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Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis's support lies on a spectrum of rape apologism and intimidation that shields predatorsIn the video they are wearing T-shirts, looking unkempt. Maybe a consultant from a crisis PR firm told them that it would be a bad look to appear on camera in the expensive getups they usually don for public appearances; maybe they just didn't think that the task warranted a shower. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, married actors, sit before a wood-paneled background that might be a backyard fence, or the outer wall of a pool house. They are there to address the letters they recently wrote to a Los Angeles court, attesting to the good character of their friend Danny Masterson.Kutcher and Kunis were posting the video - well, not to apologize, exactly, since they didn't. But perhaps to clean up the mess of bad publicity that had resulted from the letters. Masterson, Kutcher and Kunis's costar from That '70s Show, is now a convicted serial rapist; the letters were meant to convince the judge that he was somehow also a good person, one who did not deserve severe punishment. The clip, which appeared on Instagram, featured the couple speaking from a script. Their faces were fixed in uncannily still emotionlessness. We support victims," Kunis said to the camera, her eyes steely and her voice containing no conviction. Continue reading...

Florida governor says Washington Post report about undisclosed trips on donors' planes a case of Trump-legacy media collusion'A spokesperson for Ron DeSantis has responded to a Washington Post report about undisclosed trips on donors' private jets and said the report is an example of Trump-legacy media collusion".The DeSantis spokesperson, Andrew Romeo, directed the paper to a former aide to the Florida governor now a top adviser to Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Jury awards damages to David Ermold and David Moore, who sued former Kentucky county clerk over 2015 incidentA former Kentucky county clerk is being ordered to pay $100,000 to a local couple who sued the clerk after she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.Kim Davis, the former clerk of Rowan county in eastern Kentucky, rose to national prominence for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses in 2015, arguing that such actions violated her religious beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman. Continue reading...

Number of book challenges nationwide doubled from 2021 as book ban movement gathers speed in Republican-led statesTexas made the most attempts to ban or restrict books in 2022, according to a new report from the American Library Association (ALA).Last year, there were 1,269 documented censorship attempts to restrict 2,571 unique titles - the highest number ever recorded by ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom and double the 729 book challenges made in 2021. Continue reading...

When the Phillies' $300m shortstop flopped at the start of the season, the club's notoriously hostile fans decided to shower him with loveThe Philly Shrug is a term that was invented by Daily News columnist Helen Ubinas to describe the average Philadelphian's whaddya-gonna-do" attitude toward so many of the city's endemic problems - the notion that this is just how it is. Although it was coined to describe and explain the public's desensitization to things like crime, litter and political corruption, this blase attitude has largely extended to the city's famously intense support of its sports teams, which has at times boiled over into the boorish, outrageous and ugly.Yes, some of the incidents have been overblown in the American sporting lore. Most locals bristle at a national broadcaster's umpteenth mention of Eagles fans throwing snowballs at Santa Claus during the half-time Christmas parade at a 1968 game. But, uh, we did throw batteries at JD Drew on his first trip to Philadelphia after his refusal to sign with the Phillies. We did cheer Michael Irvin's temporary paralysis as he was carted off with a career-ending spinal cord injury. Yes, there was a courtroom built into the bowels of Veterans Stadium to more efficiently process rowdy fans at Eagles games. One of us did, in fact, stick his finger down his own throat to intentionally vomit on an opposing fan and his 11-year-old daughter. Continue reading...

Germany is ready for a new, dynamic US star after Gio Reyna and Christian Pulisic. The only question is which of the Aaronson siblings will get there firstThat cliche about a year being a long time in football? You don't need to tell that to the Aaronson brothers. This time last year the younger of the two, Paxten, told NBC that it was a surreal experience" watching his big brother, Brenden, starring for Leeds United in the Premier League matches he'd been watching on TV for years. You could sense not just the pride in his voice and demeanour, but genuine awe.It had all been about Brenden, the elder by almost three years. Since building his reputation in MLS with Philadelphia Union, his ascent had been dizzying. His transfer to Red Bull Salzburg, signed off in October 2020 for a fee with the potential to rise to $9m, was a record for a homegrown Union player. Paxten made his professional debut, also for the Union, around six months later. By then, Aaronson senior was in another constellation. Continue reading...

Ford, General Motors and Stellantis push for resolution with UAW union to prevent industry's biggest strike in generationsUS autoworkers and the big three US vehicle makers were in a race against time on Thursday to stop the industry's biggest strike in generations.With the White House pushing for a resolution, the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the car companies still appeared far apart as a midnight deadline to agree to a new union contract approached. Continue reading...

A spate of violence spurred the New Mexico leader, Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham, to take drastic and controversial actionLast week, 11-year old Froylan Villegas was fatally shot outside a minor-league baseball stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A month earlier, five-year-old Galilea Samaniego died after she was struck by a bullet while lying in bed in an Albuquerque trailer park. Two weeks before Samaniego's death, 13-year-old Amber Archuleta was shot and killed in Questa, a small town about 150 miles north of Albuquerque.The spate of violence spurred the Democratic governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, to take drastic and controversial action. On Friday, the governor announced the immediate implementation of a 30-day ban on carrying firearms in public spaces or on state property in Albuquerque and the surrounding Bernalillo county, declaring gun violence to be a public health emergency. Continue reading...

Ford, General Motors and Stellantis made billions of dollars over the past decade. Workers made those profits possibleThe climate crisis and income inequality are the two greatest challenges facing our generation. Both are being determined in the union contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers Union and Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, known as the big three, which are all set to expire this Thursday night at midnight.Shawn's grandparents migrated from the south during the Great Depression and landed jobs at Chrysler and General Motors in Indiana, altering the trajectory of his family, from destitute poverty to solidly middle class, in just one generation. Ro's parents immigrated from India to Pennsylvania seeking a better life where Ro grew up surrounded by families and factories employing once-high-income-workers to now sit in one of America's most powerful institutions. Both family stories reveal a common thread, binding together the promise of an American Dream.Ro Khanna is a congressman from CaliforniaShawn Fain is the president of the United Auto Workers Continue reading...

Sherrod Brown is a true-blue, pro-union progressive beloved by many Ohioans. But Republicans are preparing for a dogfight'Breathless coverage of the presidential horserace has begun, and it seems all but inevitable: we're heading towards a Trump-Biden rematch. Democrats need to maintain their razor-thin Senate majority if they hope to enact President Biden's second-term agenda - or, God forbid, fend off Trump's.That prospect hinges on a few incumbents facing tough re-election fights. The most critical, must-win seat belongs to Sherrod Brown, a senator from Ohio. Continue reading...

Republicans and even some Democrats were gracious to the senator, while Trump was not ready to forgive himMitt Romney's long career in politics has taken him from the governor's office in Massachusetts to presidential ballots nationwide in 2012 and finally to the Senate, where he became known as the Republican who stood up to Donald Trump.On Wednesday, Romney, 76, announced he would not stand for another six-year term as Utah's senator next year, and made no secret that Trump's presence at the heart of Republican politics was a factor in his decision. Continue reading...

Multiple assaults, coercion' and visa denial for Andres Domingo raises concerns of systemic mistreatment in Ice detention centersWhile detained at Miami's Krome detention center, Andres Domingo was sexually assaulted multiple times.An investigation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) corroborated Domingo's claims and his legal team said this automatically made the 25-year-old Guatemalan native eligible for a U-visa, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services regulation. Given to victims of sex crimes or any crime that leads to mental and psychological suffering or abuse, the U non-immigrant status allows victims to remain in the US. Yet, Domingo's last request for the visa was denied on 25 August. Continue reading...

Up to 20,000 people feared dead after devastating floods. Plus, Mitt Romney attacks Trump in resignation announcement Don't already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.Rescue workers in the devastated Libyan city of Derna have appealed for more body bags after a catastrophic flood killed thousands of people and swept many out to sea.What are the current death toll estimates? The number of dead was feared to be between 18,000 and 20,000, Ghaithi said.Who is helping with aid efforts? Rescue teams had arrived from Egypt, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Qatar, the mayor said. The UK announced an initial $1.25m aid package.What is happening to injured people? Derna residents have been pleading for a new field hospital as the two existing hospitals have become makeshift morgues.How old is Romney? He is 76. That's one year younger than Trump (77), four years younger than President Joe Biden (80) and five years younger than the Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell (81). Continue reading...

A savage attack on an 11-year-old girl in Birmingham highlights a potential for wildness that dog owners are often keen to denyI happen to be reading Evil Angels at the moment, John Bryson's brilliant account of the case of Lindy Chamberlain and the death, in 1980, of her infant daughter, Azaria. It is a story, largely, about a miscarriage of justice, but it is also, of course, a story about a dog. A few days before Azaria Chamberlain was snatched by a dingo from the family's tent near Uluru, a 12-year-old girl was attacked in similar fashion at the same campsite, and survived. It had her about the elbow," writes Bryson. The grip was commanding, painful, and she couldn't shake it off. The vapour of arrogance in its eyes was unmistakable and terrifying. She screamed for her mother."Dingos aren't domestic dogs, but at the time of Azaria's death and her mother's subsequent arrest for her murder, they weren't imagined to pose much risk to humans. I thought of this scene, and about the decades-long power of the Chamberlain story more generally, while reading this week about the attack by an American bully XL crossbreed dog on an 11-year-old girl in Birmingham. The child survived, with lacerations to her arms and injuries to the several people who intervened to help her. Two years ago, an American bully XL mauled and killed a 10-year-old boy in Wales, and earlier this year, a woman was killed by her own bully XL in Surrey. While campaigners called for the breed to be banned and the home secretary described it as a clear and lethal danger", the Royal Kennel Club doesn't even recognise the bully XL - a combination of an American pitbull terrier, and American and English bulldogs - as a distinct breed.Emma Brockes 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...

District judge Andrew Hanen's ruling expected to be appealed, leaving supreme court to rule on program's fate for the third timeA federal judge on Wednesday declared illegal a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the US as children.US district judge Andrew Hanen agreed with Texas and eight other states suing to stop the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) program. The judge's ruling was ultimately expected to be appealed to the US supreme court, sending the program's fate before the high court for a third time. Continue reading...

Setback for Governor Lujan Grisham as judge sides with advocates for gun rights even after recent shootings took lives of childrenA federal judge has blocked part of a public health order that suspended the right to carry guns in public across Albuquerque, New Mexico, the state's largest metro area, as criticism mounted over the actions taken by the governor and political divides widened.The ruling Wednesday by US district judge David Urias marks a setback for Michelle Lujan Grisham, the Democratic governor, as she responds to several recent shootings that took the lives of children, including an 11-year-old boy as he left a minor league baseball game in Albuquerque. Continue reading...

Three-judge panel ruled some communications of the House Freedom Caucus leader were protected from legal proceedingsA federal appeals court has ruled that top House Republican Scott Perry's text messages about efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election were constitutionally protected and off-limits to prosecutors, according to the opinion in the case that was newly unsealed on Wednesday.The three-judge panel at the US court of appeals for the DC circuit found that Perry's communications with congressmen and staff were protected under the so-called speech or debate clause, which shields members of Congress from legal proceedings connected to their official duties. Continue reading...

Republican congresswoman was escorted out of show of Beetlejuice in Denver after audience accused her of vaping, singing and using phoneThe US congresswoman Lauren Boebert was kicked out of a performance of the musical Beetlejuice in Denver on Sunday, according to security footage.The theater didn't name Boebert, but a spokesperson said on Wednesday that the video - which showed Boebert and a guest being escorted out of the venue - was of guests who were kicked out after audience members accused them of vaping, singing, using phones and causing a disturbance. Continue reading...

Lawrence Hecker, 92, earlier admitted to having sex with three underage boys in 1960s and 70s, but denied using violenceThe retired Catholic priest Lawrence Hecker pleaded not guilty in a New Orleans courtroom on Wednesday, five days after he turned himself in to jail on aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated crime against nature and theft charges.He's accused in a grand jury indictment of raping a teenage boy in 1975 or 1976 after the unnamed victim resisted to the utmost but ... was overcome by force".In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International Continue reading...

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Daniel Auderer denies wrongdoing, claiming he intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers'A Seattle police union leader was caught on camera joking about a woman who was killed by a police cruiser, saying her life had limited value" and the city should just write a check".Daniel Auderer, vice-president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, responded to the scene of a 23 January crash where another Seattle police officer, Kevin Dave, had struck and killed Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old graduate student, on a crosswalk. Dave was driving 74mph (119km/h) on the way to an overdose call in an area where the speed limit was 25mph. Kandula was thrown more than 100ft and died that night. Continue reading...

Utah senator, 76, who lost 2012 election to Obama, to step down next year, depriving Republican party of key critic of TrumpismSenator Mitt Romney of Utah, a former presidential nominee and a rare relative moderate in the Republican party of Donald Trump, has said he will not run for a second term next year, depriving the party of one of its fiercest critics in Congress of the former US president and his political movement.It's pretty clear that the party is inclined to a populist demagogue message," he said in an interview with the Washington Post in which he announced his retirement. Continue reading...

This is a cudgel to try to create the false impression that Biden's misdeeds, if any, are equal to Donald Trump'sWhen the House speaker, Kevin McCarthy, announced an impeachment inquiry into President Biden on Tuesday, he subverted the normal procedures for doing so. Typically, the House would have to vote on whether to open an informal impeachment investigation: McCarthy just announced it, unilaterally, calling a press conference to say he was instructing" the House to open such an inquiry.Maybe the procedures don't matter, as the optics, more than the substance, seem to be the point of the impeachment. Faced with electoral prospects that have been deeply compromised by the massive political backlash following the reversal of Roe v Wade and the almost comically superlative corruption of the likely Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump - who has now been criminally indicted four times - Republicans need to create a stench around Biden comparable to the one that follows Trump, and increasingly all the other candidates who appear with an R next to their names on the ballot. The impeachment inquiry, then, can be understood as congressional Republicans' effort, ahead of the 2024 election, to throw a stink bomb.Moira Donegan is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...

Much of the eastern city of Derna has disappeared. The lethal failures of the country's authorities must bear much of the blameThe devastation wreaked by floods in eastern Libya is nothing less than apocalyptic. In Derna, where two dams burst after torrential rains, a wall of water deluged the city and sliced out the land from beneath its inhabitants. Entire neighbourhoods were swept into the sea, which is now dumping bodies along the shore. More than 6,000 have died there, and 10,000 people are said to be missing, but because entire families were washed away, there may be no survivors to report some losses. With other towns and settlements inundated, too, tens of thousands are displaced.The horror and despair of Libyans is matched by their fury at the rival governments that have split the country and pursued power and profit while ignoring the people's needs. Storm Daniel is a natural disaster, wrote Elham Saudi, the director of Lawyers for Justice in Libya, but the ensuing catastrophe is manmade: corruption; lack of infrastructure; impunity; shutting down frontliners in civil society ... Be angry at a system that has enabled this tragedy." Continue reading...

House speaker made the announcement on Tuesday despite resistance from within the party and almost certain failureKevin McCarthy, the speaker of the US House, announced on Tuesday he is launching a formal impeachment inquiry into president Joe Biden - despite resistance from Republicans in the House and Senate, where an impeachment vote would almost certainly fail.The order comes as McCarthy faces mounting pressure from some far-right members of his chamber, who have threatened to tank his deal to avert a government shutdown by the end of the month if he does not meet their list of demands. Continue reading...

Eugene Peltola Jr, who was married to Democratic representative elected last year, was pilot of plane that crashed west of AnchorageEugene Peltola Jr, the husband of the Democratic Alaska congresswoman Mary Peltola, has died in a plane accident in his home state, a spokesperson said.We are devastated to share that Mary's husband, Eugene Peltola Jr - Buzzy' to all of us who knew and loved him - passed away earlier this morning following a plane accident in Alaska," Anton McParland, the congresswoman's chief of staff, said in a statement to media. Continue reading...

Fugitive broke out of Pennsylvania county prison in August by scaling wall and climbing over razor wireAn escaped murderer who had been on the run in Pennsylvania for almost two weeks, leading law enforcement on an intense manhunt, was captured early on Wednesday, ending a chase that captivated America and terrorised a Philadelphia suburb.Danelo Souza Cavalcante, 34, broke out of the Chester county prison on 31 August while awaiting transfer to state prison to serve a life sentence for fatally stabbing an ex-girlfriend in 2021. Continue reading...

I've banged on about everything and everyone as part of my talking cure. My loved ones might remember events very differentlyI'm all in favour of talking therapy. It's a crying shame it's so hard to access if you can't afford to pay for it. A skilled and compassionate listener can help you reframe your world and equip you to deal better with your life. However, something is bothering me about the whole business.From my experience, whatever strain of therapy you're doing, it works as follows. You're encouraged to talk about your life, about all the people who are and have been in it. And about all the things, good and bad, that have happened to you and how you feel about them. There's an awful lot of material to get through. My, how you can talk once you get going. If your favourite topic of conversation is yourself, you will love every minute of it straight away. If you're not like that, a good therapist will soon get you started.Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster, writer and Guardian columnist Continue reading...

My neighbors' social media posts about the Brazilian-born fugitive cited the need for a US border wall and stoked fear that he was a member of a drug cartelMy friend and I have been holding our breaths since Sunday.That day, Danelo Cavalcante - a man convicted of murder who escaped from Chester county prison on 31 August - drove a stolen van into our neighborhood, ditched it behind a church, and was reportedly hiding out here. Suddenly the pretty but unassuming Pennsylvania places we call home - Glenmoore, East Nantmeal, South Coventry - were teeming with law enforcement teams, helicopters and news crews.Sabrina Vourvoulias is a Latina author, journalist and editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer Continue reading...

Republicans prominent in move to accelerate long-shot bid say they have been in close touch with twice-impeached ex-presidentDonald Trump has been in discussions with influential House Republicans over the party's long-shot attempt to impeach Joe Biden over unproven corruption allegations relating to his son Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings.Trump was in contact with Elise Stefanik, the third most senior Republican in the House of Representatives, ahead of Tuesday's announcement of an official impeachment inquiry by the speaker, Kevin McCarthy, Politico reported. Continue reading...

Eleven countries have already pledged to exit the disastrous international charter treaty. We must join themIf Labour wants an energy transition in which working people don't foot the bill, it has to address fossil fuel companies' secret weapon against national climate laws: the energy charter treaty (ECT).The treaty is a multi-country investment deal for the energy sector that contains the notorious investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), a mechanism written into international agreements that companies can use to sue governments over policy changes they allege could affect their profits. The cases are heard in secretive tribunals outside the national legal system.Cleodie Rickard is trade campaign manager at Global Justice Now Continue reading...

Book, to be published in March, will share riveting new details' on lead-up to Senate testimony and its overwhelming aftermath'Christine Blasey Ford, the psychology professor who accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, pitching the then conservative US supreme court nominee into huge controversy, will release a memoir next year that she sees as a call for people to speak out about wrongdoing.Publisher St Martin's Press said Ford's book would share riveting new details about the lead-up" to her Senate testimony and its overwhelming aftermath", including receiving death threats and being unable to live in her home. Continue reading...

Tommy Tuberville aims to block policy offering aid to service members and dependents forced to travel for abortionsDefending his blocking promotions that has left hundreds of military officers in limbo and the US army, navy and marines without Senate-confirmed leaders, the Alabama Republican Tommy Tuberville demanded a congressional vote on Pentagon abortion policy.He added: We are not a communist country." Continue reading...

Out of 274 suspects investigated in England, Wales and Scotland, there was only a single conviction

The state's so gerrymandered that Republicans can lose the popular vote and win supermajorities. Now they want to impeach a liberal justice before she's ruled on a single caseIf you need a reminder that the Republican party's problem with democracy extends beyond the antics of Donald Trump, look no further than Wisconsin. A battle is under way there which began before the January 6 insurrection was even a twinkle in Trump's eye, and which will do much to determine the future of democracy in America whether Trump ultimately answers for his crimes or not. It's no exaggeration to say that Wisconsin and its state capitol, Madison, are now the front line of the battle to save American democracy.In 2011, Republicans gerrymandered Wisconsin's state legislature so badly that the party can win supermajorities despite losing the popular vote, as it did in 2018. Voters have fought back, and earlier this year they elected Janet Protasiewicz to the state supreme court, ushering in a new liberal majority which looked poised to finally overturn the gerrymander and bring democratic regime change to Madison.Andrew Gawthorpe is a historian of the United States at Leiden University. He hosts a podcast called America Explained and writes a newsletter of the same name Continue reading...

Gregg Berhalter's men showed encouraging signs against mediocre opposition but tougher teams are in wait later in the yearAn intriguing battle is developing for the central striker roleHe'd scored the game's only goal, yet Folarin Balogun walked off at half-time shaking his head, visibly disappointed. He knew he was being substituted and that there would be plenty more chances for the US after the break against dismal opponents. Continue reading...

Boycott would aim to use consumer power to pressure company to negotiate its first union contractCalls for a consumer boycott of Starbucks are growing amid mounting criticism of the coffee chain's aggressive union-busting activities.A boycott, supporters say, would aim to use consumer power to pressure Starbucks to stop its union-busting and illegal actions and to finally negotiate its first union contract. Continue reading...

North Korea's first priority' is its relationship with Moscow, Kim tells Putin during meeting at remote Russian space base. Plus, why is the US addicted to laxatives?

Spooked by Trump's shadow, Democrats react with disapproval of Biden, whose numbers are stagnant. They risk creating a self-fulfilling prophesyNow ends our summer of discontent. Nearly half of Democrats fretfully tell pollsters that President Biden is too old". Fifty-eight percent of all Americans, including 30% of Democrats, do not approve of his handling of the economy. Twenty-one percent of Democrats rate him unfavorably. If these discontented were to change their opinion, his favorability would be near or above 50%. Depressed Democrats hold down his standing.Biden returns from the G20 economic conference in India triumphant, conducting complex diplomacy edging out China, and heralding a host of deliverables, notably a deal to build a rail and shipping network from India to Europe and the Middle East, running through Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel, a game-changing regional investment", he declares. He follows with an unprecedented pact with Vietnam as a strategic partner. Then at his press conference he wanders into a monologue about a John Wayne western and one of Biden's favored expressions, a lying dog-faced pony soldier", to refer to disbelievers in the climate crisis.Sidney Blumenthal is the author of The Permanent Campaign, published in 1980, and All the Power of the Earth: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln 1856-1860, the third of a projected five volumes. He is the former assistant and senior adviser to President Bill Clinton and senior adviser to Hillary Clinton Continue reading...

For years we've been told the sport will be dominated by leviathans. But nimbleness and all-round skills are still valuableWhen Daniil Medvedev took the court against Novak Djokovic on Sunday afternoon in New York, he was not only attempting to beat the Serb in the US Open final once again; he was also trying to replicate his feat of being tied for the tallest man to ever claim a grand slam title.At 6ft 6in - the same listed height as former US Open champions Juan Martin del Potro (2009) and Marin ili (2014) - Medvedev, who his friend and countryman Andrey Rublev likens to an octopus, used his supremely long reach and extraordinary foot speed to shock Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. But his height didn't make much difference in the final as Djokovic rolled to a straight-sets triumph. Continue reading...

Concerned Women for America, a self-described public policy women's US organization, said it was honored' to host ex-presidentConcerned Women for America (CWA), a rightwing group that describes itself as the largest public policy women's organisation in the US, was criticised for hosting a misogynist indicted criminal", after it announced a keynote speech by Donald Trump.Of course a misogynistic indicted criminal would speak to a conference of women determined to block access to reproductive healthcare and move backward instead of looking toward the future," said Christian F Nunes, national president of the National Organization for Women, or NOW, in a statement. Continue reading...

Video of farewell between Barbara Carolan and her sister, Shirley, warms collective heart of the oft-callous internet after going viralA 94-year-old woman from New Hampshire traveled across the US to see her 90-year-old sister for possibly the last time, and a video of their farewell - initially intended to be just for family - has warmed the collective heart of the oft-callous internet after going viral.We're going to see each other again," Barbara Carolan was told by her younger sister, Shirley, on the emotional clip, which was viewed widely on the social media platform TikTok. If we don't see each other on this earth, we'll see you in heaven." Continue reading...

Community of Gullah-Geechee people in Georgia protest vote for lifting protective laws, threatening a 230-year-old heritageFor more than 230 years, a small community of Gullah-Geechee people have called Sapelo Island off the coast of Georgia home. Hogg Hammock, the area on the island where these descendants of enslaved people live, is a 427-acre coastal community of 40 residents and has been designated as a historic site since 1996. That means that the construction of houses more than 1,400 sq ft and any road paving or demolition of property are strictly prohibited to preserve the island community.On Tuesday, McIntosh county commissioners, who preside over Sapelo, voted to remove zoning restrictions in Hogg Hammock. Gullah-Geechee residents fear that wealthy transplants who want to develop larger homes and who could force a rise of property taxes there will displace them and upend their livelihoods. Continue reading...

Five former Memphis officers were indicted on four counts for violently beating Nichols, 29, during a routine traffic stopFive former Memphis police officers are now facing federal civil rights charges in the beating death of Tyre Nichols as they continue to fight second-degree murder charges in state courts arising from the killing.Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin and Justin Smith were indicted on Tuesday in US district court in Memphis. The four-count indictment charges each of them with deprivation of rights under the color of law through excessive force and failure to intervene, and through deliberate indifference; conspiracy to witness tampering; and obstruction of justice through witness tampering. Continue reading...

Spotlight on partisan split of issue as Republicans push for works to be taken out of schools and librariesA Senate hearing on book bans and censorship on Tuesday spotlighted the growing phenomenon in America and highlighted a partisan split on the issue, with Democrats decrying censorship as Republicans and rightwing activists push for many works to be taken out of schools and libraries, claiming it should be parents' rights to do so.Many of the most commonly banned books deal with topics such as racism, sexuality and gender identity. Conservatives also argue that some books, many exploring queer identity and LGBTQ+ themes, include sexually explicit content inappropriate for students. School librarians opposing such book bans have been attacked and harassed. Continue reading...

Advisory panel reviewed studies of phenylephrine, an active ingredient in Benadryl, Mucinex, Sudafed PE and TylenolA common decongestant ingredient of numerous popular over-the-counter cold and flu remedies does not work, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded on Tuesday.An advisory panel spent two days looking at studies of phenylephrine, an active ingredient in well-known medicines including Benadryl, Mucinex, Sudafed PE and Tylenol, and reported to the FDA that it is no more effective than a placebo. Continue reading...

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