Ulbricht, sentenced to life in prison in 2015, given ‘full and unconditional’ pardon by president

Donald Trump has granted a “full and unconditional” pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the illegal online drug marketplace the Silk Road.

Ulbricht has been incarcerated since 2013 and was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 for running the underground market where drug dealers and others conducted more than $200m in illicit trade using the cryptocurrency bitcoin. Trump said he had called Ulbricht’s mother to tell her he would pardon her son “in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly”.

Critics say program that forces asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while cases are processed exposes migrants to harm

The Trump administration has announced the reinstatement of the “remain in Mexico” program, resuming an initiative that forced non-Mexican asylum seekers to wait south of the border while their cases were processed.

The US Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Tuesday that it would restart the program immediately, years after it was ended by Joe Biden.

Forecasters warn gusty conditions will return on Wednesday, marking end of break in fire-risk conditions

Southern California was bracing for more dangerous winds on Tuesday as new wildfires broke out across the region, which is continuing to grapple with the major fires that have ravaged Los Angeles communities.

Forecasters warned that strong winds would hit southern California for at least two more days. The winds had eased somewhat on Tuesday afternoon after peaking at 60mph (96kph) in many areas, but gusty conditions will return on Wednesday, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s office for Los Angeles.