Democratic leader Chuck Schumer: ‘I’m not stepping down’

• March 24, 2025

WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says he won’t resign his post, despite pressure from some in his party after he voted to move forward with a Republican spending bill that avoided a government shutdown.

“Look, I’m not stepping down,” Schumer said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. The New York senator said he knew voting for the bill backed by Republican President Donald Trump would spark “a lot of controversy.”

“I did it out of pure conviction as to what a leader should do and what the right thing for America and my party was,” he said. “People disagree.”

Democrats last week were confronted with two painful options: allowing passage of a bill they believe gave Trump vast discretion on spending decisions or letting funding lapse. After Schumer said he’d vote to advance the spending measure, 10 Democrats supported breaking the party’s filibuster and allowing the bill to pass.

Schumer’s move has sparked outrage from some Democrats and progressive activists who protested at his office and called on him to resign his position. They said they’d like to see him face a primary challenge — perhaps from New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The uproar prompted Schumer last week to postpone his book tour amid a series of planned progressive demonstrations.

Schumer isn’t up for reelection until 2028. He told NBC that the spending bill that funds the government through September was “certainly bad.”

But he argued that not voting to provide the funding would have been “15 or 20 times worse.” He called his action “a vote of principle,” arguing that “sometimes when you’re a leader, you have to do things to avoid a real danger that might come down the curve.”

In an interview that also aired Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Vermont Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized Schumer and other members of Democratic Senate leadership. But he abruptly ended the interview when asked about Ocasio-Cortez potentially being elected to the Senate.

“I don’t want to talk about inside-the-beltway stuff,” Sanders said.

Another outspoken progressive, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that “There is no doubt that there is anger there, and people were very, very disappointed in the Senate.”

Khanna said the anger stemmed from Senate Democrats not seeking concessions for their support of the GOP-backed spending package — including possible limits on government spending and job cutting efforts being led on Trump’s behalf by billionaire Elon Musk.

Asked if he’d support Ocasio-Cortez challenging Schumer during a 2028 Democratic Senate primary in New York, Khanna said the decision to run was up to the congresswoman.

“I haven’t talked to her directly,” Khanna said.

He added: “But here’s what I will say: The American people are fed up with the old guard. There needs to be a renewal.”

​ Orange County Register 

Lakers looking to get ‘reconnected’ as playoff push tightens

• March 24, 2025

LOS ANGELES — Despite suffering one of their worst losses of the season – and their worst since consistently starting to play at a championship-contending level over two months ago – coach JJ Redick wanted to provide his group with grace.

But he also wanted to make sure it was understood the Lakers don’t have time to waste.

Redick knew his players were unlikely to immediately recapture the rhythm they were playing with from a few weeks ago when they won 20 of 24 games from Jan. 15 to March 6 – including 7-2 when Luka Doncic played.

It’ll take time to build chemistry and familiarity after having just a handful of games with Doncic playing before multiple starters missed time with injuries – including LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, both of whom made their returns in Saturday’s 146-115 home defeat to the Chicago Bulls.

“The thing that we have talked about all season long, though, is grace,” Redick said. “And so the group inherently gets some grace for what this last three weeks has looked like. And it’s not an excuse. It’s just the nature of where a group felt very connected and then you lose some games on the road, you have some injuries, all that stuff.”

The problem for the Lakers is that they don’t have much time left before a potential playoff run.

After the loss to the Bulls, in which the Lakers allowed their most points in a game this season and the most in a non-overtime home game in franchise history, the Lakers have 12 games remaining in the regular season’s final three weeks.

Eight of those 12 games will be on the road, starting with Monday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic that kicks off a four-game trip.

“You gotta get reconnected,” Redick said. “We’ll get there. We, however, don’t have a lot of time to do that. And it’s gotta be now.

“It can’t be in a week. It can’t be in two weeks. it’s gotta be now. It’s gotta be Monday morning in our film session, in our walkthrough for Orlando.”

At the forefront of the Lakers’ hopes of becoming reconnected is their push for a spot in the playoffs.

They entered Sunday at the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference standings with a 43-27 record, 2 ½ games behind the No. 2 Houston Rockets, a half-game behind the No. 3 Denver Nuggets, a half-game ahead of the No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies and 2 ½ games ahead of the No. 6 Golden State Warriors.

The top six teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs outright, with seeds 7-10 in each conference competing in the play-in tournament for seeds Nos. 7 and 8.

“We got 12 games to position ourselves in the postseason,” James said. “We pretty much can control our own destiny if we win ball games and not have to be in the play-in. That’s what JJ has been preaching, obviously, he told that to you guys. He wants to be in the playoffs and not the play-in. So that’s up to us.”

But with only a few weeks left in the season, it’s unlikely the Lakers will be able to build up their continuity to the level of the teams in the West around them in the standings that’ve had the same core for multiple years.

Austin Reaves feels the Lakers can fast-track their process with communication on and off the floor.

“Talk to one another,” he added. “That’s really…we can watch as much film as we want to watch to help that way. Communication amongst everybody on the team is going to play a big role in that. We’re not going to be on court practicing. So we have to communicate. If it’s on flights, talking about what we can do to be better, that’s what it’ll be.”

LAKERS AT MAGIC

When: Monday, 4 p.m. PT

Where: Kia Center, Orlando, Fla.

TV/radio: NBA TV, Spectrum SportsNet/710 AM

​ Orange County Register 

‘Banged up’ Watkins, USC women face Mississippi State in NCAA Tournament second-round game

• March 24, 2025

LOS ANGELES — While it appeared JuJu Watkins sustained a few injuries during the USC women’s basketball game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, when asked about it post-game, she would neither confirm nor deny it.

“Hmmm,” she said, scratching her chin and glancing at the ceiling. “I don’t know. It’s the end of the season, body’s a little banged up, but onto the next. Nobody really cares.”

Watkins knows all eyes are on her, always. Opponents, rivals, future defensive assignments, the media, even Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. This is no time for signs of weakness.

Not when the first-seeded Trojans (29-3) are set for a second round matchup with ninth-seeded Mississippi State (22-11) on Monday, at 7 p.m. in the Galen Center for a chance to play in the Sweet 16 in Spokane.

So, while she grabbed her left hand in the first half, came out of halftime with a wrap around her ring and middle finger, and left the game, briefly, after turning her left ankle, Watkins made sure to show no sign of lasting effects.

She joked on the bench with teammate Kayleigh Heckel as the reserves closed the Trojans 71-25 win over UNC Greensboro, and was seemingly still getting to the punch-line as she and Heckel bounded into the locker room and giggled throughout the press conference.

Whether it was the injury or the scoreboard, Watkins played fewer than 30 minutes for the first time since Jan. 26, and USC won with its defense. Two factors that will give the Trojans confidence moving forward as the team’s offense, and Watkins’ individual scoring punch, should not be a problem.

The Trojans will have another challenge with Mississippi State’s defense as the Bulldogs allowed UC Berkeley just 46 points on Saturday. On the season, the Bulldogs concede 63.2 points per game.

Offensively, they’re led by a dynamic guard duo of Jerkaila Jordan and Eniya Russell. Jordan averages 15.9 points per game, while Russell contributes 11.7 to go with a team-high 3.4 assists.

Forward Madina Okot is third in the SEC in rebounds per game (9.7) and had a 14-point, 13-rebound performance on Saturday.

Her matchup with USC post Rayah Marshall will be a physical one as Marshall, too, is a bruiser, who had a career-high seven blocks against UNC Greensboro.

“She really is the anchor of our team,” Trojans forward Kiki Iriafen said on Saturday. “There’s no us without Raya. I think she’s such an unsung hero for this team.”

Iriafen continued to explain how Marshall resurges their offensive flow when they fall stagnant, which was the case with Iriafen on Saturday. She went just 1 of 5 from the field and committed four turnovers in the first half. Her shots looked rushed, her post moves clunky. But she, eventually, found that flow, scrapping for hustle points on the offensive glass and scoring in transition to finish with 13 points.

Iriafen has struggled, at times, throughout this season adapting to coach Lindsay Gottlieb’s fast-paced scheme, so her offense suddenly sparking to life isn’t as much of a given as Watkins’ is.

Still, she expressed confidence that she’ll find her rhythm down the stretch and said that she can “play carefree” when her teammates are clicking like they were on Saturday. It’s that last part that gives this USC team a different feel.

It can win in different ways, with different players starring in their roles.

​ Orange County Register 

Angels acquire Ian Anderson from Braves for José Suarez

• March 24, 2025

LOS ANGELES — The Angels acquired right-handed pitcher Ian Anderson from the Atlanta Braves on Sunday in exchange for left-hander José Suarez.

Anderson, 26, underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and has not appeared in a major-league game since 2022. He was competing for a spot in the Braves’ starting rotation and pitched three innings Sunday in a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Anderson will begin the season in the bullpen, but he could be called upon to start if the situation arises.

“Before he got hurt, he was an up-and-coming, pretty good pitcher. I don’t think he lost the ability to pitch. We were left-handed heavy in our bullpen and this gives us another opportunity to get another right-hander in there,” Washington said. “Right now it’s the bullpen and I think as we go through the season, that will play out the way it’s supposed to play out.”

Anderson debuted with the Braves as a 22-year-old during the pandemic-shortened season in 2020. He was excellent in his first two seasons with a 3.25 ERA in 30 starts with 165 strikeouts in 160⅔ innings. Anderson made 15 minor-league starts in 2024 and had a 3.44 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 68 innings.

Suarez, 27, debuted with the Angels in 2019 and appeared in 99 games with 61 starts. He appeared in 22 games in 2024 with a 6.02 ERA and started the last two games.

Suarez had a 6.55 ERA in 11 innings with the Angels during spring training and allowed one run in 1⅓ innings on Friday against the Colorado Rockies.

He lost 20 pounds this offseason and had a rejuvenated mindset after being designated for assignment midway through the 2024 season. Suarez was competing for a spot in an Angels’ bullpen that was left-handed heavy with Jose Quijada, Brock Burke, newly acquired Angel Perdomo, Rule 5 pick Garrett McDaniels and potentially Reid Detmers.

“The Braves are getting a bulldog. We are going to miss Suarez,” Washington said. “I’m not taking anything from Suarez saying, ‘he was no good for us, that’s why we traded him.’ We do what we do to make us better and he just happened to be the guy we made the trade for. Atlanta probably needed him and we felt we needed Ian Anderson.”

NETO RAMPING UP

Shortstop Zach Neto stayed back in Tempe, Arizona, for extended spring training to continue his rehab from shoulder surgery this offseason.

He has made significant progress and has been hitting and throwing everyday as of late.

“He’s not ready to come up and play for us yet, but if you were with Neto from day one in spring training, you would think he is (ready) the way he went about his business,” Washington said. “He has to get stronger and stronger. He’s able to throw with no problem, but he’s not ready to go at game action. We are just going to keep the progress going and we have no date for when he’s going to arrive.”

Washington said Neto will appear in minor-league games prior to rejoining the Angels.

MONCADA STILL NOT READY

Third baseman Yoán Moncada has been out with a bruised right thumb since March 12 and is still not hitting or throwing.

Moncada was in uniform during batting practice on Sunday with a brace on his right thumb. Washington is still hopeful that Moncada will be able to play on Opening Day on Thursday against the White Sox in Chicago.

“He’s feeling better everyday. He feels like he’s going to be ready for Opening Day but we have to go through our medical people for that,” Washington said. “Our fingers are crossed that he makes it opening day, but I can’t give an answer whether he will or he won’t.”

Moncada appeared in just 12 games last season for the White Sox after suffering an adductor strain in April. Washington said Luis Rengifo will play third base on Opening Day if Moncada is not available.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (RHP Tyler Glasnow, 9-6, 3.49 ERA in 2024) at Angels (TBD), Monday, 6:07 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network, 830 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Dodgers name Blake Snell as starter for home opener

• March 24, 2025

LOS ANGELES — Blake Snell’s long and winding road during his first spring with the Dodgers has led to an assignment as the starter in the home opener on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers.

Manager Dave Roberts announced the decision before Sunday night’s Freeway Series exhibition game against the Angels, with right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki also expected to start against the Tigers, in that order.

“Blake chose to be a Dodger for various reasons and for him to start a home opener here at Dodger Stadium, I think it’s just something else that he can add to his already great career,” Roberts said.

Snell, who agreed to join the Dodgers in November on a five-year, $182 million contract, made two Cactus League starts in Arizona, had one appearance in an exhibition game at Japan then pitched in a simulated game on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

The most recent appearance, inside of an empty stadium, ended up being the one that resonated the most.

“Everything kind of came together in the sim game,” Snell said. “I finally felt like the curveball looked like the fastball (out of hand) and located it way better. The movement I really liked. The changeup’s better than what it was in the start in Tokyo. I knew it was going to be there but just to see it, I was very excited.”

As circuitous as his route was to his first outing of the season, it is far better than it was last season when Snell signed late with the San Francisco Giants, then didn’t make his season debut until April 8. He went on the injured list after three starts with an adductor strain and was 0-3 with a 9.51 ERA into early June before turning around his season.

He expects a smoother transition to a new team this time around.

“I’m beyond excited,” Snell said. “The first two (regular-season) games we played, we didn’t have Mookie (Betts) or Freddie (Freeman). The team, we can hit top to bottom. … I’m very excited and can’t wait to feel the atmosphere. I felt it on the other side and really can’t wait to know what it’s like to be a Dodger and be supported by the fans.”

BETTS STILL ON PAUSE

The Dodgers had Betts in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Angels, but he was a late scratch as he continues to recover from a stomach virus.

Betts fell ill when the team was still in Arizona, traveled to Japan anyway and returned to Los Angeles before the first pitch of the short series in Tokyo. Before Betts was scratched Sunday as the shortstop and No. 2 hitter, Roberts admitted his star player’s recovery still was ongoing.

“He still hasn’t regained the weight he lost,” Roberts said. “We just feel that he’s recovering and feels stronger than he did.”

Freeman was in the starting lineup and set to make an abbreviated appearance against the Angels after missing the opening two games against the Chicago Cubs with a rib cage strain.

“The last couple of days (Freeman) feels really good; he doesn’t feel anything,” Roberts said. “I do think it’s something we’ve got to make sure to monitor, but he wouldn’t be out there if we didn’t feel confident he was on his way back.”

FINAL FIVE

With Snell, Yamamoto and Sasaki pitching in the opening series against the Tigers, the season debut of starters Tyler Glasnow and Dustin May will be moved to the home series against the Atlanta Braves next week.

Glasnow missed the final month and a half of the regular season last year, as well as the World Series title run with elbow tendonitis, while May is returning from Tommy John surgery, as well as a tear in his esophagus.

“Pushing (Glasnow) back just made the most sense,” Roberts said, saying he wanted to get Yamamoto and Sasaki back to the mound without too much time between their starts in Japan.

ALSO

Shohei Ohtani continues to play catch as he ramps up for a return to the mound this season, with Roberts saying the right-hander will return to bullpen sessions “in the coming days,” after they were halted in advance of the opening series against the Cubs. … Right-hander Evan Phillips (shoulder) pitched to hitters Saturday and will pitch again this week before joining extended spring training at Arizona on Friday. … Right-hander Tony Gonsolin is scheduled to face hitters in Arizona on Monday as he builds himself back up after back injury earlier this month.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (RHP Tyler Glasnow) at Angels (TBD), Monday, 6 p.m., SportsNet LA, FanDuel Sports Network, 570 AM, 830 AM

​ Orange County Register 

USMNT loses to Canada in CONCACAF Nations League third-place game

• March 24, 2025

INGLEWOOD — The U.S. Men’s National soccer team departs the CONCACAF Nations League in last place, losing the third-place game against Canada.

After losing to Panama in Thursday’s semifinal, the U.S. followed with another loss, this time to Canada, 2-1 at SoFi Stadium Sunday.

The second half was eventful for the Canadians. Coach Jesse Marsch was sent off with a straight red card after protesting a potential foul that would have led to a penalty. Marsch was so angry he nearly ran onto the field but was held back by his staff.

Minutes later, Canada scored the winning goal by Jonathan David, who found a sliver of space, between two U.S. defenders and scored. Canada would hold on for a 2-1 win, finishing third and leaving the U.S. with a lot of questions to be answered going forward.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino made five changes from Thursday’s semifinal loss against Panama. Two of those changes (Patrick Agyemang and Diego Luna) linked up for the U.S. to tie the game at 1-1 in the 35th minute. Luna, after taking possession of a perfectly weighted through ball from Timothy Weah, laid off to Agyemang, whose shot deflected off of Canadia goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and rolled into the goal.

Both Agyemang (Charlotte FC) and Luna (Real Salt Lake) were making just their fourth national team appearance.

Pochettino made wholesale changes in the second half, but the U.S. never threatened on goal. A late curler attempt from inside the box by Max Arsten went wide.

After winning the first three Nations League, the U.S. ends this one at the bottom of the four-team field, officially taking Pochettino out of the Honeymoon stage of his new job.

The U.S. will return to action in June for a pair of friendlies leading into the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The U.S. will face Turkiye on June 7 in Connecticut and Switzerland on June 10 in Tennessee.

The Gold Cup is the next and last tournament before next year’s FIFA World Cup, starting June 14.

Canada had to make an early change, taking off Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich). Davies initially went down, after taking a kick to the back of his right knee by U.S. forward Patrick Agyemang. He was finally subbed off in the 12th minute.

The Canadians opened the scoring in the 27th minute by Tani Oluwaseyi. Oluwaseyi found himself in a good position after an initial shot was blocked by a U.S. defender and rolled forward to where Oluwaseyi was, just onside, for the finish.

​ Orange County Register 

Alex Palou patiently works his way to win Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix

• March 24, 2025

THERMAL — Patience was more than a virtue at Sunday’s inaugural Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix and Alex Palou picked the perfect spot to take the lead and win the race.

Palou spent most of the race running in third place, sometimes 11 seconds behind Pato O’Ward. On lap 56, Palou passed O’Ward for the lead and held it for the last nine laps of the race. It punctuated a caution-free and mostly incident-free 65-lap race at Thermal Club.

“You need to have a little bit of patience, but not too much,” said Palou, driver of the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. “If you have too much patience, you’re going to struggle to pass.”

O’Ward, driving the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, won the pole and had a healthy lead throughout the race. His Arrow McLaren teammate Christian Lundgaard, who started on the front row with O’Ward, kept Palou at bay for as long as he could. But after the final pit stops, Palou took advantage of fresh tires and overtook Lundgaard, in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, for second place on lap 51 after a fierce battle through the turns and banks.

By lap 53, Palou cut O’Ward’s 11-second lead to five seconds.

By lap 54, O’Ward’s lead was 2.4 seconds on the 3.067-mile course.

Palou was closing fast and O’Ward was losing momentum. Two laps later, Palou was in the lead and O’Ward helplessly watched him pull away.

“We had the car that had everything to lose because we started on the pole,” said O’Ward, who led a race-high 51 laps. “It kind of sucks to lose it at the end.”

It was the second win in a row for Palou, the three-time NTT IndyCar Series champion. He won the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida and won the IndyCar Series championship in 2023 and 2024.

“My car was amazing today,” Palou said.

But Palou said it was difficult biding his time in the early laps of the race watching O’Ward build a big lead.

“I thought I need to still go slow and keep my rear tires on, although you see they are pushing a little bit more than you,” Palou said.

When the checkered flag flew, O’Ward crossed the finish line second at Thermal Club, 10 seconds behind Palou.

“We need to keep pushing,” O’Ward said. “We obviously weren’t perfect. There’s obviously some things we could have done better to give him more of a proper fight.”

Lundgaard was third, 12 seconds behind Palou, giving Arrow McClaren two drivers on the podium.

“We got to find a way to beat him,” Lundgaard said. “It’s a long race. It’s tough.”

Colton Herta, driver of the No. 26 Andretti Global Honda, was fourth and Felix Rosenqvist, driver of the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda, was fifth.

The TV broadcast on Fox was interrupted for technical difficulties for about 20 minutes, testing the patience of viewers too.

Before the green flag dropped, Scott McLaughlin and Devlin DeFrancesco made contact. McLaughlin, driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, ended up off the course and spun out.

DeFrancesco, driver of the No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda, was issued a drive-through penalty for causing McLaughlin’s car to spin out.

It was one of the few on-track incidents during the race. McLaughlin ended up withdrawing on lap 53 when his hybrid engine started overheating and did not finish.

Will Power, McLaughlin’s teammate and driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet, finished in sixth place, moving up 15 spots during the race.

Palou increased his lead in the NTT IndyCar Series championship standings to 39 points after two races. O’Ward is in second place, followed by Scott Dixon in third.

“Very good points day for the team today,” O’Ward said.

Dixon finished in 10th place at Thermal Club and is 41 points behind Palou.

“We love this feeling, obviously everybody does,” Palou said. “We never take anything for granted at least the team, anybody on the team, they just keep on working and giving me better cars and all the tools that I need to win. It’s been incredible.”

Lungaard moved up four spots in the standings to fourth place and 42 points out of first place. Rosenqvist is in fifth place in the championship standings.

The next race on the NTT IndyCar Series schedule is the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach from April 11-13, the 50th running of the race.

​ Orange County Register 

Santa Anita horse racing consensus picks for Sunday, March 23, 2025

• March 23, 2025

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 Sunday, March 23, 2025.

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​ Orange County Register