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Attorneys for Lawrence Hecker, charged with raping teen in 1975, urge judge to declare him incompetent to stand trialRetired Catholic priest and self-acknowledged child molester Lawrence Hecker's trial on rape and kidnapping charges - scheduled for 24 September - could be significantly delayed yet again after a medical report on the 92-year-old's mental health has been filed in court.A court-ordered psychiatric evaluation diagnosed Hecker with dementia, saying he has good days and bad days", according to a statement from his defense team. Defense attorneys Matthew McLaren and Eugene Redmann issued a statement Tuesday urging judge Benedict Willard to declare Hecker incompetent to stand trial. Continue reading...

This blog is closed. You can find the latest US politics and election coverage here.Kamala Harris is expected to announce new proposals meant to boost small businesses and entrepreneurs ahead of a campaign speech on Wednesday in New Hampshire, according to a report.With days until her first debate with Donald Trump, Harris is aiming to draw a contrast with her Republican opponent's calls for a lower corporate tax rate, the Washington Post reported, citing sources.This is a stark choice in front of us, and I'm confident that as voters start to get more engaged in this upcoming election, that they'll see Kamala Harris's agenda is about making their lives better, and Donald Trump's about making Donald Trump's life better. Continue reading...

Alvin Hellerstein ruled ex-president didn't have burden of proof in latest attempt to overturn his felony convictionA federal judge on Tuesday rejected Donald Trump's request to intervene in his New York hush-money criminal case, thwarting the former president's latest bid to overturn his felony conviction and delay his sentencing.US district judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that Trump had not satisfied the burden of proof required for a federal court to take control of the case from the state court where it was tried. Continue reading...

Emma Navarro beat Paula Badosa in three sets and Taylor Fritz beat Alexander Zverev in four, both reaching their first grand slam semi in their home eventTremendous backhand winner for Badosa makes 15-0 but then Navarro seizes upon a slightly short ball, landing a backhand on to the baseline before coming in to clobber a forehand winner. But she then nets a forehand and disburses a double - P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E! - meaning she faces two break points - and another double cedes the early break! Navarro leads 2-0!Terrific start from Navarro, who plays a really solid point for 15-0, directing Badosa about the court, then closes out to love. She's in the match and if she can get her first return in, she'll give her opponent something to think about about which to think. Continue reading...

Jimmy McCain, a national guard lieutenant, says he can't overlook' Trump's criticism of his late fatherThe son of the late Republican senator John McCain - whose war record was disparaged by Donald Trump - has added his voice to criticism of the former president's controversial Arlington cemetery visit, accusing him of violating a sacred burial site for political purposes.First Lieutenant Jimmy McCain, an intelligence officer in the 158th infantry regiment of the national guard, said Trump's behaviour at the cemetery - America's most revered burial ground for fallen military personnel and military heroes - was in line with previous acts of disrespect. Continue reading...

Investors spent about $1tn buying healthcare facilities over last decade, leading to reports of worsening patient carePrivate equity investors are increasingly buying up hospice centers - healthcare facilities meant to focus on pain relief and emotional support for people near the end of their lives.The new study was published in the journal Health Affairs and provides more evidence of how private equity have acquired firms using often sophisticated and opaque ownership structures. Continue reading...

Governor declares emergency as Rancho Palos Verdes deals with buckling streets, sinking buildings and power cutsAs landslides continue to threaten the community of Rancho Palos Verdes, hundreds of homes in the southern California city have lost power.Governor Gavin Newsom imposed a state of emergency on Monday as officials cut power to 245 homes in the seaside community, about 25 miles (40km) south of Los Angeles, due to worsening land movement. The electricity provider in the region, Southern California Edison, shut off power to 140 homes on Sunday and another 105 on Monday, citing the risk of igniting fires. Continue reading...

Faye Rogers was victorious in the S10 100m butterfly final to add to ParalympicsGB's tally of gold medalsAn Ortega throw means the gap is down to ten, Germany 53-43 Spain, with tensions beginning to show. Though the clock is running right down...Some quotes from GB's Sammi Kinghorn after she won silver on the track in the 1500m:Who would have thought a sprinter would get a medal over 1500m? I certainly did not. I thought I'd be jostling for fourth, maybe squeeze a third. It was all pretty exciting. I kinda got a bit disorientated and I stopped at 200 metres to go because I thought we were done - it's so loud in here which we're not used to. So I learned I need to count laps. But that noise is absolutely electric and I'm absolutely buzzing to come away with a medal. Continue reading...

Two years after defeat at Wimbledon, Briton hopes to end losing run against AustralianA couple of days after sealing his first career grand slam win, at Wimbledon, in 2022, a 20-year-old Jack Draper earned himself a rare chance to test his level against one of the sport's rising stars over the best of five sets.The early returns from his second-round bout on No1Court with Alex de Minaur were encouraging. Despite the 67 ranking places and three years separating them, they went blow to blow as equals and were level after the two tight, grippingsets. Continue reading...

Temporary ruling prevents ex-president from using Hold On, I'm Comin' while permanent injunction is consideredA judge on Tuesday blocked Donald Trump from playing a song by the late soul singer and composer Isaac Hayes at his rallies, at least while a lawsuit from the artist's family seeking a permanent injunction is considered.The temporary ruling from the federal court judge Thomas Thrash in Atlanta, Georgia, prevents the Republican presidential nominee from further use of Hold On, I'm Comin', written by Hayes and David Porter and a 1966 hit for the Miami-based soul duo Sam & Dave. Continue reading...

Chronic diseases disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries. Richer nations need to step up to help reduce their tollThe pandemic may be behind us, but the world still has the jitters about infectious diseases. Covid has leftitsmark; flu is identified as the next looming terror. Yet when the World Health Organization declared a public-health emergency over mpox last month, the response has been depressingly unjust. None of the African countries affected by the outbreak of a new variant of mpox have received any of the promisedvaccines.Unfortunately, it seems too much of the world considers that if the poor are out of sight, they are largely out of mind. Yet it is the west that is shaping the poor world's health crises. Its companies push calorie-heavy processed foods and its governments insist on fiscal austerity. The biggest cause of premature death around the world is not infectious diseases, but chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. So-called non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for three-quarters of all deaths in the world. Of the 41 million total, 17 million are premature - before the age of 70. The heaviest toll is exacted in low- and middle-income countries, where 86% of all the premature deaths from chronic diseasesoccur. Continue reading...

VP nominee wrote foreword to 2017 Heritage Foundation paper arguing against IVF access, which Trump now backs

If Liam and Noel can overcome their differences for a lucrative tour, there's surely a lesson for the House of WindsorPraise be - for it has happened. The streams have officially been crossed. Imagine my delight to type in two of Earth's most lavishly provocative search terms - Oasis reunion" and William and Harry" - and find that a royal expert has already gone there. Thank you to a certain Riley Gardiner - billed by the Express as both PR expert" and elsewhere as a royal expert" - for very solemnly informing the public that the formerly feuding Gallagher brothers putting aside their differences could have knock-on implications for the still-feuding Windsor brothers.The [Gallagher] brothers actually repairing their relationship speaks to many," Gardiner confides expertly, from his vantage point inside either a Montecito foxhole or the postbox outside Liam's house. High-profile families reconciling like this, especially as a band that will go on to tour and show off this reconciliation in front of millions, will strike a chord with fans - perhaps even prompting the royal brothers to reflect on their own ties."Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Boy admitted to investigators that he shot and killed Joe Cornelius Sr and his daughter, Keisha MilesA 10-year-old boy fatally shot the 82-year-old former mayor of a north-west Louisiana town, according to authorities.The Minden police chief, Jared McIver, told local news outlets that the boy admitted to investigators that he shot and killed Joe Cornelius Sr, 82, and his daughter, Keisha Miles, 31. The bodies of both were found Sunday morning with multiple bullet wounds. Continue reading...

Workers in recovery and back from prison formed the Waterbottle Co-op to fix up houses in BaltimoreThe Baltimore houses are in rough shape. They might be missing roofs, or even floors. Some have been inhabited by squatters. Rats come in. Cats follow. As David Lidz, founder of the Waterbottle Co-op, which rehabilitates the foreclosed homes, points out, the contents are hard to view dispassionately.When a family leaves, most of the time they leave a ton of stuff there," he says. You find old photo albums and caps and gowns and baby clothes." Continue reading...

Office attendance in UK capital similar to levels in Toronto and Sydney, thinktank finds

Democratic Senate leader adds his counterpart can salvage' reputation by bringing back' Republican party to centerThe Democratic leader of the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, has warned his opposite number, the Republican minority leader, Mitch McConnell, that history will judge him poorly" because he paved the way to rightwing policies out of touch with the American people.In an interview with Punchbowl News conducted at the Democratic national convention in August but published on Monday, Schumer accused McConnell of enabling Donald Trump's remaking of US politics and the judiciary. By helping to shift the supreme court sharply to the right through the former president's three appointments to the top judicial bench, McConnell had played a part in abolishing the federal right to an abortion in the ruling ending Roe v Wade, and much more, Schumer contended. Continue reading...

Walz said staff had a few minor injuries' following crash while heading from airport to campaign stopSome vans at the back of a motorcade carrying Tim Walz crashed on the highway while heading from the airport to a campaign stop in Milwaukee on Monday, but the Democratic vice-presidential nominee was unhurt.Joe Biden called from Air Force One and spoke to Walz a short time later, as the president was traveling to a separate campaign stop in Pittsburgh with Kamala Harris. The vice-president was campaigning in Detroit before heading to the joint event later in the day with Biden, and her campaign said that she also spoke with her running mate by phone after the crash. Continue reading...

Members of Diving With a Purpose search out and investigate the vessels' remains, bringing history to light and memorializing lost livesOnboard a boat off the Florida Keys, I witness a group of divers, aged 16 to 20, freeing themselves from the weight of their oxygen tanks and masks before diving back into the waters of Biscayne national park. Where Biscayne Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, their heads break the surface, bobbing in the open sea like specks of stars in the sky.It's a breathtaking sight. Continue reading...

The notoriously verbose senator has gone largely silent on the issue since horror stories under the state's ban emergedThe notoriously verbose Ted Cruz has gone largely silent on abortion, one of his favorite topics to legislate on and bloviate about, during his Senate re-election campaign in Texas - an ominous sign both for Cruz and the anti-abortion movement writ large.Indeed, Texas representative Colin Allred has mounted an unusually strong campaign for Cruz's Senate seat at a time when Texas has become ground zero in the grisly maternal health disaster unfolding across the country since the fall of Roe v Wade. As of the latest University of Houston poll, the race between Cruz and Allred is currently a dead heat, with Cruz leading the former NFL player by only two points (47-45%). This is remarkable for Texas, which hasn't elected a Democrat in a statewide race in three decades and has never elected a Black US senator. Continue reading...

Israel's prime minister vowed that Israel would not relinquish control over a strategic corridor along the Gaza-Egyptian border, despite widespread protests. Plus: the first hydrogen-powered passenger train in the US

The former president is a legally defined sexual predator whose party is rolling back reproductive rights. It will take more than his latest half-baked idea to win back female votersWould you like to do your bit to curb population decline in the west? Fancy a home full of babies with very high IQs and extremely blond hair? Well, let me introduce you to the Donald J Trump Insemination Institute. On a sprawling ranch in New Mexico, women can be impregnated, free of charge, with Trump's sperm, ensuring that future generations, on Earth and Mars, are blessed with a steady supply of very stable geniuses.Sorry if I turned your stomach there, but I'm afraid I'm only half-joking. It was actually Jeffrey Epstein - who used to party with Trump - who was besotted with the idea of a ranch where 20 women at a time would be impregnated, in order to seed the human race with his DNA. Elon Musk, who is obsessed with babies and Trump, may harbour similar fantasies. Earlier this year the New York Times reported that Musk has volunteered his sperm" to help seed a colony on Mars. (Musk has denied these claims.) Continue reading...

Exclusive: University of Bristol academics say gambling industry code not being followed' after analysis of social media posts by leading firmsAs gambling companies target social media users, the four leading online brands appear to be routinely breaching the industry's self-imposed marketing regulations, according to a new study.Over one week this summer, academics at the University of Bristol found that BetMGM, DraftKings, ESPN Bet and FanDuel published more than a thousand posts - 75% of their non-sponsored content on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok - that did not include problem gambling support messages or a helpline number. Continue reading...

Trump isn't an icon of positive masculinity. He also did very little for young men during his four years as presidentIt's the most startling thing I've seen in this year's presidential campaign - the astoundingly large gap between how young men and young women plan to vote this November. Among women under age 30, an overwhelming 67% plan to vote for Kamala Harris, while just 29% say they'll back Donald Trump. But among young men, a majority - 53% - plan to vote for Trump, while 40% say they'll support Harris, according to a New York Times/Sienna College poll. That's an astonishing 51-percentage-point gender gap.It's easy to understand why so many young women favor Harris - she has an inspiring life story, champions reproductive freedom and would break the biggest glass ceiling of all by becoming the first female president. But I'm mystified why so many young men back Trump. Continue reading...

We can now endlessly outsource our small tasks, from shopping to DIY. But I really would rather do them myselfA few months ago I saw an excellent fight at my local jeweller. The owners, as well as much of the clientele, are big characters. Spats often break out. This time a customer demanded a written statement that the necklace she had brought in would be stored in a safe. The jeweller told her they don't provide this, and so the customer grew irate. You don't trust me, is that it?" said the jeweller. The woman protested: she did! The jeweller had been highly recommended. So you know who you're dealing with then," said the jeweller, proudly. The woman handed over her necklace.It was a brilliant spectacle. I wanted to cheer. Instead I asked to see the gold chains (I like the ceremony of seeing them displayed on a velvet cushion). I actually don't buy jewellery very often, but I stop in fairly regularly for minor repairs, to have links taken out or clasps fixed - and for scenes such as this.Rachel Connolly is a writer and author of the novel Lazy City Continue reading...

Spread of conspiracy theories seeks to foment early election doubts in case Trump loses, some Republicans sayDonald Trump and election denialist allies at Turning Point USA, True the Vote and other Maga stalwarts are spreading conspiracy theories about election fraud in order to lay the groundwork for charging the election was rigged if Trump loses, warn election experts and some veteran Republicans.The consequences of the strategy could be dire. John Giles, the Republican mayor of Mesa Arizona who spoke at the Democratic national convention in August in support of Vice-President Kamala Harris's campaign for the presidency, said that former president Trump and his allies will throw everything at the wall and see what sticks", if Trump loses. Continue reading...

It would save thousands of lives and billions of dollars and increase Harris's appeal to voters in conservative statesBefore addressing the political opportunity in front of the vice-president, let us first confront the sacred cow in the room.Contrary to recent claims by Donald Trump, JD Vance and Ted Cruz, Kamala Harris loves a good cheeseburger; she positively does not want to take our red meat away. She has cited sugars and sodas as major culprits in our poor health. Moreover, the Biden-Harris administration has demonstrated that it is unafraid to challenge the stranglehold the pharmaceutical industry has over insulin prices, and the cost that industry charges Medicare patients for drugs. Continue reading...

Visual explainer: Hundreds of millions of Americans cast their votes in the US election, but a tiny fraction of those can swing the race for one candidate or anotherIn recent years there has been growing criticism of the electoral college system in the US because it has allowed a tiny number of Americans to determine the outcome of the presidential election.In 2020, about 43,000 votes among Wisconsin, Georgia and Arizona - a mere 0.03% of the votes cast nationwide - allowed Biden to win. In 2016, about 80,000 combined votes gave Trump his winning margins in key swing states. Continue reading...

Israelis have kept their contempt for the prime minister in check for the sake of the war effort. Is his time finally up?Despondent and livid Israelis, exuding deep anger and fury, have taken to the streets. Once it became known on Saturday that Hamas had executed six hostages, Israelis staged the largest demonstration against the government since the war in Gaza began. Those hostages could have been saved had Benjamin Netanyahu assented to a hostage deal. But he didn't. In fact, he actively undermined the possibility for months, evading and reneging constantly.The 350,000 who protested in Tel Aviv were the equivalent of about 2.4 million Britons or 12 million Americans gathering in the same place for the same cause. Immediately, the question of whether this was a political inflection point for Netanyahu was raised.Alon Pinkas served as Israel's consul general in New York from 2000 to 2004. He is now a columnist for HaaretzDo 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...

There are good reasons to place a political firewall around the extremists. But mainstream parties must also address the electorate's loss of trustWe're all waiting with bated breath. This is a fateful election," a friend from Leipzig told me on Sunday. It was polling day in her state of Saxony and in neighbouring Thuringia. The atmosphere was tense, even fearful. Much more was at stake than just a reshuffle of seats in two of Germany's regional parliaments.As expected, Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) won in Thuringia with nearly 33% of the vote, and came second in Saxony with almost 31%. For the first time since the second world war, a far-right party has become a significant political force in Germany.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...

Kamala Harris and Joe Biden join forces in Labor Day outing, their first joint event since Harris accepted Democratic nomination for presidencyJoe Biden and Kamala Harris on Monday made their first post-convention joint appearance on the presidential campaign trail, celebrating Labor Day with a tribute to union workers in Pittsburgh.We are so proud to be the most pro-union administration in American history," Harris said. I love Labor Day. I love celebrating Labor Day, and Pittsburgh is the cradle of the American labor movement." Continue reading...

Warning comes after viral TikTok posts where customers purportedly tried to withdraw more money than they hadThe US banking giant Chase has made clear that taking advantage of a system glitch" to extract cash was fraud, plain and simple" despite it becoming a TikTok trend.Chase Bank's warning on Monday came in response to viral social media posts where customers purportedly tried to withdraw more money than they had in their accounts by exploiting a banking system delay. Continue reading...

Ellie Challis and Louise Fiddes were among the golds for Great Britain, but Jonnie Peacock failed to claim a medalWheelchair rugby: GB have a couple of sloppy moments and Australia take advantage to moved 34-32 ahead in the bronze-medal match.Dan Bethell had to settle for badminton silver after an incredible final. Continue reading...

Fifteen suspected assailants, members of the Turkey Youth Union, were detained after attack in port city of IzmirTwo US military service members were physically attacked" in the port city of Izmir in western Turkey on Monday by members of an anti-American youth group, authorities said.Fifteen suspected assailants were detained in the attack on the two service members, who were dressed in civilian clothing at the time of the incident. Five other US service members joined in the incident after seeing the violent encounter, officials said.Reuters contributed to this report Continue reading...

We look at the key deals (and non-deals) from the latest transfer merry-go-round that will influence incoming coach Mauricio PochettinoLast year's European summer transfer window delivered seismic moves for some of US soccer's biggest names, as Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah joined Milan and Timothy Weah signed for Juventus.There have been no such headline-grabbing deals for American players on the other side of the Atlantic this year, but the 2024 summer window still offered plenty of intriguing storylines. Continue reading...

Pair due to appear together in Pittsburgh in vital swing state of Pennsylvania, aimed at cementing support from unionsJoe Biden will join Kamala Harris on the campaign trail for the first time on Monday since standing aside six weeks ago to let the vice-president claim the presidential nomination following a poor debate performance.The pair were due to appear together in Pittsburgh in the vital swing state of Pennsylvania at a Labour Day event aimed at cementing support from trade unions, a key Democrat constituency and a bedrock of Biden's support as he has styled himself as the most pro-union president in US history". Continue reading...

Tech company says it will follow legal proceedings to their conclusion' after tycoon's death last monthHewlett Packard Enterprise has confirmed it will push ahead with a high court lawsuit against the estate of the deceased tech tycoon Mike Lynch in which it is seeking damages of up to $4bn (3bn).The US company said in a statement it would follow the legal proceedings through to their conclusion" despite Lynch's death last month when his yacht sank off the coast of Italy. Continue reading...

Suspected shooter, a 17-year-old boy, arrested after football player shot in chest during attempted robbery, police saySan Francisco 49er football player Ricky Pearsall was released from the hospital after being shot in the chest during an attempted robbery this weekend.The suspected shooter, a 17-year-old boy, was arrested and will be charged in juvenile court, according to NBC Sports. He has not been publicly identified. Continue reading...

Trump floats God's political purpose for his survival: I'd like to think God thinks I'm going to straighten out our country'Donald Trump told a Fox News host that he thinks God believes he will straighten out" the country after he survived an assassination attempt in July at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.I think you think like, if you believe in God, you believe in God more. And somebody said like, why? And I'd like to think that God thinks that I'm going to straighten out our country," Trump told Mark Levin on Life, Liberty & Levin after the host asked him if the shooting on 13 July had strengthened his belief in the almighty. Continue reading...

Besides its underwater life, it is nothing like a fish: it can push its stomach out of its mouth and eat the inside of a clamThe thing about starfish is that you tend to forget the -fish part. But when you think about that, a lot of things come into focus. For example, the fact that besides its underwater life, it is nothing like a fish. For example: a starfish can push its stomach out of its mouth and eat the inside of a clam. Show me a fish that can do that.The ones that are most common at the beaches near me feel as though they're cut from shark skin, smooth and rough at the same time. They have webbed arms, not clearly delineated ones, and are the size of a coin. They are dull browns and greens and blues. Continue reading...

Casemiro display against Liverpool was painful, but the blame for United's early season struggles sits with an incoherent structure

General strike follows tens of thousands taking to the streets in protest against the government's handling of the war in Gaza. Plus: fears of overtourism in Norway

Former Trump aides and others say the ex-president is unfit for office and urge fellow Republicans to vote for HarrisDonald Trump has a knack for rallying a remarkable range of political opinion around a common goal: preventing his return to the White House.That now includes prominent names from his own Republican party and top aides who worked under him as president. From former White House officials and national security staff to a once-worshipful press secretary, a host of one-time Trump fans are now lining up to join Democrats in declaring him unfit for another term in office. Continue reading...