Federal agents denied entry to Dodger Stadium
It is unclear what operation the federal agents were carrying out or whether anyone in that area was arrested. Images of the vehicles immediately played out on social media and fueled speculation about their activities. The agents declined to say why they were at the stadium when asked by a Times reporter.
The vehicles appeared to be staging near the downtown parking lot entrance to the stadium, which was empty Thursday morning except for a small contingent of local media.
According to multiple people with knowledge of the situation who were not authorized to speak publicly, agents were denied entry to the Dodger Stadium grounds when they attempted to enter the parking lots.
The parking lot is not owned by the Dodgers, but is considered Dodgers property by the team. It is owned by the team's former owner, billionaire Frank McCourt. The team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Dodgers have been under pressure since the raids began earlier this month to make a statement in support of immigrants. On Wednesday, the team said it intended to announce plans Thursday to assist the immigrant communities recently impacted in Los Angeles.
Singer and social media personality Nezza sang a Spanish version of the national anthem at Dodger Stadium, in an act of protest against the immigration raids, despite being asked by a team employee to sing in English.
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Los Angeles Times
5 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Found! A U.S. government service that really works
In these days when it seems like the current administration couldn't organize a utensil drawer, what with a military parade witnessed by empty bleachers and immigrant dragnets snaring American citizens and such, it seems like it would be a shock to find a government function that, you know, actually works. I found it. On June 14, I applied to renew my passport, bracing for months of frustration with bureaucratic apathy and torpor. The State Department website that took my application warned that the turnaround time was four to six weeks, which I figured would be the minimum wait. Yet I received my new passport by mail on June 28, or a crisp 14 days later. If you can think of another government service that can perform its task in two weeks from application to consummation, let me know. This was nothing like the old system, which Ben Cohen of the Wall Street Journal described as: 'Fill out a paper form. Attach a check or money order. Get photos printed — and hope they don't get rejected. Then schlep to the post office, mail back the old passport and wait too long for a new one.' The State Department launched its online passport renewal portal last September, after years of seeking a solution to a tsunami of passport applications. One pilot project went disastrously awry — increasing the time needed to process the paperwork. Eventually all the glitches were ironed out, and the result has been a spectacular success. In terms of customer service, it certainly ranks as one of the triumphs of the Biden administration. Leading the hundreds of workers who implemented the scheme were Luis Coronado, chief information officer for the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs, and Matthew Pierce, then the managing director for passport services. Their accomplishment earned them Service to America medals from the Partnership for Public Service, which honor 'outstanding public servants who improve our lives.' Said Robert Thomas, principal deputy assistant secretary of consular affairs at State, in the award certification, 'Luis and Matt led the transformation of a seriously outdated government service into a leading government service that's oriented around the customer.' They did more than that. They struck a blow on behalf of all the public servants who remain invisible and unappreciated when they do their jobs right, but get held up to public vituperation when something goes wrong on their watch. Ministerial functions like car registration and Medicare enrollment and, sure, passport issuance always take the brunt of grousing about the government being so ineffectual. The public has been groomed to think that when you've fallen among government bureaucrats you're hopelessly trapped in an infinite loop. This notion was retailed by Ronald Reagan, with his quip about 'the nine most terrifying words in the English language: 'I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.'' Particularly baroque screw-ups generally make it into the media, but for the most part these things don't get screwed up. For the record: I've also had trouble-free experience with the California DMV, even on the one occasion when I had to go in person to get my Real ID. And when I'm due a tax refund, it gets paid. The public image persists of government offices being filled with drones sitting with their foreheads on their desks. Accordingly, on the subreddit where people have been posting their passport renewal timelines — 14 days, 10 days or even less, the tone of the threads is a sort of delighted stupefaction, like someone suddenly blessed with a great stroke of luck. 'This must seriously be the most efficiently run government office that exists,' wrote one Redditor who submitted her application on July 10 and had her passport in hand on July 16. That was my reaction, too. For me the process began on June 10, when I received an email advising that my passport would expire in less than one year and therefore I was eligible for online renewal to obtain a new passport with the customary 10-year term. 'Act Now — Renew your U.S. Passport!' was the subject line, prompting me to check to make sure the message wasn't spam. But it had been sent from a address. After tracking down my passport and determining that State had the expiration date just right, I checked the eligibility requirements for the online service — older than 25; not planning to change my name, sex, date of birth, or place of birth; not planning to travel within six weeks (the moment a renewal application is submitted, the old passport is invalidated); and have a credit or debit card to pay the fee ($130 for the passport, another $30 for a wallet-sized ID card). Then it was on to the nearest CVS for a digital photo, which I submitted online with the application. I received an instant acknowledgment, and emails when my credit card was successfully charged, which started the approval process; when my application was approved; and when the passport was shipped by U.S. Mail, tracking number included. Delivery even came a couple of days earlier than State's initial projection. Passports that have expired within the last five years can also be renewed online. First-time applicants or those with long-expired passports have to do things the old way, filling out paper forms and dropping them off, along with photos and proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, at an official site like a post office or city hall. Some people may be tempted to see online renewal as just another service tailor-made for the upper crust, because who else needs a passport for foreign travel? The truth is that about 56% of adult Americans hold passports — 170 million are in circulation, according to the American Communities Project at Michigan State University. Demand is demographically and culturally diverse. Within Latino communities, the figure is 53%. That's 'higher than one might imagine ... considering their lower incomes and college degrees and often their more rural nature,' reported Dante Chinni, the project director. But those communities also have 'large populations that have reason to travel — newer immigrants who have family and friends back in their home countries,' Chinni wrote in March. 'While international travel is a luxury in some community types, in the Hispanic Centers it is more likely to be seen as part of life.' The passport bureau has been processing as many as 25 million applications a year, up from 3 million annually in the 1970s. Under that onslaught, the consular bureau says, 'applicants were facing months-long waits to get their passports. It was clear the system could not keep up.' Given the success of the online renewal system, it's only natural to ask: What could go wrong? The consular affairs bureau doesn't seem to have been hit hard by DOGEism at State, or at least not as notably as programs such as USAID. That almost feels lucky, given the obvious nexus between passport issuance and immigration and citizenship, two issues with which the Trump White House is obsessed. Notwithstanding the success of Coronado and Pierce at modernizing the passport system's technology, the process is still very much human-powered: More than 1,200 passport specialists are charged with reviewing applications. That's a decline of about 15% over the last couple of years. Their union representatives say the bureau is understaffed, and things are only going to get worse as the bureau experiences a years-long trend of increased caseloads. For now, however, this is a service that really works. I haven't seen any public complaint about an online renewal application getting swallowed up in the gears; thus far, every public comment I've seen for the service is praise. Let's hope that it lasts, and that the determined effort that brought it about can work the same magic on less efficient corners of the government. Don't we owe that to ourselves?
The Hill
5 minutes ago
- The Hill
Epstein accuser says she asked FBI twice to look into Trump
A woman who accused Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell of sexually assaulting her says she told the FBI twice to look into President Trump, The New York Times reported Sunday. The woman, Maria Farmer, told the Times that she asked the FBI, along with the New York City Police Department, to broadly examine people in Epstein's circles, including Trump, in 1996. She followed up again, she told the newspaper, after the FBI re-interviewed her about Epstein 10 years later. She told the Times she had 'no evidence of criminal wrongdoing' by associates of Epstein but suggested law enforcement broaden their scope because Epstein's activities, while he built a stable of famous friends, disturbed her. White House spokesperson Steven Cheung called the reporting 'recycled, old fake news of the highest order.' The report follows several weeks of political furor over previous promises by Trump officials to release the 'Epstein files,' a body of investigative documents related to the disgraced financier. It's not clear what could be in the files, but many Democrats have hoped that they could shed light on the president's relationship to the convicted sex offender. Farmer told the Times she asked law enforcement to look into Trump because of an interaction she had with him in 1995, which she has previously described publicly. Farmer, 'as she was preparing to work for Epstein,' said she was called into Epstein's office late one night and arrived wearing running shorts, the Times recounted. Trump, Farmer said, stared at her in a manner that made her feel uncomfortable. Epstein then entered the room and told Trump, 'no, no. She's not here for you,' she added, according to the Times's report. The White House disputed Farmer's account. 'The President was never in his office. The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep,' Cheung said in a statement to The Hill. Farmer worked for Epstein in 1995-96, the Times reported, 'initially to acquire art on his behalf but then later to oversee the comings and goings of girls, young women and celebrities at the front entrance of his Upper East Side townhouse.' The relationship between Trump and Epstein appears to have been strained ever since a real estate dispute over a Palm Beach mansion in 2004. The New York Times's report follows an article by The Wall Street Journal that Trump had written Epstein a 'bawdy' 50th birthday card. Trump has denied the reporting and sued the Journal last week. Republicans have coalesced behind his criticisms. Trump late last week asked the Department of Justice to unseal the grand jury transcripts in the Epstein case. Additionally, a largely symbolic effort by congressional Republicans to call on the administration to release documents related to Epstein has also been put on hold, Politico reported Monday. Democrats have sought to seize on the political division and are pushing a petition that would force a binding floor vote. That effort has garnered some Republican support.
Hamilton Spectator
5 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
These top ranked tennis stars have withdrawn from the National Bank Open in Toronto — Here's how fans are reacting
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have withdrawn from the National Bank Open in Toronto, set to start on Sunday, July 27. A post shared by TSN (@tsn_official) 'Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have been forced to withdraw from the 2025 National Bank Open in Toronto as they recover following Wimbledon,' a National Bank Open post on X revealed. The announcement also revealed number four ranked Jack Draper will also be sitting this tournament out. While the National Bank Open hasn't officially confirmed Alcaraz' withdrawal, Spanish news outlet Marca broke the news over the weekend. Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from Toronto. He's scheduled to return in Cincinnati. Excited to see him back on the hardcourts. 🇪🇸 (via @marca ) The National Bank Open will now proceed without the top ranked Sinner, the number two ranked Alcaraz, the number four ranked Draper, and the number six ranked Djokovic. Naturally, fans who were looking forward to the upcoming tournament have expressed their disappointment following the announcements. 'Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic all withdraw from the National Bank Canadian Open just days after my parents got tickets excited to see them at the tournament. Now they want to sell them but I told them it will likely be for a loss now. 4 of the top 6 are withdrawn already,' said @LAOJoe on X. Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic and Sinner all withdraw from the National Bank Canadian Open just days after my parents got tickets excited to see them at the tournament. Now they want to sell them but I told them it will likely be for a loss now. 4 of the top 6 are withdrawn already. 'Every year, Canadian Open is in an awkward position when top players tend to not play or withdraw at last minute, due to the timing. I've been volunteering for this event 4 years now, will be disappointed to not see Alcaraz live,' said @GingerTag38 on X. Every year, Canadian Open is in an awkward position when top players tend to not play or withdraw at last minute, due to the timing. I've been volunteering for this event 4 years now, will be disappointed to not see Alcaraz live. 'Toronto went bigger but lost its biggest stars. Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic, Draper all out. Fatigue, injuries, strategy. The schedule's a grind add in slower court speeds…yeah you're gonna get withdrawals. I've always said the ATP is doing too much,' said ESPN's Pamela Maldonado. Toronto went bigger but lost its biggest stars. Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic, Draper all out. Fatigue, injuries, strategy. The schedule's a grind add in slower court you're gonna get withdrawals. I've always said the ATP is doing too much. 'Same story every year unfortunately; big stars save themselves for US Open and other upcoming tourneys. Sucks for tennis fans in Toronto,' reacted @LBresnar on Pamela Maldonado's post on X . 'Can't blame them. Expecting players who are already burned out to play two 2-week @atptour events before the US open is nuts. Too bad for Canadians fans,' said @DrMaximus_NYC on X. Sinner, Alcaraz, Draper, Djokovic have all dropped out of Toronto,Canada's ATP event. They'll play in Cincinnati instead. Can't blame them. Expecting players who are already burned out to play two 2-week @atptour events before the US open is nuts Too bad for Canadians fans. Outside of the top stars, there are a number of high profile participants still set to attend. The world's number three ranked Alexander Zverev leads the way, followed by the number five ranked Taylor Fritz, the number seven ranked Lorenzo Musetti, the number eight ranked Holger Rune, the number nine ranked Daniil Medvedev, and the number 10 ranked Ben Shelton. Other notable participants include Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud. Canadians expected to compete on home soil are led by Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is ranked 28; Denis Shapovalov, who is ranked 30; Gabriel Diallo, who is ranked 40; and Vasek Pospisil, who announced he will retire following the tournament. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
