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As a rising crop of young stars lead their teams into the NBA postseason, the league's old guard are thriving past their sell-by dates - and none more than the Lakers' ageless superstarThe second-youngest team in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder, just clinched the top seed in a feverishly competitive Western Conference. A Minnesota Timberwolves squad, led by 22-year-old phenom Anthony Edwards, are hot on their tails. But on the bottom end of the bracket, and the other end of the age spectrum, await surefire first-ballot Hall of Famers like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and LeBron James.Yes, their respective teams had up-and-down seasons that left them with unfavorable seedings entering the NBA postseason, which soft-launches on Tuesday night with the play-in tournament. And no one would argue that the future isn't looking bright in the association with stars like Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in full bloom. But the youngsters in Oklahoma and Minnesota would be the first to tell you: the NBA's old guard is still waiting in the wings, cleaver in hand. Continue reading...

Uri Berliner suspended without pay for five days by National Public Radio for unauthorised outside work for another outletThe National Public Radio employee who recently published a scorching letter accusing the media organization of a liberal slant has been suspended without pay for five days.Uri Berliner, an NPR senior business editor, was punished last Friday after backlash from an article he wrote for the Free Press, a website operated by the former New York Times editor Bari Weiss. Continue reading...

The first female vice-president was supposed to be the future of the Democratic party - now she looks like ancient historyRemember Kamala Harris? Just a few years ago the first female vice-president of the US was surrounded by fanfare, splashed on the cover of Vogue and being feted as the future of the Democratic party. For a brief moment, it seemed plausible that Joe Biden, the oldest inaugurated president in history, might serve just a single term and then gracefully hand the reins over to his VP. Ms Harris now finds herself the most clearly positioned heir to the White House," the New York Times mused after the 2020 election.Four years on and Harris's position is a lot less clear. Indeed, you could be forgiven for forgetting that the vice-president even exists. And, to be fair, that's because part of her job is ensuring she doesn't steal the spotlight from her boss. Very few vice-presidents shine in the role; there is a reason Teddy Roosevelt once opined that the position is not a stepping stone to anything except oblivion". Biden, of course, was an exception to that. Still, he jokingly complained that being number two was a bitch" back in 2014, when he was VP.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...

Public spending on private sweep contractors is soaring across the state - and unhoused people allege poor treatmentThis story was produced in partnership with Type Investigations with support from the Wayne Barrett ProjectOn an October morning, a small army arrived to evict Rudy Ortega from his home in the Crash Zone, an encampment located near the end of the airport runway in San Jose, California, Silicon Valley's largest city. As jets roared overhead, garbage trucks and police squad cars encircled Ortega's hand-built shelter. Heavy machinery operators stood by for the signal to bulldoze Ortega's camp. Continue reading...

Simpson's former agent and two friends of Al Cowlings - who drove the vehicle during the infamous chase - hope to fetch $1.5mThe current owners of the white Ford Bronco at the center of the infamous 1994 OJ Simpson police chase say they hope to sell the vehicle for at least $1.5m now that he has died.Simpson's former agent Michael Gilbert and two friends of Al Cowlings - the SUV's original owner - said they would probably sell the vehicle amid burgeoning interest following Simpson's death on 10 April, the collections website cllct first reported. Continue reading...

My sister Loujain has been placed under a travel ban and lives in constant fear of arrest. She is one of many

Marty Small and his wife, a local school district superintendent, were charged with assaulting daughter on multiple occasions'The mayor of New Jersey's Atlantic City, Marty Small, and his wife - the local school district superintendent - were charged on Monday with abusing and assaulting their teenage daughter on multiple occasions, including hitting her in the head with a broom and knocking her unconscious.The Atlantic county prosecutor's office said it filed charges of endangering the welfare of a child against both parents.In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International Continue reading...

Chance Brannon firebombed a Planned Parenthood clinic in 2022 and had plans to attack a power station and a Pride celebrationA former US marine was sentenced on Monday to nine years in prison for firebombing a southern California Planned Parenthood clinic in 2022, federal prosecutors said.Chance Brannon, 24, pleaded guilty in November to four felony counts, including malicious destruction of property by fire as well as explosives and intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility. Continue reading...

Caitlin Clark's professional basketball career has begun after she was selected by the Indiana Fever as the No 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft. The former Iowa star became a household name among basketball fans during her record-breaking college career, and she will now try and help revive the Indiana franchise along with last season's No 1 pick, Aliyah Boston, who previously played with Clark on the USA Basketball Under-19 team

About 27 children have died of hunger and malnutrition, raising concerns many more will suffer lifelong effects. Plus, dozens of potential Trump trial jurors excusedGood morning,Iran's attack on Israel tested the country's air defences, but has for now repaired Tel Aviv's fractured relationship with Washington - pushing the war and tightening famine in Gaza out of the headlines and down the diplomatic agenda.What's the latest on famine in Gaza? The UN World Food Programme says malnutrition is spreading at record pace among children. More than 90% of young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women are subsisting on two or fewer food groups - mainly bread - with no access to fruit, vegetables, milk or proteins.Compounding the problem: Gaza's healthcare system has collapsed, making malnutrition alleviation nearly impossible.What is Israel's position on retaliation against Iran? On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff said the launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles and drones" will be met with a response." The IDF interprets the use of ballistic missiles as an escalatory factor by Iran. Continue reading...

In fact, terror attacks and hostage-taking sparked several recent conflicts that US presidents of both parties labeled genocideMy old boss Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, bravely said recently what Joe Biden has been afraid to: Palestinian civilians do not deserve to suffer for the sins of Hamas, and Israel has a moral obligation to do better. The United States has an obligation to do better."The ongoing violence, Schumer noted, threatens not just the lives of Palestinians but the security of Jewish people worldwide by alienating global allies appalled by the bloodshed. If Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to desist, he concluded, the US must start shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage" - which obviously includes military, diplomatic and economic aspects. Continue reading...

Thousands of people held demonstrations across the US on Monday, blocking roads and traffic along major thoroughfares to protest against Israel's war on Gaza. People were seen calling for a ceasefire on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, Wall Street and on the Kennedy expressway into Chicago O'Hare airport, one of the country's busiest hubs

Flights delayed and traffic disrupted as protesters in major US cities intensify call for ceasefire in GazaThousands of people held protests across the US on Monday condemning Israel's attack on Gaza, shutting down airports and disrupting traffic in major cities from New York to San Francisco.A portion of the Kennedy Expressway into Chicago O'Hare international airport, one of the US's busiest, was blocked off by protesters calling for an end to the violence. Continue reading...

Speaker rejects pressure to approve package sent over by Senate, leaving its path to passage deeply uncertainMike Johnson, the US House speaker, has unveiled a complicated proposal for passing wartime aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, rejecting pressure to approve a package sent over by the Senate and leaving its path to passage deeply uncertain.The Republican speaker huddled with fellow GOP lawmakers on Monday evening to lay out his strategy to gain House approval for the funding package. Facing an outright rebellion from conservatives who fiercely oppose aiding Ukraine, Johnson said he would push to get the package to the House floor under a single debate rule, then hold separate votes on aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and several foreign policy proposals, according to Republican lawmakers. Continue reading...

Since 2021, eight employees of Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, charged with assaulting female prisonersThe US Bureau of Prisons (BoP) is closing a federal women's prison in California that has been plagued by rampant staff sexual abuse of incarcerated residents.Colette Peters, the BoP director, said in a statement to the Associated Press on Monday that Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Dublin was not meeting expected standards and that the best course of action is to close the facility". Continue reading...

Everything you need to know about the ex-president's 34 felony charges for falsifying business records for his 2016 campaign

Monday's day in court indicated that jury selection could take weeks - and that Trump could yet be held in contemptDonald Trump struggled through the opening day of his New York criminal trial on Monday as the jury selection process formally got under way in Manhattan in the first criminal trial of a current or former US president.Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in trying to cover up hush-money payments to an adult film star that influenced the 2016 election. Continue reading...

Ex-president dozed off during calm day of proceedings in trial over hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, with some potential jurors chosen. This blog is now closed.Shortly, we should have the first set of potential jurors enter the courtroom where they will give their responses verbally to a 42-point questionnaire.There are several categories of questions, including: in which New York neighborhood they live, their educational background, whether they've engaged in political activism or previously served on a jury. Continue reading...

William Brock, 81, who is white, was arrested after he fatally shot Lo-Letha Hall, 61, outside his home in South Charleston, OhioAn Ohio man was charged with murder after shooting a Black ride-share driver in an unprovoked attack, following the most recent string of cases of Black Americans being shot while doing mundane things.William Brock, 81, who is white, was arrested after he fatally shot Lo-Letha Hall, 61, outside his home in South Charleston, Ohio, about an hour outside Dayton, NBC News reported. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. For more US politics news, you can read our coverage here.Supreme court justice Clarence Thomas's failure to turn up for court this morning has people scratching their heads, as no explanation has been given and it's usual for the court to mention if a member of the bench is under the weather.It's an important few weeks for the court, hearing final oral arguments of the session that began last October, major decisions from which are expected this June. Continue reading...

Jon and Carie Hallford accused of fraudulently obtaining nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds from US governmentThe couple who owned a Colorado funeral home - where 190 decaying bodies were discovered last year - have been indicted on federal charges for fraudulently obtaining nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds from the US government, according to court documents unsealed on Monday.The new federal charges against Jon and Carie Hallford add to charges in Colorado state court for abusing corpses. The 15 fraud charges filed against each of the Hallfords carry potential penalties of 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines, according to the indictment. Continue reading...

Findings also detailed how a bald man in black' thought by service members to be the bomber was misidentifiedThe suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that killed US troops and Afghans in August 2021 was not preventable, and a bald man in black" spotted by US service members on the morning of the attack was not the bomber, according to a new review by US Central Command.The findings, released on Monday, refute assertions by some service members who believed they had a chance to take out the would-be bomber but did not get approval. And, for the first time, the USmilitary confirmed that the bomber was Abdul Rahman al-Logari, an Islamic State militant who had been in an Afghan prison but was released by the Taliban as the group took control of the country that summer. Continue reading...

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's punishment is most substantial criminal consequence yet over Alec Baldwin shooting cinematographerThe chief weapons handler on Rust was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the 2021 fatal, on-set shooting of the movie's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by the actor Alec Baldwin.Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March for mistakenly loading a live round into the revolver Baldwin used in the film. The judge in the case said on Monday she had failed to take responsibility for her role in Hutchins's death and sentenced her to prison.Reuters contributed to this report Continue reading...

The world does not know what's been unleashed in the tit-for-tat attacks. But it is unlikely to be anything goodIt is troubling that what started with Israel's attack on Iran's consular building in Syria on 1 April may not end with Tehran's Operation True Promise. The bombing in Damascus, which killed at least two top Iranian generals, resulted in the first-ever direct strikes launched against Israel from Iranian territory. For the Islamic regime, unpopular at home, crossing the Rubicon would have been very hard, if not impossible, to avoid. As British foreign secretary, David Cameron, admitted, the UK would take very strong action" if a hostile power had flattened one of its consulates.This is a defining moment in the Middle East. The world does not know what's been unleashed here. But it is unlikely to be anything good. That is why it is right for world leaders to urge Benjamin Netanyahu's government to show restraint. The wise choice for Mr Netanyahu would be, in US president Joe Biden's words, to take the win" of having seen off the strikes and not respond militarily. Israel's prime minister could then turn his attention to the on-and-off talks with Hamas to free Israeli hostages and seek an end to the fighting in Gaza. Trading military restraint forinternational support might appeal to MrNetanyahu's opportunism.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...

Former governor who was Trump's last remaining challenger for Republican nomination accepts role with Hudson InstituteNikki Haley, who was Donald Trump's last remaining challenger for the Republican presidential nomination until she dropped out of the race in March, has a new job.The former South Carolina governor has accepted a role with the Hudson Institute, a Washington DC-based, ultra-conservative thinktank specializing in foreign policy affairs. Continue reading...

People can claim $3,000 deduction for fetuses reaching six weeks gestation - but it's abortion politics' not tax policy, experts sayThere were more than 36,000 unborn children" claimed in tax filings in Georgia in 2022, the year the state enacted an abortion ban that also let people claim fetuses as dependents. Claiming that fetus, however, may have only netted individuals less than a couple hundred dollars in a state where a fifth of all children live in poverty.Georgia currently bans abortion past six weeks of pregnancy, which is before many women know they're pregnant. But that ban, unlike the other dozen-plus bans that currently blanket much of the US south and midwest, includes a provision that allows people to claim a $3,000 deduction for a dependent minor" fetus as long as that fetus reaches six weeks of gestation. Continue reading...

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed faces up to 18 months in prison after conviction for incident in which Alec Baldwin shot two peopleA movie weapons supervisor is facing up to 18 months in prison for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film Rust, with her sentencing scheduled for Monday in a New Mexico state court.In March a jury convicted Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The film armorer has been held for more than a month at a county jail on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Continue reading...

Donald Trump was seen arriving in court on Monday in his criminal trial involving the adult film actor Stormy Daniels and the former Playboy model Karen McDougal.Trump, the first former US president to face a criminal trial, is accused of paying Daniels and McDougal to cover up alleged extramarital liaisons that could have damaged his candidacy in the 2016 election.The trial is scheduled to start this morning, with jury selection in Manhattan supreme court

City have not been at their overwhelming best this season, but they remain immune to the typical anxieties of a title run-in

Agents reportedly looking into the events leading up to the Dali ship colliding with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in MarchThe FBI has reportedly opened a criminal investigation into the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, with agents looking into the events leading up to the Dali ship colliding with the bridge.The Washington Post first reported on the existence of the criminal investigation into the collision and collapse, with the investigation beginning in earnest on Monday morning. Continue reading...

Senate hopeful Ruben Gallego says the damage is done' and enshrining abortion rights in constitution is best countermeasureRepealing the 1864 near-total abortion ban that Arizona's state supreme court recently ruled was enforceable would have little effect because the damage is done", the Democratic congressman Ruben Gallego said on Sunday.Any initiative they pass right now wouldn't even take effect for quite a while," the US House member and Senate hopeful told NBC News on Sunday. He also said a repeal would be vulnerable to being neutralized by future iterations of the state legislature, remarking: It could just get overturned later by another state house or state senate." Continue reading...

An all-out conflict, dragging in other regional powers, may be someone's idea of national security'. As an Israeli citizen, it isn't mineIsraelis woke up on Sunday morning with a tentative collective sense of relief. For the first time ever, Iran had attacked Israel directly, sending a barrage of more than 300 drones and various missiles intended to rain down on Israel. Instead, Israel and a coalition of its allies intercepted 99% of the threats, according to Israeli authorities - mostly before they reached Israeli territory. Those that arrived caused only limited damage.Many Israelis felt the country had dodged a bullet. But members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government want to fire back, which would add one more front to a war that is already dangerously overstretched. The ultra-nationalists in Netanyahu's cabinet insist that the only way to achieve fear and admiration in the Middle East is to go berserk", in the words of Itamar Ben-Gvir, an extremist minister who holds the portfolio, ironically, of national security. He is joined by a posse of fanatical men running the government who are beating war drums.Dahlia Scheindlin is a Tel Aviv-based political analyst and the author of The Crooked Timber of Democracy in IsraelDo 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...

After months of buildup, Donald Trump will become the first former president to ever stand criminal trial

Girls are much more likely than boys to drop out of competitive sports. It's little wonder when revealing kits are highlighted on the global stageParis has long been known for its avant garde fashion. Yet the couture scene would be hard-pressed to produce anything as confounding and controversial as the Team USA track and field kits that were unveiled in the City of Lights last week.There was nothing to see when it came to Team USA's men's track uniforms: standard shorts and a tank top. But when it came to their female counterparts, there was everything to see, especially around the nether regions. Continue reading...

After four days of great action which culminated in Scottie Scheffler's victory, we take a look back at some of our favourite images from the first major of 2024 Continue reading...

A tense meeting of the UN security council followed Iran's attack on Israel. Plus, Donald Trump's criminal trial begins

The world No 1 Scottie Scheffler won his second Masters in three years, beating out the impressive Masters debutant Ludvig Aberg by four shots for the green jacket. After the tournament, Scheffler said: 'I love winning. I hate losing. I really do. And when I'm sitting there with the lead on Sunday, I really, really want to win badly.'

Starting Monday, Trump becomes the first ex-US president to face a criminal jury, over alleged payments to an adult film starOn Monday, 15 April 2024, Donald Trump will go on trial in Manhattan, making him the first former US president to face a criminal jury. More than 500 prospective jurors have been summoned to Manhattan supreme court in preparation for a selection process that could span days.Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, in spring 2023 charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records over an alleged hush-money scheme involving adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal. The charge is a class E felony. Continue reading...

Montgomery, the state's capital, is included in a new congressional district, and on Tuesday, a runoff will decide who stands in NovemberMontgomery, Alabama is the birthplace of the Confederacy and of the civil rights movement. Its history speaks volumes about the state of American democracy. It is perhaps ironic, then, how the last generation of its voters have largely been silenced.For decades, Alabama's capital city has been split between two or three different congressional districts - a deliberate effort by state leaders to prevent power from accreting to Black voters. Recently the region has been represented by a white Freedom Caucus Republican. But last year a bruising court battle forced Alabama to redraw its district lines, finally placing the entire city and a wide swath of Alabama's Black Belt of African American residents in the same congressional district. Continue reading...

The No 1 golfer's edge around the fairways is knowing he has God at his back, even if he's not actually carrying his bagWhatever you may have thought watching it on TV, Scottie Scheffler didn't win the Masters when he made that tricky birdie putt from 10ft on the eighth green, when he hit that lob-wedge to six inches on the ninth, or when he clattered that drive 340 yards down the middle of the 10th for his third successive birdie. No, he explained later, he won it about 2024 years before the tournament even started. I believe that today's plans were already laid out many years ago, and I could do nothing to mess them up," Scheffler explained. And there you were thinking that God had bigger things to worry about right now than who won that green jacket.Well, you scoff if you want to. But there's no doubt that it gives a man a certain edge around the fairways to know he's got the almighty at his back, even if he's not actually carrying his bag. Scheffler has another passionate Christian, Ted Scott, to do that for him. Like Scott said, having the God of the universe, the Creator, on your side just makes things a lot easier to deal with". This was Scott's fourth Masters victory, he had already won one with Scheffler and a couple of others with Bubba Watson, and he celebrated it by striding across the clubhouse lawn brandishing the flag stick from the 18th green like he was leading the crusaders into Jerusalem. Continue reading...

If criminally convicted in New York, Trump will face legal humiliations of the sort he loves when applied to other peopleThe People of the State of New York v Donald J Trump will conclude, according to long-established court procedure. The former US president's defense attorney will make a closing argument. He will assert that his client is not guilty of the charges of bribery and business fraud to manipulate the 2016 election. Judge Juan Merchan will issue his instructions to the jurors. They will deliberate. When they emerge, the foreperson will read the verdict in open court. If Trump is found guilty, Merchan will adjourn to a later date for sentencing.If Trump is found guilty on all 34 felony counts, he could theoretically face a maximum of 136 years in prison. Post-conviction, the major question would be whether his sentencing involves actual imprisonment, probation, a fine, or some combination, along with various parole arrangements. To be sure, Trump would then almost certainly file an appeal, but this would not forestall his immediately incurring certain civil disabilities. Above all, he would instantly lose his right to vote. Continue reading...

The attack exposed the limits of the US's willingness to be dragged into a wider conflict. This may moderate Israel's next moveEarlier this month, after an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus killed several military commanders, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, used his sermon to mark Eid al-Fitr to equate Israel's attack on the diplomatic facility to an attack on Iranian soil, and vowed that Israel's mistake" would be punished. At just that moment, the broadcast of the sermon cut to a face in the crowd - Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. Hajizadeh commands the aerospace forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). His grin was knowing.A few days later, on Sunday, 300 drones and long-range missiles were launched from Iran toward Israel. The attack marked the first time Iran had attacked Israel directly from its own territory, rather than relying on its proxies in Iraq, Syria or Lebanon. Though Israeli jets and air defences responded, with the support of American, British, French and Jordanian forces, and successfully intercepted most of the drones and missiles, the spectacle of missiles flying above the Dome of the Rock - the third holiest shrine in Islam - seemed to portend a full-blown war. Continue reading...

The league has forged close links to betting. But many worry about how such relationships will affect athletes and fansIn life, there is one constant - change. For professional sports, the biggest change of late has to do with gambling. Most US states now offer fans the chance to bet on games and player props legally. And big professional sports leagues like the NBA have embraced that recent change in legislation, too. What was once a third-rail topic is now a major source of income, with ESPN's financial guru Bobby Marks saying this year the NBA is projected to receive $167m in revenue from casinos and betting, an 11% increase from last season."One need look no further than ESPN to see how integrated sports betting is with major leagues and the media outlets that cover them. Right at the top of the company's website is a new tab, ESPNBET, the broadcaster's very own sportsbook, which launched in November of 2023. Is this a conflict of interest? Maybe, maybe not. But gambling seems to drive a great deal of new business in sports. For NBA fans frustrated by the in-game reviews, the challenges and lengthy replays, they have gambling largely to blame, especially in the wake of the league's referee scandal earlier this century. For a business that lost a great deal of money during the pandemic and one that is trying to grow globally, gambling promises an influx of cash, and the NBA has two official betting partners. The league says it promotes responsible gambling, but there are thought to be around three million problem gamblers in the US, and the National Council on Problem Gambling says the risk of gambling addiction in the general population increased by 30% between 2018 and 2021. Betting ads appearing everywhere on NBA broadcasts almost certainly won't help those numbers. Continue reading...