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ATLANTA — Donald Trump’s campaign issued a statement Sunday from the Gold Star military families who invited him to Arlington National Cemetery. They defended the Republican presidential nominee and insisted that Vice President Kamala Harris is the candidate politicizing fallen U.S. service members. This is the latest development in an ongoing back-and-forth between Trump and Harris. Trump is attempting to blame Harris for the Biden administration's handling of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which included a suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members. On Saturday, Harris accused Trump of staging a “political stunt” that “disrespected sacred ground” where many Afghanistan war dead are buried. Trump and the families of some of those killed in the bombing blame Harris, and previously blamed President Joe Biden before he ended his reelection bid, for their loved ones’ deaths. The families say the former president was honoring their loved ones when he came to Arlington. Trump's campaign later distributed images of the visit, despite the cemetery’s prohibition on partisan activity on the grounds. “President Trump was invited by us, the Gold Star families, to attend the solemn ceremonies commemorating the three-year anniversary of our children’s deaths,” said the relatives’ joint statement. “He was there to honor their sacrifice, yet Vice President Harris has disgracefully twisted this sacred moment into a political ploy.” Trump laid wreaths last Monday in honor of Sgt. Nicole Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss. They were among 13 U.S. service members and more than 100 Afghans who died in an Aug. 26, 2021, bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport as U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan. Trump thanked the family members for their statement via social media. “Thank you for saying you wanted me to stand with you … and take pictures, that it was your request, not mine,” . Throughout the weekend, Trump has used his social media accounts to distribute video testimonials from some relatives who signed the statement. Christy Shamblin, Gee’s mother-in-law, said in a 90-second message that Trump and his aides were “respectful” and a “a comfort” to the families who gathered at Arlington. Then she directly addressed her remarks to Harris. “Why won’t you return a call and explain how you call my daughter-in-law’s death a success?” Shamblin said. “Why would you take a day where we celebrated the deaths of our loved ones and use it to disparage not only them, but us.” Biden and first lady Jill Biden went to Dover Air Force Base in 2021 for the ceremony returning the service members’ remains to U.S. soil. The Bidens met privately with family members at Dover. The Bidens were joined at the ceremony by several top aides in the administration, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Shamblin was among the several family members who also spoke at the Republican National Convention in July on Trump’s behalf. Several family members have joined Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, on a conference call with media. Trump’s appearance ballooned into controversy after defense officials said his campaign was warned about not taking photographs and that there was an altercation between Trump aides and a cemetery employee. Officials have said since that an employee whom two Trump campaign staff members allegedly “verbally abused and pushed” aside has declined to press charges. The Trump campaign has since lashed out at Pentagon officials, with a top campaign adviser, Chris LaCivita, referring to military spokespersons as “hacks.” Trump campaign officials say the campaign had permission to bring someone to take video. Since Biden ended his reelection bid in July, Trump has been zeroing in on Harris and her roles in foreign policy decisions. He has highlighted the vice president’s statements that she was the last person in the room before Biden made the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. Biden’s administration was following a withdrawal commitment and timeline that the Trump administration had negotiated with the Taliban in 2020. A 2022 review by a government-appointed special investigator concluded decisions made by both Trump and Biden were the key factors leading to the rapid collapse of Afghanistan’s military and the Taliban takeover. Campaigning this year, Trump has said that leaving was the right thing to do but that the Biden administration’s execution was poor. “We were going to do it with dignity and strength,” he said in a recent speech in Michigan.

Actor George Clooney addressed President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race, which he did 11 days after Clooney addressed the President in an opinion piece for the New York Times titled: “I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.”  In a press conference for his upcoming film Wolfs, in which he stars alongside Brad Pitt, on Sunday, Sept.1 at the Venice Film Festival, Clooney, 63, was asked about the impact of his When met with some applause from the crowd, the Hollywood actor shifted the focus back to Biden. “The person who should be applauded is the President who did the most selfless thing anyone’s done since George Washington,” Clooney said. “All the machinations that got us there, none of that’s going to be remembered. And it shouldn’t be. What should be remembered is the selfless act.” He went on to describe how hard it is to “let go of power.” Addressing the room of press, he noted: “For someone to say, ‘I think there’s a better way forward?’ All credit goes to him.” NEWS: George Clooney is asked about President Biden dropping out of presidential race and the op-ed he wrote for calling on him to step aside. He says it was selfless decision, Biden should be applauded and he’s proud of where world is right now. — Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) In the Times op-ed, published just weeks after Clooney at the Los Angeles Peacock Theater, Clooney said he “love[d]” Biden and considers him a friend. Yet, at the fundraiser, “he wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020.” Making reference to Biden’s widely-criticized performance at the first 2024 on June 27, Clooney said of the President: “He was the same man ” Clooney was one of the more high-profile voices to speak out following the debate, in which Biden stumbled on his words and at times rambled off into tangents that others struggled to understand. As a self-proclaimed “lifelong Democrat” and a  prominent donor of the political party, Clooney reflected on the time he had spent with Biden over the years. He went on to say: “This is about age. Nothing more… We are not going to win in November with this President.” The op-ed came at a significant moment in the Biden campaign, as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other prominent Democrats Less than two weeks later, Following Biden’s announcement that he was dropping out of the race, Clooney released a , where he praised Biden and endorsed Harris.  “President Biden has shown what true leadership is. He’s saving democracy once again,” the actor said. “We’re all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest.”

After breaking up 15 years ago, iconic rock band announced they would be reuniting for a U.K. and Ireland tour in 2025. The news that formerly feuding brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher will once again share the stage has been met with enthusiasm—but not without controversy. The announcement of the tour resulted in an overwhelming demand for tickets, leading the band to add even more U.K. and Ireland dates. Still, the quest for tickets via Ticketmaster has been marred with frustration over technological issues, pricing, and touts. Here’s a breakdown of the Oasis ticketing controversy and where things currently stand. Issues with Ticketmaster On Friday, Aug. 30, fans who had been selected in the pre-sale ballot waited in a queue on Ticketmaster—which dominates concert and sporting tickets around the world—ahead of the three-hour window for pre-sale purchases. On X (formerly Twitter), many fans complained about technical difficulties preventing them from accessing tickets. Some people got locked out, or were virtually queuing behind tens of thousands of people, only to be kicked out of the Ticketmaster queue or to receive an error message once they finally reach the checkout stage of the ticket-buying process. When the tickets went on general sale on Saturday, Aug. 31, fans complained of the same issues. Former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson, widely known as a fan, even entered the conversation. While attending the Italian Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon, he shared that he had been selected for the pre-sale, but was unlucky and hadn’t received a (pre-sale ballot) code. In addition to the queuing and technical problems, there’s also been backlash about the prices. Within an hour of the pre-sale, tickets appeared on re-selling sites for triple the face value. Oasis addressed the controversy and prices, telling fans that tickets can only be re-sold at face value via certain websites. “Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters,” the post read. Yet, the controversy is also connected to Ticketmaster’s own price raising, since during the sale, they upped their own prices for “in-demand” tickets. As fans finally entered the ticket-selection portion of the website, they found out that tickets that were originally priced lower were now more expensive. Ticketmaster introduced this “, dynamic pricing model, which allows their prices to inflate according to the demand. Fans referred to the raised ticket prices as “ridiculous,” with some tweeting in frustration. "In demand standing ticket" is just a standard standing ticket except double the price.No difference between Ticketmaster and touts. — Darragh Moriarty (@darragh_mor) “As anticipated, millions of fans accessed our site and were placed in a queue, which moved along as they bought tickets,”a Ticketmaster spokesperson told TIME in an email. “We always advise fans to hold their place in line, make sure they’re only using one tab, clear cookies, and ensure they aren’t using any VPN software on their device.” They added: “To clarify, Ticketmaster does not set ticket prices.”On its website, Ticketmaster states: “Promoters and artists set ticket prices. Prices can be either fixed or market-based. Market-based tickets are labeled as ‘Platinum’ or ‘In Demand.’” This is not the first time Ticketmaster has been at the heart of controversy over their ticket system. During the sale for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the company came under fire after fans waited in a queue for hours during pre-sale, just for the website to glitch at the last moment, with Ticketmaster eventually canceling the general sale. Are Oasis adding extra shows to the 2025 U.K. and Ireland tour? Due to the difficulties and demand for tickets, many fans are calling for Oasis to add more tour dates for their now-sold out 2025 tour in the U.K. and Ireland.  Calls for more dates come after Oasis already added an extra date ahead of the tickets going on sale. It is not yet known if Oasis will be adding further additional dates in light of the continued public demand. TIME has reached out to Oasis’ representatives for comment.

Vice President Kamala Harris said former President Donald Trump “disrespected sacred ground” by taking and distributing images at Arlington National Cemetery, despite a federal ban on campaign activity there. She pointed to reports that Trump's campaign staff argued with a cemetery staffer, taking photos and filming the former president, including at the graves of Afghanistan war veterans, after being warned about the rules. Harris, in a  posted Saturday on the social media platform X, stated, “Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt,” adding that Arlington is “a solemn place where we come together to honor American heroes … not a place for politics.” The incident arose from Trump's and Republicans' continued criticism of President Joe Biden and now Harris regarding the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Trump, at the invitation of family members of service members killed during the withdrawal, laid wreaths last Monday in honor of Sgt. Nicole Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss. They were among 13 U.S. service members and more than 100 Afghans who died in an Aug. 26, 2021, bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport. As Vice President, I have had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery several times. It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation.It is not a place for politics.And…— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) Trump's campaign was warned about not taking photographs before an altercation at the cemetery, according to defense officials. Officials have said since that an Arlington employee whom two Trump campaign staff members allegedly “verbally abused and pushed” aside has declined to press charges. The Trump campaign has since lashed out at Pentagon officials, with a top campaign adviser, Chris LaCivita, referring to military spokespersons as “hacks.” Trump campaign officials say it had permission to bring someone to take video. Since Biden ended his reelection bid, Trump has been focusing on Harris and her roles in foreign policy decisions. He has specifically highlighted the vice president’s statements that she was the last person in the room before Biden made the decision on Afghanistan. Biden’s administration was following a withdrawal commitment and timeline that the Trump administration had negotiated with the Taliban in 2020. A 2022 review by a government-appointed special investigator concluded decisions made by both Trump and Biden were the key factors leading to the rapid collapse of Afghanistan’s military and the Taliban takeover. Harris on Saturday alluded to Trump’s history of picking fights with veterans and repeated allegations that he has “called our fallen service members ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’ and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients.” “This is a man who is unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself,” Harris said. “I will always honor the service and sacrifice of all of America’s fallen heroes. … And I will never politicize them.”

The Catholic diocese in Paterson, New Jersey, is seeking a reversal of visa procedures for religious workers, a rule they believe could jeopardize the status and future of foreign-born clergy in the United States. The diocese is joined by five priests in the lawsuit filed on Aug. 8 in the U.S. District Court in Newark, targeting the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. According to the suit, four of the priests’ visas are set to expire in 2025, and one is set to expire in 2026. Many religious workers come to the U.S. on temporary visas, granting them five years of work authorization, after which they can apply for permanent residency under a special category called EB-4. The change they are challenging in the Immigration and Nationality Act involves the addition of new applicant categories—including minors from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador—to the same queue as religious worker visas. Traditionally, Congress sets a yearly maximum number of green cards available per category, usually based on professional or familial ties to the U.S. This alteration has resulted in a surge of applications within their category while maintaining the cap on green cards issued per year, creating backlogs for clergy and religious workers seeking green cards. The lawsuit filed by the New Jersey diocese alleges that the change was implemented "without proper notice" and poses a "direct threat" to the plaintiffs' ability to fulfill their "religious and spiritual vocation." “The abrupt shift in the calculation of visa availability and sudden enforcement of that agency action imposes substantial burdens on Plaintiffs,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiffs will necessarily be deprived of their ability to engage in their religious vocation in the United States and will face significant undue disruption, cost, and delay relating to their respective immigration matters.” TIME has reached out to The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for comment. In a statement, Reverend Mark Seitz, Bishop of El Paso, Texas, voiced opposition to the procedural change, advocating not only for religious workers, but also for young children who "often wait for years as they are required to compete with adults for visas in the EB-4 category." “Unfortunately, the current situation violates both Congress’ intent to provide religious organizations and our communities with needed workers and its express desire to protect vulnerable immigrant youth,” Seitz wrote. In a statement emailed to TIME, a U.S. State Department spokesperson acknowledged that the 2023 policy change had significantly extended worldwide waiting times for religious worker green cards, but declined to comment on the litigation.  “This is an untenable situation,” said Lance Conklin, who co-chairs the religious workers group of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, in a statement to “The lawsuit is representative of the way a lot of people feel.”

Fatman Scoop, the American hip-hop artist known for his energetic performances and infectious hits, passed away at the age of 53 on Friday night. He collapsed on stage during a concert in Connecticut. His family announced his death on Saturday via his official social media page. “Last night, the world lost a radiant soul, a beacon of light on the stage and in life,” his family wrote in a statement. “FatMan Scoop was not just a world class performer, he was a father, brother, uncle, and a friend.” Born Isaac Freeman III, Fatman Scoop rose to fame with his 1999 hit “Be Faithful”, which experienced a resurgence in popularity in 2003. He was also a notable feature on several successful songs, including Missy Elliott's “Lose Control” in 2005 and Mariah Carey's “It’s Like That” that same year. His collaborations extended to other prominent artists like Pitbull, Whitney Houston, and Janet Jackson. He transitioned into radio and became a beloved personality, mentoring aspiring musicians on the U.K. TV show Chancers. He also competed in the U.K. version of Celebrity Big Brother in 2015. In a statement sent to TIME, Fatman Scoop’s talent agency, mn2ns, expressed their “heartbreak” over his passing, emphasizing the “indelible mark” his “iconic voice, infectious energy, and great personality” left on the music industry. Sharron Elkabas, the musician’s representative, shared that she had spoken to him just a few days prior to his death and found him to be in “good spirits.” Tributes from fellow artists and collaborators have poured in since the news of Fatman Scoop’s passing. Rapper Missy Elliott, writing on X (formerly Twitter), offered prayers to his family, saying, “Fatman Scoop VOICE & energy have contributed to MANY songs that made the people feel HAPPY & want to dance for over 2 decades. Your IMPACT is HUGE & will be NEVER be forgotten.” On Instagram, musician Questlove expressed gratitude to the rapper “for being an embodiment of what hip hop was truly about. To just forget about your troubles and live in the moment and allow joy in.” Prayers for Fatman Scoop family for STRENGTH during this difficult time🙏🏾 Fatman Scoop VOICE & energy have contributed to MANY songs that made the people feel HAPPY & want to dance for over 2 decades. Your IMPACT is HUGE & will be NEVER be forgotten..🕊️🙏🏾 — Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) Rapper Lil Jon posted a video on his Instagram story of Scoop recording his verse on “Lose Control.” Producer Timbaland also shared a photo of Scoop holding an MTV Moonman award on Instagram, along with a caption expressing his “loss for words” and a string of white dove emojis.