Concert footage shows Tenacious D's Kyle Gass being presented with a birthday cake by his bandmate Jack Black on stage at the band's concert in Sydney, Australia. Gass is told to 'make a wish' as he blows out the candles, before appearing to say: 'Don't miss Trump next time.' The gig took place hours after a shooting at a Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania left the former US president injured
No one should accept the idea that that opposing Trump's authoritarian aspirations is equal to incitement to violenceThe horrific attempt to assassinate Donald Trump - and reactions to it - created a kind of X-ray of our body politic. It demonstrates how, contrary to the conventional wisdom about polarization" - which suggests some kind of symmetry between the parties moving towards extreme poles - US politics is fundamentally asymmetrical. Democrats, from Biden to AOC, have been statesmanlike and stateswomanlike, condemning political violence in unison. Republicans, by contrast, have immediately blamed the attack on Biden. Worse, they have used the attack for a novel form of blackmail: stop warning about Trump's authoritarianism or be accused of inciting violence. Of course, Trump must be protected on the campaign trail and beyond; at the same time, US democracy must be protected from Trump.Democrats were right to repeat the civics textbook wisdom that democracy is about processing conflicts - including deep moral disagreements - in a peaceful manner. Meanwhile, commentators, out of naivety or noble idealism, did not always choose to remain faithful to the historical record: political violence might, in theory, be un-American;" in practice it is, alas, as American as apple pie. If anything, the recent period - both in the US and European democracies - has been somewhat exceptional in not featuring many high-profile attempts on politician's lives (which is not to deny the continuity of racist domestic terrorism in the US).Jan-Werner Muller is a professor of politics at Princeton University and a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...
The ex-president names JD Vance as his running mate and becomes the official party nominee on an eventful first dayJust two days after a gunman targeted a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania, leaving the candidate grazed by a bullet and one of his supporters dead, the Republican national convention kicked off in Milwaukee in a strikingly normal fashion.Donald Trump, who made his first public appearance but did not yet address the convention, has now been officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate. Here are key takeaways from the day: Continue reading...
Even after election wipeout, the Conservatives are too blinded by ideology to see their voters don't want a Reform mergerThe Bruges Group celebrated its 35th anniversary last week in the august portals of the Army and Navy club in Pall Mall in central London. The group was formed in 1989 and, in case you weren't around back then, ignited the great split in the Tory party, after Margaret Thatcher made a speech in Bruges calling a halt to any closer federalism in Europe. Though she was never mad enough to be a leaver, this group used her words to send the first Brexit snowball rolling downhill until it turned into the avalanche that finally broke the Tory party into pieces. They spread Europhobia through their party until all candidates had to test positive for Brexit. Now many of their members are joining a new rebellion, clamouring to merge with the Faragists. What you are seeing is a revolution!" one hissed at me. There's no going back!"Days after their party's worst ever election defeat, I was expecting more of a wake. But no tears were being shed for their deceased government or fallen MPs. Instead a gleeful we told you so" filled the room, which often devolved into naked hatred for their defunct government. From a lectern decked with a portrait of Thatcher, the chair, former MP Barry Legg, said that in its 14 years in office, it's not been a Conservative government at all. It's been a big state party." The claim that One Nation took over the party" raised jeers. (Odd this, as the One Nationers were notably silent over ever-more extreme policies.)Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnistThis article was amended on 16 July 2024. Due to an editing error, an earlier version incorrectly said that John Redwood and Michael Howard were present at the Bruges Group meeting. Continue reading...
Sean O'Brien thanks ex-president for opening RNC's doors', breaking with most major unions who have backed BidenIn an unprecedented address, Sean O'Brien, the president of the powerful Teamsters union, delivered remarks at the Republican national convention (RNC) Monday night.In addressing the RNC, O'Brien broke with most major unions in the US, which have overwhelmingly thrown their support behind Joe Biden. Continue reading...
President uses word mistake' in NBC interview with Lester Holt but unclear if he was referring to bullseye' usageDuring a high-stakes conversation at the White House with NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt on Monday, Joe Biden addressed his prior comments about putting Donald Trump in the bullseye", saying he thinks there needs to be more focus on the former president's agenda.In a preview of the interview that will air on Monday night at 9pm ET, Holt asked Biden about the language he had used to describe Trump - as an existential threat", and, on a call with Democratic donors, that it's time to put Trump in the bullseye" - and the consequences for the election of the attempted assassination of his opponent two days ago in Pennsylvania. Continue reading...
First-in-nation law bars passing of policies that require school staff to reveal student's gender or sexual orientationCalifornia governor Gavin Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law Monday barring school districts from passing policies that require schools to notify parents if their child asks to change their gender identification.The law bans rules requiring school staff to disclose a student's gender identity or sexual orientation to any other person without the child's permission. Proponents of the legislation say it will help protect LGBTQ+ students who live in unwelcoming households. But opponents say it will hinder schools' ability to be more transparent with parents. Continue reading...
Buxtun, who had Alzheimer's, revered for role in bringing to light one of worst medical research scandals in US historyPeter Buxtun, the whistleblower who revealed that the US government allowed hundreds of Black men in rural Alabama to go untreated for syphilis in what became known as the Tuskegee study, has died. He was 86.Buxtun died on 18 May of Alzheimer's disease in Rocklin, California, according to his attorney, Minna Fernan. Continue reading...
by David Smith in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on (#6P7X1)
The Republican nominee could have picked a woman or person of colour but opted for what looks like an unapologetic play for even more white male support
Two defendants sought recusal of Ural Glanville over meeting judge held with state witness and prosecutorsThe judge overseeing the long-running racketeering and gang prosecution against Young Thug and others has been removed from the case after two defendants sought his recusal, citing a meeting the judge held with prosecutors and a state witness.Ural Glanville, the Fulton county superior court chief judge, had put the case in Atlanta on hold two weeks ago to give another judge a chance to review the defendants' motions for recusal. Judge Rachel Krause on Monday granted those motions and ordered the clerk of court to assign the case to a different judge. Continue reading...
US president's interview was scheduled during an Austin campaign visit but will now take place in White House following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump
In Buenos Aires, fans took to the streets after a record-breaking 16th continental championship. But there is also an acknowledgement of a changing of the guardEach year, the US has 11 federal holidays. In Argentina, that number is 19, the 11th-most in the world. Celebration and commemoration are mandatory for Argentinians, but for almost three decades they were denied the kind of festivities the capital city of Buenos Aires craves.The country's football team is making up for it now though. On Sunday night, a third successive party arrived as the city celebrated the team's 2024 Copa America triumph, its second in a row after the 2021 title, sandwiched around the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Continue reading...
Hashtags such as #staged and #fakeassassination viewed millions of times as sceptics question mainstream narrativeSoon after a bullet grazed Donald Trump's ear, the conspiracy theory hashtags started appearing. Social media discourse on the shooting was immediately punctuated by #staged, #fakeassassination and #stagedshooting as a familiar refrain took hold: don't trust what they tell you.In a sign of how unstoppable these narratives become, the focus of distrust this time was Donald Trump, one of the arch-proponents of the argument that mainstream media and the establishment in general cannot be trusted. Continue reading...
As extreme nationalist forces coalesce in the European parliament, a bolder response is neededThings fall apart; the centre cannot hold." In an age of political upheaval in liberal democracies, the poetic imagination of William Butler Yeats has haunted politicians worried about a lurch to extremes. Following last month's European elections, which saw a surge in support for the far right, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, was the latest to invoke Yeats' famous line in The Second Coming. But she did so with a twist, bullishly noting: There remains a majority in the centre for a strong Europe and that is crucial for stability. In other words, the centre is holding."Holding maybe, but certainly not thriving. On core themes, Ms von der Leyen - and mainstream European politicians more generally - have adopted a defensive crouch, allowing authoritarian nationalists such as Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, to dictate the agenda. There have been U-turns and obfuscations on net zero targets, and deals with dubious regimes to keep asylum seekers out of Europe. Continue reading...
Here's who might be on the shortlist - including Doug Burgum, JD Vance and Marco Rubio - and what to know about each Republican hopefulThe guessing game is nearly over. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has said he has made a decision about who his running mate will be in November - but has yet to tell anyone who it is. Trump is expected to make the announcement any time between now and the Republican national convention in Milwaukee, starting on 15 July.Once again, the Republican primaries demonstrated Trump's strength among white men in rural areas, leading to speculation that he will choose a woman or person of colour to broaden his appeal in November. But media reports suggest that he is leaning towards North Dakota's governor, Doug Burgum, and the Ohio senator JD Vance - both white men. Then again, Trump loves nothing more than suspense and the element of surprise. Continue reading...
The Nato summit offered a chance to work towards resolution. But instead, Starmer talked about long-range missilesWhen Keir Starmer entered Downing Street, a few foreign events were arranged to glamorise his arrival. He visited a Nato summit and promised to spend more on defence. He pledged 3bn a year for Ukraine, apparently from his back pocket. He was a little reckless and said his talks with Joe Biden had happened at pace" and were attentive to detail. But he said something else. He wanted to see British missiles for Ukraine fired deep into Russian territory. It sounded macho, but it was not Nato policy. The Ministry of Defence and Downing Street also later clarified that it was not current UK policy to allow such strikes.Leaders should beware the unexpected. When Tony Blair entered No 10 in 1997, few could have imagined he would one day leave it under a dark cloud marked Iraq". Britain's war in Iraq was dressed up - like Starmer's missiles - as vital to national security. In reality it was a bombastic gesture intended to make Blair look good in American eyes. Labour governments often feel the need to add trumpets and drums to their image. Continue reading...
Attendees at a Donald Trump campaign rally shouted to alert police officers when they spotted a man with a gun on top of a roof at the Pennsylvania venue.Twenty-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to fire at least one shot at Donald Trump, injuring his right ear, before a sniper positioned on a roof near the former president killed the gunman.FBI officials said on Sunday they were assessing the shooting of Donald Trump on Saturday as a possible domestic terrorism attack and assassination attempt
Comments made by unnamed senior Democrat after Trump shooting draw stinging rebuke from progressiveAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez had a simple message for an unnamed senior Democrat who reportedly said the party had resigned ourselves" to a second Trump presidency: Retire."The anonymous Democrat was quoted by Axios on Sunday, the day after Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. Continue reading...
Fans appeared to breach the security gates at Hard Rock Stadium hours before the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia. Footage showed fans pushing through gates, jumping fences and climbing through vents to enter the venue. Tickets were not being scanned and few police officers or stadium officials could be seen in the sea of people.
It's easy to grasp at shallow concepts of manliness - after all, beards are easier to grow than good relationships or life satisfactionBeards, it seems, aren't quite as sexy as they used to be. You may have heard people talking about the hot rodent boyfriend" - the conventionally good-looking, high-cheekboned, non-bearded skinny guys, all looking as if they could be the Sensitive One" in any given boyband. With the likes of Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi in Saltburn, Jeremy Allen White in The Bear and Timothee Chalamet (in everything) taking leading roles as today's screen heartthrobs, you might wonder whether the moment when beardedness was synonymous with attractiveness has long gone.It was only two years ago that journalists were declaring beards to be the trend that will never end", and only five years ago we were opining on how celebrities all look better with beards. But recent research suggests that even if people are split over whether beards are attractive or not, men with them still hold the court as the measure of manliness, as well as commitment in relationships. Continue reading...
The president called for the nation to come together, as the RNC kicks off in Milwaukee. Plus, a DNA discovery that could help cure pancreatic cancerGood morning.President Joe Biden said on Sunday there was no place in America" for political violence and called on the nation to reject extremism and fury" after the failed attempt on Donald Trump's life.What impact will the violence have on the race? US columnist Arwa Mahdawi argues it will almost certainly boost Trump's campaign, while the Guardian's Washington bureau chief, David Smith, writes that Trump's response - shouting Fight!" to his supporters - clinched his status as both messiah and martyr".What do security experts think about the assassination attempt? It warrants an intensive review" of Trump's security and a massive realignment", according to an ex-Secret Service agent.How widespread is this economic view? A Wall Street Journal survey of economists found the majority believe inflation, deficits and interest rates would be higher under Trump than Biden. Continue reading...
Footage from Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania shows Secret Service agents jumping on the former president to protect him as shots rang out.Agents could be heard shouting get down' as soon as the shots, which injured his right ear, were fired at Trump. Once he was on the ground security agents shouted shooter is down' after a sniper killed the suspected gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.While the former president was escorted off-stage, he could be heard repeatedly saying let me get my shoes', before chanting fight' towards spectators. Law enforcement agents are investigating what they suspect was an attempted assassination
The calls for Joe Biden to step aside have been met with furious accusations of treason, disloyalty, and betrayal. This is bad for the entire countryIs the Democratic party, the self-proclaimed party of liberal values and scientific data, morphing into a Maga-like cult in front of our eyes?Over the past few weeks, the calls for Joe Biden to step aside have been met not with thoughtful critiques or reasoned counter-arguments but with furious accusations of treason, disloyalty, and betrayal. Continue reading...
After my nervous breakdown during a police stop, I learned a cottage industry exposes bodycam footage to online titillationA dear friend texted me in February, saying, Hey sweetie, the bodycam footage of you getting arrested got leaked on YouTube."My fingers typed out a quick reply - Omg lol haha what?" - as the rest of my body cramped in horror. Surely it wasn't anything too bad? I'd been arrested in Athens, Georgia, back in 2021, because my car looked like one that had been involved in a hit-and-run. It wasn't, but it then turned out that my driver's license wasn't a driver's license but rather a state identification card. A misunderstanding, but I was also in the middle of a crisis. Things went to hell in a handbasket, I went to jail overnight, but everything was eventually sorted out and I've had lots of great therapy since then.Mike McClelland teaches creative writing at Eastern Illinois University and is currently at work on a novel Continue reading...
From Taylor Swift to Zendaya, a host of famous women have boyfriends who are unashamedly joyful in cheerleading their partner's success. Maybe I could learn a thing or two ...Should we hype our partners? Elle magazine's celebration of the hype boyfriend" has me wondering. These cheerleaders for their other halves are a wholesome flipside to wife guys" (performatively uxorious men showing off their fidelity and general greatness). Travis Kelce is one, for his proud support for Taylor Swift; so is the actor Barry Keoghan, for the pop star and actor Sabrina Carpenter. Tom Holland, the original hype boyfriend", is singled out forseveral years' worth of celebrating Zendaya's ascent to global superstardom, accompanying her to events and posting a picture of her Met Gala outfit captioned with love-heart-eye emojis", says Elle. A masterclass in hype from afar."I agree there is something unashamedly joyful" about men not merely at ease with, but delighted by, their partners' accomplishments. Having read the poet Maggie Smith on how her husband's discomfort with her success contributed to their marriage ending, hype boyfriends are a heartening corrective. Continue reading...
In Oval Office TV address, president forcefully condemns political violence and says country must strive for unityJoe Biden on Sunday forcefully condemned political violence and appealed to a nation still reeling from the attempted assassination of Donald Trump to reject extremism and fury".In a primetime address from the Oval Office, Biden said Americans must strive for national unity," warning that the political rhetoric in the US had gotten too heated" as passions rise in the final months before the November presidential election. Continue reading...
Last year, I finally realised that my habit of seeing everything through to the end was just a colossal waste of timeA couple of years ago, I was sitting in a creative writing workshop at my local university when the tutor made a confession. I only give a book a handful of pages," she said. If it hasn't hooked me by then, I put it down." I thought her approach seemed a bit hasty. Who knows what lies beyond a lousy opening. What if the book gets better as it goes on? What if a slow burn blossoms into a literary marvel? What if it doesn't," the tutor said to my objections. Anyway, you're young. You've got time to read to the end."Well, no argument on that last bit. But the thrust of her point didn't sit well. Leaving a novel unfinished felt criminal to me, almost an insult to the author who had slaved over it. If I started something, I wanted to make good on the time I'd already invested. And if I wanted licence to form an opinion on it, surely that required reaching the finish line to see everything it had to offer?Callum Bains is a freelance journalist Continue reading...
Photographer Evan Vucci has been covering Trump for eight years. When he heard gunshots at a Pennsylvania rally he ran towards the stageIt is a photograph that seems almost impossible: moments after a bullet grazes his ear, a former US president stands with his fist raised defiantly. The sky behind him is clear blue and an American flag flies overhead, fully in frame. The expressions on the faces of each secret service agents are clear and a smear of blood runs from Donald Trump's ear to his cheek.The photograph was taken by Evan Vucci, chief Washington photographer for the Associated Press. Vucci has been covering Trump since his candidacy eight years ago and in 2020 won a Pulitzer for a photograph of protests after George Floyd's death. Continue reading...
A dramatic extra-time winner from substitute Lautaro Martinez ensured Argentina retained their Copa America title, edging out Colombia 1-0 in a thrilling game in Miami.The Golden Boot winner's cool 112th-minute strike settled a scintillating game, which had simply lacked a finishing touch until his arrival on 97 minutes. Martinez latched on to Giovani Lo Celso's pass to dispatch the ball past a gallant Camilo Vargas in the Colombia goal. Continue reading...
by Helen Sullivan (now); Lois Beckett, Maya Yang, Yoh on (#6P6TT)
This live coverage of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump is ending now. You can read all of our coverage of this story here.Before Saturday's attempt on Donald Trump's life, there have been multiple assassinations of US presidents.Abraham Lincoln was the first president to be assassinated, shot by John Wilkes Booth on 14 April 1865, as he and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, attended a special performance of the comedy Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre in Washington, the AP writes. Continue reading...
by David Smith Washington bureau chief on (#6P76V)
The president's calls to lower the temperature' demonstrated the power of incumbency, as both candidates strengthen their handsDonald Trump has the stagecraft but Joe Biden still commands the biggest stage.A day after the former US president displayed his preternatural genius for spectacle - forcing the Secret Service to pause so he could show bloody defiance after a near-death experience - the spotlight turned back to his beleaguered election opponent. Continue reading...
US news | The Guardian