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

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Political

How pardoning extremists undermines the rule of law

Former President Donald Trump has said he may pardon recently convicted leaders of the Proud Boys. Here, Proud Boys members protest in Salem, Ore., on Jan. 8, 2022. Mathieu Lewis-Rolland / AFP via Getty Images In the past 10 years, there has been an increase in far-right political violence in the United States. While scholars have pointed to several possible reasons – and often, combinations of explanations – the trend is clear. This violence has coincided with the growing influence of far-right state and federal political candidates, who collectively have excited and mobilized extremist communities both online and in person.

How pardoning extremists undermines the rule of law
Political

Hunter Biden is expected to plead guilty to tax and gun charges – continuing a long presidential legacy of colorful relatives

Hunter Biden embraces his father, President Joe Biden, and his stepmother, Jill, at Biden’s 2021 inauguration. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Hunter Biden, the younger son of U.S. President Joe Biden, is expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges as part of a recently announced deal with the Justice Department that will help him avoid the federal charges for possessing a gun while using illegal drugs. Joe Biden has long defended his son amid his drug addiction and other personal issues, including a paternity scandal and ongoing court battle over child support. The president responded to the news of Hunter’s

Hunter Biden is expected to plead guilty to tax and gun charges – continuing a long presidential legacy of colorful relatives
Political

Florida Gov. DeSantis picks up backing from 15 South Carolina lawmakers as he makes a campaign swing

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is rolling out endorsements from 15 South Carolina lawmakers, hoping their support for his Republican presidential campaign will help him make his case to voters in the first-in-the-South primary state. The endorsements, shared first on Thursday with The Associated Press ahead of DeSantis’ town hall in North Augusta, come from 11 state House members and four state senators from across the state, with a heavy concentration in South Carolina’s conservative Upstate. It’s a show of force for DeSantis in a state that current Republican front-runner Donald Trump won handily in the 2016

Florida Gov. DeSantis picks up backing from 15 South Carolina lawmakers as he makes a campaign swing
Political

Yellen says it's 'critical' to maintain U.S.-China ties after Biden's 'dictator' remarks

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday that it’s “critical” the U.S. and China maintain a relationship so they can “work together” on global challenges, coming just after President Joe Biden’s remarks calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping a “dictator” drew condemnation from Beijing. Speaking at a news conference in Paris, Yellen said that “with respect to the comments, I think President Biden and I both believe it’s critical to maintain communication … to clear up misperceptions, miscalculations. We need to work together where possible.” “But we have disagreements, and we are also forthright in recognizing we do

Yellen says it's 'critical' to maintain U.S.-China ties after Biden's 'dictator' remarks
Political

India's Modi is getting a state visit with Biden, but the glitz is shadowed by human rights concerns

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are marking the state visit of the Indian leader on Thursday by launching new partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and more sectors as the leaders look to strengthen their countries’ crucial — albeit complicated — relationship. But as Biden fetes Modi, human rights advocates and some U.S. lawmakers are questioning the Democratic president’s decision to offer the high honor to a leader whose nine-year tenure over the world’s biggest democracy has been marked by a backslide in political, religious and press freedoms. Biden administration officials say honoring Modi, the

India's Modi is getting a state visit with Biden, but the glitz is shadowed by human rights concerns
Political

A year after fall of Roe, 25 million women live in states with abortion bans or tighter restrictions

One year ago Saturday, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Twenty-five million women of childbearing age now live in states where the law makes abortions harder to get than they were before the ruling. Decisions about the law are largely in the hands of state lawmakers and courts. Most Republican-led states have restricted abortion. Fourteen ban abortion in most cases at any point in pregnancy. Twenty Democratic-leaning states have protected access to abortion. Here’s a look at what’s changed since the Dobbs v. Jackson

A year after fall of Roe, 25 million women live in states with abortion bans or tighter restrictions
Political

GOP's Boebert wanted to impeach Biden, but House Speaker McCarthy had other plans

A surprise effort by hard-right House Republicans to impeach President Joe Biden has been sidelined for now, but the ability of GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert to force the issue to a House vote demonstrates the ever-escalating challenge Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces in controlling his Republican majority. The impeachment resolution, which charges Biden with “high crimes and misdemeanors” over his handling of the U.S. border with Mexico, angered GOP colleagues who were caught off guard by the unscripted move. Even though it was not expected to pass Thursday, the vote would have been politically tough for GOP lawmakers

GOP's Boebert wanted to impeach Biden, but House Speaker McCarthy had other plans
Political

Attorneys spar in case of ex-Trump adviser who devised strategy to keep former president in power

A lawyer representing attorney John Eastman, the architect of a legal strategy aimed at keeping former President Donald Trump in power after the 2020 election, spotlighted Wednesday legal debates surrounding the tallying electoral votes in a defense of Eastman’s advice to the former president that could get him disbarred. Eastman, a former law school dean, is facing 11 disciplinary charges in the State Bar Court of California stemming from his development of a dubious legal strategy aimed at having then-Vice President Mike Pence interfere with the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory. Prosecutors have depicted Eastman

Attorneys spar in case of ex-Trump adviser who devised strategy to keep former president in power
Political

Texas Sen. Angela Paxton barred from voting in husband's impeachment trial

Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, the wife of Attorney General Ken Paxton, is barred from voting in the impeachment trial that could lead to her husband’s permanent removal from office, the Republican-controlled Senate decided Wednesday. The rule settles a question that has loomed over the Texas Capitol since Ken Paxton last month became just the third sitting official to be impeached in Texas’ nearly 200-year history. Angela Paxton, a Republican, has previously not said whether she would recuse herself from voting in the trial where her husband of more than 30 years will face charges that

Texas Sen. Angela Paxton barred from voting in husband's impeachment trial
Political

Justice Dept. begins turning over evidence to Trump team in classified documents case

The Justice Department said Wednesday night that it had begun turning over evidence to former President Donald Trump’s legal team as his lawyers prepare a defense to charges that he illegally retained classified documents. The evidence includes transcripts of grand jury testimony taken in both Washington and Florida, copies of closed-circuit television footage obtained by the government and copies of interviews of Trump “conducted by non-government entities, which were recorded with his consent and obtained” by the prosecution team of special counsel Jack Smith. The interviews include an audio-recorded July 2021 meeting with a writer and publisher

Justice Dept. begins turning over evidence to Trump team in classified documents case
Political

Ousted incumbents, key matchups set: Takeaways from Virginia's primary election

A historic number of state lawmakers were ousted in this week’s Virginia primary, which featured about four dozen legislative races that set the parties’ slate of candidates for what will be a hard-fought general election. Every seat in both the House of Delegates and state Senate will be on the ballot in November in an election cycle that will help determine how much of his legislative agenda Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin can achieve in his final two years in office. Virginia is currently politically divided, and its unusual off-year legislative elections have drawn outsized national attention

Ousted incumbents, key matchups set: Takeaways from Virginia's primary election
Political

Stamp of civil rights icon John Lewis unveiled in ceremony at the US Capitol

Congressional leaders unveiled a new stamp Wednesday in a Capitol ceremony commemorating former Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon who served more than three decades in Congress and died in 2020. The stamp features a photograph of Lewis taken by Marco Grob on assignment for the August 26, 2013, issue of Time magazine. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said commemorative stamps tells stories, honor heroes and capture important moments in history. “By adding John Lewis to this collection, we are honoring an extraordinary contribution to the American story and inspiring future generations to follow his lead,”

Stamp of civil rights icon John Lewis unveiled in ceremony at the US Capitol
Political

Hunter Biden plea agreement in tax, gun case set for July court date

Hunter Biden will go before a judge next month to formally strike a plea agreement with prosecutors on tax and gun charges that will likely spare President Joe Biden’s son time behind bars, according to court documents posted Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika must still approve the plea agreement that was reached following a lengthy federal investigation. It calls for the president’s son to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay taxes. Hunter Biden also must commit to court-imposed conditions that will spare him full prosecution on a felony gun charge. The hearing

Hunter Biden plea agreement in tax, gun case set for July court date
Political

House poised to censure Rep. Adam Schiff over Trump-Russia investigations

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff was defiant Wednesday as the Republican-led House prepared to censure him over his comments made several years ago during investigations into President Donald Trump’s ties to Russia. He said he will wear the formal disapproval as a “badge of honor” and charged his GOP colleagues of doing the former president’s bidding. “I will not yield,” said Schiff, who is running for Senate in his home state of California, during debate over the measure. “Not one inch.” More than 20 Republicans voted with Democrats last week to block the censure resolution, but they are

House poised to censure Rep. Adam Schiff over Trump-Russia investigations
Political

Capitol rioter who shocked police officer with stun gun is sentenced to over 12 years in prison

A California man who drove a stun gun into a police officer’s neck during one of the most violent clashes of the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced on Wednesday to more than 12 years in prison. Daniel “D.J.” Rodriguez yelled, “Trump won!” as he was led out of the courtroom where U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced him to 12 years and seven months behind bars for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. Only two other Jan. 6 defendants have received longer prison terms so far after hundreds of sentencings for Capitol riot cases.

Capitol rioter who shocked police officer with stun gun is sentenced to over 12 years in prison
Political

Justice Alito accepted Alaska resort vacation from GOP donors, report says

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito accepted a 2008 trip to a luxury fishing lodge in Alaska from two wealthy Republican donors, one of whom repeatedly had interests before the court, and he did not disclose the trips on his financial disclosure for that year, ProPublica reports. A story published Wednesday by the nonprofit investigative journalism organization states that in July 2008 Alito flew to a remote corner of Alaska aboard the private plane of businessman and Republican donor, Paul Singer. A hedge fund founded by the billionaire has brought roughly a dozen cases before the court since

Justice Alito accepted Alaska resort vacation from GOP donors, report says
Political

Jill Biden is taking Indian Prime Minister Modi on side trip before Thursday's White House visit

Jill Biden is taking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a side trip to Virginia on Wednesday, a day before his formal state visit and fancy dinner at the White House. India’s leader was arriving from New York, where earlier Wednesday he performed backbends and corpse poses during a yoga session with a multinational crowd on the lawn of the United Nations. President Joe Biden, who invited Modi on a state visit, has spent the past two days in California raising money for his reelection campaign and was due back in Washington later Wednesday. Despite deep differences

Jill Biden is taking Indian Prime Minister Modi on side trip before Thursday's White House visit
Political

AI is a 'moment of revolution,' top Democrat says in urging swift action on regulations

Calling the rapid growth of artificial intelligence tools a “moment of revolution,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that the government must act quickly to regulate companies that are developing it. The New York Democrat said he is working on what he calls “exceedingly ambitious” bipartisan legislation to maximize the technology’s benefits and mitigate significant risks. While Schumer did not lay out details of such legislation, he offered some key goals: protect U.S. elections from AI-generated misinformation or interference, shield U.S. workers and intellectual property, prevent exploitation by AI algorithms and create new guardrails to ward

AI is a 'moment of revolution,' top Democrat says in urging swift action on regulations
Political

IRS reduces tax return backlog by 80% and is doing better job answering the phone

The IRS has processed tens of millions of tax returns faster this year compared with past years while getting through to customer service on the phone is slowly improving, according to a report to Congress released Wednesday. But there is a huge need to update the agency’s information technology services and have more workers answering calls. Still, it’s a vast improvement after years of backlogs and decades of underfunding. The latest update on the IRS from National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins said the agency cut its backlog of unprocessed paper tax returns by 80%, from 13.3

IRS reduces tax return backlog by 80% and is doing better job answering the phone
Political

Biden administration moves to restore endangered species protections dropped by Trump

The Biden administration proposed new rules for protecting imperiled plants and animals on Wednesday that would reverse changes under former President Donald Trump that weakened the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates protections for species newly classified as threatened. That provision was dropped under Trump as part of a suite of changes to the species law encouraged by industry. Under Wednesday’s proposal, officials also would drop consideration of economic impacts when deciding if animals and plants need protection. Another change would expand requirements for federal

Biden administration moves to restore endangered species protections dropped by Trump
Political

Trump's trial will soon be underway in Florida – here's why prosecutors had little choice in selecting any other courthouse location

Police walk around the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. federal courthouse in Miami before Donald Trump’s arraignment on June 12, 2023. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Special Counsel Jack Smith may have wished he could indict and try former president Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., where Trump is disliked, rather than in southern Florida, where Trump is popular. But based on my experience as a scholar of criminal law and procedure, as well as my time practicing criminal law, I believe that under the Constitution – and under the circumstances – Smith had little choice but to prosecute Trump in Florida. The federal

Trump's trial will soon be underway in Florida – here's why prosecutors had little choice in selecting any other courthouse location
Political

China and the US are locked in struggle -- and the visit by Secretary of State Blinken is only a start to improving relations

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken joins government officials from the U.S. and China during a meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 19, 2023. Leah Millis/Pool/AFP via Getty Images In the weeks building up to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to China on June 18-19, 2023, there was a lot of uncertainty in both the United States and China about the purpose and possible outcomes of the visit. When Blinken left Washington, D.C., it wasn’t even clear if he would be able to meet with Chinese President

China and the US are locked in struggle -- and the visit by Secretary of State Blinken is only a start to improving relations
Political

Pentagon documents leak suspect Guardsman Jack Teixeira is due back in court on federal charges

The Massachusetts Air National Guard member accused of leaking highly classified military documents is due back in court on Wednesday after being indicted on federal felony charges. Jack Teixeira is scheduled to be arraigned in the Worcester federal court on six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. Teixeira, of North Dighton, has been behind bars since his April arrest on charges stemming from the most consequential intelligence leak in years. He was indicted by a grand jury last week. Teixeira is accused of sharing classified military documents about Russia’s war in Ukraine and other national security

Pentagon documents leak suspect Guardsman Jack Teixeira is due back in court on federal charges
Political

China calls Biden comments calling leader Xi a dictator 'extremely absurd and irresponsible'

China has called comments by President Joe Biden describing Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator “extremely absurd and irresponsible.” The new clash of words comes just over a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing that sought to break the ice in a relationship that has hit a historical low. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Wednesday said Biden’s comments at a fundraiser in California “go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China’s political dignity.” “It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction

China calls Biden comments calling leader Xi a dictator 'extremely absurd and irresponsible'
Political

Powell to face Capitol Hill hearing at a time of rising uncertainty over Fed's interest-rate plans

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will begin two days of hearings before Congress on Wednesday that will likely focus on the question that consumed the central bank last week: How far and how fast will the Fed raise its key interest rate from here? The hearings, beginning with the House Financial Services Committee, follow a Fed meeting last week that produced a muddled picture of its likely next steps. The 18 members of its policy committee predicted two more interest rate hikes this year — one more than analysts had expected — to fight inflation, which they

Powell to face Capitol Hill hearing at a time of rising uncertainty over Fed's interest-rate plans

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