We interrupt the holiday spirit to bring you the impeachment of a president. In festive haunts, buzzing stores and rush-hour frenzy, Americans absorbed the moment Donald Trump became only the third president branded with the mark of impeachment, the Constitution's gravest political indictment. Depending whom you ask in this deeply...
Israeli Parliament Starts Dissolving Itself for 3rd Election
JERUSALEM — The Israeli parliament began voting to dissolve itself on Wednesday and pave the path to an unprecedented third election within a year. The preliminary vote passed without objections. Barring a nearly unfathomable about-face, three more measures are expected to pass and call a new election for March 2,...
R. Kelly Charged With Paying Bribe Before Marrying Aaliyah
NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors are accusing singer R. Kelly of scheming with others to pay for a fake ID for an unnamed female a day before he married R&B singer Aaliyah, then 15 years old, in a secret ceremony in 1994. The revised indictment, filed Thursday in New York,...
Israeli Politics Remain in Chaos After Deadlocked Election
JERUSALEM — Benjamin Netanyahu has been tasked by Israel's president to form a new government for the sixth time in his lengthy political career. This time it's no mere formality, but rather a daunting endeavor that looks like mission impossible. After an inconclusive national election last week, Netanyahu has no obvious path...
Leaders of California Ministry Charged With Forced Labor
EL CENTRO — A dozen leaders of a California-based ministry were arrested Tuesday on charges that they used homeless people as forced labor, holding them in locked group homes and forcing them to panhandle up to nine hours a day, six days a week, U.S. prosecutors said. The former pastor...
Feds: Rep. Duncan Hunter Paid for Affairs With Campaign Cash
LOS ANGELES — U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California illegally used campaign money to finance romantic flings with lobbyists and congressional aides, spending thousands of dollars on meals, cocktails and vacations, federal prosecutors say. A government court filing late Monday detailed allegations about the married Republican congressman’s affairs with five...
Avenatti Charged With Embezzlement, Fraud, Cheating on Taxes
LOS ANGELES — Attorney Michael Avenatti has been charged in a 36-count federal indictment alleging he stole millions of dollars from clients, did not pay his taxes, committed bank fraud and lied in bankruptcy proceedings. "I look forward to the entire truth being known as opposed to a one-sided version...
US Charges 7 Russian Intel Officers as West Condemns GRU
BRUSSELS — The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday charged seven Russian intelligence officers with hacking anti-doping agencies and other organizations hours after Western officials leveled new accusations against Moscow's secretive GRU military spy agency. Hours before the U.S. indictment was announced, Western nations accused the GRU of new cybercrimes, with...
Uncertainty Looms Over House Race After Hunter Indictment
SAN DIEGO — Despite an ongoing FBI investigation into his campaign spending, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter coasted through the June primary election largely unscathed, finishing first by a 30-point margin and establishing himself as a strong favorite to hold the seat in November. That's now changed. On Tuesday, the Republican...
12 Russians Indicted For Hacking Democrats in 2016 Election
WASHINGTON — Twelve Russian intelligence officers were indicted on charges they hacked into Democratic email accounts during the 2016 U.S. presidential election and released stolen information in the months before Americans headed to the polls, the Justice Department said Friday. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein also said that Russian intelligence...