Latest news with #2028Olympics
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Hezly Rivera sends message for LA 2028 Olympics by taking US gymnastics national title
Hezly Rivera was the fresh face a year ago. The teenager on a team of 20-something Olympic gymnasts, doing her best to absorb what she could from Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles. The one thing that stood out, even more than the sometimes otherworldly gymnastics, is the way her fellow gold-medal-winning teammates went about their business. 'They looked so confident,' Rivera said. 'They're like, 'I'm going to go out and I'm going to hit.' It gave me that confidence as well.' It looks like that confidence has paid off. The now 17-year-old who says she's paying no attention to the idea that she's the leader of the women's program in the early stages of the run-up to the 2028 Olympics certainly looks the part. Buoyed by a polished steadiness – and a beam routine that finally looked the way it does back home at her home gym in Texas – Rivera captured her first national title Sunday night at the US Championships. Her two-day total of 112.000 was good enough to fend off a challenge from Leanne Wong and put her in excellent position to lead the four-woman American delegation at the world championships in Indonesia, in October. Rivera, by far the youngest member of the five-woman team that finished atop the podium in Paris a year ago, bounced back from a shaky performance at the US Classic last month with the kind of measured, refined gymnastics that she attributed to simply 'letting go' of whatever pressure she might feel as the lone Olympic gold medalist in a remarkably young field. 'No matter how rough the competition is, I still can get back into the gym and work hard because all those months previously that I've been working hard, I know it's going to show up eventually,' she said. 'So it kind of just took a weight off my shoulders.' Rivera, at the very least, locked up a spot in the world championship selection camp next month. So did Wong, a four-time world championship medalist, budding entrepreneur and pre-med student who shows no signs of slowing down despite years of competing collegiately and at the elite level simultaneously. Asked how she juggles it all, the 21-year-old said she lives by the motto 'there's time for everything.' Joscelyn Roberson, an Olympic alternate last summer, shook off an ankle injury suffered at the end of her floor routine to finish third as the three most internationally experienced athletes in the field looked ready to lead after spending most of the last Olympic quad learning from Biles and company. 'You go from, 'Oh you're so young, you're so young,' to, 'Oh, you are the older kid,'' the 19-year-old Roberson said. 'People say, 'How are you feeling?' Like, I honestly don't feel that different.' Two summers ago, Roberson was Biles' sidekick. Now she's among the leaders of the next wave. 'I felt like more responsible to let the little, smaller, less experienced kids know it's not the end of the day if you have a bad day or if you had one fall,' Roberson said. 'I want to help them grow instead of think 'I have to be perfect.'' Roberson appeared ready to make it a three-woman race for first until she turned an ankle on the final tumbling pass of her floor routine. The rising sophomore at Arkansas gingerly continued on anyway. She gritted her way through her vault dismount, though the five-tenths (0.5) deduction for using an additional pad for her protection took her out of contention for the all-around. Still, the victory hardly came easily for Rivera. She was pushed through four rotations by Wong, who started on Sunday with a stuck Cheng vault and didn't relent over the course of two hours. Rivera responded each time – she posted the top scores on three of the four events – but it wasn't until she walked off the podium following her floor routine with victory in hand that she could relax. 'Everything fell into place,' Rivera said. 'I tried not to get too overwhelmed because nerves obviously can be there, especially when you know you're in a spot to win a national title, but I just took all pressure off myself.' Skye Blakely, who was injured at the Olympic Trials in both 2021 and 2024, was sublime on both uneven bars and balance beam to put herself in consideration to make the world team.
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Is Trump planning to make marijuana more accessible in America? He says 'need to look at that'
US President Donald Trump is reconsidering reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a move which was proposed by former US President Joe Biden's administration. read more US President Donald Trump speaks after signing an executive order on creating a White House 2028 Olympics task force in the South Court Auditorium of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 5, 2025. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP) US President Donald Trump is reportedly reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. A Wall Street Journal report, citing people familiar with the matter, revealed that the American leader is considering making the drug more accessible to people. While attending a $1m-a-plate fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club earlier this month, Trump told a gathering that he was interested in making such a change, the people who asked to remain anonymous told The Wall Street Journal. Interestingly, the reclassification, to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I controlled substances and make it a Schedule III drug, was proposed by former US President Joe Biden's administration. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, it was not enacted since Biden's tenure came to an end. If the drug is reclassified to Schedule III, it would make it much easier to buy and sell marijuana and make the legal multibillion-dollar industry more profitable. A business decision? According to the Wall Street Journal, one of the guests at Trump's New Jersey club was even Kim Rivers, chief executive of Trulieve, one of the largest marijuana companies. At the event, Rivers reportedly encouraged Trump to pursue the change and expand medical marijuana research. It is pertinent to note that during Trump's first term in the White House, two Soviet-born Republican donors, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, directly appealed to Trump for help with their plan to sell marijuana in states where recreational use was legal. An audio from the dinner in 2018, secretly recorded by the two men in question, revealed that Trump was sceptical, telling the two men that he believed marijuana use 'does cause an IQ problem; you lose IQ points'. In the same conversation, the Ukrainian-born Parnas first suggested to Trump that he should remove the US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, and shared a false rumour that the diplomat was badmouthing the president by 'telling everybody, 'Wait, he's gonna get impeached.'' What makes the situation more dramatic is the fact that Parnas and Fruman later helped Rudy Giuliani search for dirt on Joe Biden in Ukraine, before being indicted and found guilty of campaign finance violations. They were accused of secretly using a Russian oligarch's money to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican campaigns and committees, including Trump's, in pursuit of favours for their planned legal marijuana business. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Trump orders ‘new' census amid redistricting row, directs officials to use 2024 election data
US President Donald Trump speaks after signing an executive order on creating a White House 2028 Olympics task force in the South Court Auditorium of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 5, 2025. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP) President Donald Trump has intensified the battle over congressional redistricting by ordering the Commerce Department to carry out a fresh national census year ahead of the next scheduled count in 2030 and to exclude undocumented immigrants from the tally. The surprise directive, announced Thursday on Trump's Truth Social account, seeks to bypass the next regular census set for 2030. Trump said the new count would be used to reshape congressional representation, sparking fierce debate over both its legality and its political impact. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Constitution's 14th Amendment mandates that apportionment be based on 'the whole number of persons' in each state, a provision that has historically included non-citizens regardless of immigration status. This is not Trump's first attempt to reshape the census. In 2020, during his first term, he issued a memorandum instructing officials to exclude undocumented immigrants from the apportionment count. That effort was blocked by legal challenges and later rescinded by President Joe Biden. Trump's renewed push comes amid a broader Republican strategy to secure political advantage before next year's midterm elections. The president has already urged GOP lawmakers in Texas to approve new district maps that could yield five additional House seats for the party. Strategists say the census proposal is a bold attempt to 'reset the rules' of political competition. 'This is Trump pushing the envelope,' said Republican strategist Ford O'Connell. 'Many Americans don't realise that undocumented immigrants are counted toward a state's representation in the House and Electoral College. Highlighting that could be a powerful message.' Some Republicans acknowledge the plan could cost red states like Texas and Florida seats if undocumented immigrants were excluded from the count but they argue it would remove more seats from heavily Democratic states such as California, New York and Illinois. Critics warn the move could deepen partisan conflict. A GOP source familiar with the strategy called the current situation an 'arms race' in redistricting, arguing Democrats have already maximised gerrymandering advantages in states they control. 'Democrats are panicking because they've already squeezed all the juice from the lemon,' the Hill reported quoting sources as saying. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Legal and logistical challenges loom large. James Thurber, a political science professor at American University, said identifying and excluding millions of undocumented immigrants before the midterms would be nearly impossible. He noted that a 2018 legal battle over adding a citizenship question to the census dragged on for a year before the Supreme Court struck it down. 'There's simply not enough time,' he said. Even without implementation, analysts say Trump's move could influence political behaviour, possibly discouraging some immigrants, even those here legally, from engaging with government or voting. Democrats dismissed the proposal as unconstitutional and impractical, calling it a political stunt aimed at pressuring Republican governors into approving aggressive gerrymanders. Democratic strategist Jared Leopold said it fits into a pattern of Trump 'playing to his base' but risks alienating broader swaths of voters. 'It reinforces the image of a president out of step with most Americans,' Leopold said. 'It may not be the top reason voters turn against him in the midterms, but it adds to the B-side of the record.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The US has rarely seen mid-decade nationwide redistricting fights. Thurber said if Trump's push sparks such a scenario, 'it will be unique, historic and something to watch.' For now, Trump's order sets the stage for an unprecedented legal and political battle, one that could redefine the rules of representation before most Americans even realize the census is back in play.
First Post
3 days ago
- Business
- First Post
Trump thinks he's winning, but US is actually losing trade war: Experts
Even as US President Donald Trump thinks he is winning the trade war, significant hurdles remain, including whether US trading partners will make good on investment and goods-purchase commitments and how inflation will play out. Here is why experts believe he is actually losing. read more US President Donald Trump speaks after signing an executive order on creating a White House 2028 Olympics task force in the South Court Auditorium of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 5, 2025. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP) At a glance, US President Donald Trump appears to be winning the trade war he unleashed after returning to the White House in January, bending major trading partners to his will, imposing double-digit tariff rates on nearly all imports, narrowing the trade deficit, and raking in tens of billions of dollars a month in much-needed cash for federal government coffers. Significant hurdles remain, however, including whether US trading partners will make good on investment and goods-purchase commitments, how much tariffs will drive up inflation or stymie demand and growth, and whether the courts allow many of his ad-hoc levies to stand. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On inauguration day, the effective US tariff rate was about 2.5 per cent. It has since jumped to somewhere between 17 per cent and 19 per cent, according to a range of estimates. The Atlantic Council estimates it will edge closer to 20 per cent, the highest in a century, with higher duties taking effect on Thursday. Trading partners have largely refrained from retaliatory tariffs, sparing the global economy from a more painful tit-for-tat trade war. Data on Tuesday showed a 16 per cent narrowing of the US trade deficit in June, while the US trade gap with China shrank to its smallest in more than 21 years. American consumers have shown themselves to be more resilient than expected, but some recent data indicate the tariffs are already affecting jobs, growth and inflation. 'The question is, what does winning mean?' said Josh Lipsky, who heads economic studies at the Atlantic Council. 'He's raising tariffs on the rest of the world and avoiding a retaliatory trade war far easier than even he anticipated, but the bigger question is what effect does that have on the US economy.' Michael Strain, head of economic policy studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said Trump's geopolitical victories could prove hollow. 'In a geopolitical sense, Trump's obviously getting tons of concessions from other countries, but in an economic sense, he's not winning the trade war,' he said. 'What we're seeing is that he is more willing to inflict economic harm on Americans than other countries are willing to inflict on their nations. And I think of that as losing.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kelly Ann Shaw, a White House trade adviser during Trump's first term who is now a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, said a still-strong economy and near-record-high stock prices 'support a more aggressive tariff strategy'. But Trump's tariffs, tax cuts, deregulation and policies to boost energy production would take time to play out. 'I think history will judge these policies, but he is the first president in my lifetime to make major changes to the global trading system,' she added. Deals so far Trump has concluded eight framework agreements with the European Union, Japan, Britain, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines that impose tariffs on their goods ranging from 10 per cent to 20 per cent. That's well short of the '90 deals in 90 days' administration officials had touted in April, but they account for some 40 per cent of US trade flows. Adding in China, currently saddled with a 30 per cent levy on its goods but likely to win another reprieve from even higher tariffs before an August 12 deadline, would raise that to nearly 54 per cent. Deals aside, many of Trump's tariff actions have been mercurial. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On Wednesday he ratcheted up pressure on India, doubling new tariffs on goods from there to 50 per cent from 25 per cent because of its imports of oil from Russia. The same rate is in store for goods from Brazil, after Trump complained about its prosecution of former leader Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally. And Switzerland, which Trump had previously praised, is facing 39 per cent tariffs after a conversation between its leader and Trump derailed a deal. Ryan Majerus, a trade lawyer who worked in both the first Trump administration and the Biden government, said what's been announced so far fails to address 'longstanding, politically entrenched trade issues' that have bothered US policymakers for decades, and getting there would likely take 'months, if not years'. He also noted they lack specific enforcement mechanisms for the big investments announced, including $550 billion for Japan and $600 billion for the EU. Promises and risks Critics lit into European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after she agreed to a 15 per cent tariff during a surprise meeting with Trump during his trip to Scotland last month, while gaining little in return. The deal frustrated winemakers and farmers, who had sought a zero-for-zero tariff. Francois-Xavier Huard, head of France's FNIL national dairy sector federation, said 15 per cent was better than the threatened 30 per cent, but would still cost dairy farmers millions of euros. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD European experts say von der Leyen's move did avert higher tariffs, calmed tensions with Trump, averting potentially higher duties on semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and cars, while making largely symbolic pledges to buy $750 billion of US strategic goods and invest over $600 billion. Meeting those pledges will fall to individual EU members and companies, and cannot be mandated by Brussels, trade experts and analysts note. US officials insist Trump can re-impose higher tariffs if he believes the EU, Japan or others are not honoring their commitments. But it remains unclear how that would be policed. And history offers a caution. China, with its state-run economy, never met its modest purchase agreements under Trump's Phase 1 US-China trade deal. Holding it to account proved difficult for the subsequent Biden administration. 'All of it is untested. The EU, Japan and South Korea are going to have to figure out how to operationalize this,' Shaw said. 'It's not just government purchases. It's getting the private sector motivated to either make investments or back loans, or to purchase certain commodities.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And lastly, the main premise for the tariffs Trump has imposed unilaterally faces legal challenges. His legal team met with stiff questioning during appellate court oral arguments over his novel use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, historically used for sanctioning enemies or freezing their assets, to justify his tariffs. A ruling could come any time and regardless of the outcome seems destined to be settled ultimately by the Supreme Court. (This is an agency copy. Except for the headline, the copy has not been edited by Firstpost staff.)
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Trump names JD Vance as his heir apparent and names other cabinet members who could ‘help' MAGA in 2028
President Trump has named Vice President JD Vance as his heir apparent while praising a cohort of cabinet members that could propel MAGA into 2028. The commander-in-chief was inside the South Court Auditorium in the White House on Tuesday to sign an executive order for the creation of the 2028 Olympics Task Force. The same day, he shared in an interview that he 'probably wouldn't' run for a third term despite joking in the past that he would. 'I'd like to run,' he said when asked about the possibility on CNBC's Squawk Box. 'I have the best poll numbers I've ever had.' His comments came after Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked who would be leading MAGA in the next presidential race. 'This weekend, Secretary of State Rubio said that he thought JD Vance would be a great nominee. You could clear the entire Republican field right now. Do you agree that the heir apparent to MAGA is JD Vance?' Doocy said. Trump explained that Rubio and Vance could effectively work together as a formidable duo in office. "Well, I think most likely. In all fairness, he's the vice president, and I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form," Trump said. He also suggested that other senior members in his cabinet were capable of the job. 'I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here. So it's too early, obviously, to talk about it, but certainly he's doing a great job,' he added. "And he would be probably favored at this point." Trump earlier joked on the podium, 'I didn't think I'd be here for the games.' During the same press conference, another reporter questioned whether the Department of Government Efficiency was planning to make more cuts to the federal government. 'Well, it's not so much DOGE anymore,' Trump said, off the back of an ongoing feud between the former leader of the spend-cutting department, Elon Musk. The president drilled down that cuts would continue to be made 'with a scalpel as opposed to an axe.' Trump also spoke about a former Department of Government Efficiency employee, Edward Coristine, the 19-year-old better known by his nickname 'Big Balls,' who was attacked in Washington, D.C., over the weekend in an apparent attempted carjacking.
