US sues Los Angeles sheriff's department, saying it slow-walks gun licenses

US sues Los Angeles sheriff's department, saying it slow-walks gun licenses

By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) -The U.S. government sued the Los Angeles County sheriff's department on Tuesday, accusing it of violating the Constitution by being far too slow to process licenses for people who want to carry concealed weapons. In a complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, the Department of Justice said the sheriff's department has systematically denied Californians' Second Amendment rights through a "deliberate pattern of unconscionable delay." According to the Justice Department, license applications in Los Angeles County typically sit nine months before being reviewed, and some applicants wait more than two years before being interviewed. "The Second Amendment protects the fundamental constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. "Los Angeles County may not like that right, but the Constitution does not allow them to infringe upon it," she added. Sheriff Robert Luna was also named as a defendant. In a statement on Tuesday night, the sheriff's department said it respected the Second Amendment, and believed that despite "significant staffing shortages" its practices haven't deprived individuals of their rights. The department said it has issued more than 5,000 concealed carry permits in 2025, including 2,722 new applications, and is issuing permits "at a significantly increased rate, contrary to the statistics and information cited" in the complaint. LONG WAITS While Republican PresidentDonald Trump's administration is regularly at odds with California officials and has a broad view of Second Amendment gun rights, Tuesday's lawsuit focuses more on bureaucratic issues than on policy differences. According to the complaint, the Los Angeles sheriff's department received 3,982 applications for new concealed carry licenses between January 2024 and March 2025 but approved just two. Los Angeles County had about 9.7 million people in 2023. The complaint also said the average wait time to start processing applications is 281 days, violating a California law requiring initial reviews within 90 days. Some applications sit as long as 1,030 days, or about 34 months, it said. Lawyers in the Justice Department's civil rights division and the office of U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli in Los Angeles began investigating the sheriff's department in March. Their lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction requiring the sheriff's department to issue concealed carry licenses in a timely manner, and in compliance with the law. The case is U.S. v. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 25-09323. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Franklin Paul, Edmund Klamann and Lincoln Feast.)

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September 30, 2025

US sues Los Angeles sheriff's department, saying it slow-walks gun licenses

US sues Los Angeles sheriff's department, saying it slow-walks gun licenses By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) -The U.S. government sued the...

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Trump calls for using US cities as a 'training ground' for military in unusual speech to generals

Trump calls for using US cities as a 'training ground' for military in unusual speech to generals

QUANTICO, Va. (AP) —President Donald Trumpon Tuesday proposed using American cities as training grounds for the armed forces and spoke of needing U.S. military might to combat what he called the "invasion from within." Addressing anaudience of military brassabruptly summoned to Virginia,Donald Trumpoutlined a muscular and at times norm-shattering view of the military's role in domestic affairs. He was joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth,who declaredan end to "woke" culture and announced new directives for troops that include "gender-neutral" or"male-level" standardsfor physical fitness. The dual messages underscored the Trump administration's efforts not only to reshape contemporary Pentagon culture but to enlist military resources for the president's priorities and for decidedly domestic purposes, including quelling unrest and violent crime. "We should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military," Trump said. He noted at another point: "We're under invasion from within. No different than a foreign enemy but more difficult in many ways because they don't wear uniforms." After calling hundreds of military leaders and their top advisers from around the world to the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Hegseth largely focused on long-used talking points that painted a picture of a militaryhamstrung by "woke" policies. He said military leaders should "do the honorable thing and resign" if they don't like his new approach. Though meetings between military brass and civilian leaders are nothing new, this gathering had fueled intense speculation about its purpose given the haste with which it was called and the mystery surrounding it. The fact that admirals and generals from conflict zones were summoned for a lecture on race and gender in the military showed the extent to which the country's culture wars have become a front-and-center agenda item for Hegseth's Pentagon, even at a time of broad national security concerns across the globe. 'We will not be politically correct' Trump is accustomed to boisterous crowds of supporters who laugh at his jokes and applaud his boasting. But he wasn't getting that kind of soundtrack from the military leaders in attendance. In keeping with the nonpartisan tradition of the armed services, the military leaders sat mostly stone-faced throughTrump's politicized remarks, a contrast from when rank-and-file soldiers cheered during Trump'sspeech at Fort Braggthis summer. Trump encouraged the audience at the outset of his speech to applaud as they wished. He then added, "If you don't like what I'm saying, you can leave the room — of course, there goes your rank, there goes your future." Some laughed. Before Trump took the stage, Hegseth said in his nearly hourlong speech that the military has promoted too many leaders for the wrong reasons, based on race, gender quotas and "historic firsts." "The era of politically correct, overly sensitive don't-hurt-anyone's-feelings leadership ends right now at every level," Hegseth said. That was echoed by Trump: "The purposes of America military is not to protect anyone's feelings. It's to protect our republic.″ ″We will not be politically correct when it comes to defending American freedom," Trump said. Several military officials and rank-and-file troops, who all spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation, said they were unsure how the remarks from Trump and Hegseth would affect their daily lives in the service. Some expressed concerns over the framing of domestic unrest as a war, while some also said they found Hegseth's message appealing about more closely adhering to fitness standards and cutting out unnecessary training. Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the meeting "an expensive, dangerous dereliction of leadership." "Even more troubling was Mr. Hegseth's ultimatum to America's senior officers: conform to his political worldview or step aside," Reed said in a statement, calling it a "profoundly dangerous" demand. Trump's u se of the military on American soil Trump has already tested the limits of a nearly 150-year-old federal law,the Posse Comitatus Act, that restricts the military's role in law enforcement. He has sent National Guard andactive duty Marines to Los Angeles, threatened to do the same to combat crime and illegalimmigrationinother Democratic-led cities, and surgedtroops to the U.S.-Mexico border. National Guard members are generally exempt from the law because they're under state control. Butthe law does applywhen they're "federalized" and put under the president's control, as happened in LA over the Democratic governor's objections. Trump said the armed forces also should focus on the Western Hemisphere, boasting about carrying outmilitary strikes on boats in the Caribbeanthat he says targeted drug traffickers. Loosening disciplinary rules Hegseth said he's easing disciplinary rules and weakening hazing protections, focusing on removing many of the guardrails the military put in place after numerous scandals and investigations. He also said he was ordering a review of "the department's definitions of so-called toxic leadership, bullying and hazing to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second guessing." He called for changes to "allow leaders with forgivable, earnest or minor infractions to not be encumbered by those infractions in perpetuity." "People make honest mistakes, and our mistakes should not define an entire career," Hegseth said. Bullying and toxic leadership have been the suspected and confirmed causes behind numerous military suicides over the past several years, including of Brandon Caserta, a young sailor who was bullied into killing himself in 2018. Gender-neutral physical standards Hegseth used the platform to slam environmental policies and transgender troops. The Pentagon has been told from previous administrations that "our diversity is our strength," Hegseth said, calling that an "insane fallacy." Hegseth said the military would ensure "every designated combat arms position returns to the highest male standard." He's previouslyissued directives for gender-neutral physical standards, even though specific combat, special operations, infantry, armor, pararescue and other jobs alreadyrequire the same standardsregardless of age or gender. The military services were trying to determine next steps and what, if anything, may need to change. Hegseth said it is not about preventing women from serving. "If women can make it, excellent; if not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it," he said. "That is not the intent, but it could be the result." Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican who served in the Iraq War, said Hegseth was "appropriate" in suggesting that women should be expected to meet certain standards. "I'm not worried about that," Ernst said. "There should be a same set of standards for combat arms." Janessa Goldbeck, who served in the Marines and is now CEO of the Vet Voice Foundation, said Hegseth's speech was more about "stoking grievance than strengthening the force." Hegseth "has a cartoonish, 1980s, comic-book idea of toughness he's never outgrown," she said. "Instead of focusing on what actually improves force readiness, he continues to waste time and taxpayer dollars on He-Man culture-war theatrics." Hegseth's speech came as the country faces a potentialgovernment shutdownthis week and as he has taken several unusual and unexplained actions, includingordering cutsto the number of general officers andfirings of other top military leaders. ___ Finley and Toropin reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Chris Megerian, Adriana Gomez Licon, Ali Swenson and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

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September 30, 2025

Trump calls for using US cities as a 'training ground' for military in unusual speech to generals

Trump calls for using US cities as a 'training ground' for military in unusual speech to generals QUANTICO, Va. (AP) —President Dona...

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Hegseth slams 'fat generals,' says US officers should resign if they don't support his agenda

Hegseth slams 'fat generals,' says US officers should resign if they don't support his agenda

By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth slammed "fat generals" and diversity initiatives that he said led to decades of decay in the military and told a rare gathering of commanders on Tuesday they should resign if they do not support his agenda. Joining Hegseth was U.S.President Donald Trump, who gave an on-camera address to the assembled admirals and generals in Quantico, Virginia. Trump recommended using deployments to U.S. cities as "as training grounds for our military." The remarks by Hegseth, a former Fox News personality, and Trump, a former reality television star, had a made-for-TV element to them after top U.S. military officials were summoned on short notice last week to the impromptu event. "Foolish and reckless political leaders set the wrong compass heading and we lost our way. We became the 'Woke Department,'" Hegseth said as he kicked off the event. "But not anymore." Addressing an auditorium full of top brass who flew in from around the world, Hegseth defended his firings of flag officers, including the top U.S. general, who is Black, and the Navy's top admiral, who is a woman. He said the officers he relieved were part of a broken culture. He promised sweeping changes to how the Pentagon handles discrimination complaints and investigates accusations of wrongdoing. He said the current system has top brass walking on "egg shells." "If the words I'm speaking today are making your hearts sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign," Hegseth said. "I know the overwhelming majority of you feel the opposite. These words make your hearts full." Hegseth criticized the look of overweight troops, saying: "It's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon." He said all fitness tests would be set to male benchmarks only and emphasized the importance of grooming standards. "The era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos," Hegseth told the audience, which sat in silence. Democrats broadly condemned the event, which they said sought to drive partisan politics deep into the U.S. military. "It signals that partisan loyalty matters more than capability, judgment, or service to the Constitution, undermining the principle of a professional, nonpartisan military," said Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate's armed services committee. TRUMP TELLS COMMANDERS: I HAVE YOUR BACKS Trump, as he departed for the event from the White House, told reporters on Tuesday that he would fire military leaders on the spot if he did not like them. Trump then opened with a joke as he took the stage for a speech that lasted more than an hour, saying: "If you don't like what I'm saying, you can leave the room. Of course, there goes your rank, there goes your future." But he then spoke warmly of the military, in sometimes-wandering remarks that touched on issues like the prowess of U.S. nuclear submarines but also included fierce criticism of the media, former President Joe Biden and Venezuela. He echoed Hegseth when he turned his attention to his opposition to diversity initiatives. "Merit. Everything's based on merit. You're all based on merit. We're not going to have somebody taking your place for political reasons, because they are politically correct and you're not," Trump said. "I am with you. I support you, and as president, I have your backs 100%," Trump said. The auditorium was filled with uniformed officials, seated in front of a stage with a large American flag, a lectern and boards that read: "Strength. Service. America." As Trump spoke, several officers sat looking expressionless, and the room was far quieter than the crowds at Trump's usual gatherings. A naval officer took notes. After his speech, Trump departed the auditorium and there did not appear to be any one-on-one meeting with the assembled military leaders. The U.S. military is meant to be apolitical, loyal to the U.S. Constitution and independent of any party or political movement. That creates pressure on the commanders to avoid reacting to overtly political comments, by Trump or Hegseth. It is unclear how much the event cost. Last week, Hegseth ordered military leaders to fly in from around the world for the gathering, just ahead of a potential government shutdown.. REVAMP OF DEFENSE PRIORITIES? The Pentagon has undergone eight months of blistering changes since Trump took office, including firings, banning books from academy libraries and ordering lethal strikes on suspected drug boats off Venezuela. "If you try to poison our people, we will blow you out of existence," Trump told the audience. Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense the "Department of War," a change that will require congressional approval. The administration has announced a plan to send National Guard deployments to Chicago, the latest U.S. city where Trump aims to deploy U.S. troops despite objections from local authorities. Trump announced plans to send National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, over the weekend and sent Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles earlier this year, despite protests from local officials. "I told Pete, we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military. National Guard, but our military," Trump said, referring to Hegseth. He acknowledged discomfort among his opponents for deploying the military on U.S. streets, but said America was in the grips of what he described as a war from within waged by immigrants in the country illegally who his administration is seeking to deport. "America is under invasion from within. We're under invasion from within, no different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways, because they don't wear uniforms," Trump said. That triggered a sharp reaction from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat. "Anyone who talks about their fellow Americans as enemies to be 'taken out' is not fit to lead the nation," Pritzker said on X. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; additional reporting by Katharine Jackson, Doina Chiacu, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Jeff Mason and Susan Heavey; Editing by Howard Goller, Alistair Bell and David Gregorio)

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September 30, 2025

Hegseth slams 'fat generals,' says US officers should resign if they don't support his agenda

Hegseth slams 'fat generals,' says US officers should resign if they don't support his agenda By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WA...

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Pelicans' trip to Australia for preseason games is a first for the NBA

Pelicans' trip to Australia for preseason games is a first for the NBA

Australia has seen plenty of its players in the NBA over the years: Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Andrew Bogut, Ben Simmons, Luc Longley, Matthew Dellavedova and Josh Giddey, to name a few. Kyrie Irving was born there as well. And now, an NBA team is going to play Down Under. The New Orleans Pelicans made the nearly 10,000-mile trip this week for a pair of games — first Friday against Melbourne United, then Sunday against the South East Melbourne Phoenix. Both of those clubs are from Australia's top league, the NBL. The Pelicans arrived in Melbourne on Tuesday. There's a historical aspect, in being the first NBA team to go to Australia, and there's also a slew of other perks that can bring a team together on such a trip, Pelicans coach Willie Green said. NBA players have competed in Australia before, including on United States teams during the 2000 Sydney Olympics and ahead of the 2019 Basketball World Cup, but this is the first time a franchise has traveled there together. "This is a great bonding opportunity for all of our guys," Green said. "We're excited about interacting with the fans in Australia. For many of us, it's our first time in Australia. They're super excited. We're going to really get a good look at our guys, get some dinners together, do some fan engagements and come out of this stronger." A pair of Hall of Famers, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, planned to appear at the games. An open practice, a fan night, a Junior NBA clinic for 50 Australian kids and more activities are planned, with the Pelicans expected back in New Orleans late Sunday night. "I've never been to Australia before, so this is a personal bucket list travel experience," forward Trey Murphy said. "I get to make this trip with some of my best friends and play basketball. It's something I love, and I'm really excited about that. This is a game you play as a child, and it's taking me and my teammates all across the globe." These games will be Murphy's first since his 2024-25 season ended prematurely because of injury. "It's great to be back on the court with my brothers and get this show started," Murphy said. These games are among eight in international locales during the NBA preseason. Philadelphia and New York play Thursday and Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Orlando and Miami open their preseasons on Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Denver and Toronto play Monday in Vancouver, and on Oct. 10 and 12, Phoenix and Brooklyn will play in Macao, China — the league's first time playing in that country since 2019. There are also a number of U.S. cities that don't have NBA teams hosting preseason games, including San Diego; Palm Desert, California; Oceanside, California; North Charleston, South Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas; Birmingham, Alabama; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Las Vegas. Talks about the Pelicans' trip to Melbourne began when Dyson Daniels — an Australian product — was playing for the club. He was traded to Atlanta in the deal that sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans in 2024, but the Pelicans saw plenty of value in making the trip to Australia regardless. "Any time we get an opportunity to use the platform that we've been blessed to have and impact other people, especially by going to different countries, it's an honor, really," Green said. "Credit to the NBA, credit to our organization, all the folks in Australia. Because to put this on, it takes a lot. It just goes to show you the reach of the NBA and how global the game has become. So, we're grateful to have this opportunity." ___ AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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September 30, 2025

Pelicans' trip to Australia for preseason games is a first for the NBA

Pelicans' trip to Australia for preseason games is a first for the NBA Australia has seen plenty of its players in the NBA over the year...

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Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill has season-ending knee surgery

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill has season-ending knee surgery

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill underwent a "major knee procedure" Tuesday to repair his torn ACL and other ligament damage, coach Mike McDaniel confirmed. Hill will miss at least the rest of the 2025 season after dislocating his left knee and suffering the ligament tears during Monday's 27-21 victory over the New York Jets. McDaniel told reporters that he had heard "good things" about any nerve damage to Hill's knee and said the eight-time Pro Bowler may not need more surgeries beyond Tuesday. "It hasn't been deemed to be anything beyond this surgery and we're very hopeful for it to turn out well," McDaniel said. "But no, it hasn't been explained (that multiple surgeries are) an absolute necessity. It's just executing this procedure and seeing what happens from there." Hill was injured when he caught a 10-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa near the New York sideline with 13:21 left in the third quarter. His leg twisted awkwardly as he was going out of bounds, and Hill immediately grabbed for the knee. While being carted off with an air cast on his leg, Hill forcefully clapped his hands several times, smiled and laughed in response to the crowd. "He was probably in the best spirits of any player that I've ever -- it's just such a terrible experience when you go out and see guys when they have issues like that," McDaniel said immediately after the game. "But he immediately had wide eyes and was talking, 'I'm good. Just make sure the guys get this win.' He was focused on the team." Those high spirits continued Tuesday, when Hill posted a video to social media showing him in a hospital bed before his surgery. "Keep your boy in your prayers," Hill said. "You guys have been awesome, man. Fins Nation, just the whole entire NFL has been amazing, sending me lots of love, lots of prayers. I'm absolutely honored." Hill, 31, had six receptions for 67 yards before exiting. He has 21 receptions for 265 yards and one touchdown in four games this season. Hill is in his fourth season with the Dolphins after playing his first six campaigns with the Chiefs. Hill helped Kansas City win the Super Bowl after the 2019 season. He is a five-time first-team All-Pro who was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-2010s Team as a punt returner. --Field Level Media

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September 30, 2025

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill has season-ending knee surgery

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill has season-ending knee surgery Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill underwent a "major knee procedure"...

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