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Clippers coach Tyronn Lue got up from his seat and walked away Sunday when asked about the recent movement in the NBA, that is, the Lakers-Dallas Mavericks trade. Later, Lue declined again to comment on the flurry of changes hitting the league.Lue is reluctant to discuss how big-name stars and All-Stars have been traded, as teams remake their rosters at midseason. And now that players such as Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic and De’Aaron Fox are looking at new surroundings, could the Clippers do the same?The Clippers traded P.J. Tucker and Mo Bamba, plus a future second-round draft pick and cash…

The maxim that “demography is destiny,” commonly attributed to French philosopher Auguste Comte, remains as relevant now as it did in the early 19th century, especially here in the Golden State.Even before the catastrophic fires inflicted billions in damage, as well as the tragic loss of life, California was drifting toward demographic purgatory – not quite hell, but certainly not the direction that a vibrant state should be headed.For a few recent years, California was actually losing population, something that hadn’t happened since 1900. The trend started in 2020 and continued through 2021 (loss of 343,000) and 2022. Not until 2023…

By MATTHEW LEESAN SALVADOR (AP) — The Trump administration has hired a “Make America Great Again” ideologue to run the State Department’s worldwide public diplomacy efforts, according to the man put forward for the post and three current department officials.Darren Beattie confirmed in a message to readers of the conservative website Revolver for which he worked that he would be taking up the post of acting undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. It was not clear if he would be formally nominated to take the job on a more permanent basis, which would require Senate confirmation.Beattie, an academic, has espoused…

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football WriterNEW ORLEANS — Saquon Barkley got his first taste of Super Bowl opening night. Nick Sirianni received letters, and a kiss from Chad Johnson. Jalen Hurts even cracked a smile or two.Before Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs take on Hurts, Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, they had to tackle the media in waves.The wild week kicked off at the Superdome on Monday night with the annual extravaganza that could overwhelm teams that aren’t used to the circus atmosphere.Barkley wasn’t here two years ago when the Eagles lost to…

With Governor Gavin Newsom’s final term in its final years, attention will soon turn to the race to replace him.Currently, 10 candidates – seven Democrats and three Republicans – have declared their candidacy, but none have yet to separate themselves from the crowded field. To that end, the one potential candidate who could, with relative ease, jump into pole position ahead of next June’s primary, is former Vice President Kamala Harris. Since her loss last November, rumors have swirled over the former VP’s potential interest in seeking the governorship, although as of yet, she has not officially declared. Were she to enter…

Southern California had record employment as 2024 ended, but not every industry was in a hiring mood.My trusty spreadsheet, filled with state job figures that aren’t adjusted for seasonal swings, found an all-time high 8.1 million jobs in December in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The region added 79,300 jobs during the year.The record was set with a 7,200 job increase from November. Yet local hiring averaged 14,640 in December between 2015 and 2019, in the years before the coronavirus.So, what industries defied the year-end cooling?Ponder three job niches tied to seasonal celebrations that outpaced their historic…

By MIKE STOBBE and MIKE SCHNEIDERNEW YORK (AP) — Researchers are in what one described as “a mad scramble” to sort out what public data the Trump administration has deleted from government websites and electronic publications.Late last week, federal agencies took down scores of government webpages as staffers hurried to comply with President Donald Trump’s order rolling back protections for transgender people, which required the removal of “gender ideology” language from websites, contracts and emails.Some of the sites were back online Monday, but data analysts say it’s not clear exactly what was removed or changed.“You go looking for something and…

By ROB MAADDI and JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football WritersNEW ORLEANS — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell disputed the perception that officials favor the Kansas City Chiefs, saying it’s a “ridiculous theory.”Goodell addressed several topics, including diversity, an 18-game season, international expansion, Tom Brady’s dual role as a broadcaster and co-owner and more during his annual news conference that kicked off Super Bowl week on Monday.The Chiefs are going for a three-peat on Sunday in a rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles, who lost to Kansas City, 38-35, two years ago.The two-time defending champions have benefited from calls that have gone their way…

By MICHAEL LIEDTKESAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google went to appeals court Monday in an attempt to convince a three-judge panel to overturn a jury’s verdict declaring its app store for Android smartphones as an illegal monopoly and block the penalties imposed by a federal judge to stop the misbehavior. Video game maker Epic Games, which brought the case alleging Google’s Play Store has been abusing its stranglehold over the Android app market, countered with arguments outlining why both the verdict and punishment should be affirmed to foster more innovation and lower prices.In a nearly hour-long presentation in San Francisco’s Ninth…

By David R. Martin, Claudia Lauer and Michael R. Sisak | Associated PressARLINGTON, Va. — Authorities said Sunday they have recovered the remains of 55 of the 67 people killed in the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2001.Washington, D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said at a news conference that divers still need to find the bodies of 12 more victims and are committed to the dignified recovery of remains as they prepare to lift wreckage from the Potomac River as early as Monday morning.“Reuniting those lost in this tragic incident is really what keeps us all going,” said…