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Today: January 22, 2025
Today: January 22, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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World

Memphis prosecutors seek death penalty against man charged with kidnapping and killing teacher

Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty against a man charged with kidnapping a Memphis, Tennessee, school teacher during an early-morning run and killing her. Cleotha Abston is charged with snatching Eliza Fletcher from a street near the University of Memphis on Sept. 2 and putting her in an SUV. Her body was found days later near an abandoned house. He has pleaded not guilty. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy has filed notice with the court that prosecutors will seek the death penalty, Judge Lee Coffee said. No trial date has been set.

Memphis prosecutors seek death penalty against man charged with kidnapping and killing teacher
World

Macron says France needs to address causes of unrest prompted by police killing of teen

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called for order and calm, and efforts to address the roots of several days of unrest around France that was sparked by the police killing of a 17-year-old boy. The police officer accused of the shooting death of teen Nahel Merzouk is in custody on a charge of voluntary homicide, and a judge in Versailles on Thursday rejected his request for release pending further investigation. “We all lived through an important moment in the life of our nation,” Macron said in the southern city of Pau on the edge of the Pyrenees.

Macron says France needs to address causes of unrest prompted by police killing of teen
World

Wembymania selling out Las Vegas, as Spurs rookie 'can't wait' for Summer League debut

There are just some tickets that are hard to get in Las Vegas. Like Adele, for example. Or Garth Brooks. Or U2, which starts a residency there this fall. And now, add Wemby to that list. Victor Wembanyama’s debut at NBA Summer League is Friday night — and it’s sold out. All 17,500 tickets that were available for Day 1 of the 11-day series of games on the campus of UNLV were gone by sometime Wednesday, largely because of the debut of the 7-foot-3 rookie who will be playing his first game in a San Antonio

Wembymania selling out Las Vegas, as Spurs rookie 'can't wait' for Summer League debut
Health

UK government loses legal bid to keep Boris Johnson's messages from COVID-19 inquiry

A U.K. court on Thursday rejected the British government’s request to keep former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApp messages and diaries from being made public at an official COVID-19 inquiry. The Cabinet Office took the unusual step of bringing a legal challenge after the retired judge chairing the inquiry into Britain’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic ordered the Conservative government to release full copies of Johnson’s documents. Government officials argued the inquiry did not have the legal power to force them to release documents and messages that they said were “unambiguously irrelevant” to how the government

UK government loses legal bid to keep Boris Johnson's messages from COVID-19 inquiry
World

Kevin Spacey's accuser denies the defense claim that he made up sex assault, says 'it was horrific'

A man who says Kevin Spacey subjected him to a torrent of verbal abuse and grabbed his crotch denied claims by the Hollywood star’s lawyer on Thursday that he had concocted the assault allegations, saying he’d kept the “horrific” incident bottled up for years. The man is one of four who say the two-time Academy Award winner assaulted them in Britain between 2001 and 2013. For much of that time, Spacey was artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre in London. Spacey, 63, is standing trial in a London court on 12 charges, which include sexual assault,

Kevin Spacey's accuser denies the defense claim that he made up sex assault, says 'it was horrific'
Arts

Ricky Martin, Jwan Yosef announce divorce after 6 years of marriage

Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef are divorcing after nearly six years of marriage, the couple announced Thursday. “For some time, we have considered transforming our relationship, and it is after careful consideration that we have decided to end our marriage with love, respect and dignity for our children,” the couple wrote in an Instagram post, shared in Spanish on Martin’s profile and in English on Yosef’s. Martin’s publicity team confirmed the accuracy of the post to The Associated Press. No other details were provided. People magazine first reported the news. Martin, singer of such Spanish-language and English-language hits like “Livin’

Ricky Martin, Jwan Yosef announce divorce after 6 years of marriage
World

Global heat is just the latest 2023 extreme that shows an Earth in crisis

As a warming Earth simmered into worrisome new territory this week, scientists said the unofficial records being set for average planetary temperature were a clear sign of how pollutants released by humans are warming their environment. But the heat is also just one way the planet is telling us something is gravely wrong, they said. “Heat sets the pace of our climate in so many ways … it’s never just the heat,” said Kim Cobb, a climate scientist at Brown University. Dying coral reefs, more intense Nor’easters and the wildfire smoke that has choked much of North America this summer

Global heat is just the latest 2023 extreme that shows an Earth in crisis
World

Pope Francis' trip to Mongolia in September will be closely watched by Russia and China

Pope Francis travels to the periphery of Roman Catholicism later this summer when he becomes the first pontiff to visit Mongolia, a Central Asian nation squeezed between Russia and China with just 1,500 Catholics. The visit is steeped in geopolitical significance as it will be closely watched by both Russia, which controlled Mongolia during the Soviet era, and China, which is seeking to exert its influence through the Belt and Road initiative. No pope has visited either of those nations, and the pope is likely to choose to fly over China on his way, rather than

Pope Francis' trip to Mongolia in September will be closely watched by Russia and China
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
World

Texas man reported missing as a teen in 2015 returned home the next day, police say

A Texas man who went missing as a teenager in 2015 returned home the next day but he and his mother deceived officers by giving false names over the ensuing eight years, police said Thursday. Houston police detectives said prosecutors have declined to bring false report charges against Janie Santana and her son, Rudolph “Rudy” Farias IV, but that their investigation is continuing. The announcement came a week after police said they found Farias after receiving a call about a person lying on the ground in front of a southeast Houston church. Authorities had not previously said

Texas man reported missing as a teen in 2015 returned home the next day, police say
Science

Lavish tomb in ancient Spain belonged to a woman, not a man, new research shows

When archaeologists first discovered the 5,000-year-old ornate tomb in Spain, they assumed it was for a man. It held a rock crystal dagger, ivory tusks and other lavish items. But now they’ve determined the remains are those of a woman, and all it took was two teeth. The researchers used a new method of determining sex that analyzes tooth enamel. This technique, developed about five years ago, is more reliable than analyzing skeletal remains in poor condition, according to their study published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports. Most details about the life of the “Ivory Lady,”

Lavish tomb in ancient Spain belonged to a woman, not a man, new research shows
Arts

Johnny Knoxville on the art of pranking and adjusting to life after stunts

Johnny Knoxville is no stranger to head injuries. In the decades since he rose to fame as the daredevil ringleader of “Jackass,” he has had more than a dozen concussions — that he knows of. But his most recent one was different. Now, by doctor’s orders, he has to get creative to chase that adrenaline fix through safer means. His latest attempt is with his “Jackass Forever” co-star Eric Andre and Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe on their new series, “The Prank Panel,” which premieres Sunday on ABC. Doing work tame enough to be on network television

Johnny Knoxville on the art of pranking and adjusting to life after stunts
World

Wisconsin governor's 400-year veto angers opponents in state with long history of creative cuts

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ partial veto that attempts to lock in a school funding increase for 400 years drew outrage and surprise from his political opponents, but it’s just the latest creative cut in a state that’s home to the most powerful partial gubernatorial veto in the country. “Everybody will shout and scream,” said former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, “but he’s got ’em.” Wisconsin governors have the most expansive partial veto power in the country because, unlike in other states, they can strike nearly any part of a budget bill. That includes wiping out numbers, punctuation

Wisconsin governor's 400-year veto angers opponents in state with long history of creative cuts
World

Carmaker Stellantis signs deal with firm seeking to mine in Nebraska for rare earths needed in EVs

The company that wants to mine for critical minerals in southeast Nebraska has signed a deal with Stellantis, giving the automaker access to the rare earth elements used to produce high-powered magnets needed for its electric vehicles. NioCorp announced the tentative agreement with the automaker whose brands include Chrysler, Alfa Romeo and Maserati on Thursday. The companies didn’t disclose how much Stellantis will pay because those details are still being negotiated, but this deal with such a high-profile buyer will likely provide a boost to NioCorp’s effort to raise $1.1 billion to establish the mine about

Carmaker Stellantis signs deal with firm seeking to mine in Nebraska for rare earths needed in EVs
World

OceanGate suspends operations after its Titan submersible imploded on its way to the Titanic

The company that owned a submersible that imploded on its way to explore the wreck of the Titanic, killing all five onboard, said Thursday it has suspended operations. OceanGate announced the action in a brief statement posted atop its website. Contacted for additional information, a spokesperson declined to comment further. Among those killed in the implosion was Stockton Rush, the submersible’s pilot and chief executive officer of the company. Investigators believe the Titan imploded as it made its descent into deep North Atlantic waters on June 18. The Coast Guard said last week that human remains have likely been recovered

OceanGate suspends operations after its Titan submersible imploded on its way to the Titanic
Arts

How fine dining in Europe and the US came to exclude immigrant cuisine and how social media is pushing back – podcast

Immigrant chefs feel more constrained in how their food is valued. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images The history of restaurants, food and, especially, fine dining, is deeply tied to the history of immigration to the U.S. and French cultural power in the early 20th century. Not surprisingly, the story that leads to Yelp and Anthony Bourdain is not without its share of racism that the modern food world and its tastemakers are still grappling with today. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly, we speak to three experts who study food culture and fine dining about the perceptions and definitions

How fine dining in Europe and the US came to exclude immigrant cuisine and how social media is pushing back – podcast
World

What is Threads? All your questions about Meta's new Twitter rival, answered

Threads, a text-based app built by Meta to rival Twitter, is live. The app, billed as the text version of Meta’s photo-sharing platform Instagram, became available Wednesday night to users in more than 100 countries — including the U.S., Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan. Despite some early glitches, 30 million people had signed up before noon on Thursday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Threads. New arrivals to the platform include celebrities like Oprah, pop star Shakira and chef Gordon Ramsay — as well as corporate accounts from Taco Bell, Netflix, Spotify, the Washington Post and

What is Threads? All your questions about Meta's new Twitter rival, answered
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
World

Nations set to agree on shipping emissions cuts but fall short of aligning with climate goals

Maritime nations have been finalizing a plan Thursday to slash emissions from the shipping industry to net zero by about 2050 but experts warn the deal falls well short of what’s needed to prevent climate catastrophe. Negotiators at the meeting of the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization in London, seen as key to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times, are set to officially agree Friday for shipping emissions to reach net zero “by or around” 2050, rather than setting the date as a hard deadline. The draft plan also calls for shipping emissions

Nations set to agree on shipping emissions cuts but fall short of aligning with climate goals
World

Cameraman injured at Yankee Stadium by wild throw has broken eye socket

A cameraman hit in the head by an errant throw Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium has a broken eye socket and is home resting, the YES Network said in a statement Thursday. Positioned right next to the New York Yankees’ dugout on the first-base side, Pete Stendel of YES Network was struck by a hurried throw from Baltimore Orioles rookie shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who fired high to first as he tried to complete a double play in the fifth inning. Stendel was taken to the hospital, and YES said late Wednesday he was conscious and undergoing

Cameraman injured at Yankee Stadium by wild throw has broken eye socket
World

Stewart and Collier plan to start a new women's league to play in WNBA offseason

WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are starting a new women’s basketball league to give top players another option to play in the U.S. in the offseason once the league’s prioritization rules go into effect next year. The new league, which is called Unrivaled, will run from January through March and have 30 of the top women’s players playing on six teams. Instead of the traditional 5-on-5 game, the teams will play 3-on-3 and 1-on-1 at a custom-built soundstage in Miami. The league was first reported by ESPN. “We remain committed to the WNBA, however

Stewart and Collier plan to start a new women's league to play in WNBA offseason
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
World

Sofia Kenin on comeback trail at Wimbledon trying 'to prove some people wrong'

Sofia Kenin reached the third round at Wimbledon for the first time on Thursday. Or as the 2020 Australian Open champion put it: “Just trying to prove some people wrong.” Kenin beat Wang Xinyu of China 6-4, 6-3 to back up her victory over seventh-seeded Coco Gauff that ended a streak of three straight first-round exits at Grand Slam tournaments. The 24-year-old American came into Wimbledon ranked 128th and had to go through qualifying to reach the main draw — and she’s fine with that. “If I know every time I’m going to get to the

Sofia Kenin on comeback trail at Wimbledon trying 'to prove some people wrong'
World

Elevated mortgage rates are leading to sharply higher monthly payments even as home prices ease

Would-be homebuyers are willing to take on sharply higher mortgage payments, even as home prices have begun to pull back this year. The median monthly payment listed on applications for home purchase loans jumped 14.1% in May from a year earlier to an all-time high $2,165, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The May figure also represents a 2.5% increase from April. “Homebuyer affordability eroded further in May as prospective buyers continue to grapple with high interest rates and low housing inventory,” Edward Seiler, the MBA’s associate vice president of housing economics, said in a release

Elevated mortgage rates are leading to sharply higher monthly payments even as home prices ease
World

TikTok and 5 content creators ask federal judge to block Montana from banning app

TikTok Inc. and a group of five content creators who are suing the state of Montana over its first-in-the-nation law to ban the video sharing app are now asking a federal judge to block implementation of the law while the case moves through the courts and before it takes effect in January. The separate requests for preliminary injunctions were filed Wednesday in federal court in Missoula. The cases challenging the law were filed in May and have since been consolidated by U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen had the bill drafted over concerns — shared by

TikTok and 5 content creators ask federal judge to block Montana from banning app

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