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Today: January 26, 2025
Today: January 26, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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World

Major fire near Athens contained but Europe's heat wave keeps authorities on alert

Greece’s Fire Service intensified water drops west of Athens where a huge blaze was contained overnight, as authorities braced Thursday for a new round of extreme weather. Seven firefighting planes and nine helicopters were operating in the area, including four planes sent from Italy and France as part of a European Union support mechanism. Searing heat across Europe’s Mediterranean south has maintained a high or very high risk of fires in Spain, Italy and Greece. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the Fire Service and civil protection authority would remain on alert as a new heat

Major fire near Athens contained but Europe's heat wave keeps authorities on alert
World

Thousands of UK hospital doctors walk out in latest pay dispute, crippling health services

Thousands of senior doctors in England began a 48-hour walkout Thursday to demand better pay and conditions, paralyzing hospitals and leaving only emergency care covered. The severe disruptions are the latest in months of industrial action by public sector workers amid U.K.’s ongoing cost-of-living crisis. They come just two days after junior doctors staged the longest strikes in the history of the state-funded National Health Service. Thousands of operations and appointments have been canceled, and health officials say the impact of the latest round of strikes to hit the country’s public health system is likely to be

Thousands of UK hospital doctors walk out in latest pay dispute, crippling health services
World

Australia opens Women's World Cup with a 1-0 win over Ireland, despite Sam Kerr's absence

Rocked by the late withdrawal of Sam Kerr through injury, Australia needed time to settle before getting off to a winning start at the Women’s World Cup on Thursday with a 1-0 victory over Ireland. Steph Catley swept home a 52nd-minute penalty to end Ireland’s resistance and spark an eruption of joy from fans inside Stadium Australia. There was also no shortage of relief from the majority of the 75,784-strong crowd after the tournament co-hosts struggled to cope without the country’s all-time leading scorer Kerr, who will also miss the second game of Group B against Nigeria

Australia opens Women's World Cup with a 1-0 win over Ireland, despite Sam Kerr's absence
World

Undue influence? Anonymous donations to World Health Organization's new foundation raise concerns

Nearly 40% of the money raised by the WHO Foundation in its first two years came from anonymous sources, worrying some that donors may be trying to influence the World Health Organization and its role in shaping global health policy with their gifts. The foundation, launched in 2020 to help raise private sector funds for the WHO, said it received $66 million in direct gifts through 2022, with $26 million coming from donors who chose not to be publicly named. Anil Soni, WHO Foundation CEO, told The Associated Press the foundation’s board, which includes a representative from the WHO, knows

Undue influence? Anonymous donations to World Health Organization's new foundation raise concerns
Economy

Blame capitalism? Why hundreds of decades-old yet vital drugs are nearly impossible to find

There is presently no end in sight to the drug supply shortage. FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images Past public ire over high drug prices has recently taken a back seat to a more insidious problem – no drugs at any price. Patients and their providers increasingly face limited or nonexistent supplies of drugs, many of which treat essential conditions such as cancer, heart disease and bacterial infections. The American Society of Health System Pharmacists now lists over 300 active shortages, primarily of decades-old generic drugs no longer protected by patents. While this is not a new problem, the number of

Blame capitalism? Why hundreds of decades-old yet vital drugs are nearly impossible to find
Political

How book-banning campaigns have changed the lives and education of librarians – they now need to learn how to plan for safety and legally protect themselves

Librarian Sharice Towles checks in books at the main branch of the Reading Public Library circulation desk in Reading, Penn. Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images Despite misconceptions and stereotypes – ranging from what librarians Gretchen Keer and Andrew Carlos have described as the “middle-aged, bun-wearing, comfortably shod, shushing librarian” to the “sexy librarian … and the hipster or tattooed librarian” – library professionals are more than book jockeys, and they do more than read at story time. They are experts in classification, pedagogy, data science, social media, disinformation, health sciences, music, art, media literacy and, yes, storytelling. And

How book-banning campaigns have changed the lives and education of librarians – they now need to learn how to plan for safety and legally protect themselves
Political

This year's debate over defense spending threatens to disrupt a tradition of bipartisan consensus-building over funding the military

Members of the House Freedom Caucus speak to reporters on July 14, 2023, hours before the House passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images News/Getty Images Each year for the past six decades, congressional representatives from both sides of the aisle have come together to pass the National Defense Authorization Act. Because the bill involves the military – a traditionally popular institution – it has historically received bipartisan support. But that record was threatened in the Republican-led House of Representatives on July 14, 2023, when members passed the US$886 billion bill by a 219-210 mostly

This year's debate over defense spending threatens to disrupt a tradition of bipartisan consensus-building over funding the military
Economy

UPS impasse with union could deliver a costly strike, disrupting brick-and-mortar businesses as well as e-commerce

Placards are part and parcel of a protest. AP Photo/Brittainy Newman Talks between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and UPS over a new contract fell apart on July 5, 2023. The union and the shipping and logistics company are blaming each other for the collapse, which occurred a few weeks after 97% of UPS’s Teamsters voted to strike if the Teamsters and UPS don’t reach an agreement by midnight on July 31. Without a deal in place, more than 300,000 Teamsters will stop working on Aug. 1. It would mark the delivery service’s first strike since 1997. The Conversation asked

UPS impasse with union could deliver a costly strike, disrupting brick-and-mortar businesses as well as e-commerce
World

US jobless claims fall again as labor market continues to flash strength

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week with the labor market continuing to cruise along despite higher interest rates intended to cool hiring. U.S. applications for jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 228,000 for the week ending July 15, from 237,000 previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week moving average of claims, which evens out some of the weekly volatility, fell by 9,250 to 237,500. Jobless claim applications are viewed as reflective of the number of layoffs in a given week. Overall, 1.75 million people were collecting unemployment benefits the week that ended July 8, about 33,000

US jobless claims fall again as labor market continues to flash strength
World

Jury awards Florida girl burned by McDonald's Chicken McNugget $800,000 in damages

A South Florida jury awarded $800,000 in damages to a little girl who received second-degree burns when a hot Chicken McNugget fell on her leg as her mother pulled away from the drive-thru of a McDonald’s restaurant. Lawyers for the family of Olivia Caraballo, who was 4 when she was burned in 2019, were seeking $15 million in damages. Jurors reached their verdict after deliberating for less than two hours on Wednesday, the South Florida SunSentinel reported. The jury’s verdict form allotted $400,000 in damages for the past four years, and another $400,000 for the

Jury awards Florida girl burned by McDonald's Chicken McNugget $800,000 in damages
Political

Michigan AG charges 16 people in fake electors scheme: 4 essential reads on how the Electoral College works

Aides prepare Alabama’s Electoral College votes for certification during a joint session of Congress in the House chamber on Jan. 6, 2021. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images The Michigan attorney general on July 18, 2023, charged 16 people with felonies for participating in a 2020 fake electors scheme to interfere with the Electoral College and overturn their state’s presidential election results. This is the first time a prosecutor in any jurisdiction – state or federal – has charged people in connection with a fake electors plot designed to deny voters’ will and award the 2020 presidential election to

Michigan AG charges 16 people in fake electors scheme: 4 essential reads on how the Electoral College works
World

Cambodia's leader returns to Facebook weeks after an acrimonious breakup with the platform

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen reactivated his Facebook account Thursday, three weeks after announcing he was forsaking the social media giant in favor of posting on Telegram, a popular messaging app that also serves as a blogging tool. Hun Sen’s return to the Facebook fold came three days before a general election in which his ruling Cambodian People’s Party is virtually guaranteed a landslide victory. Hun Sen said at the end of June that he would stop posting new material on his Facebook page but leave the account online. He said he was switching to

Cambodia's leader returns to Facebook weeks after an acrimonious breakup with the platform
World

Russia seeks a 20-year prison term for Kremlin foe Navalny in closed trial, ally says

Russian prosecutors have asked a court to sentence imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny to 20 years in prison on extremism charges, his ally Ivan Zhdanov said Thursday. According to Zhdanov, the trial against Navalny, which has been held behind closed doors in the prison where the politician is serving another lengthy sentence, is scheduled to conclude with a verdict on Aug. 4. If the court finds Navalny guilty, it will be his fifth criminal conviction, all of which have been widely seen as a deliberate strategy by the Kremlin to silence its ardent opponent. In his

Russia seeks a 20-year prison term for Kremlin foe Navalny in closed trial, ally says
World

Public funding for King Charles III and royals has been recalculated due to windfarm deal profits

The amount of public funding for King Charles III and the royal family’s official duties has been recalculated for next year because of an unexpected profit boost from offshore wind farms on the monarch’s Crown Estate, the U.K. Treasury said Thursday. Treasury officials say they will halve the proportion of the crown estate’s profits paid to the royals from 25% in recent years to 12% next year. Charles and the royal family receive an annual Sovereign Grant from the Treasury that is based on a proportion of profits from the crown estate, a vast collection of land

Public funding for King Charles III and royals has been recalculated due to windfarm deal profits
Arts

Home searched in Tupac Shakur's 1996 killing is tied to uncle of long-dead suspect

A home Las Vegas police searched this week in connection with the 1996 drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur is tied to a man long known to detectives investigating the case, whose nephew had emerged as a suspect shortly after the rapper’s killing. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed it served a search warrant Monday in the nearby city of Henderson. But the department said it wouldn’t release any other details, including where officers were searching and whether they expect to make an arrest for the first time in the slaying of the rapper nearly 30

Home searched in Tupac Shakur's 1996 killing is tied to uncle of long-dead suspect
Arts

Jason Momoa hosts Discovery's 'Shark Week,' featuring feeding frenzies and junkie sharks

Discovery Channel has landed the perfect host this year for “Shark Week,” none other than a huge fan of all ocean creatures — Aquaman. Jason Momoa, who in real life dreamed of a career as a marine biologist before Hollywood anointed him an ocean god, is going back to his roots to celebrate all things shark. “My heart is in the ocean,” Momoa told The Associated Press from Tahiti, moments before taking a trip to swim with some of the apex predators. “Doing ‘Shark Week’ is a no brainer.” Momoa will be the week’s recurring master

Jason Momoa hosts Discovery's 'Shark Week,' featuring feeding frenzies and junkie sharks
World

Catastrophe losses double at Travelers as insurance industry, states hit by more severe events

Travelers, considered a bellwether for the insurance industry due to its size, said catastrophe losses doubled in its most recent quarter and the company swung to a loss as severe wind and hailstorms in a number of regions led to rising coverage claims. The increasing frequency of extreme weather from hurricanes and wildfires to high winds and hail, are leading to disruptions in the insurance industry with some companies pulling out of states that are getting hit hard, such as Florida and California. Catastrophe losses at Travelers jumped to $1.48 billion for the three-month period ending on June 30, up

Catastrophe losses double at Travelers as insurance industry, states hit by more severe events
World

As temperatures rise, mosquitos are also on the move. Scientists worry that could mean more malaria

As the planet warms, mosquitoes are slowly migrating upward. The temperature range where malaria-carrying mosquitoes thrive is rising in elevation. Researchers have found evidence of the phenomenon from the tropical highlands of South America to the mountainous, populous regions of eastern Africa. Scientists now worry people living in areas once inhospitable to the insects, including the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the mountains of eastern Ethiopia, could be newly exposed to the disease. “As it gets warmer at higher altitudes with climate change and all of these other environmental changes, then mosquitoes can survive higher up the mountain,” said Manisha

As temperatures rise, mosquitos are also on the move. Scientists worry that could mean more malaria
Arts

Q&A: ‘Barbie’ filmmaker Greta Gerwig on art, commerce and embracing the mess

Barbie, the doll, may be 64 years old, but “Barbie,” the movie, is a pandemic baby. Greta Gerwig, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind “Little Women” and “Lady Bird,” started dreaming it up at a time when she wasn’t sure movies would ever come back. “I wanted to channel something that had that ache in it, but also something so wild and unruly and something that was so just spilling out over the edges of it that you want to be in a group and see it big,” Gerwig told The Associated Press this week. “Because I thought we’ll never make any

Q&A: ‘Barbie’ filmmaker Greta Gerwig on art, commerce and embracing the mess
Political

Blinken heads to Tonga, New Zealand, Australia as US shifts Indo-Pacific strategy into overdrive

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Tonga, New Zealand and Australia next week as the Biden administration shifts its Indo-Pacific strategy into overdrive in part to counter China’s growing influence in the region. The State Department said Thursday that Blinken will dedicate a new U.S. embassy in the Tongan capital of Nukuʻalofa on July 26 before heading to Wellington, New Zealand, where he will attend the women’s World Cup match between the U.S. and the Netherlands. Blinken will then have meetings with New Zealand officials and move on to Brisbane, Australia, for meetings with Defense Secretary

Blinken heads to Tonga, New Zealand, Australia as US shifts Indo-Pacific strategy into overdrive
Arts

Johnny Depp creates debut self-portrait in 'dark' and 'confusing' time

Johnny Depp has painted the emotions of recent years into a self-portrait and is offering the result for sale as a time-limited edition. The actor began working on the piece, titled “Five,” around 2021 in the midst of an explosive dispute with his ex-wife, Amber Heard, which played out in courtrooms on both sides of the Atlantic. “I think this is the most personal piece he’s ever done,” said Ian Weatherby-Blythe, managing director of Castle Fine Art, which is handling the sale of “Five.” The gallery also oversaw Depp’s sold-out debut art collection, the series of portraits

Johnny Depp creates debut self-portrait in 'dark' and 'confusing' time
Health

Homes become 'air fryers' in Phoenix heat, people sacrifice on AC for fear of cost

Temperatures have peaked at or above 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) the entire month of July in Phoenix. Air conditioning, which made modern Phoenix even possible, is a lifeline. When a cloudless sky combines with outdoor temperatures over 100 F, your house turns into an “air fryer” or “broiler,” as the roof absorbs powerful heat and radiates it downward, said Jonathan Bean, co-director of the Institute for Energy Solutions at the University of Arizona. Bean knows this not only from his research, he also experienced it firsthand this weekend when his air conditioner broke. “This level of heat that

Homes become 'air fryers' in Phoenix heat, people sacrifice on AC for fear of cost
World

Stewart Cink opens with 68 and thinks he can win British Open at age 50

Stewart Cink wouldn’t seem to have a lot going for him at this British Open, least of all the fact he turned 50 two months ago and is eligible for the PGA Tour Champions. Throw in the fact his flight from Atlanta was delayed by one day and he didn’t see Royal Liverpool until Tuesday after a long flight. Or the fact he only has two top 10s in his 23 previous times playing the British Open. One of those, of course, was a victory at Turnberry in 2009. That has not been forgotten by Cink,

Stewart Cink opens with 68 and thinks he can win British Open at age 50
World

Solar panels on water canals seem like a no-brainer. So why aren't they widespread?

Back in 2015, California’s dry earth was crunching under a fourth year of drought. Then-Governor Jerry Brown ordered an unprecedented 25% reduction in home water use. Farmers, who use the most water, volunteered too to avoid deeper, mandatory cuts. Brown also set a goal for the state to get half its energy from renewable sources, with climate change bearing down. Yet when Jordan Harris and Robin Raj went knocking on doors with an idea that addresses both water loss and climate pollution — installing solar panels over irrigation canals — they couldn’t get anyone to commit. Fast

Solar panels on water canals seem like a no-brainer. So why aren't they widespread?
World

11-year-old daughter of top Kashmiri rebel leader issues rare appeal to visit father jailed in India

The eleven-year-old daughter of a prominent Kashmiri rebel leader who was sentenced to life in prison in neighboring India issued an emotional appeal on Thursday, urging New Delhi to allow her to meet her ailing father. Razia Sultan, the daughter of Mohammed Yasin Malik, 57, made this emotional demand after she was allowed to address the regional legislative assembly in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. “I was only two years old when I met my father. I have now turned 11,” she said in a televised speech. “I miss my father like anything. I crave to

11-year-old daughter of top Kashmiri rebel leader issues rare appeal to visit father jailed in India

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