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Today: January 19, 2025
Today: January 19, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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Arts

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle part ways with Spotify after less than a year of 'Archetypes' podcast

The production company founded by Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, is splitting ways with Spotify less than a year after the debut of their podcast “ Archetypes.” It is unclear why the podcast, hosted by Meghan, is leaving the platform but Spotify and Archewell Audio said in a joint statement that the decision was mutual. Archewell landed a multiyear partnership with Spotify in 2020 to create podcasts and shows that would tell stories through diverse voices and perspectives. The podcast premiered in August last year with tennis great Serena Williams as a guest and it was an instant hit.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle part ways with Spotify after less than a year of 'Archetypes' podcast
Arts

Exhibition by Chinese dissident artist opens in Warsaw despite pressure from China

An exhibition by a provocative Chinese artist that criticizes the country’s human rights record is opening at a Polish state-run museum on Friday despite pressure from the Chinese embassy to cancel it. The director of the Center for Contemporary Art in the capital, Warsaw, said the No. 2 diplomat at the Chinese embassy in Warsaw visited his museum demanding the cancellation of the exhibition by the artist, who goes by the name Badiucao. “It wasn’t a request but a firm demand,” said museum director Piotr Bernatowicz, describing the Chinese government’s behavior as unacceptable. He said the

Exhibition by Chinese dissident artist opens in Warsaw despite pressure from China
World

Michael Jordan selling majority ownership stake in Charlotte Hornets

Michael Jordan is finalizing a deal to sell the majority share of the Charlotte Hornets, the franchise announced Friday, leaving the 30-team NBA without any Black majority ownership. Jordan is selling to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, the Hornets said. Plotkin has been a minority stakeholder in the Hornets since 2019. Schnall has been a minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks since 2015 and is in the process of selling his investment in that team. It’s not clear how long the process of selling will take to be finalized by the NBA’s

Michael Jordan selling majority ownership stake in Charlotte Hornets
Political

After expulsion and reinstatement, Tennessee Reps. Pearson, Jones advance past Democratic primaries

Tennessee Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones have advanced past an election hurdle after the two young Black lawmakers were expelled earlier this year for their gun control protest on the House floor, then reinstated by local officials days afterward. Pearson appeared to handily defeat Democratic opponent David Page on Thursday in his Memphis district and advance to face independent candidate Jeff Johnston in the Aug. 3 general election, according to to unofficial results from the Shelby County Election Commission with all precincts reporting. He has no Republican opponent for the seat, which favors Democrats. Jones

After expulsion and reinstatement, Tennessee Reps. Pearson, Jones advance past Democratic primaries
World

Putin touts Russian economy as Western investors steer clear of St. Petersburg event

President Vladimir Putin on Friday touted Russia’s prospects at the country’s main international economic forum despite heavy international sanctions imposed because of the war in Ukraine. Western officials and investors steered clear of the year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which began Wednesday and continues through Saturday. For decades, the gathering has been Russia’s premier event for attracting foreign capital, sometimes likened to the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. The Kremlin banned journalists from “unfriendly” countries from covering the proceedings. Moscow gave that designation on scores of countries that sanctioned Russia over its invasion

Putin touts Russian economy as Western investors steer clear of St. Petersburg event
World

NBA suspends Ja Morant 25 games for latest social media incident involving a gun

Memphis guard Ja Morant has been suspended for the first 25 games of the upcoming season for his second known incident of displaying what appeared to be a firearm on social media, the NBA announced Friday. Morant will also have to adhere to certain conditions before being reinstated, the NBA said. It is the second time he has been suspended in the last three months for showing a firearm on social media, following an eight-game suspension in March. Morant is due to make around $33.5 million this season. He now stands to lose just over $300,000 per game during this

NBA suspends Ja Morant 25 games for latest social media incident involving a gun
World

Soccer players' union looks to hold FIFA accountable for player payments

The global soccer players’ union is working with FIFA to make sure that payments promised to all players at the Women’s World Cup actually reach them. FIFA confirmed last week that the 732 players participating in the tournament, which starts next month in Australia and New Zealand, will be paid at least $30,000 each. The paycheck rises if teams do well, with each player for the winning team earning $270,000. The players’ union, known as FIFPRO, helped push for FIFA to dedicate a percentage of the prize money to the players themselves. The union sent a letter to FIFA in

Soccer players' union looks to hold FIFA accountable for player payments
World

Notable moments of Ja Morant's Grizzlies career, both on and off the court

A timeline of some of the notable of moments on and off of Ja Morant’s career from the time the Memphis Grizzlies made him the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2019 to his 25-game suspension announced Friday by the league. Commissioner Adam Silver had said the league would announce any discipline after the NBA Finals were completed following an investigation into a second social media incident involving a handgun within a three-month span. — June 16, 2023: The NBA suspends Morant 25 games for displaying what appeared to be a firearm on social media. Morant also has to meet

Notable moments of Ja Morant's Grizzlies career, both on and off the court
Science

Popular 'low T' treatment is safe for men with heart disease, but doctors warn it's no youth serum

Testosterone replacement therapy is safe for men with “low T” who have heart disease or are at high risk for it, a new study suggests. But doctors warn the popular treatment is no “anti-aging tonic.” The research, published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that heart attacks, strokes and other major cardiac issues were no more common among those using testosterone gel than those using a placebo. That implies the gel is also safe for men without cardiovascular problems who have low T, said Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic and senior author of

Popular 'low T' treatment is safe for men with heart disease, but doctors warn it's no youth serum
World

Japan raises the age of sexual consent to 16 from 13, which was among the world's lowest

Japan’s parliament on Friday raised the age of sexual consent to 16 from 13, a limit which had remained unchanged for more than a century and was among the world’s lowest, amid calls for greater protection of children and women. The revision was part of a revamping of laws related to sex crimes. Separately, Parliament passed a new law on Friday to increase awareness of LGBTQ+ issues which activists criticized for not guaranteeing equal rights for sexual minorities. Reforms providing greater protection for victims of sexual crimes and stricter punishment of assailants have come slowly in a

Japan raises the age of sexual consent to 16 from 13, which was among the world's lowest
World

Unionized UPS workers vote to authorize a strike in high-stakes negotiations for a new contract

Unionized UPS workers voted overwhelmingly on Friday to authorize a strike, setting the stage for a potential work stoppage if the package delivery company and Teamsters can’t come to an agreement before their contract expires next month. The Teamsters said 97% of unionized workers voted for the authorization. The Teamsters have urged workers to authorize a strike to give them more leverage in negotiations with the company, but a yes vote does not mean a strike is imminent. “This vote shows that hundreds of thousands of Teamsters are united and determined to get the best contract

Unionized UPS workers vote to authorize a strike in high-stakes negotiations for a new contract
World

Family of girl who died in Border Patrol custody holds New York funeral, says they want justice

Balloons with rainbows and Minnie Mouse surrounded the casket of an 8-year-old girl who died in Border Patrol custody as dozens of people gathered Friday to remember Anadith Tanay Reyes Alvarez in New York City. Her family had been heading to the city last month before their journey across the southern U.S. border ended in tragedy. The child’s death has put the U.S. government under new scrutiny over the care given to thousands of detained migrants. The girl’s mother, Mabel Alvarez Benedicks, hugged almost every guest, thanking them for coming to honor their daughter. She grabbed

Family of girl who died in Border Patrol custody holds New York funeral, says they want justice
Political

Former North Carolina health official is picked to be new CDC director

Dr. Mandy Cohen, a former North Carolina official, will be the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House announced Friday. Unlike the last two people to serve as head of the nation’s top federal public health agency, Cohen has prior experience running a government agency: She was secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services from 2017 until last year. Before that, she held health-related jobs at two federal agencies. “Dr. Cohen is one of the nation’s top physicians and health leaders with experience leading large and

Former North Carolina health official is picked to be new CDC director
Health

Abortion providers in North Carolina file federal lawsuit challenging state's new restrictions

Abortion providers in North Carolina filed a federal lawsuit Friday that challenges several provisions of a state law banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy in the dwindling days before the new restrictions take effect. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and Dr. Beverly Gray, an OB-GYN at Duke Health, are asking a federal judge to block numerous provisions they argue are unclear and unconstitutional, or to place an injunction on the law to prevent it from being enforced. Though the law may be commonly referred to as a 12-week abortion ban, the plaintiffs argue that it

Abortion providers in North Carolina file federal lawsuit challenging state's new restrictions
Arts

Cormac McCarthy's fearless approach to writing

McCarthy attends the 2009 premiere of the film adaptation of his novel ‘The Road.’ Evan Agostini/AP Photo Cormac McCarthy, who died on June 13, 2023, at the age of 89, is often characterized rather narrowly as a Southern writer, or perhaps a Southern Gothic writer. McCarthy did lean heavily on his Tennessee upbringing in his first four novels, and he set many others in the deserts of the Southwest U.S. However, as a writer, he saw himself as a part of an expansive literary community, one that stretched back to the classical and Elizabethan periods, and one that drew on

Cormac McCarthy's fearless approach to writing
Political

Blinken stresses need for better US-Chinese communications as he heads to Beijing

Shortly before setting out for Beijing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday emphasized the importance of the U.S. and China establishing better lines of communication. He will be the highest-ranking member of the Biden administration to visit China. The U.S. wants to make sure “that the competition we have with China doesn’t veer into conflict” due to avoidable misunderstandings, Blinken told reporters in Washington. Blinken, speaking alongside Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, said his China trip is the outgrowth of a meeting in Bali last year between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden. The two agreed

Blinken stresses need for better US-Chinese communications as he heads to Beijing
Arts

Grammys: Only 'human creators' eligible to win, recording academy says response to AI

The Recording Academy announced a number of changes to the Grammy Awards, including a rule that stipulates “only human creators” can win the music industry’s highest honor in a decision aimed at the use of artificial intelligence in popular music. “A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any category,” they said, under new “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Protocols” released Friday. The rule was set following the semiannual Academy’s Board of Trustees meeting last month, where it was determined that work that features elements of AI are eligible, as long as a human creator

Grammys: Only 'human creators' eligible to win, recording academy says response to AI
World

MLB is pushing back the fences for Cardinals-Cubs in London after Yankees-Red Sox '19 slugfest

St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs hitters will have to work a little harder to match the Yankees-Red Sox slugfests from 2019 when they play in London because the fences are being pushed back. The center field wall will be 392 feet from home plate, seven feet deeper than four years ago, as part of changes that Major League Baseball said came about because of some seat restructuring at London Stadium and not because of the high scores in New York’s two wins over Boston. The Yankees and Red Sox combined for 10 homers over two games playing on artificial

MLB is pushing back the fences for Cardinals-Cubs in London after Yankees-Red Sox '19 slugfest
World

US announces sanctions on Mexican migrant-trafficking gang

The United States Treasury on Friday announced sanctions on a Mexico-based migrant-trafficking gang that supplied asylum seekers with false papers to game the process. Known as the Hernandez Salas organization, the gang is based in the border city of Mexicali, across the border from Calexico, California. Since at least 2018, the gang organized travel by migrants from “countries posing national security concerns,” according to the Treasury Department, though it did not specify what countries those were. The gang then smuggled the migrants into the United States. The Treasury said in a statement that the criminal scheme

US announces sanctions on Mexican migrant-trafficking gang
World

Jayland Walker's family sues officers and city, alleging excessive force

The eight police officers who shot Jayland Walker last summer used excessive force when they fired 94 bullets at him during a foot chase and participated in a “culture of violence and racism” within Akron’s police department, according to a lawsuit filed in Ohio federal court Friday. Months after a grand jury declined to indict the unnamed officers in the death of Walker, a 25-year-old Black man, his family is seeking at least $45 million in damages from the officers, the city of Akron and city officials, according to a press release. During a routine traffic

Jayland Walker's family sues officers and city, alleging excessive force
World

What to stream this week: 'And Just Like That' back, Kelly Clarkson sings, Robert Downey Jr. drives

Albums from Kelly Clarkson and Portugal. The Man, as well as the new season of “And Just Like That” are among the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you. Among the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are “The Bear” back for a second helping, Gabrielle Union leading “The Perfect Find” and the Criterion Channel delving into the cliche of the gay best friend. NEW MOVIES TO STREAM — In “The Perfect Find,” Gabrielle Union stars as a 40-year-old fashion editor who hits it off with a young man

What to stream this week: 'And Just Like That' back, Kelly Clarkson sings, Robert Downey Jr. drives
Science

Donald Triplett, the 1st person diagnosed with autism, dies at 89

The Mississippi man known as “Case 1,” the first person to be diagnosed with autism, has died. Donald G. Triplett was the subject of a book titled “In a Different Key,” a PBS documentary film, BBC news magazine installment and countless medical journal articles. But to employees at the Bank of Forest, in a small city about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Jackson, he was simply “Don,” WLBT-TV reported. Triplett died Thursday, confirmed Lesa Davis, the bank’s senior vice president. He was 89. Triplett worked for 65 years at the bank where his father Beamon

Donald Triplett, the 1st person diagnosed with autism, dies at 89
World

Railroad industry sues to block new locomotive pollution rules in California

The railroad industry on Friday sued to block new environmental rules in California, arguing they would force the premature retirement of about 25,000 diesel-powered locomotives across the country long before their zero-emission counterparts are ready to take their place. California’s aggressive strategy to fight climate change by weaning the state off fossil fuels has produced some of the world’s toughest environmental regulations in the past few years. Since 2020, the state has OK’d rules that would ban the sale of new gas-powered cars, lawn equipment and trucks by the middle of the next decade. Those rules

Railroad industry sues to block new locomotive pollution rules in California
Science

Federal court sides with lobster fishers in whale protection case anchored off New England

A federal appeals court has sided with commercial fishermen who say proposed restrictions aimed at saving a vanishing species of whale could put them out of business. The fishermen harvest lobsters and crabs off New England and oppose tough new restrictions on the way they fish that are intended to protect the North Atlantic right whale. The whale numbers only about 340 in the world and it’s vulnerable to lethal entanglement in fishing gear. The fishermen and the state of Maine appealed their case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Federal court sides with lobster fishers in whale protection case anchored off New England
Political

Fox News producer out after onscreen message calling President Biden a 'wannabe dictator'

A longtime producer for Tucker Carlson is out at Fox News after he was deemed responsible for the on-air headline that referred to President Joe Biden as a “wannabe dictator” because of the indictment of former President Donald Trump. The producer, Alex McCaskill, confirmed his exit in an Instagram post. Fox News did not comment on Friday. He had remained at Fox after Carlson, the network’s most popular personality, was fired on April 24. The reason for Carlson’s sudden ouster, less than a week after Fox agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787 million to end

Fox News producer out after onscreen message calling President Biden a 'wannabe dictator'

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