Donald Trump’s presidential marketing campaign has acquired an official endorsement from Tulsi Gabbard – a former congresswoman who ran to be the Democratic candidate for the presidency in 2020, earlier than distancing herself from the occasion.

On Monday, Trump welcomed Ms Gabbard, 43, to a stage in Detroit, in the important thing swing state of Michigan.

Ms Gabbard stop the Democratic Social gathering in 2022, complaining of its “wokeness”, and has since develop into an everyday and outspoken visitor on Fox Information.

In the meantime, greater than 200 Republicans who served beneath earlier presidents and occasion leaders have given their backing to Trump’s rival, Kamala Harris.

In an open letter, former staffers for George HW Bush and George W Bush, and Senators John McCain and Mitt Romney mentioned one other Trump administration would endanger American democracy.

Ms Gabbard appeared alongside Trump to commemorate US service personnel killed in an assault in Afghanistan three years prior, utilizing it as a chance to criticise the Biden administration.

13 US service members and greater than 100 Afghans had been killed through the suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport in Kabul.

The incident occurred as American troops made a chaotic withdrawal from the nation, and the Taliban returned to energy.

Trump labelled it a “humiliation” that “set off the collapse of American credibility and respect all all over the world”.

He was joined earlier within the day by Ms Gabbard, a army veteran, at Virginia’s Arlington Cemetery to recollect the American lives misplaced.

Ms Gabbard made frequent criticisms of US army interventionism throughout her profession in Congress from 2013 to 2021.

Showing at Monday’s occasion in Michigan, Ms Gabbard mentioned she was interesting to Democrats, Republicans and independents alike to select Trump on the poll field in November – saying it was a matter of “saving our nation and serving the folks”.

Her official backing of Trump marks the fruits of a exceptional political journey during the last decade that started on the progressive left of the Democratic Social gathering.

She was the primary Hindu member of the US Congress, happening to function vice-chairwoman of the Democratic Nationwide Committee – earlier than resigning to endorse the 2016 presidential marketing campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders.

Ms Gabbard ran for president in 2020, championing liberal points like government-run healthcare, free faculty tuition and gun management.

However Joe Biden turned the Democratic nominee that yr, and went on to win the presidency. Two years later, Ms Gabbard stop as a Democrat, saying the occasion had succumbed to “cowardly wokeness”.

By early 2024, she was singing the praises of Mr Biden’s rival, Trump, who will this time compete for the White Home in opposition to Ms Harris.

She warned of a rising menace to American democracy – saying this hazard was posed by the prosecution of Trump by America’s left-wing.

Within the subsequent months, it was even speculated that Ms Gabbard may very well be within the body as Trump’s potential operating mate for November – a task that finally went to JD Vance.

Since her departure from the Democratic Social gathering she has develop into an everyday contributor to Fox Information and has been accused of spreading “selling Russian propaganda” by officers in Ukraine.

Ms Gabbard’s feedback got here days after Trump acquired the endorsement of one other Democratic defector, Robert F Kennedy Jr, who final week suspended his unbiased marketing campaign for the White Home.

Prime Democrats had been fast to dismiss Ms Gabbard’s endorsement.

“Fairly than specializing in incomes the assist of hardworking People, Trump is extra fixated on profitable the backing of extremists like Gabbard and RFK Jr — they usually’ll do nothing however overwhelm his sinking ship of a marketing campaign,” the occasion’s Fast Response Director Alex Floyd mentioned in an announcement.

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has accused United States President Joe Biden’s administration of pressuring his staff to censor content material on the COVID-19 pandemic in a letter that Republicans have latched on to as alleged proof of the administration cracking down on free speech.

Zuckerberg mentioned it was “flawed” of the federal government to strain social media platforms. He mentioned he regretted buckling to the strain. The testimony from one of many world’s most influential tech titans comes amid a heated presidential election marketing campaign. Republicans, led by former President Donald Trump, have lengthy accused social media platforms of censoring them, and Zuckerberg’s feedback are more likely to gasoline their assertions.

Right here’s what Zuckerberg mentioned, how the White Home has responded and what the controversy is all about.

What has Zuckerberg mentioned in his letter?

Zuckerberg wrote the letter to the Home Judiciary Committee on Monday, saying White Home officers pressured his groups “for months to censor sure COVID-19 content material”.

The letter pertains to an ongoing probe that the Republican-majority committee is conducting on on-line content material moderation.

The letter detailed that the COVID-19 content material censored as a consequence of strain from the Biden administration included humour and satire and that the officers “expressed a whole lot of frustration with our groups after we didn’t agree”.

He acknowledged that it was his and his staff’s choice to collapse to the strain.

“I imagine the federal government strain was flawed, and I remorse that we weren’t extra outspoken about it,” he says within the letter.

He added that he feels strongly that he mustn’t compromise on content material requirements “as a consequence of strain from any Administration in both path”, concluding that he’ll push again in case of an identical occasion shifting ahead.

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Mark Zuckerberg simply admitted three issues:

1. Biden-Harris Admin “pressured” Fb to censor Individuals.

2. Fb censored Individuals.

3. Fb throttled the Hunter Biden laptop computer story.

Massive win without cost speech. pic.twitter.com/ALlbZd9l6K

— Home Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) August 26, 2024

In July 2021, Biden mentioned social media platforms reminiscent of Meta-owned Fb are “killing individuals” with COVID-19 misinformation. Although he rescinded his assertion just a few days later, he maintained that Fb was permitting the unfold of misinformation.

What sort of COVID content material have social media platforms been accused of censoring?

In February 2021, Fb up to date its coverage on COVID content material. It printed a press release, saying it was increasing “the checklist of false claims we’ll take away to incorporate extra debunked claims concerning the coronavirus and vaccines” after consulting main well being our bodies, together with the World Well being Group (WHO).

Below this coverage, Fb took down posts claiming that COVID-19 was a man-made virus, manufactured and leaked from a lab in China’s Wuhan. Amid hypothesis of how COVID originated, some scientists mentioned the lab leak principle deserved additional investigation, whereas many others debunked it.

In February 2023, The Wall Road Journal acquired a labeled report from the US Division of Power stating the virus was in all probability the results of a leak from a lab. In March 2023, FBI Director Christopher Wray mentioned his company assessed {that a} lab leak from Wuhan was probably the reason for the outbreak. These revelations bolstered the argument of those that mentioned the preliminary censorship had been flawed.

Content material that urged that vaccines weren’t protected was additionally pulled down. Meta mentioned greater than 20 million posts have been faraway from Fb and Instagram, one other social media web site owned by it, between the start of the pandemic and the summer time of 2021.

It additionally added warning labels on greater than 190 million posts concerning the virus that third-party fact-checkers had flagged as false or missing context.

How has the White Home responded?

US media reported that the White Home launched a press release in response, saying: “When confronted with a lethal pandemic, this Administration inspired accountable actions to guard public well being and security.”

“Our place has been clear and constant: we imagine tech firms and different personal actors ought to bear in mind the results their actions have on the American individuals, whereas making unbiased selections concerning the info they current,” it added.

What did Zuckerberg say about Hunter Biden’s laptop computer?

After speaking about authorities strain to censor COVID-19 content material, Zuckerberg’s letter urged that safety businesses additionally tried to affect Fb’s insurance policies on a political bombshell story.

“The FBI warned us a couple of potential Russian disinformation operation concerning the Biden household and Burisma within the lead as much as the 2020 election,” Zuckerberg mentioned.

This alludes to Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, who was a board member of Ukrainian gasoline firm Burisma. It was reported in 2020 that the youthful Biden requested the US authorities for help on behalf of the corporate whereas his father was vp and that proof for this was discovered on Hunter Biden’s laptop computer, which he left at a restore retailer in Delaware in April 2019.

In 2020, Trump was in energy. However the Republican flag-bearer and a few of his supporters have lengthy alleged a “deep state” plot to harm him politically, although they’ve but to current any proof.

Zuckerberg wrote within the letter that, due to the FBI warning, he “demoted” the information story whereas ready for it to be fact-checked. Meta describes the demotion of tales as a follow by which its algorithm reduces a narrative’s distribution on the feeds of shoppers. The billionaire expressed remorse about this too.

He added that he has revised insurance policies to make sure this doesn’t occur once more and that Meta now not demotes tales whereas awaiting fact-checking.

Has Zuckerberg confronted strain from the US authorities earlier than?

Zuckerberg has confronted strain over totally different points from US authorities officers, together with:

• In February, the Meta chief appeared earlier than Congress and apologised to the mother and father of youngsters whose psychological well being was affected by social media platforms. This was after he was criticised for not taking measures to curb sexual exploitation of minors on Meta’s platforms.
• It was not Zuckerberg’s first Congress look. In 2018, he appeared earlier than two joint US Congress committees following a scandal involving Cambridge Analytica, a giant information firm that labored on Trump’s 2016 election bid. It was reported that the corporate illegally harvested the private information of fifty million Fb customers to tailor political commercials, sparking outrage.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says senior Biden administration officers pressured Fb to “censor” some COVID-19 content material in the course of the pandemic and vowed that the social media big would push again if it confronted such calls for once more.

In a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the Home Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg alleges that the officers, together with these from the White Home, “repeatedly pressured” Fb for months to take down “sure COVID-19 content material together with humor and satire.”

The officers “expressed numerous frustration” when the corporate didn’t agree, he stated within the letter.

“I imagine the federal government stress was flawed and I remorse that we weren’t extra outspoken about it,” Zuckerberg wrote within the letter dated Aug. 26 and posted on the committee’s Fb web page and to its account on X.

The letter is the most recent repudiation by Zuckerberg of efforts to focus on misinformation across the coronavirus pandemic throughout and after the 2020 presidential election, significantly as allegations have emerged that some posts have been deleted or restricted wrongly.

“I additionally suppose we made some decisions that, with the advantage of hindsight and new data, we wouldn’t make in the present day,” he stated, with out elaborating. “We’re able to push again if one thing like this occurs once more.”

In response, the White Home stated in an announcement that, “When confronted with a lethal pandemic, this Administration inspired accountable actions to guard public well being and security. Our place has been clear and constant: we imagine tech firms and different personal actors ought to take note of the results their actions have on the American individuals, whereas making unbiased decisions in regards to the data they current.”

Specialists warn this yr’s U.S. election may very well be swamped by misinformation on social media with the proliferation of synthetic intelligence and different instruments to supply false information tales and content material that might mislead voters.

Fb in early 2021 appended what Zuckerberg referred to as labels with “credible data” to posts about COVID-19 vaccines. That’s after it moved in April 2020 — simply because the virus had led to world shutdowns and radical modifications in on a regular basis life — to warn customers who shared misinformation about COVID-19.

Conservatives have lengthy derided Fb and different main tech firms as favoring liberal priorities and accused them of censorship.

Zuckerberg has tried to alter the corporate’s notion on the appropriate, happening podcaster Joe Rogan’s present in 2022 and complimenting Republican nominee Donald Trump’s response to an assassination try as “badass.” He despatched Monday’s letter to the Home Judiciary Committee, whose chairman, Jordan, is a longtime Trump ally.

Zuckerberg additionally stated he would now not donate cash to widen election entry for voters via the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the corporate that runs the philanthropy for him and his spouse, Priscilla Chan.

The couple beforehand donated $400 million to assist native election places of work put together for voters within the 2020 presidential election, with funds used for protecting gear to stop the unfold of the coronavirus at polling websites, drive-thru voting places and gear to course of mail ballots.

“I do know that some individuals imagine this work benefited one social gathering over the opposite” regardless of analyses displaying in any other case, he stated. “My aim is to be impartial and never play a job a technique or one other — or to even seem like taking part in a job. So I don’t plan on making an analogous contribution this cycle.”

By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports activities Author

BOSTON – Former Blue Jays and present Purple Sox catcher Danny Jansen did not simply play for each groups in the identical recreation – a primary in Main League Baseball historical past. 

He performed for each groups in the identical inning. 

In a statistical oddity made attainable by two of the quirkiest entities on Earth – the baseball rule e-book and the New England climate – Jansen grew to become the one participant ever to seem on each side of a baseball field rating when he took the sphere for Boston on Monday within the resumption of a rain-delayed recreation he began for Toronto in June, earlier than he was traded to the Purple Sox. 

“I used to be stunned once I discovered I used to be the primary one to do it,” Jansen stated after going 1 for 4 for Boston – plus a part of one other at-bat for Toronto – within the Blue Jays’ 4-1 victory. “It is cool, leaving a stamp like that on the sport. It is fascinating, and it is unusual. And I am grateful for the chance to have that.” 

Taking part in for Toronto on June 26, Jansen fouled off the one pitch he noticed from Boston starter Kutter Crawford within the second inning earlier than the tarps have been referred to as out. On July 27, Jansen was traded from Toronto to Boston for 3 minor leaguers. 

After the opportunity of Jansen turning into a baseball first grew to become a trigger celebre across the sport, Purple Sox supervisor Alex Cora stated final week he would play Jansen when the suspended recreation resumed, saying “Let’s make historical past.” 

“It was a really cool second, simply to be a part of it,” Cora stated Monday. “I do not know if it is going to occur once more. It must be type of like the right storm for that to occur – beginning with the storm. And I am glad that everyone loved it.” 

Earlier than the sport resumed at 2:06 p.m. Monday – a delay of 65 days, 18 hours and 35 minutes, Purple Sox media relations coordinator Daveson Perez introduced the modifications within the Fenway Park press field: “Pinch-hitting for Danny Jansen: Daulton Varsho. Defensive modifications: Danny Jansen now at catcher.” 

With Jansen behind the plate, Nick Pivetta struck Varsho out to finish the at-bat Jansen began. Then Jansen got here up for the Purple Sox with two outs within the backside half of the body, getting a pleasant cheer from a sparse makeup-game crowd, and hit a lazy liner to first base to finish the inning. 

“Build up till that time, perhaps it was a bit unusual,” Jansen stated. “When you stepped within the field and it was ‘Sport on,’ I used to be simply making an attempt to remain current, keep locked in.” 

Jansen’s spouse and children and a few buddies have been there to see him declare his place in baseball’s report books – or within the footnotes, a minimum of. After they arrived, they noticed his image on the scoreboard sporting a Blue Jays cap. 

“After I walked on the market at the moment, yeah, I noticed myself up there, for certain,” Jansen stated. “That was simply type of like, ‘Effectively, that is the place we’re at.'” 

Earlier than the primary pitch, the umpires held an prolonged dialog at house with the coaches who introduced out a few of the weirdest lineup playing cards in baseball historical past. Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider stated he was glad to see his former participant, a lifetime backup and a profession .222 hitter, get some consideration. 

“I feel it is cool for him to type of go down within the report books as the primary participant to do this,” Schneider stated. “I’ve recognized Jano without end, and it is one thing cool that he can at all times type of say he was the primary at, and he is good at bizarre stuff. Fairly cool for him.”
Jansen had a single within the fifth inning – Boston’s first hit of the sport. He had a flyout within the seventh after which got here up with two outs within the ninth and a runner on second, however he struck out on a checked swing to finish the sport. 

The 29-year-old right-handed hitter stated he wore two jerseys within the recreation (three, when you depend the Toronto one he wore in June). He’ll preserve one for himself and ship one to the Baseball Corridor of Fame; an authenticator was readily available to tag all of Jansen’s tools.
The Cooperstown shrine stated it requested the scorecard from official scorer Bob Ellis, who additionally was working the sport when it began in June. 

“This scorecard can be an important device to doc and illustrate this historical past, exhibiting Danny Jansen’s title on each groups,” Corridor spokesman John Shestakofsky stated.

Raymond Boyd/Getty Photos

The official trailer for Tremendous/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is right here.

Christopher Reeve, who introduced Clark Kent and his superhero persona Superman to life in 4 movies all through the ’70s and ’80s, was injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. 

As a quadriplegic, he continued to encourage generations of followers as an activist and advocate for spinal wire damage analysis, founding the Christopher & Dana Reeve Basis. He died in 2004 from coronary heart failure. 

Tremendous/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, options all three of Christopher Reeve’s kids and explores his enduring legacy.

“We mentioned goodbye … he gave this wave,” son Matthew Reeve recalled within the trailer for the documentary, launched Monday. “That was the final time I noticed him on his toes.”

The trailer incorporates a voice-over from the late actor, who says, “I ruined my life and everyone else’s” and laments that he received’t be capable of “throw a ball” to his son Will Reeve, now an ABC Information correspondent, or “make love” to his spouse Dana Reeve, who died in 2006 of lung most cancers. “Possibly we must always let me go.”

“She got here flying in and he or she simply yelled, ‘I really like you. I really like you,’” daughter Alexandra Reeve Givens recalled of her mother.

“After which she mentioned the phrases that saved my life: You’re nonetheless you, and I really like you,’” Christopher Reeve’s voice-over says.

The movie premiered on the Sundance Movie Competition in January, and is in theaters throughout America on Sept. 21 and Sept. 25, with tickets obtainable by way of Fathom Occasions.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Coco Gauff isn’t precisely in prime kind as she prepares to turns into the primary girl to win consecutive U.S. Open titles since Serena Williams gained three straight from 2012-14.

The 20-year-old Gauff opens play Monday in opposition to France’s Varvara Gracheva after a hard summer time.

Gauff was despatched residence within the fourth spherical of Wimbledon by fellow American Emma Navarro after which misplaced within the third spherical of the Olympics to eventual silver medalist Donna Vekic of Croatia.

Then issues actually went downhill. Gauff was dominated within the third spherical in Toronto by Diana Shnaider of Russia, and he or she adopted up with 9 double faults whereas dropping to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan within the second spherical (her first match) of the Cincinnati Open, the place she was the reigning champion.

Not precisely the kind of momentum the third-seeded Gauff needs to take right into a Grand Slam occasion.

“I’ll attempt to take the constructive out of it, and do higher subsequent time,” Gauff mentioned.

Subsequent time is beneath the brilliant lights of New York, the place Gauff might be anticipated to match final 12 months’s efficiency when she beat Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus within the championship match.

It was Gauff’s first profession Grand Slam crown, and tennis aficionados anticipate much more.

So does Gauff. However she understands she’s nonetheless within the early portion of her profession.

“I’ve time,” Gauff mentioned. “Clearly, I need to win now as a result of I’m used to profitable so early, however I believe I’ve taken a step again and understand I’ve one other 10 years on this sport, so I need to take pleasure in it.”

Gracheva is ranked 66th on the earth and doesn’t look like an upset risk. She misplaced within the first spherical of the previous two U.S. Opens.

Nevertheless, her greatest end in a significant got here earlier this 12 months when she reached the fourth spherical of the French Open.

Gauff gained the lone assembly with Gracheva in January when she posted a 6-1, 6-1 victory within the quarterfinals in Auckland.

The second-seeded Sabalenka additionally opens Monday as she faces Priscilla Hon of Australia.

Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, the eighth seed, faces Spain’s Marina Bassols Ribera in her first match.

High-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland opens on Tuesday in opposition to Russian Kamilla Rakhimova. Swiatek was the 2022 U.S. Open champ.

A landslide in Ketchikan on Sunday killed one particular person, injured three others and destroyed a number of properties.

The landslide tore down a steep slope at roughly 4 p.m. above the Third Avenue Bypass, crossing the street and persevering with downhill into the White Cliff neighborhood, a comparatively densely populated space close to downtown. 

Native authorities recognized the person who died as Sean Griffin, a senior upkeep technician with the town of Ketchikan who was clearing storm drains within the space when the landslide struck.

“It was his dedication to the neighborhood that precipitated him to reply to the decision for help throughout his scheduled break day,” Ketchikan’s metropolis and borough governments stated in a joint assertion. “Sean is remembered for his dedication, optimistic spirit, and unwavering devotion to his household, his pals, and to the neighborhood.”

Metropolis and borough officers stated three different individuals have been injured within the landslide. Two have been admitted to the hospital, however the extent of their accidents is unclear. A 3rd survivor was handled and launched, officers stated. They stated all people have been accounted for.

“In my 65 years in Ketchikan, I’ve by no means seen a slide of this magnitude,” Metropolis of Ketchikan Mayor Dave Kiffer stated in an announcement.

That is the fourth deadly landslide in Southeast Alaska in a decade.

Ketchikan skilled heavy rains on Saturday night time and Sunday main as much as the slide. Officers urged the general public Monday to keep away from the landslide space, warning that it stays unstable.

“There might be no exercise allowed within the slide space till after the world has been cleared by geologists,” metropolis and borough officers stated.

An evacuation order additionally remained in impact Monday for residents on Third Avenue, Second Avenue, First Avenue and White Cliff Avenue between Austin and Nadeau streets. A borough spokesperson estimated that roughly 60 to 65 households have been affected by the evacuation order.

Ketchikan Excessive Faculty is about up as an emergency shelter with water, meals and blankets. The Saxman Neighborhood Heart has been recognized as a second emergency shelter website. Some 12 individuals stayed on the shelter Sunday night time, native officers stated, with others stopping by to entry assets.

The town and borough requested evacuees who have to enter their properties to inform the Ketchikan Emergency Operations Heart at (907) 228-2383 earlier than returning to the world.

The slide blocked the Third Avenue Bypass, in addition to different roads within the space. Crews cleared downed energy traces that have been interfering with rescue efforts. The borough confirmed that energy has been restored to close by properties however energy on First and Second avenues within the slide zone will possible be down for an prolonged time period.

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough introduced {that a} secondary space simply south of the unique slide has been recognized that would pose a landslide danger. They stated response crews are monitoring it. 

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has issued a catastrophe declaration for the landslide.

“All state businesses are directed to offer no matter help is required,” he wrote on social media on Sunday. “My ideas and prayers are with the residents of Ketchikan tonight.”

The division’s State Particular person Help and Non permanent Housing applications are accepting functions from “survivors with damages or emergency bills” associated to the landslide, the town and borough stated. Registration is out there by cellphone at (844) 445-7131 or on-line at prepared.alaska.gov/Restoration/IA.

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Faculty District canceled the primary day of lessons on Monday for all Ketchikan faculties to be able to maintain the roads clear for emergency autos. Faculty is canceled by way of no less than Wednesday, the superintendent stated.

Kiffer, the town mayor, stated in an announcement that the lack of life was heartbreaking, calling for assist to study extra in regards to the slide’s underlying causes.

“With the slides now we have seen throughout the area, there may be clearly a region-wide problem that we have to attempt to perceive with the assist of our State geologist,” he stated.

Sunday’s catastrophe is Southeast Alaska’s fourth deadly landslide in a decade, a part of a historical past within the area that noticed 15 individuals killed by a large Juneau slide in 1936. Extra just lately, three males have been killed in a 2015 Sitka slide, two individuals have been by no means discovered after a 2020 Haines slide crashed by way of a number of properties and 6 individuals died in final yr’s landslide alongside Wrangell’s Zimovia Freeway.

Researchers have examined Southeast Alaska because of these casualties, with a last report on the Wrangell slide linking it to extreme rain on the time. Scientists say local weather change is driving that rise in rainfall, contributing to growing landslide dangers throughout the area. Scientists are additionally working to raised map Southeast geology, which may assist give better warning of future slides.

A particular borough web site has been created to host additional data on the Ketchikan landslide.

Novak Djokovic marched onto Arthur Ashe Stadium for his first tennis match as an Olympic champion with shiny, golden baggage hanging from every shoulder. It was yet one more reminder of simply how a lot Djokovic cherishes his immense achievement this summer season in Paris.

Nevertheless, tennis strikes on rapidly and even because the 24-time grand slam champion continues to rejoice his gold medal, one other large occasion has already begun. Djokovic opened his US Open title defence with a stable efficiency, defeating the qualifier Radu Albot 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 to succeed in the second spherical in New York. He has now gained extra matches on Ashe, 78, than some other man in historical past.

Within the aftermath of his victory in Paris, Djokovic took his time earlier than shifting his focus to the ultimate grand slam event of the 12 months. Not like with so lots of his different victories, the place he needed to rapidly collect himself for the following event, the 37-year-old endeavoured to correctly rejoice what he considers his biggest achievement.

After opting out of competing in Canada and Cincinnati, Djokovic hung round in Paris for days with a purpose to commemorate the achievement. He finally flew to Belgrade the place he and the opposite Serbian medallists have been greeted by tens of 1000’s of supporters. Throughout his time within the Serbia capital, he rode by way of the streets at night time, shaking palms and kissing cheeks by way of his automotive window.

The US Open marks the Djokovic’s first arduous court docket occasion since March and it’s simply the fourth occasion he has contested on his favorite floor all 12 months. As he tries to seek out his rhythm on the floor with none arduous court docket preparation, the second seed has a useful draw. Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, the final three gamers within the event to defeat him at a grand slam, are all as far-off from him as attainable within the prime half.

On Monday, his first problem was Albot, a 34-year-old Moldovan qualifier who has spent most of his profession ranked between No 50 and 150. Whereas Albot is a constant and tenacious participant, at simply 5 ft 9 (1.75m) he’s underpowered towards the elite.

Regardless that he began the match struggling along with his first serve, Djokovic imposed himself from the start, rolling by way of his personal service video games placing fixed strain on Albot’s weak serve. Little by little, Djokovic floor his challenger down along with his relentless depth and consistency off each wings and he rolled to a cushty win.

“It’s all the time difficult to start out, significantly while you haven’t performed on this floor for 5, six months, and coming off an Olympic gold and enjoying on clay,” stated Djokovic. “I haven’t had any official matches earlier than the US Open. So I’m anticipating to be in all probability challenged somewhat bit extra within the opening rounds.

“Hopefully I can play higher every day. The benefit of slams is you’ve gotten a day between matches the place you possibly can prepare, the place you possibly can actually work on issues and ideal your sport. That’s what I really feel like I want.

“So I’m going to hit the observe courts tomorrow and work on issues that haven’t actually labored throughout the match and, yeah, hold striving to be higher.”

Almost three months since present process surgical procedure on his knee, Djokovic moved extraordinarily properly. Regardless that he continues to put on a knee assist. “The knee is ok actually,” stated Djokovic. “I haven’t had any points all through the complete Olympic event and right here first spherical. Knock on wooden, it’s all good.”

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Djokovic will subsequent face his compatriot Laslo Djere, who defeated Jan Lennard Struff in 5 units on Monday. Whereas it is a easy matchup on paper, Djere performed brilliantly to steer Djokovic by two units final 12 months on the US Open earlier than the elder Serb recovered to win in 5 units.

“It’s nice for Serbian tennis, clearly, that two Serbian gamers are dealing with one another,” stated Djokovic. “It’s a assured third spherical for one of many Serbian guys. Hopefully it’s going to be me, however Djere is a man that actually likes enjoying on a giant stage.”

Having now basically accomplished tennis, successful each single main honour on supply to a tennis participant, it stays to be seen how Djokovic will proceed to inspire himself with no one or nothing to chase. As he begins his pursuit of a report twenty fifth grand slam title, although, Djokovic insists that nothing has modified.

“Folks would ask me: ‘Now that you’ve got principally gained every part with the golden medal, what else is there to win?’ I nonetheless really feel the drive, I nonetheless have the aggressive spirit,” stated Djokovic. “I nonetheless need to make extra historical past and revel in myself on the tour. I nonetheless hope to encourage many younger folks to observe tennis, play tennis.”

PLEASANT HILL, Iowa (AP) — A water buffalo is on the free in an Iowa city, and police are warning folks that it’s injured and aggressive.

Police within the Des Moines suburb of Nice Hill responded Saturday to a name about an animal within the street. It turned out to be a water buffalo, and the proprietor informed police the animal was aggressive.

That proved to be the case when police and animal rescue and management teams started attempting to include the water buffalo and return it to the proprietor’s property. These efforts “led the animal to point out its aggressiveness towards Nice Hill officers which resulted in a single spherical being fired from a shotgun, injuring the animal,” police stated in a Fb posting on Monday.

The wounded water buffalo obtained away. Police used drones and ATVs to try to discover it and introduced in individuals with experience in water buffaloes. As of Tuesday morning, the animal was nonetheless on the lam within the city of about 11,000 residents.

“If anybody sees a Water Buffalo, DO NOT APPROACH IT,” police stated on Fb.

Water buffaloes can weigh as much as 2,650 kilos, in response to the web site for Nationwide Geographic, although the Iowa animal seems smaller in images. Usually domesticated, the water buffalo is the biggest member of the Bovini tribe, which incorporates yak, bison, African buffalo, numerous species of untamed cattle, and others, the web site stated.