Tropical Storm Flossie strengthens; hurricane warning issued for coast

MEXICO CITY >> Tropical Storm Flossie continued to gain steam off Mexico’s southwestern Pacific coast on Monday afternoon and was projected to turn into a hurricane overnight. Meanwhile, the remnants of what was Tropical Storm Barry dumped rain on eastern Mexico.

Flossie strengthened with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. It was centered about 170 miles southwest of Zihuatanejo and was moving northwest at 12 mph.

Mexico’s government issued a tropical storm warning along the southwestern coast from Punta San Telmo to Playa Perula.

A tropical storm watch remained in effect for the southwest coast from Zihuatanejo to Cabo Corrientes. A watch means tropical storm conditions are possible in the area within two days.

Flossie is expected to rapidly intensify into a hurricane late Monday or early Tuesday, then skirt the coast for a few days. While its center is forecast to remain offshore, moderate rain was likely in parts of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco through early next week.

Feds sue L.A., claiming city refuses to cooperate on immigration

LOS ANGELES >> President Donald Trump’s administration filed suit Monday against Los Angeles, claiming the city is obstructing the enforcement of immigration laws and creating a lawless environment with its sanctuary policies that bar local police from sharing information on people without legal status.

The lawsuit in U.S. District Court says Los Angeles’ “ sanctuary city” ordinance hinders White House efforts to crack down on what it calls a “crisis of illegal immigration.” It is the latest in a string of lawsuits against so-called sanctuary jurisdictions — including New York,New Jersey and Colorado — that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

The Los Angeles policy bars city resources from being used for immigration enforcement. The court filing calls the city ordinance “illegal” and asks that it be blocked from being enforced.

Chad Mizelle, chief of staff for U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, said in announcing the latest lawsuit that the administration will not tolerate any interference with the federal government’s crackdown.

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, a co-author of the Los Angeles sanctuary law, said Monday that the city would do everything in its power to protect its residents.

Trump signs an executive order ending U.S. sanctions

WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday ending U.S. sanctions on Syria, following through on his promise to do so.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the move was designed to “promote and support the country’s path to stability and peace.” Sanctions will remain in place on ousted former President Bashar Assad, his top aides and family.

The executive order is meant to “end the country’s isolation from the international financial system, setting the stage for global commerce and galvanizing investments from its neighbors in the region, as well as from the United States,” Treasury’s acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brad Smith, told reporters on a call Monday morning to preview the administration’s action.

The White House posted the text of the order on X after the signing, which was not open to the press.

The U.S. granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions in May, which was a first step toward fulfilling the Republican president’s pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country shattered by 13 years of civil war.

Along with the lifting of economic sanctions, Monday’s executive order lifts the national emergency outlined in an executive order issued by former President George W. Bush in response to Syria’s occupation of Lebanon and pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, Treasury officials said. Five other previous executive orders related to Syria were also lifted.

Week of heavy rains, floods kills 46 people

PESHAWAR, Pakistan >> Nearly a week of heavy monsoon rains and flash floods across Pakistan has killed at least 46 people and injured dozens, officials said Monday.

The fatalities caused by abnormally strong downpours since Tuesday include 22 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 13 in eastern Punjab province, seven in southern Sindh, and four in southwestern Balochistan, the National Disaster Management Authority and provincial emergency officials said.

Virk said that forecasters cannot rule out a repeat of extreme weather like the devastating floods in 2022. Rains inundated a third of the country, killing 1,737 people and causing widespread destruction.

— Denver Post wire services