House Speaker Kevin McCarthy demanded ‘accountability’ on U.S. aid to Ukraine and vowed to question President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington, amid heightening tensions among Republicans over funding the country’s defense. 

‘Is Zelenskyy elected to Congress? Is he our president? I don’t think I have to commit anything and I think I have questions for him,’ McCarthy said Tuesday, in just the latest remarks exhibiting skepticism about billions in U.S. military and other support.

‘Where’s the accountability on the money we’ve already spent? What is the plan for victory? I think that’s what the American public wants to know,’ he said, ABC News reported. 

McCarthy spoke at length on the topic as Zelensky attended UN General Assembly meetings in New York, and was on hand for President Joe Biden‘s speech where he blasted Russia’s invasion and blasted its ”illegal war of conquest.’

McCarthy spoke days before U.S. government funding is set to run out, setting up a possible government shutdown amid howls of protest form conservative Freedom Caucus members about a temporary spending measure.

The Biden administration is hoping to cut through the tensions to deliver a $24 billion aid package amid Ukraine’s counteroffensive.  

‘Look what Russia has done — invade — is wrong,’ McCarthy.

‘It’s an atrocity, we want to make sure that ends. I also have always said from the beginning, no matter what the issue is, I want accountability for whatever the hardworking taxpayers spend their money on. I want to plan for victory. So no, I will listen to the American public. I will follow what happens in Congress, but I will have questions for President Zelensky,’ he added.

 It came as a key alley, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, continued to fume about Ukraine aid on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.

‘I will not vote to fund a single penny to the war in Ukraine, COVID anything, and the political weaponized government,’ she said.

She also agreed with Trump ally Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) that she would oppose a temporary measure negotiated between conservatives and more centrist Republicans that would still slash domestic non-defense funding by 8 per cent.  

‘Oh absolutely. I’m a NO! Funding [special counsel] Jack Smith’s persecution of Trump is one of my red lines. No money for Ukraine or COVID insanity either. And continuing Pelosi’s policies for even one day is unacceptable.’

Biden warned at the UN that no nation can be secure if ‘we allow Ukraine to be carved up.’

‘I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles of the United States to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected?’ Biden said. ‘If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?

‘I’d respectfully suggest the answer is no,’ he said.

Biden has an ally in Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is pushing to continue U.S. funding. 

‘Helping Ukraine retake its territory means weakening — weakening — one of America’s biggest strategic adversaries without firing a shot,’ McConnell said recently on the Senate floor.

Conservatives are warring over the spending bill, called a CR, and the Ukraine aide.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), promoted the short-term bill – in part by touting its lack of Ukraine funding.

‘The 30 day CR does 2 things: 1. Secure the southern border. 2. Cut government spending by 8%. **There is NO Ukraine $$$** The truth is Congress needs more time to do the necessary spending cuts and reforms to stop the weaponization of our government and save our country,’ he wrote.

Said Gaetz, who has threatened to push essentially a no-confidence vote in McCarthy, ‘Lumping disparate agencies of Goverment [sic] into one big vote is a terrible idea. My friend Byron left off his list that the Donalds CR funds the election interference of Jack Smith. I am a NO. We must be better than this. 

• Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has floated a run for the White House in the past
• The 51-year-old officially announced his retirement from pro wrestling in 2019
• DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news

By Daniel Matthews For Dailymail.Com

Published: 15:12 EDT, 15 September 2023 | Updated: 15:20 EDT, 15 September 2023

Jon Hamm cut a dapper figure in a grey suit as he watched the men’s singles Final at the US Open in New York City on Sunday.

The actor, 52, was spotted sitting with his new wife Anna Osceola while watching the match between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens.

The couple – who tied the knot in Big Sur this past June after two years of dating – seemed in high spirits as they eagerly watched the Grand Slam. 

The Mad Men star opted for a crisp white open collar shirt with the smart grey outfit and donned a pair of dark sunglasses. 

Meanwhile, Anna cut a stylish figure in a green gingham shirt dress and accessorised by layering two gold necklaces and donned a pair of sunglasses. 

Many more stars showed up for the legendary sport competition, which saw Djokovic winning the 24th Grand Slam title again – for the fourth time.

The star-studded event saw the likes of Justin Timberlake, Nicole Kidman, Emily Ratajkowski, Matthew McConaughey, and a steamy appearance of Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet.

Jon and Anne famously met on the Mad Men series finale back in 2015, the same year he ultimately ended his 18-year relationship with Jennifer Westfeldt.

During his past relationship, which spanned nearly two decades, the 52-year-old was adamant that he would never tie the knot as he stated that he didn’t ‘have a particularly defined example of marriage.’

‘My parents got divorced when I was two and never remarried. So it doesn’t mean anything to me,’ he said during a 2012 interview with Playboy. ‘I don’t mean to say that it shouldn’t mean things to other people. I’m not judging it one way or another.’

The star continued: ‘It’s just my experience. I don’t have that paragon of married life to look at and think, ‘Oh yeah, that’s it! That’s what I want!”

Additionally, he stated that he did not have ‘a driving force to have a baby.’

Still, he wasn’t completely opposed to becoming a father as he said he wasn’t ‘ruling it out.’

Just months after meeting Anna on set of Mad Men, Jon and Jennifer announced they ended their longtime relationship.

With great sadness, we have decided to separate, after 18 years of love and shared history,’ they told ET in a joint statement. We will continue to be supportive of each other in every way possible moving forward.’

At the time, a source told the outlet that Jon’s ‘party-heavy lifestyle’ had become too much for Jennifer.

‘Jon and Jennifer really fought hard to make their relationship work, Jennifer more so than Jon,’ the source revealed. ‘They were together for many years, but in the end, it was too much work. It’s no secret that Jon likes to go out and leads a very party-heavy lifestyle. And Jennifer was just tired of that.’

Additionally, it was claimed Jennifer wanted him ‘to grow up’ but ‘he never wanted to.’

Ultimately, she became sick of ‘being his mother.’

Eight years after their split, however, he managed to finally walk down the aisle with Osceola, who is 17 years his junior.

The couple reportedly began dating in 2020, five years after they were introduced on the set of his AMC show, which ran from 2007 to 2015.

Anna bagged a small role as the receptionist named Clementine at Esalen, a spiritual California retreat that Jon’s character (Don Draper), attended in the final episode of the hit series.

The couple have been spotted together dating as far back as 2017 but rumours of their romance really took off in 2020, when the pair were repeatedly spotted running errands together during the coronavirus lockdown.

The pair exchanged vows just before sunset at Anderson Canyon in Big Sur, California, which is where they were first introduced while filming the series finale.

Stars are rarely seen in New York, but many of them showed up for The US Open Final on Sunday between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, as Nicole Kidman, Justin Timberlake and Leo Di Caprio were all spotted at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens. 

Timberlake – one of the world’s best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88million records – looked dapper in a green and white checkered shirt and khaki pants while sitting relatively close to the court. He also wore a watch with a brown leather strap and golden frame to complete his look. 

Kidman, on the other hand, sat next to her husband and singer Keith Urban, in a box while wearing a striped button-down shirt of her own over a beige top. The couple, who have two children, looked very much in love as they held hands while watching what was happening on the court. 

Urban even got close to his wife’s ear to tell her something secretive in a snap for the cameras while showing off a light purple button-down. 

Also sitting in a box high-up was American model Emily Ratajkowski, who braved a grey dress in rainy New York weather while also donning black sunglasses and high boots 

DiCaprio, like Ratajkowki, wore black shades to compliment his all-black attire for Sunday’s game. The 48-year-old, who’s believed to have settled down with a 25-year-old Italian model, sported a silver chain with a black baseball cap to complete his fit. 

Jerry Seinfeld – America’s favorite comedian – was also spotted in the stands with his wife of 24 years, Jessica. The pair chatted back in for during the match.

Kylie Jenner showed off her new romance with actor Timothee Chalamet as she wore jeans with a black t-shirt and sunglasses. The youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan also wore her hair short – an unusual sighting – although it remains to be confirmed if the look was just for Sunday’s game. 

Chalamet dressed up similarly to his girlfriend’s attire, wearing a black cap, hoodie and t-shirt. 

Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, who was spotted in Alabama a day earlier to root for the Texas Longhorns’ football team, looked effortlessly chic in an all-white shirt and blazer. He watched Djokovic win in straight sets along with his wife, Camilla Alves. 

Martha Stewart was also among the crowd, wearing what seemed to be an oversized brown button down with white stripes. 

American actor James Marsden, who’s known for his roles as Cyclops in ‘X-Men’ and Prince Edward in Enchanted, was seen high up from a private box, sporting a beige long-sleeve shirt with white pants and a square-shaped watch. 

Former American tennis player Billie Jean King, who wore 39 Grand Slam titles in her career (1968-1990), was also shown by the cameras, as she played in integral role in shaping equality for women in tennis. This year, the US Open is celebrating 50 years of equal pay.

American boxer Jake Paul was also spotted in attendance for Sunday’s game with his mother, Pamela. He wore a light blue NFL-looking shirt with silver earing and chain just weeks after defeating Nate Diaz. 

US actress Eva Longoria also made sure to be there for the final of the biggest tennis tournament in America, wearing a Casa Del Sol cap and a black top while showing off her brown curls and round earrings in the stands. 

American actress Molly Ringwald was seen taking her phone out to take picture and videos of Sunday’s final, which will be one for the books as Djokovic won his fourth US Open title. 

The Serb won his latest Grand Slam title in front of other household names, such as American rapper Lil Wayne and actors John Hamm and Emma Roberts.

Former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg was also there, as well as musician Sting, model Christie Brinkley, former NHL player Henrik Lundqvist and Croatian-Canadian businessman Robert Herjavec. 

 

 

 

 

More to follow… 

Coco Gauff’s US Open semifinal match is STOPPED by environmental protestors as she battles Karolina Muchova to reach finals in Flushing

By Patrick Djordjevic For Dailymail.Com

Updated: 20:33 EDT, 7 September 2023

Aldi has plans to open 500 more supermarket stores in Britain

• German supermarket opened its 1,000th UK store in Woking
• A year ago, Aldi surpassed Morrisons to become Britain’s fourth-largest grocer
• Two-thirds of Britons now shop at Aldi, according to research agency Kantar

By Harry Wise

Updated: 12:13 EDT, 7 September 2023

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

US Open quarterfinal between Madison Keys and Marketa Vondrousova is delayed by fan health scare

• DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news 

By Patrick Djordjevic For Dailymail.Com

Updated: 20:29 EDT, 6 September 2023

For a moment, it looked as if Ben Shelton’s biggest strength could be his undoing.

The young American, who reached serve speeds of up to 149mph in his last match, fired 12 aces on Tuesday night and continually unsettled Frances Tiafoe with his power.

But he just couldn’t get his serves to stick over the course of two crucial tiebreak points in the third set, as two consecutive double faults turned a 6-5 advantage into a 7-6 hole.

Not for the only time on the night, though, the 20-year-old found a way to dig himself out, scraping himself to a tiebreak win and an eventual 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 victory.

It had been 15 years since two black American men faced off at Arthur Ashe Stadium before Tiafoe and Shelton took center stage on Tuesday. 

The previous time a matchup of that description occurred, a 28-year-old James Blake outlasted a 19-year-old Donald Young in five sets, and there was a similar – if slightly less pronounced – gap in experience this time around.

Twenty year-old Shelton has been on the ATP Tour for less than a year, while 25-year-old Tiafoe turned pro back in 2015.

But on Tuesday, it was Shelton who looked like the veteran in what felt like a significant night for American tennis.

There have been distractions and misbehavior from fans at other matches this tournament, but not on this soupy night in Queens, as a crowd including Anna Wintour, Emma Watson and rapper Meek Mill seemed to fully grasp the magnitude of this meeting.

The stakes weren’t lost on the players, either, as Tiafoe nervously fired two double faults in the first game before recovering in a deuce to hold serve.

The next three games would follow that script as the players continued to hold serve, with Shelton’s cannon reaching 139mph to force an error from Tiafoe in a deuce and even the set at 2-2.

Then came the breakthrough.

Tiafoe initially escaped two break points in the next game, with the world no. 10 tallying 10 unforced errors in half as many games.

But after one of several attempted drop shots in the game landed out to force a second break point, Tiafoe could not recover from a third break attempt.

The excitable Shelton let out a yell, his box did the University of Florida’s signature ‘gator chomp’ celebration (he played there for two years), and the Atlanta native was on his way to a first-set win.

Tiafoe struggled to match his opponent’s stunning power, but the newcomer showed guile as well. 

A delicately hit backhand winner to take a 15-30 lead in the seventh game showed a player mastering his tools in real time, and helped balloon his lead to 5-2 with another break.

He served for the set in the next game.

Things almost went off the rails again for Tiafoe early in the next set, as he escaped a break at 1-1 to hold serve and regain the lead.

Shelton’s strength of service had, to this point, given his opponent precious little margin for error, and the onus was on his ‘brother’ Tiafoe, as he referred to him earlier in the week, to punch back.

He did so with the set at 3-2 him, forcing a serving Shelton into his sloppiest game of the night, and survived another break point the following game to take a comfy 5-2 set lead.

Two games later, it was Tiafoe’s turn to celebrate, as he fired an ace to clinch a 6-3 set win.

He nodded his head repeatedly as the crowd showed its appreciation for the 2022 semifinalist. 

If both of these players fed off the crowd at Ashe, though, it was Shelton who appeared more well-nourished for the rest of the match. 

There was no Shelton counterpart to the cries of ‘Let’s go ‘Foe,’ but the crowd appreciated the underdog’s clutch moments and he ultimately produced more of them than his elder.

If the first set was about Shelton’s power, the third was defined by his resilience as he and Tiafoe each broke each other three times in a truly wonky period of play.  

Tiafoe hit a beautiful cross court backhand winner to make it 15-30 in the first game of the set – perhaps his best shot of night – but it ultimately wasn’t a sign of things to come despite beginning the set up a break.

Shelton responded immediately the next game with a break – and a highlight-reel, cross-court winner – of his own to gain back control of the set and eventually take a 3-1 lead after breaking his opponent again.

After two more breaks from Tiafoe and yet another reply from Shelton, the final four games saw each player hold serve twice, with one turn of play in particular showing the young Shelton’s fearlessness.

At 4-4, Shelton found himself staring down a deuce after two straight double faults.  He missed on a fifth straight serve too on the next point, but had the gumption to fire a 119mph second serve to set up a winner and give himself a slender 5-4 lead.

What came soon after was an epic, topsy-turvy tiebreak where Shelton ultimately held his nerve despite a couple of major wobbles.

The first-time Slam semifinalist fired off two straight aces to open up a 3-2 lead, before finding himself up 6-5 with a chance to serve for the set.

But he double-faulted his next two points, putting Tiafoe into the driver’s seat before he fired a cathartic winner down the line to even things up. 

He won the set two points later and didn’t look back in the fifth.

Shelton broke Tiafoe twice more, including in the first game of the set, and will now face Novak Djokovic on Friday in the semifinals.

More than 100 business leaders in New York City have penned an open letter calling on President Joe Biden to ‘take immediate action to better control the border’ and speed up the asylum and work authorization process for migrants.

The letter published on Monday was addressed to ‘President Biden and Congressional Leaders’ and backed New York Governor Kathy Hochul‘s recent plea for more federal resources to respond to the migrant influx. 

The letter comes as New York City has been overrun with 100,000 migrants, filling shelters and leaving many to sleep on the sidewalks throughout Manhattan.  

‘The New York business community is deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis that has resulted from the continued flow of asylum-seekers into our country,’ the letter stated.

‘The situation is overwhelming the resources not only of the border region but of city and state governments across the nation,’ it added, noting that New York City alone has received more than 100,000 migrants whose ultimate asylum and work status remains unclear.

A White House official responded in a statement to DailyMail.com, saying the Biden administration ‘has led the largest expansion of lawful pathways to immigration in decades,’ and is ‘committed to building a humane, safe, and orderly immigration system’. 

Scroll down for the full letter 

Signatories of the recent open letter included Pfizer’s Albert Bourla, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jaime Dimon, Jeff Gennette of Macy’s and Goldman Sachs boss David Solomon. 

The letter backed Hochul’s recent plea for Biden to take urgent action to help her state absorb a surge of international migrants who have strained New York’s resources and filled homeless shelters.

‘In addition, there is a compelling need for expedited processing of asylum applications and work permits for those who meet federal eligibility standards,’ the letter added. 

‘Immigration policies and control of our country’s border are clearly a federal responsibility; state and local governments have no standing in this matter,’ the letter noted.

The White House official told DailyMail.com: ‘Those who arrive through those lawful pathways are immediately eligible to request an employment authorization document.’

The official noted the current process for asylum applications and employment authorization is set by law, which can only be changed by Congress, and noted: ‘The law establishes a 180-day waiting period to obtain a work authorization.’ 

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told DailyMail.com that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had recently tasked ‘an expert team’ with assessing New York City’s migrant operations.

‘The team was impressed with the exceptional efforts by New York officials under the ongoing strain of accepting a large number of migrants and has provided recommendations for improvements, including data collection, case management, and increased communication with migrants on work authorizations,’ the spokesperson said. 

A federal official said the Biden administration had provided New York access to an FAA hangar at John F. Kennedy International Airport, which is being used to shelter 800 single males.

Eleven other federal sites across New York state are being reviewed as potential locations to shelter migrants, the person said. 

The migrant humanitarian crisis in New York, long seen as friendly to immigrants, is increasingly driving a wedge between local elected Democrats and the Biden administration. 

In a rare public address last week, Hochul said she sent the president a letter asking him to expedite work permits for migrants and provide financial resources to help care for the estimated 100,000 asylum seekers who have come to the state in the last year, mostly to New York City.

‘The reality is that we’ve managed thus far without substantive support from Washington, and despite the fact that this is a national, and indeed an inherently federal issue,’ Hochul said in a speech delivered in Albany. ‘But New York has shouldered this burden for far too long.’

The public plea came after months of private requests to the White House.

The central request of the governor’s letter was for the president to speed up the months-long bureaucratic process under which migrants can obtain work permits, and earn enough money to get off of public assistance.

‘Let them work,’ Hochul said, in remarks directed at the White House.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also a Democrat, has repeatedly made an identical demand.

New York has always prided itself on its ability to absorb waves of immigrants, but it has struggled to handle the thousands who have come over the past year, many on buses paid for by the state of Texas to rid itself of people entering the US across the southern border.

New York Democrats initially blamed Republican governors of southern states – such as Texas’ Greg Abbott and Florida’s Ron DeSantis – for the crisis, but have increasingly sought to characterize it is a national problem that should be solved by the federal government.

The situation has also provided Republicans in the state with a new political front from which to attack Democrats after an election year where the GOP made gains by criticizing liberals as slow to respond to concerns over crime.

‘Kathy Hochul´s solution after twiddling her thumbs after so many months is to write a strongly worded letter to Joe Biden? Come on, it´s not serious,’ said David Laska, New York Republican Party spokesperson.

The situation has also created tension between Democrats within the state. 

As New York City’s homeless shelter system became overwhelmed, and the cost of housing migrants in hotels and temporary shelters mounted, Adams began organizing bus trips of his own to take migrants to other parts of the state, to the frustration of officials in those communities.

Lawyers for Hochul and Adams have sparred in court over how best to house and expend resources to care for the migrants.

The state has earmarked up to $1.5 billion for its migrant response. Hochul asked Biden for financial assistance to help cover those costs and a projected $4.5 billion needed next year. 

In addition, the governor requested that the city and state be allowed to use federally-owned properties to house migrants.

New York City shelters have been at near capacity and officials have scrambled to set up temporary housing in hotels, recreational centers, school gyms and a hospital parking lot. The city is legally obligated to find shelter for anyone needing it.

Republicans are already seeing the response to this wave of migrants as an opportunity for campaigning in the 2024 election.

‘New Yorkers won’t forget what happened on Kathy Hochul’s watch,’ Laska said. 

‘They won’t forget that communities from all over the state have been strained beyond their ability to handle this influx of migrants and the real solution is to close the border.’

The city’s migrant situation has also led to clashes, such as on Sunday when protestors and counter-protestors battled outside Adams’ Gracie Mansion. 

 About half of the 100 people gathered were espousing messages demanding the shelters stop and the migrants be sent away, while others were counter-protesters who also denounced what they called the ‘white supremacist NYPD.’

US Open: Coco Gauff jokes that Justin Bieber inspired her comeback win over Elise Mertens: ‘I thought I cannot lose in front of him!’

By Daniel Matthews For Dailymail.Com

Updated: 05:39 EDT, 2 September 2023