Author: admin

California’s building industry is warning of short-term pricing disruptions to construction materials should the Trump administration move ahead with proposed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting Feb. 1.Anaheim-based Ganahl Lumber Co., the oldest lumberyard in California, is one of a host of companies growing skittish over the possible tariffs, which would affect projects that need everything from lumber and structural steel for commercial offices, hospitals, government buildings, and roof and flooring trusses for new homes.“I think tariffs would potentially be a negative impact on our industry,” said Pete Meichtry, Ganahl’s vice president of purchasing. “The tariffs may put a…

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and ZEKE MILLER, Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s budget office on Wednesday rescinded an memo freezing spending on federal grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country.The Monday evening memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget sparked uncertainty over a crucial financial lifeline for states, schools and organizations that rely on trillions of dollars from Washington and left the White House scrambling to explain what would and wouldn’t be subject to a pause in funding.The White House confirmed that OMB pulled the memo Wednesday…

The Ducks crossed the northern border en route to Calgary, where they’ll look to extend their winning streak to a season-high four games against the Flames on Thursday.Of late, it’s been the Ducks who have singed and scorched opponents, having poured in 16 goals across their surge. That tied for the most goals they’ve scored in a three-game stretch since November 1995, when they piled up 17 goals in three games and 23 total across a four-game spree.Mason McTavish, the NHL’s second star last week, also continued his recent rampage with a goal and an assist, and both of his…

By CORA LEWISNEW YORK (AP) — Tax season is underway, and the IRS expects 140 million people will file returns by April 15. The agency has also debuted a new online tool to help taxpayers check the status of any refund they may be entitled to.President Donald Trump this week offered all federal employees a buyout package in an effort to reduce the size of the government workforce, which could impact IRS staffing at an important period for the agency, though it’s not yet clear how. The IRS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Here’s what to know:When…

RIVERSIDE — A woman accused of killing her 2-year-old son at their Eastvale home pleaded not guilty Tuesday to first-degree murder and assault on a child resulting in great bodily injury or death.Xiu Xiu Sun, 34, allegedly killed Chris Cui in October 2022.Sun was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Gail O’Rane, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Feb. 27 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.The defendant is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail.During her initial court appearance more than two years ago, Sun’s public defender submitted motions arguing that his…

By ALEXA ST. JOHN, Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Hours after being sworn in as the new U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy took aim at the main way the federal government regulates miles per gallon for cars and pickup trucks — also a principal way that it regulates air pollution and addresses climate change. Duffy ordered the federal agency in charge of fuel economy standards to reverse them as soon as possible. The standards have been in place since the 1970s energy crisis and were intended to conserve fuel and save consumers money at the gas pump. Here are…

PHILADELPHIA — Lakers star big man Anthony Davis will be sidelined for at least one week because of a strained abdominal muscle.Davis left early in Tuesday’s blowout loss to the Philadelphia 76ers because of the injury.The Lakers said on Wednesday morning that Davis underwent an MRI that confirmed a strained abdominal muscle, adding that he’ll return Wednesday to Los Angeles and will be re-evaluated in about one week.After appearing to hold the left side of his body after the game’s first timeout, Davis subbed out at the 2:10 mark of the first quarter as part of the normal rotation and…

By COLLIN BINKLEY, AP Education WriterWASHINGTON (AP) — America’s children have continued to lose ground on reading skills in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and have made little improvement in math, according to the latest results of an exam known as the nation’s report card.The findings are yet another setback for U.S. schools and reflect the myriad challenges that have upended education, from pandemic school closures to a youth mental health crisis and high rates of chronic absenteeism. The national exam results also show growing inequality: While the highest-performing students have started to regain lost ground, lower-performing students are falling further behind.Given every two years to a sample of…

By Naureen S. Malik, Bloomberg NewsElectricity demand on the largest U.S. grid is poised to rise so fast thanks to the AI boom that it’ll be the equivalent of installing two New England networks in the coming decade.PJM Interconnection LLC, which manages the 13-state system stretching from Washington DC to Illinois, expects peak summer demand to jump by nearly 58 gigawatts, or 38%, to about 210 gigawatts in 2035 from last year’s high, according to a report Friday. That addition is more than double the peak demand record on the New England grid.Power usage in PJM and the U.S. more…

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and JENNIFER PELTZ, Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump has appealed his hush money conviction, seeking to erase the verdict that made him the first person with a criminal record to win the office.Trump’s lawyers filed a notice of appeal Wednesday, asking the state’s mid-level appeals court to overturn his conviction last May on 34 counts of falsifying business records.The case, involving an alleged scheme to hide a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 Republican campaign, was the only one of his criminal cases to go to trial.A notice of appeal starts the appeals…