Robert S. Mueller III, shown in 2019 when he was the special counsel investigating Russia’s ties to Donald Trump’s campaign, has died at 81. His 448-page report released in April 2019 identified substantial contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia but did not allege a criminal conspiracy. The outcome of the Mueller investigation also left room for Atty. But there were many successes as well, including thwarted terrorism plots and headline-making criminal cases like the one against corporate fraudster Bernie Madoff. Mueller was driven by a career-long passion for the painstaking work of building successful criminal cases.

A record-breaking heat wave is scalding California, with major consequences for the state’s most important reservoir: its snowpack. Conflicting roles for reservoirsMany of California’s reservoirs serve a dual role: stoppering flood flows and storing water for drier times ahead. But early snowmelt is complicating efforts to store that water. Improved forecasts after a major missEven as California suffers record heat and early snowmelt, the state is better prepared than in the past. “Things have substantially improved,” said Andrew Schwartz, director of UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, in an email to CalMatters.

TEL AVIV– President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran’s power plants if the country does not fully open the Strait of Hormuz by Monday, escalating his attempts to force Iran to reopen the waterway as energy prices surge. Iran’s escalating strikes on energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf have also been stoking fears of a full-blown energy crisis. Human rights groups said more than two dozen people faced the death penalty in relation to the protests — and that potentially hundreds are facing charges. That is because Iran’s principal military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, “has the upper hand,” the cable said. Last year, Iran executed an estimated 1,500 people — double the amount of the previous year, according to the nonprofit Iran Human Rights.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, pictured in October 2024, has seized thousands of ballots for an investigation that California Atty. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is a leading Republican candidate for governor, has seized more than 650,000 ballots from last November’s election and is investigating whether they were fraudulently counted. Last fall, Proposition 50 passed in Riverside County with 56% of the vote — a margin of more than 82,000 ballots. AdvertisementA citizens group called the Riverside Election Integrity Team has said it performed an audit finding that 45,896 more ballots were counted than were cast. The sheriff, Bonta said, “has delayed, stonewalled, and otherwise refused to work with us in good faith” and failed to provide most of the requested documents.

LOS ANGELES — Appearing in his 1,612th NBA regular-season game Saturday, LeBron James claimed the league's all-time record for games played, passing Hall of Famer Robert Parish. The 41-year-old James started for the Lakers against the Orlando Magic on Thursday with the Lakers currently on a season-best eight-game winning streak. With the Lakers (45-25) surging up the Western Conference standings to third place during this winning streak, James has averaged 20.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists on 64.6% shooting from the field during the last five games. Already playing his record 23rd NBA season, the NBA's all-time leading scorer has also moved up to first in all-time field goals made, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar this month. "He's got to be insane," Lakers guard Austin Reaves said when James tied Parish's record Thursday against the Miami Heat.

How relevant is this ad to you? Video player was slow to load content Video content never loaded Ad froze or did not finish loading Video content did not start after ad Audio on ad was too loud Other issues

President Donald Trump on Saturday cheered the death of Robert S. Mueller III, a towering figure in federal law enforcement whom the president viewed as a leading antagonist and the face of efforts to undermine his presidency. Good, I’m glad he’s dead,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. The open celebration of Mueller’s demise fits a pattern for the president, whose instinct for bombast does not yield, even in death. Trump has sought to reduce Mueller in public memory to his last major role — and worked to discredit him. Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio) said Saturday on X that he respected Mueller’s longtime service to the country “no matter how controversial the Mueller investigation was.”

The Green Party's 2025 alternative budget proposed a wealth tax and a 33 percent inheritance tax. The IMF's 2025 Article IV mission explicitly recommended New Zealand consider a comprehensive capital gains tax and a land value tax. Or more specifically, the great wealth transfer may just be a transfer to the tax collector. The question worth askingThe Great Wealth Transfer makes for a compelling headline, and sure, some families will pass on meaningful inheritances. Become Wealth provides financial advisory and investment management services to clients, some of whom may be planning for intergenerational wealth transfer.

Stand With UsPresident Trump has called news coverage of the Iran war “criminal” and “unpatriotic,” while his FCC chairman threatens broadcasters’ licenses. Support journalism that holds power accountable. Become a HuffPost member today. Already a member? Log in to hide these messages.

Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, pictured in 2023, was pulled over by school police earlier this month. Instead, it was an officer from the L.A. Unified School District police, who began trailing him while he was heading to work on the freeway, Harris-Dawson said recently. Harris-Dawson said he did contact other people during the traffic stop, to ensure he had real-time witnesses. At the meeting where Harris-Dawson revealed he had been pulled over, two council committees were discussing next steps on the issue. The group also backed several newcomers: Marissa Roy for city attorney, Zach Sokoloff for city controller and council candidates Barri Worth Girvan and Jose Ugarte.

President Donald Trump announced that the United States and Israel had launched an attack on Iran on Feb. 28 — and the president was seen wearing a baseball cap. The (for better or worse) "iconic" slogan hats serve as "walking headlines" for Trump's branding, Chan notes. Chan also sees the power of Trump brandishing the “dual identity” he is portraying to his supporters. In 1997, photographs of him wearing a baseball cap attracted widespread ridicule because it appeared out of sync with expectations of leadership authority,” Chan said. I’m always like ‘How is he getting away with this?’”The ways Trump wears his hats in different contexts are also notable.

›The 31st annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books will take place April 18-19 at the University of Southern California, featuring over 550 writers and 350 exhibitors. The festival will also debut an Audiobook and Podcast Stage presented by Spotify and expanded programming for the romance and fantasy genres. Why it mattersThe LA Times Festival of Books is one of the largest and most prestigious literary events in the country, drawing thousands of book lovers, authors, and industry professionals to Los Angeles each year. The detailsThe 31st annual Festival of Books will take place over two days at the University of Southern California campus. ›What’s nextTickets for "Friend of the Festival" packages and select Bovard Auditorium events are currently on sale, while general admission to the festival remains free.

Bodycam shows Justin Timberlake sobriety testBodycam video released by the Sag Harbor Police Department shows Justin Timberlake struggling to perform sobriety tests when he was pulled over in 2024. "I'm a little nervous," Timberlake said to the officers as he tried to walk a straight line. The pop star had filed a petition to block the release of the arrest footage. CNN has reached out to Timberlake's attorney for comment.

“Delta didn’t tell us to be here any earlier than the two to three hours recommendation,” British traveler Lee George Bond told CNN. Travelers wait in line at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, on Friday. It is unclear what function the ICE agents would perform since they’re not trained in airport security screening. On Friday, more than half of TSA workers called out at Houston’s William P. Hobby International Airport. “Landing this job, I felt like I finally had that at one point,” she told CNN.

How relevant is this ad to you? Video player was slow to load content Video content never loaded Ad froze or did not finish loading Video content did not start after ad Audio on ad was too loud Other issues