The LA county wildfires could be the costliest in US history, early estimates say
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The wildfires that erupted this week across Los Angeles County are far from contained, but they’re already expected to be the costliest in U.S. history and among the worst natural disasters. The devastating blazes have killed at least 11 people and incinerated more than 12,000 structures since Tuesday. While California is no stranger to major wildfires, they have generally been concentrated in inland areas that are not densely populated. That’s far from the case this time, with one of the largest conflagrations destroying thousands of properties across the Pacific Palisades and Malibu, home to many Hollywood stars and executives with multimillion-dollar properties.
The California wildfires could be leaving deeper inequality in their wake
ALTADENA, Calif. (AP) — The sight of celebrity mansions and movie landmarks reduced to ashes can make it seem like the wildfires roaring through the Los Angeles area affected a constellation of movie stars. But a drive through the charred neighborhoods around Altadena shows that the fires also burned through a remarkable haven for generations of Black families avoiding discriminatory housing practices elsewhere. They have been communities of racial and economic diversity, where many people own their own homes. Some now fear the most destructive fires in California’s history have altered that for good. Recovery and rebuilding may be out of reach for many, and pressures of gentrification could be renewed.
‘Den of Thieves 2’ opens at No. 1 as ‘Better Man’ flops
NEW YORK (AP) — On a quiet weekend in movie theaters, Lionsgate’s “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” debuted atop the box office with $15.5 million. Sunday’s studio estimates came as much of Hollywood’s attention was on the wildfires that continue to rage in Los Angeles. Mid-January is often a slow moviegoing period. This weekend’s lull was slightly exacerbated by the closures of about 10 theaters in Los Angeles, the country’s top box-office market. The Robbie Williams biopic “Better Man,” in which the British pop star is portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee, flopped with $1.1 million in ticket sales. The lion’s share of box office business went to holiday holdovers including “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” “Nosferatu” and “Moana 2.”
Canada’s Trudeau urges US consumers to consider the harm of Trump’s tariff threats
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has suggested that President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks about Canada becoming America’s “51st state” is distracting the public from the harm that steep tariffs would have on U.S. consumers. Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports. He has also said that if Canada merged with the U.S., taxes would decrease and there would be no tariffs. In an interview Sunday with MSNBC, Trudeau said “people need to pay a little more attention to” the impact of tariffs. Canadian officials say that if Trump follows through with his threat of punishing tariffs, Canada would consider slapping retaliatory tariffs on American orange juice, toilets and some steel products.
The ‘Worst in Show’ CES products put your data at risk and cause waste, privacy advocates say
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.”
Surging job market could prove costly for households, businesses as odds of quick rate cuts fade
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. hiring picked up unexpectedly in December as employers added 256,000 jobs, another sign of the economy’s resilience in the face of high interest rates. The Labor Department reported Friday that job growth was up last month from 212,000 in November. The unemployment rate dropped to 4.1% from 4.2% in November.
TikTok could be banned this month. Here’s what users can do to prepare
TikTok has cemented itself as the quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news. The platform, though, could vanish from U.S. app stores by Jan. 19. If you are an avid user – or a creator who relies on the platform for income – here’s what you need to know to prepare. First, users will continue to have access to TikTok if it’s already downloaded on their phones. But the app will disappear from Apple and Google’s app stores, which means users won’t be able to download or update it. There are also some workarounds around a ban. But some tech savviness is required and it’s not clear what will and won’t work.
Supreme Court seems likely to uphold a federal law that could force TikTok to shut down on Jan. 19
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seems likely to uphold a law that would ban TikTok in the United States beginning Jan. 19 unless the popular social media program is sold by its China-based parent company. Hearing arguments Friday in a momentous clash of free speech and national security concerns, the justices seemed persuaded by arguments that the national security threat posed by the company’s connections to China override concerns about restricting the speech, either of TikTok or its 170 million users in the United States. Early in arguments that lasted more than two and a half hours, Chief Justice John Roberts identified as the “main concern” in the case TikTok’s ownership by China-based ByteDance and the parent company’s ties to Chinese government’s intelligence operations.
China and the UK restart economic and financial talks after a 6-year hiatus
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China and Britain have restarted economic and financial talks after a six-year hiatus during a visit by Britain’s Treasury chief to Beijing. Rachel Reeves is accompanied by a delegation of British business leaders and finance officials. She met Saturday with Chinese leaders including Vice Premier He Lifeng and Vice President Han Zheng. The two sides revived the China-U.K. Economic and Financial Dialogue — annual bilateral talks that have been suspended since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and deteriorating relations. The Labour government seeks to reset strained ties with the world’s second-largest economy and hopes renewed dialogues will help bring down barriers that U.K. businesses face in China.
New Orleans attack raises familiar debate: Can Bourbon Street be made safe?
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Shock and grief have given way to finger-pointing over whether additional security could have stopped — or mitigated — the attack that killed 14 people when Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup through a New Year’s crowd. Investigators say Din Jabbar was inspired by the Islamic State group. But as the city seeks to recover and beefs up security ahead of next month’s Super Bowl and Carnival season, law enforcement and community leaders are confronting an existential question as old as the entertainment district: Can Bourbon Street be protected in a way that preserves its unique, round-the-clock revelry?
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