US news | The Guardian

Walkout at foreign policy lecture was in support of students who signed a declaration blaming Israel for October Hamas attacks

Patrick Dai, a junior, charged with threatening to murder Jewish students and will remain in custody until next court appearanceCornell University canceled classes on Friday as officials acknowledged the extraordinary stress" on students following the arrest of a junior accused of threatening to murder Jews on campus.Patrick Dai, 21, appeared in federal court on Wednesday charged with making threats to the university's Jewish community in the wake of Israel's retaliation in Gaza for last month's attacks by Hamas.Erum Salam contributed reporting Continue reading...

It often takes two incomes to make rent in the US, which is why a separation can push ex-partners into unusual arrangementsIn July 2020, Lauren White, a middle-school counselor, was sitting on her deck with her husband, discussing the impending sale of their home south of Richmond, Virginia, and the new home they had under contract.The four-bedroom, 2,500 sq ft house had an easier commute and a fenced-in backyard that made White, 41, dream of future barbecues with their children, ages four and eight. They'd sent letters to the seller in hopes of standing out from other buyers - and it worked. They got the home they wanted and were days away from closing. Continue reading...

Decision of Ken Buck, who condemned party for questioning Biden's victory, is good news for the country', ex-president saysDonald Trump welcomed the news that Ken Buck, a prominent conservative who criticized his party for questioning the validity of Joe Biden's election win, will quit Congress at the next election, crowing: Good news for the country!"Buck, from Colorado, announced his retirement on MSNBC on Wednesday and said he was disappointed that the Republican party continues to rely on this lie that the 2020 election was stolen and rely on the January 6 narrative and political prisoners from January 6 and other things." Continue reading...

Israel's stated war aim is to destroy Hamas; Hamas wants Israel to commit such barbarities in response to its attack that it loses international supportInternational calls for a ceasefire in Gaza are growing louder as the scale of destruction and humanitarian suffering visited on its population becomes ever clearer. Others, including the UN, call for at least a humanitarian pause". Is either likely? And could they pave the way to peace?Ceasefires, like peace processes, only work when both belligerents are either willing or can be persuaded to accept one and stick to it. In Gaza, this looks unlikely. In Syria in 2015-16 and in Sudan this year, similar attempts have failed dismally. In Ethiopia, a ceasefire with Tigray was achieved only after the two sides had fought each other to a standstill, at the cost of tens of thousands of lives.Nicholas Westcott is professor of practice in diplomacy at Soas University of London and former managing director for the Middle East in the EU's European External Action Service Continue reading...

The over-50s Bachelor spinoff is surprisingly popular, perhaps because its stars appear calmer and wiser than the average contestantIn the opening moments of The Golden Bachelor, the newest addition to the US reality show franchise, a dapper man who could be in his late 50s straightens his tie before picking up a hearing aid and discreetly fitting it behind one ear. This is Gerry, who, we learn, lost his wife several years ago and is soon depicted sobbing unrestrainedly in a way that, were this a crime drama, would send him straight to the top of the suspects list. Instead Gerry, at 72, is the first pensioner to lead America's biggest and longest-running dating show. How lucky would I be," he asks, with exquisite delivery of concept, to find a second true love in my lifetime?"Dating shows don't tell us much about the world we live in except via the back door of whom they leave out. In the US, The Bachelor - in which a single man dates a pool of women, ostensibly with the intention of choosing a wife - has been running since 2002, and didn't have a Black male lead until 2021. Occasionally, the producers accidentally book a closeted gay man who comes out after filming (Colton Underwood, season 23) but no one has ever put a gay bachelor in on purpose. In the UK, the closest the dating show landscape has come to pushing the boundaries is My Mum, Your Dad, an ITV1 show hosted by Davina McCall that launched earlier this year and featured adult children nominating their middle-aged single parents, and the hot young gay men of BBC 3's I Kissed a Boy, fronted by Dannii Minogue.Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

President responds to call from a rabbi in the crowd who urged him to call for a ceasefire

Barkan was diagnosed with ALS in 2016 and said his illness clarified the cruelty of our profit-driven system'Ady Barkan, an attorney and healthcare activist whose journey with motor neuron disease prompted a fight to overhaul the US healthcare system, died at the age of 39 from complications with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).Barkan's wife, Rachael Scarborough King, announced his death in a post to X, formally known as Twitter. Continue reading...

Alabama Republican continues blockade over Pentagon abortion policy, escalating standoff as defense officials say move endangers national securityRepublican senators angrily challenged Tommy Tuberville on his blockade of almost 400 military officers Wednesday evening, taking over the Senate floor for more than four hours to call for individual confirmation votes after a months-long stalemate.The Republican senator from Alabama stood and objected to each nominee - 61 times total, when the night was over - extending his holds on the military confirmations and promotions with no immediate resolution in sight. But the extraordinary confrontation between Republicans, boiling over almost nine months after Tuberville first announced the holds over a Pentagon abortion policy, escalated the standoff as defense department officials have repeatedly said the backlog of officials needing confirmation could endanger national security. Continue reading...

Guns are used so often in suicide that if the left were associated with lax gun laws, the right might accuse liberals of conspiring to kill white menThe gunman who a week ago killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, finished his bloodbath by shooting himself. Like many mass shootings, his rampage appears to have been a suicide that took others with him. Mass shootings draw deserved media attention, but they are a small percent of all gun deaths in the US; suicide is the most common way people die by gun. That is, if you own or have access to a gun, the person you're most likely to kill is yourself. Fifty-four percent of US gun deaths are suicides, which means access to a gun is a major risk factor for dying this way.This fact, often cited but rarely examined, means the gun industry is pushing guns the same way the tobacco industry pushed cigarettes: their intentions toward their customers are blithely murderous. It also undermines the advertisements and arguments claiming that guns provide safety and protection. Of the 48,117 reported gun deaths in the US in 2022, 26,993 were suicides - a stunning number, a gun death every 11 minutes, the equivalent to a mid-sized town being wiped out annually.Rebecca Solnit is a Guardian US columnist. She is the author of Orwell's Roses and co-editor with Thelma Young Lutunatabua of the climate anthology Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility Continue reading...

Method has not been used before to carry out a death sentence but now is likely to be used in execution of Kenneth Eugene SmithA divided Alabama supreme court said the state can execute an inmate with nitrogen gas, a method that has not previously been used carry out a death sentence.The all-Republican court in a 6-2 decision Wednesday granted the state attorney general's request for an execution warrant for Kenneth Eugene Smith. The order did not specify the execution method, but the Alabama attorney general indicated in filings with the court that it intends to use nitrogen to put Smith to death. The exact date of the execution will be set later by Kay Ivey, Alabama's governor. Continue reading...

Moving to California may not have had the same impact as David Beckham but the jockey is enjoying relative anonymityFrankie Dettori walked into a bar ... but don't expect a punchline, because nobody paid any attention. I went to a restaurant the other day with my wife," he says, and I went to buy a drink at the bar and I found myself looking round to see if people were looking at me. But I realised that no one knew who I was, and I thought, this is great!'"The last significant sporting celebrity from Britain to divert his career path towards Los Angeles would have struggled to maintain such a low profile. Posh and Becks went straight into the upper reaches of the Hollywood A-list. Tom Cruise, Eva Longoria and Arnie were among the stars in attendance when David Beckham made his debut for LA Galaxy. Continue reading...

Texas were not always the best team in baseball this season but with players like the explosive Corey Seager at their disposal they were capable of beating anyoneSo this is what it feels like. Leaping around the infield, hugging in the dugout, arms aloft, cameras snapping, commemorative T-shirts donned at the speed of a Nathan Eovaldi fastball. Now, finally, the Texas Rangers know.A World Series replete with rare feats ended with the biggest novelty of all: the Rangers are Major League Baseball's champions for the first time at the 63rd attempt, a mere 51 years after a franchise that began as the Washington Senators relocated to the Dallas area. Continue reading...

His comments came as Hamas says the death toll at the Jabalia refugee camp nears 200. Plus, Pentagon's UFO online reporting tool launches

From pandemic to book bans and school bathrooms, parents' rights' are playing a key role - but its electoral potency is being questionedIt was a career-ending gaffe, or at least has come to be seen that way. I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach," said Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe during a 2021 Virginia gubernatorial debate with his Republican rival, Glenn Youngkin.The line was replayed endlessly in attack ads, and handed Youngkin a gift for the central plank of his election campaign: Parents matter." He prevailed in a state that Joe Biden had won a year earlier. Now Youngkin is seeking to repeat the trick on 7 November on behalf of Republicans in elections for Virginia's state assembly. Continue reading...

Ruling says barriers should remain intact at US-Mexico border, but allows agents to cut fence for medical emergenciesA federal judge has ordered border patrol agents not to interfere with razor wire that the state of Texas installed at a busy crossing for migrants on the US-Mexico border, ruling that the barrier can only be cut to provide aid during medical emergencies.The temporary restraining order signed by US district judge Alia Moses allows federal agents to cut the wire only in order to provide emergency medical aid" to migrants, some of whom have been gashed or snagged by the wire after crossing the Rio Grande seeking to enter Texas.The Associated Press contributed reporting Continue reading...

Every peaceable advance since 1967 has been provoked by an unforeseen seismic event. This could be one of them too

Perhaps it's not about judging the act of posting or not about the war between Hamas and Israel, but interrogating the intentions behind itThe welcome irony is that Martin Niemoller's words about not speaking out are everywhere. If you were not already familiar with First They Came, his urging of resistance in the face of tyranny and persecution, from history lessons or documentaries on the Holocaust, you will be from countless Instagram feeds during the past three weeks.Niemoller's words, repurposed from a speech he gave in 1946, are a cautionary tale and mea culpa, deploring his own inertia in the face of Hitler's growing persecution of minority groups (the majority of victims, of course, Jews). His words, along with the Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote, Silence in the face of evil is itself evil", have spread on social platforms following the latest outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas.Hannah Jane Parkinson is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Germany has become the go-to destination for up-and-coming US stars. Next up: Paxten Aaronson. The player standing in his way? His brother, BrendenEverything moves fast for Paxten Aaronson.The 20-year-old American is an all-action attacking midfielder, a player who thinks and acts quickly, who thrives in tight spaces or amid the organized chaos of transition football. He is as fleet of mind as he is of foot. And, so far, his career trajectory has mimicked his super-charged playing style. Continue reading...

For one last crack at the title that's eluded him, Chris Paul has joined the Golden State dynasty he spent a decade trying to conquer. It's a tailor-made twist for the NBA soap operaSworn enemies team up for an epic final stand. It's a movie trope older than Adam Silver.This year, it's the NBA's turn to write that same script, with Golden State going full Hollywood, and Silver's ongoing basketball soap opera getting yet another superb subplot: Chris Paul joining his former nemeses Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and co for one final title quest, in what may well be the 38-year-old future Hall of Famer's last chance at a championship. Continue reading...

Inspired by Michael Jordan, the American created an entire training method and is dreaming of an armless 1-2-3' in ParisMatt Stutzman believes that controlling adrenaline is crucial if you want to be a successful archer. So he used to have a quick parachute jump before training. I literally would shoot my bow, get on a plane and jump out," he says. Then I would land close by, shoot my bow until the adrenaline wore off and then go back up and jump out again."This may not be the kind of training approach that works for every athlete, but Stutzman is a bit different from the norm. For a start the American from Iowa is a world champion archer, and recreational parachutist, who was born with no arms. He is also someone who, since childhood, has been in determined pursuit of what he calls a Michael Jordan moment", the point where one person not only changes their sport but the perception of it. And come the Paralympics in Paris in a year's time, it seems likely he will have achieved his ambition. Continue reading...

The lying representative from New York retained his seat with fewer than two-thirds of the chamber supporting the resolutionA vote to expel Republican lawmaker George Santos from the US House of Representatives failed on Wednesday when fewer than two-thirds of the chamber supported the resolution, preserving Republicans' narrow 221-212 majority.Santos on Friday pleaded not guilty to a 23-count federal indictment accusing him of crimes including laundering funds to pay for his personal expenses, illegally receiving unemployment benefits and charging donors' credit cards without their consent. Continue reading...

Bob Knight, the brilliant and tempestuous coach who won three NCAA titles at Indiana, led the US to an Olympic gold medal and retired as college basketball's all-time wins leader, has died aged 83

One thing is clear: there cannot be a return to the status quo that existed in Gaza before the war Continue reading...

Donald Trump's eldest son testifies in New York civil trial, claiming repeatedly: I don't recall'Donald Trump Jr took the stand in the ongoing fraud trial against his father and the family business on Wednesday and tried to distance himself from the financial statements at the center of the case.Trump's eldest son, 45, is the first family member to testify in the civil trial brought by the New York attorney general, Letitia James. His younger brother Eric is expected to testify on Thursday, with Trump and his daughter Ivanka expected in court next week. Continue reading...

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US district judge Aileen Cannon expressed concern current timetable would clash with Trump's 2020 election subversion trialThe federal judge presiding in Donald Trump's criminal case related to his retention of national security documents at Mar-a-Lago appeared inclined to delay the scheduling of the trial, expressing concern that the timetable would clash with Trump's 2020 election subversion trial in Washington.The US district judge Aileen Cannon did not specify what changes she would make to the pre-trial timetable at a hearing on Wednesday, but signaled she would make adjustments to certain deadlines - which could have the net effect of pushing back the start of the trial. Continue reading...

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Colorado congressman Ken Buck will not seek re-election saying party must project to the public what the truth is'A leading conservative congressman announced his retirement, in large part because his Republican party continues to rely on this lie that the 2020 election was stolen".I have decided I'm not going to seek re-election," Ken Buck of Colorado told MSNBC on Wednesday, after news that Kay Granger of Texas, the longest-serving Republican congresswoman, will also step down next year. Continue reading...

Founder of FTX platform, 31, painted by prosecution as scammer and liar who defrauded customers out of billions of dollarsSam Bankman-Fried's crypto fraud trial neared its end with closing arguments on Wednesday in Manhattan federal court following weeks of testimony that lifted the veil of FTX's stunning collapse - and a broader murkiness surrounding digital currency markets. The prosecution quickly painted Sam Bankman-Fried as an unabashed scammer rather than the image of the wayward math nerd proffered by the defense throughout the trial, saying he created a pyramid of deceit" with his cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.Assistant US attorney Nicholas Roos also used Bankman-Fried's own testimony against him. Continue reading...

FTX founder, once the darling of Washington and Silicon Valley, blamed his ex-girlfriend and said I do not recall' a lotNearly a month after the start of his fraud trial, Sam Bankman-Fried, the one-time cryptocurrency mogul, took the witness stand in his own defense in a risky move that exposed him to prosecutors' probing.Bankman-Fried, the founder of crypto exchange FTX, spent three days answering questions before a jury, in an 11th-hour attempt to counter the damning, detailed testimony against him from members of his inner circle. Continue reading...

Former president's eldest son is a defendant in the Trump Organization case alongside his father and brother EricDonald Trump's eldest son has taken the stand on Wednesday at the New York civil fraud trial surrounding the former president's business empire.Donald Trump Jr, a defendant in the case alongside his father, is testifying as the judge considers whether the Trump Organization and its top executives lied about the value of its properties. Continue reading...

Newly released text messages and letter show army reserve members believed suspect had ability to carry out mass violenceA series of text messages and a letter sent from a US army reserve representative sounded the alarm about the suspected Maine gunman's mental health and fears that he would commit a mass shooting, according to newly released documents.Robert Card, 40, was known to have mental health problems, authorities have confirmed since last week's shootings. Continue reading...

Central bank maintains benchmark federal funds rate but chair Jerome Powell leaves door open to further increasesThe US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged at a 22-year high on Wednesday as inflation continues to fade from its highest level in a generation.Jerome Powell, its chairman, cautioned that the Fed's campaign to bring down price growth has a long way to go" as it left the door open to further rate hikes. Continue reading...

The appalling human toll of airstrikes and the ground offensive dominate attention, but what follows will be crucialFor Palestinians in Gaza, life is endured moment to moment, not knowing whether there will be food for their children's next meal, or clean water for an ailing parent, or - with the death toll now having reached at least 8,796, according to the Gaza health ministry - whether their family will even survive the day.Israel, however, must look ahead to address what will happen in Gaza the day after" the war with Hamas. The devastation and need will be almost unimaginable. Though the ground offensive is under way, Benjamin Netanyahu does not have an endgame for this conflict, the extension of which may extend his own tenure as prime minister. Unless Israel can offer such a plan, US patience is likely to run out. Continue reading...

Politicians at Rishi Sunak's AI safety summit must understand that regulation is the key to avoiding disasterWhen the great and the good of Silicon Valley pitched up in Buckinghamshire for Rishi Sunak's AI safety summit, they came with a simple message: trust us with this new technology. Don't be tempted to stifle innovation by heavy-handed rules and restrictions. Self-regulation works just fine.To which the simple response should be: remember 2008, when light-touch supervision allowed banks to indulge in an orgy of speculation that took the global financial system to the brink of collapse.Larry Elliott is the Guardian's economics editor Continue reading...

Schools closed for 45,000 students in strike union says is first ever walkout in Portland school districtTeachers in Portland walked off the job on Wednesday for the first day of a strike that will shutter schools for some 45,000 students in Oregon's largest city.Concerns over large class sizes, salaries that have not kept up with inflation and a lack of resources prompted the strike, one of the latest signs of a growing organized labor movement in the US that has seen thousands of workers in various sectors take to the picket lines this year. Continue reading...

Shares plunge after analysts say online fashion retailer may need to raise more cash, possibly through sale of Topshop brandAsos has warned sales will continue to fall in the year ahead - by much as 15% - after delayed results revealed a near 300m annual loss.Shares fell almost 8% on Wednesday to 365p after analysts expressed fears that the online fashion retailer would need to raise new cash - potentially through the sale of its Topshop brand - with net debt including leases now at 648.5m, up from 533m a year before. Continue reading...

First elected in 1996, Granger - Republican chair of the House appropriations committee - will retire in 2024Representative Kay Granger of Texas, the Republican chairwoman of the powerful House appropriations committee, said on Wednesday she will not seek re-election in 2024 after nearly three decades in Congress.Granger, 80, is the nation's longest-serving GOP congresswoman and was first elected in 1996. Her district, which includes Fort Worth, is heavily Republican and is likely to remain out of reach for Democrats next year. Continue reading...

Building at abandoned mine site collapsed on Tuesday, trapping the men beneath multiple floors of concrete and steelAt least one of two workers trapped at a collapsed 11-storey coal preparation plant that was being demolished at an abandoned mine site in eastern Kentucky has died, Andy Beshear announced on Wednesday.The building at Martin Mine Prep Plant collapsed around 6.30pm local time on Tuesday, trapping the men beneath multiple floors of concrete and steel and teams are working to rescue them, Kentucky emergency management said in a news release on Wednesday. Continue reading...

We should treat as an ally anyone who seeks a ceasefire and apply pressure on those not yet courageous enough to do soFor those of us who work on US-Middle East policy, especially those with close friends and family in the Middle East, the last three weeks have been especially harrowing. Those of us sitting in Washington cannot know what our Israeli colleagues endured on 7 October, when over 1,400 people were murdered, and in the days since as the details of those attacks continue to emerge. Nor can we scarcely imagine what our Palestinian colleagues continue to endure now under weeks of relentless bombardment by the Israeli military, which as of this writing has killed over 8,000 people, nearly a third of them children, from a community that has already endured decades of occupation and siege.Pressure is building for an end to this killing and for a release of hostages. On 16 October, 13 members of the House, led by the representatives Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib, announced a resolution urging the Biden administration to call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine, to send humanitarian aid and assistance to Gaza, and to save as many lives as possible". Continue reading...

Authors of the book American Gun talk about the long history of the country's most popular firearm and the role it plays in politicsEarlier this year, several Republican lawmakers were seen sporting a new accessory: lapel pins shaped like an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.Andrew Clyde, a Republican congressman from Georgia who also owns a gun store, later said he had handed out the pins to his congressional colleagues to remind people of the second amendment of the constitution and how important it is in preserving our liberties". Continue reading...

However, Republican senator Lindsey Graham says, Israel should be smart' and try to limit casualties the best they can'The US should place no limit" to civilian casualties Israel might inflict in Gaza in response to the Hamas terror attacks of 7 October, a senior Republican senator said.Speaking to CNN, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was asked: Is there a threshold for you, and do you think there should be one for the United States government, in which the US would say, Let's hold off for a second in terms of civilian casualties?'" Continue reading...

In an era when clubs have become the playthings of billionaires, fans are left pondering the question: how do you prefer your sportswashing?When Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani withdrew from the race to buy Manchester United last month, you could almost hear the sighs of relief emanating from the press department on Sir Matt Busby Way.A Qatari takeover, despite the appeal and simplicity of Sheikh Jassim's all-cash offer, would be sure to face fierce criticism - not only on the basis of Qatar's enduringly appalling human rights record, but as further proof of oil money's deepening incursion into global soccer's most sacred places. With this ethical conundrum out of the way, the path is now clear for a much easier publicity sell: Manchester United looks set to fall into the care of a footballing humanitarian who presents the unique advantage of being both obscenely rich and unimpeachably English. Finally, the self-styled biggest club on the planet will be yanked away from the pesky Americans, snatched from the slick hands of the Gulf, and come to nestle at the top of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's corporate crown - pending a final buyout of the Glazers' remaining 75% stake. A victory, at last, for clean money, good money, English money. Continue reading...

The Khan Yunis refugee camp was supposed to be in the safe zone. But nowhere is safe - the very existence of Palestinians is under attackMy family home was supposed to be in the safe zone in southern Gaza. But last week the bombs came anyway, without warning. They fell at around 10 o'clock on Thursday morning in four or five big explosions. An entire residential quarter of the Khan Yunis refugee camp, where I was born and raised, was reduced to rubble. Everyone there experienced it as an earthquake; a human-made earthquake. The whole camp was shaking.I've counted 49 dead - among them are 36 members of my family. Another dozen or more are still missing under the rubble of eight homes, I'm told, and more than 100 are injured.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...

Attorney for Jenna Ellis admits guilty pleas by Sidney Powell and Ken Chesebro hastened effort to cooperate with prosecutorsDonald Trump's former attorney Jenna Ellis scrambled to secure a plea deal for herself in the Georgia election subversion case after watching two other indicted lawyers fold, it was revealed on Wednesday.The haste in which her legal team acted to snag an advantageous agreement for their client was laid out by Ellis's own attorney Frank Hogue in an exclusive interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Continue reading...