Tariffs on imported goods are the known unknown in the Clark County School District’s offices of construction and facilities management.

In the aftermath of the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires in Southern California, experts predict many will never return to the communities they once called home.

Mortgage rates could be negatively impacted by an ongoing trade war between the United States and Canada, Mexico and China, according to real estate experts. Tariffs also could potentially increase prices on building materials, and more, and inflation invariably means mortgage rates will go up.

On Saturday, President Trump announced new 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada and 10% for goods from China. Energy imported from Canada, including oil, natural gas and electricity, will also be taxed at 10%. The new tariffs go into effect on Tuesday.

The wildfires in the Los Angeles area have burned more than 30,000 acres and destroyed thousands of homes since starting on January 7th. With tens of thousands residents displaced, could Las Vegas see even more Californians moving here? Co-host Dayvid Figler asks UNLV economist Nicholas Irwin how much pressure this could put on our strained housing market and what Las Vegas could do to prepare.

As houses continue to burn in Los Angeles, officials have already started talking about rebuilding the city. “We’re going to rebuild this remarkable community and we’re going to come back,” California governor Gavin Newsom said in a call with President Biden on January 10. Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass added her own call for action. “We’re going to recover, and we’re going to rebuild and we’re going to rebuild better.”

Wildfires continue to devastate Southern California, with the Los Angeles Times reporting today that a “particularly dangerous situation” warning is once again in effect for areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. At least 25 people have died.

Places in the west that are especially at risk to wildfire destruction are Urban Wildland Interfaces (UWI) — transition zones between unoccupied and urban land.