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Several top Democratic figures call on beleaguered Maine Senate candidate, who denies accusation, to step downCalls for Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Maine, to withdraw his candidacy intensified on Monday after a woman accused him of sexual assault in an exclusive report by Politico.While Platner denied the claims, many top Democratic figures quickly called on the beleaguered nominee to step down. Continue reading...

Hourly concentrations of particulate matter rose to 6.7 times their pre-fireworks levels, according to an analysisWashington DC residents breathed in unhealthy" air for hours after a 40-minute Independence Day fireworks show over the National Mall on Saturday night, with the country's capital briefly recording the worst air quality of any major city in the world.The highly emitting display, which the president called spectacular", came as the Trump administration rolls back an unprecedented number of pollution controls. Continue reading...

The USMNT's run at a home World Cup had attracted people who usually ignore soccer. Instead of triumph, they saw a humbling at the hands of BelgiumIn the closing moments of the United States' 3-2 win over Portugal at the 2002 World Cup, ESPN commentator Jack Edwards took a moment to remind viewers who had stayed up all night of the profound result they were witnessing. From his perch in Suwon, South Korea - where he was watching the first match of a campaign that would end in a quarter-final that remains the high-water mark for the modern US men's national team - Edwards delivered a soliloquy that cut straight to the heart of the profound role World Cups play not just for the US men's national team, but for soccer as a force in American life.The players on that 1950 team that beat England ... this [result] is about the foundation that they laid," Edwards said in his booming bravado as the hour crept toward 7am ET. This is about the thousands of American families who have helped this sport grow, and the people in those pockets all over the country who have stuck with soccer. And it's also for those seven- or eight- or nine-year-old kids, who are going to hear about this result when they wake up in the morning and rush outside, and knock a ball against a wall, and dream of something even greater than this." Continue reading...

Almost 700 cases were reported to Michigan health department by Monday, up from 170 six days earlierCases of cyclosporiasis - a parasitic illness that causes explosive", watery diarrhea - have grown exponentially in recent days, health officials said, with an abnormally large outbreak reported in Michigan.Almost 700 cases were reported to the state's health department by Monday, ABC News said, up from 170 six days earlier, and almost 14 times Michigan's average annual caseload of 50. Continue reading...

Leaders meeting in Ankara urged to show concrete steps towards increasing their budget contribution. Plus, why Madonna's new album is a triumphGood morning. Nato leaders will gather in Ankara today for their latest summit after a turbulent six months, hoping to mollify an unpredictable Donald Trump, as Washington continues to pressure its allies to increase defence spending.On Friday, Trump posted a graphic on his Truth Social platform showing Nato members' defence budgets, comparing a vast US spend of $999m (747m) with smaller figures from European states saying the situation was ridiculous" and one-sided". The US is planning to cut the number of troops and materiel it assigns to Europe in the event of a war with Russia.What is causing tension between the US and the rest of Nato? Since threatening to take control of Greenland from ally Denmark, Trump has failed to consult European leaders before the US and Israel launched their economically disastrous attack on Iran, and complained countries including the UK did not allow US jets to bomb Iran from their territory. He has bizarrely accused Italy's Giorgia Meloni of being obsessed with him, and relations with Canada's Mark Carney are strained after Trump voiced an interest in a takeover of the US's northern neighbor.What are the allegations against Platner? In an exclusive Politico report, Jenny Racicot, 41, who previously dated Platner, said he forced her to have sex despite repeated objections. The report cited accounts from a man Racicot later confided in, as well as recent therapist emails, and messages where she warned an acquaintance about Platner in 2023.How has Platner responded? Platner denied the claims in a statement to Politico. These allegations are troubling, serious, and false. Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue," he said. Continue reading...

Passengers say they paid extra for outside views but were seated beside blank cabin walls insteadA federal judge on Monday rejected United Airlines' bid to dismiss a lawsuit by passengers who complained they paid extra money to sit in window seats - only to discover their seats had no actual windows.US district judge James Donato in San Francisco rejected United's defense that window" referred to the location of a seat relative to the cabin wall and aisle, and the carrier also contended it never contractually promised that seats in the window position would have views outside. Continue reading...

Defunding, mandated in Trump's 2025 policy, has been blamed for closure of clinics as well as reduction in screenings for cancer and STDsPlanned Parenthood and two smaller regional abortion providers are resuming billing Medicaid for services other than abortion after being cut off for most of a year.The defunding, which was mandated in Donald Trump's big tax and spending legislation in July 2025, has been blamed for the closure of multiple clinics as well as a reduction in the number of Planned Parenthood patients being screened for breast cancer or tested for sexually transmitted infections. Continue reading...

With the economy, foreign policy and immigration all going poorly for the president, he's scrambling before the midtermsTrump has run out of cards to play in the midterm elections, which is why he's now talking about the communist menace".He can't talk about the economy because prices continue to rise faster than wages, which means most Americans are getting poorer. He can't talk about foreign policy because his war in Iran has been a debacle, his tariffs an utter failure, and he obviously hasn't settled the war in Ukraine on day one". He can't talk about immigration because his raids and mass deportations have become so unpopular. Continue reading...

About 57% of polled Americans also believe economy is worsening in grim portrait of cost of living crisis, according to Harris survey for the GuardianNinety-five per cent of Americans believe the US is suffering an affordability crisis, as many report trouble with the rising cost of groceries and gas, according to an exclusive new poll conducted for the Guardian.The survey, conducted by Harris Poll, paints a bleak picture of how people feel about the US economy amid the war in Iran and ahead of the key midterm elections this fall. Continue reading...

Ruling is huge blow for residents with temporary protected status, many of whom have resided here legally for decadesThe US supreme court dealt a huge blow this term to roughly 1.3 million immigrants in the US, many of whom have resided in the country legally for decades with temporary deportation protections that the Trump administration will now be able to end much more easily.How does the justices' ruling affect these people and what happens next? Continue reading...

In wake of primary wins by leftwing candidates in New York and elsewhere, president has resorted to well-worn tacticMoments after Donald Trump rang the ceremonial opening bell on Monday, starting the trading day from the Oval Office, 232 miles north on Wall Street, the US senator Ted Cruz celebrated the president's new savings accounts as his administration's New Deal".But instead of having government taking care of everyone," the Republican senator declared, Trump accounts are about making every child and every American a capitalist." Continue reading...

Laws banning trans athletes claim to defend science, fairness, and women's safety. They do the oppositeLast week, the US supreme court ruled that states may restrict participation in girls' and women's sports to biological females" and exclude transgender athletes from competing. In the past six years, 27 states have enacted such bans; before the court were challenges to West Virginia's Save Women's Sports Act and Idaho's Fairness in Women's Sports Act.The majority opinion, penned by justice Brett Kavanaugh, upholds the laws' legality under Title IX, the federal statute that guarantees women's equal participation in college sports, and their constitutionality under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. It also vindicates Donald Trump's February 2025 executive order Keeping Men out of Women's Sports". That directive withdraws funding from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy". US policy, the order continues, will oppose male competitive participation in women's sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth". Continue reading...

Scratch their surface and you see exactly what he's trying to do: stand up strong for intolerance and corruptionGiven how impetuous Donald Trump is, his vice-president, JD Vance, strikes some Americans as a more stable alternative. A good bet, some of the Maga faithful believe, as the 2028 Republican nominee for president, and the eventual occupant of the Oval Office.Every bit as rightwing as Trump but more serious and predictable - that seems to be Vance's pitch to the public. And he clearly wants to be president; he's as ambitious as they come.Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...

Kelsey Pfendler, 32, says she hopes her solo 2,400-mile trek across the mid-Pacific inspires other women to take risksA Grand Canyon river-rafting guide who recently became the first US woman to row solo from California to Hawaii - traveling in record time - says she hopes her accomplishment inspires other women to push their limits and take risks.It's really motivating to think [that], maybe one day, I will get to see another woman work even harder to do what I did," Kelsey Pfendler, 32, told ABC's Good Morning America program on Monday, three days after completing the record-setting journey across the mid-Pacific. And it would be so special to watch." Continue reading...

Joy is unbounded and when it dies down perhaps the guilty will be held to account for cheating and facilitation: perhaps they won't. Still, enjoy the momentOh dear. Such a shame to see the US lose at football after their insanely embarrassing president cheated for them. Still, it really brought the world together. The last time this many people cheered on a Belgian resistance, it was 1914 and the Germans had just crossed the Meuse. As you'll be aware, the US were dumped out of their own World Cup on Monday night by a wholly superior Belgium, after Donald Trump boasted that he'd personally intervened in three phone calls with Fifa president Gianni Infantino to get the red card shown to USA striker Folarin Balogun rescinded. Yes, the US cheats at football. Pass it on.You've heard a lot about shithousery during this tournament. We have even, excruciatingly, seen a few American commentators attempt to use the word in conversation. Guys, please, just - no. It's not for you. You have 'erbs, a couple things", and a ways to go". But let's call the events of the past few days by the name they deserve in all the languages of the world: Whitehousery.Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

The tournament co-hosts crashed out with a disappointing display as Belgium proved too strong an opponentThrough four games, Belgium have retained 57% of possession with a 65% field tilt - a possession metric weighing only final-third touches - but haven't found a way to maximize that advantage.While possession can be a noisy statistic, viewing it in stylistic terms can be informative. So far at this World Cup, Belgium have won the possession battle in all four of their games, with Senegal playing them closest in a 52-48 split. The United States have maintained a 58% share of the ball in their four games, neck-and-neck with Garcia's Belgium. If Mauricio Pochettino's side can keep the ball off Belgian feet more often than not, it could unsettle the Red Devils. Continue reading...

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The United States' quest to get Folarin Balogun's red card overturned may have opened a Pandora's box - one specifically designed to contain the national team's worst nightmares.With a country on the verge of falling in love with this team, and tens of millions eager for a reason to embrace the glory and pride this sport can provide, there were instead questions of fairness and propriety. A star striker, who made an honest, unintentional mistake - and said and did all the right things - became a talking point. And a day later, on an otherwise beautiful Monday evening in the Pacific north-west, the United States' World Cup dream ended with a thud. Continue reading...

Staff decline to give updates on senator's health and whether he will be at Capitol when Senate returnsStaff for Mitch McConnell said last week that the Kentucky senator was continuing his recovery" in a hospital while the Senate is out of session. But his office has released no details about the former Republican leader's condition during his weeks-long hospitalization or whether he will be at the Capitol when the Senate returns next week.McConnell was admitted to the hospital on 14 June, according to a statement from his office that only said he was receiving excellent care". A statement a week later said that he would not be voting that week. And on Thursday, a new statement said that he continues to improve" and "appreciates the outpouring of support he's receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital". Continue reading...

The tournament co-hosts wilted against Belgium for a 4-1 defeat, costing them a quarter-final spot. We look at the best images from the showdown in Seattle Continue reading...

Alexander Zverev led Jiri Lehecka by two sets to love when the 11pm curfew fell to end another day of drama at SW19I feel like I still cannot process this happening," says Kostyuk, also noting how hot it is. The longer you stay on this surface, the worse you feel." She adds that the court wasn't easy given the heat and wind, especially against an opponent on a roll having played 17 consecutive matches on grass - more than Kostyuk in her entire career. So it was very difficult and she still can't believe it.She was struggling to break the whole match so is really happy with the last two service-games she faced, and then thanks the crowd for their contribution. Continue reading...

We try to teach our children to follow the rules. Now an American president has chosen the opposite tackI'm rooting for the US as we take on Belgium today in Seattle for a place in the World Cup quarterfinals.But the game isn't what it was - before Trump asked the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, to review the suspension of the US's top scorer, striker Folarin Balogun, who got a red card in a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina and would otherwise have been suspended from Monday's match. Continue reading...

Andrea Shaw and husband appeared on RFK Jr-linked podcast after deaths in May last year of 18-month-oldsAn Idaho mother who said her 18-month-old twins died last year after receiving three vaccines has been charged with murder in their deaths, officials said last week.Andrea Shaw, 23, was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her toddlers, Tyson and Dallas, who were found dead in a shared bed on 1 May last year. Continue reading...

At least 43 killed and many wounded, including woman and child hurt at World Cup gathering in Los AngelesA weekend of celebrations as the US marked its semiquincentennial was marred by outbreaks of gun violence that claimed dozens of lives and left multiple other people wounded.Those hurt included a woman and a child among four shot during a gathering of Mexico soccer supporters in Los Angeles following their team's World Cup elimination on Sunday night. Continue reading...

European governing body's dramatic move could have major implications for the future of the sportPerhaps the only globally renowned figure who has been more conspicuous by his absence at this World Cup tournament than Donald Trump is the Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin, although both men have more than made up for their silence over the past 24 hours.By endorsing a statement in which Uefa accused Fifa of crossing a red line" in making the incomprehensible and unjustifiable" decision to lift the USA striker Folarin Balogun's suspension for the last-16 tie with Belgium on Monday, Ceferin has effectively put European football on a war footing with the world governing body, a dramatic move that could have major implications for the future of the sport. Continue reading...

Years of unremitting disasters have convinced me not to go to sleep with hope in your heart. But that footballing victory took me back to more innocent timesWhen I went to bed on Sunday, football commentators were killing time waiting for the England match by talking about Donald Trump, Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Folarin Balogun's red card, waived for the US because of reasons. None of the available words - unacceptable", cheaty", absolutely stinks" - covered it. There's no chance of Trump's US playing nicely in an international tournament, especially when it's hosting most of it. Does the US just get the trophy, whatever happens? Do they fashion two trophies, one for the winner and one for most winning host?It was all a big deal for geopolitics, but for the more immediate matter of how to take seriously a competition in which there were no longer rules, it wasn't the end of the world. Whatever happened, it definitely wouldn't end in a showdown between the US and the UK, fixed in advance by a president determined to celebrate 250 years in style. Because, by tomorrow, I thought, England would be out. If we've learned anything from the past decade, it's not to go to sleep waiting for news. Whatever the dawn breaks over will be bad.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Parts of 2018's Golden Generation still remain, but there are more than enough good players in this Belgian side to give the US headaches Predict the winner | Daily podcast | Download our appThe whiff of unfulfilment lingers around Belgium. The Golden Generation - and the fact it never quite achieved what it might have done - has dominated coverage of their last three tournaments. This perhaps isn't quite fair - either on those who were part of that group or those who have followed.Beating Brazil in the quarter-final to reach the semi-final in Russia 2018 was a fine achievement, but that side featuring Vincent Kompany, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne then lost 1-0 to France in the semi. The squad was good enough to win a tournament, but that was as close as they came. Courtois, Lukaku, De Bruyne, Axel Witsel and the right-back Thomas Meunier have all endured since 2018. The 2026 Belgium squad is not, as 2022 felt, the Golden Generation redux, just a little bit older and a little bit more tired. A new wave is emerging and, while the likes of Leandro Trossard, Youri Tielemans, Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere may not have quite the star quality of the previous generation, they're still decent players - perhaps not World Cup winners, but certainly not to be dismissed. And remember, this is Belgium, a country of just under 12 million; it's not realistic to think it can consistently produce potential world champions.This is an extract from Soccer Desk: World Cup edition, a newsletter from the Guardian US that will run regularly during the tournament. Subscribe for free here. Continue reading...

Seaplane carrying eight people made hard landing' and was towed back to dock, according to the fire departmentA seaplane made a rough landing in New York City's East River on Sunday, alarming bystanders and resulting in two minor injuries, according to city authorities.The seaplane carrying eight people made a hard landing" at about noon, according to the New York City fire department. The plane made it upright and was towed back to dock, the department said. Continue reading...

Carroll was awarded damages after New York jury concluded Trump sexually abused her, then defamed her after she publicly described the attackDonald Trump's latest attempt to delay payment of a $5.8m judgment for defaming a magazine columnist whom a jury determined he sexually abused has been emphatically rejected by a federal court judge.In a single-sentence 4 July order, US district Judge Lewis Kaplan denied the president's request for more time to pay the civil judgment owed to E Jean Carroll, who was awarded the damages after a New York jury concluded that Trump sexually abused her in 1996 - then defamed her after she publicly described the attack in 2019. Continue reading...

US president rings bell from White House and showcases initiative that gives children a $1,000 investment accountDonald Trump rang the bell of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from the White House to mark the first trading day for Trump accounts, a government initiative that provides children with a $1,000 investment account.The US president hosted leaders from the NYSE and the Nasdaq stock exchange at the Oval Office for a press conference on Monday morning. It is the first joint opening of the exchanges, and the first time the bell had been rung at the White House. Continue reading...

The city's tourism board estimated 750,000 visitors would visit over the course of the World CupAs Seattle's month-long role as a host city for the Fifa Men's World Cup draws to a close with a knockout match between the United States and Belgium, local match-day scenes, business boosters and media dispatches have projected an image of a sports-fueled boom town.On match days, hordes of locals and visitors have packed the city's waterfront and official watch parties, shattering public-transit records and buoying nearby beer sales. Local soccer-focused mainstays like the George & Dragon Pub have reported incredible" increases in business. And, pointing to positive reporting by the Guardian and other international newspapers, Seattle's business lobby says the city has performed very, very well on the world stage". Continue reading...

Authorities claim Tyrin Johnson, 20, pulled gun on officers controversially deployed at instigation of TrumpNational guard soldiers on patrol in Memphis shot and killed a man that authorities in the Tennessee city said turned and pulled a gun on the troops during a chase.The shooting took place at about 4am on Sunday as the soldiers responded to a report of gunfire. Continue reading...

Millions gather in streets and officials appear in public at Tehran funeral of Ali Khamenei in show of defiance. Plus, origin of mysterious space balls' in Australia revealedGood morning.Iran's week of mass funeral processions for the former supreme leader Ali Khamenei has seen public calls for the killing of Donald Trump. Khamenei was killed along with other members of his family on February 28, the first day of the US and Israeli war against Iran.Who made the direct call for the killing of Trump? During part of the ceremony, the poet Mohammad Rasouli said: I swear by your blood; Trump's murder is our responsibility. Why is the most bastard man in the world still alive? ... Why should we not kill the man who killed our imam? It would be a disgrace if we did not."Where is the new supreme leader? Appointed 10 days after his father's death, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public or recorded any audio message for three months. His absence was made more conspicuous when his brothers, Mustafa, Massoud and Meysam, stood alongside one another beside their father's coffin.What did Gimenez say? He said: [TPS] is meant to safeguard those who are either fleeing countries that are failed states and are at risk of going back to them or countries that really can't handle them right now, as is the case with Venezuela that has suffered a natural disaster."What did the court decide? The ruling gave the green light to plans to end TPS for more than 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians. TPS allows people to live and work in the US if the Department of Homeland Security deems their home countries unsafe due to war or natural disasters. Continue reading...

These systems will soon be able to track our public and private lives. But we can make the policy choices to reject itIn the near future, AI-powered surveillance systems will be able to track everything we do in public, and much of what we do in private. And if we do something wrong - shoplift, litter, jaywalk, you name it - the system will notice, retain it, tie it to your official government record, communicate that fact to you, and provide real-time alerts to any relevant authorities ... and maybe also to the general public.Think of these systems as automated speed cameras, but on steroids. Only they'll enforce not just speed limits, but any other rule you can imagine. And you won't receive a ticket weeks later by mail; you'll be informed about and fined for your violation immediately. Continue reading...

Babies exposed to higher levels of neurotoxin more likely to have difficulty controlling impulses later, research showsExposure to common air pollution may cause childhood obesity because it affects children's ability to control impulse, new first-of-its-kind peer-reviewed research finds.Particular matter 2.5 (PM2.5) is a neurotoxin that has been linked to obesity, and Mt Sinai researchers say they have for the first time identified impulse control as a potential pathway. The study found that babies exposed to higher levels of PM2.5 during their first year of life were more likely to develop difficulties with controlling impulses later in childhood. Continue reading...

New report details slew of ventures between private equity and nonprofits and calls for greater government oversightA watchdog group is calling for greater government oversight of joint ventures between private equity firms and non-profit healthcare providers, arguing that the arrangements could present risks" to patients, payers and employees".In a new report, Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP), a vocal critic of the industry, detailed more than 500 joint ventures between private equity and nonprofit healthcare providers - ranging from rural hospitals to major religiously affiliated health systems to hospice care providers. The group argued those risks could include extraction of profit and a decline in quality of care. Continue reading...

Workers proud of their efforts to grow renewable energy say US president pursuing personal vendetta' at their expenseDonald Trump has blamed everything - from national security" issues, the deaths of birds and whales, and cancer - in his decades-long campaign against windfarms. But as the Trump administration continues to undermine the industry, what worries workers most are their jobs.Since taking office for the second term, Trump has issued an executive order aiming to halt all wind-energy leases and permits, attempted to issue stop-work orders on wind projects under construction, and paid more than $2.6bn in settlements to buy out wind energy leases. And hundreds of workers have been affected. Continue reading...

The president has made dangerous inroads in his push toward autocracy. Yet the prospects for his success are dimmingHow do we commemorate America's democracy as Donald Trump undermines it? By embracing his opposition. The United States was founded by breaking from a monarchy. Trump wants to become king. An imperfect yet powerful system of checks and balances is being deployed to prevent him. The resistance is worth celebrating.This is hardly the first challenge to US democracy. The early nation had no rights for Black people and no vote for women. It survived Jim Crow, the McCarthy era, and the war on terror". Yet there is no denying the seriousness of the threat posed by Trump. Continue reading...

Documentary No Country for Mothers details how US moms lack support, paid leave and childcare help - and hopes to inspire push for actionWhen Reshma Saujani set out to make a documentary, she was clear from the outset: it would not be released on streaming platforms, or at film festivals.Instead, No Country for Mothers - a new movie about how moms across the US are being failed - is being screened by hundreds of the subject themselves, nationwide, in person. Continue reading...

Collegiate sports organization led by Charlie Baker banned trans athletes from women's sports after 2025 Trump orderThe president of the US's top administrator of collegiate sports on Sunday said his organization does not anticipate adjusting its rules on transgender athletes after a recent federal supreme court decision allowed states to ban them from participating in school athletics.In an interview with CBS News' Face the Nation, Charlie Baker, the NCAA president, alluded to how his organization in late January 2025 had effectively banned transgender athletes from women's sports by closing off those programs to athletes who were assigned male at birth or were taking testosterone therapy. There are no restrictions for participation in NCAA men's sports, which Baker referred to on Sunday as the open network". Continue reading...

A decidedly unremarkable Brazilian team had looked tentative at this tournament. A sixth World Cup title looks a long way offBrazil were 1-0 down. At first, a few yellow jerseys wandered up the aisles and out to the concourse, writing off the small fortunes they had invested in being here, never mind the chances of their nation lifting a sixth World Cup. Then it was a steady stream of Brazil fans heading to the exits.They knew how this was going to end. That Brazil would be eliminated here in the last 16, knocked out at the earliest stage since 1990. That they would have gone six World Cups without lifting the trophy, their longest title drought. Continue reading...

Little-known abroad, Andy Burnham has a chance to define a new era of US-UK relations. Should he seek to charm or bargain with the bully in the White House - or treat him like a poorly informed constituent'?If, as expected, Andy Burnham becomes the British prime minister later this month, one of his first telephone calls is likely to be with Donald Trump.Trump's mother was Scottish and he has a nostalgic fascination with Britain. But managing a relationship with the erratic, transactional and demanding US president has been a diplomatic minefield for Burnham's predecessors. Continue reading...

Has the success of the US men's team - and hosting the World Cup - finally made Americans fall in love with football? With Guardian US soccer correspondent Jeff RueterFor decades, the US has been unmoved by the charms of the beautiful game. As Guardian US soccer correspondent Jeff Rueter, a boyhood fan of the sport, explains, football in America was a ramshackle' affair - unloved, boring, a little alien.But, Helen Pidd hears, things are beginning to change. The US men's national team is thriving in the World Cup they are hosting, and Americans are being won over by travelling football teams and fans, from the Scots in Boston to Algerians in Kansas Continue reading...

The surprise move deeming the US striker eligible to play came after the American president reached out to the governing body to appeal for the changeDonald Trump has been conspicuous by his absence so far at the World Cup, but unusually he may have been making his presence felt behind the scenes with some quiet diplomacy.In addition to failing to attend a game, despite the USA's impressive progress to the last 16, Trump had not mentioned the tournament on social media since offering some bland recognition of record attendance figures on 28 June. All that changed on Sunday when he took to Truth Social to thank Fifa for its highly unusual decision to lift striker Folarin Balogun's ban from Monday's last-16 tie against Belgium. Continue reading...