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By Josh Wingrove and Hadriana Lowenkron | BloombergPresident Donald Trump’s first trip since returning to the White House will take him to Asheville, North Carolina and Southern California, communities where he has loudly criticized the federal response to recent natural disasters.The president will travel to those communities on Friday, according to a person familiar with his plans who shared them on condition of anonymity. Asheville is still recovering from September’s historic flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, while in Southern California devastating wildfires made worse by strong winds have burned entire neighborhoods.Trump cited the disasters during his inauguration speech Monday as…

By EDDIE PELLS AP National WriterATLANTA — The early betting favorite to win next year’s national championship: Ohio State.The question nobody can really answer at this time: What sort of sport will the Buckeyes or anyone else return to when they kick it off again seven months from now.A program that won the title by spending lavishly (a reported $20 million) and used the transfer portal judiciously (quarterback Will Howard and running back Quinshon Judkins were the headliners) joins everyone else in not knowing exactly what the rules will be in this rapidly changing game when next fall rolls around.The landmark…

Once debris from the Los Angeles County wildfires is cleared and rebuilding begins, attention will likely shift to the financial health of a small, but growing California fire insurance provider.The California FAIR Plan has an outsized share of the state’s riskiest policies because it is the insurer of last resort for home and building owners who can’t get coverage elsewhere.If the FAIR Plan is unable to pay all of its claims, virtually every insured homeowner in the state could end up paying a portion of the LA County fire losses.The nonprofit “Fair Access to Insurance Requirements” Plan is a private…

On any night a month ago in Pasadena’s Upper Hastings Ranch, there were lines of cars driving up and down each street, marveling at the annual Holiday Light Up tradition that has been going on for over 70 years. Giant inflatable reindeer, elaborate choreographed light displays, life-size nativity scenes and groups of onlookers enjoying the production put on by this tight-knit community.Now, deflated Christmas characters lay a few yards away from the charred rubble and streets are adorned with red “unsafe” slips stuck to homes destroyed by the Eaton fire. Pink and black polka-dotted plastic ribbons are tied to gates…

By ERIC TUCKERWASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has reassigned key senior officials across multiple divisions as part of a leadership shakeup ahead of the expected confirmation of President Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, multiple people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.Among those moved to other positions inside the department is Bruce Swartz, the longtime head of the Justice Department’s office of international affairs, which handles extradition matters, according to two people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss personnel moves. As many as 20 or so…

While Southern California fire services are still on alert for high, dry winds that forecasters say could last for several days, the region may finally see rainfall on Saturday morning, Jan. 25Some eight months after any significant precipitation, rain could be both good news and bad news. But meteorologists say it is expected to be relatively light and not lead to significant debris flows or mudslides. At least, not yet.Before that happens, a red flag warning is in effect for Inland Orange County and the Inland Empire until Thursday, NWS meteorologist Alex Tardy said. The region is expected to continue…

By MARY CLARE JALONICKWASHINGTON (AP) — Many Republican senators say they do not agree with President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon and commute sentences for more than 1,500 people who assaulted police officers, broke into the building or committed other crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol four years ago.But they aren’t pushing back on the decision.“We’re not looking backwards, we’re looking forward,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, repeating his frequent response to questions about Trump’s promises of retribution from his first term.Thune did not say whether he supported or opposed the pardons, which rattled many…

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball WriterNEW YORK — Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball’s Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected Tuesday along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots and Wagner on 325, which was 29 more than the 296 needed for the required 75%.The trio will be inducted into the Hall at Cooperstown on July 27 along with Dave Parker and Dick Allen, voted in last month by the classic era committee.Mariano…

Strong Santa Ana winds pushed a wildfire across 80 acres of dry terrain in Bonsall early Tuesday, rousing people from their beds to heed evacuation orders before firefighters gained control of the blaze.The Lilac fire — which began north of West Lilac Road, just west of Interstate 15 — was burning in an area where the relative humidity is very low. Winds gusted up to 21 mph and were expected to last well into the morning.The blaze was one of three that broke out in North County before dawn. Firefighters stopped the advancement of the other two fairly quickly, but…

By REBECCA SANTANAWASHINGTON (AP) — Officers enforcing immigration laws will now be able to arrest migrants at sensitive locations like schools and churches after the Trump administration threw out policies limiting where those arrests could happen.The move announced Tuesday reverses guidance that for over a decade has restricted two key federal immigration agencies — Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection — from carrying out immigration enforcement in sensitive locations.“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens — including murderers and rapists — who have…