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

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Political

House aims to ease air travel delays with more money for air traffic controllers

The Federal Aviation Administration would get more money to hire air traffic controllers and the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots would be raised under a bill approved Thursday by the House. The measure seeks to improve air travel, which has been plagued by delays and cancellations during its busiest times, and would reauthorize FAA programs for the next five years. It passed on a mostly bipartisan vote of 351-69. The Senate is working on its version of the bill ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline for action. The two chambers will have to reconcile differences or

House aims to ease air travel delays with more money for air traffic controllers
Political

US imposes new sanctions aimed at choking off Russia's access to battlefield supplies and revenue

The U.S. on Thursday imposed sanctions on roughly 120 firms and people from Russia to the United Arab Emirates to Kyrgyzstan in an effort to choke off Moscow’s access to products, money and financial channels that support its invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions imposed by the Treasury and State departments target dozens of Russian mining, technology and munitions firms and commercial banks. In addition, a group of Kyrgyzstan-based electronics firms and its leadership were targeted as exporters of components and other technology to Russia. A UAE-based engineering company that sent dozens of shipments of electronics to Russia

US imposes new sanctions aimed at choking off Russia's access to battlefield supplies and revenue
Political

Blinken heads to Tonga, New Zealand, Australia as US shifts Indo-Pacific strategy into overdrive

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Tonga, New Zealand and Australia next week as the Biden administration shifts its Indo-Pacific strategy into overdrive in part to counter China’s growing influence in the region. The State Department said Thursday that Blinken will dedicate a new U.S. embassy in the Tongan capital of Nukuʻalofa on July 26 before heading to Wellington, New Zealand, where he will attend the women’s World Cup match between the U.S. and the Netherlands. Blinken will then have meetings with New Zealand officials and move on to Brisbane, Australia, for meetings with Defense Secretary

Blinken heads to Tonga, New Zealand, Australia as US shifts Indo-Pacific strategy into overdrive
Political

Michigan AG charges 16 people in fake electors scheme: 4 essential reads on how the Electoral College works

Aides prepare Alabama’s Electoral College votes for certification during a joint session of Congress in the House chamber on Jan. 6, 2021. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images The Michigan attorney general on July 18, 2023, charged 16 people with felonies for participating in a 2020 fake electors scheme to interfere with the Electoral College and overturn their state’s presidential election results. This is the first time a prosecutor in any jurisdiction – state or federal – has charged people in connection with a fake electors plot designed to deny voters’ will and award the 2020 presidential election to

Michigan AG charges 16 people in fake electors scheme: 4 essential reads on how the Electoral College works
Political

How book-banning campaigns have changed the lives and education of librarians – they now need to learn how to plan for safety and legally protect themselves

Librarian Sharice Towles checks in books at the main branch of the Reading Public Library circulation desk in Reading, Penn. Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images Despite misconceptions and stereotypes – ranging from what librarians Gretchen Keer and Andrew Carlos have described as the “middle-aged, bun-wearing, comfortably shod, shushing librarian” to the “sexy librarian … and the hipster or tattooed librarian” – library professionals are more than book jockeys, and they do more than read at story time. They are experts in classification, pedagogy, data science, social media, disinformation, health sciences, music, art, media literacy and, yes, storytelling. And

How book-banning campaigns have changed the lives and education of librarians – they now need to learn how to plan for safety and legally protect themselves
Political

This year's debate over defense spending threatens to disrupt a tradition of bipartisan consensus-building over funding the military

Members of the House Freedom Caucus speak to reporters on July 14, 2023, hours before the House passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images News/Getty Images Each year for the past six decades, congressional representatives from both sides of the aisle have come together to pass the National Defense Authorization Act. Because the bill involves the military – a traditionally popular institution – it has historically received bipartisan support. But that record was threatened in the Republican-led House of Representatives on July 14, 2023, when members passed the US$886 billion bill by a 219-210 mostly

This year's debate over defense spending threatens to disrupt a tradition of bipartisan consensus-building over funding the military
Political

Biden pushes a strong role for unions in tech jobs, even as potential strikes are on the horizon

President Joe Biden is courting unions as a cornerstone of the country’s economic future with a speech at a Philadelphia shipyard on Thursday — just as some major unions are weighing strikes that could disrupt the growth he wants to campaign on in 2024. Tensions are rising between unions and companies about a rapidly evolving economy in which artificial intelligence, clean energy and e-commerce are rewriting some of the basic rules of work. Biden is trying to allay those concerns by saying unions should be part of that future. But the Democratic president also knows from past

Biden pushes a strong role for unions in tech jobs, even as potential strikes are on the horizon
Political

IRS steps toward a new free-file tax return system have both supporters and critics mobilizing

An IRS plan to test drive a new electronic free-file tax return system next year has got supporters and critics of the idea mobilizing to sway the public and Congress over whether the government should set up a permanent program to help people file their taxes without needing to pay somebody else to figure out what they owe. On one side, civil society groups this week launched a coalition to promote the move toward a government-run free-file program. On the other, tax preparation firms like Intuit — the parent company of TurboTax — and H&R Block have

IRS steps toward a new free-file tax return system have both supporters and critics mobilizing
Political

Senate Judiciary panel to consider ethics rules for Supreme Court

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote Thursday on a new ethics code for the Supreme Court, an attempt to respond to recent revelations about justices’ interactions with wealthy donors and others. Republicans are strongly opposed, arguing the ethics bill could “destroy” the high court. The committee’s legislation would impose new ethics rules on the court and a process to enforce them, including new standards for transparency around recusals, gifts and potential conflicts of interest. Democrats first pushed the legislation after reports earlier this year that Justice Clarence Thomas participated in luxury vacations and a real

Senate Judiciary panel to consider ethics rules for Supreme Court
Political

North Korea not responding to US attempts to discuss American soldier who ran across border

North Korea wasn’t responding Thursday to U.S. attempts to discuss the American soldier who bolted across the heavily armed border and whose prospects for a quick release are unclear at a time of high military tensions and inactive communication channels. Pvt. Travis King, who was supposed to have been heading to Fort Bliss, Texas, after finishing a prison sentence in South Korea for assault, ran into North Korea while on a civilian tour of the border village of Panmunjom on Tuesday. He is the first known American held in North Korea in nearly five years.

North Korea not responding to US attempts to discuss American soldier who ran across border
Political

RFK Jr. is set to testify at a House hearing over online censorship as GOP elevates Biden rival

House Republicans will be delving into claims of government censorship of online speech at a public hearing, asking Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to testify despite requests from outside groups to disinvite the Democratic presidential candidate after his recent antisemitic remarks. The Republican-led Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government is set to convene Thursday. Republicans claim conservatives are being unfairly targeted by technology companies that routinely work with the government to try to stem the spread of disinformation online. In announcing the hearing, the panel led by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said it “will examine

RFK Jr. is set to testify at a House hearing over online censorship as GOP elevates Biden rival
Political

White House says Russia is preparing for attacks on civilian ships in Black Sea

Days after Russia suspended participation in a wartime deal that allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries around the world, the White House on Wednesday warned that the Russian military is preparing for possible attacks on civilian shipping vessels in the Black Sea. Since leaving the Black Sea Grain Deal this week, Russia has already struck Ukraine’s grain export ports in Odesa with missile and drone attacks. Some 60,000 tons of grain were destroyed in the attacks. “Our information indicates that Russia laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports,” White House National Security

White House says Russia is preparing for attacks on civilian ships in Black Sea
Political

California Sen. Feinstein seeks more control over her late husband's trust to pay medical bills

Attorneys for California U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress who has been beset with serious health problems, assert in a court filing that she is being stiffed on payments for “significant” medical bills by a trust created for her benefit by her wealthy late husband. Trustees for the fund said they were “perplexed” by the filing and they have never denied any disbursement for the 90-year-old Feinstein, who was absent from the Senate for two-and-a-half months this year as she contended with shingles and other complications, including a brief bout of encephalitis. In

California Sen. Feinstein seeks more control over her late husband's trust to pay medical bills
Political

State Department sanctions 2 former Salvadoran leaders, dozens of officials in Central America

The State Department announced Wednesday it was imposing sanctions on two former Salvadoran presidents and dozens of other officials and judges in Central America. The report said that those sanctioned “have knowingly engaged in actions that undermine democratic processes or institutions, significant corruption or obstruction of investigations” into corruption in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The extensive list, which also includes heads of banks, judges and high ranking officials, underscores the depth of corruption across the region. Chief among the names on the list was Mauricio Funes, president of El Salvador between 2009 and 2014

State Department sanctions 2 former Salvadoran leaders, dozens of officials in Central America
Political

Why Russia pulled out of its grain deal with Ukraine – and what that means for the global food system

The grain deal allowed Ukrainian corn and other products to reach ports in Lebanon and elsewhere. AP Photo/Hassan Ammar The Russia-Ukraine grain deal that has been critical to keeping global food prices stable and preventing famine is currently in tatters. On July 17, 2023, Russia said it was pulling out of the year-old deal, which allowed shipments of grains and other foodstuffs to travel past the Russian naval blockade in the Black Sea. And to make matters worse, over the next two days Russia bombed the Ukrainian grain port of Odesa, destroying over 60,000 tons of grain. As a result,

Why Russia pulled out of its grain deal with Ukraine – and what that means for the global food system
Political

US approves $1.3 billion package of long-term military aid for Ukraine

The Pentagon announced a new $1.3 billion package of long-term military aid to Ukraine on Wednesday, including four air defense systems and an undisclosed number of drones. The new assistance comes on the heels of a meeting Tuesday by defense and military leaders from around the globe to discuss ongoing efforts to give Ukraine the weapons it needs in its battle to retake territory seized by Russian forces. Included in the aid, which is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, will be funding for four National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS, and munitions for

US approves $1.3 billion package of long-term military aid for Ukraine
Political

Military veteran who stormed Capitol with loaded pistol is sentenced to 7 years in prison

A military veteran who stormed the U.S. Capitol with a loaded pistol, metal-plated body armor and a gas mask was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in prison, one of the longest among hundreds of Jan. 6 riot cases. Christopher Michael Alberts isn’t accused of brandishing his concealed gun during the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. But he used a wooden pallet as a makeshift battering ram against police officers who were guarding a stairwell outside the Capitol, according to federal prosecutors. Alberts told U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper that he was trying to protect others outside

Military veteran who stormed Capitol with loaded pistol is sentenced to 7 years in prison
Political

Jan. 6 charges against Trump would add to his mounting legal peril as he campaigns for 2024

Hush-money payments. Classified records. And now, his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that led to the Capitol attack. Already facing criminal cases in New York and Florida, Donald Trump faces increasing legal peril as investigations into his struggle to cling to power after his election loss appear to be coming to a head. A target letter sent to Trump by special counsel Jack Smith suggests he may soon be indicted on new federal charges, adding to the remarkable situation of a former president up against possible prison time while vying to reclaim the White House as

Jan. 6 charges against Trump would add to his mounting legal peril as he campaigns for 2024
Political

Jill Biden welcomes proposal for Medicare to pay for navigation services for cancer patients

First lady Jill Biden on Wednesday welcomed a new proposal to have Medicare pay for navigation services for cancer patients, saying it will make “an enormous difference in people’s lives.” She joined other Biden administration officials on a conference call to discuss a proposal by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to pay for “principal illness navigation services,” which help patients make decisions about treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses and overcome barriers to quality care. Biden spoke about her sister Jan, who underwent six weeks of stem cell transplant therapy several years ago to

Jill Biden welcomes proposal for Medicare to pay for navigation services for cancer patients
Political

Federal judge nixes Donald Trump’s bid to move hush-money criminal case, keeping it in state court

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected Donald Trump’s bid to move his hush-money criminal case from New York state court to federal court, ruling that the former president had failed to meet a high legal bar for changing jurisdiction. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein’s decision sets the stage for Trump to stand trial in state court in Manhattan as early as next spring, overlapping with the 2024 presidential primary season in what could be a frenetic stretch of legal action as the twice-indicted Republican seeks a return to the White House. Separately, Trump is charged in

Federal judge nixes Donald Trump’s bid to move hush-money criminal case, keeping it in state court
Political

New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu won't seek reelection in 2024

New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who considered but decided against runs for president and the U.S. Senate, said Wednesday he will not seek reelection in 2024. Sununu, who has been governor since 2017, said in an email that he will not seek a fifth, two-year term. “This was no easy decision as I truly love serving as Governor,” he stated. “Public service should never be a career, and the time is right for another Republican to lead our great state.” Sununu, 48, did not say what his immediate plans were and did not endorse anyone

New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu won't seek reelection in 2024
Political

Israeli president seeks to reassure Congress on his country's democracy, U.S. ties

Israeli President Isaac Herzog sought to reassure Congress on Wednesday about the state of Israel’s democracy and the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship, acknowledging “intense and painful debate” at home over actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government. Herzog, whose post in Israel is largely symbolic, became the second Israeli president, after his father, Chaim Herzog, to address Congress. While his speech officially marked modern Israel’s celebration of its 75th year, he also indirectly addressed deep unease in the Biden administration and among Democratic lawmakers over the Netanyahu government’s controversial overhaul of Israel’s judicial system, expanded

Israeli president seeks to reassure Congress on his country's democracy, U.S. ties
Political

Top progressives are backing Joe Biden's 2024 campaign. But some activists have reservations

President Joe Biden would seem an unnatural fit for the activists at Netroots Nation, an annual gathering of progressives that was created to harness online rage over George W. Bush’s administration. More recently, it has championed the message of economic populism from Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, two of Biden’s rivals for the Democratic nomination in 2020. But the antipathy toward Democrats seen as too mainstream or moderate did not largely extend to Biden at the group’s recent conference in Chicago. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, even concluded the event by recounting

Top progressives are backing Joe Biden's 2024 campaign. But some activists have reservations
Political

Judge upholds $5 million jury verdict against Trump, rejecting the ex-president's vindication claim

A federal judge on Wednesday upheld a $5 million jury verdict against Donald Trump, rejecting the former president’s claim that the award was excessive and that the jury vindicated him by failing to conclude in the civil case that he raped a columnist in a luxury department store dressing room in the 1990s. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said the jury’s May award of compensatory and punitive damages to writer E. Jean Carroll for sexual abuse and defamation was reasonable. Trump’s lawyers had asked Kaplan to reduce the jury award to less than $1 million or order

Judge upholds $5 million jury verdict against Trump, rejecting the ex-president's vindication claim
Political

China's leader says the country will work with US on climate as long as political conditions are met

China is willing to work with Washington on reducing global warming as long as its political demands are met, the country’s vice president told U.S. climate envoy John Kerry on Wednesday. The official Xinhua News Agency quoted Vice President Han Zheng as telling Kerry that addressing climate change was “an important aspect of China-U.S. cooperation,” but was predicated on mutual respect. He said it must proceed “on the basis of U.S. attendance to core issues that concern both parties, fully engaging and exchanging ideas.” During this week’s visit, Kerry has told China’s top diplomat Wang Yi that

China's leader says the country will work with US on climate as long as political conditions are met

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