Tuesday’s top story: White House orders fresh sanctions against Iran’s supreme leader. Plus, why Democrats owe it to voters to hold a climate crisis debate

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Good morning, I’m Tim Walker with today’s essential stories.

Tehran says ‘idiotic’ sanctions have cut off path to diplomacy

Iran says the Trump administration’s “outrageous and idiotic” decision to impose new sanctions on its supreme leader and eight senior military chiefs has permanently closed the door to diplomacy between Tehran and Washington. Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, said on Tuesday that the White House was “afflicted by mental retardation”. The US is also planning sanctions against Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, who negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal that Donald Trump has torn up.

‘Strong and proportionate.’ As he signed the executive order on Monday in the Oval Office, Trump said the “hard-hitting” sanctions were “a strong and proportionate response to Iran’s increasingly provocative actions”.

Kushner to launch ‘fantasy’ economic plan for Palestinians

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jared Kushner is expected to unveil his plan at the ‘peace to prosperity’ conference in Bahrain. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Jared Kushner is expected to unveil his economic blueprint for peace in the Middle East at a conference in Bahrain on Tuesday, despite the fact that neither Israeli nor Palestinian officials will be present. Kushner’s so-called “peace to prosperity” plan calls for $50bn to be invested in the occupied territories and neighbouring countries, which Kushner claims would create a million jobs and double the size of the Palestinian economy.

Vanity project. Without a workable political solution to the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the plan is seen as little more than a vanity project for the president’s son-in-law.

Absent enemies. The Palestinians boycotted the Bahrain conference over the Trump administration’s unequivocal support for Israel, and a late decision was taken not to invite Israeli officials.

Trump says sexual assault accuser E Jean Carroll ‘not my type’

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Carroll claims Trump sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. Photograph: Craig Ruttle/AP

Trump has said the New York advice columnist who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a department store dressing room two decades ago is “not my type”, as he denied the latest such allegations against him in an interview with the Hill. E Jean Carroll claimed the future president forced himself on her during their encounter at Manhattan’s Bergdorf Goodman store in 1995 or 1996, in an extract from her forthcoming book about the “hideous men” she has encountered in her life.

Police complaint. Carroll has said she would consider working with police on a criminal investigation into the alleged attack, though the statute of limitations on such a complaint has already passed.

Disney, Soros and other billionaires call for tax on wealth

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Elizabeth Warren has proposed a tax of 2% on fortunes of $50m or more. Photograph: Brynn Anderson/AP

George Soros, Abigail Disney, the Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and more than a dozen other billionaires have called on the US government to tax extreme wealth in order to address inequality and provide funding for climate crisis initiatives and public health projects. In a letter addressed to all 2020 presidential candidates, the 19 signatories said: “America has a moral, ethical and economic responsibility to tax our wealth more.”

Warren proposal. Senator Elizabeth Warren has proposed a “wealth tax” of 2% on fortunes of $50m or more, and a further 1% on assets over $1bn, which she estimates would affect 75,000 families and raise $2.75tn over 10 years.

Sanders’ plan. Bernie Sanders has unveiled his plan to wipe out $1.6tn in student loan debt owed by 45 million Americans – and to pay for it through a tax on Wall Street.

Crib sheet

A UN human rights expert has warned that the world is sliding towards “climate apartheid” , whereby the rich pay to avoid the worst effects of the climate crisis, while others suffer extreme poverty, hunger and the decline of democracy.

The US government has removed all but 30 of more than 300 migrant children from a border patrol facility in Texas, after reports that the young detainees were being held in “inhumane conditions” without adequate water, food or sanitation.

A former Brazilian ambassador to the US has told the Guardian he is “disgusted” by his country’s foreign policy under its far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro , whose diplomatic chiefs represent a “lunatic fringe”.

The British actor Dame Judi Dench has defended the work of her disgraced friends Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, despite condemning their alleged personal misconduct. “You cannot deny somebody a talent,” she told the Radio Times magazine.

Must-reads

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A drag queen at the Wanderlust gay bar in Mississippi. Photograph: Tom Silverstone/The Guardian

Stonewall at 50: why the gay bar remains as vital as ever

Fifty years after New York’s Stonewall Inn became a symbol for LGBTQ activism, gay bars are declining in numbers across the US. Yet in some areas, particularly in less progressive states and communities, they remain a rallying point at times of both trial and celebration, as Dominic Rushe reports.

Toxic America: the risk chemicals pose to children

Today in our Toxic America series, we focus on the effects on children of the chemicals in our everyday life. Lauren Zanolli explains how to mitigate the risks to infants, while Emily Holden reports on concerns over chemicals in playgrounds, and Leonardo Trasande argues banning dangerous chemicals could save the US billions.

How leftwing economists are transforming capitalism

Since the 1970s, the left has changed how many people think about prejudice, personal identity and freedom, while surrendering economics to the right. But now, writes Andy Beckett, a transatlantic movement of leftwing economists is building a practical alternative to neoliberalism.

The police endorsing violence and racism on Facebook

The Plain View project has collated a database of more than 5,000 hateful, racist and Islamophobic messages posted by officers in eight US police departments – many of whom have been removed from active duty as a result. Adam Gabbatt speaks to the lawyer who launched the project.

Opinion

The Democratic presidential field will engage in four hours of televised debates this week. How much of that time will be devoted to questions on the climate emergency? Not nearly enough, says Kate Aronoff.

When candidate Jay Inslee inquired about doing a special climate-themed debate, the DNC threatened to bar him and any other candidate who participated from the official primary debates. Why not dare them to try?

Sport

The US will face their toughest Women’s World Cup test so far when they play France in the quarter-finals, after overcoming Spain 2-1 thanks to a pair of penalties. Also on Monday, Canada were knocked out by Sweden, while Fifa launched an investigation into Cameroon’s behaviour in their loss to England.

Rafael Benítez is bowing out at Newcastle United after the club and its coach failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. Though held in great affection by fans, Benítez’s dealings with the club’s owner, Mike Ashley, had long been dysfunctional, as Louise Taylor reports.

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