US skier Hess describes ‘hardest weeks of my life’ after Trump’s ‘real loser’ comment
At the start of the Winter Olympics, Donald Trump called Hunter Hess a “real loser” after the US freeskier dared to admit that he had mixed feelings about representing his country.As he swooped down the halfpipe on Friday morning, Hess delivered a neat riposte, flashing a L-sign with his hand before insisting his row with Trump was something “I definitely wear with pride”.“Apparently I am a loser,” Hess said when asked about his gesture.“I am leaning into it.”His spectacular run earned him a place in the men’s halfpipe final later in the day.
However, the 27-year-old was unable to further rub Trump’s nose in it, as he failed to get a clean run and finished 10th.The Estonian Henry Sildaru, who took silver, and the Canadian, Brendan Mackay, who won bronze, both had cases for gold.However, it was another American, Alex Ferreira, who emerged triumphant.And after collecting his gold medal he firmly backed his teammate.“Hunter is a member of our team,” he said.
“He’s a great guy.Others may disagree.But I stand by my teammate.”Afterwards, Hess admitted that despite abuse he had received from Trump – and the online attacks that followed – he had no regrets about speaking out about the problems back home.“I worked so hard to be here,” he said.
“I sacrificed my entire life to make this moment happen.I’m not going to let controversy like that get in my way.“I love the United States of America.I cannot say that enough.In my original statement, I felt like I said that, but apparently people didn’t take it that way.
I’m so happy to be here, so happy to represent Team USA and ride as much as I can,I stand with what I said,”However, Hess admitted that at times it had not been easy,“There was a lot of noise and I’ve never been subject to that type of criticism,” he said,“But with my family’s help, I was able to get through it.
And skiing has saved my life, time and time again, and it seems to have done so again,It was probably the hardest two weeks of my life,”Britain’s Gus Kenworthy, who was born in the UK but moved to the US when he was young, had also created controversy before the Games because of an Instagram image that went viral,After finishing sixth in the final, Kenworthy admitted that the outrage over his post, which had apparently been written in urine on the snow and read “Fuck ICE”, a reference to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, affected him,“But I don’t care what these people are saying,” said Kenworthy.
“It is our constitutional right as Americans to say what we feel, have freedom of speech, speak truth to power.No one wants to read bad things about themselves, things that are threats and violent and scary and homophobic.But I also took it with a grain of salt.I couldn’t imagine writing something like that about someone, especially on a public forum, anyone who does that has something wrong with them.I think I’m on the right side.
”Hess and Kenworthy also trained together before their event in Laax, Switzerland, where they shared their similar experiences.“We just chatted about it, kind of how we got through the hardship,” said Hess.“He gave me some pointers, which was really nice.And he just helped me have a little bit of an avenue to get out of the pain and focus on the good.”The dangers of the sport were illustrated when the event favourite, Finley Melville Ives, needed treatment for several minutes after a heavy crash in qualifying.
In the final there was another serious crash as Nick Goepper landed hard on his back after a big trick, but he too was able to walk away after medical treatment.
Martyn Webster obituary
My twin brother, Martyn Webster, who has died aged 86, was influential in the development of microsurgery both in the UK and internationally.In 1971 he joined the Canniesburn regional plastic surgery unit at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, one of the UK’s most respected centres for reconstructive surgery, with an international reputation as a centre of excellence, and in 1976 he became a consultant and senior lecturer there. His clinical experience covered a wide range of reconstructive procedures, especially microsurgery, head and neck surgery, hand surgery and breast reconstruction.He was a founding member of the early microsurgical societies – including the Microsurgery Travelling Club (1977) and the British Microsurgical Society (1981). He developed and directed training courses in microsurgery, and in 1986 published Free Tissue Transfer, one of the earliest books on the subject
‘It feels like a worse version of Lotto’: what Australians told us about the great intergenerational wealth transfer
Over the next two decades, economists predict that $5.4tn will be passed down from ageing baby boomers to their beneficiaries. We asked Guardian Australia readers to share their experience of giving, getting or living without an inheritance. Here is what some told us.Ash, Western Australia I don’t think inheritance should be assumed
Local reporter ‘shocked’ over picture of his face on punchbag at UK town hall
A local newspaper journalist has said he was “shocked” after a picture of his face was printed out and attached to a punchbag at a town hall.Joe McCann, who has worked for the Melksham News for 10 years, was tipped off by a contact that a print-out of his face had been attached to a freestanding punchbag inside the building.As first reported by the Melksham News, McCann raised the issue at a full council meeting on Monday, where councillors “appeared shocked”.“It has recently come to my knowledge that within this council building, there is a punchbag with my face cut out and stuck to it, with the word ‘punch me’ written at the bottom of the punchbag,” McCann told the meeting in the Wiltshire town. “I have a photo of it
Tech firms must remove ‘revenge porn’ in 48 hours or risk being blocked, says Starmer
Deepfake nudes and “revenge porn” must be removed from the internet within 48 hours or technology firms risk being blocked in the UK, Keir Starmer has said, calling it a “national emergency” that the government must confront.Companies could be fined millions or even blocked altogether if they allow the images to spread or be reposted after victims give notice.Amendments will be made to the crime and policing bill to also regulate AI chatbots such as X’s Grok, which generated nonconsensual images of women in bikinis or in compromising positions until the government threatened action against Elon Musk’s company.Writing for the Guardian, Starmer said: “The burden of tackling abuse must no longer fall on victims. It must fall on perpetrators and on the companies that enable harm
NHS to spend more to settle lawsuits over negligence during childbirth after court ruling
The NHS will have to spend more money settling lawsuits involving negligence during childbirth after a supreme court ruling that lawyers said puts right a “historic injustice”.The court ruled on Wednesday that children in England who suffer catastrophic injuries while they are being born can claim damages for future earnings they would otherwise have had.The ruling on “lost years damages” means that children whose life expectancy is shortened can recover compensation for being unable to work.It comes amid mounting concern at the rising cost of medical negligence to the NHS in England – its liabilities have hit £60bn – much of which is due to errors made during childbirth.“The supreme court today has put right an historic injustice which set injured children’s rights in negligence cases at a lesser level than those of an adult,” said James Drydale, the lawyer for a girl known only as CCC
Ketamine addiction making teenagers wet the bed, says UK’s first specialist clinic
Children are using incontinence pads and urinating in buckets next to their bed at night due to bladder problems caused by ketamine addiction, according to the first specialist NHS clinic dealing with the issue.Medics at Alder Hey children’s hospital in Liverpool have opened the first ketamine clinic for young people in the UK in response to a surge in urology problems linked to addiction of the drug.“Some of our patients start wetting the bed or find going to the bathroom at night is actually too hard, so they’ll either choose incontinence products or a bucket by the bed,” said Harriet Corbett, a consultant paediatric urologist at the clinic.“I hate to say it, but a lot of them get to the point where they’re not fussed about where they go, because the need to go overrides their desire to find somewhere private. And I suspect more of them are incontinent than are willing to tell us
Mind launches inquiry into AI and mental health after Guardian investigation
West Virginia sues Apple over child sex abuse material stored and shared on iCloud
Skiers stranded by California avalanche used iPhone SOS feature to seek help
US builds website that will allow Europeans to view blocked content
Accenture ‘links staff promotions to use of AI tools’
Tell us: have you ever used AI to navigate everyday life and social relationships?