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By BRIAN SLODYSKO and WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — If one theme has emerged in President Donald Trump’s second term, it’s this: He’s leveraged the power of his office for personal gain unlike anyone before in history. From crypto coins to bibles, overseas development deals to an upcoming line of cellphones, Trump family businesses have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars since his election, an unprecedented flood of often shadowy money from billionaires, foreign governments and cryptocurrency tycoons with interests before the federal government. “He is president and is supposed to be working in the public’s interest,”…
Here’s the new reality for former Vice President Kamala Harris as she’s halfway though a summer of contemplating whether or not to campaign to become California’s next governor: It would not be easy. The entire idea of Harris running for governor, a run in which she would have to commit to serving out a full term, thus giving up on running for president in 2028, is predicated on her having an easy time of it. The presumption is that today’s crowded field of Democrats would thin out quickly to give her a virtually free “top two” primary election finish next…
By COLLIN BINKLEY, Associated Press Education Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration insists it hasn’t wavered in its duty to protect the civil rights of America’s children even as it dismantles the Education Department. Yet its own data shows the agency has resolved far fewer civil rights cases than in past years despite families filing more complaints. The Education Department’s civil rights branch lost nearly half its staff amid mass layoffs in March, raising questions about its ability to address a deep backlog of complaints from students alleging discrimination based on disability, sex or race. Pressed on the issue…
By STEPHEN GROVES, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans were grasping late Thursday to formulate a response to the Trump administration’s handling of records in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, ultimately putting forward a resolution that carries no legal weight but nodded to the growing demand for greater transparency. The House resolution, which could potentially be voted on next week, will do practically nothing to force the Justice Department to release more records in the case. Still, it showed how backlash from the Republican base is putting pressure on the Trump administration and roiling GOP lawmakers. The House…
LAS VEGAS — The Clippers dug themselves a considerable first-half hole and saw their bid for a spot in the NBA Summer League semifinals end with an 81-76 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Clippers (3-1), who needed a blowout win to advance, trailed by 10 points after the first quarter and by 19 at halftime before staging a second-half rally that got them within three points with 1:08 left. Cam Christie missed a 3-point attempt with four seconds left, and the Nuggets (1-3) made a pair of free throws to…
By ERIC TUCKER WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will not recommend a special counsel in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, a White House spokeswoman said Thursday, turning aside calls for further action in an inquiry that has roiled the Justice Department and angered supporters who had been expecting a treasure trove of documents from the case. The rejection of a special counsel is part of an effort by the White House to turn the page from continued outrage from corners of Trump’s base over the Justice Department’s refusal last week to release additional records from the investigation into Epstein, a…
LAS VEGAS — Bronny James followed a forgettable first half with his best offensive half of the summer, but it wasn’t enough for the Lakers. James scored all of his team-high 18 points after halftime in the Lakers’ 87-78 Summer League loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday night at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center. The second-year guard, who had six turnovers during his scoreless opening half, finished the night with five assists, three rebounds and one steal to go with eight turnovers. He shot 7 for 13 from the field (1 for 4 from 3-point range) in 28 minutes.…
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN WASHINGTON (AP) — A Maryland man was arrested Thursday on charges that he made threatening calls to the Georgia offices of Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Seth Jason, 64, repeatedly threatened to assault and kill Greene and her family during several calls to her district offices in between October 2023 and January 2025, according to his four-count indictment. Jason also threatened Greene’s staff members and their families, authorities said. Jason worked for Voice of America and made threatening calls using phone lines connected to studios and control rooms at the news agency’s headquarters in Washington, according to…
Countless stories have been written about Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. It turns out, the record-setting two-way star has been doing some writing of his own. Ohtani announced a new children’s book, “Decoy Saves Opening Day,” with an Instagram post of his dog, Decoy, on Thursday. The 32-page book, which Ohtani co-authored with Michael Blank, is set for release next February. The cover is an illustration of Ohtani and his dog, who is holding a baseball in his mouth. According to the publisher HarperCollins, the plot follows an excited Decoy before he has to throw the first pitch of Opening Day.…
By MATTHEW LEE WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department says its destruction of 500 metric tons of emergency food aid that was stored in a warehouse in the Middle East was required because it had expired and that the move will not affect the distribution of similar assistance moving forward. The high energy biscuits — used primarily to provide immediate nutritional needs for children in crisis situations — had been stored in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to respond to emergencies and could no longer be safely sent to potential recipients, so it was destroyed, department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters…