Southern California Edison acknowledges videos suggest link between equipment and Eaton fire
Southern California Edison acknowledged Thursday that videos have suggested a possible link between the utility’s equipment and the devastating Eaton Fire in Los Angeles. But the company has not identified evidence to confirm this, according to a filing with the California Public Utilities Commission. The Eaton Fire, which is now contained, burned about 14,000 acres, destroyed thousands of buildings, killed at least 17 civilians and injured nine firefighters. “SCE is undertaking a careful and thorough investigation and does not know what caused the ignition of the fire,” the utility said in its filing. The company has not found broken conductors, arch marks, or evidence of faults on energized lines in the area where the Eaton Fire started.
New Orleans prepares for Super Bowl 59, its biggest weekend of the year
New Orleans is preparing for an estimated 125,000 visitors and a presidential visit during the weekend of Super Bowl 59, as the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles at the Caesars Superdome. Local businesses are ready, and hotel demand is surging. Tripadvisor said demand for hotel rooms in New Orleans surged 637% this week as fans of the competing NFL teams scurry to find lodging. Interest from travelers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey has increased more than 14 times, and interest from people in Kansas and Missouri is up 8.5 times since the division championship games in the last week of January, the travel site said.
U.S. added 143,000 jobs in January, unemployment rate dips to 4%
The U.S. added 143,000 jobs in January, fewer than economists expected, but the unemployment rate inched down to 4% from 4.1%, beating forecasts and still near historic lows. Forecasters surveyed by Dow Jones had anticipated 169,000 payroll gains in January, after a blowout 307,000 jump in December, according to revised tallies. The numbers released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics include routine annual data adjustments, in which November and December payroll levels were revised up by a combined 100,000. The BLS revised down the monthly pace of job gains for 2024, to an average of 166,000 from a previous estimate of 186,000, reinforcing widespread expectations that hiring last year wasn't quite as robust as earlier data had suggested. For the period covering 2023 and early 2024, the U.S. added 589,000 fewer payrolls.
Gastrointestinal outbreak on Royal Caribbean cruise ship sickens more than 90 passengers and crew
More than 90 passengers and crew members on a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship which set sail from Tampa, Florida, on Feb. 1 for a weeklong cruise came down with a gastrointestinal illness, causing vomiting and diarrhea. According to CruiseMapper, the ship returned Saturday after making stops in Cozumel, Roatan Islands, Belize City, and Costa Maya. The outbreak happened on Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a press release. It's not clear what caused the illness. The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program said it was made aware of the outbreak Tuesday, halfway through the ship's journey.
Mattel says Barbies and Hot Wheels could soon get more expensive under Trump's tariffs
Mattel could soon raise the prices of toys such as Barbie and Hot Wheels in response to new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, executives said Tuesday. The toy giant, which manufactures about 40% of its toys in China and less than 10% in Mexico, told analysts it will look to move around its supply chain to mitigate the effect of tariffs, but it is also considering price hikes. “Certainly against the tariff, we have a range of mitigating actions,” said finance chief Anthony DiSilvestro on the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings call. He said those actions include leveraging Mattel’s supply chains and “potential price increases.”
Transportation secretary says he spoke with Elon Musk on U.S. airspace reforms
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he spoke with Trump administration advisor and CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk about reforming the country’s airspace and raised concerns about the military’s use of helicopters in Washington, D.C.’s crowded airspace after a deadly collision last week. “I had a conversation with Elon Musk yesterday, pretty remarkable guy. He thinks differently than I think probably a lot of us do, but he has access to the best technological people, the best engineers in the world,” Duffy said Wednesday at a roadway transportation event in Washington. “We’re going to remake our airspace, and we’re going to do it quickly.” Duffy’s comments come a week after an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an arriving American Airlines regional jetliner at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. All 64 people on the American flight and the three military crew on the Black Hawk, which was on a training mission, were killed. It was the deadliest airline accident in the United States since 2001.
Chipotle downplays looming Trump tariffs, says only half of its avocados are from Mexico
Chipotle Mexican Grill said Tuesday that it does not expect costs to rise much if tariffs on key imported ingredients go into effect next month, noting that only about half of its avocados come from Mexico. A day earlier, President Donald Trump paused his plans for 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports. If implemented after the one-month suspension, imports such as avocados and beef would be more expensive for restaurants, which would likely try to pass on the increased cost to their diners. But Chipotle executives shook off the tariff fears during the company’s earnings conference call on Tuesday. If tariffs aimed at Mexico, Canada and China all go into effect, Chipotle expects that its cost of sales would rise about 60 basis points, or 0.6 percentage points, according to Chief Financial Officer Adam Rymer.
How Elon Musk's access to Treasury system may affect Social Security, other government payments
News that Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk now has access to a government payment system that is responsible for $6 trillion in annual federal payments — including Social Security and Medicare benefits — has prompted criticism from Democratic lawmakers and advocates. Yet in a new letter to Congress, the Treasury Department said the new development has not caused those benefit payments to be “delayed or re-routed.” Last week, it was reported Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted access to the federal payment system to DOGE, an office within the president’s executive office. DOGE has been tasked with finding ways to reduce federal spending and increase government efficiency.
Trump's China tariff increase affects Ford and GM vehicles, billions of dollars in auto parts
DETROIT — President Donald Trump’s move to impose 10% additional tariffs on imports from China this week affects a small number of U.S. vehicles. But those tariffs are also hitting auto parts, which could increase already heightened vehicle prices for consumers. The U.S. in recent years has imported roughly $15.4 billion to more than $17.5 billion worth of transportation goods from China, including $9 billion to $10 billion in auto parts and accessories for vehicles and tractors, among other special purpose vehicles, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. The largest impact on actual vehicles will be on Ford Motor’s Lincoln Nautilus and General Motors’ Buick Envision. Those crossovers accounted for 83,884, or 95%, of the 88,515 China-made vehicles that were sold in the U.S. last year.
Lara Trump to host weekend show on Fox News
President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump will host a weekend show on Fox News, the news channel announced Wednesday. "My View with Lara Trump" is expected to premiere Feb. 22 and air at 9 p.m. ET Saturdays, taking the spot of "One Nation with Brian Kilmeade." Kilmeade's show will move to 10 p.m. ET Sundays, Fox News Channel said in a news release. "I’m thrilled to bring my voice back to FOX News, talk directly with the American people and highlight what makes this country so great," Trump said in a statement. "As I cover the success of The Golden Age of America, I look forward to where this time will lead our country and where this opportunity will lead me in the future."