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The new Trump administration has been nothing if not a flurry of early activity.President Donald Trump, on Day 1, signed hundreds of executive actions. Some were mostly symbolic. Some will have implications yet to be fully determined.But others have a direct and almost immediate impact on the Southern California region, from the slew of immigration policy changes to the pardons of dozens of local people who were part of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. “Executive orders are a familiar tool in the presidential toolbox, but not all executive orders (and comparable tools) serve the same purpose,”…

LOS ANGELES — Tanner Scott arrived at Dodger Stadium on Thursday with his wife, Maddie, and son, Bo – the latter sporting a toddler-sized No. 66 Dodger onesie with “SCOTT” across the back and greater interest in the trucks crawling all over Dodger Stadium this winter than anything dad had to say on stage.It hardly looked like the final straw in the ruination of baseball.“We’re solely focused on the Dodgers and making this team as good as we possibly can,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said when asked about the prevalence of sky-is-falling commentary after the latest acquisition in possibly the…

As smoke, dust and harmful ash continue to hit areas throughout Los Angeles County amidst several wildfires, burn scars and wind, two air quality advisories have been issued. Smoke from the Hughes fire, which began on Wednesday, Jan. 22, has resulted in unhealthy air quality, the South Coast Air Quality Management District announced. The areas surrounding the wildfire, including the San Gabriel Mountains, the 5 Freeway corridor near Castaic Lake and Santa Clarita, are expected to be the most impacted by the Hughes fire, which started near Castaic in the Antelope Valley and exploded to 10,176 acres. The smoke advisory…

By JAMIE STENGLE, Associated PressDALLAS (AP) — President Donald Trump has ordered the release of thousands of classified governmental documents about the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which has fueled conspiracy theories for decades.The executive order Trump signed Thursday also aims to declassify the remaining federal records relating to the assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The order is among a flurry of executive actions Trump has quickly taken the first week of his second term.Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “everything will be revealed.”Trump had promised during his reelection campaign to…

By MATT OTT | The Associated PressJobless claims applications ticked up modestly last week, but the total number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits rose to their highest level in more than three years.Applications for jobless benefits rose by 6,000 to 223,000 for the week ending January 18, the Labor Department said Thursday. Analysts were expecting 219,000 new applications.Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs.The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of January 11 climbed by 46,000 to 1.9 million, the most since November of 2021.The rising level of continuing claims, the total…

By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate advanced the nomination of Pete Hegseth as President Donald Trump’s defense secretary Thursday on a largely party-line vote, despite grave objections from Democrats and stirring unease among Republicans over his behavior and qualifications to lead the U.S. military.Two Republicans, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, broke ranks with Trump and his allies who have mounted an extensive public campaign to push Hegseth toward confirmation. The former combat veteran and Fox News host faces allegations of excessive drinking and aggressive actions toward women, which he has denied. The…

Among the many executive orders that Trump signed on Monday was the “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship” order. Who wouldn’t want that?In short, the order violates the 14th amendment by restricting birthright citizenship – it orders that children born within the United States from parents who are either illegal or temporarily allowed to reside within the US will not be granted citizenship. The order has so far been sued by 22 states and several civil rights organizations. This legal fight is expected to rise through federal courts, all the way to the Supreme Court. Many are understandably concerned…

By Brian Womack, The Dallas Morning NewsJCPenney has weathered a bankruptcy, store closings and a CEO straight out of Silicon Valley — all followed by continual revenue declines. Now, the storied company is getting another shot at rebirth.The 650-location department store chain has joined forces with the company behind names such as Eddie Bauer and Aéropostale to create a company called Catalyst Brands. It will be based in Plano, Texas, and led by Marc Rosen, former head of JCPenney.This new path comes after several attempts by JCPenney to reinvent itself over the past decades. While once seen as a top…

By DAVID KLEPPER, Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday confirmed John Ratcliffe as CIA director, giving President Donald Trump the second member of his new Cabinet.Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term and is the first person to have held that position and the top post at the CIA, the nation’s premier spy agency. The Texas Republican is a former federal prosecutor who emerged as a fierce Trump defender while serving as a congressman during Trump’s first impeachment.The vote was 74-25.At his Senate hearing last week, Ratcliffe said the CIA must do better when it comes to using technology such as artificial…

The last two years, the Rams have walked two parallel paths. After a Super Bowl title in 2021 and a doomed-by-injury encore, the front office had to reset the books, commit to cost-controlled draft picks and college free agents to fill the roster. By the end of the 2024 season, 26 of the 53 players on the active roster were in their first or second years in the NFL.But the Rams insisted heading into 2023 that this was no rebuild, simply a “remodel” around a Super Bowl core that, after the retirement of Aaron Donald, was led by quarterback Matthew…