Comey Case Tossed, Pressure Escalates on U.S. Action in Venezuela, Holiday Travel Surges, Fast Food Customer Shift, New Fire Rebuild Portal

Headlines From The Times

L.A. Times Studios

News, Daily News, Society & Culture, The Times, California

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🗓️ 26 November 2025

⏱️ 9 minutes

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Summary

A federal judge throws out criminal cases against James Comey and Letitia James after ruling the prosecutor was illegally appointed, prompting an immediate DOJ appeal. The White House faces escalating questions over potential military action in Venezuela as U.S. forces build up near the region and new terrorism allegations target President Maduro. Thanksgiving travel reaches record levels, with airlines and the FAA preparing for the busiest holiday rush in years. In business, fast-food chains are losing low-income customers as prices rise and families struggle with higher living costs, and fire survivors in California gain access to a new AI-powered rebuilding portal designed to streamline construction and reduce costs.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an L.A. Times Studios podcast.
0:09.0	Hi, I'm Faith Pino, and you're listening to Headlines from L.A. Times Studios.
0:14.0	Here are some of today's top stories from the Los Angeles Times.
0:17.8	A federal judge dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI director James Comey
0:23.5	and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Judge Cameron McGowan Curry ruled Monday that
0:29.4	Lindsay Halligan, the prosecutor who secured the indictments, was illegally appointed. According to
0:36.0	Eric Tucker, Halligan was installed as interim U.S. attorney in Virginia,
0:40.9	despite having no prosecution experience.
0:44.0	It came just days after the Trump administration
0:46.6	pushed out her predecessor,
0:48.5	who refused to bring charges against Comey or James.
0:52.3	Now, Curry says, Halligan's appointment violated federal law and that anything
0:57.2	she did in the role, including the grand jury indictments, is void. The dismissals don't address
1:03.4	the actual allegations against Comey or James. They focus entirely on the process, which their defense
1:10.5	attorney said was an obvious attempt to bypass the rules and install a Trump loyalist.
1:16.6	But the White House says the fight isn't over yet. Let's listen to what press secretary Caroline Levitt told reporters Monday.
1:23.6	No, because Lindsey Callaghan was legally appointed and that's the administration's position.
1:29.3	I know there was a judge who is clearly trying to shield Letitia James and James Comey from receiving accountability.
1:37.3	And that's why they took this unprecedented action to throw away the indictments against these two individuals.
1:43.3	But the Department of Justice will be appealing
1:45.3	very soon. And it is our position that Lindsay Halligan is extremely qualified for this position,
1:50.1	but more importantly, was legally appointed to it. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed
	...

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