in the courtroom heard Pec ..read more

Julia Hartley-Brewer and Ben Habib. Ben Habib, the deputy leader of Reform UK, has suggested there are circumstances when people crossing the English Channel in small boats should be left to drown. In comments on TalkTV that shocked presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer, Habib said migrants should “suffer the consequences of their actions” if they scupper their vessels and refuse new dinghies. Hartley-Brewer said his position was “not a policy that a civilised country should endorse”. The statement came as five more people died in the Channel on Tuesday. The migrants, including a seven-yea ..read more

Liz Truss speaking at the CPAC conference in the US. Liz Truss’s recent interview with GB News America may be her most uncomfortable one to date, judging from a clip circulating online. The former prime minister is securing headline after headline as she promotes her new book, Ten Years To Save The West – but, unfortunately for the current backbencher, most of the news around her is focusing on her gaffes. And, it seems her latest sit-down with GB News is no exception, despite her previous efforts to champion the right-leaning channel. Journalist Steven Edington asked: “Why do you t ..read more

A courtroom sketch artist said Donald Trump’s mood changed quite dramatically on Tuesday during testimony about former Playboy model Karen McDougal at his hush money trial. David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, has been testifying for the prosecution about a “catch and kill” scheme that he allegedly helped Trump carry out before the 2016 election to find and bury potentially damaging stories.  In 2016, McDougal signed a $150,000 (£120,000) agreement with American Media Inc., which owned the Enquirer, for the rights to her story that she had an affair with Trump a decad ..read more

Two horses on the loose bolt through the streets of London near Aldwych. Several horses were seen running through central London on Wednesday morning, leaving the general public pretty mystified. Unfortunately, four people ended up being injured and taken to hospital, and the police had to try and track down the animals before they ended up causing even more harm. Here’s why the horses were on the loose – and why one was covered in blood. Where did the horses come from? The five escapees came from the Household Cavalry, which is made up of the two most senior regiments in the British Army – t ..read more

No judgement here but when was the last time you cleaned your washing machine? I’ll be honest and say that I think it might have been a good few months for me.  According to Good Housekeeping, we should be thoroughly cleaning our washing machines every three to six months and considering that they are the second dirtiest appliance in the home, that’s not really a big ask. However, if you have noticed a rotten egg smell coming from your washing machine, now is the time to really get in there and do some scrubbing. According to Fred’s Appliance Academy, this nasty smell is likely the resu ..read more

Man trading on his computer from his home office while taking care of his little son. For some of us, there can be instances where your kids are at home the same time as when you’re working. This can be either if they’re off sick or if you don’t have childcare available on certain days. Working from home with a toddler can seem like an extreme sport. They’re demanding little humans who often want to smother you with love at the wrong moments – like when you’re about to sign on to a meeting. Then to top it off, sometimes their big feelings can turn into tantrums during an important work call ..read more

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama shake hands as they meet on Downing Street, in London, Britain, March 23, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls This story was first published in October 2022, and was re-published in April 2024. Since Rishi Sunak officially took the top job on October 25, 2022, becoming the first UK prime minister of Asian descent and the youngest one too, a lot of people have been obsessing over something else entirely.  Nearly all of us have strong opinions about the government, but the public awaits to see how the latest leader of the Con ..read more

Ever find yourself wincing through the 30 seconds of mouthwash swilling after brushing your teeth because it’s stinging? Until now, I perhaps shamefully thought that this stinging meant that the mouthwash was ‘working’ and was just something I had to deal with if I wanted fresh, healthy gums. However, according to Dr Deepa Vakil, Lead Dentist and Clinical Director of Yor Dental, it doesn’t have to be this way and, actually, if your mouth is stinging or burning when you use mouthwash, it may be time to switch it for something a little less aggressive.  Vakil said: “Mouthwash can be detri ..read more

Zoe Gardner speaking on Channel 4 News A migration expert has outlined a crucial detail about the controversial bill to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda – it’s not the only option we have to deal with high levels of refugees. The bill finally passed through parliament on Monday, meaning it’s well on its way to becoming law despite ongoing concerns about human rights. When three men, one woman and a seven-year-old girl died in the Channel early on Tuesday morning while trying to cross in a small boat, Rishi Sunak claimed the tragic incident “underscore why you need a deterrent” l ..read more