Author: admin

When Rep. Mike Levin thinks about immigration, particularly “Dreamers,” it’s his grandparents who come to mind. His grandparents, his mother’s parents, came to the U.S. from Mexico as young kids, without formal education, money or the ability to speak English, Levin said. But they worked hard, paid taxes, contributed to their community. His grandfather became a U.S. citizen at the age of 50; his grandmother remained a permanent resident until her death. Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, has drawn on his grandparents’ stories and their role in their communities as he has worked on the Dignity Act of 2025, a massive bipartisan…

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO and MAE ANDERSON, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — With summer in full swing in the United States, retail executives are sweating a different season. It’s less than 22 weeks before Christmas, a time when businesses that make and sell consumer goods usually nail down their holiday orders and prices. But President Donald Trump’s vacillating trade policies, part of his effort to revive the nation’s diminished manufacturing base and to reduce the U.S. deficit in exported goods, have complicated those end-of-year plans. Balsam Hill, which sells artificial trees and other decorations online, expects to publish fewer and…

By AMANDA SEITZ and JACQUELYN MARTIN, Associated Press WESLACO, Texas (AP) — These days, Juanita says a prayer every time she steps off the driveway of her modest rural home. The 41-year-old mother, who crossed into the United States from Mexico more than two decades ago and married an American carpenter, fears federal agents may be on the hunt for her. As she was about to leave for the pharmacy late last month, her husband called with a frantic warning: Immigration enforcement officers were swarming the store’s parking lot. Juanita, who is prediabetic, skipped filling medications that treat her nutrient…

By ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press As cryptocurrencies become more intertwined with the traditional financial system, industry heavyweights are racing for a long-sought goal of turning real-world assets into digital tokens. “Tokenization is going to open the door to a massive trading revolution,” said Vlad Tenev, the CEO of the trading platform Robinhood at a recent James Bond-themed tokenization launch event in the south of France. Advocates say tokenization is the next leap forward in crypto and can help break down walls that have advantaged the wealthy and make trading cheaper, more transparent and more accessible for everyday investors. But critics…

By MATTHEW PERRONE, Associated Press Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Monday named a longtime pharmaceutical executive to run the agency’s drug program, the latest in a string of leadership changes at the agency. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced that Dr. George Tidmarsh, a cancer and pediatric specialist, will direct the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, which regulates the safety and effectiveness of all U.S. drugs. His appointment comes a month after the center’s acting director, Dr. Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, announced her retirement. As the agency’s top drug regulator, Tidmarsh will be charged with following…

Chris Paul is back in a Clippers uniform. Eight years after turning the Clippers from laughingstock to contenders, Paul is back for his 21st and possibly final NBA season after reportedly agreeing Monday to join the franchise on a 1-year, $3.6 million deal, according to multiple reports. Lawrence Frank, Clippers president of basketball operations, didn’t shy away from the possibility of bringing Paul back last week. “What I’d say about Chris is he’s a great player. He’s a great Clipper … and of course we’re strongly, strongly considering him.” Paul spent six seasons with the Clippers (2011-17) and ushered in…

By KELVIN CHAN, Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Smartphones, laptops, headphones and other electronic devices are essential for work and play in our daily lives. But all that time spent typing, scrolling or listening also means our devices gradually accumulate grime that needs to be cleaned off. You might not give much thought to cleaning your devices but there are reasons you should, says Logitech, which makes keyboards, webcams and other computer peripherals. “Regular cleaning and proper maintenance not only keeps your gadgets looking pristine, and wins you hygiene points, it also helps them perform better and last longer,” the…

By BILL BARROW and MATT BROWN, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — It’s been six months since Joe Biden left the Oval Office. Republicans, including President Donald Trump, can’t stop talking about him. The House has launched investigations asserting that Biden’s closest advisers covered up a physical and mental decline during the 82-year-old Democrat’s presidency. The Senate has started a series of hearings focused on his mental fitness. And Trump’s White House has opened its own investigation into the Biden administration’s use of the presidential autopen, which Trump has called “one of the biggest scandals in the history of our country.”…

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and NADIA LATHAN, Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat who represents a slice of the Rio Grande Valley along the border with Mexico, won his last congressional election by just over 5,000 votes. That makes him a tempting target for Republicans, who are poised to redraw the state’s congressional maps this coming week and devise five new winnable seats for the GOP that would help the party avoid losing House control in the 2026 elections. Adjusting the lines of Gonzalez’s district to bring in a few thousand more Republican voters,…

By JOSH BOAK, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — New research finds that more Americans are shifting their money from checking and savings accounts into financial vehicles that pay an investment income — a trend that helps to explain the resilience of the U.S. economy after a bout of high inflation and recent uncertainty due to tariffs. The analysis by JPMorganChase Institute examined the accounts of 4.7 million households and found that people’s total cash reserves are increasing when including new amounts going into brokerage accounts, money market funds and certificates of deposit to assess people’s well-being. Inflation-adjusted cash balances in checking…