California Dolphin

The need was too great. The Rams do not expect any one player to replace recently retired defensive lineman Aaron Donald — a certain first-ballot Hall of Famer — but with their first first-round draft pick since 2016, they showed Thursday night that improving the pass rush was their top priority. The Rams selected Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse with the No. 19 pick, making him the first defensive lineman to be selected by the Rams in the first round since they took Donald with the 13th pick in the 2014 draft. Verse played two seasons at Albany and two at Florida State, amassing 31½ sacks. He had nine sacks in each of his two seasons at Florida State, and last season had 12½ tackles for lost yardage. Rams general manager Les Snead said before the draft that he was pondering staying put at No. 19, or perhaps trading up for a prospect, or back for more picks. Snead, coach Sean McVay, assistant coaches and scouts gathered at the Rams draft house in Hermosa Beach, and watched 14 offensive players come off the board

Through his decade in exile, Reggie Bush said he never lost faith that this day would come. Even when no path forth appeared to exist and no one seemed to share in his same steadfast belief. Even as the world branded him a cheater and fans blamed him for USC’s steep fall from grace. Even as his university turned its back and the NCAA assured him it would fight to the bitter end, Bush said he never doubted that someday, somehow he’d have his vindication. Because of that, he held tight to the notion all along that he’d done nothing wrong, telling as much to anyone who’d listen. It would take 14 years, landscape-altering changes to the model of college athletics, shifting swells of public support and a high-priced team of attorneys, but finally this week, from a conference room in Jacksonville, Fla., surrounded by other Heisman winners, Bush felt that smooth, bronze vindication between his fingers once again. The moment, he said, was “better than I ever imagined it would be.” The Heisman Trophy was back with USC’s legendary running back after being stripped

Through his decade in exile, Reggie Bush never lost faith that this day would come. Even when no path forth appeared to exist and no one seemed to share in his same steadfast belief. Even as the world branded him a cheater and fans blamed him for USC’s steep fall from grace. Even as his university turned its back and the NCAA assured him it would fight to the bitter end, clinging to the crumbling facade of amateurism, Bush never doubted that someday, somehow he’d have his vindication. Because of that, he held tight to the notion all along that he’d done nothing wrong, telling as much to anyone who’d listen. It would take 14 years, landscape-altering changes to the model of college athletics, shifting swells of public support and a high-priced team of attorneys, but finally this week, from a conference room in Jacksonville, Fla., surrounded by other Heisman winners, Bush felt that smooth, bronze vindication between his fingers once again. The moment, he said, was “better than I ever imagined it would be.” The Heisman Trophy was back with USC’s legendary running back

Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner is being investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting one of his four children, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Donny Youngblood said in a news conference Thursday that he received a call from Dist. Atty. Cynthia Zimmer — Scrivner’s aunt — Tuesday night, saying that Scrivner was armed and appeared to be having “some type of psychotic episode” at his home in Tehachapi. Zimmer then called Youngblood back to notify him that Scrivner was no longer armed. “We were responding to what we believed at the time was a suicidal person having a psychotic episode, not any crime,” Youngblood said. When deputies arrived on the scene, they secured the firearm. They found that Scrivner had a physical altercation with his children and was stabbed twice in the upper torso over allegations that he had sexually assaulted one of his children, Youngblood said. His injuries were non-life-threatening, he added. Scrivner’s four children, who are minors, and his parents were at the house at the time of the incident, Youngblood said. His wife, Christina, who filed for divorce in March, was

Authorities arrested a man after a fleet of stolen vehicles was discovered at a San Bernardino home. The suspect was identified as Salvador Gonzalez, 29, from Whittier, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. On April 21, deputies responded to reports of a theft in Loma Linda. The victim’s tailgate from their Toyota Tacoma truck had been stolen. Detectives later identified Gonzalez’s red Nissan Sentra as the vehicle used during the theft. The Nissan was later spotted by deputies patrolling the area. Further investigations revealed the stolen tailgate was dropped off at a home in the 6900 Block of Tippecanoe Avenue in San Bernardino. The home also belonged to a probationer, authorities said. A probation search was conducted at the home where deputies discovered 13 tailgates from Toyota, Chevrolet, and GMC trucks.  On the property, five stolen vehicles were also found. Gonzalez was arrested on several charges including possession of a stolen vehicle, operating a chop shop and vehicle theft. He was booked into the Central Detention Center on $40,000 bail. He later posted bail and was released from custody.  Authorities believe there may be

Pediatrician on lessons from Flint water crisis: “Flint has opened our eyes” – CBS News Watch CBS News Pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, whose work has spurred official action on the Flint water crisis, told CBS News that it’s stunning that “we continue to use the bodies of our kids as detectors of environmental contamination.” She discusses ways to support victims of the water crisis, the ongoing work of replacing the city’s pipes and more in this extended interview. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

JJ Harel can’t stop growing, so the 15-year-old keeps having pains. As a 6-foot-2 freshman last year at Chaminade, he couldn’t compete in the high jump because he was injured. He transferred to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame this season, has grown to 6-4 and is still dealing with discomfort with a hip. On Thursday at the Mission League track and field finals, he gave a sneak peak about what he’s capable of doing when somewhat healthy. He set a school record clearing 6 feet 10.25 inches to win the high jump and put him on a path to compete in next week’s Southern Section prelims. He wanted to keep going higher but was told to stop and save his best for next month when the Southern Section and state championships take place. Harel set an AAU Junior Olympics record at 6-5 in middle school. He played junior varsity basketball for the Knights and is known for his dunks because he has a 40-inch vertical leap. Notre Dame’s 4×100 relay team ran a season-best time of 41.23 and includes its super quick quarterback, Steele Pizzella. Another

Notre Dame offensive lineman Joe Alt (76) could move into the Chargers’ starting lineup at right tackle. (Jacob Kupferman / Associated Press) April 25, 2024 6:02 PM PT The Chargers opened the 2024 NFL draft by addressing their offensive line, taking Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt with the fifth pick of the first round. Joe Alt — offensive tackle 6 feet 9, 321 pounds, Notre Dame, Round 1, Pick 5 Notable: His father, John, was an offensive lineman at Iowa and a first-round pick of Kansas City in 1984 before earning two Pro Bowl selections. Alt’s brother, Mark, played hockey at Minnesota and in the NHL, including a brief stint with the Kings in 2020-21. Last season: Alt was a finalist for the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award while starting 12 games at left tackle. He also was a first-team All-American. Why the Chargers drafted him: Since the day was he hired, coach Jim Harbaugh has preached his desire to turn the Chargers into a more physical, line-of-scrimmage team, which means beefing up the offensive front. Alt gives the Chargers an enormous presence up front

Twenty-five years ago, UCLA quarterback Cade McNown was selected 12th overall by the Chicago Bears and spent the 1999 and 2000 seasons with them. He later was a backup with the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers. He spoke to Times NFL writer Sam Farmer about what he learned in Chicago. On Thursday, the Bears made USC quarterback Caleb Williams the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. There are lots of opportunities and lots of challenges ahead for Caleb Williams. And even though it has been 25 years, I still have vivid memories of those times. The good and bad of it for Caleb and Bears fans is there’s been a long trail of tears when it comes to quarterbacks and Chicago, and this is another chance to alter that trajectory. If I were talking to Caleb, and I hope I will at some point, I’d say, “Listen, you’re getting drafted based on what you did and what people think you can do in the NFL, but not based on what you have done in the NFL. That’s really what’s going to matter.” Cade

An unlicensed 18-year-old driver from Santa Ana has been charged with vehicular manslaughter after leading police in Orange County on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash and claimed the life of a 15-year-old girl who was in the car with him, authorities announced Thursday.   The fatal incident occurred on March 8 when officers with the Orange Police Department responded to reports of a stolen vehicle.   When police initially stopped the vehicle, they found three people inside the car, including the 18-year-old driver, identified as Izaiah Joseph Miranda, and two teens from Orangewood Children’s Home, according to a news release from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Two of the teens initially complied with police orders to exit the vehicle. The teen who had been in the front passenger seat was arrested, but the 15-year-old girl, later identified as Denisse Pilego Roman, suddenly jumped into the front passenger seat of the vehicle as Miranda sped off. During the pursuit, prosecutors say Miranda hit speeds of 120 miles per hour on the 22 Freeway while leading police in a pursuit from Orange to

The Chicago Bears have a new quarterback: University of Southern California star and former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. Williams was unsurprisingly selected by the Bear with the No. 1 pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft. The pick was acquired by Chicago in a trade last season with the Carolina Panthers, who vaulted up the draft order to acquire the 2023 No. 1 pick that Chicago originally held so the team could draft Bryce Young. The Panthers would end the 2023-24 season with the league’s worst record, providing the Chicago Bears the No. 1 overall pick for the second-straight season. USC quarterback Caleb Williams looks to pass during the first half of the Cotton Bowl NCAA college football game against Tulane on Jan. 2, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde) The now-former Trojan was a two-year starter with USC after transferring from Oklahoma. Widely regarded as one of the best quarterback prospects in recent history, Williams finished his college career throwing 93 touchdowns against 14 interceptions and completing 67% of his passes. He also picked up 27 touchdowns and more than 900 yards on the

Work has officially begun on a bullet train to connect Southern California with Las Vegas, bringing the number of active high-speed rail projects in California to two. The groundbreaking of Brightline West took place April 22, just months after the endeavor was awarded billions from the federal government to get the project off the ground. In December, the Biden Administration began releasing billions in federal grant funding to passenger rail projects across the country, including earmarking more than $6 billion for the two ambitious projects currently underway in California. The California High-Speed Rail Authority was awarded a historic $3.07 billion in grant funding from the Biden Administration for its state-spanning rail system, while Brightline West was chosen to receive around $3 billion for its SoCal-to-Las Vegas bullet train. Both projects aim to transport passengers to their destination at high speeds from the comfort of electric-powered trains while providing thousands of union jobs during construction. But their similarities mostly end there. So what’s the difference between the California High-Speed Rail and Brightline West? First and foremost: scale. The California High-Speed Rail project, aka CAHSR, is the