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Today: April 13, 2025
Today: April 13, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

Staff Writer

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Science

In Lula's first six months, Brazil Amazon deforestation dropped 34%, reversing trend under Bolsonaro

After four years of rising destruction in Brazil’s Amazon, deforestation dropped by 33.6% during the first six months of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s term, according to government satellite data released Thursday. From January to June the rainforest had alerts covering 2,650 square kilometers (1,023 square miles), down from 4,000 square kilometers — an area the size of Rhode Island — during the same period last year under former President Jair Bolsonaro. This year’s data includes a 41% plunge in alerts for June, which marks the start of the dry season when deforestation tends

In Lula's first six months, Brazil Amazon deforestation dropped 34%, reversing trend under Bolsonaro
Arts

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo settles into Mickey Haller character with return of 'The Lincoln Lawyer'

When Manuel Garcia-Rulfo was cast to play charismatic defense attorney Mickey Haller from Michael Connelly’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” novels in a new Netflix series, he couldn’t help but think of Matthew McConaughey, who played the lawyer in a 2011 film. “Talk about charm,” said Manuel Garcia-Rulfo of the Oscar winner. “I did think about it … because it is hard to have that shadow … but you just have to jump and do the best you can and hopefully people will enjoy it.” Garcia-Rulfo didn’t have to worry. His version of Haller has been approved by critics and viewers —

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo settles into Mickey Haller character with return of 'The Lincoln Lawyer'
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
World

Xiyu Janet Lin soaks up Pebble Beach views and takes early lead at US Women's Open

Xiyu Janet Lin soaked up the views of Pebble Beach while letting her putter do the work Thursday for a 4-under 68, giving her the early lead in the first U.S. Women’s Open held at one of America’s most famous courses. With only mild wind and a marine layer over the Monterey Peninsula, this was the gentle version of Pebble Beach. This also is a U.S. Open, and it didn’t take much to take a toll. The biggest surprise was Jin Young Ko, the No. 1 player in the world who made only one birdie

Xiyu Janet Lin soaks up Pebble Beach views and takes early lead at US Women's Open
World

US jobs report likely to show a solid gain, potentially complicating Fed's drive to cool inflation

Another solid month of hiring in the United States is expected to be reported Friday, an outcome that would suggest no recession is near but could make it harder for the Federal Reserve to succeed in its drive to cool the economy and curb high inflation. Employers are forecast to have added 205,000 jobs in June, according to economists surveyed by data provider FactSet. Though below recent monthly gains, that would amount to a healthy increase and reflect a historically high number of advertised job openings. A continuation of robust hiring would underscore the economy’s surprising resilience

US jobs report likely to show a solid gain, potentially complicating Fed's drive to cool inflation
World

Lillard still waiting, hoping that Summer League gives Blazers and Heat chance to talk trade

Damian Lillard’s position has not and will not change: The seven-time All-Star wants to be traded to the Miami Heat. Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, confirmed that stance Thursday and said he hopes that the Portland Trail Blazers — the team that Lillard has spent the entirety of his 11-year NBA career with — can engage with the Heat on steps toward a deal in the coming days, especially with virtually everyone from the NBA gathering in Las Vegas for Summer League that starts on Friday. The Trail Blazers publicly revealed this past weekend that Lillard had

Lillard still waiting, hoping that Summer League gives Blazers and Heat chance to talk trade
World

Truck makers pledge to comply with new California rules phasing out gas-powered vehicles

Some of the nation’s largest truck makers on Thursday pledged to stop selling new gas-powered vehicles in California by the middle of the next decade, part of an agreement with state regulators aimed at preventing lawsuits that threatened to delay or block the state’s emission standards. California is trying to rid itself of fossil fuels, passing new rules in recent years to phase out gas-powered cars, trucks, trains and lawn equipment in the nation’s most populous state. It will take years before all of those rules fully take effect. But already some industries are pushing back.

Truck makers pledge to comply with new California rules phasing out gas-powered vehicles
World

Jonas Blixt gets hot on back 9 at John Deere Classic, takes first-round lead with 62

Jonas Blixt heated up on the back nine at TPC Deere Run on Thursday, playing his last six holes in 6 under for a 9-under 62 and a two-shot lead over Grayson Murray in the first round of the John Deere Classic. Murray was 8 under through 13 holes but stalled from there. He bogeyed his final hole and shot 64. Cameron Young, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 19, also closed with a bogey and was part of a big group three shots back. The 39-year-old Blixt, a three-time winner on tour, has

Jonas Blixt gets hot on back 9 at John Deere Classic, takes first-round lead with 62
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'
World

Food delivery services sue NYC over minimum pay rates for app-based workers

Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub sued New York City on Thursday to block its new minimum pay rules for food delivery workers. The recently announced rules, touted as a national first, could nearly triple average earnings for app-based delivery workers in the coming years. An increased pay rate of $17.96 an hour is set to take effect July 12. New York’s more than 60,000 delivery workers currently make an average of $7.09 an hour, according to the city. The food delivery services are seeking a temporary restraining order in state Supreme Court in Manhattan to stop

Food delivery services sue NYC over minimum pay rates for app-based workers
Health

Arizona governor makes contraceptive medications available over the counter at pharmacies

Adults in Arizona can now obtain contraceptive medications over the counter at a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription under a governor’s order announced Thursday. Gov. Katie Hobbs said the rule will go into effect immediately. It applies to self-administered birth control such as hormonal and oral contraceptives, and patients 18 or older need only complete a screening and a blood pressure test. “We are building an Arizona for everyone, which means ensuring people across the state have what they need to live a free and healthy life,” the Democratic governor said in a statement. Over 20 states

Arizona governor makes contraceptive medications available over the counter at pharmacies
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

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

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

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
World

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter mark 77th wedding anniversary at home in Plains, Georgia

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are marking their 77th wedding anniversary with a quiet Friday at their south Georgia home, extending their record as the longest-married first couple ever as both nonagenarians face significant health challenges. The 39th president is 98 and has been in home hospice care since February. The former first lady is 95 and has dementia. The Carter family has not offered details of either Jimmy or Rosalynn Carter’s condition but has said they both have enjoyed time with each other and a stream of family members, along with occasional visits from close friends, in

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter mark 77th wedding anniversary at home in Plains, Georgia
World

US Forest Service and historically Black colleges unite to boost diversity in wildland firefighting

Before starting college, Taylor Mohead had never been outside her hometown of Houston, Texas. Now, the recent Tuskegee University graduate is trekking around trees in Hazel Green, Alabama, in fire gear and sweltering heat. The U.S. Forest Service intern is among 20 students from historically Black colleges or universities who are participating in a prescribed burn demonstration under instructors’ supervision. They clear paths, light fires and make sure the embers are out when they’re done. It’s part of an apprenticeship program that will give them the credentials to hit the ground running toward a fire

US Forest Service and historically Black colleges unite to boost diversity in wildland firefighting
World

US set to destroy its last chemical weapons, closing a deadly chapter dating to World War I

At a sprawling military installation in the middle of the rolling green hills of eastern Kentucky, a milestone is about to be reached in the history of warfare dating back to World War I. Workers at the Blue Grass Army Depot are close to destroying rockets filled with GB nerve agent that are the last of the United States’ declared chemical weapons and completing a decadeslong campaign to eliminate a stockpile that by the end of the Cold War totaled more than 30,000 tons. The weapons’ destruction is a major watershed for Richmond, Kentucky and Pueblo,

US set to destroy its last chemical weapons, closing a deadly chapter dating to World War I
World

White gunman to be sentenced for killing 23 people in a racist Walmart attack in a Texas border city

The white Texas gunman who killed 23 people in a racist attack at a Walmart in 2019 is expected to learn his punishment Friday, after victims’ relatives berated him for days over the shooting that targeted Hispanic shoppers on the U.S.-Mexico border. Patrick Crusius, 24, will likely be sentenced to multiple life terms in federal prison for committing one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. However, he could still face the death penalty in a separate case in a Texas state court that has yet to go to trial. Crusius, who pleaded guilty

White gunman to be sentenced for killing 23 people in a racist Walmart attack in a Texas border city
Science

For the third time this week, Earth sets a heat record

Earth’s average temperature set a new unofficial record high on Thursday, the third such milestone in a week that already rated as the hottest on record. The planetary average hit 63 degrees Fahrenheit, 17.23 degrees Celsius, surpassing the 62.9 and 17.18-degree marks set Tuesday and equaled Wednesday, according to data from the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer, a tool that uses satellite data and computer simulations to measure the world’s condition. That average includes places that are sweltering under dangerous heat — like Jingxing, China, which checked in almost 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) — and the merely unusually

For the third time this week, Earth sets a heat record
World

West clashes with Russia and Iran at UN over Tehran's uranium enrichment and drones for Russia

The United States and its Western allies clashed with Russia and Iran at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday over Tehran’s advancing uranium enrichment and its reported supply of combat drones to Moscow being used to attack Ukraine. The sharp exchanges came at the council’s semi-annual meeting on implementation of its resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major countries known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which the U.S. under then-President Donald Trump left in 2018. At the start of the meeting, Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Britain, which hold

West clashes with Russia and Iran at UN over Tehran's uranium enrichment and drones for Russia
World

France's small towns are reeling from the spread of rioting. 'Now it's affecting the countryside'

After a pleasant evening of wine-tasting — joyfully billed “Grapes and Friends!” — with a hundred or so people and oysters, charcuteries and cheeses, the mayor of the picturesque French town of Quissac was on his way home. Then his phone rang: Urban unrest that was engulfing France after the deadly police shooting of a teenager on Paris’ outskirts, hundreds of kilometers (miles) and a world away to the north, had careened into Quissac’s tranquility, too. In a quick hit-and-run, a small group of people — seemingly no more than four, the mayor says — bombarded the

France's small towns are reeling from the spread of rioting. 'Now it's affecting the countryside'
World

Armed rebellion by Wagner chief Prigozhin underscores erosion of Russian legal system

Russia’s rebellious mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin walked free from prosecution for his June 24 armed mutiny, and it’s still unclear if anyone will face any charges in the aborted uprising against military leaders or for the deaths of the soldiers killed in it. Instead, a campaign is underway to portray the founder of the Wagner Group military contractor as driven by greed, with only hints of an investigation into whether he mishandled any of the billions of dollars in state funds. Until last week, the Kremlin has never admitted to funding the company, with private mercenary

Armed rebellion by Wagner chief Prigozhin underscores erosion of Russian legal system

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