Socialism used to be a dirty word. Is America now ready to embrace the ideology?

Voters’ feelings on socialism have shifted with half of those under 40 saying they would prefer to live in a socialist country

In his 1998 film, Bulworth, Warren Beatty played a Democratic senator who goes rogue, embarking on a truth-telling binge in which he spouts radical truths no Democrat serious about election would ever utter. At one stage, Bulworth even mentions socialism.

“In America that’s like saying cocksucker,” Beatty once told me with a chuckle over dinner at his home in Los Angeles shortly before the film came out in Britain a year later. “We have this so-called thriving economy which has missed most people and while the disparity between rich and poor increases we have just one party – the money party, made up of Republicans and Democrats.”

Continue reading...

Trump’s Middle East envoy resigns amid Kushner’s stalling peace plan – live

US president says Jason Greenblatt will be leaving to pursue work in the private sector after three years in administration

A CNN analyst neatly summarized Joe Biden’s continued dominance in the polls despite a series of embarrassing gaffes that many commentators predicted would affect his front-runner status.

Average of all polls this year of Biden v. Trump? Biden by 8. Average of all August polls, after all the gaffes? Biden by 10. That's the same as it is in the RCP average. Clinton lead in the RCP average against Trump at this point? 2.4 points... (1/?)

Maybe, it will change. Heck, we're over a year out. But the difference between what the numbers are saying and conventional wisdom (at least in some quarters) is stunning.

Meanwhile, Trump is still refusing to acknowledge that he was wrong when he tweeted Sunday about the threat Hurricane Dorian posed to Alabama.

Just as I said, Alabama was originally projected to be hit. The Fake News denies it! pic.twitter.com/elJ7ROfm2p

I was with you all the way Alabama. The Fake News Media was not! https://t.co/gO5pwahaj9

Continue reading...

Democratic 2020 hopefuls split over tackling climate crisis

Candidates warn of ‘irreparable damage’ in marathon town hall but can’t agree on how aggressively to tackle problem

Democrats vying for president revealed a fundamental split over how aggressively the US should tackle climate change in a seven-hour town hall meeting on Wednesday.

Bernie Sanders painted an apocalyptic future wreaked by the climate crisis and pledged to wage war on the fossil fuel industry. A high-energy Elizabeth Warren urged optimism for building a better America and the former vice-president Joe Biden, who has a pitched a more moderate proposal, said he would push other nations to recommit to stronger action.

Continue reading...

Separated migrant children experience ‘heightened feelings of anxiety’, says report – live

HHS inspector general concluded children affected by Trump’s family separation policy exhibited more fear and post-traumatic stress

Bernie Sanders dismissed concerns that there was not enough room in the Democratic presidential primary for both him and Elizabeth Warren, given that the two progressive senators espouse similar ideals.

“Elizabeth is a friend of mine. She and I have known each other well over 20 years. She’s going to run her campaign and I will run my campaign,” Sanders told ABC’s “The View.”

"Elizabeth is a friend of mine. She and I have known each other well over 20 years. She's going to run her campaign and I will run my campaign," Bernie Sanders tells @TheView when asked if there's room in the Democratic Party for himself and Sen. Warren. https://t.co/QXHJ4vE89I pic.twitter.com/FBemYsKdPn

Imagined as a Venn diagram, there is common ground between Warren and Sanders voters but each has their own distinct base. A survey by the Pew Research Center this month found that about seven in 10 of Warren’s supporters are white, compared to about half of Sanders’ backers. Warren’s supporters are substantially more likely to have a college degree compared with supporters of [Joe] Biden and Sanders.

John Zogby, a pollster and author, said: ‘Because of progressive ideology there is some sort of overlap, but they are different. Warren picks up support among women that ordinarily Sanders would not get, including former Clinton supporters who regard her as the bearer of the torch to get a woman elected.’

Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson sent (and deleted) a tweet implying that the path of Hurricane Dorian could be altered with “the power of the mind.”

Marianne Williamson has deleted this tweet pic.twitter.com/YdLRD7UfoZ

Prayers for the people of the Bahamas, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. May the peace of God be upon them and their hearts be comforted as they endure the storm.

Continue reading...

How do the 2020 Democrats stack up on climate?

Environmental groups rate Democrats’ plans and records ahead of CNN’s town hall focusing on the climate crisis

Democrats will pit their climate plans against each other on Wednesday at a seven-hour CNN town hall, as world scientists warn the window is narrowing to prevent catastrophe.

With the planet already about 1C warmer than before industrialization, the United Nations’ climate panel says that keeping the increase to 1.5C would require “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society”.

Continue reading...

Bernie Sanders releases plan to combat ‘crisis’ in journalism – live news

In a statement about the the president’s performance at the G7 summit, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden warned of the potentially devastating effects another four years of Trump could unleash.

“Rather than looking to America for vision, agenda setting, and leadership by example, our closest democratic allies sought to manage and mitigate the damage Trump might do at this year’s G-7,” Biden said.

Taylor Swift surprised some of her fans last night by striking a political tone while accepting the MTV Video Music Award for video of the year.

The pop star encouraged those listening to sign a petition in support of the Equality Act, which would bar discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. The Democratic-controlled House passed the bill earlier this year, but it has not yet been taken up in the Senate.

Congrats to @billieeilish and @ArianaGrande for huge wins and @lizzo for an incredible performance at the #VMAs and huge thanks for joining the fight to tell politicians: #BansOffMyBody! Visit https://t.co/RD5uRCwa2y

Continue reading...

Trump pushes his ‘magnificent’ resort as site of next G7 summit – live news

Hello readers, this is Kari Paul in San Francisco taking over the blog for the next few hours. Stay tuned for updates.

That’s it from me today. I’m handing the blog over to my West Coast colleague Kari Paul for the next few hours.

Here’s where the day stands so far:

Continue reading...

Donald Trump heads to G7 summit as recession fears grow – live

The president is travelling to France for the G7 summit, claiming the economy is ‘phenomenal’ despite some worrying signs

A city council candidate in Michigan said she wants to keep her community white “as much as possible” at a public forum on Thursday.

The candidate, Jean Cramer, made the comment in response to a question about diversity in Marysville, which is 55 miles (88 kilometers) northeast of Detroit and more than 90% of its 9,700-person population is white.

Donald Trump, who tapped into the angst and anger in the rust belt in 2016, has failed to return jobs to Lordstown, Ohio, where a GM plant closed down last year.

The Guardian’s Adam Gabbatt visited the town where, he writes, the presence of the factory and its well-paid manufacturing jobs was particularly important:

Related: 'It's devastating'. End of GM in Ohio town as Trump fails to bring back midwest jobs

Continue reading...

Trump rule would allow for indefinite detention of immigrant families – live

New rule would effectively replace the Flores agreement, which sets 20-day limit for families held in custody

Eighteen (!) of the 23 (!!) prominent Democratic candidates for president are speaking at the Iowa Federation Labor Convention today.

The presidential hopefuls will address union members in Altoona, beginning at 10am ET and running, presumably, for a long time.

Some reaction to the Trump administration rule on indefinitely detaining immigrant families:

The government should NOT be jailing kids, and certainly shouldn’t be seeking to put more kids in jail for longer.

This is yet another cruel attack on children, who this administration has targeted again and again with its anti-immigrant policies.

Congress must not fund this. https://t.co/bp3uDIJder

Even a short period of detention— let alone prolonged detention—has devastating, often lifelong effects on children. https://t.co/3823D0XnhO

It's also incredibly costly. DHS declined to run the numbers in the proposed rule, so we did so for them. Each year this will cost at least $200 MILLION, and as much as over $1 BILLION.

All to hurt kids and families.https://t.co/MjsidJxQx0

Continue reading...

‘I am sorry for the harm I have caused’: Elizabeth Warren at Native American forum – video

The Democratic presidential candidate offered a public apology on Monday to Native Americans over her past claim to tribal heritage, directly tackling an area that has proved to be her biggest political liability. 'Like anyone who has been honest with themselves, I know I have made mistakes,' the Massachusetts senator said at the start of her appearance at the forum in this pivotal early voting state

Continue reading...

O’Rourke: El Paso shooting makes clear the ‘real consequence’ of Trump racism

Democratic presidential candidate says suspect who killed 22 people earlier this month was inspired by Trump’s rhetoric

The deaths of 22 people in the El Paso shooting earlier this month made clear “the real consequence and cost of Donald Trump”, Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said on Sunday.

Related: 'Rigging the game': Stacey Abrams kicks off campaign to fight voter suppression

Continue reading...

Jeffrey Epstein autopsy concludes death was a suicide – live updates

That’s all our live coverage for today, thanks for following along. Some key links and developments from the day:

The president says he is dining tonight with Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO:

Having dinner tonight with Tim Cook of Apple. They will be spending vast sums of money in the U.S. Great!

President Donald Trump called Apple CEO Tim Cook "Tim Apple" during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday pic.twitter.com/B6z3tzeBeO

Continue reading...

Pelosi ‘deeply saddened’ over Israel’s decision to block Omar and Tlaib’s visit – live

Several more Democratic presidential candidates have issues statements condemning Israel’s decision to block Omar and Tlaib’s planned trip.

I don't believe any nation should deny entry to elected Members of Congress, period. It’s an affront to the United States. Open and engaged foreign relations are critical to advancing U.S. interests. Trump is playing politics as he weakens our global leadership. https://t.co/UnMt9Tsd7Q

It’s appalling that President Trump continues to attack two sitting Congresswomen and encouraged another country to deny U.S. officials entry. Trump's behavior is unacceptable, dangerous, and un-American. Israel's decision should be reversed immediately. https://t.co/jHd0VYVJ1u

Nancy Pelosi has put out a statement saying she is “deeply saddened” by Israel’s decision to block Omar and Tlaib’s trip.

“As one who loves Israel, I am deeply saddened by the news that Israel has decided to prevent Members of Congress from entering the country,” the House speaker said.

Continue reading...

Israel bars entry to US politicians Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib

Donald Trump had said letting in high-profile pair would ‘show great weakness’

Israel has announced it will block the US congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering the country after public pressure from Donald Trump.

“It’s unacceptable to allow the entrance to the country of those who wish to harm the state of Israel,” Israel’s interior ministry said.

Continue reading...

US commerce secretary says Hong Kong protests are an ‘internal matter’ – as it happened

Donald Trump is linking US-China trade talks with the Hong Kong protests on Twitter, suggesting that if the China government wants to work out a deal it has to “humanely” work with the protestors.

Whereas investors and foreign leaders have blamed uncertainty around trade negotiations between the US and China is triggering economic volatility around the world, Trump has insisted that negotiations between himself and China’s Xi Jinping are going well and that Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Fed chairman that Trump nominated in 2017, is to blame.

I know President Xi of China very well. He is a great leader who very much has the respect of his people. He is also a good man in a “tough business.” I have ZERO doubt that if President Xi wants to quickly and humanely solve the Hong Kong problem, he can do it. Personal meeting?

..deferral to December. It actually helps China more than us, but will be reciprocated. Millions of jobs are being lost in China to other non-Tariffed countries. Thousands of companies are leaving. Of course China wants to make a deal. Let them work humanely with Hong Kong first!

Continue reading...

McConnell warns Beijing any violent crackdown of Hong Kong protests ‘unacceptable’ – live

Federal agents descended upon the private island of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein as part of an ongoing investigation into the late financier, the FBI announced Monday.

Epstein died of an apparent suicide on Saturday while in federal custody at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center after being arrested on federal sex trafficking charges last month.

The New York Police Department is investigating attacks on Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn early Monday morning as a hate crime.

The hate crimes unit and local precinct are investigating the assaults, which were carried out against at least three people between the ages of 56 and 71.

Continue reading...

Texas, a Republican powerhouse, could shift to Democrats as demographics change

The Republicans have dominated the state for 30 years, but a host of retirements and a rise in Hispanic voters may mean that Texas becomes a battleground again as Democrats seek a path to power.

Sri Preston Kulkarni has just moved into his campaign headquarters, which for now could hardly be more bland: a faceless office with blinds on the windows in a tucked-away suburban Houston business park.

Not far away, though, are a Muslim community centre, a Korean market, Hindu temples, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian and Mexican restaurants – reminders that this sprawling Texas metropolis is one of the most diverse urban areas in the nation.

Continue reading...

Biden in his element in Iowa – is he still the Democrat most likely to beat Trump?

The former vice-president’s folksy charm went down well at the state fair – but critics say the party needs a bolder 2020 candidate

Joe Biden hardly seemed to be sweating.

He was standing on a small wooden stage at the Iowa state fair, a large crowd around him, no shade in sight. He wore a dark polo and his signature aviator sunglasses, and spoke with a vigor that was absent in his first two Democratic debate performances. But while his audience perspired in the oppressive August sun, cooling themselves with paper fans, Biden seemed at ease.

Continue reading...

Trump arrives in El Paso as hundreds of people protest his visit – live updates

Beto O’Rourke has said that Donald Trump is a white supremacist.

The former El Paso representative earlier spoke at a rally protesting the president’s visit.

Donald Trump has been very clear about who he wants to keep out of this country — with walls and cages and militarization and torture and cruelty. We in El Paso have borne the brunt of that, but we in El Paso are standing up to that. https://t.co/nEdgJvfwwy

Trump just posted photos from his visit to a hospital in Dayton, where the press pool was not allowed because it was “not a photo op”

White House @presssec says reporters were not included in Dayton hospital visit "because the visit was not 'a photo opp’" https://t.co/LKkI3bOkm5

Continue reading...

Nancy Pelosi teases statement on impeachment inquiry – live news

Emerald Garner, the daughter of Eric Garner, urges the New York Police Department to follow through with the firing of officer Daniel Pantaleo for the chokehold death of her father in July, 2014.

WATCH: Emerald Gardner, the daughter of Eric Garner, reacts to news that administrative judge recommends that NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo should be fired.

“We’ve waited 5 years... Commissioner O’Neill, fire Pantaleo.” pic.twitter.com/WE4R1wMLsY

The former US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, who resigned from the post in 2018, has replied directly (via Twitter, also) to the president’s offensive tweet earlier about congressman Elijah Cummings suffering an intruder at his house in Baltimore last weekend.

This is so unnecessary.

Continue reading...