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U.S.-China competition to build drone swarms could fuel global arms race, analysts say

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-04-12/us-china-competition-to-field-military-drone-swarms-could-fuel-global-arms-race

As their rivalry intensifies, U.S. and Chinese military planners are gearing up for a new kind of warfare in which squadrons of air and sea drones equipped with artificial intelligence work together like swarms of bees to overwhelm an enemy. The planners envision a scenario in which hundreds, even thousands of the machines engage in coordinated battle. A single controller might oversee dozens of drones. Some would scout, others attack. Some would be able to pivot to new objectives in the middle of a mission based on prior programming rather than a direct order. The world’s only AI superpowers are engaged in an arms race for swarming drones that is reminiscent of the Cold War, except drone technology will be far more difficult to contain than nuclear weapons. Because software drives the drones’ swarming abilities, it could be relatively easy and cheap for rogue nations and militants to acquire their own fleets of killer robots. The Pentagon is pushing urgent development of inexpensive, expendable drones as a deterrent against China acting on its territorial claim on Taiwan. Washington says it has no choice but to keep pace with Beijing. Chinese officials say AI-enabled weapons are inevitable, so they, too, must have them. The unchecked spread of swarm technology “could lead to more instability and conflict around the world,” said Margarita Konaev, an analyst with Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology. World & Nation Growing concerns over war with China have Japan’s southwestern islands scrambling to bolster defenses. Feb. 28, 2024 As the undisputed leaders in the field, Washington and Beijing are best equipped to set an example by putting limits on military uses of drone swarms. But their intense competition, China’s military aggression in the South China Sea and persistent tensions over Taiwan make the prospect of cooperation look dim. The idea is not new. The United Nations has tried for more than a decade to advance drone nonproliferation efforts that could include limits such as forbidding the targeting of civilians or banning the use of swarms for ethnic cleansing. Drones have been a priority for both powers for years, and each side has kept its advances secret, so it’s unclear which country might have an edge. It’s not clear how many drones a single person would control. A spokesman for the Defense secretary declined to say, but a recently published Pentagon-backed study offers a clue: A single operator supervised a swarm of more than 100 cheap air and land drones in late 2021 in an urban warfare exercise at an Army training site at Ft, Campbell, Tenn. Not to be outdone, China’s military claimed last year that dozens of aerial drones “self-healed” after jamming cut their communications. An official documentary said they regrouped, switched to self-guidance and completed a search-and-destroy mission unaided, detonating explosive-laden drones on a target. World & Nation Incoming Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te must grapple with an increasingly fraught relationship with China that has edged closer to armed conflict. Jan. 13, 2024 A year ago, CIA Director William Burns said Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping had instructed his military to “be ready by 2027” to invade Taiwan. But that doesn’t mean an invasion is likely. Just before he died last year, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger urged Beijing and Washington to work together to discourage AI arms proliferation. They have “a narrow window of opportunity,” he said. Xi and President Biden made a verbal agreement in November to set up working groups on AI safety, but that effort has so far taken a backseat to the arms race for autonomous drones. The competition is not apt to build trust or reduce the risk of conflict, said William Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. If the U.S. is “going full speed ahead, it’s most likely China will accelerate whatever it’s doing,” Hartung said. World & Nation Biden sought to smooth over tensions with China’s Xi, who said conflict with the U.S. has ‘unbearable consequences’ for both countries. Nov. 15, 2023 There’s a risk China could offer swarm technology to U.S. foes or repressive countries, analysts say. Or it could be stolen. Other countries developing the tech, such as Russia, Israel, Iran and Turkey, could also spread the know-how. U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan said in January that U.S.-China talks set to begin sometime this spring will address AI safety. Neither the Defense secretary’s office nor the National Security Council would comment on whether the military use of drone swarms might be on the agenda. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Military analysts, drone makers and AI researchers don’t expect fully capable, combat-ready swarms to be fielded for five years or so, though big breakthroughs could happen sooner. “The Chinese have an edge in hardware right now. I think we have an edge in software,” said Chief Executive Adam Bry of U.S. drone maker Skydio, which supplies the Army, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the State Department, among other agencies. Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping said the U.S. has “stronger basic scientific and technological capabilities” but added that the American advantage is not “impossible to surpass.” Paul Scharre, an AI expert at the Center for a New American Security think tank, believes the rivals are at rough parity. “The bigger question for each country is about how do you use a drone swarm effectively?” he said. That’s one reason attention is fixed on the war in Ukraine, where drones work as eyes in the sky to make undetected frontline maneuvers all but impossible. They also dispatch death from the sky and serve as sea-skimming ship killers. Drones in Ukraine are often lost to jamming. Electronic interference is just one of multiple challenges for drone swarm development. Researchers are also focused on the difficult logistics of marshaling hundreds of air and sea drones over vast expanses of the western Pacific for a potential war over Taiwan. Julie Adams, an Oregon State University robotics professor, has collaborated with the U.S. military on drone-swarm research including the 2021 exercise at Ft. Campbell. She said she was particularly impressed with a swarm commander in an exercise last year at Fort Moore, Ga., who single-handedly managed a 45-drone swarm over 2½ hours with just 20 minutes of training. “It was a pleasant surprise,” she said. Was he a video game player, she was asked. Yes, she said. “And he had a VR headset at home.” Bajak writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Zen Soo in Hong Kong contributed to this report. April 2, 2024 Nov. 30, 2023 Nov. 19, 2023

Todd Chrisley is ordered to pay Georgia investigator $755,000 in defamation lawsuit loss

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-04-09/todd-chrisley-amy-doherty-heinze-defamation-lawsuit-75500-damages

Imprisoned reality TV star Todd Chrisley is facing even more legal and financial woes. Last week, a federal jury found that the real estate tycoon, known for the USA Network series “Chrisley Knows Best,” defamed an investigator from the Georgia Department of Revenue. A Georgia judge decided Thursday that Chrisley, who is currently serving a years-long sentence in federal prison for bank fraud and tax evasion, must pay Amy Doherty-Heinze $755,000 in compensatory and punitive damages and legal fees, according to legal documents reviewed by The Times. Doherty-Heinze sued Chrisley on July 9, 2021, alleging he accused her of “a multitude of crimes and wrongdoing” starting in 2020, legal documents say. The defamation suit also alleged Chrisley, 55, “repeated false accusations that, among other things, [Doherty-Heinze] engaged in various criminal misconduct in her post as an investigator for the Georgia Department of Revenue’s Office of Special Investigations.” Two months after the lawsuit came down, Chrisley tried to get the case thrown out, but Doherty-Heinze alleged that the TV star continued to “defame” her in a September 2021 episode of his and wife Julie’s “Chrisley Confessions” podcast. Television Reality TV star and podcast host Savannah Chrisley has been vocal about her parents’ federal fraud case. Julie and Todd Chrisley were convicted two years ago. March 14, 2024 According to the investigator’s suit, Chrisley names Doherty-Heinze in his podcast and accuses her of corruption and of “illegally accessing” a government program to pull information on the reality TV family, including his wife and their children, Chase and Savannah. Doherty-Heinze filed her lawsuit four years after the Georgia Department of Revenue began investigating Todd and Julie Chrisley in 2017, the lawsuit said. Her suit alleged that Chrisley started a “social media campaign against the GDOR and certain of its employees, contending that the investigation was illegal and improperly motivated.” Amid the lawsuit, Doherty-Heinze’s attorneys demanded in September 2022 that Chrisley retract the alleged defamatory statements from the September 2021 podcast episode. Television ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ stars Julie and Todd Chrisley are serving a combined 19 years in prison for bank fraud and tax evasion. Here’s how they got there. Aug. 3, 2023 In response to Thursday’s ruling, Chrisley’s attorney Leesa Guarnotta said in a statement to The Times the star’s team was “pleased the jury recognized that some of Mr. Chrisley’s statements were not defamatory and awarded the plaintiff a fourth of the damages she requested.” “We are concerned about the state of the First Amendment where such a case could make it to trial in the first place,” the statement added. “We are optimistic about our appeal.” The Georgia investigator is “thrilled” with last week’s decision and thankful for the jury who ruled in her favor, Nicole Jennings Wade, an attorney for Doherty-Heinze, told The Times on Wednesday. “[Doherty-Heinze] has had these lies hanging over her head for four years, and it is a huge relief to her that a federal jury has finally held Todd Chrisley accountable,” the attorney added. “She is particularly appreciative that the jury found that not only were Mr. Chrisley’s statements false and defamatory, but also that he acted with actual malice and a specific intent to cause her harm. She hopes this verdict will help deter Mr. Chrisley from defaming other innocent people in the future.” The “Chrisley Knows Best” patriarch and Julie Chrisley were convicted in June 2022 of federal charges including tax evasion and bank fraud, disrupting their reality TV empire and family dynamics. The spouses began their prison sentences in January 2023. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in Florida’s Federal Prison Camp Pensacola and Julie seven years at Kentucky’s Federal Medical Center in Lexington. Last year, both received minor reductions in their sentences: Todd is set to be released two years earlier than originally scheduled, and Julie 14 months. Times researcher Scott Wilson contributed to this report. April 5, 2024 March 27, 2024 Feb. 29, 2024

Wall Street holds at a virtual standstill after last week's sharp swerves

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-04-08/stock-market-today-wall-street-holds-at-a-virtual-standstill-following-last-weeks-sharp-swerves

U.S. stock indexes held at a virtual standstill Monday as trading calmed after a whirlwind couple of days left them a bit shy of their records. The Standard & Poor’s 500 edged down by 1.95 points, or less than 0.1%, to 5,202.39. The benchmark index was coming off a shaky stretch where a 1.2% drop immediately flipped to a 1.1% gain. The Dow Jones industrial average tiptoed 11.24 points lower, or less than 0.1%, to 38,892.80, while the Nasdaq composite inched 5.44 points higher, or less than 0.1%, to 16,253.96. Much of the focus has been on interest rates and when the Federal Reserve will lower them to ease pressure on the economy and financial system. A string of reports showing inflation and the economy have remained hotter than expected has forced Wall Street to delay forecasts for when relief on rates could arrive. This week has several flashpoints that could further swing expectations. On Wednesday will come the latest monthly update on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Later in the week will be reports on inflation at the wholesale level and expectations for upcoming inflation among U.S. households. Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell said recently he still expects interest rate cuts this year, but the central bank needs additional confirmation inflation is heading toward its target of 2%. The Fed has been holding its main interest rate at the highest level since 2001, hoping to grind down enough on the economy and prices for investments to get inflation under control. The risk of holding rates too high for too long is that it could cause a recession. Some Fed officials have raised the possibility of rates staying high for longer, if inflation remains stubborn. That has pushed many traders on Wall Street to cut back expectations for how many rate cuts may arrive this year to two from three. They had already drastically pulled back their forecasts from the start of this year, when many were expecting six cuts or more. Traders now see roughly a coin flip’s chance of the Fed cutting interest rates at its meeting in June, down from a better than 70% probability a month ago, according to data from CME Group. Cuts to interest rates not only make borrowing easier for U.S. households and companies, but they also encourage investors to pay higher prices for stocks and other investments. Stock prices have already leaped in part on such expectations. U.S. stocks have remained near records despite diminishing expectations for rate cuts this year because of the hope that the strong economy will drive profits for companies. Profits and interest rates are the two main levers that set stock prices. Such hopes have helped the stock market’s gains broaden out beyond the handful of Big Tech stocks responsible for the majority of last year’s gain. Energy producers in the S&P 500 have jumped 16% this year, after dropping nearly 5% last year, on expectations that a recent rebound in energy prices will mean fatter profits . It’s also possible that the U.S. economy can post strong growth while simultaneously seeing inflation cool. That’s what Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle is forecasting, in part because of elevated immigration of younger people who are working in construction and other industries that generally earn lower wages. Friday’s surprisingly strong jobs report showed that workers’ average hourly wages were behaving as expected, even though employers hired far more workers than expected last month. But critics say stock prices already look expensive given their huge run of more than 20% from November into March. That means “achieving ambitious earnings forecasts has become paramount,” said Lisa Shalett, chief investment officer at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. “Economic growth is good, but complacency around its implications is not,” she said. To that end, this week will bring the start of the latest earnings reporting season. Delta Air Lines, JPMorgan Chase and other banks will headline the earliest days of the reporting period. Analysts are expecting companies across the S&P 500 to deliver a third straight quarter of growth. Real-estate investment trusts helped lead the market after Apartment Income REIT said Blackstone agreed to buy it for about $10 billion in cash, including assumed debt. Apartment Income REIT, which also goes by AIR Communities, jumped 22.4%. On the losing end of Wall Street was Trump Media & Technology Group. The company behind the Truth Social platform has seen its stock price swing sharply by the day, as experts say it’s moving more on the hopes of Trump fans than on the profit prospects of the company. It sank 8.4%. In the bond market, Treasury yields rose to add to their gains for the year so far on diminished expectations for cuts to rates. The yield on the 10-year Treasury ticked up to 4.42% from 4.40% late Friday and from less than 3.90% at the start of the year. In stock markets abroad, indexes mostly rose across Europe and Asia, though stocks fell 0.7% in Shanghai. Choe writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Matt Ott, Yuri Kageyama and Alex Veiga contributed to this report. April 16, 2024 April 10, 2024 April 9, 2024

U.S.-China military talks on air and maritime safety resume after a nearly 2-year break

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-04-05/us-chinese-military-talks-resume-on-safety-in-the-air-and-at-sea-after-a-nearly-2-year-break

For the first time in nearly two years, U.S. and Chinese defense officials met this week to discuss unsafe and aggressive ship and aircraft incidents between their militaries in the Pacific region, restarting a dialogue that Beijing abruptly ended in a dispute involving Taiwan. The meeting, held Wednesday and Thursday in Hawaii, came as Washington and Beijing work to expand communications and ease escalating tensions between the two world powers. Military-to-military contact had stalled in August 2022, when Beijing suspended all such communication after a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, the self-governing island China claims as its own. The thaw in relations between the two countries got a kickstart last November when President Biden and China’s President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. About a month later, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke with his Chinese counterpart in a video call — the first senior military-to-military contact since the Pelosi visit. Other top-level talks have continued, including a call this week between Biden and Xi, and a visit to China by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen that began Thursday. The resurgence of senior military leader discussions includes the relaunch of routine engagements, including the China-U.S. Military Maritime Consultative Agreement meeting, which was this week in Hawaii, and the bilateral Defense Policy Coordination Talks, which were held earlier this year. The maritime meeting is focused on unsafe and unprofessional incidents involving the U.S. and Chinese militaries, while the coordination talks focus on broader policy issues. This week’s meeting included representatives from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the U.S. Pacific Air Forces and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). This is the first time since 2019 that the meeting was held in person; there was a virtual meeting in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. World & Nation The call, described by the White House as ‘candid and constructive,’ was the leaders’ first conversation since their November summit in California. April 2, 2024 According to officials, this week’s meeting included about 18 senior military and civilian officials from each side. Both delegations noted specific incidents over the past several years that they believe raised operational safety concerns, and the group discussed them. “Open, direct, and clear communications with the PLA — and with all other military forces in the region — is of utmost importance to avoid accidents and miscommunication,” said the head of the U.S. delegation, Army Col. Ian Francis, in a statement. Francis, who is the director for Northeast Asia policy at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said the U.S. is encouraged that the People’s Liberation Army is honoring its commitments to the maritime agreement. Two U.S. officials said that they’ve seen fewer unsafe incidents involving Chinese military aircraft and ships in recent months. They said the meeting was a way to make sure that the trend continues and that overall safety is increased in the region for troops who operate there. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the meetings are private. The U.S. has consistently viewed military communications with China as critical to avoiding any missteps between their armed forces and to maintaining a peaceful Indo-Pacific. Pelosi became the highest ranking American lawmaker to visit Taiwan since 1997, when then-Speaker Newt Gingrich traveled there. Her visit sparked a surge in military maneuvers by China. Beijing dispatched warships and aircraft across the median line in the Taiwan Strait, claiming the de facto boundary did not exist, fired missiles over Taiwan itself, and challenged established norms by firing missiles into Japan’s exclusive economic zone. During the following two years, U.S. military officials repeatedly objected to a range of unsafe intercepts by Chinese aircraft in the Pacific and other dangerous incidents. Last October, the Pentagon released footage of some of the more than 180 intercepts of U.S. warplanes by Chinese aircraft in the previous two years. And military officials said the number was more than the total amount over the previous decade — a trend they called concerning. In one instance last year, a Chinese pilot flew within 10 feet of a U.S. Air Force B-52, which was conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace. China’s defense ministry, meanwhile, has criticized the U.S. for what it calls interference in both Taiwan and the South China Sea, charging that American arms sales to Taiwan are making the situation more dangerous. Baldor writes for the Associated Press. April 23, 2024 Dec. 8, 2023 Nov. 15, 2023

Wall Street sees its worst day in weeks on rate concerns as jobs report looms

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-04-04/stock-market-today-wall-street-edges-toward-record-high-ahead-of-fridays-jobs-report

U.S. stocks tumbled Thursday after a Federal Reserve official raised the possibility of delivering none of the cuts to interest rates this year that Wall Street has been banking on, if inflation worsens. The S&P 500 dropped 1.2% for its worst day in seven weeks. Earlier in the day, a gain of nearly 1% had brought it to the cusp of its record set last week. The Dow Jones industrial average swung 530 points lower, or 1.4%, after reversing a rise of nearly 300 points. The Nasdaq composite fell 1.4%. Financial markets were already on edge as traders made their final moves ahead of a jobs report on Friday that could itself shake the market. A late-day spurt for oil prices amid continued tensions in the Middle East unsettled things, threatening to add more pressure on inflation after oil’s strong gains so far this year. Around the same time, Treasury yields dropped in the bond market, which can be a signal of investors looking for safer harbors, and a measure of fear among U.S. stock investors leaped. Stocks slumped after Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said he’s questioning the need to cut rates if so many areas of the economy look to be solid despite high interest rates. He had earlier penciled in two cuts to interest rates this year, “but if we continue to see inflation moving sideways, then that would make me question about whether we need to do those rate cuts at all.” “There’s a lot of momentum in the economy right now,” Kashkari said in an interview with Pensions & Investments. Kashkari’s hypothetical case, which he said depends on “a lot of ‘ifs,’” cuts at one of the main propellants that drove the U.S. stock market up more than 20% from November into March: the expectation for several cuts to interest rates. Lower rates boost prices for investments, while easing the pressure on the economy, and stock prices had already jumped in part on expectations for them. Earlier in the morning, yields had been holding steadier after a report showed more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, though the number remains low compared with historical data. Wall Street is looking for the job market to cool enough to remove upward pressure on inflation, but not so much that it throws too many people out of work and causes a recession. That has raised the anticipation for a report coming Friday, in which the U.S. government will show how much hiring happened across the country last month. Economists expect it to show a cool-down in March from February. “As always, the monthly jobs report will have the final say,” said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley. In the stock market, Nvidia went from a gain of nearly 2% early in the day to a drop of 3.4%. It was the single heaviest weight on the S&P 500. Lamb Weston dropped 19.4% after the frozen French fry maker said a transition to a new planning system hurt its ability to fill customer orders. It said the impact from the transition has probably passed, but it lowered its sales and profit forecast for the year. It also cited softer trends for restaurant traffic in the near term. April 15, 2024 April 12, 2024 April 10, 2024

Paris Hilton testifying today in Sacramento for bill aimed at ‘troubled teen industry’

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-04/paris-hilton-sacramento-california-bill-troubled-teen-industry-residential-treatment

The celebrity hotel heiress once known for her high-profile nightclub appearances has turned her attention to a much more staid venue: the California state Capitol. Paris Hilton is supporting Senate Bill 1043, authored by Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and joint-authored by two Democratic lawmakers, which would require residential treatment facilities to report to parents and the state government when they use restraints or seclusion rooms in disciplining minors. It’s the latest move in what’s become Hilton’s political focal point in recent years as she’s positioned herself as a voice for youths who have endured abuse at the hands of teen treatment centers. Hilton has traveled to Washington, D.C., and Utah to push for tougher regulations on residential treatment programs. Today she is scheduled to testify in support of the new legislation in Sacramento. “As a survivor of the ‘Troubled Teen Industry,’ I am proud to partner with Sen. Shannon Grove ... to bring much-needed transparency to California youth facilities,” Hilton said in a statement. Movies In a new documentary, Paris Hilton opens up about the physical and emotional abuse she suffered at a disciplinary high school. Sept. 15, 2020 The bill aims to protect children and young adults housed in facilities licensed by the California Department of Social Services by mandating that the agency publish data on a public dashboard on its website reporting the use of restraint and seclusion rooms, including instances of serious injuries or death. It would also require notification of parents or guardians when restraints and seclusion rooms are used on minors. The Department of Social Services said it does not comment on legislation. California used to send foster youths with serious behavior problems to out-of-state treatment programs, but after numerous reports of abuse, a 2021 law barred these placements. The state has since created an alternative known as Short Term Residential Therapeutic Programs, but the use of seclusion rooms and restraints on minors still occurs, according to Grove’s office. Hilton, 43, has been outspoken about the mental and physical abuse she said she endured as a teenage resident for 11 months at Utah’s Provo Canyon School, a boarding school and psychiatric youth treatment center. Provo Canyon was sold over two decades ago and, after Hilton went public with her story, declined to comment on any allegations about events that took place before new ownership. Some youths are sent to these treatment programs by their parents; others are foster kids ordered to attend by the courts. The so-called troubled teen industry dates back at least 50 years and refers to a network of programs that target teenagers struggling with issues including substance abuse, mental illness and problematic behavior. The programs typically cost in the same ballpark as college tuition, and despite having been at the center of many abuse and corruption scandals, the industry remains largely unregulated, according to the American Bar Assn. Prompted by her experiences in residential treatment in the 1990s, Hilton has formed a nonprofit organization, released a documentary and written a memoir recounting her personal story of abuse. And she is advocating for the protection of minors in residential programs and facilities. California Republican Sen. Shannon Grove has introduced legislation to lengthen prison terms for those who purchase or engage in child prostitution. March 1, 2024 In 2021, Hilton testified at the Utah state Capitol for a bill that required more government oversight of youth residential treatment centers and documentation when they use restraints on minors. The bill also prohibits using sedation or mechanical restraints without prior authorization in treatment centers. The bill was signed into law, affecting the state’s 100 youth treatment centers, and has paved the path for more legislation. The National Assn. of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, the country’s largest member organization, supported the Utah bill. “We strongly support the creation of laws that help protect the rights and safety of students who attend our programs,” the group wrote in a letter that was read by Utah state Sen. Todd Weiler. Last year, Hilton was at the U.S. Capitol to advocate for the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, a federal bill to establish best practices and transparency in youth residential care programs. “This issue is deeply personal for me,” Hilton said at a Washington news conference introducing the bill. “From the ages of 16 to 18, I was sent to four troubled teen industry facilities. Each one was more horrific than the last. I witnessed and experienced sexual abuse from adult staff, as well as endured verbal and emotional abuse daily. ... What I went through will haunt me for the rest of my life.” April 15, 2024 April 8, 2024 Feb. 27, 2024

Wall Street rises to more records to close out its latest winning month

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-03-28/stock-market-today-wall-street-rises-to-more-records-to-close-out-its-latest-winning-month

Wall Street set more records Thursday as U.S. stocks coasted to the close of their latest winning month and quarter. The S&P 500 added 5.86 points, or 0.1%, to its all-time high set a day before and closed at 5,254.35. That sent its gain for the year’s first three months to a fat 10.2%. The only quarter that’s been better in the last two years was the one that came just before. The Dow Jones industrial average ticked up 47.29 points, or 0.1%, to 39,807.37 and likewise set a record. The Nasdaq composite dipped 20.06 points, or 0.1%, to 16,379.46. It’s just shy of its own all-time high. The stock market has been on a nearly unstoppable run since late October, and the S&P 500 just capped its fifth straight winning month. It has leaped as the U.S. economy has remained remarkably solid despite high interest rates meant to get inflation under control. And with inflation hopefully still cooling from its peak, the Federal Reserve has indicated it will probably cut interest rates multiple times later this year. Thursday was the last day of trading for both the U.S. stock and bond markets this month and quarter. Financial markets will be closed on Friday for Good Friday. Most stocks scrambled higher during the quarter, led by a pocket of companies riding Wall Street’s continued frenzy around artificial intelligence technology. Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the AI rush, have surged 82.5%. The only stock in the S&P 500 to do better was Super Micro Computer, which just joined the index recently because it’s also been caught up in AI mania. The company, which sells server and storage systems used in AI and other computing, saw its stock soar a staggering 255.3% during the quarter. They more than made up for stumbles during the quarter by companies such as Tesla and Boeing. Tesla fell 29.3% to continue its volatile run, having more than doubled last year. Boeing, meanwhile, sank 26% as worries mounted about its safety and manufacturing quality. In the bond market, Treasury yields inched higher Thursday after some mixed reports on the economy. One said the U.S. economy’s growth in the final three months of last year was stronger than earlier estimated. Another said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, the latest indication of a solid job market. Other reports showed that sentiment among U.S. consumers is stronger than economists expected, but manufacturing in the Chicago region is contracting by more than forecast. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.20% from 4.19% late Wednesday. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, rose to 4.62% from 4.57%. The hope on Wall Street is still that the Federal Reserve will begin cutting its main interest rate in June. Lower interest rates ease the pressure on the economy, while boosting prices for investments. But progress on bringing inflation down has become bumpier recently, with reports this year coming in hotter than expected. A top official at the Federal Reserve, Gov. Christopher Waller, said in a speech late Wednesday that “there is no rush to cut the policy rate,” given such data. “Indeed, it tells me that it is prudent to hold this rate at its current restrictive stance perhaps for longer than previously thought to help keep inflation on a sustainable trajectory toward 2%,” Waller said. Besides interest rates staying higher for longer, critics say other threats could also derail the stock market’s dash higher. Chief among them is that stock prices have climbed faster than corporate profits, leaving them looking expensive by some measures. Companies will need to deliver solid growth in profits to justify the moves. On Wall Street, RH jumped 17.3% even though the retailer of home furnishings reported weaker profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also indicated demand is trending upward, and it gave a revenue forecast for the upcoming year that was slightly above analysts’ expectations. Analysts said investors are ready to pounce on signs of a recovery in the housing market, with interest and mortgage rates expected to come down later this year. Chemours fell 9.1% despite reporting better results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It gave a forecast for earnings before taxes and other items in the current quarter that was below analysts’ expectations. The company also said its board has completed its internal reviews of accounting issues and found some weaknesses in its internal controls over financial reporting. Also on the losing end was Trump Media & Technology Group. The company behind former President Trump’s Truth Social fell 6.4% after soaring more than 14% in each of the last two days. Its stock has shot well beyond what critics say is reasonable for the money-losing company, driven by fans of Trump and by investors hoping to cash in on the mania. In stock markets abroad, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 slumped 1.5% amid speculation about whether Japanese officials will make moves to support the value of the Japanese yen. Movements were more modest across much of the rest of Asia and Europe. Choe writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report. March 27, 2024 March 25, 2024 March 21, 2024

California proposal would change how power bills are calculated, aiming to relieve summer spikes

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-03-28/california-proposal-would-change-how-power-bills-are-calculated-aiming-to-relieve-summer-spikes

It’s become a rite of summer in sunny California: When the temperature spikes, so do electricity bills, leaving some customers with monthly payments over $500. A big reason for that is the way California’s largest power companies calculate rates. The more power you use, the more money you pay — not just for electricity, but also for things like maintaining the grid and reducing wildfire risk. A proposal unveiled Wednesday by state regulators aims to change that. Instead of calculating bills based mostly on how much power people use, a portion would be a fixed charge. For most people, that charge would be $24.15 per month. People who are enrolled in low-income assistance programs or who live in deed-restricted affordable housing would pay less — either $6 or $12, depending on their situation. To offset this new charge, the rate people pay for using power would go down. During peak hours when electricity is in the most demand — and the most expensive — rates for customers of the state’s big three utilities would fall between 8% and 9.8%. That means the average customer in Fresno, where temperatures were at or above 100 Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius) for 17 days last July, would save about $33 during the summer months, according to the California Public Utilities Commission. People who own electric cars and charge them at home would save about $25 per month on average, while people who have fully electrified their homes — including replacing gas-powered stoves — would save about $19 per month. Other customers whose bills are not affected as much by the weather would likely see an increase. Climate & Environment Finance officials who objected to the state’s first-ever heat illness prevention rules for indoor workers need to deal with reality. March 26, 2024 “I think it’s a wise idea to put us in a position where we’re incentivizing electrification and clean vehicles and then also providing some relief to those customers who really can’t help using a lot of electricity in the summertime,” said Alice Reynolds, president of the California Public Utilities Commission. “This is part of a reaction to a changing climate where we have these extreme weather events.” California is one of the only states that doesn’t already have a fixed charge for its largest utilities, and the state Legislature ordered regulators in 2022 to implement one by July 1 of this year. Since then, power bills have only gotten more expensive. Regulators approved an average increase of $32 per month for Pacific Gas & Electric Company customers just last year. The average price per kilowatt hour of electricity for California’s big three utilities — Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric — is about 36 cents, compared with the national average of 17 cents. The prospect of a new charge that could raise some people’s rates has prompted backlash from some state and federal lawmakers. In the state Legislature, a group of Democrats led by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin of Thousand Oaks has introduced legislation that would cap the fixed charge at $10 for most people and $5 for people with low incomes. Irwin said the California Public Utilities Commission “is out of touch with consumers.” “We need to prioritize driving down consumer’s overall bills, not redistributing the ever-increasing (investor-owned utilities) electric rates,” Irwin said. On Wednesday, a group of 18 members of Congress from California sent a letter to Reynolds urging state regulators to keep the new fixed rate low. Their letter said the average monthly fixed charge in the United States is $11. “There is little to stop utilities from continuing to increase electric rates once they secure the highest fixed charges in the country,” the letter said. The Predictable Power Coalition, which includes the big three utilities, called the fixed rate “vital” and said the proposal “is a step in the right direction.” Some of the state’s most well-known consumer advocates, including the Utility Reform Network and the California Public Advocates Office, support the proposal because they say it would make utility bills more affordable. Others, including the solar industry, worry that if electricity rates are cheaper during peak hours people won’t conserve as much energy. California has struggled at times to have enough electricity during these periods, especially during extreme heat waves, which caused some rolling blackouts in 2020. Climate & Environment Read all of our coverage about how California is neglecting the climate threat posed by extreme heat. Oct. 7, 2021 “In this time when it’s all hands on deck about climate change, why would we have people say, ‘You know what? I’m not going to hang out my laundry today because I’m just paying a fixed charge anyway,’” said Bill Allayaud, California director of governmental affairs for the Environmental Working Group. Reynolds noted that California’s big three utilities will still charge more for power during peak hours but that the fixed charge would make sure the increase is more evenly distributed among customers. She also noted the big three had proposed fixed rate charges of $51 and $73. The commission rejected those amounts. Most of California’s publicly owned utilities already have a fixed charge as part of their billing structure. Regulators’ proposal mirrors the fixed rate charged by the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District. “Millions of people already have a flat rate component of their bills. They may not know it,” Reynolds said. If it’s approved by regulators, the rule would take effect in 2025, and customers would not see the charge until later that year or in early 2026. April 2, 2024 April 1, 2024 Feb. 28, 2024

Richard Serra, American artist and sculptor known as the 'poet of iron,' dies at 85

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-03-27/famed-american-sculptor-richard-serra-the-poet-of-iron-has-died-at-85

Famed American artist and sculptor Richard Serra, known for turning curving walls of rusting steel and other malleable materials into large-scale pieces of outdoor artwork that are now dotted across the world, died Tuesday at his home in Long Island, N.Y. He was 85. Considered one of his generation’s most preeminent sculptors, the San Francisco native originally studied painting at Yale University but turned to sculpting in the 1960s, inspired by trips to Europe. His death was confirmed Tuesday night by his lawyer, John Silberman, whose firm is based in New York. He said the cause of death was pneumonia. Known by his colleagues as the “poet of iron,” Serra became world-renowned for his large-scale steel structures, such as monumental arcs, spirals and ellipses. He was closely identified with the minimalist movement of the 1970s. Entertainment & Arts As his big forms take shape, the artist explains how to experience his art. Jan. 13, 2008 Serra’s work started to gain public attention in 1981, when he installed a 120-foot-long and 12-foot-high curving wall of raw steel that splits the Federal Plaza in New York City. The sculpture, called “Tilted Arc,” generated swift backlash from people who work there and a fierce demand that it should be removed. The sculpture was later taken down, but Serra’s popularity in the New York art scene had been cemented. Most of Serra’s large-scale works are welded in Cor-Ten steel, but he also worked with other nontraditional materials such as rubber, latex, neon — as well as molten lead, which Serra threw against a wall or floor to create his “Splash” series in his early career. His works have been installed in landscapes and included in the collections of museums across the world, from the Museum of Modern Art in New York to the deserts of Qatar. Entertainment & Arts Richard Serra in drawing mode May 1, 2011 In 2005, eight major works by Serra were installed permanently at the Guggenheim Museum in Spain. Carmen Jimenez, the exhibition organizer, said Serra was “beyond doubt the most important living sculptor.” Born to a Russian-Jewish mother and a Spanish father in San Francisco, Serra was the second of three sons in the family. He started drawing at a young age and was inspired by the time he spent at a shipyard where his father worked as a pipefitter. Before his turn to sculpting, Serra worked in steel foundries to help finance his education at the Berkeley and Santa Barbara campuses of the University of California. He then went on to Yale, where he graduated in 1964. Haigh and Nguyễn write for the Associated Press. March 27, 2024 Feb. 27, 2024 Jan. 18, 2024

Wall Street slips further away from records amid inflation worries

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-03-15/stock-market-today-wall-street-slips-further-away-from-records-amid-inflation-worries

Wall Street closed out its second straight losing week Friday, giving back some of the gains that helped push the stock market to an all-time high earlier in the week. The Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 0.6%, its third straight loss. The benchmark index hit a record high on Tuesday but mostly wavered in the days that followed. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 0.5%, while the Nasdaq composite ended 1% lower. Technology stocks were the biggest weights on the market. Software maker Adobe slumped 13.7% after giving investors a weak revenue forecast. Microsoft fell 2.1% and Broadcom lost 2.1%. Communication services stocks also helped pull the market lower. Meta Platforms fell 1.6% and Google parent Alphabet fell 1.3%. All told, the S&P 500 fell 33.39 points to 5,117.09. The Dow dropped 190.89 points to 38,714.77, and the Nasdaq gave up 155.36 points to close at 15,973.17. The latest pullback for stocks came as traders reviewed several reports showing that inflation, though broadly cooling, remains stubborn. A closely watched report from the University of Michigan showed that consumer sentiment unexpectedly fell in March. Consumers became slightly less optimistic about the economy but continue to expect inflation to come down further, a potential sign that consumer prices will come under control. Inflation remains the big concern for Wall Street amid hopes for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates. The Fed sharply raised interest rates starting in 2022 in an effort to tame inflation back to its 2% target. Inflation at the consumer level was as high as 9.1% in 2022. A report on consumer prices this week showed inflation remains stubborn, ticking up to 3.2% in February from 3.1% in January. Another report on prices at the wholesale level also showed inflation remains hotter than Wall Street expected. Other reports this week showed some softening in the economy, which bolstered hopes for a continued long-term easing of inflation. A rally for stocks that started in October has essentially stalled in March as investors try to determine the path ahead for inflation, the Fed and the economy. “You can kind of look in either direction and find a reason to be concerned about equities,” said Brian Nick, senior investment strategist at the Macro Institute. Investors still have to worry about the lagging impact on the economy from the Fed’s historic rate hikes, he said. The broader economy remains strong, but it is showing signs of slowing and that could mean a recession is still possible. “Things happen more slowly than investors have come to process,” he said. “Policy lag exerting a downward pull is a lot longer than what investors have priced in.” Fed officials will give their latest forecasts for where they see interest rates heading this year on Wednesday, after their latest policy meeting. Traders are still leaning toward a rate cut in June, according to data from CME Group. The Fed’s main rate remains at its highest level since 2001. The central bank has held the benchmark rate steady since July 2023 and has previously signaled that it expects three rate cuts in 2024. Lower rates would relieve pressure on the economy and financial system. Bond yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.31% from 4.29% late Thursday. The yield on the two-year Treasury rose to 4.73% from 4.69%. Weak financial forecasts weighed down several companies. Beauty products retailer Ulta Beauty fell 5.2% after giving investors a disappointing earnings forecast for the year. Electronics maker Jabil slumped 16.5% after trimming its revenue forecast for the year. Markets in Europe ended mixed, while markets in Asia slipped. Damian J. Troise is an Associated Press writer. AP writers Elaine Kurtenbach, Matt Ott, Alex Veiga and Christopher Rugaber contributed to this report. April 10, 2024 April 9, 2024 March 25, 2024

Stocks slip on Wall Street after another report on inflation that was worse than expected

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-03-14/stock-market-today-wall-street-slips-after-another-report-on-inflation-that-was-worse-than-expected

U.S. stocks slipped Thursday after a mixed batch of economic data seemed to drive the final nail into hopes that easier interest rates may arrive very soon. The Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 14.83 points, or 0.3%, to 5,150.48, though it’s still close to its all-time high set Tuesday. The Dow Jones industrial average sank 137.66 points, or 0.4%, to 38,905.66, and the Nasdaq composite lost 49.24 points, or 0.3%, to close at 16,128.53. The moves were more decisive in the bond market, where Treasury yields rose after a report showed inflation was a touch hotter at the wholesale level last month than economists expected. It’s the latest in a string of data on inflation that’s been worse than forecast, which has kept the door closed on hopes that the Federal Reserve could start cutting interest rates at its meeting next week. But other reports released Thursday also showed some softening in the economy, which kept alive hopes that the long-term trend for inflation remains downward. Traders still largely expect the Fed to begin cutting rates in June, according to data from CME Group. The Fed’s main rate is at its highest level since 2001 in an effort to down inflation, and cuts would relieve pressure on the economy and financial system. The question hanging over Wall Street is how much the latest signals of potentially stubborn inflation will ultimately delay rate cuts. That in turn could damage the huge run U.S. stocks have been on since late October, rising in 16 of the last 19 weeks. Traders on Thursday pushed some bets for the first rate cut into July from June. The day’s mix of data could push the Federal Reserve to signal it foresees only two cuts to rates this year, down from three, according to Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. Fed officials will give their latest forecasts for where they see interest rates heading this year on Wednesday, after their latest policy meeting. Among the data they’ll mull over is a report from Thursday that said shoppers spent less at U.S. retailers last month than economists expected. Such data drag on the overall economy but could also remove upward pressure on inflation. The government also said retail sales were weaker in January than earlier thought. Strong spending by U.S. households has been one of the linchpins keeping the economy out of a recession despite high interest rates. A separate report said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than expected. That’s good news for workers generally. But too much strength in the job market, which has remained remarkably resilient, could add upward pressure on inflation. The mix of data sent the yield on the 10-year Treasury up to 4.28% from 4.19% late Wednesday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, rose to 4.69% from 4.63%. On Wall Street, Dollar General swung sharply despite reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than expected. Its stock fell 5.1% after being up more than 6% earlier. Dollar General executives said inflation is pushing customers to make trade-offs in the aisles, away from nonessentials and name brands. It’s also removing self-checkout from more than 300 of its stores that are experiencing high losses of inventories. A day earlier, rival Dollar Tree tumbled after reporting weaker-than-expected results and saying it would close hundreds of its Family Dollar stores. Dick’s Sporting Goods jumped 15.5% after it reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected and increased its dividend. Robinhood Markets gained 5.2% as near-record stock and crypto prices drove strong growth in trading activity among its customers last month. U.S. Steel sank 6.4% after President Biden came out in opposition of the planned sale of the company to Nippon Steel of Japan. Nippon Steel announced in December that it planned to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev trading in the United States slumped 5.5% after Altria said it was selling a portion of its stake in the maker of Budweiser. Home builder Lennar sank 7.6% despite reporting stronger growth in profit than expected, as its revenue fell short of analysts’ forecasts. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed across Europe and Asia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.3% amid speculation that the Bank of Japan may soon end its policy to keep interest rates below zero. Stan Choe writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed to this report. April 10, 2024 April 9, 2024 April 8, 2024

Wall Street rallies to a record as Big Tech stocks renew their run

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-03-12/stock-market-today-wall-street-rallies-to-a-record-as-big-tech-stocks-renew-their-run

U.S. stocks rallied to records Tuesday, led again by technology companies, as some of Wall Street’s most influential got back in their groove. The Standard & Poor’s 500 jumped 1.1% to top its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 1.5%. All three indexes began the day with losses after a highly anticipated report on inflation said U.S. consumers paid prices that were a bit higher last month than economists expected. The worse-than-expected data kept the door closed on hopes that the Federal Reserve could deliver long-sought cuts to interest rates at its meeting next week. But the inflation figures were still close to expectations, and traders held on to hopes that the longer-term trend downward means the Fed will begin the hoped-for cuts in June. That helped stock indexes to reverse their losses as the day progressed. Plus, inflation may not be as hot in reality as the morning’s report suggested. “January and February are notoriously noisy months for a lot of economic data,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “The Fed wasn’t planning on cutting rates next week, and this report doesn’t change that. The discussion around the table will be more about the longer-term trend.” The fear is that “sticky” inflation that refuses to go down will force the Fed to keep interest rates high, which grinds down on the economy and investment prices. The Fed’s main interest rate is already at its highest level since 2001. “Another hotter-than-expected CPI reading may breathe new life into the sticky inflation narrative, but whether it actually delays rate cuts is a different story,” said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley. For months, traders on Wall Street have been trying to get ahead of the Federal Reserve and guess when rate cuts will arrive. They have already sent stock prices higher and bond yields lower in anticipation of it. Through it all, the Fed has remained “nothing if not consistent in doing what it said it would do,” Larkin said. “Until they say otherwise, their plan is to cut rates in the second half of the year.” The immediate reaction across financial markets to the inflation data was nevertheless halting and uncertain. In the bond market, Treasury yields initially dropped and then swung higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury eventually rose to 4.15% from 4.10% late Monday. The price of gold, which has shot to records on expectations for coming rate cuts, also swung. An ounce for delivery in April ended up falling $22.50 to settle at $2,166.10. A measure of nervousness among U.S. stock investors, meanwhile, eased more than 8% after squiggling up and down a few times. On Wall Street, big technology stocks did much of the market’s heaviest lifting. Oracle jumped 11.7% after reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Nvidia also rallied 7.2% to bounce back from a rare two-day stumble. A frenzy on Wall Street around artificial intelligence technology has caused its stock to swell, making it one of the most influential on the market. It was the single strongest force pushing the S&P 500 upward on Tuesday. New York Community Bancorp rose 5.8% after it said it had closed its previously announced deal to raise roughly $1.05 billion in cash from the sale of stock. The bank has been struggling under the weight of falling prices for commercial real estate and the growing pains associated with prior acquisitions it made. Its troubles have also led to worries about the broader regional banking industry. 3M climbed 5% after it said Bill Brown, the former chairman and chief executive of L3Harris Technologies, will take over as its CEO at the start of May. On the losing end of Wall Street was Southwest Airlines. It dropped 14.9% after cutting its forecast for an important measure of revenue in the first three months of this year, partially because of lower-than-expected demand by some leisure travelers. It also said Boeing had told the company that it would deliver fewer airplanes than expected this year. Shares of Boeing, which is facing criticism over safety and manufacturing quality, sank 4.3%. All told, the S&P 500 rose 57.33 points to 5,175.27. The Dow climbed 235.83 points to 39,005.49, and the Nasdaq advanced 246.36 points to 16,256.64. In stock markets abroad, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.1%, retreating further from its recent records. Expectations are building that its central bank will raise interest rates, which are below zero. Indexes jumped 3.1% in Hong Kong, 1.2% in Frankfurt and 1% in London but moved more modestly elsewhere across Asia and Europe. Stan Choe writes for the Associated Press. AP business writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed to this report. March 28, 2024 March 21, 2024 March 20, 2024

U.S. employers add a surprisingly strong 275,000 jobs in sign of continued strength

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-03-08/us-employers-add-a-surprisingly-strong-275-000-jobs-in-sign-of-continued-economic-strength

America’s employers delivered another healthy month of hiring in February, adding a surprising 275,000 jobs and again showcasing the U.S. economy’s resilience in the face of high interest rates. Last month’s job growth was up from a revised gain of 229,000 jobs in January. The unemployment rate ticked up two-tenths of a point to 3.9% but was still the 25th straight month in which it has remained below 4%. Friday’s government report reflected the job market’s sustained ability to withstand the 11 rate hikes the Federal Reserve imposed to fight inflation, which made borrowing much costlier for households and businesses. Employers have continued to hire briskly to meet steady demand from consumers across the economy. Yet despite sharply lower inflation, a healthy job market and a record-high stock market, many Americans say they are unhappy with the state of the economy — a sentiment that is sure to weigh on President Biden’s bid for reelection. Many voters blame Biden for the surge in consumer prices that began in 2021. Though inflationary pressures have significantly eased, average prices remain about 17% above where they stood three years ago. When the Fed began aggressively raising rates in March 2022 to fight the worst bout of inflation in four decades, a painful recession was widely predicted, with waves of layoffs and high unemployment. The Fed boosted its benchmark rate to the highest level in more than two decades. Inflation has eased, more or less steadily, in response: Consumer prices in January were up just 3.1% from a year earlier — way down from a year-over-year peak of 9.1% in 2022 and edging closer to the Fed’s 2% target. Many Americans are exhibiting confidence in the economy through their actions: Consumers, whose average wages have outpaced inflation over the past year and who socked away money during the pandemic, have continued to spend and drive economic growth. The economy’s gross domestic product — the total output of goods and services — grew by a solid 2.5% last year, up from 1.9% in 2022. And employers keep hiring. Immigration has helped invigorate the job market since the end of pandemic-related travel bans. Last year, foreign-born individuals accounted for 62%, or 1.5 million, of the 2.4 million people who either obtained a job or began looking for one. The economy’s growth depends on a steady influx of job seekers. In the meantime, the job market’s modest slowdown is happening so far in perhaps the most painless way possible: Companies are posting slightly fewer job openings rather than laying people off. The number of Americans filing for weekly unemployment benefits — a rough proxy for the number of layoffs — has remained low, suggesting that most workers enjoy solid job security. Wage growth still remains slightly high from the Fed’s perspective because it can contribute to inflation pressures. Some economists argue, though, that pay increases don’t need to drop so much: A surge in productivity that started last year — as companies invested in machines and used their workers more efficiently — means that employers can pay more and still reap profits without raising prices. Paul Wiseman writes for the Associated Press. April 10, 2024 April 5, 2024 March 12, 2024

Wall Street sets another record as traders look ahead to easier rates

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-03-07/stock-market-today-wall-street-sets-another-record-as-traders-look-ahead-to-easier-rates

U.S. stocks climbed to records Thursday, with easier interest rates beckoning on the horizon. The Standard & Poor’s 500 rallied 1% to set its 16th all-time high so far this year. It’s been on a terrific run and is on track for its 17th winning week in the last 19 after erasing the last of its losses from Monday and Tuesday. The Dow Jones industrial average added 130 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 1.5% to finish just shy of its record. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell said in testimony on Capitol Hill that the central bank is “not far” from delivering the cuts to interest rates that Wall Street craves so much. He said again that the Fed is just waiting for additional data to confirm that inflation is cooling. It’s a key point on Wall Street because cuts to rates would release pressure on the economy and the financial system, while goosing investment prices. After shelving earlier hopes for cuts to begin in March, traders now see June as the likeliest starting point. The Fed’s main interest rate is at its highest level since 2001. After getting criticism for waiting too long before raising interest rates when inflation was accelerating, Powell faced questions from the Senate’s banking committee about the possibility that it could be too late in cutting rates. That would cause undue pain because high rates slow the economy. “We’re well aware of that risk, of course,” Powell said. He said if conditions continue as expected, including a strong job market and cooling inflation, cuts will come later this year. Cutting rates too early could risk a reacceleration of inflation. Treasury yields eased in the bond market after a couple of reports gave potential signals of lessened pressure on inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury dipped to 4.08% from 4.11% late Wednesday. It’s been generally falling since topping 5% last autumn, which can encourage borrowing across the economy and induce investors to pay higher prices for stocks. The two-year Treasury yield, which moves more closely with expectations for the Fed, saw a larger drop. Across the Atlantic, traders were also trying to guess when the European Central Bank will begin cutting interest rates after its president said it’s making progress on getting inflation under control. One report said slightly more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than expected, though the number remains low relative to history. A separate report said U.S. workers were able to produce more stuff per hour during the last three months of 2023 than expected. Such improvement is key because it can allow the economy to grow without adding as much upward pressure on inflation. A potentially more significant report will arrive Friday morning, when the U.S. government will give its latest monthly update on the job market. The hope among traders is that the job market remains healthy but not so much that it deters the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates. On Wall Street, Kroger jumped 9.9% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after it reported stronger-than-expected profit for the end of 2023. It also gave a forecast range for profit in the upcoming year whose midpoint was above analysts’ estimates. Nvidia was again the strongest force lifting the S&P 500, climbing 4.5%. It’s been on a nearly unstoppable run and has soared 87% this year after more than tripling last year amid Wall Street’s frenzy around artificial intelligence technology. Victoria’s Secret was on the losing end even after it reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. It said it expects overall sales to fall this upcoming year, when analysts were looking for modest growth. It tumbled 29.7%. Shares of embattled New York Community Bancorp climbed 5.8% a day after going on a wild ride. The bank, which is confronting weakness in commercial real estate and growing pains resulting from its buyout of a distressed bank, announced a lifeline of more than $1 billion from a group of investors on Wednesday. The bank is also cutting its dividend again, down to a penny from 5 cents. A prior dividend cut earlier this year, along with a surprise loss reported for its latest quarter, drove much of the fear around NYCB. The bank also said it has $77.2 billion in total deposits, down from $83 billion roughly a month ago. Analysts are still saying NYCB’s problems are mostly specific to it, rather than a warning of impending doom for the broader industry, but stockholders of other regional banks have been skittish. The KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking index edged up 0.1%. All told, the S&P 500 rose 52.60 points to 5,157.36. The Dow advanced 130.30 points to 38,791.35, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 241.83 points to 16,273.38. In stock markets abroad, indexes rose in Europe after the European Central Bank left its main interest rate alone. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index briefly reached a record before falling to a loss of 1.2%. AP writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed to this report. April 9, 2024 April 8, 2024 March 28, 2024

Stocks rise to recover some of losses from Wall Street's worst day in weeks

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-03-06/stock-market-today-wall-street-rises-to-recover-some-of-its-losses-from-its-worst-day-in-weeks

Stocks gained ground Wednesday to recover some of their losses from the day before, which was Wall Street’s worst in three weeks. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell said again that cuts to interest rates may be coming this year, but that the Fed needs more data showing inflation is cooling before it will act. The Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 26.11 points, or 0.5%, to 5,104.76. The benchmark index fell 1% a day prior. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 75.86 points, or 0.2%, to 38,661.05. The Nasdaq composite rose 91.95 points, or 0.6%, to 16,031.54. Nvidia was the strongest force pushing upward on the S&P 500 as it rose 3.2%. Meta Platforms also steadied itself and rose 1.2% a day after sliding 1.6%. They’re among the market’s most influential stocks because of their massive size. They and other major tech stocks have also been disproportionately responsible for the S&P 500’s run to records on expectations for strong continued growth. That has raised the bar of expectations for them to justify their high stock prices, leading to some painful drops earlier this week. CrowdStrike jumped 10.8% after the cybersecurity company reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also gave a forecast for upcoming profit that topped Wall Street’s estimates. Shares of the troubled New York Community Bancorp bounced around and eventually finished 7.5% higher after it announced a lifeline of more than $1 billion from a group of investors, including Steven Mnuchin, the former U.S. Treasury secretary under President Trump. It nearly halved earlier in trading before being halted for news. The regional bank has lost 66% of its value this year amid falling values in commercial real estate and acquisitions it made. An index of regional bank stocks pared most its losses after the announcement. The KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking index slipped 0.4% after being down as much as 3.1% earlier in the afternoon. In the bond market, Treasury yields edged lower as Powell spoke about interest rate policy before a House of Representatives committee. As always, Wall Street scrutinized each of his words for hints about when the Federal Reserve could begin cutting its main interest rate, which is at its highest level since 2001. Such a move would release pressure on the financial system and goose prices for investments. Powell said again that high interest rates are putting downward pressure on the economy to get inflation under control. He also said, again, that the Fed needs greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward its target of 2% before acting. Cutting too soon could allow inflation to reaccelerate. “We have some confidence of that,” Powell said about inflation moving down toward the target. “We want to see a little more data so we can become more confident.” Traders have already shelved earlier expectations for a cut in March, and they’re now eyeing June as the likeliest beginning. A report in the morning did little to change those expectations. It said U.S. employers were advertising nearly 8.9 million jobs at the end of January, close to the same number as a month before. Wall Street’s hope has been for continued but more modest growth in job openings. Such a slowdown could help the economy thread the needle and stay out of recession while also removing upward pressure on inflation. That in turn could get the Federal Reserve to cut rates. The data on job openings probably changed little and support the Fed’s current stance, “which is one of patience on future policy decisions,” according to Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. The Fed’s latest report on U.S. business and economic conditions said economic activity increased slightly since early January. The “Beige Book” released Wednesday also said that the Fed’s 12 regional bank districts are seeing the tight labor market ease a bit. Foot Locker tumbled 29.4% even though it reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The sneaker retailer said it’s not yet resuming its dividend as it rebuilds cash. It also gave a forecast for upcoming profit that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Nordstrom likewise fell even though its report for the latest quarter topped forecasts. It sank 16.1% after giving a forecast range for profit this upcoming year whose midpoint was below analysts’ estimates. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.11% from 4.14% late Tuesday. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed with mostly modest moves across Europe and Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 1.7% to trim its loss for the week. In China, top officials said they have plenty of room to attain their target for economic growth this year, though they acknowledged it’s a challenge. AP writer Zimo Zhong contributed to this report. April 3, 2024 March 12, 2024 March 8, 2024

Ex-Google engineer charged with stealing AI trade secrets while working with Chinese companies

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-03-07/ex-google-engineer-charged-with-stealing-ai-trade-secrets-while-working-with-chinese-companies

A former software engineer at Google has been charged with stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets from the company while secretly working with two companies based in China, the Justice Department said Wednesday. Linwei Ding, a Chinese national, was arrested in Newark, Calif., on four counts of federal trade secret theft, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The case against Ding, 38, was announced at an American Bar Assn. conference in San Francisco by Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland, who along with other law enforcement leaders has repeatedly warned about the threat of Chinese economic espionage and about the national security concerns posed by advancements in artificial intelligence and other developing technologies. “Today’s charges are the latest illustration of the lengths affiliates of companies based in the People’s Republic of China are willing to go to steal American innovation,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. “The theft of innovative technology and trade secrets from American companies can cost jobs and have devastating economic and national security consequences.” Google said it had determined that the employee had stolen “numerous documents” and referred the matter to law enforcement. “We have strict safeguards to prevent the theft of our confidential commercial information and trade secrets,” Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said in a statement. “After an investigation, we found that this employee stole numerous documents, and we quickly referred the case to law enforcement. We are grateful to the FBI for helping protect our information and will continue cooperating with them closely.” A lawyer listed as Ding’s defense attorney had no comment Wednesday evening. Artificial intelligence is the main battleground for high tech competitors, and the question of who dominates can have major commercial and security implications. Justice Department leaders in recent weeks have been sounding alarms about how foreign adversaries could harness AI technologies to negatively affect the United States. Deputy Atty. Gen. Lisa Monaco said in a speech last month that the administration’s multi-agency Disruptive Technology Strike Force would place AI at the top of its enforcement priority list, and Wray told a conference last week that AI and other emerging technologies had made it easier for adversaries to try to interfere with the American political process. Garland echoed those concerns at the San Francisco event, saying Wednesday, “As with all evolving technologies, [AI] has pluses and minuses, advantages and disadvantages, great promise and the risk of great harm.” The indictment unsealed Wednesday in the Northern District of California alleges that Ding, who was hired by Google in 2019 and had access to confidential information about the company’s supercomputing data centers, began uploading hundreds of files into a personal Google Cloud account two years ago. Within weeks of the theft starting, prosecutors say, Ding was offered the position of chief technology officer at an early-stage technology company in China that touted its use of AI technology and that offered him a monthly salary of about $14,800, plus an annual bonus and company stock. The indictment says Ding traveled to China and participated in investor meetings at the company and sought to raise capital for it. He also separately founded and served as chief executive of a China-based startup that aspired to train “large AI models powered by supercomputing chips,” the indictment said. Prosecutors say Ding did not disclose either affiliation to Google, which described him Wednesday as a junior employee. He resigned from Google last Dec. 26. Three days later, Google officials learned that he had presented as CEO of one of the Chinese companies at an investor conference in Beijing. Officials also reviewed surveillance footage showing that another employee had scanned Ding’s access badge at the Google building in the U.S. where he worked to make it look like Ding was there during times when he was actually in China, the indictment says. Google suspended Ding’s network access and locked his laptop, and discovered his unauthorized uploads while searching his network activity history. The FBI in January served a search warrant at Ding’s home and seized his electronic devices, and later executed an additional warrant for the contents of his personal accounts containing more than 500 unique files of confidential information that authorities say he stole from Google. Jan. 18, 2024 Jan. 8, 2024 Dec. 29, 2023

Wall Street slumps to worst day in weeks; bitcoin touches record before tumbling

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-03-05/stock-market-today-wall-street-slumps-to-worst-day-in-weeks-bitcoin-touches-record-before-tumbling

Tumbling tech stocks dragged Wall Street to its worst day in three weeks on Tuesday. The S&P 500 dropped 1% for its second straight loss after closing last week at an all-time high. The Dow Jones industrial average fell or 1%, and the Nasdaq composite index led the market lower with a 1.7% slide. Apple’s drop of 2.8% was one of the heaviest weights on the market. It’s been struggling on worries about sluggish iPhone sales in China, where tough competition and a faltering overall economy are challenging it. Apple is one of several major tech stocks that’s bent recently under the weight of loftier expectations after running much higher in price. Since the start of last year, a select group known as the “Magnificent Seven” has been responsible for the vast majority of the S&P 500’s run to all-time highs. Drops for several of them were among the heaviest weights on the S&P 500 on Tuesday. Microsoft fell 3%, Amazon slid 1.9% and Tesla dropped 3.9%. Piling into tech stocks has become one of the most popular moves on Wall Street among both mutual funds and hedge funds, according to strategists at Barclays Capital. That can raise the risk of sharp drops later when the momentum breaks, particularly with criticism rising that shares have gotten too expensive. High-growth stocks have generally been rallying for several reasons, including a frenzy around artificial intelligence technology, but if they “fail to deliver on aggressive expectations, growth investors probably will wind up disappointed,” according to the asset allocation team at GMO, the investment firm co-founded by Jeremy Grantham. MicroStrategy fell 21.2% after it said it would raise $600 million in debt, which it will use to buy more bitcoin and for “general corporate purposes.” Bitcoin briefly rose above $69,000 on Tuesday, surpassing its record set in 2021, before pulling back below $63,000. It’s been surging in part because of new exchange-traded funds that offer easier access for investors to the cryptocurrency. It roughly tripled over the last 12 months, but it’s notorious for huge swings in both directions that can happen painfully and suddenly. Target helped limit the market’s losses after climbing 12%. It reported a bigger jump in profit for the end of 2023 than analysts expected as it held the line on some expenses. New York Community Bancorp also rose 17.9% to trim its loss for the week so far to 9.3%. The bank is under pressure because of losses tied to investments it has related to commercial real estate. It’s also under heavier regulatory scrutiny because of its purchase of much of Signature Bank, one of the banks that fell in last year’s mini-crisis for the industry. Several analysts still say NYCB’s problems are probably unique to it, more than a signal of coming trouble for banks broadly, particularly after U.S. government efforts last year to bolster the industry. But if interest rates remain high, more pressure could build on the entire industry. All told, the S&P 500 fell 52.30 points to 5,078.65. The Dow dropped 404.64 points to 38,585.19, and the Nasdaq sank 267.92 points to 15,939.59. Hopes for coming cuts to interest rates got a boost after a report showed growth for U.S. construction, healthcare and other services industries slowed by more last month than economists expected. Perhaps more important for the market, the report also said prices paid by services businesses rose at a slower pace in February than in January. A separate report, meanwhile, said U.S. factory orders weakened by more in January than expected. Wall Street’s hope has been that the economy will continue plugging along, but not at such a strong pace that it keeps upward pressure on inflation. That’s because traders want the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates this year, something it’s hinted it will do only if inflation cools decisively toward its 2% target. After Tuesday’s reports, bets built among traders that the Federal Reserve will begin cutting interest rates in June. The Fed’s main rate was raised to its highest level since 2001 in hopes of grinding down inflation. Any cuts would relieve pressure on the economy and financial system. Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell will give testimony before Congress later this week, which could further sway expectations for when rate cuts could begin. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.13% from 4.22% late Monday. In stock markets abroad, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index sank 2.6%. China’s premier said the country’s target for economic growth this year is around 5%, in line with expectations. But the government’s intention to keep its deficit at 3% the size of China’s overall economy may have disappointed investors hoping for more aggressive action. Stocks in Shanghai inched up 0.3%. AP writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed to this report. March 22, 2024 March 8, 2024 March 4, 2024

Wall Street edges lower at the start of a busy week

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-03-04/stock-market-today-wall-street-edges-lower-at-the-start-of-a-busy-week

U.S. stocks edged down from their record heights in a quiet Monday on Wall Street. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slipped 6.13 points, or 0.1%, to 5,130.95, coming off its latest all-time high and its 16th winning week in the last 18. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 97.55 points, or 0.2%, to 38,989.83, and the Nasdaq composite lost 67.43 points, or 0.4%, to 16,207.51. Momentum slowed for U.S. stocks following their roar higher on excitement that inflation appears to be cooling, cuts to interest rates may be coming and the U.S. economy has so far shrugged off predictions for a recession. At the same time, a frenzy around artificial intelligence technology has catapulted some stocks to stratospheric heights. Super Micro Computer, which sells server and storage systems used in AI and other computing, jumped 18.6% on Monday. It has surged nearly 1,000% in the last 12 months. It was the first trading of the stock since an announcement that it will join the S&P 500 index of the biggest U.S. stocks in two weeks. Such a move could drive even more investment in the company. Super Micro Computer will replace Whirlpool, which is on track for a third straight losing year and will fall back to the S&P 400 index of midsized stocks. At the same time, Deckers Outdoor will replace Zion Bancorp. in the S&P 500. The prime example of AI mania is Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the move into AI. It rose 3.6% on Monday to bring its gain for the year to 72.1% after more than tripling in 2023. It was by far the strongest force pushing upward on the S&P 500. Such spurts are bolstered by a surge in profits and expectations for tremendous growth to continue. But they are also raising worries about another potential bubble as prices whiz at breathtaking speeds. The market is “euphoric on AI,” said Savita Subramanian, equity strategist at Bank of America. That can be a concerning signal because too much excitement can push prices too high, leading to disappointment later. “Bull markets end with euphoria,” Subramanian said in a BofA Global Research report. But the euphoria so far appears to be concentrated in just AI and other select areas, and she raised her target for where the S&P 500 could end this year to 5,400 from 5,000. Several events scheduled for this week could upset the market. On Wednesday, the chair of the Federal Reserve will offer testimony before a House of Representatives committee about monetary policy. Wall Street’s hope has been that inflation is cooling enough for the Fed to cut its main interest rate from its highest level since 2001, which would relieve pressure on the economy and financial markets. Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell has already said its next move probably will be a cut, but he’s also said that the Fed needs additional confirmation that inflation is decisively moving down toward its 2% target. That was before reports recently showed inflation at both the consumer and wholesale levels was higher than expected. A report Friday will show how the U.S. job market is doing, with economists forecasting a slowdown from January’s strong growth. Resiliency there has kept the U.S. economy out of a recession, which in turn should drive profits for companies and support stock prices. Too much strength, though, could keep pressure on inflation. That would force forecasts for the first rate cut even further out on the calendar. Traders have mostly given up on hopes for a rate cut in March. They’re now eyeing June. In the meantime, several retailers will also offer their latest earnings reports this week. They include Costco Wholesale, Gap and Nordstrom. Another retailer, Macy’s, jumped 13.5% after two investment firms raised their offer to buy the shares they don’t already own. Elsewhere on Wall Street, Spirit Airlines lost 10.8%. JetBlue Airways is ending their proposed $3.8-billion combination after a court ruling blocked their merger. JetBlue rose 4.3%. Apple fell 2.5% after the European Union hit it with a fine of nearly $2 billion for unfairly favoring its own music streaming service over Spotify and other rivals. It was the single heaviest weight on the S&P 500. Gains were plentiful in other markets. Bitcoin rose above $67,000 to climb closer to its record of nearly $69,000. Gold also rose, setting a record. An ounce for delivery in April settled at $2,126.30. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.21% from 4.18% late Friday. In stock markets abroad, Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.5% and topped the 40,000 level for the first time. Elsewhere in Asia, the spotlight this week is on China’s National People’s Congress, the country’s most important political event. It opens Tuesday and could offer updates on policies to support the slowing economy, resolve troubles in the property market and stabilize financial markets. Associated Press writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed to this report. March 26, 2024 March 25, 2024 March 15, 2024

California libraries may lose free passes to state parks as budget deficit mounts

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-02-28/amid-budget-deficit-california-state-library-parks-pass-faces-existential-threat

As California faces a staggering budget deficit, library card holders may soon lose the ability to check out free passes to more than 200 state parks, including popular destinations near Los Angeles. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget for the upcoming year does not include funding for what’s known as the California State Library Parks Pass, which was launched two years ago to provide more equitable access to the outdoors. A survey of people who used the passes found the majority identified as low income and people of color. Aggressive and impactful reporting on climate change, the environment, health and science. If it ends, “it would be sad because obviously some of our patrons are really enjoying [the passes],” said Shellie Cocking, chief of collections and technical services at the San Francisco Public Library. Passes, which provide free day-use parking at participating parks, were checked out more than 2,500 times at San Francisco’s 28 branches since July 2022. The highest number of checkouts were made at the Main Library, near the notoriously gritty Tenderloin neighborhood. California In an effort to provide more equitable outdoor access to all Californians, residents can now use their library cards to gain free entry to more than 200 state parks, officials announced this week. April 7, 2022 In April 2022, California State Library and California State Parks launched the three-year pilot program that handed out the passes — hangtags that fit over a vehicle’s rearview mirror — to all public library branches across the state, including mobile libraries. Cocking herself used a pass in the early days of the program to visit Hendy Woods, a state park near Anderson Valley that is notable for its majestic old-growth redwood trees. Several families, including hers, went together and brought their kids. “It’s a really different experience from San Francisco,” Cocking said. “It really gives kids a different view of the world, being able to connect to nature.” California State Parks said in a statement that it was “very proud” of the program, but did not indicate that a revised version of the budget arriving in May would include money to extend the program. However, the department said it was “exploring potential partnerships with park support organizations to continue the California State Library Parks Pass where feasible.” Omission of the funding arrives as the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office projects a state budget shortfall of $73 billion — an estimate that has ballooned by $15 billion since last month. The library parks pass and two other outdoor initiatives were allocated one-time funding of $9.1 million for three years. The other initiatives, however, remain funded and include free California State Park Adventure Passes for fourth-graders and their families, and Golden Bear Passes for families enrolled in CalWORKs, the state’s public assistance program. With the library program in jeopardy, the California State Parks Foundation, a large advocacy group, has raised a battle cry to try to save it, writing to legislative leaders and posting a petition that’s garnered 1,800 signatures. Travel & Experiences California’s state park system offers 3,000 miles of trail and terrain from beaches to badlands, Joshua trees and more. Access many parks for free and stamp your digital passport. March 16, 2023 Rachel Norton, executive director for the foundation, said funding for the project was a “drop in the bucket” relative to the state’s proposed $291.5-billion budget. “This is just such a good program,” she said, “and it’s so inexpensive in the context of the state budget that it seems crazy that you wouldn’t keep doing it.” A survey of the program released in October, which was administered by State Parks and supported by the foundation, found 63% of participants considered cost to be their main reason for not having visited state parks previously. Nearly 70% of the survey’s respondents reported an income of $60,000 or less and more than 63% indicated that they are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color). A whopping 90% of respondents said they now plan to visit state parks over seven times a year. “It is benefiting exactly the populations that we want to feel more welcome and that parks are accessible to them,” Norton said. Travel & Experiences Borrow gear for free, shop sales, repair instead of replace and other tips for extending the life of your outdoor and camping equipment. Plus, how to buy new for less. April 6, 2023 Passes permit day-use parking for vehicles with a capacity of nine or fewer people or motorcycles, state officials said. Parking fees can be daunting to even average earners in expensive cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles. For instance, parking at scenic Malibu Creek State Park, just 25 miles from downtown L.A., costs $12 for the day. As of last year, each library branch in California had an average of 24 hangtags, up from an initial four, state officials said. Cocking said San Francisco has 611 passes in circulation, a number that increased significantly last year. Residents with library cards can check out the passes for a certain number of days allowed by their local library before they need to be returned. Librarians said the passes are particularly popular during spring and summer, when warm weather and vacations draw people to the Golden State’s great outdoors. It’s “like travel books,” Cocking said. “Travel books sit on the shelf a lot of the year and then as it gets closer to summer, they’re all checked out.” If the program is not renewed, passes in circulation will remain active through the rest of 2024, Norton said. Nov. 28, 2023 Oct. 14, 2023 Sept. 29, 2023

Wall Street holds steady near record highs

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-27/stock-market-today-wall-street-holds-steady-near-record-highs

U.S. stocks held near their record levels on Tuesday after a quiet day of trading. The Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 8.65 points, or 0.2%, to 5,078.18 and is just off its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones industrial average dipped 96.82 points, or 0.2%, to 38,972.41, and the Nasdaq composite inched up 59.05 points, or 0.4%, to 16,035.30. Macy’s climbed 3.4% after reporting better results for the latest quarter than feared. It also announced a sweeping reorganization as it tries to kick-start growth in revenue. It will close about 150 stores and focus on opening new Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury locations. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings steamed 19.8% higher for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after saying it’s seeing healthy demand from customers. It also gave a forecast for earnings this upcoming year that was bigger than analysts’ expectations. AutoZone revved 6.7% higher after reporting a stronger profit than expected. Much of its growth last quarter came from its stores in Mexico and Brazil. Zoom Video Communications climbed after topping analysts’ forecasts for profit last quarter. It rose 8% to $68.17, though it’s still well below its peak above $560 during the height of the pandemic. It also announced a program to buy back as much as $1.5 billion of its stock, which would send cash directly to shareholders. Those winners helped offset a 1.5% drop for Chevron, which warned that its pending takeover of Hess may be under threat. The energy companies are in discussions with Exxon Mobil and China National Offshore Oil about a joint operating agreement for a project off Guyana’s shore. If they can’t come to an acceptable resolution, Chevron said in a filing with U.S. securities regulators, the merger with Hess may not close. Chevron was one of the main reasons for the Dow’s slide. Hess fell 3.1%. Nvidia was another weight on the market; it dipped 0.5%, taking a bit of shine off its jaw-dropping run. Its stock is still up nearly 59% so far this year after soaring nearly 240% last year amid Wall Street’s frenzy around artificial intelligence technology. Moves for Nvidia’s stock pack an extra weight on the S&P 500 because it’s the third-largest stock on Wall Street by market value. It and a handful of other major tech companies have been responsible for a huge, disproportionate amount of the S&P 500’s rally since its bottom in October 2022. To see how top-heavy the market has become, consider how the S&P 500 would be behaving if it gave each stock’s movement the same weight regardless of size. The S&P 500 is beating that equal-weighted index on a one-year rolling basis by a wide margin, “just a whisker shy of the dot-com bubble record highs,” according to strategists at Barclays. Unlike that bubble, though, the companies driving the growth this time are actually making profits and not flying on just hype. “As such the investment case for continued outperformance remains intact, but arguably more vulnerable to occasional corrections, given ebullient sentiment,” according to the strategists led by Stefano Pascale and Anshul Gupta. Along with tech stocks, cryptocurrency prices have also been running higher. Bitcoin rose above $57,000 before edging back below the threshold and is up by roughly a third so far this year already. New exchange-traded funds that hold bitcoin have made investing in the cryptocurrency easier, while also driving business for Coinbase and others that safeguard those ETFs’ bitcoins. Coinbase rose 2.7% on Tuesday to bring its gain for the year so far to 14.5%. Earnings reporting season is winding down for the big companies in the S&P 500, and the hope is that a remarkably solid U.S. economy will help profits grow through this year. A report Tuesday morning showed orders for long-lasting manufactured goods were weaker last month than economists expected, but they were better than forecast after ignoring airplanes and other transportation items. A separate report said that confidence among U.S. consumers unexpectedly slipped. Confidence had been on the upswing, and it’s a closely followed figure on Wall Street because spending by consumers makes up the bulk of the U.S. economy. On the upside for investors, the report also showed that expectations for inflation among U.S. consumers ticked down a bit. Treasury yields were mixed but held relatively steady after the reports. Yields have been climbing this year as traders push back forecasts for when the Federal Reserve may begin cutting interest rates. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mostly higher across Asia and Europe. Stocks jumped 1.3% in Shanghai but sank 0.8% in Seoul. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was little changed, remaining near its highest level in history. March 1, 2024 Feb. 26, 2024 Feb. 23, 2024

Israel and Hamas say no deal is imminent after Biden signals Gaza cease-fire could be close

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-27/biden-signals-there-could-be-a-truce-in-gaza-soon-but-israel-and-hamas-indicate-no-deal-is-imminent

Israel and Hamas on Tuesday played down chances of an imminent breakthrough in talks for a cease-fire in Gaza, after U.S. President Biden said Israel has agreed to pause its offensive during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan if a deal is reached to release some hostages. The president’s remarks came on the eve of the Michigan primary, where he faces pressure from the state’s large Arab American population over his staunch support for Israel’s offensive. Biden said he had been briefed on the status of talks by his national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, but said his comments reflected his optimism for a deal, not that all the remaining hurdles had been overcome. In the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, Israel’s air, sea and ground campaign in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of people, obliterated large swaths of the urban landscape and displaced 80% of the battered enclave’s population. Israel’s seal on the territory, which allows in only a trickle of food and other aid, has sparked alarm that a famine could be imminent, according to the United Nations. With U.N. truck deliveries of aid hampered by the lack of safe corridors, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and France conducted an airdrop of food, medical supplies and other aid into Gaza on Tuesday. At a beach in southern Gaza, boxes of supplies dropped from military aircraft drifted down on parachutes as thousands of Palestinians ran along the sand to retrieve them. But alarm is growing over worsening hunger among Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians. World & Nation With family trapped in Gaza, two Palestinian friends in the West Bank hold each other up amid crushing grief. Feb. 25, 2024 Two infants died from dehydration and malnutrition at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza City, said the spokesman for Gaza’s Health Ministry, Ashraf al-Qidra. He warned that infant mortality threatens to surge. “Dehydration and malnutrition will kill thousands of children and pregnant women in the Gaza Strip,” he said. The U.N. Population Fund said the Al Helal Al Emirati maternity hospital in Gaza’s southernmost town of Rafah reported that newborns were dying because mothers were unable to get prenatal or postnatal care. Premature births are also rising, forcing staff to put four or five newborns in a single incubator. Most of them do not survive, it said, without giving figures on the numbers of deaths. Now the prospect of an invasion of Rafah has prompted global alarm over the fate of around 1.4 million civilians trapped there. Talks to pause the fighting have gained momentum recently and were underway Tuesday. Negotiators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar have been working to broker a cease-fire that would see Hamas free some of the dozens of hostages it holds in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, a six-week halt in fighting and an increase in aid deliveries to Gaza. The start of Ramadan, which is expected to be around March 10, is seen as an unofficial deadline for a deal. The month is a time of heightened religious observance and dawn-to-dusk fasting for hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world. Israeli-Palestinian tensions have flared in the past during the holy month. “Ramadan’s coming up, and there has been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan as well, in order to give us time to get all the hostages out,” Biden said in an appearance on NBC’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers” that was recorded Monday. World & Nation Activists set out to highlight the links between Black and Palestinian liberation. They dredged up a historic dispute over an antisemitic cartoon. Feb. 23, 2024 In separate comments the same day, Biden said that he hoped a cease-fire deal could take effect by next week. At the same time, Biden did not call for an end to the war, which was triggered when Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted roughly 240 people, according to Israeli authorities. Israeli officials said Biden’s comments came as a surprise and were not made in coordination with the country’s leadership. A Hamas official played down any sense of progress, saying the group wouldn’t soften its demands. The Israeli officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the sensitive talks with the media, said Israel wants a deal immediately, but that Hamas continues to push excessive demands. They also said that Israel is insisting that female soldiers be part of the first group of hostages released under any truce deal. Hamas official Ahmad Abdel-Hadi indicated that optimism on a deal was premature. “The resistance is not interested in giving up any of its demands, and what is proposed does not meet what it had requested,” he told the Pan-Arab TV channel Al Mayadeen. Hamas has previously demanded that Israel end the war as part of any deal, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called “delusional.” At a news conference in Doha on Tuesday, Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said, “We feel optimistic” about the talks, without elaborating. A senior official from Egypt has said the draft deal includes the release of up to 40 women and older hostages in return for up to 300 Palestinian prisoners — mostly women, minors and older people. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations, said the proposed six-week pause in fighting would allow hundreds of trucks to bring desperately needed aid into Gaza every day, including to the hard-hit north. World & Nation Israel and Egypt are engaged in an increasingly public spat over a narrow strip of land between Egypt and Gaza. Jan. 25, 2024 Biden, who has shown staunch support for Israel throughout the war, left open the door in his remarks for an eventual Israeli ground offensive in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, on the border with Egypt, where more than half of the enclave’s 2.3 million people have fled under Israeli evacuation orders. Netanyahu has said a ground operation in Rafah is an inevitable component of Israel’s strategy for crushing Hamas. This week, the military submitted for Cabinet approval operational plans for the offensive, as well as evacuation plans for civilians there. Biden said he believes Israel has slowed its bombardment of Rafah. “They have to, and they have made a commitment to me that they’re going to see to it that there’s an ability to evacuate significant portions of Rafah before they go and take out the remainder [of] Hamas,” he said. “But it’s a process.” Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 29,700 people, most of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. It does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count. The first and only cease-fire in the war, in late November, brought about the release of about 100 hostages — mostly women, children and foreign nationals — in exchange for about 240 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, as well as a brief halt in the fighting. Roughly 130 hostages remain in Gaza, but Israel says about a quarter of them are dead. Shurafa reported from Rafah, Gaza Strip, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Jon Gambrell in Dubai contributed to this report. March 1, 2024 Feb. 25, 2024 Feb. 22, 2024

Chatbots' inaccurate, misleading responses about U.S. elections threaten to keep voters from polls

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-27/chatbots-inaccurate-misleading-responses-about-u-s-elections-threaten-to-keep-voters-from-polls

With presidential primaries underway across the U.S., popular chatbots are generating false and misleading information that threatens to disenfranchise voters, according to a report published Tuesday based on the findings of artificial intelligence experts and a bipartisan group of election officials. Fifteen states and one territory will hold both Democratic and Republican presidential nominating contests next week on Super Tuesday, and millions of people already are turning to artificial intelligence-powered chatbots for basic information, including about how their voting process works. Trained on troves of text pulled from the internet, chatbots such as GPT-4 and Google’s Gemini are ready with AI-generated answers, but they’re prone to suggesting voters head to polling places that don’t exist or inventing illogical responses based on rehashed, dated information, the report found. “The chatbots are not ready for prime time when it comes to giving important, nuanced information about elections,” said Seth Bluestein, a Republican city commissioner in Philadelphia, who along with other election officials and AI researchers took the chatbots for a test drive as part of a broader research project in January. An Associated Press journalist observed as the group that convened at Columbia University tested how five large language models responded to a set of prompts about the election — such as where a voter could find the nearest polling place — then rated the responses they kicked out. All five models tested — OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4, Meta’s Llama 2, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and Mixtral from the French company Mistral — failed to varying degrees when asked to respond to basic questions about the democratic process, according to the report, which synthesized the workshop’s findings. Workshop participants rated more than half of the chatbots’ responses as inaccurate and categorized 40% of the responses as harmful, including perpetuating dated and inaccurate information that could limit voting rights, the report said. For example, when participants asked the chatbots where to vote in the ZIP Code 19121, a majority Black neighborhood in northwest Philadelphia, Google’s Gemini replied that wasn’t going to happen. “There is no voting precinct in the United States with the code 19121,” Gemini responded. Testers used a custom-built software tool to query the five popular chatbots by accessing their back-end application programming interfaces, or APIs, and to prompt them simultaneously with the same questions to measure their answers against one another. Although that’s not an exact representation of how people query chatbots using their own phones or computers, querying chatbots’ APIs is one way to evaluate the kind of answers they generate in the real world. Researchers have developed similar approaches to benchmark how well chatbots can produce credible information in other applications that touch society, including in healthcare, where researchers at Stanford University recently found that large language models couldn’t reliably cite factual references to support the answers they generated to medical questions. OpenAI, which in January outlined a plan to prevent its tools from being used to spread election misinformation, said in response that the company would “keep evolving our approach as we learn more about how our tools are used,” but offered no specifics. Anthropic plans to roll out a new intervention in the coming weeks to provide accurate voting information because “our model is not trained frequently enough to provide real-time information about specific elections and ... large language models can sometimes ‘hallucinate’ incorrect information,” said Alex Sanderford, Anthropic’s head of trust and safety. Meta spokesman Daniel Roberts called the findings “meaningless” because they don’t exactly mirror the experience a person typically would have with a chatbot. Developers building tools that integrate Meta’s large language model into their technology using the API should read a guide that describes how to use the data responsibly, he added, but was not sure whether that guide made specific mention of how to deal with election-related content. “We’re continuing to improve the accuracy of the API service, and we and others in the industry have disclosed that these models may sometimes be inaccurate. We’re regularly shipping technical improvements and developer controls to address these issues,” Google’s head of product for responsible AI, Tulsee Doshi, said in response. Mistral did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In some responses, the bots appeared to pull from outdated or inaccurate sources, highlighting problems with the electoral system that election officials have spent years trying to combat and raising fresh concerns about generative AI’s capacity to amplify long-standing threats to democracy. In Nevada, where same-day voter registration has been allowed since 2019, four of the five chatbots tested wrongly asserted that voters would be blocked from registering to vote weeks before election day. “It scared me, more than anything, because the information provided was wrong,” said Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, a Democrat who participated in the January testing workshop. The research and report are the product of the AI Democracy Projects, a collaboration between Proof News, a new nonprofit news outlet led by investigative journalist Julia Angwin, and the Science, Technology and Social Values Lab at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J. Most adults in the U.S. fear that AI tools — which can micro-target political audiences, mass-produce persuasive messages and generate realistic fake images and videos — will increase the spread of false and misleading information during this year’s elections, according to a recent poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. And attempts at AI-generated election interference have already begun, such as when AI robocalls that mimicked President Biden’s voice tried to discourage people from voting in New Hampshire’s primary election in January. Politicians also have experimented with the technology, such as using AI chatbots to communicate with voters and adding AI-generated images to ads. But in the U.S., Congress has yet to pass laws regulating AI in politics, leaving the tech companies behind the chatbots to govern themselves. Two weeks ago, major technology companies signed a largely symbolic pact to voluntarily adopt “reasonable precautions” to prevent artificial intelligence tools from being used to generate increasingly realistic AI-generated images, audio and video, including material that provides “false information to voters about when, where, and how they can lawfully vote.” The report’s findings raise questions about how the chatbots’ makers are complying with their own pledges to promote information integrity this presidential election year. Overall, the report found Gemini, Llama 2 and Mixtral had the highest rates of wrong answers, with the Google chatbot getting nearly two-thirds of all answers wrong. One example: When asked whether people could vote via text message in California, the Mixtral and Llama 2 models went off the rails. “In California, you can vote via SMS (text messaging) using a service called Vote by Text,” Meta’s Llama 2 responded. “This service allows you to cast your vote using a secure and easy-to-use system that is accessible from any mobile device.” To be clear, voting via text is not allowed, and the Vote by Text service does not exist. Feb. 29, 2024 Feb. 8, 2024 Jan. 27, 2024

Biden and party leaders implore Speaker Johnson to help Ukraine in 'intense' Oval Office meeting

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-27/biden-will-urge-congressional-leaders-to-avoid-a-government-shutdown-send-aid-to-ukraine-and-israel

President Biden implored the top four leaders of Congress Tuesday to act quickly to avoid a looming government shutdown early next month and to pass emergency aid for Ukraine and Israel, as a legislative logjam in the GOP-led House showed no signs of abating. Biden hosted House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in the Oval Office along with Vice President Kamala Harris. “The need is urgent,” Biden said of the Ukraine aid. “The consequences of inaction every day in Ukraine are dire.” He noted that Israel also needs U.S. funding to replenish its supply of Iron Dome interceptors that it uses to protect against inbound rockets. Republicans in the House have thus far refused to bring up the $95-billion national security package that bolsters aid for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific. That measure cleared the Senate on a bipartisan 70-29 vote this month, but Johnson has resisted scheduling it for a vote in the House. World & Nation President Biden has signaled that a cease-fire in Gaza could be at hand, but Israel and Hamas indicate no deal is imminent. Feb. 27, 2024 CIA Director William Burns also joined Tuesday’s meeting. Burns has played key roles coordinating the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as well as efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Apart from the national security package, government funding for agriculture, transportation, military construction and some veterans’ services expires Friday. And funding for the rest of the government, including the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, expires a week later, on March 8, the day after Biden is set to deliver his State of the Union address. “It’s Congress’ responsibility to fund the government,” Biden added. “A government shutdown would damage the economy significantly. We need a bipartisan solution.” The Senate’s top two leaders also urged that the government be kept open. Parts of the government could start to scale back operations as early as Friday unless a deal is reached on spending and legislation is sent to Biden for his signature. Schumer said outside the West Wing the meeting was one of the most intense he’d ever had in the Oval Office. The leaders spoke of the need to fund Ukraine and avoid a shutdown, and also discussed border security. World & Nation President Biden has signed a short-term spending bill that keeps the federal government operating until early March. Jan. 19, 2024 “We are making good progress,” Schumer said. “The speaker said unequivocally he wants to avoid a government shutdown.” He described the president, vice president, McConnell, Jeffries and his own effort to implore the speaker to pass Ukraine funding urgently. “We made it clear how vital this was to the United States, this was so, so important, and that we couldn’t afford to wait a month or two months or three months, because we would in all likelihood lose the war, NATO would be fractured at best, allies would turn away from the United States, and the boldest leaders, the boldest autocrats of the world ... would be emboldened,” he said. But Johnson, in brief remarks outside the West Wing following the Democrats, didn’t mention Ukraine funding. He described discussing the border and government funding in the meeting as well as a one-on-one with Biden following the leader discussion. World & Nation Congress sent President Biden a short-term spending bill on Thursday that would avert a looming partial government shutdown and fund federal agencies into March. Jan. 18, 2024 “The first priority of the country is our border, and making it secure,” Johnson said. Republicans tanked a bipartisan border deal after Donald Trump encouraged them to; the bill would have denied migrants the ability to apply for asylum at the border if the number of daily crossings became unmanageable for authorities, among other major changes. “It is a catastrophe and it must stop and we will get the government funded and we’ll keep working on that,” he said. Jeffries said he told the speaker they’d be willing to work on a border deal. “We all agree we have a broken immigration system and there is a need to address the challenges at the border,” he said. McConnell, in a Senate floor speech ahead of the meeting, criticized Western nations that “hesitate” to aid Ukraine, but mostly pointed to decisions during the Obama administration not to send military aid to Kyiv. Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Will Weissert contributed to this report. March 2, 2024 Feb. 23, 2024 Feb. 17, 2024

Wall Street edges back from its record heights

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-26/stock-market-today-wall-street-edges-back-from-its-record-heights

U.S. stocks edged back from record levels Monday as they head for the final stretch of what looks to be another winning month. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slipped 19.27 points, or 0.4%, to 5,069.53 after closing last week at an all-time high. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 62.30 points, or 0.2%, to 39,069.23, and the Nasdaq composite lost 20.57 points, or 0.1%, to close at 15,976.25. Berkshire Hathaway was one of the heaviest weights on the market, even though Warren Buffett’s company reported stronger results for the end of 2023 than analysts expected. Class-B shares of the company, whose subsidiaries include Geico, Fruit of the Loom and Brooks running shoes, initially jumped more than 3% but later fell to a loss of 1.9%. The famed investor warned shareholders not to expect any more “eye-popping performance” because there are no bargains available in the market of big enough size to make a meaningful difference. Buffett is notorious for buying companies when they’re cheap. That follows broader criticism from some financial analysts that prices all over Wall Street have soared too high in their big run since Halloween. Business Kroger’s $24.6-billion acquisition of Albertsons is the largest proposed supermarket merger in U.S. history. The FTC sues, alleging the deal is anti-competitive. Feb. 26, 2024 The S&P 500 is on track to close out its fourth straight winning month and is coming off its 15th winning week in the last 17. And the stock market may not have been cheap even when it bottomed out in October 2022. That marked the priciest bear-market low in history, according to some measures of stock prices against corporate earnings, said Doug Ramsey, chief investment officer of Leuthold. This recent rally got going in October amid hopes that inflation is cooling enough for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates several times this year. Such cuts would relax the pressure on the economy and financial system, while goosing investment prices. Expectations are still high for rate cuts to come eventually this year, but traders have been delaying their forecasts after some stronger-than-expected reports on the economy. Those data in the meantime raise hopes that growth in profits for companies can strengthen, which helps stock prices too. Domino’s Pizza jumped 5.8% for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500 after it reported profit for the last three months of 2023 that topped analysts’ expectations. Amazon’s stock slipped 0.1% in its first day as a member of the Dow Jones industrial average. It replaced Walgreens Boots Alliance, which fell 3.4%. Home-builder stocks were mixed after a report showed sales of new homes strengthened last month by less than economists expected. Toll Bros. gained 1.1%, and Lennar fell 0.6%. Intuitive Machines lost more than a third of its value after the company said its lunar lander may stop working Tuesday after it landed sideways near the south pole of the moon. The 34.6% drop, though, only trims what’s been a moonshot for its stock this year. It’s still up 145.4% since the end of 2023. Last week, stocks got a big boost after another blowout report from Nvidia added more chum to the frenzy that’s already built around artificial-intelligence technology. Nvidia, whose chips help power AI technologies, rose 0.3% on Monday, and it’s already up nearly 60% this year. Earnings reporting season for the big companies in the S&P 500 is in its tail end, but this week still offers updates from several big names. They include several that could help show how well spending by U.S. households is holding up. Such spending has been one of the main reasons the U.S. economy has blasted through expectations for a possible recession. Best Buy, Lowe’s and TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, will report results this week. So will several big tech-related companies, including Salesforce.com and HP. On the economic calendar, the U.S. government on Thursday will give the latest update on the measure of inflation that the Federal Reserve prefers to use. It’s usually a less-impactful report, because data on inflation at the consumer and wholesale levels for the month have already been released. But those reports came in hotter than economists expected, which could lead to more volatility this time around. The hope on Wall Street is that inflation will continue to cool fast enough to convince the Federal Reserve to begin cutting rates by June. Treasury yields ticked higher in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.27% from 4.25% late Friday. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed. Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.3% to set another record after recouping the last of the losses suffered in the bursting of its “bubble” economy at the end of 1989. Stocks were lower across much of the rest of Asia and mixed in much of Europe. March 1, 2024 Feb. 29, 2024 Feb. 27, 2024

Ordering from Shein or Temu? Those imports might not stay duty-free forever

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-23/senators-urge-biden-to-end-duty-free-treatment-for-packages-valued-at-less-than-800

Two U.S. senators looking to crack down on the number of packages from China that enter the U.S. duty-free are calling on President Biden to take executive action, saying domestic manufacturers can’t compete with low-cost competitors that rely on forced labor and state subsidies in key sectors. U.S. trade law allows packages bound for American consumers and valued below a certain threshold to enter tariff-free. That threshold, under a category known as “de minimis,” stands at $800 per person, per day. The majority of the imports are retail products purchased online. Alarmed by the large increase in such shipments from China, lawmakers in both chambers have filed legislation to alter how the U.S. treats imports valued at less than $800. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) have sent a letter to Biden calling on him to end the duty-free treatment altogether for those products. “The situation has reached a tipping point where vast sections of American manufacturing and retail are at stake if de minimis is not immediately addressed,” the senators wrote. Brown and Scott singled out Temu, Shein and AliExpress in their letter as companies that “unfairly” benefit from duty-free treatment of their goods. The surge in shipments, they said, hurts big-box stores and other U.S. retailers. “This out-of-control problem impacts the safety and livelihoods of Americans, outsourcing not only our manufacturing, but also our retail sectors to China, which — as you know — systematically utilizes slave labor among other unconscionable practices to undermine our economy,” the senators said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter, which was provided to the Associated Press. Congress in 2016 raised the threshold for expedited and duty-fee imports to the U.S. from $200. The argument for doing so was that it speeds up the pace of commerce and lowers costs for consumers. It also allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection to focus its resources on bigger-ticket items that generate more tariff revenue for the federal government. The change to the threshold has led to a significant increase in de minimis shipments, from about 220 million packages in 2016 to 685 million in fiscal 2022. The $800 threshold has strong backing from many in the business community. John Pickel, a senior director at the National Foreign Trade Council, which represents a broad range of companies, said that ending the duty-free treatment, as the senators are urging, would slow shipments’ arrival time as they go through a more cumbersome inspection process at the border — and those products would cost more. “The increase from $200 to $800 has not really been a significant driver in terms of volume,” Pickel said. “What’s really driving interest in the use of de minimis is the desire for consumers to access their products quickly and at a lower transaction cost.” He said the average shipment that comes into the U.S. through the de minimis category is $55. But that cost would roughly double for the consumer if de minimis treatment were no longer applied, because importers would have to hire a customs broker and pay additional processing fees as well as the import duty. Feb. 7, 2024 July 9, 2023 June 18, 2023

Wall Street clings to modest gains and marks another winning week

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-23/stock-market-today-wall-street-clings-to-modest-gains-and-marks-another-winning-week

Stocks clung to modest gains on Wall Street on Friday, giving the market another record high and a winning week. The listless day for stocks capped a mostly solid week of earnings when the technology sector once again powered the market higher. The sector has been the driving force behind a rally that started in October. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 1.77 points, or less than 0.1%, to 5,088.80. That marks another record high for the benchmark index and its sixth winning week in the last seven. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 62.42 points, or 0.2%, to 39,131.53. The Nasdaq composite slipped 44.80 points, or 0.3%, to 15,996.82. Weakness in some technology companies weighed down the market, in a reversal from Thursday. Apple fell 1%. Nvidia eked out a 0.4% gain after topping the $2-trillion valuation mark earlier in the day. On Thursday, the chipmaker surged after reporting blockbuster demand for its semiconductors, which are used to power AI applications. Business Electric truck maker Rivian was once seen as a rising star in the EV space. But now the company says it will lay off 10% of its employees, and its production targets for this year are coming in lower than expected. Feb. 22, 2024 A pullback by travel-related companies also checked gains elsewhere in the market. Booking Holdings tumbled 10.1%, dragging other travel-related companies down. The online travel service beat Wall Street’s fourth-quarter sales and profit targets but issued a lukewarm forecast that spooked investors. Competitor Expedia Group fell 2%. “Investors are sanguine, with political uncertainty, elevated valuations and Fed uncertainty not able to dent the momentum in the market,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. Earnings remained the big focus. Ticket seller and concert promoter Live Nation rose 2% after beating analysts’ revenue forecasts. Sleep Number, which sells beds and bedding products, surged 33% after beating Wall Street’s revenue forecasts. On the losing end, Warner Bros. Discovery fell 9.9% after reporting a bigger loss than Wall Street expected. Among the companies that didn’t report earnings, Intuitive Machines, the company that made the first U.S. lunar landing in more than 50 years, soared 15.8%. Energy stocks were mostly lower as oil and natural gas prices fell. U.S. crude oil prices slumped 2.7% and natural gas prices fell 7.4%. Treasury yields slipped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.26% from 4.33% late Thursday. Business Patients taking Ozempic and other trendy injectables are going under the knife to correct the side effects of rapid weight loss, which include sagging skin, hollow cheeks and an aged appearance. Feb. 22, 2024 Markets were mostly higher in Europe and Asia. Tokyo’s markets were closed for a holiday, a day after they surged to an all-time high. Investors have more big earnings to review next week as they try to get a better sense of where the economy is headed. Home improvement retailer Lowe’s and discount retailer Dollar Tree will report results. Computer maker HP and electronics retailer Best Buy will also release their results. Analysts polled by FactSet expect companies in the S&P 500 to report average earnings growth of just under 4% for the fourth quarter. Roughly 90% of companies in the index have already reported. Analysts are forecasting earnings growth of 3.6% for the current quarter. Wall Street will also get more economic data that could further clarify how consumers are feeling and whether inflation is still cooling. The Conference Board will release its consumer confidence survey for February, and the government will provide another update on gross domestic product during the fourth quarter. The big focus will be on inflation data from the government’s January report on personal consumption and expenditures. It is the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation and is expected to cool to 2.4%. It peaked at 7.1% in June 2022. The Fed has been trying to tame inflation back to its target of 2%, and data last week on consumer and wholesale prices came in hotter than Wall Street expected. That prompted Wall Street to push expectations for the central bank to start cutting its benchmark interest. Traders are now expecting the Fed to cut rates in June instead of March. March 1, 2024 Feb. 27, 2024 Feb. 26, 2024

Nvidia surges on AI boom, setting off a rally on Wall Street

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-22/stock-market-today-nvidia-surges-on-ai-boom-setting-off-a-rally-on-wall-street

Nvidia’s stock price surged Thursday after the company delivered another blowout quarter, setting off a rally in other technology companies that carried Wall Street to another record high. The chipmaker, a central player in the boom surrounding artificial intelligence, reported scorching demand for its semiconductors. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 105.23 points, or 2.1%, to 5,087.03, an all-time high. The Nasdaq rose 460.75 points, or 3%, to 16,041.62. The Dow Jones industrial average, which has a smaller weighting in tech stocks, jumped 456.87 points, or 1.2%, to 39,069.11. That marks its first close above 39,000. Business Patients taking Ozempic and other trendy injectables are going under the knife to correct the side effects of rapid weight loss, which include sagging skin, hollow cheeks and an aged appearance. Feb. 22, 2024 Nvidia soared 16.4%, leading the gains for tech companies and the market. Its stock has tripled over the last year, thanks to a surge in investor enthusiasm for AI. Synopsis, which makes software used to test and develop chips, rose 6.9% after boosting its profit forecast. Other chipmakers and companies involved in the chipmaking industry also gained ground. Advanced Micro Devices rose 10.7% and Lam Research added 4.7%. Technology stocks have been the driving force behind the market’s rally that started in October. Solid earnings from some of the biggest names in the sector are helping to justify and reinforce those gains. “Investors are still wondering, will the market top out or broaden out?” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA. “As of now, investors are basically saying I’m going to let this market take me where it wants to go, and right now that’s higher.” Overnight, Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged to an all-time high. Record gains in corporate earnings have enhanced the appeal of shares in Japanese companies, along with the weakness of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar. On the losing end, electric truck and sport utility vehicle maker Rivian tumbled 25.6% after it reported another loss and issued a weaker-than-expected production outlook. Lucid, another electric vehicle maker, slid 16.8% after it missed Wall Street sales forecast and also gave a weaker production estimate than analysts had expected. Online craft marketplace Etsy fell 8.4% after it missed Wall Street’s profit forecast by a wide margin. AT&T fell 2.4% after an outage knocked out cellphone service on its network across the U.S. for hours. Wall Street expects slightly less than 4% growth for earnings in the overall S&P 500 during the fourth quarter. The communication services sector, which includes Google’s parent, Alphabet, is expected to report 45% growth. Information technology companies, which include Nvidia, are expected to notch 22% growth. “The near-term momentum in AI-related stocks is likely to continue,” said Solita Marcelli, chief investment officer for the Americas at UBS Global Wealth Management. Nearly 90% of companies in the S&P 500 have reported earnings. There are still a few big names left to report over the next several weeks, including Lowe’s, Dollar Tree and Best Buy. Wall Street’s focus on earnings this week follows economic data from the previous week that prompted a stumble in the market. Inflation data came in hotter than Wall Street expected, while retail sales fell more than anticipated. That raised concerns about the timing of hoped-for interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. Wall Street is now betting that the central bank will start trimming its benchmark rate in June, rather than March. Investors could get more clarity on inflation next week when the government releases its monthly report on personal consumption expenditures, the Fed’s preferred measure. The Fed is trying to get inflation down to its target of 2%. Analysts expect that report to show inflation cooled to 2.3% in January. It peaked at 7.1% in June of 2022. Bond yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.34% from 4.32% late Wednesday. March 1, 2024 Feb. 21, 2024 Feb. 20, 2024

Applications for jobless benefits fall again as labor market powers on

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-22/applications-for-us-jobless-benefits-fall-again-as-labor-market-powers-on

The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits fell to its lowest level in five weeks, even as more high-profile companies announce layoffs. Applications for unemployment benefits fell to 201,000, down 12,000, for the week that ended Feb. 17, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, a less volatile measure, fell to 215,250, down 3,500 from the previous week. Business Patients taking Ozempic and other trendy injectables are going under the knife to correct the side effects of rapid weight loss, which include sagging skin, hollow cheeks and an aged appearance. Feb. 22, 2024 Weekly unemployment claims are broadly viewed as representative of the number of U.S. layoffs in a given week. They have remained at historically low levels in recent years, despite efforts by the U.S. Federal Reserve to cool the economy. The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark borrowing rate 11 times beginning in March 2022 in an effort to bring down the four-decade-high inflation that took hold after the economy roared back from the COVID-19 recession of 2020. Many economists expected the rapid rate hikes to weaken the labor market and potentially tip the country into recession, but that hasn’t happened. Jobs have remained plentiful and the economy has held up better than forecast thanks to strong consumer spending. U.S. employers delivered a stunning burst of hiring to begin 2024, adding 353,000 jobs in January in the latest sign of the economy’s continuing ability to shrug off the highest interest rates in two decades. Last month’s job gain — roughly twice what economists had predicted — topped the December gain of 333,000, a figure that was revised sharply higher. The unemployment rate stayed at 3.7%, and has been below 4% for 24 straight months, the longest such streak since the 1960s. Though layoffs remain at low levels, there has been an uptick in job cuts recently across technology and media. Google parent company Alphabet, EBay, TikTok, Snap and the Los Angeles Times have all recently announced layoffs. Last week, Cisco Systems announced it was cutting 4,000 jobs. Outside of tech and media, UPS, Macy’s and Levi’s also recently cut jobs. In total, 1.86 million Americans were collecting jobless benefits during the week that ended Feb. 10, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week. Though inflation has eased considerably in the last year, the Labor Department reported last week that consumer prices remain well above the Fed’s 2% target. The Fed has left rates unchanged at its last four meetings. Jan. 24, 2024 Dec. 8, 2023 Nov. 3, 2023

Volkswagen to recall 261,000 cars because of fire risk

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-22/volkswagen-to-recall-261-000-cars-to-fix-pump-problem-that-can-let-fuel-leak-and-increase-fire-risk

Volkswagen is recalling more than 261,000 cars in the U.S. to fix a potential fuel leak that can increase the risk of fires. The recall covers certain Audi A3s and VW Golfs and GTIs from the 2015 through 2020 model years. Also included are 2015 through 2019 Golf Sportwagens and 2019 and 2020 VW Jettas. All the recalled cars have front-wheel drive. VW says in documents posted Thursday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that a problem with a pump seal can let fuel leak from a charcoal canister in the emissions control system. The agency says leaking fuel increases the risk of a fire. Dealers will replace the pump, which is inside the fuel tank, at no cost to owners. VW will send out notification letters starting April 12. Business Patients taking Ozempic and other trendy injectables are going under the knife to correct the side effects of rapid weight loss, which include sagging skin, hollow cheeks and an aged appearance. Feb. 22, 2024 The recall is the second for many of the car owners. VW recalled about 110,000 cars for the same problem in 2016, but the company found that the replacement pumps from the previous recall also were failing. U.S. safety regulators opened an investigation into the problem last year after getting 79 complaints of fuel leaks from owners. VW said in documents that it had 1,410 warranty claims with repair dates from May 2016 through December of last year. The documents say no fires related to the problem have been identified. Feb. 2, 2024 Jan. 10, 2024 Dec. 13, 2023

Wall Street ends mixed after a late wave of buying

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-21/stock-market-today-wall-street-ends-mostly-higher-after-a-late-wave-of-buying

Stocks were mixed on Wall Street on Wednesday after a listless day of trading with big technology stocks again acting as a heavy weight on the market. The Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 6.29 points, or 0.1%, to 4,981.80. The benchmark index spent much of the day in losing territory before climbing higher just before markets closed. The Dow Jones industrial average also eked out a slight gain after losing ground most of the day. It rose 48.44 points, or 0.1%, to 38,612.24. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 49.91 points, or 0.3%, to 15,580.87. Business Logistics has been an economic lifeline for the Inland Empire for decades. Now that the industry is hitting a downturn, the region is feeling the pain. Feb. 21, 2024 Earnings remained the big focus for Wall Street. After markets closed, Nvidia reported earnings and revenue that handily beat Wall Street forecasts. The chipmaker’s stock has tripled over the last year thanks to a surge in investor enthusiasm over artificial intelligence. Palo Alto Networks was a big loser and a particularly heavy weight on the tech sector. The network security company sank 28.4% after giving forecasts for future billings that came in well below what analysts were looking for. Rival Fortinet slumped 3.8%. Amazon rose 0.9% after an announcement that it would be added to the Dow. Walgreens Boots Alliance, which is leaving the Dow, fell 2.5%. Bond yields gained ground. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.33% from 4.28% late Tuesday. Technology stocks drove much of the market rally that brought it to record highs just last week. The sector is also showing some of the strongest earnings growth. Lopsided contributions from some of the bigger companies in the sector, however, have raised questions about whether the gains were overdone. “In February we’re seeing some of that settle out as we try and get a better bead on how the full year is going to go,” said Rob Haworth, senior portfolio manager at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. Several other companies made big moves after the release of their financial results. Electronic measurement technology company Keysight Technologies fell 6.7% after its profit forecast fell short of analysts’ expectations. Garmin, which makes personal navigation devices, jumped 8.8% after beating earnings forecasts. Toll Bros. rose 3.9% after giving investors an encouraging financial update as it sees strong demand. That helped support gains throughout the home building sector. Energy companies gained ground as natural gas prices jumped 12.5%. Exxon Mobil rose 2%. The Federal Reserve released minutes from its latest meeting in January that showed most officials are worried about moving too fast to cut their benchmark interest rate. The central bank left the rate alone for the fourth time in a row at that meeting. Investors have all but lost hope that the central bank will cut rates at its March meeting and are looking for the first rate cut to come in June. Investors have to wait until next week for another key update on inflation. That’s when the government will release its monthly report on personal consumption expenditures, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation. The central bank’s goal has been to tame inflation back to 2%, and analysts expect that report to show it cooled to 2.3% in January. Inflation by that measure peaked at 7.1% in June of 2022. “As long as the labor market holds up, the Fed can afford to slow walk rate cuts,” said Jamie Cox, managing partner for Harris Financial Group. “Inflation fighting is much easier when the labor market cooperates.” Separate measures for consumer and wholesale prices in January show that inflation didn’t cool as much as anticipated. That prompted investors to shift expectations for rate cuts from March to June. A weak report on retail sales added to the disappointing inflation data and raised concerns that stubborn inflation is inflicting more pain on consumers. Tighter consumer spending could put more pressure on businesses in 2024. Jan. 26, 2024 Jan. 24, 2024 Jan. 9, 2024

Tech stocks pull Wall Street lower, led by investor favorite Nvidia

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-20/stock-market-today-tech-stocks-pull-wall-street-lower-led-by-investor-favorite-nvidia

Technology stocks led Wall Street broadly lower on Tuesday as chipmaker Nvidia pulled back ahead of its highly anticipated earnings report this week. The Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 30.06 points, or 0.6% to 4,975.51. It is coming off its second losing week in the last 16. The losses pushed the benchmark index further below the record it set last week. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 64.19 points, or 0.2%, to 38,563.80. The Nasdaq composite fell 144.87 points, or 0.9%, to 15,630.78. Business A proposed merger between Capital One and Discover raises antitrust concerns and questions about how it will affect customers. Here’s what we know. Feb. 20, 2024 Technology stocks were the biggest drag on the market, with chipmakers as a particularly heavy weight. Nvidia slumped 4.4%. It’s still the S&P 500’s biggest gainer this year, rising about 40%. Wall Street will be closely watching its latest earnings update Wednesday for clues about its health and the broader tech sector’s potential in 2024. Several big retailers reported their latest earnings Tuesday, presenting a mixed bag of results. Walmart rose 3.2% after reporting stronger-than-expected results for its latest quarter and issuing sales forecasts that came in ahead of what Wall Street was expecting. It is also buying smart TV maker Vizio. Home improvement retailer Home Depot was mostly unchanged after a day of unsettled trading. It beat Wall Street’s earnings forecasts, but gave investors a disappointing profit forecast for the year. The market fell last week after several pieces of economic data signaled that inflation remains stubbornly high. That stalled a rally that began in late October based on hopes that inflation would cool enough to allow the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. “The narrative that drove us to these levels is very much being called into question,” said Sameer Samana, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. At this point, Wall Street is looking for the first rate cut to come in June, months later than earlier anticipated. Investors have to wait until the end of February for another key update on inflation. That’s when the government will release its monthly report on personal consumption and expenses, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation. “The key question to answer now is whether inflation is bottoming out, and if it is, does it go sideways or back up,” Samana said. Investors have a relatively light week of economic news. Data on home sales will be reported Thursday. The housing market remains tight as demand for homes continues to outpace supply. Mortgage rates remain high, though they have been easing from their most recent peak in late October, when the average rate on a 30-year mortgage hit 7.79%. Several companies will report earnings this week. Online crafts marketplace Etsy will report its results Wednesday. TurboTax maker Intuit will report Thursday, along with online travel company Booking Holdings. More than 80% of companies in the S&P 500 have reported their latest results. Analysts polled by FactSet expect overall earnings growth of about 3.3% for the fourth quarter and forecast earnings growth of about 3.6% for the current quarter. Discover Financial Services soared 12.6%, the most in the S&P 500, after agreeing to be acquired by Capital One Financial for about $35 billion. Bond yields fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.27% from 4.28% late Friday. The yield on the two-year Treasury fell to 4.61% from 4.65%. Feb. 28, 2024 Jan. 31, 2024 Jan. 26, 2024

Wall Street rises to another record as Treasury yields ease

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-15/stock-market-today-wall-street-rises-to-another-record-as-treasury-yields-ease

U.S. stocks set another record Thursday after some mixed reports on the economy. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 29.11 points, or 0.6%, to 5,029.73 and squeaked by its prior all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 348.85 points, or 0.9%, to 38,773.12, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 47.03 points, or 0.3%, to 15,906.17. TripAdvisor gained 9.2% after reporting stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Tech giant Cisco Systems also reported better-than-anticipated results, but its stock sank 2.4% after it cut its profit forecast for its full fiscal year. The mixed set of data on the economy included a report showing sales at U.S. retailers weakened by more in January from December than expected. It was a striking drop in spending by U.S. households, whose strength has helped keep the economy out of a recession, even with high interest rates. The upside for financial markets is that it could also remove some upward pressure on inflation. Business Birth rates have been trending downward in the U.S. for several decades and dropped precipitously during the pandemic. A key reason is the high cost of raising kids. Feb. 15, 2024 A separate report said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than expected, the latest signal of a solid job market despite high-profile announcements of layoffs. Other reports Thursday morning painted a mixed but better-than-feared picture of the manufacturing industry. Altogether, the economic reports helped send Treasury yields lower in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.24% from 4.27% late Wednesday. Treasury yields have been swiveling recently. Stronger-than-expected reports on inflation, the job market and the overall economy have forced traders on Wall Street to delay their forecasts for when the Federal Reserve will begin cutting interest rates. The Fed has already hiked its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001. The hope is that high rates will squeeze the economy just enough to get inflation down to a comfortable level without causing a recession. After earlier hoping that the Fed would offer some relief and begin cutting rates in March, the thinking on Wall Street now is that won’t happen until May or maybe June. That delay in turn knocked stocks down from their record highs. Still, the widespread expectation remains for cuts to rates to come this year. It’s just the timing that is changing. In the meantime, the economy continues to look solid, which should help drive growth in profits for companies. That’s helping to keep stocks from falling very much. CBRE Group jumped 8.5% for one of the largest gains in the S&P 500 after it joined the parade of companies beating analysts’ expectations for profit in the last three months of 2023. Despite difficult conditions for commercial real estate, the company also reported stronger revenue than expected. Shake Shack was another winner, rising 26% after the burger chain reported better profit and revenue than expected. Its total revenue jumped 20% from a year earlier, more than forecast. Wells Fargo climbed 7.2% and was one of the stronger forces pushing the S&P 500 upward. Regulators at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency removed a consent order issued in 2016, which required the bank to revamp how it sells products to customers after it was caught opening unauthorized accounts. On the losing end of Wall Street was Deere, which fell 5.2% even though the maker of agricultural equipment’s profit for the latest quarter topped expectations. Deere gave a profit forecast for this fiscal year that fell short of analysts’ estimates, saying conditions in the industry are getting back to normal following a couple of record years. One risk that could upset things is the upcoming U.S. election. The Fed does not like to shift from holding rates steady to cutting too close to an election, said Bank of America strategists led by Mark Cabana. So if the Fed doesn’t move by June, the possibility rises that it may end up holding rates steady until late 2024 or early 2025. Still, Cabana said where yields ultimately go will depend more on how far the Fed ends up cutting rates than on when it begins. In stock markets abroad, the Nikkei 225 rose 1.2% after Japan said its economy shrank for a second consecutive quarter. It dropped behind Germany to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, and the weakness raised expectations that Japan’s central bank may keep interest rates very easy. The United Kingdom also reported its economy shrank for a second straight quarter. The FTSE 100 index in London rose 0.4%, while stocks were up a bit more across Europe. March 1, 2024 Feb. 29, 2024 Feb. 12, 2024

Wall Street recovers much of its big loss from a day before

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-14/stock-market-today-wall-street-recovers-much-of-its-big-loss-from-a-day-before

U.S. stocks rose Wednesday to recover much of their sharp losses from a day before, triggered by worries that high interest rates may stick around for months longer than hoped. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index climbed 47.45 points, or 1%, to 5,000.62 and clawed back more than two-thirds of its loss from Tuesday. A hotter-than-expected report on inflation forced investors to delay forecasts for when the Federal Reserve may begin cutting interest rates, potentially into the summer. Expectations for such cuts are a big reason stocks rallied to records recently. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 151.52 points, or 0.4%, to 38,424.27 a day after after dropping 524 points for its worst loss in nearly 11 months. The Nasdaq composite jumped 203.55 points, or 1.3%, to 15,859.15. The smallest stocks, which took the hardest hit Tuesday from worries about higher interest rates , bounced back more than the rest of the market. The Russell 2000 index leaped 2.4%. Helping to keep things steadier on Wall Street was a calmer bond market. Treasury yields eased after shooting upward a day earlier on expectations that the Fed would keep rates high for longer. The central bank has already jacked up its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001 in hopes of slowing the overall economy just enough to grind high inflation down to its target. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.25% from 4.32% late Tuesday. It’s still well above its 3.85% level at the start of this month. Critics have been saying that stock prices may have run too far, too fast in their rally since October. A pullback could be healthy if it takes some of the “froth” out of the market, said JJ Kinahan, chief executive of IG North America. Kinahan said he found it interesting that big recent winners such as Nvidia and other chip makers finished Tuesday well off their lows for the day. That makes him think that the day’s drop “was more about taking some profits than it was panic selling” by investors. Nvidia, which has been riding a mania around artificial intelligence technology, rose 2.5% on Wednesday and was the single strongest force pushing up the S&P 500 index. DaVita jumped 8.6% for one of the S&P 500’s larger gains after the healthcare company reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Most companies in the S&P 500 have been topping analysts’ forecasts for the last three months of 2023. Hopes for stronger growth in 2024 from a solid economy have been another reason the S&P 500 has set 10 records this year. Lyft shares leaped 35.1% after a wild ride in off-hours trading that was driven in part by a typo in its latest earnings report. The ride-hailing company reported stronger results than analysts expected, but its news release also said it expects a key measure of profitability to improve by 500 basis points, or 5 percentage points. Later, it said that should have been 50 basis points, or 0.5 percentage points. Lyft’s stock rocketed by more than 60% in after-hours trading Tuesday after the typo. Rival Uber Technologies rose 14.7% after its board authorized a program to buy back as much as $7 billion of its stock. Investors tend to like such programs because they send cash directly to shareholders and can boost per-share profits. Robinhood Markets gained 13% after it reported a profit for the latest quarter when analysts were expecting a loss. The stock- and crypto-trading platform also said its total net revenue rose 24%, more than analysts expected. On the losing end, Akamai Technologies dropped 8.2% after it reported mixed results. Its profit for the latest quarter topped analysts’ forecasts, but its revenue fell short. Online vacation rental booker Airbnb slipped 1.7% after it reported losing $349 million in the fourth quarter due to an income tax settlement with Italy. Analysts had been expecting a profit. The company forecast first-quarter revenue that would meet or beat Wall Street expectations, however, Airbnb said the pace of bookings growth is likely to “moderate” from the fourth quarter into the first. In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 rose 0.7% after a better-than-expected report on inflation in the United Kingdom. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 0.8% after trading reopened there, but markets remained closed in mainland China for the Lunar New Year holiday. Stocks fell elsewhere in Asia, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 down 0.7% and South Korea’s Kospi down 1.1%. Feb. 29, 2024 Feb. 6, 2024 Feb. 1, 2024

Wall Street hangs near records ahead of inflation report

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-12/stock-market-today-wall-street-hangs-near-records-ahead-of-inflation-report

Wall Street held relatively steady Monday after its latest record-setting week. The Standard & Poor’s 500 slipped 4.77 points, or 0.1%, to 5,021.84 after closing Friday above the 5,000 level for the first time. Most of the stocks in the index rose, but losses for Microsoft and other tech companies weighed on the index. The weakness for tech also pulled the Nasdaq composite down by 48.12 points, or 0.3%, to 15,942.55. Earlier in the day, it had been hovering just above its all-time closing high set in 2021. The Dow Jones industrial average, meanwhile, rose 125.69 points, or 0.3%, to 38.797.38 to set a record. Conditions were calm across markets, and yields were also stable in the bond market. The next big event for the market could be Tuesday’s update on inflation across the United States, which economists expect to show a drop below the 3% level. In the meantime, Diamondback Energy climbed 9.4% after it said it would buy Endeavor Energy Resources in a deal valued at about $26 billion, including Endeavor’s debt. Diamondback is using both cash and stock to pay for the purchase of the privately held exploration and production company. Trimble rose 4.2% after the technology provider reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company, whose products are used in construction, mapping and other industries, shook off an earlier loss after it also gave a forecast for revenue in 2024 that fell short of Wall Street’s estimates. Big companies in the S&P 500 mostly have been reporting better results than expected for the final three months of 2023. More than two-thirds of the companies in the index have already reported their results, but several big names are still to come this week. They include Coca-Cola on Tuesday, Kraft Heinz on Wednesday and Southern Co. on Thursday. The smallest companies in the market, meanwhile, are still in the relatively early days of their profit reporting season. But they’ve been beating analysts’ expectations by even more than their big rivals, according to Bank of America strategists. Worries have grown about how top-heavy the stock market has become, where the seven biggest companies have accounted for a disproportionate amount of the S&P 500’s rally to a record. If more companies aside from the group known as the “Magnificent Seven” can deliver strong profit growth, it could soften the criticism that the market has become too expensive. Another worry for the market has been uncertainty about just how much danger lurks for the economy in the loans and other holdings banks have on their balance sheets that are tied to commercial real estate. The widespread expectation, even among top U.S. government officials, is that weakness for office buildings and other commercial projects will mean at least some pain for banks. But no one can say how much for sure. That’s why so much focus has been on New York Community Bancorp recently. It shocked investors two weeks ago when it announced a surprise loss for its latest quarter. Some of the pain was due to its acquisition of Signature Bank during the industry’s mini-crisis last year. But worries about commercial real estate also played a role. New York Community Bancorp’s stock has roughly halved since that surprise report, but it held a bit steadier Monday, edging down 0.2%. An index measuring stock prices across the regional banking industry rose 1.8%. In the bond market, yields were moving very little. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.16% from 4.18%, late Friday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Federal Reserve, held at 4.48%, where it was late Friday. Inflation has been cooling enough that the Fed has hinted it may cut its main interest rate several times this year. Such cuts typically energize financial markets and the economy, and they would release pressure that’s built up since the Fed has taken its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001. After earlier hoping cuts to rates could begin as soon as March, traders have since pushed their forecasts out to May or June. Reports showing that the U.S. economy and job market remain remarkably solid, along with some comments from Fed officials, have been forcing the delays. If the Fed ends up making traders wait even longer than expected for rate cuts, it could upset stock prices that have already shot upward on the assumption of lots of good news, said Marc Dizard, chief investment strategist at PNC Asset Management Group. Besides lower interest rates, that also includes stronger convictions for no recession for the U.S. economy, inflation continuing to come down and corporate profits growing more strongly. In stock markets abroad, indexes were modestly higher in much of Europe. In Asia, several markets were closed for holidays. Feb. 29, 2024 Feb. 27, 2024 Feb. 26, 2024

Recession risk is fading, but political tensions remain a worry

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-12/recession-risks-are-fading-business-economists-say-but-political-tensions-pose-threat-to-economy

Just a quarter of business economists and analysts expect the United States to fall into recession this year. And any downturn probably would result from an external shock — such as a conflict involving China — rather than from domestic economic factors such as higher interest rates. But respondents to a National Assn. of Business Economics survey released Monday still expect year-over-year inflation to exceed 2.5% — above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target — through 2024. A year ago, most forecasters expected the U.S. economy — the world’s largest — to slide into a recession as the Fed raised interest rates to fight a burst of inflation that began in 2021. The Fed hiked its benchmark rate 11 times from March 2022 to July 2023, taking it to the highest level in more than two decades. Inflation has fallen from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.4% in December. But the economy unexpectedly kept growing and employers kept hiring and resisting layoffs despite higher borrowing costs. The combination of tumbling inflation and resilient growth has raised hopes — reflected in the survey — that the Fed can achieve a so-called soft landing: vanquishing inflation without the pain of a recession. “Panelists are more optimistic about the outlook for the domestic economy,’’ said Sam Khater, chief economist at mortgage giant Freddie Mac and chair of the association’s economic policy survey committee. The Fed has stopped raising interest rates and has signaled that it expects to reduce rates three times this year. But a growing share of business forecasters worry that the Fed is keeping rates unnecessarily high: 21% in the NABE survey called the Fed’s policy “too restrictive,’’ up from the 14% who expressed that view in August. Still, 70% say the Fed has it “about right.’’ What worries respondents are the chances of a conflict between China and Taiwan even if it isn’t an outright war: 63% consider such an outcome at least a “moderate probability.’’ Likewise, 97% see at least a moderate chance that conflict in the Middle East will drive oil prices above $90 a barrel (from around $77 now) and disrupt global shipping. In addition, 85% are worried about political instability in the U.S. before or after the Nov. 5 presidential election. The respondents are also increasingly concerned about U.S. government finances: 57% say budget policies — which have created a huge gap between what the government spends and what it collects in taxes — need to be more disciplined, up from 54% in August. They say the most important objectives of government budget policy should be promoting medium- to long-term growth (cited by 45% of respondents) and reducing the federal deficit and debts (42%). Coming in a distant third — and cited by 7% — is the goal of reducing income inequality. Feb. 21, 2024 Jan. 24, 2024 Jan. 3, 2024

Wall Street waltzes past its latest milestone as S&P 500 closes above 5,000

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-09/stock-market-today-wall-street-waltzes-past-its-latest-milestone-as-s-p-500-closes-above-5-000

More gains for U.S. stocks on Friday sent Wall Street to its latest record, milestone and winning week. The Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 0.6% and finished above 5,000 for the first time. It’s the 10th record in less than a month for the index, which closed its 14th winning week in the last 15 to continue a romp that began around Halloween. The Nasdaq composite jumped 1.2% to pull within 0.4% of its own all-time high, which was set in 2021. The Dow Jones industrial average was a laggard a day after setting its own latest record. It slipped 0.1%. Milestones such as the S&P 500 at 5,000 don’t carry much weight for a market that’s supposed to move on hard numbers including interest rates, profits and revenue. But they can juice up the animal spirits of a market that can also be prone to emotional moves. Wall Street’s rally got going with hopes that cooling inflation would get the Federal Reserve to dial down the pressure by cutting interest rates. Lately, such cuts look to be coming later than hoped because reports keep showing a remarkably solid economy. But that strength has in turn raised expectations for profits from companies, supporting stocks. Cloudflare was the latest company to soar after reporting stronger profit than analysts expected for its latest quarter. The cloud-services company jumped 19.5% after it said it signed both its largest new customer and its largest renewal ever, despite an overall economic environment that “remains challenging to predict.” Big Tech stocks did most of the market’s heavy lifting, as they’ve been doing for more than a year, in part on mania around artificial-intelligence technology. Nvidia, Amazon and Microsoft were the three strongest forces lifting the S&P 500 after they rose 3.6%, 2.7% and 1.6%, respectively. They helped offset a 3.6% drop for PepsiCo, which reported weaker revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It said growth is slowing because customers are getting back to their snacking and other behaviors from before the pandemic. Expedia tumbled 17.8% despite also reporting stronger profit than expected. The company gave forecasts for the first three months of 2024 that analysts said pointed to slower growth in bookings. The company also announced a new chief executive, Ariane Gorin, will take over in May. Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of “Grand Theft Auto” and other video games, sank 8.7% after it reported weaker profit than expected. It also cut its forecast for results for its fiscal year, which ends March 31. All told, the S&P 500 rose 28.70 points to 5,026.61. The Dow slipped 54.64 points to 38,671.69, and the Nasdaq gained 196.95 points to close at 15,990.66. Profits have largely been coming in better than expected for the big companies in the S&P 500 this reporting season, which is roughly two-thirds finished. That’s usually the case, but even more companies than usual are doing so this time around, according to FactSet. That has boosted optimism on Wall Street, but contrarians say it may have gone too far and carried stocks to too-expensive heights. Traders are flowing into some riskier investments at a quick enough pace that a contrarian measure kept by Bank of America is leaning more toward “sell” now than “buy,” though it’s not at convincing levels. The measure tracks how much fear and greed are in the market, and it suggested buying in October when fear was at a convincing high. In the bond market, Treasury yields inched higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.16% from 4.15% late Thursday. But the movements were much calmer than earlier in the month, when the 10-year yield leaped from 3.85% as traders forcefully pushed out their forecasts for rate cuts. It’s an encouraging signal that the stock market can keep hitting highs when expectations are dimming for an imminent cut to interest rates, particularly after the market earlier seemed to be moving solely on such forecasts. “A less emotional market is a positive sign, though investors must fight against the complacency that is a natural reaction to such a strong and steady bull run,” said Mark Hackett, Nationwide’s chief of investment research. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mostly modestly lower. In Asia, several markets were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 edged up by 0.1% after touching a 34-year high earlier in the day. March 1, 2024 Feb. 29, 2024 Feb. 27, 2024

Beginning in 2026, the Oscars will include an award for casting

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-02-08/film-academy-announces-new-oscar-for-casting-ampas

There will soon be one more category to fill out on your Oscar ballots. On Thursday, the motion picture academy’s board of governors announced the creation of a new competitive Oscar for achievement in casting. The award will be given out annually beginning in 2026 with the 98th Academy Awards for films released in 2025. Though casting has been an integral part of the filmmaking process since the advent of the studio system, the academy only established a branch for casting directors in 2013. With nearly 160 current members, the branch is one of the smallest in the organization, which has a total membership of more than 10,800. The announcement follows the British film and TV academy’s decision to add a casting award in 2020. “Casting directors play an essential role in filmmaking and as the Academy evolves, we are proud to add casting to the disciplines that we recognize and celebrate,” academy Chief Executive Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang said in a joint statement announcing the award. “We congratulate our Casting Directors Branch members on this exciting milestone and for their commitment and diligence throughout this process.” Movies The 2024 Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday, with big numbers for “Oppenheimer,” “Barbie” and two foreign titles, “Anatomy of a Fall” and “The Zone of Interest.” Jan. 23, 2024 The casting award is the first new Oscars category introduced since the best animated feature film category was established in 2001 and, barring any other changes, will bring the number of competitive Oscar categories to 24. Oscar categories have evolved and fluctuated significantly over the years. The first Academy Awards ceremony included only 12 awards, and over the ensuing decades categories have at times been added, subtracted, split and combined. In 2018, the academy announced the creation of a new best popular film award only to scrap the idea following a blowback. Meanwhile, the stunt community has long lobbied for its own Oscar but has so far been unsuccessful in its campaign. Casting director David Rubin served as the organization’s president from 2019 to 2022. Speaking to The Times shortly after being elected, Rubin said he was not focused on trying to create an Oscar for casting but was thrilled that the BAFTAs were adding such an award. “It will likely serve to increase awareness of our involvement in the collaborative art of filmmaking,” he said. “But other than that, I would say let’s just see what the future brings.” In a joint statement Thursday, current academy casting directors branch governors Richard Hicks, Kim Taylor-Coleman and Debra Zane called the award “a deserved acknowledgment of our casting directors’ exceptional talents and a testament to the dedicated efforts of our branch.” Category rules for eligibility and voting for the new award will be announced in 2025. Feb. 15, 2024 Jan. 19, 2024 Jan. 18, 2024

Usher brings romance to the biggest stage in America: The Super Bowl

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2024-02-08/usher-has-always-been-romantic-he-wants-to-bring-it-back-to-music

You can see galaxies in Usher Raymond IV’s eyes. They twinkle as he speaks, no matter how little lighting there is in a room. His deep gaze, soft and curious, makes you wonder what he sees in your humanity, whether it’s beauty, intelligence, kindness, warmth or something else. You have to consider when is the last time someone has looked into your eyes with such attentiveness. You could fall into his dimples when he smiles. His voice is rich and velvety. His hugs are warm. He is a deep sigh of dreaminess personified. It comes naturally to a man who has made romance part of his legacy for three decades and done soul searching on how he thinks about love. He’s intentional in so many things he does, including lighting a candle in the home theater of a lavish Beverly Hills home “for the vibe” before opening up about who he is as a human and an artist. “I wanted you to feel cool and feel the energy,” Usher said. “Maybe it was something about that candle that was lit that just changed the vibe in the room, the tone that I speak to you in, looking you in your eyes when I actually talk to you, that probably makes you feel a little bit more safe and like we’re really connected in this moment.” Recently, the R&B icon’s run of sold-out Vegas residencies, a new album and headlining the Super Bowl half-time show have sparked renewed admiration from veteran and young fans alike. On Tuesday, the singer announced the “Usher: Past, Present, Future” tour, a 24-city trek launching in August. Usher’s moment in the spotlight in the heart of America’s biggest game will be a legacy-defining moment not only for himself but for romance and R&B. In the years since Usher started his career in the early 1990s, our ideas of intimacy have evolved dramatically. Women are reconsidering the merits of singledom and men are facing a potential loneliness epidemic. Same-sex marriage is legal, polyamory and nonmonogamous relationships are becoming less taboo, people are realizing they are asexual, and the love of your life could be one swipe away on dating apps. Every other week the internet debates whether getting coffee or ice cream is a worthy first date and tries to quantify what effort in dating should look like. Romance, in our love lives and platonic relationships, often feels fleeting when love languages are easily lost in translation and the slow burn of vulnerability and trust building feels exhausting. The downside to modern courtship is that people want to push the fast-forward button from lust to love without romancing each other along the way. Music also has made an unsettling shift over the years, from lyrics of intense longing to hyperdrive moments of half love, a paradigm that continues to leave Usher confused. “Who the hell said that romance is old-fashioned? There is no way you can tell me we live in a world where we don’t want to take our time and slow down to be romantic with each other,” Usher said. “If you have free time how much are you choosing to spend it with someone and are they even capable of being romantic? I think those songs of our past help us understand how to be men who could be romantic with women.” These days in music, romantic chases end too soon or never begin, yearning is elusive, the “baby pleases” are wanting, the sex sounds fast and underwhelming, cash is substituted for the little things that make love last. Somewhere along the way modern love bled into music and showcased how frustrated and unimpressed people are with the prospect of love. For Usher, a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, he said it’s “in his DNA” to keep love alive in his music since he listened to Babyface, the Isley Brothers, Marvin Gaye, Bobby Brown and the early years of Michael Jackson. “I think that a bit of romance has been taken from music because maybe those songs aren’t as relevant as they used to be,” Usher said. “It now turns into when we think of R&B let’s focus on pain, let’s focus on the heartache, let’s focus on the dysfunction, let’s focus on maybe not falling in love, or the fact that we can’t fall in love.” The Grammy -winning artist’s discography, which includes platinum-selling records, allows people to run back classics about the wider spectrum of what courtship can be. There’s the bombastic nature of “My Way”; the allure of new love with “You Make Me Wanna”; the anticipation of intoxicating intimacy in “Nice and Slow”; the wistfulness of “U Got It Bad”; the heartbreak of “Burn”; the ego of “U Don’t Have to Call”; the raw truths of “Confessions Part II”; the devotion of “Superstar”; the chart-topping slow jams “Love in This Club” and “Lovers and Friends” to counterbalance club anthems like “Yeah!” and “OMG.” If you look across Usher’s catalog there is a song for nearly every aspect of what can keep romance alive or at bay. “Romance is the young man’s game, it keeps you young forever, it makes her feel alive,” Usher said. “If you give that romance she will flower for you. She’ll look more gorgeous and beautiful and feel amazing and she will be the shining star in the representation of herself, but more than anything, a representation of how you make her feel.” Usher’s ninth studio album, “Coming Home,” out this month, is his first as an independent artist. “I share in what I am creating. It’s not just necessarily a work for hire where I’m a slave to the master, a very unfortunate reality of what artists were subjected to when starting their careers,” Usher said. “Even though [this album] is a part of my legacy, it feels like it’s a separate start of something else that is far more about a lifestyle, a feeling, being immersed and also engaged in things outside of music.” The 20-track album includes features with Burna Boy, Summer Walker, 21 Savage, Latto, Pheelz, The Dream, H.E.R. and BTS’ Jung Kook. There are tracks that are simply smooth and sexy, like the title track “Coming Home” or “Big” or “Stone Kold Freak.” But there are also the heartbreak records that could be the ones that people listen to for fresh breakups or memories of long-lost loves, like “Bop” or “Kissing Strangers.” The song “Ruin” featuring Pheelz has late-night social media post potential with the lyric “You ruined me for everybody.” “I Am the Party” has the entrancing intrigue to be a song Usher uses to serenade future lucky audience members when performing live. “Risk It All” alongside H.E.R. is romantic and beautifully sung and could easily gain popularity as a wedding song in the years to come. If you ask Usher he will tell you emphatically “the whole album” is romantic. He scrolled down on his phone then pressed the play button for “On the Side” and smiled softly as it played. He’s aware that’s not the most romantic one but he points to the merits of showing what happens with not being sure who you can be vulnerable with. “Part of this album is being in the middle of this romantic thing but then also dealing with this reality of temptation,” he said. “It’s a subtle thing that’s somewhere in there and the fact that you’re fighting, not turning back towards the temptation.” One of the reasons Usher is romanticized in R&B is because of his singing voice. It’s a smooth falsetto that decades later still sounds compelling and leaves you in awe. People were reminded of how good he sounds in 2022 when he performed for NPR Tiny Desk. The 24-minute show, has garnered 21 million views on YouTube. Usher was shocked by how engaged the audience was. He was surprised that in a world that has “filtered itself down to eight to maybe 15 seconds,” people ran with the footage to make memes that he could’ve never imagined . Music Usher expressed his gratitude to Rihanna for her kind words about his Feb. 11 Super Bowl halftime show performance in Las Vegas. Dec. 21, 2023 “Here I am having conversations with my son every day and he’s like, ‘Dad, you need to tweet more, or you need to get on Tik Tok’ to do all these things, because that’s how we talk and I’m like, but I do what I do,” Usher said. “The fact that people reacted, and then they put me in that world, it became like, oh man, there’s a way for me to use who I authentically am and exist and be relevant in the world where people want to hear eight seconds of something and they feel it.” For his NPR performance, Usher decided to do something he had never done before: He sang in his talking voice. He pointed out that it’s “a scary thing to do” as a falsetto singer because of the pressure to be loud and belt out every note. But he says he can do this thanks to a combination of millions of dollars invested in his body and voice, his vocal coaches and being “one of the last Mohicans” committed to the discipline of improving and maintaining the technical side of his vocals. In the early years of his career, chasing vans and running up hills or throwing medicine balls while singing to improve his breath control were not wasted on him. But he also pushes himself to relive the emotion he felt when he first made each song part of his catalog. These days, he said, vocals don’t seem to matter as much as they used to. “I really do think that there’s something soulful in singing tone,” Usher said. “With music, we just hear a rhythm, we hear a beat, but when you sing something, from my lips, to your ears, it reaches your heart, it reaches your spirit, and the idea and philosophy of that as a practice, I don’t think people care about. They’re like, ‘That’s too technical, that’s too deep,’ but not for me, because I was raised to think like that and approach music in that manner.” He said part of the problem is “it’s not a mandate to be on key,” adding that most people likely wouldn’t notice if a singer was flat or sharp. He said people don’t spend the time to understand the work that goes into bridging the technical and emotional sides of great singing. More than that, he said, there are larger existential questions about modern-day singing performances that need to be considered. How many people turn off everything and then just sing with no music? How many people stand there with a microphone and just sing to you, and if they do, do you feel it? Is the technical device getting in the way where you can’t reach the emotion? Jermaine Dupri, a hip-hop artist, producer and songwriter who has worked with Usher over the years, said that the house of R&B became vacant with the loss of greats like Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson and Prince. He said what makes Usher special is that, even though he raps in some of his songs and is “as hip as could possibly be,” he still feels like an authentic R&B artist. While working with Usher on “Nice and Slow” and “U Got It Bad,” Dupri decided to forgo having background singers. . “If you listen to his records, his songs don’t have big background [vocals], because it’s just Usher, his voice is upfront and right in front of you,” Dupri said. “I feel like that’s just a formula that I believe has worked for him that pierces the ear of women, that makes them feel like they’re being directly spoken to.” Dupri pointed out that articles about Usher in recent months and years have focused on his Vegas residency and now the Super Bowl but rarely ask a central question: “Have you heard this guy perform?” “He went to this space and he realized that this was an element that you have to show people that you’re serious about being a singer,” Dupri said. “It’s taking care of your voice, that means still doing voice lessons, that means rehearsing, practicing, that means all of these things, and really doing it, not just talking about it … That’s the space that R&B has to get back in.” Music Keke Palmer dancing at Usher’s Las Vegas residency was just the start of a ‘dream come true.’ The stars released a new song, ‘Boyfriend,’ on Wednesday. Aug. 16, 2023 Part of what made Usher’s Vegas residency significant is people were reintroduced to his voice, which has only gotten better with time. Dupri said in the last decade newer artists have been smoking, doing drugs and “not really caring about sounding amazing,” to the detriment of R&B. But he took exception to people questioning why or how Usher could perform at the Super Bowl. “If [Usher] is 45 years old, and he’s still sounding like this, and he’s moving like this, these are the things that should be paid attention to more than the show because everybody has a show, right?” Dupri said. “The show could be so amazing that you don’t even pay attention to the fact that, ‘Oh, this kid vocals sound ridiculous.’ We went through the Milli Vanilli era where people was lip synching. … Usher is not lip synching — he actually wants to sing the songs to you.” Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation, which produces the Super Bowl halftime show, said that Usher’s “presence, dancing and energy make him a perfect choice as a halftime performer.” He previously performed with will.i.am during the halftime show in 2011 in Arlington, Texas. Praising Usher’s rich music catalog, “of which most songs are anthems,” Perez said, “Usher’s extraordinary Vegas residency and Vegas hosting the city’s first Super Bowl, the timing couldn’t be better.” Usher remembers an interview years ago in which a journalist pleaded with him not to become a residency artist in 20 years’ time. He refused to say he wasn’t going to become a residency artist “because I’m not gonna go to Las Vegas and become the standard of what you think Las Vegas represents.” He set out to build excitement for R&B and remind people of who he is as a singer and performer. He also has found other potential business ventures have come along. In the darkness of the Dolby Live theater in Las Vegas in November, just after singing “Confessions Part II,” Usher is illuminated in a heavenly spotlight. His eyes sparkle as he coyly smirks, breathing in the crowd screaming for him. The light hitting the sheen of sweat on his pectorals. The heftiness of his boulder shoulders. The shadows of every crevice of his abs. The way the v-lines of his chiseled obliques lead to the leather pants crisply sitting on his hips. It’s the kind of showmanship that makes moral compasses short-circuit. But for all of the adoration Usher commands when he’s “giving every bit of vulnerability” he has onstage, he never gets to fully enjoy himself as he works to please others through music and entertainment. “I finally just stop and just check in with the audience and just see ‘how you like what I gave you’ and they’re going crazy,” Usher said. “In that moment, I get a chance to feel something, I get a chance to feel what I’m putting out there. Sometimes you don’t stop for the applause or maybe in the process of performing people give you the applause, they got a chance to enjoy [themselves], but they didn’t get a chance to really celebrate you.” But Usher was initially afraid of Las Vegas residencies. For all of its money, opportunities, glamour and vices, Las Vegas was at one point considered where artists go when their music careers had stalled. His first residency was at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in 2021. The shows were such a hit that he moved over to Park MGM in 2022. Those shows were extended until the end of 2023. Usher once thought that Las Vegas was a place artists go to “collect a check,” but he recognized it didn’t have to be that way. “Life in the entertainment industry at large is about how you perceive it, what you make it. If you want to make it a place where you go and just play your old records and you die, that ain’t what I use it for and that’s not what it should be,” Usher said. “I’m happy to see that there’s a future there, and I ain’t gonna be done with it. I’m not sure when I’m gonna go back, but I ain’t done.” Music Usher announced that he will extend his viral ‘My Way’ residency in Las Vegas one last time due to ‘popular demand.’ Tickets are already on presale. Aug. 18, 2023 Amid the spine-tingling vocals and dancing that had sweat flying from Usher’s forehead and arms, one of the most remarkable parts of the “My Way” residency was how it bucked the respectability politics of pleasure that Black women face. Black women — who made up the majority of the crowds — experienced being Usher’s collective muses while he worked to please and be exalted as he sang, danced and even rollerskated around the stage. He also made a point to go into the crowd and sing, giving audience members seated farther away the chance to see him up close. He virtually dared them to want anyone but him. Attending the show was a nightly journey into a mecca for raw masculinity, vulnerability, sensuality and freshly stirred urges and desires. It was the space for sexual freedom that Black women have always deserved and often appreciate Usher for providing. It was also a showcase of the signature soulfulness of R&B, sung in a voice that has stood the test of time and made the live show sound even better than the album. One of the other reasons Usher continues to be cherished is the romantic intentionality and thoughtfulness he offers that Black female fans do not always receive in their own lives. In Usher’s case, he said his work is inspired by his love for creating an environment that makes them feel comfortable. He said he hopes, in light of being raised by Black women, that he is “something that Black women, or women all around the world everywhere, feels proud of.” “Every time I’m sitting in that audience [hearing him sing] it’s like the first time,” said Jonnetta Patton, Usher’s mother and former manager who oversaw his career for 17 years. When Usher called her at home to tell her about the Super Bowl performance, the first thing she told him was, “You deserve it, it’s your time.” “That’s why I’m telling you I’m so happy right now,” Patton said. “I can’t even tell you how happy I am just to see him perform on the biggest stage.” Her son’s path to stardom was not always easy. When he hit puberty and his voice started changing, he nearly lost his first record deal with LaFace Records. “There were some really sad moments because no one believed in him,” Patton said. “He had to actually fight his way through and I had to fight the record company to make sure that they put him with the right vocal coaches. I think they were afraid because they’ve never worked with a young artist before and they didn’t know what to do.” Patton described her son as a long list of proud-mom attributes including loving, caring, gifted, talented, driven, confident and a perfectionist who doesn’t have a jealous bone in his body. His relentlessness and drive to be famous is why Patton created a 25-year plan for his career when she was his manager. Part of that plan included him eventually becoming a Vegas residency artist. She said she could see that Vegas was slowly becoming a place for young artists. When asked where Black women’s devotion to Usher comes from, Patton said she remembered the days when he was performing as a teenager and women being enthralled with him and his gentleness. He still inspires that level of fanaticism for a reason. “He’s sexy,” Patton said. “What woman wouldn’t love Usher? You see those abs? He’s sexy, nice, loves his mom — that’s where it comes from.” Usher is not the first R&B artist to inspire such spirited female fan devotion. But whether he’s shirtless or building hopeful anticipation that he’ll choose to serenade you, the foundation of Usher’s shows is a guarantee that it’ll be a night to remember that includes what Black women want, need and fantasize about. Usher’s heartthrob status, being part of generations of sexual awakenings and reawakenings, is emblematic of how amid fanatical behavior — the screaming, the squealing and sometimes the passing out — there is joy seeing Black women crush hard on the men they first loved from a screen or a song. If Black women’s ideas of intimacy, romance and sexual expression expand to include Usher — his voice, his body, his music or his sense of masculinity — then he believes he has done his job. The hallmarks of a celebrity heartthrob are the right combination of handsomeness, style, charisma, humor, talent and aura that leaves fans euphoric. Appreciating Black men as heartthrobs means recognizing the depths of their masculinity alongside their sexual agency and appeal. This includes how they consent to attention and advances, what feels good to them, what brings them joy, what makes them feel softest, what pains them, what moves them, what keeps them up at night and what they yearn for. They may not always let their fans into these moments, but Black men are the most beautiful when they are free to exhibit the range of their humanity. “I’m going to give you the environment to recognize that you have the freedom to be as fun and wild as you can for this night,” Usher said. “While I have you in my care, I give you the freedom to just imagine, have fun, feel sexy, feel as feminine as you can. My masculinity in that moment is ‘I got you.’ Without holding your hand, I’m holding your hand, by looking at you and talking to you, by singing and saying what I’m saying to you and how I sing it to you, making you feel something. … If that is safety, then hopefully I did something right.” Usher’s ideas of romance have evolved over time as he’s become older. Since he first started dating decades ago, he is honest that he has never been single longer than a year. He’s happily in a relationship with his current partner, Jenn Goicoechea These days he’s striving to be the best he can be without trying to be perfect or finding what he thinks is perfect. He is mindful that his curiosity and desire over the years hurt himself and other people. “I think I spent more time trying to be in love than actually being all the way in it and that’s a very honest and transparent thing,” Usher said. “It’s not to say that I didn’t love the women that I’ve been with in the past, even the woman that I married, it’s not. But maybe I didn’t really understand what love was about.” He feels the most romantic when he’s alone with someone and can give his undivided attention. He said romance is not about sex but rather the amount of time people are willing to spend to get to know someone. Part of his growth with how he considers love and intimacy has meant getting past previous experiences and committing to be judgment free of the person before him. “Love isn’t just a physical thing, it’s far, far more than just what you are feeling in this current state,” he asks. “Can you still love someone through all of their life experience? You might not like who they are every day, but will you love them every day? I might not like what you have to offer every day, I might have to really challenge myself to be patient. But if I love you, and I’m really in love with you, then I’m in love with all of who you are.” As he looks ahead, Usher said he hopes his legacy includes being remembered as a romantic person. But he is also thinking about this next era of his career and how to also have a legacy where he is able to transform and transcend how people feel about music. He’s drawing inspiration from how hip-hop has transcended other cultural things like headphones, shoes, clothes and jewelry. In doing that, he hopes venturing into other types of potential businesses — from fragrances to restaurants — can provide a blueprint for other artists to see how they can stretch their creativity beyond music. “I will hope that my legacy could be represented as a person who constantly evolved, and provided something that was special,” Usher said. “Something that gave liberty and freedom to people, something that gave permission to be as fun, free, freaky, masculine and yet sensitive and vulnerable at the same time … that my legacy gave people something that felt elevated and sophisticated, something that made people feel like, ‘Oh, I have something of value,’ [something] unique.” Feb. 28, 2024 Feb. 15, 2024 Feb. 14, 2024

Wall Street climbs to the edge of another milestone as S&P 500 nears 5,000

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-07/stock-market-today-wall-street-climbs-to-the-edge-of-another-milestone-as-s-p-500-nears-5-000

Wall Street rose to the edge of another record-breaking milestone Wednesday as Ford Motor, Chipotle Mexican Grill and other big stocks climbed following their latest earnings reports. The Standard & Poor’s 500 got within a fraction of a point of the 5,000 level before ending the day at 4,995.06. The index rose 40.83 points, or 0.8%, to set another all-time closing high. The Dow Jones industrial average added 156.00 points, or 0.4%, to 38,677.36, and the Nasdaq composite gained 147.65, or 0.9%, to 15,756.64. A relatively calm day in the bond market helped keep things smooth for the stock market despite some concerns about investors’ ability to digest a $42-billion auction of 10-year Treasurys by the U.S. government. Underneath the surface, though, were still some very sharp moves. New York Community Bancorp went from an initial gain to a steep loss of 14% and back to a gain of 6.7%. It’s the latest dizzying swing for the bank, which is still down by more than half since rattling investors across the industry last week with a surprise loss. The bank is struggling with challenges related to its acquisition of Signature Bank, which was one of the banks that collapsed in last year’s mini-crisis for the industry. But New York Community Bancorp is also feeling pain from a problem dogging all kinds of banks worldwide: weakness in commercial real estate. Moody’s downgraded the bank’s credit rating to “junk” status from the lowest tier of investment grade. Analysts also said they were concerned about the recent departures of key risk and audit executives. In response, the bank said it had increased its deposits and gave details about how much cash it has on hand. Stocks of other regional banks have been caught up in the drama, to a lesser degree, which has brought back uncomfortable memories of last year’s banking crisis. The KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking index swung between losses and gains through the day before ending 0.1% lower. UBS analyst Brody Preston said New York Community Bancorp’s latest quarterly loss and dividend cut are due to problems related specifically to it and “are not necessarily a proverbial canary in the coal mine for other banks in the space.” But attention is likely to remain on potential bank losses tied to commercial real estate, particularly after Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen highlighted them as a concern recently. Elsewhere on Wall Street, Chipotle Mexican Grill rose 7.2% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its restaurants sold more meals to customers than they did a year earlier. CVS Health gained 3.1% after it likewise topped expectations for both profit and revenue in the final three months of 2023. The drugstore chain and pharmacy benefits manager, though, also trimmed its forecast for full-year results. Ford Motor climbed 6% following its better-than-expected results, while Enphase Energy soared 16.9% despite falling just shy of forecasts. Investors are hopeful that weakness in demand for the supplier of solar and battery systems is nearing a bottom. They helped offset a 9.7% drop for VF, the company behind Vans, the North Face and other brands. It reported weaker results than analysts expected. Snap tumbled 34.6% after its fourth-quarter revenue fell short of analysts’ expectations. The company behind Snapchat also gave a tepid forecast for 2024 after saying on Monday that it was laying off 10% of its workforce. Wall Street was also trying to game out the effects from an announcement that ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery are planning to launch a streaming platform for sports. Many details are still to be worked out, as is how the deal will affect prices for broadcasting rights with sports leagues. But FuboTV, a streaming service that offers sports, fell 22.7%. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged up to 4.11% from 4.09% late Tuesday after its latest auction. Bonds have been on a jagged run recently as signals of a remarkably resilient economy force traders to push back forecasts for when the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates. Although a delay in rate cuts hurts the stock market, strong economic data also carry an upside for investors. They should mean stronger profits for companies. Such hopes have helped stocks build on their breakneck rally, which began in October, supplanting earlier hopes that a cooldown in inflation could mean imminent cuts to rates. In stock markets abroad, indexes were modestly lower in Europe and mixed in Asia. Stocks rose 1.4% in Shanghai but slipped 0.3% in Hong Kong following moves this week by authorities to prop up what have been some of the world’s worst-performing markets this year. March 1, 2024 Feb. 29, 2024 Feb. 27, 2024

Mexico overtakes China as the leading source of goods imported to U.S.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-07/mexico-overtakes-china-as-the-leading-source-of-goods-imported-to-us

For the first time in more than two decades, Mexico last year surpassed China as the leading source of goods imported to the United States. The shift reflects the growing tensions between Washington and Beijing as well as U.S. efforts to import from countries that are friendlier and closer to home. Figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Commerce Department show that the value of goods imported to the U.S. from Mexico rose nearly 5% from 2022 to 2023, to more than $475 billion. At the same time, the value of Chinese imports tumbled 20% to $427 billion. The last time that Mexican imports exceeded Chinese imports to the U.S. was in 2002. Economic relations between the United States and China have severely deteriorated in recent years as Beijing has fought aggressively on trade and made ominous military gestures in the Far East. The Trump administration began imposing tariffs on Chinese imports in 2018, arguing that Beijing’s trade practices violated global trade rules. President Biden retained those tariffs after taking office in 2021, making clear that antagonism toward China would be a rare area of common ground for Democrats and Republicans. As an alternative to offshoring production to China, which U.S. corporations had long engaged in, the Biden administration has urged companies to seek suppliers in allied countries (“friend-shoring’’) or to return manufacturing to the U.S. (“reshoring’’). Supply chain disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic also led U.S. companies to seek suppliers closer to the United States (“near-shoring’’). Mexico has been among the beneficiaries of the growing shift away from reliance on Chinese factories. But the picture is more complicated than it might seem. Some Chinese manufacturers have established factories in Mexico to exploit the benefits of the 3-year-old U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, which allows for duty-free trade in North America for many products. Derek Scissors, a China specialist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, noted that the biggest drops in Chinese imports were in computers and electronics and chemicals and pharmaceuticals — all politically sensitive categories. “I don’t see the U.S. being comfortable with a rebound in those areas in 2024 and 2025,” Scissors said, predicting that the China-Mexico reversal on imports to the United States probably “is not a one-year blip.’’ Scissors suggested that the drop in U.S. reliance on Chinese goods partly reflects wariness toward Beijing’s economic policies under President Xi Jinping. Xi’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns brought significant swaths of the Chinese economy to a standstill in 2022, and his officials have raided foreign companies in apparent counterespionage investigations. “I think it’s corporate America belatedly deciding Xi Jinping is unreliable,” he said. Overall, the U.S. deficit in the trade of goods with the rest of the world — the gap between the value of what the United States sells and what it buys abroad — narrowed 10% last year to $1.06 trillion. Feb. 23, 2024 Nov. 17, 2023 Nov. 7, 2023

Meta says it will label AI-generated images on Facebook and Instagram

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-06/meta-says-it-will-label-ai-generated-images-on-facebook-and-instagram

Facebook and Instagram users will start seeing labels on AI-generated images that appear on their social media feeds, part of a broader tech industry initiative to sort between what’s real and not. Meta said Tuesday it’s working with industry partners on technical standards that will make it easier to identify images and eventually video and audio generated by artificial intelligence tools. What remains to be seen is how well it will work at a time when it’s easier than ever to make and distribute AI-generated imagery that can cause harm — from election misinformation to nonconsensual fake nudes of celebrities. “It’s kind of a signal that they’re taking seriously the fact that generation of fake content online is an issue for their platforms,” said Gili Vidan, an assistant professor of information science at Cornell University. It could be “quite effective” in flagging a large portion of AI-generated content made with commercial tools, but it won’t likely catch everything, she said. Meta’s president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, didn’t specify Tuesday when the labels would appear but said it will be “in the coming months” and in different languages, noting that a “number of important elections are taking place around the world.” “As the difference between human and synthetic content gets blurred, people want to know where the boundary lies,” he said in a blog post. Meta already puts an “Imagined with AI” label on photorealistic images made by its own tool, but most of the AI-generated content flooding its social media services comes from elsewhere. A number of tech industry collaborations, including the Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative, have been working to set standards. A push for digital watermarking and labeling of AI-generated content was also part of an executive order that President Biden signed in October. Clegg said that Meta will be working to label “images from Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Adobe, Midjourney, and Shutterstock as they implement their plans for adding metadata to images created by their tools.” Google said last year that AI labels are coming to YouTube and its other platforms. “In the coming months, we’ll introduce labels that inform viewers when the realistic content they’re seeing is synthetic,” YouTube CEO Neal Mohan reiterated in a year-ahead blog post Tuesday. One potential concern for consumers is if tech platforms get more effective at identifying AI-generated content from a set of major commercial providers but miss what’s made with other tools, creating a false sense of security. “There’s a lot that would hinge on how this is communicated by platforms to users,” said Cornell’s Vidan. “What does this mark mean? With how much confidence should I take it? What is its absence supposed to tell me?” Feb. 26, 2024 Jan. 26, 2024 Jan. 12, 2024

How climate change contributes to wildfires like Chile's

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-06/how-climate-change-contributes-to-wildfires-like-chiles

At least 131 people have been killed by wildfires in central Chile, leading its president to declare two days of national mourning. The devastation comes soon after Colombia declared a disaster over wildfires. Scientists say climate change makes the heat waves and drought now hitting South America more likely — and both contribute to wildfires by drying out the plants that feed the blazes. The fires in Chile came amid a heat wave that pushed temperatures in the capital, Santiago, to nearly 100 degrees. Extreme heat bakes moisture from wood, turning it into ideal fuel. Fires take hold more rapidly, and also burn with more intensity. Just a few extra degrees can be a tipping point that makes the difference between a mild fire season and a severe one. Edward Mitchard, a forests expert at the University of Edinburgh School of Geosciences in Scotland, said climate change “makes the world hotter, which means that plants evaporate more water through them and soils get drier.” It takes only a few days of very dry, hot weather for leaves to feel crisp and dry, he said. “That’s fuel that burns very well,” he said, adding: “Drier soil means fires are hotter and last longer.” A Nature study showed that fire seasons are an average of 18.7% longer because of climate change. The increased number of droughts as global rain cycles are interrupted means whole regions can be left unusually parched and more vulnerable to ignition. “Climate change has made droughts more common,” said Mitchard. “And that’s especially happened in South America this year. “We’ve had the most extreme drought ever recorded in the Amazon basin, and if you have droughts in the Amazon basin, you also get less rainfall in the south of South America.” In Chile’s case, some unusually heavy rains last year are thought to have increased the growth of brush that makes perfect kindling for fires. On top of this has come the El Niño weather pattern, the natural and periodic warming of surface waters in the Pacific that affects weather around the globe. In South America, it’s meant increased temperatures and drought this year. Climate change makes stronger El Niños more likely, said Mitchard, and droughts caused by it are likelier to be more intense. Last month, Colombia’s government declared a disaster over dozens of wildfires associated with the weather phenomenon. And the huge amount of carbon released by forest fires also increases global warming. The World Resources Institute used satellite data to calculate that wildfires now destroy about 11,500 square miles of forest annually, an area about the size of Belgium and about twice as much as 20 years ago. And the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that globally, extreme heat waves happen five times more often because of human-caused global warming. Fire seasons are thus drier with higher temperatures. Feb. 8, 2024 Feb. 6, 2024 Feb. 4, 2024

London judge to weigh computer scientist's claim that he's the mystery creator of bitcoin

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-06/a-computer-scientist-says-hes-the-mystery-creator-of-bitcoin-a-london-judge-aims-to-find-the-truth

One of the enduring mysteries of the cryptocurrency industry took center stage Tuesday in a London court where a trial could finally settle the debate over the identity of bitcoin’s founder. Australian computer scientist Craig Wright entered the witness box at the High Court and testified he was the man behind “Satoshi Nakamoto,” the pseudonym that has masked the identity of the creator of bitcoin. Wright has long asserted that he is Nakamoto. A nonprofit group of technology and crypto companies is trying to prove he’s not. The trial started on Monday and is expected to last a month before a judge rules at a later date. “Wright’s claim to be Satoshi is a lie, founded on an elaborate false narrative backed by forgery of documents on an industrial scale,” attorney Jonathan Hough said on behalf of the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) at the outset of trial. “As his false documents and inconsistencies have been exposed, he has resorted to further forgery and ever more implausible excuses.” At stake is not just bragging rights to the creation, but control of the intellectual property rights. Wright has used his claim as bitcoin’s inventor to file litigation to drive developers away from further developing the open-source technology, the alliance claims in its lawsuit. The ruling will affect three pending lawsuits that Wright has filed based on his claim to having the intellectual property rights to bitcoin. “Wright has threatened to bankrupt developers, sent notices of his intent to sue, and has, in fact, engaged in scorched earth litigation against these volunteers, all premised on the baseless assertion that he is the founder of bitcoin,” the alliance said Monday in a statement. The murky origins of bitcoin date to the height of the financial crisis in 2008. A paper authored by a person or group using the Nakamoto pen name explained how digital currency could be sent around the world anonymously, without banks or national currencies. Nakamoto seemed to vanish three years later. Speculation on the true identity swirled for years and the names of several candidates had emerged when Wright first surfaced to claim the identity in 2016 only to quickly return to the shadows, saying he didn’t “have the courage” to provide more proof. Wright asserted in court Tuesday that he created the technology and the cryptic identity behind it, which he said was based on his admiration for Japanese culture. He said the name was a combination of the surname of philosopher Tominaga Nakamoto and Satoshi David, a figure in a book about American tycoon J.P. Morgan, and a Pokemon character. He said he didn’t want the creator to be anonymous, so he used an alias to protect his privacy. “This allowed me to focus on my work and ensured that the spotlight remained on the innovation and potential of bitcoin rather than the individual behind it,” he said. Defense lawyer Anthony Grabiner said the alliance hadn’t produced positive evidence that Wright wasn’t Satoshi, and only sought to undermine the authenticity of documents that he has relied on to prove that he’s the creator. “It is striking that no one else has credibly claimed the mantle of Satoshi, despite the high-profile nature of Dr. Wright’s claim to be Satoshi,” Grabiner said. “If Dr. Wright were not Satoshi, the real Satoshi would have been expected to come forward to counter the claim.” While Wright managed to convince several influential bitcoin enthusiasts that he was the real deal by demonstrating the use of Nakamoto’s secret bitcoin keys, other crypto experts said that they debunked his claims. Despite widespread skepticism in the cryptocurrency community, he has prevailed in court cases. In 2021, he won a civil case in Florida against the family of a deceased business partner that claimed it was owed half the 1.1 million bitcoin, worth approximately $47.5 billion today, that could only be owned by a person or entity involved with the digital currency from its beginning — such as the creator. Wright and other cryptocurrency experts testified at trial that he owned the bitcoin in question. His lawyers claimed that while he had collaborated with his deceased friend, David Kleiman, their partnership had nothing to do with bitcoin’s creation or early operation. Because all bitcoin transactions are public, members of the bitcoin community have regularly called for Wright to move just a fraction of the coins to prove ownership. Wright appears to have never done so, despite vowing to prove that he’s the owner of the fortune. In the London trial, Hough repeatedly sparred with Wright over the authenticity of documents that he said support his claims. Hough said that the original white paper on the creation of bitcoin was written on OpenOffice software and that experts on both sides agreed that Wright submitted a version created on software called LaTeX, which didn’t exist when the paper was written. Hough suggested that numbers misaligned on the document behind the “origin myth” were signs it had been forged. “If I forged that document, it would be perfect,” said Wright, who is due to testify for another five days. Nov. 28, 2023 Nov. 21, 2023 Nov. 9, 2023

What you need to know about the origins of Black History Month

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-03/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-origins-of-black-history-month

Black History Month is considered one of the nation’s oldest organized history celebrations, and has been recognized by U.S. presidents for decades through proclamations and celebrations. Here is some information about the history of Black History Month. It was Carter G. Woodson, a founder of the Assn. for the Study of African American History, who first came up with the idea of the celebration that became Black History Month. Woodson, the son of freed Virginia slaves, who went on to earn a PhD in history from Harvard, originally came up with the idea of Negro History Week to encourage Black Americans to become more interested in their own history and heritage. Woodson worried that Black children were not being taught about their ancestors’ achievements in American schools in the early 1900s. “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated,” Woodson said. Woodson chose February because it had the birthdays of President Lincoln and the activist, author and speaker Frederick Douglass. Lincoln was born Feb. 12, and Douglass, a former slave who did not know his exact birthday, celebrated his on Feb. 14. Daryl Michael Scott, a Howard University history professor and former president of the Assn. for the Study of African American History, said Woodson chose that week because Black Americans were already celebrating Lincoln’s and Douglass’ birthdays. With the help of Black newspapers, he promoted that week as a time to focus on African American history as part of the celebrations that were already ongoing. The first Negro History Week was announced in February 1926. “This was a community effort spearheaded by Woodson that built on tradition, and built on Black institutional life and structures to create a new celebration that was a week long, and it took off like a rocket,” Scott said. California Instead of a cohesive strategy to compensate Black people for slavery, lawmakers are pushing a confusing list of bills on which they don’t all agree. Feb. 2, 2024 Negro History Week was wildly successful, but Woodson felt it needed more. Woodson’s original idea was for it to be a time for student showcases of the African American history they learned the rest of the year, not as the only week Black history would be discussed, Scott said. Woodson later advocated starting a “Negro History Year,” saying that during a school year “a subject that receives attention one week out of 36 will not mean much to anyone.” Individually several places, including West Virginia in the 1940s and Chicago in the 1960s, expanded the celebration into a month. The civil rights and Black Power movement advocated for an official shift from Black History Week to Black History Month, Scott said, and, in 1976, on the 50th anniversary of the beginning of Negro History Week, the Assn. for the Study of African American History made the shift to Black History Month. California Watch L.A. Feb. 4, 2022 Every president since Gerald R. Ford through Joe Biden has issued a statement honoring the spirit of Black History Month. Ford first honored Black History Week in 1975, calling the recognition “most appropriate,” as the country developed “a healthy awareness on the part of all of us of achievements that have too long been obscured and unsung.” The next year, in 1976, Ford issued the first Black History Month commemoration, saying with the celebration “we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” President Carter added in 1978 that the celebration “provides for all Americans a chance to rejoice and express pride in a heritage that adds so much to our way of life.” President Reagan said in 1981 that “understanding the history of Black Americans is a key to understanding the strength of our nation.” Feb. 29, 2024 Jan. 12, 2024 Dec. 26, 2023

Renters are getting buried in credit card debt

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2024-02-05/some-americans-have-become-saddled-with-credit-card-debt-as-rent-and-everyday-prices-remain-high

Although the U.S. economy is broadly healthy, pockets of Americans have run through their savings and run up their credit card balances after battling inflation for more than two years. Experts worry that members of these groups — mostly lower- and middle-income Americans, who tend to be renters — are falling behind on their debts and could face further deterioration of their financial health in the year ahead, particularly those who have recently resumed paying off student loans. “The U.S. economy is currently performing better than most forecasters expected a year ago, thanks in large part to a resilient consumer,” Shernette McLoud, an economist with TD Economics, wrote in a report issued last week. “However, more recently that spending is increasingly being financed by credit cards.” Americans held more than $1.05 trillion on their credit cards in the third quarter of 2023, a record, and a figure certain to grow once fourth-quarter data are released by Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. next month. A recent report from credit rating company Moody’s showed that credit card delinquency rates and charge-off rates, or the percent of loans that a bank believes will never be repaid, are well above their 2019 levels and are expected to keep climbing. These worrisome metrics coincide with the average interest rate on a bank credit card of roughly 21.5%, the highest it’s been since the Federal Reserve started tracking the data in 1994. “Overall, the consumer is credit healthy. However, the reality is that there are starting to be some significant signs of stress,” said Silvio Tavares, president and chief executive of VantageScore, one of the country’s two major credit scoring systems. Most analyses of Americans’ financial health tend to tell a tale of two consumers. On one side are the roughly two-thirds of Americans who own their homes and those who’ve invested in the stock market and done substantially well. They generally had the savings cushion necessary to weather high inflation. Delinquency rates on single-family homes remain at near historic lows and home prices have continued to climb. But for the rest of America, things are looking rough. “You have these noticeable pockets of consumers — mostly middle- and lower-income renters who have not benefited from the wealth effect of higher housing prices and stock prices — who are feeling financial stress and that’s driving up these delinquency levels. They’ve been hit very hard by inflation,” Warren Kornfeld, a senior vice president at Moody’s, said in an interview. Kornfeld, who co-wrote a report last week looking at the climbing levels of delinquencies, expects them to keep climbing this year. Consumers’ financial health could play a big role in the 2024 election. President Biden is running in part on his efforts to bring down costs for U.S. families. Republicans counter that Biden is to blame for higher costs in the first place. One way to gauge this bifurcation of the American economy is by looking at the results of some major credit card companies. The customers of Capital One, Discover Financial Services and Synchrony have historically been those with lower credit scores, while American Express typically serves the wealthiest and well-to-do. At Synchrony Bank, the largest issuer of retail co-brand credit cards, the charge-off rate jumped from 3.5% to 5.6% in a year. Meanwhile, roughly 4.7% of Synchrony customers are 30 days or more behind on their bills, which is also up from a year ago. Discover’s customers are carrying $102 billion in balances on their credit cards, up 13% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, the charge-off rates and 30-day delinquency rates have climbed. Executives say they can see the effect of inflation. “Think about a consumer that makes $50,000 a year,” John Green, Discover’s chief financial officer, said at an investor conference in December. “When inflation outpaces your wage growth, they’re making choices in terms of what they’re going to spend, what bill they’re going to pay and what they’re going to frankly put on their table.” Inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 and is now slightly above 3%. But the costs of many goods and services remain elevated. A loaf of bread that cost $1.54 in December 2020 cost $2.02 at the end of last year, and a gallon of gas has risen from an average of $2.17 to $3.29 in the same time frame, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Renters in particular have felt the pinch. The median rent for a property with as many as two bedrooms has jumped from $1,424 at the end of 2020 to $1,713 at the end of last year, according to Realtor.com. VantageScore’s Tavares worries that the recent reintroduction of student loan payments could more acutely hinder these customers in their ability to repay their debts. “Folks are scrambling to pay these obligations that they haven’t had to pay in three years, and it’s hitting exactly the demographic we are talking about here: the younger folk, less affluent folk,” Tavares said. American Express has also seen its charge-offs and delinquencies climb in the last year, but not as much as its competitors. Historically, AmEx has catered to customers with higher credit scores who pay off their cards at the end of each month. But even AmEx customers are now carrying a balance more regularly. AmEx’s net charge-off rate last quarter was 2%, up from 1.2% a year earlier. In the middle of the spectrum are JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, two gigantic banks with large portfolios of customers. Their credit metrics have ticked up only modestly, likely because the banks’ clients run the gamut of income levels and credit scores. But both banks have been setting more money aside to cover potential loan losses, mostly due to their credit card portfolios. It’s unlikely that Americans will see any relief from the banks or interest rates anytime soon that would allow them to refinance these high interest debts. The Federal Reserve signaled Wednesday that its first interest rate cut probably is months away. Further, credit card interest rates tend to be extremely high compared with what the Fed charges for loans. In addition, reports on bank industry sentiment show that banks are being more conservative in giving out loans, which means it will be less likely that these Americans will be able to refinance their high credit card bills into lower-interest loans. Economists at the moment feel the financial strain felt by these lower-income Americans is not likely to spill over into the broader economy, at least at the moment. But economists and experts see these rising delinquencies as one of the growing risks to the economy this year, especially if student loans become too much for younger, debt-burdened Americans to handle. “Rising delinquencies, while they do require monitoring, are not quite sounding alarm bells,” TD Economics’ McLeod wrote in the report. Feb. 13, 2024 Feb. 13, 2024 Feb. 12, 2024

Letters to the Editor: The administrative bloat that forces colleges to rely on lower-paid faculty

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/story/2024-02-05/administrative-bloat-forces-colleges-to-rely-on-lower-paid-faculty

To the editor: Your otherwise excellent editorial on the plight of contingent faculty failed to mention the primary reason why colleges and universities hire so many lower-paid adjuncts — to balance the budget at institutions with bloated administrations. Administrative bloat is a pernicious disease that has infected colleges and universities for decades. Many now have more employees in administration than full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty. Administrative functions that were carried out by a dean or director with one or two clerical staff when I joined the Cal State Fullerton faculty in 1970 are now done by entire administrative divisions headed by vice presidents, associate vice presidents and assistant vice presidents, with their associated retinue of underlings. To be sure, some increase in administrative staffing beyond that needed to deal with growing enrollment has been necessary. Schools have new requirements imposed on them by outside government agencies, and they must also keep up with the increased use of technology. However, the growth in administration over the past several decades has far exceeded what’s needed to address those changes. Mark Shapiro, Fullerton .. To the editor: Thank you for the editorial highlighting the problems found when universities rely on lower-paid adjunct professorial labor. In the 1990s, I taught part-time at UCLA, Cal State Long Beach and Occidental College, before the situation metastasized into the disaster we have now. While that system was long recognized as terrible for adjuncts, I realized how bad it was for students when a history major asked me for a letter of recommendation after taking one of my classes. I asked if he had someone in the department who knew him better and could write a stronger letter for him. He did not; he did not even know that he needed to build a relationship with regular faculty in order to get the support he needed. Adjuncts simply do not have the time or conditions required to provide the mentoring that students need for success. Many adjuncts would welcome the security and income that come with full-time (ideally tenure-track) positions. Students and higher education in general would benefit if the ratio were shifted to 70% regular faculty rather than 70% adjuncts. Kathleen Sheldon, Santa Monica .. To the editor: As a full-time, tenured college professor for more than four decades, I was always embarrassed by and felt guilty about the way in which schools exploited part-time adjunct professors who often have to teach at multiple institutions to make ends meet, if that. Administrators and boards of directors could and should increase adjuncts’ salaries, but this only rarely happens. There is another obvious solution: Administrators and full-time faculty could agree to contribute a percentage of their salaries to help compensate their hard-working, underpaid adjunct colleagues. Dan Caldwell, Malibu Feb. 1, 2024 Jan. 19, 2024 Jan. 22, 2024

U.S. launches airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, retaliating for fatal drone attack

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-02/us-begins-strikes-on-militias-in-iraq-syria-retaliating-for-fatal-drone-attack-officials-tell-ap

The U.S. military launched an air assault on dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Friday, in the opening salvo of retaliation for the drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan last weekend, according to the U.S. military and officials. President Biden and his administration had been warning for days that the U.S. military would strike back at the militias, and they made it clear it wouldn’t be just one hit but a “tiered response” over time. “This afternoon, at my direction, U.S. military forces struck targets at facilities in Iraq and Syria that the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and affiliated militia use to attack U.S. forces,” Biden said in a statement. “Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing.” The massive barrage of strikes by manned and unmanned aircraft hit more than 85 targets at seven locations, including command-and-control headquarters, intelligence centers, rockets and missiles, drone and ammunition storage sites and other facilities that were connected to the militias or the Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, the group’s expeditionary unit that handles Tehran’s relationship with and arming of regional militias. U.S. Central Command said the strikes used more than 125 precision munitions, and they were delivered by numerous aircraft, including long-range bombers flown from the United States. One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the operation, said B-1 bombers were used. Two Iraqi militia officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists, said that three houses used as headquarters were targeted in Qaim, an Iraqi town near the Syrian border, including a weapons storage area. An operations headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iranian-backed militias, in Akashat, Iraq, and weapons stores were also targeted. The assault came just hours after Biden and top defense leaders joined grieving families to watch as the remains of the three Army Reserve soldiers were returned to the U.S. at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. It was unclear what the next steps will be, or whether the days of U.S. warnings have sent militia members scattering into hiding, making it more difficult to detect and strike them. But it was evident that the recent statement released by Kataib Hezbollah, one of the main Iran-backed militias, saying it was suspending attacks on American troops had no impact on the administration’s plans. The U.S. strikes appeared to stop short of directly targeting Iran or senior leaders of the Quds Force within its borders, as the U.S. tries to prevent the conflict from escalating further. Iran has denied it was behind the Jordan attack. On Friday morning, Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated earlier promises by Tehran to potentially retaliate for any U.S. strikes targeting its interests. We “will not start a war, but if a country, if a cruel force wants to bully us, the Islamic Republic of Iran will give a strong response,” Raisi said. In a statement this week, Kataib Hezbollah announced “the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government.” But Harakat al-Nujaba, one of the other major Iran-backed groups, vowed Friday to continue military operations against U.S. troops. The U.S. has blamed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a broad coalition of Iran-backed militias, for the deadly attack in Jordan, but has not yet narrowed it down to a specific group. Kataib Hezbollah is, however, a top suspect. Some of the militias have been a threat to U.S. bases for years, but the groups have intensified their assaults since the start of Israel’s war with Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. The war has led to the deaths of more than 27,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry there says, and has inflamed the Middle East. Iran-backed militia groups throughout the region have used the conflict to justify striking Israeli or U.S. interests, including threatening civilian commercial ships and U.S. warships in the Red Sea region with drones or missiles in almost daily exchanges. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said that “this is a dangerous moment in the Middle East.” He added, “We will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our interests and our people. And we will respond when we choose, where we choose and how we choose. “At this point, it’s time to take away even more capability than we’ve taken in the past,” Austin said. As of Tuesday, Iran-backed militia groups had launched 166 attacks on U.S. military installations since Oct. 18, including 67 in Iraq, 98 in Syria and now one in Jordan, according to a U.S. military official. The last attack was Monday at Asad Air Base in Iraq, and there were no injuries or damage. The U.S., meanwhile, has bolstered defenses at the base in Jordan that was attacked by the Iran-backed militants Sunday, according to a U.S. official. And the Israeli military said its Arrow defense system intercepted a missile that approached the country from the Red Sea, raising suspicion it was launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The Iran-backed rebels did not immediately claim responsibility. A U.S. official also said the military had launched additional self-defense strikes in Yemen on Friday against Houthi targets deemed an imminent threat. Al Masirah, a Houthi-run satellite news channel, said that British and American forces conducted three strikes in the northern Yemeni province of Hajjah, a Houthi stronghold. While previous U.S. responses in Iraq and Syria have been more limited, the attack on Tower 22, as the Jordan outpost is known, that killed U.S. three service members has crossed a line, the official said. That drone attack, which also injured more than 40 U.S. service members — largely from the Army National Guard — was the first to result in U.S. combat deaths from the Iran-backed militias since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out. Tower 22 houses about 350 U.S. troops and sits near the demilitarized zone on the Jordan-Syria border. The Iraqi border is 6 miles away. Also Friday, the U.S. Treasury imposed new sanctions on a network of firms in Iran and Hong Kong accused of assisting Iran to procure technology to make ballistic weapons and drones. And the U.S. hit six Iranian officials with sanctions for allegedly committing a series of malicious cyber activities against crucial infrastructure in the U.S. and other nations. Feb. 24, 2024 Feb. 7, 2024 Feb. 5, 2024

Mother of Michigan school shooter denies any responsibility but wishes son had 'killed us instead'

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-01/mother-of-michigan-school-shooter-denies-any-responsibility-for-gun-used-to-kill-four-students

The mother of a Michigan school shooter testified in her own defense Thursday saying she had no role in buying or storing the handgun used to kill four students in 2021 and shifted responsibility to her husband. “I just didn’t feel comfortable being in charge of that. It was his thing,” Jennifer Crumbley said of her husband, turning to jurors as she spoke on the sixth day of her trial on involuntary manslaughter charges. Crumbley took the stand after days of unflattering evidence about her meetings with staff at Oxford High School, an extramarital affair, a deep concern about her horses after the shooting and the emptying of her son’s $3,000 bank account before her arrest. Jennifer Crumbley, 45, and husband James, 47, are accused of making a gun accessible at home and ignoring Ethan Crumbley’s mental health needs. They are the first parents in the U.S. to be charged in a mass school shooting committed by their child. James Crumbley faces trial in March. Ethan, now 17, pleaded guilty to murder and is serving a life prison sentence. The teen, who was 15 at the time, pulled a gun from his backpack and shot 11 people at Oxford High on Nov. 30, 2021, killing four students. Ethan was with his father when the 9mm handgun was purchased just four days earlier. Jennifer Crumbley took her son to a shooting range and posted photos about the trip on social media. But she otherwise denied any role in handling or storing the gun. She said the gun was kept in a locked box with a key kept in a beer stein. Jennifer Crumbley told the jury she was nervous, but she spoke clearly and calmly for nearly two hours before a break in the proceedings. She apologized for her neck turning red and hoped she wouldn’t break out in hives. Prosecutors last week presented Ethan Crumbley’s own text messages from spring 2021 in which he told his mom that “demons” were “throwing bowls” and clothes were “flying off the shelf” at home. It was presented as evidence of hallucinations that were not addressed by the parents. But Jennifer Crumbley said it was “just Ethan messing around.” “He’s been convinced our house has been haunted since 2015,” she said, adding that her son called the ghost “Boris Johnson.” Earlier in the day, an investigator read portions of Ethan’s journal to the jury. “I have zero help for my mental problems and it’s causing me to shoot up the ... school,” Ethan, then 15, wrote. “My parents won’t listen to me about help or therapist,” the boy said, adding that he would spend his life in prison and that “many people have about a day left to live.” But Jennifer Crumbley said she saw no mental health problems in her son. “There were a couple of times when Ethan expressed anxiety over taking tests,” she said. “Anxiety about what he was going to do after high school — college? Military? But not at the level where I felt he needed to see a psychiatrist or a mental health professional.” Jennifer Crumbley’s attorney, Shannon Smith, again renewed her call for Ethan Crumbley to be brought to court to be challenged about his journal and other evidence. But Judge Cheryl Matthews said no, noting that the teen’s lawyers have indicated that he would invoke his right to remain silent. Although Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty to murder and other crimes, his no-parole sentence still can be appealed. A meeting between school staff and the Crumbleys a few hours before the shooting has been a key point in the mother’s case. The parents were presented with a disturbing drawing their son had scrawled on an assignment. It depicted a gun and bullet and the lines, “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me. The world is dead. My life is useless.” The school recommended that Ethan get help as soon as possible, but the Crumbleys declined to take him home, saying they needed to return to work. Their son stayed in school and later pulled a handgun from his backpack to fire at students. Feb. 15, 2024 Feb. 15, 2024 Feb. 9, 2024

Oregon high court says 10 GOP state senators who staged long walkout can’t run for reelection

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-01/oregon-high-court-says-10-gop-state-senators-who-staged-long-walkout-cant-run-for-reelection

The Oregon Supreme Court said Thursday that 10 Republican state senators who staged a record-long walkout last year to stall bills on abortion, transgender healthcare and gun rights cannot run for reelection. The decision upholds the secretary of state’s decision to disqualify the senators from the ballot under a voter-approved measure aimed at stopping such boycotts. Measure 113, passed by voters in 2022, amended the state constitution to bar lawmakers from reelection if they have more than 10 unexcused absences. Last year’s boycott lasted six weeks — the longest in state history — and paralyzed the legislative session, stalling hundreds of bills. Five lawmakers sued over the secretary of state’s decision — Sens. Tim Knopp, Daniel Bonham, Suzanne Weber, Dennis Linthicum and Lynn Findley. They were among the 10 GOP senators who racked up more than 10 absences. “We obviously disagree with the Supreme Court’s ruling,” said Knopp, the chamber’s minority leader. “But more importantly, we are deeply disturbed by the chilling impact this decision will have to crush dissent.” Democratic Senate President Rob Wagner welcomed the decision. “Today’s ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court means that legislators and the public now know how Measure 113 will be applied, and that is good for our state,” he said in a statement. During oral arguments before the Oregon Supreme Court in December, attorneys for the senators and the state wrestled over the grammar and syntax of the language that was added to the state constitution after Measure 113 was approved by voters. The amendment says a lawmaker is not allowed to run “for the term following the election after the member’s current term is completed.” The debate concerned when that ineligibility kicks in: If a senator’s term ends in January 2025, they would typically seek reelection in November 2024. The “election after the member’s current term is completed” would not be until November 2028, the Republican senators argued, so they could run for reelection this year and then hold office for another term before becoming ineligible. The court disagreed, saying that while the language of the amendment was ambiguous, the information provided to voters in the ballot title and explanatory statement made clear that the intent was to bar truant lawmakers from holding office in the next term. “Those other materials expressly and uniformly informed voters that the amendment would apply to a legislator’s immediate next terms of office, indicating that the voters so understood and intended that meaning,” the justices wrote. The senators’ lawsuit was filed against Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, who last August said the boycotting senators were disqualified from seeking reelection. She directed her office’s elections division to implement an administrative rule based on her stance. All parties in the suit had sought clarity on the issue before the March 2024 filing deadline for candidates who want to run in this year’s election. The 2023 walkout paralyzed the Legislature for weeks and only ended after Republicans forced concessions from Democrats on a sweeping bill related to expanding access to abortion and transgender healthcare and another measure regarding the manufacture and transfer of undetectable firearms, known as ghost guns. Oregon voters approved Measure 113 by a wide margin following Republican walkouts in the Legislature in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Feb. 11, 2024 Feb. 10, 2024 Jan. 28, 2024

Austin says he never told anyone on his staff to keep White House in the dark on hospitalization

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-01/austin-says-he-never-told-anyone-on-his-staff-to-keep-white-house-in-the-dark-on-hospitalization

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday he never told his staff to keep his cancer surgery and hospitalization secret from the White House, but acknowledged he should have handled it differently and he apologized for keeping President Biden and others in the dark for weeks. “We did not handle this right and I did not handle this right. I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I take full responsibility,” Austin told reporters in a lengthy Pentagon briefing. “I have apologized directly to President Biden and I’ve told him that I’m deeply sorry for not letting him know immediately that I received a heavy diagnosis and was getting treatment.” Known as an intensely private man, Austin provided his most extensive comments to date on the secrecy surrounding his cancer diagnosis and struggles with complications since his surgery on Dec. 22. It was the first time he has answered questions from reporters since his cancer surgery, and his answers were often bluntly personal, offering rare insights into the deeply private matter. “The news shook me,” Austin, 70, said about getting the initial diagnosis in early December. “It was a gut punch. And, frankly my first instinct was to keep it private.” While he said he “never directed anyone to keep my January hospitalization from the White House,” Austin dodged questions about any repercussions on his staff or any decisions they made about disclosing it. He said he doesn’t believe he has created “a culture of secrecy” in his office. And he said he did not tell his aides to ask first responders to avoid using lights and sirens when calling for an ambulance on Jan. 1. But, he acknowledged, “there will be security officers, there will be other staff members who may perceive that they’re doing things in my best interest.” His lack of disclosure prompted changes in federal guidelines and triggered an internal Pentagon review and an inspector general review into his department’s notification procedures. Both reviews are ongoing, and members of Congress have called for hearings on the matter. Austin was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Jan. 1 after experiencing extreme pain due to complications from the surgery. He was admitted to the intensive care unit the next day. He was released from the hospital on Jan. 15. He transferred decision-making authorities to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, but did not tell her why. Some top staff members were told about his hospitalization on Jan. 2, but no one told the White House or the president until two days later. His hospitalization was publicly announced on Jan. 5, but his cancer diagnosis and surgery were not disclosed until the following week. A key question is why Austin’s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, or his senior military assistant, Lt. Gen. Ron Clark, didn’t inform the White House or key leaders more quickly. Austin’s solo appearance in the Pentagon briefing room was also a rare moment. He is known for avoiding the media as much as possible. But he appeared calm and even joked a few times during the 35-minute news conference. His ongoing leg pain was evident as he walked carefully to the podium, but he said he expects to recover, although it will be incremental and take time. Pressed on why he didn’t tell the president and others about his diagnosis and surgery, Austin said, “I’m a pretty private guy. I never like burdening others with my problems. It’s just not my way.” He added that the president has a lot of things on his plate and he didn’t want to add his personal issue to that. “I apologize to my teammates and to the American people,” he said. He said he has learned from the experience. “Taking this kind of job means losing some of the privacy that most of us expect,” he said. “The American people have a right to know if their leaders are facing health challenges that might affect their ability to perform their duties even temporarily. So a wider circle should have been notified, especially the president.” Austin also acknowledged that he missed a crucial opportunity to use his prostate check and early discovery of the cancer as a teaching moment, for his many male troops and workers across the department, and, even more importantly, for the African American population. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men. It affects 1 in every 8 men — and 1 in every 6 African American men — during their lifetime. “I’m here with a clear message to other men, especially older men,” Austin said. “Get screened, get your regular checkups. Prostate cancer has a glass jaw. If your doctor can spot it, they can treat it and beat it.” Asked about the matter earlier in January, Biden said it was a lapse in judgment for Austin not to tell him about his hospitalization, but he said he still has confidence in his Pentagon chief. Austin, who worked from home for two weeks after his release from the hospital, returned to work in the Pentagon on Monday. He had not been in the building since Dec. 21. Feb. 29, 2024 Feb. 9, 2024 Feb. 8, 2024

Mexican president suggests U.S. talks on migration and drugs may suffer after drug money allegations

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-02-01/mexican-president-suggests-us-talks-on-migration-and-drugs-may-suffer-after-drug-money-allegations

Mexico’s president suggested Thursday that talks with the U.S. government on migration and drug trafficking could suffer after media reports of a U.S. investigation into alleged drug money donations for his 2006 campaign. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador suggested U.S. officials should apologize for what he called baseless allegations, and said it would be hard to sit down and talk about some of the most pressing issues in bilateral relations until that happens. “I don’t accept this, what I want is for the U.S. government to take a stand,” López Obrador said at his daily morning press briefing. “If they have no proof, they have to apologize.” “President Biden has to find out about this,” López Obrador said. “How are we going to sit down at a table and talk about fighting drugs if one of their agencies is leaking information and damaging me? How are we going to talk about migration, how are we going to talk about fighting drugs or fentanyl?” The Biden administration has relied for some time on Mexico’s willingness to accept the return of migrants from third countries as a way of quickly returning migrants and asylum-seekers at the U.S. southwest border. It would be a political problem for Biden if Mexico refuses to continue doing so, or loosens up on its already weak efforts to control the flow of deadly opioids made in Mexico and smuggled into the United States. López Obrador — who pointedly called former President Trump “my friend” later in the briefing — did not specify whom he wanted to apologize, but suggested that the U.S. State Department should say something. “Don’t the State Department, the Justice Department, have any information?” he said, calling the media reports “interventionism” in Mexico’s domestic affairs. López Obrador has denied old allegations that drug traffickers may have given about $2 million to his first, failed bid for the presidency — he lost in 2012 and finally won in 2018 — and called the reports a U.S. attack on his government and his Morena party before Mexico’s June 2 presidential election. Claudia Sheinbaum, the presidential candidate for the Morena party, holds a commanding lead in opinion polls for the June 2 election. But Mexico’s continued high rates of violence — and Sheinbaum’s pledge to continue López Obrador’s policy of not confronting drug cartels — are one of the governing party’s most vulnerable flanks. According to reports by ProPublica, Insight Crime and Germany’s Deutsche Welle, in 2010 the DEA investigated claims by a cooperating drug trafficker and a former campaign advisor that leaders of the Beltrán Leyva drug cartel gave the money to close confidants of López Obrador in 2006. But a wiretap of a conversation between the DEA informants and one of López Obrador’s top aides didn’t really confirm the donations, and U.S. officials later ordered the politically sensitive case closed. Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the DEA, feared that the latest dispute could damage U.S.-Mexico cooperation on fighting drug trafficking, in much the same way as the 2020 U.S. arrest of a former Mexican defense secretary, Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos. López Obrador has long complained about the actions of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Mexico, and following the arrest of Cienfuegos, he imposed restrictions on U.S. agents in Mexico. “It’s just terrible, it’s going to mean more drugs heading to the United States and more violence in Mexico,” Vigil said. “It’s worse than when Cienfuegos was arrested.” “This is a direct attack against him. Secondly, he views it as an impact on the presidential campaign or the presidential elections that are coming up,” Vigil said. “Now, if we thought the relations with Mexico were bad, they are going to go from worse to almost nonexistent.” López Obrador has long been angry at perceived American interference. He claimed that the U.S. arrest of Cienfuegos, the former defense secretary, was part of a DEA plot to weaken Mexico’s armed forces and allow U.S. agents free reign in Mexico. Cienfuegos was arrested at a Los Angeles airport in 2020, accused of participating in an international drug trafficking and money laundering network. Mexico demanded Cienfuegos’ release, reportedly threatening to expel U.S. agents unless he was returned. The United States dropped the charges and returned him. Mexico quickly absolved Cienfuegos of any wrongdoing and later held up visas for U.S. agents and restricted the work they could do in Mexico. Feb. 23, 2024 Feb. 22, 2024 Jan. 31, 2024

Ukraine and Russia swap scores of POWs despite tension over a plane crash last week

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-01-31/russia-ukraine-prisoner-swap-pows

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged about 200 prisoners of war each, the countries said Wednesday, despite tensions stemming from last week’s crash of a military transport plane that Moscow claimed was carrying Ukrainian POWs and was shot down by Kyiv’s forces. After the Jan. 24 crash of the Il-76 plane in Russia’s Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine, some Russian officials had publicly questioned the possibility of future POW swaps. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the countries exchanged 195 POWs each. After the statement was released, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 207 Ukrainians were freed. There was no immediate explanation for the different figures. “We remember each Ukrainian in captivity. Both warriors and civilians. We must bring all of them back. We are working on it,” Zelensky said on X, formerly Twitter. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s ombudsman for human rights, said on social media that it was the 50th such exchange since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly two years ago, with a total of 3,035 POWs repatriated. Among the Ukrainians released were members of the armed forces, National Guard, Border Service and national police, said Andrii Yermak, head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office. He added that some of them had been captured while defending Mariupol, Azovstal and Snake Island. The Russian military said, without providing details or evidence, that the Russian POWs who were swapped Wednesday “faced deadly danger in captivity” and would be flown to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation. Moscow had said 65 Ukrainian POWs had been aboard the military transport that crashed Jan. 24. Ukrainian officials confirmed that a swap was due to take place that day and was called off, but said it has seen no evidence the plane was carrying the POWs. Meeting with his campaign staff in Moscow as he ramps up his run for reelection, President Vladimir Putin said Russian investigators concluded that Ukraine used U.S.-supplied Patriot air defense systems to shoot down the transport plane. Ukrainian officials didn’t deny the plane’s downing but didn’t take responsibility and called for an international investigation. Putin said Russia wouldn’t just welcome but would “insist” on an international inquiry into what he described as a “crime” by Ukraine. Feb. 2, 2024 Jan. 27, 2024 Jan. 26, 2024

Business and agriculture groups sue California over climate disclosure laws

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-01-30/business-and-agricultural-groups-sue-california-over-new-climate-disclosure-laws

Business and agricultural groups sued California on Tuesday over the most sweeping climate disclosure mandates in the nation, arguing the policies signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year overstep on the federal government’s authority to regulate emissions nationwide. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, California Chamber of Commerce, American Farm Bureau Federation and other groups filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. They argue the new rules go too far in part because they apply to companies headquartered outside of California as long as they do business in the state. The groups also allege the laws infringe on the 1st Amendment by requiring companies to comment on what the lawsuit calls a “politically fraught” topic — climate change. “These new climate reporting laws are far from cost-effective and they will not have any notable impact on climate change,” Jennifer Barrera, chief executive of the California Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement. “Compelling businesses to report inconsistent and inaccurate information unnecessarily places them at risk for enormous penalties.” The suit marks the first major legal challenge to a set of laws that garnered attention from major companies and environmental leaders well beyond California. It comes as the state prepares to assess how to implement the new laws. Newsom, who often touts California’s status as a global climate leader, signed the high-profile laws last year ahead of the federal government finalizing climate disclosure rules for public companies. The lawsuit says the business groups support efforts to curb planet-warming emissions but argue the new disclosure rules could lead to a “patchwork of inconsistent” laws if more states pass emissions regulations that conflict with one another. One of the laws requires public and private companies with annual revenue of more than $1 billion to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions beginning in 2026. The law applies to more than 5,300 U.S. companies that do business in California, regardless of where they are headquartered. Companies will have to report emissions that include those released to make products and transport them. They will also have to disclose indirect emissions such as employee business travel. Proponents of the law say it will increase transparency about how large companies contribute to climate change and help them evaluate how they can reduce their emissions. But the suit argues that the law will be too burdensome and that the emissions data could contain inaccuracies that would mislead the public. State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat representing San Francisco who authored the law, called the lawsuit “straight up climate denial.” “The Chamber is taking this extremist legal action because many large corporations — particularly fossil fuel corporations and large banks — are absolutely terrified that if they have to tell the public how dramatically they’re fueling climate change, they’ll no longer be able to mislead the public and investors,” he said in a statement. The business groups are also suing California over a new law requiring companies that make more than $500 million annually to report every other year how climate change will impact their finances and how they plan to adapt. The suit argues the state should not require companies “to speak about the effects of, and proper response to, climate change.” Democratic state Sen. Henry Stern of Los Angeles, who introduced the financial disclosure legislation, said in a statement that the groups backing the suit were trying to undermine the state’s climate laws. “It’s a cynical and dangerous ploy to bait the Supreme Court of the United States into a total rewrite of environmental federalism under the color of some contorted version of the First Amendment,” Stern said. Dec. 30, 2023 Dec. 17, 2023 Dec. 13, 2023

UPS to cut 12,000 jobs 5 months after reaching union deal

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-01-30/ups-to-cut-12-000-jobs-5-months-after-reaching-union-deal-as-revenue-outlook-for-year-disappoints

UPS said it would cut 12,000 jobs and released a revenue outlook for this year that sent its shares down sharply. The company also hinted that its Coyote truck load brokerage business may be put up for sale. UPS acquired the Chicago-based company for $1.8 billion in 2015. The Teamsters in September voted to approve a tentative contract agreement with UPS, putting a final seal on contentious labor negotiations that threatened to disrupt package deliveries for millions of businesses and households nationwide. The contract includes pay raises for full- and part-time union workers, the creation of 7,500 full-time jobs and the filling of 22,500 open positions, allowing more part-timers to transition to full time. On a conference call Tuesday morning, Chief Executive Carol Tome said that by reducing the company’s headcount, UPS will realize $1 billion in cost savings. The job eliminations are anticipated to be among management roles and contractors, the company said. UPS also said Tuesday that its board approved an increase of 1 cent in its quarterly dividend to shareholders of record Feb. 20. “We are going to fit our organization to our strategy and align our resources against what’s wildly important,” Tome said. Tome said that UPS is ordering employees to return to the office five days a week this year. United Parcel Service Inc. anticipates 2024 revenue in a range of approximately $92 billion to $94.5 billion, short of Wall Street’s expectations for a figure above $95.5 billion. Shares of UPS dropped more than 8% on Tuesday. Revenue also came up short in the fourth quarter, sliding 7.8% to $24.92 billion. That’s just shy of Wall Street projections for $25.31 billion, according to a poll of analysts by FactSet. Profits for the quarter that ended in December slid by more than half to $1.61 billion, or $1.87 per share, from $3.45 billion, or $3.96 per share. On an adjusted basis, quarterly earnings per share totaled $2.47, a penny above the average estimate, according to FactSet. Jan. 25, 2024 Jan. 24, 2024 Jan. 19, 2024

Amazon's bid to buy Roomba maker IRobot is called off amid pushback in Europe

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-01-29/amazons-bid-to-buy-roomba-maker-irobot-is-called-off-amid-pushback-in-europe

Amazon called off its purchase of robot vacuum maker IRobot on Monday, blaming “undue and disproportionate regulatory hurdles” after the European Union signaled its objection to the deal. The companies said in a joint statement that they were disappointed but mutually agreed to terminate the acquisition. The deal faced antitrust scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic, but most strongly in Europe, where regulators investigating competition concerns were expected to issue a final decision by Feb. 14. Amazon announced in 2022 that it would buy IRobot, maker of the circular-shaped Roomba vacuum, for $1.7 billion in cash. But the value of the deal fell 15% after IRobot incurred new debt. Amazon will pay the Bedford, Mass.-based company a previously agreed termination fee of $94 million, IRobot said in a separate announcement, which also disclosed that it would lay off about 31% of its staff and see its chief executive depart. The European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm and top antitrust enforcer, had informed Amazon last year of its “preliminary view” that the IRobot acquisition would hurt competition in the industry. Although British antitrust regulators cleared the purchase in June, it also still faced scrutiny in the U.S. by the Federal Trade Commission. The European Commission did not respond immediately to a request for comment. It had been concerned that Amazon could reduce the visibility of an IRobot competitor’s product or limit access to certain labels, such as “Amazon’s choice,” that may attract more shoppers. The commission said last year that Amazon also might have found ways to raise the costs of IRobot’s rivals to advertise and sell their products on its platform. David Zapolsky, Amazon’s general counsel, lashed out at regulators and said consumers would lose out on “faster innovation and more competitive prices.” “Mergers and acquisitions like this help companies like IRobot better compete in the global marketplace, particularly against companies, and from countries, that aren’t subject to the same regulatory requirements in fast-moving technology segments like robotics,” he said. He added that “undue and disproportionate regulatory hurdles discourage entrepreneurs, who should be able to see acquisition as one path to success, and that hurts both consumers and competition— the very things that regulators say they’re trying to protect.” Now that the deal has been called off, IRobot said it would undergo a restructuring plan designed to stabilize the company. As part of those changes, the company will lay off roughly 350 employees. IRobot Chairman and CEO Colin Angle also will step down. Glen Weinstein, the company’s executive vice president and chief legal officer, will serve as interim CEO. Consumer rights groups had voiced concerns about the Amazon-IRobot deal, saying it would broaden the ecommerce giant’s dominance in the smart home market. Amazon has purchased other smart home companies in the past, including home security camera maker Blink, doorbell camera maker Ring and the mesh-networking Wi-Fi company Eero. This is the latest example of a deal involving U.S. companies that fell apart after facing scrutiny from European regulators. Last year, Adobe abandoned its plan to buy online design company Figma for $20 billion because of EU and British antitrust concerns. Biotech giant Illumina was forced to undo its $7.1-billion purchase of cancer-screening company Grail after losing legal battles with antitrust enforcers in both Europe and the United States. Dec. 14, 2023 Dec. 5, 2023 Nov. 13, 2023

Lawyers urge Supreme Court to find Trump ineligible for presidency because of Jan. 6

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-01-26/supreme-court-is-urged-to-rule-trump-is-ineligible-to-be-president-again-because-of-the-jan-6-riot

The Supreme Court should declare that Donald Trump is ineligible to be president because he spearheaded the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overturn his 2020 election loss, lawyers leading the fight to keep him off the ballot told the justices Friday. In a filing filled with vivid descriptions of the Jan. 6, 2021, violence at the Capitol, the lawyers urged the justices not to flinch from doing their constitutional duty and to uphold a first-of-its-kind Colorado court decision to kick the 2024 Republican presidential front-runner off the state’s primary ballot. “Nobody, not even a former President, is above the law,” the lawyers wrote. The court will hear arguments in less than two weeks in a case that has the potential to disrupt the 2024 presidential election. The case presents the high court with its first look at a provision of the 14th Amendment that bars some people who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office. The amendment was adopted in 1868, following the Civil War. In their plea to the court, the lawyers said, “Trump intentionally organized and incited a violent mob to attack the United States Capitol in a desperate effort to prevent the counting of electoral votes cast against him” after he lost the election to Democrat Joe Biden. They called for a decision that makes clear that what happened on Jan. 6 was an insurrection, for which Trump bears responsibility. The president is covered by the constitutional provision at issue, and Congress doesn’t need to take action before states can apply it, the lawyers wrote. The written filing includes details of Trump’s actions leading up to Jan. 6, including a Dec. 19, 2020, tweet in which he informed followers of the planned protest on the day Congress would count the electoral votes and wrote, “Be there, will be wild.” In his speech to supporters on Jan. 6, the lawyers wrote, “Trump lit the fuse.” The brief reproduces photographs of the mayhem from that day, including one of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Daniel Hodges pinned in a doorway. Trump’s lawyers have argued that efforts to keep him off the ballot “threaten to disenfranchise tens of millions of Americans and ... promise to unleash chaos and bedlam” if other states follow Colorado’s lead. The Colorado Supreme Court’s 4-3 ruling should be reversed for any of several reasons, Trump’s lawyers wrote, including that he did not engage in insurrection and that the presidency is not covered by the amendment. They also contend that Congress would have to enact legislation before states could invoke the provision to keep candidates off the ballot. The justices will hear arguments Feb. 8. Trump has won the first two GOP presidential contests: the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is his sole significant GOP opponent. Both sides in the case have said the court needs to act quickly so that voters know whether Trump is eligible to hold the presidency. The court is dealing with the dispute under a compressed time frame that could produce a decision before March 5, Super Tuesday, when the largest number of delegates in a day is up for grabs, including in Colorado. A two-sentence provision in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment states that anyone who swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and then “engaged in insurrection” against it is no longer eligible for state or federal office. After Congress passed an amnesty for most of the former confederates the measure targeted in 1872, the provision fell into disuse until dozens of suits were filed to keep Trump off the ballot this year. Only the one in Colorado was successful. Trump is separately appealing in state court a ruling by Maine’s Democratic secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, that he is ineligible to appear on the ballot over his role in the Capitol attack. Both the Colorado Supreme Court and the Maine secretary of state’s rulings are on hold until the appeals play out. Sherman writes for the Associated Press. Jan. 25, 2024 Jan. 19, 2024 Jan. 12, 2024

A U.S. scientist has brewed up a storm by offering Britain advice on making tea

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-01-28/la-fg-us-scientist-has-brewed-up-a-storm-by-offering-britain-advice-on-making-tea

An American scientist has sparked a trans-Atlantic tempest in a teapot by offering Britain advice on its favorite hot beverage. Bryn Mawr College chemistry professor Michelle Francl says one of the keys to a perfect cup of tea is a pinch of salt. The tip is included in Francl’s book “Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea,” published Wednesday by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Not since the Boston Tea Party has mixing tea with salt water roiled the Anglo-American relationship so much. The salt suggestion drew howls of outrage from tea lovers in Britain, where popular stereotype sees Americans as coffee-swilling boors who make tea, if at all, in the microwave. “Don’t even say the word ′salt′ to us...” the etiquette guide Debrett’s wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The U.S. Embassy in London intervened in the brewing storm with a social media post reassuring “the good people of the U.K. that the unthinkable notion of adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official United States policy.” “Let us unite in our steeped solidarity and show the world that when it comes to tea, we stand as one,” said the tongue-in-cheek post. “The U.S. Embassy will continue to make tea in the proper way — by microwaving it.” The embassy later clarified that its statement was “a lighthearted play on our shared cultural connections” rather than an official press release. “Steeped,” in contrast, is no joke. The product of three years’ research and experimentation, the book explores the more than 100 chemical compounds found in tea and “puts the chemistry to use with advice on how to brew a better cup,” its publisher says. Francl said adding a small amount of salt — not enough to taste — makes tea seem less bitter because “the sodium ions in salt block the bitter receptors in our mouths.” She also advocates making tea in a pre-warmed pot, agitating the bag briefly but vigorously and serving in a short, stout mug to preserve the heat. And she says milk should be added to the cup after the tea, not before — another issue that often divides tea lovers. Francl has been surprised by the level of reaction to her book in Britain. “I kind of understood that there would hopefully be a lot of interest,” she told the Associated Press. “I didn’t know we’d wade into a diplomatic conversation with the U.S. Embassy.” It has made her ponder the ocean-wide coffee-tea divide that separates the U.S. and Britain. “I wonder if we’re just a more caffeinated society — coffee is higher in caffeine,” she said. “Or maybe we’re just trying to rebel against our parent country.” Jan. 23, 2024 Jan. 12, 2024 Jan. 11, 2024

'LA Ink' star Kat Von D calls her court victory a big win for tattoo artists

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-01-27/tattoo-artist-kat-von-d-didnt-violate-photographers-copyright-of-miles-davis-portrait-jury-says

A Los Angeles jury has found that celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D did not violate a photographer’s copyright when she used his portrait of Miles Davis as the basis for a tattoo she put on the arm of a friend. The jury deliberated for just over two hours before deciding Friday that the tattoo by the former star of the reality shows “Miami Ink” and “LA Ink” was not similar enough to photographer Jeffrey Sedlik’s 1989 portrait of the jazz legend that she needed to have paid for permission. “I’m obviously very happy for this to be over,” Von D, who inked her friend’s arm with Davis as a gift about seven years ago, said outside the courtroom. “It’s been two years of a nightmare worrying about this, not just for myself but for my fellow tattoo artists.” The eight jurors made the same decision about a drawing Von D made from the portrait to base the tattoo on, and to several social media posts she made about the process, which were also part of Sedlik’s lawsuit. Jurors found that the tattoo, drawing and posts also all fell within the legal doctrine of fair use of a copyrighted work, giving Von D and other tattoo artists who supported her and followed the trial a resounding across-the-board victory. “We’ve said all along that this case never should have been brought,” Von D’s attorney Allen B. Grodsky said after the verdict. “The jury recognized that this was just ridiculous.” Sedlik’s attorney Robert Edward Allen said they plan to appeal. He said the images, which featured a close-up of Davis gazing toward the viewer and making a “shh” gesture, were so similar he didn’t know how the jury could reach the conclusion they did. “If those two things are not substantially similar, then no one’s art is safe,” Allen said. He told jurors during closing arguments earlier Friday that the case has “nothing to do with tattoos.” “It’s about copying others’ protected works,” Allen said. “It’s not going to hurt the tattoo industry. The tattoo police are not going to come after anyone.” Allen emphasized the meticulous work Sedlik did to set up the shoot, to create the lighting and mood, and to put Davis in the pose that would make for an iconic photo that was first published on the cover of JAZZIZ magazine in 1989. Sedlik registered the copyright in 1994. And he said that subsequently, licensing the image to others including tattoo artists was a major part of how he made his living. Von D said during the three-day trial that she never licenses the images she re-creates, and she considers work like the Davis tattoo a form of “fan art.” “I made zero money off it,” she testified. “I’m not mass-producing anything. I think there is a big difference.” Her attorney Grodsky emphasized for jurors that that lack of an attempt to cash in on the image was essential to the tattoo being a form of fair use, an exception in copyright law used for works including commentary, criticism and parody. Allen argued in his closing that the social media posts about the tattoo were a promotion of her and her studio, and thus a form of monetizing the image. If jurors had sided with Sedlik, they could have awarded him as little as a few hundred dollars or as much as $150,000. The 41-year-old Von D, whose legal name is Katherine von Drachenberg, was a prominent young tattoo artist when she became a TV personality through her appearances on TLC’s “Miami Ink” starting in 2005. She was the central star of its spinoff, “LA Ink,” which ran from 2007 to 2011 and made her one of the most famous tattoo artists in the country. Von D said that despite the victory, she’s not enthused about getting back to work. “I think I don’t want to ever tattoo again; my heart has been crushed through this in different ways,” she said. “We’ll see with time.” Jan. 4, 2024 Dec. 22, 2023 Dec. 15, 2023

Wall Street closes its 12th winning week in the last 13 with a mixed finish

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-01-26/stock-market-today-wall-street-closes-its-12th-winning-week-in-the-last-13-with-a-mixed-finish

Wall Street closed out its latest winning week with a mixed finish Friday, as drops for technology stocks dragged on the market. The Standard & Poor’s 500 slipped 3.19 points, or 0.1%, to 4,890.97. It’s the first decline for the index after a six-day winning streak led it to set record highs for five straight days. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 60.30 points, or 0.2%, to 38,109.43. The weakness for tech stocks, meanwhile, dragged the Nasdaq composite to a loss of 55.13 points, or 0.4%, to 15,455.36. Intel led chip stocks lower even though it reported stronger profit for the last three months of 2023 than analysts expected. It dropped 11.9% after giving forecasts for revenue and profit for the start of 2024 that fell short of Wall Street’s estimates. KLA, a supplier for the chip industry, also dragged on tech stocks despite reporting better quarterly results than expected. It sank 6.6% after saying it still sees market conditions as challenging in the near term and giving a forecast for upcoming revenue that fell short of analysts’ estimates. The U.S. stock market nevertheless closed out another winning week as reports keep suggesting inflation is cooling while the economy continues to power higher. The unexpected backdrop has hopes high that Wall Street’s dream scenario can come true: one in which a resilient economy drives profits higher for companies, while inflation moderates enough to get the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates many times this year. The latest report Friday showed the measure of inflation the Fed prefers to use behaved just about exactly as expected in December. Overall inflation by that measure was 2.6% during the month, matching November’s rate. The Fed pays more attention to the inflation figure after ignoring prices for food and fuel, which can zigzag sharply month to month. That figure cooled to 2.9% from 3.2% and was a bit better than economists expected. At the same time, spending by U.S. consumers strengthened by more in December than expected. That helped calm worries that a resilient U.S. economy, which has so far refused to fall into a long-predicted recession, would mean upward pressure on inflation. The expectation is for the labor market to soften some in upcoming months, which would further ease pressure on inflation, but not enough to halt the economy’s growth. That has the market looking forward to what EY Chief Economist Gregory Daco calls “the ‘holy grail’ of non-inflationary growth.” Treasury yields yo-yoed in the bond market after the report but later rose modestly. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged up to 4.13% from 4.12% late Thursday. The Federal Reserve’s next meeting next week will probably end with no change to interest rates, but traders are split on whether it could begin cutting rates in March. That would be a sharp turnaround from the last two years, when the Fed raised its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001. It’s trying to slow the economy and hurt investment prices enough through high interest rates to get inflation fully under control. Traders are betting the Fed will cut interest rates as many as six times this year, according to data from CME Group. That would be double what the Fed itself has indicated. Critics say that overzealousness may be setting financial markets up for disappointment after their big rallies in recent months. For now, though, the mood is still mostly ebullient on Wall Street. American Express jumped 7.1% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500, even though it reported weaker-than-expected results for the latest quarter. It gave forecasts for revenue and profit for the full year of 2024 that were stronger than analysts’, while also announcing plans to boost its dividend payout to investors. Colgate-Palmolive climbed 2% after the company in control of more than 40% of the global toothpaste market reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts forecast. JetBlue Airways rose 3.6% after it said it may end its bid to buy rival Spirit Airlines as soon as this weekend. A federal judge has already blocked the deal because of worries it could lead to higher fares for customers, which both airlines had said they intended to appeal. Spirit tumbled 13.4% to bring its loss for the year so far to nearly 62%. In stock markets abroad, indexes were higher across much of Europe but mixed in Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slumped 1.6% to give back some of its strong gain for the week, which was spurred by Chinese authorities’ moves to stabilize markets and the world’s second-largest economy. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.3% to pare its big gain for the year so far. AP business writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed to this report. Jan. 12, 2024 Jan. 11, 2024 Dec. 22, 2023

Ring will no longer allow police to request doorbell camera footage from users

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-01-24/ring-will-no-longer-allow-police-to-request-doorbell-camera-footage-from-users

Amazon-owned Ring will stop allowing police departments to request doorbell camera footage from users, marking an end to a feature that has drawn criticism from privacy advocates. In a blog post Wednesday, Ring said it will sunset the “Request for Assistance” tool, which allows police departments and other public safety agencies to request and receive video captured by the doorbell cameras through Ring’s Neighbors app. The company did not provide a reason for the change, which will be effective starting this week. Technology and the Internet Amazon says its Ring cameras and Neighbors social network help keep residents “safe” through surveillance and police reporting. But safe for whom, and from what? Oct. 11, 2023 Eric Kuhn, the head of Neighbors, said in the announcement that law enforcement agencies will still be able to make public posts in the Neighbors app. Police and other agencies can also still use the app to “share helpful safety tips, updates, and community events,” Kuhn said. The update is the latest restriction Ring has made to police activity on the Neighbors app after concerns were raised by privacy watchdogs about the company’s relationship with police departments across the country. Critics have emphasized that the proliferation of these relationships — and users’ ability to report what they see as suspicious behavior — can change neighborhoods into places of constant surveillance and lead to more instances of racial profiling. In a bid to increase transparency, Ring changed its policy in 2021 to make police requests publicly visible through its Neighbors app. Previously, law enforcement agencies were able to send Ring owners who lived near an area of an active investigation private emails requesting video footage. “Now, Ring hopefully will altogether be out of the business of platforming casual and warrantless police requests for footage to its users,” Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation, said in a statement Wednesday. Law enforcement agencies can still access videos using a search warrant. Ring also maintains the right to share footage without user consent in limited circumstances. In mid-2022, Ring disclosed it handed over 11 videos to police without notifying users that year because of “exigent or emergency” circumstances, one of the categories that allow it to share videos without permission from owners. However, Guariglia said the group remains skeptical about the ability of police and the company to determine what is or is not an emergency. Last summer, Ring agreed to pay $5.8 million to settle with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that the company let employees and contractors access user videos. Furthermore, the agency said Ring had inadequate security practices, which allowed hackers to control consumer accounts and cameras. The company disagrees with those claims. Nov. 18, 2023 Nov. 8, 2023 Oct. 29, 2023

Americans' economic outlook brightens as inflation slows and wages outpace prices

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-01-24/americans-economic-outlook-brightens-as-inflation-slows-and-wages-outpace-prices

After an extended period of gloom, Americans are starting to feel better about inflation and the economy — a trend that could sustain consumer spending, fuel economic growth and potentially affect President Biden’s political fortunes. A measure of consumer sentiment by the University of Michigan has jumped in the last two months by the most since 1991. A survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that Americans’ inflation expectations have reached their lowest point in nearly three years. And the same survey, released last week, found that the proportion who expect their own finances to improve a year from now is at its highest level since June 2021. Economists say consumers appear to be responding to steadily slower inflation, higher incomes, lower gas prices and a rising stock market. Inflation has tumbled from a peak of about 9% in June 2022 to 3.4%. According to the Federal Reserve’s preferred price gauge, inflation has reached the Fed’s annual 2% target when measured over the last six months. What’s more, paychecks have outpaced inflation over the last year, thereby easing Americans’ adjustment to a higher cost of living. Weekly earnings for the typical worker — halfway between the highest and lowest earners — rose 2.2% last year after adjusting for inflation, the government reported last week. By that measure, inflation-adjusted pay is 2.5% higher than before the pandemic. “While falling inflation took some time to feed through to consumer sentiment, it appears the good news is finally getting through,” said Grace Zwemmer, an analyst at Oxford Economics. Consumers’ inflation expectations are important because they can become self-perpetuating: When people expect inflation to stay high, they often change their behavior by accelerating purchases before prices rise further, which can, in turn, fuel more inflation. By contrast, lower inflation expectations can reverse that dynamic and help cool inflation. Even with the steady slowdown in inflation, prices are still nearly 17% higher than they were three years ago, a source of discontent for many Americans. Although some individual goods are becoming less expensive, overall prices probably will remain well above their pre-pandemic levels. That dichotomy — a rapid fall in inflation with a still-elevated cost of living — probably will set up a key question in the minds of voters, many of whom are still feeling the lingering financial and psychological effects of the worst bout of inflation in four decades. Which will carry more weight in the presidential election: The dramatic decline in inflation or the fact that most prices are much higher than they were three years ago? Consider the price of food, one of the items people encounter most frequently. Grocery inflation has plummeted from a year-over-year peak of 13.5% in August 2022 to just 1.3%. Yet a typical basket of groceries still costs 20% more than it did in February 2021, just before inflation began to accelerate. On average, chicken prices are up 25%. So too is bread. Milk is 18% more expensive than it was before the pandemic. The cost to rent an apartment also has soared and is still rising faster than before the pandemic. Rental costs are up 6.5% from a year earlier, nearly twice the pre-pandemic pace. At their peak in early 2023, rents were rising nearly 9% annually. Sharply higher costs for such necessities as food and rent still represent a heavy burden for people such as Romane Marshall, a 30-year-old software engineer who lives on the outskirts of Atlanta. In late 2020, Marshall took computer coding classes to try to move beyond the warehouse and customer service jobs he had previously held. When he was hired by a professional services consulting firm in April 2021, he was “ecstatic.” After he completed an apprenticeship program the next year, his pay jumped from $50,000 to $60,000. Yet his expenses kept rising too. When he moved to a new apartment to be closer to work as his company shifted from full-time remote work to a hybrid schedule, his rent rose to $1,475 a month, up from the $700 he’d paid for a room in a friend’s house. Marshall says his typical grocery bill is now about $120 to $130, up from just $70 to $80 three years ago. To keep his electricity costs down, he only occasionally turns on the heat in his apartment. “There have been some positive changes, it’s just that things got expensive,” he said. “The only thing I notice is that the price of food is still high.” Some Americans do have a cheerier outlook now. Hiring has remained solid, with the unemployment rate remaining below 4% for nearly two years, the longest such stretch since the 1960s. Dana Smith, a software developer, says he’s optimistic that the economy is improving. He and his wife have both received pay raises that have helped offset the price increases of the last three years. Smith, 40, lives in Matthews, N.C., about a half-hour from Charlotte, where he and his wife bought a home about three years ago. It has since risen about 30% in value, boosting their household wealth. “My perception,” he said, “is that the economy is getting better and better.” The public’s growing optimism about the economy could point to newfound enthusiasm for Biden’s candidacy this year, after weak polling has defined much of his time in office. Still, Ryan Cummings, an economist who has analyzed consumer confidence and how it’s affected by political views, cautioned that politics might limit how much public sentiment can improve. Americans’ economic outlooks, he said, are increasingly driven by political partisanship rather than by the economy’s underlying performance. “As the election goes on,” Cummings said, “and it becomes more clear that the 2024 race will be Trump versus Biden, Republicans might dial up their pessimism more than Democratic sentiment is increasing, pulling sentiment back down, regardless of economic fundamentals.” The University of Michigan survey found that consumer sentiment among Democrats jumped a sharp 11.8% in January, the second-largest such increase on record. (The biggest increase among Democrats occurred immediately after Biden’s presidential victory in 2020.) Many Americans might still favor having the government take steps not only to slow inflation but also to try to reduce overall prices to where they were before the pandemic. In a classic 1997 research paper, Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller found that two-thirds of respondents to a survey he conducted agreed that the government should try to reverse a 20% surge in prices. Economists, though, uniformly caution that any attempt to do so would require a significant weakening of the economy, resulting from either sharp interest rate hikes by the Fed or tax increases. The likely consequence could be a recession that would cost millions of jobs. David Andolfatto, an economist at the University of Miami and a former Fed economist, said it is better for wages to rise over time to allow people to adjust to higher prices. “The cost of living is higher, the wages are higher,” Andolfatto said. “Let’s just move ahead. There’s no need for [the government] to bring the price level back down. It would be too painful.” Claudia Sahm, founder of Sahm Consulting and also a former Fed economist, acknowledged that “people are angry” about higher prices. “But then, the next question is, can you afford it?” she asked. “Not everybody can say yes to that question. But over time, more and more people will be able to say yes.” Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report. Jan. 30, 2024 Jan. 11, 2024 Jan. 11, 2024

Avalanches are rarely a danger at U.S. ski resorts. Palisades Tahoe slide was a deadly exception

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-11/deadly-avalanche-at-palisades-tahoe-was-rare-for-u-s-ski-resorts

High in the mountains above Lake Tahoe, skiers and snowboarders lined up Wednesday morning to be among the first of the season to ride a chairlift serving some of North America’s most iconic expert terrain. A weekend storm had dumped much-needed snow on the upper mountain at Palisades Tahoe, and more was on the way. Within half an hour of the lift’s opening, disaster struck. In the newly opened terrain on the peak known as KT-22, an avalanche swept up at least four resort guests around 9:30 a.m. Kenneth Kidd, 66, was killed, and another person who was buried by the avalanche suffered a minor leg injury. Two others were caught in the slide but were rescued by civilians. Avalanche experts knew the danger Wednesday would be considerable, given the powerful winter storm and strong winds forecast to hit Sierra peaks. But deadly avalanches far more commonly strike in the backcountry, not within the boundaries of a ski resort that once hosted the Olympics and boasts robust avalanche operations. California One person was killed and another was injured when an avalanche struck the KT-22 area of the Palisades Tahoe ski resort Wednesday morning, authorities said. Jan. 10, 2024 In the last decade, 244 people have died in avalanches in the U.S., according to statistics compiled by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. The vast majority involved people who were skiing, snowboarding or touring in backcountry areas or what is called “sidecountry” — where they ducked ropes or otherwise wandered beyond resort property into adjacent terrain. For the record: 5:28 p.m. Jan. 11, 2024An earlier version of this article said eight skiers had died on open resort runs in the last decade. The total is six. Only six skiers and snowboarders have died in avalanches on open resort runs over the last 10 years. Three of those died in a single 2020 incident at an Idaho resort. Wednesday’s “in-bounds” avalanche at Palisades Tahoe, as opposed to a slide in the unpatrolled, ungroomed backcountry, was “extremely rare” and caused “so much shock in the industry,” said Michael Reitzell, president of Ski California, the industry association that represents resorts across the state, including Palisades. “Those are two different things,” Reitzell said. “When you’re in the backcountry, you need a full suite of equipment, and training on how to use that equipment. It’s really important. When you’re inside the resort boundaries, there isn’t some expectation that you’re carrying around a backpack full of avalanche gear.” After the avalanche struck, more than 100 ski patrolers, rescuers, lift operators, instructors and resort guests as well as rescue dog teams jumped into action, Palisades Tahoe officials said. Video on social media showed people digging others out of the snow. “Your efforts were remarkable,” the resort said on social media. “It is times like this that show just how deeply we care for one another. Not just at Palisades Tahoe, but in the ski community as a whole. There is comfort in knowing that we can support one another through the worst days.” The Sierra Avalanche Center, which analyzes backcountry avalanche risk in the Tahoe area, had forecast “considerable” avalanche danger for Wednesday, the third level on a five-point scale. The risk was expected to increase throughout the afternoon and into the evening as the storm mounted. Two types of avalanches were a concern: “persistent slab” avalanches, caused by weak base layers that can react to new snow on top; and “wind slab” avalanches, which occur when winds move snow into slabs that then collapse into avalanches. It was not clear what caused Wednesday’s slide, but according to the National Weather Service, about 90% of avalanches are triggered by the victim or someone in the victim’s party. Though the avalanche danger was considerable, Brandon Schwartz, lead forecaster for the Sierra Avalanche Center, said in an email that the forecast applies to backcountry areas where no avalanche mitigation has been conducted, and not ski areas or highways. For Palisades Tahoe to open terrain on KT-22 ahead of the projected snowstorm was “absolutely” typical, said Michael Gross, vice president of mountain operations at the resort. Since Sunday, ski patrol conducted avalanche control assessment, including evaluating weather conditions, the snowpack, wind speed and direction, and setting up safety and hazard markings, he said at a Wednesday news conference. “We’ll evaluate the conditions,” Gross said, “and, based on our expertise and experience and the history, if we deem the conditions safe, we’ll open the terrain.” Palisades Tahoe, like all Ski California member resorts, uses avalanche mitigation strategies, including explosives or artillery to loosen the snow on the mountain, and “ski cutting,” which tests the stability of the snow, Reitzell said. “Weather typically is what impacts the chairs more than anything,” he said. “KT-22, being an example of that, it comes up to a peak and exposed area to wind. It usually would close for that type of reason.” Reitzell said some of the theories being floated as to what caused the avalanche, including the idea that the first group of skiers loosened “weak snow” during the initial runs down the black diamond G.S. Bowl, were “speculation.” “The avalanche forecasters and the patrolers have a good understanding of what the snowpack is, pretty much down to the surface, where it’s rocks and other things,” he said. Reitzell reiterated that it is unusual for skiers to face avalanche or other extreme risks on the mountain, even though it is inherently a more dangerous sport. “There are risks, and injuries do occur when you’re out with your skis and your snowboard and you’re trying to slide down a mountain at anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 feet,” he said. “While that risk is always present, we really do want to assure people this is not something that’s common at all.” The recent barrage of snowstorms, coupled with the fairly dry winter the western U.S. has had up until this point, has created widespread avalanche hazard across the country, said Simon Trautman, director of the National Avalanche Center. This is the first time since 1992, he said, when the first death caused by an avalanche in a winter season has happened after Jan. 1. “That points to how dry it’s been to a large area,” Trautman said. “What happens is any snow on the ground becomes very weak and is a [poor] surface for new snow to fall on.” Wednesday’s slide came hours before one of the strongest storms to hit California so far this season dumped snow across the Sierra Nevada. About 20 inches had accumulated at the base of Mt. Rose as of 7 a.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Palisades Tahoe got 14 inches of snow at the upper mountain and 7 inches at the base. The storm also dropped 6 inches on Homewood, 21 inches on Heavenly, 11 inches on Northstar and 14 inches at the summit of Diamond Peak. The weather service said the morning commute was “sketchy to treacherous” across the Sierra, and the Sierra Avalanche Center was again forecasting considerable danger Thursday. “New snow and high winds have loaded existing weak layers” in the snowpack and created the potential for large avalanches, the center said. The continuing high winds could also create slabs of wind blown snow in some areas. Climate & Environment From California to New England to Europe, many areas of the Northern Hemisphere are approaching a ‘snow-loss cliff’ due to global warming, researchers say. Jan. 11, 2024 Palisades Tahoe reopened Thursday, though KT-22 remained closed, and resort officials said they lost access to the road to the chairlift because of the avalanche debris, leading to delayed openings. “It will be a rigorous snow safety morning for both Palisades and Alpine today,” according to the resort’s Thursday operations update. “Since both mountains closed just shy of 11a.m. yesterday, it will take longer to assess all terrain and get everything open. Delays will be more significant than usual. We appreciate your patience and understanding.” Trautman said a coming storm is just “one metric” of the decision to open a ski area. He said that ski patrol also tends to assess the condition of the snowpack and other variables before deeming an area safe. “If you’re going through your mitigation strategy and you’re working through the terrain and you decide when you’re done that you haven’t gotten the risk low enough, then you’re not going to open the terrain,” he said. “It’s in nobody’s best interest to do that. Effectively this idea of a storm coming just doesn’t really apply in the short time cycle that we’re talking about. In a backcountry scenario, it’s different because you’re not doing any mitigation.” On Friday, the avalanche risk is forecast to drop one level to moderate. But another storm is expected to reach the region Friday evening into Saturday, according to the weather service, and a flood of skiers will probably be traveling to the mountain for the three-day holiday weekend. This storm is expected to be warmer, which means there’s a chance of mixed precipitation in the foothills and valleys, and snow levels could be higher, at around 5,500 to 6,500 feet in elevation. There’s a potential for another foot of snow in the Sierra, with 18 to 24 inches forecast along the crest. Wind speeds could reach around 100 mph in some areas along the Sierra ridge. The weather service issued a winter storm watch until Saturday evening. Roads could become slick and dangerous during the storm, which could affect weekend ski commutes. Visibility could also be low due to blowing snow. “This storm doesn’t look as strong as the one that just went through, but if we’re going for a boom-bust here, it’s pretty similar to a certain extent,” said weather service forecaster Amanda Young. “We’re still going to get quite a bit of snow in the Sierra.” Times staff writers David Wharton and Salvador Hernandez contributed to this report. Feb. 2, 2024 Jan. 27, 2024 Jan. 23, 2024

Is an ADU right for you? L.A. homeowners and experts share what you need to know

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2024-01-09/how-la-homeowners-financed-designed-built-adus-california-housing-crisis

Curious about building an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, in your backyard? Whether for extra income or much-needed housing for family, perhaps it’s time to investigate one of the hottest housing options in California. Over the past year, we have provided tours of several Los Angeles ADUs, from charming garage conversions to modern prefab options. So, if you’ve been wondering if an ADU is right for you, read some of our recent ADU profiles, as well as updates on recent laws and Times editor Jon Healey’s six-part, nuts-and-bolts series, You Do ADU, below.

'Golden Bachelor' runner-up Leslie Fhima had surprise surgery over the holidays

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-01-03/golden-bachelor-runner-up-leslie-fhima-surgery-gerry-turner

Some people celebrate their birthday with cake, a family gathering or a vacation. “Golden Bachelor” runner-up Leslie Fhima unfortunately had to spend her 65th birthday in a hospital bed after undergoing emergency surgery. The “glama” fitness instructor from Minneapolis went to the emergency room last Wednesday after experiencing severe stomach pain. It turned out the reality television show contestant, whose birthday is Dec. 28, needed surgery to address a bowel blockage. “Hey everybody! I know that everyone was just curious to know what I did on my 65th birthday,” Fhima wrote in an Instagram Story as reported by several outlets. “I spent it in the hospital. Yes, I had a bowel blockage, severe cramping, came into the ER.” She added that the whole event was “just something so random. Actually, scar tissue from an appendectomy I had when I was 18 years old.” Television Gerry Turner may have been too good to be true, and Leslie Fhima’s reaction to their breakup and reunion on the finale of “The Golden Bachelor” was a refreshing sight on reality TV. Dec. 1, 2023 In keeping with her dedication to fitness and health, Fhima told her followers to make sure that they listen to their bodies and be proactive about physical cues that point to ailment. “If you have severe stomach issues, don’t wait 12 hours to go to the hospital like I did,” she wrote. Fhima ended her message by sharing that she would be OK after her surgery and was “very excited” to return home and spend quality time with her dog. The TV personality’s news came as the Golden Bachelor himself, Gerry Turner, and his fiancée, “Golden Bachelor” winner Theresa Nist, prepare for their televised wedding Thursday on ABC. Television Gerry Turner has made his final choice for a partner. He discussed his wedding plans with The Times as the first season of the new spinoff of ‘The Bachelor’ comes to a close. Nov. 30, 2023 Earlier this week, it was announced that former “Golden Bachelor” contestant Susan Noles would serve as the officiant of “The Golden Wedding.” “The happy couple came up with the idea because we became so close during the show,” Noles told Glamour in the official officiating announcement. “Gerry’s my buddy and now Teresa is my girlfriend, so why not? I never asked them why, to tell you the truth. But I’m really glad they did.” Fhima made it all the way to the finale of “The Golden Bachelor” before Turner made the decision to get engaged to Nist. “So everything you told me the other night was a lie?” Fhima sniped at Turner during the season finale. “No offense, I can think whatever the f— I want right now. My heart’s broken once again but now I have to do it in front of the world, and see once again how broken I am, how no one chooses me. You didn’t choose me once again. The other night you made it sound like you chose me. You said things to me that made me think this was going to be it. You led me down a path and then you took a turn and left me there and that’s how I feel.” Jan. 11, 2024 Jan. 10, 2024 Jan. 4, 2024

Amid new sign-stealing accusations, Wolverines embrace 'Michigan versus everybody'

https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2023-12-29/michigan-versus-everybody-sign-stealing-alabama-rose-bowl

As the Michigan football team boarded its flight ahead of its Week 10 game at Penn State, several players pulled up wearing shirts and beanies that carried the same message, etched in the school’s trademark maize and blue: Michigan vs. Everybody. The team has embraced the mentality since the beginning of the season, and belief in the mantra grew stronger after the Wolverines landed in Happy Valley and found out head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for the remainder of the regular season by the Big Ten in the wake of a sign-stealing scandal. “If you’re not with us, then you’re against us,” Wolverines wide receiver Roman Wilson said Friday as No. 1 Michigan prepared to face No. 4 Alabama Monday during a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl. “Your opinion, your thoughts, doesn’t really matter to us.” After Michigan beat Penn State, Wolverines offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore — in the role of interim head coach — broke down in tears and dedicated the win to Harbaugh. Sports Five things to watch in the College Football Playoff semifinal game between Michigan and Alabama in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Dec. 29, 2023 “The emotion was real,” Sherrone said Friday. “Just the hard work that these kids have put in this whole year, and for a moment like that against a really good football team at their place to — people try to kind of put our backs against the wall, which is kind of what these kids feed off of, and to watch them play the way they did, it just got to me.” Even without Harbaugh, Michigan managed to stay undefeated, grabbing a crucial win over conference rival Ohio State en route to securing the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff semifinals — and establishing themselves as college football’s biggest villain. Players have seen the negative discourse, but they say it doesn’t bother them. Defensive back Rod Moore viewed it as an opportunity to get stronger as a team. And offensive lineman Drake Nugent laughs at the idea that they’ve become so hated. “It’s kind of funny that we are constantly on ESPN or in SportsCenter or some media, Yahoo! Sports or whatever it may be,” Nugent said. “It’s funny to look at that stuff and still be able to win games while it’s going on. It’s kind of like a big middle finger to everyone, honestly. It’s great when you have that much stuff talked about you and you can still win.” Playing the role of the bad guy has become increasingly common for Harbaugh, and some of his players even suggested he might relish it. “He’ll come in with a smile the next day. … He’ll crack one of his Coach Harbaugh jokes, like, ‘How is this dude OK right now? Like he just got suspended three games,’” offensive lineman Trevor Keegan said. “It is really just who he is as a person — so strong, blue collar. That’s definitely fallen down on the rest of our team.” Wilson sees where Keegan was coming from, but he says he thinks of Harbaugh as more of an anti-hero than a true villain. “Deep down he definitely kind of likes being the bad guy for sure,” Wilson said. “I’m trying to think of a movie character or villain who is really just a good guy deep down. If you guys got an idea, that would be great for us because he likes being that villain, but he is a good guy at the end of the day. You know what I mean?” But whether he’s more Professor X or Magneto, the gamesmanship appears to be in full swing ahead of the biggest game of the season. Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Bond and running back Jase McClellan made a splash Thursday when they each revealed they weren’t watching film individually, only in a group setting at team facilities. The strategy would make it more difficult for Michigan to observe Alabama’s tactics and potentially steal signs. Moore then revealed Friday that Michigan players were also restricted from watching film on their own, a decision that he said was made in early November as a precaution after hearing “some things.” Sports Michigan players say they don’t fear their surprise matchup against Alabama, focusing on their defensive fundamentals. Dec. 28, 2023 Catapult Sports, which processes game and practice film for most college football teams, released a statement Friday that confirmed the NCAA is looking into unauthorized access to team video footage. “We have conducted an internal investigation and have not found any security breach in our systems,” the Catapult statement read. “... We will continue to support the ongoing investigation with the NCAA and local authorities. At Catapult, we hold ourselves to the highest of standards and safeguarding customer information is of utmost importance to us.” At the end of the day though, the Wolverines say they are focused on winning a national championship. According to quarterback JJ McCarthy, what sets this close-knit team apart is its attention to detail, staying in the moment and ignoring outside noise. “We’ve done a tremendous job of it, but we’ve got to continue to do that and not smell the roses,” McCarthy said. “Pun intended.”

Air Force identifies 8 U.S. crew members lost in Osprey crash in Japan

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-12-05/air-force-identifies-8-u-s-crew-members-lost-in-osprey-crash-in-japan

Air Force Special Operations Command said Tuesday it has identified the eight service members lost when their Osprey crashed off the coast of Japan last week and was now focused on recovering all of their bodies and the aircraft debris. The CV-22B Osprey crashed on Nov. 29 during a training mission. Ospreys have had a number of crashes, including in Japan, where they are used at U.S. and Japanese military bases, and the latest accident has rekindled safety concerns. On Monday, the Air Force said six of the eight crew members’ remains had been located. Three of those have been recovered. The two lost crew members were unlikely to have survived and the search for their remains was continuing, the Air Force said Tuesday. World & Nation Japan’s coast guard has found a person and debris in the ocean where a U.S. military Osprey aircraft carrying eight people crashed off southern Japan. Nov. 29, 2023 “The depth of sorrow is immeasurable,” Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, who heads Air Force Special Operations Command, said in a statement announcing the names of the crew. “The honorable service of these eight airmen to this great nation will never be forgotten, as they are now among the giants who shape our history.” The lost crew members were identified as follows. U.S. Air Force Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minn., was a CV-22 instructor pilot and officer in charge of training, assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. U.S. Air Force Maj. Eric V. Spendlove, 36, of St. George, Utah, was a residency-trained flight surgeon and medical operations flight commander assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan. U.S. Air Force Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, of Riverside was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. World & Nation The U.S. Air Force says divers have discovered the wreckage and remains of some crew members of an aircraft that crashed off southwestern Japan. Dec. 4, 2023 U.S. Air Force Capt. Terrell K. Brayman, 32, of Pittsford, N.Y., was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy, 33, of Oviedo, Fla., was a medical operations flight chief assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jake M. Turnage, 25, of Kennesaw, Ga., was a flight engineer assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was a flight engineer assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. World & Nation Japan has suspended flights of its Osprey aircraft after a U.S. Air Force Osprey based in Japan crashed into the sea during a training mission. Nov. 30, 2023 U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob “Jake” M. Galliher, 24, was a native of Pittsfield, Mass. His remains were the first to be found. The U.S.-made Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster, like an airplane, during flight. Japan has suspended all flights of its own fleet of 14 Ospreys. Japanese officials say they have asked the U.S. military to resume Osprey flights only after ensuring their safety. The Pentagon said no such formal request has been made and that the U.S. military is continuing to fly 24 MV-22s, the Marine version of Ospreys, deployed on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. On Sunday, pieces of wreckage that Japan’s coast guard and local fishing boats have collected were handed over to the U.S. military for examination, coast guard officials said. Japan’s military said debris it has collected would also be handed over to the United States.

Klete Keller, Olympic gold medalist swimmer, gets 6 months of home detention for Jan. 6 Capitol riot

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-12-01/klete-keller-olympic-gold-medalist-swimmer-gets-6-months-in-home-detention-for-jan-6-capitol-riot

Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller, who threw his USA team jacket into a trash can after he stormed the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced Friday to six months of home detention for joining the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the seat of American democracy. At 6 feet 6, Keller towered over police officers guarding the Capitol and other Donald Trump supporters who breached the building, and he was quickly identified by authorities. The Olympic swimmer pleaded guilty in 2021 to a felony charge and was one of the first rioters to publicly agree to cooperate with authorities investigating the Capitol attack. Video captured Keller leading profane chants directed at then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, both Democrats. He also joined a chorus of rioters in singing the national anthem in the middle of the Capitol. He resisted efforts to remove him from the Capitol, ripping an elbow away and shaking off a police officer, prosecutors said. World & Nation A look at the life of former Olympic swimmer Klete Keller and his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. Jan. 4, 2022 U.S. District Judge Richard Leon sentenced Keller to three years of probation, including six months of home detention, and ordered him to perform 360 hours of community service — at a rate of 10 hours per month that he is under court supervision. Keller told the judge he knew his actions on Jan. 6 left lawmakers in fear and made it more difficult for police to do their job. “I have no excuse for why I am in front of you today,” he said. “I understand my actions were criminal and that I am fully responsible for my conduct.” A prosecutor, Troy Edwards Jr., asked the judge to sentence Keller to 10 months of imprisonment. Federal sentencing guidelines recommended a term of imprisonment ranging from 15 to 21 months. But the judge said he believes Keller’s time will be better spent speaking to teenagers and college students about his mistakes — and how to avoid repeating them — than being locked behind bars. “If there ever was a case that screams out for probation, this is it,” Leon said. During the Jan. 6 riot, Keller wore a jacket with an American flag on a sleeve, an Olympic team patch on the front and the letters “U.S.A.” across the back. Prosecutors said he tossed the jacket into a trash can on his way back to a hotel and later smashed his cellphone with a hammer because he knew he was “fleeing a crime scene.” “Klete Derik Keller once wore the American flag as an Olympian. On January 6, 2021, he threw that flag in a trash can,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing. Keller’s lawyer said he threw away the jacket out of shame after leaving the Capitol and encountering a young boy and his father on a train. The boy asked Keller about his Olympic career and requested a photo with him, defense attorney Zachary Deubler said in a court filing. Keller felt that “he let this young man down by behaving the way that he did, and the moment that this young man and father find out what he did, their admiration for him would be shattered,” Deubler wrote. Investigators never recovered the jacket or any cellphone videos or photos that he recorded at the Capitol. Keller surrendered to authorities about a week after returning home to Colorado. Keller has been cooperating with investigators since he pleaded guilty to obstructing the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory. Prosecutors pointed to Keller’s “substantial assistance” as grounds for leniency. Prosecutors said his early guilty plea “undoubtedly reached thousands of others weighing whether to turn themselves in, plead guilty, or even cooperate.” They added that his “public acknowledgement that his interference with the peaceful transfer of power was, in fact, a serious crime provided an important counterweight to the false narrative that January 6 was a peaceful, lawful protest.” Keller experienced personal and financial problems after retiring from professional swimming. After separating from his wife in 2014, Keller lived out of his car for nearly a year while working three jobs to pay for child support and other expenses, according to his attorney. After the Capitol riot, he lost a job and regular visitation with his children. Last year, he signed the paperwork for his children to be adopted by their stepfather, his attorney said. “I hope my case serves as a warning to anyone who rationalizes illegal conduct, especially in a moment of political fervor,” Keller wrote in a letter to the judge. “The consequences of my behavior will follow me and my family for the rest of our lives.” On Jan. 6, Keller attended then-President Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House with a friend before marching with a crowd to the Capitol. He entered the building through an open door on the Upper West Terrace and remained inside for nearly an hour. Keller came within 50 feet of the Senate chamber, which lawmakers evacuated as the mob swarmed the building. Police officers had to forcibly remove Keller and other rioters from the Capitol through the East Rotunda lobby. Keller won five medals, including two golds, while competing for the U.S. at three summer Olympics. At the 2000 games in Sydney, he won an individual bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle event and a silver medal as the anchor leg of a relay. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Keller swam the anchor leg when the U.S. won gold medals in the 800-meter freestyle relay. He and teammates Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay narrowly held off a rival Australian team. At the 2008 games in Beijing, Keller won another gold medal in a freestyle relay. Approximately 1,200 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Nearly 900 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a judge or jury after trials. More than 700 of them have been sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving prison sentences ranging from three days to 22 years.

Body of teen believed to be victim of 'Scorecard Killer' is identified in O.C. after 49 years

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-29/scorecard-killer-victim-identified-michael-ray-schlicht-orange-county-randy-kraft

After nearly half a century, authorities have identified the remains of a teenager who is believed to have been killed by Randy Kraft, California’s notorious “Scorecard Killer,” who targeted young men in the 1970s and ’80s. Michael Ray Schlicht, who died when he was 17 in 1974, was identified Tuesday by investigators with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department using investigative genetic genealogy. The Iowa native was found dead on Sept. 14, 1974, on the side of a trail in what is now Aliso Viejo. He had been dead for three to five days, according to authorities, and died of alcohol and diazepam intoxication. His death was initially determined to be accidental. Homicide investigators with the Sheriff’s Department realized in 1980 that there were other young men who had died of the same intoxication, and those deaths were classified as homicides, the department said. Kraft’s deadly trail took investigators to Oregon and Michigan, and numerous bodies were also found in Orange County. “Over the years, multiple young men were found deceased throughout Orange County and Southern California, including several within a few miles of where [Schlicht’s] remains were discovered,” the department said in a news release. It was not until 1983, when two California Highway Patrol officers pulled over Kraft — a then-38-year-old computer technician from Long Beach — and discovered a dead Marine in the front seat that authorities began to piece together the homicides. The officers discovered photos of other young male victims, apparently dead, under the floor mat of the car. Kraft was convicted of 16 murders in 1989. though he is suspected in dozens more. Eight of the men he killed had diazepam — commonly known as Valium — in their system, like Schlicht, prosecutors said. California Prosecutors in the Randy Steven Kraft murder trial say a paper with 61 entries, found in his car trunk when he was arrested May 14, 1983, is a death list--Kraft’s own score card of how many young men he had killed dating back to late 1971. Oct. 2, 1988 Kraft’s nickname came from the list police found in the back of his car. It was a list of “notations” that prosecutors at Kraft’s trial said was a “death list,” showing each person he had killed. Prosecutors dubbed him the “Scorecard Killer.” Kraft, 78, is still alive on death row at San Quentin State Prison. After 49 years of not knowing Schlicht’s identity, Sheriff’s Department investigators said they were able to generate a DNA profile for their John Doe victim by submitting tissue samples to a forensic biotechnology company. Once they had the profile, sheriff’s investigators uploaded the DNA to a “law enforcement-approved genealogy database” and began building a family tree of the victim. After months of researching, investigators connected the victim’s DNA to people believed to be his grandparents. When they contacted a granddaughter of the potential grandparents, the woman told investigators she had not seen her brother since 1974 — the year the victim was killed. Close to their answer, investigators then received a DNA sample from a woman they believed to be the victim’s mother. It was a match, and they were able to identify Schlicht. A relative of Schlicht declined to comment to The Times on his identification. California Nov. 27, 2018

Property dispute in Colorado leaves 3 dead, 1 critically wounded

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-11-21/property-dispute-in-colorado-leaves-3-dead-1-critically-wounded-and-suspect-on-the-run

Authorities in Colorado searched Tuesday for a man they believe shot and killed three people and critically wounded a fourth in a property dispute. The 45-year-old suspect was believed to be driving a white Ram 1500 pickup truck with a camper shell, according to a Facebook post from the Custer County Sheriff’s Office. Residents of the wooded, rural area were told to shelter in place for five hours Monday as authorities hunted for the man. At about 1 p.m. Monday, a report of shots being fired sent deputies to Rocky Ridge Road, about eight miles from the county seat of Westcliffe and about an hour’s drive from Colorado Springs. The shooting took place on the property line in a wooded area and began with “a suspected property dispute,” the Sheriff’s Office said. Two men and a woman were killed at the scene and a fourth person was taken to a trauma center in critical condition but was expected to survive, the Sheriff’s Office said. World & Nation Kylie Ossege was shot and temporarily paralyzed when an armed classmate attacked Oxford High School in Michigan in 2021. Nov. 20, 2023 The victims’ names and other details weren’t immediately released. It was one of several mass shootings that occurred in the past few days around the country. Four people were wounded Monday night when a gunman opened fire in a Walmart in Beavercreek, Ohio, before apparently killing himself, police said. On Sunday, a Tennessee man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while on the run after a series of shootings that killed four of his female relatives. Officers found the body of Mavis Christian Jr., 52, in his car during a search following shootings at three locations in Memphis that left three women and a teenage girl dead and another teenage girl critically wounded, the Memphis Police Department said.

West Virginia agrees to pay $4 million in lawsuit over jail conditions

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-11-10/west-virginia-agrees-to-pay-4-million-in-lawsuit-over-jail-conditions

The state of West Virginia has agreed to pay $4 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by inmates who described conditions at a jail as inhumane, an attorney for the plaintiffs said. Attorney Stephen New disclosed the figure Thursday to U.S. District Judge Frank Volk, who must approve the settlement. New said the amount is the highest that the state’s insurance coverage will pay, news outlets reported. The lawsuit filed last year on behalf of current and former inmates of the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver referenced a lack of access to water and food at the facility, as well as overcrowding and fights that were allowed to continue until someone was injured. The lawsuit named Betsy Jividen, the state corrections commissioner who resigned in August 2022; then-Homeland Security Secretary Jeff Sandy, who retired in July; Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Executive Officer Brad Douglas, who was fired last week; Assistant Corrections Commissioner William Marshall, who has since been appointed commissioner; and former Southern Regional Jail superintendent Mike Francis. The money would be split among more than 9,000 inmates at the jail dating to September 2020. Attorneys for the defendants did not object to the settlement in court. West Virginia Homeland Security Secretary Mark Sorsaia said in a statement that the settlement “represents the most favorable outcome for our state.” California L.A. County jail inmates are left to defecate in garbage cans and sleep chained to chairs or benches, ACLU alleges in demand for an emergency court order Sept. 8, 2022 The settlement does not include other parties, including two medical providers and seven county commissions that house inmates at the jail. The administration of Gov. Jim Justice fired Douglas and Homeland Security Chief Counsel Phil Sword last week after a federal magistrate judge cited the “intentional” destruction of records in recommending a default judgment in the lawsuit. That followed a hearing in early October in which former and current corrections officials, including some defendants in the lawsuit, said no steps had been taken to preserve evidence at the jail, including emails and documents. The email accounts of Jividen, Francis and others were removed after they left their jobs, according to testimony at the October hearing. Brian Abraham, Justice’s chief of staff, had said no one in the administration sought to have emails deleted in any agency. Justice has said Homeland Security told him an investigation he ordered into conditions at the jail found no evidence of inhumane treatment. Earlier this week, the Justice administration said it is conducting a separate internal investigation to determine whether other state employees were involved in the failure to produce records. News outlets have reported there were more than a dozen deaths at the Southern Regional Jail last year.

Robert De Niro's company told to pay $1.2 million to ex-assistant in gender discrimination case

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-11-09/jury-awards-1-2-million-to-robert-de-niros-former-assistant-in-gender-discrimination-lawsuit

A jury said Robert De Niro’s company should pay more than $1.2 million to his former personal assistant after finding his production company engaged in gender discrimination and retaliation. While the jury found De Niro was not personally liable for the abuse, they said his production company, Canal Productions, should make two payments of $632,142 to his longtime personal assistant, Graham Chase Robinson. De Niro, who spent three days at the two week trial, including two on the witness stand, has been ensnared in dueling lawsuits with Robinson since she quit in April 2019. He was not in the courtroom when the verdict was read aloud Thursday afternoon. Robinson, 41, testified that De Niro, 80, and his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, teamed up against her to turn a job she once loved into a nightmare. She smiled and hugged all her lawyers after the jury exited the room. She also smiled as the verdict was being delivered. Entertainment & Arts Robert De Niro’s daughter Drena De Niro said on Instagram that her 19-year-old son, Leandro, was sold fentanyl-laced pills before he died. July 5, 2023 De Niro and Chen each testified that Robinson became the problem when her aspirations to move beyond Canal Productions, the De Niro company that employed her, led her to make escalating demands to remain on the job. On the witness stand, the actor told jurors that he boosted Robinson’s salary to $300,000 from less than $100,000 annually and elevated her title to vice president of production and finance at her request, even though her responsibilities remained largely the same. When she quit, De Niro said, Robinson stole about $85,000 in airline miles from him, betrayed his trust and violated his unwritten rules to use common sense and always do the right thing. Movies Robert De Niro and former employee Graham Chase Robinson are embroiled in dueling lawsuits. We break down the he said/she said nature of their complaints. Oct. 3, 2019 At times, De Niro acknowledged from the witness stand many of the claims Robinson made to support her $12-million gender discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, including that he might have told her that his personal trainer was paid more than her in part because he had a family to support. He agreed that he had asked her to scratch his back on at least two occasions, dismissing a question about it with: “OK, twice? You got me!” He admitted that he had berated her, though he disputed ever aiming a profanity her way, saying: “I was never abusive, ever.” He also denied ever yelling at her, saying that every little thing she was trying to catch him with was nonsense and that, at most, he had raised his voice in her presence but never with disrespect. Then, he looked at her sitting between her lawyers in the well of the courtroom and shouted: “Shame on you, Chase Robinson!” De Niro said Robinson was wrong to take 5 million airline miles from his company’s accounts, but he acknowledged that he had told her that she could take 2 million miles and that there were no strict rules. Entertainment & Arts Robert De Niro has found himself in a real-life court drama, trading dueling lawsuits with his former assistant after their decade-long working relationship went dreadfully sour. Oct. 3, 2019 Robinson testified that she quit her job during an “emotional and mental breakdown” that left her overwhelmed and feeling as if she had “hit rock bottom.” She said she has suffered from anxiety and depression since quitting and hasn’t worked in four years despite applying for 638 jobs. “I don’t have a social life,” she said. “I’m so humiliated and embarrassed and feel so judged. I feel so damaged in a way. ... I lost my life. Lost my career. Lost my financial independence. I lost everything.” De Niro’s lawyers sued Robinson for breach of loyalty and fiduciary duty even before her lawsuit was filed against him in 2019. They sought $6 million in damages, including a return of the 5 million airline miles. Entertainment & Arts Sofia Haley Marks, 20, was arrested in New York in connection with the death of 19-year-old Leandro De Niro, the grandson of Oscar winner Robert De Niro. July 14, 2023 In a closing argument Wednesday, De Niro attorney Richard Schoenstein said the miles that were taken were worth about $85,000. He said jurors could order Robinson to return some of her salary, but, he added: “We’re not looking for you to punish her.” In his closing, Robinson attorney Brent Hannafan called the two weeks of court proceedings a civil-rights trial and urged jurors to return a verdict “not just for Ms. Robinson, but for all civil-rights litigants.” De Niro has won two Oscars over the last five decades in films such as “Raging Bull” and “The Deer Hunter.” He’s in the Martin Scorsese film “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which is in theaters now.

Wynonna Judd says 'all is well' after fans said she was 'struggling' at the CMA Awards

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-11-09/wynonna-judd-cma-awards-concerns-jelly-roll-duet

Wynonna Judd read the comments about her performance at the 57th CMA Awards, and she’s ready to “come clean.” On Wednesday, the Judds singer sparked concern among fans and viewers when she held onto duet partner and Jelly Roll during their performance of “Need a Favor.” Shortly after making her entrance, Judd motioned to Jelly Roll and held onto him for the rest of their lively 3½three-and-a-half-minute rock performance. Fans on social media quickly noticed the stagnant nature of the duo’s performance, with some X users writing that the “Tell Me Why” singer “was acting a bit off” and seemed sick. “The way she was moving during this performance looks like she ... was struggling to keep her balance,” observed X user @mimi4sure. Music At the 2023 CMA Awards on Wednesday, Tracy Chapman and her hit ‘Fast Car’ finally got their due after 35 years. Here’s how Chapman made CMA Awards history with her hit. Nov. 9, 2023 Judd addressed her fans’ concerns in a TikTok shared Wednesday evening. “I was so freaking nervous,” she said. The “Love Can Build a Bridge” singer has been open about her experiences with vertigo — which the Mayo Clinic says creates a false sense of spinning or moving — but did not attribute her CMA Awards behavior to the condition. She continued her TikTok video, which also was posted to Instagram: “I got out there and I looked at Jelly Roll. I wanted it to be so good for him ... He asked me to sing and I said ‘absolutely.’ I got out there, and I was so nervous that I just held on for dear life.” She clarified for her fans that “all is well,” before sharing a joke she heard before the CMA Awards festivities began. Is #WynonnaJudd ill? The way she was moving during this performance looks like she can't was struggling to keep her balance. #CMA #CountryMusicAwards #CMAS In a post-performance interview with ExtraTV, Judd said she felt as if she was “just in a car wreck.” The singer also likened the performance to a roller coaster and said that she was “very emotional” during the duet. “I’ve had a tough Mama day and yet, I have good days and I have tough days and it was very emotional,” she said. “The truth is tonight was very heavy, and sweet, and wonderful. And such is life.” Judd lost her mother and The Judds partner Naomi Judd on April 30, 2022. The country music star died from suicide at age 76, her daughter Ashley Judd confirmed in May 2022. Since her mother’s death, Wynonna Judd has been open about her grief. Music Musicians Wynonna Judd and Blake Mills, and a Newport Folk Festival producer, recount the lead up to, and miracle of, Mitchell’s surprise performance. July 26, 2022 In October, Judd told Yahoo, “Grief is a funny, weird, wacky, mysterious process.” She continued: “When the death happens, it’s just so painful and so incredibly dark. I just sit there and I close my eyes, and I breathe and I squeeze my butt together and I go, ‘I can make it through this.’” In addition to the fans voicing concerns on Wednesday, CMA Awards viewers praised Judd for carrying on with her performance. X user @realrebalov said “The Voice” mega-mentor “kicked a—.” Country music stars Kelsea Ballerini, the War and Treaty, Post Malone, Tanya Tucker and Little Big Town also took the Bridgestone Arena stage on Wednesday.

Universities of Wisconsin unveil plan to recover $32 million cut by Republicans in diversity fight

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-11-06/universities-of-wisconsin-unveil-plan-to-recover-32-million-cut-by-republicans-in-diversity-fight

The Universities of Wisconsin unveiled a $32-million workforce development plan Monday in an attempt to recover funds that were cut by the Republican-controlled Legislature earlier this year in a fight over campus diversity programs. The Legislature’s budget committee voted in June to eliminate 188 diversity, equity and inclusion positions within the university system and slash UW’s budget by $32 million, which is the amount Republicans estimated would be spent on so-called DEI programs over the next two years. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers used his partial veto power to protect the DEI positions, but he was unable to prevent the $32-million cut. The budget Evers signed into law in July allows UW to recover the funding if it can show the money will be spent on workforce development and not DEI. World & Nation Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is suing the Republican-controlled Legislature, arguing that it is obstructing basic government functions. Oct. 31, 2023 The spending plan that UW President Jay Rothman announced Monday would direct funds to four “high-demand” fields: engineering, healthcare, business and computer science. The plan allocates $2.5 million each year to UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee, and $1 million to each of the system’s 11 other universities. “This plan is exactly what the Legislature is looking for — a concentrated emphasis on adding more graduates to the workforce in key areas,” Rothman said. “I would hope everyone would agree that this is in the best interest of the state of Wisconsin.” The proposal must be approved by the UW Board of Regents, which was set to meet Thursday, before going to the Legislature’s budget committee. GOP leaders last month continued their efforts to force the university system to slash its DEI spending by withholding pay raises that were approved in the budget for UW employees. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, the state’s top Republican, has promised not to approve the raises until the university system cuts DEI spending by $32 million. World & Nation Three civil rights groups are filing a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s executive order that prohibits federal agencies, as well as contractors and grant recipients, from offering certain diversity training that the president has deemed “anti-American.” Nov. 12, 2020 “Withholding those pay raises, in my judgment, it’s both unfair and it’s wrong,” Rothman said. He did not say whether he expected the workforce spending plan to help persuade Republicans to approve pay raises. Vos signaled Monday that he will not act on the workforce plan until the university system makes changes to its diversity programming. “It looks like a good proposal. Once we work out an agreement on DEI, we’d be happy to move forward,” he said in a statement. The Republican co-chairs of the Legislature’s budget committee, Rep. Mark Born and Sen. Howard Marklein, did not immediately respond to emails sent Monday seeking comment on the plan. The Legislature is also weighing Republican-backed bills that would outlaw race- and diversity-based financial aid at UW schools and tech colleges. Evers is almost certain to veto those proposals, which were scheduled for a vote in the Assembly on Tuesday.

Antisemitic graffiti at Canter's Deli investigated as possible hate crime

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-01/canters-deli-antisemitic-graffiti-los-angeles-jewish-business-israel-hamas

Antisemitic messages found painted outside Canter’s Deli in the Fairfax District early Wednesday are being investigated as a possible hate crime, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police responded to the 400 block of North Fairfax Avenue, where earlier in the day images posted on X, formerly Twitter, showed the wall of the Jewish restaurant’s parking lot painted with the words “Free Gaza” and “Israels only religion is capitalism” in white graffiti. “How many dead in the name of greed?” read another message under a black-and-white picture of the Canter’s Deli storefront. The words were scrawled under the Fairfax Community Mural, by artist Art Mortimer. Unveiled in 1985, the mural showcases the history of Los Angeles Jews through enlarged photographs from the earliest days of the Jewish community in the city. Shortly after noon, customers continued to stream in and out of the delicatessen during the lunchtime rush. Very few employees at Canter’s wanted to speak on the record about the vandalism, referring media inquiries to Marc Canter, co-owner of the deli, who wasn’t present Wednesday afternoon. Canter is the son of the late Alan Canter, the previous owner of Canter’s Deli. California Alan Canter, owner of Canter’s Deli, a Los Angeles fixture for decades, died Friday at 82 of natural causes, his family announced. Jan. 26, 2019 Tristan, a cashier at the deli who declined to provide his last name, said he arrived at work around 11:15 a.m. and saw two cop cars and two police officers outside. He said he asked another Canter’s employee, who confirmed to him that the parking lot had been vandalized. He declined to comment further on the nature of the graffiti and said he hadn’t seen it himself. “This is L.A.,” he said. “I don’t know what to say.” Outside, customers leaving the deli hadn’t seen or heard about the graffiti, which appeared to have been painted over with fresh black paint by 11 a.m. An LAPD spokesperson said police were called to the restaurant in the Fairfax District at 10:37 a.m. LAPD Officer Rosario Cervantes said officers were called about a vandalism incident and they took a report for a possible hate crime. She said police also responded to the 300 block of La Brea Avenue, where officers also took a report of vandalism and a possible hate crime. California A man was arrested early Wednesday morning after allegedly attempting to break into a Studio City home and threatening the Jewish occupants. Oct. 27, 2023 The location of the second incident is near the synagogue Congregation Bais Yehuda, where Rabbi Yosef Mishulovin told The Times that he had gone Wednesday morning to pray when he saw graffiti there that also read “Free Gaza.” Mishulovin said he found similar graffiti later that morning in front of his store, Chabad-Atara’s Judaica, where the message “Free Gaza” was spray-painted on the walkway. Posters of Palestinian men were put up outside the store as well, with their names, ages and the words “Murdered by Israel” at the top. Mishulovin said he called police and that they took a report at the scene. Though shaken, Mishulovin said he was trying not to focus on the incident. “It’s very annoying and it’s very frustrating, but life has to go on,” he said. “Our eyes are looking forward, to make better people.” California Amid the anguish and anger over the Israel-Hamas war, some have found a new kind of resolve and a newfound community. Oct. 28, 2023 On Wednesday morning, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement condemning the vandalism in the Fairfax District. “We will pursue those responsible for this unacceptable rash of hate and hold them fully accountable,” Bass said. “We will continue to collaborate with the Los Angeles Police Department to not only respond to these anti-Semitic acts but also to prevent these acts of hate from occurring in the first place.” The vandalism comes amid tensions over the conflict in Gaza and the deaths of 1,400 Israelis and thousands of Palestinians. Earlier this year, the Anti-Defamation League said that harassment, vandalism and assaults had surged in Southern California and the rest of the state in 2022. But the Jewish civil rights organization has warned that since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, in which more than 1,400 people were killed in Israel and more than 200 taken hostage, incidents of hate against Jews have spiked. Some in the Palestinian community have also expressed fears that the conflict could bring more hate targeting them, including those who speak out publicly about Israeli government actions. World & Nation Two Israeli street artists in New York started the project to call attention to those taken hostage. It has become a reminder of how deeply polarizing the war is. Oct. 27, 2023 More than 8,300 Palestinians have been killed so far, including thousands of women and children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry. More than 1.4 million people in Gaza have been displaced and 21,000 injured, according to the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The posters outside Mishulovin’s store seemed reminiscent of posters that street artist Nitzan Mintz and her partner, Dede Bandaid, created in a campaign to draw attention to the more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack. The posters with the word “Kidnapped” and pictures of Israeli hostages were first posted in New York, and have been reprinted and appeared across the world. The fliers have since become another point of contention amid heated emotions of the conflict, with social media videos of people being confronted after tearing down the “Kidnapped” posters. The posters outside Mishulovin’s store looked similar, but with the words “Murdered” at the top.

Radio host Larry Elder ends Republican presidential campaign and endorses Donald Trump

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-10-26/radio-host-larry-elder-ends-republican-presidential-campaign-and-endorses-donald-trump

Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder announced Thursday that he was ending his 2024 Republican campaign for president and endorsing former President Donald Trump. Elder, who sought to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a failed 2021 recall effort, said in a statement that he had made the “difficult decision” to end his bid after “careful consideration and consultation” with his team and to throw his support behind Trump. Trump’s leadership, he said, was “instrumental in advancing conservative America-first principles and policies that have benefited our great nation.” He said now was the time to unite behind Trump to beat President Biden. Elder also said he hoped his campaign had shined a light on the issues important to him, including fatherlessness, fighting crime and opposition to the idea that the U.S. is a racist country. Elder is the fourth major candidate to suspend or end his 2024 GOP bid, following Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Texas congressman Will Hurd and businessman Perry Johnson. Johnson also backed Trump on his way out of the race, while Hurd endorsed former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. He announced his long-shot campaign in April, saying that “America is in decline, but this decline is not inevitable.” “We can enter a new American Golden Age, but we must choose a leader who can bring us there. That’s why I’m running for President,” he wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Elder found little visibility in a primary race dominated by Trump and including other high-profile figures such as Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Elder wasn’t among the GOP candidates on stage for either presidential debate after failing to meet the polling and donor qualifications required by the Republican National Committee to participate. He said he filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission after missing the first one, alleging the rules about debate participation weren’t equally applied to all candidates. Elder made his first bid for public office in 2021, when he received the most votes out of 46 people who were hoping to replace Newsom in a recall effort. But a majority of voters ended up voting against removing Newsom, making the vote count in the replacement contest irrelevant. Some Democrats say Elder’s role as a foil to Newsom helped the Democratic governor inspire voters in liberal California to turn out and reject the recall. Newsom attacked Elder for his support of Trump and his conservative positions, such as opposing abortion rights and COVID-19 restrictions such as mask mandates. But Elder said the experience of running for office — and the millions of votes he received — showed he had a message that resonated with voters. A lawyer who grew up in South-Central, Elder attended an Ivy League college and then law school. He has a following among conservatives through his radio programs and has been a frequent guest on Fox News and other right-wing media. Elder, who is Black, has criticized Democrats’ “woke” agenda, Black Lives Matter and the notion of systemic racism, positions that have put him at odds with many other Black people.

Trump is fined $10,000 over a comment he made outside court in his New York civil fraud trial

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-10-25/trump-is-fined-10-000-over-a-comment-he-made-outside-court-in-his-new-york-civil-fraud-trial

Donald Trump was called to the witness stand and fined $10,000 on Wednesday after a judge accused the former president of violating a limited gag order in his civil fraud trial. It was the second time in less than a week that Trump was penalized for his out-of-court comments. Before imposing the latest fine, Judge Arthur Engoron summoned Trump from the defense table to testify on his comment to reporters hours earlier that “a person who’s very partisan” was sitting near the judge. Trump and his lawyers said the comment was about witness Michael Cohen, a former Trump lawyer — not about the court clerk. Trump told the judge from the witness stand that his remark about partisans was aimed at “you and Cohen.” But Trump did not conceal his frustration with the clerk. “I think she’s very biased against us, I think we’ve made that clear,” he said. On Oct. 3, Engoron ordered all participants in the trial not to comment publicly about his staff — a restriction issued after Trump maligned the clerk in a social media post. The judge had ordered Trump to take down that post, which he did, the former president noted in court Wednesday. But the post had lingered on his campaign website for weeks, prompting a $5,000 fine against Trump last Friday. Three of Trump’s attorneys objected to the $10,000 fine and reiterated the former president’s claim that the clerk was biased. Earlier Wednesday, Cohen returned to the witness stand as the defense team tried to undermine the credibility and question the motives of Trump’s onetime personal attorney turned adversary. With Trump at the defense table, his lawyer Alina Habba confronted Cohen with comments he had made praising Trump before turning on him when Cohen’s legal problems began in 2018. Habba tried to suggest that Cohen had angled unsuccessfully for a job in Trump’s White House — Cohen insisted he never sought one — and asked whether he had “significant animosity” toward Trump. “Do I have animosity toward him? Yes I do,” Cohen replied. “You have made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump, haven’t you?” Habba asked. After a long pause, Cohen said, “Yes.” Cohen was Trump’s lawyer and fixer for many years, before Cohen’s 2018 federal prosecution, guilty pleas and prison sentence for tax evasion, false statementson a bank loan application, lying to Congress and making illegal contributions to Trump’s campaign. The contributions were in the form of payouts to women who said they’d had extramarital sexual encounters with Trump, who said the women’s stories were false. Cohen is now a key witness in New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James’ civil case against Trump. James alleges that Trump habitually exaggerated the value of his real estate holdings on financial documents that helped him get loans and insurance and make deals. Trump denies wrongdoing and says that James, a Democrat, is targeting him for partisan reasons. The 2024 Republican presidential candidate is leading in polls of GOP voters. In his first day of testimony Tuesday, Cohen said he and key executives at Trump’s company worked to inflate the estimated values of their employer’s holdings so documents given to banks and others would match a net worth that Trump had set “arbitrarily.” In cross-examining Cohen, Habba emphasized his federal criminal convictions and worked to portray him as a liar, especially after he said Tuesday he had lied when he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and lying on loan applications. Cohen asserted that he did not really commit those crimes, and sought to portray his conduct as a matter of omissions and failure to correct paperwork. Habba returned to those themes Wednesday, underscoring that Cohen had admitted to lying under oath in a federal courthouse next door. Outside court, Trump said the trial was “very unfair” and a “pure political witch hunt.” Nonetheless, he said, “We’re happy with the way it’s going” and “we have the facts on our side.” He’s expected to testify later, and has voluntarily attended several days of the proceedings. Cohen is also expected to be an important prosecution witness in a criminal trial scheduled for next spring in which Trump is accused of falsifying business records. It’s one of four criminal prosecutions the ex-president faces in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington.

Michigan launches nationwide effort to address stagnant population growth

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-10-10/michigan-launches-nationwide-talent-recruitment-effort-to-address-stagnant-population-growth

Michigan is launching a $20-million nationwide marketing initiative aimed at boosting the state’s decades-long sluggish population growth by attracting and retaining young talent. The campaign, which was unveiled Tuesday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, will include television, radio and online advertisements in 11 states. It will be the largest state-led talent attraction effort in the U.S., according to the state’s economic development board. Whitmer and other state leaders have looked for ways to grow the population after the 2020 census revealed a population increase of only 1.7% over the previous decade. Michigan, the 10th most populous state in the nation, had the 49th slowest rate of population growth since 2000. Only West Virginia’s was slower. The pace cost Michigan a U.S. House seat in 2021, the sixth time that has happened since 1980. In June, Whitmer announced the state would create the “Growing Michigan Together” council to come up with policy ideas to jump-start population growth. The council is also charged with setting a population goal for 2050. The state will spend an initial $59 million on the campaign this year and set aside another $20 million for the ad run. World & Nation Michigan could become the 20th state to pass a red flag law as the state looks for ways to address gun violence after its second mass school shooting in 15 months. May 7, 2023 Labeled the “You Can in Michigan” campaign, the new effort is designed to appeal to young people. Target markets will include large cities, such as New York, San Francisco and Atlanta, with billboards placed near colleges and universities. Michigan has specifically targeted Republican-led states in the past and the new campaign will be no different, with ads slated to run in Texas and Ohio, among others. Whitmer, a Democrat, penned an op-ed Monday directed at teachers and titled “Move to a State That Has Your Back.” She specifically called out Florida, Indiana and Texas for passing laws that make teachers’ jobs “impossible.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom used a similar strategy last year when he began running television ads in Florida telling people to “Join Us in California.” Whitmer and Newsom are seen as two of the Democratic party’s brightest stars who may be positioning themselves for future presidential runs by building national profiles, although they have each said they have no interest in the White House.

Biden administration is resuming deportation flights for Venezuelan migrants, sources say

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-10-05/biden-administration-is-resuming-deportation-flights-for-venezuelan-migrants-ap-sources-say

The Biden administration is going to resume deporting migrants to Venezuela, two U.S. officials told the Associated Press on Thursday. The process is expected to begin shortly, the officials said, though they did not provide specific details on when. The officials were not authorized to publicly disclose details of the government’s plan ahead of an official announcement and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The news comes not long after the administration increased protected status for Venezuelans who arrive to the U.S. It reflects the larger strategy by President Biden to not only provide expanded legal pathways for people arriving, but also crack down on those who illegally cross into the country from Mexico. Venezuela plunged into a political, economic and humanitarian crisis over the last decade, pushing at least 7.3 million people to migrate and making food and other necessities unaffordable for those who remain. The vast majority who fled settled in neighboring countries in Latin America, but many began coming to the United States in the last three years through the notoriously dangerous Darien Gap, a stretch of jungle in Panama. It’s the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow migrant arrivals. U.S. leaders were in Mexico this week to talk migration. U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with his Mexican counterpart, Alicia Bárcena, as well as foreign ministers from Panama and Colombia, on Wednesday. Talks were scheduled to continue Thursday, including a meeting between U.S. Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. López Obrador said Thursday during his daily news briefing that Mexico has reiterated in talks its position that there should be investment to spur development in the countries that migrants leave. “The people don’t abandon their towns because they want to, but rather out of necessity,” the president said. He also criticized the Biden administration’s announcement Wednesday that it waived 26 federal laws in south Texas to allow border wall construction. López Obrador had praised Biden for not building more border wall during his presidency. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is also dealing with a large influx of migrants, was traveling through Latin America to learn more about the paths migrants take to the U.S. and to spread a message about the realities of arriving in his city. He was scheduled to meet with a nun running a migrant shelter in Mexico City on Thursday morning before heading to the city of Puebla, source of many of the Mexican migrants who arrive in New York, to meet with migrants and community leaders there. In a news conference late Wednesday night in Mexico City, Adams said he hoped to “manage expectations” of migrants setting out on their journeys, and to inform migrants that his city was “at capacity” after receiving around 120,000 migrants over the last year. He echoed a rising number of voices in calling for a larger global response to the increasing number of migrants to the U.S. “It’s not sustainable,” Adams said at the base of a basilica where people often pray before setting out on their journeys. “The message of this not being sustainable cannot stay within the boundaries of New York City. … There is a global migration, and it must have an international response.” Blinken and other top American officials are visiting Mexico to discuss shared security issues, foremost among them trafficking of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, but also arms trafficking and increasing migration. In August, the U.S. Border Patrol made 181,509 arrests at the Mexican border, up 37% from July but little changed from August 2022 and well below the more than 220,000 in December, according to figures released in September. The U.S. has tried to get Mexico and countries farther south to do more. In April, the U.S., Panama and Colombia announced a campaign to slow migration through the Darien Gap dividing Colombia and Panama. But migration through the jungle has accelerated and is expected to approach about 500,000 people this year.

Trump lawyers seek dismissal of federal election subversion case, arguing presidential immunity

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-10-05/trump-lawyers-seek-dismissal-of-dc-federal-election-subversion-case-arguing-presidential-immunity

Lawyers for Donald Trump asked a judge on Thursday to dismiss the Washington federal election subversion case against him, arguing the Republican is immune from prosecution for actions they say were taken in his official role as president. The motion amounts to the most pointed attack yet by defense lawyers on the federal case charging Trump with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. In it, they argue that the actions that form the basis of the indictment, including urging the Justice Department to investigate claims of voter fraud and pressing state officials on the administration of elections, cut to the core of Trump’s responsibilities as commander in chief. “Breaking 234 years of precedent, the incumbent administration has charged President Trump for acts that lie not just within the ‘outer perimeter,’ but at the heart of his official responsibilities as President,” the defense motion states. “In doing so, the prosecution does not, and cannot, argue that President Trump’s efforts to ensure election integrity, and to advocate for the same, were outside the scope of his duties.” The presidential immunity argument had been foreshadowed for weeks by defense lawyers as one of multiple challenges they intend to bring against the indictment, among the four criminal cases Trump is facing. Special counsel Jack Smith’s team had appeared to anticipate the argument as well, saying in the indictment that though political candidates are permitted to challenge their election losses, Trump’s actions strayed far beyond what is legally permissible. Prosecutors are expected to contest the motion.

N.Y. judge issues limited gag order after Trump recirculates disparaging post about court clerk

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-10-03/new-york-judge-issues-limited-gag-order-after-trump-makes-disparaging-post-about-court-clerk

A New York judge imposed a limited gag order on defendant Donald Trump on Tuesday after the former president disparaged a key court staff member during his civil business fraud trial. Judge Arthur Engoron issued the order, which applies to all parties in the case and pertains only to verbal attacks on court staff. It came after Trump recirculated a disparaging social media post about Engoron’s principal law clerk, Allison Greenfield. Without naming Trump, Engoron said that a defendant in the case “posted to a social media account a disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post” about a member of his staff. He added: “Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, not appropriate” and would not be tolerated. Trump had already deleted the post. Engoron said he had ordered it gone. The post included a photo of Greenfield with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) at a campaign event. Trump, the front-runner in polls for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, has repeatedly cast the lawsuit and trial as a political attack by New York state’s Democratic attorney general, Letitia James. Trump also commented on the clerk on Monday, saying that she “should not be allowed to be in his ear on every single question” and that she “hates Trump.” The gag order came after Trump and lawyers for both sides repeatedly went into court behind closed doors during a lunch break. As Trump attended the trial for a second day, James’ attorney questioned an accountant in an effort to build the state’s case that Trump and others at his company had full control over the preparation of misleading and false financial statements at the heart of the lawsuit against them. And the judge set the record straight about a comment that Trump had touted as a key victory. Engoron had suggested on Monday that testimony about Trump’s 2011 financial statement might be beyond the legal time limit for the lawsuit, which alleges that Trump and his business chronically lied about his wealth to banks, insurers and others. The relevant statute of limitations rules out claims related to activities before a date in 2014, and Trump’s legal team has argued that the time limit cuts off most of the case. Engoron said Tuesday that “statutes of limitations bar claims, not evidence,” and that at the trial’s early stage, he was inclined to give both sides considerable leeway to connect older evidence to claims in the lawsuit. “I want to emphasize: This trial is not an opportunity to relitigate what I have already decided,” Engoron said. He ruled last week that all of the claims were allowable under the statute of limitations. A lawyer for James’ office, Kevin Wallace, went on to suggest that he was using the 2011 document to show Trump’s financial statements were prepared in the same manner — giving him and his company the final say over the valuations that appeared — for at least a decade. Donald Bender, an accountant who prepared the financial statements for years, testified that Trump’s company supplied the numbers that went into the documents. Each spreadsheet was marked “PBC,” for “prepared by client,” in big, red letters, Bender said. Bender testified that some years, the Trump Organization failed to provide all documents necessary for producing the statements, despite attesting in letters to the accounting firm that it had provided all financial records. “They were not giving all of the documents that we needed,” Bender testified, explaining that “there were certain appraisals out there for a number of years that we had never seen.” Trump, who denies any wrongdoing, said during one court break that he thought the trial was “going very well.” He reiterated key points of his defense, including that the financial statements bore disclaimers saying that they weren’t audited and that others “might reach different conclusions” about his financial position if they had more information. “This case is a scam. It can’t be fraud when you’ve told institutions to do their own work,” he said Tuesday. After Monday’s sometimes fiery opening statements, Tuesday’s testimony was so plodding that Bender twice let out a long breath while on the stand. Trump plans to testify later in the trial, but he doesn’t have to attend it now. While grumbling that he’d rather be on the campaign trail, the Republican former president has used the waiting cameras in a courthouse hallway as a microphone for political messaging. He claims that Atty. Gen. James, a Democrat, is wielding the justice system as a political cudgel to hobble his ongoing campaign. James scored an early victory when Engoron, a Democrat, ruled last week that Trump had committed fraud by exaggerating the size of his penthouse at Trump Tower, claiming his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida was worth as much as $739million, and putting similar oversized valuations on office towers, golf courses and other assets. The nonjury trial concerns six remaining claims in the lawsuit and how much Trump might owe in penalties. James is seeking $250million and a ban on Trump doing business in New York. The judge has already ruled that some of Trump’s companies should be dissolved as punishment. Trump’s lawyers said the financial statements were legitimate representations of the worth of unique luxury properties, made even more valuable because of their association with Trump. The trial is expected to last into December.

Rams say hip injury shouldn't sideline Matthew Stafford, and Cooper Kupp will practice

https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2023-10-02/rams-hip-injury-matthew-stafford-ok-cooper-kupp-will-practice

The Matthew Stafford-Cooper Kupp connection, one of NFL’s most dynamic passing combinations, appeared on track to resume this week with both veterans physically sound. Not so fast. A day after Stafford suffered a hip bruise in a dramatic victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday that the 15th-year pro “should be good to go” for practices and Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium. But how the injury affects Stafford, 35, remains to be seen. McVay sounded optimistic that Stafford would endure. “He’s such a tough competitor, obviously you want him to be healthy,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters. “Something about him, he always plays with a pretty good edge when he’s got something to work through.” Sports Rams rookie Puka Nacua reached the locker room just as coach Sean McVay awarded him the game ball for catching the game-winning touchdown against the Colts. Oct. 2, 2023 “Once you get about four weeks into the season, a lot of these guys that are playing every single snap like he’s one of them, you never quite feel perfect and they learn how to play through it,” he said. Kupp will practice this week for the first time since he was placed on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury. The return of the 2021 NFL offensive player of the year is expected to help elevate a passing game that has featured rookie Puka Nacua, who continued his historic start with another 100-yard effort while catching the game-winning pass from Stafford in the Rams’ 29-23 overtime victory over the Colts. Stafford indicated after the game that the hip issue would not keep him out of the lineup. “You don’t have to worry about that,” he said. “I’ll be out there.” Stafford was sacked twice against the Colts. He sustained seven other hits.

'The Blind Side' inspiration Michael Oher's conservatorship by the Tuohy family ends

https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2023-09-29/judge-says-she-is-ending-conservatorship-between-former-nfl-player-michael-oher-and-memphis-couple

A Tennessee judge said Friday she is ending a conservatorship agreement between former NFL player Michael Oher and a Memphis couple who took him in when he was in high school, but the highly publicized dispute over financial issues will continue. Shelby County Probate Court Judge Kathleen Gomes said she is terminating the agreement reached in 2004 that allowed Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy to control Oher’s finances. Oher signed the agreement when he was 18 and living with the couple as he was being recruited by colleges as a star high school football player. Their story is the subject of the film “The Blind Side,” which earned Sandra Bullock an Oscar. Gomes said she was not dismissing the case. Oher has asked that the Tuohys provide a financial accounting of money that may have come to them as part of the agreement, alleging that they used his name, image and likeness to enrich themselves and lied to him about the agreement and said it meant the Tuohys were adopting him. In Tennessee, a conservatorship removes power from a person to make their own decisions and is often used in the case of a person who has a medical condition or disability. Movies Michael Oher, the NFL star whose life story was dramatized in Oscar-winning film ‘The Blind Side,’ alleges the Tuohy family tricked him into a conservatorship. Aug. 14, 2023 But Oher’s conservatorship was approved “despite the fact that he was over 18 years old and had no diagnosed physical or psychological disabilities,” his petition said. Gomes said she was disturbed that such an agreement was ever reached. She said that in her 43-year career she had never seen a conservatorship agreement reached with someone who was not disabled. “I cannot believe it got done,” she said. Oher and the Tuohys listened in by video conference call but did not speak. Lawyers for both parties had agreed that the agreement should end, but the case will continue to address Oher’s claims. Gomes said it should have ended long ago. In August, Oher, 37, filed a petition in probate court accusing the Tuohys of lying to him by having him sign papers making them his conservators rather than his adoptive parents nearly two decades ago. Oher wanted the conservatorship to be terminated, a full accounting of the money earned off his name and story, and to be paid what he is due, with interest. Movies Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy’s attorney is accusing NFL veteran Michael Oher, whose story inspired ‘The Blind Side,’ of trying to shake down the couple. Aug. 16, 2023 He accused the couple of falsely representing themselves as his adoptive parents, saying he discovered in February that the conservatorship agreed to in 2004 was not the arrangement he thought it was — and that it provided him no familial relationship to the Tuohys. Oher alleges the Tuohys have kept him in the dark about financial dealings related to his name, image and likeness during the 19-year life of the agreement. The Tuohys have called the claims they enriched themselves at his expense outlandish, hurtful and absurd and part of a “shakedown” by Oher. In a court filing, the couple said they loved Oher like a son and provided him with food, shelter, clothing and cars while he lived with them, but denied saying they intended to legally adopt him. Books What the legal tangle among the subjects of ‘The Blind Side’ leaves out is what author Michael Lewis omitted: how football exploits Black players from the start. Aug. 17, 2023 The Tuohys’ filing said Oher referred to them as “mom and dad,” and they occasionally referred to Oher as a son. They acknowledged that websites show them referring to Oher as an adopted son, but said the term was only used “in the colloquial sense and they have never intended that reference to be viewed with legal implication.” The Tuohys said the conservatorship was the tool chosen to comply with NCAA rules that would have kept Oher from attending the University of Mississippi, where Sean Tuohy had been a standout basketball player. “When it became clear that the Petitioner could not consider going to the University of Mississippi (”Ole Miss”) as a result of living with the Respondents, the NCAA made it clear that he could attend Ole Miss if he was part of the Tuohy family in some fashion,” the Tuohys’ Sept. 14 court filing said. Movies Sean Tuohy — NFL star Michael Oher’s self-proclaimed adoptive dad — defends his decision to use a conservatorship instead of adoption in their relationship. Aug. 15, 2023 The Tuohys also said Oher lied about finding out that he was not adopted in February. They said Oher’s 2011 book “I Beat the Odds” indicates that he was fully aware that the Tuohys were appointed as conservators. Agents negotiated a small advance for the Tuohys from the production company for “The Blind Side,” based on a book written by Sean Tuohy’s friend, Michael Lewis, the couple’s lawyers have said. That included “a tiny percentage of net profits” divided equally among a group that included Oher, they said. The attorneys said they estimated that each of the Tuohys — including their two children — and Oher received $100,000 apiece, and the couple paid taxes on Oher’s portion for him. The Tuohys’ filing said they never signed any professional football contracts for Oher and that he was happy with their financial arrangements from “The Blind Side.” Oher was the 23rd overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Mississippi, and he spent his first five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, where he won a Super Bowl. He played 110 games over eight NFL seasons, including 2014 when he started 11 games for the Tennessee Titans. Oher finished his career with the Carolina Panthers.

Opinion: My magical, small-town neighborhood in 'Jewish L.A.'

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-09-29/jewish-los-angeles-hebrew-antisemitism-sukkot

I went on a walk one Saturday afternoon in my Los Angeles neighborhood with a friend, and as we saw many people leaving a synagogue he asked me why there was a security guard outside bidding congregants goodbye. “What do you mean?” I asked my friend, who is not Jewish. “Churches don’t have security guards?” He told me they usually didn’t. It was only later that I realized why I still felt comfortable in my neighborhood, Pico-Robertson, even though such security measures can be unnerving to others. A guard at the synagogue can’t remind people of antisemitism if they are always aware of it. For me, it has always been a fact of life. I don’t remember the first time I learned about the Holocaust or about antisemitic microaggressions. I don’t remember when I realized that my name announces my religion or that wearing a Star of David necklace might invite more trouble than it’s worth. Opinion I feel fortunate to be a voice for the millions of victims who were killed by the Nazi regime. But it is the duty of every one of us to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive. Dec. 16, 2022 Even though both my high school and a university I attended here were spray-painted with antisemitic slurs and I’ve heard remarks about my last name when I’ve picked up take-out, I have always felt relatively safe living in my part of Jewish L.A. I was asked recently in a meeting to describe where I live in Los Angeles. “It’s a little magical,” I said. “It kind of feels like you traveled back in time. I don’t really feel like a minority when I’m here.” While I love traveling, and sometimes dream of getting a cute apartment in another part of the city, I’ve never really wanted to live outside of Los Angeles. And, when I envision my future, I see myself returning often to this area where I grew up. My neighborhood still has a sense of identity that many others have lost. It does sometimes feel like I arrived here via DeLorean. I’m 23 and have lived in Los Angeles my whole life, and yet sometimes when I walk around Pico-Robertson I’m still a little awestruck by the signs in three languages (Hebrew, Arabic and English), the synagogues and traditional yeshiva and Jewish day schools dotting the streets, and foods such as bourekas, sabich and other kosher delicacies that I can get at stores here, but rarely see in other parts of the city. Opinion I had the unexpected chance to show a young Ukrainian woman some Hollywood sites she had only known from movies. Studio heads hold the dreams of millions in their hands. Aug. 25, 2023 When I was describing my neighborhood, I mentioned that it felt like the shtetl — a village in the old country. I can easily slip into Hebrew with the shopkeepers, and I can walk to the synagogue that I attend most Saturdays. At the bakery, someone recognizes me from temple. At Starbucks, I see my fifth-grade teacher from my Jewish day school. This all reminds me of when a friend bemoaned dating in her small town and then quickly told me that she supposed it wasn’t all that different from dating in my neighborhood. I told her she wasn’t exactly wrong, that the people I meet inevitably know someone I went to school with, if not a family member. I saw a post online recently that read “pretty girls have that one necklace that they never take off.” I immediately looked down at the pendant I’ve worn every day since my high school graduation. I have never felt uncomfortable wearing this Hebrew charm because of that feeling of the shtetl. Growing up in a neighborhood with a majority Jewish population in such a diverse city has given me an incredible confidence in my culture. While L.A. is the second-largest city in the U.S., to me, it is also a small town. Can that be a bit suffocating? Yes. Does it often feel like everyone knows my parents, my uncles and aunts, my entire life story? A little bit. But I wouldn’t give up that tight-knit community aspect of my part of L.A for anything. There is diversity here too, in the people, in the ways we observe Judaism, in opinion about what is happening in the Middle East. But as antisemitism continues to rise, and at a time when my name feels like it can make me a target, there’s comfort and solidarity to being part of this neighborhood. Earlier this year, I went to New York City for work. While I’d been there before, this time I could see an alternate version of myself who had abandoned canyon roads for subway grates and swapped the beach for Broadway. But, as quickly as the thought came, I dismissed it. Los Angeles and Pico-Robertson have my heart. After all, where else will everyone agree that the kosher Ralphs shouldn’t have closed? Rachel Bernstein is a writer in Los Angeles.

Federal court vacates ruling that granted Mississippians convicted of felonies the right to vote

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-09-28/federal-court-vacates-ruling-that-granted-mississippians-convicted-of-felonies-the-right-to-vote

A significant expansion of voting rights in Mississippi was put in doubt Thursday when a federal appeals court said it’s reconsidering an earlier decision to allow people convicted of certain felonies to cast ballots. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said in a Thursday filing that a majority of the appeals court’s 16 active judges would take a new look at the 2-1 decision delivered by a panel on Aug. 4. Mississippi attorneys, led by state Atty. Gen. Lynn Fitch, had asked for the review. Granting the review means the Aug. 4 decision is vacated. Politics It’s hard to keep straight all the accusations brought against and investigations into Trump in recent years. Here’s a guide to the latest developments. Oct. 20, 2023 The Aug. 4 ruling held that denying voting rights violated the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Mississippi lawyers argued that the panel’s decision would “inflict profound damage and sow widespread confusion.” If the ruling had been allowed to stand, tens of thousands of people could have regained voting rights, possibly in time for the Nov. 7 general election for governor and other statewide offices. That now appears unlikely. It was unclear how quickly the appeals court would schedule a full-court hearing, how quickly the full court would rule, and whether the court, widely considered among the most conservative of the federal appellate courts, would uphold the panel ruling. Republican nominees dominate the court, although the majority of those who made the Aug. 4 decision were judges nominated to the court by Democratic presidents: Carolyn Dineen King, nominated by President Carter, and James L. Dennis, nominated by President Clinton. Judge Edith Jones, nominated by Republican President Reagan, strongly dissented.

Judge rules Donald Trump defrauded banks, insurers while building real estate empire

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-09-26/judge-rules-donald-trump-defrauded-banks-insurers-as-he-built-real-estate-empire

A judge has ruled that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House. Judge Arthur Engoron, ruling Tuesday in a civil lawsuit brought by New York’s attorney general, found that the former president and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth to make deals and secure financing. The decision, days before the start of a nonjury trial in state Atty. Gen. Letitia James’ lawsuit, is one of the strongest repudiations yet of Trump’s carefully coiffed image as a wealthy and shrewd real estate mogul turned political powerhouse. It comes amid numerous state and federal criminal cases Trump is facing as he seeks the Republican nomination for reelection in 2024. Beyond mere bragging about and exaggerating his wealth, Trump, along with his company and its key executives, repeatedly lied about it on his annual financial statements, reaping rewards such as favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums, Engoron found. Those tactics crossed a line and violated the law, the judge said, rejecting Trump’s contention that a disclaimer on the financial statements absolved him of any wrongdoing. Manhattan prosecutors had looked into bringing a criminal case over the same conduct but declined to do so, leaving James to sue Trump and seek penalties that could disrupt his and his family’s ability to do business in the state. Engoron’s ruling, in a phase of the case known as summary judgment, resolves the key claim in James’ lawsuit, but six others remain. Engoron is slated to preside over a nonjury trial starting next Monday before deciding on those claims and any punishments he may impose. James is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York, his home state. The trial could last into December, Engoron has said. Trump’s lawyers had asked the judge to throw out the case, contending that James wasn’t allowed to file the lawsuit because there isn’t any evidence that the public was harmed by Trump’s actions. They also argued that many of the allegations in the lawsuit were beyond the statute of limitations.

Hunter Biden sues the IRS over tax disclosures after agent testimony before Congress

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-09-18/hunter-biden-sues-the-irs-over-tax-disclosures-after-agent-testimony

Hunter Biden sued the Internal Revenue Service on Monday, alleging that two agents who claimed interference into the case against him wrongly shared his personal tax information amid escalating legal and political struggles as the 2024 election looms. The suit says the agents “targeted and sought to embarrass Mr. Biden.” Biden says federal whistleblower protections sought by the agents don’t include the sharing of confidential information in press interviews and testimony before Congress. The suit comes as a long-running investigation into Hunter Biden continues to unfold against a sharply political backdrop, including an impeachment inquiry aimed at his father, President Biden. Hunter Biden was indicted days ago on federal firearms charges alleging that he lied about his drug use to buy and possess a gun in October 2018. His defense attorneys have indicated they plan to fight the charges. The case could be on track toward a possible high-stakes trial as the 2024 election looms. The new civil lawsuit filed in Washington alleges the improper disclosures included the specific tax years under investigation, deductions and allegations about liability. While the suit doesn’t question the investigation itself, it seeks to “force compliance with federal tax and privacy laws” and stop the spread of “unsubstantiated allegations” and “unlawful disclosure” of his tax information. IRS supervisory special agent Greg Shapley, and a second agent, Joe Ziegler, have claimed there was a pattern of “slow-walking investigative steps” into Hunter Biden in testimony before Congress. Both have denied political motivations. They have alleged that the prosecutor overseeing the investigation, Delaware U.S. Atty. David Weiss, didn’t have full authority to bring charges in other jurisdictions. Wiess, who was originally appointed by former President Trump and kept on to oversee the Hunter Biden probe, has denied that he lacked authority to bring charges. Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland has also said Weiss had “complete authority.” Still, Wiess sought and was granted special counsel status last month, giving him broad authority to investigate and report out his findings. Hunter Biden had been expected to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges that he failed to pay taxes on time as part of a plea deal with prosecutors that also included an agreement on the gun charge. That deal, however, imploded in court after a judge raised questions about it. Republicans had decried the plea agreement as a “sweetheart deal.” The IRS and lawyers for the two men did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Jury clears 3 men in the last trial tied to the plot to kidnap Michigan governor

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-09-15/jury-clears-3-men-in-the-last-trial-tied-to-the-plot-to-kidnap-michigan-governor

A jury acquitted three men Friday in the last trial connected to a plan to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a scheme that was portrayed as an example of homegrown terrorism on the eve of the 2020 presidential election. William Null, twin brother Michael Null and Eric Molitor were found not guilty of providing support for a terrorist act and a weapon charge. They were the last of 14 men to face charges in state or federal court. Nine were convicted and now five have been cleared. The Nulls and Molitor were accused of supporting leaders of the plan by participating in military-style drills and traveling to see Whitmer’s vacation home in northern Michigan. The key players, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., were convicted of a kidnapping conspiracy last year in a different court. In the latest trial, the jury heard 14 days of testimony in Antrim County, the location of Whitmer’s lakeside property, 185 miles north of the state Capitol. There were gasps in the courtroom Friday morning as the jury foreperson announced not guilty verdicts, first for the brothers and then Molitor. Deliberations began Thursday morning and lasted a few more hours Friday. World & Nation Judge Thomas Wilson ordered all three men to jail while they await sentencing scheduled for Dec. 15. Oct. 26, 2022 The men cried as they hugged their lawyers and supporters. “You gentlemen are free to leave,” Judge Charles Hamlyn said. Authorities have said an attack on Whitmer began to simmer at a regional summit of antigovernment extremists in Dublin, Ohio, in summer 2020. Fox, Croft and William Null were in attendance while an FBI informant also inside the gathering secretly recorded profanity-laced screeds threatening violence against public officials. The disgust was also fueled by government-imposed restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recordings, text messages and social media posts introduced as evidence at trial. Whitmer’s chief of staff, JoAnne Huls, said the verdicts were disappointing and would “further encourage and embolden radical extremists trying to sow discord and harm public officials or law enforcement.” State Atty. Gen. Dana Nessel, whose office handled the trial, said the “verdicts are not what we hoped for.” World & Nation A federal grand jury has indicted six men on charges of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over her coronavirus policies. Dec. 17, 2020 Molitor, 39, and William Null, 41, testified in their own defense, admitting they had attended gun drills and taken rides to check Whitmer’s property. But William Null said he and his brother broke away when talk turned to getting explosives. Molitor said Fox was “incredibly dumb” and wouldn’t pull off a kidnapping. During closing arguments Wednesday, prosecutor William Rollstin urged jurors to not be swayed. “If you help in whole or even in part you’ve satisfied that element” of the crime, he said. “Was he helping him to plan? Was he helping him prepare? The answer is absolutely.” Michael Null, 41, did not testify and his lawyer took the unusual step of declining to question any witnesses during the trial. Tom Siver said Michael Null did nothing wrong. Informants and undercover FBI agents were inside the group for months before arrests were made in October 2020. Whitmer was not physically harmed. Nine men were previously convicted in state or federal court, either through guilty pleas or at three other trials. Shawn Fix and Brian Higgins pleaded guilty in Antrim County and had agreed to cooperate but were never called as prosecution witnesses at the last trial. After the plot was thwarted, Whitmer blamed then-President Donald Trump, saying he had given “comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division.” Out of office, Trump called the kidnapping plan a “fake deal” in 2022.

Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, known for his inflated forms, dies at 91

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-09-15/fernando-botero-dead-obituary

Renowned Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, whose depictions of people and objects in plump, exaggerated forms became emblems of Colombian art around the world, has died. He was 91. Lina Botero told the Colombian radio station Caracol that her father died Friday morning in Monaco of pneumonia complications. Botero depicted politicians, animals, saints and scenes from his childhood in an inflated and colorful form that was instantly recognizable. During his lifetime the artist attained global fame and influence, despite his humble origins, and his paintings were exhibited in museums globally, while his imposing bronze sculptures can be found in the parks and avenues of many European and Latin American capitals. Entertainment & Arts In Beverly Hills, there is something distinctly unholy about fat. Nov. 16, 1995 “His success was truly immense” Botero’s son Juan Carlos wrote in a biography of his father, published in 2010. “Fernando Botero has created a unique style, that is original and easy to recognize.” Botero’s paintings fetched millions of dollars at international auctions, and the artist was highly esteemed in his native Colombia, not just because of his success abroad, but due to the generous donations he made to his home country, including 23 statues that are now in a park in downtown Medellin and have become one of the city’s most visited attractions. Botero also donated 180 paintings to Colombia’s Central Bank which were used to create the Botero Museum in Bogota. His sculpture of a chubby white pigeon standing proudly on a pedestal became an emblem of Colombia’s efforts to make peace with rebel groups and is currently placed in a prominent gallery inside the nation’s presidential palace. Entertainment & Arts Injustices in his homeland and Abu Ghraib push Colombian painter Fernando Botero to act -- and infuse his recognizable style with unfamiliar pain. July 17, 2005 Many Colombians appreciated Botero’s art because it evokes nostalgia for the country as it was in the early 20th century. His characters wear bowler hats and sport neatly trimmed mustaches. They move around in a colorful universe of green hills and lush trees, where homes are made with clay roof tiles. “The painter of our traditions and our defects, the painter of our virtues has died,” President Gustavo Petro wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Friday. “He painted violence and peace. He painted the pigeon that was rejected one thousand times, and put one thousand times on a throne.” Botero was born on April 19, 1932, in Medellín, Colombia. As a child he was enrolled by an uncle in a bullfighting school that he soon left, but it was a world captured later in his paintings. Botero decided at age 14 to dedicate his life to the arts, after managing to sell some sketches of bullfights to fans outside the city’s bullfighting arena. His mother supported the decision, but told him he would have to pay for his studies. World & Nation At 80, Colombian artist Fernando Botero has no plans to retire April 27, 2012 As a teenager, Botero participated in a group exhibition in Bogota, and had his first individual exhibition there in 1951. In the following year, he went to Madrid to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. From Europe, he traveled to Mexico to study the work of Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco. During his travels, Botero married Gloria Zea, with whom he had three children, Fernando, Lina and Juan Carlos. Returning to Bogotá in 1958, he was appointed professor at the School of Arts of the National University. He later divorced and took up residence in New York in 1960, where he arrived with just a few hundred dollars in his pocket. In the 1960s Botero began experimenting with the volume of objects and people in his paintings. His original and plump creations attracted the attention of art critics, and by then the painter had created hundreds of drawings as well as some 1,000 paintings. Botero got remarried in 1964 to Cecilia Zambrano, whom he also later divorced. In 1970 they had a son, Pedro, who died four years later in a car accident in Spain. Botero captured the pain of his son’s death in the painting “Pedrito,” which depicts his son riding a toy horse and wearing a blue police officer’s uniform. He also donated 16 works to the Museum of Antioquía, in Medellín, to honor the boy. In turn, the museum named a room in memory of “Pedrito Botero.” In the 1970s, Botero put aside painting and began to experiment with sculptures in bronze, marble and cast iron, which brought him great success. In 1978 Botero returned to painting, and then alternated between the two disciplines. In his paintings, the artists depicted scenes of daily life, such as a family picnic or a party in an early 20th century ballroom. But he also tackled political subjects, like the death of drug dealer Pablo Escobar and the emergence of rebel groups. In 1995, his bronze sculpture “The Bird,” weighing more than 1.8 tons and displayed in a park in Medellín, was dynamited by unknown attackers, causing the death of 22 people and injuring more than 200. In 2005, Botero created a series of 79 paintings that depicted U.S. soldiers torturing Iraqis at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, just a year after the incident came to light. The artist struggled to get the paintings shown in U.S. museums, but they were eventually exhibited at the UC Berkeley, which still houses some of the paintings. “I was moved by the hypocrisy of the situation,” Botero said of his Abu Ghraib series in a 2007 interview with Semana magazine. “A country that presents itself to the world as a model of compassion and as a defender of human rights, ended up torturing people in the same prison where Saddam Hussein tortured people.” Botero said he would paint every day from morning until night, and in absolute silence, so as not to allow anything to distract him. “Fernando Botero is one of the most disciplined people you can meet. His friends and family affirm that he works every day of every year. For Botero there are no rest dates, no holidays, no weekends,” Juan Carlos Botero wrote in his book. At Christmas, “he is painting. On his birthday, he is painting. On New Year’s, he is painting.” His daughter, Lina, told Colombian radio station Blu on Friday that Botero had been working at his studio in Monaco regularly until last weekend. “He couldn’t work on oil paintings,” she explained, because he was too weak to stand and hold larger brushes. “But he was experimenting with water paintings.”

Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah says he won't run for a 2nd term, likely ending long political career

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-09-13/republican-sen-mitt-romney-of-utah-says-he-wont-run-for-a-2nd-term-likely-ending-his-long-political-career

Utah’s Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said Wednesday that he will not run for reelection in 2024, creating a wide-open contest in a state that heavily favors Republicans. Romney, a former GOP presidential nominee and governor of Massachusetts, made the announcement in a video, saying: “It’s time for a new generation of leaders. They’re the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in.” The senator, 76, noted that he’d be in his mid-80s at the end of another six-year Senate term. He didn’t mention the ages of President Biden, 80, or former President Trump, 77, the favorites for their parties’ 2024 presidential nominations, but said neither had done enough about the growing national debt, climate change and other long-term issues. Romney is the sixth Senate incumbent to announce plans to retire in 2025, when their terms end, joining fellow Republican Mike Braun of Indiana and Democrats Thomas R. Carper of Delaware, Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland, Dianne Feinstein of California and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Politics The Senate minority leader appeared confused at a news conference Wednesday. But America’s leadership is full of aging giants. July 28, 2023 Romney easily won election in 2018 but was expected to face more resistance from his party as one of the most visible Republicans to break with Trump. In 2020, Romney became the first senator in U.S. history to vote to convict a president from their own party in an impeachment trial, as the lone Republican to vote for conviction in Trump’s first impeachment. He was one of seven Republicans to vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment. Trump was acquitted both times. A gathering of the Utah Republican Party’s most active members booed Romney months after his second impeachment vote, and a measure to censure himnarrowly failed. GOP candidates even flung the term “Mitt Romney Republican” at opponents in the 2022 midterm election campaign. Still, Romney is seen as broadly popular in Utah, where the party has long favored civil conservatism and has resisted Trump’s brash and norm-busting style. The state is home to the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump PAC; Evan McMullin, an anti-Trump Republican who in 2016 made a long-shot presidential run; and GOP Gov. Spencer Cox, who has also criticized Trump. A considerable majority of Utah residents belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The faith arrived with pioneers fleeing religious persecution, a legacy that has left the conservative church embracing immigrants and refugees. Romney, an alum of Brigham Young University and one of the faith’s most visible members since his 2012 presidential campaign, built his reputation in Utah in part by turning around the scandal-plagued 2002 Winter Olympics, making the Games a showcase for Salt Lake City. The wealthy former private equity executive was governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. In 2006, he signed a state healthcare law with some of the same core features as President Obama’s 2010 federal healthcare law. During his 2012 run for the White House, Romney struggled to shake the public perception that he was out of touch with regular Americans — especially after his comment, secretly recorded at a fundraiser, that he didn’t worry about winning the votes of “47% of Americans” who “believe they are victims” and “pay no income tax.” After losing the election to Obama, Romney moved to Utah. In 2016, he made his first major break with Trump ina scathing speech, denouncing the then-presidential hopeful as “a phony, a fraud” who wasn’t fit for the office. After Trump won, Romney dined with him to discuss becoming his secretary of State. During Romney’s primary race for his 2018 Senate run, he accepted Trump’s endorsement. But he pledged in an op-ed that year that he’d “continue to speak out when the president says or does something which is divisive, racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, dishonest or destructive to democratic institutions.”

Sharply higher gas prices pushed up inflation in August, yet underlying price measures cooled

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-09-13/sharply-higher-gas-prices-pushed-up-inflation-in-august-underlying-price-measures-cooled

A spike in gas prices pushed up inflation in August, yet most other costs rose at a more modest pace, evidence that price increases overall are still cooling. In a set of conflicting data released Wednesday, the Labor Department said the consumer price index rose 3.7% in August from a year ago, up from a 3.2% annual pace in July. Yet excluding the volatile food and energy categories, so-called core prices rose 4.3%, a step back from 4.7% in July and the smallest increase in nearly two years. That is still far from the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Despite the seemingly divergent figures, the decline in the core measure points to inflation coming under control. The Federal Reserve closely tracks core prices because they are seen as a better indicator of future inflation trends. Wednesday’s figures also make it more likely the Fed will skip an interest rate hike at its meeting next week. While higher gas prices could lift inflation this month as well, most economists believe that inflation will slowly decline through the end of the year. On a monthly basis, consumer prices jumped 0.6% in August, the biggest increase in more than a year. Gas prices spiked nearly 11%, though they have since leveled off: According to AAA, the average nationwide price at the pump was $3.85 a gallon on Wednesday, unchanged from a month ago. Business As back-to-school shopping is forecast to reach a record $41.5 billion this year, parents and teachers in L.A. debate what’s essential on their lists — and get creative to make ends meet. Aug. 8, 2023 The big rise in gas prices accounted for more than half of the monthly inflation increase, the government said. Excluding food and energy, core prices increased just 0.3% in August from July, though that is up from 0.2% in the two previous months. Energy costs rose 5.6% just in August, the biggest monthly increase since June 2022. Auto insurance prices also soared, rising 2.4% last month and 19.1% compared with a year ago. The sharp increase in new car prices in the last two years has also made them more expensive to insure and repair. But prices rose more slowly, or even fell last month for many other items: Used car costs dropped 1.2%, the third straight decrease, while hotel prices fell 3%, also the third consecutive fall. Grocery prices moved up 0.2%, a trend that has strained many households’ finances. But food cost increases are cooling: They rose 3% compared with a year ago, down from double-digit increases last year. Business Consumers are switching grocery stores, brands and ingredients as they try to cope with the cost of food. June 5, 2023 Federal Reserve officials are becoming more open to the idea that inflation is coming under control, though Chair Jerome Powell said last month it was still “too high.” But in his high-profile speech at Jackson Hole, Wyo., Powell said that the Fed would proceed “carefully” with any further rate hikes, something many economists saw as an opening for the Fed to skip a rate increase at its Sept. 19-20 meeting. When the Fed increases its key rate, it typically raises the cost of mortgages, auto loans and business borrowing. The Fed has lifted its benchmark interest rate 11 times in the last 12 meetings to about 5.4%, the highest level in 22 years. It increased the rate a quarter-point in July after leaving it unchanged in June. Lorie Logan, president of the Federal Reserve’s Dallas branch, said last week that “another skip could be appropriate” at its next meeting, “but skipping does not imply stopping.” Investors see only a 3% chance of a rate hike next week, according to CME’s FedWatch. But they have priced in a 40% chance for an increase at the Fed’s subsequent meeting in November. Business One in 10 residents in Los Angeles County are burdened by medical debt. And the uninsured aren’t the only ones vulnerable to debilitating health bills. June 7, 2023 The European Central Bank is also contemplating lifting its key interest rate at its next meeting Thursday, though officials could choose to also skip an increase. The European economy is nearing recession as it struggles with high inflation and rising borrowing costs. The 20 countries that use the euro currency are expected to grow just 0.8% this year, according to a gloomy forecast issued Monday by the European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm. Germany’s economy, the EU’s largest, is projected to shrink 0.4%. Inflation in the EU is higher than in the U.S. — it was 5.3% in July — though that is half of the 10.6% peak reached in October.

Opinion: How California schools can finally quit burning fossil fuels

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-09-11/california-pollution-climate-crisis-schools-fossil-fuels-electric-newsom

From kindergarteners to high school seniors, millions of young Californians are back in the classroom. As parents in the state, we want our kids to thrive in healthy, modern learning environments. But California’s school buildings have some major problems: They’re old, polluting and fail to protect students from the worsening climate crisis. The majority of our school buildings were designed for a California where triple-digit heat waves, wildfires and superstorms struck less frequently. And because our schools still use fossil fuels, they’re actively creating pollution that makes these problems even worse. All-electric buildings are the solution: They are healthier and more comfortable and don’t create carbon pollution. A new bill, currently pending in the Legislature, would help school districts reach this goal by creating a master plan for healthy, sustainable and climate-resilient schools in this state. Coupled with a school bond bill on the horizon and new public dollars to go electric, California can prioritize students’ health and ditch fossil fuels by fully electrifying our campuses. Opinion Climate change is causing dangerous heat during the school year. The state should make sure districts with the fewest resources get protections. July 18, 2023 Right now, the vast majority of our state’s schools use fossil fuels for heating and cooking. This creates indoor air pollution. Modern, all-electric buildings are better. Electric heat pumps can heat and cool a school, providing much needed air conditioning to sweltering classrooms. Modern filtration systems remove everything from toxic wildfire smoke to pathogens like the coronavirus. But many schools lack functioning HVAC systems, leading to extremely poor ventilation. This is terrible for kids: Improperly ventilated and polluted classrooms can cut student cognitive function in half. Air conditioning and air filtration don’t just protect students’ health — they also improve learning. One study of Los Angeles schools found that modernized facilities may have prompted achievement gains of as much as 10%. Opinion State regulators set zero-emission rules to clean up the air around ports and rail yards. But clean air in California has always been a Sisyphean goal. May 11, 2023 Upgrading and electrifying schools will also help to protect people during disasters. Schools often serve as evacuation centers during events like wildfires. If they are outfitted with solar panels, batteries and heat pumps, they can provide air conditioning even if a brutal heat wave breaks the electric grid. Additionally, continuing to install dirty fossil fuel equipment in schools is a waste of public dollars. California districts spend $8 billion on building and modernizing school facilities every year. If old gas furnaces like the ones found in most schools are simply replaced with new gas ones, those would likely need to be replaced again before the end of their useful life. Statewide planning is key to making safe, electrified schools a reality. With more than 11,000 buildings spanning 730 million square feet and more than 125,000 acres of land, California’s school system has a vast footprint. We need a plan now for all these buildings to stop creating pollution, as California law calls for the state to be carbon neutral by 2045. Opinion The Legislature could force more fossil fuel companies to compensate people for cancer and other illnesses in neighborhoods next to wells in Los Angeles and beyond. April 24, 2023 In the absence of statewide leadership, some school districts are making their own plans. Earlier this year, the San Diego Unified School District passed a resolution to phase out the use of fossil fuels. The district is now requiring new construction to be all electric, and when fossil fuel equipment breaks it is replaced with clean electric machines. More school districts should follow this approach. To move forward, Senate Bill 394 must be passed by the Assembly and return to the Senate before the end of the legislative session Thursday, and then sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Just as critically, it needs to be funded. Currently, the Legislature has not budgeted the $10 million needed for the planning process. State leaders must make a plan to fund this program. More dollars for school electrification could come next year, if Californians are able to vote on a bond that finances schools across the state. If the bond passes, it would provide billions for school infrastructure. But it is crucial that it aligns with the state’s climate goals so that we aren’t putting public dollars into outdated systems. Opinion Health and safety in the school community come first. But as we learned during COVID, that doesn’t mean that we can’t make sure students continue to learn. Aug. 21, 2023 We don’t have to wait to get started. Last year, the state Legislature put aside $20 million to help schools upgrade to electric heating, air conditioning and ventilation. The agency tasked with implementing these funds allocated millions more to the effort. Together, these funds will help around 200 schools install heat pumps, providing a model for other schools and districts. Federal funds can also be used to help schools electrify. The Inflation Reduction Act allocates billions of dollars to construct more resilient buildings, including tax credits that cover 30% of the costs of new geothermal heat pumps. Children have a right to learning environments that are modern and safe and don’t contribute to the climate crisis. California officials need to use the billions of dollars available to upgrade school infrastructure to slash fossil fuel pollution, prioritizing our students’ health and futures. Jonathan Klein is the co-founder and CEO of the national climate nonprofit UndauntedK12 and a former schoolteacher. Leah C. Stokes is an associate professor of environmental politics at UC Santa Barbara and an advisor to Rewiring America.

Myanmar's jailed former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is ailing but denied care outside prison

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-09-07/myanmars-jailed-former-leader-aung-san-suu-kyi-is-ailing-but-is-denied-care-outside-prison

Myanmar’s imprisoned former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is suffering from symptoms of low blood pressure including dizziness and loss of appetite, but has been denied treatment at qualified facilities outside the prison system, a medical worker said Thursday. Suu Kyi, 78, who was arrested in February 2021 when the army seized power from her elected government, fell ill late last month, said the medical worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being punished by the military authorities. Separately, a military officer who also insisted on anonymity confirmed a report by the BBC’s Myanmar-language service that Suu Kyi was suffering a severe toothache that left her unable to eat and caused vomiting. But the ruling military council’s spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, said Suu Kyi was in good health, the report said. World & Nation Myanmar’s military-led government has reduced the prison sentences of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a clemency connected to a religious holiday. Aug. 1, 2023 The BBC said Suu Kyi’s son Kim Aris, who lives in Britain, responded to the report with a text saying, “To deny a sick prisoner access to recommended medical care is callous and cruel.” Phone calls by the AP to Myanmar’s prison department for comment went unanswered. Suu Kyi is serving a combined 27-year sentence in Myanmar, also known as Burma, after being convicted of a string of criminal charges that her supporters and independent analysts say were concocted to discredit her and legitimize the military’s seizure of power. She initially received a total sentence of 33 years, but Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the military government, granted her clemency in five cases and cut her sentence by six years as part of a broader amnesty for more than 7,000 prisoners to mark a Buddhist holiday in August. World & Nation The sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi is a blow to Myanmar’s democratic aspirations, but worldwide fervor over her fate had already faded. Dec. 6, 2021 Suu Kyi receives full-time medical care from a doctor assigned to the main prison in the capital, Naypyidaw, whose duties included taking her blood pressure at least three times a day when she fell ill last month, the medical worker said. She also receives a monthly medical checkup from more senior physicians from the military hospital in Naypyidaw. Not only are details about Suu Kyi’s health unclear, but even her exact whereabouts are not publicly known. There were reports in late July that Suu Kyi might be transferred from the Naypyidaw prison to house arrest as part of the clemency action, but the military authorities have not confirmed that. World & Nation Myanmar’s civilian leader made a Faustian bargain with the army for political gain, critics say. It ended with her detention in Monday’s coup. Feb. 1, 2021 Suu Kyi’s lawyers have not been able to meet with her this year, said a legal official who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to release information about her cases. Her lawyers have been forbidden to reveal information about her by a gag order issued in late 2021. They have applied five times for permission to meet with Suu Kyi since they last saw her in December but have not received any response, the legal official said. The official said her legal team filed arguments to the Supreme Court on Tuesday asking it to accept six special appeals to further reduce her sentences. The six cases include allegations of abuse of authority in renting parcels of land and property in Naypyidaw and Yangon, the country’s biggest city, at below-market prices for a foundation named after her mother that she chaired. Appeals of Suu Kyi’s convictions are still being processed on charges including election fraud, breaching the official secrets acts and six other corruption allegations, legal officials have said.

Ohio's GOP-drawn congressional maps, though declared unconstitutional, stand for 2024 election

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-09-07/ohio-will-keep-gop-drawn-congressional-maps-in-2024-elections-ending-court-challenge

Congressional district maps previously deemed unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court will be used in 2024 after the high court dismissed legal challenges against the Republican-drawn districts. The Ohio voting rights groups that brought the challenges moved to dismiss their own lawsuits against the Republican-drawn maps this week, saying the turmoil isn’t in the best interest of Ohio voters. The maps were found to be unconstitutional by the court several times for unfairly favoring Ohio’s GOP. The state’s highest court, which holds a 4-3 Republican majority, dismissed the cases Thursday without comment. Politics The Ohio Supreme Court has declared as invalid newly drawn legislative maps that would have retained Republican supermajorities in the state House and Senate. Jan. 12, 2022 The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Ohio and others, told the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday that they were willing to live with the U.S. House map approved March 2, 2022, which was used in last year’s elections. The legal dispute has been going on for two years, with the court rejecting two separate congressional maps and five sets of Statehouse maps — describing districts for the Ohio House and Senate in Columbus as gerrymandered in favor of Republicans. Despite the maps being deemed unconstitutional before the 2022 elections, they continue to be used due to Republicans essentially letting the clock run outafter refusing the court’s order to write up new, fairer maps by the prescribed deadline. Ohio’s political landscape has only grown more conservative in the last few cycles. Both the state House and Senate currently have Republican supermajorities. The state Supreme Court’s Republican chief justice, who had provided a swing vote against GOP-leaning maps, retired.

Felony convictions vacated for 4 former Navy officers in sprawling 'Fat Leonard' bribery scandal

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-09-06/felony-convictions-vacated-for-4-navy-officers-in-sprawling-fat-leonard-bribery-scandal

The felony convictions of four Navy officers in one of the worst bribery cases in the maritime branch’s history were vacated due to prosecutorial misconduct Wednesday, the latest misstep in the government’s years-long efforts in going after dozens of military officials tied to a defense contractor nicknamed Fat Leonard. U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino called the misconduct “outrageous” and agreed to allow the four men to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and pay a $100 fine each. The surprising turn of events occurred at a sentencing hearing in federal court in San Diego for the former officers. Assistant U.S. Atty. Peter Ko, who was brought on after the officers were tried last year, admitted to “serious issues” with prosecutorial misconduct and asked the judge to vacate the men’s convictions. He said his office does not agree with all of the allegations of misconduct but some were true. “There were pretty obviously serious issues that affect our ability to go forward” defending the convictions or seeking a new trial, Ko told the judge. The officers — former Capts. David Newland, James Dolan and David Lausman and former Cmdr. Mario Herrera — were previously convicted by a federal jury on various counts of accepting bribes from foreign defense contractor Leonard Francis, who admitted to bilking the Navy out of more than $35 million by buying off dozens of top-ranking officers with booze, sex, lavish parties and other gifts. On Wednesday the four men pleaded guilty to a charge of destruction of government property, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Defense attorneys had long accused the prosecution of lying to the court and unfairly pressuring witnesses to testify on the stand to a narrated script. Francis fled from house arrest in San Diego nearly a year ago in what was also seen as a misstep by the prosecution for allowing him to not be held behind bars. He was later captured in Venezuela, where he remains. More than two dozen Navy officials, defense contractors and others have been convicted on various fraud and corruption charges in the case, which spanned years. It was not immediately clear whether Wednesday’s development may jeopardize the other convictions. A decade ago, Francis was arrested in a San Diego hotel as part of a federal sting. Investigators say he and his company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, bribed officers so he could overcharge for supplying ships or charge for fake services at ports he controlled in Southeast Asia. The case, which delved into salacious details about service members cheating on their wives and seeking out prostitutes, was an embarrassment to the Pentagon. The U.S. attorney’s office handled the prosecution, offering independence from the military justice system. The U.S. attorney’s office in San Diego did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Associated Press also left messages with lead prosecutor Mark Pletcher and two other prosecutors involved in the case.

USC taking a patient approach to Bronny James' potential return

https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2023-08-28/bronny-james-is-doing-well-and-we-just-have-to-be-patient-says-usc-coach-andy-enfield

Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of Lakers superstar LeBron James, is doing well and attending classes after the highly regarded freshman guard went into cardiac arrest during a workout last month, USC basketball coach Andy Enfield said Monday. “The good thing is he’s doing extremely well and he’s in class right now. And we all love him,” Enfield said. “I think everybody is hopeful that Bronny will return to the court. We just have to be patient and take it step by step.” The James family released a statement Friday saying a congenital heart defect was the probable cause of James’ cardiac arrest. The statement said the heart defect can be treated and that the family is confident in James’ ability to make a full recovery and return to the court in the near future. Sports The probable cause of the sudden cardiac arrest suffered by USC freshman Bronny James has been identified as a congenital heart defect. Aug. 25, 2023 James was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and released three days after being stricken on July 24. “Our goal is to support Bronny in any way we can academically, athletically, and be patient with how things develop in his return,” Enfield said. James, a 6-foot-3 guard, committed to USC in May and bolstered what was already one of the nation’s top recruiting classes. He is the sixth McDonald’s All-American to join the program since Enfield became coach in 2013. The Trojans had the nation’s fourth-ranked recruiting class, including the top-rated player in guard Isaiah Collier. Enfield said the pitch to James and his family wasn’t different compared to other recruits. “He’s a terrific basketball player and was playing very well (before the cardiac arrest). We all think there is a big upside in his game and he can help our team win,” Enfield said. “It was a little later in the recruiting cycle and also was different because he comes from a pretty good basketball family. But it really didn’t change our recruiting pitch because we’re very honest with people and showed him an opportunity that we thought he could have here at USC. His parents were terrific through the whole recruiting process and have been very supportive since.” Enfield also said he was pleased with his team’s development during a recent trip to Europe that saw his squad play games in Greece and Croatia. Fifth-year senior guard Boogie Ellis has embraced the role of being a team co-captain while Collier and forward DJ Rodman, a graduate transfer from Washington State, got to mesh with new teammates in game situations. Enfield said Collier is one of the best passers he has seen come out of high school in a while while Rodman can be a threat with his skills on offense. California Bronny James 911 call: ‘We need an ambulance immediately’ July 28, 2023 The player who made the biggest strides on the trip was junior guard Kobe Johnson, a co-captain who averaged 9.3 points last season. “He’s the best defensive player in our league and also improved his offense,” Enfield said. USC — which has made the last three NCAA tournaments — will have a challenging nonconference schedule before starting its final campaign in the Pac-12. The Trojans open against Kansas State in Las Vegas on Nov. 6 and will play in a Thanksgiving week tournament in San Diego that includes Seton Hall, Iowa and Oklahoma. USC also has a road game against Auburn.

Elliott: Former UCLA standout Lilia Vu refocused and found confidence, joy and No. 1 ranking

https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2023-08-17/ucla-lpga-lilia-vu

Lilia Vu wasn’t looking to change her game after the bottom fell out of a season that had started so well, with her first LPGA victory in February and her first win at a major in April, when she outdueled Angel Yin to win a playoff at the Chevron Championship at The Woodlands, Texas. When Vu missed the cut in four of her next five starts after the Chevron championship — including at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach in June — she knew the problem wasn’t the clubs in her bag or flaws in her technique. The obstacle was the self-defeating thoughts that dominated her mind and eroded her confidence. Vu, who grew up in Fountain Valley and earned all-America honors at UCLA while setting the program record of eight victories, is a perfectionist. That can be a strength. It made her probably the best putter the Bruins have had and lends authority to her clean ballstriking. But it becomes a weakness when she lets the slightest wobble shatter her focus. A shaky hole too often became a shaky round, which became a disappointing finish. “I thought at the U.S. Open, after I played so bad, I didn’t know if I could ever win again,” she said. Following a practice round last week in advance of the AIG Women’s Open, she sat down with her caddy of nearly a year, Cole Pensanti, to explain why she was so hard on herself and why she felt stifled by pressure to excel. It had happened to her before, pushing her into a slump after she had become the No. 1 amateur in the world, and again during a bumpy first year on the LPGA tour. She had found her way back on those occasions. She needed help to do it again. Pensanti’s advice was simple, but it was exactly what she needed to hear. “He told me, ‘Hey, go out there and have fun. Do your best. You know you’re good. Our only goal is to be in contention this week. And then we can go from there on the weekend,’ ” she said. She did more than contend: she distinguished herself as a star and earned the No. 1 world ranking. “It was just not a good mental space for me, putting that much pressure, but last week I was able to think about golf in a different way and just have fun on the golf course while just trying to be in contention,” she said. “That was a pretty easy goal for me.” “She’s come so far. It’s hard to think back on the time she was this silent, little mouse of a girl who turned into this stone-cold killer.” — Former UCLA women’s golf coach Carrie Forsyth Vu was tied for the lead when play began on the final day at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England. Refusing to let doubts creep in, she dominated the final round Sunday with a five-under-par 67 for a 14-under-par 274 and a six-shot win over local favorite Charley Hull. Half a world away, recently retired UCLA women’s golf coach Carrie Forsyth was ecstatic to see the quiet, introverted young woman who had barely spoken during her first visit to campus blossom into a confident, assertive champion. “She’s come so far,” Forsyth said. “It’s hard to think back on the time she was this silent, little mouse of a girl who turned into this stone-cold killer.” Vu’s ascent to the top of the Rolex women’s world rankings was confirmed Monday. “I thought she could be No. 1 but I didn’t think it would be this quick,” said Alicia Um Holmes, who was an assistant coach when Vu played for UCLA and has succeeded Forsyth as head coach. “When she’s confident, everything’s going well, everything’s there, I could definitely see her doing this, winning multiple times in one year.” In winning, Vu also clinched the Rolex Annika major award (named for Anika Sorenstam) for compiling the best record in the LPGA’s five major tournaments. Vu, 25, joined Michelle Wie West as the only Americans to earn that honor and became first American to win two major LPGA championships in a season since Juli Inkster won two in 1999. It was a lot for Vu to take in. It still is. “I don’t think it will ever feel real,” she said by phone Wednesday. “It’s just been a crazy past couple of months but it’s just been so, so fun.” It all began for her at the David L. Baker golf course in Fountain Valley. At first, she just tagged along to watch her dad, Douglas, and brother, Andre. “I would follow my brother around and just try and imitate him and try to be funny,” she recalled. “My dad saw that and put a golf club in my hand and somehow I ended up better than my brother.” She started playing at 7 and was soon playing junior events. Her father coached her, and mother, Kieu Thuy, was her caddy when she won the 2016 women’s Southern California amateur title at Rancho Santa Fe. Her mom still accompanies her on tour. Forsyth was well aware of Vu’s amateur success and recruited her, sensing the competitive fire behind Vu’s quiet demeanor. “She’s a really, really solid person and has a really solid family background. She was extremely driven and hard-working all throughout her college career,” Forsyth said. “She was very much like she had her path in mind, which was to be a professional golfer, and she treated that journey with the utmost respect and professionalism in the sense that, ‘This is what I want to do and this is the level of work that I’m going to put in to achieve this.’ Olympics Simone Biles made an impressive return to gymnastics competition Saturday after her struggles at the Tokyo Olympics, winning the Core Classic all-round title. Aug. 6, 2023 “Some kids talk the talk. But Lilia talked the talk and walked the walk, as well. It was pretty inspiring as a coach to be around that.” Vu credited the coaching, resources, and chance to play at various courses for preparing her for college competition, and beyond. “Oh my gosh, I loved my time at UCLA. I was going to say I had the time of my life, but I think I’m having that right now,” Vu said, laughing. “I don’t think I could be where I’m at right now if I didn’t go to UCLA.” She joined the LPGA tour in 2019 but made the cut only once and spent the next two seasons on the developmental tour. It wasn’t an easy step back. And it was complicated by the death of her maternal grandfather, Dinh Du, early in the COVID-19 pandemic. He had built a boat to carry his family from the uncertainties of life in post-war Vietnam to the promise of opportunity in America. The boat leaked and was overloaded but somehow they made it. Vu had to find a way to make sure his sacrifices wouldn’t go to waste. Stepping back to the developmental tour was the right detour. “My junior golf career, I had so much fun, and in college. I turned pro and all of a sudden there’s all this pressure to make money and to perform well,” she said. “That just made me spiral and I was so hard on myself and I just felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. “I think that needed to happen, though, because I think I know myself better than I’ve ever known myself and that really helped with golf not being the end-all, be-all of my identity.” She also found inspiration in a chance on-course meeting with businessman and amateur golfer John Ply. She simply wanted to be outside, with no one around, while the LPGA tour went on without her. He asked her why she wasn’t at the tournament that was being played. She told him she was in a slump and struggling to escape. He recommended some inspirational books, giving her his copies when she couldn’t find an open bookstore. He later wrote a self-help book, “You can be the best,” and mentioned her. “I spoke to him [Tuesday] about how he believed in me and helped guide me, and now we’re full circle here,” she said. “It’s been a really crazy ride.” In many ways, her ride is only beginning. Um Holmes believes if Vu continues to have fun and keeps the pressure at bay, she can enjoy consistent success. “I think if she’s really able to be disciplined with her mental side she can do it. Because she’s talented. She hits it far enough. She hits it straight enough,” Um Holmes said. “I would say she putts better than most of the LPGA players. She is just gifted in that respect.” Sports UCLA men’s basketball Mick Cronin says conference realignment is not helping athletes and it only helps athletic departments operating in the red. Aug. 17, 2023 Forsyth suggested Vu could some day rank among the game’s greats. “Now that she’s sort of reached this level, now she knows she can do it, look out. I just think she’s going to keep doing it,” Forsyth said. “Things change and you go through changes in your life and whatnot. I guess time will tell but the pieces are there for that, depending on how she handles life’s challenges and changes that come along. “Will she be Annika? Will she be Lorena [Ochoa]?” Forsyth asked, invoking the names of two of the greatest female golfers. “She could be really close.” It couldn’t have happened if she hadn’t found the joy in the process. “I still feel like the same me, to be honest,” she said. “I feel like I’m just going to keep the same mindset and just have fun playing golf. And when I just get in my own way, I have to reevaluate everything and say, ‘Hey, people would love to be in your position. You need to be grateful for where you’re at.’ “And I think just enjoying this journey. Not a lot of people get to say they get to play golf as a career. I’m just going to do my thing and try my best and have fun and try to win a lot of golf tournaments.” That will require some rearranging of the trophy room at the family home in Fountain Valley, where her junior golf awards are still on display. “Maybe my dad will make some room for my other trophies and potential trophies,” she said. No “maybe” about it.

Leonard Bernstein's kids defend Bradley Cooper's 'Maestro' prosthetic: 'Our dad would have been fine'

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-08-16/bradley-cooper-maestro-leonard-bernstein-defend-nose

Leonard Bernstein’s family is rallying behind Bradley Cooper after he faced online criticism for his appearance in Netflix’s upcoming film “Maestro.” Directed by Cooper, “Maestro” tracks the legendary composer’s relationship with wife, Felicia (Carey Mulligan). Netflix released the first teaser for the film on Tuesday, giving viewers a glimpse at Cooper’s portrayal. While some social media users were excited for the upcoming project, others took notice of Cooper’s altered appearance. “Did the prosthetics team even try,” Twitter (now X) user @ghoulhag wrote Tuesday, sharing pictures of Bernstein and Cooper. More X users zeroed in on Bradley’s use of makeup to further define his nose for “Maestro.” University of Chicago doctoral candidate Joel Swanson alleged that Cooper’s transformation was “about making a non-Jewish actor look more like a Jewish stereotype.” Antisemitism organization StopAntisemitism criticized Cooper — who is not Jewish — playing Bernstein, who was Jewish. The organization blasted Hollywood for putting a “disgusting exaggerated” nose on the actor. Movies Speaking on a podcast, Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper says Will Arnett helped him get his life back on track in the early 2000s. June 15, 2022 “Sickening,” StopAntisemitism tweeted. Representatives for Netflix did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Wednesday. As backlash continued to grow, Bernstein’s three children — Jamie, Alexander and Nina Bernstein — came to Cooper’s defense Wednesday. In a statement shared to the late composer’s X account, they detailed the “amazing journey” of working with Cooper on “Maestro.” “We were touched to the core to witness the depth of his commitment, his loving embrace of our father’s music, and the sheer open-hearted joy he brought to his exploration,” the statement said. “It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of his efforts.” (1/6) From Jamie, Alexander, and Nina Bernstein:Bradley Cooper included the three of us along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father. pic.twitter.com/y9xZWDotJe The statement continued: “It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose. Bradley chose to use makeup to amplify his resemblance, and we’re perfectly fine with that. We’re also certain that our dad would have been fine with it as well.” Bernstein’s children dismissed the social media controversy as “disingenuous attempts to bring a successful person down a notch.” They also lauded Cooper for his commitment to the film, and his respect for the conductor and his family. Bernstein, best known for co-composing the Broadway hit “West Side Story,” died Oct. 14, 1990 of complications of progressive lung failure. He was 72. “We feel so fortunate to have had this experience with Bradley, and we can’t wait for the world to see his creation,” the statement concluded. “Maestro” is scheduled for release in select theaters on Nov. 22 and comes to Netflix on Dec. 20.

Viral video puts spotlight on street vending in Las Vegas

https://www.latimes.com/delos/story/2023-08-08/street-vendors-viral-video-las-vegas-law-enforcement

A video that has now gone viral shows a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer pointing a Taser at a street vendor near the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign over the weekend. This incident comes a few months before a new bill will go into effect across the state of Nevada regulating street vending. On Sunday, a vendor who was selling food near the Vegas strip was approached by the officer. The officer was asking the vendor to provide proof of a vending license. The video then shows the officer pulling out his Taser and pointing it at the vendor. The police department has said that the footage that is circulating on social media only shows a part of the situation that took place. They said the video does not show that the vendor pushed the officer to the ground as he was trying to detain him. At the height of the pandemic, most businesses were forced to alter operations, but for street vendors, who are subjected to zoning permits and rising food costs, things became even more unstable. July 11, 2023 The vendor, who has not been identified, was booked on obstruction and battery charges, according to police records. The department also said that this was not the first time officers approached this particular vendor. Officers spoke with him the day before about selling food without the proper licenses, they said. The law in Nevada known as Senate Bill 92, signed by Gov. Joe Lombardo, will go into effect in October to help protect street vendors and allow them to work in neighborhoods legally. This bill will also give them the opportunity to legitimize their businesses. SB92 will also allow local governments including Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, to require a vending license or permit and to maintain certain sanitary standards. Vendors will face some downsides to this bill. Local governments could restrict vending hours in certain areas and adopt no-vending zones near special events, farmers markets or entertainment districts. ‘What motivates us every day to write songs and music is the great pride of having Mexican blood in our veins.’ Aug. 4, 2023 States across the country have already passed street vending laws to provide vendors with rights. Most local governments have the option to pass their own city ordinances which could provide major restrictions for vendors.

Hunter Biden's plea deal on hold after federal judge raises concerns over the terms of the agreement

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-07-26/hunter-biden-plea-deal-on-tax-charges-falls-through-after-judge-expresses-concern-about-agreement

President Biden’s son Hunter’s plea deal on two tax charges fell apart on Wednesday, at least temporarily, after the federal judge hearing his case expressed concern over a related agreement on a more serious gun possession charge. The outcome leaves in jeopardy the years-long investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings. He had been charged with two misdemeanor tax crimes of failure to pay more than $100,000 in taxes from over $1.5 million in income in both 2017 and 2018, and he made an agreement with prosecutors, who were planning to recommend two years of probation. Last month, Biden was charged with possession of a firearm by a person who is a known drug user, a felony. He had a Colt Cobra .38 Special for 11 days in October 2018. He agreed to enter into a diversion agreement, which means that he would not technically plead guilty to the crime. As long as he adhered to the terms of his agreement, the case would be wiped from his record. If not, the deal would be withdrawn. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was appointed by President Trump, said she was concerned about the language in the diversion agreement, which contained details about not prosecuting Biden for tax crimes in the future. She suggested the lawyers get back together and discuss it. “I think having you guys talk more makes sense,” she said to the attorneys. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the lawyers could resolve the case Wednesday, or they would have to go back into more discussions. The deal was meant to clear the air for Hunter Biden and avert a trial that would have generated weeks or months of headlines. But the politics remain as messy as ever, with Republicans insisting he got a sweetheart deal and the Justice Department pressing ahead on investigations into Trump, the GOP’s 2024 presidential primary front-runner. Trump is already facing a state criminal case in New York and a federal indictment in Florida. Last week, a target letter was sent to Trump from special counsel Jack Smith that suggests the former president may soon be indicted on new federal charges, this time involving his attempt to cling to power after his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. Republicans claim a double standard, in which the president’s son got off easy while the president’s rival has been unfairly targeted. Congressional Republicans are pursuing their own investigations into nearly every facet of Hunter Biden’s dealings, including foreign payments. On Tuesday, a dust-up arose after Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee filed court documents urging Noreika to consider testimony from IRS whistleblowers who alleged Justice Department interference in the investigation. Shortly after their motion was filed, a court clerk received a call requesting that “sensitive grand jury, taxpayer and Social Security information” be kept under seal, according to an oral order from the judge. The clerk said the lawyer gave her name and said she worked with an attorney from the Ways and Means Committee but was in fact a lawyer with the defense team. Noreika demanded the defense team show why she should not consider sanctioning them for “misrepresentations to the court.” Defense attorneys responded that their lawyer had represented herself truthfully from the start and called the matter a misunderstanding. President Biden, meanwhile, has said very little publicly, except to note, “I’m very proud of my son.” Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.

Several top editors at Penguin Random House accept buyout offers; layoffs also underway

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-07-18/several-top-editors-at-penguin-random-house-accept-buyout-offers-layoffs-also-underway

Some of publishing’s most celebrated and enduring editors are leaving Penguin Random House after accepting buyout packages. Meanwhile, an undetermined number of companywide layoffs has begun, according to publishing officials. Longtime editors of such prominent writers as Anne Rice, Lorrie Moore and Nobel laureates Alice Munro and Elie Wiesel are among those stepping down by the end of the year. Penguin Random House declined Monday to comment on any individual staff members, but publishing officials with knowledge of the buyouts confirmed that departing editors include Vicky Wilson, Jonathan Segal and Ann Close. The officials were not authorized to discuss the decisions and asked to not be identified. Books Stephen King testified for the government today, arguing that writers will be harmed if Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster merge. Aug. 2, 2022 “All of us at Penguin Random House greatly respect the life-changing decisions of those U.S. colleagues who have chosen to take the recent company-wide Voluntary Separation Offer,” reads a Penguin Random House statement provided Monday to the Associated Press. “Their contributions to our publishing, our booksellers, and to our readers have made a meaningful difference in who we are as a company and community, and their dedication to mentoring and to sharing their expertise and experience with our next generation of talent will be one of their major legacies,” the statement said. “We thank them and wish them a joyful and fulfilling next chapter.” Publishing sources told the AP that layoffs began Monday, with those let go including editor Daniel Halpern, who joined Knopf in 2021 after heading the HarperCollins imprint Ecco since the early 1970s. His authors at Knopf included Joyce Carol Oates, with whom he also worked at Ecco. Penguin Random House declined comment on the layoffs. Company Town Biden administration receives a clear victory, with the judge ruling the blockbuster merger would diminish competition in book publishing. Oct. 31, 2022 The buyouts and layoffs come amid a broader reorganization at Penguin Random House, which this year overhauled its Random House and Crown divisions. The departures at the country’s largest publishing house also follow numerous other high-profile changes. Global company Chief Executive Markus Dohle and U.S. CEO Madeline McIntosh left within months of PRH’s failed attempt to purchase rival publisher Simon & Schuster, a deal struck down last fall by a federal judge. In June, Robert Gottlieb, a former Knopf editor in chief who worked on all of Robert Caro’s Lyndon B. Johnson books, died at age 92. Knopf has not yet announced a new editor for the fifth volume. HarperCollins and Hachette Book Group are among other publishers who have offered buyouts in recent months. Compared with the previous two years, the overall sales in 2023 have been down across the industry, though the numbers are still higher than the last pre-pandemic year, 2019. Wilson, Segal and Close have all worked for decades at the Penguin Random House imprint Alfred A. Knopf, one of the industry’s premier publishers. Others leaving include Knopf Managing Editor Kathy Hourigan, who joined the company in 1963; and Andy Hughes, the imprint’s senior vice president of production and design. Joan Didion‘s editor at Knopf, Shelley Wanger, also took the buyout. Hourigan and Hughes have been closely involved in the publication of Caro’s series on Johnson, a project dating to the 1970s. A spokesperson for Caro said no plan was yet in place for Hourigan or Hughes to continue on a freelance basis with Caro, who is writing the long-awaited fifth and likely final volume on Johnson.