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Today: January 23, 2025
Today: January 23, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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Science

Fossilized skeletons of aerial and aquatic predators to be auctioned by Sotheby's

The fossilized skeletons of an aerial predator with a 20-foot (6-meter) wingspan and an aquatic reptile with a snake-like neck will be auctioned in New York this month, Sotheby’s announced Tuesday. The two creatures, both tens of millions of years old, will be sold July 26 in the latest sale of prehistoric fossils from the auction house that launched a new era of fossil auctions by selling a Tyrannosaurus rex named Sue in 1997. “More than 25 years since the groundbreaking sale of Sue the T. rex at Sotheby’s, we are very excited to now turn

Fossilized skeletons of aerial and aquatic predators to be auctioned by Sotheby's
Political

Biden administration plans to cap how much families pay for child care through a government program

Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday that the government plans to put a cap on how much families pay for child care as part of the Child Care & Development Block Grant program. Speaking to reporters, Harris went through the details of a proposed rule by the Department of Health and Human Services that follows an executive order on the issue that President Joe Biden signed in April. Families would pay no more than 7% of their income for child care through the program and child care providers would find it easier to be paid on time.

Biden administration plans to cap how much families pay for child care through a government program
World

The invasion of Ukraine spurred NATO to revamp its defense plans against Russian attack

U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts on Tuesday endorsed the biggest shakeup since the Cold War of the way the military alliance would respond to any attack on its territory by Russia. Inspired in part by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the highly-secretive defense plans lay out which of the 31 member countries would be called on to respond an attack anywhere from the Arctic and Baltic Sea regions through the northern Atlantic and south to the Mediterranean and Black Seas. “Peace in the Euro-Atlantic area has been shattered,” the leaders said in a statement,

The invasion of Ukraine spurred NATO to revamp its defense plans against Russian attack
Political

US formally rejoins UNESCO after five-year absence

The United States on Tuesday formally rejoined the U.N.’s scientific, educational and cultural organization after a five-year absence. The U.S. return to the Paris-based UNESCO was based mainly on concerns that China has filled a leadership gap since the U.S. withdrew during the Trump administration. UNESCO’s governing board voted last week to approve the Biden administration’s proposal for the U.S. to rejoin. On Monday, the U.S. delivered a document certifying it would accept the invitation. On Tuesday, UNESCO’s Director General Audrey Azoulay said it was official. A welcome ceremony with a flag-raising and VIP guests is expected

US formally rejoins UNESCO after five-year absence
World

In fight against Canada fires, dancing South Africa crews are a familiar and uplifting sight

Some three dozen South African firefighters, clad in their bright yellow jackets and dark blue pants, danced, sang and cheered in a sprawling parking lot close by the majestic woods of central Alberta. The mood was light as the men and women smiled and clapped, some taking out smartphones to record video of their dancing colleagues before heading off to another day battling the fires raging through Canada. The group gathered on an early July day in the small town of Fox Creek had traveled nearly 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) to help fight the hundreds

In fight against Canada fires, dancing South Africa crews are a familiar and uplifting sight
World

Stewart has Liberty one win away from spot in Commissioner's Cup title game

Breanna Stewart has already won one Commissioner’s Cup championship. She hopes to get New York to this year’s in-season tournament title game to have a chance at another one. The Aces have already clinched a spot in the final which will be played in Las Vegas on Aug. 15. The Aces won the Cup last year and are looking to defend their title. The Liberty need a victory over Indiana on Wednesday or a loss by Connecticut in Chicago to earn a trip to Las Vegas to play the Aces in the championship game. New York

Stewart has Liberty one win away from spot in Commissioner's Cup title game
World

In Ukraine, civilians train on survival skills to cope with dangers from Russia’s war

In a cramped municipal building in a residential area of the Ukrainian capital, a group of people take turns training to shoot using a replica of a machine gun with the help of a weapons training simulator relying on virtual reality. The nearly 20 participants — all of them civilians and most of them women — have never held a weapon before. With Russia’s war on Ukraine in its 17th month, the Kyiv City Administration has opened up training for civilians who want to learn survival skills, including how to shoot, provide first aid and recognize

In Ukraine, civilians train on survival skills to cope with dangers from Russia’s war
Science

Scientists now say a new epoch – the Anthropocene, marked by human impact on Earth – began in 1950s

Humanity has etched its way into Earth’s geology, atmosphere and biology with such strength and permanence, a special team of scientists figures we have shifted into a new geologic epoch, one of our own creation. It’s called the Anthropocene. A geologic task force is recommending to mark this new epoch’s start in the small but deep, pristine Crawford Lake outside Toronto, Canada with a ‘golden spike’. The start of the human epoch is sometime around 1950 to 1954. The specific date will be determined soon, probably by levels of plutonium in new measurements from the bottom of the special lake

Scientists now say a new epoch – the Anthropocene, marked by human impact on Earth – began in 1950s
Health

Kansas lawmakers botched the drafting of a new anti-trans law, agency attorney says

Kansas legislators botched the drafting of a new law aimed at preventing transgender people from changing how their sex is listed on their driver’s licenses, a state agency’s lawyer argued in a court filing made public Tuesday. An anti-transgender rights law that took effect July 1 conflicts with another law governing what appears on driver’s licenses, Kansas Department of Revenue attorney Ted Smith said. The department’s motor vehicles division issues driver’s licenses, and Smith said the division still must follow the older law because it applies specifically to driver’s licenses. The new law does not mention

Kansas lawmakers botched the drafting of a new anti-trans law, agency attorney says
Health

Oregon county pauses plan to distribute tin foil, straws for fentanyl users

A plan by Oregon’s largest county to distribute tin foil and straws for fentanyl users and glass pipes for methamphetamine and crack users has been halted after opposition from Portland’s mayor and other officials. “Our health department went forward with this proposal without proper implementation protocols,” Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said in a statement to KGW-TV. “And in that light, I am suspending the program pending further analysis.” The Multnomah County Health Department earlier this month updated its harm reduction program to include the distribution of smoking materials to people using drugs after noticing

Oregon county pauses plan to distribute tin foil, straws for fentanyl users
World

Train derails at Union Station in Washington, causing delays but no serious injuries

A pair of Amtrak train cars derailed Tuesday morning outside of Washington D.C.’s Union Station, causing delays but no significant injuries, according to authorities. The incident took place before 9 a.m. in a tunnel near the Union Station entrance, and involved an incoming train arriving from Norfolk, Virginia. Both derailed train cars remained upright. Fire officials and medics boarded the train but reported no serious injuries among the passengers, although one Amtrak employee was taken to a medical facility for a minor issue. Union Station is a major regional hub and the derailment has caused delays and

Train derails at Union Station in Washington, causing delays but no serious injuries
World

With Wembanyama, other top picks out, NBA Summer League spotlight is for the taking

Rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama and many of the highest 2023 draft picks are out for the rest of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, but several other players are worth watching. Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, this year’s No. 16 overall pick from Baylor, is second in the league with 29.5 points and third with 8.5 assists per game. He opened with 33 points and 10 assists Saturday in a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. On Monday in a win over Minnesota, he scored 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting and had seven assists. Others who are off to

With Wembanyama, other top picks out, NBA Summer League spotlight is for the taking
World

Iraq's $27B deal with TotalEnergies could ease its longstanding energy crisis, but challenges remain

A multi-billion dollar agreement signed with France’s TotalEnergies could help resolve Iraq’s longstanding electricity crisis, attract international investors and reduce its reliance on gas imports from neighboring Iran, a point of tension with Washington. The $27 billion agreement signed in Baghdad on Monday after years of negotiation marks the largest foreign investment in Iraq’s history. It could even help combat climate change by reducing oil flares, and relieve some of the stress on Iraq’s dwindling waterways through a new desalination plant. But that’s only if the parties implementing the agreement can overcome the endemic corruption and political

Iraq's $27B deal with TotalEnergies could ease its longstanding energy crisis, but challenges remain
World

Smuggler sentenced to prison for deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants who suffocated in truck in UK

A Romanian man who was part of an international human smuggling ring was sentenced Tuesday to more than 12 years in prison for the deaths of 39 migrants from Vietnam who suffocated in a truck trailer on their way to England in 2019. Marius Mihai Draghici was the ringleader’s right-hand man and an “essential cog” in an operation that made huge profits exploiting people desperate to get to the U.K., Justice Neil Garnham said in the Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey. Victims, who paid about 13,000 pounds ($16,770) for so-called VIP service, died after

Smuggler sentenced to prison for deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants who suffocated in truck in UK
Arts

Todd Haynes' 'May December' to open 61st New York Film Festival

The 61st New York Film Festival will kick off with Todd Haynes’ “May December,” a juicy drama starring Natalie Portman as an actor preparing for a film about a years-ago tabloid scandal. Film at Lincoln Center, which puts on the New York Film Festival, announced Tuesday that “May December” — one of the standouts at this year’s Cannes Film Festival — will be the opening night film at this year’s edition. The gala will take place Sept. 29 at Alice Tully Hall. In it, Portman plays a well-known TV star who, to research a role, spends

Todd Haynes' 'May December' to open 61st New York Film Festival
World

Turkey's pledge of support for Sweden's NATO entry is tied to goals on security and EU membership

Turkey made a surprise pledge to drop its opposition to Sweden joining NATO, paving the way for the Nordic country to become a member of the Western military alliance. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg heralded the agreement Monday after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Stoltenberg said Turkey had agreed to support Sweden’s NATO bid – by putting the issue to a vote in Parliament — in return for deeper cooperation with Sweden on security issues and a pledge from Sweden to revive Turkey’s quest for EU membership. The agreement

Turkey's pledge of support for Sweden's NATO entry is tied to goals on security and EU membership
Political

EPA sets stricter limits on hydrofluorocarbons used in refrigerators, air conditioners

The Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing stricter limits on hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners that contribute to global warming. A rule announced Tuesday will impose a 40% overall reduction in HFCs starting next year, part of a global phaseout designed to slow climate change. The rule aligns with a 2020 law that calls for an 85% reduction in production and use of the climate-damaging chemicals by 2036. Officials said refrigeration and air conditioning systems sold in the United States will emit far fewer HFCs as a result of the rule, the

EPA sets stricter limits on hydrofluorocarbons used in refrigerators, air conditioners
World

Amazon union is sued by former members seeking a new election for union officers

A dissenting group composed of some former members of the fledgling union that successfully organized an Amazon warehouse in New York has filed a lawsuit accusing the union of violating its own constitution and is asking a court to step in and force an election for union officers. The complaint, filed Monday in U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of New York, comes as the upstart Amazon Labor Union – the only certified group representing Amazon workers – struggles to capture the momentum that led to its surprising victory last year following a series of

Amazon union is sued by former members seeking a new election for union officers
World

Ticketmaster halts Taylor Swift ticket sales in France, cites issue with third-party provider

The trouble between Ticketmaster and Taylor Swift’s“Eras” tour isn’t over — with the latest snafu impacting fans hoping to score tickets in France. On Tuesday, after some fans reported issues with accessing Ticketmaster’s site, sales for six of Swift’s upcoming shows in Paris and Lyon were abruptly postponed. An explanation wasn’t immediately clear, but in posts on Ticketmaster’s French Twitter several hours after the pause began, the ticket seller cited a problem with a third-party provider. Ticketmaster directed The Associated Press to the Twitter statement. In the posts, Ticketmaster maintained that tickets to the France shows

Ticketmaster halts Taylor Swift ticket sales in France, cites issue with third-party provider
Arts

Jury starts deliberating the case of competing wills in Aretha Franklin estate

Lawyers for two of Aretha Franklin’s sons urged a Michigan jury Tuesday to declare a 2014 document as the music superstar’s valid will, saying there’s nothing legally significant about finding the handwritten papers in a notebook in her couch. It’s “inconsequential. … You can take your will and leave it on the kitchen counter. It’s still your will,” Charles McKelvie said in closing arguments in a suburban Detroit court before the jury began deliberations. Another lawyer, Craig Smith, pointed to the first line of the document, which was displayed on four large posters in front of

Jury starts deliberating the case of competing wills in Aretha Franklin estate
World

Oakland Athletics start process of applying to MLB for move to Las Vegas

The Oakland Athletics have started the process of applying to Major League Baseball to move to Las Vegas. MLB last month established a relocation committee to evaluate the move, a group headed by Milwaukee Brewers chairman Mark Attanasio. Philadelphia Phillies CEO John Middleton and Kansas City Royals CEO John Sherman were also on the committee. “They have begun to submit information related to their relocation application,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday. “It’s not complete at this point.” Nevada’s Legislature approved providing $380 million in public financing for a proposed

Oakland Athletics start process of applying to MLB for move to Las Vegas
Political

Man who stormed Capitol while free on attempted murder charge gets over 3 years in prison for riot

A North Carolina man who stormed the U.S. Capitol while awaiting trial for shooting a teenager in the head was sentenced on Tuesday to more than three years in prison for attacking police officers with a flagpole during the riot. Matthew Jason Beddingfield, 22, was free on pretrial release for an attempted murder charge in Johnston County, North Carolina, when he joined the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Outside the Capitol, Beddingfield flashed a Nazi-style salute after attacking police officers with a pole attached to an American flag, according to federal prosecutors. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols sentenced Beddingfield to

Man who stormed Capitol while free on attempted murder charge gets over 3 years in prison for riot
World

Insurance companies sue energy corporation after it was blamed for helping start Colorado wildfire

Dozens of insurance companies are suing Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy to recoup money paid out to homes and businesses lost in Colorado’s most destructive wildfire in 2021. The lawsuit was filed Thursday, a few weeks after investigators announced that a sparking power line owned by Xcel was one of the causes of a fire that, fanned by high winds, destroyed nearly 1,000 homes and left two people dead. Embers from a smoldering scrap wood fire set days before on a nearby property used by a Christian religious communal group was also found to have been another cause. The two fires combined

Insurance companies sue energy corporation after it was blamed for helping start Colorado wildfire
World

Novak Djokovic ties Roger Federer with 46 Slam semifinals and meets Jannik Sinner next at Wimbledon

As Novak Djokovic pursues more history-making victories and more milestones, he is well aware that every opponent he faces would love nothing more than to stop him. “I know they want … to win. But it ain’t happening, still,” he told the crowd at Wimbledon on Tuesday after reaching a 46th Grand Slam semifinal to tie Roger Federer’s record for men. Hearing the spectators’ loud reaction to that boast, Djokovic laughed and observed about himself: “Very humble.” His 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Andrey Rublev was the 33rd in a row at the All England

Novak Djokovic ties Roger Federer with 46 Slam semifinals and meets Jannik Sinner next at Wimbledon
Political

Joint Chiefs nominee wins over lawmakers but faces uncertain fate because of senator's hold

President Joe Biden’s pick to serve as America’s top military officer warned senators Tuesday of the difficulties posed by any potential conflict in Asia and described how he would use lessons learned from the Ukraine war to help the U.S. military prepare. But Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. may not be able to apply those lessons anytime soon, even after being well-received in a confirmation hearing to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Brown’s nomination is among more than 260 being stalled by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. He is

Joint Chiefs nominee wins over lawmakers but faces uncertain fate because of senator's hold

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