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Fitch changed the country's rating from AAA to AA+, citing fiscal deterioration and down-to-the wire debt ceiling negotiationsRating agency Fitch downgraded the US government's top credit rating on Tuesday, a move that drew an angry response from the White House and surprised investors.Fitch downgraded the United States to AA+ from AAA, citing fiscal deterioration over the next three years and repeated down-the-wire debt ceiling negotiations that threaten the government's ability to pay its bills. It is the second major rating agency after Standard & Poor's to strip the US of its triple-A rating. Continue reading...

Special counsel Jack Smith has described the January 6 insurrection as 'an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy' that was 'fuelled by lies by the defendant'. The statements follow his lengthy investigation into Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Latest criminal case before ex-president comes just weeks after he was charged with retaining national defense information

Federal prosecutors have charged Donald Trump over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election

Past efforts to hold Trump accountable for the violence and his broader election subversion campaign have fallen short

A brief downpour helped crews on the ground, but experts warn they could face unstable wind conditions that could blow fire back at themFirefighters have managed to partially contain a giant wildfire in the Mojave desert that scorched tens of thousands of acres of scrub and sent smoke across the Las Vegas Strip.The York fire was mapped at roughly 125 sq miles (323.7 sq km) on Tuesday, with 23% containment, making it the largest wildfire of the season in California. Continue reading...

A lifeguard brought the container ashore and opened it to discover a Black man's body as homicide detectives investigate the deathA lifeguard found a man's body in a barrel at a southern California beach on Monday, after seeing the container floating in the water, officials said.Homicide detectives with the Los Angeles county sheriff's department are investigating the circumstances around the death. Continue reading...

Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzy Wrack, Sophie Downey and Anita Asante to reflect on England's incredible 6-1 win over ChinaRate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.On the podcast today; England finally look like a side capable of going very far at this World Cup, helped hugely by an amazing performance by Lauren James. If it wasn't for an offside she may well have had the greatest ever World Cup hat-trick. Continue reading...

Judge agreed with challenge led by Planned Parenthood that law goes against providers' rights to free speechA US judge on Monday blocked the state of Idaho at least temporarily from prosecuting doctors who refer patients out of state to get an abortion, finding that would violate a medical provider's right to free speech.Judge B Lynn Winmill of the federal district of Idaho agreed with a challenge led by Planned Parenthood that the interpretation of the Republican attorney general, Raul Labrador, of the state's criminal abortion law was chilling" to providers' rights to free speech under the first amendment of the constitution. Continue reading...

Former Liverpool captain's support for the LGBTQ+ community no longer feels genuine after move to Saudi ArabiaI chose my words carefully when addressing Jordan Henderson on Twitter last week. The thought of him moving to Saudi Arabia didn't feel right from the start but I wanted to comment when the move became official. He supported the fight against homophobia in the past and people feel betrayed by his move to a country where same-sex relationships are illegal and can result in the death penalty. It was not about criticising the people of Saudi Arabia or criticising players for going there. It is their decision and they are free to move wherever they want. But what Henderson has done is contrary to what he has said and makes me believe his allyship was not genuine.He wanted to support a minority, the LGBTQ+ community, and now he's getting paid by a state that wouldn't even show the captain's armband he wore, because the rainbow symbol might have upset people. That is very difficult for me to understand. He made a conscious decision several years ago to be supportive of the LGBTQ+ community and that was great at the time. It was fantastic to have such a highprofile player speak up for the community. It is one thing me speaking up - I'm out publicly and feel it's my responsibility to speak up for a community I am part of - but when you have a straight ally such as him it is more powerful because nobody would expect it of him in the first place. Continue reading...

Police in the Tennessee city shot the unidentified man after he failed to gain full entry to the school and fled in a vehicleA man who fired shots at a Jewish school in Memphis in what police said appeared to be an attempted mass shooting on Monday is himself Jewish and a former pupil at the institution, a local congressman has said.Police in the Tennessee city shot the still unidentified man after he failed to gain full entry to the school and fled in a vehicle. Police later stopped the vehicle and opened fire when he emerged carrying a handgun. He remained in the hospital on Tuesday. Continue reading...

O'Shae Sibley, who was gay, was attacked while with friends at gas station in Brooklyn on Saturday nightThe stabbing death of a professional dancer at a New York City gas station has drawn the attention of police investigators specializing in hate crimes.O'Shae Sibley, who was gay, was attacked outside a gas station in the Midwood section of Brooklyn on Saturday night. The 28-year-old and his friends were filling up their car while clad in swimsuits, playing music and dancing when they were confronted by a group of men, Gothamist reported. Continue reading...

Wrexham concluded an eye-opening' North American tour with a visit to their improbable home away from homeVery late on Friday night, Phil Parkinson, his gray hair matted by a steady second-half rain that followed a two-hour severe-weather delay, slid into a chair in a conference room and pinned a happy face on an exhausting four-game road trip.And this had not been just another road trip. Parkinson is the manager of Wrexham, who last year became the darlings of reality TV, winning promotion to the English Football League after a 15-year absence. And all while starring in Welcome To Wrexham, a documentary charting their fortunes. Continue reading...

David Gonzalez claimed it was an accident after the police chief said injuries may have been intentionally inflictedThe man suspected of hitting six people described as migrant farm workers with a sport-utility vehicle outside a store in North Carolina has reportedly surrendered to police and claims it was an accident.David Gonzalez, 68, turned himself over to authorities after initial reports indicated that investigators were examining the possibility that the workers were struck intentionally. Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!A World Cup presents unique challenges for the dedicated couch potato. How to follow simultaneous games; which time zones can be used, guilt-free, to determine Tin O'Clock; and what to do when your team play a vital game in the small hours. That was the problem today for fans of reigning world champions USA! USA!! USA!!!, whose decisive Group E game against Portugal kicked off at 3am Eastern Time. Just before kick-off, the US Women's National Team account on social media disgrace X posted a call to arms: WAKE UPPPPPPPPP!!!!!! IT'S TIME FOR KICKOFF!!!!" Continue reading...

The defending champions spoke about hope' and belief' after scraping through their group. They will need a lot more than that in the next roundTwo days before their decisive match against Portugal, Megan Rapinoe was asked how the USA should be judged if they fail to win this World Cup. Rapinoe paused for four full seconds, a lifetime for a charismatic player who can warm the tensest of press rooms.I never thought about that," she said. It was one of the shortest answers she will ever provide. Continue reading...

Ex-president's political action committee says it had less than $4m cash at end of June, having paid tens of millions in legal feesBurning through campaign funds thanks to mounting legal fees, Donald Trump has been forced to recall $60m from a Super Pac, money originally intended for TV advertising in the Republican presidential primary.In filings with the Federal Election Commission FEC) on Monday, Trump's political action committee, Save America, said that at the end of June it had less than $4m cash on hand, having paid tens of millions of dollars in legal fees for the former president and associates. Continue reading...

Despite grave new warnings about the depth of the climate crisis, plutocrats are fighting to keep their profits - and our PM is with themTo understand this moment, we have to recognise that there is an existential struggle on both sides. While environmental scientists and activists fight for the very survival of the habitable planet, the fossil fuel, meat and internal combustion industries are fighting for their economic survival. Either they are regulated out of existence or human society across much of the world will fail. We cannot all win: either these industries survive or we do. But we can all lose, because, eventually, they will go down with the rest of us.But eventually" counts for nothing in their spreadsheets and annual reports. Eventually" has no effect on share prices and dividends. Eventually" has little traction in a four- or five-year political cycle. So, as the evidence of climate breakdown becomes undeniable to all but the most deluded, the pollutocrats must fight as never before. There was once a widespread belief (which some of us cautioned against) that governments would step up when - and only when - disaster struck. But it is precisely because disaster has struck, visibly and undeniably, that they are stepping down. Continue reading...

Men suffer under patriarchy, too - and Ryan Gosling's man-child Ken is a brilliant demonstration of thatI didn't expect to cry during Barbie, let alone to weep for Ken, the lonely man-child who's barely more significant than the ampersand that sits between him and his lover's name.While Greta Gerwig's movie is full of feminist sentiment, much of it feels like deeply trodden ground, long explored by movies from 2001's lighthearted Legally Blonde to 2014's cutting Gone Girl. What sets Barbie apart is its introduction to the mainstream of an idea introduced by feminists like bell hooks - that men too can benefit from feminism and are actively harmed by the capitalist patriarchal systems that allow a small group of men to dominate society while individual men get to dominate their homes and workplaces, isolating themselves from their family and inner selves in the process. Continue reading...

Headquarters will remain in Colorado rather than relocating to Alabama, as the Trump administration had plannedJoe Biden has decided to keep US space command headquarters in Colorado, overturning a last-ditch decision by the administration of his presidential predecessor Donald Trump to move it to Alabama while also ending months of politically fueled debate, according to senior federal officials.The officials said Biden was convinced by the head of space command, Gen James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. Dickinson's view, however, was in contrast to air force leadership, who studied the issue at length and determined that relocating to Huntsville, Alabama, was the right move. Continue reading...

When the former president looked finished, Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner kept their distance. Now he is the Republican frontrunner, they're once again by his sideThere's a decent chance that, come January 2025, Donald Trump will either be in the White House or in a prison cell. Last November, my money was on the prison cell. The Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, was the Republicans' golden boy and Trump was experiencing a major slump; for one thing, he had a mindboggling number of legal problems to deal with.He seemed to have lost his last crumbs of credibility: an embarrassing number of candidates he'd backed were defeated in the midterms, making the former president look like a loser and causing his allies to turn on him. TRUMPTY DUMPTY" crowed the once-loyal New York Post on its front page. Trump has no political skills left," a Trump campaign insider said in messages seen by the Guardian. His team is a joke. The ship is sinking." Continue reading...

Relief expected to be brief with forecasts of highs above 110F this week. Plus, the man who hopes to shut down the coal industry with his drone

The National Shooting Sports Foundation has been aggressively pushing gun manufacturers' interests, and is starting to eclipse its bigger rivalA business trade group representing 10,000 gunmakers, dealers and other firearm firms is emerging as a rising force in the US and starting to eclipse - in some respects - the might of the powerful but scandal-plagued National Rifle Association.Meet the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the gun industry's conservative and aggressive lobbying group. Its range of activities are broad but always geared to zealously and single-mindedly preserving and extending the power of the gun industry. Continue reading...

Our holiday misadventure was time-consuming and revelatory. Turns out, Mr Z can change a tyre in his sleepGetting a puncture in a car always felt like a plot point in a film, a good way to summon chaos, but unlikely to happen in real life. Not if you drive like an undertaker, anyway; surely not if you drive like an undertaker slowing down regularly to admire the view. The whole possibility seemed so remote that even when the car told me it had happened, then swapped languages to tell me again in every tongue of Europe, I still thought: surely some misunderstanding?Not a misunderstanding, no. I had a flat tyre in a far-off land (well, Italy), an adolescent for company, who was ready with advice but no significant expertise, and no reception. A friendly man came by; he had no reception, either, but gave us a bottle of wine, as if that would help. I was incredibly grateful, naturally, but we already had a bunch of wine - we were driving back from the wine shop. So now I felt like both a puncture-getting fool and the kind of grifter who accepts someone's wine because they are on the take, rather than because they don't know enough Italian to say: No thanks, I've already got some." Continue reading...

The USA went through to the last 16 with a whimper, and survived an almighty scare when Ana Capeta hit the post in injury-time

As Americans half a world away slept through the night unaware, or rose prematurely from their slumber to watch a World Cup match with a 3 am ET kickoff, the United States slept-walked through their final group-stage game against Portugal, doing the bare minimum to advance to the knockout rounds of the 2023 World Cup.Elsewhere, the Netherlands scored early and often against Vietnam, running out 7-0 winners to take the group with seven points to USA's five and a vastly superior goal difference. USA will now play the winner of Group G - either Sweden or Italy - in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday. Continue reading...

The Olympic sprint champion died during childbirth earlier this year. But she was far from an anomaly in a troubled US health systemThe last time Tianna Madison saw Tori Bowie alive was at a meet in Gainesville, Florida. This was in April 2021 - back when the rival sprinters were on separate quests to regain the form that powered them to gold in the 4x100m at the 2016 Olympics. Bowie was one of track and field's most striking personalities, a speed demon as well as a style icon, the elite runner whose go-to accessory was a colorful hair scarf. Madison always looked forward to sharing the spotlight with her. There were hugs, pleasantries and no hard feelings when Madison beat Bowie in the 100m - the pair finished second and ninth, respectivelyAt a meet, I always want to circle back and catch up with people," Madison says. But it's also work; you race, you're sweaty, exhausted, hungry ..." Continue reading...

President had previously failed to publicly mention Navy, daughter from Hunter Biden's relationship with Lunden RobertsFor the first time in an interview, Joe Biden acknowledged he has seven grandchildren, including Hunter Biden's four-year-old daughter Navy.I have seven grandkids," the president said, five of 'em old enough to talk on the phone, you know, every day I either text or call them." Continue reading...

The police had been searching for the driver of the car, when a person of interest came forward and was taken into custodyA man drove a sport-utility vehicle into six people in North Carolina who were described as migrant workers in what appears to be an intentional assault", police have said.All six victims were taken to hospital after the apparent attack, and have since been released. Continue reading...

Reprieve expected to be brief, with the forecast calling for highs again above 110F for several days later in the weekPhoenix's record stretch of daily highs over 110F (43.3C) ended Monday as cooling monsoon rains slightly tempered the dangerous heatwave that suffocated the American south-west throughout July.The region, from Texas across New Mexico and Arizona and into California's desert, has been grappling with historic heat since June. Phoenix and its suburbs sweltered more intensely than most, with several records including the 31 consecutive days of 110F days. The previous record was 18 straight days, set in 1974. Continue reading...

The blog is now closed, but you can read more about Donald Trump's swirling legal peril here.A judge in Georgia turned down an attempt by Donald Trump to stop Fulton county district attorney Fani Willis's investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election result in the state. Over the weekend, Willis said she could announce charges in the case anytime between now and the first day of September. Meanwhile, a former business partner of Hunter Biden reported for an interview with the Republican-led House oversight committee, as the GOP toys with the idea of starting impeachment proceedings against Joe Biden when they return from their August recess.Here's what else has happened today:Trump is in a historically good position to win the Republican presidential primary, CNN concludes.At a weekend rally in Pennsylvania, Trump called for stopping aid to Ukraine until the government helps prove alleged corruption by the Biden family.Ron DeSantis's once-promising presidential campaign is suffering from both Republican defections and his own missteps.Trump is not only in a historically strong position for a nonincumbent to win the Republican nomination, but he is in a better position to win the general election than at any point during the 2020 cycle and almost at any point during the 2016 cycle.No one in Trump's current polling position in the modern era has lost an open presidential primary that didn't feature an incumbent. He's pulling in more than 50% of support in the national primary polls, i.e., more than all his competitors combined.What should arguably be more amazing is that despite most Americans agreeing that Trump's two indictments thus far were warranted, he remains competitive in a potential rematch with President Joe Biden. A poll out last week from Marquette University Law School had Biden and Trump tied percentage-wise (with a statistically insignificant few more respondents choosing Trump).The Marquette poll is one of a number of surveys showing Trump either tied or ahead of Biden. The ABC News/Washington Post poll has published three surveys of the matchup between the two, and Trump has come out ahead - albeit within the margin of error - every time. Other pollsters have shown Biden only narrowly ahead. Continue reading...

Lori Vallow Daybell was also found guilty of murdering a romantic rival and will serve three consecutive life termsLori Vallow Daybell, an Idaho mother convicted of murdering her two youngest children and a romantic rival, was sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday.Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her children, Joshua JJ" Vallow, seven, and Tylee Ryan, 16, as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husband's previous wife. Vallow Daybell will serve three life sentences one after the other, the judge said. Continue reading...

Officers shot and wounded armed man who fired shots and was trying to gain entry to Margolin Hebrew Academy, police sayPolice in Memphis said they had likely prevented a mass shooting after they shot a man who earlier was reported to have opened fire at a Jewish day school in the Tennessee city.In a statement and news conference, local police said they had responded to a report of a white man with a handgun shooting outside the Margolin Hebrew Academy and trying to gain entry to the building. Continue reading...

African Americans helped build the iconic beach town, historian Alison Rose Jefferson details as California weighs reparationsAt Shutters on the Beach, a luxury hotel in Santa Monica, guests staying in $1,500-a-night rooms can get pristine views of white-sand shores and the Pacific Ocean, hot stone massages, afternoons filled with live jazz and fresh seafood dinners.Few visitors, however, will know that 100 years ago, the site was at the center of a painful turning point for Santa Monica's Black community. Continue reading...

Ukraine and allies seek to draw countries such as Brazil and India off the fence and back Kyiv's proposals for just and durable peace'Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, is expected to attend a meeting in Saudi Arabia this weekend at which Ukraine and its allies will try to persuade countries from the global south to back Kyiv's proposals for ending the war.According to officials involved in planning for the meeting, it is primarily aimed at drawing neutral countries such as Brazil and India off the fence in their approach to the Russian invasion. Continue reading...

Officials at Olympic national park are searching for animal after attack on eight-year-old on SaturdayA quick-acting mother saved her eight-year-old child from an attack by a cougar on Saturday in Washington state's Olympic national park.In a statement, park officials said: The cougar casually abandoned its attack after being yelled and screamed at by the child's mother." Continue reading...

Latest poll puts ex-president at 54% with closest challenger Ron DeSantis - whose campaign appears to be sputtering out - on 17%Fani Willis, the district attorney of Fulton county, Georgia, is ready to go" with indictments in her investigation of Donald Trump's election subversion. In Washington, the special counsel Jack Smith is expected to add charges regarding election subversion to 40 counts already filed over the former president's retention of classified records.Trump already faces 34 criminal charges in New York over hush-money payments to the porn star Stormy Daniels. Referring to Trump being ordered to pay $5m after being found liable for sexual abuse and defamation against the writer E Jean Carroll, a judge recently said Carroll proved Trump raped her. Lawsuits over Trump's business affairs continue. Continue reading...

Mar-a-Lago manager, accused of conspiracy and obstruction in classified documents case, to be arraigned on 10 August

Troubled shipping company expected to file for bankruptcy, Teamsters union says, after it failed to refinance huge debtsThe embattled US trucking company Yellow ceased operations on Sunday, and it has laid off all 30,000 of its workers.Yellow, once one of America's dominant shipping companies, intends to file for bankruptcy, said the Teamsters union, which represents employees of the firm. The filing would come after Yellow failed to reorganize and refinance more than a billion dollars in debt. Continue reading...

Man may have died from electric shock drowning, which can occur when electrical current leaks into surrounding watersA 24-year-old man died after being electrocuted when he jumped off a dock into Georgia's Lake Lanier on Thursday, news outlets reported.The Georgia department of natural resources told news outlets that a neighbor was able to pull the man from the water. The man was taken to Northside Forsyth Hospital, where he later died. Continue reading...

The Americans usually have a place in the knockout stages assured by now. But they must secure a point against a disciplined Portugal to progress this timeFour years ago, the United States steamrolled their way through the Women's World Cup, scoring in the opening 12 minutes of their first six games on their march to a second straight title.Their start to the 2023 World Cup has been less dominant. A 3-0 victory over Vietnam in their opener was satisfactory for a brand-new starting 11, even if they were wasteful in front of goal. Then came a horrendous first-half against the Netherlands. USA captain Lindsey Horan eventually salvaged a point for her team against the Dutch, but the mood was one of disappointment not only at the result, but also the performance. Continue reading...

Victim infected with Naegleria fowleri, which destroys brain tissue, probably after swimming in lake or pondA Georgia resident has died from a rare brain infection, commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba", state health officials said on Friday.The victim was infected with Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba that destroys brain tissue, causes brain swelling and usually death, the Georgia department of health confirmed in a news release. Continue reading...

The PM is misguided to focus so strongly on Ulez and popular low-traffic schemes. Keir Starmer should know better, tooIsn't it extraordinary that the Tories scent blood over that most prosaic of innovations, the ponderously named low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) - and yet the idea that a few bollards and barriers strewn across residential areas should still become their main line of electoral attack is just further proof that the Tory government has abandoned any attempt to demonstrate serious intent.Let's be clear. There is precious little blood to be drawn in LTNs. This is a niche concern, affecting a very small percentage of the population, of whom only a minority are opposed. Moreover, as with the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez), the issue that has triggered this renewed interest in LTNs, it is the Tories who originally encouraged the concept by persuading and funding councils to introduce them during the pandemic. There is, too, an irony in the fact that the pro-motorist" campaign against LTNs, previously articulated by the transport secretary, Mark Harper, is now being spearheaded by a prime minister whose default transport mode is a helicopter. Continue reading...

The future of Meagan Wolfe, the state's top election administrator, is uncertain as her reappointment has turned into a political showdown with RepublicansThe future of Wisconsin's top election administrator, a respected and experienced elections official, is uncertain as state Republicans continue to fan the flames of rightwing conspiracy theories about her role in the 2020 election.When Meagan Wolfe took over as interim elections administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) in 2018, her appointment to the seat was uncontroversial. Then the assistant elections administrator, Wolfe had helped run Wisconsin elections since 2011, redesigning the state's online voter information portal and overseeing IT and cybersecurity work on elections statewide. Republicans in the state senate confirmed her appointment to helm the WEC unanimously in 2019. Continue reading...