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Today: January 19, 2025
Today: January 19, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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World

Starbucks denies claims that it's banning Pride displays but union organizers are skeptical

Starbucks is denying union organizers’ claims that it is banning Pride displays in its U.S. stores in the wake of Target and other brands experiencing a backlash. But Starbucks Workers United, the union organizing U.S. Starbucks stores, says store managers around the country have been curtailing or removing displays during a monthlong celebration of LGBTQ+ people. In some cases, the union said, managers told workers that Pride displays were a safety concern, citing recent incidents at Target where some angry customers tipped over merchandise and confronted workers. “There has been no change to any policy on this matter and we

Starbucks denies claims that it's banning Pride displays but union organizers are skeptical
World

Senate just barely confirms Bernstein as Biden's economic adviser

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday narrowly confirmed Jared Bernstein to be the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. A longtime aide to President Joe Biden and an economist focused on workers, Bernstein was confirmed by a vote of 50-49. Republican lawmakers were critical of his claims early in the administration that the high inflation coming out of the pandemic was temporary. Rising costs for families and businesses have been a challenge for Biden, though the Labor Department said Tuesday that the pace of inflation fell in May to 4%, the lowest 12-month figure for

Senate just barely confirms Bernstein as Biden's economic adviser
World

Fed keeps rates unchanged for first time in 15 months but signals 2 more potential hikes this year

The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday after having raised it 10 straight times to combat high inflation. But in a surprise move, the Fed signaled that it may raise rates twice more this year, beginning as soon as next month. The Fed’s move to leave its benchmark rate at about 5.1%, its highest level in 16 years, suggests that it believes the much higher borrowing rates it’s engineered have made some progress in taming inflation. But top Fed officials want to take time to more fully assess how their rate hikes have affected

Fed keeps rates unchanged for first time in 15 months but signals 2 more potential hikes this year
World

Costa Rica-US immigration agreement aims to manage region's flows

Costa Rica and the U.S. government have agreed to open potential legal pathways to the United States for some of the Nicaraguan and Venezuelan migrants among the 240,000 asylum seekers already awaiting asylum in the Central American country. The agreement – announced by Costa Rica Tuesday and the United States late Monday – appears aimed at reducing the pressure on Costa Rica’s overwhelmed asylum system and heading off asylum seekers who could give up on the slow Costa Rica process and instead set off for the U.S. border. In recent years, Costa Rica with

Costa Rica-US immigration agreement aims to manage region's flows
World

Costa Rica-US immigration agreement aims to manage region's flows

Costa Rica and the U.S. government have agreed to open potential legal pathways to the United States for some of the Nicaraguan and Venezuelan migrants among the 240,000 asylum seekers already awaiting asylum in the Central American country. The agreement – announced by Costa Rica Tuesday and the United States late Monday – appears aimed at reducing the pressure on Costa Rica’s overwhelmed asylum system and heading off asylum seekers who could give up on the slow Costa Rica process and instead set off for the U.S. border. In recent years, Costa Rica with

Costa Rica-US immigration agreement aims to manage region's flows
Arts

Prosecutors accuse weapons expert in Baldwin case of drinking, smoking

The weapons supervisor on the film set where Alec Baldwin shot and killed a cinematographer was drinking and smoking marijuana in the evenings during the filming of “Rust,” prosecutors are accusing, saying she was likely hungover when she loaded a live bullet into the revolver that the actor used. They leveled the accusations Friday in response to a motion filed last month by Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys that seeks to dismiss her involuntary manslaughter charge. The prosecutors accused her of having a history of reckless conduct and argued that it would be in the public interest for

Prosecutors accuse weapons expert in Baldwin case of drinking, smoking
Political

Biden dispatching Sullivan to Tokyo for talks with Japan, Philippines, South Korea officials

President Joe Biden is dispatching White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan to Tokyo this week for talks with his counterparts from Japan, Philippines and South Korea. Sullivan will also take part in “the first-ever trilateral meeting of the Japanese, Philippine, and U.S. national security advisers” while in Japan, the White House National Security Council said in a statement Tuesday. The White House offered scant details about Sullivan’s two-day visit that begins Thursday, saying Sullivan and his counterparts “will discuss ways to deepen collaboration on a number of key regional and global issues.” Sullivan’s visit comes after

Biden dispatching Sullivan to Tokyo for talks with Japan, Philippines, South Korea officials
Political

Trump turns his day in court into a campaign event despite serious political and legal threats

Donald Trump’s four years in the White House, even on some of the most consequential days of his presidency, were punctuated by the spectacle and attempts at showmanship he cultivated from years as a tabloid fixture and reality star. The former president’s history-making appearance Tuesday as a criminal defendant in a Florida federal court was no different. The former commander in chief, accused of being careless with some of the country’s most sensitive secrets and obstructing authorities as they tried to recover critical documents, pleaded not guilty to 37 charges. But he treated the day like

Trump turns his day in court into a campaign event despite serious political and legal threats
World

Rick Pitino, in NY state of mind at St John's, throws out first pitch before Subway Series

Leading off at the Subway Series, new St. John’s coach Rick Pitino. Just before the New York Yankees faced the Mets on Tuesday night at Citi Field, the Hall of Fame basketball coach threw out a ceremonial first pitch to Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell — who played for Pitino at Louisville. Mitchell’s father, also named Donovan, works for the Mets as Senior Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “I’m friends with Donovan Mitchell Sr. as well, and when I found out that young Donovan was catching me, I thought it was awesome. Because I love him,

Rick Pitino, in NY state of mind at St John's, throws out first pitch before Subway Series
World

A's fans come out en masse for reverse boycott and tell owner John Fisher to sell

Furious Oakland Athletics fans came en masse with a single message to owner John Fisher: “SELL.” Buddies Brian Guido and Scott Finney of Sacramento each took off early from work Tuesday because there was no way they were going to miss the festivities a couple of hours away in Oakland. “I’ve been to only one game this year. I saw this game and I knew I had to come because I knew it was going to be very monumental and would send a message to the owner that this is what the fan base wants,” Finney

A's fans come out en masse for reverse boycott and tell owner John Fisher to sell
Political

Biden celebrates Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday, at the White House

President Joe Biden hosted a massive concert on the South Lawn of the White House to commemorate Juneteenth, the country’s newest federal holiday which the president said will “breathe a new life in the very essence of America.” “To me, making Juneteenth a federal holiday wasn’t just a symbolic gesture. It was a statement of fact for this country to acknowledge the origin of the original sin of slavery, to understand the war was never fought over it, it wasn’t just about a union, but it was most fundamentally about the country and freedom.” Vice President Kamala

Biden celebrates Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday, at the White House
World

Microsoft's planned Activision Blizzard merger temporarily blocked by US judge

Microsoft’s planned $69 billion purchase of video game company Activision Blizzard was blocked by a federal judge Tuesday, giving more time for an antitrust review of the deal. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco ruled in support of a temporary restraining order sought by the Federal Trade Commission that will stop Microsoft from closing the deal. In a court filing Monday, the commission had sought both a restraining order and injunction to stop Microsoft’s acquisition of the California company behind hit games such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush

Microsoft's planned Activision Blizzard merger temporarily blocked by US judge
World

Mets reliever Drew Smith ejected from Subway Series game vs Yankees for illegal substance

Drew Smith became the second New York Mets pitcher to get ejected this season for using an illegal foreign substance when he was tossed from the Subway Series opener Tuesday night against the Yankees at Citi Field. The reliever never even threw a pitch. He was checked by umpires as he entered in the top of the seventh inning with the Mets trailing 7-6 and never made it to the mound. Smith was stopped for a routine check as he reached the infield. Within moments, several umpires and teammates were huddled around the right-hander, and Mets

Mets reliever Drew Smith ejected from Subway Series game vs Yankees for illegal substance
World

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan recovering from medical issue, cedes day-to-day control

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is recovering from a medical situation, the tour announced Tuesday night. The tour did not disclose the nature of the situation or how serious it was, only that two of his executives would lead the day-to-day operations of the PGA Tour during the most intense time of its 54-year history. The announcement comes a week after Monahan stunned the golf world by announcing the PGA Tour had ended its battle with Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund and its LIV Golf League by agreeing to a business partnership. Monahan, 53, spent nearly two

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan recovering from medical issue, cedes day-to-day control
World

Iran president rails against US sanctions during visit to Nicaragua

In his first visit to Latin America, Iran’s hardline president met Tuesday with his Nicaraguan counterpart and railed against a theme both leaders have in common: U.S. sanctions. President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Nicaragua is his second stop, after Venezuela. He is also scheduled to visit Cuba, Iran’s other ally in the region. Raisi spoke at a joint appearance in Managua with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. “The United States wanted to paralyze our people with threats and sanctions, but it hasn’t been able to do it,” Raisi said. Many top figures in Ortega’s government also face

Iran president rails against US sanctions during visit to Nicaragua
World

Iran president rails against US sanctions during visit to Nicaragua

In his first visit to Latin America, Iran’s hardline president met Tuesday with his Nicaraguan counterpart and railed against a theme both leaders have in common: U.S. sanctions. President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Nicaragua is his second stop, after Venezuela. He is also scheduled to visit Cuba, Iran’s other ally in the region. Raisi spoke at a joint appearance in Managua with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. “The United States wanted to paralyze our people with threats and sanctions, but it hasn’t been able to do it,” Raisi said. Many top figures in Ortega’s government also face

Iran president rails against US sanctions during visit to Nicaragua
World

Golden Knights blast Panthers 9-3 in Game 5 to capture first Stanley Cup title

The Golden Knights delivered their city a true Vegas-style party from dazzling passes to Mark Stone’s hat trick to all-out goal celebrations, capturing the young organization’s first Stanley Cup with a 9-3 romp over the beaten up and exhausted Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. Coach Bruce Cassidy, in a nod to the Knights’ brief history, started five of the original Vegas players known as the Misfits and put the sixth on the second shift. Cassidy sounded confident the day before the game that his team would play well, and it certainly did, blowing open a one-goal

Golden Knights blast Panthers 9-3 in Game 5 to capture first Stanley Cup title
World

Jonathan Marchessault earns playoff MVP honors for leading Vegas Golden Knights to Stanley Cup

Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after leading the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup, a fitting honor for one of the franchise’s original players who has been a key contributor since the first puck dropped in Las Vegas. Marchessault led the Golden Knights with 13 goals and ranked second with 25 points during their playoff run, this one ending on a winning note unlike five years ago when they lost in the final. He is one of six original Knights players left from the start of the expansion franchise in 2017 and has since developed

Jonathan Marchessault earns playoff MVP honors for leading Vegas Golden Knights to Stanley Cup
World

110 million people forcibly displaced as Sudan, Ukraine wars add to world refugee crisis, UN says

Some 110 million people have had to flee their homes because of conflict, persecution, or human rights violations, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says. The war in Sudan, which has displaced nearly 2 million people since April, is but the latest in a long list of crises that has led to the record-breaking figure. “It’s quite an indictment on the state of our world,” Filippo Grandi, who leads the U.N. refugee agency, told reporters in Geneva ahead of the publication Wednesday of UNHCR’s Global Trends Report for 2022. Last year alone, an additional 19 million people were forcibly displaced

110 million people forcibly displaced as Sudan, Ukraine wars add to world refugee crisis, UN says
World

Jack Eichel wins Stanley Cup with Vegas less than 2 years since neck surgery

Jack Eichel is a Stanley Cup champion with the Vegas Golden Knights less than two years removed from neck surgery that no NHL player had previously come back from. It’s a triumphant moment for a player whose career was derailed by the injury and became a trailblazer for the operation he credits for fixing it. The 26-year-old Eichel was the team’s best all-around player during the playoffs, the first-line center Vegas executives knew they needed to win the franchise’s first championship. He finished with a postseason-best 26 points in 22 games and drove a lot of the play offensively and

Jack Eichel wins Stanley Cup with Vegas less than 2 years since neck surgery
World

Scottie Scheffler arrives at US Open looking to solve putting problems

Scottie Scheffler took one long, smooth stroke, then looked down the line and watched the ball roll toward the hole on the practice green. He was using his wedge. That was a drill. The state of his game on the greens — more of an emergency. The player listed No. 1 in the latest world golf ranking is sitting at No. 148 in the PGA Tour in putting this year. With the U.S. Open starting Thursday, Scheffler finds himself experimenting with different putters and also trying to give himself a little more credit for putts he

Scottie Scheffler arrives at US Open looking to solve putting problems
Political

Stove wars: Republican-controlled House takes up bills to protect gas stoves

Venturing back into the nation’s culture wars, the Republican-controlled House is taking up legislation that GOP lawmakers say would protect gas stoves from overzealous government regulators. A bill approved Tuesday would prohibit use of federal funds to regulate gas stoves as a hazardous product, while a separate bill set for a vote Wednesday would block an Energy Department rule setting stricter energy efficiency standards for stovetops and ovens. Both bills were set for approval last week, but action was postponed after House conservatives staged a mini-revolt in retaliation for Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership on a measure to

Stove wars: Republican-controlled House takes up bills to protect gas stoves
World

Toyota shareholders reject proposal demanding better performance on climate change

Toyota executives fielded challenges and reaped praise from investors at an annual general meeting Wednesday where shareholders ultimately rejected demands the automaker do better on fighting climate change. The investor proposal was initiated by AkademikerPension, a $20 billion Danish investment fund. It accused Toyota Motor Corp. of lobbying to weaken efforts by governments around the world to phase out the internal combustion engine. Shareholders applauded in rejecting the proposal, as expected, at the meeting in Toyota city, central Japan. The majority of Toyota shares are held by the company and its group companies, retired employees and

Toyota shareholders reject proposal demanding better performance on climate change
World

An Amazon rainforest rite of passage in threatened territory

The Indigenous adolescents danced in a circle under the thatched-roof hut from nearly dawn to dusk while parents looked on from the perimeter. Some of the adults smoked tobacco mixed with the wood from a local tree in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest. The seemingly endless loop of the procession, taking place over six long days this month, was leaving some Tembé Tenehara youngsters with swollen and bandaged feet. They were receiving little to eat and spending each night sleeping in hammocks slung in the hut. But in the Alto Rio Guama territory, it

An Amazon rainforest rite of passage in threatened territory
Arts

Historic Boston church where the Revolution was sparked to host its first play

Old North Church played a pivotal role in the nation’s fight for independence and has continued to be an active house of worship for 300 years. Today, one of Boston’s most popular tourist attractions is also, for the first time, a theater hosting an original play. “Revolution’s Edge,” set the day before the start of the American Revolution, is a dramatic imagining of the interactions of three real people with different views whose lives are about to be upended by the impending war, and explores what the events will mean for their families. The play opening Thursday

Historic Boston church where the Revolution was sparked to host its first play

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