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

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Political

One year old, US climate law is already turbocharging clean energy technology

On a recent day under the July sun, three men heaved solar panels onto the roof of a roomy, two-story house near the banks of the Kentucky River, a few miles upstream from the state capitol where lawmakers have promoted coal for more than a century. The U.S. climate law that passed one year ago offers a 30% discount off this installation via a tax credit, and that’s helping push clean energy even into places where coal still provides cheap electricity. For Heather Baggett’s family in Frankfort, it was a good deal. “For us, it’s not

One year old, US climate law is already turbocharging clean energy technology
Political

'Mama bears' may be the 2024 race's soccer moms. But where the GOP seeks votes, some see extremism

In many election cycles, there’s a snappy shorthand used to describe the type of voters who may help decide the winner. Think soccer moms or security moms. Even NASCAR dads. And now, the “mama bears.” These conservative mothers and grandmothers, who in recent years have organized for “parental rights,” including banning discussion of gender identity in schools, have been classified as extremists by the Southern Poverty Law Center. They have also been among the most coveted voters so far in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Donald Trump praised their work, saying organizations such as Moms for Liberty had taught the

'Mama bears' may be the 2024 race's soccer moms. But where the GOP seeks votes, some see extremism
Political

Biden will establish a national monument honoring Emmett Till, the Black teen lynched in Mississippi

President Joe Biden will establish a national monument honoring Emmett Till, the Black teenager from Chicago who was abducted, tortured and killed in 1955 after he was accused of whistling at a white woman in Mississippi, and his mother, a White House official said Saturday. Biden will sign a proclamation on Tuesday to create the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument across three sites in Illinois and Mississippi, according to the official. The individual spoke on condition of anonymity because the White House had not formally announced the president’s plans. Tuesday is the anniversary of Emmett

Biden will establish a national monument honoring Emmett Till, the Black teen lynched in Mississippi
Political

The fight over Alabama's congressional redistricting now shifts back to federal court

Standing at an Alabama Statehouse microphone before lawmakers voted on new congressional districts, state Rep. Chris England said that change in the Deep South state has often happened only through federal court order. The Democratic lawmaker accused Republicans of repeating history and flouting a judicial mandate to create a second majority-Black district in the state or “something quite close to it.” “Alabama does what Alabama does. Ultimately, what we are hoping for, I guess, at some point, is that the federal court does what it always does to Alabama: Forces us to the right thing. Courts

The fight over Alabama's congressional redistricting now shifts back to federal court
Political

Mississippi lawmaker says tutu photo is misused in campaign. He's raising money for cancer research

Mississippi Republican state Sen. Jeremy England says he intentionally wore what he considers a “very embarrassing” Halloween costume to raise money for breast cancer research — a shiny pink bodysuit with a short pink skirt. Now, England says a photo of him in the outfit has been misused, with a slur directed at him, in an increasingly divisive GOP primary as he supports Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann for reelection. A person backing one of Hosemann’s opponents posted an image of the tutu-clad England on Twitter along with a comment: “Hosemann and his groomer weirdos.” “I consider

Mississippi lawmaker says tutu photo is misused in campaign. He's raising money for cancer research
Political

Nervous Republicans turn to New Hampshire in hopes of stopping Trump

They acknowledge Donald Trump’s dominance, but weary Republicans across New Hampshire — even inside the governor’s office — are fighting to stop the former president from winning the first-in-the-nation primary. For now, however, they’re relying on little more than hope and prayers. Look no further than Mike Pence, Trump’s former vice president, who repeatedly appealed to voters’ faith this week as he tried to resurrect his anemic presidential campaign while courting a few dozen voters in a former state lawmaker’s backyard. “I truly do believe that different times call for different leadership,” Pence told his modest

Nervous Republicans turn to New Hampshire in hopes of stopping Trump
Political

Capitol riot defendant gets probation after rare setback for prosecutors at Oath Keepers trial

A security operations leader hired by the far-right Oath Keepers group — whose acquittal of conspiracy charges in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot marked a rare setback for prosecutors — was sentenced Friday to two years of probation. Michael Greene, of Indianapolis, was convicted on a misdemeanor trespassing offense after a trial in March, but cleared of more serious charges after telling jurors on the witness stand that he was not a member and didn’t tell anyone to go into the Capitol. Prosecutors had sought one year behind bars for Greene, but U.S. District Judge Amit

Capitol riot defendant gets probation after rare setback for prosecutors at Oath Keepers trial
Political

DeSantis downplays Jan. 6, says it wasn't an insurrection but a 'protest' that 'ended up devolving'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday downplayed the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol, saying it was not an insurrection but rather a “protest” that “ended up devolving, you know, in a way that was unfortunate, of course.” DeSantis, speaking in an interview on the podcast of comedian Russell Brand, said the idea that Jan. 6 “was a plan to somehow overthrow the government of the United States is not true, and it’s something that the media had spun up.” The violent attack by a mob of supporters loyal to then-President Donald Trump

DeSantis downplays Jan. 6, says it wasn't an insurrection but a 'protest' that 'ended up devolving'
Political

Justice Department tells Texas that floating barrier on Rio Grande raises humanitarian concerns

The Justice Department has told Texas that a floating barrier of wrecking ball-sized buoys the state put on the Rio Grande violates federal law and raises humanitarian concerns for migrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico. President Joe Biden’s administration told Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that the barrier installed this month near the border town of Eagle Pass, Texas, was “unlawful” in a letter dated Thursday and obtained by The Associated Press. “The floating barrier poses a risk to navigation, as well as public safety, in the Rio Grande River, and it presents humanitarian concerns,” reads

Justice Department tells Texas that floating barrier on Rio Grande raises humanitarian concerns
Political

FBI wrongly searched for US senator and state senator in Section 702 spy data, court says

FBI employees wrongly searched foreign surveillance data for the last names of a U.S. senator and a state senator, according to a court opinion released Friday. The disclosure could further complicate Biden administration efforts to renew a major spy program that already faces bipartisan opposition in Congress. Another FBI employee improperly queried the Social Security number of a state judge who alleged civil rights violations by a municipal chief of police, according to the opinion by the chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. News of the latest violations comes as the Biden administration faces a

FBI wrongly searched for US senator and state senator in Section 702 spy data, court says
Political

Biden names CIA Director William Burns to his Cabinet

President Joe Biden elevated CIA Director William Burns to his Cabinet on Friday, a symbolic move that underscores the intelligence chief’s influence and his work in U.S. support for Ukraine. In a statement, Biden said Burns had “harnessed intelligence to give our country a critical strategic advantage” and credited his “clear, straightforward analysis that prioritizes the safety and security of the American people.” Burns has been a central figure in the Biden administration, particularly in the White House strategy to declassify intelligence findings that Russia was intending to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A career diplomat

Biden names CIA Director William Burns to his Cabinet
Political

Deadly crash of Marine Osprey last year was caused by mechanical failure, report says

The deadly crash of a Marine V-22 Osprey in California last year was caused by mechanical failure, according to an investigation that ruled out pilot and maintenance errors. The more than 400-page report released on Friday concluded that the Marines were doing routine flight operations when a “catastrophic, unpreventable and unanticipated mechanical failure occurred.” The Osprey crashed in a remote area near Glamis, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) east of San Diego. Five Marines died in the crash: Two pilots, Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, 31, of Rockingham, New Hampshire, and Capt. John J. Sax, 33, of Placer,

Deadly crash of Marine Osprey last year was caused by mechanical failure, report says
Political

Biden picks female admiral to lead Navy. She'd be 1st woman to be a military service chief

President Joe Biden has chosen Adm. Lisa Franchetti to lead the Navy, a senior administration official said Friday. If confirmed, she would be the first woman to be a U.S. military service chief. Biden’s decision to tap Franchetti, an admiral with broad command and executive experience, goes against the recommendation of his Pentagon chief, but he is selecting an officer whom insiders had considered the top choice for the job. Franchetti, the current vice chief of operations for the Navy, would become the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recommended

Biden picks female admiral to lead Navy. She'd be 1st woman to be a military service chief
Political

The Trump Organization and former fixer Michael Cohen settle his lawsuit over unpaid legal bills

Donald Trump’s company and his former longtime lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen have settled a lawsuit over Cohen’s claims that he was unfairly stuck with big legal bills after getting entangled in investigations into the former president. Lawyers for the two sides told the judge they had reached a settlement during a video conference Friday in Manhattan, just as Cohen’s 2019 lawsuit was slated to go to trial Monday in a state court. Details of the agreement were not made public. Cohen said Friday the matter “has been resolved in a manner satisfactory to all parties.”

The Trump Organization and former fixer Michael Cohen settle his lawsuit over unpaid legal bills
Political

Harris targets Florida rules on Black history pushed by DeSantis

Vice President Kamala Harris is making a last-minute trip to Florida on Friday to tackle changes to the state’s education standards that critics say play down the horror of slavery. It’s the latest example of how Harris has been the White House point person for addressing cultural issues such as race, schooling and abortion that are championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate. The Florida Board of Education voted Wednesday to approve a revised Black history curriculum that matches legislation that DeSantis said is necessary to prevent liberal indoctrination. The new curriculum includes instruction on

Harris targets Florida rules on Black history pushed by DeSantis
Political

Here's how China is responding to US sanctions – with blocking laws and other countermeasures

U.S. sanctions have further strained relations between the two superpowers. narvikk/iStock/Getty Images Plus After a recent meeting between U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and officials in Beijing, China released a statement demanding “practical action” over the issue of sanctions. The implication was that the punitive measures – imposed by the U.S. government on hundreds of Chinese individuals and entities over the past few years – impede any alleviation of the strained relations between the two economic giants. The statement followed a testy encounter in May 2023 in which Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu refused to meet his American counterpart because

Here's how China is responding to US sanctions – with blocking laws and other countermeasures
Political

Judge sets a trial date for next May in Trump's classified documents case in Florida

A federal judge in Florida has set a trial date for next May for former President Donald Trump in a case charging him with illegally retaining hundreds of classified documents. The May 20, 2024, trial date is a compromise between a request from prosecutors to set the trial for this December and a request from defense lawyers to schedule it after the 2024 presidential election.

Judge sets a trial date for next May in Trump's classified documents case in Florida
Political

Some critics see Trump's behavior as un-Christian. His conservative Christian backers see a hero

For eight years, Donald Trump has managed to secure the support of many evangelical and conservative Christians despite behavior that often seemed at odds with teachings espoused by Christ in the Gospels. If some observers initially viewed this as an unsustainable alliance, it’s different now. Certain achievements during Trump’s presidency – notably appointments that shifted the Supreme Court to the right – have solidified that support. He’s now the clear front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, even after he recently was found liable for sexually abusing a New York woman in 1996 and was indicted in a criminal case

Some critics see Trump's behavior as un-Christian. His conservative Christian backers see a hero
Political

In Kyiv, signs of the ongoing war are evident – but daily life continues uninterrupted as well

People walk the streets in Kyiv, Ukraine in July 2023. Jose Colon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images I went to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, in June 2023 to visit an old friend and to better understand how the ongoing war with Russia is altering Ukrainians’ daily lives. I spent time talking with a wide range of people – including soldiers, civilians and priests. People in Kyiv live in a near-constant state of alert, with regular air raid sirens, but life in other ways goes on. As a scholar of Eastern Europe, I think it is important for people in other

In Kyiv, signs of the ongoing war are evident – but daily life continues uninterrupted as well
Political

Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and other tech firms agree to AI safeguards set by the White House

Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and other companies that are leading the development of artificial intelligence technology have agreed to meet a set of AI safeguards brokered by President Joe Biden’s administration. The White House said Friday that it has secured voluntary commitments from seven U.S. companies meant to ensure their AI products are safe before they release them. Some of the commitments call for third-party oversight of the workings of commercial AI systems, though they don’t detail who will audit the technology or hold the companies accountable. A surge of commercial investment in generative AI tools that

Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and other tech firms agree to AI safeguards set by the White House
Political

Biden is building his reelection bid around an organization Obama shunned

President Joe Biden is staking his reelection bid on the political and financial muscle of the Democratic National Committee. As it prepares for a bruising 2024 contest, his campaign plans to raise and spend around $2 billion. But it will do so in coordination with the national and state Democratic parties, in an effort to establish a coordinated campaign around the country. The idea is to bolster field, volunteer and data organizations, and ensure they work jointly to promote Biden and down-ballot Democratic candidates. “The president is really rewriting the playbook when it comes to what a

Biden is building his reelection bid around an organization Obama shunned
Political

DeSantis takes his presidential campaign to Utah, a heavily GOP state where Trump has struggled

Ron DeSantis is taking his presidential campaign to Utah on Friday, prioritizing a state where rival Donald Trump has struggled in the past and that could be a beacon of strength for the Florida governor’s stalled bid. DeSantis is set to appear at the state Capitol with about a dozen supportive state lawmakers, meet with Republican Gov. Spencer Cox and attend a fundraiser. His trip out West comes as he has been working to reset a campaign confronting financial pressures and a static position in the field trailing Trump. The former president has remained a

DeSantis takes his presidential campaign to Utah, a heavily GOP state where Trump has struggled
Political

Grassley releases full FBI memo with unverified claims about Hunter Biden's work in Ukraine

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley released an unclassified document Thursday that Republicans claim is significant in their investigation of Hunter Biden as they delve into the financial affairs of the president and his son, and revive previously debunked claims of wrongdoing. Grassley of Iowa has been working alongside House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., as Republicans deepen their probe of President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, ahead of the 2024 election. Comer had issued a subpoena for the document from the FBI. While lawmakers on the Oversight Committee have already been able to partly review the

Grassley releases full FBI memo with unverified claims about Hunter Biden's work in Ukraine
Political

Biden administration asks employers to give more help to workers who lose Medicaid

The Biden administration on Thursday asked employers to give workers who lose Medicaid coverage more time to sign up for health insurance through their jobs. Medicaid is the state- and federally funded program that covers health care costs for people with low incomes. States have resumed checks for Medicaid eligibility this year after pausing the practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal officials have estimated that about 3.8 million people who lose Medicaid coverage may qualify for health insurance through their employers, which is how most people in the U.S. get coverage. Employers typically give people 60 days to sign up

Biden administration asks employers to give more help to workers who lose Medicaid
Political

New rules for oil and gas leasing raise rates energy companies pay to drill on public lands

The Biden administration is proposing new rules for the nation’s oil and gas leasing program that would raise costs for energy companies to drill on public lands and strengthen requirements for cleaning up old wells where drilling is completed or abandoned. A rule proposed Thursday by the Interior Department codifies provisions in the sweeping climate law approved last year, as well as the 2021 infrastructure law and recommendations from an Interior report on oil and gas leasing issued in November 2021. The rule does not go so far as to prohibit new oil and gas leasing on

New rules for oil and gas leasing raise rates energy companies pay to drill on public lands

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