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‘Long overdue’ move could herald federal legalization. Plus, mother of dead Iranian schoolgirl accuses authorities

Megan Rapinoe and her teammates are 'exhausted' after the release of the Sally Yates report into emotional and sexual abuse in the NWSL, but she added that the US women’s national team are used to shouldering off-field burdens. 'We're angry and exhausted and together, and unified. So, it's kind of all of it.'

Another NHL season has arrived with no shortage of stories, trends and teams to watch. Can Colorado go back to back? Or will Toronto and Edmonton finally break throughAnother NHL season is upon us. Here’s a preview of stories, trends and teams to watch in the coming months – and some predictions to go with them. Continue reading...

Will an expanded Wild Card round lead to an unexpected upset or will one of the established baseball juggernauts emerge as the World Series winners?The MLB postseason begins on Friday with the start of the three-game Wild Card series. Thanks to an expanded playoff format, this year’s field features both familiar faces and intriguing newcomers. Below we rank every playoff team by their likelihood of winning the 2022 World Series. Continue reading...

Unlike her male counterpart, this superhero has total mastery over her Hulk side – something all women have to learnFor a while during the presidency of Donald Trump, female anger was a big topic of discussion. Women in general and American women in particular had, as the Australians say, had a gutful, and via movements (#MeToo), books (Good and Mad by Rebecca Traister), and the 2017 Women’s March, public expressions of this feeling were prominent. Things have deteriorated since then, thanks in large part to the ultra-conservatives on the supreme court, but five years after about half a million women marched on Washington, at least we have a handy new symbol of female rage: She-Hulk.You’re familiar, of course, with the original Hulk, a scientist, Dr Banner, who, after “accidental overexposure to gamma radiation”, turned green and threw things every time he got mad. In the late-70s TV show, he was played in his transformed state by the bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno. More recently, Mark Ruffalo and a lot of CGI carried the character in the Avengers franchise. Now Disney+ has updated the idea with a large, green lady monster who works in LA and would rather not be a superhero, given the lack of benefits or career progression. She is the former deputy district attorney Jennifer Walters, or as the show’s title has it, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 300 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at guardian.letters@theguardian.com Continue reading...

The governor initially touted his green credentials, but seems to have shifted his position as talk of a White House run swirlsWhen Ron DeSantis succeeded his climate-denying Republican colleague Rick Scott as Florida’s governor in 2019, environmental groups welcomed him as a breath of fresh air.Red Tide Rick, as Scott became known by critics because of the state’s toxic algae blooms, was gone, and one of DeSantis’s first acts after taking office was to sign a record budget with $625m for Everglades restoration. Continue reading...

Campaigners on both sides scramble ahead of referendums in Kentucky, Montana, California, Vermont and MichiganWhen Kansans voted overwhelmingly to protect abortion this summer, the 59-41 referendum margin in the deep-red state sent shockwaves through the country, inspiring pro-choice advocates and sending anti-abortion campaigners scrambling for an unexpected political dogfight as five similar ballot initiatives approach in November.The abortion referendums – in Kentucky, Montana, California, Vermont and Michigan – have seen both sides organize extensive campaigns. Continue reading...

After the Molly Russell case, there can be no doubt about the risk or urgency: our anger must be put to good useNow that the inquest into the awful death of Molly Russell in 2017 has delivered its findings, we have a new reality to adjust to. The teenager died from an act of self-harm, “while suffering depression and the negative effects of online content”. Her father described how she had entered “the bleakest of worlds”: online content on self-harm and suicide was delivered in waves by Instagram and Pinterest, just leaving it to the algorithm. “Looks like you’ve previously shown an interest in despair: try this infinitely replenishing stream of fresh despair.”Social media platforms deliberately target users with content, seeking attention and therefore advertising revenue: we knew that. This content can be extremely damaging: we knew that, too. But surely now that we’ve struggled, falteringly, towards the conclusion that it can be deadly, there can be no more complacency. These are corporations like any other, and it’s time to build on the consensus that they cause harm by regulating, as we would if they were producing toxic waste and pumping it into paddling pools.Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnistIn the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 300 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at guardian.letters@theguardian.com Continue reading...

Lawyer accuses federal agents of pressuring prosecutors with illegal leak about investigation of president’s son for alleged tax and gun purchase offencesFederal agents believe there is enough evidence to criminally charge Hunter Biden with tax crimes and with lying about his drug use when he bought a handgun in 2018, the Washington Post and CBS News have reported.But the US attorney in Delaware, who is overseeing the investigation of the president’s son, has not yet decided whether to file criminal charges in the case, the Post reported. Continue reading...

In his starkest assessment yet, US president says world is the closest it has come to nuclear catastrophe in sixty years

US military says the men were killed in two separate attacks, including a rare helicopter assault in a government controlled areaA rare US helicopter raid on a government-held village in Syria’s north-east killed a senior Islamic State militant hiding out there and a separate US airstrike later on Thursday killed two others, the US military says.The US has carried out previous raids in Syria against members of Islamic State, but Thursday’s would be the first known operation against the group in a zone held by forces loyal to the president, Bashar al-Assad.Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report Continue reading...

Levi White and Zachary King have been fired after a bystander recorded them in August taking Randal Worcester into custodyTwo Arkansas deputies who were caught on video violently arresting a suspect outside a convenience store in August have been fired, authorities said on Thursday.Crawford county sheriff Jimmy Damante told Fort Smith television station KHBS that Levi White and Zachary King had been fired but did not elaborate on the decision. Continue reading...

President urged governors to follow suit, saying such criminal records have ‘imposed needless barriers’ on people of colorThousands of people convicted of cannabis possession have been pardoned by Joe Biden, in a major move that advocates say was “long overdue” and could help pave the way for national marijuana legalization.“Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit,” Biden said in a statement on Thursday afternoon. “Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed needless barriers to employment, housing and educational opportunities. And while white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted and convicted at disproportionate rates.” Continue reading...

Individuals landed at beach on remote island to avoid compulsory military service and have appealed for asylum, reports sayTwo Russians have crossed the Bering Strait by boat in order to avoid conscription to fight in Ukraine and landed on a remote Alaskan island where they have appealed for asylum, according to reports from the region.The pair beached their small boat on Tuesday near Gambell, a settlement of about 600 people on St Lawrence Island, 46 miles from Siberia’s Chukotka peninsula, earlier this week. Continue reading...

Jeremy Bertino, 43, enters guilty plea for his role in plot to stop transfer of presidential power from Trump to Biden on January 6A North Carolina man pleaded guilty on Thursday to plotting with other members of the far-right Proud Boys to violently stop the transfer of presidential power after the 2020 election, making him the first member of the extremist group to plead guilty to a seditious conspiracy charge.Jeremy Bertino, 43, has agreed to cooperate with the justice department’s investigation of the role that Proud Boys leaders played in the mob’s attack on the Capitol on 6 January 2021, a federal prosecutor said. Judge Timothy Kelly agreed to release Bertino pending a sentencing hearing that was not immediately scheduled. Continue reading...

President urges governors to do the same with state offenses: ‘No one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason’

Megan Rapinoe suggests a major gulf in quality no longer exists but Friday’s opponents must still prove this at a World CupMidway up the stands inside Wembley, the signage flashes with “European v world champions”. The buildup to England’s showdown with the USA has been overshadowed, rightly, by the weight of the findings of the Sally Yates report into abuses in women’s football in the States and the burden of it on the US players, but the narrative of the match itself is hugely exciting.The USA have been the world leaders in women’s football for a long time. The gap to the rest has been vast, but it is closing. Megan Rapinoe went as far as to say on Thursday that she feels “there isn’t really a huge gap any more and there hasn’t been for a long time”. Continue reading...

The move was issued to give the Gun Owners of America time to make a caseA federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked parts of New York state’s new gun law, in order to allow the Gun Owners of America (GOA), an advocacy group, an opportunity to pursue a lawsuit challenging the legislation.The law came into effect on 1 September, creating new requirements for obtaining a license, including submitting social media accounts for review, and creating a list of public and private places where having a gun is a felony crime, even for license holders. Continue reading...

Supreme court’s overruling of Roe v Wade prompted bans of most abortions in more than a dozen statesMore than 60 clinics across 15 US states have stopped offering abortions since the supreme court overruled Roe v Wade, the ruling which guaranteed the right, a new study found.The court’s decision this summer, in Dobbs v Jackson, Mississippi, has prompted bans of most abortions in more than a dozen states. Other states are fighting over access to the procedure by suing to block enforcement of laws restricting abortion. Continue reading...

Joe Biden’s name won’t be on ballots, but this year’s midterms on 8 November will be voters’ first opportunity to render a verdict on his presidencyAmerican elections are like Olympics. Presidential votes happen every four years in step with the summer Games: 2020, 2016, 2012, 2008, 2004 and so on.Midterms, meanwhile, happen every four years in line with the winter Games: 2022, 2018, 2014, 2010, 2006, 2002 and so on.All 435 seats in the House of Representatives.Thirty-five seats in the 100-member Senate. This is made up of the standard 34 seats plus a special election to fill the four years remaining in the term of retiring senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma.Thirty-six state governorships, and three US territory governorships.Numerous city mayorships and local officials.One hundred and twenty-nine ballot measures in 36 states including laws on abortion in California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Vermont. Continue reading...

Unnamed woman conceived another child with Republican Senate candidate years after the abortion, according to Daily BeastA woman who said Herschel Walker paid for her abortion in 2009 is the mother of one of his children, according to a new report, undercutting the Georgia Republican Senate candidate’s claim to not know who she was.The Daily Beast, which first reported the abortion, said it had agreed not to reveal details of the woman’s identity. Continue reading...

Daniel Prude died from ‘complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint’ in Rochester, New York, in March 2020City officials agreed to pay $12m to the children of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died when police who encountered him running naked through the snowy streets of Rochester, New York, put him in a hood and held him down until he stopped breathing.A federal judge approved the settlement in a court document filed on Thursday. The Rochester mayor, Malik D Evans, said in a statement the agreement was “the best decision” for the city. Continue reading...

Competition and Markets Authority says other operators may not be able to compete after merger of Inmarsat and ViasatThe $7.3bn (£5.4bn) takeover of the British satellite company Inmarsat by its US rival Viasat could result in higher-priced and lower-quality wifi for aeroplane passengers, according to the UK competition watchdog.The Competition and Markets Authority said its investigation has identified concerns with the merger possibly leading to airlines being offered lower-quality products for onboard wifi and facing higher prices to deliver it. Continue reading...

Eight-month-old baby found dead with her mother, father and uncle in an orchard in Merced countyA family who were kidnapped at gunpoint from their central California business two days ago have been found dead.A farm worker found the bodies of the baby girl, her parents and her uncle at an orchard in a remote area of Merced county, according to the local sheriff. Continue reading...

Five hundred job cuts announced to staff with reductions to leave Peloton with roughly 3,800 employees globallyPeloton is planning to cut about 12% of its workforce in its fourth round of layoffs so far this year, the company announced on Thursday.The 500 job cuts will leave the maker of high-end exercise-equipment plans with roughly 3,800 employees globally, less than half the number of people the company employed at its peak last year. Continue reading...

Ray Murphy, mayor of Fort Myers Beach, says: ‘It was not directed at anybody. It was just two guys talking. It didn’t faze me one bit’The Florida mayor to whom Joe Biden uttered a profanity captured by a live microphone, sparking a minor viral fuss, said the presidential swearword did not bother him in the slightest.The two men met on Wednesday, as Biden visited areas of Florida hit by Hurricane Ian. The president was heard to say: “Nobody fucks with a Biden.” Continue reading...

If the court upholds the rogue ‘Independent State Legislature’ theory, it would put the US squarely on path to authoritarianismIt is well-known that intense competition between democracy, authoritarianism, and fascism is playing out across the globe in a variety of ways – including in the United States. This year’s US supreme court term, which started this week, is a vivid illustration of how the situation is actually worse than most people understand.A supermajority of six, unelected ultraconservatives justices – five of which were put on the bench by presidents who did not win the popular vote – have aggressively grabbed yet another batch of cases that will allow them to move American law to the extreme right and threaten US democracy in the process. The leading example of this disturbing shift is a little-known case called Moore v Harper, which could lock in rightwing control of the United States for generations.Steven Donziger is a human rights lawyer and environmental justice advocate. He is also a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...

Senior figures see decision as slight on US and sign that oil producers’ club is aligning with Russia. Plus, can brown noise help you concentrate?

Trussonomics is the sharp end. But other, structural factors are also driving a systemic assault on working peopleThe Truss government is waging an uncoordinated class war. The Truss tax cuts, the largest in 50 years, were designed to redistribute wealth from the poor to the rich.Although the government has since scrapped its proposal to cut the 45% top rate of income tax paid by those earning more than £150,000, all other details of its “mini-budget” remain: there has been no increase in corporation tax, the cap on bankers’ bonuses has been axed and the government has launched a fresh attack on trade unions. These are ideological measures disguised under the banner of a discredited “trickle-down” growth strategy.Daniela Gabor is professor of economics and macrofinance at UWE Bristol Continue reading...

He’s spent his life sniping from the sidelines. Now he has the power to make radical environmental reforms to the monarchySo King Charles won’t be going to Cop27, by order of Liz Truss; an inauspicious start for a monarch with pretensions to remain an influencer and be known as the first “green” king.But he should take heart: Truss may not be long for No10, and Charles may look at recent events and conclude that no-one listens to her anyway. If so, there are plenty of opportunities now for him to turn the archaic House of Windsor into an institution fit for an age of climate breakdown, poverty and deep inequalities.John Vidal is a former Guardian environment editorDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 300 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at guardian.letters@theguardian.com Continue reading...

Prisoners refuse to work for no pay in prison service jobs in food service, laundry and maintenanceThe inmate does not want to give their name for fear of being retaliated against, but they do not hold back when it comes to describing the awful conditions that have prompted a widespread jail strike in Alabama’s brutal prisons.“This is a humanitarian crisis,” said the inmate currently incarcerated at Limestone correctional facility in Harvest, Alabama. “They’re not providing us with any adequate medical treatment [or] mental health treatment. We’re not getting proper diets, we’re not getting any kind of rehabilitation in these places.” Continue reading...

So widespread is racist abuse from the stands that ignoring it is seen as part of a college athlete’s job“I just remember that there was like a consistent chant of ‘stand up, N-words’ during the anthem and right after. And when brought to the attention of the BYU coaching staff there was no real response or sense of, like, alarm.”That’s what a women’s soccer player told us she and her teammates experienced in 2021 at Brigham Young University when they knelt for the national anthem to protest racist police brutality before a game. Four other teammates independently confirmed that they heard the comments in a story published in the Guardian last week. After complaints from the players, an announcement was made reminding fans to respect the athletes, but no further action was taken until BYU said this week that it was investigating the incident following the Guardian’s reporting. Continue reading...

The 43-year-old military veteran is confident he can defeat Trumpist Dan Cox and become the state’s first black governorWes Moore will in all likelihood be the next governor of Maryland. A month before election day, one poll gave him a 32-point lead over his Republican opponent, Dan Cox.If successful, Moore will be the state’s first Black governor – and only the third Black governor of any state. He stresses the need for bipartisan support in a time of divide. Continue reading...

The French teenager has an 8ft wingspan and can shoot like a point guard. And he will be testing himself against the best in the world very soonA throng of around 200 NBA scouts and decision-makers descended on Las Vegas Tuesday night for a glimpse of the future.The G League Ignite, an NBA developmental team based in Nevada, hosted the French club Metropolitans 92 in the first of two exhibition games. Sterling ‘Scoot’ Henderson, an expected top pick in next year’s draft, shone at point guard for Ignite, posting 28 points and nine assists in a 122-115 win. Continue reading...

A new community created as a counter to Russian aggression could help to bring EU countries closer to the rest of EuropeImagine it’s 2030. You can freely reside in and seek employment across the UK, the EU, Ukraine, Turkey, the western Balkans and a handful of other flourishing democracies. You cross open borders on integrated high-speed rail connections, powered by jointly financed green hydrogen infrastructure and integrated energy grids.You feel secure as these countries ensure equitable supplies of life-saving vaccines and maintain a joint fast-response taskforce for climate disasters.Lorenzo Marsili is a philosopher, activist and founder of European Alternatives and Fondazione Studio Rizoma. He is the author of Planetary Politics: a Manifesto

Plenty of teams have got off to horrible starts but there is still time to recover. We look at how likely the strugglers are to turn things aroundA lot can change over the course of an 18-week NFL season. This time last year, there were 10 teams with one win or fewer. Three went on to make the postseason: the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. This year, there are nine teams below the .500 mark entering Week 5. At least one is still likely to make the playoffs – let’s grade who has the strongest shot. Continue reading...

Environmental issues in low-income areas have long been ignored by activists who fail to grasp the importance of equity

Defending champions New Zealand have shown a return to form but England will start as favourites to win the tournament Continue reading...

Georgia in focus: Warnock’s fundraising is impressive, though the Democratic senator lacks the name recognition his scandal-prone opponentWhen Democrat Raphael Warnock won his election last year, he celebrated his success as a reflection of America’s promise.Only in this country could the son of a Black woman who once spent her summers picking cotton experience such a dramatic rise, becoming the first African American to represent Georgia in the US Senate, Warnock told his supporters. He implored his new constituents,in the wake of a historically divisive campaign season, to embrace the values that made his win possible. Continue reading...

Our system has worked for over 100 years. But what to do when ministers fetishise ideology over objectivity and honesty?If you’re finding the past couple of weeks bewildering, can you imagine what it’s like having – in the words of the celebrated civil service Twitter hero of 2020 – to actually work with these truth-twisters?Pity, in particular, the tormented ring-wraiths of His Majesty’s Treasury. They will continue to be shackled to their gilded laptops until they come up with a narrative that a rattled prime minister and her brutalised chancellor can use to resolve their trilemma. In other words, to dream up an explanation of their plans that can somehow placate the ravening hyenas of the parliamentary Conservative party, the billionaire non-dom owners of the Daily Mail and the gatekeepers of the global financial markets.The author works for the UK civil service

Scrubs and Californication producer accused of using ‘his Hollywood credentials’ to sexually assault women during photo shootsEric Weinberg, a veteran television producer and writer who worked on shows including Scrubs and Californication, has been arrested and charged with 18 counts including rape, sexual battery and false imprisonment by violence.The 61-year-old was initially arrested at his Los Angeles home in July and released on $3.2m bond. On Tuesday, he was arrested again and later released on $5m bond. Continue reading...

Joe Biden has been caught on a live mic while visiting parts of Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Biden was recorded speaking with Fort Meyers Beach mayor Ray Murphy saying, 'No one fucks with a Biden.' The president presented a united front with vocal critic and Florida's Republican governor Ron DeSantis, as they surveyed damage from the hurricane

Daca is expected to go to the US supreme court for a third timeA ruling by a US appeals court has again thrown into question the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) program, which prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought into the United States as children.The fifth US circuit court of appeals decided on Wednesday that a federal district judge in Texas who last year declared Daca illegal, should take another look at the program, following revisions the Biden administration adopted in August. Continue reading...

Senior figures see decision as a slight on the US and a sign that the oil producers club is aligning with RussiaThe Biden administration and its supporters have reacted angrily to the Opec+ decision to cut oil production, seeing it as a rebuff to the US president’s efforts to improve relations with Saudi Arabia.The White House made clear that it viewed the decision by the oil production cartel, in which the plus sign represents the inclusion of Russia, to reduce daily production by 2m barrels, as a geopolitical move, and a slight to Biden who is seeking to cut Russian revenues and keep the petrol price down before November’s congressional elections. Continue reading...