Surf City USA now on the frontlines of Trump-era politics (www.reuters.com)
Since a conservative majority took over the Huntington Beach City Council a little more than a year ago, it has vigorously pursued an agenda aligned with the Republican Party politics of former President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement....
They started building a bulkhead for a new home on Hood Canal. Then the feds found out (www.seattletimes.com)
According to court documents, construction of the bulkhead began Aug. 1, 2017. Within days, the Corps of Engineers notified the defendants the construction violated the Clean Water Act. A stop-work order was later issued and other orders directed the defendants to remove concrete from the beach....
China's BYD plans new electric vehicle plant in Mexico, says Nikkei (www.reuters.com)
China’s BYD Co Ltd will set up a new electric vehicle (EV) factory in Mexico, Nikkei reported on Wednesday, citing the company’s Mexico head, as the EV maker aims to establish an export hub to the United States....
The US now has an 85% chance of recession in 2024, the highest probability since the Great Financial Crisis, economist David Rosenberg says (www.businessinsider.com)
Welcome to the New ‘Good’ Economy, Where Millions Get Left Behind (www.vice.com)
No breakthrough in Gaza talks dents hopes of Palestinians in Rafah (www.reuters.com)
Palestinians jammed into their last refuge in Gaza voiced growing fear on Wednesday that Israel will soon launch a planned assault on the southern city of Rafah after truce talks in Cairo ended inconclusively....
Paramount Global Laying Off 800 Employees as CEO Bakish Cites Need to Cut Costs (variety.com)
Paramount Global, amid a swirl of M&A discussions, is laying off about 800 employees worldwide — an estimated 3% of its headcount — as it looks to trim costs....
What's at stake in Trump's hush-money criminal case? Judge to rule on key issues as trial date nears (apnews.com)
Former President Donald Trump is expected in court Thursday for an important hearing in his New York hush-money criminal case, which now appears increasingly likely to go to trial next month....
Donald Trump spent over $52 million in PAC donor money on legal fees last year. Here's where it all went. (www.businessinsider.com)
Donald Trump spent $52,431,858 on legal fees in 2023 using PAC funds, a Business Insider analysis found....
How China Miscalculated Its Way to a Baby Bust: A missile scientist used mathematical models to push the nation’s one-child policy. Its legacy is proving hard to shake. (www.wsj.com)
Non-paywall link...
California's war on plastic bag use seems to have backfired. Lawmakers are trying again (www.latimes.com)
It was a decade ago when California became the first state in the nation to ban single-use plastic bags, ushering in a wave of anti-plastic legislation from coast to coast....
China urges Israel to stop military operation in Rafah 'as soon as possible' - Times of India (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
Elderly Alaska man is first reported person to die of recently discovered Alaskapox virus (www.seattletimes.com)
The man was undergoing cancer treatment and had a suppressed immune system because of the drugs, which may have contributed to the severity of his illness, the bulletin said. It described him as elderly but didn’t provide his age....
Fuller Seminary fires senior director over refusal to comply with statement of faith (www.christianpost.com)
4-Minute Extreme Fast Charging To Chase The Electric Vehicle Blues Away (cleantechnica.com)
MN District Grants Opt-Out From LGBTQ Curriculum To Somali Families (patch.com)
Police Announce an Arrest in the Theft of a Jackie Robinson Statue (www.nytimes.com)
Trump wants to install new RNC leadership, including his daughter-in-law as co-chair (apnews.com)
Current RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel says she has no plans to leave the committee until at least after South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary election....
Usher Marries Jennifer Goicoechea After the Super Bowl (www.nytimes.com)
American Express, Visa, Mastercard move ahead with code to track gun store purchases in California (www.cbsnews.com)
Major credit card companies are moving to make a merchant code available for firearm and ammunition retailers in order to comply with a new California law that will allow banks to potentially track suspicious gun purchases and report them to law enforcement, CBS News has learned....
Instagram will no longer recommend political content to users (www.nbcnews.com)
Is politics a major buzzkill? Instagram execs seem to think so....