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

The Los Angeles Post

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Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Economy

Why a handwritten will found in Aretha Franklin's couch got R‑E‑S‑P‑E‑C‑T from a jury

A battle over the superstar’s estate landed in court. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP A handwritten will in a spiral notebook found wedged between couch cushions months after Aretha Franklin’s 2018 death is valid, a jury in Pontiac, Michigan, has decided. The July 11, 2023, verdict ended a yearslong legal dispute among three of the soul singer’s four sons over which of three informal wills found in her home should take precedence over the others. As a result, the four-page document, drafted in 2014, will now guide how the singer’s multimillion-dollar estate and royalties will be distributed among her heirs. The Conversation asked

Why a handwritten will found in Aretha Franklin's couch got R‑E‑S‑P‑E‑C‑T from a jury
Health

First over-the-counter birth control pill gets FDA approval

U.S. officials have approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill, which will let American women and girls buy contraceptive medication from the same aisle as aspirin and eyedrops. The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it cleared Perrigo’s once-a-day Opill to be sold without a prescription, making it the first such medication to be moved out from behind the pharmacy counter. The company won’t start shipping the pill until early next year, and there will be no age restrictions on sales. Hormone-based pills have long been the most common form of birth control in the U.S., used

First over-the-counter birth control pill gets FDA approval
Political

Many once-democratic countries continue to backslide, becoming less free – but their leaders continue to enjoy popular support

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power since 2003 and has tried to strengthen the executive branch during that time. AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis Democracy is decreasing globally – and has been doing so for the last 17 years, according to 2023 findings published by the nonprofit group Freedom House, which advocates for democracy. These leaders’ generous public spending on key constituencies and effective promotion of nationalism are two reasons why they remain popular. I am a political scientist who studies political and economic dynamics in low- and middle-income countries. This phenomenon of societies becoming less democratic after having

Many once-democratic countries continue to backslide, becoming less free – but their leaders continue to enjoy popular support
Education

Support for legacy admissions is rooted in racial hierarchy

Critics of legacy admissions argue they maintain racial hierarchies that disproportionately benefit white students. YinYang/iStock via Getty Images Not long after the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision to ban the use of race in college admissions, people began to ask questions once again about the fairness of legacy admissions. Legacy admission is a practice in which colleges give a preference to the children of graduates when deciding which students to let in. As a researcher who specializes in education and workplace policies, I have examined why people support legacy admissions and not affirmative action. I found that even though

Support for legacy admissions is rooted in racial hierarchy
World

Disney extends CEO Bob Iger's contract 2 more years through 2026

Bob Iger will remain as CEO of The Walt Disney Co. through the end of 2026, agreeing to a two-year contract extension that will give the entertainment and theme park company some breathing room to find his successor. Shares climbed before the market open on Thursday. Iger rejoined Disney as CEO in November, taking over control of the company from Bob Chapek. He had previously served as CEO and chairman from 2005 to 2020 and then as executive chairman and chairman through 2021. Chapek’s short tenure was met by much criticism, particularly from Disney park loyalists who openly criticized Chapek

Disney extends CEO Bob Iger's contract 2 more years through 2026
Political

3 takeaways from the NATO summit – and where it leaves the military alliance

Presidents Biden and Zelenskyy take to the stage. AP Photo/Susan Walsh The leaders of the 31 nations that comprise NATO made their way home on July 12, 2023, after concluding two days of highest-level diplomatic meetings. The summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius wasn’t just all talk – it provided an opportunity for the Western military alliance to reassess its purpose, size and structure in light of more than a year of war in Ukraine. John R. Deni, research professor at the U.S. Army War College and author of “NATO and Article 5: The Transatlantic Alliance and the Twenty-First-Century

3 takeaways from the NATO summit – and where it leaves the military alliance
World

IOC declines to give Russia and Belarus formal invitations to Paris Olympics 1 year out

Russia and Belarus will not get a formal invitation to the 2024 Paris Olympics when more than 200 national teams receive their traditional invites later this month, the IOC said Thursday. It is an International Olympic Committee tradition exactly one year before a Summer Games or Winter Games opens to invite all the national teams worldwide to the event. Despite the protocol move, some Russian and Belarusian athletes could still compete in Paris despite their countries’ war on Ukraine. Their national teams will not yet be asked to come. The IOC said Thursday that 203 eligible

IOC declines to give Russia and Belarus formal invitations to Paris Olympics 1 year out
Science

In ‘Oppenheimer,’ Christopher Nolan builds a thrilling, serious blockbuster for adults

Christopher Nolan has never been one to take the easy or straightforward route while making a movie. He shoots on large-format film with large, cumbersome cameras to get the best possible cinematic image. He prefers practical effects over computer-generated ones and real locations over soundstages — even when that means recreating an atomic explosion in the harsh winds of the New Mexico desert in the middle of the night for “Oppenheimer,” out July 21. Though, despite internet rumors, they did not detonate an actual nuclear weapon. And as for the biography that inspired his newest film,

In ‘Oppenheimer,’ Christopher Nolan builds a thrilling, serious blockbuster for adults
World

A heat wave named Cerberus has southern Europe in its jaws, and it's only going to get worse

Tourists in central Athens huddled under mist machines, and zoo animals in Madrid were fed fruit popsicles and chunks of frozen food, as southern Europeans braced for a heat wave Thursday, with a warning of severe conditions coming from the European Union’s space agency. Emergency measures – including staffing changes, cellphone alerts, and intensified forest fire patrols – were readied or put into effect in several countries as temperatures in parts of Mediterranean Europe were set to reach 45 degrees Celsius (113F) Friday and into the weekend. In Athens and other Greek cities, working hours were

A heat wave named Cerberus has southern Europe in its jaws, and it's only going to get worse
Science

In 'Oppenheimer,' Cillian Murphy finally gets to lead a Christopher Nolan film

The day Christopher Nolan called Cillian Murphy about his new film, “Oppenheimer,” Murphy hung up the phone in disbelief. The Irish actor, though a regular presence in Nolan films going back almost two decades, had always been a supporting player. This time, Nolan wanted him to lead. “He’s so understated and self-deprecating and, in his very English manner, just said, ‘Listen, I’ve written this script, it’s about Oppenheimer. I’d like you to be my Oppenheimer,’” Murphy, 46, told The Associated Press earlier this year. “It was a great day.” For Murphy, it is never not exciting to get a call

In 'Oppenheimer,' Cillian Murphy finally gets to lead a Christopher Nolan film
World

FTC appeals judge's ruling that would allow Microsoft's Activision Blizzard takeover

The Federal Trade Commission says it is appealing a judge’s ruling that would have allowed Microsoft to close its deal to buy video game company Activision Blizzard. A Wednesday court filing from the FTC says it is appealing it to the San Francisco-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Antitrust enforcers at the FTC have been trying to stop Microsoft’s $68.7 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard, maker of popular game franchises like Call of Duty, arguing it will harm competition in the video game industry. But in a Tuesday ruling, U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley denied the

FTC appeals judge's ruling that would allow Microsoft's Activision Blizzard takeover
World

The gunman who killed 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue is found eligible for the death penalty

The gunman who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018 is eligible for the death penalty, a federal jury announced Thursday, setting the stage for further evidence and testimony on whether he should be sentenced to death or life in prison. The government is seeking capital punishment for Robert Bowers, who raged against Jewish people online before storming the Tree of Life synagogue with an AR-15 rifle and other weapons in the nation’s deadliest antisemitic attack. The jury agreed with prosecutors that Bowers — who spent six months planning the attack and has since expressed

The gunman who killed 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue is found eligible for the death penalty
World

Ons Jabeur is in a second consecutive Wimbledon final. She plays Marketa Vondrousova for the title

There was a time when Ons Jabeur might not have recovered from the deficit she found herself in during the Wimbledon semifinals. Down a set. Down a break. So close to being just a game from defeat. She credits her sports psychologist with helping her understand how to deal with those on-court situations, with managing to keep her focus, keep her strokes on-target. Thanks in part to that, and a steadiness down the stretch at Centre Court on Thursday, Jabeur is on her way to a second consecutive final at the All England Club and her

Ons Jabeur is in a second consecutive Wimbledon final. She plays Marketa Vondrousova for the title
World

No fingerprints, DNA sample or leads from cocaine found at the White House, the Secret Service says

No fingerprints or DNA turned up on the baggie of cocaine found in a lobby at the White House last week despite a sophisticated FBI crime lab analysis, and surveillance footage of the area didn’t identify a suspect, according to a summary of the Secret Service investigation obtained by The Associated Press. There are no leads on who brought the drugs into the building. U.S. Secret Service agents found the white powder during a routine White House sweep on July 2, in a heavily trafficked West Wing lobby where staff go in and out and tour groups

No fingerprints, DNA sample or leads from cocaine found at the White House, the Secret Service says
World

Top UN court rejects Nicaragua's case in a long-running maritime dispute with Colombia

The United Nations’ top court on Thursday rejected a case brought by Nicaragua in a decades-long dispute with Colombia over maritime borders and entitlements in the Caribbean. The International Court of Justice dismissed Nicaragua’s bid to gain economic rights over an area of the Caribbean sea that lies more than 200 nautical miles (380 kilometers) from its shores. Nicaragua wanted the international court to review the limits of its continental shelf, and determine new maritime boundaries for the Central American nation. Colombia already claims exclusive economic rights in much of the area that lies to

Top UN court rejects Nicaragua's case in a long-running maritime dispute with Colombia
World

Guatemala's political turmoil deepens as 1 candidate is targeted and the other suspends her campaign

Guatemala sank deeper into political turmoil Thursday as prosecutors targeted a progressive presidential candidate who proved to be surprisingly popular, prompting his opponent to suspend her campaign, saying the playing field was no longer even. The government’s actions against candidate Bernardo Arévalo — first suspending his Seed Movement party, then raiding the country’s election tribunal offices after it certified election results — sparked other objections as well, from within and outside Guatemala. U.S. officials called them a threat to the country’s democracy. By Thursday afternoon, those actions appeared to have backfired. Candidates left and right warned

Guatemala's political turmoil deepens as 1 candidate is targeted and the other suspends her campaign
World

EU, Japan celebrate close cooperation with end of EU food restrictions in wake of Fukushima disaster

The European Union and Japan celebrated their close cooperation with Thursday’s announcement that the 27-nation bloc will lift the food import restrictions it had imposed in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a short summit with EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, further cementing a diplomatic unity that was only reinforced since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “We know that the Pacific security and European security are indivisible,” von der Leyen said after both leaders discussed their joint strategic challenges at the NATO summit in Vilnius,

EU, Japan celebrate close cooperation with end of EU food restrictions in wake of Fukushima disaster
World

Founder of failed crypto lending platform Celsius Network arrested on fraud charges

The founder and former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network was freed on $40 million bail Thursday after pleading not guilty to federal fraud charges alleging that he schemed to defraud customers by misleading them about key aspects of the business. Alexander Mashinsky, 57, of Manhattan, was charged with securities, commodities and wire fraud in an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court. He was also charged with illegally manipulating the price of Celsius’s proprietary crypto token while secretly selling his own tokens at inflated prices. Mashinsky left the court without commenting after an

Founder of failed crypto lending platform Celsius Network arrested on fraud charges
Political

Biden says he’s serious about pursuing prisoner exchange for WSJ reporter held in Russia

President Joe Biden on Thursday said he’s serious about pursuing a prisoner exchange for a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia for more than 100 days. The Kremlin earlier this month suggested that it was open to a possible prisoner exchange that could involve Evan Gershkovich, but it underscored that such talks must be held out of the public eye. Speaking at a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, Biden made clear that the U.S. is interested. “I’m serious on a prisoner exchange,” said Biden, who was concluding a four-day visit to Europe that

Biden says he’s serious about pursuing prisoner exchange for WSJ reporter held in Russia
World

First Amendment group sues Texas Governor and others over the state's TikTok ban on official devices

A First Amendment group sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott and others on Thursday over the state’s TikTok ban on official devices, arguing the prohibition – which extends to public universities – is unconstitutional and impedes academic freedom. The complaint was filed by The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, a free speech group in New York that’s suing on behalf a coalition of academics and researchers who study technology’s impact on society. The lawsuit said the state’s decision to restrict access to TikTok on official devices, as well as on personal devices used to conduct

First Amendment group sues Texas Governor and others over the state's TikTok ban on official devices
World

A deadly bomb ambush of police in Mexico has endangered mothers who search for the missing

A drug cartel bomb attack that allegedly used a fake report of a mass grave to lure police into a deadly trap has had devastating collateral damage: It has led some authorities to abandon the volunteers who search for Mexico’s 110,000 missing people. Most of the searchers are distraught mothers looking for the bodies of the thousands of victims of kidnapping gangs and drug cartels, who dump their bodies in clandestine graves. A day after Tuesday’s attack that killed four police officers and two civilians in Jalisco state, Gov. Enrique Alfaro announced that he was temporarily

A deadly bomb ambush of police in Mexico has endangered mothers who search for the missing
World

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI signs deal with AP to license news stories

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and The Associated Press said Thursday that they’ve made a deal for the artificial intelligence company to license AP’s archive of news stories. “The arrangement sees OpenAI licensing part of AP’s text archive, while AP will leverage OpenAI’s technology and product expertise,” the two organizations said in a joint statement. The price of the deal was not disclosed. “Both organizations will benefit from each other’s established expertise in their respective industries, and believe in the responsible creation and use of these AI systems,” the statement said. The two companies said they are also examining

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI signs deal with AP to license news stories
Arts

Second season of Apple TV+'s 'Foundation' digs 'even deeper' into a galaxy-striding series

A sprawling, mighty galaxy was created in season one of “Foundation.” Now it’s time to rip it up. Season two of the ambitious Apple TV+ sci-fi series flashes forward some 140 years and it’s quickly clear that the clones who form the authoritarian order in the galaxy are losing their grip, leading to a note of chaos. “Stasis is boring in terms of drama,” said David S. Goyer, the series’ co-creator, executive producer and showrunner. “Conflict is more interesting. So we’ve introduced this monolithic genetic dynasty and now we’re starting to destroy it.” “Foundation” is built

Second season of Apple TV+'s 'Foundation' digs 'even deeper' into a galaxy-striding series
World

Memphis Grizzlies forward Kenneth Lofton among undrafted players shining in summer league

Memphis Grizzlies forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. is among several undrafted players making an impact in the Las Vegas summer league. The former Louisiana Tech standout who was not selected in 2022 is averaging 20.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in three games while shooting 58% from the field. Lofton uses his 6-foot-6, 275-pound frame to seemingly score at will. He was the G-League Rookie of the Year for the Memphis Hustle last season and later got his two-way contract converted into a regular deal. He took advantage of a call-up to the Grizzlies and had 42 points and 14 rebounds against

Memphis Grizzlies forward Kenneth Lofton among undrafted players shining in summer league
Political

Republican senator should drop his 'irresponsible' protest and OK military nominees, Biden says

President Joe Biden on Thursday said it is “irresponsible” of a Republican senator from Alabama to block confirmation of military officers in protest of a Defense Department policy that pays for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or reproductive care. “He’s jeopardizing U.S. security by what he’s doing,” Biden said of Sen. Tommy Tuberville. “It’s just totally irresponsible in my view.” More than 260 nominations are stalled by Tuberville, including Biden’s pick for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, America’s top military officer. The U.S. Marine

Republican senator should drop his 'irresponsible' protest and OK military nominees, Biden says

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