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Servite boys volleyball knocks off No. 2 seed San Marcos to reach Division 2 semifinals

May 2, 2024

ANAHEIM — Two of the four sets in the CIF-SS Division 2 boys volleyball quarterfinal between San Marcos of Santa Barbara and Servite on Wednesday had to be decided in overtime.

Another set came right down to the wire.

The Friars came out on top in all three, defeating the No. 2 seed Royals 33-31,18-25, 31-29, 25-23 at Servite High.

Servite advances to face Trinity League rival Santa Margarita in the semifinals Saturday at Servite.

No. 3 seed Santa Margarita, which defeated the Friars (18-14-4) in both league matches this season, defeated Long Beach Wilson in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

“I think we’ve been talking a lot all year about what it takes to win and you’ve got to practice the skill of winning and stuff like that,” Servite coach Matthew Marrujo said after the victory. “And when you get a little opportunity to take advantage of it, good things happen.”

USC signee Eamon Rigdon led the Friars with 18 kills and teammate Cooper Truong had 13 kills.

Setter Joaquin Rigdon, Eamon’s brother, had 46 assists and two blocks and libero Ethan Bautista had 18 digs.

The Friars also had 10 blocks as a team.

“It was a great team win and I’m so happy for my teammates,” Eamon Rigdon said. “It took everybody to win that game.”

The score was tied numerous times in the first, third and fourth sets, with neither team able to build a lead of more than four points.

The score was tied 26 times in the first set, with six of those ties coming in overtime.

Servite led by one point with a chance to win the set five times in overtime but San Marcos (33-3) tied the score each time to extend the set.

San Marcos also led by a point, 28-27, with a chance to win the set, but the Royals served out of bounds to tie the score yet again.

Another serve out of bounds by the Royals gave the Friars a 32-31 lead and then Quinn Rosenkranz and Cooper Truong partnered on a block to give Servite the victory by the required two points.

The second set was close until the Royals went on 10-3 run to pull away down the stretch.

Servite maintained a slim lead through most of the third set before the Royals pulled ahead and led 24-23.

But then the Friars’ Diego Garcia served an ace to tie the score and send the set to overtime.

The score was tied four more times in overtime until a back-row kill from Eamon Rigdon followed by a hit out of bounds by the Royals clinched the set and gave the Friars a 2-1 lead.

The fourth set played out much like the first and third, but this time the Friars didn’t need overtime.

Another back row kill from Eamon Rigdon gave the Friars a 24-22 lead.

A hitting error by Servite made the score 24-23 but then a kill from Cooper Tuong clinched the set and the match for the Friars.

With the victory, Servite avenged its loss to San Marcos in the 2023 Division 2 quarterfinals.

We had a lot of respect for them,” Marrujo said. “We knew it was going to be a really hard match. I know what it feels like for them. We were there last year.”

The Friars last reached the semifinals in 2022. They defeated Thousand Oaks in three sets that season but then lost in the finals to Tesoro in five sets.

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Orange County Register

Luka Doncic, Mavericks push Clippers to brink of elimination with Game 5 rout

May 2, 2024

LOS ANGELES — Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic came into Game 5 suffering from congestion and a lingering right knee sprain, which had caused him to be less mobile in the previous two games against the Clippers.

He didn’t appear to be affected by either on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic scored a game-high 35 points on 14-of-26 shooting and had seven rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Mavericks to a convincing 123-93 victory and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series. And it was the Clippers who were left looking queasy as they now face elimination when the series returns to Dallas for Game 6 on Friday.

If necessary, Game 7 will be back in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The Clippers went into Game 5 again without Kawhi Leonard, who missed his third game in the series because of inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee. But unlike the previous two games, George and Harden couldn’t fill the void left by Leonard. The two never appeared in sync Wednesday.

For one, their 3-point attempts didn’t fall. They finished a combined 3 for 13 from long range. Other times they rushed shots, came up short on others or turned the ball over.

Harden had been shooting 61% on his step-backs and 60% on his floaters, but neither turned out to be sustainable against a Dallas defense that zeroed in on the three-time league scoring champion.

“I saw how they tried to guard him last game and so we just got to be, make sure we’re disciplined, make sure we’re poised and patient, get to our spacing if they’re going to guard like that, just attacking the basket, making the right play,” Coach Tyronn Lue said before the game.

It was wishful thinking as the Mavericks limited Harden and George from gaining any real traction. Harden scored just seven points on 2-of-12 shooting, while George finished with 15 points but had 11 rebounds. The rest of the team failed to provide any real offense, shooting 37.9% from the field.

Ivica Zubac cooled after a hot first quarter, finishing with 15 points and six rebounds, while Terance Mann had 11 points and seven rebounds. Russell Westbrook also struggled off the bench, missing his first eight shots before finally scoring in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Doncic didn’t let two early fouls or a stuffy nose slow him down. At Wednesday’s shootaround, he reportedly didn’t engage in much running and said he wasn’t sure how his knee would hold up.

“Nothing, honestly,” he told reporters Wednesday morning of his participation. “Just treatment, a lot of treatments. Fitness. But basketball, I just shot. Nothing explosive.”

He saved it all for the game, which turned into a one-sided affair midway through the third quarter. Doncic scorched the Clippers for 14 points in the third, stretching Dallas’ lead to 23 points during a 17-2 run. The Clippers missed nine consecutive shots and committed four turnovers during the 6:23 between their first and second baskets of the second half.

The Mavericks kept the pressure on in the fourth, leading by as much as 32 points.

Dallas shot 54% from the field and made 14 of 39 3-point shots. Maxi Kleber had 15 points (all on 3-pointers), Kyrie Irving finished with 14 points and six assists and Derrick Jones Jr. added 12 points.

Lue eventually threw in the towel and had bench players close out the game.

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The Clippers got off to a strong start behind Zubac and Mann, who got the team going with eight and seven points, respectively in the first quarter.

Lue then switched out his starters for a lineup of Norman Powell, Westbrook, Mason Plumlee, Mann and Harden and the game got chaotic. The Clippers struggled to find the basket as Dallas began hitting nearly every shot to go up by eight points on a 3-pointer by Maxi Kleber at the 7:21 mark.

It didn’t get much better as the Mavericks stretched their lead to 12 with a 12-4 run before George made two free throws in the final 12 seconds as Dallas settled for a 56-46 halftime lead.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said before the game it was important to stop the Clippers from making 3-pointers and they achieved that goal in the first half. The Clippers were just 9 of 35 from behind the arc.

Dallas is on the brink of its first playoff series victory since 2022 and only its third since winning the NBA title in 2011.

More to come on this story.

Orange County Register

Dodgers give Shohei Ohtani his first day off of the season

May 2, 2024

PHOENIX — When the Dodgers posted their starting lineup for Wednesday’s game, it was their first no Sho of the season.

Shohei Ohtani wasn’t in the lineup after starting each of his first 32 games with the Dodgers. The trio of Mookie Betts, Ohtani and Freddie Freeman had occupied the first three spots in the Dodgers’ lineup every game before Wednesday. Now, Betts, Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez are the only Dodgers to play each of the first 33 games.

“I think that he understands that it’s a long season, so there wasn’t any back and forth,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Ohtani. “I think he understands that it’s probably for his own benefit.”

Roberts said it was “just a routine day off” and not prompted by anything. But Ohtani was 1 for 5 Tuesday with three strikeouts and is 5 for his past 26 (.192). He was 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position on Tuesday – though a run did score on a wild pitch while he was batting with the bases loaded – and if there is any blemish to be found in Ohtani’s excellent start this season it is in those situations. He is batting .184 (7 for 38).

Roberts has said at times he sees Ohtani altering his approach in those situations and being overly aggressive, expanding his strike zone and swinging at pitches he would not in lower-leverage situations.

“I think that hitters want to hit. Shohei is as aggressive as those bees were last night,” Roberts said. “They want to hit in big spots. Certainly, he feels like he’s the best option to drive in a run. And that’s what pitchers feed off of. So I do think, like I was talking about earlier, that he’s managed that controlling of the strike zone. But I think the DNA part of it is to want to swing the bat, which is still a good thing.”

COMING SOON

The Dodgers cleared the way for Walker Buehler to return to their starting rotation next week by sending right-hander Landon Knack back to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Knack was 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA in three starts after right-hander Bobby Miller also went on the injured list.

Buehler made his final rehab start for OKC on Tuesday, completing five innings for the first time in his six starts.

Roberts would not confirm Buehler’s imminent return.

“Last night, I was really impressed because he was pitching. I thought he used his entire pitch mix really well,” Roberts said. “The velocity was still there. And he was getting outs. So last night I thought clearly was his best one.”

Buehler has not pitched in a major-league game since June 2022 and underwent both a second Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair that summer. But the Dodgers are optimistic the Buehler who returns to their rotation will still be the aggressive, power-pitching version who once led their rotation.

“I think he’s going to still be Walker,” Roberts said. “He’s going to be attacking. But I think that there’s an attacking with his entire repertoire. I think that in years past, it was heavy fastball, heavy cutter where I think that Walker has more weapons. And I think that’s what my hope is, instead of just trying to bully guys.

“It’s different for everyone (returning from a major injury). … As you haven’t been competing at this level for quite some time, to sort of feel, figure out, see where you’re at at this point in time. … I’m sure there’s going to be some anxiousness, some nerves, that there naturally should be, until you kind of get a couple starts under your belt. You know, Clayton Kershaw is going to have it when he comes back. So if he’s going to have that, sure as heck Walker’s gonna have that too, which is normal.”

Optioning Knack to Triple-A allowed the Dodgers to recall right-hander J.P. Feyereisen and add a fresh arm to their depleted bullpen. Feyereisen made two appearances with the Dodgers earlier this season, allowing six runs in 1⅓ innings. At OKC, he was 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in seven appearances.

TREINEN REHAB

Right-hander Blake Treinen’s fourth appearance on a minor-league injury-rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday was his best so far.

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Treinen pitched a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. He threw 15 pitches, 11 strikes. Treinen has allowed five runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out four in 3⅓ innings on his rehab assignment.

The expectation is Treinen will pitch again on Thursday. Pitching on back-to-back days could be the final step before his return to the Dodgers.

UP NEXT

The Dodgers are off Thursday.

Braves (RHP Charlie Morton, 2-0, 3.60 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Gavin Stone, 2-1, 4.68 ERA), Friday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network, 570 AM

Orange County Register

UCLA issues dispersal order as pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in front of encampment

May 2, 2024

Hundreds of demonstrators had amassed at the pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA on Wednesday evening, with law enforcement standing by after campus officials ordered protesters on both sides to disperse.

The dispersal order came less than 24 hours after violence erupted at the encampment Tuesday night when counter-demonstrators supporting Israel tried to dismantle the encampment. The chaos represented an escalation locally since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

As the “Palestine Solidarity Encampment” entered its seventh night of their Royce Quad occupation on Wednesday, campus police declared the protest of the “Palestine Solidarity Encampment” an unlawful assembly around 6 p.m., and announced over a loudspeaker demanding for demonstrators to clear out from the encampment. A couple hundred demonstrators had occupied the encampment throughout the day and, around 6:30 p.m., another 200 people gathered at the steps leading up to Royce Quad.

UCLA is blasting an announcement on speakers demanding all students leave the Palestine Solidarity Immediately. A massive law enforcement presence is standing by, signaling an effort to clear the encampment could take place soon.

— Clara Harter (@_ClaraHarter) May 2, 2024

UCLA had already canceled classes on Wednesday after the clashes the previous night, which led to 15 injuries, with an announcement in the evening advising students and staff that classes would be held remotely Thursday and Friday.

As of 7 p.m., authorities had not yet attempted to move in on the encampment or make any arrests.

This is the scene on the UCLA quad, about 17 hours after a group of counter-protesters descended of the Gaza solidarity encampment here and a night of violence ensued. There are rumors the camp will be swept by police in about half an hour — things are calm for now. More soon. pic.twitter.com/O4GBOltBBL

— Emily Holshouser (@emilyytayylor) May 2, 2024

This is a developing story.

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Slow police response at violent UCLA protest under investigation

May 2, 2024

University of California President Michael Drake and UCLA Chancellor Gene Block have pledged to investigate the slow response from campus and outside law enforcement agencies during a violent protest that injured at least 15 people, officials said Wednesday, May 1.

In a statement, Drake said he has requested a “detailed accounting from the campus about what transpired” in response to criticism from civil rights groups and the governor’s office over UCLA’s poor handling of the overnight clash between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters.

“Therefore, we are also ordering an independent external review of both UCLA’s planning and actions, and the effectiveness of the mutual aid response,” Drake stated. “Such a review will help us address many immediate questions but also help guide us in possible future events.”

The Federated University Police Officers’ Association, the union representing campus police, laid the blame on UCLA’s administration and welcomed the probe requested by Drake.

“In the University of California system, the Police Departments on each campus are entrusted with the critical responsibility of maintaining law and order,” the union stated. “However, it’s paramount to recognize that when protests erupt on campus, the decisions regarding the response of the UC Police rest firmly in the hands of campus leadership.”

Violence erupted Tuesday just hours after UCLA declared the pro-Palestinian protesters’ days-long encampment “unlawful.” Gathered counter-protesters began firing fireworks at the other side, flashing strobe lights and blaring the amplified sounds of babies crying about 11 p.m., according to social media reports.

First officers retreated

A small group of campus police officers arrived to attempt to control the scene a few minutes later, but they retreated after they, too, were attacked while trying to help an injured person, according to the Daily Bruin, UCLA’s student-run newspaper.

Though UCLA had acknowledged the potential for violence and promised an increased “security presence” that included a “greater number of law enforcement officers,” UCPD Chief John Thomas told the Bruin he had only five to six officers on duty that night.

Meanwhile, the LAPD didn’t arrive to quell the clash between opposing protesters until help was requested hours later.

The situation deteriorated into beatings, pepper-spraying and other violence as the counter-protesters attempted to dismantle the encampment. The lack of any police presence became more and more apparent to those on scene as the violence escalated.

One recording posted to social media showed groups of masked men smacking an individual with sticks and kicking him as he fell to the ground. In others, counter-protesters wearing white masks smashed the wooden barricades set up around the encampment, pulling and kicking at the makeshift walls.

‘Where are the police?’

“Somebody is being dragged and beaten in front of that plywood wall,” said an ABC7 reporter following the scene from a helicopter about 12:30 a.m. “Where are the police? Where is security? Where are these people? Just — where’s authority here? It is something I have never covered without any sign of enforcement, law enforcement, security, whatsoever. This has gone on now for over an hour and a half.”

UCLA seemingly did not call for assistance from outside law enforcement for hours. Zach Seidl, deputy mayor of communications for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, confirmed on X at 12:51 a.m. that Bass, Block and LAPD Chief Dominic Choi had spoken and the LAPD would respond “immediately to Chancellor Block’s request for support on campus.”

The Los Angeles Police Department, with assistance from the California Highway Patrol, did not arrive until after 1 a.m. and spent more than an hour assembling before they took action, according to social media reports.

The Daily Bruin published a scathing editorial condemning Block’s inaction later that morning. The editorial stated Block had promised an increased security presence.

“Will someone have to die on your campus tonight for you to intervene, Gene Block?” the editorial board asked. “The blood would be on your hands.”

Newsom critical

Gov. Gavin Newsom similarly questioned the delayed response times in a statement Wednesday.

“The limited and delayed campus law enforcement response at UCLA last night was unacceptable — and it demands answers,” he stated. “As soon as it became clear that state assistance was needed to support a local response, our office immediately deployed CHP personnel to campus.”

In a Tuesday press conference on UCLA’s campus, the pro-Palestinian protest organizers at UCLA shared a statement describing the attack on the encampment and condemning the university’s failure to keep students safe.

They did not share their names with the media.

“For over seven hours Zionist aggressors hurled gas canisters, sprayed pepper spray and threw fireworks and bricks into our encampment,” the organizers stated. “They broke barriers repeatedly, clearly in an attempt to kill our community.”

Campus public safety and hired security officers did not intervene when conflict erupted, organizers said. And when law enforcement first arrived on scene, they simply stood at the edge of the lawn, they said.

“For all the school’s pretense of student safety, we have experienced an unprecedented amount of violence and hatred while they stood by,” the statement continued. “The university’s hypocrisy is all too apparent as signs of this escalation were reported, documented and indicated early on.”

AG probe requested

The Greater Los Angeles office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) has demanded that California Attorney General Rob Bonta “investigate the lack of response of UCPD and LAPD as the pro-Israel mob brutalized and terrorized students at the encampment.”

“Across our nation, students who have launched peaceful marches, sit-ins, and encampments to protest their institution’s financial investments in the Israeli government have been met with a campaign of disinformation, discrimination, and now disturbing violence,” stated Hussam Ayloush, director of CAIR-LA. “This must end. UCLA and other schools must ensure that students can continue to peacefully protest the genocide in Gaza without facing attacks by violent pro-Israel mobs.”

Both the LAPD and the CHP referred questions about their response times to UCLA as the “lead agency.”

The LAPD later released a statement saying its officers responded to the campus once UCLA “requested mutual aid after reports of violent clashes between protesters” and now would “remain in the area to ensure public safety until the situation is resolved.”

No arrests were made and no officers were injured, according to the LAPD.

Mayor vows follow-up

That may change. Both UCLA and Mayor Bass have called for investigations — and arrests — related to the incident.

“Those involved in launching fireworks at other people, spraying chemicals and physically assaulting others will be found, arrested, and prosecuted, as well as anyone involved in any form of violence or lawlessness,” Bass stated. “I want to make sure the message I delivered to law enforcement and other officials earlier today is clear: Free speech will be protected. Violence and bigotry will not.”

UCLA did not respond to questions about when it requested assistance or why it had not staged more officers in advance.

Here’s what happened at UCLA before pro-Israel counter protesters attacked pro-Palestinian protesters
UCLA cancels classes, vows investigation after violence erupts at pro-Palestinian encampment
UCLA declares Palestine encampment unlawful, USC president in talks with protesters
UCLA issues dispersal order as pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in front of encampment

A spokesperson provided a statement Block sent to UCLA community that morning.

“Late last night, a group of instigators came to Royce Quad to forcefully attack the encampment that has been established there to advocate for Palestinian rights,” Block stated. “Physical violence ensued, and our campus requested support from external law enforcement agencies to help end this appalling assault, quell the fighting and protect our community.”

Block described the attack on students protesters by “a group of instigators” as “unacceptable” and as a “dark chapter in our campus’ history.”

“We are still gathering information about the attack on the encampment last night, and I can assure you that we will conduct a thorough investigation that may lead to arrests, expulsions and dismissals,” Block stated. “We are also carefully examining our own security processes in light of recent events.”

Orange County Register

Orange County scores and player stats for Wednesday, May 1

May 2, 2024

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Scores and stats from Orange County games on Wednesday, May 1

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WEDNESDAY’S SCORES

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

DIVISION 2

Quarterfinals

Santa Margarita def. LB Wilson, 25-23, 25-21, 26-24

SM: Saint 18 kills, 1 ace. Wallin 34 assists, 9 digs. Ignosci 16 kills.

DIVISION 3

San Clemente def. University, 25-18, 18-25, 25-17, 25-18

El Dorado def. Peninsula, 25-17, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23

St. Margaret’s def Wiseburn Da Vinci, 25-18, 25-19, 27-25

LB Poly def. Fountain Valley, 25-18, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20

BOYS TENNIS

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

DIVISION 1

Santa Margarita 13, Ayala 5

Northwood 13, Huntington Beach 5

Marina 13, Cate 5

Canyon/Anaheim 10, Diamond Bar 8

DIVISION 2

El Dorado 15, Valencia 2

King 10, Brea Olinda 8

Troy 9, Windward 9 (Troy wins on games 78-77)

Foothill 17, Alta Loma 1

South Torrance 9, Mater Dei 9 (South Torrance wins on games 74-73)

DIVISION 3

Crean Lutheran 15, Le Lycee 3

Capistrano Valley 10, Santa Barbara 8

St. Margaret’s 13, Thatcher 5

Trabuco Hills 9, Laguna Beach 9 (Trabuco Hills wins on games 72-67)

Fullerton 9, La Quinta/Westminster 9 (Fullerton wins on games, 75-71)

DIVISION 4

Segerstrom 10, Oxford Academy 8

Villanova Prep 9, Magnolia 9 (Villanova wins on games, 78-75)

LB Poly 13, Fairmont Prep 5

DIVISION 5

Pacifica Christian/OC 10, Summit 8

Hillcrest 12, Costa Mesa 6

DIVISION 6

Rosemead 16, Orange 2

Los Amigos 10, Indian Springs 8

Garey 10, Santa Ana Valley 8

Los Amigos 10, Indian Springs 8

BOYS LACROSSE

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

First Round

DIVISION 1

Santa Margarita 17, Los Alamitos 3

DIVISION 2

Santa Monica 7, Tesoro 5

Palos Verdes 8, Canyon 5

DIVISION 3

Simi Valley 4, El Dorado 3

Orange County Register

UCLA women’s basketball adds Oregon State transfer Timea Gardiner

May 2, 2024

Former Oregon State women’s basketball player Timea Gardiner announced that she is transferring to UCLA in a social media post on Wednesday evening.

“4s up,” the post said.

4s up #gobruins pic.twitter.com/LTZoBp5VA2

— TG (@timea_gardiner) May 2, 2024

Gardiner played in 35 games during her sophomore season and started in nine of them. The 6-foot-3 forward averaged 11.6 points and seven rebounds per game and had 16 blocked shots. She was a five-star recruit coming out of high school.

Oregon State finished the regular season in fourth place in the Pac-12 Conference behind third-place UCLA. The Beavers lost to South Carolina in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

UCLA has now landed two transfers since the season ended with a loss to LSU in the Elite Eight. Charlisse Leger-Walker, a guard who was previously at Washington State, announced on April 25 that she will be playing for UCLA.

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Orange County Register

Blinken presses Hamas to seal cease-fire with Israel, says ‘the time is now’ for a deal

May 2, 2024

By MATTHEW LEE, SAMY MAGDY and SAM MEDNICK

JERUSALEM — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hiked up pressure on Hamas on Wednesday to accept the latest proposal for a cease-fire with Israel, saying the “time is now” for an agreement that would free hostages and pause the nearly seven months of war in Gaza.

But a key sticking point appeared to remain — whether the deal would completely end Israel’s offensive as Hamas has demanded.

Blinken met with Israeli leaders throughout the day on the last stop of his seventh visit to the region since the war erupted in October, trying to push through what has been an elusive deal between Israel and Hamas. The U.S. and fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar hope to avert an Israeli offensive into the southern Gaza town of Rafah, where some 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering.

Throughout months of talks, Hamas has said the freeing of all the hostages it holds must bring a permanent halt to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

Mourners carry the bodies of members of the Abu Taha family who were killed in an Israeli airstrike, during their funeral at Al-Salam cemetery, east of Rafah, Gaza Strip. Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammad Jahjouh)

A woman holds a banner and shouts slogans with families and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza during a protest calling for their return, outside a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and families of hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza Strip. Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammad Jahjouh)

FILE – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel on Oct. 28, 2023. Netanyahu pledged Tuesday, April 30 to launch an incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering from the almost 7-month-long war, just as cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas appear to be gaining steam. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP, File)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog shake hands during their meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

Families and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza hold banners and flags during a protest calling for their return, outside a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and families of hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv, Israel Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

A woman holds a banner with families and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza during a protest calling for their return, outside a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and families of hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Expand

The proposed deal now at the center of talks raises that possibility, according to leaked details that were confirmed by an Egyptian official and a Hamas official. But Hamas is seeking to strengthen the language to ensure a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the entire Gaza Strip, the Egyptian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal negotiations. The group said it is likely to give its response to the proposal on Thursday.

In public, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has staunchly rejected stopping the war before Hamas is destroyed. In a sign of the challenges in the negotiations, Netanyahu in his talks with Blinken on Wednesday repeated his vow to launch the offensive on Rafah, which he says is Hamas’ last stronghold in Gaza.

Blinken said Israel has made “very important” compromises in cease-fire efforts and it is now up to Hamas to get the deal done.

“There’s no time for further haggling. The deal is there,” Blinken said, shortly before he was to leave Israel.

Earlier in the day, he said in talks with Israel’s ceremonial President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv that Hamas would bear the blame for any failure to get a deal. “No delays, no excuses. The time is now,” he said.

Blinken said the deal would also allow much needed food, medicine and water to get into Gaza, where the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis, pushed northern Gaza to the brink of famine and driven around 80% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes.

Blinken said there has been “meaningful progress” in efforts to increase the flow of aid. On Wednesday, Israel reopened its Erez crossing for deliveries into northern Gaza for the first time since it was damaged in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

Hanging over the cease-fire negotiations is the possibility of an Israeli attack on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population has fled, cramming into vast tent camps and other shelters. On Tuesday, Netanyahu vowed to go ahead with the assault with or without a cease-fire deal.

“The operation in Rafah doesn’t depend on anything. The prime minister made this clear to Secretary Blinken,” Netanyahu’s office said after the two met Wednesday. Hard-line members of Netanyahu’s coalition, on whom he depends to keep his government in power, have railed against any deal that prevents a Rafah attack as a victory for Hamas.

The United States has staunchly supported Israel’s campaign of bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza since Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Oct. 7 into southern Israel. But the U.S. has grown increasingly critical of the staggering toll borne by Palestinian civilians and has been outspoken against a move on Rafah. American officials say they oppose a major offensive but that if Israel conducts one, it must first evacuate civilians.

In Rafah, Palestinians clung to hope that, after months of reported near-deals, this time a cease-fire would be sealed and avert an attack.

Salwa Abu Hatab, a woman who fled Khan Younis who is now in a tent camp, said she wants to go home.

“Do you think we like life in tents? We are tired and suffering,” she said. “Every day they say there is a truce and negotiations, and in the end it fails. We hope they will succeed this time.”

“If the invasion happens, we do not know where to go,” said Enas Syam, a woman from Gaza City carrying her child in the camp. “There is no safe place left.”

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza continued. Late Tuesday, a strike hit a house in Rafah, killing at least two children, according to hospital authorities. An Associated Press journalist saw the children’s bodies at Abu Yousef al-Najjar hospital as their relatives mourned.

The Israel-Hamas war was sparked by the Oct. 7 raid into southern Israel in which militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. Hamas is believed to still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

Since then, Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and wreaked vast destruction.

Throughout his regional visit, with previous stops in Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Blinken urged Hamas to accept the cease-fire proposal, calling it “extraordinarily generous” on Israel’s part.

The proposal lays out three stages of six to seven weeks each, according to details first reported in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is close to Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group.

The first phase would bring a pause during which Hamas would release women and elderly civilians in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. In a series of timed steps, Israeli troops would withdraw from a coastal road in Gaza, then from central Gaza and displaced people would return north.

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In the meantime, talks would start on restoring “a permanent calm,” the Egyptian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal negotiations.

The next stage would bring implementation of the calm, including Hamas’ release of all remaining hostages — soldiers and civilians — and a withdrawal of Israeli forces out of Gaza. The Egyptian official said Hamas sees the language about the withdrawal as too vague and wants to specify a complete withdrawal to avoid different interpretations.

The last stage would see the release of bodies of dead hostages and the start of a five-year reconstruction plan. The plan says that Hamas would agree not to rebuild its military arsenal.

Magdy reported from Cairo and Mednick from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Orange County Register

Highway collapse in southern China leaves at least 24 dead

May 2, 2024

Associated Press

BEIJING — A section of a highway collapsed early Wednesday in southern China, sending cars tumbling and leaving at least 24 people dead, according to state media.

Eighteen cars fell down a slope after a 17.9-meter (58.7-foot) long section of the highway collapsed, according to a statement from authorities in Meizhou city in Guangdong province. The incident occurred around 2 a.m.

The death toll had risen to 24 by Wednesday afternoon, according to China’s official Xinhua News agency.

Parts of Guangdong province has seen record rains and flooding in the past two weeks, as well as hail. Some villages in Meizhou had flooded in early April, and the city had seen heavy rains in recent days.

Witnesses told local media they heard a loud noise and saw a hole open up several meters wide behind them after driving past the section of the road just before it collapsed.

Video and photos in local media showed smoke and fire at the scene, with highway rails slanting downward into the flames. A pile of blackened cars could also be seen on the slope leading down from the highway.

The ground beneath the highway appeared to have caved in, along with the section of the road that had broken off.

Rescue workers have taken 30 people to the hospital, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Orange County Register

SpaceX launch set for Thursday morning from Vandenberg

May 2, 2024

Start the countdown — Hawthorne-based SpaceX will launch the Maxar 1 mission to orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday, May 2, with a 14-minute window for the launch opening at 11:36 a.m.

If needed, a backup opportunity for the launch will be available at the same time on Friday, May 3.

About eight minutes after lift-off, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg and there is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one of more sonic booms during the landing.

The noise will depend on weather and other conditions.

A live webcast begins approximately 15 minutes before Falcon 9’s liftoff — go to spacex.com/launches.

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