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

The Los Angeles Post

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World

JPMorgan Chase 2Q profits rose 67% with a boost from First Republic takeover

JPMorgan Chase & Co. said second-quarter profits rose by 67% as the nation’s largest bank made more loans to customers and took advantage of higher interest rates and its recent acquisition of First Republic. JPMorgan said Friday that it earned $14.5 billion in the three months ended June 30, compared to a profit of of $8.65 billion in the same period a year earlier. On a per share basis, the bank earned $4.75 a share. Revenue rose to $42.4 billion from $31.6 billion a year ago. The results beat Wall Street forecasts, with analysts surveyed by

JPMorgan Chase 2Q profits rose 67% with a boost from First Republic takeover
World

Novak Djokovic defeats Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon to reach the final and near an eighth title

Novak Djokovic closed in on a record-tying eighth title at Wimbledon and fifth in a row by repeatedly serving his way out of potential trouble to beat Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in the semifinals on Friday. Djokovic saved all six break points he faced — including a pair that were set points for the eighth-seeded Sinner at 5-4 in the third — and reached his ninth final at the All England Club. It’s also his 35th final at all Grand Slam tournaments, more than any man or woman in tennis history. He is seeking

Novak Djokovic defeats Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon to reach the final and near an eighth title
World

For some remote Canadian wildfires, best and fastest option is sending in the smokejumpers

When James Bergen steps from a plane and plummets toward fire below, he’s not scared. Instead, he says, he gets a rush from not knowing exactly what he’ll face when he parachutes in as one of the smokejumpers confronting the wildfires that have scorched Canada this spring and summer. One call may mean a drop and a hike to a meadow to put out a single burning tree. “Next day you go to a fire and it’s a giant roaring beast threatening a community,” said Bergen, a solidly built 46-year-old with graying stubble.

For some remote Canadian wildfires, best and fastest option is sending in the smokejumpers
World

Disney is asking a judge to toss a lawsuit from DeSantis appointees

Disney is asking a Florida judge on Friday to toss out a lawsuit against the company’s efforts to neutralize a takeover of Disney World’s governing district by Gov. Ron DeSantis and his appointees. The hearing scheduled for an hour in state court in Orlando involves one of two cases between the Disney and DeSantis or his governing district appointees stemming from the takeover, which was retaliation for the company’s public opposition to the so-called Don’t Say Gay legislation championed by DeSantis and Republican state lawmakers. Disney and DeSantis have been engaged in a yearlong feud that

Disney is asking a judge to toss a lawsuit from DeSantis appointees
World

Rocket being developed by Japan's space agency explodes during testing but no injuries reported

A rocket being developed by the Japanese space agency exploded during testing on Friday, but there were no reports of injuries, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said. The cause of the accident at the facility in Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan, was still being investigated, the agency, JAXA, said. It was unclear and when testing for the Epsilon S rocket could resume. Japanese TV news footage from the site shows the test starting normally, with white smoke shooting out at the side. About a minute later, flames and gray smoke burst upward in an explosion, and the roof

Rocket being developed by Japan's space agency explodes during testing but no injuries reported
World

Suspect taken into custody in Long Island serial killings, AP source says

A suspect has been taken into custody on New York’s Long Island in connection with a long-unsolved string of killings, known as the Gilgo Beach murders, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Friday. The case has drawn immense public attention since human remains were found along a New York beach highway more than a decade ago. The mystery attracted national headlines for many years and the unsolved killings were the subject of the 2020 Netflix film “Lost Girls.” The suspect was taken into custody in Massapequa late Thursday and investigators were at a

Suspect taken into custody in Long Island serial killings, AP source says
Arts

Kevin Spacey denies that crotch-grabbing was his 'trademark' pickup move

Kevin Spacey denied that grabbing men by the crotch was his “trademark” pickup move as he got increasingly testy under questioning Friday by the prosecutor who accused him of sexually assaulting four men. In a heated exchange that required the intervention of the judge, Spacey was asked about allegations he had grabbed a man backstage at a charity event in a theater. “Absolute bollocks!” Spacey replied to titters from the gallery in the packed courtroom. “Yes, because that’s exactly where you did grab him,” Prosecutor Christine Agnew snapped back. “Really?” Spacey said as he looked up at

Kevin Spacey denies that crotch-grabbing was his 'trademark' pickup move
Economy

Donors who feel upbeat are more likely to give to charity – new research

Feeling generous? Vera Vita/Moment via Getty Images The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea When people feel happier, they’re more likely to donate to charity. That’s what we, two economists who study what motivates environmentally conscientious consumption and support for free services, found in a new study published in The Economic Journal. To conduct this research, we analyzed tweets from over 20,000 Twitter users who used the hashtag “#iloveWikipedia.” That slogan is part of a template that Wikipedia suggests to anyone who has just completed a donation on its online platform, so it

Donors who feel upbeat are more likely to give to charity – new research
Political

Why Trump's prosecution for keeping secret documents is lawful, constitutional, precedented, nonpartisan and merited

Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to reporters on June 9, 2023, in Washington about the investigation of Trump’s retention of classified records. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File Donald Trump and his allies have responded with a variety of objections to his federal indictment, brought in June 2023 by special counsel Jack Smith. The federal charges – the first against a former president – listed 37 counts of obstruction of justice and wrongful retention of classified documents after Trump left office in January 2021. Trump pleaded not guilty. The objections made by Trump and his allies: The former president simply cannot

Why Trump's prosecution for keeping secret documents is lawful, constitutional, precedented, nonpartisan and merited
Health

Curing America's loneliness epidemic would make us healthier, fitter and less likely to abuse drugs

Loneliness increases the risk of chronic disease and mental health challenges. An Kirillova/500px Prime via Getty Images A national health advisory issued by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on May 3, 2023, sheds light on the urgent public health issues of loneliness and isolation. The report reflects Dr. Murthy’s personal and professional experience with the damaging health impacts of loneliness. As surprising as it sounds, social isolation and loneliness have the same effect on human health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, which is to say, it can shorten life span by up to 15 years. I’m a leader in

Curing America's loneliness epidemic would make us healthier, fitter and less likely to abuse drugs
World

Acropolis' midday closure leaves many tourists in the lurch as a heat wave lashes southern Europe

Disgruntled tourists bemoaned the temporary closing of the Acropolis in Athens on Friday as Greek authorities proactively shut the world monument’s gates between midday and early evening amid a heat wave that continues to grip southern Europe. Red Cross staff handed out bottled water to tourists wilting in long lines hoping to beat the closure and scale the steps up to the gleaming Parthenon temple as temperatures were expected to peak above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in the Greek capital. Some visitors were frustrated at being left in the lurch because they were unaware of

Acropolis' midday closure leaves many tourists in the lurch as a heat wave lashes southern Europe
World

World cycling’s governing body bans female transgender athletes from women’s events

Female transgender athletes who transitioned after male puberty will no longer be able to compete in women’s races, world cycling governing body the UCI said Friday. The International Cycling Union joined the governing bodies in track and field and swimming as top-tier Olympic sports addressing in this way the issue of transgender athletes and fairness in women’s events. The UCI’s decision came after American rider Austin Killips became the first openly transgender woman to win an official cycling event in May. “From now on, female transgender athletes who have transitioned after (male) puberty will be prohibited

World cycling’s governing body bans female transgender athletes from women’s events
World

Reformist Thai party, thwarted from forming new government, seeks law change to limit Senate's power

The political party that captured first place in Thailand’s general election two months ago — only to see the country’s unelected Senators block its expectations of taking power — announced Friday it’s fighting back, seeking to change the law to take away the Senate’s de facto veto over who can form a new government. After the surprise May 14 victory of the progressive Move Forward Party, it assembled an eight-party coalition that captured a combined 312 seats — a clear majority in the House of Representatives. On that basis, it has the right to try to form

Reformist Thai party, thwarted from forming new government, seeks law change to limit Senate's power
Political

Serbia halts arms exports after US sanctioned the country's spy chief for alleged illegal arms trade

Serbia suspended all arms exports for 30 days, the defense minister said Friday, just days after the United States imposed sanctions on the Balkan country’s intelligence chief over alleged illegal arms deals and other criminal activities. Defense Minister Miloš Vučević said that the export ban is necessary in order to fulfill the needs of the Serbian army and boost its combat readiness amid the simmering crisis in the Balkan region. “It does not mean Serbia is going to war or calling for war, but we are looking at all security risks and challenges,” Vučević said. Serbian

Serbia halts arms exports after US sanctioned the country's spy chief for alleged illegal arms trade
Political

DeSantis to become 1st GOP candidate to file for South Carolina primary during visit next week

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to file his 2024 candidacy for South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary when he’s in the first-in-the-South voting state next week, becoming the first GOP hopeful to do so. DeSantis will file his paperwork at the state GOP headquarters in Columbia on Tuesday, his campaign told The Associated Press on Friday. DeSantis will make his candidacy official during his third campaign swing through South Carolina, where Republican hopefuls have been stumping for more than a year already. On Monday, he makes a stop in Tega Cay, an affluent community on Lake Wylie

DeSantis to become 1st GOP candidate to file for South Carolina primary during visit next week
Arts

Q&A: Robert Downey Jr. on how 'Oppenheimer' represents the Manhattan Project with nuance

Robert Downey Jr. said he came away from Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” thinking about how important context is to understand significant moments in history. The film tells the story of the controversial theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), who oversaw the development of the first atomic bomb during World War II. Downey plays former chair of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Lewis Strauss, a key figure in the revocation of Oppenheimer’s security clearance. “Oppenheimer” is out in theaters July 21. The interview, which was conducted before the actors strike was called, has been edited for

Q&A: Robert Downey Jr. on how 'Oppenheimer' represents the Manhattan Project with nuance
World

Lawsuit against fast fashion retailer Shein claims RICO violations

China’s fast fashion retailer Shein is facing a lawsuit that claims the clothing maker’s copyright infringement is so aggressive, it amounts to racketeering. The filing this week claims that Shein is in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, better known as RICO, a law originally crafted to prosecute organized crime. “Shein has grown rich by committing individual infringements over and over again, as part of a long and continuous pattern of racketeering, which shows no sign of abating,” the filing says. In an organized effort to create as many as 6,000 new items per day, Shein uses

Lawsuit against fast fashion retailer Shein claims RICO violations
World

Harrington not ruling out chance to play in another Ryder Cup

Padraig Harrington is not ruling out the idea of playing in another Ryder Cup, even at age 51, depending on how he fares in his two weeks against the world’s best players. That hope was emboldened Friday in the Scottish Open after a 4-under 66 at The Renaissance Club, leaving him two shots off the early pace set by Tyrrell Hatton and Tom Kim. Harrington said European captain Luke Donald called him after he won two weeks ago on the PGA Tour Champions to say he was watching. But the Irishman doesn’t believe his performance on

Harrington not ruling out chance to play in another Ryder Cup
Political

Biden and Democrats raised $72 million-plus for his 2024 race since he opened his campaign in April

President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised more than $72 million for his reelection in the 10 weeks since he announced his 2024 candidacy, his campaign announced Friday, in a strong but not record performance by an incumbent. That is all the money raised between April 25, when Biden made his announcement, and the end of June, and includes donations to his campaign and to a network of joint fundraising arrangements with the national and state parties. By comparison, President Barack Obama raised $85.6 million during the April-to-June quarter in 2011 when he launched his

Biden and Democrats raised $72 million-plus for his 2024 race since he opened his campaign in April
Arts

Woman arrested on drug charges linked to death of Robert De Niro's grandson, official says

A woman has been arrested on federal narcotics charges for allegedly selling the drugs that led to the death of actor Robert De Niro’s 19-year-old grandson, a law enforcement official said Friday. Sofia Haley Marks, 20, was arrested Thursday by New York City police officers and federal drug agents on charges of selling drugs to Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, according a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the arrest. Marks was expected to appear in federal court later Friday. There were no online booking records

Woman arrested on drug charges linked to death of Robert De Niro's grandson, official says
Arts

Hollywood's actors are joining screenwriters on strike. Here's why and what happens next

Hollywood actors are joining screenwriters in the first dual strike from the two unions in more than six decades, with huge consequences for the film and television industry. Here is a look at how it has played out, why it’s happening, and what could come next. WHAT LED TO THE ACTORS STRIKE? More than a month of talks on a new three-year contract between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the studios, streaming services and production companies that employ them led to little progress, and the tone became openly hostile in

Hollywood's actors are joining screenwriters on strike. Here's why and what happens next
World

Moldova's prime minister accepts resignation of interior minister after fatal airport shooting

Moldova’s prime minister said Friday that he accepted the resignations of three ministers, including the interior minister, which comes two weeks after a shooting at the country’s main international airport that left two security officers dead. Prime Minister Dorin Recean said in a media briefing that Interior Minister Ana Revenco, the infrastructure and regional development minister, Lilia Dabija, and Science and Education Minister Anatolie Topal all handed in their resignations on Thursday, but he didn’t say why they quit. The opposition, however, had demanded that Revenco resign in the wake of a deadly shooting at Chisinau

Moldova's prime minister accepts resignation of interior minister after fatal airport shooting
Political

House Republicans push through defense bill limiting abortion access and halting diversity efforts

The House passed a sweeping defense bill Friday that provides an expected 5.2% pay raise for service members but strays from traditional military policy with Republicans add-ons blocking abortion coverage, diversity initiatives at the Pentagon and transgender care that deeply divided the chamber. Democrats voted against the package, which had sailed out of the House Armed Services Committee on an almost unanimous vote weeks ago before being loaded with the GOP priorities during a heated late-night floor debate this week. The final vote was 219-210, with four Democrats siding with the GOP and four Republicans opposed. The

House Republicans push through defense bill limiting abortion access and halting diversity efforts
World

Tennessee fined more than $8 million for over 200 infractions in football program

The NCAA fined Tennessee more than $8 million on Friday and issued a scathing report outlining more than 200 infractions during the three-year tenure of former coach Jeremy Pruitt. The Volunteers escaped a postseason ban. The sprawling report said Tennessee committed 18 Level I violations, the most severe, and said most involved recruiting infractions and direct payments to athletes and their families – benefits that totaled approximately $60,000. The NCAA praised Tennessee for its cooperation and the Vols escaped the postseason ban penalty. But the infractions panel noted that decision was a difficult one given the

Tennessee fined more than $8 million for over 200 infractions in football program
World

Kenyan religious leaders urge the president to repeal a new tax law as protests surge

Christian and Muslim leaders in Kenya are urging President William Ruto to repeal a finance bill whose new taxes have sparked protests and police killings of civilians, warning that Kenyans face a level of hopelessness that “can easily inspire insurrection.” Friday’s statement by national religious organizations came as the main political opposition group announced the next protest would take place next Wednesday, and as Ruto declared it would not be allowed. Human rights watchdogs have asserted that police killed as many as 10 people in the latest protests this week, while a police official told The

Kenyan religious leaders urge the president to repeal a new tax law as protests surge

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