Today: October 14, 2024
Today: October 14, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Uncategorized

Will Donald Trump show up at next week’s presidential debate? GOP rivals are preparing for it

He says he won’t sign the pledge required to participate, but former President Donald Trump’s Republican rivals are actively preparing as if he will be onstage for the GOP’s first 2024 presidential debate next week. Former Vice President Mike Pence is hosting mock debate sessions with someone playing the part of the former president. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been participating in weekly debate prep sessions for several weeks with an eye toward drawing clear contrasts with Trump. And Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations, is planning to show she can stand

Uncategorized

Algeria bans ‘Barbie’ almost a month after movie’s local release

The “Barbie” movie was pulled from theaters in Algeria this week almost one month after its release in the North African country. Online news outlet 24H Algerie said Algeria’s Ministry of Culture and Arts notified cinemas in Algiers, Oran and Constantine to “immediately” pull the movie. Neither the ministry nor the Algerian Audiovisual Regulatory Authority commented on the reported directive or provided a rationale for it. “Barbie” opened in some some Algerian cinemas last month. The film’s distributors removed the Hollywood blockbuster from their screening schedules starting this week.. The move comes after authorities in Kuwait

Uncategorized

Taliban rule of Afghanistan is open-ended, their chief spokesman says as they begin year 3 in power

The Taliban view their rule of Afghanistan as open-ended, drawing legitimacy from Islamic law and facing no significant threat, their chief spokesman said in an interview marking the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of the country. He also suggested a ban on female education will remain in place. Zabihullah Mujahid brushed aside any questions from The Associated Press about restrictions on girls and women, saying he had nothing new to say on the matter while also indicating the status quo will remain. The ban on girls attending school beyond sixth grade was the first of

Uncategorized

Vast swath of northeastern China threatened by flooding as rivers rise above warning levels

A vast swath of northeastern China is threatened by flooding as at least 90 rivers have risen above warning levels and 24 have already overflowed their banks, state media reported Tuesday. Crews are standing by to defend homes and farmland across the Songliao Basin north of Beijing, which encompasses more than 1.2 million square kilometers (482,200 square miles). The area includes parts of four provinces and several major cities with a total population of almost 100 million. Tens of thousands have already been moved to safety. Reservoirs have been partly drained and overflow areas prepared to handle

Uncategorized

In ‘Bidenomics,’ Congress delivered a once-in-generation investment — with political promise, peril

There are so many dots on the maps they blur into blobs — each one reflecting trillions of public and private dollars flowing in the U.S. this past year to build thousands of roads, bridges and manufacturing projects in communities large and small, in states red and blue. They include an electric vehicle “battery belt” of manufacturing stretching from Michigan to Georgia, semiconductor fabrication plants in Arizona, Texas, Ohio and New York and broadband coming to Appalachia. Taken together, they represent President Joe Biden’s ambitious attempt to use the levers of government to chart a new era

Uncategorized

Diverse teams can improve engineering outcomes − but recent affirmative action decision may hinder efforts to create diverse teams

While Black and Hispanic workers made up 14% and 19% of the population in 2021, they made up only 9% and 8% of the STEM workforce. John Fedele/The Image Bank via Getty Images It may seem intuitive that teams made up of people with a diversity of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds lead to more effective and inclusive outcomes. But the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to curb affirmative action in higher education could hinder progress toward increasing diversity in the science and engineering fields. As a geographer and feminist scholar, my work centers on how diverse engineering teams can create

Uncategorized

Montana kids win historic climate lawsuit – here’s why it could set a powerful precedent

The young plaintiffs in Held v. State of Montana, ages 5 to 22, walk to the courthouse with their lawyer. William Campbell/Getty Images Sixteen young Montanans who sued their state over climate change emerged victorious on Aug. 14, 2023, as a judge ruled in a first-of-its-kind climate trial. The case, Held v. State of Montana, was based on allegations that state energy policies violate the young plaintiffs’ constitutional right to “a clean and healthful environment” – a right that has been enshrined in the Montana Constitution since the 1970s. The plaintiffs claimed that state laws promoting fossil fuel extraction and

Uncategorized

Retail sales rose solidly last month in a sign that consumers are still spending freely

Americans increased their purchases at retailers last month – for clothing, dining out, online goods and other areas – in a sign that solid consumer spending is still powering a resilient U.S. economy. Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.7% in July from June, according to the Commerce Department’s report Tuesday. The gain followed a revised 0.3% gain the previous month, the government said. Analysts noted that spending on Amazon Prime Day, the online juggernaut’s big two-day sales event that took place earlier last month, also helped boost online sales. Excluding autos and gas, sales rose a

Uncategorized

Russia’s ruble has tumbled. What does it mean for the wartime economy?

Russia’s ruble has fallen a long way in recent months, and the country’s central bank has stepped in to try to halt the slide. Until now, the government stood aside as the declining ruble helped its budget. But a weaker currency also poses the threat of higher prices for everyday people in Russia — and the government has finally moved to halt the drop. Here are key things to know about the ruble: WHY IS THE RUBLE FALLING? Economic fundamentals play a role, though they aren’t the whole story. Russia is selling less abroad — mainly reflected in falling revenue

Uncategorized

Track world championships the latest play by Orbán’s Hungary for global sports spotlight

A country spends millions, sometimes billions, to deliver a major international sports event to the world. That money buys a chance to project strength at home and abroad and, if the event goes well, maybe even glosses over that country’s oft-dissected shortcomings. It’s a pattern that has played out in China, Russia, Qatar and other countries in the recent past. This month in Budapest, the spotlight will shine on Hungary, a country led by a prime minister with authoritarian leanings and a shaky human-rights record. Budapest’s latest step onto the international stage starts Saturday, the opening

Uncategorized

Carmona’s late goal sends Spain to the Women’s World Cup final with a 2-1 win over Sweden

Spain will play for its first Women’s World Cup championship after Olga Carmona’s goal in the 89th minute lifted La Roja to a 2-1 victory over Sweden in the Tuesday semifinal. Spain, which overcame last year’s near mutiny by its players against coach Jorge Vilda, will play the winner of tournament co-host Australia and England on Sunday in the final in Sydney. The controversy surrounding Spain dates to last September, when 15 players signed a letter complaining about Vilda and the conditions for the the national team. Three of those players are on this World

Uncategorized

Why tensions have been growing along NATO’s eastern border with Belarus

Poland is deploying thousands of troops to its border with Belarus, calling it a deterrent move as tensions between the two neighbors ratchet up. Those tensions between Poland — a NATO and European Union country — and Belarus, which is Russia’s ally in its war on Ukraine, have been building up in recent months on the border. Here is why: ORIGINS OF THE TENSIONS Poland has been backing the Belarusian opposition ever since the 2020 presidential elections, where pro-Russian Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth term in a vote that Poland and the wider Western

Uncategorized

Vast swath of northeastern China threatened by flooding as rivers rise above warning levels

A vast swath of northeastern China is threatened by flooding as at least 90 rivers have risen above warning levels and 24 have already overflowed their banks, state media reported Tuesday. Crews are standing by to defend homes and farmland across the Songliao Basin north of Beijing, which encompasses more than 1.2 million square kilometers (482,200 square miles). The area includes parts of four provinces and several major cities with a total population of almost 100 million. Tens of thousands have already been moved to safety. Reservoirs have been partly drained and overflow areas prepared to handle

Uncategorized

In ‘Bidenomics,’ Congress delivered a once-in-generation investment — with political promise, peril

There are so many dots on the maps they blur into blobs — each one reflecting trillions of public and private dollars flowing in the U.S. this past year to build thousands of roads, bridges and manufacturing projects in communities large and small, in states red and blue. They include an electric vehicle “battery belt” of manufacturing stretching from Michigan to Georgia, semiconductor fabrication plants in Arizona, Texas, Ohio and New York and broadband coming to Appalachia. Taken together, they represent President Joe Biden’s ambitious attempt to use the levers of government to chart a new era

Uncategorized

Diverse teams can improve engineering outcomes − but recent affirmative action decision may hinder efforts to create diverse teams

While Black and Hispanic workers made up 14% and 19% of the population in 2021, they made up only 9% and 8% of the STEM workforce. John Fedele/The Image Bank via Getty Images It may seem intuitive that teams made up of people with a diversity of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds lead to more effective and inclusive outcomes. But the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to curb affirmative action in higher education could hinder progress toward increasing diversity in the science and engineering fields. As a geographer and feminist scholar, my work centers on how diverse engineering teams can create

Uncategorized

Montana kids win historic climate lawsuit – here’s why it could set a powerful precedent

The young plaintiffs in Held v. State of Montana, ages 5 to 22, walk to the courthouse with their lawyer. William Campbell/Getty Images Sixteen young Montanans who sued their state over climate change emerged victorious on Aug. 14, 2023, as a judge ruled in a first-of-its-kind climate trial. The case, Held v. State of Montana, was based on allegations that state energy policies violate the young plaintiffs’ constitutional right to “a clean and healthful environment” – a right that has been enshrined in the Montana Constitution since the 1970s. The plaintiffs claimed that state laws promoting fossil fuel extraction and

Uncategorized

A rights group says it can’t get access to detained officials in Niger

Human rights activists in Niger say they have been unable to gain access to top political officials detained after mutinous soldiers ousted the democratically elected president nearly three weeks ago. After soldiers ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, they also arrested several former ministers and other political leaders, but requests to see them and check on their wellbeing have gone unanswered, Ali Idrissa, executive secretary of a local human rights group, the Network of Organizations for Transparency and Analysis of Budgets, told The Associated Press. The junta has also been holding Bazoum, his wife and

Uncategorized

Track world championships the latest play by Orbán’s Hungary for global sports spotlight

A country spends millions, sometimes billions, to deliver a major international sports event to the world. That money buys a chance to project strength at home and abroad and, if the event goes well, maybe even glosses over that country’s oft-dissected shortcomings. It’s a pattern that has played out in China, Russia, Qatar and other countries in the recent past. This month in Budapest, the spotlight will shine on Hungary, a country led by a prime minister with authoritarian leanings and a shaky human-rights record. Budapest’s latest step onto the international stage starts Saturday, the opening

Uncategorized

Carmona’s late goal sends Spain to the Women’s World Cup final with a 2-1 win over Sweden

Spain will play for its first Women’s World Cup championship after Olga Carmona’s goal in the 89th minute lifted La Roja to a 2-1 victory over Sweden in the Tuesday semifinal. Spain, which overcame last year’s near mutiny by its players against coach Jorge Vilda, will play the winner of tournament co-host Australia and England on Sunday in the final in Sydney. The controversy surrounding Spain dates to last September, when 15 players signed a letter complaining about Vilda and the conditions for the the national team. Three of those players are on this World

Uncategorized

Why tensions have been growing along NATO’s eastern border with Belarus

Poland is deploying thousands of troops to its border with Belarus, calling it a deterrent move as tensions between the two neighbors ratchet up. Those tensions between Poland — a NATO and European Union country — and Belarus, which is Russia’s ally in its war on Ukraine, have been building up in recent months on the border. Here is why: ORIGINS OF THE TENSIONS Poland has been backing the Belarusian opposition ever since the 2020 presidential elections, where pro-Russian Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth term in a vote that Poland and the wider Western

Uncategorized

German foreign minister scraps Pacific trip after persistent problem with her plane

Germany’s foreign minister has abandoned a trip to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji after a problem with her government plane twice forced it to return to Abu Dhabi, delaying her by more than a day. Annalena Baerbock set off from Berlin Sunday on what was supposed to be a nearly weeklong trip, and was scheduled to arrive in Canberra on Monday night. But a mechanical problem with her aging German air force Airbus A340’s landing flaps meant that it had to turn back to Abu Dhabi after a refueling stop there. The aircraft took off again for

Uncategorized

A rights group says it can’t get access to detained officials in Niger

Human rights activists in Niger say they have been unable to gain access to top political officials detained after mutinous soldiers ousted the democratically elected president nearly three weeks ago. After soldiers ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, they also arrested several former ministers and other political leaders, but requests to see them and check on their wellbeing have gone unanswered, Ali Idrissa, executive secretary of a local human rights group, the Network of Organizations for Transparency and Analysis of Budgets, told The Associated Press. The junta has also been holding Bazoum, his wife and

Uncategorized

Track world championships the latest play by Orbán’s Hungary for global sports spotlight

A country spends millions, sometimes billions, to deliver a major international sports event to the world. That money buys a chance to project strength at home and abroad and, if the event goes well, maybe even glosses over that country’s oft-dissected shortcomings. It’s a pattern that has played out in China, Russia, Qatar and other countries in the recent past. This month in Budapest, the spotlight will shine on Hungary, a country led by a prime minister with authoritarian leanings and a shaky human-rights record. Budapest’s latest step onto the international stage starts Saturday, the opening

Uncategorized

Carmona’s late goal sends Spain to the Women’s World Cup final with a 2-1 win over Sweden

Spain will play for its first Women’s World Cup championship after Olga Carmona’s goal in the 89th minute lifted La Roja to a 2-1 victory over Sweden in the Tuesday semifinal. Spain, which overcame last year’s near mutiny by its players against coach Jorge Vilda, will play the winner of tournament co-host Australia and England on Sunday in the final in Sydney. The controversy surrounding Spain dates to last September, when 15 players signed a letter complaining about Vilda and the conditions for the the national team. Three of those players are on this World

Uncategorized

Russia targets western Ukraine with missiles overnight and hits civilian infrastructure

A Russian missile attack overnight damaged multiple civilian buildings in Ukraine’s western region of Lviv and injured local residents, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday. Lviv, on the border with Poland, is hundreds of miles (kilometers) away from the frontline but is regularly a target of Russian attacks as Moscow tries to disrupt supply routes for Western weapons and as its war in Ukraine nears the 18-month mark. Multiple buildings in the region and its namesake capital were damaged in the attack, Lviv Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi said. A multi-story residential building caught fire in the city of Lviv

Follow