Author: admin

President-elect Donald Trump’s second tour in the White House can be a glorious last hurrah or the last flicker of a dying comet. The choice is his.Mr. Trump will enter the White House on Jan. 20 free from customary political obligations or ambitions. He has no political debts to pay. He defeated Democratic nominee Kamala Harris decisively despite the handicap of four felony prosecutions. Campaign contributions were largely superfluous. Mr. Trump’s notoriety and prime colors campaign left no voter uninformed about his political agenda without any paid advertising.The 22nd Amendment prohibits Trump from a third term. Further, Mr. Trump is…

By TERRY TANG, JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and JAE HONGALTADENA — The sight of celebrity mansions and movie landmarks reduced to ashes can make it seem like the wildfires roaring through the Los Angeles area affected a constellation of movie stars.But a drive through the charred neighborhoods around Altadena shows that the fires also burned through a remarkable haven for generations of Black families avoiding discriminatory housing practices elsewhere. They have been communities of racial and economic diversity, where many people own their own homes.Some now fear the most destructive fires in California’s history have altered that for good. Recovery and…

By LOLITA C. BALDORWASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth will try to convince members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that he should be the next secretary of defense, following weeks of meetings with lawmakers who peppered him with questions about his character and views on a range of military issues.As author of several books and a former Fox News Channel host, Hegseth has been forced to defend himself against a long record of his own public comments, including in his most recent book, “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.”His wide-ranging…

LOS ANGELES — In mid-December, a week after their signings were minted, Corona Centennial’s Husan Longstreet sat on a bench after a workout in Lake Forest and marveled at fellow incoming freshman Jahkeem Stewart.“That guy’s,” Longstreet smiled, “a beast.”If quarterback Longstreet is poised as the future of Lincoln Riley’s offense at USC, Stewart is the future of USC’s defense, a heaping weight of responsibility on a fairly high-risk five-star profile. The Louisiana product will enter spring ball, as a Trojan, at 17 years old. He has played 12 games of varsity football in his high school career, in total, according…

The devastation of the fires in Los Angeles has been hard to fathom. Thousands have lost their homes, priceless personal items, memories, and in some cases the very neighborhoods where they lived most of their lives. Some have even lost their lives.And in the aftermath, we will be left with a problem that will impact millions of Californians: California’s collapsing market for home insurance.Reports say that 1,600 people in the Pacific Palisades were kicked off of their insurance last year because it’s simply too expensive for insurers to cover some of these homes. California has a backstop plan, the FAIR…

By LINDSAY WHITEHURSTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it won’t hear an appeal from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change.The order allows the city of Honolulu’s lawsuit against oil and gas companies to proceed. The city’s chief resilience officer, Ben Sullivan, said it’s a significant decision that will protect “taxpayers and communities from the immense costs and consequences of the climate crisis caused by the defendants’ misconduct.”The industry has faced a series of cases alleging it deceived the public about…

By DARLENE SUPERVILLEWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Incoming first lady Melania Trump says she’s packed and ready to move back into the White House, where son Barron will have a bedroom, and she plans to revive her Be Best children’s initiative.Trump also said in a taped interview broadcast Monday on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” that an upcoming documentary on her life that is set to be distributed by Amazon Prime Video later this year was her idea based on the reception to the memoir she released last year.“So I had an idea to, to make a movie, to…

The Ducks traveled to the nation’s capital with their expansive road trip back on the rails and Tuesday’s date with Alex Ovechkin, who’s just 22 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record, on deck.At the halfway mark of their season-long, six-game tour, the Ducks earned a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. They mounted a 2-0 lead, retroceded it and then reclaimed it in overtime. Cutter Gauthier scored their second goal and the all-important third, an OT winner that may have been the signature moment of his rookie season.It was the game the Ducks and Gauthier, in…

By COLLIN BINKLEYWASHINGTON (AP) — Despite failing to deliver his promise for broad student loan forgiveness, President Joe Biden has now overseen the cancellation of student loans for more than 5 million Americans — more than any other president in U.S. history.In a last-minute action on Monday, the Education Department canceled loans for 150,000 borrowers through programs that existed before Biden took office. His administration expanded those programs and used them to their fullest extent, pressing on with cancellation even after the Supreme Court rejected Biden’s plan for a new forgiveness policy.“My Administration has taken historic action to reduce the…

A rare variation of a high-wind warning has been issued for the northern San Fernando Valley and eastern Ventura County that could have ripple effects on the massive wildfires burning in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.A “Particularly Dangerous Situation” that could cause fires to spread rapidly is possible starting around 4 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, and lasting until about noon on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.“It’s a heightened state of alert,” James Brotherton, a meteorologist for the weather service said on Monday, Jan. 13. “That’s basically very dry conditions in the air and very dry conditions on the ground combined…