Lois Beckett

The murder trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis opened in Las Vegas over the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed rapper Tupac Shakur. Prosecutors presented Davis as the on-the-ground commander of the alleged effort to kill Shakur, while his lawyers argue that statements in his memoir and interviews were fabricated for publicity. On the trial’s second day, jurors viewed surveillance footage, bullet casings and graphic autopsy photographs. Several witnesses remain unwilling to discuss the killing, including James McDonald, who testified only because he was subpoenaed and repeatedly resisted questions that could implicate Davis. Shakur’s family described the evidence as painful but potentially important for achieving accountability and closure.

The second day of Duane “Keefe D” Davis’s trial over the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur featured forensic, police and eyewitness testimony. Dr Lisa Gavin said the autopsy evidence established homicide, while former detective Dean O’Kelley described the shooting scene. James McDonald, a former Death Row security associate, testified that tensions and retaliatory threats spread between Compton factions after Shakur was shot, but repeatedly refused to provide details he believed could harm Davis, calling himself a hostile witness. McDonald said the conflict was between Suge Knight and Davis, and rejected conspiracy claims that former Death Row security chief Reggie Wright Jr. was involved. Former security chief James Wright Jr. also denied any role in the murder. Proceedings were scheduled to resume the following day.

Kara Walker has transformed Charlottesville’s former Stonewall Jackson monument into Unmanned Drone, a distorted, dismembered sculpture that rejects the original statue’s celebration of Confederate power and Jim Crow ideology. The work anchors the Los Angeles exhibition Monuments, which brings together decommissioned Confederate statues and contemporary works by artists including Karon Davis, Jon Henry and Hank Willis Thomas. The exhibition examines how monuments preserve white supremacist narratives, how their removal followed violent conflicts including the 2017 Unite the Right rally, and whether artistic recontextualization can reduce their power to harm while turning historical trauma toward healing. It also highlights the continuing presence of most Confederate monuments in public spaces and the ongoing political backlash against Black history and voting rights.

New York attorney general Letitia James was indicted by a federal grand jury on bank-fraud and false-statement charges over alleged misrepresentations involving a Virginia property. James called the prosecution a politically motivated weaponization of justice and vowed to defend herself. The case followed the replacement of prosecutor Erik Siebert by Trump appointee Lindsey Halligan, prompting criticism from Democrats and civil-rights groups. Separately, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to the Chicago area, while an appeals court appeared more receptive to the administration’s planned deployment in Portland. The live coverage also followed the continuing government shutdown, developments in the Gaza ceasefire, and Trump’s campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The US federal government shutdown entered its second day with no immediate resolution in sight. Donald Trump warned that prolonged closure could lead to federal worker firings and permanent cuts to projects favored by Democrats, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune said another reopening vote would likely fail and that senators might not return until the following week. Democrats continued demanding an extension of Affordable Care Act health-insurance tax credits, while Republicans rejected negotiations over the issue. The shutdown was expected to damage the economy by billions of dollars per week and potentially cause tens of thousands of job losses. The White House also faced criticism for partisan social-media attacks, including misleading claims about Democratic healthcare proposals and exaggerated assertions that Portland was burning. Other developments included possible financial aid for farmers affected by tariffs, pressure on universities to adopt Trump administration priorities in exchange for federal funding, renewed immigration enforcement, and reports of planned federal agency layoffs.

California governor Gavin Newsom warned that any California university signing the Trump administration’s proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education would immediately lose state funding, including access to the $2.8bn Cal Grants program. The compact offers federal grants in exchange for measures including limiting international undergraduates to 15%, adopting the administration’s definition of gender, banning race- and sex-conscious hiring and admissions, restricting departments and speech viewed as hostile to conservatives, freezing tuition and addressing grade inflation. USC, whose international students exceed the proposed limits and whose endowment is valued at $8.2bn, said it was reviewing the offer. California officials called the proposal an ideological takeover that would undermine institutional autonomy and academic freedom.

Maxwell House has launched a tongue-in-cheek “Maxwell Apartment” campaign responding to the US housing affordability crisis, including a limited offer of a year’s supply of pre-ground coffee for under $40. The campaign draws on record-high first-time homebuyer ages, historically low participation by first-time buyers, high prices and mortgage rates, and limited housing inventory. Data from the National Association of Realtors and Redfin underscores the severe affordability challenges, while the campaign aims to strengthen Maxwell House’s connection with the growing population of coffee-drinking renters.

The US federal government entered a prolonged shutdown after Senate Democrats rejected a Republican stopgap funding bill that did not extend Affordable Care Act subsidies or reverse Medicaid cuts. The White House blamed Democrats, warned of imminent federal layoffs and reportedly used government communications for partisan messaging, while reporters were shown racist deepfake videos targeting Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. The administration also froze approximately $18bn for New York transportation projects, threatened climate-related funding and federalized Oregon National Guard troops for deployment to Portland. Democrats defended the shutdown as a fight over healthcare, public media, foreign aid and executive overreach, while Republicans argued that Democrats were responsible for the closure. The coverage also reports a US security pledge to Qatar, vaccine-policy disputes involving Pennsylvania, and the removal of most members of the National Council on the Humanities.

The Guardian’s live blog reports that Victoria Police conducted a planned operation in Benalla during the month-long search for fugitive Dezi Freeman, who is wanted over the alleged killing of two officers in Porepunkah. Other major developments include the launch of Australia’s 5% first-home-buyer deposit scheme, a possible early 2029 closure of Gladstone’s coal-fired power station, concerns over Chinese restrictions on BHP iron ore shipments, and major AFL rule changes. The Australian government expressed concern for citizens aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla as it approached Gaza, while pro-Palestinian groups planned rallies demanding safe passage. The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s warnings about potentially unreliable SPF testing prompted responses, recalls and testing commitments from sunscreen companies. The blog also covers a proposed Northern Territory voluntary-assisted-dying law, the search for missing four-year-old Gus in South Australia, 20th-anniversary Bali bombing commemorations, Kamala Harris’s planned Australian visit, and Nicole Kidman’s divorce filing from Keith Urban.

32 Chunk won Katmai National Park’s Fat Bear Week after receiving 96,350 public votes, defeating runner-up Bear 856 and surpassing two-time champion 128 Grazer. Despite arriving in June with a broken jaw and facing concerns about whether he could fish or survive, Chunk consumed enough salmon to reach an estimated 1,200 pounds. The competition drew a record 1.5 million votes and highlights how fat reserves improve bears’ chances of surviving hibernation, while also raising public awareness of Katmai’s brown bears and ecosystem.

Donald Trump has appointed himself chair of the White House taskforce overseeing the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and says he intends to deliver the greatest games ever. Organizers and federal officials emphasize cooperation, funding and security support, but critics fear his America First agenda could deter foreign visitors, complicate visas, intensify immigration enforcement, militarize the event and suppress protests. Tensions between Trump and California leaders, including Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom, add political risk, although Trump’s personal investment in the games may also give organizers leverage to secure federal backing. Despite calls for Los Angeles to withdraw, the city is unlikely to abandon the event.

The live coverage reports that the US government is approaching a 1 October shutdown after Donald Trump and congressional leaders failed to reach a budget agreement. Mike Johnson sought more negotiating time, while JD Vance blamed Democrats; Democrats continued pressing for extensions of healthcare subsidies, and the administration threatened permanent federal-worker layoffs. The coverage also follows Trump’s proposed 20-point Gaza peace plan, which Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed while warning that Israel would resume fighting if Hamas rejected it. Hamas was reported to be reviewing the proposal, whose proposed transitional administration includes Trump and Tony Blair and drew immediate criticism. Other developments included planned National Guard deployments to Democratic-led cities, a Justice Department lawsuit against Minnesota’s sanctuary policies, YouTube’s $24.5 million settlement of Trump’s account-suspension lawsuit, and renewed legal conflict over abortion-pill access.

Los Angeles is pursuing a lower-cost, lower-impact 2028 Olympics by relying on existing venues, private sponsorship, public transit and limited new construction. Organizers believe they can cover an estimated $7.15bn budget and avoid debt, but the plan depends on meeting ambitious sponsorship targets and securing billions in federal funding for buses and transit. The city has also promised not to displace residents and to reduce the Games’ carbon footprint, yet activists remain concerned about homelessness, tree cover and the lack of enforceable environmental commitments. Wildfires, economic weakness, immigration raids and Donald Trump’s confrontational politics add significant uncertainty, leaving the Games’ success dependent on effective execution and political cooperation.

The Guardian’s live coverage follows the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC late-night show after pressure from FCC chair Brendan Carr and criticism from Donald Trump over Kimmel’s comments about Charlie Kirk’s killing. Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon and David Letterman respond with satire and condemn what they describe as censorship, while Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, Chris Murphy, Pete Buttigieg and media unions warn that the administration’s pressure on broadcasters and other institutions threatens free expression. Disney executives are reportedly considering Kimmel’s return amid protests and boycott calls. The coverage also details Trump’s threats against television networks, his proposed designation of antifa as a terrorist organization, disputes with NPR and The New York Times, and Maria Ressa’s warnings about authoritarianism, misinformation and the erosion of democratic institutions.

An estimated 200 to 300 people protested outside Disney’s Burbank headquarters after ABC indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show amid pressure from FCC chair Brendan Carr over Kimmel’s comments about Donald Trump and the MAGA movement’s response to Charlie Kirk’s killing. Organized in part by the Writers Guild of America, the demonstrations accused Disney CEO Bob Iger and ABC of surrendering to government pressure and called for Kimmel’s reinstatement. Similar protests took place in New York and Hollywood, with demonstrators framing the suspension as a threat to free speech and calling for boycotts and continued pressure on Disney.

Donald Trump suggested that television networks airing negative coverage of him could face government action, including possible license revocation, while supporting ABC’s indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. Trump’s claim that the government licenses major networks is inaccurate: the FCC licenses local stations but not national networks. The suspension followed Kimmel’s remarks about reactions in MAGA circles to Charlie Kirk’s killing and pressure from FCC chair Brendan Carr, who also raised the possibility of investigating The View. Critics including Barack Obama, Democratic lawmakers, media figures and Hollywood unions condemned the episode as a threat to free speech and regulatory intimidation. Around 200 protesters demonstrated outside Disney in Los Angeles, while ABC executives reportedly considered bringing Kimmel back. The controversy adds to concerns about political pressure on US broadcasters after CBS announced the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show.

California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii formed the West Coast Health Alliance and issued joint recommendations for COVID-19, flu and RSV vaccination, including broader eligibility than current federal guidance. The states recommend COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant people, older adults, people with risk factors, young children and anyone seeking protection. Their action follows the dismissal of CDC director Susan Monarez, concerns over HHS secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's influence on vaccine policy, and the replacement of members of the federal immunization advisory committee. Federal officials defended the committee and said policy would remain evidence-based, while public-health experts warned that weakened federal recommendations could restrict insurance reimbursement and pharmacy access, increasing the risk of preventable disease.

Steven Spielberg recalls believing his career was nearly finished during the chaotic production of Jaws, filmed on location in Martha’s Vineyard in 1974. Mechanical shark failures, rough seas, weather, boat races and the strain on the cast and crew pushed the production over budget and far behind schedule, but Spielberg refused offers to abandon the film. The resulting challenges helped create the movie’s convincing sense of danger and contributed to its artistic and commercial success. A new exhibition at Los Angeles’s Academy Museum explores the production, its special-effects problems and the collaborations that made Jaws a landmark film.

Ginuwine’s unexpected 2025 performance at SeaWorld San Diego attracted attention because the park’s viral summer concert series paired late-1990s and early-2000s R&B stars with a controversial family attraction. Despite concerns that SeaWorld was using the shows to rebrand itself after criticism over captive orcas, the concert featured no live animals and the park said its animal programming remained focused on education and conservation. Ginuwine delivered a restrained but confident hour-long set to an enthusiastic multigenerational crowd, turning an ostensibly absurd booking into a graceful demonstration that older performers can retain artistic value and stage presence without imitating the spectacle of youth-oriented pop concerts.

Anti-Musk protesters staged demonstrations outside Elon Musk’s new Tesla Diner in Hollywood, arguing that his political influence, government cost-cutting efforts and anti-trans comments have caused significant harm. The protests drew roughly 85 to 100 people, support from passing drivers and hostility from some Musk supporters, while police described them as peaceful. The diner has also generated complaints from local residents over severe traffic congestion and oversized screens, even as fans and tourists continue to visit.