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

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Political

Trump valet charged in classified documents case set again for arraignment after earlier delays

A valet for Donald Trump accused of helping the former president hide classified documents from federal authorities is due back in a Florida court on Thursday after an earlier appearance was postponed because of a canceled flight. Walt Nauta, who was charged alongside Trump in June in a 38-count indictment alleging the mishandling of classified documents, is set to be arraigned before a federal magistrate in Miami. That was to have happened twice before already, but he has struggled to retain a lawyer licensed in Florida to represent him. Trump pleaded not guilty during his June 13

Trump valet charged in classified documents case set again for arraignment after earlier delays
Political

Biden is heading to South Carolina to show his economic agenda is keeping even red states humming

President Joe Biden is heading to South Carolina on Thursday to make the case that economic measures he pushed through Congress despite stiff Republican opposition are helping to keep the deep red state — and others that voted for Donald Trump in 2020 — humming. Ahead of Biden’s visit to a state that he lost by nearly 12 percentage points in 2020, White House officials argued that if Republicans had their way, South Carolina, like many other Republican-controlled states, would have lost out on billions of dollars in investments and thousands of jobs. Biden will use his

Biden is heading to South Carolina to show his economic agenda is keeping even red states humming
Political

Guantanamo detainees tell first independent visitor about scars from torture and hopes to leave

At the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, the aging men known by their serial numbers arrived at the meeting shackled. Every single one told the visitor — for many the first independent person they had talked to in 20 years — “You came too late.” But they still talked, about the scant contacts with their families, their many health problems, the psychological and physical scars of the torture and abuse they experienced, and their hopes of leaving and reuniting with loved ones. For the first time since the facility in Cuba opened in 2002, a

Guantanamo detainees tell first independent visitor about scars from torture and hopes to leave
Political

Kingmaker California? US House control could hinge on district battles in famously liberal state

In 2024, control of the U.S. House could hinge on congressional districts in one famously liberal state: California. Command of the narrowly divided chamber will again be in play next year, and leaders in both parties agree on this much: The outcome in a string of contested California districts will be critical in determining the balance of power, after the state played a pivotal role in securing the gavel for Republicans in 2022 and installing Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield as speaker. The decisive fight for the House “will run through California,” predicts Rep. Pete Aguilar,

Kingmaker California? US House control could hinge on district battles in famously liberal state
Political

US releases video of Russian fighter jets harrassing American drones over Syria

Russian fighter jets flew dangerously close to several U.S. drone aircraft over Syria on Wednesday, setting off flares and forcing the MQ-9 Reapers to take evasive maneuvers, the Air Force said. U.S. Air Forces Central released a video of the encounter, showing a Russian SU-35 fighter closing in on a Reaper, and later showed a number of the so-called parachute flares moving into the drone’s flight path. The flares are attached to parachutes. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, commander of 9th Air Force in the Middle East, said three of the U.S. drones were operating over Syria after

US releases video of Russian fighter jets harrassing American drones over Syria
Political

Pence says Trump and DeSantis do not understand broader importance of US military aid to Ukraine

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis do not grasp the broader implications of their call for limited military assistance to Ukraine, former Vice President Mike Pence told The Associated Press in Iowa Wednesday. “With all due respect, I think the former president and the governor of Florida just don’t understand Americans’ national interest in supporting the Ukrainian military in repelling the Russian military in Ukraine,” Pence, who is competing with Trump and DeSantis for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said during the interview before a campaign event in Sioux City. Pence, who

Pence says Trump and DeSantis do not understand broader importance of US military aid to Ukraine
Political

In Trump case, Justice Dept. unseals previously blacked-out portions from search warrant application

The Justice Department on Wednesday disclosed some of the previously blacked-out portions of a warrant application it submitted last year to gain authorization to search former President Donald Trump’s Florida property for classified documents. Key portions of the document had already been made public, but media organizations including The Associated Press had pressed for further unsealing in light of a 38-count indictment last month charging Trump and his valet, Walt Nauta, with concealing classified records at Mar-a-Lago from investigators. The magistrate judge, Bruce Reinhart, declined to order the Justice Department to unseal the search warrant affidavit in

In Trump case, Justice Dept. unseals previously blacked-out portions from search warrant application
Political

Judge's order limits government contact with social media operators, raises disinformation questions

An order by a federal judge in Louisiana has ignited a high-stakes legal battle over how the government is allowed to interact with social media platforms, raising broad questions about whether — and how — officials can fight what they deem misinformation on health or other matters. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, a conservative nominated to the federal bench by former President Donald Trump, chose Independence Day to issue an injunction blocking multiple government agencies and administration officials. In his words, they are forbidden to meet with or contact social media companies for the purpose of

Judge's order limits government contact with social media operators, raises disinformation questions
Political

Republicans sue over rejection of party nominee to election board in Georgia's most populous county

The Republican Party in Georgia’s most populous county is suing local elected officials over the rejection of one of the party’s nominees to serve on the county election board, saying he was being punished for trying to clean up voter rolls. In the lawsuit filed Friday, the Fulton County Republican Party asks a judge to order the county Board of Commissioners to appoint Jason Frazier to the county Board of Elections and Registration. Fulton County, which includes most of the city of Atlanta, is a Democratic stronghold. Frazier has recently filed challenges to the eligibility of thousands

Republicans sue over rejection of party nominee to election board in Georgia's most populous county
Political

North Carolina governor vetoes trio of LGBTQ+ restrictions in ongoing fight with GOP supermajority

North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed Wednesday a trio of bills aimed at LGBTQ+ youth that would ban gender-affirming health care for minors, restrict transgender participation in school sports and limit classroom instruction about gender identity and sexuality. While LGBTQ+ rights advocates say Cooper’s attempt to block the bills demonstrates his support amid what they view as unrelenting attacks from the General Assembly, his veto stamp carries little weight now that Republicans hold narrow veto-proof majorities in both chambers. His vetoes are not expected to survive override attempts. Cooper denounced the measures as “a triple

North Carolina governor vetoes trio of LGBTQ+ restrictions in ongoing fight with GOP supermajority
Political

Rep. Adam Schiff, censured by GOP-led House, raises $8.1 million for his California Senate race

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff’s Senate campaign said Wednesday that the California Democrat had raised $8.1 million over the past three months, a period that includes his recent censure by the Republican-led House. His team said that was a record for a Senate campaign for the April-through-June quarter of a year in which an election is not taking place. The 2024 race is to fill the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Schiff rose to national prominence as the lead prosecutor in then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial and has long been recognized as a prolific

Rep. Adam Schiff, censured by GOP-led House, raises $8.1 million for his California Senate race
Political

Trump will report raising more than $35 million in second quarter, campaign says

Former President Donald Trump ‘s campaign said Wednesday that he raised more than $35 million for his White House bid during the second fundraising quarter, nearly double what he raised during the first three months of the year. The total is the latest indication that Trump is the Republican primary race’s dominant frontrunner and that being indicted twice — once in New York and once in Florida — has only bolstered his standing among his strongest supporters and their willingness to give. The average donation to Trump’s 2024 campaign now stands at $34, evidence, the campaign said,

Trump will report raising more than $35 million in second quarter, campaign says
Political

Trump posted what he said was Obama's address, prosecutors say. An armed man was soon arrested there

Former President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform what he claimed was the home address of former President Barack Obama on the same day that a man with guns in his van was arrested near the property, federal prosecutors said Wednesday in revealing new details about the case. Taylor Taranto, 37, who prosecutors say participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, kept two firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition inside a van he had driven cross-country and had been living in, according to a Justice Department motion that seeks to

Trump posted what he said was Obama's address, prosecutors say. An armed man was soon arrested there
Political

After secret documents leak, Pentagon plans tighter controls to protect classified information

The Pentagon on Wednesday announced plans to tighten protection for classified information following the explosive leaks of hundreds of intelligence documents that were accessed through security gaps at a Massachusetts Air National Guard base. Airman 1st Class Jack Texeira, 21, is accused of leaking the highly classified military documents in a chatroom on Discord, a social media platform that started as a hangout for gamers. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in a memo released Wednesday, ordered all of the department’s secured rooms where classified information is stored and accessed to be brought into compliance with intelligence community standards

After secret documents leak, Pentagon plans tighter controls to protect classified information
Political

Powder found in White House's West Wing lobby tests positive for cocaine

A white powder discovered in a lobby area of the White House’s West Wing that prompted a brief evacuation Sunday evening tested positive for cocaine in a laboratory analysis, three people familiar with the matter said Wednesday. Officials who found the powder in a small plastic envelope in the heavily trafficked part of the White House initially suspected illegal drugs, but they ran tests to ensure that the powder was not a more dangerous substance. Investigators have not yet identified who brought the cocaine into the White House, according to the three people, who were not authorized

Powder found in White House's West Wing lobby tests positive for cocaine
Political

Attorney who challenged Trump's 2020 loss gives up law license as states weigh disciplining him

Attorney Lin Wood, who filed legal challenges seeking to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, is relinquishing his law license, electing to retire from practicing rather than face possible disbarment. Multiple states have weighed disciplining him for pushing Trump’s false claims that he defeated Joe Biden. On Tuesday, Wood asked officials in his home state of Georgia to “retire” his law license in light of “disciplinary proceedings pending against me.” In the request, made in a letter and posted on his Telegram account, Wood acknowledges that he is “prohibited from practicing law in this State and

Attorney who challenged Trump's 2020 loss gives up law license as states weigh disciplining him
Political

Exonerated member of 'Central Park Five' wins primary, nearly assuring seat on NYC Council

Yusef Salaam, one of the exonerated “Central Park Five,” has won the Democratic primary, all but assuring him a seat on the New York City Council. It’s an improbable feat for a political novice who was wrongly accused, convicted and imprisoned as a teenager for the rape and beating of a white jogger in Central Park. Salaam’s primary win is for the seat representing Central Harlem on the City Council. The Associated Press refrained from calling the race on election night but additional votes released Wednesday showed him to be the clear winner. “I am here

Exonerated member of 'Central Park Five' wins primary, nearly assuring seat on NYC Council
Political

Jenin has long been seen as the capital of Palestinian resistance and militancy – the latest raid will do little to shake that reputation

A Palestinian confronts Israeli military vehicles in the Jenin refugee camp on July 4, 2023. Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Israeli troops withdrew from Jenin on July 4, 2023 after two days of heavy aerial bombardment and ground invasion. According to reports, 12 Palestinians were killed and over 100 wounded in what the Israeli military described as a “counter-terrorism operation”. One Israeli soldier was also reportedly killed. The site of the latest confrontation in not new. The Jenin refugee camp, on the western edge of the town of Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank, has often

Jenin has long been seen as the capital of Palestinian resistance and militancy – the latest raid will do little to shake that reputation
Political

Prigozhin revolt raised fears of Putin's toppling – and a nuclear Russia in chaos

Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on June 29, less than a week after the rebellion by the mercenary Wagner Group. Contributor/Getty Images As national security scholar Gregory F. Treverton says, the brief mutiny mounted by Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, may be over, but the dramatic events sparked by that mutiny are “still unfolding.” In this interview with The Conversation U.S. democracy editor Naomi Schalit, Treverton, a former chairman of the National Intelligence Council in the Obama administration, points out that the U.S. response to the incident was superficially simple – essentially

Prigozhin revolt raised fears of Putin's toppling – and a nuclear Russia in chaos
Political

Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey lands his best fundraising quarter in his Senate reelection campaign

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey raised more than $4 million in the last three months — his best fundraising quarter ever — as he awaits a Republican challenger to his reelection bid in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania, his campaign said Wednesday. Casey’s campaign said the fundraising result beat the previous best quarter of his career by more than $1.2 million. The campaign is reporting nearly $6 million in its bank account. That cash could prove crucial in ensuring Casey has the resources to successfully navigate a campaign in one of the nation’s most politically competitive

Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey lands his best fundraising quarter in his Senate reelection campaign
Political

US citizenship test changes are coming, raising concerns for those with low English skills

The U.S. citizenship test is being updated, and some immigrants and advocates worry the changes will hurt test-takers with lower levels of English proficiency. The naturalization test is one of the final steps toward citizenship — a monthslong process that requires legal permanent residency for years before applying. Many are still shaken after former Republican President Donald Trump’s administration changed the test in 2020, making it longer and more difficult to pass. Within months, Democratic President Joe Biden took office and signed an executive order aimed at eliminating barriers to citizenship. In that spirit, the

US citizenship test changes are coming, raising concerns for those with low English skills
Political

Conservatives go to red states, Democrats to blue as the country grows more polarized

Once he and his wife Jennifer moved to a Boise suburb last year, Tim Kohl could finally express himself. Kohl did what the couple never dared at their previous house outside Los Angeles — the newly-retired Los Angeles police officer flew a U.S. flag and a Thin Blue Line banner representing law enforcement outside his house. “We were scared to put it up,” Jennifer Kohl acknowledged. But the Kohls knew they had moved to the right place when neighbors complimented him on the display. Leah Dean is on the opposite end of the political spectrum, but

Conservatives go to red states, Democrats to blue as the country grows more polarized
Political

Biden is hosting Swedish prime minister at the White House in a show of support for NATO bid

President Joe Biden plans to host Sweden’s prime minister at the White House on Wednesday in a show of solidarity as the United States presses for the Nordic nation’s entry into NATO, a week before the alliance’s summit. Biden and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will “review our growing security cooperation and reaffirm their view that Sweden should join NATO as soon as possible,” the White House said a statement announcing the meeting. The leaders also will discuss the war in Ukraine and matters involving China. Sweden and neighbor Finland ended their longstanding policy of military nonalignment after

Biden is hosting Swedish prime minister at the White House in a show of support for NATO bid
Political

What to expect during the ranked choice voting count in New York City Council races

New York City elections officials will begin releasing preliminary results Wednesday from ranked choice voting in last week’s City Council primaries — but those results may change in the coming days and weeks as additional ballots are tallied. Voting in the local primaries concluded last Tuesday, but winners have yet to be determined in some City Council contests. That includes several that could advance to ranked choice voting and be subject to subsequent rounds of ballot-counting, where voters’ second through fifth choices would be taken into account if no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes. The

What to expect during the ranked choice voting count in New York City Council races
Political

Far-right figure ends divisive crowdfunding for police officer who shot boy, triggering riots

A French far-right figure behind a divisive, and hugely successful, crowdfunding campaign for the family of a police officer jailed in the killing of a 17-year-old that triggered riots around France announced on Tuesday that he’s closing the account which topped more than 1.5 million euros ($1.63 million). Criticism, and plans for lawsuits, have mounted around Jean Messiha’s Gofundme effort with claims that his real motive was to spread a message of hate and pit the far-right against residents of poor suburbs with a high rate of people of immigrant origin. Even Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has

Far-right figure ends divisive crowdfunding for police officer who shot boy, triggering riots

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