Keffiyehs are not an exemption ticket

• May 5, 2024

Protestors who set up encampments and siege buildings should be prosecuted to the fullest extent, under both the law and their institutions’ codes of conduct.

Failing to do so undermines a fundamental commitment of liberal democracy: no person is above the law. Despite ill-informed assertions to the contrary, encampments and sieges are not protected by the First Amendment. They are permissibly regulated under content-neutral time, place, manner restrictions.

Restrictions on the time, place, and manner of conduct otherwise protected under the First Amendment are permitted under specific conditions: the restriction must be content-neutral, narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest, and leave open ample alternative channels for communicating the speaker’s message. Prohibitions on encampments on college campuses easily meet these criteria.

The prohibitions are content neutral because all are prohibited, regardless of race, sex, religion, or political preference. They’re narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest because ensuring equal access to public space is a clear and consistent governmental interest (e.g., access to parks, roadways, the list goes on). And the restrictions leave open ample alternative channels because protestors can still protest on campus; they are only prevented from forcibly occupying public space to the exclusion of others.

Imagine a different group of “anti-Zionists” physically occupying college campuses, besieging buildings, and preventing students from attending class. Perhaps these “anti-Zionists” wear white cloaks and pointy white hats. Should they escape prosecution under the guise of free speech? The same would be true if the besiegers wore kippahs and tzitzit. Keffiyehs are not an exemption ticket.

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Fanatics of all sorts are the same: they all think the law applies to thee and not to me. But we are a nation of laws, not of men. When you pillage and destroy property, you must be held accountable, even if you believe doing so advances social justice. When you infiltrate the capital to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power, you must be held accountable, even if you believe the election was stolen. A sincere belief in the justness of one’s cause is no excuse. Actions have consequences.

Now is the time to reaffirm our commitment to the bedrock principle that no person is above the law. There is no greater force for unity than that. Neither a sincere belief in the righteousness of a cause nor the popularity of a cause can overcome the need to do what is right.

Branden Nikka was born and raised in Los Angeles and is a graduate of USC and UCLA School of Law. Branden’s opinions are his own and do not reflect those of his friends, family, or employer. 

​ Orange County Register 

Corona del Mar boys volleyball loses to Mira Costa; Newport Harbor falls to Loyola

• May 5, 2024

Corona del Mar lost to Mira Costa in four sets, 25-12, 25-21, 19-25, 25-22, Saturday at Mira Costa High in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 pool-play match that decided which team would play in the final.

Sterling Foley led Corona del Mar with 19 kills. Brady Gant added seven kills and Daniel Booker had six kills.

No. 2 seed Mira Costa (35-3) will face No. 1 seed Loyola (30-1-1) in the championship Saturday, May 11, at 7 p.m. at Cerritos College.

Corona del Mar’s season will continue in the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs that begin May 14.

The top six of the eight teams in CIF-SS Division 1 qualify for the CIF SoCal Regional. Also advancing to the regional are Edison, Huntington Beach and Newport Harbor.

Also in Division 1:

Loyola 3, Newport Harbor 1:  The Cubs won their battle with the visiting Sailors 18-25, 25-23, 25-18, 29-27 in the final pool-play round to earn a spot in the championship match.

Huntington Beach 3, Mater Dei 0: The Oilers (28-7) swept the Monarchs (21-13) in a pool-play finale.

Aidan Dubno had 24 kills and three blocks for Huntington Beach. Nick Ganier added 10 kills and Jake Pazanti contributed seven kills and 47 assists for the Oilers.

In Division 2:

Redondo 3, Beckman 1: The Patriots (25-12) lost at home to top-seeded Redondo (24-6).

Luke Morrison led Beckman with 27 kills. Gavin Looney added 12 kills for the Patriots.

In Division 3:

St. Martgaret’s 3, Long Beach Poly 0: The Tartans (33-4) swept the Jackrabbits in a semifinal to advance to a CIF-SS championship match for the third year in a row.

Reed Wainwright led St. Margaret’s with 22 kills. Beckett Harvey had 10 kills and Caden Isola had six kills for the Patriots, who won by scores of 25-19, 25-18, 25-19.

St. Margaret’s won the CIF-SS Division 4 championship in 2022. The Tartans lost to El Segundo in last year’s Division 3 final.

They are 3-4 in boys volleyball finals, with previous championships in 2001 and ‘10.

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​ Orange County Register 

Max Muncy’s three home runs highlight Dodgers’ rout of Braves

• May 5, 2024

LOS ANGELES – At one point during the Dodgers’ desultory last homestand in April, Dave Roberts kvetched that he couldn’t remember the most recent time the Dodgers had played a complete game.

His memory is getting refreshed on a regular basis these days.

Max Muncy homered three times and Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages added one each to back Tyler Glasnow’s latest strong start as the Dodgers routed the Atlanta Braves 11-2 Saturday night.

The win was the Dodgers’ second in a row over the Braves this weekend and their 10th in their past 12 games overall.

During this dozen-game run, the Dodgers have looked like the complete team Roberts (and the front office) thought they had.

They have outscored their opponents 78-24. Eight times in the 12 games their pitching has allowed two runs or fewer. Six times the offense has put up eight or more runs. Four times they reached double digits.

The Dodgers offense went clubbing against Braves starter Bryce Elder, chasing him from the game with seven runs in the first four innings.

Muncy started it with his first home run, a two-run drive in the second inning.

Ohtani led off the third inning with his eighth home run of the season, passing Roberts for the most home runs by a Japanese-born player in franchise history. The homer also continued to make good on an offseason promise.

As the Dodgers were acquiring Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays and negotiating what would eventually be a five-year, $136.5 million contract extension, Glasnow said he got a video recruiting pitch from Ohtani during which the two-time MVP said he “hopes to hit some home runs for me.”

Saturday was the third time in Glasnow’s first eight starts that Ohtani has made hope a homer reality.

Pages, meanwhile, has been everything the Dodgers could have hoped for when they promoted him from Triple-A. He led off the fourth inning with his fourth home run in 16 games and extended his hitting streak to 10 games, adding a single later in the game for his sixth multi-hit game since arriving.

Just for good measure, Pages added a nice running catch on Marcell Ozuna’s drive into the corner to end the eighth inning.

Walks got Elder in deeper trouble in that fourth inning and three consecutive singles from Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith made it a four-run inning.

Ohtani and Freeman each had three-hit games. Muncy made it a four-hit, three-homer game by going deep in the seventh off lefty reliever Tyler Matzek and again in the eighth off right-hander Jackson Stephens.

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It was the first three-home run game by a Dodger since Trayce Thompson on April 1 last season

That was more than enough for Glasnow who held the Braves to two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out 10 in seven innings.

It was the third time in his past five starts that Glasnow has gone at least seven innings, the fourth time in that stretch he has struck out at least nine and the sixth time in his eight starts as a Dodger that he has allowed two runs or fewer. He continues to lead the majors in wins (six), innings (50) and strikeouts (63), tacking a 2.70 ERA alongside those stats.

​ Orange County Register 

LAFC stumbles against Earthquakes

• May 5, 2024

SANTA CLARA — Rodrigues gave San Jose the lead in the 5th minute and the Earthquakes never looked back in a 3-1 victory over LAFC at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday night.

LAFC (4-4-3) got on the scoreboard in the 69th minute on Cristian Olivera’s second goal of the campaign and his fourth in 21 appearances with the club in his two seasons in the league. Kei Kamara had an assist. Hugo Lloris saved one shot for LAFC.

LAFC has lost six straight on the road against the Earthquakes but leads the all-time series 9-7-1.

San Jose (2-8-1), which ended a five-match unbeaten run, jumped out to a 1-0 lead on defender Rodrigues’ second goal of the season. Cristian Espinoza notched his sixth assist on Rodrigues’ header from the center of the box to the bottom right corner of the net off a corner kick.

Espinoza tallied another assist as the Earthquakes stretched their lead to two goals in the 55th minute on a score by Amahl Pellegrino. Espinoza sent a through ball on the fast break to Pellegrino, who was making his sixth start and ninth appearance.

San Jose had a 3-0 advantage four minutes later after an own goal by LAFC’s Denis Bouanga. It was the second straight week Bouanga had an own goal. He did it against the Portland Timbers before scoring during second-half stoppage time for a 3-2 victory.

William Yarbrough turned away three shots in each half for San Jose. Yarbrough is in his first season with the Earthquakes after spending the past four seasons with the Colorado Rapids.

San Jose has a draw and a victory in its last two outings after suffering through its second four-match losing streak of the season.

The match was played at the home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers instead of PayPal Park — the usual home stamping grounds of the Earthquakes.

LAFC returns home to play the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday. San Jose travels to play the Colorado Rapids on Saturday.

​ Orange County Register 

Big pot of carnitas goes a long way on Cinco de Mayo

• May 5, 2024

By Carla Vigos

Laguna Woods Globe cooking columnist

Hola, amigas and amigos. Are you looking for a dish for Cinco de Mayo? This easy carnitas recipe will fit the bill.

I love carnitas any way they’re served, be it in tacos with coleslaw and pineapple salsa or pickled onions. Or perhaps in burritos with refried beans, cheese and any other favorite ingredients. Carnitas nachos are delicious with guacamole, sour cream, olives, green onions, pico de gallo, cheese, jalapenos and cilantro.

I prefer carnitas finished under the broiler, but if you want a softer meat, you can skip this step. Remember in cooking, doing it your way is what makes your style unique.

Always taste before serving and add salt, pepper or hot sauce if needed.

This recipe makes a lot of meat, but it can be frozen to enjoy another time.

Any questions or comments? Email me at [email protected]

Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)

INGREDIENTS

3 to 5 pounds of pork butt

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 large onion, chopped

3 to 5 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

1 cup of chicken broth

4 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 cup orange juice

Add-ons: limes, cilantro and red pickled onions

INSTRUCTIONS

Dry the pork butt with a paper towel.

In a small bowl, combine the cumin, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper.

In a crockpot, place the onions, garlic, bay leaves, chicken broth and lime and orange juices.

Coat the pork butt with the dry spice rub on all sides and place on top of the onion mixture in the crockpot. Cook on high for six hours or on low for eight to 10 hours. You need to make sure it is tender when done.

On a rimmed cookie sheet, shred the meat with two forks into big chunks. Adjust seasonings.

Pour 3/4 cup of juice over the meat. Broil on high for 4 minutes, then stir and broil 1 to 2 minutes more. You want the meat golden brown with crisp edges.

Save the juice and add some to the carnitas if you like. It’s also good to add when you reheat the meat. If you want to eat just the meat alone, when serving add a squeeze of lime along with cilantro and pickled onions.

​ Orange County Register 

Santa Anita horse racing consensus picks for Sunday, May 5, 2024

• May 5, 2024

The consensus box of Santa Anita horse racing picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Art Wilson, Eddie Wilson and Kevin Modesti. Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Sunday, May 5, 2024.

Trouble viewing on mobile device? See consensus picks

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​ Orange County Register 

USC, UCLA will rematch in NCAA beach volleyball final

• May 5, 2024

The crosstown rivals are running it back on the beach.

One year after USC vanquished UCLA for its third consecutive NCAA beach volleyball championship, the Trojans and Bruins will do it again Sunday in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The Trojans and Bruins are scheduled for first serve at 8 a.m. PT live on ESPN.

Led by American Volleyball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year Dain Blanton, the top-seeded Trojans (36-5) swept eighth-seeded Loyola Marymount on Saturday morning and then fifth-seeded Cal Poly to advance to the final.

The second-seeded Bruins (35-6), under the guidance of first-year coach Jenny Johnson Jordan, swept seventh-seeded Cal in the morning before dispatching of 11th-seeded Florida State – which stunned third-seeded Stanford in five sets in the quarterfinals – in four sets in the semifinal.

The victories set up a seventh meeting in the championship dual between the archrivals, who split six regular-season and Pac-12 tournament contests.

Their last showdowns came April 26 in the Pac-12 Tournament. UCLA pulled off a reverse sweep to shock USC and send it to the contender’s bracket before the Trojans stormed back to sweep the Bruins in the final for their fifth conference championship.

The Trojans (2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023) and Bruins (2018, 2019) are the only teams to have ever won an NCAA beach volleyball title.

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USC leads the all-time series 26-20 over UCLA. In the championship dual, USC has a 2-1 edge and is 3-2 over its rival at the NCAA Tournament.

This will be the last NCAA final at Gulf Shores, Alabama, before it moves to Huntington Beach in 2025 and 2026.

​ Orange County Register 

Reid Detmers allows grand slam in Angels’ loss to Guardians

• May 5, 2024

CLEVELAND — Reid Detmers’ season has lately turned in the wrong direction.

The Angels left-hander gave up seven runs in a 7-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday, a second straight disappointing outing after beginning his season brilliantly.

Detmers had a 2.12 ERA after his first five starts, but he’s allowed 12 runs in the last two games to double his ERA, to 4.24.

“It was a poor performance,” Detmers said. “No other explanation. Four walks. A lot of hits. Just didn’t execute very well.”

The Angels also lost catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who came out of the game with a right hand contusion. He was hit in the hand by a foul ball in the bottom of the fourth. He remained in the game for one-bat, a strikeout.

O’Hoppe already had an X-ray that confirmed there was no fracture.

“After coming in and getting treatment, it feels much better now,” O’Hoppe said.

He added that he expects to be back in the lineup on Monday, after Sunday’s previously planned day off.

It added up to a disappointing night for the Angels (12-21) on the heels of one of their most impressive victories of the season. The Angels haven’t won back-to-back games in a month.

Detmers gave up three runs in the first five innings on a pair of homers. In the second, he challenged No. 9 hitter Austin Hedges with a 1-and-0 fastball, and Hedges hit into the first row in left field. Two innings later, Detmers threw a first-pitch fastball to Ramon Laureano, who also hit it into the first row.

In the sixth, Detmers walked the first two hitters and then struck out the next two. The Angels wanted Detmers to pitch carefully to right-handed hitting Tyler Freeman because lefty Bo Naylor was up next. Detmers walked Freeman, and then Naylor came to the plate hitting .175, including 1 for 12 with eight strikeouts against lefties.

But Detmers hung a curve ball to Naylor — “right in his honey hole,” Detmers said — and he hit it out for a grand slam.

“In my wildest dream, I would have never thought that was going to happen,” manager Ron Washington said.

That was all for Detmers, whose passable outing turned into a bad one just that quickly.

“It’s frustrating,” Detmers said. “I don’t know. It just comes down to execution. That’s baseball. You have to live and learn. We’re going to get over this, going to get past it. Just have to take it start by start. I’m looking forward to next week, a new challenge. We’ll figure it out in the bullpen and go from there. It obviously hurts. Move on to next week.”

Before the grand slam, the Angels were still trailing because their offense was quiet against right-hander Ben Lively, a 32-year-old journeyman who had a rather pedestrian career until getting off to a strong start this season.

The Angels had four hits in six innings against Lively.

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The Angels failed to convert on Willie Calhoun’s leadoff double in the second, and didn’t get anything else going until a two-out rally in the fifth. Three walks and a Zach Neto single produced one run, but Ehire Adrianza hit a fly ball to the warning track to leave the bases loaded.

“I didn’t think (Lively’s stuff) was that good,” Washington said. “But he was able to make some pitches when he had to. He shot some fast balls inside on us. He threw some good changeups. He was able to minimize any damage that we could do.”

​ Orange County Register