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USA fans expressed their devastation after Sweden beat the United States 5-4 on penalties in their World Cup last-16 match. Sweden fans meanwhile chanted in the street outside the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium after knocking out the defending champions. The teams were at stalemate at the end of extra-time and Lina Hurtig's agonising penalty broke the hearts of USA fans, condemning the holders to their earliest Women's World Cup exit. Sweden will now head into a quarter-final against Japan but it was the first departure before the semi-finals in nine World Cups for the Americans, who were bidding for an unprecedented third consecutive title.

The Americans put in a performance worthy of defending champions in their final 2023 World Cup match. But a lack of finishing proved costly once againAs Sweden took a victory lap and Abba's Dancing Queen blared through the night at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Alyssa Naeher stood with her hands on her hips in disbelief. It took several minutes - what felt like an eternity - for VAR to confirm that the ball had crossed the line on the final penalty of the game.It was almost impossible to tell with the naked eye whether the Swedish forward Lina Hurtig's shot had crossed the line, after not one but two swats from the USA goalkeeper. An incredulous Naeher threw her hands in the air and yelled to her goalkeeping coach, Philip Poole, appearing to believe the video proved she had saved the penalty. Continue reading...

To see the wild, thrilled faces of young fans is to remember the euphorias of my own girlhood that, sadly, never got to include howling at professional women's footballThe tears came the night the Australians beat Canada in the Women's World Cup.It wasn't at the beginning of the match, with anxiety, when the Matildas marched out to play knowing the match was do-or-die for their World Cup hopes, star skipper Sam Kerr on the bench and not quite - not yet - recovered from injury. It wasn't with relief at the nine-minute mark, when Australia's Hayley Raso scored that first, dam-busting goal. It wasn't even at the end of the game when the whistle blew. Australia's thundering 4-0 triumph over the Olympic champs obliged sportswriters worldwide to acknowledge Australia didn't merely beat the Canadians; Australia destroyed them.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...

The USWNT were knocked out of the Women's World Cup following a 5-4 loss in their penalty-shootout against Sweden.Megan Rapinoe missed a crucial penalty in her final game for the United States and said it felt like a 'sick joke', adding 'there's just some dark, dark comedy in me missing a penalty in my last game ever.' Rapinoe said her team dominated the game but that it didn't matter as they had failed to score.

In Temecula, California, a vicious school board fight over critical race theory and references to the gay rights icon has split residentsThe small southern California city of Temecula made headlines across the US when its school board banned critical race theory and attempted to purge elementary school textbooks that reference gay rights icon Harvey Milk.The vicious fight over curricula in Temecula is one of several playing out in cities across the country, as conservatives seek to reshape how racism, gender and history are taught in American schools. Now, it may also have implications for schools across California. On Wednesday, a group of parents, students, teachers and a union sued the Temecula valley school district, alleging the critical race theory ban violates California law, the right to due process and the right to be free from discrimination. If the court rules in their favor, lawyers on the case say it will set a new precedent for the right to fact-based education in California public schools. Continue reading...

The Goop founder is offering two lucky winners the chance to stay for one night at her Montecito guesthouse - dinner with her includedIt's not often you look at Gwyneth Paltrow's life and think, with a fond sigh, how closely it resembles your own, but when she said that she had bought a California estate after finding it on Redfin, my favourite pornography app", I knew we were as one. Not in the multimillion-dollar purchase - a particular outcome that still cruelly eludes me - but in the online fantasising over property.Redfin and Zillow are to the US what Rightmove and Zoopla are to the UK: aggregator portals that pull in property listings from almost every estate agent in the country. My own compulsive usage of them is definitely akin to some people's relationship with porn - all right, hard drugs. In fact I began writing a column, the Rightmove Roundup, in my Substack newsletter mainly so my daughter would stop groaning every time she caught me scrolling through yet more houses I couldn't afford to buy. I can now proudly tell her that noseying around other people's interiors and making snide comments about them counts as work. Continue reading...

Grey skies, gale-swept beaches, soggy donkeys: my childhood holidays were all wet, wet, wet. And, as a result, deliciously idleI am enjoying this sodden summer. I do know this much rain is bad: July was the UK's sixth wettest on record and the wettest ever for Northern Ireland. It is worse than bad in China; it is catastrophic, with 20 killed in the worst rainfall in 140 years, since records began. And in the UK, there is harvest havoc to worry farmers, plus a very real danger that the insular and idiotic will point to a persistently, dramatically wet summer that is probably linked to the climate crisis as the opposite: a sign that everything is fine, really, so let's celebrate with more North Sea drilling.I am sorry, too, for anyone who needs a summer fix of vitamin D, light and warmth to maintain their health and equanimity. I am on record as being fairly anti-summer, and that remains true, but I am not implacably opposed to a bit of balmy weather. I don't want to go all some of my best friends are balls of incandescent gas" on you, but I am attempting to grow some tomatoes this year and I have a hammock. I wouldn't say no to some sun now and then. Continue reading...

Lina Hurtig scores the deciding penalty to knock-out defending champions USA in dramatic fashionAfter their underwhelming start to this World Cup the US are probably not favourites to win this match. However, while Sweden's set pieces have been impressive their open play has not been the best the tournament has seen so far. I think it will be a really close encounter.A good feature for this match: Continue reading...

We'll respond to the call of the law, if it comes and we'll just tell the truth,' says former vice-president during CBS interviewFormer vice-president and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Mike Pence said that he has no plans to testify" against Donald Trump but vowed to obey the law".In a recent interview after federal prosecutors charged Trump over his efforts to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, Pence was asked by CBS correspondent Major Garrett whether he would be a witness against Trump if the case went to trial. Continue reading...

USA, the current champions, are out of the World Cup on penalties in front of more than 27,000 fans in Melbourne. Lina Hurtig's spotkick sent Sweden to the quarter-finals, helped significantly by the brilliance of Zecira Musovic between the sticks. It is the first time in the tournament's history that USA have been eliminated at this early a stage.In the end, it came down to a matter of millimetres as Alyssa Naeher desperately clawed at the final penalty but failed to keep it out. It's a tough moment," Vlatko Andonovski, the USA head coach, said. Continue reading...

Ohio will be voting on a measure that makes it harder to amend the constitution in a high-stakes election - and the Republican proposal is minority rule', experts sayAn under-the-radar election in Ohio on Tuesday has quietly emerged as one of the most high-stakes stress tests for American democracy in recent years.The question Ohio voters will decide on 8 August is simple: how easy should it be to amend the state constitution? Like 17 other states, Ohio allows citizens to place constitutional amendments on the statewide ballot if they get a certain number of signatures and more than 50% of the statewide vote. The process has been in place for more than a century in Ohio, and in November, voters will use it to decide whether to protect abortion rights. Continue reading...

Each small business owner has their own reason for feeling less confident about the economy. This is what I'm hearingUnemployment is at historic lows. Inflation is receding. The stock market is approaching its all-time high. Gross domestic product is healthy. Household savings are near peak levels. There are more travelers passing through our airports than in 2019. Retail sales continue to grow. The restaurant industry is booming. Corporate profits remain strong. Wages are outpacing inflation.It seems like the economy's doing pretty darn good, right? And yet according to the most recent monthly data from the National Federation of Independent Businesses ... optimism among small business owners is at a 10-year low. Continue reading...

At this week's Amazon summit, the world must stand with Indigenous peoples - and demand protection for the rainforestSome of the most fulfilling moments in my life as an actor are when I play roles that speak to the challenges facing humanity. In The Avengers, for example, in which I play the Hulk, the team tries to undo the the snap" - an apocalyptic event brought about by the villain Thanos to eradicate half of all living beings.As a good friend of mine says: Fantasy is not an escape from our world, but an invitation to go deeper into it." The simple fact is that humanity has triggered extinction events - and the collapse of the Amazon is a disaster that will be terrible for all of us in real life. Continue reading...

The GOP is trying very hard to prove wrongdoing by father and son to distract from the three indictments of Donald TrumpThe difference between six and seven is slight but, in the mouth of Joe Biden, it meant everything. I have seven grandkids," the US president said in a podcast interview this week.That was Biden's way of yielding to critics and acknowledging his four-year-old granddaughter, Navy Joan Roberts. His son, Hunter, has said he fathered Navy during a period when he was struggling with alcohol and drug addiction and does not have a relationship with her. Hunter's paternity was established by DNA testing during a lengthy dispute over child support. Continue reading...

Jane Doe' accuses Leon Black of rape and sexual abuse - and some have questioned why he is not facing more legal scrutinyWhen a woman filed suit in Manhattan federal court last week alleging extreme abuse at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein and his now convicted madam Ghislaine Maxwell, her accusation of being victimized by their sex trafficking operation was among the most harrowing.The woman, identified in court papers as Jane Doe, has autism, making her particularly vulnerable to purported grooming - and subsequent alleged abuse at the hands of the late financier's rich and powerful friends.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

Last week's outburst against his prosecutors is part of a long campaign that many fear is in danger of subverting democracyAmerican democracy is only as strong as its legal system. The founders of the country created the judiciary as the third branch of the federal government to keep executive power in check and prevent corruption. So it was a cause for deep concern last week when Donald Trump unleashed a verbal tantrum on his Truth Social platform, accusing special counsel Jack Smith of prosecutorial misconduct" even before he filed four federal criminal counts against the former president over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in a bid to remain in office.An identical barrage came last April when a Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump on 34 felony charges for falsifying business records. That time, he also called for defunding the justice department and the FBI, even though the charges did not come from either federal agency. Both reactions were part of a long-running campaign by Trump to undermine the rule of law in the US and dismiss the multiple charges he faces, and has denied, as politically motivated. Even lawyers who once supported Trump have told me that delegitimising the law and the judiciary could destroy the country's system of government. Yet, even if he is convicted, Trump's supporters will probably remain loyal to him, convinced that the entire legal system is rigged" - a favourite Trumpism. Continue reading...

A new study ignores the fact that modern parents just want to have healthy, happy children, whatever their sexThe morning after the birth of our fourth daughter, my husband bumped into a neighbour in our street and announced the news. Her response surprised him. Are you very disappointed?" she asked.Gary headed indoors and reported the news to me, whereupon we cackled with laughter and had another glass of champagne. The previous morning, I'd finished reading Little Women with one of my older daughters; I'd already had an excited inkling I was about to become Marmee, a mother of four girls, and now I'd been proved right. Continue reading...

For the first time in years, I have a week by myself. I can have an affair, write a great novel, eat all the best biscuitsMy family had gone on holiday, leaving me alone, and I was making a list. Of things to do now that I had the space and the time. Things to achieve. Pleasures to savour. Even the act of making the list felt luxurious. A sharp pen, a clean page, good posture, Mini Magnum, right. It was difficult, though, to know where to start. This was the first time in nine years that I'd had more than a night or two by myself, without the cluttered emotions and rigid routines of young children, school days, pasta, questions, the brushing of hundreds of tiny little teeth. I intended to use it not just wisely but fabulously.Before they left I briefly sketched out a rough schedule for a potential affair: if I met an interesting stranger on the Monday, say, bonded over a good joke with them on Tuesday, ensured our politics, tastes, anxieties and peccadilloes aligned on Wednesday, took some time for self-care and personal growth, essential for any relationship, on the Thursday, met their parents on Friday, performed enlightening sexual adventures on Saturday, then said a chaste ceremonial goodbye forever on the Sunday, I could conceivably join my partner and kids in France having got it all out of my system by Monday, 11.30, 12ish? On reflection though, the admin seemed quite overwhelming, and wouldn't I prefer, in fact, to walk lazily around the house and enjoy the velvet interior of my own mind? Continue reading...

Many in the state see prosecution of Trump as a Democratic political move - and they say it will backfireFrom his corner of rural Iowa, Neil Shaffer did more than his fair share to put Donald Trump in the White House and to try to keep him there.Shaffer oversaw the biggest swing of any county in the US from Barack Obama to Trump in 2016, and increased the then president's share of the vote four years later. But the chair of the Howard county Republican party is not enthusiastic at the prospect of yet another Trump presidential campaign, and he blames the Democrats for driving it. Continue reading...

My organisation is standing up to the tech billionaires whose social media platforms are full of hate and liesIt started with childish name-calling on Twitter two weeks ago, when Elon Musk called my organisation evil" and me personally a rat". It has since escalated to a lawsuit filed against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which I founded and run, in a California court last week.The CCDH exists to research online hate and disinformation, and hold social media companies accountable for the erosion of human rights and civil liberties. Our mission is to stem the tide of racism, antisemitism, harms to children, climate denial, anti-LGBTQ+ hate, health misinformation and many other dangers to society. Continue reading...

Kai Cenat drew thousands to Union Square with promises of giving away new PlayStation, leading to dozens of arrestsSocial media influencer Kai Cenat is facing charges of inciting a riot and promoting an unlawful gathering in New York City after the online streamer drew thousands of his followers - many of them teenagers - with promises of giving away electronics, including a new PlayStation.The gathering produced chaos, with dozens of people arrested - some jumping atop vehicles, hurling bottles and throwing punches. Continue reading...

Desiree Jennings speaks with NBC about being cast into US spotlight in 2009 after seasonal jab led to unexplainable disabilityThe woman who was once known as the flu shot cheerleader" and briefly became the poster girl for the anti-vaccine movement is now speaking out about her realization that she was used as the movement's PR machine".In a new interview with NBC, Desiree Jennings - who in 2009 was cast into the national spotlight after she went on video and expressed her belief that her seasonal flu shot led to an unexplainable disability involving erratic movements and slurred speech - said that vaccine skeptics recruited her, sensationalized her story and ultimately discarded her after she was accused of being a fraud. Continue reading...

The former Republican leader's claims about the 2020 election have done great harm to US democracy. They must be exposed for the blatant lies they areThe prospect of Donald Trump finally facing justice for the most serious of his many alleged crimes - conspiring to subvert the 2020 US presidential election - is cheering. Unfortunately, it has taken more than two and a half years to call the disgraced former president to account for his actions after his loss to Joe Biden. This delay has enabled Trump and his supporters to link last week's criminal indictment to the 2024 election campaign. They denounce it as a politically motivated bid to torpedo the Republican frontrunner's attempted comeback.Like so much of what Trump says, this is a blatant lie - though sadly, many Americans believe it. Biden has scrupulously distanced himself from the multiple investigations into his predecessor's conduct. For too long, the attorney general, Merrick Garland, whose justice department operates independently of the White House, failed to act - hoping, perhaps, that the Trump-Maga phenomenon would fade. That did not happen. Even so, special counsel Jack Smith was not appointed until last November. Continue reading...

Well-known gay dancer and choreographer was stabbed after he and his friends vogued at Brooklyn gas stationNew York City police have arrested a teenager in connection to the killing of O'Shae Sibley, a well-known gay dancer and choreographer who was stabbed after he and his friends vogued to music by Beyonce at a Brooklyn gas station on 29 July.CBS News reported Saturday that the suspect is 17 years old and faces charges of murder as a hate crime as well as criminal possession of a weapon. He was reportedly booked as an adult, though his identity wasn't released because he is younger than 18. Continue reading...

Prosecutors have asked ex-president be banned from sharing evidence with unauthorized people after post on Truth SocialFederal prosecutors asked a judge on Friday for a protective order limiting what Donald Trump and his team can say about the criminal case against him, citing a social media from the former president stating: IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I'M COMING AFTER YOU!"A Trump spokesperson said in a statement late Friday night that the ex-president's post was the definition of political speech" protected by the constitution's first amendment and that it did not have to do with the criminal case. Instead, it was directed toward interest groups. Continue reading...

State had told superintendents the course violated a new law prohibiting content on sexual orientation and gender identityEven though Florida's government had told school superintendents that the Advanced Placement Psychology course offered to high school students violated the state's new law prohibiting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, it appears students may be able to take the course after all.In a letter to state superintendents Friday, Florida's education commissioner Manny Diaz Jr said the state believed the psychology course could be taught in its entirety". Continue reading...

Sweden and the United States have met in six of the past eight World Cups, but never previously in the knockout rounds. That changes on Sunday in MelbourneThe United States women have enough talent to win the World Cup. The United States women also don't look anything like a team playing well enough to win a World Cup. On Sunday, the duality of the Americans' lackluster World Cup to date shifts to the knockout stage, where they hope to avoid the worst finish in program history.Of course, it had to be Sweden. Continue reading...

Decision means Travis King, who is detained in North Korea, is not covered by prisoner of war protectionsThe US has declined so far to classify army soldier Travis King as a prisoner of war (PoW) despite his being detained in North Korea after he crossed into the country last month, four American officials told Reuters.The decision, which could mean King is not covered by the protections entitled to prisoners of war under the Geneva conventions, is highly sensitive for the US military given its commitment to leave no soldier behind enemy lines. Continue reading...

He was once America's mayor', but court filings this week show him vilifying women, Jews and gay people. It's his latest disgraceRudy Guiliani was once the mayor of New York and the toast of the town. His handling of September 11 garnered him the nickname America's mayor" and made him a household name around the world. He received an honorary knighthood from the Queen of England, who wished him less stress in his life." He was hugely respected. Continue reading...

We piece together the astonishing story of how 16 men and women tried to reshape the course of US historyAt 11.30am on 14 December 2020, Greg Bluestein, a political reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, hurried into the Georgia state capitol at the start of what he knew would be a momentous day. He was one of a handful of reporters who were to witness the casting of electoral college votes which would officially hand Joe Biden victory in the critical battleground state - and with it the US presidency.As Bluestein rushed up to the state senate chamber where the 16 Democratic electors were assembling ahead of the historic vote, he passed meeting room 216. He noticed a gaggle of people milling around its heavy wooden door, among them some of the 16 Republican electors chosen to represent Donald Trump should he have won the Georgia race. Continue reading...

Tim Gioe, who was groomed as a child, is pressing for parental consent to be obtained before priests are left alone with childrenTim Gioe will never forget how his Roman Catholic priest, Patrick Wattigny, used their time alone when he was a boy. It was during these moments together - during the sacrament of confession - that Wattigny began grooming him for sexual abuse, of which the clergyman was recently convicted.So now the 36-year-old Gioe and his wife, Sarah, who are raising three sons together, are advocating for schools and other parochial institutions to be formally required to obtain fully informed parental consent before priests are left alone with children to hear about - and forgive - their sins as part of what is also known as reconciliation. Continue reading...

Former president's sit-down to discuss combat sports part of strategy to cater to young men with little interest in politicsDuring a stretch of campaign stops taking place under the specter of a potential indictment, Donald Trump managed to make time for a sit-down interview on an unlikely platform: the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).Recorded just before Trump's appearance at a UFC event in Las Vegas in July, the interview offered a rare departure from the controversial president's politically charged interviews, instead focusing on his background as a boxing promoter, his all-time favorite combat sports matches, and the hypothetical walkout song he would pick if he were a fighter himself. The hosts described Trump as a genuine fight fan" and their enthusiasm was palpable as he shared insights on promoting the likes of Mike Tyson during the 1980s. Continue reading...

The former president's support base holds firm as each negative in a court of law translates to a positive in the court of public opinionIt was hardly the triumphant return to Washington that he and his campaign imagined. Donald Trump was back in America's capital this week, not as president but an accused criminal. Not guilty," he pleaded in a hushed courtroom to four charges stemming from the effort to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.But even as observers savored a sombre yet reaffirming moment for the rule of law, a follower of the former US president could be seen outside court waving a giant flag. Trump or death," it declared, not far from the halls of Congress where lethal violence erupted on January 6,2021. Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak hopes to inspire a new generation of grandmasters, but he should broaden his horizons to other games for kidsWhen I first introduced my six-year-old to backgammon, his reaction was delight, quickly followed by confusion and suspicion. It has dice! Like Mousetrap! But also: loads of plain counters, an extremely non-intuitive board, and a conspicuous lack of mice, penguins or pies. Could this be - I could see the thought briefly rumple his perfect pink brow - an attempt to teach him something? Well, yes, my sweet boy, yes it was. Sorry. I think it's sort of my job.I mention this because Rishi Sunak, whose stance on backgammon I'm unsure of, is engaged in attempt to teach us all something by building the national interest in chess: with plans that reportedly include expanding instruction in schools, installing 100 chess tables in public parks, and financially backing the English Chess Federation. Continue reading...

In a new poem, the writer and author calls for bold action in this era of wildfires, overheated oceans and shrinking biodiversity

Washington championship event will close third season of US competition which gives men and women equal billingIn Premier Rugby Sevens, which stages its championship event in Washington on Sunday, eight teams field men's and women's sides and compete for a combined trophy as well as separate titles. For Abby Gustaitis, the US Olympian who has combined playing with commentating on PR7s, that level playing field is a chief part of the appeal.Equal men's teams and women's teams and equal pay, I think it's just a great model to have," says the University of Maryland grad, for whom the games at Audi Field will be a sort of sporting homecoming. Continue reading...

In the aftermath of a coup, the former colony is rejecting French influence, while powers including Russia and China circleRetreats from crumbling empires are inevitably characterised by hastily arranged evacuations. Panicked civilians make their way to rickety airport terminals, in the hope of an emergency flight out of the chaos. This was the postcolonial scene in Niamey, the capital of Niger, this week, as hundreds of French nationals joined other EU citizens in scurrying away from the west African nation.Sections of the military had staged a coup against Mohamed Bazoum, Niger's democratically elected president, just before 3 August, the country's National Day, when it marked 63 years since gaining nominal independence from France in 1960.Nabila Ramdani is a French journalist of Algerian descent and author of Fixing France, to be published in autumn 2023 Continue reading...

Kai Cenat, 21, a streamer, had announced the event to his several million followers and crowds surged beyond controlPolice in New York City detained an internet personality after his supposed video game console giveaway drew a crowd to Manhattan's Union Square which devolved into chaos Friday.Kai Cenat, who is known as an influencer on Twitch and YouTube platforms, was taken into custody, New York police said. Police were mulling possible criminal charges such as inciting a riot, Jeffrey Maddrey, the NYPD chief of department, said in the evening. Continue reading...

Hotel entrepreneur Robert Bigelow has contributed $20m to the Never Back Down Super Pac but is now wary of the slow campaignHotel entrepreneur Robert Bigelow, the biggest individual donor to a group supporting Ron DeSantis's presidential bid, has said he will not donate more money unless the Florida governor attracts new major donors and adopts a more moderate approach.The comments by Bigelow, who gave $20m to the pro-DeSantis Never Back Down Super Pac in March, to Reuters underscore donor concerns about the Florida governor's struggling campaign. Continue reading...

Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, arrested in connection with death of Sheryl Ferguson, 65, discovered at home with at least one gunshot woundA southern California judge has been arrested in connection with the killing of his wife, authorities said Friday.Jeffrey Ferguson was arrested late Thursday after police received reports of a shooting in an Anaheim Hills home and found the judge's wife, Sheryl Ferguson, suffering from at least one gunshot wound, Anaheim police said. Continue reading...

Former speaker says she didn't see any bravado or confidence' in comments likely to enrage Trump, a longtime Pelosi foeDonald Trump looked like a scared puppy" before his arraignment in court in Washington on charges related to his election subversion, Nancy Pelosi said, comments likely to anger an ex-president the former US House speaker has long delighted in baiting.I wasn't in the courtroom of course but when I saw his coming out of his car and this or that, I saw a scared puppy," Pelosi told MSNBC. Continue reading...

Ex-national security adviser calls former boss irrational' and criticizes Republicans who support him on foreign policyEx-national security adviser John Bolton issued harsh remarks against his former boss and the leading 2024 Republican presidential candidate, saying that the US will likely withdraw from Nato if Donald Trump wins the election.In an interview with the Hill on Thursday, Bolton criticized the former president's foreign policy after an op-ed he wrote earlier this week called Trump's behavior erratic, irrational and unconstrained". Continue reading...

Kathleen McElroy, whose history of promoting diversity caused pushback, receives damages and apology from Texas A&MA Black journalism professor who was hired by Texas A&M University before objections in some quarters over her history of promoting diversity foiled the job offer has secured a $1m settlement from the institution.Kathleen McElroy also received an apology from officials at Texas A&M, the largest public school in the US, who in a statement Thursday acknowledged mistakes ... made during the process". Continue reading...

2-1 ruling on policy that revoked voting rights for certain people with felony convictions is surprise victory from conservative courtA federal appeals court on Friday struck down Mississippi's Jim Crow-era policy of permanently revoking voting rights from certain people with felony convictions, ruling that it is unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment.The 2-1 panel ruling is a surprise victory from the conservative fifth circuit court of appeals just over a month after the US supreme court refused to hear a challenge to the discriminatory law. Continue reading...

Fulton county reportedly approves $4m payout after LaShawn Thompson, 35, died three months after arriving at Georgia jailGeorgia's Fulton county has reached a settlement with the family of a man who died in a bedbug-infested cell in the county jail's psychiatric wing, the family's lawyers said Thursday.The lawyers said the settlements in the death of Lashawn Thompson are for undisclosed amounts". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Tuesday that Fulton commissioners on Wednesday voted to approve a $4m settlement but said detailed terms of the agreement were not immediately disclosed. Continue reading...

Data security incident' began Thursday at facilities operated by California's Prospect Medical HoldingsA cyberattack has disrupted hospital computer systems across the United States, forcing emergency rooms in several states to close on Thursday and ambulances to be diverted.Many primary care services remained closed on Friday as security experts worked to determine the extent of the problem and resolve it. Continue reading...