Trump administration accuses Pasadena’s Caltech of visa fraud, in probe of universities

• October 9, 2026

LOS ANGELES — The Trump administration on Thursday, Oct. 8, accused Caltech and eight other universities of suspected visa fraud, alleging they were abusing a program that allows international students to come to the United States to study.

Vice President JD Vance said that the private Pasadena research university known for its engineering and science programs was exploiting the J-1 special visa that allows international scholars and students to do research and work in the U.S.

“Something weird is going on at these universities,” Vance said at a news conference. “They’re using these visas way too much. They’re using them to undercut the wages of American grad students and American researchers, and it simply has to stop.”

A message from City News Service seeking comment from Caltech was not immediately answered.

Along with Caltech, Vance singled out Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, the University of Pittsburgh, UC Davis, Arizona State, and MIT.

Vance said the potential abuse of the J-1 and H-1B programs constituted a “fundamental insult to the American worker.”

The Trump administration contends that 61% of post-doctoral researchers and federally funded workers at the nine schools are foreign nationals, a rate far larger than the national average of 38%.

Federal officials said a probe of the schools was underway.

Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito said subpoenas have been served and “Nobody will be getting a free pass because their name is carved into an expensive building.”

Vance also called out Microsoft for allegedly abusing the H-1B special visa program for foreign workers.

“There’s been no company, unfortunately, in the United States that has abused this system more than Microsoft,” Vance told reporters at the White House news conference.

​ Orange County Register 

400+ Orange County workers set to strike Tuesday if new contract not reached

• October 9, 2026

More than 465 Orange County employees who maintain roads, run landfills and staff the regional parks and animal shelter say they will go on strike Tuesday, Oct. 13, if the county does not reach a deal on a new labor agreement, Teamsters Local 952 announced Thursday.

The local represents employees across OC Public Works, OC Waste & Recycling and OC Community Resources, including heavy equipment operators, mechanics, waste workers, custodial staff and animal care workers.

“The county has shown that its priorities are not with the workers who keep Orange County running or the more than 3 million residents who depend on the services our members provide,” Eric Jimenez, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 952 said in a statement. “We are giving the county every opportunity to come to the table and reach an agreement before Tuesday.”

The union’s previous three-year contract expired June 25. Bargaining team members said they approached the county in December to begin negotiations, but argue the county made no meaningful movement toward a deal until August.

On Aug. 20, members voted down the county’s one-year offer of a 3% raise with no retroactive pay, an offer workers said fell short of recognizing the value of their work. The union said it also filed an unfair labor practice complaint alleging the county has failed to bargain in good faith.

“We respect the rights of our dedicated employees to engage in lawful strike activity under California law. Our priority remains ensuring the continuity of essential public services for our residents,” county spokesperson Molly Nicholson said Thursday. “We have contingency plans in place to minimize service disruptions.”

Details on the contingency plan were not immediately made available and the county did not provide additional information.

The union held a press conference before the OC Board of Supervisors’ last meeting in September to warn about the potential for a strike.

​ Orange County Register 

Rams’ Byron Young done with ‘second-hand credit’ after 2.5-sack game

• October 8, 2026

LOS ANGELES — Byron Young is a Pro Bowler. A former Day 2 pick. Thirty-one career sacks. Poised to make some serious money as a free agent this coming spring.

But throughout his NFL career, the Rams’ outside linebacker has always had a “yeah, but” come up after any analysis of his game. Something like, “Yeah, but the offensive line is paying attention to Aaron Donald, of course he got a pressure.”

So when asked if, given that outside perception, he felt any extra satisfaction having a career-high 2.5 sacks against the Philadelphia Eagles on a day in which the Rams (2-2) were missing Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett, Young waits a moment before responding.

“I’m not gonna lie to you, I’m glad you actually said that,” Young said. “It’s been something I’ve been wanting to say without saying it and the fact that you brought it up is great because just the past few years, every time I was playing it was always kind of like a second-hand credit to Byron.”

Young’s first year, the narrative went, teams were so focused on Donald that players like Young got easy one-on-one opportunities. After Donald’s retirement, it was first-round pick Jared Verse that received credit for Young’s opportunities.

Young and Verse were inseparable friends before the latter was traded in the spring for Garrett. Young never let the talk from outside the Rams’ practice facility impact how he acted with his teammates, or how he approached his role within the game plan each week.

But of course he noticed how he was talked about.

“[A sack would] be credited to me, but it’d be like, well because so-and-so takes a lot of attention, because of this, and it’s just like I never really got the credit I felt like I deserved just because, again, other guys being great too,” Young said. “But at the same time, it’s just like it’s always been: a second-hand congratulations.”

But against the Eagles, without Donald and Garrett, it was Young’s turn to shine and be the closer that the Rams’ defense needed to pull out the 24-20 win in Philadelphia.

After the Rams cut their deficit to three, Young opened the ensuing Philadelphia drive with a run stuff of Tank Bigsby. The one-yard gain stalled the Eagles, who went three-and-out.

Then when the Rams retook the lead, Young wanted to redeem himself. For missed plays earlier in the game, and for a missed opportunity the week before against the Denver Broncos.

“At the end of the game, I feel like I’d never closed out a game or never really went out there,” Young said. “Like we played Denver and didn’t close it out and that was a chance. And this game, I feel like it was the same type of vibe, the same type of situation where the team got the ball and they needed a score after our offense just scored. So my mindset was do it for the brother beside me.”

Young sacked Jalen Hurts for a seven-yard loss on first down. Then he sacked Hurts again on third, this time stripping the ball away. The Eagles recovered, but all out of timeouts the fumble helped waste a few precious seconds.

“He made his impact felt all over the field. We talk about competitive greatness, being at your best when your best is required,” Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner said. “He’s a guy that always flies around with his hair on fire.”

“And after I got that done and just feeling the love from everybody, from my family, my teammates, it felt great,” Young added. “Finally getting that congratulations and good job, and you worked so hard for it. That’s something I definitely worked so hard for. It made me a little emotional just because I know how much I put into it, I know how much I went through just to get to where I know I could play at. So just being able to step up and be there for my teammates while some of the guys are down right now, I’m thankful for that.”

And it’s not something the Rams have taken for granted the last three-plus years.

“I think the people that know know,” head coach Sean McVay said. “He certainly delivered in crunch time at the most important moments. … This season, he’s made a tremendous impact. I certainly know that his teammates don’t feel that way and his coaches. He was outstanding for us. I think when you talk to the people that really know, they know what ‘0’ is about.”

Injury report

Donald (back), CB Jaylen Watson (shoulder) and TE Colby Parkinson (shoulder) were all limited participants in practice Thursday, laying the groundwork for them to play Monday against the Buffalo Bills (3-1).

“That’s what the hope is, yes,” McVay said. “The expectation is that as long as they progress accordingly, then they’ll be ready to go. Want to see how Jaylen feels. We’ll get a little shoulder harness out there.”

​ Orange County Register 

Fryer: San Juan Hills football has an electric connection on offense

• October 8, 2026

The spring and summer 7-on-7 football passing tournaments and leagues were created to help quarterbacks and receivers become more in tune with each other.

For San Juan Hills senior quarterback Eiler King and senior receiver Luke Frith, a strong connection wasn’t really established until real football was played in August.

“It was a little bit of a battle at first,” Frith said. “It was hard to connect with him. Then when the season started, when the pads came on, everything changed and the real connection started to happen.”

That connection was electric last week. King completed 24 of 29 passes for 473 yards and seven touchdowns — both school records — in a 61-10 win over Los Alamitos in the Alpha League.

Frith caught eight passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns as the Stallions improved to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in league.

King played at San Clemente High last season. He was the starting quarterback there for some early-season games and shared time at the position with Preston Beck before Beck became the full-time starter in the second half of the season.

King’s transfer after the season to San Juan Hills was an amicable one. San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz said the King family communicated their plan with Ortiz openly, which Ortiz appreciated.

Ortiz said he is happy for King’s success … well, until Oct. 23. That’s when San Clemente and San Juan Hills meet in an Alpha League game at San Juan Hills High.

King had to battle for playing time at San Juan Hills, too. For a few springtime weeks his competition included Nash McElree, a transfer from Texas who also spent some time in the summer playing for Mission Viejo. McElree was in Visalia the last time we looked.

San Juan Hills coach Robert Frith, who is Luke’s father, said King was able to mesh with his new teammates immediately.

“He earned the respect of his teammates from Day 1,” Frith said. “Eiler at first was sharing reps with four or five other quarterbacks here. As camp progressed things worked out for him, and he earned it.”

King said it took some time for him to get familiar with the San Juan Hills receivers.

“The 7-on-7 stuff is always good to get that rhythm going,” King said. “But when the pads came on, that’s when everything started rolling.”

King is third in Orange County for passing yards with 1,459. He has completed 96 of 126 passes (76 percent) with 22 touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Luke Frith, who is committed to Texas State, is the team’s leading receiver with 39 receptions for 640 yards (fifth-most in the county) and 11 touchdowns.

Luke Frith described King as “a big gunslinger.”

“He can really throw it deep,” Luke Frith said. “He’s gotten very good at anticipating where us receivers are going to be. He throws it out there and he trusts us to be there.”

Transferring from one school to another is not always rewarding. Sometimes, it does not work out. Very often it does.

A few years ago, Parker Awad transferred from Mater Dei, where he was not going to supplant Elijah Brown at quarterback. Awad transferred to Edison, where he became an All-Sunset League player.

King said he had great relationships with players and coaches at San Clemente but is happy he made the move to San Juan Hills.

“I’m so beyond thankful for the opportunity I’ve been given here,” King said. “The coaching staff is amazing and I’m so thankful for the way they’ve embraced me. It’s been such a comfortable and welcoming experience.”

NOTES

• Orange quarterback Star Thomas III is Orange County’s leading passer with 2,227 yards for an average of 371 yards a game. …

• Santa Ana Valley senior running back Fern Dircio is the county’s leading rusher with 1,034 yards. Dircio (5-5, 160) is the county’s first player to surpass 1,000 rushing yards. …

• Savanna junior Issic Alonzo leads Orange County in receiving yards with 1,068. Savanna junior quarterback Nate Eich is second in the county for passing yards with 2,014. …

• No Orange County athletics program has been immune to the fall heat. At San Clemente High, just a couple of miles from the ocean, the football team made schedule changes to lessen the heat’s impact. “We’ve been practicing at night,” said Ortiz, “and last Wednesday morning (Sept. 30) we practiced in pads at 6:15 in the morning.” At JSerra, the cross country program scheduled workouts to avoid the heat as much as possible. “We started working out at 7 a.m.,” said JSerra coach Chase Frazier. “It’s so much better in the morning.” …

• Some important cross country meets are coming up on the schedule ahead of the CIF Southern Section and CIF State competitions, including the Orange County Championships at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado on Oct. 17. There is also the Mt. SAC Invitational on Oct. 24. The CIF Southern Section finals are at Mt. San Antonio College on Nov. 23. …

• Santa Margarita’s girls volleyball team beat then-national No. 1 Mater Dei in four sets in a Trinity League match last week. The most recent rankings from the Massey Ratings System still has Mater Dei (32-1) at No. 1 in the section with Sierra Canyon (26-1) at No. 2. Santa Margarita (17-9), which lost to Sierra Canyon last month, is at No. 6. Los Alamitos (28-6) is No. 4 and Newport Harbor (26-6) is No. 5. The Massey Ratings will be used by the CIF-SS to form the playoff divisions and seedings for the playoffs.

• The JSerra boys water polo team had a 10-9 win over Newport Harbor in a tournament last week that returned the Lions to No. 1 in the Orange Country rankings. Newport Harbor, last week’s top-ranked team, is No. 2 this week. …

• JSerra’s domination in flag football continues. The Lions are No. 1 in the county with a 22-0 record. The flag football playoffs begin Oct. 20.

​ Orange County Register 

Santa Anita consensus picks for Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

• October 8, 2026

The consensus box of Santa Anita horse racing picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Eddie Wilson, Kevin Modesti and Mark Ratzky. Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Friday, October 9, 2026.

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​ Orange County Register 

What to know about Trump Accounts and automatic enrollment

• October 8, 2026

By ADRIANA MORGA and WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS

NEW YORK (AP) — Whether you realize it or not, your child may be enrolled in a “Trump Account.”

Rolled out earlier this year, the Trump Accounts program allows parents to claim special investment accounts for children who are 18 years old or younger. And some babies are eligible to receive a one-time $1,000 contribution from the government.

Now, because of automatic enrollment highlighted Wednesday by President Donald Trump, the Treasury Department says every eligible child with a valid Social Security number has a Trump Account. But parents and legal guardians would still need to formally activate the accounts if they haven’t already.

Here’s what we know.

How Trump Accounts work

The accounts are a savings tool that invests money in the stock market on a child’s behalf. The child can’t access the money until they turn 18 and can use it only for specific purposes, such as paying tuition, starting a business or making a down payment on a home. Families can activate an account through the program’s trumpaccounts.gov website or its mobile phone app.

The government will make a $1,000 contribution for some babies after the account is claimed. To qualify for the $1,000 seed money, a baby must be a U.S. citizen, have a Social Security number and be born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028 — covering Trump’s current term.

Any parent — regardless of their immigration status — can open an account for a qualifying child. Parents of older children also are encouraged to open accounts. Even though they aren’t eligible for the government’s $1,000 contribution, some older children are eligible for seed money of $250 drawn from separate investments from wealthy donors.

Otherwise, family contributions will need to come out of pocket. Parents can contribute up to $2,500 annually in pretax income, much like retirement accounts. Employers, relatives, friends, local governments and philanthropic groups can also pitch in. Yearly contributions are capped at $5,000, although contributions from governments and charities don’t count toward that total.

Private banks and brokerages will manage the money. When the accounts were originally conceived, investments were restricted to broader index funds. But with updated rules from the Treasury Department late last month, eligible wealthy investors can now also donate stock from individual companies.

Automatic enrollments — but not activation of accounts

With automatic enrollment, Trump said 70 million children will now have the accounts, up from 8 million created since their launch in July.

Researchers from the Brown School’s Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis advocated for the automatic enrollment. And Jin Huang, co-director of the center, called the administration’s move “a big step.”

“Automatic enrollment is the most important policy design feature for early wealth building programs, in order to ensure full inclusion of all eligible children,” said Huang, citing research from his team.

Still, he says, more work needs to be done. Parents and legal guardians need to formally claim the accounts to activate them — as well as elect the $1,000 seed money if they’re eligible — and Huang says “each of these steps will lower the participation,” with particular barriers facing low-income families who may not already have access to similar investments.

Wealthy investors can now donate individual stocks

When Trump Accounts were first rolled out, investments were initially restricted to broad index funds — in theory to decrease risk while still yielding incremental growth. But among additional updates to the program, eligible wealthy investors can now also donate stock from individual companies.

“It’s a way to encourage participation in the program,” explained Nathan C. Goldman, a professor of accounting at North Carolina State University. He said many of the world’s wealthiest people don’t have “a whole lot of liquid cash sitting around” and might instead turn to shares.

Still, he notes, individual stocks are more volatile than indexes. And families wouldn’t get a say about which companies might donate to their children’s portfolios.

Once a child turns 18, they can access the money

It’s important to note that the child won’t be able to access the money until they turn 18, except in rare circumstances. So the money can’t help with immediate expenses.

But once a beneficiary of a Trump Account turns 18, they can choose to use the money from it however they want. Trump account beneficiaries can also choose to roll the investment over to a Roth IRA account.

“You’re extending the life of this thing beyond the 18 years; you’re going all the way out into the child’s potential retirement,” said Myranda Fabian, a certified financial planner with Plante Moran Financial Advisors.

Moving the earnings from a Trump Account to a Roth IRA will be subject to taxation. Roth IRA accounts allow earnings to grow and to be withdrawn free of taxation when an adult reaches retirement age.

Comparing Trump Accounts with 529s and custodial brokerages

The 529 accounts are meant to invest for qualified educational expenses, such as college tuition, trade school and student loans, among other expenses. They grow tax-free, while investment earnings from Trump accounts will be taxed when withdrawn, and 529 account funds can be transferred to eligible family members.

Still, they’re specifically limited to spending on education. In contrast, there are more options to park money from Trump Accounts after a child turns 18.

Custodial brokerage accounts, on the other hand, are taxable investments with no contribution or withdrawal limits, unlike Trump Accounts. But similar to Trump Accounts, beneficiaries of custodial brokerage accounts have full control of the account once the child turns 18, and there are no rules on how they can spend the money.

Choosing an investment account that is better suited for a child’s future depends on each parent’s goals, said Kate Ashford, lead wealth writer at NerdWallet.

“The account that you’re using for savings is really going to depend on why you’re saving money,” Ashford said.

If parents are looking to focus on funding the education of their children, she added, 529 accounts continue to be the most beneficial.

Lingering concerns about inequity

Backers of Trump Accounts say they want to introduce more people to the stock market and give even children born into poverty a chance to benefit from it.

But critics say the accounts also fail to offset the cuts the Trump administration and congressional Republicans have made to other programs that benefit young people and the adults in their lives, including food assistance and Medicaid. And even with government contributions, some warn that the Trump Accounts could widen the wealth gap.

Goldman sees Trump Accounts as a tool to diversify — and notes that at the end of the day, they’re another option families can consider when making investments for their children, with solid tax advantages.

Still, affluent families will be more likely to afford the full scope of additional, out-of-pocket investments, Goldman said. A total contribution of $5,000 each year, for instance, would add up to $90,000 for one child over 18 years — and even with starting seed money for some children, or options to make smaller investments, inequities remain.

“It’s designed — especially with this $1,000 seed money — to be ‘an account for everybody,’” Goldman said. “But only some people are gonna be able to take advantage of this. Only some people are going to have that ability to do that.”

AP Writer Moriah Balingit contributed. Grantham-Philips reported from Chicago.

​ Orange County Register 

City of Hope Breast Cancer Awareness Month event celebrates ‘strength and resilience’

• October 8, 2026

The statistics can be unsettling: One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. And for Orange County women, that number rises to one in seven.

In California, City of Hope estimates 34,170 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone.

“But none of you is a number,” Annette Walker, president of City of Hope Orange County, said to a gathered group of women. “You are mothers and daughters, wives and sisters, friends and colleagues.”

She was speaking Wednesday at an event billed as “a joyful celebration of strength and resilience” at the Irvine cancer hospital, where dozens of cancer survivors, doctors and others gathered to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“Advances in screening and precision medicine have helped breast cancer survival rates now exceed 90%,” Walker said. “That’s amazing.”

But the day was also about encouraging women to pay attention to their health and advocate for themselves and recognizing the areas where progress in the fight against breast cancer is still needed.

Doctors in pink lab jackets urged women to get screened early and not put off mammograms because the best chances of breast cancer survival will always be early diagnosis.

An initial breast cancer risk assessment should be done by age 25 and annual mammograms should begin at 40 for people with average risk, they said.

“Only 40% of women get their mammogram every year, and for certain demographics, like Asian women, the percentage is even less,” lamented Dr. Jennifer Tseng, medical director for breast surgery at City of Hope Orange County.

Sade Wilson, one of two survivors to speak at the event, was 35 when she started having breast pain, she said. Her doctor performed a breast exam and didn’t detect anything. Wilson said her insurance wouldn’t approve a mammogram because she was considered too young.

She waited another year, and the pain persisted. This time, her doctor ordered an MRI and helped speed up the insurance approval process.Two days after Christmas, sitting on the examining table at her doctor’s office, she was told: “We got the biopsy results, and it’s cancer.”

Wilson had invasive ductal carcinoma.

“It was like in the movies,” she said. “The whole room went silent, and I couldn’t process anything.”

The single mother said she did all her crying outside the view of her young daughter, who found out about the diagnosis weeks later.

“Don’t feel alone,” Wilson told others. “You are more than your scars and loss of hair.” She also advised those newly diagnosed to “be an advocate for yourself.”

She ultimately ended up at City of Hope, where she bonded with her surgeon, Dr. Veronica Jones, who wiped away tears as Wilson described being cancer-free for four years.

Both women are Black.

Black women have a 5% lower breast cancer incidence than White women, but paradoxically, they have a 38% higher risk of dying from the disease, according to Breastcancer.org.

Jones said she wanted to be a surgeon ever since she was a young girl and her grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer.  In achieving her childhood dream, she joined the small group of Black female oncological surgeons in the U.S.; they represent less than 3% of all practicing surgeons, according to a study published by the National Institutes of Health.

The event ended with a surprise gift from the doctors and nurses to the patients and survivors: pink bomber jackets that will later be custom embroidered.

Tammy McInerney of Foothill Ranch, who has been cancer-free for two years, said she was touched at receiving the jacket at the end of the celebration. She had no idea the gathering would focus so much on the survivors, she said. “It was a nice surprise.”

“When you see pink this month — a ribbon, a coat, or one of these jackets — I hope you think about the women you met here today,” Walker said. “Women who faced something they never asked for, came through it, and then chose to turn around and offer a hand to the woman behind them.

“That is what hope looks like.”

​ Orange County Register 

Chargers’ running back rotation explained by OC Mike McDaniel

• October 8, 2026

EL SEGUNDO — Omarion Hampton rushed for 45 yards and one touchdown on nine carries during the Chargers’ 30-23 loss this past Sunday to the Seattle Seahawks. Keaton Mitchell gained 39 yards on 10 carries. Kimani Vidal had 25 yards on five carries. Justin Herbert scrambled six times for 40 yards.

Overall, the Chargers rushed for 147 yards, a season high, on 32 attempts, matching their highest of the season. Their yardage was well above their season average of 121.5 net yards per game, which ranked ninth-best in the NFL going into Sunday’s home game against the Denver Broncos.

The only puzzle in the equation was why there was so little action for Hampton, a first-round draft pick in 2025 who had established himself as the starting running back during training camp. Why did his carries drop from a career-high 23 in Week 2 to 15 in Week 3 and then to nine in Week 4?

Were fumbles in each of the first two games to blame? Had he lost his status as the lead back? Were backups Mitchell and Vidal performing better? Why has there been a three-man rotation at the position for the past two games after there wasn’t one in the season’s first two contests?

Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel attempted to answer those and other pressing questions about the Chargers’ ground game on Thursday, something head coach Jim Harbaugh failed to address adequately in the aftermath of Sunday’s loss, the Chargers’ fourth in a row to start the season.

“No,” Harbaugh said when asked Sunday if Hampton’s workload decrease was tied to his fumble late in a 26-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2. “It’s just three different backs that were playing really well and rotating carries (against the Seahawks). But pleased with the way our running backs were playing.”

Asked for the rationale behind starting the rotation in Week 3, a 24-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Harbaugh said, “We think it’s best for our team. That’s what we think is best for our team and all three backs are playing good. We want to utilize them. We see the benefit. Hard running guys. Pleased with the way they are playing.”

McDaniel on Thursday echoed some of Harbaugh’s comments and expanded on others.

“It wasn’t a situation where we were punishing (Hampton),” McDaniel said. “We see our running back room as a strength of the team. Now, depending on how the game plays out, I’ve had plenty of times where you’re involving all three on a game day, they can be equal carriers. It’s all within our planning process on things that people are good at, that we’re trying to give people opportunities.”

McDaniel stressed that what happened against Seattle might not be repeated against Denver. The game plan against the Broncos might start with one specific focus, but might be altered if certain events dictate changes. It’s important to adjust on the fly as well as from week to week.

“Each week you’re trying to assess how you give the guys the most empowerment to play their best, and we felt really good about what ‘O’ was doing on a couple of types of scheme, trying to give him confidence as we knew he was going to be mindful to protect the ball,” McDaniel said of Hampton.

“But each week, I think, it’s an advantage to the Chargers with defenses having to prepare three different tackling plans for backs with various skill sets. It’s important for what I see as an asset, as a strength of a strength, and if you don’t disperse the carries, it’s very rare in this day and age that guys are available every week.”

McDaniel referred to the likelihood of an injury if a running back was overworked.

“You have to be mindful of how to attack a defense,” he said. “Realistically, I don’t see any change in terms of the depth chart at all. I felt I was under-utilizing a strength. There’s lots of different ways a game can go. There’s lots of different personnel. So, I’m trying to find the right balance.”

NO DEMOTION

Ryan Ficken, the Chargers’ special teams coordinator, said he wouldn’t relieve return specialist Derius Davis of his duties despite a muffed punt in the first quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks. The turnover set up Seattle’s first touchdown of the game, giving the Seahawks an early 7-3 lead. Ficken didn’t rule out trying other players in the role, though.

“We’ve got to come through with that catch,” he said. “There’s always consideration (of using others as returners). We’re always uncovering that stone to see what is out there, but what we have and what (Davis) has done, we’ve got to continue to do a great job and help our team.”

​ Orange County Register