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The South Coast Air Quality Management District warned Thursday that air quality in the Los Angeles area remained “unhealthy” as a result of the multiple wildfires ravaging the region, and the agency has extended a smoke advisory at least through 5 p.m. Friday.The smoke was expected to most heavily affect northwest coastal L.A. County, and in areas nearest the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst wildfires, the agency reported.WEATHER: Strong winds forecasted Thursday as fires rage across LA County, and more expected next weekSmoke impacts will depend on fire activity, containment efforts and the weather, according to the AQMD.Wildfire smoke is a…

By COLLEEN LONGWASHINGTON — As cataclysmic wildfires rage across Southern California, President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t been offering much sympathy. Instead, he’s claiming he could do a better job managing the crisis, spewing falsehoods and casting blame on the state’s Democratic governor.Trump has lashed out at his longtime political foe Gov. Gavin Newsom’s forest management policies and falsely claimed the state’s fish conservation efforts are responsible for fire hydrants running dry in urban areas. Referring to the governor by a derisive nickname, Trump said he should resign.PALISADES FIRE: Wind-whipped blaze damages or destroys more than 5,300 structuresMeanwhile, more than 180,000 people were…

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers reached contract agreements with four of their five remaining arbitration-eligible players on Thursday.Relievers Michael Kopech, Brusdar Graterol, Evan Phillips and Anthony Banda agreed to one-year contracts. The lone remaining unsigned arbitration-eligible player is left-hander Alex Vesia.Thursday was the deadline for teams to reach agreements with arbitration-eligible players before exchanging figures for hearings to be held next month. Although negotiations can continue up until the start of the hearing, most teams have recently adopted a “file and trial” policy that ends negotiations past the point when figures are exchanged.Phillips and Kopech agreed to the highest salaries…

By Jami GanzA “heartbroken” Paris Hilton watched her Malibu home burn down on live television Wednesday as deadly wildfires continued to ravage Los Angeles.The socialite-turned-DJ, 43, said she was “heartbroken beyond words” as she shared a clip of ABC7’s reporting on her devastated neighborhood.PALISADES FIRE: 17,200-acre blaze damages or destroys ‘thousands’ of buildings“Sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience,” Hilton wrote on Instagram Wednesday.“This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where [son] Phoenix took…

By WILL WEISSERT and DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — As they filed into the front pews at the National Cathedral, wearing dark suits and mostly solemn faces, five current and former presidents came together for Jimmy Carter’s funeral. For a service that stretched more than an hour, the feuding, grievances and enmity that had marked their rival campaigns and divergent politics gave way to a reverential moment for one of their own.Barack Obama and Donald Trump, the first two of the group to take their seats Thursday, shook hands and chatted at length. Trump, the former president who will…

The Angels on Thursday agreed to one-year contracts with outfielders Taylor Ward and Jo Adell and pitchers Reid Detmers, Brock Burke and José Suarez, avoiding arbitration with all five players.The Angels will have arbitration hearings with utility man Luis Rengifo, outfielder Mickey Moniak and left-handed pitcher Jose Quijada to finalize their contracts for the 2025 season.Thursday was the deadline for teams to reach agreements with arbitration-eligible players before exchanging figures for hearings to be held next month. Although negotiations can continue up until the start of the hearing, most teams have recently adopted a “file and trial” policy that ends…

By Matt Ott | The Associated PressThe average long-term U.S. mortgage rate ticked up again this week, remaining at its highest level since July.The benchmark 30-year fixed rate loan rate rose to 6.93% from 6.91% last week, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac. It was at 6.66% a year ago. It has risen for four straight weeks.The uptick in the cost of home loans reflects a rise in the bond yields that lenders use as a guide to price mortgages, specifically the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury. The yield on the 10-year Treasury has climbed from 3.62% in mid-September…

Twenty people have been arrested in the various Los Angeles-area fire zones for allegedly looting in the ravaged areas, authorities said Thursday as they vowed to crack down on any criminal activity tied to the disaster.“This is simply unacceptable,” Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said. “… I promise you — you will be held accountable. Shame on those who are preying on our residents at this time of crisis.”0% CONTAINMENT: Palisades fire damages or destroys ‘thousands’ of buildingsGROWTH SLOWS: More than 1,000 homes damaged in uncontained Eaton fire, but growth slowsSheriff Robert Luna said roughly 400…

Santa Anita has postponed its Friday thoroughbred racing card until Thursday, Jan. 16, citing a forecast for continued poor air quality in the Arcadia area because of smoke from the nearby Eaton fire and other blazes in Los Angeles County.A decision will be made Friday about whether to race Saturday, when the California Cup program of stakes for Cal-bred horses is scheduled, track management said.Morning training was canceled Wednesday and curtailed Thursday. A message to horsemen said a decision will be made early Friday morning about what kinds of training will be allowed that morning, based on air-quality measurements.“While Santa…

By SARAH PARVINI, Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — So much of the technology showcased at CES includes gadgets made to improve consumers’ lives — whether by leveraging AI to make devices that help people become more efficient, by creating companions to cure loneliness or by providing tools that help people with mental and physical health. But not all innovation is good, according to a panel of self-described dystopia experts that has judged some products as “Worst in Show.” The award that no company wants to win calls out the “least repairable, least private, and least sustainable products on display.”…