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Sean P Grayson worked for six law enforcement agencies in four years, with allegations of abuse of power and lyingAs vigils for Sonya Massey take place across the US this weekend, a history of unethical and aggressive behavior by the officer who shot her, Sean P Grayson, is emerging. Grayson's disciplinary file includes accusations of bullying behavior and abuse of power, according to CBS News.Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman and mother of two living outside Springfield, Illinois, had called 911 when she thought a prowler was lurking outside her home on 6 July. Grayson and another officer from the Sangamon county sheriff's office were dispatched and arrived at her home. Instead of helping Massey with a possible intruder, Grayson shot her in the face after she moved a pot of water from her kitchen stove at their request. Continue reading...

A week ago, former president was riding high, but now he faces vibrant, younger rival who hit the ground runningDonald Trump capped a tough week in which his Democratic opponents turned the tables, replacing aging Joe Biden with Kamala Harris as their top choice for president, by resorting to insults and extremism on the campaign trail.A week ago, Trump was riding high on the iconic moment when he rose bloodied and with a defiantly raised fist from an assassination attempt, pulling away in the polls. Biden, meanwhile, was struggling to recover from his dire late June debate against the Republican nominee and an unconvincing performance in the days since. Continue reading...

In 2013, Vanity Fair's UK editor spent an evening next to California's attorney general. Did he spot a possible future president, well not exactly...The seat beside me at Vanity Fair's 2013 Oscar dinner in the Sunset Tower Hotel, on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, was empty and it remained so for about 20 minutes into the dinner. I looked at the placename and read Kamala Harris", which meant nothing to me, and started talking to the then CEO of Yahoo!, Marissa Mayer. Then a blur of an evening dress to my right and the attorney general for the state of California slipped into her seat beside me and irradiated the table with the smile that infuriates Donald Trump, probably because it's as natural as his scowl.If the future senator, vice-president and now presidential candidate was disappointed about her place next to the least powerful person in that room, she had the grace not to show it. The rest of the table consisted of three well-known power couples and one restless billionaire, so, Kamala and I, while not exactly paired off, were thrown together for the next three hours of intermittent dining and watching the glacial business of Oscar distribution on the TV screens around the room. Continue reading...

Far from being a lame duck, the president can use his time in office to champion US democracy and tackle unfinished business abroadImagine an old man sitting by himself in a dingy all-night diner in downtown Washington. He has his back to the window, shoulders hunched, like the customer in Nighthawks, Edward Hopper's famous painting. Joe - for the old man's name is Joe - looks tired and mournful. Perhaps he's thinking about what was, about what might have been. For him, it's a nightmare.Yet even if this really were the president, and even if the disgraced Secret Service allowed him so fanciful a private moment, Joe need not feel sad or alone. He has six months left in charge. On paper, he's still the world's most powerful man. And he no longer has to worry about re-election, votes, polls or TV debates. Who cares now what pundits say? Continue reading...

Three members of group among seven people who died in Wyoming crash on FridayThree members of the US family gospel group the Nelons have been killed in a plane crash, their management announced.Jason Clark, Kelly Nelon Clark and their daughter Amber Kistler died on Friday while taking a flight to perform on a cruise ship. Continue reading...

Sexually suggestive mascots, presidential merchandise, drag queens and refuse collectors - they're all there with the athletesThe official mascot of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is a triangular red hat with eyes and sneakers, called the Phryge (pronounced a bit like fridge"). It's based on the Phrygian cap" worn by Marianne, France's bare-breasted version of Uncle Sam, and a symbol of freedom and the French Revolution. (The Paralympics Phryge has a prosthetic leg).But it also looks a lot like a 3D model of the clitoris. Continue reading...

Ohio senator's ratings are at a record low and his hardline views on issues might prove to be a liability than an assetHe was supposed to be his master's mini-me, his elevation as Republican vice-presidential nominee hailed as a virile celebration of Donald Trump's near-total conquest of the GOP.Now - days after receiving a rapturous response at the Republican national convention in Milwaukee - JD Vance is being lamented within party circles as a potentially fatal liability in Trump's quest to recapture the White House. Continue reading...

Former president implores Christian supports to vote just this time', then says he's not ChristianDonald Trump has ignited alarm among his critics after telling a crowd of supporters that they won't have to vote again" if they return him to the presidency in November's election.Christians, get out and vote! Just this time - you won't have to do it any more," the Republican former president said on Friday night at a rally hosted in West Palm Beach, Florida, by the far-right advocacy group Turning Point Action. Continue reading...

Firms accused of putting profits over safety as EU group weighs cutting minimum number of pilots from two to oneAerospace giants have been accused of putting profits ahead of safety as officials consider cutting the minimum number of pilots required on commercial flight decks from two to one.The move, which is currently being evaluated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), would weaken standards to the lowest common denominator", the world's largest union of airline pilots has warned. Continue reading...

On Thursday, the billionaire went on a disturbing anti-trans rant about Vivian Wilson, who legally dropped Musk's name in 2022Would you like to do some Muskian mathematics? Here we go: there are 24 hours in a day and even the most superhuman among us need to spend a few of those hours asleep. Elon Musk, unless he has figured out a way to clone himself, is just one person. He has at least 12 kids with multiple women. His first child tragically died as a baby and a couple of his offspring are adults now, but he has six kids under the age of five. He also runs six companies and oversees more than 130,000 people around the world. And he spends an inordinate amount of his life tweeting. Bearing this busy existence in mind, how on earth does the billionaire spend any significant amount of time with his kids? Continue reading...

US fencing was rocked by internal strife at the Tokyo Games. The lead-up to Paris 2024 hasn't been much betterJust when it appeared as if these Olympics couldn't get any more scandalous, between the poison in the pool and the security issues, the fencing starts this weekend.A fixture on the program since the 1896 Summer Games, which kicked off the modern Olympiad, fencing is the sport where old-world tradition meets new-world technology. Referees actually say en garde" before the swordplay, and points are scored electronically to keep pace with blink-and-you'll-miss-it touches of steel. The rules of engagement are complicated, and it's down to the referee to determine which strikes are legal. That's a lot of room for interpretation. And, some would have us believe, corruption. Continue reading...

Specific results on her performance with Black voters aren't in yet, but recent calls suggest a Trump exodus is not trueOn Monday night, more than 53,000 Black men joined a virtual conference, Win With Black Men, to rally behind the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris. During the four-hour call, organizers said the group raised more than $1.3m for the Harris campaign and grassroots voter organizations focused on Black men.The success of the call, which was inspired by the Win With Black Women call the night before, runs counter to the narrative shaped by recent election polling indicating that 30% of Black men are planning on voting for Donald Trump. Don't let anybody slow us down asking the question: Can a Black woman be elected president of the United States?'" Raphael Warnock, who represents Georgia in the US Senate, said on the call. Kamala Harris can win. We just have to show up. History is watching us, and the future is waiting on us." Continue reading...

The underdog team's astonishing journey to Paris has inspired the country - and fans across Africa - with hopes the Bright Stars will light the way for the next generationA huge cheer erupts as South Sudan pull ahead for the first time against Great Britain, just before half-time. Spectators dressed in black and white T-shirts jump to their feet, waving flags and dancing in the stands of the Copper Box arena in London.Last Thursday's basketball match was one of the final warmup games South Sudan will play before the team starts its bid for Olympic gold in Paris on Sunday. Continue reading...

We don't agree that Nato membership for Ukraine would provoke a conflict with RussiaOn 8 July, the eve of Nato's 75th anniversary summit, a Russian missile struck Ukraine's largest children's hospital, destroying, among other sections, its cancer center, hematology lab and surgical transplant unit. Russia launched 40 missiles at cities across Ukraine that day, killing more than 40 people, wounding numerous others, and demonstrating yet again that there are no legal, political or moral lines it won't cross in its determination to conquer Ukraine.As Ukrainian doctors, rescue workers and volunteers evacuated child patients, many of them still in hospital gowns and attached to IVs, from the bombed-out hospital, heads of state from Nato's 32 member countries arrived in Washington DC to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine and how to strengthen Ukraine's defense. Although they affirmed that Ukraine's future is in Nato," and that the country's path to the alliance is irreversible", Ukraine's potential membership was once again deferred: the Washington summit declaration stated that an invitation for Ukraine to join Nato would come when Allies agree, and conditions are met". Continue reading...

Joe Biden's decision to step aside, a slew of endorsements and a record fundraising haul - vice-president hits the ground running as Democrats' new standard-bearerThe telephone line was a little fuzzy, and the voice on the end gravelly from several days of Covid isolation. Yet the poignancy of the message, and the moment itself, could not have been clearer: I'm watching you, kid. I love you," the speaker said.Joe Biden's warmhearted call to his vice-president, Kamala Harris, at the Democratic party's campaign headquarters in Delaware on Monday marked a generational shift in US politics, a symbolic passing of the torch from parent to progeny. Continue reading...

Noisy devices are making public transport hell. But do passengers realise the pain they inflict?Earlier in the summer I started a social experiment - one you might consider ingenious or insufferable, depending on how much you prioritise a peaceful life. It began with a fragmented journey from north to south London, during which at each section of the journey (bus, overground, bus), someone was playing content on their phone, loudly.First there was a woman flicking impatiently through TikTok videos: four-second assaults of traditional Chinese medicine tutorials, girls pranking their boyfriends and self-help tips. The woman next to her put in her earbuds, but said nothing. Next, there was a woman listening to a nearly 20-minute long voice note from a friend out loud that all of us could hear. This is the life of the passenger in our new ambient hell.Hannah Ewens is a freelance editor and writer, and the author of Fangirls: Scenes From Modern Music Culture Continue reading...

From Berlin's techno scene to Oktoberfest, a revolution in drinking culture is taking place, and it's led by young peopleThe first cliche that comes to mind when many think of Germany is thigh-slapping oompah music, embroidered lederhosen and, above all, litre-sized mugs of beer. And Deutschland's beer culture is best epitomised by Munich's Oktoberfest. Millions of revellers descend on the Bavarian capital each September for 16 days of booze, bretzel and bratwurst. But it's a cliche out of sync with modern Germany, where abstinence is on the up - and boozing is in decline.One example is Die Null (The Zero). Before the world-famous beer festival kicks off this year on 21 September, a new alcohol-free beer garden has opened in the heart of the city, inaugurated by the mayor of Munich himself. The venue serves a variety of non-alcoholic beverages, from mocktails to alcohol-free lager. Continue reading...

The Californian made enough money from his basketball career to retire in comfort. But he was called back to the sport he loved as a high schoolerWhen Chase Budinger was named to the US men's beach volleyball team for the Paris Olympics, it seemed as if the selection panel had gotten its wires crossed.Budinger - a tall, blond, California cliche (and in case unclear, his is a hard g) - isn't just any sand-sprinkled leviathan. He's a 36-year-old NBA retiree. Really, the 6ft 7in swingman wouldn't look out of place among the motley crew of journeymen who carry the US men's basketball team through the Olympic qualifiers while the likes of LeBron James and Steph Curry are otherwise occupied. Instead, he's poised to become the rare human who has logged minutes in the NBA and competed in the Olympics in a sport other than basketball. Continue reading...

US president also to seek constitutional amendment to limit immunity for presidents and various officeholdersJoe Biden will announce plans to reform the US supreme court on Monday, Politico reported, citing two people familiar with the matter, adding that the US president was likely to back term limits for justices and an enforceable code of ethics.Biden said earlier this week during an Oval Office address that he would call for reform of the court. Continue reading...

Park fire has burned 239,000 acres, with an official telling CBS it was spreading at a rate of 4,000 to 5,000 acres an hourA massive and explosive wildfire whipped through the small rural community of Forest Ranch, California, on Thursday, bringing back dark memories in a region that has withstood several devastating wildfires in recent years.The Park fire has grown into the state's largest this year, destroying buildings and forcing the evacuations of thousands in one of the state's most wildfire-hardened regions. Continue reading...

The ambitious riverside extravaganza got off to a soggy and underwhelming start before Celine Dion's spectacular closing momentThe Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony has begun with a video interlude showing people delivering the Olympic flame to an empty Stade de France, only to realise that the ceremony is at the River Seine. Footbal legend and World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane is being shown hurtling the flame to the correct location.Franco-Malian singer Aya Nakamura, the most listened to French-speaking singer in the world is confirmed to be performing at some point in the ceremony. If you want a flavour of what she sounds like, Nakamura put out a new single, 42, last month, although it remains to be seen whether she will go down the George Michael 2012 closing ceremony route of Here's my new single ..." Continue reading...

Over 160,000 attendees in a key demographic answered the call' on Thursday, with nearly $8.5m raised for HarrisFollowing the success of a virtual call to mobilize Black women voters for Kamala Harris, a similar event with more than 160,000 attendees was held on Thursday aimed at white women, and appeared to break records.White women will be a key demographic for the Democrats to win over this election. Continue reading...

Marine archaeologists in Wisconsin find ship after single day of searching, in 50ft-deep waters off AlgomaShipwreck hunters with the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association have discovered the wreckage of a schooner that sank in Lake Michigan 131 years ago.A team of marine archaeologists located the Margaret A Muir - a 130ft, three-masted schooner built in 1872 - in 50ft-deep waters off the coast of Algoma, Wisconsin, on 12 May. Continue reading...

James Wilburn, father of Black woman shot dead by Illinois police, says vice-president let us know she is with us 100%'Vice-President Kamala Harris on Friday called the family of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who was fatally shot by a sheriff's deputy in her Illinois home, according to Massey's family members, who spoke to NBC News.Massey was killed on 6 July after she called the Sangamon county sheriff's office because she was afraid there might be a prowler outside, according to an attorney for her family and Illinois state police. Continue reading...

Woman seeks $1m for defamation after she says LaToya Cantrell falsely accused her of following and harassingA New Orleans woman once accused of stalking by the city's mayor, LaToya Cantrell, turned the tables on Friday with a $1m-plus federal lawsuit accusing the elected official, her chief of staff, and eight members of the city's police department of civil rights violations and defamation.Anne W Breaud's lawsuit says Cantrell falsely accused her of following and harassing her. It also claims Cantrell's chief of staff and members of the police department improperly accessed state and federal information on Breaud. Continue reading...

The vice-president's ascent marks a historic moment. But the US must remain vigilant to the threat of the model minority' mythWe are here! We are here! We have arrived!" cheered the lawyer and activist Valarie Kaur, to more than 4,000 south Asian participants mobilizing for Kamala Harris on a Zoom call on Wednesday night.I want to name this a historic moment - and as a moment for all of us to come together." If elected, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee would become the first woman, first Black woman, and first south Asian to win the US presidency. Continue reading...

Law doesn't violate amendment to stick to one subject, although abortion and gender healthcare are distinct'A Nebraska law that combined abortion restrictions with another measure to limit gender-affirming healthcare for minors does not violate a state constitutional amendment requiring bills to stick to a single subject, the state supreme court ruled Friday.The state's high court acknowledged in its ruling that abortion and gender-affirming care are distinct types of medical care", but the law does not violate Nebraska's single-subject rule because both abortion and transgender health fall under the subject of medical care. Continue reading...

The former US president and Republican nominee Donald Trump said Kamala Harris's comments about Israel's war on Gaza 'weren't very nice' during a visit by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Trump was reacting to combative speech by Harris after her own meeting with Netanyahu in which she said she would not be silent about Israel's war in Gaza.Netanyahu said he hoped that Harris's comments did not signal a rift between Israel and the US. Netanyahu also said Israel was 'eager' to secure a ceasefire deal that would lead to the release of hostages held in Gaza.Trump also took a question on his relationship with Netanyahu, in light of reports of difficulties between the leaders. Trump dismissed the reports, saying their relations had always been good, adding that Netanyahu's wife, Sara, was his 'secret weapon' in this respect. 'As long as I have Sara, that's all that matters,' said Trump

Simone Biles has reframed her relationship with the sport but will face fierce competition from Rebeca AndradeIn the aftermath of her nightmare second Olympic experience, all Simone Biles wanted to do was go home. But even after she departed Tokyo, Biles had to follow her teammates to New York and wade through numerous excruciating talk show appearances and photo ops. Then came a parade in her hometown of Houston. Each time the cameras trained on her, she plastered a fake smile over her face. When she finally returned home, she wept.It has taken so much work for Biles to return to the top of her sport after the events of Tokyo 2020. She stepped away from gymnastics for a year, she has spent many hours of therapy trying to fully understand the root causes of her mental suffering and she has had to reframe her relationship with her sport. Now, she says, she is performing for herself. Continue reading...

The horrors of the war in Gaza, and the Israeli prime minister's conduct and rhetoric, are spurring shifts in policies overseasThe multiple standing ovations that Benjamin Netanyahu received in Washington this week, on his first trip abroad since the Hamas attack of 7 October, must have rung hollow even to his ears. The problem was not merely the distraction of the US political class by Joe Biden's abandonment of his re-election bid, and Kamala Harris's ascension. Almost half of House and Senate Democrats boycotted his address to Congress. Many instead met relatives of hostages, who are furious at Mr Netanyahu for failing to reach a ceasefire agreement. Nancy Pelosi described his speech as by far the worst by any foreign dignitary at the Capitol.The Israeli prime minister is used to unpopularity: around 70% of Israelis think he has not done enough to win the hostages' release; a similar number want him to resign. But abroad, he bears much of the responsibility for a decisive shift in attitudes towards his country as well as himself, even in its staunchest ally. Continue reading...

A staggering 72% of Israelis want Netanyahu to step down. Netanyahu doesn't represent us and it's shameful that Congress invited himTo put it bluntly - Benjamin Netanyahu is the enemy of the Israeli people, the Palestinian people, and of every person on this earth who values human life. He is also personally responsible for October 7. The fact that he spoke in Congress, with tens of thousands dead in Gaza and no hostage deal in sight, is an embarrassment to Congress and to every single representative who attended.When Netanyahu spoke to Congress, Congress should've walked out, not given him standing ovations. Even beyond the moral obvious, no dialogue should be had with this man for the same reason dialogue with Trump is a waste of time - all you're ever going to get is another masterclass in gaslighting. And that is exactly what this speech was - from craven lying about the death toll in Gaza to craven lying about his attempts to free the hostages - A smorgasbord of craven lying, which congress, for some reason, could not stop applauding. Continue reading...

VP nominee pushed baseless warning in 2022 that George Soros would pack planes of Black women to get abortionsJD Vance, Ohio senator and Donald Trump's running mate, promoted a baseless rightwing talking point in 2022 when he warned of George Soros-funded planes transporting Black women across state lines for abortions.I'm sympathetic to the view that like, okay, look here, here's a situation - let's say Roe v Wade is overruled," Vance said in a recently resurfaced podcast interview. Ohio bans abortion in 2022, or let's say 2024. And then, you know, every day George Soros sends a 747 to Columbus to load up disproportionately Black women to get them to go have abortions in California. And of course, the left will celebrate this as a victory for diversity - uh, that's kind of creepy." Continue reading...

Swimming is splashing into the confines of a rugby stadium with all eyes on whether world records will be smashedOlympic swimming rarely disappoints, and it starts on Saturday with the women's 100m butterfly heats. As excitement builds, many are wondering if the pool will produce record-breaking performances to light up the Games.First things first; in Paris there is a separate venue for the swimmers in Nanterre while the divers and artistic swimmers get to star in the 151m purpose-built aquatics centre in Saint-Denis. So much for the hype around a flexible pool. Instead, the swimming events will be held in the Paris La Defense Arena where two 50m temporary pools have been built in what is normally a 30,000-seat rugby stadium. Continue reading...

Minors can receive contraception confidentially under Title X in the state with the highest repeat teen birth rateKen Paxton, the Texas attorney general, has sued the Biden administration over a longstanding federal program that provides teenagers access to contraception without parental consent, the state's latest attack against the federal government's reproductive healthcare policies.This suit is likely a preview of where the Texas GOP - and national Republicans - stand on attacking contraception access," says Mary Ziegler, a professor at University of California, Davis, School of Law and reproductive health expert. While Republicans say they don't want to take aim at contraception, this is another sign that this is actually where we're headed." Continue reading...

The Americans are reigning Olympic champions but still needed funds in the run-up to Paris. Then a hip-hop veteran came in to save the dayThe United States women's water polo team will launch their bid for an unprecedented fourth straight Olympic gold medal on Saturday with an unlikely benefactor in their corner. Flavor Flav, the 65-year-old founding member of Public Enemy, has stolen the show around town in his role as the team's official hype man.This is quite an experience for me right now, you know, because the only time I've ever seen the Olympics was on TV," said Flav, who spent Thursday hugging and high-fiving everyone in sight at the Team USA house in the historic Palais Brongniart. You know what I'm saying? But I always wanted to see what it felt like being there." Continue reading...

Fate has swung wildly in her favour, with everything from the Democrat establishment to memes on her side. Will we finally see a Madam President?A week has always been a long time in politics, but this might have been the longest week in Kamala Harris's life. While Joe Biden is still technically the US president, he already feels irrelevant. All eyes are on Harris now. The speed with which she has gone from being one of the most unpopular vice-presidents in modern history to sitting at the top of the Democratic ticket, with an army of enthusiastic fans behind her, is astounding. Biden's trajectory has been widely compared to a Shakespearean tragedy; Harris's sudden reversal of fortune, meanwhile, is like something out of a fairytale.A quick recap: Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris on Sunday. The Democratic establishment then threw its weight behind her on Monday. So did hundreds of thousands of donors; Harris's campaign raked in a record-breaking $81m in just 24 hours. By Tuesday, she had earned enough support from delegates to win the Democratic nomination for president next month. On Wednesday, Democrats approved rules meaning that any Democrat who wants to compete against Harris for the nomination only has days to do so. Then, on Friday, Barack Obama endorsed the vice-president. Her coronation is almost complete. Continue reading...

Movement that used the Democratic primaries to voice opposition wants more than empathy for Palestinians from the vice-presidentThe protest movement that sought to use the Democratic primaries to pressure Joe Biden to shift his policy on Israel and Gaza breathed a sigh of relief when he ended his bid for re-election. But they're not ready to promise they'll support Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee.More than 700,000 Americans voted uncommitted", or its equivalent, in state primaries as a message to Biden that he risked losing significant support in November if he did not shift away from his support for Israel. As next month's Democratic national convention inches closer, the movement has turned its sights to pressuring Harris to shape a new course on Gaza policy. Its demands of Harris include an arms embargo on Israel and support for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed since the 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas, according to health officials. Continue reading...

Second gentleman tells LGBTQ+ fundraiser his phone was on fire' after wife Kamala Harris entered spotlightDoug Emhoff has described being caught by surprise by the timing of Joe Biden's announcement last Sunday that he was dropping out of his re-election campaign, telling an LGBTQ+ fundraiser that he was in an exercise class in Los Angeles when he heard the news.Emhoff, 59, the husband of US vice-president Kamala Harris, explained to attendees on a fundraising call organized by a group called Black Gay and Queer Men for Harris that he was with a gay couple friend" having coffee, messing around and talking" when people started coming up to them. Continue reading...

Louisiana's Elizabeth Francis, America's grandmother', was born before women could vote and has seen two world warsThe oldest person in the US offers two bits of advice when asked for the keys to her longevity: If the good Lord gave it to you, use it" and Speak your mind, don't bite your tongue!"Elizabeth Francis's pearls of wisdom were recirculated widely as she celebrated her 115th birthday on Thursday. The milestone cemented her place as the world's fourth-oldest living person, according to the LongeviQuest website, an authority on supercentenarians, or those who are 110 or older. Continue reading...

Marchand, Peaty, Ledecky and co mean the pool is stacked with big names despite shadow of Chinese doping scandalYou can't miss Leon Marchand in Paris, his picture runs right up along all 200m of the only skyscraper in the city limits, the Tour Montparnasse. Marchand is 22 and has never won an Olympic medal, but he is one of the three French faces of the Games, along with Antoine Dupont and Victor Wembanyana. It means that for the first time since Michael Phelps set himself the impossible job of winning eight gold medals at Beijing in 2008, a swimmer is the star turn at the Olympics. It's no coincidence that last year Marchand finally beat Phelps' last surviving solo world record, in the 400m individual medley.Marchand goes in four separate solo events in seven days, the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke, with the finals just an hour and a half apart on Wednesday evening, the 200m later in the week and the 400m medley, which is the first event up, on Sunday evening. That night he will share the top of the bill with Adam Peaty, who is trying to become the second man, after Phelps, to win the same event at three consecutive Games. There was a time Peaty was the nearest thing to a sure thing in sport, but he has had a rough three years since Tokyo, and, while he has set the fastest time in the world this year, he is still searching for his very best form. Continue reading...

Amid anger at US vice-president's call to end Gaza war, many families of hostages held by Hamas agree with her

Sure, Harris deserves scrutiny. But she doesn't deserve smears and stereotypes amplified by journalists and pundits addicted to clicksIt's going to be ugly, that much is already clear.In the few days since Kamala Harris began her 2024 campaign for president, the media has shown us where some of their coverage is headed: no place good.Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...

Heritage Foundation leader has long received spiritual guidance from group and his policy goals align with its teachingsKevin Roberts, the Heritage Foundation president and the architect of Project 2025, the conservative thinktank's road map for a second Trump presidency, has close ties and receives regular spiritual guidance from an Opus Dei-led center in Washington DC, a hub of activity for the radical and secretive Catholic group.Roberts acknowledged in a speech last September that - for years - he has visited the Catholic Information Center, a K Street institution headed by an Opus Dei priest and incorporated by the archdiocese of Washington, on a weekly basis for mass and formation", or religious guidance. Opus Dei also organizes monthly retreats at the CIC. Continue reading...