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Harris won on points - and came across as confident and cool - but the race is still at equilibriumA total of 67 million Americans watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on Tuesday, and the first polls taken after the event all show the vice-president gaining a little ground over the former president.Harris's lead ranges from three to five points, depending on the poll, but we need to be careful about drawing any exaggerated conclusions. One poll by Reuters has Harris leading by five points, but she had been leading by four in their previous poll published on 21 August. Another by Morning Consult also revealed similar results, but her lead had been three points the day before the debate and four the day of the debate.John Zogby is senior partner at the polling firm of John Zogby Strategies and is author of Beyond the Horse Race: How to Read the Polls and Why We Should Continue reading...

Archdiocese's proposal comes as survivors of sexual abuse by clergy request very reasonable' $1bn to settle claimsWith a self-imposed deadline looming to file a plan to reorganize New Orleans' bankrupt Roman Catholic archdiocese, a committee representing about 500 survivors of clergy sexual abuse in south-east Louisiana on Friday proposed that the organization, its affiliated churches, ministries, schools and their insurers should pay more than $1bn to settle their claims.The archdiocese quickly answered with its counter-proposal: $62.5m, or more than $900m less. Continue reading...

What is wrong with people in this country?!

State is a tight race for vice-president and Donald Trump, with less than a percentage point between them on FridayKamala Harris, in an interview with Brian Taff of Philadelphia's 6abc Action News, re-emphasized many of the points she made in Tuesday's debate and throughout her brief campaign, including her stance on guns.In the 11-minute interview aired by the ABC affiliate on Friday, the Democratic nominee for president spoke about gun control, unity among Americans, and her goal of creating an opportunity economy". Continue reading...

A dominant USA took a 6-2 lead over Europe on the first day in Virginia with Nelly Korda in outstanding formThis morning's final foursomes match turns up for work. Carlota Ciganda, Europe's hero last time round, looks well up for the battle. So too does the US's second rookie, Sarah Schmelzel, who dances her way out of the tunnel and onto the tee. No obvious sign of nerves there. Hey, it helps when the world number two, Lilia Vu, has your back. Ciganda smiles wryly as she carves her opening drive into thick nonsense down the right. Vu, who came so close to retaining her British Open title last month, flirts with a fairway bunker but finds the short stuff. Everyone up and running now!Match three is out. Emily Pedersen finds the first cut down the left, as does Ally Ewing. Up on the green, Celine Boutier makes up for finding the sand by draining a 25-footer to save par. Lauren Coughlin has a 15-footer to win the hole, but races her birdie putt three feet past. It's not conceded, but Rose Zhang tidies up, then mimes a slam dunk by way of celebration. A huge smile as she leaves the grene. Continue reading...

Judge reduces sentence to four years of probation for Peter Cichuniec, who injected McClain with ketamine in 2019A Colorado paramedic convicted in the death of Elijah McClain, a Black man whose name became part of the rallying cries for social justice that swept the US in 2020, is being released from prison after a judge reduced his sentence to four years of probation on Friday.Judge Mark Warner ruled that unusual and extenuating circumstances" in the case justified reducing the five-year prison sentence for Peter Cichuniec, the Denver Post reported. Continue reading...

During a meeting with the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, the US president, Joe Biden, said that he does not think much about Russia's president, Vladimir Putin. The comment came in response to a reporter's question about Putin that suggested allowing Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russia could mean that Nato was at war with Russia

US secretary of state announces new sanctions against the Russian state-backed media companyThe US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has announced new sanctions against the Russian state-backed media company RT, formerly known as Russia Today, after new information gleaned from the outfit's employees showed it was functioning like a de facto arm of Russia's intelligence apparatus".The Russian government in 2023 established a new unit in RT with cyber operational capabilities and ties to Russian intelligence", Blinken claimed, with the goal of spreading Russian influence in countries around the world through information operations, covert influence and military procurement. Continue reading...

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Actions of Burt Jones in 2020 ruled reasonable and not criminal' by Peter Skandalakis, head of prosecutors' councilBurt Jones, Georgia's lieutenant governor, will not face criminal charges over his involvement in Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the election, a special prosecutor announced on Friday.Jones, a Republican state senator in 2020, served as one of the 16 fake electors for Trump - all of whom signed a document, submitted to the National Archives, claiming Trump won Georgia. Trump lost the state to Joe Biden by 11,779 votes. Continue reading...

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore make first public comments since capsule left for Earth without themStuck-in-space astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams said on Friday it was hard to watch their Boeing capsule return to Earth without them.It was their first public comments since last week's return of the Boeing Starliner capsule that took them to the International Space Station in June. They remained behind after Nasa determined the problem-plagued capsule posed too much risk for them to ride back in. Continue reading...

Trump spews hate again toward Ohio's Haitian migrants, where residents are fearful over bomb threats and hateDonald Trump repeated racist claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, on Friday, doubling down on anti-immigrant rhetoric as residents in the town have faced bomb threats and have detailed their fears amid harassment.In Springfield, Ohio, 20,000 illegal migrant Haitians have descended upon a town of 58,000 people, destroying their way of life. They've destroyed the place," Trump said during a rambling press conference at his golf course in Los Angeles. People don't like to talk about it. Even the town doesn't like to talk about it, because it sounds so bad for the town. They live there ... for years it was a great place. Safe. Nice. Now they have 20,000 and I actually heard today it's 32,000." Continue reading...

Pontiff, 87, likens abortion to assassination' and condemns Trump over immigration plansPope Francis on Friday criticized Donald Trump over his plan to deport millions of immigrants and Kamala Harris over her stance supporting abortion rights.Asked about the US presidential election on his flight back to Rome from Singapore, the pope said not welcoming migrants is a grave" sin, and likened having an abortion to an assassination. Continue reading...

Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty to driving while impaired, a reduced traffic offence, resolving his drink-driving criminal case. The star was arrested in early June and charged with driving while intoxicated in the Hamptons in New York. Sag Harbor village police said Timberlake ran a stop sign and drifted out of his lane. In a statement after the legal proceedings, Timberlake said: 'I did not live up to the standards that I try to hold for myself.'

A bomb threat in Springfield, Ohio, came after Trump repeated baseless rumor about immigrants eating pets'Joe Biden on Friday said the hostile attacks on Haitian immigrants in the US [have] to stop" after Donald Trump repeated a false and derogatory claim about a Haitian community in Ohio.It is simply wrong that the proud Haitian community is under attack right now in this country," Biden said. There's no place in America. This has to stop - what he's doing. It has to stop," the US president said at a White House event marking Black excellence.Fears mount that election deniers could disrupt vote count in US swing statesMicrosoft billionaire fights US election disinformationPalestinian advocacy groups pressure Harris as election loomsPresidential poll tracker Continue reading...

Forget the mugs and jigsaws - an exhibition at the National Gallery reminds us that nothing compares to seeing the original masterpiecesOn Saturday the National Gallery in London opens its doors for its new Van Gogh exhibition, remarkably the first in its 200-year history. Exactly 100 years ago, the National purchased Van Gogh's Sunflowers for 1,304, a bargain even for the times.Far from a safe bet, guaranteed to bring in the crowds, Van Gogh was considered a rather risky addition in 1924. Slipping under the National Gallery's 1900 cut-off date - later works go to the Tate - by just a decade, he is a visionary modernist among old masters. His paintings might be the stuff of a million tea towels today, but there is nothing dusty or cosy about VanGogh.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...

Tua Tagovailoa's latest concussion has prompted calls for Dolphins' $212m quarterback to retire. Those well-intentioned pleas should not be the main takeawayIn Thursday night's NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, Miami's $212m quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered his fourth documented concussion, and third since joining the NFL, after colliding with defensive back Damar Hamlin, who himself nearly died in a game less than two years ago. The reactions from inside the football world were immediate and telling.Dez Bryant, longtime Dallas Cowboys wide receiver: That's it ... NFL go ahead and do the right thing. Tua has had entirely way too many concussions. He need to retire for his longevity health concerns."Shannon Sharpe: three-time Super Bowl champion turned pundit: Really hope Tua is ok, but he's gotta seriously think about shutting it [down]. I [hate] saying this. His concussions are getting worse and worse and he's a young man with his entire life ahead of him."Antonio Bryant, former All-Pro wide receiver: In all seriousness Tua may want to rethink playing football in the future depending on severity. Concussions not something to mess with."Robert Griffin III, Heisman trophy winner: Really just praying for Tua's long term health. Another concussion puts him at 3 officially and countless other scares. Think of the person not just the player."Nathan Kalman-Lamb is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of New Brunswick. Derek Silva is Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology at King's University College at Western University. They are co-authors of The End of College Football: On the Human Cost of an All-American Game (UNC Press, November 2024) and co-hosts (with Johanna Mellis) of The End of Sport podcast. Continue reading...

One measure would enshrine the state's current 12-week ban, while the other would allow abortion up to 24 weeksNebraska residents will vote this November on two competing ballot measures to expand or limit abortion rights, the state supreme court ruled on Friday.One of the measures that will be put to voters would enshrine Nebraska's current abortion ban, which outlaws the procedure past 12 weeks of pregnancy, into the state constitution. The other would amend the state constitution to add the right to abortion up until fetal viability, or at about 24 weeks of pregnancy. Continue reading...

The vice-president's many and varied expressions said as much as her words in rebutting her Republican rivalAs Kamala Harris, newly installed as a presidential candidate, sought to change the weather on the Democrats' faltering campaign in late July, she made an appeal to Donald Trump that delighted a crowd of her supporters in Atlanta.Trump sure seems to have a lot to say about me", she told the crowd, before challenging him to debate with her: As the saying goes, if you've got something to say, say it to my face." Continue reading...

Alejandro Mayorkas says radicalized individuals could disrupt voting by targeting polling places and workersThe secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, has warned that one of the top threats facing the US in the lead-up to November's presidential election are lone offenders" aiming to disrupt voting and other public targets.In the aftermath of 9/11 the most prominent terrorism-related threat facing our nation was that of sophisticated foreign terrorist networks," Mayorkas said in a keynote speech at a closed-door conference, hosted by the Soufan Center in New York. Continue reading...

Former president argued that the case violated the supreme court's recent presidential immunity rulingA US appeals court late on Thursday declined to interfere with a lower court decision to keep Donald Trump's already-decided criminal case, over hush money paid to an adult film star, in state court, dealing another blow to the former US president's bid to move the case to federal court.On 29 August, nearly three months after he was convicted in the first-ever criminal trial of a US president, Trump asked US district judge Alvin Hellerstein to move the case from New York state court in Manhattan to federal court, arguing the trial violated his constitutional rights. Continue reading...

While other tech execs endorse politicians, Steve Ballmer wants to provide impartial statistics on key issuesIf you stay up late enough watching TV in the US, you may come across what appears to be a short educational program packed with numbers.The man hosting the program may only be instantly recognizable to a handful of people, though according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, he is currently the eighth wealthiest person in the world. Continue reading...

Activists are tentative in supporting Democrats without an arms embargo and ceasefire in GazaIn the days leading up to last month's Democratic national convention (DNC), some pro-Palestinian groups and individuals expressed cautious excitement about Kamala Harris's ascendence to the candidacy. Representative Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said that there was a sense that there's an opening" with the vice-president, referring to a possible shift in US policy on Israel's war on Gaza, while others voiced more measured optimism.However, following the convention, during which party officials refused to allow a Palestinian to speak on the main stage, and where Harris hawkishly affirmed her support for arming Israel, many of those groups' initial hope has turned into a belief that Harris will remain in-line with Joe Biden's Israel policies. The result has been a splintering of sorts: some organizations are still attempting to push Harris toward a more anti-war stance; others have decided to support Harris through the election regardless, citing the risk of a Donald Trump presidency. Continue reading...

At least 239 election deniers have signed up to Trump's election integrity' conspiracy theories, survey findsFears are rising that the vote count in November's presidential election could be disrupted as a result of the proliferation of Donald Trump's lies about stolen elections and rampant voter fraud in the key swing states where the race for the White House will be decided.A new survey of eight vital swing states reveals that at least 239 election deniers who have signed up to Trump's election integrity" conspiracy theories - including the false claim that the 2020 election was rigged against him - are actively engaged in electoral battles this year. The deniers are standing for congressional or state seats, holding Republican leadership positions, and overseeing elections on state and county election boards. Continue reading...

The Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion for the third time in his NFL career, leaving his team's game on Thursday night against Buffalo after running into defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting his head on the turf. Tagovailoa was down for about two minutes in the third quarter before walking to the sideline. He soon made his way to the tunnel, looking to the stands before smiling and walking to the locker room.The Dolphins later announced it was a concussion. The team said he had two in the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion while a college player at Alabama. Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million extension before this season - making him one of the highest-paid players in the league - and was the NFL's leading passer in Week 1. Tagovailoa left with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, which was the final score. Continue reading...

Test your knowledge of international football, NFL, WSL and more with this week's set of questions Continue reading...

All over the world, the far right comes to power through an alliance with the right and part of the business communityIn the recent elections in France, the far right loomed on the precipice of power. The only thing that stopped them from winning was the mobilisation of the far left. The far right was defeated, and the centrist Emmanuel Macron lost 70 MPs. The left, meanwhile, came out on top.This victory is the fruit of the broad mobilisation of trade unions and citizens. The main French trade unions put all their strength into the battle, called for the construction of a Popular Front and, with the majority of the French trade union organisations, raised a call to protest and vote against the extreme right. Continue reading...

Activists say investigation by agency set up by Ron DeSantis into whether fraud took place is voter intimidationFlorida law enforcement officials are investigating voters who signed a petition to get a closely watched abortion rights measure on the ballot this fall, showing up at the homes of some residents unannounced in what activists say is an effort to intimidate voters.Organizers turned in more than 900,000 signatures in January to get a measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution. The deadline to challenge signatures has passed, but a state agency created by DeSantis to investigate voter fraud recently began investigating whether there was fraud in the gathering process. Continue reading...

David Feldman touts bare-knuckle boxing as the world's fastest-growing combat sport. But can his six-year-old promotion manage to overcome its inherent brutality?Bare-knuckle boxing is best described by its many contradictions. It has been touted as the world's fastest-growing combat sport and, simultaneously, an ancient practice whose origins have been lost to prehistory. It is bloody, yet arguably less harmful for the brain than its gloved counterpart. In terms of fan numbers, it remains a relative minnow in the world of professional sports, but is nevertheless doing impressive box-office numbers in the US, UK and elsewhere.It's humane enough to be mainstream, but it's borderline brutal," says David Feldman, founder and president of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). Bare-knuckle boxing is exactly what it sounds like. Two fighters enter a ring without gloves and, over a series of two-minute rounds, attempt to punch the other athlete into unconsciousness. Winners in fights that don't end in knockouts are decided by judges. Most fighters do wear cloth wraps around the wrist and thumb to reduce the risk of injuring their own hands, but their fists' striking surfaces - their knuckles - remain completely free of protection. It makes for compelling spectator sport, even to this initially hesitant observer. Continue reading...

No wonder Viktor Orban and Geert Wilders are cheering. Olaf Scholz is helping them to reshape the EU as they want itThe far right across Europe used to dream of seeing their countries leave the European Union. In France, they called for a Frexit; in Germany, it was Dexit. But recently these calls have quietened. The reason is not that far-right parties have become enamoured of the EU, but rather they now understand that instead of quitting, they can reshape the EU into a collection of strong" nation states that will each enact their own rightwing anti-migration agenda.Dr Maurice Stierl is a migration and border researcher at the University of Osnabruck, GermanyDo 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...

The storm left hundreds of thousands without power, brought flooding and pounded the area with heavy winds and rain. It had weakened from a Category 2 hurricane to a tropical depression as it moved northeastward over central Mississippi, but still threatened areas with dangerous storm surges

Move by justice department result of FBI investigation over foreign bid to shape outcome of November electionThe US justice department is preparing criminal charges in connection with an Iranian hack that targeted Donald Trump's presidential campaign in a bid to shape the outcome of the November election, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.It was not immediately clear when the charges might be announced or whom precisely they will target, but they are the result of an FBI investigation into an intrusion that investigators across multiple agencies quickly linked to an Iranian effort to influence American politics. Continue reading...

Trump repeats claims he won the matchup to Arizona crowd; Harris says in North Carolina that Americans should see another debate. This blog is now closed.

Republican nominee, at event in Arizona, lists familiar grievances and says there will not be another debateDonald Trump delivered his first public remarks since his debate against Kamala Harris at a campaign event on Thursday in Arizona, a key swing state that both candidates are eager to secure.An estimated 5,000 people braved the blazing temperatures - which hovered just above 100F (37.8C) through the afternoon - to wait in line outside the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall in Tucson, an auditorium rented by the campaign that holds about 2,300 people. Meanwhile, city emergency crews responded to dozens of calls for heat injuries before Trump took the stage, according to local public radio reporter Alisa Zaira Reznick. Continue reading...

Democratic nominee criticizes Trump at Charlotte and Greensboro rallies recounting he has concept of a plan'Kamala Harris held rallies Thursday in North Carolina, first in Charlotte and then in Greensboro, calling for another round of debate with Donald Trump, two days after her strong showing in Philadelphia against the former president.I believe we owe it to the voters to have another debate," she said to applause, because this election and what is at stake could not be more important. On Tuesday night, I talked about issues that I know matter to families across America, like bringing down the cost of living ... but that's not what we heard from Donald Trump." Continue reading...

City council approves proposals, risking ire of Republicans threatening to withhold millions in state fundingA Tennessee judge has ruled that three gun control questions can go on the November ballot in Memphis, even as top Republican state leaders have threatened to withhold tens of millions of dollars in state funding should city leaders put the initiative before voters.The Daily Memphian reports that Shelby county chancellor Melanie Taylor Jefferson sided with the Memphis city council, which sued the Shelby county election commission last month for refusing to put gun control measures on the ballot. Continue reading...

David and Philip Walker also reportedly stole and threw New York Times photographer's camera into body of waterTwo brothers were arrested on Thursday on charges that they assaulted a New York Times photographer inside the US Capitol during a mob's attack on the building more than three years ago.David Walker, 49, of Delran, New Jersey, and Philip Walker, 52, of Upper Chichester, Pennsylvania, also are charged with stealing a camera from the photographer during the 6 January 2021 attack. Continue reading...

Republicans sharing false claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets has put national attention on SpringfieldThe city of Springfield, Ohio, has closed down its city hall due to a bomb threat issued to multiple facilities.Springfield has been the subject of national attention in recent days after Donald Trump's campaign and rightwing Republicans amplified a false social media rumor of the community's Haitian immigrants eating local pets. There is no evidence to back up the claims. Continue reading...

Eleven months on from 7 October, the deaths of Palestinians and Israeli hostages are still mounting, and the risks of a broader regional war persistIt is approaching a year since the Hamas atrocities of 7 October, in which 1,200 people were killed, and the beginning of the Israeli retaliation. Health authorities in Hamas-controlled Gaza say that 41,118 people have now been killed, with 95,125 injured; a quarter of those are believed to have suffered life-changing injuries.The pace of killing may have slowed, but the deaths and suffering are no less horrifying. On Wednesday, six UN aid workers were among at least 18 people killed by an Israeli strike on a school in Nuseirat, central Gaza, where displaced people were sheltering. The day before, at least 19 people were killed by an Israeli attack in a supposed safe zone" in Khan Younis to which people had been urged to flee by the Israeli military. Onboth occasions, Israel claimed it was targeting Hamas command and control centres. The strikes came less than a fortnight after six Israeli hostages were found dead, reportedly shot in the head by their captors as Israeli forces approached.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...

US president, Joe Biden, swapped hats with a Trump supporter at an event commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In a statement on X after the event, the White House spokesperson, Andrew Bates, posted: At the Shanksville Fire Station, @POTUS spoke about the country's bipartisan unity after 9/11 and said we needed to get back to that'. Bates added: 'As a gesture, he gave a hat to a Trump supporter who then said that in the same spirit, POTUS should put on his Trump cap. He briefly wore it'

Alberto Gonzales denounces Trump's role in January 6 and joins other high-profile Republicans voting for DemocratAlberto Gonzales, a Republican attorney general under the George W Bush administration, has announced his endorsement of Kamala Harris.As the United States approaches a critical election, I can't sit quietly as Donald Trump - perhaps the most serious threat to the rule of law in a generation - eyes a return to the White House," Gonzales, who served as the US's 80th attorney general from 2005 to 2007, wrote in an article for Politico. Continue reading...

The White House and US Department of Education should clear loans burdening myself and millions of older AmericansAmericans over 60 are the fastest growing demographic of student debtors. I should know. I'm one of them. I'm 77 years old and today I owe $549,497.20 in student loan debt. As seniors stretch limited incomes across rent payments and medical bills, groceries and gas, student loan payments often end up getting paid last - if at all. Decades of broken student relief programs, corrupt loan servicers and government neglect now force millions of older Americans to drag decades-old student debts into their retirement. Without swift, bold policy change and clear political leadership, this crisis will only deepen. The debtors will get older, the debts will get bigger.That's why this Thursday, 12 September I am traveling from my home in Atlanta, Georgia, to Washington DC with the Debt Collective's caucus of older student debtors. Together, we are demanding the White House and the US Department of Education finally take responsibility for the mess they have made and clear the loans burdening myself and millions of older Americans. This will be the first time in history that elders lead the charge for student debt cancellation - for older debtors and for everyone. Continue reading...

It isn't a stretch, even at this very early stage, to think this could be the best Chiefs team of the Mahomes-Reid eraSound the alarm: the Chiefs have that look again.The most stunning thing about Kansas City's Super Bowl win last season was that it came in what should have been a retooling year. Sure, when you have Patrick Mahomes, every season carries championship expectations. But for much of last year, the Chiefs had that not-quite-good-enough feel of the mid-dynasty New England Patriots. Their defense was outstanding, but the offense had taken on too much water: their receivers couldn't catch; the offensive line struggled with injuries; the 34-year-old Travis Kelce showed inevitable signs of decline. Continue reading...

Hundreds of people gathered at a Seattle beach on Wednesday for a vigil in memory of the Turkish-American human rights activist Ayenur Ezgi Eygi, who was shot and killed by the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank. Friends and family have called for an independent investigation into the incident, which the US and Turkish governments have criticised. Israel's military acknowledged that one of its soldiers killed Eygi but said it was unintentional