‘I don’t trust them any more’: how the NRA became its own worst enemy

The most powerful gun lobby in the world has strayed from its core purpose and shot itself in the foot

Oliver North cut a lonely figure as he walked through the Indianapolis airport, quietly slipping out of the city midway through the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) convention which was still in progress. A day later, North announced from afar that he was not seeking a traditional second term as its president, while it also emerged that the New York attorney general was investigating the NRA’s tax-exempt status.

That was April 2019. More than a year later, the turmoil that heralded North’s departure has culminated in the New York attorney general, Letitia James, suing to put the NRA out of business, alleging that senior leaders used charitable donations for family trips to the Bahamas, private jets and lavish meals that shaved $64m off the organisation’s balance sheet in three years, turning a surplus into a financial crisis.

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Why a Biden presidency might not mean a return to pre-Trump foreign relations

There could be a renewed focus on international cooperation – but Biden would not be great news for Boris Johnson’s Britain

European leaders, desperate for an end to the Trump presidency, are being warned that four years of Joe Biden may present them with new challenges and not a simple restoration of the benign status quo in transatlantic relations prior to 2016.

An evolving Biden doctrine about ending “forever wars” and protecting American workers from Chinese competition would require collective military and economic commitments from the EU that it is still ill-equipped to meet, foreign policy specialists have suggested.

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Global report: WHO warns against dangers of ‘vaccine nationalism’

US study says 300,000 Americans could die from coronavirus, Bolsonaro urges Brazilians to ‘get on with life’; Africa passes 1m cases

The World Health Organization has warned against “vaccine nationalism”, cautioning richer countries that if they keep treatments to themselves they cannot expect to remain safe if poor nations remain exposed.

As global cases of Covid-19 passed 19 million on Friday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it would be in the interest of wealthier nations to help every country protect itself against the disease.

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Former Saudi intelligence official accuses crown prince of plot to kill him

US lawsuit by Saad Aljabri claims that the Saudi state sent a team of assassins to Canada

A former senior Saudi intelligence official with close ties to western intelligence agencies has accused Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of plotting to kill him, claiming in a US lawsuit that one such attempt was thwarted by Canadian officials in 2018.

A lawsuit by Saad Aljabri against the Saudi crown prince and other Saudi officials, which was brought in a district court in Washington DC, claims that the Saudi state launched a campaign to target the former high-ranking official in Canada because he was viewed as a threat to Prince Mohammed’s relationship with the US and his eventual ascendancy to the throne.

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Trump bans US transactions with Chinese-owned TikTok and WeChat

Executive order comes as TikTok faces scrutiny from US lawmakers and Trump administration over national security concerns

Donald Trump has issued a pair of executive orders that would ban any US transactions with the Chinese companies that own TikTok and WeChat, saying the US must take “aggressive action” in the interest of national security.

Executive orders issued late on Thursday would prohibit “any transaction by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States,” with the companies, beginning in 45 days.

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New York attorney general sues to shut down NRA, alleging ‘brazen illegality’

  • Letitia James alleges leaders used NRA as ‘personal piggy bank’
  • Lawsuit claims money helped to pay for trips and private jets

New York’s attorney general has sued to dissolve the National Rifle Association (NRA), alleging that senior leaders used the powerful gun lobby group as their “personal piggy bank” and illegally diverted millions of dollars from its charitable work.

Related: New York attorney general files lawsuit to dissolve NRA – live

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Trump’s top Iran envoy quits as US bids to extend Tehran embargo

  • Elliott Abrams, key figure in Iran-Contra affair, to take over
  • US intends to bring UN resolution to extend arms embargo

The Trump administration’s lead diplomat on Iran, Brian Hook, has announced his resignation days before the US attempts a high-stakes gambit against Tehran at the United Nations.

Related: Iran's Covid death toll three times higher than admitted, says report

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New York attorney general accuses National Rifle Association of ‘years of fraud’ – video

Letitia James has announced she is seeking to dissolve the NRA after an investigation by her office uncovered what she called 'years of self-dealing and illegal conduct'. James accused the NRA's CEO, Wayne LaPierre, of using the group's funds to finance a luxury lifestyle for his family.

'The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse,' James said. 'Which is why, today, we seek to dissolve the NRA, because no organisation is above the law.'

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New York attorney general files lawsuit to dissolve NRA – live

At her press conference, New York attorney general Letitia James said NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre is the “central figure” in the alleged fraud and abuse crimes committed by the gun rights group.

New York AG Letitia James says NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre is the "central figure" in the organization's suspected financial schemes, and she details instances of him allegedly using millions of dollars in NRA assets for personal and family expenses https://t.co/Nj065CIsxp pic.twitter.com/kkJ3ZCihfY

New York attorney general Letitia James is seeking to dissolve the NRA after an investigation by her office uncovered “years of self-dealing and illegal conduct,” the Democratic official said.

#BREAKING: I filed a lawsuit to dissolve the National Rifle Association for years of self-dealing and illegal conduct.

The @NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse.

No organization is above the law.

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Fauci tells of death threats as Birx pinpoints fresh areas of Covid concern

  • Expert says he has hired security to protect him and family
  • Taskforce colleague Birx tells some cities to ‘get on top’ of virus

Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the US, has had to hire security to protect himself and his family after receiving death threats in response to his work to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Related: New York attorney general files lawsuit to dissolve NRA – live

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Pompeo: US removing ‘untrusted’ Chinese apps to protect Covid vaccine work – video

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, says the Trump administration wants the removal of 'untrusted' Chinese apps from service in the country. Calling popular social media platforms TikTok and WeChat dangerous, Pompeo also raised concerns around data theft of intellectual property, including potential Covid-19 vaccines, through cloud-based services

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Coronavirus live news: cases in Germany rise above 1,000; Spanish town to re-enter lockdown

Germany reports over 1,000 new infections for first time since May; town with 32,000 residents in northern Spain back in lockdown; Philippines reports over 3,500 new cases

The UK government said 46,413 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Wednesday, up by 49 from the day before.

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 56,600 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

Related: UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson insists test-and-trace system is 'world beating' despite fall in contacts reached

Austria’s foreign ministry on Thursday warned against trips to Spain with the exception of the Balearic and Canary Islands, as concerns grow that holidaymakers could catch the coronavirus and spread it once they return.

The measure will take effect from Monday, and people returning to Austria will be required to present a negative test for Covid-19, the ministry said.

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Cori Bush: leading organizer and ‘true progressive’ on course to make history

The 44-year-old nurse looks set to become the first Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress after her stunning primary win

Missouri activist Cori Bush ended a half-century political dynasty in Tuesday’s primary elections and is now on track to become the first Black woman to represent the state in Congress.

Related: Cori Bush: progressive activist beats 20-year Democratic incumbent in Missouri primary

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Covid-19 may spread more easily in schools than thought, report warns

US health body highlights risks of reopening after outbreaks in state of Georgia and in Israel

Coronavirus may be more easily transmitted in school and summer camp settings than previously understood, after the emergence of new details of outbreaks in the US state of Georgia and in Israel that have underscored the risks of school reopenings.

A report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) into an outbreak at a summer camp in Georgia suggests children – even asymptomatic cases – may play an important role in community transmission of Covid-19.

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Trump floats executive order on Covid relief aid despite doubts over legality – live

The New York prosecutors who are trying to access Donald Trump’s tax records have also subpoenaed his longtime lender, Deutsche Bank, the New York Times reports.

Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance subpoenaed the bank last year, the Times writes.

The subpoena to Deutsche Bank sought documents on various topics related to Mr Trump and his company, including any materials that might point to possible fraud, according to two people briefed on the subpoena’s contents.

Deutsche Bank complied with the subpoena. Over a period of months last year, it provided Mr Vance’s office with detailed records, including financial statements and other materials that Mr Trump had provided to the bank as he sought loans.

Facebook has removed a post from Donald Trump’s Facebook page for spreading false information about the coronavirus, a first for the company that has been harshly criticized for repeatedly allowing the president to break its content rules.

The post included video of a Trump falsely asserting that children are “almost immune from Covid-19” during an appearance on Fox News. There is evidence to suggest that children who contract Covid-19 generally experience milder symptoms than adults do. However, they are not immune, and some children have become severely ill or died from the disease.

#BREAK Facebook removes post from President Trump's page for breaking its rules on Covid-19 misinformation.

The post was a clip of his interview with Fox & Friends this morning where he made claims about children and Covid-19 immunity pic.twitter.com/tPYPAVLYY8

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Sexism casts shadow over Biden’s search for a female running mate

Leading VP contenders have had to endure the usual criticisms men often direct at women – which has undermined a historic selection process

The final weeks of Joe Biden’s search for a running mate have had all the usual trimmings: leaks from unnamed Democratic party officials, last-minute suggestions of outsider names and a trail of vague hints from the candidate himself.

But this year is different. Biden promised to select a female running mate, setting up a historic nomination process that many prominent Democratic women say is being overshadowed by the increasingly nasty – and unmistakably sexist – debate over who he should choose.

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Coronavirus live news: global death toll passes 700,000; French government warns ‘do not lower your guard’

US health secretary Alex Azar to visit Taiwan in veiled attack on China; Trump flounders in interview; France could lose control ‘any time’

Test results for a man suspected of being North Korea’s first coronavirus case were inconclusive, but authorities have quarantined more than 3,635 primary and secondary contacts, according to a World Health Organization official.

On 26 July, the country said it had declared a state of emergency and locked down the border city of Kaesong after a person who defected to South Korea three years ago returned across the fortified border with what state media said were symptoms of Covid-19.

France’s prime minister, Jean Castex, has said vineyards are facing “major difficulties” due to a drop in exports during the pandemic.

He tweeted that state support “must continue and intensify” to save the wine industry from collapse.

Contexte international, crise sanitaire, baisse des exportations : notre filière viticole est confrontée à d’importantes difficultés.
La mobilisation de l’État doit se poursuivre et s’intensifier.
Avec @J_Denormandie, j’échange dans le Cher avec les professionnels du secteur. pic.twitter.com/G6qIEojyMw

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Sean Hannity removes ‘gobbledygook’ Latin motto from book cover

Change was made after a classics student pointed out that the phrase on the original cover of Live Free or Die made no sense

The Latin motto on Fox News anchor Sean Hannity’s new book has been changed after the original was described as “complete and utter gobbledygook” by a classics student.

Hannity’s Live Free or Die: America (and the World) on the Brink, which argues “now is an All Hands on Deck moment to save the Republic”, was published on Tuesday. But as Business Insider pointed out, the Latin motto it uses as a subtitle has been quietly changed from the original jacket.

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US could become ‘safe haven’ for corporate abusers, activists warn

Campaigners fear supreme court will reinterpret centuries-old law used by foreign victims of human rights violations

US corporations could be able to commit human rights violations overseas with almost no legal sanction, effectively turning the US into a “safe haven” for corporate abusers, campaign groups fear.

Human rights activists are concerned that the US supreme court is gearing up to reinterpret a centuries-old law that has been widely used by foreign victims of slavery, trafficking and other abuses to claim redress in US courts.

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New York unveils landmark antitrust bill that makes it easier to sue tech giants

The legislation comes as a federal panel is investigating the market power of Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google

New York state is introducing a bill that would make it easier to sue big tech companies for alleged abuses of their monopoly powers.

New York is America’s financial center and one of its most important tech hubs. If successfully passed, the law could serve as a model for future legislation across the country. It also comes as a federal committee is conducting an anti-trust investigation into tech giants amid concerns that their unmatched market power is suppressing competition.

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