Bills have soared in rural state buffeted by tariffs and war in Iran – and Democrat Adam Hamilton’s stunning upset shows how deep economic frustrations run

Linda Olson always does her homework before voting – a trait she inherited from a family invested, and interested, in politics. Her father was a photographer who took portraits of political leaders in Washington, while her grandparents were farmers who cared deeply about their industry.

In 2024, Olson’s research led her to Donald Trump. She trusted that the then-former president would improve their economic realities in Junction City, Kansas – where she was born and raised – if he returned to the White House.

The president came out in support of Senator Roger Marshall, who is facing an unexpectedly strong challenge from Democrat Adam Hamilton

The fact that Donald Trump was here at all said more about a looming electoral disaster facing his Republican party next month than anything contained in his dark and discursive 98-minute stump speech.

On Monday, amid raucous chants of “USA! USA!”, the president held his first campaign rally in Kansas for eight years. No Democrat has won a US Senate seat in this ruby-red state since 1932, the year Herbert Hoover was president, Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and the Nazis became the biggest party in the German Reichstag.

President at Kansas rally tries to turn protests into cautionary tale for US as Republicans face midterm losses

• Explainer: why are people protesting across Europe?

As Republicans confront mounting political headwinds ahead of November’s midterm elections, Donald Trump is attempting to turn unrest in France into a cautionary tale for American voters, recasting the demonstrations that began as student protests against crumbling schools and the soaring cost of living as evidence of the dangers of immigration and the erosion of western civilization.

At a rally in Kansas on Monday evening, Trump described France as a once-great nation that had been “conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists”.

• Rice expected to overcome illness for semi-final

• Jordan Pickford: ‘We can’t focus solely on Messi’

Declan Rice is set to overcome illness and retain his place for England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday.

The Arsenal midfielder was substituted at half-time of England’s win over Norway in the quarter-final, with Thomas Tuchel revealing that he had spent most of the previous three days in bed due to illness. But it is understood that Rice has been feeling much better after England returned to their base in Kansas City for the final time before departing for Atlanta on Tuesday and the 27-year-old is expected to start alongside Elliot Anderson in midfield against the reigning world champions.

Defending champions will pose a threat with Messi’s genius but their lack of width and energy in the midfield offers encouragement for Thomas Tuchel

Switzerland knew how to deal with Lionel Messi. They congested the centre of the pitch and made it impossible for him to find angles for threaded passes or rapier finishes. One of Messi’s trademark moves, when the tempo has slowed, is to go through the gears with a quick bounce pass off one of his teammates near the edge of the box. The idea is that Messi then has room to unwind his left boot and deliver the inevitable, but it did not work out in the quarter-final. Instead Messi ran into a formidable wall of red, only finding space to work Gregor Kobel moments before Julián Alvarez’s winner. Much of Argentina’s setup is designed to put Messi, whose non-contribution off the ball is priced into everything, in optimal positions to wreak havoc. Against Switzerland the 39-year-old had, by his stratospheric standards, a quiet game even if he still managed to assist Alexis Mac Allister’s goal from a corner. “Stop Messi” is a tactic that sounds good in principle but most have found impossible to execute. Maybe England have been shown the way.

Did anyone think they would do it the easy way? If Argentina are to win this World Cup they will only get there via rollercoaster. A seemingly straightforward night’s work against Switzerland became their tournament in microcosm, threatening to squander it all before finding salvation through a moment of unfettered genius.

Just this once it did not come from the left boot of Lionel Messi. In fact, with his side labouring towards penalties midway through the second period of extra time, Messi had just been denied by Gregor Kobel when the decisive thunderbolt was unleashed. Switzerland were unable to clear their lines and the recently introduced José López, taking possession on the left, passed backwards to a hitherto anonymous Julián Álvarez.

• Attacker shown second yellow card for simulation

• Argentina topple Swiss with two goals in extra time

Fifa match officials’ novel use of the term “mistaken identity” reared its head again in sensational circumstances during Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and Switzerland, leaving the Swiss forward Breel Embolo in tears and the European side a man down for a total of 67 minutes against the defending champions.

“It’s completely not understandable,” Switzerland’s head coach, Murat Yakin, said afterward. “I know that they will protect their referee but this rule destroyed the game today.”

Close calls against Cape Verde and Egypt show Scaloni’s side are vulnerable, despite all the brilliance of Lionel Messi

It is among the defining moments of this World Cup: Lionel Messi wandering the pitch in Atlanta with tears rolling down his face. Minutes earlier, Argentina had been down two goals to Egypt and on the brink of elimination in the last 16. Messi had missed a penalty and was set to bear blame for the result. Instead, the Argentina legend created the same magic he always seems to, spearheading a miraculous, three-goal swing in just over 10 minutes and pushing the Albiceleste into the quarter-finals.

And now he was crying. And so were his teammates. And so was his head coach, Lionel Scaloni, who could not contain his emotion in a post-game interview. His own players, the coach says, have taken to calling him el llorón. The crybaby. “I can’t even look at you,” Scaloni told a touchline reporter, in tears. “I’m sorry. I’m obviously very emotional. What a group of players, brother. I’m sorry. That’s it, I have to go.”

Two architects of Arsenal’s title triumph are likely to have starring roles for their country in pursuit of a place in the World Cup semi-finals

It is one of those times when WhatsApp group chats quieten down. Friendships tend to be suspended when a World Cup quarter-final comes around and club mates, flung against one another for their countries, turn their eyes towards the biggest prize. Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard will not be exchanging breezy pleasantries in the hours before England face Norway but the levels of respect are off the scale. The clash between two architects of Arsenal’s modern success should be decisive in determining who goes through. They have walked out together 117 times but the 118th, in the stifling heat of Miami, may leave the most lasting mark.

These are two players in their prime who may never receive another opportunity this golden. Rice and Ødegaard were born 28 days apart and, partly because of the latter’s fast-tracking into the Norway senior team, did not play against each other at age-group level. Their face-offs have been limited to Mikel Arteta’s intense training sessions at London Colney, where they are depended upon to set standards. They are leaders of differing style and status who will be expected to galvanise their national teams on Saturday.

England winger on his thirst for self-improvement, triumph at the Azteca and the ‘spiritual’ Thomas Tuchel

It was a lighthearted moment – despite the language used – and Anthony Gordon saw the funny side. But trust the England winger to find a way to use it as fuel. It is what he does, what he has always done, since his childhood in Liverpool. It has helped him to reach the point where he completed a £60.7m transfer to Barcelona from Newcastle at the end of May. And it is driving him before Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against Norway in Miami.

Most people have seen the clip. There were 26 minutes on the clock at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday; England goalless against Mexico in the last 16. The Mexico manager, Javier Aguirre, who admits that swearing is second nature to him during matches, was in the mood to show off his English. He called out Gordon’s name and when the player turned around, he had a piece of advice. “Fuck you,” Aguirre shouted, before creasing up with laughter. Gordon did the same.

• England defender’s challenge deemed serious foul play

• Misses quarter-final as well as potential semi-final

Jarell Quansah has been given a two-game ban for his red card in England’s World Cup last-16 victory over Mexico, leaving the defender devastated. Fifa announced the sanction on Thursday, saying it was for serious foul play.

Thomas Tuchel must now decide what to do at right-back for the quarter-final against Norway in Miami on Saturday. Reece James, who has missed the last three matches with a hamstring injury, is a selection doubt but it is understood that he could have some involvement, which points towards him being a substitute.

• Defender unable to train with squad on Wednesday

• Morgan Rogers says training base ‘feels like home’

Reece James is a doubt for England’s World Cup quarter-final against Norway in Miami on Saturday after he was once again unable to train with the squad on Wednesday.

The right-back has been unavailable since he injured a hamstring in England’s second group game, the 0-0 draw against Ghana in Boston. Thomas Tuchel knew he would be without him for at least two games – and most likely a potential last‑16 match, as well, which is what happened. James played no part in the epic victory against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday.

The prodigy who has it all has ambitions to play James Bond but for the time being he is more reminiscent of Novak Djokovic

There has never been an English footballer quite like Jude Bellingham. He has the cockiness and explosiveness of a teenage Wayne Rooney and the vision of Paul Scholes, but that doesn’t come close to covering it. There are endless layers to Bellingham, the boy who has it all. He can be the No 8, the No 9 or the No 10. He has the flair of Glenn Hoddle and the chest-out bravado of Paul Gascoigne, but he also has the bravery of Bryan Robson, the rampaging qualities of Steven Gerrard and, as Mexico discovered at the Estadio Azteca, the ability to morph into the world’s best defender and drag his team out of the mire with a goal-saving challenge.

More? Bellingham has film-star looks, can charm like David Beckham and, given how much he has achieved, does not sound ridiculous when he says his post-retirement ambition is to play James Bond.

Ghana can only have feared the worst when Luis Suárez’s number came up in the seventh minute. A day on from the 16th anniversary of one of the most infamous episodes in World Cup history, the Colombia forward who shares a name with the man whose handball broke the hearts of Black Stars supporters in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup returned to haunt them.

Not long after coming off the bench, it was the Sporting striker who provided the assist for what turned out to be the winning goal from Jhon Arias to set up a last-16 clash against Switzerland in Vancouver on Tuesday. Even if they couldn’t find another goal that their superiority clearly warranted, Colombia were deserved winners and look more than capable of at least matching their previous best result at the 2014 World Cup when they lost to Brazil in the last eight.

• Fifa held discussions about game kicking off earlier

• Risk of thunderstorms in Mexico had caused concern

England have avoided the prospect of their World Cup match against Mexico on Sunday being brought forward by six hours after a chaotic day that saw Fifa engaged in discussions with multiple stakeholders over a new kick-off time.

The eagerly anticipated last-16 clash in Mexico City will still be played at 6pm local time – 1am Monday BST – but only after a period of intense confusion in which both camps were left scrambling for clarity.

Thomas Tuchel needs to slow game down so his side can handle altitude challenge – it is time for the low block

If any win will do then England do not have to worry about putting on an exhibition of attacking football against Mexico. They have no time to acclimatise to the altitude in Mexico City and will have to box clever if they are to handle the challenge of playing at more than 7,000ft (2,200m) above sea level at the Azteca Stadium.

No wonder Thomas Tuchel predicted this World Cup would be defined by suffering. England have prepared for the heat in the US but they are about to step into new territory. Mexico, rampant in their last-32 tie against Ecuador, are close to unstoppable at the Azteca. They have lost there twice in 89 competitive games, will be backed by a passionate crowd and have a physical advantage because of the altitude.

• Arsenal star says squad has practised penalties

• Bukayo Saka provides ‘healthy competition’ for place

Noni Madueke has warned that England must not take the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) lightly but expects a much more fluent attacking display than against Ghana during the group stages.

England struggled to break down Carlos Queiroz’s side in the 0-0 draw in Boston last week and the DRC are expected to employ the same counterattacking style for the last-32 tie in Atlanta on Wednesday. Madueke started against Croatia and Ghana before losing his place to his Arsenal ­teammate Bukayo Saka for the win against Panama.

Before a ball was kicked, this match already had nicknames. Some deemed it a telltale biscotto – an Italian classic implying something that has to be baked twice; one cooperating with the other. Or maybe you preferred the “Disgrace of Kansas City”, a new spin on the “Disgrace of Gijón”, the 1982 World Cup match in which West Germany settled for a 1-0 win over Austria in a result that qualified both teams for the knockout round while eliminating Algeria.

But what unfolded here was something else altogether. A new classic of the genre. Call it the “Missouri Compromise” if you must, but even that somehow underplays the drama and wild swings of momentum that exhausted the players and coaches who took part, delighting the fans who were lucky enough to witness it. On a steamy night in the American midwest, Algeria and Austria battled gamely, showing heart and desire for most if not all 90-plus minutes en route to a back-and-forth 3-3 draw that qualified both teams for the knockout round.

The Oranje bus had better get a move on. A comfortable victory over Tunisia after being sent on their way by a record-equalling 12th own goal of the tournament and further strikes from Brian Brobbey and Jan Paul van Hecke sealed top spot in Group F for the Netherlands ahead of Japan.

Their prize is avoiding a meeting with Brazil in the last 32, with Ronald Koeman’s side now set for a mouthwatering showdown with Morocco in Monterrey instead. Having arrived in southern Texas almost a month ago and already taken in games in Dallas, Houston and Kansas City, the specially converted double decker that has become a fixture at recent major tournaments now faces a journey of more than 1,000 miles before Monday’s game in northern Mexico. It is a challenge that Koeman is clearly wary of.

• Midfielder says schedule ‘obscene’ for club and country

• Ollie Watkins insists he is ready to be nastier on the pitch

Declan Rice has revealed he has been managing nerve pain in a hamstring since Christmas as he reflected on the “obscene” number of matches he has played this season.

The England midfielder sparked concern when he was forced off in the 72nd minute of the 4-2 World Cup win against Croatia last Wednesday. The problem relates to the upper hamstring, with the pain radiating into his lower back. But Rice described his substitution as “smart” and said he would be fighting fit for England’s second group game against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday.