USC hires Rob Ryan as assistant coach for the defense

• January 18, 2025

LOS ANGELES — D’Anton Lynn was born into the NFL, his father Anthony Lynn the former head coach of the Chargers. But his introduction to coaching in the NFL, as D’Anton Lynn once said, was Rex Ryan. A slew of influences, since Lynn started in the NFL as an intern with Ryan’s Jets in 2014, have left their mark, like former Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and current Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald.

But it “all comes back to Rex,” Lynn said, upon the USC defensive coordinator’s second time speaking with the media in February.

And faced with a key vacancy on a new-look defensive staff, USC and Lynn have turned back to that Ryan coaching tree – just not Rex. On Saturday morning, USC announced it had hired longtime NFL coordinator and assistant Rob Ryan – Rex’s brother – as its newest linebackers coach, also earning the title of assistant head coach for defense.

“With over two decades of NFL experience, he will immediately bolster our staff as we continue our climb here at USC,” head coach Lincoln Riley said in a statement announcing Rob Ryan’s hire.

In December 2023, upon nabbing Lynn from UCLA, Riley said the program’s “north star” was to build the best defensive staff in America. Just over a year later, the amount of pro-level pedigree on USC’s staff can rival most anyone across the country. Lynn grew for nearly a decade in the NFL, and coached the safeties on a formidable Baltimore Ravens defense before coming to UCLA. Defensive line coach Eric Henderson won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.

Enter the fiery Ryan, once a coordinator for four NFL teams and a defensive mind who’s coached Pro Bowlers like New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan and former Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher DeMarcus Ware.

It’s Ryan’s first collegiate job since a stint as Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator from 1997-99. Since, he has coached the linebackers on multiple Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots teams, coordinated for the Raiders, Browns, Cowboys and Saints, and most recently served for three years as a senior defensive assistant for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ryan brings immediate cohesion to Lynn’s staff and scheme. Ryan first crossed paths with Lynn under brother Rex’s staff with the Bills in 2016, when the future USC coordinator was a defensive assistant. They reunited for a year with the Ravens in 2021, Ryan the inside linebackers coach and Lynn the safeties coach.

Ryan’s hire was met with a fury of excitement from the program.

“Rob is in the building People, hahaha …,” Henderson tweeted Saturday.

“yuppp,” Eric Gentry wrote on Twitter, adding a couple winking emojis.

Ryan’s work with the returning Gentry will be perhaps his most important job, after the linebacker developed a close bond with former linebackers coach Matt Entz, who left after just a year for a head-coaching job at Fresno State. USC, too, will need Ryan to shine as a developer amid a room thin on proven experience, between rising sophomores Desman Stephens II, Elijah Newby and Jadyn Walker.

All in all, it’s been a bang-up couple weeks for USC’s program. First came the hire of Chad Savage on the offensive staff, a necessary Southern California recruiter. Then came Lynn’s extension Thursday, a necessary retention for the program’s defensive future. Now comes Ryan, a naturally loud complement to Lynn’s scheme and quieter demeanor, the final piece of a USC staff that looks plenty formidable entering a key 2025 season.

​ Orange County Register 

German shepherd mix Paisley loves other friendly dogs

• January 18, 2025

Breed: German shepherd mix

Age: 7 months

Sex: Spayed female

Paisley’s story: Paisley was set to be killed at a shelter because of a mild skin condition that has been cleared. She is sweet, patient and demure. She loves other friendly dogs and is good with kids who understand how to not scare her. She’s house-trained and loves to go for walks. She would make a great dog for first-time shepherd owners. She seems to be mixed with a smaller type of dog, so probably won’t get to be bigger than 50 pounds when full-grown. She’s microchipped and up-to-date on vaccinations.

Adoption donation: $395 (tax-deductible as allowed by law)

Adoption procedure: Contact German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County at 714-974-7762 or fill out an application online. The group has more than 80 shepherds available for adoption.

​ Orange County Register 

Shepherd mix Natasha’s ready for her forever Valentine

• January 18, 2025

Breed: German shepherd mix

Age: 1 year

Sex: Spayed female

Natasha’s story: Natasha was rescued from a high-kill shelter when her life was in danger due to overcrowding. She’s a happy-go-lucky girl who likes other large dogs. (She’s too bossy for small canines.) She learns things quickly and is great on a leash. She’s affectionate and likes kids, but is too rough for young ones; older children would be best. She’s microchipped, up-to-date on vaccines and has been treated for parasites.

Adoption donation: $395 (tax-deductible as allowed by law)

Adoption procedure: Contact German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County at 714-974-7762 or fill out an application online. The group has more than 80 shepherds available for adoption.

​ Orange County Register 

Newsom strikes deal with major lenders to provide mortgage relief during wildfire crisis

• January 18, 2025

Some of California’s major lenders will offer waves of mortgage relief to Los Angeles County firestorm victims, in an emergency program announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday.

Among the measures mapped out in the governor’s executive order:

–A 90-day grace period on mortgage payments;

–A 90-day waiver of late fees; and

–A 60- to 90-day moratorium on new foreclosures for property owners whose structures were damaged or destroyed by the deadly wildfires in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

“After so much trauma, we hope this deal will provide thousands of survivors a measure of relief,” Newsom said in a statement. “These financial protections will enable residents to concentrate on taking care of their immediate needs rather than worrying about paying their mortgage bills. I thank each of the financial institutions that are offering this help for Californians recovering from this catastrophic firestorm.”

More than 12,000 homes, businesses and other structures have been confirmed as damaged or destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires — an area already in the midst of a deep affordable housing shortfall.

Saturday’s declaration is just the latest in a series issued by the governor in the aftermath of the fires. Most have dealt with housing, from fast-tracking the building of temporary structures to prohibiting L.A. County landlords from evicting a tenant and then re-letting that unit at a higher price.

The banks committing to the mortgage-relief program:

–Bank of America;

–Citi;

–JPMorgan Chase;

–U.S. Bank; and

–Wells Fargo.

Newsom said his administration is in talks with other financial institutions to seek similar help for homeowners is and collaborating with such agencies as the California Bankers Association, the California Credit Union League, and the California Mortgage Bankers Association.

Also, the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, Newsom said, has launched a survey of state-chartered financial institutions to seek more commitments.

Under the new program, affected homeowners will also be afforded:

–Streamlined, form-free  processes for requesting relief;

–Waiving of immediate repayment of “balloon payments” at the end of the forbearance period;

–Relief from mortgage-related late fees for at least 90 days;

–Protection from new foreclosures or evictions for at least 60 days; and

–No immediate reporting of late payments to credit agencies

The program will include qualified residents in Los Angeles County in the following ZIP codes: 90019, 90041, 90049, 90066, 90265, 90272, 90290, 90402, 91001, 91104, 91106, 91107, or 93536.

The relief will be available directly via the lenders holding the mortgages.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County boys basketball standings: Saturday, Jan. 18

• January 18, 2025

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Standings for the Orange County boys basketball leagues through Friday, Jan. 17.

​ Orange County Register 

Be ready for new opportunities and your breakout moment in 2025

• January 18, 2025

Are you ready for 2025? Not sure I am since I prefer to savor the Christmas holiday joys a bit longer before leaping into the new year. That’s why I adopted the idea, inspired by Byrd Baylor’s “I’m In Charge of Celebrations,” to celebrate New Year’s Eve on Jan. 31.

In the book, a boy in the Southwest desert invents “one hundred and eight celebrations,” and he shifts New Year’s to spring when the desert blooms.

While my year isn’t fully planned yet, stories of two very different women have sparked some ideas for being ready to have a great year.

In 2013, Kristin Chenoweth picked Sarah Horn from the Hollywood Bowl audience to sing “For Good” from the musical “Wicked.” Unknowingly, Chenoweth had randomly chosen a voice teacher, who delivered a flawless performance – a viral moment that skyrocketed Horn’s career overnight.

In a Tedx talk, Horn spoke about her secret to success, which was two words: be ready.

How did Horn “get ready” for the performance of a lifetime? She first saw “Wicked” on Broadway in 2004 and dreamed of one day singing the famed duet with Chenoweth. Taking her voice teacher’s guidance to heart about being prepared, Horn perfected her part in “For Good” through years of practice. When she joined Chenoweth onstage, the celebrated Broadway star exclaimed, “Holy crap,” after Horn seamlessly harmonized with her.

Since then, Horn’s life has been a whirlwind of starring roles in acclaimed productions and performances across the globe.

In 2012, I wrote a column about being in the audience to hear a dynamic speaker, Dr. Hedda Bolgar, a 103-year-old practicing psychoanalyst who still drove her Prius, saw patients four days a week and taught classes on the fifth day. I could barely keep up trying to take notes on all her words of wisdom.

What has stuck with me the most over the years is how she handled surviving the loss of her beloved husband of 33 years. After a grieving period, she realized it was time to start something new, do something different. She cited bypassing the tropical settings for a trip to the North Pole.

Bolgar also established two thriving businesses, a clinic and a teaching institute, at the age of 76 and 79 respectively. Who starts not one but two businesses when they are fast approaching their 80th birthday?

Unlike Horn, who was ready for her breakout moment, Bolgar pivoted in order to be ready for hers. Here’s to being ready for a remarkable 2025 – may it be your best year yet!

Writer, editor and speaker Cheryl Russell is a Laguna Woods Village resident. Contact her at [email protected].

​ Orange County Register 

Donald Trump will ‘probably’ visit LA wildfire areas, president-elect says

• January 18, 2025

President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday, Jan. 18, that he will “probably” travel to California next week to view the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County.

“I will be, probably, at the end of the week,” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Saturday. “I was going to go, actually yesterday,” the president-elect added, “but I thought it would be better if I went as president. It’s a little bit more appropriate, I suspect.”

Also see: Firefighters make overnight progress battling Palisades and Eaton fires

Trump is set to be inaugurated on Monday.

He was invited to visit the wildfire area last week by Gov. Gavin Newsom and County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, amid a war of words between Trump and Newsom.

Trump criticized Newsom in the early hours of the wildfire crisis for policies that he said hampered the firefighting effort.

“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform.

“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!”

The president-elect issued another comment on the fires later.

“The fires are still raging in L.A. The incompetent pols have no idea how to put them out. Thousands of magnificent houses are gone, and many more will soon be lost. There is death all over the place. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Newsom blasted Trump’s response on “Meet the Press” last Sunday.

“Responding to Donald Trump’s insults, we would spend another month,” Newsom told NBC News. “I’m very familiar with them. Every elected official that he disagrees with is very familiar with them.”

Newsom said Trump was “somehow connecting the delta smelt to this fire, which is inexcusable because it’s inaccurate. Also, incomprehensible to anyone that understands water policy in the state.”

The governor said he was concerned that his feud with Trump could delay badly needed federal disaster aid.

“… that’s his style,” Newsom said. “And we take it seriously to the extent that in the past it’s taken a little bit more time [to get federal aid].”

Some officials have said they expect the fires to constitute the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. The county and state have issued emergency proclamations, and President Joe Biden approved a Major Disaster declaration for the state.

​ Orange County Register 

Susan Shelley: Biden can’t leave fast enough. His presidency has been a total failure.

• January 18, 2025

The most fraudulent presidency in the history of the nation is about to come to an end.

Joe Biden leaves office at 9 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday, Jan. 20. During the inaugural ceremonies, federal employees will remove every trace of the Biden administration from the White House. They should check behind the sofas and under the rugs to find everyone who has been making presidential decisions. Whoever they are, they have to leave now.

Maybe they’ll all write books and blame each other for their catastrophic failures. The TV rights could be worth a fortune. It will be just like “The West Wing” but with more medication.

On the night of June 27, 2024, leading Democratic politicians and major media figures finally stopped pretending that Joe Biden was still operative. They had no choice. Biden’s feeble confusion during a debate with former President Donald Trump was witnessed on live television by an estimated 73 million people.

Biden, however, wasn’t ready to give up. Instead he gave interviews and insisted that he would not step down from running for re-election unless God himself came down and ordered it.

For all we know, that’s what happened. We can’t be sure who wrote the July 21 letter from Biden that was mysteriously posted on social media. The letter declared, “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”

But focus was not Biden’s strong point. Countless video clips show him losing his train of thought while speaking, wandering on a stage looking for the exit, or reaching for a handshake with the empty air. “Cheap fakes,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the videos. Until June 27.

Once Biden stepped down from the presidential race, the Democrats’ charade picked up where it had left off, except this time they pretended that Biden was perfectly able to carry out the duties of the presidency.

On Dec. 19, the Wall Street Journal published a very different story. “In just the first few months of his term,” a team of journalists reported, “Administration officials noticed that the president became tired if meetings went long and would make mistakes.”

The Journal said close advisers and senior staff labored mightily to limit access to the president and fill “roles that some administration officials and lawmakers thought Biden should occupy.”

Still, mistakes were made. That could be the epitaph of the Biden presidency, which very soon will go out as it came in, passing the Trump administration in the hallways.

The return of Trump is a wild chapter of history that we are living through together. One day, maybe tomorrow afternoon, you can tell your grandchildren how Joe Biden’s reckless spending on political pork caused ruinous inflation, which is a miserable tax increase on people who can least afford it.

You can tell them how Biden stretched or ignored the law to allow millions of undocumented immigrants to enter and reside in the United States at taxpayer expense, how it strained the social service safety net in city after city, and how hundreds of thousands of convicted criminal immigrants, including more than 13,000 murderers, are in the U.S. but not detained by immigration authorities because there just wasn’t room.

Then you can tell them that many, many people who had voted Democrat for their entire lives voted this time for Donald Trump.

If inflation and the border were the two most important issues in deciding the 2024 election, they were only the tip of an iceberg of Biden administration failures.

In diplomatic and military matters, Biden’s handlers gave us a bungled and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan that left an arsenal of U.S. equipment loose for the taking. They allowed a territorial dispute in Ukraine involving no direct U.S. interest to turn into a multi-year bloodbath financed with U.S. debt. Feckless and weak, with no one in charge, Biden’s team was no deterrent to Hamas terrorists, who executed a plan to rape, burn, and butcher Israeli civilians, triggering a regional war.

At home, the Biden bunch bragged about their infrastructure spending. In 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided $42.5 billion to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, which was supposed to provide under-served and rural areas with internet access but as of September had connected nobody.

Similarly, the Biden administration set a goal of building 500,000 electric vehicle chargers by 2030, allocated $7.5 billion, and so far has built just 214.

But Joe Biden’s true distinction, the singular achievement for which he’ll be remembered, is his corrupt destruction of the rule of law.

“Let’s be clear,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said in a statement last week, “The Biden DOJ was never going to prosecute the Biden Crime Family. The House Oversight Committee’s investigation of the Bidens’ influence peddling schemes revealed how Joe Biden knew about, participated in, and benefitted from his family cashing in on the Biden name.”

If you doubt it, consider that Biden pardoned his son Hunter for any crimes he may have committed going all the way back to 2014.

Meanwhile, the Biden team deployed lawfare investigations against perceived enemies. They ruined the careers of IRS whistleblowers who called out special treatment for the Bidens and Border Patrol agents who never “whipped” Haitian migrants. They monitored parents at school board meetings. They selectively prosecuted protesters based on their political views. They raided President Trump’s home and charged him for having boxes of documents that he had a legal right to retain under the 1978 Presidential Records Act, while Biden got a pass for having classified documents in his home that he retained unlawfully as senator and vice president.

In the big finish to his 50-year political career, Joe Biden called Donald Trump “Hitler” and said the former president’s supporters were Nazis and “garbage.”

What a swan song. Goodbye, Joe. You’ve got to go.

Write [email protected] and follow her on X @Susan_Shelley

​ Orange County Register