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Today: January 24, 2025
Today: January 24, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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Political

Biden campaign staffs up with former White House aide Cedric Richmond and fundraising leaders

After having just four official staffers on the payroll last quarter, President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign on Monday announced that former White House aide and congressman Cedric Richmond is joining as co-chair and that two veteran Democratic fundraisers are signing on to lead outreach to donors. Richmond, who served as a senior adviser to Biden in the White House and director of the office of public engagement, has been a key political confidant to the president and is set to reprise that role on his campaign. Biden’s team also announced that Rufus Gifford and Chris Korge

Biden campaign staffs up with former White House aide Cedric Richmond and fundraising leaders
World

Deaths of four Oregon women over three months are linked, authorities say, reversing earlier call

The bodies of four women began appearing in wooded areas in northwest Oregon in February, though police initially said the cases appeared to be unconnected. But on Monday, prosecutors dropped a bombshell, saying they are linked and “at least one person of interest” has been identified. The state medical examiner has not determined the cause or manner of death for any of the women, prosecutors said in a statement. Officials did not use the words “serial killer” in announcing the connection between the deaths. But, in an about-face from a June 4 Portland Police Bureau statement

Deaths of four Oregon women over three months are linked, authorities say, reversing earlier call
World

Officials file more charges, but not hate crimes, against man accused of attacking Muslim lawmaker

A prosecutor added felony charges, including attempted sexual assault, Monday against a man accused of attacking Connecticut’s first Muslim state representative after a prayer service, but did not file hate crime allegations demanded by the lawmaker’s supporters. The case of Andrey Desmond, 30, went before a judge in Hartford Superior Court, where supporters of state Rep. Maryam Khan, including local imams, also gathered. “It continues to be a mystery to me why the state isn’t bringing bias crimes in this type of incident,” said Farhan Memon, chairman of the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic

Officials file more charges, but not hate crimes, against man accused of attacking Muslim lawmaker
World

Jurors weighing fate of Pittsburgh synagogue killer hear of the devastation he left behind

The gunman who killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue targeted them because of their faith and has never once expressed remorse, a federal prosecutor said Monday in asking jurors to impose a death sentence. The defense argued that life in prison is sufficient punishment for the nation’s deadliest antisemitic attack. Opening statements Monday in the sentencing phase of Robert Bowers’ federal trial painted dueling portraits of the man who opened fire during religious services in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community: That of an unrepentant killer motivated by his hated of Jews, and of a psychologically

Jurors weighing fate of Pittsburgh synagogue killer hear of the devastation he left behind
World

How Benjamin Franklin laid groundwork for the US dollar by foiling early counterfeiters

Benjamin Franklin was so busy as an inventor, publisher, scientist, diplomat and U.S. founding father that it’s easy to lose track of his accomplishments. So add one more to the roster: his early work in printing colonial paper currency designed to counter a constant threat of counterfeiting. Franklin was an early innovator of printing techniques that used colored threads, watermarks and imprints of natural objects such as leaves to make it far harder for others to create knockoffs of his paper bills. A team at the University of Notre Dame has shed new light on his

How Benjamin Franklin laid groundwork for the US dollar by foiling early counterfeiters
Political

US sending fighter jets, warship to Gulf region to protect ships from Iranian seizures

The U.S. is sending additional fighter jets and a warship to the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman to increase security in the wake of Iranian attempts to seize commercial ships there. The Pentagon said Monday that the USS Thomas Hudner, a destroyer, and a number of F-35 fighter jets will be heading to the area. The Hudner had been in the Red Sea. Defense officials last week announced the deployment of F-16s to the area over the past weekend, and there have been A-10 attack aircraft there for nearly two weeks in response to the

US sending fighter jets, warship to Gulf region to protect ships from Iranian seizures
World

Alabama Republicans reject call for 2nd majority Black district, despite Supreme Court ruling

Alabama Republicans, under orders of the U.S. Supreme Court to redraw congressional districts to give minority voters a greater voice in elections, rejected calls Monday to craft a second majority-Black district and proposed a map that could test what is required by the judges’ directive. Lawmakers must adopt a new map by Friday after the high court in June affirmed a three-judge panel’s ruling that Alabama’s existing congressional map — with a single Black district out of seven statewide — likely violated the Voting Rights Act. In a state where more than one in four residents

Alabama Republicans reject call for 2nd majority Black district, despite Supreme Court ruling
World

Matthew Jordan recounts Tiger memories ahead of hitting opening tee shot at British Open

Matthew Jordan has been given the honor of hitting the first tee shot at the 151st British Open. He’ll know exactly where to put it. The 27-year-old Jordan lives in Hoylake and is a member at Royal Liverpool. No surprise, then, that he has been approached by a number of players about the optimal way to get around the course. He hasn’t been giving much away. “I might pick and choose what I tell people,” Jordan said Monday. For the two British Opens staged at Hoylake since the turn of the century — won by Tiger

Matthew Jordan recounts Tiger memories ahead of hitting opening tee shot at British Open
Political

Blinken urges Congress to act on delayed ambassadorial nominations

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday urged the Senate to move forward with votes on more than 60 diplomatic nominations, including 38 ambassadors, that have been stalled due to objections by individual lawmakers. In a letter to all 100 senators and in public comments, Blinken said delays in confirmation votes for these nominees constitute a national security risk. Blinken said 35 of the 38 ambassadorial nominees are career foreign service officers who have served in both Republican and Democratic administrations. “Vacant posts have a long-term negative impact on U.S. national security, including our ability to reassure

Blinken urges Congress to act on delayed ambassadorial nominations
World

Martin Truex Jr. wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for 1st time in 30 races

Martin Truex Jr. mastered another Monday matinee to win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the first time in 30 career Cup tries at the same track where as a kid he watched from the grandstands while his father raced. Thanks to rain postponements, Truex won his second Monday race of the season — he also won at Dover — and fourth of his career. Truex dominated in the No. 19 Toyota en route to his third win of the season. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver secured one of the few wins he desperately wanted in

Martin Truex Jr. wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for 1st time in 30 races
World

Martin Truex Jr. wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for 1st time in 30 races

Martin Truex Jr. mastered another Monday matinee to win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the first time in 30 career Cup tries at the same track where as a kid he watched from the grandstands while his father raced. Thanks to rain postponements, Truex won his second Monday race of the season — he also won at Dover — and fourth of his career. Truex dominated in the No. 19 Toyota en route to his third win of the season. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver secured one of the few wins he desperately wanted in

Martin Truex Jr. wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for 1st time in 30 races
Political

Top official in Justice Department's criminal division to depart

The head of the Justice Department’s criminal division is leaving at the end of July after two years of overseeing work that ranged from corporate fraud prosecution to war crimes investigations. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite’s tenure has included work to combat human smuggling, prosecute white-collar crime and pursue accountability for Russian war crimes in Ukraine, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “Under his leadership, the division has accelerated its efforts to keep the American people safe and tackle some of the most complex and urgent challenges our nation faces,” Garland said. He did not

Top official in Justice Department's criminal division to depart
Political

Citing Trump case, Pentagon leak suspect Teixeira urges judge to release him while he awaits trial

The Massachusetts Air National Guard member accused of leaking secret military papers challenged a judge’s decision that he remain behind bars, pointing Monday to the pretrial release of former President Donald Trump and others charged in high-profile classified documents cases. A magistrate judge who ruled in May that 21-year-old Jack Teixeira must remain behind bars while the case plays out found that releasing him would pose a risk that he would attempt to flee the country or obstruct justice. Teixeira’s lawyers are now asking a different judge to reverse that decision. In court papers, the defense attorneys

Citing Trump case, Pentagon leak suspect Teixeira urges judge to release him while he awaits trial
World

No winner in Monday's Powerball drawing. Jackpot reaches $1 billion

The Powerball jackpot rose yet again to an estimated $1 billion after no winning ticket was sold for the latest drawing. No ticket for Monday’s drawing matched the white balls 5, 8, 9, 17, 41 and red Powerball 2. The jackpot was estimated at $900 million. The new jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing would be the third highest in U.S. history and will keep growing until someone wins. Ticket buyers have a chance at $1 billion paid out in yearly increments or a $516.8 million one-time lump sum before taxes. Three people won $2 million after

No winner in Monday's Powerball drawing. Jackpot reaches $1 billion
Arts

It's official: Taylor Swift has more No. 1 albums than any woman in history

Congratulations are in order for Taylor Swift and her loyal fans, known as Swifties. The pop star officially has more No. 1 albums than any woman in history. “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)”, released earlier this month, is the third in her endeavor to re-record her first six albums, instigated by music manager Scooter Braun’s sale of her early catalog. It has officially debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming her 12th album to reach the top spot. Previously, Barbra Streisand held the record, with 11 No. 1 albums. Swift ties Drake’s record of 12

It's official: Taylor Swift has more No. 1 albums than any woman in history
Health

Abortion in Iowa is legal again, for now, after a judge blocks new restrictions

An Iowa judge on Monday temporarily blocked the state’s new ban on most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, just days after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the measure into law. That means abortion is once again legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy while the courts assess the new law’s constitutionality. The new law prohibits almost all abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, which is usually around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant. The Republican-controlled Legislature approved the measure in a rare, all-day special session

Abortion in Iowa is legal again, for now, after a judge blocks new restrictions
Arts

Lindsay Lohan gives birth to her first child, a boy

Lindsay Lohan has given birth to her first child. The “Parent Trap” star and her husband, financier Bader Shammas, are the parents of a “beautiful, healthy son” named Luai, her rep told The Associated Press in a statement Monday. “The family is over the moon in love,” the statement said. Lohan, 37, gave birth in Dubai, where the couple lives, according to Page Six. Her son’s exact birth date was not released. Luai is an Arabic name that means “shield” or “protector.” Lohan announced her pregnancy in March in a photo posted to Instagram of a white onesie emblazoned with

Lindsay Lohan gives birth to her first child, a boy
World

Atlanta petition drive to stop 'Cop City' is 'futile,' city's attorneys argue

An ongoing petition drive to halt the construction of a police and firefighter training center is “futile” and “invalid,” attorneys for the city of Atlanta argued in a court filing Monday, as they sought to prevent the proposed referendum from appearing on November’s ballot. For the past month, activists with the “Stop Cop City” movement have been trying to gather the signatures of more than 70,000 registered Atlanta voters by Aug. 15 to force a referendum. It would allow voters to decide the fate of the project that has seen significant pushback and become a flashpoint in

Atlanta petition drive to stop 'Cop City' is 'futile,' city's attorneys argue
World

Plane hits hangar where people were sheltering in storm in Poland. Pilot and 4 others die and 8 hurt

Five people were killed and eight others were injured Monday when a Cessna 208 plane crashed into a hangar at a sky diving center during bad weather, authorities said. The plane’s pilot and four people sheltering in the hangar from stormy weather died in the afternoon crash in Chrcynno in central Poland, firefighters spokesperson Monika Nowakowska-Brynda said. An additional eight people were injured, two of them seriously, police said. A child was among the injured, the provincial governor, Sylwester Dabrowski, said. Chrcynno is about 45 kilometers (28 miles) northwest of Warsaw. Firefighters and airborne ambulances took

Plane hits hangar where people were sheltering in storm in Poland. Pilot and 4 others die and 8 hurt
Health

South Dakota governor prods Washington to address national drug shortages

As the U.S. struggles with prescription drug shortages, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has advanced a modest plan that she hopes will prod Washington to take decisive action to address weaknesses in the international pharmaceutical supply chain. Noem told reporters at a pharmacy in Sioux Falls last week that her state will expand its stockpiles of certain medications that have been in short supply. The Republican former congresswoman also used the occasion to turn up the heat on the federal Food and Drug Administration, urging the agency to make the U.S. less dependent on foreign suppliers like China and India.

South Dakota governor prods Washington to address national drug shortages
Political

Biden and Sanders meet union organizers amid labor turmoil

With labor turmoil roiling industries from coast to coast, President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders met with organizers at the White House on Monday to talk about ways to boost union membership. The organizers represent industries and workplaces that have not traditionally been represented by unions, such as Starbucks coffee shops and video game companies. Sanders, an independent from Vermont, said outside the White House that more people are “standing up and saying it is important for us to have a union so we can earn better wages, better working conditions, better pensions and dignity on

Biden and Sanders meet union organizers amid labor turmoil
Political

Potential jurors share strong feelings about Trump ahead of trial over Michael Cohen's legal fees

Jury selection began Monday in Michael Cohen’s civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization, in which the former president’s personal attorney and fixer claims he is owed more than $1 million. Roughly three dozen prospective jurors sat inside a Manhattan courtroom, largely silent as Judge Joel Cohen outlined the coming trial dates and posed a series of questions meant to weed out candidates with potential conflicts of interest. Then the judge asked the assembled group, all New Yorkers, whether they had strong opinions about former President Donald Trump or his family members. A few people snickered. More

Potential jurors share strong feelings about Trump ahead of trial over Michael Cohen's legal fees
World

Union Pacific railroad to renew push for 1-person crews by testing conductors in trucks

Union Pacific will renew its push for one-person train crews later this summer when the railroad tests out the idea of having a conductor in a truck respond to problems on trains in Nebraska and Colorado. The railroad will continue using two crew members on its trains during the test, but officials say this could bolster their case in future negotiations for cutting crew size if it is successful. UP’s Jason Pinder confirmed the pilot program Monday when he testified against a proposed Kansas rule that would require two-person crews. The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad has long

Union Pacific railroad to renew push for 1-person crews by testing conductors in trucks
World

9th Circuit denies bid by environmentalists and tribes to block Nevada lithium mine

The latest bid by conservationists and tribal leaders to block construction of a huge lithium mine already in the works along the Nevada-Oregon line was denied by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday. A three-panel judge of the San Francisco-based appellate court rejected a half-dozen arguments the opponents had put forth in their appeal seeking to overturn federal land managers’ approval of the project. That included claims it violates multiple environmental laws and would destroy lands tribal members consider sacred because they say dozens of their ancestors were massacred there in 1865. Lithium

9th Circuit denies bid by environmentalists and tribes to block Nevada lithium mine
Political

Georgia's top court rejects Trump attempt to thwart prosecutor in 2020 election investigation

Georgia’s highest court Monday rejected a request by former President Donald Trump to block a district attorney from prosecuting him for his actions in wake of the 2020 election. The Georgia Supreme Court unanimously shot down a petition that Trump’s attorneys filed last week asking the court to intervene. Trump’s legal team argued that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office should be barred from seeking charges and that a special grand jury report that is part of the inquiry should be thrown out. Willis has been investigating since early 2021 whether Trump and his allies broke any

Georgia's top court rejects Trump attempt to thwart prosecutor in 2020 election investigation

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