Ducks analysis: Top questions at the midseason break
- February 20, 2025
The Ducks coasted into the break by winning six of seven games and demonstrating a palpable confidence resulting from one of their best stretches yet under second-year coach Greg Cronin.
While there may be not a clear signal that recent gains will prove sustainable, the Ducks have scored more and done almost all their damage at even strength, all without losing any luster from their formidable goaltending tandem of Lukáš Dostál and John Gibson.
With the 4 Nations Face-Off break’s conclusion set to send the Ducks into a 28-game stretch run that could literally go either way – they entered the impasse precisely .500 in points percentage – the answers to these four inquiries might determine the outcome of their 2024-25 campaign.
Can this team create offense consistently?
While the Ducks remained the lowest-scoring team in the NHL overall on a per-game basis and in terms of total goals, they’ve climbed to 23rd of 32 teams since Christmas. During their 6-1-0 surge, the Ducks’ scoring average placed eighth in the NHL, just behind high-voltage attacks like Edmonton and Tampa Bay.
Fluid breakouts and sustained pressure have been more common occurrences, though consistency could still be an issue, as could finishing. The Ducks’ top three performances so far in terms of expected goals (per Natural Stat Trick) were all losses, and of their seven highest XG showings, none surpassed three actual goals on the scoreboard.
When the Ducks hit that mark, it’s something of a magic number. They’re 21-0-2 when scoring three or more times (15 regulation wins) and 14-0-0 with four goals or more (nine regulation wins).
Will the power play ever click?
The power play will always be part and parcel to any offensive discussion and it’s particularly pertinent for the Ducks, who only have the New York Islanders to look down upon in terms of man-advantage efficiency this season (12.1% for the Ducks, 11.5% for the Isles).
That hasn’t varied significantly, as the Ducks have nine power-play goals in their last 90 opportunities and just six tallies in their past 65 chances. They have owned the NHL’s worst conversion rate dating to Nov. 19 and even during their upticks in performance, both offensively and overall, the power play has ranged from peckish to outright famished.
Even as their 6-1-0 record gave them the NHL’s second-best points percentage during a short period, they were cashing in only 5.3% of the time with the extra man. The Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets combined to go 0 for 26 in that span to keep the Ducks out of last place. For both their personnel and first-year assistant coach Rich Clune, encouraging moments have been few and far between. In a two-month stretch, they also gave up all four of their shorthanded goals against this season, one of the league’s worst marks during that time. Individual players have provided intermittent bright spots, but the sum of their efforts has been dreadfully underwhelming.
Can they firm up their mushy middle?
While Trevor Zegras was injured, veteran Alex Killorn remarked that his absence made an impact, something the numbers then bore out with a 15.7% figure with Zegras dipping to 8.6% without him. But since his Jan. 21 return, the Ducks have improved only marginally, to 9.5%. That limited impact from the Ducks’ multitude of centers – some of whom, like Zegras and rookie Cutter Gauthier, have found themselves on the flank frequently as a result of the surplus – has not just been limited to a specific situation either.
Zegras, Killorn, Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish have all charted courses for their production to stay level at best. Killorn and Carlsson were on pace for significant dips, while McTavish’s torrid stretch before this pause only accelerated his scoring pace to where it would reach 2023-24’s levels, but in more games played.
Ryan Strome has been the only Ducks pivot to noticeably raise his level of play and production alike, a troubling sign given that Strome, like Killorn, is in his mid-30s, while Carlsson, McTavish and Zegras all have peers in the NCAA.
Will they be buyers, sellers or neither at the trade deadline?
Strome was the most vocal Duck but hardly the only one to speak of the dressing room’s peaks and valleys in morale as the Ducks dealt veterans in recent seasons. Earlier this year, they welcomed Jacob Trouba via trade with open arms but bid farewell emotionally to Cam Fowler about a week later. That experiential ledger was back in the black when veteran winger Frank Vatrano re-signed for three seasons, with team-friendly terms on his contract extension no less.
Otherwise, the Ducks have retained a revolving-door feel with veterans, moving out Adam Henrique and Ilya Lyubushkin at the last trade deadline and replacing them in the offseason with Robby Fabbri and Brian Dumoulin, two veterans who were also entering the final years of their respective contracts. Their contract status and the depth chart behind them puts their futures on Katella Avenue in question. Gibson and Zegras have seen the murmurs resume, with Gibson-related chatter increasing in volume in recent weeks.
While selling may be reasonable, especially if they continue to hover around a playoff-precluding .500 points percentage, simply moving present-day pieces for futures could send a negative message to the rest of the roster. Instead, Verbeek could also explore opportunities to add to the young core of a franchise with cap space to spare this season and next.
Orange County Register
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Former Colorado sheriff’s deputy convicted of homicide in shooting death of man in crisis
- February 20, 2025
By COLLEEN SLEVIN and MATTHEW BROWN
DENVER (AP) — A former Colorado sheriff’s deputy was convicted Thursday in the shooting death of a 22-year-old man in distress who called 911 for help after his car got stuck in a small mountain community.
Jurors found Andrew Buen guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the June 2022 death of Christian Glass, whose death drew national attention and led to changes in how officers are trained to respond to people in mental health crises under a $19 million settlement with his family.
Buen was charged with second-degree murder, but jurors had the option of convicting him on the lesser charge of homicide, which carries a sentence of up to three years in prison. As the verdict was read, he stood with his head bowed, flanked by his attorneys.
Murder convictions of police officers for actions taken while they were on duty is rare and have happened only nine times in the U.S. over the past two decades, according to criminal justice expert Philip Stinson at Bowling Green University.
Thursday’s verdict “is a typical result that we see. It’s not uncommon that in these cases an officer will be convicted of a lesser offense, if convicted at all,” Stinson said.
Prosecutors alleged that Buen needlessly escalated a standoff with Glass, who showed signs of a mental health crisis and refused orders to get out of his SUV near the small town of Silver Plume.
The defense argued that Buen was legally justified in shooting Glass, who had a knife, to protect a fellow officer.
This was the second trial for Buen. Nearly a year ago, another jury convicted him of misdemeanor reckless endangerment but could not reach agreement on the murder charge and a charge of official misconduct. With the support of Glass’ family, prosecutors decided to try him again for second-degree murder.
A second officer indicted in Glass’ death pleaded guilty previously to a misdemeanor. Charges against two other officers from the state’s gaming division were dropped in December. A judge ruled that they were not covered by a Colorado law that makes it a crime for officers to fail to intervene to stop a fellow officer from using excessive force.
After his SUV got stuck, Glass told a 911 dispatcher he was being followed. He also made other statements suggesting he was paranoid, hallucinating or delusional and experiencing a mental health crisis, according to Buen’s indictment.
When Buen and other officers arrived, Glass refused to get out. Video footage from officers’ body cameras showed Glass making heart shapes with his hands to the officers.
The officers fired bean bag rounds and shocked Glass with a Taser, but that failed to make Glass exit the car. He then took a knife he had offered to surrender at the beginning of the encounter and flung it out a rear window, which had been broken by a bean bag, toward an officer, according to the indictment. At that point Buen fired five times at him.
“Lord hear me, Lord hear me,” was heard saying moments before he was shot.
Sally Glass said her son had depression and was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. She said he was “having a mental health episode” during his interaction with the police.
The $19 million settlement reached in 2023 was the largest in state history for a death involving the police. Clear Creek County, where Glass was shot, agreed to establish a crisis response team and for its sheriff’s office to train and certify all deputies in crisis intervention.
The state, which had three officers on the scene, killing, agreed to create a virtual reality training scenario for the Colorado State Patrol based on the shooting to focus on de-escalation in stressful situations involving officers from different agencies. The program focuses on encouraging officers to intervene if they think a fellow officer is going too far or needs to step away from an incident.
“Speak up and say something, and stop the onslaught,” Simon Glass, the victim’s father, said in a previous interview. “None of them did what they should have done that night, and if they had, he’d be alive.”
Since 20005 there have been 205 cases of nonfederal law enforcement officers being arrested for murder or manslaughter resulting from on-duty shootings, according to a database compiled by Stinson and other researchers.
Of those, 68 were convicted of a crime. Nine were sentenced for murder with sentences ranging from 81 months to life in prison, with an average sentence of 18 years, the researchers found. Several dozen cases are still pending.
Convictions on serious charges are rare because jurors are reluctant to second-guess the split-second decisions of officers in potentially violent encounters, Stinson said. That has not changed in recent years despite increased use of police body cameras and more attention from the public.
“I would have predicted a decade ago we’d see more convictions,” Stinson said. “But what we’re seeing is business as usual in law enforcement. Policing does not change quickly.”
Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
Orange County Register
Dairy workers’ cats died from bird flu, but it’s not clear how they got infected
- February 20, 2025
By JONEL ALECCIA
Two cats that belonged to Michigan dairy workers died after being infected with bird flu. But it’s still not clear how the animals got sick or whether they spread the virus to people in the household, a new study shows.
Veterinary experts said the report, published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lacks detail that could confirm whether people can spread the virus to domestic cats — or vice versa.
“I don’t think there is any way of concluding that there was human-to-cat transmission based on the data that is presented,” said Dr. Diego Diel of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Cats in two separate households died in May after developing severe illnesses that were confirmed as the Type A H5N1 bird virus found in U.S. dairy herds, investigators reported. Both were indoor-only cats that had no exposure to infected cattle or birds and didn’t consume raw milk.
One cat that died belonged to a worker on a dairy farm in a county known to have bird flu-infected cattle. The worker reported symptoms of illness before the cat got sick. That cat fell ill, tested positive for H5N1 and had to be euthanized. A second cat in that household also got sick, but it recovered. A third cat in the household didn’t get sick and tested negative.
Meanwhile, an adolescent in the household got sick but tested negative for flu.
The other cat that died lived in a different household. That pet belonged to a dairy worker who transported raw milk and reported frequent splashes of milk on the face, eyes and clothing. That worker reported eye irritation, a possible symptom of bird flu, two days before the cat got sick.
The cat was known to roll in the worker’s dirty clothing and died within a day of developing signs of infection, the study authors wrote. Another cat in that household tested negative for the virus.
In both instances, the dairy workers declined to be tested for H5N1, the study said.
That means it’s impossible to know whether they directly transmitted the virus to their cats, said Dr. Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. It’s more likely that the cats were infected by virus on the workers’ clothing, boots or hands, he said.
“We know that people at this point are not shedding large amounts of virus,” he said. “I don’t think it’s because this person coughed on their cat.”
The study concluded that reports of bird flu infections in indoor cats are rare, but “such cats might pose a risk for human infection.”
In the months since the cats died, there have been several reports of domestic cats becoming infected and dying after consuming unpasteurized milk or pet food contaminated with bird flu.
The new report underscores the need for more comprehensive testing for H5N1 in all arenas, Poulsen said.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Allstate boosts losses from L.A. County wildfires to $2.4 billion
- February 20, 2025
Allstate this week became the first insurer to raise its estimates of property losses from last month’s wildfires in Los Angeles County, projecting $2.47 billion in losses.
The new estimate is nearly $500 million higher than the $2 billion the Northbrook, Ill.-based insurer projected earlier this month.
Since the fires swept Los Angeles County communities on Jan. 7-8, nine major insurers with customers in the burn areas have reported nearly $12.3 billion in property losses.
More than half of Allstate’s losses are expected to be covered through reinsurance, an insurance for insurance companies.
The insurer said $1.4 billion in reinsurance recoveries and an estimated California FAIR Plan assessment is expected to bring its total projected loss from the firestorms to $1.07 billion, down from a $1.1 billion projection on Feb. 5.
Allstate spokesman Nick Nottoli was unavailable to comment on the changes.
See also: FAIR Plan bailout deepens housing strains
Allstate and other insurers in California contribute to the FAIR Plan, an insurance pool that all the major private insurers support. The plan then issues policies to people who can’t get private insurance because their properties are deemed too risky to insure. It provides high premiums and basic coverage for fire damage only.
There were more than 452,000 policies on the Fair Plan in 2024, more than double the number in 2020.
The FAIR Plan is charging a $1 billion special assessment to private insurance providers, a move approved Feb. 11 by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara after a record number of FAIR Plan claims were filed after January wildfires.
As of Feb. 5, more than 33,700 insurance claims had been filed and $6.9 billion in claims had been paid, according to the state department of insurance.
Allstate’s revision comes as insurers begin to report financial damages from the Jan. 7 conflagrations that killed 29 people, destroyed more than 16,000 structures and burned 37,000 acres.
Among the largest insurers that offer property and casualty insurance in California are New York-based American International Group with $500 million in losses; Warren, N.J.-based Chubb with $1.5 billion in losses; Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings with losses between $500 million and $700 million; New York-based The Travelers Cos., with a preliminary loss of $1.7 billion; and San Antonio-based United Services Automobile Association, or USAA, with $1.8 billion in losses.
On Feb. 11, Los Angeles-based Mercury General said that losses from the wildfire catastrophe would range from $1.6 billion to $2 billion.
On Feb. 18, Woodland Hills-based The Farmers Exchanges reported initial loss estimates of about $600 million.
Privately held State Farm Automobile Insurance, based in Bloomington, Ill., has not yet disclosed its losses in the fires.
State Farm General in early February requested a 22% emergency rate hike in California to cover losses from the wildfires and stop its “financial deterioration,” the company wrote in a letter filed with the state’s insurance commission.
The property insurer, the state’s largest and a subsidiary State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., said it has received more than 8,700 claims from the Jan. 7 fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas. The company said it paid more than $1 billion to customers.
In a Feb. 14 letter, Lara rejected State Farm’s request for a premium hike.
Lara told State Farm executives that he needs more information before he can approve an increase. He asked the company to meet Feb. 26 at the Insurance Department’s office in Oakland for an “informal conference.”
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‘Afraid to go to school’: Immigrant families in Salinas are gripped by fear
- February 20, 2025
by Carolyn Jones | CalMatters
E., a mother of three in Salinas, is extra careful when she takes her kids to school. She switches up her routes, leaves at different times, and is always on the lookout for immigration agents, especially during pick-ups and drop-offs.
President Donald Trump’s threat of mass deportations is never far from her mind, but it’s not her own welfare she’s concerned about.
RELATED: With 1.4 million undocumented people, Southern California will change as deportations ramp up
“I’m not worried about going back to Mexico. I’m afraid of being separated from my kids,” said E., who asked not to be identified because she and her husband’s immigration status puts them at risk of being deported. “My worst fear is that my 6-year-old will end up in a camp. … I don’t know what I would do.”
Although there have been few, if any, reports of immigration arrests at or near schools recently, E. and countless other parents are gripped with fear that if they go to the store, work or school, they’ll never see their families again. The fear stems from Trump’s heated anti-immigrant rhetoric, as well as his recent removal of schools, hospitals, courts and other “sensitive locations” as safe zones for undocumented immigrants.
RELATED: California schools could warn students, parents if ICE agents show up, new bill proposes
In Salinas, known as “the salad bowl of the world” for its rich agricultural fields, fear is everywhere. Although there have been no raids since the inauguration, rumors about ICE sweeps abound. At schools, there’s a heightened sense of awareness. Office staff know to ask immigration agents for judicial warrants and to immediately alert the superintendent. Volunteers walk students home from school, so parents don’t have to risk going outside.
“This is an immigrant city, and just the threat is enough to scare people,” said Mary Duan, spokesperson for Salinas City Elementary School District. “The specter of deportation is driving people underground.”
Vegetable fields — tidy, bright green rows of lettuce, broccoli, spinach and other crops — stretch miles across the valley, from the outskirts of town to the foothills of the nearby Gabilan and Sierra de Salinas ranges. Packing plants and nurseries dot the edges of the city.
Schools have always played a central role in Salinas. But in the past few months, that role has expanded, as schools have reassured parents, provided information and comforted anxious children. The district has trained office staff to ask for judicial — not administrative — warrants from immigration agents if they come on campus. It’s considering expanding its virtual academies, like those that operated during COVID, for children whose parents feel safer keeping them home. And it’s been taking extra steps to make students feel welcome and safe on campus.
“We want our schools to be places of joy, connection and belonging,” said Superintendent Rebecca Andrade. “The unknown is what causes anxiety. So we try to stay focused on our role, which is educating and supporting students.”
From the onion fields to the classroom
It helps that many teachers, counselors and other school staff grew up in the area and themselves come from undocumented families. They know what it’s like to pick lettuce on chilly August mornings, hear the cries of “la migra” when immigration agents are nearby, and live with the constant knowledge that friends or family members could be deported.
Oscar Ramos, a second grade teacher at Sherwood Elementary, came from Jalisco, Mexico to Hollister, about 30 miles northwest of Salinas, when he was 4 years old with his family. By the time he was 8, he was picking onions and garlic with his family, working 10-hour days throughout the summers. He remembers when, in the 1980s, his babysitter was arrested at the labor camp where his family lived.
“There was a knock at the door, and they just took her. There was no warning,” Ramos recalled. “I was 6 years old. I never saw her again.”
His own parents were never arrested, but he knows all too well the fear children experience when they think they might not see their parents again. In his classroom, the topic comes up daily, despite his efforts to keep his students focused on schoolwork.
“When I read them stories, they’d make random comments about their pets or their friends or what they’re doing this weekend,” Ramos said. “Now, they talk about ICE. ‘My parents said we can’t go to Walmart because that’s where they’ll pick you up.’ ‘I got sick but we couldn’t go to the hospital because immigration might be there.’ There’s just so much fear.”
Although immigration raids have always been part of life in Salinas, “this time feels different,” Ramos said. “The mood seems more hateful, unpredictable. How far will (Trump) go? How far will he push the limits? Will he send us back? Put us in giant prisons? Separate families? It seems like he doesn’t care. We see it and we feel it.”
That unpredictability has left even those with legal status on edge. Stories abound about citizens being caught in immigration sweeps and detained or sent to Mexico. People worry about losing their visas, or about loved ones getting wrongfully arrested.
‘I could lose everything’
Cecilia, 28, came to the U.S. from Mexico at age 2, with her mother and sister. She has legal status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and works in a family resource center for immigrants. When she can afford to, she takes classes at Hartnell Community College in hopes of earning a degree in accounting or business. With a knack for math, she hopes to someday work in a payroll office.
Everyone in her family has visas, but she now worries that those could be taken away.
“I never used to carry my DACA papers, but since the election I always do,” said Cecilia, who asked that her full name not be used because she fears her DACA status may be revoked. “If I lose my visa, I would lose my job, I could lose everything. I know other people have it way worse, but it’s still scary.”
Ismael Del Real, a counselor at Los Padres Elementary School, is busy these days. There’s a steady stream of students who visit the “calming corner” in his office, seeking a moment’s escape from their anxiety. He tells them to take deep breaths, count to 10, draw, squeeze a stress ball, talk about their fears.
But mostly, he just listens.
“It’s not about having the perfect words, because there’s nothing perfect about any of this,” said Del Real, who grew up in Salinas and whose parents are immigrants from Mexico. “I just try to be there for them. I tell them, ‘You’re right, this is scary, and it makes sense to feel anxious.’”
Every day, teachers ask each of the school’s 680 students to pick an emoji to describe their mood. Until recently, nearly all the children picked “happy.” Now, an increasing number pick “sad” or “angry.” Del Real visits with these students personally and tries to offer comfort and coping strategies.
Sometimes, it’s parents who show up at his office, located in a tidy portable next to the school garden. The walls are adorned with inspirational slogans in Spanish, such as “No hay mal que bien no venga,” or “Every cloud has a silver lining”, and the furniture is a cheerful bright blue.
He advises them to keep a supply of red cards that outline their rights to immigration officials, go to community events to get reliable information about what’s happening and what resources are available, and have a plan. Decide who will pick up the children if the parent is arrested, and give the school that person’s phone number.
In some ways, the fear of deportation has brought families together, and motivated them to speak out — even anonymously. During a recent protest, more than 200 parents at Los Padres kept their children home from school as a show of solidarity. And they are quick to help each other and support those who need assistance, he said.
“I can’t imagine what these parents are going through. These are humble people who work hard, and they just want what’s best for their kids,” Del Real said. “I just want them to have a sense of peace.”
Help for families
At Los Padres, well over half of the students are immigrants or the children of immigrants. Vice Principal Christina Perez, who grew up in Salinas, knows exactly the hardships those families face. Her parents were immigrants from Michoacan, Mexico, and her father, who didn’t have legal status in the U.S., was deported several times when Perez was a child.
Like all schools in the district, Los Padres offers a slew of resources for immigrant families. The district operates four centers for families to get food, clothing and other supplies, counseling, referrals for legal advice and other needs. Nearly 4,000 families visit the centers annually.
Perez adds a personal touch, reaching out directly to parents who are worried about being separated from their children. Her message is that the school will do everything in its power to protect students and ensure they feel safe and comfortable.
“I can imagine what these families are going through. It’s ugly to live in that fear. You’re afraid to go to work, afraid to go to school, you wonder how you’ll support your family,” she said. “That was my family, years ago. You think things are going to get better, but here we are.”
E., the Salinas mother of three, said she tries to protect her children from the news, but they overhear snippets and know that their parents are at risk. Her husband supports the family by working at a nursery, and she worries about their livelihood if he gets detained.“I’m doing the best I can,” she said. “But right now it feels hopeless.”
Orange County Register
No pain, no gain? Hardly. This year’s fitness buzzword is ‘recovery’
- February 20, 2025
By ALBERT STUMM
If you ever turned on the TV in the 2000s after midnight, you might have seen an informercial for P90X.
The exercise program promised shredded abs and bulging biceps for anyone who pushed themselves to their limits for 90 days of 90-minute workouts. So it may come as a surprise that its creator, Tony Horton, now preaches the benefits of rest and warns against overtraining.
“I didn’t know then what I know now,” said Horton, who had spent the ’90s training celebrities. “Back then it was all about warm-ups and cool-downs, and telling them to eat better and get off the hooch.”
His evolution reflects a broader shift in the exercise industry away from a “no pain, no gain” mentality that once dominated but often led to injury. Instead, the current buzzword in fitness is “recovery.”
Horton — who at 66 still exudes a boyish exuberance — noted that P90X did include recovery days with stretching and low-impact movement such as yoga. But these days, he prioritizes mindfulness as much as exercise, and the time between workouts is filled with plenty of good sleep, plunges in frigid water baths, using foam rollers on tight muscles, relaxing in a sauna, and other activities in the name of recovery.
“If you don’t get the recovery and the rest part right, then you’re never going to be able to be consistent with the fitness end of things,” Horton said.
A more holistic approach to exercise
Before Horton, Jane Fonda had pushed home exercisers to “feel the burn,” while bodybuilders lifted weights to the point of muscle failure. Now, the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine, two of the largest organizations certifying personal trainers, emphasize recovery methods.
NASM’s “Fitness and Wellness” certification includes training in “holistic health and wellness including physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.”
The industry has learned from research that shows the benefit of proper rest, said Stan Kravchenko, founder of the OneFit personal training platform. During deep sleep, the body repairs muscle tissue, and studies show that well-rested people perform better and are less likely to get injured.
But rest is only part of recovery. Kravchenko said personal trainers used to focus only on specific exercises a client could do during their workout. Now, they’re more like life coaches who also give exercise advice.
“It’s more about your lifestyle, how you eat, how you sleep,” he said. “Are you stressed? What do you do for living? Are you working from a desk? So it’s taking a little bit more like a broad approach.”
Discomfort — but not pain — still has a place
The “no pain, no gain” motto is great for athletes who can handle intense workouts and are looking to get stronger, but not everyone needs to push themselves that hard, Horton said. It depends on the goal.
Michael Zourdos, chair of exercise science and health promotion at Florida Atlantic University, said lifting weights “until failure” may build bigger muscles, but isn’t needed to increase strength. “There is a difference between training for health and training for elite performance benefits,” he said.
To realize the health benefits of a workout, it’s still necessary to push yourself, Horton said: “In the muscles, the lungs, your heart, there’s gotta be a certain amount of strain.”
There is a big difference, however, between discomfort and acute pain. If discomfort crosses into sharp pain in joints, tendons or muscles, stop that movement.
How long do muscles need to rest after a workout?
People’s needs vary depending on their goals and bodies. But Kravchencko offered a few general guidelines:
For lifting weights, he recommends allowing 48 hours of recovery time per muscle group, and doing a maximum of 10 sets per muscle group per week. During the workout, he said, it’s best to rest for two to three minutes between sets, as opposed to old advice to wait only a minute before exercising the same muscles.
In between workouts, it’s not necessary to stay still.
“You’re welcome to do walking, jogging, very light yoga, stretching, pilates, core exercises,” Kravchencko said. “That’s all fine, because it’s not specifically targeting the areas you’ve targeted before.”
Mindfulness as exercise recovery
Horton and Kravchencko both mentioned a recovery practice not typically associated with weightlifting — meditation. Taking a few quiet minutes every morning helps you deal with the physical and emotional stress of life that can get in the way of wanting to exercise, they said.
Horton recommends establishing a mindfulness routine even before formalizing an exercise plan because it will lay the groundwork to be consistent.
“What is your strategy to get to get healthy and to get fit and to stay that way?” he said. “A lot of it has to do with letting the pendulum swing the other way.”
AP reporter Maria Cheng in London contributed to this story.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about wellness, food and travel. Find his work at https://www.albertstumm.com
Orange County Register
Data: Taxpayers missing out on chance to file for free
- February 20, 2025
By Elizabeth Renter, NerdWallet
Free File is a program that allows the majority of taxpayers to file their federal income tax returns for free through participating software companies. But the service remains woefully underused.
Despite 70% of taxpayers qualifying for Free File, less than 1.9% used the service in fiscal year 2023, the most recent year for which this IRS data is available, according to NerdWallet analysis. This marks a shortfall of roughly 101 million income tax filers who may have missed the opportunity to file their federal income tax returns for free that year.
Looking at the past 10 years of IRS data, Free File usage has only dipped below 2% in one year, 2017. On average, 2.3% of filers have used the service each year over the past decade and 2.2% in the previous fiscal year (2022).
Last tax season, the IRS piloted another free tax filing option: Direct File. This year, that program is available in more states and will likely impact Free File usage. For taxpayers, it opens additional opportunities to file a federal tax return at no cost. These two programs and other filing options all feature different qualification standards and potential benefits.
Note: Despite recent confusion surrounding the availability of Direct File, both this and Free File remain online and accepting federal tax filings.
Free File: What you should know
The Free File program is essentially an agreement between the IRS and private tax software companies, known collectively as Free File Inc., formerly known as the Free File Alliance. Companies within this alliance offer taxpayers the opportunity to file their federal returns at no cost if they meet certain requirements. Each year, the income standards are set to ensure that 70% of federal taxpayers qualify for the program.
For the current tax filing season, filers who had an adjusted gross income of $84,000 or less in 2024 qualify for the program. Tax software providers in the program may have additional stipulations, however, and not all offer state income tax return filing. The IRS Free File search tool can help taxpayers determine if they qualify and send them to the appropriate software websites.
Direct File may also be available in your state
The newer IRS Direct File program bypasses the use of private software providers altogether, allowing taxpayers to file their federal returns directly with the government agency. The program is free, but currently only available in 25 states.
The income limits are $200,000 or less for single filers with one employer or $168,600 or less for those with multiple employers. For married couples filing jointly, combined wages must be $250,000 or less, and neither spouse can exceed the single filer thresholds on their own. For those married filing separately, the threshold is $125,000 or less.
Because Direct File doesn’t support itemized deductions and many IRS forms, it is most appropriate for people with simple returns. The service doesn’t support state filing, so it will direct you to your state’s free filing tool once your federal return is complete.
» MORE: Direct File eligibility details
Beware of “free” tax software
No one wants to pay for things they can get for free, but taxpayers should be cautious when looking into various free filing options. Both Free File and Direct File are reputable choices for those who qualify, but some tax software providers offer “free versions” that aren’t necessarily governed by the same rules.
» MORE: Additional free filing options
To ensure you’re taking advantage of the official programs, access them through IRS.gov. And if you don’t qualify for Free File or Direct File, read carefully about what’s included in the tax software program you sign up to use. Some additional costs may be warranted — such as those for certain forms — whereas others are entirely optional, such as audit protection or access to a tax professional.
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Elizabeth Renter writes for NerdWallet. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @elizabethrenter.
The article Data: Taxpayers Missing Out on Chance to File for Free originally appeared on NerdWallet.
Orange County Register
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The 45 companies on the MAGA anti-DEI hit list
- February 20, 2025
By Jeff Green, Bloomberg News
For President Donald Trump’s operatives seeking corporate targets to investigate for “illegal DEI,” conservative activists have already done the legwork and drawn up a list.
From Amazon.com Inc. to Yum! Brands Inc., 45 companies with a combined market value of almost $10 trillion have been attacked for their DEI efforts in the past three years by groups led by Stephen Miller, now the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, and anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum. Corporate lawyers and advisers are now poring over the list for clues as to which companies may eventually end up being investigated by the government.
Corporate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, many of which were implemented less than five years ago when companies rushed to address historic inequities after the murder of George Floyd by a White police officer, are now in sharp focus as the new administration moves to dismantle DEI. The Justice Department, which is preparing a report by March 1 identifying steps to deter the use of “discriminatory” DEI programs in the private sector, has even threatened criminal investigations.
The department didn’t respond to requests for comment on its plans. One of Trump’s initial orders regarding DEI asked agency heads to identify up to nine companies or other entitities that might be practicing “illegal DEI.” The order stated that DEI policies aimed at boosting underrepresented groups can violate federal civil-rights laws.
‘Target-rich’
Companies spotlighted in recent lawsuits and complaints are a good indication of “who they’re going to go after,” said Michael Elkins, who represents businesses on employment law issues as founder and partner at MLE Law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “They have a blueprint.”
Miller and Blum’s groups highlighted what they described as “unlawful” practices at the 45 companies, including hiring based on gender or race, scholarships based on race, and funding for startups owned by underrepresented groups.
“This is a target-rich environment,” said Blum, whose lawsuits helped convince the U.S. Supreme Court to end affirmative action in college admissions in 2023 and supercharged right-leaning groups’ assault on DEI in corporate America. Companies are exposing themselves to risk by keeping their DEI programs, he said.
Blum wouldn’t discuss whether he had direct conversations with administration officials, but said companies should be “mindful” of this government and end practices that are “actionable in court, and unpopular and polarizing.” He is pursuing companies including American Airlines Group Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co., and last month won a settlement with McDonald’s Corp.
Lawsuits, complaints
Anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck said he’s in touch with administration officials and plans to “report any evidence of illegal discrimination against any race or sex we find.” Starbuck, who wouldn’t give details about his contact with the government, has claimed credit for DEI rollbacks at more than 15 companies, including Walmart Inc., the world’s biggest retailer.
Miller’s group, America First Legal, has been the most active in its pursuit of company DEI programs that it says discriminates against White men. AFL has filed more than half a dozen lawsuits and more than 30 requests for federal or state investigations of companies.
It says that race, sex and national origin aren’t supposed to be “a motivating factor in employment practice,” according to Reed Rubinstein, senior vice president at America First Legal. The Trump administration used similar language in a Feb. 5 memo clarifying instructions to agency heads on how to identify prohibited DEI.
Most of AFL’s complaints against DEI practices at companies such as Walt Disney Co., Nike Inc. and International Business Machines Corp. were sent to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws. The companies didn’t respond to requests for comment.
DEI retreat
Already, consulting firms Accenture Plc, Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. and Deloitte have abandoned their diversity goals, citing Trump’s executive order banning diversity efforts at federal contractors. Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc., both government contractors, said they’re preparing to comply with the order.
Companies should be wary of making dramatic changes in DEI policy, even if they have been called out in the past, said Aaron Goldstein, an employment law partner at Dorsey & Whitney’s Seattle office. He said he has clients who have been attacked by conservative groups, but wouldn’t comment on whether they are on AFL’s list.
The Trump administration will likely go after companies that are high profile and have made strong statements in support of DEI in the past, he said. The best a company can do is examine both external and internal communications — and be prepared.
“If you go running from DEI in a very public way, after having embraced it over the last three years, you might be hit by traffic going both ways,” Goldstein said. “The worst thing that can happen to a company is: You’re still on that list, but you’ve lost all your good faith and credibility with folks on the other side of these issues.”
Companies with outstanding lawsuits
- Ally Financial Inc.
- Amazon.com Inc.
- American Airlines Group Inc.
- Bally’s Corp.
- Expedia Group Inc.
- International Business Machines Corp.
- Meta Platforms Inc.
- Paramount Global (multiple)
- Progressive Corp
- Southwest Airlines Co.
- Target Corp.
Source: America First Legal, American Alliance for Equal Rights
Companies with federal or state complaints made
- Alaska Air Group Inc.
- Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV
- BlackRock Inc.
- Crowdstrike Holdings Inc.
- Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc.
- Hasbro Inc.
- Hershey Co
- Hy-Vee Inc.
- Kellanova
- Kontoor Brands Inc.
- Lyft Inc.
- Macy’s Inc.
- Major League Baseball
- Mars Inc.
- Mattel Inc.
- McDonald’s Corp.
- Microsoft Corp. (Activision)
- Morgan Stanley
- Nascar
- National Football League
- Nike Inc.
- Nordstrom Inc.
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Salesforce Inc.
- Sanofi SA
- Shake Shack Inc.
- Smithfield Foods Inc.
- Starbucks Corp.
- Twilio Inc.
- Tyson Foods Inc.
- Unilever PLC
- Walt Disney Co
- Williams-Sonoma Inc.
- Yum! Brands Inc.
Source: America First Legal
(With assistance from Gerson Freitas Jr., Jaewon Kang, Brody Ford, Sabah Meddings, Mary Schlangenstein, Deena Shanker, Matt Day, Silla Brush, Andrew Martin, Natalie Lung, Jeannette Neumann, Thomas Buckley and Alexandre Rajbhandari.)
©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Orange County Register
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