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Although both were invited, neither Sen. Alex Padilla nor Adam Schiff will join President Trump on his trip to Los Angeles County on Friday.Instead, both Democrats will remain in Washington, D.C., where nomination votes are on the docket for Trump’s Cabinet picks.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has said lawmakers will “work as long as needed to confirm President Trump’s nominees. Nights. Weekends. Recesses.” The Senate is scheduled to hold late night and weekend votes on Pete Hegseth, Trump’s defense secretary nominee, and Kristi Noem, his pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, according to Punchbowl News.“Sen. Schiff…

TOKYO — Japanese boxing superstar Naoya Inoue is headed to the United States after another devastating knockout.His promoter wants Americans to cherish Inoue as much as they do Shohei Ohtani.The unbeaten Inoue — nicknamed “The Monster” — knocked out overmatched South Korean opponent Ye Joon Kim in the fourth round in Tokyo on Friday to remain the undisputed super bantamweight champion.It was Inoue’s third successful defense of his super bantamweight titles and took his record to 29-0, with 26 KOs.Bob Arum, Inoue’s promoter at Top Rank, confirmed afterward that Inoue’s next fight will be in Las Vegas. His last fight…

SACRAMENTO –Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers are sure to lecture us again this session about the need to step up our efforts to combat climate change. Here’s a fun fact you can use to counter them, courtesy of University of Chicago research: 2020’s wildfires emitted “close to double (the state’s) emissions reductions achieved over 16 years.”That’s right, one wildfire year obliterated decades of costly, painstaking efforts to reduce our carbon-dioxide emissions. And 2020’s fires were far less severe than the horrific ones we’ve recently witnessed in the Los Angeles area. We get wildfires nearly every year, which are constantly…

Homeowners and HOAs periodically face major construction contracts for renovation or repairs, particularly following a disaster. Here are some tips to help homeowners and HOAs needing a contractor.What’s the job?Contractors are often asked to prepare the necessary “scope of work,” describing the work needing to be done, and “specifications,” the specific techniques and materials to be used. If multiple bidders are involved, they should all follow a consistent scope and specifications.It’s harder to ascertain the best bid when contractors propose different scopes of work using varying materials.ConsultantsQualified consultants can help develop a scope of work and specifications, advise on the…

As the Palisades and Eaton fires continue to burn Los Angeles County, experts say it could take weeks, months or even years for investigators to determine the cause of a couple of the most deadly and destructive wildfires in the state’s history.The fires have killed at least 28 people combined, as investigators search for 22 others who are still missing. More than 17,000 structures across the Pacific Palisades and Altadena have been destroyed, according to Cal Fire and the Angeles National Forest. Damages from the fires could reach $385 million, with that amount expected to rise.Rumors have circled around both…

Q: Mr. Honk: The other day I saw a California 1984 Olympics license plate. Was that for only those on the Olympic Committee? I worked the ‘84 Olympics but was not aware of these plates and I’d love to buy one now. – Lisa Stelmar, San Clemente A: Mention of those Games prompts neat memories for Honk, Lisa and many others – neat plates, too. Red and blue and, of course, the Olympic rings. But the Department of Motor Vehicles had a relatively tight window for when orders were accepted: September 1983 to Dec. 31, 1984, Katarina Snow, a DMV…

ANAHEIM — The fledgling Ducks soared above perhaps the most established core in the NHL, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, for a 5-1 victory on Thursday night at Honda Center.The Ducks had lost four straight games and seven of eight entering the matchup, while the Penguins were coming off Monday’s 5-1 manhandling of the Kings, although Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said they didn’t have “the same conviction” on Thursday.Mason McTavish and Alex Killorn each burst out of their respective scoring funks with two-goal efforts, and Frank Vatrano also tallied. Troy Terry contributed two assists to extend his team scoring…

INGLEWOOD — The Clippers will finish this stretch of games Saturday having played six games in nine days. Then it’s another four road games in seven days. At times, the games begin to look the same, although they don’t all play the same.There can be intense games against the defending NBA champions and blowouts against the worst team in the league.“We just got to go out and try to win,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “You just know every day’s a tough game and you’ve got to be prepared to play.”Some games are tougher than others, and then there are…

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis WriterMELBOURNE, Australia — An injured Novak Djokovic quit because of a torn muscle in his left leg after dropping the first set of his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev on Friday (Thursday night PT).Djokovic lost the opener 7-6 (5) and immediately walked around the net to concede the match to Zverev and shake hands. Spectators booed as the 37-year-old Djokovic walked off toward the locker room, and he stopped, turned around and responded by giving two thumbs up.At his news conference, Djokovic said the pain in his left leg was “getting worse and worse.”…

By SCOTT McFETRIDGEEfforts by the U.S. Forest Service to fight wildfires in California shouldn’t be influenced by politics, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday at her Senate confirmation hearing.Responding to questions from a Senate panel, nominee Brooke Rollins also acknowledged that Trump’s plans for mass deportations and tariffs could create hardships for the agriculture industry, but she said his election demonstrated that the public supports such actions.Trump nominated Rollins, who also served in his first administration, to lead a sprawling agency that oversees farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. If confirmed as…