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As kids head back to school, you may want to rethink whether your child should play tackle football.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY

BOSTON – Submerged in chemicals in the stainless-steel bowl is the key to life and, researchers hope, death.

It’s a human brain. That of a man who played college football in the 1950s, to be exact. His family donated his brain to get answers for themselves, but what’s found also could lead to more answers about chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the devastating neurodegenerative disease that’s linked to concussions and repetitive head trauma from football and other contact sports.

“Our main objective, our overarching goal, is to help the people that are living. To be able to diagnose this disease during life,” said Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology at the VA Boston Healthcare System, which houses the world’s largest brain bank devoted to CTE research.

“If we can diagnose it, we can monitor it and test therapies to see if they’re effective in treating this disease,” added McKee, who also is director of the CTE Center at Boston University’s School of Medicine. “… It would really dramatically increase our ability to point out genetic susceptibilities for this.

“We’d be able to look at how much is too much in certain individuals or certain positions in certain sports.”

As another football season gets underway, it inevitably leads to questions and fears about head trauma and its long-term damage. How many hits are too many? What can parents do to protect their children or players do to protect themselves? Are athletes in certain sports more susceptible?

And, most importantly, which athletes will develop CTE – or Parkinson’s or ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) – and why?

The answers will come from brains such as the one McKee dissected this month, when USA TODAY Sports toured the brain bank.

The brain bank has more than 500 brains, most donated by former athletes or their families who suspected CTE because of mood swings, behavioral changes, depression or dementia. Of those brains, more than 360 had CTE, McKee said.

Searching for clues

The arrival of a brain sets two teams in motion. One set of clinicians talks to the family to find out more about the individual. Did he or she play any sports? If so, what and for how long? When did they start? Did they experience any other kind of head trauma, say from an automobile accident, domestic violence or military service? Did they have drug or alcohol issues? How did their mental health change, and when did that occur?

Separately, and usually without any information about the person whose brain it is, McKee and her researchers study the brain. It is cut in half, and one half is stored in a minus-80 degree freezer so it will be available for molecular, genetic and biochemical studies.

The other half is then photographed and sectioned. After removing the brain stem, McKee uses what looks like a bread knife to cut slices of the brain about a quarter-inch thick.

Simply by looking at the brain, McKee can tell a few things. The brain of this man, who was in his 80s when he died, has shrunk, noticeably smaller than it should be for a man who once played football. The folds of the brain, normally pressed tightly against each other, are loose and have gaps between them, some large enough that the tip of a finger could be inserted.

She points to the ventricles, chambers in the middle of his brain that are filled with fluid during life. They should be small, but these are “just gigantic.”

“As the brain shrinks, they expand. What this indicates is there’s been enormous shrinkage of the brain,” McKee said. “Those are huge.”

The hippocampus, a section in the middle of the brain that controls memory, is small but not abnormally so for a man in his 80s. If it was, that could be an indication of Alzheimer’s. But a membrane that runs from one side of the brain to the other, normally thick like a rubber band, has shrunk. In some spots, it’s almost invisible.

“This is looking more like frontal predominant atrophy, and that could mean CTE because Alzheimer’s almost always affects the hippocampus,” McKee said. “At this point, I always want to know, ‘What is it? Let’s look under the microscope!’ But you have to wait.”

CTE can’t be seen by the naked eye, and it takes at least three weeks to prepare slides of the brain tissue.

CTE is caused by tau, a protein in the brain released as a result of head trauma. When tau clumps together, it damages brain cells and can change the brain’s function. While tau also causes Alzheimer’s, McKee said the tau that causes CTE looks distinctly different.

Under a microscope, it can be seen in telltale brown spots.

“CTE is very focal. In fact, in its early stages, it’s in the crevices. It just piles up. And that’s around blood vessels,” McKee said. “That’s very different. Alzheimer’s never does that.”

As CTE progresses, those clusters or clumps of tau will spread and the disease will become more severe. That’s why, in the early stages of disease, stages 1 and 2, the symptoms usually relate to behavioral changes or mood swings. In the later stages, stages 3 and 4, it’s exhibited by memory loss.

“We think there may be more pathology in the young players than we’re appreciating just with the tau protein,” McKee said. “We think there’s maybe white matter structural changes or maybe inflammatory changes that are responsible for that loss of control, which is so difficult for the individuals.”

‘Every case is a mystery’

Once the slides have been examined, the pathologists and clinicians will come together for a conference. At this point, neither knows what the other does. The clinicians detail what they’ve learned about the brain donor’s history and suggest a diagnosis. The pathologists will then say whether the brain tissue confirms it.

“Every case is a mystery,” McKee said. “It’s not the same way you usually solve a mystery. I solve the pathology first and then you go back and find out (the history). And then you try and put the two together.”

Some former players and their families once were reluctant to donate their brains, but that stigma largely has disappeared. So much so that McKee said brains arrive at the Boston bank almost every day. 

While that lengthens the time it takes to reach a definitive diagnosis, it will shorten the time before a living diagnosis can be found. In addition to the work done in her lab, McKee shares tissue samples with researchers around the world. 

“What we want to do is establish the risk, educate people, educate parents, educate players,” McKee said. “So if they’re unwilling to risk that future self, if they’re unwilling to take that risk because it’s too high for them personally, we want to give them enough data so they can make a very sound and wise decision.”

When that day comes, it will change sports forever. 

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on Twitter @nrarmour. 

With the Royal Wedding now in the rearview mirror, Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle are taking the next big step in their marriage: They’re adopting a dog.

The newlyweds have reportedly adopted a Labrador according to People.

According to the entertainment magazine, the two adopted the dog in “early summer” and the assuredly adorable pup has “been joining them at their country getaway in the Cotswolds area and Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace in London.”

So what does this new canine addition to the family look like? I mean, it’s gotta be adorable, right? 

Unfortunately, photos of the Labrador haven’t been released (or leaked) yet. Neither has the dog’s name. 

Markle is a known pup lover. Prior to joining the British royal family, she had two — a rescue dog named Bogart and a beagle named Guy.

Guy made the trip to his new home in the UK, but Bogart apparently didn’t and now resides with one of Markle’s friends in Los Angeles, according to E! News.

We’re sure photos of the mysterious new Labrador will surface eventually, but if you don’t know what they look like (maybe you’re not a dog person!), here are some cuties to get stare at:

Saudi Arabia has reportedly delayed its plans to list shares of its state-owned oil company Aramco on the stock market.

Media reports say the initial public offering (IPO), scheduled for 2018, has been postponed indefinitely – claims denied by the Saudi government. 

Khalid al-Falih, the kingdom’s energy minister, said the government “remains committed” to conducting the IPO, and that the “timing will depend on multiple factors”. 

The plan to float around five percent of the oil company is expected to be the world’s largest stock sale.

It lies at the heart of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vision to transform the economy.

So, where does this leave Saudi Arabia’s efforts to raise money and diversify its economy?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests:

Mahjoub Zweiri – professor of contemporary history of the Middle East at Qatar University

Mohammed Cherkaoui – professor of conflict resolution at George Mason University

James Dorsey – senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University

Source: Al Jazeera News

Mohamed Salah’s first-half strike moved Liverpool top of the Premier League table with a 1-0 victory over a stubborn Brighton side.

Salah, who scored a record 38 goals in the Premier League last season, secured the three points with a clinical finish off the inside of the post.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were not at their fluid best, with their most dangerous moments coming before Salah struck.

After Sadio Mane poked a shot just wide, Roberto Firmino drew a smart save out of Mat Ryan with a downward header before Trent Alexander-Arnold hit the bar with a free-kick.

Brighton claimed a stunning 3-2 win against Manchester United in their previous game but rarely threatened to follow that up with an upset at Anfield.

They did, however, give the hosts some nervous moments in the closing stages and were denied a point when Alisson saved superbly from Pascal Gross’ header.

Liverpool are the only side to have taken maximum points from their three league games after reigning champions Manchester City dropped points at Wolves earlier on Saturday.

Chelsea and Watford also boast a 100% record but have played one game fewer than Liverpool.

Salah picking up from where he left off?

This was not Salah’s best game – he overhit a couple of passes and sent at least two shots into the upper tiers of the stand – but he was still able to provide the one moment of quality to decide a generally forgettable encounter.

Receiving the ball inside the area from fellow forward Mane, Salah looked up before superbly steering a left-footed shot just out of reach of Ryan and just inside the far post.

It was his 29th goal in 29 games at Anfield and the 45th Premier League goal he has been directly involved in (34 goals and 11 assists) since the start of the last season – 12 more than any other player.

He has two goals after three league games this season – the same as he had at this stage of his debut campaign with Liverpool last term.

Brighton beaten but not without a fight

Although this was Brighton’s second defeat in three games, their fans are unlikely to be discouraged by what they have seen from their team this season.

Their win against United was no fluke as they got in the faces of their opponents – showing no fear – and they displayed the same attitude at Liverpool.

Attacking opportunities were limited as they focused on nullifying a Liverpool side that scored six goals in their first two games – and in that respect they largely succeeded.

In May, Brighton were thumped 4-0 by Liverpool in the final game of the season, but only Alisson’s late save denied them a point.

The Seagulls appear to have come a long way in a short space of time and, if they continue to play in the style they have in their past two games, they have a strong chance of securing Premier League survival once again.

Man of the match – James Milner

Consistency key for Liverpool – the stats

• Liverpool have won their past six matches against Brighton in all competitions, scoring 21 goals and conceding five.
• Of the 17 teams to play in the Premier League last season and this season, Brighton have won the fewest points in away games (11).
• Liverpool have kept 11 clean sheets in the Premier League in 18 games since Virgil van Dijk’s debut in January 2018, more than any other side in that period.
• Liverpool named the same starting XI in three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since May 2017.
• Under Jurgen Klopp, Roberto Firmino has had a hand in 59 Premier League goals (36 goals, 23 assists), 14 more than any other Liverpool player.
• Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum completed 75 of his 76 passes in the game (98.7% accuracy), with his one misplaced pass coming in the 80th minute.

What next?

Liverpool travel to Leicester in the Premier League on Saturday, 1 September (12:30), while Brighton host Southampton in the League Cup second round on Tuesday (19:45).

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Here’s what you need to know about events celebrating Aretha Franklin’s life and musical legacy.
Wochit

To use phrasing common in the black church, her daddy made it plain.

On Aretha Franklin’s best-selling album, “Amazing Grace,” the revered Rev. C.L. Franklin said, “If you want to know the truth, she has never left the church.”

At the time, his words were intended to silence critics who frowned upon Aretha Franklin’s decision to begin singing secular music.

But Rev. Franklin’s prophetic words, spoken during the 1972 recording, also go a long way in explaining why gospel music remained a constant force and source of comfort throughout Aretha Franklin’s life, even as she reigned as the Queen of Soul.

And many of today’s top gospel artists credit her soul-stirring style and passion for the music with inspiring them.

“I used to sing her songs all the time at concerts and talent shows,” said Vanessa Bell Armstrong, whom people used to call “Little Aretha” when she was growing up in Detroit. “I wanted to be Aretha until I realized there’s only one Aretha Franklin. I had to figure out how to have her in me, but be myself.”

More Aretha Franklin coverage:

Bill Clinton to speak at Aretha Franklin funeral in Detroit

Funeral and tribute: Key details, locations and more

Twinkie Clark of famed Detroit gospel group the Clark Sisters said Franklin was “the greatest female vocalist in the world.”

“Me and my sisters got a lot of our riffs and runs from her. The way she did her moans and groans, we’d do the same way,” Clark said. “The way she’d improvise and ad lib, hit high notes, then go all the way down and hit low notes, we listened to all of that. Our mom (gospel music pioneer Mattie Moss Clark) taught and trained us, but Aretha was our greatest influence.”

Rev. Marvin Winans, of the Grammy-award winning group the Winans, said he cherished Franklin’s fire for the genre.

“Even her moans were heartfelt,” said Winans, pastor of Perfecting Church on Detroit’s east side. “She knew how to make that voice work. Aretha had a way of grabbing a lyric, singing off the beat and yet being right on top of it. She gave it her all and it made you try to give it your all.”

He especially admired Franklin’s appreciation for the old hymns of the black church.

“She had an ability to take an old hymn, spice it up and make it relevant today,” Winans said.

More: Aretha Franklin funeral performers: Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill

Deborah Smith Pollard, author of “When the Church Becomes Your Party: Contemporary Gospel Music,’’ (Wayne State University Press, $26.99) and co-host of a Sunday morning gospel show MIX 92.3 FM, said it’s a fitting tribute to Franklin’s love of gospel music that her best-selling album is a gospel CD, “Amazing Grace,” recorded in with Rev. James Cleveland.

Franklin’s abiding affection for gospel music was evident in the fact that she sang it even during pop concerts. She offered an 11-minute rendition of the gospel classic, “Precious Lord” during her final Detroit show in 2017.

Franklin annually hosted gospel concerts at New Bethel Baptist, located on a stretch of Linwood Avenue renamed in her father’s honor. On Monday, the church will host a gospel concert celebrating her life. It will be free to the public — as her gospel concerts there always were.

“Oftentimes, people who start in gospel start singing pop and then that’s what they did,” said Pollard. “Aretha was one of those rare people who did both and very often in the same concert. Whatever she sang, she had an audience for it, and often it was the same audience.”

Gospel singer Vickie Winans said she used to joke with Franklin about how she smoothly transitioned from singing a secular song into a gospel number.

“Girl, you got to tell me whether we in church or in the bedroom,” Vickie Winans said she’d tell Franklin. “One minute we’re riding on the ‘Freeway of Love’ and the next minute, ‘Jesus, Oh Jesus.’ I’d say, “Wait a minute? Is Jesus on the freeway?’ She would just laugh and say, ‘Girl, I can’t help myself.’ “

Indeed, she couldn’t help but sing gospel music, say those who knew her.

“I don’t care where she was, if the spirit hit her, she was going to start ministering in song,’’ said Gloria Ridgeway, a background singer for Franklin, who along with her sisters, sang with her in the movie “Blues Brothers 2000.”  “We were all raised in the church too, so it was always a treat for us to fall right in and sing gospel with her.”

“That’s really who she was, a gospel singer,” Ridgeway said. “It didn’t matter what genre of music she was singing, you could still feel and hear gospel music in it because whatever she did, she did from the heart and soul.”

Rev. E.L. Branch, who served as an associate minister under Rev. C.L. Franklin, recalled attending one of Aretha Franklin’s last concerts at Detroit’s Fox Theatre. He said Aretha went directly from a secular song to singing “Old Ship of Zion.”

“It was as if at that moment her audience became her congregation,” Branch said.

“Gospel was so deeply rooted in her, she couldn’t help but go there,” said Branch, pastor of Third New Hope Baptist Church on Detroit’s northwest side.

Those roots ran deep in the Franklin household. She started singing at New Bethel Baptist Church when she was barely tall enough to be seen on the pulpit. Her first road trips were with her nationally famous father, whom she adored.

He often hosted great gospel and secular singers in their home, including gospel pioneers Mahalia Jackson, Clara Ward and Sam Cooke, who also started as a gospel singer.

One of the nation’s premiere gospel singers and arrangers, the late Rev. James Cleveland, served as minister of music at New Bethel and lived in the Franklin home for a few years. Known as the King of Gospel, he is credited with teaching it to a young Aretha Franklin.

Eugene Rogers, director of choirs and associate professor of conducting at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said when Aretha Franklin sang gospel, she had complete strength, confidence and vocal control. She had a unique ability to hold a note long at every range she sang — from the very high to the very low.

And, she had a way of singing gospel music that let the listener know her goal wasn’t to entertain; it was to deliver the message.

“It was as if she channeled the Holy Spirit,” he said.

Franklin’s impact on gospel music will be everlasting, he said.

“She will always be one of the top gospel artists ever,” Rogers said. “Any gospel artist coming along, if they’re serious about doing their homework, they have to study Aretha Franklin. It’s like you can’t be a classical artist without studying Bach and Beethoven. You can’t call yourself a gospel artist if you haven’t studied Aretha Franklin.”

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The Gospel Tribute to Aretha Franklin

With Evelyn Turrentine-Agee, Dorothy Norwood, Laura Lee, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Douglas Miller, Esther V. Smith and the Aretha Franklin Celebration Choir

Hosted by Rev. Robert Smith Jr.

6 p.m. Mon.

New Bethel Baptist Church

8430 CL Franklin Blvd., Detroit 

Free

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Precious Memories

Vanessa Bell Armstrong is a gospel singer who Aretha Franklin invited to sing at gospel concerts she presented at New Bethel Baptist Church.

“Aretha almost came between me and my religion. One day, when I was about 9 years old, my daddy (a preacher) asked if I was saved? I said, ‘No sir.’ He asked why. I said, ‘Cause I like to listen to Aretha Franklin.’ We were Church of God in Christ. I didn’t think I could be saved and listen to Aretha. But I was willing to put her up over my religion. My father said, ‘Awww, is that all?’ He let me know I could love all Aretha’s music and still be saved.”

Vickie Winans, who would become a neighbor and friend of Franklin’s, recalled the first time Franklin called her out of the blue.

“She said, ‘Hello, this is Aretha.’ and she started talking, but I stopped her. ‘Hold up! This is who?’ She said, ‘Aretha.’ I said, ‘Yeah, right, you’re Aretha and I’m Beyonce. Who is this, for real?’ When I realized it was really her, I was shaking in my shoes. I started crying.

“She said, ‘The reason I’m calling is I want you to be in my movie. And I’m calling you myself (because) I got to make sure I got you.’ ”

Sande Rose sang in choirs backing Franklin with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and at the Super Bowl.

“After we (the St James Baptist Church Adult Choir) sang with her at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at a Christmas concert, about eight to 10 of us were asked to meet her in the studio to record with her. At the time she had a hit called, “So Damn Happy.” I had it in heavy rotation. I loved that song. So when we went to the studio I gave it to J.D. (Jimmy Dowell, minister of music at St. James) and asked him to take it to her and ask her to sign the jacket cover. He came back and said, ‘She said, “If you want it signed, you better come in there ask her yourself.” ‘  So I went into the control room and asked her. I was so nervous, but she was just so very gracious and down-to-earth. I had it framed. I still have it. Aretha was anointed to sing.  Even if she covered someone else’s song, she made it her own. The octave and range she had was just phenomenal. But number one, she was a home girl.”
 

Read or Share this story: https://on.freep.com/2Nd064K

Google essentially got slapped in the face when Epic Games, the developer of the super popular Fortnite, decided not to make the game available through the Play Store, but via its own app.

Google warned Epic that doing so could potentially put Android users at greater security risk, but the game developer brushed it off, insisting on going it alone for several reasons — including not having to give Google a cut in-app revenue and “embracing open platforms.”

Well, now the worst has happened. Despite having no obligation to do so, Google recently discovered an exploit within the Fortnite installer app that allowed malicious apps installed on one’s Android phone to hijack the download process so that instead of downloading the game from Epic’s server, it could download and install something entirely different, which could potentially leave the device open to attacks.

Here’s a quick run-down of what happened:

Google first discovered the vulnerability inside of the Fortnite installer app on Aug. 15 and immediately notified Epic. Details for the exploit weren’t public yet. Within 48 hours, Epic patched the Fortnite installer and deployed it to all Android users who installed the app. 

Here’s where things get a little ugly. Even though Epic quickly released a patch for the installer app, it asked Google not to disclose the details of the exploit until after 90 days. Not only would there be more time for users to update their installer apps, but hackers also wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the bug.

However, Google’s bug disclosure guidelines explicitly states the following:

“This bug is subject to a 90-day disclosure deadline. After 90 days elapse or a patch has been made broadly available, the bug report – including any comments and attachments – will become visible to the public.”

Despite Epic’s request for Google to wait the full 90 days before disclosing the exploit, Google abided by its own guidelines and shared the details.

Per Google’s Issue Tracker thread on the bug report:

“…now the patched version of Fortnite Installer has been available for 7 days we will proceed to unrestrict this issue in line with Google’s standard disclosure practices”.

Naturally, the Fortnite developer wasn’t happy about Google’s decision at all. Epic provided Mashable the following comment from CEO Tim Sweeney:

“Epic genuinely appreciated Google’s effort to perform an in-depth security audit of Fortnite immediately following our release on Android, and share the results with Epic so we could speedily issue an update to fix the flaw they discovered.

However, it was irresponsible of Google to publicly disclose the technical details of the flaw so quickly, while many installations had not yet been updated and were still vulnerable.

An Epic security engineer, at my urging, requested Google delay public disclosure for the typical 90 days to allow time for the update to be more widely installed. Google refused. You can read it all at https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/112630336

Google’s security analysis efforts are appreciated and benefit the Android platform, however a company as powerful as Google should practice more responsible disclosure timing than this, and not endanger users in the course of its counter-PR efforts against Epic’s distribution of Fortnite outside of Google Play.”

Ultimately, who’s in the right and who’s in the wrong? Honestly, neither company is. 

Google is right that Epic’s decision to not release Fortnite through the Play Store leaves the app more vulnerable. As my colleague, Mashable tech reporter Matt Binder, previously made clear: Android users need to disable certain Android security permissions in order to install Fortnite and there’s no guarantee they’ll remember to turn them back on after doing so.

Maybe Google really is butt-hurt that it’s not getting any revenue from the massively popular game (apps listed on Google Play pay a share of their sales to Google). However, because of the game’s popularity, the Android gatekeeper still has a responsibility to ensure that users are safe. Otherwise, the entire platform could end up with an even worse reputation because of third-party developers.

That said, Epic is also right because if Google truly cares about protecting its users first and foremost, it should have been more flexible on its bug disclosure deadline so as to not tip off hackers so quickly.

Following Sweeney’s statement, Google had only this to say in response to Mashable’s request for comment: “User security is our top priority, and as part of our proactive monitoring for malware we identified a vulnerability in the Fortnite installer. We immediately notified Epic Games and they fixed the issue.”

The disagreements between Google and Epic should not be overlooked. Google may wish to have nothing to do with Fortnite after being shunned by Epic Games, but their paths will inevitably cross because of the Android platform.

It’s possible Google will discover vulnerabilities in future versions of the Fortnite installerm or even other app installers from other companies that decide to follow in Epic’s footsteps and not offer their apps in the Play Store. Will Google have to monitor and perform security audits on all of those as well in order to protect Android users? Hard to say, but it’s sure gonna be interesting to watch from the sidelines.

If anyone’s laughing at this turn of events, it’s Apple. The company’s closed platform means all apps must be released through the App Store. By not allowing apps to be officially released in any other way, Apple has guarded itself against the issue Google’s now facing. 

President Donald Trump‘s long-serving personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to twin federal election law offences directly implicating the President. Mr Cohen’s statements set the foundation for the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York to subpoena Mr Trump to testify about $280,000 paid to a adult film star (Stormy Daniels) and a Playboy model (Karen McDougal) during his 2016 campaign for their silence about his decade-old affairs with each to influence the outcome of the election. The disclosures could have alienated his religious right-wing supporters.

Mr Trump is likely to resist the subpoena. That would force a challenge in the United States Supreme Court as to whether a sitting president is accountable to the criminal law, as are all other officers of the United States, including members of Congress and justices of the Supreme Court. The controlling precedents are against President Trump. In United States v Nixon, the Supreme Court unanimously compelled President Richard Nixon to surrender presidential tapes and documents for use in a criminal trial against his top assistants. None of Mr Nixon’s four Supreme Court appointees voted in his favour. In Clinton v Jones, the Court held that President Bill Clinton could be compelled to testify in a civil suit bright by Paula Jones alleging sexual harassment. Neither of Mr Clinton’s two appointees voted in his favour. Mr Trump is similarly unlikely to win the votes of Justice Neil Gorsuch, whom he appointed, or Brett Kavanaugh, whose nomination will soon be confirmed. They would strain to avoid an appearance of bowing to their benefactor as did the Nixon and Clinton justices.

An adverse ruling by the Supreme Court would end the Trump presidency. If he defied the Supreme Court’s order, he would be immediately be impeached by the House for subverting the Constitution’s separation of powers, convicted in the Senate by a two-thirds majority, and removed from office. (Attempts to subvert the Constitution are made impeachable offences, ie, high crimes and misdemeanours, under Article II, section 4). The Supreme Court remains the nation’s most venerated and untarnished civil institution. Any attack on a decision joined by Trump’s own appointees would ring hollow.

President Trump would be equally doomed if he agreed to give testimony under oath. In his mental universe, he does not distinguish between truth and falsehood. Perjury would be inescapable. He has already lied repeatedly about pay-offs to the two women. His foremost lawyer and spokesman, Rudy Giuliani, has insisted “truth isn’t truth” in explaining why Trump’s testimony would inexorably prove perjurious. Perjury is an impeachable offence, and occasioned President Clinton’s impeachment by the House of Representatives.

President Trump may also be implicated in a June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower between Donald Trump Jr, Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner on the one hand, and agents of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the other hand. The purpose, according to Donald Trump Jr, was to solicit or receive damaging information on Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton to use in the election campaign. Federal law prohibits soliciting anything of value from a foreign government or agent to influence the outcome of an election even if the solicitation fails. It seems implausible that President Trump was clueless about a meeting of such electoral importance. That conclusion is reinforced by his concoction with Donald Trump Jr of a false story that the President Putin’s minions were embraced to discuss adoptions of Russian children – a non-issue in the 2016 presidential campaign

Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign manager, was found guilty of eight counts of tax and bank fraud involving huge sums concurrently with Mr Cohen’s guilty plea. The convictions discredit Mr Trump’s soundtrack that special counsel Robert Mueller is engaged in a political witch-hunt with no legal justification. Indeed, Mr Mueller has indicted or convicted more than 30 persons or entities.

The Manafort convictions combined with Mr. Cohen’s guilty plea and the guilty plea of Mr Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, puncture Mr Trump’s campaign pledge to “drain the swamp”. The president’s popularity is dwindling, which will spike the probability of impeachment.

It blends law and politics. Members of Congress respond to public opinion. If it turns against President Trump because of the epidemic of lawlessness in and around the White House, members will be emboldened to initiate impeachment hearings, especially if control of either the House or the Senate flips to the Democrats after the November 2018 elections. President Nixon’s public approval rating had plunged to 22 percent when he resigned in 1974 after the House Judiciary Committee voted three articles of impeachment. When President Trump’s political barometer falls to that level, his impeachment and conviction are a certainty.

President Trump epitomises narcissism. He has scorned the adage that he who loves himself will have no rivals. He has virtually no personal friends in Congress willing to fall on a sword for him. Indeed, most members would prefer Vice President Mike Pence in the Oval Office to Mr Trump. Mr Pence echoes the same general policies, but without the vulgarity and venom of Mr Trump.

Mr Manafort has become a wild card for President Trump after his tax and bank fraud convictions. Even if he resists cooperation with special counsel Mueller, Manafort can be compelled to testify with a grant of immunity about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Russian officials when he was Trump’s campaign manager to solicit “dirt” on Clinton. Mueller can afford to grant immunity. He does not need additional convictions to dispatch Mr Manafort to prison for long years or life.

According to a recent book by Mike Isikoff and David Corn, Russian Roulette, Mr Manafort and Donald Trump Jr both solicited the Russians for derogatory information – a clear violation of the anti-solicitation prohibition in federal campaign finance laws as applied to foreign nations or agents. With a grant of immunity, Mr Manafort would be compelled to reveal everything that transpired and what President Trump knew before and after. That Manafort testimony could implicate Mr Trump in a conspiracy to violate the law against foreign contributions to political campaigns. Mr Mueller would then subpoena Mr Trump for testimony about the apparent “Russian collusion”. That would end Trump’s presidency. He is a compulsive liar and would commit perjury as Mr Giuliani has acknowledged.

The imponderables that will determine how quickly the Doomsday Clock for the Trump presidency strikes midnight are threefold: the credibility of Mr Cohen as a witness under klieg lights; the speed with which Congress begins televised hearings into President Trump’s wrongdoing; and, the timing of subpoenas for Mr Trump’s testimony from the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and special counsel Mueller. 

President Trump’s ouster from the White House is no longer a question of if but when.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Arsenal recorded their first Premier League win under new manager Unai Emery after Issa Diop’s own goal and Danny Welbeck’s late strike saw West Ham fall to their third straight defeat.

The defensively frail Gunners came from behind to lead in fortuitous fashion as Alexandre Lacazette’s volley across the area deflected in off Diop.

Hector Bellerin then picked out an unmarked Welbeck in added time and the substitute turned to lift his effort past Lukasz Fabianski.

West Ham captain Marko Arnautovic put the visitors in front on 25 minutes, exchanging passes with the impressive Felipe Anderson before slotting low past Petr Cech.

Nacho Monreal equalised five minutes later, firing into an unguarded net after Bellerin’s cross deflected into the defender’s path off Alex Iwobi.

Both Arnautovic and Robert Snodgrass then shot straight at Cech as the Hammers missed several chances to take the lead again, with former Gunner Lucas Perez also slicing wide late on in search of an equaliser.

Frail Arsenal need defensive improvement

The first half at times resembled a contest to determine which side’s defence were more inept, with Arsenal edging it.

Their tactic of playing out from the back with Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos split either side of Cech was too easy for West Ham to disrupt, particularly with neither centre-back looking overly comfortable or mobile enough on the ball.

It led to several chances for the visitors, as did having full-backs Monreal and Bellerin pushed up high – the latter especially offered plenty of threat going forward but it meant West Ham had plenty of space to counter-attack into.

Anderson exploited that space brilliantly throughout, carrying the ball from deep to drive at the Arsenal defence, before playing a one-two with Arnautovic through Mustafi’s legs and allowing the striker to pick his spot in the bottom corner from outside the area.

Elsewhere, Arsenal failed to pick up runners, with the offside Arnautovic wisely leaving Michail Antonio’s through ball for the overlapping Snodgrass, only for the Scot to pick out Cech.

The hosts escaped with a win here but better sides will both carve them apart and finish their chances if the defending does not improve.

Or will they just try to outscore opponents?

Arsenal showed glimpses of their attacking potential and started the game by dominating possession and winning tackles in midfield, with 19-year-old Frenchman Matteo Guendouzi impressing again.

Yet that spell in control lasted only 10 minutes and it took Diop’s bizarre own goal to spark the Gunners’ attack once more, with Lacazette and Aubameyang both going close as the Hammers reeled.

Aaron Ramsey had a goal rightly disallowed for offside and saw a low drive superbly saved by Fabianski late on as the midfielder proved an adequate replacement for Mesut Ozil, reportedly left out due to illness.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan produced a decent display, while summer signing Lucas Torreira was a positive influence after replacing the tiring Guendouzi, suggesting the makings of a fine midfield if Emery can bring it together.

Mixed Hammers fall to the bottom

While Arsenal’s defence was more obviously shambolic in the first half, it was West Ham’s that ultimately determined the result and sent the visitors bottom of the table.

In the build-up to his own goal, Premier League debutant Diop miscued a clearance straight up in the air, allowing Rasmey to head the ball to Lacazette, who turned and found the net via the hapless retreating defender.

Elsewhere, the visitors could could have conceded more but for a fine performance by Fabianski against his former side.

The same could not be said for Jack Wilshere, the former Gunner kept largely anonymous throughout and cutting a frustrated figure as he picked up a late booking.

Missed chances aside, West Ham showed promise going forward, with Anderson offering his side pace and crisp passing, while Arnautovic was a threat until he was forced off with a knee injury in the second half.

They need that knock to be nothing too serious to avoid a difficult start to the season turning into a real struggle.

Man of the match – Felipe Anderson (West Ham)

‘Very important to win’ – match reaction

Arsenal manager Unai Emery, speaking to BBC Sport: “We are happy because it is the first three points after two defeats. It was very important to win, and we showed in the match that in the difficulty we can win, after 1-0 in the first half.

“We suffered with the transition in the first half, but we improved in the second half and controlled more like we want. In the second half we wanted to find more balance on the pitch and we did.

“We need to improve. To improve in this transition to get the balance, to get more control with the ball but also, West Ham are a good team, it was a difficult match, for that we are happy but there are things to improve.”

West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini, speaking to BBC Sport: “They won 3-1, but if you analyse the game you see we had so many options to score the goal.

“I am very happy in the way we played, we played well with good pace and movement, so I am sure soon it will come.

“The team played well, it was a team that defended well. I am happy as a team we are improving on a lot of things we are trying to do.”

Gunners extend London derby run – match stats

• Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League London derbies at the Emirates, winning seven and drawing three.
• West Ham United have lost their first three games of the Premier League season for the third time this decade (also 2010-11 & 2017-18) after doing this just five times between 1920 and 2010.
• Marko Arnautovic has been directly involved in 19 Premier League goals since the start of last season (13 goals, 6 assists), eight more than any other West Ham player.
• Issa Diop is only the eighth player to score an own goal on his Premier League debut and the first to do so for West Ham United in the competition.
• Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck netted his third Premier League goal against West Ham United; only against Aston Villa (4) and Everton (4) has he scored more.

What’s next?

Arsenal are at Cardiff on Sunday, 2 September at 13:30 BST, while West Ham are on EFL Cup duty against AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday (kick-off 19:45 BST) before hosting Wolves in the league on Saturday, 1 September at 15:00 BST.

Joe Fleming, USA TODAY
Published 10:56 a.m. ET Aug. 25, 2018 | Updated 1:55 p.m. ET Aug. 25, 2018

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Tennis player Serena Williams reveals that being the mother of a daughter has made her a stronger advocate of Purple Purse, an anti-domestic violence charity. She also says she aims to compete at Wimbledon. (June 21)
AP

Tennis just can’t seem to get out of its own way.

Andy Roddick, the Hall of Famer who always called it as he saw it, was on target again in response to the French Tennis Federation’s announcement that Serena Williams’ catsuit would be banned going forward from the French Open.

“This is so dumb and shortsighted it hurts,” Roddick tweeted.

Once again an off-the-court issue intrudes on the game itself, two days before the start of the US Open, the season’s final major. 

In an interview in Tennis Magazine’s 500th edition, French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli said the French Open will institute a dress code to regulate players’ uniforms because, “I think that sometimes we’ve gone too far.”

MORE: French Open won’t let Serena Williams wear black catsuit

MORE: Andy Murray is realistic about his chances of winning US Open

And then he singled out the figure-hugging black suit that Williams wore this year at Roland Garros and said made her feel like a superhero.

“It will no longer be accepted,” Giudicelli said. “One must respect the game and the place.”

Social media, predictably, lit up in response, and wrapped up in the outrage are questions of racism, sexism and body issues. 

Among the many who rushed to Serena’s defense was Nike, her outfitter: “You can take the superhero out of her costume, but you can never take away her superpowers.”

Why would the French Open target Serena Williams? After all, she is a three-time champion at Roland Garros and wildly popular — she has a home in Paris, and she answers post-match, on-court questions in French.

But she does seem to have been targeted. 

Part of the reason for the catsuit was health-related. Throughout the season, Williams has worn compression legwear (when not in the catsuit) to help circulation and ward of blood clots — something she has battled in the past, including after the birth of her daughter.

Williams took the news better than most everyone else, saying Saturday in a US Open press conference: “Guys, it’s fine.”

Giudicelli promised that Roland Garros’ new rules won’t be as strict as Wimbledon’s, which require that players wear white. (A catsuit has, in fact, been worn at Wimbledon before, albeit all white: by Anne White in 1985).

Wimbledon’s famously strict dress codes have been in place for years and for the most part have been accepted — or at least players have resigned themselves to the guidelines. 

But to change a rule, as Roland Garros has done, seemingly arbitrarily and well after the fact, drawing attention away from the season’s final major? 

Cue Roddick: “Sometimes it’d be nice if the sport got out of its own way.”

Walt Disney World might now be a place where the workers’ dreams really do come true. After months of negotiations, the theme park and resort struck a deal with six unions to start paying employees $15 per hour by 2021, according to the Orlando Sentinel. 

The deal still awaits union members’ approval, but it would slowly increase the hourly minimum wage for Disney World staff from $10 to $15 by October 2021. Nationwide advocates of a $15 hourly wage often refer to that pay as a “living wage.”  

UNITE HERE Central Florida, a union that represents staff with Walt Disney World Food & Beverage and Housekeeping, called the raise “historic” in a Facebook post published Friday. In addition, workers will receive a previously scheduled $1,000 bonus that had been put on hold during negotiations. 

The deal will affect 38,000 employees that belong to six different unions. Though Disney World originally wanted concessions on union rights, the agreement doesn’t include those demands. 

“These Union raises will be life-changing for the women and men who welcome millions of tourists to Walt Disney World,” Matt Hollis, president of the Service Trades Council Union, said in a statement. “Now money tourists spend here in Central Florida will stay here, pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into local small businesses.” 

The Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, estimates that full-time, year-round workers who receive $15 an hour will earn $3,500 more a year. It also argues that a single, childless adult will need to earn $15 an hour by 2024 in order to “achieve a modest but adequate standard of living.”