A California councilwoman posted a video online decrying efforts to “slut shame” her using photos from her time as a reveler at the famous Burning Man music festival.

Rachel Hundley, 35, a member of the Sonoma city council and former mayor of the town, said in a YouTube video last week that she received an anonymous email on Aug. 13 that was “nothing short of extortion.” 

Hundley shared a screengrab of the email from “Sonoma Citizens for Peace & Cooperation” that urges her not to run for re-election and to “move on with your life.” If she chooses to run, her “candidacy this time will be one of full disclosures to all Sonoma,” the email threatens. 

According to Hundley, “full disclosure” consisted of a website “filled with scandalous accusations and racy photos.” 

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the site alleged “lascivious, drunk and drug-addled behavior.” 

The “Rachel Hundley Exposed” website has since been taken down, according to The Washington Post. 

“The email included a link and what I found was a combination of outright lies and things I’ve proudly posted on social media,” Hudley said in her video. “What was especially disturbing in this era of Me Too, was the attempt to slut-shame me for celebrating my body and for my attendance at Burning Man.” 

Hundley said that for the several years she managed a wine bar at Burning Man “that’s associated with a consent-focused, sex-positive theme camp.” 

She said the website aimed to “silence another strong female voice by scaring me out of this election.” 

“For too long, it has been seen as OK to control women by dictating what is acceptable for us to wear, say and do,” she added. “But I am here today to tell my faceless bullies that I cannot be shamed into quitting because I am not ashamed.” 

 

 

 

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Andy Murray’s return to Grand Slam tennis ended in a four-set defeat by Spanish 31st seed Fernando Verdasco in the US Open second round.

The former British number one, playing his first Slam in 14 months, lost 7-5 2-6 6-4 6-4 in New York.

In sweltering conditions, Murray, 31, battled hard but did not have enough to overcome 34-year-old Verdasco.

Compatriot Cameron Norrie lost 6-2 2-6 6-4 6-4 to Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic as British singles representation ended.

It was only Murray’s fifth tournament back since having hip surgery in January.

The Scot looked exhausted at times during a physical encounter on a humid Arthur Ashe Stadium – likely to be a combination of the conditions as temperatures rose close to 100F (38C) and his lack of five-set matches since being sidelined through injury.

But he continued to show the dogged determination that helped him win three Grand Slam titles at the peak of his powers, pushing Verdasco to the limit before succumbing to a third match point in three hours and 23 minutes.

Despite defeat, it was arguably his best performance since returning to the ATP Tour in June.

Murray sticks with Verdasco in hard-fought opening

Murray, now ranked 382nd in the world and unseeded, had the fortune of avoiding a high-ranked opponent in the first round, battling back to beat 448th-ranked James Duckworth – the Australian also on the road to recovery after long-term injury – in three sets on Monday.

That pitted him against two-time US Open quarter-finalist Verdasco, described by Murray as “never an easy guy to play if he’s on his game”.

Murray said he expected Verdasco to test his movement – and the Spaniard did exactly that.

Verdasco pushed and probed with his forehand in the early stages of the first set, breaking Murray’s serve to lead 2-1 before the Scot dug deep to instantly strike back.

Seemingly beaten in a baseline rally at 30-30, Murray continued to retrieve and turned the point around to win a 26-shot rally.

The pair traded break points again in the sixth and seventh games before Murray missed a set point at 5-4 when Verdasco rescued it with an ace out wide.

That proved pivotal as Verdasco grabbed the momentum to break in the next game and hold out for the early advantage.

Murray was undeterred, however, breaking for 3-1 in the second set as Verdasco’s service game began to unravel.

The pair exchanged breaks again as Murray moved 4-2 ahead before the Spaniard produced a double fault on set point to allow the former world number one to level.

Verdasco upped his service game in the third set, landing 71% of his first serves to break twice and ensure the match would go to four sets at least.

Murray refuses to give up as Verdasco wobbles over the line

Both players disappeared off Ashe at the end of the third set after Verdasco wanted the 10-minute extreme heat break which was again implemented by US Open officials.

Murray initially looked as though he did not want to go off court, then followed Verdasco before returning a few minutes later complaining the Spaniard was talking to his team off court – which is against the rules.

The Scot looked pumped up as he tried to nab an early break, only for a composed Verdasco to control the set and head towards victory after breaking for 4-3.

That was until an 11-minute final game when the Spaniard combusted with a third-round match against Argentine third seed Juan Martin del Potro in sight.

His previously reliable serve disappeared as he coughed up two break points, fighting back to earn his first match point which he then wasted with a wild backhand

After saving a third break point, Verdasco produced a double fault to give Murray another opportunity.

A time violation and furious complaint followed before Verdasco simmered down to recover with a first serve down the middle which Murray could not return.

The drama did not stop there as Murray refused to give up.

Another Verdasco error brought up a fifth break point for Murray – which was then wiped out by a ferocious forehand winner as the game ticked past the 10-minute mark.

But a 104mph second serve – his fastest of the match – forced Murray long and he took his second match point.

Norrie fails to take his chances

British number two Cameron Norrie’s bid to reach the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time came to an end only moments after Murray’s defeat.

The 23-year-old world number 67, who has enjoyed a rapid rise up the rankings since turning professional in spring 2017, was not helped by his 58 unforced errors against Lajovic.

His match mirrored Murray’s as he fought back from a set down to take the second before failing to take his chances in the next two sets – managing to convert just three of his 14 break points in a match lasting almost three hours.

Norrie was also penalised a first serve for returning late from the 10-minute heat break after the third set. The unhappy Briton told the umpire he had been assured by officials he had enough time.

US President Donald Trump threatened this week to dump the nearly 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), making it the latest deal to be targeted as part of his “America First” trade strategy.

On Monday, he announced a preliminary deal with Mexico, suggesting he may cut Ottawa out of the agreement all together if Canadian officials, who are currently in Washington for negotiations, don’t agree to new terms.

“They used to call it NAFTA,” he said from the White House. “We’re going to call it the United States-Mexico trade agreement. We’ll get rid of the name NAFTA.”

But analysts say Trump may face a number of obstacles, particularly from Congress, if he moves forward with plans to scrap the trilateral treaty all together without a replacement deal on the table.

Can Trump withdraw from NAFTA?

Under Article 2205 of the NAFTA, a country can withdraw from the agreement by providing a six-month notice to fellow signatories.

This means Trump could, in theory, send a letter of notice to Canada and Mexico indicating his intent to withdraw but, according to Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow at the DC-based Peterson Institute for International Economics, the president would first need congressional approval to actually terminate US involvement.

“The letter is not self-executing, it will take a separate step to actually terminate … that’s when we will get the first level of congressional resistance,” Hufbauer said. “Trump has to get Congressional power to withdraw.”

According to Hufbauer, that’s because NAFTA only entered into force at the beginning of January 1994 after ratification by Congress the month before.

Although the 1974 Trade Act grants US presidents the authority to unilaterally withdraw from trade agreements, the fact that NAFTA was implemented through legislation suggests Congress must also sign off on any changes to the agreement, including a withdrawl, according to experts.

It remains unclear, however, whether Congress would definitively have the final say on any attempt from Trump to pull out of the deal, and legal experts have speculated that if Trump does try to withdraw, the case may end up in the courts.

If it was determined that Trump would need Congressional approval, many believe that the president would have a hard time convincing politicians that withdrawing from the agreement is right way to go.

Laura Dawson, director of the Washington-based Wilson Center’s Canada Institute, told Al Jazeera it’s unlikely Trump would find a favourable audience among current politicians for pulling out of the pact.

“Trump can launch the letter of notice, he has had that in his back pockets for many months, but I don’t think he can complete that action, [because] it requires a level of congressional support that he just doesn’t have,” Dawson said.

In January, dozens of politicians from Trump’s Republican party – which currently controls both the House of Representatives and the Senate – urged the president not to withdraw from the treaty, stating a “wide range” of US industries had benefited from the agreement.

Can Trump present a bilateral deal instead?

At the crux of the matter is whether Trump will be able to secure a deal with Canada, as well as Mexico.

The Trump administration has given Canada a hard deadline of Friday to agree to a new deal.

With Canada on board, Trump could take a NAFTA 2.0 style deal to US politicians, increasing his chances of congressional approval for what would essentially amount to an update to the current agreement.

Should Canada, the US’s largest export market, opt not to agree to revised terms, however, Congress may take a number of avenues to block Trump from doing anything other than sticking by the existing version of the deal, Dawson said.

Without Canada, Trump would give up his ability to get a “up or down” vote without any amendments in Congress as any new deal would need a full vote. 

“Congress is constitutionally responsible for trade and the Trade Promotion Authority is for a trilateral deal, not for a bilateral deal,” she added.

“So they could have a bilateral US-Mexico proposal kicked back to the kerb.”

Therefore, the president could also face several challenges if he wants to implement separate deals with Canada and Mexico instead. 

What happens if NAFTA is terminated?

Even if Trump is able to convince Congress to scrap the deal all together, a number of laws passed as part of the December 1993 NAFTA Implementation Act are likely to live on regardless unless new legislation is drafted to change them.

“NAFTA was put in place by enabling legislation and there were many pieces of that legislation that are permanent,” Robert Scott, a senior economist at the DC-based Economic Policy Institute (EPI), told Al Jazeera.

Several provisions on issues ranging from government procurement to environmental and labour standards were signed into law as part of the Implementation Act, and would outlive any US withdrawal absent of a concerted congressional effort to amend or abolish them.

Washington would however, according to the act, be free from NAFTA tariffs should it pull out of the deal.

For Trump, that is likely to be seen as a major political incentive, Dawson said.

“This is about him showing his base that he is fulfilling campaign promises,” she said.

Trump has been an outspoken critic of NAFTA in the past, labelling it “the worst trade deal” ever agreed to by the US in September, 2016, while campaigning for the presidency.

Hufbauer, for his part, agreed with Dawson’s assessment: “The primary objective [for Trump] is to state, coming up to November’s midterm congressional elections: ‘I promised I would get rid of NAFTA, I have gotten rid of NAFTA,’ that’s the big banana.”

Teslas are well known for their acceleration, but flying?

A Canadian man caught some serious air after speeding over a railroad crossing in Barrie, Canada, on Tuesday at around 8 p.m. local time. A security camera happened to catch the incident, and holy crap.

The 46-year-old driver “became airborne and crashed over 100 feet into the opposing lane,” according to Barrie Today. The Tesla skidded after landing, and eventually hit a tree in a parking lot. Considering Teslas are, you know, not supposed to fly, it’s not surprising that the four-door vehicle, which appears to be a sedan, was totaled. The exact model was not released. 

Global News reports that the driver of the vehicle was charged with dangerous driving, and was treated at the hospital for minor injuries along with a passenger. Thankfully, no other vehicles were involved. 

Teslas are relatively heavy cars thanks to the electric battery, so it’s safe to say that the vehicle’s impressive acceleration capabilities did help the vehicle go airborne, though given the charges it appears that police are blaming the driver.

Here’s what the driver saw before liftoff: 

Image: screenshot/google maps

A Redditor who claims to live in the area said it’s quite easy to get airborne on the tracks: “I live near here and you literally just need to be going 30 to get air. The guy is a moron.”

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WASHINGTON – Former Vice President Joe Biden said it caused him “some consternation” in 2008 to find himself on opposing presidential tickets with his longtime friend and Senate colleague John McCain, then the GOP nominee.

Chosen as the running mate to Democrat Barack Obama, Biden was expected to fulfill the traditional role of a vice presidential candidate – serving as an attack dog.

He did just that, slamming McCain as “profoundly out of touch” on the economy in a speech in Michigan in September 2008. But in the same speech, Biden talked about his friendship with McCain, saying, “If he needed my personal help, I’d go.”

Nearly a decade later, Biden kept that promise. As McCain battled a deadly brain cancer last year, he and his family turned to the former vice president for comfort. In an on-camera moment on ABC’s “The View” that went viral, Biden comforted McCain’s daughter Meghan.

Thursday, Biden is scheduled to speak in Phoenix about McCain, his friend of four decades who died Saturday at 81. The Phoenix event is among several days of memorials that will include tributes Saturday from two of McCain’s other former political rivals, former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, before McCain’s burial Sunday at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Maryland.

Ted Kaufman, a former Delaware senator who is close to Biden, likened the former vice president and the Arizona senator to two football players who would play hard for opposing teams, then leave all of that on the field and go out together after the game.

“He and John had a number of issues on which they flat out didn’t agree, but they didn’t personalize it,” Kaufman told USA TODAY.

“They really liked each other,” Kaufman said.

Personal in their connection but never personal in politics, the friendship between McCain and Biden may seem unusual, given the polarization that grips Washington. It was not unusual for McCain, who was viewed as a “maverick” and had many friendships across the aisle.

He worked in the Senate with Democrat John Kerry, a fellow veteran who became secretary of state, to push for reconciliation with Vietnam in the 1990s. He set aside stark political differences in 2014 with Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to reach a compromise on veterans’ health care. He even drank vodka shots with Hillary Clinton in Estonia when she represented New York as a Democratic senator in 2004.

Biden and McCain met in the 1970s, when Biden was a young senator and McCain was a Navy Senate liaison. Biden traveled widely as a Senate Foreign Relations Committee member and would pick McCain to accompany him. Biden had wanted to meet McCain ever since seeing the footage of his return from Vietnam, where he was held as a prisoner of war for five and a half years.

“He was clearly, kind of, our hero” because of the way he handled his captivity, said Kaufman, who was Biden’s chief of staff at the time.

McCain was in demand for details accompanying senators overseas because he was fun to be around, journalist Robert Timberg wrote in “The Nightingale’s Song.”

“In an Athens taverna, he danced on a table with Senator Joseph Biden’s wife, Jill, a red bandanna clenched in his teeth,” Timberg wrote.

The two recalled those early trips when Biden bestowed the 2017 Liberty Medal on McCain in October, honoring his courage, loyalty and “incredible heroism.” 

Biden said he sought McCain’s advice before his discussions with foreign leaders. “He not only became a friend, he became an adviser,” Biden said.

McCain joked that he carried Biden’s luggage on those trips – and “resented it ever since.” Biden griped that McCain was supposed to, but “the son of a gun never did.”

“They were always cutting up,” Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said of the two. “Great senses of humor. They were a little bit mischievous.”

McCain died after suffering from a deadly form of brain cancer called glioblastoma, the same disease that led to the death of Biden’s son Beau more than three years ago. Biden lost his first wife, Neilia, and their 13-month-old daughter in a car accident in 1972.

Since McCain’s diagnosis, Biden has remained in “constant” contact with the McCain family and until recently with McCain, about his treatment and what he was doing, Kaufman said. Biden made an under-the-radar trip to McCain’s ranch in Arizona to spend time with the family.

“I talk to him all the time, and he checks in on me all the time,” Meghan McCain said of Biden in an interview with Glamour magazine that was published Aug. 2.

Biden, who launched a “Moonshot” anti-cancer initiative as vice president, chairs the independent, nonprofit Biden Cancer Initiative to build on the goal of a comprehensive and cohesive approach to cancer prevention. Through those efforts, Kaufman said, he has learned a great deal about cancer, specifically McCain’s form of cancer.

“He went through it all with Beau,” Kaufman said.

In his last book, “The Restless Wave,” McCain recalled his long conversation about his diagnosis with Biden.

“Our conversation was equal parts practical and encouraging, an old friend helping another through a rough patch he had prior experience with,” McCain wrote in his book with co-author Mark Salter. “Joe and I have argued a lot over the years, but he is a first-class human being, and it’s a lucky thing to be his friend.”

More: John McCain: ‘If you were loved by him, you knew it.’ Senators pay tribute to a friend and colleague

More: ‘Risk-taker, daredevil’: John McCain joked about his Navy flight record. He crashed three times

More: Vice President Mike Pence once said John McCain was ‘deep in bed’ with Democrats

More: What I learned about John McCain during 20 years covering him

 

 

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Was that a true miniskirt Duchess Meghan of Sussex wore to see “Hamilton” in London on Wednesday?

We didn’t have a tape measure to precisely calculate just how short her Judith and Charles tuxedo minidress was when she and Harry arrived for the performance, a charity gala for Prince Harry’s African children’s charity Sentebale.

But it was above her knees and you could see her slender (and bare) legs. She carried a gold box clutch and wore black canvas spike heels. 

It was one of the first times we’ve seen Meghan’s knees at a public engagement since she and Harry married on May 19 at Windsor Castle. (Traditionally, royal protocol dictates knee-length hemlines and hosiery.)

Even before the wedding, Meghan started being more careful about showing off too much: Her outfit for her engagement announcement, in November 2017 at Kensington Palace, included a dark green Parosh dress topped with a belted jacket from Line. Both covered her knees.

The “Hamilton” gala, which included writer/director/star Lin-Manuel Miranda, was aimed at raising awareness and funds for Sentebale’s work with children and young people affected by HIV in southern Africa.

Harry and Meghan, who sat next to Miranda in the audience, met with representatives of Sentebale and with other cast and crew of the global smash hit (which Meghan has seen at least twice before). After the show, both Harry and Miranda addressed the audience. 

The hip-hop hit, which features one of Harry’s ancestors, King George III, tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton and pokes fun at the British monarchy. 

Ahead of the show, Miranda spoke to the royal pair about the distant relation. 

“The prince’s sixth-great-grandfather is a character so that’ll be fun and surreal for all of us,” Miranda said.

 

 

 

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England captain Joe Root says his batsmen are “very hungry” to prove themselves in the fourth Test against India, which begins on Thursday.

The hosts were bowled out for 161 in the first innings of the third Test as India cut their series deficit to 2-1.

However, England can still seal the series with victory in Southampton.

“It’s been frustrating, but this is another opportunity to put it right,” said Root. “There are a lot of very hungry guys to do that.”

England lost all 10 of their first-innings wickets between lunch and tea on the second day at Trent Bridge, the third time in less than two years that they have been bowled out in the space of a single session.

The home side then fell to 62-4 in the second innings, the latest in a string of top-order disappointments that has seen them lose their fourth wicket with the score on 100 or lower in half of their previous 62 Test innings.

From there, Ben Stokes shared a fifth-wicket stand of 169 with Jos Buttler, who completing his maiden Test century.

Root added: “Having seen Jos go and score a Test century, and how much that means to him, hopefully that drives other guys on too.”

In that second innings at Trent Bridge, Stokes was promoted to number five and Buttler to six after Jonny Bairstow suffered a broken finger while keeping wicket.

They will keep those places in Southampton, with Buttler taking the gloves and Bairstow, playing as a specialist batsman, moving up to four.

He fills the role vacated by the omitted Ollie Pope. His place has been taken by Moeen Ali, who will bat at number seven.

“The way that Jos and Ben batted at Trent Bridge in the second innings at five and six means they should be given the opportunity to do that again,” said Root.

“It was a fine partnership and a great example for the guys of how to play Test cricket in difficult circumstances. It was good lesson to the rest coming into this week.

“Moeen will bat at seven because that is where we feel we get the best out of him. Even though it was at three for Worcestershire, generally he has performed at his best for England at number seven. It gives us good depth in that department.”

England’s reshuffled middle order comes behind an opening pair of Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings, both of whom are struggling for runs.

Cook is England’s all-time Test run-scorer, but averages only 19.21 in 2018, while Jennings is faring little better since he was recalled earlier in the summer, averaging 20.50.

Four years ago, Cook arrived in Southampton against the same opponents as an under-fire captain, struggling for batting form and with his side in the middle of a horrible run of results.

They had been whitewashed 5-0 in Australia, gone through the controversy of sacking Kevin Pietersen, suffered a home series defeat by Sri Lanka and were 1-0 down to India after two matches.

Cook responded with 95 in the first innings, beginning a turnaround that eventually saw England win the series 3-1.

“It was brilliant wasn’t it?” said Root. “I remember sitting in the dressing room almost a little bit emotional for him. That was the feeling within the group, how much he means to the squad.

“That was a big week for him in turning around where his game was at. He’s always liked playing here so hopefully we can see some big runs from him again.

“I’d love nothing more than him to go out and make a big double hundred. Whenever he’s backed into a corner, he does something rather special. It would be good for to set things up from the top of the order and play a big innings as he has done on a number of occasions.”

Israel renewed its threat to attack Iranian military targets in Syria after Damascus and Tehran reached a new accord on security cooperation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a speech on Wednesday his country would take “strong and determined action against Iran‘s attempts to station forces and advanced weapons systems in Syria”.  

“No agreement between Syria and Iran will deter us; neither will any threat deter us,” said Netanyahu at a ceremony naming Israel’s nuclear facilities after late president Shimon Peres.

Iran’s military attache to Damascus said Tuesday his country’s military advisers would remain in Syria under the defence agreement signed the previous day.

“Support for Syria’s territorial integrity and the independence of Syrian sovereignty were also emphasised in the agreement,” Brigadier-General Abolghasem Alinejad said.

Tehran has provided steady political, financial and military backing to President Bashar al-Assad as he fought back against a seven-year uprising.

‘No place for the weak’ 

Israel has sought to avoid direct involvement in the conflict but acknowledged carrying out dozens of air strikes in Syria to stop what it says are deliveries of advanced weaponry to its Lebanese enemy Hezbollah.

It has also pledged to prevent its arch foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, and a series of strikes that have killed Iranians in Syria have been blamed on Israel.

“We are working to prevent Iran from establishing a military presence in Syria,” Netanyahu said.

“We will not relent in pursuit of this goal just as we did not relent in bringing about the cancellation of the bad nuclear agreement with Iran.”

In May, Israel hit dozens of military sites in Syria after accusing Iran of launching rocket and missile attacks towards its forces in the occupied Golan Heights. 

Israel launched air strikes on three Syrian military facilities in July following the incursion of what it said was a Syrian drone into its airspace in Quneitra province. 

Israel’s prime minister said there was a “simple truth” in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world where “there’s no place for the weak”.

“The weak collapse, get butchered, are erased from history. And the strong, for better or worse, are the ones who survive.

“The strong are the ones who are respected, the strong are the ones with whom alliances are struck, and eventually the strong are the ones with whom you make peace.”

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

Image: david kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The U.S. Open has a lot of thoughts about tennis — and women’s boobs.

On Wednesday, French tennis player Alizé Cornet walked onto the court of the U.S. Open and realized that her shirt was on backwards. Instead of running to the women’s locker room, Cornet took off her shirt in public and then put it on the right way.

Umpire Christian Rask then charged her with a code violation, prompting necessary amounts of outrage. 

At the time of the incident, temperatures at the U.S. Open in New York hovered in the mid-nineties. It’s possible that Cornet didn’t want to expend additional energy running off to the locker room.

Alternatively, it’s possible she just didn’t care about a couple of randos seeing her in a sports bra.

Either way, the incident sparked an outcry. Per CBS News, only the Women’s Tennis Association has a rule dictating where their players can and cannot take off their shirts. Men aren’t subject to the same regulations. Apparently, female nipples are such a threat to the general public that they need to be governed by a professional body.

Here’s what Twitter had to say about it:

Earlier in the week, the French Tennis Federation ruled that Serena Williams couldn’t wear a black catsuit at the French Open. The catsuit was designed so that Williams, who has struggled with circulation problems since becoming pregnant, wouldn’t suffer any blood clots.

Sigh. Whether it’s on the court or off, people still love to regulate the female body in 2018. Meanwhile I saw, like, twenty exposed scrotum sacs while on a New York City beach last week, and nobody had a damn thing to say about it.

Let’s get to a place where all bodies can co-exist in peace.