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Forget the mugs and jigsaws - an exhibition at the National Gallery reminds us that nothing compares to seeing the original masterpiecesOn Saturday the National Gallery in London opens its doors for its new Van Gogh exhibition, remarkably the first in its 200-year history. Exactly 100 years ago, the National purchased Van Gogh's Sunflowers for 1,304, a bargain even for the times.Far from a safe bet, guaranteed to bring in the crowds, Van Gogh was considered a rather risky addition in 1924. Slipping under the National Gallery's 1900 cut-off date - later works go to the Tate - by just a decade, he is a visionary modernist among old masters. His paintings might be the stuff of a million tea towels today, but there is nothing dusty or cosy about VanGogh.Do 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...

Tua Tagovailoa's latest concussion has prompted calls for Dolphins' $212m quarterback to retire. Those well-intentioned pleas should not be the main takeawayIn Thursday night's NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, Miami's $212m quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered his fourth documented concussion, and third since joining the NFL, after colliding with defensive back Damar Hamlin, who himself nearly died in a game less than two years ago. The reactions from inside the football world were immediate and telling.Dez Bryant, longtime Dallas Cowboys wide receiver: That's it ... NFL go ahead and do the right thing. Tua has had entirely way too many concussions. He need to retire for his longevity health concerns."Shannon Sharpe: three-time Super Bowl champion turned pundit: Really hope Tua is ok, but he's gotta seriously think about shutting it [down]. I [hate] saying this. His concussions are getting worse and worse and he's a young man with his entire life ahead of him."Antonio Bryant, former All-Pro wide receiver: In all seriousness Tua may want to rethink playing football in the future depending on severity. Concussions not something to mess with."Robert Griffin III, Heisman trophy winner: Really just praying for Tua's long term health. Another concussion puts him at 3 officially and countless other scares. Think of the person not just the player."Nathan Kalman-Lamb is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of New Brunswick. Derek Silva is Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology at King's University College at Western University. They are co-authors of The End of College Football: On the Human Cost of an All-American Game (UNC Press, November 2024) and co-hosts (with Johanna Mellis) of The End of Sport podcast. Continue reading...

One measure would enshrine the state's current 12-week ban, while the other would allow abortion up to 24 weeksNebraska residents will vote this November on two competing ballot measures to expand or limit abortion rights, the state supreme court ruled on Friday.One of the measures that will be put to voters would enshrine Nebraska's current abortion ban, which outlaws the procedure past 12 weeks of pregnancy, into the state constitution. The other would amend the state constitution to add the right to abortion up until fetal viability, or at about 24 weeks of pregnancy. Continue reading...

The vice-president's many and varied expressions said as much as her words in rebutting her Republican rivalAs Kamala Harris, newly installed as a presidential candidate, sought to change the weather on the Democrats' faltering campaign in late July, she made an appeal to Donald Trump that delighted a crowd of her supporters in Atlanta.Trump sure seems to have a lot to say about me", she told the crowd, before challenging him to debate with her: As the saying goes, if you've got something to say, say it to my face." Continue reading...

Alejandro Mayorkas says radicalized individuals could disrupt voting by targeting polling places and workersThe secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, has warned that one of the top threats facing the US in the lead-up to November's presidential election are lone offenders" aiming to disrupt voting and other public targets.In the aftermath of 9/11 the most prominent terrorism-related threat facing our nation was that of sophisticated foreign terrorist networks," Mayorkas said in a keynote speech at a closed-door conference, hosted by the Soufan Center in New York. Continue reading...

Former president argued that the case violated the supreme court's recent presidential immunity rulingA US appeals court late on Thursday declined to interfere with a lower court decision to keep Donald Trump's already-decided criminal case, over hush money paid to an adult film star, in state court, dealing another blow to the former US president's bid to move the case to federal court.On 29 August, nearly three months after he was convicted in the first-ever criminal trial of a US president, Trump asked US district judge Alvin Hellerstein to move the case from New York state court in Manhattan to federal court, arguing the trial violated his constitutional rights. Continue reading...

While other tech execs endorse politicians, Steve Ballmer wants to provide impartial statistics on key issuesIf you stay up late enough watching TV in the US, you may come across what appears to be a short educational program packed with numbers.The man hosting the program may only be instantly recognizable to a handful of people, though according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, he is currently the eighth wealthiest person in the world. Continue reading...

Activists are tentative in supporting Democrats without an arms embargo and ceasefire in GazaIn the days leading up to last month's Democratic national convention (DNC), some pro-Palestinian groups and individuals expressed cautious excitement about Kamala Harris's ascendence to the candidacy. Representative Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said that there was a sense that there's an opening" with the vice-president, referring to a possible shift in US policy on Israel's war on Gaza, while others voiced more measured optimism.However, following the convention, during which party officials refused to allow a Palestinian to speak on the main stage, and where Harris hawkishly affirmed her support for arming Israel, many of those groups' initial hope has turned into a belief that Harris will remain in-line with Joe Biden's Israel policies. The result has been a splintering of sorts: some organizations are still attempting to push Harris toward a more anti-war stance; others have decided to support Harris through the election regardless, citing the risk of a Donald Trump presidency. Continue reading...

At least 239 election deniers have signed up to Trump's election integrity' conspiracy theories, survey findsFears are rising that the vote count in November's presidential election could be disrupted as a result of the proliferation of Donald Trump's lies about stolen elections and rampant voter fraud in the key swing states where the race for the White House will be decided.A new survey of eight vital swing states reveals that at least 239 election deniers who have signed up to Trump's election integrity" conspiracy theories - including the false claim that the 2020 election was rigged against him - are actively engaged in electoral battles this year. The deniers are standing for congressional or state seats, holding Republican leadership positions, and overseeing elections on state and county election boards. Continue reading...

The Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion for the third time in his NFL career, leaving his team's game on Thursday night against Buffalo after running into defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting his head on the turf. Tagovailoa was down for about two minutes in the third quarter before walking to the sideline. He soon made his way to the tunnel, looking to the stands before smiling and walking to the locker room.The Dolphins later announced it was a concussion. The team said he had two in the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion while a college player at Alabama. Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million extension before this season - making him one of the highest-paid players in the league - and was the NFL's leading passer in Week 1. Tagovailoa left with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, which was the final score. Continue reading...

Test your knowledge of international football, NFL, WSL and more with this week's set of questions Continue reading...

All over the world, the far right comes to power through an alliance with the right and part of the business communityIn the recent elections in France, the far right loomed on the precipice of power. The only thing that stopped them from winning was the mobilisation of the far left. The far right was defeated, and the centrist Emmanuel Macron lost 70 MPs. The left, meanwhile, came out on top.This victory is the fruit of the broad mobilisation of trade unions and citizens. The main French trade unions put all their strength into the battle, called for the construction of a Popular Front and, with the majority of the French trade union organisations, raised a call to protest and vote against the extreme right. Continue reading...

Activists say investigation by agency set up by Ron DeSantis into whether fraud took place is voter intimidationFlorida law enforcement officials are investigating voters who signed a petition to get a closely watched abortion rights measure on the ballot this fall, showing up at the homes of some residents unannounced in what activists say is an effort to intimidate voters.Organizers turned in more than 900,000 signatures in January to get a measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution. The deadline to challenge signatures has passed, but a state agency created by DeSantis to investigate voter fraud recently began investigating whether there was fraud in the gathering process. Continue reading...

David Feldman touts bare-knuckle boxing as the world's fastest-growing combat sport. But can his six-year-old promotion manage to overcome its inherent brutality?Bare-knuckle boxing is best described by its many contradictions. It has been touted as the world's fastest-growing combat sport and, simultaneously, an ancient practice whose origins have been lost to prehistory. It is bloody, yet arguably less harmful for the brain than its gloved counterpart. In terms of fan numbers, it remains a relative minnow in the world of professional sports, but is nevertheless doing impressive box-office numbers in the US, UK and elsewhere.It's humane enough to be mainstream, but it's borderline brutal," says David Feldman, founder and president of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). Bare-knuckle boxing is exactly what it sounds like. Two fighters enter a ring without gloves and, over a series of two-minute rounds, attempt to punch the other athlete into unconsciousness. Winners in fights that don't end in knockouts are decided by judges. Most fighters do wear cloth wraps around the wrist and thumb to reduce the risk of injuring their own hands, but their fists' striking surfaces - their knuckles - remain completely free of protection. It makes for compelling spectator sport, even to this initially hesitant observer. Continue reading...

No wonder Viktor Orban and Geert Wilders are cheering. Olaf Scholz is helping them to reshape the EU as they want itThe far right across Europe used to dream of seeing their countries leave the European Union. In France, they called for a Frexit; in Germany, it was Dexit. But recently these calls have quietened. The reason is not that far-right parties have become enamoured of the EU, but rather they now understand that instead of quitting, they can reshape the EU into a collection of strong" nation states that will each enact their own rightwing anti-migration agenda.Dr Maurice Stierl is a migration and border researcher at the University of Osnabruck, GermanyDo 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 storm left hundreds of thousands without power, brought flooding and pounded the area with heavy winds and rain. It had weakened from a Category 2 hurricane to a tropical depression as it moved northeastward over central Mississippi, but still threatened areas with dangerous storm surges

Move by justice department result of FBI investigation over foreign bid to shape outcome of November electionThe US justice department is preparing criminal charges in connection with an Iranian hack that targeted Donald Trump's presidential campaign in a bid to shape the outcome of the November election, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.It was not immediately clear when the charges might be announced or whom precisely they will target, but they are the result of an FBI investigation into an intrusion that investigators across multiple agencies quickly linked to an Iranian effort to influence American politics. Continue reading...

Trump repeats claims he won the matchup to Arizona crowd; Harris says in North Carolina that Americans should see another debate. This blog is now closed.

Republican nominee, at event in Arizona, lists familiar grievances and says there will not be another debateDonald Trump delivered his first public remarks since his debate against Kamala Harris at a campaign event on Thursday in Arizona, a key swing state that both candidates are eager to secure.An estimated 5,000 people braved the blazing temperatures - which hovered just above 100F (37.8C) through the afternoon - to wait in line outside the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall in Tucson, an auditorium rented by the campaign that holds about 2,300 people. Meanwhile, city emergency crews responded to dozens of calls for heat injuries before Trump took the stage, according to local public radio reporter Alisa Zaira Reznick. Continue reading...

Democratic nominee criticizes Trump at Charlotte and Greensboro rallies recounting he has concept of a plan'Kamala Harris held rallies Thursday in North Carolina, first in Charlotte and then in Greensboro, calling for another round of debate with Donald Trump, two days after her strong showing in Philadelphia against the former president.I believe we owe it to the voters to have another debate," she said to applause, because this election and what is at stake could not be more important. On Tuesday night, I talked about issues that I know matter to families across America, like bringing down the cost of living ... but that's not what we heard from Donald Trump." Continue reading...

City council approves proposals, risking ire of Republicans threatening to withhold millions in state fundingA Tennessee judge has ruled that three gun control questions can go on the November ballot in Memphis, even as top Republican state leaders have threatened to withhold tens of millions of dollars in state funding should city leaders put the initiative before voters.The Daily Memphian reports that Shelby county chancellor Melanie Taylor Jefferson sided with the Memphis city council, which sued the Shelby county election commission last month for refusing to put gun control measures on the ballot. Continue reading...

David and Philip Walker also reportedly stole and threw New York Times photographer's camera into body of waterTwo brothers were arrested on Thursday on charges that they assaulted a New York Times photographer inside the US Capitol during a mob's attack on the building more than three years ago.David Walker, 49, of Delran, New Jersey, and Philip Walker, 52, of Upper Chichester, Pennsylvania, also are charged with stealing a camera from the photographer during the 6 January 2021 attack. Continue reading...

Republicans sharing false claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets has put national attention on SpringfieldThe city of Springfield, Ohio, has closed down its city hall due to a bomb threat issued to multiple facilities.Springfield has been the subject of national attention in recent days after Donald Trump's campaign and rightwing Republicans amplified a false social media rumor of the community's Haitian immigrants eating local pets. There is no evidence to back up the claims. Continue reading...

Eleven months on from 7 October, the deaths of Palestinians and Israeli hostages are still mounting, and the risks of a broader regional war persistIt is approaching a year since the Hamas atrocities of 7 October, in which 1,200 people were killed, and the beginning of the Israeli retaliation. Health authorities in Hamas-controlled Gaza say that 41,118 people have now been killed, with 95,125 injured; a quarter of those are believed to have suffered life-changing injuries.The pace of killing may have slowed, but the deaths and suffering are no less horrifying. On Wednesday, six UN aid workers were among at least 18 people killed by an Israeli strike on a school in Nuseirat, central Gaza, where displaced people were sheltering. The day before, at least 19 people were killed by an Israeli attack in a supposed safe zone" in Khan Younis to which people had been urged to flee by the Israeli military. Onboth occasions, Israel claimed it was targeting Hamas command and control centres. The strikes came less than a fortnight after six Israeli hostages were found dead, reportedly shot in the head by their captors as Israeli forces approached.Do 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...

US president, Joe Biden, swapped hats with a Trump supporter at an event commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In a statement on X after the event, the White House spokesperson, Andrew Bates, posted: At the Shanksville Fire Station, @POTUS spoke about the country's bipartisan unity after 9/11 and said we needed to get back to that'. Bates added: 'As a gesture, he gave a hat to a Trump supporter who then said that in the same spirit, POTUS should put on his Trump cap. He briefly wore it'

Alberto Gonzales denounces Trump's role in January 6 and joins other high-profile Republicans voting for DemocratAlberto Gonzales, a Republican attorney general under the George W Bush administration, has announced his endorsement of Kamala Harris.As the United States approaches a critical election, I can't sit quietly as Donald Trump - perhaps the most serious threat to the rule of law in a generation - eyes a return to the White House," Gonzales, who served as the US's 80th attorney general from 2005 to 2007, wrote in an article for Politico. Continue reading...

The White House and US Department of Education should clear loans burdening myself and millions of older AmericansAmericans over 60 are the fastest growing demographic of student debtors. I should know. I'm one of them. I'm 77 years old and today I owe $549,497.20 in student loan debt. As seniors stretch limited incomes across rent payments and medical bills, groceries and gas, student loan payments often end up getting paid last - if at all. Decades of broken student relief programs, corrupt loan servicers and government neglect now force millions of older Americans to drag decades-old student debts into their retirement. Without swift, bold policy change and clear political leadership, this crisis will only deepen. The debtors will get older, the debts will get bigger.That's why this Thursday, 12 September I am traveling from my home in Atlanta, Georgia, to Washington DC with the Debt Collective's caucus of older student debtors. Together, we are demanding the White House and the US Department of Education finally take responsibility for the mess they have made and clear the loans burdening myself and millions of older Americans. This will be the first time in history that elders lead the charge for student debt cancellation - for older debtors and for everyone. Continue reading...

It isn't a stretch, even at this very early stage, to think this could be the best Chiefs team of the Mahomes-Reid eraSound the alarm: the Chiefs have that look again.The most stunning thing about Kansas City's Super Bowl win last season was that it came in what should have been a retooling year. Sure, when you have Patrick Mahomes, every season carries championship expectations. But for much of last year, the Chiefs had that not-quite-good-enough feel of the mid-dynasty New England Patriots. Their defense was outstanding, but the offense had taken on too much water: their receivers couldn't catch; the offensive line struggled with injuries; the 34-year-old Travis Kelce showed inevitable signs of decline. Continue reading...

Hundreds of people gathered at a Seattle beach on Wednesday for a vigil in memory of the Turkish-American human rights activist Ayenur Ezgi Eygi, who was shot and killed by the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank. Friends and family have called for an independent investigation into the incident, which the US and Turkish governments have criticised. Israel's military acknowledged that one of its soldiers killed Eygi but said it was unintentional

It takes a big person to beg for forgiveness. But it takes an even bigger one to realise they're not entitled to itThere's something deeply attractive about someone who can acknowledge when they've stuffed up and offer a genuine apology.As human beings, we tend to hold people in high regard when they eat a large portion of humble pie. It takes a big person to admit they're wrong", as the saying goes. Continue reading...

Battleground state voters generally awarded Harris a win, though they want to see more policy specifics[Donald] Trump lost, and it wasn't close. [Kamala] Harris was a strong performer, but I think I'm still concerned as far as her Israel-Gaza stance. I think she punted, to be frank. That was a missed opportunity for Trump. She was able to make appeals to Americans on both sides of the political spectrum, while he chose to be the same old, same old. Continue reading...

Mexican American singer condemns ex-president for his toxic politics and criminality' as he preps Tucson eventThe famed Mexican American singer Linda Ronstadt has condemned Donald Trump for his hatred" as the Republican presidential nominee prepares to host a rally in her namesake hall in Tuscon, Arizona.In a Facebook statement released on Wednesday evening, the 78-year old multi-Grammy winner said: Donald Trump is holding a rally on Thursday in a rented hall in my hometown, Tucson. I would prefer to ignore that sad fact. But since the building has my name on it, I need to say something. Continue reading...

Conspiracy theorist said to have been key promoter of false rumour about immigrants ex-president repeated in debate

The funk and soul singer, who has died aged 77, was part of Black family life in the US while being a cult sensation in the UK - and his smooth but never slick music rightly enduresThe online tributes to Frankie Beverly in the wake of his death on Wednesday offered a fascinating study in contrasts. Black Americans wrote about his band Maze as a fact of life, invoking memories of family parties, summer barbecues and picnics to which they had inevitably provided the soundtrack: Any time I heard Golden Time of Day or Happy Feelings, I knew it was a good time to be had in my neighbourhood", as actor and director Tyler Perry put it. Indeed, over time, Maze's music seemed to take on a symbolic quality: they were the band film-makers reached for if they wanted musical shorthand for Black family life on their soundtrack; when Beyonce wanted to put a distinctly African American stamp on the Coachella festival, it was Beverley's music she turned to, covering the 1981 single Before I Let Go.To British soul fans, Beverly was something else entirely: a connoisseur's choice. The flop singles he released with the Butlers in the 60s were highly prized by northern soul DJs and collectors. And, in the 80s, Maze became the ultimate if-you-know-you-know band among denizens of the underground soul scene. Championed by taste-making DJs Robbie Vincent and Greg Edwards, they never had a huge hit, but could pack out huge venues. In 1982, before any of their records had even made the charts, they sold out the Hammersmith Odeon. Three years later, as their biggest single, Too Many Games, stalled just inside the Top 40 - its sales boosted by its instrumental B-side Twilight, a massive floor-filler on the soul scene - they sold out six consecutive nights at the same venue. Continue reading...

Panel in San Francisco to discuss role artificial intelligence could play in 2024 election, including manipulated mediaGuardian US is co-hosting an event on 12 September with Bay Area public media outlet KQED and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism focused on the impact artificial intelligence could have on elections and democracy.The panel will discuss worries over the role AI could play in this year's elections and beyond, including manipulated or deepfaked media and false information spread on platforms. These disruptions could increase as the November elections near. Continue reading...

Ex-secretary of state excoriates Israeli PM and says campus protesters had blank stares' when talking about PalestineIn a new book, the former US secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton hits out at Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, for taking zero responsibility" for the surprise attack by Hamas on 7 October last year.In an important way, Netanyahu is nothing like [Golda] Meir," Clinton writes, referring to the Israeli prime minister who was in power when Egypt attacked in 1973, and whom Clinton says she admired for the way she mixed humor and gravitas". Continue reading...

Tyreek Hill said he 'could have been better' in a press conference, following a police incident three days earlier that saw him pulled out of his car by his arm and head. Hill acknowledged he could have rolled his window down when the police first approached his vehicle and said: 'I've got to follow rules. I've got to do what everyone else would do.' But he held firm in his position that the police escalated the situation beyond necessary. Speaking about the bodycam footage which showed officer, Danny Torres, pulling the NFL star out of his car, Hill asked the question: 'What would they do if they didn't have bodycams?' Torres has been placed on administrative duties since the incident.

Conservative group posts flyers with photos and names of students and faculty, calling them anti-Israel'Students and faculty at Atlanta's Emory University have been targeted by an outside group posting and handing out flyers labeling 14 of their colleagues anti-Israel". The flyer, titled Security Alert", included the names, ages and mugshot-style photos of each of them, arranged under the word Arrested".Campus Reform, a national group of conservative students, put its logo on the flyer, which refers to arrests made during last April's protests seeking Emory divestment from Israel. Charges for most of that day's 28 arrests remain unresolved and awaiting trial, after several faculty leaders have been unsuccessful in efforts to get Emory president Gregory Fenves to ask prosecutors to drop them. Continue reading...

Staffers claim June mass layoffs at civil rights non-profit was a union-busting tactic that destroyed lives'Workers at the civil rights non-profit Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) have voted on a motion of no confidence in its chief executive, Margaret Huang, following a mass layoff of staffers in June 2024 that they characterized as a union-busting tactic.The SPLC union announced this week that 92% of members who voted on the motion supported the no-confidence motion, with the union calling for Huang's removal, the reversal of the layoff of 25% of the organization's staff, and a call to involve the union in the hiring of a new CEO. The union also started a public petition to rally support for their demands. Continue reading...

Free school meals increase attendance rates, improve nutrition, help low-income students and cut down on bureaucracyChildren with stamped wrists. Debt collectors hounding parents. Untouched food thrown away while an adult says: You have no money." In a dystopian thriller, these scenes might be dismissed as on-the-nose. But they're all real humiliations inflicted over unpaid accounts in US public school cafeterias.Contrast these chilling scenes with a different one: a proud, middle-aged former teacher in a suit, surrounded by beaming schoolchildren, signing into law a program that will feed every student in his state. The most adorable bill-signing in US history - and a vision for how simple it could be to improve our kids' lives - came courtesy of Tim Walz. Continue reading...

Trump stoking bigotry and calling journalists enemies of the people' is reminiscent of Hitler. It's hard to imagine - until it isn'tClaud Cockburn, my grandfather, knew when it was time to leave Berlin.A young British journalist, he'd worked as a correspondent for The [London] Times in that city in the 1920s before transferring to New York and Washington DC. Returning to Germany in July 1932, he saw storm Troopers slashing and smashing up and down the Kurfuerstendamm", and war propaganda: huge exhibitions of the Front', soldier figures standing in a real-life size trench playing with a dummy machine gun", he wrote. Continue reading...

UN chief condemns dramatic violations of international humanitarian law'. Plus, Republicans dismayed by Trump's debate

Branded stadiums turn community hubs into billboards. Memories are still made, but the corporate influence dulls the purity of the experienceThe Cleveland Browns held an oddly celebratory press conference last week to announce the sale of the naming rights to their stadium to Huntington Bank, a regional bank headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For the next 20 years, what was once Cleveland Browns Stadium will be known as Huntington Bank Field. Never mind that Huntington Bank Field is a laughably generic name that does not even attempt to maintain continuity with the arena's two most recent monikers, both of which labeled it a stadium rather than a field; the real catch is that the Browns haven't even decided whether to renovate their current home on the shore of Lake Erie or build a new stadium in Cleveland's southwestern suburbs.Under the terms of the deal, the Browns' home will be Huntington Bank Field wherever it ends up: the stadium now has a fixed name but a curious air of ephemerality hangs over its address. Continue reading...