Alleged murderer Joshua Zimmerman had been on the run since June before being recaptured after all-night standoffA man who escaped from a courthouse in Mississippi and went on the run while wanted for murder and armed robbery was recaptured in Chicago after an all-night standoff that occurred just blocks from the Democratic national convention.The standoff with a tactical Swat team took place while, close by, convention delegates from all the US states and territories were nominating Kamala Harris for the presidency and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, and former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama were giving speeches. Continue reading...
The terror of the election campaign is yet to come. But good vibes at the convention are surely an opportune sign for Harris and Tim WalzHe looks perkier," said my nine-year-old, passing the screen as I watched footage of Joe Biden speaking on the first day of the Democratic national convention in Chicago. The president did, indeed, look perkier, borne aloft by the gratitude of 23,000 people in the hall and the millions beyond it for the fact he is no longer seeking re-election. By itself, this moment would have lifted the occasion above the norm. But the Democratic convention this year is so uniquely dramatic, so unprecedented in US history, that it rivals and possibly outstrips even President Obama's nomination in 2008. And Biden's heart-wrenching appearance was just the beginning.When we fight, we win," said Kamala Harris in her opening speech on Monday and there it was, that strange moment of realisation that what she was saying might actually be true. Strange because it's the kind of thing Democrats always say and that, in recent years, has been accompanied by a terrible wah-wah downward arpeggio on the trombone. Limp, disorganised, outshone by Donald Trump; that had been the campaign to date. The speed of the turnaround and the sheer force of the narrative that now propels Harris forwards, has unleashed a psychic energy so strong that on stage in Chicago it practically gave off sparks. Democrats have the scent of blood in their nostrils and thank God, they're finally chasing it. Continue reading...
Carmaker opts to produce hybrid version due to profitability concerns, citing pressure from Chinese EV competitionFord has written off $1.9bn as it cancelled plans for an all-electric large SUV in the US, opting to produce a hybrid version instead in the latest sign of western carmakers struggling to make profitable electric cars.The US carmaker said on Wednesday that it would not be able to reach a profit on the electric SUV within a year, its measure of whether a new car is viable, citing the stiff competition from Chinese manufacturers. It will initially write off the cost of $400m (300m) in tooling for the vehicle, plus another $1.5bn (1.15bn) in extra costs in the future. Continue reading...
Party tries experimental tech to persuade voters of color to choose Kamala Harris over Donald TrumpLatino and Black-led Democratic and progressive organizations are mobilizing to come up with novel uses of AI to reach voters of color.On Discord, a social messaging app that connects gamers, it's taking the form of a smiling chatbot powered by artificial intelligence that evokes Pixar's animated robot Wall-E. When you click, a conversation opens up that says: This is the very beginning of your legendary conversation with Vote-E." Continue reading...
All the jobs I wanted to do - from fixing the tap to replacing the shower curtain - are done. Why? Because of the terrifying prospect of strangers coming to look at itHere is a short and by no means comprehensive list of things that have been at the bottom of my fruit bowl for about a year: two screwdrivers, a small plastic Pikachu, four marbles, the inner mechanism of a door handle, a drawing of a clown, an unidentified key, the receipt for our wedding wine and a pipe cleaner. Today, after at least 12 months of wishing someone would rid me of this troublesome shrapnel, I finally cleared out the bowl.Why? An attack of efficiency? Is someone's grandma coming to stay? Have I discovered a wealth of spare time? No. We are trying to sell our house. Continue reading...
White House says plan was approved earlier this year and was not a response to a single country or threatJoe Biden has approved a US nuclear strategy to prepare for possible coordinated nuclear confrontations with Russia, China and North Korea, according to a New York Times report on Tuesday.On Tuesday, the White House said the president approved the plan earlier this year and it was not a response to a single country or threat. Continue reading...
Former US national security adviser HR McMaster claims Russian president had a hold over Trump in new memoirVladimir Putin exploited Donald Trump's ego and insecurities" to exert an almost mesmeric hold over the former US president, who refused to entertain any negative evaluation of the autocratic Russian leader from his own staff, and ultimately fired his national security adviser, HR McMaster, over it.The bold assessment of Trump's fealty to Putin comes in McMaster's book At War With Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House, published by HarperCollins and arriving on 27 August. The Guardian obtained a copy. Continue reading...
Derek Chauvin was moved to a low-security facility in Texas after being stabbed 22 times in an Arizona prison last yearDerek Chauvin, the former police officer who triggered a summer of racial justice protests when he murdered George Floyd on a Minneapolis street in 2020, has been transferred to a Texas prison after being stabbed at a different facility nine months ago.Chauvin, 48, was convicted in 2021 of killing Floyd, 46, and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for second degree murder, then later given a separate 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd's civil rights. Continue reading...
Politicians assuming working-class roots for votes isn't new - but this year's election pits the VP picks against each otherFor 30 years, Michael Bailey worked at the former Armco steel plant in Middletown, Ohio, eventually becoming president of a union that represented thousands of workers. Among them was James Vance, grandfather and sometimes stand-in father of the Republican party's current vice-presidential candidate, JD, who worked as a skilled tradesperson at the plant.So Bailey, today a 71-year-old pastor at the Faith United church in downtown Middletown, says he's confused by claims from Donald Trump's running mate that he grew up as a poor kid" in Middletown. Continue reading...
Mobico also reports 24% increase in half-year profits to 71.2m as group tries to reduce 1.2bn debtThe owner of National Express has revealed it has begun the sale of its North American school bus business in an effort to reduce its 1.2bn debt, sending its shares sharply higher.The share price of Mobico, which changed its name from National Express Group in June 2023, jumped by more than 20% after markets opened on Wednesday, before settling at 14% up at 66p by mid-morning. Continue reading...
Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin hold the election key - can the Democrats see off the challenge from Trump?Away from the deafening roar of the party faithful that nightly fills the Democratic national convention in Chicago an urgent question is being asked behind the scenes: how can the party convert the energy that has exploded around Kamala Harris's belated candidacy into actual votes on election day?All eyes are on the blue wall" states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where the identity of the 47th US president is likely to be settled. The outsized significance of the three states in the race is evident in the scramble of the presidential candidates to woo them. Continue reading...
I learned a crucial lesson when I moved abroad: fighting loneliness is all about finding meaningful connectionsLoneliness is often seen as an old people" problem, something that affects us much later in life. But data published last month shows that single women are disproportionately affected by this little-discussed issue.Researchers found that loneliness follows a U-shaped pattern: there's an uptick at the start and end of adulthood, but it drops during middle age, when many of us are preoccupied with families, relationships and career building. But for single women who don't follow this trend, self-reported loneliness is disproportionately high.Georgina Lawton is the author of Raceless: In Search of Family, Identity, and the Truth About Where I Belong Continue reading...
Gen X and millennials are still embracing the drug, with all its drink-more, work-more, pre-2008-crash associations. But this mentality is no longer in vogueThere is one thing that defines London socialising, which is noticed by tourists and visitors from across the globe. It's not the price of pints. It's not even the lack of late-night venues. It's the proliferation of gak. Londoners, famously, love coke so much that five years ago it began seeping into the River Thames, stoking fears about hyperactive eels who all want to tell you about their ideas for a new podcast. As far back as a decade ago traces were being found in the city's sewage, the cokiest greywater in all of Europe.Despite its obvious ethical issues - violent drug deaths both in the UK and at the drug's organised-crime controlled sources - and financial ones - a gram of cocaine in the capital can cost about 100 - cocaine, long associated with the City due to long hours and finance bros, is everywhere, still. These days, it's a way to supplement rounds in pubs that would cost the guts of a gram anyway. No longer an aid to a big night out, it's a Thursday after-work thing. It's part of many parties, every festival, and every football tournament abroad - videos from the Euros attested to this - with fans cheering each other on to do bumps in Trafalgar Square, before losing in the final anyway.Roisin Lanigan is a freelance writer and the author of I Want To Go Home But I'm Already There, to be published in March 2025Do 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.
Harris's running mate is lauded for bringing free meals to students in Minnesota, but it's little known that Valerie Castile's work - inspired by her son - helped drive legislationWhen the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, named the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, as her running mate two weeks ago, the public lauded Walz for bringing free breakfast and lunch to all students throughout the state. Ever since, the topic of universal school meals has become a nationwide discussion. But it's little known that the work of Valerie Castile, the mother of Philando Castile, helped drive Walz's legislation.After Philando was fatally shot by Minnesota police during a traffic stop in July 2016, Castile learned from her son's co-workers about his passion for reducing school lunch debt - the amount of money that households owe to school districts for covering meals they can't afford. As a school nutrition supervisor in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Philando was intimately familiar with food insecurity. He often paid for students' meals when they couldn't afford them and interjected when kids were bullied for receiving free lunch. Affectionately deemed Mr Phil" by students, he knew the names of all 500 children at JJ Hill Montessori school, their food allergies and how to keep them safe. Continue reading...
What matters to Michael Luttig is getting past January 2025 with democracy intact. We can argue later about how to governJ Michael Luttig has never endorsed a Democrat before. That's no surprise since the well-respected legal scholar - a retired federal appeals court judge - leans well right of center.Appointed by the first President Bush in 1991, Luttig is from the old school of the Republican party. He once worked in Ronald Reagan's White House and served as a law clerk to Antonin Scalia.Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...
Chicago police officers with batons pushed protesters away from the Israeli consulate, two miles from where the Democratic national convention was being held. Democratic delegates formally nominated Kamala Harris as the party's candidate for the 2024 presidential election. Protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza had gathered for a third consecutive day. On Monday, they had marched through the city to rally against the Biden administration before protesting outside the convention centre the following day
The joyful warrior' will seek to build on the momentum of his and Kamala Harris's campaignTim Walz will seek to build on the intense enthusiasm surrounding his and Kamala Harris's campaign on Wednesday, as the newly anointed vice-presidential nominee headlines the third night of the Democratic national convention in Chicago.The speech will give Walz an opportunity to introduce himself to a much wider audience of voters, as most Americans were unfamiliar with the Minnesota governor before Harris selected him as her running mate earlier this month. An ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted last month, shortly after Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race and endorsed Harris, showed that only 13% of Americans knew enough about Walz to register an opinion of him. Continue reading...
The former All-Pro cornerback talks about his transition to acting, breaking out of the athlete-turned-action-star stereotype and his directorial debut, which tells a story of family turmoil, police brutality and racial biasAs soon as he hears the question, Nnamdi Asomugha can't help but light up.The writer and director of The Knife, which premiered at the Tribeca film festival earlier this summer to impressive reviews, has just been asked about the similarities between film-making and being an athlete. Continue reading...
Michelle and Barack Obama energized the crowd with jabs at the Republican nominee Donald Trump on the second day of the Democratic national convention in Chicago. The former first lady brought the crowd to their feet when she turned Trump's words against him, asking: 'Who's going to tell Trump that he's campaigning for a "Black job"?' Barack Obama mocked Trump for his 'weird obsession with crowd sizes'. And with a self-deprecating tone, the second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, told the DNC how he courted his now wife, Kamala Harris. He said he left a long and awkward first voicemail that Harris now plays for him every year on their anniversary
The 2024 US presidential election may come down to a high school football coach whose run to an improbable state title 25 years ago was straight out of Friday Night LightsWe're hiring another football coach," Mankato West high school principal John Barnett told Scarlets head football coach Rick Sutton after interviewing Tim Walz about a geography teaching position. You're definitely gonna want to talk to him."This was back in the spring of 1997, when Walz was a 30-something national guardsman relocating to Minnesota from Nebraska so his wife could be closer to her family. So Sutton arranged a second informal interview at his house, one that would ultimately decide whether Walz's $25,000-a-year teaching gig would come with a $2,500 bonus for working with the football team. I knew very, very early on in our conversation that this was a guy that I definitely wanted on my staff," Sutton recalls of Walz, who took the job. Continue reading...
Perpetual invasions, poverty and the shadow of the mafia make people leave for better lives. What will it take to avert this brain escape' and create a healthier sense of identity and belonging?When I moved from Italy to London 15 years ago, one of the things that I found most puzzling was how, in such a gloriously multicultural city, people still tended to form social groups based on where they came from. At first I thought it had to do with my personality, but one day the reason became clearer when I stepped into a coffee shop. While ordering, recognising the barista's Sicilian accent, I switched to Italian and explained I was from Sicily too: that's when the barista's smile died and his tone became very rude.Over the following months, there were similar incidents in bars and restaurants. Every time I tried to strike up a conversation with a fellow Sicilian they gave me the cold shoulder. On reflection, I realised that in Sicily people bonded over their sense of not belonging. This perceived alienation from our birthplace and to its fellow inhabitants is a curse that every Sicilian carries, but is not always aware of.Viola Di Grado is an Italian novelist and literary translator. Her latest novel is Blue HungerDo 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...
Ex-president praised Harris as champion' of people and took a dig at Trump's weird obsession with crowd sizes'Amid chants of Yes, she can!", Barack Obama returned to the scene of past triumphs on Tuesday to pass the mantle of political history to Kamala Harris - and eviscerate her opponent Donald Trump.The former US president delivered the closing speech on night two of the Democratic national convention in his home city of Chicago. Obama prompted raucous cheers as he delivered a withering critique of Trump, who succeeded him in the White House in 2017. Continue reading...
Appearing at a rally in Milwaukee at the same time the Democratic national convention was running in Chicago, Harris took aim at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, criticising him for saying he had no regrets about the US Supreme Court's 2022 ruling that overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade decision that had recognised women's constitutional right to abortion. Democrats see abortion rights as a winning issue in the 2024 election and Harris has led the charge as vice-president
Michelle and Barack Obama energized the crowd and Bernie Sanders emphasized progressive policies as notable Republicans trounced TrumpThe second night of the Democratic national convention in Chicago featured Barack and Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, some notable Republicans and other Democratic heavy-hitters. Here are the key takeaways from the day:Joan E Greve and Chris Stein contributed reporting Continue reading...
With a self-deprecating tone, second gentlemen Doug Emhoff told the DNC how he courted his now wife Kamala Harris, who he was set up with by a client at his law practice. He said he left a long and awkward first voice mail which Harris now plays for him every year on their anniversary.
Vice-president recalled ex-president's boast about ending abortion access and said he will face the consequences in November in Milwaukee rallyKamala Harris has pushed back on Donald Trump for saying he has no regrets" about overturning Roe v Wade and ending women's access to abortion in much of the US.Yesterday, when he was asked if he has any regrets about ending Roe v Wade, Donald Trump, without even a moment's hesitation - you would think you'd reflect on it for a second - said: No regrets,'" said the vice-president at tonight's rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just after a raucous ceremonial roll call at the Democratic national convention being held in Chicago confirmed her as the party's nominee for president. Continue reading...
Appearing at the Democratic national convention in Chicago, US senator Bernie Sanders spoke on the cost of living pressures faced by Americans, saying the top 1% 'have never had it so good' while 'oligarchs tell us we shouldn't tax the rich'. 'Well, I've got some bad news for them: that is precisely what we are going to do,' Sanders said. Sanders also called for 'big money' to be removed from the US political process, universal healthcare and a lift in the minimum wage, before saying 'we must end this horrific war in Gaza'
I decided to enrol in an economics degree partly because of masochism and partly because AI is rapidly stealing my jobEvery day (most days) I get out of bed, sit at my laptop and write words. Usually, they're not terrible. Sometimes they're even great. I type and type, breaking only to watch cat TikToks and eat yoghurt from a tube.In the beginning, every tiny acknowledgment felt like standing on a podium. An editor's kind rejection of my pitch? A retweet from another writer? Publishing my work without paying me? Each milestone was life-changing. The mere suggestion that I might be anything less than awful at the thing I was trying to do felt like a glitter bomb had exploded in my belly. Continue reading...
Speaking on the second day of the Democratic national convention and describing herself as a former 'true believer' and part of the Trump family, Stephanie Grisham, who served as White House press secretary for part of Donald Trump's term, denounced her former boss. Grisham accused the former president of mocking his supporters in private and calling them 'basement dwellers'. Grisham said the former president once advised her: 'It doesn't matter what you say, Stephanie, say it enough and people will believe you'
Ex-president falsely claims US is in grip of violent crime wave, and vows to shield officers from legal accountabilityDonald Trump has pledged to shield police officers from legal accountability if he is re-elected as president after falsely claiming the US is in the grip of a wave of violent crime that he blamed on the Black Lives Matter movement and people crossing the Mexican border.Speaking to police officers in Michigan on Tuesday, the former president sought to pin responsibility for the imagined crisis on his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, whom he characterised as among Marxist district attorneys" with a record of being anti-police and pro-criminal during her term as the district attorney in San Francisco in the 2000s. Continue reading...
by David Hammer of WWL Louisiana in New Orleans on (#6Q47N)
Federal judge vows to hire adviser after attorneys' efforts have not yet led to compensation for clergy abuse victimsIn a move opposed by high-priced attorneys on both sides of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of New Orleans' expensive and lengthy effort to reorganize through a bankruptcy, a federal judge vowed Tuesday to hire an outside expert to assess whether the church and those it owes - including clergy abuse survivors - can come up with a viable settlement plan.People are tired. They are frustrated," bankruptcy judge Meredith Grabill said from the bench, after hearing attorneys for the archdiocese and a committee of creditors urge her to give them a few more weeks to come up with two competing proposed reorganization plans. Continue reading...
Most American men support abortion rights - but activists say too many are sitting on the sidelines. So they're calling, texting and knocking on doors to build support
Milwaukee-based company no longer has minority-owned supplier goals and plans to exit socially motivated trainingMotorcycle maker Harley-Davidson has become the latest manufacturer to drop diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives amid sustained pressure from anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck.In a statement Monday, the Milwaukee-based company said it has not operated a corporate DEI function since April, no longer has minority-owned supplier goals and plans to exit socially motivated training for employees. Continue reading...
Women have been stripped of their freedom, dignity and livelihoods. The international community must heed their demandsWomen barely feature in Hollywoodgate, the chilling and remarkable documentary on the Taliban currently showing in selected cinemas. Three years after their fighters marched back into Kabul in August 2021, thisabsence tells its own story of systematic marginalisation and subjugation.The Taliban's war against girls and women has intensified. Deprived of education, work and even the opportunity to walk in parks or visit public baths, half of Afghanistan's population live especially shrunken and fearful lives. The Taliban's rule is not merely a cruel and humiliating blow to their rights and dignity, but an existential threat. In a May report, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, quoted one woman: I was the breadwinner and now [I] have no job, no income and my children are asking for food, I have no choice but to consider suicide."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 president will speak at the party's convention in Chicago following an address from MichelleExactly 20 years ago, Barack Obama was a relatively unknown state legislator when he delivered a keynote address at the Democratic party's convention.I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on Earth, is my story even possible," Obama said that evening.Wednesday 21 August: The former president Bill Clinton will join the Minnesota governor and nominee for vice-president, Tim Walz, on the convention's third night.Thursday 22 August: The vice-president, Kamala Harris, will close out the fourth night of the convention. Continue reading...
Federal jury to hear arguments whether city is responsible for assault by on-duty police officer of 15-year-old in 2020A federal jury in New Orleans has started hearing arguments about whether the city is liable for the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl by an on-duty police officer.The federal civil trial, brought against the city of New Orleans by the teen's family, began Monday and is expected to last four days. Continue reading...
Theme set for Tuesday of Kamala Harris's bold vision' will contrast with Trump's dystopian vision of the USThe Democratic national convention enters its second day in Chicago on Tuesday with Kamala Harris's presidential campaign seeking to lay out what it calls a bold vision for America" as it seeks to move forward from Joe Biden's emotional valedictory speech.Carrying the flame on the second night of primetime speeches will be the Obamas, with Michelle Obama addressing the convention shortly before her husband Barack takes the stage. The couple's endorsement of Harris in July was seminal in securing the Democratic presidential nomination for the current US vice-president, helping to bypass a potentially ugly internal fight.What is the DNC?Joe Biden speaks at DNC night one following surprise appearance by Kamala HarrisPro-Palestinian protesters march before DNCHere are the rising stars and politicians to watch this weekWhat to know about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz Continue reading...
Chrystul Kizer pleaded guilty to reckless homicide of man she says sold her as sex worker when she was teenagerA Milwaukee woman who maintained that she legally killed a man when she was a teenager because he was sexually trafficking her received an 11-year prison sentence on Monday after pleading guilty to a reduced count of reckless homicide.A judge in the Wisconsin county of Kenosha also sentenced Chrystul Kizer to five years of extended supervision following her release from prison in the 2018 death of Randall Volar, 34. She was given credit for 570 days, about one and a half years, of time served awaiting her case's outcome. Continue reading...
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