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

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Political

Trump's political action committee wants a $60 million refund on paying his legal fees – 3 key things to know about PACs

One of Donald Trump’s PACs has nearly dried up its resources by paying his legal fees. iStock/Getty Images Plus Save America, one of former President Donald Trump’s political organizations, is seeking a US$60 million refund from Make America Great Again, Inc., another Trump political organization that is less strictly regulated by federal rules. Save America has paid Trump’s legal fees connected to multiple investigations into alleged criminal activities and is now down to less than $4 million in its account, The New York Times reported on July 31, 2023. It started 2022 with $105 million in the bank. Trump’s use

Trump's political action committee wants a $60 million refund on paying his legal fees – 3 key things to know about PACs
Political

A brief history of the Ku Klux Klan Acts: 1870s laws to protect Black voters, ignored for decades, now being used against Trump

Special counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on an indictment against former U.S. President Donald Trump on Aug. 1, 2023. Drew Angerer/Getty Images In the indictment against former President Donald Trump and his role in the Jan. 6 violent attack against the U.S. Capitol, special prosecutor Jack Smith charged the former president with violating four different federal laws – and Trump pleaded not guilty to each one of them on Aug. 3, 2023. Three of the charges in United States of America v. Donald J. Trump are fairly easy to understand. They require a jury to determine whether Trump tried to

A brief history of the Ku Klux Klan Acts: 1870s laws to protect Black voters, ignored for decades, now being used against Trump
Political

AP Election Brief | What to expect in Mississippi's state primaries

Tuesday is primary day in Mississippi, with Gov. Tate Reeves’ bid for renomination to a second term topping the list of contests voters will decide. Reeves, who was first elected in 2019 after serving two terms as lieutenant governor, faces two challengers in the Republican primary: military veteran David Hardigree and physician and anti-vaccination activist John Witcher. The winner will face Democrat Brandon Presley, a state utility regulator and cousin of rock ’n’ roll legend Elvis Presley. Presley is unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Mississippi has one of only three gubernatorial elections on the ballot this year.

AP Election Brief | What to expect in Mississippi's state primaries
Political

Biden's inaction on death penalty may be a top campaign issue as Trump and DeSantis laud executions

Capital punishment could emerge as a major campaign issue in the U.S. presidential race for the first time in 30 years, with top GOP rivals Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis already one-upping each other by touting tougher, more far-reaching death penalty laws. Meanwhile, death penalty foes are poised to draw attention to what Democrat Joe Biden hasn’t done as president: He has taken no action on or even spoken about his 2020 campaign pledge to strike capital punishment from U.S. statutes. A demonstration that the death penalty issue is far from academic came Wednesday when federal jurors

Biden's inaction on death penalty may be a top campaign issue as Trump and DeSantis laud executions
Political

Play It Again, Joe. Biden bets that repeating himself is smart politics

President Joe Biden has his zingers (“This is not your father’s Republican Party”). He’s got patriotism (“This is the United States of America, dammit”). He’s got a geometry-based explanation on how grow to the economy (“from the middle out and the bottom up”). Move over, Beyonce and Taylor Swift. Biden has his own greatest hits and he’s keeping them on repeat. If you’ve heard one of the president’s recent speeches, you’ve basically heard them all — and you’re sure to keep hearing the same refrains in the year-plus leading up to Election Day 2024. People in Arizona,

Play It Again, Joe. Biden bets that repeating himself is smart politics
Political

Trump was told not to talk to witnesses in 2020 election conspiracy case. That could be a challenge.

It was a routine part of a federal court hearing: The defendant was told not to discuss the case with any witnesses without lawyers present. But there’s nothing routine about this case. The defendant is Donald Trump, accused of orchestrating a conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The potential witness pool is vast and includes members of the former president’s inner circle deeply involved in his reelection campaign, including some currently on his payroll. His lies about the election — which form the basis of the charges — are repeated in nearly every speech

Trump was told not to talk to witnesses in 2020 election conspiracy case. That could be a challenge.
Political

In Niger, US seeks to hang on to its last, best counterterrorist outpost in West Africa

Ten days into a coup in Niger, life has become more challenging for U.S. forces at a counterterrorism base in a region of West Africa known as the world’s epicenter of terrorism. Flights in and out of the country have been curtailed as coup leaders require Americans to seek permission for each flight. Fuel shortages mean the U.S. commander must sign off whenever an aircraft is refueled. And yet, as several European countries evacuate Niger, the Biden administration is showing itself intent on staying. It sees Niger as the United States’ last, best counterterrorism outpost — and

In Niger, US seeks to hang on to its last, best counterterrorist outpost in West Africa
Political

Appeals court allows Biden asylum restrictions to temporarily stay in place as case plays out

An appeals court Thursday allowed a rule restricting asylum at the southern border to temporarily stay in place. The decision is a major win for the Biden administration, which had argued that the rule was integral to its efforts to maintain order along the U.S.-Mexico border. The new rule makes it extremely difficult for people to be granted asylum unless they first seek protection in a country they’re traveling through on their way to the U.S. or apply online. It includes room for exceptions and does not apply to children traveling alone. The decision by the U.S.

Appeals court allows Biden asylum restrictions to temporarily stay in place as case plays out
Political

White House says top Russian official pitched North Korea on increasing sale of munitions to Moscow

The White House on Thursday said U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke last week to North Korean officials during a visit to Pyongyang about increasing the sale of munitions to Moscow for its war in Ukraine. Shoigu made the pitch during his visit to North Korea for events marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War, according to White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched Shoigu to lead the Russian delegation for the commemoration. The Biden administration says

White House says top Russian official pitched North Korea on increasing sale of munitions to Moscow
Political

Testimony from Hunter Biden associate provides new insight into their business dealings

Focusing on the Bidens rather than Donald Trump’s federal court appearance, House Republicans released a transcript Thursday of their interview with Hunter Biden’s former business associate detailing overseas financial dealings by the president’s son. The more than five-hour closed-door interview with Devon Archer by the House Oversight Committee, released hours before Trump’s appearance to face a third list of charges, provides fresh insight into how President Joe Biden’s youngest son used his relationship with his father, who was then vice president, to court foreign investors. Archer said Hunter Biden was using the “illusion of access” in Washington.

Testimony from Hunter Biden associate provides new insight into their business dealings
Political

Could Trump turn his politics of grievance into a get-out-of-jail card? Neither prosecution nor even jail time has prevented former leaders in Israel, Brazil and Kenya from mounting comebacks

Donald Trump enters a political rally while campaigning for the GOP 2024 nomination on July 29, 2023, in Erie, Pa. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images Donald Trump has declared, “I am your retribution,” and it appears to be a guiding theme of his 2024 campaign. He now faces a total of three indictments, following Special Counsel Jack Smith’s announcement on Aug. 1, 2023 that Trump had been charged with four counts in his effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election – the most serious charges so far. There’s likely to be an additional indictment from Fulton County, Georgia, prosecutor Fani Willis. If

Could Trump turn his politics of grievance into a get-out-of-jail card? Neither prosecution nor even jail time has prevented former leaders in Israel, Brazil and Kenya from mounting comebacks
Political

Police step up security, patrol courthouse ahead of Trump appearance. Follow live updates

Follow along for live updates as Donald Trump is due to appear in federal court Thursday after being indicted by the Justice Department for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. It’s the third criminal case brought against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House. ___ WHAT TO KNOW — Here’s a breakdown of the sprawling election indictment — Trump lawyer hints at a First Amendment defense in the Jan. 6 case — Republicans are remaining silent about the latest charges against Trump — The judge assigned to Trump’s case is a

Police step up security, patrol courthouse ahead of Trump appearance. Follow live updates
Political

US military may put armed troops on commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz to stop Iran seizures

The U.S. military is considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, in what would be an unheard of action aimed at stopping Iran from seizing and harassing civilian vessels, four American officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. America didn’t even take the step during the so-called “Tanker War,” which culminated with the U.S. Navy and Iran fighting a one-day naval battle in 1988 that was the Navy’s largest since World War II. While officials offered few details of the plan, it comes as thousands of Marines and

US military may put armed troops on commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz to stop Iran seizures
Political

Palestinian foreign minister says Biden's inaction as Middle East violence surges is 'weak'

The Palestinian foreign minister on Thursday attacked the Biden administration as weak and passive in the Middle East, as violence between Israel and the Palestinians surges to its highest levels in nearly two decades. The comments by Riad Malki reflected the Palestinian frustration with U.S. President Joe Biden, who initially won plaudits from the Palestinians when he rejected the Trump administration’s unabashedly pro-Israel stance. But Biden so far has done little to follow through on that vision “I’m frustrated,” Malki told members of the Foreign Press Association, an organization representing international media outlets in Israel

Palestinian foreign minister says Biden's inaction as Middle East violence surges is 'weak'
Political

Headlines and front lines: How US news coverage of wars in Yemen and Ukraine reveals a bias in recording civilian harm

The U.S. has provided Ukraine more than $75 billion in military and other aid to support its war efforts. Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images War entails suffering. How and how often that suffering is reported on in the U.S., however, is not evenhanded. Take, for example, the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen in March 2015 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The media attention afforded to the crises reveals biases that relate less to the human consequences of the conflicts than to the United States’ role and relationship with the warring parties involved. In Yemen, the U.S. is

Headlines and front lines: How US news coverage of wars in Yemen and Ukraine reveals a bias in recording civilian harm
Political

Myanmar crisis highlights limits of Indonesia's 'quiet diplomacy' as it sets sights on becoming a 'great regional power'

Myanmar’s seat was left empty at a recent meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Achmad Ibrahim/AFP via Getty Images With regional power comes regional responsibilities – as Indonesia is finding out. The world’s fourth most populous nation aspires to be a “great regional power” by 2030, playing a stabilizing role in Southeast Asia. It is getting an early taste of what that entails. As the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Indonesia has been called upon by international bodies, including the United Nations, to show leadership in resolving one of the region’s bloodiest conflict: Myanmar’s

Myanmar crisis highlights limits of Indonesia's 'quiet diplomacy' as it sets sights on becoming a 'great regional power'
Political

Trump may try to delay his first federal trial – it's a common legal strategy to fend off a criminal conviction

Former President Donald Trump speaks in Bedminster, N.J., in June 2023. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Former President Donald Trump’s trial for allegedly mishandling classified documents will begin on May 20, 2024. At least that’s what Federal District Judge Aileen Cannon announced in mid-July 2023. Trump’s legal team unsuccessfully pushed Cannon to delay his trial until after the election. Federal prosecutors, meanwhile, wanted the trial to begin as early as December 2023. Cannon split the difference. The date she set falls later than prosecutors wanted, and earlier than Trump wanted. Trump is now also facing additional federal charges for his attempts to

Trump may try to delay his first federal trial – it's a common legal strategy to fend off a criminal conviction
Political

Trump indictment: Here's how prosecutors will try to prove he knowingly lied and intended to break the law

Former President Donald Trump makes his way to the stage during a rally in Erie, Pa., on July 29, 2023. Dustin Franz for The Washington Post via Getty Images What was Donald Trump thinking when he set about trying to maintain the presidency after losing it to Joe Biden? That’s the key question a jury will need to consider in Trump’s federal trial on charges announced Aug. 1, 2023, stemming from Trump’s attempts to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election. The latest indictment charges Trump with conspiring to defraud the United States; to obstruct an official government proceeding;

Trump indictment: Here's how prosecutors will try to prove he knowingly lied and intended to break the law
Political

2 members of expelled 'Tennessee Three' vie to win back their legislative seats

Tennessee Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, who became Democratic heroes as members of the so-called “Tennessee Three,” are hoping to once again reclaim their legislative seats Thursday after they were expelled for involvement in a gun control protest on the House floor. The young Black lawmakers were both reinstated by local officials, but only on an interim basis. To fully take back their positions, they must advance through a special election. Both easily cleared their primary election in June, and now face general election opponents for districts that heavily favor Democrats. Jones, who lives in

2 members of expelled 'Tennessee Three' vie to win back their legislative seats
Political

Trump to face judge in DC over charges that he tried to overturn 2020 presidential election

Donald Trump is due in federal court Thursday to answer to charges that he sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election, facing a judge just blocks from the U.S. Capitol that his supporters stormed to block the peaceful transfer of presidential power. In what’s by now become a familiar but nonetheless stunning ritual, Trump is expected to be processed by law enforcement, be officially taken into custody and enter a not guilty plea in front of a judge before being released, so he can rejoin the campaign trail as he seeks to reclaim the White

Trump to face judge in DC over charges that he tried to overturn 2020 presidential election
Political

Republicans don't dare criticize Trump over Jan. 6. Their silence fuels his bid for the White House

When Senate Leader Mitch McConnell rose to announce his vote to acquit Donald Trump of impeachment charges in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the Republican assured the public the former president would have his day in court. “He didn’t get away with anything yet — yet,” McConnell vowed. “We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation. And former presidents are not immune from being accountable by either one.” But as Trump prepares to appear Thursday on federal charges that he orchestrated an unprecedented effort to overturn President Joe Biden’s

Republicans don't dare criticize Trump over Jan. 6. Their silence fuels his bid for the White House
Political

Trump supporters view the latest indictment as evidence of a crime — against Trump

Former President Donald Trump and his supporters are reacting to a third indictment against him with a now-familiar playbook: deflecting with unrelated accusations, distracting with misleading claims about the charges, and demonizing the prosecution. Instead of convincing his followers about the seriousness of the charges, Tuesday’s indictment is being held up as proof of a conspiracy to take down Trump and a continuation of the effort by Democrats, the media and the so-called deep state to interfere with the nation’s elections. For years Trump has told his supporters that elections can’t be trusted and that he is

Trump supporters view the latest indictment as evidence of a crime — against Trump
Political

Six months after East Palestine derailment, Congress deadlocked on new rules for train safety

Congress responded to the fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio earlier this year with bipartisan alarm, holding a flurry of hearings about the potential for railroad crashes to trigger even larger disasters. Both parties agreed that a legislative response was needed. Yet six months after life was upended in East Palestine, little has changed. While President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have praised a railroad safety bill from Ohio Sens. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, and JD Vance, a Republican, the Senate proposal has also encountered resistance. Top GOP leaders in Congress have been hesitant to

Six months after East Palestine derailment, Congress deadlocked on new rules for train safety
Political

Prosecutors may be aiming for quick Trump trial by not naming alleged conspirators, experts say

By not naming or charging six alleged co-conspirators in the indictment this week of former President Donald Trump, federal prosecutors may be signaling their desire to expeditiously put the Republican presidential front-runner on trial for seeking to overturn the 2020 election. More defendants mean more defense lawyers, and more legal motions and more delays, according to legal scholars and former prosecutors. Such a large cast of defendants would make it extremely difficult for Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith to get Trump in front of a jury before the final stretch in the 2024 campaign, the experts

Prosecutors may be aiming for quick Trump trial by not naming alleged conspirators, experts say
Political

Trump lawyer hints at a First Amendment defense in the Jan. 6 case. Some legal experts are dubious

Donald Trump’s legal team is characterizing his indictment in the special counsel’s 2020 election interference investigation as an attack on the former president’s right to free speech. But the case is not merely about Trump’s lies but also about the efforts he took to subvert the election, prosecutors say. The early contours of a potential legal and political defense began to emerge in the hours after the charges were unsealed, with defense lawyer John Lauro accusing the Justice Department of having “criminalized” the First Amendment and asserting that his client had relied on the advice of attorneys

Trump lawyer hints at a First Amendment defense in the Jan. 6 case. Some legal experts are dubious

Follow