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Tensions amid party members rise as Biden tests for positive for Covid and will be in self-isolation in DelawarePressure for Joe Biden to step aside as the Democrats' presidential pick to face Donald Trump had eased since the Republican survived an assassination attempt last weekend, but began to rise again on Wednesday.The tension rose as Biden was diagnosed with Covid and cancelled events to self-isolate at his home in Delaware. Continue reading...

NBC News reports New Jersey Democrat, 70, found guilty of 16 federal charges, has told allies he will quitThe Democratic US senator Bob Menendez is refuting early reports that he told allies he was considering resigning from Congress after being convicted on corruption charges.I can tell you that I have not resigned nor have I spoken to any so-called allies ... Seems to me that there is an effort to try to force me into a statement," Menendez told CBS News late Wednesday evening. Continue reading...

US president Joe Biden has said he would end his presidential campaign if it emerged that he had a 'medical condition'. Biden's remarks came amid growing concern about his fitness to hold office, brought into sharp focus after a sluggish debate performance against Donald Trump on CNN. Defending his candidacy, Biden said his age gave him added wisdom and he had a lot left to do, so he was 'reluctant to walk away from that'

At the Republic national convention in Milwaukee, some Trump supporters have a new way of showing their support for their favourite presidential candidate beyond a red Maga cap: wearing bandages on their ears, as Donald Trump did himself when he first appeared at the convention on Monday in his first public appearance since Saturday's assassination attempt.

Ex-Trump official portrayed his contempt of Congress charges for obstructing January 6 inquiry as overreach

This blog is now closed. You can read our full report here on Biden's Covid news and follow the latest from the Republican national convention here

The White House confirmed the US president tested positive for Covid-19 and was experiencing 'mild symptoms', saying he had a runny nose and 'general malaise'. Biden was slated to make a campaign speech at the UnidosUS annual conference as part of an effort to rally Latino voters ahead of the November election. Unidos CEO Janet Murguia told guests at the conference that Biden had sent his regrets and could not appear because of his positive test

Trump campaign sees senator's past criticisms of the ex-president as an asset with voters who once disliked TrumpDonald Trump and his campaign see his running mate, Senator JD Vance, as a way to expand Trump's voter base, according to sources familiar with the matter, intending to lean into Vance's previous criticisms of Trump to convince voters who dislike both 2024 candidates to back the former president.In the years before Vance ran for the US Senate, he repeatedly criticized Trump and his presidency in interviews where he made clear he never liked the former president and considered him cultural heroin" and in private conversations, where he suggested Trump was America's Hitler". Continue reading...

Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, 72, who oversaw notorious Adra prison, detained at LAX on immigration fraud chargesA former Syrian military official who oversaw a prison where human rights officials say torture and abuse routinely took place has been arrested in Los Angeles, court documents show.Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, 72, was taken into custody last week at Los Angeles international airport on immigration fraud charges, specifically that he denied on his US visa and citizenship applications that he had ever persecuted anyone in Syria, according to a criminal complaint filed on 9 July. Investigators are considering additional charges, the complaint shows. Continue reading...

President, who has mild symptoms, returning to Delaware to self-isolate but will continue to carry out the full duties of the office'Joe Biden has caught Covid-19 and cancelled a speaking engagement at the last minute, before he was due to address a conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon, the White House has confirmed.The US president had developed symptoms, and just before he was going to address the UnidosUS annual conference in Nevada, and after a long delay, the organization's president and chief executive, Janet Murguia, told those gathered he would not be taking the podium. Continue reading...

Nuclear proliferation talks halted as tensions rise over Biden and Trump's calls for increased trade restrictionsChina has suspended talks over arms control and nuclear proliferation with the US in protest against arms sales to Taiwan, the democratically governed island aligned with Washington that China claims as its own territory.The decision, announced by China's foreign ministry on Wednesday, halts the early nuclear-arms talks in a period of growing tensions between China and the US, with both US presidential candidates calling for increased trade restrictions and efforts to contain Chinese influence in east Asia. Continue reading...

Trump's messages to his followers during this election season has had a constant undercurrent of violenceMy first thought on hearing about the attempted shooting of Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday was I hope to God he's OK".I thought this for the usual reasons we human beings hope that other humans are safe from harm.They're not after me. They're after you. And I just happen to be standing in their way."Our enemies are desperate to stop us and our opponents have done everything they can to crush our spirit and to break our will. But they failed. They've only made us stronger. And 2024 is the final battle, it's going to be the big one. You put me back in the White House, their reign will be over and America will be a free nation once again."In 2016, I declared: I am your voice. Today, I add I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution."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...

Law scholar Laurence Tribe says the conservative court majority is destroying' framework of checks and balancesLaurence Tribe, a constitutional law scholar who has advised Joe Biden as the president prepares to back dramatic reforms to the US supreme court, has criticized the court's ultraconservative justices for acting as a center of self-aggrandizement" threatening the checks and balances on which the US has historically depended.In comments to the Guardian a day after news broke of Biden's plans to endorse major changes to the country's most powerful court, the Harvard Law School professor said the justices were out of step with basic constitutional premises. The court had reached the point of assuming ultimate power over our entire legal and political system". Continue reading...

British contender is ready to enjoy himself after preparing with one of the great nights'Bob MacIntyre bowled up a day late for the Open. He was supposed to be here early on Monday for a press conference, but had to change his plans at the last minute after his victory in the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick.I don't think I'll be able to get to Troon," he said thatnight. I don't think I'll be legally able to drive." Continue reading...

California Democrat and US Senate candidate calls on Joe Biden to end his campaign, stating he has serious concerns'Adam Schiff, the high-profile California Democrat and US Senate candidate, on Wednesday called on Joe Biden to end his presidential campaign, stating he had serious concerns" about the president's ability to beat Donald Trump in November.In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles-area congressman joined almost 20 other congressional Democrats in asking the president to step aside. Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation's history", Schiff said, but it was time to pass the torch". Continue reading...

Unconfirmed report says Biden considering sweeping regulation to further restrict sales of equipment to ChinaGlobal stocks fell on Wednesday as technology shares sank after a report said the US plans tighter import controls on companies that share chipmaking technology with China.London's FTSE 100 edged 0.1% higher to 8,169.24 as data showed the inflation rate remained steady at the Bank of England's 2% target in June. That hit hopes for a central bank rate cut, though the better-than-expected data pushed the British pound above $1.30 early on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Deleted post said, unions gain nothing from endorsing the racist, misogynistic, and anti-trans politics of the far right'The Teamsters' social media account attacked its own president on Wednesday, saying unions gain nothing from endorsing the racist, misogynistic, and anti-trans politics of the far right," two days after Sean O'Brien addressed the Republican national convention in MilwaukeeO'Brien spoke at the convention on Monday night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the first leader of the union to appear at the convention in the union's history. Continue reading...

President makes comment in convention speech, referring to remarks made by Trump in June debateWielding a potentially potent attack line in his re-election campaign against Donald Trump, Joe Biden told the NAACP: I know what a Black job is: it's the vice-president of the United States."Biden was speaking to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the group staged its 115th national convention. Continue reading...

The parents glow with pride, while the students cringe with embarrassment. Underneath it all is the terrifying awareness of time getting a march on usI just went to a graduation ceremony. I wasn't the only one. On station platforms at every stop there were graduation groups in evidence, in the spirit of the newlyweds and their families in Larkin's Whitsun Weddings.Graduation parties are generally three in number. One is young, the other two are older. The older ones will have sore hands from clapping long and hard, as hundreds of soon-not-to-be students file on stage to receive their degrees. There are plenty to get through - in the UK, well over 1m undergraduates and postgraduates are awarded their certificates every year. Parents' eyes will hurt from all the squinting, trying to keep tabs on where loved ones are in the queue, working out when their turn will come. Continue reading...

The ex-president is believed to be softening his convention speech, but top Republicans are sticking with a caustic tone

Exclusive: senior House members write letter seeking information on child labor violations in federally funded programsTwo senior members of Congress have asked the acting secretary of labor, Julie Su, for information and data on child labor violations and protections in federally subsidized youth work programs amid a rise in reports of labor abuses against minors, according to a letter obtained by the Guardian.Child labor violations have been on the rise in the US in recent years as eight states so far in 2024 have passed legislation to roll back child labor protections, though elected officials in 24 states have introduced bills to strengthen child labor protections. Continue reading...

The former first daughter has spent the past few years distancing herself from Donald. Now she's voicing fond memories of working in the White HouseIf you're a woman freaking out about the imminent possibility of another Trump term, don't despair quite yet. Yes, Project 2025 is hoping to turn the US into a Christian nationalist country. Yes, JD Vance, Donald Trump's running partner, has been primed for the job by Peter Thiel, a man who has mused that women having the vote is problematic. Yes, experts are raising the alarm that a Trump-Vance administration will be the most dangerous administration for abortion and reproductive freedom in this country's history." But it's not all doom and gloom: there may well be a beacon of light and female liberation coming into the White House as well. Signs suggest Ivanka Trump is considering a return to politics. Ladies and gentlewomen, the patron saint of female empowerment may selflessly serve us once again!To be clear: the younger Trump hasn't explicitly said that she's interested in another go at being Daddy's special adviser. In fact, she's spent the last few years getting as far away from politics as possible. A renaissance woman, Trump has sold everything from handbags to shoes to real estate - but her most valuable product has always been herself. The former first daughter has always been very careful about protecting her personal brand. And, for a while, that meant staying well clear of her father. Continue reading...

Viewers will expect compelling battles and a big finish at Royal Troon, not a repeat of Harman's casual victoryThe Open Championship can encounter problems in years such as this. Even dedicated sports fans suffer exhaustion when a European Championship and Olympic Games bookend the summer. The Open - like Wimbledon or Test matches - can feel as if it is jammed somewhere in the middle of frenzy.Against this backdrop, Royal Troon comes under pressure to provide something special. A repeat of last year, when Brian Harman coasted to victory under ugly skies at Hoylake, will not do. History is on this wonderful Ayrshire venue's side; Henrik Stenson's epic joust with Phil Mickelson here, eight years ago, was on the last properly compelling Open Sunday. Continue reading...

The commission president can no longer command a convincing majority. Rejecting her would be good for European democracyAfter being hand-picked by the 27 EU leaders as the nominee to preside over the European Commission for a second five-year term, Ursula von der Leyen now needs to win the approval of the European parliament. The 65-year-old German politician needs an absolute majority when the 720 MEPs vote on Thursday: 361 votes. For this she can rely on the three pro-European political groups that won a majority of the seats in the European elections last month and supported her in 2019 - her own centre-right European People's party (188 seats), the Socialists (136), and the liberals of Renew (77).Yet individual MEPs from all three groups have already gone public to say they won't back von der Leyen. They include France's conservative Les Republicains from the EPP, German, Irish and Romanian liberals as well as French and ItalianSocialist delegations, among others. Moreover, as the vote is held by secret ballot, some may support her candidacy in public but still push the no" button in Strasbourg.Alberto Alemanno is the Jean Monnet professor of EU law at HEC Paris and Europe Futures Fellow at IWM in Vienna Continue reading...

No foul play suspected, but case won't be closed until cause of death established by medical examiner's investigationThe sudden death of fitness icon Richard Simmons is under investigation by the medical examiner, according to the Los Angeles police department (LAPD).No foul play is suspected, but the police case will not be closed until a formal cause of death is established by the medical examiner's investigation, which could take several weeks as lab tests are conducted. Continue reading...

The dysfunctional US economic system doesn't work for ordinary people - making it ripe for exploitation by a demagogue such as TrumpHas the US entered its late Soviet phase? The country is a gerontocracy led by ailing leaders and with a crisis of confidence in its dominant ideology; it is a flailing superpower suffering foreign humiliation (not least in Afghanistan); and its economic system struggles to meet the needs of many of its people. The similarities are a little uncanny.There are, of course, clear differences too. The US is a democracy, albeit one severely compromised by wealthy vested interests and concerted rightwing efforts to weaken voting rights, and it is a racially diverse union of states, rather than an unstable federation of nations. But, crucially, if Joe Biden is a Leonid Brezhnev or one of his two short-lived elderly successors, then Donald Trump is no Mikhail Gorbachev: he is more of an American Vladimir Putin.Owen Jones is a Guardian columnistDo 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 European Commission president is up for re-election - and despite criticisms, she is best-placed to keep Europe secure in a time of crisisUrsula von der Leyen should get a second five-year term at the head of the European Commission despite the somewhat phoney drama around her confirmation vote in the European parliament on Thursday.To be sure, the 65-year-old centre-right former German defence minister cannot be certain of winning the absolute majority of 361 votes required to retain her job. Several members of the informal pro-European parliamentary coalition of the conservative European People's party (EPP), the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and the liberal centrist Renew Europe (RE) campaigned against her or have said they will not vote for her.Paul Taylor is a senior visiting fellow at the European Policy Centre Continue reading...

The plan takes specific aim at California on abortion rights and green policies - but the state has ways to fight itDonald Trump has not been shy about attacking California on the presidential campaign trail, telling fellow conservatives that the place is failing" under Democratic party leadership. And all signs suggest that a second Trump administration would not hesitate to take a sledgehammer to principles and policy priorities that the Golden State and other progressive bastions hold dear.The Project 2025 policy document, a blueprint for a second Trump presidency drawn up by former Trump administration officials and sympathetic thinktank analysts, takes specific aim at California on abortion rights, fuel emissions standards and the transition to electric vehicles. Continue reading...

The lawyer who was once a registered Democrat has been welcomed by Republicans as a sign of generational changeMany Republicans have welcomed Usha Vance, the Indian American wife of vice-presidential nominee JD Vance, as a symbol of generational change and growing diversity in the party ranks.Usha, 38, a corporate lawyer who used to be a registered Democrat, is the daughter of Indian immigrants and a practicing Hindu. Continue reading...

Tony Barnette was stumbling around the minor leagues until a spell with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows transformed his lifeMeiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo pulsated with excitement in 2015, during a watershed moment in Japanese baseball. The Tokyo Yakult Swallows had just knocked off the rival Yomiuri Giants in a postseason series. For decades, the teams shared Tokyo but little else. The Giants were the class of Japanese baseball, drawing comparisons to the New York Yankees, while the Swallows languished below .500. Now came payback, as the Swallows moved on to the Japan Series, the championship round of Nippon Professional Baseball. Those celebrating included the Swallows' American closer, Tony Barnette. Riffing on a team postgame ritual, the reliever made a series of acrobatic leaps that went viral on Japanese social media.Barnette had additional reasons to rejoice. Frustrated with his progress in the Arizona Diamondbacks' minor-league system, he had accepted an offer to play in Japan. The money was better than Triple A, but he didn't speak Japanese, and the odds of returning to the US to play in MLB were slim - especially given that he had not previously played in the majors. In his first season with the Swallows in 2010, he endured demotion to the minors and was not initially offered a new contract. Then came another shot, and he made the most of it, going from struggling starter to lights-out reliever, while finding postseason success - and, after six seasons in Japan, finally realizing his MLB dream with the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs. His story is chronicled in a new book by sports journalist Aaron Fischman - A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back. Continue reading...

The surface at many venues for this summer's tournament caused concern among players and coaches. Will lessons be learned for the 2026 World Cup?For the three nations set to co-host the 2026 World Cup - the United States, Mexico and Canada - this summer's Copa America, held in the US, provided a timely test of their ability to compete at their home tournament in two years.The results were mixed. The US and Mexico crashed out in the group stage, while Canada made it all the way to the semi-finals, losing to the eventual champions, Argentina. Continue reading...

Heavy lies the crown of the US men's basketball team, who have always been expected to win gold, a pressure that's only redoubled in the years since NBA players joined upWhen playing for Team USA in the Olympics, it can feel like a no-win situation for a professional basketball player. Though it was invented by Canadian James Naismith, the sport has become the quintessential American global game. The United States men's team has won the dominant share of gold medals in the competition, taking home the top prize 16 times, silver once in 1972 and bronze twice in 1988 and 2004. But ever since America brought the pros in to play in 1992, beginning with star-studded Dream Team, it has been more pressurized. If Team USA wins, it's expected. If they lose, it's a failure. That is the same for the women's side, too, though they've been even more dominant than the men through the decades.Nevertheless, Team USA continues to draw the biggest names in hoops every four years to compete. And the forthcoming 2024 Games in Paris is no different, with LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant set to suit up for the men's team and Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi for the women. But what should newcomers like Anthony Edwards or Sabrina Ionescu expect this year when playing for their country? International basketball," says two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who led Team USA's men's squad to gold in 2000, the pressure is elevated to a level that is really high, especially for Americans." Continue reading...

A bad-taste joke about the Trump shooting shows the old lines of democratic civility are beginning to blurIt shouldn't be a surprise that Tenacious D has cancelled the rest of their Australian tour after one half of the American comedy rock duo made a bad-taste onstage joke lamenting that the man who tried to kill Donald Trump missed.Anyone old enough to remember the political controversy two decades ago involving the country trio the Dixie Chicks - since renamed the Chicks - knows what can happen when musicians manage to offend those engaged in nationalist, populist or identity politics. Continue reading...

Running mate likely to push Trump to pursue America first' foreign policy and deal with Putin to end war in UkraineDonald Trump's choice of JD Vance as his vice-presidential pick has reignited fears in Europe that he would pursue a transactional America first" foreign policy that could culminate in the US pushing for Ukraine to acquiesce to Vladimir Putin and sue for peace with Russia.It's bad for us but it's terrible news for [Ukraine]," said one senior European diplomat in Washington. [Vance] is not our ally." Continue reading...

Confident in Trump's victory, Republicans focused on the US Senate - and doubled down on attacks and false claimsJoan E Greve and Alice Herman contributed reporting Continue reading...

Former rivals for Republican presidential nomination gave full-throated endorsements in Milwaukee. This blog is now closed.In addition to getting Donald Trump back in the White House, Republicans really want to retake the majority in the US Senate in the November elections, and have dedicated much of the convention tonight thus far to promoting their candidates for crucial seats.In addition to Kari Lake, who is vying for Arizona's open senate seat, the convention has heard from Eric Hovde, the party's candidate to beat incumbent Democrat Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin. Here's what Hovde told the crowd:Tammy Baldwin called the Biden administration the most successful in generations. Can you believe that one? I mean, seriously, this shows how detached she is from everyday Wisconsinites. It doesn't have to be this way. Under President Trump, family budgets were more secure, our border was secure, our world was secure. Where Biden and Baldwin have failed, President Trump and I will get the job done.I love America, and I've lived the American dream. I married my best friend, raised a family, built successful businesses and created thousands of jobs for hard-working Americans. But the American dream that I lived is under attack from Joe Biden and his enablers in the Senate like Sherrod Brown. Continue reading...

On second night of RNC, full-throated endorsements from one-time competitors show ex-president's control of GOPNikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, once Donald Trump's biggest rivals in the Republican party, both gave full-throated endorsements to Trump's presidential candidacy on Tuesday, a call for unity that served to underscore the former president's control of the Republican party.On the second night of the Republican national convention, Haley and DeSantis, who both unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination earlier this year, spoke back to back in the 8pm hour of the convention as Trump grinned and applauded from his box elevated above the floor of the Fiserv Forum, where the convention is taking place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Continue reading...

Sue Mi Terry, who also previously worked for the CIA, allegedly gave government information to Seoul in return for handbags and dinnersA foreign policy specialist who once worked for the CIA and on the White House national security council (NSC) has been indicted on US charges she worked as an unregistered agent of South Korea's government in exchange for luxury goods and other gifts.Sue Mi Terry advocated South Korean policy positions, disclosed nonpublic US government information to South Korean intelligence officers, and facilitated access for South Korean government officials to their US counterparts, according to an indictment made public on Tuesday in a Manhattan federal court. Continue reading...

Choosing more sustainable options in the same food group can significantly reduce the environmental footprint. Here are some simple swaps

Trio say DNC proposal to hold virtual roll call' in July is terrible idea' that could undermine morale and unityAt least three Democrats in the US House of Representatives were preparing to sign a letter protesting against a plan to speed up the official party approval of Joe Biden's re-election bid, the lawmakers' offices said on Tuesday.The three are among a growing number of Democrats upset by plans to hold a virtual roll call" vote on Biden's becoming the nominee as soon as 21 July, instead of waiting for the convention being held from 19 to 22 August in Chicago. Continue reading...

Kari Lake attacks media as fake news' as Elise Stefanik calls Biden feckless and failed' and says he's caused chaos'Speakers at the Republican national convention ramped up their rhetorical attacks on Democrats on Tuesday night despite Donald Trump's presidential campaign signalling that the party would adopt a message of unity in the face of political violence.Kari Lake, a Trump ally and Republican candidate for senate in Arizona, used her speech time to launch an attack on the media, which she called fake news", and said more Americans were no longer tuning in to mainstream media. Continue reading...

Georgian Michail Chkhikvishvili, 21, accused of planning to have associate dressed as Santa hand out poisoned candyThe leader of a neo-Nazi extremist group based in eastern Europe has been charged with plotting to have an associate dress up as Santa Claus and hand out poisoned candy to Jewish children in New York City to sow terror, prosecutors said Tuesday.Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 21-year-old man from the Republic of Georgia, was indicted on four charges including soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence, according to a statement from the US justice department. It was not known if he has an attorney. Continue reading...

Milwaukee officers kill man said to be a regular at a local encampment, with no apparent connection to event

President also considering support for constitutional amendment to eliminate immunity for top officeholdersJoe Biden plans to endorse term limits for supreme court justices and a new ethics code, the Washington Post reported, as an emboldened rightwing court continues to upend US legal precedent despite operating under the cloud of multiple ethics scandals.Biden is also mulling whether to call for a new constitutional amendment that would eliminate sweeping immunity for presidents and other officials, the Post reported, citing two unnamed people familiar with the president's thinking. Continue reading...

This live blog is closed. For the latest from the Republican national convention - including speeches from ex-Trump rivals Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Marco Rubio, follow our dedicated RNC live blog here: