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INDIO, Calif. — A Riverside County criminal grand jury indicted the longtime mayor of Coachella on nine counts, including one felony charge of violating conflict of interest rules related to government contracts and four felony counts of perjury.

Steven Hernandez, 42, who has served on the Coachella City Council for nearly two decades, pleaded not guilty Thursday morning at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Hernandez was a rising politician in Riverside County and Coachella, an agricultural city of 42,500 people about 130 miles southeast of Los Angeles. If convicted as charged, Hernandez would be barred from public office for life and face more than seven years in state prison, according to Riverside County Dist. Atty. Mike Hestrin.

Hernandez was raised in Coachella by his grandparents, who were migrant farmworkers. He was first elected to the council in 2006, becoming an integral part of a powerful group of Latino politicians in the valley east of Palm Springs. Under his leadership, the city made major infrastructure investments in its downtown, including an expanded library, a new senior center and a new fire station.

But Hernandez allegedly benefited from some of the votes he cast from the dais, catching the attention of the Riverside County District Attorney’s office.

The indictment, unsealed Thursday, charges Hernandez with several misdemeanors for using his role as a public official to influence governmental decisions in which he had a financial interest. Among those were votes, cast between 2021 and 2023, to use pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act funds to rehabilitate the downtown fire station, as well as votes on a commercial project known as Fountainhead Plaza, an affordable apartment community called the Tripoli Mixed-Use project, and a transit hub near downtown.

It also charges Hernandez with a felony for “willfully and unlawfully” approving a contract in which he had a financial interest when when he voted for an agreement between the city and the Coachella Valley Assn. of Governments’ Housing First program, which serves chronically homeless people.

An Assn. of Governments spokesperson said the organization has fully cooperated with the district attorney’s office and grand jury and “there has never been an implication from investigators that the investigation had anything to do with actions by elected officials serving in their CVAG capacity.”

The perjury charges relate to claims made by Hernandez on his Statement of Economic Interests public disclosure forms, also known as the Form 700, the district attorney said.

The indictment named 13 witnesses who testified before the criminal grand jury, including a city council member, the city’s economic development director, a former council member and a former city manager.

Hernandez will remain mayor of Coachella “until otherwise notified,” according to city spokesperson Risseth Lora.

Along with serving on the city council, Hernandez works as the chief of staff for Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. He was placed on “indefinite administrative leave” from the county, Perez said in a statement Wednesday, adding: “Although we are still waiting on more details, it’s our understanding that the charges are unrelated to his role in our office.”

Hernandez surrendered to Riverside County Sheriff officials at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on Tuesday and posted $112,500 bail. He appeared before Riverside County Superior Court Judge John J. Ryan on Thursday morning. Wearing a navy suit, he clasped his hands behind his back as his attorney entered the plea.

He donned sunglasses as he left the courtroom.

This article is part of The Times’ equity reporting initiative, funded by the James Irvine Foundation, exploring the challenges facing low-income workers and the efforts being made to address California’s economic divide.

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WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is ending the federal government’s annual report on hunger in America, stating that it had become “overly politicized” and “rife with inaccuracies.”

The decision comes 2½ months after President Trump signed legislation sharply reducing food aid to the poor. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the tax and spending cuts bill Republicans adopted in July means 3 million people would not qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps.

The decision to scrap the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Household Food Security Report was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

In a news release Saturday, the USDA said the 2024 report, to be released Oct. 22, would be the last.

“The questions used to collect the data are entirely subjective and do not present an accurate picture of actual food security,” the USDA said. ”The data is rife with inaccuracies slanted to create a narrative that is not representative of what is actually happening in the countryside as we are currently experiencing lower poverty rates, increasing wages, and job growth under the Trump Administration.’’

The Census Bureau reported earlier this month that the U.S. poverty rate dipped from 11% in 2023 to 10.6% last year, before Trump took office.

Critics accused the administration of deliberately making it harder to measure hunger and assess the impact of its cuts to food stamps.

“Trump is cancelling an annual government survey that measures hunger in America, rather than allow it to show hunger increasing under his tenure,” Bobby Kogan, senior director of federal budget policy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said on social media. “This follows the playbook of many non-democracies that cancel or manipulate reports that would otherwise show less-than-perfect news.”

Wiseman writes for the Associated Press.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris (pictured in Washington, D.C., in October 2024) called Friday’s agreements between the U.K. and Irish governments a “night and day” improvement over the 2023 Legacy Act, which granted amnesty to British military veterans for killings during The Troubles. File Photo by Ron Sachs/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 19 (UPI) — The U.K. government will replace its controversial Northern Ireland Legacy and Reconciliation Act of 2023 with new laws to address killings that occurred during The Troubles era.

Representatives of the U.K. and Irish governments on Friday reached agreements on several proposals that are intended to address losses suffered by Irish families, the BBC reported.

Among points of contention is the 2023 Legacy Act that was approved by the U.K. government and provides amnesty for British military veterans for killings that occurred during The Troubles era.

A new commission and a dedicated unit within the Irish police force will investigate killings that occurred during The Troubles era in Northern Ireland to resolve decades-old cases.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris called Friday’s agreements a “night and day improvement” over the Legacy Act, The Guardian reported.

Harris is among Irish officials who are to make public the agreements and other proposals to address The Troubles and related killings.

The agreements reached on Friday will not end an active interstate case filed by the Irish government in the wake of the Legacy Act’s approval in 2023.

Some British military leaders criticized the agreements for making elderly veterans vulnerable to potential prosecution.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the agreements must be “victim-centered” and comply with human rights law to be accepted, according to the BBC.

The Troubles era refers to centuries-old conflicts in Northern Ireland that culminated in a 30-year conflict from the late 1960s until the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, according to the Imperial War Museums.

The agreement ended fighting that pitted the British military and many Protestants in Northern Ireland against the Irish Republican Army, other paramilitary forces and many Irish Catholics, who wanted to establish an independent Irish state.

The Troubles included many bombings and street fighting that caused the deaths of thousands of Irish civilians until the 1998 cease-fire agreement.

The conflict had its roots in the early 17th century, when Protestants from Scotland and northern England first settled in what would become Northern Ireland.

FAILED asylum seekers and foreign offenders are being left in Britain for up to a year because their governments are dragging their feet over travel papers, a Home Office file reveals.

The official guide, published by the department, shows deportations are crippled by delays from overseas embassies.

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Egypt, Guinea and Burkina Faso are among the worst offenders — taking six to 12 months to issue the documents needed to put its citizens on a plane home.

By contrast, Italy, Belgium and Sri Lanka can turn the paperwork around in less than two weeks, while India averages one month.

But the file also shows no reliable timescale is available at all for dozens of countries — leaving removals at the mercy of slow or unpredictable foreign bureaucracies.

The delays mean some migrants remain in Britain long after their claims have failed, with taxpayers footing the bill for hotel rooms, benefits and legal fees while they wait.

Yesterday, fed-up protesters raised St George’s Cross and Union flags outside some of the 210 hotels being used to house migrants — as PM Sir Keir Starmer announced plans to overhaul the failing asylum system.

Among those targeted was the Castle Bromwich Holiday Inn in Birmingham.

Outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, East London, a group of protesters gathered with one holding a banner that read: “Enough is enough protect our women and girls.”

Another said: “Tower Hamlets council house homeless Brits first.”

There were also protests outside the Holiday Inn in Solihull, West Midlands, and the Manchester South Hotel.

At least 15 people were arrested at protests relating to migrant hotels on Saturday.

Following the release of the Home Office file, Reform UK demanded ministers get tough.

Deputy party leader Richard Tice said: “Foreign countries know Starmer’s Britain is a pushover, so it’s no wonder they are dragging their feet when it comes to accepting deportations.

“Britain needs to start using its diplomatic and economic power.

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“Countries that refuse to take their criminals back should not get off scot-free but instead face serious sanctions.

“Unfortunately, with this meek Labour Government, we will continue to be seen as a meek nation on the global stage.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp also hit out, saying: “Countries that do not fully and promptly co-operate should suffer visa sanctions — where we don’t give visas to citizens of those countries to come here.

‘TOO WEAK’

“Then, they would pretty soon fall into line.

“The legal power exists to do that but this Labour Government is too weak to use it.”

There is currently a 106,000-strong backlog of asylum claim cases, including at least 51,000 appeals.

Last week, official statistics showed a record 111,000 people applied for asylum in the UK during the first year of Labour coming to power.

The Government has said its latest plans would introduce independent panels to hear appeal cases to speed up the process and deport failed asylum seekers quicker.

A new commission will prioritise cases of those living in costly asylum hotels and foreign national offenders.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We cannot carry on with these completely unacceptable delays in appeals as a result of the system we have inherited, which mean that failed asylum seekers stay in the system for years on end at huge cost to the taxpayer.”

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She added: “Overhauling the appeals system so that it is swift, fair and independent, with high standards in place, is a central part of our Plan for Change.”

But the new scheme could take months to implement and record numbers of people continue to cross the Channel on small boats.

Tory Mr Philp said: “The Government is too weak to do what’s really needed — such as repeal the Human Rights Act for all immigration matters and deport all illegal immigrants immediately upon arrival.”

The Home Office said: “For some countries receiving returnees from the UK, establishing their identities and nationalities can take time.

“Where that is the case, we work with their respective governments closely to drive timings down to the minimum possible.”

Baharav-Miara at loggerheads with PM Netanyahu over corruption charges, his ‘judicial coup’, and sacking of Shin Bet chief.

The High Court of Israel has issued a temporary order freezing an attempt by the government to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, in the latest instance of the far-right coalition closing ranks.

The court’s decision on Monday came immediately after the Israeli cabinet voted unanimously to fire Baharav-Miara, the country’s most senior legal official, who has been leading the prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his corruption trial.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin announced the cabinet’s decision and addressed a letter to Baharav-Miara saying she “should not try to impose herself on a government that has no trust in her and cannot work with her effectively”.

However, immediately after the decision, opposition party Yesh Atid and activist groups filed urgent petitions to Israel’s High Court seeking to halt the dismissal.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a prominent watchdog group, cited the conflict of interest over Netanyahu’s corruption trial and said the dismissal effectively turned the role of attorney general into a “political appointment”.

In response, the court issued an injunction suspending the decision, clarifying that the government could not strip Baharav-Miara of her authority or name a replacement until further review, with a court hearing set to take place within 30 days.

Immediately after the court ruling, hardline Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi vowed on X not to obey the court order, declaring it “invalid”.

“A replacement for her must be appointed immediately!” he said. “We obey the law! We say to the High Court – no!”

 

Escalating tensions

Baharav-Miara has been at loggerheads with the government since it took office, with tensions escalating over the government’s divisive judicial reform package, which was first unveiled in 2023, sparking major street protests.

Back in March, the Israeli cabinet had passed a vote of no confidence against Baharav-Miara. Netanyahu’s office accused the legal official of “inappropriate behaviour”, claiming that her “ongoing substantial differences of opinion” with the government prevented “effective collaboration”.

The attorney general had refuted the claims and said the vote of no confidence was aimed at gaining “limitless power, as part of a wider move to weaken the judicial branch” and to “promote loyalty to the government”.

Days later, the Israeli parliament passed a key component of the plans, which critics have branded as a “judicial coup”, effectively giving politicians more power over the appointments of judges, including Supreme Court justices.

Baharav-Miara had also challenged the legality of Netanyahu’s attempt to fire Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet security agency, which the Supreme Court declared “unlawful”.

Bar, who stepped down from his role when his term ended in June, had been conducting a probe into alleged ties between the prime minister’s close aides and Qatar, a case known in the Israeli press as “Qatargate”.

The former Shin Bet head had also refused to sign off on a security request aimed at relieving Netanyahu from testifying at his ongoing corruption trial in which he faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of public trust.

 

BEIRUT — A U.S. envoy said Monday he was satisfied with the Lebanese government’s response to a proposal to disarm the militant Hezbollah group, adding that Washington is ready to help the small nation emerge from its long-running political and economic crisis.

The U.S. envoy to Lebanon, Tom Barrack, spoke to journalists after meeting President Joseph Aoun, saying he will study the government’s seven-page response. Barrack said the American and Lebanese sides are committed “to get a resolution.”

“What the government gave us was something spectacular in a very short period of time and a very complicated manner,” Barrack said during his 20-minute news conference at the presidential palace southeast of Beirut.

His meetings in Lebanon came amid fears that Hezbollah’s refusal to immediately disarm would renew war with Israel after a shaky ceasefire agreement went into effect in November.

Last month, Barrack gave Lebanese officials a proposal that aims to disarm Hezbollah and move on with some economic reforms to try get Lebanon out of its nearly six-year economic crisis, the worst in its modern history. The economic meltdown is rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by Lebanon’s political class.

Barrack said Lebanon should change in the same way Syria has following the fall in December of Syrian President Bashar Assad,who was replaced by a new leadership that is moving ahead with major economic reforms.

Barrack said President Trump and the U.S. are ready to help Lebanon change and “if you don’t want change, it’s no problem. The rest of the region is moving at high speed,” he said.

Hezbollah’s weapons have been one of the principal sticking points since Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation. The two sides fought a destructive war in 2006 that ended in a draw.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began a day after the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel and intensified in September, leaving the Iran-backed group badly bruised and much of its political and military leadership dead.

Since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect in November, Hezbollah has almost ended all its military presence along the border with Israel, which is insisting that the group disarms all over Lebanon. Aoun said Sunday that the number of Lebanese troops along the border with Israel will increase to 10,000, adding that only Lebanese soldiers and U.N. peacekeepers will be armed on the Lebanese side of the border.

On Sunday night, hours before Barrack arrived in Beirut, Israel’s air force carried out strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, wounding nine people, according to state media. The Israeli army said the airstrikes hit Hezbollah’s infrastructure, arms depots and missile launchers.

Earlier Sunday, Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem reiterated the militant group’s refusal to lay down its weapons before Israel withdraws from all of southern Lebanon and stops its airstrikes.

The Hezbollah-Israel war left over 4,000 people dead in Lebanon and caused destruction estimated at $11 billion. In Israel, 127 people, including 80 soldiers, were killed during the war.

Since the November ceasefire, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on different parts of Lebanon, killing about 250 people and injuring over 600. Israel is also still holding five strategic posts inside Lebanon that it refused to withdraw from earlier this year.

Chehayeb and Mroue write for the Associated Press.

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More than a dozen governments have condemned Israel after its forces fired in the direction of a diplomatic delegation near the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli army said its soldiers fired “warning shots” after the foreign diplomats, who included representatives of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Russia and China, deviated from a previously agreed-on route.

“[Israeli] soldiers operating in the area fired warning shots to distance them away,” Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

No one was injured in the incident.

Here are some of the reactions from political leaders to the incident:

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney

The Israeli ambassador has been summoned to Global Affairs to see the minister and explain. We expect a full investigation and we expect an immediate explanation of what happened. It’s totally unacceptable, it’s some of many things that are totally unacceptable that’s going on in the region.

UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Hamish Falconer

Today’s events in Jenin are unacceptable. I have spoken to our diplomats who were affected. Civilians must always be protected, and diplomats allowed to do their jobs. There must be a full investigation, and those responsible should be held accountable.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin

I am deeply shocked and horrified that the [Israeli forces] today opened fire on a group of diplomats visiting the town of Jenin. Thankfully, nobody was killed or injured.

I unreservedly condemn this aggressive, intimidatory and violent act. This is not and must never be a normal way to behave.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani

We ask the government of Israel to immediately clarify what happened. The threats against diplomats are unacceptable.

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp

Diplomats should be able to do their work, and threatening them is unacceptable. I have called the Dutch representative in the Palestinian territories and our ambassador to Israel and am relieved that the delegation is unharmed. We condemn the shooting, have requested clarification from the Israeli authorities and are considering further steps.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot

A visit to Jenin, in which one of our diplomats was participating, was fired upon by Israeli soldiers. This is unacceptable. The Israeli ambassador will be summoned to explain. Full support to our agents on site and their remarkable work in trying conditions.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen

This is a very serious and condemnable incident. I have spoken with the Finnish diplomat who was present at the situation. We demand an explanation from Israel about the situation.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen

It is unacceptable that Israel has fired shots near foreign diplomats. It has no place anywhere and is completely unacceptable.

The Danish head of mission in Ramallah was among the diplomats and is fortunately safe. In light of the seriousness of the situation, I have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the Israeli ambassador so that we can get an official explanation.

Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot

I was shocked to learn that the Israeli army opened fire on 20 diplomats today, including a Belgian colleague. Fortunately, he is fine. These diplomats were on an official visit to Jenin, coordinated with the Israeli army, in a convoy of 20 clearly recognisable vehicles. Belgium is asking Israel for a convincing explanation.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide

I condemn the attacks by [the Israeli military] against a group of diplomats in Jenin today. Diplomatic and consular staff enjoy a special status under international law and must be protected. These actions constitute a clear violation of international law and are deeply unacceptable.

Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Portugal condemns the attack by the Israeli army on the diplomatic delegation in the Jenin refugee camp, West Bank. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs … expressed its solidarity with the Portuguese ambassador who was part of the delegation and will take the appropriate diplomatic measures.

Germany’s Federal Foreign Office

The Federal Foreign Office strongly condemns this unprovoked fire. We can count ourselves lucky that nothing more serious occurred.

The group was travelling in the West Bank in the course of its diplomatic work and in coordination with the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli army. The role of diplomats as independent observers on the ground is indispensable and in no way represents a threat to Israeli security interests.

The Israeli government must immediately investigate the circumstances and respect the inviolability of diplomats.

Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs

Slovenia joins EU partners in condemning the gunfire that threatened foreign diplomats at Jenin camp.

Such intimidation violates the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and is utterly unacceptable. We expect a prompt, transparent Israeli investigation, full accountability and guarantees of safe, unhindered access for all diplomatic missions.

Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates

This is a clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and a crime that contravenes all diplomatic norms.

The Ministry’s official spokesperson, Ambassador Dr Sufyan Qudah, affirmed the kingdom’s absolute rejection and strong condemnation of this targeting, which constitutes a violation of diplomatic agreements and norms, particularly the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which defines the procedures and controls governing diplomatic work and grants immunities to diplomatic missions.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The state of Qatar strongly condemns the Israeli occupation forces for opening fire on an international diplomatic delegation during its visit to the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, and considered as a violation of international laws, conventions, and diplomatic norms.

Turkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

We condemn in the strongest terms the opening of fire by Israeli soldiers on a group of diplomats, including an official from the Turkish Consulate General in Jerusalem, during their visit to the city of Jenin.

This attack, which endangered the lives of diplomats, is yet another demonstration of Israel’s systematic disregard for international law and human rights. The targeting of diplomats constitutes a grave threat not only to individual safety but also to the mutual respect and trust that form the foundation of inter-state relations.

Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Arab Republic of Egypt emphasises its absolute rejection of this incident, which violates all diplomatic norms, and calls upon the Israeli side to provide the necessary clarifications regarding the circumstances of this incident.

Uruguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Israeli ambassador in Montevideo to clarify the incident.

Uruguay urges the Israeli government to investigate this incident and take the necessary measures to ensure the protection and allow the operations of diplomatic personnel accredited to the State of Palestine.

Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Israeli military justified the action by stating that the diplomatic delegation had invaded an ‘unauthorised area’. However, there is no record of this occurring or of any officer approaching the delegation to verbally warn them in a timely manner.

What happened violates the provisions of Article 29 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which establishes the inviolability of diplomatic agents. All States Parties to the aforementioned Convention, including Israel, are obliged to respect it.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will request the Israeli embassy in Mexico to provide the clarifications warranted by the case.