Today: October 06, 2024
Today: October 06, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Political

McCarthy directs House panel to open Biden impeachment inquiry

Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday he is directing a House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over his family’s business dealings, launching historic proceedings ahead of the 2024 election. McCarthy said the House Oversight Committee’s investigation so far has found a “culture of corruption” around the Biden family as Republicans probe the business dealings of Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, from before the Democratic president took office. “These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said outside the speaker’s

McCarthy directs House panel to open Biden impeachment inquiry
Political

30 years after Arafat-Rabin handshake, clear flaws in Oslo Accords doomed peace talks to failure

A historic handshake. MPI/Getty Images On Sept. 13, 1993, the world watched as Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat shook hands on the White House lawn. It was a stunning moment. The famous handshake between adversaries marked the beginning of what became known as the Oslo Accords, a framework for talks between Israeli and Palestinian representatives, mediated by U.S. diplomats. The idea was that through open-ended negotiations and confidence-building measures, Palestinians would eventually take control over their own affairs in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem – territories that Israel had illegally

30 years after Arafat-Rabin handshake, clear flaws in Oslo Accords doomed peace talks to failure
Political

US response to Gabon and Niger coups suggests need for a new West Africa policy in Washington

Supporters of Niger’s pro-coup National Council for Safeguard of the Homeland celebrate AFP via Getty Images Recent coups in the West African nations of Gabon and Niger caught U.S. diplomats a little off guard. They also indicate Washington may need to reassess its policy in the region or risk becoming increasingly irrelevant to the new governments. Despite following similar overthrows of governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad in recent years, the U.S official reaction to the coups in Gabon and Niger has come across to some observers as makeshift and uncertain. In Niger, U.S. diplomats have resisted referring to

US response to Gabon and Niger coups suggests need for a new West Africa policy in Washington
Political

Antisemitism on Elon Musk's X is surging and dredging up many ancient, defamatory themes of blaming Jews

Elon Musk has both sparked and permitted antisemitism on X, the social media platform he now owns. Chesnot/Getty Images Since buying Twitter, rebranded as X, billionaire Elon Musk, who calls himself a “free speech absolutist,” has welcomed hatemongers to the platform, including one who recently coined the trending hashtag #BanTheADL. The ADL, the Jewish Anti-Defamation League, was founded in 1913 during the trial of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory manager wrongly convicted of murdering one of his young workers. After Georgia Gov. John Slaton commuted Frank’s death sentence to life imprisonment, Frank was lynched. Since then, the ADL has aimed

Antisemitism on Elon Musk's X is surging and dredging up many ancient, defamatory themes of blaming Jews
Political

It's Google versus the US in the biggest antitrust trial in decades

Google will confront a threat to its dominant search engine beginning Tuesday when federal regulators launch an attempt to dismantle its internet empire in the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in a quarter century. Over the next 10 weeks, federal lawyers and state attorneys general will try to prove Google rigged the market in its favor by locking its search engine in as the default choice in a plethora of places and devices. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta likely won’t issue a ruling until early next year. If he decides Google broke the law, another trial will decide

It's Google versus the US in the biggest antitrust trial in decades
Political

Hillary Clinton is stepping over the White House threshold in yet another role

During her husband’s 1992 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton observed that “our lives are a mixture of different roles” and said most people are trying to find the right balance. “For me, that balance is family, work and service,” she said. Clinton juggled those roles — and more — during eight years as first lady in the White House. She’s returning Tuesday for her first public appearance in the building since the Obama years to indulge her love for the arts. In her White House years, she was a wife, a mother and the nation’s hostess, but also

Hillary Clinton is stepping over the White House threshold in yet another role
Political

Elon Musk's refusal to have Starlink support Ukraine attack in Crimea raises questions for Pentagon

SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s refusal to allow Ukraine to use Starlink internet services to launch a surprise attack on Russian forces in Crimea last September has raised questions as to whether the U.S. military needs to be more explicit in future contracts that services or products it purchases could be used in war, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Monday. Excerpts of a new biography of Musk published by The Washington Post last week revealed that the Ukrainians in September 2022 had asked for the Starlink support to attack Russian naval vessels based at the

Elon Musk's refusal to have Starlink support Ukraine attack in Crimea raises questions for Pentagon
Political

Jill Biden calls swearing in of the 1st woman national archivist 'momentous'

First Lady Jill Biden saluted Colleen Shogan, the first woman to be sworn in as national archivist, saying on Monday that democracy’s power is “made real with access to history, unfiltered and uncensored.” Shogan, a former government and politics professor at George Mason University, heads the National Archives and Records Administration, which maintains billions of documents — including the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Louisiana Purchase, Harriet Tubman’s Civil War pension claims and Thomas Edison’s patent for the lightbulb. During a formal swearing-in ceremony, Biden noted that the nation’s historic documents were once held by George

Jill Biden calls swearing in of the 1st woman national archivist 'momentous'
Political

Trump lawyers seek recusal of judge in DC presiding over federal election subversion case

Lawyers for Donald Trump on Monday asked the federal judge presiding over his election subversion case in Washington to recuse herself, saying her past public statements about the former president and his connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol call into question whether she can be fair. The recusal motion from Trump’s lawyers takes aim at U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, a former assistant public defender who was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama and has since stood out as one of the toughest punishers of Jan. 6 defendants. The request

Trump lawyers seek recusal of judge in DC presiding over federal election subversion case
Political

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates often speak out on hot topics. Only one faces impeachment threat

The Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who Republicans are threatening to impeach over comments she made on the campaign trail about abortion and redistricting isn’t the first member of the court to offer public opinions about major issues of the day. One conservative justice frequently spoke out in favor of gun rights during her campaign, even producing a political mailer showing her brandishing a shotgun and wearing a hat promoting the NRA. Another had previously called Planned Parenthood, a frequent litigant in abortion cases, a “wicked organization.” And a former conservative justice faced a barrage of criticism

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates often speak out on hot topics. Only one faces impeachment threat
Political

Prosecutors drop charges against Bijan Kian, a onetime business partner of Michael Flynn

Federal prosecutors on Monday dropped charges against Bijan Kian, a onetime business partner of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn who had been accused of acting as an unregistered agent of the Turkish government. Monday’s decision ends a five-year legal saga for Kian, whose case received significant attention when he was charged in 2018 as a spinoff from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian election interference. Prosecutors alleged that Kian and Flynn, who were partners in an entity called the Flynn Intel Group, were acting at Turkey’s behest when they undertook a project to

Prosecutors drop charges against Bijan Kian, a onetime business partner of Michael Flynn
Political

Active-duty Marine gets probation and community service for storming Capitol with 2 unit members

One of three active-duty Marines who stormed the U.S. Capitol together was sentenced on Monday to probation and 279 hours of community service — one hour for every Marine who was killed or wounded fighting in the Civil War. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said she can’t fathom why Dodge Hellonen violated his oath to protect the Constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic” — and risked his career — by joining the Jan. 6, 2021, riot that disrupted Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory. “I really urge you to think about why it

Active-duty Marine gets probation and community service for storming Capitol with 2 unit members
Political

Biden wraps Vietnam visit by talking with business leaders and visiting a memorial to John McCain

President Joe Biden was wrapping up a visit to Vietnam on Monday, meeting with Vietnamese government officials and business leaders and spotlighting new deals and partnerships between the two countries. He’ll also visit a Hanoi memorial honoring his late friend and colleague Sen. John McCain, who was held for more than five years as a prisoner during the Vietnam War . Biden met with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, who also accompanied Biden to a quick drop by at a meeting of business leaders. Biden also sat down with President Võ Văn Thưởng, who hosted the

Biden wraps Vietnam visit by talking with business leaders and visiting a memorial to John McCain
Political

McCarthy juggles government shutdown and Biden impeachment inquiry as House returns to messy fall

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is a man who stays in motion — enthusiastically greeting tourists at the Capitol, dashing overseas last week to the G7 summit of industrial world leaders, raising funds back home to elect fellow Republicans to the House majority. But beneath the whirlwind of activity is a stubborn standstill, an imbalance of power between the far-right Republicans who hoisted McCarthy to the speaker’s role yet threaten his own ability to lead the House. It’s a political standoff that will be tested anew as the House returns this week from a long summer recess and

McCarthy juggles government shutdown and Biden impeachment inquiry as House returns to messy fall
Political

Pennsylvania Republicans have the candidate they want for US Senate. They just need him to run.

Republicans trying to recapture the U.S. Senate majority have the candidate they want in Pennsylvania. Now they just need David McCormick to run. Almost since the moment he lost last year’s Senate GOP primary, McCormick has floated the possibility that he would again seek the party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate, this time to challenge three-term Democratic Sen. Bob Casey. McCormick has shown up at local party events, raised money for Republican candidates, hired staff, done a publicity tour for his new book and made the rounds of conservative podcasts. In short, everything a candidate might

Pennsylvania Republicans have the candidate they want for US Senate. They just need him to run.
Political

A US Navy veteran got unexpected help while jailed in Iran. Once released, he repaid the favor

Michael White had only recently arrived in a grim Iranian jail when a curious fellow prisoner, an English-speaking Iranian, approached him in the courtyard for a conversation. The American did not reveal much at first, but it was the beginning of an unlikely friendship between White, a Navy veteran imprisoned on spying charges he says were unfounded, and Mahdi Vatankhah, a young Iranian political activist whose positions on social issues had drawn his government’s ire. As the men connected behind bars over a shared interest in politics and human rights, they developed a bond that proved vital

A US Navy veteran got unexpected help while jailed in Iran. Once released, he repaid the favor
Political

GOP threat to impeach a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice is driven by fear of losing legislative edge

Wisconsin Republicans have enjoyed outsize control of the Legislature in one of the most closely divided states for a dozen years. Maintaining that power is now at the heart of a drama involving the state Supreme Court that has national political implications. A new liberal tilt to the court is driving Republican fears of losing their large legislative majorities, which were built under some of the most gerrymandered political maps in the country. Republicans have threatened to impeach the justice who was elected earlier this year and flipped the court to a 4-3 liberal majority, unless

GOP threat to impeach a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice is driven by fear of losing legislative edge
Political

Biden finds a new friend in Vietnam as American CEOs look for alternatives to Chinese factories

President Joe Biden goes Sunday to a Vietnam that’s looking to dramatically ramp up trade with the United States — a sign of how competition with China is reshaping relationships across Asia. The president has made it a point of pride that Vietnam is elevating the United States to the status of being a comprehensive strategic partner. Other countries that Vietnam has extended this designation to include China and Russia. Giving the U.S. the same status suggests that Vietnam wants to hedge its friendships as U.S. and European companies are looking for alternatives to Chinese factories.

Biden finds a new friend in Vietnam as American CEOs look for alternatives to Chinese factories
Political

Prominent activist's son convicted of storming Capitol and invading Senate floor in Jan. 6 riot

The son of a prominent conservative activist has been convicted of charges that he stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan, 6, 2021, bashed in a window, chased a police officer, invaded the Senate floor and helped a mob disrupt the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. Leo Brent Bozell IV, 44, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, was found guilty Friday of 10 charges, including five felony offenses, after a trial decided by a federal judge, according to the Justice Department. Bozell’s father is Brent Bozell III, who founded the Media Research Center, Parents Television Council and other conservative media organizations.

Prominent activist's son convicted of storming Capitol and invading Senate floor in Jan. 6 riot
Political

Biden gives Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed a hearty handshake a year after an awkward fist bump moment

The Saudi crown prince once vilified by President Joe Biden has been elevated from a fist bump to a hearty handshake. Biden warmly greeted Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Mohammed bin Salman, after they appeared together along with several other leaders at the Group of 20 summit Saturday in New Delhi. The leaders had gathered to announce an ambitious plan to build a rail and shipping corridor linking India with the Middle East and Europe. Biden smiled and shook hands with the crown prince, who is often referred to by his initials MBS, as the announcement

Biden gives Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed a hearty handshake a year after an awkward fist bump moment
Political

Biden and Modi to announce rail and shipping project to link India to Middle East and Europe

President Joe Biden and his allies plan to roll out plans on Saturday for a shipping corridor that would connect India with the Middle East and ultimately Europe — a possible game changer for global trade to be announced at the Group of 20 summit. The proposed memorandum of understanding for a shipping and rail transportation corridor would include the United States, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union and other countries in the G20, said Jon Finer, the president’s deputy national security adviser. Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plan to

Biden and Modi to announce rail and shipping project to link India to Middle East and Europe
Political

Trump, DeSantis and other 2024 GOP prospects vie for attention at Iowa-Iowa State football game

Donald Trump will cross paths with several Republican rivals Saturday when he attends Iowa’s in-state college football grudge match, one of the former president’s few visits so far to the state that holds the first nominating caucus. Trump will wade into one of the state’s largest sports crowds at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, where Iowa State University will host the University of Iowa. Also planning to be at the game are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and several lesser-known candidates. As the race enters its traditional ramp-up after Labor Day, the former president has largely

Trump, DeSantis and other 2024 GOP prospects vie for attention at Iowa-Iowa State football game
Political

Republicans' opposition to abortion threatens a global HIV program that has saved 25 million lives

The graves at the edge of the orphanage tell a story of despair. The rough planks in the cracked earth are painted with the names of children, most of them dead in the 1990s. That was before the HIV drugs arrived. Today, the orphanage in Kenya’s capital is a happier, more hopeful place for children with HIV. But a political fight taking place in the United States is threatening the program that helps to keep them and millions of others around the world alive. The reason for the threat? Abortion. The AIDS epidemic has killed more

Republicans' opposition to abortion threatens a global HIV program that has saved 25 million lives
Political

Appeals court scales back order squelching Biden administration contact with social media platforms

A federal appeals court Friday significantly whittled down a lower court’s order curbing Biden administration communications with social media companies over controversial content about COVID-19 and other issues. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Friday said the White House, the Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control and the FBI cannot “coerce” social media platforms to take down posts the government doesn’t like. But the court threw out broader language in an order that a Louisiana-based federal judge issued on July 4 that effectively blocked multiple government agencies from contacting platforms

Appeals court scales back order squelching Biden administration contact with social media platforms
Political

Judge denies Mark Meadows’ request to move his Georgia election subversion case to federal court

A judge on Friday denied Mark Meadows’ request to move his Georgia election subversion case to federal court, ruling that the Trump White House chief of staff must fight the charges in state court instead. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones in Atlanta wrote in a 49-page ruling that Meadows “has not met even the ‘quite low’ threshold” to move his case to federal court, noting that the question was whether the actions at issue were related to his role as a federal official. “The evidence adduced at the hearing establishes that the actions at the heart of

Judge denies Mark Meadows’ request to move his Georgia election subversion case to federal court

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