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Later this month, the man who promised to be “a dictator on Day 1” will take the presidential oath of office for the second time.He’s likely spent much of his time during the two month-plus transition period since the Nov. 5 election drafting executive orders and other measures to act immediately on that promise.About the least surprising order will likely be one declaring a national state of emergency on immigration. Trump has promised to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, with about one-third of the nation’s 11 million now living in California.What realities might this produce? For one thing, don’t expect…

By TODD RICHMOND MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Nearly 200 absentee ballots somehow went uncounted in Wisconsin’s liberal capital after the Nov. 5 election, prompting state election officials to launch an investigation Thursday into whether the city clerk broke the law. The Wisconsin Elections Commission voted unanimously to investigate whether Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl failed to comply with state law or abused her discretion. Commission members said they were concerned the clerk’s office didn’t inform them of the problem until late December, almost a month and a half after the election. Commission Chair Ann Jacobs certified Wisconsin’s election results on Nov. 29.…

Murrieta Valley outside hitter Miley Thunstrom entered her senior season with a list of goals.Murrieta Valley senior outside hitter Miley Thunstrom has been chosen the IE Varsity Girls Volleyball Player of the Year for the 2024 season, she sits on the court on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 in Murrieta. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Murrieta Valley senior outside hitter Miley Thunstrom has been chosen the IE Varsity Girls Volleyball Player of the Year for the 2024 season, she stands on the court on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 in Murrieta. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Murrieta Valley senior outside…

Media scream, “Too many people have guns!” Second Amendment activist Maj Toure says more people should carry guns. “Everybody should be walking around,” he says in my new video, “like, ‘Oh man, I left my gun in the house. Let me go back and get it.’ It should be as normal as a cellphone.” Activists and some politicians want gun control. Toure says, “All gun control is racist!” All? “It was literally started to stop Black people from having the means to defend themselves.” He’s right. In the 1600s, American colonies had rules against Blacks owning guns. “It’s a good…

You can say what you want about Elon Musk, but he is able to pinpoint in a single tweet some of the most dysfunctional aspects of our federal government. For instance, he recently noted that “Simplifying the tax code will increase productivity, instead of incentivizing bizarre tax-avoidance behavior.”He’s correct. If President-elect Donald Trump wants to have a lasting impact, he should not simply extend the provisions of the 2017 tax reform; he should use the opportunity for further serious reform.The U.S. tax system could be used to teach a masterclass on inefficiency, complexity and distorted incentives. The high cost of…

By Paul Wiseman | The Associated PressU.S. mortgage rates rose this week to the highest level since July.The benchmark 30-year fixed rate loan rate rose to 6.91% from 6.85% last week, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac. It was at 6.62% a year ago.The uptick in the cost of home loans reflects a rise in the bond yields that lenders use as a guide to price mortgages. The increase is occurring with the price of homes rising steadily.The average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, popular with homeowners seeking to refinance, climbed to 6.13%, up from 6% and also the…

Just one week after securing his return to the White House in the November election, President-elect Trump announced the creation of a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and tasked it with identifying opportunities to streamline the federal bureaucracy. Led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, DOGE is expected to focus on cutting the discretionary budget that accounts for around one-quarter of overall federal spending. There are certainly opportunities to reduce government waste, and a productive collaboration between DOGE and Congress could bring these ideas to fruition. On the other hand, DOGE appears less interested in addressing the key driver…

By COLLEEN LONG, Associated PressPresident Joe Biden is bestowing the second highest civilian medal on Liz Cheney and Bennie Thompson, leaders of the congressional investigation into the Capitol riot who Donald Trump has said should be jailed for their roles in the inquiry.Biden will award the Presidential Citizens Medal to 20 people in a ceremony Thursday at the White House, including Americans who fought for marriage equality, a pioneer in treating wounded soldiers, and two of the president’s longtime friends, former Sens. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., and Chris Dodd, D-Conn.“President Biden believes these Americans are bonded by their common decency and commitment to serving others,” the White…

Outside linebacker Khalil Mack, safety Derwin James Jr. and left tackle Rashawn Slater of the Chargers were selected Thursday morning to play in the Pro Bowl Games, which will be highlighted by a flag football game between the AFC and NFC on Feb. 2 in Orlando, Florida.Mack was named for the ninth time in his stellar career and the third in his three seasons since the Chargers acquired him in a trade with the Chicago Bears. He has six sacks going into the regular-season finale Sunday against the Raiders in Las Vegas, his 10th consecutive season with six or more…

By PAUL WISEMAN, AP Economics WriterWASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment checks dropped last week to the lowest level since March, suggesting that suggest most U.S. workers continue to enjoy unusually high job security.Jobless claims dropped by 9,000 to 211,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which strips out week-to-week ups and downs, fell by 3,500 to 223,250.The overall numbers receiving unemployment benefits fell by 52,000 to 1.84 million, the lowest since September.Thomas Simons and Sam Saliba, economists at Jefferies, called the drops “encouraging” in a commentary but cautioned that seasonal…