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

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Political

California Gov. Gavin Newsom offers to help negotiate Hollywood strike

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has contacted all sides of the strikes that have hobbled Hollywood, his office said Wednesday, offering to help broker a deal to restart an industry that is crucial to keeping the state’s economy humming amid signs of weakness. So far, neither studio executives nor actors and writers have shown formal interest in bringing Newsom to the negotiating table, said Anthony York, Newsom’s senior advisor for communications. But York said both Newsom and senior members of his administration have been in touch with all sides as the two strikes stretch deeper into the

California Gov. Gavin Newsom offers to help negotiate Hollywood strike
Political

Trump wants to see Biden impeached, and other Republicans are quick to pile on

Donald Trump wants to see President Joe Biden impeached, and the former president’s allies in Congress and his 2024 GOP presidential rivals are eager to join that fight as his own legal challenges mount. Trump’s chief opponent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, this week said the House Republicans “are absolutely within their rights” to consider an impeachment inquiry against Biden. Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, also running for president, also said Republicans would be “justified to do it.” And House GOP leaders aligned with Trump are foreshadowing what’s ahead. “House Republicans will leave no stone unturned,” said Rep.

Trump wants to see Biden impeached, and other Republicans are quick to pile on
Political

House Republicans grill Mayorkas on 'disastrous' border policy and renew calls to impeach him

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas faced a barrage of criticism Wednesday from House Republicans who, in recent months, have floated impeaching him over what they say is his dereliction of duty in securing the southern border. Mayorkas’ appearance before the House Judiciary Committee comes as the Biden administration’s immigration policies are facing legal attacks from across the political spectrum, despite a steep drop last month in the number of border crossings. “I know that today Secretary Mayorkas is going to try to paint a rosy picture of this disastrous mismanagement of our border,” Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan,

House Republicans grill Mayorkas on 'disastrous' border policy and renew calls to impeach him
Political

Congress urged to revive long-stalled debate about regulating self-driving vehicles

Advocates for the self-driving vehicle industry on Wednesday warned that years of regulatory inaction is putting American manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage and urged Congress to expand their ability to test and eventually sell autonomous cars and trucks. “I’m sure it’s rare for you that someone from the private sector comes before you to ask, to plead, for their business to be regulated,” said John Bozella, president for the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents several major auto manufacturers. “We’re at a crossroads, and without a comprehensive AV framework, companies are not going to succeed.” While most

Congress urged to revive long-stalled debate about regulating self-driving vehicles
Political

Russian fighter jet strikes another American drone over Syria in the sixth incident this month

A Russian fighter jet fired flares and struck another U.S. drone over Syrian airspace on Wednesday, the White House said, in a continued string of harassing maneuvers that have ratcheted up tensions between the global powers. It’s the sixth reported incident this month, and the second in the past 24 hours, in which the United States has said Russian warplanes have flown dangerously close to American manned and unmanned aircraft, putting crews and the planes at risk and raising questions as to what the U.S. may need to do in response. Two U.S. officials confirmed that the

Russian fighter jet strikes another American drone over Syria in the sixth incident this month
Political

High school student who sat in Pence’s chair during Capitol riot is sentenced to 1 year in prison

A high school student who stormed the U.S. Capitol, assaulted a police officer and sat in a Senate floor chair reserved for the vice president was sentenced on Wednesday to one year in prison. Georgia resident Bruno Joseph Cua was 18 when he attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, making him one of the youngest people charged in the riot. Before learning his sentence, Cua apologized for his actions and told U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss that he is ashamed of his role in a mob’s “attack on democracy.” “Everything that day was just one terrible

High school student who sat in Pence’s chair during Capitol riot is sentenced to 1 year in prison
Political

Senate GOP leader McConnell briefly leaves news conference after freezing up mid-sentence

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell briefly left his own press conference on Wednesday after stopping his remarks mid-sentence and staring off into space for several seconds. McConnell approached the podium for his weekly press conference and began speaking about the annual defense bill on the floor, which he said was proceeding with “good bipartisan cooperation.” But he then appeared to lose his train of thought, trailing off with a drawn-out “uh.” He then appeared to freeze up and stared vacantly for around 20 seconds before his colleagues in Republican leadership, who were standing behind him and could

Senate GOP leader McConnell briefly leaves news conference after freezing up mid-sentence
Political

White House nominates Allvin as next Air Force chief

The White House has nominated a career air mobility pilot with key deployments in Afghanistan and Europe to serve as the Air Force’s next top general. In a notice to Congress posted Wednesday, the White House nominated Gen. David W. Allvin to serve as the service’s next chief. In his long career, which includes more than 4,600 hours flying military aircraft, Allvin has commanded units leading NATO’s air training and combat operations in Afghanistan, he’s led air strategy in Europe and he’s overseen all global air mobility operations, responsible for a fleet of more than 1,000 aircraft

White House nominates Allvin as next Air Force chief
Political

Congressional Budget Office predicts slower economic growth and 4.7% unemployment into 2024

The Congressional Budget Office reported Wednesday that economic and job growth so far this year has been stronger than forecast in February, but an updated outlook sees parts of the economy as weakening through 2024. The latest 10-year budget and economic outlook from the nonpartisan office shows how difficult it is to figure out where the United States is going in the wake of the pandemic. Many economists and investors were caught off guard as Federal Reserve interest rate increases, intended to combat high inflation, have not led to mass layoffs and a recession. Rather, growth and

Congressional Budget Office predicts slower economic growth and 4.7% unemployment into 2024
Political

Biden chooses former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley to lead the Social Security Administration

President Joe Biden on Wednesday nominated former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley to lead the Social Security Administration. If confirmed, O’Malley would run one of the biggest social programs in the nation and grapple with the surrounding uncertainty over its funding. Roughly 70 million people — including retirees, disabled people and children — receive Social Security benefits. “Governor O’Malley is a lifelong public servant who has spent his career making government more accessible and transparent, while keeping the American people at the heart of his work,” Biden said in a statement. “As Governor, he made government work more

Biden chooses former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley to lead the Social Security Administration
Political

Whistleblower tells Congress the US is concealing 'multi-decade' program that captures UFOs

The U.S. is concealing a longstanding program that retrieves and reverse engineers unidentified flying objects, a former Air Force intelligence officer testified Wednesday to Congress. The Pentagon has denied his claims. Retired Maj. David Grusch’s highly anticipated testimony before a House Oversight subcommittee was Congress’ latest foray into the world of UAPs — or “unidentified aerial phenomena,” which is the official term the U.S. government uses instead of UFOs. While the study of mysterious aircraft or objects often evokes talk of aliens and “little green men,” Democrats and Republicans in recent years have pushed for more research

Whistleblower tells Congress the US is concealing 'multi-decade' program that captures UFOs
Political

Rudy Giuliani is not disputing that he made false statements about Georgia election workers

Rudy Giuliani is not disputing that he made public comments falsely claiming two Georgia election workers committed ballot fraud during the 2020 presidential race but he argues that his words are constitutionally protected statements, according to a court filing. That assertion by Giuliani, who as part of Donald Trump’s legal team tried to overturn results in battleground states, came Tuesday in a lawsuit by Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss. The December 2021 lawsuit accused the former New York City mayor of defaming them by falsely stating that they had engaged in election fraud while counting ballots

Rudy Giuliani is not disputing that he made false statements about Georgia election workers
Political

Sen. Tuberville's blockade of US military promotions takes a historic tradition to a radical new level – and could go beyond Congress' August break

Sen. Tommy Tuberville speaks to reporters about his hold on promotions of hundreds of high-ranking military officers. Drew Angerer/Getty Images As Congress prepares to head into its August 2023 break, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, shows no signs of ending his five-month-long hold on military promotions for several hundred senior officers, namely generals and admirals. Tuberville is blocking the Senate from considering their nominations because he opposes a Defense Department policy to reimburse travel expenses for military personnel who have to leave their states to get abortions or other reproductive care. The policy was put in place after

Sen. Tuberville's blockade of US military promotions takes a historic tradition to a radical new level – and could go beyond Congress' August break
Political

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts uses conflicting views of race to resolve America's history of racial discrimination

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts attends the State of the Union address on Feb. 7, 2023. Jacquelyn Martin-Pool/Getty Images In two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 summer recess, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote majority opinions that involved the use of race. In the court’s 5-4 Allen v. Milligan decision, Roberts wrote that states must consider race in some circumstances when drawing congressional districts. But in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College – and its companion case involving the University of North Carolina – Roberts virtually eliminated the use of race in college admissions. Though Roberts’

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts uses conflicting views of race to resolve America's history of racial discrimination
Political

Biden's son Hunter heads to a Delaware court where he's expected to plead guilty to tax crimes

President Joe Biden’s son Hunter is expected to appear before a federal judge on Wednesday to plead guilty to two tax crimes and admit possessing a gun as a drug user in a deal with the Justice Department that’s likely to spare him time behind bars. U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump, will preside over the hearing and must sign off on the deal, in which prosecutors are recommending two years of probation. Hunter Biden is not expected to be sentenced on Wednesday. The deal, announced last month, comes

Biden's son Hunter heads to a Delaware court where he's expected to plead guilty to tax crimes
Political

Hunter Biden's guilty plea is on the horizon, and so are a fresh set of challenges

President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, faced new challenges on the eve of a scheduled court appearance Wednesday in which he’s set to plead guilty in a deal with prosecutors on tax and gun charges. On Capitol Hill, where Republicans are ramping up their investigations of the president and his son, the GOP chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee took the unusual step of filing court documents urging the judge in Hunter Biden’s case to consider testimony from IRS whistleblowers. The whistleblowers alleged the Justice Department interfered with investigations into Biden, a charge that has

Hunter Biden's guilty plea is on the horizon, and so are a fresh set of challenges
Political

Blinken visits tiny Tonga as US continues diplomatic push to counter China in the Pacific

Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the tiny kingdom of Tonga on Wednesday, as the United States continues to increase its diplomatic efforts in the Pacific while China’s influence in the region grows. Home to just over 100,000 people, Tonga last year was the site of a massive volcanic eruption that sent millions of tons of water vapor into the atmosphere and killed four people in Tonga. Blinken’s visit helped highlight the opening of a new U.S. Embassy in Tonga and the return of Peace Corps volunteers following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Blinken

Blinken visits tiny Tonga as US continues diplomatic push to counter China in the Pacific
Political

FEC asked to investigate flower shop's $500,000 contribution to super PAC backing Suarez's 2024 bid

A government watchdog group is asking federal regulators to investigate a $500,000 contribution to a super PAC backing Miami Mayor Francis Suarez’s presidential bid, citing possible campaign finance laws violations. The nonpartisan group Campaign Legal Center said it filed the complaint with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday. The complaint says the business PassionForest, LLC, which sells artificial flowers on Amazon.com, did not have the financial means to make such a large contribution and was instead used to hide the identities of the true contributors to the political action committee America for Everyone, now called SOS America.

FEC asked to investigate flower shop's $500,000 contribution to super PAC backing Suarez's 2024 bid
Political

Head of US cybersecurity agency sees progress on election security, with more work needed for 2024

Efforts to protect the nation’s election systems have grown exponentially since the 2016 presidential election, but more is needed to defend the integrity and resiliency of the election process ahead of next year’s vote, the head of the nation’s cybersecurity agency said Tuesday. Jen Easterly, director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, announced plans to boost resources within the agency, hiring 10 additional election security specialists who will be across the country to interact directly with state and local officials. Easterly made the announcement at the summer conference of the National

Head of US cybersecurity agency sees progress on election security, with more work needed for 2024
Political

Small funnel cloud over US Capitol turns into viral photo

Observant visitors to the area around the U.S. Capitol building on Tuesday afternoon were treated to a unusual sight: the unmistakable shape of a funnel cloud extending diagonally from the sky and seemingly almost reaching the tip of the Capitol dome itself. The funnel cloud never touched down on the ground and therefore can’t be classified as a tornado. There was no damage and no reports of any other funnel clouds in the area Tuesday. But a photo of the thin, wispy twister curving over the Capitol drew more than 1 million views on Twitter. Although the

Small funnel cloud over US Capitol turns into viral photo
Political

House Republicans plan to hold Meta's Mark Zuckerberg in contempt of Congress

The Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is threatening to hold Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in contempt of Congress for failing to supply documents related to an investigation into supposed censorship by tech companies of conservatives. Rep. Jim Jordan, chair of the Judiciary Committee, said the panel plans to hold a hearing Thursday to vote on a contempt report detailing how Zuckerberg has “willfully refused” to comply with a February subpoena. The measure is likely to pass the GOP-controlled committee. It would then be up to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to hold a full House vote

House Republicans plan to hold Meta's Mark Zuckerberg in contempt of Congress
Political

DeSantis cuts a third of his presidential campaign staff as he mounts urgent reset

Republican presidential contender Ron DeSantis is cutting far more campaign staff than previously thought as he works to reset his stumbling campaign amid unexpected financial trouble. DeSantis, long considered former President Donald Trump’s chief rival in the GOP’s 2024 primary contest, has cut a third of his campaign staff — or 38 people, according to campaign aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal campaign strategy. The dramatic staffing cuts include the “less than 10” employees that the DeSantis team revealed letting go earlier in the month just as federal filings showed that his

DeSantis cuts a third of his presidential campaign staff as he mounts urgent reset
Political

Despite calls for her to recuse herself from Trump's criminal case, Judge Aileen Cannon's situation doesn't meet the standard for when a judge should step away

Former President Donald Trump’s classified documents trial will take place at the Alto Lee Adams Sr. United States Courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida Joe Raedle/Getty Images The federal trial for former President Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents is scheduled to start on May 20, 2024, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon announced on July 21, 2023. This trial date should be entered into calendars with a pencil, because Cannon’s order leaves open the possibility that the trial could be delayed. Reasons for such a delay could involve either the defense or prosecution filing various requests that draw the process

Despite calls for her to recuse herself from Trump's criminal case, Judge Aileen Cannon's situation doesn't meet the standard for when a judge should step away
Political

New Biden rule would make government websites and apps more accessible to people with disabilities

The Biden administration proposed new regulations Tuesday to make state and local government websites and apps for services like libraries, parking, transit and court records more accessible for people with disabilities. The new Justice Department rule would establish certain accessibility standards for websites and app-based services maintained by state and local governments, the White House announced. Those could include providing text descriptions for photos for the visually impaired who use screen readers, and captioning for government videos. Administration officials say such websites and government services have not been as accessible as they should be for people with

New Biden rule would make government websites and apps more accessible to people with disabilities
Political

IMF global economic outlook sees slight growth, but inflation still a drag

Global growth will see a slight improvement compared to previous International Monetary Fund projections but “many challenges still cloud the horizon, and it is too early to celebrate,” the organization’s chief economist said Tuesday. IMF economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas gave his assessment as the organization projected that global economic growth will slow to an estimated 3% in 2023 and 2024, down from 3.5% in 2022. The latest projection reflects a 0.2% increase from the organization’s April projections, when IMF leadership said the world economy was expected to grow less than 3% this year, increasing the risk of hunger

IMF global economic outlook sees slight growth, but inflation still a drag

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