Nonprofit archive Mary Ferrell Foundation says repeated delay has deprived historians of ability to work on president’s death in 1963A non-profit archive sued the Biden administration on Wednesday over Biden’s decision to delay the release of government records related to the assassination of John F Kennedy.The suit was filed by the Mary Ferrell Foundation (MFF), which has a comprehensive online database of records related to the president’s 1963 assassination in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald. Kennedy’s death has long been the subject of intense interest, speculation and conspiracy theories. Continue reading...
Measure introduced in Congress would prohibit federal money from being used to teach children under 10 about LGBTQ issuesCongressional Republicans introduced a measure Tuesday that would prohibit federal money from being used to teach children under 10 about LGBTQ issues.The bill would prohibit the use of federal funds to teach children about “sexually-oriented material” as well as “any topic involving gender identity, gender dysphoria, transgenderism, sexual orientation, or related subjects”. The effects of such a law, if enacted, would be far-reaching since a range of institutions – schools, libraries, among them – receive public money. Continue reading...
Remember that Truss and Kwarteng only continued the madness of Osborne and Cameron. And hard years of repair lie aheadThe lexicon is lost for synonyms for mayhem, havoc, chaos and pandemonium. The front pages of all the newspapers and their websites that led the way to this abyss have used them all up. Those who backed Liz Truss, those who engineered Brexit, those forever calling for cuts to the public realm – the Mail even whooping with glee at her catastrophic, market-killing budget – “At last a true Tory budget!” – shouted as loud for her demise, without a heartbeat’s pause for shame or remorse.Truss is gone. The ideological hobgoblins she brought in and others of her fraternity turned on her. It’s not been “take back control” but out of control. Even two more years of this Tory disaster is unthinkable. Whether it’s tax cuts splurging on the rich, or the return by the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, to thumb-screw austerity, the country can’t take either option. Nor will markets be much soothed as long as the party that enabled all this and drove us over the Brexit cliff remains in charge of our weakening economy.Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Newly uncovered evidence linked investigation into 1994 New Orleans murder to disgraced officer currently on federal death rowThree Louisiana men incarcerated for over 28 years were found to have been wrongfully convicted of murder on Wednesday, after newly uncovered evidence linked the original police investigation to a notorious officer found guilty of murder conspiracy and endemic corruption in the New Orleans police department.Bernell Juluke, Kunta Gable and Leroy Nelson were found guilty of the second-degree murder of Rondell Santinac in 1996, with all three men – who were teenagers at the time of the drive-by shooting in the city’s ninth ward – maintaining their innocence since arrest. Continue reading...
‘Sometimes it just wipes me out’: the unwanted approval of men is exhausting to deal withA few years ago a friend of mine got married, and when I pulled up to the rustic wedding site, a man I didn’t know positioned himself behind my car to make dramatic hand signals. I didn’t need or ask for help, but he was giving it, and I’m sure he thought the credit for my success in parking my small car in this very easy spot was at least partly his. In a very minor and undoubtedly unwitting way, he was trying to rob me of my sense of competence to bolster his own.It’s not impaired by one clown, but I’ve had hundreds or maybe thousands of experiences like this, of unwanted, unsolicited intrusion in the form of help, advice, and granting approval (or its opposite). It all too frequently takes the form of some man saying “correct” when I or other women say something aloud or online, as if we needed their approval, as if they were the authorities in the room, as though it wasn’t true or right until it had their imprimateur. When I wrote a social media post about the phenomenon, the response was like that scene in Giant when they drill for oil and it spouts skyward. Torrents of stories from other women gushed out. Continue reading...
In contrast to the real estate developer with a net worth of around $5.3bn, his opponent Karen Bass raised only $6m as of SeptemberBillionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso has now poured more than $80m of his own fortune into the race to become the next mayor of Los Angeles, according to campaign records.Caruso’s spending is unprecedented in the race to lead America’s second most populous city, political experts have said, but the luxury mall developer has not yet broken the record of New York City billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who spent $102m to win his third term as mayor in 2009. Continue reading...
by Paulina Velasco in Greeley, Colorado on (#64Y2M)
Latinos are a key voice in a newly drawn political district in Colorado where there is an effort to educate votersIt’s cold for an early October afternoon at Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church in Greeley, Colorado. Kids in puffy jackets are running around on the front lawn while the pastor and his volunteers grill food for the high schoolers who show up after football practice.“Last Friday we cooked up 240 hamburgers and 176 hot dogs,” Linda Gonzales says proudly. Continue reading...
Migrants will no longer be able to join their families in the US while they wait their turn in the asylum process but instead forced to languish in MexicoThe news could not have reached Remira Alarsa at a worse moment.Since leaving her home in Venezuela last month, the former teacher, her husband and nephew had trekked thousands of miles through seven countries, determined to resettle in the US – only to be robbed of their savings in Guatemala. Continue reading...
President announces release of 15m barrels of oil from strategic reserve as he fights to keep gas prices in check before midterms. Plus, why spending time with strangers can make you happyGood morning.Joe Biden has called on oil companies to pass on their massive profits to consumers as he announced the release of 15m barrels of oil from the US strategic petroleum reserve.What did he say? “My message to all companies is this: you’re sitting on record profits. And we’re giving you more certainty. You can act now to increase oil production. You should not be using your profits to buy back stock or for dividends – not while the war is raging.”Why else is Trump in the news? Trump acknowledged in 2019 that letters he wrote to Kim Jong-un and later took with him upon leaving the White House were secret, according to recordings of an interview he gave to the journalist Bob Woodward.Meanwhile, Trump signed a legal statement alleging voter fraud in the 2020 election despite knowing it was not true. He had been told the numbers underpinning the case were false before signing the document, a federal judge said yesterday. Continue reading...
Cultivating organic produce may be backbreaking, but it’s the most important thing I’ve ever doneIn July 2016, I was sitting on the rooftop of a building in central London, listening to the gentle rumble of a nearby beehive, when I realised that my life had changed entirely. I didn’t intend to quit – quitting crept up on me. After eight years of working in the media, I was on a path to becoming an organic food grower, with a temporary side hustle of city beekeeping.Not long before that point, I was just like the people in the office building below me. My work days were spent behind a desk or lugging around camera equipment, but now I am devoted to a life of nurturing the soil and growing the plants that end up on our plates.Claire Ratinon is an organic food grower and writer Continue reading...
Voters rank economy as top concern in newest polls as Republicans spend ‘tremendous amount’ in swing states with inflation messagingIf, after the 8 November midterms, Americans wake up to find their statehouses and congressional seats packed with Republicans who deny the outcome of the 2020 election, participated in the January 6 insurrection and hold extremist views on abortion, they may well have high inflation to thank.The rising cost of just about everything Americans buy has become a major liability for Democrats fighting to maintain their narrow control of Congress, and a pair of recent surveys has dashed hopes that the trend is fading – or that voters have found a bigger worry. Continue reading...
The two Los Angeles teams meet on Thursday night in the MLS playoffs. And the passion and excitement around the game is a highlight of the leagueThe fiercest derbies take decades to build. They have intangible qualities that goes beyond soccer and are wrapped up in all sorts of historical and cultural factors. The clásico, first played in 1902, has become a statement on national and regional identity, while the Old Firm derby dates back to the 19th century and is as much about religion as it is soccer. El Tráfico, however, is an exception to the rule. Despite being only four-years-old, and manufactured by Major League Soccer, it is a very real rivalry.Maybe Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored twice off the bench on his debut in the inaugural El Tráfico fixture, is the reason matches between Los Angeles FC and the LA Galaxy matter. He certainly helped light the rivalry’s fuse. More likely is that MLS tapped into an existing soccer community that felt unrepresented by giving LA a second franchise in 2018 and pitted it directly against an established superpower of the American game. Continue reading...
A few high-profile quarterbacks have faced struggles in the first six weeks of the season. But how much they are to blame for their teams’ shortcomings is variable2022 stat line: five touchdowns, three interceptions, 58.6 completion %, 7.3 yards per attempt, 83.4 passer rating Continue reading...
Instead of living with this delusion, leaders should examine emerging market economies and try to emulate their successInflation is at a 40-year-high. Food bills are soaring. Pensioners are so fearful of rising energy costs that they are delaying turning on their central heating. There are “eye-watering” cuts in public spending and tax increases to come. But never mind. All will be fine now that the grownups are back in charge.Jeremy Hunt was at his emollient best in his Commons debut this week. The government has learned the hard way that you dispense with orthodoxy at your peril. Abacus economics – derided by Liz Truss during her leadership bid – is vital if the UK is to take advantage of its fundamental strengths.Larry Elliott is the Guardian’s economics editor Continue reading...
Document was part of lawsuit challenging results of 2020 election in GeorgiaDonald Trump signed a legal statement alleging voter fraud in the 2020 election despite being told the numbers underpinning the case were false, a federal judge said on Wednesday.The disclosure was made by the US district judge David Carter, who ordered John Eastman, a former Trump lawyer, to provide more emails to the congressional committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Continue reading...
The deposition allowed the writer’s lawyers to interrogate the ex-president, though details weren’t immediately disclosedDonald Trump answered questions under oath Wednesday in a lawsuit filed by E Jean Carroll, a magazine columnist who says the Republican former president raped her in the mid-1990s in a department store dressing room.The deposition gave Carroll’s lawyers a chance to interrogate Trump about the assault allegations as well as statements he made in 2019 when she told her story publicly for the first time. Continue reading...
by Ramon Antonio Vargas in New Orleans and agencies on (#64XGD)
Baptist minister Charles Southall pleads guilty to money laundering as prosecutors say he used cash to cover billsA Baptist minister renowned in Louisiana has acknowledged stealing nearly $900,000 from his church, affiliated rental properties, his congregants and a charter school.Charles Southall III, who for more than three decades led First Emanuel Baptist church in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of money-laundering. Continue reading...
by Dominic Rushe and Lauren Aratani in New York on (#64XEK)
President announces release of 15m barrels of oil from strategic reserve as he fights to keep gas prices in check before midtermsJoe Biden has called on oil companies to pass on their massive profits to consumers as he announced the release of 15m barrels of oil from the US strategic petroleum reserve.Biden is fighting to keep gas prices in check ahead of November’s midterms. He blamed Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine for the global spike in oil prices and said his administration was doing all it could to keep prices in check. Continue reading...
The ghouls gathered, not wanting to miss the action, but it could have been so much worseIt was excruciating. Of course it was. It was never going to be otherwise. Liz Truss is finished. Her MPs know it. The country knows it. We’re all just filling in time waiting for a definite sell-by date. Waiting for the Tory party to do the humane thing.So much for compassionate conservatism. Right now the kindest thing anyone could do is switch off Librium Liz’s life support. Instead they let her stagger on, humiliating herself more by the day. And all because no one can yet work out how to replace her. Or with whom. Continue reading...
Austin Thompson, 15, is suspected of fatally shooting five, including his brother, JamesThe parents of a 15-year-old suspected mass murderer in Raleigh, North Carolina, released a statement Wednesday saying they were “overcome with grief”.Austin Thompson is suspected of shooting five people to death and injuring two others on 13 October in Raleigh’s Hedingham neighborhood. His 16-year-old brother, James, was among those slain. Continue reading...
The TV host’s cheeky appeal has been tarnished in the US after a restaurant run-in. But I’m not sure who I’m supposed to feel sorry for in all of thisWhen it comes to trends, forecasts and fashions, it is widely accepted that where the US leads, the rest of the world follows. In one area, however, it can be said with some confidence that Britain has always been ahead of the pack. For years in the US, James Corden was regarded as a fun personality, a late-night host with a cheeky, undemanding appeal. If David Letterman was creepy, and Jimmy Kimmel was smug, good old Corden, with his giggly persona and wide-eyed interview technique, was a charming presence in an unappetising field. This week, however, he repaired to celebrity jail for being rude to waiters at a restaurant – and there are lots of Brits, with the superiority of a people with literally nothing else to boast about, who could say, we knew. We always knew.The restaurant in question didn’t emerge from the episode exactly covered in glory, either. To recap for those busy having a meaningful life: on Monday, the owner of Balthazar, a New York brasserie beloved by media people, celebrities and tourists, posted a tirade on his Instagram feed detailing two instances of Corden being rude in his restaurant. In June, wrote Keith McNally, Corden was “extremely nasty” to the manager after demanding his round of drinks be comped because he’d found a hair in his food.Emma Brockes 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...
Ex-president’s 2019 interview with Bob Woodward appears to undermine his defense in Mar-a-Lago records investigationDonald Trump acknowledged in 2019 that letters he wrote to Kim Jong-un and later took with him upon leaving the White House were secret, according to recordings of an interview he gave to journalist Bob Woodward that call into question the credibility of one of Trump’s main defenses in the investigation into his unauthorized retention of government files.In December of that year, Trump shared with Woodward the letters that Kim had written to him, saying, “Nobody else has them, but I want you to treat them with respect … and don’t say I gave them to you, OK?” according to recordings obtained by CNN and the Washington Post on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Towns need year-round residents if they are to thrive. Tourism alone can’t sustain bus services, libraries, chip shops and playgroupsWind-whipped sand, grey sea, people sitting in beach huts under blankets with hot-water bottles, ring doughnuts, bare trees, hot chocolate, empty pier rides: there is a particular tang to a British seaside town out of season that few places can rival. A specific mushy peas and condom wrapper bleakness that, personally, I love.But the news that coastal areas now have three times the number of Airbnb listings per dwelling as non-coastal areas threatens the very future of these places, not to mention the lives of their residents. Housing campaigners point out that the huge number of “entire places” listed on the website show how landlords have been drawn towards short-term holiday rentals precisely at the time when people need affordable homes. They’d rather rent their spare house – you know, just that other house they have – to 50 well-off families for weekends than a local family for the year.Nell Frizzell is the author of The Panic Years and Square One Continue reading...
Parents express frustration that the state seems to be preparing for child deaths without addressing gun controlMillions of Texas children will get identification kits designed for parents to collect fingerprints and DNA to be used in case their kids are in an emergency such as a school shooting.Nearly 4 million Texans from kindergarten through grade eight will bring home a tri-fold pamphlet this month in which parents can place their children’s fingerprints, photo and a DNA sample, according to ABC13. Continue reading...
Wong, pioneering actor of early 20th century who faced Hollywood discrimination, to have image shown on new quartersThe legendary Hollywood star Anna May Wong will become the first Asian American to appear on US currency.Starting Monday, Wong’s image will be imprinted on quarters across the country. Recognized as Hollywood’s first Asian American movie star, she acted in over 60 films across a decades-long career. Continue reading...
College football fans stormed the field of Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee to celebrate after Tennessee Volunteers beat Alabama Crimson Tide with a last-second 40-yard field goal. Amid the chaotic scenes, some fans tore down a set of goalposts and carried it outside the stadium, eventually dumping it in the Tennessee River. Continue reading...
Lee county sees increase ion bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, which is found in warm, brackish waters and can cause injury and deathOfficials in just one of the Florida counties recovering from Hurricane Ian are warning that a potentially deadly microbe informally known as flesh-eating bacteria has infected 29 people and killed four as of Friday, bringing the total killed across the state to 11.The bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, which often lives in warm, brackish waters, can spread when there is extensive flooding, as was caused by Hurricane Ian. It can enter the body through direct contact with an open wound and can lead to skin breakdown, ulcers and even death, according to the Lee department of public Health. Cases among healthy people are generally mild, the Fort Myers News-Press reported. Continue reading...
by Oliver Laughland, Joel Van Haren, Joseph Pierce an on (#64WZK)
In the lead-up to the US midterm elections, the Guardian's Oliver Laughland travels to Indiana, the first US state to pass a new abortion ban into law following the overturning of Roe v Wade. Can Democrats who are campaigning on the issue make inroads at the ballot box? And why are the Republicans who voted for it so reluctant to talk about it?
by Cas Mudde, Ilyse Hogue, David Sirota, LaTosha Brow on (#64WW3)
Democrats have come under fire from critics like Bernie Sanders, who say the party isn’t focusing enough on the economy. Is that right?It is true that the economy and inflation are seen as the top problems by most Americans, but that does not necessarily mean that Democrats should run their midterm campaigns on economic issues. The country has been dealing with continued inflation, the possibility of a recession, and the prospect of an even worse energy crisis for months now.Cas Mudde is a Guardian US columnist and the Stanley Wade Shelton UGAF professor in the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of GeorgiaDavid Sirota is a Guardian US columnist and an award-winning investigative journalist. He is an editor-at-large at Jacobin, and the founder of the LeverLaTosha Brown is the co-founder of Black Voters Matter Continue reading...
President casts election as a choice between Republicans who seek to impose a nationwide abortion ban and Democrats who aim to protect it. Plus, how to have a better funeral
US justifications for intervention ignore the ways in which Haiti has rarely, if ever, been allowed to manage its own affairsWhat comes first in Haiti: disaster or foreign intervention? The conventional, i.e. first world, wisdom has it that disaster comes first.The underlying assumption is that Haitians cannot manage their own affairs. The government is corrupt or ineffective or both. Its people are ensnared in a “web of progress-resistant cultural influences”, as David Brooks was somehow allowed to opine in The New York Times just after the country’s giant 2010 earthquake. Left alone, Haiti would descend into chaos and humanitarian crisis: disease, violence, death. That’s when Haiti’s so-called international friends – chiefly the US, along with Canada and France – are forced to come to the rescue with their big guns and elite forces. Continue reading...
By taking over state legislatures, Republicans hope to pass conservative amendments that cannot be electorally challengedSteve Bannon, the former chief strategist in the Trump White House who is at the forefront of the Republican march toward hard-right populism, is throwing his weight behind a movement to radically rewrite the US constitution.Bannon has devoted recent episodes of his online show the War Room to a well-funded operation which has stealthily gained ground over the past two years. Backed by billionaire donors and corporate interests, it aims to persuade state legislatures to call a constitutional convention in the hope of baking far-right conservative values into the supreme law of the land. Continue reading...
Labeling Jim Irsay a hero is a stretch, but the Colts owner’s comments on Tuesday may set the table for a formal vote to force the toxic Daniel Snyder out of the NFL once and for allFinally, someone with influence said the obvious. Colts owner Jim Irsay set off fireworks Tuesday when he became the first NFL owner to publicly state that there is “merit to remove” Dan Snyder as owner of the Washington Commanders. Irsay, in what appeared to be a calculated move, spoke for 10 minutes to media members at the NFL’s fall owners’ meeting about Snyder’s stain on the league.“I believe in the workplace today, the standard that the shield stands for in the NFL, that you have to stand for that and protect that.” Irsay said. “I just think once owners talk among each other they will arrive at the right decision. Unfortunately, I believe that’s the road we probably need to go down and we just need to finish the investigation, but it’s gravely concerning to me the things that have occurred there over the last 20 years.” Continue reading...
The NBA legend reflects on his business career, the modern basketball era and whether Victor Wembanyama is destined for greatnessDuring his playing days, it was easy to define Shaquille O’Neal – the most dominant center in the NBA and one of the greatest players in the league’s history. It’s not so simple nowadays.Since he retired from professional basketball 11 years ago, O’Neal has branched out and pursued ventures in all sorts of spaces; so much so that it doesn’t all fit on his LinkedIn profile. Continue reading...
At this time of year, swapping fresh air for a sweaty gym, I yearn for a society in which we can go outside without fearMy normal running route takes me through the backstreets of the former factory town where I live, up winding tracks through farms and small clusters of sandstone houses to grizzly, grey-green moorland. It is a steep route, but the view from the top of the hill is breathtaking. On a clear day, it is possible to see forests, farmland, moors and lakes more than 30 miles into the Yorkshire Dales. I do the same run nearly every day, and it somehow looks different each time. I never grow tired of it.I run because I enjoy the exhilaration of the fresh air and the outdoors. This time of year it is the damp smell of the leaves, the misty woodland and mushrooms. I like the rush of being on the moor, gazing as far as I can into the distance with the wind whipping my hair. I like coming home with muddy legs and nettle stings and cold, pink skin that prickles when I get in a hot shower.Robyn Vinter is North of England correspondent at the GuardianComments on this piece are premoderated to ensure discussion remains on topics raised by the writer. Please be aware there may be a short delay in comments appearing on the site. Continue reading...
Despite advances in technology and decades of research, experts worry we are still underprepared to handle a blast – and the aftermathIf you look hard enough, you’ll spot faded yellow signs proclaiming “Fallout shelter” around New York City. They are remnants of a cold war program that signaled spaces within ordinary buildings – from schools to banks to the Brooklyn Bridge – with adequate supplies and walls thick enough for riding out a nuclear blast safely.Many of these windowless shelters housed little more than rats and sewage before the practice was terminated in 1979. In 2017, the city’s department of education ordered the “misleading” signs removed from its buildings, but many others remain – vestiges of nuclear fears that never materialized. Continue reading...
The Just Stop Oil activists are accused of using tactics that will backfire. But ‘respectable’ protest is roundly ignoredWhat does it take? How far must we go to alert other people to the scale of the crisis we face? Only one answer is clear: further than we have yet gone. We are hurtling towards planetary tipping points: the critical thresholds beyond which Earth systems collapse. The consequences are unimaginable. None of the horrors humanity has suffered, great as they are, even hints at the scale of what we now face.Everywhere I see claims that the “extreme” tactics of environmental campaigners will prompt people to “stop listening”. But how could we listen any less to the warnings of scientists and campaigners and eminent committees? How could we pay any less attention to polite objections by “respectable” protesters to the destruction of the habitable planet? Something must shake us out of our stupor. Continue reading...
Democrats are hoping to win a statewide election for the first time since 1994, but courting Latino votes will be more important than everJobs, healthcare and the cost of living drive voter turnout in Texas.And, for these upcoming midterm elections, that has left political candidates to tread a fine line between the values of their national parties and those held by voters whose interests lie more and more outside rigid Democratic and Republican lines. Continue reading...
Paul Flores found guilty of first-degree murder as prosecutors claim he killed 19-year-old during attempted rapeThe last man seen with Kristin Smart was convicted on Tuesday of killing the college freshman, who vanished from a California campus 25 years ago.Jurors unanimously found Paul Flores guilty of first-degree murder, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported. Flores was one of Smart’s college classmates at the time. Continue reading...
The money will be used in work with independent organizations like the Red Cross and not go through the Cuban governmentThe US will provide $2m in emergency relief funding for victims of Hurricane Ian in Cuba, in response to a call for help from the government in Havana, marking a rare example of cooperation between the two countries in recent years.Ned Price, the state department spokesman, made it clear that the relief assistance would not go through the Cuban government but Washington would instead work with independent organizations like the Red Cross and Red Crescent. Continue reading...
‘We’re going to stay tenacious, we don’t know how many cases there are,’ Stockton police chief saysProsecutors have charged a northern California man with fatally shooting three men whom police have said were among six victims slain by a serial killer over the past year and a half.Wesley Brownlee, 43, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of killing six men and wounding a woman in a series of shootings dating back to April 2021. Police had been conducting surveillance on him on Saturday as he drove through the streets of Stockton, armed with a handgun and possibly “out hunting” for another victim. Continue reading...
This was the third case brought by special counsel John Durham in FBI’s own investigation into Russian collusion claimsA jury on Tuesday acquitted a thinktank analyst accused of lying to the FBI about his role in the creation of a discredited dossier about Donald Trump.The case against Igor Danchenko was the third and possibly final case brought by the special counsel John Durham as part of his investigation into how the FBI conducted its own inquiry into allegations of collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Continue reading...
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