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Five-judge panel rules that Juan Merchan was correct to extend parts of gag order until Trump is sentencedA New York appeals court on Thursday denied Donald Trump's bid to end a gag order in his hush-money criminal case, rejecting the Republican president's argument that his May conviction constitutes a change in circumstances" that warrants lifting the restrictions.A five-judge panel in the state's mid-level appellate court ruled that the trial judge, Juan Merchan, was correct in extending parts of the gag order until Trump is sentenced, writing that the fair administration of justice necessarily includes sentencing". Continue reading...

American remains the west's most influential nation - which is why I fear for a world where Republican leaders could be in powerThe forthcoming election is one of the most important to me since I first cast a ballot more than four decades ago. And yet this time - while I've never felt more invested in an election's outcome - I won't have a vote.I'm not talking about the next federal poll in Australia - the one that's most likely to be held early next year. No, I'm referring to the United States presidential election in November, the result of which will reverberate with profound global consequences and - therefore - with significant personal others as well. Continue reading...

Background as senator, US navy pilot and astronaut helps his case to become Kamala Harris's running mateMark Kelly's resume stands out in the sea of lawyers that dominate Washington.The Arizona senator was a US navy pilot who served multiple deployments. He was on Celebrity Jeopardy. He is a steadfast partner to his wife, former US representative Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt at a public event in Tucson in 2011 and has worked alongside Kelly to limit guns since. Continue reading...

To survive a deadly cancer, author Ida Harris had to give up her sweet tooth. It's been an identity-shaking adjustmentA diabetic at a dessert show: I know it sounds like a terrible joke, the most exquisite torture or, at the very least, a bad idea. But there I was at Sweet Fest in Atlanta, rumored to be the sweetest day the city had ever seen.I strolled slowly by dessert display after display: decadent banana puddings; strawberry-stuffed muffins; brownies in shades of blonde, velvet and the darkest chocolate. I lusted after every sugar cookie, ice cream scoop and candied apple. But nothing quite piqued my interest like the bread puddings made by small, home-based bakeries. Continue reading...

Grassroots groups say mobilizing voters is easier after Biden left the race and Harris's candidacy now gains steamBlack grassroots organizers who played a critical role in mobilizing voters in the last presidential election say they are seeing an uptick in interest in their groups and a jolt of energy after Kamala Harris took Joe Biden's place at the top of the Democratic ticket.I hear nothing but enthusiasm," said Helen Butler, a longtime voting rights organizer who runs the nonpartisan Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda. More people are calling to volunteer. The young people are saying, What can we do?' All of our activities are nonpartisan. So we're training them to just talk about civic engagement and why public policy matters." Continue reading...

Bill would stipulate that Congress, not the supreme court, has authority to determine to whom federal criminal laws are applied

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Suzy Wrack, Tom Garry and Sophie Downey for a women's football specialRate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.On the podcast today: we start with the Canadian drones, their national coach suspended and a six-point deduction at the Olympics. How did this happen and does the punishment fit the crime? The panel debate. Continue reading...

In exchange for removing the death penalty as a possible punishment, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other accused plead guilty. Plus, extreme heat at the Olympics

If liberals insist workers should focus more on race than shared class interests, they give right wing ammo for their culture warHow things can change in a matter of weeks. In early July, populism seemed to rule the day in American politics.Donald Trump selected JD Vance, a figure who's been trying on producerist rhetoric in recent years, as his pick for vice-president and invited the Teamsters president, Sean O'Brien, to speak at the Republican national convention. Joe Biden, facing a flagging campaign and internal pressure to step down, met with Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to lay out a pro-worker agenda for a potential new term. Continue reading...

Trump's running mate is not a break from ruthless Republican capitalism - just a shameless repackaging of itInitially hailed as an inspired choice to inherit the Maga movement, James David Vance has fast proved a liability to the Trump campaign: Democrats are successfully branding him as a creepy manosphere specimen; his stances on abortion, IVF and women without children have rightly made him a focal point for criticizing the right's obsession with controlling women's bodies. Then there's the issue of whether he's really the man to mansplain Appalachia to the rest of us, given that he grew up in a city in Ohio.But one story about the junior senator continues to be accepted at face value: Vance as champion of a new right-populism" that puts the working class first. There are no policy proposals that would vindicate that image; what's more, Vance's career has been financed by a nefarious combination of rightwing tech bros and the fossil fuel industry: those who have no problem polluting the public sphere with misinformation and disinformation and those profiting from polluting the atmosphere. Both are prime promoters of the libertarianism that right-populists" supposedly disavow. Continue reading...

Blueprint outlines extreme, conservative policies for a potential second Trump term and beyondYou've probably heard of Project 2025 - either from Democrats such as the vice-president, Kamala Harris, warning of what it could mean for US government, or from Republicans such as former president Donald Trump claiming they have nothing to do with it.The project is an effort by the Heritage Foundation, a prominent rightwing thinktank, to dismantle features of the government it believes conflict with conservative ideology and to install extreme, conservative policies in a potential second Trump term and beyond. Continue reading...

Former general cautioned ex-president does touch a chord', though those who have worked with him don't like himDemocrats have a dangerous tendency to underestimate Donald Trump, warned Wesley Clark, a retired senior US general and former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.I don't think anybody who works for Trump has ever recommended him," Clark said. Not John Bolton, not John Kelly, the retired marines general who was [White House] chief of staff ... not [retired marines general] Jim Mattis, who resigned as secretary of defense under Trump. I don't think people who work for him have any respect for his ability. Continue reading...

Donald Trump participated in a contentious panel hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists. The discussion, held in Chicago at the organisation's annual convention, began after an hour-long delay, with a room full of journalists tensely awaiting the programme

Make sure you don't miss a thing with our full, updating localised guide to the dates and times of all the events at Paris 2024Follow all the latest action live | Support the GuardianSearch for every event and start time at the Paris Olympics with our comprehensive live schedule. From the football pitch to the pool, via track and field and much more, use our filter tool to pinpoint the sports and disciplines you want to follow most so that you don't miss a thing. Continue reading...

Find out who is leading the way at the Olympics, and drill down to see which events each country has won medals forFollow all the latest action live | Support the GuardianAs is traditional, the table prioritises the number of gold medals won. On this basis at the 2020 Olympics, held in Tokyo in 2021, the United States led the field with 39 golds, with China second on 38 and Japan third with 27. If countries have the same number of gold medals, the order is then dictated by which has the most silvers, and finally bronze if the numbers are still identical. Continue reading...

From a headscarf ban for French athletes to social cleansing in the capital, these Games rest on a foundation of injusticeThe Paris Olympics opening ceremony was a stunning spectacle for global audiences, projecting an image of a proudly inclusive and festive France - even if the awkward truth is that, just a few weeks earlier, our country was on the verge of putting a racist far-right party into government. The ceremony's various tableaux were presented as a triumphant display of our different cultures performed by artists of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and genders, and fuelled by references to historical struggles against oppression.But this unifying narrative introduced an Olympic and Paralympic Games that in reality are not all that inclusive. Continue reading...

Vice-president brushes off remarks by Donald Trump in which he said Harris happened to turn Black' a number of years agoKamala Harris has shrugged off Donald Trump's questioning of her racial identity, saying that it was the same old show" and that America deserves better", at a rally in Texas.On Wednesday, in an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Trump antagonised senior Black journalists and questioned Harris's race, saying, She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black." Continue reading...

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has gone on the offensive after suspicions that he stole last Sunday's presidential election plunged Venezuela into turmoil and diplomatic isolation, blaming the unrest on a far-right conspiracy being spearheaded by perverse and macabre" political foes. Maduro said that he would be willing to restart talks with the United States if Washington shows Venezuela due respect, while at the same time blaming them for helping cause the unrest.

During a contentious panel hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Donald Trump parroted disinformation about immigration and abortion, questioned Kamala Harris's race and accused a panel moderator, Rachel Scott - the senior congressional correspondent for ABC News - of being 'rude' and presenting a 'nasty question' when she asked him: 'Why should Black voters trust you?'

Alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed among trio to plead guilty to conspiracy in exchange for life sentenceThree men accused of being involved in the 9/11 terrorist attack - including the self-proclaimed mastermind of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon - have agreed to plea deals at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prosecutors said on Wednesday.The Convening Authority for Military Commissions, Susan Escallier, has entered into pre-trial agreements with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al-Hawsawi, three of the co-accused in the 9/11 case," the Pentagon said in a short statement. Continue reading...

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Trump says you're voting for the president ... you're voting for me' when asked about vice-presidential pickDonald Trump has said that vice presidential picks have virtually no impact" on elections when asked about JD Vance's fitness for office, in an apparent attempt to downplay his running mate's role on the Republican ticket.Trump made the comments during a combative interview at the annual convention of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in Chicago. Asked by the Fox News journalist Harris Faulkner whether Vance would be ready to take over on day one, if he has to be", Trump avoided answering directly and instead downplayed the significance of the Vance's role. Continue reading...

The former president snapped and snarled through his interview - and looked for all the world like an old crankAfter keeping an audience of interrogators waiting, Donald Trump finally arrived on stage for his Wednesday appearance at the convention for the National Association of Black Journalists over an hour late. He blamed the delay not on the furious behind-the-scenes between the NABJ and his campaign about whether he could be factchecked in real time, but on what he described as organizers' inability to calibrate the audio equipment in time for his highly controversial panel discussion. It's a disgrace," he snarled.When ABC's Rachel Scott opened the proceedings by asking the former president his impetus for addressing the Black journalists, women and Chicagoans in the crowd who have been regularly subject to his hostility, Trump dismissed the question as horrible" and called Scott nasty" before turning his bluster meter up to 11. Continue reading...

Relatives of 346 people killed in 2018 and 2019 crashes say planemaker should face a much higher fineFamilies of some of the 346 people killed in two fatal Boeing 737 Max crashes said on Wednesday a US judge should reject the planemaker's proposed plea deal with the US Department of Justice and said the government should seek a much higher fine.On 24 July, the global company finalized an agreement to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge and pay between $243.6m and $487m after breaching a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement. Continue reading...

Many expressed frustration with National Association of Black Journalists for inviting ex-president into our home'On Wednesday afternoon, Donald Trump participated in a contentious panel hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). The discussion, held in Chicago at the organization's annual convention, began after an hour-long delay, with a room full of journalists tensely awaiting the program.During the wait, Philip Lewis, the HuffPost deputy editor, shared on X that the hold-up was being caused by a disagreement between the NABJ and the former president. I'm told that Trump is demanding that NABJ not do the live factchecking and that's why the event hasn't started yet," he wrote. We're in a standoff." Continue reading...

Leon Marchand won gold twice in one evening and Katie Ledecky was dominant while Team GB secured five medalsClarisse Agbegnenou was one of just four individual gold medal-winners for France in Tokyo, making her one of the faces of the Games in the build-up to Paris. But the judoka had to settle for bronze in the 63kg category.It was still a moment to cherish though with Agbegnenou making her daughter part of her celebrations, following her close involvement throughout her preparation for the competition. Angelique Chrisafis has more.Agbegnenou's popularity in France rests on her extraordinary personal story. She was born premature in the Brittany city of Rennes, where she had major kidney surgery as a tiny baby, and was in a coma. She is now a patron of premature baby charities. Talent-spotted as a teenager, she received elite training and quickly rose up the ranks to become one of France's biggest judo stars, in both individual and team competitions.She said in the run-up to the Paris Olympics that her trailblazing for elite women athletes who had children was one of her biggest achievements - she took her baby to training in order to feed her. I want women athletes who follow me to feel free and legitimate, to break codes to change mentalities and change the rules. We can have a life as a woman and mother as well as champion at the same time," she told Le Parisien before competing in Paris.There is no mandatory requirement to withdraw from the Games in cases of Covid, leaving nations to implement their own policies with athletes and staff. Continue reading...

The Englishwoman has overseen three wins from three at in Paris, reshaping how the team plays and blowing away memories of the 2023 World CupIt took under a minute after kick-off for the American supporters to break into a chant of I believe that we will win", in the stands in Marseille. That in itself is not too out of the ordinary - it's one of the customary rallying cries from those who worship the US women's national team - but there was a vigour to the chant on Wednesday evening that had a valid, renewed and performance-based justification.A year ago on 1 August 2023, the US laboured to a goalless draw with unfancied Portugal, in their final group game at the World Cup, luckily scraping through to the knockout stages by the skin of their teeth, with five points from three matches. After three group games at these 2024 Olympics, in a group theoretically containing higher-calibre opposition than 12 months ago, the US have impressively won the group with a maximum nine points under new head coach Emma Hayes. More than that, though, they have topped that group with a style of play that seems unrecognisable from that fateful tournament in Australia and New Zealand. Continue reading...

The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran brings the region closer to the conflagration that many have feared for monthsDim hopes that a ceasefire in Gaza might be in view have been extinguished, for now at least, with the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Israel has not claimed responsibility for killing the political leader of Hamas, but Iran's supreme leader, AyatollahAli Khamenei, was swift to vow vengeance.It came hours after Israel said it had killed FuadShukr, Hezbollah's top military commander, in an airstrike in southern Beirut, blaming him for the attack that killed 12 children in the occupied Golan Heights last week. The militant group did not immediately confirm his death; ambiguity leaves it room for manoeuvre too. Add in recent strikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, one day after Israel pledged revenge for a Houthi drone attack, and a pattern is clear.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...

User drop suggests rejection of harsh rhetoric' spewed by the former US president, rightwing media analyst saysDonald Trump's Truth Social platform experienced a third straight month of audience decline in June, a leading analyst of rightwing media said, detecting signs of trouble at the ballot box" for the Republican presidential nominee.The diminishing audience levels for Truth Social suggest a rejection of the harsh rhetoric expressed by the ex-president and his political allies that is one of the hallmarks of the two-year-old platform," Howard Polskin said. Continue reading...

For such activists, the FCC's new regulations represent a good start - and just thatYou'd be forgiven for falling behind on your federal regulatory news this past month. But amid the chaos of an assassination attempt on the Republican nominee, the self-removal of the Democratic nominee, the meme-ification of the current Vice President, and a flat Diet Mountain Dew joke from her would-be successor, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed a historic measure that will change the lives of millions of incarcerated people and their loved ones.For decades, activists and lawmakers have fought to reduce the cost of calls from prison. As I wrote about in 2021, many prisoners and their loved ones have paid as much as a dollar or more per minute to stay in touch. This exorbitant cost has disproportionately driven women and people of color into debt, while the correctional telecom industry-about 80% of which is controlled by just two companies-extracted over $1.4 billion a year.Katrina vanden Heuvel is editor and publisher of The Nation, she is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and has contributed to the Washington Post, New York Times, and Los Angeles Times Continue reading...

The American has dominated her sport for years. But, three years after a painful debut in Tokyo, she finished outside the medals once againThree years ago Hannah Roberts, already the best freestyle BMX rider of her generation before her 20th birthday, entered the women's park competition at the Tokyo Olympics as the overwhelming favorite, having swept the entire World Cup schedule in addition to the past two world championships. After qualifying first for the final, her opening-run score at the Ariake Urban Sports Park was nearly seven points better than anyone in the field. But when Britain's Charlotte Worthington laid down the ride of her life to move into gold medal position, Roberts went home with silver after landing hard on an early jump and abandoning the rest of her final run. She'd later admit she competed the entire time with a taped-up broken foot.Now 22 and still the dominant force in her sport, and with three more world titles under her belt, Roberts has spoken at length about how that disappointment has motivated her, pushing her forth through countless six-hour training days on the bike or in the gym when she's not courting sponsors to pay the bills. All signs pointed to a redemptive gold at these Paris Olympics even before the competition was blown open during Tuesday's preliminary round, which saw Roberts top all qualifiers once again while defending champion Worthington and Tokyo bronze medalist Nikita Ducarroz failed to reach the final. Continue reading...

Company deeply regrets' the news, taking 7m pounds of deli and poultry items, including bacon and ham, off shelvesBoar's Head products have been recalled due a deadly listeria outbreak, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Tuesday.An additional 7m pounds of deli and poultry items are being recalled due to the deadly outbreak after Strassburger brand Liverwurst products were recalled last week. These products have sell by" dates ranging from 29 July through 17 October, the USDA said. Continue reading...

Secretary of state says suspension is due to anti-democratic' actions from the Georgian governmentThe US has suspended $95m in assistance to Georgia after its parliament adopted legislation related to foreign agents that critics say was inspired by a Russian law used to crack down on political dissent and that sparked weeks of mass protests.

Visiting the races this week, it felt as if there was no better place to be in all the world. No wonder the locals were so proudWhen it comes to friendliness and fun, I hold the Irish to higher standards than people of other countries. So when the chap at the car rental desk at Shannon airport was merely civil, I was disappointed - not only in him, but perhaps in his country, too. I felt let down. I mean, this was harsh, as he wasn't remotely unfriendly, but I had expected more. On some level, I wanted to peer over the counter and see a furious stepdance in full flow below, even as his static top half tried to sell me extra insurance cover. But nothing. Where was this man's craic?I don't think you should use that word if you are not from Ireland, but I ask again: where was his craic? He was Irish, therefore I needed more from him than simple efficiency. I appreciate this nonsense arises from me subscribing to a national stereotype as cheap as any other, but I would plead that there are worse prejudices to harbour. Continue reading...

Ashley Benefield had been charged with second-degree murder with a firearm, but was convicted of manslaughterA jury in Florida convicted Ashley Benefield of manslaughter on Tuesday night over the fatal shooting of her husband in 2020 after more than six hours of deliberations.The 33-year-old former ballerina was accused of shooting and killing her estranged husband, Douglas Benefield, who was 59 at the time of his death. She had been charged with second-degree murder with a firearm, but was convicted on Tuesday of manslaughter, a lesser crime. Continue reading...

Once dwindling Biden polls now appear more promising for Harris, as residents are excited' and energized'By most measures, Democrats' chances to take Michigan, a must-win, upper midwest swing state, were rapidly dwindling two weeks ago. Polling released that day showed Joe Biden down seven points, and perhaps insurmountably ceding ground to Donald Trump among key blocs.Then everything changed. Continue reading...

Researchers found levels of lead and cadmium that far exceed allowable amounts under California guidelinesA new study has found numerous dark chocolate products are contaminated with lead and cadmium, two highly toxic metals.The study by researchers at George Washington University was published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Nutrition. Continue reading...

President on Monday called court's immunity ruling dangerous' and proposed constitutional amendmentDonald Trump has landed a handful of legal victories in recent weeks, but Joe Biden this week set his sights on disrupting the ex-president's efforts to evade prosecution - calling for reform that would make him legally accountable. Continue reading...

Semaglutides are powerful drugs that carry risks, not tools for rapid weight lossSince anti-obesity drugs such as semaglutide (branded as Ozempic or Wegovy) have been approved, they have gone from being niche medicines prescribed by doctors to treat people with type 2 diabetes, to being used widely as weight-loss tools. In the United States, a survey of adults found that 12% had taken Ozempic or a similar type of medicine - they are known as GLP-1 agonists - and 6% (about 15 million people) were on it regularly. This was in spite of the monthly cost of the medicine, which is almost $1,000 for those without insurance.In the UK, Ozempic-like drugs have been prescribed on the NHS (free of cost) to people with type 2 diabetes, or when the drug has been deemed medically necessary. Yet just like in the US, the sales of British online retailers including pharmacies and beauty companies have boomed, as they have offered the weekly injection solution to those wanting to shed excess weight, at prices as low as about 72 ($92) a month. The consequence is that too many people (including those whose weight doesn't present any health risks) are taking the drug who don't need it. In many cases they don't understand how it works in the body, or its side effects. An A&E doctor recently warned that young women are presenting with potentially deadly complications from using the drug to achieve weight loss.Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh Continue reading...

Stephen Richer, Maricopa county's top election official, defended results showing Trump lost in 2020The top election official in Arizona's Maricopa county, who became nationally known for defending the 2020 election results from false claims by Donald Trump and others of fraud, has lost his seat in the Republican primary to a challenger who questioned those 2020 results.In his campaign, Stephen Richer reaffirmed in a primary debate with his Republican opponents that neither the 2020 nor 2022 elections were stolen. His opponents continued questioned the results, with one partly blaming Mark Zuckerberg, claiming the Facebook founder dropped in illegal drop boxes" to sway the elections. Continue reading...

The killing of Hamas's political leader has raised tensions yet again. Only a ceasefire in Gaza offers any prospect of peaceFailure to halt the war in Gaza lies at the heart of the latest lethal savagery in the Middle East. The assassination in Tehran of Hamas's political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, will be celebrated in Israel as just revenge for the 7 October atrocities. But Islamist hardliners in Iran and militant groups across the Arab world will see it as further proof of their belief that the state of Israel is a menace that must be destroyed at all costs.And so the hatred, the violence and the misery will continue unchecked, and will in all probability worsen and spread. Just because this homicidal cycle is familiar does not mean it cannot accelerate. Few parts of the Middle East - Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, Jordan - have escaped the toxic fallout of the Gaza conflict. In Washington and Britain, domestic politics are roiled by the fury and the grief. The UN's impotence is daily, humiliatingly exposed. No one is immune to this poison. Continue reading...

Victor Moses says officers ignored warning signs during police academy's violent fight day' trainingA police recruit who had to have both of his legs amputated after losing consciousness and repeatedly collapsing during fight training at Denver's police academy is suing those who allegedly forced him to continue the barbaric hazing ritual" after paramedics ignored warning signs.Victor Moses, 29, alleges in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday that aggressive officers knocked him down multiple times in the second round of fight day" last year, with one of them shoving him off the mat and causing him to hit his head on the floor. He said he was pressured to continue, with officers picking him up and setting him back on his feet, before paramedics standing by were asked to check him out, the lawsuit said. Continue reading...

Fears of fresh sell-off after Nvidia and Microsoft shares dip, but other chip stocks continue to riseInvestors are sending mixed signals regarding their appetite for tech stocks, as the growing debate over the artificial intelligence boom, and a US clampdown on chip exports to China, raise questions over the direction of growth for key companies.There were fears of a fresh sell-off after the US-listed shares in the chip maker Nvidia dropped 7% overnight, amid concerns that excitement over companies at the forefront of artificial intelligence development had been overblown. Continue reading...

Barry county sheriff known for election denialism has fought government overreach' for 20 years. Now he faces a new threat - local oppositionThis article was produced as a collaboration between Bolts and the Guardian.On a sunny afternoon in July, a crowd of roughly 100 gathered to listen to their local sheriff campaign for re-election in south-western Michigan. A self-described constitutional sheriff" with longstanding ties to militia groups, Dar Leaf has made a national name for himself in far-right circles with his fruitless investigation to uncover evidence for Donald Trump's lies that the 2020 election was stolen. Continue reading...