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The Chargers have done the heavy lifting and now they can clinch an AFC wild-card berth without moving a muscle. Then again, it might be a big ask for the Indianapolis Colts and the Miami Dolphins to lose their games Sunday while the Chargers watch from afar.If it doesn’t happen Sunday, if the Colts defeat the Tennessee Titans and the Dolphins beat the San Francisco 49ers, then the Chargers can handle their business with either a victory in Week 17 over the New England Patriots and/or a win in Week 18 over the Las Vegas Raiders.The Chargers (9-6) put themselves…

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s special legislative session to “Trump-proof” the state has begun, raising immediate questions about the true intent behind such a move. One might wonder, in his quest for protection, what exactly is he looking to defend? The governor’s position becomes particularly ambiguous when we consider California’s record-breaking failures in various metrics, which seemingly outstrip those of any other state in the nation.Let’s take homelessness as a starting point. California houses approximately half of the unsheltered homeless population in the entire United States. Is this the benchmark of success that Newsom aims to safeguard? If so, it speaks…

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, Associated PressWorkers at Starbucks stores plan to go on a five-day strike starting Friday to protest lack of progress in contract negotiations with the company.The strikes by baristas and other workers were scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle and could spread to hundreds of stores across the country by Christmas Eve. The planned walkouts would come a day after the Teamsters union announced strikes at seven Amazon delivery hubs.Starbucks said early Friday that there was “no significant impact” to its store operations. Workers at 535 company-owned U.S. stores have voted to unionize, but…

By LISA MASCARO, FARNOUSH AMIRI and MATT BROWN, Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — Hours before the start of a federal government shutdown, President-elect Donald Trump doubled-down Friday on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal — and if not, let the closures “start now.”Trump, who is not yet even sworn into the White House, issued his latest demand as House Speaker Mike Johnson arrived early at the Capitol, instantly holing up with some of the most conservative Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus who helped sink Trump’s bill in a spectacular Thursday evening flop. The clock is now racing toward the midnight deadline…

The world according to Jim:• Sad to say, but the evidence is mounting that the traditional bowl game, historically considered an end-of-season reward for all of the toil that college football players put in during the year, might be reaching its expiration date.Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin may have been the loudest voice, willing to call out the current procedure as a “dumb system,” but I’d guarantee he wasn’t and isn’t the only coach complaining about the perfect storm of the early signing period and opening of the transfer portal coming right on the heels of the end of the…

SACRAMENTO – In his remarks at the Minnesota State Fair on Sept. 2, 1901, Vice President Teddy Roosevelt gave his famous “speak softly but carry a big stick” speech. It mainly detailed his view of the proper federal approach toward foreign affairs – one that promoted quiet, resolute action rather than loud, disrespectful and inflammatory rhetoric. But his remarks also outlined his vision for government involvement in domestic affairs.Roosevelt was then a Republican, but the major parties have shifted ideologies over the years. At the time, many Republicans championed progressivism – a “square deal” that prioritized environmental protection, trust-busting, consumer…

Offered with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore.‘Twas the night before Christmas, and throughout the communityNot a complaint was heard – there existed pure unity;The thank-you notes were placed on the bulletin board with care,In hopes that the board and manager would soon see them there.The homeowners were nestled all snug in their beds,No worries of paint, roofs, or plumbing disturbing their heads,And the Vice President in her condo, and I in mine too,Had just settled down for a break from reviewing the dues.When out in the courtyard there arose such a clatter,I sprang to my balcony to see just what…

California’s population grew this year by nearly a quarter of a million residents, bouncing back close to the record-high population levels the Golden State had reached before the pandemic, but growing more slowly than the country as a whole and other large states in the South, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Thursday.“As the nation’s population surpasses 340 million, this is the fastest annual population growth the nation has seen since 2001,” the U.S. Census Bureau wrote in a statement Thursday. “The growth was primarily driven by rising net international migration.”After consistent population growth through the 2010’s, California’s population peaked at 39,556,000,…

President Joe Biden is garnering an interesting combination of righteous indignation and weird sympathy from the American people in his waning days in office for his biggest presidential pardon — that of his son, Hunter, completely exonerating him for his many legal problems.Presidential pardons, it must be said, can be viewed as an odd vestige of ancient royal prerogative when it comes to wiping clean the slates of people who have been convicted by our legal system and suddenly find themselves exonerated with the stroke of a pen by a chief executive who may or may not know all of…

California’s seemingly lofty paychecks look relatively run-of-the-mill when considering the state’s costly lifestyle and tax burdens. The annual “price parity” report from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis gives us a snapshot of relative differences among the 50 states in costs and incomes. My trusty spreadsheet reviewed the latest stats for 2023, which detail how expenses squeeze California’s incomes. Look, it comes as zero surprise that California is the priciest place to live. The state’s cost of living is 11.2% higher than the national norm, according to BEA math. After California came New Jersey at 8.2% above average, followed by…