Peters was accused of using someone else's security badge to give expert affiliated with Mike Lindell access to systemFormer Colorado clerk Tina Peters, a hero to election deniers, has been found guilty in a breach of her county's election computer system in a jury verdict returned Monday at trial.Peters was accused of using someone else's security badge to give an expert affiliated with My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell access to the Mesa county election system. Prosecutors said she was seeking fame and became fixated" on voting problems after becoming involved with those who had questioned the accuracy of the 2020 presidential election results. Continue reading...
Democrats are hoping the Minnesota governor's pro-worker bona fides will make a crucial difference in swing statesVice-presidential picks have little effect on who wins a presidential election, many political scientists say. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris's choice as her running mate, could prove the exception to that rule. Not least because of his track record of successfully appealing to working people.Angelo Ferritto, president of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, voiced confidence that Walz will help the vice-president win in three pivotal states: Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin: I strongly believe that Governor Walz will help the ticket. He has a proven track record of accomplishing things for working people." Continue reading...
Preliminary data collected from 69 major cities also shows homicides fell by 17%, according to Axios analysisViolent crime in major US cities has dropped by 6% in the first half of this year compared with last year, according to newly released preliminary data.The preliminary data, collected from 69 major US cities and published by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, shows that overall, violent crime dropped during the first six months of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023. Homicides fell by 17%, according to an analysis by Axios. Continue reading...
The latest controversy to emerge around the independent candidate may be the straw that broke the camel's backThe controversy over Robert F Kennedy Jr's exploits with a dead bear cub is just the latest bizarre twist to hit his presidential campaign and see him become a laughing stock", political experts said, but a laughing stock who, against all odds, could still seriously impact the election.Kennedy, the scion of the Democratic political family who is running as an independent candidate, was already known for unusual beliefs and actions before last week. His long shot campaign for president had survived Kennedy's claim that part of his brain was eaten by a worm, his longtime anti-vaccine activism, and his recent denials that he had eaten a dog. Continue reading...
Niccol replaces Laxman Narasimhan as company tries to fend off pressures from activist investorStarbucks named the Chipotle Mexican Grill head, Brian Niccol, as its new CEO on Tuesday in a surprise management shakeup as it tries to fend off pressures from the activist investor Elliott Investment Management.Niccol replaces Laxman Narasimhan, who was tapped in 2022 from the Lysol maker Reckitt to undertake a reinvention" of the world's biggest coffee chain. Continue reading...
Robert Wallace was killed after breaking into Christopher Casey's home after becoming enraged over his loud snoringA man from suburban Philadelphia stabbed his neighbor to death after the killer's loud snoring led the pair to argue violently, according to authorities.Christopher Casey, 56, was recently handed a relatively short prison sentence after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the 14 January death of 62-year-old Robert Wallace. Casey also pleaded guilty to possessing an instrument of crime to close the book on a case with a motive that has not been too commonly seen in the US justice system. Continue reading...
Both claim they are part of a bright new dawn, but last night the politician could only slur inanities, and the tech boss made a hash of the techWould you like to travel in the advance party to Mars, aboard the space rocket of a man who can't sort a livestream? Ideally you would have to get in line for this species-level honour behind thousands of Earth's leading shitposters, who not only trust implicitly in X owner Elon Musk, but truly believe that if they grind away for hours a day telling him that on his platform, one day he will see one of those posts. I hope he does, guys!In the meantime, my favourite recent headline on this interplanetary settlement programme ran Elon Musk denies his sperm will seed Mars colony". Sure. It's just a hunch, but I feel like they're going to have way more sperm than they need up there. It's the other bit necessary for human life that you sense will be in shorter supply.Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
The former president is in freefall. But there is no room to ignore the immense danger he still posesWhat do you think Donald Trump does for stress relief? Massages, maybe? Or perhaps he binge-drinks Diet Coke while bed rotting. Maybe he writes down his grievances on pieces of paper and then flushes them down the toilet. It's also possible he lets off steam by smashing gold trinkets with his golf clubs and throwing paper towels at Puerto Ricans. That feels very on-brand.Whatever Trump does to manage his stress, I imagine he's doing a lot of it right now. The convicted felon has had a terrible three weeks. Ever since Joe Biden dropped out of the race, things have been going rapidly downhill for Trump. His campaign had been built around bashing Biden, whose frailty and mental acuity made him an easy target. With the far more energetic and coherent Kamala Harris as his opponent, Trump clearly doesn't know what to do. His campaign now seems to consist of nothing but racism, the revival of old grudges, conspiracy theories and insults. Continue reading...
Donald Trump sat down with the billionaire Elon Musk for a rambling and vitriolic interview that revisited many of the former president's most divisive talking points. The interview on X, which Musk owns, got off to an inauspicious start, with technical issues initially preventing many users from listening. Musk blamed the delay on a 'massive' cyber-attack, but the cause of the glitch was not clear. Trump attacked migrants while consistently mocking his opponent, Kamala Harris, and lied throughout the two-hour interview. A sympathetic Musk concluded the interview by telling Trump he was 'on the right path'
Russian official says Ukraine has taken 28 settlements during attack on Kursk region. Plus, the comedians telling traumatic stories after Baby Reindeer
Watchdog group's finding underscores concerns Trump and allies will attack in election certification in swing statesNearly three dozen officials who have refused to certify elections since 2020 remain in office and will play a role in certifying the presidential vote in nearly every battleground state this fall, according to a new report by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew), a watchdog group.The report underscores the concerns that Donald Trump and allies will attack the certification process at the local level as part of any possible effort to contest a loss in the election. In a presidential election, there are tight deadlines at the local, state and federal levels to certify the vote. Delaying the vote at the local level could cause states to miss deadlines and open up protracted court battles and give oxygen to conspiracy theories. Continue reading...
Our voices are only going to get louder', workers warn tech giant after Atlanta warehouse writes up employeesAmazon has argued the country's top labor watchdog is violating the constitution as the company fights to dismiss unfair labor practice charges, leaning on a recent conservative US supreme court ruling.In a filing last month, attorneys representing the technology giant pushed back against a complaint issued by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) after two Georgia workers alleged that they faced retaliation, surveillance and interrogation after exercising their right to organize. Continue reading...
Even if you very much hope Harris prevails over Trump, that's not a good enough reason to cheer on her press avoidanceI can understand why Kamala Harris hasn't given a sit-down interview to a major media organization or done a no-holds-barred press conference since she began her presidential campaign a few weeks ago.From a tactical or strategic point of view, there's little reason to. Continue reading...
He maintains a tyrant's grip, but Ukraine's incursion into Kursk throws further doubt on his claims about the special operation'On 6 August, a substantial Ukrainian force launched a cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region, shelling the little town of Sudzha and reportedly occupying several villages. Scores of Russian military were killed by artillery and drone strikes, while others were seen surrendering to the triumphant Ukrainians. It quickly became apparent that the incursion was on a far larger scale than previous border raids. Two and a half years into Putin's murderous invasion of Ukraine, Russia faced an unpleasant reality. It, too, could be invaded by a neighbour.Ukraine's Kursk operation overlaps with a poignant anniversary. Twenty-five years ago, Vladimir Putin - previously the director of the Russian security service (FSB) and the secretary of Russia's security council - replaced the short-lived prime minister Sergei Stepashin.Sergey Radchenko is Wilson E Schmidt distinguished professor at the Henry A Kissinger Center, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Baltimore Continue reading...
Sara Tindall Ghazal is just trying to stop a disaster' as once obscure election board gains attention from likes of TrumpSara Tindall Ghazal was scouring her closet as 8pm approached on Wednesday night. She was preparing for her first appearance on cable news, something she has avoided her entire career.In fact, Tindall Ghazal, the lone Democrat on the Georgia state election board, has shunned media attention and appearances since she was appointed to the board in 2021. Back then, even as Georgia became the focal point of former US president Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and as rightwing media and a nationwide network of election denial activists honed in on the state, Tindall Ghazal kept to herself, quietly carrying out her duties in previously-obscure meetings of the board. Continue reading...
Bestselling writer Ian O'Connor says Jets Super Bowl win would help make up for quarterback's unforgivable' conspiracy theories and controversial behaviorAaron Rodgers could roll out of bed and create a news cycle. He's unbelievable. He's a content machine". It's true and it's why the bestselling sportswriter Ian O'Connor is talking to the Guardian from his home in the New York area, where Rodgers, a Green Bay Packers great, now plays quarterback for the Jets. O'Connor's new book, Out of the Darkness, tells Rodgers' story from childhood in California through college stardom at Berkeley to Super Bowl glory and on to something beyond fame - a sort of infamy, even.Rodgers, O'Connor says, was not this polarizing figure until really about three years ago when Covid hit and he was in the middle of a press conference in August '21, and when he was asked if he was vaccinated, he said, Yeah, I've been immunized.' Up until that point, he was not a villain at all. Continue reading...
After overcoming technical issues, Trump used the two hour interview to rehash the stuff that he trots out at every campaign rallyOscar Wilde once described the English country gentleman galloping after a fox as the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable". Elon Musk interviewing Donald Trump surely qualifies as the incoherent in full pursuit of the unendurable.The men's joint appearance in an audio conversation on X on Monday night was, as expected, a display of two planet-sized egos, toxic masculinity and breathtaking mendacity. More surprisingly it was also dull, like sitting with two drunks at a bar trying to set the world to rights over more than two hours. Continue reading...
After a 45-minute delay, the former president ran through his greatest hits - and biggest lies - to a fawning Elon MuskDonald Trump returned to the social media platform that skyrocketed his career for a live discussion with Elon Musk. The former president unleashed familiar rambling, vitriolic talking points to a sympathetic Musk.Here are key takeaways from the event. Continue reading...
by Helen Sullivan(now) with Chris Stein(earlier) on (#6PXY5)
This blog is now closed. You can read our on that interview story here.In addition to this live blogger, conservative commentator Glenn Beck is among those unable to listen to Donald Trump's interview with Elon Musk:The interview was supposed to start five minutes ago, but instead, all we are seeing is a gray box with the words Details not available". Continue reading...
Ex-president attacks migrants and denounces Kamala Harris in discussion delayed by technical glitchDonald Trump sat down with billionaire Elon Musk on Monday for a rambling and vitriolic interview that revisited many of the former president's most divisive talking points.The interview on X, which is owned by Musk, got off to an inauspicious start, with technical issues that initially prevented many users from watching the conversation. Musk blamed the delay on a massive" cyber-attack, but the cause of the glitch was not entirely clear. Continue reading...
by Amy Hawkins, senior China correspondent on (#6PY2Y)
Kamala Harris' vice-presidential pick taught in the country and has a history of supporting human rights in places considered sensitive by BeijingIn November 2016, the Democrats were in disarray. Donald Trump had just been declared the winner of the US presidential election, and congresspeople and staffers alike were panicking about the future of American democracy - and their own jobs. It was a tricky time to organise an event about Hong Kong, a Chinese city that few people in the Capitol had given much thought to since the Umbrella Movement of 2014.For a while, it seemed that no one from Congress would turn up to meet Joshua Wong, the bespectacled - and now imprisoned - student leader who was flying to Washington for a briefing organised by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), a government agency. Continue reading...
Expanding public transportation and finding shelter for unhoused people are key elements of city's planningAs the Olympics came to a close this weekend, stars gathered from Paris to Long Beach to help mark the end of this year's events and usher in the 2028 games, which are set to take place in Los Angeles.In a closing ceremony this weekend, the R&B artist HER sang the national anthem in Paris where Tom Cruise rappelled from the roof of the Stade de France and the actor, Simone Biles and the LA mayor, Karen Bass, took part in a flag hand-off. In southern California, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish and Snoop Dogg performed on the beach. Continue reading...
Independent candidate falsely claimed to be state resident, judge says, invalidating documents he needs to be on ballotA judge ruled Monday that independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr falsely claimed a New York residence on nominating petitions, invalidating the documents he needs to appear on the ballot in the state.The ruling from Justice Christina Ryba after a short trial in state court is expected to be appealed. If upheld, it could open the door to challenges in other states where Kennedy used the address in New York City's northern suburbs to gather signatures. Continue reading...
Quake struck Highland Park and was initially reported as a 4.6 magnitude temblor, which was later downgradedA magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck the city of Los Angeles and the wider southern California region on Monday afternoon, rattling nerves and swaying buildings, but with no major damage or injuries immediately reported.The quake's epicenter was in Highland Park, a populous neighborhood in east Los Angeles located about six miles from the the city's downtown, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Continue reading...
Trump is floundering because the attention and positive energy generated by Harris and Walz have threatened his egoAs the Harris-Walz team soars (polls are already showing Kamala Harris taking the lead) Trump is cracking up.His ego can't take it. He is incapable of running against a Black woman who's trouncing him.If Kamala has 1,000 people at a Rally, the Press goes crazy,' and talks about how big' it was - And she pays for her Crowd. When I have a Rally, and 100,000 people show up, the Fake News doesn't talk about it, THEY REFUSE TO MENTION CROWD SIZE. The Fake News is the Enemy of the People!"Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is a professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few and The Common Good. His newest book, The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It, is out now. He is a Guardian US columnist. His newsletter is at robertreich.substack.com Continue reading...
In Paris, I've seen a city drop its aloof cool for giddy cheering. Now that could transform the story France tells about itselfI'm hardly the only one to remark on the qualitative ways in which France has felt different over the past two weeks. Perhaps the Spanish newspaper El Pais said it best when it remarked that the country seems to have taken a vacation from itself", by which it meant that grumbling had been sidelined by unabashed joy.The police could barely refrain from dancing, France TV's commentators couldn't hide their emotion, the live traffic information signs on the peripherique were all in for Leon Marchand, Snoop Dogg seemed to be everywhere all at once, Parisians who stayed in the city dropped their aloof cool for giddy cheering; Parisians who fled in advance found themselves wishing they had stayed. I heard the Marseillaise and throwback pop choruses alike spontaneously break out. Hospitality houses" set up by more than a dozen nations in Parc de la Villette hosted cheering fans from far more countries than just their own, mainly for free.Alexander Hurst is a Guardian Europe columnist Continue reading...
by Beau Dure, Bryan Armen Graham, Melissa Jacobs and on (#6PXKF)
After a thrilling spectacle in France, our writers give their verdicts on the Americans' performance, and look forward to LA 2028Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone deserve every bit of attention they get. They're GOATs, as are Vincent Hancock and Ryan Crouser. But the top performer overall was Torri Huske, who claimed gold in the 100m butterfly and anchored two relays that set world records. Honorable mentions to Huske's fellow triple gold medalist Gabby Thomas and two-time champion Kristen Faulkner, who took a stunning gold in the cycling road race along with her more-expected triumph on the track. BD Continue reading...
A major attack would strengthen the Israeli leader and scupper peace talks over Gaza. A ceasefire should be Tehran's priorityOn 31 July, Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was assassinated in what is believed to have been an Israeli operation. Haniyeh died in a facility in north Tehran, not long after he attended the inauguration of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. How exactly Haniyeh was killed remains unclear. Israeli sources claim it was done using a bomb that had been smuggled into a bedroom in the facility ahead of Haniyeh's visit. The bomb was then remotely detonated. Iranian sources insist that he was killed by a rocket fired into the building from a nearby hillside. Whatever the method, the assassination was yet another humiliating intelligence failure for Iran.For the second time this year, the region is on the brink of a major war as Iran considers its response to a major Israeli provocation. In the view of Iranian analysts, such provocations are traps" set by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who wants to drag Iran into a wider war - especially as pressure mounts for a ceasefire in Gaza. Netanyahu, who is increasingly unpopular, is unlikely to remain prime minister in the aftermath of a ceasefire. For years, he has exaggerated the threat posed by Iran, and particularly its nuclear programme, to fuel his political ascendence. Now he is seeking war with Iran to avert his personal downfall.Esfandyar Batmanghelidj is the founder of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, a thinktank focused on economic policymaking in the Middle East and Central AsiaDo 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 former president has persisted with his signature dance move at campaign rallies - what does it all mean?Amid the lies, the vindictiveness, the dystopian portrayal of an America in decline, one aspect of Donald Trump's political rallies tends to get overlooked: the dancing.At many campaign stops, the former president engages in what has become a signature dance: to the tune of Village People's YMCA, Trump pumps his arms alternately, while staring blankly into the crowd. Continue reading...
Routine audit found school food service director took more than 11,000 cases of wings intended for remote learnersA school district official in Chicago was given nine-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to stealing a staggering $1.5m worth of chicken wings.Vera Liddell, the food service director for Harvey School District 152 near Chicago, stole the huge amount of fast food during the pandemic and its aftermath, when the wings were meant for children doing remote learning but who were still picking up school meals, local TV station WGN reported. Continue reading...
Swifties4Kamala has 180,000 followers as fans of world's most famous childless cat lady' emerge as political forceWhen Emerald Medrano learned Joe Biden was dropping out of the 2024 presidential election and endorsing Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, Medrano knew he had to speak now - as his favorite artist, Taylor Swift, would say.I feel like us US Swifties should mass organize and help campaign for Kamala Harris and spread how horrendous Project 2025 would be to help get people's butts down to the polls in November," the 22-year-old posted to his 70,000 followers. He added a sobbing emoji. Like if we don't want democracy to end we really need to move and push blue votes." Continue reading...
Advocates are enthused by Harris's running mate, who as Minnesota governor called healthcare a basic human right'When Kamala Harris picked the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, as veep for the Democratic presidential ticket, advocates for healthcare reform felt a jolt of electricity.Here, they saw a man who proclaimed healthcare a basic human right", reformed medical debt collections, and who laid the groundwork for expanded government insurance and denied corporate health insurers contracts with Medicaid, a state-run health insurance program for the poor. Walz even once joined Harris at an abortion clinic in support of abortion rights. Continue reading...
Whether the issue is shattered relationships or the ugly deaths of those who are fighting, these works give voice to often unspoken horrorsWar is made of blood and terror, but it is also made of emotion, not all of it logical, easy, pretty or comfortable to express. In Ukraine, there is a maelstrom of guilt", the film-maker Iryna Tsilyk told a book festival audience in Lviv recently. Each of us finds something to be guilty about ... Those who left the country feel guilty for those who have stayed. Those who have stayed but live in the rear feel guilty for the military. The military have their own guilt - they feel guilty for their brothers and sisters who have had different levels of experience."There is survivor's guilt when your fellow soldier was killed and you escaped unscathed. There is guilt for not doing enough" to help the war effort. There is the guilt felt when your friend's boyfriend is serving, but your own partner is exempt from mobilisation. Russia's war has snatched territories from the Ukrainians, but has also insinuated itself into people's relationships, where it squats, monstrously, between friends and lovers and family members.Charlotte Higgins is the Guardian's chief culture writer Continue reading...
by Lois Beckett in Anaheim, California on (#6PXE5)
Tens of thousands descend for the D23 conference - will familiar faces and bigger parks maintain their loyalty?It was Friday night, and the southern California stadium was packed with cheering fans. They wore light-up bracelets and homemade costumes, and screamed every time a new A-list celebrity made a surprise appearance.This wasn't a pop concert or a sports game. It was a marketing event for Walt Disney, a company with a legion of fans so devoted that about 15,000 were willing to buy a ticket and come to Anaheim, California, to see its newest film and TV advertisements first. Continue reading...
Trump's refusal to accept the 2020 election results serves as a preview to expected challenges in NovemberThere wasn't anything particularly controversial about Georgia's presidential primary in March this year. Donald Trump won the Republican contest - picking up a little more than 400,000 more votes than Nikki Haley, who had long dropped out of the race.Nonetheless, two Republicans on the five-person Fulton county election board refused to certify the election. Continue reading...
The Thames is often treated badly: pumped with effluent by water companies and viewed as just a geographical gap or dividing line. It is worth remembering its magicPull on your effluent suits and ring the sewage bell because, friends, Thames Water is being fined. Or at least it might be. The industry regulator, Ofwat, finally said out loud what we have all known for some time: that the privatised water company has been pumping raw sewage into our waterways for years. As a consequence, the company is facing a fine of 104m; just to put that number into context, according to the BBC, Thames Water reported an increase in annual profits to 157.3m last year, but is also facing a debt of 15.2bn. It makes huge profits and has no money; it's almost as if turning one of life's most essential building blocks into a commodity to be distributed for private gain wasn't a great idea in the first place.The thing about the Thames is that many of us - particularly residents of London and the towns and cities further upstream - don't really think of it as a river at all. We treat it as a geographical gap; a dividing line between north and south, or between local wards, or between different demographics. It might be scattered with boats, sure, but it's also scattered with plastic bottles, old shopping trolleys, timber pallets and crisp packets, just like any rundown city car park or alleyway. But the Thames is a river. In many ways, it is one of the most beautiful rivers in Britain; aesthetically and for all the history and culture it holds. Continue reading...
The American gymnast, and her Romanian counterpart, have been on a rollercoaster. They should be allowed to keep the medals they earnedIn 1972, the US Olympic men's basketball team took a one-point lead over the Soviet Union in the gold-medal game in Munich with three seconds left. Through a chaotic sequence of events, those three seconds were played three times. The third time was the charm, for the Soviets at least, and they took a one-point win.The US men have, for 52 years, refused to take their silver medals. They sit unclaimed in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the International Olympic Committee has refused to reconsider the outcome of the game. Continue reading...
Family call for $3m in licensing fees stemming from Trump's frequent use of the Hayes-penned Sam & Dave track Hold On, I'm Comin'The family of late soul and funk singer Isaac Hayes has ordered Donald Trump to stop using the Hayes-penned song Hold On, I'm Comin' at campaign rallies.A letter sent to Trump and his campaign team, shared by Hayes's son Isaac Hayes III, threatens Trump with legal action if he continues to use the 1966 Sam & Dave song, written by Hayes and David Porter. It alleges copyright infringement, and also demands $3m in licensing fees incurred from the use of the song between 2022 and 2024. Continue reading...
As a new author, it was a thrill to read what people were saying about me. Then I found out that I wasn't alone. The habit just had to goLooking at my computer screen, I blinked in disbelief. I had just typed my name into Google and was flabbergasted to see page after page of results about me. It was April 2009 and I was a new author in Nigeria. My first book was just about to be released and I had been completely unaware of just how much pre-publication buzz the international publishing scene generates. A year earlier, Googling my name had presented just four results - mostly related to my old school's alumni website. Now there were 600 and I devoured every one of them; reviews, blogs and comments. But my fascination quickly spiralled into something much darker as I become addicted to searching my name on Google every hour of every day.The signs of my addiction were subtler than those of an alcoholic or drug addict, yet they disrupted my life just the same. Mobile internet and smartphones were uncommon luxuries in Nigeria at the time, with only 9% of the 156 million population having internet access. My habit of searching for my name online was confined to when I was working in the office, or at home tethered to an unreliable external modem. If I was out with friends, I would ask to borrow their laptop or phone. I would excuse myself from gatherings, shutting myself away in the corner of a friend's room to be close to the internet modem.Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is a Nigerian novelist and journalist. She is the author of I Do Not Come to You by Chance and Buried Beneath the Baobab TreeDo 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...
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