California Dolphin

Voters in Los Angeles Unified School Board District 5 have a choice on the Nov. 5 ballot between Karla Griego, a special education teacher, and Graciela Ortiz, a district administrator. Veteran board member Jackie Goldberg is retiring, leaving an open seat in this sprawling, C-shaped district, which includes the southeast cities of Huntington Park, Maywood and South Gate, swerves through Central and South L.A., across East Hollywood and into Glassell Park, Eagle Rock and other parts of northeast L.A. Her replacement should have the skills and experience to tackle learning loss, chronic absenteeism and mental health issues students have suffered since the pandemic, and to bridge communities with disparate needs. The best candidate to represent them on the school board is Griego. She has devoted her career to serving some of the district’s highest-need students and brings nearly two decades of experience as a teacher, parent and union activist who has battled district bureaucracy to get students the resources they deserve. Griego is community school coordinator at McAlister High School for students under 18 that are pregnant or parents. She has taught at Sonia Sotomayor

My brother dropped me off curbside at Los Angeles International Airport and yelled, “Run!” Our timing getting to LAX was thwarted by the kind of notorious L.A. traffic that airline change fees and crushed dreams are made of. Departure to Newark, N.J., was at 8:05 a.m. It was 7:25 a.m. I raced through the terminal and up the escalator, two steps at a time, with a carry-on and boots that were not made for running. The line to get through security was a mile long. “Am I going to make it?” I deliriously asked the TSA agent as I handed him my boarding pass, shaking from the mad dash. Without a word, he whisked me past a serpentine of travelers and straight to the metal detector. I was baffled. Maybe he was psychic. I thanked him profusely and kept running. I couldn’t miss this flight. My mother insisted I fly “home” to New Jersey for my birthday — her treat. I was deep into a drifting divorce, disillusioned, depressed and avoiding the other “D” word … dating. I also was hiding from the unwelcome advances

Mookie Betts spent so much time in the batting cage Thursday afternoon that his hands were raw, the Dodgers right fielder determined to find his stroke after his disappearing act in the first two games of a showdown series against the San Diego Padres. “I took about 300-400 swings today,” Betts said. “I hit for like an hour and a half straight, and then I hit for 30 minutes earlier in the day, so I hit all day. This matters to me. I want to win. I know I go through these spells, but I promise you, it’s not from lack of effort.” Betts enjoyed the fruits of that labor amid a beer-and-champagne-drenched and cigar-smoke-filled clubhouse following the Dodgers’ 7-2 National League West-clinching victory over the Padres Thursday night, a win that Betts helped author with a clutch two-run single in a decisive five-run seventh inning. “I work my ass off every day, and sometimes you just don’t have it,” Betts said. “That’s why you keep working, because you never know.” Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts celebrates with first base coach Clayton McCullough after hitting a

A few years back Jimmy Nordberg, then coach of an indoor soccer team in Ontario, was trying to come up with a way to build interest in a sport that, so far, had generated very little. “So we thought ‘what’s the best rivalry we have in this country as far as soccer goes?’,” said Nordberg, now executive vice president of the Ontario-based Empire Strykers. “It’s us versus Mexico.” That was five years ago and the idea worked so well, drawing 7,800 people that first year, nearly four times what Nordberg’s team averaged during the regular season, that the exhibition has become a regular staple of the team’s preseason schedule. This fall’s game, the fourth in a series that skipped two years because of COVID, will be played Sunday afternoon at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, with the men’s game following a women’s match. It will also be very different than those that preceded it. Because of the work of Nordberg and Jeff Burum, the Strykers’ hyper-aggressive owner, the rosters of the two men’s teams, though largely made up of players from the Major Arena Soccer

NYC Mayor Eric Adams scheduled to appear in court after federal indictment NYC Mayor Eric Adams scheduled to appear in court after federal indictment 07:53 NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams is scheduled to appear in court Friday to be arraigned on federal bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance charges .  Prosecutors allege he abused his power for nearly a decade, putting the interests of foreign nationals above those of his own constituents.  Adams denied the accusations laid out in a sprawling 57-page indictment , maintaining his innocence and saying he is ready to fight the charges in court.   “I follow the rules, I follow the law. I do not do anything that’s going to participate in illegal campaign activity,” he said in a news conference outside Gracie Mansion .  The mayor is scheduled to appear in court at noon, but his lawyer asked the court to delay the arraignment until next week. If convicted on all five counts, he faces up to 45 year in prison.  NYC Mayor Eric Adams indictment unsealed U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, speaks at a news conference detailing

Updated on: September 27, 2024 / 7:53 AM EDT / CBS/AP Examining the accuracy of FBI crime data Examining the accuracy of FBI crime data 04:56 A New York man accused of killing his father, stepmother and 13-year-old stepbrother in Vermon t earlier this month appeared in court in Lake George on Thursday and waived having an extradition hearing, according to the district attorney. Brian Crossman Jr., 23, of Granville, New York, faces three counts of aggravated murder in the fatal shootings of Brian Crossman Sr., 46, Erica Pawlusiak Crossman, 41, and Colin Taft, 13, in their Pawlet, Vermont, home on Sept. 15, state police said. He will be moved to Vermont to face charges. The investigation found significant evidence linking Crossman Jr. to the killings, including digital information, statements, injuries and various interviews, Vermont State Police said. His public defender representing him in New York did not return a phone message seeking comment. A search of his cell phone found multiple internet searches related to serial killers and unresolved murders, police said. Relatives told police that he had a troubled relationship with his father

Shohei Ohtani isn’t like any other baseball player. This isn’t about him being a two-way player when healthy or his combination of power and speed that produced the sport’s first 50-homer, 50-steal season. This is about how he deals with career-defining moments. What’s at stake for his team. The implications for his legacy. The tens of thousands of people watching in person, and the millions more watching around the world. The responsibility of projecting the virtues of an entire culture. Other players make an effort to block out such thoughts or use them as fuel to elevate their adrenaline levels. Ohtani called them “ingredients to heighten focus.” Reflecting on his seventh-inning single that drove in the go-ahead run in a 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday that secured the Dodgers their most recent division title, Ohtani described himself as being in a trance-like state. “I was too focused to where I didn’t really think about being nervous,” he said in Japanese. Notice what Ohtani said. He wasn’t just focused. He was too focused. The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani celebrates after hitting an RBI

Lingering on the field after the game ended, everything that just unfolded swirling in his head, UCLA wide receiver Carter Shaw received instant analysis from a football savant and one of the top coaches in Pac-12 history. You know, his dad. David Shaw told his son to focus on what he did well against Louisiana State, the highlight reverse that he ran and the routes that he won against big-time cornerbacks, even if only one pass that fell incomplete came his way. It was another confidence boost for the redshirt freshman who’s continuing to absorb fatherly advice while forging his own identity. Sometimes, a reminder of why he’s sticking with this game as a preferred walk-on just fighting for opportunities is all Carter needs. His dad delivered it as part of his pregame message last weekend, helping his son soothe his unsettled mind. “He said not to get too invested in the results and the pressure but to know why you love this game,” Carter said, “not for the scholarship money, not for the fame or whatever you get from it, but because you’ve been

When Lincoln Riley was hired at USC in 2021, one of his first calls was to Alex Grinch. The defensive coordinator had already helped turn around his Oklahoma defense, and in the process, the two coaches had come to trust each other. Their families got close. So when Riley arrived in L.A., on an early-morning plane that November, Grinch was on the same flight. It turned out to be a rocky ride for Grinch at USC. He lasted less than two seasons and presided over two of the worst defenses in school history. But when the two coaches reunite Saturday at the Coliseum — this time, with Grinch wearing a different shade of red — Riley won’t be thinking about how things ended for him, less than a year ago, at USC. Fight on! Are you a true Trojans fan? Get our Times of Troy newsletter for USC insights, news and much more. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. “It’ll be good to see him,” Riley said. “It’ll certainly be unique, being on opposite sidelines, with all the good times

Braden Fiske remembers the Chicago Bears’ last trip to the Super Bowl. Fiske, a Rams rookie defensive lineman, grew up in Michigan City, Ind., about an hour by car from Soldier Field in Chicago. With family members and friends rooting for the Bears, the then-7-year-old Fiske was enamored by the Indianapolis Colts, who defeated the Bears in Super Bowl XLI in Miami to cap the 2006 season. “I grew up in the Peyton Manning era,” Fiske said, adding. “I have family down in Indianapolis, and I grew up loving that defense. [Retired All-Pro safety] Bob Sanders is still one of my favorite players.” Fiske is looking forward to one day playing against the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, but he also is excited to compete for the first time as a pro against the Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday. At least 25 family members and friends are expected to attend the game, Fiske said. They will be rooting for Fiske, but he acknowledged that allegiances only go so far. “That’s Bears country,” he said. Fiske, 24, has made an immediate impact for

Updated on: September 27, 2024 / 6:25 AM EDT / CBS/AP Philippines, China clash could draw in U.S. U.S. could be drawn into clash between Philippines, China as tensions rise | 60 Minutes 13:27 Satellite imagery showed that China’s newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank alongside a pier while under construction, a U.S. military official confirmed to CBS News on Thursday. The sinking of China’s first Zhou-class submarine represents a setback for Beijing as it continues to build out the world’s largest navy. Beijing has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea , which is crucial to international trade. Meanwhile, China faces longtime territorial disputes involving others in the region including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. The United States has sought to strengthen ties to its allies in the region and regularly sails through those waters in operations it says maintains the freedom of navigation for vessels there, angering Beijing. The submarine likely sank between May and June, when satellite images showed cranes that would be necessary to lift it off the bottom of the river, said

Sept. 27, 2024 3:02 AM PT 1 The Rams are riding high with confidence after avoiding a disastrous 0-3 start by coming back to defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 27-24, with a last-second field goal. If he amasses 223 yards passing, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford will move past Eli Manning into 10th place on the NFL’s career passing yardage list. Stafford is still without injured receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, so running back Kyren Williams must have another big performance. Receiver Tutu Atwell is among others who must again step up. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, the top pick in the 2024 draft, could benefit from the return of receiver Keenan Allen. The Rams defense ranks at or near the bottom of the league statistically in yards surrendered and points, but it made key stops against the 49ers. 2 How to watch and listen to Rams vs. Bears The Rams and Bears will play at 10 a.m. PDT Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago. The game will air on Fox in Southern California and will be available on YouTube TV with a subscription to NFL

He was the top pick in the NFL draft, a quarterback regarded as a generational talent selected by an NFC North team coming off a losing season. Caleb Williams? No, Matthew Stafford. In 2009, a few months after they finished 0-16, the Detroit Lions selected Stafford No. 1 overall. It took Stafford a few seasons to find his NFL footing. Now — 15-plus NFL seasons later — the Super Bowl champion is pushing to move into the top 10 all time in several passing categories. Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, is three games into his first season with the Chicago Bears. He also is a Stafford admirer, and Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago, Stafford and the Rams will try to prevent a breakout performance by the former USC star. Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, has passed for two touchdowns, with four interceptions, for a team that is 1-2 after a defeat by the Indianapolis Colts. It might not be a spectacular beginning for Williams, 22, but the 36-year-old Stafford indicated that the rookie was just getting started. Caleb Williams

Sept. 27, 2024 3:01 AM PT 1 Two weeks ago, this matchup looked as if it could be an opportunity for the Chargers to make a major divisional statement. Now it’s just about survival. With injuries affecting four key starters and a one-game suspension to star safety Derwin James Jr., the Chargers (2-1) are hoping to at least limp into the off week without adding anyone else to the injury report. Quarterback Justin Herbert will try to tough out a high-ankle sprain behind an offensive line that might be without starting tackles Rashawn Slater (pectoral) and Joe Alt (knee). Outside linebacker Joey Bosa is nursing a hip injury that limited him to just two snaps against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has had a quiet start to the season with eight catches for 69 yards and no touchdowns while the Chiefs (3-0) have struggled to convert in the red zone, but the All-Pro has a history of terrorizing the Chargers. He averaged 105.8 yards receiving in the last eight games against the Chargers, with eight touchdowns. The Chiefs have won five in