Tommy Tuberville aims to block policy offering aid to service members and dependents forced to travel for abortionsDefending his blocking promotions that has left hundreds of military officers in limbo and the US army, navy and marines without Senate-confirmed leaders, the Alabama Republican Tommy Tuberville demanded a congressional vote on Pentagon abortion policy.He added: We are not a communist country." Continue reading...
The state's so gerrymandered that Republicans can lose the popular vote and win supermajorities. Now they want to impeach a liberal justice before she's ruled on a single caseIf you need a reminder that the Republican party's problem with democracy extends beyond the antics of Donald Trump, look no further than Wisconsin. A battle is under way there which began before the January 6 insurrection was even a twinkle in Trump's eye, and which will do much to determine the future of democracy in America whether Trump ultimately answers for his crimes or not. It's no exaggeration to say that Wisconsin and its state capitol, Madison, are now the front line of the battle to save American democracy.In 2011, Republicans gerrymandered Wisconsin's state legislature so badly that the party can win supermajorities despite losing the popular vote, as it did in 2018. Voters have fought back, and earlier this year they elected Janet Protasiewicz to the state supreme court, ushering in a new liberal majority which looked poised to finally overturn the gerrymander and bring democratic regime change to Madison.Andrew Gawthorpe is a historian of the United States at Leiden University. He hosts a podcast called America Explained and writes a newsletter of the same name Continue reading...
Gregg Berhalter's men showed encouraging signs against mediocre opposition but tougher teams are in wait later in the yearAn intriguing battle is developing for the central striker roleHe'd scored the game's only goal, yet Folarin Balogun walked off at half-time shaking his head, visibly disappointed. He knew he was being substituted and that there would be plenty more chances for the US after the break against dismal opponents. Continue reading...
Boycott would aim to use consumer power to pressure company to negotiate its first union contractCalls for a consumer boycott of Starbucks are growing amid mounting criticism of the coffee chain's aggressive union-busting activities.A boycott, supporters say, would aim to use consumer power to pressure Starbucks to stop its union-busting and illegal actions and to finally negotiate its first union contract. Continue reading...
North Korea's first priority' is its relationship with Moscow, Kim tells Putin during meeting at remote Russian space base. Plus, why is the US addicted to laxatives?
Spooked by Trump's shadow, Democrats react with disapproval of Biden, whose numbers are stagnant. They risk creating a self-fulfilling prophesyNow ends our summer of discontent. Nearly half of Democrats fretfully tell pollsters that President Biden is too old". Fifty-eight percent of all Americans, including 30% of Democrats, do not approve of his handling of the economy. Twenty-one percent of Democrats rate him unfavorably. If these discontented were to change their opinion, his favorability would be near or above 50%. Depressed Democrats hold down his standing.Biden returns from the G20 economic conference in India triumphant, conducting complex diplomacy edging out China, and heralding a host of deliverables, notably a deal to build a rail and shipping network from India to Europe and the Middle East, running through Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel, a game-changing regional investment", he declares. He follows with an unprecedented pact with Vietnam as a strategic partner. Then at his press conference he wanders into a monologue about a John Wayne western and one of Biden's favored expressions, a lying dog-faced pony soldier", to refer to disbelievers in the climate crisis.Sidney Blumenthal is the author of The Permanent Campaign, published in 1980, and All the Power of the Earth: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln 1856-1860, the third of a projected five volumes. He is the former assistant and senior adviser to President Bill Clinton and senior adviser to Hillary Clinton Continue reading...
For years we've been told the sport will be dominated by leviathans. But nimbleness and all-round skills are still valuableWhen Daniil Medvedev took the court against Novak Djokovic on Sunday afternoon in New York, he was not only attempting to beat the Serb in the US Open final once again; he was also trying to replicate his feat of being tied for the tallest man to ever claim a grand slam title.At 6ft 6in - the same listed height as former US Open champions Juan Martin del Potro (2009) and Marin ili (2014) - Medvedev, who his friend and countryman Andrey Rublev likens to an octopus, used his supremely long reach and extraordinary foot speed to shock Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. But his height didn't make much difference in the final as Djokovic rolled to a straight-sets triumph. Continue reading...
Concerned Women for America, a self-described public policy women's US organization, said it was honored' to host ex-presidentConcerned Women for America (CWA), a rightwing group that describes itself as the largest public policy women's organisation in the US, was criticised for hosting a misogynist indicted criminal", after it announced a keynote speech by Donald Trump.Of course a misogynistic indicted criminal would speak to a conference of women determined to block access to reproductive healthcare and move backward instead of looking toward the future," said Christian F Nunes, national president of the National Organization for Women, or NOW, in a statement. Continue reading...
Video of farewell between Barbara Carolan and her sister, Shirley, warms collective heart of the oft-callous internet after going viralA 94-year-old woman from New Hampshire traveled across the US to see her 90-year-old sister for possibly the last time, and a video of their farewell - initially intended to be just for family - has warmed the collective heart of the oft-callous internet after going viral.We're going to see each other again," Barbara Carolan was told by her younger sister, Shirley, on the emotional clip, which was viewed widely on the social media platform TikTok. If we don't see each other on this earth, we'll see you in heaven." Continue reading...
Community of Gullah-Geechee people in Georgia protest vote for lifting protective laws, threatening a 230-year-old heritageFor more than 230 years, a small community of Gullah-Geechee people have called Sapelo Island off the coast of Georgia home. Hogg Hammock, the area on the island where these descendants of enslaved people live, is a 427-acre coastal community of 40 residents and has been designated as a historic site since 1996. That means that the construction of houses more than 1,400 sq ft and any road paving or demolition of property are strictly prohibited to preserve the island community.On Tuesday, McIntosh county commissioners, who preside over Sapelo, voted to remove zoning restrictions in Hogg Hammock. Gullah-Geechee residents fear that wealthy transplants who want to develop larger homes and who could force a rise of property taxes there will displace them and upend their livelihoods. Continue reading...
Five former Memphis officers were indicted on four counts for violently beating Nichols, 29, during a routine traffic stopFive former Memphis police officers are now facing federal civil rights charges in the beating death of Tyre Nichols as they continue to fight second-degree murder charges in state courts arising from the killing.Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin and Justin Smith were indicted on Tuesday in US district court in Memphis. The four-count indictment charges each of them with deprivation of rights under the color of law through excessive force and failure to intervene, and through deliberate indifference; conspiracy to witness tampering; and obstruction of justice through witness tampering. Continue reading...
Spotlight on partisan split of issue as Republicans push for works to be taken out of schools and librariesA Senate hearing on book bans and censorship on Tuesday spotlighted the growing phenomenon in America and highlighted a partisan split on the issue, with Democrats decrying censorship as Republicans and rightwing activists push for many works to be taken out of schools and libraries, claiming it should be parents' rights to do so.Many of the most commonly banned books deal with topics such as racism, sexuality and gender identity. Conservatives also argue that some books, many exploring queer identity and LGBTQ+ themes, include sexually explicit content inappropriate for students. School librarians opposing such book bans have been attacked and harassed. Continue reading...
Advisory panel reviewed studies of phenylephrine, an active ingredient in Benadryl, Mucinex, Sudafed PE and TylenolA common decongestant ingredient of numerous popular over-the-counter cold and flu remedies does not work, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded on Tuesday.An advisory panel spent two days looking at studies of phenylephrine, an active ingredient in well-known medicines including Benadryl, Mucinex, Sudafed PE and Tylenol, and reported to the FDA that it is no more effective than a placebo. Continue reading...
Little-known local official Stacey Klein is second Republican to declare run in closely watched 2024 raceA second Republican with little name recognition is entering the race to take on the Democratic senator Tammy Baldwin, whose 2024 push for re-election in Wisconsin is expected to be one of the most closely watched US Senate contests in the nation.Stacey Klein, a Trempealeau county board supervisor, filed to run on Tuesday and said she would make a formal announcement on Saturday. Klein, who has three siblings in the military, said she always had a desire to serve in a big way". Continue reading...
Thousands of Americans are attracted to the idea of a self-reliant life in a remote area, but the dangers can be profoundMost city-slickers would shudder at the idea of living in a remote area with few neighbors to help if something went wrong.But self-reliance is alluring to thousands of people in the US who live off the grid" in homes heated with wood stoves, powered by solar panels and, often, totally under the radar of tax collectors. Continue reading...
Susanna Gibson, who is running for a seat in state's house of delegates, called report gutter politics'A Virginia Democrat running in a closely contested legislative election has denounced reports that she and her husband engaged in sex acts livestreamed on an online platform in exchange for tips".Susanna Gibson, a nurse practitioner and a first-time candidate seeking a seat in Virginia's house of delegates, shared the videos on a platform called Chaturbate. Continue reading...
Kevin McCarthy said on Tuesday he was directing a House of Representatives committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over his family's business dealings. The speaker said a House investigation had found a 'culture of corruption' around the Biden family. The announcement from the Republican leader comes as he faces mounting pressure from his right-flank to take action against Biden
Petition argues that Trump's activities to overturn 2020 election, including those on 6 January, amount to engaging in insurrectionA group of Minnesota voters filed a lawsuit on Tuesday seeking to remove Donald Trump from the ballot in their state, escalating the effort to disqualify the former president from running based on untested constitutional language that prohibits anyone who has engaged in insurrection" from holding office.The voters are being represented by Free Speech for People, a left-leaning group that has aggressively been pushing to remove Trump from the ballot in several states. A similar lawsuit was filed in Colorado last week by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, another watchdog group.Join us for a livestreamed event on 26 September, Democracy and Distrust: Overcoming threats to the 2024 election Continue reading...
Tech entrepreneur and 2020 Democratic hopeful says he has spoken with No Labels, who are considering launching a candidateThe tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, has had conversations" with No Labels, a group considering launching a third-party candidate in the 2024 election.I've had conversations with various folks who are associated with No Labels," Yang told Politico. Continue reading...
Ex-Trump aide says his contempt of Congress conviction makes ex-colleagues fear massive legal bills ... and prison time'Peter Navarro's contempt of Congress conviction has everybody in that frigging White House" feeling as if they are grappling with massive legal bills and ... prison time", the ex-Donald Trump administration official said on Monday.Navarro's remarks came in an interview with the far-right media outlet Newsmax in which he used the term SOBs" - short for sons of bitches - to refer to the US justice department prosecutors who secured a guilty verdict against him last week. Continue reading...
Stomach problems are so ubiquitous that they are trending on TikTok. They provide an insight into a lot of our current problems: from anxiety and stress to a poor dietAmerican exceptionalism strikes again, this time in the pharmaceutical aisle. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the US is having a love affair with laxatives; Americans of all ages are ingesting so much of the stuff that there are now shortages nationwide.It's crazy to think that our collective bowel dysfunction problems have gotten so bad that we're running out of stool softeners," Dr George Pavlou, head of the Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey, told the WSJ. Continue reading...
The Jets quarterback suffered an apparently serious injury on his debut. The one positive was how his teammates reacted to the setbackIt took all of four offensive snaps for the lights to go out in New York. All the excitement around the Jets' new season evaporated when Aaron Rodgers suffered a suspected achilles injury that may well end his season (the results of the MRI will be announced on Tuesday). At 39, Rodgers came to the Jets (their stadium is in New Jersey but this is a New York team) with a little tarnish but far more talent, football IQ, and promise than any Jets quarterback probably ever. For the last few months he seemed to be everywhere in New York - grinning from the stands at Knicks games and the US Open, attending Broadway shows and charming his new teammates on HBO's Hard Knocks. He instantly became the nucleus of the franchise, the player that was supposed to inspire his teammates and catapult the historically fleabitten Jets not just to respectability, but to the postseason for the first time since 2010.But the anticipation around this Bills-Jets opener turned into an instant nightmare for Jets fans. Rodgers is one the NFL's most omnipresent figures, and news of his injury left the whole league shaken. Even the most cold-hearted Chicago Bears fan wouldn't have wished this on the former Green Bay Packer. The look on Jets head coach Robert Saleh's face - and the eerie silence at MetLife Stadium as Rodgers sat on the turf after his injury - said it all. The Jets season felt over before it began. Continue reading...
Convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante has been on the run after escaping prison as police warn people to stay indoorsDanelo Cavalcante, the convicted murderer who has been on the run for 13 days after escaping from a Pennsylvania prison, is now armed and believed to be hiding out deep in the countryside.Early on Tuesday, police warned residents of the rural community of South Coventry Township - about 20 miles from Chester county prison where he escaped - to lock all doors and windows, secure vehicles and stay indoors. The fugitive, who is reportedly carrying a .22 caliber rifle, is being described as extremely dangerous and the public are being told not to approach him. Continue reading...
Dodge Hellonen sentenced to an hour of community service for every marine killed or wounded in American civil warOne of three active-duty US marines who stormed the nation's Capitol together was sentenced on Monday to probation and 279 hours of community service - one hour for every marine who was killed or wounded fighting in the American civil war.The US district judge Ana Reyes said she could not fathom why Dodge Hellonen violated his oath to protect the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic" - and risked his career - by joining the 6 January 2021 riot that disrupted Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. Continue reading...
Danny Garcia hoped to flee the life of poverty and crime that led him to poach wood from national park land. But the circle of violence was inescapableThe last time I talked to Danny Garcia was two weeks before he was killed.In December 2022, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake rattled northern California. Its strength was such that along stretches of Highway 101, which runs north-south through some of the state's most celebrated forest, the asphalt heaved and cracked. A hundred people were displaced from their homes.
A strong economy and legislative wins seem to cut little ice but party strategists say it is still early in the election cycleDemocratic strategists are urging a don't panic" response to a series of opinion polls that reveal deep worries over Joe Biden's age and his ability to beat Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election.A CNN survey conducted by SSRS caused shockwaves this week when it put Biden's approval rating at just 39% and found two in three Democrats say the party should nominate someone else next year. In a hypothetical contest, registered voters were split between Trump (47%) and Biden (46%). Continue reading...
Campaigners estimate about $3.7bn in trade finance was supplied to oil and gas projects despite bank's green pledges. Plus, the rapid descent of Tucker Carlson
A husband who doesn't want his wife to get an abortion could sue the friend who offered to drive her, according to this legislation's own architectHow free can any woman be in a country where her right to control her body and family depends on the jurisdiction where she happens to live? Republicans are looking to find out. Over the past few weeks, as Republican officials in anti-choice states seek to make their abortion bans enforceable and compel women into childbirth, a new front has opened up in the abortion wars: roads. The anti-choice movement, through a series of inventive legal theories and cynical legislative maneuvers, is now attacking women's right to travel.In a court filing last month, Alabama attorney general Steve Marshall wrote that he believes his office has a right to prosecute those who help women travel across state lines in search of an abortion. The filing comes in a lawsuit from two women's health clinics and an abortion fund, which sued Marshall after he publicly stated his intention to criminally investigate organizations like theirs, which provide financial and logistical help to pregnant patients seeking to leave the state. In his response, Marshall unequivocally states that Alabama, which bans all abortions with no rape or incest exemption, views any effort to help women cross state lines as a criminal conspiracy".Moira Donegan is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...
Workers at the big three carmakers earn less now in real dollars than they did 15 years ago - as their CEOs make more and more. Their fight is everyone's fightIn the United States today, at a time of unprecedented income and wealth inequality, weekly wages for the average American worker are actually lower than they were 50 years ago after adjusting for inflation. In other words, despite a massive increase in worker productivity, despite CEOs now making nearly 400 times more than what their employees earn, despite record-breaking corporate profits, dividends and stock buybacks, average American workers are worse off than they were 50 years ago.That morally grotesque and growing inequality is exactly what has been occurring in the automobile industry for decades. This time, however, under new union leadership, the members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) are fighting back. If the big three automakers (General Motors, Ford and Stellantis) do not provide reasonable contracts to address longstanding inequities in the industry, there will be a strike - and all of us should support the strikers. Continue reading...
Artists and dancers say officers have ramped up fines and ticketing in Manhattan's celebrated Washington Square ParkOn what seemed to be an otherwise unremarkable July day, performer Kanami Kusajima was dancing in New York City's famed Washington Square Park, just as she had since the city began its long journey into post-Covid lockdown recovery.Kusajima, who had become the face of the city's resilience when mayoral officials used her photo in a widespread NO STOPPING NEW YORK" ad campaign, was shocked when police issued a ticket for her use of a tiny speaker. Continue reading...
by Michael Sainato in Gainesville, Florida on (#6EP21)
People who worked on recovery efforts afraid to travel to Florida in case they are targeted by immigration authoritiesMaria, a 43-year-old woman from Honduras, has worked on recovery efforts after five different natural disasters in the US. She has done work remodeling, rebuilding, and demolishing homes and buildings damaged by multiple hurricanes, including Hurricane Ian which hit Florida in 2022.But, as Florida reals from yet another hit in the form of Hurricane Idalia, Maria will not be returning to the state to help with the clean-up. Continue reading...
Mark Dickey, 40, is back on the surface after spending a week trapped in a Turkish cave, describing the ordeal as a 'crazy, crazy adventure'. Dickey fell ill at a depth of 1,120 metres (3,700ft), sparking what organisers said was one of the largest and most complicated underground rescue operations ever mounted. After being pulled up, Dickey told reporters: 'It's been one hell of a crazy, crazy adventure. But I'm on the surface safely. I'm still alive'.
The former USA and LA Galaxy coach resigned from New England last week. But it's unclear exactly what brought about his downfallThe most successful coach in the history of MLS and the US men's national team must beg the league commissioner for permission if he ever wants to return to a job in MLS. And yet, six weeks after Bruce Arena was placed on leave and a couple of days after he resigned as New England Revolution head coach and sporting director, it's still unclear precisely what he did to deserve such a severe sanction.Allegations of inappropriate comments were followed by a virtual omerta from the club, the league and Arena himself, resulting in a level of transparency during the disciplinary process that's in inverse proportion to his status in the American game. Continue reading...
As sport is gradually supplanted by scripted entertainment, it is starting to resemble something else entirelyThe pitcher walks back to the mound, ball sheathed in his right hand, quietly contemplating his next move. Sixty feet away, the batter raises and cocks his bat in anticipation. Then the pitcher slowly removes his shirt, flings his glove and cap to one side and launches into a sexy rendition of a Celine Dion song, while his teammates gather in formation around him and wave flares. Behind home plate, the umpire is enthusiastically twerking.The Savannah Bananas were born a decade ago, when a former pitcher called Jesse Cole was coaching a team in the Cape Cod league for the summer and realised that the game he was watching was boring him to tears. So he bought a small team in Savannah, renamed it the Bananas, put on a yellow tuxedo, hired a group of elderly cheerleaders named the Banana Nanas, and thus was built a sensation that in a few short years has begun to change the way people think about sport. Continue reading...
Biography by Walter Isaacson contains colorful nugget of then New York mayor seeking 10% stake in PayPal in return for adviceElon Musk backed away from a plan to recruit Rudy Giuliani as a political fixer to help him turn PayPal into a bank in 2001 after he and an associate found the then New York mayor surrounded by goonish confidantes" in an office that felt like a mob scene".This guy occupies a different planet," Musk, who would become the world's richest man, said of Giuliani, then approaching the peak of his fame. Continue reading...
by Michael Tatarski in Ho Chi Minh City on (#6ENSJ)
In Hanoi, Joe Biden says ties have entered a new stage', as analysts note Vietnam is prepared to challenge China's regional ambitionsOver the weekend, US President Joe Biden arrived in Hanoi and finalised a diplomatic agreement with former foe Vietnam that was, until recently, almost unthinkable.Shortly after touching down in the country, Biden met Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist party of Vietnam, to upgrade their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership (CSP), the highest of Vietnam's three diplomatic levels - save for a special category reserved for Cambodia and Laos. Continue reading...
The recusal motion against US district judge Tanya Chutkan based on two public statements alone faces major legal hurdlesDonald Trump's legal team on Monday asked the federal judge overseeing the 2020 election interference prosecution against him to remove herself from the case, arguing that her previous public comments about the former president's culpability in the January 6 Capitol attack was disqualifying.The recusal motion, filed to and against the US district judge Tanya Chutkan, faces major legal hurdles: to succeed, Trump must show a reasonable person" would conclude from just her remarks - but not any of her actual rulings - that she was unable to preside impartially. Continue reading...
by Gabrielle Canon (now) and Léonie Chao-Fong (earli on (#6EN4Y)
Former US president files motion to recuse Tanya Chutkan over previous comments about his culpabilityJoe Biden's national security tour of south-east Asia reached Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sunday, where the president called for stability in the US-China relationship against an increasingly complex diplomatic picture in the region for his country.I don't want to contain China," Biden said.I just want to make sure that we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it's all about.On the one hand, we've got to pass a continuing resolution. We also have the impeachment issue. And we also have members of the House, led by my good friend, Chip Roy, who are concerned about policy issues. They want riders in the appropriations bills, amendments in the appropriations bills that guarantee some type of security on our Southern border.There is not a strong connection at this point between the evidence on Hunter Biden and any evidence connecting the president. Continue reading...
Biden due at ceremony on military base in Alaska while event in New York featured victims delivering personal messagesFrom Ground Zero to small towns, Americans looked back Monday on 9/11 with moments of silence, tearful words and appeals to teach younger generations about the deadly terror attacks that struck the nation exactly 22 years before.For those of us who lost people on that day, that day is still happening," Edward Edelman said as he arrived at New York's World Trade Center to honor his slain brother-in-law, Daniel McGinley. Everybody else moves on. And you find a way to go forward, but that day is always happening for you." Continue reading...
Tulane university researchers accused of serious' violations that breached international protocol over animal deathsAn animal rights group is demanding the firing of researchers at a Louisiana university who killed laboratory rats with scissors and a blunt blade - and used out-of-date anesthetics for pain relief.The episodes are detailed in separate, self-reported notices of violation to the federal Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (Olaw), which were sent by Tulane University in New Orleans and obtained by the Stop Animal Exploitation Now advocacy group. Continue reading...
City condemned for controversial move after activists and protesters deliver signatures to clerk's office at city hallThe city of Atlanta has refused to begin counting and verifying petitions signed by about 116,000 registered voters to put on the ballot the question of whether a controversial police and fire department training center known as Cop City" should be built.The move was backed by a legal memo from lawyers hired by the city, citing an active court case, after dozens of activists and Atlanta residents delivered the petitions to the clerk's office at city hall on Monday. Continue reading...
Program caught in a partisan fight over abortion and is under threat amid Congress's negotiations over government shutdownSeveral people were arrested after entering the office of Kevin McCarthy, the speaker of the House, during a protest for HIV/Aids funding on Monday.The US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), a widely bipartisan program, has since been reauthorized three times, and Joe Biden earlier this year indicated that he would work with Congress to extend it a fourth. Continue reading...
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