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By Felicia Mello for CalMattersRobert MacKenzie is an assistant fire chief—but not the kind who works for your local fire department. As the Palisades Fire bore down on Southern California last week, the private fire crew he oversees headed out to help defend homes for their customers: Insurance companies that offer wildfire protection to wealthy homeowners and others with the coverage built into their policies.Working with lists of high-risk properties provided by insurers, the team from Capstone Fire and Safety Management aims to arrive at houses before a fire does, then make changes to the structure that will give it…

By ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — Trump administration officials are moving to fire FBI agents engaged in investigations involving President Donald Trump in the coming days, two people familiar with the plans said Friday.It was not clear how many agents might be affected, but officials acting at the direction of the administration were working to identify individual agents who could be terminated, said the people who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.Among the politically explosive investigations involving Trump over the last four years are inquiries into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election…

The world according to Jim:• Question of the week: Which has caused the most furor from coast to coast – a) the Dodgers’ spending decisions; or b) the Kansas City Chiefs’ supposed cozy relationship with the NFL’s game officials? …(There is a third answer: c) railing against each is a waste of breath and energy.) …• And while we are talking about the Dodgers – the gift that keeps on giving for not only their fans but sports opinion merchants (i.e., the engagement farming industry) throughout North America – we have this from Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, who in an…

Thousands of Costco workers prepared to strike with a midnight deadline drawing closer Friday while the workers’ union and the company negotiated.The Teamsters union represents 18,000 Costco workers in six states: California, Washington, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and New York.It’s unclear if the strikes would close stores. Costco has 219,000 U.S. employees and 617 U.S. stores. The company said its labor agreement with the Teamsters applies to less than 10% of those stores.According to UFCW Local 1167 in Bloomington, Costco’s has 27 Teamster-affiliated stores in Southern California. They include locations in Alhambra, Azusa, Burbank, Chino Hills, Coachella Valley, Corona, Fountain…

A Culver City man will plead guilty to operating the drone that damaged and temporarily grounded a Super Scooper firefighting aircraft while crews battled the deadly Palisades fire earlier this month, federal prosecutors announced on Friday, Jan. 31.Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, is expected to admit to a misdemeanor count of unsafe operation of the drone as part of a plea deal that also requires he pay full restitution to the government of Quebec — which owns the plane — and complete 150 hours of community service in support of the Southern California wildfire relief effort, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office…

By ZEKE MILLER, AAMER MADHANI and JOSH BOAK, Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will put in place 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% tariffs on goods from China effective on Saturday, the White House said, but it provided no word on whether there would be any exemptions to the measures that could result in swift price increases to U.S. consumers.Trump had been threatening the tariffs to ensure greater cooperation from the countries on stopping illegal immigration and the smuggling of chemicals used for fentanyl, but he has also pledged to use tariffs to boost domestic manufacturing and raise…

Angels pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training on Feb. 11. As we count down the days until camp begins, we are going through the various position groups to give a breakdown of where the roster stands. Today, the infielders. Previously, the catchers and outfielders. 2024 RECAP Shortstop Zach Neto emerged as the best player of the Angels’ young core, hitting 23 home runs and stealing 30 bases in his first full season in the majors. First baseman Nolan Schanuel hit 13 homers with a .706 OPS in his first full season, which wasn’t much for an…

WASHINGTON — Caroline Kennedy, the surviving child of the late President John F. Kennedy, is leading the charge against her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services. In a letter released Tuesday, she wrote that her cousin Bobby’s “views on vaccines are dangerous and willfully misinformed.” Then Caroline K., former President Joe Biden’s Ambassador to Australia, went for the jugular. “I have known Bobby my whole life; we grew up together,” she wrote. “It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a…

By COLLIN BINKLEY, Associated Press Education WriterWASHINGTON (AP) — Schools and universities responding to complaints of sexual misconduct must return to policies created during President Donald Trump’s first term, with requirements for live hearings and more protections for accused students, according to new guidance issued Friday by the Education Department.In a memo to education institutions across the nation, the agency clarified that Title IX, a 1972 law barring discrimination based on sex, will be enforced according to a set of rules created by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The rules govern how complaints of misconduct are investigated and how to…

By PAUL WISEMAN, AP Economics Writer President Donald Trump said this week that tariffs on U.S. neighbors Canada and Mexico will arrive Saturday. The two nations are not only close geographically, but economically as well. The business between the North American nations now exceeds China, totaling $1.8 trillion in 2023. That is far greater than the $643 billion in commerce that the U.S. did with China in that same year. Following are just a few imported goods that could be hit first. A ‘grenade’ lobbed into auto production For decades, auto companies have built supply chains that cross the borders of…