US news | The Guardian

Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor, will go head to head with Donald Trump, a convicted criminal, in Philadelphia on Tuesday in their first - and maybe only - debateIt will be a study in contrasts around age, gender, race, temperament and policy. It will also be the first time in US presidential history that a former courtroom prosecutor will take the debate stage alongside a convicted criminal with the White House at stake.Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, has served as a trial lawyer, district attorney and state attorney general in California. Former US president Donald Trump, her Republican rival, has been convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal. Continue reading...

Like other celebrity wellness entrepreneurs, the former model seems to peddle nonsenseElle Macpherson's gratitude journal must have written itself last week. Most days, any leader in the wellness industry is right to feel gratitude for the gigantic profits to be made seemingly out of human gullibility: the welcome for her latest venture suggests that the market for experimental self-care may have been wildly underestimated.Since the exclusive revelation of Macpherson's cancer journey" in the Australian Women's Weekly, there can hardly have been enough time in the day, without contracting the work out to a gratitude assistant, to record the amount of joy experienced by a model turned entrepreneur when her apparent rejection of evidence-based medicine is widely presented - with only limited space for objections - as a tale of fully vindicated heroism. Continue reading...

US secretary of state will be most senior US official to have travelled to London since Labour's election victoryThe US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, will head to London next week to discuss the Middle East and Ukraine, the state department announced on Saturday, in advance of a US visit by prime minister Keir Starmer.Blinken's visit to London on Monday and Tuesday will be the most senior by a US official since the Labour party won the general election in July, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Continue reading...

The system by Saturday had been dousing Texas and Louisiana with heavy rains for daysA tropical depression may form next week in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.In a forecast on Saturday afternoon, the NHC said that an area of low pressure had formed over the Bay of Campeche in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico. It had been producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Continue reading...

At 74, Spain's finest director has won the Golden Lion - incredibly, his first major victory at a film festival - for his debut English language feature. Better late than never, even if The Room Next Door isn't quite his finest workPedro Almodovar's The Room Next Door is a tender, heartfelt drama about a driven former war correspondent who's in search of the perfect final scene. She wants an ending that she can script and control, and a handpicked loving audience to applaud her when she goes.As played by Tilda Swinton, the heroine doesn't have it entirely her own way. But the film itself has fared rather better. It bowed out in a blaze of glory and scooped the crowning Golden Lion award in the dying seconds of this year's Venice film festival. Continue reading...

James Shirah, 22, allegedly ran over groomsman with SUV, mortally wounding him, following argument on 30 AugustA newly married couple from Michigan were arrested only hours after their wedding because the groom allegedly used a car to intentionally run over and kill one of his groomsmen, according to local police.The groom, 22-year-old James Shirah of Flint, allegedly ran over his groomsman with an SUV, mortally wounding him, following an argument on 30 August, the Flint police department said on Facebook. Continue reading...

Throughout shooting that killed four people, many attempted to stop attacker and were first to aid injuredStudents and teachers at Georgia's Apalachee high school - where a teenager carried out a deadly mass shooting on Wednesday - are being praised for the bravery they demonstrated when faced with unimaginable circumstances.Meanwhile, more information is emerging about the 14-year-old shooter who allegedly thrust them into those circumstances. Continue reading...

Palestinians say they have no faith in Israel Defense Forces inquiry into killing as US officials insist Gaza ceasefire is nearUS officials have insisted that a ceasefire in Gaza is close even as fighting rages unabated in the blockaded Palestinian territory and violence spirals in the occupied West Bank, where witnesses told the Observer an American-Turkish dual national was killed by Israeli forces on Friday.William Burns, who is also the US's chief negotiator in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, echoed secretary of state Antony Blinken during a speech in London on Saturday in which he said that 90% of the text had been agreed but the last 10% is always the hardest". Continue reading...

Taylor Fritz can be first American man to win a slam singles title since 2003 but world's best player stands in his wayAs Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe tussled for five sets on Friday night in a historic all-American semi-final duel to decide who would clinch the greatest opportunity of their career, Andy Roddick, a towering figure in US tennis, watched on from one of the hospitality boxes dotted around Arthur Ashe Stadium.It has now been 21 years since Roddick won the US Open on the same court, defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final. His victory at the time seemed like a perfect torch-passing moment to a new era of US players as the careers of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, who had won the US Open and Australian Open respectively in the previous year, approached the end. Continue reading...

Ruling, which may be reviewed by appellate court, could strike reproductive rights measure off November ballotA Missouri judge has ruled that a ballot measure asking voters whether abortion rights should be enshrined in the state constitution is invalid, potentially jeopardizing an election scheduled for November.In a ruling issued on Friday, Cole county circuit judge Christopher Limbaugh said that the reproductive rights petition - also known as amendment 3 - led by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom did not comply with state law. Continue reading...

Smaller pro-Palestinian protests continue in new semester amid ramped-up security, but chaos of spring has fadedColumbia University students returned to campus this week under the specter of the mass protests that disrupted campus life last semester. But while actions against the Gaza war continue, the first days of class saw little of the last school year's chaos.On Wednesday, a group of about 30 students gathered for a sit-in protest outside a class Hillary Clinton teaches at the School of International and Public Affairs building, chanting intifada revolution" and Zionists not welcome here". Continue reading...

The virile bird was euthanized by Maryland zoo due to health problems, and is survived by Mrs GreedyA zoo in Baltimore is mourning the death of an African penguin that helped save his kind from extinction by leaving behind more than 200 descendants while living far longer than expected.The remarkable creature in question is Mr Greedy, who was euthanized because of health problems related to his age: 33, or well past African penguins' 18-year median life expectancy, said an announcement from his home, the Maryland zoo. Continue reading...

Thirty years ago, Black women came up with the term reproductive justice. Today we fight for it more than everAs the 2024 elections continue to heat up, there are increasing concerns about the rise of fascism around the world and in the United States. Regardless of the word or label used, Black people, living with the legacy of slavery and multiple forms of reproductive oppression including rape and forced pregnancies, sterilizations and the killing of our children and loved ones by vigilantes and police, have a lot of experience with authoritarian regimes that oppress and dehumanize.There is a strategic agenda from the far right - laid out in clear language in Project 2025 to keep power in the hands of a chosen few and prevent the United States from becoming a truly representative, multiracial democracy that embraces and supports all people including those with the capacity for pregnancy. Continue reading...

Court worker secretly recorded calls in which Kathleen Ryan made homophobic slur and called Black people lazyA suburban Detroit judge is no longer handling cases after a court official turned over recordings of her making anti-gay insults and referring to Black people as lazy.Oakland county probate judge Kathleen Ryan was removed from her docket on 27 August for unspecified misconduct. Now the court's administrator has stepped forward to say he blew the whistle on her, secretly recording their phone calls. Continue reading...

Every time it seems he can't possibly sink any lower, the billionaire CEO grabs a shovel and starts diggingEvery time I think Elon Musk can't possibly sink any lower, he grabs a shovel and starts digging. In recent months, Apartheid Clyde (as he is nicknamed) has been doing his best to get Donald Trump elected by any means possible. As well as throwing money and an endorsement Trump's way, Musk has posted multiple false election claims and reposted a fake version of Kamala Harris's first campaign video that has been doctored to make her say she is the ultimate diversity hire". Continue reading...

The shooting was reportedly sparked by a fight in a school bathroom, and suspect was arrested shortly afterwardA student at a Maryland high school died after being shot by another student during a fight on Friday in a school bathroom, authorities said.Warren Curtis Grant, 15, died after the shooting at Joppatowne high school, the Harford county sheriff, Jeff Gahler, said at a media briefing. Continue reading...

Lifelong Republican makes announcement day after daughter Liz also endorses Democratic candidateThe former vice-president Dick Cheney, a lifelong Republican, will vote for the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, in November's presidential election, he said in a statement on Friday.In our nation's 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump," Cheney said of the former president and Republican nominee. He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again. Continue reading...

Two ex-senior Labour advisers reveal strategy Keir Starmer used to turn its fortunes around by targeting disillusioned hero voters' - and how it could benefit the Democrats US hero voters' key to Harris win say top Labour ex-aides

Diversifying departments is one of the oldest methods of police reform, but Black cops are not immune to adopting the racism of the systemIt wasn't supposed to be this way for Emmitt Martin III. He graduated from Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee, with a degree in criminal justice and played tight end and fullback on the football team all four years. Friends of Martin said he was a role model to his two younger siblings and regularly posted about his love for his young daughter on social media.Martin told people that when he joined the Memphis police department in spring of 2018, he wanted to make a difference. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi, a historically Black fraternity whose founding principles are manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplifting society. Martin's policing performance evaluations show that he exceeded expectations in judgment, reliability and dealing with the public. Few would be faulted for thinking he'd have the safety of Black people in mind as he patrolled their communities. Even fewer would imagine he'd take part in the savage beating death of another Black man, an assault that even the police chief called a failing of basic humanity toward another individual", an act that was heinous, reckless and inhumane". Continue reading...

Race so close in swing states one commentator this week called it the equivalent of a knife fight in a phone booth'As next week's crucial presidential debate looms into view, Kamala Harris has maintained her narrow lead over Donald Trump in head-to-head polls but is locked in a tighter race in the crucial swing states needed to win the US election.Ever since Harris entered the contest - after Joe Biden dropped out following a disastrous debate performance that highlighted fears over his age and mental acuity - the vice-president has ridden a wave of support and enthusiasm, turning the race on its head. A solid but slight Trump advantage morphed into a Harris lead. Continue reading...

Ex-president tries to fend off criticisms of mental acuity that plagued Biden as he waffles about sharks and batteriesFor those baffled by Donald Trump's forays into meandering discourses about electrocution, bacons sales or cannibal killers at his recent political rallies, the former US president had an explanation.Trump assured supporters in Pennsylvania on Saturday that what might look like incoherent ramblings as he frequently departed from his scripted speech were instead indicators of his brilliance that impressed other great minds. Continue reading...

Eygi, 26, was protesting against settlements in occupied West Bank when she was killed by Israeli troops, witnesses sayThe White House said it was deeply disturbed" by the death of an American woman who, according to Palestinian officials and witnesses, was shot in the head by Israeli troops during a protest against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The White House also called for Israel to investigate her killing, which has caused strong reactions across the international community.The US state department confirmed the death of Ayenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, a volunteer peace activist with the anti-occupation International Solidarity Movement (ISM). Continue reading...

Also first time for someone with H5 virus to be hospitalized, and CDC says it is studying patient specimen moreA person in Missouri with no known animal contact has tested positive for H5 bird flu, the state's department of health and senior services said Friday.It's the first time a patient in the US outbreak has had no known exposure to sick animals. And it is the first time someone has been hospitalized with bird flu - though it's not clear yet whether influenza was the reason for hospitalization or it was incidental.This article was updated on 6 September 2024 to correct that the Missouri department of health and senior services, not the state's agriculture department, made the announcement about a person testing positive for H5 bird flu. Continue reading...

Briton's US Open run was ended by Jannik Sinner but a place in the top 20 is a step closer in quest to reach the topWhen Jack Draper was preparing for his first ever grand slam semi-final at the US Open, he knew that he would probably have to go through some of the most stressful, intense moments that he had ever faced on a tennis court. He probably didn't anticipate that he would be clearing up his own vomit on Arthur Ashe Stadium court - more than once - but then maybe that's the kind of spirit it takes to reach a first major final. If ultimately he couldn't quite make it, thanks to the defiance and quality of the world's top-ranked player in Jannik Sinner, then it was not for the want of trying.Whatever he goes on to achieve in the rest of his career, no one can ever accuse him of not giving it all. To say that Draper left everything, absolutely everything on the court in his bid to reach the final, is almost an understatement. By the time the match was done, after just over three hours of brutal, intense and at times remarkably unhygienic drama, Draper was spent, hardly able to walk. And yet he also showed that he has the game to match the world's best, on the biggest stages of all. Continue reading...

The Briton threw up on court several times during his 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-2 semi-final defeat to the world No 1Sinner 0-1 Draper* (*denotes server) Draper's early forehand goes out at the baseline and he follows up with a double fault to go down 0-30 ... Is this why Sinner opted to receive first? Who knows. But the luck goes his way after Sinner's forehand hits the tape and bounces out. Sinner then can't make the next return to make it 30-30. The Briton then hits an ace and is able to see out the game. That third point was so important; Sinner had Draper on the ropes initially.Here we go! Sinner won the coin toss and opted to receive so Draper will serve first. And play ... Continue reading...

Rulings upend plans in battleground as nation's first absentee ballots in presidential contest were set for mailingRobert F Kennedy Jr's campaign for president failed - but his campaign to avoid being a spoiler in North Carolina and Michigan appears for the moment to be more successful.The North Carolina court of appeals made a last-minute decision on Friday to remove Kennedy's name from presidential ballots, creating a scramble to reprint ballots and begin sending them to voters.Harris campaign raised $361m in August, triple the amount of Trump campaignIf Trump wins the election, it will doom our efforts to slow climate disasterPresidential poll trackerWho is running for president? Continue reading...

Former vice-president confirms he will vote for Democratic nominee and condemns ex-president's attempt to steal the last election'

Video footage shows the moments after an American-Turkish woman was shot in the head during a protest against Israeli settlements in Beita, near Nablus, in the West Bank.Ayenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, died from her wounds after being transported to Rafidia hospital, where doctors tried to resuscitate her.Eygi was a volunteer with the anti-occupation International Solidarity Movement. Witnesses and Palestinian officials said she was shot by Israeli troops. The Israel Defense Forces have said they are investigating those reports.

A vibrant, well-attended Games showcased the best of parasport. But the challenges outside the sporting arena remain the sameThe size of the crowds, the brio of the marketing and the enhanced profile of star athletes made London 2012 a breakthrough moment in Paralympic history. Since then, it has been a slightly rockier ride. Poor ticket sales and financial problems overshadowed the lead-up to Rio in 2016. Tokyo, delayed to 2021, was a behindclosed-doors affair, blighted by Covid.A lot, therefore, was riding on Paris 2024. And in multiple ways, Paris has brilliantly delivered. As the Games come to a close this weekend, the aggregate attendance could surpass 2.5 million - not far from the record set in London. The crowds have been passionate, and whenever a French athlete was in the running for a medal, fiercely partisan. Just as during the hugely successful Olympics, the French capital has provided a sumptuous, charismatic backdrop to thrilling sporting competition throughout the city. Continue reading...

The British government's partial ban on arms sales pleased no one, revealing perilous terrain for centre-left politiciansDoes an early Nobel peace prize beckon for Keir Starmer? Could the new prime minister be poised to surpass the achievement of Barack Obama, who bagged the award less than 10 months after taking office? The question arises because the Labour government has succeeded in a task most thought impossible: uniting advocates of the two sides in what may be the world's bitterest conflict. This week Labour managed to lead both the loudest supporters of Israel and the most trenchant defenders of the Palestinians to a rare position of agreement. Just one problem: what those two sides had in common was their shared fury at the UK government.The point of convergence was Britain's suspension of 30 arms export licences to Israel, the decision taken after the government determined a clear risk" that the hardware sold - military aircraft, helicopters, drones and targeting equipment - could be used in violations of international humanitarian law (IHL).Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

I don't know what more we could possibly say about Trump,' Matt Stone tells Vanity Fair in rare interviewThe creators of the Emmy-winning series South Park intend to ignore Donald Trump when the irreverent animated show returns for a 27th season in 2025, they said in a rare interview.I don't know what more we could possibly say about Trump," Matt Stone told Vanity Fair in reference to the former US president whose life is seemingly consumed by unadulterated drama. Continue reading...

Eldest son Lachlan may want to repay Rupert for bid to hand him full control by protecting UK newspaper empireGetting into property is considered to be Lachlan Murdoch's shrewdest and most profitable contribution to building the family empire.Shortly after the turn of the century, Rupert Murdoch's eldest son persuaded News Corporation to take a 44% stake in REA Group, the owner of Australia's realestate.com.au property website. Continue reading...

Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula are from hugely wealthy backgrounds. But they have combined work ethic with their undeniable privilegeCan't believe this is my life" was how Emma Navarro captioned a selfie she took during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. In the photo she's standing at the bow of the Team USA riverboat, wedged in between Jessica Pegula and LeBron James. Fans on social media, though, had a much different takeaway. They couldn't believe James, who will earn $48m in salary alone this season, was the poorest person in the picture.Navarro and Pegula, both New York state natives, are members of an exclusive tennis sorority - the Billionaire Girls Club. The 23-year-old Navarro is the daughter of Ben Navarro, whose net worth is $1.5bn and has an interest in the Cincinnati and Charleston Opens; the 30-year-old Pegula, is the daughter of another billionaire, Terry Pegula, a sports patron whose holdings include the NHL's Buffalo Sabres and the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Combined, the family net worth of these two women rings in just shy of $10bn - more than enough money to watch Thursday night's US Open action from a suite seat, or buy the entire stadium for that matter. Instead, they were on court, laying it all on the line in the semi-finals. Continue reading...

Rattled rightwing pundits keep trying out new lines of attack on Harris and Walz. Yet few of them are stickingWatching Fox News these days is like being at open-mic night at a marginal comedy club.Rightwing pundits, like a lineup of amateur comics, are trying out their new material and hoping it kills. So far, not so much.Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...

The Trump team raised $130m in same month, with $285m cash in hand compared with Harris's $404m

Republican vice-presidential candidate was criticized for tone-deafness after comments at campaign rally in Arizona

The American has won Olympic medals and World Cups. But she was also committed to making her sport better for her colleaguesThe moment that may best encapsulate Alex Morgan's time as a player happened back in March. You could hardly be blamed for missing it, though. As was often the case in a long career that Morgan abruptly announced will end this weekend, much of her impact came away from the play itself.This moment started with the speed that was Morgan's calling card as a youngster. Just 10 minutes into the USWNT's quarter-final matchup against Colombia in the W Gold Cup, Morgan darted to pressure a loose Colombian backpass, nicked the ball to her teammate Lindsey Horan, and then continued her trajectory as Horan played a through ball into the box. Here, Morgan's veteran nous took over; she positioned her body perfectly between herself and the pursuing defender, drawing a clear foul that set up a penalty kick to break the 0-0 scoreline. Continue reading...

Colt Gray, 14, faces murder charges and his father has been charged over his alleged involvement in supplying the gunThe 14-year-old charged with killing two fellow students and two teachers at his Georgia high school made his first court appearance on Friday - with his father, who was arrested late on Thursday, set to appear shortly afterwards.Colt Gray appeared in person, dressed in green prison scrubs and hands and ankles shackled to his waist at the hearing in Barrow county courthouse, having previously been understood to be planning to attend by video link. He traveled from the youth detention facility in which he is being held. He is being detained there as a juvenile, even though he is expected to be tried as an adult. Continue reading...

Jury found in 2023 that Trump attacked the writer in a department store dressing room and sexually abused herDonald Trump and E Jean Carroll's attorneys are facing off in federal appeals court on Friday in his efforts to overturn a Manhattan civil jury's $5m judgment against him for sexually abusing and defaming the writer.Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, is reportedly poised to attend these proceedings before the US court of appeals for the second circuit this morning. But it is unclear whether he will show up to court - especially with the run-up to the 2024 election in its final stretch. Continue reading...