Oath and Honor, obtained by the Guardian ahead of release, says House speaker snuck baseless claims of electoral fraud past Republican signatoriesIn a new book Liz Cheney, the anti-Trump Republican accuses Mike Johnson of dishonesty over both the authorship of a supreme court brief in support of Donald Trump's attempt to overthrow the 2020 election and the document's contents, saying the US House speaker duped his party with a bait and switch".As I read the amicus brief - which was poorly written - it became clear Mike was being less than honest," Cheney writes. He was playing bait and switch, assuring members that the brief made no claims about specific allegations of [electoral] fraud when, in fact, it was full of such claims." Continue reading...
These relics from the fountainhead of European culture don't belong in a cold, grey Bloomsbury chamberThe Parthenon marbles row is beyond silly. Rishi Sunak screeches Mine, mine" like a child in a playground. He refuses a cup of tea with the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The leader of the opposition laughs. The nation yawns - polls show over half are happy to see the marbles returned and just above 20% want them to stay. Any civilised Briton knows they should be displayed where they belong - in their former home of Athens. But what fun it is to think up smart reasons why this should never happen.Sunak's quest for a daily headline gets more frantic by the day. There was something synthetic about Monday's incident. Mitsotakis' reference to the separated marbles being like the Mona Lisa cut in half might be over the top. But as any visitor to Greece knows, what to Britain is a boring scholastic quarrel is to Greeks a burning sense of grievance that will not go away. This is an asymmetrical row.Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
To escape this bloody impasse, Israel must declare it seeks a settlement with a willing Palestinian leadership and take steps to end occupationLike many other people in Israel and across the world, my first reaction to the attack on 7 October was of shock and horror. But that initial reaction was accompanied by rage, not only at the appalling massacre perpetrated by Hamas on women and children, the elderly and the handicapped, even babies, but also at those who could have prevented this act of violence, many that preceded it and the brutal retaliation that would come in its wake.Without clearly defined political goals, war tends to devolve into endless destruction and annihilation. The only way out of this conundrum is for Israel to declare that it seeks a peaceful resolution of the conflict with an appropriate and willing Palestinian leadership. Making such a statement would dramatically transform the situation and clear the way for intermediate steps to be taken on the ground, starting with a halt to the mutual killing and a return of all surviving hostages. Continue reading...
Former vice-president had planned to skip process to certify Joe Biden's election victory but changed mind after son's pleaMike Pence reportedly decided to skip the congressional certification process for Joe Biden's 2020 election win, because to preside over it as required by the constitution would be too hurtful" to his friend", Donald Trump. He was then shamed into standing up to Trump by his son, a US marine.Dad, you took the same oath I took," the then vice-president's son Michael Pence said, according to ABC News, adding that it was an oath to support and defend the constitution". Continue reading...
Ryan Fournier, 27, charged with domestic assault on a female and assault with a deadly weapon over incident in North CarolinaThe co-founder of Students for Trump, a supporters group formed ahead of the 2016 election, was arrested last week on domestic violence charges in North Carolina, court documents show.Ryan Fournier, 27, was detained last Tuesday and accused of assaulting a woman, later identified as his girlfriend, by grabbing her right arm and striking her in the forehead" with a handgun, according to an order issued by a magistrate in Johnston county. Continue reading...
CDC researchers say life expectancy has rebounded to 77 years and six months as pandemic wanes but still down on 2019 statisticUS life expectancy rose last year by more than a year but still is not close to what it was before the Covid pandemic.The 2022 rise was mainly due to the waning pandemic, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers said on Wednesday. But even with the large increase, US life expectancy is only back to 77 years and six months - about what it was two decades ago.Life expectancy increased for both men and women, and for every racial and ethnic group.The decline in Covid deaths drove 84% of the increase in life expectancy. The next largest contributor was a decline in heart disease deaths, credited with about 4% of the increase. But experts note that heart disease deaths increased during Covid-19, and both factored into many pandemic-era deaths.Changes in life expectancy varied by race and ethnicity. Hispanic Americans and American Indians and Alaska Natives saw life expectancy rise more than two years in 2022. Black life expectancy rose more than one and a half years. Asian American life expectancy rose one year and white life expectancy rose about 10 months. Continue reading...
by Jason Berry and Ramon Antonio Vargas in New Orlean on (#6GR77)
The church is using legal tactics to prevent testimony from survivors and spur expensive inquiries into its criticsThis is the first installment of a three-part series exploring how the archdiocese of New Orleans's bankruptcy stands apart from other cases of its kind.As his practice grew, plaintiff attorney Richard C Trahant, 56, sent money to the Jesuit high school of New Orleans. Lots of money. Continue reading...
Sultan Al Jaber says progress means unprecedented outcome' is possible. Plus, why the UK and Greece are arguing about marblesGood morning.An unprecedented outcome" that would keep alive hopes of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5C is within reach, the president-designate of Cop28 has said - adding that even Saudi Arabia is expected to come to the UN climate summit with positive commitments.Who is going to Cop28? World leaders and heads of state and government will attend the first few days of the fortnight of talks, including the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, King Charles and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, are not expected to attend but will send high-level representatives. Pope Francis has cancelled his trip to the summit on the advice of doctors concerned about his recent flu-like symptoms, the Vatican said.What has the White House national security council spokesperson said? John Kirby told reporters: Now you have an added population of hundreds of thousands more in the south that you didn't have before [the Israelis] moved into Gaza City. And so it's even all that more of an added burden on Israel to make sure ... that they have properly accounted for ... the extra innocent life that is now in south Gaza." Continue reading...
The girl group's reunion tour will bring back one of the most distinctive bodies of work in British pop history, with genius production and genuinely excellent singingIt came late last week; the news every pop fan worth their salt had been waiting for. The news every pop fan who recognises that Biology is one of the greatest bangers of the 21st century, and whose keen standom extends to the knowledge that the now-mononymic Cheryl has an intense phobia of cotton wool, was dreaming of: Girls Aloud are reuniting, with tickets on sale today.Along with the Shangri-Las and the Runaways, Girls Aloud are one of the greatest girl bands of all time. As someone born in 1989, it was probably the Spice Girls that I should have been obsessed with. Sure, I had the collectible photo album now doing a brisk trade on eBay. I could do the signature leg-kick of fellow scouser and ardent LFC supporter Mel C. But the Spice Girls never spoke to me. Continue reading...
Watching this genocide unfold on their doorstep has jolted many Egyptians into action, from boycotting western products to protest marchesIsrael's unfolding genocide in Gaza is shaking relations between states and citizens across the Middle East. In Egypt, events have pushed the political regime's comfortably obscured cooperation with Israel into the limelight, and have jolted millions of Egyptians out of their inward focus on daily survival amid spiralling inflation and unemployment. They are now confronted with Israeli plans to recolonise Gaza using Egypt as a conduit, by forcing Palestinians south into Sinai. Both the Egyptian state and its citizens reject this vehemently, but for different reasons. These differences reflect a chasm between the regime and the population opened by the signing of the Camp David accords in 1978, which events are widening further by the day.Egyptians have a long history of support for the Palestinian cause, in the context of a shared Arab national identity. The public first opposed the Zionist colonisation project in the 1930s, and the army fought in the 1948 Palestine war. In the 1950s, Egypt's president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, offered state support to the Palestinians and secured a political victory after the attack by Israel, Britain and France in 1956, but suffered defeat in the 1967 war with Israel. His successor, Anwar Sadat, secured an early victory in the 1973 war, when Egyptian troops crossed the Suez Canal to liberate Sinai, and Israel was only able to regain its balance after an airlift of US arms.Reem Abou-El-Fadl is a senior lecturer in comparative politics of the Middle East at Soas, University of London Continue reading...
Pittsburgh's defenseman has shown perseverance on and off the ice, from the death of his father to raising a pair of Stanley CupsBefore a recent road game, the Pittsburgh Penguins' Kris Letang decided to have some fun.In the middle of the pre-game warmup, the All-Star defenseman flipped a bunch of practice pucks from the goal crease to fans wearing the Penguins' black-and-yellow jersey behind the glass. Continue reading...
Studying sociology, politics or the creative arts may well make you unhappy. But it's not necessarily a bad choiceRecent analysis has revealed the university degrees that lead to the highest life satisfaction, with Celtic studies and sports science coming out on top. At the bottom? Bad news for those who studied sociology, politics, creative arts or media and communications - these degrees are associated with a negative impact on wellbeing. Turns out all those money-minded parents are right - it's better to be a rich but artistically thwarted oncologist than a starving artist.As someone who did three of these subjects (clearly a sucker for punishment), I want to mount a defence of so-called misery degrees. The government would love nothing better than to shovel all young people into a Stem-shaped pipeline that produces exemplary doctors, scientists and engineers, and God knows we badly need all three. But not everybody's career will line up so exactly with their subject. For every med student who knew they wanted to specialise in cardiology from the age of 13, there'll be a dreamy 18-year-old who signs up for a design course because they like the idea of drawing for three years. Continue reading...
Tiger Woods admitted he was 'frustrated' by the circumstances surrounding the controversial framework agreement between golf's established tours and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. He and other players were blindsided by the secret negotiations between the PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan, and two high-profile board members that led to the agreement. Woods said: 'We were very frustrated with what happened and we took steps going forward to ensure that the player involvement was not going - we were not going to be left out of the process like we were. So part of that process was putting me on the board and accepting that position.'
There is nothing wrong with the quarterback wanting to return to football. But it could end up hurting the New York Jets in the long-termWant to hear something kooky? Aaron Rodgers still has not officially ditched the idea of playing for the New York Jets this season. Teammates spotted him on Monday at the Jets' complex in Florham Park getting treatment on the left achilles tendon that he blew out less than three months ago, a mere four plays into his 19th NFL season.Rodgers told Pat McAfee on his ESPN radio show Tuesday that two factors would drive his decision to return in 2023: It's [my] health, first," Rodgers said, and, Are we alive, second?" as in, would the Jets be in contention for a playoff berth when he was ready to play in a game. A return is unlikely - but not out of the question, either. Continue reading...
The mass slaughter of media workers is a horror within a horror. Where is the outcry from the global journalistic community?Israel's onslaught against Gaza is a Russian doll of horror, with many atrocities tucked within. Described by the United Nations as a graveyard for thousands of children", where more than half of northern Gaza's buildings are destroyed or damaged and 70% of a traumatised population have lost access to clean water, Gaza is not wanting for horror - but is desperately lacking the essentials of life.The mass slaughter of journalists is one of those horrors. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), this is the deadliest conflict for media workers they have ever recorded. A total of at least 57 - comprising 50 Palestinian and seven foreign journalists - have suffered violent deaths; another 100 have been injured, all in just seven weeks. To put those numbers in perspective, according to the International Federation of Journalists, a total of 68 media workers were killed on a global scale in the whole of 2022. Continue reading...
A celebrity targeted me online, but under a system that should protect all equally, I was the one charged with a criminal offenceAs someone who has been in the public eye for the past 15 years, I am used to scrutiny and criticism. Online hate - especially when it targets women, and Black women in particular - has been extensively documented. So I have a pretty good idea of what to expect if I choose to speak out about sexism and racism in a country unwilling to acknowledge its misdeeds. Anonymous abuse and attacks from political or public figures come with the territory, and I have little choice but to face them.But I could never have imagined that a French celebrity could subject me to persistent criticism in plain sight, yet escape being called out for it by any of the media figures who invite him to appear on their shows and platforms. It has been a chilling lesson to realise that instead it was me who would end up victimised and put on trial for attempting to expose what I felt was harassment.Rokhaya Diallo is a Guardian columnist. She is a writer, journalist, film director and activistDo 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...
Suit by several families and organizations seek to have law declared as violation of students' and teachers' free speechSeveral families are suing to stop Iowa's new law that bans books from school libraries, forbids teachers from raising LGBTQ+ issues and forces educators in some cases to out the gender identity of students to their parents.The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa and Lambda announced the federal lawsuit on Tuesday, saying the law passed earlier this year by the Republican-led legislature and enacted this fall seeks to silence LGBTQ+ students, erase any recognition of LGBTQ+ people from public schools, and bans books with sexual or LGBTQ+ content". Continue reading...
Vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway - and a billionaire in his own right - died at a California hospital, company saysCharlie Munger, the veteran right-hand man of billionaire stockpicker Warren Buffett, has died aged 99.The vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett's sprawling empire, became known for his sharp investment strategies - and tongue - as they transformed it from a textile manufacturing enterprise into a global investment powerhouse. Continue reading...
Politicians and public figures gathered on Tuesday to celebrate the former first lady Rosalynn Carter's life following a public memorial. Former president Jimmy Carter, 99, attended the tribute for his late wife of 77 years, traveling from his hospice care at home to the Glenn Memorial church in Atlanta.
Jimmy Carter, 99, left hospice care at home for service for his late wife, but Trump, Obama and Bush did not attendA tribute service for Rosalynn Carter took place on Tuesday, as politicians and public figures gathered to celebrate the former first lady's life following her death last Sunday.Former president Jimmy Carter, 99, attended the tribute for his late wife of 77 years, traveling from his hospice care at home to the Glenn Memorial church in Atlanta. His attendance marks a rare public appearance for the former president, who has been in home hospice care for 10 months. Continue reading...
Heads of Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Institute of Technology will be questionedThe presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, three of the country's most prestigious universities, are set to testify before a congressional committee next week on claims that antisemitic protests have taken place on their campuses, marking the latest window into ongoing tensions sparked by the Israel-Hamas war.Next Tuesday, Harvard's Claudine Gay, Penn's Liz Magill and MIT's Sally Kornbluth will stand before the House education and workforce committee, a body chaired by Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina.
Main networks gave 18 times more coverage to 2016 deplorables' remark; while top papers give it 29 times more, Media Matters findsMajor US news outlets devoted significantly less time and space to covering Donald Trump's description of his enemies as vermin" this month than they did in a similar period in 2016 to Hillary Clinton's reference to Trump's supporters as deplorables", a new study has found.Findings by the progressive watchdog Media Matters included 18 times more coverage of Clinton's remark than Trump's by the Big Three" broadcast networks (NBC, ABC and CBS) in the first week after the remark was made; and print reports among the top five circulating newspapers (Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, USA Today) in which mention of Clinton's remark outnumbered Trump's 29-1 in the same period. Continue reading...
Nathan Woodyard was suspended for two years until jury found him not guilty of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicideThe Colorado officer who stopped Elijah McClain in 2019 and placed him in a neck hold was reinstated to the Aurora police department and will receive $200,000 in back pay, city officials said on Monday.Nathan Woodyard's reintegration" into the police force comes weeks after a jury found him not guilty of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. Woodyard had been suspended without pay for two years since he was indicted for his role in the death of the 23-year-old. An Aurora spokesperson said city law mandated that the department offer him his job back after his acquittal in the criminal trial, and that he would receive $212,546 to cover the salary from his leave. Continue reading...
Principal and others at Monarch high school were reassigned over allegations of improper student participation in sports'Hundreds of students at a south Florida high school walked out of lessons on Tuesday in support of a principal and senior staff who were reassigned for reportedly violating Ron DeSantis's law on transgender athletes.James Cecil, the principal of Monarch high school in Coconut Creek, his assistant Kenneth May, the school's athletics director, a volleyball coach and an information management technician were removed from campus on Monday by the Broward school district, citing allegations of improper student participation in sports". Continue reading...
Lawyers say president's son prepared to be questioned at Joe Biden's impeachment inquiry with conditionsHunter Biden's lawyers have told a Republican-led congressional committee that he is prepared to be questioned at his father Joe Biden's impeachment inquiry next month - but the Democratic president's son will only appear before lawmakers if the hearings are held in public.The conditional agreement to appear before the House oversight committee comes after committee chairman James Comer issued a subpoena to depose Hunter Biden, his former business associate Rob Walker, and the president's brother James Biden earlier in the month. Continue reading...
Daily Beast's Andy Levy says media needs to focus on Trump's cognitive skills with every bit of concentration it does on Biden's'Donald Trump's claim that he is not suffering from age-related cognitive decline - despite frequent campaign trail gaffes, including seeming to think Barack Obama is still president - has not only attracted widespread mockery, but it has also produced claims that the US media ignores such slips while focusing relentlessly on Joe Biden's age and fitness for office.Trump gets names wrong all the time", said Andy Levy, co-host of The New Abnormal, a Daily Beast podcast. Continue reading...
Exclusive: ride technician engineers in California say union avoidance consultants brought in after filing for union electionLego playsets have captivated children and adults alike for decades, but engineers at Legoland California are dealing with blocks of a different kind: opposition from management and hired union avoidance consultants trying to deter their bid to formally unionize.Ride technician engineers at Legoland in Carlsbad, California, filed for a union election to join International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), District Lodge 947 in September. They await a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board on accepting their bargaining unit, and permitting the election to be scheduled. Continue reading...
I've never been one to vote with my feet. But a veteran-quitter friend showed me the way - and wow, it felt goodWe were about 15 minutes in when my companion turned to me and whispered: It's not very good." We were watching a dance-theatre show that initially sounded promising - who doesn't like the sound of a play that has installed its own onstage pub? But after the first overly earnest monologue was succeeded by the second equally earnest monologue, I began to get the sinking feeling she was right. But I was committed, wasn't I? I'd paid for my ticket, I'd put my coat on and left the house in the freezing rain, I was in the second row - I was ostensibly all in. Then the interval was announced and my friend whipped around with a grin on her face: I'm going. Want to come?"I've always been a people-pleaser. The fear of letting others down or causing a scene bleeds into every aspect of life. I've sat through bad meals and terrible dates, wishing I'd sent both plate and date to the kitchen, but finding myself terminally unable to call quits on either. I've never walked out of a play, which feels, bizarrely, just as personal to me as legging it from a Hinge rendezvous. You're announcing to every audience member in the near vicinity that you're done - it's all so final and declarative. I've come back from intervals to find the stranger next to me has done a runner, leaving me wondering: do they know something that I don't? What made them leave? Continue reading...
Franklin P Hall, 21 at the time he died, was killed by Luftwaffe in 1944 and body had never been located or identifiedThe remains of a US army aviator who went missing after German forces shot his bomber plane down in France during the second world war nearly 80 years ago have been located, according to officials.Franklin P Hall, who was a 21-year-old staff sergeant for the US army air force at the time of his death, is now set to receive a proper funeral, said a news release that the military distributed Monday. Continue reading...
Mercury Stardust makes DIY home repair videos centering renters - and the person who thinks they can't fix anythingIn April 2021, Mercury Stardust, a Wisconsin maintenance technician, was cleaning someone else's poop off myself" after a clogged toilet came apart. She happened to see a video of someone asking how to use a ratchet strap, one of those complicated-looking thingummies often used to tie down cargo. As soon as she tidied up, the 33-year-old responded as digital natives often do: she recorded an instructional video, wearing a (clean) flannel shirt and overalls while skillfully handling the tool in question.The minute-long video introduced her signature enthusiastic and encouraging patter, ending with: Learning something new is a triumph, and I'm proud of you." Continue reading...
From applying makeup in the rear-view mirror to watching cat videos on the phone, the morning commute is a parade of appalling driver behaviourThe photograph didn't lie. There I was in the driver's seat of my car, stopping at the lights, with one hand on the wheel, the other on my lap and holding my mobile phone.There was nothing to mitigate in my favour. Not the phone addiction we all have. Not my urgent impulse to check who was calling even though I didn't intend to answer. I was good for it, your honour. I copped the five demerit points which put me perilously close to a three-month licence suspension. I'm now a much more prudent driver (not that I felt I was ever particularly reckless, though I would argue that of course) - slower, more cautious entering intersections and careful never to go near my phone. Continue reading...
Prices are starting to level out, with some toys, electronics and apparel cheaper than last year. Why are retailers expecting a muted shopping season?Some good news for the holiday season: shopping for gifts this year will probably be a bit cheaper than last year. The bad news? Consumers just aren't feeling the holiday cheer - and with good reason.After over a year of high inflation, prices in the US are starting to level out, with drops in prices of some goods. The cost of a dozen eggs went from an average of $4.83 down to an average of $2.07 this October. Gas prices surpassed $5 a gallon in summer 2022, and are now down to a national average of $3.30. Continue reading...
South Carolina lawyer has pleaded guilty to stealing millions fueled by what prosecutors called an insatiable need for money'For years, the South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh looked his anguished clients in the eyes and promised to help them with their medical bills, their suffering or simply to survive. Then he stole most, if not all, of what he won for many of them.On Tuesday, those folks get to look right back at Murdaugh, in a prison jumpsuit, and tell him whatever they want as the disgraced lawyer, also convicted of murder, is sentenced for a decade worth of thefts from clients and his law firm. Continue reading...
While jaw-dropping highlights are a regular occurrence for the Thunder star, what really stands out is the maturity of his gameNBA fans knew they'd be getting a 7ft, generational unicorn this season. Few had any idea they'd actually be getting two.Just one other rookie in NBA history - the legendary Tim Duncan - has matched the statistical accolades currently being posted by San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren. Who is easily the most efficient of that threesome as a rookie? Holmgren. And he doesn't just look like the best newbie in the NBA this year - but one of the most well-rounded in recent memory. Continue reading...
After Brittany O'Connor was declared brain dead, her father clashed with medical authorities. The battle shines a light on America's legal definition of death - and the thousands waiting for organ donationMike O'Connor had just been told that his daughter was brain dead.Brittany had been in the hospital for six days. One end of a thick blue tube was taped to her mouth, the other connected to a respirator, which pushed air into her lungs with a mechanical force that shook her chest up and down. Continue reading...
Hamas releases 11 hostages from Gaza in exchange for 33 Palestinians in Israeli jails as truce extended by two days. Plus, can we solve our addiction to consumerism?Good morning.Eleven more Israeli hostages have been freed from Gaza in return for dozens of Palestinians held in Israeli jails, as the two sides agreed to extend the ceasefire by two days.How are the hostages? Itai Pessach, the head of the Safra children's hospital said: Seeing the hostages reunited with their families and the fact that they are recovering physically gives a sense of optimism, but given their difficult, complex stories of captivity, they will have a long way to go until they are [fully] healed."What will happen after the extension ends? Aid agencies have voiced concern that the anticipated resumption of Israel's attack on Hamas will lead to an even deeper humanitarian crisis among Palestinians. A particular concern is the impact on people in the crowded south of the Gaza Strip, where it is estimated by Israel and aid agencies that about 2 million people are now living. Continue reading...
At least 53 journalists have been killed since 7 October, the deadliest figure in the 30 years of keeping these dire statisticsThe numbers alone are dreadful. Journalists are being killed in the Israel-Hamas war at the rate of more than one every day since 7 October - at least 53 so far, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ.This has been the deadliest period for journalists in the 30 years since the New York-based organization began keeping these dire statistics.Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...
When people harboring such bigoted views have been rewarded with positions of influence, you really have to wonder about the US governmentNothing says New York City like its street food vendors. Known the world over for offering delicious and carb-heavy food at affordable prices, these vendors often throw in a dash of charming conversation, free with purchase. It's a winning combination, which explains why everyone in New York City loves their local halal food cart guy. Everyone, that is, except the racists.Enter Stuart Seldowitz. Since 7 November, Stuart Seldowitz has been harassing workers at his local halal cart on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, according to reports. The police, who initially did nothing about Seldowitz's harassment, finally arrested him on 22 November; he has been charged with aggravated harassment and several counts of stalking. Harassment of any sort is unacceptable, but Seldowitz's behavior is particularly vulgar and disgusting. And it's racist to the core. Continue reading...
Classism and other assumptions mean that whenever I have an unidentified item in the bagging area, the assistant will wave it throughIn the radical rise of shoplifting, during which retailers have been forced to hire private armies and stock their shelves with decoy versions of the pricier goods, a crime-driver besides gangs and the cost of living crisis has been observed: the middle-class crim who shoplifts with a sense of entitlement. The chair of Marks & Spencer, Archie Norman, described the attitude of some customers to self-checkouts: This didn't scan properly, or it's very difficult to scan these things through and I shop here all the time. It's not my fault - I'm owed it." The criminologist Emmeline Taylor said: They won't think of themselves as criminals; they will think they've cheated the system [and] the big retailers are the real criminals." Add to this self-righteousness and a growing appreciation of the thrill of theft, and the trend could really get out of hand.There is something else, though. I interviewed the actor Stockard Channing once and she described some career doldrums with the elegant line: I couldn't get arrested." It floats back to me sometimes, because I now honestly believe I couldn't get arrested. Nobody checks my bag at bag checks. When there is an unidentified item in the bagging area (not because I'm shoplifting, but because self-checkouts do not, in fact, work that well), the assistant will wave it through without a glance. Continue reading...
Washington is laying down rules for the use of seemingly mundane AI that could, in fact, be incredibly dangerousBetween fancy global summits, OpenAI's boardroom drama and rumoured technical breakthroughs, the world has recently been paying close attention to the frontiers of AI research. But last month the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the US released a memo on the use of more mundane AI systems in government that is likely, in the near term at least, to be equally consequential.From its use tracking undocumented migrants, to the predictive algorithms police departments deploy to surveil populations and allocate resources, AI is now a common tool of the US government to cut costs - but at the expense of subjecting society's most vulnerable to arbitrary rule without due process, and with predictably discriminatory outcomes. Researchers, journalists and activists have been calling attention to this for years. That call is at last being answered. Continue reading...
David Tepper has ditched two head coaches in two seasons. Anyone with any sense will steer clear of his troubled franchiseIn the latest edition of David Tepper Has No Idea What He's Doing, the Panthers owner fired coach Frank Reich on Monday.This one is a doozy. Critics are already calling it Tepper's best work since earlier this month, when he axed Charlotte FC head coach Christian Lattanzio, despite the team making the MLS playoffs. Continue reading...
The Argentinian has delivered a trophy and massive attention for his new team. But some fans say the franchise has become impersonal since his arrivalWhen the news happened, I had to turn my phone off," says Mike Longin, a member of the Green Lot Gang Inter Miami supporters' group, of the moment Lionel Messi's signing was confirmed.My friends, my family, even my pool guy, were all calling - Hey, Messi's coming. We're so excited for you.' It was an exciting day. But there was also from day one, OK, what does this mean?' We knew it wasn't going to be the same." Continue reading...
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