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

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Political

US drone strike kills Islamic State group leader in Syria, Defense Department says

A U.S. drone strike killed an Islamic State group leader in Syria hours after the same MQ-9 Reaper drones were harassed by Russian military jets over the western part of the country, according to the Defense Department. Three Reapers had been flying overhead searching for the militant on Friday, a U.S. defense official said, when they were harassed for about two hours by Russian aircraft. Shortly after that, the drones struck and killed Usamah al-Muhajir, who was riding a motorcycle in the Aleppo region, said the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and

US drone strike kills Islamic State group leader in Syria, Defense Department says
Political

Iowa GOP schedules Jan. 15 for leadoff presidential caucuses. It's on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Iowa Republicans have scheduled the party’s presidential nominating caucuses for Jan. 15, 2024, putting the first votes of the next election a little more than six months away. The Iowa Republican Party’s state central committee voted unanimously Saturday to hold the leadoff contests on the third Monday in January — on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day federal holiday. Though Republican presidential candidates have been campaigning in Iowa since last winter, there has been some uncertainty about when the traditional leadoff contests would be held. That is partly due to the Democratic National Committee’s reshuffling

Iowa GOP schedules Jan. 15 for leadoff presidential caucuses. It's on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Political

Biden is heading to Europe. A king and a war are on his agenda

President Joe Biden leaves on Sunday for Europe, where he will spend four days in three nations tending to alliances that have been tested by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The first stop is London, where Biden will meet with King Charles III for the first time since he was crowned. After that is the centerpiece of the trip, the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Alliance leaders will debate the war and revise plans for dealing with Russian aggression. The final stop is in Helsinki, where Biden is expected to celebrate the expanding alliance, with Finland as the

Biden is heading to Europe. A king and a war are on his agenda
Political

Top Republicans are gearing up to investigate the Hunter Biden case. Here's what to know.

The Republican chairmen of three key House committees are joining forces to probe the Justice Department’s handling of charges against Hunter Biden after making sweeping claims about misconduct at the agency. Leaders of the House Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Ways and Means committees opened a joint investigation into the federal case into President Joe Biden’s youngest son days after it was announced last month that he will plead guilty to the misdemeanor tax offenses as part of an agreement with the Justice Department. Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky and Jason Smith of

Top Republicans are gearing up to investigate the Hunter Biden case. Here's what to know.
Political

An Afghan man who spent years helping US forces in Afghanistan is shot and killed in Washington

At 31 years old, Nasrat Ahmad Yar had spent most of his adult life working with the U.S. military in Afghanistan before escaping to America in search of a better life for his wife and four children. He found work as a ride-share driver and even managed to send money back to Afghanistan to help family and friends. He liked to play volleyball with friends in the Washington suburb where many Afghans who fled their country now live. At 6 feet 5 inches, he had a powerful serve. On Monday night, worried about making rent, he went

An Afghan man who spent years helping US forces in Afghanistan is shot and killed in Washington
Political

Rudy Giuliani should be disbarred for false election fraud claims, a Washington review panel says

A review panel says former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani should be disbarred in Washington for how he handled litigation challenging the 2020 election on behalf of then-President Donald Trump. Giuliani “claimed massive election fraud but had no evidence,” wrote the three-lawyer panel in a report released Friday that goes through the errors and unsupported claims in a Pennsylvania lawsuit he argued seeking to overturn the Republican president’s loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Between Election Day and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, Giuliani and other Trump lawyers repeatedly pressed claims of election fraud

Rudy Giuliani should be disbarred for false election fraud claims, a Washington review panel says
Political

Capitol rioter linked to Proud Boys gets 5 years in prison for pepper-spraying police

A Florida man prosecutors say is affiliated with the Proud Boys extremist group was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison for attacking police officers with pepper spray as they tried to defend the U.S. Capitol against supporters of President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. Barry Ramey, an aircraft mechanic who was convicted of assault and other crimes in federal court in Washington, D.C., also tried to intimidate an FBI agent investigating him before his arrest. Ramey anonymously called the agent and recited the agent’s home address over the phone, prosecutors say. Ramey has been locked up since

Capitol rioter linked to Proud Boys gets 5 years in prison for pepper-spraying police
Political

Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigations involving Trump have cost more than $9 million

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations of President Donald Trump’s retention of classified records and efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election have cost more than $9 million over the first several months, according to documents released Friday. The special counsel’s office spent more than $5.4 million on things like employees’ salaries, travel and transportation, rent, supplies and materials from Smith’s appointment by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022 through the end of March, Justice Department statement of expenditures show. Justice Department agencies spent another $3.8 million to support the special counsel. Those expenses include the cost of

Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigations involving Trump have cost more than $9 million
Political

Ocasio-Cortez endorses Biden's reelection campaign, sending a strong signal of Democratic unity

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, sending a strong sign of Democratic unity from one of the party’s most liberal members. “I think he’s done quite well, given the limitations that we have,” Ocasio-Cortez said on the “Pod Save America” podcast Thursday. “I do think that there are ebbs and flows.” Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described democratic socialist from New York, has sometimes bucked Biden and the party’s leaders, including voting against the deal the president negotiated with Republicans in May to raise the nation’s debt ceiling and casting the lone Democratic vote against

Ocasio-Cortez endorses Biden's reelection campaign, sending a strong signal of Democratic unity
Political

6 charged in alleged straw donor scheme to help get Eric Adams elected New York City mayor

Six people were charged Friday in an alleged scheme to divert tens of thousands of dollars in public funds to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign months before his election. The indictment announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg does not implicate Adams or any other city employees. Rather, it describes a straw donor scheme orchestrated by individuals with business before the city who hoped to maximize their donations to the future mayor in exchange for political favors. “We allege a deliberate scheme to game the system in a blatant attempt to gain power,” Bragg

6 charged in alleged straw donor scheme to help get Eric Adams elected New York City mayor
Political

The US will provide cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package: AP sources

President Joe Biden’s administration has decided to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine and is expected to announce on Friday that the Pentagon will send thousands of them as part of a new military aid package worth up to $800 million for the war effort against Russia, according to people familiar with the decision. The decision comes despite widespread concerns that the bombs can cause civilian casualties and sparked a call from the United Nations to both Russia and Ukraine to avoid using them. The Pentagon will provide munitions that have a reduced “dud rate,” meaning there will

The US will provide cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package: AP sources
Political

China's ties to Cuba and growing presence in Latin America raise security concerns in Washington, even as leaders try to ease tensions

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China, on July 6, 2023. Pedro Pardo/POOL/AFP via Getty Images There is a push by leaders in Washington and Beijing to get U.S.-China relations back on track. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with President Xi Jinping in China in June 2023 to reopen the lines of communication between the countries. And Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is spending four days in China, beginning July 6, 2023, to try to stabilize U.S.-China economic ties. But work to steady security issues between the two countries, a longtime point

China's ties to Cuba and growing presence in Latin America raise security concerns in Washington, even as leaders try to ease tensions
Political

Biden launches new push to limit health care costs, hoping to show he can save money for families

President Joe Biden on Friday plans to roll out a new set of initiatives to reduce health care costs: a crackdown on scam insurance plans, new guidance to prevent surprise medical bills and an effort to reduce medical debt tied to credit cards. Biden’s remarks would build on previous initiatives to limit health care costs, with the Department of Health and Human Services releasing new estimates showing 18.7 million older adults and other Medicare beneficiaries will save an estimated $400 per year in prescription drug costs in 2025 because of the president placing a cap on out-of-pocket

Biden launches new push to limit health care costs, hoping to show he can save money for families
Political

Asian Americans feel particularly targeted by new laws criminalizing those who assist voters

For a century, the League of Women Voters in Florida formed bonds with marginalized residents by helping them register to vote — and, in recent years, those efforts have extended to the growing Asian American and Asian immigrant communities. But a state law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May would have forced the group to alter its strategy. The legislation would have imposed a $50,000 fine on third-party voter registration organizations if the staff or volunteers who handle or collect the forms have been convicted of a felony or are not U.S. citizens. A federal judge

Asian Americans feel particularly targeted by new laws criminalizing those who assist voters
Political

First GOP debate next month faces threats of boycott as lower-polling candidates scramble to qualify

Seven weeks before the premiere debate of the 2024 GOP primary, anxiety is building that the event could prove messy and divisive for the party. Some candidates, like former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, are struggling to meet fundraising and polling requirements to make it on stage. He and others are pushing back on a loyalty pledge the Republican Party is insisting candidates sign to participate. And the race’s frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, is considering boycotting and holding a competing event instead. That’s turning what is typically the highly anticipated opener of the election season into

First GOP debate next month faces threats of boycott as lower-polling candidates scramble to qualify
Political

At Iowa event, Trump plans to go after DeSantis over ethanol

Former President Donald Trump plans Friday to headline his largest Iowa campaign event in nearly four months with a speech to thousands at an arena in the western part of the state. Trump will use his appearance in Council Bluffs on Friday afternoon to attack his top GOP rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for opposing the federal mandate for ethanol, a renewable fuel additive that Iowa leads the nation in producing. “DeSantis has problematic policy positions that hurt farmers and demonize ethanol,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Associated Press ahead of Trump’s visit. “President

At Iowa event, Trump plans to go after DeSantis over ethanol
Political

Biden administration seeks stay of judge's social media order, saying it could cause 'grave harm'

A Louisiana-based federal judge’s order broadly limiting executive branch communications with social media companies could cause “grave harm” by preventing the government from “engaging in a vast range of lawful and responsible conduct,” Biden administration attorneys said in a motion filed Thursday with a federal appeals court. The request to stay the order was the administration’s first substantive response to a July 4 ruling by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty in Monroe. Doughty, a conservative nominated to the federal bench by former President Donald Trump, issued an injunction Tuesday blocking multiple government agencies and administration officials from

Biden administration seeks stay of judge's social media order, saying it could cause 'grave harm'
Political

Why the US is willing to send Ukraine cluster munitions now

The United States has decided to send cluster munitions to Ukraine to help its military push back Russian forces entrenched along the front lines. The Biden administration is expected to announce on Friday that it will send thousands of them as part of a new military aid package worth $800 million, according to people familiar with the decision who were not authorized to discuss it publicly before the official announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity. The move will likely trigger outrage from some allies and humanitarian groups that have long opposed the use of cluster bombs.

Why the US is willing to send Ukraine cluster munitions now
Political

DeSantis raised $20 million in the 6 weeks since announcing his presidential run, his campaign says

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis raised $20 million in the first six weeks after he announced his run for president, his campaign said Thursday. The formidable haul for DeSantis indicates a well of support despite a glitchy campaign launch on Twitter back in May. Still, polling shows he’s in a distant second place for the 2024 Republican nomination behind former President Donald Trump. Trump’s campaign said Wednesday he raised $35 million during the second quarter of the year, nearly double what he raised during the first three months of the year. The money was raised from April through June between his

DeSantis raised $20 million in the 6 weeks since announcing his presidential run, his campaign says
Political

Connecticut lawmaker attacked after Muslim service says Hartford police downplayed assault

A Connecticut lawmaker attacked last month while leaving a Muslim prayer service accused Hartford police of downplaying the assault and called Thursday for a federal investigation of the department’s handling of violent crimes, especially against women. Rep. Maryam Khan, the first Muslim member of the Connecticut House, wore a sling on her right arm at a news conference and was surrounded by friends, family and fellow state legislators as she gave a harrowing account of her ordeal. She called the attack much more violent and shocking than how it was described in a police report. Khan

Connecticut lawmaker attacked after Muslim service says Hartford police downplayed assault
Political

The US will provide cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package: AP sources

The Biden administration has decided to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine and is expected to announce on Friday that the Pentagon will send thousands as part of the latest military aid package for the war effort against Russia, according to people familiar with the decision. The decision comes despite widespread concerns that the controversial bombs can cause civilian casualties. The Pentagon will provide munitions that have a reduced “dud rate,” meaning there will be far fewer unexploded rounds that can result in unintended civilian deaths. U.S. officials said Thursday that the cluster munitions would be part of

The US will provide cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package: AP sources
Political

DeSantis defends anti-LGBTQ video shared by his campaign and calls it a 'fair game' attack on Trump

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is defending an anti-LGBTQ video his campaign shared online that attacks rival Donald Trump for his past support of gay and transgender people, despite some of his fellow Republicans calling it homophobic. DeSantis, in an interview Wednesday on the podcast of conservative commentator Tomi Lahren, did not address accusations that the video was homophobic but said the intent was “identifying Donald Trump as really being a pioneer in injecting gender ideology into the mainstream where he was having men compete against women in his beauty pageants.” “I think that’s totally fair game

DeSantis defends anti-LGBTQ video shared by his campaign and calls it a 'fair game' attack on Trump
Political

Israel's assault in Jenin will only further erode the Palestinian Authority's legitimacy

Palestinian Authority officials were chased from funerals like this one in Jenin on July 5, 2023. Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images. As Israeli soldiers withdrew from the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank after two days of fighting, Israel’s generals and politicians were quick to hail the major military operation there a success. Herzl Halevi, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, declared, “We hit the terrorists hard, we arrested many and destroyed many of their weapons and ammunition.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the military for destroying “many terrorist infrastructures.” But however successful in

Israel's assault in Jenin will only further erode the Palestinian Authority's legitimacy
Political

Russia's kidnapping of Ukrainian children is not unique – Putin and others have long used children as political pawns

People in Brussels attend a memorial for the Ukrainian children who have been forcibly taken to Russia. hierry Monasse/Getty Images Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian soldiers have forcibly taken an estimated 16,000 Ukrainian children to Russia. Over 300 children have since returned home, but it is not clear what happened to most of the rest. The mass abductions led prosecutors at the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants in March 2023 for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova. Moscow counters that the children it has brought to

Russia's kidnapping of Ukrainian children is not unique – Putin and others have long used children as political pawns
Political

Police treatment in black and white – report on Minneapolis policing is the latest reminder of systemic racial disparities

People in the Brooklyn borough of New York City protest police violence against Black women on Sept. 5, 2020. Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images The latest reminder that police officers around the country routinely deny Black people their constitutional rights comes from the Justice Department. This time, it’s about Minneapolis, the site of a police officer’s video-recorded murder of resident George Floyd. More than three years after Floyd’s brutal death and the global protest movement that sprang from it, a June 2023 Justice Department report found that Minneapolis police use excessive force, including unjustified deadly force in their interactions with

Police treatment in black and white – report on Minneapolis policing is the latest reminder of systemic racial disparities

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