Andrea Wedner was last witness as prosecutors wrap up case against shooter who opened fire at Tree of Life synagogue in 2018A survivor of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre said Wednesday that she saw her right arm get shot by a gunman and cried “Mommy” after her 97-year-old mother was shot and killed by her side in the nation’s deadliest attack on Jewish people.Andrea Wedner was the government’s last witness as prosecutors wrapped up their case against Robert Bowers, who burst into the Tree of Life synagogue building with a military-style rifle and other weaponry and opened fire, shooting anyone he could find. Continue reading...
The on-screen banner accused Joe Biden of ‘having his political rival’ – presumably Donald Trump – ‘arrested’Fox News said on Wednesday that it had taken down an on-screen banner, or chyron, that was displayed on Tuesday labeling Joe Biden a “wannabe dictator”, and noted the company had “addressed” the situation, but without any further explanation.On Tuesday night, hours after Donald Trump was in court in Miami on federal criminal charges, the rightwing TV channel ran a caption characterizing Biden baldly as a “wannabe dictator” who attempted to have “his political rival arrested”. Continue reading...
by Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington on (#6C6K7)
Robert Simonds and William ‘Beau’ Wrigley consider acquiring assets of NSO, blacklisted Israeli company behind Pegasus spywareAn unlikely cast of characters including a Hollywood producer and the heir to the Wrigley chewing gum fortune are exploring a possible bid to take control of assets owned by NSO Group, the Israeli company behind one of the world’s most sophisticated cyber-weapons.Robert Simonds, a US financier whose credits include producing several Adam Sandler films, has been engaged in talks to acquire the blacklisted spyware company’s assets, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Continue reading...
Another indictment could be imminent in Georgia but former president consolidates Republican poll lead despite legal woesDonald Trump, the former US president, spent his 77th birthday on Wednesday consolidating his lead in the Republican primary race for 2024 under the shadow of federal criminal charges – and bracing for further legal bombshells.In a court in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday, Trump pleaded not guilty to a 37-count indictment alleging that he unlawfully hoarded national security documents when he left office and lied to officials who sought to recover them. He could face a significant prison sentence if convicted. Continue reading...
Some candidates, including Mike Pence, Nikki Haley and Tim Scott, shift tone from defending ex-president to criticismWhen news broke on Thursday that Donald Trump would be indicted for his alleged mishandling of classified documents, most of his Republican presidential primary opponents rushed to his defense, blaming the charges on the “weaponization of federal law enforcement”, as the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, said.But several Republican candidates have shifted their tone since the indictment was unsealed on Friday, revealing the full extent of the serious charges Trump faces. Those Republicans’ willingness to challenge the former president’s claims of “political persecution” could mark a new chapter in the 2024 primary fight, although the candidates may have to change their tune if Trump becomes the nominee. Continue reading...
Sales dropped by almost 25% on last year after brand featured Dylan Mulvaney in social mediaAnheuser-Busch InBev’s Bud Light has lost its top spot in the US beer market to Constellation Brands’ Modelo Especial, after a backlash from conservatives over a social media promotion with the transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.Sales of Bud Light and Budweiser dropped 24.6% and 9.2%, respectively, for the four weeks ended 3 June from a year earlier, while Modelo Especial sales rose 10.2%, according to the consulting company Bump Williams, which sources data from NielsenIQ. Continue reading...
Another week, another article suggesting that alcohol may have health benefits. It’s amazing how desperate drinkers are to fool themselvesIt’s amazing how easy it is to persuade us that what we want to be true is true. Consider a typical headline to a story covered with great enthusiasm by many major news organisations this week: “Moderate alcohol consumption may lower stress, reduce heart disease risk, study finds.” Enthusiastic drinkers, drowning in a dark sea of health warnings, will cling on to such words as stricken sailors might hold on to the hull of their capsized boat.They will turn a blind eye to the facts of the story, although even the headline itself, with its “may” and its “study finds”, suggests this scientific revelation isn’t quite the slam dunk we might be hoping for. Once the study’s methodology and conclusions are outlined, it’s clear that the whole thing falls into the category of quite interesting, rather than this changes everything. But who needs that level of detail? If I’m so minded, there’s as much information in the headline as I’m ever going to want or need to support my long-cherished pet theory about drinking. “I knew it! I told you so! Drinking helps me deal with stress, ergo it eases the strain on my poor ticker, therefore I’ll live longer and more happily.” I’ll file this fact away along with that one about red wine being good for you, as good as a health drink.Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster, writer and Guardian columnist. His book The Good Drinker: How I Learned to Love Drinking Less is out now in paperbackDo 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...
The elite consensus is clear: spending is fine when it supports military ventures, but bad when it supports social welfareThe headlines around the debt-ceiling legislation focused on the ability of the US to meet its financial obligations on time and in full through 2024. This was no small accomplishment, especially as it arrived within a forever-fractured political environment and only 18 months from a presidential election.But the actual terms of the debt-ceiling legislation reveal a political consensus that is at once troubling and longstanding. While topline US spending will increase this year and next, its increase is reserved almost exclusively for defense and for veterans’ medical care. Other programs, including social welfare and enforcement of the tax code by the IRS, will have their budgets cut. Americans seeking food-stamp benefits will also face increased work requirements – a curiously unrelated throw-in policy that reflects a longstanding wish of Republicans and some Democrats. Continue reading...
Prosecutors say Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, charged with involuntary manslaughter, has a history of reckless conduct at workProsecutors in a case arising from the 2021 fatal shooting on the set of the movie Rust claim that the weapons supervisor on the production was drinking and smoking marijuana in the evenings during filming – and she was likely hungover when she loaded a live bullet into the revolver that actor Alec Baldwin used.The accusation was made in a response to a request by attorneys for the gun handler Hannah Gutierrez-Reed to have involuntary manslaughter charges against her dismissed, as her defense condemned what they said were “character assassination” tactics in a mishandled case. Continue reading...
When students are struck down by firearms, some parents take the emotional walk to accept diplomas for their slain childrenAcross the US, high school graduations are serving dual roles as rites of passage for teenagers entering adulthood and memorials for those who were killed – often with guns – before they could don their caps and gowns. Amid rows of optimistic graduates are empty seats adorned with regalia or grieving parents who are there to walk the stage and accept diplomas on their children’s behalf.Some of the youths were killed before they reached their senior year, others in the days, weeks or months leading to their graduation. The unoccupied seats in auditoriums and photos of smiling young faces shown on large screens serve as a stark reminder of the growing risk of gun injury and death that teenagers face and the far-reaching impact that these losses have on their families and peers. Continue reading...
The Golden Knights won the championship on Tuesday. It’s a testament to the decision to move hockey into uncharted territoryA month after Las Vegas was awarded an NHL team in the summer of 2016, a local paper held a series of, in the publication’s own words, “wildly unscientific” unofficial polls asking its readers to pick the franchise’s name. The Black Knights, the Knights, and the Neon Knights were all among the early choices. But only the Knights made it past the second round of voting, proving less popular than Scorpions and the eventual winner, the Outlaws. The Knights name – and variations of it – wasn’t a winner.It is now. The Vegas Golden Knights are Stanley Cup champions, taking home the coveted trophy with a commanding 9-3 win over the Florida Panthers Tuesday evening in Las Vegas. And while the speed with which the Golden Knights have climbed to the top of the NHL has been surprising, to many (this was the franchise’s second visit to the Final in its first six years of existence) it’s exactly what team owner Bill Foley promised in 2017. It was a bold prediction, given the only other team to ever do it were the Edmonton Oilers with some kid named Wayne Gretzky. Continue reading...
As a coal-fired power station is readied to meet the exploding demand for portable units, let’s face it: this is just extravaganceFifteen years ago, it was the wood burner: an unnecessary middle-class indulgence that, despite causing untold environmental damage, started popping up in homes across the country. They became symbolic of a certain affluence that allows a privileged few to live in optimum comfort at all times.Now there’s a new kid on the block: the portable air-conditioning unit. As we adjust to a changing climate, with mid-summer temperatures regularly exceeding 25C and occasionally reaching 35C or even higher, this is the new “must have”. Sales of air-conditioning units were up more than 500% during last year’s heatwave and, according to property website Rightmove, searches for homes with air-conditioning tripled over the same period. At between £300 and £1,000 a pop, they’re not cheap – but they certainly make three or four weeks of good UK weather each year easier to handle. Continue reading...
After photos were released of boxes piled high in one of Trump’s bathrooms, the House speaker defended the location – but construction experts say otherwise
Instant Brands, which blames rising interest rates for financial problems, will continue to serve retailersThe maker of Pyrex kitchenware and the Instant Pot pressure cooker has filed for bankruptcy protection, blaming rising interest rates for its financial difficulties.Instant Brands, controlled by the private equity investor Cornell Capital, said late on Tuesday it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of Texas, as it tries to restructure liabilities of as much as $1bn (£790m). Continue reading...
The company claims there have been no corporate policy changes and stated its ‘unwavering support’ of the LGBTQ+ communityCoffee giant Starbucks is caught up in a row with a labor union over claims that workers at some of its stores in the US have been told they cannot put up Pride decorations this year.The dispute comes as a rightwing backlash against many American businesses sweeps across the US, with conservative activists and consumers attacking expressions of support for LGBTQ+ Americans. Some of the biggest corporate names in the US – such as retailer Target and beer giant Anheuser-Busch – have been hit by boycotts. Continue reading...
The World Cup winner’s pending arrival will be transformative, but Inter Miami must grow up fastThe Miami Heat were the runners-up in this month’s NBA finals, while the Florida Panthers reached the NHL’s Stanley Cup final down the road in Sunrise. And then there’s the small matter of Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami CF of MLS.The 2022 World Cup winner will join his new teammates within weeks and locally there’s disbelief to accompany incredible excitement. It probably won’t feel real until Messi is pictured with the club’s co-owner, David Beckham, holding aloft a pink and black team scarf. Continue reading...
Writers here in the UK are joining a global march to protest at worsening pay and conditions, and new threats to our livelihoodsI’m a working screenwriter with more than two decades of experience on UK shows such as Call the Midwife, Midsomer Murders, New Tricks and Fat Friends. I’m also chair of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), a union that represents about 3,000 writers across TV, film, theatre, books, video games and radio. Today, we’re joining colleagues from over 20 countries in a Global Day of Solidarity, organised by the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds and Federation of Screenwriters in Europe.Screenwriters in the US have warned that their profession is increasingly being reduced to a gig economy. Despite the streaming boom producing hundreds of new TV shows, media conglomerates and streamers seem only too willing to sacrifice workers’ rights for their bottom line, using the transition to streaming as an excuse to cut writer pay and erode working conditions. Continue reading...
by Ramon Antonio Vargas in New Orleans on (#6C6EJ)
The junior welterweight belt-holder continues looks to consolidate titles in a suddenly red-hot division while making New Orleans a destination for big-time boxingRegis Prograis would never look past an opponent. But few in the world of men’s professional boxing would blame him for making plans beyond his junior welterweight title defense Saturday in his hometown of New Orleans.In Prograis’s first fight since he knocked out Jose Zepeda in Los Angeles in November to win the World Boxing Council’s 140lb belt, Danielito Zorrilla stands in his way. Continue reading...
The contrasting fortunes of the flamboyant promoter and his fellow boxing dealmaker, Bob Arum, were on full display over the weekendLarry Merchant, the venerable sportswriter and TV commentator recently observed, at the age of 92, that “it’s easy getting into your 80s but hard to get out of them.”That wisdom applies to two men who dominated boxing for a half-century and shaped the business as we know it today. Don King will turn 92 on 20 August. Bob Arum will be 92 on 8 December. Continue reading...
Justice for the lawless Trump has been far too long in coming. But who knows whether he really will be held responsible in the long runAmid the palm fronds and the red baseball caps, after a motorcade on a Florida highway and before a shameful fundraiser at a New Jersey golf resort, the moment finally arrived.Donald Trump was arrested and formally charged with federal crimes – a first for an American former president. He was hit with 37 counts, to be precise, related to his retaining and failing to return the reams of sensitive classified documents that weren’t his to keep. Continue reading...
Given the strengths that Kennedy possesses as a candidate, we should expect him to continue to build momentum. Ignoring him is not an option Continue reading...
A systemic sickness produced the hallucination of merit in the former prime minister, then disgorged him. Understanding those events will be criticalThere is no crisis at Westminster so serious that it cannot be made to look trivial by the inclusion of Boris Johnson. And there is no scandal involving Johnson that cannot be explained, partially or wholly, by his lies. Those are axioms of post-Brexit politics.The House of Commons committee of privileges is due to publish a report concluding that a former prime minister turned his back on truth and put himself in contempt of parliament. The gravity of the offence invites a serious discussion about the safeguards in British democracy. Or it should.Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Australia’s alliance is with the US, a country that stands for freedom, democracy, liberty and civil rights. Under Trump, that could be destroyedCan Australia – should Australia – continue its alliance with the United States if the United States is no longer the United States?This is the existential question Australia must face if Donald Trump, or a Trumpist, wins the US election in 2024 because at that point, American democracy as we have known it will probably come to an end.Democracies are more than a form of government. They’re a way of being, a way of seeing the world – a way that defines who we are, what we believe, why we do what we do.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...
Fox was the only major cable news network to carry the former US president’s speech live following his arraignment hearing earlier in the dayFox News labelled US president Joe Biden a “wannabe dictator” who attempted to have “his political rival arrested” during a live broadcast of Donald Trump’s post-arraignment speech.The network was the only major cable news network to carry Trump’s Tuesday evening speech live, with CNN and MSNBC choosing not to air the address. Continue reading...
With mordant wit and stark description, the literary great wove a tapestry of anger, humour, decency and bad behaviour – and of the perpetual terror of man
In the latest case to upend the scandal-plagued board, Curren Price Jr was also charged with perjury and conflict of interestProsecutors charged a Los Angeles city councilman with 10 counts, including embezzlement and perjury, on Tuesday in the latest criminal case to upend the scandal-plagued governing board of the nation’s second-largest city.Curren Price Jr faces five counts of embezzlement of government funds, three counts of perjury and two counts of conflict of interest, according to the Los Angeles county district attorney’s office. Continue reading...
by Léonie Chao-Fong (now) and Chris Stein (earlier) on (#6C60M)
Former US president addresses supporters after pleading not guilty to federal charges in MiamiMeanwhile in Washington, Donald Trump’s allies in Congress are vowing to do all they can to help him fight Jack Smith’s prosecution.Here’s the judiciary committee’s Republican chair Jim Jordan hinting to CNN that he may demand testimony from Smith, the special counsel appointed by attorney general Merrick Garland specifically to handle the investigations into Trump: Continue reading...
Former president accused of wilfully withholding classified documents and obstructing justice, and is charged with 37 countsHours after facing criminal charges for the alleged mishandling of classified documents, Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters at his golf resort in New Jersey that his indictments were a “corrupt” and “political pursuit” designed to destroy him.Donors and supporters chanted Trump’s name, cheered him on and sang “happy birthday”. “I just got charged,” joked the former president, who turns 77 on Wednesday. “A wonderful birthday.” Continue reading...
Ex-president sat quietly during the 45-minute hearing, folding his arms and clenching his fingers, and occasionally grimacingEven by Florida’s already unorthodox standards, the arraignment of Donald J Trump, the ultimate carnival barker, in Miami on Tuesday afternoon was something of a circus.The concept of a former leader of the free world appearing before a federal judge to deny he stole and retained some of the nation’s most sensitive secrets – keeping some in a bathroom – was surreal enough. Continue reading...
Gershkovich was arrested in March on espionage charges, which both he and his employer, the Wall Street Journal, denyThe US House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday for a resolution calling for the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been imprisoned in Russia for three months.The vote was 422-0 in favor of the nonbinding measure. Continue reading...
Ex-president enjoyed the upsides of ruling the news cycle, but none of the downsides of public humiliation before a judge he must obeyWith a presidential-style plane and motorcade, a bunch of flag-waving fans and a lawyer shouting alternative facts, the latest season of The Trump Show – let’s call this one The Defendant – again filled every TV screen on Tuesday.But the most important scene of all was missing. And no one was happier about that than Donald Trump himself. Continue reading...
Access to Escondido beach was cut off in the 1980s by wealthy homeowners who craftily hindered the path to the coastlineCalifornia’s “hidden” beach will now be fully accessible to the public for the first time in 40 years, after the state approved an agreement for wealthy landowners to create a new path to the coastline.Escondido beach, known for placid waters and golden sand, had been mostly inaccessible to the public since the 1980s, when homeowners in the area cut it off from the public. Though California law requires that land below the high tide line remain open to all, complicated legal and construction maneuvers had obscured access to the strip of coastline. Continue reading...
The former president has pleaded not guilty to charges related to allegedly hoarding government secrets at his Mar-a-Lago resort and frustrating efforts by the federal government to retrieve them at his arraignment in Miami, Reuters reports
Section 702 of Fisa is set to expire at the end of the year, but its reauthorization is facing backlashThe White House is stepping up pressure on lawmakers to renew a section of electronic surveillance law which permits the government to conduct targeted surveillance of foreign persons located outside the US.The provision, known as section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa), is set to expire at the end of the year. But its renewal is facing pushback from privacy advocates and lawmakers, some citing examples in which law enforcement search requests were misused to conduct illegal surveillance on US citizens. Continue reading...
City will lose one of its largest shopping centers as ‘challenging conditions’ downtown compel company departureWestfield is ceding control of its San Francisco mall, the latest business to leave the city as it struggles to recover its pre-pandemic commerce levels.The mall, located at 865 Market St, is among the city’s largest shopping centres. In a statement, to the San Francisco Chronicle, which was the first to report news of the planned closure, the company cited “challenging operating conditions” in the city’s downtown area as the reason for its departure. It has seen a decline in sales, occupancy and foot traffic, the company added. Continue reading...
Peyton Hillis tells Good Morning America about rescuing son, nine, and niece, eight, from rip current off Florida coast in JanuaryFormer NFL running back Peyton Hillis has said it was “100% a miracle” everyone survived when he saved his son and niece from drowning but ended up hospitalized himself.Hillis opened up about the near-death experience in an interview with fellow former NFL player Michael Strahan on the talkshow Good Morning America. Continue reading...
Burger outlet was owned by Turkish butcher sensation Nusret Gökçe, famous for bouncing flakes of salt off his forearm on to foodThree years after it was declared “The Worst Restaurant In NYC Right Now,” Salt Bae’s Manhattan burger joint has closed.Salt Bae, of course, is the social media tag for the New York celebrity chef and butcher Nusret Gökçe, who became famous for bouncing flakes of salt off his forearm and on to just about anything edible, giving customers varying degrees of salt-shock. Continue reading...
Hardline Republicans brought chamber to halt in revolt against speaker for working with Joe Biden to agree debt-ceiling dealThe US House of Representatives is set to resume votes on a handful of Republican-backed bills on Tuesday after a week-long impasse between Kevin McCarthy, the speaker, and a small group of far-right Republicans.Business is set to resume on the House floor on Tuesday afternoon. A slate of previously stalled votes, including a procedural measure to advance legislation protecting gas stoves, are expected to move forward. Continue reading...
Karine Jean-Pierre breached rule limiting political activities of federal employees with ‘mega Maga Republicans’ referenceWhite House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre violated the Hatch Act by referring to “mega Maga Republicans” before last year’s midterm elections, an official watchdog said.In a letter first reported by NBC News and confirmed by other outlets, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) said: “Because Ms Jean‐Pierre made the statements while acting in her official capacity, she violated the Hatch Act prohibition against using her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election.” Continue reading...
The former president is facing 37 federal criminal charges – what can we expect to see on his first day in court?Donald Trump will make his first court appearance on Tuesday after being charged with 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified documents after leaving the presidency. He is set to appear at 3pm at the federal courthouse in Miami.It will be Trump’s second arraignment this year. In April, he was arraigned in Manhattan on separate criminal charges related to his hush money payments to the adult film star Stormy Daniels. Continue reading...
Things may look dark but his acolytes are determined to go down fighting. And, true to type, he is determined to let themCan I just check something before we begin, because it feels as though we’re dealing with a weight of irony that defies all known physics? Is Boris Johnson leaving British politics absolutely howling with anger because someone supposedly told him a lie? Is Boris Johnson wetting his pants thrice daily over the injustice of him being supposedly misled? Is Boris Johnson now appalled at someone else’s supposedly casual relationship with the truth? It seems, incredibly, that he is. In which case I honestly don’t think I could take this story more seriously. It’s too perfect. Boris Johnson has been Boris Johnsonned.To the event horizon of irony, then, and the ongoing row over whether Rishi Sunak did or didn’t tell Johnson he could bend the rules to get peerages for a set of political inadequates completely devoid of ministerial achievements, and notable only for their slavish loyalty to a guy who would have betrayed them in a heartbeat if he thought there was some minuscule, fleeting advantage for himself at that moment. I note there is also some hokey cokey about why Johnson, 58, couldn’t get a knighthood for his daddy (genuinely one of the worst people in the country). But let’s face it: that one can’t even be dignified with discussion. Continue reading...
As well as defiant stories of empowered kids, we need to offer reminders that the responsibility isn’t theirs aloneWhen I was in primary school my favourite Baby-Sitters Club member was Dawn Schafer, the environmental crusader. This was the 1990s, when we were all very concerned about CFCs and other greenhouse gases, although not enough to lose sleep over them. I remember carefully spelling out CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS in bubble letters on poster paper for a school project. I had a thing for dolphins and wanted to be a marine biologist. Clean Up Australia Day was still in its infancy.
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