Lori Lightfoot’s new ordinance proposal aims to hold members accountable by suing and seizing their assets to destabilize themChicago’s mayor Lori Lightfoot has announced a new measure for the city to hold gang members accountable: by suing them and seizing their assets as a means of destabilizing them.“What we’re proposing is a tool in civil courts that gives us the opportunity to go after those gangs that are wreaking havoc and, in particular, take away the profit motive from them by seizing assets that they have been able to purchase because of their violent activity in our neighborhoods,” Lightfoot said on Tuesday. Continue reading...

State has one of the nation’s lowest thresholds for the number of signatures needed to trigger a recall electionHours after Gavin Newsom beat back a historic recall election that could have cost him his job, Democrats in California vowed to reform the system allowing a sitting governor to be challenged.The changes could include increasing the number of signatures needed to force a recall election, raising the standard to require wrongdoing on the part of the officeholder and changing the process that could permit someone with a small percentage of votes to replace the state’s top elected official. Continue reading...

Congressman calls documents related to the fossil fuel industry’s efforts to discredit climate science ‘very concerning’US congressional investigators say they have uncovered “very concerning” new documents about ExxonMobil’s disinformation campaign to discredit climate science.Representative Ro Khanna, a leading critic of the petroleum industry on the House oversight committee, said the documents came to light ahead of a hearing next month to question the heads of large oil companies about their industry’s long history of undermining the evidence that burning fossil fuels drove global heating. Continue reading...

Despite the huge obstacle that the filibuster poses, this new bill is significant – Democrats aren’t willing to let voting reform goHappy Thursday, Continue reading...

France has expressed fury over Australia’s surprise decision to scrap a huge submarine deal in favour of nuclear-powered subs from the US, describing it as a 'stab in the back' from Canberra and a strain on its friendly relationship with Washington. 'We had established a relationship of trust with Australia, this trust has been betrayed,' said the French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian

White House willing to connect rapper with doctor after erroneous tweet alleging the Covid vaccine causes impotence

Boris Johnson has said the new security partnership between the US, UK and Australia is not intended as an ‘adversarial’ move against China. The trilateral defence pact, which will include helping Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines, has been criticised as ‘irresponsible’ by China

Alliance will also help Australia build nuclear submarines. Plus, Joe Biden says he has ‘great confidence’ in the chair of the joint chiefs

The Japanese baseball star has been talked about as an exceptional dual-threat for years. But this season he has lifted his game to new heightsThe idea of Shohei Ohtani – a man capable of hurling a 101mph fastball and crunching a 450ft home run in the same game – starting his American adventure in the minor leagues seems absurd now. Yet three years ago, during his first spring training with the Los Angeles Angels, observers believed Ohtani’s performance warranted such a move.Ohtani’s arrival into Major League Baseball from his Japan was accompanied with hefty amounts of hype. Here was the rarest of players: an overwhelming pitcher who could also dominate with the bat. And yet in Angels’ spring training he managed just four hits in 32 at-bats while striking out 10 times. As a pitcher, the right-hander allowed nine runs and nine hits in only 2 2/3 innings, with opponents batting .529 against him. Continue reading...

Dr Michelle Fiscus says vaccine mandates, like seat belt laws, will get people to do the right thing for the good of allDr Michelle Fiscus worked in the health sector for almost 20 years, most recently as Tennessee’s top vaccine official. Until the day she was fired, she got excellent job performance reviews. And then one day she sent out a reminder that in Tennessee, children over the age of 14 may choose to be vaccinated without asking their parents first.And she lost her job. Continue reading...

As flight attendants are forced to manage disruptive passengers, other workers in the industry get by with no health insurance or sick leaveFrom mass furloughs, voluntary job losses and retirements, to understaffing problems and a surge in cases of harassment and assaults by unruly passengers, workers at airports and airlines continue to bear the brunt of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the air travel industry.The sector was among the hardest hit by Covid-19, losing about 100,000 jobs in the first few months of the pandemic. Through three rounds of funding, Congress provided the industry with $54bn in federal assistance to keep workers on payrolls, while surges in the Delta variant have stifled air travel recovery domestically and internationally. Continue reading...

Clemson home games are worth millions of dollars to the town. But that also left it vulnerable when Covid swept through the seasonNestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains, on a wooded patch overlooking a manmade lake at the fringes of the Clemson University campus, the James F Martin Inn is the demure retreat where thought leaders check in for national conferences on education and distressed parents check out before bidding their freshman babes one last teary farewell. Along with its pastoral trails, on-site dining and adjoining golf course with bunkers shaped to echo the tiger’s paw logo of the university’s football team, the inn offers one more luxury that’s likely to be of interest to rabid football fans: a 20-minute ramble to Memorial Stadium.They call the stadium Death Valley, a name that nods at the withering powers of 81,500 Clemson fans at full throat. Even more resonant is their impact on this upstate town with a permanent population of just over 16,000, which makes a jump from the 33rd-largest city in South Carolina during summer break to the state’s most populous on football Saturdays. Continue reading...

A minority of staff reject the shots, citing personal liberty, conspiracy theories and a lack of long-term studiesLouisiana’s largest hospital systems are requiring their employees to be fully vaccinated, but a minority of nursing staff say they are still considering leaving their jobs instead of getting the jab, citing concerns over personal liberty, lack of long-term studies, and discredited conspiracy theories.The fourth Covid-19 wave has hit Louisiana hard, with the delta variant causing a surge in new cases that outpaced any of the waves that came before it. “The speed with which delta just took over the landscape, I don’t think we quite anticipated that,” said Dr Jennifer Avegno, director of the New Orleans health department and an ER doctor. Continue reading...

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern says her country was ‘not approached’ to be part of a new security pact between Australia, the UK and US. ‘Nor would I expect us to be,’ she adds. ‘The anchor of this arrangement are nuclear-powered submarines and it will be very clear to all New Zealanders and to Australia why New Zealand would not wish to be a part of that project.' Since the mid-1980s, New Zealand has had a strict policy keeping its territorial sea, land and airspace as nuclear-free zones

Tyler Mitchell visited his hometown of Atlanta to create images of solace, intimacy and tenderness Continue reading...

Those who obsess about the commercial potential of the US Open tennis champion are missing the wood for the treesThere was, to my ears, one discordant note in the awards ceremony for the US Open women’s tennis final. It came when Andrea Lisher, JP Morgan’s head of Americas, client – whatever on earth that job title is about – presented Emma Raducanu with a cheque for $2.5m (£1.8m).This number was read out, loud and proud. I don’t recall Sue Barker ever presiding over any mention of money at Wimbledon. Until that moment, I don’t think anyone on this side of the Atlantic, nor our Emma, had given the prize money a second thought. It had all been about an apparently humble young woman – her mesmeric sporting excellence and a triumph for the ages. Continue reading...

Joe Biden has been called ‘fascist’ and ‘tyrannical’ for his Covid prevention measures but the public appears to be on his sideWhen Joe Biden announced sweeping federal coronavirus vaccine requirements for 100 million Americans, the White House was braced for objections from Republican opponents.But this being 2021, the rightwing backlash has gone way beyond mere political debate into the realm of incendiary language that, analysts fear, could translate into direct and violent action. Continue reading...

The 14th named storm of the Atlantic’s 2021 hurricane season brings heavy rain and winds to Gulf CoastTropical Storm Nicholas is the 14th named storm of the Atlantic’s 2021 hurricane season and formed in the south-west Gulf of Mexico last Sunday before tracking just east of far southern Texas, eventually making landfall on Tuesday. Nicholas brought heavy rain, strong winds and a storm surge, resulting in flooding.In the western Pacific, Super Typhoon (equivalent to a category 5 Atlantic hurricane) Chanthu underwent rapid intensification last week, with winds of more than 160mph at its peak. Chanthu made landfall in northern Philippines on Saturday and was one of the strongest storms so far this year. Continue reading...

Governor’s strategy could help Democrats in some states but also offers them a warningIt was anger over Gavin Newsom’s pandemic restrictions that ultimately put a recall vote on the ballot. But the California governor doubled down, placing his coronavirus policies at the heart of his campaign and casting his leading opponent – the anti-mask, anti-vaccine rightwing radio host Larry Elder – as a dangerous proxy for Trump.That winning strategy could have national implications for both Democrats and Republicans already looking ahead to the 2022 midterms. Continue reading...

Terrence Deyalsingh, Trinidad and Tobago’s health minister, has dismissed claims by the rapper Nicki Minaj that her cousin’s friend had become impotent after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. 'As we stand now, there is absolutely no reported suchside effect or adverse event of testicular swelling in Trinidad … and none that we know of anywhere in the world,' Deyalsingh said in a press conference. Deyalsingh lamented the time health officials spent investigating the claim, saying that they 'take all these claims seriously'. Minaj prompted a global backlash with a tweet in which she claimed that a cousin’s friend had become impotent after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine.

Investigators found what appeared to be more 8.5 million images and videos on dark web servers created by Eric Eoin MarquesA man described by US authorities as the world’s most prolific purveyor of child sexual abuse images at the time of his arrest in Ireland has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison.Eric Eoin Marques, 36, created and operated computer servers on the dark web that enabled users to anonymously access millions of illegal images and videos, many depicting the rape and torture of infants and toddlers. Law enforcement had never seen many of those images before finding them on Marques’ servers, according to prosecutors. Continue reading...

The US president Joe Biden has called the Australian prime minister Scott Morrison ‘that fella down under’ during a virtual announcement of a trilateral security partnership. The leaders of Australia, UK and the US announced the three-way deal will involve helping Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines.► Subscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTube

Minnesota ruling means former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor is likely to be eligible for release by end of yearA US court has thrown out the third-degree murder conviction of the former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor for mistakenly killing the Australian woman Justine Damond.Noor was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a dual US-Australian citizen who called 911 to report a possible sexual assault behind her home. Continue reading...

The US, the UK and Australia have announced they are setting up a trilateral security partnership aimed at confronting China, which will include helping Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines. US President Joe Biden, UK prime minister Boris Johnson and Australian prime minister Scott Morrison announced the deal together virtually

The monument to Father Junípero Serra has been in storage since it was toppled during a protest in the state capitol last summerTwo archbishops have asked California’s governor to stop efforts to permanently remove a statue of Father Junípero Serra from state’s capitol. The 18th century priest founded the California mission system, in which Native Americans were subjected to violence and forced labor.Related: Lake Tahoe ski resort changes name to remove racist and misogynistic slur Continue reading...

A civil rights investigation began amid outrage over the killing of Elijah McClain in 2019Aurora police department has a pattern of racially biased policing, Colorado’s attorney general said Wednesday, following a civil rights investigation that began amid outrage over the killing of Elijah McClain.Attorney general Phil Weiser said the investigation found the department has long had a culture in which officers treat people of color – especially Black people – differently than white people. He said the agency also has a pattern of using unlawful excessive force; frequently escalates encounters with civilians; and fails to properly document police interactions with residents. Continue reading...

Russia’s ambassador requests meeting after letter says delegates must provide proof of vaccination to enter debate hallAll diplomats attending the UN general assembly in New York next week will have to provide proof of vaccination, the city government has confirmed, prompting an angry response from Russia.Delegates must be vaccinated to enter the debate hall, the mayor’s office told the assembly president in a letter dated 9 September. Continue reading...

Firefighting efforts are being complicated by smoke preventing aerial drops and the steep, rugged terrainA complex of lightning-sparked wildfires burning in California’s Sierra Nevada has exploded in size, prompting evacuations and the shutdown of Sequoia national park, where the fire is burning close to the park’s namesake trees.The KNP Complex fire, composed of the Paradise and Colony fires, took hold in the dense, mountainous vegetation on 9 September. By Wednesday morning, the blaze had scorched more than 7,000 acres. Continue reading...

Speaking to a Senate judiciary committee probing the FBI's mishandling of the Larry Nassar investigation, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles said: 'I don't want another young gymnast ... to experience the horror that I endured.'An ex-gymnast, McKayla Maroney, told US lawmakers she felt betrayed by FBI agents, after they failed to seriously investigate former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, despite her telling them he had sexually abused her. Maroney is one of four athletes, along with Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols, who are testifying

The governor easily defeated the attempt to remove him from office as voters indicated they didn’t want a dramatic change of courseCalifornia’s governor, Gavin Newsom, defeated a historic Republican-led recall effort, securing a victory that will probably save his political career and bolster the continuation of the Democrat’s policies.Newsom on Tuesday easily fought back the attempt to remove him from office less than three years into his first term. Incomplete returns showed him heading toward a landslide win with about 65% of the vote. Continue reading...

Republican talk radio host tells supporters to ‘stay tuned’ after governor handily defeats historic recall effortA defiant Larry Elder conceded his fight to become California’s next governor but indicated his first campaign might not be his last. “Stay tuned,” the Republican talk radio host told supporters.Related: Larry Elder: defeated California recall challenger takes a page from Trump’s big lie playbook Continue reading...

12ft-long alligator captured with what appeared to be human remains in his stomach, after a 71-year-old man went missingA 12ft-long, 504lb alligator believed to have attacked and killed a 71-year-old Louisiana man in Hurricane Ida’s aftermath was captured with what appeared to be human remains in its stomach, local authorities said.Timothy Satterlee Sr vanished on 30 August, while checking on the contents of a shed at his home in Slidell, Louisiana, as flood waters engulfed the area. Continue reading...

Prominent South Carolina attorney whose wife and son were murdered tried to arrange his death for $10m insurance payoutA prominent South Carolina lawyer who found the bodies of his wife and son three months ago tried to arrange his own death earlier this month so his surviving son would get a $10m life insurance payment, but the planned fatal shot only grazed his head, state police said.The shooter, Curtis Edward Smith, was charged with assisted suicide, insurance fraud and several other counts related to the 4 September shooting of Alex Murdaugh on a lonely highway in Hampton county, the state law enforcement division said in a statement. Continue reading...

Larry Elder just discovered that his brand appeals to a tiny fraction of voters. Republican governors in Texas and Florida may learn similar lessonsOn Tuesday, Gavin Newsom, California’s embattled governor, convincingly beat back a Republican-driven recall effort. Once projected to be a nail-biter, the contest degenerated into a nearly 30-point blowout. Indeed, Newsom may have even outpaced Joe Biden’s 2020 margin in California.Related: Larry Elder: defeated California recall challenger takes a page from Trump’s big lie playbook Continue reading...

US justice department seeks temporary restraining order while lawsuit challenges the statute as unconstitutionalThe Biden administration has formally asked a federal judge to block enforcement of a new Texas law that effectively bans almost all abortions in the state under a novel legal design that opponents say is intended to thwart court challenge.The US Department of Justice’s 45-page emergency motion seeks a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction lifting the abortion ban while its lawsuit challenging the statute as unconstitutional proceeds through the courts. Continue reading...

California voters resoundingly reject choice to replace Democratic governor, who faced a battle for his political lifeCalifornia’s governor, Gavin Newsom has prevailed in a historic recall election that had him battling for his political life. In a referendum on the governor’s leadership through the pandemic, voters resoundingly rejected the choice to replace him with a Trumpist Republican.The Associated Press projected the results about 45 minutes after polls closed on Tuesday night. Newsom’s most popular challenger was Larry Elder, a rightwing radio host who drew comparisons to the former president and who attempted to sow baseless doubts about the election process. Continue reading...

California voters resoundingly reject choice to replace Democratic governor, plus comedian Norm Macdonald dies

Never mind the court’s wildly rightwing bent and secretive ‘shadow docket’ – or Barrett’s refusal to recuse herself from a case involving a fossil fuel giant that employed her fatherWar is peace, freedom is slavery, and the supreme court is a dispassionate nonpartisan branch of government free of bias – this is the Orwellian fable that Justice Amy Coney Barrett is now asking Americans to believe.And Barrett is asking us to believe it not merely after the court’s wildly partisan ruling on abortion rights, but also just months after she promoted climate denialism to a national audience and refused to recuse herself as she helped secure a legal victory for the fossil fuel giant that employed her father for decades. Continue reading...

True leadership means making the right decision even when it’s unpopular. Biden’s vaccine rule will save lives and get the economy on trackThe Biden administration’s decision to require vaccinations for large segments of the workforce has been predictably controversial among Trump loyalists, vaccine deniers and rightwing media.It’s also the strongest moment of Joe Biden’s presidency. Continue reading...

California employees looking for a better deal in union negotiations as the company posts record profitsThousands of workers at CVS stores across California are demanding better pay, increased safety standards, healthcare improvements and more security for workers in new union contract negotiations.The demands followed the drug chain’s report of record profits over the past 18 months, in part due to keeping stores open throughout the pandemic and offering Covid-19 testing and vaccines in stores. CVS reported a profit of more than $7bn in 2020 and posted a $2.8bn profit in the second quarter of 2021. CVS is ranked the eighth largest retailer in the US based on 2020 sales and its parent company, CVS Health, is the fourth largest corporation in the US by revenue. Continue reading...

Legal threats have driven away half the doctors at a top clinic, as the state’s new law has a chilling effect on providers and those who need care

The former USA star on his managerial growth, connecting with his players, and the homophobic and racist incidents that his team dealt with one year agoOn a warm September afternoon in southern California, Landon Donovan stands where he has so often stood before: on a pitch with the ball at his feet.Now manager for San Diego Loyal in the USL Championship, the USMNT’s join all-time leading scorer, dishes out passes while simultaneously giving advice to his players. Donovan analyzes their runs while preparing another precise through-ball for someone to chase. Continue reading...

Corporations, including American Airlines and ExxonMobil, have not made statements about the ban that all but outlaws abortionDespite the widespread outrage over a new Texas law that all but outlaws abortion in the state, only a handful of major companies have spoken out against the legislation that went into effect on 1 September.The law relies on private citizens to carry out the ban by allowing people to file civil lawsuits against anyone who assists a woman in getting an abortion after embryonic cardiac activity is detected. A divided US supreme court declined to block it, allowing it to remain in effect as its legality is worked out in lower courts. Continue reading...

Despite the Republican governor’s vocal support for vaccination rates are among the lowest in the US, leaving hospitals swampedWest Virginia was once one of the leading US states in rolling out Covid-19 vaccinations. Now it is one of the least vaccinated, with the fastest-growing rate of infections in the country. Health systems are overwhelmed, with record numbers of patients in hospital, in intensive care units and on ventilators.What happened? Continue reading...

California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has successfully fended off an effort to oust him from office in a special election. He overcame a Republican campaign to unseat him over his liberal policies on immigration, Covid-19 and crime.Newsom, a first-term governor beset by challenges including the pandemic, extreme drought and severe wildfires, boosted turnout among Democrats with a flurry of late campaigning. In the final days of the race, he appeared alongside President Joe Biden and the vice-president, Kamala Harris, who formerly represented California as a US senator and attorney general