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Today: January 19, 2025
Today: January 19, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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Environment

Will faster federal reviews speed up the clean energy shift? Two legal scholars explain what the National Environmental Policy Act does and doesn't do

NEPA requires federal agencies to analyze environmental impacts of projects like interstate highway construction. John Bohn/The Boston Globe via Getty Images The National Environmental Policy Act, enacted in 1970, is widely viewed as a keystone U.S. environmental law. For any major federal action that affects the environment, such as building an interstate highway or licensing a nuclear power plant, NEPA requires relevant agencies to analyze environmental impacts, consider reasonable alternatives and accept public input. It also allows citizens to sue if they believe government has not complied. Critics argue that NEPA reviews delay projects and drive up costs. In May

Will faster federal reviews speed up the clean energy shift? Two legal scholars explain what the National Environmental Policy Act does and doesn't do
Economy

Republicans' anti-ESG attack may be silencing insurers, but it isn’t changing their pro-climate business decisions

Insurers are facing rising costs from effects of climate change. © Marco Bottigelli/Moments via Getty Imagse Over recent months there has been an orchestrated pushback against investors and insurers who integrate the risks of climate change into their business models. That pushback – emanating from Republican-led states – is having an impact on how companies speak publicly. But whether it will affect their efforts to respond to climate change is less clear. The latest targets have been global insurance companies, and their responses offer some insight. Under pressure, several major insurers, including AXA, Allianz, Lloyd’s and Swiss Re, have pulled

Republicans' anti-ESG attack may be silencing insurers, but it isn’t changing their pro-climate business decisions
Political

Title 42 didn't result in a surge of migration, after all – but border communities are still facing record-breaking migration

In an aerial image taken on May 12, 2023, a border wall and concertina wire barriers stand along the Rio Grande river between Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, left, and El Paso, Texas. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images U.S. government officials and media alike made widespread predictions that there would be a surge of migration across the U.S.-Mexico border in May 2023. That’s when the U.S. lifted an emergency health policy called Title 42 that allowed the government to turn away migrants at the border to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Title 42 ended in May 2023, but the number of

Title 42 didn't result in a surge of migration, after all – but border communities are still facing record-breaking migration
Political

Four strategies to make your neighborhood safer

By getting to know your neighbors and investing in your community, you can make your neighborhood safer. Vladimir Vladimirov/E+/Getty Images A series of gunshots fired late at night in East Atlanta recently prompted my neighbor to post on our local Facebook group, asking what we can do as a community to make it less dangerous to live and work in the area. You may be asking yourself the same question. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, cities across the country have seen an increase in gun violence and homicides. Around the country, crime seems to be rising, and that

Four strategies to make your neighborhood safer
Political

Why a federal judge found Tennessee’s anti-drag law unconstitutional

A drag show in Nashville, Tenn., during Day One of Nashville Pride 2022. Mickey Bernal/Getty Images The drag shows will go on. At least for now. On June 2, 2023, Judge Thomas Parker, a Trump-appointed federal district court judge in western Tennessee, ruled that Tennessee’s “Adult Entertainment Act” violated the First Amendment’s free speech protection. The act had been passed by the Tennessee Legislature and signed into law by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in March 2023. The law gained national attention because it appeared designed to limit drag performances through regulation of “male and female impersonators.” Parker provided several grounds

Why a federal judge found Tennessee’s anti-drag law unconstitutional
Economy

Overcrowded trains serve as metaphor for India in Western eyes – but they are a relic of colonialism and capitalism

By the end of the 19th century, railways were being used by millions across India. Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images A devastating rail crash that left almost 300 people dead has refocused international attention on the importance of railways in the lives of Indians. Indeed, to many Western observers, images of men and women crammed into overcrowded cars serve as a metaphor for modern India. Take, for example, a report by German newspaper Der Spiegel on India’s population surpassing China’s. Published just weeks before the accident in Odisha province on June 2, the now much-criticized cartoon depicted a shabby Indian train

Overcrowded trains serve as metaphor for India in Western eyes – but they are a relic of colonialism and capitalism
Political

Do federal or state prosecutors get to go first in trying Trump? A law professor untangles the conflict

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in New Hampshire on April 27, 2023. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images A federal grand jury in Florida indicted former President Donald Trump on June 8, 2023, on multiple criminal charges related to classified documents he took from the White House to his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, according to multiple sources cited in The New York Times and The Associated Press. Trump himself said on his social media outlet, Truth Social, that he had been indicted. The seven counts against Trump – the first president to face federal charges

Do federal or state prosecutors get to go first in trying Trump? A law professor untangles the conflict
Health

'From Magic Mushrooms to Big Pharma' – a college course explores nature's medicine cabinet and different ways of healing

People for millennia have used what grows around them as medicine. LorenzoT81/iStock via Getty Images Plus Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. Title of course: “From Magic Mushrooms to Big Pharma” What prompted the idea for the course? I’m from the foothills of the Appalachians in southern Ohio, where my Grandma Mildred would go out into the woods, which she called her medicine cabinet, to find herbs to use as medicine. I grew up to be an anthropologist, interested in how people around the world heal themselves. In the 1990s, I

'From Magic Mushrooms to Big Pharma' – a college course explores nature's medicine cabinet and different ways of healing
Education

6 books that explain the history and meaning of Juneteenth

A Juneteenth celebration in Prospect Park in New York City in 2022. Michael Nagle/Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images After decades of being celebrated at mostly the local level, Juneteenth – the long-standing holiday that commemorates the arrival of news of emancipation and freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 – became a federal holiday in 2021. In honor of this year’s Juneteenth, The Conversation reached out to Wake Forest University humanities professor Corey D. B. Walker for a list of readings that can help people better understand the history and meaning of the observance. Below, Walker

6 books that explain the history and meaning of Juneteenth
Health

Drawing, making music and writing poetry can support healing and bring more humanity to health care in US hospitals

Facing a blank page can be an exercise in courage. stellalevi/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on the deep need that people feel for human touch and connection in hospital settings. Having relatives peering through windows at their loved ones or unable to enter hospitals altogether exacerbated the lack of human intimacy that is all too common in health care settings. Opportunities for creative expression through arts in medicine programs are increasing in U.S. hospitals, and it may be because art-making offers something that medicine can’t. Evidence shows that taking part in art programs has

Drawing, making music and writing poetry can support healing and bring more humanity to health care in US hospitals
Economy

Millions of women are working during menopause, but US law isn't clear on employees' rights or employers' obligations

Hot flashes can happen anywhere, including at work. Aleksei Morozov/iStock via Getty Images Plus While she was interviewing Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler in March 2023, Drew Barrymore suddenly exclaimed: “I’m so hot … I think I’m having my first hot flash!” She took off her blazer and fanned herself dramatically. While most hot flashes aren’t televised, the entertainer’s experience was far from unique. Barrymore, age 48, is one of approximately 15 million U.S. women from 45 to 60 who work full time and may experience menopausal symptoms. Unlike Barrymore, most women are silent about their menopausal symptoms. Yet their

Millions of women are working during menopause, but US law isn't clear on employees' rights or employers' obligations
Political

Supreme Court rules in favor of Black voters in Alabama and protects landmark Voting Rights Act

Black marchers in Selma, Ala., demonstrate for voting rights protections on March 6, 2022. Brandon Bell/Getty Images In a surprising ruling on June 8, 2023, the conservative leaning U.S. Supreme Court threw out Republican-drawn congressional districts in Alabama that a lower court had ruled discriminated against Black voters and violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. At issue in the case that was before the court, Allen v. Milligan, was whether the power of Black voters in Alabama was diluted by dividing them into districts where white voters dominate. After the 2020 census, the Republican-controlled Alabama legislature

Supreme Court rules in favor of Black voters in Alabama and protects landmark Voting Rights Act
Arts

What to stream this week: 'Extraction 2,' Stan Lee doc, 'Star Trek' and 'The Wonder Years'

Albums from John Mellencamp and Killer Mike, as well as the return of Chris Hemsworth’s gun-for-hire anti-hero in Netflix’s “Extraction 2” are among the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you. Among the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are season two of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” and the season seven premiere of “Outlander” that continues the story of its time-crossed lovers Jamie and Claire Fraser. NEW MOVIES TO STREAM — Clinical death is just a minor obstacle for Chris Hemsworth’s action hero Tyler Rake, who audiences can

What to stream this week: 'Extraction 2,' Stan Lee doc, 'Star Trek' and 'The Wonder Years'
Political

Trump indictment unsealed – a criminal law scholar explains what the charges mean, and what prosecutors will now need to prove

Special counsel Jack Smith prepares to talk to reporters on June 9, 2023, after the indictment of former President Donald Trump. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Federal prosecutors on June 9, 2023, unsealed the indictment that spells out the government’s case against former President Donald J. Trump, who is accused of violating national security laws and obstructing justice. The 49-page document details how Trump kept classified government documents – including papers concerning U.S. nuclear capabilities – scattered in boxes across his home at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, long after his presidency ended in 2021 and the government tried to reclaim them.

Trump indictment unsealed – a criminal law scholar explains what the charges mean, and what prosecutors will now need to prove
Science

England's health service says it won't give puberty blockers to children at gender clinics

The publicly funded health service in England has decided it will not routinely offer puberty-blocking drugs to children at gender identity clinics, saying more evidence is needed about the potential benefits and harms. The National Health Service said Friday that “outside of a research setting, puberty-suppressing hormones should not be routinely commissioned for children and adolescents.” People under 18 can still be given puberty blockers in exceptional circumstances, the NHS said, and a clinical study on their impact on kids is due to start by next year. Four new regional clinics are due to open later this

England's health service says it won't give puberty blockers to children at gender clinics
Science

UK parliamentary committee to conclude Boris Johnson 'partygate' inquiry

A U.K. parliamentary committee was expected to publish this week a report on whether former Prime Minister Boris Johnson misled lawmakers over lockdown-flouting parties at his office, after lawmakers met Monday to conclude their inquiry. British media report that the results of the parliamentary Privileges Committee ‘s highly anticipated investigation into Johnson’s conduct could be published in the coming days. Ahead of the findings being made public, Johnson unexpectedly quit as a lawmaker on Friday and angrily accused political opponents of driving him out in a “witch hunt.” The former prime minister, 58, said the Privileges Committee

UK parliamentary committee to conclude Boris Johnson 'partygate' inquiry
Political

'If you want to die in jail, keep talking' – two national security law experts discuss the special treatment for Trump and offer him some advice

Former President Donald Trump on his airplane on June 10, 2023, two days after his federal indictment. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images Lawyer Thomas A. Durkin has spent much of his career working in national security law, representing clients in a variety of national security and domestic terrorism matters. Joseph Ferguson was a national security prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, where Durkin was also a prosecutor. Both teach national security law at Loyola University, Chicago. The Conversation U.S.‘s democracy editor, Naomi Schalit, spoke with the two attorneys about the federal indictment

'If you want to die in jail, keep talking' – two national security law experts discuss the special treatment for Trump and offer him some advice
Arts

Linguists have identified a new English dialect that's emerging in South Florida

Travel to Miami, and you might hear people say ‘get down from the car’ instead of ‘get out of the car.’ Miami Herald/Getty Images “We got down from the car and went inside.” “I made the line to pay for groceries.” “He made a party to celebrate his son’s birthday.” These phrases might sound off to the ears of most English-speaking Americans. In Miami, however, they’ve become part of the local parlance. According to my recently published research, these expressions – along with a host of others – form part of a new dialect taking shape in South Florida. This

Linguists have identified a new English dialect that's emerging in South Florida
Political

In the year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ruled states should decide the legality of abortion, voters at the state level have been doing just that: 4 essential reads

Abortion-rights demonstrators protest in front of the Supreme Court building on June 25, 2022, a day after the announcement of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling. Brandon Bell/Getty Images News via Getty Images When the Supreme Court ruled on June 24, 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that states – some of which have been chipping away at women’s access to abortion for years – should decide the legality of abortion, Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the court’s majority opinion that “women are not without electoral or political power.” In one fell swoop, the court’s 6-3

In the year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ruled states should decide the legality of abortion, voters at the state level have been doing just that: 4 essential reads
Health

Anti-trans bills and political climates are taking a significant mental health toll on trans and nonbinary people – even during Pride

States and schools with more inclusive policies and protections help LGBTQ youth and their families feel safer. AP Photo/Tommy Martino Pride month is a time of celebration for the LGBTQ+ community, with parades and events that bring people together in joyful moments of connection. In 2023, as the LGBTQ+ community is facing unprecedented legislative attacks, I am especially reminded of the history of protest and activism that is inherently a part of Pride and its origins. There have been almost 500 bills proposed this legislative cycle seeking to limit the rights of LGBTQ+ people and their access to essential resources

Anti-trans bills and political climates are taking a significant mental health toll on trans and nonbinary people – even during Pride
Environment

Colonialism has shaped scientific plant collections around the world – here's why that matters

Digitizing plants preserved in the herbarium at La Sapienza University in Rome. Mimmo Frassineti/AGF/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Some of the world’s most popular museums are natural history collections: Think of dinosaur fossils, gemstones and preserved animals. Herbaria – collections of pressed, dried plant specimens – are a less-known but important type of natural history collection. There are some 400 million botanical specimens stored across over 3,500 herbaria around the world, but most are not widely publicized and rarely host public exhibits. I study biodiversity and global change, and these collections have fueled my work. My collaborators and I

Colonialism has shaped scientific plant collections around the world – here's why that matters
Science

Biden got a root canal and it upended his schedule for the day

President Joe Biden got a root canal Monday and it left something of a cavity in his daily schedule, forcing him to bow out of a public event with college athletes and postpone his meeting with NATO’s general secretary by a day. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre minimized the significance of the procedure at the Monday afternoon news briefing. She called it “routine” and said Biden is feeling “just fine.” She declined to say what caused Biden’s dental pain and led to the root canal. “I am certainly not a dentist by any means,” Jean-Pierre said.

Biden got a root canal and it upended his schedule for the day
Science

Biden administration urges states to slow down on dropping people from Medicaid

The Biden administration on Monday urged states to slow down their purge of Medicaid rolls, citing concerns that large numbers of lower-income people are losing health care coverage due to administrative reasons. The nation’s Medicaid rolls swelled during the coronavirus pandemic as states were prohibited from ending people’s coverage. But that came to a halt in April, and states now must re-evaluate recipients’ eligibility — just as they had been regularly required to do before the pandemic. In some states, about half of those whose Medicaid renewal cases were decided in April or May have

Biden administration urges states to slow down on dropping people from Medicaid
Arts

Pat Sajak announces 'Wheel of Fortune' retirement, says upcoming season will be his last as host

Pat Sajak is taking one last spin on “Wheel of Fortune,” announcing Monday that its upcoming season will be his last as host. Sajak announced his retirement from the venerable game show in a tweet. “Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all,” the tweet said. Sajak, 76, has presided over the game show, which features contestants guessing letters to try to fill out words

Pat Sajak announces 'Wheel of Fortune' retirement, says upcoming season will be his last as host
Arts

California Gov. Newsom spars with Fox News host Hannity over Biden, immigration and the economy

California Gov. Gavin Newsom sparred with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday night, insisting President Joe Biden is physically fit for a second term as president while refusing to say whether supporters have urged him to run against Biden on the 2024 ballot. Asked if he believes Biden is “cognitively strong enough to be president,” Newsom said yes, adding that he talks with the president “all the time” and has traveled with him aboard Air Force One. ‘You never answered my question directly,” Hannity responded. “How many times does your phone ping a day, people

California Gov. Newsom spars with Fox News host Hannity over Biden, immigration and the economy

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