PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP (Gage Skidmore/Flickr).

Just two days after Kamala Harris was named as the running mate to Joe Biden, President Donald Trump is taking the gloves off. On Thursday, according to the Associated Press, he mentioned that he had “heard” rumors that Harris, a native Californian, was ineligible to be vice president because her parents were not born in the United States.

The idea was advanced by a column written by John Eastman, former dean of the Fowler School of Law at Chapman University in Orange, who challenges the idea that the 14th Amendment to Constitution applies to all persons born in the United States.

In 2008, some pundits cast doubt about the eligibility of Barack Obama, who was born in Hawaii. It was claimed without evidence that he had been born in Kenya, Africa. The Republican Party’s 2008 presidential candidate, John McCain, was born in Panama, portions of which were in the American-controlled Canal Zone at that time.

Jobless claims fall below 1 million

New unemployment claims fell below one million on Thursday for the first time since March, according to new numbers released by the Labor Department in its weekly report. According to that document, the total was 963,000 new claims as of Aug. 8, bringing the jobless rate to 10.6 percent.

About 15.5 million continuing claims are in place. Since March, over 55 million American workers have filed for unemployment benefits. In the monthly report for July, the Department of Labor put the unemployment rate at 10.2 percent. In that months, the average hourly wage for all private employees rose by seven cents to $29.40.

A hot weekend ahead for us  

An excessive heat warning is in effect from Friday (Aug. 14) to Monday (Aug. 17) for the Orange County area. Friday’s forecast is sunny with a high near 93. Light southwestern winds of 5 to 10 miles an hour could gust to 20 mph. Overnight low is 70 degrees. Warm over the weekend and well into next week.

Lakers lose; Dodgers face Padres

Thursday’s schedule and results (as they are available).

• Sacramento Kings 136, Los Angeles Lakers 122. A 10-point first quarter lead wasn’t enough as LA lost Thursday night. No Laker scored 20 points or more; LeBron James had 17. Buddy Hield had 28 off the bench for Sac. Lakers are now 52-19 and Kings 31-41.
• Los Angeles Dodgers 11, San Diego Padres 2. Mookie Betts hit three home runs as LA pounded the Padres. Three other Dodgers, A.J. Pollock, Corey Seager and Austin Barnes also went yard for the team. Betts was 4-for-4 with five RBIs. Julio Urias (2-0)  worked 6.1 innings, yielding five hits and two earned runs. He struck out three. The Dodgers are now 13-7 ( second in the NL West ) and Padres 11-9 (third).