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Biden due at ceremony on military base in Alaska while event in New York featured victims delivering personal messagesFrom Ground Zero to small towns, Americans looked back Monday on 9/11 with moments of silence, tearful words and appeals to teach younger generations about the deadly terror attacks that struck the nation exactly 22 years before.For those of us who lost people on that day, that day is still happening," Edward Edelman said as he arrived at New York's World Trade Center to honor his slain brother-in-law, Daniel McGinley. Everybody else moves on. And you find a way to go forward, but that day is always happening for you." Continue reading...

Tulane university researchers accused of serious' violations that breached international protocol over animal deathsAn animal rights group is demanding the firing of researchers at a Louisiana university who killed laboratory rats with scissors and a blunt blade - and used out-of-date anesthetics for pain relief.The episodes are detailed in separate, self-reported notices of violation to the federal Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (Olaw), which were sent by Tulane University in New Orleans and obtained by the Stop Animal Exploitation Now advocacy group. Continue reading...

City condemned for controversial move after activists and protesters deliver signatures to clerk's office at city hallThe city of Atlanta has refused to begin counting and verifying petitions signed by about 116,000 registered voters to put on the ballot the question of whether a controversial police and fire department training center known as Cop City" should be built.The move was backed by a legal memo from lawyers hired by the city, citing an active court case, after dozens of activists and Atlanta residents delivered the petitions to the clerk's office at city hall on Monday. Continue reading...

Program caught in a partisan fight over abortion and is under threat amid Congress's negotiations over government shutdownSeveral people were arrested after entering the office of Kevin McCarthy, the speaker of the House, during a protest for HIV/Aids funding on Monday.The US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), a widely bipartisan program, has since been reauthorized three times, and Joe Biden earlier this year indicated that he would work with Congress to extend it a fourth. Continue reading...

Volcano, which erupted for several weeks in June, erupted on Sunday, displaying glowing lava, but no communities threatenedKilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, began erupting after a two-month pause, displaying glowing lava that is a safe distance from people and structures in a national park on Hawaii's Big Island.The Hawaii volcano observatory said the eruption was observed on Sunday afternoon at the summit of Kilauea. Continue reading...

Washington should come clean about its role in the 1973 Chilean coup d'etat, as it is seen as part of attempts to destabilise leftwing governments in Latin AmericaThree decades before the 2001 al-Qaida terror attacks on the US, September 11 was infamous for another bloody event which ended one era of history and brought forth another. The 1973 military coup in Chile installed General Augusto Pinochet as the dictator of a regime that tortured, killed and disappeared thousands in the name of fighting communism. Salvador Allende, the first socialist in the Americas to take office via the ballot box, killed himself as troops stormed the presidential palace. Under Pinochet, parliament was closed, political parties outlawed, and media outlets shut down. Chile became a test-bed for the shock therapy" policies of the University of Chicago economist Milton Friedman.The death of democracy was undoubtedly hastened by the actions of leading powers, including the UK and Australia, but most notably the US. Shamefully, Conservative governments led by Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher resisted helping Pinochet's victims because of sympathetic attitudes towards the coup. The Labour governments of 1974-79 ran a more ethical foreign policy, accepting Chilean refugees and imposing sanctions on the junta. Continue reading...

Former Spanish football president quit his role without apology and no mention of wrongdoing in the Jenni Hermoso scandalLuis Rubiales firmly yelled I'm not going to resign" in his speech at an extraordinary general assembly of Spain's football federation (RFEF) last month, banging a fist on the podium to assert his position. But, 17 days later, he announced his resignation from his position as federation president, as well as vice-president of Uefa. The right decision has been made, but Rubiales is leaving the federation in authoritative fashion after announcing his decision to quit in an interview with Piers Morgan, a clip of which has been posted online prior to their full sit-down being aired on Tuesday.The resignation statement released by Rubiales was nothing less than expected. There was no apology, no mention of Jenni Hermoso, the player who he grabbed and kissed during the medal ceremony following Spain's World Cup success in Sydney last month, no mention of the other players who secured that incredible achievement, and no mention of doing anything wrong. Continue reading...

The Serb captured his 24th grand slam title at the US Open on Sunday. His skills do not appear to be on the wane as he approaches his late 30sNovak Djokovic is his sport's most stubborn obstacle - a great wall of skill, cunning and grit. And yet there were times in the US Open final on Sunday when it appeared he might actually yield as he stood hunched over, banging on his thighs in a bid to jumpstart his legs. At one point during a torturously long second set against Daniil Medvedev - the hardest physically grueling set I've had to play," he told CBS on Monday - Djokovic was scrambling so hard to catch up with the Russian's groundstrokes that he lost his grip and his racket went flying. When Medvedev took his own tumble and lay on the ground to catch himself, Djokovic crossed the net to check on him. Before offering Medvedev a helping hand, it seemed like Djokovic might want to lie down next to his opponent to catch a breath.On paper, Djokovic's straight sets victory over Medvedev makes it look like becoming the oldest US Open winner was a breeze. But in reality he couldn't wait for it to be over. That's why I didn't celebrate maybe as I did in Roland Garros or fall to the floor or jump out of joy," he said after the final. I was just so relieved when I saw his forehand in the net." Continue reading...

Ahead of Citizens United decision that unleashed dark money flood, Thomas worked with Leonard Leo and Harlan CrowIn the months before the US supreme court handed down Citizens United, the 2010 ruling which unleashed a flood of dark money into American politics, the wife of a conservative justice worked with a prominent rightwing activist and a mega-donor closely linked to her husband to form a group to exploit the decision.So said a blockbuster report from Politico, detailing moves by Ginni Thomas - wife of Justice Clarence Thomas - and Leonard Leo, the Federalist Society chief who has worked to stock the court with rightwingers, leading to a series of epochal decisions, including the removal of the federal right to abortion. Continue reading...

Children, some as young as 15, incarcerated at notorious Angola prison, which has reputation for brutality and violenceLouisiana has until Friday to remove children from its notorious state penitentiary at Angola after a federal judge found they were being held in intolerable" conditions that included prolonged solitary confinement, punishment with mace and handcuffs, and inadequate education and mental health care.The ruling brings to a climax a year-long battle between civil rights groups and the state of Louisiana, which has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. Angola prison, named after the African country from which enslaved people were forcibly brought to work on the plantation where the penitentiary is located, has a reputation for penal brutality and violence. Continue reading...

The final grand slam of the year saw Coco Gauff claim her first major title and Novak Djokovic his 24th. Here are some of our favourite images from the fortnight at Flushing Meadows Continue reading...

In an extract from his weekly newsletter, Jonathan Wilson answers your questions on hypothetical transfers, James Maddison and attack v defenceAlternate reality time: if Lionel Messi had gone to the Premier League this summer instead of MLS, how would he have fared? For argument's sake, let's say he went to Newcastle United - Parveez.As we've seen over the past few weeks, Lionel Messi remains a sensationally good creative player. I'm sure that even in the Premier League there'd have been plenty of goals and assists. That said, I've been taken aback by just how easy he found it in the Leagues Cup, just how much space he was given. His impact in his three MLS games to date has been less eye-catching, so it may be that in the more-established competition, defensive structures are more coherent; certainly if a 36-year-old can dominate MLS as he dominated the Leagues Cup, I'm not sure it's a great sign for the level of the competition. Yes, he did it at the World Cup, but the international game, of necessity given the lack of time available to coaches, is far less systems-driven than elite club soccer and so privileges the individual.Have a question for Jonathan? Email soccerwithjw@theguardian.com.This is an extract from Soccer With Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look at the game in Europe. To subscribe, just visit this page and follow the instructions. Continue reading...

Paul Landis's recollection of Kennedy's slaying is bound to fuel those who believe multiple shooters killed the late presidentAn ex-Secret Service agent who was feet away from John F Kennedy when the former president was shot dead has broken his decades-old silence to cast doubt on the single-bullet theory held by the commission which investigated the assassination.In an interview published by the New York Times over the weekend, Paul Landis said that he long believed the official finding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when he killed Kennedy. Continue reading...

Governor says we righted a wrong' in overturning disorderly conduct conviction after father arrested at school board meetingThe Virginia governor, Glenn Youngkin, has pardoned a father who was arrested at a school board meeting in 2021 after his daughter was sexually assaulted in a school bathroom by another student.The man's arrest occurred after disrupting a Loudoun county school board meeting after the assault, providing a key moment in what was then a budding parents' rights movement across schools nationwide. Continue reading...

The constitution bars anyone from holding public office if they engaged in insurrection' - but political vitriol makes it a tough callAfter defending the integrity of US elections from an onslaught of threats over the last several years, secretaries of state across the US are now turning to a new high-stakes question: Is Donald Trump eligible to run for president?Several secretaries are already working with attorneys general in their states and studying whether Trump is disqualified under a provision of the 14th amendment that bars anyone from holding public office if they've previously taken an oath to the United States and then engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same". That language clearly disqualifies Trump from running in 2024, William Baude and Michael Stokes Paulsen, two prominent conservative scholars, concluded in a lengthy forthcoming law review article. If the public record is accurate, the case is not even close. He is no longer eligible to the office of Presidency, or any other state or federal office covered by the Constitution. All who are committed to the Constitution should take note and say so," they write in the article. Continue reading...

To counter social-media conspiracy theories, we need more honest information about contraception and its side-effectsBirth control is this generation's cigarettes," says a woman on TikTok. When women start taking the pill they get massively depressed," says another. It's a class-one carcinogen," continues the feed. It was 99.9% effective in ruining my life." Then there's the meme of a woman unfolding a contraceptive pill side-effects warning leaflet, as large as a bath towel. Meanwhile those who have come off hormonal contraception and turned to fertility awareness apps give the impression of a world of joy and rainbows - and no accidents.There's a seismic shift going on in contraception, and health professionals are scrambling to catch up. The TikTok health claims above are wildly exaggerated and often incorrect, but that's not stopping a generation of women, trans and non-binary people binning their pills. The latest abortion rate in England and Wales is 19 per 1,000 women and growing, the highest it has been since legalisation in 1967 - and in Scotland it is 16 per 1,000, but terminations are up 19% year on year there, with a rise among teenagers too. Some doctors have suggested that social media is to blame for the rise in abortions, as women turn away from the pill.Kate Muir's book Everything You Need to Know About the Pill is published next yearDo 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.

At least 2,122 people have been killed in the country's deadliest quake since 1960. Plus, Phoenix breaks its record for number of days above 110FGood morning.Foreign aid and rescue teams have joined the rescue efforts in the destroyed villages in the Atlas mountains of Morocco on Monday, three days after the country's strongest ever earthquake.Where was the epicenter? Below a cluster of villages 45 miles south of Marrakech. The quake was felt as far away as the northern coast.What was the quake's magnitude? 6.8 Richter, classified as strong".What is the death toll? At least 2,122 people have been killed and more than 2,421 injured, many of them critically, according to government figures.What happened after the freezing episodes? The congressional physician Brian P Monahan conducted several tests on McConnell and released the results, which showed no evidence of certain disorders or stroke.Did Cassidy discuss other top officials? He urged Joe Biden to release similar records, calling on the president to do what Mitch just did". Continue reading...

Carlson, once seen as a Republican powerbroker and even a presidential candidate, has grown more extreme and less relevantFor years, Tucker Carlson seemed untouchable at Fox News. His position as the channel's most popular host allowed him to wield power over viewers and the Republican party alike, his political influence reinforcing his position as the king of rightwing cable TV.That changed in April, however, when Fox News, after settling a defamation lawsuit for $787m, gave Carlson the boot. Continue reading...

The Congressional Integrity Project reports on several inconsistencies and untruths in James Comer's House investigationThe man leading the Republican charge for an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden has endured eight months of abject failure" in trying to prove the US president guilty of wrongdoing, a watchdog report says.James Comer, the ambitious chairman of the House of Representatives' oversight committee, has repeatedly overhyped allegations of bribery and corruption against Biden without once producing hard evidence, according to the Congressional Integrity Project. Continue reading...

If a third-party candidate takes even a small part of the anti-Trump vote away from Biden, Trump is likely to be returned to the White HouseWhether they intend to be or not, third-party groups such as No Labels and the Green party are in effect front groups for Trump in 2024.No Labels has pledged to spend $70m to support a third-party candidate in 2024 who could easily draw enough votes from President Biden to tip the presidential election to Trump. Continue reading...

We just returned from a delegation to Brazil, Chile and Colombia. Each country is still seeking answers about the history of US interventionOn the morning of 11 September 1973, the Central Intelligence Agency briefed President Richard Nixon about the Chilean military's imminent plan to trigger military action against the Allende government". By noon, bombs and bullets rained down on Chile's presidential palace from planes, armored cars and helicopters circling the center of Santiago. By 6.30pm, President Allende was dead, and the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet had begun.Fifty years have now passed since the bloody coup d'etat in Chile. Since then, democracy has returned, after 16 years of courageous resistance and a resounding No" to military rule in a 1988 national plebiscite. Pinochet has died, following a fatal heart attack in 2006 at the age of 91. And a new generation of leaders has risen to power to secure Chileans' rights to healthcare, housing and a habitable planet. Continue reading...

While Germany won their first World Cup, Canada stunned the USA in the bronze-medal playoff to change a one-sided rivalryThe 2023 Fiba World Cup was a tournament of firsts. The first time Germany won a global basketball competition. The first time five African teams won a game in the group stage. And the first time Team Canada won a medal: they defeated Team USA after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks combined to score 70 points in the bronze medal game on Sunday, winning an overtime thriller, 127-118.This isn't how things are supposed to play out in international men's hoops, especially between Canada and the USA. After all, the US are the No 2 ranked nation in the world and the reigning Olympic champions, while Canada are No 15 and haven't been to the Olympics since 2000. The Americans were 21-1 against Canada all-time in international competition heading into Sunday's game, with a roster containing 12 NBA players including Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton and Mikal Bridges. It certainly wasn't America's A team, but the talent is nothing to scoff at either. Continue reading...

Novak Djokovic secured a record-extending 24th grand slam title and his fourth US Open crown after a stunning victory over Daniil Medvedev in the final on Sunday. The 36 year-old overcame his Russian opponent in straight sets, winning 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3.The scoreline doesn't reflect the tenacity of his opponent's performance, forcing the champion into tense and lengthy rallies at Flushing Meadows in New York. Victory earned Djokovic revenge for his loss to Medvedev in the 2021 final, and puts him two ahead of Rafael Nadal on the all-time men's grand slam winners list.

Green Bay have moved on from a Hall of Fame quarterback before with some success. The plan for Jordan Love looks like it is working in its early stagesSunday saw the start of a new era for the Packers-Bears rivalry and, frankly, it did not look much different from recent incarnations, in which Green Bay have dominated Chicago. If the Bears thought that facing Jordan Love rather than Aaron Rodgers would change their fortunes, the Packers' comprehensive 38-20 victory proved them wrong. It was the Packers' ninth win in a row over their NFC North rivals.Bears fans had reason to be optimistic before the game, at least after last year. First of all, the team is actually attempting to win games this time around! On top of that, in the midst of a lot of losing in 2022, Justin Fields improved as time went on, becoming only the third NFL quarterback to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. Meanwhile, Love has been a gigantic question mark since he entered the league. Continue reading...

Bethany Alhaidari escaped kingdom in 2019 and faces risk of corporal punishment' if US court sends her daughter backAn American activist who escaped Saudi Arabia in 2019 is at risk of being forced to send her daughter back to the kingdom by a US court because of an ongoing custody dispute.Bethany Alhaidari is facing a 24 October court date that will determine her future life with her eight-year-old daughter, Zaina. Continue reading...

Inspired by films I watched as a teenager, I got myself admitted to university in Los Angeles. But then the fairytale souredMy parents weren't pleased when I told them that I wanted to move to California for university. They didn't leave everything behind in Taiwan and Malaysia for a new life in England for their firstborn to move even farther west to the US. What could I say? This was my American dream, and I wanted to make it".I applied to US colleges I had heard of in films. I studied SAT books and got a good enough score to attempt the admissions process. Things started to happen. I bunked off sixth form to attend interviews. In films these are huge moments of plot development, but it was difficult to feel that the rest of my life would be determined by a Yale interview in a Starbucks. Harvard and Princeton also took place in coffee shops, Stanford in a hotel lobby, and Columbia in a members' club. The interviews felt anticlimactic, and I never checked the online application portal to see if I had been admitted, because I didn't want the dream to end.Elaine Chong is a broadcast news journalist and documentary film-maker at the BBCDo 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...

A survey asking couples why they stayed together proves the uselessness of people's opinions. It's like asking centenarians the secret of a long lifeThe secret to a long relationship? Have sex seven times a month and never go to bed angry, according to a survey of 2,000 British couples commissioned for the launch of Love & Death on ITVX, a show about an affair and an axe murder. Twenty per cent of people surveyed thought liking the same programmes was important; I wonder if this one will tick their boxes?My friends are sceptical too. People are still having sex? In this economy?" says one. Oh, please," says another. Maybe aim for not going to bed angry seven times a month. That's in my marriage how-to." Given how often my insomnia leaves me wandering like an unquiet spirit, mine would be: Try to sleep seven times a month in the same room." Or even: Try to sleep."Emma Beddington is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

In their rush to claim the future and concrete over the past, these vast rebrands are demolishing people's homes and their heritageSpread over an area almost 7km (4 miles) long, Cairo's Necropolis is a sprawling district of tombs, mausoleums, mosques and courtyards. Also known as the City of the Dead, it is very much alive with memories of those buried there, with the different eras of history that it traces, and with the real families who live in it and have done so, in some instances, for generations. It dates back to the seventh century, and, like so much of historic Cairo, has always existed in an almost dizzying proximity with modernity. Billboards, construction and heavy traffic rub shoulders with the silent tombs of intricate mosaics, ancient wooden doors and hallowed spaces of mourning and remembrance. Buried there are not just ancient kings and dignitaries but more contemporary politicians, celebrities and Cairenes who passed in recent decades.Their slumber is now an uneasy one. In 2020, authorities began demolishing parts of the city to make way for an expressway. In the years since, the threat of further demolition has hung over the rest of the city. Hussein Omar's mother, as well as some eight generations of his family, are buried there, and he hoped one day to lie next to them. He tells me that for years his family has been in deadlock with the state over what rights they have to visit, but that has now escalated, as the graves themselves have come under threat of removal. The Egyptian state has always wanted to control histories," he says, but in more recent times, there has been what appears to be a deliberate targeting" in which the attempts to erase history are part and parcel of attempts to overwrite people's claims to property rights over what are clearly historic plots of valuable real estate". Continue reading...

The pup's owners were arrested in a Walmart parking lot on suspicion of animal cruelty and possession of narcoticsCalifornia police administered an overdose-reversing drug to a pit bull puppy in attempts to save it from a potential fentanyl overdose.On Friday, the Irvine police department announced that it administered a dose of Narcan to the puppy after it was exposed to fentanyl in a car and began to show signs of an overdose". Continue reading...

Michelle Lujan Grisham announced open and concealed carry restrictions on Friday after the deaths of three childrenA pro-gun group is suing the New Mexico governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, in an effort to block a 30-day emergency order suspending the right to carry firearms in public in Albuquerque's Bernalillo county issued last week after a spate of shootings.The governor announced open and concealed carry restrictions on Friday in a public health order relating to gun violence after the fatal shootings of an 11-year-old boy on his way home from a minor league baseball game last week, as well as the fatal shooting of a four-year-old girl in her bed in a motor home and a 13-year-old girl in Taos county in August. Continue reading...

Teenager was struggling in spring but different coaches and her dad taking a step back proved to be inspired decisionsEven as the WTA tour had shifted on to the European red clay season this year, Coco Gauff's favourite surface and the period that brought her first grand slam final at the French Open in 2022, the 19-year-old was struggling. During the early days of spring, Gauff had taken a few early defeats, culminating in a bitter 6-3, 6-0 loss against Paula Badosa in Madrid.A few days later Gauff, normally known for her toughness and fight, admitted she had allowed her frustration to consume her. I mentally wasn't engaged in that second set," she said. Continue reading...

The US president's remarks came after after meeting in Vietnam with Communist party official to secure global supply chainJoe Biden's national security tour of south-east Asia reached Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sunday, where the president called for stability in the US-China relationship against an increasingly complex diplomatic picture in the region for his country.I don't want to contain China," Biden said. I just want to make sure that we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it's all about." Continue reading...

The teenager has grown up in a world where online abuse is part of an athlete's life. She used it to fuel her first grand slam titleFor someone so young Coco Gauff has a remarkable knack for striking the right tone at the right time. But looking back on the victory ceremony after her come-from-behind US Open final win over Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday, we should have known Gauff had one more score to settle when she demanded the microphone from emcee Mary Jo Fernandez.After giving thanks to God (I'm so blessed in this life") and her hard-working parents (You believed in me from the beginning"), Gauff smoothed down her hair and moved on to thank her detractors. I tried my best to carry this with grace," she said, her sharpened breathing hinting at what was to come. Honestly, to those who thought you were putting water on my fire, you were really adding gas to it - and now I'm really burning so bright right now." Continue reading...

Vice-president dismisses opponents' attacks that president is too old to seek out a second term and says he's going to be fine'Kamala Harris on Sunday declared herself ready to assume the presidency if it ever behooved her to do so - but she also made it a point to dismiss opponents' political attacks that Joe Biden is too old to seek out a second term in the Oval Office.Asked on CBS's Face the Nation whether she was prepared to serve as commander-in-chief in case Biden became unable to carry out his duties, Harris said: Yes, I am, if necessary." Continue reading...

Danelo Cavalcante who escaped prison over a week ago has slipped out of the search area and changed his appearance, police sayAuthorities say an escaped murderer who has eluded capture since breaking out of a south-eastern Pennsylvania prison a week and a half ago has apparently slipped out of the search area, changed his appearance and is now being sought in a stolen vehicle.Pennsylvania state police said in a statement on Sunday that Danelo Souza Cavalcante was seen overnight near Phoenixville in northern Chester county, more than 20 miles (32km) north-east of the area that until now has been the focus of the search. Continue reading...

The US vice-president told AP she would be ready to serve as president if necessary. When asked by reporter Chris Megerian about whether she would be able to step up and assume the responsibilities of the office in the light of Joe Biden's age, Harris confidently said: 'Yes.' Elaborating further, she added: 'Every vice-president understands that when they take the oath, that they must be very clear about the responsibility they may have: to take over the job of being president. I'm no different'

Actors say letters were not meant to undermine victims of Masterson, who was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for rapeAshton Kutcher and Mila Kunis apologized on Saturday for character letters the celebrity couple wrote on behalf of fellow That '70s Show actor Danny Masterson before he was sentenced for rape this week.A judge in Los Angeles on Thursday sentenced Masterson to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women in 2003.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...

Many people are already eligible for work permits through parole' program - but a bureaucratic fog obscures the processMayor Eric Adams of New York City is fed up with providing a welcome for an influx of migrants seeking asylum. At a town hall meeting last week, he declared that spending on shelters and care, more than $5bn this year alone, will destroy New York City".After more than 107,000 migrants arrived over the last year, almost 60,000 are still living in some 200 city shelters. The system was already strained; now it's overwhelmed. Adams, a Democrat, has been haranguing Joe Biden on one issue in particular: he wants faster authorization for asylum seekers to work legally, so they can become self-supporting and move off city services. Continue reading...

Far-right wing insists it will not back speaker to avert government shutdown without concessions like Biden impeachmentKevin McCarthy will return from his August recess on Tuesday facing the latest in a long series of conundrums for the Republican House leader: should he force a government shutdown, leaving hundreds of thousands of government workers without a paycheck, or burn more bridges with the hard-right flank of his conference, risking his speakership in the process?With just 12 legislative days left before the end of the fiscal year, the Republican-controlled House must quickly pass some kind of spending package to keep the federal government open after 30 September. If the chamber does not approve a spending bill, the government will shut down for the first time in nearly five years, furloughing federal employees and stalling many crucial programs. Continue reading...

California's Democratic governor adds Donald Trump's quest for vengeance poses greater threat to democracy in NBC interviewRon DeSantis is fundamentally authoritarian", but Donald Trump's quest for vengeance" poses an even greater threat to democracy, California's Democratic governor Gavin Newsom said on Sunday.Newsom took aim at the leading two candidates for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination during a hard-hitting and wide-ranging interview on NBC's Meet the Press, the final episode with its long-time host Chuck Todd. Continue reading...

The government's policy is to pretend we're getting back to normal'. The result is millions of us live in fear of losing our livesIt is 1.35pm and I'm having to explain coronavirus transmission to a nurse. I am due an appointment at 2.30, and I've been phoned because I say I'm clinically vulnerable. I ask whether the nurse has an N95 mask (as they're proved to be most effective). She does not. I ask whether she and the team are taking weekly lateral flow tests, like her colleague said. She is not, and is unsure why that was promised.We don't need to do that any more," she says breezily. What she means is: she has no official duty to do so any more. Clinically vulnerable (CV) patients still need" the Covid-19 protections. They just don't get them.Frances Ryan is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Months after Alex Murdaugh was found guilty in the killings of his wife and son, defense lawyers are accusing the county clerk of influencing the juryTales of intrigue and gossip encircling the Murdaugh dynasty continue to unfold in South Carolina's low country where only six months ago, after a lengthy trial culminating in barely three hours of deliberations, jurors handed down guilty verdicts to Alex Murdaugh in the killings of his wife and son.The speed of those jury deliberations, and what may have moved jurors to swiftly decide the six-week case, now lies at the heart of the most shocking twist in the saga yet - a claim of jury tampering brought by Murdaugh's defense team against the court clerk. Continue reading...

Those who moan that we're losing our religion are quick to demonise the most vulnerableA shape less recognisable each week,A purpose more obscure. I wonder who Continue reading...

The state voted twice for Trump but although many in the party admit they got things wrong not everyone agrees on whatDavid Cox is trying to persuade his members that Joe Biden has done more for working-class Americans than any US president in his decades as a construction worker and union organiser in eastern Ohio.But Cox is not sure they really want to hear it in a state where the Democratic brand was in decline long before Donald Trump snatched victory in Ohio in 2016 and then increased his support four years later. Continue reading...

Coruscating was originally a sparkling synonym, but now we understand that it's something more scathingGrayson Perry's coruscating repartee", a silky head of hair used to coruscating effect", and a coruscating verdict" expected from the privileges committee. Which one of these references from the Observer over the summer prompted a reader to cry foul? Surely, excoriating" was meant, he said. Perhaps you could correct it and add it to the Guardian and Observer style guide."In early June, the imminent verdict on whether the former prime minister Boris Johnson had misled parliament about gatherings at 10 Downing Street during the pandemic was unlikely to be glittering, so I had halfway reached for the digital red pen to make an amendment. Coruscating" was, as far as I knew, already in the style guide. The entry I had last read went as follows: [It] means sparkling, or emitting flashes of light; people seem to think, wrongly, that it means the same as excoriating, censuring severely, eg a coruscating attack on Clegg's advisers'." Continue reading...

Its Russian taxes pay for 39 bullets every second but still it boasts how ethical its products areSo long as you are not Ukrainian, it is difficult to imagine a more caring and sensitive ally than the food, cosmetic and hygiene giant, Unilever. We strive to do more good for our planet and our society," its website tells everyone.If you are poor, marginalised, old, young, unhappy, persecuted, fearful for the planet or just feeling ugly, the manufacturer of Marmite and Domestos, Cornetto and Hellmann's mayonnaise, feels your pain. Though not the bloody, battlefield kind. Stereotypes," it warns, are making Gen Z consumers feel unsafe on social media." Continue reading...