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Politics
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US lettuce prices chopped as costs for other goods remain stubbornly high
Price for the crop dropped dramatically this summer after the cyclospora outbreak caused demand to wilt At the Republicans’ midterm convention held earlier this week, Donald Trump said that “food prices and almost every other item are rapidly going down”. Fresh inflation data on Friday told a different story - but in one specific case, costs have been chopped. The price of lettuce dropped dramatically this summer after the cyclospora outbreak caused demand to wilt, with prices dropping even further in August, according to new data released Friday. Continue reading...
The ‘war on terror’ weakened the first amendment. Now we desperately need it | Jameel Jaffer
Over the past quarter-century, the US supreme court has repeatedly failed to protect first amendment rights. We are suffering the consequences Congress ratified the first amendment in 1791 but the supreme court didn’t breathe life into it until after the first world war, when prosecutions of antiwar protesters led the justices Oliver Wendell Holmes and Louis Brandeis – and then, fortunately, other justices as well – to realize that US democracy would be undermined, not strengthened, by allowing the government to suppress disfavored political opinions. Repression during the cold war led the court to better protect the freedom of association, and government efforts to cover up official ineptitude and criminality during the Vietnam war spurred the court to better protect the freedom of the press. It took time, but in each of these instances the court responded to wartime repression by developing new legal doctrine that more robustly protected first amendment freedoms. Continue reading...
Extra fishy: your tinned mackerel may not be what you think it is
Substitution with jack mackerel, a different species, because of dwindling stocks is criticised by the consumer group Which? If you’ve recently opened a tin of mackerel and thought there was something fishy going on, you may have been right. An overfishing crisis means that instead of traditional mackerel, some now contain a different fish with a similar name, prompting concerns that shoppers are being short-changed. Over the past year big brands such as Princes, as well as some supermarket own-labels, have replaced traditional tinned mackerel fillets with jack mackerel fillets. Continue reading...
North Sea gasfield decision likely delayed until after Holborn and St Pancras byelection
Greens accuse Labour of hiding position to avoid criticism before contest, in which Zack Polanski is standing A decision on approving the controversial Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea is to be delayed until later this autumn, with the Greens accusing Labour of hiding their position before the crucial Holborn and St Pancras byelection. Miatta Fahnbulleh, the energy secretary, had been poised to give her recommendation to approve the Jackdaw field off the coast of Aberdeen next week . Continue reading...
AfD’s new state MPs include ex-Stasi officer, former porn actor, neopagans and neo-Nazis
Far-right German party’s newly elected representatives face fresh scrutiny as it tries to form government in Saxony-Anhalt • Why is the AfD’s state victory significant and what might happen next? The Alternative für Deutschland is facing scrutiny over the suitability of some of its prospective new MPs – including a former Stasi officer and a former pornography actor – just days after its historic win in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt . Presented by the AfD’s lead candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, for a photocall in the state capital of Magdeburg on Thursday, some of the members-elect were revealed to have a range of questionable backgrounds, including criminal records, Stasi pasts and connections to far-right networks. Continue reading...
Thai police arrest Buddhist abbot on suspicion of embezzling $2.8m
Phra Wachirayan Wi arrested alongside woman he was filmed having sex with in latest scandal to hit country’s clergy Police in Thailand have arrested a senior Buddhist monk on suspicion of embezzling $2.8m intended for his monastery, alongside a suspected female accomplice he was filmed having sex with. The case is the latest scandal to hit the clergy in Buddhist-majority country, after a sex and extortion case involving senior monks last year prompted public outrage and calls for greater scrutiny of temple finances. Continue reading...
Dementia patients warned off seeking home care in case Australia’s aged care algorithm cuts funding
Exclusive: FoI documents show senior health officials were warned of concerns about assessment tool weeks after it launched Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast People with dementia were warned not to apply for home support because of fears their care would be downgraded by the government’s aged care algorithm. Documents released to Guardian Australia under freedom of information (FoI) laws reveal the warnings came within weeks of the November rollout of the algorithm, which is used to determine funding packages and priority of need for older Australians requiring home support. Continue reading...
Labor ditches new packaging laws to cut plastic waste, sparking unprecedented ‘scale and breadth of outrage’
Federal environment department tells industry representatives the government does not want to ‘exacerbate cost of living pressures’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Albanese government has been accused of breaking a promise after it shelved a longstanding commitment to bring in packaging standards intended to force manufacturers and retailers to cut plastic waste. The federal environment department told industry representatives via email last week that the promise would not be kept before the next election because the government did not want to “exacerbate cost of living pressures”. Continue reading...
One giant step: first known T rex footprints found in North Dakota
The 23ft-long trackway, consisting of four three-toed footprints, two left and two right, date from 66.5m years ago The first known series of footprints from an adult Tyrannosaurus rex has been found in North Dakota by a team of scientists. The 23ft-long trackway – consisting of four three-toed footprints, two left and two right – was first identified in the south-west of the state, in the dinosaur fossil area known as Hell Creek Formation, last year by researchers from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in Colorado and Liverpool John Moores University in the UK. Continue reading...
It’s a slam dunk for Tommy Hilfiger as stars turn out for Plaza homecoming
Preppy is back in the zeitgeist, says designer, blending sportswear codes and collegiate chic at New York show Tommy Hilfiger’s front row was a slam dunk. The Knicks are the kings of New York right now, so scoring Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns and Miles McBride, three of the team’s stars, for the guest list of his New York catwalk show was a victory. Travis Kelce, who is co-designing another upcoming collection with Hilfiger and had been rumoured to attend this event with his new bride, was a no show, but you can’t win them all. Tommy Hilfiger is all about sport. The design vocabulary of oversized jerseys, team stripes, rugby shirts and letterman jackets draws heavily on the visual language of the stadium. Kelce, whose NFL tunnel walks have become a catwalk of their own, is the latest in a bloodline of sporting ambassadors that includes Thierry Henry, Rafael Nadal and Lewis Hamilton. Hilfiger has long stood for a certain glossy stars-and-stripes Americana – its graphic red, white and blue logo is a riff on the flag – but American identity is delicate cultural territory right now. Sport, which unites audiences across all backgrounds and political allegiances, gives the brand a wholesome place to congregate. “People really like him,” Hilfiger explained backstage of why he chose to collaborate with Kelce. “He’s really humble, down to earth, sweet, fun, and funny. And a superstar athlete.” Continue reading...
How did your MP vote on the reintroduced assisted dying bill?
MPs today voted not to approve the assisted dying bill at its second reading. The bill, which was brought back to the Commons after being blocked in the Lords, would allow terminally ill people to end their lives with medical help in some circumstances. Find out how your MP voted Continue reading...
MPs vote against legalising assisted dying in England and Wales
Bill fails at second reading despite near-identical legislation being approved by Commons in last parliament A bill to permit assisted dying in England and Wales has been voted down by MPs, almost certainly stopping such a measure from being enacted before the next general election. In the second reading of the bill, put forward by Labour’s Lauren Edwards, MPs voted by 286 to 270 in the Commons for the bill to be blocked. Continue reading...
He was at his desk at the Pentagon on 9/11. As the chaos unfolded, he refused to leave
Matthew Klimow recalls the day a hijacked airliner crashed into the headquarters of the US defence department in Arlington, Virginia “All day I had been a good soldier: stolid, resolute, unemotional, rational, and dispassionate,” writes Matthew Klimow , recalling the wave of emotion that overwhelmed him as he arrived home from the Pentagon on 11 September 2001. There was sadness for the lives lost. But there was another emotion, too: humiliation. “We, as a nation, had been humbled,” writes the retired army colonel, who remained at the Pentagon even after it was struck by a hijacked airliner, killing all 64 people on board and 125 inside the building. “The fighting force of which I was part had been impotent, unable to protect our fellow citizens. The darkness I felt matched the darkness inside my house as I opened the door.” Continue reading...
US lawmakers urge secretive British court to open up about Apple case
Democrat Ron Wyden and Republican Warren Davidson tell investigatory powers tribunal that secrecy over encrypted data case is ‘needlessly’ straining US-UK relations A bipartisan pair of American politicians is telling Britain’s most secretive court to stop hiding its handling of Apple’s legal fight against a government demand to break into its customers’ encrypted data, warning that Whitehall’s taste for secrecy is “needlessly” straining relations between the two allies. The letter, shared with the Guardian ahead of being sent to the investigatory powers tribunal (IPT) on Friday, is signed by the Democratic senator Ron Wyden of Oregon and the Republican congressman Warren Davidson of Ohio. Continue reading...
George W Bush’s impunity led to Trump’s lawlessness | Kenneth Roth
The reluctance of later administrations to repudiate Bush-era torture and endless detention laid the groundwork for recent violence If George W Bush’s abusive response to the September 11 attacks had been prosecuted rather than swept under the rug, Donald Trump would be less able to pursue his lawless policies. We can’t rewind history, but we can learn from our historic failure. Twenty-five years ago, on a clear and crisp morning, I was sitting in the Human Rights Watch office in the Empire State Building with an unobstructed view of the World Trade Center towers as al-Qaeda operatives flew two commercial jets into them. The horror of the attack required a response, but Bush and his vice-president, Dick Cheney, chose to react by throwing out the rulebook. They deployed torture and endless detention without trial in Guantanamo. Continue reading...
US consumer prices stayed high in August as Iran war pushed energy costs up
Annualized inflation rate was 3.4%, same as July, and core inflation, which omits energy and food prices, was up to 2.4% US consumer prices remained stubbornly high in August as the end of the ceasefire between the US and Iran pushed energy prices up, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics released on Friday. The annualized inflation rate was 3.4%, the same as it was in July. The most recent peak was seen in May, when the inflation rate hit a three-year high at 4.2%. Core inflation, which strips out volatile energy and food prices, increased to 2.4% in August. Continue reading...
UK chancellor urged to remove ‘hidden taxes’ from energy bills
Businesses, charities and other groups sign letter calling for levies to be paid by the government More than 120 organisations including big businesses and charities have called for the removal of “hidden taxes” added to energy bills to help reduce costs for consumers and prevent businesses closing. In a letter to the chancellor the signatories – including Energy UK, business trade body the CBI, End Fuel Poverty and Age UK – called for levies amounting to 10% of energy bills that fund policies to be paid for by the government. John Healey is to present his first budget on 28 October. Continue reading...
RNLI reports ‘significant’ donations boost after being targeted by far right over small boats
Charity condemns ‘disgraceful’ intimidation and insists it will continue core purpose of saving lives at sea UK politics live – latest updates The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has had a “significant” boost in donations since becoming a target of far-right agitators protesting over small boat crossings. The charity’s staff and volunteers have been subjected to “online and physical abuse” after involvement in a rescue on Sunday in which a dingy carrying asylum seekers was brought into Portsmouth. Continue reading...
The 9/11 attacks of 2001 – in pictures
This gallery contains sensitive images that some viewers may find distressing Twenty-five years ago, as New Yorkers woke to crisp blue skies after a storm the day before, two planes – United Airlines Flight 11 and Flight 175 – were hijacked in Boston by terrorists loyal to the al-Qaida leader, Osama bin Laden. They were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center 17 minutes apart. On the same day American Airlines Flight 77 was flown in to the Pentagon in Virginia, and a fourth hijacked plane, United Airlines 93, was downed in Pennsylvania after a revolt by passengers. The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people Continue reading...
Russia targets Kyiv petrol stations for first time with jet-powered drones
Three facilities in two days struck as bombardment of Ukraine’s capital enters new phase of intensity Europe live – latest updates Petrol stations in Kyiv have been hit by jet-powered drones in a wave of targeted Russian attacks as the bombardment of Ukraine’s capital enters a new phase of intensity. At least two people were killed and six injured in strikes on two petrol stations on Friday morning, according to the city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko. Continue reading...
The Smithsonian chief’s exit is a blow to democracy | Kimberlé Crenshaw and Jason Stanley
The Trump administration wants a feel-good version of American history. That is not a feature of a democratic system On Tuesday, Lonnie G Bunch III announced he would step down as the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian. Bunch was the first historian to lead the august institution, as well as the first African American. His retirement comes as the Trump administration has pressured the Smithsonian to adopt its agenda of “patriotic” education. Continue reading...
How Ron DeSantis politicized Florida’s higher education by placing his loyalists at the top
Term-limited, hard-right governor instituted an ideological infiltration of universities by placing allies in powerful posts In fewer than four months’ time, Ron DeSantis, Florida’s hard-right governor, will be termed out of office, and what critics saw as his relentless eight-year, “anti-woke” assault on higher education in the state will finally be over. But while DeSantis himself will be gone, numerous hand-picked loyalists will remain in positions of power to protect his ideological makeover of universities and colleges. The latest, Alex Kelly, the governor’s former deputy chief of staff, and Florida commerce secretary, was named last week as the sole finalist in Pensacola state college’s search for a new president, at least the 12th close DeSantis ally to win such a plum post. Continue reading...
Iran’s Houthi allies capture strategic island on vital oil shipping route
Rampant Yemeni rebels take control of island in narrow point of Bab al-Mandab strait, which Saudi is relying on for oil exports Violence in Yemen: why it matters and how it is linked to the US-Iran war Yemen’s rampant Houthi forces have captured a strategic island in the Bab al-Mandab strait, expanding their control of the narrow waterway, one of the world’s vital shipping routes. The Iran-aligned Houthis took control of the volcanic island after forces allied to the UN-backed, Aden-based government left in the latest of a dramatic series of reverses along Yemen’s west coast in recent days, including the loss of the port city of Mocha on Thursday. Continue reading...
‘I think of him every year’: remembering those lost in 9/11, 25 years later
Guardian readers share stories of the friends, colleagues and mentors whose lives they continue to honor decades after the attacks The September 11, 2001 attacks killed 2,977 people, resulting in the largest loss of life caused by a foreign attack on American soil. Twenty-five years later, Guardian readers who lost friends and loved ones are continuing to honor their memories through stories about their lives, relationships and the moments they shared. Christopher Allen, 69, a retired estate manager from Niantic, Connecticut, remembers Jeremy “Caz” Carrington. Continue reading...