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

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

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
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
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

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

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

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
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

After heat wave, wildfires force thousands to flee seaside resorts outside Greek capital

Wildfires outside Athens forced thousands to flee seaside resorts, closed highways and gutted vacation homes Monday, as high winds pushed flames through hillside scrub and pine forests parched by days of extreme heat. Authorities issued evacuation orders for at least six seaside communities as two major wildfires edged closer to summer resort towns and gusts of wind hit 70 kph (45 mph). The army, police special forces and volunteer rescuers freed retirees from their homes, rescued horses from a stable, and helped monks flee a monastery threatened by the flames. Before nightfall, water-dropping planes and helicopters

After heat wave, wildfires force thousands to flee seaside resorts outside Greek capital
World

Police investigating the Gilgo Beach killings have searched a Long Island storage facility

Detectives investigating the long-unsolved murders known as the Gilgo Beach killings searched a storage facility in the Long Island community of Amityville over the weekend, police said. Suffolk County police confirmed Monday that detectives executed a search warrant at Omega Self Storage on Sunrise Highway related to the investigation that led to last week’s arrest of architect Rex Heuermann. He was charged Friday with murder in the deaths of three of the 11 victims whose remains were found buried along a remote beach highway. Heuermann, who has lived for decades across a bay from where the

Police investigating the Gilgo Beach killings have searched a Long Island storage facility
World

Vanishing whale's decline worse than previously thought, feds say

A review of the status of a vanishing species of whale found that the animal’s population is in worse shape than previously thought, federal ocean regulators said Monday. The North Atlantic right whale numbers less than 350, and it has been declining in population for several years. The federal government declared the whale’s decline an “unusual mortality event,” which means an unexpected and significant die-off, in 2017. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released new data that 114 of the whales have been documented as dead, seriously injured or sub-lethally injured or sick since the start

Vanishing whale's decline worse than previously thought, feds say
World

Cameron Smith returns claret jug ahead of the British Open and reflects on his long year

The chill Aussie vibe of Cameron Smith gave way to more emotion than he expected Monday while taking part in one of many royal and ancient traditions at the British Open. As the defending champion, he had to return the claret jug. “I was actually holding back some tears. A bit of a moment, I guess, that crept up on me,” Smith said. “It wasn’t hard to hand it back. I wasn’t like, ‘Not letting it go.’ But it was a moment that I guess you don’t think about, and then all of a sudden it’s

Cameron Smith returns claret jug ahead of the British Open and reflects on his long year
World

Mother says man who shot four in 31st mass killing this year needed mental help for nearly a decade

The 40-year-old man who shot four people in the country’s 31st mass killing this year needed mental help for nearly a decade but his family and officials couldn’t force him to get treatment, his mother said. Andre Longmore walked through his neighborhood in the semi-rural suburb of Hampton, Georgia on Saturday and fatally shot four neighbors, all senior citizens. The killings set off a manhunt that ended Sunday with Longmore dead in a shootout in another suburb about 15 miles (25 kilometers) north of Hampton. The shooting wounded a sheriff’s deputy and two police officers, who

Mother says man who shot four in 31st mass killing this year needed mental help for nearly a decade
World

Braves' Acuña is on pace to set new baseball standard for power-speed dominance

Ronald Acuña Jr. is on pace to do more than just join an elite 40-40 club in baseball history. The Braves outfielder is threatening to obliterate the previous high mark for power-speed combination in a season. Of the four players who have delivered seasons with at least 40 homers and 40 stolen bases, none accomplished the feat with more than 46 steals. Acuña is on pace for 41 homers and 77 steals. He could become the charter member of baseball’s 40-50, 40-60 and 40-70 clubs. “It would mean a lot to me personally just because I feel

Braves' Acuña is on pace to set new baseball standard for power-speed dominance
World

Microsoft and UK regulators want more time to work on $69 billion Activision deal

Microsoft and British regulators sought more time from a court Monday as the U.S. tech company uses a rare second chance to overcome opposition to its $69 billion bid for video game maker Activision Blizzard. Lawyers for Microsoft and the Competition and Markets Authority tried to persuade a judge to delay an hearing planned after the CMA rejected the deal and Microsoft appealed. The regulator later gave Microsoft more time to make its case for the blockbuster purchase of the Call of Duty game maker to go through. The deal has already won approval in the European

Microsoft and UK regulators want more time to work on $69 billion Activision deal
World

Freight train derails in southeast Pennsylvania, but no known injuries or hazards

A freight train derailment in southeast Pennsylvania early Monday spurred precautionary evacuations, but officials said no injuries were reported and there was no known hazard to the public. The 40-car CSX train, which was operating on tracks owned by Norfolk Southern, derailed around 4:50 a.m. in Whitemarsh Township. More than a dozen cars appeared to be off the tracks. Silicone pellets were leaking from at least one train car, Whitemarsh police said, but they posed no risk to the public. It wasn’t immediately known what was inside the other derailed cars, and hazmat teams were

Freight train derails in southeast Pennsylvania, but no known injuries or hazards
World

Japan's prime minister visits the UAE as part of a Gulf trip focused on energy and commerce

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the United Arab Emirates on Monday as part of a swing through the Arab Gulf states focused on energy and commerce. He met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the president of the UAE, which will be hosting the COP28 U.N. climate summit later this year. Kishida visited Saudi Arabia over the weekend, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two launched a joint initiative aimed at promoting clean energy. He will visit gas-rich Qatar on Tuesday. Japan is the fifth-largest oil consumer in the

Japan's prime minister visits the UAE as part of a Gulf trip focused on energy and commerce
World

Northeast starts to dry out after flash flooding claims at least 5 lives in Pennsylvania

An already saturated Northeast began drying out Monday after a second round of heavy rain in a week, including a flash flood in Pennsylvania that claimed at least five lives over the weekend. A 9-month-old boy and his 2-year-old sister remained missing in Upper Makefield Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, which is along the Delaware River, after they were swept away late Saturday afternoon while traveling in a vehicle. Fire Chief Tim Brewer said the area got about 6 1/2 to 7 inches of rain (about 18 centimeters) in 45 minutes. The children are part

Northeast starts to dry out after flash flooding claims at least 5 lives in Pennsylvania
World

Flying Russian flags, more Wagner troops roll into Belarus as part of deal that ended their mutiny

More mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner military contractor rolled into Belarus Monday, a monitoring group said, continuing their relocation to the ex-Soviet nation following last month’s short-lived mutiny. Belaruski Hajun, a Belarusian activist group that monitors troops movements in Belarus, said that a convoy of about 20 vehicles carrying Russian flags and Wagner insignia entered the country Monday heading toward a field camp that Belarusian authorities had offered to the company. The group said it was a third Wagner convoy entering the country since last week. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who brokered a deal that ended last month’s rebellion launched by

Flying Russian flags, more Wagner troops roll into Belarus as part of deal that ended their mutiny
World

The bridge that links Russia to Crimea is key to supplying the Ukraine war and for asserting control

The bridge connecting Russia-annexed Crimea and Russia carries heavy significance for Moscow both logistically and psychologically, as a key artery for Russian military and civilian supplies bound for Crimea and as an assertion of Russia’s control of the peninsula. An explosion that hit the bridge before dawn on Monday, killing a couple and seriously injuring their daughter, left a span of the roadway hanging perilously. The damage initially appeared to be less severe than that caused by a blast in October, but highlighted the bridge’s vulnerability. Russia blamed Ukraine for both Monday’s blast and the October explosion. A spokesman for

The bridge that links Russia to Crimea is key to supplying the Ukraine war and for asserting control
World

Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham is on its way to the United States after being given the Hollywood treatment

Ryan Reynolds has already taken Hollywood to Wrexham. Now the Welsh soccer team is on its way to Tinseltown. The club, which was down on its luck and languishing in the fifth tier of English soccer before being given the A-list treatment by Reynolds and co-owner Rob McElhenney, is embarking on a U.S. tour this month, when fans of the globally-streamed docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham” will get to see its unlikely stars in the flesh. The series has made household names of the likes of manager Phil Parkinson, a coach who has spent his entire career

Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham is on its way to the United States after being given the Hollywood treatment
World

The pope's Ukraine peace envoy heads to Washington with the plight of children top of his agenda

Pope Francis’ peace envoy was traveling to Washington on Monday as part of the Holy See’s peace initiatives for Ukraine, hoping to support humanitarian operations especially concerning children, the Vatican said Monday. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi’s visit, which lasts through Wednesday, follows his recent mission to Moscow and an earlier stop in Kyiv, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zuppi is a veteran of the Catholic Church’s peace initiatives and has been tasked by Francis to try to find “paths of peace” between the warring sides. In Moscow, Zuppi met with Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s

The pope's Ukraine peace envoy heads to Washington with the plight of children top of his agenda
World

Israel's governing coalition presses ahead with plan to overhaul courts ahead of expected protests

Israel’s governing coalition pushed ahead on Monday with its contentious plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary, despite growing opposition from within the country’s military and a wave of mass protests expected this week. A parliamentary committee was preparing a bill that would limit judicial oversight on some government decisions, legislation that has sparked intensifying criticism from military reservists in elite units, including the air force and cyberwarfare. Many have warned they will not show up for duty if the overhaul moves ahead. Reservists, who make up the backbone of the country’s mostly compulsory military, played

Israel's governing coalition presses ahead with plan to overhaul courts ahead of expected protests
World

Israel's governing coalition presses ahead with plan to overhaul courts ahead of expected protests

Israel’s governing coalition pushed ahead on Monday with its contentious plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary, despite growing opposition from within the country’s military and a wave of mass protests expected this week. A parliamentary committee was preparing a bill that would limit judicial oversight on some government decisions, legislation that has sparked intensifying criticism from military reservists in elite units, including the air force and cyberwarfare. Many have warned they will not show up for duty if the overhaul moves ahead. Reservists, who make up the backbone of the country’s mostly compulsory military, played

Israel's governing coalition presses ahead with plan to overhaul courts ahead of expected protests
World

Turkey's Erdogan heads to Gulf seeking funds for ailing economy

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travels to Saudi Arabia on Monday in a three-stop tour of Gulf states to seek trade and investment opportunities for Turkey’s floundering economy. The president will arrive in Jeddah accompanied by an entourage of some 200 businesspeople, according to the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey. He is expected to meet King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Business forums have been arranged in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates during Erdogan’s three-day trip. The visit comes as Turks are hit with sales and fuel tax hikes that Finance

Turkey's Erdogan heads to Gulf seeking funds for ailing economy

Follow