Election workers in rural Spalding county, Georgia required to hand-count each ballot after false claims about voter fraudA rural Georgia elections office run by Republicans who promote falsehoods about the 2020 election approved a motion on Monday to institute automatic hand recounts for all future elections.The decision will require elections staff in Spalding county to hand-count each ballot, then compare those vote totals with totals reached by voting tabulation machines provided by the secretary of state. Hand counts slow certification of election results and are less reliable than tabulations carried out by machines. Continue reading...
Canine officer fired after allegedly ignoring other police not to release dog on man stopped for a missing mudflap on his truckA shocking case of an Ohio police officer who released a police dog on an unarmed Black man who had his hands raised has thrown the use of canines by law enforcement back into the national spotlight in the US.On Wednesday, the Circleville police department announced that the officer, who has been identified as Ryan Speakman, had been terminated effective immediately", New 5 Cleveland reported. Continue reading...
You're more likely to die taking a selfie than in a shark attack: as oceans warm, we need to get used to close encountersSilly season is upon us and sharks are dominating the headlines again. As a marine conservationist, if I see another headline along the lines of Menacing man-eating shark lurking off the coast of Britain" accompanied by a photo of a basking shark - a species that exclusively consumes plankton - I think I might scream.It seems all a shark needs to do these days is push its dorsal fin above the ocean waves and panic immediately ensues. Just this week, that's exactly what happened off the French coast. A blue shark - a species typically found in the open ocean with an extremely low record of unprovoked attacks on humans - was spotted close to the shoreline. Instant drama ensued, with lifeguards closing the beach and swimmers watching on from the water's edge. What is it about sharks that makes us lose our minds?Hannah Rudd is the author of Britain's Living Seas: Our Coastal Wildlife and How We Save It, a marine scientist at Shark Hub UK, and policy and advocacy manager at the Angling Trust Continue reading...
Brittney Griner's ordeal in a Russian prison highlighted the risks of pursuing a basketball career overseas. A new league hopes to solve the problemCandace Parker spent the prime of her career as most WNBA players do, rushing back and forth across the United States during the league's season while representing her country in international competition and playing club basketball overseas during the offseason, supplementing her domestic income with significantly higher paydays in Russia, China and Turkey.Until she didn't. Parker signed a lucrative TV broadcasting deal with Turner Sports in 2018 as an analyst and commentator for NBA games, allowing her to stop playing overseas and to even take a pay cut to join the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces last offseason. Parker made a reported $7m in off-court earnings alone in 2022 by leveraging her charismatic personality and platform as one of the greatest hoopers of all time. Continue reading...
Prosecutors bring additional charges against former president as Mar-a-Lago worker Carlos De Oliveira named as third defendantFederal prosecutors on Thursday expanded the indictment against Donald Trump for retaining national security documents and obstructing the government's efforts to retrieve them, unveiling new charges against him and an employee over an attempt to destroy surveillance footage.The new charges - filed by the special counsel Jack Smith in Florida - were outlined in a superseding indictment that named Mar-a-Lago club maintenance worker Carlos De Oliveira as the third co-defendant in the case. Trump's valet Walt Nauta was previously indicted for obstruction with the former president last month. Continue reading...
Tony Klein, 38, convicted of 21 of 23 federal charges and could face life imprisonmentA former nurse at women's prison in Oregon was found guilty of sexually abusing nine women while they were in custody.Tony Klein, 38, was convicted of 21 of the 23 federal charges, including 17 counts pertaining to sexual assault and four of making false statements under oath in a deposition. Continue reading...
But Jeddah's demands for brokering an Israeli-Palestinian respite are reportedly a non-starter' and a sucker's bet'The US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, has held talks with the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, in Jeddah, in what was reported to be part of a bid for an ambitious and far-reaching diplomatic breakthrough in the region.The White House said Sullivan and the prince discussed on Thursday initiatives to advance a common vision for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous and stable Middle East region interconnected with the world". Continue reading...
Spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre says no possibility of president pardoning son, who pleaded not guilty to tax charges WednesdayJoe Biden will not pardon his son Hunter on tax- and gun-related charges, the White House said on Thursday.At a briefing, the press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, was asked: From a presidential perspective, is there any possibility that the president would end up pardoning his son?" Continue reading...
CDC issues warning over alpha-gal syndrome, red-meat allergy primarily associated with lone-star tick salivaUp to 450,000 Americans may have been affected by a potentially life-threatening red meat allergy caused by ticks as many doctors remain unaware of what it is or how to treat it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.In new reports released on Thursday, the CDC found that between 96,000 and 450,000 Americans since 2010 may have been affected by alpha-gal syndrome. The syndrome, also known as a red meat allergy or tick-bite meat allergy, stems from alpha-gal, a sugar molecule not naturally present in humans. Instead, it is found in meat including pork, beef, rabbit, lamb and venison, as well as products made from mammals including gelatin and milk products. Continue reading...
Kristi Maris, who worked at school for 19 years, lost job after going to show in her own time and posting it on social mediaA veteran teacher was fired by a private Christian school in Texas for attending a drag show in her own time and posting about in on social media.Drag performances have become a popular recent target for numerous Republican-controlled states that have proposed or enacted laws restricting or criminalizing such shows. Continue reading...
Civil pattern and practice inquiry comes after claims of brutality and discrimination, including death of Tyre Nichols in JanuaryThe US Department of Justice has announced an investigation into the city of Memphis and the Memphis police department (MPD) over its policing practices to examine if they are discriminatory.The civil pattern or practice investigation will determine if Memphis police violated federal laws or the US constitution. The announcement comes after the police department came under scrutiny for its use of force, stops, searches and arrests that often targeted people of color. Continue reading...
House panel was to consider resolution on Meta chief for allegedly failing to turn over internal documents to investigatorsMark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Meta, is no stranger to Capitol Hill, where he has sparred with Republicans and Democrats over how he runs his platforms. A Republican-led panel was set to vote on Thursday on a resolution to hold him in contempt of Congress, for allegedly failing to turn over internal documents on content moderation.However, House judiciary committee chair Jim Jordan, a Republican of Ohio, temporarily suspended the vote. Continue reading...
After Jared Williams was elected Augusta DA, a lawyer and state lawmaker made an unusual proposal: that the whitest county split from the circuitSince 1870, the Augusta judicial circuit has been home to the criminal justice system of a three-county area on Georgia's border with South Carolina. In that time, no African American has been elected district attorney of the circuit - until 2020, when a Black lawyer named Jared Williams upset a conservative, pro-police candidate with just more than 50% of the vote.But that historic win was short-lived. The day after his election, a lawyer and state lawmaker in the area proposed something unusual: that the circuit's whitest county separate itself from the Augusta circuit, creating a new judicial circuit in Georgia for the first time in nearly 40 years. Continue reading...
The Americans should still make it to the knockouts. But they will need to improve quickly if they are to make a serious challenge for the titleWhen the United States won the 2019 Women's World Cup, they did so with a team certain of their identity, one that pressured opponents into submission early in each match. The Americans scored in the 12th minute or earlier in each of their first six games of that campaign. A defining characteristic of the USA in that era was their high press and counter-press after losing possession. It was suffocating and relentless - and it forced some of the best teams in the world to panic.Since taking over after that World Cup, head coach Vlatko Andonovski has attempted to add nuance to the team's style. They still press high - just not as often. Now, the US drop off at times and let their opponents play. Thursday's 1-1 draw with the Netherlands brought to fore the realities of that double-edged sword. Continue reading...
Republican also fell and sustained concussion four months ago and reportedly uses wheelchair in crowded airportsMitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the US Senate, suffered an initially unreported fall earlier this month, before a very public health scare this week revived questions about his age and fitness.On Wednesday, while speaking to reporters at the US Capitol, the 81-year-old appeared to freeze for nearly 20 seconds. Another Republican senator, John Barrasso of Wyoming, a doctor, then escorted his leader away from the cameras. Continue reading...
Alpha Phi Alpha joins a number of companies and organizations boycotting state in protest of governor's extremist positionsA historic Black fraternity is pulling its 2025 conference from Florida to protest the rightwing governor Ron DeSantis's continued assault" on minority communities, which includes new state teaching standards that forced labor was beneficial to enslaved people.Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated said the decision to move its event from Orlando, joining a growing number of companies and organizations boycotting the state, was to highlight DeSantis's harmful, racist and insensitive policies against the Black community". Continue reading...
Dendy cinemas says they will screen movie promoted by American right wing due to overwhelming demand', despite questions as to actual popularityAn Australian cinema chain co-owned by actor Mel Gibson will screen the QAnon adjacent Sound of Freedom film in August, after the film became a hit among the far right and conservatives in the United States.Sound of Freedom is based on the true story of Tim Ballard, a former homeland security department agent who tried to rescue children from sex traffickers in Colombia. Ballard is played by Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus Christ in Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Continue reading...
Alicia Navarro, 18, showed up alone this week in a small town in Montana and identified herselfThe mother of an Arizona teenager who has reappeared safe and well after going missing four years ago has hailed her return as a miracle".Alicia Navarro, 18, vanished without a trace in 2019 but showed up alone this week in a small town in Montana about 40 miles from the Canadian border and identified herself, according to police in Glendale, a Phoenix suburb. Continue reading...
Duvan Tomas Perez killed at slaughterhouse while department found 4,474 children working illegally since start of fiscal yearThe US Department of Labor has decried a national surge in child labor as the agency has found thousands of violations and is currently investigating the death of a 16-year-old boy from Guatemala, Duvan Tomas Perez, who was killed on the job at a slaughterhouse this month in Mississippi, reported the New York Times.Two other 16-year-olds have died on the job in the US this year. Michael Schuls was killed on 29 June while working for a sawmill in Wisconsin. He was attempting to unjam a wood stacking machine when he was caught and pinned by the conveyor belt. Will Hampton was died in Missouri on 8 June while working at a landfill when he was pinned between a tractor trailer rig and its trailer. Continue reading...
The code sets out the principles, values and standards that drive Guardian and Observer journalismIt is a little over 21 years since the Guardian put its editorial code on public view for the first time, posting the document on its website in what was then a pioneering step for a British newspaper. This statement of professional and ethical standards has been revised twice since then, in 2007 and 2011, and today a fully updated fourth iteration is published.At more than 30 pages, the latest code is the most comprehensive to date, expanding on existing sections, such as right of reply, and elsewhere introducing new guidance, notably on artificial intelligence - a burgeoning subject on which almost 400 articles have been published by the Guardian and Observer this year alone.Elisabeth Ribbans is GNM's global readers' editor guardian.readers@theguardian.comDo 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...
Biden had the last opportunity of any president to keep the world under 1.5C of heating. Instead he is squandering time we do not haveWe've passed into a ferocious new phase of global heating with much worse to come. Biden must declare a climate emergency.I'm terrified by what's being done to our planet. I'm also fighting to stop it. You, too, should be afraid while also taking the strongest action you can take. There has never been a summer like this in recorded history: shocking ocean heat, deadly land heat, unprecedented fires and smoke, sea ice melting faster than we've ever seen or thought possible. I've dreaded this depth of Earth breakdown for almost two decades, and, like many of my colleagues, I've been trying to warn you. As hard as I could. Now it's here.Peter Kalmus is a climate scientist and author of Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution Continue reading...
Volume of water lost equal to Lake Mead, US's largest reservoir, or enough water to fill around 15bn Olympic-sized pools, study findsThe climate crisis has caused the ailing Colorado River basin, a system relied upon by 40 million people in the US west, to lose more than 10tn gallons of water in the last two decades, new research has found.The volume of water lost due to rising global temperatures has been so enormous that it is equal to the entire storage capacity of Lake Mead, the US's largest reservoir that was formed by the Hoover Dam, or enough water to fill around 15bn Olympic-sized swimming pools. Continue reading...
Irish singer known for Nothing Compares 2 U, one of the biggest-selling singles of 1990, has died. Plus, why we fear being scammedGood morning.Sinead O'Connor has died at the age of 56, prompting grief and tributes for a singer who enchanted and at times shocked the world.What tributes have been paid to her? Micheal Martin, the Irish deputy prime minister, said Ireland had lost one of its greatest music icons. Our hearts goes out to her children, her family, friends and all who knew and loved her." Colm O'Gorman, the executive director of Amnesty International Ireland, said few artists had made such a social and cultural impact. What a loss. Heartfelt condolences to her children, her family and all who loved her."What has Morrissey said? The former Smiths frontman has written a vociferous tribute to O'Connor, decrying the media and music industry for a lack of support for her. Praising her proud vulnerability", he wrote on his website: There is a certain music industry hatred for singers who don't fit in' (this I know only too well), and they are never praised until death - when, finally, they can't answer back [...] You praise her now ONLY because it is too late. You hadn't the guts to support her when she was alive and she was looking for you."Can USA still win the group? The 1-1 draw means the group winner will probably be decided by goal difference in the final matches, assuming the Netherlands and USA both win their final matches. The USA will face Portugal and the Netherlands will play Vietnam in simultaneous matches on Tuesday. The Americans currently sit atop Group E with a superior goal difference. Continue reading...
Former Fox News host, who has long been accused of pushing racist invective on his show, denies being racist in biographyFar-right former Fox News host Tucker Carlson denies being racist - but says if he was, he would just say so".Being racist is not a crime," Carlson says in a new biography, Tucker, by Chadwick Moore. Maybe [it is] a moral crime, but not a statutory crime - so if I was racist, I would just say so." Continue reading...
These hulking vehicles are lethal to pedestrians, disastrous for the environment and have no place on our city streetsWalking on a busy London street recently, I heard a shout. Don't hit me," a cyclist screamed, as a Land Rover driver reversed into his path. Next, it was my turn to jump out of the way. The driver lurched forward, veering unexpectedly in my direction just as I was crossing a sidestreet.A moment later, another panicked voice behind me; a little girl scooting in front of her mother overshot the pavement ever so slightly, and came just inches from the driver's path. Behind the steering wheel the driver appeared impassive, apparently unaware of the consternation in her wake.Laura Laker is a journalist who writes about cycling and urban transport Continue reading...
The long-time baseball executive became the first female general manager in the majors in 2021. But she is keen to credit others in the gameThe Miami Marlins are six games into an eight-game losing streak when Kim Ng, the club's general manager, speaks with Guardian. Despite the slump, Ng doesn't place too much focus on the team's recent play ahead of Major League Baseball's 1 August trade deadline.It's hard to take six games out of 162 and make that the flag' of your season," she says. I choose not to deal with that in an emotional way. At the end of the day, your record is your record - whether we got those losses at the beginning or whether we got them now - I think you shouldn't let it feed into how you treat the trading deadline." Continue reading...
Airlines have missed 98% of their previous environmental targets yet they keep pushing to persuade more people to flyEven with lethal wildfires licking around southern Europe's holiday hotspots, airlines such as Ryanair are still flying people towards the flames. Aviation, dubbed the fastest way to fry the planet' by environmental campaigners, due to its high carbon emissions, is back as our default means of getting away. But our chosen means of transport, flying, incrementally wrecks the climates, prospects and lives of the places being flown to. This is no tragic, unforeseen irony, but a deliberate, heavily promoted act of self-destruction.At precisely the moment when everything should bend to make less climate-damaging choices easier and more attractive, exactly the opposite is happening. Why? Continue reading...
by Jeff Kassouf at Wellington Regional Stadium on (#6DAGG)
Thursday's meeting between the United States and the Netherlands was billed as the decisive match of Group E at the 2023 Women's World Cup, but clarity will have to wait a few more days. The USA and the Netherlands played out a draw in Wellington, New Zealand, in a first half dictated by the Dutch before Rose Lavelle entered the game and the Americans found their rhythm.Jill Roord opened the scoring for the Netherlands in the 17th minute with a low strike from 17 yards out that went through the USA midfielder Lindsey Horan's legs and into the far side netting. Lieke Martens broke through the USA midfield, evading a challenge from Andi Sullivan before hitting a ball wide to Victoria Pelova, who had two cracks at finding an open teammate. It was the first goal the USA have conceded in the group stage since the opening match of the 2015 World Cup and the first time they had trailed at a World Cup since the 2011 quarter-final. Continue reading...
Senate Republican leader appears to lose train of thought and stares for 20 seconds before being escorted away from podiumThe Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, briefly left his own press conference on Wednesday after stopping his remarks mid-sentence and staring off into space for several seconds.McConnell approached the podium for his weekly press conference and began speaking about the annual defense bill on the floor, which he said was proceeding with good bipartisan cooperation". But he then appeared to lose his train of thought, trailing off with a drawn-out uh". Continue reading...
The Kentucky senator stopped speaking for about 20 seconds during a press event at the US Capitol. He was ushered away from the podium but later returned to the press conference and answered questions. McConnell, 81, was out of the Senate for almost six weeks earlier this year after falling and hitting his head. His office later said he suffered a concussion and fractured a rib
Two sisters and a son set off for remote area in Colorado last summer, seeking to escape civilization, women's stepsister saysA Colorado family whose partially mummified remains were discovered at a remote campsite were trying to live off the grid and escape civilization, family said.Authorities have identified the bodies as those of sisters Christine Vance, 41, and Rebecca Vance, 42, as well as Rebecca's 14-year-old son. The remains were recovered in and around a tent near a campsite in the Gunnison National Forest about 9 miles (14.5km) from Ohio City, Colorado, Michael Barnes, the Gunnison county coroner, said Tuesday. Continue reading...
Quiet decision ends dispute within Biden administration over ICC cooperation after Pentagon had been accused of obstructionThe Biden administration has said it has begun sharing evidence with the international criminal court (ICC) in The Hague on war crimes committed in Ukraine.The announcement ends a months-long dispute within the administration over the issue, in which the national security council (NSC) and the state department backed cooperation with the ICC, with the Pentagon resisting on the grounds it would imply endorsement of an international court that could one day seek to prosecute US soldiers. Continue reading...
by Chris Stein US politics live blogger (now) and May on (#6D9S9)
Judge presiding over hearing involving US president's son said she needed more time to evaluate previous dealKen Buck, a Republican representative of Colorado asked Mayorkas about the the China-Mexico fentanyl pipeline that has been entering the country and the rising fentanyl overdose deaths currently plaguing the US.The fentanyl killing thousands of Americans every year as a direct result of your dereliction when people die of fentanyl poisoning. It is your fault," said Buck as he went on to ask Mayorkas what his response would be to the families of fentanyl victims in the US.We grieve the loss of any life as a result of the toxicity, the devastation... The challenge of fentanyl is not new. It has been escalating for more than five years.... This is a scourge and all of us have to work together to combat...I stand by my statement...that China does bear responsibility because many of the precursor chemicals and the pill press equipment that is used to manufacture fentanyl does originate from there. This is a complex problem. We are taking it to the criminals..."I see other countries with systems that are more advanced than ours that can match the need for labor with the supply for labor... It is proven that lawful labor pathways cause a reduction in the number of irregular arrivals at our border..."We have used our parole authority consistent with the law and consistent with past practices of different administration." Continue reading...
by Adam Gabbatt and Léonie Chao-Fong in Washington on (#6DA6W)
Witness made several startling allegations about the US government and UFOs, but doubts lingered over key testimonyIn scenes that felt reminiscent of a science-fiction movie, the US Congress held a public hearing on claims the government is covering up its knowledge of UFOs.Unsurprisingly, the hearing generated huge interest in the US and around the world as it heard from three key witnesses, including David Grusch, a whistleblower former intelligence official who in June claimed the US has possession of intact and partially intact" alien vehicles. Continue reading...
by Martin Pengelly in Washington and agencies on (#6DA3P)
Routine hearing turned into three-hour affair featuring hushed negotiations between lawyers and pointed questions by judgeJoe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, pleaded not guilty to tax charges on Wednesday, after a federal judge in Delaware said she needed more time to review a proposed deal with federal prosecutors to avoid a felony gun charge.Biden's plea came after what was expected to be a routine hearing turned into a three-hour affair featuring hushed negotiations between lawyers and pointed questions from the US district court judge, Maryellen Noreika. Continue reading...
Arm of crane struck top floor of adjacent skyscraper as it fell on 10th Avenue and 41st Street in ManhattanAt least six people were hurt when a construction crane caught fire in New York City on Wednesday morning and its arm crashed on to a street below.Video of the incident showed flames in the cab of the crane hundreds of feet above 10th Avenue and 41st Street in Manhattan. The arm struck the top floor of an adjacent skyscraper as it fell, sending a shower of debris to the ground. Continue reading...
by Mary Yang and Joan E Greve in Washington on (#6D9NM)
Mayorkas says approach to managing border securely and humanely, even within broken immigration system, is working'Republican lawmakers grilled Alejandro Mayorkas, the embattled US secretary of homeland security, during a House judiciary committee oversight hearing on Wednesday.Mayorkas, who has been the target of a GOP-led congressional investigation over his handling of the US-Mexico border, faced a series of tough questions regarding his tenure as head of the department, which broadly oversees US immigration and border policies. The hearing came as some House Republicans have threatened to impeach Mayorkas, the first Latino and immigrant to head the Department of Homeland Security, over his alleged mismanagement of the border. Continue reading...
Missing Black women receive less news coverage than white women, making it harder to gain resources to solve their casesOn 13 July, as the US fixated on the disappearance of Carlee Russell, a 25-year-old Black nursing student who went missing on an Alabama highway, Derrica Wilson saw hope for other families whose loved ones had also gone missing. She thought of of Casey Young, Alexis Ware, Relisha Rudd, Arianna Fitts and Keeshae Jacobs - all Black women and girls who were reported missing over the last decade.Wilson, the co-founder of the Black and Missing Foundation, has worked with dozens of families to help raise awareness for missing people of color. Her organization focuses on Black women and girls specifically, whose disappearances receive significantly less news coverage than white women, making it harder to garner attention and investigative resources for solving their cases. Such attention is vital, Wilson told me, particularly in the first couple of days of a person's disappearance, because it amplifies public awareness and puts pressure on law enforcement to invest in these searches. Continue reading...
Nate Hochman no longer with the campaign' after posting video using internet memes popular on the far rightAn aide to Ron DeSantis who created and shared a video featuring a symbol used by Nazis and white supremacists was fired from the Florida governor's Republican presidential campaign.The firing of Nate Hochman, a former staff writer at the conservative National Review, was first reported by Semafor. Continue reading...
Fort Belknap reservation sues Biden administration over lack of funding for police resources on the vast, 1,042 sq mile reservationThe Fort Belknap reservation in Montana has sued the federal government over lack of funding for police resources on the vast, 1,042 sq mile reservation that has undermined the existing police force's ability to provide basic services.The lawsuit was filed in October after a request for $5.3m in funding, a $3.8m increase, was denied. Continue reading...
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