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Michelle Obama is a fan of the world No 12, who is a vocal supporter of women's sport, especially basketballFrances Tiafoe is in his element when he talks passionately about the growing presence of black and mixed heritage players at the highest levels of men's tennis. During a stroll on tournament grounds he reels off the names of players he competes with regularly on the tour. Now they're at a position where I have wars with them and go back and forth. So this is great, man. It's great to see," he says. And then you have Giovanni [Mpetshi Perricard], you have Gael [Monfils], who I looked up to."Seconds after Tiafoe mentions his name, Monfils suddenly appears from around a corner as if magically summoned by the American's utterance. His arrival naturally leads to a pause in this interview as an excited Tiafoe greets Monfils by heaping praise on his new haircut, particularly focusing his attention on the Frenchman's sleek fade. Monfils responds with a compliment of his own: You're looking like a wedding day," he says, laughing. Continue reading...

A recent boxing showcase in Brooklyn promised opportunity. But it exposed fighters to unnecessary risk in front of an enthusiastic crowd and an influential audienceThe videos are troubling. They've made their way online through social media and other postings.A club fighter, Jacob Solis, is in the ring with a world-class fighter named Marquis Taylor. Both men are wearing headgear. Solis is under the impression that this is a sparring session. Taylor has been incentivized to treat the encounter as something more. Continue reading...

UC president says payment of this scale would completely devastate' system while Gavin Newsom expresses outrageThe Trump administration is seeking a $1bn settlement from the University of California, Los Angeles, a White House official said on Friday.The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the request and spoke on condition of anonymity. Continue reading...

Name of officer not released and authorities say no ongoing threat' after witnesses say bullets hit CDC building windowsA suspected gunman and a police officer are dead after law enforcement responded to reports of an active shooter near the adjoining campuses of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday, authorities said.It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of one of our very own DeKalb county police officers," Greg Padrick, the county's interim police chief, said at a news conference on Friday night. The name of the officer who was fatally shot while responding was not immediately released. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. You can read Andrew Roth's story on Trump's plan to meet Putin in Alaska hereAccording to new reporting by the New York Times, the president has secretly signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain Latin American drug cartels that the Trump administration considers terrorist organizations.According to the Times' sources, US military officials have started drawing up options for how the military could go after the group. The Times also notes that this escalation would be the most aggressive step" in the administration's campaign against cartels". They also noted that this continues the president's preference for using military forces to carry out what has primarily been considered a law enforcement responsibility to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs". Continue reading...

Directive reportedly gives Pentagon a basis to operate against cartels on foreign soil; Trump to meet Russian president in Alaska next week - key US politics stories from 8 August 2025Donald Trump has reportedly given a secret directive to the Pentagon to use the military to target Latin-American drug cartels that his administration has designated terrorist organisations.The order provides an official basis for the possibility of direct military operations at sea and on foreign soil against cartels", according to the New York Times, which first reported the directive, citing people familiar with the matter. A US official later confirmed the signing of the directive but said military action did not appear imminent and it was unclear exactly what type of operations they would carry out. Continue reading...

Gavin Newsom threatens to move forward with redrawing effort as Texas attorney general seeks removal of group of 13The Republican attorney general of Texas on Friday asked the state supreme court to vacate the seats of 13 Democratic legislators who have left for blue states, hours after their absence once again delayed a vote on a redrawn congressional map sought by Donald Trump.Republican leaders in Texas had set a Friday deadline for Democrats to return to the state capitol in Austin or face punishment, including arrest and possible removal from office. Dozens of Democrats left the state over the weekend to prevent a Republican redistricting effort, requested by the president, to redraw the Texas maps mid-cycle, as part of an effort to secure a Republican House majority in the 2026 midterms. Continue reading...

Demonstrators reportedly accused the agency of operating a covert detention facility at the federal courthouseSeveral protesters outside New York City's 26 Federal Plaza government building were arrested on Friday for disorderly conduct, with demonstrators accusing the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agency of operating a covert detention facility there, according to several reports.Protesters marched to the largest federal immigration courthouse in Manhattan on Friday morning and chanted outside the building. Demonstrators demanded access to the site, which was denied, and they later held a sit-in outside the courthouse, according to Hunter Dunn, the press coordinator for the grassroots protest movement known as 50501. Continue reading...

Michael Paul Brown captured seven days after shooting that left four people dead at the Owl Bar in AnacondaAuthorities said Friday they have captured a man suspected in a shooting at a Montana bar that left four people dead and prompted a lockdown of a neighborhood.Michael Paul Brown, 45, was captured seven days after the 1 August shooting at the Owl Bar in Anaconda, about a hundred miles (190km) from Missoula. Continue reading...

Several states in the western US are experiencing a surge in new Covid-19 infections, according to latest CDC dataSeveral states in the western US are experiencing a surge in new Covid-19 infections, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.An update released on Friday shows Covid-19 activity in wastewater has risen to a moderate" level nationwide, up from low" the week before. The highest levels are in the western US, including in states such as Alaska, California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah, all of which are marked as high". Continue reading...

Long is reportedly now in line for Iceland ambassador post as treasury chief Scott Bessent takes over as acting IRS headDonald Trump is removing Billy Long as the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, and the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, will temporarily serve as acting commissioner for the president, a White House official and a source familiar with the matter said to Reuters on Friday.The New York Times first reported the news about Long, a former congressman from Missouri. He was expected to be nominated for an Iceland ambassador post, according to NBC News. Continue reading...

Tonia Haddix sentenced after lying that movie star primate she was accused of mistreating had diedA Missouri woman who starred in the HBO documentary series Chimp Crazy has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison after she lied that a movie star primate that she was accused of mistreating had died.Tonia Haddix, 56, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after her 46-month prison sentence ends. Continue reading...

Aid airdrops in Gaza, the frontline in Donetsk, wildfires all over Europe and the fifth test match between England and India: the past seven days as captured by the world's leading photojournalists

Mike Huckabee launches undiplomatic harangue after UK prime minister calls for immediate ceasefireThe US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has launched an undiplomatic attack on Keir Starmer by invoking the allied second world war bombing of Dresden after the British prime minister criticised the Israeli security cabinet's decision to expand the war in Gaza.So Israel is expected to surrender to Hamas & feed them even though Israeli hostages are being starved?" Huckabee wrote on social media in response to a post by Starmer calling for an immediate ceasefire and lamenting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as well as the fate of the remaining Israeli hostages being held by Hamas. Continue reading...

Decision from divided three-judge panel vacates a district judge's finding of contempt against Trump administrationAn appeals court on Friday tossed out a judge's finding of contempt against the Trump administration in a case over the notorious deportations of Venezuelans from the US to an El Salvador prison without due process.The decision from a divided three-judge panel based in the nation's capital vacates a finding from US district judge James Boasberg. Continue reading...

Barbara Keating, Ryan Fitzgerald and an unnamed woman were identified by DNA testing nearly 24 years after attacksAdvances in DNA testing have allowed forensic scientists to identify three more victims of the terrorist attacks in New York City on 11 September 2001, authorities in Manhattan have confirmed.The development brings to 1,653 the number of individuals who have been positively identified from the 2,753 who died after al-Qaida terrorists flew two hijacked commercial aircraft into the twin towers of the World Trade Center on that morning. Continue reading...

Vice-president says, unlike Britain, White House has no plans to recognise the Palestinian stateThe US and UK have disagreements" on Gaza including over whether to recognise a Palestinian state, JD Vance has suggested as he arrived in England for his summer holiday.The US vice-president was speaking before a bilateral meeting with David Lammy, the UK foreign secretary, at his 17th-century grace-and-favour country house, Chevening. Continue reading...

Department issued two subpoenas to Letitia James for civil fraud case against Trump and an investigation into the NRAThe Department of Justice has issued two subpoenas to Letitia James, the New York attorney general who has been repeatedly criticized by Donald Trump, according to reports.One of the cases relates to a civil fraud case brought by James's office against Trump, which resulted in the president owing New York state $500m, the New York Times reported. The other case relates to the attorney general's investigation into National Rifle Association (NRA), a rightwing gun lobbying group. Continue reading...

Cartoon series highlighted homeland security chief's repeated animal killings and poked fun at her looks

We want to hear from families about how Trump's tariffs are affecting the costs of supplies for the upcoming school yearWe want to hear from families in the US. As the new school year approaches, have you noticed rises in the cost of back-to-school items? How have prices changed recently? What has been the effect on your family?Since taking office in January, Donald Trump's tariff policies have upended trading relationships, rattled global markets and stoked fears of inflation. Continue reading...

President's directive to federal officers comes a day after threatening to federalize' city for attack on ex-Doge stafferDonald Trump has ordered federal officers to start sweeping the streets of Washington DC, launching what the White House is calling a seven-day crackdown on violent crime just one day after threatening to federalize" the city.The mobilization, which began on Thursday night, follows an attempted carjacking that left well-known Trump administration figure Edward Big Balls" Coristine bloodied and injured. Continue reading...

Legal group sues for records related to officials' correspondence about Epstein documents and about Epstein and Trump's relationshipAn advocacy group sued the US justice department and the FBI on Friday for records detailing their handling of the sex-trafficking investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The legal organization Democracy Forward is seeking records related to senior administration officials' communication about Epstein documents and any regarding correspondence between Epstein and Donald Trump. Continue reading...

US suitor KKR lobbies board to accept offer to take Assura private as CMA looks into 1.79bn offer by rival UK investorThe bidding battle for the NHS landlord Assura has heated up after its US suitor KKR lobbied the board to accept its offer, while the competition watchdog stepped up its investigation of Assura's 1.7bn takeover by a rival UK healthcare investor.Primary Health Properties (PHP), which invests in buildings housing GP practices, has been blocked from fully integrating Assura by the Competition and Markets Authority while it looks into the takeover. Continue reading...

Imposition of 39% import rate described as another blow' to Switzerland's world-leading refining industryThe price of gold futures have soared to a record high after it emerged that the US would put tariffs on imports of 1kg bars in a further trade blow to Switzerland, which dominates the world's refining industry.Swiss exports to the US were hit by a crippling 39% tariff on Thursday after the country's president returned empty-handed from a last-minute dash to Washington in an attempt to get the rate, among the highest imposed by Donald Trump, lowered. Continue reading...

Burglars broke into store after hours and swiped boxes of the trendy doll popularized by Rihanna and other celebsThe craze for a toothy, fluffy, mischievous monster doll and all its viral spin-offs is escalating into a potential crime wave.A group of burglars has broken into a Los Angeles store, taking thousands of dollars worth of Labubu dolls, which have surged in popularity this year among both children and adults, including celebrity sightings. Continue reading...

Group fears administration could try to claw back Medicaid payments if judge's ruling on reimbursements is overturnedAn Ohio affiliate of Planned Parenthood said it will not accept Medicaid insurance because of uncertainty around a judge's ruling ordering the Trump administration to continue sending Medicaid reimbursements to all Planned Parenthood health centers.The operator of four clinics said it was concerned the administration could try to claw those payments back if the ruling is overturned. A second group of a dozen health centers is not offering long-acting contraceptive devices for Medicaid patients for similar reasons. Continue reading...

The proposal would involve sending Israeli ground troops into the remaining territory and further displacement of starving Palestinians. Plus, Trump is compared to Stalin over revision of historical climate reports

We have no idea how many people have been killed in Gaza but I would bet my own life that the number is far higher than the 60,000 number the media usesHow many people have been killed by Israel in Gaza since 7 October 2023?It's an almost impossible question to answer but, as the likes of the New York Times publish atrocity-minimizing op-eds that argue Israel hasn't killed all that many people really - certainly not as many people as it could kill if it wanted to with all the big-boy bombs US taxpayers have helped fund - it's an increasingly important issue to grapple with. The first question the anti-Israel genocide chorus needs to answer is: Why isn't the death count higher?" Brett Stephens asked in his recent New York Times op-ed. Here's the thing, Brett. It almost certainly is.Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...

The 18-year-old wildcard stunned Osaka, Gauff, Rybakina and Kenin to win her first WTA 1000 title - and rocket from obscurity into the world's top 25Canada was still catching its collective breath from Summer McIntosh's record-breaking swims when 18-year-old Victoria Mboko grabbed the spotlight at the National Bank Open and never let go.In front of a sold-out crowd in Montreal, the 85th-ranked Canadian wildcard finished her Cinderella title run on Thursday night by beating former world No 1 Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 to win her first WTA Tour title. Prolonged cheers for Mboko interrupted play 30 minutes into the men's final being played concurrently 330 miles west in her hometown of Toronto. Continue reading...

The president has tried to distract from the Epstein story - but his ill-conceived Mar-a-Lago tale has undermined himOne of Trump's preternatural abilities is his apparent animal instinct to lie on the spot whenever he senses he might be cornered. His initial Pavlovian training by his mob lawyer Roy Cohn and subsequent experience in more than 4,000 lawsuits and countless scandals seem to have ingrained in him that lying, the more outrageous the better, buys him time, plays to his credulous followers as insouciant defiance, and wears down his accusers.When Trump's distractions failed to distract from the Jeffrey Epstein files, he offered a story without missing a beat to distance himself from any taint. In his tale, he was traduced by Epstein. Trump was taken advantage of, violated, despoiled. There could be no guilt by association; Trump was a victim, too. Continue reading...

American track athletes have not dominated the Paralympics in the way they have the Olympics. More money and commitment is neededAlthough he came up just short in one of the most thrilling events of last weekend's US Track and Field Outdoor Championships, Miguel Jimenez-Vergara could still take satisfaction in a crowd-pleasing performance.Competing for the first time at the famous Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, the 24-year-old waged a tense tactical war over 5000m with the US's fastest wheelchair racers. Entering the final lap, Jimenez-Vergara vaporized a tightly packed field with a ferocious acceleration that energized the crowd. Only one competitor could rise to the challenge: reigning Paralympic gold medalist Daniel Romanchuk. Jimenez-Vergara still led by a wheel as they rocketed through the final turn at more than 20 mph; Romanchuk caught him in the final 50m and won by a tenth of a second.Larry Borowsky is the editor of Amplitude, a national lifestyle magazine for amputees. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: The global scientific community is reeling after the US announced sweeping cuts to vaccine research, reigniting fears that misinformation is driving critical health policyGood morning. You may have heard a saying along the lines that when the US sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold". So when the US health department announced plans to cut half a billion dollars in vaccine research funding on Wednesday, the world took notice.The US is the world's largest funder of biomedical research, but this position has become more precarious with the appointment of Robert F Kennedy Jr, a longtime vaccine sceptic, as US health secretary.Israel-Gaza war | Benjamin Netanyahu's office said his security cabinet had approved a plan to take over Gaza City after the prime minister earlier said Israel planned to take full control of the Palestinian territory. The decision early on Friday marks another escalation of Israel's offensive in Gaza. Follow developments liveUkraine | Volodymyr Zelenskyy said ahead of an expected meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin that Europe must participate in the peace process between Ukraine and Russia. As the Kremlin refused a three-way meeting with Zelenskyy and Trump, the Ukrainian president said: Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side."Economy | The chancellor and prime minister will begin to foreshadow tax rises and reforms from September to prepare the country for a difficult budget that could be held in November, the Guardian has been told. A rise in gambling levies - advocated by Gordon Brown - is thought to be near-guaranteed as part of the package of tax rises.UK news | Amnesty International has warned the Met police against arresting participants protesting this Saturday in London in support of Palestine Action.Labour | The UK homelessness minister, Rushanara Ali, resigned after it emerged she evicted tenants from her east London property before increasing the rent by almost 700 a month. Continue reading...

Brandon Russell, founder of neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, was convicted of plotting to blow up Baltimore power gridThe founder of a Florida-based neo-Nazi group has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring with his girlfriend to plan an attack on Maryland's power grid in furtherance of their shared racist beliefs.Brandon Russell, 30, was convicted by a jury earlier this year. Prosecutors presented evidence detailing his longstanding affiliation with white supremacist causes and his recent efforts to organize sniper attacks" on electrical substations around Baltimore. Continue reading...

Police say 61-year-old man attacked his neighbour and then fired dozens of rounds at emergency workers responding to the attackA 61-year-old man shot and killed his neighbor in rural Pennsylvania on Thursday and then ambushed responding state troopers, wounding two and shooting down a drone while firing dozens of rounds from a semiautomatic weapon, police said. The attacker was killed by police.The boyfriend of the woman who was killed, Lori Wasko, called 911 from their home near Thompson, in Susquehanna county, to report that shots had been fired, state police Col. Christopher Paris told reporters. Police did not say why Carmine Faino decided to kill 57-year-old Wasko outside her home and then fire at responding troopers Joseph Perechinsky and William Jenkins. Continue reading...

Decision to alter Ohio river flow made solely by agents', the security agency said in a statementA spokesperson for JD Vance said he and his staff were unaware that the Secret Service decided earlier this month to ask military engineers to raise the water level of the Little Miami River ahead of a family boating trip, which took place on his birthday.The Secret Service often employs protective measures without the knowledge of the vice-president or his staff, as was the case last weekend," the spokesperson said.Do you have a tip related to this story? You can contact the Guardian via Signal on +1 646 886 8761 Continue reading...

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries accuses Trump administration of attempting to weaponize law enforcement to target political adversaries'

Nicolas Maduro was indicted in 2020 on federal charges of narcoterrorism and conspiracy to import cocaineThe Trump administration is doubling to $50m a reward for the arrest of Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, accusing him of being one of the world's largest narcotraffickers and working with cartels to flood the US with fentanyl-laced cocaine.Under President Trump's leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes," Pam Bondi, the attorney general, said on Thursday in a video statement announcing the reward. Continue reading...

Brazil calls duties unacceptable blackmail' as other seek talks with US; Trump contradicts reports Putin meeting Zelenskyy was precondition of US-Russia summit. Key US politics stories from Thursday 7 August 2025Leaders all over the world were attempting to put contingencies in place after Trump's tariff threats turned to reality at a minute past midnight Washington time on Thursday.The Brazilian government said it was planning a state aid plan for companies affected while its president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called the duties unacceptable blackmail". Continue reading...

John Cornyn claims FBI agreed to help return Democrats to state, sparking backlash amid GOP map pushDemocrats harshly criticized Donald Trump and Republicans after a US senator said the FBI had agreed to assist in locating Texas Democratic lawmakers who left the state to block Republicans from enacting a gerrymandered congressional map that would likely add five more Republican seats before next year's midterm elections.Senator John Cornyn's claim that the FBI would assist Republicans' effort could not be independently confirmed. The FBI declined to comment. An administration official told NBC News this week the government did not plan on using federal agents to arrest Texas lawmakers and a federal law enforcement official told the outlet that as of Thursday morning, the agency had not assisted with trying to locate the lawmakers. None of the lawmakers have been charged with a crime. Continue reading...

Experts say allowing alternative assets like cryptocurrency in 401(k) portfolios carries a high degree of riskDonald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that aims to allow cryptocurrency and other alternative assets like private equity and real estate to be included in the investments in 401(k) retirement accounts.The order smooths the way for fund managers to tap into trillions of dollars of Americans' retirement savings. It could open up a vast new funding source to managers of so-called alternative assets outside stocks, bonds and cash, though critics say it also could bring too much risk into retirement investments. Such a move would be a boon for big alternative asset managers by opening the $12tn market for retirement funds, known as defined contribution plans, to their investments. Continue reading...

If approved by the Senate, Stephen Miran will fill seat vacated by Adriana Kugler, a Biden appointeeDonald Trump said Thursday he will nominate a top economic adviser to the Federal Reserve's board of governors for four months, temporarily filling a vacancy while continuing his search for a longer-term appointment.Trump said he has named Stephen Miran, the chair of the White House's council of economic advisers, to fill a seat vacated by Adriana Kugler, a Biden appointee who is stepping down Friday as governor. Miran, if approved by the Senate, will serve until 31 January 2026. Continue reading...

Move requires colleges and universities to prove they do not consider race in admissionsDonald Trump signed an executive action on Thursday forcing colleges and universities to submit data to prove they do not consider race in admissions, as the White House intensifies its scrutiny of higher education institutions that receive federal funding.The Trump administration is accusing colleges of using personal statements and other proxies in order to consider race, despite a 2023 supreme court ruling reversing affirmative action, as part of its wider attack on diversity-, inclusion- and equality-related initiatives at American institutions. Continue reading...

Texas House Democrats left the state to break quorum to try to stop Republicans from drawing new congressional maps that add as many as five seats for the GOPAt the insistence of Donald Trump, Republicans in Texas are pushing ahead with an effort to redraw their congressional map to pick up as many as five additional Republican seats.The decision has set off a cascading legal battle. State lawmakers have fled Texas as part of an effort to stop Republicans from passing the map. Democrats in other states have said they will retaliate, setting the stage for a nasty and prolonged redistricting tit-for-tat that could last for years. Continue reading...