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By JOSH BOAK, Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden ends his term with a gulf between his policy record and his public reputation.The Democrat spent so much of his time addressing long-term priorities that many voters felt he did not adequately deal with more immediate problems like high inflation that peaked in 2022 and illegal crossings at the U.S. border with Mexico.Biden’s term ends just as many of his major domestic policy achievements are being implemented, meaning that the story of his presidency will continue to be written long after he turns over the White House to Republican Donald…

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers’ season can be defined by their seesaw of performances on both ends of the floor, not having consistent stretches of playing at a high level offensively and defensively simultaneously.So now as their offense has started to dig itself out of a rut, it’s their performances on the less glamorous end on the floor that have taken a slide – a reality coach JJ Redick acknowledged after the team’s 126-102 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.Monday’s loss marked the third consecutive game, all losses, the Lakers have allowed their opponent to score at…

After a disaster, individual homeowners, HOA boards and managers can be overwhelmed by the many decisions they face.Careful actions can avert increased financial losses and avoid worsening the impact of the sustained tragedy. In other words, don’t be hasty.Immediate action—Identify what cannot wait. What is not truly urgent can be handled in coming weeks and months.—Use caution before entering damaged structures. They may be unsafe.—Secure the property. Are temporary fencing or other security measures necessary?—If fire remains a concern, locate and shut off gas lines to each home/building.—Notify your property insurance company and obtain a claim number. Your claim will…

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, ERIC TUCKER and COLLEEN LONGWASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith said his team “stood up for the rule of law” as it investigated President-elect Donald Trump‘s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, writing in a much-anticipated report released Tuesday that he stands fully behind his decision to bring criminal charges that he believes would have resulted in a conviction had voters not returned Trump to the White House.“The throughline of all of Mr. Trump’s criminal efforts was deceit — knowingly false claims of election fraud — and the evidence shows that Mr. Trump…

The Los Angeles fires have claimed 25 lives, devoured more than 12,000 structures and have thrown the state into an insurance crisis, so you’d think that everyone would be happy at any effort – public, private, volunteer – to save lives and properties. Instead, we’ve seen plenty of online observers lash out at business owners and celebrities who have hired their own private fire crews to protect their properties and often those of their neighbors. This is a useful development. It means fewer properties that public agencies have to worry about. As the state battles natural disasters, it should incentivize…

How will the California economy handle the Los Angeles wildfires’ early repair estimates running between $50 billion to $150 billion? Well, much of those rebuilding funds will be from insurance. Other payments will be covered by various governments and their assistance programs. There will be charity, too. And the remaining outlays will come from the nation’s largest flow of personal income. My trusty spreadsheet looked at personal income states for the 50 states as tallied by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. This quarterly stat adds up what’s paid to residents – from paychecks to investment proceeds to government benefits…

By DARLENE SUPERVILLEWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Former first lady Michelle Obama will skip the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, the second time in two weeks that she is not attending a gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses, but former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will be there.Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will join their husbands for the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol, representatives said.“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” said a…

The Palisades and Eaton wildfires broke out on Jan. 7 and have caused devastation to local Los Angeles County communities.The Eaton fire has damaged or destroyed an estimated 7,000 structures and burned more than 14,000 acres, officials said. The Palisades fire has damaged or destroyed more than 5,000 structures and burned more than 23,000 acres, officials said.The fires were fueled by dry weather and a rare windstorm that strengthened flames and carried embers via 80mph gusts creating an unprecedented crisis that overwhelmed firefighting efforts.To date, 24 people died in the fires and 23 people were reported missing, the majority tied…

Los Angeles County officials have repeatedly warned the public to be wary of scammers who show up after a disaster and start grifting, taking advantage of people’s generosity by asking for donations for victims, but in fact benefiting themselves.They could have been talking about Gov. Gavin Newsom.The sitting governor of the state of California just set up a website called CaliforniaFireFacts.com. On Saturday, he posted on his personal account on X, “A lot of misinformation out there. Just launched a new site to ensure the public has access to fact-based data around the Southern CA wildfires.”But this is not an…

Neither the Eaton nor Palisades fires grew Monday and fire officials said they had resources in place Tuesday, Jan. 14, as crews prepare for another challenging day with strong Santa Ana winds expected.Containment of the Palisades fire, burning in Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Topanga and Mandeville canyons, continued to trend upward, as officials reported 17% containment. The fire remained at 23,713 acres, according to Cal Fire.Meanwhile, crews inched forward on the Eaton, getting to 35% containment and holding the fire at 14,117 acres, the Angeles National Forest said.On the Palisades fire, near the coast firefighters experienced low humidity and strong…