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

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Political

'We’ll … kill you:' Election workers get threats, warnings they'll be lynched, US government says

More than a dozen people nationally have been charged with threatening election workers by a Justice Department unit trying to stem the tide of violent and graphic threats against people who count and secure the vote. Government employees are being bombarded with threats even in normally quiet periods between elections, secretaries of state and experts warn. Some point to former President Donald Trump and his allies repeatedly and falsely claiming the 2020 election was stolen and spreading conspiracy theories about election workers. Experts fear the 2024 election could be worse and want the Justice Department to do

'We’ll … kill you:' Election workers get threats, warnings they'll be lynched, US government says
Political

Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case and says he'll skip next week's hearing

Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday and said he’ll skip a hearing next week in the case accusing him and others of illegally trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. That means he won’t have to show up for the arraignment hearing that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee had set for next week. Trump’s decision to waive arraignment averts the dramatic arraignments that have accompanied the three other criminal cases Trump faces in which the former president has been forced amid tight security into a courtroom and entered

Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case and says he'll skip next week's hearing
Political

White House asks Congress to pass short-term funding to keep government operating, official tells AP

The White House said Thursday that Congress should pass a short-term funding measure to ensure the government keeps operating after the current budget year ends Sept. 30. An official with the Office of Management and Budget said lawmakers would very likely need to pass a temporary spending measure in September to prevent a potential partial shutdown. The official was not authorized to discuss the administration’s plans and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Without such congressional approval, parts of the federal government could shut down when the new budget year begins Oct. 1. That

White House asks Congress to pass short-term funding to keep government operating, official tells AP
Political

Justice Clarence Thomas reports he took 3 trips on Republican donor's plane last year

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is acknowledging that he took three trips last year aboard a private plane owned by Republican megadonor Harlan Crow. It’s the first time in years that Thomas has reported receiving hospitality from Crow. In a report made public Thursday, the 75-year-old justice said he was complying with new guidelines from the federal judiciary for reporting travel. The filing comes amid a heightened focus on ethics at the high court that stems from a series of reports revealing that Thomas has for years received undisclosed expensive gifts, including international travel, from Crow, a

Justice Clarence Thomas reports he took 3 trips on Republican donor's plane last year
Political

Special counsels, like the one leading the Justice Department's investigation of Hunter Biden, are intended to be independent − but they aren't entirely

Attorney General Merrick Garland announces on Aug. 11, 2023, that he has appointed a special counsel to handle the investigations into Hunter Biden. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images On June 20, 2023, Hunter Biden, the second son of President Joe Biden, entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors related to tax-related charges and the illegal possession of a firearm. On July 26, the plea agreement was challenged by the judge in the case. She wanted to know more about any immunity being offered, given that Hunter Biden is under several federal investigations. After the prosecution and defense failed

Special counsels, like the one leading the Justice Department's investigation of Hunter Biden, are intended to be independent − but they aren't entirely
Political

RICO is often used to target the mob and cartels − but Trump and his associates aren't the first outside those worlds to face charges

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during a news conference after former President Donald Trump’s Aug. 15 indictment. Joe Raedle/Getty Images It might seem odd to some that former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants, many of whom are lawyers and served as senior government officials, were charged with racketeering regarding their alleged attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. Racketeering charges are complex but generally speak to dishonest business dealings. Many racketeering prosecutions involve lucrative criminal enterprises, such as illegal drug operations or the Mafia. Whatever the lawfulness of Trump’s efforts to overturn the

RICO is often used to target the mob and cartels − but Trump and his associates aren't the first outside those worlds to face charges
Political

How to get federal disaster aid: FEMA is running out of money, but these strategies can help survivors of Hurricane Idalia and the Maui fires get aid faster

Hurricane Idalia inundated parts of Tarpon Springs, Fla., and other coastal communities on Aug. 30, 2023. Joe Raedle/Getty Images As questions loom over the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s ability to fund disaster recovery efforts, people who lost homes to recent wildfires and storms are trying to make their way through the difficult process of securing financial aid. Residents in communities hit by Hurricane Idalia, the Maui fires or other recent disasters have a long, tough journey ahead. How well the initial disaster response meets their needs has far-reaching consequences for community resilience, especially for vulnerable residents, as we saw after

How to get federal disaster aid: FEMA is running out of money, but these strategies can help survivors of Hurricane Idalia and the Maui fires get aid faster
Political

Groups seek to use the Constitution's 'insurrection' clause to block Trump from 2024 ballots

As former President Donald Trump continues to dominate the Republican presidential primary, some liberal groups and a growing number of legal experts contend that a rarely used clause of the Constitution prevents him from being president after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The 14th Amendment bars anyone from holding office who once took an oath to uphold the Constitution but then “engaged” in “insurrection or rebellion” against it. A growing number of legal scholars say the post-Civil War clause applies to Trump after his role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election and encouraging his

Groups seek to use the Constitution's 'insurrection' clause to block Trump from 2024 ballots
Political

What to know about the impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton

The Texas Senate is set to gavel in Tuesday for the impeachment trial of state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a formal airing of corruption allegations that could lead Republican lawmakers to oust one of their own as lead lawyer for America’s largest red state. In May, the state House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Paxton on articles including bribery and abuse of public trust. It was a sudden rebuke by the GOP-controlled chamber of a star of the conservative legal movement who has weathered years of scandal and alleged crimes. Paxton is only the third

What to know about the impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
Political

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton pursued perks beyond impeachment allegations, ex-staffers say

Unexplained Caribbean and European trips that cost taxpayers more than $90,000. A $600 sports coat paid for by an event organizer. A $45 office Christmas cake taken as his own. These are among the perks that Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ‘s former employees say he reveled in while using his office in ways that now have him facing a federal criminal investigation and potential ouster over allegations of corruption. Paxton’s impeachment trial that starts Tuesday covers years of highly publicized scandal, criminal charges and whistleblower accounts from his inner circle. But records obtained by

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton pursued perks beyond impeachment allegations, ex-staffers say
Political

Voters in one Iowa county reject GOP-appointed auditor who posted about 2020 election doubts

Earlier this summer, a GOP-controlled board in an Iowa county decided that the person who would oversee their local elections would be a fellow Republican who had no specific experience running elections and who made prior social media posts questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential contest. Local Democrats were outraged — and David Whipple’s stint as county auditor didn’t last long. On Tuesday, voters in Warren County overwhelmingly decided to replace Whipple with Kimberly Sheets, a Democrat who had served in the auditor’s office. She earned about 67% of the vote over Whipple in the

Voters in one Iowa county reject GOP-appointed auditor who posted about 2020 election doubts
Political

Biden warns Idalia still dangerous, says he hasn't forgotten about the victims of Hawaii's wildfires

President Joe Biden warned Wednesday that Hurricane Idalia was “still very dangerous” even though the storm had weakened after it came ashore in Florida and said he has not forgotten about the wildfire victims in Hawaii, declaring himself “laser focused” on helping them recover. Challenged by back-to-back extreme weather episodes — wildfires that burned a historic town on the island of Maui to the ground and a hurricane that forecasters said could bring catastrophic flooding — the Democratic president who is running for a second term sought to appear in command of the federal government’s response to

Biden warns Idalia still dangerous, says he hasn't forgotten about the victims of Hawaii's wildfires
Political

Biden administration cancels loans for former Ashford U. students, with plans to recoup costs

The Biden administration is canceling $72 million in student loans for 2,300 borrowers who say they were cheated by Ashford University, a former for-profit college that was purchased by the University of Arizona in 2020. The Education Department announced the action Wednesday, saying it will seek to recoup the money from the University of Arizona. The university did not immediately provide a comment. Before its sale, Ashford was an online for-profit college that enrolled more than 100,000 students. It was owned by the company Zovio and based in San Diego. A California court in 2022 found that

Biden administration cancels loans for former Ashford U. students, with plans to recoup costs
Political

Abortion anecdote from DeSantis at GOP debate is more complex than he made it sound

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was asked during last week’s GOP presidential debate whether he would support nationwide abortion restrictions, he instead offered a startling anecdote. “I know a lady in Florida named Penny,” he said. “She survived multiple abortion attempts. She was left discarded in a pan. Fortunately, her grandmother saved her and brought her to a different hospital.” He offered no other details and the debate moderators moved on. But according to news reports, doctors who reviewed her case and an interview with the woman, the story is far more complicated than DeSantis made it

Abortion anecdote from DeSantis at GOP debate is more complex than he made it sound
Political

US OKs military aid to Taiwan under program usually reserved for sovereign nations

The Biden administration has approved the first-ever U.S. military transfer to Taiwan under a program generally reserved for assistance to sovereign, independent states. The State Department notified Congress of the sale on Wednesday. It said the material would “be used to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities through joint and combined defense capability and enhanced maritime domain awareness and maritime security capability.” The package is modest — only $80 million of what Congress had set aside as a potential $2 billion — but the implications of using the so-called Foreign Military Financing program to provide it will likely infuriate

US OKs military aid to Taiwan under program usually reserved for sovereign nations
Political

Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell appears to freeze up again, this time at a Kentucky event

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell appeared to briefly freeze up and was unable to answer a question from a reporter at an event in Kentucky on Wednesday, weeks after he had a similar episode in Washington. According to video from a local news station, the 81-year-old McConnell was asked whether he would run for reelection in 2026. The senator asked the reporter to repeat the question before trailing off and staring straight ahead for about 10 seconds. A woman standing at the front of the room with McConnell asked him whether he heard the question and she

Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell appears to freeze up again, this time at a Kentucky event
Political

Judge holds Giuliani liable in Georgia election workers' defamation case and orders him to pay fees

A federal judge on Wednesday held Rudy Giuliani liable in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers who say they were falsely accused of fraud, entering a default judgment against the former New York City mayor and ordering him to pay tens of thousands of dollars in lawyers’ fees. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said the punishment was necessary because Giuliani had ignored his duty as a defendant to turn over information requested by election workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea’ ArShaye Moss, as part of their lawsuit. Their complaint from December 2021 accused

Judge holds Giuliani liable in Georgia election workers' defamation case and orders him to pay fees
Political

White House says Putin and Kim Jong Un traded letters as Russia looks for munitions from North Korea

The White House on Wednesday said that it has new intelligence that shows Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have swapped letters as Russia looks to North Korea for munitions for the Ukraine war. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby detailed the latest finding just weeks after the White House said that it had determined that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a recent visit to Pyongyang called on North Korean officials to increase the sale of munitions to Moscow for its war in Ukraine. Kirby said that Russia is looking for

White House says Putin and Kim Jong Un traded letters as Russia looks for munitions from North Korea
Political

The only defendant in the Georgia election indictment to spend time in jail has been granted bond

The only person who spent time behind bars as a result of the sweeping indictment related to efforts to overturn then-President Donald Trump ‘s 2020 election loss in Georgia remained in jail Wednesday after he was granted bond a day earlier. A lawyer for Harrison William Prescott Floyd on Tuesday negotiated a $100,000 bond with the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Online jail records indicated that Floyd had not yet been released. Floyd was charged along with Trump and 17 others in an indictment that accuses them all of illegally conspiring to subvert the

The only defendant in the Georgia election indictment to spend time in jail has been granted bond
Political

US commerce secretary warns China will be 'uninvestable' without action on raids, fines

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Wednesday said she warned Chinese leaders that U.S. businesses might stop investing in their country without prompt action to address complaints about worsening conditions due to raids on firms, unexplained fines and unpredictable official behavior. Raimondo’s comments add to pressure on Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government, which is trying to revive investor interest and reverse an economic slump. Business groups say confidence among foreign companies is at an all-time low. Official figures show foreign investment plunged in the latest quarter. Raimondo visited Beijing as part of U.S. efforts to restore relations that

US commerce secretary warns China will be 'uninvestable' without action on raids, fines
Political

The federal government turns to local communities to help refugees settle into the US, but community-based programs bring both possibilities and challenges

Ukrainian refugees attend a job fair on Feb. 1, 2023, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images In the most significant change to U.S. refugee resettlement in 40 years, the federal government is turning to the public and the private sector to help settle people who have fled their home countries because of war, persecution and ongoing armed conflicts. Today, there are more than 110 million people who have been forced from their homes and countries, the highest number on record. But despite this increased need for immigrants and refugees to find homes, they are often blocked from entering

The federal government turns to local communities to help refugees settle into the US, but community-based programs bring both possibilities and challenges
Political

Governors may make good presidents − unless they become 'imperial governors' like DeSantis

Of the eight Republicans on stage at the party’s first presidential debate, six were current or former governors. Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images Many people believe governors make good presidents. In fact, a 2016 Gallup Poll found that almost 74% of people say that governing a state provides excellent or good preparation for someone to be an effective president. As a result, many political commentators have tried to explain why Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is stumbling in his campaign for president. Some say it is because he is stiff or awkward on the campaign trail, or his path

Governors may make good presidents − unless they become 'imperial governors' like DeSantis
Political

Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio to be sentenced for seditious conspiracy in Jan. 6 attack

Former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio is set to be sentenced on Wednesday for a failed plot to keep Donald Trump in power after the Republican lost the 2020 presidential election, capping one of the most significant prosecutions in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Prosecutors are seeking 33 years behind bars for Tarrio, who had already been arrested and ordered to leave Washington, D.C. by the time Proud Boys members joined thousands of Trump supporters in storming the Capitol as lawmakers met to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory. But prosecutors

Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio to be sentenced for seditious conspiracy in Jan. 6 attack
Political

As Trump and Republicans target Georgia's Fani Willis for retribution, the state's governor opts out

Some Republicans in Washington and Georgia began attacking Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis immediately after she announced the Aug. 14 indictment of former President Donald Trump for conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. But others, including Gov. Brian Kemp, have been conspicuous in their unwillingness to pile on. Kemp, who had previously survived scathing attacks from Trump over his refusal to endorse the former president’s false claims about the election, declined to comment on the indictment of Trump and 18 others at a conservative political conference hosted by radio host and Kemp ally Erick

As Trump and Republicans target Georgia's Fani Willis for retribution, the state's governor opts out
Political

EPA head says he's 'proud' of decision to block Alaska mine and protect salmon-rich Bristol Bay

The nation’s top environmental official said he fully supports his agency’s decision to block a proposed gold and copper mine in Alaska’s salmon-rich Bristol Bay, even as the state of Alaska has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn that action. “Let me be clear, we are very proud of our decision to really evaluate the Pebble Mine project and do what is necessary to protect Bristol Bay,” Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday as he began a four-day tour of Alaska, starting in a

EPA head says he's 'proud' of decision to block Alaska mine and protect salmon-rich Bristol Bay

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