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Raman elected
in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Little-known Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman has defeated embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to lead the nation’s second most populous city.
Her victory means LA will follow the lead of New York, where democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor last year. Voters turned to Raman after a rough first term for Bass that was marked by wildfire fallout and public frustration with homelessness.
In a matchup between rival Democrats, Raman tapped into voters’ desire for change. She had endorsed Bass before launching her own campaign.
Senate might
block nominees
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is vowing that Democrats will not allow President Donald Trump to put “a right-winger” on the Supreme Court once they take power, raising the possibility that his party could block a presidential nominee if there were a vacancy in the next two years.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Schumer would not say if he would hold a Supreme Court vacancy open until after the 2028 presidential election, as former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell did in 2016.
But he said that Democrats are “not going to allow any crappy nominees” for Supreme Court -- or for lower courts or Trump’s Cabinet, either.
Newsom nixes
death sentences
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced he will change all 548 death sentences in the state to life in prison without parole.
The state Supreme Court will have the final say in hundreds of these cases. The announcement Thursday comes as Newsom prepares to leave office after eight years and considers a run for president.
The Democrat, who’s long been opposed to the death penalty, placed a moratorium on executions in California in 2019. The California District Attorneys Association has expressed concerns, warning it could cause anguish for victims’ families.
The ACLU applauded the move, citing racial bias in the death penalty’s implementation.
Peña to
face charges
ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay (AP) -- Paraguay’s Attorney General Emiliano Rolón Fernández has ordered three criminal investigations into the Ueno Bank crisis, including allegations involving President Santiago Peña and other current and former government officials.
The announcement Thursday followed Peña’s resignation after the collapse of Ueno Bank, a major digital lender tied to his government. The crisis froze millions in savings, sparked widespread protests, weakened the country’s currency and cost Peña the support of his Colorado Party. The lower house voted to impeach him, while the Senate was expected to accept his resignation.
Many Paraguayans blame official corruption and reckless banking practices for the turmoil.