Pope Francis’ doctor says pontiff died ‘without suffering, at home’

• April 24, 2025

By COLLEEN BARRY, Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis’ doctor has recounted the pontiff’s final moments in a pair of newspaper interviews, saying the pontiff had his eyes open and was breathing with oxygen, but unresponsive after being stricken by illness early Monday morning. “He died without suffering, at home,” the doctor said.

Dr. Sergio Alfieri coordinated Francis’ five-week hospital treatment for double pneumonia and continued to oversee the pope’s treatment after the pontiff returned to the Vatican on March 23 for two months of rest to allow a full recovery.

Alfieri was alerted at 5:30 a.m. Monday by Francis’ health care assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, that Francis had been stricken and needed to be taken to the hospital. The doctor told the Milan daily Corriere della Sera that he arrived 20 minutes later.

“I went into his room, and he had his eyes open. I noted that he did not have respiratory issues, so I tried to call him but he did not respond,’’ Alfieri was quoted by Corriere as saying, adding that his lungs were clear and he was receiving supplemental oxygen. “He also did not respond to stimuli, even painful ones. In that moment I understood there was nothing more to do. He was in a coma.’’

Alfieri said it was too risky moving Francis back to the Gemelli hospital, where he was treated for a complex respiratory infection that nearly killed him twice.

Two hours after falling ill, the pope died, having suffered a stroke.

“He died without suffering, at home,″ Alfieri told the Rome daily La Repubblica.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived and said the rosary over the body, accompanied by the papal household staff, Alfieri told Corriere. “I gave him a caress, as a farewell,’’ the doctor said.

Vatican News has reported that the pope managed a gesture of farewell to Strappetti after falling ill.

Alfieri became the pope’s surgeon when he needed treatment for diverticulitis in 2021. Alfieri tried to get him on a diet after the surgery.

“He had a big sweet-tooth, and sometimes would go to the kitchen at the Santa Marta hotel for a midnight snack. He put on (nearly 30 pounds) too many. At times I came off as too rigorous, because he told me, ‘Remember to live with irony.’ “

After the pope suffered several severe respiratory crises in the hospital that required decisive treatment, the surgeon said, “We knew he wouldn’t return to his former condition, and that the infection had left another scar on his lungs.”

Still, ”he improved with physical therapy. I saw him on Saturday, and I found him in good shape. I didn’t think it would be the last meeting,” Alfieri told la Repubblica.

Though Francis was ordered to rest and avoid crowds for two months to recover, Alfieri expressed understanding for the pope’s desire to return to work. “Going back to work was part of his treatment, and he never exposed himself to dangers,″ Alfieri told Corriere.

Francis couldn’t resist appearing in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, which culminated with a long drive through the Easter crowd of 50,000 on the pope mobile, with several stops to bless children. He also insisted on inviting health care workers from the Gemelli hospital to the Vatican before Easter, even though the doctor suggested they wait until the end of the two-month convalescence in June.

“I have the clear sensation now that there were a series of things he felt he had to do before dying,″ Alfieri told Corriere. ”We knew he wanted to return home to be pope until the last instant, and he didn’t disappoint us.”

​ Orange County Register 

US filings for jobless benefits inch up as labor market remains strong despite fears of downturn

• April 24, 2025

By MATT OTT, Associated Press Business Writer

U.S. applications for jobless benefits rose modestly last week as business continue to retain workers despite fears of a possible economic downturn.

Jobless claim applications inched up by 6,000 to 222,000 for the week ending April 19, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s just barely more than the 220,000 new applications analysts forecast.

Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs, and have mostly stayed in a healthy range between 200,000 and 250,000 for the past few years.

Even though President Donald Trump has paused or pulled back on many of his tariff threats, concerns remain about a global economic slowdown that could upend what has been an historically resilient labor market.

Early Thursday, the head of the International Monetary Fund urged countries to move “swiftly’’ to resolve trade disputes that threaten global economic growth.

IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said the unpredictability of Trump’s aggressive campaign of taxes on foreign imports is causing companies to delay investments and consumers to pull back spending. Georgieva’s comments came two days after the IMF downgraded the outlook for world economic growth this year.

Like his pledge to institute tariffs, Trump’s promise to drastically downsize the federal government workforce has occupied much of the early weeks of his presidency and is still in motion.

It’s not clear when the job cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency — or “DOGE,” spearheaded by Elon Musk — will surface in the weekly layoffs data. However, the federal government staff reductions are already being felt, even outside of the Washington, D.C. area.

Federal agencies that have either announced layoffs or are planning cuts include the Department of Health and Human Services, IRS, Small Business Administration, Veterans Affairs and Department of Education.

Despite showing some signs of weakening during the past year, the labor market remains healthy with plenty of job openings and relatively few layoffs.

Earlier this month, the government reported that U.S. employers added a surprisingly strong 228,000 jobs in March. While the unemployment rate inched up to 4.2%, that’s still a healthy figure by historical standards.

Some high-profile companies have announced job cuts already this year, including Workday, Dow, CNN, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines and Facebook parent company Meta.

Thursday’s report also showed that the four-week average of applications, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility ticked down by 750 to 220,250.

The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of April 12 declined by 37,000 to 1.84 million.

​ Orange County Register 

In rare criticism of Putin, Trump urges the Russian leader to ‘STOP!’ after a deadly attack on Kyiv

• April 24, 2025

By AAMER MADHANI, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday offered rare criticism of Vladimir Putin, urging the Russian leader to “STOP!” after a deadly barrage of attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.

“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”

Russia struck Kyiv with an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones. At least 10 people were killed and 90 were injured in t he deadliest assault on the city since last July.

Trump’s frustration is growing as a U.S.-led effort to get a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia has not made progress.

Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday and accused him of prolonging the “killing field” by refusing to surrender the Russia-occupied Crimea Peninsula as part of a possible deal. Russia illegally annexed that area from Ukraine in 2014.

Zelenskyy has repeated many times during the war that began when Russia invaded in February 2022 that recognizing occupied territory as Russia’s is a red line for Ukraine. Zelenskyy noted Thursday that Ukraine had agreed to a U.S. ceasefire proposal 44 days ago as a first step to a negotiated peace, but that Moscow’s attacks had continued.

Trump’s criticism of Putin is notable because Trump has repeatedly said Russia, the aggressor in the conflict, is more willing than Ukraine to get a deal done.

“I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelenskyy,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “So far it’s been harder, but that’s OK. It’s all right.”

In his dealings with Zelenskyy and Putin, Trump has focused on which leader has leverage. Putin has “the cards” and Zelenskyy does not, Trump has said repeatedly. At the same time, the new Republican administration has taken steps toward a more cooperative line with Putin, for whom Trump has long shown admiration.

Trump is set to meet later Thursday with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to discuss the war in Ukraine, U.S. tariffs and other issues.

Norway, a member of NATO and strong supporter of Ukraine, shares a roughly 123-mile border with Russia.

Gahr Støre said in a social media post Thursday that he would underscore during the talks that “close contact between Norway and the USA is crucial.”

“We must contribute to a lasting and just peace in Ukraine,” he said.

The French Foreign Ministry offered measured pushback on Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy over the Ukrainian’s stand on Crimea.

During talks last week in Paris, U.S. officials presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a deal, according to a European official familiar with the matter. The matter was discussed again Wednesday during talks with U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials.

“The principle of Ukraine’s territorial integrity is not something that can be negotiated,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said. “This was the position taken last week and reiterated yesterday in London in a meeting of a similar format.”

Asked whether France agreed with Trump’s comments that Ukraine’s position was to blame for prolonging the war, Lemoine said Ukrainians showed they are open to negotiations while Russia continues its strikes.

“We rather have the impression that it is the Russians who are slowing down the discussions,” he said.

The White House announced Tuesday that Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, would visit Moscow this week for a new round of talks with Putin about the war. It would be their fourth meeting since Trump took office in January.

Associated Press writer Samuel Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Most Americans expect higher prices as a result of Trump’s tariffs, new poll finds

• April 24, 2025

By JOSH BOAK and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ trust in President Donald Trump to bolster the U.S. economy appears to be faltering, with a new poll showing that many people fear the country is being steered into a recession and that the president’s broad and haphazardly enforced tariffs will cause prices to rise.

Roughly half of U.S. adults say that Trump’s trade policies will increase prices “a lot” and another 3 in 10 think prices could go up “somewhat,” according to the poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

About half of Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the possibility of the U.S. economy going into a recession in the next few months.

While skepticism about tariffs is increasing modestly, that doesn’t mean the public is automatically rejecting Trump or his approach to trade. However, the wariness could cause problems for a president who promised voters he could quickly fix inflation.

Trump shows vulnerability on the economy

Three months into his second term, Trump’s handling of the economy and tariffs is showing up as a potential weakness. About 4 in 10 Americans approve of the way the Republican president is handling the economy and trade negotiations. That’s roughly in line with an AP-NORC poll conducted in March.

Matthew Wood, 41, said he’s waiting to see how the tariffs play out, but he’s feeling anxious.

“I’m not a huge fan of it, especially considering China and going back and forth with adjustments on both ends,” said Wood, who lives in West Liberty, Kentucky, and is unemployed. “Personally, it hasn’t affected me as of yet. But, generally, I don’t know how this is going to come to an end, especially with the big countries involved.”

Still, Wood said he changed his registration from Republican to independent, having been turned off by Trump’s attitude and deference to billionaire adviser Elon Musk. Wood voted for Trump last year and said he’s willing to give the president until the end of the year to deliver positive results on tariffs.

About half of U.S. adults, 52%, are against imposing tariffs on all goods brought into the U.S. from other countries. That’s up slightly from January, when a poll found that 46% were against tariffs. Driving that small shift largely appears to be adults under age 30 who didn’t previously have an opinion on tariffs.

Trump supporter Janice Manis, 63, said her only criticism of Trump on tariffs is that he put in a partial 90-day pause for trade negotiations with other countries.

“Actually, I think he shouldn’t have suspended it,” said Manis, a retired sheriff’s deputy from Del Rio, Texas. “Because now China is trying to manipulate all of these other countries to go against us, whereas if he would have left all the tariffs in play then these countries would be hit hard. But, oh, well, things happen.”

Skepticism remains about Trump’s tariff approach

Not quite 100 days into Trump’s second term in the White House, people around the country are bracing for possible disruptions in how they spend, work and live. The U.S. economy remains solid for the moment with moderating inflation and a healthy 4.2% unemployment rate, yet measures such as consumer confidence have dropped sharply.

Trump has used executive actions to remold the global economy. He’s imposed hundreds of billions of dollars a year in new import taxes — albeit partially suspending some of them — launching a full-scale trade war against China and pledging to wrap up deals with dozen of other countries that are temporarily facing tariffs of 10%. Financial markets are swinging with every twist and turn from Trump’s tariff pronouncements.

Many Americans are not convinced this is the right approach. About 6 in 10 say Trump has “gone too far” when it comes to imposing new tariffs, according to the poll.

Stocks are down this year, while interest charges on U.S. government bonds have climbed in ways that could make it more costly to repay mortgages, auto loans and student debt. CEOs are scrapping their earnings guidance for investors and seeking exemptions from Trump’s tariffs, which hit allies such as Canada and even penguin-inhabited islands.

Trump seemed to recognize the drag from tariffs as he highlighted this week the possibility of a deal with China. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had also said in a closed-door speech that the situation with China is not “sustainable.”

Widespread concern about rising grocery prices

About 6 in 10 U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the cost of groceries in the next few months, while about half are highly concerned about the cost of big purchases, such as a car, cellphone or appliance. Less than half are highly concerned about their ability to purchase the goods they want — a sign of the economy’s resilience so far.

Retirement savings are a source of anxiety — about 4 in 10 Americans say their retirement savings are a “major source” of stress in their lives. But fewer — only about 2 in 10 — identify the stock market as a major source of anxiety.

“This whole tariff war is just a losing situation not only for the American people but everybody worldwide,” said Nicole Jones, 32. “It’s revenge — and everybody’s losing on it.”

The Englewood, Florida, resident voted last year for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced the incumbent president, Joe Biden, as the Democratic nominee. Jones hadn’t given much thought to tariffs until recently, and now, as an occupational therapy student, she also worries about losing her financial aid and facing high amounts of educational debt.

“Things are more expensive for us,” she said.

And most Americans still think the national economy is in a weak state.

The difference is that Republicans — who largely thought the economy was in bad shape when Biden was president — now feel more optimistic. But Democrats have become much more bleak about the country’s financial future.

“It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but we were doing fine,” Jones, a Democratic voter, said about the economy before Trump’s policies went into effect.

The AP-NORC poll of 1,260 adults was conducted April 17-21, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

​ Orange County Register 

Trump will hold a rally in Michigan next week to mark his first 100 days in office

• April 24, 2025

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI, Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — President Donald Trump will mark his first 100 days in office next week with a rally in Michigan, his first since returning to the White House earlier this year.

Trump will visit Macomb County on Tuesday, the White House press secretary said. The region is just north of Detroit, known as an automotive hub.

“President Trump is excited to return to the great state of Michigan next Tuesday, where he will rally in Macomb County to celebrate the FIRST 100 DAYS!” Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday on social media.

The rally will take place on Trump’s 100th day in office — a traditional early milestone in which a president’s progress is measured against campaign promises. Michigan was one of the key battleground states Trump flipped last year from Democrats on his path back to the White House.

Trump has not traveled much since taking office outside of personal weekend trips. The Republican president’s only other official trip in his second term was during the first week, when he visited disaster zones in North Carolina and California and held an event in Las Vegas to promote his plan to eliminate taxes on tips.

But later this week, Trump will travel to Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome, the first foreign trip in his second term.

Trump’s upcoming trip to Michigan follows a series of meetings and phone calls with the state’s high-profile Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer. Once a sharp critic of Trump, Whitmer has said that she hopes to find common ground with the president in his second term.

A key area of potential cooperation that Whitmer has pointed to is Selfridge Air National Guard Base, long a concern for Whitmer and Michigan lawmakers amid uncertainty over its future as the A-10 aircraft stationed there are phased out. The base is located in Macomb County, where he is set to appear Tuesday.

Trump mentioned Selfridge during an April 9 executive order signing in the Oval Office, an event that Whitmer was present for, saying he hoped to keep the base “open, strong, thriving.”

“I think we’re going to be successful, Governor. I think we’ll be very successful there,” Trump said about Selfridge.

Whitmer — whom Trump praised during his remarks — later said she was unexpectedly brought into the Oval Office during her visit. A photo captured her trying to shield her face from cameras with a folder.

Asked Wednesday if Whitmer would appear with the president in Michigan, a spokesperson for the governor said they “don’t have anything to share at this time.”

Whitmer and other Michigan officials have long advocated for a new fighter mission to replace the outgoing A-10 squadron at Selfridge.

In a 2023 letter sent during President Joe Biden’s administration, Whitmer urged the secretary of the Air Force to act, writing, “I repeat and reiterate what I stated in November and many times before over the past year: a fighter mission at Selfridge to recapitalize the A10s is the right path forward for the State of Michigan, the Air Force, and the nation.”

​ Orange County Register 

Wall Street drifts higher as companies keep piling up profits, for now at least

• April 24, 2025

By STAN CHOE, Associated Press Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting higher Thursday as better-than-expected profits for U.S. companies pile up, though CEOs say they’re unsure about whether it will last amid uncertainty created by President Donald Trump’s trade war.

The S&P 500 was 0.8% higher in morning trading, following a two-day rally driven by hopes that Trump was softening his approach on tariffs and his criticism of the Federal Reserve, which had earlier shaken markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 42 points, or 0.1%, as of 10 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.3% higher.

ServiceNow helped drive the market higher after the AI platform company delivered a stronger profit for the start of 2025 than analysts expected. The company, whose AI agents help clients with their customer management and human resources, saw its stock jump 15% after it also gave a forecasted range for upcoming subscription revenue that was above what some analysts expected.

Southwest Airlines likewise reported stronger results for the first three months of the year than analysts expected, but its stock was flipping between losses and gains. It became the latest U.S. carrier to say the outlook for the economy looks so cloudy that it’s pulling some of its financial forecasts for the year.

CEO Bob Jordan said the company is “controlling what we can control,” and it’s cutting how much flying it will do in the second half of the year. Southwest’s stock was most recently down 0.2%.

Companies across industries have been talking about how difficult it is to give financial forecasts for the year, as Wall Street typically expects them to do, because of the on-again-off-again rollout of Trump’s tariffs.

Stocks rallied the last two days on signals that Trump may be willing to lower his stiff tariffs on imports coming from China. But the world’s second-largest economy on Thursday denied the two sides were involved in active negotiations over tariffs, saying that any suggestion of progress in this matter was as groundless as “trying to catch the wind.”

Calling Trump’s policy announcements “headline turbulence,” Tan Jing Yi of the Asia & Oceania Treasury Department at Mizuho Bank warned that global economies could be hurt in the long run, adding, “Sentiments swing from hopes of intense relief to inflicted economic gloom.”

This week, which began with a steep loss on fears about the trade war, has been a microcosm of the severe swings the market has volleyed through as investors struggle with how to react to conditions that seem to change by the day and by the hour. The only certainty ahead is likely that the market will keep swinging until more clarity arrives on tariffs, which many investors expect will cause a recession unless they’re rolled back.

“It’s an unhealthy market backdrop right now, and we’re trying not to react too much,” said John Belton, a portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds.

Households across the United States are preparing for the higher prices that economists say tariffs would bring, while the head of the International Monetary fund urged countries to move “swiftly’’ to resolve trade disputes that threaten global economic growth.

In the meantime, many U.S. companies are continuing to report stronger profit for the start of 2025 than analysts expected, while offering caution and uncertainty about the year ahead.

Toymaker Hasbro was a winner on Wall Street and jumped 14.4% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said his company expects “more volatility and uncertainty” and that “consumer conditions in many markets remain subdued and similarly have an uncertain outlook.”

His company’s stock fell 2.5% after the beverage and snack maker cuts its forecast for an underlying measure of profit over 2025, citing increased costs from tariffs and subdued conditions for customers. A 25% tariff on imported aluminum for cans is among those hitting PepsiCo and other beverage makers.

In the bond market, Treasury yields continued to ease following their disconcerting run higher earlier this month. Yields usually fall when fear is dominating markets, but their surprising rise had raised fears that the U.S. bond market was losing its status as one of the world’s safest places to keep cash because of Trump’s trade war.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.32% from 4.40% late Wednesday.

It sank after a report showed slightly more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than economists expected.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed amid modest moves across much of Europe and Asia.

AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Mat Ott contributed.

​ Orange County Register 

Recent whales washed up in Orange County show evidence of poisoning from toxic algae

• April 24, 2025

Of the four whales that have washed up on Orange and Los Angeles county beaches this year, two had high levels of domoic acid poisoning confirmed in their systems, leading marine mammal experts to say it caused their deaths.

Since February, marine rescue centers have been overwhelmed responding to sea lions, dolphins and birds found sick and dying on local beaches from Ventura County to Orange County, poisoned by unusually early blooms of toxic algae.

“This is the first time in Orange County that we’ve seen whales strand during bloom events and confirm it’s related,” said Dr. Alissa Deming, chief veterinarian at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. “It just speaks volumes, such a high variety of animals being impacted over such a large area.”

Confirmation of the poisoning — caused when the animals ingest small bait fish and shellfish that have consumed the toxic algae — was announced on Wednesday, April 23, after researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tested samples taken from the dead whales.

Poisoning was confirmed in a humpback whale found dead in Huntington Beach in January and in a minke whale that was observed swimming in Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor and later washed up on the shore of the Los Angeles River earlier this month.

“We’ve never seen levels this high,” said Keith Matassa, a marine biologist who runs the Ocean Animal Response and Research Alliance, a nonprofit that is contracted with the city of Los Angeles to respond to dead marine life on the beaches. “When you open them up, it looks fine.”

But the evidence of toxicity is found in the stomach, feces, urine, fluid from the eyes and in brain and heart samples, he said.

Deming and Matassa, who have been teaming up to do the necropsies, said that while whales have not been found with the toxin before in Southern California, they are not surprised by the results of the minke and humpback because both species feed on anchovies and sardines, same as sea lions and dolphins do.

Results for samples taken from two gray whales — one that washed up in Huntington Beach this month and one found on Dockweiler Beach in Los Angeles County — are still being tested. They are expected back next week, Deming said.

Deming said toxin poisoning wouldn’t typically be on her radar for gray whales as a probable cause of death, because they usually don’t feed during their migration from Mexico to Alaska. But, she said her suspicion increased because the whale recently found in Huntington Beach was in good body condition.

The typical causes of death among gray whales are ship strikes or entanglements, she said. But there was no evidence of that in the recent whale’s death.

“If they are hungry and start eating on their migration because there’s not enough food in Alaska, maybe they are at risk of exposure,” Deming said.

Deming credits the Huntington Beach City Lifeguards and the city manager for working with her and Matassa to make the sample collecting easy.

“That has been groundbreaking for us because historically that hasn’t always been the case,” she said. “So the fact that they’re working collaboratively and facilitating samples, not just from this recent gray whale, but also the humpback in Huntington, which was back in January, they have been excellent partners and that has allowed us to open Pandora’s box to get a better understanding of why the whales are stranding.

“It’s so important.”

The algae bloom is not showing a slowdown and rescue centers in Southern California remain overwhelmed.

Matassa said he was called to 15 dead animals found Tuesday on the shoreline between Venice and Manhattan Beach.

“This whole mortality event is the worst I’ve ever seen,” he said. “We’re up to 200 animals and 110 in the month of April. We only see 110 to 130 animals a year. So, we’ve done two years’ worth of work in a month and a half.

“Whales have never been part of these things. This year, it just keeps on going,” he said. “I’ve seen so many dolphins and what makes it even more startling is the fact that a lot of the animals we’re seeing are either carrying pups or calves, or the dolphins are lactating, which leaves the question of what is this going to do to future years.”

Typically, he said, blooms occur in June and July after animals have had their pups.

Deming said she is responding daily to dolphins that are either dead or dying on the shoreline.

“It’s unrelenting, the sheer number of animals that are dying,” she said. “The stamina we need to keep up with it. It’s exhausting, physically, emotionally and financially; it’s really taking a hit on us.”

She said that while the priority is taking care of patients, sometimes recovered animals are sent back to the wild earlier than she would like.

“When you have critical patients on the beach that need a bed in the hospital, we have to send the healthy ones back,” she said. “That’s been the hard part. Our effort in working so hard in getting the animals better and then having to turn around and send them to a home that is not quite healthy for them to return to is just heartbreaking.”

​ Orange County Register 

Why this bright beauty is my favorite flowering succulent

• April 24, 2025

Five things to do in the garden this week:

Perennials: Robertson dewflower (Drosanthemum micans) is my favorite low-growing, flowering succulent. And whatever is in second place is not even close. Picture a generous clump of daisy-like flowers whose petals are a glowing yellow from their base until they suddenly turn a fiery red along their length. The contrast is arresting. Along the coast, Robertson dewflower blooms nearly year-round while inland it flowers mostly during the spring in full sun to light shade. It is hardy down to 25 degrees and, like all succulents, it is easily propagated from shoot cuttings. It is known as dewflower since its foliage appears to be covered with dew on account of moisture-retaining bladder cells. It is related to iceplants, having similar cells on their leaves that may glisten like ice crystals.

Tree crops: You can grow pecans in our area, and the best variety is Western Schley, available from Otto and Sons Nursery in Fillmore. It is self-fruitful, meaning it will produce nuts when planted alone. However, its male flowers open before its female flowers, so it will produce up to its potential only when planted with a pecan whose flowers open in reverse order (females before males). This tree will grow up to a hundred feet tall or more, but you can, of course, keep it smaller by pruning. Many commercial pecan growers keep their trees at a height of 40 feet. Pecan trees have a habit of alternate bearing, meaning they produce heavily one year and lightly or not at all the next. Many varieties of avocados exhibit alternate bearing to one degree or another, although the Gwen avocado is known for producing substantial crops on a yearly basis.

Vegetables: Kohlrabi, although not widely grown, is worth trying. According to Christy Wilhelmi, you can plant its seeds every few weeks during the spring and then harvest it all summer long, since it only requires two months to go from seed germination to maturity. With kohlrabi, bigger is not better. The edible bulbous growth at the base of its leaves should not be allowed to exceed two inches in diameter. If it gets larger than that, it will become tough with a bitter taste. Upon harvesting, peel the skin, steam for eight minutes, and “saute in olive oil or butter for a very potato-like experience.” Cabbage worms (larvae of white cabbage butterflies) are attracted to kohlrabi but planting a trap crop such as nasturtium can solve this problem. A trap crop attracts a pest that would otherwise damage another, edible crop. In this case, the cabbage worms that infest the nasturtium would attract predacious insects that devour them and any cabbage worms that find their way onto the kohlrabi.

Herbs: Salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor) is one of the most delightful herbs you will ever grow. It is highly attractive with its ferny, dentate leaves. It develops into a symmetrical mound about two feet high and self-sows with alacrity. Flower globes are pinkish and interesting to behold, although they are open, plucked off to push out more of the distinctively captivating foliage. Salad burnet (BUR-nit) is used in garnishes, to flavor drinks, and in salad dressings due to its delicate cucumber flavor. It will survive a frost and show off an evergreen growth habit where winters are warm like ours.

Have you ever thought about putting to beneficial use those cardboard boxes in which Internet fare that arrives at your front door is packaged? Keep in mind that cardboard is made of recycled paper so it will break down like paper, if a bit more slowly because of its thickness. Most cardboard is easily turned into compost, even in one to two months, when mixed into a compost pile that is already heated up. However, it will break down within three to four months if you just cover a single layer of it with freshly cut grass, shrub or hedge prunings, or kitchen leftovers such as fruit peels, vegetable scraps, eggshells, and coffee grounds. Speed up its decomposition by cutting it into strips. Note: Do not try composting with cardboard that has a wax coating since such coatings may not be biodegradable.

Please send your questions and comments to [email protected].

​ Orange County Register