Today: October 10, 2024
Today: October 10, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

World

Mattel posts a surprise profit as Barbie sales fall despite movie hype

The “Barbie” blockbuster movie created magic at the box office, but the iconic doll’s parent Mattel is bracing for it to make a big difference in the toy aisles. Mattel Inc. on Wednesday turned in a surprise profit and better sales during the second quarter than analysts expected. But worldwide sales of Barbie to retailers excluding adjustments fell 6% in the quarter ended June 30 as promotions were shifted to align with last weekend’s release of the iconic doll’s first live action picture. Mattel executives told analysts during an earnings call following the release that sales

Mattel posts a surprise profit as Barbie sales fall despite movie hype
World

No new details on Bronny James 2 days after cardiac arrest during USC basketball practice

The family of Bronny James, the hospital and the university made no new public comments about his health Wednesday, two days after the 18-year-old son of NBA superstar LeBron James went into cardiac arrest during a basketball practice with his team at the University of Southern California. LeBron James was spotted by photographers entering Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where Bronny James is being treated after the incident Monday morning at USC’s campus arena. Bronny James was in stable condition Tuesday, and patients who experience an unlikely cardiac arrest often undergo numerous tests over multiple days to determine

No new details on Bronny James 2 days after cardiac arrest during USC basketball practice
World

Merrifield and Jansen go deep to help Blue Jays rout Dodgers 8-1, take 2 of 3 from LA

Whit Merrifield hit a three-run homer, Danny Jansen also went deep and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1 on Wednesday, taking two of three from the NL West leaders. Merrifield sent an 0-2 pitch from Tony Gonsolin (5-4) over the wall in left with two outs in the fifth inning, scoring Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who both singled. Jansen led off the sixth, blasting a line-drive to left off reliever Alex Vesia for a 6-0 lead. Merrifield sacrificed into a double play that scored Guerrero in the second for the

Merrifield and Jansen go deep to help Blue Jays rout Dodgers 8-1, take 2 of 3 from LA
World

Explaining the latest heat-associated deaths confirmed amid record highs in Arizona's largest county

Another seven heat-associated deaths were confirmed over the last week in America’s hottest big metro, health officials reported Wednesday, amid a blistering heat wave with daytime highs over 110 F (43.3 C) and overnight lows not dropping below 90 F (32.2 C). Maricopa County, the biggest county in Arizona and home to Phoenix, reported that its health department has confirmed 25 heat-associated deaths this year as of Saturday since the first one was recorded in April, with 249 more under investigation. That’s seven more heat-associated deaths for the year since 18 were reported as of July 15,

Explaining the latest heat-associated deaths confirmed amid record highs in Arizona's largest county
World

Trainer of champion Maximum Security gets 4 years in prison in racehorse-drugging scheme

The trainer of racehorse champion Maximum Security was sentenced to four years in prison on Wednesday for his role in a widespread international scheme to drug horses to make them race faster. Jason Servis was sentenced by Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil in Manhattan federal court after pleading guilty to one felony and one misdemeanor charge alleging that he used unapproved drugs on the horses he trained. He was also ordered to pay $311,760 in forfeiture, $163,932 in restitution and a $30,000 fine. “You have undermined the integrity of the sport of horse racing,” Vyskocil told Servis

Trainer of champion Maximum Security gets 4 years in prison in racehorse-drugging scheme
World

Michigan 'Hockey Doc' to stand trial on sexual assault charges connected to youth hockey physicals

A doctor who says he received the nickname “Hockey Doc” after spending more than two decades providing medical assistance to youth hockey teams in Michigan and Minnesota will stand trial on charges that he sexually assaulted patients. Zvi Levran faces 22 counts of third- and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving 10 former hockey players. He denies any wrongdoing. Some witnesses testified during his preliminary hearing that ended Tuesday in Farmington Hills District Court near Detroit that the sexual assaults occurred when they were teens and adults. Each situation had one purpose, which was to “satisfy

Michigan 'Hockey Doc' to stand trial on sexual assault charges connected to youth hockey physicals
World

Mega Millions lottery jackpot nears $1B ahead of Friday drawing

The Mega Millions lottery jackpot is approaching $1 billion ahead of Friday’s drawing, driving first-time buyers and other hopefuls to stock up on tickets. Regeina Whitsitt, a lottery clerk for RED X Grocery Store in the Missouri city of Riverside near the border of Kansas, said she’s sold tickets to a number of new players trying to win the $910 million jackpot. Customers are buying $60 to $100 worth of tickets, Whitsitt said. The $910 million prize is one of the largest in U.S. lottery history and follows a $1.08 billion Powerball prize won by a

Mega Millions lottery jackpot nears $1B ahead of Friday drawing
World

Herbert glad to have focus back on football after reaching extension with Chargers

Less than 24 hours after becoming the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback by annual salary, Justin Herbert’s first training camp practice on Wednesday didn’t appear different from past seasons. The Los Angeles Chargers signal-caller had his share of dynamic throws and then for nearly 25 minutes went up and down the sidelines signing autographs for fans and posing for pictures. Herbert then chatted with owner Dean Spanos for a couple minutes before being interviewed by reporters about his five-year, $262.5 million extension. Besides an immense amount of gratitude, Herbert was relieved that the extension was able to

Herbert glad to have focus back on football after reaching extension with Chargers
World

Carolina Hurricanes sign center Sebastian Aho to an 8-year contract extension worth $78 million

A home-cooked dinner of salmon and vegetables prepared by his mother would have made it an excellent 26th birthday for Sebastian Aho, no matter what. Even better for Aho: It came with a lucrative contract extension. The Carolina Hurricanes signed Aho to an eight-year deal worth $78 million on Wednesday, the richest contract handed out in the history of the franchise that used to be the Hartford Whalers. Aho is now under contract through 2032 at an annual salary cap hit of $9.75 million, once the deal kicks in for the 2024-25 NHL season. “Birthday and an extension — it

Carolina Hurricanes sign center Sebastian Aho to an 8-year contract extension worth $78 million
World

Aaron Rodgers sharing info and making sure his new Jets teammates have their 'brains turned on'

Aaron Rodgers strolled over to the New York Jets’ defensive sideline, gave a few teammates pats on their backs and then got to Tony Adams. The second-year safety had just picked off the four-time NFL MVP in team drills — and Rodgers had a couple of messages for him. “I wanted to tell T.A., ‘Man, nice play on that interception,”’ Rodgers said Wednesday. “Two, I also wanted to remind him that was a free play because they jumped offside.” Indeed, there was a penalty called on the play. But it was another display of Rodgers’

Aaron Rodgers sharing info and making sure his new Jets teammates have their 'brains turned on'
World

Ohio officer fired after letting his police dog attack a surrendering truck driver

An Ohio police department has fired an officer who released his police dog on a surrendering truck driver even after state troopers told him to hold the dog back. A statement issued Wednesday by Circleville police said Ryan Speakman “did not meet the standards and expectations we hold for our police officers” and that he has been “terminated from the department, effective immediately.” Speakman was sacked a day after Circleville’s police chief announced the officer had been put on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure in cases where use of force is investigated. The town’s

Ohio officer fired after letting his police dog attack a surrendering truck driver
World

Facebook parent Meta posts higher profit, revenue for Q2 as advertising rebounds

Facebook parent company Meta Platforms posted stronger-than-expected results for the second quarter on Wednesday, buoyed by a rebound in online advertising after a post-pandemic slump. The Menlo Park, California-based company earned $7.79 billion, or $2.98 per share, in the April-June period. That’s up 16% from $6.69 billion, or $2.46 per share, in the same period a year earlier. Revenue jumped 11% to $32 billion from $28.82 billion in the year-ago quarter. Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of $2.91 per share on revenue of $31.08 billion, according to a poll by FactSet Research. Facebook had 3.03 billion monthly active users

Facebook parent Meta posts higher profit, revenue for Q2 as advertising rebounds
World

Sam Bankman-Fried should be jailed until trial, prosecutor says, citing bail violations

Sam Bankman-Fried should be immediately jailed, a prosecutor told a federal judge on Wednesday, saying the FTX founder violated his bail conditions by sharing information with a reporter designed to harass a key witness against him. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan didn’t immediately decide whether to put the cryptocurrency entrepreneur behind bars, instead giving his lawyers and prosecutors several days to submit written arguments and more information. “I am certainly very mindful of his First Amendment rights, and I am very mindful of the government’s interest here, which I take very seriously,” Kaplan said. “And I say

Sam Bankman-Fried should be jailed until trial, prosecutor says, citing bail violations
World

Are you a Facebook user? You have one month left to apply for a share of this $725M settlement

U.S. Facebook users have one more month to apply for their share of a $725 million privacy settlement that parent company Meta agreed to pay late last year. Meta is paying to settle a lawsuit alleging the world’s largest social media platform allowed millions of its users’ personal information to be fed to Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Anyone in the U.S. who has had a Facebook account at any time between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, is eligible to receive a payment. To apply for the settlement, users can fill out

Are you a Facebook user? You have one month left to apply for a share of this $725M settlement
World

Mangrove forest thrives around what was once Latin America's largest landfill

It was once Latin America’s largest landfill. Now, a decade after Rio de Janeiro shut it down and redoubled efforts to recover the surrounding expanse of highly polluted swamp, crabs, snails, fish and birds are once again populating the mangrove forest. “If we didn’t say this used to be a landfill, people would think it’s a farm. The only thing missing is cattle,” jokes Elias Gouveia, an engineer with Comlurb, the city’s garbage collection agency that is shepherding the plantation project. “This is an environmental lesson that we must learn from: nature is remarkable. If

Mangrove forest thrives around what was once Latin America's largest landfill
World

Union Pacific hires CEO hedge fund recommended as 2Q profit fell 15% on weaker demand

Union Pacific on Wednesday hired the CEO recommended earlier this year by a hedge fund pressuring the railroad to improve, as the company cut its outlook after reporting disappointing results driven by weakening consumer demand and higher labor costs. The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad said its former chief operating officer Jim Vena will take over as CEO next month. The Soroban Capital Partners hedge fund that holds a $1.6 billion stake in Union Pacific had been urging the railroad to hire Vena because of his expertise in streamlining operations. The hedge fund said that UP lagged behind

Union Pacific hires CEO hedge fund recommended as 2Q profit fell 15% on weaker demand
World

Rob Manfred's term as baseball commissioner extended until 2029 by MLB owners

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s term was extended until 2029 on Wednesday by major league owners. The decision to give Manfred a third term in charge of the sport was made during a vote at an in-person meeting in Washington, D.C. The extension keeps Manfred in place until Jan. 25, 2029. Manfred, 64, succeeded Bud Selig in January 2015 and was given a five-year term. Owners voted in November 2018 to offer Manfred a new deal through the 2024 season. Manfred has overseen a period of on-field change for the sport, including instituting a pitch clock and

Rob Manfred's term as baseball commissioner extended until 2029 by MLB owners
World

Who is Bronny James? LeBron's oldest son has carved his own basketball path

LeBron James and his high school sweetheart, Savannah Brinson, were still teenagers when they welcomed their first child a few months after James won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They named him LeBron James Jr., but everyone soon called him Bronny. Now 18 himself, Bronny James had nothing like the hardscrabble childhood of his father, the only child of a single mother in Akron, Ohio. Along with wealth and celebrity, Bronny grew up with two loving, involved parents and two younger siblings who formed a tight-knit family unit — dubbed

Who is Bronny James? LeBron's oldest son has carved his own basketball path
World

Gap taps Mattel executive as its next president and CEO. The appointment caps a yearlong search

Gap has tapped a top Mattel executive who re-energized Barbie and Hot Wheels to be its next president and CEO. The San Francisco-based chain, which operates stores under its namesake as well as Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta, said Wednesday that Richard Dickson will join Gap Inc. on Aug. 22 from his most recent role as president and chief operating officer of toy giant Mattel. In a separate announcement, Mattel, based in El Segundo, California, said that Dickson will depart Aug. 3. Gap’s CEO spot had been vacant since Sonia Syngal left last July. Dickson

Gap taps Mattel executive as its next president and CEO. The appointment caps a yearlong search
World

Panthers name No. 1 pick Bryce Young team's Week 1 starting QB vs. Falcons

The Carolina Panthers have their QB1. Coach Frank Reich wasted no time naming rookie Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, the starting quarterback for the team’s Sept. 10 regular-season opener against the Atlanta Falcons. “When we decided to pick Bryce we imagined and saw the vision that we would be standing here today saying he is the QB1,” Reich said Wednesday. The announcement came after the completion of the Young’s first training camp practice at Wofford College, although the news seemed imminent after he took over first-team reps from veteran Andy

Panthers name No. 1 pick Bryce Young team's Week 1 starting QB vs. Falcons
World

Northwestern interim coach fends for himself as Wildcats players skip annual Big Ten kickoff

Northwestern’s hazing scandal already has cost the university its winningest football coach and a once-pristine reputation. The Wildcats were missing a presence at the Big Ten’s annual football kickoff, too. Pending litigation caused the three hand-picked players to skip Wednesday interviews, forcing interim coach David Braun to fend off questions about what happened and possible solutions all by himself. “I won’t speak to current allegations; I fully believe our university is going through a process and can speak to the facts,” he said, making his first public comments since Pat Fitzgerald’s firing on July 10. “What I

Northwestern interim coach fends for himself as Wildcats players skip annual Big Ten kickoff
World

African leaders condemn coup attempt against Niger’s president after his home is surrounded

Governing bodies in Africa condemned what they characterized as a coup attempt Wednesday against Niger’s president, whose official Twitter account reported that elements of the presidential guard engaged in an “anti-Republican demonstration” and tried to obtain the support of other security forces. The tweet from the administration of President Mohamed Bazoum did not refer to a coup, and the part of that referred to the demonstration later was deleted. But it said the president and his family were doing well, and Niger’s army and national guard “are ready to attack” if those involved in the protest

African leaders condemn coup attempt against Niger’s president after his home is surrounded
World

Olympic champion Canada comes back to beat Ireland 2-1 at the Women's World Cup

Conceding a goal directly from a corner kick against Ireland on Wednesday, Olympic champion Canada was in trouble in its second game of the Women’s World Cup. After a disappointing 0-0 draw with Nigeria in its opening match of the tournament, and with iconic forward Christine Sinclair on the bench, Canada’s hopes of advancing from the group stage were under threat. Up against a determined Ireland, an inspired Katie McCabe and torrential rain at Rectangular Stadium, the odds were stacking up against the Canadians. But with the character of Olympic gold medallists, a touch of fortune

Olympic champion Canada comes back to beat Ireland 2-1 at the Women's World Cup
World

British billionaire, owner of Tottenham soccer team, arrested on insider trading charges

Joe Lewis, the British billionaire who owns the Tottenham soccer team, was taken into U.S. federal custody in New York City on Wednesday, where he awaited an initial court appearance on insider trading charges alleging that he fed corporate secrets to romantic partners, personal assistants, friends and his pilots, earning them millions of dollars illegally. Two pilots — Patrick O’Connor and Bryan ‘Marty’ Waugh — were also arrested, authorities said. All three men were expected to appear in Manhattan federal court. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who announced the charges Tuesday night in a video, said in

British billionaire, owner of Tottenham soccer team, arrested on insider trading charges
World

UK prime minister urged to speed up compensation for infected blood scandal victims

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Wednesday he was committed to paying out compensation swiftly to thousands of people affected by the country’s infected blood scandal, which saw more than 2,000 patients die after contracting HIV or hepatitis from transfusions of tainted blood in the 1970s and 1980s. But Sunak, who was testifying before an independent inquiry into the public healthcare scandal, was heckled by survivors and affected families when he did not give a clear answer on when full payments will be paid out. The Infected Blood Inquiry was established in 2017 to examine how thousands

UK prime minister urged to speed up compensation for infected blood scandal victims

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