Today: October 07, 2024
Today: October 07, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Political

Indictment shows White House lawyers struggling for control as Trump fought to overturn election

A few hours after rioters laid siege to the Capitol, overpowering police in a violent attack on the seat of American democracy on Jan. 6, 2021, the White House’s top lawyer, Pat Cipollone, called his boss with an urgent message. It’s time to end your objections to the 2020 election, Cipollone told Donald Trump, and allow Congress to certify Joe Biden as the next president. Trump refused. Trump was no longer listening to his White House counsel, the elite team of attorneys who take an oath to serve the office of the president. But by all accounts,

Indictment shows White House lawyers struggling for control as Trump fought to overturn election
Political

Biden in Utah to mark anniversary of PACT Act expanding veterans benefits

President Joe Biden will mark the first anniversary of a law that is delivering the largest expansion of veterans benefits in decades on Thursday by showcasing the bipartisan PACT Act in the company of Utah’s Republican Gov. Spencer Cox. The Democratic president and GOP governor will visit the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to promote a law that is intended to improve health care and disability compensation for exposure to toxic substances, such as burn pits that were used to dispose of trash on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. More

Biden in Utah to mark anniversary of PACT Act expanding veterans benefits
Political

Trump says he won't sign Republican loyalty pledge, flouting debate requirement

Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday he won’t sign a pledge to support the Republican nominee if he loses the GOP presidential primary, flouting a requirement for appearing in the first debate later this month. “Why would I sign it?” Trump said in an interview on the conservative cable network Newsmax. “I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for president. So right there, there’s a problem.” He declined to name the candidates he wouldn’t support, saying “there’s no reason to insult them.” But he singled out South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy for

Trump says he won't sign Republican loyalty pledge, flouting debate requirement
Political

US to send $200 million in military aid to Ukraine

The Pentagon will provide Ukraine with $200 million in weapons and ammunition to help sustain Kyiv’s counteroffensive as troops on the front lines face significant hurdles against a well-entrenched Russian defense, according to two U.S. officials. This latest package will include missiles for the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and the Patriot air defense system, munitions for howitzers and tanks, Javelin rockets, mine-clearing equipment, 12 million rounds of small arms ammunition and demolition munitions, said a U.S. official. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid has not yet been publicly announced. The aid comes

US to send $200 million in military aid to Ukraine
Political

Biden reelection campaign offering joint meeting with Obama as ex-president enters 2024 fray early

President Joe Biden is raising money for his reelection campaign by offering donors the chance to meet himself and Barack Obama, meaning the former president will be entering the 2024 political fray earlier than he did during last year’s midterms or the last presidential election. An email to supporters urged them to donate for a chance to “meet President Biden and President Obama” and featured a hypothetical text message chain where Biden writes “Hey pal, what do you say we band together to thank some grassroots supporters in person” and Obama replies “See you there” together with

Biden reelection campaign offering joint meeting with Obama as ex-president enters 2024 fray early
Political

Biden wants to compensate New Mexico residents sickened by radiation during 1945 nuclear testing

President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he’s open to granting assistance for people sickened by exposure to radiation during nuclear weapons testing, including in New Mexico, where the world’s first atomic bomb was tested in 1945. Biden brought up the issue while speaking Wednesday in Belen at a factory that produces wind towers. “I’m prepared to help in terms of making sure that those folks are taken care of,” he said. The state’s place in American history as a testing ground has gotten more attention recently with the release of “Oppenheimer,” a movie about physicist J.

Biden wants to compensate New Mexico residents sickened by radiation during 1945 nuclear testing
Political

Lawsuit says Tennessee's US House and state Senate maps discriminate against communities of color

Tennessee is facing its first court challenge over a congressional redistricting map that carved up Democratic-leaning Nashville to help Republicans flip a seat in last year’s elections, a move that the plaintiffs say has unconstitutionally diluted the power of Black voters and other communities of color. The lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Nashville says the U.S. House maps and those for the state Senate amount to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering under the 14th and 15th amendments. The plaintiffs include the Tennessee State Conference of the NAACP, the African American Clergy Collective of Tennessee, the Equity

Lawsuit says Tennessee's US House and state Senate maps discriminate against communities of color
Political

Opponents of Maine's new abortion law won't seek to nullify it through a referendum

Groups opposed to Maine’s new law expanding abortion access won’t attempt to nullify the statute through a so-called People’s Veto referendum. Republican Rep. Laurel Libby, leader of the Speak Up for LIFE group, said Wednesday that allies decided that the costs of collecting signatures and running a campaign represented too big of a hurdle. Instead, the groups intend to focus on electing candidates who are opposed to abortions. “At the end of the day, we want to put our effort into the most effect place possible,” Libby, a Republican from Auburn, told The Associated Press. That

Opponents of Maine's new abortion law won't seek to nullify it through a referendum
Political

Utah man suspected of threatening President Joe Biden shot and killed as FBI served warrant

A Utah man accused of making threats against President Joe Biden was shot and killed by FBI agents hours before the president was expected to land in the state Wednesday, authorities said. Special agents were trying to serve a warrant on the home of Craig Deleeuw Robertson in Provo, south of Salt Lake City, when the shooting happened at 6:15 a.m., the FBI said in a statement. Robertson posted online Monday that he had heard Biden was coming to Utah and he was planning to dig out a camouflage suit and “clean the dust off

Utah man suspected of threatening President Joe Biden shot and killed as FBI served warrant
Political

Biden issues an executive order restricting US investments in Chinese technology

In a sign of growing strains between the world’s two biggest powers, President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday that would block and regulate high-tech U.S.-based investments going toward China. It covers advanced computer chips, micro electronics, quantum information technologies and artificial intelligence. Senior administration officials said that the effort stemmed from national security goals, rather than economic interests and that the categories it covered were narrow in scope. The order seeks to blunt China’s ability to use U.S. investments in its technology companies to upgrade its military while also preserving broader levels of trade that

Biden issues an executive order restricting US investments in Chinese technology
Political

Major gun safety groups come together to endorse Joe Biden for president in 2024

Gun safety groups are joining together to endorse President Joe Biden for reelection in 2024 as the president continues to push for stricter gun laws — a major part of his political platform that was all but unthinkable for Democrats even a few years ago. The endorsements, revealed to The Associated Press on Wednesday, represent the first time the groups have jointly announced support for a presidential candidate. They come as gun violence is on the rise in the U.S. The groups endorsing the president include: Brady Campaign, Team Enough, Community Justice Action Fund, Everytown for Gun

Major gun safety groups come together to endorse Joe Biden for president in 2024
Political

GOP donor Anton Lazzaro sentenced to 21 years for sex trafficking minors in Minnesota

A formerly well-connected GOP donor convicted of giving teenage girls gifts, alcohol and money in exchange for sex was sentenced Wednesday to 21 years in prison on sex trafficking charges. Anton “Tony” Lazzaro was found guilty in March by a federal jury of seven counts involving “commercial sex acts” with five girls ages 15 and 16 in 2020, when Lazzaro was 30. The charges carried mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years with a maximum of life in prison. Prosecutors had requested a 30-year sentence for Lazzaro. They likened Lazzaro to financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was arrested in

GOP donor Anton Lazzaro sentenced to 21 years for sex trafficking minors in Minnesota
Political

Atlanta begins to brace for the potential of a new Trump indictment as soon as next week

Donald Trump and officials in Atlanta are bracing for a new indictment that could come as soon as next week in a Georgia prosecutor’s investigation into the former president’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat has said he’s in meetings “every day” to prepare for a possible indictment. In anticipation of potential charges, his deputies erected barriers last week along the block in front of the main courthouse. The street was closed this week, and parking is prohibited on nearby streets. Those measures are to remain in place

Atlanta begins to brace for the potential of a new Trump indictment as soon as next week
Political

Special counsel got a search warrant for Twitter to turn over info on Trump's account, documents say

Special counsel Jack Smith’s team obtained a search warrant in January for records related to former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, and a judge levied a $350,000 fine on the company for a delay in complying, according to court documents released Wednesday. The details were included in a decision from the federal appeals court in Washington rejecting Twitter’s claim that it should not have been held in contempt or sanctioned. X, the San Francisco-based platform formerly known as Twitter, sent an automated reply to a request for comment, saying it would respond soon. The filing says prosecutors got the search

Special counsel got a search warrant for Twitter to turn over info on Trump's account, documents say
Political

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, falls at home and goes to hospital, but scans are clear, her office says

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress, fell in her home and went to a hospital, her office said on Wednesday. The 90-year-old California Democrat, who has faced mounting concerns about her health and her ability to perform the duties of a senator, “briefly went to the hospital yesterday afternoon as a precaution after a minor fall in her home,” her office said in a statement. All of her scans were clear, and she returned home, said her spokesman Adam Russell, who provided no further details. The San Francisco hospital visit comes after Feinstein missed

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, falls at home and goes to hospital, but scans are clear, her office says
Political

Ohio vote shows enduring power of abortion rights at ballot box, giving Democrats a path in 2024

Abortion wasn’t technically on the ballot in Ohio’s special election. But the overwhelming defeat of a measure that would have made it tougher to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution this fall was the latest indicator that the issue remains a powerful force at the ballot box. The election saw heavy turnout for what’s typically a sleepy summer election date and sets up another battle in November, when Ohio will be the only state this year to have reproductive rights on the ballot. It also gives hope to Democrats and other abortion rights supporters who say

Ohio vote shows enduring power of abortion rights at ballot box, giving Democrats a path in 2024
Political

Bernie Kerik, who advised Giuliani after Trump's 2020 election loss, meets with Jack Smith's team

Former New York Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik has met with investigators from special counsel Jack Smith’s team, a signal after last week’s indictment of former President Donald Trump that the probe into allegations he worked to overturn the results of the 2020 election is ongoing. Kerik attorney Timothy Parlatore told The Associated Press that his client sat down on Monday with officials from the government for about five hours for a discussion centered around the efforts of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to overturn Trump’s loss. “Bernard Kerik sat with Special Counsel’s Office and told them the truth,” Parlatore said. “Whether

Bernie Kerik, who advised Giuliani after Trump's 2020 election loss, meets with Jack Smith's team
Political

Donald Trump wants his election subversion trial moved out of Washington. That won't be easy

Donald Trump and his legal team face long odds in their bid to move his 2020 election conspiracy trial out of Washington, arguing the Republican can’t possibly get a fair trial in the overwhelmingly Democratic nation’s capital. Criminal defendants routinely try to have their cases moved to increase their chances of getting a favorable jury. Trump and his attorney say they’re eying West Virginia, which Trump easily won in 2020. But there’s a notoriously high bar for proving the jury pool is so biased or tainted by pretrial publicity that the trial must be moved. Such efforts

Donald Trump wants his election subversion trial moved out of Washington. That won't be easy
Political

Donald Trump's right − he is getting special treatment, far better than most other criminal defendants

The former president boards his plane at Reagan National Airport following his Aug. 3, 2023, arraignment in Washington. Win McNamee/Getty Images Former President Donald Trump often complains that he is being treated unfairly by the prosecutors charging him with crimes. Trump is now the subject of three federal and state criminal cases – and it is true that he is being treated unlike other criminal defendants. The prosecutors are treating Trump a lot better than the average criminal defendant. We are law scholars who have defended clients in criminal and civil cases, and we wish that our clients received the

Donald Trump's right − he is getting special treatment, far better than most other criminal defendants
Political

Biden pitching his economic policies as a key to manufacturing jobs revival

Bringing back factory jobs is one of the most popular of White House promises — regardless of who happens to be the president. Donald Trump said he’d do it with tariffs. Barack Obama said companies would start “insourcing.” George W. Bush said tax cuts would do the trick. But factory jobs seemed to struggle to fully return after each recession. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden will make the case in a New Mexico speech that his policies of financial and tax incentives have revived U.S. manufacturing. His claim is supported by a rise in construction spending

Biden pitching his economic policies as a key to manufacturing jobs revival
Political

Why Ohio's Issue 1 proposal failed, and how the AP called the race

Ohio voters on Tuesday rejected a proposal that would have made it more difficult for voters to amend the state constitution, including one measure set for the November ballot that would guarantee abortion rights in the state. The Associated Press has called the race, determining that supporters of the proposal known as Issue 1 fell short in their effort to require future changes to the state constitution to win the support of 60% of voters instead of a straight majority. Votes cast against the measure, or No votes, lead Yes votes by more than 350,000, with nearly

Why Ohio's Issue 1 proposal failed, and how the AP called the race
Political

Trump vows to keep talking about criminal cases despite prosecutors pushing for protective order

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday kept up his attacks on special counsel Jack Smith and vowed to continue talking about his criminal cases even as prosecutors sought a protective order to limit the evidence that Trump and his team could share. In the early voting state of New Hampshire, Trump assailed Smith as a “thug prosecutor” and a “deranged guy” a week after being indicted on felony charges for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The former

Trump vows to keep talking about criminal cases despite prosecutors pushing for protective order
Political

Abortion rights advocates push for 2024 ballot initiative in Arizona

Abortion rights advocates on Tuesday began a push to ask Arizona voters to create a constitutional right to abortion, injecting the issue into the battleground state’s volatile politics ahead of next year’s election. If proponents collect enough signatures, Arizona will become the latest state to put the question of reproductive rights directly to voters, who have turned out in large numbers to support abortion rights even in conservative states. The fight over abortion rights helped Democrats limit their losses in last year’s midterms after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy. The

Abortion rights advocates push for 2024 ballot initiative in Arizona
Political

Trump plans Iowa State Fair stop, though he won't attend candidate chat with GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit the Iowa State Fair Saturday, a time-honored rite of presidential candidates working for support in the state’s leadoff nominating caucuses next January. Campaign aides Tuesday confirmed Trump’s plan to visit the fair Saturday afternoon, on the 10-day event’s first weekend. However, he is not planning to participate in a series of GOP presidential candidate conversations hosted by Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is popular and influential among Republicans in the leadoff caucus state. Trump criticized her last month. Trump’s first Iowa State Fair visit was a circus of

Trump plans Iowa State Fair stop, though he won't attend candidate chat with GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds
Political

White House holds first-ever summit on the ransomware crisis plaguing the nation's public schools

The White House on Tuesday held its first-ever cybersecurity “summit” on the ransomware attacks plaguing U.S. schools, in which criminal hackers have dumped online sensitive student data, including medical records, psychiatric evaluations and even sexual assault reports. “If we want to safeguard our children’s futures we must protect their personal data,” first lady Jill Biden, who is a teacher, told the gathering. “Every student deserves the opportunity to see a school counselor when they’re struggling and not worry that these conversations will be shared with the world.” At least 48 districts have been hit by ransomware attacks this year —

White House holds first-ever summit on the ransomware crisis plaguing the nation's public schools

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