The Venezuelan government says opposition candidate Edmundo González asked Spain for political asylum.
Allegations of vote rigging threw the Miss Fiji pageant into turmoil - but what was the truth?
Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei died after her former partner allegedly set her on fire.
It is not known if there are any fatalities, and the public are warned not to approach the person of interest.
AfD support continues to rise in Germany, driven by anger over immigration and weapons for Ukraine.
Aryna Sabalenka wins her first US Open title as she puts the disappointment of last year's final behind her to hold off American home hope Jessica Pegula.
Venice Film Festival gives the Golden Lion Award to The Room Next Door starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore.
Left-wing parties called for protests after Michel Barnier was appointed as prime minister on Thursday.
Strong winds and flying debris have caused damage across the north, with 78 injured.
The MI6 and CIA chiefs, who made their first public appearance together, warn of challenges such as the war in Ukraine, Islamic State, Israel-Gaza conflict and the rise of China.
The patient from Missouri has recovered, but health officials are still investigating how they became infected.
Mr Blinken will meet with Foreign Secretary David Lammy to "reaffirm" the "special relationship", officials say.
Chery is weighing up the possibility of building cars in the UK, according to a senior executive.
Argentina overturn a 17-point deficit to condemn Australia to their heaviest Test defeat, with a thumping victory in the Rugby Championship.
The troubled spacecraft returns empty to New Mexico from the International Space Station.
The lifelong Republican said Trump had "tried to steal the last election using lies and violence".
One official told journalists some of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who had joint nationality, was reportedly shot dead by Israeli forces during a protest.
American Hunter Woodhall storms to victory in the T62 400m at the Paralympics in Paris, a month after his wife Tara Davis-Woodhall won Olympic long jump gold.
The culture minister admits to hiring his ex-lover as an consultant, after starting an affair with her in May.
Britain's Jack Draper vomits on court during a dramatic US Open semi-final defeat by world number one Jannik Sinner.
Justice Merchan to sentence Republican candidate in hush-money trial on 26 November, citing "unique" circumstances.
One of the biggest-selling Brazilian artists of all time, he scored a global hit with Mas Que Nada.
Armstrong, best known as the singer in alt-rock band Dead Sara, will join the group for new music.
Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei died on Thursday after being doused in petrol and set alight.
Left-wing parties called for protests after Michel Barnier was appointed as prime minister on Thursday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked for more aid to "drive Russian forces off our land".
The empty spacecraft completed a six-hour flight to the New Mexico’s White Sands Space Harbor.
The footage - captured by a Nasa astronaut - shows the skies brighten as the International Space Station passes over Europe.
There was about $10m (£7.5m) of damage after heavy rainfall hit parts of Long Island, New York.
Law enforcement officials in Wisconsin quickly located the toddler using drones with thermal capabilities.
Gisèle Pélicot, 72, was raped by unknown men over the course of 10 years, after being drugged to sleep by her husband.
His packed trip to Asia involves four countries in which Catholics are a minority.
Party leaders in swing states say they focus on issues to win back women put off by Trump's personality.
More than 100 inmates died trying to flee Makala Prison - the latest disaster to hit the overcrowded jail.
The first US parent has been charged with murder for a child's alleged mass shooting. Is it prosecutorial overreach?
Insects are touted as an option for a healthier, greener diet. Is that enough reason for people to bite?
She avoided the challenges and scrutiny of a bitter Democratic primary, so Tuesday's debate entails even higher stakes.
Over three years since the Taliban takeover and restrictions on women, we hear from those studying abroad.
France’s leader has struggled to frame the July election as anything but a humiliating personal defeat.
The killing of a Hindu boy, allegedly by his Muslim classmate, sparked religious tensions in an Indian city.
Akara tells the BBC about the journey his phone took after it was snatched from his hands by thieves.
BBC Verify looks at roadwork that analysts say shows Israel is unlikely to fully withdraw from Gaza any time soon.
A selection of striking news photographs taken around the world this week.
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb6gv2/unsealed_fbi_doc_exposes_terrifying_depth_of/"> <img alt="Unsealed FBI Doc Exposes Terrifying Depth of Russian Disinfo Scheme. 2.800 influencers associated with Russian propaganda | The New Republic" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/hpJesWFs8tqh660Z1PiGIP8CKvkkrnj9rPAN4syW8tY.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=2ee921bed646ccd8e023baeab792718c115a9f4e" title="Unsealed FBI Doc Exposes Terrifying Depth of Russian Disinfo Scheme. 2.800 influencers associated with Russian propaganda | The New Republic" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Robert-Nogacki"> /u/Robert-Nogacki </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://newrepublic.com/post/185668/fbi-document-influencers-russian-disinformation">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb6gv2/unsealed_fbi_doc_exposes_terrifying_depth_of/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb2lq5/russian_banks_say_theyve_run_out_of_yuan_as/"> <img alt="Russian banks say they've run out of yuan as Chinese firms pull away from the nation" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/B-YQCZQs3JnENp6sRVJXhgN-0THSdSprU_U8SVEf7_E.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=6efb588a4e7ad66946848d0bc3b683737b58fb95" title="Russian banks say they've run out of yuan as Chinese firms pull away from the nation" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Pale-Assistance-2905"> /u/Pale-Assistance-2905 </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/russia-economy-china-yuan-sanctions-bank-payments-trade-transfers-2024-9">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb2lq5/russian_banks_say_theyve_run_out_of_yuan_as/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb5ddk/mi6_and_cia_warn_of_reckless_campaign_of_sabotage/"> <img alt="MI6 and CIA warn of 'reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe' being waged by Russia" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/bNTMPuwhFtW85u9V7qgdRAUjwAB8gEp0hJW-YF5MAIY.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=f8ad00a0b62e3398d915ec957a0cb8330c0d75a0" title="MI6 and CIA warn of 'reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe' being waged by Russia" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/apg698"> /u/apg698 </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/mi6-and-cia-warn-of-reckless-campaign-of-sabotage-across-europe-being-waged-by-russia-13210838">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb5ddk/mi6_and_cia_warn_of_reckless_campaign_of_sabotage/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbaekd/pakistan_finds_oil_which_estimates_suggest_could/"> <img alt="Pakistan finds oil which estimates suggest could be the 4th largest oil and gas reserves in the world" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/topD5J8AAXhVC5HHkaI4AzNU_sZmdmqG1LhQs9oz0eE.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=89b455afb84b3776784faebfd10ce45a2d16fc3c" title="Pakistan finds oil which estimates suggest could be the 4th largest oil and gas reserves in the world" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Emergency-Calm"> /u/Emergency-Calm </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/world/story/substantial-oil-and-gas-reserves-discovered-in-pakistans-waters-report-444889-2024-09-07">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbaekd/pakistan_finds_oil_which_estimates_suggest_could/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbixu4/video_footage_appears_to_show_russians_killing/"> <img alt="Video footage appears to show Russians killing surrendering Ukrainian soldiers" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/xw1e7xJm47tCcK8r6fPtDssz8gBLvqW0KDU__o_nSwQ.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=d81099788cb1b6ac2672ec0aed34732200859ce6" title="Video footage appears to show Russians killing surrendering Ukrainian soldiers" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/P_a_s_g_i_t_24"> /u/P_a_s_g_i_t_24 </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/06/europe/video-russia-surrendering-ukrainian-soldiers-killed-intl-cmd/index.html">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbixu4/video_footage_appears_to_show_russians_killing/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb3q9j/ukrainian_drones_hit_ammunition_warehouse_in/"> <img alt="Ukrainian drones hit ammunition warehouse in Russia's Voronezh Oblast, source confirms" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/OHkTTcce_EekfCY3_5MXPbAf8M9Bob_EmFvKfVsvMqA.jpg?width=320&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=cbb371193e611fb097faa5050368e10ad2f5793e" title="Ukrainian drones hit ammunition warehouse in Russia's Voronezh Oblast, source confirms" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Apprehensive_Sleep_4"> /u/Apprehensive_Sleep_4 </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-drones-hit-ammunition-warehouse-in-russias-voronezh-oblast-source-confirms/">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb3q9j/ukrainian_drones_hit_ammunition_warehouse_in/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb7h9o/finland_and_estonia_support_removal_of_ukraine/"> <img alt="Finland and Estonia support removal of Ukraine arms restrictions | Yle News" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/dWgyQQfy12ZTppE_PHqMWyhUcmMnh9W8KOBXNjK7hys.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=f5c9c4bd71996e0c15dac4fa7ab2f8b2296546dd" title="Finland and Estonia support removal of Ukraine arms restrictions | Yle News" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/parandroidfinn"> /u/parandroidfinn </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://yle.fi/a/74-20109993">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb7h9o/finland_and_estonia_support_removal_of_ukraine/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbabzt/turkeys_erdogan_islamic_countries_should_form/"> <img alt="Turkey's Erdogan: Islamic countries should form alliance against 'Israel's growing expansionism'" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/tnTc9YNNQV6NjiAODDWmyQTYnkFaTfLfxHUD7uiRxKw.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=58fce17a409e25516bd0294d7df6cd14517ba590" title="Turkey's Erdogan: Islamic countries should form alliance against 'Israel's growing expansionism'" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Red_Franklin"> /u/Red_Franklin </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-819104">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbabzt/turkeys_erdogan_islamic_countries_should_form/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbhdlf/canada_named_country_with_most_optimistic/"> <img alt="Canada named country with most optimistic economic outlook" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/nZPgaTZpGy6Qg-t5Rwfoh2fqstcKu_D3R9ZCuG1fZCA.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=741c8cd5dd8d9448546588a42e9767565a30de4a" title="Canada named country with most optimistic economic outlook" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/yimmy51"> /u/yimmy51 </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://cultmtl.com/2024/09/canada-named-country-with-most-optimistic-economic-outlook-kearney-fdi-confidence-index/">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbhdlf/canada_named_country_with_most_optimistic/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb9pft/families_of_2_us_soldiers_killed_by_terrorists_in/"> <img alt="Families of 2 US soldiers killed by terrorists in Iraq win $364 million judgment against Syria" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/D6CxUKBgerBSY2tRav-bZXlkPAFE7JejuaRHNDbMYgo.jpg?width=320&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=9c8be6d142d693c36f70916e09fb15f9b567a2e2" title="Families of 2 US soldiers killed by terrorists in Iraq win $364 million judgment against Syria" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Solar_Powered_Torch"> /u/Solar_Powered_Torch </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2024-09-05/syria-liable-soldiers-deaths-by-terrorists-15077026.html">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb9pft/families_of_2_us_soldiers_killed_by_terrorists_in/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb6rh6/argentina_calls_on_icc_to_order_arrest_of/"> <img alt="Argentina calls on ICC to order arrest of Venezuela's Maduro" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/mKQt4W9IefZpolaSz0dllhzynLedrxFxlalMsmRgu3M.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=1310f086bf9c32df0cb8e5b922abcbb47d669f30" title="Argentina calls on ICC to order arrest of Venezuela's Maduro" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/doodly-123"> /u/doodly-123 </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/argentina-calls-on-icc-to-order-arrest-of-venezuelas-maduro/a-70160517">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb6rh6/argentina_calls_on_icc_to_order_arrest_of/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbjyra/us_uk_spy_chiefs_praise_ukraines_kursk_incursion/"> <img alt="US, UK spy chiefs praise Ukraine’s Kursk incursion, say West shouldn’t fear Russia’s nuclear threats" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/bTyKx9FlDZ51p7t4w-Z23c3N8iHvgRlfNlOIonlC3S0.jpg?width=320&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=7e87aa27fbf7e3efd201fcf5522996e50c16fff3" title="US, UK spy chiefs praise Ukraine’s Kursk incursion, say West shouldn’t fear Russia’s nuclear threats" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/MelodyFive"> /u/MelodyFive </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/09/08/us-uk-spy-chiefs-praise-ukraines-kursk-incursion-say-west-shouldnt-fear-russias-nuclear-threats/">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbjyra/us_uk_spy_chiefs_praise_ukraines_kursk_incursion/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbd3gw/french_protesters_rage_at_stolen_election_as/"> <img alt="French protesters rage at ‘stolen election’ as Macron picks conservative Barnier for PM" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/-G1pAoI9B6Qz5rfDhs2GWlthf3waenoFWehrSJJzZLQ.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=7e34002a5d8e136aca9abbf033870784feb3e7fd" title="French protesters rage at ‘stolen election’ as Macron picks conservative Barnier for PM" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/DoremusJessup"> /u/DoremusJessup </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/france/20240907-french-protesters-rage-at-stolen-election-as-macron-picks-conservative-barnier-for-pm">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbd3gw/french_protesters_rage_at_stolen_election_as/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb5m4l/russian_ammunition_warehouse_allegedly_on_fire/"> <img alt="Russian ammunition warehouse allegedly on fire after drone strike on Voronezh Oblast" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/nmxzjUIrqBc9WdYuvecL_OsK_03dGDTJdfBvjw3rhIY.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=e155c5a70d65ea08fafedbbe57b347b41f8aa0b6" title="Russian ammunition warehouse allegedly on fire after drone strike on Voronezh Oblast" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/AdSpecialist6598"> /u/AdSpecialist6598 </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://kyivindependent.com/fire-explosions-in-russias-voronezh-oblast-after-drone-attack-official-says/">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb5m4l/russian_ammunition_warehouse_allegedly_on_fire/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbpdvf/russia_loses_another_1270_soldiers_in_one_day/"> <img alt="Russia loses another 1,270 soldiers in one day" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/_gbWhbcoIpFYEejy5_mc_GYAvEAzQE8QhVDv1X-cUQc.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=de0fdccc1ea3da1c8ebc311c85a1bfb5764b377b" title="Russia loses another 1,270 soldiers in one day" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/JKKIDD231"> /u/JKKIDD231 </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/09/7/7473865/">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbpdvf/russia_loses_another_1270_soldiers_in_one_day/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb97kq/russian_offensive_near_pokrovsk_slowing_down/"> <img alt="Russian offensive near Pokrovsk slowing down, media reports" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/XTWuybidymOA4FVxfabD5b0eIPFC0ZXOgole-vOo3wk.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=14c71f7d7d1bdd15018c276bb96ef245f878184c" title="Russian offensive near Pokrovsk slowing down, media reports" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Red_Franklin"> /u/Red_Franklin </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://kyivindependent.com/russia-offensive-near-pokrovsk-slowing-down-media-reports/">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb97kq/russian_offensive_near_pokrovsk_slowing_down/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb16b1/ukraine_conflict_to_be_decided_at_negotiation/"> <img alt="Ukraine conflict to be decided at negotiation table, says Pentagon chief" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/Jbv99O9zINPXSCNkgLfG2D443ucw9-jL7Yjx16gZqHs.jpg?width=320&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=6ce6df352682f82457da0e45260a4329eefe5efe" title="Ukraine conflict to be decided at negotiation table, says Pentagon chief" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Darshan_brahmbhatt"> /u/Darshan_brahmbhatt </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/ukraine-conflict-to-be-decided-at-negotiation-table-says-pentagon-chief-124090700192_1.html">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb16b1/ukraine_conflict_to_be_decided_at_negotiation/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb9us6/israeli_air_force_kills_islamic_jihad_commanders/"> <img alt="Israeli Air Force kills Islamic Jihad commanders, Hamas terrorists embedded in civilian areas" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/gOCQbcHdS_7o7PgXUAFH2htCDSJ7rgHalW_tRKrOW8M.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=c3eb0550877b3e5222aa1b04a351d162c7e7b351" title="Israeli Air Force kills Islamic Jihad commanders, Hamas terrorists embedded in civilian areas" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/FYoCouchEddie"> /u/FYoCouchEddie </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://jpost.com/breaking-news/article-819063">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb9us6/israeli_air_force_kills_islamic_jihad_commanders/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbiog8/brazils_x_ban_drives_outraged_bolsonaro/"> <img alt="Brazil's X ban drives outraged Bolsonaro supporters to rally for 'free speech'" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/Nj-fmE3-PS4YYV30dsVLZDcOgSZ3TTe48VYTXb72GGs.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=0a179c0a38b4152fe16437564bc4ea9ba2fed2e4" title="Brazil's X ban drives outraged Bolsonaro supporters to rally for 'free speech'" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Big-Heron4763"> /u/Big-Heron4763 </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-musk-x-moraes-bolsonaro-sao-paulo-protest-demonstration-e8f4ed59ec397aed9810d058af8dbc0c">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbiog8/brazils_x_ban_drives_outraged_bolsonaro/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbmdf5/ukraine_mourns_dead_from_major_russian_strike/"> <img alt="Ukraine mourns dead from major Russian strike, vows response with underground weapons production" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/0IwY52mjZaVtmqTUgNFwXPK6nMG_IZDV88LeF_WUyV0.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=5f787dec37c4a4e007157134ef453f231d19a4a1" title="Ukraine mourns dead from major Russian strike, vows response with underground weapons production" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/nurshakil10"> /u/nurshakil10 </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-ukraine-mourns-dead-from-major-russian-strike-vows-response-with/">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbmdf5/ukraine_mourns_dead_from_major_russian_strike/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb9zyu/argentine_government_requests_international/"> <img alt="Argentine government requests International Criminal Court detain Venezuela's Maduro" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/btcq6sFUZ1RiPEagLNxGPUXNbb0P7kEvhB60H_jiJ8c.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=82457c101a1f80550f5b1b6667ce0832cb68f89d" title="Argentine government requests International Criminal Court detain Venezuela's Maduro" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/PostHeraldTimes"> /u/PostHeraldTimes </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://www.latintimes.com/argentine-government-requests-international-criminal-court-detain-venezuelas-maduro-558955">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb9zyu/argentine_government_requests_international/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbfaak/climate_protesters_close_off_amsterdams/"> <img alt="Climate protesters close off Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/0XYtGLWjtRQioUN-zoy7xw6Q1WkRTAKs4gFxdKDs_Zk.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=c5fa4aa020f1db5fd363213c644e0d15a0568b67" title="Climate protesters close off Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/DoremusJessup"> /u/DoremusJessup </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/climate-protesters-close-off-amsterdams-rijksmuseum/a-70161967">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbfaak/climate_protesters_close_off_amsterdams/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbonme/canadawide_warrant_issued_for_woman_wanted_in/"> <img alt="Canada-wide warrant issued for woman wanted in Toronto murder" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/UnYc4-mlTUHjLnDQBa8MIfRvhgY24yGujjJIzI7211w.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=131715fc9173c94b05dc25417f8716a243ad23bb" title="Canada-wide warrant issued for woman wanted in Toronto murder" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Neither_Beyond_6219"> /u/Neither_Beyond_6219 </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10738506/toronto-woman-wanted-canada-wide-warrant-fatal-shooting/">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbonme/canadawide_warrant_issued_for_woman_wanted_in/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbaoyg/new_report_reveals_crucial_links_between_soil/"> <img alt="New Report Reveals Crucial Links Between Soil Quality and Human Health, Calls For Global Action" src="https://external-preview.redd.it/XT9NAyVH9j7ltgt0O1_AL0WO1AeixUvmedNCRfU8tJM.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=9414d73a6854b762c0fce69593901bd468ea5534" title="New Report Reveals Crucial Links Between Soil Quality and Human Health, Calls For Global Action" /> </a> </td><td>   submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/nothingarc"> /u/nothingarc </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://earth.org/new-report-reveals-crucial-links-between-soil-quality-and-human-health-calls-for-global-action/">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fbaoyg/new_report_reveals_crucial_links_between_soil/">[comments]</a></span> </td></tr></table>
  submitted by   <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/BubsyFanboy"> /u/BubsyFanboy </a> <br /> <span><a href="https://notesfrompoland.com/2024/09/06/poland-seeks-arrest-of-belarusian-officials-for-2021-diversion-of-plane-carrying-opposition-activist/">[link]</a></span>   <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1fb7o8v/poland_seeks_arrest_of_belarusian_officials_for/">[comments]</a></span>
In life, there are certain inevitabilities. In the United States, those inevitabilities include death, taxes, and hearing about the Kennedys. With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. making a splash in the 2024 presidential race (and now endorsing Trump), Caroline Kennedy’s son Jack Schlossberg covering said race for Vogue, and rumors of the post-J. Lo Ben Affleck […]
It’s the start of the school year, and thus the start of a fresh round of discourse on generative AI’s new role in schools. In the space of about three years, essays have gone from a mainstay of classroom education everywhere to a much less useful tool, for one reason: ChatGPT. Estimates of how many […]
At any given second, millions of people are liking various things on Instagram. Pictures of sunsets and sunrises, recipes for keto brownies, videos of viral K-pop dances — there’s something for everyone. But right now there’s one specific semi-famous woman whose social media activity (liking, unliking, posting) has drawn widespread attention: Brittany Mahomes.  Best known […]
For a nation struggling to deal with an epidemic of mass shootings in a culture that seems dedicated to deprioritizing gun control, it was a hugely experimental case. But now, six months after the convictions in Michigan of first Jennifer and then James Crumbley, the parents of the Oxford High School shooter, it’s clear that […]
On Monday, Tucker Carlson hosted an amateur historian named Darryl Cooper on his show to discuss the history of World War II. The result was an extended exercise in Nazi sympathizing with little pushback from Carlson, who called Cooper (who tweets under the handle @martyrmade) “the most important popular historian working in the United States […]
There’s a mad, intoxicating hope embedded in this weekend’s release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It sees the return of old stars Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, and Catherine O’Hara, along with the rising new talent Jenna Ortega. Will another old familiar face come along with them? Is it possible for us to finally get back to the […]
On Friday Vice President Kamala Harris announced a massive August fundraising haul of $361 million, one that is nearly three times the $130 million former President Donald Trump reported. August was the first full month that Harris was at the top of the ticket, and it marked a continuation of a dominant fundraising performance Harris […]
At least four people were killed, and nine were injured after a shooter opened fire at Apalachee High School in northern Georgia on Wednesday, the latest in more than 250 mass shootings that have taken place in the US in 2024. By Friday, law enforcement had charged both a 14-year-old boy and his father in […]
Is Vice President Kamala Harris a “human rights hawk,” who would use American power to promote democracy and freedom abroad? Or is she a “pragmatic internationalist” who would back gingerly away from American hegemony? Is she poised to end an era of American hubris and restore humility to our foreign policy? Or does her forceful […]
Today, algorithms rule everything around us. They serve us entertaining, or at least addictive, content on social media. They try to suss out which emails in our overstuffed inboxes might be most important, and which ones are spam. They act as matchmakers for our love lives. Increasingly, though, algorithms have also been deployed by companies, […]
For the first time, the former ballerina dubbed "The Black Swan” tells her story of why she shot and killed her estranged husband. Contributor Jim Axelrod reports in the second part of a two-part "48 Hours."
A former ballerina shoots her husband. Did she kill to save herself or was it out of spite? Contributor Jim Axelrod reports in part one of a two-part "48 Hours."
Officials reported that "numerous people were shot" near London, Kentucky. A search was ongoing for a 32-year-old person of interest.
The Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins Week 1 NFL game will be played today. Find out how and when to watch.
Georgia suspect texted mother on day of shooting, family says; How the trend of slacklining is gaining momentum
Joe Burrow is back, but will the Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback play today?
Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears host the Tennessee Titans today for a Week 1 showdown. Find out how to watch.
Watch Marvin Harrison in his NFL regular season debut at the Arizona Cardinals vs. Buffalo Bills game today.
Caleb Williams is taking Chicago by storm. Find out when to watch the 2024 No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick play.
Dak Prescott is back and so are the Dallas Cowboys. Track every Cowboys game to see No. 4 in action this season.
Numerous nations, including the United States, have refused to recognize Nicolas Maduro as the winner of the presidential election.
True crime. Real justice. To miss it would be a crime.
Angel Reese injured her wrist in the Chicago Sky's victory over the Los Angeles Sparks Friday, in which she recorded another one of her signature double-doubles.
Ashley Benefield, dubbed the "Black Swan," took the stand in her own defense during her trial for the murder of her estranged husband. Prosecutors say she killed Doug Benefield so she would have sole custody of their daughter.
On any given Wednesday in the heart of San Francisco, a unique community comes to life. They're known as slackliners, an eclectic group of people connected by their love for balance, precision and a touch of daring. Itay Hod has more.
Early Saturday morning, a chapter of the ongoing space saga involving two U.S. astronauts came to a close when Boeing's Starliner capsule returned to earth from the International Space Station, but with no one aboard. Mark Strassmann has the latest.
Thousands of Israeli demonstrators took to the streets again Saturday, demanding their government make a deal to bring Hamas-held hostages home. Rather than work towards an agreement to release the hostages and bring a cease-fire to suffering Gazan Palestinians, Israeli protesters accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of stalling. Elizabeth Palmer reports from Tel Aviv.
The suspect's grandfather also told CBS News that the boy texted his mother on the morning of the shooting, "I'm sorry."
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are getting ready for their debate Tuesday in Philadelphia, but in vastly different ways. Weijia Jiang reports.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers faced off Friday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in what marked the NFL's first ever game in South America. Manuel Bojorquez was there for the historic event.
The grandfather of the 14-year-old suspect in the Apalachee High School shooting in northern Georgia told CBS News in a phone interview that the boy texted his mother on the morning of the shooting, "I'm sorry." Dave Malkoff has more.
Here's a look at the top stories making headlines on the "CBS Weekend News" with Adriana Diaz.
This is the second Grand Slam title for Aryna Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus.
At 33 years old, "Mr. Greedy," was the oldest penguin at the zoo and lived to see five generations of offspring.
Rutgers University has ordered an investigation of its gymnastics program after its coach was accused of abuse.
Paul Goldsmith was a legendary racer known for his versatility in both two and four-wheel racing.
In a statement, the Harris campaign says Trump's Taliban deal "set a virtually impossible deadline" for the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested and charged in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy, that took place Friday inside Joppatowne High School.
Bryce Johnathan Schubert, 27, a neighbor, was arrested for her alleged murder, Beaverton Police said.
More than 500 homes are under a mandatory evacuation order in the city of Highland due to the growing Line Fire.
He was fatally shot in what the police chief called an execution.
It's potentially the latest downing of the multimillion-dollar aircraft.
It allowed unlicensed money transfers from around the world to reach gamblers.
Officials in San Bernardino County, California, issued an evacuation after a brush fire spread to over 7,000 acres.
Pope Francis is honoring the Catholic Church of the peripheries.
The 32 straight-season streak is the second-longest in major league history.
He died at a hospital after a two-vehicle crash not far from the laboratory.
In the western Gulf of Mexico, there is now a 50% chance for the development of a tropical depression in the next 48 hours, and a 70% chance over the next week.
Three Libertarian candidates seeking House seats in Iowa won't appear on ballot.
Three sisters from Ohio who inherited a dime kept in a bank vault for more than 40 years knew it had some value
California woman missing 12 days in "treacherous" area found alive, the sheriff's office said.
A Florida Panhandle high school football player has died after collapsing during a game
Police reopened down Kentucky Interstate 75 following reports of multiple shot, the suspect remains at large.
24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events
Former President George W. Bush doesn't plan to make an endorsement or voice how he will vote in November, his office told ABC News.
A growing number of people are taking their search for love offline to attend speed dating events and other gatherings. Some are even hiring old-school professional matchmakers.
A NASA astronaut captured this stunning timelapse of an "orbital sunrise" while flying over Europe on the International Space Station.
This bear is clearly living its best life, escaping the heat to cool off in a Southern California family's backyard wading pool.
A McKeesport, Pennsylvania, resident told ABC affiliate WTAE that she thought she was "dreaming" after spotting an emu roaming around the neighborhood.
An American Airlines flight from Milwaukee to Dallas was diverted due to an unruly first-class passenger.
The Biden administration is announcing charges and sanctions as part of its investigation into a Russian disinformation campaign targeting American voters.
San Antonio Fire Department helped him get out of the vehicle, and he is now safe.
Pita, who was 7 months old when the video was recorded, can finally see clearly now, and we couldn't be happier.
The twins Felipe and Evelyn asked their creative dad to build the roller coaster in their front yard.
Eyewitness video captures the moment a van breached a train crossing gate in Virginia, narrowly avoided an oncoming train.
So far this tax season, the IRS has received more than 90 million income tax returns for 2022.
Spending at US retailers fell in March as consumers pulled back amid recessionary fears fueled by the banking crisis.
This is it.
When customers at Silicon Valley Bank rushed to withdraw billions of dollars last month, venture capitalist Arlan Hamilton stepped in to help some of the founders of color who panicked about losing access to payroll funds.
Lake Powell, the second-largest human-made reservoir in the US, has lost nearly 7% of its potential storage capacity since 1963, when Glen Canyon Dam was built, a new report shows.
Air pollution spiked to unhealthy levels around the world in 2021, according to a new report.
As the US attempts to wean itself off its heavy reliance on fossil fuels and shift to cleaner energy sources, many experts are eyeing a promising solution: your neighborhood big-box stores and shopping malls.
Bringing the second day of this year's Coachella to a close, K-Pop girl group Blackpink made history Saturday night when they became the first Asian act to ever headline the festival. To a crowd of, reportedly, over 125,000 people, Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé used the ground-breaking moment to pay homage to Korean heritage by arriving onstage in hanboks: a traditional type of dress.
"Old Masters" such as Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli and Rembrandt may have used proteins, especially egg yolk, in their oil paintings, according to a new study.
Hugh Hefner launched Playboy Magazine 70 years ago this year. The first issue included a nude photograph of Marilyn Monroe, which he had purchased and published without her knowledge or consent.
Now that the Fall-Winter 2023 catwalks have been disassembled, it's clear one trend was more pervasive than any collective penchant for ruffles, pleated skirts or tailored coats.
In 1998, Michael Jordan laced up a pair of his iconic black and red Air Jordan 13s to bring home a Bulls victory during Game 2 of his final NBA championship — and now they are the most expensive sneakers ever to sell at auction. The game-winning sneakers sold for $2.2 million at Sotheby's in New York on Tuesday, smashing the sneaker auction record of $1.47 million, set in 2021 by a pair of Nike Air Ships that Jordan wore earlier in his career.
Some people travel the world in search of adventure, while others seek out natural wonders, cultural landmarks or culinary experiences. But French photographer François Prost was looking for something altogether different during his recent road trip across America: strip clubs.
We all know the routine by heart: "Please ensure your seats are in the upright position, tray tables stowed, window shades are up, laptops are stored in the overhead bins and electronic devices are set to flight mode."
Paul Templer was living his best life.
He'd spent years backpacking around the world, and Japanese traveler Daisuke Kajiyama was finally ready to return home to pursue his long-held dream of opening up a guesthouse.
Due to its remoteness and short summer season, Mongolia has long been a destination overlooked by travelers.
Having lived in Beijing for almost 12 years, I've had plenty of time to travel widely in China.
Celebrities and musicians are coming together tonight to honor everyday people making the world a better place.
Anderson Cooper explains how you can easily donate to any of the 2021 Top 10 CNN Heroes.
Growing numbers of Chinese women are challenging a longstanding tradition that denies them village membership, and the lucrative payouts that go with it.
Edmundo González, who is widely considered to have won July’s disputed presidential election, was facing an arrest warrant.
The right-wing think tank has been pushing misinformation about voting into social media feeds. The Georgia secretary of state’s office called one video “a stunt.”
Israel said it had launched a “precise strike” against Hamas militants operating from two school compounds in northern Gaza, as the family of a slain American lashes out at Israel.
With witnesses and Palestinian officials accusing Israeli soldiers of firing the fatal shots, “an Israeli investigation is not adequate,” the family said in a statement.
The ban on Elon Musk’s X has dealt a blow to Brazilians whose livelihoods depended on internet followings they had amassed for years, and which disappeared overnight.
The mother told relatives she reached out to the school on Wednesday morning, warning of an emergency, the suspect’s aunt said Saturday.
The Persian Gulf nation has instituted rolling blackouts to cope with surging summer electricity demand, stirring frustration among citizens.
A seminary on Flores, a Catholic-majority island in Indonesia, ordains so many priests that a lot of them go abroad to serve the faithful.
Experts say these intentional burns reduce the risk of wildfires and more should be done. But real barriers remain.
Russia’s drive toward Pokrovsk has stalled along one part of the frontline, but its troops continue to advance in other parts of eastern Ukraine, and its long-range aerial attacks continue.
Using ruins as his canvas, Gamlet Zinkivskyi has captured life in wartime Ukraine in dozens of grim, gripping and harshly beautiful paintings. “Broken, but invincible,” read one captioned work.
U.S. and European countries had warned of sanctions if Iran provided weapons that could be used against Ukraine. President Biden’s lame-duck status could hamper a response.
You don’t have to have kids to have kids in your life.
The weird, mostly bad science of nominative determinism.
We need to let students slow down. Critical cognition, by definition, takes time.
A seemingly frothy reality show has a deeper conflict at its core.
The administration of New York City’s mayor was thrown into turmoil as federal inquiries reached his inner circle.
The capsule, which returned without astronauts, and other space programs at Boeing have suffered many delays and cost overruns.
An African penguin who left many offspring in his long life, he belonged to the largest colony of the aquatic bird species in North America, according to the zoo.
Endlessly adaptable, tea cakes have long offered bakers across the country a moment of restoration.
<p>Venezuelan vice-president Delcy Rodriguez and Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares release statements saying the opponent of Nicolas Maduro had left</p><p>Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González has left the South American country after seeking asylum in Spain, according to the Spanish foreign minister.</p><p>“Edmundo González, at his own request, flew to Spain on a Spanish air force plane,” José Manuel Albares said in a statement online, adding that the “government of Spain is committed to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/venezuela-opposition-leader-edmundo-gonzalez-reportedly-leaves-country-for-spain">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The shooting occurred along Interstate 75 in a rural area south of Lexington, near the city of London authorities said</p><p>Kentucky police reported an “active shooter situation” on Saturday evening near Interstate 75 in London, Kentucky, south of Lexington, where “numerous persons” had been shot in traffic.</p><p>In a video statement, London mayor Randall Weddle said seven people were hurt, but not all of those were wounded by gunfire. Some of the victims were injured in a vehicle accident, he said.<br /><br /> “There are no deceased at this time. No one was killed from this, thankfully, but we ask that you continue to pray,” Weddle said.<br /><br /> The sheriff’s office also announced that a “person of interest” has been identified in connection with the shooting, saying he should be considered armed and dangerous and people should not approach him.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/08/kentucky-police-say-multiple-people-shot-in-active-shooter-situation">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Bill Burns calls Vladimir Putin a ‘bully’ whose ‘sabre-rattling’ should not always be taken literally</p><p>Western leaders should not be intimidated by Kremlin threats of nuclear escalation, the head of the CIA said on Saturday, amid a debate over whether Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles should be used inside Russia.</p><p>Bill Burns, on a visit to London alongside the head of MI6, said the US had brushed off a previous Russian nuclear scare in autumn 2022, demonstrating that threats from Moscow should not always be taken literally.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/cia-west-russia-nuclear-threats-putin">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The pontiff visited the small town of Vanimo after delivering mass to an estimated 35,000 people in the capital of Port Moresby</p><p>Pope Francis travelled to Vanimo, on Papua New Guinea’s remote north-west coast, after celebrating a mass in the capital of Port Moresby in front of an estimated audience of 35,000 people.</p><p>The pope received an enthusiastic welcome in the town located on a peninsula close to the border with Indonesia. He was greeted by members of the small Catholic community who are served by missionaries from his native Argentina.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/pope-francis-welcomed-to-remote-papua-new-guinea-as-he-seeks-to-break-down-distances">Continue reading...</a>
<p>In addition to world’s richest person, who has $251bn, report names others on track to receive trillionaire status</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> is on pace to become the world’s first trillionaire by 2027, according to a new report from a group that tracks wealth.</p><p>Informa Connect Academy’s finding about the boss of electric carmaker Tesla, private rocket company SpaceX and social media platform X (formerly Twitter) stems from the fact that Musk’s wealth has been growing at an average annual rate of 110%. He was also the world’s richest person, with $251bn, according to the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/">Bloomberg Billionaires Index</a>, as the academy’s 2024 Trillion Dollar Club <a href="https://informaconnect.com/academy/companies-entering-trillion-dollar-club-in-2024/">report</a> began circulating Friday.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/07/elon-musk-first-trillionaire-2027">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Belarussian keeps composure to beat American 7-5, 7-5</li><li>World No 2 has won two grand slam titles this year</li></ul><p>As Aryna Sabalenka has cemented herself at the top of her sport over the past two seasons, in so many of the biggest grand slam matches her greatest opponent has been herself. Even when she has come in radiating with confidence, her game in full bloom, her head so often gets in the way. Recovering from so many painful collapses has required resilience beyond measure.</p><p>Nowhere have these struggles been more evident than in New York, a city that perfectly suits her electrifying game and outsized personality but where the positives from her two semi-finals and a final in the past three years had been blunted by brutal losses.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/aryna-sabalenka-holds-off-jessica-pegula-fightback-to-win-us-open">Continue reading...</a>
<p>James Shirah, 22, allegedly ran over groomsman with SUV, mortally wounding him, following argument on 30 August</p><p>A newly married couple from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/michigan">Michigan</a> were arrested only hours after their wedding because the groom allegedly used a car to intentionally run over and kill one of his groomsmen, according to local police.</p><p>The groom, 22-year-old James Shirah of Flint, allegedly ran over his groomsman with an SUV, mortally wounding him, following an argument on 30 August, the Flint police department <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=919163926914655&set=a.303045085193212">said on Facebook</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/michigan-couple-arrested-groomsman-killed">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Palestinians say they have no faith in Israel Defense Forces inquiry into killing as US officials insist Gaza ceasefire is near</p><p>US officials have insisted that a ceasefire in Gaza is close even as fighting rages unabated in the blockaded Palestinian territory and violence spirals in the occupied West Bank, where witnesses told the <em>Observer</em> an American-Turkish dual national was killed by Israeli forces on Friday.</p><p>William Burns, who is also the US’s chief negotiator in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, echoed secretary of state Antony Blinken during a speech in London on Saturday in which he said that “90% of the text had been agreed but the last 10% is always the hardest”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/west-bank-residents-teargas-shots-us-woman-death-israel-defence-forces-inquiry-killing">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Two former senior advisers to Keir Starmer say their UK election strategy could benefit Democratic campaign<br /><br />• <a href="https://composer.gutools.co.uk/content/66d9e2228f08da0c09ad3ba3">Lessons of Labour UK win could help Harris defeat Trump</a></p><p>Keir Starmer’s former pollster, Deborah Mattinson, is to meet Kamala Harris’s campaign team in Washington this week to share details of how Labour pulled off its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/05/time-for-us-to-deliver-says-starmer-as-labour-heads-for-landslide">stunning election win</a> by targeting key groups of “squeezed working-class voters who wanted change”.</p><p>The visit comes ahead of a separate trip by Starmer to Washington on Friday to meet US president Joe Biden, his second since becoming prime minister. It will also be his first since Biden stepped down and Harris became the Democratic nominee.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/us-hero-voters-key-to-harris-win-say-ex-aides-who-plotted-labour-uk-victory">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Former prime minister also under fire for hiring ex-aide Charlotte Owen as VP despite her lack of energy sector experience </p><p>Boris Johnson failed to disclose that he met a uranium lobbyist while prime minister before entering into a new business with a controversial Iranian-Canadian uranium entrepreneur, the <em>Observer</em> can reveal.</p><p>Johnson’s new company <a href="https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/15327091">Better Earth Limited</a> also employs Charlotte Owen, a junior aide with just a few years work experience whom he elevated to the House of Lords last year at the age of 29, sparking intense controversy.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/boris-johnson-faces-questions-uranium-business-charlotte-owen-aide">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The CDU chief has had a smooth lead but he must act to halt the march of far-right voters before the general election</p><p>•<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/everyone-is-terrified-of-a-far-right-return-in-germany-heres-why-it-wont-happen"> Everyone is terrified of a far-right return in Germany. Here’s why it won’t happen</a></p><p>Friedrich Merz, Germany’s mercurial conservative opposition chief and a passionate hobby pilot, should be flying high these days as the country’s hotly tipped next leader.</p><p>One year before the next general election, his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has enjoyed a <a href="https://www.wahlrecht.de/umfragen/">comfortable lead</a> for months with about 32% support, nearly double the score of its nearest competitors, as the fractious government led by Social Democrat <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/olaf-scholz">Olaf Scholz</a> plumbs new depths of disfavour.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/friedrich-merz-looks-likely-to-be-germanys-next-leader-but-how-will-he-defuse-the-afd">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The prevalence of slot machines – known as pokies – in pubs and clubs across the country and betting on sport has created a culture of wagering </p><p>It is a quiet night in Fairfield, in Sydney’s western suburbs. Inside a small brick building, a dozen Gamblers Anonymous members help themselves to coffee, tea and miniature meat pies. The meeting is taking place in a suburb that has one of the city’s lowest median incomes, and highest levels of gambling losses. A fifth of the state of New South Wales’s 25 most profitable gaming clubs are here, according to <a href="https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/operating-a-business/community-involvement/liquor-and-gaming-data">government data</a>.</p><p>One of these clubs, Fairfield Returned and Services League (RSL), is just a two-minute walk away. It is a building totally at odds with the modest apartment blocks and shabby train station nearby. A pedestrian walkway inside is lined with palms and ferns, it has an elaborate fountain, a grand lobby. It seems incongruous, that is, until you realise that its surroundings<strong> </strong>are its blood supply. Inside the club, just out of view of the street, are hundreds of gaming machines. Fairfield RSL and Clubs Australia did not respond to requests for comment.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/08/how-australians-became-the-worlds-biggest-gamblers">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Humorists are using the plight of this small corner of Kursk region to make a point about Russian hypocrisy – but the invasion is no joke for either side</p><p>One morning recently, historian Yevhen Murza and comedian Feliks Redka, both from the city of Sumy in eastern Ukraine, hitched a lift into Ukrainian-occupied Russia. Their mission on arrival in Sudzha, the town that has been at the centre of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/03/ukrainian-troops-audacious-incursion-russia-kursk">Ukraine’s dramatic push into Russia’s Kursk region</a>, was an unusual one: to record the latest episode of their long-running podcast series, dedicated to popularising Ukrainian history.</p><p>The deal was agreed via Instagram with a fan of their podcast who is serving in the Ukrainian army. In exchange for a drone that Redka had bought with proceeds from a recent standup tour, the soldier agreed that he and his friends would give the pair a ride to Sudzha and back.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/ukraine-sudzha-russian-town-kursk-region">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Learn the difference between self-pity, which leads us to feel resentful and helpless, and self-compassion, which promotes resilience and self-awareness</p><p><em><strong>The question</strong></em><strong> </strong><em>I feel as though, over the years, I’ve allowed setbacks to knock down all my pillars of happiness and now feel </em><em>I just live among the ruins.When I was young, I read </em><em>books where naive anti-heroes had funny experiences </em><em>and I thought if I was open-minded, funny things would happen to me, too. I now realise it’s probably not how people experience life.Twenty years ago, I ended up on an art MA, but the main tutor hated me and refused to let me on to the second year. I’d been doing fun stuff that lots of people liked, but she managed to annihilate all my enthusiasm for art.Then one of my best friends just stopped talking to me and never told me why. It shook my feeling that friendship was a strong bond and since then people can be in my life, but I don’t hold on to them very well for long.A relationship ended after a lengthy court case and, </em><em>since then, more than a decade ago, I have struggled to enjoy anything. </em><em>Then I accepted a job where I was given minimal training, but was constantly berated for getting stuff wrong and after six months had a </em><em>breakdown.</em></p><p><em>I know there’s a thing about not allowing people to have power over you, but it’s felt like a series of knockout blows. I want more out of life and I thought if I waited</em><em> something would grow, like weeds do after you clear some ground, but nothing really has. How do I find my way to enjoyment?</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/08/bad-events-knocked-the-joy-out-of-my-life-how-do-i-get-it-back">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Like other celebrity wellness entrepreneurs, the former model seems to peddle nonsense</p><p>Elle Macpherson’s gratitude journal must have written itself last week. Most days, any leader in the wellness industry is right to feel gratitude for the gigantic profits to be made seemingly out of human gullibility: the welcome for her latest venture suggests that the market for experimental self-care may have been wildly underestimated.</p><p>Since the exclusive revelation of <a href="https://www.womensweekly.com.au/news/elle-macpherson-now/">Macpherson’s “cancer journey”</a> in the <em>Australian Women’s Weekly</em>, there can hardly have been enough time in the day, without contracting the work out to a gratitude assistant, to record the amount of joy experienced by a model turned entrepreneur when her apparent rejection of evidence-based medicine is widely presented – with only limited space for objections – as a tale of fully vindicated heroism.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/08/elle-macpherson-cancer-alternative-medicine">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The small resort is close to visitor hot spots such as Bodrum and Fethiye but retains a mellow vibe and is perfectly placed for exploring the coast</p><p>When Bodrum and I first met, 30 years ago, my main thought was that it was a long way from anywhere. In summer 1994, when I worked as a holiday rep, there were no international flights to Bodrum’s small airport and only a few holidaymakers made the four-hour trek from Dalaman airport. Famous for its picturebook Crusader castle and waterfront lined with <em>gulets</em> (wooden sailing boats), Bodrum was back then a working town that just happened to have supermodel looks.</p><p>In the intervening decades, those good looks have helped change it beyond recognition– the town itself and the peninsula that stretches westwards are fringed with increasingly sophisticated small resorts. The forested coves, bays and inlets that surround Bodrum are now home to some of the country’s most luxurious hotels, some with room rates of more than €1,000 a night. Out on the peninsula, in the once-small village of Yalikavak, a vast marina dominates the coastline, with designer boutiques and outposts of Istanbul’s hippest restaurants catering to the super-rich.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/article/2024/sep/08/gocek-turkey-at-sun-kissed-laid-back-best-lycian-coast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>In his sometimes enjoyable longest novel yet, the author’s obsession with sex and desire competes for attention with his usual grandstanding and an intricate, Dan Brown-like pulp mystery</p><p>Until fairly recently, anyone asked to name France’s most prominent living author might well have said Michel Houellebecq, who shot to prominence in the 1990s and 00s with his novels <em>Whatever</em>, <em>Atomised</em> and <em>Platform</em>, pungent satires that ruthlessly insisted on sex as just another commodity in a marketplace of winners and losers. (A more likely name on readers’ lips now would probably be 2022 Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux, who also writes of sex, and who was publishing long before Houellebecq but was somewhat damningly more or less invisible in the anglosphere until the past decade.)</p><p>Houellebecq’s later novels come in all stripes – sci-fi in <em><a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/the-possibility-of-an-island-9780753821183/">The Possibility of an Island</a></em>, or the art-world caper of <em><a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/the-map-and-the-territory-9780099554578/">The Map and </a></em><em><a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/the-map-and-the-territory-9780099554578/">the Territory</a></em>, in which Houellebecq gets murdered – but it’s the incel-adjacent vibe of his best-known work that has decisively shaped his reputation. But only with his dismal 2019 novel, <em>Serotonin</em>, about a civil servant stalking his ex-girlfriend as the <em>gilets jaunes</em> protests come to the boil, did time seem to be up for Houellebecq, whose work seemed almost crushed by the weight of its own instinct for provocation. His most recent book was a short, score-settling memoir, <em>Quelques mois dans ma vie</em> (A Few Months in My Life), responding to a controversy over Islamophobic remarks in which he predicted a “reverse Bataclan”. The title also told of how he was tricked – with little difficulty – into taking the lead role in a Dutch porn film that he later sought to suppress.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/08/annihilation-by-michel-houellebecq-review-sex-novel-french-controversial">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The actor talks about Motown and meditation, and divulges his secrets for really crispy, fluffy spuds</p><p><strong>The best Sundays?</strong> Cooking roast dinners, having all my kids and their friends or nephews and nieces around. It’s a thing for me.<br /><br /><strong>Chef’s tips?</strong> For beef, turn the oven up full whack for five minutes per pound. Then turn the heat off and leave it in the oven for two hours. My potatoes are legendary. The trick is to let them steam dry before you put them in the oven. If you can, boil them the night before so they become really crispy and fluffy.<br /><br /><strong>Chef’s music? </strong>I’ll listen to some Motown, jazz, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin or Amy Winehouse and dance around the house. I do a lot of dad dancing, which embarrasses my kids.<br /><br /><strong>To relax? </strong>I meditate every day because I suffer from anxiety, so I need to calm down. It’s a mixture of mindfulness and breathing: counting my breath in and out, counting before I breathe, then chanting, ‘Life is suffering, always impermanent. There is no self.’ I try to cultivate as much compassion as I can.<br /><br /><strong>How exactly?</strong> I think about somebody neutral, like someone who has served me a coffee. I wish them happiness. Then I go on to someone I find difficult and I wish them happiness. Then I go through my friends and family and I wish them peace and happiness. Finally, I come to myself and I wish myself peace and happiness, too.</p><p><strong>Sundays previously?</strong> When I was doing <em>Ray Donovan</em>, I used to come home for the weekend. I’d land at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon and leave at 7.30am Monday morning. I did that for years. Now I enjoy a quiet Sunday evening. <br /><br /><strong>Sunday evening? </strong>I’m a member of the Academy, so we get all the Oscar films. My wife really watches things. She loves the structure of films and she analyses everything. It can drive me a bit mad.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/article/2024/sep/08/sunday-with-eddie-marsan-my-potatoes-are-legendary">Continue reading...</a>
<p>At 74, Spain’s finest director has won the Golden Lion – incredibly, his first major victory at a film festival – for his debut English language feature. Better late than never, even if The Room Next Door isn’t <em>quite</em> his finest work</p><p>Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door is a tender, heartfelt drama about a driven former war correspondent who’s in search of the perfect final scene. She wants an ending that she can script and control, and a handpicked loving audience to applaud her when she goes.</p><p>As played by Tilda Swinton, the heroine doesn’t have it entirely her own way. But the film itself has fared rather better. It bowed out in a blaze of glory and scooped the crowning Golden Lion award in the dying seconds of this year’s Venice film festival.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/venice-2024-almodovars-first-major-festival-win-is-richly-deserved-and-epically-overdue">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong>May B Wild</strong> was only looking for a ‘Sunday lover’. But in a bike accessories shop she was unexpectedly moved by Chris’s gesture of care</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/newsletters/2019/oct/18/saved-for-later-sign-up-for-guardian-australias-culture-and-lifestyle-email?CMP=cvau_sfl">Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email</a></li></ul><p>My love life has not been straightforward to say the least. I’ve been married – and also divorced. By 2016, I had pretty well given up on men and was happy to live alone with my dog. I was working full-time in Brisbane and busy six days a week. But Sundays were lonely and I decided to get a Sunday lover.</p><p>I created a profile on a dating site and offered a challenge to potential suitors: “I dare you to excite my synapses.” I was hoping to meet a very intelligent man this time.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/08/the-moment-i-knew-he-helped-me-try-on-a-motorbike-helmet-and-i-cried-because-he-showed-such-tenderness">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Women limit exercise and commuting because of poor nighttime lighting, research shows</p><p>When Claire Watson moved to Sydney in 2022, the keen runner was excited to try out the famed track around the city’s vast, picturesque Centennial Park.</p><p>But when the 29-year-old turned up for her first run shortly after 6am before work one morning, she was stunned.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/08/not-safe-to-run-in-the-dark-how-inadequate-lighting-in-public-spaces-is-creating-barriers-for-women">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>USA 73-69 Great Britain</li><li>Steve Serio stars as champions make it three in a row</li></ul><p>There was to be no dream finish for Great Britain, just a series of what ifs and maybes, as perennial champions the USA kept completed the threepeat in men’s wheelchair basketball.</p><p>After achieving their greatest success in the event since 1996 by reaching the final, victory proved a step too far for captain Phil Pratt and his team, who flickered in moments but left themselves too much to do even as they attempted their customary fourth-quarter charge.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/usa-prove-too-strong-for-great-britain-in-mens-wheelchair-basketball-final">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>France beat Argentina 3-2 on penalties after 1-1 draw</li><li>Frédéric Villeroux scores the decisive spot-kick</li></ul><p>Was La Marseillaise rousing? Yes it was. Did the sky blush obediently behind the Stade Tour Eiffel on cue? Yes it did. Was an elegant young woman in a jumpsuit and heels clutching a cuddly Paralympic Phrges outside a 7eme restaurant? Yes she was. Did the afternoon rain stop? Yes. Was the stadium full? Yes. Did the many tricolours fly and the fans sing? Yes. Did the Eiffel Tower light up like a golden goddess bestowing beatitudes, behind the stadium and into the night? <em>Mais bien sûr</em>. Was the blind football final between France and Argentina a fitting finale to a triumphant Paralympic Games? <em>Oui, Oui, Oui</em>!</p><p>That France won 3-2 in a penalty shootout was the icing on top of whatever the most perfect éclair is in the most exclusive Parisian pâtisserie. All the tension of a normal penalty shootout only with the added jeopardy that the players can’t see (although the goalkeeper can) and possibly the most beautiful footballing backdrop in the world.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/france-win-blind-football-gold-in-shootout-to-delight-home-crowd">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Cockroft wins T34 800m by more than seven seconds</li><li>Cyclist Graham sprints to victory in men’s C1-3 road race</li></ul><p>Hannah Cockroft stormed to the ninth gold of her Paralympics career with a huge victory in the women’s T34 800m. Despite finishing 11 seconds outside her personal best, the 32-year-old’s time of 1min 55.44sec was 7.68sec clear of fellow ParalympicsGB athlete Kare Adenegan. Eva Houston of the USA took the bronze.</p><p>Cockroft led from the start to add to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/01/cockroft-claims-fourth-100m-gold-on-triumphant-day-for-paralympicsgb">her 100m gold from last Sunday</a>. “It’s like being back in London, I love it,” she said, as she reflected on a run that has resulted in at least two golds at every Paralympics from 2012 onwards (she won three in Rio). “This is how many people love Para sport. This is what we want to see. It doesn’t end here, we have world and European championships year on year, it’s not a four-year gap for us.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/paris-paralympic-games-great-britain-cycling-athletics-swimming">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Japanese rival wins 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, avenging doubles loss</li><li>Hewett unable to convert match point at 5-3 in third set</li></ul><p>Alfie Hewett will have to make do with just the single golden slam, for now at least, after he was edged out in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2024/sep/07/paris-2024-paralympics-day-10-cycling-canoeing-tennis-athletics-and-more-live?page=with:block-66dc77998f080b4351298766#block-66dc77998f080b4351298766">a thrilling men’s wheelchair tennis singles final</a> 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 by Tokito Oda.</p><p>In what is developing into an abiding rivalry at the top of the men’s wheelchair game, the Japanese teenager repeated his success over Hewett in the final of the French Open two years ago. A combination of power and brave shot-making ultimately won out for Oda, just 18 years of age, after Hewett – who sustained a groin injury in the first set – had earned match point at 5-3 in the third.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/hewett-denied-second-paralympics-tennis-gold-as-oda-wins-mens-singles-final">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Judo, Kayaking and athletics action as we showcase some of the best images from day ten in Paris</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/gallery/2024/sep/07/paris-paralympics-2024-day-ten-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Our correspondent enjoys an empty Champs Élysées, watches a legend and gets a lift from Paris’s volunteers</p><p>If you really want to see Paris at its best, I suggest getting up before dawn to head to Pont Alexandre III for triathlons that don’t exist. Pollution concerns had forced all races to be postponed for 24 hours. The decision, however, was made at 3.30am and communicated via the media channels of World Triathlon, to which I am unfortunately not subscribed. Still, alongside a few other bemused punters, I got to see the heart of picture-postcard Paris as the sun came up and walked the length of the Champs Élysées practically alone. Not bad.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/paralympics-diary-an-early-start-a-golden-moment-and-a-sea-of-brat-green">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Manager praises squad after opening reign with 2-0 win</li><li>Grealish happy after ‘one of worst summers of my life’</li></ul><p>A modest Lee Carsley played down compliments about his tactics and style of play after opening his reign as England’s interim head coach with a dominant 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Saturday night.</p><p>Carsley, who is looking to land the job on a permanent basis after taking over from Gareth Southgate, preferred to direct the praise towards his players for beginning their Nations League campaign with a fine performance at the Aviva Stadium. The 50-year-old enjoyed victory in his first game thanks to early goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, but he steered clear of accepting that England’s fluidity in possession was evidence of “Carsball” clicking into gear.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/07/credit-the-players-not-me-lee-carsley-says-hes-lucky-england-have-such-talent">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/cricket/match/2024-09-07/england-cricket-team">Third Test, day two: England 325 all out; Sri Lanka 211-5</a></li><li>Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis in strong stand</li></ul><p>One of the tenets of so-called Bazball is to put on a show for the crowd and on the second day of this summer’s final Test match – a day that transported the spectators back to the village green at times – Ollie Pope tried his best to adhere to it.</p><p>But at 5.35pm, Pope having deployed spin from both ends for 17 straight overs after tea in a bid to keep the game moving, the umpires Joel Wilson and Chris Gaffaney decided enough was enough. Bad light had once again brought an early close at the Oval – the crowd almost resigned to the prospect and so less agitated than <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/06/ollie-pope-punishes-sri-lanka-to-put-england-in-driving-seat">on day one</a> – with Sri Lanka having reached 211 for five in reply to England’s slightly wasteful 325 all out.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/england-self-sabotage-in-rush-for-runs-as-sri-lanka-cling-on-in-third-test">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Australia suffer 67-27 loss as Los Pumas run in nine tries in Santa Fe</li><li>Visitors lead by 17 points before conceding most points in rugby Test</li></ul><p>The Wallabies have fallen to a humiliating Rugby Championship defeat against Argentina, giving up the most points in their history in a shock 67-27 loss in Santa Fe. Despite leading 20-3 early, a second half implosion saw Australia leak 64 points to Los Pumas and sink to a defeat that, while not quite rivalling their 53–8 to South Africa in Johannesburg in 2009, will nonetheless leave new coach Joe Schmidt fuming.</p><p>Rueing the loss of key front-rowers Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou in the second half, Schmidt admitted his side “fell off a cliff” as the Argentinians ran in nine hot tries, showing the slick play that shocked New Zealand in the TRC’s opening round. A heavy reckoning must now follow as a shattered Wallabies squad tries to pick up the pieces before the Bledisloe Cup series against New Zealand starts on 21 September.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/08/wallabies-australia-argentina-pumas-rugby-union-test-match-report-result-scores-santa-fe">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The economic boom that reformed the top flight in 1992 could be about to devour one of its original ‘big five’</p><p>It’s 40 years since the greatest season in Everton’s history, when they won the league and the Cup Winners’ Cup and reached the FA Cup final. But it was a strange glory, coming as it did at a time when it was hard to see how English football, devastated by tragedy and disaster, could go on. Everton were – along with Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham – one of the “big five” clubs who led the Premier League breakaway in 1992, an event now widely regarded as having been a necessary step in the rebirth of the game.</p><p>But the move also led to football’s embrace of neoliberal economics: Everton’s only trophy since the breakaway is the 1995 FA Cup and, after three straight league defeats at the start of this campaign, they look like spending a fourth successive season battling relegation.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/07/everton-premier-league-financial-revolution">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Zirkzee sparks 5-2 win for Dutch against Bosnia</li><li>Germany thrash Hungary 5-0 with Füllkrug on target</li></ul><p><strong>The Netherlands</strong> endured some nervy moments but in the end proved too strong for <strong>Bosnia and Herzegovina </strong>as they began their Nations League campaign with a 5-2 triumph at the Philips Stadion on Saturday.</p><p>Joshua Zirkzee scored on his first start for the Dutch to give the hosts a 13th-minute lead in their League A Group 3 encounter but they were caught by a swift counterattack 14 minutes later that saw Ermedin Demirovic equalise.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/08/netherlands-germany-nations-league-bosnia-herzegovina-hungary">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Arsenal 1-0 Rosenborg; Maanum 19</li><li>Hosts give strong display to reach qualifying round two</li></ul><p>Jonas Eidevall said he was glad that no English team will have to go through the Champions League mini-tournament qualifying format again, calling it a “relic of the past” and criticising the 72-hour turnaround between the fixtures, with the format of next year’s competition changing.</p><p>Eidevall’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/04/foord-nets-four-as-arsenal-rout-rangers-to-march-on-in-champions-league">Arsenal beat Rangers 6-0</a> on Wednesday night in a mini-tournament semi-final, and then Rosenborg 1-0 in the final, to progress to round two of Champions League qualifying.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/07/arsenal-rosenborg-womens-champions-league-first-round-finals-match-report">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>England 38-19 France</li><li>Red Roses set to face rivals New Zealand next weekend</li></ul><p>When it comes to England v France there is no such thing as a friendly. The tense nature of the rivalry was on full display throughout, including a crunching collision between Ellie Kildunne and the France fly-half Lina Tuy, rips in tackles from the prop Hannah Botterman and a Kingsholm crowd in a feet-rumbling mood.</p><p>It was an atmosphere and physicality to reignite the history between the two foes and England’s head coach John Mitchell noted post-match that his team’s defensive work hurt France “mentally” and that the encounter was not “very friendly”. If the hostility alone was not enough to light a spark in this match, then the added backdrop of the first game of a season which will end with the Rugby World Cup, being held in England, certainly was.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/england-france-womens-rugby-union-match-report">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Irish rider finishes seven seconds clear on stage 20</li><li>Roglic has 2min 2sec overall lead for Sunday’s time trial</li></ul><p>Ireland’s Eddie Dunbar hung on to win stage 20 of the Vuelta a España on Saturday, his second stage win of the race, with three-times former champion Primoz Roglic coming in third and extending his overall lead ahead of Sunday’s final stage.</p><p>Dunbar, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/aug/28/cycling-irishman-eddie-dunbar-wins-stage-11-vuelta">who also won stage 11</a> for his Team Jayco-AlUla, took off in pursuit of the leader Pavel Sivakov with five kilometres to the finish on the final climb of this year’s Vuelta to Picón Blanco and held off the chasing group by just seven seconds on the line after overtaking the Frenchman.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/eddie-dunbar-holds-on-for-second-stage-win-as-roglic-leads-vuelta-into-final-day">Continue reading...</a>
<p>As the report damns corporate greed for contributing to the 72 deaths, Keir Starmer should ignore financial prudence when it comes to preventing another tragedy</p><p>Seventy-two people – 18 of them children – lost their lives in the fire at Grenfell Tower in June 2017. Many more were left traumatised and injured, displaced from their homes and thoughtlessly dumped into inadequate temporary accommodation. The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/05/grenfell-tower-the-fire-the-findings-whos-to-blame-and-what-happens-next">final report</a> of the official public inquiry into the fire, published last week, has one fundamental question at its heart: “How was it possible in 21st-century London for a reinforced concrete building, itself structurally impervious to fire, to be turned into a death trap that would enable fire to sweep through it in an uncontrollable way in a matter of a few hours despite what were thought to be effective regulations designed to prevent just such an event?”</p><p>The answer is set out across 1,700 pages: a litany of devastating failure after devastating failure that spans state neglect, corporate greed, regulatory capture and, ultimately, a total lack of concern not just for the residents of Grenfell, but the hundreds of thousands of people who still live in homes rendered potentially lethal by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/01/grenfell-seven-years-cladding-fire-blaze-safety">flammable cladding</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/08/grenfell-tower-report-keir-starmer">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved were still suffering a century later because they lived in states where Jim Crow laws were enforced</p><p>Persistence studies are all the rage in economics – using clever maths to show that events in the distant past drive political or economic outcomes today. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ecoj.12424">One well-known example</a> argued that Britain’s superior growth to France as late as 1800 was shaped by… the collapse of the western Roman empire a millennium before. Here, the collapse saw the population de-urbanise, while in France they remained in Roman-era towns that lasted. So when Britain’s cities re-emerged they were in places better suited to growth in the run-up to the Industrial Revolution.</p><p>Interesting stuff. But persistence studies also breed something dangerous: determinism. If ancient history is so influential, what hope do we have to shape our destiny? Which is why I love a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/qje/advance-article/doi/10.1093/qje/qjae023/7718111">new paper</a> by Lukas Althoff and Hugo Reichardt, examining the lasting economic impact of slavery. Their findings look like the normal persistence story: black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved before the civil war have had significantly worse economic outcomes ever since, compared with black Americans whose forefathers were free – even in 2023, descendants of enslaved people had incomes $11,620 lower than other black Americans.</p><p><em><strong>Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at <a href="mailto:observer.letters@observer.co.uk">observer.letters@observer.co.uk</a></strong></em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/blame-modern-decisions-not-just-ancient-history-for-economic-inequality">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Two ex-senior Labour advisers reveal strategy Keir Starmer used to turn its fortunes around by targeting disillusioned ‘hero voters’ – and how it could benefit the Democrats</p><p>• <a href="https://composer.gutools.co.uk/content/66db178d8f080b4351297c73">US ‘hero voters’ key to Harris win say top Labour ex-aides</a><br /></p><p>On 4 July, against all odds, Labour overturned the most <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/13/boris-johnson-leads-tories-historic-general-election-win">shattering defeat in decades</a> to win a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/05/time-for-us-to-deliver-says-starmer-as-labour-heads-for-landslide">stunning landslide</a>. A talented and energetic party team deserves huge credit for this victory: effective communications, innovative digital output, creative policy culminating in the five missions, organisationally brilliant events and a super-efficient ground force – all under the leadership of campaign director Morgan McSweeney and political leads Pat McFadden and Ellie Reeves.</p><p>It was a cohesive campaign united by its sharp, disciplined focus on our very tightly defined “hero voters”. Could a similar single-mindedness help Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump on 5 November?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/how-lessons-of-uk-election-could-help-kamala-harris-defeat-donald-trump">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We’re warned not to assign human qualities to other species, but evidence of their complex abilities is mounting</p><p>The details differ, but really it’s the same story, turning up every few weeks, for around a decade now. The revelation – and it’s always presented with a dramatic flourish – is this: animals are much more like us than we thought.</p><p>Last week, it was that dogs could <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/sep/04/dogs-remember-names-toys-years-study-pets-memory">remember the names</a> of their old toys – even when they hadn’t seen them for two years. Language acquisition, that “uniquely human” thing, was being encroached on, the researchers said: dogs could store words in their memory. Last month, it was that horses could <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy4j4kkxd8o#:~:text=You%20can%20lead%20a%20horse,great%20enough%2C%20researchers%20have%20found">strategise and plan ahead</a>, overturning the assumption that they “simply respond to stimuli in the moment”. And in April, it was that there’s a “<a href="https://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/nydeclaration/declaration">realistic possibility of consciousness”</a> in reptiles, fish and even insects – according to a declaration signed by some 40 scientists. One of the studies backing the claims recorded bumblebees playing with wooden balls. The behaviour had no obvious connection to mating or survival, the authors thought. It was for fun.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/when-dogs-recall-toys-and-horses-plan-ahead-are-animals-so-different-from-us">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We pride ourselves on egalitarianism, but paradoxically we’re still drawn to our dysfunctional royal family. For how much longer?</p><p>It should have been an Instagram-perfect wedding image, but it turned out to be something more embarrassing. In the picturesque village of Geiranger, the jewel of Norway’s fjords and a Unesco world heritage site, Princess Märtha Louise was hurried to a tent, covered by sheets to thwart rival photographers. The photo rights of her marriage last weekend to Durek Verrett, an American shaman, had been sold exclusively to <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/715381/princess-martha-louise-durek-verrett-first-wedding-photo-exclusive/">Hello! magazine</a>.</p><p>Netflix was presumedly present as well because it holds the movie rights to the improbable love story between the princess and the shaman. Whether the newlyweds – infamous for their relentless promotion of pseudo-scientific quackery, royal profiteering and, in Verrett’s case, <a href="https://www.tv2.no/underholdning/sjamanens-storste-stormer-en-farlig-mann/16911460/">a belief that he’s a hybrid reptile</a> from Andromeda who can cleanse spiritual imprints in promiscuous women’s vaginas – have found a good fit in Rebecca Chaiklin, the Tiger King<em> </em>director, well, that remains to be seen.</p><p>Aslak Nore is a Norwegian author. His latest book is <a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/the-sea-cemetery-9781529424379/">The Sea Cemetery</a></p><p><em><strong>Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/letters">letters</a> section, please <a href="mailto:mailto:guardian.letters@theguardian.com?body=Please%20include%20your%20name,%20full%20postal%20address%20and%20phone%20number%20underneath%20your%20letter.%20Letters%20are%20usually%20published%20with%20the%20author’s%20name%20and%20city/town/village.%20The%20rest%20of%20the%20information%20is%20for%20verification%20only%20and%20to%20contact%20you%20if%20your%20letter%20is%20used.">click here</a>.</strong></em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/an-ageing-king-his-clairvoyant-daughter-and-her-celebrity-shaman-welcome-to-norways-epic-reality-show">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Thirty years ago, Black women came up with the term reproductive justice. Today we fight for it more than ever</p><p>As the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-elections-2024">2024 elections</a> continue to heat up, there are increasing concerns about the rise of fascism around the world and in the United States. Regardless of the word or label used, Black people, living with the legacy of slavery and multiple forms of reproductive oppression including rape and forced pregnancies, sterilizations and the killing of our children and loved ones by vigilantes and police, have a lot of experience with authoritarian regimes that oppress and dehumanize.</p><p>There is a strategic agenda from the far right – laid out in clear language in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/project-2025">Project 2025</a> to keep power in the hands of a chosen few and prevent the United States from becoming a truly representative, multiracial democracy that embraces and supports all people including those with the capacity for pregnancy.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/republicans-reproductive-justice-black-women">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Driver Chris Begley’s death in August underscores a list of alleged heat-related incidents across Texas</p><p>Neysa Lambeth was in Florida caring for her ailing father on 23 August 2023 when she received a call from her husband, Chris Begley, who had worked as a UPS driver for 28 years in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/texas">Texas</a>.</p><p>Begley, 57, had collapsed from the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/extreme-heat">heat</a> while delivering packages. Lambeth said a manager picked him up and took him home to recover. He had fallen ill a couple of times from the heat over the previous two years, Lambeth said, and she had picked him up from the UPS service center on those occasions.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/07/ups-heat-death-texas">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Post-Covid hunger for travel is taking a heavy toll on the environment amid race to net zero, say experts</p><p>For some people, summer holidays are a relaxing break from daily life, a blissful chance to hit the sunbed and lie flat for as long as humanly possible. Other people are on the hunt for new places and adventure – plummeting down a hill on the back of a bike or tied to flimsy fabric and pulled through the air. Others still are on a quest for culture, cuisine or enlightenment – or, ideally, all three and then a nap. Travel is, most people seem to feel, amazing.</p><p>The result has been an economic boon for some parts of the world that has shifted money across oceans and into impoverished communities. But it has come at a cost to the planet that travellers have long overlooked.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/article/2024/sep/06/flight-shame-climate-impact-tourism-boom-covid-environment-net-zero">Continue reading...</a>
<p>A pioneering mission into a mysterious and violent world may reveal ‘speed bumps’ on the way to global coastal inundation</p><p>There are stadium-sized blocks of ice crashing from the soaring face of the Kangerlussuup glacier in western Greenland. Fierce underwater currents of meltwater are shooting out from its base and visibility below the surface is virtually zero thanks to a torrent of suspended mud and sand. It’s little wonder scientists have never explored this maelstrom.</p><p>Yet today, they are sending in a multimillion-dollar remotely operated submarine, potentially to its death. As the scientists onboard the Celtic Explorer research ship repeatedly say: “It’s a high risk, high reward mission.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/06/how-the-maelstrom-under-greenlands-glaciers-could-slow-future-sea-level-rise">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Plastic recycling is failing to scale anywhere near fast enough and remains a marginal activity in the sector</p><ul><li><a href="https://viewer.gutools.co.uk/australia-news/series/change-by-degrees">Change by Degrees</a> offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprint</li><li>Got a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at <a href="mailto:changebydegrees@theguardian.com">changebydegrees@theguardian.com</a></li></ul><p>Here’s some sobering facts about plastic. Australia produces more single-use plastic waste per capita than any other country except Singapore, according to a Minderoo Foundation report. And our plastic consumption is going up: it increased by 60% from an estimated 92kg per person in 2000 to 148kg per person in 2020-21, according to the Australia Institute. Soft plastics – those that can be scrunched into a ball – are almost always single-use.</p><p>On top of that, the latest <a href="https://cdn.minderoo.org/content/uploads/2023/02/04205527/Plastic-Waste-Makers-Index-2023.pdf">Plastic Waste Makers Index</a> found that despite massive consumer awareness campaigns and regulations, there is now more single-use plastic in circulation globally than ever – an additional 6 million metric tons (MMT) generated in 2021 compared with 2019 – and it is still almost entirely made from fossil fuel-based “virgin” feedstocks.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/07/soft-plastics-are-a-scourge-of-the-earth-but-there-are-ways-to-break-our-toxic-addiction">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Yagi registers as the world’s second-most powerful tropical cyclone this year and has caused power outages in more than 800,000 homes</p><p>Asia’s strongest storm this year, Super Typhoon Yagi, made landfall in northern Vietnam on Saturday, the meteorological agency said, killing at least four people after tearing through China’s island of Hainan and the Philippines.</p><p>Super Typhoon Yagi hit island districts of north Vietnam at about 1pm (0600 GMT), generating winds of up to 160kph (99mph) near its centre, having lost power from its peak of 234kph (145mph) in Hainan a day earlier.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/super-typhoon-yagi-hits-chinas-hainan-forcing-1-million-to-leave-their-homes">Continue reading...</a>
<p>US secretary of state will be most senior US official to have travelled to London since Labour’s election victory</p><p>The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, will head to London next week to discuss the Middle East and Ukraine, the state department announced on Saturday, in advance of a US visit by prime minister Keir Starmer.</p><p>Blinken’s visit to London on Monday and Tuesday will be the most senior by a US official since the Labour party won the general election in July, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/antony-blinken-to-visit-uk-for-talks-on-ukraine-and-middle-east">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The virile bird was euthanized by Maryland zoo due to health problems, and is survived by Mrs Greedy</p><p>A zoo in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/baltimore">Baltimore</a> is mourning the death of an African penguin that helped save his kind from extinction by leaving behind more than 200 descendants while living far longer than expected.</p><p>The remarkable creature in question is Mr Greedy, who was euthanized because of health problems related to his age: 33, or well past African penguins’ 18-year median life expectancy, said an announcement from his home, the <a href="https://www.marylandzoo.org/news-and-updates/2024/09/oldest-penguin-at-maryland-zoo-humanely-euthanized/">Maryland zoo</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/mr-greedy-penguin-dies-aged-33-maryland-zoo">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Inquiry ramps up into blaze that killed 17 boys in dormitory, as president declares three days of national mourning</p><p>Kenyan police stepped up their investigation on Saturday into a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/kenya-primary-boarding-school-fire">fire at a boarding school that killed 17 boys</a>, as the president announced three days of national mourning.</p><p>Detectives said DNA testing was due to begin to identify the remains of the children who died in the blaze.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/kenyan-police-to-begin-dna-testing-to-identify-victims-of-boarding-school-fire">Continue reading...</a>
<p>One driver says rates do not account for waiting times, traffic, and customers taking time to answer the door </p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/deliveroo">Deliveroo</a> has been accused of paying drivers below a minimum pay floor the company agreed earlier this year as part of the first-ever union agreement to cover earnings in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/the-gig-economy">gig economy.</a></p><p>Analysis carried out by Rodeo, an app that helps gig economy workers track their payments, showed that of 531 food orders completed in the past four months, 278 fell below the rate of £12 an hour agreed with the GMB union in May.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/07/deliveroo-accused-of-paying-drivers-below-agreed-minimum-of-12-an-hour">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Officials believe victims were swept away in flash flood amid heavy storms, after body of British woman was also found on island on Wednesday </p><p>Police searching for a British man believed to have been swept away by heavy flooding in Mallorca have found a body.</p><p>It comes after the body of a British woman was found on the Spanish tourist island on Wednesday.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/police-find-body-in-search-for-missing-british-tourist-in-mallorca">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Britain’s pandemic response was among the worst and the NHS had been ‘seriously weakened’, says leading surgeon </p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/three-reports-nhs-malaise-rachel-reeves-lord-darzi">Three reports lay bare scale of NHS malaise, but will Reeves fund a remedy?</a></p><p>Britain was hit far harder by the Covid-19 pandemic than other developed countries because the NHS had been “seriously weakened” by disastrous government policies over the preceding decade, a wide-ranging report will conclude this week.</p><p>An assessment of the NHS by the world-renowned surgeon <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/11/prof-lord-ara-darzi-surgeon-nhs-review">Prof Ara Darzi</a>, commissioned in July by the health secretary, Wes Streeting, will find that the health service reduced its “routine healthcare activity by a far greater percentage than other health systems” in many key areas during the Covid crisis.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/tory-health-reforms-left-uk-open-to-covid-calamity-says-top-doctors-report">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, arrested near US border after allegedly planning attack with undercover agents</p><p>A Pakistani man living in Canada is facing federal criminal charges for allegedly planning to carry out a mass shooting in New York against Jewish people on the anniversary of the 7 October 2023 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/israel-hamas-war">Hamas attack in Israel</a>, the US justice department announced on Friday.</p><p>Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested Wednesday in Canada and charged with attempting to provide material support as well as resources to a foreign terrorist organization – in this case, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/pakistani-man-canada-arrested-planned-mass-shooting-jewish-new-yorkers">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Starmer to hold talks with Irish counterpart on first official visit of a British PM to country for five years </p><p>Keir Starmer has said he believes there can be a “deep” reset of relations with Ireland after arriving in Dublin for his first official visit, with Northern Ireland, Brexit and joint international interests on the agenda.</p><p>It is the first official visit of a British prime minister since Boris Johnson <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/09/no-deal-brexit-not-clean-break-irish-pm-leo-varadkar-boris-johnson">visited in 2019 </a>to try to salvage a Brexit deal after years of strained relations.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/keir-starmer-optimistic-for-deep-reset-of-relations-with-ireland">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Spanish director’s first English-language movie starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore tackles euthanasia</p><p>Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language movie, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/02/the-room-next-door-review-almodovar-venice-film-festival-tilda-swinton-julianne-moore">The Room Next Door</a>, which tackles the hefty themes of euthanasia and the climate crisis, won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice film festival on Saturday.</p><p>Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, the film received <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/04/are-standing-ovations-at-film-festivals-getting-out-of-hand">an 18-minute standing ovation</a> when it premiered at Venice earlier in the week – one of the longest in recent memory.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/almodovars-the-room-next-door-wins-golden-lion-at-venice-film-festival">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The man who made bossa nova an international sensation has died at 83, after a 60-year, 35-album career that straddled musical genres</p><p>Bringing Brazilian music to the world and the world to Brazilian music: for decades, this was Sérgio Mendes’s mission and passion.</p><p>The artist <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/06/brazilian-musician-sergio-mendes-dies-aged-83">died on Friday</a> at the age of 83, after a 60-year career that produced more than 35 albums.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/07/sergio-mendes-the-musician-who-left-brazil-to-bring-the-sounds-of-his-country-to-the-world">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The Pulitzer prize winner on uniting Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton in her new novel, her unfathomable dreams, and how she went from ‘blabbermouth’ to writer</p><p>Pulitzer prize winner <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/elizabeth-strout">Elizabeth Strout</a>, 68, has wooed readers and critics alike with a string of bestselling novels set in Maine, where she grew up and now mostly lives. Her latest, <em>Tell Me Everything</em>, unites two recurring protagonists from recent books – self-effacing author Lucy Barton and abrasive nonagenarian Olive Kitteridge – with sometime lawyer Bob Burgess, who first appeared in her 2013 novel <em>The Burgess Boys</em>, and is now set to be hauled out of semi-retirement by a murder case. As a New England winter finally yields to spring, pathos and dry humour gild tender reflections on loneliness and connection, and the redemptive power of storytelling.</p><p><strong>What made you want to bring all three characters together?<br /></strong>I never ever intend to keep writing about the same people, but it gradually came to me that they are all living nearby. I wanted to get Olive and Lucy together – that was a propelling force. I just thought it would be so much fun, and of course Olive can’t stand her at first. The working title was The Book of Bob because Bob has always intrigued me. He’s such a decent person and doesn’t know that about himself, and I wanted him to come out of semi-retirement and do something big and meaningful.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/07/elizabeth-strout-all-ordinary-people-are-extraordinary-tell-me-everything-novel-olive-kitteridge-lucy-barton">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong>Toronto film festival:</strong> an empty-headed attempt to give the star her version of The Wrestler is a regrettable misfire</p><p>The desire to see Pamela Anderson receive her flowers after being mistreated and denigrated by numerous parties – from the media to men in the industry to most recently Hulu – is strong enough to initially outweigh other concerns over her big-screen comeback. Even framing it as such feels like an understatement, the star having never received anything like the dramatic lead she’s been given in Vegas-set character drama The Last Showgirl. It’s a genuinely huge moment for Anderson after regaining control of her narrative with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/may/09/pamela-anderson-chicago-broadway-roxie-hart">a well-received turn in Chicago on Broadway</a> and a likable Netflix documentary which allowed her to right some wrongs.</p><p>But while goodwill might have propelled her here, to a ritzy Toronto film festival premiere, it can only take her so far. The film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola’s daughter Gia, is wholly unworthy of any hype that might have preceded it, a forgettable, empty trifle at just 85 minutes, failing to give us enough of anything and certainly, sadly, failing to prove Anderson’s mettle as a dramatic actor. It would, inarguably, be a challenge for even the most equipped of performers to make much of TV writer Kate Gersten’s vapid script but it’s truly insurmountable for her. It’s an awkward misjudgment of a performance, the star retreating to the same shticky sitcom excess she used in her short-lived comedy series Stacked, relying on manic overemphasis regardless of the occasion. She just can’t make any of it work and Coppola almost seems aware of this, overstuffing her film with ponderous, dialogue-free scenes of the character looking wistfully off into the distance. Well-shot but dramatically inert, these moments are indicative of the film at large, seeking meaning out of nothingness.</p><p>The Last Showgirl is screening at the Toronto film festival and is seeking distribution</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/the-last-showgirl-pamela-anderson-comeback">Continue reading...</a>
<p>5 Live’s new politics show gets off to a solid start; the never-boring story of New Order is retold. Plus, Laurie Anderson on knob-twiddling</p><p><strong>Matt Chorley</strong> (BBC Radio 5 Live) | <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022lwf/episodes/player">BBC Sounds</a><br /><strong>Transmissions: The Definitive Story of Joy Division and New Order</strong><strong> </strong>| <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/transmissions-the-definitive-story-of-joy-division/id1534628327">Cup & Muzzle</a><br /><strong>In the Studio: Laurie Anderson</strong> (BBC World Service) | <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct5tl2">BBC Sounds</a></p><p><strong><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022lwf">Matt Chorley</a></strong>, late of Times Radio, has a new daily show on 5 Live, in Nihal Arthanayake’s old afternoon slot. The programme, which broadcasts live from a studio close to Westminster, was announced a while ago; timed, you assume, to coincide with a UK general election. But Rishi Sunak decided to jump earlier than expected, the election’s done and dusted, and so Chorley is left to burst through the door, all political guns blazing, into a rather quieter parliamentary saloon than expected.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/sep/07/the-week-in-audio-matt-chorley-new-5-live-politics-show-review-transmissions-the-definitive-story-of-joy-division-and-new-order-in-the-studio-laurie-anderson">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong>Toronto film festival:</strong> there are two excellent performances at the centre of a time-hopping romance that tackles well-trodden ground with maturity</p><p>There was a warm late summer surprise to be had with last month’s surprisingly thoughtful and tender adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s supermarket bestseller <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/aug/07/it-ends-with-us-review-blake-lively-colleen-hover">It Ends With Us</a>. It was a proud and powerful resurrection of the sort of glossy melodrama that had grown terribly unfashionable, mostly demoted to the small screen and almost always the subject of easy derision. Its shock commercial success (nearing $300m globally) will undoubtedly lead to more but already, premiering weeks later at the Toronto film festival, we have another heart-over-head weepie in We Live in Time, a smart and sensitive crowd-pleaser that should prove similarly irresistible to an impassioned yet underserved audience.</p><p>There’s also a touch of the golden era Working Title romcom here, before that formula became harder to love and easier to parody. It’s a tale of attractive, sweary Londoners flirting and falling in love but here they’re also grappling with some knottier, less cosy issues. It’s no spoiler, given both the trailer and the film’s time-jumping structure flitting back and forth, that it’s also about late-stage cancer, a development that has become something of a red flag given the rote nature of many disease-of-the-week dramas. But Irish stage and screen director John Crowley, who found his biggest success with 2015’s Brooklyn, has found a way to breathe life into a film about death, not aiming for wheel reinvention exactly but confidently relying on the power of big, honest emotions and two A-game stars who can easily sell them.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/we-live-in-time-review-andrew-garfield-florence-pugh-weepie">Continue reading...</a>
<p>With his Ibiza-set novel just out, the bestselling author recalls his drug-fuelled partying years, recovery, and the island’s complicated relationship with tourism today</p><p>The thing that might surprise you about Ibiza is the quiet. Even in August, there are pockets of tranquillity all over the island. Walking along the nature trail between and behind two of its most famous beaches – Es Cavallet and Ses Salines – you hear nothing but the chirp of cicadas and the soft whisper of the Mediterranean. You will also see, if you turn away from the dunes and pinewoods, the salt pans that dominate this southern tip of the island with an almost eerie stillness, a flamingo or two standing like ornaments on the mirror-like water.</p><p>As with many parts of Ibiza – from the hilly forests of the north to the views of the rocky islet of Es Vedrà in the south – it is easy to feel like you have passed into another world. Even more so if you catch them at sunset, when the sky becomes gold and whatever clouds are around become luminous lines of orange-like furrows in some heavenly field.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/article/2024/sep/07/matt-haig-returning-to-ibiza-place-where-i-nearly-died">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Tilda Swinton turns fashion designer, Mabel supports Grenfell and rugby style makes a comeback</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2024/sep/07/we-love-fashion-fixes-for-the-week-ahead-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
<p>As trends go, the double-breasted jacket is one of the easiest to try. Get ahead this autumn with our tips on how to wear it </p><p>If you’re looking to add a bit of swag and stature, a double breasted blazer is just the thing. Worn as a full suit, a double-breasted look adds gravitas and feels instantly pulled together. But its usefulness doesn’t stop there. Keep the look feeling modern by following the lead from the runways, where the DBJ was styled not as part of a suit, but thrown over the top of a casual dressed-down outfit. It was spotted on the catwalk at <strong>Amiri</strong> in a heavy tweed worn with metallic trousers and a printed shirt, while at <strong>Dries van Noten</strong> it came oversized in a light lilac. <strong>Wales Bonner</strong>’s camel version sported matt gold buttons and was worn with jeans – see also <strong>Gant</strong>’s preppy styling over a hoodie with denim and trainers (7, below).</p><p>It’s a hit with celebrities, too. <em>Twisters</em> star Glen Powell chose a green double-breasted suit for the LA premiere. Naturally, DB himself (Mr Beckham) is a fan of the style, opting for a brown check version for a recent photocall with King Charles (also a loyal advocate of the cut).</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/article/2024/sep/07/seeing-double-the-new-seasons-most-useful-suit-jacket">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The photographer co-opted hair artist Afro Ele to find the perfect rip curl</p><p>Last year, visual artist Fede Kortez travelled to the west of Ghana to direct a documentary on surfers. His base was Busua Beach, well known for attracting the worldwide surfing community to its swells. Kortez took a day out of the documentary schedule for the shoot, the idea for which he had been ruminating on for more than a year.</p><p>“I wanted to take some boys with their boards and style them up with vibrant hairstyles and cool accessories, with the beach in the background,” he says.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/07/fede-kortez-best-phone-shot">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Ellen and Santiago have a long-distance marriage, so stoke the flames of their relationship remotely</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/sep/08/would-you-and-your-sexual-partner-like-to-share-the-story-of-what-you-get-up-to-in-the-bedroom">How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously</a></strong></p><p>I was initially against monogamy, but I realised that being exclusive brings us closer</p><p>My sex life is satisfying – maybe that would be different if I didn’t feel comfortable masturbating</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/07/this-is-how-we-do-it-we-have-phone-sex-once-a-month-and-it-feels-primal">Continue reading...</a>
<p>You don’t need to be a straight A student to cook these easy instant noodles </p><p>I wrote this recipe for all the students heading back to university this week, but it’s too nice to withhold from everyone else, especially because it’s the sort of thing I like to eat on any day of the working week. It’s cheap, quick and delicious, and you need no skills to make it. The first eight ingredients are stirred together; the ninth, spring onions, just need a quick chop and a fry with the 11th ingredient, cabbage, which could be done while ingredient number 10, the noodles, are on the boil. A final flourish with some chopped peanuts and you’re ready for dinner.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/article/2024/sep/07/student-recipe-vegan-cabbage-peanut-butter-noodles">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We would like to hear what you’ve loved about watching the Paralympics take place in Paris</p><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/paralympics">17th Paralympic games</a> are underway in Paris. We would like to hear what your favourite moment of the games has been so far – whether it’s a particular performance from the opening ceremony, or a memorable highlight. Tell us all about it below.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/03/tell-us-about-your-favourite-paris-paralympics-moment-so-far">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We would like to hear about when children are first given mobile phones and how often they use them</p><p>With children returning to school, many parents find themselves debating whether to give them <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/30/apple-android-google-or-retro-whats-the-best-first-phone-to-get-for-your-kids">their first phone</a>. Pressure to do so can come from their own children,their friends at school or other families.</p><p>Whether you are a parent or teacher, we want to hear your experience with children and mobile phone usage. What age did you give your child their first phone and why? Was it a smartphone or dumb phone (one that cannot connect to the internet)?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/03/parents-and-teachers-share-your-experience-with-children-and-mobile-phones">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We want to hear your views on which libraries are important to you and why – and any memories that have stayed with you</p><p>Council-run libraries have been under threat the last couple of years due to cuts in funding. Since 2<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/03/more-than-180-uk-public-libraries-closed-or-handed-to-volunteers-since-2016">016, more than 180 libraries run by councils in the UK have closed or have been given to voluntary groups</a>, according to the BBC.</p><p>For Jack Reacher author, Lee Child, libraries should not be closed as they provide a place of reading and learning for many people. Child added that fictional character <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/03/jack-reacher-writer-lee-child-childhood-birmingham-libraries">Jack Reacher would not exist without Birmingham’s libraries</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/03/share-your-experience-of-how-libraries-shaped-your-life">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The Guardian is coming to Saginaw, Michigan, before the presidential election to find out which issues people there most care about – and we want your help</p><p>In the run-up to the US presidential election, the Guardian will be spending at least a month in Saginaw, a pivotal county in the key swing state of Michigan where voters were almost evenly divided between Donald Trump and his Democratic opponents in the last two presidential elections.</p><p>We will be listening to how local people see a race that has already taken dramatic and unexpected turns. We are interested not only in how you might vote, if at all, but what you think the candidates should be talking about, whether or not they are doing so.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/26/saginaw-michigan-voters-presidential-election-trump-harris-share">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Creating a fox-proof haven for endangered eastern quolls required a high, encircling fence. But what about the other wildlife?</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/sep/08/politics-labor-liberal-coalition-climate-weather-ai-greens-bird-flu-vic-nsw-qld-sa-wa-education-teachers-housing-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></li><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jun/08/hungry-foxes-are-having-a-catastrophic-impact-on-australias-juvenile-freshwater-turtles-theres-a-push-to-change-that">Eastern long-necked turtles</a> are known for their “ridiculously cute grin”, says Nick Dexter, and a much less charming ability to release a pungent stink to ward off predators.</p><p>But what they’re not good at, unsurprisingly, is climbing fences.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/08/australia-turtle-conservation-endangered-species">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Users say harmful content from accounts they do not follow appears even after requests to block it</p><p>Debbie was scrolling through X in April when some unwelcome posts appeared on her feed. One showed a photo of someone who was visibly underweight asking whether they were thin enough. In another, a user wanted to compare how few calories they were eating each day.</p><p>Debbie, who did not want to give her last name, is 37 years old and was first diagnosed with bulimia when she was 16. She did not follow either of the accounts behind the posts, which belonged to a group with more than 150,000 members on the social media site.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/worrying-lack-of-moderation-how-eating-disorder-posts-proliferate-on-x">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Saga over contestant’s nationality reflects hatred of other Africans fuelled by poverty among black population</p><p>When Chidimma Adetshina entered Miss South Africa, she dreamed of being crowned and going on to represent – at the Miss Universe contest in November – the country she had lived in since birth. What she didn’t expect was a furious backlash that would end up with her winning the right to represent Nigeria instead.</p><p>A saga over the 23-year-old law student’s nationality has exposed a deep vein of xenophobia in South Africa against immigrants from other African countries that has festered since the end of apartheid, feeding off endemic unemployment, poverty and inequality, and periodically exploding into violence.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/beauty-queen-row-exposes-xenophobia-towards-immigrants-in-south-africa">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Ex-president tries to fend off criticisms of mental acuity that plagued Biden as he waffles about sharks and batteries</p><p>For those baffled by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump">Donald Trump</a>’s forays into meandering discourses about electrocution, bacons sales or cannibal killers at his recent political rallies, the former US president had an explanation.</p><p>Trump assured supporters in Pennsylvania on Saturday that what might look like incoherent ramblings as he frequently departed from his scripted speech were instead indicators of his brilliance that impressed other great minds.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/election-trump-speeches">Continue reading...</a>
<p>In 2001, a badly broken body was found in a London car park. Police said the man had tried to enter the UK by hiding in a plane’s landing gear. Two decades after the Guardian first told his tragic story, there was an unexpected twist</p><p>Twenty-three years ago this summer, on a bright early June morning in south-west London, a staff member on her way to work at the Richmond branch of Homebase came across the body of a man who had died in the most brutal and traumatic manner.</p><p>His body was lying on the tarmac just inside the DIY superstore’s car park, a tangle of broken limbs in black jeans and a black T-shirt. His skull had smashed and his brain matter was splattered distressingly across a parked car.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/the-man-who-fell-from-plane-brother-who-retraced-his-journey">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Prime ministers, television presenters, journalists, MPs and political staffers all feature in the court transcript of the Perth trial</p><ul><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p>What started as a defamation case between <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/article/2024/sep/05/linda-reynolds-brittany-higgins-defamation-trial-verdict-ntwnfb">a senator and an alleged sexual assault victim</a> ballooned into a who’s who of Australian politics and media.</p><p>Prime ministers, television presenters, journalists, members of parliament and political staffers featured in the court transcript in the Perth trial that pitted Senator Linda Reynolds against her former staffer Brittany Higgins, over social media posts the ex-minister claims damaged her reputation.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/article/2024/sep/07/linda-reynolds-v-brittany-higgins-defamation-trial-verdict-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Most of the time safety divers do not need to step in, but our presence gives athletes the security needed for their remarkable underwater feats</p><p>• Photography and videos by Piko Studios and Jack Lawes for the Guardian</p><p>Things started to go wrong as Gary McGrath was coming up from 95 metres below the surface, a feat managed entirely on one breath. McGrath, who holds the <a href="https://www.garyfreediver.com/about-me/">British freediving record of 112 metres</a>, was met on his ascent by a team of safety divers who quickly noticed he was struggling as his movements started to slow. Then he stopped rising.</p><p>Protocols designed for such emergencies instantly came into play. One diver sealed Gary’s airways while another grabbed his hips, bringing him to the surface together, all while holding their breaths, too.</p><p>Gary McGrath in Dahab, on Egypt’s Sinai peninsula. He holds the British record after freediving to 112 metres</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/03/freediving-blue-hole-dahab-egypt-safety-divers-netflix-documentary-deepest-breath">Continue reading...</a>
<p>He says that acting is a gamble – but is a dead cert to terrify audiences with new film Speak No Evil. The Scottish actor talks about marriage, therapy – and why Ken Loach would never cast him</p><p>He is a funny character, James McAvoy. I meet him in one of those fancy Soho hotels where the cast of films that are about to be massive assemble so they can all be interviewed on the same day. And McAvoy’s new psychological thriller, Speak No Evil, will be massive. A remake of <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/speak-no-evil-movie-review-2022">the 2022 Danish original</a>, it is just as terrifying, with one difference.</p><p>McAvoy, 45, is personable and urbane. He is wearing a suit, but looks like a guy who changes into cargo shorts as soon as he gets home. “I’m really lucky in a lot of ways, mainly that my granny’s all over me,” he says. “I’ve definitely got a large dose of what she has.” His parents divorced when he was 11, and his mother was ill, so he went to live with his grandparents in Drumchapel, Glasgow. Later, considering class, he describes his childhood tangentially, talking about why Ken Loach would never cast him. “I’m too much of an actor. And I’m, like: ‘I grew up on the council estate you shot half your films on!’ But I’m too much of an actor.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/06/ive-failed-badly-and-im-good-with-it-james-mcavoy-on-class-comfort-and-carnage">Continue reading...</a>
<p>As sources of inspiration, havens from noise or social support service, council-run libraries have had a positive impact on lives all over the UK</p><p>“There’s a random element to life, which I think is important to preserve. Browsing through books is not a rational activity; it’s not like using a computer search to find what you want. Serendipity is another word that comes to mind.”</p><p>For Jamie Page, 66, libraries can provide the kind of chance encounter that you can’t find in bookshops that mainly tout new titles. In 1980, he was an unemployed graduate wondering what sort of career he might have. One day, at Brompton library in Kensington, he stumbled across a book on bacteria. “I found it fascinating, he says. “It started my career and I’ve been working in science ever since.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/06/essential-for-me-readers-on-the-importance-of-libraries">Continue reading...</a>
<p>For almost a century, opponents have removed the ‘ic’ from ‘Democratic’. Is it doing them any good?</p><p>The Democratic party? Robert F Kennedy Jr’s never heard of it.</p><p>On Tuesday, the former presidential candidate issued his latest condemnation of the “Democrat party”, endorsing a bizarre linguistic tradition among haters of the institution. As Donald Trump <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-make-america-great-again-rally-great-falls-montana">told a rally</a> in 2018: “I call it the Democrat party. It sounds better rhetorically.” By “better”, of course, he meant “worse”, as he explained the next year: he <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-democrat-party-trump-needles-the-opposition-by-truncating-its-name/2019/03/06/a1a3e3dc-3f6b-11e9-922c-64d6b7840b82_story.html">prefers to say</a> “the ‘Democrat party’ because it doesn’t sound good”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/05/democrat-party-republicans">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/08/grenfell-system-failure-scenes-from-the-inquiry-part-1-podcast">Listen to part 1</a></strong></p><p>Scenes from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor and Nicolas Kent</p><p>On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower in London. 72 people died. It was the worst residential fire in the UK since the second world war. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry was created to examine the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire.</p><p>Two reports were published as a result of this inquiry: phase 1 on 30 October 2019; and the second, and final, report last Wednesday.</p><p>This verbatim play, which was recorded in front of a live audience, is taken from excerpts of spoken evidence, given under oath, to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Phase 2, between October 2019 and July 2022. This play was created so that some of the lessons leading up to that night, and the vital work of the Inquiry, could be more widely understood by the public.</p><p>This is the second part in a two-part series, if you haven’t yet listened to part 1, you may want to before starting this episode.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/08/grenfell-system-failure-scenes-from-the-inquiry-part-2-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/08/grenfell-system-failure-scenes-from-the-inquiry-part-2-podcast">Listen to part 2</a></strong></p><p>Scenes from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor and Nicolas Kent</p><p>On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower in London. 72 people died. It was the worst residential fire in the UK since the second world war. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry was created to examine the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire.</p><p>Two reports were published as a result of this inquiry: phase 1 on 30 October 2019; and the second, and final, report last Wednesday.</p><p>This verbatim play, which was recorded in front of a live audience, is taken from excerpts of spoken evidence, given under oath, to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Phase 2, between October 2019 and July 2022. This play was created so that some of the lessons leading up to that night, and the vital work of the Inquiry, could be more widely understood by the public.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/08/grenfell-system-failure-scenes-from-the-inquiry-part-1-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Weekend is taking a little break. So for the next two weeks, we’re picking some of our favourite pieces from the last few months just in case you missed them…</p><p>Actor Julia Fox unpacks abuse, fame, and dating Kanye; should you blame yourself for your bad habits? And what happened when one man’s boat sank in the dead of night and he had to save his seven-year-old son.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/07/best-of-weekendpart-1-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will meet face to face on the debate stage next Tuesday. Jonathan Freedland speaks to Paul Begala – who helped Al Gore to prepare for his 2000 debate against George W Bush – about what the 2024 candidates will be doing to prepare.</p><p>What can they do to increase their chances of coming out on top, and will this debate be as election-defining as the last?</p><p><em>Archive: CSPAN, ABC, MSNBC, CNN</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/audio/2024/sep/06/debate-camp-role-play-and-rival-advice-trump-and-harris-prepare-for-showdown-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some notable pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.</p><p>This week, from 2022: Five years after the fire that killed 72, the inquiry is nearing a close. Over 300 days of evidence, what have we learned about the failings that led to disaster? By Robert Booth</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2024/sep/06/from-the-archive-a-merry-go-round-of-buck-passing-inside-the-four-year-grenfell-inquiry-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>After seven long years, the inquiry into a fire in a London tower block that left 72 people dead has concluded. But is justice for the victims – and survivors – any closer?</p><p>It’s more than seven years since Grenfell Tower burned. Now, finally, a public inquiry has finished sifting through thousands of documents, evidence from hundreds of public hearings and more than 1,600 witness statements. And its conclusions could not be more clear: every one of the 72 deaths was avoidable.</p><p>The Guardian’s social affairs correspondent, <strong>Rob Booth</strong>, has reported on the tragedy from the beginning, speaking to victims and experts about what happened on that terrible night and what has happened since. He tells <strong>Helen Pidd</strong> about the shocking revelations of the inquiry and why the companies and individuals who have been named and shamed have yet to be held accountable.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2024/sep/06/grenfell-the-lies-and-greed-exposed-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p><a href="https://x.com/maxrushden">Max Rushden</a> is joined by <a href="https://x.com/bglendenning">Barry Glendenning</a>, <a href="https://x.com/larssivertsen">Lars Sivertsen</a> and <a href="https://x.com/marklangdon">Mark Langdon</a> to discuss Aston Villa’s Champions League ticket prices, Leicester City avoiding a points deduction and the international break</p><p><strong>Rate, review, share on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/football-weekly-the-guardian/id188674007?mt=2">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/guardianfootballweekly">Soundcloud</a>, <a href="https://audioboom.com/channel/football-weekly">Audioboom</a>, <a href="https://www.mixcloud.com/guardianfootballweekly/">Mixcloud</a>, <a href="https://www.acast.com/footballweekly">Acast</a> and <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/guardianuk/football-weekly">Stitcher</a>, and join the conversation on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GuardianPodcasts/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/guardianaudio">Twitter</a> and <a href="mailto:footballweekly@theguardian.com">email</a>.</strong></p><p>On the podcast today: Aston Villa have announced the ticket prices for their home Champions League games and fans are justifiably angry – the club claim they have to do it to comply with PSR; the panel disagree.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/audio/2024/sep/05/aston-villa-ticket-prices-and-leicester-great-psr-escape-football-weekly-extra-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Footage shows Danish police apprehending the activist Greta Thunberg at a Gaza war protest. Six demonstrators were detained at the scene, at the University of Copenhagen, after about 20 people blocked the entrance to a building and three entered, a police spokesperson told Reuters</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/04/greta-thunberg-arrested-at-gaza-war-protest-in-copenhagen">Greta Thunberg arrested at Gaza war protest in Copenhagen</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2024/sep/04/greta-thunberg-arrested-during-gaza-war-protest-in-copenhagen-video">Continue reading...</a>
<p>On Saturday 24 April, the billionaire founder of the Telegram social media and messaging app, Pavel Durov, was arrested by French authorities as he disembarked from his private jet in Paris on his way from Azerbaijan. Officials said the arrest was part of an inquiry into criminal activity on the platform and a lack of cooperation with law enforcement. Durov has since been formally charged. </p><p></p><p>In a statement on Sunday, Telegram said it abided by European Union laws and that its moderation was 'within industry standards and constantly improving'. 'Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe,' it said. 'It is absurd to claim that a platform, or its owner, are responsible for abuse of that platform.'<br /></p><p>Durov, known as the '<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/aug/26/what-is-telegram-why-has-founder-pavel-durov-been-arrested">Russian Mark Zuckerberg</a>' for having founded a similar platform to Zuckerberg’s Facebook in Russia called VKontakte, is a self-styled champion of free speech and has cultivated a reputation for being unwilling to work with authorities to censor and more closely control what happens on his platform. His arrest has raised important questions about the extent to which tech executives are responsible for how users employ their social media networks. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/profile/chris-stokel-walker">Chris Stokel-Walker</a>, a technology journalist, explains the implications of Durov's arrest for the tech sector</p><p></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/28/telegram-ceo-charged-france-allowing-criminal-activity-app">Telegram CEO charged in France for ‘allowing criminal activity’ on messaging app</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/27/what-does-the-telegram-founders-arrest-mean-for-the-regulation-of-social-media-companies-pavel-durov">What the Telegram founder’s arrest means for the regulation of social media firms</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/video/2024/aug/29/who-is-pavel-durov-the-russian-billionaire-founder-of-telegram-video-explainer">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Ukraine has made incursions into Russian territory, boosting morale and changing the dynamic of the two-year war that began after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion.</p><p>Ukraine launched the surprise <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/13/ukraine-kursk-offensive-1000-square-km-of-russia-seized-incursion">incursion into the Kursk and Belgorod regions of Russia with armour and infantry</a> on 6 August, involving thousands of troops amounting to 14 brigades. While initial details of the attack were murky, Kyiv and Moscow have now acknowledged the operation into the Russian border regions, while independent analysts have verified claims about the scale of the advance by geolocating images posted by Ukrainian troops.</p><p>The Guardian's defence and security editor, Dan Sabbagh, explains how the incursion unfolded and what it means for the war raging in Europe</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/16/kursk-incursion-how-ukraine-turned-the-tables-and-struck-back-at-russia"><strong>Kursk incursion: how Ukraine turned the tables and struck back at Russia</strong></a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2024/aug/22/what-ukraine-incursion-into-russia-means-for-the-war-video-explainer">Continue reading...</a>
<p>US vice-president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris took to the stage on the final day of the Democratic national convention in Chicago, delivering the biggest speech of her political career. With less than three months left before election day - and with polls showing a tight contest against the Republican former president Donald Trump - Harris fired up the Democratic faithful by reflecting on her upbringing and past as a California attorney-general, asking the audience to ‘imagine Trump with no guardrails’, and calling on Americans to 'fight for this country we love'</p><p></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/23/kamala-harris-democratic-convention-key-takeaways">Kamala Harris’s big moment, and a message of hope: key takeaways from the Democratic convention’s final night</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2024/aug/23/kamala-harris-accepts-democratic-nomination-urges-americans-to-fight-for-this-country-video">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The preservation of egg shells and nests for study and display has been going on for more than 350 years, and London’s Natural History Museum has one of the most comprehensive collections. Douglas Russell , an NHM senior curator and author of the forthcoming book Interesting Bird Nests and Eggs , explains: “While I sometimes chose familiar species, like the blue tit, I often highlighted lesser-known examples, such as a buff-spotted woodpecker nest built in a termite mound, collected in Cameroon in the early 1900s .” Perhaps the most surprising, he says, is a house sparrow nest built in the exhaust of a RAF helicopter at the beginning of the second Gulf war. “Nests are wonderful time capsules of the habitat the birds were living in at that moment.” </p><ul><li> <a href="https://www.nhmshop.co.uk/interesting-bird-nests-eggs.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqnis99E3s6Vp6PghwaCLm_baBjRa_pYwkXsjPCqzW1JLYpW3tk">Interesting Bird Nests and Eggs is published by the Natural History Museum ( £12.99)</a></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2024/sep/07/in-fine-feather-a-museum-collection-of-birds-eggs-and-nests-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The evacuation of Pokrovsk, Israeli raids in the West Bank, the Paralympic Games in Paris and the West Indian Day parade in Brooklyn: the last seven days as captured by the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_twenty_photos_/">world’s leading photojournalists</a></p><p><strong><em>• Warning: this gallery contains images that some readers may find distressing</em></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2024/sep/06/the-week-around-the-world-in-20-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Photographer Jamila Filippone went behind the scenes to witness Strut & Fret’s circus cabaret show at the West End Electric for the Brisbane festival</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2024/sep/07/cabaret-circus-and-acrobatics-behind-the-scenes-with-limbo-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2024/sep/06/memorial-lights-water-buffalo-photos-of-the-day-friday">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2024/sep/06/week-in-wildlife-pictures-migrating-flamingos-hairy-nosed-wombat-robin">Continue reading...</a>
The departure of Edmundo González, who Venezuela’s opposition and several foreign governments consider the legitimate winner of July’s presidential race, was announced by Venezuela's vice president.
Multiple people were shot on a highway north of London, Ky., on Saturday, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said. I-75 was closed but has since reopened in both north and southbound directions.
The fatal collapse of Chance Gainer, a senior at Port St. Joe High School, is the latest in a string of recent deaths of young football players. Seven school athletes died last month.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus got past American Jessica Pegula to win her first U.S. Open women’s title and third career Grand Slam title.
一位广为人知的中国共产党批评者现在被指欺诈
Eggs branded Milo's Poultry Farms and Tony's Fresh Market were recalled after they were linked to a salmonella outbreak that has hospitalized at least 24 people.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney said his decision had to do with Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
In a post shared widely on social media, Jennifer Carter gave her account about what it took to keep her students safe at the Georgia school where four people died this week.
Stellantis is recalling nearly 1.5 million Ram pickup trucks worldwide to fix a software problem that can disable the electronic stability control system.
So far, there have been 14 human cases of bird flu this year. All the patients — except the one from Missouri — had been linked to sick dairy cows or poultry.
With more than 70 percent of the occupied West Bank city 'annihilated', some families fled, while others remain trapped.
Edmundo Gonzalez is seeking asylum in Spain after he challenged the re-election of Nicolas Maduro.
Authorities are looking for a man suspected of shooting at cars travelling along a rural stretch of the I-75 highway.
As the war enters its 926th day, these are the main developments.
Bolsonaro denounced Justice Alexandre de Moraes as a 'dictator' for his decision to ban the social media platform X.
The president is expected to win five more years in the vote with no surprises anticipated.
Announcement comes as Venezuela faces growing diplomatic isolation following election that opposition says was stolen.
A fire has broken out at a girls' school in central Kenya just two days after a boarding school inferno killed 21 boys.
More than a dozen Palestinians killed as all of Gaza has been under relentless Israeli strikes since the morning.
Experts weigh in on the strategies the Democratic and Republican candidates may deploy on Tuesday's debate stage.
Barnier's appointment by President Macron has caused great controversy in France.
German official proposes sending asylum seekers to facilities in Rwanda funded by the UK.
Thousands take to streets across France to protest President Macron's decision to appoint centre-right Barnier as PM.
Gildardo Lopez Astudillo's arrest comes weeks before the 10th anniversary of the students' disappearance.
Kosovo's Interior Ministry blamed the closures on 'masked extremists' blocking traffic into Serbia.
State government orders all schools in the state to remain shut citing security concerns after latest spurt of violence.
The other half of Israel’s war: settlers and the army brutalise Palestinians in the West Bank.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper during a protest, witnesses and officials said.
Deaths from mpox can be prevented, if only profit would not stand in the way of saving lives.
Debris from downed drone also found near Ukraine's parliament building after overnight barrage in 11 regions.
It’s the world’s first significant rabies infection in marine mammals. And it has scientists - and beachgoers - worried.
Meteorological agency describes storm as 'one of the most powerful' in a decade.
No major changes expected with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expected to win despite concerns about low turnout.
Arsons targeting schools have caused scores of student deaths in the past two decades.
Republican stalwart says Donald Trump 'can never be trusted with power again'.
<p>Inquiry ramps up into blaze that killed 17 boys in dormitory, as president declares three days of national mourning</p><p>Kenyan police stepped up their investigation on Saturday into a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/kenya-primary-boarding-school-fire">fire at a boarding school that killed 17 boys</a>, as the president announced three days of national mourning.</p><p>Detectives said DNA testing was due to begin to identify the remains of the children who died in the blaze.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/kenyan-police-to-begin-dna-testing-to-identify-victims-of-boarding-school-fire">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Several dead after blaze engulfs dormitory housing more than 150 children aged 10 to 14</p><p>At least 18 boys have been killed and 27 more were taken to hospital after a fire raged through the dormitory of a boarding school in central Kenya in the early hours of Friday.</p><p>Kenya’s vice-president, Rigathi Gachagua, gave the toll at the scene at the Hillside Endarasha academy, a primary school in the town of Endarasha, where the fire broke out at about midnight engulfing rooms where more than 150 children were sleeping.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/kenya-primary-boarding-school-fire">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Government and paramilitary forces responsible for rape, violence and torture, according to civilian interviews</p><p>Peacekeepers should be deployed to Sudan immediately and an existing international arms embargo should be expanded to protect civilians from “harrowing” rights abuses committed by the warring parties in the country’s civil war, UN experts said on Friday.</p><p>Sudan’s army (SAF) and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces [RSF], have raped and attacked civilians, used torture and made arbitrary arrests, according to a UN-mandated fact-finding mission based on 182 interviews with survivors, relatives and witnesses. The violations “may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity”, its report said.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/peacekeepers-needed-to-end-harrowing-abuses-in-sudan-say-un-experts">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Jab not yet approved for children, who make up most cases, while officials warn millions more doses will be required</p><p>The first donation of mpox vaccines arrived in Democratic Republic of the Congo on Thursday, but officials say millions more doses will be needed.</p><p>The announcement came amid warnings that the geographical spread of the virus, formerly known as monkeypox, was increasing, and swift action was needed across the continent to contain the outbreak.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/sep/06/democratic-republic-congo-drc-donation-mpox-vaccines-outbreak-speading-africa-cdc">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Abdelmadjid Tebboune set for second term as president after changed poll date is expected to favour him</p><p>Algeria goes to the polls on Saturday in a presidential election being held in the context of what rights groups have called “a steady erosion of human rights” under the president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who is expected to win a second five-year term.</p><p>As many as 24 million people are eligible to vote in the north African country in a process moved forward by three months.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/algeria-election-steady-erosion-human-rights">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Olympian sustained 80% burns during attack in Kenya</li><li>Police say former boyfriend attacked her amid dispute</li></ul><p>The family of a Ugandan athlete who died in Kenya after allegedly being set on fire by her former boyfriend has called for justice and legal action against the culprit.</p><p>“I have a lot of grief because I’ve lost my daughter. I seek your help so that this person who has killed my daughter can be prosecuted,” Joseph Cheptegei, the father of Rebecca Cheptegei, told reporters at the hospital where she died.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/05/ugandan-runner-rebecca-cheptegei-dies-from-injuries-after-being-set-on-fire">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Venezuelan vice-president Delcy Rodriguez and Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares release statements saying the opponent of Nicolas Maduro had left</p><p>Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González has left the South American country after seeking asylum in Spain, according to the Spanish foreign minister.</p><p>“Edmundo González, at his own request, flew to Spain on a Spanish air force plane,” José Manuel Albares said in a statement online, adding that the “government of Spain is committed to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/venezuela-opposition-leader-edmundo-gonzalez-reportedly-leaves-country-for-spain">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Opponents holed up for months in the Argentine ambassador’s residence say the building has been surrounded by security forces</p><p>Venezuela’s government has said that Brazil can no longer represent Argentina’s diplomatic interests in the country, putting several anti-government opponents holed up for months in the Argentine ambassador’s residence seeking asylum at risk, as reports emerge that the embassy has been surrounded by security forces. <br /><br /> Venezuela’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it had notified Brazil of its decision, which will take effect immediately. It said it was forced to take action based on what it called evidence – which it hasn’t shared – that those who sought refuge in Argentina’s diplomatic mission were conspiring to carry out “terrorist” acts.</p><p>Brazil said that it had received the communication “with surprise” and Argentina said shortly afterwards that it rejected the “unilateral” decision by Venezuela. Both countries urged the government of Nicolas Maduro to respect the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/venezuela-revokes-brazils-custody-of-argentine-embassy-that-has-been-housing-maduro-opponents">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, arrested near US border after allegedly planning attack with undercover agents</p><p>A Pakistani man living in Canada is facing federal criminal charges for allegedly planning to carry out a mass shooting in New York against Jewish people on the anniversary of the 7 October 2023 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/israel-hamas-war">Hamas attack in Israel</a>, the US justice department announced on Friday.</p><p>Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested Wednesday in Canada and charged with attempting to provide material support as well as resources to a foreign terrorist organization – in this case, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/pakistani-man-canada-arrested-planned-mass-shooting-jewish-new-yorkers">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Copilot recorded saying ‘a lot of icing’, indicating aircraft’s de-icing system may have failed before August crash, according to investigators</p><p>A preliminary report into the August crash of an airliner in Brazil has found signs of ice buildup on the plane but no definite cause for the accident.</p><p>The report – made public on Friday – pointed out that icing detectors had been activated on airline Voepass’s aircraft. And an official with the country’s Centre for Research and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa) told a press conference that cockpit recordings showed the co-pilot said there was “a lot of icing” during the flight.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/signs-of-ice-buildup-on-plane-before-brazil-crash-says-early-report">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Removal of popular cabinet member Silvio Almeida comes as a blow to Lula’s administration</p><p>Brazil’s president has sacked one of his most popular cabinet members after claims Silvio Almeida sexually harassed at least two women – one of whom is another prominent figure, the racial equality minister Anielle Franco.</p><p>Almeida, the human rights minister, has denied the allegations, while Franco thanked the president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, for his “decisive action”. But the scandal has dealt a major blow to Lula’s administration and has been greeted with deep dismay by the Black rights movement.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/brazils-human-rights-minister-sacked-over-sexual-harassment-allegations">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Funds will help communities living on the Codrington estate, which was home to two sugar plantations</p><p>An Anglican church group is to launch a £7m reconciliation project in Barbados to atone for the atrocities of transatlantic slavery and compensate descendants of enslaved people.</p><p>United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG), a UK-based missionary organisation created in 1701 to convert people in the colonies to Christianity, will work with local and regional partners in the Caribbean to allocate money to education and entrepreneurial grants and historical research. It will also support land ownership among descendants of enslaved people.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/anglican-church-mission-project-barbados-atone-slavery">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The pontiff visited the small town of Vanimo after delivering mass to an estimated 35,000 people in the capital of Port Moresby</p><p>Pope Francis travelled to Vanimo, on Papua New Guinea’s remote north-west coast, after celebrating a mass in the capital of Port Moresby in front of an estimated audience of 35,000 people.</p><p>The pope received an enthusiastic welcome in the town located on a peninsula close to the border with Indonesia. He was greeted by members of the small Catholic community who are served by missionaries from his native Argentina.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/pope-francis-welcomed-to-remote-papua-new-guinea-as-he-seeks-to-break-down-distances">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Yagi registers as the world’s second-most powerful tropical cyclone this year and has caused power outages in more than 800,000 homes</p><p>Asia’s strongest storm this year, Super Typhoon Yagi, made landfall in northern Vietnam on Saturday, the meteorological agency said, killing at least four people after tearing through China’s island of Hainan and the Philippines.</p><p>Super Typhoon Yagi hit island districts of north Vietnam at about 1pm (0600 GMT), generating winds of up to 160kph (99mph) near its centre, having lost power from its peak of 234kph (145mph) in Hainan a day earlier.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/super-typhoon-yagi-hits-chinas-hainan-forcing-1-million-to-leave-their-homes">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Family of Paula Leeson sued Donald McPherson after criminal prosecution over fatal drowning collapsed</p><p>A man who stood to claim a £4.4m estate from his wealthy wife has had his inheritance blocked by a judge who ruled he killed her.</p><p>The family of Paula Leeson, 47, who was found dead in a swimming pool in a Denmark holiday home in 2017, sued her husband, Donald McPherson, 51, for unlawful killing after a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/18/paula-leeson-trial-of-man-accused-of-murdering-his-wealthy-wife-collapses">criminal prosecution collapsed</a> when there was not enough evidence.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/06/court-blocks-44m-inheritance-of-man-found-guilty-of-unlawfully-killing-wife">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Japanese group says Couche-Tard plan undervalues firm, but leaves door open to higher offer</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2024/sep/06/uk-house-prices-hit-two-year-high-us-jobs-payrolls-business-live">Business live – latest updates</a></li></ul><p>The parent company of the global convenience store chain 7-Eleven has rejected a near $39bn (£29.6bn) takeover offer from a Canadian rival, arguing it “grossly undervalues” the company.</p><p>Last month, Tokyo-based Seven & i revealed that it had <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/aug/19/owner-of-7-eleven-stores-receives-buyout-offer-from-canadian-rival">received a bid from Alimentation Couche-Tard</a> setting the scene for what could be Japan’s biggest ever foreign takeover.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/06/owner-of-7-eleven-rejects-takeover-offer-from-canadian-rival">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Cooler temperatures expected to replace record highs in Estonia, while China braces for Super Typhoon Yagi</p><p>Since the start of September, swaths of central and eastern Europe have experienced temperatures well above average, with some places up to 10C (50F) above the seasonal norm.</p><p>A date temperature record was set in Estonia on Wednesday, where it hit 29.8C in Haapsalu. The September peak in the country is 30.3C, reached on 1 September 1992.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/06/weather-tracker-heat-europe-estonia-china-typhoon">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Arrest warrant was issued for Guo, who is accused of having links to Chinese criminal syndicates, after she failed to appear before a Senate inquiry</p><p>Alice Guo, a fugitive former mayor of a town in the Philippines accused of having links to Chinese criminal syndicates, has arrived back in the Philippines after she was deported from Indonesia.</p><p>Guo, whose case has gripped the Philippines, was the subject of an arrest warrant after she failed to appear before a Senate inquiry investigating financial scams and human trafficking found to be taking place at a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/04/inside-mystery-alice-guo-missing-philippines-mayor">sprawling compound in her town, Bamban, in Tarlac province</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/05/fugitive-former-mayor-alice-guo-deported-indonesia-philippines">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Follow the day’s news live</p><ul><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p>Speers finishes up by asking Chalmers about the ongoing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/01/questions-on-gender-and-sex-variations-too-complex-for-census-social-services-minister-amanda-rishworth-says-ntwnfb">census questions palaver</a>.</p><p>He says there will be a new question covering both sexual orientation and gender for the first time (first there were going to be no questions, then there was going to be one on sexual orientation but gender was going to be left out, now it looks like it’s in):</p><p>We have listened to the community. We worked very closely with the Australian Bureau of Statistics. LGBTIQ+ Australians matter. They have been heard and they will count in the 2026 census.</p><p>Really the message that we want to ensure that Australians hear from us today is that we understand the feedback that we got, we listened to that, we took it very seriously, we listened very genuinely.</p><p>We said we would find the best way to do this and I believe that we have and we will and the ABS will continue to refine the actual wording of the questions now that this additional topic has been add.</p><p>We want to make sure that we are maximising this really important economic relationship with our key trading partner. It’s a relationship which is full of complexity, but also full of opportunity and I want to help the government maximise that opportunity for the Australian people, workers, businesses, employers, investors.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/sep/08/politics-labor-liberal-coalition-climate-weather-ai-greens-bird-flu-vic-nsw-qld-sa-wa-education-teachers-housing-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>
<p>South Australia premier says proposed laws would see platforms hit with ‘severe’ penalties for allowing under 14s to create accounts</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/sep/08/politics-labor-liberal-coalition-climate-weather-ai-greens-bird-flu-vic-nsw-qld-sa-wa-education-teachers-housing-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></li><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p>Social media companies will be slapped with “harsh” fines if they allow children under 14 to create accounts and risk lawsuits from parents of children who suffer harm, under draft South Australian laws the government says are suitable for all jurisdictions.</p><p>A report by former high court chief justice Robert French released on Sunday includes a draft bill with the legislative framework to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/commentisfree/article/2024/may/27/australia-social-media-facebook-ban-children-under-16">ban children</a> under 14 from social media and requires companies to gain parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds to use their platforms.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/sep/08/tech-firms-face-harsh-fines-and-lawsuits-from-parents-under-sa-plan-to-ban-children-from-social-media">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Victoria police erect ring of steel around event, which is expected to attract up to 25,000 activists</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/sep/08/politics-labor-liberal-coalition-climate-weather-ai-greens-bird-flu-vic-nsw-qld-sa-wa-education-teachers-housing-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></li><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p>As many as 25,000 protesters are set to cause chaos ahead of a weapons expo to be held in Melbourne, with some already vandalising hotels and blocking traffic.</p><p>Interstate police have been called in to bolster law and order ahead of what could be Victoria’s biggest protest since the chaos surrounding the World Economic Forum in 2000.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/thousands-of-anti-war-protesters-to-disrupt-controversial-weapons-expo-in-melbourne">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Treasurer Jim Chalmers says LGBTQ+ community ‘will count’ in survey with new topic covering sexual orientation and gender to be included</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/sep/08/politics-labor-liberal-coalition-climate-weather-ai-greens-bird-flu-vic-nsw-qld-sa-wa-education-teachers-housing-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></li><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p>The government is adding a second new question to the 2026 census, restoring a proposed question on gender identity along with one on sexuality <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/26/australia-census-sexuality-gender-diversity-excluded">after a backlash over its initial decision to dump both.</a></p><p>The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, revealed on Sunday that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/31/albanese-says-abs-not-government-will-determine-scope-of-census-question-on-sexuality">the government had advised the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that a new single topic on gender and sexual orientation would be included</a> in the next census, likely to include two questions, not just one.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/08/we-have-listened-gender-identity-question-added-to-australias-2026-census-after-federal-government-backflip">Continue reading...</a>
<p>National species list expands, with orb spider named after Tom Hardy’s Marvel character, Venom, also included</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/sep/08/politics-labor-liberal-coalition-climate-weather-ai-greens-bird-flu-vic-nsw-qld-sa-wa-education-teachers-housing-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></li><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p>A laughing frog and an intertidal marine worm named after Sir David Attenborough are among 750 animals, plants and other organisms that have been newly recognised on Australia’s list of species.</p><p>The western laughing tree frog <em>Litoria ridibunda</em>, which laughs rather than croaks, the David Attenborough worm <em>Marphysa davidattenboroughi</em>,<em> </em>and the cracking-clay Pilbara marsupial <em>Planigale tealei </em>were added to the Australian National Species List in 2023.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/08/laughing-frog-and-david-attenborough-worm-among-750-new-species-recognised-in-australia">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Creating a fox-proof haven for endangered eastern quolls required a high, encircling fence. But what about the other wildlife?</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/sep/08/politics-labor-liberal-coalition-climate-weather-ai-greens-bird-flu-vic-nsw-qld-sa-wa-education-teachers-housing-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></li><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jun/08/hungry-foxes-are-having-a-catastrophic-impact-on-australias-juvenile-freshwater-turtles-theres-a-push-to-change-that">Eastern long-necked turtles</a> are known for their “ridiculously cute grin”, says Nick Dexter, and a much less charming ability to release a pungent stink to ward off predators.</p><p>But what they’re not good at, unsurprisingly, is climbing fences.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/08/australia-turtle-conservation-endangered-species">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The CDU chief has had a smooth lead but he must act to halt the march of far-right voters before the general election</p><p>•<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/everyone-is-terrified-of-a-far-right-return-in-germany-heres-why-it-wont-happen"> Everyone is terrified of a far-right return in Germany. Here’s why it won’t happen</a></p><p>Friedrich Merz, Germany’s mercurial conservative opposition chief and a passionate hobby pilot, should be flying high these days as the country’s hotly tipped next leader.</p><p>One year before the next general election, his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has enjoyed a <a href="https://www.wahlrecht.de/umfragen/">comfortable lead</a> for months with about 32% support, nearly double the score of its nearest competitors, as the fractious government led by Social Democrat <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/olaf-scholz">Olaf Scholz</a> plumbs new depths of disfavour.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/friedrich-merz-looks-likely-to-be-germanys-next-leader-but-how-will-he-defuse-the-afd">Continue reading...</a>
<p>As documents reveal EU ‘not prepared’ to change, Keir Starmer is reminded of Labour’s manifesto pledge</p><p>Industry insiders have urged the UK government to find a solution to post-Brexit restrictions on live music touring, after EU documents suggested Brussels was “not prepared” to change regulations.</p><p>In Labour’s manifesto, Keir Starmer pledged to improve trade and investment relations with the EU to “help our touring artists” . Since Brexit, musicians touring the EU have faced barriers introduced in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). They can work up to 90 out of every 180 days, which causes problems for longer tours, musicians who work in multiple bands or orchestras, and crew required on site before and after performances.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/08/uk-music-industry-presses-government-to-solve-post-brexit-limits-on-touring">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Demonstrators accuse Emmanuel Macron of perpetrating ‘denial of democracy’ by choosing conservative politician</p><p>Thousands of angry leftwing protesters took to French streets on Saturday two days after Emmanuel Macron appointed a conservative prime minister.</p><p>Demonstrators accused the president of a “denial of democracy” after his decision to name the former EU Brexit negotiator <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/05/michel-barnier-named-prime-minister-france">Michel Barnier, 73, as leader of the government</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/thousands-protest-france-emmanuel-macron-michel-barnier">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Starmer to hold talks with Irish counterpart on first official visit of a British PM to country for five years </p><p>Keir Starmer has said he believes there can be a “deep” reset of relations with Ireland after arriving in Dublin for his first official visit, with Northern Ireland, Brexit and joint international interests on the agenda.</p><p>It is the first official visit of a British prime minister since Boris Johnson <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/09/no-deal-brexit-not-clean-break-irish-pm-leo-varadkar-boris-johnson">visited in 2019 </a>to try to salvage a Brexit deal after years of strained relations.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/keir-starmer-optimistic-for-deep-reset-of-relations-with-ireland">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Bill Burns calls Vladimir Putin a ‘bully’ whose ‘sabre-rattling’ should not always be taken literally</p><p>Western leaders should not be intimidated by Kremlin threats of nuclear escalation, the head of the CIA said on Saturday, amid a debate over whether Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles should be used inside Russia.</p><p>Bill Burns, on a visit to London alongside the head of MI6, said the US had brushed off a previous Russian nuclear scare in autumn 2022, demonstrating that threats from Moscow should not always be taken literally.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/cia-west-russia-nuclear-threats-putin">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Officials believe victims were swept away in flash flood amid heavy storms, after body of British woman was also found on island on Wednesday </p><p>Police searching for a British man believed to have been swept away by heavy flooding in Mallorca have found a body.</p><p>It comes after the body of a British woman was found on the Spanish tourist island on Wednesday.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/police-find-body-in-search-for-missing-british-tourist-in-mallorca">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Palestinians say they have no faith in Israel Defense Forces inquiry into killing as US officials insist Gaza ceasefire is near</p><p>US officials have insisted that a ceasefire in Gaza is close even as fighting rages unabated in the blockaded Palestinian territory and violence spirals in the occupied West Bank, where witnesses told the <em>Observer</em> an American-Turkish dual national was killed by Israeli forces on Friday.</p><p>William Burns, who is also the US’s chief negotiator in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, echoed secretary of state Antony Blinken during a speech in London on Saturday in which he said that “90% of the text had been agreed but the last 10% is always the hardest”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/west-bank-residents-teargas-shots-us-woman-death-israel-defence-forces-inquiry-killing">Continue reading...</a>
<p>This live blog is now closed, you can <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/israel-hamas-war">read more of our Israel-Gaza war coverage here</a></p><p><strong>CIA director William Burns, the chief US negotiator trying to help secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages by Hamas, said a more detailed proposal on the ceasefire would be made in the coming days.</strong></p><p>“We will make this more detailed proposal, I hope in the next several days, and then we’ll see,” Burns said at an FT event in London on Saturday.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/sep/07/israel-gaza-war-middle-east-crisis-hamas-netanyahu-aysenur-ezgi-eygi">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Activists say Britain’s decision bolsters case for Congress to follow suit and may embolden opposition to Biden policy</p><p>The UK decision to suspend some arms exports to Israel has bolstered the case for Congress to follow the example of its ally, US campaigners for a ban have said.</p><p>The campaigners are pressing the US Senate and the house to pass a joint resolution of disapproval blocking authorisation for an unprecedented $20bn (£15.2bn) weapons sale. The massive transfer was notified to Congress <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/aug/14/israel-gaza-war-live-us-arms-sales-israel-iran?page=with:block-66bc166e8f081edd5aa0f2ae#block-66bc166e8f081edd5aa0f2ae">last month</a> when it was in recess.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/campaigners-press-us-ban-israel-arms-sales-uk-partial-halt">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Disasters Emergency Committee sources say BBC fears backlash from those supportive of Israel’s war with Hamas </p><p>The launch of a major humanitarian appeal for Gaza by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is being delayed by the BBC, it has emerged.</p><p>The corporation said the appeal did not meet all the established criteria for a national appeal, but the possibility of broadcasting an appeal was “under review”. Other channels have agreed to broadcast an appeal.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/aid-agency-insiders-claim-bbc-blocking-gaza-humanitarian-appeal">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Fadi Aldeeb, who had a month to train in his old event, was sole Gaza-born athlete at either Paris Games</p><p>Fadi Aldeeb got the call just a month before the Paralympics began asking him to return to the shot put, an event in which he hadn’t competed in years, to be the sole Palestinian representative at the Paris Games.</p><p>“When they asked me, of course I said yes because this is my country,” said the 38-year-old wheelchair basketball player from Gaza. “This experience isn’t about me, I am the voice of millions of people, to show their goals, their hopes and their successes. This is my opportunity to show the world who we are.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/06/fadi-aldeeb-palestinian-shot-putter-paralympics-gaza">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Row may signal that newly elected Tehran government is willing to take tougher line with Moscow</p><p>Iran’s new reformist government has warned Russia against siding with Azerbaijan in a border dispute as concerns in Tehran persist over its relations with Moscow.</p><p>The Iranian foreign minister, Sayeed Abbas Araghchi, took the unusual step of upbraiding Russia after Moscow sided with Azerbaijan over its calls for a land corridor along the Armenia-Iran border that Tehran fears could limit its access to Europe and the wider world.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/iran-warns-russia-against-siding-with-azerbaijan-in-border-dispute">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Women push back at law stating they must not sing or read aloud in public by posting videos of themselves singing</p><p>Afghan women, both inside and outside the country, have posted videos of themselves singing in protest against the Taliban’s laws banning women’s voices in public.</p><p>Late last month the Taliban published new restrictions aimed, it said, at combating vice and promoting virtue. The 35-article document, which includes a raft of draconian laws, deems women’s voices to be potential instruments of vice and stipulates that women must not sing or read aloud in public, nor let their voices carry beyond the walls of their homes.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/01/afghan-women-sing-in-defiance-of-taliban-laws-silencing-their-voices">Continue reading...</a>
<p>New vice and virtue restrictions offer ‘a distressing vision of Afghanistan’s future’, says UN</p><p>New Taliban laws that prohibit women from speaking or showing their faces outside their homes have been condemned by the UN and met with horror by human rights groups.</p><p>The Taliban published a host of new “vice and virtue” laws last week, approved by their supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, which state that women must completely veil their bodies – including their faces – in thick clothing at all times in public to avoid leading men into temptation and vice.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/aug/26/taliban-bar-on-afghan-women-speaking-in-public-un-afghanistan">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Nearly 300,000 people forced to flee after monsoon rains, which have killed 42 people in India and Bangladesh</p><p>Nearly 300,000 Bangladeshis are taking refuge in emergency shelters from floods that inundated vast areas of the country, disaster officials said.</p><p>The floods were triggered by heavy monsoon rains and have killed at least 42 people in Bangladesh and India since the start of the week, many in landslides.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/24/bangladeshis-taking-refuge-in-emergency-shelters-after-heavy-flooding">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Indian PM says he respects and supports ‘sovereignty and territorial integrity’ of Ukraine during historic visit </p><p>India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, made a historic visit to Kyiv on Friday and told Volodymyr Zelenskiy he was ready to work “as a friend” to bring about a peace deal that would end Russia’s war in Ukraine.</p><p>Modi said he respected and supported Ukraine’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity”. “It is our highest priority,” he said, adding that he had told Vladimir Putin during their meeting in July that “problems cannot be resolved on the battlefield”. The war could only end through “dialogue and diplomacy”, he stressed.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/23/modi-to-visit-ukraine-amid-controversy-over-hug-for-putin">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Type of microplastics used in skin exfoliators and banned in UK and US found in 45% of Indian products studied</p><p>India should consider a ban on microbeads in personal care products, in line with many other countries in the world, say researchers.</p><p>Microbeads are a type of microplastic used in cosmetic products to exfoliate the skin. After a public uproar when the plastics were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/microbeads-cosmetics-gyres-plastics-pollution-makeup">highlighted in Europe a decade ago</a>, they were banned in the Netherlands in 2014, with many other countries following, including the US in 2015 and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/09/plastic-microbeads-ban-enters-force-in-uk">the UK in 2018</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/23/india-should-consider-ban-on-microbeads-in-personal-care-products-researchers-say">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Schools and university shut down in Tripura state after persistent heavy rain, and situation expected to worsen </p><p>Incessant rain across Tripura, a state in north-east India, has created what has been described as the state’s worst flood situation in the last three decades. Persistent heavy rain from Monday to Wednesday resulted in several rivers exceeding danger and extreme danger marks, leading to widespread flooding that has caused the deaths of 10 people as well as displacing more than 34,000.</p><p>The southern Tripura districts had the worst of the floods and the 34,000 displaced people were being sheltered in the north of the region. There were 24-hour rainfall totals on Wednesday of 375.8mm recorded in Bagafa and 324.4mm in Belonia. The flooding and heavy rain led schools to shut down on Wednesday and Thursday, while Tripura University suspended all regular classes on Wednesday. The heavy rain was caused by a low pressure system situated over Bangladesh that is slowly moving westwards into north-east India. The situation is therefore only expected to worsen, with a further 100-150mm falling through Thursday and Friday as rivers continue to remain at breaking point.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/23/weather-tracker-deaths-and-displaced-in-north-east-india-floods">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The shadow home secretary’s allies say his charm and lack of political enemies could win him cross-party support</p><p>Allies of James Cleverly believe his “likability factor” will now hand him a serious chance of reaching the final runoff to replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader, as MPs prepare to eliminate another candidate from the contest this week.</p><p>The next vote of MPs will take place on Tuesday to whittle the field down to the four contenders who will have the chance to make their case at the party’s conference this autumn. The race is seen by most as being wide open after a close result in the first round last week.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/08/james-cleverlys-likability-boosts-runoff-chances-in-tory-leadership-race">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Employees have lost out on holiday pay worth £2bn, according to new trade union research</p><p>Workers across Britain have lost out on holiday pay worth £2bn, with more than a million people going without a single day of paid time off, according to new research.</p><p>With unions gathering in Brighton this weekend for the first TUC conference under a Labour administration for 15 years, the body revealed new research showing the extent to which workers are being denied holiday pay. Workers are entitled to 28 days paid leave for a typical five-day week.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/08/more-than-a-million-british-workers-not-having-a-single-day-of-paid-time-off-says-tuc">Continue reading...</a>
<p>US secretary of state will be most senior US official to have travelled to London since Labour’s election victory</p><p>The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, will head to London next week to discuss the Middle East and Ukraine, the state department announced on Saturday, in advance of a US visit by prime minister Keir Starmer.</p><p>Blinken’s visit to London on Monday and Tuesday will be the most senior by a US official since the Labour party won the general election in July, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/antony-blinken-to-visit-uk-for-talks-on-ukraine-and-middle-east">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Bates and Suzanne Sercombe invited to Necker Island after publicly soliciting a holiday from Virgin tycoon</p><p>The Post Office campaigner Alan Bates has married his partner, Suzanne Sercombe, on Richard Branson’s Necker Island in a ceremony officiated by the Virgin tycoon.</p><p>The wedding took place last month on the entrepreneur’s private island in the British Virgin Islands, the Sunday Times reported.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/07/post-office-campaigner-alan-bates-marries-partner-on-richard-bransons-private-island">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Britain’s pandemic response was among the worst and the NHS had been ‘seriously weakened’, says leading surgeon </p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/three-reports-nhs-malaise-rachel-reeves-lord-darzi">Three reports lay bare scale of NHS malaise, but will Reeves fund a remedy?</a></p><p>Britain was hit far harder by the Covid-19 pandemic than other developed countries because the NHS had been “seriously weakened” by disastrous government policies over the preceding decade, a wide-ranging report will conclude this week.</p><p>An assessment of the NHS by the world-renowned surgeon <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/11/prof-lord-ara-darzi-surgeon-nhs-review">Prof Ara Darzi</a>, commissioned in July by the health secretary, Wes Streeting, will find that the health service reduced its “routine healthcare activity by a far greater percentage than other health systems” in many key areas during the Covid crisis.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/tory-health-reforms-left-uk-open-to-covid-calamity-says-top-doctors-report">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Broadcaster says episode will ‘celebrate gift of giving’ after news revealed in a cryptic teaser trailer for medical drama </p><p>Casualty is to return to TV screens for an “innovative” Christmas special, the BBC has revealed. The news was announced in a cryptic teaser trailer, which followed Saturday’s season finale on BBC One.</p><p>The BBC says the Christmas special will “celebrate the gift of giving” and be told in an “innovative, format-breaking way”. A teaser image for the trailer showed a hospital ward covered in snow, with a fluorescent jacket on the ground.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/sep/07/bbc-promises-innovative-return-for-casualty-in-christmas-special">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The shooting occurred along Interstate 75 in a rural area south of Lexington, near the city of London authorities said</p><p>Kentucky police reported an “active shooter situation” on Saturday evening near Interstate 75 in London, Kentucky, south of Lexington, where “numerous persons” had been shot in traffic.</p><p>In a video statement, London mayor Randall Weddle said seven people were hurt, but not all of those were wounded by gunfire. Some of the victims were injured in a vehicle accident, he said.<br /><br /> “There are no deceased at this time. No one was killed from this, thankfully, but we ask that you continue to pray,” Weddle said.<br /><br /> The sheriff’s office also announced that a “person of interest” has been identified in connection with the shooting, saying he should be considered armed and dangerous and people should not approach him.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/08/kentucky-police-say-multiple-people-shot-in-active-shooter-situation">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The system by Saturday had been dousing Texas and Louisiana with heavy rains for days</p><p>A tropical depression may form next week in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.</p><p>In a <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&fdays=7">forecast</a> on Saturday afternoon, the NHC said that an area of low pressure had formed over the Bay of Campeche in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico. It had been producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/tropical-depression-gulf-of-mexico">Continue reading...</a>
<p>James Shirah, 22, allegedly ran over groomsman with SUV, mortally wounding him, following argument on 30 August</p><p>A newly married couple from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/michigan">Michigan</a> were arrested only hours after their wedding because the groom allegedly used a car to intentionally run over and kill one of his groomsmen, according to local police.</p><p>The groom, 22-year-old James Shirah of Flint, allegedly ran over his groomsman with an SUV, mortally wounding him, following an argument on 30 August, the Flint police department <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=919163926914655&set=a.303045085193212">said on Facebook</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/michigan-couple-arrested-groomsman-killed">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Throughout shooting that killed four people, many attempted to stop attacker and were first to aid injured</p><p>Students and teachers at Georgia’s Apalachee high school – where a teenager carried out <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/georgia-high-school-shooting">a deadly mass shooting</a> on Wednesday – are being praised for the bravery they demonstrated when faced with unimaginable circumstances.</p><p>Meanwhile, more information is emerging about the 14-year-old shooter who allegedly thrust them into those circumstances.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/georgia-school-shooting-students-teachers-bravery">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Ruling, which may be reviewed by appellate court, could strike reproductive rights measure off November ballot</p><p>A <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/missouri">Missouri</a> judge has ruled that a ballot measure asking voters whether <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/abortion">abortion</a> rights should be enshrined in the state constitution is invalid, potentially jeopardizing an election scheduled for November.</p><p>In a ruling issued on Friday, Cole county circuit judge Christopher Limbaugh said that the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/reproductive-rights">reproductive rights</a> petition – also known as amendment 3 – led by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom did not comply with state law.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/missouri-abortion-rights-ballot-measure-ruled-invalid">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The virile bird was euthanized by Maryland zoo due to health problems, and is survived by Mrs Greedy</p><p>A zoo in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/baltimore">Baltimore</a> is mourning the death of an African penguin that helped save his kind from extinction by leaving behind more than 200 descendants while living far longer than expected.</p><p>The remarkable creature in question is Mr Greedy, who was euthanized because of health problems related to his age: 33, or well past African penguins’ 18-year median life expectancy, said an announcement from his home, the <a href="https://www.marylandzoo.org/news-and-updates/2024/09/oldest-penguin-at-maryland-zoo-humanely-euthanized/">Maryland zoo</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/mr-greedy-penguin-dies-aged-33-maryland-zoo">Continue reading...</a>
Mauricio Valencia of Team Colombia poses with his gold
What to expect from Kamala Harris and Donald Trump after the last presidential debate upended the race
You know that’s the case when you find yourself feeling the “post-rescheduling butterflies.”
The government has encouraged acts of terror in the West Bank. It can count the results among its failures.
A niche pro-housing movement has convinced mainstream Democrats of the need to build.
No wonder Russia finds its useful idiots among the extremely online.
His answer to a specific policy question yesterday made absolutely no sense.
Medal winners from Germany, Netherlands, and the United States celebrate together.
Artists have experimented with algorithms and randomness for more than a century.
Trump used a press conference to remind voters that he’s been accused of sexual assault.
Thirty-four felony convictions. Charges of fraud, election subversion, and obstruction. One place to keep track of the presidential candidate’s legal troubles.
The German dictator would not have recognized his description on <em>The Tucker Carlson Show</em>.
Pain can stump even gifted writers, but a few have managed to describe the experience exquisitely.
A murky founding story, a shadowy CEO, and a staggering takeover of American retail
The foreign secretary’s words are not just a blow to Israel.
Put an upper age limit on public office.
Did Austria’s rising temperatures violate this man’s human rights?
Trump and Vance have shown that they have no idea how to help people care for children once they’re born.
My parents instilled in me the sense that the world contains many evil people—but also good people.
The rhythms of our days may never be the same.
Thousands of years into their telling, the Greek myths haven’t lost their power.
His warning of AI’s dangers is alarming, but does it help us avoid them?
What the proliferation of multiverses in pop culture reveals
Scenes from the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, an inflatable art installation in Shanghai, a deserted theme park in China, a dust storm in Sudan, and much more
In the first episode of our new podcast, a look at how lies prime a society for a fall
Growing numbers of Chinese women are challenging a longstanding tradition that denies them village membership, and the lucrative payouts that go with it.
Edmundo González, who is widely considered to have won July’s disputed presidential election, was facing an arrest warrant.
The right-wing think tank has been pushing misinformation about voting into social media feeds. The Georgia secretary of state’s office called one video “a stunt.”
Israel said it had launched a “precise strike” against Hamas militants operating from two school compounds in northern Gaza, as the family of a slain American lashes out at Israel.
With witnesses and Palestinian officials accusing Israeli soldiers of firing the fatal shots, “an Israeli investigation is not adequate,” the family said in a statement.
The ban on Elon Musk’s X has dealt a blow to Brazilians whose livelihoods depended on internet followings they had amassed for years, and which disappeared overnight.
The mother told relatives she reached out to the school on Wednesday morning, warning of an emergency, the suspect’s aunt said Saturday.
The Persian Gulf nation has instituted rolling blackouts to cope with surging summer electricity demand, stirring frustration among citizens.
A seminary on Flores, a Catholic-majority island in Indonesia, ordains so many priests that a lot of them go abroad to serve the faithful.
Experts say these intentional burns reduce the risk of wildfires and more should be done. But real barriers remain.
Russia’s drive toward Pokrovsk has stalled along one part of the frontline, but its troops continue to advance in other parts of eastern Ukraine, and its long-range aerial attacks continue.
Using ruins as his canvas, Gamlet Zinkivskyi has captured life in wartime Ukraine in dozens of grim, gripping and harshly beautiful paintings. “Broken, but invincible,” read one captioned work.
U.S. and European countries had warned of sanctions if Iran provided weapons that could be used against Ukraine. President Biden’s lame-duck status could hamper a response.
You don’t have to have kids to have kids in your life.
The weird, mostly bad science of nominative determinism.
We need to let students slow down. Critical cognition, by definition, takes time.
A seemingly frothy reality show has a deeper conflict at its core.
The administration of New York City’s mayor was thrown into turmoil as federal inquiries reached his inner circle.
The capsule, which returned without astronauts, and other space programs at Boeing have suffered many delays and cost overruns.
An African penguin who left many offspring in his long life, he belonged to the largest colony of the aquatic bird species in North America, according to the zoo.
Endlessly adaptable, tea cakes have long offered bakers across the country a moment of restoration.
The “Insecure” and “White Lotus” actor heads to J.F.K. to explain why she set her new show, “How to Die Alone,” in an airport.
Fandom is an exercise in imagination. What happens when you know too much?
Can language unify the people?
“The stakes are genuinely huge,” Evan Osnos says. “As we’ve learned this year, debates can be actually decisive.”
This 1969 documentary about a hard-driving Long Island insurance salesman confronts the sexist mores of the times and the ethical premises of the genre.
Solar fields turn out to be ideal for pollinators, too.
The Democrats’ top legal strategist in the 2020 Presidential election won nearly every lawsuit brought by Trump’s team. He explains why the threat to democracy is far greater in 2024.
The three-time Tony winner discusses her new play “The Roommate,” alongside Mia Farrow, and bringing Aubrey Plaza—her castmate on “Agatha All Along”—to a “sort of theatre boot camp.”
“I’m so tired, I’ll be asleep the minute my head hits the pillow, then awake again every hour filled with existential dread.”
The elections analyst Dave Wasserman assesses Black support for Donald Trump and explains a state-level primary that’s a national bellwether.
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A lead-poisoning scandal in Oakland underscores a growing sense of hopelessness among families who are committed to school integration.
The director Tim Burton and the actor Michael Keaton resurrect a classic collaboration with supernatural-screwball verve.
People who claim to love chimpanzees the most are examined in the new HBO docuseries.
On “Comrade Kamala” and the ex-President’s last-century approach to winning in 2024.
“It’s finally Taylor Swift Watching Football season.”
A graphic novel brings French student activism of the sixties to the fore.
A long time ago, lots and lots of people lived on this island. Now there are only a few of us.
A new crop of influencers showcasing regressive gender roles has soared in popularity in recent months. Is this life style a harmless personal choice or an existential threat to feminism?
Like many celebrities nowadays, the rapper has tried to stage a comeback by flooding the Internet with content.
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How the once narrow term has come to be weaponized as “informational terrorism.”
Pavel Durov may have been detained for the company’s alleged illegal conduct, but his predicament is also a signal of government concern about digital networks’ outsized power.
New works by the Zoomer and young millennial writers Gabriel Smith, Frankie Barnet, and Honor Levy share gonzo premises, bizarre imagery, exuberantly “unlikable” characters, and an eye-rolling contempt for the status quo.
Zia Anger dramatizes her artistic coming of age by reconsidering her 2019 performance piece, her earlier directorial efforts, and her life story.
Our editors and critics review notable new fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
“Keep your eye on the ball. Then catch it. Then obsessively develop your skills to land a baseball scholarship, get recruited to a major-league team, and finally make me happy.”
In remote Kazakhstan, the photographer Andrew McConnell captured the places where astronauts return to Earth.
Spain’s El País ventures into the world’s fifth-largest Spanish-speaking country: the United States.
Brian Jordan Alvarez’s new FX comedy tackles hot-button issues with a satisfying mix of earnestness and irreverence.
The pumpkin of doom.
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The case against the squad leader, Frank Wuterich, finally goes to trial.
The novelist, who uses the word “mulatto” to describe mixed-race people like herself, talks with Julian Lucas about living across the color line, in a country obsessed with it.
Since COVID, many professors have become more flexible about due dates. But some teachers believe that the way to address student anxiety is more deadlines, not fewer.
Hamas’s killing of six hostages in Gaza, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly delayed a ceasefire deal, has provoked major protests and a renewed sense of crisis.
For decades, the novelist has found humor in the ever-changing ways that biracial people are questioned, fetishized, or ignored in America.
The philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith believes that we needlessly divide ourselves from the world we inhabit.
The New Yorker investigative podcast examines the killings of twenty-four civilians in Haditha, Iraq, and asks why no one was held accountable for the crime.
The conflicting narratives about what happened in Haditha make their way through the opaque inner workings of the military justice system, until they reach a top commander who decides which story to believe.
Alfred T. Alfred, whose invention of the plastic fastener that affixes tags to clothing upended the tag industry, died on Saturday.
Nate Silver’s “On the Edge” applies the lessons of modern gambling to the arenas of tech startups, artificial intelligence, and ethics.
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An Austrian heiress recruited fifty people from all walks of life to redistribute twenty-five million euros—if they could agree on how to spend it.
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Susan Katz Keating, the editor and publisher of Soldier of Fortune, discusses how she’s changing the publication and assesses the threat of political violence.
The Barefoot Contessa looks back at a career built on fantasies of comfort and plenty.
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The Hollywood producer visits Martha’s Vineyard for the première of his new Peacock series, “Fight Night,” and runs across Michelle Obama.
“The Secret Life of the Universe,” “Playing with Reality,” “The Coin,” and “The Divorce.”
<p>Most U.S. adults say they are interested in several types of local crime coverage, but far fewer say this information is easy to find.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/08/29/americans-experiences-with-local-crime-news/">Americans’ Experiences With Local Crime News</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org">Pew Research Center</a>.</p>
<p>Americans get local crime news from a variety of sources, turning most often to people they know and local news outlets.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/08/29/sources-of-local-crime-news/">1. Sources of local crime news</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org">Pew Research Center</a>.</p>
<p>About a third or more of Americans say they get local news about property crime, drug-related crime and violent crime at least weekly.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/08/29/types-of-local-crime-news/">2. Types of local crime news</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org">Pew Research Center</a>.</p>
<p>Local crime news is widely consumed in the U.S., but only a third who get this type of news are highly satisfied with its quality.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/08/29/quality-of-local-crime-news/">3. Quality of local crime news</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org">Pew Research Center</a>.</p>
<p>Americans who get local news about crime are most likely to say this coverage makes them concerned or angry about what is happening.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/08/29/how-americans-respond-to-local-crime-news/">4. How Americans respond to local crime news</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org">Pew Research Center</a>.</p>
<p>This is a Pew Research Center report from the Pew-Knight Initiative, a research program funded jointly by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Find related reports online at https://www.pewresearch.org/pew-knight/. Research Kirsten Eddy, Senior ResearcherMichael Lipka, Associate Director, News and Information ResearchKaterina Eva Matsa, Director, News and Information ResearchNaomi […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/08/29/local-crime-news-acknowledgments/">Acknowledgments</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org">Pew Research Center</a>.</p>
<p>The American Trends Panel survey methodology Overview The American Trends Panel (ATP), created by Pew Research Center, is a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults. Panelists participate via self-administered web surveys. Panelists who do not have internet access at home are provided with a tablet and wireless internet connection. Interviews are conducted in […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/08/29/local-crime-news-methodology/">Methodology</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org">Pew Research Center</a>.</p>
<p>The analysis in this report is based on a self-administered web survey conducted from Sept. 26 to Oct. 23, 2023, among a sample of 1,453 dyads, with each dyad (or pair) comprised of one U.S. teen ages 13 to 17 and one parent per teen. The margin of sampling error for the full sample of […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/2024/08/27/teen-life-harder-easier-methodology-teens-and-parents-survey/">Methodology: Teens and parents survey</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org">Pew Research Center</a>.</p>
<p>The American Trends Panel survey methodology The analysis in this report is based on 4,527 registered voters who responded to two different American Trends Panel (ATP) surveys. Wave 146 was conducted April 8-14, 2024, and Wave 151 was conducted Aug. 5-11, 2024. The full methodology for Wave 146 can be found here. The full methodology […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/08/26/voter-values-methodology/">Methodology</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org">Pew Research Center</a>.</p>
<p>This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals: Research team Carroll Doherty, Director, Political ResearchJocelyn Kiley, Senior Associate Director, Political ResearchHannah Hartig, Senior ResearcherBaxter Oliphant, Senior ResearcherGabe Borelli, Research AssociateAndrew Daniller, Research AssociateAndy Cerda, Research AnalystJoseph Copeland, Research AnalystTed Van Green, Research AnalystShanay Gracia, Research Assistant Communications […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/08/26/acknowledgments-77/">Acknowledgments</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org">Pew Research Center</a>.</p>
The city of St. Petersburg, Florida, is offering $1 million from an opioid settlement to nonprofit groups working to help combat the opioid crisis.
One Texas police department is using an "eye in the sky" to help respond to emergency calls after a start-up company created autonomous drones to assist officers.
Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t held a formal press conference with reporters since she became the presumptive and now official Democratic nominee.
Nick Cannon admitted that his ex-wife Mariah Carey doesn't "want him" back after he said that he would "absolutely" get back together with the music icon.
Angel Reese announced that her rookie season is over due to an injury, now Caitlin Clark is the only Rookie of the Year contender left standing.
Massachusetts suspect Jorge Luis Castro-Alvarado, a "gotaway" migrant that entered the U.S. without being processed, was arrested and charged with rape, according to ICE.
Police are searching for a person of interest following a shooting on a highway near London, Kentucky, that left at least seven people injured Saturday evening.
Caitlin Clark admitted she needs to do a better job of controlling her emotions after her team's lost to Minnesota in which she didn't get certain foul calls.
Jennifer Lopez and Matt Damon reportedly had a "long, deep conversation" during the afterparty for their movie "Unstoppable." Lopez' ex Ben Affleck, who produced the movie, skipped the premiere.
Vice President and Democrat nominee Kamala Harris visited an anti-GOP spice shop campaigning on Saturday, claiming that we need to "bring our country together."
YouTuber and firearms expert Paul Harrell announced his own death in his final video. The gun rights activist died at the age of 58 due to pancreatic cancer.
A field goal from Northern Illinois' kicker left Notre Dame stunned on Saturday, as the Fighting Irish suffered the first major upset of the college football season.
The former neighbors of the suspected Apalachee High School shooter discussed the Gray family, with neighbors recounting harrowing stories of alleged abuse.
A beluga whale who was discovered off the coast of Norway in 2019 wearing a harness and camera mount quickly became beloved in the country. He was found dead last weekend.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys narrowly avoided the upset on Saturday by the Arkansas Razorbacks, holding on for a 39-31 victory in double overtime.
Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula in the U.S. Open's women's singles final on Saturday.
The 25-year-old signal-caller was in visible pain after he suffered an injury in the final seconds of the Packers' loss to the Eagles in the NFL's first-ever game in Brazil.
Former President Trump vowed to "end chaos in the Middle East" during a rally on Saturday, warning that Israel will be "doomed" if Kamala Harris is elected president.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers put on a clinic in the team's double-digit victory over the defending national champions on Saturday afternoon.
Priscilla Presley opened up about Elvis Presley's private life and provided insight to where he would escape to in between his performances.
Former Michigan dropout Derek Jeter gave a speech to the school's football team and served as honorary captain ahead of its lopsided loss to Texas.
A serial killer who was sentenced to death for the murders of two women in California in 2001 has been extradited to Illinois after being charged with the murder of his former neighbor.
The prosecutor behind the very first convictions made against parents of a mass shooter offered the advice "it's not easy" to the legal team for the Georgia high school shooting.
Nicole Kidman — who was awarded the best actress for her role in “Babygirl" at the Venice Film Festival — had to miss the ceremony due to her mom's sudden death.
NPR recently reported on a rise of eco-chaplains in the western world, helping people come to terms with their "climate anxiety" in a spiritual way.
González fled days after the attorney general for Venezuela’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, filed a warrant for the arrest of the former diplomat.
Momodou Keita is back on patrol after his work triggered a debate over female genital mutilation that convulsed Gambia and drew broad international attention.
Russia is cracking down on alternative sources of information, especially online, and is pushing citizens away from foreign-based social media apps.
The “super typhoon” shuttered airports and wreaked havoc on roads in Hanoi and surrounding areas in northern Vietnam.
Two witnesses said Aysenur Eygi, 26, was shot in the head by Israeli forces. Eyewitnesses said evidence gathering was underway after Egyi’s death.
CIA Director William J. Burns made the remarks Saturday during a rare public appearance with his British counterpart, Richard Moore, in London.
The Ugandan marathoner was set on fire in Kenya by her ex-partner, police allege. “Paris will not forget her,” its mayor said, according to the AFP.
The museum director crossed into Russia days after Ukrainian troops and brought back a haul of items to portray a “picture of the war.”
Durov argued that if CEOs are held responsible for misuse of a platform, no one would ever innovate.
Israel said it killed 14 militants during the operation, which was one of its longest in the occupied territory in years.
The Israel Defense Forces said it was “looking into reports that a foreign national was killed as a result of shots fired in the area.”
Hvaldimir the beluga won hearts in Norway’s coastal communities after showing up wearing a harness that read “Equipment St. Petersburg.”
More than a month after the authoritarian socialist appears to have lost in a landslide, his grip on power seems as sure as ever. It’s the opposition and its backers who are running out of options.
Zelensky’s appearance at the meeting of arms-donating nations in Germany underscores the critical juncture in Ukraine’s war with Russia.
The central Ukrainian city had been relatively untouched by air strikes. Then came one of the biggest attacks of the war.
CABEI filed a lawsuit against ex-president Dante Mossi, accusing him of breach of contract and abusing his office to benefit himself after leaving.
The attacker fired several shots near the consulate and was killed by police. The incident occurred on the anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre.
Italy’s most famous fountain has an overtourism problem, but locals say restricting access might not be the best solution.
Packing winds up to 160 mph, Yagi became the planet’s second-strongest storm this year.
Arson is often used by Kenyan students as a tool of protest over poor living conditions or harsh teachers.
Critics say Kyiv is attacking religious freedom in its efforts to break the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s ties with Moscow. Ukraine says it’s acting in self-defense.
<p>Ex-PM is accused of ‘total bullshit’ for saying inquiry agreed that fire regulations were excluded from government push</p><p>David Cameron has provoked a wave of indignation from Grenfell fire survivors and housing campaigners after claiming that the inquiry agreed with him that fire regulations had not been part of his government’s “red tape drive” to cut regulations.</p><p>But campaigners said the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2024/sep/07/chris-riddell-on-david-cameron-musing-in-his-shepherds-hut-while-grenfell-tower-burns-cartoon">former prime minister’s words</a> were “bollocks” and “total bullshit”, since the inquiry report had explicitly said the effect of the Coalition government’s attack on red tape was that “even matters affecting the safety of life were ignored, delayed or disregarded”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/08/grenfell-survivors-david-cameron-claim-inquiry-red-tape-ex-pm">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Venezuelan vice-president Delcy Rodriguez and Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares release statements saying the opponent of Nicolas Maduro had left</p><p>Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González has left the South American country after seeking asylum in Spain, according to the Spanish foreign minister.</p><p>“Edmundo González, at his own request, flew to Spain on a Spanish air force plane,” José Manuel Albares said in a statement online, adding that the “government of Spain is committed to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/venezuela-opposition-leader-edmundo-gonzalez-reportedly-leaves-country-for-spain">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The shadow home secretary’s allies say his charm and lack of political enemies could win him cross-party support</p><p>Allies of James Cleverly believe his “likability factor” will now hand him a serious chance of reaching the final runoff to replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader, as MPs prepare to eliminate another candidate from the contest this week.</p><p>The next vote of MPs will take place on Tuesday to whittle the field down to the four contenders who will have the chance to make their case at the party’s conference this autumn. The race is seen by most as being wide open after a close result in the first round last week.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/08/james-cleverlys-likability-boosts-runoff-chances-in-tory-leadership-race">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The pontiff visited the small town of Vanimo after delivering mass to an estimated 35,000 people in the capital of Port Moresby</p><p>Pope Francis travelled to Vanimo, on Papua New Guinea’s remote north-west coast, after celebrating a mass in the capital of Port Moresby in front of an estimated audience of 35,000 people.</p><p>The pope received an enthusiastic welcome in the town located on a peninsula close to the border with Indonesia. He was greeted by members of the small Catholic community who are served by missionaries from his native Argentina.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/pope-francis-welcomed-to-remote-papua-new-guinea-as-he-seeks-to-break-down-distances">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Britain’s pandemic response was among the worst and the NHS had been ‘seriously weakened’, says leading surgeon </p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/three-reports-nhs-malaise-rachel-reeves-lord-darzi">Three reports lay bare scale of NHS malaise, but will Reeves fund a remedy?</a></p><p>Britain was hit far harder by the Covid-19 pandemic than other developed countries because the NHS had been “seriously weakened” by disastrous government policies over the preceding decade, a wide-ranging report will conclude this week.</p><p>An assessment of the NHS by the world-renowned surgeon <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/11/prof-lord-ara-darzi-surgeon-nhs-review">Prof Ara Darzi</a>, commissioned in July by the health secretary, Wes Streeting, will find that the health service reduced its “routine healthcare activity by a far greater percentage than other health systems” in many key areas during the Covid crisis.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/tory-health-reforms-left-uk-open-to-covid-calamity-says-top-doctors-report">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Campaign for Fairer Gambling report claims betting ‘had the effect of reducing economic activity by £1.3bn per year’</p><p>Ministers face calls to impose higher taxes on the multibillion-pound online gambling industry as a report claims it has had a “negative impact” on the UK economy.</p><p>The report, commissioned by the Campaign for Fairer Gambling and produced by economic consultancy National Economic Research Associates (Nera), claims the rise in online gambling has been “detrimental to the British economy”, diverting money from other sectors that create significantly more economic activity.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/08/online-gambling-industry-has-negative-impact-on-uk-economy-says-thinktank">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Former prime minister also under fire for hiring ex-aide Charlotte Owen as VP despite her lack of energy sector experience </p><p>Boris Johnson failed to disclose that he met a uranium lobbyist while prime minister before entering into a new business with a controversial Iranian-Canadian uranium entrepreneur, the <em>Observer</em> can reveal.</p><p>Johnson’s new company <a href="https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/15327091">Better Earth Limited</a> also employs Charlotte Owen, a junior aide with just a few years work experience whom he elevated to the House of Lords last year at the age of 29, sparking intense controversy.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/boris-johnson-faces-questions-uranium-business-charlotte-owen-aide">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Employees have lost out on holiday pay worth £2bn, according to new trade union research</p><p>Workers across Britain have lost out on holiday pay worth £2bn, with more than a million people going without a single day of paid time off, according to new research.</p><p>With unions gathering in Brighton this weekend for the first TUC conference under a Labour administration for 15 years, the body revealed new research showing the extent to which workers are being denied holiday pay. Workers are entitled to 28 days paid leave for a typical five-day week.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/08/more-than-a-million-british-workers-not-having-a-single-day-of-paid-time-off-says-tuc">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Spanish director’s first English-language movie starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore tackles euthanasia</p><p>Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language movie, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/02/the-room-next-door-review-almodovar-venice-film-festival-tilda-swinton-julianne-moore">The Room Next Door</a>, which tackles the hefty themes of euthanasia and the climate crisis, won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice film festival on Saturday.</p><p>Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, the film received <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/04/are-standing-ovations-at-film-festivals-getting-out-of-hand">an 18-minute standing ovation</a> when it premiered at Venice earlier in the week – one of the longest in recent memory.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/almodovars-the-room-next-door-wins-golden-lion-at-venice-film-festival">Continue reading...</a>
<p>In addition to world’s richest person, who has $251bn, report names others on track to receive trillionaire status</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> is on pace to become the world’s first trillionaire by 2027, according to a new report from a group that tracks wealth.</p><p>Informa Connect Academy’s finding about the boss of electric carmaker Tesla, private rocket company SpaceX and social media platform X (formerly Twitter) stems from the fact that Musk’s wealth has been growing at an average annual rate of 110%. He was also the world’s richest person, with $251bn, according to the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/">Bloomberg Billionaires Index</a>, as the academy’s 2024 Trillion Dollar Club <a href="https://informaconnect.com/academy/companies-entering-trillion-dollar-club-in-2024/">report</a> began circulating Friday.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/07/elon-musk-first-trillionaire-2027">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Analyses by Lord Darzi, the NHS Confederation and hospital chiefs detail a spectrum of ills in the service. But will their recommendations fuel appropriate remedies?</p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/tory-health-reforms-left-uk-open-to-covid-calamity-says-top-doctors-report">Tory health reforms left UK open to Covid calamity, says top doctor’s report</a></p><p>The diagnosis has been swift. Lord Darzi has taken just nine weeks to deliver his report on the state of the NHS. The treatment is likely to take far longer and be more painful.</p><p>Wes Streeting’s first major act as health secretary was to appoint the eminent surgeon, nicknamed Robo Doc for his use of robots in operations, to reveal “hard truths” about the NHS in England. What Darzi concludes is expected by many to form the foundation of Labour’s plans for treating a population that is getting older and sicker – without bankrupting the nation.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/three-reports-nhs-malaise-rachel-reeves-lord-darzi">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The CDU chief has had a smooth lead but he must act to halt the march of far-right voters before the general election</p><p>•<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/everyone-is-terrified-of-a-far-right-return-in-germany-heres-why-it-wont-happen"> Everyone is terrified of a far-right return in Germany. Here’s why it won’t happen</a></p><p>Friedrich Merz, Germany’s mercurial conservative opposition chief and a passionate hobby pilot, should be flying high these days as the country’s hotly tipped next leader.</p><p>One year before the next general election, his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has enjoyed a <a href="https://www.wahlrecht.de/umfragen/">comfortable lead</a> for months with about 32% support, nearly double the score of its nearest competitors, as the fractious government led by Social Democrat <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/olaf-scholz">Olaf Scholz</a> plumbs new depths of disfavour.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/friedrich-merz-looks-likely-to-be-germanys-next-leader-but-how-will-he-defuse-the-afd">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Humorists are using the plight of this small corner of Kursk region to make a point about Russian hypocrisy – but the invasion is no joke for either side</p><p>One morning recently, historian Yevhen Murza and comedian Feliks Redka, both from the city of Sumy in eastern Ukraine, hitched a lift into Ukrainian-occupied Russia. Their mission on arrival in Sudzha, the town that has been at the centre of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/03/ukrainian-troops-audacious-incursion-russia-kursk">Ukraine’s dramatic push into Russia’s Kursk region</a>, was an unusual one: to record the latest episode of their long-running podcast series, dedicated to popularising Ukrainian history.</p><p>The deal was agreed via Instagram with a fan of their podcast who is serving in the Ukrainian army. In exchange for a drone that Redka had bought with proceeds from a recent standup tour, the soldier agreed that he and his friends would give the pair a ride to Sudzha and back.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/ukraine-sudzha-russian-town-kursk-region">Continue reading...</a>
<p>It’s six decades since David Astor launched the first issue of the Observer Magazine. Here, we looks at its evolution</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/sep/08/it-all-felt-new-and-exciting-observer-magazine-writers-share-their-memories">Observer Magazine writers share their memories</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/gallery/2024/sep/08/cover-notes-a-selection-of-the-3120-observer-magazines-published-in-the-past-60-years">A gallery of a few of our favourite covers</a></li></ul><p>Radical, tolerant, enquiring, pro-consumer, lid-off, helpful. It’ll be no-holds-barred, without being noisy. It should have bite without malice. Wave-of-the-future type stuff, when possible. Whiff of scandal… Serious. Non-expert. Funny.”</p><p>In early 1964, this was future editor <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/dec/11/pressandpublishing.uknews">Michael Davie’s</a> vision for the planned <em>Observer Magazine</em>. The project was a long-ruminated riposte to the <em>Sunday Times</em>, which had launched its “Colour Section” in February 1962 with an in-your-face graphic cover of Jean Shrimpton wearing Mary Quant, photographed by David Bailey: your early 1960s cool bingo card almost filled before you had even turned the first page. It was a revolutionary break with the postwar era of newsprint rationing, when papers ran only two or three pictures a week.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/sep/08/itll-have-bite-be-radical-and-funny-celebrating-60-years-of-the-observer-magazine">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Fond memories are reignited at this Italian stalwart, still serving great dishes after many years</p><p><strong>Giovanni’s, 10 Goodwin’s Court, London WC2N 4LL (<a href="http://giovannislondon.co.uk/">giovannislondon.co.uk</a>). Starters £13-£22.50; pasta £19–£27; mains £24–£36; dessert £8.50–£11.50; wine from £38 a bottle</strong></p><p>Restaurants rarely make old bones. It’s too precarious a business for that, too hand-to-kitchen-to-diner’s-mouth. The issue is usually generational. Survival for 40 years may be manageable because it’s within the lifespan of the founders. After that it all gets a bit tricky. The offspring don’t always want to take on the hours. Rules on Maiden Lane in London’s Covent Garden has been trading since 1798 and has somehow managed to pass through only four sympathetic families or owners. There’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/may/02/wiltons-london-sw1-restaurant-review#:~:text=Wiltons%20is%20Another%20World.,writ%20so%20large%2C%20it's%20blinding.">Wiltons</a> on Jermyn Street and Mon Plaisir on Monmouth Street, claiming the title of London’s oldest French restaurant. That opened in the 1940s.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/article/2024/sep/08/giovannis-london-exactly-what-you-want-it-to-be-restaurant-review">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Learn the difference between self-pity, which leads us to feel resentful and helpless, and self-compassion, which promotes resilience and self-awareness</p><p><em><strong>The question</strong></em><strong> </strong><em>I feel as though, over the years, I’ve allowed setbacks to knock down all my pillars of happiness and now feel </em><em>I just live among the ruins.When I was young, I read </em><em>books where naive anti-heroes had funny experiences </em><em>and I thought if I was open-minded, funny things would happen to me, too. I now realise it’s probably not how people experience life.Twenty years ago, I ended up on an art MA, but the main tutor hated me and refused to let me on to the second year. I’d been doing fun stuff that lots of people liked, but she managed to annihilate all my enthusiasm for art.Then one of my best friends just stopped talking to me and never told me why. It shook my feeling that friendship was a strong bond and since then people can be in my life, but I don’t hold on to them very well for long.A relationship ended after a lengthy court case and, </em><em>since then, more than a decade ago, I have struggled to enjoy anything. </em><em>Then I accepted a job where I was given minimal training, but was constantly berated for getting stuff wrong and after six months had a </em><em>breakdown.</em></p><p><em>I know there’s a thing about not allowing people to have power over you, but it’s felt like a series of knockout blows. I want more out of life and I thought if I waited</em><em> something would grow, like weeds do after you clear some ground, but nothing really has. How do I find my way to enjoyment?</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/08/bad-events-knocked-the-joy-out-of-my-life-how-do-i-get-it-back">Continue reading...</a>
<p>In his sometimes enjoyable longest novel yet, the author’s obsession with sex and desire competes for attention with his usual grandstanding and an intricate, Dan Brown-like pulp mystery</p><p>Until fairly recently, anyone asked to name France’s most prominent living author might well have said Michel Houellebecq, who shot to prominence in the 1990s and 00s with his novels <em>Whatever</em>, <em>Atomised</em> and <em>Platform</em>, pungent satires that ruthlessly insisted on sex as just another commodity in a marketplace of winners and losers. (A more likely name on readers’ lips now would probably be 2022 Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux, who also writes of sex, and who was publishing long before Houellebecq but was somewhat damningly more or less invisible in the anglosphere until the past decade.)</p><p>Houellebecq’s later novels come in all stripes – sci-fi in <em><a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/the-possibility-of-an-island-9780753821183/">The Possibility of an Island</a></em>, or the art-world caper of <em><a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/the-map-and-the-territory-9780099554578/">The Map and </a></em><em><a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/the-map-and-the-territory-9780099554578/">the Territory</a></em>, in which Houellebecq gets murdered – but it’s the incel-adjacent vibe of his best-known work that has decisively shaped his reputation. But only with his dismal 2019 novel, <em>Serotonin</em>, about a civil servant stalking his ex-girlfriend as the <em>gilets jaunes</em> protests come to the boil, did time seem to be up for Houellebecq, whose work seemed almost crushed by the weight of its own instinct for provocation. His most recent book was a short, score-settling memoir, <em>Quelques mois dans ma vie</em> (A Few Months in My Life), responding to a controversy over Islamophobic remarks in which he predicted a “reverse Bataclan”. The title also told of how he was tricked – with little difficulty – into taking the lead role in a Dutch porn film that he later sought to suppress.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/08/annihilation-by-michel-houellebecq-review-sex-novel-french-controversial">Continue reading...</a>
<p>At 74, Spain’s finest director has won the Golden Lion – incredibly, his first major victory at a film festival – for his debut English language feature. Better late than never, even if The Room Next Door isn’t <em>quite</em> his finest work</p><p>Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door is a tender, heartfelt drama about a driven former war correspondent who’s in search of the perfect final scene. She wants an ending that she can script and control, and a handpicked loving audience to applaud her when she goes.</p><p>As played by Tilda Swinton, the heroine doesn’t have it entirely her own way. But the film itself has fared rather better. It bowed out in a blaze of glory and scooped the crowning Golden Lion award in the dying seconds of this year’s Venice film festival.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/venice-2024-almodovars-first-major-festival-win-is-richly-deserved-and-epically-overdue">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The actor talks about Motown and meditation, and divulges his secrets for really crispy, fluffy spuds</p><p><strong>The best Sundays?</strong> Cooking roast dinners, having all my kids and their friends or nephews and nieces around. It’s a thing for me.<br /><br /><strong>Chef’s tips?</strong> For beef, turn the oven up full whack for five minutes per pound. Then turn the heat off and leave it in the oven for two hours. My potatoes are legendary. The trick is to let them steam dry before you put them in the oven. If you can, boil them the night before so they become really crispy and fluffy.<br /><br /><strong>Chef’s music? </strong>I’ll listen to some Motown, jazz, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin or Amy Winehouse and dance around the house. I do a lot of dad dancing, which embarrasses my kids.<br /><br /><strong>To relax? </strong>I meditate every day because I suffer from anxiety, so I need to calm down. It’s a mixture of mindfulness and breathing: counting my breath in and out, counting before I breathe, then chanting, ‘Life is suffering, always impermanent. There is no self.’ I try to cultivate as much compassion as I can.<br /><br /><strong>How exactly?</strong> I think about somebody neutral, like someone who has served me a coffee. I wish them happiness. Then I go on to someone I find difficult and I wish them happiness. Then I go through my friends and family and I wish them peace and happiness. Finally, I come to myself and I wish myself peace and happiness, too.</p><p><strong>Sundays previously?</strong> When I was doing <em>Ray Donovan</em>, I used to come home for the weekend. I’d land at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon and leave at 7.30am Monday morning. I did that for years. Now I enjoy a quiet Sunday evening. <br /><br /><strong>Sunday evening? </strong>I’m a member of the Academy, so we get all the Oscar films. My wife really watches things. She loves the structure of films and she analyses everything. It can drive me a bit mad.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/article/2024/sep/08/sunday-with-eddie-marsan-my-potatoes-are-legendary">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The small resort is close to visitor hot spots such as Bodrum and Fethiye but retains a mellow vibe and is perfectly placed for exploring the coast</p><p>When Bodrum and I first met, 30 years ago, my main thought was that it was a long way from anywhere. In summer 1994, when I worked as a holiday rep, there were no international flights to Bodrum’s small airport and only a few holidaymakers made the four-hour trek from Dalaman airport. Famous for its picturebook Crusader castle and waterfront lined with <em>gulets</em> (wooden sailing boats), Bodrum was back then a working town that just happened to have supermodel looks.</p><p>In the intervening decades, those good looks have helped change it beyond recognition– the town itself and the peninsula that stretches westwards are fringed with increasingly sophisticated small resorts. The forested coves, bays and inlets that surround Bodrum are now home to some of the country’s most luxurious hotels, some with room rates of more than €1,000 a night. Out on the peninsula, in the once-small village of Yalikavak, a vast marina dominates the coastline, with designer boutiques and outposts of Istanbul’s hippest restaurants catering to the super-rich.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/article/2024/sep/08/gocek-turkey-at-sun-kissed-laid-back-best-lycian-coast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The prevalence of slot machines – known as pokies – in pubs and clubs across the country and betting on sport has created a culture of wagering </p><p>It is a quiet night in Fairfield, in Sydney’s western suburbs. Inside a small brick building, a dozen Gamblers Anonymous members help themselves to coffee, tea and miniature meat pies. The meeting is taking place in a suburb that has one of the city’s lowest median incomes, and highest levels of gambling losses. A fifth of the state of New South Wales’s 25 most profitable gaming clubs are here, according to <a href="https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/operating-a-business/community-involvement/liquor-and-gaming-data">government data</a>.</p><p>One of these clubs, Fairfield Returned and Services League (RSL), is just a two-minute walk away. It is a building totally at odds with the modest apartment blocks and shabby train station nearby. A pedestrian walkway inside is lined with palms and ferns, it has an elaborate fountain, a grand lobby. It seems incongruous, that is, until you realise that its surroundings<strong> </strong>are its blood supply. Inside the club, just out of view of the street, are hundreds of gaming machines. Fairfield RSL and Clubs Australia did not respond to requests for comment.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/08/how-australians-became-the-worlds-biggest-gamblers">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>USA 73-69 Great Britain</li><li>Steve Serio stars as champions make it three in a row</li></ul><p>There was to be no dream finish for Great Britain, just a series of what ifs and maybes, as perennial champions the USA kept completed the threepeat in men’s wheelchair basketball.</p><p>After achieving their greatest success in the event since 1996 by reaching the final, victory proved a step too far for captain Phil Pratt and his team, who flickered in moments but left themselves too much to do even as they attempted their customary fourth-quarter charge.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/usa-prove-too-strong-for-great-britain-in-mens-wheelchair-basketball-final">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>France beat Argentina 3-2 on penalties after 1-1 draw</li><li>Frédéric Villeroux scores the decisive spot-kick</li></ul><p>Was La Marseillaise rousing? Yes it was. Did the sky blush obediently behind the Stade Tour Eiffel on cue? Yes it did. Was an elegant young woman in a jumpsuit and heels clutching a cuddly Paralympic Phrges outside a 7eme restaurant? Yes she was. Did the afternoon rain stop? Yes. Was the stadium full? Yes. Did the many tricolours fly and the fans sing? Yes. Did the Eiffel Tower light up like a golden goddess bestowing beatitudes, behind the stadium and into the night? <em>Mais bien sûr</em>. Was the blind football final between France and Argentina a fitting finale to a triumphant Paralympic Games? <em>Oui, Oui, Oui</em>!</p><p>That France won 3-2 in a penalty shootout was the icing on top of whatever the most perfect éclair is in the most exclusive Parisian pâtisserie. All the tension of a normal penalty shootout only with the added jeopardy that the players can’t see (although the goalkeeper can) and possibly the most beautiful footballing backdrop in the world.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/france-win-blind-football-gold-in-shootout-to-delight-home-crowd">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Cockroft wins T34 800m by more than seven seconds</li><li>Cyclist Graham sprints to victory in men’s C1-3 road race</li></ul><p>Hannah Cockroft stormed to the ninth gold of her Paralympics career with a huge victory in the women’s T34 800m. Despite finishing 11 seconds outside her personal best, the 32-year-old’s time of 1min 55.44sec was 7.68sec clear of fellow ParalympicsGB athlete Kare Adenegan. Eva Houston of the USA took the bronze.</p><p>Cockroft led from the start to add to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/01/cockroft-claims-fourth-100m-gold-on-triumphant-day-for-paralympicsgb">her 100m gold from last Sunday</a>. “It’s like being back in London, I love it,” she said, as she reflected on a run that has resulted in at least two golds at every Paralympics from 2012 onwards (she won three in Rio). “This is how many people love Para sport. This is what we want to see. It doesn’t end here, we have world and European championships year on year, it’s not a four-year gap for us.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/paris-paralympic-games-great-britain-cycling-athletics-swimming">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Japanese rival wins 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, avenging doubles loss</li><li>Hewett unable to convert match point at 5-3 in third set</li></ul><p>Alfie Hewett will have to make do with just the single golden slam, for now at least, after he was edged out in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2024/sep/07/paris-2024-paralympics-day-10-cycling-canoeing-tennis-athletics-and-more-live?page=with:block-66dc77998f080b4351298766#block-66dc77998f080b4351298766">a thrilling men’s wheelchair tennis singles final</a> 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 by Tokito Oda.</p><p>In what is developing into an abiding rivalry at the top of the men’s wheelchair game, the Japanese teenager repeated his success over Hewett in the final of the French Open two years ago. A combination of power and brave shot-making ultimately won out for Oda, just 18 years of age, after Hewett – who sustained a groin injury in the first set – had earned match point at 5-3 in the third.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/hewett-denied-second-paralympics-tennis-gold-as-oda-wins-mens-singles-final">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Charlotte Henshaw leads British one-two in VL3 sprint</li><li>Emma Wiggs wins fourth Paralympic medal in VL2 sprint</li></ul><p>It has been a long wait for the canoeists, paddling into action in Paris when most other sports have moved on to their sightseeing and Sazerac eras. But all the kicking their heels was worth it for the British team, who finished the penultimate day of the Games with two golds and two silvers at the Stade Nautique de Vaires-sur-Marne.</p><p>An end-of-term feel percolated, spectators queueing for photographs alongside both a giant Phryge – the Games mascot – and a torch with the sudden realisation that all this will soon be gone. Later a waving Phryge travelled down the flat waters on a barge, accompanied by a five-piece band, to huge cheers.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/henshaw-and-wiggs-lead-gbs-show-of-paddle-power-at-paris-paralympics">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Find out who is leading the way at the Paralympics, and drill down to see which events each country has won medals for</p><p>As is traditional, the table prioritises the number of gold medals won. On this basis in 2021, China led the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/paralympics">Paralympics</a> field with 96 golds, with Great Britain second on 41 and the United States third with 37. If countries have the same number of gold medals, the order is then dictated by which has the most silvers, and finally bronze if the numbers are still identical.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/ng-interactive/2024/aug/28/paris-paralympics-2024-medal-table">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Belarussian keeps composure to beat American 7-5, 7-5</li><li>World No 2 has won two grand slam titles this year</li></ul><p>As Aryna Sabalenka has cemented herself at the top of her sport over the past two seasons, in so many of the biggest grand slam matches her greatest opponent has been herself. Even when she has come in radiating with confidence, her game in full bloom, her head so often gets in the way. Recovering from so many painful collapses has required resilience beyond measure.</p><p>Nowhere have these struggles been more evident than in New York, a city that perfectly suits her electrifying game and outsized personality but where the positives from her two semi-finals and a final in the past three years had been blunted by brutal losses.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/aryna-sabalenka-holds-off-jessica-pegula-fightback-to-win-us-open">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Anthem storm before serene Nations League victory over the Republic of Ireland was silly but avoidable</p><p>At precisely 4.59pm in Dublin, an act of great treachery took place. Nobody will forget where they were on the day when Lee Carsley from Birmingham stood and decided not to sing a song moments before leading England to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/07/republic-of-ireland-england-nations-league-match-report">an easy 2-0 win</a> over the Republic of Ireland in their 2024 Nations League opener.</p><p>Has a victory ever tasted so bitter? Has the imagination of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s passing, the audacity of Jack Grealish’s dribbling and the general sense of an England team treating the ball like an old friend ever felt so irrelevant when placed next to the Shame of Carsley?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/07/lee-carsley-lets-england-players-make-all-the-right-noises-in-smooth-audition">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The fast bowler’s selection is a two-year project and began to bear fruit in the final Test against Sri Lanka</p><p>Welcome to Hull. The question for England’s newest Test debutant leading in to this series-ender was: are you ready for this? Are you ready for the step up? Can you, Josh Hull, take the white heat of the purest form? Brace yourself. We’re flying into the sun here.</p><p>In the event it may have helped that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/england-self-sabotage-in-rush-for-runs-as-sri-lanka-cling-on-in-third-test">what both teams dished up</a> either side of lunch on day two was something closer to a beer match, or one of those YouTube compilations that explain why people in Australia think the county championship is basically something along the lines of cheese rolling or hay bale tossing.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/josh-hull-rises-to-challenge-england-cricket-sri-lanka">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Australia suffer 67-27 loss as Los Pumas run in nine tries in Santa Fe</li><li>Visitors lead by 17 points before conceding most points in rugby Test</li></ul><p>The Wallabies have fallen to a humiliating Rugby Championship defeat against Argentina, giving up the most points in their history in a shock 67-27 loss in Santa Fe. Despite leading 20-3 early, a second half implosion saw Australia leak 64 points to Los Pumas and sink to a defeat that, while not quite rivalling their 53–8 to South Africa in Johannesburg in 2009, will nonetheless leave new coach Joe Schmidt fuming.</p><p>Rueing the loss of key front-rowers Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou in the second half, Schmidt admitted his side “fell off a cliff” as the Argentinians ran in nine hot tries, showing the slick play that shocked New Zealand in the TRC’s opening round. A heavy reckoning must now follow as a shattered Wallabies squad tries to pick up the pieces before the Bledisloe Cup series against New Zealand starts on 21 September.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/08/wallabies-australia-argentina-pumas-rugby-union-test-match-report-result-scores-santa-fe">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Midlands site offered ‘better access for whole country’</li><li>RFU wants Twickenham to stage more lucrative events</li></ul><p>The Rugby Football Union considered building a new stadium in Birmingham and relocating, before opting to stay at Twickenham and selling the naming rights to the home of English rugby.</p><p>As revealed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/feb/19/rfu-twickenham-wembley-stadium-rugby-union-england">by the Guardian</a>, the RFU also looked into buying a 50% share of Wembley and its chief executive, Bill Sweeney, said that moving to a greenfield site in the Midlands “which might have had better access for the whole of the country” had been under review.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/rugby-football-union-twickenham-midlands-rfu">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Arsenal 1-0 Rosenborg; Maanum 19</li><li>Hosts give strong display to reach qualifying round two</li></ul><p>Jonas Eidevall said he was glad that no English team will have to go through the Champions League mini-tournament qualifying format again, calling it a “relic of the past” and criticising the 72-hour turnaround between the fixtures, with the format of next year’s competition changing.</p><p>Eidevall’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/04/foord-nets-four-as-arsenal-rout-rangers-to-march-on-in-champions-league">Arsenal beat Rangers 6-0</a> on Wednesday night in a mini-tournament semi-final, and then Rosenborg 1-0 in the final, to progress to round two of Champions League qualifying.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/07/arsenal-rosenborg-womens-champions-league-first-round-finals-match-report">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Billionaire believes club’s structure is untenable</li><li>Talks over buying each other out have not taken place </li></ul><p>Todd Boehly has lost faith in his working relationship with Clearlake Capital, the US private equity firm that owns a majority shareholding in Chelsea, and wants to find a resolution that would prevent civil war breaking out at Stamford Bridge.</p><p>As claims that the club’s owners do not see eye to eye gain momentum, it is understood that Boehly is confident that investors are ready to provide him with sufficient capital to complete a full takeover. There have been strong denials that the American billionaire is hoping to sell his 38.5% stake, which is split equally between him, Hansjörg Wyss and Mark Walter.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/07/chelsea-clearlake-capital-todd-boehly-behdad-eghbali-relationship-breaks-down">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>1st ODI: England (211-6) bt Ireland (210) by 4 wkts</li><li>Cross takes six for 30 then scores unbeaten 38</li></ul><p>All the talk prior to England’s first tour of Ireland since 1995 had been about the visitors’ surplus of debutants, and indeed, England’s cap presentations swallowed 20 minutes before the start of play in the first ODI on Saturday: Hollie Armitage, Hannah Baker, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Paige Scholfield and Mady Villiers all playing in their maiden ODI.</p><p>But in the end, it was an old hand who stole the show – the 32-year-old Kate Cross, who already had 91 caps to her name, finished with career-best figures of six for 30 and was unbeaten on 38 with the bat, as she led her team to a four-wicket win.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/kate-cross-takes-six-wickets-then-sees-england-home-in-first-odi-against-ireland">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Like other celebrity wellness entrepreneurs, the former model seems to peddle nonsense</p><p>Elle Macpherson’s gratitude journal must have written itself last week. Most days, any leader in the wellness industry is right to feel gratitude for the gigantic profits to be made seemingly out of human gullibility: the welcome for her latest venture suggests that the market for experimental self-care may have been wildly underestimated.</p><p>Since the exclusive revelation of <a href="https://www.womensweekly.com.au/news/elle-macpherson-now/">Macpherson’s “cancer journey”</a> in the <em>Australian Women’s Weekly</em>, there can hardly have been enough time in the day, without contracting the work out to a gratitude assistant, to record the amount of joy experienced by a model turned entrepreneur when her apparent rejection of evidence-based medicine is widely presented – with only limited space for objections – as a tale of fully vindicated heroism.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/08/elle-macpherson-cancer-alternative-medicine">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Every time it seems he can’t possibly sink any lower, the billionaire CEO grabs a shovel and starts digging</p><p>Every time I think Elon Musk can’t possibly sink any lower, he grabs a shovel and starts digging. In recent months, <a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/apartheid-clyde">Apartheid Clyde</a> (as he is nicknamed) has been doing his best to get Donald Trump <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/30/elon-musk-wealth-power">elected</a> by any means possible. As well as throwing money and an endorsement Trump’s way, Musk has posted multiple <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/elon-musk-misleading-election-claims-x-views-report-rcna165599">false election claims</a> and reposted a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/jul/29/elon-musk-accused-of-spreading-lies-over-kamala-harris-video">fake version</a> of Kamala Harris’s first campaign video that has been doctored to make her say she is the “ultimate diversity hire”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/elon-musk-women-testosterone">Continue reading...</a>
<p>In 2014, the former prime minister proudly announced that his government had stopped ‘needless health and safety inspections’</p><p>• <a href="https://guardianprintshop.com/collections/chris-riddell-1/products/8th-september-2024">You can order your own copy of this cartoon</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2024/sep/07/chris-riddell-on-david-cameron-musing-in-his-shepherds-hut-while-grenfell-tower-burns-cartoon">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The UK urgently needs investment. But no one seems to know whether the institutions that deliver it are working as they should</p><p>Every time an upmarket home is bought in the UK, the new residents seem obliged to rip out the kitchen and install <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/sep/03/how-many-bathrooms-kevin-mccloud-reveals-grand-design-bugbears">two bathrooms where there was only one</a>.</p><p>It is almost a cast-iron rule that walking across the threshold means paying builders to rearrange what was there before, almost for the sake of it.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/07/labours-first-job-shouldnt-be-to-spend-but-to-fix-the-states-financial-plumbing">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Payments could be restricted to those living in lower council tax bands, as money expert Martin Lewis has suggested</p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/winter-fuel-payments-cut-one-of-the-worst-decisions-i-have-ever-seen-says-ex-pensions-minister">Winter fuel payments cut ‘one of the worst decisions I have ever seen’ says ex pensions minister</a></p><p>The new government’s honeymoon period with the voters ended at 3.33pm on Monday 29 July. This was when the chancellor stood up to announce to MPs that all but the poorest pensioners would lose their winter fuel payments.</p><p>The politics of this announcement were pretty grim. It is one thing coming up with a package of cuts where everyone feels some of the pain but we are “all in this together”. It is quite another to make one group of voters feel singled out by the government. And the problem was made worse a few weeks later when Ofgem announced a 10% increase in energy bills for this winter.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/poorer-pensioners-income-smarter-winter-fuel-solutions">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The union is risking its reputation by opposing the Cass report on gender identity services<br /><br />• Dr Jacky Davis is a consultant radiologist and a member of the BMA council<br />• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/bma-stance-on-cass-review-of-transgender-care-has-damaged-its-reputation">BMA stance on Cass review of transgender care has ‘damaged its reputation’</a><br /></p><p>The British Medical Association is both a trade union and a professional organisation. Professional activities such as its successful campaigns around seatbelt legislation and smoking have added weight to its standing as a union. It is not noted for drama and histrionics.</p><p>So there was significant surprise when its governing body, the BMA council, recently voted to reject the recommendations of the <a href="https://cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/">Cass review</a>, an independent review commissioned to look at NHS gender identity services in England, which was accepted in full by the last government and its successor.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/bma-cass-report-gender-identity-services">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved were still suffering a century later because they lived in states where Jim Crow laws were enforced</p><p>Persistence studies are all the rage in economics – using clever maths to show that events in the distant past drive political or economic outcomes today. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ecoj.12424">One well-known example</a> argued that Britain’s superior growth to France as late as 1800 was shaped by… the collapse of the western Roman empire a millennium before. Here, the collapse saw the population de-urbanise, while in France they remained in Roman-era towns that lasted. So when Britain’s cities re-emerged they were in places better suited to growth in the run-up to the Industrial Revolution.</p><p>Interesting stuff. But persistence studies also breed something dangerous: determinism. If ancient history is so influential, what hope do we have to shape our destiny? Which is why I love a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/qje/advance-article/doi/10.1093/qje/qjae023/7718111">new paper</a> by Lukas Althoff and Hugo Reichardt, examining the lasting economic impact of slavery. Their findings look like the normal persistence story: black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved before the civil war have had significantly worse economic outcomes ever since, compared with black Americans whose forefathers were free – even in 2023, descendants of enslaved people had incomes $11,620 lower than other black Americans.</p><p><em><strong>Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at <a href="mailto:observer.letters@observer.co.uk">observer.letters@observer.co.uk</a></strong></em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/blame-modern-decisions-not-just-ancient-history-for-economic-inequality">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We’re warned not to assign human qualities to other species, but evidence of their complex abilities is mounting</p><p>The details differ, but really it’s the same story, turning up every few weeks, for around a decade now. The revelation – and it’s always presented with a dramatic flourish – is this: animals are much more like us than we thought.</p><p>Last week, it was that dogs could <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/sep/04/dogs-remember-names-toys-years-study-pets-memory">remember the names</a> of their old toys – even when they hadn’t seen them for two years. Language acquisition, that “uniquely human” thing, was being encroached on, the researchers said: dogs could store words in their memory. Last month, it was that horses could <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy4j4kkxd8o#:~:text=You%20can%20lead%20a%20horse,great%20enough%2C%20researchers%20have%20found">strategise and plan ahead</a>, overturning the assumption that they “simply respond to stimuli in the moment”. And in April, it was that there’s a “<a href="https://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/nydeclaration/declaration">realistic possibility of consciousness”</a> in reptiles, fish and even insects – according to a declaration signed by some 40 scientists. One of the studies backing the claims recorded bumblebees playing with wooden balls. The behaviour had no obvious connection to mating or survival, the authors thought. It was for fun.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/when-dogs-recall-toys-and-horses-plan-ahead-are-animals-so-different-from-us">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Despite the regime withdrawing even the most basic human rights of women and girls, liberal democracies have failed to take action</p><p>‘So pervasive is the Taliban’s institutionalised gender oppression, and so slender are the spaces in which women and girls may live freely, that in Afghanistan today almost any act can be characterised as an act of resistance.”</p><p>That conclusion from Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, encapsulates how unbearably suffocating it is to be female in Afghanistan today: excluded from education and from running a business; forbidden from going outside for a walk or to exercise, to speak or show any part of their face or body outside the home; or even for their voices to be heard singing or reading from within their own home. There is no other country where women and girls are <a href="https://giwps.georgetown.edu/country/afghanistan/">so oppressed on the basis of their sex</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/08/the-observer-view-on-afghanistan-britain-and-the-us-are-complicit-in-the-talibans-oppression-of-women">Continue reading...</a>
<p>As the report damns corporate greed for contributing to the 72 deaths, Keir Starmer should ignore financial prudence when it comes to preventing another tragedy</p><p>Seventy-two people – 18 of them children – lost their lives in the fire at Grenfell Tower in June 2017. Many more were left traumatised and injured, displaced from their homes and thoughtlessly dumped into inadequate temporary accommodation. The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/05/grenfell-tower-the-fire-the-findings-whos-to-blame-and-what-happens-next">final report</a> of the official public inquiry into the fire, published last week, has one fundamental question at its heart: “How was it possible in 21st-century London for a reinforced concrete building, itself structurally impervious to fire, to be turned into a death trap that would enable fire to sweep through it in an uncontrollable way in a matter of a few hours despite what were thought to be effective regulations designed to prevent just such an event?”</p><p>The answer is set out across 1,700 pages: a litany of devastating failure after devastating failure that spans state neglect, corporate greed, regulatory capture and, ultimately, a total lack of concern not just for the residents of Grenfell, but the hundreds of thousands of people who still live in homes rendered potentially lethal by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/01/grenfell-seven-years-cladding-fire-blaze-safety">flammable cladding</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/08/grenfell-tower-report-keir-starmer">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Putin, Trump and Netanyahu have changed the very definition of what it is to be a leader. And they’re not going away any time soon</p><p>Simon Tisdall hits the mark in his analysis of our contemporary “villains” but I fear he is over-generous (“<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/31/putin-trump-netanyahu-stalin-hitler-mao-successors">In an unheroic age, Putin, Trump and Netanyahu are sick parodies of great men</a>”). For these men are tyrants and their impact goes beyond their murderous actions, crimes against humanity and “undermining of universal values”.</p><p>Perhaps their most insidious impact is in reconfiguring the ethical and moral framework by which such men (and it is invariably men) can be perceived as dangerous and unfitted for power. They create the conditions for perpetuating tyranny. In this, they are supported by the tyrants of social media, a group headed by Elon Musk who, as Carole Cadwalladr argues (“<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/31/elon-musk-x-brazil-telegram-pavel-durov">Don’t rejoice yet, Elon Musk and his tech bros-in-arms are winning the global battle for the truth</a>”), promotes the spread of “distorted truth” – for which read “lies” – thereby helping to normalise this new morality.<br /><strong>Ian Sanderson</strong><br /> Leeds<br /></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/article/2024/sep/08/tyranny-and-lies-welcome-to-the-new-moral-order">Continue reading...</a>
<p>A vibrant, well-attended Games showcased the best of parasport. But the challenges outside the sporting arena remain the same</p><p>The size of the crowds, the brio of the marketing and the enhanced profile of star athletes made <a href="https://www.paralympic.org/feature/ten-years-london-2012-games-participants-look-back-decade-transformation">London 2012</a> a breakthrough moment in Paralympic history. Since then, it has been a slightly rockier ride. Poor ticket sales and financial problems <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/19/rio-paralympics-downsized-disappointing-ticket-sales">overshadowed the lead-up to Rio</a> in 2016. Tokyo, delayed to 2021, was a behind‑closed-doors affair, blighted by Covid.</p><p>A lot, therefore, was riding on Paris 2024. And in multiple ways, Paris has brilliantly delivered. As the Games come to a close this weekend, the aggregate attendance could <a href="https://www.paralympic.org/paris-2024/news/more-two-million-paralympics-tickets-sold">surpass 2.5 million</a> – not far from the record set in London. The crowds have been passionate, and whenever a French athlete was in the running for a medal, fiercely partisan. Just as during the hugely successful Olympics, the French capital has provided a <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paralympic-games/venues/eiffel-tower-stadium-paralympics">sumptuous, charismatic backdrop</a> to thrilling sporting competition throughout the city.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/06/the-guardian-view-on-the-paris-paralympics-a-return-to-the-spirit-of-london-2012">Continue reading...</a>
<p>A pioneering mission into a mysterious and violent world may reveal ‘speed bumps’ on the way to global coastal inundation</p><p>There are stadium-sized blocks of ice crashing from the soaring face of the Kangerlussuup glacier in western Greenland. Fierce underwater currents of meltwater are shooting out from its base and visibility below the surface is virtually zero thanks to a torrent of suspended mud and sand. It’s little wonder scientists have never explored this maelstrom.</p><p>Yet today, they are sending in a multimillion-dollar remotely operated submarine, potentially to its death. As the scientists onboard the Celtic Explorer research ship repeatedly say: “It’s a high risk, high reward mission.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/06/how-the-maelstrom-under-greenlands-glaciers-could-slow-future-sea-level-rise">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Big River Watch scheme asks general public to help monitor state of rivers after years of deregulation</p><p>Rivers will be checked for sewage and other pollution by the general public this month in an attempt to assess the health of British waterways.</p><p>Cuts to the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/22/liz-truss-environment-agency-cuts-sewage-water-pollution">UK regulators</a> and a change in the law to allow water company self-monitoring of pollution in England mean there is little independent monitoring of the state of rivers in the UK.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/07/citizen-scientists-to-check-uk-rivers-for-sewage-and-pollution">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Donald Trump gets everything wrong about the climate crisis. The results of the vote in November could reverberate for a million years</p><p>Here is the biggest thing happening on our planet as we head into the autumn of 2024: the Earth is continuing to heat dramatically. Scientists have said that there’s a better than 90% chance that this year will top 2023 as the warmest ever recorded. And paleoclimatologists were pretty sure last year was the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/extreme-heat">hottest</a> in the last 125,000 years. The result is an almost-cliched run of disasters: open Twitter/X anytime for pictures of floods pushing cars through streets somewhere. It is starting to make life on this planet very difficult, and in some places impossible. And it’s on target to get far, far worse.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2024/sep/06/presidential-election-climate-crisis-project-2025-trump">Continue reading...</a>
<p>This year will more than likely end up the warmest humanity has measured, reports European climate service</p><p>Summer 2024 sweltered to Earth’s hottest on record, making it even more likely that this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, the European climate service Copernicus reported on Friday.</p><p>And if this sounds familiar, that’s because the records the globe shattered were set just last year as human-caused <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-crisis">climate change</a>, with a temporary boost from an El Niño, keeps dialing up temperatures and extreme weather, scientists said.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/06/hottest-summer-record">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Jenny Hastings had been missing since she failed to return from swim at Wardie Bay in Edinburgh on Tuesday</p><p>A body has been found in the search for the wife of Scott Hastings, the former Scotland rugby player, who went missing after swimming in an estuary in Edinburgh, police have said.</p><p>Jenny Hastings has been missing since Tuesday after failing to return from Wardie Bay after going for a swim in the Firth of Forth, according to her family.</p><p><em>In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/07/body-found-in-search-for-wife-of-scotland-rugby-star-scott-hastings">Continue reading...</a>
<p>As documents reveal EU ‘not prepared’ to change, Keir Starmer is reminded of Labour’s manifesto pledge</p><p>Industry insiders have urged the UK government to find a solution to post-Brexit restrictions on live music touring, after EU documents suggested Brussels was “not prepared” to change regulations.</p><p>In Labour’s manifesto, Keir Starmer pledged to improve trade and investment relations with the EU to “help our touring artists” . Since Brexit, musicians touring the EU have faced barriers introduced in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). They can work up to 90 out of every 180 days, which causes problems for longer tours, musicians who work in multiple bands or orchestras, and crew required on site before and after performances.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/08/uk-music-industry-presses-government-to-solve-post-brexit-limits-on-touring">Continue reading...</a>
<p>US secretary of state will be most senior US official to have travelled to London since Labour’s election victory</p><p>The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, will head to London next week to discuss the Middle East and Ukraine, the state department announced on Saturday, in advance of a US visit by prime minister Keir Starmer.</p><p>Blinken’s visit to London on Monday and Tuesday will be the most senior by a US official since the Labour party won the general election in July, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/antony-blinken-to-visit-uk-for-talks-on-ukraine-and-middle-east">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Bates and Suzanne Sercombe invited to Necker Island after publicly soliciting a holiday from Virgin tycoon</p><p>The Post Office campaigner Alan Bates has married his partner, Suzanne Sercombe, on Richard Branson’s Necker Island in a ceremony officiated by the Virgin tycoon.</p><p>The wedding took place last month on the entrepreneur’s private island in the British Virgin Islands, the Sunday Times reported.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/07/post-office-campaigner-alan-bates-marries-partner-on-richard-bransons-private-island">Continue reading...</a>
<p>MS for Cardiff South and Penarth, who stood down after 140 days as first minister, will not seek re-election in 2026</p><p>Vaughan Gething, the Labour former first minister of Wales who stood down after a series of scandals, has announced he will not seek re-election for the Senedd.</p><p>Gething, the MS for Cardiff South and Penarth, said it had been “an immense honour” to serve his constituents, and in the Welsh government, as he made the announcement.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/former-welsh-first-minister-vaughan-gething-to-stand-down-at-next-election">Continue reading...</a>
<p>A tenants’ rights group is fighting for justice for residents of university halls who claim health affected by conditions</p><p>Students across the country are demanding rent refunds from the UK’s biggest university hall owner, claiming they have endured infestations of rats, mice and bed bugs, and had their health affected by mould and damp.</p><p>Flat Justice, a not-for-profit tenants’ rights group, has shared details with the <em>Observer</em> of group legal actions it is leading against Unite Students on behalf of hundreds of students who have lived in the company’s halls in Liverpool, London, Coventry and Birmingham.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/sep/07/rats-mould-damp-uks-biggest-student-homes-provider-faces-legal-action-over-poor-accommodation">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Rydon, lead contractor on the tower’s refurbishment, won deals from councils and the NHS despite pressure to ban it from bids</p><p>The building firm found to have borne “considerable responsibility” for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/05/justice-for-grenfell-deaths-may-not-come-this-decade-warns-former-chief-prosecutor">the Grenfell fire</a> with its “casual attitude to fire safety” was handed contracts worth tens of millions of pounds by councils, colleges and NHS trusts after the tragedy.</p><p>Property group Rydon was the lead contractor overseeing the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower between 2014 and 2016, including the installation of combustible cladding. The inquiry found that the firm should have been aware of “the risks of using combustible materials in the external walls of high-rise buildings”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/07/grenfell-building-firm-criticised-by-inquiry-handed-contracts-worth-millions-after-fire">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Crossbench peer will table ‘fatal’ Lords motion, as Starmer faces damaging rebellion in Commons vote</p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/poorer-pensioners-income-smarter-winter-fuel-solutions">Steve Webb: There’s no need to cut poorer pensioners’ income. Smarter winter fuel solutions are at hand</a></p><p>The respected former pensions minister Ros Altmann has tabled a “fatal” parliamentary motion to kill off the government’s controversial plan to limit winter fuel payments, describing it as “one of the worst decisions I have ever seen”.</p><p>The move by Baroness Altmann, a crossbench peer and <a href="https://rosaltmann.com/">leading expert on issues affecting elderly people</a>, comes amid growing pressure on the prime minister, Keir Starmer, from across the political spectrum, to drop or modify the plan ahead of a series of key votes this week.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/winter-fuel-payments-cut-one-of-the-worst-decisions-i-have-ever-seen-says-ex-pensions-minister">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Government ‘hoping’ it will not have to create safe and legal route or change asylum law, says Home Office source</p><p>Deaths in the English Channel are expected to rise to “devastating” new highs over the coming months, with charities and experts warning that Labour’s action against smugglers could trigger increasingly dangerous methods to launch boats.</p><p>A record of 43 people have died attempting to cross the Channel this year, 35 of them at sea, with six children and a pregnant woman among 12 people who drowned in a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/03/rescue-under-way-in-channel-as-boat-carrying-at-least-100-capsizes">disaster on Tuesday</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/07/labour-smash-the-gangs-death-risk-channel-migrants">Continue reading...</a>
<p>‘Phenomenal show’ of solidarity in city’s George Square overshadows smaller anti-immigration demonstration</p><p>Anti-racism campaigners have welcomed a “phenomenal show” of solidarity after an anti-immigration rally initially promoted by Tommy Robinson was overshadowed by protesters in Glasgow’s George Square.</p><p>The opposing rallies were separated by lines of police and metal barriers, with a Stand Up to Racism Scotland event, in coalition with trade unions and leading refugee rights organisations, taking over most of the square as speakers addressed a swelling crowd of several thousand.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/07/thousands-protesters-anti-racism-rally-glasgow-scotland">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Family of Turkish-American woman shot dead during protest against settlements says Israeli investigation ‘not adequate’</p><p>The family of a Turkish-American woman shot dead while demonstrating against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank have demanded an independent investigation into her death.</p><p>Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was “shot in the head” while participating in a demonstration in Beita in the West Bank on Friday, the UN rights office said.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/aysenur-eygis-family-demand-independent-inquiry-into-west-bank-death">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Bill Burns calls Vladimir Putin a ‘bully’ whose ‘sabre-rattling’ should not always be taken literally</p><p>Western leaders should not be intimidated by Kremlin threats of nuclear escalation, the head of the CIA said on Saturday, amid a debate over whether Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles should be used inside Russia.</p><p>Bill Burns, on a visit to London alongside the head of MI6, said the US had brushed off a previous Russian nuclear scare in autumn 2022, demonstrating that threats from Moscow should not always be taken literally.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/cia-west-russia-nuclear-threats-putin">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Ruling, which may be reviewed by appellate court, could strike reproductive rights measure off November ballot</p><p>A <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/missouri">Missouri</a> judge has ruled that a ballot measure asking voters whether <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/abortion">abortion</a> rights should be enshrined in the state constitution is invalid, potentially jeopardizing an election scheduled for November.</p><p>In a ruling issued on Friday, Cole county circuit judge Christopher Limbaugh said that the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/reproductive-rights">reproductive rights</a> petition – also known as amendment 3 – led by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom did not comply with state law.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/missouri-abortion-rights-ballot-measure-ruled-invalid">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Opponents holed up for months in the Argentine ambassador’s residence say the building has been surrounded by security forces</p><p>Venezuela’s government has said that Brazil can no longer represent Argentina’s diplomatic interests in the country, putting several anti-government opponents holed up for months in the Argentine ambassador’s residence seeking asylum at risk, as reports emerge that the embassy has been surrounded by security forces. <br /><br /> Venezuela’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it had notified Brazil of its decision, which will take effect immediately. It said it was forced to take action based on what it called evidence – which it hasn’t shared – that those who sought refuge in Argentina’s diplomatic mission were conspiring to carry out “terrorist” acts.</p><p>Brazil said that it had received the communication “with surprise” and Argentina said shortly afterwards that it rejected the “unilateral” decision by Venezuela. Both countries urged the government of Nicolas Maduro to respect the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/venezuela-revokes-brazils-custody-of-argentine-embassy-that-has-been-housing-maduro-opponents">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Demonstrators accuse Emmanuel Macron of perpetrating ‘denial of democracy’ by choosing conservative politician</p><p>Thousands of angry leftwing protesters took to French streets on Saturday two days after Emmanuel Macron appointed a conservative prime minister.</p><p>Demonstrators accused the president of a “denial of democracy” after his decision to name the former EU Brexit negotiator <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/05/michel-barnier-named-prime-minister-france">Michel Barnier, 73, as leader of the government</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/thousands-protest-france-emmanuel-macron-michel-barnier">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The shooting occurred along Interstate 75 in a rural area south of Lexington, near the city of London authorities said</p><p>Kentucky police reported an “active shooter situation” on Saturday evening near Interstate 75 in London, Kentucky, south of Lexington, where “numerous persons” had been shot in traffic.</p><p>In a video statement, London mayor Randall Weddle said seven people were hurt, but not all of those were wounded by gunfire. Some of the victims were injured in a vehicle accident, he said.<br /><br /> “There are no deceased at this time. No one was killed from this, thankfully, but we ask that you continue to pray,” Weddle said.<br /><br /> The sheriff’s office also announced that a “person of interest” has been identified in connection with the shooting, saying he should be considered armed and dangerous and people should not approach him.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/08/kentucky-police-say-multiple-people-shot-in-active-shooter-situation">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Palestinians say they have no faith in Israel Defense Forces inquiry into killing as US officials insist Gaza ceasefire is near</p><p>US officials have insisted that a ceasefire in Gaza is close even as fighting rages unabated in the blockaded Palestinian territory and violence spirals in the occupied West Bank, where witnesses told the <em>Observer</em> an American-Turkish dual national was killed by Israeli forces on Friday.</p><p>William Burns, who is also the US’s chief negotiator in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, echoed secretary of state Antony Blinken during a speech in London on Saturday in which he said that “90% of the text had been agreed but the last 10% is always the hardest”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/west-bank-residents-teargas-shots-us-woman-death-israel-defence-forces-inquiry-killing">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Saga over contestant’s nationality reflects hatred of other Africans fuelled by poverty among black population</p><p>When Chidimma Adetshina entered Miss South Africa, she dreamed of being crowned and going on to represent – at the Miss Universe contest in November – the country she had lived in since birth. What she didn’t expect was a furious backlash that would end up with her winning the right to represent Nigeria instead.</p><p>A saga over the 23-year-old law student’s nationality has exposed a deep vein of xenophobia in South Africa against immigrants from other African countries that has festered since the end of apartheid, feeding off endemic unemployment, poverty and inequality, and periodically exploding into violence.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/beauty-queen-row-exposes-xenophobia-towards-immigrants-in-south-africa">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Two former senior advisers to Keir Starmer say their UK election strategy could benefit Democratic campaign<br /><br />• <a href="https://composer.gutools.co.uk/content/66d9e2228f08da0c09ad3ba3">Lessons of Labour UK win could help Harris defeat Trump</a></p><p>Keir Starmer’s former pollster, Deborah Mattinson, is to meet Kamala Harris’s campaign team in Washington this week to share details of how Labour pulled off its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/05/time-for-us-to-deliver-says-starmer-as-labour-heads-for-landslide">stunning election win</a> by targeting key groups of “squeezed working-class voters who wanted change”.</p><p>The visit comes ahead of a separate trip by Starmer to Washington on Friday to meet US president Joe Biden, his second since becoming prime minister. It will also be his first since Biden stepped down and Harris became the Democratic nominee.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/us-hero-voters-key-to-harris-win-say-ex-aides-who-plotted-labour-uk-victory">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Court worker secretly recorded calls in which Kathleen Ryan made homophobic slur and called Black people lazy</p><p>A suburban <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/detroit">Detroit</a> judge is no longer handling cases after a court official turned over recordings of her making anti-gay insults and referring to Black people as lazy.</p><p>Oakland county probate judge Kathleen Ryan was removed from her docket on 27 August for unspecified misconduct. Now the court’s administrator has stepped forward to say he blew the whistle on her, secretly recording their phone calls.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/michigan-judge-kathleen-ryan-suspended">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The Pulitzer prize winner on uniting Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton in her new novel, her unfathomable dreams, and how she went from ‘blabbermouth’ to writer</p><p>Pulitzer prize winner <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/elizabeth-strout">Elizabeth Strout</a>, 68, has wooed readers and critics alike with a string of bestselling novels set in Maine, where she grew up and now mostly lives. Her latest, <em>Tell Me Everything</em>, unites two recurring protagonists from recent books – self-effacing author Lucy Barton and abrasive nonagenarian Olive Kitteridge – with sometime lawyer Bob Burgess, who first appeared in her 2013 novel <em>The Burgess Boys</em>, and is now set to be hauled out of semi-retirement by a murder case. As a New England winter finally yields to spring, pathos and dry humour gild tender reflections on loneliness and connection, and the redemptive power of storytelling.</p><p><strong>What made you want to bring all three characters together?<br /></strong>I never ever intend to keep writing about the same people, but it gradually came to me that they are all living nearby. I wanted to get Olive and Lucy together – that was a propelling force. I just thought it would be so much fun, and of course Olive can’t stand her at first. The working title was The Book of Bob because Bob has always intrigued me. He’s such a decent person and doesn’t know that about himself, and I wanted him to come out of semi-retirement and do something big and meaningful.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/07/elizabeth-strout-all-ordinary-people-are-extraordinary-tell-me-everything-novel-olive-kitteridge-lucy-barton">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong>Toronto film festival:</strong> an empty-headed attempt to give the star her version of The Wrestler is a regrettable misfire</p><p>The desire to see Pamela Anderson receive her flowers after being mistreated and denigrated by numerous parties – from the media to men in the industry to most recently Hulu – is strong enough to initially outweigh other concerns over her big-screen comeback. Even framing it as such feels like an understatement, the star having never received anything like the dramatic lead she’s been given in Vegas-set character drama The Last Showgirl. It’s a genuinely huge moment for Anderson after regaining control of her narrative with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/may/09/pamela-anderson-chicago-broadway-roxie-hart">a well-received turn in Chicago on Broadway</a> and a likable Netflix documentary which allowed her to right some wrongs.</p><p>But while goodwill might have propelled her here, to a ritzy Toronto film festival premiere, it can only take her so far. The film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola’s daughter Gia, is wholly unworthy of any hype that might have preceded it, a forgettable, empty trifle at just 85 minutes, failing to give us enough of anything and certainly, sadly, failing to prove Anderson’s mettle as a dramatic actor. It would, inarguably, be a challenge for even the most equipped of performers to make much of TV writer Kate Gersten’s vapid script but it’s truly insurmountable for her. It’s an awkward misjudgment of a performance, the star retreating to the same shticky sitcom excess she used in her short-lived comedy series Stacked, relying on manic overemphasis regardless of the occasion. She just can’t make any of it work and Coppola almost seems aware of this, overstuffing her film with ponderous, dialogue-free scenes of the character looking wistfully off into the distance. Well-shot but dramatically inert, these moments are indicative of the film at large, seeking meaning out of nothingness.</p><p>The Last Showgirl is screening at the Toronto film festival and is seeking distribution</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/the-last-showgirl-pamela-anderson-comeback">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong>Toronto film festival:</strong> there are two excellent performances at the centre of a time-hopping romance that tackles well-trodden ground with maturity</p><p>There was a warm late summer surprise to be had with last month’s surprisingly thoughtful and tender adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s supermarket bestseller <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/aug/07/it-ends-with-us-review-blake-lively-colleen-hover">It Ends With Us</a>. It was a proud and powerful resurrection of the sort of glossy melodrama that had grown terribly unfashionable, mostly demoted to the small screen and almost always the subject of easy derision. Its shock commercial success (nearing $300m globally) will undoubtedly lead to more but already, premiering weeks later at the Toronto film festival, we have another heart-over-head weepie in We Live in Time, a smart and sensitive crowd-pleaser that should prove similarly irresistible to an impassioned yet underserved audience.</p><p>There’s also a touch of the golden era Working Title romcom here, before that formula became harder to love and easier to parody. It’s a tale of attractive, sweary Londoners flirting and falling in love but here they’re also grappling with some knottier, less cosy issues. It’s no spoiler, given both the trailer and the film’s time-jumping structure flitting back and forth, that it’s also about late-stage cancer, a development that has become something of a red flag given the rote nature of many disease-of-the-week dramas. But Irish stage and screen director John Crowley, who found his biggest success with 2015’s Brooklyn, has found a way to breathe life into a film about death, not aiming for wheel reinvention exactly but confidently relying on the power of big, honest emotions and two A-game stars who can easily sell them.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/we-live-in-time-review-andrew-garfield-florence-pugh-weepie">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Broadcaster says episode will ‘celebrate gift of giving’ after news revealed in a cryptic teaser trailer for medical drama </p><p>Casualty is to return to TV screens for an “innovative” Christmas special, the BBC has revealed. The news was announced in a cryptic teaser trailer, which followed Saturday’s season finale on BBC One.</p><p>The BBC says the Christmas special will “celebrate the gift of giving” and be told in an “innovative, format-breaking way”. A teaser image for the trailer showed a hospital ward covered in snow, with a fluorescent jacket on the ground.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/sep/07/bbc-promises-innovative-return-for-casualty-in-christmas-special">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The man who made bossa nova an international sensation has died at 83, after a 60-year, 35-album career that straddled musical genres</p><p>Bringing Brazilian music to the world and the world to Brazilian music: for decades, this was Sérgio Mendes’s mission and passion.</p><p>The artist <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/06/brazilian-musician-sergio-mendes-dies-aged-83">died on Friday</a> at the age of 83, after a 60-year career that produced more than 35 albums.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/07/sergio-mendes-the-musician-who-left-brazil-to-bring-the-sounds-of-his-country-to-the-world">Continue reading...</a>
<p>(Culture Shock)<br />The Trinidad-born musician and his 22-piece ensemble excel in all styles, from Benny Goodman and Eartha Kitt to Charles’s own Carib-flavoured compositions</p><p>“Wow! A big band record – a dream come true,” writes Trinidad-born trumpet player <a href="https://www.etiennecharles.com/home">Etienne Charles</a> in the cover notes to his 10th album. A gifted player and composer, Charles has been waiting for a stab at his grand opus for the past decade, since singer <a href="https://renemarie.com/">René Marie</a> asked him to arrange big band parts for her. Since then he has become a celebrated arranger, collaborating with the New York Philharmonic and the Charleston Jazz Orchestra among others.</p><p>His command of his 22-piece Creole Orchestra proves impeccable and absolute, dovetailing elaborate woodwind and brass parts with finely wrought solos. There’s a nod to big bands past on Benny Goodman’s Stompin’ at the Savoy and Jimmy Forrest’s Night Train, but the standouts are Charles’s own. A torrent of horns and percussion opens the album on Old School, while the jaunty Douens, named after creatures of Trinidadian folklore, is one of several Carib flavours. Joe Henderson’s A Shade of Jade allows saxophonist Michael Thomas to parade his hard bop chops, while Poison refashions Bell Biv DeVoe’s 1990 R&B hit. Marie shines with feline charm on Eartha Kitt’s I Wanna Be Evil and her own sultry Take My Breath Away. A brilliant recasting of tradition – “sometimes it takes a village,” says Charles.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/07/etienne-charles-creole-orchestra-review-jazz-trumpeters-impeccable-big-band-dream-come-true">Continue reading...</a>
<p>With its complex flavour and long Italian history, it’s no wonder the food world loves Fernet-Branca</p><p>A shot of Fernet-Branca is the bartender’s handshake, or so I was told when I was given my first taste of the intensely aromatic Italian amaro at <a href="https://www.urbanpubsandbars.com/venues/the-griffin?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=homepage" rel="nofollow">the Griffin</a> in Shoreditch, east London. But maybe it should be called the chef’s handshake too, given its cult status in the foodie world. This pub, so often frequented by chefs and kitchen workers, has its own gleaming Fernet-Branca tap – a testament to both its place in hospitality culture and its popularity among the pub’s culinary clientele.</p><p>So what does it taste like? It’s complicated. Let’s begin with the fresh herbal notes of peppermint, gentian and angelica, the bitterness of cinchona, and then move into hot spice and floral flourishes – saffron, rhubarb, iris, chamomile and myrrh. A decadent melange of exotic ingredients, every sip of Fernet-Branca is a taste of Italian heritage and culinary prestige. It’s a bitter drink, from Italy’s long history of traditional liqueur tonics made in monasteries by monks as digestifs from as far back as the 13th century.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/how-to-drink-italian/article/2024/aug/09/foodies-favourite-italian-tipple-beloved-by-chefs-and-bar-staff">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Awaken your senses with a pre-dinner ritual that has enraptured Italians for centuries. Here are five mouth-watering drinks to enjoy this summer</p><p>What word conjures up Italian summer evenings better than aperitivo? What started as a pre-dinner drink to “open the appetite” (<em>aprire</em> in Italian means “to open”) has become one of the most important social rituals in Italy. From about 7pm to 9pm, as offices begin to empty, Italian bars fill up with people still in their trendy work attire, elegant pant suits for the ladies, clean lines accessorised with smart loafers for the gents – a stark contrast to Britain’s uber relaxed pub attire.</p><p>The modern motives for aperitivo are many: celebrating birthdays or promotions with loved ones or colleagues, to see and be seen in a glamorous setting, but mostly just meeting up with your pals for an after-work catchup over a negroni or two. Whoever it’s with, the social aspect of aperitivo is vital. Oh, and <em>food</em>. Most bars in Italy will serve abundant free food (can you imagine that in Britain?), which has given rise to the Italian concept of <em>apericena</em> (a combination of the words aperitivo and <em>cena</em>, the Italian word for dinner), where you fill up on lots of snacks and skip dinner altogether.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/how-to-drink-italian/article/2024/aug/09/good-friends-chic-threads-how-to-enjoy-an-italian-aperitivo-at-home-authentic-cocktail-recipes">Continue reading...</a>
<p>From Edinburgh to London, embrace the sophistication of an aperitivo at these stylish watering holes</p><p>To those in the know, the British cocktail scene is growing up. Just like a child moving into adulthood, it’s evolving from the overly sweet, simple cocktails of the early 2000s into an older, wiser drinks scene with a tinge of bitterness. Negronis are in vogue and drink aficionados have trained their taste buds to enjoy neon-bright spritzes instead of slushie-like daiquiris on a summer evening. Bitter, herbal amaros such as Fernet-Branca and Carpano bitter, and rich vermouths such as Antica Formula are slowly replacing sugary syrups as cocktail palates develop and mature. Italy has long led the way in grownup cocktails, and there are a handful of UK bars where you can embrace the sophistication of the Italian cocktail.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/how-to-drink-italian/article/2024/aug/09/three-best-bars-enjoy-italian-cocktails-uk">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Chef-based fashion has been bubbling up in restaurant kitchens for some time – and now there’s inspiration to be found in the world of bars too</p><p>From Scandi-style speakeasies to decadent dive bars, the UK’s bar scene is currently enjoying a renaissance. “The UK is always ahead when it comes to pushing the bar scene forward,” says Adam Taylor, who leads the team at <a href="https://www.projecthalcyondistillery.com/" rel="nofollow">Project Halcyon Distillery</a> in Manchester, a subterranean, hard-to-find bolthole that has the feel of an illicit warehouse bar, and boasts its own onsite lab and distillery.</p><p>“Since Covid, there’s been a massive cultural shift in the bar world,” says Taylor. “A huge gap has opened up between the cost conscious two-for-one cocktail bar and the expensive cocktail bar, where people come for experiences. There really isn’t much in between.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/how-to-drink-italian/article/2024/aug/09/how-to-tap-into-barcore-new-style-trend-causing-a-stir">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Many of our flowers and other plants have thrived this year, though others did less well</p><p>So, here we are. No denying it now. A week on from the start of meteorological autumn. Daylight is shortening for early risers like me. Evenings drawing in, as my dad used to say.</p><p>My morning visits are cooler now. Some of our summer flowers are starting to fade. The sweet peas are limping on, though now maybe more seed pods than blooms. The orache and amaranth are taller than me, sunflowers of all hues tower. We cannot keep up with the giant wall of French beans</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/08/the-tail-end-of-summer-brings-tales-of-harvest">Continue reading...</a>
<p>There’s a lot of cod consumed in Portugal – mostly with red wine. But the country’s subtle, original white grapes have much to offer</p><p><strong>Esporão Reserva White Organic, Alentejo, Portugal 2022 (from £14.95, <a href="http://cheerswinemerchants.co.uk/">cheerswinemerchants.co.uk</a>; <a href="http://thewinesociety.com/">thewinesociety.com</a>; <a href="http://cambridgewine.com/">cambridgewine.com</a>) </strong>A startling fact picked out by the wine-and-food writer Joanna Simon in a typically elegant and informative piece on the classic Portuguese baked salt-cod-and-potato dish Bacalhau a Gomes de Sà on <a href="http://worldoffinewine.com/">worldoffinewine.com</a> recently: apparently Portugal, a country with a population of just over 10million people, accounts for some 20% of all the cod consumed in the world each year. As Simon goes on to point out, there is a long tradition in Portugal of drinking red wines with the national fish (not least the high-acid reds of Vinho Verde in the lushly verdant north of the country). But on a recent family holiday in which cod (in various guises, but always of the salted variety) was on the menu every day, I found I preferred to choose an accompaniment from the country’s winemakers’ infinitely many ways with white grapes: starting with Esporão’s blend from southerly Alentejo, with its subtle wisp of smoky oak, peachy fullness and grapefruity tang.</p><p><strong>Waitrose Loved & Found Cerceal, Dão, Portugal 2023 (£8.99, <a href="https://www.waitrose.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoo8yiQMrDIKknschhP0_-iRuKAcG_g7NX_7EkwNRcrY2h9p7VPm">Waitrose</a>) </strong>One of the things that makes Portuguese wine so attractive to obsessive wine enthusiasts like me is that so many of its best wines are made from grape varieties that you just don’t find anywhere else – and which, crucially, make wines that don’t taste like wines from anywhere else. That Esporão blend, for example, mixes up antão vaz, arinto and roupeiro – while one of my favourite whites from the Central Portuguese Dão region, Textura da Estrela Branco 2022 (£19.40, <a href="http://justerinis.com/">justerinis.com</a>), blends the local encruzado, bical and cerceal for a wine that is full of nervy energy and tingle, not to mention a bacalhau-friendly seasoning of sea-salty minerals. If Portuguese whites are often best as blends, it’s nonetheless fun to see what these varieties can do on their own: and the white Portuguese member of Waitrose’s Loved & Found collection of unusual own-label wines made from Dão cerceal is a snappy, fresh, subtly nutty wine full of character.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/article/2024/sep/08/portuguese-white-wine-and-salted-cod-is-a-match-made-in-heaven">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Tilda Swinton turns fashion designer, Mabel supports Grenfell and rugby style makes a comeback</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2024/sep/07/we-love-fashion-fixes-for-the-week-ahead-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
<p>As trends go, the double-breasted jacket is one of the easiest to try. Get ahead this autumn with our tips on how to wear it </p><p>If you’re looking to add a bit of swag and stature, a double breasted blazer is just the thing. Worn as a full suit, a double-breasted look adds gravitas and feels instantly pulled together. But its usefulness doesn’t stop there. Keep the look feeling modern by following the lead from the runways, where the DBJ was styled not as part of a suit, but thrown over the top of a casual dressed-down outfit. It was spotted on the catwalk at <strong>Amiri</strong> in a heavy tweed worn with metallic trousers and a printed shirt, while at <strong>Dries van Noten</strong> it came oversized in a light lilac. <strong>Wales Bonner</strong>’s camel version sported matt gold buttons and was worn with jeans – see also <strong>Gant</strong>’s preppy styling over a hoodie with denim and trainers (7, below).</p><p>It’s a hit with celebrities, too. <em>Twisters</em> star Glen Powell chose a green double-breasted suit for the LA premiere. Naturally, DB himself (Mr Beckham) is a fan of the style, opting for a brown check version for a recent photocall with King Charles (also a loyal advocate of the cut).</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/article/2024/sep/07/seeing-double-the-new-seasons-most-useful-suit-jacket">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The choirmaster, 48, on teenagers, meeting Arthur Miller, and his most embarrassing moment</p><p><strong>I’m happy to </strong>make people cry. I’m comfortable with my TV shows being in that end-of-<em>ET</em> emotional space.</p><p><strong>Find your thing. </strong>Going into any non-traditional career, you need a rock solid sense of purpose. It has to be the only thing you can do.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/07/gareth-malone-you-need-a-rock-solid-sense-of-purpose">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong>May B Wild</strong> was only looking for a ‘Sunday lover’. But in a bike accessories shop she was unexpectedly moved by Chris’s gesture of care</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/newsletters/2019/oct/18/saved-for-later-sign-up-for-guardian-australias-culture-and-lifestyle-email?CMP=cvau_sfl">Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email</a></li></ul><p>My love life has not been straightforward to say the least. I’ve been married – and also divorced. By 2016, I had pretty well given up on men and was happy to live alone with my dog. I was working full-time in Brisbane and busy six days a week. But Sundays were lonely and I decided to get a Sunday lover.</p><p>I created a profile on a dating site and offered a challenge to potential suitors: “I dare you to excite my synapses.” I was hoping to meet a very intelligent man this time.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/08/the-moment-i-knew-he-helped-me-try-on-a-motorbike-helmet-and-i-cried-because-he-showed-such-tenderness">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We would like to hear what you’ve loved about watching the Paralympics take place in Paris</p><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/paralympics">17th Paralympic games</a> are underway in Paris. We would like to hear what your favourite moment of the games has been so far – whether it’s a particular performance from the opening ceremony, or a memorable highlight. Tell us all about it below.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/03/tell-us-about-your-favourite-paris-paralympics-moment-so-far">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We are looking to speak to people who have decided to cut off contact with their parents, or people who have been cut off by their children</p><p>Some data suggests that as many as one in four people are estranged from at least one family member. We are looking to speak to people who have decided to cut off contact with their parents, or people who have been cut off by their children, for a piece about family rifts.</p><p>How long have you been estranged for? How do you feel about it?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/06/tell-us-are-you-estranged-from-your-parents-have-your-children-cut-off-contact-with-you">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We would like to hear from people who have been affected by scams, specifically authorised push payment scams </p><p>The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is to slash the planned maximum amount that banks will have to refund to fraud victims – from £415,000 to about £85,000 – in what consumer groups have called <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/04/why-is-the-uk-slashing-the-maximum-banks-must-refund-to-victims">‘outrageous’</a>.</p><p>Fraud in the UK payments industry has soared in recent years, with a sharp rise in authorised push payment (APP) scams, which often involve email accounts being hacked to trick people into sending money to bank accounts operated by criminals.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/05/people-in-the-uk-how-have-you-been-affected-by-authorised-push-payment-scams">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We would like to hear about when children are first given mobile phones and how often they use them</p><p>With children returning to school, many parents find themselves debating whether to give them <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/30/apple-android-google-or-retro-whats-the-best-first-phone-to-get-for-your-kids">their first phone</a>. Pressure to do so can come from their own children,their friends at school or other families.</p><p>Whether you are a parent or teacher, we want to hear your experience with children and mobile phone usage. What age did you give your child their first phone and why? Was it a smartphone or dumb phone (one that cannot connect to the internet)?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/03/parents-and-teachers-share-your-experience-with-children-and-mobile-phones">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The deep historical, political and cultural split between east and west acts as a brake on the rise of the AfD nationwide</p><p>The media are alive with crumbling firewalls (<em>Brandmauer</em>) in Germany. State elections in Thuringia have delivered the first win for the extreme right since 1945 in the region where the Nazis first entered regional power in 1929, and on the date Adolf Hitler invaded Poland in 1939.</p><p>“The East will do it!” The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/alternative-fur-deutschland-afd">Alternative für Deutschland’s (AfD)</a> campaign mixed the usual right-populist themes with the suggestion that the East is where the real Germany resists the liberal horrors of multiculturalism and windpower.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/everyone-is-terrified-of-a-far-right-return-in-germany-heres-why-it-wont-happen">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Creating a fox-proof haven for endangered eastern quolls required a high, encircling fence. But what about the other wildlife?</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/sep/08/politics-labor-liberal-coalition-climate-weather-ai-greens-bird-flu-vic-nsw-qld-sa-wa-education-teachers-housing-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></li><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jun/08/hungry-foxes-are-having-a-catastrophic-impact-on-australias-juvenile-freshwater-turtles-theres-a-push-to-change-that">Eastern long-necked turtles</a> are known for their “ridiculously cute grin”, says Nick Dexter, and a much less charming ability to release a pungent stink to ward off predators.</p><p>But what they’re not good at, unsurprisingly, is climbing fences.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/08/australia-turtle-conservation-endangered-species">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Smaller pro-Palestinian protests continue in new semester amid ramped-up security, but chaos of spring has faded</p><p>Columbia University students returned to campus this week under the specter of the mass protests that disrupted campus life last semester. But while actions against the Gaza war continue, the first days of class saw little of the last school year’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/02/the-pro-palestinian-us-campus-protests-in-maps-videos-and-photos">chaos</a>.</p><p>On Wednesday, a group of about 30 students gathered for a sit-in protest outside a class <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/02/hillary-clinton-columbia-walkout-palestine">Hillary Clinton teaches </a>at the School of International and Public Affairs building, chanting “intifada revolution” and “Zionists not welcome here”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/columbia-university-students-protest">Continue reading...</a>
<p>In 2001, a badly broken body was found in a London car park. Police said the man had tried to enter the UK by hiding in a plane’s landing gear. Two decades after the Guardian first told his tragic story, there was an unexpected twist</p><p>Twenty-three years ago this summer, on a bright early June morning in south-west London, a staff member on her way to work at the Richmond branch of Homebase came across the body of a man who had died in the most brutal and traumatic manner.</p><p>His body was lying on the tarmac just inside the DIY superstore’s car park, a tangle of broken limbs in black jeans and a black T-shirt. His skull had smashed and his brain matter was splattered distressingly across a parked car.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/the-man-who-fell-from-plane-brother-who-retraced-his-journey">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The company is seen as crucial not just to local but national wellbeing – and never before have its workers been threatened in their own homeland like this</p><p>‘Earthquake at Volkswagen” ran the stark headline in the <em>Wolfsburger Nachrichten</em>, the newspaper serving the north German city that is synonymous with the carmaker.</p><p>The news that the crisis-stricken company was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/02/volkswagen-vw-germany-plant-closures-cars-electric-vehicles">weighing up the closure of factories in Germany</a> for the first time in its history, and prematurely dissolving its 30-year-old employment protection agreement as part of an attempt to save around €10bn (£8.4bn), had barely filtered through to the workers emerging from Gate 17 at VW’s main factory in Wolfsburg on Monday, where a lone reporter had been dispatched to capture reaction at shift’s end.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/07/an-earthquake-at-volkswagen-and-a-crisis-for-germany">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Ex-president tries to fend off criticisms of mental acuity that plagued Biden as he waffles about sharks and batteries</p><p>For those baffled by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump">Donald Trump</a>’s forays into meandering discourses about electrocution, bacons sales or cannibal killers at his recent political rallies, the former US president had an explanation.</p><p>Trump assured supporters in Pennsylvania on Saturday that what might look like incoherent ramblings as he frequently departed from his scripted speech were instead indicators of his brilliance that impressed other great minds.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/election-trump-speeches">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Journalists and other writers are employed to improve the quality of chatbot replies. The irony of working for an industry that may well make their craft redundant is not lost on them</p><p>For several hours a week, I write for a technology company worth billions of dollars. Alongside me are published novelists, rising academics and several other freelance journalists. The workload is flexible, the pay better than we are used to, and the assignments never run out. But what we write will never be read by anyone outside the company.</p><p>That’s because we aren’t even writing for people. We are writing for an AI.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/07/if-journalism-is-going-up-in-smoke-i-might-as-well-get-high-off-the-fumes-confessions-of-a-chatbot-helper">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Users say harmful content from accounts they do not follow appears even after requests to block it</p><p>Debbie was scrolling through X in April when some unwelcome posts appeared on her feed. One showed a photo of someone who was visibly underweight asking whether they were thin enough. In another, a user wanted to compare how few calories they were eating each day.</p><p>Debbie, who did not want to give her last name, is 37 years old and was first diagnosed with bulimia when she was 16. She did not follow either of the accounts behind the posts, which belonged to a group with more than 150,000 members on the social media site.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/worrying-lack-of-moderation-how-eating-disorder-posts-proliferate-on-x">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Find a course at one of the top universities in the country. Our league tables rank them all subject by subject, as well as by student satisfaction, staff numbers, spending and career prospects</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2024/sep/07/the-guardian-university-guide-2025-the-rankings">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The MP opens up about three pivotal moments in her life in politics</p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/diane-abbott-tory-attacks-racist-bullying">Read an interview with Diane Abbott here</a></p><p>When I stepped into parliament for the first time as an MP on 17 June 1987, it was a little like the first day at school. While I may have sounded coherent, I was still in a bit of a daze from the night I’d been elected. Of course that didn’t mean I had not thought carefully about what I was going to wear. For such an important occasion I wanted a unique outfit, so I commissioned a skirt suit made to measure from a satin material. The jacket was of fabric that the dressmaker herself had designed, blue with a swirly pattern that was reminiscent of African textiles. The skirt and the lapels of the jacket were black, and I finished off the look with a gold-coloured neckpiece and large gold earrings, with my hair styled in shoulder-length braids. Bernie Grant – the new MP for Tottenham – wore a spectacular agbada, a long, flowing traditional west African robe; we made an eye-catching pair. Our MP friends, including Jeremy Corbyn, made a point of coming up to us, perhaps innocently trying to be friendly, but I always had a slight suspicion that they wanted to be in the iconic, history-making photographs.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/diane-abbott-becoming-an-mp-dating-jeremy-corbyn-media-intrusion">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/08/grenfell-system-failure-scenes-from-the-inquiry-part-1-podcast">Listen to part 1</a></strong></p><p>Scenes from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor and Nicolas Kent</p><p>On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower in London. 72 people died. It was the worst residential fire in the UK since the second world war. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry was created to examine the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire.</p><p>Two reports were published as a result of this inquiry: phase 1 on 30 October 2019; and the second, and final, report last Wednesday.</p><p>This verbatim play, which was recorded in front of a live audience, is taken from excerpts of spoken evidence, given under oath, to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Phase 2, between October 2019 and July 2022. This play was created so that some of the lessons leading up to that night, and the vital work of the Inquiry, could be more widely understood by the public.</p><p>This is the second part in a two-part series, if you haven’t yet listened to part 1, you may want to before starting this episode.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/08/grenfell-system-failure-scenes-from-the-inquiry-part-2-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/08/grenfell-system-failure-scenes-from-the-inquiry-part-2-podcast">Listen to part 2</a></strong></p><p>Scenes from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor and Nicolas Kent</p><p>On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower in London. 72 people died. It was the worst residential fire in the UK since the second world war. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry was created to examine the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire.</p><p>Two reports were published as a result of this inquiry: phase 1 on 30 October 2019; and the second, and final, report last Wednesday.</p><p>This verbatim play, which was recorded in front of a live audience, is taken from excerpts of spoken evidence, given under oath, to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Phase 2, between October 2019 and July 2022. This play was created so that some of the lessons leading up to that night, and the vital work of the Inquiry, could be more widely understood by the public.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/08/grenfell-system-failure-scenes-from-the-inquiry-part-1-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Weekend is taking a little break. So for the next two weeks, we’re picking some of our favourite pieces from the last few months just in case you missed them…</p><p>Actor Julia Fox unpacks abuse, fame, and dating Kanye; should you blame yourself for your bad habits? And what happened when one man’s boat sank in the dead of night and he had to save his seven-year-old son.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/07/best-of-weekendpart-1-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will meet face to face on the debate stage next Tuesday. Jonathan Freedland speaks to Paul Begala – who helped Al Gore to prepare for his 2000 debate against George W Bush – about what the 2024 candidates will be doing to prepare.</p><p>What can they do to increase their chances of coming out on top, and will this debate be as election-defining as the last?</p><p><em>Archive: CSPAN, ABC, MSNBC, CNN</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/audio/2024/sep/06/debate-camp-role-play-and-rival-advice-trump-and-harris-prepare-for-showdown-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some notable pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.</p><p>This week, from 2022: Five years after the fire that killed 72, the inquiry is nearing a close. Over 300 days of evidence, what have we learned about the failings that led to disaster? By Robert Booth</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2024/sep/06/from-the-archive-a-merry-go-round-of-buck-passing-inside-the-four-year-grenfell-inquiry-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>After seven long years, the inquiry into a fire in a London tower block that left 72 people dead has concluded. But is justice for the victims – and survivors – any closer?</p><p>It’s more than seven years since Grenfell Tower burned. Now, finally, a public inquiry has finished sifting through thousands of documents, evidence from hundreds of public hearings and more than 1,600 witness statements. And its conclusions could not be more clear: every one of the 72 deaths was avoidable.</p><p>The Guardian’s social affairs correspondent, <strong>Rob Booth</strong>, has reported on the tragedy from the beginning, speaking to victims and experts about what happened on that terrible night and what has happened since. He tells <strong>Helen Pidd</strong> about the shocking revelations of the inquiry and why the companies and individuals who have been named and shamed have yet to be held accountable.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2024/sep/06/grenfell-the-lies-and-greed-exposed-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p><a href="https://x.com/maxrushden">Max Rushden</a> is joined by <a href="https://x.com/bglendenning">Barry Glendenning</a>, <a href="https://x.com/larssivertsen">Lars Sivertsen</a> and <a href="https://x.com/marklangdon">Mark Langdon</a> to discuss Aston Villa’s Champions League ticket prices, Leicester City avoiding a points deduction and the international break</p><p><strong>Rate, review, share on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/football-weekly-the-guardian/id188674007?mt=2">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/guardianfootballweekly">Soundcloud</a>, <a href="https://audioboom.com/channel/football-weekly">Audioboom</a>, <a href="https://www.mixcloud.com/guardianfootballweekly/">Mixcloud</a>, <a href="https://www.acast.com/footballweekly">Acast</a> and <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/guardianuk/football-weekly">Stitcher</a>, and join the conversation on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GuardianPodcasts/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/guardianaudio">Twitter</a> and <a href="mailto:footballweekly@theguardian.com">email</a>.</strong></p><p>On the podcast today: Aston Villa have announced the ticket prices for their home Champions League games and fans are justifiably angry – the club claim they have to do it to comply with PSR; the panel disagree.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/audio/2024/sep/05/aston-villa-ticket-prices-and-leicester-great-psr-escape-football-weekly-extra-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Footage shows Danish police apprehending the activist Greta Thunberg at a Gaza war protest. Six demonstrators were detained at the scene, at the University of Copenhagen, after about 20 people blocked the entrance to a building and three entered, a police spokesperson told Reuters</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/04/greta-thunberg-arrested-at-gaza-war-protest-in-copenhagen">Greta Thunberg arrested at Gaza war protest in Copenhagen</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2024/sep/04/greta-thunberg-arrested-during-gaza-war-protest-in-copenhagen-video">Continue reading...</a>
<p>On Saturday 24 April, the billionaire founder of the Telegram social media and messaging app, Pavel Durov, was arrested by French authorities as he disembarked from his private jet in Paris on his way from Azerbaijan. Officials said the arrest was part of an inquiry into criminal activity on the platform and a lack of cooperation with law enforcement. Durov has since been formally charged. </p><p></p><p>In a statement on Sunday, Telegram said it abided by European Union laws and that its moderation was 'within industry standards and constantly improving'. 'Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe,' it said. 'It is absurd to claim that a platform, or its owner, are responsible for abuse of that platform.'<br /></p><p>Durov, known as the '<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/aug/26/what-is-telegram-why-has-founder-pavel-durov-been-arrested">Russian Mark Zuckerberg</a>' for having founded a similar platform to Zuckerberg’s Facebook in Russia called VKontakte, is a self-styled champion of free speech and has cultivated a reputation for being unwilling to work with authorities to censor and more closely control what happens on his platform. His arrest has raised important questions about the extent to which tech executives are responsible for how users employ their social media networks. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/profile/chris-stokel-walker">Chris Stokel-Walker</a>, a technology journalist, explains the implications of Durov's arrest for the tech sector</p><p></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/28/telegram-ceo-charged-france-allowing-criminal-activity-app">Telegram CEO charged in France for ‘allowing criminal activity’ on messaging app</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/27/what-does-the-telegram-founders-arrest-mean-for-the-regulation-of-social-media-companies-pavel-durov">What the Telegram founder’s arrest means for the regulation of social media firms</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/video/2024/aug/29/who-is-pavel-durov-the-russian-billionaire-founder-of-telegram-video-explainer">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The Gaza Sunbirds are a team of paracyclists from Gaza, set up in 2020 by cyclist Alaa al-Dali after he was shot in the leg by an Israeli sniper during the Great March of Return in 2018. The Sunbirds' journey has taken them from the war-ravaged Palestinian territory to Belgium, Italy and Kazakhstan in pursuit of their dream: to represent Palestine at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.</p><p></p><p>The Gaza war has resulted in thousands of amputations, including those carried out on an estimated 1,000-plus children, all of whom have immediate and life-long needs.</p><p></p><p>For more information about the Gaza Sunbirds and to donate to the work they do, please visit: <a href="https://gazasunbirds.org/">https://gazasunbirds.org/</a></p><p></p><p>This video uses material from an upcoming feature documentary about the Sunbirds.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2024/aug/28/my-paralympic-dream-the-amputee-from-gaza-cycling-for-palestine-video">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Style, with substance: what’s really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved, direct to your inbox every Thursday</p><p>Style, with substance: what’s really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved, delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters">Explore all our newsletters:</a></strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters"> whether you love film, football, fashion or food, we’ve got something for you</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2022/sep/20/sign-up-for-the-fashion-statement-newsletter-our-free-fashion-email">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Be the first to see our latest thought-provoking films, bringing you bold and original storytelling from around the world</p><p>Discover the stories behind our latest short films, learn more about our international film-makers, and join us for exclusive documentary events. We’ll also share a selection of our favourite films, from our archives and from further afield, for you to enjoy. Sign up below.</p><p>Can’t wait for the next newsletter? <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/documentaries">Start exploring our archive now</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/2016/sep/02/sign-up-for-the-guardian-documentaries-update">Continue reading...</a>
<p>From biking adventures to city breaks, get inspiration for your next break – whether in the UK or further afield – with twice-weekly emails from the Guardian’s travel editors. You’ll also receive handpicked offers from Guardian Holidays. </p><p>From biking adventures to city breaks, get inspiration for your next break – whether in the UK or further afield – with twice-weekly emails from the Guardian’s travel editors.</p><p>You’ll also receive handpicked offers from Guardian Holidays.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2022/oct/12/sign-up-for-the-guardian-traveller-newsletter-our-free-holidays-email">Continue reading...</a>
<p>A weekly email from Yotam Ottolenghi, Meera Sodha, Felicity Cloake and Rachel Roddy, featuring the latest recipes and seasonal eating ideas</p><p>Each week we’ll send you an exclusive newsletter from our star food writers. We’ll also send you the latest recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi, Nigel Slater, Meera Sodha and all our star cooks, stand-out food features and seasonal eating inspiration, plus restaurant reviews from Grace Dent and Jay Rayner.</p><p>Sign up below to start receiving the best of our culinary journalism in one mouth-watering weekly email.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/jul/09/sign-up-for-the-feast-newsletter-our-free-guardian-food-email">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The Japanese actor turned photographer seeks an element of chance in her ethereal scenes from everyday life<br /></p><p>International interest in Japanese photography has tended to focus on male photographers; a new book featuring 25 Japanese women practitioners, <em>I’m So Happy You Are Here</em>, aims to redress that balance. The collection takes in the history<strong> </strong>of Japanese women photographers with particular emphasis on those working from the 1950s to the 1990s.</p><p>Many of the early street-photography pioneers documented the postwar realities of Japan, particularly the ways that women’s bodies had been effectively colonised by the male gaze of American servicemen stationed in Tokyo and elsewhere. By the 1990s, when this picture was taken by Hara Mikiko, some of those concerns had evolved.</p><p><em><a href="https://aperture.org/books/im-so-happy-you-are-here-japanese-women-photographers-from-the-1950s-to-now/">I’m So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now</a></em><a href="https://aperture.org/books/im-so-happy-you-are-here-japanese-women-photographers-from-the-1950s-to-now/"> is published by Aperture</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/article/2024/sep/08/the-big-picture-hara-mikiko-captures-a-tokyo-tryst">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We take a look back at London fashion week though the lens of legendary photographer Chris Moore</p><p>This September, the British Fashion Council continues its 40th anniversary celebrations, so we’ve taken the opportunity to revisit the last four decades at London fashion week through the lens of the original catwalk photographer, Chris Moore. As fashion week begins, Mr Moore, who turns 90 this year, won’t be squashed into the photographers’ pen at the end of the runway, but he will probably feel the twitch of his shutter finger as the season’s shows get under way. Covid was the natural opportunity for Moore to hang up his camera bag, though he still continued with some longstanding clients, including CSM degree shows, Simone Rocha and Christopher Kane, until last year. Moore will most likely be at home in Northumberland with his longtime partner, Maxine Millar (herself a photographer who has run the studio since they met in the late 80s), and their beloved cats, enjoying a long walk in the countryside.</p><p>Chris Moore in 2017, aged 83. Photograph by Hirokazu Ohara</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/article/2024/sep/08/catwalking-40-years-of-london-fashion-week-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The preservation of egg shells and nests for study and display has been going on for more than 350 years, and London’s Natural History Museum has one of the most comprehensive collections. Douglas Russell , an NHM senior curator and author of the forthcoming book Interesting Bird Nests and Eggs , explains: “While I sometimes chose familiar species, like the blue tit, I often highlighted lesser-known examples, such as a buff-spotted woodpecker nest built in a termite mound, collected in Cameroon in the early 1900s .” Perhaps the most surprising, he says, is a house sparrow nest built in the exhaust of a RAF helicopter at the beginning of the second Gulf war. “Nests are wonderful time capsules of the habitat the birds were living in at that moment.” </p><ul><li> <a href="https://www.nhmshop.co.uk/interesting-bird-nests-eggs.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqnis99E3s6Vp6PghwaCLm_baBjRa_pYwkXsjPCqzW1JLYpW3tk">Interesting Bird Nests and Eggs is published by the Natural History Museum ( £12.99)</a></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2024/sep/07/in-fine-feather-a-museum-collection-of-birds-eggs-and-nests-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The photographer co-opted hair artist Afro Ele to find the perfect rip curl</p><p>Last year, visual artist Fede Kortez travelled to the west of Ghana to direct a documentary on surfers. His base was Busua Beach, well known for attracting the worldwide surfing community to its swells. Kortez took a day out of the documentary schedule for the shoot, the idea for which he had been ruminating on for more than a year.</p><p>“I wanted to take some boys with their boards and style them up with vibrant hairstyles and cool accessories, with the beach in the background,” he says.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/07/fede-kortez-best-phone-shot">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The evacuation of Pokrovsk, Israeli raids in the West Bank, the Paralympic Games in Paris and the West Indian Day parade in Brooklyn: the last seven days as captured by the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_twenty_photos_/">world’s leading photojournalists</a></p><p><strong><em>• Warning: this gallery contains images that some readers may find distressing</em></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2024/sep/06/the-week-around-the-world-in-20-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2024/sep/06/memorial-lights-water-buffalo-photos-of-the-day-friday">Continue reading...</a>
Growing numbers of Chinese women are challenging a longstanding tradition that denies them village membership, and the lucrative payouts that go with it.
Edmundo González, who is widely considered to have won July’s disputed presidential election, was facing an arrest warrant.
The right-wing think tank has been pushing misinformation about voting into social media feeds. The Georgia secretary of state’s office called one video “a stunt.”
Israel said it had launched a “precise strike” against Hamas militants operating from two school compounds in northern Gaza, as the family of a slain American lashes out at Israel.
With witnesses and Palestinian officials accusing Israeli soldiers of firing the fatal shots, “an Israeli investigation is not adequate,” the family said in a statement.
The ban on Elon Musk’s X has dealt a blow to Brazilians whose livelihoods depended on internet followings they had amassed for years, and which disappeared overnight.
The mother told relatives she reached out to the school on Wednesday morning, warning of an emergency, the suspect’s aunt said Saturday.
The Persian Gulf nation has instituted rolling blackouts to cope with surging summer electricity demand, stirring frustration among citizens.
A seminary on Flores, a Catholic-majority island in Indonesia, ordains so many priests that a lot of them go abroad to serve the faithful.
Experts say these intentional burns reduce the risk of wildfires and more should be done. But real barriers remain.
Russia’s drive toward Pokrovsk has stalled along one part of the frontline, but its troops continue to advance in other parts of eastern Ukraine, and its long-range aerial attacks continue.
Using ruins as his canvas, Gamlet Zinkivskyi has captured life in wartime Ukraine in dozens of grim, gripping and harshly beautiful paintings. “Broken, but invincible,” read one captioned work.
U.S. and European countries had warned of sanctions if Iran provided weapons that could be used against Ukraine. President Biden’s lame-duck status could hamper a response.
You don’t have to have kids to have kids in your life.
The weird, mostly bad science of nominative determinism.
We need to let students slow down. Critical cognition, by definition, takes time.
A seemingly frothy reality show has a deeper conflict at its core.
The administration of New York City’s mayor was thrown into turmoil as federal inquiries reached his inner circle.
The capsule, which returned without astronauts, and other space programs at Boeing have suffered many delays and cost overruns.
An African penguin who left many offspring in his long life, he belonged to the largest colony of the aquatic bird species in North America, according to the zoo.
Endlessly adaptable, tea cakes have long offered bakers across the country a moment of restoration.
The departure of Edmundo González, who Venezuela’s opposition and several foreign governments consider the legitimate winner of July’s presidential race, was announced by Venezuela's vice president.
Multiple people were shot on a highway north of London, Ky., on Saturday, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said. I-75 was closed but has since reopened in both north and southbound directions.
The fatal collapse of Chance Gainer, a senior at Port St. Joe High School, is the latest in a string of recent deaths of young football players. Seven school athletes died last month.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus got past American Jessica Pegula to win her first U.S. Open women’s title and third career Grand Slam title.
一位广为人知的中国共产党批评者现在被指欺诈
Eggs branded Milo's Poultry Farms and Tony's Fresh Market were recalled after they were linked to a salmonella outbreak that has hospitalized at least 24 people.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney said his decision had to do with Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
In a post shared widely on social media, Jennifer Carter gave her account about what it took to keep her students safe at the Georgia school where four people died this week.
Stellantis is recalling nearly 1.5 million Ram pickup trucks worldwide to fix a software problem that can disable the electronic stability control system.
So far, there have been 14 human cases of bird flu this year. All the patients — except the one from Missouri — had been linked to sick dairy cows or poultry.
RJ Scaringe’s dozen-year path from founding Rivian to delivering its first vehicle is finally paying off, and Musk’s politics are now even aiding him.
The country will also expand its so-called “Golden Visa” program to investors who are willing to put at least $277,000 into local startups.
Monthly job gains are at about the level needed to absorb new entrants to the labor market, Yellen said.
“You leave the dollar and you’re not doing business with the United States because we are going to put a 100% tariff on your goods."
"This partnership threatens European security and illustrates how Iran’s destabilizing influence reaches beyond the Middle East and around the world.”
"We cannot lend in yuan because we have nothing to cover our foreign currency positions with."
See which providers that offer preapproval for select cards, without doing a hard inquiry that impacts your credit score.
We compared dozens of secured credit cards across numerous financial institutions and weighed minimum account deposits, annual fees, credit limits, rewards, and more.
"If the Fed cuts interest rates by 1%-point and the entire yield curve declines by 1%-point, then daily interest expenses will decline from $3 billion per day to $2.5 billion per day."
Friday’s ruling involves UAV’s concerns that it will not receive its Trump Media shares, currently valued at about $350 million.
The city of St. Petersburg, Florida, is offering $1 million from an opioid settlement to nonprofit groups working to help combat the opioid crisis.
One Texas police department is using an "eye in the sky" to help respond to emergency calls after a start-up company created autonomous drones to assist officers.
Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t held a formal press conference with reporters since she became the presumptive and now official Democratic nominee.
Nick Cannon admitted that his ex-wife Mariah Carey doesn't "want him" back after he said that he would "absolutely" get back together with the music icon.
Angel Reese announced that her rookie season is over due to an injury, now Caitlin Clark is the only Rookie of the Year contender left standing.
Massachusetts suspect Jorge Luis Castro-Alvarado, a "gotaway" migrant that entered the U.S. without being processed, was arrested and charged with rape, according to ICE.
Police are searching for a person of interest following a shooting on a highway near London, Kentucky, that left at least seven people injured Saturday evening.
Caitlin Clark admitted she needs to do a better job of controlling her emotions after her team's lost to Minnesota in which she didn't get certain foul calls.
Jennifer Lopez and Matt Damon reportedly had a "long, deep conversation" during the afterparty for their movie "Unstoppable." Lopez' ex Ben Affleck, who produced the movie, skipped the premiere.
Vice President and Democrat nominee Kamala Harris visited an anti-GOP spice shop campaigning on Saturday, claiming that we need to "bring our country together."
YouTuber and firearms expert Paul Harrell announced his own death in his final video. The gun rights activist died at the age of 58 due to pancreatic cancer.
A field goal from Northern Illinois' kicker left Notre Dame stunned on Saturday, as the Fighting Irish suffered the first major upset of the college football season.
The former neighbors of the suspected Apalachee High School shooter discussed the Gray family, with neighbors recounting harrowing stories of alleged abuse.
A beluga whale who was discovered off the coast of Norway in 2019 wearing a harness and camera mount quickly became beloved in the country. He was found dead last weekend.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys narrowly avoided the upset on Saturday by the Arkansas Razorbacks, holding on for a 39-31 victory in double overtime.
Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula in the U.S. Open's women's singles final on Saturday.
The 25-year-old signal-caller was in visible pain after he suffered an injury in the final seconds of the Packers' loss to the Eagles in the NFL's first-ever game in Brazil.
Former President Trump vowed to "end chaos in the Middle East" during a rally on Saturday, warning that Israel will be "doomed" if Kamala Harris is elected president.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers put on a clinic in the team's double-digit victory over the defending national champions on Saturday afternoon.
Priscilla Presley opened up about Elvis Presley's private life and provided insight to where he would escape to in between his performances.
Former Michigan dropout Derek Jeter gave a speech to the school's football team and served as honorary captain ahead of its lopsided loss to Texas.
A serial killer who was sentenced to death for the murders of two women in California in 2001 has been extradited to Illinois after being charged with the murder of his former neighbor.
The prosecutor behind the very first convictions made against parents of a mass shooter offered the advice "it's not easy" to the legal team for the Georgia high school shooting.
Nicole Kidman — who was awarded the best actress for her role in “Babygirl" at the Venice Film Festival — had to miss the ceremony due to her mom's sudden death.
NPR recently reported on a rise of eco-chaplains in the western world, helping people come to terms with their "climate anxiety" in a spiritual way.
The prime minister defends his decision to remove winter fuel payments from most pensioners, and says the only way to change the country is to do "difficult things now".
Allegations of vote rigging threw the Miss Fiji pageant into turmoil - but what was the truth?
The Venezuelan government says opposition candidate Edmundo González asked Spain for political asylum.
Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei died after her former partner allegedly set her on fire.
The 70-year-old ties the knot with his partner of 34 years in the Caribbean.
Jenny Hastings, wife of ex-Scotland international Scott Hastings, disappeared at a wild swimming spot near Edinburgh on Tuesday.
Health bosses warn major change is needed as ministers in England prepare to publish a wide-ranging review.
AfD support continues to rise in Germany, driven by anger over immigration and weapons for Ukraine.
Officials warn areas of heavy, possibly thundery, rain may cause flooding and disruption.
It is not known if there are any fatalities, and the public are warned not to approach the person of interest.
Venice Film Festival gives the Golden Lion Award to The Room Next Door starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore.
Campaign to stop young children in care having to pack up their lives in bin bags
Para-athlete Hannah Cockroft stars for GB, storming to her ninth Paralympic title in a British one-two in the T34 800m.
Stephen Clegg wins his second gold medal of the 2024 Paralympics in a tightly-contested men's S12 100m butterfly final.
Your day-by-day guide to what is happening when - and who to watch out for - at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
British judoka Dan Powell takes -90kg J1 silver after losing to Brazil's Arthur Cavalcante da Silva in Paris.
American Hunter Woodhall storms to victory in the T62 400m at the Paralympics in Paris, a month after his wife Tara Davis-Woodhall won Olympic long jump gold.
Britain's Emma Wiggs and Charlotte Henshaw both win canoeing gold medals at the Paris Paralympics.
Finlay Graham wins the men's C1-3 road race in Paris to take Great Britain's 43rd gold of the Paralympics.
Dimitri Coutya wins his second Paralympic gold medal in Paris with victory in the men's individual epee B final, as GB surpass their gold tally from the Tokyo Games.
All you need to know about all the sports that feature at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
How each of the 22 sports are classified at the Paris Paralympics.
Two mothers share their views ahead of an inquiry they campaigned for into mental health deaths.
Sunday's headlines include the latest on cuts to winter fuel payments and Oasis taking their tour stateside.
His packed trip to Asia involves four countries in which Catholics are a minority.
As he retires, Terry Wiggins shares memories - and recipes - from his decades in the Commons kitchen.
Party leaders in swing states say they focus on issues to win back women put off by Trump's personality.
A selection of photos from our readers on a set theme.
Slam Dunk festival was criticised for releasing a line-up with only two acts featuring women.
Several plots in the the BBC's award-winning drama mirror real-life cases in Nottingham.
The ex-first minister has told members of Cardiff and Penarth Labour party he will not stand again.
Mr Blinken will meet with Foreign Secretary David Lammy to "reaffirm" the "special relationship", officials say.
Chery is weighing up the possibility of building cars in the UK, according to a senior executive.
Conditions are expected to be rainy as the race from Newcastle to South Shields commences.
It comes as the Sun reported he left after an incident with another dancer, which his representative denies.
Police searching for a man missing after flash floods in Majorca find a body.
Top stories, breaking news, live reporting, and follow news topics that match your interests
And, what’s happening at Green Party Conference?
The actor speaks candidly about sexual fantasies and much more.
England took the handbrake off against the Republic of Ireland to leave their fans with plenty to be optimistic about after Lee Carsley's first game as interim boss.
England all-rounder Moeen Ali retires from international cricket, saying "the time is right" to move on.
Aryna Sabalenka wins her first US Open title as she puts the disappointment of last year's final behind her to hold off American home hope Jessica Pegula.
Former captain Michael Vaughan warns England not to "take the mickey out of the game" after a sloppy second day allows Sri Lanka back into the third Test.
Para-athlete Hannah Cockroft stars for GB, storming to her ninth Paralympic title in a British one-two in the T34 800m.
BBC Radio 5 Live's John Murray and Ian Dennis discuss what they saw in England's 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland.
Adrian Newey is paid more than most drivers on the F1 grid. Andrew Benson analyses what makes the man joining Aston Martin next year so successful - and so in demand.
Two mothers share their views ahead of an inquiry they campaigned for into mental health deaths.
The first bus from the new transport 'hub' in central Belfast has departed for Dublin.
Jenny Hastings, wife of ex-Scotland international Scott Hastings, disappeared at a wild swimming spot near Edinburgh on Tuesday.
The ex-first minister has told members of Cardiff and Penarth Labour party he will not stand again.
With more than 70 percent of the occupied West Bank city 'annihilated', some families fled, while others remain trapped.
Edmundo Gonzalez is seeking asylum in Spain after he challenged the re-election of Nicolas Maduro.
Authorities are looking for a man suspected of shooting at cars travelling along a rural stretch of the I-75 highway.
As the war enters its 926th day, these are the main developments.
Bolsonaro denounced Justice Alexandre de Moraes as a 'dictator' for his decision to ban the social media platform X.
The president is expected to win five more years in the vote with no surprises anticipated.
Announcement comes as Venezuela faces growing diplomatic isolation following election that opposition says was stolen.
A fire has broken out at a girls' school in central Kenya just two days after a boarding school inferno killed 21 boys.
More than a dozen Palestinians killed as all of Gaza has been under relentless Israeli strikes since the morning.
Experts weigh in on the strategies the Democratic and Republican candidates may deploy on Tuesday's debate stage.
Barnier's appointment by President Macron has caused great controversy in France.
German official proposes sending asylum seekers to facilities in Rwanda funded by the UK.
Thousands take to streets across France to protest President Macron's decision to appoint centre-right Barnier as PM.
Gildardo Lopez Astudillo's arrest comes weeks before the 10th anniversary of the students' disappearance.
Kosovo's Interior Ministry blamed the closures on 'masked extremists' blocking traffic into Serbia.
State government orders all schools in the state to remain shut citing security concerns after latest spurt of violence.
The other half of Israel’s war: settlers and the army brutalise Palestinians in the West Bank.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper during a protest, witnesses and officials said.
Deaths from mpox can be prevented, if only profit would not stand in the way of saving lives.
Debris from downed drone also found near Ukraine's parliament building after overnight barrage in 11 regions.
It’s the world’s first significant rabies infection in marine mammals. And it has scientists - and beachgoers - worried.
Meteorological agency describes storm as 'one of the most powerful' in a decade.
No major changes expected with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expected to win despite concerns about low turnout.
Arsons targeting schools have caused scores of student deaths in the past two decades.
Republican stalwart says Donald Trump 'can never be trusted with power again'.
Six semaines après l’élection présidentielle du 28 juillet, alors que le candidat de l’opposition s’est envolé pour l’Espagne samedi, le régime de Caracas traque toute forme de contestation de la victoire qu’il revendique.
Fragilisé par les revers électoraux et la défection de la majorité de ses cadres, l’ancien journaliste du « Figaro » a livré un curieux plaidoyer contre « la politique », samedi à Orange, à l’occasion de l’université d’été de Reconquête ! son parti.
Pour cette dernière journée des Jeux paralympiques, trois Français, Rosario Gangloff, Nélia Barbosa et Abel Aber, tenteront de décrocher une ultime médaille pour la délégation tricolore, avant la cérémonie de clôture qui démarrera à 20 h 30.
Après des décennies d’investissements politiques et économiques sur le continent africain, la Chine revoit certains de ses projets, parfois remis en cause par les pays concernés. La stratégie de Pékin évolue pour préserver ses intérêts, souligne le chercheur Xavier Aurégan, dans « Le Monde ».
Le sud du Liban est le théâtre d’échanges de tirs quasi quotidiens entre le Hezbollah et l’armée israélienne depuis le début de la guerre à Gaza, le 7 octobre 2023, entre Israël et le Hamas.
Depuis 1967 et l’occupation par Israël de la Cisjordanie, des milliers d’oliviers ont été détruits par les autorités ou les colons israéliens. Entre 2022 et 2023, les photographes Adam Broomberg et Rafael Gonzalez ont immortalisé les arbres encore debout, pour certains millénaires, emblèmes de l’enracinement palestinien dans ces territoires.
Tout juste nommé à Matignon, Michel Barnier a essuyé samedi les tirs croisés de la gauche, qui a appelé à manifester dans des dizaines de villes pour dénoncer « un coup de force », et du Rassemblement national qui dit placer le nouveau premier ministre « sous surveillance ».
Ce bombardement a eu lieu dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche. Des tirs d’obus russes ont tué samedi cinq personnes dans l’oblast de Donetsk, selon des responsables.
Poussés par un public en feu, les Bleus ont décroché, samedi, le premier titre paralympique de leur histoire en battant l’Argentine en finale aux tirs au but.
Le jury du festival italien, présidé par Isabelle Huppert, a également distingué Nicole Kidman pour son rôle dans « Babygirl » et Vincent Lindon dans « Jouer avec le feu ».
Dans cette élection verrouillée, le véritable adversaire du chef de l’Etat sortant, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, était l’abstention. Mais samedi, l’enthousiasme populaire espéré par les autorités n’était pas au rendez-vous.
L’alerte concerne le Var, les Alpes-Maritimes et la Manche et a été levée dans les autres départements concernés samedi.
Dans un entretien au « Monde », l’actrice dit partager le message que vise à transmettre son long-métrage, écrit avec le cinéaste israélien Guy Nattiv, inspiré de faits réels.
La numéro deux mondiale s’est imposée (7-5, 7-5), samedi, et décroche son premier trophée à Flushing Meadows, un an après sa défaite en finale.
Consultez le classement des nations des Jeux paralympiques de Paris 2024, avec, en temps réel, les résultats de chaque pays, le nombre de médailles d’or, d’argent et de bronze remportées dans chaque discipline.
La manifestation, qui débute le 8 septembre pour trois mois, met à l’honneur le duo libanais formé par Lina Majdalanie et Rabih Mroué pour questionner l’exil, et invite des créateurs venus de 31 pays.
« Je ne serais pas arrivée là si… » Chaque semaine, « Le Monde » interroge une personnalité sur un moment décisif de son existence. L’artiste japonaise revient sur le « processus de guérison » lié à sa découverte charnelle de la photographie.
La ville portuaire de la Loire-Atlantique propose une armada d’activités liées à la mer : visite des chantiers navals, pêche sur pilotis, aventure dans un paquebot ou production d’énergie éolienne…
In life, there are certain inevitabilities. In the United States, those inevitabilities include death, taxes, and hearing about the Kennedys. With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. making a splash in the 2024 presidential race (and now endorsing Trump), Caroline Kennedy’s son Jack Schlossberg covering said race for Vogue, and rumors of the post-J. Lo Ben Affleck […]
It’s the start of the school year, and thus the start of a fresh round of discourse on generative AI’s new role in schools. In the space of about three years, essays have gone from a mainstay of classroom education everywhere to a much less useful tool, for one reason: ChatGPT. Estimates of how many […]
At any given second, millions of people are liking various things on Instagram. Pictures of sunsets and sunrises, recipes for keto brownies, videos of viral K-pop dances — there’s something for everyone. But right now there’s one specific semi-famous woman whose social media activity (liking, unliking, posting) has drawn widespread attention: Brittany Mahomes.  Best known […]
For a nation struggling to deal with an epidemic of mass shootings in a culture that seems dedicated to deprioritizing gun control, it was a hugely experimental case. But now, six months after the convictions in Michigan of first Jennifer and then James Crumbley, the parents of the Oxford High School shooter, it’s clear that […]
On Monday, Tucker Carlson hosted an amateur historian named Darryl Cooper on his show to discuss the history of World War II. The result was an extended exercise in Nazi sympathizing with little pushback from Carlson, who called Cooper (who tweets under the handle @martyrmade) “the most important popular historian working in the United States […]
There’s a mad, intoxicating hope embedded in this weekend’s release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It sees the return of old stars Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, and Catherine O’Hara, along with the rising new talent Jenna Ortega. Will another old familiar face come along with them? Is it possible for us to finally get back to the […]
On Friday Vice President Kamala Harris announced a massive August fundraising haul of $361 million, one that is nearly three times the $130 million former President Donald Trump reported. August was the first full month that Harris was at the top of the ticket, and it marked a continuation of a dominant fundraising performance Harris […]
At least four people were killed, and nine were injured after a shooter opened fire at Apalachee High School in northern Georgia on Wednesday, the latest in more than 250 mass shootings that have taken place in the US in 2024. By Friday, law enforcement had charged both a 14-year-old boy and his father in […]
Is Vice President Kamala Harris a “human rights hawk,” who would use American power to promote democracy and freedom abroad? Or is she a “pragmatic internationalist” who would back gingerly away from American hegemony? Is she poised to end an era of American hubris and restore humility to our foreign policy? Or does her forceful […]
Today, algorithms rule everything around us. They serve us entertaining, or at least addictive, content on social media. They try to suss out which emails in our overstuffed inboxes might be most important, and which ones are spam. They act as matchmakers for our love lives. Increasingly, though, algorithms have also been deployed by companies, […]
Growing numbers of Chinese women are challenging a longstanding tradition that denies them village membership, and the lucrative payouts that go with it.
The ban on Elon Musk’s X has dealt a blow to Brazilians whose livelihoods depended on internet followings they had amassed for years, and which disappeared overnight.
Edmundo González, who is widely considered to have won July’s disputed presidential election, was facing an arrest warrant.
The Persian Gulf nation has instituted rolling blackouts to cope with surging summer electricity demand, stirring frustration among citizens.
U.S. and European countries had warned of sanctions if Iran provided weapons that could be used against Ukraine. President Biden’s lame-duck status could hamper a response.
Israel said it had launched a “precise strike” against Hamas militants operating from two school compounds in northern Gaza, as the family of a slain American lashes out at Israel.
At least four people have died and thousands were evacuated after Yagi, one of the strongest storms to hit northern Vietnam, brought powerful winds and torrential rains.
In an interview, the former British prime minister discussed his new book ‘On Leadership,’ the dysfunction of U.S. politics, and deflected questions about Elon Musk’s influence.
Pope Francis is visiting Papua New Guinea, which has been exploited for its natural resources and is imperiled by rising sea levels.
Using ruins as his canvas, Gamlet Zinkivskyi has captured life in wartime Ukraine in dozens of grim, gripping and harshly beautiful paintings. “Broken, but invincible,” read one captioned work.
A seminary on Flores, a Catholic-majority island in Indonesia, ordains so many priests that a lot of them go abroad to serve the faithful.
In court, the woman said she was traumatized not only by what prosecutors said happened to her mother but also by fear that she herself might have been abused.
The Ukrainian offensive over the border caught Moscow’s intelligence agencies by surprise, experts say. It wasn’t the first time that has happened during the war.
Her trip to the West Bank, where she was shot on Friday, was Ms. Eygi’s latest effort in years of activism that began nearly a decade ago when was still a teenager.
With witnesses and Palestinian officials accusing Israeli soldiers of firing the fatal shots, “an Israeli investigation is not adequate,” the family said in a statement.
Appearing together publicly for the first time in the history of their agencies, the heads of the U.S. and British intelligence services discussed Ukraine’s incursion into Russia and the war in Gaza.
Russia’s drive toward Pokrovsk has stalled along one part of the frontline, but its troops continue to advance in other parts of eastern Ukraine, and its long-range aerial attacks continue.
An unexpectedly narrow victory at the polls for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu-first agenda has not cooled simmering sectarian tensions, as some had hoped.
Let us consider the grief of the lapsed sports fan.
Ontario’s financial regulator has issued warnings about three websites illegally claiming to be credit unions, but it is powerless to close them.
In 2016, the global health authorities removed a type of poliovirus from the oral vaccine. The virus caused a growing number of outbreaks and has now arrived in Gaza.
A small team in a remote corner of Colombia is surveying every tree in an effort to better understand how much planet-warming carbon the Amazon actually stores.
Drug dealers, scammers and white nationalists openly conduct business and spread toxic speech on the platform, according to a Times analysis of more than 3.2 million Telegram messages.
A 10-day raid by Israeli troops into the occupied territory has been one of the most devastating in years, with at least 39 people killed, according to Palestinian officials.
Her pugnacious writing on women’s rights, gay rights and other issues helped turn her country into one of the most progressive in Europe.
The country’s brutal civil war has led to the killing, rape and torture of civilians, including children, as it threatens to destabilize neighboring countries.
The world’s most popular pastime has been irrevocably shaped by its exposure to social media. That evolution can still go awry.
In a separate incident, a 13-year-old Palestinian girl was also fatally shot, part of the rising toll of West Bank violence during the war in Gaza.
Some N.F.L. players called Brazil dangerous ahead of the league’s first game in South America on Friday. Statistics show their home city is deadlier.
The Ukrainian leader argued that escalating military pressure on Russia, combined with diplomacy, was the best way to motivate Moscow to seek peace.
The fourth recording in as many days of a hostage killed in Gaza has added to pressure on the Israeli government to reach a cease-fire deal with Hamas.
The emirate has used its influence with Hamas to press for a truce with Israel. But “the last word is with those on the battlefield,” one expert said.
The operation killed 21 people, including children, and caused widespread destruction of streets, homes and businesses, according to Palestinian news media and residents.
Other teams give themselves an A for effort after playing the Dutch women’s wheelchair basketball team, the favorite for the gold medal at the Paris Games.
At least 70 students are still unaccounted for, although officials urged people not to jump to conclusions about their fate.
Yagi, one of 2024’s strongest storms, hit the southern Chinese island of Hainan on Friday. It is forecast to make landfall in Vietnam on Saturday.
Many don’t see Brisbane in the same light as the other two cities, but the Queensland capital is showing it, too, has cultural heft.
Beijing said the move was in line with international trends, as more countries have limited such adoptions. Many would-be adoptive families were left in limbo.
Donald Trump’s sentencing on federal charges.
As hospitals struggle from a monthslong walkout, nurses have picked up some of the slack. A new law gives them more responsibilities and, they say, greater recognition.
Over a decades-long period, more than 30 Catholic priests and missionaries moved to remote island nations after they had allegedly abused children in the West, or had been found to do so.
“Portrait of a Girl,” a 17th-century work believed to be by the Dutch master, had been hiding in a home in Maine.
Gisèle Pelicot spoke of the horror of being told by the police that they had evidence her husband had drugged her for years and brought men into their home to join him in raping her.
As the mass vaccination campaign shifted Thursday from central to southern Gaza, an Israeli strike reportedly killed four in an area where inoculations had just concluded.
Plus, the clothes that changed men’s fashion.
OPEC Plus will extend its cuts until at least December. Demand has weakened, and other countries, including the United States, are expected to continue to increase production.
The indictment unsealed on Thursday comes as the United States expands its hunt for Russia’s most elite cyberwarriors.
Children under the age of 2 should not be exposed to any screens, Swedish public health authorities said, part of a growing effort to limit phone use by youngsters.
Without bats to eat insects, farmers turned to more pesticides, a study found. That appears to have increased infant deaths.
The shootout with an 18-year-old Austrian came on the anniversary of the attack on the Munich Olympics that left 11 Israelis dead, and was being investigated as a possible terrorist attack.
Dimitri K. Simes, who was an adviser to Donald J. Trump’s first campaign, and his wife, Anastasia Simes, are accused of violating U.S. sanctions.
Boko Haram killed at least 170 villagers in northeastern Nigeria, community leaders say, in what is likely one of the deadliest attacks in recent years.
Dismissing Ukraine’s recent invasion of Kursk, the Russian leader said Kyiv made a mistake in trying to force Moscow to divert its forces from the Donbas region.
As an Israeli offensive against Palestinian militant groups stretched to a 10th day, residents said many people were trapped in their homes out of fear.
As the Biden administration nears a decision to block the proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel, the debate over national and economic security is being dwarfed by presidential politics.
The United States has played a supporting role behind Kenya’s deployment of a security force tasked with helping the Haitian police combat gangs.
The president’s choice of Michel Barnier, after an extraordinary delay, inflamed opponents on the left who came out on top in an inconclusive election.
Officials have accused Alice Guo of helping criminal syndicates involved in online scams and human trafficking, and have questioned her about whether she was born in China.
For many trans women living on the fringes of the nation’s society, the Catholic Church is a haven, and Pope Francis a personal hero.
<p>Palestinians say they have no faith in Israel Defense Forces inquiry into killing as US officials insist Gaza ceasefire is near</p><p>US officials have insisted that a ceasefire in Gaza is close even as fighting rages unabated in the blockaded Palestinian territory and violence spirals in the occupied West Bank, where witnesses told the <em>Observer</em> an American-Turkish dual national was killed by Israeli forces on Friday.</p><p>William Burns, who is also the US’s chief negotiator in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, echoed secretary of state Antony Blinken during a speech in London on Saturday in which he said that “90% of the text had been agreed but the last 10% is always the hardest”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/west-bank-residents-teargas-shots-us-woman-death-israel-defence-forces-inquiry-killing">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Venezuelan vice-president Delcy Rodriguez and Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares release statements saying the opponent of Nicolas Maduro had left</p><p>Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González has left the South American country after seeking asylum in Spain, according to the Spanish foreign minister.</p><p>“Edmundo González, at his own request, flew to Spain on a Spanish air force plane,” José Manuel Albares said in a statement online, adding that the “government of Spain is committed to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/08/venezuela-opposition-leader-edmundo-gonzalez-reportedly-leaves-country-for-spain">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Race so close in swing states one commentator this week called it the ‘equivalent of a knife fight in a phone booth’</p><p>As next week’s crucial presidential debate looms into view, Kamala Harris has maintained her narrow lead over Donald Trump in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2024/aug/23/presidential-polls-kamala-harris-donald-trump-election">head-to-head polls</a> but is locked in a tighter race in the crucial swing states needed to win the US election.</p><p>Ever since Harris entered the contest – after Joe Biden dropped out following a disastrous debate performance that highlighted fears over his age and mental acuity – the vice-president has ridden a wave of support and enthusiasm, turning the race on its head. A solid but slight Trump advantage morphed into a Harris lead.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/presidential-polling-analysis-swing-states">Continue reading...</a>
<p>In addition to world’s richest person, who has $251bn, report names others on track to receive trillionaire status</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> is on pace to become the world’s first trillionaire by 2027, according to a new report from a group that tracks wealth.</p><p>Informa Connect Academy’s finding about the boss of electric carmaker Tesla, private rocket company SpaceX and social media platform X (formerly Twitter) stems from the fact that Musk’s wealth has been growing at an average annual rate of 110%. He was also the world’s richest person, with $251bn, according to the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/">Bloomberg Billionaires Index</a>, as the academy’s 2024 Trillion Dollar Club <a href="https://informaconnect.com/academy/companies-entering-trillion-dollar-club-in-2024/">report</a> began circulating Friday.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/07/elon-musk-first-trillionaire-2027">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Belarussian keeps composure to beat American 7-5, 7-5</li><li>World No 2 has won two grand slam titles this year</li></ul><p>As Aryna Sabalenka has cemented herself at the top of her sport over the past two seasons, in so many of the biggest grand slam matches her greatest opponent has been herself. Even when she has come in radiating with confidence, her game in full bloom, her head so often gets in the way. Recovering from so many painful collapses has required resilience beyond measure.</p><p>Nowhere have these struggles been more evident than in New York, a city that perfectly suits her electrifying game and outsized personality but where the positives from her two semi-finals and a final in the past three years had been blunted by brutal losses.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/aryna-sabalenka-holds-off-jessica-pegula-fightback-to-win-us-open">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The shooting occurred along Interstate 75 in a rural area south of Lexington, near the city of London authorities said</p><p>Kentucky police reported an “active shooter situation” on Saturday evening near Interstate 75 in London, Kentucky, south of Lexington, where “numerous persons” had been shot in traffic.</p><p>In a video statement, London mayor Randall Weddle said seven people were hurt, but not all of those were wounded by gunfire. Some of the victims were injured in a vehicle accident, he said.<br /><br /> “There are no deceased at this time. No one was killed from this, thankfully, but we ask that you continue to pray,” Weddle said.<br /><br /> The sheriff’s office also announced that a “person of interest” has been identified in connection with the shooting, saying he should be considered armed and dangerous and people should not approach him.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/08/kentucky-police-say-multiple-people-shot-in-active-shooter-situation">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Ruling, which may be reviewed by appellate court, could strike reproductive rights measure off November ballot</p><p>A <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/missouri">Missouri</a> judge has ruled that a ballot measure asking voters whether <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/abortion">abortion</a> rights should be enshrined in the state constitution is invalid, potentially jeopardizing an election scheduled for November.</p><p>In a ruling issued on Friday, Cole county circuit judge Christopher Limbaugh said that the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/reproductive-rights">reproductive rights</a> petition – also known as amendment 3 – led by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom did not comply with state law.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/missouri-abortion-rights-ballot-measure-ruled-invalid">Continue reading...</a>
<p>US secretary of state will be most senior US official to have travelled to London since Labour’s election victory</p><p>The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, will head to London next week to discuss the Middle East and Ukraine, the state department announced on Saturday, in advance of a US visit by prime minister Keir Starmer.</p><p>Blinken’s visit to London on Monday and Tuesday will be the most senior by a US official since the Labour party won the general election in July, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/antony-blinken-to-visit-uk-for-talks-on-ukraine-and-middle-east">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Spanish director’s first English-language movie starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore tackles euthanasia</p><p>Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language movie, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/02/the-room-next-door-review-almodovar-venice-film-festival-tilda-swinton-julianne-moore">The Room Next Door</a>, which tackles the hefty themes of euthanasia and the climate crisis, won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice film festival on Saturday.</p><p>Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, the film received <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/04/are-standing-ovations-at-film-festivals-getting-out-of-hand">an 18-minute standing ovation</a> when it premiered at Venice earlier in the week – one of the longest in recent memory.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/almodovars-the-room-next-door-wins-golden-lion-at-venice-film-festival">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The system by Saturday had been dousing Texas and Louisiana with heavy rains for days</p><p>A tropical depression may form next week in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.</p><p>In a <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&fdays=7">forecast</a> on Saturday afternoon, the NHC said that an area of low pressure had formed over the Bay of Campeche in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico. It had been producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/tropical-depression-gulf-of-mexico">Continue reading...</a>
<p>James Shirah, 22, allegedly ran over groomsman with SUV, mortally wounding him, following argument on 30 August</p><p>A newly married couple from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/michigan">Michigan</a> were arrested only hours after their wedding because the groom allegedly used a car to intentionally run over and kill one of his groomsmen, according to local police.</p><p>The groom, 22-year-old James Shirah of Flint, allegedly ran over his groomsman with an SUV, mortally wounding him, following an argument on 30 August, the Flint police department <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=919163926914655&set=a.303045085193212">said on Facebook</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/michigan-couple-arrested-groomsman-killed">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The deep historical, political and cultural split between east and west acts as a brake on the rise of the AfD nationwide</p><p>The media are alive with crumbling firewalls (<em>Brandmauer</em>) in Germany. State elections in Thuringia have delivered the first win for the extreme right since 1945 in the region where the Nazis first entered regional power in 1929, and on the date Adolf Hitler invaded Poland in 1939.</p><p>“The East will do it!” The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/alternative-fur-deutschland-afd">Alternative für Deutschland’s (AfD)</a> campaign mixed the usual right-populist themes with the suggestion that the East is where the real Germany resists the liberal horrors of multiculturalism and windpower.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/everyone-is-terrified-of-a-far-right-return-in-germany-heres-why-it-wont-happen">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Humorists are using the plight of this small corner of Kursk region to make a point about Russian hypocrisy – but the invasion is no joke for either side</p><p>One morning recently, historian Yevhen Murza and comedian Feliks Redka, both from the city of Sumy in eastern Ukraine, hitched a lift into Ukrainian-occupied Russia. Their mission on arrival in Sudzha, the town that has been at the centre of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/03/ukrainian-troops-audacious-incursion-russia-kursk">Ukraine’s dramatic push into Russia’s Kursk region</a>, was an unusual one: to record the latest episode of their long-running podcast series, dedicated to popularising Ukrainian history.</p><p>The deal was agreed via Instagram with a fan of their podcast who is serving in the Ukrainian army. In exchange for a drone that Redka had bought with proceeds from a recent standup tour, the soldier agreed that he and his friends would give the pair a ride to Sudzha and back.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/ukraine-sudzha-russian-town-kursk-region">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Diversifying departments is one of the oldest methods of police reform, but Black cops are not immune to adopting the racism of the system</p><p>It wasn’t supposed to be this way for Emmitt Martin III. He graduated from Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee, with a degree in criminal justice and played tight end and fullback on the football team all four years. Friends of Martin said he was a role model to his two younger siblings and regularly posted about his love for his young daughter on social media.</p><p>Martin told people that when he joined the Memphis police department in spring of 2018, he wanted to make a difference. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi, a historically Black fraternity whose founding principles are manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplifting society. <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24450844-martin-personnel-file#document/p10/a2431973">Martin’s policing performance evaluations</a> show that he exceeded expectations in judgment, reliability and dealing with the public. Few would be faulted for thinking he’d have the safety of Black people in mind as he patrolled their communities. Even fewer would imagine he’d take part in the savage beating death of another Black man, an assault that even the police chief <a href="https://youtu.be/jpD2FDjBBr8?si=K3FPqAsIQA0zUwmQ&t=91">called</a> “a failing of basic humanity toward another individual”, an act that was “heinous, reckless and inhumane”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/tyre-nichols-black-police-officers-memphis-history">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The prevalence of slot machines – known as pokies – in pubs and clubs across the country and betting on sport has created a culture of wagering </p><p>It is a quiet night in Fairfield, in Sydney’s western suburbs. Inside a small brick building, a dozen Gamblers Anonymous members help themselves to coffee, tea and miniature meat pies. The meeting is taking place in a suburb that has one of the city’s lowest median incomes, and highest levels of gambling losses. A fifth of the state of New South Wales’s 25 most profitable gaming clubs are here, according to <a href="https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/operating-a-business/community-involvement/liquor-and-gaming-data">government data</a>.</p><p>One of these clubs, Fairfield Returned and Services League (RSL), is just a two-minute walk away. It is a building totally at odds with the modest apartment blocks and shabby train station nearby. A pedestrian walkway inside is lined with palms and ferns, it has an elaborate fountain, a grand lobby. It seems incongruous, that is, until you realise that its surroundings<strong> </strong>are its blood supply. Inside the club, just out of view of the street, are hundreds of gaming machines. Fairfield RSL and Clubs Australia did not respond to requests for comment.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/08/how-australians-became-the-worlds-biggest-gamblers">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Users say harmful content from accounts they do not follow appears even after requests to block it</p><p>Debbie was scrolling through X in April when some unwelcome posts appeared on her feed. One showed a photo of someone who was visibly underweight asking whether they were thin enough. In another, a user wanted to compare how few calories they were eating each day.</p><p>Debbie, who did not want to give her last name, is 37 years old and was first diagnosed with bulimia when she was 16. She did not follow either of the accounts behind the posts, which belonged to a group with more than 150,000 members on the social media site.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/worrying-lack-of-moderation-how-eating-disorder-posts-proliferate-on-x">Continue reading...</a>
<p>In his sometimes enjoyable longest novel yet, the author’s obsession with sex and desire competes for attention with his usual grandstanding and an intricate, Dan Brown-like pulp mystery</p><p>Until fairly recently, anyone asked to name France’s most prominent living author might well have said Michel Houellebecq, who shot to prominence in the 1990s and 00s with his novels <em>Whatever</em>, <em>Atomised</em> and <em>Platform</em>, pungent satires that ruthlessly insisted on sex as just another commodity in a marketplace of winners and losers. (A more likely name on readers’ lips now would probably be 2022 Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux, who also writes of sex, and who was publishing long before Houellebecq but was somewhat damningly more or less invisible in the anglosphere until the past decade.)</p><p>Houellebecq’s later novels come in all stripes – sci-fi in <em><a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/the-possibility-of-an-island-9780753821183/">The Possibility of an Island</a></em>, or the art-world caper of <em><a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/the-map-and-the-territory-9780099554578/">The Map and </a></em><em><a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/the-map-and-the-territory-9780099554578/">the Territory</a></em>, in which Houellebecq gets murdered – but it’s the incel-adjacent vibe of his best-known work that has decisively shaped his reputation. But only with his dismal 2019 novel, <em>Serotonin</em>, about a civil servant stalking his ex-girlfriend as the <em>gilets jaunes</em> protests come to the boil, did time seem to be up for Houellebecq, whose work seemed almost crushed by the weight of its own instinct for provocation. His most recent book was a short, score-settling memoir, <em>Quelques mois dans ma vie</em> (A Few Months in My Life), responding to a controversy over Islamophobic remarks in which he predicted a “reverse Bataclan”. The title also told of how he was tricked – with little difficulty – into taking the lead role in a Dutch porn film that he later sought to suppress.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/08/annihilation-by-michel-houellebecq-review-sex-novel-french-controversial">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Journalists and other writers are employed to improve the quality of chatbot replies. The irony of working for an industry that may well make their craft redundant is not lost on them</p><p>For several hours a week, I write for a technology company worth billions of dollars. Alongside me are published novelists, rising academics and several other freelance journalists. The workload is flexible, the pay better than we are used to, and the assignments never run out. But what we write will never be read by anyone outside the company.</p><p>That’s because we aren’t even writing for people. We are writing for an AI.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/07/if-journalism-is-going-up-in-smoke-i-might-as-well-get-high-off-the-fumes-confessions-of-a-chatbot-helper">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The small resort is close to visitor hot spots such as Bodrum and Fethiye but retains a mellow vibe and is perfectly placed for exploring the coast</p><p>When Bodrum and I first met, 30 years ago, my main thought was that it was a long way from anywhere. In summer 1994, when I worked as a holiday rep, there were no international flights to Bodrum’s small airport and only a few holidaymakers made the four-hour trek from Dalaman airport. Famous for its picturebook Crusader castle and waterfront lined with <em>gulets</em> (wooden sailing boats), Bodrum was back then a working town that just happened to have supermodel looks.</p><p>In the intervening decades, those good looks have helped change it beyond recognition– the town itself and the peninsula that stretches westwards are fringed with increasingly sophisticated small resorts. The forested coves, bays and inlets that surround Bodrum are now home to some of the country’s most luxurious hotels, some with room rates of more than €1,000 a night. Out on the peninsula, in the once-small village of Yalikavak, a vast marina dominates the coastline, with designer boutiques and outposts of Istanbul’s hippest restaurants catering to the super-rich.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/article/2024/sep/08/gocek-turkey-at-sun-kissed-laid-back-best-lycian-coast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Driver Chris Begley’s death in August underscores a list of alleged heat-related incidents across Texas</p><p>Neysa Lambeth was in Florida caring for her ailing father on 23 August 2023 when she received a call from her husband, Chris Begley, who had worked as a UPS driver for 28 years in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/texas">Texas</a>.</p><p>Begley, 57, had collapsed from the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/extreme-heat">heat</a> while delivering packages. Lambeth said a manager picked him up and took him home to recover. He had fallen ill a couple of times from the heat over the previous two years, Lambeth said, and she had picked him up from the UPS service center on those occasions.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/07/ups-heat-death-texas">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Two ex-senior Labour advisers reveal strategy Keir Starmer used to turn its fortunes around by targeting disillusioned ‘hero voters’ – and how it could benefit the Democrats</p><p>• <a href="https://composer.gutools.co.uk/content/66db178d8f080b4351297c73">US ‘hero voters’ key to Harris win say top Labour ex-aides</a><br /></p><p>On 4 July, against all odds, Labour overturned the most <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/13/boris-johnson-leads-tories-historic-general-election-win">shattering defeat in decades</a> to win a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/05/time-for-us-to-deliver-says-starmer-as-labour-heads-for-landslide">stunning landslide</a>. A talented and energetic party team deserves huge credit for this victory: effective communications, innovative digital output, creative policy culminating in the five missions, organisationally brilliant events and a super-efficient ground force – all under the leadership of campaign director Morgan McSweeney and political leads Pat McFadden and Ellie Reeves.</p><p>It was a cohesive campaign united by its sharp, disciplined focus on our very tightly defined “hero voters”. Could a similar single-mindedness help Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump on 5 November?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/how-lessons-of-uk-election-could-help-kamala-harris-defeat-donald-trump">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Sometimes being the subject of a ‘parasocial’ relationship can be positive. But then come the messages about my body, health or life choices … and it all gets a bit weird</p><p></p><p>A close friend of mine once cried so dramatically when I told her she would never marry the lead singer of her favourite metal band that you’d have thought she’d just been jilted. Granted, we were 13 and she was in the depths of hormonal angst, but her reaction was genuine nonetheless. Somewhere in her journey to becoming a devoted fan of the band’s music, she’d developed a personal connection with the frontman and become convinced they were meant for each other. Their music was so important to her that she assumed there must be more to it. How could she feel this strongly and not be destined to know him personally? The realisation that millions of other people also felt he was singing directly to them, and that the direction of adoration all went one way, was incredibly painful for her, and somewhat hilarious for me.</p><p>This is, I think, a good example of a parasocial relationship – a term coined by social scientists in 1956 to describe the way some people reacted to the new level of access TV and film gave them to their favourite performers. These new visual media offered “an illusion of intimacy”, allowing the audience to be more than just spectators – they felt as if they <em>knew</em> these celebrities. A bond was created, one that has mushroomed since. Back then, access was still tightly controlled. However strong your lust for Elvis, there was a line that couldn’t be crossed. The information you might glean about the snake-hipped singer was meted out in gushing magazine interviews, presided over by cautious managers.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/sep/07/i-wouldnt-dream-of-telling-a-stranger-i-hated-their-laugh-how-does-it-feel-when-your-social-media-followers-cross-a-line">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Like other celebrity wellness entrepreneurs, the former model seems to peddle nonsense</p><p>Elle Macpherson’s gratitude journal must have written itself last week. Most days, any leader in the wellness industry is right to feel gratitude for the gigantic profits to be made seemingly out of human gullibility: the welcome for her latest venture suggests that the market for experimental self-care may have been wildly underestimated.</p><p>Since the exclusive revelation of <a href="https://www.womensweekly.com.au/news/elle-macpherson-now/">Macpherson’s “cancer journey”</a> in the <em>Australian Women’s Weekly</em>, there can hardly have been enough time in the day, without contracting the work out to a gratitude assistant, to record the amount of joy experienced by a model turned entrepreneur when her apparent rejection of evidence-based medicine is widely presented – with only limited space for objections – as a tale of fully vindicated heroism.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/08/elle-macpherson-cancer-alternative-medicine">Continue reading...</a>
<p>At 74, Spain’s finest director has won the Golden Lion – incredibly, his first major victory at a film festival – for his debut English language feature. Better late than never, even if The Room Next Door isn’t <em>quite</em> his finest work</p><p>Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door is a tender, heartfelt drama about a driven former war correspondent who’s in search of the perfect final scene. She wants an ending that she can script and control, and a handpicked loving audience to applaud her when she goes.</p><p>As played by Tilda Swinton, the heroine doesn’t have it entirely her own way. But the film itself has fared rather better. It bowed out in a blaze of glory and scooped the crowning Golden Lion award in the dying seconds of this year’s Venice film festival.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/venice-2024-almodovars-first-major-festival-win-is-richly-deserved-and-epically-overdue">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Thirty years ago, Black women came up with the term reproductive justice. Today we fight for it more than ever</p><p>As the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-elections-2024">2024 elections</a> continue to heat up, there are increasing concerns about the rise of fascism around the world and in the United States. Regardless of the word or label used, Black people, living with the legacy of slavery and multiple forms of reproductive oppression including rape and forced pregnancies, sterilizations and the killing of our children and loved ones by vigilantes and police, have a lot of experience with authoritarian regimes that oppress and dehumanize.</p><p>There is a strategic agenda from the far right – laid out in clear language in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/project-2025">Project 2025</a> to keep power in the hands of a chosen few and prevent the United States from becoming a truly representative, multiracial democracy that embraces and supports all people including those with the capacity for pregnancy.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/republicans-reproductive-justice-black-women">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We’re warned not to assign human qualities to other species, but evidence of their complex abilities is mounting</p><p>The details differ, but really it’s the same story, turning up every few weeks, for around a decade now. The revelation – and it’s always presented with a dramatic flourish – is this: animals are much more like us than we thought.</p><p>Last week, it was that dogs could <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/sep/04/dogs-remember-names-toys-years-study-pets-memory">remember the names</a> of their old toys – even when they hadn’t seen them for two years. Language acquisition, that “uniquely human” thing, was being encroached on, the researchers said: dogs could store words in their memory. Last month, it was that horses could <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy4j4kkxd8o#:~:text=You%20can%20lead%20a%20horse,great%20enough%2C%20researchers%20have%20found">strategise and plan ahead</a>, overturning the assumption that they “simply respond to stimuli in the moment”. And in April, it was that there’s a “<a href="https://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/nydeclaration/declaration">realistic possibility of consciousness”</a> in reptiles, fish and even insects – according to a declaration signed by some 40 scientists. One of the studies backing the claims recorded bumblebees playing with wooden balls. The behaviour had no obvious connection to mating or survival, the authors thought. It was for fun.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/when-dogs-recall-toys-and-horses-plan-ahead-are-animals-so-different-from-us">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The detainment of the murky messaging service’s founder in France shows online moguls can no longer act with impunity </p><p>On 24 August, a Russian tech billionaire’s private jet landed at Le Bourget airport, north-east of Paris, to find that officers of the French judicial police were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/aug/24/telegram-app-founder-pavel-durov-arrested-at-french-airport">waiting for him</a>. He was duly arrested and whisked away for interrogation. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/28/telegram-ceo-charged-france-allowing-criminal-activity-app">Four days later</a> he was indicted on 12 charges, including alleged complicity in the distribution of child exploitation material and drug trafficking, barred from leaving France and placed under “judicial supervision”, which requires him to check in with the gendarmes twice a week until further notice.</p><p>The mogul in question, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/aug/26/who-is-pavel-durov-billionaire-founder-telegram-mysterious-figure">Pavel Durov</a>, is a tech entrepreneur who collects nationalities the way others collect air miles. In fact it turns out that one of <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-finally-admits-he-gave-telegram-chief-pavel-durov-french-citizenship/">his citizenships</a> is French, generously provided in 2021 by France’s president, Emmanuel Macron. Durov is also, it seems, a fitness fanatic with a punishing daily regime. “After eight hours of tracked sleep,” the <em>Financial Times</em> reports, “he starts the day ‘without exception’ with 200 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and an ice bath. He does not drink, smoke, eat sugar or meat, and saves time for meditation.” When not engaged in these demanding activities, he has also found time to father more than 100 kids as a sperm donor and to rival <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/01/elon-twitter-is-not-the-town-square-its-just-a-private-shop-square-belongs-to-us-all">Elon Musk as a free-speech extremist</a>.</p><p><em><strong>Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at <a href="mailto:observer.letters@observer.co.uk">observer.letters@observer.co.uk</a></strong></em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/telegram-chiefs-arrest-sends-a-clear-message-tech-titans-are-not-above-the-law">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>USA 1-2 Canada</li><li>Interim coach laments Americans’ mental lapses</li></ul><p>Hoping to show <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jul/01/usmnt-uruguay-copa-america-soccer-goal-offside-call">their first-round exit</a> at this summer’s Copa América was a fluke, the United States instead displayed an alarming lack of intensity that resulted in their first home loss to Canada since 1957.<br /><br /> Jacob Shaffelburg and Jonathan David scored after US defensive misplays, and Canada dominated 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday for just their second win over the Americans in 27 matches on US soil.</p><p>While Jesse Marsch, Canada’s American-born coach, glowed following a win over a team that bypassed him for the USMNT job, interim US coach Mikey Varas rebuked himself and his players.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/07/canada-beat-us-in-america-for-first-time-since-1957-as-usmnt-slump-continues">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>USA 73-69 Great Britain</li><li>Steve Serio stars as champions make it three in a row</li></ul><p>There was to be no dream finish for Great Britain, just a series of what ifs and maybes, as perennial champions the USA kept completed the threepeat in men’s wheelchair basketball.</p><p>After achieving their greatest success in the event since 1996 by reaching the final, victory proved a step too far for captain Phil Pratt and his team, who flickered in moments but left themselves too much to do even as they attempted their customary fourth-quarter charge.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/usa-prove-too-strong-for-great-britain-in-mens-wheelchair-basketball-final">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Manager praises squad after opening reign with 2-0 win</li><li>Grealish happy after ‘one of worst summers of my life’</li></ul><p>A modest Lee Carsley played down compliments about his tactics and style of play after opening his reign as England’s interim head coach with a dominant 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Saturday night.</p><p>Carsley, who is looking to land the job on a permanent basis after taking over from Gareth Southgate, preferred to direct the praise towards his players for beginning their Nations League campaign with a fine performance at the Aviva Stadium. The 50-year-old enjoyed victory in his first game thanks to early goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, but he steered clear of accepting that England’s fluidity in possession was evidence of “Carsball” clicking into gear.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/07/credit-the-players-not-me-lee-carsley-says-hes-lucky-england-have-such-talent">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Brazil 1-0 Ecuador, Díaz rescues Colombia in Peru</li><li>Uruguay held by Paraguay in Suárez farewell</li></ul><p>Rodrygo scored the winning goal in the first half as <strong>Brazil</strong> defeated Ecuador 1-0 in Curitiba to end a four-game winless streak in World Cup 2026 qualifying.<br /><br /> The 23-year-old Real Madrid swinger scored with a shot from outside the box in the 30th minute, which was deflected by a defender and went in off the right-hand post. Victory boosted the Seleçao’s qualifying campaign after they had lost to Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina at the end of 2023 after a 1-1 home draw with Venezuela.</p><p>Seeking an early goal to settle their nerves, the hosts almost got it when Vinícius Júnior closed down keeper Hernán Galíndez, whose clearance ricocheted off the forward and into the side netting. After Rodrygo’s opener, Moisés Caicedo was denied a leveller, first by Alisson’s save and then by Gabriel Magalhães, who cleared his follow-up shot off the line.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/07/brazil-ecuador-uruguay-paraguay-world-cup-qualifying-roundup">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/boxscore/_/gameId/401671805">Green Bay Packers 29-34 Philadelphia Eagles</a></li><li>NFL makes South American debut</li></ul><p>Saquon Barkley scored three touchdowns in his debut for Philadelphia, leading the Eagles past the Green Bay Packers 34-29 on Friday night in the first NFL game in South America.</p><p>Packers quarterback Jordan Love limped off the field injured in the final seconds. After driving the Packers beyond midfield, Love was pressured by Jalen Carter and Josh Sweat. Love threw a backward pass to Josh Jacobs and landed awkwardly. He stayed down for several seconds before limping to the sideline. Love had signed a four-year, $220m extension this summer after leading the NFL’s youngest team to the playoffs last season, his first as a starter. Green Bay’s backup Malik Willis was sacked by Zack Baun on the final play of the game, preventing him from launching a Hail Mary from the Philadelphia 47. Packers coach Matt LaFleur had no update on Love’s injury after the game.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/green-bay-packers-philadelphia-eagles-nfl-jordan-love-injury">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula are from hugely wealthy backgrounds. But they have combined work ethic with their undeniable privilege</p><p>“Can’t believe this is my life” was how Emma Navarro captioned a selfie she took during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. <a href="https://x.com/JeffEisenband/status/1816909315258884111">In the photo</a> she’s standing at the bow of the Team USA riverboat, wedged in between Jessica Pegula and LeBron James. Fans on social media, though, had a much different takeaway. They couldn’t believe James, <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/earnings/_/id/2257/lebron-james">who will earn $48m in salary alone this season</a>, was the poorest person in the picture.</p><p>Navarro and Pegula, both New York state natives, are members of an exclusive tennis sorority – the Billionaire Girls Club. The 23-year-old Navarro is the daughter of Ben Navarro, whose net worth is $1.5bn and has an interest in the Cincinnati and Charleston Opens; the 30-year-old Pegula, is the daughter of another billionaire, Terry Pegula, a sports patron whose holdings include the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres and the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. Combined, the family net worth of these two women rings in just shy of $10bn – more than enough money to watch Thursday night’s US Open action from a suite seat, or buy the entire stadium for that matter. Instead, they were on court, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/06/us-open-results-aryna-sabalenka-vs-emma-navarro-jessica-pegula-karolina-muchov">laying it all on the line in the semi-finals</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/06/does-the-us-opens-billionaire-girls-club-show-money-trumps-talent">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Simmers beats Olympic gold medallist Caroline Marks</li><li>John John Florence ends drought with men’s title</li></ul><p>Hawaii’s John John Florence and Californian Caitlin Simmers have taken out the World Surf League Finals at Lower Trestles in California, with Florence snapping a seven-year drought to clinch his third world title and 18-year-old Simmers becoming the youngest female to win the world crown.</p><p>Florence, 31, and Simmers entered the WSL finals as the top seeds, meaning they lay in wait as the other four competitors in each field surfed off before the best of three heat showdown to decide the crown.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/california-teen-caitlin-simmers-makes-surfing-history-as-youngest-female-world-champion">Continue reading...</a>
<p>This year will more than likely end up the warmest humanity has measured, reports European climate service</p><p>Summer 2024 sweltered to Earth’s hottest on record, making it even more likely that this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, the European climate service Copernicus reported on Friday.</p><p>And if this sounds familiar, that’s because the records the globe shattered were set just last year as human-caused <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-crisis">climate change</a>, with a temporary boost from an El Niño, keeps dialing up temperatures and extreme weather, scientists said.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/06/hottest-summer-record">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Activists says EU court ruling on transparency makes mockery of laws to protect the environment</p><p>Campaigners have said that the EU is failing to enforce rules on illegal fishing, and allowing member states to conceal information that could help uncover breaches of fishing law.</p><p>The court of justice of the EU ruled on Thursday that member states could keep vital details of their implementation of fishing rules under wraps, in a blow to environmental campaigners hoping to use the information to show whether the regulations are working.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/06/eu-failing-to-enforce-fishing-rules-say-campaigners">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Study’s authors say integrity of higher education ‘at risk’ upon finding lack of attention to role of oil and gas firms</p><p>Fossil fuel companies’ funding of universities’ climate-focused efforts is delaying the green transition, according to the most extensive peer-reviewed study to date of the industry’s influence on academia.</p><p>For the study, published in the journal WIREs Climate Change<em> </em>on Thursday, six researchers pored over thousands of academic articles on industries’ funding of research from the past two decades. Just a handful of them focused on oil and gas companies, showing a “worrying lack of attention” to the issue, the analysis says.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/05/universities-fossil-fuel-funding-green-energy">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Shell and Equinor say they will defend Jackdaw and Rosebank plans after Labour withdraws government support</p><p>Two of Europe’s biggest oil companies have vowed to fight two legal cases brought by environmental campaigners against their plans to develop new oil and gas projects in the North Sea.</p><p>Shell and Equinor have said that they will defend their plans to develop new North Sea projects despite Labour’s decision to withdraw government support for the plans, which were approved by the Conservatives over the last two years.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/05/oil-firms-vow-to-fight-judicial-review-of-north-sea-oil-and-gas-projects">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Court worker secretly recorded calls in which Kathleen Ryan made homophobic slur and called Black people lazy</p><p>A suburban <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/detroit">Detroit</a> judge is no longer handling cases after a court official turned over recordings of her making anti-gay insults and referring to Black people as lazy.</p><p>Oakland county probate judge Kathleen Ryan was removed from her docket on 27 August for unspecified misconduct. Now the court’s administrator has stepped forward to say he blew the whistle on her, secretly recording their phone calls.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/michigan-judge-kathleen-ryan-suspended">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Ex-president tries to fend off criticisms of mental acuity that plagued Biden as he waffles about sharks and batteries</p><p>For those baffled by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump">Donald Trump</a>’s forays into meandering discourses about electrocution, bacons sales or cannibal killers at his recent political rallies, the former US president had an explanation.</p><p>Trump assured supporters in Pennsylvania on Saturday that what might look like incoherent ramblings as he frequently departed from his scripted speech were instead indicators of his brilliance that impressed other great minds.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/election-trump-speeches">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Smaller pro-Palestinian protests continue in new semester amid ramped-up security, but chaos of spring has faded</p><p>Columbia University students returned to campus this week under the specter of the mass protests that disrupted campus life last semester. But while actions against the Gaza war continue, the first days of class saw little of the last school year’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/02/the-pro-palestinian-us-campus-protests-in-maps-videos-and-photos">chaos</a>.</p><p>On Wednesday, a group of about 30 students gathered for a sit-in protest outside a class <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/02/hillary-clinton-columbia-walkout-palestine">Hillary Clinton teaches </a>at the School of International and Public Affairs building, chanting “intifada revolution” and “Zionists not welcome here”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/columbia-university-students-protest">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Research finds cannabis use increases among college-educated and high-income Americans</p><p>A new <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11262189/">study</a> found that cannabis use in the US has been increasing … but not among teenagers.</p><p>The research, which looked at data on more than 500,000 people’s cannabis habits during different time periods from 2013 to 2022 and was published in this month’s edition of Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, also revealed that cannabis use had increased among Americans in households earning more than $75,000 a year, as well as those with a college degree.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/sep/07/cannabis-use-survey-teenagers">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Throughout shooting that killed four people, many attempted to stop attacker and were first to aid injured</p><p>Students and teachers at Georgia’s Apalachee high school – where a teenager carried out <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/georgia-high-school-shooting">a deadly mass shooting</a> on Wednesday – are being praised for the bravery they demonstrated when faced with unimaginable circumstances.</p><p>Meanwhile, more information is emerging about the 14-year-old shooter who allegedly thrust them into those circumstances.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/georgia-school-shooting-students-teachers-bravery">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Nasa’s Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who flew Starliner amid technical failures, will remain at ISS until February</p><p>Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft landed in a New Mexico desert late on Friday, months after its original departure date and without the two astronauts it carried when it launched in early June.</p><p>Starliner returned to Earth seemingly without a hitch, a Nasa live stream showed, nailing the critical final phase of its mission.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/sep/06/boeing-starliner-iss">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Also first time for someone with H5 virus to be hospitalized, and CDC says it is studying patient specimen more</p><p>A person in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/missouri">Missouri</a> with no known animal contact has tested positive for H5 bird flu, the state’s department of health and senior services said Friday.</p><p>It’s the first time a patient in the US outbreak has had no known exposure to sick animals. And it is the first time someone has been hospitalized with bird flu – though it’s not clear yet whether influenza was the reason for hospitalization or it was incidental.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/06/missouri-bird-flu-positive-hospitalized">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The shooting was reportedly sparked by a fight in a school bathroom, and suspect was arrested shortly afterward</p><p>A student at a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/maryland">Maryland</a> high school died after being shot by another student during a fight on Friday in a school bathroom, authorities said.</p><p>Warren Curtis Grant, 15, died after the shooting at Joppatowne high school, the Harford county sheriff, Jeff Gahler, said at a media briefing.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/maryland-school-shooting-student-dead">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Conditions for sentencing over ex-president’s payments to adult film star ‘fraught with complexities’, judge says</p><p>Describing conditions as “fraught with complexities”, a New York judge on Friday delayed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump">Donald Trump’s</a> sentencing on charges stemming from hush money paid to an adult film star until 26 November.</p><p>Trump, the Republican nominee for president, had asked Justice Juan Merchan to push back his sentencing date until after <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-elections-2024">the US election</a>. Trump had previously been scheduled to be sentenced on 18 September, less than two months before election day.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/06/trump-hush-money-sentencing">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, arrested near US border after allegedly planning attack with undercover agents</p><p>A Pakistani man living in Canada is facing federal criminal charges for allegedly planning to carry out a mass shooting in New York against Jewish people on the anniversary of the 7 October 2023 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/israel-hamas-war">Hamas attack in Israel</a>, the US justice department announced on Friday.</p><p>Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested Wednesday in Canada and charged with attempting to provide material support as well as resources to a foreign terrorist organization – in this case, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/pakistani-man-canada-arrested-planned-mass-shooting-jewish-new-yorkers">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Saga over contestant’s nationality reflects hatred of other Africans fuelled by poverty among black population</p><p>When Chidimma Adetshina entered Miss South Africa, she dreamed of being crowned and going on to represent – at the Miss Universe contest in November – the country she had lived in since birth. What she didn’t expect was a furious backlash that would end up with her winning the right to represent Nigeria instead.</p><p>A saga over the 23-year-old law student’s nationality has exposed a deep vein of xenophobia in South Africa against immigrants from other African countries that has festered since the end of apartheid, feeding off endemic unemployment, poverty and inequality, and periodically exploding into violence.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/beauty-queen-row-exposes-xenophobia-towards-immigrants-in-south-africa">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Demonstrators accuse Emmanuel Macron of perpetrating ‘denial of democracy’ by choosing conservative politician</p><p>Thousands of angry leftwing protesters took to French streets on Saturday two days after Emmanuel Macron appointed a conservative prime minister.</p><p>Demonstrators accused the president of a “denial of democracy” after his decision to name the former EU Brexit negotiator <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/05/michel-barnier-named-prime-minister-france">Michel Barnier, 73, as leader of the government</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/thousands-protest-france-emmanuel-macron-michel-barnier">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Bill Burns calls Vladimir Putin a ‘bully’ whose ‘sabre-rattling’ should not always be taken literally</p><p>Western leaders should not be intimidated by Kremlin threats of nuclear escalation, the head of the CIA said on Saturday, amid a debate over whether Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles should be used inside Russia.</p><p>Bill Burns, on a visit to London alongside the head of MI6, said the US had brushed off a previous Russian nuclear scare in autumn 2022, demonstrating that threats from Moscow should not always be taken literally.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/cia-west-russia-nuclear-threats-putin">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Inquiry ramps up into blaze that killed 17 boys in dormitory, as president declares three days of national mourning</p><p>Kenyan police stepped up their investigation on Saturday into a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/kenya-primary-boarding-school-fire">fire at a boarding school that killed 17 boys</a>, as the president announced three days of national mourning.</p><p>Detectives said DNA testing was due to begin to identify the remains of the children who died in the blaze.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/kenyan-police-to-begin-dna-testing-to-identify-victims-of-boarding-school-fire">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Rydon, lead contractor on the tower’s refurbishment, won deals from councils and the NHS despite pressure to ban it from bids</p><p>The building firm found to have borne “considerable responsibility” for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/05/justice-for-grenfell-deaths-may-not-come-this-decade-warns-former-chief-prosecutor">the Grenfell fire</a> with its “casual attitude to fire safety” was handed contracts worth tens of millions of pounds by councils, colleges and NHS trusts after the tragedy.</p><p>Property group Rydon was the lead contractor overseeing the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower between 2014 and 2016, including the installation of combustible cladding. The inquiry found that the firm should have been aware of “the risks of using combustible materials in the external walls of high-rise buildings”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/07/grenfell-building-firm-criticised-by-inquiry-handed-contracts-worth-millions-after-fire">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Former prime minister also under fire for hiring ex-aide Charlotte Owen as VP despite her lack of energy sector experience </p><p>Boris Johnson failed to disclose that he met a uranium lobbyist while prime minister before entering into a new business with a controversial Iranian-Canadian uranium entrepreneur, the <em>Observer</em> can reveal.</p><p>Johnson’s new company <a href="https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/15327091">Better Earth Limited</a> also employs Charlotte Owen, a junior aide with just a few years work experience whom he elevated to the House of Lords last year at the age of 29, sparking intense controversy.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/boris-johnson-faces-questions-uranium-business-charlotte-owen-aide">Continue reading...</a>
<p>PM’s White House visit will be second since taking office, though no meetings with Kamala Harris have been announced</p><p>Keir Starmer will meet Joe Biden for the first time since the US president announced he would not run for re-election.</p><p>The prime minister’s visit to the White House – Starmer’s second since taking office – will take place next Friday . His first visit took place at the Nato summit days after Labour won the election, when questions were raging about the US president’s age and health and Starmer described him as being <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/11/keir-starmer-says-joe-biden-was-on-good-form-in-first-bilateral-meeting">“on good form”</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/keir-starmer-joe-biden-meet-first-time-since-president-pulled-out-of-race">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Painter’s <em>Bay of Cadiz, Moonlight, </em>bought by Leighton House Museum in June, will star in November exhibition</p><p>He was the most distinguished artist of the late 19th century – a grandee who entertained Queen Victoria at his home in Holland Park and was president of the Royal Academy for nearly two decades.</p><p>Frederic Leighton was feted for his portraits of women, especially his stunning <em>Flaming June</em>, currently the centrepiece of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/feb/18/flaming-june-royal-academy-review-frederic-lord-leighton">an exhibition at the Royal Academy</a>. But he actually preferred painting landscapes and very occasional seascapes, one of which, <em>Bay of Cadiz, Moonlight</em>, he adored.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/article/2024/sep/07/frederic-leightons-only-known-painting-of-moon-over-water-to-go-on-show-after-being-lost-for-a-century">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Officials believe victims were swept away in flash flood amid heavy storms, after body of British woman was also found on island on Wednesday </p><p>Police searching for a British man believed to have been swept away by heavy flooding in Mallorca have found a body.</p><p>It comes after the body of a British woman was found on the Spanish tourist island on Wednesday.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/police-find-body-in-search-for-missing-british-tourist-in-mallorca">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/08/grenfell-system-failure-scenes-from-the-inquiry-part-1-podcast">Listen to part 1</a></strong></p><p>Scenes from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor and Nicolas Kent</p><p>On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower in London. 72 people died. It was the worst residential fire in the UK since the second world war. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry was created to examine the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire.</p><p>Two reports were published as a result of this inquiry: phase 1 on 30 October 2019; and the second, and final, report last Wednesday.</p><p>This verbatim play, which was recorded in front of a live audience, is taken from excerpts of spoken evidence, given under oath, to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Phase 2, between October 2019 and July 2022. This play was created so that some of the lessons leading up to that night, and the vital work of the Inquiry, could be more widely understood by the public.</p><p>This is the second part in a two-part series, if you haven’t yet listened to part 1, you may want to before starting this episode.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/08/grenfell-system-failure-scenes-from-the-inquiry-part-2-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/08/grenfell-system-failure-scenes-from-the-inquiry-part-2-podcast">Listen to part 2</a></strong></p><p>Scenes from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor and Nicolas Kent</p><p>On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower in London. 72 people died. It was the worst residential fire in the UK since the second world war. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry was created to examine the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire.</p><p>Two reports were published as a result of this inquiry: phase 1 on 30 October 2019; and the second, and final, report last Wednesday.</p><p>This verbatim play, which was recorded in front of a live audience, is taken from excerpts of spoken evidence, given under oath, to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Phase 2, between October 2019 and July 2022. This play was created so that some of the lessons leading up to that night, and the vital work of the Inquiry, could be more widely understood by the public.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/08/grenfell-system-failure-scenes-from-the-inquiry-part-1-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Weekend is taking a little break. So for the next two weeks, we’re picking some of our favourite pieces from the last few months just in case you missed them…</p><p>Actor Julia Fox unpacks abuse, fame, and dating Kanye; should you blame yourself for your bad habits? And what happened when one man’s boat sank in the dead of night and he had to save his seven-year-old son.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2024/sep/07/best-of-weekendpart-1-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will meet face to face on the debate stage next Tuesday. Jonathan Freedland speaks to Paul Begala – who helped Al Gore to prepare for his 2000 debate against George W Bush – about what the 2024 candidates will be doing to prepare.</p><p>What can they do to increase their chances of coming out on top, and will this debate be as election-defining as the last?</p><p><em>Archive: CSPAN, ABC, MSNBC, CNN</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/audio/2024/sep/06/debate-camp-role-play-and-rival-advice-trump-and-harris-prepare-for-showdown-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some notable pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.</p><p>This week, from 2022: Five years after the fire that killed 72, the inquiry is nearing a close. Over 300 days of evidence, what have we learned about the failings that led to disaster? By Robert Booth</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2024/sep/06/from-the-archive-a-merry-go-round-of-buck-passing-inside-the-four-year-grenfell-inquiry-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p>After seven long years, the inquiry into a fire in a London tower block that left 72 people dead has concluded. But is justice for the victims – and survivors – any closer?</p><p>It’s more than seven years since Grenfell Tower burned. Now, finally, a public inquiry has finished sifting through thousands of documents, evidence from hundreds of public hearings and more than 1,600 witness statements. And its conclusions could not be more clear: every one of the 72 deaths was avoidable.</p><p>The Guardian’s social affairs correspondent, <strong>Rob Booth</strong>, has reported on the tragedy from the beginning, speaking to victims and experts about what happened on that terrible night and what has happened since. He tells <strong>Helen Pidd</strong> about the shocking revelations of the inquiry and why the companies and individuals who have been named and shamed have yet to be held accountable.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2024/sep/06/grenfell-the-lies-and-greed-exposed-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p><a href="https://x.com/maxrushden">Max Rushden</a> is joined by <a href="https://x.com/bglendenning">Barry Glendenning</a>, <a href="https://x.com/larssivertsen">Lars Sivertsen</a> and <a href="https://x.com/marklangdon">Mark Langdon</a> to discuss Aston Villa’s Champions League ticket prices, Leicester City avoiding a points deduction and the international break</p><p><strong>Rate, review, share on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/football-weekly-the-guardian/id188674007?mt=2">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/guardianfootballweekly">Soundcloud</a>, <a href="https://audioboom.com/channel/football-weekly">Audioboom</a>, <a href="https://www.mixcloud.com/guardianfootballweekly/">Mixcloud</a>, <a href="https://www.acast.com/footballweekly">Acast</a> and <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/guardianuk/football-weekly">Stitcher</a>, and join the conversation on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GuardianPodcasts/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/guardianaudio">Twitter</a> and <a href="mailto:footballweekly@theguardian.com">email</a>.</strong></p><p>On the podcast today: Aston Villa have announced the ticket prices for their home Champions League games and fans are justifiably angry – the club claim they have to do it to comply with PSR; the panel disagree.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/audio/2024/sep/05/aston-villa-ticket-prices-and-leicester-great-psr-escape-football-weekly-extra-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong>Toronto film festival:</strong> an empty-headed attempt to give the star her version of The Wrestler is a regrettable misfire</p><p>The desire to see Pamela Anderson receive her flowers after being mistreated and denigrated by numerous parties – from the media to men in the industry to most recently Hulu – is strong enough to initially outweigh other concerns over her big-screen comeback. Even framing it as such feels like an understatement, the star having never received anything like the dramatic lead she’s been given in Vegas-set character drama The Last Showgirl. It’s a genuinely huge moment for Anderson after regaining control of her narrative with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/may/09/pamela-anderson-chicago-broadway-roxie-hart">a well-received turn in Chicago on Broadway</a> and a likable Netflix documentary which allowed her to right some wrongs.</p><p>But while goodwill might have propelled her here, to a ritzy Toronto film festival premiere, it can only take her so far. The film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola’s daughter Gia, is wholly unworthy of any hype that might have preceded it, a forgettable, empty trifle at just 85 minutes, failing to give us enough of anything and certainly, sadly, failing to prove Anderson’s mettle as a dramatic actor. It would, inarguably, be a challenge for even the most equipped of performers to make much of TV writer Kate Gersten’s vapid script but it’s truly insurmountable for her. It’s an awkward misjudgment of a performance, the star retreating to the same shticky sitcom excess she used in her short-lived comedy series Stacked, relying on manic overemphasis regardless of the occasion. She just can’t make any of it work and Coppola almost seems aware of this, overstuffing her film with ponderous, dialogue-free scenes of the character looking wistfully off into the distance. Well-shot but dramatically inert, these moments are indicative of the film at large, seeking meaning out of nothingness.</p><p>The Last Showgirl is screening at the Toronto film festival and is seeking distribution</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/the-last-showgirl-pamela-anderson-comeback">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The singer-songwriter shares his most cringeworthy celebrity run-in, his theory about Nick Cave and his love for Real Housewives</p><ul><li>Read more <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/series/10-chaotic-questions">10 Chaotic Questions</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/newsletters/2019/oct/18/saved-for-later-sign-up-for-guardian-australias-culture-and-lifestyle-email?CMP=cvau_sfl">Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email</a></li></ul><p><strong>When did you first realise you might be becoming a bit famous?</strong></p><p>Fame is a weird one because it happens in so many stages. I remember I used to busk in Bondi Junction when I was probably nine years old, and my grandmother angrily called me one night, and said, “Mrs Trachtenberg saw you begging in Bondi Junction!” That was my first taste of fame – realising how your reputation precedes you, and that there’s accountability and misunderstanding and incomprehensible sort of stuff.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/newsletters/2019/oct/18/saved-for-later-sign-up-for-guardian-australias-culture-and-lifestyle-email?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/article/2024/sep/08/ben-lee-celebrity-run-in-jerry-seinfeld-interview-australia-tour">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong>Toronto film festival:</strong> there are two excellent performances at the centre of a time-hopping romance that tackles well-trodden ground with maturity</p><p>There was a warm late summer surprise to be had with last month’s surprisingly thoughtful and tender adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s supermarket bestseller <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/aug/07/it-ends-with-us-review-blake-lively-colleen-hover">It Ends With Us</a>. It was a proud and powerful resurrection of the sort of glossy melodrama that had grown terribly unfashionable, mostly demoted to the small screen and almost always the subject of easy derision. Its shock commercial success (nearing $300m globally) will undoubtedly lead to more but already, premiering weeks later at the Toronto film festival, we have another heart-over-head weepie in We Live in Time, a smart and sensitive crowd-pleaser that should prove similarly irresistible to an impassioned yet underserved audience.</p><p>There’s also a touch of the golden era Working Title romcom here, before that formula became harder to love and easier to parody. It’s a tale of attractive, sweary Londoners flirting and falling in love but here they’re also grappling with some knottier, less cosy issues. It’s no spoiler, given both the trailer and the film’s time-jumping structure flitting back and forth, that it’s also about late-stage cancer, a development that has become something of a red flag given the rote nature of many disease-of-the-week dramas. But Irish stage and screen director John Crowley, who found his biggest success with 2015’s Brooklyn, has found a way to breathe life into a film about death, not aiming for wheel reinvention exactly but confidently relying on the power of big, honest emotions and two A-game stars who can easily sell them.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/we-live-in-time-review-andrew-garfield-florence-pugh-weepie">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The Pulitzer prize winner on uniting Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton in her new novel, her unfathomable dreams, and how she went from ‘blabbermouth’ to writer</p><p>Pulitzer prize winner <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/elizabeth-strout">Elizabeth Strout</a>, 68, has wooed readers and critics alike with a string of bestselling novels set in Maine, where she grew up and now mostly lives. Her latest, <em>Tell Me Everything</em>, unites two recurring protagonists from recent books – self-effacing author Lucy Barton and abrasive nonagenarian Olive Kitteridge – with sometime lawyer Bob Burgess, who first appeared in her 2013 novel <em>The Burgess Boys</em>, and is now set to be hauled out of semi-retirement by a murder case. As a New England winter finally yields to spring, pathos and dry humour gild tender reflections on loneliness and connection, and the redemptive power of storytelling.</p><p><strong>What made you want to bring all three characters together?<br /></strong>I never ever intend to keep writing about the same people, but it gradually came to me that they are all living nearby. I wanted to get Olive and Lucy together – that was a propelling force. I just thought it would be so much fun, and of course Olive can’t stand her at first. The working title was The Book of Bob because Bob has always intrigued me. He’s such a decent person and doesn’t know that about himself, and I wanted him to come out of semi-retirement and do something big and meaningful.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/07/elizabeth-strout-all-ordinary-people-are-extraordinary-tell-me-everything-novel-olive-kitteridge-lucy-barton">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The man who made bossa nova an international sensation has died at 83, after a 60-year, 35-album career that straddled musical genres</p><p>Bringing Brazilian music to the world and the world to Brazilian music: for decades, this was Sérgio Mendes’s mission and passion.</p><p>The artist <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/06/brazilian-musician-sergio-mendes-dies-aged-83">died on Friday</a> at the age of 83, after a 60-year career that produced more than 35 albums.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/07/sergio-mendes-the-musician-who-left-brazil-to-bring-the-sounds-of-his-country-to-the-world">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The Spanish film-maker on the raw, real life experiences behind his first collection of short stories – and why his mother is his inspiration</p><p>One day when he was nine years old and living in a small Extremaduran town of makeshift adobe houses, steep slate streets and dusty, meagre horizons, Pedro Almodóvar caught his mother out in a lie.</p><p>The family had recently moved south from La Mancha and Francisca Caballero was making ends meet by reading and writing letters for her illiterate neighbours. As he read over his mother’s shoulder, Almodóvar realised the words on the page did not correspond to the words on her lips.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/07/pedro-almodovar-life-needs-fiction-to-make-it-bearable">Continue reading...</a>
<p><strong>May B Wild</strong> was only looking for a ‘Sunday lover’. But in a bike accessories shop she was unexpectedly moved by Chris’s gesture of care</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/newsletters/2019/oct/18/saved-for-later-sign-up-for-guardian-australias-culture-and-lifestyle-email?CMP=cvau_sfl">Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email</a></li></ul><p>My love life has not been straightforward to say the least. I’ve been married – and also divorced. By 2016, I had pretty well given up on men and was happy to live alone with my dog. I was working full-time in Brisbane and busy six days a week. But Sundays were lonely and I decided to get a Sunday lover.</p><p>I created a profile on a dating site and offered a challenge to potential suitors: “I dare you to excite my synapses.” I was hoping to meet a very intelligent man this time.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/08/the-moment-i-knew-he-helped-me-try-on-a-motorbike-helmet-and-i-cried-because-he-showed-such-tenderness">Continue reading...</a>
<p>As trends go, the double-breasted jacket is one of the easiest to try. Get ahead this autumn with our tips on how to wear it </p><p>If you’re looking to add a bit of swag and stature, a double breasted blazer is just the thing. Worn as a full suit, a double-breasted look adds gravitas and feels instantly pulled together. But its usefulness doesn’t stop there. Keep the look feeling modern by following the lead from the runways, where the DBJ was styled not as part of a suit, but thrown over the top of a casual dressed-down outfit. It was spotted on the catwalk at <strong>Amiri</strong> in a heavy tweed worn with metallic trousers and a printed shirt, while at <strong>Dries van Noten</strong> it came oversized in a light lilac. <strong>Wales Bonner</strong>’s camel version sported matt gold buttons and was worn with jeans – see also <strong>Gant</strong>’s preppy styling over a hoodie with denim and trainers (7, below).</p><p>It’s a hit with celebrities, too. <em>Twisters</em> star Glen Powell chose a green double-breasted suit for the LA premiere. Naturally, DB himself (Mr Beckham) is a fan of the style, opting for a brown check version for a recent photocall with King Charles (also a loyal advocate of the cut).</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/article/2024/sep/07/seeing-double-the-new-seasons-most-useful-suit-jacket">Continue reading...</a>
<p>A belter of a brunch sandwich with melted cheese, tuna mayo, fried spuds and harissa tapenade, and a take on <em>pasta con le sarde</em> with mackerel, za’atar and lime</p><p>Good-quality oily fish, packed in (even more) oil and preserved in a jar or tin: in my book, that’s the pantry staple gift that keeps on giving. It’s a readymade snack or meal – simply pile it on to toast and apply free rein to the condiments – or the ultimate way to bulk up other pantry staples such as pasta. It’s the ultimate meal for one or, if your shelves are well stocked, for two, three or four. The back-to-uni (or school or work) checklist: keys, wallet, phone, tinned fish. Own it!</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/article/2024/sep/07/yotam-ottolenghi-tinned-fish-recipes-students-tuna-toastie-mackerel-linguine">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Emi, 26, a trainee human rights lawyer, meets Hari, 26, a sports analyst</p><p><strong>What were you hoping for?</strong><br /> Someone to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/oct/06/everywhere-there-is-a-whiff-of-the-wild-walking-londons-capital-ring">walk London’s Capital Ring</a> with. Failing that, a free dinner.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/07/blind-date-emi-hari">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Ellen and Santiago have a long-distance marriage, so stoke the flames of their relationship remotely</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/sep/08/would-you-and-your-sexual-partner-like-to-share-the-story-of-what-you-get-up-to-in-the-bedroom">How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously</a></strong></p><p>I was initially against monogamy, but I realised that being exclusive brings us closer</p><p>My sex life is satisfying – maybe that would be different if I didn’t feel comfortable masturbating</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/07/this-is-how-we-do-it-we-have-phone-sex-once-a-month-and-it-feels-primal">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Sabbaticals are now a top workplace trend, but before you take the plunge, here it what you need to consider</p><p>Maybe you can put it down as another post-Covid trend, such as working from home, but it’s clear something is going on. People working for a range of employers are increasingly hoping to take sabbaticals or extended time off, with many keen to improve their work-life balance by exploring the world for several weeks, several months or a year or more.</p><p>Surveys and articles have talked about the rise of the “middle-aged gap year”: AKA the “midlife gap year“; the “grey gap year”; and the “golden gap year”. The trend is fuelled by workers aged 50-plus who are often “empty nesters”, have paid off the mortgage and are keen to get off the hamster wheel for a bit, in spite of the cost.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/article/2024/sep/07/golden-gap-year-how-to-make-a-midlife-break-work-sabbatical">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We are looking to speak to people who have decided to cut off contact with their parents, or people who have been cut off by their children</p><p>Some data suggests that as many as one in four people are estranged from at least one family member. We are looking to speak to people who have decided to cut off contact with their parents, or people who have been cut off by their children, for a piece about family rifts.</p><p>How long have you been estranged for? How do you feel about it?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/06/tell-us-are-you-estranged-from-your-parents-have-your-children-cut-off-contact-with-you">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We would like to hear about when children are first given mobile phones and how often they use them</p><p>With children returning to school, many parents find themselves debating whether to give them <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/30/apple-android-google-or-retro-whats-the-best-first-phone-to-get-for-your-kids">their first phone</a>. Pressure to do so can come from their own children,their friends at school or other families.</p><p>Whether you are a parent or teacher, we want to hear your experience with children and mobile phone usage. What age did you give your child their first phone and why? Was it a smartphone or dumb phone (one that cannot connect to the internet)?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/03/parents-and-teachers-share-your-experience-with-children-and-mobile-phones">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We want to hear your views on which libraries are important to you and why – and any memories that have stayed with you</p><p>Council-run libraries have been under threat the last couple of years due to cuts in funding. Since 2<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/03/more-than-180-uk-public-libraries-closed-or-handed-to-volunteers-since-2016">016, more than 180 libraries run by councils in the UK have closed or have been given to voluntary groups</a>, according to the BBC.</p><p>For Jack Reacher author, Lee Child, libraries should not be closed as they provide a place of reading and learning for many people. Child added that fictional character <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/03/jack-reacher-writer-lee-child-childhood-birmingham-libraries">Jack Reacher would not exist without Birmingham’s libraries</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/03/share-your-experience-of-how-libraries-shaped-your-life">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We would like to hear what you’ve loved about watching the Paralympics take place in Paris</p><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/paralympics">17th Paralympic games</a> are underway in Paris. We would like to hear what your favourite moment of the games has been so far – whether it’s a particular performance from the opening ceremony, or a memorable highlight. Tell us all about it below.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/03/tell-us-about-your-favourite-paris-paralympics-moment-so-far">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Eldest son Lachlan may want to repay Rupert for bid to hand him full control by protecting UK newspaper empire</p><p>Getting into property is considered to be Lachlan Murdoch’s shrewdest and most profitable contribution to building the family empire.</p><p>Shortly after the turn of the century, Rupert Murdoch’s eldest son persuaded News Corporation to take a 44% stake in REA Group, the owner of Australia’s realestate.com.au property website.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/06/murdochs-uk-property-site-rightmove-lachlan-rupert">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Prime ministers, television presenters, journalists, MPs and political staffers all feature in the court transcript of the Perth trial</p><ul><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p>What started as a defamation case between <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/article/2024/sep/05/linda-reynolds-brittany-higgins-defamation-trial-verdict-ntwnfb">a senator and an alleged sexual assault victim</a> ballooned into a who’s who of Australian politics and media.</p><p>Prime ministers, television presenters, journalists, members of parliament and political staffers featured in the court transcript in the Perth trial that pitted Senator Linda Reynolds against her former staffer Brittany Higgins, over social media posts the ex-minister claims damaged her reputation.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/article/2024/sep/07/linda-reynolds-v-brittany-higgins-defamation-trial-verdict-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Siberian kitten at No 10 may get frosty reception from chief mouser Larry, who took on George Osborne’s cat, Freya</p><p>On the face of it, the kitten that joined Keir Starmer’s family appears to have had a peaceful first week at an address where feline and human rivals have been known to get their claws out.</p><p>The arrival of the Siberian cat – as yet unnamed in public – was revealed on Monday by the prime minister, who said his children had been pushing for a dog to join them at Downing Street.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/starmer-compromise-new-family-pet-siberian-kitten-dog-like-cat">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The company is seen as crucial not just to local but national wellbeing – and never before have its workers been threatened in their own homeland like this</p><p>‘Earthquake at Volkswagen” ran the stark headline in the <em>Wolfsburger Nachrichten</em>, the newspaper serving the north German city that is synonymous with the carmaker.</p><p>The news that the crisis-stricken company was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/02/volkswagen-vw-germany-plant-closures-cars-electric-vehicles">weighing up the closure of factories in Germany</a> for the first time in its history, and prematurely dissolving its 30-year-old employment protection agreement as part of an attempt to save around €10bn (£8.4bn), had barely filtered through to the workers emerging from Gate 17 at VW’s main factory in Wolfsburg on Monday, where a lone reporter had been dispatched to capture reaction at shift’s end.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/07/an-earthquake-at-volkswagen-and-a-crisis-for-germany">Continue reading...</a>
<p>In 2001, a badly broken body was found in a London car park. Police said the man had tried to enter the UK by hiding in a plane’s landing gear. Two decades after the Guardian first told his tragic story, there was an unexpected twist</p><p>Twenty-three years ago this summer, on a bright early June morning in south-west London, a staff member on her way to work at the Richmond branch of Homebase came across the body of a man who had died in the most brutal and traumatic manner.</p><p>His body was lying on the tarmac just inside the DIY superstore’s car park, a tangle of broken limbs in black jeans and a black T-shirt. His skull had smashed and his brain matter was splattered distressingly across a parked car.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/the-man-who-fell-from-plane-brother-who-retraced-his-journey">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Mendes, who popularised bossa nova among global audiences in the 1960s, had been suffering from the effects of long-term Covid, his family said</p><p>The Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes, who brought bossa nova to an international audience in the 1960s with his band Brasil ’66, has died aged 83 as a result of health challenges related to long-term Covid.</p><p>In a statement, Mendes’s family said he “passed away peacefully” in his home town of Los Angeles. “His wife and musical partner for the past 54 years, Gracinha Leporace Mendes, was by his side, as were his loving children. Mendes last performed in November 2023 to sold out and wildly enthusiastic houses in Paris, London and Barcelona,” they said. “For the last several months, his health had been challenged by the effects of long-term Covid.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/06/brazilian-musician-sergio-mendes-dies-aged-83">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Experts are issuing stern warnings about business support for Trump – it could backfire badly and endanger democracy</p><p>From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, a growing number of billionaires, tech titans and venture capitalists are backing Donald Trump’s campaign for president, among them Stephen Schwarzman, chairman of Blackstone, the world’s largest private-equity fund, Steve Wynn, the casino tycoon, Bill Ackman, the hedge fund manager, and Marc Andreessen, a leading venture capitalist.</p><p>But many business school professors and historians are issuing stern warnings about this business support for Trump, saying that backing him could backfire badly for business and endanger America’s democracy. These professors caution that corporate America – along with everyone else – should be hugely concerned about a candidate who has talked of being a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hannity-dictator-authoritarian-presidential-election-f27e7e9d7c13fabbe3ae7dd7f1235c72">dictator on day one</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/04/us/politics/trump-constitution-republicans.html">terminating the constitution</a>, and weaponizing the justice department to exact revenge against his critics.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/06/trump-billionaires-2024-campaign">Continue reading...</a>
<p>He says that acting is a gamble – but is a dead cert to terrify audiences with new film Speak No Evil. The Scottish actor talks about marriage, therapy – and why Ken Loach would never cast him</p><p>He is a funny character, James McAvoy. I meet him in one of those fancy Soho hotels where the cast of films that are about to be massive assemble so they can all be interviewed on the same day. And McAvoy’s new psychological thriller, Speak No Evil, will be massive. A remake of <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/speak-no-evil-movie-review-2022">the 2022 Danish original</a>, it is just as terrifying, with one difference.</p><p>McAvoy, 45, is personable and urbane. He is wearing a suit, but looks like a guy who changes into cargo shorts as soon as he gets home. “I’m really lucky in a lot of ways, mainly that my granny’s all over me,” he says. “I’ve definitely got a large dose of what she has.” His parents divorced when he was 11, and his mother was ill, so he went to live with his grandparents in Drumchapel, Glasgow. Later, considering class, he describes his childhood tangentially, talking about why Ken Loach would never cast him. “I’m too much of an actor. And I’m, like: ‘I grew up on the council estate you shot half your films on!’ But I’m too much of an actor.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/06/ive-failed-badly-and-im-good-with-it-james-mcavoy-on-class-comfort-and-carnage">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Parents and campaigners have called on education and health authorities to end the practice of requiring children to strip off for school health checks</p><p>“My chest was completely exposed and I felt embarrassed,” writes a Japanese girl after undergoing an annual health checkup at her middle school. Another says: “Before the exam our teacher told us we would have to lift up our tops and bra … I didn’t want to do it but I couldn’t say no.”</p><p>The testimony from two 13-year-olds, seen by the Guardian, is typical of the discomfort – and in some cases trauma – felt by children attending schools in Japan that can require boys and girls as young as five – and as old as 18 – to strip to the waist during health examinations.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/japanese-schools-topless-health-checks-checkups-japan-school-student-medical-exams">Continue reading...</a>
<p>For almost a century, opponents have removed the ‘ic’ from ‘Democratic’. Is it doing them any good?</p><p>The Democratic party? Robert F Kennedy Jr’s never heard of it.</p><p>On Tuesday, the former presidential candidate issued his latest condemnation of the “Democrat party”, endorsing a bizarre linguistic tradition among haters of the institution. As Donald Trump <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-make-america-great-again-rally-great-falls-montana">told a rally</a> in 2018: “I call it the Democrat party. It sounds better rhetorically.” By “better”, of course, he meant “worse”, as he explained the next year: he <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-democrat-party-trump-needles-the-opposition-by-truncating-its-name/2019/03/06/a1a3e3dc-3f6b-11e9-922c-64d6b7840b82_story.html">prefers to say</a> “the ‘Democrat party’ because it doesn’t sound good”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/05/democrat-party-republicans">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Activists against diversity, equity and inclusion feel the 6-3 conservative majority will aid workplace lawsuits</p><p>Days after the US supreme court ruled affirmative action in college admissions unconstitutional, the legal activist behind the big win for conservatives called the ruling “the end of the beginning”.</p><p>“This issue of race and ethnicity in our public lives is not going to go away,” Edward Blum <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/08/us/edward-blum-affirmative-action-race.html">told</a> the New York Times in July 2023. “All of these preferences, whether it’s in the employment arena, contracting arena, internships – all of that I think will be energized by this supreme court opinion. And we’re blessed to have this supreme court opinion.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/article/2024/sep/06/dei-affirmative-action-lawsuits">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The problem: a fence that protects eastern quolls threatens long-necked turtles in Booderee national park at Jervis Bay. The solution? Turtle tunnels. Nine water-filled tunnels were built beneath a 82-hectare fence that surrounds the botanic gardens which keep out feral predators, providing a safe passage for the reptiles to go between watering holes. Over a period of 123 days, conservationists recorded 73 successful instances of the turtles using the tunnels</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/04/australian-threatened-wildlife-list-waratah-leaf-tailed-gecko-added"><strong>‘A symbol of our nation’: waratah among 20 more species added to Australia’s threatened wildlife list</strong></a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2024/sep/08/new-tunnels-allow-turtles-to-migrate-while-keeping-foxes-at-bay-video">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Thousands of people took to the streets in France on Saturday to protest against Emmanuel Macron’s appointment of the centre-right Michel Barnier as prime minister, with leftwing parties accusing the president of stealing legislative elections</p><p></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/thousands-protest-france-emmanuel-macron-michel-barnier">Thousands protest across France over Michel Barnier appointment as PM</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2024/sep/07/thousands-protest-in-paris-against-appointment-michel-barnier-pm-video">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft landed in a New Mexico desert late on Friday, months after its original departure date and without the two astronauts it carried when it launched in early June. The spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere around 11pm ET. The Nasa astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were supposed to fly the spacecraft back to Earth, remained at the International Space Station due to faults with the Starliner</p><p></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/sep/06/boeing-starliner-iss">Boeing’s Starliner lands on Earth – without its astronauts</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2024/sep/07/boeings-starliner-spacecraft-lands-on-earth-without-its-crew-video">Continue reading...</a>
<p>What’s really at risk in the 2024 election? Adam Gabbatt cuts through the clutter and guides you through the biggest stories, questions and curiosities in this hugely consequential election. We’ll focus not just on the odds, but the stakes.<br /></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/25/election-newsletter-sign-up-stakes">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Practical advice, expert insights and answers to your questions about how to live a good life</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters">Explore all our newsletters:</a></strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters"> whether you love film, football, fashion or food, we’ve got something for you</a>.</p><p>The Guardian’s newsletters include content from our website, which may be funded by outside parties. Newsletters may also display information about Guardian News and Media’s other products, services or events (such as Guardian Jobs or Masterclasses), chosen charities or online advertisements.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2024/feb/14/well-actually-sign-up-free-weekly-newsletter-about-health-and-wellness">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on soccer from the Guardian’s US home for the global game</p><p>Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on soccer from the Guardian’s US home for the global game.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jul/20/sign-up-for-soccer-with-jonathan-wilson-his-free-weekly-newsletter-on-european-soccer">Continue reading...</a>
<p>With our email newsletter, you’ll get top stories delivered straight to your inbox every morning</p><p>The biggest stories examined, and diverse, independent views - the Guardian Headlines US delivers the best of our journalism from the US edition of the Guardian. Beyond latest headlines, you find sport, lifestyle and culture and our award-winning daily podcast – plus thought-provoking opinion and analysis of the big issues.</p><p><strong>No sign-up button?</strong> Users viewing this page via Google Amp may experience a technical fault. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/2015/dec/08/daily-email-us">Please </a><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/2015/dec/08/daily-email-us">click here</a></strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/2015/dec/08/daily-email-us"> to reload the page on theguardian.com</a> which should correct the problem.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/2015/dec/08/daily-email-uk">The Guardian Headlines - UK edition</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/2015/dec/08/daily-email-au">The Guardian Headlines - Australia edition</a><br /></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/2015/dec/08/daily-email-us">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The preservation of egg shells and nests for study and display has been going on for more than 350 years, and London’s Natural History Museum has one of the most comprehensive collections. Douglas Russell , an NHM senior curator and author of the forthcoming book Interesting Bird Nests and Eggs , explains: “While I sometimes chose familiar species, like the blue tit, I often highlighted lesser-known examples, such as a buff-spotted woodpecker nest built in a termite mound, collected in Cameroon in the early 1900s .” Perhaps the most surprising, he says, is a house sparrow nest built in the exhaust of a RAF helicopter at the beginning of the second Gulf war. “Nests are wonderful time capsules of the habitat the birds were living in at that moment.” </p><ul><li> <a href="https://www.nhmshop.co.uk/interesting-bird-nests-eggs.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqnis99E3s6Vp6PghwaCLm_baBjRa_pYwkXsjPCqzW1JLYpW3tk">Interesting Bird Nests and Eggs is published by the Natural History Museum ( £12.99)</a></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2024/sep/07/in-fine-feather-a-museum-collection-of-birds-eggs-and-nests-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The photographer co-opted hair artist Afro Ele to find the perfect rip curl</p><p>Last year, visual artist Fede Kortez travelled to the west of Ghana to direct a documentary on surfers. His base was Busua Beach, well known for attracting the worldwide surfing community to its swells. Kortez took a day out of the documentary schedule for the shoot, the idea for which he had been ruminating on for more than a year.</p><p>“I wanted to take some boys with their boards and style them up with vibrant hairstyles and cool accessories, with the beach in the background,” he says.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/07/fede-kortez-best-phone-shot">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2024/sep/06/memorial-lights-water-buffalo-photos-of-the-day-friday">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2024/sep/06/week-in-wildlife-pictures-migrating-flamingos-hairy-nosed-wombat-robin">Continue reading...</a>
<p>An incredible collection of photographs documenting the intersection of chess and culture is published by FUEL, in the year FIDE (the International Chess Federation) celebrates its 100th anniversary. Artists, actors, musicians and more all show their love of the most cerebral of games in <a href="https://fuel-design.com/publishing/chess-players/">Chess Players</a>, published in association with World Chess and FIDE.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2024/sep/06/chess-players-from-orbiting-cosmonauts-to-the-wu-tang-clan-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The third edition of <a href="https://www.yeastphotofestival.it/">Yeast</a> looks at how human food consumption and production affects the social sphere and contributes to climate catastrophe</p><p><strong>• </strong><a href="https://www.yeastphotofestival.it/">Yeast photo festival: From Planet to Plate, is in Matino and Salento, Italy, from 19 September to 3 November</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2024/sep/06/yeast-photo-festival-food-production-environment-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/jennifer-smith-richards">Jennifer Smith Richards</a> and <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/jodi-cohen">Jodi S. Cohen</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/dispatches?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=local">Sign up for Dispatches</a>, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week.</p> <p>An Illinois school district that had the nation’s highest student arrest rate has agreed to change its disciplinary practices and provide help to those who missed class time while being punished.</p> <p>The agreement with the U.S. Department of Education will end a federal civil rights investigation into the Four Rivers Special Education District that was launched following <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/students-police-arrests-illinois-garrison-school">a 2022 ProPublica and Chicago Tribune investigation</a> that found the district turned to police with stunning frequency to discipline students with disabilities.</p> <p><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25100310-us-department-of-education-four-rivers-special-education-district-agreement">Under the deal</a>, students who were referred to police or sent to a “crisis room” multiple times during the past three academic years could be eligible for services including tutoring, counseling or remedial education.</p> <p>Four Rivers operates one public school: the Garrison School, in west-central Illinois, for students in an eight-county area of the state who have severe emotional and behavioral disabilities; some also have autism or ADHD.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-educations-office-civil-rights-announces-resolution-compliance-review-disciplinary-practices-students-disabilities-four-rivers-special-education-district-illinois">In announcing the agreement on Thursday</a>, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights said it found that despite claiming to be a “supportive” school, Garrison routinely sent students to police for noncriminal conduct that could have been related to their disabilities — something explicitly prohibited by federal law.</p> <p>In the 2021-22 school year, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25100316-us-department-of-education-resolution-letter-to-the-four-rivers-special-education-district">investigators found</a> that students were sent to police 96 times — more than the total number of students enrolled that year — for reasons including “noncompliance,” “disruption,” “inappropriate language” and violating a phone policy. Students also “spent extensive time out of the classroom” even when police weren’t involved; one student was sent to a “crisis room” 143 times in one school year and spent four hours and 20 minutes there one day.</p> <p>Under the agreement, Garrison employees should no longer call police for behaviors that a specialized school like Garrison “should be fully equipped to manage,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon said in a written statement.</p> <p>By Dec. 20, the school must meet about students who were sent to police or to the school’s seclusion room during the past three school years to determine whether they should be given additional services for what they missed and the harm they suffered. Those services would have to be provided within six months of the meeting, according to the agreement.</p> <p>Four Rivers Director Tracey Fair did not comment on the agreement or respond to questions from ProPublica about plans to help students going forward. She previously told the Tribune and ProPublica that administrators call police only when students are being physically aggressive or in response to “ongoing” misbehavior. Fair signed the civil-rights agreement on Tuesday.</p> <p>The agreement also requires the district to develop new policies governing when to use its crisis rooms — described by the Education Department as two bare rooms with cinderblock walls and tile floors — and provide those to the agency within 30 days. Additionally, the district will need to keep detailed documentation every time students are sent to police and provide training to all staff, including on when the use of law enforcement or a crisis room could violate federal law.</p> <p>The ProPublica-Tribune investigation found school administrators had called the police to report student misbehavior every other school day, on average, for years. When police were brought to the school, staff members then regularly pressed charges against the students — some as young as 9.</p> <p>Officers typically handcuffed students and took them to the Jacksonville police station, where they were fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a holding cell. The local newspaper in Jacksonville then printed a brief description of the arrest in its police blotter.</p> (Jacksonville Journal-Courier) <p>During the 2017-18 school year, half of all Garrison students were arrested. No school district in the country that year had a higher student arrest rate, according to federal data.</p> <p>Olga Pribyl, who oversees the special-education law division of Equip for Equality, called the agreement “a wake-up call” that the school should be focused on training staff to help students avoid crisis situations. The group is the federally appointed watchdog for people with disabilities in Illinois.</p> <p>“They should’ve been complying with the law, that’s the bottom line, and they weren’t,” she said. She said that, at a minimum, all students who were sent to police or put in the seclusion room should be offered counseling.</p> <p>“There’s trauma involved whenever these types of restrictive practices are used on students and especially if they’re used frequently,” Pribyl said.</p> <p>A mother named Lena, who pulled two of her children from Garrison, said she won’t seek help from the school even though her sons would be eligible under the new agreement. One of her sons was arrested at school.</p> <p>“For people who are going to go there in the future or going there now, that’s great,” Lena said. (ProPublica and the Tribune are not including her last name to protect the privacy of her children.) “But for the kids whose lives have been altered completely, that doesn’t do any good.</p> <p>“You are asking somebody to take their kid back to the place that harmed them.”</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/rob-davis-2">Rob Davis</a>, ProPublica, and <span class="name">Matthew Kish</span>, <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/">The Oregonian/OregonLive</a> </p> <p>This article was produced in partnership with <a href="https://oregonlive.com">The Oregonian/OregonLive</a>. Sign up for<a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/dispatches"> Dispatches</a> to get stories like this one as soon as they are published.</p> <p>When Nike’s shareholders convene in a virtual meeting room on Tuesday, they will hear from dissatisfied investors who hope to shift the company’s approach to climate change, gender equity and labor rights using one of the only tools they have: transparency.</p> <p>They’re offering a record number of proposals to make the company investigate the problems they perceive and report the results publicly.</p> <p>But if history is any guide, none of the investors’ proposals will pass.</p> <p>Every one of the 18 Nike shareholder proposals to reach a vote since at least 1996 has been rejected, according to news archives and securities filings reviewed by ProPublica and The Oregonian/OregonLive. As in past meetings, Nike’s board of directors — the majority of whom are selected by a holding company for co-founder Phil Knight’s stock — opposes this year’s measures.</p> <p>The demands being made of Nike come from investment funds whose customers wish to back companies that deliver on corporate responsibility, an effort sometimes labeled “environmental, social and governance,” or ESG. Their uphill fight at annual meetings reveals limitations to the influence of shareholder activism on corporate policy.</p> <p>Among the five proposals that Nike investors will decide on are those asking the world’s largest athletic apparel brand to explain its failure to cut carbon emissions and to evaluate ways to improve working conditions in its supply chain.</p> <p>Lisa Hayles of Trillium Asset Management, a Boston-based sustainable investing firm that owned $11.7 million in Nike stock as of June 30, said Trillium and others have been “stonewalled” by Nike on questions about labor rights, including allegations that two of its suppliers owe $2.2 million in unpaid wages at two Asian factories shuttered during the pandemic. Nike has said it’s found no evidence to support the allegations.</p> <p>Hayles said she also wants to know why the company eliminated 20% of its employees working full time on sustainability. The layoffs, first <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/nike-layoffs-sustainability-climate-change">reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive and ProPublica</a>, were part of a broader cost-saving effort but went deeper than cuts of 2% companywide and 7% at Nike’s Oregon headquarters.</p> <p>“It’s very disappointing to see this lack of response, lack of engagement from the company, coupled with what we know about the layoffs and restructuring of the staff working on sustainability,” she said. “It calls into question: What is the company’s commitment?”</p> Get in Touch <p>ProPublica and The Oregonian/OregonLive plan to continue reporting on Nike and its sustainability work, including its overseas operations. Do you have information that we should know? Rob Davis can be reached by email at <a href="mailto:rob.davis@propublica.org">rob.davis@propublica.org</a> and by phone, Signal or WhatsApp at 503-770-0665. Matthew Kish can be reached by email at <a href="mailto:mkish@oregonian.com">mkish@oregonian.com</a>, by phone at 503-221-4386, and on Signal at 971-319-3830.</p> <p>The proposals mainly aim to change Nike’s response to climate change and its handling of women’s and workers’ rights. They also include one from a conservative think tank challenging the company’s support of LGBTQ+ organizations.</p> <p>Nike declined an interview request. The company said in a statement: “We greatly value the opportunity to engage with and solicit feedback from our shareholders, and we believe that maintaining an open dialogue strengthens our approach to corporate governance practices and disclosures.” The company said it did not engage with the conservative think tank.</p> <p>The company’s annual meetings are required by law and play out with scripted precision. Investors elect Nike’s board and have a chance to submit questions to top executives. But they aren’t handed a microphone by someone passing through the audience. Unlike meetings of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which draw thousands of people to Omaha, Nebraska, Nike’s meetings are virtual and succinct. Last year’s finished in under 41 minutes.</p> <p>The activists have to make their case quickly. A two-minute, 58-second audio clip by one activist shareholder group in 2023 appeared to have been edited to remove pauses between sentences. It finished playing just seconds before the polls closed for shareholder voting.</p> <p>An individual or investment group needs to own only $25,000 in company stock to file a shareholder proposal. For longer-term shareholders, that threshold drops to $2,000, which is roughly 25 shares of Nike. The company is worth about $120 billion.</p> <p>Investors possess few other ways to force changes at publicly traded companies. The federal Securities and Exchange Commission does not permit investors to micromanage. They can’t require a company to pay men and women the same. But they can try to compel it to say whether it does. Even when investor-led proposals don’t advance, activists say, a public airing of concerns can sometimes spark impact.</p> <p>In 2018, after The Wall Street Journal and others reported on allegations about a boys’ club culture at Nike, representatives of Trillium asked the company to set diversity goals. Trillium withdrew the proposal after Nike committed to engaging and subsequently announced additional plans to increase the representation of women in its global workforce. (The company <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2024/08/sweeping-nike-gender-lawsuit-ready-for-trial-judge-writes-chiding-both-sides-for-incendiary-conduct.html">faces a sweeping lawsuit</a>, filed in the wake of the 2018 news coverage, from female employees alleging gender discrimination; the company has denied the allegations in court filings.)</p> <p>Trium Sustainable Innovators, a London-based fund, is behind the proposal asking Nike to explain its record on climate change. The investors want Nike to study and report on why it missed many of its 2020 climate targets and subsequently abandoned some of the metrics. Nike hasn’t seen its emissions budge in the past decade, despite promises to sharply reduce them.</p> <p>Pointing to Nike statements that consumer preference and marketplace demand drove the 2020 misses, Trium’s proposal says Nike appears “to absolve itself of responsibility” and could have influenced demand through pricing, supply volume and product visibility.</p> <p>“They will need to pay for carbon emissions one way or another,” Raphael Pitoun, a Trium portfolio manager, said in an interview. “Being so slow in carbon transition is a mistake.”</p> <p>Pitoun did not specify how much Nike stock Trium owns but put the investment fund’s stake at “a few million dollars.”</p> <p>Trium wrote three letters to Nike in 2023, then filed the shareholder proposal after the investors said they did not get answers to their questions, including on a call with Nike. Pitoun described the shareholder proposal as the last step in a two-year escalation process.</p> <p>Nike, for its part, said the report Trium wants would be duplicative, writing in a securities filing that while it is now working toward achieving its 2025 targets, it is “also striving to do more.”</p> <p>Two groups that advise institutional investors on how to vote on shareholder proposals, Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services, recommended approving the climate proposal. ISS also recommended a yes vote on a proposed study of gender- and race-based pay gaps at Nike.</p> <p>The climate proposal and the Trillium labor proposal also got a boost on Thursday after <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-wealth-fund-vote-against-nike-shareholder-proposal-evaluating-human-2024-09-05/">Reuters reported</a> that Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, which owns a $1.05 billion Nike stake, is backing them. The fund is Nike’s ninth-largest investor, according to the report.</p> <p>While proposals like the ones facing Nike this month have grown more common in American business, they continue to face long odds, said Douglas Chia, president of Soundboard Governance and a former corporate secretary of Johnson & Johnson.</p> <p>Chia, who also teaches at Rutgers Law School, said of Nike: “Companies where founders, someone like a Phil Knight, own a huge chunk, it’s very difficult.”</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/jake-pearson">Jake Pearson</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/the-big-story?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=national">our biggest stories</a> as soon as they’re published.</p> <p>A New York judge has ordered one of the city’s most prominent guardianship companies to return thousands of dollars to an elderly woman for the court-mandated care and oversight it failed to provide her.</p> <p>Supreme Court Justice Lee Mayersohn wrote in an Aug. 8 decision that the company, New York Guardianship Services, billed Judith Zbiegniewicz monthly but provided “minimal services, if any” for years, including at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.</p> <p>During that time, Zbiegniewicz, who was living under guardianship for depression and anxiety, said she and her husband spent a night on the streets, moved into a city shelter and finally found affordable housing on their own. </p> <p>Zbiegniewicz and her <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/how-one-woman-endured-decade-neglect-new-york-guardianship">decade-long journey through the state’s broken guardianship system</a> were the subject of a ProPublica investigation earlier this year. The reporting showed how that system, which is plagued by chronic delays, lax regulation and minimal oversight, has failed to protect thousands of aging and sick New Yorkers who judges have declared incapable of managing their own affairs.</p> <p>The people most affected are poor wards like Zbiegniewicz who have no friends or family willing to look after them — a group dubbed “the unbefriended” in industry parlance. To care for this group, the city relies on a network of nonprofits. New York Guardianship Services represented itself as one such group and was assigned by the court to be Zbiegniewicz’s guardian.</p> <p>Despite its representations, NYGS, which serves hundreds of wards, is not actually registered as a nonprofit with state and federal authorities, ProPublica found.</p> <p>For roughly a decade, the company paid itself from Zbiegniewicz’s bank account, even as she complained about deteriorating living conditions. The problems that she described — living with bedbugs, rats and no heat — persisted for years, and NYGS did little or nothing to fix them while it collected monthly stipends from her limited funds. She said that she eventually tried to reach Mayersohn to flag the neglect and hold NYGS accountable but that her attempts were unsuccessful. The judge’s secretary, she said, simply referred her calls back to the guardianship company.</p> <p>That changed in June though, after Zbiegniewicz attended a hearing to formally dispute NYGS’ accounting — protests she had previously articulated in a letter to the judge. During a court appearance, she complained to Mayersohn about her time as a ward of NYGS. She said she told him that there was “no excuse for what they put me through.” </p> <p>Mayersohn’s decision, informed by that hearing, requires the company to return $5,400 to Zbiegniewicz for some of the fees it took between January 2019 and July 2022, a stretch in which she effectively lived on her own outside the guardianship.</p> <p>The order separately requires the bank that owned the rat-and-bedbug-infested Queens home where NYGS placed Zbiegniewicz to honor a prior housing court settlement, which it has yet to pay. Under the deal, the bank owes Zbiegniewicz $5,000. If it doesn’t pay, she can seek to reclaim the money in court, though Zbiegniewicz said she was skeptical that the effort and cost of doing so would be worth it. An attorney for the bank didn’t respond to a message seeking comment.</p> <p>In an interview, Zbiegniewicz said that she was pleased with the ruling, but that she was more happy that Mayersohn finally heard directly from her. She also said that she wanted NYGS to be held to account for its actions. </p> <p>“I got some kind of justice, but the justice would be if they would be taken out of guardianships completely because they do not do anything for the people,” she said.</p> <p>As part of its reporting, ProPublica identified more than a dozen cases like Zbiegniewicz’s in which <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/new-york-guardianship-services-care-sick-elderly-confused-alone">NYGS failed to meet the needs of those entrusted to its care</a>. In one case, a woman who’d had two strokes was placed in a nursing home where she was left to sit in soiled diapers, a family member said. In another case, the company continued to collect payments for a man’s care even after he left the country and later died.</p> <p>Brothers Sam and David Blau, who run NYGS, and a lawyer for the group did not respond to an email seeking comment on the judge’s decision. In response to ProPublica’s previous reporting, Sam Blau, the group’s chief financial officer, said that “we are accountable to the Court” and emphasized that the group’s financial paperwork was scrutinized by examiners who had the power to raise issues. He called the reporting “misguided, without full and proper context, filled with omissions and less than accurate information” but wouldn’t specify what his concerns were when asked. He declined to comment on any specific cases.</p> <p>Zbiegniewicz credited ProPublica’s investigation for the judge’s action in her case — an uncommon occurrence in New York’s troubled guardianship system. But she also noted it took years of sustained protest on her part, a level of persistence that many ailing and elderly New Yorkers in guardianship cannot manage.</p> <p>“I’ve done what I could, I feel good about it, the judge heard, you wrote things,” she said. “Maybe somebody will see and maybe somewhere, down the line, somebody will do something about it.”</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/melissa-sanchez">Melissa Sanchez</a> and <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/maryam-jameel">Maryam Jameel</a> </p> <p><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/justicia-policia-idioma-inmigrantes-wisconsin">Leer en español.</a></p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/dispatches?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=local">Sign up for Dispatches</a>, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week.</p> <p>The Dane County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin has agreed to make a series of reforms meant to ensure that residents who speak little or no English can get the services they need.</p> <p>The agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice resolves a civil rights inquiry that followed <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/wisconsin-dairy-farm-jefferson-rodriguez">ProPublica reporting</a> last year on how the sheriff’s office had mistakenly blamed an immigrant worker for his son’s 2019 death on a dairy farm. The reporting revealed that a language barrier between the worker and a sheriff’s deputy had led to the misunderstanding.</p> <p>Under the Civil Rights Act, agencies that receive federal funding, such as the sheriff’s office in Dane County, cannot discriminate against people because of their country of origin or ability to speak English. The Justice Department said that there was no finding of discrimination against the sheriff’s office and that it “fully cooperated” with the inquiry.</p> <p>As <a href="https://www.lep.gov/sites/lep/files/media/document/2024-09/Dane-County-MOU-Final.pdf">part of the agreement</a>, which was signed over the past week, Dane County says it will finalize a language access policy that includes staff training, quality controls and outreach initiatives, and will undergo a period of departmental monitoring. The new policy — which has been in progress for months — will set standards on when deputies can use children, bystanders and tools such as Google Translate to communicate with non-English speakers. It also creates a process to ensure that, after an emergency situation is over, deputies can confirm the accuracy of information that was gathered via unqualified interpreters.</p> <p>José María Rodríguez Uriarte, the father of the dead boy, said he was relieved to learn of the agreement.</p> <p>“I think this will really put pressure on police to obtain clearer translations when they can’t understand a person,” he told ProPublica in Spanish. “A lot of us get into a panic when we’re pulled over by the police or when something happens because of the language issue; we don’t know if officers are truly there to help us or, on the contrary, to harm us. So this is a good thing.”</p> <p>ProPublica’s reporting had found that a different worker had accidentally killed Rodríguez’s son, a precocious 8-year-old named Jefferson. That worker told ProPublica that it was his first day on the job and that he’d received little training before operating a skid steer, a large piece of equipment used on the farm to scrape up cow manure; he said he wasn’t aware the boy was behind him when he put the machine in reverse.</p> <p>Deputies never interviewed the man, who like the boy’s father was a recent immigrant from Nicaragua and didn’t speak English. A deputy on the scene who considered herself proficient in Spanish interviewed Rodríguez, but she made a grammatical mistake that led her to misunderstand his account of what actually happened.</p> <p>In a statement, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said his office is committed to equality and inclusion. “By proactively addressing language barriers, we are fostering a more connected community where everyone can fully participate,” he said. Last week, the department <a href="https://danesheriff.com/Language-Access">posted a page on its website</a> about its efforts to improve language access and included the material in six languages, including English, Spanish and Hmong.</p> <p>The agreement is part of a Justice Department initiative intended to help law enforcement agencies overcome language barriers to better serve communities and keep officers safe.</p> <p>“To serve and protect all communities in the United States, our state and local law enforcement agencies must be able to communicate effectively with crime victims, witnesses, and other members of the public who do not speak fluent English,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-secures-language-access-agreement-dane-county-wisconsin-sheriffs-office">in a statement</a>.</p> <p>The story of what happened to Jefferson brought unprecedented attention to the plight of the mostly undocumented immigrant workers who milk cows and shovel manure in America’s Dairyland. Local and state officials <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/wisconsin-dairy-farm-jefferson-rodriguez-settlement-language">began calling for reforms</a>. In the months after ProPublica’s investigation was published, county officials <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/wisconsin-dane-county-immigrant-housing-dairy-farms">allocated $8 million to create new housing</a> for farmworkers and established a countywide coordinator position to help all departments implement language access plans and engage community members with limited English proficiency. Jefferson’s parents also <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/wisconsin-dairy-farm-jefferson-rodriguez-settlement-language">reached a settlement</a> with the farm where he died and its insurance company, neither of which admitted wrongdoing. The case had been scheduled for trial but was resolved weeks after the story was published.</p> <p>Since his son’s death, Rodríguez has been working on another dairy farm in the area. He said he hopes to return to Nicaragua in December to be reunited with his remaining son, Jefferson’s younger brother, Yefari. The boy is now one year older than Jefferson was when he died.</p> <p> <strong><a href="https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/help-propublica-reporters-investigate-the-immigration-system">Help ProPublica Reporters Investigate the Immigration System</a></strong> </p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/andy-kroll">Andy Kroll</a>, ProPublica, and <a class="name" href="https://documented.net/author/nick-surgey">Nick Surgey</a>, <a href="https://documented.net/">Documented</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/the-big-story?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=national">our biggest stories</a> as soon as they’re published.</p> <p>Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, privately heaped praise on a major religious-rights group for fighting efforts to reform the nation’s highest court — efforts sparked, in large part, by her husband’s ethical lapses.</p> <p>Thomas expressed her appreciation in an email sent to <a href="https://firstliberty.org/team/kelly-shackelford/">Kelly Shackelford</a>, an influential litigator whose clients have won cases at the Supreme Court. Shackelford runs the <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/751403169">First Liberty Institute, a $25 million-a-year organization</a> that describes itself as “the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated <em>exclusively</em> to defending religious liberty for all Americans.”</p> <p>Shackelford read Thomas’ email aloud on a July 31 private call with his group’s top donors.</p> <p>Thomas wrote that First Liberty’s opposition to court-reform proposals gave a boost to certain judges. According to Shackelford, Thomas wrote in all caps: “YOU GUYS HAVE FILLED THE SAILS OF MANY JUDGES. CAN I JUST TELL YOU, THANK YOU SO, SO, SO MUCH.”</p> <p>Shackelford said he saw Thomas’ support as evidence that judges, who “can’t go out into the political sphere and fight,” were thankful for First Liberty’s work to block Supreme Court reform. “It’s neat that, you know, those of you on the call are a part of protecting the future of our court, and they really appreciate it,” he said.</p> Recording of a July 31 call between First Liberty Institute leadership and donors to the organization (Obtained by ProPublica and Documented) <p>On the same call, Shackelford attacked Justice Elena Kagan as “treasonous” and “disloyal” after she <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/25/supreme-court-kagan-ethics-code-reform/">endorsed an enforcement mechanism</a> for the court’s newly adopted ethics code in a recent public appearance. He said that such an ethics code would “destroy the independence of the judiciary.” (This past weekend, Justice <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/ketanji-brown-jackson-open-enforceable-ethics-code-rcna169149">Ketanji Brown Jackson said she too was open to an enforceable ethics code</a> for the Supreme Court.) </p> <p>After the call, First Liberty sent a recording of the 45-minute conversation to some of its supporters. ProPublica and Documented obtained that recording.</p> <p>Ginni Thomas did not respond to repeated requests for comment. </p> <p>First Liberty Institute did not directly respond to ProPublica and Documented’s questions about the recording. Hiram Sasser, executive general counsel at First Liberty Institute, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25085500-2024_09_03-hiram-sasser-first-liberty-statement">said in a statement</a>: “First Liberty is extremely alarmed at the Leftist attacks on our democracy and judicial independence and is fighting to bring attention to this dangerous threat. It’s shameful that the political Left seems perfectly fine destroying democracy to achieve the court decisions they favor instead of working through democratic and constitutional means.”</p> <p>The July 31 call led by Shackelford came shortly after President <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/07/29/remarks-by-president-biden-commemorating-the-60th-anniversary-of-the-civil-rights-act-austin-tx/">Joe Biden had announced support for a slate of far-reaching Supreme Court changes</a>. Biden endorsed term limits for justices, a constitutional amendment reversing the court’s recent presidential immunity decision and a binding ethics code for the court’s nine members. Kagan’s comments came before Biden’s. She did not mention any of the structural proposals Biden endorsed.</p> <p>On the donor call, Shackelford voiced strong opposition to various court reform proposals, including the ones floated by Biden, as well as expanding the size of the court. All of these proposals, Shackelford said, were part of “a dangerous attempt to really destroy the court, the Supreme Court.” This effort was led by “people in the progressive, extreme left” who were “upset by just a few cases,” he said.</p> Recording of a July 31 call between First Liberty Institute leadership and donors to the organization (Obtained by ProPublica and Documented) <p>This is not the first time that a spouse of a Supreme Court justice injected themselves into controversial political matters. Ginni Thomas sent dozens of messages after the 2020 election that echoed then-President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud. In <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/24/virginia-thomas-mark-meadows-texts/">messages to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows</a>, Thomas said “Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History” and urged Trump to not concede the election. In <a href="https://documented.net/media/ginni-thomas-emails-to-wi-lawmakers-urging-them-to-overturn-2020-election">emails</a> to Arizona and Wisconsin lawmakers, she <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2022/09/01/ginni-thomas-wisconsin-bernier-tauchen/">pleaded with them to fight back against supposed fraud</a> and send a “clean slate of Electors.” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/us/politics/ginni-thomas-election-trump.html">She later wrote</a>, “The nation’s eyes are on you now. … Please consider what will happen to the nation we all love if you do not stand up and lead.” (<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23559240-transcript-of-ginni-thomas-interview-with-house-january-6-committee">Thomas said</a> in 2022 she regretted sending the inflammatory messages to Meadows.) </p> <p>Martha-Ann Alito, the wife of Justice Samuel Alito, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/16/us/justice-alito-upside-down-flag.html">faced scrutiny for flying an upside-down American flag</a> at the family’s Virginia home — a symbol used by the Stop the Steal movement that claimed the 2020 election had been stolen from Trump. The flag flew outside the Alito home as the Supreme Court was deciding whether to hear a case related to the 2020 election. (Samuel Alito told The New York Times he had no role in flying the flag. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/16/us/justice-alito-upside-down-flag.html">He said</a> his wife did it in response to “a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs.”)</p> <p>The push to change how the court functions grew after <a href="https://www.propublica.org/series/supreme-court-scotus">a series of ProPublica stories</a> showed that wealthy Republican donors have showered Thomas and Alito with free gifts and travel that they failed to disclose. Following ProPublica’s reporting, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-gift-disclosures-harlan-crow">Thomas amended past disclosure reports</a>, and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/supreme-court-adopts-ethics-code-scotus-thomas-alito-crow">the Supreme Court adopted the ethics code</a>, its first ever.</p> <p>Thomas and Alito have said they weren’t required to disclose free flights or hospitality from friends.</p> <p>First Liberty has been at the forefront of a decadeslong and successful effort to expand the First Amendment rights of religious groups, even as those interests can collide with other constitutional principles like maintaining the separation of church and state or providing equal protection for protected classes.</p> <p>In the last several years, First Liberty has notched big victories. In June 2022, the Supreme Court’s six conservatives ruled in favor of several Maine families represented by First Liberty and the Institute for Justice, a libertarian-leaning legal advocacy group, when it struck down the state’s ban on using public funding to pay for religious schooling. Days later, the six conservatives ruled again in favor of a First Liberty plaintiff — in this case, a former football coach at a Washington state public high school who had been fired for praying on the field after games. The conservative majority said the coach had been wrongly removed from his job, a decision hailed by religious groups and criticized by some experts who said it would now be more difficult for public schools to keep education separate from religion.</p> <p>First Liberty has also represented <a href="https://firstliberty.org/supreme-court-cases/">a bakery in Oregon</a> whose owners refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, citing their religious beliefs; religious groups that opposed the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate; and nearly three dozen <a href="https://firstliberty.org/navyseals/">Navy SEALs</a> and military members who refused to be vaccinated for the virus on the basis of their faith. In all the cases, First Liberty’s plaintiffs won partial or full victories in lower courts or at the Supreme Court. </p> <p>Shackelford, who is First Liberty’s president and CEO, has led the group for nearly three decades. His influence extends into the broader conservative movement. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a former First Liberty attorney, <a href="https://documented.net/media/council-for-national-policy-october-2019-friday-evening-session-remarks-mcewen-johnson">once called</a> Shackelford a mentor. Shackelford has served as vice president of the Council for National Policy, an umbrella group that brings together conservative leaders and deep-pocketed donors. He also works closely with Ziklag, the <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-ziklag-secret-christian-charity-2024-election">secretive network of ultrawealthy conservative Christians</a> that aims to “take dominion” over every major sphere of influence in American culture. According to internal Ziklag newsletters obtained by ProPublica and Documented, Shackelford has participated in Supreme Court prep sessions and appeared on strategy conference calls organized by the group.</p> <p>On the July 31 donor call, Shackelford kept the focus squarely on the mounting calls to reform the Supreme Court. In addition to Biden’s proposals, several groups, including prominent liberal legal outfits, have proposed other changes including term limits and stronger ethics guidelines. And earlier in July, the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law said <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/brennan-center-receives-30-million-commitment-supreme-court-reform">it had received a $30 million gift</a> from the private-equity investor Jim Kohlberg to create a new project that will “seek reform of the Supreme Court.”</p> <p>Shackelford described all of this — Kagan’s speech, Biden’s announcement, the $30 million donation — as if it was a coordinated effort. “They’re doing everything in their power,” he told the donors. “They’re hitting from every direction.” The “extreme left,” he explained, was “upset by just a few cases, but that’s all they need to say, ‘We’re ready to totally’ — they would call ‘reform’ or ‘restructure’ the court — but almost everything they propose would actually destroy the court.”</p> Recording of a July 31 call between First Liberty Institute leadership and donors to the organization (Obtained by ProPublica and Documented) <p>He aimed his fiercest criticism on the donor call at Kagan. “That is incredible, somewhat treasonous, what Kagan did,” Shackelford said. “The chief justice rules the court. They’re trying to keep the other branches’ hands off of them. And then you’ve got Kagan from the inside really being somewhat disloyal and somewhat treasonous in what she’s doing.”</p> <p>Shackelford accused ProPublica of being part of a campaign to “delegitimize or get rid of the court.” He said that the ethics lapses unearthed by ProPublica’s reporting were “false” and “baseless,” even though they helped spark the creation of a new ethics code and led to <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-gift-disclosures-harlan-crow">Thomas filing</a> new <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-disclosure-filing-harlan-crow-real-estate-travel-scotus">financial disclosure forms</a>, in effect admitting that he had failed to disclose certain gifts.</p> <p>ProPublica stands behind all of the stories in its “<a href="https://www.propublica.org/series/supreme-court-scotus">Friends of the Court</a>” series. Donors do not have access to stories ahead of their publication, and they have no say over coverage decisions.</p> <p>Turning to what his donors could do to help, Shackelford said that prayer was at the top of the list. “This is a spiritual battle,” he said. “Because the evil that will occur if we lose the rule of law is beyond, I think, what any of us can even think through.”</p> Recording of a July 31 call between First Liberty Institute leadership and donors to the organization (Obtained by ProPublica and Documented) <p>But First Liberty needed more than prayer — it also needed money. “We need resources to be able to do a bunch of the things that will make a difference between now and the next six months. And that turned out to be key last time,” he said, referring to a similar instance in 2021 and 2022.</p> <p>Near the start of the Biden presidency, he said, First Liberty raised $3 million to run a campaign that sought to block efforts to add more justices to the high court and to reform or eliminate the filibuster in the U.S. Senate. Getting rid of the filibuster then would’ve removed the 60-vote procedural hurdle that currently exists for most types of legislation.</p> <p>According to Shackelford, First Liberty conducted polling, ran advertisements, worked with social media influencers and urged Congress to oppose these changes. In particular, Shackelford said, his group focused its activities on convincing Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema to oppose filibuster reform.</p> <p>In the end, both senators did just that. “We stopped this from happening,” Shackelford said. (Spokespeople for Manchin and Sinema did not respond to requests for comment.)</p> <p>But now, he went on, First Liberty needed more money if it wanted to mount a similar campaign to stop Supreme Court reform. He mentioned the Brennan Center’s recent $30 million gift and then asked, “Where’s our, you know, $10 million guy or gal?”</p> <p>And to anyone who wondered about the odds that Supreme Court reform would actually happen, Shackelford responded: “I don't know. I mean, 25%? 30%? Whatever it is, it’s amazing how big that is when you consider that our country will be over and the rule of law will be over.”</p> <p>Before the call ended, Shackelford wanted his “very top supporters” to know that they had the support in this fight from key figures in high places. He said that a First Liberty staffer based in Washington, D.C., had recently been in a meeting with Ginni Thomas. Afterward, Thomas sent the email that praised First Liberty for joining the fight against Supreme Court reform.</p> <p>“‘Great to meet through the meetings today,’” Thomas wrote, according to Shackelford, who read the email aloud to the donors. “‘I cannot adequately express enough appreciation for you guys pulling into reacting to the Biden effort on the Supreme Court,” she said, adding, “Many were so depressed at the lack of response by R’s and conservatives” to recent court-reform proposals. The rest of Thomas’ email, Shackelford said, was the all-caps gratitude.</p> <p> <strong><a href="https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/send-propublica-story-tips">Do You Have a Tip for ProPublica? Help Us Do Journalism.</a></strong> </p> <p>Do you have any information about the Supreme Court and efforts to block court reform that we should know? Andy Kroll can be reached by email at <a href="mailto:andy.kroll@propublica.org">andy.kroll@propublica.org</a> and by Signal or WhatsApp at 202-215-6203.</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/marilyn-thompson">Marilyn W. Thompson</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/the-big-story?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=national">our biggest stories</a> as soon as they’re published.</p> <p>Judge Aileen M. Cannon has shown bias in handling criminal charges against former President Donald Trump and should be reversed and removed from the case to “preserve the appearance of justice,” a public interest group argued in a legal filing on Tuesday.</p> <p>The brief filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and joined by a retired federal judge and two constitutional lawyers is a direct legal assault on Cannon’s decision to throw out special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of Trump for alleged mishandling of classified documents. CREW is a nonpartisan open-government advocacy group that has been at the vanguard of fighting Trump in various legal battles.</p> <p>The brief argues that Cannon’s decision “hinged on ignoring the plain text of four federal statutes,” dismissing “a landmark Supreme Court opinion confirming the Attorney General’s power to appoint a Special Counsel.”</p> <p>CREW writes that “a reasonable member of the public could conclude, as many have, that the dismissal was the culmination of Judge Cannon’s many efforts to undermine and derail the prosecution of this case.”</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/07/15/us/trump-documents-case-dismissed?smid=url-share#trump-document-case-dismissed">In a stunning July 15 ruling</a>, Cannon wrote that Attorney General Merrick Garland exceeded his authority by appointing Smith as special counsel without congressional approval and violated the Constitution’s separation of powers. “The Special Counsel’s position effectively usurps that important legislative authority,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/15/us/trump-documents.html">she said</a>. Critics say that decision was incorrect and disregarded years of legal precedent, including a landmark Supreme Court ruling.</p> <p>Smith appealed her decision to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but he stopped short of asking that Cannon be removed if the case is remanded.</p> <p>Nancy Gertner, a retired federal judge from Massachusetts, was one of several parties who joined CREW as a friend of the court. She told ProPublica she decided after analyzing Cannon’s decision that it could not be explained by her caseload or inexperience.</p> <p>“It was clearly bias,” said Gertner, who is a senior lecturer at Harvard Law School, citing repeated rulings from Cannon that were favorable to Trump’s attorneys. “And with this Supreme Court, there’s no ceiling. All precedents are up for grabs.”</p> <p>Federal statutes governing reassignment of cases give appellate courts authority to ask the chief judge in a district to move the case if the original judge “has engaged in conduct that gives rise to the appearance of impropriety or a lack of impartiality.” The brief cites several precedents, but reassignment based on judicial bias is uncommon.</p> <p>Cannon, 43, was appointed to the Fort Pierce courthouse in the Southern District of Florida by Trump in November 2020, after he lost the election to Joe Biden. She was randomly assigned to the Trump document-handling case in 2022.</p> <p>In May, the circuit’s Judicial Council dismissed several misconduct complaints against Cannon, alleging that she deliberately slowed down the Trump case and that she should have recused herself from the case as a Trump appointee. The panel said it would not discipline a judge unless it found a pattern of slowness in numerous cases and did not require her recusal based on her appointment. At the time, Chief Judge William H. Pryor Jr. cut off what he called an orchestrated campaign that brought in more than 1,000 letters seeking her removal.</p> <p>Cannon’s sudden decision to throw out Smith’s case came on the opening day of the Republican National Convention, and Trump praised her in his acceptance speech as a “highly respected federal judge” willing to stand up against what he has called Smith’s “witch hunts.”</p> <p>Represented by San Francisco lawyer Steven A. Hirsch of Keker, Van Nest & Peters, CREW described Cannon’s decision to end the case as “the culmination of many efforts to undermine and derail the prosecution.” It cited a series of unprecedented rulings over many months in which Cannon appeared to create “a parallel legal universe for former presidents” and crossed the line “to active judicial interference and advocacy” for Trump.</p> <p>CREW criticized Cannon for adopting a lone concurrence from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in an immunity case against Trump and, shortly afterward, rendering a 93-page opinion that echoed the justice’s position that Smith’s prosecutions violated the Constitution.</p> <p>CREW details “dramatic and unusual” controversies during Cannon’s case that offer the appeals court “more-than-adequate grounds to reassign the case upon remand.”</p> <p>The 11th Circuit has taken the unusual step of reversing Cannon twice during the course of the case, including a harsh rebuke in December 2022 of her decision to appoint a special master to screen classified documents.</p> <p>Cannon approved the appointment of a senior federal judge in New York and various federal consultants to examine materials seized from Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Smith had complained to the appeals court that a special master was unnecessary and slowed down the prosecution.</p> <p>“If the court reverses Judge Aileen M. Cannon’s ruling in this matter, it will be the third time in under three years that it has had to do so in a seemingly straightforward case about a former president’s unauthorized possession of government documents,” CREW argued.</p> <p>If you have information about Judge Aileen M. Cannon you would like to share, please contact Marilyn W. Thompson at <a href="mailto:marilyn.thompson@propublica.org">marilyn.thompson@propublica.org</a> or call 917-512-0243.</p> <p><a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/alex-mierjeski">Alex Mierjeski</a> contributed research.</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/james-bandler">James Bandler</a>, ProPublica, <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/ac-thompson">A.C. Thompson</a>, ProPublica and FRONTLINE, and <span class="name">Karina Meier</span>, <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/">FRONTLINE</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/the-big-story?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=national">our biggest stories</a> as soon as they’re published.</p> <p>This story is part of a collaboration between <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/">FRONTLINE</a> and ProPublica that includes an upcoming documentary.</p> <p>In late December, a 26-year-old construction worker in Sarasota County, Florida, used his phone to send a flurry of ominous online posts.</p> <p>Alexander Lightner, tapping away on his Samsung Galaxy, announced his intention to commit mass murder, according to federal court records. He used the coded language of a new breed of neo-Nazis who call themselves Accelerationists. Lightner wrote that he planned to become a “saint” — the term followers use for someone who advances their racist cause through lethal acts of terror — and to set a new “Highscore,” or death toll. </p> <p>Lightner launched what federal prosecutors allege were threats on Telegram, the sprawling, no-holds-barred platform that has become a hive for the movement. Accelerationists aim to speed the collapse of modern civilization and create a white ethno-state from the ashes of today’s democracies. Deep in the chatter of the platform’s roughly 900 million users, these extremists have created a constellation of Telegram channels where they encourage followers like Lightner to assassinate political leaders, sabotage power stations and railways, and commit mass murder.</p> <p>A week after firing off his alleged threats on Telegram, Lightner woke up from a nap at his home to his father’s shouts: “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What’s this? Are these people here for us?”</p> <p>Lightner threw an illegal, homemade silencer into a laundry basket, according to a summary of his interview with federal agents. Then he stepped into the sunlight. In his front yard, agents in camouflage and body armor pointed rifles at him. An armored vehicle faced his family home, its massive battering ram aimed at the front door.</p> <p>An FBI agent asked Lightner if he knew why federal agents were at his door.</p> <p>Lightner answered simply: “Telegram,” according to court records.</p> FBI bodycam video shows Alexander Lightner’s arrest at his Florida home. (Obtained by ProPublica) <p>Late last month, Telegram burst into the news with another arrest related to alleged criminal activity on the giant messaging and social media platform. This time, the man in police custody was the company’s founder, Pavel Durov. French authorities detained the Russian-born billionaire after his plane touched down at an airport a few miles north of Paris. </p> <p>French prosecutors issued preliminary charges against Durov last Wednesday related to alleged criminal activity on his platform. The allegations include organized fraud, drug trafficking and possession of pornographic images of minors, as well as refusal to cooperate with authorities, according to a press release by the Paris public prosecutor.</p> <p>David-Olivier Kaminski, a lawyer for Durov, could not be reached for comment. French news reports quoted him saying that it was “totally absurd to think that the person in charge of a social network could be implicated in criminal acts that don’t concern him, directly or indirectly.”</p> <p>The platform Durov created has long been both applauded and derided for its extreme commitment to free speech and for rebuffing inquiries from both U.S. and foreign law enforcement agencies, which have sought to gather information about alleged criminal activity on the platform.</p> <p>“They are exceedingly unhelpful,” said Rebecca Weiner, the New York Police Department’s deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism. Weiner, who oversees one of the world’s largest metropolitan counterterrorism units, said the platform was notable for “being a center of gravity for a wide range of extremist content” and for its “unwillingness to work with law enforcement.”</p> <p>Telegram’s ease of use, its huge public channels and the ability to encrypt private conversations have helped fuel its global appeal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used the app to rally his compatriots to repel the Russian invasion. Activists in Hong Kong turned to Telegram to organize demonstrations against a repressive law. In Belarus, pro-democracy forces used the platform to fight back against election fraud. </p> <p>But the platform has also served as the online home of the Russian mercenary company Wagner Group, which has posted gruesome videos of extrajudicial killings. In April, the British government targeted the Terrorgram Collective, a subset of Telegram users who promote racially and ethnically motivated terrorism to people like Lightner, making it a crime to support or belong to the group. And more recently, the service played a key role in fomenting the anti-immigrant riots that swept across the United Kingdom.</p> <p>ProPublica and FRONTLINE have been investigating Telegram’s role in a string of recent alleged far-right acts of sabotage and murder, and how the company’s inaction allowed extremists to plan and even advertise their crimes. Researchers have long warned that Telegram routinely allows extremists to share propaganda aimed at inciting violence, noting that the Islamic State group and al-Qaida were able to use the service for years with little interference. </p> <p>“Telegram plays a key role in the perpetuation of militant accelerationism,” said Michael Loadenthal, a research professor at the University of Cincinnati and director of the Prosecution Project, which tracks felony cases involving political violence in the U.S. The company, he said, “has shown that deplatforming violent and hateful content is not its priority.”</p> <p>Before Durov’s arrest, a Telegram spokesperson responded to questions from ProPublica and FRONTLINE in messages on the platform. The spokesperson said that the company bars users from calling for acts of violence, adding that moderators remove millions of pieces of harmful content from the platform every day. “As Telegram grows, it will continue to solve potential moderation problems with efficiency, innovation and respect for privacy and free speech,” the spokesperson, who used the name Remi Vaughn, said in the messages.</p> Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in 2016 (Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images) <p>Yet ProPublica and FRONTLINE found that Telegram today is the main nexus of far-right Accelerationist crime. Law enforcement agencies on both sides of the Atlantic have interrupted a series of criminal schemes, including:</p> <ul> <li><p>In July, a Georgian man accused of leading an Accelerationist terror group was arrested in Europe for allegedly soliciting people to carry out murders and bombings in the U.S. Michail Chkhikvishvili allegedly used Telegram to communicate and distribute his group’s propaganda and is facing charges in New York. He is being held in Moldova pending extradition, <a href="https://archive.is/ejrrH#selection-731.125-731.255">according to Wired</a>. ProPublica and FRONTLINE could not locate counsel for him. </p> </li> <li><p>The same month, federal prosecutors charged an Accelerationist named Andrew Takhistov with plotting to destroy an energy facility in New Jersey. They allege he used Telegram to incite racial violence and share a how-to guide for white supremacist terrorism that included instructions on the use of Mylar balloons and Molotov cocktails to damage power substations. An attorney for Takhistov did not respond to a request for comment. </p> </li> <li><p>In June, Manhattan prosecutors announced charges against Hayden Espinosa, accusing the Texas man of selling illegal guns and firearm components through a Telegram channel aimed at white supremacists and Accelerationists. Espinosa allegedly used a contraband phone to sell weapons and gun parts while incarcerated in federal prison. He has pleaded not guilty. </p> </li> <li><p>A judge in England recently sentenced a British man to eight years in prison for plotting to carry out a suicide bombing at a synagogue. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, 19-year-old Mason Reynolds was “the administrator of a Telegram channel which shared far right extremist, antisemitic and racist views, as well as manuals on bomb building and how to 3D print firearms.” </p> </li> <li><p>Brandon Russell, a former leader of the <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/atomwaffen-division-hate-group-active-duty-military">Atomwaffen Division</a>, a now-defunct neo-Nazi group tied to five murders, was charged last year with planning an attack aimed at disabling the power system in Baltimore. Russell and a co-defendant, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, used Telegram to organize the sabotage scheme, according to prosecutors. Clendaniel has pleaded guilty; Russell faces trial later this year. Attorneys for the duo declined to comment.</p> </li> </ul> <p>And then there is Lightner. U.S. prosecutors say in court filings that Lightner went to Telegram to discuss his plans to use a .308-caliber rifle to kill as many people as possible. He remains in jail awaiting trial on federal charges of making threats online and possessing an illegal silencer. He has pleaded not guilty. His attorney declined to comment. </p> <p>Before Lightner’s arrest, he told an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that he was “blackout drunk” at the time of the posts, distraught over a bad breakup. “I was broken and really upset. And I went drinking, and then I did some stupid thing online,” he said, according to a recording of the conversation. He told other agents that he was not planning an act of violence but just wanted someone to notice him and care.</p> <p>Lightner told federal agents that he started using Telegram in 2015, about two years after the platform launched. The online service grew steadily over the next few years, with the majority of users coming from outside the U.S. Then in 2021, Telegram’s growth exploded after its rival WhatsApp announced a new privacy policy. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/24/whatsapp-loses-millions-of-users-after-terms-update">Some users feared</a> WhatsApp was poised to begin sharing their confidential messages with parent company Facebook, now called Meta. In a Telegram post, Durov boasted that his platform was experiencing “the largest digital migration in human history,” claiming that 25 million new users joined Telegram in 72 hours.</p> <p>That same month, in the U.S., Telegram got a bump in users when major social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter ousted former President Donald Trump and many of his most ardent supporters in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Today, Telegram is heavily favored by right-wing extremists, including QAnon followers, Proud Boys, militia members, and white supremacist groups like Patriot Front and the Active Clubs. </p> <p>Axel Neff, who helped start Telegram, said the company’s core team of about 60 employees, 30 of whom are engineers, is too small to monitor the platform for criminal conduct. “Think about the size of Telegram. There are about a billion users on Telegram every month. A billion!” he said. “Telegram is a massive, massive community. … They are not staffed — and they do not have the capacity — to monitor everything that goes on there.” </p> <p>Neff said it would be “professional suicide” for Telegram, which has marketed itself as a bastion of unfettered speech, to make a serious effort to moderate content. “I don’t think it is something [Durov] will ever do.”</p> <p>The company’s privacy policy puts strict parameters around cooperation with law enforcement: “If Telegram receives a court order that confirms you’re a terror suspect, we may disclose your IP address and phone number to the relevant authorities. So far, this has never happened.”</p> <p>Telegram ignores requests for information from government agencies that aren’t “in line with our values of freedom of speech and protecting people’s private correspondence,” Durov told Tucker Carlson in an interview with the former Fox News host earlier this year. Durov noted that Telegram refused to cooperate with the U.S. congressional committee probing the events of Jan. 6, 2021.</p> <p>Telegram stores “very limited data” on its users, the Telegram spokesperson told ProPublica and FRONTLINE. “In most cases it is impossible for Telegram to access this data in order to provide it for the authorities,” the spokesperson said. “Police, governments and users are able to report content to Telegram they believe is illegal. Telegram processes these reports according to its terms of service.” </p> <p>ProPublica and FRONTLINE found that much of the most disturbing content is posted in channels maintained by violent, right-wing Accelerationists, whose ideas have attracted neo-Nazis, Charles Manson admirers and anti-government revolutionaries.</p> <p>The Terrorgram Collective, the group of Telegram users targeted by the British government’s crackdown, is an alliance of Accelerationists who use an ever-evolving array of Telegram channels to promote terrorism. The group has produced at least three e-books, including a manual celebrating white supremacist mass killers that court documents show was found at Lightner’s home in Florida. </p> <p>David Skiffington, a former British counterterrorism specialist for London’s Metropolitan Police, said the “proliferation of extremist content” on Telegram “cannot be overstated.”</p> <p>Other social media platforms such as Steam, Discord and Gab also host extremist-related content, Skiffington said. “But Telegram is by far the most widely used and accessible.”</p> <p>Skiffington, who now runs the counterterrorism consulting firm DBA Insights, has been monitoring the Terrorgram Collective for years. He said the group’s influencers encourage “angry, white, lonely vulnerable individuals … to commit real-world acts of violence.”</p> <p>It’s unclear how many people are part of the collective, though law enforcement has arrested individuals in Slovakia, Canada and the U.S. who are allegedly linked to the group.</p> <p>In Florida, Lightner — or someone using his username, “Death.” — participated in at least 17 extremist Telegram channels, according to an analysis by Miro Dittrich, a co-founder of the Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy, a German organization that studies online disinformation and extremism. Three of the channels were part of the Terrorgram network.</p> <p>On the day of his arrest, Lightner was asked by a federal agent to explain his most explosive Telegram postings. At first, Lightner said he did not remember the online threats. But when a federal agent read the words back to him, Lightner said he had never seriously considered an act of violence. But he added that he knew that in making the Telegram postings, he was “playing with fire.”</p> <p><a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/doris-burke">Doris Burke</a> of ProPublica and <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/person/tom-jennings/">Tom Jennings</a> and <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/person/annie-wong/">Annie Wong</a> of FRONTLINE contributed reporting.</p>
<p class="byline"> by <span class="name">Robin Urevich</span>, <a href="https://capitalandmain.com/">Capital & Main</a> </p> <p>This article was produced in partnership with <a href="https://capitalandmain.com/">Capital & Main</a>, which was a member of ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in 2022-23. <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/dispatches">Sign up for Dispatches</a> to get stories like this one as soon as they are published.</p> <p>In the midst of an ongoing <a href="https://mayor.lacity.gov/sites/g/files/wph2066/files/2023-07/20230707%20Mayor%20Declaration%20of%20Local%20Housing%20and%20Homelessness%20Emergency%20Signed%20and%20Attested.pdf">housing emergency</a>, <a href="https://capitalandmain.com/in-los-angeles-your-chic-vacation-rental-may-be-a-rent-controlled-apartment">the city of Los Angeles has struggled</a> to keep rent-controlled housing, which includes some of the city’s most affordable dwelling units, from turning into short-term rentals. Even though a 2018 law prohibits such conversions, enforcement has been lax.</p> <p>“Except in a handful of cases, we’re not actually doing that enforcement work in a meaningful way,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who chairs the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee and is working on recommendations to tighten enforcement.</p> <p>For locals who want to keep their neighborhoods residential or visitors who want to avoid inadvertently booking a unit that skirts local law, navigating the Wild West that is LA’s vacation-rental market can be a challenge. This story covers some signs to watch out for and offers a quick two-step guide you can use to make sure your potential home share — or your neighbor’s — isn’t an illegally converted rent-controlled apartment. </p> <p>Legally, LA hosts can offer only their own “primary residences” for short stays, and only if those dwellings are not covered by the city’s rent-control law. (Some 660,000 housing units in LA are rent controlled, meaning annual rent increases are capped — usually at about 4% for existing tenants.)</p> The LA Home-Sharing Ordinance, which took effect in 2019, bars rent-controlled properties from being used for short-term rentals. (Document illustration by Capital &amp; Main) Hiding in Plain Sight <p>In July, a Capital & Main and ProPublica investigation found that at least 63 rent-controlled buildings that were advertised on booking sites last spring <a href="https://capitalandmain.com/in-los-angeles-your-chic-vacation-rental-may-be-a-rent-controlled-apartment">were in apparent violation of the city’s Home-Sharing Ordinance</a>. </p> <p>The listings hide in plain sight on vacation platforms like Booking.com and Hotels.com, making it hard to distinguish legitimate rentals from those that operate illegally.</p> Banana Bungalow and Redline Venice are among more than a dozen LA establishments that look and operate like hotels but are classified as rent-controlled apartment buildings. (Screenshot by Capital &amp; Main) <p>The news organizations found at least 15 rent-controlled buildings — including Banana Bungalow and Redline Venice — that used outdoor signs or online ads to brand themselves as hotels or hostels. According to city law, their rent-controlled status would make them ineligible for use as vacation rentals.</p> <p>The owners of the 34-unit Banana Bungalow and the four-room Redline Venice didn’t return phone calls. Mark Wurm, the owner of the Venice Beach Hostel, said, “They have it wrong,” referring to the city’s classification of his building as rent controlled. Wurm said the building had long been used as a hotel.</p> <p>Traditional home shares that don’t purport to be hotels, like those listed on Airbnb or other vacation platforms, also sometimes skirt the law.</p> One Renter’s Eye-Opening Experience <p>In May, Rhys Atkinson-Whipps, an Australian transplant, told Capital & Main that he entered LA’s short-term rental market when his apartment underwent major repairs. He said he booked several rentals for weeklong or shorter stays because he expected the repairs to be completed sooner than they were. Atkinson-Whipps, who works at a Hollywood shelter for homeless youth, said he found that the home shares he booked were not always what they seemed.</p> <p>One listing promised an apartment in Hollywood. But after booking it, Atkinson-Whipps said, he learned it was in Koreatown — miles from where the listing said it was. He thought the bait and switch was sketchy. “You book one place and you turn up somewhere else,” Atkinson-Whipps said. “It’s like you have no power at all.” The listing has since been taken down, he said. </p> <p>Sometimes listings display more desirable neighborhoods than their actual locations, with the correct details revealed only after booking. In other cases, properties are listed in neighboring cities to evade LA’s home-sharing rules, according to a <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fc9845732f65217775cb3a5/t/63f8e87357c81b184848b95b/1677256830192/BNLA_Annual+Report_2022-web.pdf">report by Better Neighbors LA</a>, a nonprofit watchdog group that monitors short-term rentals.</p> A Los Angeles resident said he booked what was listed as a “cute studio” at this rent-controlled building in Hollywood while his home was undergoing repairs. (Screenshot by ProPublica) <p>Atkinson-Whipps said he also rented a Hollywood apartment that Airbnb listed as a “cute studio.” It turned out to be part of a 14-unit building listed in the Housing Department’s database as rent controlled, which would make it off-limits for short-term rentals. </p> <p>The owner of the building, which is on Harold Way in Hollywood, is listed as DND ES Properties. A man who identified himself as Edward Dratver, a manager of the company, denied that any of its units are listed on Airbnb. “No,” he said. “Something’s wrong. Some mistake,” Dratver said before quickly ending the call. </p> <p>However, the apartment was advertised on the site in August despite Airbnb’s 2019 agreement with the city that it would remove illegal listings. </p> <p>The number of Airbnb listings that aren’t registered with the city for home sharing is on the rise, up from 277 in August 2023 to more than 900 currently, according to Better Neighbors LA. The group cited its analysis of data from <a href="https://insideairbnb.com/">Inside Airbnb</a>, a research and advocacy organization that is critical of Airbnb. A planning department report to the City Council noted that as of February, 58% of all the short-term rental listings in the city didn’t comply with city law. These buildings have typically received warning letters from the city planning department. </p> <p>Airbnb declined to provide a response for this story.</p> Some Listings Include Fake Credentials <p>Hotels.com and Booking.com also feature a number of rent-controlled properties that appear to be ineligible for home sharing. But Capital & Main found that Booking.com — the third-largest vacation rental platform in the city — includes listings that say the properties are legally registered with the city for home sharing when they’re not. </p> <p>Several Booking.com listings include nonexistent, expired or completely fabricated home-sharing registration numbers. Others include a “fine print” section in which hosts wrongly claim that a home-sharing registration isn’t required for their properties.</p> This loft on Hollywood Boulevard was advertised on Booking.com with apparently fake registration numbers. (Screenshot by ProPublica. Address blurred by ProPublica.) <p>A unit advertised on Booking.com as the “Savana Spectacular Loft” — an apartment in a rent-controlled building — appeared to have city permission to operate because the listing included three home-sharing registration numbers. But none of the registration numbers exist, according to the LA planning department’s <a href="https://losangelesca-self.govplatform.com/AchieveForms/?mode=fill&consentMessage=yes&form_uri=sandbox-publish://AF-Process-de1d786c-cbff-4573-92b1-ba8fe2b22791/AF-Stage-b5bc3fb9-f3b6-4c6f-8aa0-743ee15079e1/definition.json&process=1&process_uri=sandbox-processes://AF-Process-de1d786c-cbff-4573-92b1-ba8fe2b22791&process_id=AF-Process-de1d786c-cbff-4573-92b1-ba8fe2b22791">home-sharing lookup tool</a>. In fact, listing multiple registration numbers is likely an indication that something is amiss, because the city issues only one home-sharing registration per property owner.</p> A Booking.com listing included multiple nonexistent city registration numbers. (Document illustration by Capital &amp; Main) <p>At Realty Center Management Inc., which manages the building, a representative said the company would not comment. </p> <p>Booking.com did not respond to an email requesting comment on the registration numbers and the company’s procedures for determining if listings comply with local law. Media representatives at Hotels.com also didn’t respond to emails inquiring about listings of rent-controlled properties.</p> The registration number listed for this building on Booking.com is two digits too long to be an official city registration number. (Screenshot by ProPublica. Address blurred by ProPublica.) <p>A mile from the beach, the Booking.com listing for a “Venice Beach Gem” features mountain and ocean views and a tennis court. </p> <p>The ad displays a Los Angeles home-sharing registration number, but it contains too many digits and lacks the required letters found in city-issued registrations. The units for rent on the site are located in a rent-controlled apartment building, according to the Housing Department’s database, and cannot legally be registered for home sharing. </p> <p>The city fined the Venice Beach units’ owner twice in 2021 for advertising short-term rentals without an official registration. The fines haven’t been paid, according to the city attorney’s website of administrative citations. Still, the units were listed on Booking.com last month. </p> <p>The property owner didn’t return Capital & Main’s calls. </p> <p>In some cases, renters, not building owners, have been accused of listing illegal short-term rentals. LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto <a href="https://cityattorney.lacity.gov/updates/city-attorney-hydee-feldstein-soto-files-lawsuit-against-massive-scale-violators-short-term">recently sued several people</a> she says earned more than $4 million by leasing apartments for the sole purpose of offering unregistered short-term rentals, some of them in rent-controlled buildings. The defendants have denied the allegations in court filings. </p> <p>Under the home-sharing law, booking platforms can be fined $1,000 per day for accepting bookings for properties that don’t have official registrations. </p> <p>In 2022, the city settled a lawsuit against Vrbo for $150,000, accusing it of processing thousands of illegal bookings. The company agreed to remove illegal listings from the platform. A spokesperson for Vrbo’s owner, Expedia, said the company is working “to help drive a high rate of compliance with local laws.”</p> <p>The City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee is expected to consider recommendations for improving home-sharing enforcement in September. </p> <p>Meanwhile, for vacationers and locals who want to check the legality of a short-term rental, Capital & Main and ProPublica prepared a two-step guide to researching potential listings before you book:</p> How Can You Tell If Your LA Vacation Rental Is Legit? <ol> <li><p>Find out if your rental is covered by the LA Rent Stabilization Ordinance by texting the letters “RSO” to the LA Housing Department at 855-880-7368 and following the prompts. If the property is subject to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, it is likely not allowed to be rented out for short-term stays. </p> </li> <li><p>Look up whether the rental is registered under the city’s Home Sharing Ordinance. You can find the property address or home-sharing registration number using <a href="https://losangelesca-self.govplatform.com/AchieveForms/?mode=fill&consentMessage=yes&form_uri=sandbox-publish://AF-Process-de1d786c-cbff-4573-92b1-ba8fe2b22791/AF-Stage-b5bc3fb9-f3b6-4c6f-8aa0-743ee15079e1/definition.json&process=1&process_uri=sandbox-processes://AF-Process-de1d786c-cbff-4573-92b1-ba8fe2b22791&process_id=AF-Process-de1d786c-cbff-4573-92b1-ba8fe2b22791">the city’s records portal</a>. If the unit is not registered, the owner has either not applied for the city-required registration or may have sidestepped the city’s rules on short-term rentals.</p> </li> </ol> <p>You can contact the LA Home Sharing Complaint Line to report a suspected illegal short-term rental at 213-267-7788 or email <a href="mailto:planning.home-sharing@lacity.org">planning.home-sharing@lacity.org</a>. The reporters at Capital & Main would also love to hear about any potentially illegal short-term rentals you find; contact them at <a href="mailto:info@capitalandmain.com">info@capitalandmain.com</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/haru-coryne">Haru Coryne</a> contributed reporting.</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/charles-ornstein">Charles Ornstein</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/dispatches?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=national">Sign up for Dispatches</a>, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week.</p> <p>Every fall, I spend an evening in my investigative reporting class extolling the virtues of searching court records. Lawsuits can shine a light on allegations of misconduct, discrimination or liability against businesses, powerful individuals and government agencies.</p> <p>Legal filings and court hearings often reveal closely guarded secrets that individuals and corporations would rather remain outside the public record. Citing court records, ProPublica and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently reported on how a powerful Atlanta movie executive who had been lauded for his diversity efforts had <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/ryan-millsap-movie-executive-racist-antisemitic-texts">shared racist and antisemitic views in text messages</a>. (After the article was published, the executive sent a <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24576342-ryan-millsap-statement-april-21-2024">statement</a> that included an apology and noted that the texts were never intended to be shared publicly.) We also relied on court records last year for a story about a <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/blue-cross-proton-therapy-cancer-lawyer-denial">litigator’s battle against Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana to pay for the proton therapy</a> his doctor recommended to fight his throat cancer.</p> <p>Over the past few years, however, I’ve had a unique vantage point: as a defendant who prevailed in a lengthy libel case.</p> <p>I have always been careful to emphasize to my students that, while legal documents can be valuable, they contain a string of unproven allegations that need to be verified. Of course, some lawsuits end in verdicts against the defendants. But many are ultimately dismissed by judges or appeals courts or are abandoned by plaintiffs. Sometimes cases are settled because the cost of defending against them would be higher than paying for them to go away. Sometimes they are settled because a defendant accepts some responsibility. I always tell my students to make sure they know the outcome of any lawsuit they cite in a story.</p> <p>My experience left me acutely aware how even when you win a lawsuit, you can still lose, and also how court records rarely tell the whole story.</p> <p>In May 2018, Mike Hixenbaugh, then of the Houston Chronicle, and I wrote a series of articles about <a href="https://www.propublica.org/series/heart-failure">the troubled heart transplant program at Baylor St. Luke’s</a> Medical Center in Houston. One of those articles was about <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/bud-frazier-heart-surgeon-baylor-st-lukes-medical-center-conflicts-of-interest-poor-outcomes">a pioneering surgeon, Dr. O.H. “Bud” Frazier</a>. As we reported, Frazier contributed to many breakthroughs in his quest to develop a permanent mechanical replacement for the human heart, but he also was accused of violating federal research rules and skirting ethical guidelines.</p> <p>Frazier <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/prominent-texas-surgeon-sues-propublica-and-the-houston-chronicle">sued us in July</a> of that year, alleging that the articles included errors and misleading statements “calculated to falsely portray Dr. Frazier as an inhumane physician.”</p> <p>The lawsuit was dismissed a few weeks ago, six years after it was filed, after a Texas appeals court <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-appeals-court-dismisses-defamation-suit-propublica-houston-chronicle-frazier">ruled that our investigation provided a “fair, true, and impartial account”</a> of accusations against him.</p> <p>ProPublica and the Chronicle’s parent company, Hearst, supported us throughout the litigation, which was incredible, but the process still took a major toll. Cases like these cost news organizations like ProPublica hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend against. Journalist defendants have to spend dozens of hours gathering materials and working with lawyers. And, in my case, I was denied a mortgage because I truthfully checked the box indicating that I was a defendant in a lawsuit.</p> <p>More than that, I realized that the way defendants are portrayed by plaintiffs in court papers — callous, sloppy, wrong — can bear little resemblance to reality. For our story on Frazier, we reviewed lawsuit records. But, as I teach my students, we didn’t stop there. We also relied on federal inspection reports, medical journal disclosures, a report to members of the hospital’s board of directors and an array of interviews. And we reached out to Frazier and his lawyer, engaging in conversations and emails to ensure they would have a chance to respond to everything we said about him. We had recordings and transcriptions of some of our interviews, and we included links to many of our primary sources in the article itself. (Note to other journalists: I would strongly recommend this.)</p> <p>This case also was a lesson in how lower courts sometimes get it wrong. I had long taught that rulings from judges can be a powerful way to validate facts, but my experience challenged those views, or at least added a big caveat to them.</p> <p>We thought we were fortunate that the case was filed in a state that has a law barring lawsuits brought to silence public criticism. The 2011 Texas Citizens Participation Act allows for speedy dismissals of what the <a href="https://casetext.com/case/in-re-lipsky-6">Texas Supreme Court has defined</a> as “retaliatory lawsuits that seek to intimidate or silence (citizens) on matters of public concern” or “chill First Amendment rights.”</p> <p>Two months after Frazier filed suit against us, our lawyers filed a motion in Harris County District Court to dismiss the case. After a hearing, the judge denied our motion and adopted the plaintiff’s findings of fact saying that “Dr. Frazier has met his burden of proving by clear and specific evidence his prima facie case of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.”</p> <p>Our lawyers filed an appeal, saying the court had erred in its decision. In January 2020, we won. <a href="https://casetext.com/case/propublica-inc-v-frazier">The appeals court cited errors by the district court judge</a> (who lost his reelection bid in 2018) and sent the case back for further proceedings. Frazier appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, but it didn’t take the case.</p> <p>The case returned to the lower court in 2021, and the following year, a new judge once again ruled against us. Our lawyers appealed again. And in April of this year, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-appeals-court-dismisses-defamation-suit-propublica-houston-chronicle-frazier">the appeals court ordered the lower court to dismiss the case</a>. <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25049255-frazier-case-order-of-nonsuit-signed">That’s what happened</a> on July 29 after Frazier’s lawyers filed a “notice of non-suit,” meaning they would not appeal.</p> <p>The litigation wore on me. Not only did I have to scramble to get a new mortgage lender, but I also lost sleep, had trouble focusing and felt a pit in my stomach any time I received a note from our lawyers.</p> <p>ProPublica, too, paid a price. Though we reached a settlement with Frazier in which he paid a portion of our attorneys fees (in that settlement we agreed not to disclose how much), our insurer still covered the vast majority of the cost — after we met the deductible. Our insurance rates have skyrocketed. All of our new cases carry a much higher deductible.</p> <p>I reached out to David Berg, Frazier’s lawyer in the case, to understand how the lawsuit affected his client. In a written statement, he noted that Frazier, who was 78 in 2018 when the initial story was published, had a rapid heart rate three days after the article appeared, which sent him to the hospital. He also noted that two different judges had sided with Frazier.</p> <p>“Those findings were reversed in the court of appeals, but the media winning a defamation action is hardly news,” Berg wrote. “What is news is what Bud accomplished in the operating room, as opposed to the courtroom, just last month, with a device that may well save millions of lives of patients with failing hearts.”</p> <p>He also said in response to my question: “Mr. Ornstein inquired about the effect of the litigation on Dr. Frazier. The article haunts him. One can only hope that the rest of Bud’s life will contain even more awards and honors by his peers, and they are already legion; that’s what a doctor who has done so much deserves. Not malicious articles.” (You can read his <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25047908-dr-frazier-pah">full statement</a>.)</p> <p>Including the Frazier case, ProPublica and its journalists have been sued at least six times for libel and defamation since our start 16 years ago. We have not lost or paid money to defendants in any of them. In 2010, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/judge-strikes-complaint-in-libel-suit-against-propublica-224">a federal judge in Louisiana issued a ruling that effectively ended a libel suit</a> filed by a doctor mentioned in “<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/the-deadly-choices-at-memorial-826">The Deadly Choices at Memorial</a>.” In 2016, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/judge-tosses-out-defamation-lawsuit-filed-against-propublica-cir">a federal district judge in Phoenix threw out a case</a> accusing us and the Center for Investigative Reporting of defaming a government contractor. In 2018, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/judge-dismisses-libel-suit-involving-propublica-article">a Brooklyn judge dismissed a libel suit</a> against two reporters related to a <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/new-york-for-profit-nursing-home-group-flourishes-despite-patient-harm">2015 investigation into a group of for-profit nursing homes</a>.</p> <p>In 2023, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/appeals-court-jide-zeitlin-coach-propublica-william-cohan">a New York appeals court sided with a freelance journalist</a> in a defamation suit about an article we ran <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/the-bizarre-fall-of-the-ceo-of-coach-and-kate-spades-parent-company">chronicling the downfall of a Fortune 500 CEO</a>. And this May, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/mrg-medical-lawsuit-dismissed-against-propublica-texas-tribune">a Texas appeals court sided with ProPublica and The Texas Tribune</a> in a disparagement lawsuit filed by a health care services company that <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/the-covid-19-charmer-how-a-self-described-felon-convinced-elected-officials-to-try-to-help-him-profit-from-the-pandemic">was the subject of a 2020 article</a>. Those two cases are still ongoing, and we’ll continue to defend our journalism. </p> <p>Defending these cases required time and money, and ProPublica’s experience isn’t unique. In a <a href="https://www.cjr.org/tow_center/costly-lawsuit-against-investigative-reporting-looks-like.php">2021 op-ed in Columbia Journalism Review</a>, D. Victoria Baranetsky and Alexandra Gutierrez described the fallout of a lawsuit against Reveal, run by the Center for Investigative Reporting: “Reveal will never be able to recover the time that could have been spent on reporting, or forget the stress that a multi-million-dollar lawsuit inflicts on its employees,” they wrote.</p> <p>As I prepare for my investigative class this fall, I will once again highlight the value of reviewing lawsuits when researching an article. But I’ll spend a few extra minutes on my experience and the caveats.</p> <p> <strong><a href="https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/send-propublica-story-tips">Do You Have a Tip for ProPublica? Help Us Do Journalism.</a></strong> </p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/robert-faturechi">Robert Faturechi</a>, <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/justin-elliott">Justin Elliott</a> and <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/alex-mierjeski">Alex Mierjeski</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/the-big-story?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=national">our biggest stories</a> as soon as they’re published.</p> <p>A congressman intervened to help former President Donald Trump’s social media company jump the line for a difficult-to-obtain foreign-worker visa to bring a company executive to the U.S., according to interviews and records reviewed by ProPublica. </p> <p>A former staffer for Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, said the congressman personally instructed her to help Trump Media, even though she thought it was inappropriate to mix politics with the office’s constituent services duties. </p> <p>“I specifically did not want to do this,” Bacon’s former director of special projects, Makenzie Cartwright, told ProPublica when asked about emails showing the lawmaker’s intervention. “It was specifically the congressman that suggested I needed to deal with it.”</p> <p>“Thank you so much for your help on making sure we push this forward,” the company’s chief operating officer wrote to another Bacon staffer in January 2022, according to an email reviewed by ProPublica. “I will make sure to thank the congressman as well!”</p> <p>Trump Media, which now accounts for roughly half of Trump’s net worth, presents conflicts of interests for the former president, according to ethics experts. While there have been concerns about donors and special interests seeking to curry favor with the Republican candidate for president, this is the first known instance of a politician helping Trump in a private matter involving his social media business.</p> <p>And it shows that as Trump has presented himself as an immigration hawk, his company has sought special treatment to bring its own foreign executive to the United States.</p> <p>His administration generally pushed U.S. companies to hire Americans over foreign workers and instituted policies that made it harder to secure visas for skilled workers. <a href="https://rncplatform.donaldjtrump.com/">Trump’s current platform</a> pledges to “strengthen Buy American and Hire American Policies.”</p> <p>Trump Media’s relationship with the executive, a software developer in North Macedonia, began in part because American candidates for the same work were more expensive, according to a person involved.</p> <p>Dan Berger, an immigration attorney who handles such cases, called Trump Media’s hiring of a foreign worker “hypocritical.” </p> <p>“It got harder in every way possible,” he said of the visa cases he handled during the Trump administration. “It was just one thing after another.” </p> <p>Before Trump Media reached out to Bacon’s office, the company had already helped get the executive, Vladimir Novachki, approved for the visa. But a backlog at the American embassy in the Balkan nation was causing severe delays in scheduling interviews for Macedonians to finalize the process. </p> <p>Bacon’s office helped fix the problem for Trump’s company, according to the person involved. Last year, Novachki, who had moved to Florida, was named Trump Media’s chief technology officer. </p> <p>Bacon’s intervention on behalf of Trump’s company came at the same time Trump was talking publicly about recruiting a primary challenger against the moderate Republican congressman. </p> <p>“Is there favoritism being extended to the potential president?” said Virginia Canter, a former government ethics lawyer. “Was there some sort of concern of what happens if you don’t make the call?”</p> <p>“It’s a classic conflict of interest,” she said.</p> <p>It’s common for companies to ask members of Congress to help speed along such applications. But they typically do so when the applicant or company is based in the lawmaker’s district. Trump Media, headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, is far outside of Bacon’s Nebraska district. </p> <p>In response to questions from ProPublica, Bacon’s spokesperson said the office was barred from discussing the details of the case because of privacy concerns, but said Trump Media was not given special treatment. The request, the spokesperson said, came from a Trump Media employee who lived in Bacon’s district. </p> <p>“This case was not treated any differently than the hundreds of cases we process every year” at multiple federal agencies, the spokesperson said. “Politics don’t come into play for official congressional work.”</p> <p>A spokesperson for Trump Media declined to answer detailed questions but said in a statement: “ProPublica has grotesquely manufactured this hit piece by fabricating statements, misusing stolen communications containing our employee’s private information, and maliciously insinuating wrongdoing where categorically none exists.”</p> <p>The hiring of a foreign chief technology officer is part of a larger effort by Trump’s company to source labor abroad, interviews and records show. Trump Media has contracted with a foreign outsourcing firm, according to invoices, and multiple people based abroad list jobs at Trump’s company on their LinkedIn profiles, even as Trump has promised to “<a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2024-republican-party-platform">stop outsourcing</a>” and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWq-1uw_ASc">punish</a>” companies that send jobs overseas.</p> <p>A Trump campaign spokesperson said in a statement that “when President Trump is back in the White House, he will enforce our immigration laws and deport illegal immigrants.” The spokesperson added that “Trump has always been in favor of allowing in thoroughly vetted highly skilled immigrants who do not undercut American wages.”</p> <p>A lawyer for Trump Media sent ProPublica <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25079502-20240826-tmtg-ltr-to-propublica-re-cease-and-desist">a letter threatening a lawsuit</a> and accusing the outlet of intending “to publish yet another hit piece on the company that includes false, misleading, and defamatory statements.” </p> <p>Novachki got his start coding in grade school when he came across a textbook that taught basic concepts without requiring access to the internet. He went on to develop an app, called Skopje Taximeter, that allowed residents of North Macedonia’s capital city to use their smartphones to track their own cab fares. </p> <p>But his biggest break came when he got a job at Cosmic Development, a Canadian IT and tech outsourcing company with offices in North Macedonia. The firm was co-founded by Chris Pavlovski, who also started the video platform Rumble, which has become a popular alternative to YouTube among American conservatives and which partners with Trump Media. Novachki quickly rose through the ranks. </p> <p>As a Cosmic employee, Novachki, who didn’t respond to requests for comment, began working with Trump’s company in its early days. Pavlovski recommended him as someone who could build a prototype of the company’s Truth Social platform cheaper than American bidders, according to a person with knowledge of the process.</p> <p>Trump Media and Novachki applied for a visa reserved for those with “extraordinary ability” in their fields, known as an O-1. </p> <p>The Department of Homeland Security had approved his application, but before he and his family could come to the United States, they needed an appointment with the American embassy in North Macedonia to finalize the process. In January 2022, emails show, the embassy notified Novachki that his interview was scheduled for December 2023.</p> <p>But Trump Media wanted Novachki in Florida sooner: “It is extremely important for Vlad to be in the United States so he can work side-by-side [with] other high-level technology executives to ensure our product and tech stack functions well,” one of its executives wrote in an email at the time.</p> <p>One of Trump Media’s executives, Andrew Northwall, a Nebraska political consultant, reached out to Bacon’s office.</p> <p>An aide to the congressman replied promptly, assuring the former president’s company that Bacon’s office would get to work: “We will follow up with the proper officials about your concerns.”</p> <p>The request from the former president’s company came at a delicate moment in Bacon and Trump’s relationship. Bacon had supported Trump in both his presidential campaigns up until that point. But he was also willing to buck his own party at times, criticizing Trump’s actions during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, for example, and voting for President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill.</p> <p>That vote prompted Trump to release a statement in January 2022 raising the specter of a primary challenge against Bacon that year: “Anyone want to run for Congress against Don Bacon in Nebraska?” </p> <p>The emails from Trump’s company asking for help from Bacon’s office came a couple weeks later. Canter, the ethics expert, said the timing made the request more troubling, potentially increasing the pressure on Bacon to help. (No significant primary challenger materialized, but Trump did not support Bacon in his race.)</p> <p>Records show Bacon’s office quickly went into motion, gathering the forms and rationales it would need to push the case forward with the State Department. </p> <p>When ProPublica first reached out to Cartwright, Bacon’s former director of special projects, she initially said she had only a faint recollection about the case. She called back hours later unsolicited and in a brief conversation shared some details about her role. She recalled that someone had called the congressman to ask for his intervention and that the request was not treated like typical pleas for help from constituents. </p> <p>“It was higher-level than your average Joe,” she said.</p> <p>Cartwright did not say if she told Bacon or anyone else that she thought it was inappropriate for her to work on the request. She asked that the article not include her name, but ProPublica did not agree to that request. </p> <p>The next day, a spokesperson for Bacon reached out to ProPublica and accused a reporter of harassing the former aide and of misrepresenting her statements about the Trump Media visa: “Ms. Cartwright has informed us she didn’t say this to you and that you twisted/misrepresented her words.”</p> <p>Asked about that claim, Cartwright said in a text message “you misrepresented what I said” and said she worked hundreds of cases at Bacon’s office and all of them were “via the direction of Mr. Bacon, as we have been directed to help constituents.”</p> <p>In his letter to ProPublica, the Trump Media lawyer said the company “utilized standard constituent services, offered and performed by every member of Congress to obtain legislative assistance in connection with Mr. Novachki’s visa application.” The letter added that portraying the company as “having acted inappropriately” would be “categorically false” and “defamatory.”</p> <p>If Trump is elected again, not only would his companies potentially get an inside edge in influencing the government to further their interests, but ethics experts have also warned that his more than $2 billion stake in Trump Media could become a path to influencing him. Advertisers, vendors or investors who have political agendas could be in a position to use the social media enterprise to get favorable treatment. </p> <p>Last month, ProPublica reported that the company quietly <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-media-truth-social-jedtec-james-davison-conflict-of-interest">entered into a business deal</a> with a major Republican donor who has interests before the federal government. </p> <p>The Trump administration was sometimes hostile to the various types of visas reserved for skilled foreigners. Immigration lawyers complained during his term that visas with subjective criteria, such as the O-1, became more challenging to obtain. Vetting of an applicant’s acclaim in their field got more vigorous, they said. The Trump administration also stopped deferring to prior approvals for applicants looking to extend their visas. </p> <p>Most significantly, in 2020 amid the pandemic, Trump enacted restrictions blocking entry to people seeking O-1 and similar visas. The Trump administration said the moves were made to slow the spread of the virus and protect Americans jobs during uncertain times, but immigration advocates alleged the administration was using the pandemic as a pretext to crack down on legal immigration. </p> <p>Trump has at times expressed more openness to skilled immigrants. A couple months ago, for example, Trump <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/20/politics/trump-green-cards-gradutate-college/index.html">said during a podcast</a> hosted by Silicon Valley venture capitalists that he would allow foreign students at American universities to stay after they graduate. </p> <p>Trump Media’s reliance on labor from abroad extends beyond Novachki. ProPublica obtained an invoice showing at least one other employee working for Trump Media through the foreign outsourcing firm Cosmic. The LinkedIn pages of five other people, who describe themselves as based in the Balkans, mention working for Trump Media in tasks including software engineering and customer support. </p> <p>Cosmic did not respond to a request for comment.</p> <p>Trump in the past has been accused of straying from his immigration platform in his own affairs. </p> <p>Earlier this year, the Associated Press reported that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-truth-social-business-visa-h1b-51c5a41faff696709a2d2cc6ec4e2695">Trump Media had successfully applied for an H-1B visa</a>, a more common visa generally reserved for those who have specific degrees. The company told reporters at the time that the application was made by prior management and that current management “swiftly terminated the process” when it learned of it. </p> <p>And Melania Trump, after she had married Donald Trump, sponsored her mother’s application to immigrate from Slovenia and get permanent residency in the U.S. Trump has criticized this so-called “chain migration” — immigrants applying to have their relatives follow them into the country.</p> <p>“CHAIN MIGRATION must end now!” he once tweeted. “Some people come in, and they bring their whole family with them, who can be truly evil. NOT ACCEPTABLE!”</p> <p>Do you have any information about Trump Media that we should know? Robert Faturechi can be reached by email at <a href="mailto:robert.faturechi@propublica.org">robert.faturechi@propublica.org</a> and by Signal or WhatsApp at 213-271-7217. Justin Elliott can be reached by email at <a href="mailto:justin@propublica.org">justin@propublica.org</a> or by Signal or WhatsApp at 774-826-6240.</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/lisa-song">Lisa Song</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/the-big-story?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=national">our biggest stories</a> as soon as they’re published.</p> <p>The Environmental Protection Agency has taken the first ever federal action against a system that misleads consumers about the recycled content in plastic products. </p> <p>A <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/delusion-advanced-chemical-plastic-recycling-pyrolysis">ProPublica investigation in June</a> showed how the plastics industry uses a controversial accounting method called mass balance to advertise plastic products as 20% or 30% recycled even if they physically contain less than 1% recycled content. </p> <p>It involves a number shuffle, done only on paper, that inflates the advertised recycledness of one product by reducing the advertised recycledness of another, often less lucrative, product. Done purely for marketing, it has been criticized by environmentalists as a greenwashing tactic. </p> <p>According to an EPA policy released this month, companies that want the federal government’s stamp of approval for their sustainable products can no longer use such convoluted math.</p> <p>The EPA’s <a href="https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice">Safer Choice standard</a> is a voluntary program that allows manufacturers to affix a “Safer Choice” label to their dish soap, laundry detergent and other products. The roughly <a href="https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/products">1,800 products</a> that have earned that distinction include household cleaners sold in grocery stores and more niche products like industrial carpet stain removers. Until now, the program’s criteria have focused on encouraging brands to reduce their use of toxic chemicals. But the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-08/epas-safer-choice-and-design-for-the-environment-dfe-standard-with-changes-in-green.pdf">updated standard</a>, released on Aug. 8, strengthens requirements for sustainable packaging as well; plastic packaging must contain at least 15% postconsumer recycled content.</p> <p>A key requirement: The content must be determined “by weight,” effectively forbidding the mathematical sleight of hand.</p> <p>“This is the turning point” that will allow us to start killing the “hoax” of mass balance, said Jan Dell, a chemical engineer who founded The Last Beach Cleanup, a nonprofit fighting plastic pollution.</p> <p>It’s the latest of several Biden administration actions to tackle the plastic crisis, which is smothering communities, oceans and even our bodies with toxic material that doesn’t break down in nature. Last month, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/19/climate/biden-administration-single-use-plastic-reduction.html">White House announced</a> that the federal government — the world’s largest buyer of consumer products — would stop purchasing single-use plastic by 2035. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/shift-us-backs-global-target-reduce-plastic-production-source-says-2024-08-14/">Reuters also reported</a> that U.S. negotiators would support global limits on plastic production in ongoing talks for a United Nations plastics treaty. </p> <p>This EPA decision shows that President Joe Biden’s team is adopting more aggressive policies to curb plastic, said Anthony Schiavo, senior director at Lux Research. Schiavo’s company analyzes global trends in emerging petrochemical and plastics technologies.</p> <p>The new requirement effectively shuts out of the program any product made through a much-heralded chemical recycling technology called pyrolysis, which ProPublica’s investigation revealed to be so inefficient that it cannot yield more than 10% recycled content. In practice, it yields far less. Mass balance has been key to marketing those products and the technology.</p> <p>A prominent plastics industry trade group defended mass balance and cited its use in other products like paper and fair-trade chocolate. “Mass balance is a widely accepted accounting tool used by a variety of industries that would encourage more recycled content in the overall economy,” Adam Peer, the American Chemistry Council’s senior director of plastics sustainability, said in an email. </p> <p>The EPA gives annual awards to participants that have done particularly well in its program. <a href="https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/2023-safer-choice-partner-year-award-winners">Those recognized in 2023</a>, for instance, included The Clorox Co., Rust-Oleum, Ecos and Seventh Generation, which grew their inventories of less-toxic cleaning products and educated consumers about the Safer Choice program.</p> <p>ProPublica asked these four companies whether it would be difficult to transition to plastic packaging that meets the 15% threshold. None responded to requests for comment.</p> <p>The EPA did not comment directly on the policy’s implications for pyrolysis or mass balance. The agency instead referred ProPublica to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/comment/FTC-2022-0077-1366">comments it made last year to the Federal Trade Commission</a> about mass balance, calling it deceptive and advising against promoting it. “It would be clearer to focus on calculations that involve the actual amount of material used,” the agency told the FTC. </p> <p>After an earlier version of the EPA policy, <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2023-0520-0002">posted in November</a>, left the door open for the use of mass balance, activists including Dell <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/comment/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2023-0520-0065">warned the agency</a> about the accounting method’s flaws. And a group of state and local officials, including the attorneys general of 11 states, shared similar reservations on <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/Comments%20of%20Arizona%20et%20al%20on%20Proposed%20Updates%20to%20EPA%27s%20Safer%20Choice%20Standard.pdf">how the EPA should define recycled content</a>. </p> <p>In response to those comments, <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2023-0520-0095">the EPA wrote that</a> the final policy was written to “respect this consumer expectation” that “products with labels indicating use of recycled content contain post-consumer recycled content.”</p> <p>“Common sense has prevailed here,” said Peter Blair, who co-wrote the activists’ comments with Dell. Blair, policy and advocacy director at the environmental group Just Zero, said he was thrilled that the EPA’s final decision prioritized “truthful, accurate” labeling of recycled content for a program that’s not explicitly about plastic.</p> <p>The activists’ campaign reflects the mounting pressure to scrutinize and regulate how plastic — especially plastic recycled via newer technologies — is marketed. European regulators have banned the most extreme version of mass balance. And the FTC is updating the Green Guides, which spell out how companies can advertise recycled content in sustainable products. Those officials, too, are considering whether to allow mass balance.</p> <p>Blair hopes the EPA decision sets a precedent for where the federal government will stand.</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/brandon-roberts">Brandon Roberts</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/the-big-story?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=national">our biggest stories</a> as soon as they’re published.</p> <p>When Congress held hearings in December 2023 to investigate allegations of campus antisemitism, they brought in the presidents of Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania. At the same time, <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/">ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer</a> got surges of traffic to pages for <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/530199180">all</a> <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/42103594">three</a> <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/231352685">universities</a>. When the same congressional committee held further hearings in April and brought in now-former Columbia University president Nemat Shafik, traffic to the <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/135598093">university’s page on the site</a> peaked.</p> <p>When The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/business/glaad-ceo-spending.html">published an article</a> in August about the CEO of GLAAD’s pattern of lavish spending, including luxury travel and home office renovations, we noticed a corresponding spike in traffic to the <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133384027">page for the organization’s finances</a>. It was the most-viewed organization on the site for two days straight. GLAAD spokesperson Rich Ferraro defended the organization’s spending, saying the trips were business expenses that furthered the group’s advocacy goals and the office improvements aided the CEO’s many on-camera appearances.</p> <p>This is a pattern we’ve noticed again and again: When news about a nonprofit breaks, people turn to <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/">Nonprofit Explorer</a> to check its finances themselves. Today, we’re adding a new feature, called Trending Nonprofits, to highlight those organizations that may be in the news or be getting shared a lot on social media. The feature, which will appear on the Nonprofit Explorer homepage, lists the eight organizations with the most unique views and will update multiple times per day.</p> <p>Sharp temporary jumps in traffic due to breaking news events account for some organizations’ appearance on the list, but longer-term trends are also reflected. The <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/237327730">Heritage Foundation</a>, for example, was the most-viewed nonprofit for most of July thanks to ongoing reporting that dug into its controversial Project 2025 playbook, including <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-project-2025-secret-training-videos-trump-election">ProPublica’s own release of Project 2025 training videos</a>. The group did not respond to a request for comment.</p> <p>The most consistently popular organization on Nonprofit Explorer is the <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/20554654">Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation</a>, a nonprofit that’s notable for hosting large charity events like a 5K run through the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel to the former site of the World Trade Center complex. It has been the most-viewed charity for 120 days in the past year.</p> <p>The organization’s stated purpose is to use donated funds to purchase homes for the families of fallen military service members and first responders. These types of activities get media coverage, which consistently puts them among the top three most-visited organizations on the site. Just as traffic to the organization’s Nonprofit Explorer page was slowing down in June of 2024, it shot back into the top position when The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/01/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-finances-charity.html">reported that the nonprofit was the primary source of revenue</a> for former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s internet show “America’s Mayor Live.” According to reports, the show brought in approximately $16,000 a month for one of Giuliani’s companies, and the former mayor was accused of attempting to conceal that revenue stream in bankruptcy court. A spokesperson for Giuliani told the paper he was “proud to partner” with the charity. Neither Giuliani nor the Tunnel to Towers foundation responded to requests for comment.</p> <p>We know that reporters and others often use Nonprofit Explorer to research organizations, so to avoid letting a small number of people push a nonprofit onto the trending list, we count only unique visitors to an organization’s page. This means that repeated views from the same people will not cause a nonprofit to trend.</p> <p>We hope you enjoy using the feature as much as we do. It can be a great signal that it might be time to go digging into a nonprofit further.</p> <p> <strong><a href="https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/send-propublica-story-tips">Do You Have a Tip for ProPublica? Help Us Do Journalism.</a></strong> </p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/annie-waldman">Annie Waldman</a> and <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/maya-miller">Maya Miller</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/the-big-story?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=national">our biggest stories</a> as soon as they’re published.</p> <p>Accessing mental health care can be a harrowing ordeal. Even if a patient finds a therapist in their network, their insurance company can overrule that therapist and decide the prescribed treatment isn’t medically necessary. </p> <p>This kind of interference is driving mental health professionals to flee networks, which makes treatment hard to find and puts patients in harm’s way. </p> <p>ProPublica sought to understand what legal protections patients have against insurers impeding their mental health care.</p> <p>Most Americans — more than <a href="https://www.kff.org/health-policy-101-employer-sponsored-health-insurance/?entry=table-of-contents-introduction">164 million</a> of them — have insurance plans through <a href="https://www.kff.org/report-section/ehbs-2023-section-10-plan-funding/">employers</a>. These are generally <a href="https://www.kff.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2015/06/c11.pdf">regulated</a> by federal law. </p> <p>Although the law <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/laws-and-regulations/laws/mental-health-and-substance-use-disorder-parity">requires</a> insurers to offer the same access to mental health care as to physical care, it doesn’t require them to <a href="https://repository.law.uic.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2926\&context=lawreview">rely</a> on evidence-based guidelines or those endorsed by professional societies in determining medical necessity. Instead, when deciding what to pay for, the government allows insurers to set their own standards.</p> <p>“If insurers are allowed to home bake their own medical necessity standards, you can pretty much bet that they’re going to be infected by financial conflicts of interest,” said California psychotherapist and attorney Meiram Bendat, who <a href="https://psych-appeal.com/meiram-bendat-attorney-founder/">specializes</a> in protecting access to mental health treatment.</p> <p>Federal lawmakers who want to boost patient protections could look to their counterparts in states who are pioneering stronger laws.</p> <p>Although these state laws govern only plans under state jurisdiction, such as individual or small-group policies <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/health/commercial-health-insurance-mandates-state-and-federal-roles">purchased</a> through state marketplaces, experts told ProPublica they could, when enforced, serve as a model for broader legislation.</p> <p>“States are laboratories for innovation,” said Lauren Finke, senior director of policy at The Kennedy Forum, a nonprofit that has <a href="https://www.thekennedyforum.org/press-releases/new-model-state-parity-legislation-named-in-honor-of-former-u-s-rep-jim-ramstad/">advocated</a> for state legislation that improves access to mental health care. “States can take it forward and use it for proof of concept, and then that can absolutely be reflected at the federal level.”</p> <p>ProPublica reporters delved into the laws in all 50 states to determine how some are trying to chart new paths to secure mental health care access. </p> <p>Many of the new protections are only just starting to be enforced, but ProPublica found that a few states have begun punishing companies for violations and forcing them into compliance.</p> Who Defines What Mental Health Care Is Necessary? Note: ProPublica included only states that had requirements specific to mental health coverage; we did not include states that had requirements only for substance use. <p>Insurers generally face few limitations on how they define what kind of mental health care is medically necessary. They often create their own <a href="https://www.beckersbehavioralhealth.com/behavioral-health-mental-health/unitedhealthcare-members-wants-mental-health-coverage-case-reopened.html">internal standards</a> instead of relying on ones developed by nonprofit professional medical societies. These standards can then be used to challenge diagnoses or treatment plans. </p> <p>“Knowing the profit motive that insurers have, it’s really shocking that federal law doesn’t define medical necessity and require the use of nonprofit guidelines to make decisions,” said Bendat, who helped California legislators draft <a href="https://www.senate.ca.gov/sites/senate.ca.gov/files/wiener_sb_855_mental_health_as_medical_necessity_fact_sheet.pdf">a more robust law</a> that passed in 2020, becoming one of the first states to do so.</p> <p>California’s law requires insurers to follow <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB855\&showamends=false">generally accepted standards of care</a> for mental health and substance use conditions, forcing them to rely on evidence-based sources that establish criteria, such as nonprofit professional organizations or peer-reviewed studies. The state also barred insurers from <a href="https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/110-health/60-resources/upload/CDI-Fact-Sheet-on-Senate-Bill-855.pdf">covering</a> only the treatment of short-term or acute symptoms, such as crisis stabilization, instead of the underlying condition, like chronic depression. </p> <p>Last October, California found health care organization Kaiser Permanente in <a href="https://wpso.dmhc.ca.gov/enfactions/docs/4367/1697136977902.pdf">violation of the new state law</a> and other health care regulations, reaching a settlement with the company, which agreed to pay a $50 million fine and make $150 million in investments in behavioral health care. A Kaiser spokesperson said that the company takes full accountability for its performance and that it had adopted new guidelines in line with the law. (Read their full <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25052081-propublica-state-by-state-responses">response</a>.)</p> <p>A spokesperson for the state’s Department of Managed Health Care said the agency is auditing insurers and determining whether their networks offer enough providers to serve customers and whether they deliver timely access to care.</p> <p>Nine states, including <a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB3046/Enrolled">Oregon</a>, <a href="https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.23805.html">Illinois</a> and <a href="https://readingroom.law.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3170\&context=gsulr">Georgia</a>, have defined the clinical standards or criteria that insurers must use when making coverage decisions on mental health care.</p> <p>Amid the opioid crisis, which has <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/12/30/1069062738/more-than-a-million-americans-have-died-from-overdoses-during-the-opioid-epidemi">killed more than a million</a> Americans, states have also instituted medical necessity protections for substance use treatment. For example, in <a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb20-007">Colorado</a>, <a href="https://insurance.maryland.gov/Insurer/Documents/bulletins/19-18-Utilization-Review-Criteria-for-Substance-Use-Disorder-Benefits.pdf">Maryland</a>, <a href="https://casetext.com/statute/delaware-code/title-18-insurance-code/part-i-insurance/chapter-33-health-insurance-contracts/subchapter-i-general-provisions/section-3343-insurance-coverage-for-serious-mental-illness">Delaware</a>, <a href="https://codes.findlaw.com/ct/title-38a-insurance/ct-gen-st-sect-38a-591c">Connecticut</a> and several other states, insurers must rely on guidelines from the American Society of Addiction Medicine when reviewing treatments for substance use.</p> How Can Insurers Challenge Mental Health Treatment? Note: ProPublica included states that had requirements for either mental health or substance use coverage. We did not include states that have these requirements only for autism coverage. <p>Before 2008, insurance companies nationwide could put more stringent limits on how often patients got mental health care compared with medical care, instituting more restrictive caps on the number of therapy sessions per year or the length of a stay at an inpatient facility. </p> <p>The federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act banned those harder limits. So insurers shifted to a different way to deny care. “They’re not going to just cover unlimited care, so they have to do something to limit utilization,” said Tim Clement, the vice president of federal government affairs at the nonprofit group Mental Health America.</p> <p>Insurers say they conduct what they call <a href="https://theinsurancemaze.com/articles/medicalnecessity/">utilization reviews</a>, in which they can request and sift through therapy <a href="https://theinsurancemaze.com/articles/progress-psychotherapy/">progress notes</a> full of sensitive details, to assess whether providers are delivering appropriate care. However, providers, mental health care advocates and legislators have found that these reviews are often used as pretexts by insurers looking for a reason to dispute the necessity of treatment.</p> <p>In recent years, at least 24 states have passed legislation to try to regulate how insurers conduct reviews of behavioral health care. </p> <p>After the New York attorney general determined that insurers, including EmblemHealth, Excellus and MVP, had <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/hcb_mental_health_parity_report.pdf">violated</a> state and federal laws with their reviews, state legislators <a href="https://www.paritytrack.org/reports/new%20york/statutes/">bolstered</a> oversight of these processes in 2019. An Excellus spokesperson said it had since adopted several reforms; MVP did not respond to ProPublica’s questions, and EmblemHealth forwarded a response from a managed health plan trade group called the New York Health Plan Association, which said that the state’s findings do not reflect the industry’s current practices. (Read their full <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25052081-propublica-state-by-state-responses">responses</a>.)</p> <p>The New York law <a href="https://www.dfs.ny.gov/industry_guidance/circular_letters/cl2019_13">requires insurers</a> to rely on criteria based on evidence and approved by the state when scrutinizing care. Peer reviewers, who work for insurance companies to <a href="https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2016.9b9">assess</a> medical necessity or appropriateness of care, must be licensed providers with relevant expertise in mental health. And when it comes to children, insurers are generally prohibited from requiring preapproval for their mental health treatment or conducting reviews during the first two weeks of an inpatient stay. </p> <p>Last year, New York regulators <a href="https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/bho/docs/mnc-summary.pdf">found</a> that Cigna’s and Wellfleet’s medical necessity criteria were out of compliance with the new law. The insurers are allowed to keep operating while they work with the state to bring their criteria in line with the law, according to the state’s mental health office. (The companies did not respond to requests for comment.)</p> <p>Several states, such as <a href="https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter176O/Section20">Massachusetts</a>, <a href="https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/23%20Regular/final/SB0273.pdf">New Mexico</a> and <a href="https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol06_Ch0321-0344/HRS0334B/HRS_0334B-0003.htm">Hawaii</a>, make insurers disclose to patients and providers the criteria or policies that they rely on for reviews. </p> <p>Insurers usually select the clinician conducting reviews, but in Illinois, if there’s a <a href="https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/100/PDF/100-1024.pdf">disagreement</a> about the necessity of a treatment, a patient can opt for another clinical reviewer, jointly selected by the patient, their provider and the insurer. </p> <p>Some states have also limited the frequency of reviews. In Delaware, insurers are generally <a href="https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail/25518">prohibited</a> from reviewing inpatient substance use treatment in the first 14 days. In <a href="https://law.justia.com/codes/kentucky/chapter-304/subtitle-304-17a/section-304-17a-142/">Kentucky</a> and <a href="https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-3923.84">Ohio</a>, for patients with autism, insurers cannot request more than one review annually for outpatient care.</p> What Must Insurers Reveal About Mental Health Care Access? Note: The mandated reporting may include metrics on utilization processes, spending and outcomes in mental health. <p>It can be hard to enforce the laws requiring <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/laws-and-regulations/laws/mental-health-parity/report-to-congress-2023-mhpaea-comparative-analysis#:\~:text=MHPAEA%20enforcement%20is%20essential%20for,substantially%20all%20medical%2Fsurgical%20benefits.">equitable coverage</a> for mental and physical conditions; doing so entails comparing very different kinds of health care and successfully arguing there is an imbalance in access. State and federal regulators also have minimal <a href="https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/our-research/2022/10/states-struggle-to-ensure-equal-access-to-behavioral-health-services-amid-mental-health-crisis.html">resources</a> for such <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/briefs/enforcing-mental-health-parity">intensive</a> examinations, which has <a href="https://www.thekennedyforum.org/app/uploads/2022/05/2022-5-16-Brief-of-Rhode-Island-Connecticut-and-Illinois-as-Amici-Curiae-in-Support-of-Plaintiffs-Appellees-and-Rehearing-En-Banc.pdf">hindered their ability</a> to scrutinize insurers. </p> <p>To hold insurers accountable, at least 31 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws requiring them to report how much access they really provide to mental health care. </p> <p>Most of these states ask insurers to provide details on their treatment criteria or limitations, but some states appear to be violating their own laws by not posting information publicly. </p> <p>New Jersey’s Department of Banking and Insurance, for example, <a href="https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2018/PL19/58_.PDF">must make</a> an insurer complaint log publicly available and post an insurance compliance report related to mental health care. But no such information has been published on its website more than five years after the state passed this requirement. </p> <p>After ProPublica asked about the lack of transparency, spokesperson Dawn Thomas said that the department is working to implement the requirements and that the reporting process would begin this year. “We recognize that the reporting provisions in the law provide important public insight into compliance of carriers,” she told ProPublica in an email.</p> <p>Chris Aikin, a spokesperson for the original bill’s primary sponsor, New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, told ProPublica his office had been in contact with the department and would “monitor their progress to meet reporting requirements and ensure full transparency for consumers.”</p> <p>For compliance reports, states often request data and analyses from insurers, but the figures that insurers submit may not be detailed or even accurate.</p> <p>“I’ve reviewed a lot of these analyses,” said Clement, who has helped advocate for greater insurer transparency in multiple states, “and in most states, they’re pretty bad.” </p> <p>But in some states, like Oregon, where detailed annual reporting is required, <a href="https://dfr.oregon.gov/business/reg/health/Documents/mental-health-parity/20230915-mental-health-parity-report.pdf">analyses</a> revealed a disproportionate number of insurance claims for behavioral health were out-of-network compared with medical claims, suggesting that people may have faced trouble accessing therapists covered by their insurance plans. </p> <p>Its reports also found that mental health providers were paid substantially less than medical providers for office visits of equivalent length. For an hourlong office visit, a mental health provider was, on average, reimbursed about half the amount given to a medical or surgical clinician. A spokesperson for the state’s Department of Consumer and Business Services told ProPublica that there have been no investigations or enforcement actions in response to the new requirements.</p> <p>“There’s no way we can feel confident that anyone is following the law unless we make sure there is accountability and they have to prove that they’re accountable,” Clement said. </p> <p>Other states, like New York, have begun to use the new data to drive investigations. Since 2021, the state’s Department of Financial Services has conducted nine investigations of seven insurance companies in response to the laws, according to a department spokesperson.</p> <p><a href="https://content.naic.org/state-insurance-departments">People can file complaints with their state insurance departments</a> if they believe that an insurer is violating their rights.</p> <p> <strong><a href="https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/tell-us-about-mental-health-care-access">We’re Investigating Mental Health Care Access. Share Your Insights.</a></strong> </p> <p><a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/max-blau">Max Blau</a> contributed research. Maps by <a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/lena-groeger">Lena Groeger</a>.</p> <p>If you have submitted a complaint to a state insurance department that you would like to share with ProPublica reporters, you can email us at <a href="mailto:mentalhealth@propublica.org">mentalhealth@propublica.org</a>.</p> <p>ProPublica reviewed laws and regulations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. If you see a state law that was not included, please send us a note.</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/doug-bock-clark">Doug Bock Clark</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/dispatches?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=local">Sign up for Dispatches</a>, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week.</p> <p><strong>Update, Aug. 27, 2024:</strong> On Monday, the Democratic Party of Georgia and the Democratic National Committee, along with Democratic members of the Georgia Legislature and five metro Atlanta county election boards, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25074852-georgia-state-election-board-rules-lawsuit">filed a lawsuit</a> against the Georgia Election Board challenging its new certification rules. “To remedy these harms and prevent chaos in November, this Court should follow decades of binding precedent,” the lawsuit stated, seeking a declaration that “election superintendents must certify election results.”</p> <p>The members of the Georgia State Election Board could not have been clearer. Back in May, four of them voted down a proposed rule that would have given county election boards a new way to delay or reject election results, which could throw the November vote count into chaos.</p> <p>“You run counter to both the federal and the state law,” said Ed Lindsey, a Republican board member and attorney who practices election law, to the woman who proposed the rule.</p> <p>This rule “violates federal law. It also violates state law,” said Sara Tindall Ghazal, the board’s lone Democrat. </p> <p>“It’s just not ready for prime time yet,” said the board chairman, noting that it needed more work to ensure its legality. </p> <p>Even the lone board member supporting the rule, Janice Johnston, <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/republicans-pick-fulton-elections-critic-for-state-election-board/FW7BG37G7ZHQZIQU364GGPVA5Y/">a retired obstetrician who had made unvalidated claims about falsified vote tallies in Fulton County</a>, voted against it. The fifth board member did not vote. The board agreed that two members would work on improvements to the rule.</p> <p>Three months later, a new draft of the rule came back for a vote. This time, it passed 3-2.</p> <p>How much did the rule change between drafts? A review by ProPublica shows: hardly at all. In fact, election law experts told ProPublica that the small changes made the rule even less compliant with existing law.</p> <p>The rule dramatically expands the authority of county officials overseeing the usually mundane task of certifying elections. The passage of it was enabled by nationally prominent election deniers and the Georgia Legislature. And the board members who passed it were cheered on by former President Donald Trump. It comes at a time when Trump and his allies <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/12/trump-overturn-result-presidential-election-vote">are already calling into question the fairness of the elections process and making preparations to contest the results</a> — and as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/17/upshot/poll-harris-trump-sun-belt.html?searchResultPosition=4">Trump slips behind Vice President Kamala Harris</a> in swing state polls. </p> <p>It’s no coincidence that Trump allies are expanding their powers over certification in Georgia, a state where Biden beat Trump in 2020 by fewer than 12,000 votes.</p> <p>Weeks after that election, Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/03/politics/donald-trump-brad-raffensperger-call-washington-post/index.html">asked him to “find” him those winning votes</a>. Raffensperger refused. Since then, the Legislature has made numerous moves to exert more control over the state’s elections. </p> <p>In the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers <a href="https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/secretary-of-state-brad-raffensperger-objects-to-being-removed-as-chairman-of-state-elections-board/article_a8193562-9457-11eb-a879-8f262792d9f4.html">stripped Raffensperger of his spot as the designated chair</a> of the State Election Board. Instead, <a href="https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2022/title-21/chapter-2/article-2/part-1/subpart-1/section-21-2-30/">they gave themselves the power to appoint the chair</a>, unless they were out of session, in which case the governor could do it. (Though they could replace that chair once they were back in session.) </p> <p>Another of their changes came this past May, after Lindsey, the Republican board member who had called the rule illegal, <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2024/03/27/dekalb-county-gop-calls-on-georgia-election-board-member-to-resign-over-lobbying-conflicts/">was pressured to resign</a>. The Republican speaker of the House replaced him with Janelle King, <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/person/k/janelle-king">the former deputy state director for the Georgia Republican Party</a> and a conservative media personality, who has no experience in election administration and who had <a href="https://x.com/IAM_JanelleK/status/1324528962870087680">tweeted “I have questions!!”</a> about the results of the 2020 election.</p> <p>With King, the board became stacked with a majority of members who had questioned the results of the 2020 election. In early August, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/05/trump-praises-georgia-election-board/74674946007/">Trump praised all three by name</a> during an Atlanta rally, calling them “pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory.” </p> <p>Meanwhile, the proponents of the rule — including Bridget Thorne, a Republican Fulton County commissioner who calls herself the rule’s “originator” — decided to resubmit it. Thorne told ProPublica that claims of the rule’s illegality were an attempt to “scare” her. “I went and I talked to the lawmakers,” she said, “and they didn’t see anything wrong with my rules.”</p> <p>Thorne said she got advice and support on the revised rule from Hans von Spakovsky, a Heritage Foundation lawyer who has <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/29/the-voter-fraud-myth">led efforts for stricter voting laws nationwide for decades</a>; Ken Cuccinelli, a former Virginia attorney general and the chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative, a group advocating for Republican priorities in election law; and Cleta Mitchell, the head of the Election Integrity Network, a nationwide organization that has challenged the legitimacy of American elections, which <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/georgia-election-board-vote-certification">secretly backed the submission of the rule</a>. Mitchell had joined Trump on the call in which he asked for Raffensperger to find him votes. </p> <p>In response to questions from ProPublica, Cuccinelli provided a statement claiming that the authority the rule grants county board members is compliant with the law: “According to existing law, in signing a certification county board members are attesting subject to felony prosecution that the vote count is accurate. Obviously, each of them is expected to make that determination themselves otherwise there would be no point to having boards or board members.”</p> <p>Mitchell and von Spakovsky did not respond to requests for comment.</p> <p>The resubmitted rule only changed in minor ways between being voted down in May and approved in August. Those changes did not fix its legal problems, according to five election law experts who spoke with ProPublica. In fact, they said, in some ways it made them worse.</p> <p>At the heart of legal experts’ critiques of the rule is its assertion that officials have the discretion to delay certification, even though more than <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-republicans-pursue-power-over-certifying-election-results/JXEH2QC43JCIBJ7QEPXOLSK5SY/">a century of Georgia case law and judicial history says otherwise</a>.</p> <p>“If the State Election Board decided that the first rule was outside the role of their authority, I think the second rule is even more outside the scope of their authority,” said Caitlin May, a voting rights attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. </p> <p>The only substantial addition was a new paragraph that gives county election boards the power to determine “a method to compute the votes justly” if they discover any error or fraud, while also requiring that a board report fraud to the district attorney. Legal experts worried that some conservative county boards might interpret this as permission to adjust vote counts they perceived as tainted, given that the rule doesn’t define what it means to “compute the votes justly.” </p> <p><a href="https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-21/chapter-2/article-12/section-21-2-493/">Georgia law states</a>, “If any error or fraud is discovered, the superintendent shall compute <em>and certify</em> the votes justly, regardless of any fraudulent or erroneous returns presented to him or her.” (Italics added by ProPublica.)</p> <p>Peter Simmons, a lawyer for Protect Democracy, a nonprofit that works to protect the integrity of American elections, said that by dropping “and certify” from the rule, its meaning has arguably been reversed. Instead of emphasizing that certification is a mandatory duty regardless of any fraud or errors, the rule tries to grant county election board members discretion not to certify by leaving out the language that they “compute <em>and certify</em>,” according to Simmons.</p> <p>“This rule’s slight change in wording from the statute could have significant effects” and could “jeopardize Georgia’s ability to comply with the federal certification deadline,” Simmons said.</p> <p>There also was a minor adjustment to the <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25049647-petition-thorne">May version of the rule</a>, which would have required that county boards meet on 3 p.m. the Thursday after the election to investigate potential errors. After criticism from Georgia election officials, among others, that the timing of such a meeting was well ahead of the 5 p.m. Friday deadline for counting provisional ballots, the <a href="https://sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/forms/Petition%20-%20Grubbs.pdf">August version of the rule</a> moved the timing to 3 p.m. on Friday. But experts warned that the later timing still could cause provisional ballots to be missed. </p> <p>Johnston had voted against the rule in May and for it in August. She was joined by Rick Jeffares, who did not cast a vote in May, and King.</p> <p>In the August meeting at which the vote was held, Johnston argued that certification should be discretionary not mandatory, but she offered little explanation of her reasoning for supporting it after she previously voted it down, except to say that the change to the timing of the investigatory meeting had eased her concerns. </p> <p>When asked why she had changed her vote, Johnston emailed ProPublica, “The small changes were appropriate.”</p> <p>Jeffares and King did not respond to requests for comment.</p> <p><strong>Update, Aug. 27, 2024:</strong> This story has been updated to include a response from Ken Cuccinelli. His comment was sent before the story published but was caught in a spam filter.</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/alec-macgillis">Alec MacGillis</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/the-big-story?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=national">our biggest stories</a> as soon as they’re published.</p> <p>This story is exempt from our Creative Commons license until Oct. 25.</p> <p>In the 1990s, when Liberia descended into civil war, the Kpor family fled to Ivory Coast. A few years later, in 1999, they were approved for resettlement in the United States and ended up in Rochester, New York. Janice Kpor, who was 11 at the time, jokingly wonders whether her elders were under the impression that they were moving to New York City. What she remembers most about their arrival is the trees: It was May, yet many were only just starting to bud. “It was, like, ‘Where are we?’” she said. “It was completely different.”</p> <p>But the Kpors adapted and flourished. Janice lived with her father in an affordable-housing complex close to other family members, and she attended the city’s public schools before enrolling in St. John Fisher University, just outside the city, where she got a bachelor’s degree in sociology and African American studies. She found work as a social service case manager and eventually started running a group home for disabled adults.</p> <p>She also became highly involved in the schooling of her three children, whom she was raising with her partner, the father of the younger two, a truck driver from Ghana. Education had always been highly valued in her family: One of her grandmothers had been a principal in Liberia, and her mother, who remained there, is a teacher. Last fall, when school started, Kpor was the president of the parent-teacher organization at School 10, the Dr. Walter Cooper Academy, where her youngest child, Thomasena, was in kindergarten. Her middle child had also attended the school.</p> <p>Kpor took pleasure in dropping by the school, a handsome two-story structure that was built in 1916 and underwent a full renovation and expansion several years ago. The school was in the 19th Ward, in southwest Rochester, a predominantly Black, working- and middle-class neighborhood of century-old homes. The principal, Eva Thomas, oversaw a staff that prided itself on maintaining a warm environment for 299 students, from kindergarten through sixth grade, more than 90% of whom were Black or Latino. Student artwork filled the hallways, and parent participation was encouraged. School 10 dated only to 2009 — the building had housed different programs before that — but it had strong ties to the neighborhood, owing partly to its namesake, a pioneering Black research scientist who, at the age of 95, still made frequent visits to speak to students. “When parents chose to go to this particular school, it was because of the community that they have within our school, the culture that they have,” Kpor told me.</p> <p>Because she was also engaged in citywide advocacy, through a group called the Parent Leadership Advisory Council, Kpor knew that the Rochester City School District faced major challenges. Enrollment had declined from nearly 34,000 in 2003 to less than 23,000 last year, the result of flight to the suburbs, falling birth rates and the expansion of local charter schools, whose student population had grown from less than 2,000 to nearly 8,000 during that time. Between 2020 and 2022, the district’s enrollment had dropped by more than 10%.</p> Janice Kpor has availed herself of an Urban-Suburban education option in the Rochester area for two of her children, with the third attending School 10 when it was shut down. (Joshua Rashaad McFadden for The New Yorker) <p>The situation in Rochester was a particularly acute example of a nationwide trend. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, <a href="https://www.the74million.org/article/public-school-enrollment-dropped-by-1-2m-during-the-pandemic/">public school enrollment has declined by about a million students</a>, and researchers <a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/missing-children/index.html">attribute the drop</a> to families switching to private schools — aided by an expansion of voucher programs in many red and purple states — and to homeschooling, which has seen especially strong growth. In addition, as of last year, an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-enrollment-data-homeschool-private-f5bcd6876a5e7163abb80319a7db6d5b">estimated 50,000 students are unaccounted for</a> — many of them are simply not in school.</p> <p>During the pandemic, Rochester kept its schools closed to in-person instruction longer than any other district in New York besides Buffalo, and throughout the country some of the largest enrollment declines have come in districts that embraced remote learning. Some parents pulled their children out of public schools because they worried about the inadequacy of virtual learning; others did so, after the eventual return to school, because classroom behavior had deteriorated following the hiatus. In these places, a stark reality now looms: schools have far more space than they need, with higher costs for heating and cooling, building upkeep and staffing than their enrollment justifies. During the pandemic, the federal government gave $190 billion to school districts, but that money is about to run dry. Even some relatively prosperous communities face large drops in enrollment: In Ann Arbor, Michigan, where <a href="https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/covid-cliff-looms-michigan-schools-ann-arbor-faces-cuts-layoffs">enrollment has fallen by more than 1,000 students</a> since the fall of 2019, the city is planning to lay off some 90 teachers; Santa Clara, which is part of Silicon Valley, <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/30/bay-area-school-enrollment-plunges-as-families-flee-high-cost-region/">has seen a decrease of 14% in a decade</a>.</p> <p>On Sept. 12, 2023, less than a week after the school year started, Rochester’s school board held what appeared to be a routine subcommittee meeting. The room was mostly empty as the district’s superintendent, Carmine Peluso, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/zv4tra-y3qU">presented what the district called a “reconfiguration plan.”</a></p> <p>A decade earlier, 2,600 kindergarten students had enrolled in Rochester’s schools — roughly three-quarters of the children born in the city five years before. But in recent years, Peluso said, that proportion had sunk to about half.</p> <p>Within 10 years, Peluso said, “if we continue on this trend and we don’t address this, we’re going to be at a district of under 14,000 students.” The fourth-largest city in New York, with a relatively stable population of about 210,000, was projecting that its school system would soon enroll only about a third of the city’s current school-age population.</p> <p>Peluso then recommended that the Rochester school district close 11 of its 45 schools at the end of the school year. Kpor, who was watching the meeting online, was taken aback. Five buildings would be shuttered altogether; the other six would be put to use by other schools in the district.</p> <p>School 10 was among the second group. The school would cease to exist, and its building, with its new gymnasium-auditorium and its light-filled two-story atrium, would be turned over to a public Montessori school for pre-K through sixth grade, which had been sharing space with another school.</p> <p>Kpor was stunned. The building was newly renovated. She had heard at a recent PTA meeting that its students’ overall performance was improving. And now it was being shut down? “I was in disbelief,” she said. “It was a stab in the back.”</p> <p>School closures are a fact of life in a country as dynamic as the United States. Cities boom, then bust or stagnate, leaving public infrastructure that is incommensurate with present needs. The brick elementary school where I attended kindergarten and first grade, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was closed in the early ’80s, as the city’s population declined, and then was razed to make way for a shopping plaza.</p> <p>Still, there is a pathos to a closed school that doesn’t apply to a shuttered courthouse or post office. The abandonment of a building once full of young voices is an indelible sign of the action having moved elsewhere. There is a tangible cost, too. Researchers <a href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/the-harm-of-school-closures-can-last-a-lifetime-new-research-shows/2024/06">have found</a> that students whose schools have been closed often experience declines in attendance and achievement, and that they tend to be less likely to graduate from college or find employment. Closures <a href="https://ed.stanford.edu/news/majority-black-schools-outpace-others-school-closures-nationwide-stanford-analysis-shows">tend to fall disproportionately on majority-Black schools</a>, even beyond what would be expected on the basis of enrollment and performance data. In some cities, efforts to close underpopulated schools have become major political issues. In 2013, Chicago, facing a billion-dollar budget deficit and falling enrollment, closed 49 schools, the largest mass closure in the country’s history. After months of marches and protests, 12,000 students and 1,100 staff members were displaced.</p> <p>Now, as a result of the nationwide decline in enrollment, many cities will have to engage in disruption at a previously unseen scale. “School closures are difficult events that rend the community, the fabric of the community,” Thomas Dee, a professor of education at Stanford, said. He has been <a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/missing-children/index.html">collecting data on declining enrollment</a> in partnership with The Associated Press. “The concern I have is that it’s going to be yet another layer of the educational harm of the pandemic.”</p> <p>Janice Kpor knew that her family was, in a sense, part of the problem. Her oldest child, Virginia, had flourished in the early grades, so her school put her on an accelerated track, but it declined to move her up a grade, as Kpor had desired. Wanting her daughter to be sufficiently challenged, Kpor opted for the area’s Urban-Suburban program, in which students can apply to transfer to one of the many smaller school districts that surround Rochester; if a district is interested in a student, it offers the family a slot. The program began in 1965, and there are now about 1,000 children enrolled. Virginia began attending school in Brockport, where she had access to more extracurricular activities.</p> <p>Supporters call Urban-Suburban a step toward integration in a region where city schools are 85% Black and Latino and suburban districts are heavily white. But critics see it as a way for suburban districts to draw some of the most engaged families out of the city’s schools; the selectiveness of the suburban districts helps explain why close to a quarter of the students remaining in the city system qualify for special-education services. (The local charter schools are also selective.) One suburban district, Rush-Henrietta, assured residents that it would weed out participants who brought “city issues” with them, as Justin Murphy, a reporter for the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, wrote in his book, <a href="https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501761867/your-children-are-very-greatly-in-danger/">“Your Children Are Very Greatly in Danger,”</a> a history of segregation in the city’s schools.</p> <p>Kpor understood these concerns even as she watched Virginia thrive in the suburbs, then go on to attend the Rochester Institute of Technology. As Kpor saw it, each child’s situation was unique, and she tried to make decisions accordingly. “It’s where they’re at,” she said. “It’s not all or nothing for me.”</p> <p>She enrolled her middle child, Steven, in School 10 for kindergarten and immediately liked the school, but stability was elusive. First, the school moved to temporary quarters for the renovation. Then came disagreements with a teacher who thought that her son’s behavioral issues stemmed from ADHD. Then the pandemic arrived, and her son spent the final months of second grade and most of third on Zoom. For fourth grade, she decided to try Urban-Suburban again. He was accepted by Brockport, which sent a bus to pick him up every morning.</p> <p>Other parents shared similar accounts with me of the aftermath of the pandemic closures. Ruthy Brown said that, after the reopening, her children’s school was rowdier than before, with more frequent fights and disturbances in the classroom; a charter school with uniforms suddenly seemed appealing. Isabel Rosa, too, moved her son to a charter school, because his classmates were “going bonkers” when they finally returned to in-person instruction. (She changed her mind after he was bullied by a charter school security guard.) Carmen Torres, who works at a local advocacy organization, the Children’s Agenda, watched one of her client families get so frustrated by virtual instruction that they switched to homeschooling. “Enough is enough,” Torres recalled the mother saying. “My kids need to learn how to read.”</p> <p>But, when it came time to enroll Thomasena, Kpor resolved to stick with the district, and she was so hopeful about her daughter’s future at School 10 that she took the prospect of its closure with great umbrage. She and other parents struggled to understand the decision. One of the reasons School 10 was chosen to close was that it was in receivership — a designation for public schools rated in the bottom 5% in the state, among Peluso’s criteria for closure — but Kpor knew that the receivership was due not only to low test scores but also to the school’s high rate of absenteeism, which was, she believed, because the school roster was outdated, filled with students who were no longer there. According to a board member, the state had also placed School 10 on a list of dangerous schools, partly owing to an incident in which a student had been found with a pocketknife.</p> <p>Making matters worse, for Kpor, was that the building was going to be turned over to another program, School 53, the Montessori school. It would be one thing for School 10 to be shut down because the district needed to cut costs. But the building had just been renovated at great expense, an investment intended for School 10, and now those students and teachers were being evicted to make room for others. “It was more of an insult,” Kpor said, “because now you have this place and all these kids and a whole bunch of new kids in the same building, so what is the logic of, quote-unquote, closing the school?”</p> <p>The awkwardness of this was not lost on the parents of School 53. The school had a slightly higher proportion of white families and a lower one of economically disadvantaged students than School 10, and it was expected to draw additional white families once it moved to its new building. “The perception is that you’ve got the kids at this protected, special school — you can see the difference between what they get and what we get,” Robert Rodgers, a parent at School 53, told me. “If I was a parent at School 10, I would be livid.”</p> <p>After Peluso announced the plan, the district held two public forums, followed by sessions at the targeted schools. The School 10 auditorium was packed for its session, and Kpor lined up at the microphone to speak. She asked Peluso if Thomasena and her classmates would get priority for placement in School 53, so that they could stay in the building. “I do not want her to go to any other school,” she said. “Every time we think we’re doing something right for our kids, someone comes in and dictates to us that our choices are not valid.” Kpor was encouraged to hear Peluso say that School 10 kids would get priority.</p> <p>On Oct. 19, five weeks after the announcement, the school board <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-fQd8VYM04">met to vote on the closures</a>. During the public comment period, a teacher from School 2 pleaded with the board to let its students enroll at the school that would be replacing it. A teacher from School 106 asked that the vote be delayed until after board members visited every school, including hers, which was engaged in a yearlong special project geared toward the coming total solar eclipse, so that they could get a more visceral sense of the school’s value. The principal of School 29, Joseph Baldino, asked that the school’s many students with autism-spectrum disorder be kept together, along with their teachers, during the reassignment. “They’re unique, they’re beautiful, and they don’t do real well with change,” he said. Chrissy Miller, a parent at the school, said of her son, “He loves his staff … he loves his teachers, and he wants everybody to stay together as one.”</p> <p>In the end, the closures passed, five to two.</p> <p>In September 2020, as many public schools in Democratic-leaning states started the new academic year with remote learning, I asked Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, whether she worried about the long-term effects on public education. What if too many families left the system in favor of homeschooling or private schools — many of which had reopened — and didn’t come back? She wasn’t concerned about such hypotheticals. “At the end of the day, kids need to be together in community,” <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/the-students-left-behind-by-remote-learning">she said</a>.</p> <p>The news from a growing number of districts suggests that the institution of public schooling has indeed suffered a lasting blow, even in cities that are better funded than Rochester. In Seattle, parents anticipate the closure of <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/new-data-gives-insight-into-which-seattle-schools-could-close/">20 elementary schools</a>. The state of Ohio has witnessed a <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/private-schools-vouchers-parents-ohio-public-funds">major expansion of private school vouchers</a>; in Columbus, a task force is recommending the closure of nine schools.</p> <p>In Rochester, the continuing effects of the pandemic weighed heavily on some. Camille Simmons, who joined the school board in 2021, told me, “A lot of children felt the result of those decisions.” She went on: “There were a lot of entities at play, there were so many conversations going on. I think we should have brought children back much sooner.”</p> <p>Adam Urbanski, the longtime president of the Rochester teachers’ union, said that the union had believed schools should not reopen until the district could guarantee high air quality, and it had not been able to. “When I reflect back on it, I know that I erred on the side of safety, and I do not regret the position that we took,” he said.</p> <p>But Rebecca Hetherington, the owner of a small embroidery company and the former head of the Parent Leadership Advisory Council, the group Kpor was part of, feared that the district would soon lack the critical mass to remain viable. “I am concerned there is a tipping point and we’re past it,” she said. Rachel Barnhart, a former TV news reporter who attended city schools and now serves in the county legislature, agreed. “It’s like you’re watching institutions decline in real time,” she told me. “Anchors of the community are disappearing.” School districts have long aspired to imbue their communities with certain shared values and learning standards, but such commonality now seemed inconceivable.</p> <p>By the spring of 2024, parents at the 11 targeted schools were too busy trying to figure out where their children would be going in the fall to worry about the long term. A mother at School 39, Rachel Dixon, who lived so close to the school that she could carry her kindergartner there, was on the waitlist for School 52 but had been assigned to School 50. She wasn’t even sure where that was. Chrissy Miller was upset that School 29’s students with autism were being more broadly dispersed than promised; she worried that her son’s assigned school wasn’t equipped for students with special needs. Many of her fellow School 29 parents were now considering homeschooling or moving, she said, and added, “We don’t have trust in the district at all.” It was easy to envision how the closures could compound the problem, leading to even fewer students and even more closures.</p> School 39 was one of 11 that the Rochester City School District Board of Education voted to close. (Joshua Rashaad McFadden for The New Yorker) <p>Thomasena had been assigned to School 45, which was close to her family’s home but less convenient for Kpor than School 10, which was closer to her work. Kpor wondered how many other families were in similar situations, with assignments that didn’t take into account the specific context of their lives. “All of this plays into why kids are not going to school,” she said. “You’re placing kids in locations that don’t meet the families’ needs.”</p> <p>She had taken Peluso’s word that students from School 10 would be given priority at the Montessori school taking its place, and she was disappointed to learn that Thomasena was 30th on the waitlist there. It was also unclear to her which branch of the central office was handling placement appeals. “It’s all a jumble, and no one really knows how things work,” she said.</p> <p>On March 26, as families were dealing with the overhaul, Peluso announced that he was leaving the district to become the superintendent of the Churchville-Chili district, in the suburbs. The district was far smaller than Rochester, with some 3,800 students, more than 70% of them white, but the job paid nearly as much. “It’s one of the hardest decisions I’ve had,” Peluso said at a news conference. “There’s a lot of commitment I’ve had to this district.” Rodgers, the School 53 parent, told me: “This hurts. It’s another situation where the suburbs are taking something from the city.”</p> <p>Parents and district staff tried to make sense of Peluso’s departure. Some people speculated that he had grown tired of the treatment he was receiving from certain board members. Other people wondered if he simply wanted a less challenging district. Peluso told me, “It was the best decision for me and my family.”</p> <p>In late June, I returned to Rochester for the final days of the school year. I stayed at School 31 Lofts, a hotel in a former schoolhouse that was built in 1919. (The website advertises “Whimsy~History~Serenity.”) An empty hallway was still marked with a “Fallout Shelter” sign. I stayed in a room that, judging from its size and location, might have been a faculty lounge.</p> <p>One afternoon, I met with Demario Strickland, a deputy superintendent who’d been named interim superintendent while the school board searched for a permanent replacement for Peluso. Strickland, a genial 39-year-old Buffalo native who moved to Rochester last year, was the seventh superintendent of the district since 2016. He told me that he was not surprised the closures had prompted such protests. “School closures are traumatic in itself,” he said.</p> <p>But he defended the district against several of the criticisms I had heard from parents. School 10 had been improving, he said, but still fell short on some metrics. “Even though they met demonstrable progress, we still had to look at proficiency, and we still had to look at receivership,” he said. And, he added, School 53 had limited slots available, so the district had made no promises to parents of School 10 about having priority.</p> <p>Still, he said, the district could perhaps have been more empathetic in its approach. “This process has taught me that, in a sense, people don’t care about the money,” he said. “When you make these decisions, you really have to think about the heart. That’s something we could have done a little more. It makes sense — we’re wasting money, throwing money away, we have all these vacancies, that makes sense to us. But our families don’t care about that. Our families want their school to stay open — they don’t want to do away with it.”</p> <p>I asked him whether he worried that the district’s enrollment decline might continue until the system could no longer sustain itself, as Hetherington and Barnhart feared. “I try not to get scared about the future,” he said.</p> <p>On the second-to-last day of the school year, I went to School 10 to join Kpor at the end-of-year ceremony for Thomasena’s kindergarten class. She and her 14 classmates sang songs, demonstrated spelling on the whiteboard and rose one by one to say what they had liked best about kindergarten. “Education and learning,” Thomasena, a tall girl with her front teeth just coming in, said. “When it’s the weekend,” one boy said, to the laughter of parents.</p> <p>It was not hard to see why Kpor and other parents were sorry to leave the school, with its gleaming new tile work and hardwood-composite hallway floorboards. A few weeks earlier, the <a href="https://data.nysed.gov/profile.php?instid=800000050065">latest assessment results</a> had shown improvement for School 10, putting it close to citywide averages. “All of us are going to be going to different places, but I hope one day that I get to see you again,” the class’s teacher, Karen Lewis, said.</p> <p>Kpor was still waiting to find out if she had moved up on the list for School 53. I asked if she might have Thomasena apply for Urban-Suburban, like her siblings, and she said she was hoping it would work out in the district. “I still have faith,” she said. Outside, I met a parent who was worried about how her daughter would fare at her new school after having been at School 10 with the same special-needs classmates and teacher for the past three years. “The school has been amazing,” she said.</p> <p>The next day, I attended a schoolwide Rites of Achievement ceremony in the gym. Parents cheered as students received awards for Dr. Walter Cooper Character Traits — Responsibility, Integrity, Compassion, Leadership, Perseverance and Courage. (Thomasena won for Courage.) Thomas, the principal, called up the school’s entire staff, name by name. The shrieks from the assembled children for their favorite teachers and aides indicated the hold that even a school officially deemed subpar can have on its students and families: this had been their home, 180 days a year, for as long as seven years.</p> <p>Walter Cooper himself was there, watching from a thronelike chair with gilt edges. Eventually, he addressed the children for the last time, recounting his upbringing with a father who had received no formal schooling, a mother who preached the value of education and six siblings, all but one of whom had gone to college. “The rule was we had to have a library card at 7. We didn’t have a lot in this community, but we had books,” he said. “There are always things in the street for you, but there is much more in books. … The guiding thesis is: Books will set you free.”</p> <p>The children sang a final song: “I am a Cooper kid, a Dr. Walter Cooper kid, I am, I am / I stand up for what’s right even when the world is wrong.” Sylvia Cooksey, a retired administrator who is also a pastor, gave the final speech. “No matter where you go, where you end up, you are taking part of this school with you,” she said. “You are taking Dr. Walter Cooper with you. We’re going to hear all over Rochester, ‘That child is from School 10.’”</p> <p>After the assembly, I asked Cooper what he made of the closure. “It’s tragic,” he said. “It points to the fundamental instability in the future of the schools. Children need stability, and they aren’t getting it in terms of the educational process.”</p> <p>Wanda Zawadzki, a physical education teacher who had worked at the school for eight years and received some of the loudest shrieks from the kids, stood looking forlorn. She recalled the time a class had persuaded the city to tear down an abandoned house across the street, and the time a boy had brought her smartphone to her after she dropped it outside. “My other school, that phone would have been gone,” she said. “It’s the integrity here.” Like many teachers at the targeted schools, she was still waiting for her transfer assignment. “This was supposed to be my last home,” she said.</p> <p>And then it was dismissal time. It was school tradition to have the staff come out at the end of every school year and wave at the departing buses as they did two ceremonial loops around the block. Speakers blared music from the back of a pickup, and the teachers danced and waved. “We love you,” Principal Thomas called out.</p> <p>It was quieter over at School 29, the school with many special-needs kids. The children were gone, and one teacher, Latoya Crockton-Brown, walked alone to her car. She had spent 19 years at the school, which will be closing completely. “We’re not doing well at all,” she said, of herself and her colleagues. “This was a family school. It’s very disheartening. Even the children cried today.”</p> <p>She was wearing a T-shirt that read “Forever School 29/1965 to Now.” The school had done a lot in recent days to aid the transition — bringing in a snow cone truck and a cotton candy machine, hosting a school dance. “One girl said she feels like she’s never going to make friends like she had here,” Crockton-Brown said. “But we have to move on. We have no other choice.”</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/annie-waldman">Annie Waldman</a>, <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/maya-miller">Maya Miller</a>, <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/duaa-eldeib">Duaa Eldeib</a> and <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/max-blau">Max Blau</a>, photography by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/tony-luong">Tony Luong, special to ProPublica</a>, design by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/zisiga-mukulu">Zisiga Mukulu</a> </p> <p>America is in the midst of a mental health crisis. </p> <p>But finding a therapist who takes insurance can feel impossible. </p> <p>Insurers say that’s because there aren’t enough therapists. </p> <p>That’s not entirely true.</p> <p>Carter J. Carter became a therapist to help young people struggling with their mental health.</p> <p>Rosanne Marmor wanted to support survivors of trauma.</p> <p>Kendra F. Dunlap aspired to serve people of color. </p> <p>They studied, honed their skills and opened practices, joining health insurance networks that put them within reach of people who couldn’t afford to pay for sessions out of pocket. </p> <p>So did more than 500 other psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists who shared their experiences with ProPublica.</p> <p>But one after another, they confronted a system set up to squeeze them out.</p> <p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/heather-vogell">Heather Vogell</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/the-big-story?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=national">our biggest stories</a> as soon as they’re published.</p> <p>The Department of Justice and eight states on Friday sued the maker of rent-setting software that critics blame for sending rents soaring in apartment buildings across the country.</p> <p><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25060739-us_et_al_v_realpage_inc_-_1_-_complaint_filed?responsive=1&title=1">The civil lawsuit</a>, filed in federal district court in Greensboro, North Carolina, accuses Texas tech company RealPage of taking part in an illegal price-fixing scheme to reduce competition among landlords so they can boost prices — and profits. It also alleges the company took over the market for such price-setting software, effectively monopolizing it.</p> <p>“RealPage has built a business out of frustrating the natural forces of vigorous competition,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter at a news conference Friday with top department officials. “The time has come to stop this illegal conduct.”</p> <p>The antitrust lawsuit is the latest — and most dramatic — development to follow a 2022 ProPublica investigation that examined <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/yieldstar-rent-increase-realpage-rent">RealPage’s role in helping landlords set rent prices across the country</a>, an arrangement that legal experts said could result in cartel-like behavior. Since then, senators have introduced <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/senators-introduce-legislation-stop-landlords-algorithm-price-fixing">legislation seeking to ban such practices</a>, tenants have filed dozens of ongoing federal lawsuits, and <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-08-01/san-francisco-seeks-ban-of-software-critics-say-is-used-to-artificially-inflate-rents">San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors</a> moved to bar landlords from using similar algorithms to set rents.</p> <p>Justice Department officials said Friday that their lawsuit followed a nearly two-year investigation into the company. Along with traditional approaches, such as examining internal records, they said their probe involved data scientists who dug into computer code to understand how these algorithms set prices.</p> <p>RealPage’s software enables landlords to share confidential data and charge similar rents, the officials said.</p> <p>“We learned that the modern machinery of algorithms and AI can be even more effective than the smoke-filled rooms of the past,” Kanter said, referring to artificial intelligence. “You don't need a Ph.D. to know that algorithms can make coordination among competitors easier.”</p> <p>The case has become central to the Justice Department’s efforts to jumpstart antitrust enforcement under the Biden White House. Officials said they are also scrutinizing similar information-sharing exchanges in other industries, including meat processing. “Training a machine to break the law is still breaking the law,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said.</p> <p>But experts say that prosecutors face challenges in applying the more than 100-year-old Sherman Antitrust Act to situations in which competitors rely on new technologies to coordinate their prices.</p> <p>RealPage, which is owned by the private equity company Thoma Bravo, did not immediately respond to ProPublica’s request for comment. It has previously denied wrongdoing. In <a href="https://www.realpage.com/news/statement-from-realpage-the-real-story/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SYN-Phoenix&utm_adgroup=Phoenix&utm_device=c&utm_keyword=realpage%20price%20fixing&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5qC2BhB8EiwAvqa41uRQwwJcHHgirSyeyaECG8eSqhU_yMxD5pkMjS15_vDZ1rPxwYFQAhoC-0oQAvD_BwE">a statement published on its website</a> in June, the company said its landlord clients are free to accept or reject its advice and that its impact on the national rental market is smaller than portrayed by the software’s critics.</p> <p>“RealPage uses data responsibly, including limited aggregated and anonymized nonpublic data where accuracy aids pro-competitive uses,” the company’s statement said. It has previously said it will fight antitrust litigation.</p> <p>The DOJ’s suit does not name landlords as defendants, unlike the complaints filed by tenants, which accused some of the biggest landlords in the country of price-fixing through RealPage. In May, <a href="https://www.multifamilydive.com/news/FBI-investigation-antitrust-suit-realpage-apartment-rents/718063/">the FBI raided</a> an Atlanta-based landlord involved in the lawsuits. The landlord said it <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25060708-cortland-statement?responsive=1&title=1">was not law enforcement’s target</a>. DOJ officials declined to answer a question about why their lawsuit did not name landlords, with Kanter saying he “can’t comment on any further investigations.”</p> <p>The DOJ complaint, which is more than 100 pages long, quotes RealPage executives and landlords speaking about the impact of the software. The lawsuit alleges that the company’s software works by helping landlords realize that if they all raise prices, or fail to drop them during a downturn, “a rising tide raises all ships.”</p> <p>“I always liked this product because your algorithm uses proprietary data from other subscribers to suggest rents and term,” one landlord commented about the product, according to the lawsuit. “That’s classic price fixing.”</p> <p>Justice Department officials said the software has had a “substantial” impact on the housing market. It is used to set rent for more than three million apartments nationwide, Kanter said, and it draws on competitively sensitive information from over 16 million units. Americans spend more on housing than any other expense, officials said.</p> <p>“Americans should not have to pay more in rent because a company has found a new way to scheme with landlords to break the law,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said at the news conference.</p> <p>ProPublica’s story found that in one Seattle neighborhood, 70% of all multifamily apartments were overseen by just 10 property managers — every single one of whom used pricing software sold by RealPage. The company claimed its software could help landlords “outperform the market” by 3% to 7%.</p> <p>Justice officials alleged that RealPage “polices” landlords’ compliance with its recommendations. Its software has an “auto-accept” setting, which allows landlords to automatically adopt its suggestions and “effectively permits RealPage to determine the price a renter will pay,” Garland said.</p> <p>The states whose attorneys general have joined the federal lawsuit are North Carolina, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington.</p> <p>Meanwhile, housing costs have emerged as a political issue in the presidential election, as the candidates travel the country making their cases.</p> <p><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/08/16/remarks-by-vice-president-harris-at-a-campaign-event-in-raleigh-nc/">Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris</a>, the Democratic nominee for president, criticized landlords’ use of price-setting software to determine rents.</p> <p>“Some corporate landlords collude with each other to set artificially high rental prices, often using algorithms and price-fixing software to do it,” she said. “It’s anticompetitive, and it drives up costs.”</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/aliyya-swaby">Aliyya Swaby</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/dispatches?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=local">Sign up for Dispatches</a>, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week.</p> <p>When Belle got a call last September that her 10-year-old had been sent to the vice principal’s office, she rushed over to the school. Her son Lee looked on anxiously as the vice principal explained the situation: The fifth grader had angrily pointed his finger in the shape of a gun.</p> <p>Belle scolded him for not thinking before he acted, agreeing with administrators at the East Tennessee public elementary school who felt that he had misbehaved.</p> <p>While Lee sat at home for a few days serving a suspension, the principal called Belle. The school had conducted an investigation and determined that Lee would be kicked out for an entire calendar year. “I regret that it has come to this,” the principal wrote in a subsequent letter, which Belle provided to ProPublica. (At Belle’s request, ProPublica is identifying her and her son only by their middle names and leaving out the name of the district and school to prevent her child from being identifiable.) In the letter, the principal added that the district and the state of Tennessee “take such threats very seriously.”</p> <p>Belle was horrified. Lee had never even been sent to school detention before. His grades sometimes flagged, but he had been working hard to improve them. The family didn’t own a gun and Lee would have no idea where to get one. Belle recalls the principal saying on the phone that she knew Lee was a good kid. His punishment, Belle thought, seemed like an extreme overreaction.</p> <p>The assistant director of schools declined ProPublica’s request for comment, even though Belle signed a form giving school officials permission to speak about Lee’s case.</p> <p>The principal’s action was the result of a new state law that had gone into effect just months earlier, heightening penalties for students who make threats at school. Passed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/nashville-school-shooting.html">after a former student shot and killed six people</a> at The Covenant School in Nashville, the law requires students to be expelled for at least a year if they threaten mass violence on school property, making it a zero-tolerance offense. </p> <p>Tennessee lawmakers claimed that ramping up punishments for threats would help prevent serious acts of violence. “What we’re really doing is sending a message that says ‘Hey, this is not a joke, this is not a joking matter, so don’t do this,’” state Sen. Jon Lundberg, a co-sponsor of the legislation, <a href="https://foxchattanooga.com/news/local/new-tennessee-law-now-in-effect-brings-harsher-punishment-for-students-who-threaten-schools">told a Chattanooga news station</a> a week and a half after the law went into effect. </p> <p>Over the last couple of years, Tennessee and <a href="https://stateline.org/2023/09/25/shaken-by-post-pandemic-disruptions-some-states-take-a-harder-line-on-school-discipline/">several other states</a> have been making it easier for schools to suspend or expel students. But <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/zero-tolerance-report.pdf">study after study</a> has shown that harsh disciplinary practices such as mandatory expulsions are ineffective at reducing violence in schools. What’s more, research shows that such practices often lead to <a href="https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/rel/Products/Region/midwest/Ask-A-REL/10185">Black students</a> and <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1170385.pdf">students with disabilities</a> being disproportionately suspended and expelled, making them more likely to end up in the criminal justice system.</p> <p>Tennessee school officials have used the law to expel students for mildly disruptive behavior, according to advocates and lawyers across the state who spoke with ProPublica. (In Tennessee and a number of other states, expulsions aren’t necessarily permanent.) Some students have been expelled even when officials themselves determined that the threat was not credible. Lawmakers did put a new fix in place in May that limits expulsions to students who make “valid” threats of mass violence. But that still leaves it up to administrators to determine which threats are valid. </p> <p>In some cases last school year, administrators handed off the responsibility of dealing with minor incidents to law enforcement. As a result, the type of misbehavior that would normally result in a scolding or brief suspension has led to children being not just expelled but also arrested, charged and placed in juvenile detention, according to juvenile defense lawyers and a recent lawsuit. </p> <p>While they are expelled, some students have found it hard to get any kind of education. Tennessee allows school districts to decline to enroll students who have been suspended or expelled in another district. Some children expelled for making threats, like Lee, end up staying at home and muddling through online programs alone — or getting no education at all.</p> <p>Lee’s mom worried that her son’s minor mistake could derail his future. “He’s kind of turned into a little bit of a recluse,” she said. “He doesn’t want to go back to school at all.”</p> </p> Students like Lee who’ve been disciplined for making threats may have trouble finding another school they can attend. (Andrea Morales for ProPublica) <p>When he started fifth grade last fall, Lee was a new kid at his elementary school. His family had recently moved to the area from Middle Tennessee. Normally outgoing and sociable, he had a hard time making friends. In the second month of the school year, a girl in Lee’s class asked him if he had been vaccinated for COVID-19, Lee’s mom said. Lee told her he wasn’t sure. The following week, as students walked outside for recess, Lee realized his classmates were avoiding him and he had no one to play with, according to his mother. She said he assumed that the girl had spread a rumor that he hadn’t been vaccinated and discouraged others from talking with him. </p> <p>As the fifth graders filed back into the school at the end of recess, Lee expressed his frustration to a classmate, Belle told ProPublica. Her son told her that he said, “I’m so angry, I could just —” and then folded his hand into a gun shape and mimicked a machine gun’s staccato. According to Belle, the classmate reported what Lee had said to a teacher, who told school administrators.</p> <p>The principal’s letter, which offers scant details of the incident, gave Belle the option to appeal the expulsion, but Belle instead decided to homeschool Lee. She worried that teachers and other students at the school would consider Lee a bad kid, especially given the pervasive fear in the months after the Nashville school shooting. “I was like, ‘These people are going to totally overreact about this,’” she said. “There’s no way that they would be able to treat him fairly after this.”</p> Get in Touch <p>Do you have a tip about how officials in education, law enforcement or the courts are handling threats of mass violence in Tennessee schools? Contact reporter Aliyya Swaby at <a href="mailto:aliyya.swaby@propublica.org">aliyya.swaby@propublica.org</a>. She can also be reached by text or securely on Signal at 404-981-1190. If you’re concerned about confidentiality, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/tips/">check out our advice on the most secure ways to share tips</a>.</p> <p>Months later, when her concern for her son’s struggles with learning from home made her even angrier about the school’s actions, she consulted a lawyer. But the window to appeal had long passed, and the lawyer told her that the law seemed to allow the school’s actions. “There’s really no point in fighting this,” Belle recalled thinking.</p> <p>Tennessee makes it difficult to determine how many students have been expelled for threats of mass violence; the state does not collect data on the reasons for expulsions. It asks school districts to inform the state of all incidents related to threats of mass violence, but some districts have reported <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/2024/05/13/wsmv4-investigation-reveals-incorrect-data-state-report-used-guide-school-safety-decisions/">accidentally sending inaccurate data</a>. </p> <p>ProPublica requested the number of expulsions for threats of mass violence from the state’s 20 largest school districts as well as five other smaller school districts where we received tips about specific cases. Ten school districts provided those numbers, reporting a total 66 expulsions last school year. Tennessee has nearly 150 school districts.</p> <p>Several districts provided data showing they expelled students for making threats more often once the law was on the books. For example, Metro Nashville Public Schools reported 42 expulsions for making any type of threat in the 2023-2024 school year, including 16 threats of mass violence. The prior school year, before the law existed, the district expelled 22 students for making any type of threats, despite investigating roughly the same number of incidents. A spokesperson for Metro Nashville Public Schools attributed the increase to the creation of the zero-tolerance law, along with the seriousness of the offenses and “heightened sensitivity and awareness following the Covenant shooting.”</p> <p>South of Nashville, Rutherford County Schools reported 33 expulsions for making threats last school year, including 27 expulsions specifically for threats of mass violence. The previous school year, it reported just six expulsions for any type of threat, despite investigating a larger number of incidents. When ProPublica asked officials to explain why the number had gone up so significantly, a spokesperson cited a change in state law “that required expulsions for mass threats.”</p> <p>State law leaves it up to the school districts to decide whether students who have committed a zero-tolerance offense are required to attend alternative school while they are expelled. Some districts, like Metro Nashville, require it, while others, like Rutherford County, do not in most cases. Alternative schools in Tennessee primarily serve students with disciplinary issues who have been suspended or expelled from their traditional schools.</p> <p>Several school districts told ProPublica that students who make threats of mass violence may be sent to alternative schools without officially being expelled. This past school year, Anderson County Schools, northwest of Knoxville, sent 17 students to its alternative school or offered them virtual education options. Robertson County Schools, just outside of Nashville, sent four students — two 8-year-olds, a 7-year-old and one 6-year-old — to the local alternative school. The 7-year-old and one of the 8-year-olds were removed from their regular schools for an entire calendar year.</p> <p><a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.tnmd.99558/gov.uscourts.tnmd.99558.1.0.pdf">A lawsuit filed in May</a> on behalf of two families with children in Williamson County Schools, a suburban Nashville district, illuminates the way some officials hastily removed students from school in response to the new law. The lawsuit was <a href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2024/06/03/you-can-blame-gov-bill-lee-lawsuit-says-new-law-wrongly-punishing-tennessee-middle-school-kids/">first reported by Tennessee Lookout</a>. It describes how a 14-year-old student was arrested, held in juvenile detention and kept out of school for weeks last August — and alleges that it all stemmed from an unsubstantiated rumor that he had joked about shooting up the school. The complaint said the middle schooler had been talking about another student who he heard bragging about the number of guns his grandfather owned.</p> <p>The student was sent to the local alternative school, located in the juvenile justice center, where he received a “significantly inferior” education to that offered by his regular school, according to the lawsuit. He sat in a classroom trying to teach himself on a Chromebook while a teacher went over different material with other students in the room. </p> <p>At first, the school principal told the family that the law required the school to suspend the 14-year-old for a full year. The family appealed the discipline at the school level. When the school denied the appeal, the family then went to the district superintendent. Under the law, only a superintendent can reduce the punishment of a student who makes a threat of mass violence. About a month after the student was suspended, the superintendent allowed him to return to school, saying he had served “an appropriate amount of time” at the alternative school.</p> <p>After the teenager returned, the principal allegedly told him he never thought of him as a threat and that his suspension was a result of the zero-tolerance law. “You can blame Governor Bill Lee,” the principal told the family, according to the lawsuit.</p> <p>The Williamson County school board filed a motion in August to dismiss the lawsuit, stating that the students “received all the process they were due under the law.” The 14-year-old was notified of the charges against him and given chances to defend himself, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25045778-wcboememo">the board wrote in a separate filing</a>, and “the process he was provided worked in his favor by significantly reducing his suspension.” </p> <p>The school board also said in the filing that threats “made in jest” disrupt students’ learning and strike fear into parents, staff and other students, especially in the aftermath of recent school shootings. “While both threats may not have been serious,” the board wrote, “they nevertheless warranted punishment.” </p> <p>The board also argued in the filing that school officials had to punish the students to the full extent of the law, noting that its policy “required that Plaintiffs be punished as zero-tolerance offenders regardless of the threat level because they made threats of mass violence.”</p> <p>The school district did not respond to questions or to requests for its total number of suspensions or expulsions for threats of mass violence.</p> <p>Tennessee has put in place <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/how-schools-should-handle-student-threats">a safeguard to prevent students from receiving overly harsh punishments</a> for inconsequential threats. </p> <p>Threat assessments — which bring together school officials and police officers to determine whether students pose a real danger to others — provide context before school officials finalize discipline. They also can help determine whether students need other resources, such as mental health services. Some Tennessee districts have been carrying out threat assessments for more than a decade, but the state only required all school districts to use them starting in 2023. A new state law that went into effect in May clarified that a threat assessment had to be complete and determine a threat was valid before school officials can proceed with expulsion. </p> <p>But according to parents and juvenile defense lawyers who spoke with ProPublica, school officials often carry out threat assessments inconsistently, with districts using varying definitions for what makes a threat valid or credible. And some officials allow law enforcement to take the lead in incidents that would otherwise be handled at the school level.</p> <p>“It just essentially delegates all of what should be handled as a relatively minor matter in the school,” said Larry Crain, the lawyer representing the families in the lawsuit against Williamson County’s school board. (A third family recently joined the lawsuit, which also now names the local district attorney as a defendant.) “There’s an almost automatic reaction to anything of this nature that’s referred to law enforcement, which is horrible for the child.”</p> <p>The lawsuit states that school officials let law enforcement take charge of investigating the 14-year-old’s comments during the threat assessment process. After police arrested the teenager and took him into custody, the principal told parents there was nothing he could do, the lawsuit says.</p> <p>In its legal response, Williamson County’s school board said state law “compelled” school administrators to report the “threat-related speech” to law enforcement and does not allow any discretion on that matter. </p> <p>The district attorney for the 21st Judicial District did not respond to a request for comment.</p> <p>The tenor of a disciplinary investigation or threat assessment often becomes more serious once law enforcement gets involved, lawyers and advocates told ProPublica. A <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106294">recent analysis by the Government Accountability Office</a> found that arrest rates more than doubled in schools with police compared to those without and that arrests were more common when police were involved in student discipline.</p> <p>Cashauna Lattimore, an assistant public defender in East Tennessee, has represented several students in cases involving threats of mass violence over the last few years. All of them, she said, were expelled, and most were arrested. </p> <p>Lattimore described the alleged details of one incident from last school year: In the Jefferson County School District, a high school student who was known as a class clown made an offhand joke about committing an act of violence. Rumors spread among the students about his comment, warping it in the process. He was called to the principal’s office, where a waiting police officer asked whether he had a gun in his backpack. He showed them that he didn’t and insisted that he had just been making a joke, encouraging them to search his house if they didn’t believe him. Law enforcement did not send anyone to his home. School officials initiated a threat assessment and gathered statements from the students who heard the joke, which were then used as evidence against him. He was expelled for a year.</p> <p>The school’s investigation was not intended to protect the student from unfair discipline, Lattimore said. “That was to make their case against this young man. It was not to determine whether or not the threat was real.”</p> <p>According to data that the Jefferson County School District provided to ProPublica, just two students were expelled for making threats last school year, even though in both cases the threats were labeled as “transient,” which the district describes as having “no sustained intent to harm.” In both cases, according to the district’s data, the students were also charged in juvenile court. Conversely, several students made what the district considered to be “substantive” threats, but none were charged or expelled. </p> <p>School officials declined to answer questions from ProPublica about the disparities that the data revealed or the case Lattimore described. </p> <p>Lattimore said schools should help keep students who don’t pose a threat from being arrested instead of referring the incidents to law enforcement. “They’re taking the easy way out so that they as the educational entity don’t have to deal with it,” she said. “Because once law enforcement gets involved, they can just expel the kid and wash their hands of it.”</p> <p>After a student is disciplined for making a threat of mass violence, no matter the specifics of the incident, the punishment can function like a scarlet letter.</p> <p>The 14-year-old boy whose family sued Williamson County Schools has transformed from a top student into a disengaged one, according to the lawsuit. He has struggled to make up assignments he missed during the weekslong appeals process. Once he returned, he noticed classmates gossipping behind his back, saying they were scared of him and falsely calling him a drug dealer. “He suffered a severe and serious emotional injury and was unable to adequately cope with the mental stress engendered by the circumstances of his case,” the lawsuit says.</p> <p>Lee, who turned 11 during his expulsion, also struggled to adjust. Instead of sitting in a classroom in front of his teacher, he spent the rest of the school year and summer with his mother in her small home office, using an online program to finish fifth grade. He complained to Belle when her phone calls to her boss and colleagues distracted him from his lessons.</p> Lee struggled to finish the fifth grade online during his expulsion. <p>In some ways, Belle has watched her son drift backward, becoming less able to emotionally regulate without the structure of a school day or the opportunity to regularly socialize with kids his own age. Just before the expulsion, he had finally caught up to grade level in math after falling behind during pandemic remote learning. But while learning from home, he howled in frustration when he couldn’t understand a math problem. Belle took time to help him with his lessons, which sometimes meant relearning the subject herself — and falling behind on her own work. She sent him up to his room to play video games to give him a mental break between assignments. “It is pulling teeth every single day,” Belle said.</p> <p>In late July, after school administrators declined to comment to ProPublica on Lee’s case, Belle emailed the director of schools and asked her to shorten the expulsion. Belle hoped he could start his first year of middle school on day one rather than weeks later. The director of schools <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25053808-tennessee-threats-expulsions-email">responded that he could start middle school immediately</a>. “Before any expulsion was put into place,” the email stated, “you chose to remove him … and homeschool him. Therefore, the expulsion was never activated.” (<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25053802-tennessee-threats-expulsions-letter">The original letter Belle received was clear about Lee’s expulsion, and a follow-up two days later</a> explained that Lee was barred from re-enrolling regardless of whether he was withdrawn to be homeschooled. District officials did not respond to ProPublica’s questions about the expulsion not being activated.)</p> <p>Belle was overwhelmed by a mix of confusion, relief and apprehension at the news that her son would be returning to school. She wrote a long email to all of Lee’s teachers introducing herself and explaining that he might need a bit of extra help filling gaps in his knowledge after months of homeschooling. “I will do what I can to get him in a good place,” she wrote.</p> <p>But Belle still worries that her son will struggle in school or make another mistake. She wonders if she should quit her job so she can homeschool him full time. It’s not an easy choice, but she wants to protect him from what might happen at school.</p> <p>Paige Pfleger of WPLN contributed reporting.</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/jessica-priest">Jessica Priest</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/the-big-story?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=texas">our biggest stories</a> as soon as they’re published.</p> <p>This article is co-published with The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan local newsroom that informs and engages with Texans. Sign up for <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/newsletters/briefweekly/">The Brief Weekly</a> to get up to speed on their essential coverage of Texas issues.</p> <p>In 2004, a public junior college in North Texas abandoned plans to lease some of its land to a religious organization for $1 a month after the state attorney general warned that the effort could violate the law. </p> <p>Nearly two decades later, the college went further. After publicly posting only that Weatherford College’s board would meet to discuss property, members emerged from behind closed doors in November 2022 and voted unanimously to give a 38-acre property to Community Christian School. The property was valued at more than $2 million, according to the county’s appraisal district.</p> <p>“Faith and patience is the path,” Dan Curlee, then the college’s attorney, wrote in an email after the vote to Doug Jefferson, the administrator of the private religious school.</p> <p>Jefferson, who had asked the college to donate its workforce development center in Mineral Wells, about 50 miles west of Fort Worth, replied: “Praise God. He has walked with me every step of the way on this miracle for our school. So appreciate you,” according to records obtained by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune. </p> <p>About two years later, the property sits empty as Community Christian School raises the funds needed to make repairs that Jefferson estimates will cost $1.2 million. The donation also raises questions about government oversight at a time when state and local officials are increasingly blurring the lines between church and state, experts said. </p> <p>Legal experts say the donation appears to have violated multiple state and federal laws, including a provision in the Texas Constitution that prohibits political subdivisions, including public junior colleges, from granting anything of value to aid an individual, association or corporation without return benefit. They also pointed to another provision in state law that prohibits public junior colleges from conveying, selling or exchanging their land for less than fair market value unless the land goes to an abutting property owner.</p> <p>In 2004, then-state Attorney General Greg Abbott, now the governor, cited that provision when Weatherford College had planned to lease half an acre of land to the Wesley Foundation, a United Methodist campus ministry that planned to build a student center with a nondenominational chapel and church administrative offices. <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/opinion-files/opinion/2004/ga0252.pdf">Abbott’s opinion</a> said Texas law required the college to charge fair market value when selling or leasing land and to maintain control over the property, which the public school system had not done.</p> <p>Retired Baylor University law professor Ron Beal said the same tenets apply to the more recent transaction. Had the college simply looked back on Abbott’s 2004 opinion, it would have known better, he said. “The junior college is absolutely prohibited from doing what they did,” he said. “It was a pure gratuitous transfer of public monies to solely benefit private persons at the expense of state taxpayers.” </p> <p>Texas provides little oversight in such cases. Community college land transactions are not under the purview of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which oversees public junior colleges, according to an agency spokesperson. The spokesperson said complaints about such transactions can be filed with the attorney general, who can choose whether to investigate. The Texas attorney general’s office, which did not respond to requests for comment, didn’t receive complaints related to the donation, according to records obtained by ProPublica and the Tribune.</p> <p>College board members who voted in favor of the donation either did not reply to requests for comment or declined to speak with the news organizations.</p> <p>The donation generally went under the radar even in the small, rural community. <a href="https://www.weatherforddemocrat.com/news/local_news/embracing-growth-ccs-cuts-ribbon-on-39-acre-campus-at-fort-wolters/article_e9ca3a1d-0216-5fd6-a9f8-242ab1408f32.html">The local paper covered</a> a ribbon-cutting ceremony but did not address the legality of the donation. John Kuhn, who served as superintendent for the Mineral Wells Independent School District at the time, said he had no idea the college was donating the land. Had Kuhn known, he said he would have asked that his district be considered. It is running out of space in its elementary schools and might have even contemplated buying the property, Kuhn said.</p> Community Christian School has yet to occupy the facility in Mineral Wells, Texas, as it raises the funds needed to make repairs that its leader estimates will cost $1.2 million. (Shelby Tauber for ProPublica and The Texas Tribune) <p>Aside from the legal questions, the donation raises concerns in a state that increasingly blurs the line between church and state, said University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus. He pointed to examples including a new law that allows schools to <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=88R\&Bill=SB763">hire unlicensed chaplains</a> to work in mental health roles, Abbott’s hard push for a school voucher-like program that would allow taxpayer funding to support private and religious education, and the State Board of Education’s consideration of a measure that would <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/30/texas-public-schools-religion-curriculum/">require schools to teach the Bible</a>. </p> <p>“Over time, you’ve had so many of these issues that have battered the guardrails to the point now where it’s hard to have the guardrails be the divider of church and state as designed in some of these laws,” Rottinghaus said.</p> <p>Curlee, the college’s attorney who has since retired, said the potential liability of owning the aging property outweighed its usefulness and that the college had already started moving classes to other buildings prior to the donation. He and the college’s current attorney, Jay Rutherford, maintain the donation did not violate any laws. Neither explained their reasoning or responded to questions about what legal experts told ProPublica and the Tribune.</p> <p>Those experts also said the donation appears to violate the U.S. Constitution because, by Curlee’s own acknowledgment, the college never listed the property for sale and did not offer to donate it to any other organizations.</p> <p>“If there’s evidence here that the college was not neutral, and that it was favoring this Christian school and left everyone else out of the process, that would violate the principle of Carson v. Makin,” said Steven Collis, a law professor and director of the Law and Religion Clinic at the University of Texas at Austin, referring to a case in which the Supreme Court ruled that Maine’s school voucher program could not exclude religious schools.</p> <p>Jefferson, the administrator of Community Christian School, said he did not believe the donation violated any laws and that God gave him the property as a reward for taking care of it in the past. The private Christian school would at times use the property at no cost for one-act play competitions. When it did so, Jefferson said he cleaned, paid for utilities and provided liability insurance. </p> <p>“And I did that because I believe God said that building belongs to us. I believed for years and years that was going to happen and then it did,” he said.</p>
<p class="byline"> by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/anna-clark">Anna Clark</a> </p> <p>ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/dispatches?source=54G&placement=top-note&region=local">Sign up for Dispatches</a>, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week.</p> <p>With a conspicuous presence this week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and a bestselling new memoir, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is celebrated as an ascending leader — someone who won over a decidedly purple state in 2018 by promoting commonsense solutions to issues affecting millions of people.</p> <p>Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi effusively praised the governor at the Michigan delegation breakfast on Wednesday morning, saying: “She has been remarkable. Every time I hear her speak, I think sharp. Sharp in her message. Sharp in her effectiveness.”</p> <p>But time is running out in Whitmer’s second and final term as governor to follow through on some key campaign promises.</p> <p>Whitmer vowed as a candidate to “fix the damn roads,” bring transparency to state government, fight for a $15 minimum wage, repeal the emergency manager law and get a handle on companies that extract and sell large quantities of Michigan groundwater.</p> <p>Six years later, those populist pledges are partially or entirely unfulfilled.</p> <p>Advocates and even some allies are waiting for Whitmer to take up the causes she campaigned on during a critical period, when Democrats still have firm control over how the state is run. “Obviously, I would welcome the governor’s support,” said House Majority Floor Leader Abraham Aiyash, a Democrat who is working to replace the emergency manager law that has been so controversial in the state.</p> <p>But it’s not clear if that support will come during a busy election season; nor is it clear what Whitmer will focus on once she leaves Chicago.</p> <p>Whitmer’s office didn’t provide a response to questions from ProPublica for this story.</p> <p>She’s heralded by some political observers for navigating both a divided state government and a pandemic in her first term, while still making progress on many priorities. When her gas tax proposal for road repairs fell flat, for example, she turned to bonds to help with immediate needs.</p> <p>Heightened expectations from her supporters came in 2022 when Democrats won the governor’s office and both chambers of the Legislature for the first time in about 40 years. With a projected $9.2 billion budget surplus to boot, Whitmer and her party were virtually without obstacles for whatever they wanted to do.</p> <p>Her supporters point to successes since then. She and the Legislature were able to codify abortion rights; repeal the “right-to-work” law that allowed workers in unionized jobs to opt out of union dues and fees; enact policies aimed at preventing gun violence; <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/michigan-enacts-laws-reform-juvenile-justice-system">pass juvenile justice reforms</a>; expand the earned income tax credit; and provide free breakfast and lunch to all public schoolchildren.</p> <p>“Whitmer has overcome obstacles to keep many of her campaign promises. But there are more promises to keep,” Mark Brewer, former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, said in an email.</p> <p>Figuring out how to fund ongoing road improvements, for example, fell off the radar. “Now she has a Democratic House and Senate, and still nothing’s getting done,” said Eric Lupher, president of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a nonpartisan policy organization that has studied road funding.</p> <p>Whitmer has also not publicly advocated for pending bills that would open up the records of the governor’s office and the Legislature. And, to date, the minimum wage is just $10.33. A recent ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court puts the state on a path toward a higher wage, including for tipped workers, but business groups are pressuring lawmakers in the capital to intervene and Whitmer has been quiet about whether or not she supports a compromise.</p> <p>“Her last two years have just been so consumed by the pent-up priorities of 40 years for Democrats that a lot of those like first-term promises took a back seat,” said Susan Demas, editor in chief of Michigan Advance and a longtime political columnist.</p> <p>A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks said in an email that “we anticipate having a productive second half of the year and conversations about the fall agenda are ongoing.”</p> <p>Demas sees a talented leader in Whitmer, one with a future on the national stage — in part because she governs as a pragmatist. And that same pragmatism helps explain Whitmer’s shifting agenda, she said.</p> “Making State Government More Open” </p> Whitmer delivers her State of the State address in January 2023. (Al Goldis/AP) <p>From misbehavior by legislators to the Flint water crisis, scandals revealed the cost of secrecy. Whitmer said she was committed to “making state government more open, transparent and accountable to Michigan taxpayers,” according to her 2018 <a href="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/gps-public-static/Gretchen-Whitmer/Whitmer_Policy_GovtAccountability-052118.pdf">Sunshine Plan</a>.</p> <p>Expanding the Freedom of Information Act was a key part of the strategy. Michigan is the rare state where both the governor’s office and Legislature are exempt from open records law.</p> <p>In the plan Whitmer laid out while running for governor, she pledged that even if the Legislature didn’t act on the need for transparency, she’d voluntarily “extend FOIA to the lieutenant governor and governor’s offices. Michiganders should know when and what their governor is working on.”</p> <p>She has yet to do so. And to some, the governor’s promises of transparency contrast with reports about her administration’s <a href="https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/michigan-lawmaker-gag-orders-tax-deals-blasted-culture-secrecy">use of nondisclosure agreements with lawmakers regarding economic development deals</a> and a <a href="https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/memo-whitmer-staff-reviews-foia-requests-even-though-shes-exempt-law">memo asking to review record requests sent to other departments</a> that include one or more communications with the executive office.</p> <p>“To me, that is just an unforced error, the height of hypocrisy,” said Abby Mitch, executive director of Michigan Rising Action, a right-leaning watchdog group.</p> <p>Whitmer has defended the use of confidentiality agreements for economic development projects, according to Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit news service, saying there is “a lot of proprietary information” shared as states compete for these investments.</p> <p>Regarding the memo, Bridge reported that Whitmer’s spokesperson described the policy as a way to increase efficiency and said that the governor’s office never approves or denies the release of public records.</p> <p>Sen. Ed McBroom, a Republican, and Sen. Jeremy Moss, a Democrat, have been trying to expand FOIA for nearly a decade, dating back to when they served as representatives during the administration of Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, who served from 2011 through 2018. Their latest bills passed the Senate for the first time in June.</p> <p>If signed into law this year, the bills would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, the day the next governor takes office, and retroactive requests could be excluded, according to an analyst with the Senate Fiscal Agency.</p> <p>Lawmakers needed a start date that allows time to build capacity and protocols to meet new requirements, Moss said. McBroom noted that since there aren’t currently record retention rules, retroactive requests would “just be causing a lot of work to get a paper back that says there isn't anything to show you.”</p> <p>After years of negotiation with diverse stakeholders, including the governor’s office, Moss said, “we feel we got it right.”</p> <p>Lisa McGraw, the public affairs manager of the Michigan Press Association, said the bills aren’t perfect, but they’d be a huge step forward. Local government officials are subject to FOIA, she pointed out, as is the attorney general and secretary of state. “I don’t know why we don’t put the governor and the Legislature to the same level of accountability and transparency,” she said.</p> <p>It’s now up to the House to take up the issue, and to do so during a crowded campaign season. “We’re down to the wire,” McGraw said.</p> <p>Whitmer could accelerate the process and set an example by giving the go-ahead to pass the measure opening up her own office first, McBroom said. But he understands why she wants to take the leap together. “It’s always very difficult to unilaterally disarm in the political world,” he said.</p> “Fix the Damn Roads” </p> Whitmer fills a pothole during a campaign event in 2018. (Paul Sancya/AP) <p>Dangerously deteriorating roads are a perennial complaint of Michiganders. Leaders from both parties have struggled to maintain them. Pavement quality ranks 40th nationally and 10th in an 11-state peer group, according to the Citizens Research Council.</p> <p>In 2019, after Whitmer’s proposal of a 45-cent gas tax increase died before the GOP-led Legislature, the governor opted for $3.5 billion in state bonds. That was later supplemented by Michigan’s cut of federal infrastructure money.</p> <p>The result: State spending on road and bridge programs nearly doubled between 2015 and 2023, according to <a href="https://crcmich.org/construction-cost-inflation_20140508_dennis">a recent CRC report</a>. But with rising construction costs over that period, the purchasing power of Michigan’s road agencies only increased by about 50%. And the spending relies on short-term funds that will soon dry up. State officials have still not established a sufficient and sustainable revenue stream for roads.</p> <p>Bonds are “pulling revenues from the future to pay for the fixes now,” said Lupher, CRC’s president.</p> <p>Former Gov. John Engler, a Republican, made a similar move in the 1990s, Lupher said, and the state “paid the price in the years that followed” — literally. Paying the principal and interest left less money for upkeep, which then deteriorated the value of the investment, he said.</p> <p>Subpar roads contribute to Michigan’s long-running struggle to retain and grow its population, according to a report last December from an advisory council appointed by Whitmer. “Instead of being an asset to Michigan residents, visitors and businesses,” the council said, “the current inadequate maintenance and funding of our roads, highways and bridges is a liability.”</p> <p>The year Whitmer was elected, the Michigan section of the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the state’s roads a D- in its report card. Last year, it gave a D. The report said that within 10 years, without further action, the proportion of paved roads in poor condition will increase from 33% to 48%.</p> <p>Even with the new state and federal investments, Michigan’s funding gap is $3.9 billion per year, according to researchers commissioned by an industry group to study the issue. Michigan’s complex and decentralized funding system also likely leads to inefficient spending. “The only thing more broken and busted than Michigan’s roads,” <a href="https://crcmich.org/fix-the-damn-road-funding-formula">the CRC said in a 2022 report</a>, “is the funding system that we’re using to try to fix them.”</p> <p>Whitmer has indicated that she no longer supports a gas tax increase, according to news reports. But she and Democratic leaders have yet to develop another funding source.</p> <p>“Once the Legislature said no to a gas tax increase and she introduced the bond idea,” Lupher said, “they washed their hands of it. So definitely, the next governor, two governors from now, is going to have to figure it out. But for this one: problem avoided.”</p> “Return Power Back to Local Governments” </p> Supporters at a Whitmer campaign event in Lansing, the capital, in 2018 as she was running for her first term. She is now in her second and final term. (Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press via AP) <p>Whitmer’s Sunshine Plan also promised to repeal Michigan’s emergency manager law, which gives state-appointed administrators unusual authority over distressed cities and school districts. Under Snyder, Whitmer’s predecessor, managers were dispatched to Detroit ahead of its bankruptcy and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/flint-michigan-water-crisis-ten-years-after">to Flint during a period that overlapped with a cataclysmic water crisis</a>. Their takeover powers — which essentially replace local representative decision-making — are widely seen as contributing to the catastrophe in Flint.</p> <p>“I fought against the ill-conceived Emergency Manager law when it was pushed through the Legislature — not once but twice — during the early days of Governor Snyder’s administration,” Whitmer said in the 2018 plan. “I will return power back to local governments and will provide meaningful investment, support and assistance to partner with local elected officials.”</p> <p>Part of the controversy is that, in 2012, voters rejected lawmakers’ initial effort to expand the power of emergency managers in a statewide referendum. The following month, the Republican Legislature passed a similar version of the law — this time with an appropriation attached, making it immune from future referendums.</p> <p>The Whitmer administration has never appointed an emergency manager, but the law remains active. Brewer, the former head of the Michigan Democratic Party, said in an email that one of the promises he’s looking to see Whitmer fulfill is “repealing the anti-democratic emergency manager law which led to the poisoning of Flint.” To date, though, efforts to do so have stalled.</p> <p>A statement previously provided to ProPublica from Whitmer’s press secretary said that the governor will “<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/michigan-emergency-takeovers-flint-detroit">work closely with the legislature if they take up legislation reforming the state’s emergency manager law</a>.”</p> <p>Some legislators have said that repealing the law must come alongside a new policy for the state to respond to struggling cities and schools. Aiyash, the House majority floor leader, told ProPublica that he’s collaborating with another lawmaker to propose such legislation this fall.</p> <p>“It’s not like this is a hypothetical,” Aiyash said. “We saw what emergency management did to these communities and know that it can happen again at any moment. So we have to make sure that they’re not going to give folks the opportunity to utilize this archaic, punitive law anymore.”</p> <p>Whitmer, as a candidate, centered Flint in her campaign — and not only in her opposition to the emergency manager law. She also criticized the state for allowing a bottled water company to dramatically increase how much groundwater it extracts in exchange for nominal fees while there were residents who struggled “to pay past-due bills for undrinkable water,” as her campaign’s water plan put it.</p> <p>In her plan, Whitmer said her administration would “control the siphoning of water for water bottling,” but there’s been little change, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/michigan-bottled-water-whitmer-flint">as ProPublica reported this year</a>.</p> “Focus on Raising Wages” </p> Whitmer speaks during a campaign rally at Michigan State University in 2022. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) <p>Whitmer made a $15 minimum wage part of her platform in 2018, phased in over three years, and promoted the Fight for $15 cause, which has since rebranded as Fight for a Union.</p> <p>“To build an economy that works for everyone, we need to focus on raising wages for all working families,” she said in her campaign’s jobs plan.</p> <p>Then things got complicated.</p> <p>At the time, Michigan seemed headed for ballot initiatives where voters would decide whether to increase the minimum wage, phase out the lower wage for tipped workers and require employers to provide paid sick leave. But the Legislature, then led by Republicans, kept it off the ballot by adopting the petitions as law — and then, after the election, promptly watering them down. It increased the minimum wage by a smaller amount, retained the tipped wage and scaled back what is required for paid leave.</p> <p>This summer, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that this “adopt-and-amend” tactic is unconstitutional. The court instructed the state to phase in the provisions in the original laws, with adjustments for inflation. The state has yet to determine what the increases would look like over time. The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association projected that the minimum wage would reach $13.50 by 2028.</p> <p>While organizations representing workers are celebrating, business groups are pushing back.</p> <p>The MRLA said on its website that it’s working with Lansing leaders on a legislative solution to offset the ruling’s impact on the hospitality industry. “This is an existential, all-hands-on-deck moment for our industry,” the MRLA notice said.</p> <p>Justin Winslow, MRLA’s president and CEO, told ProPublica that his group has heard nothing from the governor since the ruling, which he interprets as a positive: “She’s going to let the Legislature do what it needs to do to correct this.” He said he’s encouraged by <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2022/11/16/debate-on-michigans-minimum-wage-increase-not-expected-in-lame-duck/69649294007/">quotes in the Detroit Free Press in 2022</a>, where, he said, the governor “stressed the need for a compromise.”</p> <p><a href="https://www.mlive.com/politics/2024/08/democrat-state-leaders-mum-on-minimum-wage-tip-credit-changes-after-ruling.html">Some Democratic legislators have also been quiet</a> on potential modifications to the laws.</p> <p>Justin Onwenu, a point person in Michigan for the nonprofit One Fair Wage until recently, said that given their strong track record, he expects Whitmer and the Democratic-led Legislature “to continue to have the backs of workers.”</p> <p>Whitmer has not publicly stated if she supports or opposes any change to the laws.</p>
2024-08-01T19:49:17.421Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/BAOY53AJX5FONPK3LB4YFCEIAI/20240802-113586.866/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/DUVPPKTLTRCRPECV4B7L4XBA4I.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Climate Shift Index for Aug. 2. (Climate Central) </small></div><p>A coast-to-coast heat wave is bringing abnormally high temperatures to nearly half of the United States population. And human-caused climate change is a big reason.<p><p><a href="https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index-alert/potential-record-CSI-8-2-2024" target="_blank">According to</a> the Climate Shift Index from the science communications group Climate Central, Friday’s heat is being made at least three times as probable because of climate change.<p><p>“A forecast RECORD 148 million Americans (~half of the country’s population) are expected to experience excessive temperatures made at least 3x more likely due to climate change,” Climate Central <a href="https://x.com/ClimateCentral/status/1818746641559552102" target="_blank">wrote on X</a>.<p><p>Shel Winkley, a meteorologist for Climate Central, <a href="https://x.com/shelwinkleywx/status/1818750282223833372" target="_blank">wrote</a> that it would be “an unprecedented day of climate change-driven heat for the United States” on Friday.<p><p>Climate Central <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2022/maps-heat-wave-climate-change-us/" target="_blank">launched the Climate Shift Index in 2022</a> to help quantify and communicate how much climate change is contributing to the magnitude of heat waves.<p><p>The previous record population exposed to heat intensified by climate change was 140.6 million on June 13, 2022, <a href="https://x.com/ClimateCentral/status/1818746643975741876" target="_blank">Climate Central wrote</a>.<p><p>Heat alerts currently cover portions of 33 states and affect 150 million people. On Friday, the worst of the heat is expected from the South to the Mid-Atlantic where heat indexes, a measure of how hot it feels factoring in humidity, of 105 to 110 are predicted. Parts of the West will also be exceptionally hot, but not as humid. And the heat is forecast to last longer there.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FUITFNQQBFFGLKGV7LM33CHN3M.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Heat alerts as of Friday. (National Weather Service)</small></div><p>Almost the entire United States is forecast to experience above normal temperatures, with many locations forecast to be 10 to 20 degrees higher than typical.<p><p>It comes on the heels of the <a href="https://sercc.oasis.unc.edu/Map.php?date=2024-07-31&var=maxt&thresh=climper&period=1_DAY&map_display=value&showthrdx=true&region=conus" target="_blank">hottest weather of the summer</a> so far in parts of the Upper Midwest and central Plains and a scorching July for both the United States and the entire planet.<p><p>July <a href="https://x.com/Climatologist49/status/1819232341598130329" target="_blank">was the planet’s second hottest month on record</a>; only July of 2023 was hotter. The western United States was particularly hot as Sacramento and Las Vegas experienced their hottest July on record. Death Valley, Calif., registered <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/08/01/death-valley-just-recorded-hottest-month-ever-observed-planet/" target="_blank">the hottest month ever observed anywhere on the planet</a>.<p><h3>The role of climate change</h3><p>The heat so far this summer has been intensified by human-caused climate change, according to the analyses from Climate Central as well as other groups such as the <a href="https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/" target="_blank">World Weather Attribution project</a>.<p><p><a href="https://csi.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index?lat=41.64008&lng=-93.51563&zoom=4" target="_blank">Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index</a> calculates how much more (or less) likely temperatures are on a given day because of the influence of human-caused climate change. Its index ranges from minus-5 to plus-5 — and is a measure how many more times more probable climate change made the day’s temperatures.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/T6B3M5ZJC5HGJPCMINTLXFMF7E.jfif" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Climate Central) </small></div><p>Within the Lower 48, locations not expecting climate-change influenced heat to close the week are few and confined mainly to the Midwest and parts of the Great Lakes region. Large zones of temperatures made five times more likely because of climate change are found in a large U-shaped crescent from the coast of British Columbia through much of the interior west and into Mexico, before spreading across the Gulf Coast and northward up the East Coast into Atlantic Canada.<p><h3>How hot</h3><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/R34BZYBF4NCZHKJIDXGW2J7L2U.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Forecast temperatures compared to normal late Friday. (weatherbell.com)</small></div><p>While the combination of heat and humidity will be most intense from the South to the Mid-Atlantic on Friday, the magnitude and duration of the heat will be most notable in the western United States, especially the Pacific Northwest, over the next several days.<p><p>Highs of 105 to 110 are forecast east of the Cascades through Idaho and into Montana and Wyoming. Not coincidentally, the region is also dealing with a <a href="https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/" target="_blank">growing drought</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/08/01/colorado-wildfires-front-range/" target="_blank">numerous large wildfires</a>.<p><p>Boise is forecast to reach a record high of 107 on Friday, which will be its 18th day at or above 100, tying the most on record to date. On Saturday, Salt Lake City could come close to its calendar day record of 101.<p><p>Phoenix is poised to start a run of record-threatening highs 112 to 115 through at least early next week.<p><p>In the eastern United States, the D.C. area — <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/08/02/dc-area-forecast-hot-thunderstorms/" target="_blank">which is under an excessive-heat warning</a> — will see highs near 100 Friday, threatening some records. Should Baltimore reach 100 or higher as it did Thursday, and as forecast, it will be the eighth day this year at least that hot. The seven 100-degree days so far this year is tied with 2010, 1988 and 1930 for the most on record.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/WQI63A2MGVGFNGDPTPBZHTKLYA.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Ian Livingston)</small></div><p>Unusually warm overnight lows will have an even larger footprint than record highs. In many places, the increase in very warm nights has far outpaced the rise in daytime temperatures.<p><h3>Heat relief on the horizon?</h3><p>As cold fronts dip into the northern United States, the heat should gradually begin to ease in parts of the north central and northeastern United States.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/PQSNTN6XWJC4LMC5GDNA3NLQGM.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Ian Livingston)</small></div><p>Elsewhere, any relief from the heat will only be brief or spotty. A heat dome is likely to remain anchored over the Desert Southwest and South through at least the first third of August.<p><p>A zone running from southwest Canada through the Intermountain West and into the south-central states could stay much warmer than average through at least mid-month and perhaps beyond. The <a href="https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/" target="_blank">most recent outlooks</a> for August continue to favor above normal temperatures for most of the country.<p><p><i>Jason Samenow contributed to this report.</i><p>
2024-08-01T16:49:01.557Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/QRMHDPYIZBCVHMTHFDAVAYOCYY/20240802-113781.815/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/GBFUYFDUPQF4DRPM3GI5H76MWE.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Sha'carri Richardson will seek to maintain her status as the world's fastest woman. (Petr David Josek/AP)</small></div><p>SAINT-DENIS, France — A few minutes before noon, Sha’Carri Richardson pressed her nails into the purple track of Stade de France. She settled her neon-green spikes into the blocks inside Lane 6. The stadium, delirious and packed near to its 80,000-seat capacity even on a humid morning of qualification rounds and decathlon heats, hushed.<p><p>In the past three years, Richardson had worn many titles: “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/06/20/shacarri-richardson-us-trials/" target="_blank">that girl</a>,” suspended athlete, world champion. After the gun sounded Friday, she added another. Under gray haze on the outskirts of Paris, Sha’Carri Richardson became an Olympian.<p><p>Richardson had waited three years after she first made an Olympic team to make her Olympic debut. Friday, she began her two-day quest to win a gold medal at <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/paris-summer-games-2024/" target="_blank">the Paris Olympics</a> and retain her status as the fastest woman in the world.<p><p>The race itself was near-formality. In the first of nine opening round heats, Richardson cruised to an easy victory in 10.94 seconds, her hair pulled into a billowy ponytail that stretched all the way down her back. She crossed with ample room to spare and conserved her most explosive sprinting for Saturday night’s semifinals and final.<p><p>Richardson received the largest roar from the crowd before her race. Afterward, she lingered on the track to watch the heat of American Melissa Jefferson, one of her two training partners, along with Twanisha Terry, who also made the 100-meter field and advanced to the semifinals without issue.<p><p>Richardson stopped briefly to chat with the NBC affiliate from Dallas, her hometown. “To be at the Olympics is a phenomenal feeling,” Richardson told the station. “I’m eager and excited.” She walked past reporters in the mixed zone area, smiling and as she said hello. Then she exited and prepared for Saturday night and the most important 10.7 or so seconds of her sprinting life.<p><p>An Olympic gold would be the finishing touch of Richardson’s redemptive arc. She became an instant star as she won the 2021 U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore., magnetic and stylish and dominant. A week later, she tested positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list. She explained that she had ingested marijuana to cope with learning her biological mother had died.<p><p>The banishment cost her a spot in Tokyo and officially erased her trials victory. She finished last at her return race. In 2022, she failed to make it out of the first round of the U.S. championships. She lashed out at perceived critics.<p><p>Over the next year, Richardson developed “a better understanding of myself,” she said <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/06/22/olympic-track-field-trials-results-2024-shacarri-richardson-noah-lyles/" target="_blank">after she won the U.S. trials in June</a>. That came with “a deeper love and a deeper care for the talent that I have been given,” she said. It began to show at the 2023 national championships, where she discarded a Technicolor wig before stepping into her blocks and winning. Richardson then took the world championships in Budapest, placing her atop the sprinting world heading into these Olympics.<p><p>Richardson arrived in Paris nearly two weeks ago with her coach Dennis Mitchell, Jefferson and Terry. The three sprinters are all at their first Olympics, and for them, the experience has been richer through being together.<p><p>“We have heart-to-hearts every once in a while,” Jefferson said. “Not all the time, because nobody likes that mushy stuff. But we always let each other know how much we appreciate and love another, and how important we are to each other’s dreams.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/YNV4JSBD3BSF7U4E3H3PLXUKEM.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Melissa Jefferson, who trains with Richardson, also advanced. (Phil Noble/Reuters)</small></div><p>They had not seen inside Stade de France before Friday morning, Terry said, because the time afforded U.S. athletes to tour it would have limited their practice. Mitchell briefly huddled with the trio before they left the warm-up area. He instructed them not to scan the crowd for family at the risk being overwhelmed by the sheer scale.<p><p>“Look down the track,” Mitchell told them. “Stay focused.”<p><p>As the in-stadium camera focused on her, Richardson kissed her index finger and pointed to sky. In the next 11 seconds, she did nothing to invalidate her status as a heavy favorite, a position that has been only strengthened by outside circumstances.<p><p>A scant few women on Earth could challenge Richardson if she runs at the peak of her powers Saturday night, and two of them won’t be on the start line. An Achilles injury knocked out Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah, who set the Olympic record (9.61 seconds) in Tokyo. Shericka Jackson, another Jamaican superstar, hurt her calf in a July tuneup and pulled out of the 100 meters while remaining on the 200 start list.<p><p>Richardson’s other Jamaican rival may have finally surpassed her prime. At 37, Fraser-Pryce, the Tokyo silver medalist, remains a threat to win any race she enters, and she ran the second-fastest first-round time at 10.92 seconds. But even legends have expiration dates. Fraser-Pryce won the Jamaican trials in 10.91, a time aided by a tailwind that ties for 11th-fastest in the world this year.<p><p>Richardson’s biggest challenger is likely 23-year-old Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia, who won her heat in 10.95 seconds. It could also be Jefferson, the 2022 U.S. champion and trials runner-up in June, or even Terry, who in 2022 ran the anchor leg for the world champion 4X100 relay team.<p><p>Between injuries and Americans who missed the podium at trials, three of the eight fastest women in the world entering the Games this year did not reach the Olympic 100 meters.<p><p>In a competitive sense, the clouds have parted for Richardson. No matter what happens Saturday night, she is an Olympian. She lost that title once. After Friday, it can never again be taken from her.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FUHO4XLWR4L323BLZEVRMBWCEE.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Richardson, who won her opening heat comfortably, will be the favorite entering Saturday's semis and final. (Antonin Thuillier/AFP/Getty Images)</small></div>
2024-08-01T16:25:20.865Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/FJWVKDVL4BBLNJ5DUXCX6WS4U4/20240802-114610.106/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/HEWKK2D7DAI6TMPTWIZ74WAR54.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Workers at the Braddock Road Metro station in 2019. (Dayna Smith for The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Metro trains have repeatedly come close to hitting roadway workers over the past few years because of weak oversight or poor training, an audit from the safety commission that oversees the D.C. area transit system said in a report this week.<p><p>One work crew <a href="https://wmsc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/W-0282-%E2%80%93-W-0287-%E2%80%93-Improper-Roadway-Worker-Protection-Events-March-and-April-2023-.pdf" target="_blank">narrowly escaped</a> in April 2023 after feeling the wind of an oncoming train that was going more than three times as fast as required when passing roadway workers on the Yellow Line. In June 2022, a contractor who was supposed to be flagging Blue Line trains that a crew was inspecting was <a href="https://wmsc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/W-0184-Improper-Roadway-Worker-Protection-at-King-Street-Station-June-15-2022.pdf" target="_blank">instead sitting in a platform shelter</a> when a train almost hit the workers. Metro police officers doing a training exercise at<b> </b>Potomac Avenue <a href="https://wmsc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/W-0175-Improper-Roadway-Worker-Protection-near-Stadium-Armory-Station-April-25-2022.pdf" target="_blank">entered a tunnel without permission</a>, putting them in the path of an oncoming train.<p><p>“Multiple times over the past few years, workers have had to rush out of the way of oncoming trains to avoid being hit,” said Max Smith, a spokesman for the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, the independent watchdog for Metro. “We’re glad that they’ve been near misses and not collisions.”<p><p>There are often not enough lookouts or flaggers to coordinate, and radio communications are inconsistent, the audit found, leading to repeated confusion over whether it is safe to be on the tracks. Metro police officers routinely go on the tracks without the proper training in safety, the audit found, and workers regularly forgo proper safety equipment such as helmets and glasses. A review of two months of data by safety commission staff found that trains were going too fast in work zones about 20 percent of the time.<p><p>The <a href="https://wmsc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/WMSCRWPAudit073124.pdf" target="_blank">audit</a> follows an April report from the commission <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/05/21/metro-audit-failed-test-safety/" target="_blank">faulting Metro’s safety testing</a> for train cars. Created in 2017 by Congress, the commission has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/05/21/metro-rail-oversight-train-safety/" target="_blank">repeatedly warned</a> that Metro cuts corners on safety rules. The transit system’s complicated bureaucratic structure, involving multiple governments, makes oversight and accountability particularly difficult.<p><p>Two top leaders <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/05/16/metro-wmata-train-safety/?itid=lk_interstitial_manual_12" target="_blank">resigned in 2022</a> after training lapses came to light. Randy Clarke, who now leads Metro, took over after several of the incidents highlighted in the report occurred. But problems have continued under Clarke’s tenure, the audit says.<p><p>In one incident in April 2023, <a href="https://wmsc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/W-0248-Serious-Injury-at-Congress-Heights-Station-%E2%80%93-April-23-2023.pdf" target="_blank">a rail supervisor was seriously injured</a> when he fell onto the tracks while trying to climb down from a train’s back cab. He had been inside the cab with a train operator for about half an hour as they traveled along the Green Line, locking out another operator. According to the audit, the supervisor climbed out the back to avoid being seen. He first claimed he fell off the platform, then that he was on the back of the train because he was trying to fix a broken barrier.<p><p>Smith could not say what was going on inside the cab. At a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/voKrIC_sugE?t=522s" target="_blank">meeting in December</a>, members of the safety commission expressed concern that there were bigger disciplinary issues going on in that situation, but concluded it was separate from their review of safety for roadway workers.<p><p>Between 2005 and 2010, eight Metrorail employees <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/08/AR2007010800195.html" target="_blank">were struck and killed</a> by trains. It hasn’t happened since, and the commission credits Metro with implementing a roadway safety program in response. In 2020, Metro <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2021/09/17/metro-wmata-track-workers-rail-transit/?itid=ap_justingeorge" target="_blank">implemented more safety measures</a> and training in response to repeated close calls.<p><p>But over time, the audit says, some of those procedures are being ignored. Employees aren’t always getting trained on the rules, or they get training on outdated ones. Employee manuals are not being accurately translated for roadway workers who don’t speak English, the audit adds; some rules were translated in Spanish to give the opposite of the intended meaning.<p><p>“These are systemic issues that need to be addressed,” Smith said.<p><p>Metro officials have 30 days to respond to the audit with plans for dealing with the problems. Metro spokesman Jordan Pascale said agency leaders “commit to taking appropriate action” and “value our collaboration with the Safety Commission to maintain a safe, reliable transit system.”<p>
2024-07-30T15:48:10.104Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/DBA3552PJBBP7LR36GXVZF2NII/20240802-105408.082/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/WSIRLF35Z6NGZ5MMD4U3MVK57Q.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">The steps leading to the Sacre Coeur basilica in Montmartre have been covered in an Olympic mural. (Valentine Chapuis/AFP/Getty Images)</small></div><p>PARIS — In the park, people in T-shirts imprinted with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/of-interest/2024/07/30/phryges-paris-olympics-mascot-2024/" target="_blank">red Phryges</a> lounged on beach chairs and watched gymnastics on the big screen, while children equipped with scaled-down sabers lunged their way through free fencing lessons.<p><p>One of the petite, newbie fencers, age 4, ended her bout with a dazzling grin.<p><p>“This is what we want to see — we want to start making more Olympians,” said Bernard Aussedat, who was supervising the lessons in Parc Monceau on behalf of a local fencing club.<p><p>“This is good for Paris, good for sport,” he said.<p><p>The Olympic Games are reverberating everywhere here this summer. The influx of athletes, officials and spectators from around the world has altered moods and rhythms. Whether this is good or bad for Paris may depend on your vantage point.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/TU3LNUHRR2RFSZUSQAAEO2AI5I.jpeg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Bernard Aussedat leads free fencing lessons in Parc Monceau, one of 25 official “festivity sites” set up by the city of Paris, with large screens for viewing Olympic events. (Gretchen Reynolds/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Some Parisians have experienced the Games as security and transportation headaches. Some fled town early to avoid the disruptions, feeling that these Olympics were <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/03/19/paris-olympics-2024-games-wide-open-security/" target="_blank">not geared toward them</a>. Others stuck around, sacrificing a traditionally sacred vacation period in the hope of Olympic tourism profits. In some cases, they have ended up disappointed.<p><p>But the Summer Games have also brought a bit of joie de vivre back to Paris. They have energized downtrodden neighborhoods and instilled pride in the Olympic hosts — a sentiment reinforced by the face of multi-medal-winner <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/31/leon-marchand-butterfly-breaststroke-gold-medals-paris-olympics/" target="_blank">Léon Marchand</a> plastered on newsstands throughout the capital.<p><p>“At its base, Paris is not a sporty city,” said David Silvain, 41, who came out to watch women speed cyclists race through the 7th arrondissement last weekend. Yet the Olympics are a “beautiful event,” he said, cheering “Vive la France!” as a French cyclist zipped past.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240801/66abb0cf1d6a7a076f18815a/66abb0d8b711eb5ff5a161d7/file_1280x720-2000-v3_1.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>Paris is usually sleepy in late July and August, the time carved out for French summer vacations. Residential neighborhoods typically feel deserted. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/05/paris-august-closed-baguette-heat/" target="_blank">Finding an open bakery</a> can require a bit of a hike.<p><p>And this particular summer began in a bit of a funk, with elections that underscored <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/08/french-elections-macron-coalition-prime-minister-deadlock/" target="_blank">France’s divisions</a>.<p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/24/israel-olympic-team-protests-paris-2024/" target="_blank">Geopolitical tensions</a>, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/03/19/paris-olympics-2024-games-wide-open-security/" target="_blank">security concerns</a>, put the country further on edge in the lead-up to the Olympics.<p><p>The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/26/olympics-opening-ceremony-2024-paris-seine/" target="_blank">Opening Ceremonies</a>, held along the Seine on July 26, were ambitious and stunning — the first to take place outside a stadium. They also involved huge risks for a country that has been the frequent target of terrorist attacks. To temper the threat, authorities barricaded off the Seine in the week leading up to the ceremonies, restricted traffic and instituted a system of QR-code screening for people who live and work along the river.<p><p>Thomas Girault, 32, was among the Parisians who decided to leave. He said his publishing company, along the Seine, had advised employees not to come to the office, and he expected the Games to bring a lot of noise.<p><p>But as he prepared to leave town, he noticed a strange calm in his neighborhood of Denfert-Rochereau. “I’m surprised,” he said in an interview on the eve of the Opening Ceremonies. “I thought it would be much more chaotic.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/SRYXOW5WUD5RTJCVRRZTATESE4.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">People sit on the terrace of a restaurant in the Marais neighborhood. (Kevin Coombs/Reuters)</small></div><p>At Brasserie Moliteuil, down the street from the Parc des Princes stadium, waiter Sabrina de Staël said her boss hired extra staff for the summer, thinking that proximity to the Olympic soccer venue would translate into a surge in customers.<p><p>But just days before the competitions kicked off, police told restaurants near Olympic venues that they couldn’t put tables outside, de Staël said — effectively shutting down the terrasse<i>, </i>the outward-facing sidewalk seats that are a staple of summer life in Paris. The brasserie, mostly empty during the opening Israel vs. Mali soccer qualifying match last week, lost money as a result, she said.<p><p>The massive police presence around the city unnerved her, too, de Staël said. Paris has deployed tens of thousands of security officers, including French and foreign police, private contractors and soldiers, during the Games. Soldiers wearing fatigues and holding rifles patrolled upscale streets on the Seine’s left bank this week, marching past tourists sipping rosé.<p><p>Past incidents of police brutality have <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/30/france-police-shooting-protest-nahel/" target="_blank">sparked protests and strained relations</a> between minorities and police officers.<p><p>“You go outside your flat and you see a policeman. It doesn’t make me safe,” de Staël said.<p><p>By Monday, even as security measures around sporting venues remained, the quays of the Seine were coming back to life. Metal barricades had largely been dismantled. Vendors who sell art on the riverbanks reopened their stalls. As a heat wave baked Paris, tourists wearing sports jerseys licked ice cream cones and snapped selfies in front of landmarks decorated with Olympic rings.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/HOKQFQNJLXRMPSV26YPZBAO36Y.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">A woman walks through the Tuileries Garden in Paris. (Kevin Coombs/Reuters)</small></div><p>The Olympics have upended Paris tourism, changing where visitors go and what they do.<p><p>Shopkeepers in Saint-German-des-Près said the wealthy clientele from the United States and the Middle East who usually descend on the neighborhood have stayed away.<p><p>The Louis Vuitton store was empty on Monday afternoon. Les Deux Magots, an old haunt of Picasso and Hemingway where visitors typically line up to sip coffee, was noticeably quiet. Olympics spectators seemed to be spending their time and money at sports events instead.<p><p>The restrictions around the Seine diverted other customers, said Philippe Rouzaud, the manager of Brasserie Lipp, an upscale restaurant that saw its daily business drop by more than half in recent weeks.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/TWP/20240801/66abb2d0d3ceee0004161ea8/66abb2d7b711eb5ff5a161f2/file_1280x720-2000-v3_1.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>“There’s a huge deficit here,” Rouzaud said. “We’re hoping that there’ll be a few more people, but we don’t know how things will work out.”<p><p>The prospect of Olympic crowds and premium pricing appears to have deterred some people from visiting Paris this summer. <a href="https://www.airfranceklm.com/en/newsroom/update-summer-bookings" target="_blank">Air France-KLM</a> and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/11/delta-paris-olympics-hit.html" target="_blank">Delta</a> blamed the Olympics for lower-than-projected air traffic to the French capital. Low occupancy prompted some hotels to offer last-minute reduced rates.<p><p>The Paris tourism office lowered its Olympic-period projections from 15 million to 11 million people — though the latest statistics show 650,000 people arrived during the first days of the Games, a bump of roughly 17 percent for French visitors and about 15 percent for foreigners compared to the same period in 2023.<p><p>Paris officials promised from the start that these Olympics wouldn’t be just for tourists — they would be <a href="https://presse.paris2024.org/actualites/paris-2024-tony-estanguet-president-de-paris-2024-et-anne-hidalgo-maire-de-paris-donnent-rendez-vous-au-monde-entier-le-8-aout-pour-le-passage-de-relais-officiel-avec-tokyo-2020-un-drapeau-geant-sera-deploye-en-haut-de-la-tour-eiffel-pour-annoncer-larrivee-des-jeux-en-france-152c-e0190.html" target="_blank">open to Parisians</a>, too, and offer long-term benefits.<p><p>The city has set up “Paris beaches” where locals were supposed to be able to swim in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/17/anne-hidalgo-seine-swim/" target="_blank">newly clean</a> waterways on Sundays during July and August. But after consecutive rainy days, authorities said the water was too polluted for swimming last weekend.<p><p>“They say that next week we might be able to go swimming,” said Estelle Sirey, 24, sitting in a swimsuit on the edge of Canal St. Martin, one of the designated swimming zones. “I’m still a bit disappointed.”<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240801/66abb03f1d6a7a076f187fdb/66abb047d9dfd01cdcfb6177/file_1280x720-2000-v3_1.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>Paying host to the Olympics has thrilled other residents.<p><p>“The city is shining with a new light during these Games,” Julien Dambre, 27, said, as he lounged with friends on colorful new beach chairs by the canal.<p><p>For some previously neglected Paris suburbs, the Olympics have brought <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/25/paris-olympics-2024-legacy-opening-ceremonies/" target="_blank">fresh investment</a>, rare visitors and brushes with athletic greatness.<p><p>Saint-Denis, an area north of Paris with high crime and poverty rates, was already home to the Stade de France. For the Olympics, an aquatics center and the Olympic Village were built in the community. Residents here complain about traffic jams caused by blocked-off roads around the venues; on Sunday, police stopped local cars to usher buses for athletes through to the stadium.<p><p>But residents praised the newly paved roads and the street cleaners suddenly deployed daily. Here, several said, the influx of police made them feel safer. Authorities also gave out free tickets to some Olympic events.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240801/66abb26ae0c2524f523c808f/66abb271b711eb5ff5a161e0/file_1280x720-2000-v3_1.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>The thousands of athletes, Olympics organizers and security personnel who have descended on the Olympic Village over the past week injected star power and international tourists into neighborhoods that rarely see either.<p><p>Said El-Ghomari, 42, a telecommunications technician who lives in Saint-Denis and is working for the Games, showed off the country pins athletes had given him.<p><p>The Olympics “changed the usual population here,” said Diane Noumba, 43, as she sat with her 4-year-old son in a nearby park, watching athletes and volunteers bustle past. “On this passage here, there are diverse populations, different rhythms to life in the neighborhood.”<p><p>On Sunday morning, American sprinter Gabby Thomas — favored to medal in the 200-meter race — sipped coffee with her boyfriend at the local cafe-bar, now decorated with balloons and Olympic flags.<p><p>A few blocks away, the boulangerie closest to the Olympic Village was packed with police and sports officials ordering lunch. The Games have brought “a real boost to the business,” baker Najah Wided said.<p><p>“It brings a little bit of joy because normally it’s very, very quiet around here,” she said. “Everything is going really well these days.”<p><p><i>Gretchen Reynolds contributed to this report.</i><p>
2024-08-01T16:29:08.243Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/QT3QJB5EURDWDPXCPLEUXDFEBA/20240802-105990.901/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/VVTGNCIGH2B36TQ7ABSFIVMKAY.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">A traveler waits to board a flight at the airport. (Jasmin Merdan/Getty Images)</small></div><p>For years, Southwest Airlines has endeared itself to plus-size travelers with a rare benefit: the opportunity to reserve a free extra seat for people who need more space. But now that the airline has announced the end of its signature <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2024/07/25/southwest-ends-open-seating/" target="_blank">open-seating policy</a>, advocates are worried the carrier’s “<a href="https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/extra-seat-policy" target="_blank">customer-of-size</a>” policy could go away.<p><p>Southwest said it will continue to offer this service in the near term but has not provided any details about its future, telling The Washington Post it will reveal more in September.<p><p>Concerned advocates are not taking any chances. They are letting the airline know how much a complimentary second seat means to them — that for some of them, traveling wouldn’t be possible without it. They are already circulating petitions and voicing their worries directly to Southwest on social media.<p><p>“They’ve been the best in the industry for so long. It just makes us nervous when they make an announcement and we know they haven’t talked to us or any of our allies, and they don’t mention anything about this policy,” said Amanda Cooper, board chair for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA). “We decided that we wanted to insert ourselves into the conversation.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/SSEAPRVV7SNLAEBNW7VEYOELFY.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">The interior of a Southwest Airlines plane. (Southwest)</small></div><p>Last week, NAAFA released <a href="https://naafa.org/southwest" target="_blank">a statement </a>to Southwest. In the message, the organization emphasizes the importance of the policy, which provides <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/tips/plus-size-travel-flying/" target="_blank">plus-size passengers </a>with the opportunity to fly comfortably and safely and without breaking the bank. The statement said the program owes its success to the open-seating arrangement.<p><p>“The Southwest Customer of Size policy is the most clear and affordable procedure in the air travel industry for those who need more space than a standard economy seat,” NAAFA’s statement read. “Allowing Customers of Size to pre-board and select two adjoining seats ensures that passengers are able to choose seating in a part of the plane that is safer and more accessible.”<p><p>The group also urges Southwest to take several actions when deciding the fate of the policy, such as to assess how the new seating and boarding procedures will affect fat and disabled passengers and to “publicly address” its plans to reduce the impact on these populations. It also requests the carrier partner with its organization and other similar advocates when drawing up a new policy.<p><p>At the same time NAAFA released the statement, it kicked off a petition campaign that has garnered more than 500 signatures. Tigress Osborn, the group’s chief executive, said she anticipates a bump in the number of supporters during Fat Liberation Month, which started on Aug. 1.<p><p>“The goal is to make sure they are listening to passengers who have experience with these systems, so that they are being responsive to our needs and are committed to us,” Osborn said.<p><p><a href="https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/extra-seat-policy" target="_blank">Southwest</a> has been accommodating plus-size passengers for more than 30 years, according to the carrier. Passengers can reserve a second seat at the time of booking and receive a full refund for that reservation. Or they can request a second seat at the gate, based on availability.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/762KSUNYX53VFDODNZC44LJX4Q.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Tigress Osborn, executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, on a Southwest flight. (Tigress Osborn)</small></div><p>Henry Harteveldt, president of the <a href="https://atmosphereresearch.com/" target="_blank">Atmosphere Research Group</a>, an airline consulting firm, said Southwest might retain some aspects of the policy, but the experience will be different, such as selecting the two adjacent seats.<p><p>“I don’t think Southwest wants to alienate any passenger with this change, but they need to figure out what will serve the shared interests of this community, the airline and the other travelers who will have the opportunity to choose their seats,” Harteveldt said.<p><p>Osborn said one of the advantages of open seating is that it gives passengers more autonomy. Having this power to choose the location of their seats is critical for people who struggle in constricted spaces.<p><p>“For supersized passengers or passengers who are fat and disabled, getting to the back of the plane for two seats together is a whole different experience and sometimes an impossibility,” Osborn said.<p><p>Osborn used herself as example. On a connecting Southwest flight this spring, the gate agent held two seats for Osborn, who was delayed because of confusion over her boarding passes. The seats were in the last row. Osborn, who uses a cane, shudders at the memory of walking to the back of the plane, bumping other passengers, all eyes on her.<p><p>“That is causing me pain, that is causing me inconvenience, that is having a plane full of people looking at the fat lady,” Osborn said during a Zoom call from her home in Arizona.<p><p>Beside Southwest, only a few airlines cater to larger passengers. <a href="https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/policies/comfort-seat?srsltid=AfmBOoobVatKbxCxBaMk5A3y9ZJiL3wSGSjSQxyhqO6kE6YUz2bacTEJ" target="_blank">Alaska Air</a> will reimburse a traveler for a second seat if their flights were not sold out. In Canada, the “<a href="https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/publication/additional-seating-and-one-person-one-fare-requirement-domestic-travel-a-guide" target="_blank">one-person-one-fare</a>” law requires carriers on domestic routes to provide a free adjacent seat to people with a disability. For larger travelers to qualify, they must be “functionally disabled by obesity.”<p><p>Annette Richmond, founder of <a href="https://fatgirlstraveling.com/" target="_blank">Fat Girls Traveling</a>, said she is a Southwest loyalist and often shares the carrier’s sales on her social media platforms. Though she does not always need a second seat — she prefers two on longer flights, for instance — she is grateful for the option.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/KX4XPUI6P4VXPZ6XUZUQJSSKBQ.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">A woman calls for an ride to the airport from her vacation rental. (Nicky Lloyd/Getty Images)</small></div><p>In addition to signing the petition, Richmond said she plans to become more involved in the cause and even floated a few ideas. She suggested creating an accessibility area on the plane similar to those on buses and trains. She also recommended charging a small fee for keeping the middle seat open, a practice a few airlines, such as Qantas and Frontier, have adopted. Passengers could provide a note from a physician explaining the passenger’s medical need for extra space.<p><p>“We feel like so many fashion brands are abandoning us by no longer offering plus sizes, and now our mode of transportation?” Richmond said.<p><p>If Southwest ignores the needs of travelers of size, Richmond said she will take action,<b> </b>ending her support of the carrier.<p><p>“The airlines need to understand that there is purchase power, and we are aware of this,” she said. “If they don’t care about us, then I’m going to remind my community of that.”<p>
2024-07-31T18:39:20.320Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/R7KXAOGOKRB7XNSINBCTE2WQLA/20240802-112265.651/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/BDMQQHNARJS57OXUQ7BYHZI6WE.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">The wrap in question. (Annaliese Nurnberg/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>The line ran out the door and down the street. Temps climbed into the 90s as the clock nudged past noon. Sweat beads trickled down flushed cheeks and pooled in lower backs. Washington summers can make one’s will to live evaporate, but the dozens of people standing on a shadeless stretch of I Street, wearing the grab bag of business suits and old concert T-shirts that encompass post-pandemic workwear, found a reason to go on. To be excited, even, as their queue inched along.<p><p>Were they there to nab concert tickets? An exclusive new sneaker? Free ice cream? Some magic pill that would allow them to slumber until the election is over?<p><p>Um, no. <i>(And it will never be over.)</i><p><p>The line-standers had come for a sandwich. One sold by a fairly nondescript lunch spot, that has been on its menu forever.<p><p>But here is the thrilling part: It’s a chicken Caesar salad wrap!<p><p>What? That didn’t do it for you?<p><p>Fine. Then you should know that this particular chicken Caesar salad wrap has been anointed D.C.’s best chicken Caesar salad wrap. By who? Oh, some folks on TikTok, who told other folks on TikTok, who sent the good people behind the counter at this joint — prophetically named the Best Sandwich Place — into a lettuce chopping frenzy.<p><p>And this, dear reader, is what passes for weekday joy in downtown D.C. during the thick summer of 2024, as workers make their required badge swipes into quasi-empty offices and count the days until it’s their turn to be on vacation: hype. And the hope that something could be good. Maybe even great. Even if it’s just a chicken Caesar salad wrap.<p><p>The Washington Post cares deeply about its subscribers, so we took it upon ourselves — in the midst of a <i>slightly</i> busy news cycle — to untangle that hype and determine whether the wrap is worthy.<p><p>Also, we were hungry. And the sandwich shop is across the street. And journalists also need joy. And, well, listen to what these TikTokers are saying....<p><p>“I see why it’s called the Best Sandwich Place in DC because this chicken Caesar salad wrap was truly elite ...”<p><p>“This is maybe the perfect chicken Caesar wrap ...”<p><p>“This really gets a 10/10. . . ”<p><p>“Buffalo chicken Caesar wrap summer,” declared one woman, who poured Buffalo sauce on her wrap <i>while sitting in her car.</i> (More on the sauce in a moment.)<p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahshooots/video/7387109958682266910"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahshooots?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@sarahshooots">@sarahshooots</a> <p></p> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7387110063883684638?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - sarahshooots">♬ original sound - sarahshooots</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>It’s unclear which D.C. food-Tok influencer made the call that this was the best of all chicken Caesar wraps — who knew there was even a contest? — but once it happened, their comrades answered the call in droves.<p><p>Jason Kim, owner of the shop, which is tucked humbly on a downtown corner across from Franklin Park, used to sell 100 chicken Caesar wraps per day; in the past two weeks, since the TikTokers started arriving, he’s sold four times as many.<p><p>For days he dodged interview requests from The Post. When we finally pinned Kim down he apologized. It’s just that he’s scared of more publicity. How much romaine can one shop chop?<p><p>Plus, he doesn’t get it.<p><p>“A chicken Caesar wrap is, like, everybody knows how to make it,” he says, leaning back in a wooden chair to watch his staff finish their closing duties. “Good croutons, good chicken. Romaine lettuce and parmesan cheese. I really don’t know what’s driving anyone.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/XLBD5YOMJVL5CORK5DS2H2XP6A.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Buffalo sauce is key to the equation. (Annaliese Nurnberg/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Somewhere along the way people starting adding buffalo sauce to the wraps, and now that’s become a whole thing. Kim is having to come in on his days off to make extra vats of the stuff. He’s sold out of his homemade croutons, ordered extra boxes of wraps and run dry of lettuce.<p><p>Kim is meticulous about his ingredients. He hand-makes dozens of dressings and sauces daily and inspects his vegetables down to the width of a lettuce leaf. But he can’t wrap his mind around chicken Caesar salad wrap mania. His personal nominee for Internet superstardom: the quinoa and kale salad.<p><p>There is something inherently and profoundly boring about a chicken Caesar salad wrap. It is meant to be consumed at the airport. Between meetings. On the move. It’s not meant to be trendy, buzzy, or hyped.<p><p>But this one is.<p><p>Perhaps it’s related to the 100th anniversary of the Caesar salad, which originated in Tijuana, Mexico, and<b> </b>is having it’s own moment as a wave of people deemed<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2024/06/17/caesar-salad-fries-martini-tiktok-meal/" target="_blank"> it — when paired with fries and a martini — to be the perfect meal.</a><p><p>So, is TBSP’s wrap worthy of its rep? To find out, we had 15 Washington Post staffers try the chicken Caesar salad wrap with a side of buffalo sauce and provide comments and a 1-10 ranking.<p><p>Now, full disclosure: We’ve collectively sunk thousands of dollars into this place. It’s visible from our office windows and is something of a Washington Post haunt. Like the chicken Caesar wrap itself, it’s trustworthy — a spot you can get in and out of quickly, to head back to your desk and hit a deadline. So naturally, most of our testers already had a connection with TBSP — unlike the TikTokers who mispronounced its acronym as “tablespoon.”<p><p>Many Post staffers were also blissfully unaware of the wrap’s virality. “I am baffled that there’s hype!” one wrote.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/4RIROBRCOXNIOOAX356X4QS2DE.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Look at how perfectly the lettuce is chopped. (Annaliese Nurnberg/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>For most of our testers the chicken Caesar salad wrap is not their go-to TBSP lunch order, and fewer still would think to douse it in Kim’s tangy buffalo sauce. Their reviews were mixed:<p><p>“There’s something about this wrap that’s a bit too watery. Which makes the tortilla a little soggy. And that breaks it for me. I say this as someone who’s had these multiple times,” wrote one reporter.<p><p>“What makes this good is the very even distribution of ingredients and the generous amount of chicken and parmesan,” wrote another.<p><p>“Would I wait in line for this?” one wondered. “That’s the real question here, and I’m not sure any chicken Caesar anything could get me to wait more than 5 minutes.”<p><p>“I love a buffalo chicken wrap — but I like a Caesar wrap on its own,” wrote a staffer. “If I wanted a buffalo wrap I would order one.”<p><p>“The sandwich of last resort,” one naysayer said of all Caesar wraps.<p><p>The average rating? A 7.6 out 10. Good. Serviceable. Perfectly fine.<p><p>And here is a parallel truth: We had fun.<p><p>We had fun watching the videos, scrutinizing the chomping, on-camera hype-purveyors. We had fun wondering whether they were right.<p><p>We had fun walking away from our desks, standing around together, trying something that might be exceptional. Being part of a moment and a collective experience.<p><p>All of which made the wrap — the good, serviceable, perfectly fine wrap — pretty great.<p>
2024-07-29T15:20:17.306Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/NIPEK2SSKBDEVLQWYJPQKWNAGI/20240802-110642.422/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/G5UDNXC36A4YNY73VCJDX3QPEE.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Elias Canetti in 1972. In a book newly translated into English, the Nobel Prize winner railed against mortality. (Arthur Grimm/United Archives/Getty Images)</small></div><p>On Aug. 14, 1994, when he was 89 years old, the great writer Elias Canetti betrayed his most cherished principle: He died.<p><p>Canetti lives on in his work, of course, but that isn’t the kind of immortality for which he so ardently agitated. This was a man who named each of his memoirs after sense organs — “The Tongue Set Free” (1979), “The Torch in My Ear” (1982) and “The Play of the Eyes” (1986) — and posthumous fame, devoid of gristle, did not interest him. Nor was he tempted by the afterlife envisioned by Christians. He was an irreligious Jew, but he remained faithful to the materialism of his tradition, insisting that he craved “eternal life <i>here</i> rather than somewhere else.” What good was consciousness without its trappings? “Absent the body, the soul is a mockery,” he scoffed.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/3QVHN4Y4TFECFNZIGWTQX37YLE.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(New Directions)</small></div><p>Both of these emphatic protestations appear in “<a href="https://amzn.to/3SvHDnK" target="_blank">The Book Against Death</a>,” a captivating collection of Canetti’s notes that appeared in German in 2014 and that New Directions will publish in an English translation this fall. The jottings that make up the volume are learned and often allegorical, but Canetti’s refusal of death was no metaphor. “The totally concrete and sincere, constant goal of my life is the attainment of immortality for every human,” he wrote, and he meant it.<p><p>His vehemence was in part a response to the terrors he witnessed as a reluctant participant in the 20th century. Born in 1905 in Ruse, Bulgaria, to a Sephardic Jewish family that had passed through Spain, Italy and Turkey, he had an itinerant upbringing quintessentially of its time and place. His childhood smacked of sanatoriums (at which his sickly mother often stayed), Viennese doctors (who were revered in his community for their medical brilliance) and summers at picturesque Alpine lakes (the Canettis stayed in high style at the grand hotels of old Europe). He grew up in Bulgaria, England, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, and by adulthood he spoke Ladino, Bulgarian, English, French and, above all, German, the language in which he wrote the masterpieces that earned him the <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1981/summary/" target="_blank">Nobel Prize in literature in 1981</a>.<p><p>Yet death dogged him everywhere he went. First and most formative was the unexpected death of his father when he was 7, a blow from which he never recovered. “My father’s death was at the center of every world I found myself in,” he wrote in his memoirs. It set the emotional stage for the ensuing desolations of the two world wars. Canetti weathered the first in relative comfort as a schoolboy in Vienna and Zurich, the second as a literary eminence in exile in England. His survivor’s guilt is a frequent theme in “The Book Against Death.” “How shameful, shameful that <i>I </i>have outlived all the victims,” he laments. “Have I done enough, have I justified the fact that I was only a witness, not a victim?”<p><p>But ultimately, Canetti’s opposition to finitude was neither purely personal nor purely political. It was dispositional, almost primal. “The Book Against Death” advances a stray argument every so often, but for the most part it is one long shriek.<p><p>Canetti is a peculiar writer, difficult to categorize or even characterize. His sole novel, “Auto-da-Fé” (1935), is a nightmarish fable about a cathectic bibliophile. It is a brutal and disorienting book, reminiscent of the writings of Franz Kafka (whom Canetti admired) and Samuel Beckett (toward whom he was more ambivalent). But his most famous achievement, the monumental “Crowds and Power” (1960), is an idiosyncratic work of poetic anthropology unlike anything else in world literature. Canetti cites legends and rituals from an astonishing range of cultures as he seeks to demonstrate that crowds are the antidote to humanity’s primordial fear of touch. Many of his conclusions are dubious. Is it really true that crowds are equalizing forces that raze all hierarchy, or that they grow practically of their own accord, or that those who outlive others relish the victory over the dead implicit in their very survival? Yet the literal truth or falsity of the pronouncements in “Crowds and Power” is beside the point: Regardless of its plausibility, it has the stern and enthralling authority of a myth or a religious text. Canetti’s memoirs are something else again. In his sparkling recollections of a bygone Europe, he invented a lighter genre for himself.<p><p>If there is any thread that stitches these disparate projects together, it is their author’s respect for obsession. He initially intended “Auto-da-Fé” to be one in a series of eight books about monomaniacs, and his own monomaniacal fixation was always the rank injustice of mortality. For 65 years, this affront preoccupied him. He started compiling the notes later gathered in “The Book Against Death” in 1929 and stopped only when he succumbed to his subject.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/EIT2QXYHCPR5UBLTZY44EK7L3I.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Canetti receives the Nobel Prize for literature from King Carl Gustaf in Stockholm in December 1981. (Tobbe Gustavsson/AP)</small></div><p>Canetti once described his polemic against death as “the only book that I was born to write,” but it is also a book he could not finish, or even properly start. Eventually, he decided to begin by jotting down whatever popped into his mind. “I will record thoughts against death as they occur to me, without any kind of structure and without submitting them to any tyrannical plan,” he wrote. He intended to organize his reflections into a more conventional document someday, but he never had the chance. “The Book Against Death” was compiled by his editors and his daughter after he passed away.<p><p>The results are heterogeneous. Some of Canetti’s meditations span several pages; others are<b> </b>brisk aphorisms. Many are straightforward; a handful are downright gnomic. “He only wants to be kissed by very old ravens,” one particularly mysterious entry reads. Canetti sometimes chronicles his personal life in the book — he writes wistfully about his first wife, who died in 1963, and he cannot resist a few joyful remarks about the birth of his daughter — but he also includes short, grotesque fictions. In one, he imagines “a people made up of individuals who have kangaroo-like pouches, into which they stuff their shriveled dead and carry them around with them.” Another vignette is as bizarre as it is charming:<p><p>And although Canetti is generally high-minded, lovers of German-language literature will be delighted to discover that he is not above a touch of gossip about his peers: “The Book Against Death” contains digs at the Austrian novelist Thomas Bernhard and the German novelist (and fellow Nobel Prize winner) Günter Grass, whom Canetti described as “a complete idiot” with “dictatorial airs.”<p><p>For all their formal diversity, however, the fragments in “The Book Against Death” are largely consistent in content. Though they are ordered by year, they have no real trajectory. Canetti’s concerns at the end of his life were the same as his concerns in youth. The deities who permit mortality were his perennial antagonists. “God looks on as one person after another dies,” he wrote. Years later, he was still fuming: “I have approached a hundred gods, and I looked each straight in the eye, full of hatred for the death of human beings.”<p><p>It is not hard to understand why Canetti is so often eulogized as an airy intellectual. His memoirs are full of passionate accounts of his omnivorous reading, and in “The Book Against Death” he is capable of referencing a scholarly article about elephants in one breath and the writings of the German philosopher Walter Benjamin in the next. “Rarely has anyone been so at home in the mind,” Susan Sontag approvingly wrote.<p><p>Yet “The Book Against Death” serves to remind us that Canetti’s mind was firmly embedded in his flesh. Even writing struck him as a kind of calisthenics: “Write because you are still breathing and your heart, which is probably already diseased, still beats,” he instructed himself as he aged. The life he loved so much was a gantlet of appetites. “His home consists of all the places where he has eaten,” he wrote. “His friends are all the people who gave him something to eat.”<p><p>Accordingly, it was not spiritual illumination but everyday banality that he could not stand to lose. No line better distills the tender spirit of “The Book Against Death” than this: “Above all, when I am dead, what I will miss: the voices of people in a restaurant.” Canetti did not fret about the state of his soul; he worried himself sick about the fate of all the detritus that makes up a life:<p><p>How is it to be preserved? “Would it be at all<b> </b>possible to love <i>more</i>?” Canetti wondered. “To revive a dead person through more love, has no one ever loved enough?” In one of his recurring fantasies, we succeed in abolishing the word for death, thereby the idea of it, and thereby the thing itself. (For Canetti, a writer to his core, naming was talismanic.) “Can any language be made viable that does not know the word ‘death’?” he asked. The ideal society, he proposed later, would be one “in which people suddenly disappear, but no one knows that they are dead, as there is no death, there is not even a word for it.”<p><p>Of course, Canetti could not abolish the word “death” any more than he could abolish the phenomenon: It occurs hundreds of times in the very document in which he dreamed of its abolition. In 1971, he admitted: “It could indeed come to pass that someday I may <i>yield</i> to death. I ask anyone who might hear of it for forgiveness.” Twenty-three years later, he suffered defeat at the hands of his nemesis, but I don’t think he yielded.<p><p>“He would like to die while writing,” reads one of his notes from 1986. “Before he’s entirely finished, he’d like to complete a sentence, exhale before the next sentence, and die exactly between the two.” And this is exactly what he did. His very last entry contains no acknowledgment that death is even possible. “It is time for me to sort matters out again within myself. Without writing I come undone. I sense how my life dissolves into dead, dull speculation when I no longer write down what is on my mind.” Then came the luminous final sentence, flush with undimmed hope: “I will try to change that.” As if he would have time.<p><p>If death involves fixity, then life demands movement. “The Book Against Death” refuses finality by remaining forever on the cusp of transformation. It will await its final revision until the end of time. It can’t save all of us, as Canetti longed to, but there is a small portion of immortality to be found in it nonetheless. An unfinished book is the only thing I know of that never dies.<p><h6>The Book Against Death</h6><p>By Elias Canetti, translated from German by Peter Filkins<p><p>New Directions. 432 pp. $19.95, paperback<p>
2024-08-01T15:31:06.376Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/6L2HPOC63BCJXPSQCBYUAMRDXY/20240802-111499.993/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/2NJBLNBHQNRDVZL4KZTGSDY7GE.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">The chocolate muffin that's making waves in the Olympic Village. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Kassie Mendieta, known to her thousands of followers online as <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ibakemistakes?lang=en" target="_blank">I Bake Mistakes</a>, found out about the chocolate muffins at the Olympics the way most other people did: through Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen’s love letters to the treats on TikTok.<p><p>Christiansen, 27, a three-time Olympian, has made a name for himself this week for <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@henrikchristians1" target="_blank">vlogging his obsession</a> with the “choccy muffins” available to athletes at the Olympic Village in the suburbs of Paris. His most viral videos are absurdist, garnering millions of views for their off-kilter humor. One video in which Christiansen feigns being <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRoXtaHc/" target="_blank">held hostage by the muffin</a> has been watched more than 4 million times. The swimmer has become so popular as the “muffin man” that even <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRoXpsHF/" target="_blank">fellow Olympians have gotten in on the joke</a>, making their own videos when they find Christiansen in the wild, or joking that they have to get to the muffins before the swimmer does.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/TCP7VCHME5OQQSZFHD5KDVO47M.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Homemade Olympic Chocolate Muffins. (See recipe link below.) (Becky Krystal/The Washington Post)</small></div><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/olympic-chocolate-muffins/" target="_blank"><b>Get the recipe: </b>Olympic Chocolate Muffins</a><p><p>On Sunday, when Mendieta first noticed Christiansen, he had posted just a couple of TikToks about the muffin. (Now, there are 13 and counting.) In these videos, the muffin’s oozing chocolate center is on full display as he raves about them. In his <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRoX73QU/" target="_blank">first video</a> trying the muffin, he called it “11/10” and “insane.”<p><p>Why not get the recipe straight from the source, the muffin supplier? Because the company is guarding the secret.<p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@henrikchristians1/video/7397757278188801313"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@henrikchristians1?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@henrikchristians1">@henrikchristians1</a> <p>I’m here to adress the allegations.. <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fyp">#fyp</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympics?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="olympics">#olympics</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/paris2024?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="paris2024">#paris2024</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympictiktok?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="olympictiktok">#olympictiktok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympicvillage?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="olympicvillage">#olympicvillage</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/muffins?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="muffins">#muffins</a> @Olympics @paris2024 </p> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Spooky-quiet-scary-atmosphere-piano-songs-6817208513685620738?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ Spooky, quiet, scary atmosphere piano songs - Skittlegirl Sound">♬ Spooky, quiet, scary atmosphere piano songs - Skittlegirl Sound</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>So Mendieta, who has been posting recipe videos online for two years since being laid off from a professional kitchen during the pandemic, decided to jump on the trend. Though she’s in the middle of moving cities, muffin duping took priority: She ordered the “very specific” muffin cups she needed and raced back home on Tuesday to her mostly bare kitchen in Los Angeles, now stocked with cocoa powder, flour and chocolate chips. She also dedicated the next few days to intense study of every Olympic muffin video she could find. “It’s the most insane internet sleuthing I’ve ever done,” Mendieta said.<p><p>While the experience has been stressful, people online are desperate for the recipe, and Mendieta doesn’t want to let them down.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/5F7ZP3FYMEOIMMPIZEVJ3OKUBI.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Baker and TikToker Kassie Mendieta. (Kassie Mendieta) </small></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/APO54SSOANDGS7WHFC5MEVU6HM.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Cookbook author and blogger Hetal Vasavada. (Andria Lo) </small></div><p>“This is not just a run-of-the-mill chocolate muffin. There’s layers to it, so it does feel like there’s more pressure,” she said, citing the molten center, cakey texture and chocolate chunks that have captured the internet’s attention.<p><p>The muffin is the “Maxi Muffin Chocolat Intense” by French commercial patisserie and international distributor <a href="https://www.coupdepates.fr/produit/maxi-muffin-chocolat-intense-831295" target="_blank">Coup de Pates</a>, which has partnered with the Olympics to provide baked goods to the Village. “The recipe for this muffin with a melting chocolate center and chocolate chips,” the company told The Washington Post in an email, “is a ‘Coup de Pates’ secret crafted by our chefs.”<p><p>Mendieta and other baking influencers are determined to unlock the secret. Even for a recipe developer like Mendieta, though, it’s not easy. “It’s really hard to test this thing without having ever had the real muffin right in front of me,” she said. “It’s a muffin from 5,000 miles away that I’ve never crossed paths with.”<p><p>Hetal Vasavada, a cookbook author and baker known for her online presence as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/milkandcardamom/?hl=en" target="_blank">Milk and Cardamom</a>, also decided to try her hand at the muffins when she saw a video of Christiansen <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRoXmGTp/" target="_blank">holding four in his hands</a> as he struts around the Olympic Village. She found it intriguing that in Paris, “the land of pastry, this is what they’re obsessing over,” Vasavada said. “I thought it would be croissants or some sort of laminated pain au chocolat, so I was curious and went through his TikToks, which fed the algorithm gods.”<p><p>Like many, Vasavada was drawn to the muffins’ gooey filling and deep, dark color, which she re-created using a blend of dark and milk chocolates. Over three recipes tested since the weekend — one that was more lava cake-esque with a standard muffin recipe, one that was more similar to a moist devil’s food cake, and the last one falling somewhere in between — she’s confident she has completed her task. She shared <a href="https://milkandcardamom.com/2024/07/31/olympic-chocolate-muffins/" target="_blank">her recipe with her followers</a> on Wednesday night.<p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@henrikchristians1/video/7396664985256086816"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@henrikchristians1?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@henrikchristians1">@henrikchristians1</a> <p>We have chocolate muffin before GTA 6 <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fyp">#fyp</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympics?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="olympics">#olympics</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/paris2024?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="paris2024">#paris2024</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympictiktok?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="olympictiktok">#olympictiktok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympicvillage?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="olympicvillage">#olympicvillage</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/muffins?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="muffins">#muffins</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gta?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="gta">#gta</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gta6?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="gta6">#gta6</a> </p> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/GTA-San-Andreas-Theme-Remake-6889607397178869762?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ GTA San Andreas Theme (Remake) - Ben Morfitt (SquidPhysics)">♬ GTA San Andreas Theme (Remake) - Ben Morfitt (SquidPhysics)</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>Those same details — the runny chocolate core, the rich brown color — drew Mendieta to the muffins, which she’s still working to perfect.<p><p>When we speak on Wednesday night, it’s Mendieta’s second day of recipe testing, and version five of the chocolate muffin is in the oven. In just a few minutes, Mendieta will pull them out to find that, at least, they seem to<b> </b>have the right texture, the gooey ridges breaking up the domed muffin top. She didn’t think it would take her this long to develop the recipe. Looking back, she said, it was “so Olympian of me to be like, ‘Yeah, I got it’ on the first try,” but after baking until midnight the night before, she’s getting closer.<p><p>In her testing, she’s prioritizing a few things. One is the “perfectly round muffin top,” which can be difficult to achieve in a home oven due to the need for high, consistent heat, but which Mendieta said can be achieved if the muffin batter is chilled for a few hours, so that the starches can absorb the liquids (which makes for a taller bake). To get the right texture, which Mendieta said appears more cakey than a traditional muffin, her recipe (so far) has more sugar than standard. But the thinner batter also means it’s harder to keep the chocolate chunks from sinking to the bottom. That’s what test number five was trying to solve, Mendieta said.<p><p>For her recipe, Vasavada said she solved the problem of the sinking chocolate chips by whisking rather than folding the batter — as recipes usually call for bakers to do. While you normally wouldn’t want to overmix muffin batter, doing so in this case, while also double-sifting the dry ingredients, makes for a thicker batter, Vasavada said. “It makes the gluten build a little bit better, so when I put the chips on it holds,” she said.<p><p>Perhaps the most important detail, though, is that runny center.<p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@ibakemistakes/video/7397815566859341087"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ibakemistakes?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@ibakemistakes">@ibakemistakes</a> <p>still a work in progress but the crazy part is i dont even LIKE chocolate like that but i gotta have that muffin… i gotta have the olympic muffin BAD. i’ve learned alot during this round of testing- its back to the drawing board after work tonight 🫡 <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/chocolatemuffin?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="chocolatemuffin">#chocolatemuffin</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympicmuffin?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="olympicmuffin">#olympicmuffin</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympicvillage?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="olympicvillage">#olympicvillage</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/2024olympics?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="2024olympics">#2024olympics</a> </p> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/La-vie-en-rose-Cover-Edith-Piaf-7095736264514717732?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ La vie en rose (Cover Edith Piaf) - 田东昱">♬ La vie en rose (Cover Edith Piaf) - 田东昱</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>“My first thought was that it was a ganache, kind of a chocolate lava cake where they baked something into the center of this muffin,” Mendieta said. That was where she started, but two hours later, Christiansen posted another video where she could see the muffin oozing from the top. “Now,” she said, “I definitely think it’s piped or injected in after the bake.” (Her TikTok followers aren’t convinced, though, so her most recent batch was half baked-in and half injected.)<p><p>Vasavada also piped ganache into her cored muffins, but Mendieta isn’t sure anymore that it’s ganache after all. Maybe, she said, it’s fudge: “A lot of people are saying, ‘Your filling looks lighter in color than the one in the video,’ so it’s either a ganache with a darker chocolate, or a fudge sauce with cocoa powder that’s going to make it a little darker.”<p><p>Mendieta has even taken to Coup de Pate’s website, where she found no ingredient list but did see a statement that it contains soy, gluten and dairy as allergens. The soy probably means that there’s canola or vegetable oil, so now she’s using that. She also figures that since the muffin is mass-produced, the ingredients are likely to be simpler than what she tends to go for, and the process can’t be too elaborate or else it would cost too much to make.<p><p>“I’m trying to be dialed in on everything that makes this muffin the Olympian of all muffins,” Mendieta said.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/WCNUDC3JUBLEZLMXXSK7MQRREI.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Hetal Vasavada's version of the Olympic chocolate muffins. (Hetal Vasavada)</small></div><p>At the end of the day, her goal is to finish the recipe as soon as possible, even if that means more sleepless, cocoa-filled nights to come. The fans of the muffin — which grow in number with each passing hour — “are basically beating down my door at this point.”<p><p>The Post’s recipes editor, Becky Krystal, said she also studied the TikTok videos “like the Zapruder film,” grabbing the baton from Vasavada and running with her own adjustments in multiple tests. She changed a few things, including the ingredient proportions, mixing method and oven temperature to result in a muffin with a “softer, lighter, more tender crumb.”<p><p>“You can imagine how much I was nerding out about this last night,” she said.<p><p>Her and Vasavada’s relay effort is your reward: a super-chocolatey, decadent muffin that won’t fuel you to Olympic gold, but just might make you fall in love, like a certain Norwegian swimmer.<p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/olympic-chocolate-muffins/" target="_blank"><b>Get the recipe: </b>Olympic Chocolate Muffins</a><p>
2024-07-30T16:04:58.071Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/DUI3TI25UJHBLPHIHCAPPYPXTM/20240802-112177.770/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/5YYCQXHPVZFDDCSQ4X3LJ6G7BA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">In “Trap,” Josh Hartnett plays a serial killer who ends up in the FBI’s crosshairs when he takes his daughter (Ariel Donoghue) to a pop concert. (Warner Bros. Pictures)</small></div><p>The M. Night Shyamalan resurgence — if that’s the right word for the writer-director’s recent string of bankable but creatively spotty films — has followed a consistent enough formula: Pull off a well-worn genre exercise, weave in some half-baked psychodrama and hope the audience doesn’t overthink it.<p><p>Consider 2016’s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/split-decision-james-mcavoy-is-great-twist-ending-is-ludicrous/2017/01/19/3cb17a9c-dd80-11e6-918c-99ede3c8cafa_story.html" target="_blank">“Split,”</a> a supernaturally tinged hostage drama undermined by a rudimentary reading of abuse. Or 2021’s “Old,” an unsettling body horror flick packed with blunt-force observations on time’s all-consuming erosion. Last year, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/movies/2023/02/01/knock-at-the-cabin-movie-review/" target="_blank">“Knock at the Cabin”</a> lined its home-invasion framework with a didactic depiction of homophobia’s evils.<p><p>The wayward if watchable “Trap” is the latest prisoner to Shyamalan’s half-measures. Set at a pop concert that doubles as an FBI operation to catch a serial killer, this cat-and-mouse game proves equal parts intriguing and illogical. But it’s the swing-and-miss attempts to imbue the escapism with depth — murky musings on compartmentalization, plus mommy and daddy issues galore — that most frustrate in a movie that repeatedly mistakes trauma for complexity.<p><p>That’s certainly true of the central psychopath Cooper (Josh Hartnett), a Philadelphia family man with an unfortunate penchant for locking up strangers and chopping them into pieces. As Cooper takes his teen daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to see the starlet Lady Raven (the director’s daughter Saleka Shyamalan) in concert, lifting Riley on his shoulders so she can glimpse her idol and endearingly trying to learn her Gen Z lingo, the dissonance poses an obvious question: What drives this father of the year to commit such heinous acts? If a hazy interrogation of his unresolved mother-son drama doesn’t sound satisfying, brace for disappointment.<p><p>Shyamalan fares better while meticulously laying out Cooper’s escape route from the titular trap. As a loose-lipped merch hawker (the amusing Jonathan Langdon) reveals to Cooper, the FBI has intel that the so-called Butcher is attending the concert, and enough of a description to pick him out of the mostly female crowd. (We’re told that only 3,000 of the 20,000-plus attendees are male — which, let it be said, still feels like a comically large number of people to sort through.) But even as Cooper scrambles to slip away and Shyamalan works overtime to drench the proceedings in dread, “Trap” is surprisingly devoid of tension whenever there isn’t a sharp object on-screen.<p><p>Coming off a bone-chilling “Black Mirror” appearance and a steely supporting turn in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2023/07/19/oppenheimer-movie-review/" target="_blank">“Oppenheimer,”</a> Hartnett plays Cooper with enough overzealous charm and turn-on-a-dime darkness to mostly sell the underdeveloped<b> </b>duality in Shyamalan’s script. Although this is the Hartnett show, each act shifts the focus to a different female character caught in his sociopathic net. The first dwells on Riley, a social pariah who finds solace in pop star idolization. The second centers on<b> </b>Lady Raven, whose pivot from plot device to temporary protagonist is surprisingly satisfying. And the final act confirms there was a reason the ever-dependable Alison Pill was cast in the seemingly peripheral role of Cooper’s wife.<p><p>Shyamalan mercifully resists peppering his dialogue with inhuman lyricism, as he is wont to do, though Hayley Mills is saddled with a clunker or two while playing the FBI profiler running the operation. His missteps instead come in the credulity-straining plot that begins at implausible, then stumbles into full-on preposterousness and keeps on tumbling. (I’d love to sit in on the FBI debrief with every SWAT team member who backs Cooper into a corner, then lets him get away.) Even when Shyamalan flirts with a novel idea — maybe stan culture and social media obsession are good things? — he neglects to follow through.<p><p>When considering the Shyamalan oeuvre, this concert-set film ultimately plays like a filler track — not a certifiable banger like “The Sixth Sense” or “Unbreakable,” but not exactly a clunker in the vein of “The Happening” or “Lady in the Water,” either. If you sit back and enjoy its mindless rhythms, you might have a good time. Just don’t try mining the lyrics for meaning.<p><p><b>PG-13.</b> At area theaters. Contains strong language, brief violence and tween shrieking. 106 minutes.<p>
2024-07-29T20:35:11.151Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/Q7NCISMFBVEVXMCHU3G72QZKEE/20240802-094156.564/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/YDSMKKWOVVCR3CKSO2PTL5TVZE.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in March. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Marci Walton, 41, saw how the “vibes shifted” last month when President Biden announced he would not run for reelection and endorsed Vice President Harris.<p><p>“My group texts were going crazy. Friends were calling each other,” said Walton, a corporate trainer from Cleveland. “We were like, ‘We can win this.’”<p><p>Walton rode that surge of enthusiasm all the way to a booking at an Arlington hotel for the Jan. 20 inauguration — a potentially historic occasion that could see the first woman, the first Black woman and the first Asian American sworn in as president on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.<p><p>“I just didn’t want to miss it if it goes our way,” she said. But while <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/29/kamala-harriss-image-bump-by-numbers/" target="_blank">polls</a> have her feeling good about Harris’s chances — and she is planning to volunteer to help those odds — Walton is being cautious. She almost booked a different hotel but looked at the fine print and changed course. “This has to be refundable,” she said of the nearly $1,900 total she ended up spending<b> </b>for four nights.<p><p>Energized Harris supporters like Walton suddenly are dreaming of a can’t-miss celebration in D.C. in<b> </b>five months — and hotel options closest to the action are limited, extremely expensive and, in many cases, nonrefundable. A Washington Post search found more than four dozen<b> </b>hotels that listed no availability online for the long holiday weekend of the inauguration; many that showed rooms for booking were charging $850 or more a night.<p><p>The limited hotel stock this far in advance has surprised some<b> </b>social media users in recent days, who have sounded an <a href="https://x.com/bluemememe/status/1817966522545189212?s=46&t=BYEy6SWfgS0e9IM8erIjEQ" target="_blank">alarm</a> about prices — or <a href="https://x.com/lalaa_latte/status/1818789374231806436?s=46&t=BYEy6SWfgS0e9IM8erIjEQ" target="_blank">declared</a> that the costs would have them watching the ceremony from home. Some announced that they had just booked their hotels.<p><p>Near the White House, the Willard InterContinental listed its cheapest rooms for MLK weekend at $2,851 a night. Rooms at the Marriott at Metro Center started at $1,344 a night, compared to the cheapest price of $242 a night the weekend before.<p><p>“What’s happening now is because there’s so much momentum tied to the potential of the first female president, first Black female president, there is a lot of interest from specific groups … wanting to be here to witness history,” said Elliott Ferguson, CEO of <a href="https://washington.org/" target="_blank">Destination DC.</a><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/3EXHT3V6X62NZPLJHWGUVEZ3CY.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">President Biden’s inauguration in 2021 was scaled back because of the pandemic and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The next inauguration is likely to see a much larger attendance. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)</small></div><h3><b>Mass bookings, no matter who wins</b></h3><p>Historic elections tend to draw bigger crowds, Ferguson said, and first-term inaugurations generate more interest than repeats. The last inauguration, for President Biden in 2021, was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/dc-inauguration-tourism/2021/01/15/904055ce-56a4-11eb-a931-5b162d0d033d_story.html" target="_blank">dramatically scaled back</a> because of the pandemic and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Officials in D.C. urged Americans not to visit, while some hotels closed and Airbnb <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/airbnb-reservations-cancelled-inaugruation/2021/01/13/2205e42a-55b9-11eb-a931-5b162d0d033d_story.html" target="_blank">canceled</a> all reservations.<p><p>Most years, the inauguration provides a much-needed January boost to the District’s hospitality businesses. Hotel occupancy often surpasses 90 percent, Ferguson said.<p><p>“We anticipate Washington, D.C. to be exceptionally busy during inauguration time,” the <a href="https://www.stgregoryhotelwdc.com/" target="_blank">St. Gregory Hotel</a>, near Dupont Circle, said in a statement. “Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen a notable increase in queries when it comes to Washington D.C. travel in January.”<p><p>Representatives for several properties said that hotels listing rooms as unavailable may not be fully sold out yet but instead holding back some inventory; in some cases, blocks of rooms will likely go to large groups. For individuals who hope to see their candidate’s big moment in person, scoring a centrally located place to stay could be a logistical or financial stretch.<p><p>Many travelers will come to town for the inauguration regardless of whether Harris or former president Donald Trump wins the election. Those crowds, which include representatives from foreign countries, already are filling up blocks of rooms at some high-end hotels, Ferguson said. Travel companies that negotiate rates and rooms with hotels<b> </b>often lock down such blocks.<p><p>The Sofitel at Lafayette Square said most hotels in the area were keeping inauguration inventory closed until the election was over, in part to focus on booking groups. The Four Seasons in Georgetown<b> </b>has “limited availability,” according to a statement, and “all requests will be handled internally.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/4FBZOL42PDKHDLHG3NOSDGJWUA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">The Waldorf Astoria, formerly the Trump International Hotel, is one of many in the District showing no room availability for the inauguration. (Allison Robbert/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>The Rosewood, also in Georgetown, closed reservations because it already has booked “substantial business,” according to a statement.<p><p>“However, we do try and make an effort to keep some availability for our repeat guests who will be inquiring for reservations closer to that time period,” the Rosewood said. “In this instance in particular, this high demand has been since April.”<p><p>D.C. hotels that showed no availability for the inauguration included the Waldorf Astoria, formerly the Trump International Hotel; the Fairmont; the Hay-Adams; the Grand Hyatt; and some lower-priced options, including Residence Inns, Courtyards by Marriott and Hyatt Place locations.<p><h3><b>Tips for travelers</b></h3><p>Those who want to stay close to the inauguration and other festivities should prepare to pay for the privilege — and gamble, if they book before the election. Besides commanding high rates, hotels are requiring minimum stays of three or four nights and mandating prepayment with no refunds available.<p><p>For people who are more budget-conscious and risk-averse, there are other options. Some social media users familiar with D.C. geography <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@blackgirlswhobrunch/video/7395633072554757407" target="_blank">suggested</a> that potential visitors can search for lodging in parts of the wider region that connect to D.C. by public transit, where availability should be better and prices lower.<p><p>Airbnb still has some reasonably priced listings in parts of D.C. and the surrounding area, though rentals closer to the action near the National Mall are listed for much higher, in some cases thousands of dollars a night. <a href="https://www.airdna.co/" target="_blank">AirDNA</a>, which tracks the performance of vacation rentals, said that about a third of the available nights in the greater D.C. area during the inauguration were already booked as of Monday.<p><p>Ferguson said the tourism office will showcase hotel packages on an <a href="https://washington.org/inauguration" target="_blank">inauguration page</a> on its website for places to stay within the District and in the larger metropolitan area. According to Destination DC, there are more than 113,000 hotel rooms in the region, which stretches into parts of Maryland and Virginia.<p><p>Ferguson said there typically is a “frenzy” to book rooms in November, after a winner is declared.<p><p>But a wait-and-see approach won’t cut it for Gourjoine Wade, a university administrator from San Antonio. Wade, 44, called the 11-week turnaround between the election and inauguration a “tight timeline” to plan a trip — and he would know. He made plans closer to the event to attend the first Obama inauguration in 2009, driving from Arkansas and staying in Laurel, Md.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/MYSDNL3WYBQ2JTK7UI3RYW4AWM.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Blue lights are beamed into the sky over the National Mall ahead of the inauguration ceremonies in 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)</small></div><p>At the time, he and his wife had a baby who stayed with her grandparents. This time around, that daughter will be 16. Her younger sister is 11. If Harris wins, Wade wants them to see a fellow Black woman take the oath of office.<p><p>“Everybody was cold, everybody was happy; it was an experience like none other,” he said of the Obama inauguration. “I want my girls to experience that type of history, no matter what logistics look like.”<p><p>Wade <a href="https://x.com/drgwadespeaks/status/1815906620284756269?s=46&t=BYEy6SWfgS0e9IM8erIjEQ" target="_blank">posted</a> about the hotel landscape on X last month, the same day he booked a refundable inauguration stay for his family in a Columbia, Md., hotel for less than $200 a night. Multiple people responded with their own plans or tips — or shock at the prices that, as one <a href="https://x.com/logic8307/status/1816126415139680708" target="_blank">put it,</a><b> </b>“could feed a small nation.”<p><p>“I think that that speaks again to the energy and the enthusiasm that people have and the optimism about what could happen,” Wade said. “No matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on, you can’t shy away from the history and the implications of what could happen.”<p><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-07-30T16:55:43.207Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/L7TTJXCFB5CGHNK7G4RJHXWNSU/20240802-093041.418/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/Q75BCMAFVACNY7UJIWJ4QHL3HY.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Francine Pascal, creator of the “Sweet Valley High” book series, in New York in 2011. (Ozier Muhammad/New York Times)</small></div><p>Francine Pascal, who became a fixture in the reading lives of a generation of adolescent girls as the creator of the “Sweet Valley High” books, a series that sold tens of millions of copies with it soapy plots involving the blond-haired twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, died July 28 at a hospital in Manhattan. She was 92.<p><p>The cause was lymphoma, said her daughter Laurie Wenk-Pascal.<p><p>Ms. Pascal once made a living writing for a television soap opera. But she made her fortune as the mastermind of “Sweet Valley High,” a publishing sensation whose original series debuted in 1983, ended in 2003 and lived on in spinoffs and in the memory of readers who had beheld its varsity-lettered book covers.<p><p>The author, by her own account, did not aspire to a place in the pantheon of literature. She did aspire to a place in the hearts of her young fans, whom she aimed to keep hooked on books at a time in their lives when television, video games and other distractions threatened to pull them away.<p><p>Ms. Pascal, a New Yorker, had never been to California when she created the imaginary Los Angeles suburb that gave “Sweet Valley High” its name. She chose the setting because summer is “the best thing about your teenage years,”<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/03/30/sweet.valley/index.html" target="_blank"> she once told</a> CNN, and it’s “always summer” in California.<p><p>She was not a twin but was fascinated by twinhood because she perceived twins as never alone. Her fictional identical sisters, Elizabeth and Jessica, were opposites — Elizabeth, who worked on the high school newspaper, was a do-gooder, while Jessica, a cheerleader, most decidedly was not.<p><p>Many readers identified intensely with one sister or the other. But Ms. Pascal <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/aug/30/sweet-valley-francine-pascal-interview" target="_blank">told the London Guardian</a> that she intended the duality as a reminder that there are “two sides of one person, the good and the bad.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/NJNTM2HQAVL3CTR3CH3BWYKCDM.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">The “Sweet Valley High” series opened with “Double Love” in 1983. (Bantam Books)</small></div><p>Beginning with “Double Love,” and continuing through 180 subsequent titles, the “Sweet Valley High” series pulled readers from one installment to the next with cliffhangers and high school hallway drama.<p><p>“Sweet Valley is the essence of high school,” Ms. Pascal<a href="https://people.com/francine-pascal-sweet-valley-high-creator-dies-at-92-8685737" target="_blank"> told People magazine</a> in 1988. “It’s that moment before reality hits, when you really do believe in the romantic values — sacrifice, love, loyalty, friendship — before you get jaded and slip off into adulthood.”<p><p>There were limits to where the plots would go. As the author <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-04-20-vw-836-story.html" target="_blank">put it</a>: The Wakefield sisters “don’t drink, they don’t use drugs, they don’t have abortions.”<p><p>Critics of “Sweet Valley High” objected to what they regarded as the blandness of the books and the formulaic nature of their plots. But the formula kept readers coming back — and kept Ms. Pascal on the bestseller lists for years.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/BDYTLVM3RWC2MZFCBXI2IFWIE4.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">“Dear Sister,” one of dozens of books in the “Sweet Valley High” series, was published in 1984. (Bantam Books)</small></div><p>Discerning readers noted that “Sweet Valley High” covers billed the books as “created” — not “written” — by Ms. Pascal. She wrote the first 12 volumes in the series and then began collaborating with a stable of ghostwriters who penned manuscripts in strict accordance with her outlines.<p><p>The writers, the Wall Street Journal reported in 1988, included over the years a former typist and a Harvard doctoral candidate.<p><p>“Their main job was to follow the pattern exactly,” Ms. Pascal wrote in a statement about her role in the series. “I can’t have any deviation, no matter how small because it can impact future stories. The better writers followed my outlines perfectly.”<p><p>“Sweet Valley High” spinoffs include the “Sweet Valley Twins” and “Sweet Valley Kids” series, set earlier in the lives of the Wakefield sisters, as well as “Sweet Valley Jr. High” and “Sweet Valley University.” Ms. Pascal caught up with the sisters in their late 20s in “Sweet Valley Confidential,” a novel that — in a testament to the nostalgia surrounding Sweet Valley — was a bestseller.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FO5SAHRMX22PF47HF7NS5WOSDA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Ms. Pascal in 1982, the year before the “Sweet Valley High” series debuted. (Uncredited/AP)</small></div><p>Francine Paula Rubin was born on May 13, 1932, in Manhattan and grew up in Queens. Her father was an auctioneer, and her mother managed the home. They gave their children — Francine and her two brothers — a secular Jewish upbringing.<p><p>Ms. Pascal enjoyed writing from a young age and was a devoted diarist. She used her journal to unload her fears and frustrations. The “Sweet Valley High” series, she told an interviewer years later, emerged from “what I fantasized high school was like for everyone but me.”<p><p>Ms. Pascal received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from New York University in 1953. In the early years of her career, she did freelance writing for publications including True Confessions, Cosmopolitan and Ladies’ Home Journal.<p><p>Her first book for young adults was “Hangin’ Out With Cici” (1977), about a rebellious girl who, amid a contentious relationship with her mother, travels back in time in a dream and discovers that she and her mother were not so different after all. Ms. Pascal published several other young-adult novels before creating “Sweet Valley High.”<p><p>She wrote across genres during her career. With her second husband, John Pascal, she was a screenwriter on the soap opera “The Young Marrieds”; she worked with her brother Michael Stewart on the musical “George M!,” about entertainer George M. Cohan; she wrote a nonfiction book about the Patty Hearst trial, “The Strange Case of Patty Hearst” (1974); and she published a fictionalized memoir, “If Wishes Were Horses,” in 1994.<p><p>Ms. Pascal’s first marriage, to Jerome Offenberg, ended in divorce. Their daughter Jamie Stewart died in 2008. John Pascal, whom Ms. Pascal married in 1964, died in 1981.<p><p>Survivors include two daughters from her first marriage, Laurie Wenk-Pascal of Manhattan and Los Angeles and Susan Johansson of Upper Saddle River, N.J; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.<p><p>“I have gotten many, many letters from kids saying that they never read before ‘Sweet Valley High,’” Ms. Pascal told an interviewer, reflecting on the final legacy of her books.<p><p>“If nine out of 10 of those girls go on to read Judith Krantz and Danielle Steel, so be it, they are still reading,” she continued. “The reality is that not everyone is able, or wishes to read great literature. There should be books for all types of readers. Reading time is precious; it’s a time for privacy, fantasy, learning, a time to live in our imaginations. No one should be denied that.”<p>
2024-08-01T19:52:54.563Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/TLAIRH6ZXVD4FHECVXWYKI7YN4/20240802-094630.301/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/YXBEZZPO5NE3XTAEIXX73UENWE.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Russian citizens released as part of a prisoner swap at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow on Thursday. (Mikhail Voskresenskiy/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)</small></div><p>As journalist Evan Gershkovich and other Americans released in a historic <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/08/01/deal-us-russia-prisoner-swap/" target="_blank">prisoner exchange </a>arrived in Texas for medical treatment, and freed members of the Russian opposition reunited joyfully in Cologne, Germany, the Kremlin on Friday voiced triumph at bringing home elite spies and an operative convicted of murder.<p><p>The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, also swiftly squashed any suggestion that the swap — the most complex since the Cold War — marked any thawing of relations that could open the way for peace talks in the war against Ukraine. His remarks suggested that releasing prisoners was a low common denominator of mutual interests.<p><p>“If we are talking about Ukraine and more complex international problems, this is a completely different matter,” Peskov said, asked by The Washington Post if the exchange was a sign that Russia would be ready to compromise and end the invasion of its neighbor.<p><p>“The principles there are completely different. They are the principles of the national interests of our country, the national security interests, and the work there is carried out in a different mode and according to different principles,” he said. Peskov said the exchange was negotiated by the CIA and Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB.<p><p>Tatyana Stanovaya, a Russia analyst and founder of R. Politik political consultancy, now based in France, said no one should expect a breakthrough in U.S.-Russia relations after the exchange, in which Russia released 16 prisoners, including some of Russia’s most prominent opposition figures. In return, Western nations released eight prisoners plus two children whose parents were captured Russian spies.<p><p>“There is no indication that the current exchange will facilitate peace talks concerning Ukraine,” Stanovaya said. “Instead, it reflects the current situation, where each side learns to live with mutual intransigence.”<p><p>Russian President Vladimir Putin at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport embraced Vadim Krasikov, who was freed from prison in Germany, where he was sentenced to life for killing a former Chechen rebel in broad daylight in a park in Berlin. In contrast at the U.S. homecoming at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, Gershkovich was embraced by President Biden and Vice President Harris before hugging his mother and lifting her into the air.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/KM4KZB43F3LTJ46LMTAGYMXQXA.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Evan Gershkovich hugs his mother, Ella Milman, after greeting President Biden and Vice President Harris at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Thursday. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>The Americans — Gershkovich, ex-Marine Paul Whelan and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva — were to be taken to the Brooke Army Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, the Wall Street Journal reported.<p><p>The images of the dual reunions, on airfields 4,855 miles apart, conveyed two distinct worlds that connected for a brief moment in an exchange that showcased on the one hand Western concern not only for its own jailed citizens but also for persecuted Russian dissidents, and on the other Russia’s celebration of covert operatives, criminals and a convicted assassin.<p><p>Peskov confirmed openly for the first time that Krasikov had been a member of the elite Alpha unit of the FSB even though Moscow had denied any involvement in Krasikov’s murder of killing of the Chechen commander, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in 2019. Peskov also said that a member of Russian military intelligence was returned.<p><p>Asked about Putin’s hug for Krasikov, Peskov said the president greeted Krasikov “informally” because of Krasikov’s previous role as an Alpha operative. Putin, a former KGB agent, seemed singularly focused on winning Krasikov’s release.<p><p>“It is very important,” Peskov said, explaining Putin’s decision to personally greet the returning prisoners, doing so along with his top security chiefs and Defense Minister Andrei Belousov. “He choose to honor those who serve their country and those who after difficult trials got a chance to return to their homeland.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/IKEJV4WHYB6SB4ZIXUQ7SGR4XI.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Putin greets Vadim Krasikov upon his arrival on Thursday. (Mikhail Voskresensky/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/AP)</small></div><p>At the airport, Putin highlighted some of the operatives’ “military” service to the Russian state, promising medals and indicating he would ensure they were well looked after.<p><p>“Especially to those who have military service, I want to thank you for your loyalty to your oath,” Putin said in a hall at the airport after presenting flowers to deep cover spy Anna Dultseva. She returned home with her husband, Artyom Dultsev, also a spy, and their two children. “You will all receive state awards. We will see each other again. We will talk about your future. But for now I just want to congratulate you on your return. Thank you.”<p><p>Critics of the Russian leader immediately seized on his warm welcome. Krasikov is “an FSB killer from one of the FSB’s most secretive and lethal units,” Christo Grozev, of the investigative site Bellingcat, who was a close associate of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, posted Friday on X.<p><p>Bellingcat was first to reveal Krasikov’s true identity after he was arrested carrying a passport with a fake name, and Grozev helped formulate the initial idea of an exchange for Krasikov, originally designed to secure Navalny’s release. Instead, Navalny died in an Arctic prison in February in mysterious circumstances before the deal could be sealed,<p><p>Grozev, Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, and other members of Navalny’s team have accused Putin of ordering him killed. The Kremlin has denied any role in his death.<p><p>Konstantin Sonin, economist and Russia analyst at the University of Chicago, wrote that even after analyzing Putin’s actions for 20 years “he still finds ways to dumbfound me.”<p><p>“Contract killers returning to the U.S.S.R. in Soviet times were greeted warmly — but secretly,” Sonin posted on X. “Putin seems no longer to care about any audience save for the FSB/spy community.”<p><p>Russia’s hawkish Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova drove home the contrast between Russia and the West, saying it illustrated Russia’s composure.<p><p>“What many people called ‘exchange,’ I would call a battle of composure,” Zakharova posted on the Telegram messaging platform on Friday. “The self-possession of the prisoners, the self-possession of the political authorities, the self-possession of the intelligence services. By all accounts we are the best.”<p>
2024-08-01T13:35:45.227Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/2G7KOTP2EBE4NLIPFXMYUKBC4M/20240801-214371.717/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/73FWH3WN5CXBAWMI5QQYIH3AZ4.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Megan Thee Stallion performed during Vice President Harris campaign rally on July 30 in Atlanta. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>There were hip gyrations from the stage. The playlist included “Girls in the Hood,” “Mamushi,” “Savage,” and “Body.” The candidate quoted Quavo.<p><p>A Joe Biden rally this was not.<p><p>If there was ever any indication of the head-snapping transition that Democrats have gone through, it was the one that occurred on Tuesday night in Atlanta when <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/30/harris-raucous-rally-atlanta/" target="_blank">10,000 people </a>danced and cheered to Megan Thee Stallion before Vice President Harris took the stage for a campaign rally to the strains of Beyoncé's “Freedom.” Biden forecast this kind of a change four years ago when he talked about<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/24/biden-speech-election-campaign-drop-out/" target="_blank"> a bridge</a> to a new generation, but that transformation didn’t take place until the past two weeks when he<b> </b>officially relinquished his grip on the party.<p><p>In Atlanta, the baton was fully passed to Kamala Harris. This was now her party. Her campaign. Her playlist.<p><p>In fact, Joe Biden never came up.<p><p>From the music to the outfits — and, most tellingly, the crowd size — it was clearer than ever that the shift to a new Democratic generation was complete.<p><p>By and large, it is the same campaign aides who were putting on Biden events that are now in charge of Harris ones. But the types of crowds interested in attending Harris events — and the musicians willing to perform at them — are very different. The new playlist, even if controlled by the same staffers who curated Biden’s soundtrack<b> </b>(a mix including Whitney Houston’s “Higher Love,” Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” and Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom”), has a certain Harris flair, and is put together based on her personal input.<p><p>Campaign aides say they are still thinking about how Harris events will be different, and they are determined to not only do large-scale rallies but want to put her in smaller settings as well. The coming days will provide more of a test case as Harris picks a running mate and launches a seven-state tour that will probably include a range of venues.<p><p>Harris is attempting to harness<b> </b>the surge in organic enthusiasm to display a show of force around her campaign launch. Aides want to do so in ways that are not only helpful to the vice president’s case but also work to get under Trump’s skin (The Trump campaign has scheduled a rally on Saturday in the same Atlanta<b> </b>arena<b> </b>that Harris filled on Tuesday).<p><p>The crowds to date in the Harris for president campaign are simply more energized. They’re bigger and louder. And it is a different tapestry than the Democratic Party has presented to a general electorate since at least 2016.<p><p>Biden is the candidate who works rope lines and owns small rooms, but has never been known as the one who can fill large arenas. Filling a middle school gymnasium, as he did last month, was reason for boasting,<b> </b>and success for him is the amount of time he spends on a rope line after the event rather than the number of total supporters who attend it. And four years ago,<b> </b>during the height of a global pandemic, the closest<b> </b>the president came to having large rallies was events where cars gathered, at a social distance, and honked their horns.<p><p>Harris, at least in the opening weeks of her candidacy, is drawing the kind of energy and excitement that Barack Obama drew in 2008 or that Donald Trump brought in 2016.<p><p>While Democrats have long had strong ties to the entertainment industry — attracting actors as donors and musicians as opening acts — the octogenarian who spent half a century as a politician and rarely dips into pop culture was not a source for inspiration. Biden’s prized possession is a car built in 1967 (a Corvette Stingray) and his favorite movie was made in 1981 (“Chariots of Fire”)<p><p>Biden often quotes Abraham Lincoln or Irish poets in his speeches. On Tuesday night, Harris was quoting hip-hop artists in hers.<p><p>“Trump … Does not walk the walk,” she said. “Or as my friend Quavo would say: He does not walk it like he talks it.”<p><p>The crowd ate it up.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FD5LKGE6D2HOTXZJDGC6YP4TWE.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Supporters hold up signs during Vice President Harris's campaign event in Atlanta. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Biden often says the Black community was among those that “brung me to the dance.” But he most definitely did not have the playlist, or energy — or the dance — that came from Atlanta.<p><p>The rally marked a debut of sorts for Megan on C-SPAN, which streamed the<b> </b>event<b> </b>live. She took the stage amid flashing strobe lights, and was dressed in a blue pantsuit, a white shirt with exposed midriff, and a blue tie. She riffed on one of Harris’s strongest campaign planks: abortion rights.<p><p>“Our future president — let’s get this done, Atlanta,” she told the cheering crowd. “We’re about to make history with the first female president. The first Black female president. Let’s get this done, honey.”<p><p>As she sang her song “Body” she told the crowd: “Now, I know my ladies in the crowd love their bodies — and if you want to keep loving your body, you know who to vote for.”<p><p>Harris’s remarks were stylistically different from Biden’s, with her own cadence and without verbal digressions and the storytelling that Biden often relishes. But at the core, many of her policy aims did not significantly diverge from the ones that Biden promotes.<p><p>“Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency,” she said. “When our middle class is strong, America is strong.”<p><p>She talked about the need to tame inflation, and she spoke in sharp tones about immigration.<p><p>“He tanked — tanked — the bipartisan deal because he thought it would help him win an election,” Harris said. “Which goes to show, Donald Trump does not care about border security. He only cares about himself. I will bring back the border security bill, and I will sign it into law and show Donald Trump what real leadership looks like.”<p><p>She mocked Trump’s policy positions — called some of the things from him and his running mate “just plain weird” — and poked fun at her GOP rival for not fully committing to a debate. While Biden also often mentions Trump, she seemed to take more glee in poking at her new rival.<p><p>“Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider, to meet me on the debate stage,” she said, looking into the cameras. “Because as the saying goes, ‘If you got something to say, say it to my face.’”<p><p>Harris also echoed what has been a signature line in her brief time as a candidate, as she recalled her time as a prosecutor taking on “predators who abused women; fraudsters who ripped off consumers; cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain.”<p><p>“So hear me when I say,” she added, pausing for effect. “I know Donald Trump’s type.”<p><p>In Atlanta and elsewhere, there are calls-and-response. There is a rollicking feeling that often doesn’t exist amid polite applause at Biden’s events. When Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) on Tuesday night chided Trump for being “too scared to debate Vice President Harris,” the crowd began chanting, “Too scared! Too scared!”<p><p>When Harris referenced Trump’s legal problems and guilty verdicts, the crowd yelled, “Lock him up! Lock him up!”<p><p>Biden has acknowledged his milquetoast taste.<p><p>“Isn’t it really dull when you have a president known for two things: Ray-Ban sunglasses and chocolate chip ice cream?” he said last month during a gathering in Harrisburg, Pa., as he sought to inject life into his reelection campaign.<p><p>Two weeks later, he was out of the race. And now he’s hoping to<b> </b>propel to victory a president known for things far less dull.<p><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-07-29T02:27:10.065Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/OVBDM5FQAFDZJCCXPOSMGHMQX4/20240801-163630.301/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>NEW YORK — Even at 30, in a tasteful cashmere sweater he’s wearing for a day of press appearances, Sean Wang oozes skater kid energy. He bounces up the lobby steps of the fancy hotel where he’s promoting his first feature film — the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/08/01/didi-sean-wang-taiwan-review/" target="_blank">coming-of-age story “Dìdi (弟弟)”</a> — then stops before a mirror to stare up his nose.<p><p>“Gotta do a booger check. All good!”<p><p>As one of the most promising young American directors to emerge this year, Wang has more to be anxious about everything, including, yes, wayward snot. He recently did an entire BuzzFeed video interview, only to later discover the boogers were<i> so</i> not in check.<p><p>“Is it on the record that we’re talking about my boogers?”<p><p>Oh yeah, definitely.<p><p>It’s a topic that would fit right into his movie. “Dìdi (弟弟)” is set against the hyper-specific, laid-back, hella multicultural East Bay vibes of Fremont, Calif., in the summer of 2008 — after “Jackass” on MTV made inflicting bodily harm on oneself for the sake of comedy seem like a legitimate career path. It opens with shaky, self-filmed footage of 13-year-old protagonist Chris Wang (Izaac Wang, “Raya and the Last Dragon”) blowing up a mailbox and racing down a cul-de-sac, till the camera freeze frames on his delighted, metal-mouthed grin.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/YIZXMPAKO4TU53CJBA22YEUIPA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">From left: Chiron Cilia Denk as Donovan, Izaac Wang as Chris Wang and Montay Boseman as Nugget in “Dìdi (弟弟).” (Focus Feature/Talking Fish Pictures)</small></div><p>The title is an affectionate term, in Mandarin, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2024/08/01/ddi-movie-asian-american-brother/" target="_blank">for “little brother,”</a> and the film, loosely based on the Taiwanese-American director’s experiences growing up, focuses on Chris, who spends all of his time attempting and failing to shoot skate videos or firing off hastily typed, curse-laden AIM messages to his best friends, Fahad (Raul Dial) and the inexplicably nicknamed “Soup” (Aaron Chang) — under the handle “bigwang510.”<p><p>Critics have praised Wang’s ability to capture the rapid-fire messiness of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/jul/30/didi-movie-coming-age-internet" target="_blank">the Myspace era</a>, and the movie’s pinpoint accuracy of just “how miserable the netherworld between middle and high school can be,” as Vulture’s Alison Wilmore <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/review-didi-remembers-all-too-well-what-its-like-to-be-13.html" target="_blank">put it</a>. But there’s a specificity to the Asian American aspects, too: the hilarious dinner-table fights with older generations shouting Mandarin and the kids shouting English; Chris’s reluctant attendance at summer tutoring sessions held in someone’s garage; his mother Chungsing (Joan Chen) and grandmother (played by Wang’s own grandmother, Chang Li Hua) arguing over who’s brought the most shame to the family.<p><p>“I think that it’s just a really honest perspective,” says Lulu Wang, director of “The Farewell” and a mentor to Sean at the Sundance screenwriters lab. “You’re trying to fit in with your friends, but you also have this huge responsibility to your family as an immigrant kid that we don’t see otherwise.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/SNIDFWEACE7WAJASYWK2MCIWZI.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Actor Izaac Wang (left) and writer/director Sean Wang on the set of “Dìdi (弟弟).” (Iris Lee/Talking Fish Pictures)</small></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/4UB3KDBFGMKCCIWDXJNWOX56UA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">From left: Izaac Wang as Chris Wang, Chang Li Hua as Nai Nai, Joan Chen as Chungsing Wang, and Shirley Chen as Vivian Wang in the film. (Focus Features/Talking Fish Pictures)</small></div><p>It is, in other words, a rare film about Asian Americans who just get to be ordinary and fail, without having to be crazy-rich, or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4g_hIhwqaI" target="_blank">murderous honor roll students</a>, or masters of a multiverse. “Ultimately, I think people resonate with his stories because he’s not trying to pander to any group,”<b> </b>says Shirley Chen, who plays Chris’s older sister, Vivian. “He just owns all of the unique parts of himself and tells that story honestly: he’s this cool, skater dude; Asian guy; kinda punk-rebel; film wiz kid from the Bay who didn’t get straight A’s and has a beautiful way of looking at the world.”<p><p>The idea to make a “Stand by Me” about kids like the ones he’d grown up with in the East Bay was something he’d been thinking about for years. He was 19 when he first saw the 1986 film, but something about the camaraderie of those four White boys in the woods felt true. More than “Goonies,” more than “The Sandlot,” more than anything by John Hughes.<p><p>“I just remember watching it and I was like, ‘That feels like me and my friends,’” he says. “It was the irreverence and how crass and loud those kids were, but also how emotional and vulnerable they were. The last line of the movie is, ‘You never have any friends like the friends you had when you were 12.’ And that just gutted me, because that moment in my life was such a formative time.”<p><p>It’s a time when kids are young enough to be impressionable but not old enough to care about much beyond goofing off, even as life starts throwing really adult things their way, like the death of a family member, or the nerves and excitement and awkwardness of a first kiss. One of his friends from middle school describes it as “the moment when you’re the worst version of yourself having the best time of your life,” Wang says.<p><p><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/MML4HI2HVPYH6WNPNYXVORQWOI.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">From left: Aaron Chang as Jimmy “Soup” Kim, Izaac Wang as Chris Wang, Tarnvir Singh as Hardeep, and Raul Dial as Fahad Mahmood. (Focus Features /Talking Fish Pictures)</small></div><p>Dìdi (弟弟)” wasn’t an obvious film to break out at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, but it quickly became the big word-of-mouth sensation (and won an audience award and a special jury prize for its ensemble cast). The excitement got a boost, too, when, the morning before its second screening, Wang was nominated for an Oscar for his short documentary, “Nai Nai & Wài Pó.”<p><p>The 17-minute short follows his paternal and maternal grandmothers, Yi Yan Fuei, 96, and Chang Li Hua, 86, who have been living together — doing tai chi and complaining about each other’s farts — since the deaths of both their husbands. Wang made it in response to the rash of hate and violence being perpetrated against elderly Asians during covid.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/4DDX5U3L54JVMD554BU7H5BGF4.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">From left: Sean Wang, Chang Li Hua, Sam A. Davis and Yi Yan Fuei arrive at the 2024 Oscars for their nominated short “Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó.” (Ashley Landis/Invision/AP)</small></div><p>Making “Dìdi (弟弟),”<b> </b>Wang’s “north star” question, he says, was, “What does it feel like to not belong in a space where you actually feel like you should belong, when everyone kind of looks like you and shares a similar immigrant culture as you?”<p><p>In other words, what is it like to be, as he says, “an outsider among outsiders.”<p><p>He kept coming back to things he heard constantly growing up: “I remember people would be like, ‘You’re the cutest Asian I know, Sean,’ or ‘You’re the Whitest Asian,’” he says. “And at the time, it’s a compliment, right? But in my 20s, I started to look back and realize how those things shaped the way I look at myself, because if you do the mental math, it’s like, ‘Okay, it means I’m the best of the lower tier.’”<p><p>Like many kids of immigrants, Wang didn’t even know directing was a job someone could have. He got his early film education rifling through an uncle’s DVD collection in Taiwan. And well before everyone had a smartphone in their pocket, he began making skate videos with his friends. “We’d put it on YouTube and then my friends would watch it and they’d be like, ‘Cool! Awesome!’” he says.<p><p>Spike Jonze, the skater turned filmmaker (“Her,” “Being John Malkovich”), became an early idol, but Wang only knew him as a guy who made skate videos and “Jackass” episodes — that is, until he saw a skateboard deck with graphics from Jonze’s 2009 “Where the Wild Things Are” on it.<p><p>“Something about that — just, the dam broke for me,” Wang says. “I was like, ‘Wait, you can be a skater and do this no-budget, low-budget ‘Jackass’ stuff <i>and</i> make movies?!’” He started getting friends together to “make stuff that wasn’t skate videos.” And after USC’s undergrad film school, he got a job doing pretty much the same thing — spending four years in New York working for Google Creative Labs making artsy branded content.<p><p>But Wang found the job stifling (“every creative director had a creative director”) and short films about his family, made for zero dollars, became his outlet. He cut together a year’s worth of little human moments — kids at a playground, a man playing two trumpets — he’d shot around the city and overlaid them with voicemails from his mom in Mandarin, chronicling her worry for her son being away from home the same year Trump was elected president. Then he uploaded the five-minute short, “3,000 Miles,” to Vimeo, where it’s been seen almost 750,000 times. (He met Jonze, by the way, who now sends him sweet notes of encouragement; he also voices a dead squirrel in “Dìdi.”)<p><p>The first versions of the script for “Dìdi (弟弟)” all felt like homages to the White boy raunch comedy he’d grown up watching, like “Superbad.” He picked it up and put it down for years.<b> </b>But after the reception he got for “3,000 Miles,” he started leaning into the idea of making it not just about kids goofing off, or how shame manifests in those hormonal years, but also creating a love letter to his mom.<p><p>“I realized that the relationship I have and had with my mom is the most of every emotion in my life,” he says. “It’s the relationship that has the most love, the most shame, the most guilt, the most protection, but also the most embarrassment and the most regret.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/XF4UOBOO6HYPZLCQOMFBXXRKAU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Izaac Wang, Chang Li Hua and Joan Chen in a scene from the film. (Focus Features/Talking Fish Pictures)</small></div><p>Wang held on to that Google job until 2023, diving into the unknown only when he was sure he and his producers had raised enough money for “Dìdi (弟弟).” His mom and sister were associate producers, knocking on doors around Fremont and asking for shooting locations free. Chris’s house is Wang’s family home, and the playground where he hangs out is where Wang went as a kid.<p><p>Other than Chris, all of the kids in the movie were streetcast from baseball camps, basketball camps and middle schools around the area, creating a rich tapestry that looks like the East Bay. For Wang, it was important to make the set feel like a summer camp where the kids could come and play. He wanted this to be an experience they would look back at when they were his age and love unequivocally. “I really wanted to make sure that … we captured this moment in their lives in amber,” he says.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/WW6WQS4JBDWOQOOMDWAFOMAJUY.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Izaac Wang was the only professional young actor on the set. (Focus Features/Talking Fish Pictures)</small></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/KFBPT3UOT3ZOLYUSGZXAXM3BPE.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Chris (Izaac Wang) has halting encounters with his crush, Madi (Mahaela Park). (Focus Features/Talking Fish Pictures)</small></div><p>He was, in a way, filming his actors’ coming of age — and the movie itself has become a moment of growth for everyone involved. Joan Chen says the set felt like family, as she shared big scenes with Wang’s grandmother and bonded with Wang’s mom in the backyard over being immigrants raising American kids.<b> </b>The actress<b> </b>brought her 21-year-old daughter onto the set as an intern, and playing someone else’s mom in front of her, Chen says, “helped us become closer. And we have since become closer,” Chen says. “It’s Sean’s gift to me, just like the film is a gift to his mom.”<p><p>Meanwhile, Wang has been working through how to present himself to the world as the movie comes out.<p><p>His whole life, Wang says, he’s pronounced his last name<b> </b>like it rhymes with bang, just as Chris does in the movie. (At one point, Chris tells his White skater friends that he’s only half-Asian.) The Americanization was a concession his father made when he crossed an ocean at 26 and was trying to assimilate. The “correct” pronunciation in Mandarin, though, is “Wong.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/PMB6QEXKR73LYAAM3CCHFR46GA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Sean Wang attends the BAFTA special screening of “Dìdi (弟弟)” in Los Angeles last month. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)</small></div><p>All Lulu Wang could do was tell Sean her own experience; when “The Farewell” came out, she started saying her name like it rhymes with bong and correcting people when they got it wrong. “But it becomes a choice of, do you separate from your family?,” she says. “If he calls himself ‘Wong’ because he knows that’s the correct pronunciation, it’s embracing his cultural identity and his pride, but is it also going to shame his father by saying, ‘I’m not going to take your assimilated version of the name?’”<p><p>Before shooting the movie in the summer of 2023, he was Sean Wang (bang). But he’d asked his mom what pronunciation she preferred, and when he stepped onstage at the Sundance premiere in January, he introduced himself the Mandarin way. “And<b> </b>I’ve never looked back,” he says.<p>
2024-08-01T14:15:08.678Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/NEOZSNW5WVCU5HLWDTFZUUCRNU/20240801-155461.619/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/IFOCCDZWFFFBVN6IWTZCEGVCAI.gif" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Illustration by Min Heo for The Washington Post)</small></div><p><i>Welcome to The Upgrade, By The Way’s series on travel hacks and hot takes. See how to submit </i><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDwCZfO3-gp_gKuPo8KwJlCaF3Oz_fnEO_3mKbSY1aQIIjjA/viewform" target="_blank"><i>here.</i></a><p><p>I grew up watching television sitcoms that blared from an enormous piece of wooden furniture. The glowing box sat prominently in our living room, taking up approximately one-fourth of the square footage, and would leave its indentation in the carpet long after it was gone.<p><p>The stories that were projected from the screen during my childhood are now my preferred airplane entertainment. When I’m flying, old television shows beat an airplane movie every time. I have found a thrill of exclusively watching reruns on an airplane, and I’ll never go back.<p><p>Reruns are nostalgic. Reruns are simple. Reruns are relaxing. And reruns never disappoint when, say, your least-favorite character becomes the CEO in a finale. Instead, give me “Seinfeld,” which delivers a half-hour of clever jokes and a guaranteed belly laugh, no matter how many times I’ve seen Elaine awkward-dance. Give me “Cheers,” where I know everyone’s name.<p><p>The beauty of the airplane rerun is the sheer lack of options; the proverbial parent sitting you down in 27B as if to say: “This is what you get and if you don’t like it, don’t watch it.” Airlines’ in-flight libraries offer some of these classics, or you can look them up on streaming platforms.<p><p>These days, the options for media consumption are mind-boggling. I’m often polarized by the vast selection of choices. Should we binge a British crime drama? Or a reality show where contestants marry each other while blindfolded? Oh, how about a survival show, but make sure the players are nude and surviving on sticks and leaves! It’s all too much.<p><p>Case in point: I was at a party chatting about binge-watching (as one does these days), and I found myself blabbing something along the lines of, “As soon as I slog through Season 1 of ‘Outlander,’ I promise that I’ll give ‘Game of Thrones’ another shot.”<p><p>Today my husband and I eat our quinoa bowls in front of a razor-thin flat-screen that mimics a Van Gogh knockoff. It makes me nostalgic for a time when TV was an occasion, when there was no other option but to watch “Designing Women” at 7 p.m. on Monday.<p><p>We called them “programs” back in those days; as in, I need to scoot straight home to watch my program. This was a time when television sitcoms were so special that an entire dinner was created in their honor, served in a nifty aluminum tray with a pre-portioned section of questionable meat, vegetable, starch and a dessert.<p><p>Instead of discussing the next zombie series at an after-work gathering, I now take my recommendations from fellow passengers. In the air, there’s no need for a conversation. You can just peek between the seats in front to see what your seatmates are watching. And don’t worry about being a voyeur —<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/11/03/in-flight-movies-shoulder-surfing/" target="_blank"> everyone does it</a>!<p><p>I think that’s because there’s something satisfying about typing away on your laptop and simultaneously watching your neighbor’s episode of “This Is Us.” I don’t want to commit to this show per say, but I will happily sneak glances at a touching wedding scene or the birth of triplets.<p><p>On a recent flight, the man in front of me was fearless enough to watch “Snakes on a Plane.” I’ll stick with the comfort of Pam and Jim’s “will they or won’t they” arc. Sure, with reruns, I know what’s coming, but I also know it’s going to be good. No biggie if you fall asleep before (spoiler alert) Niles and Daphne<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN80MbqxhaY" target="_blank"> fall in love</a> on<i> “</i>Frasier<i>.”</i><p><p><a href="http://www.anneroderiquejones.com/" target="_blank"><i>Anne Roderique-Jones</i></a><i> is a travel writer who splits her time between New York and New Orleans. You can follow her on Instagram: </i><a href="https://www.instagram.com/anniemarie_/" target="_blank"><i>@anniemarie_</i></a><i>.</i><p>
2024-08-01T19:20:33.466Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/FJXU5DUMNVCTNFTR4DI43CBKYM/20240801-185322.227/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/6NTF677XXUKK7SP6OQQBQFRQQU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">A rack of magazines, including the Atlantic, on display in a bookstore in San Francisco. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)</small></div><p>Two months after the Atlantic reached a licensing deal with OpenAI, staffers at the storied magazine are demanding the company ensure their jobs and work are protected.<p><p>Nearly 60 journalists — including marquee names such as Adam Serwer, Caitlin Flanagan, Jerusalem Demsas, and George Packer — signed a letter calling on the company to “stop prioritizing its bottom line and champion the Atlantic’s journalism.” The unionized staffers want the Atlantic bosses to include AI protections in the union contract, which the two sides have been negotiating since 2022.<p><p>“Our editorial leaders say that The Atlantic is a magazine made by humans, for humans,” the letter says. “We could not agree more.”<p><p>As media bosses scramble to decide <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/05/27/ai-media-barry-diller-iac-nyt/" target="_blank">if and how they should partner with artificial intelligence companies</a>, workers are increasingly concerned that the technology could imperil their jobs or degrade their work.<p><p>The Atlantic staffers’ letter noted a pattern by ChatGPT of <a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/06/chatgpt-is-hallucinating-fake-links-to-its-news-partners-biggest-investigations/" target="_blank">generating gibberish web addresses</a> instead of the links intended to attribute the reporting it has borrowed, as well as sending readers to <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/06/chatgpt-citations-rag/678796/" target="_blank">sites that have summarized Atlantic stories</a> rather than the original work.<p><p>OpenAI is currently fighting a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/27/new-york-times-sues-openai-chatgpt/" target="_blank">copyright lawsuit from the New York Times</a> — one of the few media companies that opted to challenge the tech firm, rather than partner with it. As part of its legal defense, OpenAI has demanded that the Times turn over its journalists’ notes, interview memos and other reporting materials, which the Atlantic writers called “incredibly troubling.”<p><p>Atlantic spokesperson Anna Bross said company leaders “agree with the general principles” expressed by the union. For that reason, she said, they recently proposed a commitment to not to use AI to publish content “without human review and editorial oversight.”<p><p>Representatives from the Atlantic Union bargaining committee told The Washington Post that “the fact remains that the company has flatly refused to commit to not replacing employees with AI.”<p><p>Following in the footsteps of the Hollywood writers’ union — which last year won <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/us-writers-strike-ai-provisions-precedents/" target="_blank">critical AI protections</a> for its members after a grueling five-month strike — media workers at the Atlantic and elsewhere are seeking to protect their jobs and have a say in how generative AI is deployed in their newsrooms. Screenwriters represented by the Writers Guild of America West won a contract that set a certain precedent: It is up to the writers to decide if and how they use AI tools to assist and complement, but not replace, their work.<p><p>In the media world, no such standard has been set. But last month, the union representing journalists at Lifehacker, Mashable and PCMag <a href="https://x.com/newsguild/status/1812902418977595860" target="_blank">ratified a contract</a> that protects union members from being laid off because AI has impacted their roles and requires the company to discuss any such plans to implement AI tools ahead of time.<p><p>Several media companies, including The Washington Post, are experimenting with using AI technology to write article summaries and answer reader questions about certain topics. There’s a sense among media executives that an AI revolution is inevitable — and no one wants to miss out.<p><p>“AI is coming, it is coming quickly,” Atlantic chief executive Nick Thompson said in an <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/11/24196396/the-atlantic-openai-licensing-deal-ai-news-journalism-web-future-decoder-podcasts" target="_blank">interview</a> with the Verge last month.<p><p>“[The] transition might be bad, the transition might be good, but we believe the odds of it being good for journalism and the kind of work we do with The Atlantic are higher if we participate in it,” he said.<p><p>The Atlantic journalists want to help decide what this participation looks like.<p><p>“Although we understand that there may be a place at The Atlantic for artificial intelligence,” their letter said, “Atlantic staffers must have a voice in how it affects our work.”<p>
2024-07-17T20:59:18.386Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/N55XVD53WZGXLOVH6CMWEYZJBM/20240801-160531.311/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>It feels like we are living through something like a horror flick renaissance — and thankfully I don’t even have to uncover my eyes to enjoy it.<p><p>As horror movies continue to find ways to subvert their own conventions and sneak up on themselves, film composers have also been pushing the traditional sounds of “scary music” — think Zilgi’s retrofuturist soundscapes for “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icFGvUZnTa4" target="_blank">Longlegs</a>,” Colin Stetson’s feral reeds in “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVnSFj6XQZY" target="_blank">Hereditary</a>,” or Will Bates’s unholy drones for “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOvChZqvxI0" target="_blank">Immaculate</a>.”<p><p>The history of horror scores is a long, winding path (that leads to an old abandoned shed stocked with a bunch of rusty hatchets), with legends of the form and shadowy figures that lurk around the edges of the frame. Here’s my stab at five of the most killer composers in film history.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/GZNTAKJ4TJBFNCZMLCMTGMKIIM.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh in the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock movie “Psycho.” (Everett Collection) </small></div><h2>Bernard Herrmann</h2><p>Spooky film music truly begins with Bernard Herrmann, whose instinctual blend of beauty and horror made him the go-to composer for Alfred Hitchcock. Herrmann got his start at CBS, working on radio dramas with Orson Welles — he even conducted the panic-inducing 1938 live broadcast of “War of the Worlds.” He’d go on to score seven films for Hitchcock, including “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5_pmtj7dvc" target="_blank">Psycho</a>” — perhaps the stabbiest string section ever recorded, and the most enduring example of Herrmann’s unorthodox approach to rhythms and harmonies. (He also makes <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CBjxGdgC1w" target="_blank">a cameo as a conductor</a> in “The Man Who Knew Too Much.”) The composer also worked with directors including François Truffaut (“<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj7d53kUUEk" target="_blank">The Bride Wore Black</a>”), Brian De Palma (“<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iZxX6gB2hc" target="_blank">Obsession</a>,” for which he earned an Oscar nomination) and Martin Scorsese (“<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDO0rRVG730" target="_blank">Taxi Driver</a>,” his final score before his death in 1975). He even took the first crack at an opening theme for “The Twilight Zone” — an unsettling 12-tone anxiety attack, employed for just one season before Marius Constant’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMwjEdc7rS8" target="_blank">iconic ostinato</a> commenced its eerie loop.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/PTSXHOIDARAGNCBGJEFVJEJKHU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;"></small></div><h2>Ennio Morricone</h2><p>The grand maestro of the Italian cinema<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/04/19/ennio-morricone-movie-review/" target="_blank"> died in 2020</a>, but left behind a legacy that spans every imaginable genre — from the spaghetti westerns of Sergios Corbucci, Sollima and Leone, to a long list of giallo (Italian horror) classics such as “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhUJjmLGWQ4" target="_blank">Cold Eyes of Fear</a>” and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NITEQIK4FE" target="_blank">My Dear Killer</a>.” Morricone’s creepy yet cosmopolitan scores for director Dario Argento included “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UztVF1nJTBo" target="_blank">The Bird With the Crystal Plumage</a>,” “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-DW3saLTSI" target="_blank">The Cat o’ Nine Tails</a>” and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz0HqnebE04" target="_blank">The Phantom of the Opera</a>.” I love the ghostly psych-folk touches of his score for “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8z3wXRVuFo" target="_blank">Exorcist II: The Heretic</a>” (which continue to haunt horror scores to this day), but my favorite Morricone monster movie treatment is his theme to John Carpenter’s 1982 horror/sci-fi classic, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meU2gAU7Xss" target="_blank">The Thing</a>,” which thumps with an alien heartbeat, twists with unrelenting tension and gradually insinuates itself through growling synths and icy organs — a chilling approximation of fear itself.<p><h2>John Carpenter</h2><p>If you’re not someone who stays (or uncovers their eyes) for the credits, you might not have known that director John Carpenter almost always plays double duty as the primary composer for his films. From the bleeps and bloops of his 1974 debut sci-fi comedy “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvGS0IQRC5U" target="_blank">Dark Star</a>” to his influential 1976 action thriller “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbKzqBPK3C8&list=PLy5kryT0xrJP0Jg3N_QoAgDa5M-cSfpKX" target="_blank">Assault on Precinct 13</a>,” to a string of horror and thriller favorites such as “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGKD9XCjFc8&list=PLZ5jmAKbKFZ3qcFy2ea_l_MqysmjMKue3" target="_blank">The Fog</a>,” “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpnfSKarWPI&list=PLqnnuEVGcRQwJukhkbUWWkyf0E6mFMg29" target="_blank">Christine</a>” and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1-OOQajQLc" target="_blank">They Live</a>,” Carpenter’s widescreen approach to the visual carries right over to his arresting musical sensibilities. Most memorably, Carpenter created that piercing piano line that throbs like a heightened pulse through the first three “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT4FY3NrhGg" target="_blank">Halloween</a>” films.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/ITLGUJCMGQGPI2RMVLXT2GNI5E.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Nicolas Cage in David Lynch's 1990 film “Wild at Heart.” (Propaganda/PolyGram/Kobal/Shutterstock) </small></div><h2>Angelo Badalamenti</h2><p>The films of director David Lynch tend to dwell in the gray area between pleasant dreams and waking nightmares, and sound has always played a major part in creating their eerie atmospheres. (Lynch himself often moonlights as a sound designer on his own films.) A talented songwriter and arranger (who wrote tracks for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2003/04/22/nina-simone-eclectic-soul-and-protest-singer-dies/546c2dc2-ac39-40ac-ae0a-f29da56aafa0/" target="_blank">Nina Simone</a> and Shirley Bassey), Badalamenti, who <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2022/12/12/angelo-badalamenti-composer-david-lynch-dead/" target="_blank">died in 2022</a>, segued into film scoring in the mid-1970s. And while you can hear Badalamenti operate in pure horror mode in 1987′s “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors,” his sweet spot is the mix of swooning sentimentality and creeping surrealism that made Lynch’s films so seductively disorienting: From “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNXjgKA6mn8" target="_blank">Blue Velvet</a>” to “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUp7JVoTX5Y" target="_blank">Wild at Heart</a>,” “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkVPOCX6gPo&list=PLYZlbQ5lKDJz04IG2_12gQ5YYtKZ55_fK&index=2" target="_blank">Lost Highway</a>” to “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGGoVD2bZPA" target="_blank">Mulholland Drive</a>,” and of course, every dark corner and back road of “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woUt7wPe8Ow" target="_blank">Twin Peaks</a>.” Part of what makes his music so effective is the way the fear and dread that course through it are ever undercut by a sunbeam of sweetness and innocence. (On that note, if you’ve never seen <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-eqgr_gn4k" target="_blank">the footage of Badalamenti</a> sitting at a keyboard and explaining how he composed “Laura Palmer’s Theme,” I must insist that you do, and have a tissue handy.)<p><h2>Mica Levi</h2><p>If you saw Jonathan Glazer’s obscenely unflinching family portrait “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2024/02/28/zone-of-interest-sound-design-oscar/" target="_blank">The Zone of Interest</a>,” you know how even the faintest sounds cut like razor wire. You may also have noticed its heavily rationed music, committed to just a few points in the film, and sometimes its very margins. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGbQCiZg6iM&t=8s" target="_blank">Mica Levi’s main theme</a> slowly disintegrates in your ears, its slumping intonation a sonic capture of dwindling hope. Over the past decade and just a few impactful films, Levi — erstwhile leader of busted indie-pop outfit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dImT-Xs9RMI" target="_blank">Micachu & the Shapes</a> — has become one of the most innovative composers in the business. The grief-stricken strings that replayed like a horrible memory in Pablo Larrain’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjS5h1iRruQ" target="_blank">Jackie</a>” earned Levi an Oscar nomination. And their original music for Glazer’s otherworldly “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7bAZCOk0Sc" target="_blank">Under the Skin</a>,” which pulses through the film like an alien heart, remains one of the most haunting film scores ever released.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/HGALMM5ZIVGN7NR4AISA2VHBU4.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Scarlett Johansson in Jonathan Glazer’s 2014 film “Under the Skin.” (A24/Everett Collection) </small></div><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-07-23T18:41:08.283Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/KHIH3VPCLVCOBFORD2CDIQQRDI/20240731-163069.693/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/ITVX5AM7ZJERVPLKDEIVQGBFBA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Washington Post illustration; iStock)</small></div><p><i><b>Q:</b></i><i> I have a cast-iron skillet that I have been using for a few years. It has brown, rust-colored stains that don’t come off, no matter what I do. I’ve tried kosher salt and a small chain, soap, a power washer. Nothing works. Or is there a way to fix this?</i><p><p><b>A:</b> Yes, you should be able to remove even stubborn rust from your <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/interactive/2023/cast-iron-skillet-quiz/">cast-iron skillet</a>.<p><p>Most nonstick pans have a coating that gradually wears or chips away. Once that happens, which might be in just a few years, there is no way to restore the coating. You need a new pan.<p><p>But a cast-iron skillet is the same material all the way through, other than a surface coating of what’s called “seasoning” — multiple layers of baked-on oil, which you apply yourself and can reapply later as needed. So you can remove surface crud, whether it’s rust or a bumpy layer of food left from inadequate cleaning after multiple meals, and get down to bare metal. Then you can start over <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2020/01/25/how-to-season-your-cast-iron-skillet-and-keep-it-seasoned/">to build up a few layers of oil</a>, which will make the pan close to nonstick. Because a mistreated cast-iron pot can be made good as new, one you get today will last the rest of your life — and be worth <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/interactive/2021/cast-iron-pans-family-stories/" target="_blank">passing on to the next generation</a>.<p><p>Lodge Cast Iron, a fifth-generation family company that’s been making this kind of cookware since 1896, shared some tips for removing the stains:<p><p>Whichever of these strategies you use, you might still see remnants of orange rust after you’ve scrubbed, rinsed and dried the pan. That sometimes happens when a pan is left hanging for years in a damp place where rust works deep into the metal, Kelly said. But that’s not really a problem. You can just move on to the seasoning steps. The remnants of rust will become embedded in the first layer of oil, but they will be topped by additional layers of oil that are rust-free. “The molecules<i> </i>melt together and form a sea of baked-on oil over the raw pan,” Kelly said.<p><p>To season the pan:<p><p>Then maintain the seasoning as you cook meals:<p><p><i>Have a problem in your home? Send questions to </i><a href="mailto:localliving@washpost.com"><i>localliving@washpost.com</i></a><i>. Put “How To” in the subject line, tell us where you live and try to include a photo.</i><p>
2024-07-25T20:52:34.747Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/ZREBWO322ZBLLCY6IMY76CO3FI/20240801-144376.765/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/R2GVUJJQN5DAHBAGNNOZ5GJOUA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Tony Hale as Sirisco and Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Misia in “The Decameron.” (Netflix)</small></div><p>“What is the plan you bloody idiot?”<p><p>It’s Italy in the year 1348. The bubonic plague is sweeping Europe. And in “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/2024/07/25/decameron-netflix-black-comedy-review/" target="_blank">The Decameron</a>,” Kathleen Jordan’s black death black comedy, Misia (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), a doting lady’s maid, is asking the question of the hour.<p><p>Jackson has a penchant for playing characters who come into their own as history unfolds around them. First, there was Erin Quinn, a spirited teen growing up in Ireland during the Troubles, in “Derry Girls.” Now, there’s “The Decameron’s” Misia, an aggrieved maidservant riding out the plague with a group of nobles in the Italian countryside. Both characters — a lesbian peasant and a teenage girl — embody underrepresented points of view.<p><p>“I think both characters are sort of on a quest for independence in very different ways,” Jackson says from her New York City hotel room. The Irish actress, 30, is fresh off <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxtTR2UwgMc" target="_blank">an appearance </a>on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and about to explore more of the city with her mom.<p><p>Jackson’s first TV role was in the 2016 British mystery “The Five,” but her big break came in 2018 with the premiere of Lisa McGee’s wildly popular coming-of-age comedy “Derry Girls.”<b> </b>She slips on the character, an overzealous girl grappling with the onslaught of adulthood, like a well-loved jumper. Jackson inhabits her latest role — and the potato-sack-esque wardrobe and <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/saoirse-monica-jackson-the-decameron-interview" target="_blank">Lord Farquaad wig</a> that accompany it — with similar ease.<p><p>In “The Decameron,” Misia is the downtrodden servant to Pampinea, a demanding noblewoman played by Zosia Mamet. It was their toxic employer-employee relationship that Jackson found most engaging about the role. “I think most women have experienced friendships like that,” Jackson says. “We as females have a tendency to be maternal, probably before our time, and to be extremely empathetic and open with each other. Often that can be manipulated and sort of villainized against us.”<p><p>Though the series is ostensibly a comedy, Jackson set out to mine the pathos of Misia’s servitude: “Often, we see this example of someone in a more oppressed or lower social status role rolling their eyes and sort of more annoyed by the situation, and the joke’s on the noble.” She doesn’t play Misia as someone who is in on the joke, she plays her as someone who knows that, if she can’t take one, she risks losing her security.<p><p>We see Misia navigating emotional extremes, mourning the death of a lover in one scene and playfully throwing cheese into her mistress’s mouth in the next. Jackson compares these abrupt transitions to being consumed by a fight at home but all smiles the minute someone knocks on the door. “It’s not that you’re trying to make Misia funny to land these deeper moments,” she says. “I feel like it’s grounded in that it’s her trying to mask the pain and vulnerability she’s experiencing throughout the show.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/457HL5SSF5DA7G37PFLOSPVINU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Misia, Zosia Mamet as Pampinea and Tony Hale as Sirisco in “The Decameron.” (Giulia Parmigiani/Netflix)</small></div><p>In Jackson’s view, vulnerability is the key to comedy — exposing the humanity of her characters. “There has to be a lot of humiliation,” she says. With Misia, she walks the line with a level of indignity that flirts with being too sad to find humorous, but she always cuts back just in time. For example, after being forced to commit murder, Misia breaks into song. “I just thought it was so sad but also so wildly, insanely funny,” Jackson says. “If you were someone that cared about Misia, you would only find it funny in hindsight.”<p><p>“The Decameron” presents an obvious parallel to the coronavirus pandemic. Like all of us, Jackson has already method-acted pandemic isolation, so she understood Misia’s drive to find comfort in the known. Jackson spent lockdown with friends in London, she says, but longed to return to Ireland. “So many times in the show Misia says, ‘Please, can we just leave this place? Please, can we go home?’”<p><p>The series, which debuted last week on Netflix, represents a departure for Jackson.<b> </b>The tight “Derry Girls” script didn’t give the cast much freedom to improvise. “You could feel the beat landing with Lisa’s jokes because it was so strictly assembled,” she says. “But ‘The Decameron’ feels so expansive<i>.” </i>With an ensemble cast of comedians who had palpably great chemistry, Jackson leaned into improv’s “Yes, and … .” Jackson is particularly proud of an improvised moment in the first episode, as a steward chases her character down the expansive Villa Santa staircase. The bit felt like a childhood game to Jackson, so she petulantly yelled, “I’m a leader, so follow me!”<p><p>“The Decameron” is about finding humor even in perilous circumstances, a challenge Jackson took in stride. “I think every light has a shadow,” she says. “As an actor, when [I] get to play those two, the darkness and the light intrinsically woven through together, [it’s] such a privilege as a performer<i>.”</i><p>
2024-08-01T12:59:29.420Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/AELJYTWHCJAJVLMOMRSNFZMBQM/20240801-204321.214/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/4YRG2XMWKZHJPG4RUGKDG2Y3CI.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">A hot day begins with sun rising over the Potomac River and Memorial Bridge on Thursday. (Jeannie in D.C.)</small></div><p>July was extremely hot and also generally lacking in rain. We look to reverse these trends over the next several weeks.<p><p>August’s heat should be a little more subdued compared with July’s, which produced four days with highs in the triple digits. We lean toward temperatures near or just slightly above normal in the month ahead.<p><p>Many parts of the region also were drier than normal in July <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/08/01/eastern-us-drought-virginia-maryland/" target="_blank">as drought expanded and intensified</a>. But August should bring more rainfall, cutting into precipitation deficits. We expect between 3 and 5 inches of rain overall.<p><h3>Model forecasts</h3><p>The latest computer model projections for the first half of August (top) show pretty close to normal temperatures despite the highs well into the 90s at present:<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/2HACWB75ZZACNLM7FBAPNVQZ34.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Temperature (top) and precipitation (bottom) projections for the first half of August from the American (left) and European (right) modeling systems. (StormVistaWxModels.com) </small></div><p>The rainfall forecasts (bottom) show “green” over Washington, meaning wetter-than-normal conditions. The National Weather Service <a href="https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/p168i.gif?1722516830" target="_blank">is forecasting 1.5 to 2.0 inches of rain over the next seven days for the area</a>, supporting this idea.<p><p>The models for the second half of August project near- to slightly hotter-than-normal temperatures (top), but are divided on rainfall (bottom):<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/P2CQ7M6COFENDBCD7TWZET3YBQ.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Temperature (top) and precipitation (bottom) projections for the first second of August from the American (left) and European (right) modeling systems. (StormVistaWxModels.com) </small></div><p>Both models (above) show the most intense heat well west of Washington in the back half of August, meaning the jet stream should tend to dip into the eastern United States at times, which would increase precipitation chances. So we tend to favor wetter projections for the second half of the month.<p><h3>July recap</h3><p>It was the fourth-hottest July on record in Washington — 2.7 degrees above normal — and the hottest July since 2020. The rainfall of 4.82 inches, measured at Reagan National Airport, was actually 0.49 inches wetter than normal but not really representative of most of the region. Both Dulles and BWI Marshall airports saw substantially less rain than normal with deficits of 1.49 and 3.07 inches, respectively.<p><p>Hot weather ruled with only nine days cooler than normal:<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/UVH56DVQMFH5VGG4ON4K6TL7Y4.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;"></small></div><p>July 16 was the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/07/16/dc-heat-100-record-high-temperatures/" target="_blank">month’s hottest day with a high of 104</a>, the highest temperature since July 7, 2012.<p><p>Here are the heat records that were set during the month:<p><p><b>July 6:</b><p><p><b>July 7:</b><p><p><b>July 14:</b><p><p><b>July 15:</b><p><p><b>Tuesday, July 16:</b><p><h3><b>Year to date</b></h3><p>Boosted by the hot July, 2024 is tracking as the second-hottest year on record in Washington, only trailing 2012:<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/QS2UGRCAGRH5HGQP3QUYRY2DS4.PNG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;"></small></div><p>Rainfall picked up in July, and year-to-date precipitation totals are close to normal:<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/7PYMYZYZ3JH2PFPNOFTKKQB72U.PNG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;"></small></div>
2024-07-30T15:36:58.634Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/REL7SGLLJJBIBELL3S5PYRN24A/20240731-214320.206/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/BZVRJJSWZJLAGSXIGVWYAHVGHM.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Steven Spielberg on the set of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)</small></div><p>If you’re a certain kind of cinephile, you probably know a few things with the rote force of scripture: That Conan — the barbarian, not the talk show host — philosophized about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XUu3_pLPUE">what is best in life</a>. That E.T. phoned home. That Spock sacrificed himself to save the crew of the starship Enterprise. That patricidal “replicant” Roy Batty, in the final moments of his own brief life, eulogized his vanishing memories as “tears in rain.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/I7I43ZMAMJB6ZCEHHF7IZBO5N4.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Flatiron)</small></div><p>Remarkably, these visions of a mythical past and a suburban present, a hopeful future and a dismal one, all landed in cinemas in the same year — and, more astonishingly, the same eight-week window. That transformative May-to-July epoch is the subject of former Entertainment Weekly critic Chris Nashawaty’s brisk and insightful history, “<a href="https://amzn.to/3YmTN69" target="_blank">The Future Was Now: Madmen, Mavericks, and the Epic Sci-Fi Summer of 1982</a>.”<p><p>In the era before, Nashawaty writes, Hollywood was caught napping by “Star Wars.” That blockbuster’s undreamt-of success in 1977 showed the many graying studio heads who’d turned down George Lucas’s swashbuckling, <i>pew-pew</i> adventure that the audience for sci-fi and fantasy was vaster and hungrier than they’d ever contemplated. When Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” hit six months later, even the holdouts had to admit that “Star Wars” was no fluke. Suddenly the studios were all in on spaceships — and lasers, ghosts, robots, wizards, and aliens both friendly and frightening. But because movies aren’t made at warp speed, several years would go by before they had anything really good to show for it.<p><p>Half a decade later, an uncommonly rich harvest yielded eight films that were, paradoxically, both distinct authorial visions and made-to-order for the rapidly organizing geek demographic Lucas had unearthed: Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner,” John Milius’s “Conan the Barbarian,” Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” Tobe Hooper’s “Poltergeist,” George Miller’s “The Road Warrior” (released under the less-evocative sobriquet “Mad Max 2” outside the United States, where few had seen the 1979 film “Mad Max”), Nicholas Meyer’s “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” John Carpenter’s “The Thing” and Steven Lisberger’s “Tron.” Several were instant hits; at least two were box office flops. All have retained an outsize hold on two generations of movie lovers — particularly the loyal merch-collecting, convention-attending subspecies that in the 21st century would remake the mainstream movie audience in its own, superhero-tee-wearing image.<p><p>For what it’s worth, the Oscar nominees for 1982’s best picture were “E.T.,” “The Verdict,” “Tootsie,” Costa-Gavras’s forgotten political thriller “Missing” and “Gandhi,” which won. Not an embarrassing list but, true to Oscar form, not indicative of what was boldest and most bracing at the movies that year — of What Is Best in Life.<p><p>“E.T.” was the top grosser by a huge margin in 1982 and earned nominations for best director and best original screenplay, among others. Perhaps because it was so warmly received right out of the gate, it’s the only one of the eight in Nashawaty’s book that’s never gotten a sequel or remake — though “E.T.” knockoffs crowded video store shelves for the rest of the ’80s.<p><p>On the other end of the spectrum, the R-rated diptych of “Blade Runner” and “The Thing” shared a release date and went down like attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion — bombing harder than any of the other Class of ’82 flicks. It wasn’t just audiences who failed to appreciate the banquet they’d been served: Nashawaty cites June 25, 1982, as “arguably the worst day in the history of film criticism.” The top tastemakers of the time — Roger Ebert, Pauline Kael and Vincent Canby are all cited — rejected both releases as confusing, violent and oppressively bleak. Only after years of VHS- and cable-enabled revisitations (and in the case of “Blade Runner,” multiple revised rereleases) would this accidental duo claw its way into the pantheon.<p><p>That these and the other half-dozen movies that Nashawaty surveys have enjoyed such a long afterlife means much of this history has been previously told. The tortured development and production of “Blade Runner” is the subject of both Paul M. Sammon’s book “Future Noir” and director Charles de Lauzirika’s 3½-hour documentary “Dangerous Days.” “Wrath of Khan” director Meyer recorded a wonderfully candid commentary track when that film was released on DVD; his memoir, “The View From the Bridge,” also emphasized his work on “Khan” and two subsequent Star Trek films. The production of “Conan” got covered in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s memoir “Total Recall” and in the documentary “Milius” (2013). You get the idea.<p><p>Even so, Nashawaty supplements this wealth of extant material with his own reporting, both new to this book and drawn from his 25 years on the beat as a reporter and critic, and his work interweaving the concurrent productions of these films, and contextualizing them in the burgeoning geek culture of the time, is thorough and compelling. He also has a gift for evoking the wild personalities that made these films what they were: You both wish you could’ve been there and feel grateful that you weren’t when he describes then-cocaine-and-mushrooms-abusing “Conan” screenwriter Oliver Stone, already an Academy Award winner for his “Midnight Express” screenplay, inviting Schwarzenegger to his apartment to recite dialogue from Marvel’s “Conan” comics of the 1970s.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/DILFFITQOFFFXILVEVHEU5N6HU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Chris Nashawaty. (Courtesy of Chris Nashawaty)</small></div><p>What Nashawaty doesn’t share is his personal relationship to these films. Were they seminal to his identity as an aficionado turned critic? How old was he when he saw these movies for the first time? He’s weirdly mum on this topic. It would be appropriate, in a book about films whose audiences identify with them in a deep and lasting way, for the author to indulge in a little autobiography. Nashawaty’s book is a bit poorer for that elision.<p><p>Despite that, his respect and enthusiasm for these films and the artists who made them are abundant and genuine. He’s also clear-eyed about how the annihilating triumph of what was once niche fare has affected movies now that the “Blade Runner” year of 2019 has come and gone: “The movie calendar became one long endless summer,” he laments. “One giant popcorn cinematic universe where the popcorn has turned flavorless and stale.” But his book vividly conjures a long-vanished era when it was still salty and buttery and fresh — and before studios asked us to survive on it.<p><p><i>Chris Klimek is a writer, critic and podcast host in Washington.</i><p><h6>The Future Was Now</h6><p><b>Madmen, Mavericks, and the Epic Sci-Fi Summer of 1982</b><p><p>By Chris Nashawaty<p><p>Flatiron. 289 pp. $29.99<p>
2024-08-01T15:46:27.614Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/7IJCFG7FORBCBJWN5BXOV2VBCY/20240801-180070.701/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/QAPUJUUXIJFRXVAI5OQM2QNGDY.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Michael Grady and Justin Best of the United States celebrate gold and hold their mystery boxes during a medals ceremony after the men's four final in Vaires-sur-Marne, France. (Lindsey Wasson/Associated Press)</small></div><p>Rather plain cardboard boxes became a source of intrigue and mystery when Olympians stepped to the podium to receive their medals. Just what, people wondered, was in those oblong boxes held aloft by athletes as they celebrated?<p><p>Each, it turns out, contains the official poster of the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to the Games’<a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-olympics-award-athletes-podium-medals-poster-mascot" target="_blank"> official website</a>.<p><p>“A lot of people have been asking, 'What’s in the box that we get given on the podium when we receive our medals in Paris,” Australian canoeist Jessica Fox, a double gold winner, said Wednesday in <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jessfoxcanoe/video/7397714496938052871" target="_blank">a TikTok reveal</a> that shows the posters are differentiated by gold, silver and bronze markings.<p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@jessfoxcanoe/video/7397714496938052871"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jessfoxcanoe?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@jessfoxcanoe">@jessfoxcanoe</a> <p>Replying to @tanyamckee8 <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/paris2024?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="paris2024">#paris2024</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympics?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="olympics">#olympics</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/canoeslalom?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="canoeslalom">#canoeslalom</a> </p> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7397714573152799505?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Jessica Fox">♬ original sound - Jessica Fox</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>The poster, which is <a href="https://shop.olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paris-2024-olympics-poster-colour/t-4500666441+p-80337814243910+z-9-445677965?_ref=p-SRP:m-GRID:i-r0c2:po-2" target="_blank">available for $32 online</a>, was created by Ugo Gattoni features <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/the-games/the-brand/iconic-posters" target="_blank">his vision</a> of a fantasy city that also contains landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Seine and Arc de Triomphe as well as depictions of some sports and the Olympic rings and medals. Joachim Roncin, director of design for the 2024 Paris Olympics, told Olympics.com that he “wanted the poster to tell countless things, to be full of symbols.”<p><blockquote><p>🗓️ July 26, 2024: You have been the center of discussions, eagerly awaited and counted down, and now you are finally here! <br /><br />From dream to reality, let’s celebrate the start of our Games ✨<br />🎨 <a href="https://twitter.com/ugogattoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ugogattoni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/C8KkR4mBKj">pic.twitter.com/C8KkR4mBKj</a></p>— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paris2024/status/1816721120445260214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <p>But not everyone was pleased with the poster. French conservatives and far-right figures complained that a Christian cross atop cross the Dome des Invalides, part of a historic military complex that is the site of Napoleon’s tomb, and French tricolor flags were missing, <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240305-right-wingers-cry-foul-at-paris-olympics-poster" target="_blank">according to Agence France-Presse</a>.<p><p>Francois-Xavier Bellamy of the right-wing Republicans party tweeted those responsible were “ready to deny France, going so far as to distort reality to cancel its history.” Nicolas Meizonnet, a National Rally lawmaker, attributed the omissions to le wokisme or wokeism (<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68489306" target="_blank">via the BBC</a>).<p><p>Gattoni told the BBC he’d hoped merely to create “a festive universe,” but, just as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/31/last-supper-opening-ceremony-paris-olympics/" target="_blank">images from the Opening Ceremonies drew criticism</a>, what’s festive to one person is “woke” to another.<p><p>A far less controversial tchotchke presented to medal winners are plush toy versions of the Phryges, the official mascot inspired by Phrygian caps from the French liberation.<p><blockquote><p>The mascot of the Paris Olympic Games may not seem all that mighty to those outside the host country, but that little red hat, known as a Phrygian cap (or a liberty cap), is a symbol of the French liberation. <a href="https://t.co/JxNJDT5UzO">https://t.co/JxNJDT5UzO</a></p>— NBC News (@NBCNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1817006111058182237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <p>But the real keepsakes, of course, are the medals themselves and each carries a bit of one of the most iconic structures in the world. A fragment from the Eiffel Tower, <a href="https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/news/events/eiffel-tower-center-paris-2024-olympic-medals" target="_blank">preserved during 20th century renovations</a>, is embedded in the Olympic and Paralympic medals, designed by Chaumet, the French jewelry house.<p><p>A 0.6-ounce piece of puddle iron, described by the tower’s website as “an almost pure form of iron with excess carbon removed through a process known as puddling,” is centered in each medal and shaped into a hexagon, a reference to the geometric shape of France.<p><blockquote><p>The Olympics are in full swing, so this graphic looks at the medals each competitor can win and how they incorporate a piece of the Eiffel Tower: <a href="https://t.co/qMtlpdlrbs">https://t.co/qMtlpdlrbs</a> <a href="https://t.co/pWCWoeBVH9">pic.twitter.com/pWCWoeBVH9</a></p>— Compound Interest | Chemistry infographics (@compoundchem) <a href="https://twitter.com/compoundchem/status/1818375595627364436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
2024-08-02T10:23:52.433Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/CCCRHA427NDSTM7BIA5SKIEW3Y/20240802-073781.819/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>Vice President Harris is closing in on officially <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/01/kamala-harris-democratic-nominee-vote/">becoming the Democratic presidential nominee</a> and announcing her running mate in the contest against former president Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio). Delegates to the Democratic National Convention began online voting for the party’s nominee Thursday, a process that is scheduled to wrap up Monday. Harris plans a tour of battleground states with her vice-presidential pick next week. Her campaign announced Friday it <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/02/harris-310-million-july-record-fundraising-haul/" target="_blank">raised $310 million</a> in July.<p>
2024-08-01T18:54:27.098Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/3AJ4X6AMHRB7LBKMIX63NA3RKM/20240802-074348.489/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>Good morning, and TGIF. Special thanks to my colleague <b>David Ovalle </b>for lending his expertise to today’s top story. Got tips? Send them to <a href="mailto:McKenzie.Beard@washpost.com" target="_blank">McKenzie.Beard@washpost.com</a>.<p><p><i><b>A programming note:</b></i><i> The Health Brief shifts to a Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday publishing schedule through the end of August. We’ll be back in your inboxes Tuesday morning.</i><p><p><b>Today’s edition: </b>The Utah Supreme Court upheld a block on the state’s near-total abortion ban. Senate Appropriators advanced legislation to fund the <b>Department of Health and Human Services</b> in fiscal year 2025. <b>But first …</b><p><p><b>Report takes on federal hurdles to studying marijuana</b><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/MD5WJTEI7MI6ZA4PBT67NHGOHQ.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Marijuana's status as a Schedule I drug hinders researcher's ability to study its effects, both therapeutic and adverse, HHS found. (Heidi Levine/FTWP)</small></div><p>HHS<b> </b>has completed its long-anticipated review detailing the federal barriers to cannabis research, according to a copy shared exclusively with the Health Brief.<p><p>The 18-page report was mandated by Congress in bipartisan legislation <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/legislation/2022/12/02/bills-signed-h-j-res-100-h-r-8454-s-3826-and-s-3884/" target="_blank">signed</a> by <b>President Biden</b> in December 2022. Over a year and a half later, the law has yet to be implemented. (More on that later.)<p><p><b>The timing of the report’s release is critical:</b> The<b> Justice Department </b>just wrapped up the public comment period for its proposal to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/04/30/marijuana-restrictions-loosen/" target="_blank">reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug</a> under the Controlled Substances Act, a move supporters hope will be a boon for research. The final rule is expected to drop in the coming weeks or months.<p><p><b>Yes, but: </b>Not everyone is on board. Opponents of rescheduling argue that the federal health department’s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/01/12/marijuana-rescheduling-schedule-3-health-risk/" target="_blank">findings </a>on the medical benefits of marijuana <a href="https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-rescheduling-opponents-slam-fda-process-saying-it-relied-on-very-bad-studies/" target="_blank">lack scientific evidence</a>. And last week, Republican leaders on the <b>House Energy and Commerce Committee</b> <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/e-and-c-leaders-ask-doj-hhs-for-information-regarding-unusual-process-for-marijuana-rescheduling" target="_blank">wrote to the Biden administration</a> expressing concern that the rule change might be politically motivated.<p><p>Today, we’re diving into three obstacles affecting researchers’ ability to study marijuana and HHS’s recommendations to address them.<p><p><b>Registration hurdles</b><p><p>Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, alongside drugs like heroin and LSD. The classification requires cannabis researchers to register with the <b>Drug Enforcement Administration</b> and follow strict security protocols.<p><p><b>The report found that the registration process is arduous and time-consuming</b>, with often duplicative reviews for new and amended Schedule I applications. Researchers also reported variability and lack of clarity in registration requirements, as well as inconsistent interpretation by state and federal DEA personnel and academic institutions.<p><p><b>Obtaining cannabis</b><p><p>Federal regulations require the DEA to approve all sources of cannabis used in research — and no state-authorized dispensaries have been approved. Researchers often have to study participants’ self-reported use or photos of dispensary products, which have testing and labeling requirements that vary by jurisdiction.<p><p><b>These inconsistencies make it challenging to determine products’ exact contents and effects</b>. Without the ability to test products marketed to the public, developing research-grade materials matching their potency is challenging, HHS wrote.<p><p><b>The hemp loophole</b><p><p>The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2" target="_blank">Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018</a> legalized hemp, allowing research without Schedule I registration. However, it defined hemp as a cannabis plant containing less than <b>0.3 percent</b> THC, not enough to be intoxicating, but allowed derivatives and extracts that can generate a high.<p><p><b>This loophole has caused confusion</b>, as courts have issued conflicting interpretations of whether such products require Schedule I legislation. The report noted that these inconsistencies could have a “chilling effect” on research and urged the DEA to provide additional guidance.<p><p><b>Recommendations</b><p><p>HHS encouraged Congress to adopt the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/467" target="_blank">HALT Fentanyl Act</a>, which passed the House in May 2023 but stalled in the Senate. If enacted, the bill would expedite research on all Schedule I drugs, including cannabis, and clarify provisions in the Controlled Substances Act regarding research.<p><p>The agency also asserted that implementing the bipartisan <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8454/text" target="_blank">Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act</a>, signed into law in late 2022, would streamline the application process for scientific marijuana studies.<p><p>Rep. <b>Earl Blumenauer </b>(D-Ore.), a prominent advocate for relaxing marijuana restrictions, has criticized HHS and the DEA for “<a href="https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/blumenauer-harris-push-hhs-for-answers-on-federal-barriers-to-marijuana-research" target="_blank">ineffective implementation</a>” of the 2022 law. “I welcome these long overdue but anticipated findings as a signal that the federal government may soon be a constructive partner in the path forward,” the congressman said in a statement to the Health Brief.<p><p>“The Biden-Harris Administration must now move quickly to complete the scheduling review and Congress redouble its efforts to allow for the research of dispensary grade cannabis,” he added.<p><p><b>HHS acknowledged that its recommendations don’t address the need for researcher access to the full range of state-authorized dispensary products, leaving a “substantial gap in understanding.”</b> The agency called for “innovative solutions,” suggesting licensing cannabis growers that already provide products to state dispensaries as approved manufacturers of research-grade cannabis as one possible option.<p><p>The HHS report echoes what David and The Post’s <b>Fenit Nirappil</b> reported back in February about the challenges researchers confronted when they tried to study the health benefits of marijuana in Michigan. Read their story <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/02/29/marijuana-research-fda-dea/" target="_blank">here</a>.<p><h3><b>Reproductive wars</b></h3><p><b>Abortion to remain legal in Utah up to 18 weeks for now</b><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/DGRJES6RBPH6FOVD3P5I2VSRXU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">The ruling dealt a blow to Republican legislators who passed the ban two years before Roe v. Wade was overturned and continued to press for restrictions. (Rick Bowmer/AP)</small></div><p>The Utah Supreme Court <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/08/01/utah-abortion-ban-injunction/" target="_blank">upheld a block</a> on the state’s near-total abortion ban, keeping in place a law allowing the procedure up to 18 weeks of pregnancy, The Post’s <b>Karin Brulliard</b> reports.<p><p><b>The details:</b> The 2020 ban, passed by Republican legislators before <i>Roe v. Wade</i> was overturned, would prohibit all abortions except in cases of rape, incest or serious risk to the pregnant person’s health, or if two maternal fetal medicine physicians determine that the fetus has a lethal defect or severe brain abnormality.<p><p>A state district judge blocked the measure shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/06/24/roe-v-wade-overturned-explained/?itid=lk_inline_manual_4" target="_blank">ended federal protections for abortion</a> in 2022. Yesterday’s <b>4-1</b> ruling maintains that suspension while a lawsuit over the law’s constitutionality works its way through the courts.<p><p><b>The bigger picture:</b> The <a href="https://legacy.utcourts.gov/opinions/supopin/Planned%20Parenthood%20Association%20v.%20State20240801.pdf" target="_blank">decision</a> by the Utah Supreme Court means abortion remains broadly legal throughout the West, with the exception of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/27/supreme-court-abortion-emergency-room-hospital-impact/" target="_blank">Idaho</a>, where it is prohibited in nearly all cases. A ban is on hold in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-wyoming-1688775972407a02b2431a69abdb4670" target="_blank">Wyoming</a>, while voters in at least half a dozen states — including Colorado and Nevada, plus possibly Montana and Arizona — will <a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/dashboard/ballot-tracker-status-of-abortion-related-state-constitutional-amendment-measures/" target="_blank">vote in November on ballot measures</a> that would strengthen abortion rights.<p><blockquote><p><a href="https://t.co/sV6clBfION">pic.twitter.com/sV6clBfION</a></p>— Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox (@GovCox) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovCox/status/1819038593756860734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <blockquote><p>Kathryn Boyd, President & CEO: "Today’s decision means that our patients can continue to come to us, their trusted health care providers, to access abortion and other essential reproductive services right here in Utah. While we celebrate this win, we know the fight is not over."</p>— PPAC Utah (@ppacutah) <a href="https://twitter.com/ppacutah/status/1819015146318258625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <h3><b>On the Hill</b></h3><p><b>Senate appropriators green-light HHS bill</b><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FKMGG33K565MEUSHTZAW6HTDTQ.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) left, and Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), the ranking Republican on the committee, oversaw the bipartisan proceedings. (Andrew Harnik/AP)</small></div><p>The <b>Senate Appropriations Committee </b>advanced <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/FY25%20LHHS%20Senate%20Bill%20Summary.pdf" target="_blank">a bipartisan bill </a>to fund HHS with <b>$122.8 billion</b> in fiscal year 2025.<p><p><b>A closer look:</b> The bill, approved by a <b>25-3 </b>vote, earmarks <b>$50.2 billion </b>for the <b>National Institutes of Health</b>, an increase of <b>$2.05 billion</b> over fiscal year 2024. That includes bumps in funding for key areas such as women’s health, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease research.<p><p><b>Yes, but: </b>If passed by the full chamber, the legislation would then need to be reconciled with the <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP00/20240710/117503/BILLS-118-FC-AP-FY2025-AP00-FY25LHHSFullCommitteeMark.pdf" target="_blank">House’s version</a> after the August recess. The GOP-backed bill contains spending cuts to agencies like the CDC, along with conservative policy riders targeting issues like abortion and gender-affirming care.<p><blockquote><p>Watch LHHS subcommittee chair <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorBaldwin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorBaldwin</a> as she discusses the FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill that passed at today's committee markup. <a href="https://t.co/9i7LL7PKJa">pic.twitter.com/9i7LL7PKJa</a></p>— Senate Appropriations Dems (@SenateApprops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateApprops/status/1819038127354433742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <h3><b>Agency alert</b></h3><p><b>Medicare finalizes pay bump for inpatient care in 2025</b><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/YZYYPCC4OAI6TGGUQRAIRUJV6I.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Hospital groups criticized the payment update as inadequate. (iStock)</small></div><p>Medicare payment rates for inpatient care at acute-care hospitals will rise by <b>2.9 percent</b>, or roughly <b>$2.9 billion</b>, in fiscal 2025, according to a <a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/fy-2025-hospital-inpatient-prospective-payment-system-ipps-and-long-term-care-hospital-prospective-0" target="_blank">final rule</a> released yesterday by the <b>Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services</b>.<p><p>The agency also finalized a <b>2 percent</b>, or <b>$45 million</b>, increase in the standard Medicare payment rate for long-term care hospitals next year.<p><p><b>Alongside the payment rates, CMS finalized new initiatives aimed at better addressing social determinants of health</b>. For example, hospitals will receive higher payments for treating patients experiencing housing security, as the agency seeks to “better account for the resources involved” in such care.<p><p><b>The view from the industry: </b>“CMS’ payment updates for hospitals will exacerbate the already unsustainable negative or break-even margins many hospitals are already operating under as they care for their patients,” <b>Molly Smith</b>, group vice president for public policy at the <b>American Hospital Association</b>, said in <a href="https://www.aha.org/press-releases/2024-08-01-aha-statement-fy-2025-final-ipps-ltch-payment-rule" target="_blank">a statement</a>.<p><h3><b>Industry Rx</b></h3><p><b>The bitter battle over 1-800-MEDICARE continues</b><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/2WZBUKGK7PYNC22L3O77TMUEMU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">A Medicare call line boasts a high level of consumer satisfaction, but federal officials are rebidding its contract. (Jenny Kane/AP)</small></div><p>A coalition of <b>17 </b>Republican attorneys general <a href="https://www.oag.state.va.us/media-center/news-releases/2766-august-1-2024-attorney-general-miyares-leads-coalition-of-17-state-ags-urging-federal-government-to-stop-putting-unions-above-americans-health-care-needs" target="_blank">is pressing</a> HHS to restore a <b>$6.6 billion </b>contract that call center operator <b>Maximus</b> won in September 2022 to manage a popular Medicare helpline and similar services for the Affordable Care Act.<p><p><b>Key context: </b>CMS<b> </b>cited concerns about customer service when it <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/06/28/medicare-hotline-contract-hhs-maximus/" target="_blank">terminated Maximus’s contract</a> in December, just 15 months after the McLean, Va., company signed a nine-year agreement, per my colleague <b>Dan Diamond</b>.<p><p>The agency is reviewing new bids for the contract, which now includes a “labor harmony agreement,” essentially a pledge by participating companies that they will make peace with unions to avoid work stoppages that could disrupt call center operations.<p><p><b>What they’re saying: </b>In <a href="https://files.constantcontact.com/d3e83e11901/78245c6b-f947-4636-b14d-70f5557945dd.pdf?rdr=true" target="_blank">a letter</a> sent to HHS and CMS yesterday, the attorneys general argued that ending the Maximus contract as a “favor to union organizations” would “compromise the health care services that Americans rely on.” They also contend that setting labor policy is the job of Congress, which has endorsed measures allowing employees the right to refrain from union activities.<p><p><b>The view from HHS: </b>“Offering best in class customer service is a top priority,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement. “CMS is proceeding, under the legally required process, to recompete its contract for the Medicare and ACA Marketplace call centers.”<p><h3><b>In other health news</b></h3><h3>Quote of the week</h3><h3><b>Health reads</b></h3><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/08/01/nih-first-amendment-peta-animal-rights-comments-social-media/" target="_blank">NIH ban on animal testing comments violates speech rules, court says (By Tom Jackman | The Washington Post)</a><p><p><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2024/08/01/biden-cancer-moonshot-future-funding-depends-presidential-election/" target="_blank">With Biden’s departure in sight, advocates seek to preserve gains of Cancer Moonshot (By Angus Chen | Stat)</a><p><p><a href="https://californiahealthline.org/news/article/kamala-harris-california-hospitals-health-care-antitrust-ftc/" target="_blank">Harris’ California health care battles signal fights ahead for hospitals if she wins (By Bernard J. Wolfson and Phil Galewitz | California Healthline)</a><p><h3><b>Sugar rush</b></h3><blockquote><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8PWwbEJmDt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="display: flex;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8PWwbEJmDt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Hollywoodandlevine (@hollywoodandlevine_ken_levine)</a></p></div></blockquote> <p>Thanks for reading! 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2024-08-01T16:11:23.870Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/TVDG3N4EPZGW3FKXMHX3TBVC5M/20240801-220391.918/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/B3DR62WEVNHSLMY5TJW6RKF7XA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks at a Senate hearing on artificial intelligence on May 16, 2023. (Patrick Semansky/AP)</small></div><p>OpenAI should turn over documents proving it does not silence employees who wish to share concerns with federal regulators about how the artificial intelligence company is developing its tools, a senior senate Republican demanded in a Thursday letter, showing growing bipartisan pressure against OpenAI to detail steps it is taking to make sure its AI is developed safely.<p><p>The letter, <a href="https://washingtonpost.com/documents/8bf076a6-663b-4552-be52-079b79274f9c.pdf" target="_blank">which was obtained exclusively by The Washington Post</a>, was written by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), asking OpenAI’s chief executive, Sam Altman, to outline what changes it has made to its employee agreements to ensure those wishing to raise concerns about OpenAI to federal regulators can do so without penalty. The letter comes after employee warnings that OpenAI rushed through safety testing of its latest AI model, which were detailed in<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/07/12/openai-ai-safety-regulation-gpt4/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2" target="_blank"> The Post last month</a>.<p><p>Grassley’s letter comes just several days after five senators — four democrats and an independent — <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/07/23/openai-senate-democrats-ai-safe/" target="_blank">sent Altman a letter </a>demanding information about how the company would meet its “public commitments” to ensure its AI technology does not cause harm, such as by teaching users to build bioweapons or helping hackers develop new kinds of cyberattacks.<p><p>It also comes amid employee concerns that OpenAI is putting profit before safety in creating its technology. Grassley’s letter cites <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/07/12/openai-ai-safety-regulation-gpt4/?itid=lk_inline_manual_9" target="_blank">The Post</a>’s July report detailing how OpenAI rushed out its latest AI model, GPT-4 Omni, to meet a May release date. Company leaders moved ahead with the launch despite employee concerns about the time frame, and sped through comprehensive safety testing, undermining a July 2023 safety pledge to the White House. “We didn’t cut corners on our safety process, though we recognize the launch was stressful for our teams,” OpenAI spokesperson Liz Bourgeois said in an earlier statement to The Post.<p><p>Grassley’s letter also adds to the controversy OpenAI has faced around whether it is silencing its employees from sharing concerns to federal authorities. In a July letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/07/13/openai-safety-risks-whistleblower-sec/?itid=lk_inline_manual_5" target="_blank">OpenAI whistleblowers said they had filed a</a> complaint with the agency alleging the company illegally issued restrictive severance, nondisclosure and employee agreements, potentially penalizing workers who wished to raise concerns to federal regulators. Hannah Wong, an OpenAI spokesperson, said in a statement in July that the company has “made important changes to our departure process to remove nondisparagement terms.”<p><p>“OpenAI’s whistleblower policy protects employees’ rights to raise issues including to any national, federal, state, or local government agency,” Bourgeois said in response to Grassley’s letter. “We voided non-disparagement provisions for all current and former employees back in May and we have since updated our documents accordingly.”<p><p>The rapid advance of artificial intelligence has sharpened<b> </b>policymakers’ concerns about the power of the tech industry, prompting a flood of calls for regulation. In the United States, AI companies are largely operating in a legal vacuum, and policymakers say they cannot effectively create new AI policies without the help of whistleblowers, who can help explain the potential threats posed by the fast-moving technology.<p><p>Grassley said “it is crucial OpenAI ensure its employees can provide protected disclosures without illegal restrictions,” adding that his staff spoke with OpenAI employees twice in July to request records about its employee agreements.<p><p>Clare Slattery, a spokesperson for Grassley, said the senator’s staff asked for various documents regarding the company’s past and current employment agreements, but OpenAI has not provided them as of yet.<p><p>Grassley also cited The Post’s reporting in July, where an OpenAI representative said it had “squeezed” its safety testing of GPT-4 Omni into a week, as evidence of why employees must be able to raise issues freely to federal regulators.<p><p>“According to the article, this incident prompted several current and former OpenAI employees to speak out,” Grassley said, and added that it “highlighted the harms of restrictive NDAs in the AI sector, specifically at OpenAI.”<p><p>In a statement on X on Thursday,<b> </b>Altman said that “we want current and former employees to be able to raise concerns and feel comfortable doing so.” He said the company in May “voided nondisparagement terms for current and former employees and provisions that gave OpenAI the right (although it was never used) to cancel vested equity” for former employees who raised concerns about the company, or spoke out about their experience.<p><p>OpenAI on Wednesday also responded to the five senators, led by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who asked for details about the company’s efforts to safeguard its technology.<a href="https://washingtonpost.com/documents/cd2edf3d-c892-4293-b2d7-41c882d2e1fb.pdf" target="_blank"> In its response letter</a>, the company said it consulted more than 100 external experts to assess risks from GPT-4 Omni.<p><p>OpenAI must detail how many times employees have asked the company to raise concerns with federal authorities, according to Grassley’s letter, and identify if the company is under investigation from the Securities and Exchange Commission.<p><p>The company has until Aug. 15 to respond.<p><p><i>Cat Zakrzewski contributed to this report.</i><p>
2024-07-30T13:21:33.191Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/5INQAUVIPNC57N765H7FVCTYSA/20240731-174129.291/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/3UIBYWHKQRDSPBMZZEPPKJDTPU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Washington Post illustration; iStock)</small></div><h2>The question:</h2><p>Is it true that you can’t smell your own breath?<p><h2>The science:</h2><p>TikTokkers and others on social media call it <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@madamesweat/video/7318116832894881029" target="_blank">nose</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.karanr/video/7387825906980506912" target="_blank">blindness</a> — when you smell an odor so often that you lose the ability to smell it at all, including your own breath in certain cases.<p><p>It’s a temporary adaptation that enables us to block out smells — good or bad — that we’re exposed to all the time, such as our deodorant or cologne.<p><p>We are surrounded by smells — dinner cooking on the stove, clean clothes tumbling in the dryer, the wet dog running through the house. Each odor consists of tiny molecules that we breathe in through our nose, where they stimulate specialized nerve cells called olfactory sensory neurons.<p><p>These neurons then send that information to our brains, where they are interpreted as certain smells. But our sense of smell has evolved to be able to dampen this response when necessary.<p><p>If olfactory sensory neurons are being stimulated by a large concentration of an odor or an odor that lingers for a long period of time, the neurons become saturated, said <a href="https://nyulangone.org/doctors/1851315147/erich-p-voigt" target="_blank">Erich P. Voigt</a>, chief of the division of general and sleep otolaryngology at New York University Langone Health. “They’re no longer going to respond because it’s not new or necessary information, and you need to be able to smell other odorants in the environment,” he said.<p><p>While most people should be able to smell new and temporary bad breath — such as breath caused by something they ate for lunch — over time, they are likely to lose the ability to smell chronic bad breath stemming from, say, medical issues such as dental disease, infections in the sinuses or tonsils, and gastrointestinal disorders that allow odors to rise up from the stomach, Voigt explained.<p><p>When the nose is given a break from an odor, allowing the olfactory sensory neurons and brain to recalibrate, the ability to smell it should return, said <a href="https://www.pennmedicine.org/providers/profile/jennifer-douglas" target="_blank">Jennifer Douglas</a>, a rhinologist and assistant professor of otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgery at the University of Pennsylvania.<p><p>Olfactory adaptation is different from <a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/smell-disorders" target="_blank">smell disorders</a> such as hyposmia, a diminished ability to smell, and anosmia, an inability to smell at all. These disorders are often caused by illness or injury.<p><h2>What else you should know:</h2><p>People can smell their bad breath in two ways — when the odor flows through the back of the mouth and when it flows through the tip of the nose, which people can do by blowing their breath into their hand and taking a sniff, Douglas said.<p><p>In chronic cases, once people can no longer smell their breath but have reason to believe it may be bad, Voigt suggested confiding in a family member or close friend to give an honest assessment. If bad breath is confirmed, consult a dentist or a primary care physician who can assess it and treat it or, when needed, provide a referral to a specialist.<p><h2>The conclusion:</h2><p>In most cases, people should be able to smell new and temporary bad breath, but they will probably lose the ability to smell bad breath that becomes a chronic problem.<p><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-07-17T17:08:59.910Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/SJ6HDNTZFJA2HFFHNALA76UCTA/20240801-195760.609/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/X4MNLHJLKBH6FBFG3KWK3JOKHI.gif" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Washington Post illustration; iStock)</small></div><p>One of the great fears of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/07/05/teens-adults-car-buying/" target="_blank">auto ownership</a> is an expensive repair bill.<p><p>The anxiety of having to come up with hundreds or thousands of dollars to get your car back on the road is real. If you need a vehicle to get to work or take your children to school, a rattle or loud creaking noise can send you into a panic.<p><p>A check engine<b> </b>light flashes<b> </b>and you pull out your owner’s manual hoping it’s a loose gas cap and not something serious, like a faulty catalytic converter. Understanding this anxiety, CarShield, which heavily advertises on television, offers vehicle service contracts promising to be your financial knight should you need to make that<b> </b>dreaded trip to the mechanic.<p><p>Vehicle owners are told their monthly premiums would save them from worry.<p><p>“Drive with more peace-of-mind, knowing your vehicle and budget are protected from the unexpected,” CarShield advertises.<p><p>But like so many of these service contracts, the devil is always buried in the fine print. Too often there are so many exclusions it renders the policy useless.<p><p>So it was no surprise to me when the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2024/07/ftc-says-carshield-shielded-consumers-truth-about-limitations-its-vehicle-service-contracts" target="_blank">Federal Trade Commission announced this week an eight-figure settlement</a> with CarShield. It wasn’t a car owner’s savior, the agency<b> </b>said.<p><p>“Instead of delivering the ‘peace of mind’ promised by its advertisements, CarShield left many consumers with a financial headache,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection,<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/07/carshield-nationwide-seller-vehicle-service-contracts-pay-10-million-resolve-federal-trade" target="_blank"> said in a statement</a>. “Worse still, CarShield used trusted personalities to deliver its empty promises.”<p><p>The FTC said that Missouri-based NRRM, LLC, which does business as CarShield, along with American Auto Shield, LLC, the administrator of its vehicle service contracts, agreed to pay $10 million to settle charges of deceptive and misleading advertisements and telemarketing pitches.<p><p>CarShield advertises and sells service contracts ranging from about $80 to $120 a month, the agency said.<p><p>“While we disagree with many of the assertions from the FTC, we share their commitment to helping customers fully understand exactly what we provide and the value we offer,” CarShield said in a statement.<p><p>If you’re considering signing up for a vehicle service contract, I think it’s helpful to walk though the FTC complaint against CarShield.<p><h2>Celebrity endorsements</h2><p>The regulator alleged that CarShield advertisements with<b> </b><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/12/20/celebrity-endorsers-liable-financial-schemes-ftx/" target="_blank">celebrity endorsers</a>, including sportscaster Chris Berman and actors Ice-T and Vivica A. Fox, were false or misleading.<p><p>Some celebrities were “nominally contract holders,” but never actually used CarShield for vehicle repairs, the agency said.<p><p>When other celebrity endorsers use the CarShield plan, the FTC said, they were treated as “preferred customers” and far more likely to have their repair claims approved than a typical consumer.<p><p>“We are making very clear that all spokespeople in our ads are actual CarShield customers,” the company said following the settlement.<p><h2>Exclusion nightmares</h2><p>The FTC said that only after purchasing a contract and “authorizing” CarShield to sign it on their behalf did consumers receive their contract, a “dense, 25- to 30-page document, filled with numerous exclusions, terms, and conditions that are not disclosed in CarShield’s advertising or by its telemarketers.”<p><p>Despite hundreds or thousands of dollars, consumers were often stuck having to pay for the very repairs they were assured would be covered, the FTC said in its complaint.<p><p>Although the agency documented a 2012 consent judgment and permanent injunction with the state of Missouri for misleading consumers, CarShield general counsel Michael E. Carter blamed the pandemic and supply-chain issues for problems with finding a mechanic to get their vehicles repaired.<p><p>“Though we welcomed the FTC’s insights, it was unfortunate the FTC brought its gaze on our industry during the most tumultuous business climate in United States history,” Carter said in an emailed statement.<p><p>The company said its marketing efforts will now include additional details about car repairs typically covered and direct potential customers to their website for information about the plans they offer.<p><p>“Companies may try to rush you through contracts, but it’s always important to read them before agreeing,” Levine said in an email. “Look for exclusions that deny coverage or restrict where you can get your car serviced.”<p><h2>Can’t use auto shop of their choice</h2><p>According to some consumers, their preferred mechanic or dealership was unwilling to take on their repair job because of prior bad experiences with CarShield.<p><p>“Everyone laughs when I ask if they accept CarShield as coverage,” according to one customer cited in the FTC complaint.<p><p>Another said, “Out of the 10 repair facilities I called from CarShield’s website, all said they did not accept CarShield.”<p><p>To cover a claim, repair facilities had to “comply with burdensome claims requirements” that included submitting maintenance records, photographs, and allowing third-party inspectors into their garages to check the consumer’s vehicle.<p><p>Before paying for a vehicle service contract, call around yourself to local auto repair shops to find out their experience with handling claims from the company.<p><p>Don’t let your fear of future repairs scare you into a policy that won’t do you much good.<p><h2>High out-of-pocket costs</h2><p>Even for “approved” repairs, consumers found CarShield wouldn’t completely cover labor costs. Facilities are reimbursed in an amount the company approves based on unspecified “nationally recognized labor guides,” the FTC said.<p><p>“Consumers are financially responsible for the cost difference between this amount and what the repair facility charges,” the agency said. “Thus, consumers are often left with substantial out-of-pocket costs.”<p><h2>Poor car rental coverage</h2><p>The FTC said rental car coverage was approved only after CarShield has authorized a repair claim, which often takes days or weeks after a claim is submitted.<p><p>“Consumers with denied claims receive no rental car, while many consumers with ‘approved’ claims must pay a portion of their rental car costs,” according to the agency’s complaint.<p><p>In response to the settlement, the company said it has expanded <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/tips/do-i-need-rental-car-insurance/" target="_blank">rental car</a> coverage and provided ride-share benefits.<p><p>As for the settlement, consumers do not need to take any action at this time, the FTC said. A refund process will be announced in the coming months.<p><p>Looking at the complaint against CarShield, you might find that putting money aside in a dedicated saving account for auto repairs is a better financial move, Levine said.<p><p>I agree.<p>
2024-07-31T16:09:24.741Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/D7LFYM4TWVCMLIP6EPVRBLUTIM/20240731-141750.502/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/ZPSWGMIBHVC6HA3XD5RRWWEBCA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">“Harold and the Purple Crayon” stars, from left, Zachary Levi, Benjamin Bottani, Lil Rel Howery and Zooey Deschanel. (Hopper Stone/Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures)</small></div><h6>Harold and the Purple Crayon (PG)</h6><h3>Age 8+</h3><p><i>Aged-up picture book adaptation includes peril and fight scenes.</i><p><p>“Harold and the Purple Crayon” is based on the popular 1955 children’s book of the same name. While Harold is a young child in the book, the movie transforms him into an animated adult (Zachary Levi) who uses his magic crayon to transport himself and his pals Moose (Lil Rel Howery) and Porcupine (Tanya Reynolds) into the real world. There, he meets a widowed mom (Zooey Deschanel) and her still-grieving son (Benjamin Bottani). Although the Harold books were appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers, this adaptation has a fair bit of action and some potentially frightening moments. A child is taunted and hurt by bullies, Harold’s creations cause a fair bit of chaos and destruction, and there’s a climactic fight involving fire-breathing creatures. There are also a few jokey, suggestive comments that make it seem like Harold is romantically interested in another character — even though he has no such inclinations in his innocent, childlike state. The bullying scenes involve some harsh comments, but the movie also promotes creativity, courage and teamwork. (92 minutes)<p><p><i>Available in theaters.</i><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/7LQH4XEALZF4RP7WRIFD5V4B2Q.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Carolyn Lawrence returns to voice Sandy Cheeks in “Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie.” (Netflix)</small></div><h6>Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (Unrated)</h6><p>Streaming<p><h3>Age 6+</h3><p><i>Female-led SpongeBob spinoff has slapstick action and mild peril.</i><p><p>Coming from the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise, this hybrid of live action and animation shines the spotlight on the squirrel sidekick Sandy (voiced by Carolyn Lawrence). The violence is slapstick, the peril is not truly worrisome, and the villain Sue Nahmee (Wanda Sykes) and her minions are over-the-top silly. Still, be prepared for bizarre images of distorted bodies that may disturb small children. There’s a reference to a character’s flesh being sewn together (with an animated visual), and a human head bounces around and gets attached to nonhuman bodies. Expect some potty humor and use of “butt.” Sandy is a great role model who is passionate about her work as an environmental scientist, and teamwork also looms large as Sandy and SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) come to the aid of their friends. (86 minutes)<p><p><i>Available on Netflix.</i><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/2RMAC7HCYVBVDO5NPLRLBKZGA4.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Emma Myers stars as Pip Fitz-Amobi in “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.” (Netflix)</small></div><h6>A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (TV-MA)</h6><p>Streaming<p><h3>Age 14+</h3><p><i>Intriguing teen mystery has drugs, violence and language.</i><p><p>Based on the books by Holly Jackson, this mystery series stars Emma Myers as Pip, a girl who is motivated to solve the five-year-old murder of another teen in her small U.K. town. We see a bloody head wound, and one character threatens sexual assault. Drug use and dealing play a major role in this story, and characters are seen snorting ketamine at a wild party. Rohypnol use is another plot point, and underage characters drink alcohol frequently. Language includes “s---” and “f---.” Teens kiss and find romance. There’s some discussion of nudes, and a character finds condoms while snooping in another teen’s room. While there is definitely some edgy content, Pip (the titular “good girl”) is driven by a strong sense of justice and often learns from her mistakes. (Six episodes)<p><p><i>Available on Netflix.</i><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/OXD3VUXDBRF4NCQZTCGN272KCU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Hamish Linklater voices the titular hero in “Batman: Caped Crusader.” (Prime Video)</small></div><h6><b>Batman: Caped Crusader</b> (TV-Y7)</h6><p>Streaming<p><h3>Age 9+</h3><p><i>Lots of action in stand-alone superhero stories; violence.</i><p><p>This animated superhero series has a retro, film noir vibe and lots of cartoonish violence and action — gunfire, fistfighting and explosions. One character drowns in a suitcase, and another is fatally stabbed. Batman (expertly voiced by Hamish Linklater) breaks a villain’s hand. Language includes “damn,” “a--,” “load of bull,” “freaking” and “hell.” Older, comic-loving kids should enjoy this group of fresh, action-packed tales from the heart of Gotham City. (10 episodes)<p><p><i>Available on Prime Video.</i><p><p><i>Common Sense Media helps families make smart media choices. Go to </i><a href="http://commonsense.org/" target="_blank"><i>commonsense.org</i></a><i> for age-based and educational ratings and reviews for movies, games, apps, TV shows, websites and books.</i><p><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-07-29T03:54:38.361Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/WDWARDLIORHELAVGXECETMXRN4/20240801-213546.467/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/5BQMHUFH4SDSRTOA6NZB7MKZVM.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Firefighting bulldozers on a road as flames from the Park Fire burn on a hillside in the community of Cohasset near Chico, Calif., on July 25. (Stephen Lam/AP)</small></div><p>COHASSET, Calif. — Yahmo Ahqha thought he was safer than ever in his cabin in the forested Northern California foothills, where the Sierra Nevada meets the Cascades. As safe as he could be, at least.<p><p>Controlled burns<b> </b>removed dense underbrush across more than a dozen acres around his home over the past year or two. Intentionally setting low-intensity fires to clear forest floors of flame-fueling vegetation is a primary strategy to slow and weaken potential fires in the West — and offer some peace of mind in a place where trauma lingers from the 2018 Camp Fire’s devastation in nearby Paradise.<p><p>But when a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/07/27/fire-warnings-test-west/" target="_blank">wildfire alert</a> to Ahqha’s phone last week interrupted an intense video game battle with his 9-year-old son, his sense of security was pierced. A blaze had ignited in nearby Chico, at the edge of the valley floor. When he swung open the door to the<b> </b>old hunting cabin, he saw smoke pouring directly overhead.<p><p>The pair escaped before what became known as the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/2024/07/26/park-fire-photos-california-wildfires/" target="_blank">Park Fire exploded</a> into what experts say may be California’s fastest-moving wildfire on record, and so far its fifth largest. While the flames somehow skirted much of the ridge Ahqha called home, leaving a store, a school, a community center and many homes untouched, they reduced Ahqha’s cabin to a pile of barely recognizable rubble.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/6B2DLU3KIM2EMSRHXPKS2U7TOI.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Yahmo Ahqha’s cabin in Cohasset, Calif., pictured before the Park Fire ignited July 24 and tore up the ridge. Ahqha’s family had renovated the old hunting cabin over the past 24 years. (Yahmo Ahqha)</small></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/MV5252ECVX6LBGCPIF3YBNFSRQ.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">After the Park Fire tore through Cohasset, Calif., nothing but rubble was left where Yahmo Ahqha’s cabin once stood. Many neighboring homes survived, while all that was left of others were chimneys and charred appliances. (Scott Dance/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/07/28/fires-west-california-burn/" target="_blank">latest Western conflagration</a> has residents like Ahqha asking: What if the best fire prevention is still not enough to stop a megafire?<p><p>Cohasset fared far better than Paradise, with prevention efforts creating buffers that probably kept the Park Fire’s flames from leaping to many homes, inspiring calls for much more of the so-called “good fire” of prescribed burns. But its ferocity and size demonstrated how even the best strategies to confront fire may be failing to match blazes that veteran firefighters said are burning hotter and spreading faster than ever, even when they cross some fire-breaking burn scars.<p><p>“We never had fires like this,” Mark Brunton, a battalion chief and operations section chief for Cal Fire, told The Washington Post at a Park Fire command center in Chico.<p><p>Nearly a week after the fire ignited, spots of hot earth still smoldered around where Ahqha’s cabin once stood. A mangled half of a door. An overturned claw-foot tub. A charred typewriter. Only the metal disc golf baskets in the yard appeared untouched.<p><p>The 39-year-old musician wonders if enough could ever be done to keep his family safe. After the Camp Fire, Ahqha, whose legal name is Erik Rydberg but goes by his tribal name, did whatever he could to help neighbors in Paradise, where he lived as a child.<p><p>“Now I’m on the other end of it,” he said.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/CSU_CIRA/20240730/66a8ebd6368cb00bdd9bd18c/66a8ebd8d9dfd01cdcfb5f09/file_1280x720-2000-v3_1.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>The Park Fire demonstrates how years, if not decades, of weather patterns in a changing climate can converge to send flames raging through remote wilderness and mountain outposts at shocking speeds.<p><p>Historic drought left trees weakened or dead. Stormy winters washed debris into piles, while the rain allowed flammable grasses to thrive. Intense heat, smashing records across California this summer, dried everything out.<p><p>And then, there is the element of randomness in where fire moves after it ignites. Like most wildfires, Park was sparked by human activity. A witness saw a man <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/07/26/park-fire-california-suspect/?itid=ap_briannasacks" target="_blank">push a burning car</a> down a hill near a popular swimming hole in Chico’s Upper Bidwell Park, though the suspect told authorities it was an accident, <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article290538899.html" target="_blank">according to local reports</a>.<p><p>With winds flowing from the south, that meant flames fanned into some pristine and densely forested wilderness in Lassen National Forest, toward the southernmost peak of the Cascade range of volcanoes. The same treacherous terrain that made the area’s Ishi Wilderness a refuge for native Yahi people — a man named Ishi was the last of the tribe to remain there — allowed the<b> </b>fire to rapidly consume the rugged landscape.<p><p>Ecologists had hoped parts of the wilderness<b> </b>had experienced enough fire that they could weather the burn. One ponderosa forest studied for decades, known as Beaver Creek Pinery, was thought to be a prime example of a fire-tolerant and healthy forest, and scientists had been planning a prescribed burn in the area to see how it would fare.<p><p>But other parts of the forest had no known fire history in a century of recordkeeping. That made it much easier for the fire to spread and fueled <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/07/28/park-fire-fast-spread-fuels/" target="_blank">extreme plumes</a><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/07/28/park-fire-fast-spread-fuels/" target="_blank"> </a>that created towering infernos that firefighters could hardly battle.<p><p>“One might think, well, is there any area of California that hasn’t burned?” said Eric Knapp, a research ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service in Redding, Calif. “But there are still vast landscapes that have seen far too little fire.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/24H45EYKI45VQFGL6ISOAODD3E.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">The Park Fire burns a house along Cohasset Road near Chico, Calif. (Fred Greaves/Reuters)</small></div><p>In these extensive forested lands that haven’t burned for decades, vegetation has built up to levels that could fuel hotter fires, Knapp said. Though attitudes around beneficial fire are changing, risks of huge wildfires remain heightened because, for decades, the country’s firefighting approach was to put out every new blaze as fast as possible.<p><p>In California, prescribed burns treated a record-high 63,878 acres through June 24, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. But Stanford University research has shown the need for such burns or other vegetation thinning across nearly 20 million acres of the Golden State, about 20 percent of its footprint.<p><p>“There’s still a lot of work to do to deal with 100-plus years of accumulated fuels,” Knapp said. “You have a changing climate on top of it, and you have a summer like the one we’ve had. … It just leads to an extreme type of fire.”<p><p>Closer to the ignition site at the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, environmentalists spent years meticulously working to prepare the land for fire, using chain saws and controlled burns to thin vegetation while promoting natural biodiversity, said Miranda Kokoszka, assistant director of the Butte Environmental Council. Reserve staff also began offering <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/12/08/paradise-forest-therapy-climate-wildfire/" target="_blank">forest therapy for survivors of the Camp Fire that killed 85 people</a>.<p><p>But the Park Fire was already so intense by the time it reached the reserve that it made little difference, she said. Fire destroyed a reserve office and a historic barn, and probably did extensive damage to the landscape.<p><p>“We were doing all the work we could,” Kokoszka said. “We were not prepared for this at all, even though we thought we were.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/IJQT6RJPGJMWKSPXZ757LQLCOI.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Firefighters spray water while battling the Park Fire in the Cohasset community of Butte County, Calif., on July 25. (Noah Berger/AP)</small></div><p>Firefighters once considered scars from past fires a more reliable backstop: For at least the first few years after a blaze, vegetation is light, meaning there is little to burn. But intensifying fire conditions mean some no longer ensure a fire break.<p><p>If the Park Fire continues to spread to the northeast, it could soon encounter the scar left by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2021/dixie-fire/" target="_blank">another of California’s biggest wildfires on record, the 2021 Dixie Fire</a>. Depending on where it reaches that burn scar, the Park Fire could stop in its tracks: After three years, much of the area is still a “moonscape” with nothing to burn, said David Mitchell, a volunteer firefighter who oversees prescribed burns across Butte County, which includes Cohasset, Chico and Paradise.<p><p>But in some parts of the Dixie scar, Brunton said, there are beds of fuel it left behind. The intensity of fires like the Dixie and Park fires can kill so many trees, they leave scars that end up feeding a cycle of severe fire, scientists said.<p><p>Trees have evolved to survive moderate fires and even come out of them stronger. But when fires burn so hot that they kill trees across thousands of contiguous acres, that can leave the landscape even more prone to severe fires, said Scott Stephens, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley who studies fire ecology. Downed dead trees can fuel fires for longer and keep them burning hotter.<p><p>Any fire that spreads as quickly and burns as hot as the Park Fire is capable of setting a bad cycle of blazes in motion, he said.<p><p>“You’re in a loop that’s hard to get out of,” Stephens said.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FBBPUNSB3M5ZKHGO5X3UER232E.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Horses evacuate as the Park Fire tears though Cohasset on July 25. (Noah Berger/AP)</small></div><p>That the communities of Cohasset and Forest Ranch, another foothill town in the line of the Park Fire, did not see the same level of devastation as Paradise was surprising and encouraging, said Addison Winslow, a Chico city council member. He returned to his hometown after the 2018 Camp Fire, which was perhaps equal parts terrifying and galvanizing here.<p><p>Chico voters approved a 1 percent sales tax in 2022, and some of the proceeds have funded fire resiliency work, Winslow said.<p><p>But there are already questions about whether it was enough. Zeke Lunder, a Chico resident and wildfire and fuels management expert, quickly pointed to an overgrowth of invasive thistle near the Park Fire ignition site that Chico could have reduced with a prescribed burn, as it recently had in other parts of Upper Bidwell Park.<p><p>That didn’t happen, Winslow said, in part because some residents are leery of any flames, even controlled ones, and because there is simply so much fire preparation to be done.<p><p>“It didn’t happen because we’ve been stretched thin,” Winslow said. “We don’t have the resources to do everything. It’s a lesson.”<p><p>Around Cohasset, at least, there are some signs that prescribed burns and other work to reduce fire fuels were successful in defending the community. Cal Fire data showed more than three-quarters of structures inspected within the Park Fire as of Thursday morning had survived without damage, a share Stephens called “quite high.” But that still left “terrible outcomes” for so many residents, he added.<p><p>Cohasset remained mostly closed off this week, so residents and fire experts said more investigation was needed to learn how structures stayed intact and which fire prevention efforts may have succeeded.<p><p>But for residents like Ahqha, there was evidence of failure. After evacuating with his son, he monitored the fire-tracking app Watch Duty as the flames approached the Cohasset ridge and then overtook it. A neighbor whose house made it through unscathed and was allowed to briefly return shared a picture of Ahqha’s home from a distance — vehicles ablaze and no sign of the cabin.<p><p>As a member of Northern California’s Pomo nation, Ahqha said he sees the value in controlled, low-intensity burns like the ones that cleared the ridge around his home. His ancestors used fire to maintain the landscape for centuries, and he agrees with calls to treat forests with more good fire.<p><p>But if wildfires keep outmatching preparations, then what? He isn’t sure.<p><p>“It just keeps happening out here,” Ahqha said. “Will it ever be safe, really?”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/BJYU4ZQ5IQUAUBOZTUXHZ2ECRM.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Norm Rosen, from Butte County Calif., looks out at the burned landscape in Cohasset on Wednesday. (Ty ONeil/AP)</small></div>
2024-08-02T09:54:57.895Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/M23C5D5A3ZCYNL4UYJFRNSD36A/20240802-071274.741/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/5YTTQX2GSVLLQD7OF6ABRPCPJM.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Taiwan's Lin Yu Ting poses after winning a fight last year at the Asian Games. Lin is scheduled to fight at the Paris Olympics on Friday. (Aijaz Rahi/AP)</small></div><p>PARIS — At a media briefing that was almost exclusively about <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/08/01/imane-khelif-algerian-boxer-gender-paris-olympics/" target="_blank">two female boxers who became flash points</a> of the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/paris-summer-games-2024/" target="_blank">Paris Olympics</a>, International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams asked for a pause in the rhetoric that has exploded around the case.<p><p>The two women, Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu Ting, have competed for years, including at the Tokyo Olympics and several world championships. But after Italy’s Angela Carini quit less than a minute into her Thursday fight against Khelif, both Khelif and Lin became the subject of heated rhetoric focusing on their debated disqualifications from last year’s world championships, which the agency running the competition called a failure to meet eligibility rules.<p><p>Adams said both women have received a significant amount of abuse online.<p><p>“What I would urge is that we try to take the culture war out of this and actually address the issues and think about the individuals and the people concerned,” Adams said. “Real damage is being done by misinformation.”<p><p>After Khelif and Lin were disqualified late in last year’s world championships, International Boxing Association president Umar Kremlev told a Russian news agency that the disqualification was because “it was proven they have XY chromosomes.”<p><p>The IOC’s Adams cast doubt about the tests the IBA said it had administered.<p><p>“We have no knowledge of what the tests were,” Adams said. “They were cobbled together, as I understand, overnight [during the world championships] to change the results.”<p><p>The disqualifications last year came three days after Khelif defeated Russian Azalia Amineva and a day after she won her semifinal bout in the 63-66-kg (139-145.5-pound) category.<p><p>The IOC, which decertified the IBA after a series of scandals and governance issues, has run the boxing competition at the past two Olympics.<p><p>Lin’s first Olympic fight is scheduled for Friday afternoon in the 57 kg round of 16 against Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan. Since boxing awards two bronzes, Khelif will fight for a medal on Saturday in her 66 kg quarterfinal match against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori.<p>
2024-07-29T15:49:03.094Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/F32AT6BSCRHMHAE6VKQEBBWPOM/20240801-212186.866/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>“I’m just a home cook,” vice president and likely Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris says in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZknCT8NKuVU&t=250s" target="_blank">one of the videos</a> posted on her YouTube page in which she prepares food with famous chefs and regular folks alike. That line, from a 2020 video, came in response to chef and humanitarian <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2024/05/31/jose-andres-restaurant-group-ceo/" target="_blank">José Andrés</a> telling her she has a “big reputation as a chef,” a designation she first earned for a viral pandemic-era video in which she schooled <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2020/04/22/the-jokes-on-us-thanks-to-mark-warners-viral-tuna-melt-video-its-just-a-psa-in-disguise/" target="_blank">Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.)</a> on the finer points of tuna-sandwich making (after her colleague’s chaotic and sloppy sandwich horrified the internet).<p><p>Harris long ago <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2020/08/26/for-female-politicians-talking-about-cooking-can-be-fraught-kamala-harris-is-breaking-that-mold-too/" target="_blank">proved that politics and cooking can mix</a>. And despite her modesty, the culinary prowess Harris displays in the videos — including an impressive one-handed egg-crack and deft knife skills — says otherwise. While others are parsing her voting record or obsessing over her possible <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/interactive/2024/harris-vp-pick-quiz-2024-election/?itid=lk_fullstory" target="_blank">vice-presidential picks</a>, we scoured through her cooking videos in search of her best tips and tricks.<p><h2>1. There’s more than one way to cut an onion</h2><p>Harris has perfected an onion-dicing method that isn’t exactly <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2018/03/19/how-to-chop-an-onion/" target="_blank">by the book</a> — but it still delivers great results. In a couple of videos, she demonstrates the technique: First, she cuts off the stem end, leaving the root end intact, and then peels the orb. She proceeds to balance it on the cutting board and makes cuts along the open surface, following a grid pattern (both vertical and horizontal). Finally, she turns the onion on its side and slices downward to produce a uniform dice.<p><p>The technique might be a bit risky (an unstable veg and a sharp knife can be a dangerous combination), but it creates a fine and even chop. Actress Mindy Kaling, with whom she cooked masala dosas in one video, was dazzled. “Senator Harris, I say this with respect: You’re kind of a showoff,” she joked.<p><blockquote><p>seriously you need to watch Kamala dice the hell out of an onion (w/new bonus laugh!) <a href="https://t.co/1y0gtZHCCa">pic.twitter.com/1y0gtZHCCa</a></p>— Josh Josh (Coconomenon Era) (@Josh_____Josh) <a href="https://twitter.com/Josh_____Josh/status/1815451578960408635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <h2>2. Bacon is flavor</h2><p>The vice president clearly understands the power of a little bit of cured pork. In one of her videos, she prepares apples sauteed in bacon fat, a sweet-savory combination that she serves alongside pancakes. “Bacon is a spice as far as I’m concerned,” she declares at one point.<p><h2>3. Mayonnaise is for more than you think</h2><p>In the viral video in which she instructed Warner on creating a proper tuna melt, Harris revealed a diner cook’s secret for grilled cheese sandwiches with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/09/20/grilled-cheese-tips/" target="_blank">perfectly golden-brown exteriors</a>. She counseled Warner on the various ways one could treat the bread — toasted, maybe, or crisped in a pan. In the latter instance, “on the outside of the bread, spread the mayonnaise,” she counseled. “It’s basically oil, right? And a little bit of egg.”<p><h2>4. Shop local, sometimes</h2><p>When visiting Iowa, Harris opted for ingredients made in the Cornhusker State. Iowa bacon and apples went into the dish she made alongside her then-primary campaign’s state chairwoman.<p><p>But although Harris regularly shops at farmers markets and Whole Foods, she’s definitely not above some more humble items. “Miracle Whip is actually quite tasty,” she told Warner. And her verdict on the packaged bologna he was planning to serve up with Velveeta? “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2024/06/11/fried-bologna-sandwich/" target="_blank">Fried bologna</a> — so delicious.”<p><h2>5. Be flexible</h2><p>Harris showed off a skill that many home cooks leaned on particularly hard during the pandemic: staying loose about how to use the ingredients you have around. In one video, she said she planned to take what was presumably some ground meat out of the freezer, but she didn’t have a firm idea of what she would do with it. She was going to make meatballs, she said, “or maybe meatloaf.”<p><p>And she maintains some building blocks of flavorful dishes around to incorporate in different ways. “I mince a lot of ginger and garlic together and I keep it in the fridge to mix with a lot of things,” she told Andrés.<p><h2>6. Sometimes you just need the right gadget</h2><p>Harris uses a kitchen gadget that even I and some of my colleagues weren’t familiar with. In the video with Andrés, Harris casually employs something we learned is called a garlic roller — it’s essentially a short tube made of silicone that you insert peeled cloves into, and then roll across your cooking surface. The skins of the garlic stick to the silicone and the cloves pop out, perfectly denuded. “I use this all the time,” she told Andrés.<p><p>Food editor Joe Yonan <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5v56nW_-ks&ab_channel=WashingtonPost" target="_blank">once tried out a similar tool</a>, and although he concluded that he prefers the classic knife-smash method for peeling garlic, Harris’s preferred gadget can make cleanup easier and keeps the clove whole.<p><h2>7. Kitchens aren’t just for cooking</h2><p>Harris’s cooking videos are more than political stunts. For decades, politicians have been obsessed with the kitchen table, the near-mythological site of the ostensible conversations about what matters most to Americans. In these clips, Harris extends that metaphor by showing that important talks — and casual banter, too — also happen over the adjacent stove and countertops.<p><p>Against the backdrop of their kitchens, Harris dove into pandemic restaurant relief with Tom Colicchio, hunger and food-insecurity policies with Andrés. She talked about her own Indian heritage with Kaling as the two chopped and sauteed. “People have misconceptions about who Indians are,” she said.<p><p>She bonded with a supporter over a butter-stained family cookie recipe. And she discussed breaking gender barriers after preparing flapjacks.<p><p>“I eat ‘no’ for breakfast,” she said in the latter video, as she dug into the meal she had just made. “And apple pancakes with some bacon.”<p>
2024-08-01T11:10:32.576Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://feedx.net/rss/washingtonpost.xml" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><h2>1</h2><p><b>Americans freed by Russia arrived in the U.S. after a landmark prisoner swap.</b><p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240802/66ac586bd3ceee0004166baa/66ac61075007d0611153bf5e/file_1280x720-2000-v3_1.mp4" width="100%"></video><h2>2</h2><p><b>The Harris campaign said it raised $310 million in a July fundraising surge.</b><p><h3>exclusive</h3><h2>3</h2><p><b>A $10 million cash withdrawal in Egypt drove a secret investigation into Trump.</b><p><h2>4</h2><p><b>The U.S. said President Nicolás Maduro lost Venezuela’s election.</b><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/VW5FKWDSMTOWFPVOGM3CJOMFDI.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">More than 1,000 people have been arrested and at least 16 have been killed in mass protests since Venezuela’s election. (Isaac Urrutia/Reuters)</small></div><h2>5</h2><p><b>Wildfires are raging through Colorado’s densely populated Front Range.</b><p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240801/66abc209e0c2524f523c883e/66abc2135007d0611153bee8/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><h2>6</h2><p><b>The future of paper could come from gene-edited trees.</b><p><h2>7</h2><p><b>Simone Biles captured the women's all-around gymnastics gold.</b><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/6XPHXTWXSJU4C4TDZ55A5UJXKQ.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Simone Biles poses with a goat necklace — indicating the "greatest of all time" — during the medals ceremony. (Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images)</small></div><p><b>And now … need something to watch this weekend? </b><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/best-movies-2024/" target="_blank">Here are the best movies of 2024 so far</a>. <b>If you like horror: </b><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/07/30/shudder-scariest-movies-list-zimmerman/" target="_blank">These are the scariest movies of all time</a>.<p><p><i>Want to catch up quickly with “The 7” every morning? </i><a href="https://wapo.onelink.me/e76N/782c66a8"><i>Download The Post’s app</i></a><i> and turn on alert notifications for The 7 or </i><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/newsletters/the-7/?method=SURL&location=ART&initiative=THE7FOOTER" target="_blank"><i>sign up for the newsletter</i></a><i>.</i><p>
2024-08-01T18:09:56.659Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://feedx.net/rss/washingtonpost.xml" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/HA22JDZ7SVNQY5QOY2LUER4XKA.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris speak to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Md. late Thursday. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>President Biden said Thursday that the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/31/hamas-leader-assassinated-iran-israel/" target="_blank">assassination of Hamas’s lead negotiator, Ismail Haniyeh</a>, had not helped cease-fire talks to end the war in Gaza, as the conflict’s ripple effects threaten to tip the Middle East into wider war.<p><p>Biden, who was responding to a query from reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland as Americans freed from Russia in a large-scale prisoner exchange deal <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/08/02/us-prisoner-exchange-gershkovich-kurmasheva-whelan/" target="_blank">landed</a>, said<b> </b>that he had a “very direct” conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We had the basis for a cease fire. He should move on it and should move on it now,” the president said.<p><p>Analysts and officials have suggested that the killing of Haniyeh, who served as a top negotiator for Hamas, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/07/31/haniyeh-killing-israel-hamas-ceasefire/?itid=lk_inline_manual_40" target="_blank">could jeopardize talks</a> to stop the fighting in Gaza and release hostages taken on Oct. 7.<p><p>According to a White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/08/01/readout-of-president-joe-bidens-call-with-prime-minister-netanyahu-of-israel-7/#:~:text=President%20Biden%20spoke%20today%20with,%2C%20Hezbollah%2C%20and%20the%20Houthis" target="_blank">readout</a> of the call with Netanyahu, Biden also discussed “new defensive U.S. military deployments” as part of “efforts to support Israel’s defense against threats.” He also “reaffirmed his commitment to Israel’s security against all threats from Iran, including its proxy terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis,” it said. The U.S. military has previously provided defense support to Israel, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/04/14/iran-attack-israel-us-military/" target="_blank">including against an attack from Iran</a> in April.<p><p>Haniyeh’s killing has escalated tensions across the region, with Iran <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/31/hamas-haniyeh-iran-israel-revenge/" target="_blank">vowing retaliation</a> for the assassination on its soil, which has been widely attributed to Israel. Israel has so far declined to comment on Haniyeh’s death, though it has acknowledged the strikes last month that killed a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/30/israel-hamas-war-news-gaza-lebanon-hezbollah/" target="_blank">senior Hezbollah commander</a>, Fuad Shukr, in Beirut as well as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/hamas-commander-mohammed-deif-killed/" target="_blank">Hamas’s military leader</a>, Mohammed Deif, in Gaza.<p><p>Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/iran-funeral-haniyeh-lebanon-hamas-deif/" target="_blank">said Thursday</a> that the group’s decades-long conflict with Israel had “entered a new stage”<b> </b>after Shukr’s killing. Israel said that strike — which killed at least six other people, including two children — was in response to an attack that killed a group of 12<b> </b>children and teenagers on a soccer field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Hezbollah denied responsibility.<p><p>Deif’s death was confirmed by the Israeli military Thursday, after he was targeted in Israeli strikes in mid-July that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/13/israel-hamas-war-news-gaza-deif-mawasi/" target="_blank">killed at least 90 people</a>, according to Palestinian authorities. A Hamas spokesman said in a statement Thursday that only the leadership of the group’s military wing could confirm or deny the death of any Hamas leaders.<p><p><p><h1>Here’s what to know</h1><p><b>U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with the UAE’s foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan</b> on Thursday to discuss “diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.” The call, on the same day that funeral ceremonies for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/iran-funeral-haniyeh-lebanon-hamas-deif/" target="_blank">Haniyeh</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/31/hezbollah-beirut-israel-strike-funerals/" target="_blank">Shukr</a> took place in Tehran and Beirut respectively, also “emphasized the importance of preventing the conflict from escalating,” according to a <a href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinkens-call-with-uae-foreign-minister-abdullah-bin-zayed-al-nahyan-2/" target="_blank">readout</a> shared by the State Department.<p><p><b>Several airlines have announced further suspensions of their flights to Tel Aviv. </b>Delta, which this week said it was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/delta-united-israel-flights-canceled/" target="_blank">pausing</a> flights between New York and Tel Aviv until Friday, has extended its cancellations until Aug. 9, according to an<a href="https://news.delta.com/delta-pause-flights-between-new-york-jfk-and-tel-aviv-through-august-9" target="_blank"> updated statement</a>. Italy’s ITA Airways, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.ita-airways.com/it_it/fly-ita/news-and-activities/news/tel-aviv-flights.html" target="_blank">said</a> Thursday it was suspending flights through Aug. 6 due to “geopolitical developments in the Middle East and to ensure the safety of its passengers and crews,” according to its website.<p><p><b>Israeli strikes that killed several World Central Kitchen workers in April were the result of the Israel Defense Forces’ “serious failures” to follow its procedures</b> as well as “errors in decision-making,” an Australian government report <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/special-adviser-report-israels-response-idf-strikes-against-world-central-kitchen?_gl=1*1g78afx*_ga*MTU2ODU2MDIyNC4xNzIyNTY1NDA3*_ga_8Z18QMQG8V*MTcyMjU2NTQwOC4xLjAuMTcyMjU2NTQwOC42MC4wLjA" target="_blank">found</a>. Canberra is now “pressing Israel to reform its coordination with humanitarian organizations,” a press release said, to ensure the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/02/israel-strike-wck-huamanitarian-convoy/" target="_blank">deaths</a> of the six foreign aid workers, including an Australian, and their Palestinian driver “are not in vain and not repeated.” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the deaths were “inexcusable” and “not a one-off incident,” according to the country’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-02/australia-review-idf-world-central-kitchen-death/104175546" target="_blank">national broadcaster</a>.<p><p><b>At least 39,480 people have been killed and 91,128 injured in Gaza since the war started,</b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MOHGaza1994/posts/pfbid02ohNh7MPAE8wbceSCocLQ9RBemhHYhMdQKR9eMeJWTAxBbZ4gykbQhQw2Vk9gGd8Rl" target="_blank">according</a> to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, including more than 300 soldiers. It says <a href="https://www.idf.il/%D7%90%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%99-%D7%99%D7%97%D7%99%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%9F-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%9C%D7%97%D7%9E%D7%94/%D7%97%D7%9C%D7%9C%D7%99-%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%A2%D7%99-%D7%A6%D7%94-%D7%9C-%D7%91%D7%9E%D7%9C%D7%97%D7%9E%D7%94/" target="_blank">329</a> soldiers have been killed since the launch of its military operations in Gaza.<p><p><p>
2024-07-12T22:30:20.377Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/YQMQVCHZQVD7VPDZKXKDBWQLO4/20240801-150015.151/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>Why do people like being scared?<p><p>Better yet, why do some people <i>hate</i> being scared? In a popular culture in which boogeymen, serial killers, satanic cults and homicidal dolls stalk every multiplex and every streaming platform, where do you go to shut out the screaming? Where’s the safe house? And what if your job requires you to subject yourself to being terrified time and time again?<p><p>This is not an idle question for a working movie critic who — shh, don’t let this get around — <i>doesn’t really enjoy horror movies</i>. I know, I know: As a consumer guide and cultural commentator on the things we watch, I’m supposed to be open to and appreciative of all genres of filmed narrative. A critic has to be knowledgeable about the entirety of his or her field — has to be able to distinguish not only between good art and bad art but good and bad schlock and everything in between. In theory and mostly in practice, I do. But, man, have my nerves been taking a pounding lately.<p><p>The cinema is deep into a horror renaissance that’s been going on for the better part of a decade, the latest entries including films like Ti West’s “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/07/04/maxxxine-mia-goth-horror-review/" target="_blank">MaXXXine</a>” and Osgood Perkins’s “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/07/10/longlegs-monroe-cage-review/" target="_blank">Longlegs</a>.” Each week brings new frightmares; the genre has dedicated streaming channels such as Shudder (11.5 million subscribers and counting), endless devoted websites and packed horror conventions. The hallmarks of the current cycle are young, imaginative directors — many of them women — a stress on atmosphere and ambiguity, an interest in social metaphors and metafictions, pop culture artifacts used as a delivery method of unease, the internet as a haunted limbo, retro formalism, mysterious cults, Gen-Z disillusionment and a particular attention to body horror and the potential mutations and/or mutilations of the flesh.<p><p>Whee.<p><p>Almost all these elements have been present in filmed horror from the very beginning, of course, just in different concentrations and emphases. Silent expressionism gave way to the monster movies of the 1930s and ’40s, which gave way to the fears of nuclear and personal obliteration in the ’50s, and so on. Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (1960) can be seen as the movie that broke horror and, indeed, film history in half by being the first to not only (seem to) show murder realistically — inaugurating the slasher film as we still know it — but to consciously toy with the audience as an act of consensual gamesmanship. You don’t watch “Psycho,” you surrender to it, and every horror film made since works in its shadow.<p><p>I didn’t get around to seeing “Psycho” until college in the 1970s, and by then the movie had so fully entered the pop-culture lexicon that I was already familiar with every scene. But that period was also when I walked out of a screening of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” (1974) in a cold sweat of panic — one of the very few times I’ve ever bailed — before what I was sure was a coming deluge of carnage. (I was wrong, as I found out in a rewatch years later: “Massacre” is surprisingly <i>un</i>gory, relying more on suspense, set decoration, sound and makeup to sustain its aura of human butchery.)<p><p>But gritting one’s teeth and sticking it out became a point of pride as films got bloodier, freakier, scarier; part of the “fun” was steeling yourself for the jump scares. (Unless you didn’t; I still remember a college girlfriend who had to be bodily carried to the car, traumatized and sobbing, after the final gotcha shot of Brian De Palma’s “Carrie.”) When a horror movie came along that was touted as a must-see — “The Exorcist” or “The Silence of the Lambs” or “Scream” — all of us weenies had to decide whether to gird our psyches and go.<p><p>It got more interesting when I started getting <i>paid</i> to go.<p><p>I came of age as a professional reviewer during the 1980s and ’90s, a time of retrenchment into the bloody catechisms of the post-“Halloween” slasher film as well as an exploration of new boundaries of transgression. This is where I learned what kind of horror movies bored me or just grossed me out and which engaged me on a more primal, technical or artistic level. I came to despise the teen dice-and-slice subgenre of “Friday the 13th” et al. as pure product, a cash cow for a numbed generation desperate to feel something. I also learned that I had a taste for horror when it had a sense of humor about itself, especially when that humor went way over the top. Stuart Gordon’s “Re-Animator” (1985) is still one of the funniest and most memorable movies I’ve ever seen — pretty remarkable given that it ends with the villain being strangled by his own reanimated intestines.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/LZQYDUT4UOFSBWEPHLV2VYZQXY.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk in “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.” (Dan Power/Maple Pictures/Everett Collection) </small></div><p>This is what has kept my hair from turning white over 40 years of writing reviews: an antenna for and appreciation of when a horror movie has something else going on beyond merely separating characters from their limbs and moviegoers from their money. An <i>idea</i>, for lack of a better word, or at least a healthy sense of absurdity. My list of favorite gonzo horror comedies is long and includes the Evil Dead movies, “Zombieland” (2009), “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil” (2010) and “The Cabin in the Woods” (2011).<p><p>New filmmakers using the form to explore issues like racism (“<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/jordan-peele-offers-jump-scares-and-scathing-satire-in-directorial-debut-get-out/2017/02/23/6e134e88-f8fd-11e6-9845-576c69081518_story.html" target="_blank">Get Out</a>,” 2017), STDs and sexual anxieties (“<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/it-follows-movie-review-spooky-stick-to-itiveness/2015/03/19/39457408-cbf3-11e4-8c54-ffb5ba6f2f69_story.html" target="_blank">It Follows</a>,” 2014), family dysfunction (“<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/toni-collette-is-masterful-as-a-mother-terrorized-by-secrets-in-the-super-creepy-hereditary/2018/06/06/15e422c6-6690-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html" target="_blank">Hereditary</a>,” 2018), gender dysphoria (“<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/05/17/saw-tv-glow-movie-schoenbrun/" target="_blank">I Saw the TV Glow</a>,” 2024) and religious fundamentalism (“Saint Maud,” 2019) — fine, bring ’em on. Genre fiction has always been a vehicle for social criticism disguised as horror, melodrama, science fiction or westerns, and it’s where ambitious young artists have traditionally learned their trade. And when a director really plugs into an existential sense of doom, it can carry more power than all the latest digital gore effects. Julia Ducournau’s “Raw” (2016), a tale of incestuous sisterly cannibalism, is an impossible movie to shake because it taps into such deeply powerful taboos about family rivalries and loves. (And, yes, because it gives new meaning to the word “ladyfingers.”)<p><p>West’s much-praised trilogy of “X” (2022), “Pearl” (2022) and “MaXXXine” (2024) plays with the styles of earlier horror movies — specifically the grainy sleaze of “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” and other ’70s films in “X” — while Mia Goth’s tough-skinned heroines upend the cliché of the virginal “final girl” who survives the mayhem. Perkins’s “Longlegs” continues the tradition of demonic murderers out there somewhere between urban legend, the online netherscape and reality, and adds a truly disturbing Nicolas Cage performance like a rotten cherry on top. These are filmmakers who aspire not to raise horror to the level of the “culturally respectable” but to double down on craft and impact and imagination until the genre’s virtues can’t be denied.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/RLKXWJQBNVFHLLRHIX4H2ZQTKA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Mia Goth in “MaXXXine.” (Justin Lubin/A24) </small></div><p>By contrast, it’s the films that are primarily about how much pain can be inflicted on a person while we watch — where the act, not the dread of the act, is paramount — that I find as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist. The Saw movies, as intricately constructed as they may be, are essentially torture devices for an audience’s delectation. The gleeful carnage of Eli Roth’s “Hostel” (2005) and “The Green Inferno” (2013) is, to me, offensive. The demonic possessions of the Insidious franchise and the haunted houses and dolls of “The Conjuring” and its spinoffs — meh. I get more scared reading the daily headlines.<p><p>But that’s part of what horror movies are <i>for</i>, at least to the millions who respond to them. The real world is terrifying enough for many if not most people, and a large part of the fear is our powerlessness and lack of control. A horror movie lets us feel, viscerally process and resolve those anxieties, and then go out for drinks afterward. Horror also allows for socially acceptable date-clutching — a time-honored tradition — and a reminder that, while everyone in the movie may be dead, we’re still alive. It lets us fantasize about our own death, in fact, without actually dying. On a darker note, it can indulge the human tendency to rubberneck, and, for some, it caters to and satisfies an innate taste for sadism.<p><p>Which is, at rock bottom, why I still have an inherent dislike of the form, even as I’ve learned to appreciate the more interesting or ambitious entries as part of growing a thicker critical skin. I simply don’t enjoy watching other people’s physical pain, especially when it serves as a movie’s primary reason for being. Does that make me a wuss? Sure, why not. But people who feel the suffering of on-screen characters could also be called empaths.<p><p>I have yet to be convinced that’s a bad thing.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/PZEQPFNZXFCIPIQLEMS7CUQBTE.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;"></small></div><p><i>Ty Burr is the author of the movie recommendation newsletter Ty Burr’s Watch List at </i><a href="http://www.tyburrswatchlist.com/" target="_blank"><i>tyburrswatchlist.com</i></a><i>.</i><p>
2024-07-09T17:33:40.675Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/WPIG3I26MNHY3IPEKLE5G75GOM/20240801-185633.334/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240701/6683055ec8091760e77c7f2d/6683059eb711eb5ff5a14c71/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669ec69a368cb00bdd999002/669ec735b711eb5ff5a159ec/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>“<a href="https://www.instagram.com/million_dollar_mo/?hl=en" target="_blank">Million-Dollar Mo</a>,” as McCane, 29, calls herself on social media, discovered boxing when she tagged along with a relative to a boxing class in her hometown of Cleveland and caught the eye of the coach. A natural, she won silver at the 2023 Pan American Games and qualified for her first Olympics in the 145-pound weight class.<p><p>These three leg and footwork exercises build balance, coordination, agility, leg power and a boxer’s bravura confidence, McCane says.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240701/66831fa376aff96ad4ae153a/669ed665b711eb5ff5a15a10/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669ec807368cb00bdd999050/669ec853d9dfd01cdcfb580f/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><h3>Exercise 1: Jumping rope</h3><p>Use an unweighted rope and clear away any obstacles, McCane says. She usually jumps for three minutes — the length of a boxing round — rests briefly, then repeats several times.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240701/6683226a76aff96ad4ae1822/669ed780d9dfd01cdcfb582f/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669ec9b5509c0d7bb256b5d3/669ec9f85007d0611153b554/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>Jump with both feet together or one at a time. Don’t worry if you trip, McCane says. Just start again and keep going.<p><h3>Exercise 2: Ladders</h3><p>Arrange an agility ladder (available at sporting goods stores) or hoops on the ground and hop and skip from hoop to hoop. Shuffle back and repeat, increasing your speed as the exercise becomes comfortable.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240702/668421d776aff96ad4af0811/66a0249db711eb5ff5a15bc8/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669ed239509c0d7bb256b7ab/669ed2975007d0611153b571/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>No hoops or agility ladders? Draw circles or squares on the ground with chalk, McCane says, or hop from one design to another on your living room carpet.<p><h3>Exercise 3: Squats</h3><p>A foundational exercise for leg power. Position your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward, back straight. Lower until your thighs are nearly parallel to the ground, then slowly rise to your starting position. Repeat as many times as possible.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240702/66841bfdbaf277405326f53e/66a028f9b711eb5ff5a15bd3/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669ed02afdae0105876992ad/669ed06c5007d0611153b55e/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>Use a resistance band like McCane’s to make the effort harder and keep your legs properly aligned. For experienced gym goers, McCane recommends back squats, which are squats with a weighted barbell positioned on your upper back.<p><p>Women’s boxing is a relative newcomer to the Olympics, McCane says, having been added only in 2012, compared to 1904 for men’s boxing. But it’s growing fast. There will be more female boxers at the Paris Games than ever before, with about half of the 248 boxers this time being women.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240701/66831c2d76aff96ad4ae12e2/669ed641d9dfd01cdcfb582d/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240726/66a3c87dfdae0105876e31c1/66a7c97e5007d0611153bc22/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>In a close match, McCane was eliminated from Olympic competition in the round of 16.<p><h5>About this story</h5><p>Story by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/gretchen-reynolds/" target="_blank">Gretchen Reynolds</a>. Video by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/whitney-leaming/" target="_blank">Whitney Leaming</a>. Design and development by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/carson-terbush/" target="_blank">Carson TerBush</a>. Editing by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/tara-parker-pope/" target="_blank">Tara Parker-Pope</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/christian-font/" target="_blank">Christian Font</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jessica-koscielniak/" target="_blank">Jessica Koscielniak</a>. Copy editing by Thomas Heleba.<p><p>Filmed on-site at the Colorado Springs Olympic and Paralympic Training Center.<p><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-07-29T15:35:17.302Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/6GEBF5MRQVCQTK5P2XGUC27P5A/20240801-211584.843/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>By now, you’re probably aware Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance has described Democrats as “childless cat ladies” with no “direct stake” in America’s future. We, on the other hand, have been ears-deep in data. So we had no idea what our friend <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/julie-z-weil/">Julie Zauzmer Weil</a> was getting at when she asked if there was any evidence to support the notion of the “childless left.”<p><p>Weil, who you’ll recognize from her <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/interactive/2022/congress-slaveowners-names-list/?itid=ap_juliezauzmerweil">tremendous</a> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/05/30/direct-file-irs-taxes/">tax</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/07/19/social-security-global-charts/">data</a> stories for The Washington Post, clarified further: “Do Republicans have more kids than Democrats? It doesn’t seem obvious to me that it would be true.”<p><p>The simple answer, however? Yes! About 38 percent of Democrats had never had children as of 2022, compared with 26 percent of Republicans, according to the universally beloved General Social Survey from the universally beloved NORC at the University of Chicago.<p><p>That gap has rocketed recently, but it’s far from new. Childless voters are usually more common on the left, with the notable exception of the Reagan era, when young baby boomers’ rightward shift gave a more childless tilt to Republicans.<p><p>Remarkably, the difference stems from the contrast between the aforementioned “childless left” and a strong Republican lean among what we assume will soon be known as “two-kid conservatives.” Other family sizes seem evenly matched.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/PHNZZJ33MRHFRLM7OTOAYF3JYM.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;"></small></div><p>Our instinct was to blame age. Since around 2000, when the first millennials cast their ballots, Democrats have been more likely to be young. And youth is obviously a stupendous predictor of childlessness, since the young haven’t had as much time to produce offspring.<p><p>It could have been the culprit in the 1990s, when followers of the two parties were roughly equally likely to be childless in pretty much every age group. But in recent years, Democrats have become a bit more likely to be childless no matter their age. In fact, they’re more likely to be childless across almost every demographic.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/QECLDLMQWJA4RHHNHLCV3M7GB4.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;"></small></div><p>These days, the childless divide seems to be propelled by the steady rightward shift of White Protestants, the group of Americans most likely to have had kids, as well as the rise of the areligious<b> “</b>nones,” a group that’s about twice as likely to be childless as their Protestant peers. Those nones, who list no religious preference, are on the verge of outnumbering Protestants in the Democratic Party — a stunning reversal given that Protestants made up almost half of Democrats as recently as 2010. Independents show a similar trend. Republicans don’t.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/V3CQIDZXUJHDDI4PLSXSSYFNC4.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;"></small></div><p>The shift has been most pronounced among young women, particularly those under age 35, who make up a fast-rising share of the Democratic coalition. That means we should probably acknowledge the elephant in the room. And by “elephant,” we mean “cat.”<p><h4>What about the cats?</h4><p>The dubious underlying political science in Vance’s analysis goes well beyond kids: His full assertion involves the threat of “childless cat ladies” dominating the Democratic Party.<p><p>So, let’s lean into that absurdity with the help of pet-ownership data from a YouGov poll of almost 26,000 Americans from June 28 to July 1.<p><p>On the face of it, the phrase has some validity. Cats are the most left-leaning pet for which we have sufficient data. Democrats beat Republicans for the cat-person vote, and they did so by running up the score among childless — or child-free — cat people. Cat owners with children lean slightly Republican.<p><p>Republicans win among dog people, but under the hood, we see the same split. Dog owners with children lean right; dog owners without kids lean left. For both species, Democrats win childless women by a wider margin than childless men, with childless zoomers and millennials forming the bulk of their advantage.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/U5UG24N54FCBLH7C2AKLAKX2IQ.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;"></small></div><p>This rhymes nicely with our <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/12/30/american-pet-spending/">previous analysis</a> showing younger generations have shifted sharply toward cockapoos and cockatoos, and away from baby shoes and the terrible twos, with the most impressive increase among young, childless married couples (present company included).<p><p>So, if you see a childless cat lady or a childless dog lady, then yes, they’re more likely to vote blue than red. But it seems lazy (and more than a little sexist) to focus on ladies when the same is true of childless cat chaps and childless dog dudes.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/CKHIKYRJTFHQLOPU4KXEK7DL54.png" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;"></small></div><p>By focusing on pet people, we’re missing an all-important asterisk: Childless people without dogs or cats tilt almost as far left as their pet-parenting peers. The presence of pets is largely immaterial to predicting the vote — it’s all about the absence of children.<p><p>Just as importantly, we’re ignoring that many childless cat people are Republicans or independents. There’s so many of them that catfulness and childlessness aren’t even particularly smart ways to predict voting behavior.<p><p>Give us enough time — and more importantly, enough column inches — and we could dredge up dozens of demographic variables that produce bigger partisan splits than parenthood and pet ownership.<p><h4>Is there a pet enthusiasm gap?</h4><p>It occurred to us that the stereotypes above could also be explained by how much folks prioritize their pets. If Democratic-leaning pet owners tend to drone on and on about their furry frenemies — for example, sharing endless stores of pet snapshots — that could create the impression that their party has a pet-owner advantage, similar to how a phalanx of yard signs can falsely forecast an electoral landslide.<p><p>Somehow, we have data for that!<p><p>The fine folks at Pew Research Center recently asked about 8,700 Americans <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/02/whats-new-with-you-what-americans-talk-about-with-family-and-friends/">what they discuss with their friends and family</a>. And 35 percent of Democrats talk about pets a lot, compared with 32 percent of Republicans. That’s within the margin of error.<p><p>Instead, the most partisan topic appears to be popular media. About 47 percent of Democrats discuss movies, television and music a lot, while just 28 percent of Republicans dwell on the same subject. Democrats also are much more likely to shoot the breeze about health, finances and celebrities, while their Republican friends disproportionately discuss faith and issues facing the country.<p><p><i><b>Greetings! The Department of Data craves questions. </b></i><i>What are you curious about: Well, what stereotypes </i>should <i>we be throwing around instead of childless cat ladies? Are “weed-smoking women” or “celibate straight people” pivotal constituencies? Who’s most likely to write a letter to the editor? Are rush hours starting earlier than they did before the coronavirus pandemic? </i><a href="https://thewashingtonpost.formstack.com/forms/department_of_data_questions"><i>Just ask!</i></a><p><p><i>If your question inspires a column, we’ll send you an official Department of Data button and ID card. We’ll mail this week’s envelopes to Weil, a repeat contributor.</i><p><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-07-24T13:54:50.877Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/VQ7GO7SFZ5FMNCXI2X6KMTOSFM/20240802-052975.759/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/PS225JB3SP4RTMI34P37VEWYHY.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi, right, in New York on Sept. 19, 2016, less than two months before that year's election. (Andres Kudacki/AP) </small></div><p>Five days before Donald Trump became president in January 2017, a manager at a bank branch in Cairo received an unusual letter from an organization linked to the Egyptian intelligence service. It asked the bank to “kindly withdraw” nearly $10 million from the organization’s account — all in cash.<p><p>Inside the state-run National Bank of Egypt, employees were soon busy placing bundles of $100 bills into two large bags, according to records from the bank. Four men arrived and carried away the bags, which U.S. officials later described in sealed court filings as weighing a combined 200 pounds and containing what was then a sizable share of Egypt’s reserve of U.S. currency.<p><p>Federal investigators learned of the withdrawal, which has not been previously reported, early in 2019. The discovery intensified a secret criminal investigation that had begun two years earlier with classified U.S. intelligence indicating that Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi sought to give Trump $10 million to boost his 2016 presidential campaign, a Washington Post investigation has found.<p><p>Since receiving the intelligence about Sisi, the Justice Department had been examining whether money moved from Cairo to Trump,<b> </b>potentially violating federal law that bans U.S. candidates from taking foreign funds. Investigators had also sought to learn if money from Sisi might have factored into Trump’s decision in the final days of his run for the White House to<b> </b>inject his campaign with $10 million of his own money.<p><p>Those questions, at least in the view of several investigators on the case, would never be answered,<b> </b>The Post found.<p><p>Within months of learning of the withdrawal, prosecutors and FBI agents were blocked by top Justice Department officials from obtaining bank records they believed might hold critical evidence, according to interviews with people familiar with the case as well as documents and contemporaneous notes of the investigation. The case ground to a halt by the fall of 2019 as Trump’s then-attorney general, William P. Barr, raised doubts about whether there was sufficient evidence to continue the probe<b> </b>of Trump.<p><p>The behind-the-scenes drama played out during an especially tense time for the Justice Department, with Trump accusing the agency of pursuing a politically biased “witch hunt” against him in its probe of Russian election interference, his appointees seeking to rein in investigators they saw as partisan, and some career supervisors growing wary of plunging the agency into yet another legal battle with the president.<p><p>Barr directed Jessie Liu, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in D.C., to personally examine the classified intelligence to evaluate if further investigation was warranted. Barr later instructed FBI Director Christopher A. Wray<b> </b>to impose “adult supervision” on FBI agents Barr described as “hell-bent” on pursuing Trump’s records, according to people familiar with the exchange. It is unclear what if any actions Wray, who was also appointed by Trump, took in response.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FCKHVEI2N5C5FNFL5HWKUWF2DE.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Then-Attorney General William P. Barr did not order the Egypt case closed, but his actions steered it to that end, according to multiple people briefed on the case. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>In June of 2020, the prosecutor Barr appointed to take over the office leading the case closed the probe, citing “a lack of sufficient evidence to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt.”<p><p>That conclusion belied the months of internal disagreements over whether investigators had been allowed to go<b> </b>far enough in seeking that evidence.<p><p>“Every American should be concerned about how this case ended,” said one of the people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss<b> </b>the internal<b> </b>dissension. “The Justice Department is supposed to follow evidence wherever it leads — it does so all the time to determine if a crime occurred or not."<p><p>A spokesman for Trump’s presidential campaign did not answer a list of questions from The Post, instead referring to this story as “textbook Fake News.”<p><p>“The investigation referenced found no wrongdoing and was closed,” spokesman Steven Cheung said. “None of the allegations or insinuations being reported on have any basis in fact. The Washington Post is consistently played for suckers by deep state Trump-haters and bad faith actors peddling hoaxes and shams.”<p><p>An Egyptian government spokesman declined to answer detailed questions sent by The Post. “It is inappropriate to comment or refer to rulings issued by the judiciary system or procedures and reports taken by Justice Departments” in other countries, wrote Ayman Walash, the director of the Egyptian government’s Foreign Press Center. In his email, Walash also emphasized that the Justice Department had closed the investigation without charges.<p><p>As he campaigns to return to the White House, Trump has cast himself as a victim of “deep state” plots that sought to undermine his presidency, often focusing his ire on the Russia probe that shadowed much of his time in office.<p><p>That investigation did not ultimately find that Trump or his campaign had conspired with Moscow. But it did conclude his team expected the campaign would benefit from Russian interference. Unbeknownst to the public, during the same period, Justice Department officials were investigating whether Trump had received help from the government of another foreign country — Egypt.<p><p>In the years since the Egypt<b> </b>case was closed,<b> </b>the Sisi regime’s ambitions to influence senior U.S. government officials have been laid bare by the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/07/16/bob-menendez-convicted-trial-bribery/" target="_blank">bribery conviction</a> of Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.),<b> </b>the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.<p><p>Over the course of his presidency, Trump shifted U.S. policy in ways that benefited the Egyptian leader, a man he once called “my favorite dictator.”<b> </b>In 2018, Trump’s State Department released $195 million in military aid that the United States had been withholding over human rights abuses — a move that had been opposed by his first secretary of state — followed by the release of $1.2 billion more in such assistance.<p><p>The Justice Department and the U.S. attorney’s office in D.C.<b> </b>declined to answer detailed questions for this report. The FBI declined to answer The Post’s questions or to make Wray available to comment. Barr also declined to answer detailed questions for this report, and Liu did not respond to a similar inquiry.<p><p>In an interview, Michael Sherwin, the then-acting U.S. attorney who closed the case and a veteran prosecutor of complicated national security cases,<b> </b>said he had previously closed some where sufficient evidence never materialized. “I made the same decision here and I stand by it,” Sherwin said.<p><p>This exclusive account of the Egypt investigation is based on a review of thousands of pages of government records, including sealed court filings and exhibits. The Post also interviewed more than two dozen people with knowledge of the investigation. The individuals spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive probe that ended without criminal charges. Some showed The Post emails, texts and other documents corroborating their accounts.<p><p>The investigation was shrouded in secrecy for the entirety of the more than three years the case was open, from 2017 to 2020. It surfaced obliquely in that time only once, when senior judges closed a part of the federal courthouse in D.C. to hide the identities of the parties in a hearing then described as involving a state-owned foreign corporation that was resisting a subpoena. Many observers assumed the corporation was Russian.<p><p>In the final weeks of the 2020 presidential race, after the investigation had been closed, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/14/politics/trump-campaign-donation-investigation/index.html" target="_blank">CNN revealed</a> that the mysterious courthouse hearing involved an Egyptian bank. The network also reported that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III had led the case, which centered on<b> </b>an informant’s tip that money had flowed through the bank to help fund Trump’s campaign. CNN also reported that, in the end stages of the probe, some<b> </b>prosecutors proposed subpoenaing Trump’s financial records, before “top officials”<b> </b>ultimately concluded that the case had reached a dead-end.<p><p>At the time, Trump spokesman Jason Miller rejected the allegation of money flowing to the campaign, saying: “President Trump has never received a penny from Egypt.”<p><p>The Post investigation reveals that investigators identified a cash withdrawal in Cairo of $9,998,000 — nearly identical to the amount described in the intelligence, as well as to the amount Trump had given his campaign weeks earlier. A key theory investigators pursued, based on intelligence and on international money transfers, was that Trump was willing to provide the funds<b> </b>to his campaign in October 2016 because he expected to be repaid by<b> </b>Sisi, according to people familiar with the probe.<p><p>In pursuing the Egyptian intelligence and other lines of investigation, Mueller’s team looked more deeply into Trump’s finances than has been previously reported. The Post found that investigators obtained bank records for some of the accounts Trump used most frequently when he was a candidate for office, and that debate inside the Justice Department centered on whether investigators could obtain additional records extending into the time Trump was president. Where some career investigators saw evidence that justified digging deeper, Barr and Liu expressed doubts.<p><p>Trump’s attorney general did not order the case closed, according to multiple people with knowledge of the events, but his<b> </b>instructions to Liu and, later, his selections to replace her, helped<b> </b>steer it to that end.<p><h3>Team 10</h3><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/XLAC7UEX7QI6TGQW3RKR5JNEHM.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III organized a team of investigators dubbed Team 10, as in $10 million from Egypt. (Andrew Harnik/AP) </small></div><p>One official called it “jaw dropping.” In early 2017, Justice Department officials were briefed on initial reports from the Central Intelligence Agency that Sisi had sought to send money to Trump.<p><p>The intelligence<b> </b>had come partly from<b> </b>a confidential informant who had previously provided useful information, according to people familiar with the matter. Intelligence the CIA gathered in other operations corroborated parts of the individual’s account, The Post learned.<p><p>Justice officials sent the case to Mueller, who had been appointed in May to investigate alleged links between Trump’s campaign and Russia, based on the theory that the Egypt allegations dovetailed with possible foreign election interference. Federal election law bans foreign nationals and governments from making contributions or donations or providing any other direct or indirect financial support to candidates for political office in the United States.<p><p>Mueller organized his investigators into teams with intentionally bland code names, like Team R for Russia. The team investigating Egypt was dubbed Team 10, as in $10 million,<b> </b>people familiar with the investigation said.<p><p>By the early summer of 2017, prosecutors and FBI agents began sizing up the sensitive intelligence, taking stock of publicly available information and pursuing other leads.<p><p>They noticed that on Sept. 19, 2016, less than two months before Election Day,<b> </b>then-candidate Trump had met with Sisi on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The campaign’s account of the closed-door meeting gave no indication that Trump had held the Egyptian leader at arm’s length, as U.S. officials typically had done since Sisi <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/egypts-morsi-defiant-under-pressure-as-deadline-looms/2013/07/03/28fda81c-e39d-11e2-80eb-3145e2994a55_story.html" target="_blank">seized power in a military coup</a> three years earlier and swept aside<b> </b>the country’s first democratically elected president. After the meeting, the <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/donald-trump-egypt-228393" target="_blank">campaign said</a> Trump had told Sisi the United States would be a “loyal friend” to Egypt if he was elected president, and on Fox News, Trump praised him as a “<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/trump-praises-egypts-al-sisi-hes-a-fantastic-guy-228560" target="_blank">fantastic guy</a>.”<p><p>Investigators also viewed it as potentially meaningful that, after he assumed office, Trump quickly embraced Sisi, the people said. Breaking with U.S. policy under President Barack Obama, Trump invited the Egyptian leader to be <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-welcomes-egypts-sissi-to-white-house-in-reversal-of-us-policy/2017/04/03/36b5e312-188b-11e7-bcc2-7d1a0973e7b2_story.html" target="_blank">one of his first guests at the White House</a> and met with him again, among other Arab leaders, on his first trip abroad.<p><p>As the Mueller team got going, investigators focused on how at the time candidate Trump met with Sisi in 2016, Trump’s campaign had been<b> </b>running low on funds. They learned through interviews with the candidate’s closest advisers that they had pleaded with Trump to write a check to his campaign for a final blitz of television ads. Trump repeatedly declined — until Oct. 28, roughly five weeks after the meeting with Sisi, when he announced the $10 million infusion. In the context of the Egypt intelligence, investigators considered the amount a point of interest, people familiar with the probe said. Though the infusion was recorded in campaign finance reports as a contribution, Trump<b>’</b>s campaign finance chairman had structured the transaction as a loan that could be repaid to Trump to convince him<b> </b>to approve the deal, according to FBI interview notes of a key Trump adviser.<p><p>Team 10 began looking for signs of the alleged transfer of the same amount — searching for evidence of the money either leaving Egypt or arriving with Trump.<p><p>By early 2018, according to previously unreported documents reviewed by The Post, investigators had obtained records from a handful of Trump’s most heavily used bank accounts and analyzed large transfers between May and November of 2016 — from before the Trump-Sisi meeting in New York until after Trump wired money to his campaign.<p><p>It was a narrower window of time than investigators wanted to scrutinize, according to people familiar with internal discussions, but Mueller generally insisted on keeping the investigation as narrow as possible and not veering into Trump’s finances after he became president.<p><p>The bank records offered no evidence that Trump had taken money from Egypt, according to documents reviewed by The Post.<p><p>In analyzing the records, investigators focused on two real estate transactions that brought Trump large sums in the fall of 2016, the documents showed. One of those was the refinancing of a Las Vegas property, which the New York Times later <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/10/09/us/donald-trump-taxes-las-vegas.html" target="_blank">pointed </a>to as a possible source of the $10 million infusion to his campaign. Agents concluded both were irrelevant to the Egypt investigation, according to people briefed on the case.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/OYNB7TQYRII6PBMYTKM5UVM7TY" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi was one of President Donald Trump's first guests at the White House as he visited Washington in April 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) </small></div><p>Peter Carr, a Justice Department spokesman, declined to comment on behalf of the former special counsel’s office.<p><p>In July 2018, Mueller’s team subpoenaed the National Bank of Egypt. The government was searching for transactions of approximately $10 million, according to people familiar with the investigation. The demand sparked a secret court battle that would consume Team 10 for the remainder of the Mueller probe.<p><p>The attorneys who represented the bank in the subpoena fight did not respond to messages seeking comment. The bank did not respond to detailed questions. The Post pieced together<b> </b>the court fight using records that were later released with redactions, other<b> </b>documents that remain secret and interviews with people with knowledge of the case.<p><p>The legal fight, which led to the mysterious closing of part of the federal courthouse in D.C. in December of that year, wound its way to the Supreme Court as each side battled over whether the state-owned, foreign bank could be compelled to produce evidence for a domestic U.S. criminal probe. In its final plea to the high court to hear the case, the bank<b> </b>warned<b> </b>that if it had to turn over records, it would “wreak havoc on American foreign policy — possibly alienating U.S. allies, undermining diplomatic efforts and inviting reciprocal treatment.”<p><p>The high court <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-rules-against-mystery-corporation-from-country-a-fighting-subpoena-in-mueller-investigation/2019/01/08/a39b61ac-0d1a-11e9-84fc-d58c33d6c8c7_story.html" target="_blank">denied the bank’s request</a>, but still the bank did not comply. By mid-January 2019, the bank had begun accruing contempt fines of $50,000 a day imposed by Beryl Howell, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for failing to turn over the records.<p><p>By early February<b> </b>2019, the bank relented and delivered almost 1,000 pages, including versions of bank documents in Arabic and English.<p><p>Those bank records contained one especially tantalizing item: A short handwritten letter dated Jan. 15, 2017, in which an organization called the Research and Studies Center asked that the bank “kindly withdraw a sum of US $9,998,000” from its Heliopolis branch, located about seven miles from Cairo International Airport. According to the bank records, employees assembled the money that same day, entirely in U.S. $100 bills, put it in two large bags and kept it in the bank manager’s office until two men associated with the account and two others came and took away the cash.<p><p>Mueller’s team gathered<b> </b>prosecutors and agents to brief them on the newly obtained documents. To people in the room, the withdrawal seemed to bolster the classified intelligence and validate the decision to have had Mueller’s team investigate, according to people familiar with the discussions.<p><p>“It wasn’t a smoking gun,” one of those people said, describing the thinking at the time. “But it was very clear that there was so much smoke and now more smoke — there must be a fire.”<p><p>Mueller, meanwhile, had been moving to close down his operation, having nearly completed his probe of alleged Russian interference. By early 2019, he had asked other federal prosecutors’ offices to take over his team’s unfinished investigations.<p><p>The U.S. attorney’s office in D.C., led by Liu, took on the Egypt probe.<p><p>Liu was well regarded among the lawyers in her office. She was a Republican who had risen through the ranks of the Justice and Treasury departments over a decade, but she later ran into headwinds with pro-Trump conservatives who would on two occasions successfully oppose her nomination for more senior positions in the government. Nearly two years into the job, Liu was being asked to oversee an investigation involving the president who had appointed her.<p><h3>‘Important customer’</h3><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/NQ32UHR7SYI6TIGTCIIOLCUUZ4.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Jessie Liu, then the U.S. attorney for D.C., took over the Egypt probe in 2019 and was in the position of overseeing an investigation involving the president who had appointed her. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) </small></div><p>Liu’s office took an aggressive approach at first.<p><p>Her prosecutors partnered during the handoff with Mueller’s team in pressuring the National Bank of Egypt to release records — asking the judge to increase the contempt fine to $300,000 a day.<p><p>Her prosecutors also pushed the bank to disclose more about the Research and Studies Center. The center had virtually no public profile, and U.S. authorities suspected it was a front for the General Intelligence Service, Egypt’s equivalent of the CIA, according to people with knowledge of the case.<p><p>Prosecutors argued in court that the state-run Egyptian bank must be withholding details about the withdrawal. They said that the bank had not turned over a single email about the enormous same-day transaction and that the lack of any such internal communication was unthinkable.<p><p>“It strains credulity that the Bank kept such a stockpile of U.S. dollars on hand, let alone that it was able to gather it up all in less than 24 hours,” read a March 21, 2019,<b> </b>filing signed by Liu.<p><p>The bank argued that it had nothing else to produce. “The Government is beating a dead horse over and over,” wrote its U.S.-based attorneys.<p><p>The two sides also argued over whether the center’s address was fake. The bank had reported conducting a site visit of its client in Cairo and finding 55 people working at the address. The U.S. government produced pictures at that address showing an apartment building.<p><p>In the back-and-forth arguments in court, the bank on April 4, 2019, filed a statement from a bank manager confirming<b> </b>the investigators’ suspicion that the Research and Studies Center had a “relationship with the Egyptian General Intelligence Agency,” according to an English translation of the statement. Further, he wrote, the intelligence agency was “another important customer of the Heliopolis Branch.”<p><p>Since seizing the presidency in 2013, Sisi has greatly expanded the powers of the GIS and increasingly relied on the spy agency to maintain his political stronghold at home as well as to press his agenda abroad. In 2018, his eldest son became the service’s deputy director.<p><p>Top leaders of the GIS figured prominently in the trial that led last month to the conviction of Menendez on charges of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and acting as an unregistered agent of the Egyptian government.<p><p>According to people with knowledge of the Trump probe, investigators believed that only Sisi or a government operative acting on his orders could have arranged for the $10 million cash withdrawal. They also saw hallmarks of an international money-laundering operation in the way funds moved into and through the Research and Studies Center accounts ahead of that cash withdrawal, indications of a potential crime that may or may not have been related to an effort to help Trump.<p><p>Investigators tried to connect the dots before the dramatic withdrawal involving bags of cash. They noticed that separate transactions in China and Egypt over a 14-month period suggested a possible path for the $10 million.<p><p>The Research and Studies Center opened an account at the bank’s Heliopolis branch in November 2015, the bank’s records showed. In August 2016, the center opened a second account, this time in the bank’s Shanghai branch. Five days after that, a company that investigators believed was tied to an Egyptian oligarch initiated a transfer of $10 million into the center’s Shanghai account, records showed.<p><p>The transfer was held up, then cleared for deposit in Shanghai in December, the records showed. The same amount was transferred from that account to the center’s account at the Heliopolis branch shortly before the cash withdrawal there on Jan. 15, 2017.<p><p>Three days later, the center closed its account in Shanghai. Within 90 days, its account in Heliopolis was closed, too.<p><p>The Post could not determine if the Research and Studies Center still exists. A corporate registration number listed in a 2019 bank record does not appear in searches of a government website or on a commercial database of Egyptian businesses.<p><p>For U.S. authorities, in the spring of 2019, that was where the money trail went cold. A new round of investigative steps would be necessary to see if the money ever appeared on Trump’s side of the ledger.<p><h3>‘Adult supervision’</h3><p>In April 2019, the FBI agents and federal prosecutors proposed a plan to drill deeper, people familiar with the investigation said.<p><p>They eyed a range of investigative targets in Egypt, such as seeking additional bank records and witness interviews.<b> </b>But in the FBI agents’ view, the people said, there was little reason to take those steps unless they could act on the most important part of their plan: looking at a wider set of Trump’s banking records.<p><p>And that part of the plan proved the most contentious.<p><p>In a series of meetings beginning that April, FBI agents and supervisors told Liu they supported a proposal to subpoena Trump’s banking records, according to contemporaneous notes of the discussions. Liu had concerns about the scope, the notes say.<p><p>Investigators<b> </b>pressed their case with Liu.<b> </b> They argued that Mueller had not authorized his agents to obtain records later than November of that year. In light of the newly obtained cash withdrawal records from early 2017, the investigators argued that they needed to see what had landed in Trump’s accounts after that 2017 Cairo withdrawal, according to the notes and people familiar with the case.<p><p>Finally, in June, agents seemed to have a breakthrough in a meeting with Liu. According to the notes, senior officials from the FBI’s Washington field office told her that bureau leaders supported the effort: “Full FBI chain briefed up — fully supportive of an investigation — specifically bank subpoena Trump.”<p><p>Liu indicated she was open to a subpoena seeking a limited amount of additional Trump bank records, according to the notes and two of the people. The agents were pleased, the people said. As she was leaving, she told the group she would need to run the matter by Barr.<p><p>It was a logical step to take in the Justice Department’s standard practice of handling major, politically sensitive cases; the attorney general would have to be briefed on any probe even tangentially touching the sitting president. But investigators worried Barr might halt the effort in its tracks, two of the people said.<p><p>Just two months earlier, Barr had preempted <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/sco/file/1373816/dl" target="_blank">Mueller’s investigative report</a> of the Russia probe by issuing a summary declaring that it found insufficient evidence that Trump had engaged in any crime. Barr’s move allowed Trump to claim “total exoneration,” despite Mueller citing “substantial evidence” that Trump had attempted to block scrutiny of his conduct.<p><p>Sometime after her June meetings with the FBI, Liu met with Barr to discuss the Egypt case. He urged her to personally review the underlying information from the CIA that had prompted the opening of the criminal investigation two years earlier,<b> </b>according to people with knowledge of the discussions. The case was sensitive, Barr told her, and she needed to reach her own conclusions about the merits of further investigative steps, according to people familiar with the discussion.<p><p>Liu reviewed the intelligence and visited CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., to discuss the basis for it, those people and others said. The CIA declined to respond to a detailed list of questions sent by The Post.<p><p>Afterward, and after conferring with Barr again, Liu expressed hesitancy to FBI agents and her deputies about the proposal to subpoena Trump’s bank records, according to people familiar with the case. It felt to some that she had made a 180-degree turn, these people said.<p><p>Liu was concerned, according to two people familiar with her thinking, that the investigators’ push for additional Trump bank records could come off as a fishing expedition. She was not won over by the new records of the 2017 withdrawal, according to the people. Egypt’s intelligence agency might make enormous cash withdrawals for any number of reasons, she cautioned, not necessarily to donate to an American president.<p><p>Liu also expressed concern that Mueller’s Egypt investigators had obtained and scrutinized numerous Trump bank records for 2016 without finding anything, and now they were asking to look for even more records from 2017.<p><p>Frustrated investigators argued to Liu that in any other case — even with far less compelling evidence — they would have been able to obtain additional bank records “in a heartbeat,” according to one person who spoke to The Post.<p><p>Privately, Liu told some supervisors in her office that with Trump having announced his bid for a second term, the focus on a sitting president’s finances made this case different, people with knowledge of the matter said. Although investigators argued that pursuing bank records would be entirely covert, Liu said she worried<b> </b>the Justice Department could be accused — once again — of interfering in a presidential election.<p><p>Some career supervisors briefed on the developments sympathized with the challenge Liu faced. She was being asked to take the monumental step of probing the sitting president’s financial records in the wake of his claims that the Russia investigation<b> </b>had been based on a “hoax.”<p><p>CIA officials had also relayed to Liu concerns that apart from Trump’s bank records, other steps investigators also wanted to take could jeopardize their operations, according to people familiar with the discussions.<p><p>As the summer wore on,<b> </b>Barr also<b> </b>met with Wray and some of their top deputies to discuss the Egypt case. Two people with knowledge of the meeting described it to The Post.<p><p>Barr told Wray he had a problem: Liu seemed uncomfortable making key decisions in the case. Barr said she doubted that some investigative moves were justified but felt pressured by the agents. Barr said Liu worried that blocking some investigative steps might be perceived by the team as quashing a politically explosive investigation, the two people said.<p><p>Barr also told Wray he was suspicious of FBI agents on the case, as some had worked on the Mueller investigation, which he had criticized as largely unwarranted. Barr said that he wanted to be sure the director was aware of the situation and that he was applying some “adult supervision” to his FBI agents.<p><p>Barr stressed to Wray that the matter would come under intense scrutiny no matter what happened with the case, the people said. He warned that given the controversy surrounding the Russia investigation, and given that this new case also centered on the sitting president, they could not risk short-circuiting or rushing any investigative decisions. He said investigators needed to ensure that an appropriate legal basis, or predicate, existed before proceeding, they said.<p><p>Sometime around September 2019, FBI agents and a supervisor from the field office presented what they considered an ultimatum to Liu: authorize getting Trump’s 2017 bank records or it wasn’t worth continuing to investigate, according to people later briefed on the exchange. Liu listened but turned them down; she said she wasn’t closing the case and was open to subpoenaing Trump’s records later on if agents turned up more compelling evidence to justify doing so, these people said.<p><h3>Case closed</h3><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/5WUMCWWOYMI6XJ7RKK4IOC7PPQ.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Trump and Barr attend a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in May 2019. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>By late 2019, Liu’s office was poised to make sentencing recommendations for high-profile senior Trump advisers it had prosecuted, Michael Flynn and Roger Stone — cases that could tarnish Trump and his campaign. That December, the White House nominated Liu to be an assistant secretary of the Treasury Department.<p><p>Barr seized the moment to make a change. Breaking with the tradition of allowing White House nominees to remain in their current posts until confirmed for new ones, he ordered Liu in early January 2020 to step down by the end of the month, people with knowledge of the matter said. The White House later withdrew Liu’s nomination.<p><p>Barr installed a longtime ally, Timothy Shea, who was then serving as a counselor to Barr and had previously worked with him in the George H.W. Bush administration. At one of Shea’s first meetings, the office’s senior leadership briefed him on major pending cases and outlined the Egypt probe and their proposed subpoenas for Trump bank and foreign bank records. Shea told them he was putting a hold on any investigative steps while he got up to speed, people with knowledge of Shea’s<b> </b>instruction said.<p><p>After the meeting, investigators discussed their feeling that Shea’s reaction to the Egypt case was so negative that it spelled the end of any forward movement, the people said; they did not return to press Shea for those subpoenas.<p><p>Shea declined to answer detailed questions from The Post. Shea told associates that he had not conferred with Barr about the case, according to two people familiar with Shea’s description of events.<p><p>Barr, however, grew disappointed with his handpicked chief prosecutor for a separate reason,<b> </b>according to people familiar with Barr’s thinking. Shea allowed attorneys in his office to recommend a lengthy prison sentence for Stone, who had been convicted of multiple felonies.<p><p>Less than four months after appointing him, Barr replaced Shea with Sherwin, a former Navy intelligence officer who spent a decade prosecuting counterintelligence and terrorism cases before becoming an adviser to Barr.<p><p>In a meeting the first week of June, senior leadership once again reviewed major pending cases with the new acting U.S. attorney, people familiar with the case said.<b> </b>Sherwin listened to the status update on the Egypt probe. Prosecutors had not been able to gather any new information for months, but they argued to Sherwin that there were still steps in the case they could pursue.<p><p>Sherwin told the team the lack of evidence meant that the case should be shut down. With some resigned to that outcome, no one spoke up to object, people familiar with the discussion told The Post.<p><p>On June 7, he sent an email to the head of the FBI’s Washington field office. The subject line of the email, which was reviewed by The Post, read: “Egypt Investigation.”<p><p>“Based upon review of this investigation,” Sherwin began, his office would be “closing the above matter” because neither an indictment nor a conviction was likely.<p><p>In an interview with The Post, Sherwin said Biden administration appointees, including Attorney General Merrick Garland, who took over the department months later, could have relaunched the probe if they disagreed. “The case was closed without prejudice,” he said. “Anyone could have reopened the case the second I left that office.”<p><p>The case was not reopened.<p><p>Incoming Biden administration Justice Department leaders and prosecutors in the D.C. office were<b> </b>immediately consumed with cases from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the largest investigation in the department’s history.<p><p>Garland, senior members of his team, and Biden’s new U.S. attorney in D.C. were never briefed on the Egypt investigation in their first year in office, one former and one current government official told The Post.<p><p>The Justice Department did not make Garland available for comment.<p><p>On Jan. 15, 2022, five years after the money left the bank in Cairo, the deadline for bringing charges under the federal statute of limitations for illegal campaign contributions expired.<p><p><i>Cate Brown, Alice Crites and Aaron Schaffer contributed to this report.</i><p><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-07-09T16:41:08.711Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/OWCTUUI4BJB4RLO7KW6E2NYF2U/20240801-185404.041/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240618/66720fb6aca83e0fad55ce83/669eb6a3d9dfd01cdcfb5802/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669eb12a509c0d7bb256adcf/669eb159d9dfd01cdcfb57e7/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>A ballerina for 16 years, Alexis “Lexi” Lagan, 31, took up competitive shooting as a hobby while in college at the University of Utah, where she was studying physics and pre-law, soon becoming an expert in the 10-meter air pistol. Her stretching routine is like “weight training for your feet and ankles,” she says, and requires only a foam roller and resistance bands.<p><h3>Exercise 1: Calf rolling</h3><p>This move helps prepare the muscles and other tissues for the stretches that follow, Lagan says. Try to press as hard as you can tolerate. Roll back and forth about 20 times on each calf.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240618/66720a4daca83e0fad55ccfc/669ebfb55007d0611153b532/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669eaba6fdae010587695341/669eb4a15007d0611153b4f5/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><h3>Exercise 2: Heel raises</h3><p>With your feet flat on the ground, about shoulder width apart, rise onto your toes, then slowly lower and repeat. Deceptively simple, this exercise isolates and works muscles throughout the calf and foot, Lagan says.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240618/66720f0caca83e0fad55ce1c/669ebfdcb711eb5ff5a159d7/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669eacda509c0d7bb256ac4c/669eb4ecd9dfd01cdcfb57f0/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><h3>Exercise 3: Resistance band stretch</h3><p>Drape one leg over the foam roller and stretch an elastic resistance band around the underside of that foot. Hold the band tight and move your foot forward, back, and side to side. Point and curl your toes, engaging the ankle’s full range of motion.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240618/66720dd8aca83e0fad55cd9a/66903abeb711eb5ff5a151c5/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669eaeda368cb00bdd998af4/669eb0cfd9dfd01cdcfb57d5/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>Lagan does all three stretches almost daily, she says, but suggests the rest of us aim for at least twice a week, to improve lower-body flexibility and overall mobility.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240619/6672f2e7a946d548a760a9fe/669ebf8ed9dfd01cdcfb580e/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669eac74509c0d7bb256ac3c/669eb431b711eb5ff5a159b5/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>Meanwhile, as the Paris Games drew near, Lagan began working on a special Olympics-related fingernail design, since nails matter for elite pistol athletes, not just for aesthetics, but also performance and Olympian camaraderie.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240618/66720cd7a946d548a7607e07/669ebe1c5007d0611153b529/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669eabfd509c0d7bb256ac03/669eb576d9dfd01cdcfb57f9/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>Lagan placed 25th among the 44 female 10-meter pistol athletes at the Paris Olympics, 13 spots higher than at the Tokyo Games.<p><h5>About this story</h5><p>Story by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/gretchen-reynolds/" target="_blank">Gretchen Reynolds</a>. Video by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/whitney-leaming/" target="_blank">Whitney Leaming</a>. Design and development by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/carson-terbush/" target="_blank">Carson TerBush</a>. Editing by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/tara-parker-pope/" target="_blank">Tara Parker-Pope</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/christian-font/" target="_blank">Christian Font</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jessica-koscielniak/" target="_blank">Jessica Koscielniak</a>. Copy editing by Nora Simon.<p><p>Filmed at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.<p>
2024-08-01T20:13:32.900Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/BWL5Q7V33RG4FPIPBBRFTNF52E/20240801-220154.544/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/AFVZCLMD62MG5OQNKC2YOOAP4E.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Sen. JD Vance (Ohio), the Republican vice-presidential nominee, speaks in Hereford, Ariz., on Thursday. (Cassidy Araiza for The Washington Post)</small></div><p><i>“[Vice President Harris] voted to preserve NAFTA, the very trade deal that sent American jobs to Mexico and turned American dreams into nightmares.”</i><p><p><b>— Republican vice-presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (Ohio), </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9gKrdC3u4w&t=1169s" target="_blank"><b>remarks in Glendale, Ariz</b></a><b>., July 31</b><p><p><i>“She voted, even after it was obvious it was a mistake, she voted to preserve NAFTA, the very trade deal that sent American jobs to Mexico and turned American dreams into nightmares.”</i><p><p><b>— Vance, </b><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5126639/user-clip-e1" target="_blank"><b>remarks in Henderson, Nev.,</b></a><b> July 30</b><p><p><i>“Biden supported NAFTA back in 1994, but Kamala Harris voted to keep NAFTA again and again, even after it was obvious it was a disaster for our people.”</i><p><p><b>— Vance, </b><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.c-span.org/video/?c5125401__;!!M9LbjjnYNg9jBDflsQ!BEDD5PBTCKeycYWiu0glSXlkLhnlj3UakDhg8Ev_bwe9z7o4hmF5wbJWuixoLJCMhaUHFDiLFau85mgrr8NuDV3WqHs$" target="_blank"><b>remarks in Radford, Va.,</b></a><b> July 22</b><p><p>In his campaign stump speech, Vance uses some oddly specific language when claiming that Harris supported the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). He says she “voted to preserve” it or to “keep” it.<p><p>Our Fact Checker antenna went up. When politicians use ambiguous wording, it often means they are intending to mislead.<p><p>Let’s take a look.<p><h3>The Facts</h3><p>NAFTA was <a href="https://library.cqpress.com/cqalmanac/document.php?id=cqal93-1105315" target="_blank">negotiated and signed</a> by President George H.W. Bush., a Republican, in 1992. Bill Clinton, a Democrat, pushed the deal through Congress the following the year, where <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/05/09/history-lesson-more-republicans-than-democrats-supported-nafta/" target="_blank">more Republicans than Democrats voted</a> for it, as the trade pact was vehemently opposed by labor unions.<p><p>Those were the days when the Republican Party was in favor of free trade. Now, under former president Donald Trump, who regularly denounced NAFTA, the party has become more protectionist. Vance introduces this line about Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, after he denounces “globalization” — “where American jobs went to some other part of the globe instead of staying here for our own citizens.”<p><p>Vance’s attack shows how the Trump campaign is struggling with a new opponent now that Biden has abandoned his reelection bid. As a senator, Biden voted for NAFTA and other free-trade agreements, making him a target for this kind of campaign jab. Vance is awkwardly trying to apply an old attack line to a new foe.<p><p>Economists have not reached any firm conclusion on the impact of NAFTA, but many think claims of massive job losses are overstated. The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service in 2017 <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R42965.pdf" target="_blank">concluded</a> that the “net overall effect of the North American Free Trade Agreement on the U.S. economy appears to have been relatively modest, primarily because trade with Canada and Mexico accounts for a small percentage of U.S. GDP,” though it noted that “there were worker and firm adjustment costs as the three countries adjusted to more open trade and investment among their economies.”<p><p>Back in 1994, Harris was a young prosecutor in Alameda County, beginning her political ascent with an appointment to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. So, she would not have had any role in approving NAFTA.<p><p>In <a href="http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1905/12/sotu.01.html" target="_blank">a 2019 interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper</a>, she said: “I would not have voted for NAFTA, and because I believe that we can do a better job to protect American workers.”<p><p>She added, “We need to do a better job in terms of thinking about the priorities that should be more apparent now than perhaps they were then, which are issues like the climate crisis and what we need to build into these trade agreements.”<p><p>Running for the Senate in 2016, Harris was a vocal opponent of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade alliance with the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim countries negotiated by the Obama administration. Trump was also a critic of the TPP — “even worse than NAFTA” — and scrapped it at the beginning of his term.<p><p>So what is Vance talking about? A spokesman confirmed that he is referencing Harris’s vote in 2020 against approval of NAFTA’s replacement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), negotiated during the Trump administration. (Vance was not yet a senator when USMCA came up for a vote.)<p><p>Trump, in typical fashion, often claims USMCA was “the best trade deal ever made.” But it only made modest tweaks to NAFTA, such as modernizing trade rules in effect from 1994 to 2020, giving some wins to U.S. farmers and blue-collar workers in the auto sector.<p><p>Some elements of the deal, in fact, were borrowed from the TPP. The U.S. International Trade Commission, which is tasked with evaluating the impact of trade agreements, <a href="https://www.usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2019/er0418ll1087.htm" target="_blank">calculated</a> USMCA would have a relatively minor impact: The USMCA would raise U.S. real gross domestic product by $68.2 billion (0.35 percent) and U.S. employment by 176,000 jobs (0.12 percent).<p><p>But Harris did not vote against USMCA because she wanted to keep NAFTA in place. She was <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1162/vote_116_2_00014.htm" target="_blank">one of 10 senators (mainly Democrats) who opposed it</a> because it did not go far enough in changing NAFTA. (One Republican, then-Sen. Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania, thought it went too far.)<p><p>In <a href="https://www.goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/news/local-news/21670-u-s-senator-kamala-d-harris-votes-against-usmca-in-committee" target="_blank">a statement</a> issued after she voted against the trade agreement in the Senate Budget Committee, Harris said Democrats in the House had improved the text compared with what Trump had originally negotiated. But she said it was still inadequate, especially on environmental issues. The Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters and Natural Resources Defense Council had <a href="https://rollcall.com/2020/01/14/usmca-bill-tough-vote-for-democrats-over-lack-of-environmental-protections/" target="_blank">urged</a> a vote against USMCA.<p><p>“I have concluded that the USMCA’s environmental provisions are insufficient — and by not addressing climate change, the USMCA fails to meet the crises of this moment,” she said. “Californians know that the climate crisis is already here. Communities across our state have experienced exacerbated fires, storms, floods, and drought, and the devastation will only get worse if we fail to take bold and immediate action to address it.”<p><p>That’s not the same as trying to “preserve” NAFTA.<p><p>Indeed, when the United Auto Workers endorsed Harris this week, <a href="https://uaw.org/uaw-endorses-kamala-harris-for-president-ahead-of-mass-rally-in-detroit/" target="_blank">its statement</a> lauded her for having “spoken out and voted against unfair trade deals that hurt the American worker like NAFTA and NAFTA 2.0, the USMCA. ”<p><p>Asked to comment on Vance’s claim, his spokesman, Will Martin, said, “There is absolutely no way to get around the fact that Kamala Harris voted to defend NAFTA. She had a chance to support President Trump’s historic USMCA trade deal, which helped reshore domestic manufacturing and boost American agriculture. Instead, she voted to keep NAFTA and continue outsourcing jobs to Mexico. Thankfully, come November she will never be in a position of power ever again.”<p><h3>The Pinocchio Test</h3><p>Vance is a skeptic of free-trade agreements, and Harris is equally a skeptic. By using slippery language, Vance is falsely suggesting that Harris voted for NAFTA or that she voted to keep it in place. In reality, she was a foe of NAFTA — and also its replacement. There is no evidence that she ever wanted to “preserve” it. The Vance campaign can point to a vote, making us wonder if this was worthy of Three Pinocchios, but the mendacity of this claim tipped it to Four.<p><h2>Four Pinocchios</h2><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/QV3BGZUD6FDBFNBZU7K2IY63XU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;"></small></div><p>(<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/about-the-fact-checker/">About our rating scale</a>)<p><p><b>Send us facts to check by filling out </b><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe01K2h8TbgfMF2z2Ryjw_bziOd_a3rlanmgfuASZLtXXsr_g/viewform"><b>this form</b></a><p><p><b>Sign up for The Fact Checker </b><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/newsletters/fact-checker/?auto=true&method=SURL&location=ART" target="_blank"><b>weekly newsletter</b></a><p><p><b>The Fact Checker is a verified </b><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/about-the-fact-checker/#code"><b>signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network code of principles</b></a><p>
2024-07-09T17:12:10.418Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/T3MDZ6XL3ZARZB55Y4THRW4YWY/20240801-185575.758/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p><p><p><p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240702/668457aabaf2774053270f52/66a7c61fb711eb5ff5a15f4e/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669edef0fdae01058769a749/669edf45b711eb5ff5a15a3e/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p><p><p><p><p><p><p>At age 23, Jamal Hill, learned he has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a progressive neurological condition that affects muscles, especially in the arms and legs. Soon after, he joined the U.S. Paralympic swimming squad and, at the 2020 Summer Olympics, won bronze in the 50-meter freestyle. Now 29, he’s now training for Paris.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240702/66845a3a76aff96ad4af3ed3/669edc55b711eb5ff5a15a23/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669edfcb368cb00bdd999a65/669edff7b711eb5ff5a15a47/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>Swimming tightens shoulders, Hill says. So does modern life, with long hours of sitting in cars, slouching in front of a computer or staring at a phone.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240702/66845bbac8091760e77ca23a/669edd34d9dfd01cdcfb5839/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669ee06cfdae01058769aa2d/669ee0d2d9dfd01cdcfb5854/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>His response is to practice these three essential upper-body stretches before almost every training session or race.<p><h3>Exercise 1: The gentle wrench</h3><p>A move that loosens and activates the shoulder joint and rotator cuff, it starts with a long, lightweight pole, such as a broomstick, PVC pipe or mobility pole, which is often available at gyms. Stand upright, legs slightly apart, the pole held vertically to one side.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240702/66844e4abaf2774053270c3d/669edda6d9dfd01cdcfb5842/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669ee108368cb00bdd999a80/669ee15a5007d0611153b5bc/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>Breathe normally, so your muscles don’t tighten. Repeat the full stretch on your other side.<p><h3>Exercise 2: Pass throughs</h3><p>Hold the bar horizontally, with an overhand grip, in front of you. Move it rhythmically up and over your head and back in front. Reach far enough in both directions that you feel your shoulder blades extend and contract.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240702/66845129baf2774053270cd9/669eddfdb711eb5ff5a15a2c/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669ee196fdae01058769acd8/669ee232d9dfd01cdcfb585e/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><h3>Exercise 3: The figure eight</h3><p>A variation of the last stretch, but with a wavy motion, like a figure eight or swim stroke, this exercise moves the shoulders and rotator cuffs through the greatest range of motion. As you get better at this move, slide your hands a little closer together, Hill says. The closer they are, the more challenging the stretch.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240702/66845488c8091760e77ca109/669ede39d9dfd01cdcfb584b/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669ee2a3368cb00bdd999abe/669ee329b711eb5ff5a15a62/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>Hill practices all three exercises continuously, each flowing into the next, for about two minutes, then repeats the full sequence two more times, for a total of about six minutes of stretching.<p><p>Because swimming has been so important for him, Hill founded the <a href="https://www.swimuphill.org/about-us" target="_blank">Swim Up Hill Foundation</a> in 2018 to promote the sport and provide instruction to non-swimmers, especially in underserved communities.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240702/66845845baf2774053270f91/669ede60b711eb5ff5a15a35/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240722/669ee32c509c0d7bb256c0ea/669ee35cd9dfd01cdcfb585f/file_1080x1920-5400.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>The first rounds of the men’s 50-meter freestyle at the Paralympics in Paris begin on Aug. 29.<p><h5>About this story</h5><p>Story by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/gretchen-reynolds/" target="_blank">Gretchen Reynolds</a>. Video by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/julia-wall/" target="_blank">Julia Wall</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/whitney-leaming/" target="_blank">Whitney Leaming</a>. Design and development by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/carson-terbush/" target="_blank">Carson TerBush</a>. Editing by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/tara-parker-pope/" target="_blank">Tara Parker-Pope</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/christian-font/" target="_blank">Christian Font</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jessica-koscielniak/" target="_blank">Jessica Koscielniak</a>. Copy editing by Nora Simon.<p><p>Filmed at the Boys & Girls Club in Pasadena, Calif.<p>
2024-08-02T10:03:38.429Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/I5JP7C656NF3DPIK5KWAWECL2E/20240802-060789.897/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/K5ECT6YHLNVEPS6HZOJTEQ2AQA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Lucia Moris of South Sudan lies injured on the ground as Silina Pha Aphay of Lao People's Democratic Republic checks her. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)</small></div><p>SAINT-DENIS, France – Sprinters who run the preliminary rounds are not at the Olympics to win medals. They are there to represent themselves and their country, to tell people years from now they competed in the Olympics, to provide an example to the people back home in their small countries and underfunded sports programs.<p><p>The nine athletes in the first preliminary race on the first morning of track and field at the Paris Olympics came from South Sudan, Laos, Turkmenistan, Niger, Palau, Paraguay, Mauritania, San Marino and Congo. Racing in the 100-meter dash, they hoped to finish in the top three and make it into the first round. Maybe they could tell their families years from now that they lined up next to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce or Sha’Carri Richardson.<p><p>Silinia Pha Aphay, the Laotian sprinter, ran in Lane 2. Halfway through the race, she saw the blur to her left crumble. Lucia Moris, the runner in Lane 1 from South Sudan, had fallen.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/ZU7HJVFUU6P6W7KVBIGT6AID5U.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Petr David Josek/AP)</small></div><p>Pha Aphay crossed in 12.45 seconds, her best time this season but only good enough for sixth place. Her Olympics were over before 11 a.m. on the first morning of track and field. As she processed that disappointment, Pha Aphay heard the horrible noise that echoed through Stade de France.<p><p>Moris laid on the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/08/01/paris-olympics-purple-track/" target="_blank">purple track</a>, screaming and shrieking and holding her right leg. Pha Apahy turned and did something unusual for a sprinter: She ran toward the start line. She pointed and waved at medics to come help.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/GM2G4BQOAGYQQPYEF3VEMTG5OU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Michael Steele/Getty Images)</small></div><p>“We are athletes,” Pha Aphay said. “We are 100 meters – the same. All 100 meters athletes have to know how being hurt feels. And this is a big competition. It’s a big dream to come here. But you get hurt here. So everybody knows the feeling.”<p><p>When Pha Aphay arrived, she suspected from experience that Moris had injured her hamstring. Pha Aphay could not help Moris. She told her, “Just cry out.”<p><p>“I can only share her pain,” Pha Aphay said.<p><p>Pha Aphay stayed with Moris as medics strapped her to a yellow stretcher. She placed her hand on Moris’s shoulder. She placed a pair of orange shoes next to the stretcher. Medics carried Moris away, her body immobilized.<p><p>Pha Aphay watched and then jogged to the corner of Stade de France. On the clock, her Olympics had ended after 12.45 seconds. She had represented herself and her county. Even if she could not tell in that moment, when she only wanted one more race, she had run at the Olympics and done what she came to do.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/4IU3LCCJSW6N3Y45EGOJMDX2XU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Salam Bouha Ahamdy of Mauritania, left, and Laotian Silina Pha Aphay react as Lucia Moris of South Sudan lies injured on the track. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)</small></div><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-08-01T15:48:09.888Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/SOLAXD5JYFHQFPC5SCPHIKAAAY/20240802-060778.789/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>Good morning, Early Birds. Welcome home<b> </b>Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Vladimir Kara-Muzra, Lilia Chanysheva and to all the others u<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/russia-prisoner-swap-people-released/" target="_blank">njustly held in Russia</a> who are going home, too. Send tips to <a href="mailto:earlytips@washpost.com" target="_blank">earlytips@washpost.com</a>. Thanks for waking up with us.<p><p><b>In today’s edition </b>… Half of Americans call volume of immigrants a ‘critical threat’ ... Trump’s lead over Harris has narrowed … but first …<p><h2>Rep. Suozzi: Harris needs to ‘lean in’ on border security</h2><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/YZ3IQCC46FFZZMTLFHNRDOKXGI.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.). Washington Post illustration; Craig Hudson for The Washington Post (TWP)</small></div><p><b>Six questions for ... Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.)</b>. Suozzi won a special election in February to fill a Long Island seat vacated by former congressman George Santos (R-N.Y.) who was expelled after he was convicted of fraud and other crimes. <b>Suozzi </b>won his race in part because he leaned into immigration and border security, usually politically perilous issues for Democrats.<p><p>We spoke to him about how the likely Democratic nominee, <b>Vice President Harris</b>, should address border security on the campaign trail and her impact on House races, especially in blue states like New York.<p><p><b>Why did you decide to lean into immigration in your campaign?</b><p><p>Well, I’ve been around a long time in public service, government and politics, and I’ve always believed that you have to talk about what the people are talking about. I don’t know who was it was like, you know, Eisenhower, or somebody who said: The best politician, the best elected official, was the one that says what the people are thinking already. And I know that this is an issue that is top of mind for people.<p><p><b>Democrats were worried about the issue in your special election, which was days after the bipartisan border deal fell apart. What resonated with voters?</b><p><p>I had always been someone who talked about bipartisan solutions to problems. I’ve been working on the issue of immigration since I was the mayor of my hometown of Glen Cove, in 1994 when I was 31 years old. I addressed the issue head on, despite the fact that many consultants and politicos were saying, “Hey, that’s a Republican issue. Why are you talking about it?” I said, “That’s not a Republican issue. It’s an American issue. It’s what Democrats and Republicans and independents are all concerned about.”<p><p>Anybody who looks at those images on television of people streaming across the border is worried. And that doesn’t mean that we’re not understanding, that we’re not compassionate, and, you know, we support the Dreamers but we have to address the fact that border security is a real concern of people.<p><p><b>Republicans are painting Harris as a border czar. How should she address what could be one of her biggest liabilities?</b><p><p>I was very excited on Tuesday night when she came out with a very strong speech and also a commercial that made the argument similar to what I was saying in my campaign, which is that we had this bipartisan deal negotiated that was going to secure the border. And in comes Trump, swoops in and says, “Oh, I don’t want to do that deal. I want to run on the chaos, and I don’t want to give Biden to win.”<p><p>That’s the most cynical, awful type of politics, where people just want the issue for their own personal political purposes, instead of trying to actually solve the problem. And I think in my race I felt the people would see through that, and they did. And I think they’re going to see through it in this presidential election, and I think that the vice president should continue to lean into this issue, saying, “I recognize this is an issue. I’m going to fix it, and this is how I would do it. And Trump had an opportunity, and he sabotaged it.”<p><p><b>Harris’</b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voOgm3kTXi0" target="_blank"><b> new ad says</b></a><b> exactly that: “There are two choices in this election. The one who will fix our broken immigration system. And the one who is trying to stop her.” Was it effective?</b><p><p>Yeah, I am ecstatic. This is the one issue she needs to lean into heavily before the Republicans try and misrepresent her record.<p><p>And I think she should lean in further to building a relationship with the president-elect of Mexico, who happens to be a woman. ... Mexico’s got such an important role here.<p><p>So the next step should be to lay out what the plan is going forward to get legislation done on a bipartisan basis. I think the commercial was great. I think the kickoff speech in Atlanta was great, and I think that the vice president should continue to say that we recognize this is an issue and we want to solve it.<p><p><b>In the midterms, Democratic House candidates struggled in blue states like California and New York. Can Democrats in blue states do better down ballot this cycle?</b><p><p>There’s no question that there are challenges. I mean, if you if you ask the people on these issues, are these top issues of immigration, crime and affordability, you know, don’t poll as well.<p><p>That can be flipped on its head simply by recognizing what the people are saying and addressing them. So yes, the border is an issue. Immigration is an issue. This is our solution. How do we not get sabotaged by Trump? Regarding affordability, you know, we see the economy getting better. We see the steps that have been taken regarding gas prices, regarding insulin, regarding prescription drugs, or other issues, like the state and local tax deduction, which is peculiar to my district.<p><p>This idea of defund the police, it’s absurd. It’s the worst statement in politics I’ve ever heard in my career. We need to support law enforcement. It’s essential to our long-term being. So I’m just very happy to see that the vice president is leaning in that direction.<p><p><b>Will Harris be better for New York Democrats in November than Biden?</b><p><p>It’s different for different districts based on registration and their demographic makeup, but I think that she’s got a great story to tell regarding her history as a prosecutor. I’d focus on when she was a D.A., prosecuting crimes, and I think the fact that she’s she’s taking on immigration is 100 percent spot on. I think we’re in a great position.<p><h1>What we’re watching</h1><h5>On the Trail</h5><p><b>The roll call:</b> Democratic delegates will continue voting virtually throughout the weekend to officially nominate their presidential nominee, who will almost certainly be Harris, the first Black woman to be a major party nominee, our colleague <b>Matt Viser</b> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/01/kamala-harris-democratic-nominee-vote/" target="_blank">reports</a>.<p><p>The voting will end Monday but Harris could clinch the nomination before then. The roll call is happening ahead of the late-August Democratic convention to ensure the party meets all states’ rules of when the party submits the nominee.<p><p><b>Veepstakes:</b> We’re also watching for when Harris announces her vice presidential nominee. Several of the contenders canceled their schedules this weekend. ICYMI, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/01/reading-harris-vp-tea-leaves/" target="_blank">read our take </a>on the state of the VP race.<p><h1>Poll Watch</h1><p><i>We’ve asked our in-house polling experts for some sharp analysis in the final months before the election. Today’s Poll Watch is written by Emily Guskin, The Post’s deputy polling director.</i><p><p><i>And check out </i><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/interactive/2024/presidential-polling-averages/?utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere_trending_now&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert&location=alert" target="_blank"><i>The Post’s presidential polling tracker</i></a><i>, which relaunched yesterday to reflect the likely Harris-Trump matchup. It currently shows Trump leading in five of the seven battleground states most likely to determine the election’s outcome, although Harris has narrowed the gaps.</i><p><h2>How much is Harris helping Democrats win Black voters?</h2><p>Before President Biden stepped aside as the Democratic nominee, numerous polls showed Black voters were less supportive of him than in the 2020 election, when <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/interactive/2020/exit-polls/presidential-election-exit-polls/" target="_blank">exit polls</a> showed 87 percent voted for Biden and 12 percent for Trump. Several high-quality polls since then show Harris is performing better among Black voters than Biden did before dropping out.<p><p>Not all polls show an improvement – a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/25/us/elections/times-siena-poll-likely-electorate-crosstabs.html" target="_blank">NYT-Siena national poll </a>found no positive Democratic shift, with 72 percent support for Harris among Black likely voters in late July, a bit worse than Biden’s 79 percent support <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/03/us/elections/times-siena-poll-likely-electorate-crosstabs.html" target="_blank">after the first debate</a>. If Harris can significantly boost enthusiasm among Black voters, it could help her prevail in key states including Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan.<p><p>(Thanks to all of the polling firms above for providing breakdowns of result among Black voters in their crosstabs documents or upon request.)<p><h2>Half of Americans call volume of immigrants a ‘critical threat,’ poll finds</h2><p>The most Americans since 2010 now say the large number of immigrants and refugees entering the country is a “critical threat” to U.S. interests, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/02/immigration-poll-chicago-council/">Emily writes</a>. Half of Americans feel that way, compared with 42 percent last fall.<p><p>A <a href="https://globalaffairs.org/research/public-opinion-survey/republican-concerns-over-immigration-hit-all-time-high?utm_source=media&utm_campaign=ccs&utm_medium=wapo" target="_blank">poll by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs</a> also found that most Americans support two proposals laid out by Trump: using <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/ahead-of-midterm-elections-trump-says-he-may-send-15000-troops-to-us-mexico-border/2018/10/31/9e7740ec-dd4a-11e8-aa33-53bad9a881e8_story.html" target="_blank">U.S. troops to stop immigrants</a> from coming into the United States from Mexico and expanding a wall on that border.<p><p>But a larger majority of Americans oppose Trump’s proposal to put undocumented immigrants in mass-detention camps. If elected, Trump <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/20/trump-mass-deportations-immigration/" target="_blank">has pledged</a> to immediately launch “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.”<p><p>Yet Trump still has an edge on the issue. A late July <a href="https://prod-i.a.dj.com/public/resources/documents/WSJ_Poll_LateJuly_2024.pdf" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal poll</a> found that voters thought Trump would handle immigration better than Harris by 53 percent to 40 percent.<p><h1>The campaign</h1><h2>Blackburn, Ogles win their primaries</h2><p><b>Sen. Marsh Blackburn</b> and <b>Rep. Andy Ogles</b> both won their primaries in Tennessee yesterday. Blackburn easily won and will face Democrat state Rep. Gloria Johnson, one of the “Tennessee three” Democratic lawmakers Republicans tried to expel over a gun control protest at the state Capitol.<p><p>Ogles, a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus, fended off Courtney Johnson,<b> </b>who ran as a pragmatic conservative who characterized Ogles as a roadblock to conservative legislation. Ogles, who won more than 56 percent of the vote, is often one of the roughly dozen far-right members who demand an all-or-nothing approach to passing bills, serving as a thorn in the side of Republican leadership.<p><h2>Trump and allies unleash attacks on Harris’s gender and racial identity</h2><p>With Trump’s false assertion that Harris only leaned into the Black part of her mixed-race identity to benefit herself politically, he started a pile-on.<p><p>“The lightning-fast spread of the attack line in the day after Trump’s remarks showcased both his continued willingness to weaponize race and gender fissures to cut down political opponents, and the ready-made echo chamber primed to amplify attacks rooted in identity,” The Post’s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/02/trump-attacks-harris-race-gender/"><b>Cleve R. Wootson Jr.</b> and <b>Hannah Knowles</b> report</a>.<p><p>“It seemed to herald a new and vitriolic phase of the 2024 campaign even as it reflects a familiar pattern. Trump, suddenly facing a Black woman, is leaning into his ugliest political instincts and finding the conservative ecosphere willing to go along.”<p><p>And our colleague <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/02/trump-campaign-uses-misleading-posts-racist-trope-attack-harris-crime/"><b>Isaac Arnsdorf</b> writes</a> about how the Trump campaign is using misleading posts and racist trope to attack Harris on crime.<p><h1>The Media</h1><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/01/biden-trump-politics-us-russia-prisoner-swap/" target="_blank">Biden, Trump exchange jabs as Russia prisoner swap turns political. </a>By <b>Toluse Olorunnipa</b> and <b>Isaac Arnsdorf.</b><p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/08/01/secret-service-january-6-attack-inspector-general/" target="_blank">Inspector general issues report on Secret Service’s handling of Jan. 6 attack.</a> By <b>Maria Sacchetti </b>and <b>Jacqueline Alemany</b>.<p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/01/voting-rights-act-texas-5th-circuit-ruling/" target="_blank">Court rules against Black and Hispanic voters in redistricting case.</a> By <b>Patrick Marley</b> and <b>Maegan Vazquez.</b><p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/venezuela-election-maduro-us/" target="_blank">U.S. says Maduro lost Venezuelan election, calls for talks, transition.</a> By <b>Samantha Schmidt</b> and <b>Matthew Hay Brown.</b><p><h1>Viral</h1><p><b>Katie’s uncle, Michael Jordan and The GOAT.</b><p><blockquote><p>This remains and will always be my favorite Katie Ledecky photo. <a href="https://t.co/xty8YpETzV">pic.twitter.com/xty8YpETzV</a></p>— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenStandig/status/1818842018971279837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <p>Thanks for reading. You can follow Leigh Ann and Marianna on X: <a href="https://twitter.com/LACaldwellDC" target="_blank">@LACaldwellDC</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MariannaReports" target="_blank">@MariannaReports</a>.<p>
2024-07-31T17:43:05.925Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/366OE2X5PNCKRJ2BC2NHKL6UJI/20240802-122166.665/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p><b>I’m Pete, and The Washington Post sent me to Paris to show you some of the wonders and weirdness you couldn’t otherwise see without being here.</b><p><p>Today’s dispatch is about two things: What an Olympic gymnastics meet looks like from the inside, and my search for celebrities on the outside.<p><p>On my first trip to Bercy Arena, I arrived late for the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/30/olympics-simone-biles-usa-gymnastics-gold/" target="_blank">women’s team final</a>, my first marquee event.<p><p>I saw actress Juliette Binoche and Spanish former NBA star Pau Gasol on the sidewalk outside, then overheard a woman who had staked out the entrance for much of the evening tell her friend she’d spotted all kinds of people, including Spike Lee and Serena Williams. Obviously, I’d been in the presence of amateur paparazzi greatness.<p><p>So Thursday, I followed her example and arrived more than an hour before the start of the women’s all-around competition. I brought a snack, found a place to sit, wiped the sweat off my camera lens and waited.<p><p>About half an hour before the gymnastics was supposed to start, a promising development: A group of men in all-black who looked like bodyguards gathered at the limo drop-off zone that led to the good seats.<p><p><p><p><p><p>Maybe others are fashionably late?<p><p>Nope. People around me said Martha Stewart and French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane showed up even earlier than I did.<p><p>It was time for me to go see the main event, and I had consulted a professional to prepare for this as well.<p><p>During my first visit, I’d been surprised to see competition on all four apparatuses simultaneously, because television broadcasts focus on just one athlete at a time.<p><p>From my (obstructed) view, I could see not just the athletes who were performing but teammates, coaches, officials and other support personnel milling about, plus the constant taping and re-taping of body parts and stretching that, more often than you’d think, involved a gymnast putting her feet on her own head. Screens flashed important info such as scores, calls for rotation and closeups of each apparatus.<p><p>I asked my colleague and gymnastics-writing veteran <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/emily-giambalvo/" target="_blank">Emily Giambalvo</a> how she chooses where to look while so much is happening.<p><p>“I usually just follow the top gymnasts and pay attention to them because they’re the ones in the mix for medals,” said. “So tonight, I’ll really only be watching the rotation that includes the top six gymnasts. I don’t really use the TVs in the arenas, I just watch the real thing and sometimes use binoculars to catch expressions before and after routines.”<p><p><p><p>However, since I got in late, I ended up on the opposite side of the arena with a different (but still obstructed) view. There were fewer athletes but more fans, and they erupted giddily every time Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee got closer to clinching medals. I have never seen so many American flags in one place.<p><p>What I regret is to have missed Biles vault. She executed the incredible Yurchenko double pike, named Biles II in 2023. Luckily, Emily Giambalvo <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/06/04/simone-biles-yurchenko-vault-origins/" target="_blank">explained it</a> to me.<p><p>At the end of the night, no one had to tell me where to focus. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/08/01/simone-biles-mental-health-paris-olympics/" target="_blank">Biles had the floor</a>, and no one could possibly have wanted to look anywhere else.<p><p><b>About this story</b><p><p><i>Pete’s adventures are mostly those of Artur Galocha, who is reporting from Paris. They’re written by Bonnie Berkowitz and illustrated by Álvaro Valiño. Editing by Jason Murray. Graphics editing by Samuel Granados. Copy editing by Mark Bradley.</i><p>
2024-08-01T23:30:02.139Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/WIDQIKBH3NDANPJDFZ2JS677ME/20240801-200890.901/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/WUPMBAWM2QLZAZGXJSGTZOMU5E.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Vice President Harris takes the stage for a rally in Atlanta on July 30. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>The Harris campaign announced Friday morning that it had raised $310 million in July, the biggest amount so far in the 2024 campaign cycle and more than double what Republican nominee Donald Trump raised, the bulk of it built on the rollout of Vice President Harris as the likely nominee of the Democratic Party.<p><p>More than $200 million of the total haul came in the week after President Biden said on July 21 that he was ending his reelection campaign and endorsed the vice president. Many Democrats had told pollsters that they were concerned about Biden’s age, and Harris’s ascent appeared to have delivered a jolt of fundraising energy.<p><p>The Harris campaign says it has $377 million in cash on hand.<p><p>Trump’s campaign announced Thursday that it had raised $138.7 million during the month of July. Still, Trump’s operation says it has $327 million in cash on hand, based on strong fundraising in previous months.<p><p>The figures provided by the campaigns cannot be confirmed until later this month, when the official financial disclosure forms are filed.<p><p>The Harris campaign says it has raised $1 billion so far this cycle, the fastest a presidential campaign has hit that threshold. That includes the phase when Biden was the candidate as well as the recent stretch when he ceded that role to her.<p><p>Two-thirds of the $310 million that Harris raised in July came from first-time donors, according to the campaign, in an indication of the momentum that Harris built after Biden dropped out. The campaign says 3 million donors made over 4.2 million contributions, with 2 million donors making their first donation of this presidential cycle.<p><p>Some 94 percent of the donations were under $200, with teachers and nurses among the top <a href="http://occupations.in/" target="_blank">occupations</a> among the contributors.<p><p>In another sign that Harris is tapping into support where Biden struggled to do so, particularly among young people, her campaign reported having 10 times the number of donors in July as in the previous month from Gen Z, or people born between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s.<p><p>Similarly, the campaign said it had eight times the number of millennial donors, those born between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s, as the month before. Some 60 percent of donors in July were women.<p><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-05-29T15:19:31.498Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://feedx.net/rss/washingtonpost.xml" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>NEW ORLEANS<p><p>On a sweltering afternoon in early June, in the swampy lake at the center of a Six Flags amusement park, a few feet from a gazebo where families once munched on beignets, an alligator’s head emerges from the water, breaking the reflection of a 110-foot-high roller coaster that hasn’t operated in 19 years.<p><p>The alligator watches us.<p><p>The eyes of more alligators slowly break the surface of the small lake.<p><p>The air buzzes with bees and crickets, the croaks of bullfrogs, the grunts of wild hogs. It is deafening.<p><p>The water is silent. So are the rattlesnakes, the water moccasins, the blankets of mosquitoes.<p><p>Also silent: the broken rides, dilapidated hot dog stands, graffitied bathrooms, collapsing ticket booths, scattered bumper cars.<p><p>The last time I was here was at a lively senior prom in 2005, a few months before Hurricane Katrina, and the ensuing levee and flood-wall failure, destroyed my hometown. This Six Flags was one of the storm’s many casualties. But while the rest of New Orleans set about rebuilding, the park was neither restored nor demolished. The wetlands once cleared to build it have reclaimed the land.<p><p>For people interested in abandoned places, this Six Flags is “the holy grail,” says Jake Williams, who explores deserted properties <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/JakeWilliams" target="_blank">on his YouTube channel</a> and directed a 2021 documentary about the park titled “Closed for Storm.”<p><p>From afar, and for nearly two decades, I’ve thought it must be one of the creepiest places imaginable.<p><p>Now that I’m inside the park, I no longer have to use my imagination.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/EE4B2TLK4YJMTUYGWSJRNNHCLI.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Jazzland opened in 2000. It would operate for five years. (Emily Kask for The Washington Post))</small></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/2IRGUK5QQB2JWSNHW7RD3SQ2KE.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Nature, and graffiti, have overtaken the abandoned Jazzland. (Emily Kask for The Washington Post))</small></div><p>When you imagine New Orleans, you probably don’t think about New Orleans East. Though it is 65 percent of the city’s landmass, it only contains 20 percent of the population. It’s an isthmus, laced with canals and bayous, roughly 10 miles northeast of Jackson Square. Once an up-and-coming neighborhood, it was hit hard by the 1980s oil bust that impoverished much of the city. It now houses subdivisions, factories, wetlands and a couple of 19th-century forts. Drive far enough, and you’ll fully surrender to nature in the Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge.<p><p>It was in this section of the city that Jazzland opened in 2000, atop a concrete and steel foundation resting on 18,000 giant wooden pilings, to keep the whole thing from sinking into the wetlands.<p><p>Its roller coasters soared above the dense foliage surrounding it, announcing a new party destination for a city that thrives on tourism.<p><p>Every aspect was meant to invoke New Orleans, from the loose reproduction of the French Quarter to the Mega Zeph, a 110-foot-tall wooden roller coaster built on a steel frame and based on the Zephyr, a smaller coaster at Pontchartrain Beach, the city’s previous amusement park, which closed in 1983.<p><p>The fanfare was great, but it was too far from the city’s tourist center. If you’re looking for a roller-coaster night, you don’t truly have to leave the French Quarter. Jazzland’s parent company declared bankruptcy in 2002. Six Flags purchased the park, upgraded it with more roller coasters, and rebranded it as Six Flags New Orleans, though locals still referred to it as Jazzland.<p><p>As Hurricane Katrina brewed in the Gulf of Mexico in August 2005, someone put up plastic marquee lettering: “Closed for storm.”<p><p>It would never reopen.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/BQKNWFE2PLSJMVA77G5326ADNA.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Jazzland's buildings were modeled after New Orleans destinations such as the French Quarter. (Emily Kask for The Washington Post))</small></div><p>My memories of that prom have faded.<p><p>I remember palling around with my friends Michael and Danny and our dates, poking fun at the fact that we drove to hang out in a <i>fake</i> French Quarter instead of the real one in our backyard. We were about to enter the real world, and we were excited. Everything felt easy. Nothing could hurt us.<p><p>The rides were not operational, so we wandered with our dates around the bright-colored buildings, popping into the main ballroom to hear that familiar mixture of classic New Orleans R&B, bounce music and Top 40.<p><p>Prom at Jazzland — at the time, it felt sort of stupid. A supposedly cinematic but utterly forgettable moment of our young lives, set in a weird amusement park in New Orleans East? We were young, and we felt above it all. We wanted to be in the city.<p><p>Then Hurricane Katrina. Then the levees and flood walls failed. And then a recession swept the nation. And then BP spewed oil into the Gulf of Mexico after Deepwater Horizon exploded. Companies fled New Orleans. The Times-Picayune, the storied newspaper where I’d dreamed of working, was gutted.<p><p>You build a life, even as it erodes around you. That’s how 19 years passed. That’s how I now live 1,100 miles away, in Washington, D.C. That’s how I wound up with a job that took me back to Jazzland.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/RYEMTEM2B2KRUOYCJ4KCU3GP5E.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">When Six Flags took over Jazzland, it added modern roller coasters. (Emily Kask/For The Washington Post)</small></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/SNJSHPONHDGZA4S3KXYKTMQBA4.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">The park is slated for redevelopment. “It’s just blight, and it’s a waste” says Troy Henry, the businessman seeking to overhaul the property. “It’s time to move on.” (Emily Kask/For The Washington Post)</small></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FQZOOMHMV3SL6RDSLBRD6USF64.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Henry hopes to build a movie studio, hotels, water-park, a man-made lagoon and a sports complex for children on the Six Flags site. (Emily Kask/For The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Troy Henry wants to knock it down.<p><p>He’s a local businessman, two-time mayoral candidate and a lifelong resident of New Orleans East. And he’s sick of seeing the abandoned park every damn day.<p><p>In 2009, the city of New Orleans ordered Six Flags to vacate its lease and then took over the property. The city has granted permission to Henry’s company, Bayou Phoenix, to renovate. He hopes to turn the property into a complex with a movie studio, hotels, a water park, a man-made lagoon and a sports complex for children.<p><p>“It’s just blight, and it’s a waste,” says Henry. “It’s time to move on.”<p><p>The main entrances to the park are blocked by concrete barriers. After taking a dirt service road in, for a while, photographer Emily Kask and I just sit in the gargantuan parking lot. It’s cluttered with fallen light poles. In front of the turnstiles is an old statue of a small car, bleached white by the sun. A small tree grows through its undercarriage.<p><p>By entering the park, we somehow travel both forward in time and back.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FFVTOO5EYH6NG45LOFXXOVDUUQ.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">19 years after Hurricane Katrina, the abandoned Jazzland evokes the destruction brought by the storm. (Emily Kask for The Washington Post))</small></div><p>A few months after prom, and a week after Katrina made landfall, a friend and I drove the 84 miles on Interstate 10 from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Sept. 5, 2005, was the first day the city allowed residents to assess the damage.<p><p>We drove to our own houses, finding a gaping hole in my roof and stagnating floodwater in his home, then to those of friends and family. Some were unscathed. Most were not.<p><p>I never thought I’d see that kind of destruction in person again.<p><p>But as I wander through the abandoned Six Flags in 2024, I am back in 2005. Because this place looks <i>exactly</i> like the city did then.<p><p>“Six Flags is a kind of lasting monument of Katrina,” says Williams, the documentarian. “It’s a shocking reminder of how devastating everything was for New Orleans.”<p><p>Williams was struck by a calendar left in the front office, turned to August 2005. A water line marking the top of the floodwater was still clearly visible on the paper.<p><p>Water lines are visible everywhere here, about six feet off the ground.<p><p>It’s a haunting vision of what the city might still look like if we hadn’t rebuilt. It’s a haunting vision of what the city could look like if this happens again.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/JIATOM5DIFIOHHDU7TCSVAOKNM.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">“Six Flags is a kind of lasting monument of Katrina,” says Jake Williams, a documentarian. “It’s a shocking reminder of how devastating everything was for New Orleans.” (Emily Kask/For The Washington Post)</small></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/D6PQHEIWRVVVA4HSFMTL72AKGI.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Why are these abandoned structures so creepy? “Creepiness thrives on ambiguity, and things not being quite as they should be,” says Frank McAndrew, a psychology professor at Knox College who studies creepiness. (Emily Kask/For The Washington Post)</small></div><p>We move through the park slowly. “Oh my God,” we say under our breath, at every little spooky scene. The park is covered in graffiti: “Roach City.” “The bones of baby dolls.” “I love you Curt.”<p><p>The ballroom that hosted the prom still stands, gutted, its steel foundation exposed. The floor is littered with dead rafters and live snakes.<p><p>Papers and folders are molded and rotting in the administrative buildings. Warehouses overflow with grimy novelty cups and stuffed animals.<p><p>A statue of a Mardi Gras jester that once felt joyful now looks demonic.<p><p>What freezes me, though, are the bumper cars. They’re still on the track, facing different directions, as if kids just hopped off. But the cars are covered in dust and dirt and pollen. It feels like too-fresh archaeology. It goose bumps<b> </b>the skin. It tingles the spine.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/NKSI4DV3BMRYSPBWSIZF33X7GQ.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Movie productions such as “Jurassic World,” “Killer Joe” and “The Park” have filmed at the abandoned Six Flags New Orleans. (Emily Kask for The Washington Post))</small></div><p>Why are abandoned places so creepy?<p><p>“Creepiness thrives on ambiguity, and things not being quite as they <i>should </i>be,” says Frank McAndrew, a psychology professor at Knox College who studies creepiness.<p><p>And your subconscious brain knows “abandoned places are abandoned for bad reasons,” says Coltan Scrivner, a behavioral scientist at the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University and the department of psychology at Arizona State University.<b> </b>Even if you consciously know why the place is deserted — or that it’s simply a set in a horror movie — the human brain uses shortcuts to heighten our awareness of potential danger, to create the feeling of fear.<p><p>New Orleans has traded on this spookiness several time over the years, making a few bucks by allowing movie and TV studios to film at the abandoned park. “Jurassic World” merely wanted the parking lot to build its own sets. “Killer Joe,” an ultraviolent black comedy starring Matthew McConaughey, made the park itself a part of the set. “The Park,” a 2023 dystopian thriller set in world where a virus kills all adults, was actually set in an abandoned theme park.<p><p>Unauthorized visitors also show up to the park. Once the sun sets, urban explorers, graffiti artists and daring teenagers sneak in. Henry says his security detail catches about 10 people a week. He whips out his phone and flicks through photos of trespassers caught by night-vision cameras. They often climb the towering structures, including the Skycoaster, a 180-foot-tall ride in which visitors would strap in and free fall. No one has been seriously injured yet, but the potential is high.<p><p>Photographer Johnny Joo, who specializes in shooting abandoned places, got caught a decade ago when he sneaked in at 4 a.m. to shoot the park. A security guard warned him that the city’s court backlog was backed up, with people waiting up to two weeks in jail for a hearing.<p><p>The message was clear: Get out of here, and don’t come back.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/XVT4VE6EF5MQDY6SX56P4LOIWY.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Alligators and other wildlife now prowl the property. “It’s like a mini-Australia, dude — a thousand ways to die,” says John Gualtieri, a self-proclaimed ghost hunter. (Emily Kask/For The Washington Post)</small></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/SNWJ73BCK3FSXIJAK4FGOCIKTU.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Thrill seekers often sneak into the park at night. The site's redeveloper says a security detail catches about 10 trespassers a week. (Emily Kask/For The Washington Post)</small></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FV4HXP6Y76X2FDKTFYWFSYJIN4.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Shal Ngo needed an abandoned amusement park to film his movie “The Park.” “The magical thing about Jazzland,” he says, “is it’s all still there.” (Emily Kask/For The Washington Post)</small></div><p>The rent-a-cops don’t concern John Gualtieri. The wildlife — boar, yellowjackets, poison caterpillars — worry him a bit more, since he hikes about a mile through the surrounding forest and swampland to avoid security.<p><p>“It’s like a mini-Australia, dude — a thousand ways to die,” says Gualtieri, a self-proclaimed ghost hunter who chronicles his exploits <a href="https://www.instagram.com/new_orleans_ghost_hunter" target="_blank">on Instagram</a>.<p><p>A wild boar would kill you by goring you with its razor-sharp tusks, most likely in the groin. An alligator would latch onto you and probably flip on its back, pulling you underwater until you drown — unless it ripped off your limb first.<p><p>As for ghosts? Gualtieri hasn’t seen any but says the park feels cursed. “It felt like something was watching me,” he says. “‘I Am Legend’ vibes.”<p><p>Shal Ngo, director of “The Park,” scoured the United States for an abandoned place that felt whole, that felt like an actual ghost town, not a smattering of broken buildings.<p><p>The only one he could find was Jazzland. The buildings are rotting, but they’re standing.<p><p>“The magical thing about Jazzland,” Ngo says, “is it’s all still there.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/67LTE4Y5LIFQK5A5PXVTFJCAKY.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Developer Troy Henry says he plans for work to begin revamping Six Flag New Orleans later this year. (Emily Kask for The Washington Post))</small></div><p>After about an hour, Henry leaves me and Emily. The longer we look around, the less it looks like the set of a horror movie, and the more it looks like parts of post-Katrina New Orleans itself.<p><p>Hurricane Katrina struck the city on Aug. 29, 2005. It killed more than 1,800 people and upended the life of every New Orleans resident — and many more along the Gulf Coast. It flooded 80 percent of the city and caused an estimated $150 billion in damage. The city is still not fully rebuilt, just as Jazzland is not fully unbuilt.<p><p>Henry says his company plans to begin demolishing the remains of Jazzland later this year, with an eye toward building something new by 2027.<p><p>But first: This year could bring the worst hurricane season since 2005, or <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/05/23/hurricane-season-forecast-active-storms/" target="_blank">so says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>, which predicts four to seven “major” hurricanes for the summer and fall. And the state is losing its wetlands — which help protect it from hurricanes — at the rate of a football field every 100 minutes.<p><p>This is all beyond the arena of spine-tingling. For the city, the feeling is constant existential dread.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/EEJBTX2PLX6GNEHYWPFXVPHHUQ.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">This year could bring the worst hurricane season since 2005, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (Emily Kask for The Washington Post))</small></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/RPLIYBRGC3HM7IKUIFQF2VEMSU.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Ghost hunter John Gualtieri hasn't seen any ghosts at Jazzland, but ... “It felt like something was watching me,” he says. “‘I Am Legend’ vibes.” (Emily Kask for The Washington Post)</small></div><p>The day after my trip the park, my friends and family gather at my younger brother’s house for boudin and burgers.<p><p>My prom mates are there. Danny recently moved back after several years in other cities. Michael never left. Now, they’re raising their children in New Orleans.<p><p>None of us remember much about the prom. Katrina overshadows everything. A visit to Jazzland, or what remains of it, turns out to be more of a personal excavation — of buried memories and bygone expectations.<p><p>I’d once planned to spend my life in my hometown, and still hope to someday move back.<b> </b>But life can blow you this way and that — into a good job, and an adopted city. There are, however, small but sure ways to reclaim what’s lost. To reach back while moving forward. Last year I got married in a different kind of park — the lush, mossy, wildly alive Audubon Park — under the 300-year-old oak trees that survived countless hurricanes, including Katrina.<p><p>Many of the trees have been here before America was America, before New Orleans was New Orleans. We ended the wedding with a second line to the limo behind a jazzy brass band, the oaks towering behind us.<p><p>They’ll probably be here long after Jazzland is gone.<p><p>Long after I’m gone.<p><p>Long after New Orleans is gone.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/PZB7IHZ4B7PJ4F4CZ3AAPRMXLA.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">As Hurricane Katrina brewed in the Gulf of Mexico in August 2005, someone put up plastic marquee lettering: “Closed for storm.” (Emily Kask for The Washington Post))</small></div>
2024-05-14T14:44:52.637Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://feedx.net/rss/washingtonpost.xml" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>A great pole vaulter has to be fast, powerful and precise to propel himself two stories high using only a stick. The greatest vaulter of all time makes it look elegant.<p><p>Louisiana’s Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, 24, who competes for Sweden, has set the world record eight times since 2020 and is the undisputed favorite to win a second consecutive Olympic gold medal on Aug. 5 in Paris.<p><p>His unorthodox yet supremely graceful and efficient technique once prompted a youth coach to marvel, “While everybody else fights the pole, Mondo dances with the pole.”<p><p>Here’s his choreography.<p><h3>An absurdly fast approach</h3><p><p><p>The faster a vaulter sprints, the more energy they can transfer to the pole. That helps in two ways. The pole moves forward more quickly, like a windshield wiper on a higher speed. And the vaulter can use a stiffer pole, which is tougher to bend but will fling them higher when it unbends.<p><p>No world-class pole vaulter has ever run as fast as Mondo.<p><p>His top speed at takeoff has been measured at 10.3 meters per second, which translates to 23 mph — elite sprinter territory. Just a handful of other pole vaulters have cracked 10 mps, said Johan Cassirame, a French sports scientist who studies the biomechanics of pole vaulting and has a database of more than 18,000 vaults.<p><p>Mondo’s speed advantage is so great that if everything else were equal, he would be expected to soar nearly a foot higher (30 centimeters) than his closest competitors, Cassirame said.<p><p>His current world record, set in April, is 20 feet 5-1/2 inches (6.24 meters) — 3 inches (8 cm) higher than anyone else has ever cleared. On many jumps, he clears the bar by quite a bit more.<p><p><p><h4>Running with a pole</h4><p>Vaulters used to carry poles horizontally down the runway, a very awkward way to sprint. They now use an “active pole drop” technique that makes the pole work for them rather than being a dead weight.<p><p>The vaulter starts by holding the pole vertically, typically with the dominant hand six to 12 inches from the end.<p><p>As they run — typically 20 steps — gravity pulls the pole downward, like a drawbridge closing.<p><p>The pole’s centrifugal force helps the vaulter accelerate.<p><p>The vaulter raises their arms to plant the pole tip in the metal vault box as they begin to jump, and the pole’s momentum helps pull them into their takeoff.<p><p><p><p>The active pole drop is one of the ways Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov upended the sport in the 1980s and ’90s. His ideas, combined with the success of star pupil and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1997/08/11/bubka-still-in-a-world-of-his-own/a5c544fe-e4ef-4ade-92a6-4357bd96dd81/" target="_blank">35-time world-record breaker Sergey Bubka</a>, rewrote the textbook method of pole vaulting.<p><p>Mondo may be revising it.<p><p><p><p><p><h3>An unusual pole drop</h3><p><p><p>How many ways are there to land the pole in the vault box? At least two: Mondo’s and everyone else’s.<p><p>Most vaulters try to drop the pole tip directly into the back of the recessed vault box. But Mondo puts it down about a foot before the end of the rubber runway and lets it slide into the vault box.<p><p>It’s one of many aspects of his technique that are not by-the-Petrov-book. It matters — unless it doesn’t. No one seems exactly sure.<p><p>When Mondo dropped the pole this way as a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/08/03/mondo-duplantis-pole-vault-tokyo-olympics/" target="_blank">youngster</a>, Greg Duplantis — his father and coach, and a former world-class vaulter himself — was concerned. “I tried to get him to drop the pole in a more conventional manner, and he could do it, no problem,” Greg said. “But he just didn’t like it. And also the results weren’t any different. … So I thought, ‘Well, it’s not hurting him.’<i>"</i><p><p>Now, Greg thinks it may help him.<p><p>All vaulters experience vibration as they run with the pole and a violent shock when the pole hits the end of the box before it begins to bend. Greg theorizes that by dropping the pole onto the runway early, Mondo not only deadens some of that vibration but also has a split-second longer to prepare his body for that shock.<p><p>“He’s more ready to take off than others,” Greg said.<p><p><p><p><p><p><p><h3>A difficult takeoff</h3><p><p><p>The moment the pole hits the back of the vault box, Mondo’s body position differs in several ways from conventional wisdom.<p><p><b>He (sometimes) is closer to the box.</b> Most top vaulters take off at least 14 or 15 feet away. Mondo can nail a vault at 14 feet but also as close as 12 feet, Greg said, an unusually wide range.<p><p><b>His foot is on the ground longer.</b> Mondo’s foot is still on the runway when the pole begins to bend. The Petrov ideal would be for the foot to leave the ground right when the pole hits the back of the box, or a fraction of a second before then.<p><p><b>He’s typically “under:”</b> Conventional wisdom says vaulters should be able to draw a vertical line from their top hand to the toe of their takeoff foot. But Mondo’s toe is usually closer to the box than his hand. In vaulting lingo, that means he takes off “under.” (The opposite, when a vaulter’s toe is behind that imaginary line, is called “out.”)<p><p>That is not unusual: Other world-class vaulters take off under as well.<p><p>The knock against it is that it puts a lot of stress on the shoulders and back. Vaulters can have their hips violently yanked underneath them when the pole collides with the back of the box.<p><p>But Mondo’s transition is so fluid that it’s hard to see when the collision occurs, even in slow motion.<p><h3>A throwback swing</h3><p><p><p>Vaulters go upside down by pushing hard against the pole with their arms and swinging their lower bodies. “It is a very, very aggressive movement,” said David Butler, coach at Rice for 24 years who is known as the “zen master” of pole vaulting.<p><p>Mondo swings both legs like a pendulum, a strong power move similar to a gymnast building momentum on horizontal bars. Greg said the technique is a throwback to the days of metal or bamboo poles that didn’t bend, so vaulters had to wring every bit of momentum out of their bodies.<p><p>Most other vaulters drive one knee upward and swing only their straight leg, sacrificing a bit of momentum in exchange for the ability to get upside down quickly.<p><p>Notice how Mondo keeps his bottom arm straight as the pole goes from bending to unbending? That is difficult to do, two-time Olympic vaulter Simon Arkell said, but it helps him keep pressure on the pole. He would lose more energy if his arm was bent.<p><p><p><h3>A really tight tuck</h3><p><p><p>Through the swing, Mondo’s body is “long-long-long-long-long-long — and at the very last second, he’ll break his hips and get in a little ball to be able to get upside down,” said Doug “Bubba” Sparks, three-time world masters champion who has known the Duplantis family since Mondo was a toddler.<p><p>That “little ball” is called a tuck, and Mondo does it such that his hips will be aligned above his shoulders just as the pole is about to unbend, the perfect position to be launched upward.<p><p>The style is not unique to him — vaulters have to tuck somewhat to get upside down — but his tuck is extreme, with his knees nearly touching his face.<p><p>Many vaulters leak momentum during that tricky transition as the pole goes from bending to unbending, but Mondo has a natural feel for catching the bend, Butler said, “a surfer catching a wave.”<p><p>His center of mass never stops moving forward and upward.<p><p><p><p><p><p><p><h3>A straight-as-an-arrow launch</h3><p><p><p>A quick tuck is important because a vaulter wants to be upside down and parallel to the pole when it uncorks all that stored energy.<p><p>If he has “caught the bend,” the pole recoil will propel him upward, Butler said, and he will be “popped right off the top of the pole like a pop gun, like a rocket launch.”<p><p>This 2021 video was from a practice demonstration in which the crossbar was relatively low, so Mondo didn’t need to soar as high as he would in competition.<p><p><p><p>But on big jumps, his body often is still going up for an incredible four feet after he lets go of the pole.<p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><h4>Poles 101</h4><p>Most elite vaulters carry about 10 different poles to a competition and may switch based on weather or track conditions. They tend to start the early rounds with more flexible poles that require less effort to bend and switch to stiffer ones later that will launch them higher.<p><p>No rules govern poles other than that “the basic surface must be smooth,” said Chris Chappell of UCS Spirit, the company that makes Mondo’s. His are made to order but aren’t custom; anyone could buy one.<p><h3>The most important thing you can’t see</h3><p>Everyone who spoke for this story said Mondo’s technique is revolutionary, yet none of them said it is his greatest superpower.<p><p>Some mentioned an uncanny awareness of where his body is in space that allows him to adjust mid-jump to save an imperfect takeoff.<p><p>Others cited his inner drive and competitiveness, honed during a childhood spent trying to keep up with two athletic older brothers.<p><p>But everyone mentioned his fearlessness, a non-negotiable requirement when you’re intentionally propelling your body more than 20 feet into the sky.<p><p>“Firstly, he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to be afraid of,” Sparks said. “Secondly, he’s not afraid of anything.”<p><p>Put all of that together and you get vaults that look like this.<p><h5>About this story</h5><p>The main video was shot in 2021 by Red Bull Content Pool.<p><p>Information on poles came from Don Rahrig and Brian Mondschein of <a href="https://www.ust-essx.com/" target="_blank">ESSX</a> and Chris Chappell of <a href="https://www.ucsspirit.com/" target="_blank">UCS Spirit</a>.<p><p>Technique descriptions came from Greg Duplantis, Simon Arkell and David Butler. Additional information from the World Athletics <a href="https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=d88c772f-56b5-4945-a3a9-0a9d53a8b29d.pdf&urlslug=Competition%20and%20Technical%20Rules%20%E2%80%93%202024%20Edition" target="_blank">competition and technical rules, 2024</a>.<p><p>Editing by Manuel Canales, Luis Velarde and Matt Rennie. Copy editing by Dan Hargett.<p>
2024-07-25T15:02:45.912Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/7BPXCXVVM5EBLB4F6LK2POVRUA/20240801-183880.805/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/IGASMCDTESBWH7RWU3HN6MDUXU.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Vice President Harris on a video monitor as she speaks July 13. (Hannah Yoon/Hannah Yoon for The Washington Post)</small></div><p><p><p>Jaleel Stallings was just letting his dogs out and giving them breakfast a few days ago when he got a message from his lawyer telling him Donald Trump’s campaign was targeting him online.<p><p>“Here we go again,” he recalled thinking.<p><p>Four years ago, Stallings and a group of friends joined protests in Minneapolis over the police murder of George Floyd. A SWAT team in an unmarked van fired a nonlethal projectile that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/06/16/jaleel-stallings-police-beating-shooting/" target="_blank">hit Stallings in the chest</a>, and Stallings, an Army veteran, returned fire from a legally permitted pistol. Officers beat him, breaking his eye socket, and gave accounts of the encounter that were inconsistent with video recordings. He was eventually acquitted of attempted murder of an officer and received a $1.5 million civil rights settlement from the city, while the officer who beat him pleaded guilty to assault — but not before Stallings was vilified online.<p><p>Now, that stigma resurfaced in a post from an official Trump campaign account on the social media account X, which shows a mug shot of Stallings, who is Black, alongside a photo of Harris, who is Black and Indian American. The campaign accused Harris of raising “money to bail Stallings out of jail” because she promoted a bail fund that helped him. The post failed to mention that Stallings was acquitted.<p><p>“The willingness to lie and use smear tactics to drum up political support by a potential president is not becoming of what this country represents,” Stallings said in an interview. “I’m a person who chooses to believe and keep hoping we can truly strive to be what we say America is.”<p><p>The campaign’s post about Stallings was one in a string of six similar messages that misleadingly accused Harris of helping to free people the Trump campaign described as dangerous criminals. What ties Harris to their cases is a tweet she sent in June 2020, when she was a senator, before becoming Joe Biden’s running mate, that encouraged people to donate to a bail fund benefiting participants in the George Floyd protests. Some of the cases the Trump campaign highlighted resulted in convictions and guilty pleas, including a charge of unintentional murder, and others in dismissals.<p><p>Trump’s attitude toward Black Americans came under renewed criticism this week after he berated a Black reporter who pressed him about past racist comments. Trump also baselessly accused Harris of downplaying her Black heritage. Harris <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/31/trump-black-voters-nabj-harris/" target="_blank">responded</a> that Americans “deserve better.”<p><p>Stallings said he wants Trump campaign officials to correct the post and invited them to join a discussion with his nonprofit, which tries to improve police culture and community relations. The Trump campaign did not respond to that invitation.<p><p>Trump’s campaign defended its posts and followed up on Saturday before a rally the former president held in Minnesota with a digital video that featured several of the same cases, but not Stallings’s. “Kamala and the mainstream media can try to rewrite history, but President Trump will make sure Minnesotans and all Americans know the truth,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. “Harris is a pro-criminal extremist.”<p><p>The posts were part of a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/25/crime-immigration-race-republicans-democrats/" target="_blank">broader strategy</a> widely viewed by scholars and other experts as playing on old racist tropes and exploiting stereotypes about crime and people of color. The posts from the Trump campaign mainly featured Black people alongside photos of Harris, laughing.<p><p>Bennett Capers, a law professor at Fordham University who studies race and policing, described the Trump campaign’s tactic as: “Put up a photo of a scary Black man and it will rally your fearful base.” He added: “You have not just the Black defendant but you have him next to the Black woman, painting both with the same brush, even though the brush is inaccurate.”<p><p>The organization that Harris promoted in her 2020 tweet, the Minnesota Freedom Fund, provides money to meet bail amounts that judges set as an assurance that criminal defendants will attend future court dates. Judges decide whether defendants are safe for release. The fund has spent $21.4 million on bail for 3,133 people since it was founded in 2016.<p><p>The group posted 128 protest-related bails since Floyd’s murder, including 31 in the first six months, according to the fund’s communications director, Noble Frank. The fund received<b> </b>an influx of support in the summer of 2020 — contributions surged to $41.7 million that year, from $231,000 in 2019, according to tax records — but Frank said it would be impossible to distinguish how much was attributable to Harris vs. any of the other high-profile figures who also promoted the fund at that time, such as actors Cynthia Nixon and Seth Rogen.<p><p>Frank said that the Trump campaign disproportionately focused on people of color: The string of posts featured five Black people and one Native American. The fund’s clients are 24 percent White.<p><p>Out of all the fund’s clients, 37 percent went on to have their charges dismissed, while 28 percent pleaded guilty and 31 percent remain unresolved. Mischaracterizing these defendants as criminals undercuts the constitutional principle of innocent until proven guilty, Frank said.<p><p>“The vast majority of our clients are people who are successful after their release and move on with their lives,” Frank added. “We do not and cannot work outside of the existing system. We work within it and by its own rules, in an attempt to level the playing field that is heavily tilted depending on a defendant’s race and income.”<p><p>Harris campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa defended Harris against the attacks, saying they amount to a “desperate lie from a desperate campaign that can’t change the facts.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/6NXQ64K6OCIWCL6CB4H3D7WFOA.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">People attend the second night of the Republican National Convention, on July 16, at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Crime has been a point of contention in recent elections, with Republicans up and down the ballot accusing Democrats of being soft on the issue and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/25/crime-immigration-race-republicans-democrats/" target="_blank">in some cases using sensational imagery and messaging criticized</a> as tools for stoking racial tensions. GOP candidates and strategists have denied accusations of racism, while Democrats have highlighted Trump’s status as a felon and his calls to pardon Jan. 6 defendants as arguments that he is no steward of law and order.<p><p>The political tactic of dramatizing crimes by Black people was epitomized by an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/11/04/willie-horton-campaign-tactics/" target="_blank">infamous attack ad</a> from 1988. An outside group supporting Republican George H.W. Bush accused his Democratic opponent, Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis, of being weak on crime by spotlighting a prisoner in that state named William Horton who raped a White woman and stabbed her boyfriend while out of prison on a furlough program.<p><p>The ad prominently featured Horton’s mug shot. Bush distanced himself from the ad, even as his campaign strategist said he would attack Dukakis by making “Willie Horton his running mate.”<p><p>“For all the dirty politics the Bush campaign was willing to engage in, it did not want its fingerprints directly on the Willie Horton ad because they thought they were crossing a racial line,” said Kevin Kruse, a Princeton University history professor who researches the civil rights movement and modern conservatism. “The harm they cause is reducing complicated issues of crime and criminal prosecutions down to individual cases that are meant to stand in for a whole but often don’t.”<p><p>Other bail fund cases spotlighted in the Trump campaign’s posts also contained<b> </b>misleading information, in addition to overstating Harris’s connection to them.<p><p>In October 2020, the fund paid bail for a man named Christopher Boswell, and those charges against him were dismissed. The Trump campaign posted about the charges without disclosing the outcome. Boswell was arrested again in 2022 and is serving a life sentence for criminal sexual conduct.<p><p>The fund twice provided bail for Thomas Moseley involving charges that were dismissed. The Trump campaign described the charges without including the outcome. Moseley pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possession of firearms as an unlawful user of a controlled substance. He declined to comment.<p><p>In other cases, the charges described by the campaign resulted in convictions.<p><p>In 2022, the fund paid bail for a man named Donovan Boone, who was convicted of burglary and is set to be incarcerated until 2025. The Trump campaign said he was charged with home invasion and strangling.<p><p>In 2020, the fund paid bail for a woman named Darnika Floyd for a crime committed in 2018. She pleaded guilty to unintentional murder and is incarcerated with an anticipated release in 2029.<p><p>Almost two years after Harris’s tweet, the fund provided $2,000 bail for a man named Shawn Tillman, who was charged with misdemeanor indecent exposure. That charge was ultimately dismissed. In a separate case, Tillman was later charged and convicted of murder and sentenced to life.<p><p><i>Aaron Schaffer contributed to this report.</i><p><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-08-02T01:18:37.708Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/6PWJKKYOHNGBPLTUX2SQIKFPNA/20240802-174951.512/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/N5JLGQPY35C35DICU75S73RT7U.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">A portrait of Marc Fogel, who has been detained in Russia since 2021, is seen outside the White House last year during a demonstration organized by his family. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)</small></div><p>A landmark prisoner exchange on Thursday brought home from Russia journalist <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/08/01/evan-gershkovich-reporter-release-russia/" target="_blank">Evan Gershkovich</a> and former Marine <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/08/01/paul-whelan-russia-prisoner-swap/" target="_blank">Paul Whelan</a>, among others, but the family of imprisoned <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/07/28/marc-fogel-teacher-russia-prison/" target="_blank">American teacher Marc Fogel</a> was not celebrating. Once again, they learned, he had not been included.<p><p>“Today, Marc was left behind again,” Fogel’s wife and sons said in a statement urging the Biden administration to prioritize his release. “... Marc has been unjustly detained for far too long and must be prioritized in any swap negotiations with Russia, regardless of his level of notoriety or celebrity.”<p><p>Fogel, 63, was detained by Russian officials in August 2021 and charged with smuggling into the country a small amount of medical marijuana, which was prescribed in the United States for back pain but is<b> </b>banned in Russia.<b> </b>A Pittsburgh-area native, he was a teacher at the Anglo-American School of Moscow and spent 27 years teaching overseas in places such as Oman, Venezuela and Malaysia. He is serving a 14-year sentence, during which he has been teaching English to prisoners.<p><p>Some lawmakers responded to Thursday’s news by emphasizing that Fogel must not be forgotten. The Biden administration stressed that efforts to secure the release of Americans imprisoned abroad, including Fogel, will continue.<p><p>He is among several Americans who remain in Russia, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/russia-prisoner-swap-people-released/" target="_blank">a list</a> that includes<b> </b><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/19/gordon-black-russia-penal-colony/" target="_blank">Gordon Black</a>, a U.S. soldier convicted of threatening his Russian girlfriend; Ksenia Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen and aesthetician who was accused of donating $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity; and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/12/michael-travis-leake-russia-detained/" target="_blank">Michael Travis Leake</a>, an American expatriate and musician who was convicted on drug charges.<p><p>“As we celebrate the good news of today, we cannot forget about Marc and the Fogel family,” <a href="https://www.casey.senate.gov/news/releases/casey-marc-fogel-is-still-sitting-in-a-russian-prison" target="_blank">said</a> Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.). “I urge everyone who fought to bring Evan and Paul home to now work to do the same for Marc.”<p><p>Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), who represents the district Fogel is from, <a href="https://kelly.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mike-kelly-statement-marc-fogel-remaining-imprisoned-russia" target="_blank">said</a> he was “saddened not only for Marc, but also for his 95-year-old mother, Malphine Fogel, and Marc’s family, who have been without him for more than 1,000 days.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/XR5R7JQEJMI63C7LFNHEQGYVAA.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Jane Fogel looks through photos of her travels with her husband, Marc Fogel, on July 13, 2022, in Oakmont, Pa. (Jeff Swenson for The Washington Post) </small></div><p>Fogel was also not included in a prisoner swap in 2022, when WNBA player Brittney Griner was freed in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/12/08/brittney-griner-freed-swap-russian-merchant-death/?itid=lk_inline_manual_13" target="_blank">exchange </a>for the return of notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The two Americans’ cases have parallels. Griner was arrested outside Moscow in 2022 for carrying a small amount of cannabis oil.<b> </b>During her swap, there were similar <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/12/09/brittney-griner-viktor-bout-paul-whelan/" target="_blank">frustrations</a> about the exclusion of Whelan, the former U.S. Marine, whom U.S. officials had also hoped to free in the same deal.<p><p>A senior Biden administration official <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2024/08/01/background-press-call-on-todays-multilateral-prisoner-exchange/" target="_blank">told reporters</a> Thursday, “We absolutely wanted Marc to be included, but it just wasn’t going to happen.”<p><p>“Just like when we got Brittney out, we tried very hard for both Paul and Marc, and we just couldn’t get the Russians there,” he said. “In this case, we could get Paul; we couldn’t get Marc.”<p><p>State Department spokesman Vedant Patel <a href="https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-august-1-2024/" target="_blank">told</a> reporters that the administration has called for Fogel’s humanitarian release and “will continue to engage and work through our team in Moscow.”<p><p>“There continue to be American citizens detained in legal systems around the world — not, of course, just in Russia. This is a responsibility that we take seriously,” he said.<p><p>Martin De Luca, an attorney for Fogel, said in a statement that this was “the second high-profile swap that Marc has been left out of over the last three years” and that Fogel had been “caught in the diplomatic crossfire between the U.S. and Russia leading up to the war in Ukraine.”<p><p>He also called on the administration to “finally designate Marc as wrongfully detained.”<p><p>Fogel is suffering from “severe health issues,” his family said in their statement. “We sincerely hope that this is not our last opportunity to bring him home and save him from potentially dying in a Russian prison.”<p><p><i>Manuel Roig-Franzia and Mary Ilyushina contributed to this report.</i><p>
2024-08-01T21:28:04.185Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/SMTGJV6YEZF3JDIQKGIDRRIHAY/20240802-172294.943/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240802/66ac586bd3ceee0004166baa/66ac61075007d0611153bf5e/file_1280x720-2000-v3_1.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>Paul Whelan saluted as he emerged from the plane and walked down the steps onto American soil. Next came Evan Gershkovich, smiling and looking slightly disbelieving on the tarmac. Alsu Kurmasheva was last, seized in a tight hug by her two daughters and husband after greeting President Biden and Vice President Harris.<p><p>The three Americans, who had all been imprisoned in Russia on charges <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/08/01/remarks-by-president-biden-on-freeing-americans-detained-in-russia/" target="_blank">criticized</a> by the Biden administration as illegitimate, were returning home after the biggest East-West prisoner exchange since the Cold War. Biden and Harris greeted them shortly before midnight on Thursday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where they were flown after the exchange took place in Turkey.<p><p>Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/30/reporter-arrested-russia-evan-gershkovich/" target="_blank">detained</a> in March last year and accused of spying for the United States. Whelan, a security consultant and former Marine, was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/08/01/paul-whelan-russia-prisoner-swap/" target="_blank">arrested</a> by Russian authorities in December 2018 and convicted of espionage in 2020. Kurmasheva, an editor with the U.S.-funded editorially independent Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was detained in June 2023 and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/08/01/alsu-kurmasheva-russia-prisoner-release/" target="_blank">sentenced</a> this summer to 6½ years in a Russian penal colony on a charge of spreading false information about the Russian military.<p><p>They were among 24 people freed in an exchange of prisoners held in seven countries: Russia and Belarus on one side; and the United States, Germany, Slovenia, Poland and Norway on the other; with the exchange taking place on an airfield in Ankara. On the Russian side, 16 prisoners were released, including one who had been imprisoned in Belarus, with German and American citizens and Russian dissidents among the group, the majority of whom were flown to Germany. Russia received eight people in return, including assassin Vadim Krasikov, who had been imprisoned by Germany, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/russia-prisoner-swap-people-released/" target="_blank">two hackers and an alleged smuggler with intelligence links</a> held in the United States.<p><p>President Biden, looking elated, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkLPALi4saE" target="_blank">jogged</a> over to reporters after greeting the three freed Americans, expressing “great satisfaction” and “relief” that they were home.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/The_Washington_Post/20240802/66ac5cc2e0c2524f523cc0e7/66ac6eecb711eb5ff5a16269/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><p>Whelan’s sister, Kurmasheva’s husband and daughters, and Gershkovich’s parents, sister and brother-in-law were in attendance at the reunion. Also there were members of the Wall Street Journal staff, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/evan-gershkovich-us-andrews-32fee381" target="_blank">including</a> editor in chief Emma Tucker. The newspaper had <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/08/01/evan-gershkovich-wall-street-journal-reporter-free/" target="_blank">run a 16-month pressure campaign</a> to have its reporter brought home. “Today is a joyous day,” Tucker <a href="https://twitter.com/emmatuckerWSJ/status/1819034971211788683" target="_blank">said</a> earlier.<p><p>The White House <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/us-russia-germany-prisoner-swap/" target="_blank">has framed the deal</a>, the largest and most complicated international prisoner exchange in decades, as a diplomatic coup for Biden. But the swap also has raised questions about the wisdom of participating in negotiations with regimes that could imprison innocent people for leverage.<p><p>Biden at Joint Base Andrews responded to the criticism that the prisoner swap could provide incentive to unfriendly nations to detain Americans for their own advantage: “I don’t buy this idea that you’re … going to let these people rot in jail because other people may be captured,” he said.<p><p>He was also asked whether he had a message for Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Stop,” was his reply. He did not elaborate. To the American people, he said, “There is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together — nothing, nothing, nothing.”<p><p>Before speaking to press, he appeared to pin a U.S. flag from his own lapel to Whelan, who <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/08/01/paul-whelan-russia-prisoner-swap/?itid=lk_inline_manual_7" target="_blank">spent more than</a> 2,043 days in detention according to his family.<p><p>Harris also addressed reporters, telling them it was a “very good night.” She stressed the “importance of building alliances and building the strength that we have through diplomacy.”<p><p>Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian journalist, author and opposition politician who holds U.S. permanent residency — <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/05/06/vladimir-kara-murza-pulitzer-prize-commentary/" target="_blank">who won a Pulitzer Prize</a> this year for columns published in The Washington Post — will return to the U.S. after reuniting with his family in Germany, White House officials said.<p><p>Tucker said in a memo to the Wall Street Journal newsroom that Gershkovich would be flying on to Texas. She did not specify where, but Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio has a reintegration program that has treated other freed detainees in recent years, including WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was held by Russia, and Travis King, who was held by North Korea.<p>
2024-07-17T16:39:28.556Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://feedx.net/rss/washingtonpost.xml" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>PARIS — Track and Field gets underway Friday with a full slate of events. In the pool, medals are up for grabs in the men’s 50-meter freestyle, the women’s 200 backstroke and the men’s 200 individual medley. The U.S. men’s soccer team will play in its first Olympic quarterfinal in 24 years, and reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion Carlos Alvarez takes on Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in a men’s tennis semifinal.<p><p>Follow along for live updates and highlights from the Summer Games in Paris.<p><h3>Today in Paris</h3>
2024-08-01T15:09:27.419Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/UJHNQOI3IJFBPNALDBTNVVLRIQ/20240802-004077.776/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p><i>You’re reading an excerpt from the WorldView newsletter. </i><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/newsletters/todays-worldview/?itid=lk_inline_manual_1&itid=lk_inline_manual_1&itid=lk_inline_manual_1&itid=lk_inline_manual_1" target="_blank"><i>Sign up to get the rest free</i></a><i>, including news from around the globe and interesting ideas and opinions to know, sent to your inbox on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.</i><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/5DPNWEJ6YTPF3GQP6TZ4AGJSEI.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, front, leading a prayer before the coffins of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard in Tehran on Thursday. (Iranian Supreme Leader Office Handout/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)</small></div><p><b>Just a week ago, there was cautious optimism that diplomacy could prevail. </b>As Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu left Washington following his <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/22/netanyahu-congress-speech-israel-gaza/" target="_blank">controversial appearance before Congress</a>, whispers trailed him of the renewed possibility of a cease-fire deal that could quiet hostilities in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and free the remaining Israeli hostages.<p><p>Then, well, this week happened.<p><p>As the constant barrage of Israeli bombardments continued to fall on Palestinians in Gaza, an alleged rocket attack by Lebanese Shiite organization Hezbollah <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/28/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-soccer-majdal-shams-druze/7905a7d4-4cc7-11ef-9728-3037305a6b0f_story.html" target="_blank">killed 12 children in a town in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights</a> over the weekend. (Hezbollah has denied involvement.) The Israeli response was a targeted strike on a suburb of Beirut on Tuesday that killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr and at least six others. Lebanese officials denounced the attack on their soil, and urged restraint.<p><p>The next day brought an even more stunning development: Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political wing, was assassinated while in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new president. According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/world/middleeast/how-hamas-leader-haniyeh-killed-iran-bomb.html?unlocked_article_code=1._k0.6eRU.rsZJZy95YJsc&smid=em-share" target="_blank">a New York Times report</a>, an explosive device laid months in advance in the chambers where Haniyeh was staying detonated, killing him and his bodyguard. Though Israel did not claim responsibility, the assassination bore the hallmarks of a sophisticated Israeli intelligence operation, and both Iranian and Hamas officials have pinned the blame for Haniyeh’s death on Israel.<p><p>For his part, Netanyahu <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/israel-hamas-war-iran-haniyeh-hezbollah-news/" target="_blank">told reporters</a> on Thursday that Israel had dealt “crushing blows” to both Hezbollah and Hamas, gesturing also to the recent Israeli confirmation of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/12/israel-gaza-hamas-leaders/" target="_blank">the death of Mohamed Deif</a>, a shadowy Hamas military commander in Gaza.<p><video controls="controls" src="https://d21rhj7n383afu.cloudfront.net/washpost-production/Reuters/20240801/66ab45b51d6a7a076f184cbf/66ab5aafd9dfd01cdcfb6121/file_1920x1080-5400-v4.mp4" width="100%"></video><p><b>The region is bracing for the next act. </b>“Together, the recent operations underscored Israel’s willingness and ability to target adversaries beyond its borders, including deep in hostile territory — and suggested that Netanyahu’s government, like the leaders of Iran and its militant allies, is unlikely to heed calls from the United States and other outside powers to put the ongoing cycle of violence to rest,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/iran-funeral-haniyeh-lebanon-hamas-deif/" target="_blank">my colleagues reported</a>.<p><p>For months, analysts have said that none of the belligerents in the region are interested in a full-scale war — be it Iran or its proxies, or Israel or the United States. “I think we have to reconsider” that calculus, Firas Maksad, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, <a href="https://x.com/FirasMaksad/status/1819040698378707400" target="_blank">said on CNN</a>, pointing to a “broad consensus” within Israel that wants to change the balance of power along its northern border with Lebanon.<p><p>Israel’s putative foes may be willing to oblige. After Haniyeh’s death, Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “severe punishment” on Israel and said revenge in this instance was a “duty.” In a speech, Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah declared that he and his allies were “looking for a real response, not a formal response” — a nod to the calibrated attacks that Iran and its proxies have launched on Israel since the start of the Israeli campaign in Gaza.<p><p>“We have entered a new stage different from the one before,” Nasrallah said, adding that Israel “has to wait for the anger of the honorable people in this nation, the revenge of the honorable people in this nation, for all this blood.”<p><p><b>There is “no question we’ve made one step forward to a potential escalation to a full-scale war,” </b>said Sima Shine, head of the Iran program at the Israel-based Institute for National Security Studies, at a virtual briefing held by the Israel Policy Forum. “We are in a situation where many red lines have been crossed,” she added.<p><p>What may follow could be significantly more drastic than <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/16/iran-escalation-israel-gaza-attention-focus/" target="_blank">Iran’s April barrage of rockets and drones</a> on Israel that was batted aside by the Jewish state and its allies. While on a trip to Mongolia, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was “crucial that we break the cycle” of violence in the region. “And that starts with a cease-fire,” Blinken told reporters, invoking the fitful negotiations between Israel and Hamas. “To get there, it also first requires all parties to stop taking any escalatory actions. It also requires them to find reasons to come to an agreement, not to look for reasons to delay or say no to the agreement.”<p><p>The spiking tensions, even if they’re calmed, complicate hopes for a cease-fire. “Pulling back from the brink, repeatedly, is not making war any less likely. It makes it harder to construct a diplomatic pathway away from the looming threat of all-out conflict,” <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp4wgqypwrxo" target="_blank">noted Jeremy Bowen</a>, the BBC’s international editor. “The only credible first step for lowering the deadly temperature in the Middle East is a ceasefire in Gaza.”<p><p>That may be a harder ask now than it was a few days ago. “Haniyeh — the chief negotiator for the militants in indirect Israel-Hamas talks mediated since November by the United States, Qatar and Egypt — was widely viewed as more realistic about the advantages of reaching a deal than Hamas military chief <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/12/11/hamas-leader-yahya-sinwar-israel-war/?itid=lk_inline_manual_4" target="_blank">Yehiya Sinwar</a>, according to Arab and U.S. officials closely familiar with the negotiations,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/07/31/haniyeh-killing-israel-hamas-ceasefire/" target="_blank">reported my colleague Karen DeYoung</a>.<p><p>“Political assassinations & continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?” Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani wrote on social media Wednesday morning. “Peace needs serious partners & a global stance against the disregard for human life.”<p><p>Palestinian observers, meanwhile, cast doubt on the significance of Haniyeh’s loss to the militant movement he represented.<p><p>“History has repeatedly demonstrated that while Israel is very effective in terms of assassinating senior Palestinian political figures, this has tended to have at best limited impact on [Hamas’s] abilities, on its development,” Mouin Rabbani, a nonresident fellow at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies and co-editor of Jadaliyya, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/israel-hamas-war-iran-haniyeh-hezbollah-news/#link-27TN2ZTW5RGZDB662SCRS7APME" target="_blank">told my colleagues</a>. “I would not equate killing leaders with eradicating a movement. Those are two very different things, and Israel has proven quite successful with respect to the former but not at all successful with respect to the latter.”<p><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-07-22T16:33:00.462Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/UFO6CMP7IRG4JKFUHBYJEKXHWI/20240724-151774.741/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p><i><b>Dear Eric:</b></i><i> My brother and his family are born-again Christian. I stayed with him in his hometown for about a week while I was having surgery to remove my prostate. After the stay, my brother told me that I was no longer invited to his home because my atheism made them uncomfortable, but we could always meet at a cafe.</i><p><p><i>I don’t wear my atheism on my sleeve, but he did attempt to convert me. No big deal to me. I am back in the same town for a month of radiation treatment. They asked if I needed anything, like meals prepared, and I declined.</i><p><p><i>My wife and several of his children want me to attempt reconciliation, but my exclusion from his home as an inferior person is a showstopper.</i><p><p><b>— Unwelcome Visitor</b><p><p><b>Visitor: </b>I’ll refrain from expounding on the many Bible verses specifically about welcoming people into one’s home. It is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than it is to define the “right” way for a person to practice their faith.<p><p>I wish I had more information about what prompted your brother's discomfort. Was it simply that you didn't accept his evangelizing? I'm curious about whether you're in active conflict or if he's simply a “my way or the highway” type.<p><p>Reconciliation isn’t fully your responsibility here, though. Radiation can be grueling. I can’t imagine sending a family member back to an empty hotel room, even if I did pack them a bag lunch. For now, focus on your health and peace of mind. But when you’re feeling up to it, break bread at a cafe and see if you can find common ground.<p><p><i><b>Dear Eric:</b></i><i> For almost as long as my husband and I have been married, close to 40 years, we have had a wonderful friendship with another couple, also a married man and woman.</i><p><p><i>However, in the past four years or so, the wife has asked me, “What's up with you? What have you been doing today?” I read between the lines that she thinks I am possibly doing something involving her husband.</i><p><p><i>In the course of the conversation or text she finally mentions that her husband is not at home. I honestly believe that she is writing down what I normally do on different days of the week and checking up on me.</i><p><p><i>Never in the span of nearly 40 years has there been anything but a friendship between me and her husband.</i><p><p><i>Now I find myself volunteering what I am doing like a child explaining to their mother. She also wants me to be in an Apple thing where you know where your friends are at all times.</i><p><p><i>One of her closest friends did have a husband that cheated on her and that friend may be casting doubts her way and not helping the situation.</i><p><p><b>— Innocent Friend</b><p><p><b>Innocent: </b>Who has the time for all this detective work? Time to tell Agatha Christie to step away from the typewriter.<p><p>Point out the tendency you've noticed. You can do it in a friendly way. “It seems like you're asking about my schedule a lot lately. Is there something behind that? Would you like to spend more time together?”<p><p>Perhaps she's just lonely or bored. Maybe she actually does think there's something going on between you and her husband. But your imagination is going to run wild just like hers is until you actually talk.<p><p>You've been friends for 40 years. There is, one hopes, enough goodwill built up between the two of you that you can have a non-accusatory conversation and clear up any confusion on both your parts. If it's going well, don't be afraid to be direct.<p><p>Sometimes in life you just have to say, “Susan, I am not sleeping with your husband.”<p><p><i><b>Dear Eric: </b></i><i>You received a letter from a lifelong diarist and you gave her some good suggestions regarding what she might want to do with her lifelong volumes of personal diaries.</i><p><p><i>Another suggestion would be to contact Radcliffe's Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America. Housed in a special collection at the Harvard Library, the “Schlesinger is considered the leading center for scholarship on the history of women in the United States.”</i><p><p><i>If accepted, the diarist would find her pages archived among those of the great women in American history, including Susan B. Anthony, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Amelia Earhart and Helen Keller.</i><p><p><i>An added advantage to giving her diaries to an academic library is that, if there is potentially embarrassing material in her diaries, she could ask that they not be released until after the death of her husband, if she predeceases him.</i><p><p><i>Support Herstory!</i><p><p><b>— A History-loving Reader</b><p><p><b>Reader: </b>A number of people wrote in about the Schlesinger Library! A wonderful suggestion. Thank you!<p><p>(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/oureric/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and sign up for his weekly newsletter at <a href="http://rericthomas.com/" target="_blank">rericthomas.com</a>.)<p><p><i>2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.</i><p>
2024-07-22T16:51:38.298Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/KEYB6ESJBNATPN6HUJUYRE2Q5E/20240724-152936.364/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p><i><b>Dear Miss Manners: </b></i><i>I was in a store the other day and wanted to catch the attention of a worker who was down the aisle from me and walking away. I could not tell, from a distance, what gender the employee was, and running down the crowded aisle in order to see them face-to-face was impractical.</i><p><p><i>Before I became aware of the pain caused by misgendering people, I probably would've just called out, “Excuse me, sir?” (Or ma'am, or miss, depending on my best guess.) Now I want to do better, but there seems to be no way to call out to someone whose gender is unknown. “Excuse me, person?” or “friend?” Both sound absurd.</i><p><p><i>Is there a gender-neutral way to get the attention of somebody in the service industry?</i><p><p><b>Just “excuse me” is </b>fine. As these workers are in the service industry, they are already on alert that their help may be required. Miss Manners suggests you simply repeat as necessary.<p><p><i><b>Dear Miss Manners: </b></i><i>I have a small house, and my adult son asked me to host his son’s birthday party. He invited 14 guests, not including several young children. It was a bit chaotic, but still, conversations could be heard.</i><p><p><i>When my sister and her husband arrived, she quickly grabbed the television remote and put on sports. I was extremely annoyed but chose not to create a scene. When it was time for the birthday cake, I asked her to turn the TV off.</i><p><p><i>As soon as the cake was served, her husband quickly turned the TV on again. Your thoughts?</i><p><p><b>Hide the remote </b>next time.<p><p><i><b>Dear Miss Manners:</b></i><i> My husband and I enjoy an old-fashioned, which are typically served in rocks glasses. At a bar we frequent, they use one oversized cube of ice, rather than a scoop of crushed ice, to chill the beverage.</i><p><p><i>What is the etiquette for enjoying the last sips of your drink without that giant ice cube sliding down and bonking you on the nose?</i><p><p><b>Place a subtle</b> forefinger on the offending cube, whilst clasping the rest of the glass with the thumb and middle. Miss Manners cannot entirely guarantee, however, that your finger will not bonk your nose instead — particularly after the second or third old-fashioned.<p><p><i><b>Dear Miss Manners: </b></i><i>I often receive gifts that creep me out — namely, gnomes and figurines. I just donate said items to a local thrift store. Is there any non-rude way to say you do not care for certain gifts?</i><p><p><i>Being a polite person, I am sure that I expressed my thanks when I received these things the first time. But now, years later, I am still creeped out, and I still receive them. My friends have never seen any of the items they gave me displayed in my home. Sometimes expressing thanks for an unwanted item just brings on more.</i><p><p><b>And yet one must. </b>But you may take comfort in knowing that someone, somewhere, is building a well-loved collection of creepy trinkets. Miss Manners suggests you continue to feign gratitude on their behalf, if not your own.<p><p><i>New Miss Manners columns are posted Monday through Saturday on </i><a href="http://washingtonpost.com/advice"><i>washingtonpost.com/advice</i></a><i>. You can send questions to Miss Manners at her website, </i><a href="http://missmanners.com/"><i>missmanners.com</i></a><i>. You can also follow her @RealMissManners.</i><p><p><i>© 2024 Judith Martin</i><p>
2024-07-11T13:53:07.612Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/KGDWYWRLNVAZBAAI4WTN4DK4YQ/20240731-120042.428/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/SHB34FTOERHJHETBBSJ4AJBWEY.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Illustration by Nick Galifianakis for The Washington Post)</small></div><p><i><b>Dear Carolyn:</b></i><i> My son has all but cut connections with me, although I am allowed monitored FaceTime with his child, my delightful young granddaughter.</i><p><p><i>A year or so ago when I was visiting, I had a DNA test swab with me and asked her to supply the saliva. The good news is, it turns out she is indeed my granddaughter, although unlike all the other grandkids, she looks nothing like any of the families on my side. She looks like a clone of her mother and a lot like her half brother from a different father.</i><p><p><i>The results of this test leaked out via another family member, and there was a lot of anger by the mother that I doubted her faithfulness. I did apologize, although I really wanted to know the results.</i><p><p><i>My apology was not accepted as good enough, nor was it directly to the mother.</i><p><p><i>Before I could write a more direct apology — which would’ve been insincere — the mom wrote me several scathing emails and I am no longer welcome in their home. It’s getting tougher and tougher to even have phone calls with my son and granddaughter.</i><p><p><i>Meanwhile, this same son is truly callous, not remembering or celebrating my birthdays, Mother’s Day, the anniversary of his dad’s death or our anniversary. He is, however, always happy to ask for and accept extra money.</i><p><p><i>Do I give up? Just get a therapist so I can get beyond being so hurt and left out?</i><p><p><i>There is no apology that will ever be good enough, and truthfully, I wanted to know, while I am living, if my son was actually the father of this child. The mother and I cannot be reconciled. Any ideas?</i><p><p><b>— Grammie From Afar</b><p><p><b>Grammie From Afar: </b>Well, you wanted to know, as you said.<p><p>You could have stayed out of it. You could have assumed the best of your daughter-in-law. You could have, assuming the worst, loved your granddaughter no matter her lineage, simply because your son chose to raise her as his own.<p><p>But you wanted to know.<p><p>So you crossed all the bounds of decency to find out.<p><p>So what surprises me most about your letter is that you seem surprised now to be left out. That you claim to be hurt by the people you so willfully, unapologetically hurt. That the sheets are rough in the vicious bed you made.<p><p>In addition to daily gratitude exercises for the access to your grandchild you still have (or purchase), a therapist sounds like a plan.<p><p>I mean that sincerely. Please get some help.<p><p><i><b>Dear Carolyn: </b></i><i>My dad is remarried to an awesome woman. She is really good for him, and they are devoted.</i><p><p><i>I’m in my 30s and live far away — like overnight-flight far — and when I come home, he really wants to hang out and bond relentlessly. He has said it’s hard for her when I come home (twice a year) because he gives me all his attention, and it’s hard for her to see him worry about me.</i><p><p><i>This doesn’t seem like her — particularly the jealousy bit. He has a track record of attributing the wrong motivations. I’m also not sure how or whether I should bring it up with her directly, but would like to fix it if it’s there. What do you think?</i><p><p><b>— Far Away</b><p><p><b>Far Away: </b>I think it’s probably not true — unreliable narrator — and even if it is true, then it’s between them and not for you to fix.<p><p>It’s twice a year! Spend your visits bonding, not on [waves hands vaguely] <i>this</i>. (Be sweet to her, though, for sure.)<p>
2024-07-31T20:11:56.732Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/DMRDPI3WFNBXBDS35FQDVYWG54/20240801-222809.095/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/YQ5VW5ISZXF6KN2AQXGIOOUHBY.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), left, and state Sen. John J. McGuire III (R-Goochland). (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post; Ryan M. Kelly for The Washington Post) </small></div><p>RICHMOND — House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good lost a last-ditch effort to hang on to his seat in Congress on Thursday, as a recount in his rural central Virginia district confirmed his narrow loss to John J. McGuire III in June’s GOP primary.<p><p>One of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/12/10/bob-good-liberty-university/" target="_blank">hardest-right figures</a> in Congress, Good petitioned for the recount after state-certified results in the June 18 contest put him 374 votes behind McGuire, a state senator who painted the incumbent as insufficiently loyal to former president Donald Trump.<p><p>Good was still behind after elections officials across the 5th District concluded the recount of the more than 62,000 ballots cast in June. The day-long process involved feeding most of the ballots through voting machines, hand-counting others, then personally delivering the results to a three-judge panel sitting in Goochland County Circuit Court. Sheriff’s deputies from the district’s 24 cities and counties transported their registrars and clerks of the court to the courthouse.<p><p>“While I am disappointed in the ultimate outcome, it has been my distinct honor to serve as the congressional representative for Virginia’s 5th District over the past 3.5 years,” Good said in a message posted to Facebook.<p><p>“I will continue to serve my constituents to the best of my ability over the remaining 5 months of my term, and I will continue to fight for the principles and values upon which our nation was founded.”<p><p>The recount was Good’s last avenue to challenge the results, drawing the curtain on one of the nation’s most expensive and unlikely primary contests, with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/05/16/virginia-5th-district-republicans-bob-good-john-mcguire/" target="_blank">two hard-right 2020 election deniers</a> calling each other RINOs (Republicans in name only).<p><p>McGuire faces Democrat Gloria Witt in November in the red-leaning district, which the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates as “Solid Republican.”<p><p>Over two terms in Washington, Good has ruffled feathers across the political spectrum as an unyielding Christian and fiscal conservative willing to risk government shutdowns to make a point about federal spending. Good played a key role in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/03/kevin-mccarthy-house-speaker-vote-2/" target="_blank">ousting then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-Calif.) from the House speakership.<p><p>Yet Good’s politics tended to play well back in a district that is home to Liberty University, the evangelical powerhouse where Good studied and later worked as an athletic fundraiser. Voters there tossed out Republican Rep. Denver Riggleman four years ago after he <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/conservative-gop-congressman-presides-at-gay-wedding-in-virginia/2019/07/15/a7929c00-a714-11e9-86dd-d7f0e60391e9_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_5" target="_blank">officiated a same-sex wedding</a>, replacing him with Good.<p><p>Good drew a primary challenge and Trump’s wrath when he initially endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for president last year. A self-described biblical conservative, Good was secretly videotaped saying he endorsed DeSantis because the governor is more of a “true conservative” than Trump on social issues such as abortion and gun control.<p><p>Good’s comments, which later were <a href="https://host2.adimpact.com/admo/viewer/bc0171f7-837c-412c-a27a-a2b8ace4fe7f" target="_blank">used against him in attack ads</a>, highlighted the discomfort some social conservatives have with Trump.<p><p>Good and McGuire spent the contest trying to prove their devotion to Trump and the MAGA movement, both having backed the former president’s false claims that Democrats stole the White House in 2020.<p><p>McGuire, a former Navy SEAL who festoons his Ford pickup with Trump flags, attended Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally in D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021 — without, he says, storming the Capitol — and has promoted a local showing of “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/11/2000-mules-offers-least-convincing-election-fraud-theory-yet/" target="_blank">2000 Mules</a>,” a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-usa-mules/fact-check-does-2000-mules-provide-evidence-of-voter-fraud-in-the-2020-u-s-presidential-election-idUSL2N2XJ0OQ/" target="_blank">discredited</a> film that purports to show voter fraud in the 2020 election.<p><p>Good often called Trump “the greatest president of my lifetime.” He voted against certifying the 2020 election, echoed Trump’s false claims about it and rallied outside the Justice Department on behalf of Jan. 6 defendants. He endorsed Trump for president after DeSantis dropped out in January, but that was too late for Trump.<p><p>The former president called Good a backstabber, endorsed McGuire, made a TV ad for the challenger and called in to McGuire’s tele-rally the night before the primary. At the same time, McGuire got major backing from McCarthy and Republican establishment figures who opposed Good’s obstructionist tactics as head of the Freedom Caucus.<p><p>Good touted all the establishment support for McGuire as proof that the challenger was a RINO. McGuire lobbed the same insult at Good, pointing to the incumbent’s willingness to vote with Democrats to toss McCarthy aside.<p><p>State law allows the apparent loser of an election to seek a recount — at his or her own expense — if the margin of victory is not greater than 1 percent of total votes cast. Localities cover the cost if the margin is within 0.5 percent. With 62,792 votes cast, McGuire’s margin was 0.595 percent.<p><p>Good’s campaign said it expected the cost to reach $100,000, but he did not have to pay that amount upfront. State law requires the petitioner to post a bond in the amount of $10 per precinct, which came to $3,270 in Good’s case.<p>
2024-07-29T15:32:29.708Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/OTUOAVUT4ZDGXM6N5IPPSX3XV4/20240801-224585.854/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/O2AZURVGS7KJOZ6SC3RLEVWZ4Y.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Frances Tiafoe gestures to the crowd after converting a late break opportunity during his win Thursday night at the DC Open. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)</small></div><p>This is where Frances Tiafoe came to revive his season.<p><p>The DC Open serves as an annual homecoming for the Hyattsville native. Each year, there are crowds at his practices, lines for his autograph and countless requests for tickets. On Monday, ahead of his eighth time competing here — and almost 10 years to the day when he made his debut as a much skinnier 16-year-old — Tiafoe affectionately called the tournament his fourth major. “I don’t really count the French Open,” he said.<p><p>What better place, then, for the 26-year-old to steady himself amid a turbulent year, one in which he has changed coaches, lost to unheralded opponents and tumbled down the world rankings? If only he could put together one good week, Tiafoe said in an interview, maybe he could reverse his fortunes.<p><p>Thursday marked the next step in what Tiafoe hopes is a turnaround, though it didn’t come easy. Before a lively, prime time crowd at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park, Tiafoe defeated world No. 82 Aleksandar Kovacevic, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-3, in a round-of-16 match that lasted 2½ hours.<p><p>Leading 4-3 in the third set, Tiafoe earned a decisive break by handling a searing 129 mph serve from Kovacevic, the backward ballcap-wearing American, then winning the point with a passing forehand.<p><p>It was just the second of 11 break-point opportunities Tiafoe converted, but it was enough. He ended the match on his next service game with a clinching volley, then unleashed a roar that matched the adoring crowd.<p><p>“That 4-3 game was kind of everything,” Tiafoe said. “I upped my tendency there a little bit, started making some returns, made him play. … I hit an unbelievable shot to break there. After that I was able to open my shoulders and close the match out.”<p><p>Tiafoe arrived for the DC Open with a 16-16 record in 2024 that dropped the former top-10 player’s ranking to 29th and dented some of his trademark joy and confidence. His struggles prompted him to hire a new coach, David Witt, whose work with Venus Williams and Jessica Pegula drew Tiafoe.<p><p>Tiafoe also dealt with an MCL strain during the grass-court season, though he acknowledged his challenges have been more mental than physical.<p><p>“The biggest thing I struggled with was the expectations part of it,” Tiafoe said earlier in the week. “I started playing much more safe and not as free, rather than just go out, enjoy the game, do what you do.”<p><p>Even in the middle of a difficult season, Tiafoe has talked openly about wanting to win his first DC Open title and adding his name to the list of champions that adorn the main stadium’s awning. He has never advanced past the quarterfinals here. But after two three-set wins to open the tournament, he will get an opportunity Friday.<p><p>“I kind of like that it was two tough matches that I won not playing incredibly well, just finding ways to win,” Tiafoe said. “That’s what it takes to be one of the better players in the world. That’s what I’ve been doing the last couple years.”<p><p>Tiafoe was one of three top-30 American men to play round-of-16 matches under blistering heat Thursday.<p><p>In a midday match in the direct sun, world No. 23 Sebastian Korda outlasted Thanasi Kokkinakis, 6-7 (1-7), 7-5, 3-2. Korda earned a third-set break at 2-2, then led 40-0 on his next service game before Kokkinakis limped to the net, tossed his racket and retired due to cramping.<p><p>Kokkinakis, an Australian fan favorite ranked 91st, led early behind an overwhelming serve. In the first set, he won nearly 80 percent of his service points and fired two of his nine aces during the decisive tiebreaker. After Kokkinakis launched another ace to take a 5-2 lead in the second set, a dispirited Korda could only manage a shrug.<p><p>He quickly found some answers after the ensuing changeover. With Kokkinakis serving for the match at 5-3, Korda saved two match points with clutch defense, then earned his first break-point opportunity of the afternoon. A rare double fault by Kokkinakis gave Korda the game and prompted the hundreds of fans who braved the heat on the grandstand court to chant his name. The 24-year-old took the next three games and the second set.<p><p>“I saw him, he was kind of slowing down a little bit with the pace of his serve [and] movement a little bit,” said Korda, who advances to a quarterfinal matchup Friday against Australian Jordan Thompson. “I just tried to keep hydrated, honestly. That was probably the key today.”<p><p>On the stadium court, world No. 14 Ben Shelton, the second seed in the men’s singles draw, prevailed in a nearly two-hour slugfest against fellow American Brandon Nakashima, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4). The win came hours after the 21-year-old survived a three-set marathon in the round of 32 against qualifier Radu Albot that was pushed back by rain and ended at 1:46 a.m. Thursday morning.<p><blockquote><p>Sealed with a signature ace 💥<a href="https://twitter.com/BenShelton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BenShelton</a> defeats compatriot Nakashima in two tiebreaks to set up a QF battle against Shapovalov!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MubadalaCitiDCOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MubadalaCitiDCOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/6bXb1AiucF">pic.twitter.com/6bXb1AiucF</a></p>— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mubadalacitidc/status/1819137050097950830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <p>“I was probably asleep at 4,” Shelton said. “ … Last night, had to deal with the humidity, playing in the middle of the night. Today was a quick turnaround and the heat. A lot of challenges thrown my way. It’s part of the sport. … I did a great job of recovering as best as I could and managing my energy out there.”<p><p>Shelton showcased a powerful serve that topped out at 146 mph. He fired his 14th and final ace on match point, then flexed on his way to greeting Nakashima at the net. He will make his first appearance in the DC Open quarterfinals Friday against Denis Shapovalov.<p><p>In the women’s draw, world No. 13 Ons Jabeur, the No. 4 seed, withdrew ahead of her round-of-16 match against 19-year-old D.C. native Robin Montgomery due to what she described as a recent right shoulder injury. (The Tunisian has also battled a balky knee for much of the year.)<p><p>Montgomery, a wild-card entrant in her DC Open debut, moves into the quarterfinals, where she will meet Marie Bouzková.<p>
2024-08-02T00:29:41.465Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/UPNICQ7MWJCL5N2K7LE3AUOLJA/20240801-220654.548/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/AQL65Q34QRA2V2AC2ZOGAQCOAU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Commissioner Roger Goodell had said the NFL disagreed with the original jury verdict in the Sunday Ticket case. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)</small></div><p>A federal judge in California ruled in favor of the NFL on Thursday and overturned <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/06/27/nfl-sunday-ticket-lawsuit/" target="_blank">a jury’s $4.7 billion verdict</a> in a class-action lawsuit filed by subscribers to the Sunday Ticket broadcasting package.<p><p>U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez called the testimony of two witnesses for the plaintiffs “flawed,” ruled that the jury “did not follow the Court’s instructions” and granted the NFL’s motion for judgment as a matter of law.<p><p>The June 27 verdict by the jury in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California could have cost the NFL and its teams $14.1 billion, given that damages can be tripled under federal antitrust laws.<p><p>“We are grateful for today’s ruling in the Sunday Ticket class-action lawsuit,” the NFL said in a written statement. “We believe that the NFL’s media distribution model provides our fans with an array of options to follow the game they love, including local broadcasts of every single game on free over-the-air television. We thank Judge Gutierrez for his time and attention to this case and look forward to an exciting 2024 NFL season.”<p><p>In a 16-page ruling, Gutierrez wrote that he agreed with the NFL’s contention that the testimony of two witnesses for the Sunday Ticket subscribers, Daniel Rascher and John Zona, should be excluded because the models they developed were not based on sound methodology.<p><p>“The Court agrees that Dr. Rascher’s and Dr. Zona’s testimonies based on their flawed methodologies should be excluded,” Gutierrez wrote. “And because there was no other support for the class-wide injury and damages elements of Plaintiffs’… claims, judgment as a matter of law for the Defendants is appropriate.”<p><p>Sunday Ticket is a broadcasting package that shows the NFL’s out-of-market Sunday games. The case focused on how the NFL sold its Sunday Ticket package to DirecTV, a satellite TV service, before <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/12/20/nfl-sunday-ticket-youtube/" target="_blank">moving it last season to Google’s YouTube</a>. The plaintiffs argued that the NFL selling the games in a single package to a single distributor violated antitrust laws by not offering consumers more choice and artificially inflating the cost. The NFL maintained that Sunday Ticket is a “premium product” and the league’s system for distributing its games allowed most of its games to be available on broadcast television.<p><p>Gutierrez wrote that “[e]ven if the Court did not find that judgment as a matter of law was appropriate, the Court would have vacated the jury’s damages verdict, remitted Defendants’ award to nominal damages, and conditionally granted a new trial based on the jury’s irrational damages award.”<p><p>The court instructed the jury on the proper way to calculate damages, Gutierrez wrote, adding: “The Court finds that the jury’s damages awards were not based on the ‘evidence and reasonable inferences’ but instead were more akin to ‘guesswork or speculation.’ ”<p><p>According to Gutierrez’s ruling, the jury “did not follow the Court’s instructions and instead relied on inputs not tied to the record to create its own ‘overcharge.’ ” The judge wrote that he was granting the NFL’s motion for judgment as a matter of law “as, without the testimonies of Dr. Rascher and Dr. Zona, no reasonable jury could have found class-wide injury or damages.”<p><p>The plaintiffs can appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.<p><p>The jury’s verdict could have cost each NFL team about $440 million.<p><p>“We obviously disagree with the jury verdict,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told CNBC last month. “We are committed, obviously, to following the legal process. It’s a long process. We’re aware of that.”<p>
2024-08-02T00:22:23.908Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/5SPCVMSTSNDZXFZ7JC7S33JQRQ/20240801-205857.573/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/7VAWB3XFB5FPHOREXLPBXNF7J4.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and opposition candidate Edmundo González hold electoral records as they address supporters in Caracas on Tuesday. (Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters)</small></div><p>CARACAS — The United States on Thursday said opposition candidate Edmundo González defeated President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela’s presidential election and called for negotiations to ensure a peaceful transition of power.<p><p>Maduro claims that he won Sunday’s vote. The opposition, meanwhile, says that the government’s own records, as well as independent exit polls, indicate that González won twice as many as votes.<p><p>“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Thursday evening.<p><p>In his statement, Blinken did not say the United States was recognizing González as Venezuela’s president.<p><p>“We congratulate Edmundo González Urrutia on his successful campaign,” Blinken said. “Now is the time for the Venezuelan parties to begin discussions on a respectful, peaceful transition in accordance with Venezuelan electoral law and the wishes of the Venezuelan people.”<p><p>Biden administration officials this week attempted to reach out to the Venezuelan government, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the private talks. Blinken’s announcement is likely to upset the Maduro government, the person said, and could halt the conversations.<p><p>Protesters in Venezuela and governments around the world have demanded Maduro publish precinct-level voting data to prove his election council’s claim that he won the election. At least 16 people have been killed in clashes across the country since Sunday, according to the rights group Foro Penal, a survey of hospitals and the defense ministry.<p><p>Maduro is the handpicked successor of Hugo Chávez, who founded Venezuela’s socialist state a quarter century ago. The authoritarian has ruled the South American country for more than a decade.<p><p>More than 7 million Venezuelans — a quarter of the population — have fled the country in the past decade amid a collapsing economy and growing repression.<p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p><p>
2024-08-01T23:25:50.775Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/VX43VXFJ7JDHTHBMDFSPFY2BE4/20240801-212031.312/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/5FVQQY6X7YYZQKZO2LVGGUMJDA.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">A line of voters outside of the Williamson County Annex polling station in Round Rock, Tex., on Nov. 8, 2022. (Suzanne Cordeiro / AFP via Getty Images/file)</small></div><p>A federal appeals court on Thursday made it harder for Black and Hispanic voters to form coalitions to elect the candidates they prefer in three southern states, overruling long-standing precedents.<p><p>For decades, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit held that the Voting Rights Act allows voting districts that give Black and Hispanic voters the ability to elect candidates of their choice when they have common interests and can form coalitions. Voting rights advocates have praised such rulings because they allow Black and Hispanic voters to get their voices heard even when each group does not constitute a majority on its own.<p><p>After the 2020 Census, commissioners in Texas’s Galveston County drew new lines that dissolved the only coalition district in the county. The Justice Department and voters sued, and a district court judge ruled in their favor, citing the appeals court’s precedents. A panel of three appeals court judges upheld that ruling — but also called for the full appeals court to take up the issue to reverse its prior rulings.<p><p>On Thursday, the full appeals court did just that. In <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca5.216176/gov.uscourts.ca5.216176.347.1.pdf" target="_blank">a 12-6 decision</a>, it ruled the language in Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and decisions from the Supreme Court do not require coalition districts.<p><p>“Nowhere does Section 2 indicate that two minority groups may combine forces to pursue a vote dilution claim,” the court wrote in the majority opinion.<p><p>The dissenters issued two opinions, including one that called the majority decision “atextual and ahistorical.”<p><p>“Today, the majority finally dismantled the effectiveness of the Voting Rights Act in this circuit, leaving four decades of en banc precedent flattened in its wake,” they wrote.<p><p>The case centered on the makeup of the Galveston County Commissioners Court, which consists of four county commissioners elected from districts and a county executive, called a judge, elected by the entire county. Until the new lines were drawn, Black and Hispanic residents made up a majority in one of the four commissioner districts for three decades.<p><p>In Galveston County, 58 percent of the voting-age population is White, 22.5 percent is Hispanic and 12.5 percent is Black, according to the decision. Hispanic voters are spread across the county, while Black voters are concentrated in the heart of the county.<p><p>The ruling is binding on the three states in the New Orleans-based appeals court’s jurisdiction — Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.<p><p>The case was brought by voters with the help of branches of the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens. They did not immediately say Thursday whether they planned to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. County officials could not immediately be reached.<p><p><i>Aaron Schaffer, Robert Barnes and Ann E. Marimow contributed to this report.</i><p>
2024-08-01T22:18:12.704Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/OG2RU5IWAJAORHVM2GCSFTKCVM/20240801-202355.553/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/XUNLGRD24AI6ZHOOOMJVPHPEGQ.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger at the White House in January 2022. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Chip maker Intel said Thursday that it plans to lay off 15,000 people, a troubling<b> </b>sign for the Biden administration’s multibillion-dollar plan to rebuild the U.S. chip manufacturing industry.<p><p>The layoffs will affect more than 15 percent of its workforce, Intel said. The announcement came as Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger told investors and staff that the company needed a massive restructuring to slash costs after posting a $1.6 billion loss in the<b> </b>second<b> </b>quarter.<p><p>Intel’s annual revenue fell by $24 billion from 2020 through 2023 even as its workforce grew 10 percent, a trend that Gelsinger called unsustainable.<b> </b>“This is painful news for me to share,” he wrote in a note to employees.<p><p>The majority of the layoffs will be completed by the end of the year, Intel said.<p><p>Other companies have surpassed Intel in multiple areas over the past several years. The company failed to establish itself in mobile devices as smartphones took off in the 2000s, started losing ground in PCs and data centers to Advanced Micro Devices in the late 2010s, and now trails far behind Nvidia in the red-hot artificial intelligence sector.<p><p>But those Intel rivals mostly have their chips manufactured overseas, largely by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Intel had emerged as the big winner of President Biden’s Chips for America program, with the administration announcing $8.5 billion in grants and $11 billion in loans for the company this year to help bring some manufacturing operations back to the United States.<p><p>But Intel has yet to receive those funds, and a Commerce Department spokesperson declined to say whether Thursday’s announcement would affect the grants. When announcing the $8.5 billion grants for Intel in March, the department had called it a “non-binding preliminary” agreement, with completion of a due diligence process required for the funds to be released.<p><p>Intel previously estimated that its new U.S. factories would create 10,000 manufacturing jobs and 20,000 construction jobs.<p><p>The job cuts are part of a plan to cut $10 billion in costs in 2025.<p><p>Intel also plans to winnow the number of products it makes; stop “non-essential work”; and suspend its dividend, starting in the fourth quarter.<p><p>Semiconductors have become a renewed policy focus in Washington amid an intensified U.S.-China rivalry. Chips are the brains of all computing devices, from mobile phones to super computers and smart weapons, and U.S. officials have become alarmed that so much of the American supply is produced in East Asia.<p><p>The Biden-backed Chips and Science Act of 2022, which allocates $52 billion in grants and $75 billion in loans to support the domestic chip industry, has been praised by U.S. executives as transformative, with Gelsinger calling it “the most important piece of industrial policy since World War II.”<p><p>But there have also been skeptics. Chips are a notoriously brutal industry, requiring billions of dollars of investments. Even if Intel ultimately gets federal money for expansion, its U.S.-based factories will continue to face higher labor costs than peers in South Korea, Taiwan and China.<p><p>Gelsinger said in March that Biden was pushing him to get the new federally funded factories up and running faster, and that Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo “now has sales targets for me.”<p><p>Intel’s stock was down 19 percent to $23.54 in after-hours trading Thursday.<p>
2024-07-31T19:02:58.714Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/HZOM6VDHKZDN5EPXMVKYQP7VIE/20240801-193777.774/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/N7SRGOZY25E5QDQTMHNSEU7254.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Basketball star Brittney Griner, who was freed in a prisoner swap with Russia in 2022, took the court Thursday for the United States at the Paris Olympics just hours after another prisoner swap freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)</small></div><p>VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — Brittney Griner stood with her teammates as “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, 20 months after she was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/12/11/brittney-griner-prisoner-swap-health/" target="_blank">freed in a prisoner swap with Russia</a> and just hours after the United States and Russia agreed to another deal <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/us-russia-germany-prisoner-swap/" target="_blank">that brought home Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich</a> following a 17-month detention.<p><p>Though she remained stoic and betrayed little emotion during the national anthem and then went about her business scoring seven points and grabbing three rebounds as the U.S. women’s basketball team claimed a hard-fought 87-73 win over Belgium on Thursday, Griner said that she was “definitely emotional” upon hearing the news.<p><p>“It’s a great day,” said Griner, who is competing internationally for the first time since she was released from Russian prison in Dec. 2022. “Head over heels happy for the families right now. Any day that Americans come home is a win.”<p><p>Griner, 33, was arrested on drug smuggling charges in February 2022 while playing for a Russian team and was later sentenced to nine years in prison. After spending several months in jail, Griner was released as part of a prisoner exchange involving <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/07/01/viktor-bout-griner-whelan/?itid=lk_inline_manual_11" target="_blank">Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer</a>. The 10-time WNBA all-star resumed her professional basketball career in May 2023, and she is chasing what would be her third Olympic gold medal with the U.S. women’s team this summer.<p><p>Griner, who is a crucial backup center for the United States, said that Gershkovich and the other freed prisoners can look forward to having an excellent support system upon their return to the United States.<p><p>“I know they have an amazing group of people to help them out in whatever way they need, them and their families,” Griner said. “I’m glad I was able to go through that program and get reacclimated back into everyday life.”<p><p>U.S. women’s basketball coach Cheryl Reeve said that she shared a moment with Griner after Thursday’s victory over Belgium, which helped the Americans clinch a spot in the quarterfinals, which start Wednesday in Paris.<p><p>“We’re extremely happy for the families,” Reeve said. “The prisoners have endured an awful, awful time without their family members. As soon as I read it, I thought of Brittney. I know how happy she is. … She knows, for her, what that was like. She seemed okay, but that’s Brittney. She always seems okay. We’ll be checking on her.”<p><p>While Griner held her emotions close to the vest, the Americans. had to grind out a tough victory in front of a rowdy pro-Belgium crowd of more than 25,000. Rows of supporters in black, yellow and red wigs jumped up and down during timeouts and chanted “Belgium” in hopes of inspiring a historic upset. Lille, the host city of the opening round of the women’s basketball tournament, is a short drive from the Belgian border.<p><p>Belgium (1-1), ranked sixth in the world by FIBA, trailed by just four points midway through the third quarter. But Team USA (2-0) was able to avoid its first loss at the Olympics since 1992 by ramping up its defense down the stretch.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/DV4OTTYPJO2LJTFREFVKXYGHH4.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">The U.S. women's basketball team was able to hold off Belgium despite intense support from 25,000 fans who made the short trip across the border to Lille, France. (Alex Plavevski/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)</small></div><p>“They’re just a really good team,” U.S. guard Diana Taurasi said. “They’re probably one of the best teams in the world. It just shows how much they love basketball in Europe. These are the atmospheres you get. They have a soccer feel to them. I heard they drink a lot of Belgian beer here. I expected a lot of Belgians here because they’re just 30 minutes away.”<p><p>WNBA MVPs Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson led the Americans just as they had during an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/29/usa-womens-basketball-no-caitlin-clark?itid=sr_2_d914732b-00d8-4f52-928b-80d54f42f909" target="_blank">opening win over Japan</a> on Monday. Stewart scored 11 of her game-high 26 points in the first quarter, while Wilson fended off Belgium’s physical defense to add 23 points and 13 rebounds.<p><p>The frontcourt duo of Stewart and Wilson helped make up for a poor showing from the American backcourt, which got just eight points combined from Taurasi, Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. However, Ionescu put the finishing touches on the victory by sinking a deep three-pointer in the closing seconds and putting a finger to her lips to silence the Belgian crowd.<p><p>“I love when the crowd goes against us,” Wilson said. “That’s the beautiful thing about our game is playing in those atmospheres, proving people wrong and wanting to hush the crowd a little bit. … I wasn’t really afraid. Any time we have a lead, I’m never going to be afraid. I don’t care how close it is: It could be one [point] or 100. I’m always going to have faith in what we do and I’m always knowing we can pull away.”<p><p>The Americans were able to move past a third-quarter scoring lull by forcing turnovers and scoring in transition. Emma Meesseman, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/the-mystics-path-to-wnba-title-began-in-july-in-indianapolis--with-a-mask/2019/10/11/19676360-ec6b-11e9-85c0-85a098e47b37_story.html" target="_blank">2019 WNBA Finals MVP</a> while a member Washington Mystics, led Belgium with 20 points and four rebounds.<p><p>Team USA will close out its Group C play against Germany (2-0) on Sunday. The Americans defeated the Germans, 84-57, in a July 23 exhibition in London, and a convincing victory could help them head into the quarterfinals with the tournament’s top point differential. Through two games, France (2-0) is plus-42 and the U.S. is plus-39.<p><p>To claim their eighth straight Olympic gold, the Americans could very well find themselves needing to defeat the French women on their home soil. It’s hard to imagine better preparation for that task than surviving such a strong scare from Belgium in Lille.<p><p>“Any time you play the host country, it’s going to be insane,” Stewart said. “I haven’t been here when [France] has been playing but I can imagine the crowd was very similar to this. That being said, we’re focused on Germany.”<p><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-07-31T19:10:22.449Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/EKZGGAYJI5GZDN3ITUSENHDSNY/20240801-191377.770/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/ZWKKDXTOKF5UV2QKOX4A3J6LXU.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Simone Biles's all-around gold medal in Paris completed a three-year comeback journey. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>PARIS — Doubt once lived inside Simone Biles’s mind. The greatest gymnast in history thought she would never try this again, not after her mind and body failed her in Tokyo. She had fallen into the deepest pit of her career, and she didn’t know whether she would even want to attempt to climb back.<p><p>Eventually, she decided to try, returning to the gym one casual visit at a time. The uncertainty gradually dissolved. And before the all-around final at <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/paris-summer-games-2024/" target="_blank">these Paris Olympics</a>, she knew she had made it all the way back to the top. She packed a necklace and had a plan. After her final routine, a standout performance that clinched the all-around gold medal, she placed the chain around her neck and showed off a sparkling pennant in the shape of a goat. Biles has proven that she’s the G.O.A.T. of gymnastics. And she knows it.<p><p>Biles has conquered her sport and herself. There is nothing left to accomplish.<p><p>In the tense all-around final, Biles had to perform at her best to earn the title. She didn’t cruise to a win as she has so often in the past. A mistake on bars pushed her into an unfamiliar position: third place at the midway point. For years, she hasn’t had a challenger as strong as Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade. With one rotation remaining, Biles led by less than two-tenths of a point. But then she asserted her dominance. As the final competitor, she soared through her floor routine, flipping and twisting in ways that no woman can match. With that one routine, she emerged as the champion of a dramatic battle for gold.<p><p>“I don’t want to compete with Rebeca no more,” Biles said afterward. “I’m tired. She’s way too close. I've never had an athlete that close.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/JO6OFJE5EDFN2PH4LAYZUKZYTM.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">In third place after two rotations, Biles needed a clutch performance on beam. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Biles’s final act of this marquee event was more than enough to seal the title. Her score of 59.131 ultimately towered above Andrade’s 57.932, which was good enough for silver, but the margin was that wide only because of Biles’s excellence in the final rotation. It was also a reminder of Biles’s dominance. Even when she is imperfect, she cannot be defeated, and her beam and floor routines proved her mettle. On bars, she struggled through a salto transition from the high bar to the low bar. She had to bend her knees and maintained her rhythm through sheer will. Afterward, with Andrade having climbed ahead, Biles knew she had to re-center herself.<p><p>“I was probably praying to every single god out there,” Biles said.<p><p>During the meet, Biles and U.S. teammate Sunisa Lee scrambled to do math in their heads — Lee as she successfully won the race for bronze and Biles as she fought Andrade for gold.<p><p>“I don’t like that feeling,” Biles said. “I was stressing!”<p><p>Lee added: “I had never seen you that stressed in my life.”<p><p>But this version of Biles, confident and prepared, could handle the pressure. This was just an error — nothing like what happened in Tokyo. Instead, Biles’s performance was a sign of how far she’s come.<p><p>When the world watched Biles at the Olympics three years ago, the toll of the extraordinary pressure, plus trauma buried inside, spilled over onto the competitive floor. Biles couldn’t go on. It would have been too dangerous to fly through the air when the usually innate connection between her mind and body had frayed. Many praised how she prioritized her physical and mental health. Others called her a quitter.<p><p>Biles took a break from the sport, without a murmur about whether her future would include another competitive routine. She quietly decided to return ahead of the 2023 season, later citing obvious motivation: “You saw what happened,” Biles said, referring to the trouble in Tokyo. But she insisted she was doing it for herself alone. It was a chance to author her own ending.<p><p>Over the past year, one successful competition after another, Tokyo has loomed over Biles each time she performs. In her carefully limited media appearances, she and her coaches face redundant questions all centered around the same theme: Would this Olympics be different?<p><p>Biles has emphatically answered. She led the U.S. women to the team gold, and two days later, she earned the sport’s most coveted medal, its ribbon framing the sparkling goat that remained on Biles’s chest on the podium. Biles, the world’s most decorated gymnast with 30 world championship medals to go with her Olympics haul that now stands at nine, has three more opportunities to win gold in the individual apparatus finals.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/7L6S4LXFGSWVR24XS2HBJJEYQQ.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Biles and Sunisa Lee learn that they would both be on the medal podium. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Andrade, the Brazilian star, has seized the role as a formidable challenger to Biles. But Biles <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/08/01/simone-biles-difficulty-score-all-around-paris-olympics/" target="_blank">has difficulty scores that are so high </a>that her peers, even Andrade, have a chance only if Biles falters. The single mistake Thursday wasn’t enough to outweigh Biles’s excellence on every other apparatus. Lee, the all-around champion in Tokyo, battled kidney-related health issues last year, with her podium finish here the exclamation mark on an arduous road back to world-class form. Lee posted a 56.465, taking the bronze by a tiny margin thanks to her fantastic floor routine. But Biles’s ascent back to the top of the podium took center stage.<p><p>Biles began the competition by launching her body through the air and performing the double-flipping vault that bears her name. Her alternative option is safer, mentally and physically. But Biles performed the Yurchenko double pike Thursday, in large part because she knew she might need that scoring boost against Andrade.<p><p>“I have to bring out the bigguns this time,” Biles said she thought.<p><p>Biles’s mind and body are perfectly in sync. Her competitive repertoire is just as complex as it was before Tokyo. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/interactive/2024/simone-biles-moves-named-olympic-gymnastics-skills/" target="_blank">Those difficult skills</a> have solidified her legacy in the sport, and in every competition, they made her unstoppable. That’s what helped Biles return to the pinnacle of her sport. There’s no room for doubt anymore. Tokyo now defines only the magnitude of Biles’s comeback.<p>
2024-08-01T04:46:12.369Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/J2P5KLGDIRGOZIOLGE7LXUTYKU/20240801-160239.391/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/KZC6SMGHONC5VO7THXYKLNZHRM.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Abbey Lossing for The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Happy Paris Olympics! This week, we’ve got some great Olympic reporting plus tips on calming anxiety, and our weekly “joy” snack. But before that …<p><h1>This week’s must-reads:</h1><h1>Olympic skin-care tips and more</h1><p>When our reporter Gretchen Reynolds first met water polo goalie Ashleigh Johnson this year, their conversation turned to a surprising topic: skin and hair care. It turns out that despite Johnson’s athletic accomplishments, many of her fans are most interested in her beauty routine.<p><p>Johnson says she doesn’t mind. “I wish that someone had had some hair and skin care tips for me when I was coming up,” she said.<p><p>She wants to encourage more young women to dive into the pool, so she’s happy to answer questions that will help them overcome any reluctance. After a practice, Johnson agreed to show us what years of experimentation have taught her about keeping hair and skin healthy. Check out her tips by clicking the article below.<p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/07/31/ashleigh-johnson-water-polo-skin-hair-tips/" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/07/31/ashleigh-johnson-water-polo-skin-hair-tips/</a><p><h1>What’s up with rugby sevens?</h1><p>When Alex “Spiff” Sedrick dashed more than 100 yards up the pitch to score in the waning seconds of the U.S. women’s rugby sevens team’s bronze medal match against Australia, she did more than secure Team USA’s first rugby sevens medal. She introduced scores of Americans to the sport — and probably lit the dreams of countless fans who thought, “Wow, I want to do that.”<p><p>We spoke to coaches and players about rugby sevens, which we learned is a fast, intense and wildly entertaining 14-minute variation of rugby. Learn more by clicking the link below.<p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/08/01/how-to-play-rugby-sevens/" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/08/01/how-to-play-rugby-sevens/</a><p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/4MVQWXAXNNGVFNCLGLZYHKD2DE.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">(Abbey Lossing for The Washington Post)</small></div><h1>These simple tricks can calm your heart rate</h1><p><b>I can feel my heart beating quickly when I’m feeling anxious or stressed. What can I do about it? Is this normal?</b><p><p>You can slow a rapid heart rate, caused by anxiety and even cardiac arrhythmias, using a classic technique called vagal maneuvers. These are simple actions that engage the vagus nerve — the major nerve connecting the brain to your internal organs.<p><p>There are two main options I recommend:<p><p>To learn more, read our latest <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/08/14/bellybutton-lint-what-is-it/?itid=lk_inline_manual_29" target="_blank">Ask a Doctor column</a>. Our columnist is Trisha S. Pasricha, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.<p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/07/29/anxiety-high-heart-rate/" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/07/29/anxiety-high-heart-rate/</a><p><h1>Find your joy snack!</h1><p>Here are a few things that brought us joy this week.<p><p><i>Want to know more about “joy” snacks? Our Brain Matters columnist </i><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/11/17/feel-happier-joy-flourishing/" target="_blank"><i>Richard Sima explains.</i></a><i> </i>Y<i>ou can also </i><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/02/24/joy-snacks-comic/?itid=lk_inline_manual_10" target="_blank"><i>read this story as a comic</i></a><i>.</i><p><p><i>Please let us know how we are doing. Email me at </i><a href="mailto:wellbeing@washpost.com" target="_blank"><i>wellbeing@washpost.com</i></a><i>. You can also </i><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@washingtonpostwellbeing" target="_blank"><i>find us on TikTok.</i></a><p>
2024-07-05T19:35:33.829Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/BAROS4OZXVG5VAYGNDZPXOOHX4/20240801-190124.249/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/K2ZPHN5RJSY2AUPRZKXL22PYGY.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Kate Douglass celebrates her gold medal in the 200-meter breastroke with silver medalist Tatjana Smith, left, of South Africa and bronze medalist Tes Schouten of the Netherlands. (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)</small></div><p>NANTERRE, France — From the ready room to the starting blocks to the final few meters of her race to the top step of the medal stand, Kate Douglass oozed the sort of quiet confidence that has long been a hallmark of the Team USA swim program. She is the best in the world at the women’s 200-meter breaststroke and knew she only had to swim like Kate Douglass to win. She had her race plan dialed in, right down to her optimum stroke-counts on each of the four lengths, and she nailed it, save for an extra cycle coming home.<p><p>On a night at the Paris Olympics when Katie Ledecky secured a massive chunk of history, when Caeleb Dressel pulled a clutch semifinal sprint out of his swim cap and lived to see another day, when Regan Smith survived a grueling butterfly/backstroke double and when the silver medals again piled up around the necks of American swimmers — it was Douglass alone who was golden.<p><p>“I felt like I was physically ready for this race, just [because of] what I've done in practice these last few months leading up to this meet,” said Douglass, a 22-year-old University of Virginia product whose gold Thursday night completed a color sweep that already included a medley bronze from Tokyo 2020 and a relay silver in Paris. “I knew if I executed that race well, I would win it.”<p><p>It is a sentiment that has been in short supply for Team USA at this meet, where the silvers are piling up high — 10 so far at this meet, including ones from Smith in the women’s 200 butterfly (a race won by Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh) and in the women’s 4x200 freestyle relay — but the golds have been in short supply.<p><p>Through two-thirds of this nine-day meet, Australia leads Team USA in golds, five to four. One would need to go back to 1988 to find an Olympic meet in which the Americans didn’t top the gold medal count. The Americans, though, lead the overall medal table, 20-11.<p><p>There is no shame in silver, of course, and Thursday night at Paris La Défense Arena it was one of those that pushed Ledecky to a lonely, lofty perch in Olympic history. In helping Team USA’s relay to a runner-up finish to the heavily favored Aussies, she secured the 13th medal of her career, giving her the titles of the most decorated female swimmer in history as well as the most decorated female American in any sport.<p><p>Ledecky, 27, still has the 800 freestyle to come, with prelims Friday morning and the final Saturday night, and a gold in that race would be the ninth gold medal of her career, which would also give her sole possession of first on the all-time list of female swimmers.<p><p>Thursday night, her relay teammates — Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden and Erin Gemmell — couldn’t quite decide what was more amazing: the fact they could forever call themselves Olympic medalists, or the fact they could say they were on the same medal-winning relay as Ledecky.<p><p>“It’s easy to forget sometimes that she’s as good as she is, because she’s so humble and just a great teammate,” said Gemmell, 19, who attended the same school as Ledecky, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Md., and once dressed as her for Halloween. “But then she just goes out there and crushes it over and over and over.”<p><p>Ledecky, a four-time Olympian, is one of the old lions of the American squad — a group of multi-time Olympians and former champions that also includes Dressel, Simone Manuel, Lilly King, Chase Kalisz and Ryan Murphy. Between them, they own 25 Olympic golds and 42 overall medals, including ones won here. Though all are in the autumns of their careers, with some pushing deeper into winter, they were being counted on here, to one degree or another, to keep Team USA atop the gold-medal count.<p><p>But it hasn’t exactly gone according to plan: None besides Ledecky, who took topped her own Olympic record in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/31/katie-ledecky-olympic-gold-medal/" target="_blank">taking gold in the 1,500 free</a>, have performed to their past standards. On Thursday night, King, a five-time medal winner may have reached the end of her career with an eighth-place finish in the women’s 200 breast, an event in which she won silver in Tokyo. She has said she does not plan to keep going through Los Angeles 2028, and there are no guarantees she will be tabbed for the medley relay still to come.<p><p>King acknowledged she was “thinking about” that possibility, but added, “I’m kind of glad, honestly. I don’t think I’m going to miss the way I feel before these races, even when it goes right.”<p><p>At least King can say she is leaving the 200 breast in good hands, with Douglass, the newly minted gold medalist, still ascendant. The same can’t be said for some of the other events where there should be a baton being passed among the Americans.<p><p>The U.S. dynasty in the men’s 200 back, for example, once seemed unassailable, with at least one medal, and frequently two, in every Olympics dating back to Atlanta 1996 — a legacy handed down among luminaries in the sport, from Lenny Krayzelburg to Aaron Piersol to Ryan Lochte to Murphy.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/DYTV6OAKXLMXNCK6FXF33J4O2A.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Ryan Murphy finished a stunning 10th in the semifinals of the men’s 200 back, failing to qualify for the final. (Matthias Schrader/AP)</small></div><p>Murphy, 29, came into this meet seeking a third straight double-podium performance in the men’s backstroke events. Though he got it done in the 100, earning bronze, he finished a stunning 10th in the semis of the men’s 200 back, failing to qualify for the final. That, plus Keaton Jones’s fifth-place finish in that final Thursday night, spelled the end of the U.S. dynasty in that event.<p><p>That race was won Thursday night by Hungary’s Hubert Kos, who competed collegiately at Arizona State under <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/30/bob-bowman-team-france-leon-marchand-paris-olympics?itid=sr_1_cf6b0479-4202-46e7-91a0-1deb02552afb" target="_blank">noted coach Bob Bowman</a> (who has since moved on to Texas). Along with the three golds (so far) from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/31/leon-marchand-butterfly-breaststroke-gold-medals-paris-olympics?itid=sr_1_cf6b0479-4202-46e7-91a0-1deb02552afb" target="_blank">France’s Leon Marchand</a>, that means as many golds so far have been won by foreign swimmers who train under Bowman — an American himself, who has been a fixture on Team USA coaching staff for decades, but who this year is an assistant for France — as by the entire American squad.<p><p>Ouch.<p><p>“He doesn’t let us be second best,” Kos said of Bowman. “He doesn't let us stoop down to a level he doesn't want from us. That brings out the best in us.”<p><p>Double ouch.<p><p>When you look deeper than the medal table, the picture gets even worse for Team USA. When sprinter Chris Guiliano finished 17th in the preliminary heats of the 50 free Thursday morning, it marked the eighth time already at this meet an American swimmer has failed to make it out of prelims — something that happened only three times total in Tokyo and only once in Rio.<p><p>Additionally, seven Americans have fallen in their semifinals and failed to make the final. Nowhere was this more acutely felt than in the men’s 200 fly, where, after Luca Urlando finished 17th in prelims and Thomas Heilman 10th in the semis, the ensuing final Wednesday night — where Marchand, the premier male swimmer in the world now, surged to a breathtaking, come-from-behind win — became the first Olympic swimming final without an American entry since the women’s 200 breast in Rio.<p><p>Solutions are elusive. Michael Phelps, to paraphrase Rick Pitino, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRik9erWgQ8" target="_blank">is not walking through that door</a> for Team USA. And in fact, it’s more likely some of the program’s most accomplished and decorated champions, the ones who took the mantle from Phelps, will soon be walking out of it.<p>
2024-08-01T23:10:03.641Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://feedx.net/rss/washingtonpost.xml" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>Today, we hear about the secret negotiations that led to an extraordinary prisoner swap on Thursday. Among the freed: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, other Americans, Russian dissidents – and a convicted assassin. <p>
2024-08-01T17:10:17.700Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/3EGNIZ3DWRBJZDXFUBWP3FLDQY/20240801-192173.734/eleven-labs_en-US_Rachel_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/LQNH3SBZPAI6VIP7YSGB2WNEUE.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Former drug kingpin Rayful Edmond III poses in a family photo. (Family photo)</small></div><p>Rayful Edmond III, the long-ago drug kingpin whose army of dealers and mountain of profits made him a symbol of the District’s murderous crack cocaine epidemic in the 1980s, has been moved from a federal penitentiary to “community confinement” and is set to be released late next year, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons said Thursday.<p><p>Edmond, 59, has been behind bars since his arrest in April 1989. Initially sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole, he became a government informant during his decades of incarceration, providing an “unparalleled magnitude … of cooperation,” a judge wrote in 2021 in significantly <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/rayful-edmond-prison-sentence-reduction/2021/02/23/efa9d0b6-48c2-11eb-839a-cf4ba7b7c48c_story.html" target="_blank">reducing his sentence</a>.<p><p>Now the city’s bygone “king of cocaine,” as he was dubbed, appears to be inching closer to freedom, with “a projected release date” of Nov. 25, 2025, the Bureau of Prisons said.<p><p>A lawyer for Edmond did not return calls seeking comment Thursday.<p><p>In a statement, the bureau said Edmond was transferred Wednesday to “community confinement” under the supervision of the agency’s Nashville Residential Reentry Management Office.<p><p>The Nashville office is responsible for “providing oversight to halfway houses in Kentucky and Tennessee,” according to its website. The bureau declined to say where Edmond is being confined.<p><p>“Community confinement means the individual is either [in] home confinement or a Residential Reentry Center,” meaning a halfway house, the statement said. “For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not specify an individual’s specific location while in community confinement.”<p><p>Edmond, who was convicted of federal drug-trafficking charges in D.C. and sentenced in 1990, oversaw a sprawling operation that smuggled as much as 1,700 pounds of cocaine into the city each month in the latter part of the 1980s, authorities said. They estimated that Edmond raked in about $2 million per week in those years.<p><p>The huge profits available in the crack trade spawned open-air dealing in many areas of the District back then, with competing street crews guarding their turf — and encroaching on others’ territories — through nightly gunfire. As D.C.’s annual homicide toll climbed sharply in the late 1980s and early 1990s, peaking at nearly 500, the city acquired the nickname “America’s murder capital.”<p><p>The epidemic of crack dealing and bloodshed ravaged communities all over the country. Edmond himself, though, was never found guilty of any violent crimes.<p><p>During his years of imprisonment, authorities said, Edmond cooperated extensively in investigations of drug and homicide cases in the District and elsewhere. In return for his help, federal prosecutors in D.C. asked a judge in 2019 to modify Edmond’s sentence of life without parole, allowing him to someday go free.<p><p>“I am very remorseful,” Edmond <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/i-am-sorry-for-everybody-i-hurt-80s-dc-drug-kingpin-rayful-edmond-iii-apologizes/2019/10/16/c04537c4-efaf-11e9-89eb-ec56cd414732_story.html" target="_blank">said at a 2019 court hearing</a> on the government’s motion. It was the first time he had apologized to D.C. residents for the wave of addiction and violence he helped bring to their city. “I am sorry for everybody I hurt, for everybody I disappointed,” he said. “If I ever get the opportunity, I will do my best and whatever it takes to make up for all of my crimes.”<p><p>Prosecutors sought an adjusted sentence of 40 years, but U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan went further in his 2021 ruling, reducing Edmond’s sentence to 20 years. While Edmond’s “involvement in the criminal enterprise damaged this community deeply and resulted in the destruction of the lives of many individuals,” Sullivan wrote, the “unparalleled magnitude” of his cooperation warranted a significant reward.<p><p>At that point, Edmond already had been behind bars for nearly 32 years, far more time than his new 20-year sentence. But he had another sentence waiting to be served: 30 years in federal prison for dealing drugs in the U.S. penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pa., while he was an inmate there.<p><p>Edmond’s lawyers asked a federal judge in Pennsylvania to reduce that pending 30-year term so it would be covered by the extra time that Edmond had served on his modified sentence in the D.C. case.<p><p>A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Harrisburg, Pa., on Thursday declined to comment on Edmond, referring questions to the Bureau of Prisons. In its statement, the bureau said that Edmond’s effort to have his sentence reduced in Pennsylvania was successful and that his remaining period of incarceration can be measured in double-digit months.<p><p>“He has now served over 35 years in federal custody,” the statement noted.<p>
2024-07-30T19:55:47.682Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/SVPWITQ77RGC3CXEHSSHBZ3VCI/20240801-191985.854/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><p>For the past two weeks, Biden administration officials were confident that they had finally secured a deal to release more than a dozen journalists, pro-democracy activists and wrongfully detained Americans from Russian prisons.<p><p>The negotiations had been painstaking and sometimes faltering. But now, sixteen people were on the verge of freedom, among them Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, serving a harsh sentence on baseless accusations of spying; Washington Post contributor Vladimir Kara-Murza, among the most outspoken and trenchant critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin; and Paul Whelan, a former Marine who had languished in Russian prisons for more than five years on trumped-up charges.<p><p>Officials in Washington who had helped craft the deal were buoyant as the Americans boarded a plane in Moscow, joined by a group of jailed Russian pro-democracy activists who would travel on to Germany. But until they touched down at an airport in Ankara, Turkey, and their heads were counted, their identities were verified, and they were physically out of Russian custody, U.S. officials kept their fingers crossed and remained, as several recalled, “on pins and needles.”<p><p>There was still a lot that could go wrong. During the flight, a European official informed a reporter that a plane bound from Moscow to Ankara had turned back, prompting fears that the deal had been scotched. It turned out to be a false alarm, but it underscored the thrumming anxiety that never abated until the planes carrying the freed prisoners were wheels up.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/OERFF7T2IY3P4VVXGVUWYISYSI.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">A Russian plane believed to be carrying released Russian prisoners leaves the airport in Ankara, Turkey, on Thursday. (AP)</small></div><p>In the weeks preceding the exchange, painstaking negotiations had to share time with high-stakes politics. On July 21, President Biden got on the phone with the prime minister of Slovenia to make sure he was still willing to release a Russian couple that had been convicted on spying charges, part of the group of prisoners the U.S. and its allies had agreed to offer in the exchange.<p><p>One hour after they hung up, Biden, who had been under intense pressure to drop out of the presidential campaign since delivering a halting performance in a debate the previous month, announced publicly that he would not seek reelection in November and became a lame-duck president.<p><p>Administration officials had seen proposed prisoners swaps come together, only to disintegrate — once when the key figure in the deal died suddenly in a Russian prison. They had tried to free several Americans at a time, only to settle for one. Cabinet officials, and Biden himself, had previously called family members to discuss their loved ones who<b> </b>weren’t coming home.<p><p>The administration always promised to keep working. But few could have imagined the scope of the exchange that took place on Thursday. In all, 16 Americans, Russians and Germans were freed from Russia, in exchange for eight Russians held in the United States, Germany and other countries, including a notorious intelligence operative who gunned down a man in broad daylight in Berlin.<p><p>“Not since the Cold War has there been a similar number of individuals exchanged in this way and there has never, so far as we know, been an exchange involving so many countries,” Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, told reporters as planes converged in Turkey. Sullivan had been a key architect of the deal, officials said, and sometimes seemed to be one of the few in the White House who held out any hope it was possible.<p><p>This account of how the Biden administration, in what turned out to be its final months, pulled off the biggest prisoner swap in recent history, securing the release of prisoners held by a hostile foreign power engaged in a grinding, bloody war against a U.S. ally, is based on interviews with eight officials in the United States and Europe with knowledge of the negotiations.<p><p>Many of the officials involved spoke on the condition of anonymity to recall private conversations and sensitive diplomacy that remain controversial, and are sure to draw fire from the president’s critics and others who worry that swapping genuine criminals for people who did nothing wrong, or committed comparatively minor offenses, creates a moral hazard that will encourage Russia to seize more innocent people.<p><p>In remarks from the White House after the flights had left Turkey, Biden praised the U.S. allies who participated in the deal, including Norway, Poland and Estonia, who had agreed to release Russians in their custody or had extradited criminals to the United States. The deal, he said, had come with “tough calls” and noted there had been no guarantees.<p><p>“But there’s nothing that matters more to me,” he said, “than protecting Americans at home and abroad.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/D6QNEMIFGYHFVZM52F4GC5BQVY.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes some of the people who were released as part of the prisoner swap including, in a cap, Vadim Krasikov, on Thursday in Moscow. (Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)</small></div><h2>The key to the deal</h2><p>In the end, the linchpin of the deal was not a prominent American journalist or a democratic freedom fighter, but a convicted Russian hit man: Vadim Krasikov.<p><p>In 2019, acting on behalf of a Russian intelligence agency, Krasikov gunned down a former Chechen fighter at point-blank range in Berlin’s Kleiner Tiergarten park. A German court sentenced Krasikov to life in prison and condemned the murder as “state terrorism.”<p><p>Putin had called the victim, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a “bloodthirsty” killer who had attacked Russia. And he praised Krasikov as a patriot. Putin became singularly focused on freeing him from Germany, evincing a kind of obsession with his case that remains puzzling to U.S. officials, who said they still aren’t entirely sure why the Russian president wanted Krasikov freed so badly.<p><p>The Russians had<b> </b>earlier raised him as a possible trade item in the fall of 2022, when the United States was working to free Whelan as well as basketball star Brittney Griner, who had been arrested in Russia while carrying a small amount of cannabis oil. At the time, the proposal seemed dead on arrival. Krasikov was in German custody, so he wasn’t Washington’s to give.<p><p>Sullivan, the national security adviser, flagged the Russian proposal to his German counterpart, but U.S. officials considered Russia’s idea to be “unserious,” a senior administration official said. Freeing Krasikov would also be an enormously controversial move for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who had only been in power for one week when Krasikov was convicted.<p><p>Germany also worried about establishing a terrible precedent that would induce Russia to keep taking prisoners. “What do you do when that becomes a business model?” said one senior German official involved in the negotiations.<p><p>In December 2022, Russia <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/12/08/brittney-griner-freed-swap-russian-merchant-death/">released Griner</a> in exchange for Viktor Bout, a notorious arms merchant serving a 25-year sentence in a U.S. prison. That deal drew fire from critics, as well as some U.S. officials, who said it violated a long-standing policy of “like for like” in prisoner exchanges. Bout was a hardened criminal dubbed “the Merchant of Death.” Griner was an athlete arrested on what most U.S. courts would consider a minor drug offense. Now it was the turn of U.S. officials,<b> </b>particularly in the Justice Department, to worry that such uneven exchanges would only compel the Russians to seize other high-profile Americans, as well as ordinary citizens, knowing that Washington would bargain for them.<p><p>“He was an arms dealer. His contributions to human suffering were tangible and physical. The notion that he was anywhere on par with an innocent basketball player — there was just absolutely no parity on that,” one former department official said.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/QZGDQEA6HMI6TDRBLGQJ74PCUE.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who was arrested in Russia in 2018, looks out of a glass cage in a courtroom in Moscow on Jan. 22, 2019. (Pavel Golovkin/AP)</small></div><p>Moscow also saw Whelan in a separate category from Griner. He had been convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years hard labor. Russia had never presented any concrete evidence of Whelan’s crimes, but they believed — and still do, U.S. officials have said — that he was a spy. And spies are traditionally swapped for other spies.<p><p>“We had been working for some time to get Whelan out and couldn’t get the Russians to deal because we didn’t have anyone to give that they wanted,” said a U.S. official familiar with the negotiation. “They wanted Krasikov, but the Germans wouldn’t give him just to get Americans back.”<p><p>Griner went free, but Whelan,<b> </b>who U.S. officials insisted was no spy,<b> </b>remained in Russia.<p><p>With negotiations over Krasikov at an impasse, Secretary of State Antony Blinken started discussing with colleagues<b> </b>who the Germans might want freed from Russia, the U.S. official said. That could<b> </b>induce Berlin to bargain over the convicted assassin.<p><p>Eventually, State Department officials came up with a true boldfaced name: Alexei Navalny, Putin’s most famous antagonist and the face of the struggling pro-democracy movement in Russia, then serving time on charges he denounced as politically motivated.<p><p>“It was just an internal discussion point with others in the administration,” the official said. But then, in March 2023, Russia arrested Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter, while he was working in the city of Yekaterinburg. Suddenly the idea of trading for Navalny had new life, and the prisoner negotiations took on a new urgency.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/DXFSBR67YKHLR3L6NVJLL276BQ.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich waves from inside a glass cage prior to a hearing in a court in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on June 26, 2024. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images)</small></div><h2>‘For you, I will do this’</h2><p>Biden was told the next day about Gershkovich’s arrest during his regular daily intelligence briefing, the senior administration official said. He instructed Sullivan to use diplomatic as well as intelligence channels to come up with a deal for his freedom.<p><p>Blinken called his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, to protest Gershkovich’s detention. “He is a journalist who works for an internationally respected news outlet,” Blinken said, according to the U.S. official. “Claims that he was spying are outrageous and false.”<p><p>“Your government has crossed a line,” Blinken told the Russian, the official said.<p><p>Lavrov responded by saying Evan was “caught red-handed” and said “him being a journalist does not provide him immunity.” Russia insisted the reporter was spying.<p><p>“We are both adults,” Blinken responded. “You know that for all our efforts to learn information, we do not use journalists.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/SOGATE7USTX7U3TOV3JNLT3CTU.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G-20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro in February. In the foreground, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, speaks with Britain's David Cameron and Germany's Annalena Baerbock. (Kira Hofmann/picture-alliance/dpa/AP)</small></div><p>In April 2023,<b> </b>after Gershkovich had been detained for a month,<b> </b>Blinken and Sullivan again raised the possible trade of Krasikov with their German counterparts. They spoke on the phone and began swapping hard-copy lists of names that could possibly be part of a deal, the senior administration official said. Eventually, the administration raised the issue to the level of the chancellor’s office.<p><p>The following year, the negotiations entered a productive stretch. On Jan. 16, Biden invited Scholz to the White House, in large part to discuss the contours of a prisoner swap. Sullivan spoke with his counterpart, Jens Ploetner, on Feb. 2 and received an indication that the United States and Germany could find a joint approach on Krasikov — as long as Navalny was part of the deal. Biden and Scholz met in person at the White House on Feb. 9, as Germany was still working out details of a deal and how the two countries would extend an offer to Russia.<p><p>“For you, I will do this,” the German leader told the U.S. president.<p><p>But on Feb. 16 came stunning news that took the winds out of the White House’s sails. Navalny had died in a remote Arctic prison. Biden delivered a fiery speech from the White House that day and strongly condemned “Putin’s brutality.” U.S. officials remain unclear on how Navlany died but have noted he was held in extremely harsh conditions. Many of his supporters insist he must have been killed on Putin’s orders.<p><p>In Munich, at an annual security conference, world leaders absorbed the news of Navalny’s death and administration officials sought to keep a prisoner deal together. Vice President Harris met with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob on the sidelines of the summit to ensure his country<b> </b>was still willing to do its part in the complicated swap by adding the Russian couple convicted of espionage to the mix, the senior administration official said.<p><p>She also met with Scholz to discuss the release of Krasikov, according to a second administration official.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/PEZQZB5MOTNSZAJPTOKCWW6LMA.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">President Biden meets with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House on February 9. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)</small></div><h2>‘Off to the races’</h2><p>But Germany was once again cooling to the idea of swapping for Krasikov. Germany had shown it was willing to give up Krasikov for the right deal. Now the United States had to find it.<p><p>Sullivan and the White House team that had been working on a deal went back to the drawing board.<p><p>For the next several weeks, the Germans appeared uninterested. U.S. officials gave them space, until Sullivan again spoke with Ploetner at the end of March, the senior administration official said. Ploetner indicated the Germans were not yet ready to move forward. But Sullivan instructed a team to begin generating a list of political prisoners associated with Navalny who were currently held in Russia. They couldn’t free Navalny, but they might be able to bring out his lieutenants.<p><p>At the end of March, Biden sent a letter to Scholz laying out the contours of a proposed deal and said the United States had the commitment of the other countries, including Slovenia, Norway and Poland, which would release Russian prisoners to make it happen.<p><p>At home, polls showed Biden was losing ground in his campaign for reelection. His opponent, Republican Donald Trump, was mockingly insisting that only he would be able to make a deal with Putin to bring home the Wall Street Journal reporter. On May 23, Trump posted to social media that Gershkovich would be released “almost immediately after the Election” — if he won.<p><p>“Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!” Trump wrote.<p><p>Meanwhile at the Kremlin, officials were still keen to win Krasikov’s release from Germany and, when approached, signaled they were looking for ways to make it happen, according to a Russian familiar with the process. That person said he helped draw up a list of names of Russians held abroad that was presented to Germany, and then, in turn, to Russia’s presidential administration. Officials agreed in principle, he said.<p><p>The suggestions didn’t represent the final list of prisoners who were freed, but it showed that Kremlin officials felt they needed to extract a significant number from the West, this person said. “The Kremlin was ready to hand over a lot for Krasikov but didn’t want to make it <i>look</i> like they were ready to give a lot for him,” the person said.<p><p>“Putin … only had Krasikov in his head,” he said.<p><p>By the<b> </b>beginning of June, the momentum of the secret negotiations was starting to build. The United States received approval from Germany on its side of the deal. At the end of the month, Washington extended the offer to Russia.<p><p>Throughout the negotiations, the United States used a special channel set up between the CIA and Russian intelligence to discuss the various prisoner proposals. On June 25, U.S. and Russian officials held a meeting in a third country, said a U.S. official familiar with the matter. The meeting unfolded as Biden huddled with aides, prepping for his debate with Trump.<p><p>In early July, CIA Director William J. Burns spoke to one of his Russian counterparts and learned that, in principle, Moscow had agreed to a deal.<p><p>“At that point, we were off to the races,” the official said.<p><p>On July 19, a Russian court found Gershkovich guilty of spying and sentenced him to 16 years in a high-security penal colony. While the sentence was crushingly long, it was actually a positive signal, since Russia has traditionally sentenced people prior to their release. That same day, a court convicted Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian American journalist for the U.S. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She too would become one of those freed in the final exchange.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/ICCRQ5254UXWYXKTHAWVUGCVN4.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian American journalist for the U.S. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty who was arrested by Russia in 2023, attends a hearing on the extension of her pretrial detention on April 1, 2024. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images)</small></div><p>With the perfunctory verdicts handed down, officials in Washington were hopeful the deal would finally materialize. But the last stretch was not without snags. On July 21, Biden, recovering from covid at his beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Del., called the Slovenian prime minister and reaffirmed his commitment to the deal, possibly Biden’s last official act as a declared candidate for president.<p><p>Not all the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/russia-us-prisoner-swap/#link-SQLVMJHDVRHMNNJGHL4OAPLJ7U">Americans held in Russia</a> came home. Perhaps most prominent among them is Mark Fogel, a teacher who had spent 27 years working overseas. He was arrested at the Moscow airport in August 2021 and charged with smuggling a small quantity of cannabis — prescribed in the United States for back pain but banned in Russia. He was given a 14-year jail term and has been teaching English to prisoners. U.S. officials have promised to continue working for his release.<p><p>In the 48 hours before the freed Americans were on their way home, Sullivan called their families and extended an invitation to the White House. At the start of a press briefing on Thursday, Sullivan remarked on how much time he had spent with the families. “Most of the time those are tough conversations,” he said.<p><p>“Not today,” he added, fighting back tears, his voice halting. Sullivan put his right hand to his chest and took a deep breath.<p><p>“Today was a very good day,” he continued, “and we’re going to build on it, drawing inspiration and continued courage from it for all those held hostage or wrongfully detained around the world. And that includes Mark Fogel.”<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/6E4SDWAANODKMLWF7MSW52FQD4.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Biden delivers remarks on the prisoner swap with Russia from the State Dining Room of the White House on Thursday. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)</small></div><p><i>Ellen Nakashima, John Hudson, Mary Ilyushina in Berlin and Catherine Belton in London contributed reporting.</i><p><br /><hr /><div>获取更多RSS：<br /><a href="https://feedx.net" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.net</a> <br /><a href="https://feedx.run" style="color: orange;" target="_blank">https://feedx.run</a><br /></div>
2024-08-01T09:55:22.508Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/3RZVATKZKZGQLPLIH3YTD2YXPU/20240801-192005.050/eleven-labs_en-US_Antoni_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/ZDPZ3YLYD5EES3SBO6XDE7RHZI.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Lee Kiefer, Lauren Scruggs, Jaqueline Dubrovich and Maia Weintraub celebrate on the podium after winning the gold medal in team foil. (Andrew Medichini/AP)</small></div><p>PARIS — Lee Kiefer first fenced at an international competition when she was 14 years old. For the first few years, the United States women’s foil team rarely escaped the first day of a major tournament. Even when it did, Kiefer could not fathom climbing a podium. The Olympics were her goal. Winning a medal at them seemed like something beyond her dreams.<p><p>Thursday night, Kiefer stood under the great glass dome of Grand Palais and sang the national anthem with tears streaming down her face and a gold medal around her neck. She stood next to the other three members of the U.S. women’s fencing team atop the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/paris-summer-games-2024/" target="_blank">Paris Olympic</a> podium, a place that 100 years’ worth of American fencing teams had never been.<p><p>Sixteen years after Kiefer began her career, the United States has become the dominant country in her discipline. The women’s foil gold medal they earned with a thrilling 45-39 victory over Italy joined <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/28/lee-kiefer-lauren-scruggs-fencing-paris-olympics/" target="_blank">the gold and silver Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs won in Sunday’s individual event</a>. The United States had never won a women’s foil Olympic medal before Kiefer’s gold in Tokyo. Ever since, they have won almost everything, including the first team gold in U.S. fencing history.<p><p>The team medal, Kiefer said, was “everything.” She had remained poised on the medal stand Sunday night. Thursday night, she cried from the start of the anthem until the end.<p><p>“After the first individual, I knew there was still work to be done,” Kiefer said. “Being here with my teammates, it’s the first time I can take it all in.”<p><p>Kiefer could describe each of her teammates in one word. Jackie Dubrovich, a fellow 30-year-old, was determination. Lauren Scruggs, 21, was confidence. Maia Weintraub, 21, was artistry. She could not pinpoint where she belonged on that definitional continuum.<p><p>“Oh, gosh,” Kiefer said. “Too much pressure to think about.”<p><p>It would not be a stretch to call Kiefer the best U.S. Olympic fencer ever. She became the only U.S. fencer with three Olympic gold medals and the only U.S. fencer with golds in both individual and team competitions in a career, let alone at the same Olympics.<p><p>Kiefer took a leave of absence from medical school at the University of Kentucky after the Tokyo Olympics to continue her fencing career. At 10 years old, she became an original member of the Bluegrass Fencers Club in Lexington, Ky. She still trains there alongside her husband, five-time Olympian Gerek Meinhardt, who will compete in the men’s team foil Friday.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/65NFADIWRYX3PG43NQNRPEUN3E.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Kiefer celebrates after winning a round Thursday. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Kiefer considered giving up fencing to focus on medical school after the Rio Olympics. Her Tokyo gold medal “helped solidify the decision to keep fencing,” she said. She came to Paris as the defending gold medalist, the top-ranked foilist in the world and a 2022 inductee of the International Fencing Federation Hall of Fame.<p><p>Kiefer is built like a wisp and fences like a freight train. Smaller than her rivals, Kiefer parries with frictionless athleticism. She floats across the piste like a phantom, sudden when she attacks and undetectable when opponents lunge at her. She is unmatched at what fencers call “infighting”: She slithers close enough to her opponents to use their longer arms against them, often twisting her body and poking them with a behind-the-head stab.<p><p>“There’s no fencer in the world like her,” U.S. Coach Ralf Bissdorf said. “She can hit you wherever she wants. She’s extremely versatile in defense, in offense. I wouldn’t know how to coach against her.”<p><p>Kiefer carried the Americans in the semifinal, turning a 6-2 deficit against Canada into a 15-10 lead after her first round. When Scruggs scored the final point, she ripped off her helmet and danced down the piste. She marched to the center of the strip, leaned back to look up at the domed, glass ceiling above and unleased a guttural scream.<p><p>In the team box, tears rolled down Dubrovich’s face. She had lived for three years with the disappointment of losing the team bronze medal match in Tokyo. Ready to get married and have children and resume her professional career, she had decided these Olympics would be her final competition.<p><p>“My soul knows it’s the end of the journey,” Dubrovich said.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/IP2M75FPJ6R5H3CPGPWWLYSG64.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">The gold medal-winning team represented U.S. fencing's past and its future. (Andrew Medichini/AP)</small></div><p>Dubrovich had doubted her choice to keep fencing many times. One of them came Sunday, when she lost in the first round of the individual event. “I was crying to my fiancé, ‘Why did I go through this?’ ”<p><p>The final point of the semifinal bout had provided an answer. In the last event of her last Olympics, 22 years after she started fencing, Dubrovich had become an Olympic medalist.<p><p>“I’ve just been crying nonstop,” Dubrovich said later. “This my last Olympics, so it’s beautiful to end it this way.”<p><p>As the sides faced each other before the final, the Italians performed a choreographed dance that ended with the quartet chanting and pointing at the Americans. The majority-Italian crowd chanted, “I-tal-ia!” Kiefer lost the first two points — and then took complete control. She handed Scruggs a 5-4 lead, Scruggs dominated her round, and Dubrovich held the lead.<p><p>The Americans led, 19-15, when Bissdorf made what seemed to an outsider like a curious decision: In the middle of the gold medal match, he benched Dubrovich in favor of Weintraub.<p><p>Weintraub didn’t qualify for the individual tournament, and she hadn’t fenced during the first two U.S. team matches. But Bissdorf had been planning for the moment since February. At the World Cup in Cairo, he inserted Weintraub in the middle of a final and watched her excel.<p><p>“They love to do that to me, just throw me in,” Weintraub said.<p><p>Still, Weintraub would make Olympic debut with her teammates’ gold medal hopes on her shoulders. She stared across at the towering figure of Arriana Errigo, the No. 2 fencer in the world, a 36-year-old with 10 world championship gold medals back home in Monza, the flag-bearer for the entire Italian delegation.<p><p>“That’s casual,” Kiefer said. “We’ve throwing Maia into anchor bouts, and we’ve been jolting her all over the place. She’s always ready. It gave us no worries whatsoever.”<p><p>Weintraub rewarded the faith, outscoring Errigo, 6-4, and then flattening her next opponent 5-1. Weintraub won her two rounds by aggregate of 11-5, matching the difference in the final score.<p><p>“I’ve been working for this for a really long time,” Weintraub said. “I decided to just let it all out.”<p><p>The final points came down to Scruggs, who may best represent her team’s sudden leap forward. On Sunday, she had become<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/28/lee-kiefer-lauren-scruggs-fencing-paris-olympics/" target="_blank"> the first Black woman to win an Olympic fencing medal</a>.<p><p><p><p>Scruggs faced Errigo with gold on the line. The 40-32 lead Kiefer handed her shrunk to 42-39 as the Italians roared.<p><p>“You don’t want to be the person to lose the bout,” Scruggs said. “I was able to buckle down.”<p><p>Scruggs never lost her confidence, and won the final three points. She flipped off her mask and held her arms aloft.<p><p>“I just couldn’t believe I made it,” Scruggs said. “And then shocked we had won a gold medal.”<p>
2024-08-01T22:54:16.398Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/TXLSTOFEENFGBC2X6FPGMIUPZQ/20240801-192230.300/eleven-labs_en-US_Josh_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/YOGQ3B4BSNLIBOMBJSDAR5SSZQ.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Katie Ledecky and her 4x200 freestyle relay teammates took a silver medal on Thursday. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)</small></div><p>Katie Ledecky is alone at the top, right where she’s most comfortable.<p><p>With the United States’ <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/08/01/olympic-swimming-usa-katie-ledecky-kate-douglass/" target="_blank">second-place finish in the women’s 4x200 freestyle</a> Thursday, Ledecky now has 13 Olympic medals in her collection, more than any other female who’s ever dipped a toe in Olympic waters.<p><p>Her gold one night earlier in the women’s 1,500-meter race put Ledecky in a four-way tie with fellow American greats Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin, along with Australian Emma McKeon.<p><p>She swam the third leg of Thursday’s relay, diving into the pool with the Americans in third place. She moved past China after 150 meters and drew the U.S. team to within 0.33 seconds of the speedy Australian team. Ledecky posted a 200 time of 1:54.93.<p><p>“I guess it really hasn’t sunk in,” Ledecky said after the race. “Just because I have one more race — or two more swims left. But I guess to accomplish that with a relay feels fitting to me. I’ve been on that relay so many times over the years with so many great people. So it’s really special to do it as part of a relay.”<p><p>Olympic rookie Erin Gemmel, 19, surprisingly got the anchor spot for the Americans. She was able to hold off China, but had no chance of catching Australia, anchored by Ariarne Titmus, the world record-holder in the 200. The Aussies took gold and broke the Olympic record with a time of 7:38.08. The U.S. won silver with a time of 7:40.86.<p><p>“I think we all walked in there very determined,” Ledecky said. “For Claire [Weinstein] and Erin, it was their last swim of the meet, so kind of knew they were gonna throw down something special.”<p><p>Ledecky’s medal collection spans four Olympics: one from 2012, five from 2016, four from 2021 and three here in Paris. That includes eight golds, four silvers and one bronze.<p><p>“It’s still so much fun to me,” Ledecky said of her longevity. “So fresh each year. … New faces, new people to race against, be on teams with.”<p><p>The 27-year old native of Bethesda, Md., still has one more event remaining, the women’s 800-meter freestyle on Saturday. Her number could grow even more, as Ledecky plans to continue swimming and hopes to compete at the Los Angeles Games in four years.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/DBIM2TXDFH7I6LJUCIZFKE7YSI.jpg" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Katie Ledecky and her silver medal, the 13th Olympic medal of her career. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)</small></div><p>Among all athletes, the most decorated female Olympian is the gymnast Larisa Latynina, who won 18 medals, including nine golds, competing for the Soviet Union from 1956-64.<p><p>No other female Summer Olympic athlete has more medals than Ledecky. Marit Bjorgen, the cross-country skier from Norway, won 15, and the Dutch speedskater Ireen Wust also has 13.<p><p>Swimmer Michael Phelps, of course, has more hardware than anyone. He won 28 career medals — including 23 that are gold — swimming in five Olympics.<p><p>“It’s just an honor to be on the same team as Katie,” said Weinstein, who swam the leadoff leg. “She’s the most humble person I know. And she’s been such an inspiration, even before I was ever on a high level team with her. I’ve always looked up to her since I was a little kid. So it’s really crazy being on the same relay as her and being on the same team as her and having her as a mentor.”<p>
2024-07-31T18:45:47.386Z<div><audio controls="controls" src="https://audio-articles.lionfish.media.aws.wapo.pub/N3V4PDPTC5FPHNJABKXSUCED4Q/20240801-182417.173/eleven-labs_en-US_Maya_standard_audio.mp3" style="height: 53px;"></audio></div><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/K5E4ZDG6LR5R6GNBXZHFJK5R5Q.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Simone Biles regained the lead with a clutch performance on beam. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>PARIS — Simone Biles pulled out a necklace with a diamond-encrusted goat pendant, and that marvelous little piece of jewelry blinged so much you could have seen it sparkling from atop the Eiffel Tower. It was an all-time flex for an all-time champion, but for Biles, it was not a narcissistic act. It was a gesture of self-love, a celebration that symbolized how far the gymnast has come, how high she can still soar and how well she sees herself.<p><p>After all the trauma and doubt and suffocating expectations, after all the physical and emotional effort it took to return, Biles deserves to flaunt the latest accomplishment of her sterling career. On a tense night inside Bercy Arena, Biles became the first American gymnast to win two all-around Olympic gold medals Thursday, adding more of her fingerprints to the claim that she’s the best the sport has ever seen. She didn’t ice out that pendant because she has an affinity for livestock. She’s embracing that she may be the GOAT, the popular sports acronym for Greatest Of All Time.<p><p>Her case for that title no longer depends on the ease with which she wins. She has the fight of a champion, too. If her courage over the last three years wasn’t convincing enough, she showed it again on the biggest stage, outlasting silver medalist Rebeca Andrade in a competition that was draining even to watch.<p><p>“I was probably praying to every single god out there,” Biles said.<p><p>During the second rotation, she hindered her chances to win gold with a near-disastrous showing on the uneven bars, responded on the balance beam and turned celestial, as usual, during the floor routine. With Andrade as a worthy challenge, Biles had to overcome a deficit. In the end, her 59.131 score was 1.199 points better than Andrade. By the incomparable Biles standard, the margin was slim. During the 2016 Olympics, she won the all-around by more than two points.<p><p>“I was stressing,” Biles said of the night.<p><p>Said United States teammate Sunisa Lee, who also battled impressively to earn the bronze: “I had never seen you that stressed in my life.”<p><p>Trailing Andrade halfway through the night, Biles and Lee tried to calculate the deficit.<p><p>“I don’t even know how to do math in my head,” Lee said.<p><p>“Me, either,” Biles told her.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/RM2QLY6PVMRGNBTXQPGS22EWXM.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Biles needed a final floor routine to hold off the competition Thursday. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>Perhaps it would have been too much drama for Biles if she hadn’t already been through hell. During Tokyo Games three years ago, she had to withdraw from this competition. Her mental health had waned. She remembers being so focused on avoiding an injury that she neglected her mind. She carried too much into Tokyo, including the physical and emotional abuse of rising through the USA Gymnastics system. Still, she wanted to keep lifting the program. But when she experienced the “twisties” and couldn’t control her body in midair, she had to pause her dominant career and explain to the world that she’s human.<p><p>In showing vulnerability, she further erased the stigma about mental health problems and opened the way for a healthier conversation about how to strive in sports. But at the time, she figured that would be the way her career ended.<p><p>“I never thought I’d be on a world stage again competing,” Biles said.<p><p>Greatness without setback is greatness unknown. The most admirable champions aren’t defined by everlasting dominance. As much as we love a winner, we prefer to see the best challenged. We want to see evolution. We want to see strain. We want to see them overcome formidable opponents and search within themselves for something less obvious than their talent. To resonate the way Biles has, it takes more than supernatural athletic ability. Because of her struggles, she became relatable <i>and</i> unfathomable. She spends all that time flipping in the air, but the truest indicator of her transcendence came when we realized that her feet still touch the ground. She doesn’t have powers. She’s powerful.<p><p>“For me, it’s just learning not to give up,” Biles said.<p><p>She shares that she has been in therapy “religiously” every Thursday for the past three years. Before she made history, she spoke to her therapist at 7 a.m. to start the day. When something bad ensnares the mind, it can feel impossible to shake loose, but once you are free, look at the heights you can reach.<p><p>Biles didn’t soar above all this time. It felt more like she soared with all, like she took everyone along for the thrill. The arena pulsated as she tried to capture the all-around gold again. It was different from any atmosphere I can remember. When she posted just the 16th-best score on the uneven bars, it seemed that an entire Zip code stressed. Not everyone wanted Biles to win, but they were invested in her succeeding. It was a spiritual experience.<p><p>A sport of ephemeral brilliance, gymnastics doesn’t get <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/paris-summer-games-2024/" target="_blank">Olympic competitions</a> like this. It’s the first time that two all-around Olympic champions — Biles in 2016, Lee in 2021 — had competed against each other. Andrade won silver in the all-around three years ago. The competition reflected their experience. They made for one royal medal stand.<p><p>“I think I have to bring out the big guns this time,” Biles thought to herself before the meet.<p><img src="https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/7KURJLVRR3ETYY47IV7G2RS54Y.JPG" width="100%" /><div><small style="color: #999;">Biles left Bercy Arena with two measures of her status hanging around her neck. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)</small></div><p>She decided to begin with her most difficult vault, the Yurchenko double pike, after vacillating. She made the right decision. If she had played it safer, her margin for error would’ve been microscopic the rest of the night. Andrade had a terrific vault, scoring 15.100. Biles went to the rafters and stayed on her feet, posting a 15.766. That initial decision and solid execution kept Biles from falling into a deeper hole after the uneven bars humbled her.<p><p>“I’ve never had an athlete that close, so it definitely put me on my toes,” Biles said of Andrade. “It brought out the best athlete in myself. So I’m excited and proud to compete with her, but I’m getting uncomfortable, guys! I don’t like that feeling.”<p><p>She was startled, but she refocused. She stayed in the moment. She didn’t fixate on reclaiming her status the all-around title. Self-care doesn’t require redemption. When <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/07/30/olympics-simone-biles-usa-gymnastics-gold/?itid=ap_emilygiambalvo" target="_blank">the U.S. captured the team gold</a>, the gymnasts used the concept of redemption, but for Biles, this was about completing her third Olympic act. She needed to do it for herself, no one else.<p><p>As she celebrated, her joy didn’t come from the crowd’s adoration or the enhancement of fame. It wasn’t because she added more cement to her legacy or proved her resilience. She wanted to make one simple statement: She loves herself — again, or maybe for the first time, or definitely without victorious conditions attached. You see it in everything she does. You see it in everything she wears.<p><p>“My goat necklace is just kind of an ode,” said Biles, who now has six golds and nine total medals in her Olympic career. “People love it. Some people hate it. So it’s like the best of both worlds.”<p><p>Later, she expressed disbelief at the GOAT suggestion because, “I just still think I’m Simone Biles from Spring, Texas, that loves to flip.”<p><p>That giddy girl was a phenom.<p><p>This triumphant woman is her own kind of wonder.<p>
<p>The first showdown between <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Vice President Harris</a> and <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">former President Trump</a> showcases a far different race than the debate that sunk President Biden's campaign if <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/31/voting-enthusiasm-presidential-election" target="_blank">voter enthusiasm</a> is any measure.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Since Biden bowed out following his shaky debate performance, Harris has erased Trump's comfortable <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/kamala-harris-poll-support-trump" target="_blank">lead in the polls</a>, setting up a razor-thin election with less than two months to go.</p><hr /><p><strong>State of play:</strong> The face-off Tuesday in Philadelphia's National Constitution Center won't have a live audience and also won't feature live mics despite Harris' push for the feature. </p><ul><li>"Vice President Harris, a former prosecutor, will be fundamentally disadvantaged by this format, which will serve to shield Donald Trump from direct exchanges with the Vice President," her campaign told ABC in a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/05/presidential-debate-time-how-to-watch/" target="_blank">letter</a> The Washington Post obtained. </li><li>"We suspect this is the primary reason for his campaign's insistence on muted microphones."</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Jason Miller, a Trump campaign senior adviser, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/26/harris-trump-debate-sept-10-abc-news" target="_blank">told Axios in a statement</a> that the campaign "accepted the ABC debate under the exact same terms as the CNN debate" planned when President Biden was still in the race.</p><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> The 90-minute debate will be moderated by "World News Tonight" anchor <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/05/biden-interview-abc-news-world-france" target="_self">David Muir</a> and ABC News Live "Prime" anchor Linsey Davis.</p><ul><li>It will run at 9pm ET on ABC News with two commercial breaks and stream on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu, per the <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/watch-presidential-debate-trump-harris-113407251" target="_blank">network</a>. </li><li>A coin flip that Trump won on Tuesday earned him the privilege of choosing either podium placement or closing statement order, ABC News <a href="https://abc7.com/post/abc-news-releases-rules-2024-presidential-debate-between-kamala-harris-donald-trump-philadelphia/15268377/" target="_blank">reported</a>. </li><li>The former president opted to go last, giving Harris her selection of podium positioning. Hers will be on the right side of the screen.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>Rules dictate<strong> </strong>much of the structure of the debate from where candidates will stand (behind their podiums) to what they will be given (water, a pen and pad of paper.)</p><ul><li>ABC maintains no candidate will have access to topics or questions early, there won't be opening statements, and closing statements will be held to two minutes for each candidate.</li><li>No props or earlier drafted notes are allowed, and candidates won't be able to ask each other questions. </li><li>They will have two minutes to respond to questions, the same for rebuttals, and they will have an extra minute for any followup. </li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper:</strong> <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/harris-trump-debate-rules-abc-news" target="_blank">Harris and Trump settle on ABC News' Sept. 10 debate rules</a></p>
<p>Nostalgic <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/06/inflation-back-to-school-shopping-tax-holiday" target="_blank">school supplies</a>, denim and sweatpants are in with students <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/16/back-to-school-cooling-climate-change" target="_blank">this year</a>. </p><ul><li>What's out? <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2024/08/19/cellphone-ban-back-to-school-ohio" target="_blank">Cellphones</a> and leggings. </li></ul><hr /><p><strong>The vibe: </strong>Status symbols look like reusable cups — goodbye <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/01/10/stanley-cup-target-starbucks-quencher-valentines-restock" target="_blank">Stanley cups</a> and hello Owala — with '90s staples like Trapper Keepers and colorful Bic pens.</p><h2>🖊️ Bic pens, TI-84 calculators and Trapper Keepers</h2><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>What's old is new again with classics like Bic's 4-color pens and the TI-84, which have been part of back-to-school shopping lists for decades.</p><ul><li>These Bic pens celebrated their <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bic-encourages-consumers-to-spread-cheer-and-support-education-through-hand-drawn-flowers-301052433.html" target="_blank">50th anniversary</a> back in 2020, and the TI-84 debuted in 2004, following the brand's <a href="https://education.ti.com/en/snapapp/timeline" target="_blank">first graphing calculator</a> — TI-81 — that was unveiled in 1990. </li><li>The Trapper Keeper, which had its heyday in the late '80s and early '90s, staged a comeback in <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/totally-awesome--the-original-trapper-keeper-is-back-for-the-2021-school-year-301328252.html" target="_blank">2021</a>. It continues to be in demand along with other carryall binders.</li><li>Other top items include <a href="https://www.crayola.com/backtoschool" target="_blank">Crayola</a> crayons and colored pencils and composition books, which come in more styles than black marble. </li></ul><h2>🥤 Water bottle trend: Stanley cups, Owala and more</h2><p><strong>Water bottles</strong> continue to be a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-latest-eco-friendly-status-symbol-water-bottles-11570463727" target="_blank">status symbol</a> in schools, but the popular brand is what keeps changing.</p><ul><li>Tumbler brand Stanley's <a href="https://bit.ly/3AHn4yA" target="_blank">exclusive cups with Starbucks</a> created a frenzy earlier in the year with shoppers lining up hours before Target stores opened.</li><li>Owala, Lululemon and Hydro Flask are the "in" products this year, the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/style/back-to-school-owala-stanley-cup.html" target="_blank">reports</a>.</li></ul><h2>👖 Back-to-school fashion favors sweatpants and denim</h2><p><strong>State of play: </strong>"Sweatpants are the new leggings," youth consumer trends expert Casey Lewis said on a recent <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/%40caseymorrowlewis/video/7405235980774477099" target="_blank">TikTok</a>.</p><ul><li>Lewis, who writes the <a href="https://afterschool.substack.com/" target="_blank">After School Substack</a>, spent hours watching back-to-school haul videos on TikTok to identify top fashion trends.</li><li>"This year, it seems to be all about denim — jean shorts, jean skirts, denim jackets are making a comeback," Lewis said.</li><li>Some of the items on Lewis' list: an <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/30/abercrombie-american-eagle-gap-sales-gen-z-consumers" target="_blank">Abercrombie's</a> camo popover hoodie, Garage cargo fleece sweatpants, $98 Lululemon New Crew backpack in black, On Cloud all-white shoes and colorful Adidas Gazelle shoes.</li></ul><p><strong>Flashback: </strong>The Gazelle shoes first debuted in 1966, <a href="https://www.adidas.com/us/blog/1060275-we-gave-the-world-a-gazelle-a-sneaker-icon-with-a-timeless-history" target="_blank">per Adidas</a>.</p><ul><li>Retro shirts with characters from Strawberry Shortcake to Care Bears are also in. </li></ul><h2>📱 Cellphone bans and clear backpacks</h2><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Trends being forced on students are the <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2024/06/04/rps-richmond-schools-clear-backpack-policy" target="_blank">continued move</a> to clear backpacks and sweeping bans<strong> </strong>on <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/18/la-schools-vote-to-ban-cell-phones-during-school-day" target="_blank">cellphones</a> in <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2024/08/19/cellphone-ban-back-to-school-ohio" target="_blank">schools</a>.</p><ul><li>Administrators say the see-through backpacks can combat violence like <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/02/k-12-gun-incidents-school-shootings" target="_blank">school shootings</a>.</li><li>School districts in <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2024/08/19/richmond-henrico-chesterfield-schools-rules" target="_blank">Virginia</a>, Texas and Georgia have announced new clear backpack policies, according to <a href="https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/news/more-schools-adopt-clear-backpack-policies-to-prevent-gun-violence/135640/" target="_blank">Campus Safety Magazine</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The cellphone bans aim to get kids to pay attention during class and socialize with their peers IRL (in real life).</p><ul><li>Some schools found that bans increase student concentration and decrease cyber bullying, according to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/31/technology/school-smartphone-bans.html" target="_blank">NY Times</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>The latest: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2024/08/12/back-to-school-information-24-25" target="_blank">Florida</a>, Indiana, Louisiana and South Carolina have legislation that limits cellphone access, while governors in at least three states — Virginia, California and New York — have called on schools to restrict or ban phones.</p><p><strong>More from Axios:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/02/teachers-tiktok-influencers-back-to-school" target="_blank">Teacher influencers we're following on TikTok</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/02/students-behind-grade-level" target="_blank">A third of K-12 students are behind grade level</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/31/new-covid-vaccine-booster-shots-available" target="_blank">Where to find the new COVID vaccine booster shots</a></li></ul>
<p>There’s a new crop of it-girls, models and influencers dazzling magazine covers and posting on Instagram. But they’re not real.</p><ul><li>Brands and creators are harnessing <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/05/artificial-intelligence-downshiftology-raptive-lisa-bryan-michael-sanchez" target="_blank">artificial intelligence</a> to mint synthetic influencers.</li></ul><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Today’s young people are encountering a barrage of information through influencers and forming opinions based on their content. </p><hr /><ul><li>Influencers are dominating fashion and entertainment, and reported live from <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=influencers+dnc+axios&sca_esv=cfc38f4587fd6d45&rlz=1C5GCCM_en&ei=7WDbZtLeBMyawbkP7dmJMA&ved=0ahUKEwiSieadj6-IAxVMTTABHe1sAgYQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=influencers+dnc+axios&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiFWluZmx1ZW5jZXJzIGRuYyBheGlvczIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAFIixBQowZY9g5wAngAkAEAmAG9AaABwwmqAQMxLji4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgegApkIwgIFECEYqwLCAgYQABgWGB7CAgsQABiABBiGAxiKBcICCBAAGIAEGKIEmAMAiAYBkgcDMC43oAeSLw&sclient=gws-wiz-serp" target="_blank">both political</a> <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/18/social-media-influencers-rnc-2024" target="_blank">conventions</a>.</li><li>The rise of AI influencers could escalate the spread of misinformation or exacerbate biases — and it raises big questions about how much we value humanness in online content.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Influencer marketing is a multi-billion dollar industry that pays the bills for tens of millions of people around the world.</p><ul><li>It’s also one of the most powerful ways for companies to sell things and change minds. Some 80% of consumers say they got interested in a product or service through an influencer’s post in 2023, <a href="https://www.marketingdive.com/news/influencer-marketing-success-matter-study-2023/643310/" target="_blank">according to Marketing Dive</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Now, AI influencers </strong>are appearing on the scene.</p><ul><li>Miquela Sousa — one of the first virtual influencers — has 2.5 million followers on Instagram and has modeled for big brands like Chanel, Prada and Supreme.</li><li>Coach recently produced <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO8N94rXGrs" target="_blank">an ad</a> with virtual influencer Imma.</li><li>Lu do Magalu, a Brazilian synthetic influencer, has a staggering 7.1 million Instagram followers and promotes products from cell phones to makeup.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>AI influencers can save companies money and time.</p><ul><li>Imagine if a fashion brand could get the same juice from putting its new handbag on a virtual influencer rather than sending a dozen bags to human influencers to review.</li><li>They can also broaden representation. Brands can model their clothes on people of all sorts of backgrounds — and reach more consumers.</li><li>Plus, for better or for worse, <a href="https://sproutsocial.com/insights/data/influencer-marketing-report/success/?cp_status=closed" target="_blank">polling shows</a> that Gen Z — the target demographic for influencer marketing — doesn’t care if influencers are real or fake.</li></ul><p><strong>But AI influencers raise </strong>plenty of red flags, experts say.</p><ul><li>Real people are checks on what brands want to promote and how, while AI influencers can be manipulated to say anything. It's one thing when a robot is selling you a lip gloss, but think about a robot telling you how to think about a presidential election or a war.</li><li>Livelihoods are on the line. Influencing is a relatively new career, but it's already under threat from AI. For anyone in the business of ideas or content, "it's particularly jarring to see that people might not care about what humans make," says Claire Leibowicz, head of the AI and Media Integrity Program at The Partnership on AI.</li><li>Generating virtual influencers of different body types and skin colors expands representation, but keeps the real, human influencers from those underexposed backgrounds from benefiting from those opportunities.</li></ul><p><strong>And the ability</strong> to create hyper-specific influencers that appeal to certain demographics could drive people to over-consume. ”You can manipulate consumer behavior even more effectively,” Leibowicz says.</p><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>Today's most popular virtual influencers have a clear and purposeful synthetic look, but “it’s getting so easy to pretend to be a real person on the web, not just to look like a real person, but to behave and interact like a real human," says Leibowicz.</p><ul><li>It'll get harder and harder to prove who — and what — is real.</li></ul>
<p>Blame the <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/us-presidential-house-senate-elections" target="_blank">presidential election</a> for extra early <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/12/07/christmas-gift-holiday-shopping-2023" target="_blank">Christmas shopping</a> this year.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Retailers fearing a November slowdown are expected to offer up deals long before most <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/key-election-dates-september-2024" target="_blank">Americans vote</a> in the middle of a make-or-break holiday shopping season.</p><hr /><ul><li>"The uncertainty around election results may slow down shopping around that time and that could be one reason why retailers started to offer holiday deals early," George Mason University associate professor Mehmet Altug told Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Christmas decorations, including some trees, are already on display at <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/31/costco-membership-cost-increase-2024-renewal-price" target="_blank">Costco</a>, Sam's Club and Hobby Lobby stores. More stores are selling merchandise online.</p><ul><li>Lowe's launched its first wave of holiday décor online in July, more than a month earlier than last year's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/14/christmas-decorations-early-holiday-shopping-season" target="_blank">earlier-than-ever push</a>. The retailer told Axios it will release additional holiday merchandise in stores starting mid-September and online by Sept. 30.</li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/21/amazon-prime-grocery-delivery-annual-plan" target="_blank">Amazon</a> has <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-prime-big-deal-days-october-2024" target="_blank">announced</a> that its "Prime Big Deal Days" sale will return in October. It's expected to drive competitors to hold early holiday sales of their own, like with <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/25/amazon-prime-day-2024-dates-deals" target="_blank">Prime Day in July</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/29/halloween-decorations-michaels-costco-home-depot-summerween" target="_blank">Halloween</a> sales, which launched early this year, are also starting to take up more space in stores as the season shifts from <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/02/back-to-school-2024-cellphone-bans" target="_blank">back-to-school</a> to fall.</p><ul><li>Home Depot unveiled its <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/15/home-depot-halloween-decorations-12-foot-skeleton" target="_blank">2024 Halloween collection</a> in March and then launched it online in July. The collection hit shelves store shelves Aug. 29.</li></ul><p><strong>By the numbers: </strong>48% of holiday shoppers will begin shopping in August, September or October, according to a new <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/credit-cards/news/early-holiday-shopping/" target="_blank">Bankrate survey</a> of 2,300 U.S. adults.</p><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> <strong>"</strong>This year, the push for early holiday shopping is even more pronounced, and we expect retailers to offer deals and promotions earlier than before," Natalie Kotlyar, a retail analyst at BDO, tells Axios.</p><ul><li>"The extended holiday shopping season should be seen as a win for consumers, providing them with more time to find the best deals and plan purchases," Kotlyar said.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> Another reason for an early holiday push is there are five fewer days between Black Friday and Christmas Day than last year, Stephen Yalof, president and CEO of Tanger, told Axios, noting shoppers should expect to see more promotions earlier.</p><ul><li>"Retailers are also likely to stock up earlier with greater inventory shipments, catering to early holiday shoppers," Yalof said.</li></ul><p><strong>More from Axios:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/barbie-donuts-krispy-kreme-doughnut-collection" target="_blank">Krispy Kreme releases Barbie doughnuts for doll's 65th birthday</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/31/costco-membership-cost-increase-2024-renewal-price" target="_self">Costco membership fees are now higher: What to know</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/31/new-covid-vaccine-booster-shots-available" target="_self">Where to find the new COVID vaccine booster shots</a></li></ul>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh" target="_blank">North Carolina's</a> Board of Elections said Friday that it has appealed an order from the state's Court of Appeals to remove <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/rfk-jr-nc-ballot-withdrawal-request-2024-election" target="_self">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a> from 2024 general election ballots.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>The move comes hours<strong> </strong>after the North Carolina appeals court <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2024/09/06/mail-in-voting-start-delayed-north-carolina-over-rfk-jr-lawsuit" target="_blank">blocked the state</a> from sending out absentee ballots while it considers a lawsuit from the former third-party presidential candidate, who is seeking to remove his name after dropping out of the race.</p><hr /><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The agency<strong> </strong>said its staff will work through the weekend to start making the new ballots without Kennedy's name for the county board of elections to review, per a <a href="https://www.ncsbe.gov/news/press-releases/2024/09/06/state-board-appeals-decision-take-robert-f-kennedy-jr-nc-ballots" target="_blank">news release</a>.</p><ul><li>But the board asked the states' Supreme Court for an expedited decision so counties don't spend additional money preparing and printing new ballots if the appeal is successful.</li><li>There are nearly 2,350 different ballot styles statewide for the 2024 general election, and more than 2.9 million had already been printed, the agency said.</li><li>Friday was the initial deadline for sending out the ballots.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Kennedy's appearance on the ballot<strong> </strong>could help sway the presidential race in North Carolina, <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2024/05/07/the-states-trump-and-biden-are-obsessed-with" target="_self">a swing state</a> where elections are decided on the margin, Axios Raleigh's Zachery Eanes reports.</p><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2024/09/06/mail-in-voting-start-delayed-north-carolina-over-rfk-jr-lawsuit" target="_blank">Mail-in voting start delayed in North Carolina over RFK Jr. lawsuit</a></p>
<p>Former Republican Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/01/06/dick-cheney-gop-leadership-diappointed-capitol-riot" target="_blank">Dick Cheney</a> will vote for <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/2024-election-swing-voters" target="_self">Vice President Harris</a> in the 2024 election, his daughter former <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/12/04/dick-liz-cheney-book-jan-6-2020-election" target="_self">Rep. Liz Cheney</a> (R-Wyo.) said Friday.</p><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Dick Cheney once <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/457851-dick-cheney-to-attend-fundraiser-supporting-trump-re-election-report" target="_blank">supported</a> former President Trump. But he's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/01/06/dick-cheney-gop-leadership-diappointed-capitol-riot" target="_blank">become a Trump critic</a> in recent years, particularly after the Jan. 6 insurrection.</p><hr /><ul><li>Liz Cheney, who also endorsed Harris this week, was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the Capitol riot. She then became one of two Republicans to sit on the House Jan. 6 committee, where she served as vice chair.</li></ul><p><strong>What she's saying:</strong> "Dick Cheney will be voting for Kamala Harris," Liz Cheney <a href="https://x.com/TexasTribune/status/1832124562538164348" target="_blank">said</a> onstage at an event Friday with <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/06/dick-cheney-kamala-harris-liz-cheney-colin-allred/" target="_blank">The Texas Tribune</a> in Austin. </p><ul><li>"If you think about the moment we're in, and you think about how serious this moment is, my dad believes — and he said publicly — there has never been an individual in our country who is as grave a threat to our democracy as Donald Trump is," she added.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The former vice president, who served under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, endorsed Trump's first presidential bid.</p><ul><li>But he began to publicly criticize Trump after the insurrection, calling him a "coward" and a "threat to our republic" in a 2022 <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/04/dick-cheney-trump-coward-campaign-ad-liz-cheney" target="_blank">campaign ad</a> for his daughter. </li><li>Liz Cheney ultimately lost her GOP primary that year to a Trump-backed challenger, Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2021/09/09/trump-endorses-cheney-challenger-wyoming-primary" target="_self">Harriet Hageman</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/12/04/dick-liz-cheney-book-jan-6-2020-election" target="_blank">Dick Cheney told Liz to "defend the Republic" days before Jan. 6</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/04/dick-cheney-trump-coward-campaign-ad-liz-cheney" target="_blank">Former VP Dick Cheney calls Trump "coward" in campaign ad for Liz Cheney</a></li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This story is developing and will be updated.</em></p>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/trump-arlington-gravesite-photos" target="_self">Former President Trump</a> was delivered a win Friday when a judge <a href="https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/pdfs/PeoplevDJT-Letter-Adjournment-Dec9-6-24.pdf" target="_blank">granted</a> his request to delay sentencing in his <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/trump-hush-money-case-new-york-federal-court" target="_blank">hush money case</a>.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The GOP presidential nominee's sentencing date was moved from Sept. 18 to Nov. 26 — after the general election.</p><hr /><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Judge Juan Merchan wrote that he made the decision "to avoid any appearance — however unwarranted — that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching Presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate."</p><ul><li>The decision "should dispel any suggestion that the Court" handed down a sentence to either help or hurt a party or candidate, he wrote, adding that the court is "apolitical."</li><li>"This is not a decision this Court makes lightly but it is the decision which in this Court's view, best advances the interests of justice," he said.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Trump's legal team has utilized <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/16/trumps-legal-hush-money-case" target="_blank">several delay tactics</a> in his criminal cases, seeking to punt his legal troubles past the November election.</p><ul><li>He became the first former president convicted of a felony in U.S. history in May, when he was <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/30/trump-guilty-new-york-criminal-trial" target="_blank">found guilty</a> of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Trump's New York conviction <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/01/09/trump-pardon-felony-president" target="_blank">is not eligible</a> for a presidential pardon.</p><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Steven Cheung, Trump's campaign spokesperson, said in an emailed statement that "there should be no sentencing" and the case should be dismissed "as mandated by the United States Supreme Court."</p><p><strong>Catch up quick: </strong>Trump<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/trump-hush-money-case-new-york-federal-court" target="_blank">failed</a> in his efforts earlier this week to move his hush money case from New York state courts to federal jurisdiction.</p><ul><li>Prosecutors had <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/trump-sentencing-hush-money-delay" target="_self">opposed his request</a> to halt sentencing until that was resolved.</li><li>Trump's legal team in mid-August also requested a delay in sentencing until after the presidential election, claiming that keeping the date constituted election interference. He was originally set to be sentenced in July.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching: </strong>Although Trump's conviction carries the possibility of prison time, many legal analysts believe Merchan will opt for a less severe penalty.</p><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/trump-hush-money-case-new-york-federal-court" target="_blank">Trump loses bid to move hush money case to federal court</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This story has been updated with details from the decision and a statement from Trump's team. </em></p>
<p>If Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> wins the presidential race, she's likely to put her own prosecutorial spin on the Biden administration's already tough cybersecurity policy agenda, experts say. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>With two months until <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/key-election-dates-september-2024" target="_blank">Election Day</a>, cybersecurity experts are eagerly reading the tea leaves to determine how a Harris-Walz administration would approach cybersecurity issues like <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/09/iran-presidential-campaign-2024-hacking" target="_blank">nation-state attacks</a> and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/02/chevron-scotus-biden-cyber-regulations" target="_blank">critical infrastructure protections</a>.</p><hr /><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Unlike other issues, cybersecurity is mostly nonpartisan. </p><ul><li>Meaning Harris' approach might not differ from Biden's — or even <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/donald-trump-2024-cybersecurity-agenda" target="_blank">Trump’s</a> — in many ways. </li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> However, Harris' track record on <a href="https://www.axios.com/pro/tech-policy/2024/07/21/where-kamala-harris-stands-on-tech-policy" target="_blank">tech</a> and cybersecurity issues in the Senate and as California's attorney general paints a picture of where she might stand out, former government officials told Axios. </p><ul><li>In 2012, Harris <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-announces-privacy-enforcement-and-protection" target="_blank">created</a> the California Justice Department's privacy enforcement and protection unit, which focuses on protecting consumer and individual privacy rights. </li><li>That year, she also <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-secures-global-agreement-strengthen-privacy" target="_blank">cracked down</a> on mobile app developers who were pulling users' sensitive data without consent.</li><li>And cybersecurity has been one of Harris' <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kamala-harris-plans-to-prioritize-cybersecurity-and-global-health-in-foreign-policy-platform/" target="_blank">top foreign policy priorities</a> as vice president. </li><li>"She might be stronger on some of these issues" than the Biden administration, a former Obama official told Axios. That includes efforts to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/02/national-cybersecurity-strategy-biden" target="_blank">hold tech companies liable</a> for security flaws in their products. </li></ul><p><strong>Flashback: </strong>A group of hackers and other cybersecurity professionals already showed their support for Harris' campaign at a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/06/hackers-harris-black-hat-fundraiser" target="_blank">fundraiser</a> on the sidelines of the DEF CON hacker conference.</p><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> Russian President Vladimir Putin <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/putin-harris-trump-2024-election-russia-interference" target="_blank">said</a> yesterday he'd like to see Harris become the next U.S. president. </p><ul><li>The campaign <a href="https://x.com/CNNThisMorning/status/1831666232665260286" target="_blank">responded</a> by saying it rejected "any foreign interference in this election at all, from any side, from any country."</li><li>Putin's comments came a day after the U.S. Department of Justice <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/justice-department-charges-russian-state-media-election-interference" target="_blank">seized 32 domains</a> tied to Russian influence campaigns targeting the 2024 presidential election. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Harris' track record suggests she'll also prioritize cracking down on scammers, cybercriminals and even nation-state hackers, Nicole Tisdale, a former Biden White House and congressional staffer, told Axios. </p><ul><li>Harris has <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/calif-attorney-general-announces-18-year-prison-sentence-for-cyber-exploiter-who-created-porn-revenge-site/" target="_blank">prosecuted</a> people behind cyber exploitation rings, <a href="https://states.aarp.org/california/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-announces-collaboration-with-aarp-california-to-protect-seniors-from-fraud-and-abuse" target="_blank">partnered</a> with the AARP to educate seniors about scams, and teamed up with tech companies to better <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/california-teams-with-tech-firms-to-fight-cyber-exploitation/" target="_blank">fight</a> online sex crimes.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> Even Harris' focus on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/26/statement-from-vice-president-kamala-harris-on-new-administration-actions-to-increase-access-to-affordable-high-speed-internet/" target="_blank">affordable internet</a> for marginalized communities could have outsized impacts for cyber policy, Tisdale added. </p><ul><li>"When people don't have reliable access to internet, they learn insecure practices," she said. "They don't use password managers, they are not using trusted websites, they are not doing automatic updates." </li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but:</strong> Both the Harris and Trump campaigns are historically <a href="https://www.govexec.com/management/2024/08/both-harris-and-trump-are-historically-behind-presidential-transition-planning/399106/" target="_blank">behind schedule</a> for transition planning, according to the Partnership for Public Service.</p><ul><li>"People are thinking it will be pretty much the same until a new team gets in place," James Lewis, director of the strategic technologies program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Axios.</li><li>The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment. </li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching:</strong> Biden's top cyber officials aren't guaranteed jobs in a new Harris administration. </p><ul><li>Experts anticipate some carryover in the White House and even at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — but others say Harris may want to start anew with her own cast of characters in top roles.</li><li>The Harris transition team has already started thinking about how to broach the "<a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/16/bidens-three-headed-cybersecurity-team" target="_blank">three-headed problem</a>" of the White House's National Security Council, the Office of the National Cyber Director and CISA, Lewis added.</li></ul>
<p>Vice President Kamala Harris has pitched policy positions on the economy, immigration and abortion in the weeks since she became the Democrats' presidential nominee, even as her flip-flops have attracted <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/06/kamala-harris-interviews-election-scrutiny" target="_blank">press coverage</a>.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Harris has benefited from a surge of voter enthusiasm since she entered the race — and one of her greatest challenges in the final stretch of the campaign will be sustaining that momentum while giving voters a clear understanding of what she'd do as commander in chief. </p><hr /><ul><li>She's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/14/kamala-harris-swing-states-cook-political-report-election" target="_blank">taken the lead in polling</a> over her opponent former President Trump in several swing states where President Biden largely trailed when he was the presumptive Democratic nominee. Her campaign <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/06/harris-august-fundraising-trump-dnc-2024" target="_blank">reported raising more than</a> $300 million in August — nearly triple Trump's haul. </li><li>Trump has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/trump-campaign-shifts-path-narrows?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top" target="_blank">scaled back campaigning</a> in New Hampshire, Minnesota and Virginia and poured more resources into Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin as his team navigates the new competition, <em>Axios' Sophia Cai and Tory Van Oot reported. </em></li></ul><p><strong>Some of the major proposals </strong>Harris has announced or backed, across policy areas: </p><h2>Economy</h2><p><strong>First-time homebuyers </strong>could receive a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/19/first-time-home-buyer-tax-credit-kamala-harris" target="_blank">$25,000 tax credit</a> as a shortage of available homes keeps prices high under an economic plan Harris outlined in August.</p><ul><li>Harris also pitched tax breaks for homebuyers who build starter homes and those who rehabilitate older housing stock.</li></ul><p><strong>Capital gains tax of 28% </strong>could affect wealthy Americans, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/harris-capital-gains-tax-small-business-economy" target="_blank">a pitch more than</a> 10 points lower than what Biden has proposed.</p><ul><li>This marked a move to the center,<strong> </strong><em>Axios' Hans Nichols <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/harris-capital-gains-tax-biden" target="_blank">reported</a>.</em><strong> </strong></li></ul><p><strong>A small business tax credit </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/harris-tax-relief-plan-small-businesses" target="_blank">could expand</a> tenfold from $5,000 to $50,000.</p><ul><li>She proposed reducing barriers to getting occupational licenses across state lines with a goal of 25 million new small business applications in her first term.</li></ul><p><strong>A ban on grocery price gouging</strong> could mirror existing state laws, although Harris hasn't provided details on this policy.</p><ul><li>38 states prohibit companies from increasing prices during emergencies.</li></ul><p><strong>On child tax credits, </strong>new parents<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/16/harris-child-tax-credit-economic-plan" target="_blank">could receive</a> $6,000 during the first year of their child's<strong> </strong>life.</p><ul><li>The earned income tax credit would expand for lower-income adults who aren't raising kids.</li></ul><p><strong>Taxes on tips could be eliminated, </strong>in a rare <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/11/kamala-harris-trump-taxes-tips-service-workers" target="_blank">policy position </a>where Harris copied what Trump has promised service and hospitality workers.<strong> </strong></p><ul><li>Such a policy could incentivize workers to push harder for more tips, <em>Axios' Emily Peck <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/14/trump-harris-us-tipping-policy" target="_blank">reported</a>.</em></li></ul><h2>Health</h2><p><strong>Abortion and reproductive care </strong>have been central to Harris' campaign.</p><ul><li>She said she would sign a law to <a href="https://www.aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/how-kamala-harris-can-secure-federal-abortion-protection-once-and-for-all" target="_blank">restore</a> Roe v. Wade, which protected federal abortion access, though incompletely as women across the U.S. <a href="https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/roe-v-wade" target="_blank">faced barriers</a> to accessing abortion and states could still enact strict bans.</li><li>The campaign kicked off a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/harris-campaign-kicks-reproductive-rights-tour-florida/story?id=113348291" target="_blank">50-stop bus</a> tour focused on reproductive rights, zeroed in on battleground states. It started in Florida on Tuesday.</li><li>Programming at the Democratic National Convention in August reflected a frank approach to discussion abortion rights by platforming women who shared how bans impacted them, <em>Axios' Ivana Saric <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/20/dnc-2024-abortion-kamala-harris" target="_blank">reported</a>. </em></li></ul><p><strong>Out-of-pocket drug costs </strong><a href="https://www.kff.org/from-drew-altman/harris-is-reframing-health-as-an-economic-issue/" target="_blank">would cap at</a> $2,000 per year for everyone and insulin copays at $35 per month.</p><h2>Immigration</h2><p><strong>New security measures </strong>at the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico would be funded under a bipartisan border proposal that Harris said she'd support. </p><ul><li>Trump, earlier this year, successfully urged congressional allies to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/01/29/trump-republicans-border-deal-senate-immigration" target="_blank">oppose</a> the bill. </li><li>Her stance on the border and immigration has flip-flopped from previously held, more liberal policy positions, <em>Axios' Alex Thompson and Hans Nichols <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/kamala-harris-flip-flops-border-wall" target="_blank">reported</a>. </em></li><li>Migrants would largely be barred<strong> </strong>from seeking asylum under the bipartisan proposal, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/04/politics/kfile-harris-border-wall-asylum-contradicts-progressive-immigration-positions/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. </li></ul><h2>Energy</h2><p><strong>Fracking could survive </strong>under a Harris presidency. </p><ul><li>She said last month in her first formal interview with CNN as the nominee<strong> </strong>that she wouldn't ban fracking, a reversal from a position she held during her first presidential run. </li><li><strong>Reality check: </strong>A fracking bill would take an act of Congress that is unlikely anytime soon, <em>Axios' Ben Geman <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/harris-interview-cnn-fracking" target="_blank">reported</a>. </em></li></ul><h2>Foreign policy</h2><p><strong>Harris called for a </strong>hostage and ceasefire deal <a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-netanyahu-biden-hostage-deal-gaza-41c4e0685e88fd75e9aa8e0d0d859b07" target="_blank">during a meeting</a> with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July. While her tone has been perceived as more critical of Israel than Biden, she's been playing a similar balancing act. </p><ul><li>Harris said during her DNC keynote speech weeks later that said she would "always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself." She <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/08/22/remarks-by-vice-president-harris-during-keynote-address-at-the-democratic-nation-convention/" target="_blank">said</a> she and Biden were working to secure a deal and protect Palestinians' "right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination."</li><li>The <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/22/dnc-palestinian-american-speech-denied" target="_blank">pro-Palestinian</a> activists, including the Uncommitted National Movement, have protested at the DNC and at her campaign rallies. </li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/kamala-harris-poll-support-trump" target="_blank">Harris gains edge on Trump in polls following DNC</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/2024-election-swing-voters" target="_blank">Behind the Curtain: America's most wanted</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/harris-capital-gains-tax-biden" target="_blank">Harris tries tax triangulation to build distance from Biden</a></li></ul>
<p>A Turkish American citizen was killed during a protest in the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/19/icj-rules-israeli-settlements-illegal-annexation" target="_blank">occupied West Bank</a> on Friday, the State Department said.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The incident takes place as concerns grow in the Biden administration about the destabilization of the West Bank due to increasing attacks by Palestinian militants against Israelis, escalating raids by the Israel Defense Forces and violence by settlers against Palestinians. </p><hr /><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>According to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, 26 year-old activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot in the head, allegedly by Israeli troops, during a protest in the town of Beita, south of the city of Nablus.</p><ul><li>The local news agency said violence erupted when Israeli forces used live fire and stun grenades to try to disperse the demonstration against Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank.</li><li>The Turkish foreign ministry confirmed Eygi was also a Turkish national. </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>The IDF said in a statement that during the demonstration "the force responded by shooting at a central instigator who threw stones at the soldiers and posed a threat to our forces."</p><ul><li>"A claim that a foreign citizen was killed by gunfire in the area is being investigated, the details of the incident and the circumstances of her injury are under investigation," the IDF said. </li><li>White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said: "We are deeply disturbed by the tragic death of an American citizen, Aysenur Egzi Eygi, today in the West Bank and our hearts go out to her family and loved ones. We have reached out to the Government of Israel to ask for more information and request an investigation into the incident."</li><li>State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the department is "urgently gathering more information about the circumstances of her death and will have more to say as we learn more. We have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens."</li></ul><p><em>This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.</em></p>
<p>The great American <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/job-openings-labor-market-jolts-report-data" target="_blank">job creation machine</a> began creaking more slowly this summer, and a response from the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/23/jerome-powell-jackson-hole-rate-cuts" target="_blank">Federal Reserve</a> is near — though the scale of that response remains in question.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> That's the takeaway from a much-anticipated <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/06/jobs-report-august-2024-economy-unemployment" target="_blank">August jobs report</a> out on Friday, which showed job creation slowing down even as the unemployment rate remained relatively low. </p><hr /><ul><li>The data was ambiguous enough that it remains uncertain whether the Fed will deliver its customary quarter-point interest rate cut at a meeting concluding Sept. 18 or act more aggressively with a half-point rate cut.</li><li>Speeches from Fed leaders on Friday morning did not decisively tilt toward one path or the other, and financial markets priced the decision as something of a coin flip.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>A surprisingly weak <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/02/jobs-report-july-2024-unemployment-economy" target="_blank">July jobs report</a> released five weeks ago set off alarm bells about a broader slowdown. The August numbers confirmed the slowdown is underway while not pointing toward recession risk escalating further.</p><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> "A lifeline from the Federal Reserve in the form of an interest rate cut is likely imminent, but there are questions if it's coming too late or if it will be strong enough to pull the market back," Indeed's Nick Bunker wrote in a note.</p><ul><li>"Employers continue to add jobs, but the current pace is approaching stall speeds," Bunker added.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> The economy <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/06/jobs-report-august-2024-economy-unemployment" target="_blank">added 142,000 jobs last month</a>, but downward revisions to previous months' data — subtracting 86,000 positions from the job growth tally for June and July combined — took the shine off the headline number.</p><ul><li>Job gains over the past three months averaged 116,000 per month. In the first three months of 2024, the economy added 269,000 jobs on average.</li><li>The unemployment rate fell back to 4.2% from 4.3%, which is misleading. Unrounded, the unemployment rate was essentially flat: It fell to 4.22% last month from 4.25% in July.</li><li>That leaves the jobless rate well above its modern low of 3.4%, reached in April 2023.</li></ul><div>Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Axios Visuals</div><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>The report contained a few bright spots confirming that while the labor market may be slowing, it isn't all-out collapsing.</p><ul><li>Employment levels remain strong among prime-age workers, or those ages 25-54. 80.9% of that population is employed, matching the largest share since 2001.</li><li>Wage growth also looks solid, with average hourly earnings rising 0.4% — and ticking up to 3.8% over the past year.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> This jobs report was the most highly anticipated in years because of what it was expected to suggest about how big the Fed's interest rate cut might be.</p><ul><li>The report does not neatly settle that question. On one hand, the unemployment rate didn't continue rising as it did in July, wages were solid and job growth remained squarely positive.</li><li>But the revisions show weaker underlying job creation over the summer months, which might make the case for a larger half-point cut to try to arrest further labor market weakening.</li></ul><p><strong>New York Fed president John Williams</strong>, <a href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/speeches/2024/wil240906" target="_blank">speaking</a> shortly after the release of the jobs report, said it is now "appropriate to dial down" interest rates — but did not offer his view on the speed at which that should happen.</p><ul><li>Fed governor Christopher Waller, in a speech titled <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/waller20240906a.htm" target="_blank">"The Time Has Come,"</a> signaled openness to a strategy of more aggressive rate cuts. "I was a big advocate of front-loading rate hikes when inflation accelerated in 2022, and I will be an advocate of front-loading rate cuts if that is appropriate," he said at the University of Notre Dame.</li><li>"While I expect that these cuts will be done carefully as the economy and employment continue to grow, in the context of stable inflation, I stand ready to act promptly to support the economy as needed," he added.</li></ul><p><strong>Of note: </strong>Two-year U.S. Treasury securities were yielding 3.7% on Friday morning after falling precipitously in recent weeks. With the Fed's short-term policy rate now near 5.5%, that means markets are pricing in substantial rate cuts in the months ahead, regardless of how aggressively the central bank acts this month.</p><p><strong>What's next: </strong>Major data looming before the Fed's decision includes Consumer Price Index, Producer Price Index and retail sales for August. But the Fed enters its customary blackout period after Friday, during which officials will refrain from speaking publicly about the economy and monetary policy decisions.</p><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>The open question facing the economy, and the Fed, is whether the jobs cooldown will remain only that — without conditions turning downright cold.</p>
<div>Data: U.S. Labor Department; Chart: Axios Visuals</div><p>The <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/job-openings-labor-market-jolts-report-data" target="_blank">U.S. economy</a> added 142,000 jobs in August, while the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/21/us-jobs-revisions-slower" target="_blank">unemployment rate</a> edged slightly lower to 4.2% from 4.3%, the Labor Department said on Friday.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>A slowing labor market is a pivotal factor that will help the Federal Reserve determine the size of a highly anticipated interest rate cut later this month.</p><hr /><ul><li>The August figures came in below expectations of 161,000 job gains.</li><li>The new report also shows notable revisions for months past: The economy added just 89,000 jobs <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/02/jobs-economy-unemployment-fed-rate-recession" target="_blank">in July</a>—25,000 fewer than initially thought.</li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/05/jobs-market-unemployment-us-economy" target="_blank">June's gains</a> were revised down by 61,000 to 118,000.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue</strong>: The economy continues to add jobs, but at a notably cooler rate. The unemployment rate is historically low, but has steadily risen over the past year. </p><p><strong>The big picture</strong>: Fed chair Jerome Powell <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/23/jerome-powell-jackson-hole-rate-cuts" target="_blank">signaled last month</a> that the central bank will almost certainly cut interest rates for the first time since 2020 at the two-day policy meeting that begins Sept. 17.</p><ul><li>That will come as inflation continues to recede, but the labor market in recent months has displayed signs of weakness. Powell said that the Fed does not welcome further weakening in the jobs market. </li><li>The Fed could cut rates by a quarter-percentage point or a super-sized half-percentage point. </li><li>Macro-watchers believe that the Fed might go bigger if they believe the labor market is cooling more than they would like.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in</strong>: Job gains were largely concentrated in two sectors—construction, which added 34,000 jobs, and health care, which gained a similar number of payrolls.</p><ul><li>Average hourly earnings, a measure of wage growth, rose 0.4% last month. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings are up 3.8%. </li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This is story was updated with additional details from the report.</em></p>
<div>Data: Gallup. Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals</div><p>It's not just the U.S. — real estate is becoming increasingly unaffordable across most wealthy countries, as the Financial Times <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/f206f6f1-1536-4b29-ad8d-2421fadfc64b" target="_blank">recently reported</a>.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>High and rising housing costs mean people have less money to spend on other things, and make it harder for folks to move. At the extreme end, a lack of affordable homes pushes more people into homelessness.</p><p><strong>State of play: </strong>The share of people in OECD countries who say they're satisfied with the availability of good, affordable housing fell to 45% in 2023 from 51% in 2019, according to the Gallup World Poll, an annual survey.</p><ul><li>In these countries people are less satisfied with housing than they are with things like health care or education.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The numbers were particularly bleak in the U.S., where high mortgage rates have put buying a home out of reach for many. Just 39% of respondents said they were satisfied with housing affordability, compared to 59% in 2019.</p><ul><li>It's worse in Canada, where just 30% of respondents are satisfied with home affordability.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> This is a story about higher mortgage rates putting homes out of reach <strong>— </strong>they pretty much rose across all these countries<strong> —</strong> and about lack of home construction.</p><ul><li>Home building in the U.S. never really bounced back from the financial crisis housing bust, as Conor Dougherty <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/22/briefing/us-housing-crisis.html" target="_blank">recently wrote</a> in the New York Times.</li><li>It's not just a U.S. thing. "Basically we haven't built enough," Willem Adema, a senior economist in the social policy division of the OECD, tells the FT.</li></ul>
<p>The Israeli ambassador to the U.S. decided not to participate in a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/09/04/hersh-goldberg-polin-dc-vigil-adas-israel-hostage-deaths/" target="_blank">vigil</a> in Washington, DC on Tuesday for the six <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/01/israel-hostages-gaza-hamas-recovered" target="_blank">hostages murdered</a> by Hamas after his request to speak at the event was denied, four sources with direct knowledge told Axios.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The unusual incident reflects the growing rift between the majority of the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/12/families-us-hostages-gaza-ask-meet-netanyahu" target="_blank">families of hostages</a> being held by Hamas in Gaza and the Netanyahu government. </p><hr /><ul><li>The Israeli embassy confirmed the ambassador and his deputy didn't attend the vigil but said they don't boycott events related to the families of the hostages.</li><li>The majority of the hostage families accuse the Israeli government of not doing enough to get their loved ones home. </li><li>Over the last week, the families of the hostages have called for mass nationwide protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he<strong> </strong>abandoned the hostages. </li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Six hostages held in Gaza, including U.S. citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were murdered by Hamas last week. </p><ul><li>The Hostage Families Forum Headquarters, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington and several other Jewish organizations held a vigil on Tuesday at Adas Israel synagogue in Washington, DC for the six hostages. </li><li>Family members of several of the hostages and the second gentleman Doug Emhoff spoke at the event. </li></ul><p><strong>Behind the scenes:</strong> Several days before the vigil, the Israeli embassy contacted the organizers and requested that Ambassador Mike Herzog speak at the event, the sources said. </p><ul><li>According to the sources, the organizers refused and said the families weren't<strong> </strong>interested in representatives of the Israeli government speaking at the vigil.</li><li>The embassy then suggested that the deputy ambassador Eliav Benjamin speak at the event. The organizers replied that as far as the families are concerned, there is no difference between the ambassador and his deputy, the sources said.</li><li>The sources said the organizers emphasized to the embassy that the ambassador and his deputy are invited to the event and that their presence would even be recognized by the moderator. </li></ul><p><strong>The Israeli embassy was angry</strong> and the deputy ambassador informed the organizers that, "under these conditions," he and the ambassador were not going to participate and effectively boycotted the vigil, the sources said. </p><ul><li>Several other representatives of the Israeli embassy did attend the event. </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> "The Israeli embassy, from the ambassador down, deals intensively with the issue of the hostages, including hosting, coordinating meetings and providing professional and personal assistance," a spokesperson for the Israeli embassy said.</p><ul><li>"Since the beginning of the war until today, the embassy has taken care of hundreds of family members and their companions in official and unofficial visits," she continued.</li><li>"The ambassador and his staff are in close contact with the families and the hostage families forum and have never boycotted events related to the families of the hostages," the spokesperson said.</li></ul>
<p>With 60 days left in the race, and at the very moment she's presenting a different ideology than four years ago, <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Vice President Kamala Harris</a> isn't getting subjected to the media scrutiny typical for a presidential nominee.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Harris is copying President Biden's self-protection media strategy — duck tough interviews and limit improvisational moments. </p><hr /><p><strong>Her circumstances are different,</strong> for sure. She entered the race just seven weeks ago, did dozens of interviews this year before Biden's exit, and plans to do more interviews and gaggles.</p><ul><li>But with her debate with former President Trump <a href="https://www.dgepress.com/abcnews/pressrelease/abc-news-releases-debate-rules-for-2024-presidential-debate-on-abc-abc-news-live-disney-and-hulu/" target="_blank">coming up Tuesday</a> (9pm ET), Harris has big questions to answer in two areas that go to the heart of running America:</li><li>Why did President Biden's top advisers routinely leak word they found her performance as vice president disappointing or episodically problematic?</li><li>How did her views change in five years, from liberal to centrist on health care, immigration and energy? Why should voters believe her new views are the ones she'd stick with inside the White House?</li></ul><p><strong>The backstory: </strong>Biden advisers often were frustrated with Harris' performance as vice president. Their concerns fall into three buckets:</p><ol><li>They found her public performances uneven and often not reassuring. This improved over time. But even recently, several on Biden's team worried she'd struggle under the glare of national pressure.</li><li>They found her risk-averse to the point of paralysis. The issue she embraced most — abortion rights — is one with the least risk, as polls show Democrats with a huge advantage on the issue. </li><li>They worried about the high turnover rate among her staff. Of the 47 Harris staffers publicly disclosed to the Senate in 2021, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/22/biden-kamala-harris-election-chances" target="_blank">only five still worked for her</a> as of this spring. (This tally is incomplete because roughly half the staff isn't listed on the Senate disclosures.)</li></ol><p><strong>Nine areas</strong> in which she's shifted views or her current position is unknown:</p><ol><li>Banning plastic straws for environmental concerns. (She's no longer for it, as <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/kamala-harris-plastic-straw-ban" target="_blank">Axios reported Thursday</a>.)</li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/kamala-harris-campaign-ev-mandate" target="_blank">A mandate for automakers</a> to only make electric and hydrogen vehicles by 2035. (The Harris campaign won't say whether she's still for it.)</li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/harris-interview-cnn-fracking" target="_blank">Banning fracking</a> because of concerns over global warming and potential water contamination. (No longer favors a ban.)</li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/09/kamala-harris-pivots-progressive-policies-2024" target="_blank">A mandatory buyback program</a> for assault weapons as part of her gun safety agenda. (She's dropped this idea.)</li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/09/kamala-harris-pivots-progressive-policies-2024" target="_blank">Decriminalizing crossing the border</a> from a criminal offense to a civil one. (No longer supports.)</li><li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/09/03/kamala-harris-reparations/" target="_blank">Reparations for slavery</a>, which many progressives argued for during the 2020 primary. (Position unclear.)</li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/kamala-harris-flip-flops-border-wall" target="_blank">Building a wall on the Southwest border</a>, a defining Trump promise that many Democrats have fought. (Accepted it as part of the bipartisan border package that Republicans killed.)</li><li><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/live-blog-posts/harris-reverses-federal-job-guarantee/" target="_blank">A federal jobs guarantee</a> that was part of her Green New Deal proposal. (No longer for it.)</li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/08/medicare-for-all-mfa-biden-2024-democrats-progressives" target="_blank">Medicare for All</a>, which Harris <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/05/medicare-for-all-2020-democratic-primary-075034" target="_blank">embraced in her first year as senator. </a>(She's backed off this.)</li></ol><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Harris and her campaign haven't provided many details explaining her policy shifts. </p><ul><li>A Harris campaign aide explained to Axios that she's no longer pushing Medicare for All because of what she learned during her four years of experience in the White House, and seeing how the Biden administration has expanded coverage through the Affordable Care Act.</li><li>Harris doesn't think the disruptive process of replacing the private health care system is necessary to reach her vision of making health care a right not a privilege, the aide said.<strong> </strong></li></ul><p><strong>Reality check: </strong>One of the features of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/kamala-harris-frankenstein-campaign-obama-biden" target="_blank">her melded staff</a> (Harris loyalists and Obama alumni, grafted onto existing Biden staffers) is that even some of her own staffers aren't sure where she stands on a range of issues. </p><p><strong>The other side: </strong>Over the past seven weeks, Trump has largely stuck to friendly interviewers in the right-wing bubble. This frustrates some Harris allies, who say Trump isn't getting true scrutiny.</p><ul><li>During that same period, he also held two press conferences with mainstream reporters, with a third scheduled Friday.</li><li>His running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), routinely sits for tough interviews with mainstream reporters. Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, hasn't done a solo TV interview. </li></ul><p><strong>Behind the scenes: </strong>As Axios' Sophia Cai <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/26/kamala-harris-strategy-election-trump" target="_blank">has reported</a>, Harris made a decision not to get too deep into specific policies because there wasn't time. </p><ul><li>The campaign needed to fundraise, reintroduce herself to America, introduce Walz — and help the Democratic ticket recover in states where Dems should win, but needed an electable alternative to Trump.</li></ul><p><strong>The result</strong> is lots of down-the-middle vagueness. That's the case on the issue of whether Harris would require automakers to build only electric or hydrogen vehicles by 2035 — a position she took during her 2020 campaign for president.</p><ul><li>For a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/kamala-harris-campaign-ev-mandate" target="_blank">story this week</a>, Axios asked her campaign about the issue for six days before getting a "no comment."</li></ul>
<p>The role neighborhood schools once played as the center of community life is dwindling as <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/19/us-cities-school-student-enrollment-decrease" target="_blank">public schools shutter</a> across America.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> School closures have well-documented impacts on <a href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/the-harm-of-school-closures-can-last-a-lifetime-new-research-shows/2024/06#:~:text=Students%20who%20attend%20a%20school,earnings%20tend%20to%20be%20lower." target="_blank">academic outcomes</a>, but more recent research shows they also can <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26393439" target="_blank">lower housing values</a>, <a href="https://sociologicalscience.com/download/vol-7/april/SocSci_v7_128to151.pdf" target="_blank">raise crime rates</a> and <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2018/10/19/21105956/eve-ewing-explains-why-some-communities-just-can-t-get-over-school-closings/" target="_blank">diminish the social fabric</a> of a neighborhood.</p><hr /><ul><li>Yet districts rarely consider their community value when deciding whether buildings should close, experts tell Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> More than 5,000 public schools closed across the U.S. between 2017 and 2022, according to the <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=619" target="_blank">National Center for Educational Statistics</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.urban.org/features/subtracting-schools-communities" target="_blank">Urban Institute research</a> dating back to 2003 found that closures happened across urban, suburban and rural geographies and socioeconomic statuses.</li></ul><p><strong>Threat level:</strong> More districts may be forced to close schools after pandemic-era funding, which many institutions used to plug budget holes, expires at the end of this year, the <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/expiration-of-federal-k-12-emergency-funds-could-pose-challenges-for" target="_blank">Center on Budget and Policy Priorities</a> cautions.</p><p><strong>State of play:</strong> Closures are most often driven by district budget shortfalls caused by <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/03/education-enrollment-cliff-schools" target="_blank">declining enrollment</a>.</p><ul><li>Americans are having <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/25/adults-no-children-why-pew-data" target="_blank">fewer children</a> and parents have more <a href="https://www.axios.com/2021/09/22/charter-school-pandemic-enrollment-growth" target="_blank">charter and public school options</a> than ever. This means fewer public school students, and ultimately less per-pupil government funding for districts.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The most severe impacts of closures tend to occur in poor, urban neighborhoods without recreation centers, parks, or other facilities that can absorb the role of community hub forfeited by the school, UC Davis Department of Human Ecology associate professor Noli Brazil tells Axios.</p><ul><li>Schools are more than just academic institutions. Neighborhood associations hold meetings in cafeterias. Gymnasiums are used as polling places on Election Day. <a href="https://www.ctulocal1.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/TwelveMonthsLaterReport.pdf" target="_blank">Health clinics and food pantries</a> offer services there on the weekends.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> Repurposing closed buildings can mitigate the damage of a school closure, Urban Institute principal researcher Megan Gallagher told Axios.</p><ul><li>A decade after the closure of Kenilworth Elementary — one of the <a href="https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/69496/2000404-making-good-on-a-promise.pdf" target="_blank">few remaining community assets</a> in a high-poverty Washington, D.C., neighborhood — the department of parks and recreation last year <a href="https://coakleywilliams.com/cwc-news/mayor-bowser-opens-kenilworth-rec-center#:~:text=We%20celebrated%20a%20milestone%20on,this%20project%20to%20the%20community." target="_blank">converted it into a recreation center</a>.</li><li>Two <a href="https://thelandcle.org/stories/two-vacant-cleveland-school-buildings-will-become-apartment-buildings-in-glenville-jefferson/" target="_blank">shuttered Cleveland-area schools</a> are in the process of being adapted into housing.</li></ul><p><strong>Reality check:</strong> Redevelopment is not the norm — many shuttered schools remain vacant for years, which can attract vandalism and provide a visual reminder of the loss.</p><ul><li>In 2013, Chicago closed 46 school buildings in the <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2023/7/25/23806124/chicago-school-closings-2013-henson-elementary/" target="_blank">largest mass closure in U.S. history</a> at that time. As of last year, 26 remain vacant despite lofty redevelopment promises, the <a href="https://graphics.suntimes.com/education/2023/chicagos-50-closed-schools/buildings/" target="_blank">Chicago Sun reported</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> Abandoned, "eye sore"<strong> </strong>school grounds are "a signal to communities that the district is unwilling to invest in their children's success," Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco executive director Vanessa Marrero told Axios.</p><ul><li>The <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2024/07/18/sf-school-district-sfusd-school-closure-plan" target="_blank">San Francisco Unified School District</a> is closing a yet-to-be-determined number of schools next year.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching:</strong> When the Paradise Valley Unified School District outside of Phoenix decided to <a href="https://www.abc15.com/news/region-northeast-valley/paradise-valley/three-paradise-valley-schools-to-close-as-enrollment-numbers-decline" target="_blank">close three schools</a> earlier this year, a school board member told concerned parents: "In the end, they're buildings … the community can exist anywhere."</p><ul><li><strong>Yes, but:</strong> History shows that's not always true.</li></ul><p><em>Axios San Francisco's Megan Rose Dickey contributed to this story. </em></p>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Vice President Harris</a>' campaign announced Friday that it raised a staggering $361 million in August, solidifying her financial advantage over former President Trump. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>It's nearly triple<strong> </strong>the $130 million that Trump's campaign said it raised in August, giving the VP an edge entering the final stretch of the 2024 campaign.</p><hr /><ul><li>The Harris campaign said it ended August with $404 million in cash on hand, compared to the $295 million the Trump campaign said it had. </li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Harris' August haul <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/02/harris-trump-fundraising-2024" target="_blank">surpasses the $310 million</a> she raised in July after the 2024 race was completely upended when President Biden suspended his campaign.</p><ul><li>Trump's August fundraising haul fell short of the $138.7 million he raised in July, when the Republican National Convention boosted his numbers.</li><li>The Harris campaign touted August as the best grassroots fundraising month in history, fueled by almost three million donors.</li><li>Both candidates' official campaign reports are due Sep. 20.</li></ul><p><strong>Flashback: </strong>Harris' August haul is just under the $365 million that Biden and the Democratic National Committee <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/02/biden-staggering-monthly-cash-haul-407712" target="_blank">reported</a> raising during the same period in 2020.</p><ul><li>Trump <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-joe-biden-campaigns-election-2020-virus-outbreak-12c76d9c72c02b6e25cfd5409dc70b05" target="_blank">brought in $210</a> million during the same period of 2020.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Harris' candidacy has fueled a fundraising explosion, reversing <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/21/biden-fundraising-april-2024-trump" target="_blank">Biden's declining fundraising</a> when he was still the Democratic nominee.</p><ul><li>The Harris campaign said in its Friday announcement that it has raised more than $615 million since she launched her campaign. </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"In just a short time, Vice President Harris' candidacy has galvanized a history-making, broad, and diverse coalition – with the type of enthusiasm, energy, and grit that wins close elections," Harris-Walz 2024 Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in the announcement. </p><ul><li>"As we enter the final stretch of this election, we're making sure every hard-earned dollar goes to winning over the voters who will decide this election." </li></ul><p><strong>The other side: </strong>"These fundraising numbers from August are a reflection of that movement and will propel President Trump's America First movement back to the White House so we can undo the terrible failures of Harris and Biden," Trump campaign senior advisor Brian Hughes said in a statement. </p><ul><li>The Trump campaign said in its Wednesday fundraising announcement that 98% of its August donations were under $200.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/harris-campaign-finance-democrat-races-state-congress" target="_blank">Harris' campaign shares $24.5M with down-ballot Democratic races</a></p>
<div>Data: <a href="https://sites.ecmwf.int/data/c3sci/bulletin/202408/press_release/PR_202408_fig3_data.csv" target="_blank">ERA5</a>; Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios</div><p>The global average surface temperatures from June through August were the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/12/july-temperatures-nasa-hottest-year" target="_blank">hottest on record</a>, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The period, which comprises summer in the Northern Hemisphere, brought a spate of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/20/heat-waves-summer-wildfires-europe-africa-asia" target="_blank">extreme heat</a>, wildfires and other extreme events. </p><hr /><ul><li>Europe had its hottest summer on record, with deadly heat events repeatedly affecting Greece, Italy and Spain, along with wildfires. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Copernicus, an EU science center, now projects that 2024 will surpass 2023 as the globe's hottest year on record. </p><ul><li>The planet had its hottest August on record, tied with the same month the year before. </li><li>Thirteen of the past 14 months have seen global average surface temperatures that exceeded 1.5°C above preindustrial levels, which is a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/22/climate-change-paris-targets-overshoot" target="_blank">key warming target</a> under the Paris Agreement. </li><li>In July, the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/07/earth-four-hottest-days-thursday" target="_blank">globe recorded a string of the four hottest days</a> on record stretching back for at least 100,000 years.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>That pact referred to long-term averages, on the timescale of several decades, rather than a far shorter timespan of 13 months.</p><p><strong>By the numbers: </strong>The difference between the year-to-date and the previous hottest year in 2023 is 0.23°C (0.4°F) above the 1991-2020 average, Copernicus scientists found. </p><ul><li>This effectively seals the deal for a warmest year in their books. "The average anomaly for the remaining months of this year would need to drop by at least 0.3°C for 2024 not to be warmer than 2023," Copernicus said in a statement. </li><li>"This has never happened in the entire ERA5 data set, making it increasingly likely that 2024 is going to be the warmest year on record," the center stated, referring to the temperature data set it maintains, which is distinct from others at NASA, NOAA and elsewhere. </li><li>During the summer, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/13/athens-wildfire-rages-drought-heat-wave" target="_blank">wildfires encroached</a> on Greece's capital of Athens, and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/17/heat-waves-greece-mecca-saudi-arabia-climate-crisis" target="_blank">tourists wilted in withering heat</a>.</li><li>The heat was not confined to the Mediterranean region. In Longyearbyen, on the Arctic island of Svalbard, Norway, August was the <a href="https://x.com/Daaanvdb/status/1829857901353083333" target="_blank">hottest month on record</a>, crushing previous records, with an average temperature of 11°C (51.8°F). </li><li>Japan saw <a href="https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240902_29/" target="_blank">some of its hottest temperatures on record</a> during the late summer, and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/28/mexico-heat-drought-water-shortages-howler-monkeys" target="_blank">Mexico also had a record shattering, long duration heat wave</a>. </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"During the past three months of 2024, the globe has experienced the hottest June and August, the hottest day on record, and the hottest boreal summer on record," Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said in a statement. </p><ul><li>"The temperature-related extreme events witnessed this summer will only become more intense, with more devastating consequences for people and the planet unless we take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."</li></ul>
<p>Conservative media is facing a rare moment of introspection, rocked by a series of scandals that have drawn new scrutiny to the right's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/tenet-media-right-wing-influencers-russian-influence-scheme" target="_blank">favorite influencers</a>.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The battle for MAGA's future is unfolding not just at the ballot box, but online — where traditionally pro-Trump forces are suddenly feuding over <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/16/antisemitism-islamophobia-incidents-adl-cair" target="_blank">antisemitism</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/09/05/tucker-carlson-darryl-cooper-jd-vance/" target="_blank">revisionist history</a> and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/justice-department-charges-russian-state-media-election-interference" target="_blank">Russian disinformation</a>.</p><hr /><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>At the center of the firestorm is Tucker Carlson, who has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/05/media/white-house-condemns-tucker-carlson-nazi-propaganda-interview/index.html" target="_blank">drawn sustained backlash</a> for hosting a guest on his podcast who called Winston Churchill "the chief villain" of World War II.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/business/elon-musk" target="_blank">Elon Musk</a> promoted the interview with Darryl Cooper, who Carlson suggested was "the best and most honest popular historian" in the U.S. — <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musk-deletes-post-promoting-tucker-carlson-darryl-cooper-1948470" target="_blank">then backtracked</a> after X users accused Cooper of Nazi apologia.</li><li>Even <a href="https://x.com/MarinaMedvin/status/1831160313028252029" target="_blank">hardcore</a> <a href="https://x.com/EWErickson/status/1830978780007145967" target="_blank">conservatives</a> were <a href="https://x.com/SohrabAhmari/status/1831366109192450559" target="_blank">gobsmacked</a> by Carlson giving voice to Cooper, the latest in a string of controversial guests — <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/09/putin-tucker-carlson-interview-russia" target="_blank">Vladimir Putin</a> among them — whom Carlson has interviewed since <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/07/fox-news-tucker-carlson-contract-breach" target="_blank">leaving Fox News</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Carlson's mainstream relevance may have waned since he was stripped of the <a href="https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/these-are-the-top-rated-cable-news-shows-for-april-2023/" target="_blank">top-rated show</a> in cable news, but his influence on the "America First" movement remains unrivaled.</p><ul><li>Carlson, who some MAGA die-hards pushed to be Trump's running mate, received a thunderous reception when he <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-tucker-carlson-speaks-at-2024-republican-national-convention" target="_blank">spoke at the Republican National Convention</a> in July.</li><li>Later this month, he's <a href="https://www.pennlive.com/live-entertainment/2024/09/tucker-carlson-and-jd-vance-in-hershey-where-to-buy-tickets.html" target="_blank">scheduled to be joined onstage</a> in Pennsylvania by Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as part of the "Tucker Carlson Live Tour," which also will feature Donald Trump Jr., Alex Jones and other special guests.</li></ul><img src="https://images.axios.com/kIQW5hWZq7G6fQ8tzfFDcUcyLks=/2024/09/05/1725567300892.png" /> <div>Seth Dillon, owner of the conservative satire site Babylon Bee, criticized Carlson for his podcast with Cooper. <a href="https://x.com/SethDillon/status/1831026820138836239" target="_blank">Screenshot via X</a></div><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>In the midst of the Carlson outrage, the Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-rt-employees-indicted-covertly-funding-and-directing-us-company-published-thousands" target="_blank">revealed an indictment</a> Wednesday accusing Russia of a scheme to pay right-wing influencers to unwittingly spread propaganda ahead of the election.</p><ul><li>Pro-Trump content creators <a href="https://x.com/Timcast" target="_blank">Tim Pool</a>, <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson" target="_blank">Benny Johnson</a> and <a href="https://x.com/RubinReport" target="_blank">Dave Rubin</a> were among those who DOJ says were deceived by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/09/05/tenet-media-russia-rt-tim-pool/" target="_blank">Tenet Media</a>, a Tennessee-based company covertly funded by Moscow.</li><li>All three — who described themselves as "victims" of the bombshell allegations — have millions of followers on X and are staples of the platform's daily right-wing discourse.</li><li>Canadian activist Lauren Chen, who founded Tenet along with her husband and has frequently attacked Trump from the right, <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/09/05/2024/blaze-fires-contributor-linked-to-russian-operation" target="_blank">was fired by Blaze Media</a> on Thursday.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>The fissures in MAGA's media machine aren't simply a product of Russian disinformation — and they didn't appear overnight.</p><ul><li>The Israel-Hamas war, for example, has spurred some elements of Trump's "America First" base to embrace the type of antisemitism that Republicans often condemn on the left.</li><li>Candace Owens, a longtime darling of the pro-Trump movement, left The Daily Wire in March after clashing with founder Ben Shapiro over her <a href="https://forward.com/culture/639279/candace-owens-jacob-frank-frankist-conspiracy-false-messiah/" target="_blank">antisemitic conspiracy theories</a>, which she continues to promote.</li><li>Some far-right commentators — such as prominent white nationalist Nick Fuentes — have even <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-dinner-guest-nick-fuentes-034117393.html" target="_blank">vowed to campaign</a> against Trump over his support for Israel.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>Trump won't have issues turning out his base in November, regardless of the state of conservative media. The bigger question is which voices will fill the vacuum when Trump is eventually gone.</p>
<div>Data: <a href="http://bookies.com/" target="_blank">Bookies.com</a>; Table: Axios Visuals</div><p>Four NFL teams this season will travel more miles than the distance around the Earth. </p><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> The Los Angeles Chargers, who don't have a game outside the United States, will travel the most miles of any team this season.</p><hr /><ul><li>They're followed by the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots are the only team among them traveling overseas for a game.</li><li>Nine teams are traveling <a href="https://www.nfl.com/international/international-games" target="_blank">internationally</a> for games, the first being the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers game in Brazil on Friday night.</li></ul><p><strong>By the numbers: </strong>Chris Smith, the Chargers' equipment manager for the past 35 years, told Axios the figures behind their road trips. </p><h2>⏱️ Packing time: 1 week</h2><p><strong>Players pack</strong> their own bag and equipment staff double-check behind players to ensure everything they need is included.</p><ul><li>As the season rolls into the winter months, they have to add cold weather gear like coats, hand warmers and arm sleeves. </li></ul><h2>🧳 Weight of an equipment bag: 18 pounds</h2><p>Teams take at least 53 bags — one for every rostered player — and between 10-16 additional bags for practice squad players. </p><h2>💪 Weight of all team equipment: 15,000 pounds</h2><p><strong>The weight increases </strong>to about 20,000 pounds for cold weather games. </p><ul><li>Teams must report the weight of their belongings to airlines for safety reasons.</li></ul><h2>✈️ Time to unload and unpack: 3 hours</h2><p><strong>It can take up to three hours</strong> to unload the plane and unpack in a visiting stadium.</p><h2>🏈 Number of team balls: 27</h2><p><strong>This includes 24 game balls </strong>and 3 kicking balls.</p><ul><li>The weight of each ball has to be between 12.5-13 PSI</li></ul><h2>🚌 Buses and trucks needed: 10</h2><p><strong>For the transportation</strong> of all players, coaches and equipment once the team lands in the host city. </p><p><strong>More from Axios:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/nfl-biggest-games-2024-season" target="_blank">Every NFL team's most buzzworthy game</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/26/nfl-kickoff-rules-change-ban" target="_blank">NFL changes kickoff rules and bans hip-drop tackles</a> </li></ul>
<p>The heads of major news organizations are speaking out about the risk to press freedoms in the U.S. amid significant backslides in other democracies. </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Once considered a global leader for free expression, U.S. press freedoms have hit a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/07/u-s-press-freedoms-fall-to-new-low-media-trends" target="_self">historic low</a>.</p><hr /><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> The New York Times Publisher A.G. Sulzberger <a href="https://wapo.st/3ZfmRNg" target="_blank">penned a rare opinion piece</a> for The Washington Post Thursday warning that the undermining of press freedoms in democratic nations like Hungary and Brazil serves as an important reminder of what's at stake in the U.S. this election. </p><ul><li>"Over the past century in the United States, Trump stands out for his aggressive and sustained efforts to undermine the free press," Sulzberger wrote.</li><li>"I hope our nation, with protections for a free press explicitly enshrined in the First Amendment, will maintain its distinctively open path, regardless of the outcome of this election or any other."</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out:</strong> In printing his essay in The Post, Sulzberger sent a broader message about the power of news companies in tackling these issues with a united front.</p><ul><li>"I'm grateful to The Post for running it, especially given the length. It's just another example of how The Post, in addition to being an esteemed competitor, has long been one of our closest partners on matters of press freedom. These challenges cannot be solved by one institution," Sulzberger wrote in a note to staff.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines</strong>: For many years following the brutal 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, the Post and its former CEO Fred Ryan served as the face of the U.S. press freedom fight.</p><ul><li>More recently, Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal publisher Almar Latour stepped into that role.</li><li>"It's been heartening to see the global news industry come together around Evan," Latour <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/02/evan-gershkovich-wall-street-journal-publisher" target="_blank">said</a> in an interview with Axios shortly after the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/02/evan-gershkovich-wall-street-journal-publisher" target="_blank">historic release</a> of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich from Russia last month. "And putting this hugely important topic of press freedom on the map in ways that haven't happened as of late — not on that scale."</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch:</strong> Years-long efforts by autocrats to undermine the free press in places like Hungary, Turkey and Russia have <a href="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-media-trends-fe1295c8-9b83-4403-bae2-06de14fede11.html?chunk=0&utm_term=twsocialshare#story0" target="_blank">given cover</a> to democratic leaders in places like India, Israel, Brazil and Guatemala looking to do the same.</p><ul><li>Speaking of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Sulzberger noted, "Though much of the damage he caused to democratic traditions has been reversed, the norms around the free press and free expression remain weakened."</li></ul>
<p>This week's mass shooting at a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" target="_blank">Georgia high school</a> brought the issue of gun violence back to the fore ahead of November's <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/us-presidential-house-senate-elections" target="_blank">2024</a> presidential election.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> and Sen. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/vance-interviews-npr-nyt" target="_blank">JD Vance</a> (R-Ohio) made clear in comments Thursday they have very different ideas in how to respond to gun violence in the wake of the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/georgia-apalachee-high-school-shooting-victims-vigil" target="_self">Apalachee High School</a> shooting that killed four people and injured nine others.</p><hr /><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>A CNN reporter <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/" target="_blank">asked</a> Vance at a Phoenix, Arizona, event what his policies were on ending school shootings after this week's massacre, which saw a 14-year-old student charged with four counts of felony murder and his <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/georgia-high-school-shooting-father-suspect-arrested" target="_blank">father facing charges</a> including second-degree murder.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Former President Trump's</a> running mate said it was an "awful tragedy" and called for the bolstering of security in schools.</li><li>"If these psychos are going to go after our kids, we've got to be prepared for it," Vance said. "We don't have to like the reality that we live in, but it is the reality we live in. We've got to deal with it," he added.</li></ul><div>"I don't like that this is a fact of life, but if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets. And we have got to bolster security at our schools. We've got to bolster security so if a psycho wants to walk through the front door and kill a bunch of children, they're not able."</div><p><strong>Meanwhile, </strong>Trump <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6361583211112" target="_blank">responded</a> to a question from Fox News host Sean Hannity about the Georgia shooting during a Fox News town hall on Wednesday by saying: "It's a sick and angry world for a lot of reasons and we're going to make it better, and we're going to heal our world."</p><p><strong>What they're saying </strong>"School shootings are not just a fact of life," Harris <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1831894912985657387" target="_blank">wrote</a> on social media Thursday evening. "It doesn't have to be this way. We can take action to protect our children — and we will."</p><ul><li>Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa also responded to Vance's remarks in <a href="https://x.com/KamalaHQ/status/1831881768150216873" target="_blank">a post</a> to X, saying that the Democratic presidential candidate and running mate Tim Walz "know we can take action to keep our children safe and keep guns out of the hands of criminals."</li><li>Moussa added, "Donald Trump and JD Vance will always choose the N.R.A. and gun lobby over our children. That is the choice in this election."</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>Harris <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/23/fact-sheet-vice-president-harris-announces-gun-safety-solutions-while-continuing-efforts-to-keep-schools-safe-from-gun-violence/" target="_blank">leads</a> the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and has <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2024/08/01/kamala-harris-touts-freedom-to-live-safe-from-gun-violence-in-presidential-campaign/" target="_blank">backed</a> gun <a href="https://www.axios.com/2021/03/24/kamala-harris-gun-control-second-amendment" target="_self">control measures</a>.</p><ul><li>The Democratic presidential candidate worked with <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/joe-biden" target="_blank">President Biden</a> to enact the bipartisan 2022 <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/25/biden-bipartisan-gun-safety-bill-law" target="_blank">Safer Communities Act</a>, the most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in three decades.</li><li>The law that was passed following multiple mass shootings that year enhanced background checks for those under 21, funding for mental health and school safety, incentives for states to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/26/gun-control-legislation-red-flag-laws-explained" target="_self">implement "red flag" laws</a> and limits on the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/13/gun-deal-senate-bipartisan-bill-details" target="_self">"boyfriend loophole</a>."</li><li>Meanwhile, Vance on Thursday evening pointed to working with Senate colleagues on legislation that he said "would give schools more resources to bolster security."</li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with more comment from Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance and further context.</em></p>
<p>Telegram CEO <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/25/telegram-ceo-arrested-france?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top" target="_blank">Pavel Durov</a> criticized French authorities on Thursday for pursuing criminal charges against him in connection with illicit activity on the encrypted messaging app.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>In his first public comments since he was arrested last month, the Russian-born tech entrepreneur <a href="https://t.me/s/durov" target="_blank">wrote</a> on Telegram that suggestions that the app he founded was "some sort of anarchic paradise are absolutely untrue."</p><hr /><ul><li>Durov said he found his arrest last month "surprising" because he "personally helped" French authorities "establish a hotline with Telegram to deal with the threat of terrorism in France."</li><li>Paris <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/28/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-probe" target="_blank">prosecutors charged Durov</a> last week with offenses including complicity in managing an online platform to enable illegal transactions; complicity in crimes such as enabling the distribution of child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking and fraud; and a refusal to cooperate with law enforcement.</li></ul><p><strong>What he's saying: </strong>"If a country is unhappy with an internet service, the established practice is to start a legal action against the service itself," wrote Durov, who holds citizenship of the United Arab Emirates and France.</p><ul><li>"Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to charge a CEO with crimes committed by third parties on the platform he manages is a misguided approach," added Durov, who noted Telegram was "not perfect."</li><li>"Building technology is hard enough as it is. No innovator will ever build new tools if they know they can be personally held responsible for potential abuse of those tools."</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/26/who-is-telegram-ceo-pavel-durov" target="_blank">What to know about Telegram CEO Pavel Durov</a></p>
<p>The father of the 14-year-old <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" target="_blank">Apalachee High School</a> student arrested in connection with a massacre that killed four people and injured nine others has been arrested, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Colin Gray, 54, has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, per a GBI <a href="https://twitter.com/GBI_GA/status/1831836908034650530" target="_blank">post</a> to X.</p><hr /><ul><li>The charges against Colin Gray, who was arrested Wednesday and remains in custody, stem from him "knowingly allowing" his son Colt Gray to possess a weapon, Chris Hosey, the GBI director, said at a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/pPtvXrIazvA" target="_blank">news conference</a> Thursday evening.</li><li>The charges are "directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon," Hosey said.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching:</strong> All nine people who were injured are expected to make a full recovery, officials said Thursday.</p><p><strong>Context: </strong>Colt Gray, who will be <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" target="_self">tried as an adult</a>, is charged with four counts of felony murder.</p><ul><li>He is accused of using an "AR-platform-style weapon" to kill Apalachee High School students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and math teachers Christina Irimie, 53, and Richard Aspinwall, 39, who was also an assistant football coach, Hosey previously said.</li><li>Sheriff's deputies visited the family's home last year to interview the father and son after a tip regarding an online threat allegedly made by the then-13-year-old.</li><li>Colin Gray allegedly told a deputy during the visit that he had hunting rifles in the home but his son was only allowed to use them under supervision, according to an <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2024/09/05/colt-gray-apalachee-high-school-shooting" target="_blank">incident report</a> the Jackson County Sheriff's Office shared with <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta" target="_blank">Axios Atlanta</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>The arrest of Colin Gray comes months after <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/09/michigan-school-shooter-parents-sentenced" target="_blank">James and Jennifer Crumbley</a> became the first parents in the U.S. to be held criminally responsible for a mass shooting committed by their child.</p><ul><li>The Michigan couple was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison after they were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after their son <a href="https://www.axios.com/2021/11/30/michigan-high-school-shooting" target="_self">killed four students</a> and wounded seven others in a 2021 shooting at Oxford High School in Oakland County.</li></ul><p><strong>More from Axios...</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/apalachee-high-school-shooting-victims-georgia" target="_blank">Georgia school shooting victims identified</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/georgia-apalachee-high-school-shooting-victims-vigil" target="_blank">In photos: Georgia community comes together at vigil for school shooting victims</a></li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.</em></p>
<p>House Republicans are set to devote much of their last three weeks in session before the election to targeting <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Vice President Kamala Harris</a> and Gov. Tim Walz with investigations, hearings — and potentially more.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>House Republicans have spent the better part of the last two years investigating President Biden, which <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/hunter-biden-trial-republicans-impeachment" target="_blank">went to waste</a> in July when he withdrew from the race.</p><hr /><ul><li>Some <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/19/harris-walz-house-republican-investigations" target="_blank">Republicans fear</a> that overzealous oversight into the Democratic ticket could backfire on the GOP politically.</li></ul><p><strong>What's happening: </strong>There are at least four House committee investigations currently underway into the Democratic ticket.</p><ul><li>House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) is investigating Walz's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/house-republicans-subpoena-tim-walz-harris-probes" target="_blank">ties to China</a> and Harris' <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-probes-vice-president-harriss-role-in-the-worst-border-crisis-in-u-s-history/" target="_blank">role in immigration policy</a>.</li><li>Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), the chair of the House Armed Services subcommittee on military personnel, is investigating allegations that Walz <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/08/banks-pentagon-tim-walz-military-record" target="_blank">misstated his service record</a>.</li><li>House Education and Workforce Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) subpoenaed Walz for documents on his <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/house-republicans-subpoena-tim-walz-harris-probes" target="_blank">handling of an alleged $250 million fraud scheme</a> by a Minnesota-based nonprofit.</li></ul><p><strong>The other side: </strong>"Donald Trump and his extreme MAGA allies in the House are launching pathetic, false attacks on the vice president and Gov. Walz because they cannot win on their own records," said Harris campaign spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg. </p><ul><li>Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told Axios that Republicans "are just making themselves a complete adjunct to the Donald Trump campaign ... all of them simply do his bidding."</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>House committees are even starting to use "Biden-Harris" exclusively when naming hearings into the Biden administration.</p><ul><li>The House Veterans Affairs Committee is holding a hearing on Tuesday on "VA Leadership Under the Biden-Harris Administration."</li><li>The House Judiciary Committee is having a set of hearings on Tuesday into the "Biden-Harris border crisis."</li><li>And the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold one on Wednesday focused on the "Biden-Harris energy agenda."</li></ul><p><strong>Compare that </strong>to hearings scheduled before Biden dropped out, including a joint <a href="https://www.congress.gov/event/118th-congress/house-event/117485?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Biden+hearing%22%7D&s=10&r=16" target="_blank">hearing on July 23</a> that referred to the "Biden administration."</p><ul><li>The Judiciary Committee also held a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/event/118th-congress/house-event/117456?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Biden+hearing%22%7D&s=9&r=32" target="_blank">hearing on June 26</a> called: "Follow the Science?: Oversight of the Biden Covid-19 Administrative State Response".</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) introduced <a href="https://ogles.house.gov/media/press-releases/ogles-introduces-articles-impeachment-against-vice-president-kamala-harris" target="_blank">articles of impeachment against Harris</a> shortly after President Biden dropped his re-election bid.</p><ul><li>He or any other right-wing hardliner could force a vote on that measure in September without GOP leadership's say-so.</li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated to add comment from Raskin.</em></p>
<p>When Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> ran for president in 2020, she said plastic straws should be banned. On Thursday, her campaign says that's no longer her position. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Banning plastic straws to protect the environment and marine life is the latest progressive issue on which Harris and her campaign have either declined to comment or changed her position.</p><hr /><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Many parts of the country have banned plastic straws as concerns have grown about plastic pollution in oceans and waterways.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2018/07/02/seattle-first-major-city-ban-plastic-straws-utensils" target="_blank">Seattle became the first major U.S. city </a>to ban plastic straws in the summer of 2018.</li><li>Other countries also have <a href="https://www.axios.com/2018/07/05/single-use-plastic-ban-states-world" target="_blank">signaled or committed to banning</a> single-use plastic products.</li></ul><p><strong>Flashback: </strong>During a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/climate-crisis-town-hall-august-2019/index.html" target="_blank">CNN town hall</a> in 2019, Harris was asked whether plastic straws should be banned.</p><ul><li>"I think we should," she said. "We do need to ban the plastic" straws, she added, saying that paper straws needed to be improved.</li></ul><p><strong>Axios asked Harris' current campaign</strong> if she still supports that idea. </p><ul><li>"She doesn't support banning plastic straws," a campaign official told Axios.</li><li>"She cast the tie-breaking vote on the most consequential legislation to combat climate change and create clean energy jobs in history, and as President, she is going to be focused on expanding on that progress."</li><li>"She joked even then about how crappy paper straws are and the need to come up with better eco-friendly alternatives," the official said.</li></ul><p><strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Former President Trump's</a> campaign</strong> has used her past support of plastic-straw bans in its attacks casting Harris as a San Francisco liberal.</p><ul><li>Trump senior adviser <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/video/top-trump-campaign-advisor-says-they-are-ready-for-democrats-next-move-215353413968" target="_blank">Jason Miller told NBC in July</a>: "I mean, heck, she wants to get rid of plastic straws, for goodness sake."</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Harris has a recent pattern of offering few details about her policy agenda and priorities while moving to the center in advance of the Nov. 5 election.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/us/politics/kamala-harris-2020-positions.html" target="_blank">Through anonymous aides</a>, the campaign has said Harris no longer supports Medicare for All or mandatory gun buyback programs, which she backed during the 2020 Democratic primary as she and other candidates ran to embrace progressive proposals. </li><li><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/29/politics/kamala-harris-tim-walz-cnntv/index.html" target="_blank">Harris told CNN</a> in late August that she no longer wants to ban fracking — a position she took in the 2020 primary — because she believes "we can grow and we can increase a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking."</li></ul><p><strong>Harris also has promised</strong> to sign a bill focused on the southern border that, as part of a larger compromise, would continue to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/kamala-harris-flip-flops-border-wall" target="_blank">build Trump's border wall</a>. </p><ul><li>She previously called the barrier "un-American" and said she wouldn't "vote for a wall under any circumstances."</li><li>Harris told CNN her "<a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/kamala-harris-cnn-interview-democrats" target="_blank">values have not changed</a>," even if some of her policy ideas have.</li></ul>
<p>The judge overseeing <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">former President Trump's</a> 2020 <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/25/supreme-court-trump-immunity-prosecuton" target="_blank">election subversion case</a> laid out a schedule for the high-stakes case on Thursday.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>The proceeding is the first since the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/01/trump-supreme-court-immunity-decision" target="_blank">Supreme Court ruled</a> in July that presidents have immunity for "official acts," leaving it to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/01/trump-indictment-judge-tanya-chutkan" target="_blank">Judge Tanya Chutkan</a> to determine whether the acts Trump is accused of are "official" or not.</p><hr /><ul><li>It's also the first since special counsel Jack Smith filed a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/trump-jan-6-indictment-jack-smith" target="_blank">slimmed-down</a> <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258148/gov.uscourts.dcd.258148.226.0.pdf" target="_blank">indictment</a> in response to the immunity ruling.</li><li>Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/trump-arraignment-election-interference-case" target="_blank">waived his right</a> earlier this week to appear at his arraignment.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Chutkan made clear to Trump's lawyers that the looming 2024 presidential election was not a factor in her considerations in the case, per multiple <a href="https://rollcall.com/2024/09/05/judge-says-election-wont-affect-timeline-for-trump-prosecution/" target="_blank">reports</a>.</p><ul><li>"The electoral process, timing of the election and what needs to happen before shouldn't happen for election, is not relevant here," she <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/05/trump-election-charges-not-guilty-plea" target="_blank">reportedly </a>said.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Prosecutors' opening brief to present their arguments is due Sept. 26, per the court order.</p><ul><li>They said in court Thursday that the filing would contain new information not included in the indictment, per <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-2020-election-case-schedule-tanya-chutkan/" target="_blank">CBS News</a>. The timing allows for the information to become public before the November election.</li><li>Trump's team must respond by Oct. 17 and can submit a request to dismiss the indictment based on the immunity argument.</li><li>Prosecutors will then have until Oct. 29 to respond.</li></ul><p><strong>Context: </strong>Trump, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, was <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/01/trump-indictment-2020-election-jack-smith" target="_blank">indicted in August 2023</a> over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.</p><ul><li>He was <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/02/trump-indictment-lawmakers-jan-6-phone-calls" target="_self">charged with conspiracy</a> to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.</li><li>The Supreme Court later ruled that presidents have immunity for "official acts," but punted to the trial court the question of whether Trump's alleged conduct in his Jan. 6 case was protected.</li><li>The trial<strong> </strong>had originally been scheduled to take place earlier this year but was <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/02/trump-trial-postponed-election-fraud-claims-jan-6" target="_self">postponed</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/trump-arraignment-election-interference-case" target="_blank">Trump to skip arraignment in federal election interference case</a></p>
<p>The 14-year-old charged in Wednesday's deadly <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" target="_blank">mass shooting</a> at a Georgia high school told sheriff's deputies last year that he would never threaten to commit such an act, according to a report shared with Axios Thursday.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Colt Gray is accused of using an "AR-platform-style weapon" to kill Apalachee High School students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and math teachers Christina Irimie, 53, and Richard Aspinwall, 39, who was also an assistant football coach, GBI director Chris Hosey previously said. Nine others were injured.</p><hr /><ul><li>Gray, who Hosey said will be <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" target="_blank">tried as an adult</a>, is charged with four counts of felony murder. The GBI <a href="https://twitter.com/GBI_GA/status/1831750392486756458" target="_blank">says</a> his first court appearance is set for Friday at 8:30am.</li><li>His father, Colin Gray, was arrested late Thursday and charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two of second degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children in connection with the attack, the GBI <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/georgia-high-school-shooting-father-suspect-arrested" target="_blank">announced</a>. </li></ul><p><strong>The latest: </strong>An incident report the Jackson County Sheriff's Office shared with Axios Thursday sheds more light on an investigation involving the suspected shooter from last year.</p><p><strong>Context:</strong> The investigation <a href="https://x.com/fbiatlanta/status/1831479818749141244?s=46&t=dRy_uSN0uIfuuW0DBeN-Dw" target="_blank">stemmed from</a> anonymous tips sent to the FBI's National Threat Operations Center "about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time," the FBI said.</p><ul><li>It determined the post originated in Georgia, and referred the information to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> On May 21, 2023, two sheriff's deputies visited a home in Jefferson, Ga., and interviewed Colin Gray and his son, Colt, who was 13 at the time.</p><ul><li>According to the newly released incident report, the threat was made in a chat group on Discord, an instant messaging platform primarily used by gamers.</li><li>Colt Gray told the sheriff's deputies at the time that he used to have a Discord account but deleted it because "too many people kept hacking his account and he was afraid someone would use his information for nefarious purposes."</li><li>"Colt expressed concern that someone is accusing him of threatening to shoot up a school, stating that he would never say such a thing, even in a joking manner," according to one deputy's narrative.</li></ul><p><strong>Colin Gray</strong> told the deputy during the visit that he had hunting rifles in the home, but his son was only allowed to use them under supervision.</p><ul><li>The deputy urged the father to keep the firearms locked up, according to the report.</li><li>"The juvenile appeared quit [sic], calm and reserved while we spoke to him and Colin, his father," one deputy wrote.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> The responding officer in the report said they could not substantiate the claim that tied Colt Gray to the Discord account because of what they referred to as inconsistencies in the tip that was sent to the FBI.</p><ul><li>Information submitted to the FBI indicates the account was created on April 2, 2023 — outside the timeframe of when Colt said he deleted his account.</li><li>The profile's user name was written in Russian, and its translated letters spell "Lanza," which the agency said is a reference to Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooter.</li><li>Colin Gray told deputies his son did not know or speak Russian during the visit in 2023.</li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information.</em></p>
<p>The former president of the Center for the National Interest who was repeatedly named in the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/11/mueller-trump-russia-prosecutors-book-interference" target="_blank">Mueller report</a> on Russian interference in the 2016 election was charged with working for a sanctioned Russian television station and laundering the funds.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>These charges follow a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/justice-department-charges-russian-state-media-election-interference" target="_blank">series of announcements</a> from the Biden administration Wednesday targeting Russian influence schemes, one of which involved another state-owned network allegedly deceiving online commentators with the intent to amplify Kremlin propaganda.</p><hr /><ul><li>The indictment alleges Russian-born Dimitri Simes and<strong> </strong>his wife Anastasia Simes participated in a plot to violate sanctions to benefit Russian state-owned broadcaster Channel One Russia, which was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2022.</li><li>Simes was a presenter for Channel One Russia and collected over $1 million from the network since it was sanctioned by the Treasury Department, the indictment alleges. He additionally received a personal car, a stipend for a Moscow apartment and a team of 10 employees.</li><li>While illegally working for the network, the indictment alleges Simes spoke with several Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, and was instructed on how to cover certain topics, such as the war in Ukraine.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Simes' name was <a href="https://www.axios.com/2019/04/21/mueller-report-investigation-trump-witnesses" target="_blank">mentioned</a> dozens of times in the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/sco/file/1373816/dl" target="_blank">2019 Mueller report</a> detailing Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election for his then-think tank's work with the Trump campaign. </p><ul><li>The report outlined his interactions with members of the former president's circle, including former President Trump's son-in-law <a href="https://www.axios.com/2017/12/15/jared-kushner-tells-congress-i-did-not-collude-1513304391" target="_blank">Jared Kushner</a>.</li><li>It also details a <a href="https://time.com/4309786/read-donald-trumps-america-first-foreign-policy-speech/" target="_blank">foreign policy speech</a> delivered by Trump at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., that Simes' think tank helped to organize.</li><li>He was not charged with any crime related to the investigation and subsequent report, which read, "The investigation did not identify evidence that the Campaign passed or received any messages to or from the Russian government through CNI or Simes."</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: "</strong>These defendants allegedly violated sanctions that were put in place in response to Russia's illegal aggression in Ukraine," U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves said in a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/channel-one-russia-tv-contributor-charged-violating-us-sanctions-money-laundering" target="_blank">statement</a>. </p><ul><li>"Such violations harm our national security interests—a fact that Dimitri Simes, with the deep experience he gained in national affairs after fleeing the Soviet Union and becoming a U.S. citizen, should have uniquely appreciated," he continued.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>A second indictment announced Thursday detailed a scheme in which Anastasia Simes and others purchased art and antiques to benefit <a href="https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/Details.aspx?id=40789" target="_blank">sanctioned</a> oligarch Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov.</p><ul><li>Anastasia Simes would allegedly purchase items from galleries and auction houses in the United States and Europe, then ship the items to the Simes' home in Huntly, Va., where they were stored to be shipped to Russia. </li><li>She was reimbursed in return and received a service fee, according to court filings.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>The couple has a home in Virginia but is thought to be at large in Russia, the DOJ said in a release.</p><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/tenet-media-right-wing-influencers-russian-influence-scheme" target="_blank">Russian influence scheme deceived right-wing content creators</a></p>
<p>Former <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/trump-campaign-shifts-path-narrows" target="_blank">President Trump</a> said during an economic speech Thursday that if elected, his administration would create an <a href="https://www.axios.com/business/elon-musk" target="_blank">Elon Musk</a>-inspired government efficiency commission that would audit U.S. agencies.</p><p><strong>Why it matters</strong>: Rarely does the public see how an idea from an influential business leader makes its way into a campaign platform.</p><hr /><ul><li>Trump backed the idea, first pitched by the Tesla billionaire weeks ago, before a group of high profile academics and business leaders at the Economic Club of New York. </li><li>Musk has said this commission would aim to examine how agencies are spending money, and eliminate "unsensible" spending.</li></ul><p><strong>What he's saying</strong>: "I will create a government efficiency commission tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the federal government and making recommendations for drastic reforms," Trump said.</p><ul><li>He also said he would make America "the world capital for crypto and Bitcoin," a line that got applause from the audience.</li><li>Trump also said the nation should have a sovereign wealth fund created with revenue generated by his <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/25/trump-biden-tariffs-economy-inflation" target="_blank">tariff proposals</a>. The profits, Trump said, could be used to pay down debt.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play:</strong> Musk pitched the idea to Trump last month during an interview he hosted with the former president on X. </p><ul><li>After the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-to-adopt-elon-musks-proposal-for-government-efficiency-commission-e5c05514" target="_blank">first reported</a> earlier Thursday on Trump's plan to adopt Musk's proposal, Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1831672345108357610" target="_blank">said on X</a>: "I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises. No pay, no title, no recognition is needed."</li><li>In August, Musk <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/musk-trump-conversation-x-begins-005204444.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALTuVjcg0WNMDdUzCSSLv0qDOmLNM7fGBW5ocNPpcSL3ICPN7H9E7nSUOx6k7eqv8jjqlCtIXt1zCmZgOf-j9yoD2cs8wNvLEfyVDMxEGx70rtAJq_7_rCXD80qDvKP5Nz-e9TGFfmsWBIFu3znmd8UsrpytAMpEuW_GTeJxq_vz" target="_blank">pitched himself</a> for a role in this prospective commission.</li><li>"I think it would be great to just have a government efficiency commission that takes a look at these things and just ensures that the taxpayer money, the taxpayers hard-earned money is spent in a good way. I'd be happy to help out on such a commission," Musk said during the interview. </li></ul><p><strong>Trump's speech</strong> was light on details about how such a commission might work. "How it ultimately gets staffed and directed is yet to come," Brian Hughes, Trump campaign senior advisor, told reporters on Thursday.</p><ul><li>The mention in the speech is "reaffirmation that Trump loves the idea and will work with Musk and others to make sure it happens," Hughes added.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture</strong>: In the speech, Trump again vowed to cut corporate tax rates, slap tariffs on imported goods and eliminate ten regulations for every new one out in place.</p><p><strong>Zoom out</strong>: Evidence is mounting that the U.S. economy is starting to buckle under the weight of higher interest rates. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris could have a worse economic backdrop when voters head to the polls in November.</p><ul><li>Consumers have felt downbeat about the state of the economy under President Biden, even though official government figures pointed to a still-solid economy. Now the data is beginning to catch up with that dour sentiment.</li><li>The economy added 99,000 private sector jobs last month, according to data released by payroll processing firm ADP on Thursday — the smallest monthly gain since 2021.</li></ul><p><strong>The unemployment</strong> rate was 4.2% as of July, still historically low but it has steadily ticked up in recent months. The government will release the latest unemployment rate on Friday.</p><ul><li>The Federal Reserve looks likely to cut interest rates at its policy meeting in a few weeks, though it's unclear whether the central bank will do so by a quarter-point or a half-point.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> Harris released a slate of economic proposals this week, including a plan to raise the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/harris-capital-gains-tax-small-business-economy" target="_blank">capital gains tax rate</a> to 28% for wealthy households. That is a much smaller increase than the near-40% capital gains tax President Biden proposed.</p><ul><li>Harris also said this week she planned to increase the tax credit for small businesses to $50,000 from $5,000.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/harris-capital-gains-tax-small-business-economy" target="_blank">Harris breaks with Biden on capital gains, calls for 28% top rate</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional developments.</em></p>
<p>An appointed member of the<a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/30/gary-gensler-crypto-court-losses" target="_blank"> Securities and Exchange Commission</a> suggested that the agency <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2024/09/03/sec-commissioner-mark-uyeda-calls-for-s-1-form-tailored-for-digital-assets/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Node+sept+3%2C+2024&utm_term=The+Node" target="_blank">should create a new form</a> specifically for registering cryptocurrencies that takes into consideration their unique nature.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> A realistic ability to register projects would go a long way to ending the perpetual battle between the blockchain industry and financial regulators in Washington, D.C.</p><hr /><ul><li>"Trying to conduct a validly registered offering for a crypto company really presents a quandary," Ryan Adams, a partner at Morrison & Foerster and formerly of the SEC's corporate finance division, tells Axios. "It's a square peg in a round hole type of situation."</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>U.S. securities law is a disclosure regime. That is, the SEC is charged with making sure potential buyers in the offering of a new asset have all the information that they need.</p><ul><li>The main way firms make these disclosures is through the form S-1 — the thing SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda pointed to in his comment this week at Korea Blockchain Week.</li><li>These registration forms were "the fundamental breakthrough of Congress in the Securities Act of 1933," Andrew Vollmer, a researcher at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and former general counsel for the SEC, tells Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but:</strong> Today's S-1 asks all the wrong questions for digital assets, attorneys say.</p><ul><li>"Not only is there no way to fit into the form, but even if you could, the information the forms are getting at are not the things people investing in this space would care about," Kayvan Sadeghi, a partner at Jenner & Block who works on its fintech and crypto asset practice, tells Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Today's S-1 take into account certain assumptions about traditional issuers and assets that just don't fit cryptocurrencies or tokens.</p><ul><li>To vastly oversimplify it, the S-1 that's been fit for purpose over the last several decades assumes there's a company, one making something, and that any profit will come from that company making that thing.</li><li>But that's not really<a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/01/how-crypto-startups-defi-work" target="_blank"> how digital assets work</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Case in point: </strong>Bitcoin never had a company of any kind. Solana has several entities behind it. Ethereum is a digital nation.</p><h2>Imagining a new S1</h2><p>Investors getting in early on a new blockchain or a financial protocol probably care most about things today's registration form doesn't think to ask.</p><ul><li>Things like whether or not the code undergirding the new asset is publicly viewable, whether it has had a security audit, who gets how much tokens to begin and what kind of custody arrangements will be made for funds investors turn over to the team.</li><li>Very specific details about governance could be important for projects that can change a lot, too, such as<a href="https://www.axios.com/2017/12/15/second-lawsuit-filed-against-tezos-blockchain-project-1513306956" target="_blank"> the Tezos blockchain</a> or<a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/04/07/curve-defi-app-leads-push-on-blockchains-not-called-ethereum" target="_blank"> Curve</a>'s decentralized exchange, which shifts its incentivation scheme regularly.</li></ul><p><strong>Protecting consumers </strong>also requires demanding the right disclosures.</p><ul><li>In the very early days of securities in the U.S., entrepreneurs were able to hide the depth and complexity of their interest in an endeavor. That's a problem today's securities regime has largely sorted out, Vollmer explains.</li><li>However, he said, "In the digital world, I think it remains hidden."</li></ul><p><strong>Reality check: </strong>There's a lot that would need to be sorted out. For example, there might need to be different disclosures for different sorts of digital assets (governance tokens vs. basic coins vs. staking tokens, etc).</p><ul><li>A registering entity typically makes ongoing disclosures to the agency, but with digital assets that might end if it graduates out of security status.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching: </strong>If the SEC got to work today on a new regime specific to digital assets — Vollmer called it "Reg-DA" — it would, optimistically, take two years for it to be promulgated.</p><ul><li>But our sources noted that many people are likely to be dissatisfied with whatever comes out of such a process, which would likely mean lawsuits.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> In the end, this matter might better be one<a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/the-eras-of-crypto-legislation-crypto" target="_blank"> taken up by Congress</a>, rather than the agency.</p><ul><li>"Congress understands the importance," Vollmer said. "It's ten years late, but that's basically how Congress works."</li></ul>
<p>Montana Republican <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/10/senate-montana-republicans-tim-sheehy" target="_blank">Tim Sheehy</a> leads Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) in one of the most critical races of the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/07/senate-campaign-2024-election-ad-spending-republicans-democrats" target="_blank">2024 election</a>, according to new AARP polling.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Whichever party wins Montana is likely to control the Senate in 2025, as most signs suggest at this point.</p><hr /><ul><li>With West Virginia all but certain to flip Republican, Democrats have to win the eight other competitive seats to keep the Senate at a 50-50 margin — and hope to have a VP Tim Walz as tie-breaker.</li><li>Polling is tight in several other battleground states, including Pennsylvania and Ohio, but Montana appears to be the most perilous for Democrats.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> New polling by AARP shows Sheehy up 49% to Tester's 41% when the full ballot with third-party candidates is included — and 51% to 45% in a head-to-head race. </p><ul><li>It's a bright spot for the GOP, which has been hit hard by Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/trump-campaign-shifts-path-narrows" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> moving to the top of the Democratic ticket.</li></ul><p>Republican strategists tell Axios they are bullish about their chances of flipping the Montana seat.</p><ul><li>"Even in the 2020 Senate race, which Steve [Daines] won by double digits, we never saw numbers as strong as we are seeing now from Tim Sheehy," NRSC executive director Jason Thielman told Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Protecting the Tester seat is the Democratic Party's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/20/gary-peters-says-montana-is-dems-toughest-senate-race" target="_blank">top priority</a> in the Senate. </p><ul><li>Democrats have poured $128 million into Montana Senate race advertising and ad reservations so far this cycle, compared to $109 million from Republicans, according to AdImpact data. </li><li>Democrats for years have had a substantial <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/16/2024-democrat-campaign-funding-spending-republicans" target="_blank">fundraising advantage</a> over Republicans.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Tester is a unique candidate — a Democrat who has managed to win in an otherwise deeply-red state for three elections in a row.</p><ul><li>The race is right around the margin of error — the kind of tight race Tester has won before.</li><li>But this is the first time he has had to campaign with former President Trump on the ballot. </li><li>Trump won Montana by 16 percentage points in 2020 and 21 points in 2016.</li></ul><p><em>Methodology: The AARP poll surveyed 1,064 likely voters in Montana, with a statewide representative sample of 600 likely voters and an oversample of 464 voters over the age of 50. The margin of error for the representative sample is ± 4 percentage points. </em></p>
<p>A new Trump administration would bring a round of trade wars that reduce GDP growth and raise prices, while a Harris victory would bring a more steady-as-she-goes economic policy, two Wall Street forecasting teams say in new reports.</p><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> "The November elections bring the possibility of changes to trade, immigration, and fiscal policy in 2025 that could have implications for inflation, labor force growth, GDP growth, and the fiscal deficit," a team of economists at Goldman Sachs, led by Jan Hatzius, write in a new report.</p><ul><li>Of course, the economy is buffeted by countless forces beyond the president's policies, so these types of projections are far from ironclad.</li></ul><hr /><p><strong>By the numbers:</strong> Goldman says a former President Trump win — with a divided government or Republican control of both houses of Congress — would result in a 0.5 percentage point drag on GDP in the second half of 2025 before fading in 2026.</p><ul><li>That assumes higher tariffs and tighter immigration policies proposed by Trump on the campaign trail, which would offset any positive impact from government stimulus like lower corporate taxes.</li></ul><p><strong>Of note: </strong>Such predictions <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-14/goldman-sees-the-possibility-of-staglation-under-trump-presidency" target="_blank">did not age well</a> during Trump's first term when the economy experienced steady growth, historically low unemployment and benign inflation, even amid trade wars.</p><ul><li>Trump advisers argue that his tax and deregulatory policies will unleash economic growth far beyond that seen in mainstream forecasts like those from Goldman.</li><li>"The Goldman Sachs economic team is highly partisan," Kevin Hassett, a Trump economic adviser, told reporters Thursday morning.</li><li>"I don't know why Goldman hasn't tried to hire a more balanced economic team," he added — saying that previous predictions for how the economy would perform under Trump were wrong.</li></ul><p><strong>If Vice President Kamala Harris wins </strong><em>and</em> the Democrats control the House and Senate, Goldman predicts a "very slight boost" to GDP between 2025 and 2026.</p><ul><li>Policies like the expanded middle-income tax credit would offset lower investment from higher corporate tax rates. </li><li>With a divided government, any policy changes would be small and have a neutral economic impact.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Goldman says the measure of inflation closely watched by the Fed would increase by as much as 0.4 points if tariffs go up on Chinese imports and autos. </p><ul><li>If Trump enacts a universal tariff on imports, Goldman says, that impact would triple.</li></ul><p><strong>Economists at Nomura</strong> take a similar view in a report this week examining the impact of a potential "Trump 2.0" presidency on global economic growth.</p><ul><li>Whereas during Trump's first term, companies "absorbed inflationary shocks from tariffs," the proposed across-the-board tariffs would reduce the capacity for a similar scenario to play out, Nomura chief economist David Seif wrote.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> Seif and his team estimated that higher tariffs would increase inflation by 0.75 percentage points in 2025. </p><ul><li>In 2019, a trade war caused the Fed to cut interest rates as it sought to keep the expansion going. But that was an era of persistently low inflation, unlike now.</li><li>Nomura expects that this time around, higher tariffs might cause the Fed to cut rates just twice next year — half as many cuts as it expects without these policies.</li></ul>
<p>A Russian influence operation used unwitting, prominent right-wing influencers to spread propaganda ahead of the 2024 election, the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/justice-department-charges-russian-state-media-election-interference" target="_blank">Justice Department alleged</a> Wednesday.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The influencer scheme is yet another chapter in Russia's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2021/03/16/2020-election-interference-russia-china-iran" target="_blank">long running effort</a> to infiltrate the opinions of American audiences via <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-leads-efforts-among-federal-international-and-private-sector-partners" target="_blank">social media</a> and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/18/ai-chatbots-russian-propaganda" target="_blank">online</a> manipulation.</p><hr /><ul><li>The <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-rt-employees-indicted-covertly-funding-and-directing-us-company-published-thousands" target="_blank">indictment</a> unveiled Wednesday alleges that RT, a Russian state media network, allegedly funneled nearly $10 million through foreign shell entities to direct and fund a Tennessee-based online content creation company to produce videos "often consistent with the Government of Russia's interest in amplifying U.S. domestic divisions."</li></ul><p><strong>State of play:</strong> Though the indictment released Wednesday does not name the company, details prosecutors shared align exactly with that the website of <a href="https://www.tenetmedia.com/" target="_blank">Tenet Media</a>, an online media company linked to six right-wing influencers, including Benny Johnson, Tim Pool and Dave Rubin.</p><ul><li>Tenet Media describes itself as a "network of heterodox commentators that focus on Western political and cultural issues," boasting, "fearless voices live here."</li><li>Several of the commentators listed as Tenet talent shared statements following the indictment's release, contending they were not directed to discuss specific topics and were unaware of any wrongdoing.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The indictment alleges that two RT employees, who are Russian nationals charged with conspiracy to violate FARA and conspiracy to commit money laundering,<strong> </strong>deceived influencers alongside two unnamed founders in hiding the true source of the company's funding.</p><ul><li>An unnamed "Commentator-1" produced approximately 130 videos published on Tenet's platforms.</li><li>Commentator-1 and Commentator-2, court documents allege, have over 2.4 million and 1.3 million YouTube subscribers, respectively. The influencers collectively have some 7 million followers on X.</li><li>They received substantial compensation for their content, with the first commentator's contract including a monthly fee of $400,000 — plus a $100,000 signing bonus and an additional performance bonus — and the second's charging a fee of $100,000 per video.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>The influencers on Tenet's rosters have millions of followers across social platforms, and the company's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/%40watchTENET/videos" target="_blank">channel</a> has hosted several <a href="https://x.com/watchtenetnow/status/1757096017198014900" target="_blank">prominent guests</a>, like RNC co-chair <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok-VIU8cciU" target="_blank">Lara Trump</a><strong>, </strong>daughter in law of <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">former President Trump</a>, and former GOP presidential hopeful <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=984hCgI40bM" target="_blank">Vivek Ramaswamy</a>.</p><ul><li>Prosecutors say the nearly 2,000 videos shared to the unnamed company's YouTube channel have garnered more than 16 million views.</li><li><a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1827976187114672420" target="_blank">Elon Musk</a> has interacted with Tenet's content online, several X users have noted.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> Johnson shared a <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1831443521603301497" target="_blank">message</a> to X Wednesday evening, saying a "media startup" pitched his company to "provide content as an independent contractor" a year ago, and his lawyers "negotiated a standard, arms length deal, which was later terminated."</p><ul><li>He continued: "We are disturbed by the allegations in today's indictment, which make clear that myself and other influencers were victims in this alleged scheme."</li></ul><p><strong>Pool echoed </strong>that sentiment in a <a href="https://x.com/Timcast/status/1831473189173731589" target="_blank">statement</a> shared to X, writing, "Should these allegations prove true, I as well as the other personalities and commentators were deceived and are victims."</p><ul><li>"The Culture War Podcast was licensed by Tenet Media, it existed well before any license agreement with Tenet and it will continue to exist after any such agreement expires," he said, adding, "Never at any point did anyone other than I have full editorial control of the show."</li><li>Dave Rubin <a href="https://x.com/RubinReport/status/1831478093661245681" target="_blank">said</a> in a post that he knew nothing of the "fraudulent activity" alleged in the indictment, adding the DOJ had not contacted him. </li><li>"These allegations clearly show that I and other commentators were the victims of this scheme," Rubin said.</li></ul><p><strong>The company </strong>was registered in Nashville, Tennessee, and Liam Donovan and Lauren Tam have both been listed as registered agents, according to state business <a href="https://tnbear.tn.gov/Ecommerce/FilingDetail.aspx?CN=160085180034203175126131182164033022037026065176" target="_blank">records</a>.</p><ul><li>Tam, NBC <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/russian-money-was-funneled-right-wing-creators-trump-media-outlet-pros-rcna169611" target="_blank">reports</a>, is known publicly as <a href="https://x.com/TheLaurenChen" target="_blank">Lauren Chen</a> (the wife of Donovan) — a Canadian Turning Point USA contributor and video creator for The Blaze<strong> </strong>who has <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/548967-adele-brits-woman-feminism/" target="_blank">produced</a> <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/549590-americans-oppose-war-russia-unpatriotic/" target="_blank">content</a> for RT.</li><li>Neither Donovan nor Tam were named in the indictment. Axios has reached out to Chen for comment.</li><li>In a <a href="https://x.com/TaylerUSA/status/1831469277188387270" target="_blank">statement</a> shared to X, commentator Tayler Hansen wrote, "Anyone that knows Lauren & Liam Chen know that they love America."</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/12/russia-us-sanctions-expand" target="_blank">U.S. expands sanctions against Russia</a></p>
<p>A 14-year-old <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/georgia-apalachee-high-school-shooting-victims-vigil" target="_blank">Apalachee High School</a> student has been charged with murder after four people died and nine others were injured in a shooting at the Winder, Georgia, school on Wednesday, officials said.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Georgia Bureau of Investigation director Chris Hosey identified the suspected shooter as 14-year-old Colt Gray, and said he will be tried as an adult. Investigators believe the suspect used an "AR-platform-style weapon," Hosey <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/OoJ68RsLVtI" target="_blank">said</a> at a Wednesday night news conference.</p><hr /><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/05/apalachee-high-school-shooting-victims-georgia" target="_blank">Georgia authorities identified</a> the two students killed in the shooting as Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14-years-old, and math teachers Christina Irimie, 53, and Richard Aspinwall, 39, who was also an assistant football coach.</li><li>Of the additional nine people injured, the GBI <a href="https://gbi.georgia.gov/press-releases/2024-09-04/gbi-investigates-school-shooting-barrow-county" target="_blank">said</a> eight were students and one was a teacher. "We don't expect any more fatalities at this time,"<strong> </strong>Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said at the Wednesday evening news conference.</li></ul><p><strong>Of note: </strong>The Jackson County Sheriff's Office interviewed the shooting suspect last year, the FBI's Atlanta office <a href="https://x.com/fbiatlanta/status/1831479818749141244?s=46&t=dRy_uSN0uIfuuW0DBeN-Dw" target="_blank">said</a> on X Wednesday evening.</p><ul><li>"In May 2023, the FBI's National Threat Operations Center received several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time," per the post.</li><li>"Within 24 hours, the FBI determined the online post originated in Georgia and the FBI's Atlanta Field Office referred the information to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office for action."</li></ul><p><strong>Catch up quick: </strong>Hosey said at a news conference earlier Wednesday that law enforcement received a call about an active shooter around 9:30am at the school.</p><ul><li>Local law enforcement and school resource officers arrived within minutes at the school and encountered the suspect, whom Hosey said "immediately surrendered" to police.</li><li>"Obviously the shooter was armed, and our school resource officer engaged him and the shooter quickly realized that if he did not give up, that it would end with an OIS — an officer-involved shooting," Smith said.</li><li>Those injured people were transported to "various hospitals" including Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment.</li><li>The school was evacuated; the nearby elementary and middle schools were placed on a "soft lockdown," <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/georgia-high-school-on-lockdown-after-shooting-latest-updates/2XFGZ7JKZNF2BGPTFRTFVZ3XS4/" target="_blank">the AJC reported</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Hosey said the school's faculty and staff were "heroes" for the actions that they took.</p><ul><li>"The protocols in this school and this system activated today prevented this from being a much larger tragedy than what we had here today so I want to recognize them," he said as he also praised the shooting victims and law enforcement who responded.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Apalachee High School student Zyrianna Finch told the <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/apalachee-high-school-shooting-reaction-we-all-got-in-the-closet/73C6BZJ32FCMPJIDU3FNN74RR4/" target="_blank">Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a> she heard a quick succession of shots being fired.</p><ul><li>"Then my teacher told us to get in the closet, so we all got in the closet," she said.</li><li>Another student, Lyela Sayarath, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/apalachee-high-school-shooting-georgia-09-04-24#h_e4dd5a25c819ab3f3f80da9186a75ed9" target="_blank">told CNN</a> that the suspect left their Algebra 1 class at the beginning of the lesson and another student noticed he had a gun when he returned and knocked on the door, so they didn't open the door.</li><li>"I guess he saw we weren't going to let him in," she said. "And I guess the classroom next to me, their door was open so I think he just started shooting in the classroom."</li><li>The city of Winder <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/508416998806180/?active_tab=discussion" target="_blank">organized</a> a vigil scheduled for 7pm Wednesday at Jug Tavern Park.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out:</strong> Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement that he's directed all available state resources to help with the incident and urged "all Georgians to join my family in praying for the safety of those in our classrooms, both in Barrow County and across the state."</p><ul><li>Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement that police chief Darin Schierbaum was in contact with the Atlanta Public Schools Police Department to boost patrols around schools "out of an abundance of caution."</li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/joe-biden" target="_blank">President Biden</a> said "what should have been a joyous back-to-school season in Winder, Georgia, has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart."</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Winder, Barrow County, is located about an hour northeast of Atlanta, and has a population of just under 19,000 as of 2022, <a href="https://data.census.gov/profile/Winder_city%2C_Georgia?g=160XX00US1383420" target="_blank">per the Census Bureau</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrow.k12.ga.us/schools/ahs/index" target="_blank">Apalachee High School</a> has about 1,900 students enrolled and is one of three high schools in the <a href="https://www.barrow.k12.ga.us/" target="_blank">Barrow County School System</a>, which educates a little more than 15,000 students.</li></ul><p><strong>What's next: </strong>Barrow County schools superintendent Dallas LeDuff said classes will be canceled for the rest of the week.</p><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta" target="_blank">Sign up for the Axios Atlanta newsletter</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.</em></p>
<div>Data: The Center on Reinventing Public Education; Map: Axios Visuals</div><p>The majority of states are failing to provide accessible, transparent school performance data on <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/11/elementary-middle-school-students-math-reading-progress-stalled-pandemic" target="_blank">student learning loss</a> from COVID-19 shutdowns, <a href="http://crpe.org/transparent-state-report-card-grades-2024/" target="_blank">a new study</a> finds.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The lack of data makes it hard for parents to choose a school for their child using state report cards <a href="https://www.ed.gov/essa" target="_blank">mandated by federal law</a> or to put pressure on struggling schools.</p><hr /><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Following the pandemic, <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2024/03/07/high-school-student-absences" target="_blank">student absenteeism</a> skyrocketed, achievement gaps grew, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/03/education-enrollment-cliff-schools" target="_blank">graduation rates fluctuated</a> and English learner proficiency suffered.</p><ul><li>School closures also exposed deep systemic inequalities in <a href="https://thoughtleadership.org/digital-inequality-in-education-may-worsen-economic-divides/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwuMC2BhA7EiwAmJKRrFBvIGVj8TwDXxSLss0fcRpratbeXsPy8va2JTpOodOtGn0yitCfCBoCUZwQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">school technology access</a>, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/22/miami-dade-college-teacher-certification" target="_self">teacher shortages</a> and transportation. Failures to report the pandemic's lasting effects hurt efforts to address them.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The study by Arizona State's<strong> </strong>Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) released Thursday found that most states make it hard to find pre-COVID data to compare how far behind students are today.</p><ul><li>CRPE developed a grading system to judge state websites and found that 35 states earned a "C" or worse on making data available.</li><li>13 states received "F" ratings, with Maine, New Mexico, and North Dakota earning zero points out of the 21 possible under the grading system.</li><li>Just seven states got "A" grades.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Neither former President Trump nor Vice President Kamala Harris has offered any <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/31/public-education-2024-presidential-election" target="_blank">new ideas</a> on their plans to improve public education.</p><ul><li>Trump has talked about abolishing the U.S. Department of Education and focused on conservative cultural policies like "patriotic" history lessons.</li><li>Harris has leaned into fighting school shootings.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>The report also comes a day after the Biden administration called on governors and state education leaders to create statewide systems for chronic absenteeism-related data.</p><ul><li>The administration issued<strong> </strong>new <a href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=73a754c1ac&e=4a5cad3ac7" target="_blank">school improvement guidance</a> on Wednesday to accelerate academic achievement.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>The manipulation of data or the refusal by some states and districts to report it makes it hard to get an accurate picture of what's going on in public schools, Morgan Polikoff, an education professor at USC Rossier who led the CRPE research, tells Axios.</p><ul><li>"We've been doing testing and accountability for like two decades, and the fact that you still have so much data that's just missing, or even if it's there, you have to have a PhD in education policy, is problematic."</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"The accountability movement isn't dead, but it's on life support," says Dale Chu, a senior visiting fellow at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.</p><ul><li>Chu says that since Trump's first term, red states have focused on school choice policies, and blue states have watered down accountability and testing requirements.</li><li>"That's generally with broad brushstrokes for where we are right now, and I think we're going to be there for the foreseeable future."</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching: </strong>Education advocates and parents could pressure the next administration to drop the partisan culture fights around education and bring back bipartisan coalitions that shaped accountability measures.</p><ul><li>The extremes of both parties will fight those.</li></ul>
<div>Data: <a href="https://gml.noaa.gov/grad/solcalc/" target="_blank">NOAA</a>; Map: Jacque Schrag, Erin Davis, Kavya Beheraj/Axios</div><p>For some Americans, the air is getting crisper and the leaves are starting to change as fall approaches — but one thing's certain no matter your local weather: The days are getting shorter. </p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Parts of the northern U.S. are losing more than three hours of daylight between June 20 (the summer solstice) and Sept. 22 (the fall equinox), per NOAA's handy <a href="https://gml.noaa.gov/grad/solcalc/" target="_blank">Solar Calculator</a>.</p><hr /><p><strong>How it works:</strong> Here in the Northern Hemisphere, northern latitudes lose more daylight in the fall and winter compared to areas closer to the equator as the Sun's path through the sky <a href="https://physics.weber.edu/schroeder/ua/SunAndSeasons.html" target="_blank">shifts southward</a>.</p><p><strong>Worthy of your time: </strong>Personally, I thrive in the cooler months. But if you struggle with the winter blues, read my colleague Carly Mallenbaum's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/07/seasonal-depression-affective-disorder-remedies" target="_blank">story</a> on dealing with seasonal affective disorder or seasonal depression.</p>
<p>In a parallel universe, the GOP's years-long efforts to expose alleged corruption by the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/17/biden-hunter-family-election-2024" target="_blank">Biden family</a> would be peaking at the ideal moment:</p><ul><li>With exactly two months to Election Day, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/12/hunter-biden-guilty-verdict-sentencing-prison" target="_blank">Hunter Biden's</a> federal tax trial begins today in California. And in D.C., House Republicans just issued a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/19/biden-impeachment-report-house-gop-republicans" target="_blank">291-page report</a> accusing President Biden of impeachable conduct.</li></ul><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Instead, with Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> as the Democratic nominee, Donald Trump's crusade against "Crooked Joe" is collapsing into political irrelevance.</p><hr /><ul><li>It's one of many reasons <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-remains-obsessed-with-biden-lex-fridman-interview-2024-9" target="_blank">Trump keeps wishing</a> he was still running against Biden, whose family's foreign business dealings have been campaign fodder since 2019.</li><li>Republicans may find success tying Harris to Biden's record on inflation, the border and other policy issues — but on family baggage, Biden's exit has deprived Trump of one of his favorite cudgels.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Jury selection begins today in Los Angeles for Hunter Biden's second criminal trial of the year. </p><ul><li>The president's son, who is accused of evading taxes for years while spending millions on a lavish, drug-fueled lifestyle, was <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/11/hunter-biden-gun-trial-verdict" target="_blank">convicted in June</a> on federal gun charges in Delaware.</li><li>He faces up to 25 years in prison for that conviction, and up to 17 if he's found guilty of the nine tax charges in California. President Biden has <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/13/president-says-he-wont-pardon-hunter-biden-00163281" target="_blank">ruled out</a> pardoning his<strong> </strong>54-year-old son.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>On a personal level, the trial is likely to take an emotional toll on the 81-year-old president, especially with prosecutors expected to revisit the darkest moments of Hunter Biden's life.</p><ul><li>But on a political level, Harris' ascendance has turned the Biden scrutiny into a sideshow that isn't likely to affect the campaign.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>The July ticket switch didn't stop House Republicans from releasing <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024.08.19-Report-of-the-Impeachment-Inquiry-of-Joseph-R.-Biden-Jr.-President-of-the-United-States.pdf" target="_blank">a report</a> last month — on the first day of the Democratic National Convention — accusing the president of a conspiracy to "enrich his family" through influence peddling.</p><ul><li>The report doesn't offer direct proof that Joe Biden engaged in any corrupt quid pro quo on behalf of his family, but suggests he abused his power even if his family members only sold the "illusion" of influence.</li><li>The report landed with a thud: Peter Van Buren of <a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-biden-impeachment-report-is-a-hollow-vindication/" target="_blank">The American Conservative</a> called it a "hollow vindication," writing that "the drive to impeach a lame-duck president seems to have missed its moment."</li><li>Some House Republicans seeking re-election in politically divided districts <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/biden-impeachment-vote-house-republicans" target="_blank">are furious</a> that they could be forced into a last-minute Biden impeachment vote, which can be triggered by any single member.</li></ul><p><strong>The other side: </strong>One enduring legacy from this saga will be <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/26/zuckerberg-meta-white-house-pressure-00176399" target="_blank">Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's recent admission</a> that Facebook was wrong to temporarily demote a New York Post story about the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop in October 2020.</p><ul><li>The episode inflamed conservatives' distrust of both <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/tech-mark-zuckerburg-telegram-free-speech" target="_blank">Big Tech</a> and the <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/republicans-hunter-biden-laptop-former-intelligence-officials/" target="_blank">intelligence community</a>, which had warned the laptop uproar had the hallmarks of a Russian disinformation operation.</li></ul><p><strong>Flashback: </strong>Trump's deep-rooted obsession with Hunter Biden will be hard to shake: As president, Trump was impeached in 2019 for pressuring the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden and his son.</p><ul><li>In the chaotic first presidential debate of 2020, Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/elections/100000007368652/biden-trump-sons-debate-video-clip.html" target="_blank">unleashed a barrage of attacks</a> related to Hunter Biden — accusing him of making "a fortune" in foreign countries after Joe Biden became vice president.</li><li>Even as he was live-reacting to Harris' DNC speech last month, Trump seemed unwilling — or unable — to move on: "WHERE'S HUNTER?" he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/%40realDonaldTrump/113009002721693232" target="_blank">thundered on Truth Social</a> minutes into the address.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> It's not just that the GOP's "Biden crime family" attack has lost its salience. Trump himself <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/trump-hush-money-case-new-york-federal-court" target="_blank">could be sentenced to prison</a> on Sept. 18 for his New York hush money conviction, which he continues to fight.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Former President Trump</a> is scaling back his campaigning in three states he was targeting just six weeks ago, a sign of how <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a>' rise in the polls has shifted the dynamics of the presidential race.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Trump's campaign is placing less emphasis on New Hampshire, Minnesota and Virginia. Instead, it's pouring resources into the "Blue Wall" states — Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — that are crucial to both sides' chances of victory. </p><hr /><ul><li>Trump's also refocusing on other states — North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada — where he had significant polling leads before Harris made them competitive.</li></ul><p><strong>It's a stark contrast</strong> from late July, when Trump came rolling out of the Republican convention in Milwaukee with what looked like a glide path to winning back the White House. </p><ul><li>Trump held rallies in Minnesota, Virginia and even deep-blue <a href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/05/12/trump-brings-2024-campaign-to-the-jersey-shore/" target="_blank">New Jersey</a> as his campaign wrote <a href="https://x.com/MarcACaputo/status/1787921700073480673" target="_blank">memos</a> about how Minnesota and Virginia were "clearly in play" and "prime opportunities to flip."</li><li>Then President Biden dropped out of the race, and Harris' emergence as the presumed Democratic nominee put Trump on defense. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>In New Hampshire, Trump's campaign appears to be drawing down its operations. </p><ul><li>A top volunteer <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/09/02/nation/new-hampshire-battleground-2024-harris-trump/?p1=Article_Inline_Related_Link" target="_blank">emailed</a> fellow volunteers to say the campaign "has determined that New Hampshire is no longer a battleground state" and that staff should redirect campaign efforts in Pennsylvania.</li><li>The campaign <a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/09/04/trumps-team-pushes-back-on-assertions-made-in-globe-article-about-new-hampshire/amp/" target="_blank">denies the volunteer's assertion</a> and says its New Hampshire headquarters in Manchester remains open and operational. </li></ul><p><strong>In Minnesota, </strong>a state Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/15/trump-jd-vance-vice-president" target="_blank">mentioned</a> in his Truth Social post announcing Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate, Democrats and Republicans acknowledge the tides have shifted.</p><ul><li>Shortly after the Republican convention, Trump and Vance rallied in St. Cloud, Minn. About the same time, Trump's campaign bullishly said it would open eight offices in the state and build out its staff. </li><li>But most of the roughly dozen offices it lists in the state opened in May or June — before the change in the Democratic ticket, which includes Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as Harris' running mate.</li><li>The campaign has announced the hiring of just two full-time staffers in Minnesota: a state director and a senior adviser, though a state party spokesperson told Axios the GOP has at least a 14 full-time staffers dedicated to Trump's election.</li><li>Minnesota Republican Party chair David Hann acknowledged that "the [state] party and Trump campaign have been working jointly with our local organizations to get those [offices] staffed up," but said the campaign remains invested in the state and is happy with "strong" metrics on voter contacts and volunteer signups. </li></ul><p><strong>In Virginia, </strong>Trump and Vance both held rallies in the state this summer, before Harris' emergence.</p><ul><li>Trump was in Chesapeake, Virginia, on June 28, the day after his debate with Biden, whose shaky performance ignited calls for him to step aside.</li><li>Vance's <a href="https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/jd-vance-virginia-rally-july-23-2024" target="_blank">first solo campaign appearance </a> as Trump's vice presidential nominee was in Radford, Virginia, on July 22, just after the GOP convention.</li></ul><p><strong>Trump's campaign</strong> continues to talk up its chances in Virginia, where <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/virginia/" target="_blank">polls suggest</a> Harris has turned Trump's lead into a small but significant advantage for her.</p><ul><li>"I truly believe we're going to win the state," Trump's son Eric said recently.</li><li>But in the past six weeks Trump hasn't held a rally in Virginia, and his campaign appears to have stopped putting out memos<strong> </strong>that cite internal polls while claiming the state is flippable.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Trump's campaign is now spending big on advertising in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and in states where it previously appeared it wouldn't have use many resources to win.</p><ul><li>In North Carolina, for example, the campaign and MAGA Inc., a supporting super PAC, have spent more than $16 million on ads — a sign they're taking Harris' prospects there seriously.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"Team Trump continues to build out the most robust and modern ground game ever, " Rachel Reisner, Trump's battleground states director, told Axios.</p><ul><li>"Our team is only expanding — we have new staff, offices and volunteers weekly — with more enthusiasm, energy, and support from people and states Democrats take for granted."</li></ul>
<p>Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> chose a rather obscure part of the federal tax code — the top rate for capital gains — to make her first big move toward the center of the 2024 political conversation.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Harris' call for Americans making $1 million a year to pay a 28% capital gains rate marked a symbolic departure from President Biden, who prefers a higher 39.6% tax.</p><hr /><ul><li>The current top rate is 20%, plus a 3.8% Medicare surcharge.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> She's spent the first six weeks of her presidential campaign embracing Biden's positions as her own on tax policy and some other areas.</p><ul><li>But on Wednesday, she had a clear message for the business community: "Comrade Kamala" she isn't, even for Americans making more than $1 million a year — a group Biden once described as the top "three-tenths of 1% of all Americans."</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Harris unveiled her new tax policy at an event in the "Live Free or Die" state of New Hampshire, known for its aversion to taxes.</p><ul><li>"We will tax capital gains at a rate that rewards investment in America's innovators, founders and small businesses," Harris said in Portsmouth.</li><li>She paired her new capital gains position with a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/harris-tax-relief-plan-small-businesses" target="_blank">fresh proposal</a> to increase the tax deduction available for new small businesses from $5,000 to $50,000.</li><li>"One of my highest priorities will be to strengthen America's small businesses," she said.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> As she has filled in the gray areas of her tax policy, Harris has mostly photocopied the president's proposals.</p><ul><li>Biden has called for taking the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/77841ed0-f2d2-4fea-a957-dd0b78a371c1" target="_blank">Ditto Harris</a>, abandoning <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/harris-proposes-raising-corporate-tax-rate-28-rolling-back-trump-law-rcna167208" target="_blank">her old 35% preferred rate</a>.</li><li>Like Biden, she supports a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/09/biden-tax-reform-proposal" target="_self">minimum tax</a> for billionaires.</li><li>She also wants to quadruple taxes on <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/27/why-investors-like-warren-buffett-are-so-fond-of-stock-buybacks" target="_self">stock buybacks</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Flashback:</strong> For Biden, taxing capital gains as regular income — which is where the 39.6% rate comes from — has always been a matter of basic economic fairness.</p><ul><li>"We're going to get rid of the loopholes that allow Americans who make more than $1 million a year to pay a lower rate on their capital gains than working Americans pay on their work," he said <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/04/28/remarks-as-prepared-for-delivery-by-president-biden-address-to-a-joint-session-of-congress/" target="_blank">in his first address</a> to a joint session of Congress.</li><li>He included the proposal in every <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/11/biden-budget-2025-priorities-plans-credits" target="_blank">one of his budgets</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out:</strong> As she <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/20/harris-cautious-hold-details-campaign" target="_blank">cautiously flushes</a> out her policy agenda, Harris has mostly modified her old positions from her 2019 presidential campaign to align with Biden's.</p><ul><li>Biden supported the bipartisan Senate immigration bill — and even building some of Trump's border wall. Harris used her acceptance speech <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/kamala-harris-flip-flops-border-wall" target="_blank">to heartily agree</a>.</li><li>Biden said <a href="https://www.axios.com/2020/08/31/joe-biden-fracking-not-banning" target="_blank">he wouldn't ban</a> fracking. Harris said the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/harris-interview-cnn-fracking" target="_blank">same.</a></li><li>Asked to explain her apparent flip-flops, Harris told CNN's Dana Bash, "My values have not changed."</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> When Harris has tweaked Biden's positions, she's mostly moved further to the left.</p><ul><li>That instinct has been most pronounced with the one issue that has bedeviled the Biden administration more than any other: inflation.</li><li>On the high cost of housing, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/19/first-time-home-buyer-tax-credit-kamala-harris" target="_blank">she increased</a> Biden's $10,000 first-time homebuyer credit to $25,000.</li><li>Like Biden, she's outraged by corporate greed. But she went <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/20/price-gouging-kamala-harris-communism-kamunism" target="_blank">a step further</a> and called for a ban on price gouging by food producers and grocery stores.</li></ul>
<p>One of the main questions raised during a meeting President Biden and Vice President Harris had with their national security team on Monday was whether there is a hostage-release and ceasefire in <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/gaza-hostage-ceasefire-deal-israel-talks-details" target="_blank">Gaza deal</a> Hamas would ever agree to, U.S. officials said. </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Biden and his top advisers were shocked after <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/01/israel-hostages-gaza-hamas-recovered" target="_blank">Hamas killed</a> six hostages, among them U.S. citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and have started to<strong> </strong>rethink the way forward in the negotiations over the deal. </p><hr /><ul><li>At the same time, Hamas' new demand to increase the number of Palestinian prisoners released as part of the deal raised even more concerns and questions among U.S. negotiators about whether an agreement is possible, U.S. officials said.</li><li>"We still think the deal is the only way to save the lives of the hostages and stop the war. But the executions not only increased our sense of urgency but also called into question Hamas' willingness to do a deal of any kind," a U.S. official said. </li></ul><p><strong>Behind the scenes: </strong>U.S. officials said one of the main arguments made in the meeting was that after Hamas murdered the hostages, including an American, the U.S. shouldn't push for a proposal that gives Hamas additional concessions and instead focus on applying more pressure and accountability measures against Hamas.</p><ul><li>A concern raised in the situation room meeting was that the U.S. could press Israel to reduce<strong> </strong>Israel Defense Forces deployed along the Egypt-Gaza border or on other issues, only to discover that Hamas doesn't agree to other parts of the deal. That could mean the<strong> </strong>new offer would only become the foundation<strong> </strong>for future negotiations that would be more favorable to Hamas, a U.S. official said. </li><li>During the situation room meeting, Biden was briefed about the Department of Justice plan to publish<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/justice-department-indicts-hamas-leaders-israel-attack" target="_blank">indictments against Hamas leaders</a>, which have been sealed since February, one U.S. official said.</li><li>On Wednesday, Hamas officials continued to stress that the U.S., Qatar and Egypt need to pressure Israel to agree to its demands. </li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told the families of the U.S. hostages on Sunday that Biden is considering presenting an <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/02/biden-israel-hostage-ceasefire-deal-considering-final-proposal" target="_blank">updated and final proposal</a> for the hostage-release and ceasefire deal this week and asking Israel and Hamas to respond. </p><ul><li>But in recent days, the White House appears to be less enthusiastic about<strong> </strong>that option. Biden's advisers are still holding talks with Qatar and Egypt on the updated proposal but U.S. officials say they don't want to predict the timeline for presenting it. </li><li>"The text is basically done except for two paragraphs and the annexes of the prisoner exchange and two maps of IDF deployment in Gaza during the first phase of the deal," a U.S. official said.</li><li>"We all feel the urgency but what happened last weekend changed the character of the discussion. But we do want to try and get something together," the U.S. official said. </li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>A U.S. official said the two main sticking points are the issue of control over the Philadelphi corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border and the number and identity of the Palestinian prisoners who Hamas wants to be released during the first phase of the deal.</p><ul><li>The U.S. official said that while the focus in recent weeks was on the Philadelphi corridor, the prisoner issue is proving just as difficult to resolve. </li><li>U.S. and Israeli officials said that during the negotiations in Doha last week Hamas backtracked from its own previous positions and demanded to increase the number of prisoners to be released. Many of the prisoners are serving life sentences in Israeli prisons for murdering Israelis.</li><li>In previous rounds of negotiations there was an understanding that in the first phase of the deal, 150 Palestinian prisoners who are serving life sentences would be released. Now Hamas demands a higher number, the officials said. </li><li>"We had a very frustrating process around that in Doha last week. Hamas presented demands that were different from what was agreed on in the past," a U.S. official said. </li></ul><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>U.S. officials say they are still trying to find a solution for the Philadelphi corridor that could work for both sides. </p><ul><li>The draft deal says IDF forces need to redeploy out of densely populated areas of Gaza during the first phase of the agreement. The U.S. official said the argument is which areas of the 14-kilometer-long road along the border between Egypt and Gaza are considered densely populated. </li><li>The official said the U.S. thinks the map Israel presented is in line with the principles of the deal because it included significant reduction in the number of troops and deployment outside of densely populated areas. </li><li>At the same time, the official suggested Israel can make further "adjustments" on the IDF deployment in the area in order to allow a deal to be reached.</li><li>"The Philadelphi corridor has become political issue ... I saw some of the Israeli ministers claimed the deal endangers Israel's security. It's not true. Not taking the deal is a bigger danger for Israel's security than taking the deal, including when it comes to Philadelphi," the U.S. official said. </li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but:</strong> U.S. officials say they think that even if the Philadelphi corridor issue is somehow resolved, Hamas will still then insist on releasing more prisoners.</p><p><strong>Go deeper... </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/02/biden-netanyahu-israel-gaza-hostage-ceasefire-deal" target="_blank">Biden: Netanyahu isn't doing enough to get a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal</a></p><p> </p>
<p>After <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/22/wildfires-erupt-california-canada-heat-wave" target="_blank">one of the hottest summers on record</a>, many cities in the Southwest and West are bracing for a significant heat wave beginning Wednesday. </p><p><strong>Threat level: </strong>A strong heat dome will send temperatures soaring into the 100s°F to 110s°F in Phoenix and Las Vegas, with triple-digit heat also affecting much of inland California. </p><hr /><ul><li>Coming off the record hot and dry summer, wildfire risks are especially high in California and surrounding states. </li><li>This season has already brought the Park Fire, which stands as <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/02/park-fire-california-4th-largest" target="_blank">California's fourth-largest wildfire</a> on record.</li><li>Oregon has also had a severe wildfire season, and it too will see dangerously hot temperatures combined with gusty, dry winds during this event. <a href="https://x.com/CentralORFire/status/1830827235286065213" target="_blank">New fires ignited in central Oregon</a> over Labor Day weekend from lightning strikes amid dry conditions.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>As of Wednesday morning, 61 million people, from Arizona to nearly the entire state of Washington, were under heat warnings, watches and advisories. </p><ul><li>In Phoenix, which had its hottest summer on record, with a three-month average temperature of a staggering 99°F, the city's record-breaking streak of 100-degree days is likely to continue at least into next week. </li><li>As of Tuesday, the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/extreme-heat-100-degree-days-streak" target="_blank">streak stood at 100 days straight</a> with highs of at least 100°F, the NWS office in Phoenix <a href="https://x.com/NWSPhoenix/status/1831029169863684404" target="_blank">posted on X</a>. This is by far the longest on record there. </li><li>The previous record was 76 straight days, set in 1993. </li><li>High temperatures in Phoenix are forecast to range between 106°F to 114°F beginning on Wednesday and lasting into the weekend. Above average temperatures are forecast to continue next week. </li></ul><blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Key Messages for the Western U.S. Heat Wave that begins today have been updated: <a href="https://t.co/u5Z8YcyZlB">pic.twitter.com/u5Z8YcyZlB</a></p>— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSWPC/status/1831407495455326557?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"Given that temperatures will be well-above normal, the overall HeatRisk through Friday will be in the major to locally extreme category, meaning that most of the general population will be under the risk of heat-related illnesses if the proper heat precautions are not taken," the NWS forecast office in Phoenix <a href="https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/wx/afos/p.php?pil=AFDPSR&e=202409040858" target="_blank">wrote in a forecast discussion</a> issued early Wednesday morning.</p><ul><li>In Los Angeles, where temperatures downtown are forecast to be in the upper 90s°F on Thursday and Friday, the NWS is warning of "boiler room" temperatures. </li><li>For example, Burbank could see highs in the 100s°F through Sunday, according to NWS forecasts. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>Excessive heat warnings and heat advisories extend into desert areas of California, where some of the hottest temperatures will be found, northward into the heart of the state's agricultural region, including Sacramento. </p><ul><li>Extreme heat is also expected to affect coastal Oregon, from the California border to Portland, along with much of Washington State, including Seattle. </li><li>Temperatures in Portland, a city where many lack air conditioning and extreme heat is rare at this time of year, are forecast to reach 15–20 degrees above average on Thursday and Friday, before moderating over the weekend. More heat may be on tap there next week. </li><li>The National Weather Service on Wednesday <a href="https://x.com/NWSPortland/status/1831467280619987145" target="_blank">issued</a> red flag <a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=SEW&issuedby=SEW&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1" target="_blank">warnings</a> for parts of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon, among other areas in the West.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching: </strong>According to the NWS, temperatures are expected to peak in the upper 90s°F to low 100s°F inland and soar into the mid-to-upper 80s°F along the Oregon coast. In fact, there is a 50% to 80% chance that temperatures will reach or exceed 100°F in the Willamette Valley on Friday, <a href="https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/wx/afos/p.php?pil=AFDPQR&e=202409041049" target="_blank">the NWS noted</a>. </p><ul><li>This event will also involve areas of Southern California away from the immediate shoreline. This region has escaped some of the extreme heat other areas saw during the summer.</li></ul><p><strong>Context: </strong>Heat waves are <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/08/intense-heat-waves-climate-change" target="_blank">becoming more common, intense and longer-lasting</a> due to human-caused global warming. </p><ul><li>Climate change has been found to yield extreme heat events that <a href="https://www.axios.com/2021/07/08/pacific-northwest-heat-wave-climate-change" target="_blank">would have been virtually impossible</a> in a climate that lacked today's high levels of greenhouse gases, put there largely by burning fossil fuels for energy. </li><li>Multiple states in the West and Southwest, including Arizona, Nevada and California, likely saw their hottest summers on record. Las Vegas saw its hottest summer on record as well, for example. </li><li>Phoenix is one of the fastest-warming cities in the U.S., and is one of an increasing number of urban areas that are working to reduce heat impacts via the <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/07/13/phoenix-chief-heat-officer-extreme-temperatures" target="_blank">work of its chief heat officer</a>. </li></ul><p><strong>What's next: </strong>While the most intense period of this upcoming heat wave may wane by early next week, <a href="https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/814day/814temp.new.gif" target="_blank">longer-range outlooks</a> show the likelihood for more heat events through September. </p><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with details of red flag warnings being issued.</em></p>
<p>An axis of disinformation — ranging from hackers to fake websites to a dose of AI — has emerged ahead of November, with the U.S. government stepping up its warnings on <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/23/presidential-election-disinformation-officials" target="_blank">foreign election interference</a>.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Three of America's most potent adversaries — Russia, China and Iran — make the list.</p><hr /><p><strong>1) Russia paid nearly $10 million </strong>to hire U.S. influencers — some with millions of followers — to "amplify divisions in the United States," the Justice Department said in an indictment today.</p><ul><li><strong>The Justice Department seized 32 domains</strong>, some including "cybersquatted" sites publishing disinformation meant to resemble legitimate news outlets, like the Washington Post and Fox News, <em>reports <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/justice-department-charges-russian-state-media-election-interference" target="_blank">Axios' Avery Lotz.</a></em></li></ul><p>2) <strong>China is leveraging a campaign called "Spamouflage" </strong>— using fake or hacked accounts posing as American citizens — to spread anti-Western sentiment ahead of the election, according to a report out yesterday by intelligence company Graphika.</p><ul><li><strong>Some of the most recent </strong>political content was "almost certainly AI-generated," per the report.</li><li><strong>China is more focused on influencing U.S. policy</strong> on Taiwan and undermining confidence in U.S. democracy than on helping any particular candidates, analysts told <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-disinformation-network-foreign-influence-us-election-a2b396518bafd8e36635a3796c8271d7" target="_blank">AP</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>3) Iran has emerged as a player in its own right</strong> in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/04/business/media/iran-disinformation-us-presidential-race.html" target="_blank">disinformation universe.</a></p><ul><li><strong>It has already hacked</strong> <strong>individuals</strong> associated with the Trump campaign and attempted similar attacks on the Biden and Harris campaigns.</li><li><strong>Iran's government and Revolutionary Guards Corps </strong>are pushing the disinformation effort, the N.Y. Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/04/business/media/iran-disinformation-us-presidential-race.html" target="_blank">reported</a> today.</li><li><strong>Iranian operatives also posed as students</strong> and gave financial help during the U.S. protests this year against the Israel-Gaza war, the Times reports, citing U.S. intelligence assessments.</li></ul>
<p>The Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-disrupts-covert-russian-government-sponsored-foreign-malign-influence" target="_blank">announced</a> Wednesday that it is seizing 32 domains tied to a Russian influence campaign accused of spreading propaganda to influence voters in U.S. and foreign elections.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Members of Russian President <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/mongolia-russia-putin-icc-warrant" target="_blank">Vladimir Putin's</a> inner circle directed Russian companies to promote disinformation as part of a campaign to influence the 2024 election, the Justice Department alleged.</p><hr /><ul><li>"The sites we are seizing today were filled with Russian government propaganda that had been created by the Kremlin to reduce international support for Ukraine, bolster pro-Russian policies and interests, and influence voters in the United States and other countries," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Wednesday.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>The DOJ also announced charges Wednesday against <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/russia" target="_blank">Russian nationals</a> connected to an alleged scheme to influence U.S. audiences with content that included hidden Russian government messaging.</p><ul><li>Court documents allege that RT, a Russian state media network previously called Russia Today, deployed nearly $10 million to finance and direct a Tennessee-based online content creation company that has posted nearly 2,000 videos in English focused on key domestic and foreign issues to "amplify divisions in the United States."</li><li>Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva were charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Both are still at large.</li><li>The 32-page indictment alleges that the pair worked to deceive two U.S. online commentators who have millions of YouTube subscribers, falsely claiming the company was sponsored by a fictional private investor.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>The influence campaigns disrupted by the DOJ are known colloquially as "Doppelganger."</p><ul><li>Three Russian companies, directed by the Russian presidential administration, used the seized domains not only to influence voters, but also to reduce international support for Ukraine amid the ongoing war and promote pro-Russia policies.</li><li>Some of the domains include "cybersquatted" sites publishing disinformation meant to resemble legitimate news outlets, like the Washington Post and Fox News.</li><li>The affidavit alleges the campaign employed worldwide influencers, used paid ads on social media and developed <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/spamouflage-chinese-network-fake-social-media-accounts" target="_blank">fake social media profiles</a> posing as U.S. citizens to boost viewership.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>"The Good Old U.S.A. Project," "Guerrilla Media Campaign in the United States" and the "U.S. Social Media Influencer Network" project were three campaigns directed at influencing U.S. audiences, per court filings.</p><ul><li>While the court filings block out the names of presidential candidates and parties, context in the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/d9/2024-09/doppelganger_affidavit_9.4.24.pdf" target="_blank">documents</a> makes them identifiable. </li><li>For example, in a Good Old U.S.A. Project document, a section on "Target Audiences" identifies residents of "conservative states ... who more often vote for candidates of the U.S. Political Party A."</li></ul><p><strong>Catch up quick: </strong>The U.S. Treasury Department also <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2559" target="_blank">announced</a> Wednesday it had designated 10 individuals and two entities<strong> </strong>in response to "Moscow's malign influence efforts targeting the 2024 U.S. presidential election."</p><ul><li>That announcement builds on a March Treasury <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2195?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">announcement</a> identifying two individuals and two companies, both of which were entities named in Wednesday's DOJ affidavit, as connected to Doppelganger.</li><li>In its Wednesday sanctions announcement, the Treasury Department said RT began an "even more nefarious effort to covertly recruit unwitting American influencers" starting in early 2024 and used a "front company to disguise its own involvement or the involvement of the Russian government" in content shared to U.S. audiences.</li><li>It also took action against RaHDIt, a "pro-Kremlin hacktivist group" the department said is composed of active and former Russian intelligence officers.</li></ul><p><strong>Secretary of State Antony Blinken </strong>condemned Moscow's alleged interference in a press release Wednesday, stating, "Today's announcement highlights the lengths some foreign governments go to undermine American democratic institutions."</p><ul><li>A Wednesday State Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/u-s-department-of-state-takes-actions-to-counter-russian-influence-and-interference-in-u-s-elections/#:~:text=Individuals%20who%20provide%20certain%20information,foreign%20interference%20in%20U.S.%20elections." target="_blank">release</a> said individuals who provide "certain information on RaHDit" could be eligible for a reward of up to $10 million or relocation under the Rewards for Justice program.</li><li>The department also announced a new policy restricting visa issuance to "certain individuals who, acting on behalf of Kremlin-supported media organizations, use those organizations as cover for covert activities."</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/07/putin-ally-admits-interfering-us-elections" target="_blank">Close Putin ally admits to interfering in U.S. elections</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This story has been updated with the latest details.</em></p>
<p>Many of the world's most <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/03/hottest-summer-destinations-travel" target="_blank">popular global destinations</a> are hiking fees for tourists to help manage the growing onslaught of visitors. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Tourist destinations, especially in Europe, want to charge globetrotters for the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/20/tourism-crowds-barcelona-amsterdam-airbnb" target="_blank">stress they can place</a> on the environment, historical sites and local businesses.</p><hr /><ul><li>Tourist fees are aimed at decreasing the total number of visitors and supporting municipalities strained by overtourism.</li><li>How or where travelers pay tourist fees <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/what-is-tourist-tax#:~:text=Tourist%20tax%20is%20a%20small,re%20able%20to%20check%20in." target="_blank">can vary</a>. Some are tacked onto a traveler's hotel or Airbnb bill. Others can be added to the cost of airfare or charged at immigration or upon entry into a city or jurisdiction.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>New Zealand on Tuesday became the latest in an increasing number of tourist hotspots that are taking action to tackle overtourism </p><ul><li>Officials there <a href="https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2024-media-releases/ivl-increase-to-ensure-visitors-contribute-more-to-new-zealand/" target="_blank">announced</a> the country is nearly tripling its entry fees for tourists, effective <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/new-zealand-nearly-triples-levy-international-tourists-2024-09-03/#:~:text=The%20government%20said%20in%20a,experiences%20while%20visiting%20New%20Zealand.%E2%80%9D" target="_blank">Oct. 1</a>.</li><li>While tourism benefits the country's economy, it "also comes with costs" for infrastructure and other conservation maintenance, Matt Doocey, New Zealand's Minister for Hospitality and Tourism, said in a news release.</li></ul><p><strong>Other</strong> <strong>destinations </strong>across Europe, Asia and the U.S. have introduced or considered similar measures.</p><ul><li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/news/bali-tourist-tax/" target="_blank">Bali</a><strong> </strong>began charging foreign travelers an extra fee in February.</li><li>Venice charged day trippers an <a href="https://cda.ve.it/en/" target="_blank">entry fee</a> this year during 29 days between between April 25 and July 14. Last month, the Italian city also instituted a ban on tourist groups <a href="https://live.comune.venezia.it/it/2024/02/gruppi-turistici-con-guide-il-consiglio-comunale-approva-la-modifica-del-regolamento-di" target="_blank">larger than 25 people</a> and prohibited them from using loudspeakers on the streets.</li><li>Hawaii lawmakers have sought to <a href="https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/03/the-senate-just-killed-greens-plan-for-a-climate-fee-for-visitors/" target="_blank">institute fees for tourists</a> to help fund protection for the state's natural resources, but the measure has yet to pass.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Global tourism has continued to boom in recent years to unprecedented levels, spurring anti-tourism sentiments from locals in places like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jun/25/tourists-go-home-refugees-welcome-why-barcelona-chose-migrants-over-visitors" target="_blank">Barcelona</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/croatias-tourist-pearl-dubrovnik-seeks-reclaim-city-locals-2024-03-14/" target="_blank">Dubrovnik</a>, Croatia.</p><ul><li>The UN's tourism arm <a href="https://www.unwto.org/news/international-tourism-to-reach-pre-pandemic-levels-in-2024" target="_blank">predicted</a> in January that international tourism would return to — and perhaps surpass — pre-pandemic levels this year.</li><li>However, studies examining the ties between tourist taxes and visitor numbers have provided mixed results, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/tourist-taxes-do-they-work/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Destinations with tourist fees already in place are increasing the costs of these sums.</p><ul><li>This summer Lisbon <a href="https://etias.com/articles/lisbon-approves-doubling-tourist-tax-starting-september" target="_blank">doubled its tourist tax</a> from €2 ($2.21) to €4 ($4.41) per person per night and the measure entered into effect on Sunday.</li><li>In July, the mayor of Barcelona announced the city was considering hiking its tourist tax for some visitors, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/barcelona-will-raise-tourist-tax-cruise-passengers-mayor-says-2024-07-21/" target="_blank">Reuters</a>. The city has already <a href="https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/hisenda/en/procedures-payments/tourist-establishments-tax?profile=1" target="_blank">raised fees for tourist stays</a> several times in recent years.</li><li>This year, Amsterdam increased its tourist tax to <a href="https://www.amsterdam.nl/veelgevraagd/toeristenbelasting-2c7c2" target="_blank">12.5% of the cost</a> of a traveler's overnight stay, <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/amsterdam-raising-tourist-tax" target="_blank">up from 7%</a> before. </li><li>Italy is currently considering increasing its tourist taxes, per <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/08/30/2024/italy-weighs-sharp-rise-in-tourist-tax-as-european-backlash-against-visitors-grows" target="_blank">Semafor</a>. </li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Other destinations are finding creative approaches to curb overtourism.</p><ul><li>In Japan, many restaurants offer <a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/japan-restaurants-tourist-prices-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">local customers a discount</a> while charging tourists higher prices.</li><li>Barcelona's mayor has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/top-tourist-destination-barcelona-plans-shut-all-holiday-apartments-by-2028-2024-06-21/" target="_blank">announced a plan</a> to ban all Airbnb-style apartment rentals to tourists by 2028.</li><li>Earlier this year, Milan attempted to crack down on the sale of takeaway food and drink after midnight in the city's busy nightlife area but the measure ultimately failed, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/milan-backtracks-plan-ban-late-night-ice-cream-italy-report-2024-5" target="_blank">Business Insider</a> reported.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/20/tourism-crowds-barcelona-amsterdam-airbnb" target="_blank">There's too much tourism</a></p>
<p>Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> wants to tax long term <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/23/kamala-harris-unrealized-capital-gains-tax" target="_blank">capital gains</a> at 28% for wealthy Americans, calling for a top rate that's more than ten points lower than what President Biden has proposed.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Harris' new capital gains policy marks her clearest break yet with Biden as she fleshes out <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/kamala-harris-cnn-interview-democrats" target="_blank">her policy positions</a> as the Democrats' presidential nominee.</p><hr /><ul><li>Her goal is to convince voters that she has a plan to keep growing the economy while also addressing the high costs that are crushing many Americans.</li><li>Biden has proposed taxing capital gains as regular income, taking the rate from 20% to 39.6% for Americans making more than $1 million a year.</li><li>Biden also wants to increase a 3.8% Medicare surcharge for wealthy Americans to 5%, meaning that investment income would be taxed at an effective capital gains rate of 44.6%.</li><li>Harris didn't indicate if she planned to keep the current 3.8% surcharge or increase it to 5%. Congress would have to approve all changes to the tax code.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> Harris used a trip to New Hampshire — a state famed for its aversion to taxes — to unveil her new proposal and to flush out a plan to provide more tax deductions for small businesses.</p><ul><li>"We know that when the government encourages investment, it leads to broad-based economic growth," Harris said.</li><li>She also touted her plan to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/harris-tax-relief-plan-small-businesses" target="_blank">increase the tax credit</a> for starting a small business from $5,000 to 50,000.</li><li>"America's small businesses are an essential foundation to our entire economy," she said. "They do trillions of dollars in business every year."</li><li>"One of my highest priorities will be to strengthen America's small businesses," she said. "I want to see 25 million new small businesses by the end of my first term."</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> She also wants to rebut charges — and the "Comrade Kamala" name-calling — from the Trump campaign that she's not fully committed to American capitalism.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Harris' new capital gains and small business proposals<strong> </strong>are part of the campaign's<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/kamala-harris-economy-biden-balancing-act" target="_self">delicate balancing act</a> on the economy.</p><ul><li>For the most part, she's defending President Biden's administration while also looking past it with new policies to help working- and middle-class Americans.</li><li>While supporting most of Biden's economic proposals, she has emphasized different aspects of her agenda, including a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/20/price-gouging-kamala-harris-communism-kamunism" target="_blank">plan to tackle</a> "price gouging" by grocery stores and a bigger tax credit for first-time homebuyers.</li><li>But her paid advertising focused more on how she'll lower costs than defending Biden's record on job creation.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> On other parts of Biden's tax agenda, the Harris campaign has left little doubt that she's on the same page as Biden.</p><ul><li>On corporate taxes, she wants to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/harris-proposes-raising-corporate-tax-rate-28-rolling-back-trump-law-rcna167208" target="_blank">raise the rate</a> from 21% to 28%, the same rate Biden has proposed in his budgets.</li><li>Like Biden, she supports a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/09/biden-tax-reform-proposal" target="_blank">minimum tax</a> for billionaires.</li><li>"Billionaires and corporations must pay their fair share on taxes."</li><li>And she wants to quadruple taxes on <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/27/why-investors-like-warren-buffett-are-so-fond-of-stock-buybacks" target="_blank">stock buybacks</a>.</li><li>The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/kamala-harris-to-pare-back-bidens-capital-gains-tax-proposal-14c537b1" target="_blank">reported</a> on Harris' plan to propose lower taxes than Biden earlier on Wednesday.</li></ul>
<p>President Joe Biden is reportedly set to block <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/01/25/us-steel-japan-nippon-regulation" target="_blank">U.S. Steel's sale</a> to Japan's Nippon Steel.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The $14.9 billion deal, opposed from the start by the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/15/united-steelworkers-wall-street-mergers-history" target="_blank">United Steelworkers union</a>, has faced fierce bipartisan opposition with presidential candidates courting the labor vote in Pennsylvania, where U.S. Steel is based.</p><hr /><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Biden's move to block the deal, expected in the next few days, will be based on national security grounds, the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/b8427273-7ee7-48de-af1e-3a972e5a0fcf" target="_blank">Financial Times</a> reports. The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/09/04/biden-prepares-reject-us-steel-deal/" target="_blank">Washington Post</a> was first to report Biden's intentions Wednesday afternoon.</p><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>CFIUS, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, has been investigating the deal's impact on national security.</p><ul><li>Japan is a key U.S. ally, not the kind of threat that CFIUS typically guards against.</li><li>But the Nippon deal has apparently drawn concerns. The FT reports that the committee has already told Nippon that such threats could not be overcome.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"CFIUS hasn't transmitted a recommendation to the President, and that's the next step in this process," a White House official tells Axios.</p><p><strong>Meanwhile, </strong>efforts to push this deal through have only intensified since Monday when Kamala Harris <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/kamala-harris-us-steel-japan" target="_blank">said</a> U.S. Steel "should remain American-owned and American operated."</p><ul><li>Previously, Donald Trump said he'd stop the deal if elected, though as <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/kamala-harris-us-steel-japan" target="_blank">Axios' Dan Primack notes</a>, it's scheduled to close prior to inauguration day.</li><li>But both Nippon and U.S. Steel are wielding sticks and carrots to make this happen in spite of the politics.</li></ul><p><strong>U.S. Steel earlier Wednesday</strong> warned in a statement that without the deal, the company will close plants and move its headquarters out of state. It would put "thousands of good-paying jobs at risk."</p><ul><li>Nippon, meanwhile, has announced that it would invest billions above the deal terms in the company.</li><li>And on Wednesday, it announced more sweeteners, pledging in a release that U.S. citizens would make up the majority of the newly formed U.S. Steel's board post-acquisition.</li></ul><p><strong>The stepped up efforts </strong>led to a bizarre "rally" of U.S. Steel workers in Pittsburgh this afternoon, gathered by the company outside its headquarters to show support for the beleaguered deal.</p><ul><li>But this wasn't a union thing. The Steelworkers called out the company's moves late Wednesday morning.</li><li>"Today's pathetic attempt to orchestrate a rally in downtown Pittsburgh shows that U.S. Steel is becoming increasingly desperate to save the deal," United Steelworkers president David McCall said in a press release.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> It's not so unusual for a company to use workers to political ends at rallies or other events, says John Logan, a labor historian at San Francisco State University.</p><ul><li>Back in 2012, workers at an Ohio coal mind told reporters that they showed up at a rally for Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney when asked by management, for fear of<a href="https://www.cleveland.com/open/2012/08/coal_miners_lost_pay_when_mitt.html" target="_blank"> losing their jobs.</a></li></ul><p><strong>What's next: </strong>Timing on Biden's announcement is unclear. Harris will be in Pittsburgh Thursday for a rally.</p><ul><li>After that, any effort to block the deal could end up in litigation. U.S. Steel shares are tumbled on the news, closing down over 17% Wednesday.</li></ul><p><em>This report updates U.S. Steel's stock price movement Wednesday.</em></p>
<p>Former Republican presidential candidate and United Nations ambassador <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/17/nikki-haley-republican-national-convention-trump" target="_blank">Nikki Haley</a> will join public relations firm Edelman.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> It's a surprising move for a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/11/trump-moves-haley-off-blacklist-2024-election" target="_blank">once-rumored</a> vice presidential contender and someone who former President Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/24/trump-nikki-haley-our-team-2024-election" target="_blank">has said</a> will be on his team "in some form" should he win the election. </p><hr /><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> Even though Haley endorsed Trump after the assassination attempt on him at a rally in July, this move signals Haley is pursuing other options. </p><ul><li>The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</li><li>Edelman would not say whether this role precludes her from participating in political activity ahead of the election.</li></ul><p><strong>Context: </strong>Haley will serve as vice chair within EGA, the firm's global public affairs consultancy. </p><ul><li>She will report to U.S. CEO Kirsty Graham and is expected to begin this month, according to the firm. </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> Haley acknowledged in a statement that corporate reputation, business and politics have become more entangled.</p><ul><li>"In a time of growing complexities in business, policy, and politics —brands need to anticipate what's coming next. Whether managing a crisis or celebrating a success, industry leaders must be ready to communicate clearly and share their vision forward."</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Communication and CEO advisories have long hired former diplomats, political strategists and government employees to help clients navigate global and regulatory issues.</p><ul><li>Now, corporations need help managing hyper-politicized initiatives like diversity, equity and inclusion and sustainability. </li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>In response, several public relation firms are staffing up with public affairs professionals and politicians. </p><ul><li>Edelman has also hired Max Baucus, a former U.S. senator and ambassador to China, as a senior adviser within EGA.</li><li>Meanwhile, the Weber Shandwick Collective has brought on former State Department officials Stephen F. Smith and Michael Turner, along with Biden-Harris alum Ashley Etienne as senior advisers.</li><li>And Bully Pulpit International hired Senate alum Scott Mulhauser and U.S. Treasury alum Adam Hodge to lead its tax policy practice group.</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>As the 2024 elections near and polls continue to fluctuate, advisory firms might begin to tap former Republican operatives to give them an advantage should there be a shift in power in Washington. </p><p><strong>More on Axios: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/22/nikki-haley-trump-endorse-vote-2024-election" target="_blank">Nikki Haley says she'll vote for Trump in November</a></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/24/trump-nikki-haley-our-team-2024-election" target="_blank">Trump "sure" Nikki Haley will be on his team "in some form"</a></li></ul>
<p>Meta's oversight board ruled on Wednesday that posts with the <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/israel" target="_blank">pro-Palestinian</a> phrase "from the river to the sea" don't violate the social media company's rules on hate speech.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Meta has faced criticism from users who have said its platforms stifled pro-Palestinian speech and enabled antisemitic speech.</p><hr /><ul><li>The board reviewed three pieces of content on Facebook and said they "contain contextual signs of solidarity with Palestinians — but no language calling for violence or exclusion."</li><li>"They also do not glorify or even refer to Hamas, an organization designated as dangerous by Meta," the decision said. </li></ul><p><strong>Context: </strong>Pro-Palestinian activists use the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/river-sea-israel-gaza-hamas-protests-d7abbd756f481fe50b6fa5c0b907cd49" target="_blank">phrase</a>, which is followed by "Palestine will be free," as a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/14/river-sea-free-palestine-meaning/" target="_blank">call</a> for peace and equality. </p><ul><li>It refers to the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. </li><li>Some pro-Israel activists consider the phrase antisemitic for its inclusion of the state of Israel. </li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Campus protesters in the spring faced backlash from university administrators for using the same phrase. </p><ul><li>Lawmakers condemned the term during the testimony of elite university leaders. Then-Columbia president Minouche Shafik said using the term <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/17/nyregion/columbia-university-president-nemat-shafik-hearing.html" target="_blank">could warrant</a> discipline. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>If the phrase is accompanied with language deemed hateful, it may warrant removal, per the board. </p><ul><li>"The standalone phrase cannot be understood as a call to violence against a group based on their protected characteristics, as advocating for the exclusion of a particular group, or of supporting a designated entity – Hamas," the board said in the decision. </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Digital rights activists and pro-Palestinian groups have said Meta stifled critiques of the Israeli government and its military incursion in Gaza, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/09/04/meta-israel-gaza-river-to-sea-hate-speech/" target="_blank">the Washington Post reported</a>.</p><ul><li>Some Jewish groups said Meta has allowed antisemitism to surge on its social media platform following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,600 Israelis. </li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Meta created and funded the oversight board to be able to deflect responsibility for making tough decisions on free speech. </p><ul><li>To-date, most of the board's decisions have been met with little pushback, as they typically address very narrow but intellectually divisive use cases. </li><li>This example is notable, given the global nature of Israel-Hamas protests and debate.</li></ul><p><strong>How it works:</strong> Case decisions from the board — made up of non-partisan academics, technologists and lawyers — are binding, meaning Meta is responsible for implementing them, but policy recommendations from the board are not.</p><ul><li>Religious speech is a particularly thorny subject for content moderators, and the board has overturned Meta's content decisions on several cases regarding religious speech, including a decision by Meta to block a post that compared a Russian army in Ukraine to Nazis.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/17/college-campus-pro-palestinian-protests-fall" target="_blank">Reignited protests on the syllabus for fall semester</a></p>
<p>Senior officials from the U.S. and <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/israel" target="_blank">Israel</a> held a low-profile virtual meeting on Tuesday to discuss how to ease tensions with Lebanon and prevent an all out war between Israel and Hezbollah, four Israeli and U.S. officials said.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The meeting, which hasn't been announced by the White House or the Israeli government, was initiated by the Biden administration to take the pulse on the Israeli side and coordinate their policies about the situation in Lebanon, officials said. </p><hr /><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> Ten days ago, Israel and Hezbollah engaged in the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/25/israel-hezbollah-lebanon-attack" target="_blank">most extensive exchange of fire</a> since the the Shia group attacked Israel on Oct. 8. </p><ul><li>Israel Defense Forces conducted a preemptive strike ahead of what Israeli and U.S. intelligence said was expected to be a major missile and drone attack on Israel by Hezbollah.</li><li>Hezbollah had vowed to retaliate for the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/30/israel-airstrike-beirut-hezbollah-commander" target="_self">assassination</a> of its top military commander in Beirut by Israel.</li><li>After several hours of massive air strikes and rocket fire, both sides declared victory and stepped back from the brink and the fear of an escalation to a regional war decreased. </li><li>But in recent days, the daily skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah intensified again, raising new concerns about regional escalation. </li></ul><p><strong>Behind the scenes:</strong> The virtual meeting lasted an hour. The U.S. team was led by White House national Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. President Biden's advisers Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk also participated. The Israeli team was led by the Minister for Strategic Affairs and Netanyahu confidant Ron Dermer, officials say. </p><ul><li>According to an Israeli official, the parties discussed how to reach a long-term diplomatic solution to<strong> </strong>end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in a scenario where a ceasefire deal is reached in Gaza and hundreds of thousands of displaced Israelis and Lebanese are allowed to return to their homes along the border. </li><li>But the official said the parties also discussed how to de-escalate the fighting<strong> </strong>in the more likely scenario at the moment of no Gaza ceasefire deal in the near term.</li><li>Dermer declined to comment for the story. The White House didn't respond to a request for comment.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> The main Israeli demand is that any diplomatic deal with Lebanon will include the withdrawal of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force at least 10 kilometers from the border. </p><ul><li>The Israeli side stressed during the meeting that the key to such a deal is how to verify that Hezbollah's militants have indeed left the area near the border and don't come back, the officials said. </li><li>The Israelis demand the U.S. pledge to support Israeli military action against Hezbollah forces if they do return, the officials say. </li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> An Israeli official said that Hochstein said in the meeting that a Gaza ceasefire deal would lead to de-escalation in Lebanon and as a result, allow Israel to focus again its normalization deal with Saudi Arabia.<strong> </strong></p>
<p>Look for House Democratic leaders to lean hard on their members not to break ranks and vote for Republicans' planned bill to keep the government funded past September, top Democratic sources tell Axios.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Democrats are keeping a close eye on <a href="https://x.com/RepRosendale/status/1831331258653098148" target="_blank">Republicans' own defectors</a> and want to deny Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) votes from their side that he might need to keep the measure from going down.</p><hr /><ul><li>Three senior Democratic sources told Axios they expect a full whip operation against the GOP spending bill, which would attach a measure aimed at cracking down on non-citizen voting. </li><li>Battleground district Democrats, under threat of Republican attacks if they oppose the non-citizen voting measure, will likely face considerable pressure from their party not to break ranks.</li><li>Democratic leaders also want to deny Republicans leverage to argue that the Democrat-controlled Senate should take up the bill if it makes it out of the House.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>House Republicans plan to hold a vote as soon as early next week on legislation called a continuing resolution to extend government funding at current levels until March.</p><ul><li>They plan to attach the SAVE Act, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/06/house-democrats-oppose-gop-noncitizen-voting-bill" target="_blank">requiring proof of U.S. citizenship</a> to register to vote in federal elections.</li><li>That bill passed with support from swing-district Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Don Davis (D-N.C.), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.).</li><li>One senior House Democrat described that SAVE Act as a "poison pill" and predicted the spending bill won't get "serious numbers" of Democratic votes due to its inclusion.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>The federal government will shut down after Sept. 30 unless Congress passes legislation to keep it funded.</p><ul><li>Fiscal negotiators have agreed on full government spending legislation, meaning a temporary stopgap is needed.</li><li>Conservatives have pressed their leadership to kick the spending fight to March to avert a lame-duck spending bill and give a potential Trump administration the opportunity to negotiate a spending package.</li><li>But the Democrat-led Senate is all-but-certain to reject any spending bill that includes the SAVE Act, putting the two chambers in a stalemate.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're hearing: </strong>Democratic leadership's campaign to keep its members in line could tank the GOP spending bill on the House floor if Republicans face defections of their own, the senior House Democrat argued</p><ul><li>"We only had four or five votes on the Democratic side" on the SAVE Act, the lawmaker said. "I don't think that's enough to overcome the fiscal hawks on their side."</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>Republicans are planning to begin whipping the bill Monday.</p><ul><li>The legislation will have to clear several procedural hurdles on which Democrats are likely to stay together – making just a handful of GOP defections potentially fatal.</li></ul><p><strong><em>Axios' Juliegrace Brufke contributed reporting for this story.</em></strong></p>
<div>Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Axios Visuals</div><p>The labor market is cooling rapidly, increasing the odds of an aggressive interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve in just two weeks. New data out Wednesday morning bolsters the case.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The latest job turnover data highlights the risk that the Fed is already behind the curve if it wants to address the deteriorating job market.</p><hr /><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Employers slashed the number of job openings in July and fired more workers, according to the Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey data from the Labor Department.</p><p><strong>By the numbers: </strong>The number of job openings fell by 237,000 in July. That brings the number of openings as a share of total employment down to 4.6%, from 4.8% — the lowest rate since December 2020.</p><ul><li>The ratio of open jobs per unemployed worker is down to 1.1, below where it was immediately before the pandemic hit and far lower than its peak above 2 in March 2022.</li><li>The number of layoffs and discharges ticked up by 202,000.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>The report also included some more promising news about the state of the job market, with both the rate at which employers hired new workers and the rate at which workers voluntarily quit their job ticking up as well.</p><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Until recently, the drop in job openings has occurred alongside low, steady unemployment — a key mechanism that has allowed the labor market to cool without mass job losses or recession.</p><ul><li>If demand for workers continues to soften, it may have to come at the cost of higher unemployment. Companies looking to cut back their payrolls can only do so by reducing vacant positions so much before they need to actively turn to layoffs.</li><li>As Fed governor Christopher Waller <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/waller20240717a.htm" target="_blank">said in July</a>, "a continued decline in the job vacancy rate and the vacancy-to-unemployment ratio may lead to a larger increase in unemployment than we have seen the past two years."</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"The labor market is no longer cooling down to its pre-pandemic temperature, it's dropped past it," writes Nick Bunker of Indeed Hiring Lab in a note.</p><ul><li>"Nobody, and certainly not policymakers at the Federal Reserve, should want the labor market to get any cooler at this point."</li></ul>
<p>In private, top advisers to Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> and former President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump</a> agree on three things:</p><ol><li><strong>Harris had a phenomenal month: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/25/harris-walz-campaign-fundraising-dnc" target="_blank">record fundraising</a>, little serious scrutiny, plus enthusiasm and party unity that few expected.</li><li><strong>Trump had a rough month: </strong>a lackluster, at best, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/28/vance-randi-weingarten-childless-cat-ladies" target="_blank">vice presidential rollout</a>, and no lasting change in tone after surviving an on-camera assassination attempt.</li><li><strong>Yet the race </strong>is within the polling margins of error in all <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/28/battleground-states-map-2024" target="_blank">seven swing states</a> — Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.</li></ol><hr /><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Each candidate will use the next 62 days to try to solidify and amplify several specific groups of voters. </p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Harris has made progress toward restoring President Biden's winning coalition from 2020, which was imperiled when he was still the Democratic candidate. But <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/harris-is-still-trying-to-rebuild-bidens-winning-2020-coalition-423f43c6" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal polling</a> shows Harris hasn't erased gains Trump had made among Black, Latino and young voters.</p><p><strong>The voters to watch,</strong> based on our conversations with top advisers to both campaigns:</p><p><strong>Six groups Harris is targeting:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Women of every stripe:</strong> This is where Harris hopes to run up the score. Since Biden bowed out, poll after poll has shown women voting increasingly Democratic — an 18-point gap in the male-female vote in an ABC News/Ipsos <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/harris-trump-abc-news-ipsos-poll-convention-bounce-widens-gap-women/story?id=113246534" target="_blank">poll</a> out over Labor Day weekend. Reproductive rights soared past the economy as the top voting issue for women in swing states under age 45, New York Times/Siena College polling <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/31/us/elections/abortion-polls-women-trump-harris.html" target="_blank">found</a>.</li><li><strong>College-educated men: </strong>This group moved toward Democrats in '20 and '22, partly over concerns about democracy. We're told that Harris' <a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-new-hampshire-economy-campaign-6dce74635a82647c44f8d6446ebffd17" target="_blank">pro-entrepreneur</a> plan for <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/harris-tax-relief-plan-small-businesses" target="_blank">small-business tax relief</a>, to be announced Wednesday in New Hampshire, is aimed partly at college-educated voters across the board — and men are more of a question mark for Harris than women. The Harris campaign emphasizes to us that they're also aggressively targeting Black and Hispanic men, where Trump has made inroads that rightly scare Democrats.</li><li><strong>Young voters:</strong> This Democratic-leaning group eroded under Biden, but has been galvanized by Harris. Think of her targets as "non-bro youth." Half of registered voters under 30 say they'll vote for Harris compared to 34% for Trump, according to an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/poll-half-gen-z-voters-support-kamala-harris-one-third-back-donald-tru-rcna169025" target="_blank">NBC News Stay Tuned poll</a> out this morning.</li><li><strong>Independents:</strong> This group had been wavering when Biden was in the race, but has moved decisively toward Harris in recent polls. The share of so-called "double haters" <a href="https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/monmouthpoll_us_081424/" target="_blank">has plummeted</a> with the new matchup, down from historic highs this spring fueled by <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/15/double-haters-biden-trump-favorability" target="_blank">Trump vs. Biden</a> dread.</li><li><strong>Middle-class Black voters: </strong>The population that W.E.B. Du Bois once dubbed "The Talented Tenth" is driving enthusiasm among Black voters on social media, Zoom calls, and with "<a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/24/kamala-harris-divine-nine-election" target="_blank">Divine Nine</a>" fraternity and sorority members. They're organizing fundraising efforts and crowd rallies in swing states. On social media, they push back against criticism that Harris' background as a prosecutor or record on crime could work against Black voters. Harris will likely gain 85% to 90% of the Black vote. Middle-class Black groups will be pushing turnout in crucial cities and suburbs of swing states.</li><li><strong>Tuned-out voters: </strong>When Harris said twice during her CNN interview that she wanted to "turn the page" on the Trump era, she was talking to <em>these </em>voters — low-propensity or low-information voters, as pollsters call 'em. These are Americans who've been exhausted by the country's increasingly poisonous politics since President Obama was re-elected.</li></ul><p><strong>Six groups Trump is targeting:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>The "bro vote": </strong>In one of the most <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/02/gender-gap-voters-harris-trump-2024-election" target="_blank">gendered elections ever</a>, Trump is breaking new ground with his outreach to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/30/us/politics/trump-politics-nelk-boys.html" target="_blank">non-traditional media</a> tailored to Gen Z men. Trump has appeared on massive platforms with creators like the Nelk Boys, Adin Ross, Logan Paul and comedian Theo Von. The addition of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the MAGA roster could bolster Trump's appeal with very online, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/robert-f-kennedy-jr-aaron-rodgers-male-vote/" target="_blank">politically disaffected young men</a>.</li><li><strong>Men who didn't go to college: </strong>This group ("non-college men" to pollsters) was a crucial part of Trump's victory in 2016. Trump's research showed he'd lost some of this group in 2020 when he was running against "Scranton Joe." Now, these voters are back to Trump. Harris hopes Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — "Coach," as her campaign plays up his football past — will help limit the damage.</li><li><strong>Black men: </strong>Harris has <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/08/22/black-voters-support-harris-over-trump-and-kennedy-by-a-wide-margin/" target="_blank">reclaimed</a> some of the support Biden was bleeding from this core Democratic constituency, but Trump isn't giving up on courting Black men. The former president's gains since 2020 have been fueled by economic dissatisfaction. But his tactics have often leaned into racial stereotyping — insisting, for example, that his mug shot would make him more popular with Black voters.</li><li><strong>Hispanic men: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/11/latino-voters-republican-shift-college-education" target="_blank">Gaps in college education</a> are driving a partisan split between <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/15/elections-2024-latino-voter-turnout" target="_self">Latino men and women</a>. Trump was backed by 31% of Latino men in <a href="https://latinodecisions.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Latino-EE2020-Deck.pdf" target="_blank">2020</a>, a jump of roughly 7 points from 2016. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/27/rural-hispanic-voters-ranchers-yellowstone-democrats" target="_blank">Hispanic ranchers</a> in rural New Mexico and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/01/california-latinos-political-movement-cesar-chavez" target="_blank">Latino grape pickers</a> in Central California who feel ignored by Democrats are showing signs of shifting to the GOP. This voting bloc remains heavily Democratic. But Democrats' focus on issues like EVs, student loan forgiveness and the economy isn't resonating with some.</li><li><strong>Religious Latinos: </strong>In swing state Arizona, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/30/catholic-evangelical-latino-religion" target="_blank">Hispanic Catholics</a> (12%) today make up a bigger percentage than white evangelicals (10%). In Pennsylvania, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/06/latinos-protestants-catholics-republicans" target="_blank">Latino evangelicals</a> make up a growing segment of voters in crucial bellwether counties. Both blocs could swing tight races, but currently, Latino evangelicals are split over Trump because of his rhetoric against immigrants, though some side with the GOP over LGBTQ+ rights.</li><li><strong>National security moms:</strong> GOP ads focused on crime, safety and the border are aimed at these women, who go beyond the conservative base. Many are suburbanites who otherwise might trend Harris. </li></ul><p><strong>Wild card:</strong> Each side is scrambling to identify and court first-time voters. <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4856378-kamala-harris-young-voters-election-donald-trump/" target="_blank">Harris' jump in support</a> among young adults who weren't excited about voting for Biden could be a big factor.</p><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> If you fit one of these descriptions and live in a swing state, congratulations! Prepare to be bombarded.</p><ul><li><em>Axios' Zachary Basu, Russell Contreras and Astrid Galván contributed reporting.</em></li></ul>
<p>Military analysts are buzzing online about a new, secretive <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/24/us-long-range-missiles-atacms-ukraine-war" target="_blank">Ukrainian weapon</a> that blurs the line between missile and drone.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The Palianytsia, named after a Ukrainian bread, highlights the country's wartime ingenuity, with from-scratch design and production taking 18 months.</p><hr /><ul><li>It also sidesteps prohibitions on using Western weapons to strike deep into Russia.</li><li>"We've not even allowed the Ukrainians to fight under the circumstances that we would allow ourselves," George Barros, the Russia team lead at the <a href="https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/interactive-map-hundreds-known-russian-military-objects-are-range-atacms" target="_blank">Institute for the Study of War</a>, told me. "Palianytsia is the Ukrainian response to Western feet-dragging."</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that "our new weapon" had been used for the first time in combat.</p><ul><li>A video he shared on X described Palianytsia as a "long-range rocket drone" launched from the ground. Its maker and warhead were labeled secret.</li><li>The same clip displayed two dozen <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/12/05/ukraine-russia-missile-strikes-air-base" target="_blank">Russian airfields</a> within Palianytsia's purported range while also criticizing foreign governments for dictating how their arms could be used in an existential fight.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>In an era of easily accessible frontline footage and Instagram-ready montages, even the closest watchers of the Russia-Ukraine war are short on details.</p><ul><li>Search "Palianytsia" on X and unfurl the threads; there are more questions than answers. Was it used here? Why call it a rocket drone? Will it make a difference?</li><li>The <a href="https://kyivindependent.com/everything-we-know-about-ukraines-new-palianytsia-missile-drone/" target="_blank">Kyiv Independent</a> reported that "most of the weapon's characteristics are classified." The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-long-range-missile-palianytsia-1f0a1eaf560bb2c1fd70ddd56a39968d" target="_blank">Associated Press</a> put the price of each at $1 million. Forbes <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2024/08/28/what-we-know-about-ukraines-mysterious-new-rocket-drone/" target="_blank">said it was</a> "like a cruise missile but different." And defense analyst HI Sutton warned some footage was pulled from <a href="http://www.hisutton.com/Ukraine-Palyanitsa.html" target="_blank">Northrop Grumman archives</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Palianytsia arrives amid a back-and-forth about when, where and how donated weapons can be used against Russia, including its factories, repair depots and ammo caches.</p><ul><li>"The frustrating thing is we've had this sort of debate, but just ad lib in the system or the policy," Barros said. "It was 'We're not going to send them vehicles, we're never going to send them HIMARS, we're not going to send them F-16s, we're not going to send them main battle tanks.'"</li><li>Ukrainian officials are <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/24/ukraine-weapons-limits-umerov-request" target="_blank">lobbying their benefactors</a> to ease constraints. It's been a mixed bag.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>Whether Palianytsia greatly influences the war remains to be seen.</p><ul><li>Talk of mass production suggests the weapon is not a cure-all. Many are needed — like much smaller FPV drones — and that invites questions about raw resources and timeliness.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>"I don't think this is a game-changing capability," <a href="https://www.cnas.org/people/stacie-pettyjohn" target="_blank">Stacie Pettyjohn</a>, the defense program director at the Center for a New American Security, told me.</p><ul><li>But if "Ukraine can acquire hundreds of Palianytsia, it would be a significant step up in its deep-strike capability and could be used to impose more costs on Russia, while degrading some key capabilities."</li></ul>
<div>Data: Household Pulse Survey; Note: Includes households where it has been somewhat or very difficult to pay for usual household expenses in last seven days; Map: Jacque Schrag/Axios</div><p>Americans in parts of the South and Southeast are having an especially hard time paying for everyday expenses compared to those elsewhere, according to the latest census data.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Consumers nationwide have been <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/26/inflation-definition-evolution-high-prices" target="_blank">dealing with rising prices</a> — but those in some areas are having a harder time making ends meet than others.</p><hr /><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>About 37% of American adults are in households that found it somewhat or very difficult to pay for typical expenses between late June and late July, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey.</p><ul><li>That's an online survey meant to collect key socioeconomic data in near real-time.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Mississippi (49.5%), Alabama (45.5%) and West Virginia (43.5%) have the highest percentage of adults who say they're having trouble affording their basic needs.</p><ul><li>Standouts in other regions include New York (40%), Hawai'i (39.9%) and Arizona (39.4%).</li></ul><p><strong>The other side: </strong>Washington, D.C. (19.3%); Vermont (26.4%) and Minnesota (27.4%) have the fewest residents reporting such difficulties.</p><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>Economic pain is everywhere — but it's not evenly distributed.</p>
<p>More <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/03/education-enrollment-cliff-schools" target="_blank">students</a> than ever are headed to class in an electric school bus this fall as school districts race to take advantage of unprecedented government funding to replace their diesel fleets.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Exhaust from diesel buses is linked to serious health and development conditions for children, especially in low-income communities.</p><hr /><ul><li>The growing <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/11/ev-school-bus-highland-electric-fleets-duncan-mcintyre" target="_blank">electric bus</a> movement, fueled by a plethora of state and federal incentives, promises to reduce tailpipe emissions and improve kids' health, too.</li><li>Electric school buses can also <a href="https://www.axios.com/2020/01/10/electric-school-buses-vehicle-to-grid-power" target="_self">act as giant batteries</a> to store surplus energy when not in use. That means cash-strapped districts can earn money from their parked buses by selling power back to the grid during times of peak demand.</li></ul><p><strong>Where it stands:</strong> Almost 235,000 U.S. students currently ride electric school buses, according to the World Resources Institute, whose Electric School Bus Initiative closely tracks adoption rates.</p><ul><li>That's still a tiny fraction of the 21 million kids who take the bus to school in the U.S. each day.</li><li>More than 90% of current buses run on gasoline or diesel fuel. Most others run on propane or compressed natural gas.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play:</strong> Congress set aside $5 billion over five years to replace diesel-burning school buses under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.</p><ul><li><a href="https://electricschoolbusinitiative.org/all-about-clean-school-bus-program" target="_blank">The Clean School Bus Program</a>, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, prioritizes school districts in low-income, rural and Tribal communities.</li><li>So far, the EPA has spent $2.8 billion to fund more than 8,000 electric school buses.</li><li>Nearly 1,300 school districts in 49 states, four U.S. territories, Washington D.C., and 55 Tribal communities received funding, and many more are in line for awards in future years.</li></ul><div>Data: <a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNDc5NTdkYzYtNWIxYS00ZjIwLWFhZDgtNjEyMDRhNjFmOGFmIiwidCI6IjQ3NmJhYzFmLTM2YjItNGFkOS04Njk5LWNkYTZiYWQxZjg2MiIsImMiOjF9" target="_blank">WRI</a>; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals</div><p><strong>By the numbers:</strong> There are roughly 12,000 committed electric school buses in the U.S., including those funded, ordered or delivered, as well as the ones currently on the road.</p><ul><li>That's 2.5% of the roughly 493,000 school buses in the U.S.</li><li>An electric school bus costs about $370,000, more than triple the price of a traditional diesel bus.</li><li>While the lifetime savings on fuel and maintenance averages $100,000, the remaining price gap would be unsurmountable for many school districts without government subsidies.</li></ul><p><strong>Follow the money:</strong> The EPA's Clean School Bus Program has funded about two-thirds of the 12,000 committed electric buses.</p><ul><li>Many states offer generous rebates, too, including <a href="https://californiahvip.org/" target="_blank">California</a>, Colorado, New York, Connecticut and others.</li><li>Some local utilities also provide financial incentives to support school bus electrification.</li><li>Another $40,000 rebate for electric commercial vehicles, including school buses, was included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.</li><li>Add it all up and electric school buses are <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/12/19/electric-school-buses" target="_blank">practically free</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but:</strong> The arrival of electric buses has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/09/climate/electric-school-bus-wymore.html" target="_blank">stirred controversy</a> in some communities, where EVs have been politicized.</p><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> New technology — whether it's electric cars or the latest smartphones — often starts with wealthy early adopters.</p><ul><li>But in this case, the cleanest, most advanced school buses in America are being deployed primarily in districts with low-income households in non-white neighborhoods that also have the worst pollution, per WRI.</li><li>One example: <a href="https://electricschoolbusinitiative.org/electric-school-bus-series-how-students-salt-lake-city-helped-advance-equity-centered-plan" target="_blank">Salt Lake City</a> used a combination of state and federal funding to buy 12 electric buses, deployed mostly in its Rose Park neighborhood, which is less affluent and suffers disproportionately from poor air quality.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching:</strong> With just two years left in the Clean School Bus Program, the question is whether the next Congress will extend the funding so more diesel school buses can be retired.</p>
<p>Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a>' campaign won't say whether she supports requiring automakers to build only electric or hydrogen vehicles by 2035 — a position she took during her 2020 campaign for president.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Since taking over President Biden's campaign in July, Harris has been <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/20/harris-cautious-hold-details-campaign" target="_blank">light on policy details</a>.</p><hr /><ul><li>Harris' campaign has said she <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/14/kamala-harris-economy-inflation" target="_blank">no longer supports</a> many of her past progressive positions and has embraced more centrist stances on health care, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/kamala-harris-flip-flops-border-wall" target="_blank">immigration</a>, gun control and fracking.</li><li>Even so, <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a>'s campaign has focused on footage from Harris' 2020 campaign to attack her as <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/17/harris-campaign-370-million-ads" target="_blank">"dangerously liberal."</a></li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Harris' campaign has sent contradictory signals about her position on a mandate for automakers — a key issue in pivotal Midwestern states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where many autoworkers are based. </p><ul><li>In a lengthy "fact-check" email last week that covered several issues, a campaign spokesperson included a line saying that Harris "does not support an electric vehicle mandate" — suggesting she changed her previous position, without elaborating. </li><li>On Aug. 28 Axios asked the Harris campaign to clarify her position, and whether she would sign or veto a bill she co-sponsored in 2019 that included such a mandate for manufacturers. </li><li>On Tuesday afternoon, Harris' campaign ultimately declined to comment.</li></ul><p><strong>Trump has falsely claimed </strong>that Biden has already instituted such a mandate, but the current administration has pushed the adoption of EVs through a combination of tough <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-19/trump-vows-action-to-end-electric-vehicle-mandate-on-day-one" target="_blank">regulations and financial incentives</a>.</p><ul><li>It remains unclear how a Harris administration would deal with climate-related rules for automobiles. </li></ul><p><strong>Flashback:</strong> As a senator from California, <a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/senator-merkley-congressman-levin-introduce-major-legislation-to-transition-america-to-100-zero-emission-vehicles-2019/" target="_blank">Harris co-sponsored the Zero-Emissions Act in 2019,<strong> </strong></a>which would require by 2040 that 100% of new passenger vehicle sales in the U.S. release no greenhouse gases.</p><ul><li>Only electric and hydrogen vehicles currently fit that criteria. The bill didn't pass.</li></ul><p><strong>During her 2020 campaign</strong>, Harris promised to go further and implement an "accelerated model" of the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20191203230607/https%3A/kamalaharris.org/policies/climate/full-policy/" target="_blank">according to her archived website.</a></p><ul><li>She proposed requiring "50% of all new passenger vehicles sold are zero-emission by 2030, and 100% are zero-emission by 2035."</li><li>Harris also pledged that all new buses, heavy-duty vehicles and auto fleets would be "zero-emission" by 2030, according to her website.</li><li>Her plan to transition the economy to combat climate change would cost $10 trillion over 10 years through public and private money, her 2020 campaign said then.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/kamala-harris-cnn-interview-democrats" target="_blank">Harris told CNN last week</a> that her "values have not changed" even if some specific policy ideas have.</p><ul><li>Harris said she no longer thought it was necessary to ban fracking because as vice president she has seen that "we can grow and we can increase a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking."</li></ul><p><strong>Trump and business interest groups</strong> are hitting Harris for her past stances on EV and her plans to combat climate change.</p><ul><li>American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers<a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/23/harris-swing-state-ev-attack-ad-campaign" target="_blank"> recently launched a $3 million swing state ad buy</a> targeting Harris, arguing that "there may be someone new in the driver's seat, but the destination is the same: a ban on most new gas cars."</li><li>The group cited Harris' 2019 positions.</li></ul>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> has been barnstorming the country pledging "<a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/25/trump-eliminate-taxes-tips-restaurant-workers-wages" target="_blank">no taxes on tips</a>" for waiters, bartenders and others in the service industry as he tries to rally working-class voters to his side. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The former president's plan has been praised by some culinary workers. That's a change for Trump, whose administration twice proposed tip rules that many of those workers opposed. </p><hr /><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Trump's Labor Department pushed rules that restaurant owners favored, and that unions and other groups representing workers fought. </p><ul><li>The Trump administration set off a firestorm in 2017 when its Labor Department proposed allowing tipped employees to share, or "pool," their tips with coworkers who didn't get tips. </li><li>Proponents of the 2017 plan argued it was a way to share the higher wages that servers make, thanks to tips<strong>,</strong> with lower-paid workers who don't deal with customers. </li><li>Many tipped workers saw it as a pay cut and as a way for employers to control or even take their tips. Labor advocates called it "tip stealing." </li></ul><p><strong>Restaurants have wanted </strong>to get their hands on all the tip money coming into their establishments for years, says Heidi Shierholz, president of the progressive Economic Policy Institute. With Trump as president, "they finally found an administration that would do it for them."</p><ul><li>Casino magnate Steve Wynn, a longtime friend and ally of Trump, has long pushed <a href="https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/as-the-trump-administrations-reverses-tip-policy-the-pendulum-swings-back-toward-the-employer" target="_blank">for pooling tips in his casinos</a> and was represented in a case over the issue by lawyer <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/eugene-scalia-has-defended-wall-street-walmart-and-seaworld-now-hes-trumps-pick-for-labor-secretary/2019/07/19/6f2819f0-aa55-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html" target="_blank">Eugene Scalia</a>, who later became Trump's Labor Secretary. </li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Trump's pledge to eliminate taxes on tips has been politically potent. Republicans and Democrats are now embracing their own proposals — without providing many details on how they'd make up for <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/21/trump-tips-no-taxes-strategy-2024-election" target="_blank">hundreds of billions</a> in lost tax revenue. </p><ul><li>Weeks after Trump announced his policy, Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> put forth her own no-tax-on-tips plan.</li><li>Trump's hoping the plan will help him in swing states — particularly Nevada, home to an estimated 350,000 hospitality workers, many of whom receive tips. The Culinary Workers Union there <a href="https://x.com/Culinary226/status/1822062988297412898?lang=en" target="_blank">endorsed Harris</a>, however.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> Like Wynn, many business owners favored Trump's pooling proposal because they saw it as a way to raise worker pay without having to shell out more money.<strong> </strong></p><ul><li>That's partly why the restaurant industry likes Trump's latest proposal to eliminate taxes on tips.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>The outcry over the tip-pooling rule grew so intense during the Trump years, with hundreds of thousands of comments on the Labor Department's website, that Congress stepped in.</p><ul><li>As part of a bigger bill in 2018, lawmakers clarified that employers could not take workers' tips.</li><li>That law remains in force today. The rest of Trump's proposal — allowing workers to pool tips — is policy today as well.</li></ul><p><strong>Follow the money:</strong> Toward the end of his time in office, Trump's Labor Department made another move, again backed by the restaurant industry, that upset some tipped workers.</p><ul><li>The agency proposed doing away with the so-called 80-20 policy, a longstanding department guideline that says if tipped workers spend more than 20% of their time on work that doesn't earn tips — such cleaning and restocking — they have to be paid the full minimum wage, instead of the much lower minimum pay that tipped workers get.</li><li>Restaurant owners wanted to get rid of 80-20 because it required them to track employees' time — and made the time workers spent on cleanup or restocking more expensive.</li><li>Violations, considered wage theft, have cost employers in court settlements that have reached into the millions.</li></ul><p><strong>For the record: </strong>Trump's move against 80-20 never took effect, and President's Biden Labor Department re-instated and strengthened it in 2021. But it was challenged in court. </p><ul><li>Just last month, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated the rule nationwide.</li><li>The Biden administration hasn't said whether it will appeal.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"President Trump's No Tax on Tips policy will keep money in the pockets of our great hospitality workers who've been greatly hurt by Kamala Harris' disastrous economic policies," Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Axios.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/business/elon-musk" target="_self">Elon Musk's</a> Starlink said Tuesday it will comply with a Brazil court order to block access after all in the country to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that's controlled by the billionaire.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Starlink has been caught in the crosshairs of a misinformation vs. freedom of speech battle between Brazilian Supreme Court Justice <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/brazil-x-ban-elon-musk-threat" target="_self">Alexandre de Moraes</a> and Musk's X.</p><hr /><ul><li>Brazilian telecom agency Anatel <a href="https://g1.globo.com/politica/politico/noticia/2024/09/01/starlink-informa-ao-presidente-da-anatel-que-nao-vai-cumprir-decisao-de-moraes-sobre-suspensao-do-x.ghtml?UTM_SOURCE=copiar-url&UTM_MEDIUM=share-bar-app&UTM_CAMPAIGN=materias" target="_blank">told</a> media Sunday that Starlink <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/starlink-tells-brazil-regulator-it-will-not-comply-with-x-suspension-2024-09-02/" target="_blank">informed</a> the regulator that it wouldn't comply with the order to block X until officials released the internet satellite business' assets that <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/brazil-starlink-x-shutdown" target="_blank">Moraes froze</a> as he sought to make Musk's social media company comply with a separate order.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>"Regardless of the illegal treatment of Starlink in freezing of our assets, we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil," wrote Starlink, which has over 200,000 customers in Latin America's largest nation, in <a href="https://x.com/Starlink/status/1831053118265843722" target="_blank">a post</a> to X Tuesday.</p><ul><li>An Anatel spokesperson confirmed to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/starlink-says-its-complying-with-order-block-access-x-brazil-2024-09-03/" target="_blank">Reuters</a> that day that Starlink had begun to block access to X in Brazil.</li></ul><p><strong>Context: </strong>X has been <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/31/elon-musk-x-brazil-block-twitter" target="_blank">banned in Brazil </a>since last Saturday after it violated legal requirements by failing to appoint by a court-imposed deadline a legal representative for the social media platform in the country, which is required for matters including the takedown of accounts.</p><ul><li>A Brazilian Supreme Court panel has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/brazil-x-ban-elon-musk-supreme-court" target="_blank">upheld Moraes' ruling</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Meanwhile,</strong> Moraes froze Starlink's accounts in an effort to cover X's fines that exceed $3 million on the grounds the two firms are "part of the same economic group," <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-starlink-x-block-compliance-musk-supreme-court-moraes-d09dfe4c6fbfacf303968fe44bcd0ab1" target="_blank">per AP</a>, which reports that Starlink is appealing the action.</p><ul><li>Musk, who has a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/elon-musk-spacex-loan-269a2168" target="_blank">controlling</a> stake in Starlink, has <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1829307275309093121" target="_blank">countered</a> that the two companies are "completely different companies with different shareholders."</li></ul><p><strong>Flashback: </strong>X <a href="https://x.com/GlobalAffairs/status/1824819053061669244" target="_blank">closed</a> its Brazil offices last month and both the company and Musk have accused Moraes of "censorship" and "<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1829624142452195334" target="_blank">destroying</a>" free speech over his orders, which <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/08/elon-musk-brazil-court-order-judge-inquiry" target="_blank">stem from the judge's investigations</a> into misinformation and hate speech that led to him <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/musk-challenges-brazils-order-block-certain-x-accounts-2024-04-07/" target="_blank">ordering</a> certain X accounts to be blocked.</p><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/brazil-x-twitter-elon-musk" target="_blank">Brazil judge orders suspension of X amid standoff with Musk</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with further context.</em></p>
<p>A new gun rights group is launching a six-figure ad buy in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, focusing on the millions of Americans who became gun owners during and after the <a href="https://www.axios.com/health/coronavirus" target="_blank">COVID</a> pandemic.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/30/supreme-court-nra-1st-amendment-lawsuit" target="_blank">NRA</a> — the longtime premier gun-rights group in the U.S. — cut its political spending from $54 million in <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cycle=2016&cmte=National+Rifle+Assn" target="_blank">2016</a> to $29 million in <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2020?cmte=National+Rifle+Assn" target="_blank">2020</a>, according to OpenSecrets data. It has reserved $1.3 million in ad spending in 2024, according to AdImpact.</p><hr /><ul><li>The Secure Our Freedom Alliance, a 501(c)4 organization, isn't looking to compete with existing firearm groups, but wants to fill what it sees as an urgent need to address gun owners this election cycle. </li><li>By some estimates, post-pandemic, there are <a href="https://www.nssf.org/articles/since-2020-election-new-gun-owners-equal-population-of-florida/" target="_blank">some 22 million new gun owners</a>. </li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>The goal is to convince new gun owners, especially women and minorities, that their rights are under attack by the Biden administration and progressive politicians.</p><ul><li>"Our purpose is to win the hearts and minds of the American public to protect the right to self-defense," said Chris Cox, a senior adviser to the new group and the NRA's former political director and chief lobbyist.</li><li>"Every American family has a right to protect themselves and their homes from violent criminals, and the right to choose the method of self-defense they deem best," he said.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> The NRA, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2017/10/10/556578593/the-nra-wasnt-always-against-gun-restrictions" target="_blank">founded after the Civil War</a>, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2021/01/15/nra-bankruptcy-restructuring-texas" target="_blank">declared bankruptcy</a> in 2021 and tried to reincorporate in Texas. </p><ul><li>But its influence <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-nra-is-at-rock-bottomand-15-years-of-tax-filings-tell-the-story" target="_blank">and its revenue</a> has dwindled.</li><li>Along with robust advertising and lobbying campaigns, the NRA's president, Wayne LaPierre, was also spending lavishly on clothing and travel, inviting a lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) for improperly using charitable contributions.</li><li>LaPierre <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/01/06/nra-wayne-lapierre-resigns-trial" target="_blank">resigned</a> from the organization in January of this year. In February, he was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/02/23/nra-verdict-wayne-lapierre-trial/" target="_blank">found liable</a> for misspending $5.4 million of the group's money by a New York jury.</li></ul><p><strong>What they are saying:</strong> "Between now and November, NRA will be strategically targeting key states to reelect President Trump and stop Kamala Harris from taking her radical gun confiscation agenda to the Oval Office," said Doug Hamlin, NRA executive vice president and CEO, in a statement to Axios.</p><ul><li>"We will be engaging with our millions of members and gun owners to elect pro-freedom candidates up and down the ballot," he said.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> The ads by the new group are directed at younger voters, as well as women and minority gun owners, with an emphasis on self-defense.</p><ul><li>"Our neighborhood, it's not so good," says the mother <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJUvHB4tBLg" target="_blank">in one 30-second commercial</a>, as she's tucking her daughter into bed.</li><li>"She is my responsibility and I will protect her," she says, locking away a handgun on her nightstand.</li></ul><p>Another <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QefeJSaF110" target="_blank">ad shows</a> a young woman at the shooting range with her father. She then holsters her pistol and heads out on a run by herself.</p><ul><li>"As a woman, I made the decision to always be ready." she says. "To carry a gun is my freedom and my right."</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> "We are going to make the case to the American public that he [Biden] is wrong, anti-gun liberals are wrong, and that the right to self-defense is fundamental to every law-abiding American," Cox said.</p>
<p>Former <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">President Trump</a> on Tuesday lost his bid to move his hush money case from New York state courts to federal jurisdiction. </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Trump is due to be sentenced later this month in the case, in which he was found guilty on all <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/30/trump-guilty-new-york-criminal-trial" target="_blank">34 felony counts</a> of falsifying business records to conceal payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The ruling means the case will remain with state Judge Juan Merchan.</p><hr /><ul><li>Trump unsuccessfully tried to argue Merchan was <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/14/trump-hush-money-case-judge-recusal-sentencing" target="_blank">biased against him</a>. His lawyers are also trying to get sentencing moved to after the election.</li><li>"It would be highly improper for this Court to evaluate issues of bias, unfairness or error in the state trial," federal Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein wrote. "Those are issues for the state appellate courts."</li><li>Trump's argument that Merchan was biased was based in part on the fact that his daughter had donated to Democrats, including to Vice President Kamala Harris during her presidential run in 2019.</li></ul><p><strong>What's inside: </strong>Hellerstein also rejected Trump's request for a new assessment of how a recent Supreme Court decision shielding presidents from <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/01/trump-supreme-court-immunity-decision" target="_blank">legal liability for official acts</a> relates to the hush money case.</p><ul><li>"Nothing in the Supreme Court's opinion affects my previous conclusion that the hush money payments were private, unofficial acts, outside of the bounds of executive authority," Hellerstein wrote.</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>Earlier Tuesday, prosecutors had <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/trump-sentencing-hush-money-delay" target="_blank">opposed Trump's request</a> that sentencing in the case, currently scheduled for Sept. 18, be halted until his request to kick the case up to a federal court be resolved.</p><ul><li>Merchan is expected to decide soon whether the GOP presidential nominee will be sentenced before or after the election.</li><li>Trump's convictions carry the possibility of prison time, but many legal analysts believe Merchan will opt for a less severe penalty.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said in an emailed statement that there "should be no sentencing" in the N.Y. state case and pointed to the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/01/trump-supreme-court-immunity-decision" target="_blank">Supreme Court ruling</a> that presidents have immunity for "official acts."</p><ul><li>"As mandated by the United States Supreme Court, this case, along with all of the other Harris-Biden Hoaxes, should be dismissed," Cheung said.</li><li>He said Trump and his legal team would "continue to fight" to move the case "into federal court where it should be put out of its misery once and for all." </li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/01/trump-gag-order-new-york-hush-money" target="_blank">Trump's hush money gag order stays in place after appeal</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung.</em></p>
<p>Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> will announce Wednesday a ten-fold expansion of the tax credit for starting a small business as part of a sweeping new economic plan.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>The ambitious proposal<strong> </strong>is a part of the Harris campaign's<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/kamala-harris-economy-biden-balancing-act" target="_blank">delicate balancing act</a> on the economy, which seeks to defend President Biden's administration while also looking past it with new policies to help working- and middle-class Americans.</p><hr /><ul><li>Harris revealed an economic plan last month aimed at helping first-time homeowners and targeting price-gouging.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The latest proposal includes a tenfold increase in the tax deduction for starting a small business — from $5,000 to $50,000.</p><ul><li>In an effort to reduce taxes, new businesses will be allowed to wait to claim that deduction once they turn a profit.</li><li>The proposal also includes measures to cut red tape by developing a standard deduction for small businesses and reducing barriers to getting occupational licenses across state lines.</li><li>Harris is expected to pledge that one-third of federal contract dollars go to small businesses in her first term through the expansion of contract opportunities for rural and other underserved small businesses.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>The goal is to beat Biden's record of 19 million new small business applications with a goal of 25 million in Harris' first<strong> </strong>term.</p><ul><li>The rising number of <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/12/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-a-record-18-million-small-business-applications/" target="_blank">small business applications</a> has been a point of pride for Biden as proof the economy was healthier than the public gave him credit for, Axios' Hans Nichols reports.</li></ul><p><strong>Where it stands:</strong> The Harris campaign did not provide a cost estimate for its proposal, which would need congressional approval.</p><p><strong>What we're watching: </strong>Harris is expected to release details of the plan in a campaign speech in New Hampshire Wednesday.</p><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/kamala-harris-economy-biden-balancing-act" target="_blank">Inside Harris' delicate balancing act on the economy</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: The headline of this story was corrected to show Harris is readying a tax relief boost (not a tax boost).</em></p>
<p>A former deputy chief of staff in the New York governor's office was arrested on Tuesday and charged with acting as an agent of the <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/china" target="_blank">Chinese</a> Communist Party.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The FBI and Department of Justice have been warning for years about covert <a href="https://www.axios.com/2020/12/08/china-spy-california-politicians" target="_blank">Chinese efforts</a> to influence American politics. These charges are a particularly stark example.</p><hr /><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Prosecutors allege the aide, Linda Sun, altered public statements to match Beijing's preferred language, helped Chinese officials obtain travel visas, and thwarted outreach <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/27/us-congressional-visit-taiwan-defense-china" target="_blank">from Taiwan</a> — all while enriching herself "to the tune of millions of dollars."</p><ul><li>A Chinese-born U.S. citizen, Sun, 41, worked for Democratic governors Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul from 2012 to 2023. She held positions focusing on Asian American affairs and business development under Cuomo and was deputy chief of staff to Hochul.</li><li>She pleaded not guilty on Tuesday afternoon and was released on $1.5 million bond. Sun's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</li><li>A spokesperson for Hochul told Axios: "We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported her actions to law enforcement and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process."</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Among the allegations in the indictment unsealed Tuesday are that Sun:</p><ul><li>Prevented Taiwanese officials from having access to the governor's office;</li><li>Altered the language in statements praising Taiwan or referring to the persecution of China's Uyghur minority;</li><li>Attempted to help Chinese officials gain invitations or visas to visit the U.S.;</li><li>Arranged meetings for Chinese officials with the state government.</li></ul><p><strong>The prosecution also alleges</strong> that Sun and her husband Chris Hu, named as a co-defendant, "laundered the monetary proceeds of this scheme" to purchase a $3.6 million home in Long Island, a $1.9 million condo in Hawaii and a Ferrari. </p><ul><li>The alleged enrichment scheme involved "the facilitation of millions of dollars in transactions" for Hu's business in China. Hu also pleaded not guilty.</li></ul><p><strong>What's next</strong>: Their next court hearing was scheduled for Sept. 25.</p>
<p>California is home to six bellwether <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy" target="_blank">U.S. House races</a> that analysts say could help determine which party controls Congress in 2025.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Latinos make up roughly one in four <a href="https://naleo.org/COMMS/PRA/2024/NEF_Election_2024_Latino-Vote_Projections_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">California voters</a> this year — and hold an <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/11/central-california-latinos-us-house-control" target="_blank">even larger share</a> in some of the most competitive districts, meaning they're expected to play a crucial role in the six key races.</p><hr /><ul><li>The four main PACs devoted to House races — two Republican and two Democratic — have said they're planning to spend nearly $73 million on ads in California.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>A rematch between U.S<strong>. </strong>Rep. John Duarte (R) and former Democratic state lawmaker Adam Gray in California's 13th District in the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/11/central-california-latinos-us-house-control" target="_blank">Central Valley</a> is drawing the most eyeballs since it was decided by just a few hundred votes in 2022.</p><ul><li>Another rematch pits longtime U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R) against former federal prosecutor Will Rollins (D) in the <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_41st_Congressional_District_election,_2022" target="_blank">41st </a><a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_41st_Congressional_District_election,_2022" target="_blank">District in</a> the state's <a href="https://discoverie.com/" target="_blank">Inland Empire</a>.</li><li><a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_45th_Congressional_District" target="_blank">The 45th Congressional District</a> in Orange Country has incumbent U.S. Michelle Steel (R) pitted against Democratic challenger Derek Tran in a plurality-Asian American district where Democrats have a registration advantage.</li></ul><p><strong>Another closely watched </strong>rematch has U.S. Rep. David Valadao (R), a dairy farmer, facing up against Democratic former state lawmaker Rudy Salas in the San Joaquin Valley, the site of some of the most prominent<strong> </strong>Chicano farmworkers movements.</p><ul><li>In the suburbs north of Los Angeles, incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia (R) will compete with Democratic challenger George Whitesides, a former chief executive of space tourism company Virgin Galactic, to represent <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_27th_Congressional_District_election%2C_2024" target="_blank">the 27th Congressional District</a>.</li><li>State Sen. Dave Min (D) and Scott Baugh, a former GOP state Assembly leader, are facing off to replace U.S. Rep. <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Katie_Porter" target="_blank">Katie Porter</a> (D) in <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_47th_Congressional_District_election,_2024" target="_blank">the 47th </a><a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_47th_Congressional_District_election,_2024" target="_blank">District</a>, south of Los Angeles. </li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>The races are being closely watched because many of them lean Democratic and are districts President Biden won in 2020, according to an Axios analysis. </p><ul><li>Thomas Holyoke, a political science professor at California State University, Fresno, tells Axios that turnout in the races, especially among Latinos, will be crucial.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>Some Democratic-leaning Latino voters, especially in the Central Valley, don't have strong ties to the Democratic Party, making the races even more unpredictable, Holyoke says.</p><ul><li>"The main reason they have leaned Democratic" is because of the party's pro-immigrant stance, but now issues in agriculture, such as access to water, are top priority — and many see Republicans as owning that issue, he adds.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching: </strong>Holyoke says Vice President Kamala Harris, a former California attorney general, could give Democrats in close House races a minimal but decisive<strong> </strong>jolt after entering the presidential race.</p><p><strong><em><a href="https://www.axios.com/signup/latino" target="_blank">Subscribe to Axios Latino</a></em></strong><em><a href="https://www.axios.com/signup/latino" target="_blank"></a> to get vital news about U.S. Latinos and Latin America.</em></p>
<p>A House Homeland Security subcommittee said Friday it will hold the first congressional hearing on the global <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/19/crowdstrike-software-global-tech-outage" target="_blank">CrowdStrike</a> outage later this month.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The hearing will be a bellwether for how much trust CrowdStrike has lost both in Washington and among its own customers. </p><hr /><p><strong>State of play:</strong> Adam Meyers, senior vice president of counter adversary operations at CrowdStrike, will <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2024/08/30/media-advisory-chairmen-green-garbarino-announce-crowdstrike-witness-for-subcommittee-hearing-on-global-it-outage/" target="_blank">testify</a> before the House Homeland Security cybersecurity subcommittee Sept. 24. </p><ul><li>"While we can be thankful that this wasn't a cyberattack, this incident demonstrates the urgency of promoting cyber hygiene and resiliency amid increased threats," Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), chair of the committee, said in a statement. </li><li>CrowdStrike spokesperson Kevin Benacci said that the company is continuing to "actively and collaboratively work with relevant Congressional committees" and that other congressional work, such as briefings, "may be disclosed at members' discretion." </li></ul><p><strong>Catch up quick:</strong> Lawmakers originally <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/22/crowdstrike-outage-congress-hearing" target="_blank">called</a> on CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz to testify following the outage, which affected roughly 8.5 million Windows devices. </p><ul><li>Kurtz <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/crowdstrike-customers-delay-scrutinize-deals-after-global-it-outage" target="_blank">said</a> during an earnings call last week that customers are scrutinizing deals with the company more closely following the outage, which was caused by a faulty security update. </li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> CrowdStrike had built a lot of goodwill on Capitol Hill and throughout Washington over the years — and the upcoming hearing will be the first indicator of how well that goodwill has worked.</p><ul><li>So far, it seems the hearing will focus more on how CrowdStrike's outage was a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/23/crowdstrike-outage-it-security-dependency" target="_blank">wake-up call</a> for supply chain security overall. </li></ul>
<p>Policymakers are preparing for two very different outcomes if former President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> wins a second term: A world where he overhauls the U.S. approach to defending against nation-state hacks — and another where he leaves everything exactly as it is. </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The Republican presidential candidate has yet to present a detailed plan for how he'd approach key cyber issues like <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/12/16/hackers-us-water-supply" target="_blank">securing utilities</a> or combatting <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/07/us-uk-sanction-russian-cybercrime-gang" target="_blank">Russian ransomware</a>. </p><hr /><ul><li>However, a handful of conservative think tanks and advisers are already pushing specific policies, Axios has learned. </li><li>Some, like <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/27/biden-project-2025-trump-debate" target="_blank">Project 2025</a>, call for reworking key agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the U.S. Cyber Command. Others simply suggest Trump pursue voluntary cyber standards for companies, rather than mandatory regulations.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Iran's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/14/google-biden-harris-trump-iran-cyberattacks" target="_blank">hack</a> of Trump's re-election campaign last month will likely encourage him to further target Iran with sanctions and other retaliatory actions, a former government official told Axios.</p><ul><li>Trump is likely to shift offensive cybersecurity work from Russia and North Korea to China and Iran, the former government official added.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Cybersecurity has always been a bipartisan issue driven by nation-state threats rather than social or economic issues. Typical partisan lines don't always apply here. </p><ul><li>Trump has drawn a hard trade line with the European Union, but experts aren't sold on that tension spilling over into cyberspace — where international partnerships are essential to catch spies and ransomware gangs.</li><li>While Republican administrations have historically shied away from tough regulations, it's possible Trump could still impose basic cyber requirements for critical sectors in the name of national security, Brandon Pugh, policy director for the R Street Institute's cyber and emerging threats team, told Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>Flashback: </strong>The Biden administration kept many of the first Trump administration's national security and cybersecurity policies in place. </p><ul><li>The current TikTok <a href="https://www.axios.com/2020/08/07/trump-order-ban-tiktok-45-days" target="_blank">ban</a> started as an idea under Trump (although Trump now says he would attempt to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/09/tiktok-ban-trump-republicans" target="_blank">rescind it</a> if elected). </li><li>CISA was created during the first Trump administration, and many marquee federal cyber events, like the <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/presidents-cup-cybersecurity-competition" target="_blank">President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition</a>, started under his term. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Some experts are citing ideas included in Project 2025 to piece together what a second Trump presidency agenda would look like.</p><ul><li>But the roadmap goes further than the official GOP party line. For instance, it calls for abolishing the Department of Homeland Security and rehousing CISA within the Department of Transportation.</li><li>The State Department would also be encouraged to help the military go "on offense" against adversaries, rather than focus on deterring cyber threats.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but:</strong> It's highly unlikely that Trump would pursue all of Project 2025's ideas.</p><ul><li>But experts are wary of completely discounting the whole plan, considering the former president's track record of bold actions and unpredictability.</li><li>The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment. </li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>The course of Trump's cyber policy agenda will likely be set by how the former president addresses the role of CISA and how he approaches diplomatic relationships with Taiwan, experts say. </p><ul><li>In 2020, Trump infamously fired the then-CISA director for saying the November election wasn't rigged. Now, experts say they could see Trump choosing to appoint a new director who would advocate for defunding the agency's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/20/cisa-election-security-deepfakes" target="_blank">election disinformation work</a>. </li><li>On Taiwan, Trump <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-trump-interview/" target="_blank">told Bloomberg</a> in an interview in July that he's lukewarm on the idea of defending Taiwan from a potential Chinese invasion — a sharp departure from much of the current intelligence community's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/14/china-volt-typhoon-hacking-threats" target="_blank">work</a> and preparations. </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> "You could wind up seeing a very ad hoc approach to international engagement on cybersecurity in the Trump 2.0 [administration]," Andrew Howell, a cyber lobbyist at Monument Advocacy, told Axios. </p><ul><li>"Expecting the U.S. to engage regional blocs is probably an unrealistic expectation in the first year of the Trump administration."</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>No matter who wins in November, experts anticipate that the White House will take an opportunity next year to evaluate how best to pursue critical infrastructure regulations.</p><ul><li>The U.S. Supreme Court's recent <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/02/chevron-scotus-biden-cyber-regulations" target="_blank">ruling</a> axing Chevron deference, which gave legal preference to executive agencies to interpret the laws they enforce, has already complicated some of these regulation efforts.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching:</strong> Most of Trump's advisers on cybersecurity likely aren't going to come back for a second administration — creating an opportunity for a new set of characters. </p>
<p>Economic forecasters are pretty accurate when they project where things are headed in the near term — but are overconfident in their ability to see around the corner to what the world will look like a year or two out.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>This finding, from a New York Fed piece <a href="https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2024/09/are-professional-forecasters-overconfident/" target="_blank">out Tuesday</a> based on decades of professional forecasters' predictions, has philosophical implications for anyone who finds themselves needing to predict the future.</p><ul><li>Even among the people paid to offer rigorous, methodical economic projections, it is easy to be overconfident by underestimating how much underlying conditions can change over long time periods.</li></ul><hr /><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Economist Marco Del Negro analyzed the Philadelphia Fed's Survey of Professional Forecasters from 1982 to 2022. He looked at the forecasters' confidence level in their outlook for growth and inflation — as measured by the odds they placed on economic results significantly different from their forecast.</p><ul><li>In other words, he looked not just at how accurate or inaccurate the forecasters were but at whether they had appropriately large error bands <em>around</em> their forecast.</li><li>It is a test not of whether the forecasters were right or wrong but of whether they were overconfident.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>For time periods of less than a year, the forecasters were actually <em>underconfident.<strong> </strong></em>That is, they had wider error bands around their projections than were ultimately justified by events.</p><ul><li>But for periods of one to two years, they were significantly <em>overconfident, </em>putting too-low odds on outcomes significantly diverging from their forecast.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>This finding jibes with a concept we've been thinking about in other realms, whether it's forecasting financial markets, geopolitics or anything else.</p><ul><li>Over short time frames, it is possible to have a pretty good handle on the range of possibilities. Over longer time frames, the world can evolve in ways that are more radically different from what our puny brains can imagine.</li><li>In the political realm, for example, it is one thing to place odds on either former President Trump or Kamala Harris winning the November election. But if you think you can reasonably predict what the political landscape will look like in 2028, you're probably wrong (ask anyone who in 2015 was certain the next president would be either Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton).</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>This thinking can result in a nobody-knows-nothin' kind of nihilism. The reality is that in many pursuits, you have to forecast <em>something</em> to have some baseline.</p><ul><li>Companies have to project what demand will look like years down the road when deciding to build a factory. Investors must decide how to allocate their retirement portfolios.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>The lesson of this finding isn't that we must never write down what we expect to happen far in the future. It's that we must do so from a position of intellectual modesty, and be ready to update assumptions as the facts change.</p>
<p>Dogs may not have anything to eat, but students could feel less stress if <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/28/snapchat-teacher-resource-teens" target="_blank">more schools reconsider</a> their homework assignment policies.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Conversations about the value of homework in education have simmered for years, but students' <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/16/youth-mental-health-crisis-emergency" target="_blank">mental health</a> struggles and artificial intelligence have pushed it to the forefront.</p><hr /><ul><li>37% of 13-year-old students said they had "no homework assigned" on the day before a National Center for Education Statistics <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_221.30.asp" target="_blank">survey</a> in 2023.</li><li>In 2020, that figure was 29%. In 2012, it was 21%.</li></ul><p><strong>Case in point: </strong>Butterfield Canyon Elementary School in Herriman, Utah, has had a no-homework policy since 2020. </p><ul><li>"It helps increase the overall social-emotional health of our students because they're not so focused, especially at the elementary level, just on 'academic, academic, academic,'" Jay Eads, the school's principal, told Axios. </li><li>"They're able to explore other aspects of their life, which they should be doing at this developmental stage." </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>While students have shown some improvement in mental health metrics since the pandemic, overall wellbeing has not reduced to pre-2020 levels, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p><ul><li>67% of high school students cited homework load as a major source of stress in a <a href="https://challengesuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Challenge-Success-Homework-White-Paper-2020.pdf" target="_blank">2020 survey</a> led by Stanford researchers for nonprofit Challenge Success.</li><li>The percentage increased to 80% among those doing three or more hours of homework daily.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>The correlation between homework and academic achievement is hard to measure, Stanford education researcher Denise Pope said. </p><ul><li>With younger students, there's less research showing homework improves academics, Pope said. But reading for pleasure has been linked to higher achievement in those early grades. </li><li>For older students, decreasing homework loads also helps level the field for employed students or those managing familial responsibilities, Pope said.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>Artificial intelligence chat bots can provide homework help. Optimistically, these bots can help students, like a tutor would. Or, just give answers.</p><ul><li>19% of teens said they've used ChatGPT to help with their school work, according to a <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/05/15/a-quarter-of-u-s-teachers-say-ai-tools-do-more-harm-than-good-in-k-12-education/" target="_blank">Pew survey</a> this year. Older high school students use it more often.</li><li>69% said it's acceptable to use to research new topics; 39% said it's acceptable to use AI to solve math problems; and 20% said it's acceptable to use to write essays.</li><li>"You want to be able to have kids at least allegedly want to do the work and therefore not turn to AI" for cheating, Pope said. That's especially important given discussions over the value of learning and how AI could help or impede it, she added. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Katie Trowbridge, who taught high school students in Naperville, Illinois, for 23 years, didn't assign homework on the weekends. She saw that as a time to "learn through experiences," she said.</p><ul><li>As president of Curiosity 2 Create, which provides educators with professional development, she's witnessed teachers become increasingly intentional about assignments.</li><li>This could mean assigning five math problems instead of 20 — or asking questions to foster creative and critical thinking rather than a simple answer. </li><li>"Am I giving homework so that I am keeping my administrators happy because I have to give homework?" Trowbridge posed as a hypothetical question. "Or am I giving homework because it is a meaningful exercise that kids need to do in order to establish learning and extend learning?"</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching: </strong>A bill passed by California's legislature on Saturday and now awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature<strong> </strong>would recommend school districts evaluate the mental and physical health impacts of homework assignments.</p><ul><li>Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo proposed the bill after her daughter asked her if she could "ban homework" when elected. Schiavo realized the fourth grader's request had some merit.</li><li>"As a single mom, I only have a couple of hours with my kid at night before they have to go to bed," said Schiavo, whose daughter is now in seventh grade. "Spending most of that struggling to get homework done creates a lot of stress on a family."</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2024/08/21/christian-pearson-ohio-18-year-old-delegate-dnc-democratic-national-convention" target="_blank">Homework is on hold for 18-year-old DNC delegate</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/07/tiktok-bytedance-gauth-education-ai-app" target="_blank">Popular AI homework helper Gauth shares owner with TikTok</a></li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: The story has been updated to reflect the bill has passed and is awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature. It has also been updated with additional quotes from Stanford education researcher Denise Pope.</em></p>
<p>A Chinese <a href="https://www.axios.com/2019/09/25/spamouflage-dragon-china-hongkong-social-media-campaign" target="_blank">influence operation</a> of inauthentic social media accounts to spread anti-Western sentiment is using fake accounts posing as American citizens ahead of the 2024 election, a report released Tuesday found.</p><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Americans have been inundated by media manipulated by <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/28/us-disinformation-china-russia-iran" target="_blank">China, Russia and Iran</a> in recent years<strong> </strong>attempting to deepen stateside divisions as the election approaches.</p><hr /><ul><li>The Chinese state-linked disinformation campaign known as "Spamouflage" has used increasingly aggressive tactics in its attempts to influence American online discourse, intelligence company Graphika reported.</li><li>Some of the most recent political content was "almost certainly AI-generated," the report found.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Graphika has monitored the operation's use of fake and hijacked accounts since 2019, describing the network to be "<a href="https://public-assets.graphika.com/reports/graphika_report_spamouflage.pdf" target="_blank">ultimately low impact</a>" five years ago and stating in its most recent report that the campaign rarely directly mentioned U.S. elections in 2020.</p><ul><li>But prior to the 2022 midterms, those accounts started to engage with election-related topics, the report found. Since mid-2023, those efforts have only deepened, with Spamouflage pages amplifying content criticizing candidates, casting doubt on the electoral progress and delving into sensitive issues such as gun control and the Israel-Hamas war.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in</strong>: Graphika identified 15 accounts on X and one on TikTok claiming to be Americans or U.S.-focused activists, as well as one cross-platform persona posing as an inauthentic media outlet. </p><ul><li>At least five accounts Graphika observed explicitly<strong> </strong>claimed to be American voters, soldiers or someone who "love(s) America" but had grown disappointed with the U.S. government and the Biden administration.</li><li>Harlan Report, a cross-platform account purporting as a U.S. conservative media outlet and influencer that amplified pro-Trump content, garnered significant audiences online compared to other Spamouflage pages, with one post mocking President Biden collecting 1.5 million views, per the report.</li><li>The account shifted personas on its X account several times: posing as a New York-based veteran critical of Biden, a 29-year-old Trump supporter with a likely AI-generated profile picture and, most recently, a 31-year-old Republican influencer based in Florida. TikTok has banned the Harlan Report, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/beijing-backed-trolls-target-u-s-voters-as-election-nears-4f22430c" target="_blank">reported</a>, as well as the account has been suspended on X.</li></ul><p><strong>Case in point:</strong> One persona that typically presents as a pro-China outlet called "Deep Red" rebranded one of its X accounts to "Common fireman" and has recently focused that page's content on U.S. political issues.</p><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>Since at least 2017, Spamouflage has used thousands of accounts to share low quality content across more than 50 platforms and websites, an Institute for Strategic Dialogue <a href="https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/pro-ccp-spamouflage-campaign-experiments-with-new-tactics-targeting-the-us/" target="_blank">report</a> published in April found.</p><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>While the ISD's 2024 findings detailed four accounts mimicking Trump supporters — part of a tactic dubbed "MAGAflage" — the latest Graphika report built on that research and presented a broader lineup: Several posts criticized the former president, a method tied to a broader goal to exacerbate social divisions.</p><ul><li>The monitored accounts worked together and with the wider campaign network to amplify posts and content, Graphika found.</li><li>"In conjunction with ISD's analysis, our findings suggest that Spamouflage's attempts to pose as U.S. users are more expansive than previously reported," Graphika's key findings read.</li></ul><p><strong>Thought bubble:</strong> Chinese influence operations have tried many of these tactics before, <em>Axios' Sam Sabin</em> writes.</p><ul><li>The real test is whether any of these social media narratives will actually stick and spur the division that Beijing wants to see.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/30/openai-misinformation-china-israel-russia-iran" target="_blank">OpenAI says its tools were used in foreign influence campaigns</a></p>
<p>Kamala Harris on Monday said in a speech that she opposes Nippon Steel's planned <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/12/18/us-steel-nippon-japan-sale" target="_self">$14.9 billion acquisition</a> of U.S. Steel, arguing that the iconic Pittsburgh steelmaker "should remain American-owned and American-operated."</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>This could put further pressure on the CFIUS -— the federal government group that reviews foreign takeovers — to recommend the deal be blocked on national security grounds.</p><hr /><ul><li>It also gives some insight into how a President Harris would seek to govern, and bolsters her labor union bonafides.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Japan-based<strong> </strong>Nippon has received all regulatory approvals outside of the U.S., and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/nippon-steel-make-additional-investment-us-steels-mills-2024-08-29/" target="_blank">last week pledged</a> to invest another $1.3 billion into U.S. Steel's two mills.</p><ul><li>President Biden in March <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/14/us-steel-biden-nippon-japan" target="_blank">announced his opposition</a> to the deal, with Harris largely mirroring his language.</li><li>Donald Trump has said he'd stop the deal, if elected, except that it's scheduled to close prior to the inauguration.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>Both top presidential contenders are now aligned with Pennsylvania steelworkers on a key cause, but there could be unintended consequences were this deal to be stopped.</p><ul><li>Japan is a strong U.S. ally, raising questions about any national security justification by CFIUS, and U.S. investment firms are in the midst of their own Japan buying binge that could hang in the balance.</li></ul>
<p>Dow Jones on Tuesday will announce the formation of a new commercial venture called the Dow Jones Leadership Institute, which will provide <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/15/communications-role-increase-fortune1000" target="_blank">C-suite executives</a> with services to help navigate today's ever-changing business climate, including executive education and coaching, real-time data and analysis, and peer-to-peer information.</p><p><strong>The new unit</strong> will be led by Alan Murray, a long-time veteran of the Wall Street Journal who most recently served as CEO of Fortune Media.</p><hr /><ul><li>At Fortune, Murray authored a newsletter, CEO Daily, that catered to top executives. He oversaw Fortune's live conference expansion across new topics such as AI, health and new business leaders. </li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Under CEO Almar Latour's leadership for the past four years, Dow Jones has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/08/dow-jones-wall-street-journal-subscriptions-digital" target="_blank">doubled</a> its digital news subscription footprint. Latour hopes to build on that success by developing a stronger network among its readers in executive leadership roles. </p><ul><li>"Networks are built over time and with the right level of expertise and care. So that's how we're going to go about this. And I don't think there's anyone better than Alan to lead that," Latour told Axios. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Murray, whose title is president of Dow Jones Leadership Institute, will launch the new venture in 2025 and will report to Latour. </p><ul><li>Effectively immediately, he will take over Dow Jones' existing leadership services, which include the Wall Street Journal's suite of professional membership councils for chief executive officers, chief compliance officers, chief financial officers, chief marketing officers, etc.</li><li>Murray will oversee the growth of the Institute across new C-suite verticals and products that help members navigate current and future business challenges, like the rise of AI. </li><li>Other C-suite verticals that could make sense for this type of expansion are services that cater to other business leaders, such as chief human resource officers or chief technology officers. </li><li>"The ultimate measure of success will be that executives will see this as part of their way of doing business and staying engaged with us as they navigate the business world," Latour said.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out:</strong> The Institute is part of Dow Jones' mandate to become the go-to destination for business leaders and decision-makers, beyond high-quality news subscriptions to its outlets, such as the Wall Street Journal, Barron's, MarketWatch, Investor's Business Daily and Financial News. </p><ul><li>Dow Jones already offers information and professional services for executives across various business verticals, including <a href="https://www.dowjones.com/professional/energy-sustainability/" target="_blank">energy and sustainability</a> and <a href="https://www.dowjones.com/professional/risk/" target="_blank">risk and compliance</a>. It aims to replicate the success of those products for C-suite leaders.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> "This is fully in line with the strategy that we set in motion a few years ago and that we're concentrating on across the board at Dow Jones," Latour said. "We are here to help business professionals make decisions. And we serve them with expertise and in-depth analysis and high-quality networks."</p><p><strong>Go deeper:</strong> <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/08/dow-jones-wall-street-journal-subscriptions-digital" target="_blank">Dow Jones doubles digital subscriptions in four years</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/17/putin-russia-claimed-presidential-election" target="_blank">Russian President Putin</a> arrived in Mongolia Monday evening without incident — despite the host country being legally obligated to arrest him on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>This is Putin's first visit to an ICC member nation since the court issued a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/17/icc-war-crimes-cases-russia-ukraine" target="_blank">warrant for his arrest</a> last year for alleged war crimes in <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/axios-explains-ukraine" target="_blank">Ukraine</a>.</p><hr /><ul><li>The warrant has complicated Putin's international travel plans. He skipped a summit in South Africa last year after it was issued.</li><li>As an ICC member, Mongolia should have arrested Putin as soon as he arrived for the state visit.</li><li>The country could face legal consequences for defying its obligation to do so.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Putin is hardly flying under the radar on the trip. He <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/02/world/europe/putin-mongolia.html" target="_blank">kicked off</a> a series of meetings with Mongolian leaders on Tuesday with a welcome ceremony in the capital of Ulaanbaatar.</p><ul><li>During a meeting with Mongolian Parliament Speaker Dashzegviin Amarbayasgalan, Putin praised his hosts as "friendly" and "very loyal," Russian state news agency <a href="https://tass.com/politics/1837497" target="_blank">TASS</a> reported.</li><li>A Mongolian government spokesperson told <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/mongolia-failure-arrest-vladimir-putin-international-warrant-international-criminal-court/" target="_blank">Politico</a> that the country found itself in a difficult position given its energy dependence on Russia.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>The Kremlin said last week that it was not concerned about a potential arrest of Putin during the visit, <a href="https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/08/30/kremlin-unconcerned-over-possible-arrest-of-putin-during-mongolia-visit-a86204" target="_blank">The Moscow Times</a> reported.</p><ul><li>The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-mongolia-visit-icc-arrest-warran-b7676313dfb9d1933256bcce37d32752" target="_blank">ICC</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-mongolia-visit-icc-arrest-warran-b7676313dfb9d1933256bcce37d32752" target="_blank">European Commission</a> in recent days have both stressed Mongolia's legal obligations to execute the ICC arrest warrant.</li><li>The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a <a href="https://mfa.gov.ua/en/news/zayava-shchodo-informaciyi-pro-vizit-volodimira-putina-do-mongoliyi" target="_blank">statement</a> Friday that it "hopes that the Government of Mongolia is aware of the fact that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal."</li><li>"We call on the Mongolian authorities to execute the binding international arrest warrant and transfer Putin to the International Criminal Court in The Hague," it added.</li></ul><p><strong>Flashback: </strong>The ICC issued its arrest warrant for Putin in May 2023 over his alleged involvement in the abduction of Ukrainian children and teenagers.</p><p><strong>Go deeper:</strong> <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/03/22/russia-putin-war-crimes-icc-ukraine" target="_self">What counts as a war crime and why they're so hard to prosecute</a></p>
<p>It's astonishingly hard to change a name — as EY discovered on Thursday when employees around the world played the NYT's incredibly popular Connections game. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Large corporations often think that by changing their name, they can change how they're thought of. More common, however, is that the general public continues to think of them under their deprecated moniker. </p><hr /><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>The grouping connecting Gamble, Johnson, Noble, and Young was "second names in companies with ampersands."</p><ul><li>Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and Barnes & Noble are all indeed companies with ampersands. </li><li>EY, however, is not. It hasn't been Ernst & Young since <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130701005615/en/Mark-Weinberger-becomes-EY-Global-Chairman-and-CEO" target="_blank">July 2013</a>. </li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>A new name can't just be announced — it has to be seen repeatedly before people start getting used to it and maybe even start using it. </p><ul><li>That's why it's still rare to overhear conversations about Alphabet, Meta, or WW, years after those companies changed their names from Google, Facebook, and Weight Watchers, respectively. </li><li>WW also suffers from being much more difficult to pronounce — something it shares with EY, a very unnatural phonetic combination for English speakers. </li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>EY is not the only big accountancy company to have mixed success with a rebrand. PwC Consulting, an offshoot of PricewaterhouseCoopers, changed its name in 2002 to <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2002/06/10/news/companies/namechange/#:~:text=%22The%20PricewaterhouseCoopers%20brand%20has%20given,works%20hard%20to%20deliver%20results.%22" target="_blank">Monday</a> for about five minutes before it was sold to IBM, which immediately <a href="https://www.campaignlive.com/article/branding-pwc-defends-monday-ibm-removes-name/155266" target="_blank">scrapped</a> the new name. </p><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> Logos are relatively easy to change. Names, however, tend to live much longer. </p><ul><li>Just ask anybody flying into Newark Airport or crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge — both of which have officially changed their names without any effect on how they're generally referred to. </li></ul>
<div>Data: FactSet, YCharts; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals</div><p>Nvidia the company sits at the heart of an <a href="https://www.axios.com/technology/automation-and-ai" target="_blank">AI</a> revolution with the potential to transform or even destroy life as we know it. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/18/nvidia-most-valuable-company-microsoft" target="_blank">Nvidia</a> the stock, meanwhile, has become a meme around which the get-rich-quick dreams of degenerate gamblers are increasingly coalescing. </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> No other stock offers Nvidia's combination of immediate name recognition, enormous volatility, unrivaled liquidity, and, of course, <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/nvidia-party-stock-quarterly-earnings.html" target="_blank">meme value</a>.</p><hr /><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Most companies boasting profits of more than $15 billion per quarter are relatively mature and predictable — think <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/25/berkshire-hathaway-annual-letter-japan" target="_blank">Berkshire Hathaway</a>, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/31/saudi-aramco-stock-sale-economy-kingdom" target="_blank">Saudi Aramco</a>, or <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/26/apple-iphone-event-september-date" target="_blank">Apple</a>. Their profits this year will be broadly in line with their profits last year and next year. </p><ul><li>Nvidia, by contrast, had profits of $16.6 billion in the second quarter, an increase of more than $10 billion from the same period a year ago. </li><li>No one knows whether such profitability will collapse as the AI bubble bursts; will be sustained as AI reaches into ever-greater parts of our lives; or will continue to grow at an eye-watering pace for years to come. </li><li>That makes Nvidia stock almost impossible to value using traditional calculations. Working out the fundamental value of the stock — the present value of its future profits — requires plugging in estimates for future earnings that are realistically little more than blind guesses. </li></ul><p><strong>How it works: </strong>Every quarter, Nvidia's earnings — and its earnings calls — are scrutinized in real time for hints as to what they mean for the quarters and years to come, both in terms of financial performance and in terms of investor sentiment. </p><ul><li>Market dynamics also work to magnify the volatility of the stock. <a href="https://leverageshares.com/en/etps/leverage-shares-3x-nvidia-etp/" target="_blank">There</a> <a href="https://leverageshares.com/en/etps/leverage-shares-2x-nvidia-etp/" target="_blank">are</a> <a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/etf/nvdl" target="_blank">at</a> <a href="https://www.rexshares.com/nvdq/" target="_blank">least</a> <a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/etf/nvdy" target="_blank">10</a> <a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/etf/nvdu" target="_blank">ETFs</a> <a href="https://www.axsinvestments.com/nvds-data/" target="_blank">that</a> <a href="https://leverageshares.com/en/etps/leverage-shares-1x-nvidia-etp/" target="_blank">do</a> <a href="https://leverageshares.com/en/etps/leverage-shares-3x-short-nvidia-etp/" target="_blank">nothing</a> <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/3LNV.L/" target="_blank">but</a> trade Nvidia options on an intraday basis, for instance, appealing to investors who find Nvidia stock itself a bit boring yet who aren't part of the army of individuals who are trading Nvidia options themselves.</li></ul><p><strong>Follow the money: </strong>Night traders are the new day traders. Some of the wildest swings in the share price happen during the after-hours trading session — a place that sober institutional investors fear to tread, but that saw more than 44 million shares, collectively worth more than $5 billion, traded in a single hour on Wednesday afternoon.</p><ul><li>To put that in context, ExxonMobil sees about 13 million shares, worth about $1.5 billion, traded during a typical regular daytime session. </li><li>The total volume of off-hours Nvidia trading, after the market closed on Wednesday but before it reopened on Thursday, came to 110 million shares, worth about $13 billion — and that doesn't include options trades. </li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>In an era where the lines between gambling and investing are more <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/sports-betting-stock-market" target="_blank">blurred</a> than ever, Nvidia has claimed its place as not only as the defining company of the decade, but also as the defining meme stock of the year.<strong> </strong></p>
<p>Campaign sources tell Axios that despite having to defend past comments, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/16/trump-vp-pick-jd-vance-rnc" target="_blank">Sen. JD Vance</a> (R-Ohio) has signed up for a tough conversation with the N.Y. Times' "The Interview" podcast.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> It's part of a "come-at-me" media strategy by Vance, who has faced constant questions about "childless cat ladies" and other previous statements about women and parents.</p><hr /><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Vance, a Yale Law grad who always loved debate, invites questions from reporters on the trail — and plunges into hostile interviews — more often than any of the other three national candidates.</p><ul><li>Vance recently told his team he wants as many events as possible to include a press conference or press Q&A segment, a top adviser told Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>Inside the strategy: </strong>Vance's team says he's aiming to speak to the middle by engaging with outlets that reach beyond the MAGA base.</p><ul><li>"He can often be combative, but he's not trying to own the libs when he engages with the MSM — he's trying to persuade the middle," the adviser said.</li><li>In addition to exposure in legacy media, the MAGA base regularly sees Vance's press interactions go viral on X.</li></ul><p><strong>Reality check: </strong>It's not clear it's working. Vance was underwater in favorability — 32%-44% — in an <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/harris-trump-abc-news-ipsos-poll-convention-bounce-widens-gap-women/story?id=113246534" target="_blank">ABC News/Ipsos poll</a> out over the weekend.</p><ul><li>By contrast, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is seen favorably by a double-digit margin, 42%-31%.</li></ul><p><strong>By the numbers:</strong> Since being picked by President Trump, Vance has done 94 interviews, press conferences and gaggles with the media — and has actively courted adversarial outlets that Republicans often avoid.</p><ul><li>Vance has given nearly as many interviews to traditional media outlets as he has conservative media, according to a campaign count.</li><li>Vance did all five major Sunday shows in the past month, including three of them in one day.</li></ul><p><strong>Behind the scenes: </strong>Trump has been impressed with Vance in unscripted scenarios and has called him a "great political talent," a top campaign source says.</p><ul><li>"Vance's Combativeness May Vex Some Voters, but Trump Likes It," <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/31/us/politics/jd-vance-trump-vp.html?unlocked_article_code=1.H04.qwwS.B5p-pWPemW2E&smid=url-share" target="_blank">said a headline</a> on the front page of Monday's New York Times.</li></ul><p><strong>What's next: </strong>Vance is scheduled to join "The All In Podcast" — popular with the "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/30/us/politics/trump-politics-nelk-boys.html?unlocked_article_code=1.H04.YvdE.Lf1wVUaeqjMo&smid=url-share" target="_blank">tech bro</a>" crowd — and is in talks with NPR and other major podcasts.</p>
<p>Many first-year college students from different states, backgrounds and majors have one thing in common: <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/28/surgeon-general-parents-mental-health-advisory" target="_blank">stressed-out parents</a> struggling with the separation.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Parents have grown more involved in, and more anxious about, their kids' lives. That's changing the experience of going to college — and growing up.</p><hr /><ul><li>They’re using tech to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/22/parents-teens-location-tracking-college-adulthood" target="_blank">track their kids</a>, micromanaging orientation week and even having <a href="https://www.today.com/parents/teens/mom-college-dorm-room-sleepover-rcna166542" target="_blank">dorm sleepovers</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>Headlines and stats detailing a worsening teen <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/29/axios-event-americas-youth-mental-health-crisis" target="_blank">mental health crisis</a> and pandemic-induced <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/11/elementary-middle-school-students-math-reading-progress-stalled-pandemic" target="_blank">learning loss</a> are stressing parents out.</p><ul><li><strong>“When your kid</strong> is having stress or anxiety or depression and they’re living away from home, it’s heartbreaking,” says Lisa Heffernan, an author and the founder of a popular parent Facebook group called Grown and Flown.</li></ul><p><strong>On top of that,</strong> parents are just closer to their young adult kids than they used to be, she notes.</p><ul><li>41% of parents say their young adult children rely on them a fair amount or a great deal for emotional support, according to a Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/01/25/parents-relationship-with-their-young-adult-children/" target="_blank">survey</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>“Some parents are</strong> holding onto a level of involvement that’s maybe healthy for a toddler deep into their kids’ teen years, when it maybe becomes unhealthy,” says Mathilde Ross, a senior staff psychiatrist at Boston University. “All of the messages out there are, ‘Look out for this! Look out for that!’ There are no messages like, ‘Hey, your kid can do this.’”</p><ul><li>“So, for a lot of parents, it’s unclear where the off ramp is.”</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Parents’ stress is on display in online forums and Facebook groups— where parents are asking questions and offering emotional support to one another — as college students head back to school.</p><ul><li>"Sometimes I’m shocked at the level of what they’re asking about," says Jen Selby, who has two daughters in college in California. “Like, 'does my kid need shower shoes?’ I don’t know if the kids really need that help or if the parents just feel like they need to control everything.”</li><li>Parents ask about the minute-to-minute details of orientation, ask other parents for advice on their kids’ roommate woes and where to shop for basic toiletries.</li></ul><p><strong>Counterpoint: </strong>Part of parents’ micromanaging is just them missing their kids and wanting to do the little things for them, Heffernan says.</p><ul><li>And "if you're asking in a Facebook group, that means you’re not bugging your kid."</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>“It’s a little bit painful for parents when kids go to college because it feels like they fully move on with their lives,” Ross says.</p><ul><li>“What I want parents to know is that their college-age kids are constantly thinking about their parents, they just don’t show it. Whenever something really good or really bad happens, the first thing they’re thinking about is their parents.”</li></ul>
<p>The U.S. spends more on health care than almost anywhere else. But increasingly patients are getting less in return, and enduring long waits to get not as much face-time with their clinician.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Shrinkflation is hitting a sector that accounts for almost one-fifth of the economy, eroding the doctor-patient relationship and leaving many turning to urgent care clinics or telehealth services.<strong> </strong></p><hr /><ul><li>Some who can afford it are gravitating to concierge practices that offer fewer hoop jumps and more add-on services with office visits.</li></ul><p><strong>The latest: </strong>The trend is being felt especially in primary care, but also in many specialties.</p><ul><li>An <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/axios-ipsos-american-health-index" target="_blank">Axios-Ipsos survey</a> last month found that nearly one in five respondents said they had to wait more than two months to see a primary care physician or specialist, with waits trending longest in the Midwest.</li><li>NYC Health + Hospitals recently told primary care doctors to cut appointment times in half to 20 minutes, in order to squeeze in more patients, <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-public-hospital-doctors-ordered-to-shorten-appointments-to-see-more-patients" target="_blank">Gothamist</a> reported.</li><li>A spokesperson told Axios that the public health system is grappling with 50,000 more primary care patients who've been added since 2021. The average number of days to the third next available appointment jumped from 12 days to 22 days.</li></ul><p><strong>By the numbers: </strong>17% of patients had to wait one to three months for their latest doctor's appointment, per electronic health records company Tebra.</p><ul><li>The most frequently cited specialties with long wait times included neurology (26%), ear, nose, and throat (26%), psychiatry (20%), and OB/GYN (17%). Primary care stood at 19%. </li><li>43% of patients reported experiencing longer wait times for appointments since the pandemic, per the Tebra survey.</li><li>The surge in demand for in-person care since the crisis has been well-documented. AMN/Merritt Hawkins found that the average wait time for a physician appointment in 15 large metro markets surveyed in 2022 was 26 days, up from roughly 24 days in 2017, and about 21 days in 2004.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>This is what shrinkflation in healthcare looks like as the industry struggles with supply and demand issues, Robert Pearl, a Stanford University professor and former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group, told Axios.</p><ul><li>There's been across-the-board <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2024/07/29/healthcare-news-q2-hospital-earnings-hca-tenet/" target="_blank">growth in patient volumes</a> largely from pent-up demand for services many put off during the pandemic.</li><li>At the same time, tens of thousands of doctors have <a href="https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/healthcare-worker-exodus-physician-burnout-definitive/696769/" target="_blank">left the field</a> due to burnout and other factors, and surveys indicate even more plan to retire early.</li><li>Red tape around insurance and rising out-of-pocket costs are leaving patients frustrated and confused, and in some cases burdened by more medical debt. </li></ul><p><strong>"You're paying actually more</strong> for your health coverage, but you're not getting more. You're actually getting less," Pearl said.</p><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> Health systems say they are doing what they can to ramp up training, recruitment, and retention of doctors, but say that can only do so much. </p><ul><li>"I think we're seeing some improvement, but not a lot, even though we've hired a lot of new clinicians. I think there's just tremendous demand out there," Warner Thomas, CEO of Sacramento-based Sutter Health told Axios.</li><li>The health system hired 732 physicians and advanced practice clinicians in 2023 and plans to exceed that this year, already hiring 626 physicians and APCs through August 21. It is also expanding its graduate medical education to train new doctors, Thomas said. </li><li>But there still are big gaps, especially in primary care, which tends to pay less, and in outlying areas with smaller patient populations and bigger pools of uninsured people.</li></ul><p><strong>Technology and at-home</strong> care could fill in some of the holes, experts say.</p><ul><li>Sutter is investing in digital scheduling and other tools to speed up wait times for both appointments and referrals, Thomas added.</li><li>Renton, Washington-based Providence is also investing in technology to identify scheduling gaps and, for example, ensure that its surgical suites are running at full capacity, said chief financial officer Greg Hoffman.</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch:</strong> How much worse things will get. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0272609" target="_blank">Studies</a> have suggested patients who've had negative experiences with the health system are likelier to avoid coming back — a trend especially prevalent among minority groups.</p><ul><li>Concierge arrangements that charge a monthly retainer fee for more timely access are becoming more attractive to patients and doctors, Pearl said. </li><li>But that exacerbates inequities, creating "a vicious cycle, where each year the demand grows and the care becomes skimpier. As a result of that, the demand grows even faster."</li></ul>
<p>As kids of all ages head back to school, educators are still struggling to spot<strong> </strong>students who are letting chatbots write their reports for them.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Commercial <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/01/chatgpt-ai-detection-tools" target="_blank">AI text detection tools</a> — even those claiming high accuracy — still have some big flaws. </p><hr /><p><strong>Catch up quick:</strong> After the release of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/openai-chatgpt-200-million-weekly-active-users" target="_blank">ChatGPT</a>, teachers quickly realized that the plagiarism detection software they'd used before failed to work on student submissions that were generated by an AI system.</p><ul><li>Academics, startups and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/31/openai-chatgpt-detector-tool-machine-written-text" target="_blank">even OpenAI</a> itself began releasing <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/01/chatgpt-ai-detection-tools" target="_blank">genAI text detectors</a>, but none of those tools <a href="https://openai.com/index/new-ai-classifier-for-indicating-ai-written-text/" target="_blank">were very effective</a> either. </li><li>And the problem has gotten worse. </li><li>"As the technology to detect machine-generated text advances, so does the technology used to evade detectors," says University of Pennsylvania computer and information science professor Chris Callison-Burch. "It's an arms race."</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Callison-Burch and a team of researchers created a system for benchmarking the tools that claim to detect machine-generated text and found that many of the claims made by text detectors are "<a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.07940" target="_blank">too good to be true</a>."</p><ul><li>Using a tool they called RAID, Callison-Burch and his team found that current detectors don't work as well as they claim, and can easily be fooled. </li><li>Aside from the checkers not flagging AI-generated text, the researchers found many of the tools flagged content that was actually written by a human.</li></ul><p><strong>It's a conundrum, </strong>Callison-Burch told Axios, because as a professor he doesn't want to falsely accuse any student of cheating with ChatGPT. </p><ul><li>But he found that a low false positive rate for a text checker also means the tool is less accurate at being able to spot AI-generated text.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/14/google-watermark-ai-text" target="_blank">Google announced</a> a new technique for watermarking text so that it can <a href="https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/watermarking-ai-generated-text-and-video-with-synthid/" target="_blank">later be identified</a> as AI-generated, but there hasn't been an update to the tool since then. Google did not respond to a request for comment. </p><ul><li>Callison-Burch thinks watermarking is an "excellent idea," but it's an insufficient tool against student plagiarism since it requires widespread adoption by AI companies. </li><li>Sophisticated users could also download open-source AI software that will let them generate text without watermarks, Callison-Burch told Axios.</li><li><a href="https://openai.com/index/understanding-the-source-of-what-we-see-and-hear-online/" target="_blank">OpenAI</a> has also developed a text watermarking method, but has not released it yet. A spokesperson told Axios its tool is "technically promising," but also has "important risks" that the company is weighing while researching alternatives. </li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>As teachers start their third year fearing ChatGPT-generated text, many are rethinking their genAI abstinence polices.</p><ul><li>The popular AI writing assistant Grammarly is trying to solve the cheating problem by making it easier to disclose the use of genAI in writing.</li><li>The company says it's launching a beta of a tool called Authorship for all Grammarly customers later this month. But don't call it an AI text detector, Authorship's product marketing manager, Cliff Archey, told Axios. </li><li>Instead, Authorship allows students to "show their work" as math teachers have been asking for since the dawn of the calculator. </li><li>The tool labels sections of a document that were typed by a user and those that were cut and pasted from ChatGPT, other chatbots or other sources. </li></ul><p><strong>What's next: </strong>Machine learning is going to get better — not worse — at generating text that's indistinguishable from what a human can write. </p><ul><li>This means educators will need to evolve the way they teach kids how to write and think, just as they have since the invention of spell check, the internet and Wikipedia. </li><li>"Our view about writing in the current era we're living in is that everything is contextual," Archey told Axios. </li><li>"In a first-year creative writing course, there's an argument that generative AI should not be used really at all, beyond potentially just helping with the brainstorming phase," says Archey. But in a business school communications class, for example, "there could be very good reasons why you would have generative AI folded in."</li><li>Callison-Burch agrees that disclosure of genAI is a good middle path. But "what's the level at which you have you should have to disclose?" he asks. "I think that's still in question."</li></ul>
<p>Brazil's Supreme Court on Monday upheld <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/brazil-x-twitter-elon-musk" target="_blank">a decision</a> to ban <a href="https://www.axios.com/business/elon-musk" target="_blank">Elon Musk's</a> X nationwide, after the platform formerly known as Twitter refused to comply with orders by the country's top judge.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The unanimous <a href="https://noticias.stf.jus.br/postsnoticias/stf-determina-suspensao-do-x-antigo-twitter-em-todo-o-territorio-nacional-2/" target="_blank">ruling</a> by the five justices comes as <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/brazil-starlink-x-shutdown" target="_blank">Musk accuses</a> Brazil's top judge of acting as a "<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1829307275309093121" target="_blank">dictator</a>" for suspending X in Latin America's largest nation over misinformation concerns and for failing to appoint a legal representative for the social media platform in the country.</p><hr /><ul><li>Musk claims Justice <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/brazil-x-ban-elon-musk-threat" target="_blank">Alexandre de Moraes</a> is "<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1829624142452195334" target="_blank">destroying</a>" free speech "for political purposes," while X accused the judge of "<a href="https://x.com/GlobalAffairs/status/1824819053061669244" target="_blank">censorship</a>" when it announced the immediate closure of its Brazil offices last month as it refused to comply with the judge's order.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Moraes warned Musk he would suspend X in Brazil if the company didn't comply with his order by Thursday evening and the ban went into effect Saturday morning, but the judge asked the five-member Supreme Court panel to review his decision.</p><ul><li>Justice Flávio Dino, one of the panel, said X "seems to believe it's above the law" and noted economic power and "the size of a bank account do not give rise to outlandish immunity," according to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/02/world/americas/brazil-elon-musk-supreme-court.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a> translation.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Moraes had set a daily fine of 50,000 reais ($8,900) for anyone using a virtual private network to access X and initially ordered Apple and Google to remove VPNs from their stories in Brazil, but a court statement said the judge had since suspended this aspect of the order to avoid disrupting other companies.</p><ul><li>The NYT notes that Moraes modified his order to warn that people who used VPNs for X to "engage in conduct that defrauds the court decision" would be fined.</li><li>The judge last week issued an <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/brazil-starlink-x-shutdown" target="_blank">order freezing Starlink's</a> finances in Brazil and preventing Musk's internet satellite business from conducting financial transactions in Brazil.</li><li>Anatel's president told <a href="https://g1.globo.com/politica/politico/noticia/2024/09/01/starlink-informa-ao-presidente-da-anatel-que-nao-vai-cumprir-decisao-de-moraes-sobre-suspensao-do-x.ghtml?UTM_SOURCE=copiar-url&UTM_MEDIUM=share-bar-app&UTM_CAMPAIGN=materias" target="_blank">Brazilian outlet Globo News</a> that <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/brazil-starlink-x-compliance-musk-supreme-court" target="_blank">Starlink</a> had informed Brazil's telecom agency Sunday that it would not comply with the court order to block X in Brazil until officials released its frozen assets.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told reporters late Monday that the "world is not obliged to put up with Musk's far-right ideology just because he is rich," per a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/brazils-supreme-court-upholds-x-ban-d9b4a394?mod=hp_lead_pos5" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a> translation.</p><p><strong>Flashback: </strong>Moraes announced in April he was <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/08/elon-musk-brazil-court-order-judge-inquiry" target="_blank">investigating Musk</a> for obstruction of justice after the billionaire vowed to defy a court order blocking certain accounts on his platform as officials <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/democraciaabierta/brazil-crack-down-fake-news-disinformation-lula-restore-trust-internet/" target="_blank">cracked down</a> on misinformation spread on social media.</p><ul><li>The judge was investigating former President <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/30/bolsonaro-returns-brazil-florida-exile" target="_self">Jair Bolsonaro</a> and his allies for <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/30/bolsonaro-barred-running-office-years-brazil" target="_blank">making false claims</a> about the 2022 election, which <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/30/brazil-election-lula-wins-bolsonaro-results" target="_blank">he lost to Lula</a>, amid a wider investigation into "<a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/musk-challenges-brazils-order-block-certain-x-accounts-2024-04-07/" target="_blank">digital militias</a>" spreading false and hateful information.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/31/elon-musk-x-brazil-block-twitter" target="_blank">Elon Musk pushes back on Brazil X block</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, more details from the orders and further context.</em></p>
<p>U.S. authorities seized Venezuelan leader <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/20/venezuela-crackdown-food-aid-nicolas-maduro" target="_blank">Nicolás Maduro's</a> plane, which they say violated American sanctions, and brought it to Florida, the Department of Justice announced Monday.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>The plane was seized in the Dominican Republic because the DOJ alleges that it was "illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-seizes-aircraft-used-nicolas-maduro-moros-violation-us-export-control-and" target="_blank">a statement</a>.</p><hr /><ul><li>Maduro was not on the plane at the time.</li><li>His government in a Monday statement said the seizure was "piracy" and an act of U.S. "aggression" over the country's disputed presidential election that the Venezuelan leader <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/29/venezuela-election-maduro-opposition-gonzalez" target="_blank">claimed he won</a> in July, per <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/02/politics/us-seizes-venezuela-president-maduros-airplane/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>, which first report the news.</li></ul><p><strong>The latest: </strong>Venezuelan authorities have issued an arrest warrant for <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/02/us-venezuela-elections-maduro-gonzalez" target="_blank">Edmundo González Urrutia</a>, the opposition presidential candidate that the U.S. and other nations have recognized as the rightful winner of the country's July elections, <a href="https://twitter.com/VPITV/status/1830755566353797176" target="_blank">accusing</a> him of "crimes associated with terrorism." </p><ul><li>González had <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/stories-we-re-watching-latino" target="_blank">ignored several summons</a> amid fears it would be used as an excuse to detain him. </li><li>His party, the Democratic Unitary Platform, which is part of the opposition coalition, has <a href="https://twitter.com/unidadvenezuela/status/1829282704229081594" target="_blank">said</a> González has been persecuted since the elections and <a href="https://twitter.com/unidadvenezuela/status/1830382440772166046" target="_blank">accused</a> Maduro of using "state terrorism" to stay in power, with dozens of political prisoners detained.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>The DOJ alleged in a statement that Maduro associates in late 2022 and early 2023 "used a Caribbean-based shell company to conceal their involvement in the illegal purchase of the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft" from a company based in the Southern District of Florida.</p><ul><li>"The aircraft was then illegally exported from the United States to Venezuela through the Caribbean in April 2023," it added. </li><li>"Since May 2023, the Dassault Falcon, bearing tail number T7-ESPRT, has flown almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela and has been used for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including to transport Maduro on visits to other countries."</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>"The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Miami Field Office is investigating the case, along with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Dorado Task Force Miami," per the DOJ.</p><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Garland said the DOJ "will continue to pursue those who violate our sanctions and export controls to prevent them from using American resources to undermine the national security of the United States."</p><ul><li>A White House National Security Council spokesperson in a statement shared with outlets including Axios called the plane seizure "an important step to ensure that Maduro continues to feel the consequences from his misgovernance of Venezuela."</li><li>The spokesperson said that over the past month, "as demonstrated by a wide variety of independent sources, Maduro and his representatives' have tampered with the results of the July 28 presidential election, falsely claimed victory, and carried out wide-spread repression to maintain power by force." </li><li>Venezuela's own National Electoral Council rectors last week "further validated that Maduro has provided no evidence that he won this election," the spokesperson said in the email, adding that the U.S. and partners were "working to ensure that the will of the Venezuelan people, as expressed through the July 28 election, is respected."</li></ul><p><strong>More from Axios:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/30/venezuela-election-biden-trump-response" target="_blank">Venezuela's sham election collides with U.S. campaign</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/29/venezuela-election-protests-nicolas-maduro-photos" target="_blank">In photos: Venezuela protests surge over Maduro election results</a></li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with details of an arrest warrant issued for opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia,</em> <em>comment from a White House National Security Council spokesperson and further context.</em></p>
<p>Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz described themselves as fighting uphill against <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">former President Trump</a> in Labor Day speeches to unions in critical swing states Michigan and Wisconsin.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Despite leading Trump in <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/kamala-harris-poll-support-trump" target="_blank">polls</a> since the Democratic convention, Harris' campaign has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/01/harris-campaign-2024-election-underdogs" target="_blank">emphasized how tight</a> the race for the presidency remains despite the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/31/voting-enthusiasm-presidential-election" target="_blank">growing excitement</a> and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/25/harris-walz-campaign-fundraising-dnc" target="_blank">influx of cash </a>from reinvigorated party faithful. </p><hr /><ul><li>"We know this is going to be a very tight race to the very end. … We know how they play. We know what they do," Harris told union members in Detroit. </li><li>"We are out here running like we are the underdog in this race because we know what we are fighting for," she added.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Harris and Walz both hit familiar themes for <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/28/labor-union-disapproval-gallup-57-year-low" target="_blank">union members</a>, promising to protect workers' pensions and benefits, raise the minimum wage and empower unions in the workplace.</p><ul><li>"No one should ever be made to fight alone. We are all in this together," Harris said in Michigan where the audience interrupted her speech to chant "Trump is a scab."</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Harris and Walz used the underdog framing to warn Democrats against getting complacent even as the party's electoral prospects have greatly improved since President Biden dropped out of the race.</p><ul><li>The nonpartisan Cook Political Report last month gave Harris <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/14/kamala-harris-swing-states-cook-political-report-election" target="_blank">an edge over Trump</a> in crucial swing states Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.</li><li>"We'll sleep when we're dead. Now is not the time," Walz told union members in Wisconsin.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but:</strong> Despite the Democrats' insistence the race will be a nailbiter, Walz couldn't help but needle Trump's declining poll numbers, comparing Trump to the cafeteria bullies Walz supervised as an educator.</p><ul><li>"The bullies who want to instill fear are the first ones to find out what happens when the tide turns. He's running scared now," Walz said.</li></ul><p><strong>The other side: </strong>Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in an emailed statement Monday evening that Harris was spending Labor Day "campaigning with her partner-in-crime Joe Biden desperately trying to gaslight the American people."</p><ul><li>She added, "Meanwhile, this Labor Day the American people are working harder than ever to afford gas, groceries, and rent because Kamala Harris broke our economy and is proud of it."</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/06/uaw-unions-labor-tim-walz-kamala-harris" target="_blank">UAW, other unions cheers Walz as Harris' VP pick</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.</em></p>
<p>President Biden told reporters on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/02/biden-israel-hostage-ceasefire-deal-considering-final-proposal" target="_blank">isn't doing enough</a> to get a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Biden spoke shortly before a decisive meeting with Vice President Harris and their national security team to determine the strategy to push the final deal, after six hostages were killed by Hamas.</p><hr /><ul><li>The group "discussed next steps in the ongoing effort to secure the release of hostages, including continuing consultations with co-mediators Qatar and Egypt," according to a White House readout of the meeting.</li><li>White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday told families of U.S. hostages held in Gaza that <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/02/biden-israel-hostage-ceasefire-deal-considering-final-proposal" target="_blank">Biden is considering</a> presenting <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/israel" target="_self">Israel</a> and Hamas a final proposal for a hostage-release and ceasefire in <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/gaza-hostage-ceasefire-deal-israel-talks-details" target="_self">Gaza deal</a> later this week, Axios previously reported.</li><li>Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Hamas armed wing Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, commented for the first time Monday on the hostages' murder with an apparent confirmation.</li></ul><p><strong>What's happening: </strong>Six hostages held in Gaza, including U.S. citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were murdered by Hamas in recent days, Israeli and U.S. officials said.</p><ul><li>Their bodies were recovered by Israeli soldiers on Saturday. The Israeli Ministry of Health said autopsies showed the hostages were shot dead from a short distance.</li><li>At least three of the hostages would have been released during the first phase of the possible deal.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Ahead of the situation room meeting with his team, Biden confirmed he was "very close" to presenting a final proposal.</p><ul><li><a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-09-02-2024-f8a8c85f8947631a7f3039e087dd3904" target="_blank">Asked if</a> Netanyahu is doing enough, Biden said: "No."</li></ul><p><strong>Netanyahu said </strong>during a press conference Monday he didn't see Biden's comments. He noted that on Aug. 19, Secretary of State Tony Blinken said Israel accepted the U.S.-backed "bridging proposal" for a ceasefire and hostage release deal, and called on Hamas to join.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/fate-gaza-ceasefire-deal-hamas-leaders-hands-us-intel-official-says-2024-08-28/" target="_blank">Netanyahu mentioned</a> Deputy CIA Director David Cohen said on Aug. 28 that Israel showed seriousness in the negotiations and it is now Hamas' turn.</li><li>But Cohen didn't compare Israel and Hamas, and only said Hamas' leader Yahya Sinwar is the one who will make the decision about the hostage and ceasefire deal.</li><li>"What happened in the five days since then? Six of our hostages were murdered by Hamas. So after this terrible murder, I can't believe anybody serious would say that now Israel should make more concessions. I don't believe President Biden said that," Netanyahu said</li><li>Netanyahu also said the Israeli Defense Forces will not leave the Philadelphi corridor, along the Egypt-Gaza border, in the foreseeable future. "My message to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is: forget about it," he said.</li></ul><p><strong>Before leaving the White House</strong> to Pittsburgh Monday afternoon, Biden was asked by reporters to comment on Netanyahu's remarks about the Philadelphi corridor. </p><ul><li>"We are still negotiating" the final proposal. "We are not negotiating with [Netanyahu], I am negotiating with my colleagues and with Egypt and Qatar," Biden said.</li><li>The president's comments suggested that the final bridging proposal will be presented to the parties without further U.S. consultation with Israel.</li></ul><p><strong>A US. official said </strong>earlier Monday that Sullivan spoke on the phone with the Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and with the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.</p><ul><li>They discussed the efforts to conclude a hostage and ceasefire deal.</li><li>Mossad director David Barnea visited Doha Monday and met with the Qatari prime minister to discuss the Gaza hostage deal, an Israeli official said.</li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional developments. </em></p>
<p>Disney pulled its networks, including ABC and ESPN, from DirecTV's satellite package on Sunday, amid an <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/05/disney-charter-fight-tv-bundle-breaking" target="_blank">ongoing carriage dispute</a> between the two parties. </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> TV distribution contracts are designed to expire ahead of major live events, like football season kickoff, to give programmers leverage for their next negotiation. But in this case, the blackout is also happening ahead of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/harris-trump-debate-rules-abc-news-2024" target="_blank">ABC's presidential debate</a> on Sept. 10. </p><hr /><ul><li>While DirecTV's roughly 11 million subscribers can still access the debate for free over-the-top with TV antennas, they can't access ABC through their satellite subscriptions until the dispute is resolved. Disney's cable networks like ESPN are inaccessible without a pay-TV package. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out:</strong> These types of disputes are typically settled in a few days, but sometimes they can drag on for <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/11/disney-charter-deal-espn" target="_blank">weeks</a> or <a href="https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/univision-dish-network-carriage-deal-blackout-1203173045/" target="_blank">months</a>, putting an unfair burden on the customer who is paying for channels they can't access. </p><ul><li>Disney's last major carriage fight with Charter last summer was resolved after nearly two weeks, averting a blackout of ESPN's "Monday Night Football" season debut.</li><li>Lawmakers rarely intervene in these kinds of fights, arguing they are best left to the marketplace to sort out. </li></ul><p><strong>State of play:</strong> DirecTV and Disney's multi-year carriage contract expired Sunday night. </p><ul><li>Disney pulled its channels from DirecTV hours ahead of the deadline, and just minutes ahead of the highly anticipated college football season kickoff game between USC and LSU during prime time Sunday. (ABC had the broadcast rights to the event and ESPN+ had the streaming rights.) </li><li>The blackout also comes during the U.S. Open on ESPN and days ahead of the official NFL season kickoff. ESPN has exclusive rights to NFL games on Monday night.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> Disney is arguing DirecTV needs to pay it more to account for higher programming costs. DirecTV argues Disney is demanding more money even though it's pulling more of its content from live TV packages to its streaming services.</p><ul><li>"While we're open to offering DirecTV flexibility and terms which we've extended to other distributors, we will not enter into an agreement that undervalues our portfolio of television channels and programs," Disney Entertainment and ESPN executives said in a joint statement. </li><li>"They want to continue to chase maximum profits and dominant control at the expense of consumers — making it harder for them to select the shows and sports they want at a reasonable price." DirecTV chief content officer Rob Thun said. </li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Channel blackouts have become more common in the streaming era. TV distributors argue they're paying too much for content that fewer people watch, while networks argue the cost of live programming, especially sports rights, is increasing. </p><ul><li>New agreements aim to address some of these discrepancies. </li><li>Disney's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/11/disney-charter-deal-espn" target="_blank">landmark deal with Charter</a> last year gave Charter customers access to some of Disney's streaming content while still making most of Disney's smaller cable channels available in Charter's cable package. </li></ul><p><strong>What to watch:</strong> A source familiar with the negotiations between Disney and DirecTV said Disney has proposed deals that include making some of its linear channels and streaming offerings available to DirecTV customers through a deal similar to the one it brokered last year with Charter. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/kamala-harris-poll-support-trump" target="_blank">Vice President Kamala Harris</a> has widened her advantage among women, according to a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/harris-trump-abc-news-ipsos-poll-convention-bounce-widens-gap-women/story?id=113246534" target="_blank">new ABC News/Ipsos poll</a>. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Harris' 18-point gender gap support over former President Trump is another <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/14/gender-gap-election-trump-harris" target="_blank">indicator</a> that November is set to be the "<a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/13/gender-gap-ufc-abortion-2024-election" target="_blank">boys versus girls</a>" election in both turnout and tone. </p><hr /><ul><li>Among women, Harris leads by 13 points, 54%-41%.</li><li>Among men, former President Trump leads by 5 points, 51%-46% (not statistically significant).</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>The election has been defined by the masculinity and femininity on either side, including with policy, even before Harris became the Democrats' nominee.</p><ul><li>A surge in reproductive rights activism has helped tip elections toward Democrats since the Supreme Court's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/24/roe-wade-decision-abortion" target="_blank">overturning</a> of Roe v. Wade. Harris' campaign is seeking to build on that momentum. </li><li>The GOP has leaned into Trump's macho appeals, <em>Axios' Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen previously reported. </em></li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Much of the female-male change in fresh polling occurred among white people.</p><ul><li>"White women have gone from +13 points for Trump pre-convention to a virtual dead heat (Trump +2) now; white men, from +13 points for Trump before the convention to +21 points now," ABC News polling director Gary Langer <a href="https://www.langerresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/1235a2IntotheFallCampaign.pdf" target="_blank">wrote</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Reality check: </strong>Top Democrats said they're very worried that many activists feel like this is a 60-40 race when it's more 50-50. </p><ul><li>Harris had what many insiders call the best month in the history of presidential politics. But the race is still tied.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/kamala-harris-poll-support-trump" target="_blank">Harris gains edge on Trump in polls following DNC</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: Axios' April Rubin contributed.</em></p>
<p>Some 10,000 <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/03/southern-california-hotel-workers-strike" target="_blank">hotel workers</a> began on Sunday a Labor Day weekend strike after contract negotiations with hotel operators Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott broke down, the Unite Here union announced.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Hotel workers in more cities were expected in the coming days to join the strikes that affected some 24 hotels in eight cities on Sunday, as workers push for higher wages and against "COVID-era staffing and service cuts," per a union <a href="https://unitehere.org/press-releases/ten-thousand-hotel-workers-on-strike-during-busy-labor-day-weekend/" target="_blank">statement</a>. </p><hr /><blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🚨BREAKING🚨<br /><br />10,000 hotel workers across the continental USA and Hawaii are on strike 📢<br /><br />We will not accept painful workloads that are breaking our bodies or jobs that can’t support our families. Enough is enough. <a href="https://t.co/hTgs6AWRgt">pic.twitter.com/hTgs6AWRgt</a></p>— UNITE HERE (@unitehere) <a href="https://twitter.com/unitehere/status/1830292025075450086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <ul><li>Cities affected by the strikes that are expected to last two or three days include: Boston, Greenwich, Honolulu, Kauai, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle.</li><li>"Strikes have also been authorized and could begin at any time in Baltimore, New Haven, Oakland, and Providence," per Unite Here.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>The union said "many hotels took advantage" of pandemic staffing cuts and guest services "that were never restored, causing workers to lose jobs and income — and creating painful working conditions for those who carry the increased workload."</p><ul><li>Workers say their wages "aren't enough to cover the cost of living, and many have to work two jobs to make ends meet," according to Unite Here.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"I have to work a second job because my job at the hotel is not enough to support my kids as a single mom," said Mary Taboniar, a housekeeper at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu for six years, in a statement carried by the union.</p><ul><li>"I'm living on the edge where I'm not sure if I'll be able to pay our rent and groceries or provide my family with health care. It's so stressful. One job should be enough."</li><li>Elena Duran, a server at Marriott's Palace Hotel in San Francisco for 33 years, said since the pandemic began, "they're expecting us to give five-star service with three-star staff."</li></ul><p><strong>The other side: </strong>Michael D'Angelo, Hyatt's head of labor relations for the Americas, said in a statement shared with outlets including Axios that the hotel chain had plans in effect to minimize strike destruction and said the firm is "disappointed that UNITE HERE has chosen to strike while Hyatt remains willing to negotiate." </p><ul><li>A Hilton spokesperson said in a statement that the hotel chain was "committed to negotiating in good faith to reach fair and reasonable agreements that are beneficial to both our valued Team Members and to our hotels."</li><li>Representatives for the Marriott didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>The American Hotel And Lodging Association, the trade group representing major hotel operators, said in <a href="https://www.ahla.com/news/76-surveyed-hotels-report-staffing-shortages" target="_blank">a statement</a> that in the six months to June 86% of its members reported an increase in wages.</p><ul><li>"Since the pandemic, <a href="https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CEU7072100003?amp%253bdata_tool=XGtable&output_view=data&include_graphs=true" target="_blank">average hotel wages</a> (+26.4%) have increased more than 20% faster than average <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES0500000003" target="_blank">wages throughout the general economy</a>," the AHLA said in a separate June <a href="https://www.ahla.com/news/ahla-workforce-report-hotels-add-700-jobs-may" target="_blank">blog</a> post.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching: </strong>"Over 40,000 hotel workers with the UNITE HERE union have contracts up for renegotiation this year in more than 20 cities across the U.S. and Canada, and additional strike votes may be announced," per a union <a href="https://unitehere.org/press-releases/over-10000-hotel-workers-announce-strike-votes-in-cities-across-u-s/" target="_blank">statement</a> in July.</p><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with further context and comment.</em></p>
<p>Two recent deals highlight the contrast between the wave of interest in <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/27/women-sports-teams-us-growth" target="_blank">professional women's sports</a> and women athletes' harsh economic realities.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Despite an <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/23/womens-sports-media-anchors-journalists" target="_blank">influx of attention and investment</a> in their leagues, many athletes are still struggling to make a decent living.</p><hr /><ul><li>"We've come a long way, and we got a long way to go," soccer legend and Bay FC co-owner Brandi Chastain told Axios, noting that many women soccer players need income beyond what their salary provides. "We still have women who need support."</li></ul><p><strong>State of play</strong>: A new program, details of which were shared first with Axios, will see sponsor Visa helping all members of BayFC — The San Francisco Bay Area's professional women's soccer team — to earn the maximum amount of appearance fee money available under the league's contract with players.</p><ul><li>Historically, such appearances have been time-consuming, in-person affairs with not enough time or opportunities for most players to earn the maximum allowed under league rules. </li><li>Visa's deal will allow players to earn the maximum amount, should they wish, through social media appearances that can help the athletes elevate their personal brands.</li></ul><p><strong>The National Women's Soccer League </strong>and its players union have separately announced a <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/08/22/national-women-soccer-league-utah-royals-cba" target="_blank">new collective bargaining agreement</a> that will offer players higher pay and more say in which teams they play for. </p><ul><li>However, the higher salaries phase in over time and the appearance fee money, still available under the new deal, remains a much-needed way for players to increase their compensation.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines</strong>: The total dollar amounts involved may not sound like a ton of money — it's on the order of $15,000 or so per player, according to a source. But that's a pretty big deal for non-star players in the NWSL, some of whom make as little as $37,000 in salary. </p><ul><li>That's not enough to get by in the Bay Area, which has some of the highest housing costs in the nation.</li><li>The new deal between the league and its players will see minimum salaries rise to $48,500 in 2025 and eventually to $82,500 by 2030.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Professional women's sports in the U.S. — especially soccer and basketball — have seen a surge of people wanting to invest their time and money.</p><ul><li>Angel City, Los Angeles' NWSL franchise, was <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/17/bay-iger-acquire-angel-city-landmark-soccer-deal" target="_blank">sold</a> earlier this year to USC dean Willow Bay and her husband, Disney CEO Bob Iger, in a deal that valued the club at $250 million, a record for a women's sports team.</li><li>Indiana Fever's <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2024/05/16/caitlin-clark-economy-ticket-sales-wnba" target="_blank">Caitlin Clark</a> has helped usher in a new wave of popularity for women's basketball, with a rise in games that sell-out and a trend of moving key matchups to larger arenas.</li><li>"I'm glad they're getting the exposure. They definitely deserve it. Now we just gotta get 'em similar contracts as what some of these NBA guys are making," former NBA star Shaquille O'Neil <a href="https://x.com/espnw/status/1829711422781116862?s=46&t=lWeRdBU5epOoS27GJ8FHHg" target="_blank">said</a> last week.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> The NWSL's new bargaining agreement is truly a landmark deal. Most notably, the league is eliminating the draft, allowing any player to sign with any team. </p><ul><li>While drafts are the norm in most U.S. pro sports, soccer's global nature mean that many players consider a range of leagues around the world and might opt to sign with a particular European team rather than take a chance on which NWSL team they might end up on. </li><li>"That could be a new example for all the other leagues," Chastain said. "I feel that women's soccer has been that example. We have pushed the envelope. We have we have made people uncomfortable — for good reasons, in good ways." </li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but:</strong> The gains for women's sports have been uneven. </p><ul><li>Bay FC defender Emily Menges told Axios that what makes the Visa deal exciting "is it gives everybody on the team an opportunity to use their platform and make some extra money."</li><li>"Some teams, you'll get the highest profile players, they're all over the social media," Menges said. "They're the ones who get the sponsorship deals. They're also the ones making the highest salaries. And so it kind of leaves everybody behind."</li></ul><p><strong>What's next</strong>: Visa and BayFC are working on a separate program that will help foster the professional women's soccer players of the future. </p><ul><li>Visa has a long history supporting women's soccer, notably <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/visa-ups-sponsorship-us-soccer-191540933.html" target="_blank">having insisted</a> in 2023 that at least half the proceeds from their renewed sponsorship of the U.S. national soccer teams go to the women's program.</li><li>It's about "making small steps that we can to address the systematic challenges that that female athletes have," says Mary Ann Reilly, Visa's chief marketing officer for North America.</li></ul><p><strong>Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart</strong> said it is all about building the world you want to see exist.</p><ul><li>"We spend a lot of our time thinking about, how can we change the world by changing the business model of women's soccer?" she said. "And truly, I think we can change the world by changing the business model of women's soccer."</li></ul>
<div>Data: National Center for Education Statistics; Chart: Axios Visuals</div><p>About a third of U.S. K-12 students this <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/16/back-to-school-cooling-climate-change" target="_blank">school year</a> are behind grade level, according to a recent survey. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Schools are still dealing with the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/23/covid-children-development" target="_blank">long-term effects</a> of remote schooling and other pandemic-era learning disruptions.</p><hr /><p><strong>How it works: </strong>The data, current as of the end of the 2023-24 school year, is from the <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/spp/results.asp#learning-strategies-jun24-chart-1" target="_blank">School Pulse Panel</a>, a monthly National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) survey of nearly 4,000 nationally representative grade schools.</p><ul><li>For the June 2024 data, 1,651 of those schools responded.</li><li>The idea is to track key education metrics in near real time as teachers and administrators grapple with post-pandemic learning loss and other challenges.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>The 2023-24 results are pretty much flat from the end of the 2021-22 school year, when 33% of students were behind grade level.</p><ul><li>But NCES cautions that it changed how it asked this question for the 2024 survey, so the results aren't directly comparable.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Regionally speaking, schools out West are doing notably worse than those in other areas, with nearly 40% of students behind grade level.</p><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Looking at the data in other ways reveals troubling trends — for example, 42% of kids in schools with <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/14/school-segregation-brown-eudcation-ruling-70th" target="_blank">more than 75% students of color</a> are behind grade level, compared to just 22% at schools with 25% or less students of color.</p><ul><li>38% of students at city schools, meanwhile, are behind grade level versus just 31% of those in the suburbs.</li></ul><p><strong>What's next: </strong>Schools are reporting success with strategies meant to address learning recovery, including hiring more teachers (55% of schools say that's "very" or "extremely" effective) and spending more time on target areas (35%) and family engagement or outreach (18%).</p>
<p>Americans are expected to mark <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/04/labor-day-unionized-workers-raises-benefits" target="_blank">Labor Day</a> with <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2024/08/30/expect-frustrating-travel-for-2024-labor-day-weekend-in-michigan" target="_blank">travel</a>, <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2024/08/27/labor-day-weekend-best-time-barbecue-cookout" target="_blank">barbecues</a> and shopping for summer clearance and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/02/back-to-school-2024-cellphone-bans" target="_blank">school supplies</a>.</p><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> A <a href="https://www.joinsmarty.com/news/economy-stalls-spending-back-to-school-and-labor-day-sales-draw-millions-but-many-will-spend-less-this-year" target="_blank">survey</a> of more than 1,000 consumers from coupon and cashback app Smarty found 45% of U.S. consumers will shop Labor Day sales.</p><hr /><ul><li>26% of consumers surveyed said they planned "to tighten their purse strings during the holiday because they can't afford to spend more."</li></ul><h2>What is Labor Day?</h2><p><strong>Labor Day</strong> is observed on the first Monday in September to celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers, the U.S. Department of Labor <a href="https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history" target="_blank">says</a>.</p><ul><li>It became a federal holiday in 1894 and was signed into law by President Glover Cleveland.</li></ul><h2>Stores open Labor Day: Walmart, Target, Lowe's, more</h2><p><strong>State of play:</strong> The majority of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/11/retail-theft-cvs-walgreens-locked-cabinet" target="_blank">national retailers</a>, including Target, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/15/walmart-prices-cut-rollbacks-earnings-stock-price" target="_blank">Walmart</a>, Kohl's, Macy's, Home Depot, Lowe's, Belk and more, are open Monday and holding Labor Day sales.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/29/halloween-decorations-michaels-costco-home-depot-summerween" target="_blank">Halloween merchandise</a>, which has been available online for several weeks, is starting to roll out to more stores. </li><li>Home Depot's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/24/home-depot-halloween-2024-skeletons-decorations" target="_blank">large Halloween collection</a> hit store shelves Thursday, the retailer told Axios. </li></ul><h2>Grocery stores open Labor Day, Aldi stores close early</h2><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Many grocery stores will operate regular hours but some have reduced hours Monday and others operate with Sunday hours.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/07/aldi-near-me-new-stores-growth-plan" target="_blank">Aldi stores</a> have limited hours for Labor Day, according to the <a href="https://www.aldi.us/about-us/faqs/aldi-store-information/#c797609" target="_blank">retailer's website</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/16/trader-joes-mini-insulated-tote-bag-restock" target="_blank">Trader Joe's,</a> Publix, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/kroger-albertsons-megamerger-ftc-food-prices" target="_blank">Kroger</a>, Food Lion, Albertsons and Safeway are among the long list of stores open.</li><li>Convenience stores including <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/11/free-slurpee-day-2024-7-eleven-birthday" target="_blank">7-Eleven</a>, Circle K and Wawa also are open.</li></ul><h2>Costco clubs closed Labor Day 2024</h2><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/07/costco-membership-scanners-card-sharing-crackdown" target="_blank">Costco Wholesale clubs</a> are closed for the federal holiday, as they are for New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas.</p><ul><li>Competitor wholesale clubs, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/31/sams-club-membership-fee-increase" target="_self">Sam's Club</a> and BJ's Wholesale, are open Monday.</li><li>Some pharmacies, many of which have started to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/31/new-covid-vaccine-booster-shots-available" target="_blank">administer the new COVID-19 vaccines</a>, are closed on the holiday.</li></ul><h2>Restaurants open Labor Day 2024</h2><p><strong>Dig in: </strong>The majority of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/restaurant-meal-deals-mcdonalds-starbucks-wingstop-cava" target="_blank">restaurants</a> are expected to be open for the holiday, much like <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/24/memorial-day-weekend-open-closed" target="_blank">Memorial Day</a> and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/04/july-4th-stores-restaurants-open-sales" target="_blank">Fourth of July</a>.</p><ul><li>Fall has already arrived at <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/21/starbucks-pumpkin-spice-latte-2024-fall-menu-release" target="_blank">Starbucks</a>, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/26/mcdonalds-krispy-kreme-donuts-menu-breakfast" target="_blank">Krispy Kreme</a>, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/28/dunkin-donuts-pumpkin-spice-fall-menu-2024-release" target="_blank">Dunkin'</a> and more chains with the return of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/14/pumpkin-spice-season-2024-krispy-kreme-starbucks-dunkin" target="_blank">pumpkin spice season</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/13/mcdonalds-collectors-meals-cups-2024" target="_blank">McDonald's</a>, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/22/chick-fil-a-streaming-entertainment-shows-app" target="_blank">Chick-fil-A</a>, Arby's, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/26/mcdonalds-meal-deal-five-dollars-restaurant-value-menu" target="_blank">Popeyes</a>, Taco Bell, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/22/walmart-plus-burger-king-discount-free-whopper" target="_blank">Burger King</a>, Papa John's, Pizza Hut, Domino's and more are open Monday.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>For <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/23/target-price-cuts-summer-savings-mcdonalds-deal" target="_blank">fast food</a> and other chain restaurants, the decision to open on a holiday is often a franchise decision. More restaurants will be closed on <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/23/thanksgiving-restaurants-open-2023-stores" target="_blank">Thanksgiving</a> and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/12/25/christmas-restaurants-open-2023-hours" target="_blank">Christmas</a>. </p><h2>No mail, UPS and FedEx for Labor Day</h2><p><strong>The <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/22/forever-stamps-alex-trebek-hank-aaron-dnd-stamp-usps" target="_blank">U.S. Postal Service</a></strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/22/forever-stamps-alex-trebek-hank-aaron-dnd-stamp-usps" target="_blank"></a> and all post offices are closed with no deliveries Monday.</p><ul><li>Most UPS and <a href="https://www.fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/services/2024-Holiday-schedule-FedEx.pdf" target="_blank">FedEx</a> services are not available Labor Day. Limited UPS Store locations are open, per the company's <a href="https://www.ups.com/assets/resources/webcontent/en_US/2024-Holiday-Operations-Schedule.pdf" target="_blank">holiday schedule</a>.</li></ul><h2>Stock market, banks closed Labor Day</h2><p><strong>The New York Stock Exchange</strong> and Nasdaq <a href="https://www.nyse.com/markets/hours-calendars" target="_blank">are closed</a> on the holiday and won't be closed again for a holiday until Thanksgiving, according to the stock market <a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stock-market-holiday-schedule" target="_blank">schedules</a>.</p><ul><li>Most of the nation's banks are closed Monday and follow the <a href="https://www.frbservices.org/about/holiday-schedules" target="_blank">Federal Reserve holiday schedule</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>More from Axios:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://bit.ly/4e9vwF5" target="_blank">What's in: Nostalgic school supplies. What's out: Leggings and cellphones</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/31/costco-membership-cost-increase-2024-renewal-price" target="_blank">Costco membership fees increase Sunday: What to know</a></li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/3TaElGO" target="_blank">Where to find the new COVID vaccine booster shots</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/26/great-value-apple-juice-recall-walmart-list-arsenic" target="_blank">Walmart apple juice sold in 25 states recalled over arsenic levels</a></li></ul>
<p>White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday told families of U.S. hostages held in Gaza that President Biden is considering presenting <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/israel" target="_blank">Israel</a> and Hamas a final proposal for a hostage-release and ceasefire in <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/gaza-hostage-ceasefire-deal-israel-talks-details" target="_blank">Gaza deal</a> later this week, two sources with direct knowledge of the meeting told Axios. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The murder of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/01/israel-hostages-gaza-hamas-recovered" target="_blank">six hostages</a> held by Hamas in Gaza increased the sense of urgency among Biden's top aides to push for an agreement as soon as possible and present Israel and Hamas with a take it or leave it moment, sources said.</p><hr /><ul><li>Biden is going to meet with his national security team on Monday morning to determine the strategy for the final push regarding the deal, a source familiar with the issue said. </li><li>Vice President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> join Biden during a meeting with the U.S. hostage deal negotiating team on Monday, according to a White House schedule.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Six hostages who were held in Gaza, including U.S. citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were murdered by Hamas in recent days, Israeli and U.S. officials said. </p><ul><li>Their bodies were recovered by Israeli soldiers on Saturday. The Israeli Ministry of Health said autopsies showed the hostages were shot dead from a short distance. </li><li>At least three of the hostages would have been released during the first phase of the possible deal.</li></ul><p><strong>Behind the scenes: </strong>Sullivan and President Biden's top Middle East adviser Brett McGurk held a one-hour Zoom call with family members of the seven U.S. hostages who are still held by Hamas in Gaza. </p><ul><li>Two sources with direct knowledge of the meeting said Sullivan and McGurk told the families that they didn't know if a deal would be concluded but added there was a chance and said they hoped it might happen in as soon as two weeks from now. </li><li>Biden's top advisers told the families that in a few days the U.S. might present an updated version of its bridging proposal to both Israel and Hamas and give the parties another week to come back with a yes or no response, the sources said.</li><li>They added there was significant progress in the negotiations in Cairo and Doha last week on the lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners who are supposed to be released in the first phase of the deal. </li><li>Sullivan and McGurk added that the updated bridging text wouldinclude a U.S. proposal regarding the Philadelphi corridor that they hope Egypt and Hamas could accept.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> The Philadelphi corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border turned into the main sticking point in the negotiations. </p><ul><li>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is insisting that Israeli forces stay deployed along the border during the 42 days of ceasefire that are part of the first phase of the deal. </li><li>Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Gen. Herzi Halevi, Shin Bet director Ronen Bar and Mossad director David Barnea have all said they don't agree with Netanyahu's demand regarding the Philadelphi corridor. </li><li>Netanyahu passed a cabinet decision on the issue last Thursday, which led to an unprecedented <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/netanyahu-gallant-shouting-match-israel-cabinet" target="_blank">shouting match</a> between him and his Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. </li><li>Egypt and Hamas have so far rejected any proposal that included an Israel Defense Forces deployment along the Philadelphi corridor. </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held a virtual meeting with the families of the American hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and discussed the heartbreaking news of the six hostages killed by Hamas, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin," the White House said. </p><ul><li>The White House said Sullivan discussed with the families "the ongoing diplomatic push across the highest levels of the U.S. government to drive towards a deal that secures the release of the remaining hostages."</li><li>Sullivan emphasized President Biden's "deep commitment" to bring the hostages home as soon as possible, the White House said.</li><li>The families said in a statement that Sullivan told them that "the next few days will be critical" in the push to free the hostages.</li><li>"The families told Mr. Sullivan that all parties must unite on the demand that Prime Minister Netanyahu close the deal with Hamas and bring the hostages home," they said in the statement. </li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper... </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/01/israel-protests-hostages-war-gaza-photos" target="_blank">In photos: Thousands protest in Israel to demand Gaza deal</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with details of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' scheduled meeting with the U.S. hostage deal negotiating team.</em></p>
<p>Fallout from former <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">President Trump</a>'s August 26 <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/28/trump-arlington-cemetery-incident-report-filed" target="_blank">visit to Arlington National Cemetery</a> continued Sunday, with allies lining up to recast the visit as a knock against <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/joe-biden" target="_blank">President Biden</a> and <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Vice President Harris</a>. </p><p>Here's what you missed when lawmakers hit the airwaves on Sept. 1. </p><hr /><h2>1. Cotton defends Trump over Arlington by pointing at Biden, Harris</h2><img src="https://images.axios.com/t_jYiEUMy4NJbNuj92YST5WRL7g=/2024/09/01/1725215029436.png" /> <div>Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is interviewed on NBC's "Meet the Press."</div><p>Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) worked to turn the tables over the Trump campaign's alleged incident at Arlington National Cemetery by asking why Biden and Harris didn't attend at the request of several of the Gold Star families who had a loved one die when Abbey Gate was bombed in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2021. </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The report of Trump campaign staffers allegedly <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/army-trump-arlington-altercation-pushed" target="_blank">"pushed aside"</a> at Arlington National Cemetery employee aside prompted outrage from Democrats and some families with loved ones buried inside Section 60. </p><ul><li>The Trump campaign said it had permission to film, but the debate continues regarding whether the campaign <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/trump-arlington-national-cemetery-rules" target="_blank">violated federal law</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Cotton disputed that the Arlington photos and footage were meant for the Trump campaign in an appearance on "Meet the Press," saying that the families invited Trump, Biden and Harris and intended for the day to be bipartisan. </p><ul><li>"Joe Biden was sitting on a beach. Kamala Harris was sitting in her mansion in D.C.. She was four miles away. Ten minutes. She could have gone to the cemetery and honored the sacrifice of those young men and women," he said. </li><li>The 13 individuals died, Cotton said, "because of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' incompetence."</li><li>When asked about the situation on "Face the Nation," Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) said Arlington shouldn't have politics brought into it, but that Trump's actions get attention, "no matter what he does" and it gets spun "one way or another."</li><li>Gonzales, a Navy veteran, said he wished that both Trump and Biden had visited with the families. </li><li>"We have to get back to putting veterans first and putting our families first and putting the American people before anything else," he said. </li></ul><h2>2. Netanyahu's "total victory" goal putting hostages at risk</h2><img src="https://images.axios.com/jLf3KklQ5tHv6LGWoG5RbQMtW3o=/2024/09/01/1725214839783.png" /> <div>Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of Sagui Dekel-Chen, a hostage held by Hamas, is interviewed on "Face the Nation."</div><p>The <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/01/israel-hostages-gaza-hamas-recovered" target="_blank">death of six hostages </a>taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 has renewed calls for a ceasefire and hostage deal, but the father of one hostage said he feels Israel's government is to blame for the delay in reaching an agreement. </p><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> "Israelis at large, and myself included, have been extremely critical of the Israeli government for not negotiating in good faith now for many, many months," Jonathan Dekel-Chen told "Face the Nation." </p><ul><li>"There is no explanation — a reasonable explanation, why our government is refusing to deeply engage in these negotiations and complete them, when our entire senior military establishment and intelligence community has been saying publicly and openly for weeks and months, that the time has come to end the fighting in Gaza." </li><li>Dekel-Chen said he feels Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has "made choices to pursue this fantasy of total victory over Hamas" and that the idea of it is "not realistic."</li><li>"He's preferred that, at least to date, over the well-being of all the hostages," he said. </li></ul><p><strong>Dekel-Chen's son</strong>, Sagui Dekel-Chen, is among the 101 hostages still being held by Hamas. </p><h2>3. Teamsters president mum on union endorsement timetable </h2><img src="https://images.axios.com/_8B86yFkWyescbjJ0oDkul31Its=/2024/09/01/1725215176398.png" /> <div>A CBS News graphic showing the ten largest U.S. labor unions, nine of which have endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. </div><p>International Brotherhood of Teamsters President Shawn O'Brien offered no timeline for when — or if — the union will endorse a presidential candidate. </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Teamsters is one of the United States' 10 largest labor unions, and the only one not to endorse Harris this campaign cycle. </p><ul><li>O'Brien explained on "Face the Nation" that part of the process involves getting Harris to speak to union members, which she has not yet done. </li><li>Typically, he said, they endorse after both parties have held their national conventions but acknowledged that "this is a little different." </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> "I said to someone the other day, you don't hire someone unless you give them an interview. This is our opportunity to ask her about teamster-specific issues and also labor issues. So until we have that meeting, we will wait to make that determination," O'Brien said. </p><p><strong>Worth noting: </strong>CBS News' Chief White House Correspondent Nancy Cordes asked if the union might withhold an endorsement altogether — as they did in 1996 during the race between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole. </p><ul><li>O'Brien didn't commit either way, saying it will depend on the union's "rank and file members and our leadership."</li><li>"We want to make sure we make the best decision and endorse the best candidate for labor," he said.</li></ul>
<p>Despite gaining a post-convention <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/kamala-harris-poll-support-trump" target="_blank">edge in polls</a>, Jen O'Malley Dillon, chair of the <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/kamala-harris-us-election-2024" target="_blank">Harris-Walz campaign</a>, says in a memo out Sunday — "The State of the Race 65 Days Out" — that her candidate is the underdog.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Top Democrats are wary of the party's exuberance outrunning electoral reality in what is still a 50-50 nation.</p><hr /><p><strong>"Since Vice President Harris</strong> entered the race in late July, our campaign has seen <a href="https://us13.campaign-archive.com/?u=db6b693f24f8d92d026e0c2d2&id=f80d38f6f8" target="_blank">record fundraising numbers</a>, a <a href="https://mailchi.mp/press.joebiden.com/interested-parties-memo-turning-enthusiasm-into-action-for-kamala-harris" target="_blank">surge</a> in volunteer interest, and a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/649397/democrats-drive-surge-election-enthusiasm.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top" target="_blank">spike</a> in enthusiasm to participate in this November's election,"<strong> </strong>O'Malley Dillon writes.</p><ul><li>"However, make no mistake: we head into the final stretch of this race as the clear underdogs. Donald Trump has a motivated base of support, with more support and <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/favorability/donald-trump/" target="_blank">higher favorability</a> than he has had at any point since 2020."</li><li>In nine days, "Vice President Harris will face Trump on the debate stage, where we expect him to be a formidable opponent. In 2020, the election came down to about 40,000 votes across the battleground states. This November, we anticipate margins to be similarly razor-thin."</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Both sides try to lower expectations. The Trump campaign <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/news/a1a27b2c-2cb0-4c9c-b698-4e77a03ce9dc" target="_blank">correctly said</a> Harris would likely get a polling bounce after her convention.</p><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> "While Donald Trump is a heavily defined candidate, voters do not know Vice President Harris or Governor Walz as well," O'Malley Dillon writes. "While we continue to ramp up our organizing and paid efforts, over this final stretch, an aggressive campaigning schedule to introduce and define our ticket to the voters that will decide this election will be critical."</p><ul><li>"Bottom line:<strong> </strong>Make no mistake: the next 65 days will be very hard. This race will remain incredibly close, and the voters who will decide this election will require an extraordinary amount of work to win over. But we have the candidate, message, and operation that brings Americans together to chart a new way forward, so we can once again defeat Donald Trump."</li></ul><p><strong>The other side: </strong>Chris LaCivita, co-manager of the Trump campaign, tells Axios that no matter "how the national media and Harris campaign phrase it, the working middle class of America needs help."</p><ul><li>"They need help from a real leader committed and with a plan to eliminate the inflationary stranglehold that is making ends meet harder by the day — food costs, energy costs and the death of the American dream," LaCivita added.</li><li>"They want<strong> </strong>a leader focused on them ... That's the focus of Donald Trump, and that's what the next 65 days will show. Who is fighting for us?"</li></ul>
<p>The Secretary General of Israel's national workers union, the Histadrut, announced a general strike to protest against the Netanyahu government and called for an immediate hostage-release and ceasefire in <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/gaza-hostage-ceasefire-deal-israel-talks-details" target="_blank">Gaza deal</a>. The strike will begin on Monday morning.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The Histadrut is a powerful workers union and a general strike will almost completely shut down the country.</p><hr /><ul><li>The strike is an unprecedented move by the Histadrut, which it avoided taking since Oct. 7 despite pressure and requests from hostage families and some opposition leaders.</li><li>Hostage families hope the strike will help to mobilize mass protests and press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to drop his <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/22/us-israel-egypt-gaza-border-security-talks" target="_blank">new demand</a> that Israel Defense Forces remain deployed along the Philadelphi corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border. The condition has become a major sticking point in the negotiations.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> The workers union decision came several hours after the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/01/israel-hostages-gaza-hamas-recovered" target="_blank">IDF announced</a> it recovered the bodies of six hostages from Rafah in southern Gaza.</p><ul><li>The Israeli National Forensic Institute examined the bodies and said in a statement that the hostages were murdered in the last 48 to 72 hours and were shot from close range.</li><li>Israeli officials said at least three of the hostages who were killed were supposed to be released in the first phase of the hostage-release and ceasefire deal that is currently being negotiated, if an agreement would have been reached.</li><li>The general strike will begin on Monday at 6:00 a.m. local time and Ben Gurion International Airport will shut down at 8:00 a.m. local time.</li><li>Many of the country's largest private sector companies announced they will join the strike.</li></ul><p><strong>The latest: </strong>At an Israeli security cabinet meeting on Sunday night, the commander of the IDF hostages unit, Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon, said "the hostages are in immediate danger for their lives. This danger has intensified in recent days."</p><ul><li>Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said, "The hostages have no time. We got proof of that yesterday."</li><li>"Continuing to impose constraints such as the decision on the Philadelphi corridor will result in us not meeting the goals of the war. The fact that we prioritize the Philadelphi corridor at the cost of the lives of the hostages is a serious moral disgrace," Gallant said at the meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem.</li></ul><p><strong>Netanyahu told Gallant </strong>that "after the terrible murder of our hostages, such a step will send a dangerous message to Hamas and will lead to more and more concessions that will endanger Israel's security."</p><ul><li>"There is flexibility in the negotiations, but not on the principle of the Philadelphi corridor which is Hamas' lifeline," he said.</li><li>His close confidant, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer said, "It would be a grave mistake to change the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/netanyahu-gallant-shouting-match-israel-cabinet" target="_blank">decision from Thursday</a> regarding the Philadelphi corridor."</li><li>"To even talk about it will be a disaster that will incentivize murder. We should exert a very heavy price from Hamas for murdering the hostages. That will make it clear to them that it must not happen again," Dermer said.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> "The hostage deal is stuck because of domestic political considerations," the secretary general of the Histadrut Arnon Bar David said at a press conference surrounded by hostage families.</p><ul><li>Bar David said the abandonment of the hostages needs to stop and Israel needs to go back to normal. "We are in vertigo," he said.</li><li>"Instead of a deal, we get body bags. We hope that our intervention might shock those who need to be shocked. I call on the people of Israel to go to the street and sound the cry of the hostages and their families," he said.</li></ul><p><strong>Flasback:</strong> The last time the Histadrut called for a general strike was in March 2023 after Netanyahu fired Gallant over his opposition to the judicial overhaul.</p><ul><li>The strike was part of a broader pressure campaign that compelled Netanyahu to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/10/netanyahu-gallant-firing-reversal-israel-security" target="_blank">backtrack</a> and keep Gallant in his position.</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch:</strong> The hostage families will hold a mass demonstration outside the IDF headquarters on Sunday night.</p><p><em>Editor's note: This story has been updated new details throughout.</em></p>
<p>Supreme Court Justice <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/30/ketanji-brown-jackson-supreme-court" target="_blank">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a> said the public has a right to know what gifts a judge accepts in order to evaluate "whether or not your opinions are impartial." </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Jackson's comments, though not directed at a specific judge or court, come as the nation's highest court is under intense scrutiny over <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/31/democrats-supoena-harlan-crow-leonard-leo-supreme-court-justices" target="_blank">undisclosed trips and gifts</a> and facing calls for reform. </p><hr /><ul><li>A <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/30/supreme-court-abortion-trump-public-approval" target="_blank">Gallup poll from July</a> showed that just 43% of Americans approve of how the Supreme Court is doing its job. </li><li>66% of Republicans supported the court's work this previous term, 44% of Independents and 15% of Democrats said the same. </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> "It really boils down to impartiality," Jackson said in "<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ketanji-brown-jackson-supreme-court-ethics-code/" target="_blank">CBS Sunday Morning</a>" interview which aired Sunday. "That's what the rules are about. People are entitled to know if you are accepting gifts as a judge so that they can evaluate whether or not your opinions are impartial."</p><ul><li>Jackson declined to comment when asked about gifts given to Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. </li><li>Asked about her own personal code of ethics, Jackson said she follows the rules "whatever they are, with respect to ethical obligations. And it's important, in my view, to do so." </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out:</strong> Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, said she's considering supporting an ethics code for the justices "as a general matter." </p><ul><li>President Biden proposed a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/29/joe-biden-supreme-court-reform" target="_blank">series of reforms</a> for the court in July, including enforcing term limits and establishing an ethics code requiring Supreme Court justices to disclose any gifts or refrain from political activity. </li><li>"A binding code of ethics is pretty standard for judges. And so I guess the question is, is the Supreme Court any different? And I guess I have not seen a persuasive reason as to why the court is different than the other courts," Jackson said. </li><li>Jackson declined to comment on "particular policy proposals," but said she doesn't "have any problem with an enforceable code."</li></ul>
<p>The share of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/28/americans-moving-map-2022-florida-texas" target="_blank">Americans moving</a> has reached its lowest in history — and it doesn’t look like it’s climbing back up anytime soon.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Moving — across town, across the state and across the country — for new jobs and better lives was once a common part of American life. Now, staying put longer is the norm.</p><hr /><p><strong>By the numbers: </strong>In the 1960s, around 1 in 5 Americans moved each year, <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/americans-local-migration-reached-a-historic-low-in-2022-but-long-distance-moves-picked-up/" target="_blank">according to</a> the Brookings Institution.</p><ul><li>As of 2022, that’s fallen to 8.7% — even accounting for the pandemic-era moves out of big coastal cities and into places <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/30/america-population-sun-belt-census" target="_blank">like the Sun Belt</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Breaking it down</strong>: A collision of key demographic, social and economic trends is driving the decline, William Frey, senior demographer at Brookings, tells Axios.</p><ol><li>Younger people, who are responsible for the bulk of local, inter-county moves, are <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/01/27/millennials-gen-z-living-parents-data" target="_blank">living with their parents</a> for longer and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/25/marriage-declining-single-dating-taxes-relationships" target="_blank">delaying marriage</a> and starting families.</li><li>America as a whole <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/17/us-aging-population-seniors-future-care" target="_blank">is aging</a>. The population is older and less likely to move.</li><li>Labor markets have become less segmented by region and, in some cases, more remote, so techies don’t necessarily have to move to Silicon Valley and autoworkers don’t necessarily have to move to Detroit.</li><li>Households are no longer typically comprised of one earner — and looking for two or more new jobs in new places is harder than looking for one.</li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/29/rising-us-home-prices" target="_blank">Sky-high housing prices</a> are keeping people from moving into new homes or buying their first homes.</li></ol><p><strong>The flipside: </strong>Though there’s been a steep long-term drop in local moves — which make up the lion’s share of moves — interstate migration has actually ticked up in recent years, particularly since the pandemic per Brookings.</p><ul><li>The people moving to new cities and states are disproportionately college-educated. As the NY Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/20/us/american-workers-moving-states-.html#:~:text=An%20analysis%20by%20David%20Autor,%2C%20recreation%2C%20transportation%20and%20repair." target="_blank">notes</a>, less-educated workers don't benefit as much from moving to a city as they once did in terms of higher wages.</li><li>And while the recent increase in migration between states is notable, it follows a long-term <a href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w18507/w18507.pdf" target="_blank">decline</a> over the past several decades. </li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>The history of America has often been one of packing up in search of a better life. As opportunities spread out, or stagnate, that's happening less than ever before.</p>
<img src="https://images.axios.com/pSuJuFn6umU50Tq2N6S1ebbuQIs=/2024/08/29/1724948466452.jpg" /> <div>Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios</div><p>Increasing numbers of older Americans are <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/15/retirement-savings-enough-401k-roth-stocks" target="_blank">putting off retirement</a>, creating career ladder gridlock that is impacting younger workers.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>As older workers stay in their jobs longer, their Gen Z and Millennial colleagues are often locked into lower-paying, junior-level roles.</p><hr /><p><strong>State of play: </strong>The share of U.S. adults aged 65 and older in the labor market has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/12/14/older-american-adults-working-wages-economy" target="_blank">steadily increased</a> since the late 1980s.</p><ul><li>A <a href="https://www.ebri.org/docs/default-source/rcs/2023-rcs/rcs_23-fs-2.pdf?sfvrsn=708d392f_4" target="_blank">2023 retirement confidence survey</a> from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found that 33% of workers planned to retire at age 70 or older, or never. That's up from EBRI's <a href="https://www.ebri.org/docs/default-source/rcs/2021-rcs/rcs_21-fs-2.pdf" target="_blank">2021 survey</a>, in which 26% of workers said the same thing.</li><li>Declining social security benefits and fewer jobs offering <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/retirement-plans-for-workers-in-private-industry-and-state-and-local-government-in-2022.htm" target="_blank">pension plans</a> have contributed to a landscape in which most Americans <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/15/retirement-savings-enough-401k-roth-stocks" target="_blank">aren't financially on track</a> for retirement.</li><li>People generally are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/03/well/live/retirement-age-health.html" target="_blank">living longer</a> and staying healthier as they age. Both play a role in how older workers remain on the job.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>This has contributed to a "tricky situation" on the career ladder "because there are only so many jobs to go around, especially at the higher levels," Colleen Paulson, a career consultant, told Axios.</p><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> "If you're not moving up in the corporate ladder because there's no space for you to move, then your earning potential is actually stalled," Jasmine Escalera, a career expert, told Axios.</p><ul><li>This can cause workers stress and anxiety but also fuel <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/25/gen-z-great-resignation-generation-job-hopping" target="_blank">job hopping</a>, she said. </li><li>"We may end up seeing a ripple effect where younger generations have a hard time increasing their earning potential, which could potentially also impact their ability to retire at a certain age as well," Escalera said.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Career ladder gridlock works hand-in-hand with a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/30/job-market-hiring-slows" target="_blank">slowing job market</a> and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/22/interest-rate-policy-paradox" target="_blank">high interest rates</a> to create a difficult environment for younger workers who want to achieve traditional life milestones, according to Paulson.</p><ul><li>"I can see how people would delay having kids or delay buying a house because they're not sure if their financial situation can support that, she said.</li></ul><p><strong>Reality check: </strong>The majority of older workers aren't staying on the job longer,<strong> </strong>Gary Officer, CEO of the Center for Workforce Inclusion, told Axios.</p><ul><li>A Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/12/14/older-workers-are-growing-in-number-and-earning-higher-wages/" target="_blank">survey</a> published in December found that 19% of Americans aged 65 and older were employed in 2023. While that's roughly double the share from 35 years ago, it also means that the vast majority aren't employed full-time.</li><li>"Most of the in-demand occupations in this country [require] a higher level of technological proficiency that skews overwhelmingly towards younger people," Officer noted.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/15/retirement-savings-enough-401k-roth-stocks" target="_blank">America is not ready for retirement</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/10/gen-x-retirement-savings-americans-survey" target="_blank">Reality bites for Gen X retirement</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/11/gen-z-job-career-struggle-unemployed" target="_blank">Gen Z's wobbly path to the career ladder</a></li></ul>
<p>Tens of thousands of Texans have traveled out of state for abortions since the <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2024/06/03/texas-high-court-rejects-abortion-ban-challenge" target="_blank">state's ban</a> took effect — more than from any other state, due to Texas' large population and the restrictiveness of the law.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The law, which<strong> </strong>preceded the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/24/roe-wade-decision-abortion" target="_blank">Dobbs decision</a> and took effect three years ago Sunday, has since been followed by similarly restrictive rules in states like Arizona and Florida. Together, they have drastically reduced access to <a href="https://www.axios.com/health/axios-explains-abortion" target="_blank">abortion</a> across the country.</p><hr /><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Clinics across Texas were <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2022/10/11/texas-abortion-clinic-closures" target="_blank">forced to either close</a> permanently or relocate to other states.</p><ul><li>"The health care implications are dramatic and devastating," says Marc Hearron, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights.</li><li>Infant deaths <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/24/texas-infant-deaths-spike-abortion-ban" target="_blank">surged</a> 12.9% in Texas compared with a 1.8% increase across the rest of the country in the year after the state enacted its strict abortion ban, according to a study in <em>JAMA Pediatrics</em>.</li><li>Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who championed the ban, has <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-champions-protecting-unborn-at-texas-rally-for-life" target="_blank">claimed</a> "thousands of newborn babies" were saved as a result of it and other Texas legislation.</li></ul><p><strong>Flashback: </strong>Texas' abortion law, the strictest state measure at the time it went into effect on Sept. 1, 2021, banned the procedure after a fetal heartbeat could be detected, around five or six weeks. A year later, a "trigger law" made performing an abortion a felony.</p><p><strong>State of play:</strong> "Because clinician-provided abortion is almost impossible to access, people are traveling all over the country in order to get care," Isaac Maddow-Zimet, data scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, told Axios.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2024/06/24/where-texans-travel-abortion-roe-overturned" target="_blank">Some 35,000</a> Texans did so last year, per <a href="https://guttmacherinstitute.github.io/provision-dashboard/#interstate-travel" target="_blank">data</a> estimates from the Guttmacher Institute.</li><li>An estimated 71% of abortions that took place in New Mexico last year were for out-of-state patients, mostly Texas residents, per Guttmacher's data.</li><li>"Even when people are able to obtain abortion care, it's not necessarily a success story," Maddow-Zimet said. "It is something that they've had to really overcome."</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Under <a href="https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/SDocs/HEALTHANDSAFETYCODE.pdf" target="_blank">Texas' law</a>, a licensed physician can perform an abortion only if the pregnant person's life is at risk or if the pregnancy "poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function." The provider must also attempt to save the fetus.</p><ul><li>Critics of the ban have <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2024/06/03/texas-high-court-rejects-abortion-ban-challenge" target="_blank">argued</a> ambiguity over when exceptions are allowed has contributed to confusion and fear among doctors — who can be charged with a <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/pdf/HB01280F.pdf" target="_blank">first-degree felony</a> if they violate the law.</li><li>But the state's Supreme Court <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/31/texas-abortion-ban-supreme-court" target="_self">declined</a> in May to clarify when a medical emergency justifies an abortion.</li><li>The <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2024/06/23/texas-medical-board-abortion-ban-exemption-rules" target="_blank">Texas Medical Board</a> provided guidance in June saying doctors<strong> </strong>don't need to wait until a pregnant person is at risk of death to provide an abortion, but that still didn't provide the clarity patients and doctors need, Hearron said.</li><li>As a result, pregnant Texans with severe complications will likely continue to seek abortions outside the state. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>Access to reproductive care is now a central topic in the 2024 presidential race, and one of former President Trump's key vulnerabilities.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2024/04/02/kate-cox-abortion-dallas-texas-ban-exception" target="_blank">Kate Cox</a>, the Dallas-area woman who <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2024/04/02/kate-cox-abortion-dallas-texas-ban-exception" target="_blank">generated national attention</a> when she was blocked from getting an abortion after she discovered her fetus had a fatal genetic disorder, is helping rally Democratic voters on the issue.</li><li>In a break with anti-abortion groups, Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/trump-abortion-limit-too-short" target="_blank">said Thursday</a> that the six-week limit on abortions in his home state of Florida is "too short."</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>Florida's <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2024/04/02/florida-six-week-abortion-supreme-court" target="_blank">six-week ban</a> will be on the ballot in November, as will Arizona's near-total ban.</p><ul><li>That <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2024/02/05/abortion-texas-laws-ballot-vote-election" target="_blank">won't be the case</a> in Texas, where the legislature must first pass a measure before voters can ratify it.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/06/abortion-amendment-november-2024-elections-states-map" target="_blank">Where abortion is on the ballot in 2024</a></p>
<p>Israel Defense Forces recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, including one American citizen, Israeli officials said. </p><p><strong>Why it matters</strong>: The recovery operation took place amid continued efforts to reach a hostage-release and ceasefire in Gaza <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/gaza-hostage-ceasefire-deal-israel-talks-details" target="_blank">deal</a>.</p><hr /><ul><li>After the operation, there are 101 hostages remaining in Gaza.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>The recovery operation took place on Saturday afternoon local time but it took many hours to officially identify the bodies and notify the families, Israeli officials said. </p><ul><li>Five of the hostages were kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova music festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The sixth, Carmel Gat, was taken from the community of Be'eri.</li><li>IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the hostages were murdered by Hamas guards "shortly before IDF forces reached them."</li></ul><p><strong>The body of Hersh Goldberg-Polin</strong>, a U.S. citizen who became the symbol of the American hostages held by Hamas, was among those recovered.</p><ul><li>Goldberg-Polin was last seen in a video released by Hamas in April.</li><li>His parents recently spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, with thousands in the audience chanting "bring them back" and calling for the release of the hostages.</li><li>"With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh. The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time," they said in a statement on Sunday morning local time.</li></ul><p><strong>President Biden said </strong>Goldberg-Polin's parents "have been relentless and irrepressible champions of their son and of all the hostages held in unconscionable conditions," in a statement on Saturday night. </p><ul><li>His death "is as tragic as it is reprehensible," the statement continued. "Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages."</li><li>Biden said the bodies of the hostages were recovered from a tunnel under the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.</li><li>On Sunday morning, Biden spoke with Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, the parents of Goldberg-Polin, "to offer his condolences for the death of their son at the hands of Hamas," a White House official said.</li><li>Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement on Saturday night that "the threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel — and American citizens in Israel — must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza."</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Israeli negotiators and the heads of the security and intelligence services have been urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his security cabinet for months to reach a deal to secure the release of the hostages.</p><ul><li>"We warned Netanyahu and the cabinet ministers about this exact scenario but they wouldn't listen," a senior Israeli official told Axios on Saturday. </li></ul><p>Two days ago an Israeli security cabinet meeting turned into an unprecedented <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/netanyahu-gallant-shouting-match-israel-cabinet" target="_blank">shouting match</a> between Netanyahu and his Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant over this issue.</p><ul><li>Gallant, IDF chief of staff Gen. Herzi Halevi and Mossad director David Barnea claimed Netanyahu's proposal to vote on a resolution to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/22/us-israel-egypt-gaza-border-security-talks" target="_blank">maintain full Israeli control</a> along the Philadelphi corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border would undermine a possible deal. </li><li>"We have to choose between Philadelphi and the hostages. We can't have both. If we vote, we might find out that either the hostages will die or we will have to backtrack to release them," Gallant told Netanyahu and the other cabinet ministers. </li><li>Netanyahu disregarded the warnings and brought the Philadelphi corridor to a vote with the majority of the cabinet ministers voting in favor. </li></ul><p><strong>What to watch:</strong> On Saturday, the IDF issued a short and general statement that they found several bodies in Gaza. </p><ul><li>The statement created an unprecedented uproar among the hostage families, who were already angry about the cabinet decision, which they saw as a deliberate move by Netanyahu to sabotage the deal.</li><li>The Hostage Families Forum Headquarters, an NGO pushing for a deal to secure the release of the hostages, called for mass protest against Netanyahu on Sunday.</li><li>"Netanyahu abandoned the hostages. This is now a fact. Starting tomorrow the country will tremble. We call on the public to prepare. We will bring the country to a halt. The abandonment is over," the group said in a statement on Saturday. </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> President Biden told reporters earlier on Saturday evening that he was briefed about the recovery of the bodies but said he still didn't have full confirmation about their identity. </p><ul><li>"It's time this war ended," Biden said and added he is "still optimistic" about the Gaza hostage-release and ceasefire talks. </li><li>"We think we can close the deal. They've all said they agree on the principles," he said. </li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This story has been updated with details throughout.</em></p>
<div>Data: Gallup. Chart: Axios Visuals</div><p>Americans, driven by a Democratic surge, are the most enthusiastic about the <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/us-presidential-house-senate-elections" target="_blank">presidential election</a> in 24 years of <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/649397/democrats-drive-surge-election-enthusiasm.aspx" target="_blank">Gallup polling</a>.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>November's election between Vice President Harris and former President Trump will be close, by polling indications, and could come down to the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/28/battleground-states-map-2024" target="_blank">battleground states</a>.</p><hr /><p><strong>The latest:</strong> Among 1,015 adults polled recently, 69% said they were "more enthusiastic" about voting than usual. That's up from 54% in March, the Gallup poll released Thursday shows. </p><ul><li>Democrats' enthusiasm score is one point shy of the party's high — 79% in February 2008, during the Clinton-Obama primary. The group's score, which includes Democratic-leaning participants, was 55% in March.</li><li>The score for Republicans and GOP-leaning participants is at 64%, up from 59% in the spring.</li></ul><p><strong>Context:</strong> Harris, the first Black and South Asian American woman to lead a major party ticket, has crept ahead of Trump in <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/kamala-harris-poll-support-trump" target="_blank">three polls</a> after the Democratic National Convention formalized her replacement of President Biden on the ticket.</p><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Gallop senior editor Jeffrey Jones writes: "Biden's decision to stand down as the Democratic nominee amid pressure from high-ranking Democrats preceded a surge in election enthusiasm among the party faithful while raising doubts among Republicans and independents about the process." </p><ul><li>"As a result of elevated election thought and enthusiasm in both parties," Jones later adds, "voter participation could surpass what it was in 2020, when two-thirds of eligible U.S. adults cast ballots, the highest in over 100 years."</li></ul><p><em>Methodology: The poll was conducted among a random sample of 1,015 adults via telephone interviews Aug. 1-20. For the total sample, the margin of error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For the sample of 932 registered voters, the margin of error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.</em></p><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/20/axios-vibes-dems-close-enthusiasm-gap-among-latinos" target="_blank">Dems close enthusiasm gap among Latinos</a></p>
<p>A perennial pitch in the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/18/401k-fees" target="_blank">investment industry</a> comes from firms that claim to give the middle class access to investment strategies hitherto available only to people of great wealth.</p><p><strong>The catch:</strong> Investing like the ultra-rich is a terrible strategy for most people.</p><hr /><ul><li>Billionaires don't need to maximize their returns when they make investments — and they almost never need to sell anything. They're therefore terrible role models when it comes to most people's personal investment decisions. </li></ul><p><strong>The logic:</strong> The financial services companies pitching exotic solutions tend to implicitly or explicitly lean on a powerful argument.</p><ul><li>Ultra-high-net-worth individuals are growing their wealth more quickly than the middle class; they have access to investments unavailable to the middle class; therefore, the middle class would grow their wealth faster if they had access to those rarefied investment opportunities.</li><li>That syllogism is a solecism. </li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Various billionaires, including Sean Combs, Bill Ackman, Larry Ellison, Jack Dorsey, and Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, were <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-just-forced-reveal-120000372.html" target="_blank">revealed</a> last week to have helped fund Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter at the inflated price of $54.20 per share. </p><ul><li>British hedge fund billionaire Paul Marshall is <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/deals/billionaire-paul-marshall-nears-deal-to-buy-britains-spectator-magazine-for-more-than-131-million-91460a6b?mod=deals_news_article_pos1" target="_blank">reportedly</a> bidding $131 million — some $1,400 per subscriber, or 72 times earnings — for a 150-year-old British political magazine.</li><li>One billionaire scion, David Ellison, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/edgar-bronfman-jr-drops-bid-paramount?stream=top&utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alerts_media_trends" target="_blank">beat out</a> another billionaire scion, Edgar Bronfman Jr., for the right to buy control of Paramount from a third billionaire scion, Shari Redstone.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>In all of these examples, a trophy asset has personal value to the acquirer, on top of any financial value or price-appreciation potential. While it's <em>possible</em> those investments will end up outperforming a stock-market index fund, it seems highly unlikely. </p><ul><li>As Luma's Terry Kawaja told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/24/business/dealbook/edgar-bronfman-paramount.html" target="_blank">DealBook</a> about the war for Paramount, "If you're the billionaire son of a billionaire, it's the ultimate asset."</li><li>Or as Bloomberg Opinion's Matt Levine <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-08-14/jab-is-an-expensive-family-office?srnd=undefined" target="_blank">put it</a>, having "some coherent, or entertainingly incoherent, story of what you're up to with your money" is clearly superior, to someone worth $25 billion, to a passive investment strategy that makes more money.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>One of the greatest luxuries that being very rich buys is being able to lose a lot of money and still live a billionaire's lifestyle. </p><ul><li>Wealth also confers the ability to blur investment and consumption — to invest money for nonfinancial reasons but to present that investment to the world as being a great investment all the same. </li></ul><p><strong>Follow the money: </strong>The real secret to billionaires' outperformance, whether the assets they're investing in are liquid or illiquid, is the endless number of wealth-management companies offering cheap liquidity whenever it's needed. </p><ul><li>Being able to borrow any amount you'll ever need means never having to sell at a loss or give up a promising investment because you need the money today.</li><li>In that sense, billionaires can have their cake and eat it too: They can spend the money in their investment portfolios without having to liquidate those investments. </li><li>Normal folks, by contrast, don't have access to a long list of lenders begging to advance capital against illiquid stakes in private companies.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> Once you have more money than you'll ever be able to spend, investment is no longer delayed consumption; it is itself a form of consumption. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/business/elon-musk" target="_blank">Elon Musk's</a> X, formerly Twitter, was blocked in Brazil early Saturday after the social media platform <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/brazil-x-twitter-elon-musk" target="_blank">missed a high court deadline</a> to appoint a legal representative in the country, per multiple <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/30/business/brazil-suspends-x-elon-musk-moraes-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">news </a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-elon-musk-x-block-judge-free-speech-10dfeef83f442f6e76540ffbdf7d4c77" target="_blank">outlets</a>.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The country has ramped up efforts to fight misinformation online as an ongoing fued between Musk and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes drags on for months.</p><hr /><p><strong>Musk has accused</strong> Moraes of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/brazil-x-ban-elon-musk-threat" target="_blank">"censorship."</a></p><ul><li>"𝕏 is the most used news source in Brazil. It is what the people want," the billionaire <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1829778143449698764" target="_blank">said</a> early Saturday on X.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Moraes <a href="https://noticias.stf.jus.br/postsnoticias/stf-determina-suspensao-do-x-antigo-twitter-em-todo-o-territorio-nacional-2/" target="_blank">ordered</a> X's suspension on Friday and said it would remain in effect until all fines were paid and a company representative was appointed in Brazil.</p><p><strong>What he's saying: </strong>"We have a right to defend fundamental rights," Moraes said in a speech Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/brazil-judge-takes-musks-x-fake-news-crusade-ramps-up-2024-08-30/" target="_blank">covered</a> on Friday. "Those who violate democracy, who violate fundamental human rights, whether in person or through social media, must be held accountable." </p><ul><li>The justice didn't reference X or the decision in the speech.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/brazil-x-twitter-elon-musk" target="_blank">Brazil judge orders suspension of X amid standoff with Musk</a></p>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dd03c485f540171078eba8.jpeg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Trump says he feels “offended” by Putin’s remarks about the US presidential election <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603671-putin-offended-me-trump/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dcef7485f540552b476982.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> France will pay for weapons for Ukraine with the proceeds from frozen Russian assets <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603670-france-russian-assets-weapons-for-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dcc0a685f5401801652074.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Ukraine is sitting atop a “trillion dollars’ worth of minerals” and so US military aid must keep flowing, US Senator Lindsey Graham says <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603669-washington-wants-ukraines-resources/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dcaa2585f54018d72ac035.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Washington demands proof that the Venezuelan president really won the election – why should he bother? <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603658-maduro-venezuela-us-meddling/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dcb75d203027264f12dd0c.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Türkiye’s leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for an “Islamic alliance” to counter what he called Israel’s “state terrorism” <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603667-erdogan-israel-islamic-alliance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dca42c2030276b717cd71b.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Over half of the country’s ministers have been dismissed. Why did Vladimir Zelensky decide to gut his team during an ongoing conflict? <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603668-zelensky-purged-ukranian-government/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dc92be2030276e84750982.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> A senior German MP has suggested banning two popular social media platforms that fail to comply with local laws <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603665-german-mp-x-ban/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dc704f2030276caf32b23c.png" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The Russian Defense Ministry has shared fresh drone footage showcasing the destruction of a US-made Ukrainian M777 howitzer <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603664-us-made-howitzer-destroyed/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dc638885f54039c0205a62.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence Kirill Budanov has described messaging app Telegram as a real threat to his nation’s security <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603663-ukrainian-intel-chief-telegram-threat/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dc653f85f5400df71e0191.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Republican former US Vice President Dick Cheney slammed Donald Trump as the biggest threat the country has ever faced <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603662-cheney-trump-harris-election/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dc440685f5401801652053.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> US authorities say they have not detected attempts by foreign actors to directly interfere in the upcoming presidential election <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603655-us-intel-no-foreign-interference-elex/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dc4e232030276e3e181829.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The Argentinian Foreign Ministry will ask the International Criminal Court to order the arrest of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603656-argentina-urges-icc-arrest-maduro/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db058885f540552b476913.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> By blindly following the US into its proxy wars, EU leaders have triggered a backlash that threatens to bring them down <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603631-eu-crisis-follow-us/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dbd164203027709c313d2f.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The Russian military has reported making new gains in Donbass, seizing multiple settlements from Ukrainian forces <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603642-kursk-standoff-donbass-push/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dc32bd85f54039c0205a47.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Neither Donald Trump nor Kamala Harris will lift US restrictions on Russia, former president Dmitry Medvedev has said <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603654-sanctions-trump-harris-medvedev/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dc0c062030276e3e181820.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Kazakhstan has banned webcam sexual performances, effectively equating them with prostitution-related activities <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603652-kazakhstan-bans-webcam-services/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dbfe5e85f5401801652040.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Economic curbs imposed by the US on other countries are undermining the dollar, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603651-trump-sanctions-russia-iran/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dbe30085f54018d72ac007.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> More than 500 licensed private medical facilities have refused to provide abortions, the Russian Orthodox Church has said <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603648-russian-clinics-refusing-abortions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db05f785f5401801651fe3.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Polls in Kashmir mean Islamabad, separatists, and mainstream parties are out in full force, while Delhi looks for new leaders <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/india/603618-kashmir-election-minefield-india/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dbb74885f54018d72abff6.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> A ceasefire in Ukraine should come before a detailed peace plan, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603647-orban-first-step-ukraine-peace/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db9e6920302761a62c7bf5.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has urged the West to help him end the war “this fall” <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603646-zelensky-war-end-this-fall/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db69fe85f540171078eb3f.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Yulia Vavilova has made her first social media post after being detained in Paris alongside Telegram founder Pavel Durov <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603645-yulia-vavilova-durov-telegram/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db68cf2030276dd104126f.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Conscription officers are reportedly using cell phone jammers when snatching recruits off the streets, to keep their relatives in the dark <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603644-ukraine-draft-phone-jammers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db5d1020302761a62c7bec.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Bank of Russia has continued boosting and diversifying its forex reserves <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/603641-russia-gold-reserves-growth/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db5f0885f540296f2939b6.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> When the US demanded total self-sacrifice from the countries of the former Soviet Union, Georgia bucked the trend <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603643-country-cracked-post-soviet-code/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db2c4c20302779136d6fbd.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> RT’s billboards and ads celebrating anti-colonialism are Russian “disinformation,” Africa Confidential has claimed <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603639-british-outlet-russian-propaganda-africa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db426220302761a62c7bd8.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Renting prison space in Estonia is among the options being considered to ease the jail overcrowding crisis in Britain <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603637-uk-criminals-estonia-prisons/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db23a585f5400df71e013a.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The vice president appeared to agree with a proposal for race-based legislation at a panel discussion in 2019 <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603638-kamala-harris-special-black-laws/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db2f7985f54016617d2c46.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> ‘Make in India’ liquor has huge global potential, New Delhi believes <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/india/603640-india-to-boost-exports-of-alcohol/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db1e6f2030272b723e3214.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> De-dollarization is the result of destructive practices by the US and IMF, according to Sichuan University Professor Huang Yunsong <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/603636-west-policies-drive-de-dollarization/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db136885f54039c0205a0c.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Margarita Simonyan has said she might sue the BBC over a malicious article published online <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603634-margarita-simonyan-suing-bbc/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db1e132030271e974e1ede.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The German defense chief has announced plans to supply 77 more Leopard 1A5 tanks to Ukraine along with Denmark and the Netherlands <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603635-germany-pistorius-tanks-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db1dc02030276d3e6de082.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The Czech Republic says Russian nationals should “prove their loyalty” by renouncing their passports, local media have reported <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603627-czech-republic-russians-citizenship/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db0ab82030277ba0374531.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Media watchdog Roskomnadzor has banned several pirate websites featuring the 2005 movie about a love affair between gay cowboys <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/603633-brokeback-mountain-russia-block/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66daf9af20302779136d6f96.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh says Kiev wouldn’t be able to hit most Russian airbases, even if allowed to conduct long-range strikes <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603628-pentagon-ukraine-long-range-strikes-russia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66db082685f54018d72abfba.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> YouTube has “terminated” several channels the US alleges are linked to a Russian campaign to influence the presidential election <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603632-youtube-bans-russia-right-channels/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66daff1485f5400df71e011c.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> China has urged Eswatini to follow the lead of its African neighbors and abandon its diplomatic ties with Taiwan <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/603629-eswatini-taiwan-diplomatic-ties-china-comments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dacc3785f54001335a6e86.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> With all of the meaningful power in the presidential office’s hands, the cabinet reshuffle is mostly a PR exercise <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603616-zelensky-purge-ministers-kiev/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dacef185f5407c5d4de379.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> White House adviser John Kirby has asked Vladimir Putin not to “interfere” in the US presidential race after he backed Kamala Harris <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603617-white-house-responds-putin-backing-harris/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dafb6685f5400dd24e2c9e.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has declined say how serious Vladimir Putin’s “endorsement” of Kamala Harris for US president was <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603625-putin-harris-tone-peskov/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
Another US-made M270 multiple launch rocket system was destroyed in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry has reported <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603621-mlrs-iskander-hit-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66daf48f2030272b723e31f4.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Donald Trump has pledged to create a panel tasked with evaluating government efficiency and pitching reforms, to be headed by Elon Musk <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603622-trump-musk-government-efficiency/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66daec8d85f540552b476904.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Ukraine’s military won’t have money for ‘combat’ payments unless the parliament approves an amended budget, a top MP has said <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603624-ukraine-run-out-combat-salary/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66daea0d85f5407f5f1a0981.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Kiev could lose some $6 billion in pre-approved military aid unless Washington finds a solution, Reuters reports <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603610-us-ukraine-aid-deadline/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dad76585f54003f163235e.jpeg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The move is seen as a major stride for New Delhi’s efforts to boost its chip industry <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/india/603620-india-turns-to-singapore/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dae34e2030276d3e6de051.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has asked Israel and Hamas militants to finalize a truce <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603623-blinken-hamas-israel-gaza-deal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66daceed2030277abd077d7d.png" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela has condemned US restrictions on RT, accusing the West of silencing free speech <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/603619-criticism-us-over-rt-restrictions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dab3a585f54003f163233a.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said that both Russia and North Korea face a Western “sanctions war” <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603609-zakharova-russia-dprk-sanctions-war/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9f1ce203027285d63341e.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Washington has succeeded in hindering payments between Moscow and Beijing, but the threat of sanctions is driving innovation <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/603586-russia-china-us-sanctions-payments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dacd9785f54039c02059ab.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei died on Thursday from organ failure following an alleged attack by her ex-lover <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/603614-ugandan-olympian-dies-fire-attack-boyfriend/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dac8b085f54039c0205998.png" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Russian artillery has eliminated a Ukrainian Caesar SPG in Kursk Region, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603612-french-spg-destroyed-kursk/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dac9cd2030277ba03744f5.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has endorsed full media freedom, once Russia is no longer in a de facto state of war <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603615-peskov-media-freedom-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66dabbc120302734700eec1e.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Western officials are reportedly pondering whether the Ukrainian pilot killed in an F-16 jet crash had enough experience <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603607-ukraine-f16-rushed-training/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66daa3ac20302778e220cd37.jpeg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Washington has sanctioned Indian-based companies it claims are linked to Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/india/603599-us-slaps-anti-russia-sanctions-india/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66daac2220302776fe600244.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Many Ukrainian recruits are sent to the front line only after several weeks of training, Aleksandr Syrsky has said <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603602-ukraine-syrsky-raw-recruits/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66da810685f54003f1632323.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> London will supply Kiev with $213 million worth of Martlet multirole missiles, the UK Defense Ministry has announced <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603598-uk-missiles-ukraine-aa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66da57f285f54039c0205966.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Telegram owner Pavel Durov has rejected claims that the messenger is rampant with lawlessness <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603597-telegram-no-anarchic-paradise/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66da3ae785f5407b565b4639.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Ukrainian activists were among the stakeholders opposed to releasing a list of 900 alleged WWII war criminals in Canada <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603596-canada-nazi-list-release/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66da204f85f5407c5d4de33f.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Israel was not literally a “step away” from victory over Hamas over five months ago, PM Benjamin Netanyahu has admitted <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603592-netanyahu-victory-step-away/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66da280985f5407b565b4632.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Pavel Durov has said that the charged brought against in France were “surprising” <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603595-durov-speaks-out-arrest-france/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66da198785f54003f1632301.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Donald Trump has a 58% chance of winning the presidential election, Nate Silver has claimed <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603593-trump-harris-silver-polls/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66da011420302707aa66ef4d.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Dimitri Simes has been accused of evading sanctions by hosting a TV show on Russia’s Channel One <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603589-dimitri-simes-sanctions-russia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9bece20302706bb7d82a4.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Kiev’s surprise assault has failed to change the course of the conflict, with Moscow’s troops rapidly advancing in Donbass <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603576-kursk-gambit-ukraine-disaster/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66da0e2285f54003f16322f5.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The GOP presidential nominee has said he didn’t know how to feel about the Russian leader favoring Vice President Kamala Harris <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603591-us-trump-putin-harris/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9fde685f5401c03233c35.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The two-weight champion has hinted for the second time that he will run for office next year <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603590-conor-mcgregor-ireland-president/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9fc3c20302707aa66ef3f.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Ukrainians should prepare for long daily power blackouts during cold months due to infrastructure damage, a report has suggested <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603582-ukraine-winter-power-outages/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9d93e85f54001335a6e40.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> US President Joe Biden’s son has pleaded guilty in a federal tax case, skipping a politically damaging trial before the election <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603585-hunter-biden-guilty-tax-trial/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9f54085f54003f16322e1.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev wants to further tighten the country’s migration laws <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603583-medvedev-labor-migrants-families/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9d97620302703d00d37bf.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> China’s intelligence agency has urged youngsters to beware of ‘beautiful’ men and women who could lure them into spying <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603574-china-spy-agency-warning-students/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9d7a1203027765e78bc53.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Several Lithuanians could be prosecuted for joining the Russian military, Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas has said <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603584-lithuania-citizens-fighting-russia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9ccc185f5407ee77ee0f5.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Washington has accused Moscow of attempting to use the media to manipulate public opinion ahead of the presidential election <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603580-steven-seagal-us-hiding-truth/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9bfe285f5407ee77ee0ee.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Russian President Vladimir Putin has delivered a keynote speech at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603575-putin-recap-eastern-economic-forum/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9d27b85f5407c5d4de302.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The prime minister’s comments come amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea region <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/india/603581-india-supports-development-not-expansionism/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9c25b203027765e78bc3a.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Former French PM Edouard Philippe believes President Emmanuel Macron may be forced to leave office next year, the outlet claims <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603577-ex-french-pm-macrone-gone-2025/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9cd1585f5401c03233c0e.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Ukrainian troops use cluster munitions in attacks on civilian and residential areas, according to Dmitry Peskov <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603565-russia-ukraine-military-attacks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9a0ad20302708c15f4913.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The former GDR is distancing itself from Western liberalism, reclaiming its heritage and national identity <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603564-germany-embraces-tradition-afd/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9c61720302703d00d37a8.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has offered to host peace talks between Moscow and Kiev at the OSCE HQ in Vienna <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603578-austria-osce-ukraine-talks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9cb44203027028105874d.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishina has been picked to run the Justice Ministry as part of a cabinet reshuffle <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603579-ukraine-corruption-justice-minister/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9b56d203027765e78bc24.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Journalist organizations have protested the detention of reporter Richard Medhurst under UK’s terror law <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603559-uk-unions-outcry-arrest-journalist/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9c7f585f540552b47687c.png" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Hvaldimir the beluga ‘spy whale’ was found dead off Norway’s southern coast over the weekend <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603572-russian-spy-whale-killed/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9a8b885f54001335a6e16.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Burkina Faso has removed the ECOWAS logo from its new passports, citing its decision to leave the group <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/603566-burkina-faso-new-passports-ecowas-logo-removal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9b1c320302707aa66ef0b.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The French president has named former EU commissioner and Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as the country’s new premier <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603573-france-barnier-prime-minister/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9b8bb20302703d00d37a3.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said that Ukraine has not had a legitimate government or president since the 2014 Maidan coup <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603567-peskov-ukraine-illegitimate-governments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9aecc85f540552b476867.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> A State Duma deputy has proposed that Russians return to biblical teachings in order to boost the birth rate <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603570-russian-mp-plans-baby-boom/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9a18f85f5407b565b45d9.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of forcing a fight “to the last Ukrainian” to defeat Russia <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603562-putin-west-strategic-defeat/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9a81220302733c64bdf25.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> New Delhi is eyeing further boosting trade relations with Moscow <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/india/603568-russia-india-energy-security/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9a83920302706bb7d8294.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Pre-natal clinics in the Russian city of Ivanovo will show models of embryos to abortion-seeking women to persuade them to keep the baby <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603569-ivanovo-embryos-abortion-seeking/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d99b7085f5407ee77ee0b4.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba will be succeeded by Andrey Sibiga, who previously served as ambassador to Türkiye <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603561-ukraine-parliament-approves-new-fm/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d99aae85f5401c03233be4.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Kiev has no regard for the loss of Ukrainian lives in a conflict that could have been ended months ago, the Russian president has said <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603560-ukrainian-leaders-aliens-putin/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d985e385f5407f5f1a08c9.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> German police have shot and killed a suspected gunman, with no other casualties reported <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603558-germany-munich-israel-consulate-shooting/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9829f85f54003f1632297.png" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has downplayed as “gossip” US claims that Russian media is meddling in American elections <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603557-malaysia-ibrahim-rt-meddling/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9940b203027074825ef07.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Ambassador Anatoly Antonov has accused Washington of trying to hide the “inconvenient truth” by targeting Russian media with sanctions <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603554-us-sanctions-russian-media-antonov/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d80b0985f5404a4a353670.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The future of Christian churches on the continent depends on the ability to develop an authentic African Christianity <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/603487-west-churches-hijacked-african-christianity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d96fb820302733c64bdee9.jpeg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Rosoboronexport has outlined plans for joint ventures regarding military equipment and servicing in Africa <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/603552-osoboronexport-expands-african-partnerships/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9711a85f5407c5d4de2c0.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Malaysia will attend the BRICS summit in Kazan and looks forward to a decision on its bid to join the group, Anwar Ibrahim has said <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603546-malaysia-brics-summit-invite/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d981a085f5407f5f1a08ab.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged more than $50 billion in joint projects as part of efforts to strengthen ties with Africa <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/603555-china-africa-summit-beijing-pledges-support/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d965ec85f5407f5f1a0890.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Kiev’s incursion in Kursk Region may result in a full collapse of its army, Russian President Vladimir Putin has predicted <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603548-putin-ukrainian-military-collapse/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d97510203027074825eede.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> The Russian president told a conference in Vladivostok that he respected Joe Biden’s choice as his successor <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603553-putin-endorses-kamala-harris/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9702520302733c64bdeee.png" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Moscow is not pursuing a “policy of de-dollarization,” President Vladimir Putin has told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/603550-russia-not-pursuing-dedollarization/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
<img align="left" alt="Preview" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.09/thumbnail/66d9645985f54001335a6deb.jpg" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Ex-UN weapons inspector and RT contributor Scott Ritter says he will terminate his work for the Russian media outlet amid new US sanctions <br /><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/603547-scott-ritter-rt-contributor-us-sanctions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>
The winning numbers in Saturday evening’s drawing of the "Powerball" game were: 14-34-37-55-63, Powerball: 20
Alabama's newly redrawn 2nd Congressional District is sparking a heated election
Transportation officials are hoping a major investment in a technology allowing cars to talk to other cars about hazards on the road could be part of the solution to a recent surge in traffic deaths
Three sisters from Ohio who inherited a dime kept in a bank vault for more than 40 years knew it had some value
Venezuela says opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González has left country for asylum in Spain
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz touted Vice President Kamala Harris’ record of defending LGBTQ+ rights, pledging to a supportive crowd that she will advance their cause if elected president
Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese says on social media she will miss the rest of the WNBA season due to injury
A manhunt is underway as police search for a gunman in a rural area of southeastern Kentucky near Interstate 75
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says a shooting has occurred on Interstate 75 in a rural area south of Lexington
Mandatory evacuations are expanding as a wildfire burns in the foothills of a national forest east of Los Angeles
A former top official in U.S. nuclear weapons research at Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos national laboratories has died after an automobile crash in New Mexico
Aryna Sabalenka beats Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 to win the U.S. Open for her third Grand Slam title (CORRECTS: A previous APNewsAlert erroneously reported that Sabalenka won her second Grand Slam)
Evacuations have been ordered as a wildfire burns in the foothills of a national forest east of Los Angeles
Casino company Wynn Resorts is paying $130 million to federal authorities and admitting that it allowed unlicensed money transfers from around the world to reach gamblers at its flagship Las Vegas Strip property
Polls close in Algeria, where voters are deciding whether to re-elect army-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune
Gov. Jim Justice says a coal miner was killed on the job in West Virginia on Friday night
He was fatally shot in what the police chief called an execution.
They did not offer any details about how many weapons have been delivered.
A judge has ruled that three Libertarian candidates seeking U.S. House seats in Iowa will not appear on the ballot this November
Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language debut ‘The Room Next Door’ wins top prize at the Venice Film Festival
Nicole Kidman wins best actress award at Venice Film Festival for 'Babygirl,' misses ceremony due to death of her mother
Venezuela revokes Brazil's status as custodian of Argentina diplomatic mission housing asylum seeking opponents
Aryna Sabalenka has defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in the U.S. Open women's final to win her first championship at Flushing Meadows and second Grand Slam title of the year
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians began selling marijuana and cannabis products to any adult 21 or over starting Saturday at its tribe-owned dispensary in North Carolina
Federal education advocates say colleges and universities that serve higher than average Hispanic student populations are vital to the goals of educational equality and economic opportunities
• Fox-Dominion trial delay 'is not unusual,' judge says • Fox News' defamation battle isn't stopping Trump's election lies
The judge just announced in court that a settlement has been reached in the historic defamation case between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems.
A settlement has been reached in Dominion Voting Systems' defamation case against Fox News, the judge for the case announced. The network will pay more than $787 million to Dominion, a lawyer for the company said.
• DeSantis goes to Washington, a place he once despised, looking for support to take on Trump • Opinion: For the GOP to win, it must ditch Trump • Chris Christie mulling 2024 White House bid • Analysis: The fire next time has begun burning in Tennessee
• 'A major part of Ralph died': Aunt of teen shot after ringing wrong doorbell speaks • 20-year-old woman shot after friend turned into the wrong driveway in upstate New York, officials say
Newly released body camera footage shows firefighters and sheriff's deputies rushing to help actor Jeremy Renner after a near-fatal snowplow accident in January. The "Avengers" actor broke more than 30 bones and suffered other severe injuries. CNN's Chloe Melas has more.
It's sourdough bread and handstands for Jake Gyllenhaal and Jamie Lee Curtis.
A tiny intruder infiltrated White House grounds Tuesday, prompting a swift response from the US Secret Service.
Jamie Foxx remains hospitalized in Georgia nearly a week after his daughter revealed the actor experienced a "medical complication," a source with knowledge of the matter told CNN on Monday.
A 13-year-old in Ohio has died after "he took a bunch of Benadryl," trying a dangerous TikTok challenge that's circulating online, according to a CNN affiliate and a GoFundMe account from his family.
Pizza guy delivers more than a pie, taking out a fleeing suspect. CNN's Jeanne Moos shows him putting his best foot forward.
Netflix is officially winding down the business that helped make it a household name.
Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT could lead to a "turbocharging" of consumer harms including fraud and scams, and the US government has substantial authority to crack down on AI-driven consumer harms under existing law, members of the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday.
Gobbling up too many refined wheat and rice products, along with eating too few whole grains, is fueling the growth of new cases of type 2 diabetes worldwide, according to a new study that models data through 2018.
At some middle and high schools in the United States, 1 in 4 teens report they've abused prescription stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder during the year prior, a new study found.
CEO Tim Cook personally welcomed customers to the new Apple store in Mumbai as the tech company opens its first retail stores in India. CNN's Vedika Sud reports.
Senate Democrats railed against Justice Clarence Thomas on Tuesday amid reports that the Supreme Court conservative failed to disclose luxury travel, gifts and a real estate transaction involving a GOP megadonor, but their plan to investigate the conservative jurist remains unclear.
• Jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich denied detention appeal in Moscow • Putin visits Russian troops at military headquarters in Kherson • Watch moment WSJ journalist appears in Russian court
Two Russian men who claim to be former Wagner Group commanders have told a human rights activist that they killed children and civilians during their time in Ukraine.
CNN panelists react to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis floating the idea of building a competing theme park next to Disney World in Orlando.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that he hopes to replace Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee with Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland and aims to set up a floor vote on the issue this afternoon, which Republicans are expected to block.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy traveled to Wall Street on Monday to deliver a fresh warning that the House GOP majority will refuse to lift a cap on government borrowing unless Biden agrees to spending cuts that would effectively neutralize his domestic agenda.
The US has sensitive nuclear technology at a nuclear power plant inside Ukraine and is warning Russia not to touch it, according to a letter the US Department of Energy sent to Russia's state-owned nuclear energy firm Rosatom last month.
Atiq Ahmed, a former lawmaker in India's parliament, convicted of kidnapping, was shot dead along with his brother while police were escorting them for a medical check-up in a slaying caught on live television on Saturday. CNN's Vedika Sud reports.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the terms of its emergency use authorizations for the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent vaccines on Tuesday, allowing people ages 65 and older and certain people with weakened immunity to get additional doses before this fall's vaccination campaigns.
Maine authorities have detained a person of interest and continue to investigate after two shooting incidents that appear to be connected left at least four people dead and three others injured, state police said.
• Delta Air Lines reports record bookings for summer travel • Air France and Airbus acquitted in trial over 2009 plane crash
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who has been cleared to resume football activities, said Tuesday his cardiac arrest during an NFL game in January was caused by commotio cordis.
Polish pilot Lukasz Czepiela made history after landing a plane on a helipad at the top of a 56-story hotel in Dubai.
The top US Navy admiral ardently defended a non-binary sailor on Tuesday amid some criticism from Republican lawmakers, saying he is "particularly proud of this sailor."
The Fulton County District Attorney's office said some fake electors for Donald Trump have implicated each other in potential criminal activity and is seeking to disqualify their lawyer, according to a new court filing.
High speed trains have proved their worth across the world over the past 50 years.
It's April 18, the official deadline to file your federal and state income tax returns for 2022. (It is also, apparently, National Animal Crackers Day for those who celebrate.)
It's a surprising fact that's often overlooked in the immigration debate.
Tuesday is Tax Day in America, one of the most stressful days of the year, when many taxpayers will finally end their procrastination, file their federal returns, and hope for a refund from the IRS. But for many of the nation's wealthiest, it's just another Tuesday.
There are many ways to explore the seven mountains that surround the picturesque UNESCO World Heritage city of Bergen on Norway's fjord-studded west coast. The newest, however, might well be record-breaking.
A German artist has rejected an award from a prestigious international photography competition after revealing that his submission was generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has found two of three ships that sank in the same Lake Superior storm more than a century ago, locating one in 2021 and the other in 2022.
What does intimacy look like for seniors? There's no end to sex scenes and other steamy content featuring the young and unwrinkled, but past a certain age, popular culture largely draws a blank — or treats sex as a punchline.
China's economy is off to a solid start in 2023 following its emergence from three years of strict pandemic restrictions.
• Four out of the five US metro areas with the lowest unemployment are in Florida. Here's why • Opinion: The overlooked problem with raising the retirement age for Social Security
McDonald's, which has been focusing on upgrading its core items to boost sales, is rolling out a series of changes designed to improve its signature burgers.
Shares of Google-parent Alphabet fell more than 3% in early trading Monday after a report sparked concerns that its core search engine could lose market share to AI-powered rivals, including Microsoft's Bing.
The ruling earlier this month by a Texas federal judge to suspend the US Food and Drug Administration's approval of a drug that is used frequently for medication abortions, is very personal for me.
On Monday, the GOP-controlled House Judiciary Committee — chaired by Donald Trump ally Rep. Jim Jordan — is set to hold a field hearing in New York City called "Victims of Violent Crime in Manhattan." A statement bills the hearing as an examination of how, the Judiciary Committee says, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's policies have "led to an increase in violent crime and a dangerous community for New York City residents."
In 1917, British analysts deciphered a coded message the German foreign minister sent to one of his country's diplomats vowing to begin "unrestricted submarine warfare" and seeking to win over Mexico with a promise to "reconquer the lost territory in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona" if the US entered the world war. When it became public, the Zimmerman Telegram caused a sensation, helping propel the US into the conflict against Germany.
Four years ago, almost to the day, the people of Sudan were celebrating a revolution after overthrowing longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. Now the East African country faces the possibility of a complete collapse similar to the chaos we see today in Yemen or Libya.
Live long and prosper, Michelle Yeoh.
After the shock came the aftershocks, the power vacuum, and perhaps most significantly and impressively, the laughs, as "Succession" pivoted to face life after Logan Roy, in an episode that finally put the HBO show's title into full flower.
Of the many dark gifts Showtime's eerie hit series "Yellowjackets" serves up for us, the juiciest this season is by far the music.
Jeremy Renner is continuing his recovery after his devastating snowplow accident in January, and recognizing those who've helped him along the way.
"Barry" has taken chances from the very beginning, which is certainly true of a fourth and final season that picks up where the third left off, with its hitman-turned-wannabe actor getting arrested. That paves the way for an even darker season that accentuates the show's ensemble aspect while leaning a little too heavily on blurring lines with flights of fancy.
For the first time, the former ballerina dubbed "The Black Swan” tells her story of why she shot and killed her estranged husband. Contributor Jim Axelrod reports in the second part of a two-part "48 Hours."
A former ballerina shoots her husband. Did she kill to save herself or was it out of spite? Contributor Jim Axelrod reports in part one of a two-part "48 Hours."
Officials reported that "numerous people were shot" near London, Kentucky. A search was ongoing for a 32-year-old person of interest.
The Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins Week 1 NFL game will be played today. Find out how and when to watch.
Georgia suspect texted mother on day of shooting, family says; How the trend of slacklining is gaining momentum
Joe Burrow is back, but will the Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback play today?
Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears host the Tennessee Titans today for a Week 1 showdown. Find out how to watch.
Watch Marvin Harrison in his NFL regular season debut at the Arizona Cardinals vs. Buffalo Bills game today.
Caleb Williams is taking Chicago by storm. Find out when to watch the 2024 No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick play.
Dak Prescott is back and so are the Dallas Cowboys. Track every Cowboys game to see No. 4 in action this season.
Numerous nations, including the United States, have refused to recognize Nicolas Maduro as the winner of the presidential election.
True crime. Real justice. To miss it would be a crime.
Angel Reese injured her wrist in the Chicago Sky's victory over the Los Angeles Sparks Friday, in which she recorded another one of her signature double-doubles.
Ashley Benefield, dubbed the "Black Swan," took the stand in her own defense during her trial for the murder of her estranged husband. Prosecutors say she killed Doug Benefield so she would have sole custody of their daughter.
On any given Wednesday in the heart of San Francisco, a unique community comes to life. They're known as slackliners, an eclectic group of people connected by their love for balance, precision and a touch of daring. Itay Hod has more.
Early Saturday morning, a chapter of the ongoing space saga involving two U.S. astronauts came to a close when Boeing's Starliner capsule returned to earth from the International Space Station, but with no one aboard. Mark Strassmann has the latest.
Thousands of Israeli demonstrators took to the streets again Saturday, demanding their government make a deal to bring Hamas-held hostages home. Rather than work towards an agreement to release the hostages and bring a cease-fire to suffering Gazan Palestinians, Israeli protesters accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of stalling. Elizabeth Palmer reports from Tel Aviv.
The suspect's grandfather also told CBS News that the boy texted his mother on the morning of the shooting, "I'm sorry."
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are getting ready for their debate Tuesday in Philadelphia, but in vastly different ways. Weijia Jiang reports.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers faced off Friday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in what marked the NFL's first ever game in South America. Manuel Bojorquez was there for the historic event.
The grandfather of the 14-year-old suspect in the Apalachee High School shooting in northern Georgia told CBS News in a phone interview that the boy texted his mother on the morning of the shooting, "I'm sorry." Dave Malkoff has more.
Here's a look at the top stories making headlines on the "CBS Weekend News" with Adriana Diaz.
This is the second Grand Slam title for Aryna Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus.
At 33 years old, "Mr. Greedy," was the oldest penguin at the zoo and lived to see five generations of offspring.
Rutgers University has ordered an investigation of its gymnastics program after its coach was accused of abuse.
Paul Goldsmith was a legendary racer known for his versatility in both two and four-wheel racing.
In a statement, the Harris campaign says Trump's Taliban deal "set a virtually impossible deadline" for the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested and charged in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy, that took place Friday inside Joppatowne High School.
Bryce Johnathan Schubert, 27, a neighbor, was arrested for her alleged murder, Beaverton Police said.
More than 500 homes are under a mandatory evacuation order in the city of Highland due to the growing Line Fire.
A New York judge agreed to postpone the sentencing of former President Donald Trump in a criminal case involving falsified records on hush money.
A school shooting in Georgia has left four people dead. It also highlights how efforts to prevent and respond to threats are improving but incomplete.
Hunter Biden’s winding legal saga may soon be over. On Sept. 5 he pled guilty to tax evasion charges to avoid going to trial. He now awaits sentencing with the possibility of prison time. Here’s how the story has played out so far.
Stress is now considered a major health risk for parents. The U.S. surgeon general says asking for help is the first line of defense.
Did the summer offer a reset to roiled college campuses? As classes resume, students face new rules around protesting – and some flux around financial aid, artificial intelligence, and the viability of higher ed.
The Justice Department is aiming at Russian attempts to sway US voters. It has seized 32 websites and issued sanctions. Nearly 2,000 videos posted by a Russian-funded media company have reached more than 16 million views on YouTube alone, prosecutors say.
Colorado officials have increasingly gone on record about the suspected presence of a gang called Tren de Aragua. Police and politicians here are boosting efforts to address security concerns.
Columbia University, the epicenter of last spring’s campus movement against Israel’s war in Gaza, is bracing for the return of protests this fall. Administrators say they seek to ease tensions, while student organizers continue to push for their demands to be met.
A network of fake online accounts, linked to a Chinese disinformation campaign, mimic Americans to spread fake or inflammatory news about US politics.
What should students in the United States learn about Asian and Asian American culture and history? With hate crimes on the rise, more states are turning to classroom lessons to help foster tolerance and understanding.
Linda Sun, a former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was arrested the morning of Sept. 3 along with her husband at their home on Long Island. Prosecutors say Ms. Sun pushed China’s priorities, among other infractions.
Questions about Kamala Harris’ ease at mingling with the public have swirled since she became the Democratic nominee. Our reporter got to observe the candidate up close in Georgia.
Federal law and Pentagon policies do not allow political activities in Section 60 of the cemetery, which is considered hallowed ground. An official was abruptly shoved aside, the U.S. Army said. And videos were taken by Donald Trump’s campaign and used in ads.
This Labor Day, the fastest-growing part of the workforce is also the oldest – people well past “retirement age” seeking both income and activity.
Republicans protested Joe Biden’s narrow win of Wisconsin in 2020. A battle over trust in elections in that key swing state hasn’t really ended.
Tutoring emerged as a leading strategy to mitigate pandemic-related learning loss. Now, evidence suggests it’s helping reduce absenteeism as well.
Some of Florida’s liberty-seeking transplants seek out the state’s wildness. Others seeking freedom are finding politics stifling.
Hype and hope are perennial features of political conventions. But our longtime politics reporter sees some unusual plot twists as she recaps the DNC and RNC, with the presidential race moving toward the home stretch.
Intelligent drones equipped with AI offer military advantages while raising ethical concerns about autonomous computer warfare.
A Pennsylvania newsroom takes on journalism’s trust problem, fueled by real and perceived media bias, by trying to reengage its community. It is also taking a stand against misinformation.
Multiple people have been shot near a Kentucky highway Saturday night, and the search for a person of interest considered "armed and dangerous" is underway, authorities said.
MOSINEE, Wis. — Former President Donald Trump, who makes frequent false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen through rampant fraud, warned Saturday that he would attempt to imprison anyone who engages in "unscrupulous behavior" during the 2024 race results.
A Democratic group has released new audio of North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is running for governor, saying that he wants to get abortion restrictions down to “zero” weeks.
Finish the 2024 map and explore Trump and Harris' paths to 270 electoral votes.
Former President George W. Bush does not plan to endorse a candidate for president, his office told NBC News on Saturday.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley dodged when asked whether she thinks former President Donald Trump is a good candidate, instead acknowledging only that she thinks he is "the Republican nominee.”
Some families who lost loved ones to fentanyl say Trump’s tough talk on drugs resonates with them.
Thousands of singles in New York City are flocking to run clubs to meet their soulmate, but some say they are just as rife with drama as the dating apps.
Cellphones are not only a distraction in class, they can also be a distraction during an emergency, when survival may depend on split-second decisions, experts say.
Aryna Sabalenka won her third career Grand Slam singles title, defeating American Jessica Pegula in straight sets to capture the U.S. Open championship in New York City on Saturday.
Hulu's "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" follows "MomTok" influencers facing fallout from a scandal. But the women say the chaos ultimately brought them closer.
As promised in his Aug. 30 blog post, “Game of Thrones” creator and author George R. R. Martin has gone into detail about what he thought went wrong with HBO’s “House of the Dragon” Season 2.
Looking forn something to watch this weekend? From “The Perfect Couple” on Netflix to "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" on Hulu and more, see the top picks in movies and television shows to watch in September.
Don Cheadle stops by TODAY to talk about the new star-studded Peacock series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist" about the true story of how an epic party after Muhammad Ali’s 1970 comeback fight in Atlanta became the scene of an infamous heist. He also talks about the 20th anniversary of the iconic movie ‘Hotel Rwanda’ and turning 60 years old later this year.
"Lover of Men," which premieres Friday, examines Abraham Lincoln's relationships with four men and why historians are reluctant to label his sexuality.
Among the children in the Gaza Strip who have survived nearly 11 months of war is a new generation of orphans, amputees and those living with unbearable trauma.
There was a real danger that Russia would use tactical nuclear weapons two years ago after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine faltered, CIA Director William Burns said on Saturday.
A furious French left has called for mass protests across more than 130 towns and cities on Saturday, after French President Emmanuel Macron named a right-wing prime minister, despite the left's surprising victory in July's tumultuous elections.
Asia’s most powerful storm this year made landfall in northern Vietnam on Saturday, the meteorological agency said, killing at least four people after tearing through China’s island of Hainan and the Philippines.
The Biden administration is looking for answers after an American woman was killed in the West Bank during demonstrations. Witnesses say she was killed by Israeli soldiers. NBC’s Matt Bradley reports for TODAY.
A woman was found in the Northern California wilderness on Friday, 12 days after going missing, officials said.
The body of an Oregon nurse who went missing earlier this week has been found and her neighbor has been arrested and charged with her murder, police said Saturday.
Evacuations were expanded Saturday as a wildfire with leaping flames scorched the foothills of the San Bernardino National Forest east of Los Angeles.
The suspect arrested last Friday on accusations of hitting a group of Jewish students on the University of Pittsburgh campus is now being accused of a previous attack at Carnegie Mellon University.
Prosecutors charged a Utah man with murder Friday, alleging he killed his adult daughter, a Salt Lake County sheriff’s deputy.
Among the children in the Gaza Strip who have survived nearly 11 months of war is a new generation of orphans, amputees and those living with unbearable trauma.
There was a real danger that Russia would use tactical nuclear weapons two years ago after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine faltered, CIA Director William Burns said on Saturday.
Three Lebanese paramedics were killed and two others wounded, one critically, in an Israeli attack while they were extinguishing fires in the southern town of Faroun, Lebanon’s health ministry said on Saturday.
Israeli military strikes across the Palestinian Gaza Strip killed at least 61 people in the space of 24 hours, local medics said on Saturday, as Israeli forces battled Hamas-led militants in the territory.
A Pakistani citizen residing in Canada faces a federal charge for a plan to attack a New York City Jewish center on or around Oct. 7 in support of the Islamic State group, prosecutors said Friday.
A propaganda video released by Hamas on Thursday showing American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of six Hamas hostages killed last weekend in Gaza, should be an "immediate wake-up call to the world" to focus on securing a cease-fire deal, his parents said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged mainstream parties not to work with the first far-right party to win a state legislature election since World War II.
Hvaldimir, the beluga whale and alleged Russian spy, was killed by gunshots, animal rights groups OneWhale and NOAH said Wednesday amid an autopsy.
HONG KONG — The diaries of a top Chinese official and prominent critic of Beijing are at the center of a U.S. legal battle, raising questions about who will write the history of modern China.
TEL AVIV — Baby Reem is hungry.
The Super Typhoon Yagi made landfall on the Chinese island of Hainan, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the region.
10-year-old Tala Hussam Abou Agwa died in a blast in Gaza while out with her friends roller skating. Agwa begged her parents to go outside and they hesitantly agreed, but a moment later she was severely injured in a blast leading to her death. An NBC News crew documented the heartbreaking story from Gaza.
NBC News’ Janis Mackey Frayer reports on the latest details from Pope Francis’ trip to Indonesia including a symbolic visit to the biggest mosque in Indonesia where both the Pope and the grand imam issued a joint statement on climate change.
Dozens of African leaders have descended on Beijing for a summit that signals China's influence in a continent that it hopes will be a key ally. Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed bilateral relations with all African countries that have diplomatic ties with China be upgraded to the "strategic" level.
VENICE, Italy — “The Room Next Door,” Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language debut starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, topped the Venice Film Festival and was awarded its Golden Lion award Saturday.
Asia’s most powerful storm this year made landfall in northern Vietnam on Saturday, the meteorological agency said, killing at least four people after tearing through China’s island of Hainan and the Philippines.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday he would like the league to have as many as 16 international games in a season.
A furious French left has called for mass protests across more than 130 towns and cities on Saturday, after French President Emmanuel Macron named a right-wing prime minister, despite the left's surprising victory in July's tumultuous elections.
Senior Biden administration officials said the U.S. is preparing for the arrival of a more severe version of mpox. Clade 1 has caused more than 600 deaths in Africa.
Sergio Mendes, the Brazilian Grammy-winning musician whose hit “Mas Que Nada” made him a global legend, has died after a monthslong battle with Covid.
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said about the Biden admin. securing the release of Nicaraguan political prisoners that no one should be in jail for "peacefully exercising their fundamental rights of free expression, association, and practicing their religion.”
Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado urged that countries recognize Edmundo González as the presidential election's winner and hold government officials accountable for abuses after the vote to keep pressuring Pres. Nicolás Maduro to step down in January.
Israeli forces appeared to have withdrawn from three refugee camps in the occupied West Bank by Friday morning, after a more-than weeklong military operation that left dozens dead and a trail of destruction.
China and the U.S. still have “some differences” on issues like climate finance but have made progress in narrowing them, U.S. climate envoy John Podesta said.
The summer of 2024 was the hottest on record, according to the European Union’s climate monitor, extending an alarming run of temperature records that has put the planet firmly on course to notch its hottest year in human history.
Party leaders in swing states say they focus on issues to win back women put off by Trump's personality.
It is not known if there are any fatalities, and the public are warned not to approach the person of interest.
The land is moving so fast that authorities have switched off gas and electricity to hundreds of homes.
The MI6 and CIA chiefs, who made their first public appearance together, warn of challenges such as the war in Ukraine, Islamic State, Israel-Gaza conflict and the rise of China.
Mr Blinken will meet with Foreign Secretary David Lammy to "reaffirm" the "special relationship", officials say.
She avoided the challenges and scrutiny of a bitter Democratic primary, so Tuesday's debate entails even higher stakes.
The patient from Missouri has recovered, but health officials are still investigating how they became infected.
The lifelong Republican said Trump had "tried to steal the last election using lies and violence".
The first US parent has been charged with murder for a child's alleged mass shooting. Is it prosecutorial overreach?
The empty spacecraft completed a six-hour flight to the New Mexico’s White Sands Space Harbor.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who had joint nationality, was reportedly shot dead by Israeli forces during a protest.
Justice Merchan to sentence Republican candidate in hush-money trial on 26 November, citing "unique" circumstances.
Robert Kennedy Jr's challenges succeed in Michigan and North Carolina, but he's dealt a setback in Wisconsin.
Investigators say the Pakistani national was arrested while attempting to illegally cross into the US from Canada.
Former president repeats claims against author after lawyers attempt to overturn 2023 verdict that he assaulted and defamed her.
Employers added 142,000 jobs in August, figures show, which was less than expected.
The judge was attacked by a defendant when she was sentencing him in court, in January.
The Russian president spoke about Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden at the Eastern Economic Forum.
California is the first state to own and operate this kind of federal aircraft to fight fires.
In the video, the presidential limousine can be seen driving at high-speed to a hospital.
A 14-year-old will be charged with murder after four people were killed in a shooting at Apalachee High School.
The president's son faces a 17-year term in a tax case and 25 years for a gun case, according to sentencing guidelines.
If there was any footballer that embodied US Soccer and its power status in women's football - it would be Alex Morgan.
Students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo were killed, as were teachers Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall.
Explaining some of the key statistics behind gun ownership and attacks linked to guns in the US.
BBC Verify looks at jobs, inflation, stocks and other indicators to compare the Trump and Biden economies.
Two years after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, access to abortion varies according to where you live.
Jose Arturo Gonzalez Mendoza died in the heat on a farm 2023. His death highlights the dangerous work many migrants do.
The United Arab Emirates is accused of having links to a paramilitary group, in Sudan, suspected of genocide.
WNBA star rookie Angel Reese will miss the remainder of the season due to injury.
Newsweek has some hints and tips to help you solve Sunday's Connections puzzle.
Newsweek has some hints and tips to help you solve Sunday's Wordle puzzle.
The London Police Department has identified Joseph A. Couch as a "Person of Interest."
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The former No. 2 overall draft pick out of UCLA has been off the court since Jan. 2022.
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Former All-Defensive guard Patrick Beverley believes this young star will be the best player in the league next season.
Michael McDowell secures history with fifth pole position in Atlanta, showcasing a remarkable season turnaround and dominant performance in NASCAR Cup Series.
Now that teams are set for the year, here are the top wide receiver corps as the 2024 NFL season kicks off.
Denny Hamlin faced a nightmare in NASCAR qualifying as he encountered powertrain issues, forcing him to start last in at Atlanta.
"[They] should have never been allowed to come into our country. Nobody checked them," the former president said Saturday during a campaign rally in Wisconsin.
Boston Red Sox All-Star infielder Trevor Story has been activated from the injured list.
A crash between Sam Mayer and Taylor Gray left the former's car in flames during the NASCAR Xfinity race in Atlanta.
NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace is vocal about the uncertainty surrounding charter agreements as tensions rise amid compliance deadlines and threats.
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_2024,w_3600,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/GettyImages-2169666142_g0zuzy" /><figcaption>Jessica McGowan/Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colton Gray’s mother claims she tried to warn the Winder, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/georgia">Georgia</a> school of an “extreme emergency” the day her son <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/georgia-gunman-colt-gray-was-ridiculed-and-called-gay-by-bullies-at-school?ref=topic">opened fire on his classmates</a>.</p><p>In text messages obtained by <em><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2024/09/07/georgia-school-shooter-mother-warning/">The Washington Post</a></em>, Marcee Gray told family members that she “notified the school counselor at the high school” to check on her 14-year-old son on Wednesday morning.</p><p>“I told them it was an extreme emergency and for them to go immediately and find [my son] to check on him,” she wrote in a Sept. 4 text message after news of the shooting broke.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/apalachee-high-school-gunmans-mother-says-she-warned-school-about-rampage">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1080,w_1920,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/Trump-Harris_xbxbja" /><figcaption> Art created by Daily Beast, with Win McNamee and Spencer Platt/Getty Images </figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/gop">GOP</a> presidential nominee <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/donald-j-trump">Donald Trump</a> is gearing up to face off against Vice President <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a> at their a highly anticipated Sept. 10 debate on <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/abc">ABC News</a>. The former president, however, has at least one more request <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-hates-abcbut-not-david-muir-its-central-casting-debate-anchor">after flip-flopping</a> over the event’s rules and regulations.</p><p>In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump shared that “no boxes or artificial lifts” will be allowed during the debate, equating the use of the height-enhancing items to “cheating.” </p><p>“No boxes or artificial lifts will be allowed to stand on during my upcoming debate with Comrade Kamala Harris,” he wrote on Saturday. “We had this out previously with former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg when he was in a debate, and he was not allowed a ‘lift.’ It would be a form of cheating.”</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-plans-to-tower-over-kamala-harris-with-no-boxes-last-minute-debate-ask">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_946,w_1682,x_839,y_164/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/GettyImages-1068599298_nixgh5" /><figcaption>Lisa Maree Williams</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/nicole-kidman">Nicole Kidman</a> revealed that her beloved mother, Janelle Kidman, has died just hours before she was awarded the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.</p><p>Kidman, 57, said in a statement that she had to leave the film festival to be with her family and was unable to accept the top award in Venice for her role in the film, <em>Babygirl</em>.</p><p>The film’s director Halina Reijn read the statement after Kidman was announced as the winner.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/nicole-kidman-found-out-mom-janelle-kidman-had-died-hours-before-winning-best-actress-at-venice-film-festival">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_600,w_1067,x_84,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/240906-the-last-show-girl-tiff-review-hero_dorqh7" /><figcaption>Photo Courtesy of TIFF</figcaption></figure><p>TORONTO, Canada—Just as <em>The Wrestler</em> gave <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/mickey-rourke">Mickey Rourke</a> one last shot at big-screen stardom (and <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/academy-awards">Oscar gold</a>) via the role of an aging entertainer struggling to make a comeback, so too does <em>The Last Showgirl </em>bestow <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/pamela-anderson">Pamela Anderson</a> with an opportunity to demonstrate her bona fide acting chops by playing an over-the-hill Las Vegas dancer facing impending irrelevance.</p><p>In both cases, the films hinge on the echoes between the protagonists’ and headliners’ pasts and presents, but the difference is that Rourke was once a great actor and Anderson was, well, not, and that unfortunately continues to be the case with Gia Coppola’s indie. Premiering at the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/toronto-international-film-festival">Toronto International Film Festival</a>, the writer/director’s third feature is a shallow and slender tale of lousy dreams, worse decisions, and painful regrets, all of it predicated on a lead turn that’s too one-note to wow.</p><p>Shelley (Anderson) is 57 years old and still participating in “Le Razzle Dazzle,” a revue at an unnamed Vegas casino that requires her to wear a classic showgirl costume decorated with kitschy rhinestones and feathers. Five seconds spent in her bustling dressing room is enough to convey that she’s decades older than her fellow dancers, two of whom, Marianne (Brenda Song) and Jody (Kiernan Shipka), are her friends.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-last-showgirl-review-not-the-acting-comeback-pam-anderson-hoped">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_2368,w_4209,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/GettyImages-1191073106_ur81kq" /><figcaption>Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>Former Clemson College wide receiver and two-time national champion Diondre Overton passed away at the age of 26, the South Carolina university revealed on Saturday.</p><p>Clemson’s football team made the announcement on X, with photos of Overton attached, but stopped short of providing any more details about his death.</p><p>Overton ran 777 yards, seven touchdowns and had 52 receptions during his tenure with the Tigers from 2016-2019. His performance helped win the Tigers their 2016 and 2018 College Football Championship titles.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/football-world-mourns-shock-death-of-26-year-old-clemson-college-star">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_2813,w_5000,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/GettyImages-2081676173_p8kftv" /><figcaption>Arturo Holmes</figcaption></figure><p>A male aide is accusing California State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil of forcing him into a “sex-based quid pro quo relationship” that he claims cost him three herniated discs, a destroyed hip, and his job.</p><p>In a filing released <a href="https://htv-prod-media.s3.amazonaws.com/files/cu-24cv017664-0ee5924d-e21c-4546-9ead-66db9715ca617.pdf">Thursday</a>, Alvarado-Gil’s chief-of-staff Chad Condit, 57, claimed that the senator began asking him “if he had ever cheated on his wife and asked if (he) would ever be intimate with a boss” shortly after he was hired in December 2022.</p><p>Condit’s father, former Democratic Congressman Gary Condit, had been accused of affairs—including with <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2010/11/01/condit-takes-stand-in-levy-case">missing intern Chandra Levy</a>—which prompted Alvarado-Gil to allegedly ask whether Condit “would be like his father,” according to the affidavit.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/aisle-jumping-politicians-sex-abuse-ruined-my-back-male-aide">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1688,w_3000,x_0,y_235/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/GettyImages-836325346_cgtrhb" /><figcaption>NICHOLAS KAMM</figcaption></figure><p>Vice President <a href="https://thedailybeast.com/keyword/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a> is taking to the sky to run campaign ads.</p><p>“The DNC is reaching voters where they are,” DNC spokesperson Abhi Rahman told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dnc-banners-trump-vance-ticket-project-2025-over-battleground-state-football-games/">CBS News</a> on Saturday, of the campaign’s innovative strategy of flying planes with anti-<a href="https://thedailybeast.com/keyword/project-2025">Project 2025</a> banners over college football games.</p><p>At the University of Wisconsin vs. South Dakota game on Saturday, tailgaters, cheeseheads and yoters will be able to see a plane with a banner that reads “Jump Around! Beat Trump + Project 2025,” in reference to the end of the third-quarter tradition when Wisconsin fans begin jumping up and down in the stands.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/planes-targeting-donald-trump-project-2025-fly-over-college-football-games">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_3584,w_6372,x_0,y_390/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/GettyImages-2169277895_ii8qzg" /><figcaption>Christophe Simon/ AFP via Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>The daughter of a French woman who was allegedly drugged and <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/sexual-assault">sexually assaulted</a> repeatedly by her husband and dozens of other men revealed her own fear of victimhood on Friday.</p><p>Caroline Darian, 45, testified in an Avignon court against her father, Dominique Pélicot, 71, saying <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/06/france-rape-trial-caroline-darian-testimony.html">she believes</a> she was also drugged and potentially raped like her mother, Gisèle. </p><p>Among the thousands of photos and videos that police say Pélicot kept of his wife being abused, the officers also discovered two photos of an unidentified unconscious woman. “I realized right away I was drugged in that photo,” Darian told the court.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/daughter-of-dominique-pelicot-accused-of-raping-wife-reveals-her-own-fears">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_3094,w_5500,x_0,y_196/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/2024-09-04T174252Z_1810091050_RC2TT9AIYGO3_RTRMADP_3_FILMFESTIVAL-VENICE-JOKER-FOLIE-A-DEUX_nxnk2n" /><figcaption>Louisa Gouliamaki/REUTERS</figcaption></figure><p>Over the past ten days, directors, starlets, influencers and the usual assortment of ostentatiously wealthy attention-seekers have descended on Venice—it’s a beautiful summer season in southern Europe, after all, so why not spend it inside watching a bunch of new films? </p><p>The 2024 Venice International Film Festival, now in its 77th year, opened with the debuts of Tim Burton’s sequel, <em>Beetlejuice Beetlejuice</em>, on August 28 and will close with period horror piece <em>The American Backyard</em>. Along the way, there have been buzzy screenings of <em>Joker: Folie à Deux</em>, Kevin Costner’s <em>Horizon</em> saga, <em>Maria</em> and <em>Queer</em>, to name just a few.</p><p>With all of these premieres there comes a red carpet. And with fashion icons like Tilda Swinton (<em>The Room Next Door</em>), Nicole Kidman (<em>Babygirl</em>) and Taylor Russell (who didn’t have a film showing at Venice, but served on a festival jury—and served looks, ofc) in the mix, that’s serious business. There’s been glamorous gowns and louche suits, oversize fascinators (Lady Gaga, but of course) and itty-bitty puppies. Some celebs posed demurely—very mindful—and other hammed it up with the crowds and paparazzi. </p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/photos-2024-venice-film-festival-red-carpet-fashion">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1687,w_2999,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/GettyImages-2170010619_p9f4oz" /><figcaption>Michelle Quance/Variety via Getty Image</figcaption></figure><p>TORONTO, Canada—Barry Keoghan is arguably the most electric actor working today, and he absolutely ignites <em>Bird</em>. As the ne’er-do-well single father of a 12-year-old, the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/tag/title/saltburn"><em>Saltburn</em></a> and <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/tag/title/the-banshees-of-inisherin"><em>The Banshees of Inisherin</em></a><em> </em>standout is a whirlwind of exuberant, volatile energy, his eyes as fiery as his body is covered in tattoos of beetles, spiders, and a giant centipede that stretches from around his neck to the side of his face—hence his name, Bug.</p><p>Whether riding through town on a scooter <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/bird-barry-keoghan-debuts-another-wild-musical-number-at-cannes">while singing along</a> to punk rock, line dancing to “Cotton Eye Joe,” or crooning <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/coldplay">Coldplay</a>’s “Yellow” with friends in order to make a toad excrete its hallucinogenic slime (yes, you read that correctly), Keoghan exudes an unruly magnetism that’s the stuff of movie superstardom.</p><p>One of his two standout projects at this year’s <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/toronto-international-film-festival">Toronto International Film Festival</a> (alongside <em>Bring Them Down</em>), <em>Bird</em>—premiering at the fest on Sept. 7—is a showcase for the charismatic Keoghan. Nonetheless, he’s merely a supporting player in Andrea Arnold’s lyrical drama, the auteur’s first feature since 2016’s <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/09/19/american-honey-the-most-gleefully-anarchic-and-american-movie-of-the-year"><em>American Honey</em></a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/bird-review-barry-keoghan-is-a-singing-dancing-tattooed-marvel">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1687,w_2999,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/Life-Of-Chuck_Still_01a_ojciqx" /><figcaption>Courtesy of TIFF</figcaption></figure><p>TORONTO, Canada—Mike Flanagan has made his name in the horror genre, and yet like his greatest spiritual inspiration <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/stephen-king">Stephen King</a>—whose work he’s brought to the screen with <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/geralds-game-a-twisted-rape-fantasy-gives-way-to-a-complex-study-of-domestic-violence"><em>Gerald’s Game</em></a> and <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-the-shining-sequel-doctor-sleep-a-spooky-as-hell-tribute-to-stanley-kubrick-and-stephen-king"><em>Doctor Sleep</em></a>—he’s first and foremost a dramatist with an abiding interest in the things that make us tick, bring us together, and haunt us both in the bright morning and the dark of night.</p><p>Thus, though <em>The Life of Chuck</em> is an intensely faithful adaptation of a King novella (from 2020’s <em>If It Bleeds</em>), it’s a film that’s as sweet as it is scary, and whose frights are the sort that come from all-too-relatable fears about being alone, being apart, and being unable to hold onto the people and memories that matter most.</p><p>Split into three acts that proceed in reverse chronological order, <em>The Life of Chuck</em>—which just premiered at the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/toronto-international-film-festival">Toronto International Film Festival</a>—is a story about finding the beat, the path, the rhythm, and the magic of life, and if that sounds hokey, well, it is, at least as often as it is moving.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/life-of-chuck-review-stephen-king-film-is-surprisingly-heartwarming">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1863,w_3312,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/240906-unstoppable-hero_bxr9pd" /><figcaption>Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Reuters</figcaption></figure><p>TORONTO, Canada—Going into the premiere of <em>Unstoppable</em>, the real-life-inspired sports drama, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/jennifer-lopez">Jennifer Lopez</a> was the story. The star made her much buzzed-about return to the red carpet—and to the big screen—Friday night at the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/toronto-international-film-festival">Toronto International Film Festival</a> following a summer covered by tabloids and culminating in the announcement she was divorcing <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/ben-affleck">Ben Affleck</a>.</p><p>Dressed in a <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/an-unstoppable-jennifer-lopez-just-debuted-a-revenge-dress-for-the-ages?ref=home">metallic Tamara Ralph dress</a> that was all a-glitter and accentuated with bows that hugged her bare legs like a present, she shone even when taking her seat in the dark. Lopez stars in and produced the film, along with <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/matt-damon">Matt Damon</a> and her once-again ex, Affleck. Damon was in attendance; Affleck was not.</p><p>But after the screening the attention was less focused on Lopez than it was on Anthony Robles, the real life subject who received an emphatic standing ovation</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/unstoppable-jennifer-lopez-makes-glamorous-post-affleck-comeback">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1080,w_1920,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/fat_hvmedh" /><figcaption>Nikocado Avocado/Youtube</figcaption></figure><p>Nikocado Avocado, the YouTube ‘mukbang’ sensation, revealed he had secretly been losing hundreds of pounds all while stringing his fans along to think he was dangerously overweight, in a new video entitled “Two Steps Ahead” uploaded Friday.</p><p>Avocado, who boasts 3.9 million YouTube subscribers, 800 million total views and calls himself the “King of Mukbangs”, a Korean eating trend in which a person will eat a mountain of food on camera, had been on a clandestine two-year weight loss journey all while posting old videos for his fans.</p><p>In his last video, the Ukrainian-born American claimed he weighed 359 pounds. Now, he is 250 pounds lighter.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/mukbang-youtuber-nikocado-avocado-shocks-fans-with-250lb-weight-loss-reveal">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1688,w_3000,x_0,y_139/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/GettyImages-654326214_pzavs0" /><figcaption>Ashley Beliveau</figcaption></figure><p>The new lead singer of Linkin Park has addressed online criticism of her past support for Scientologist and <em>That 70’s Show </em>actor Danny Masterson, who was convicted in Sept. 2023 for violently raping two women and sentenced to 30 years in prison.</p><p>As soon as Linkin Park announced that Dead Sara singer Emily Armstrong had joined the band anger erupted online of her appearance at one of Masterson’s early court hearings.</p><p>Now, Armstrong has responded in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/emilyarmstrong/3451527381347257919/" rel="nofollow">Instagram story post</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-linkin-park-singer-emily-armstrong-sorry-for-supporting-danny-masterson">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_600,w_1067,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/240906-we-live-in-time-tiff-review-hero_cexgff" /><figcaption>Courtesy of TIFF</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/tag/title/we-live-in-time"><em>We Live in Time</em></a>’s greatest accomplishment is jamming more sentimental and silly incidents into 107 minutes than any romantic drama in recent memory.</p><p>That any of it works is due to the charismatic performances of the charming <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/andrew-garfield">Andrew Garfield</a> and Florence Pugh. Yet their genuine chemistry can’t outshine the raft of affectations jostling for attention in <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-saoirse-ronan-became-the-most-well-adjusted-child-star-ever-and-an-oscar-contender"><em>Brooklyn</em></a> director John Crowley’s latest, which just premiered at the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/toronto-international-film-festival">Toronto International Film Festival</a>. Pulling on the heartstrings with tug-of-war-grade might, it’s a <em>carpe diem</em> fable that elicits more exasperated eye rolls than tears or laughs.</p><p>Of <em>We Live in Time</em>’s many missteps, perhaps none is as glaring as its decision to chronologically fragment its tale, which hopscotches between the past and present without much care for thematic or narrative logic.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/we-live-in-time-review-andrew-garfield-and-florence-pugh-cant-save-cancer-weepie">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1688,w_3000,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/240906-only-murders-hero_xot5hi" /><figcaption>Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Hulu</figcaption></figure><h2><strong>This week:</strong></h2><h2><strong>Bring on the Stars!</strong></h2><p>I’ve been loving the absolutely delightful new season of <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/tag/title/only-murders-in-the-building"><em>Only Murders in the Building</em></a>, which has gotten mostly positive reviews and responses. But I’ve been annoyed by the one criticism that I’ve seen pop up the most: That the sheer number of celebrity guest stars is distracting.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/in-defense-of-all-the-only-murders-in-the-building-celebrity-cameos">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_720,w_1280,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/BillCheryl_sa4gvl" /><figcaption>HBO</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/bill-maher">Bill Maher </a>launched a blazing defense of actress <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/cheryl-hines">Cheryl Hines</a> after online trolls and Hollywood stars attacked her for not speaking out when her husband <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a> dropped out of the presidential race and threw his supported behind <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/donald-j-trump">Donald Trump</a>.</p><p>Maher defended the <em>Curb Your Enthusiasm</em> actress, who has been married to Kennedy for a decade, on his show <em><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/real-time-with-bill-maher">Real Time With Bill Maher</a></em>.</p><p>He said while he “couldn’t support” Kennedy’s run for president he did not agree with the left attacking her for standing by her husband.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/bill-maher-slams-cheryl-hines-trolls-after-rfk-jr-backed-donald-trump">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1944,w_3458,x_0,y_165/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/2024-09-06T220721Z_79551773_RC29V9A7WBBS_RTRMADP_3_FILMFESTIVAL-TORONTO-UNSTOPPABLE_tnt49q" /><figcaption>Mark Blinch/Reuters</figcaption></figure><p>There are traditionally five stages of grief, mourning and moving on after the demise of a loved one or a loved-up relationship. When it comes to Hollywood, however, there’s at least six—you can’t forget sideboob. Case in point: At the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday night, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/jennifer-lopez">Jennifer Lopez</a> had clearly taken inspiration from the phrase, “you don’t know what you’re missing.” (Or, rather, you do now and it’s a sexy disco ball.)</p><p>Lopez was in attendance for the premiere of her new film “Unstoppable,” a biopic of the wrestler Anthony Robles in which she has a supporting role and also serves as a co-producer—alongside her now ex-husband <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/ben-affleck">Ben Affleck</a>.</p><p>Affleck was <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/jlo-and-ben-affleck-might-get-back-together-for-unstoppable-film-promo">not present</a>, thus missing the movie’s big moment and, yes, the sideboob. It was a textbook revenge dress debut, and a clear sign that Lopez has swiftly <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/jlo-enters-the-inspirational-t-shirt-quote-phase-of-ben-affleck-breakup">moved past the inspirational T-shirt quote phase</a> of her latest divorce.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/an-unstoppable-jennifer-lopez-just-debuted-a-revenge-dress-for-the-ages">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_2250,w_4000,x_0,y_80/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/2024-09-06T012351Z_220097621_RC2JU9AN0QRI_RTRMADP_3_USA-ELECTION-VANCE_qnf2lk" /><figcaption>Go Nakamura/REUTERS</figcaption></figure><p>Republican vice presidential candidate <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/jd-vance">JD Vance</a> had nothing critical to say Friday about <a href="https://thedailybeast.com/keyword/tucker-carlson">Tucker Carlson</a>, with whom he recently taped a podcast interview, amid roiling controversy over the former <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/fox-news">Fox News</a> host and his decision to platform the Holocaust revisionist and apologist Darryl Cooper <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/tucker-carlson-slammed-after-hosting-nazi-apologist-on-podcast">earlier this week</a>.</p><p>In a <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2024/09/j-d-vance-declines-to-criticize-tucker-carlson-over-his-friendly-conversation-with-holocaust-denier/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Kickoff%20Sept%206th%202024&utm_content=Daily%20Kickoff%20Sept%206th%202024+CID_5aa15b1db00cca06c8f8c95c6a1eaa35&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor%20JI&utm_term=Jewish%20Insiders%20Emily%20Jacobs%20reports">statement</a> to <em>The Jewish Insider, </em>a Vance campaign official said that the Ohio Senator does not hold Carlson responsible for Cooper’s whitewashing of the Nazis’ genocide—despite the fact that Carlson called him possibly “the best and most honest popular historian” in the entire country.</p><p>“Senator Vance doesn’t believe in guilt-by-association cancel culture but he obviously does not share the views of the guest interviewed by Tucker Carlson,” the statement read. “There are no stronger supporters of our allies in Israel or the Jewish community in America than Senator Vance and President Trump.”</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/vance-stands-by-tucker-carlson-platforming-holocaust-revisionist">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1969,w_3500,x_0,y_97/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/2018-10-09T154807Z_273985858_RC1C50949B30_RTRMADP_3_USA-TRUMP-HALEY_pudmvp" /><figcaption>Jonathan Ernst/Reuters</figcaption></figure><p>One-time Donald Trump challenger <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a> tiptoed through a minefield of questions about former<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/donald-j-trump"> President Trump</a>’s record of sexual misconduct in a teaser clip released Friday of her upcoming appearance <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nikki-haley-on-trump-style-and-policies/">on CBS’<em> Face the Nation</em></a><em>.</em></p><p>Interviewer Margaret Brennan pressed Haley on <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-skewers-his-legal-team-as-they-awkwardly-stand-behind-him">Trump’s Friday press conference</a>, in which he blamed his lawyers for the verdicts in two lawsuits brought against him by the journalist E. Jean Carroll—which found him guilty of sexual abuse and defamation to the tune of some $88 million in damages—and again denied knowing who Carroll even was. </p><p>“I think the focus, for me, is on policy,” Haley said. “I’ve always said if I thought Biden or Trump were great candidates I wouldn’t run for president. I ran because I thought I could do a better job,” the former South Carolina Governor and Trump’s (first) ambassador to the United Nations continued.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/nikki-haleys-latest-lukewarm-take-on-trump-i-like-the-policies-not-the-man">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1439,w_2560,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/victoria_beckham_x_augustinus_bader_concealer_pen_czpzq6" /><figcaption>Scouted/The Daily Beast/Victoria Beckham Beauty/Augustinus Bader.</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/category/scouted"><em><strong>Scouted</strong></em></a><em><strong> selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission.</strong></em></p><p>As a beauty lover with lazy-girl tendencies, I live for a two-in-formula that marries skincare and coverage. However, most skincare-makeup products that promise to do two things at once usually don’t do both of those tasks well; even worse, they often don’t do <em>either</em> thing well. Luckily, this is not the case with <a href="https://go.linkby.com/EYFJANMG">Victoria Beckham’s new multi-tasking concealer pen</a>. Naturally, the fashion designer and eponymous beauty brand founder wanted her first complexion product launch to be a flawless, multi-tasking formula, so she tapped none other than celebrity and beauty-editor-loved stem cell scientist Augustinus Bader to help formulate the skincare-powered concealer that can really wear multiple hats.</p><p>Like all Augustinus Bader products (including the Posh-approved <a href="https://go.linkby.com/EYFJANMG/the-rich-cream">The Rich Cream</a>), the multifunctional <a href="https://go.linkby.com/EYFJANMG">click pen brush concealer</a> is fortified with Bader’s proprietary TFC8, Trigger Factor Complex TFC technology, which helps accelerate skin renewal, making it a two-in-one base and treatment concoction. The formula is buildable and lightweight, with a radiant yet not too dewy finish offering lasting hydration for up to eight hours after application. It’s the perfect <a href="https://go.linkby.com/EYFJANMG">under-eye concealer</a> because the hydrating ingredients help plump up fine lines and crow’s feet, preventing it from settling or caking throughout the day.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/victoria-beckham-x-augustinus-bader-concealer-pen">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1687,w_2999,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/24905-the-quiet-ones-hero_hln7xg" /><figcaption>TIFF</figcaption></figure><p>Heist films may be a dime a dozen, but <em>The Quiet Ones</em> is a crisp $100 bill. Frederik Louis Hviid’s caper is a well-oiled machine, as precise and poised as its thieving protagonists, whose mission—inspired by the true story of Denmark’s all-time largest robbery—is to empty a cash handling firm of its enormous reserves. Indebted to everything from <em>The Asphalt Jungle</em> to <em>Heat</em> and yet bolstered by a distinctive style rooted in charged silence, this standout thriller invigorates its well-worn formula through meticulous stewardship and an excellent performance from headliner Gustav Dyekjær Giese as a boxer who attempts to realize his dreams of glory in the most daringly illicit manner imaginable.</p><p>Premiering on Sept. 6 at the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/toronto-international-film-festival">Toronto International Film Festival</a>, <em>The Quiet Ones</em> opens with a tranquil, blue-tinted panorama of Gothenburg, Sweden, at dawn in 2007. With unhurried grace that’s counterbalanced by Martin Dirkov’s ominous, ticking-clock score, Hviid (channeling Christopher Nolan-via-Michael Mann) gradually pans around to gaze down at an armored truck, at which point his camera relocates to inside that fortress on wheels, where the driver and her newbie colleague are chatting about this and that while doing their morning duties. Before they can leave, they’re surrounded by multiple vehicles out of which emerge armed assailants. Things go hellish fast, culminating in tragedy and failure for everyone involved, all of which is dramatized in the first of three dazzlingly extended and dexterous single takes from the backseat of a car.</p><p>A year later in Ballerup, Denmark, pugilist Kasper (Giese) tends to his daughter Sara (Dagmar Madicken Greve Halse), who wants to know when he’ll be champion. That’s a question Kasper can’t answer, since he’s on the comeback trail and—reassuring declarations be damned—he hasn’t convinced his trainer that his mind (and heart) are really in it. Nonetheless, Kasper is given another shot at an in-ring career, so when he’s informed by his brother-in-law that a Moroccan wants to meet with him, he ignores the invite. The second time he’s approached by this individual, he relents and learns that the guy is Slimani (Reda Kateb), one of the men responsible for the 2007 armored-truck fiasco. Slimani wants Kasper to help him rob one of the five cash handling firms that service Denmark. Unwilling to jeopardize his athletic opportunity, Kasper agrees to help plan the job but refuses to do the dirty work that might place him in harm’s way.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-quiet-ones-thriller-about-the-largest-heist-in-danish-history">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1440,w_2560,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/colt_gray_c5loqq" /><figcaption>Barrow County Sheriff’s County/TikTok</figcaption></figure><p>Details continue to flood in about the troubled life of Colt Gray, the 14-year-old accused of killing four of his teachers and classmates in a mass shooting at his <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/georgia">Georgia</a> high school on Wednesday.</p><p>The teen’s dad, 54-year-old Colin Gray, told officers in an interview last year that his son was often picked on by bullies who’d touch him, pinch him and taunt him. “‘Colt’s gay,’” his father said they would call out. </p><p>The elder Gray’s interview with police came just after his son threatened to shoot up his middle school last year in a post shared on the messaging app Discord.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/georgia-gunman-colt-gray-was-ridiculed-and-called-gay-by-bullies-at-school">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1620,w_2880,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/cnbc_kec5bs" /><figcaption>CNBC</figcaption></figure><p>A CNBC anchor who witnessed <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/donald-j-trump">Donald Trump</a>’s latest rant on tariffs professed herself perplexed at his “crazy” economic analysis.</p><p>Trump used a speech to the New York Economic Forum on Thursday to set out his fiscal plans, which included claiming that he would pay for child care by raising tariffs on imports—but left many who saw it confused and unable to explain it.</p><p>Among them were the co-anchor of CNBC’s <em>Squawk Box</em> Becky Quick, who was on stage watching while Trump spoke for half an hour. </p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/cnbc-anchor-becky-quick-i-cant-understand-trumps-crazy-economic-plans">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1680,w_2987,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_585/fl_lossy,q_auto/Blank_3000_x_1680_vfc5hp" /><figcaption>Instagram/CNN/screengrab</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/meghan-mccain">Meghan McCain</a> claimed Friday that “everyone is asking” her about her relationship with brother <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/john-mccains-son-rages-at-trump-and-endorses-kamala-harris">Jimmy McCain</a>, after he came out in support of <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a> for president while his conservative sister denounces the Democratic Party. But she insisted in a new episode of her podcast <em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_lSX6SPDVD/?hl=en">Citizen McCain</a></em> that she won’t be turning on her brother like a “trashy,” “gross” Kennedy or Walz would.</p><p>“A—I don’t come from a trashy family, B—we are very ride or die, and support and love each other,” McCain said on the podcast. “Anyone that wants some big family feud between all of us is really looking in the wrong place.” McCain’s comments come after her brother <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/john-mccains-son-rages-at-trump-and-endorses-kamala-harris">Jimmy appeared on CNN earlier this week</a> and slammed <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/donald-j-trump">Donald Trump</a> for his controversial photo opp at Arlington National Cemetery, and endorsed Harris for president.</p><p>Meghan McCain describes herself as a “traditional conservative” and declared that while she won’t be voting for Trump or Harris come November, she also won’t be going after her family members for their political views. Jimmy and Meghan are two of the six children of the late Arizona senator <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/john-mccain">John McCain</a>, who died from brain cancer in 2018.</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/meghan-mccain-wont-feud-with-brother-like-trashy-kennedys-or-walzs">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/918778648aba41c80f659e625377a81c.jpg" /><p>This Halloween, <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/chipotle-q2-earnings-beat-consumer-demand-inflation-1851604237" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chipotle</a> wants to <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/chipotle-to-remain-strong-wedbust-niccol-exit-starbucks-1851623059" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spice things up</a> and do more than just feed customers; it wants to dress them, too.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/best-cities-retirement-chipotle-halloween-1851642098">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/f8da0b73606b4bb6c255f051755fc268.jpg" /><p><a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.autoevolution.com/news/tesla-ai-team-to-bring-actually-smart-autopark-smart-summon-functions-this-month-199273.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Almost two years</a> after CEO Elon Musk acknowledged that Tesla’s <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/TSLA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(TSLA)</a> Smart Summon function wasn’t performing as well as hoped, the automaker has unveiled a new — and seemingly upgraded — version. </p><p><a href="https://qz.com/google-antitrust-trial-tesla-ai-elon-musk-x-advertising-1851642097">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/e0c5547bbecd1d4fecf5c987f8d57780.jpg" /><p><a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/trump-media-djt-stock-chart-market-cap-truth-social-1851430157" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Trump Media & Technology Group</a> stock has been on a downward trend for weeks, hitting <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/trump-media-stock-djt-low-market-cap-shares-1851626984" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new low after new low</a> for much of August. As the markets opened after Labor Day weekend, Trump Media sunk even further. </p><p><a href="https://qz.com/trump-media-stock-sinks-bitcoin-stalls-dollar-tree-lo-1851642095">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/819c0920959f47fd655bef2417b0e79a.jpg" /><p>Southwest Airlines <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/LUV" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(LUV)</a> is bringing back a promotion that lets customers bring a buddy for free. The company’s <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southwest-airlines-brings-back-its-limited-time-companion-pass-promotion-302236762.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Companion Pass</a> will allow members of its rewards program to access the feature. </p><p><a href="https://qz.com/southwest-airlines-boeing-strike-weight-loss-drug-1851642094">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/57a9b142de69e29c84bf3d8b225b14e5.png" /><p>You don’t need to have <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://jalopnik.com/the-red-bull-rb17-is-a-1-200-hp-6-million-supercar-1849117622">a multi-million-dollar supercar to have fun</a> behind the wheel, I’m sure you’ll agree. There’s a lot to be said for a budget runaround that offers you <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://jalopnik.com/i-want-a-roomy-powerful-and-reliable-sports-car-what-1851434669">an introduction to performance</a>, better handling and fun when you’re out and about. </p><p><a href="https://qz.com/best-entry-level-sports-cars-1851639348">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/d0fa3e7eaecd41be8436656304a27976.jpg" /><p>A new report suggests Boeing <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/BA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(BA)</a> is back to leaning on business practices that helped cause the <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/boeing-737-max-9-alaska-airlines-stock-fallout-1851156730" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">737 Max door plug blowout</a> which<a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/boeing-2024-timeline-737-max-alaska-airlines-door-plug-1851344864" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">threw its year</a> into disarray. <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/as-strike-looms-boeing-pushes-777-jets-through-chaotic-production-in-everett/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Seattle Times</a> reports that the planemaker is ramping up so-called out-of-order “traveled work” manufacturing on its 777 jets in order to stockpile planes…</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/boeing-777-traveled-work-1851642283">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/b1405928b2b468afed0bb76d92913821.jpg" /><p>Trial production yields at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/TSM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(TSM)</a> factory in Arizona are reportedly similar to those in Taiwan, as it anticipates billions in funding.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/tsmc-production-trial-yield-chips-arizona-taiwan-nvidia-1851642289">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/f973700e1b0cc9b0608a6e4ea08d0190.jpg" /><p>Venture capital, like any business, is often <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/24/opinion/silicon-valley-loudmouth-vcs.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dominated</a> by the loudest voices in the room — and many of those voices have lent their support to former President Donald Trump’s third White House bid.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/kamala-harris-silicon-valley-vc-abortion-h1b-visas-tech-1851642199">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/6e1f71357bf9793fb67686eb57477a7f.jpg" /><p>Selena Gomez is many things: an actress, a singer, a chef, an Instagram icon, and a best friend to Taylor Swift. And now the “Only Murders in the Building” star can add another feather to her cap: she is one of America’s youngest self-made female billionaires.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/selena-gomez-self-made-youngest-female-billionaires-1851642257">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/d743bbe864661030cf61879c5c471995.jpg" /><p>A British regulator on Friday said Google <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/GOOGL" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(GOOGL)</a> has abused its dominant position in digital advertising to restrict competition and harm since at least 2015. </p><p><a href="https://qz.com/google-ad-tech-anticompetitive-abuse-power-uk-cma-1851641780">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/62be7b7b0c55a509803e621256f49378.jpg" /><p>Red Lobster may finally be <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/red-lobster-bankruptcy-delta-hertz-customers-retail-1851493520" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clawing its way out of bankruptcy</a> after a <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.redlobster.com/news-press/press/2024/09/05/red-lobster-receives-court-approval-of-chapter-11-plan-nears-exit-of-bankruptcy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">judge approved </a>the seafood chain’s reorganization plan.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/red-lobster-bankruptcy-exit-court-approval-retail-1851642204">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/9dff12920eb0960af6db685d7e223b5e.jpg" /><p>The U.S. has released its latest set of export controls on critical technologies as it steps up its efforts to <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/us-china-taiwan-cold-war-ai-chips-tsmc-semiconductors-1851484430" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">curb China’s technological advances</a>.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/us-release-export-controls-chips-ai-quantum-computing-1851641981">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/6c13f9c5b00e2ccaef8a2d486bde6337.jpg" /><p>Federal health authorities are celebrating that teenage vaping in the United States has reached a 10-year low.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/youth-vaping-record-low-fda-cdc-1851642180">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/5a7b9732b9be2778ee3230c0710f90ec.jpg" /><p>Discount grocer Aldi has big plans for its U.S. expansion, including a holiday hiring spree.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/aldi-is-hiring-a-whopping-13-000-workers-heres-whats-d-1851641923">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/5d9c18b6e72175511edea29ac0cb711c.jpg" /><p>Air Canada <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/ACDVF" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(ACDVF)</a> is working hard to make its pilots happy, as labor negotiations with the union is coming down to the wire. Bloomberg reports that the airline is offering the workers a <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-04/air-canada-offers-pilots-a-30-pay-boost-as-strike-deadline-nears?sref=P6Q0mxvj" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">30% pay raise</a> to avoid a looming strike.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/air-canada-pilots-raise-offer-strike-deadline-1851642053">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/419220c3b57cecc88edd2e5d43ea403f.jpg" /><p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled more than 400 points on Friday, extending its decline as a weaker-than-expected August jobs report added to the ongoing selloff in AI and tech stocks. The latest drop adds further pressure on market that has already had a rough start to September.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/jobs-report-dow-tech-ai-stocks-market-1851642140">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/a2cc0d310cfe23f33869249ce216cd35.jpg" /><p>Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential candidacy just got endorsed by almost 90 current and former top executives across corporate America, including high-profile CEOs and several longtime Democratic donors.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/kamala-harris-endorse-business-leaders-yelp-blackstone-1851641949">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/68437765ae09bafb98c0a4acd2dac190.jpg" /><p>New York City Fashion Week kicks off this weekend with shows featuring the designs of iconic brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Tory Burch, and Michael Kors. </p><p><a href="https://qz.com/new-york-city-fashion-week-struggling-industry-celeb-1851642037">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/5f6aaaedcab02495605dd828d847804f.jpg" /><p>Shari Redstone, the chairman of Paramount Global <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/PARA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(PARA)</a> and its parent company National Amusements, is reportedly set to make about $530 million when the media giant’s merger deal with Skydance Media closes in 2025.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/shari-redstone-530-million-merger-1851641873">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/e85a96a9f9dba02fabd649672734395e.jpg" /><p>7-Eleven’s parent company, Seven & i Holdings <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/SVNDY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(SVNDY)</a>, has <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/7-eleven-takeover-alimentation-couche-tard-seven-i-1851625409" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rejected</a> a $38 billion (£29.2bn) buyout offer from Canadian convenience store operator and competitor Alimentation Couche-Tard <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/ACT" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(ACT)</a> (ACT).<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/7-eleven-owner-rejects-takeover-offer-from-couche-tard-1851641845">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/1699d605b28879156a961ef734eed23d.jpg" /><p>Toyota <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/TM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(TM)</a> has already proven that its <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://jalopnik.com/toyotas-big-bet-on-hybrids-pays-off-1851434365">decision to focus on hybrid vehicles</a> over fully-electric models is paying off. The <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://jalopnik.com/toyota-s-hybrid-sales-are-far-outpacing-its-ev-growth-1851383553">company’s sales are booming</a> as hybrid options like the Prius and Rav4 fly off forecourts and now, it’s knuckling down on that commitment to hybrid power by <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://jalopnik.com/toyota-is-way-off-its-own-very-low-ev-targets-1850864533">slashing its already low targets</a> for…</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/toyota-ev-electric-car-targets-hybrids-1851641884">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/ee5aeadcc2773e52d9fd85c030ecc70e.jpg" /><p>As Intel <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/INTC" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(INTC)</a> looks for options to fix its faltering business, another chipmaker is reportedly interested in buying some of its chip design units.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/qualcomm-interested-buy-parts-intel-business-ai-chips-1851641782">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/83b8ea54d0e064d4bfa93f351b510040.jpg" /><p>The Department of Transportation is looking into whether America’s largest airlines are treating their most loyal customers fairly. The investigation revolves around frequent flyer rewards programs, with an <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/usdot-seeks-protect-consumers-airline-rewards-probe-four-largest-us-airlines-rewards" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">emphasis on the credit cards associated with them</a>.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/airline-rewards-cards-buttigieg-letters-1851641743">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/528921d68e92e2f58a2df4f970965b86.jpg" /><p>Some 2,000 drug-making firms haven’t had their operations inspected by federal regulators in years, as Food and Drug Administration inspectors leave the agency for better jobs in the private sector.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/fda-inspections-drug-makers-worker-shortage-1851641665">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/e3794fa60626d43f059ee581b9deb1fd.jpg" /><p>The Internal Revenue Service launched a crackdown on rich Americans who don’t pay their taxes under the Inflation Reduction Act. In less than a year, the agency has recovered more than $1 billion.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/irs-treasury-department-unpaid-taxes-wealthy-ira-1851641684">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/e2e4f601bbc6ff220514fc3ee5462557.jpg" /><p>The <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/ai-artificial-intelligence-glossary-vocabulary-terms-1851422473/slides/2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">artificial intelligence</a> <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/ai-stocks-dot-com-bubble-nvidia-google-microsoft-amazon-1851407019" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">boom</a> is already making semiconductor maker Broadcom <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/AVGO" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(AVGO)</a> billions in revenues.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/broadcom-q3-2024-ai-chips-sales-revenue-guidance-1851641657">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/e2d9b952fff06c3dac7da840ee596e33.jpg" /><p>Pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) can be a powerful investment for career development.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/top-10-mba-programs-globally-linkedin-report-1851640783">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/f4557640446fe1d1a0af0dabdebcfafd.jpg" /><p>Yet another new buzzword has hit the world of startups, dividing the already fractious Silicon Valley community over the best way to manage a growing company.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/manager-mode-founder-mode-startups-1851641323">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/c56d3f05efb7b707e467fb26502e5a71.jpg" /><p>American sanctions might be giving the Kremlin a major export blockage. The Financial Times reports that Russia has taken to storing natural gas pumped from the Arctic Circle because getting it to customers has <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.ft.com/content/877bb58e-4f60-45f1-a954-6e34dd3c44c7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">proven too difficult</a>.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/russia-sanctions-natural-gas-lng-2-1851641392">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/fee3a057dae2c50bc96f6f1d63bb8d22.jpg" /><p>With <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://jalopnik.com/nasa-gives-up-on-stranded-astronauts-returning-on-boein-1851631408">NASA announcing</a> that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will return to Earth next March on SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, the focus quickly shifted to what will happen to <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://jalopnik.com/boeing-still-can-t-return-stranded-astronauts-to-earth-1851606058">the beleaguered Boeing Starliner.</a> The space agency plans to autonomously undock the craft from the International Space Station but fears the…</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/boeing-starliner-nasa-iss-return-1851641426">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/7f38a5bad6d46ee95c3ef7b873804180.jpg" /><p>Oasis fans are looking back in anger after spending up to 15 hours trying to purchase a ticket to the band’s reunion tour through Ticketmaster.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/ticketmaster-oasis-tour-investigation-taylor-swift-doj-1851641299">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/3278a9b83ba7b68a1a90408007d90cec.jpg" /><p>Two of the undoubted leaders of the generative artificial intelligence boom are being accused by a startup of monopolistic practices, patent infringement, and violating federal antitrust laws.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/nvidia-microsoft-antitrust-patent-infringement-xockets-1851641274">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/91c617244fc0aa843556809d973ce530.jpg" /><p>Former President Donald Trump, alongside his sons, is diving deeper into the world of cryptocurrency with an upcoming platform called <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1829141447087648796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1829141447087648796%7Ctwgr%5Ebf56afaa727c1f8a790fb99ae1905f0be388e379%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.coindesk.com%2Fbusiness%2F2024%2F09%2F03%2Finside-the-trump-crypto-project-linked-to-a-2m-defi-hack-and-former-pick-up-artist%2F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Liberty Financial</a>. The pitch? Empowering everyday people and challenging the “rigged” traditional finance system. However, <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.coindesk.com/business/2024/09/04/in-trump-backed-crypto-project-insiders-are-poised-for-unusually-big-paydays/?_gl=1*1r5vub6*_up*MQ..*_ga*OTcwMjI3NTk1LjE3MjU0ODQxMDU.*_ga_VM3STRYVN8*MTcyNTQ4NDEwNC4xLjAuMTcyNTQ4NDEwNC4wLjAuODAwNDUwMjgx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CoinDesk</a> reports that there’s a catch: While it promises…</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/trump-crypto-project-held-by-70-percent-insiders-report-1851641259">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/bb5882da079097a8d504bd254f198a8d.jpg" /><p>We’ve all dreamed of becoming wealthy through gifts or inheritances from a distant, well-to-do relative – but for a group of French Gen Z-ers, this dream has become a reality. Well, sort of.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/gen-z-cousins-hermes-family-overnight-millionaires-1851641200">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/3f124575f7d6a6849a2e3c763592a498.webp" /><p><a href="https://qz.com/nvidia-stock-price-plunge-subpoena-turbulent-week-ai-1851641131">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/7e0bd5520ea3b17252c3e7ff28ca9541.jpg" /><p>Following 10 consecutive months of housing inventory growth, the number of U.S. homes actively for sale in August reached its highest level since May 2020, according to Realtor.com <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/NWSA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(NWSA)</a> <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.realtor.com/research/aug-2024-data/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">data</a> released Thursday.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/housing-inventory-market-mortgage-rates-1851641100">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/9997820b2070c646374006133d439a2e.jpg" /><p>The richest families in the world are projected to see their wealth grow even more – ultimately reaching $9.5 trillion by 2030 – as single-family offices continue to grow and expand their assets, according to a new report from <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/about/press-room/global-edition-explores-the-rapid-expansion-family-offices-and-ffers-vision-of-the-future-landscape.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Deloitte</a>.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/wealth-held-family-offices-expected-to-reach-trillion-1851640926">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/bea57bc0bd91e4fd9ccc3ac55013ad6b.jpg" /><p>Former President Donald Trump said that Tesla <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/TSLA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(TSLA)</a> and SpaceX Elon Musk has agreed to lead a new government commission in his potential administration — as long as he has the time. </p><p><a href="https://qz.com/donald-trump-elon-musk-commission-federal-spending-1851641038">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/ac853bd293f2954fdd2a5b5ec12230d1.jpg" /><p>A year after launching the first business version of its generative artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, OpenAI said it has reached over one million paid users for its subscription-based services.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/openai-chatgpt-enterprise-team-edu-paid-users-million-1851640780">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/db071fb13e1a16a8bd096693f95298b5.jpg" /><p>Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/kroger-albertsons-ftc-kamala-harris-grocery-prices-1851632703" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">promises that merging with Albertsons will lead to substantial price cuts</a>. </p><p><a href="https://qz.com/kroger-alberstons-merger-ceo-rodney-mcmullen-price-cuts-1851640522">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/c6e9b4da132c081131f5f83f313c81fd.jpg" /><p>The New Mexico Department of Justice <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://nmdoj.gov/press-release/attorney-general-raul-torrez-files-lawsuit-against-snap-inc-to-protect-children-from-sextortion-sexual-exploitation-and-other-harms/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">filed a lawsuit against</a> Snap <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/SNAP" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(SNAP)</a>, the parent company of popular photo messaging app Snapchat, Thursday over features that allegedly foster sexual abuse.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/snap-snapchat-new-mexico-doj-lawsuit-1851640859">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/691493de652e5d995abd15f377d7935c.jpg" /><p>Europe fears that Airbus’s <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/AIR" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(AIR)</a> problems with its double-aisle jetliner might be more widespread than a single worrying incident in Hong Kong. The South China Morning Post reports that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency will be <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3277378/hong-kong-investigation-prompts-europe-order-inspection-a350-aircraft?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">grounding many of the planes</a> to figure out if more of them might run into problems. </p><p><a href="https://qz.com/airbus-a350-european-inspections-hong-kong-1851640589">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/7d9d335bb9e1c8da0fe7e47b26baa59b.jpg" /><p>Abbott Laboratories <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/ABT" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(ABT)</a> launched today its first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor aimed at consumers without diabetes.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/abott-lingo-continous-glucose-monitor-1851640745">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/7032bf3b026bd87f2a7dd2a82a8b2437.jpg" /><p>Tesla’s artificial intelligence team on Thursday released its roadmap for the next several months, reaffirming its goal to launch the company’s self-driving technology in two new markets early next year. </p><p><a href="https://qz.com/tesla-ev-artificial-intelligence-fsd-china-europe-musk-1851640563">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/2548cd631b0a4766143ae0524b69934c.jpg" /><p>Vice President Kamala Harris is looking to be a business-friendly presidential candidate, at least when compared with President Joe Biden.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/harris-campaign-capital-gains-corporate-tax-business-1851640741">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/d8e2f1551ed0c0ad0473c5b354d2332a.jpg" /><p>More than a quarter of global marketers plan to spend less money taking out ads on Elon Musk’s X next year, as trust in the social media platform continues to crater. </p><p><a href="https://qz.com/elon-musk-x-twitter-ads-marketers-lower-spending-trust-1851640460">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/413899f073463c272309ec6dd9b32025.jpg" /><p>A nice fiscal tailwind is helping out JetBlue Airways <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://qz.com/quote/JBLU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(JBLU)</a>, the company told investors Thursday. It said <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1158463/000115846324000020/jblu-20240905.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in a securities filing</a> that it expects its third-quarter 2024 revenue to be higher than last year instead of lower — thanks in part to a boost from its competitors’ huge setback this summer. The airline’s shares…</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/jetblue-guidance-update-crowdstrike-1851640606">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/ad55b9c14aa2708d1d934b87da1e02d9.png" /><p><a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://jalopnik.com/car-buying/evs-and-hybrids">Hybrids</a> have<a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://jalopnik.com/toyotas-big-bet-on-hybrids-pays-off-1851434365"> pulled Toyota out of a two-month rut</a> and are helping <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://jalopnik.com/car-buying/hyundai">Hyundai</a> and <a class="sc-1out364-0 dPMosf sc-145m8ut-0 lcFFec js_link" href="https://jalopnik.com/car-buying/kia">Kia</a> post record sales numbers for August. That’s not too shabby for a vehicle type that is quickly being seen as a really strong compromise between regular internal combustion-powered vehicles and all-electric cars.<br /></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/evs-hybrids-car-sales-toyota-hyundai-kia-honda-1851640730">Read more...</a></p>
<img class="type:primaryImage" src="https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_80,w_636/69d970369f7115b22a99880c86d2a5b7.jpg" /><p>An elusive soft landing, in which inflation falls without a recession, is in sight for the U.S. economy. But even with inflation finally coming in below 3% and production still strong, Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, isn’t getting too comfortable.</p><p><a href="https://qz.com/soft-landing-us-economic-recovery-geopolitics-elections-1851639945">Read more...</a></p>
<p>The shooting occurred along Interstate 75 in a rural area south of Lexington, near the city of London authorities said</p><p>Kentucky police reported an “active shooter situation” on Saturday evening near Interstate 75 in London, Kentucky, south of Lexington, where “numerous persons” had been shot in traffic.</p><p>In a video statement, London mayor Randall Weddle said seven people were hurt, but not all of those were wounded by gunfire. Some of the victims were injured in a vehicle accident, he said.<br /><br /> “There are no deceased at this time. No one was killed from this, thankfully, but we ask that you continue to pray,” Weddle said.<br /><br /> The sheriff’s office also announced that a “person of interest” has been identified in connection with the shooting, saying he should be considered armed and dangerous and people should not approach him.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/08/kentucky-police-say-multiple-people-shot-in-active-shooter-situation">Continue reading...</a>
<p>US secretary of state will be most senior US official to have travelled to London since Labour’s election victory</p><p>The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, will head to London next week to discuss the Middle East and Ukraine, the state department announced on Saturday, in advance of a US visit by prime minister Keir Starmer.</p><p>Blinken’s visit to London on Monday and Tuesday will be the most senior by a US official since the Labour party won the general election in July, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/antony-blinken-to-visit-uk-for-talks-on-ukraine-and-middle-east">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The system by Saturday had been dousing Texas and Louisiana with heavy rains for days</p><p>A tropical depression may form next week in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.</p><p>In a <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&fdays=7">forecast</a> on Saturday afternoon, the NHC said that an area of low pressure had formed over the Bay of Campeche in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico. It had been producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/tropical-depression-gulf-of-mexico">Continue reading...</a>
<p>James Shirah, 22, allegedly ran over groomsman with SUV, mortally wounding him, following argument on 30 August</p><p>A newly married couple from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/michigan">Michigan</a> were arrested only hours after their wedding because the groom allegedly used a car to intentionally run over and kill one of his groomsmen, according to local police.</p><p>The groom, 22-year-old James Shirah of Flint, allegedly ran over his groomsman with an SUV, mortally wounding him, following an argument on 30 August, the Flint police department <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=919163926914655&set=a.303045085193212">said on Facebook</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/michigan-couple-arrested-groomsman-killed">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Throughout shooting that killed four people, many attempted to stop attacker and were first to aid injured</p><p>Students and teachers at Georgia’s Apalachee high school – where a teenager carried out <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/georgia-high-school-shooting">a deadly mass shooting</a> on Wednesday – are being praised for the bravery they demonstrated when faced with unimaginable circumstances.</p><p>Meanwhile, more information is emerging about the 14-year-old shooter who allegedly thrust them into those circumstances.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/georgia-school-shooting-students-teachers-bravery">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Ruling, which may be reviewed by appellate court, could strike reproductive rights measure off November ballot</p><p>A <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/missouri">Missouri</a> judge has ruled that a ballot measure asking voters whether <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/abortion">abortion</a> rights should be enshrined in the state constitution is invalid, potentially jeopardizing an election scheduled for November.</p><p>In a ruling issued on Friday, Cole county circuit judge Christopher Limbaugh said that the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/reproductive-rights">reproductive rights</a> petition – also known as amendment 3 – led by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom did not comply with state law.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/missouri-abortion-rights-ballot-measure-ruled-invalid">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Smaller pro-Palestinian protests continue in new semester amid ramped-up security, but chaos of spring has faded</p><p>Columbia University students returned to campus this week under the specter of the mass protests that disrupted campus life last semester. But while actions against the Gaza war continue, the first days of class saw little of the last school year’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/02/the-pro-palestinian-us-campus-protests-in-maps-videos-and-photos">chaos</a>.</p><p>On Wednesday, a group of about 30 students gathered for a sit-in protest outside a class <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/02/hillary-clinton-columbia-walkout-palestine">Hillary Clinton teaches </a>at the School of International and Public Affairs building, chanting “intifada revolution” and “Zionists not welcome here”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/columbia-university-students-protest">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The virile bird was euthanized by Maryland zoo due to health problems, and is survived by Mrs Greedy</p><p>A zoo in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/baltimore">Baltimore</a> is mourning the death of an African penguin that helped save his kind from extinction by leaving behind more than 200 descendants while living far longer than expected.</p><p>The remarkable creature in question is Mr Greedy, who was euthanized because of health problems related to his age: 33, or well past African penguins’ 18-year median life expectancy, said an announcement from his home, the <a href="https://www.marylandzoo.org/news-and-updates/2024/09/oldest-penguin-at-maryland-zoo-humanely-euthanized/">Maryland zoo</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/mr-greedy-penguin-dies-aged-33-maryland-zoo">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Court worker secretly recorded calls in which Kathleen Ryan made homophobic slur and called Black people lazy</p><p>A suburban <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/detroit">Detroit</a> judge is no longer handling cases after a court official turned over recordings of her making anti-gay insults and referring to Black people as lazy.</p><p>Oakland county probate judge Kathleen Ryan was removed from her docket on 27 August for unspecified misconduct. Now the court’s administrator has stepped forward to say he blew the whistle on her, secretly recording their phone calls.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/michigan-judge-kathleen-ryan-suspended">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The shooting was reportedly sparked by a fight in a school bathroom, and suspect was arrested shortly afterward</p><p>A student at a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/maryland">Maryland</a> high school died after being shot by another student during a fight on Friday in a school bathroom, authorities said.</p><p>Warren Curtis Grant, 15, died after the shooting at Joppatowne high school, the Harford county sheriff, Jeff Gahler, said at a media briefing.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/maryland-school-shooting-student-dead">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Lifelong Republican makes announcement day after daughter Liz also endorses Democratic candidate</p><p>The former vice-president <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/dick-cheney">Dick Cheney</a>, a lifelong Republican, will vote for the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, in November’s presidential election, he said in a statement on Friday.</p><p>“In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Cheney said of the former president and Republican nominee. “He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/06/dick-cheney-vote-kamala-harris">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Find out who’s up and who’s down in the latest US presidential election opinion polls</p><p>On 21 July, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/joebiden">Joe Biden</a> dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>. This historic move changed the landscape of the election and how many felt about the race. As the election enters its final weeks, Guardian US is averaging national and state polls to see how the two candidates are faring. We will update our averages once a week, or more if there is major news.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2024/aug/23/presidential-polls-kamala-harris-donald-trump-election">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Two ex-senior Labour advisers reveal strategy Keir Starmer used to turn its fortunes around by targeting disillusioned ‘hero voters’ – and how it could benefit the Democrats</p><p>• <a href="https://composer.gutools.co.uk/content/66db178d8f080b4351297c73">US ‘hero voters’ key to Harris win say top Labour ex-aides</a><br /></p><p>On 4 July, against all odds, Labour overturned the most <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/13/boris-johnson-leads-tories-historic-general-election-win">shattering defeat in decades</a> to win a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/05/time-for-us-to-deliver-says-starmer-as-labour-heads-for-landslide">stunning landslide</a>. A talented and energetic party team deserves huge credit for this victory: effective communications, innovative digital output, creative policy culminating in the five missions, organisationally brilliant events and a super-efficient ground force – all under the leadership of campaign director Morgan McSweeney and political leads Pat McFadden and Ellie Reeves.</p><p>It was a cohesive campaign united by its sharp, disciplined focus on our very tightly defined “hero voters”. Could a similar single-mindedness help Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump on 5 November?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/how-lessons-of-uk-election-could-help-kamala-harris-defeat-donald-trump">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Diversifying departments is one of the oldest methods of police reform, but Black cops are not immune to adopting the racism of the system</p><p>It wasn’t supposed to be this way for Emmitt Martin III. He graduated from Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee, with a degree in criminal justice and played tight end and fullback on the football team all four years. Friends of Martin said he was a role model to his two younger siblings and regularly posted about his love for his young daughter on social media.</p><p>Martin told people that when he joined the Memphis police department in spring of 2018, he wanted to make a difference. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi, a historically Black fraternity whose founding principles are manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplifting society. <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24450844-martin-personnel-file#document/p10/a2431973">Martin’s policing performance evaluations</a> show that he exceeded expectations in judgment, reliability and dealing with the public. Few would be faulted for thinking he’d have the safety of Black people in mind as he patrolled their communities. Even fewer would imagine he’d take part in the savage beating death of another Black man, an assault that even the police chief <a href="https://youtu.be/jpD2FDjBBr8?si=K3FPqAsIQA0zUwmQ&t=91">called</a> “a failing of basic humanity toward another individual”, an act that was “heinous, reckless and inhumane”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/07/tyre-nichols-black-police-officers-memphis-history">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Like other celebrity wellness entrepreneurs, the former model seems to peddle nonsense</p><p>Elle Macpherson’s gratitude journal must have written itself last week. Most days, any leader in the wellness industry is right to feel gratitude for the gigantic profits to be made seemingly out of human gullibility: the welcome for her latest venture suggests that the market for experimental self-care may have been wildly underestimated.</p><p>Since the exclusive revelation of <a href="https://www.womensweekly.com.au/news/elle-macpherson-now/">Macpherson’s “cancer journey”</a> in the <em>Australian Women’s Weekly</em>, there can hardly have been enough time in the day, without contracting the work out to a gratitude assistant, to record the amount of joy experienced by a model turned entrepreneur when her apparent rejection of evidence-based medicine is widely presented – with only limited space for objections – as a tale of fully vindicated heroism.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/08/elle-macpherson-cancer-alternative-medicine">Continue reading...</a>
<p>At 74, Spain’s finest director has won the Golden Lion – incredibly, his first major victory at a film festival – for his debut English language feature. Better late than never, even if The Room Next Door isn’t <em>quite</em> his finest work</p><p>Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door is a tender, heartfelt drama about a driven former war correspondent who’s in search of the perfect final scene. She wants an ending that she can script and control, and a handpicked loving audience to applaud her when she goes.</p><p>As played by Tilda Swinton, the heroine doesn’t have it entirely her own way. But the film itself has fared rather better. It bowed out in a blaze of glory and scooped the crowning Golden Lion award in the dying seconds of this year’s Venice film festival.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/07/venice-2024-almodovars-first-major-festival-win-is-richly-deserved-and-epically-overdue">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Thirty years ago, Black women came up with the term reproductive justice. Today we fight for it more than ever</p><p>As the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-elections-2024">2024 elections</a> continue to heat up, there are increasing concerns about the rise of fascism around the world and in the United States. Regardless of the word or label used, Black people, living with the legacy of slavery and multiple forms of reproductive oppression including rape and forced pregnancies, sterilizations and the killing of our children and loved ones by vigilantes and police, have a lot of experience with authoritarian regimes that oppress and dehumanize.</p><p>There is a strategic agenda from the far right – laid out in clear language in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/project-2025">Project 2025</a> to keep power in the hands of a chosen few and prevent the United States from becoming a truly representative, multiracial democracy that embraces and supports all people including those with the capacity for pregnancy.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/republicans-reproductive-justice-black-women">Continue reading...</a>
<p>We’re warned not to assign human qualities to other species, but evidence of their complex abilities is mounting</p><p>The details differ, but really it’s the same story, turning up every few weeks, for around a decade now. The revelation – and it’s always presented with a dramatic flourish – is this: animals are much more like us than we thought.</p><p>Last week, it was that dogs could <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/sep/04/dogs-remember-names-toys-years-study-pets-memory">remember the names</a> of their old toys – even when they hadn’t seen them for two years. Language acquisition, that “uniquely human” thing, was being encroached on, the researchers said: dogs could store words in their memory. Last month, it was that horses could <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy4j4kkxd8o#:~:text=You%20can%20lead%20a%20horse,great%20enough%2C%20researchers%20have%20found">strategise and plan ahead</a>, overturning the assumption that they “simply respond to stimuli in the moment”. And in April, it was that there’s a “<a href="https://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/nydeclaration/declaration">realistic possibility of consciousness”</a> in reptiles, fish and even insects – according to a declaration signed by some 40 scientists. One of the studies backing the claims recorded bumblebees playing with wooden balls. The behaviour had no obvious connection to mating or survival, the authors thought. It was for fun.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/when-dogs-recall-toys-and-horses-plan-ahead-are-animals-so-different-from-us">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The detainment of the murky messaging service’s founder in France shows online moguls can no longer act with impunity </p><p>On 24 August, a Russian tech billionaire’s private jet landed at Le Bourget airport, north-east of Paris, to find that officers of the French judicial police were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/aug/24/telegram-app-founder-pavel-durov-arrested-at-french-airport">waiting for him</a>. He was duly arrested and whisked away for interrogation. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/28/telegram-ceo-charged-france-allowing-criminal-activity-app">Four days later</a> he was indicted on 12 charges, including alleged complicity in the distribution of child exploitation material and drug trafficking, barred from leaving France and placed under “judicial supervision”, which requires him to check in with the gendarmes twice a week until further notice.</p><p>The mogul in question, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/aug/26/who-is-pavel-durov-billionaire-founder-telegram-mysterious-figure">Pavel Durov</a>, is a tech entrepreneur who collects nationalities the way others collect air miles. In fact it turns out that one of <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-finally-admits-he-gave-telegram-chief-pavel-durov-french-citizenship/">his citizenships</a> is French, generously provided in 2021 by France’s president, Emmanuel Macron. Durov is also, it seems, a fitness fanatic with a punishing daily regime. “After eight hours of tracked sleep,” the <em>Financial Times</em> reports, “he starts the day ‘without exception’ with 200 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and an ice bath. He does not drink, smoke, eat sugar or meat, and saves time for meditation.” When not engaged in these demanding activities, he has also found time to father more than 100 kids as a sperm donor and to rival <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/01/elon-twitter-is-not-the-town-square-its-just-a-private-shop-square-belongs-to-us-all">Elon Musk as a free-speech extremist</a>.</p><p><em><strong>Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at <a href="mailto:observer.letters@observer.co.uk">observer.letters@observer.co.uk</a></strong></em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/07/telegram-chiefs-arrest-sends-a-clear-message-tech-titans-are-not-above-the-law">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>USA 1-2 Canada</li><li>Interim coach laments Americans’ mental lapses</li></ul><p>Hoping to show <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jul/01/usmnt-uruguay-copa-america-soccer-goal-offside-call">their first-round exit</a> at this summer’s Copa América was a fluke, the United States instead displayed an alarming lack of intensity that resulted in their first home loss to Canada since 1957.<br /><br /> Jacob Shaffelburg and Jonathan David scored after US defensive misplays, and Canada dominated 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday for just their second win over the Americans in 27 matches on US soil.</p><p>While Jesse Marsch, Canada’s American-born coach, glowed following a win over a team that bypassed him for the USMNT job, interim US coach Mikey Varas rebuked himself and his players.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/07/canada-beat-us-in-america-for-first-time-since-1957-as-usmnt-slump-continues">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Sabalenka wins in two sets, 7-5, 7-5</li><li><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/mika-stojsavljevic-echoes-heather-watson-with-us-open-junior-title">Stojsavljevic echoes Watson with US Open junior title</a></strong></li></ul><p><strong>“Sometimes there’s not much you can do,”</strong> says Pegula of her opponent who says she is full of confidence. It’s the Buffalo girl who comes out first, and to a loud reception and with a huge smile. She takes her headphones off. Warm enough reception for Sabalenka, too. Her headphones stay on longer.</p><p><strong>Here we go with God Bless America</strong>, as sung by Mickey Guyton, using the cursive singing style we have had to get used to in recent years. It’s a pretty decent effort as these things go. Heading into the Arthur Ashe, in comes Lewis Hamilton. Flushing Meadows looks great, to be fair.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2024/sep/07/us-open-tennis-womens-final-jessica-pegula-aryna-sabalenka-live">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Belarussian keeps composure to beat American 7-5, 7-5</li><li>World No 2 has won two grand slam titles this year</li></ul><p>As Aryna Sabalenka has cemented herself at the top of her sport over the past two seasons, in so many of the biggest grand slam matches her greatest opponent has been herself. Even when she has come in radiating with confidence, her game in full bloom, her head so often gets in the way. Recovering from so many painful collapses has required resilience beyond measure.</p><p>Nowhere have these struggles been more evident than in New York, a city that perfectly suits her electrifying game and outsized personality but where the positives from her two semi-finals and a final in the past three years had been blunted by brutal losses.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/07/aryna-sabalenka-holds-off-jessica-pegula-fightback-to-win-us-open">Continue reading...</a>
<ul><li>Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell beat 10th seeds 6-4 7-6 (7-4)</li><li>First all-Australian duo to win doubles title in New York since 1996</li></ul><p>Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell have crowned Australia’s spirited US Open campaign with a redemption triumph in the men’s doubles final.</p><p>The Australian duo outclassed German 10th seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-4 7-6 (7-4) on Saturday (Sunday AEST) to become the first all-Australian pairing to reign in New York since Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge in 1996.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/08/us-open-results-doubles-final-jordan-thompson-max-purcell-vs-kevin-krawietz-tim-puetz">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Palestinians say they have no faith in Israel Defense Forces inquiry into killing as US officials insist Gaza ceasefire is near</p><p>US officials have insisted that a ceasefire in Gaza is close even as fighting rages unabated in the blockaded Palestinian territory and violence spirals in the occupied West Bank, where witnesses told the <em>Observer</em> an American-Turkish dual national was killed by Israeli forces on Friday.</p><p>William Burns, who is also the US’s chief negotiator in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, echoed secretary of state Antony Blinken during a speech in London on Saturday in which he said that “90% of the text had been agreed but the last 10% is always the hardest”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/west-bank-residents-teargas-shots-us-woman-death-israel-defence-forces-inquiry-killing">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Two former senior advisers to Keir Starmer say their UK election strategy could benefit Democratic campaign<br /><br />• <a href="https://composer.gutools.co.uk/content/66d9e2228f08da0c09ad3ba3">Lessons of Labour UK win could help Harris defeat Trump</a></p><p>Keir Starmer’s former pollster, Deborah Mattinson, is to meet Kamala Harris’s campaign team in Washington this week to share details of how Labour pulled off its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/05/time-for-us-to-deliver-says-starmer-as-labour-heads-for-landslide">stunning election win</a> by targeting key groups of “squeezed working-class voters who wanted change”.</p><p>The visit comes ahead of a separate trip by Starmer to Washington on Friday to meet US president Joe Biden, his second since becoming prime minister. It will also be his first since Biden stepped down and Harris became the Democratic nominee.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/07/us-hero-voters-key-to-harris-win-say-ex-aides-who-plotted-labour-uk-victory">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Eygi, 26, was protesting against settlements in occupied West Bank when she was killed by Israeli troops, witnesses say</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/07/aysenur-eygis-family-demand-independent-inquiry-into-west-bank-death">Ayşenur Eygi’s family demand independent inquiry into death</a></li></ul><p>The White House said it was “deeply disturbed” by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/israel-gaza-west-bank-us-citizen-killed">the death of an American woman who, according to Palestinian officials and witnesses, was shot</a> in the head by Israeli troops during a protest against Israeli settlements in the occupied <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/west-bank">West Bank</a>. The White House also called for Israel to investigate her killing, which has caused strong reactions across the international community.</p><p>The US state department confirmed the death of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, a volunteer peace activist with the anti-occupation International Solidarity Movement (ISM).</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/06/aysenur-eygi-killing-west-bank-reaction">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Reading for month was shy of the average forecast as headline unemployment rate decreased from 4.3% to 4.2%</p><p>US employers added 142,000 jobs last month, the labor department announced on Friday, in one of the year’s most closely watched economic news releases.</p><p>The release comes as the US Federal Reserve prepares to cut interest rates for the first time since March 2020, and November’s election puts a spotlight on the state of the US economy.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/06/august-us-jobs-report-economy">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Eldest son Lachlan may want to repay Rupert for bid to hand him full control by protecting UK newspaper empire</p><p>Getting into property is considered to be Lachlan Murdoch’s shrewdest and most profitable contribution to building the family empire.</p><p>Shortly after the turn of the century, Rupert Murdoch’s eldest son persuaded News Corporation to take a 44% stake in REA Group, the owner of Australia’s realestate.com.au property website.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/06/murdochs-uk-property-site-rightmove-lachlan-rupert">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Telegram boss Pavel Durov announces a new approach towards moderating content and will remove some features that had been abused for illegal activity.</p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/06/telegram-to-drop-people-nearby-feature-and-improve-moderation">Telegram to drop ‘people nearby’ feature and improve moderation</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/sep/06/pavel-durov-telegram-founder-post-comments-arrest-france">Pavel Durov: Telegram founder says France arrest is ‘misguided’</a></strong></li><li>Full story: <strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/06/august-us-jobs-report-economy">US economy adds 142,000 jobs in August as Fed plans to cut interest rates</a><br /></strong></li></ul><p>European stock markets are lower in early trading, as investors anticipate today’s US employment report (at 1.30pm UK time).</p><p>The <strong>FTSE</strong> <strong>100</strong> index is down 41 points, or 0.5%, at 8200 points. That would be its sixth daily loss in a row, its worst run since May.</p><p>“Given the importance of the jobs data, investors should brace for volatility in the wake of the release. Our base case remains for a soft economic landing, though recession risks have increased. We recommend focusing on long-term financial plans and ensuring adequate diversification.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2024/sep/06/uk-house-prices-hit-two-year-high-us-jobs-payrolls-business-live">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Co-founder of British cybersecurity company says ‘now is the right time to hand over the reins’, to Jill Popelka</p><p>Poppy Gustafsson, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/apr/17/poppy-gustafsson-the-darktrace-tycoon-in-new-cybersecurity-era">co-founder and chief executive </a>of the British cybersecurity firm Darktrace, is to leave the company after its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/apr/26/cybersecurity-firm-darktrace-agrees-sale-to-us-private-equity-business">$5.3bn (£4.2bn) sale</a> to the US private equity business Thoma Bravo.</p><p>Gustafsson, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/apr/17/poppy-gustafsson-the-darktrace-tycoon-in-new-cybersecurity-era">one of the best-known figures in the UK tech industry</a>, founded Darktrace in Cambridge in 2013 with backing from the late billionaire Mike Lynch’s Invoke Capital.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/06/poppy-gustafsson-to-leave-darktrace-after-sale-to-us-private-equity-firm">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Contract negotiations have hit impasse ahead of expiration of current agreement on 13 September</p><p>Boeing workers could strike next week over a dispute between their union and the company over wages, safety, pensions and job security.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.goiam.org/news/imail/iam-stands-fully-behind-32000-district-751-district-w24-members-as-boeing-negotiations-kick-off/">32,000 workers</a> represented by the International Machinists Union have <a href="https://www.goiam.org/news/imail/iam-stands-fully-behind-32000-district-751-district-w24-members-as-boeing-negotiations-kick-off/">pushed </a>for significant wage increases of at least 40% in three or four years, reinstatement of defined pension benefit plans that Boeing took away in 2014, lower healthcare costs, safety improvements, easing mandatory overtime and ensuring Boeing’s next airplane model is produced in Washington.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/06/boeing-union-strike">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Video footage shows the moments after an American-Turkish woman was shot in the head during a protest against Israeli settlements in Beita, near Nablus, in the West Bank. </p><p>Ay<strong>ş</strong>enur Ezgi Eygi, 26, died from her wounds after being transported to Rafidia hospital, where doctors tried to resuscitate her. </p><p>Eygi was a volunteer with the anti-occupation International Solidarity Movement. Witnesses and Palestinian officials said she was shot by Israeli troops. The Israel Defense Forces have said they are investigating those reports.</p><p></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/israel-gaza-west-bank-us-citizen-killed"><strong>American-Turkish woman shot dead at anti-settler protest in West Bank</strong></a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/video/2024/sep/06/footage-shows-rush-to-help-us-citizen-fatally-shot-in-west-bank">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The father of the teenager suspected of opening fire at a Georgia high school - killing four people and wounding nine - 'knowingly' let his son possess a weapon, authorities said at a press conference announcing the man's arrest. 'These charges stem from Mr Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon,' the Georgia bureau of investigation's Chris Hosey said </p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/05/georgia-school-shooting-father-arrested">Father of teenager suspected in Georgia school shooting arrested</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2024/sep/06/father-of-teenager-suspected-in-georgia-school-shooting-arrested-video">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Two students and two teachers were killed at a Georgia high school in the US, in a mass shooting authorities say was committed by a 14-year-old male student at the school. At least nine others were taken to the hospital following the incident at Apalachee high school in Winder, about 50 miles north-east of Atlanta. Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia bureau of investigation, said the suspect would be charged as an adult with four counts of murder</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/04/georgia-high-school-shooting-apalachee"><strong>Georgia high school shooting: student charged with murder after four people killed in Apalachee</strong></a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2024/sep/04/georgia-high-school-shooting-student-charged-with-after-students-teachers-killed-video">Continue reading...</a>
The elections analyst Dave Wasserman assesses Black support for Donald Trump and explains a state-level primary that’s a national bellwether.
An Austrian heiress recruited fifty people from all walks of life to redistribute twenty-five million euros—if they could agree on how to spend it.
I thought that the e-mailed invitation was spam. “Nice try, Russia,” I said to my laptop screen. But the Pope really did want to meet with comics and humorists.
The Barefoot Contessa looks back at a career built on fantasies of comfort and plenty.
The A.I. revolution is coming to a pharmacy near you.
Hamas’s killing of six hostages in Gaza, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly delayed a ceasefire deal, has provoked major protests and a renewed sense of crisis.
It’s hard to empirically determine whether they drive voters to the polls. But they might have less measurable effects.
The Vice-President and her advisers clearly believe that being accused of flip-flopping is a lesser threat to her campaign than being cast as too radical.
Four years ago, the Democrats made big promises to address racial and economic injustice. Will voters remember?
A new history asks what can be gained from trying to understand the personalities of Hitler and his followers.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s Western allies have worried that the surprise, cross-border attack will provoke Vladimir Putin to escalate.
Nate Cohn, the New York Times’ chief political analyst, breaks down Kamala Harris’s performance in the battleground states and how we should think about polling error.
The country has long seesawed between two dynastic political parties, both with autocratic tendencies. Is the current youth-led movement charting a third path?
A lead-poisoning scandal in Oakland underscores a growing sense of hopelessness among families who are committed to school integration.
On “Comrade Kamala” and the ex-President’s last-century approach to winning in 2024.
The player known as Queenwen won Olympic Gold, and is moving through the early rounds of the U.S. Open.
New technologies are raising suspicions about students’ work, but the controversy—like so many others swirling around American classrooms—misses the point of what we want our kids to learn.
Since COVID, many professors have become more flexible about due dates. But some teachers believe that the way to address student anxiety is more deadlines, not fewer.
The contest for an obscure political office partly responsible for administering elections has become the race behind the race, with stakes that could determine the Presidency.
Claims and counterclaims of “election interference” are ubiquitous these days. What does the term actually mean?
When U.S. Marines killed twenty-four people in an Iraqi town, they also recorded the aftermath of their actions. For years, the military tried to keep these photos from the public.
At their Convention in Chicago last week, the Democrats looked like a party that is unusually united in its goals.
As Kennedy’s 2024 election campaign collapses, he has embraced a new role as the former President’s latest ally.
At the Democratic National Convention, the sense of relief was as overwhelming as the general euphoria—but the campaign against Donald Trump has only just begun.
The observance of defeat, especially in an election, is often all that keeps a state from tipping into violence.
In our news wrap Wednesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions insisted at a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he never lied about his conversations with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 presidential campaign. Also, President Trump renewed his criticisms of former FBI director James Comey over the Hillary Clinton email probe.
More than three dozen women have now come forward to say Harvey Weinstein harassed or assaulted them. One of those women is Katherine Kendall, who met Weinstein when she was a 23-year-old actress. She recounts her experience in a conversation with Hari Sreenivasan.
But the NFL reiterated its decision today to keep its standing policy of not requiring players to stand during the anthem.
Americans are told to love their nation uncritically, be thankful that they are exceptional enough to live in a country that allows citizens the opportunity to reach astronomical heights of economic prosperity. For black citizens, there’s an additional presumption: that success and wealth demands public silence on systemic issues of inequality and oppression.
SurveyMonkey found that no other issue -- not race, religion or gender -- so perfectly divided voters as gun control. Learn why in the next PBS NewsHour Twitter chat on Thursday.
WASHINGTON — After her Army son died in an armored vehicle rollover in Syria in May, Sheila Murphy says, she got no call or letter from President Donald Trump, even as she waited months for his condolences, wrote to him to say "some days I don't want to live," and still heard nothing.
WASHINGTON — When Karen Pence found out that an art therapist in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico couldn't afford the clay her clients needed, she sprang into action.
In our news wrap Tuesday, a federal judge in Hawaii struck down the Trump administration’s latest travel ban that extended to six mostly Muslim nations, plus North Korea and Venezuela. The move temporarily blocks enforcement of the order nationwide, but the Justice Department said it will appeal. Also, Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa., withdrew from the consideration to be the next drug czar.
President Trump dealt with the fallout from his assertion that President Obama didn't call the families of service members killed in action. John Yang reports on the president's response to military casualties and the latest controversy to engulf his presidency.
It’s been almost a month since Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico, killing at least 48 people, but citizens on the island are still coming to grips with the scale of the devastation. William Brangham speaks with David Begnaud of CBS News about new concerns of contamination and disease due to the island’s lack of drinking water, medical facilities and a backlog of supplies in San Juan.
In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein story, the hashtag #MeToo has inspired millions of women to share stories of harassment in the workplace and culture. Judy Woodruff explores what’s driving the movement with Fatima Goss Graves of the National Women’s Law Center, Melissa Silverstein of Women and Hollywood, Lisa Senecal of Vermont Commission on Women and Leigh Gilmore of Wellesley College.
A 61-year-old San Antonio man pleaded guilty to two federal charges in the human smuggling incident that led to the deaths of 10 undocumented immigrants this summer.
WASHINGTON — For U.S. presidents, meeting the families of military personnel killed in war is about as wrenching as the presidency gets. President Donald Trump's suggestion Monday that his predecessors fell short in that duty brought a visceral reaction from those who witnessed those grieving encounters.
The Fairfax County Circuit Court indicted Darwin Martinez-Torres of Sterling, Virginia, on Monday on four counts of capital murder for killing Nabra Hassanen during her walk back to a Virginia mosque.
Firefighters are making progress taming the wildfires that have consumed more than 220,000 acres across Northern California and killed at least 41 people. Special correspondent Joanne Jennings reports from Napa County, where crews are battling shifting winds, and owners and workers from wine country return to determine how much damage has been done.
President Xi Jinping opened China’s twice-per decade Communist Party Congress on Wednesday hailing the reforms he put in place during his first five-year term and sharing his vision for where he hopes to take the nation. William Brangham reports on the congress as it prepares to announce Xi’s successor and how new leadership may transform China’s role as a global economic partner.
Iraq may have ousted Islamic States militants from the city of Mosul over the summer, but the major task of finding and destroying the mines, booby traps and bombs remains. A security firm hired by the U.S. and Iraqi workers are making progress to clear major areas, but it could take years or even decades. Special correspondent Marcia Biggs reports on the safety of Mosul after ISIS.
More than 500,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled their homes since August to escape systematic violence at the hands of government soldiers in Myanmar. Here's how you can help.
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is condemning reported atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, and he says those responsible — perhaps the country's military — will be held accountable.
Sunday’s election in Austria brought victory to 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz, who was elected chancellor on an anti-immigrant platform. Earlier, a strengthened far-right party dealt a blow to returning leader Angela Merkel in Germany’s election. As Sweden’s election approaches next year, special correspondent Michael Brabant surveys the changing political landscape in Europe.
U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces announced Tuesday that they had captured the city of Raqqa from Islamic State militants.
President Donald Trump says the U.S. stands with Greece as they recover from their economic crisis.
TOKYO — U.S. and Japanese diplomats agreed Tuesday to maximize pressure on North Korea to resolve tensions over its nuclear program, while citing the need to be prepared for the worst if diplomacy fails.
In our news wrap Monday, more than 300 people are confirmed dead and nearly 400 wounded after Saturday’s massive truck bombing in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu. The government blamed the al-Qaida-linked group al-Shabab. Also, 31-year-old conservative Sebastian Kurz is set to become the Austria’s next leader in another shift to the right in European politics.
Two vital American allies have reignited their rivalry in Iraq. After months of simmering tensions, national military forces and militia moved to push Kurdish forces out of the disputed city of Kirkuk. Three weeks ago, the Kurds held a referendum to split from Iraq. Lisa Desjardins reports and Judy Woodruff talks with Emma Sky of Yale University and Feisal Istrabadi of Indiana University.
That statement comes despite President Donald Trump's tweets a couple of weeks ago that his chief envoy was "wasting his time" trying to negotiate with "Little Rocket Man," a mocking nickname Trump has given the nuclear-armed nation's leader, Kim Jong Un.
Iraqi army and Kurdish troops are in a standoff in Kirkuk, a city located in the Kurdistan region, which voted for independence from Iraq last month. Kirkuk holds 10 percent of Iraq’s oil reserves. Washington Post reporter Loveday Morris, who is covering the standoff, joins Hari Sreenivasan via Skype from Baghdad.
South Sudan’s four-year civil war has left half of the nation’s population, 6 million people, in need of humanitarian aid and caused one of the world’s worst refugee crises. With support from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Center for the Prevention of Genocide, NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Simona Foltyn and journalist Jason Patinkin traveled to Uganda to meet people desperate for asylum.
At least 231 people were killed and hundreds more wounded after a massive truck bomb on Saturday struck Somalia's capital city of Mogadishu.
The war has had a devastating impact on South Sudanese communities, but much of it has remained out of the limelight of international media.
Multiple people were shot on a highway north of London, Ky., on Saturday, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said. I-75 was closed but has since reopened in both north and southbound directions.
The fatal collapse of Chance Gainer, a senior at Port St. Joe High School, is the latest in a string of recent deaths of young football players. Seven school athletes died last month.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus got past American Jessica Pegula to win her first U.S. Open women’s title and third career Grand Slam title.
An excerpt from "The Fifth Branch," a three-part series by Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project examining how Durham's alternative crisis response program keeps its unarmed responders safe.
Eggs branded Milo's Poultry Farms and Tony's Fresh Market were recalled after they were linked to a salmonella outbreak that has hospitalized at least 24 people.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney said his decision had to do with Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
In a post shared widely on social media, Jennifer Carter gave her account about what it took to keep her students safe at the Georgia school where four people died this week.
Stellantis is recalling nearly 1.5 million Ram pickup trucks worldwide to fix a software problem that can disable the electronic stability control system.
So far, there have been 14 human cases of bird flu this year. All the patients — except the one from Missouri — had been linked to sick dairy cows or poultry.
The departure of Edmundo González, who Venezuela’s opposition and several foreign governments consider the legitimate winner of July’s presidential race, was announced by Venezuela's vice president.
The Israeli military vows to stamp out Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian fighters tell NPR they are willing to die to resist Israeli occupation.
By necessity, Vice President Harris has worked in lockstep with President Biden on his foreign policy. What she would do in the White House if she wins on Nov. 5 will be in focus in Tuesday's debate.
Ukraine needs more soldiers as its troops defend Ukrainian territory and carry out an offensive inside Russia. An elite Ukrainian military unit offers civilians a one-week tryout as soldiers.
The photo of a girl in Gaza killed by an Israeli airstrike while wearing pink roller skates goes viral and draws attention to the plight of children nearly a year into the war.
Christmas starts early in a lot of retail stores, but in Venezuela it's starting Oct. 1. NPR's Scott Simon explains.
The pilots of a Brazilian passenger plane that crashed last month, killing all 62 people aboard, reported failure in the system to remove ice from the plane, according to a preliminary report.
British regulators are looking into how Ticketmaster uses "dynamic pricing" to hike prices in line with demand. A similar controversy prompted a federal lawsuit against the company in the U.S.
There has been nearly a week of protests in Israel following the death of six hostages held by Hamas. They're calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire deal with Hamas, bringing the remining hostages held in Gaza home. But so far, no deal has been reached. We talk about how Israelis view their prime minister with Anshel Pfeffer, correspondent for The Economist and author of a biography of Netanyahu.
The Grammy-winning musician, whose hit “Mas Que Nada” helped make him a global ambassador for Brazilian music, died after months battling the effects of long COVID.
What to expect from Kamala Harris and Donald Trump after the last presidential debate upended the race
“Boring and calm and competent versus the tumult of Trump”
“Will this propel her forward?”
“How do you distance yourself from an unpopular president while also running on his policies?”
Is this enthusiasm sustainable?
Recent images from Maui, where recovery continues and efforts to rebuild are underway
Donald Trump is “getting people used to the idea that courts are politicized and can be manipulated.”
Images from one of the largest wildfires in state history
“A groundswell of enthusiasm”
“From Biden’s perspective, perhaps nothing is changing, but everything is changing around him.”
Does the president have a path to victory against Trump?
Living and breathing in Southern California’s pollution corridor
“[The Court’s] own power is also enhanced by the fact that it will be judges deciding what are official or unofficial acts.”
“Not a healthy situation for democracy.”
For Trump and Biden, who faces greater danger onstage at the presidential debate?
Like his presidential predecessors, Joe Biden continues to confront a dilemma in the Middle East.
American allies see a second Trump term as all but inevitable. “The anxiety is massive.”
And will the former president’s felony be top of mind for voters?
“Loyalty is job one.”
“We have a ways to go in our national devolution.”<em> </em>
In rural Virginia, religious and community groups are filling cavities, treating diabetes, and stepping into a health-care void.
“It’s extraordinary how much politics have been warped in the Trump era.”
“The actual war is in Gaza, but you wouldn't know it from news coverage this week of American campuses.”
Photographs from a pivotal day in American history
Has Speaker Mike Johnson once again risked his tenuous leadership position?
In another strange sign of the mounting culture wars, Viola Davis’s emotional Oscars tribute to artists has become political fodder.
Over the course of the season, the show’s latest villain just might have … grown as a person.
The <em>Fences</em> Best Supporting Actress testified to art’s ability to tell the stories of regular people.
The stunning film’s unexpected triumph is part of a larger trend toward more small and intimate projects for the Academy.
Did the prank with “Gary from Chicago” and his band of tourists humble Hollywood—or just condescend?
In an era when audiences are so sure about so much, the mistake—simple, dramatic, human—can be a wonderful thing.
Despite being 3,000 miles away, the president loomed larger in the Dolby Theatre than the Academy itself.
The Broadway revival of the Sondheim musical, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, is a glorious tribute to the process of making art.
Highlights from seven days of reading about arts and entertainment
In “American Bitch,” Hannah confronts an author accused of sexual misconduct—and sees how her own past fits into a larger system.
A roundup of our recent writing on arts and entertainment
The films <em>4.1 Miles, Watani: My Homeland</em>, <em>The White Helmets</em>, and <em>Fire at Sea</em> are all up for Academy Awards this year—and all deal with the migrant crisis or the Syrian conflict.
Celebrities are celestial because of Shakespeare. And because of Chaucer. And because of the weird workings of the movie camera.
His team-up with Calvin Harris and Migos on "Slide" scrambles some expectations, but mostly just sounds like summer.
Who will win at the 89th Academy Awards?
Vote for your favorite reader response to next month's question.
Macon Blair’s directorial debut, a big winner at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, swerves wildly between indie comedy and ultra-violence.
The far-right candidate leads in French polls, but her challenges may prove insurmountable.
The <em>Fences</em> actor might collect his third Oscar this year, an achievement only attained by a handful of Hollywood’s biggest icons.
The <em>Key & Peele </em>comedian Jordan Peele makes a confident, richly textured debut as a writer and director.
<p>A look at the "armless archer" from Iowa who won gold at the Paris Paralympics. Is he planning to compete in Los Angeles in 2028? </p>
<p>Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump touted support from law enforcement this week as crime remains a prominent issue in the presidential race.</p>
<p>Luka Dukic called out CrossFit executive Dave Castro for how he handled his brother Lazar's death at the games. The decision to continue the event wasn't blessed by Dukic's family.</p>
<p>August effectively tied 2023 as the planet's hottest August on record. The year is virtually certain to be the hottest on record. </p>
<p>'I'm less mad at Donald Trump than I am at Kevin McCarthy,' the ex-congressman says of McCarthy in 'The Last Republican,' premiering Saturday at the Toronto film festival.</p>
<p>House Republicans hold a field hearing about the border in Santee, near San Diego, aiming to pressure Vice President Kamala Harris.</p>
<p>Former President Trump is scheduled to head fundraisers in Los Angeles and Woodside next week. The latter is hosted by relatives of the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.</p>
<p>A hearing before Judge Tanya Chutkan suggested much depends on whether the Supreme Court allows evidence of the former president's interactions with Mike Pence.</p>
<p>Former President Trump noted that he received roughly a quarter of the Jewish vote in the 2020 election and said he expected to receive about 50% in November against Vice President Kamala Harris.</p>
<p>Xaviar Michael Babudar, a Chiefs superfan who wore a wolf's costume to games, robbed 11 banks in seven states of nearly $850,000. He also laundered money through casinos.</p>
<p>The Palestinian militant group Hamas released a video of California-born Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was killed with 5 other Israeli hostages in Gaza.</p>
<p>Former President Trump praises Patrick and Brittany Mahomes before the Chiefs' opener Thursday against the Ravens. Trump is predicting another Chiefs Super Bowl berth.</p>
<p>Trump's debate technique involves burying opponents with so many falsehoods and outlandish statements that they don't have time to respond. </p>
<p>For parents considering autism interventions for their children, evaluating treatments can be daunting. Experts talked to The Times about what to watch for.</p>
<p> A cluster of interviews from 2020 provides a unique window into Vice President Kamala Harris' nuanced worldview on policing and public safety. </p>
<p>A new report illustrates widespread failure by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to meet the language access obligations required by federal law and its own rules. </p>
<p>The vice president's wholehearted celebration of the city she was born in wasn't necessarily reciprocated the first time she ran for president. But as Harris makes a second try, many are now happy to accept the accolade.</p>
<p>The last time the Atlantic failed to produce any named storms between Aug. 13 and Sept. 3 was in 1968 — more than 50 years ago. </p>
<p>Nearly three years after Alec Baldwin accidentally shot 'Rust' cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, prosecutor asks judge to take another look at the manslaughter case against the actor.</p>
<p>The race between the GOP incumbent and Democrat George Whitesides in northern L.A. County's Congressional District 27 is one of the most competitive and consequential in the U.S.</p>
<p>Disney pulled its channels from DirecTV and U-Verse on Sunday, just minutes before a highly anticipated USC-LSU college football game. DirecTV has offered credits to customers as the blackout reflects building tensions in the TV industry. </p>
<p>The Supreme Court rejects an abortion appeal from Oklahoma regarding referrals at federally funded family-planning facilities.</p>
<p>After the deaths of Israeli hostages, Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Palestinian militant group Hamas show no signs of budging on a cease-fire deal. </p>
<p>As fire season lengthens and intensifies across the West, the pilots who do the grueling, sometimes deadly work of aerial firefighting are in high demand.</p>
<p>A GOP group is launching a 'swing state ad blitz' Tuesday of billboards and TV ads featuring former Trump voters who support Vice President Kamala Harris.</p>
<p>In Israel, thousands honored Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a California native and the only U.S. citizen among six hostages found killed in Gaza.</p>
<p>In over-the-top attacks, Donald Trump calls Vice President Kamala Harris a communist, sometimes even a fascist. Why his wild swings aren't connecting.</p>
<p>A vigil was held in Culver City just hours after Israeli authorities said six hostages, including a California-born man, had been killed by Hamas.</p>
<p>Grief and anger in Israel as authorities say Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a native of Berkeley, and five other hostages were killed in Gaza. Many direct fury at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.</p>
<p>San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in the city's Union Square during an attempted robbery. A 17-year-old suspect has been taken into custody. </p>
<p>Mexico announced convictions in a notorious mass murder case. But the news only became a reminder of how much about the case remains unresolved.</p>
<p>Republicans are trying to rebuild trust in voting by mail. On the campaign trail, Trump says it is rigged.</p>
<p>A spate of recent polling shows that support for Harris continues to surge after the Democratic National Convention last week.</p>
<p>The former president's campaign tried to exploit the hallowed military cemetery and the deaths of service members in Afghanistan for partisan purposes. </p>
<p>Iran-backed Houthi rebels set off explosions on a Red Sea vessel carrying about 1 million barrels of crude oil.</p>
<p>It's absurd to suggest the vice president wields the power to stem inflation, secure the border and solve the myriad problems that Trump lays at Harris' feet. </p>
<p>Stop whining about the debate. Every day is an open mic for Trump</p>
<p>Since 2021, the FAA has referred more than 310 cases of unruly passengers to the FBI for criminal prosecution. Many cases involved a passenger physically assaulting or sexual harassing other passengers and crew members. </p>
<p>Donald Trump vows to take on the civil service system, ridding the government of thousands of "deep state" employees. The Republican ex-president says his people would do better.</p>
<p>Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz gave their first joint televised interview on CNN. Here's what to know.</p>
<p>Student protesters at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State stayed in line with regulations being enforced at California's public universities this school year, but made it clear they intend to keep their concerns about the war in Gaza front and center. </p>
<p>The vice president and longtime California prosecutor had a carefully institutionalist answer to Democrats chanting for her opponent's incarceration.</p>
<p>Tim Walz is a gearhead who owns an International Harvester Scout II — a quirky retro SUV that has gained a sizable following in recent years.</p>
<p>Venezuela's opposition could benefit from stronger U.S. recognition of its election victory as well as tighter sanctions on the country's oil industry.</p>
<p>A German nationalist group that for many evokes the Nazis may become the first far-right party to come out ahead in a state election since World War II.</p>
<p>South Korean singer Taeil is leaving the K-pop group NCT after being 'accused of a criminal case related to sex crimes,' his agency said Wednesday.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court temporarily sides with Republican states who said Biden overstepped his authority by reducing student loan debt.</p>
<p>Academic Oswaldo Zavala has pushed back at the notion that Mexico's drug cartels are all-powerful, arguing that they could not exist without state support. </p>
<p>Republicans' submission to Donald Trump's narcissistic and often un-American whims is at odds with the party's ostentatious displays of love of country.</p>
<p>Andrés Manuel López Obrador says Mexico's communications with U.S. and Canadian embassies are 'on pause' after ambassadors criticized his plan for a judiciary overhaul.</p>
<p>The rate at which coronavirus tests are coming back positive continues to rise in California. </p>
<p>Babe Ruth's Yankees jersey from his 'called shot' home run in the 1932 World Series sells for $24 million, becoming the most valuable piece of sports memorabilia.</p>
<p>The last seven years have been marked by a surge in heat-related deaths, including 2,325 deaths in 2023 — the planet's hottest year on record.</p>
<p>Chenoa Nickerson of Gilbert, Ariz., and her husband were swept into Havasu Creek about half a mile above the Colorado River on Thursday afternoon during a flash flood.</p>
<p>Trump's portrayal of Kamala Harris as an enemy of Israel is disingenuous, but Oct. 7 and the Gaza war have tested her party's relationship with a reliable base.</p>
<p>Every query on Chat GPT or another artificial intelligence app requires extraordinary amounts of electricity and water. Users have no way of knowing.</p>
<p>Predictions that President Biden's withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan three years ago would be disastrous for U.S. national security have proved false. </p>
<p>Trump and his allies have continued to court foreign autocrats, including several who would likely not get such treatment in a Democratic White House.</p>
<p>California is having a moment, and with that comes greater scrutiny. The presidential campaign is a fight to define both the state and Kamala Harris for the rest of America.</p>
<p>The Israeli military launched what it called preemptive strikes in Lebanon against the militant group Hezbollah early Sunday. Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets at Israel. </p>
<p>NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the decision was driven by the agency's commitment to safety, especially after the disasters that beset the space shuttle program.</p>
<p>Even before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Trump for president, he repeatedly disappointed environmentalists, who said he had abandoned his green roots.</p>
<p>Donald Trump spent the last week trying to disrupt Kamala Harris' parade during the Democratic convention. But he seems to be the one knocked off stride.</p>
<p>The president is freed from some political pressures now and can ensure his legacy by stopping a humanitarian disaster — and helping Kamala Harris win.</p>
<p>Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's son had a touching and telling reaction to his Democratic convention speech. It made for a stark contrast with Donald Trump and JD Vance.</p>
<p>For children of immigrants, Kamala Harris' life story inspires</p>
<p>This week's Democratic National Convention was about generational change, but the middle-class rhetoric coupled with an incremental policy agenda rekindled the Clinton era.</p>
<p>Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed former President Trump.</p>
<p>Kamala Harris faced high expectations for her Democratic convention acceptance speech. She met the moments and strongly positioned herself for the final stretch of the fiercely fought presidential campaign.</p>
<p>Gus Walz, the 17-year-old son of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, has nonverbal learning disorder. He's one of millions of American kids with NVLD, which has been described as the opposite of dyslexia. </p>
<p>Polls show that while Kamala Harris fares better than President Biden against Donald Trump, it's still a very close race that will hinge on votes in a few states.</p>
<p>Hours after his swan-song speech at the Democratic convention, President Biden was relaxing on a serene, sunny vineyard thousands of miles away in California. </p>
<p>Mexico's judges walked off the job following President Andres Manuel López Obrador's plan to overhaul the judiciary, with judges elected not appointed.</p>
<p>Holley spent two decades as a Times foreign correspondent, covering pro-democracy demonstrations in many countries.</p>
<p>In a series of real-time posts on his social media site, former President Trump lashed out at Kamala Harris as she formally accepted Democrats' nomination for president. </p>
<p>The Exonerated Five, once known as the Central Park Five, speaking at the Democratic National Convention, laid out a history of Donald Trump that has always favored vengeance over justice and racism over fact. </p>
<p>The presidential contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is essentially a toss-up at this point, according to pollsters. But Harris stakes out her vision for unifying the country while confronting her opponent.</p>
<p>Women wore white clothing to Thursday night's final session of the Democratic National Convention for Vice President Kamala Harris' acceptance speech.</p>
<p>The stagecraft at the DNC includes lots of signs, from "Jill" and "Doug" to "Coach Walz" and "We Love Joe." They're everywhere and constantly changing.</p>
<p>Iranian officials say their response to two assassinations blamed on Israel may be delayed.</p>
<p>The high court, however, refused a GOP request to block voting in November by more than 40,000 people who had already registered without providing such proof.</p>
<p>Speakers like former Presidents Clinton and Obama offered up plenty of comparisons and punchlines for former President Trump at Democratic National Convention.</p>
<p>An escalating turf war engulfing much of Mexico's heavily Indigenous Chiapas state has displaced thousands as gangs battle for drug- and gun-trafficking routes.</p>
<p>Former students of vice presidential nominee Tim Walz sang his praises at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, as Democrats leaned into his record of LGBTQ+ allyship.</p>
<p>The new memoir 'That Librarian' by Amanda Jones is a troubling portrait of America's culture war over censorship and book banning </p>
<p>Kamala Harris' campaign is in a race to define her before Donald Trump campaign does. Polls show that people know who she is but not much about her.</p>
<p>The Israeli-Hamas war has been the main source of division at the Democratic National Committee in Chicago.</p>
<p>Amanda Gorman, the closest thing this country has to a celebrity poet, took the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.</p>
<p>Former President Clinton added his voice to those of other prominent Democrats at the DNC urging the audience to help elect Kamala Harris president. </p>
<p>Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz formally accepts his party's nomination for vice president on the third night of the Democratic National Convention. </p>
<p>The former Democrat and Kennedy family scion has talked about a role in a Trump administration.</p>
<p>Former Seagram and Warner Music executive Edgar Bronfman Jr. continued his 11th-hour pursuit of Paramount Global, increasing his offer to $6 billion, sources said.</p>
<p>In Europe, there's relief over a strong standard-bearer facing Trump. A Kamala Harris win would represent continuity, with some potential curveballs. </p>
<p>In a letter, 50 Republican lawmakers who are military veterans accuse Walz of lying about his service, continuing attacks by Trump campaign. </p>
<p>Andrew Tate and brother Tristan Tate had their Bucharest home raided Wednesday and were taken in for questioning by Romania's anti-organized crime agency.</p>
<p>President Obama ran on 'hope' in 2008, but after eight years of Republicans in power under President George W. Bush. It is a much more audacious mantra for an incumbent Democratic Party now.</p>
<p>Trump's former press secretary said he was upset that cameras were not on Trump when he visited an ICU. </p>
<p>Barack and Michelle Obama delivered a blistering attack on Donald Trump at the DNC. They endorsed Kamala Harris' election as a repudiation of his rage and resentment-filled politics. </p>
<p>New data show how the 50 states and the District of Columbia stack up in terms of life expectancy. Hawaii tops the list, and Mississippi is at the bottom.</p>
<p>Through half a century of death threats and derision, Warren Hern has never stopped providing women with critically needed healthcare.</p>
<p>A look at the "armless archer" from Iowa who won gold at the Paris Paralympics. Is he planning to compete in Los Angeles in 2028? </p>
<p>Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump touted support from law enforcement this week as crime remains a prominent issue in the presidential race.</p>
<p>Luka Dukic called out CrossFit executive Dave Castro for how he handled his brother Lazar's death at the games. The decision to continue the event wasn't blessed by Dukic's family.</p>
<p>August effectively tied 2023 as the planet's hottest August on record. The year is virtually certain to be the hottest on record. </p>
<p>'I'm less mad at Donald Trump than I am at Kevin McCarthy,' the ex-congressman says of McCarthy in 'The Last Republican,' premiering Saturday at the Toronto film festival.</p>
<p>House Republicans hold a field hearing about the border in Santee, near San Diego, aiming to pressure Vice President Kamala Harris.</p>
<p>Former President Trump is scheduled to head fundraisers in Los Angeles and Woodside next week. The latter is hosted by relatives of the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.</p>
<p>A hearing before Judge Tanya Chutkan suggested much depends on whether the Supreme Court allows evidence of the former president's interactions with Mike Pence.</p>
<p>Former President Trump noted that he received roughly a quarter of the Jewish vote in the 2020 election and said he expected to receive about 50% in November against Vice President Kamala Harris.</p>
<p>Xaviar Michael Babudar, a Chiefs superfan who wore a wolf's costume to games, robbed 11 banks in seven states of nearly $850,000. He also laundered money through casinos.</p>
<p>The Palestinian militant group Hamas released a video of California-born Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was killed with 5 other Israeli hostages in Gaza.</p>
<p>Former President Trump praises Patrick and Brittany Mahomes before the Chiefs' opener Thursday against the Ravens. Trump is predicting another Chiefs Super Bowl berth.</p>
<p>Trump's debate technique involves burying opponents with so many falsehoods and outlandish statements that they don't have time to respond. </p>
<p>For parents considering autism interventions for their children, evaluating treatments can be daunting. Experts talked to The Times about what to watch for.</p>
<p> A cluster of interviews from 2020 provides a unique window into Vice President Kamala Harris' nuanced worldview on policing and public safety. </p>
<p>A new report illustrates widespread failure by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to meet the language access obligations required by federal law and its own rules. </p>
<p>The vice president's wholehearted celebration of the city she was born in wasn't necessarily reciprocated the first time she ran for president. But as Harris makes a second try, many are now happy to accept the accolade.</p>
<p>The last time the Atlantic failed to produce any named storms between Aug. 13 and Sept. 3 was in 1968 — more than 50 years ago. </p>
<p>Nearly three years after Alec Baldwin accidentally shot 'Rust' cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, prosecutor asks judge to take another look at the manslaughter case against the actor.</p>
<p>The race between the GOP incumbent and Democrat George Whitesides in northern L.A. County's Congressional District 27 is one of the most competitive and consequential in the U.S.</p>
<p>Disney pulled its channels from DirecTV and U-Verse on Sunday, just minutes before a highly anticipated USC-LSU college football game. DirecTV has offered credits to customers as the blackout reflects building tensions in the TV industry. </p>
<p>The Supreme Court rejects an abortion appeal from Oklahoma regarding referrals at federally funded family-planning facilities.</p>
<p>After the deaths of Israeli hostages, Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Palestinian militant group Hamas show no signs of budging on a cease-fire deal. </p>
<p>As fire season lengthens and intensifies across the West, the pilots who do the grueling, sometimes deadly work of aerial firefighting are in high demand.</p>
<p>A GOP group is launching a 'swing state ad blitz' Tuesday of billboards and TV ads featuring former Trump voters who support Vice President Kamala Harris.</p>
<p>In Israel, thousands honored Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a California native and the only U.S. citizen among six hostages found killed in Gaza.</p>
<p>In over-the-top attacks, Donald Trump calls Vice President Kamala Harris a communist, sometimes even a fascist. Why his wild swings aren't connecting.</p>
<p>A vigil was held in Culver City just hours after Israeli authorities said six hostages, including a California-born man, had been killed by Hamas.</p>
<p>Grief and anger in Israel as authorities say Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a native of Berkeley, and five other hostages were killed in Gaza. Many direct fury at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.</p>
<p>San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in the city's Union Square during an attempted robbery. A 17-year-old suspect has been taken into custody. </p>
<p>Mexico announced convictions in a notorious mass murder case. But the news only became a reminder of how much about the case remains unresolved.</p>
<p>Republicans are trying to rebuild trust in voting by mail. On the campaign trail, Trump says it is rigged.</p>
<p>A spate of recent polling shows that support for Harris continues to surge after the Democratic National Convention last week.</p>
<p>The former president's campaign tried to exploit the hallowed military cemetery and the deaths of service members in Afghanistan for partisan purposes. </p>
<p>Iran-backed Houthi rebels set off explosions on a Red Sea vessel carrying about 1 million barrels of crude oil.</p>
<p>It's absurd to suggest the vice president wields the power to stem inflation, secure the border and solve the myriad problems that Trump lays at Harris' feet. </p>
<p>Stop whining about the debate. Every day is an open mic for Trump</p>
<p>Since 2021, the FAA has referred more than 310 cases of unruly passengers to the FBI for criminal prosecution. Many cases involved a passenger physically assaulting or sexual harassing other passengers and crew members. </p>
<p>Donald Trump vows to take on the civil service system, ridding the government of thousands of "deep state" employees. The Republican ex-president says his people would do better.</p>
<p>Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz gave their first joint televised interview on CNN. Here's what to know.</p>
<p>Student protesters at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State stayed in line with regulations being enforced at California's public universities this school year, but made it clear they intend to keep their concerns about the war in Gaza front and center. </p>
<p>The vice president and longtime California prosecutor had a carefully institutionalist answer to Democrats chanting for her opponent's incarceration.</p>
<p>Tim Walz is a gearhead who owns an International Harvester Scout II — a quirky retro SUV that has gained a sizable following in recent years.</p>
<p>Venezuela's opposition could benefit from stronger U.S. recognition of its election victory as well as tighter sanctions on the country's oil industry.</p>
<p>A German nationalist group that for many evokes the Nazis may become the first far-right party to come out ahead in a state election since World War II.</p>
<p>South Korean singer Taeil is leaving the K-pop group NCT after being 'accused of a criminal case related to sex crimes,' his agency said Wednesday.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court temporarily sides with Republican states who said Biden overstepped his authority by reducing student loan debt.</p>
<p>Academic Oswaldo Zavala has pushed back at the notion that Mexico's drug cartels are all-powerful, arguing that they could not exist without state support. </p>
<p>Republicans' submission to Donald Trump's narcissistic and often un-American whims is at odds with the party's ostentatious displays of love of country.</p>
<p>Andrés Manuel López Obrador says Mexico's communications with U.S. and Canadian embassies are 'on pause' after ambassadors criticized his plan for a judiciary overhaul.</p>
<p>The rate at which coronavirus tests are coming back positive continues to rise in California. </p>
<p>Babe Ruth's Yankees jersey from his 'called shot' home run in the 1932 World Series sells for $24 million, becoming the most valuable piece of sports memorabilia.</p>
<p>The last seven years have been marked by a surge in heat-related deaths, including 2,325 deaths in 2023 — the planet's hottest year on record.</p>
<p>Chenoa Nickerson of Gilbert, Ariz., and her husband were swept into Havasu Creek about half a mile above the Colorado River on Thursday afternoon during a flash flood.</p>
<p>Trump's portrayal of Kamala Harris as an enemy of Israel is disingenuous, but Oct. 7 and the Gaza war have tested her party's relationship with a reliable base.</p>
<p>Every query on Chat GPT or another artificial intelligence app requires extraordinary amounts of electricity and water. Users have no way of knowing.</p>
<p>Predictions that President Biden's withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan three years ago would be disastrous for U.S. national security have proved false. </p>
<p>Trump and his allies have continued to court foreign autocrats, including several who would likely not get such treatment in a Democratic White House.</p>
<p>California is having a moment, and with that comes greater scrutiny. The presidential campaign is a fight to define both the state and Kamala Harris for the rest of America.</p>
<p>The Israeli military launched what it called preemptive strikes in Lebanon against the militant group Hezbollah early Sunday. Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets at Israel. </p>
<p>NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the decision was driven by the agency's commitment to safety, especially after the disasters that beset the space shuttle program.</p>
<p>Even before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Trump for president, he repeatedly disappointed environmentalists, who said he had abandoned his green roots.</p>
<p>Donald Trump spent the last week trying to disrupt Kamala Harris' parade during the Democratic convention. But he seems to be the one knocked off stride.</p>
<p>The president is freed from some political pressures now and can ensure his legacy by stopping a humanitarian disaster — and helping Kamala Harris win.</p>
<p>Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's son had a touching and telling reaction to his Democratic convention speech. It made for a stark contrast with Donald Trump and JD Vance.</p>
<p>For children of immigrants, Kamala Harris' life story inspires</p>
<p>This week's Democratic National Convention was about generational change, but the middle-class rhetoric coupled with an incremental policy agenda rekindled the Clinton era.</p>
<p>Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed former President Trump.</p>
<p>Kamala Harris faced high expectations for her Democratic convention acceptance speech. She met the moments and strongly positioned herself for the final stretch of the fiercely fought presidential campaign.</p>
<p>Gus Walz, the 17-year-old son of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, has nonverbal learning disorder. He's one of millions of American kids with NVLD, which has been described as the opposite of dyslexia. </p>
<p>Polls show that while Kamala Harris fares better than President Biden against Donald Trump, it's still a very close race that will hinge on votes in a few states.</p>
<p>Hours after his swan-song speech at the Democratic convention, President Biden was relaxing on a serene, sunny vineyard thousands of miles away in California. </p>
<p>Mexico's judges walked off the job following President Andres Manuel López Obrador's plan to overhaul the judiciary, with judges elected not appointed.</p>
<p>Holley spent two decades as a Times foreign correspondent, covering pro-democracy demonstrations in many countries.</p>
<p>In a series of real-time posts on his social media site, former President Trump lashed out at Kamala Harris as she formally accepted Democrats' nomination for president. </p>
<p>The Exonerated Five, once known as the Central Park Five, speaking at the Democratic National Convention, laid out a history of Donald Trump that has always favored vengeance over justice and racism over fact. </p>
<p>The presidential contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is essentially a toss-up at this point, according to pollsters. But Harris stakes out her vision for unifying the country while confronting her opponent.</p>
<p>Women wore white clothing to Thursday night's final session of the Democratic National Convention for Vice President Kamala Harris' acceptance speech.</p>
<p>The stagecraft at the DNC includes lots of signs, from "Jill" and "Doug" to "Coach Walz" and "We Love Joe." They're everywhere and constantly changing.</p>
<p>Iranian officials say their response to two assassinations blamed on Israel may be delayed.</p>
<p>The high court, however, refused a GOP request to block voting in November by more than 40,000 people who had already registered without providing such proof.</p>
<p>Speakers like former Presidents Clinton and Obama offered up plenty of comparisons and punchlines for former President Trump at Democratic National Convention.</p>
<p>An escalating turf war engulfing much of Mexico's heavily Indigenous Chiapas state has displaced thousands as gangs battle for drug- and gun-trafficking routes.</p>
<p>Former students of vice presidential nominee Tim Walz sang his praises at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, as Democrats leaned into his record of LGBTQ+ allyship.</p>
<p>The new memoir 'That Librarian' by Amanda Jones is a troubling portrait of America's culture war over censorship and book banning </p>
<p>Kamala Harris' campaign is in a race to define her before Donald Trump campaign does. Polls show that people know who she is but not much about her.</p>
<p>The Israeli-Hamas war has been the main source of division at the Democratic National Committee in Chicago.</p>
<p>Amanda Gorman, the closest thing this country has to a celebrity poet, took the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.</p>
<p>Former President Clinton added his voice to those of other prominent Democrats at the DNC urging the audience to help elect Kamala Harris president. </p>
<p>Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz formally accepts his party's nomination for vice president on the third night of the Democratic National Convention. </p>
<p>The former Democrat and Kennedy family scion has talked about a role in a Trump administration.</p>
<p>Former Seagram and Warner Music executive Edgar Bronfman Jr. continued his 11th-hour pursuit of Paramount Global, increasing his offer to $6 billion, sources said.</p>
<p>In Europe, there's relief over a strong standard-bearer facing Trump. A Kamala Harris win would represent continuity, with some potential curveballs. </p>
<p>In a letter, 50 Republican lawmakers who are military veterans accuse Walz of lying about his service, continuing attacks by Trump campaign. </p>
<p>Andrew Tate and brother Tristan Tate had their Bucharest home raided Wednesday and were taken in for questioning by Romania's anti-organized crime agency.</p>
<p>President Obama ran on 'hope' in 2008, but after eight years of Republicans in power under President George W. Bush. It is a much more audacious mantra for an incumbent Democratic Party now.</p>
<p>Trump's former press secretary said he was upset that cameras were not on Trump when he visited an ICU. </p>
<p>Barack and Michelle Obama delivered a blistering attack on Donald Trump at the DNC. They endorsed Kamala Harris' election as a repudiation of his rage and resentment-filled politics. </p>
<p>New data show how the 50 states and the District of Columbia stack up in terms of life expectancy. Hawaii tops the list, and Mississippi is at the bottom.</p>
<p>Through half a century of death threats and derision, Warren Hern has never stopped providing women with critically needed healthcare.</p>
Watch the biggest moments from King Charles III's coronation, where Charles and Camilla were crowned.
World leaders paid tribute to the former Japanese Prime Minister after he was assassinated
Activists and Myanmar watchers say that targeted sanctions will do little to deter the brutal military junta, or stop its violent repression.
Many of the world's major global cities saw a significant decrease in competitiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic
Following a low-pressure alarm around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 2, Amplify Energy didn’t shut the pipeline down until 6:01 a.m.
This year, memes brought many together, pushed many apart and brought levity to extended crisis after extended crisis
In centuries past, these call-and-response work songs maintained a ship crew's focus on safely navigating often dangerous waters
"In the end, I've got antibodies and a dog named Fauci"
Facebook said it removed the group on Thursday over "worrying calls for violence"
The Sept. 25 clip has racked up over 35 million views on TikTok alone
The city of St. Petersburg, Florida, is offering $1 million from an opioid settlement to nonprofit groups working to help combat the opioid crisis.
One Texas police department is using an "eye in the sky" to help respond to emergency calls after a start-up company created autonomous drones to assist officers.
Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t held a formal press conference with reporters since she became the presumptive and now official Democratic nominee.
Nick Cannon admitted that his ex-wife Mariah Carey doesn't "want him" back after he said that he would "absolutely" get back together with the music icon.
Angel Reese announced that her rookie season is over due to an injury, now Caitlin Clark is the only Rookie of the Year contender left standing.
Massachusetts suspect Jorge Luis Castro-Alvarado, a "gotaway" migrant that entered the U.S. without being processed, was arrested and charged with rape, according to ICE.
Police are searching for a person of interest following a shooting on a highway near London, Kentucky, that left at least seven people injured Saturday evening.
Caitlin Clark admitted she needs to do a better job of controlling her emotions after her team's lost to Minnesota in which she didn't get certain foul calls.
Jennifer Lopez and Matt Damon reportedly had a "long, deep conversation" during the afterparty for their movie "Unstoppable." Lopez' ex Ben Affleck, who produced the movie, skipped the premiere.
Vice President and Democrat nominee Kamala Harris visited an anti-GOP spice shop campaigning on Saturday, claiming that we need to "bring our country together."
YouTuber and firearms expert Paul Harrell announced his own death in his final video. The gun rights activist died at the age of 58 due to pancreatic cancer.
A field goal from Northern Illinois' kicker left Notre Dame stunned on Saturday, as the Fighting Irish suffered the first major upset of the college football season.
The former neighbors of the suspected Apalachee High School shooter discussed the Gray family, with neighbors recounting harrowing stories of alleged abuse.
A beluga whale who was discovered off the coast of Norway in 2019 wearing a harness and camera mount quickly became beloved in the country. He was found dead last weekend.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys narrowly avoided the upset on Saturday by the Arkansas Razorbacks, holding on for a 39-31 victory in double overtime.
Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula in the U.S. Open's women's singles final on Saturday.
The 25-year-old signal-caller was in visible pain after he suffered an injury in the final seconds of the Packers' loss to the Eagles in the NFL's first-ever game in Brazil.
Former President Trump vowed to "end chaos in the Middle East" during a rally on Saturday, warning that Israel will be "doomed" if Kamala Harris is elected president.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers put on a clinic in the team's double-digit victory over the defending national champions on Saturday afternoon.
Priscilla Presley opened up about Elvis Presley's private life and provided insight to where he would escape to in between his performances.
Former Michigan dropout Derek Jeter gave a speech to the school's football team and served as honorary captain ahead of its lopsided loss to Texas.
A serial killer who was sentenced to death for the murders of two women in California in 2001 has been extradited to Illinois after being charged with the murder of his former neighbor.
The prosecutor behind the very first convictions made against parents of a mass shooter offered the advice "it's not easy" to the legal team for the Georgia high school shooting.
Nicole Kidman — who was awarded the best actress for her role in “Babygirl" at the Venice Film Festival — had to miss the ceremony due to her mom's sudden death.
NPR recently reported on a rise of eco-chaplains in the western world, helping people come to terms with their "climate anxiety" in a spiritual way.