Darcy Kuemper remains stingy as Kings beat Blackhawks

• March 21, 2025

CHICAGO — Darcy Kuemper is doing his best to strengthen the Kings’ playoff position.

Kuemper made 17 saves and Trevor Moore, Alex Turcotte and Joel Edmundson scored to lead the Kings to a 3-1 victory over the struggling Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night, their sixth win in the past seven games.

Kuemper has surrendered just five goals in his last six games (two shutouts), after a 10-game run in which he allowed 31.

The Kings (37-21-9, 83 points) are in third place in the Pacific Division, two points behind second-place Edmonton but with two games in hand in their race for home-ice advantage in another potential first-round playoff series.

“I thought it was a really mature win because two goals early, and then that’s it until the empty net (goal late in the game),” Kuemper told NHL.com. “We didn’t change the way we were playing, made sure we were defending hard all game. That’s a big road win for us.”

Connor Bedard scored for the second straight game (his 19th goal of the season) and Spencer Knight made 30 saves for the Blackhawks (20-40-9, 49 points), who have lost a season-high six in a row (0-5-1). Chicago has been outscored 25-9 during its slide.

The Kings outshot Chicago 19-7 in a dominant first period and took a 2-0 lead on goals by Moore and Turcotte 59 seconds apart.

The Kings opened the scoring at 8:45 of the first when Moore brought the puck into the Chicago zone before pulling up above the right circle. He skated into the high slot and banked his screened shot off the inside of the left post for his 14th goal of the season.

The Kings doubled their lead less than a minute later, when Vladislav Gavrikov took a shot from above the left circle and along the wall and Turcotte deflected it into the net. Turcotte’s eighth goal of the season snapped a 24-game drought. He hadn’t scored since getting a pair in a 5-1 win in Vancouver on Jan. 16.

“The ‘D’ were doing a great job getting the puck to the net,” Turcotte told NHL.com. “I knew (Gavrikov) was shooting, kind of scoped (it) out, got a stick on it. Yeah, good bounce. Right place, right time.”

Chicago went on its second power play of the game when Gavrikov was called for interference on Teuvo Teravainen, and the Blackhawks scored during the man-advantage to cut their deficit to 2-1 at 10:50 of the second period.

Knight made a save on a short-handed chance by Drew Doughty, leading to a rush the other way. Tyler Bertuzzi carried the puck into the Kings’ zone and dropped a pass for Teravainen, who sent the puck to Bertuzzi on the right side of the net. Bertuzzi fed the puck to Bedard for a one-timer from the right circle.

Kuemper made a point-blank pad save on Lukas Reichel’s one-timer 2:45 into the third to keep the Kings ahead.

The Blackhawks pulled Knight for the extra skater, but Edmundson fired from deep in the Kings’ zone and scored into the empty net to extend the lead to 3-1 with 19 seconds remaining to ice the victory.

“I would like to have got three or four, make it a little bit easier, but we hung in there,” Kings coach Jim Hiller told NHL.com. “First period was good. If you go back to the first period the last time we played here (a 5-1 loss on March 3), we had way more quality chances in that period and came up with (one). So it was nice to see a couple go in. I think that was really important. If we would have come out of there without any after playing that well again, it would have been hard for us. So it was just good to see the puck go in.”

The Kings salvaged a win in their final game this season against the Blackhawks after losing 4-3 in a shootout on Nov. 2 at Crypto.com Arena and losing a game in Chicago earlier this month.

“Obviously these can be challenging games,” Kuemper told NHL.com. “They’ve given us some trouble this year. They got a lot of skill, and they kind of wait for you to make mistakes. You’ve got to be patient. Their goalie was making a lot of saves, so you’ve got to stay patient offensively and not take too many chances because that’s what they’re waiting for.

“We definitely owed these guys. They’ve given us trouble, so we wanted to come out and give them our best tonight.”

UP NEXT

The Kings host Carolina on Saturday at 1 p.m.

​ Orange County Register 

Tesoro softball moving in the right direction, knocks off No. 8 JSerra

• March 21, 2025

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – The Tesoro softball team won a South Coast League title last season but graduated all but three starters. The Titans were going to rebuild. Going to need to mature. Going to need time.

But the time might be now.

For the second time in two games, Tesoro ventured into Top 10-level competition in Orange County and more than held its own. Riding the left arm of pitcher Loula-Rae McNamara, Tesoro knocked off No. 8 JSerra, 3-1, in a nonleague game Thursday

Ranked No. 21 in the Register’s Top 25, Tesoro improved to 5-3 while JSerra dropped to 8-5 overall.

The programs are not dissimilar, with plenty of underclassmen being called upon to contribute. But they have vastly different appreciations for how they have handled their respective situations.

“A big senior class graduated, so this is a really young team,” Tesoro coach Sara Higgins said. “We’re filling spots with freshmen and sophomores, but we’re just as competitive as we were last year. Having not played together as a unity previously, I could not have envisioned how well they have played, how super competitive they are with some of the best teams out there.

“I’ve been joking with my staff and athletic director that I actually have to earn my salary, my stipend. In previous years, the girls were on top of their game – three of them are playing DI college softball as we speak. I was more of a rah-rah coach previously, where I would be their mental assistant. … This year, we have had to really do the fundamentals, go back to the drawing board, really develop players again. It feels like I’ve gone back to the root of coaching, which has been fun and inspiring.”

There’s plenty of reason to be inspired. In their previous outing, the Titans lost to No. 1 El Modena, 1-0, in the bottom of the 11th inning. They should be playing with confidence.

McNamara, whose next stop will be Boise State, was fantastic against the JSerra lineup, which is also young. She gave up an infield single – a swinging bunt that trickled off her outstretched glove. Ava Van Heerde took second on Ava Geoghegan’s sac bunt, and an out later scored from third on Brook Stephens’ double to right-center field. McNamara hit Zena Edwards to put runners at first and second, but got a grounder to third base from cleanup hitter Melia Munoz, who had singled sharply off McNamara’s shin an inning earlier.

Tesoro answered immediately in the fourth inning to tie the score. Reese Fraser was hit with one out, took second on Chloe Gillis’ sacrifice, reached third on a wild pitch, and scored on McNamara’s double off the glove of the diving shortstop.

“If we hadn’t gotten that run, we would have been in a deficit,” Higgins said, “probably would have lost momentum emotionally and physically. It kept our hearts in it, kept our confidence up. That first run was the most significant run we created.”

But there were two more runs that decided the outcome. In the sixth, Fraser reached on an error, took second on Gillis’ bunt that turned into a single, and reached third on McNamara’s third hit of the game. With the bases loaded, Sami Macchiaroli bunted home Fraser, and then Bella Barley bunted home Gillis.

“I’m really big on manufacturing runs by any means possible,” Higgins said. “If I feel like we’re not reading a pitcher, I will turn to small ball. … Our bats weren’t on, so we had to make something happen. Even our hits were not solid contact. But you have to find a way, right? You’ve gotta find a way by any means possible.”

And so Tesoro is feeling good about itself. Performances by Macchiaroli at shortstop – after playing second base last season – Harlow Higgins at catcher, and Chloe Gillis at first base, have mitigated the losses of the Titans’ graduated core. McNamara especially praised Harlow Higgins, who had to fill the shoes of Kennedy Hobson, who is now the starting catcher at North Idaho.

“I thought we were going to have some missing pieces because we lost so many seniors, but kids have stepped up,” McNamara said.

In the other dugout, JSerra is also trying to fill holes. But the Lions aren’t feeling as good about it as Tesoro.

“Errors, unfortunately, have been an Achilles heel for us,” JSerra coach Katie Stith said. “We know we need to eliminate that, but ultimately we have to be able to score runs. All I’m looking for at this point is preparing for Trinity League, which starts on Tuesday. I’m looking to mesh well as a team.

“I think because I have four freshmen starting right now, there’s a huge amount of pressure on them to perform, and I think they’re feeling that. But we just need to relax. They’re trying to do more than they need to because they’re trying to fill bigger needs for the team. They’re playing not to make mistakes, and when you do that, you tend to make mistakes.”

It seems there’s such a small margin for error in softball. Much like soccer, every run can be an achievement. Missed opportunities can be killers. A couple of one-out singles from the No. 8 and 9 hitters, Van Heerde and Geoghegan, gave the Lions a final rally opportunity. But McNamara responded with a strikeout and grounder back to the circle to complete the performance.

McNamara (4-3) gave up six hits, no walks, and had eight strikeouts. She bettered JSerra’s Liliana Escobar (7-1), who gave up one earned run on five hits, two walks, a hit batter, and had eight strikeouts.

For a fourth-year varsity pitcher like McNamara – who had never beaten JSerra – this game was special. This season is special.

“I want to leave everything I’ve worked for the last four years on the field,” McNamara said. “I want to leave a legacy here and show we’re just as good as anybody, any other team we step on the field with.”

On Thursday, they were. They were better.

​ Orange County Register 

At an Altadena apartment complex, tenants say they’ve gone without gas, electricity since Eaton fire

• March 21, 2025

At 403 Figueroa Drive in Altadena, a large, tan apartment complex sits, the building spared by the Eaton fire. But the fire’s devastation stretches well beyond structure losses, and every day the tenants at the complex feel the lingering effects of the long-extinguished blaze, along with the scent of its smoke, in their apartments.

For more than two months, tenants say they have been living with no gas or electricity, or both, as difficulties abound with the rental management. The fire burned the carports at the complex as well as several nearby structures, leaving ash and debris everywhere. Many of the tenants are immigrant workers, and suffer from not only a difficult living situation, but also loss of income as their places of work and clients lost homes and businesses.

“Solo el pueblo salva el pueblo,” a group of over a hundred tenants and supporters chanted as they gathered outside the building on Thursday, March 20 to share their stories: “Only the village saves the village.”

Brenda Lopez’s family has lived in the building for 29 years; Lopez has resided there since she was 6 months old. Since they returned home after the Eaton fire, Lopez says there has been no gas in their unit and that others in the complex have been living with no gas or electricity.

“If we have to take a shower we heat up water on our electric stove that we have and we shower that way,” Lopez said. “It’s stressful because it’s one big community and because of how long its taken to address the situation, so many people have left.”

The tenants have been told by Southern California Edison that the issue is with the rental management, not the utility company, Lopez said. But, the management company has not given them any answers, even after some tenants showed up to their office in person.

Request for comment placed with the management company late Thursday were not immediately returned.

“Put yourself in our shoes. We are very conscious that we are not able to stay here, but many of us do not have anywhere else to go,” Lopez said. “This is our home and we are going to fight until we have our basic necessities back.”

Maria Mares, another longtime resident who lives at the complex with her children and grandchildren, will also stay at the complex, but she wants to live in peace and safety, which is not the current state of the complex.

“It has affected her and her family, living in this type of inequality and this type of situation, because the employees of the landlord harass them,” a translator for Mares, who spoke of her experience in Spanish, said. “They threaten to call immigration, they threaten to call the police upon them just for fighting for their rights.”

Mares said she and her family are asking for humanity and to not be ignored. They have looked for other places to live, but with high costs of rent and large security deposits required, it has been difficult to find an affordable place to live, so they will remain.

Lopez and other tenants have banded together to form the Tenants Committee 403, calling for the return of utilities, compliance with tenant protection ordinances and for the cleaning of affected areas to be prioritize.

The National National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) joined in supporting the tenants committee.

“People need to have the materials that they need to protect them from the toxins so that they can clean their homes and do it in a way that is safe and not get cancer,” Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of NDLON said in Spanish.

While Lopez, Mares, their families and many other families are staying at the complex, some are leaving, feeling that it is simply too unsafe to remain.

Maria Dolores Funes lived in the complex for 35 years with her sister and other family members. Her unit has been cleaned out and she will not return. Though she did not want to have to leave her home, she felt that the smoke has made the apartment unsafe to live in. She wears a mask anytime she enters the apartment. It got on everything, her television, clothes, family photos. Instead, she and her family prefer to live in a nearby city, further from the damage.

Those that are staying at the complex, as well as many who are involved in the cleanup effort both at the complex and elsewhere in the burn zone, have fears about the long term affects of the smoke and rubble on their health.

Andrea Morales is another tenant who will not be able to return to the complex.

“I can’t come back because there is no gas and electricity for my kids,” Morales said in Spanish. “The walls are burnt… they’re covered in ash and toxins and one of my children has asthma, it’s not safe for them.”

Morales said management gave her paint and told her to paint over the smoke damaged walls when she asked about what could be done.

As fears of health compound the difficulties of daily life with no gas and electricity, many tenants have been relying on the Pasadena and Altadena community to help them. As tenants and community organizers called upon the rental management to reinstate utilities to the Figueroa Drive residents, they also called for community solidarity.

Cesar Saucedo is one of the many volunteers with the Pasadena Community Job Center who have been helping cleanup in Altadena overall, as well as at the 403 Figueroa Drive complex. He and other volunteers donned hazmat suits and cleaned Funes’ apartment, which now shows no signs of the smoke damage seen in photos from after the fire.

Some residents will seek out the assistance of Job Center employees, trusting their thoroughness over companies hired by management. According to signage posted on apartment doors, the rental management began the necessary cleaning processes on March 10.

“Only through love and solidarity will we continue to be Altadena,” Jose Madera, director of the job center, said.

​ Orange County Register 

Update: Wind advisory issued for Los Angeles County until Friday morning

• March 21, 2025

5 Freeway corridor near Santa Clarita, Santa Barbara County Southwestern Coast and Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range are under an updated wind advisory which was released by the National Weather Service on Thursday at 10:29 p.m. The advisory is in effect until Friday, Mar. 21 at 6 a.m.

The NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA says to expect, “North winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.”

“Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the NWS said. “Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.”

High wind alerts: What each level signifies

When it comes to high wind alerts, understanding the levels of risk is crucial. The NWS classifies them into three distinct categories:

High wind warning: Take action!

Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening. Seek shelter. If you are driving, keep both hands on the wheel and slow down.

Wind advisory: Take action!

Strong winds are occurring but are not so strong as to warrant a High wind warning. Objects that are outdoors should be secured and caution should be taken if driving.

High wind watch: Be prepared!

Sustained, strong winds are possible. Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you’re not caught outside.

How to prepare before strong winds approach

• Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines.
• Secure loose gutters and shutters.
• Identify an interior room of your house, such as a basement or interior bathroom, that you can take shelter in during high wind warnings.
• If you live in a mobile home, identify a sturdy building you can go to if the NWS issues a high wind or severe thunderstorm warning.
• Charge batteries of all essential items such as cell phones and booster packs, weather radios and power tools such as a reciprocating saw, which you might need to clear debris.
• Update your emergency kit and be sure to include enough food and water to last for 3 days for each person in your home.
• Make a list of items outside your home you will need to tie down or put away so that they don’t blow away or fly through a window. When the NWS issues a high wind watch, immediately secure these items to avoid damage or injury once the wind starts picking up.

How to act during strong winds

Take shelter:

• Immediately go inside a sturdy building during a high wind warning or severe thunderstorm warning and move to an interior room or basement.
• If you are in a mobile home, move to a sturdy building before the winds pick up or the storm system reaches your location.

If caught outside or driving:

• Take shelter in your car if you are not near a sturdy building. If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building. Otherwise, move your car to a location where it is less likely to be hit by falling trees or power lines.
• If no shelter is available avoid trees, power lines, and the side of the road. Keep in mind that power lines that are laying on the ground may be live. Do not go near them! Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
• If you are driving and aren’t near a sturdy building, hold the steering wheel with both hands and slow down.
• Keep a distance from high profile vehicles such as trucks, buses and vehicles towing trailers. One strong gust of wind can be enough to flip one of these trailers onto its side.

What to do after strong winds subside

• Do not go near downed power lines. Report downed power lines to the police.
• Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.

​ Orange County Register 

A judge says Mariah Carey didn’t steal ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ from other writers

• March 20, 2025

By ANDREW DALTON

A federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled that Mariah Carey did not steal her perennial megahit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” from other songwriters.

Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani granted Carey’s request for summary judgment on Wednesday, giving her and co-writer and co-defendant Walter Afanasieff a victory without going to trial.

In 2023, songwriters Andy Stone of Louisiana — who goes by the stage name Vince Vance — and Troy Powers of Tennessee filed the $20 million lawsuit alleging that Carey’s 1994 song, which has since become a holiday standard and annual streaming sensation, infringed the copyright of their country 1989 song with the same title.

Their lawyer Gerard P. Fox said he’s “disappointed” in an email to The Associated Press.

Fox said it is his experience that judges at this level “nearly always now dismiss a music copyright case and that one must appeal to reverse and get the case to the jury. My client will make a decision shortly on whether to appeal. We filed based on the opinions of two esteemed musicologists who teach at great colleges.”

Stone and Powers’ suit said their “’All I Want For Christmas Is You’ contains a unique linguistic structure where a person, disillusioned with expensive gifts and seasonal comforts, wants to be with their loved one, and accordingly writes a letter to Santa Claus.”

They said there was an “overwhelming likelihood” Carey and Afanasieff had heard their song — which at one point reached No. 31 on Billboard’s Hot Country chart — and infringed their copyright by taking significant elements from it.

After hearing from two experts for each side, Ramírez Almadani agreed with those from the defense, who said the writers employed common Christmas cliches that existed prior to both songs, and that Carey’s song used them differently. She said the plaintiffs had not met the burden of showing that the songs are substantially similar.

Ramírez Almadani also ordered sanctions against the plaintiffs and their lawyers, saying their suit and subsequent filings were frivolous and that the plaintiffs’ attorneys “made no reasonable effort to ensure that the factual contentions asserted have evidentiary support.”

She said they must pay at least part of the defendants’ attorney fees.

Defense attorneys and publicists for Carey did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Carey’s Christmas colossus has become an even bigger hit in recent years than it was in the 1990s. It has reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart the past six years in a row — measuring the most popular songs each week — not just the holiday-themed — by airplay, sales and streaming.

Carey and Afanasieff have had their own public disagreement — though not one that’s gone to court — over who wrote how much of the song. But the case made them at least temporary allies.

​ Orange County Register 

Angels held to 5 hits in Cactus League loss to White Sox

• March 20, 2025

THE GAME: The Angels had only five hits in a 2-1 Cactus League loss to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday in Glendale, Arizona.

PITCHING REPORT: Right-hander Joel Hurtado gave up two runs in 2⅔ innings. Hurtado, the Angels’ No. 22 prospect according to Baseball America, has not pitched above Class-A. He started because right-hander Jack Kochanowicz instead pitched in a minor-league game because the controlled environment ensured the Angels could get him to his required pitch count. Kochanowicz threw 5⅔ scoreless innings, with seven walks and no strikeouts. He threw 68 pitches. … In the major-league game, right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn was not charged with a run in 1⅓ innings, but he allowed a double that drove in both of the runs charged to Hurtado. Zeferjahn has not allowed a run in seven innings this spring. … Right-hander Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect inning against the top three hitters in the White Sox order. It was Jansen’s first outing since March 9. He had been away because of his mother’s death. Jansen has not allowed a run in four innings this spring. … Left-hander Angel Perdomo worked around two walks in a scoreless inning. Perdomo’s fastball averaged 93.8 mph. “I was looking for a little more coming out of his arm,” Manager Ron Washington said. “He made it through his inning. For a minute there I thought it was going to be a long inning where people were being walked, but he came back and found the strike zone.” It was his first outing with the Angels after he was acquired from the Atlanta Braves. Including eight games with the Braves, Perdomo has allowed two runs in 9⅓ innings this spring.

HITTING REPORT: Tim Anderson drove in a run with a single. Anderson is 13 for 48 (.271) this spring. … The Angels had the tying run at third with one outs after Anderson’s single, but Luis Rengifo and Mickey Moniak each struck out. … Mike Trout was hitless in three trips to the plate, with a walk. … Jo Adell singled in his only trip to the plate. Adell has four hits in his last two games after snapping an 0-for-22 skid. … The Angels have scored two runs or fewer in six of their last nine games. “If we can’t put runs on the board we’re in trouble,” Washington said. “No matter how much good pitching we get and how we play defense, the name of the game is scoring runs. We’ve got to score runs.”

DEFENSE REPORT: Right fielder Jorge Soler made a catch at the warning track. … Anderson, the second baseman, made a backhand stop over the middle and a quick throw to first, but it wasn’t in time. … Left fielder Matthew Lugo made a sliding catch of a ball in front of him.

UP NEXT: Angels (RHP Kyle Hendricks) vs. Texas Rangers (TBD), Friday, 12:10 p.m. PT, at Tempe Diablo Stadium, FDSN West, 830 AM

Angels (LHP Yusei Kikuchi) at Colorado Rockies (RHP Antonio Senzatela), Friday, 1:10 p.m. PT, at Salt River Fields

​ Orange County Register 

USAID suspension will strengthen China and exacerbate suffering, former official says during UCI talk

• March 20, 2025

The effective dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development has dealt a major blow to American “soft power,” said Isobel Coleman, a former senior USAID official.

Speaking at the Beckman Center at UC Irvine on Wednesday evening, March 19, Coleman, who served as USAID’s deputy administrator for policy and programming under the Biden administration, said there will be a severe impact from halting critical foreign assistance programs.

“The work in the field has mostly ground to a halt, and American soft power has taken a big hit,” said Coleman, who led the review of the U.S. mission to the United Nations for former President Joe Biden’s transition team before joining USAID. “Over its 63-year existence, USAID has saved and improved the lives of hundreds of millions of people.”

Coleman’s talk at UCI, part of the School of Social Ecology’s speaker series on contemporary policy issues, comes after the Trump administration made drastic cuts to USAID’s funding and operations as part of a broader effort to reorganize U.S. foreign aid.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on March 10 that an internal review had resulted in the cancellation of 83% of the agency’s programs and much of USAID’s work is at a standstill. The goal, according to the administration, is to prioritize aid that aligns more closely with U.S. interests, focusing on areas including humanitarian aid and disaster response, and to counter China’s influence.

But the halt, Coleman argued, not only exacerbates human suffering, but also shifts the global balance of power, making it “easier for China to extend and deepen its interests around the world.”

“No country is more pleased to see USAID shut down than the People’s Republic of China,” she said, pointing out that China has already signaled its intent to fill the void in countries that once depended on American aid, including Cambodia and Nepal.

This week, the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID hit a legal roadblock when a federal judge ruled the move likely violated constitutional processes, ordering the restoration of email and computer access for all USAID employees, including those on administrative leave.

Coleman said that while USAID’s budget makes up a little more than 0.5% of total federal spending, its reach has been significant. In fiscal year 2023, the agency distributed nearly $43.8 billion in aid, and U.S. aid dollars supported programs in 177 countries and 29 regions, according to the Pew Research Center.

Coleman quoted former President George W. Bush: “We have the power to help. To work with other nations, to reduce suffering and save lives.”

He was talking about why the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program created by the U.S. government in 2003 to address the global HIV/AID epidemic, was important fund, the same reason why she argues USAID is important.

“Of course, American generosity can’t and shouldn’t be endless. There are many needs at home,” Coleman acknowledged. “But the entire USAID budget accounts for half of 1% of the federal budget.”

At the same time, she recognized the need for fiscal responsibility.

“Having worked in government … I want to see our budget deficit reduced, if not eliminated,” Coleman said. “I know how important that is for the long-term health of the U.S. economy and for Americans to be economically prosperous.”

The former USAID official said she anticipated significant reforms would take place under the new administration.

“In some respects, I welcome that, too. Government can use a shakeup now and then,” she said. “But this — no, I did not anticipate.”

Rather than just restoring USAID to its previous form, Coleman argued the focus should be on a “wholesale restructuring of U.S. foreign aid.” She said she supports giving regional offices more authority in directing funds and reducing reliance on Congress to earmark programs and locations for USAID spending.

When an audience member asked whether other players could fill the gap left by USAID, Coleman answered, “Perhaps.”

She pointed to USAID’s role in helping South Korea rebuild after the Korean War, noting that the country, once a recipient of U.S. aid, has since become a donor — providing financial and humanitarian assistance to other nations.

However, Coleman stressed how difficult it would be to replace USAID’s scale, saying it would take about 20 South Koreas to fill the gap.

South Korea, a major U.S. ally and trade partner, has allocated $4.5 billion in government aid for 2025 to support economic growth in developing countries.

“I can’t help but think that the U.S. — the richest country in the history of the world — can afford to extend some generosity to the world’s most destitute,” Coleman said.

She also expressed concern over the loss of USAID’s work in promoting democracy around the world, including supporting investigative journalism in fragile states.

She ended her remarks quoting U2’s Bono: “U.S. development assistance has its flaws, but it was as close to poetry as policy gets.”

​ Orange County Register 

What’s happening with the Institute of Museum and Library Services after Trump’s executive order

• March 20, 2025

By HILLEL ITALIE

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump has named a new acting director for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, one of seven independent government agencies cited in a recent executive order calling for their dismantling “to the maximum extent of the law.”

Trump said that the order “continues the reduction in the elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary.”

Since taking office, Trump has shuttered or drastically curtailed agencies, including the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Institute of Museum and Library of Services, or IMLS, is a key source of funding for museums, libraries and educational institutions.

What is the Institute of Museum and Library Services?

IMLS was established in 1996 by a Republican-led Congress and has a mission to “advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development.” The institute combined the services of previous government agencies, including the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and the Institute of Museum Services.

It distributes thousands of grants nationwide, totaling in recent years to more than $200 million annually. Awards in 2024 ranged from $240,000 for the Chicago History Museum to more than $1 million for several state library training programs named for former Republican first lady Laura Bush to nearly $25,000 for the Lorain Historical Society, which is based in the Ohio hometown of Nobel laureate Toni Morrison.

A spokesperson for Bush declined comment.

Who is the new director?

The new acting director, Keith Sonderling, had recently been confirmed as deputy secretary of the Department of Labor and was from 2020-2024 a commissioner on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He replaces Cyndee Landrum, who had been named acting director in March 2024.

“I am committed to steering this organization in lockstep with this Administration to enhance efficiency and foster innovation,” Sonderling said in a statement after his appointment Thursday. “We will revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations.”

Has the IMLS been targeted before?

During his first term, Trump repeatedly called for the IMLS to be shut down, but funding was maintained by Congress. The American Library Association in a statement this week condemned “eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services. … The Trump administration’s executive order is cutting off at the knees the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer.”

What happens now?

The library association has advised members that the status of current grants remains unclear. If the administration follows the same playbook it has in targeting other small agencies for closure, IMLS could be shut down.

The U.S. Institute of Peace was one of four agencies Trump ordered to be closed last month in an effort to shrink the size of government. On Monday, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency took control of USIP’s headquarters in Washington and used law enforcement to escort the independent think tank’s employees out of the building. Former USIP board members have sued the administration to stop the takeover but a judge on Wednesday declined to immediately block the administration’s actions.

Staff from DOGE have also moved fast in the past weeks to lay off staff, end grants and contracts and remove the leaders of two other agencies that invested in small businesses in Africa and Latin American and the Caribbean. Former board members and leaders of those organizations have also sued, but a judge ruled it would be legal to remove most staff and grants from the U.S. African Development Foundation.

​ Orange County Register