Dodgers shut down Blake Snell with continuing shoulder issue

• April 24, 2025

CHICAGO — Blake Snell has been shut down from throwing again after he felt renewed discomfort in his shoulder after playing catch on Tuesday.

Snell will be re-examined when the Dodgers return to Los Angeles.

“As he was playing catch, (Snell) just didn’t feel great,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So right now we’re gonna slow-play the throwing and probably get it looked at again when we get back home.”

Snell made just two starts this season before going on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. At that time, he admitted he had been pitching with the pain for three weeks.

“I thought I could pitch through it when I got to Philly,” Snell said early in April. “Played long toss, catch, tried to throw – I just couldn’t.”

An MRI revealed inflammation but no structural damage and Snell began a throwing program last week, progressing to throwing a bullpen session on Saturday during the Dodgers’ series in Texas.

After that bullpen session, Snell said he felt much better than when he originally went on the injured list. But he acknowledged that he still had some discomfort that had “lingered.”

“Once I get throwing, I’m good,” he said. “When I play catch, I don’t feel it. When I get out here, I’m good. It’s, like, when I wake up I gotta get it going.”

That apparently changed during his throwing session on Tuesday.

“I wouldn’t say concerning,” Roberts said. “Because part of the messaging from us to Blake is, it’s about later on in the season. And if there’s any type of discomfort, let’s not try to fight through it.

“So, I say this a lot, given where we’re at right now on the calendar, not concerned at all.”

The Dodgers have used three spot starters (Landon Knack twice, Justin Wrobleski and Bobby Miller once each) and a bullpen game to compensate for Snell’s absence. Right-hander Tony Gonsolin was scheduled to make his final rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday night and be available to join the Dodgers’ starting rotation next week.

SMITH SITS

Catcher Will Smith was originally in the Dodgers’ starting lineup on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs but was scratched with a sore left wrist. Smith jammed it during a play at the plate in the sixth inning on Tuesday but stayed in and played the rest of the game.

“As he made the tag, his wrist turned in, so there’s some residual soreness,” Roberts said. “So we just felt it made sense to give him today, obviously tomorrow being an off day, and see where it goes from there.”

Roberts said Smith might get “some imaging” done when the Dodgers return to L.A.

KERSHAW PROGRESS

Left-hander Clayton Kershaw made another step in his recovery from last fall’s knee and foot surgeries by throwing three innings for Double-A Tulsa on Tuesday. It was Kershaw’s second rehab start and he is expected to make another next week. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is not eligible to come off the 60-day IL until mid-May.

Roberts called Kershaw’s outing for Tulsa “really positive stuff.”

“It’s getting better each day, each week,” he said of Kershaw’s surgically repaired toe. “It’s probably going to be something he’s gonna have to deal with, and it’s not going to be pain-free. But looking at the last couple outings, there’s been an uptick in velocity, which I know he’s certainly mindful of, which is a good thing.”

MARQUEE MATCHUP

Last week, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto matched up with two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and won a pitchers’ duel in Texas. This week, Yamamoto is lined up to face last year’s National League Rookie of the Year, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

“I think everyone in baseball is gonna be excited to see this one,” Roberts said. “I think you could argue they’re the two best pitchers in the National League.

“I think that the deGrom one, if I had to guess, and I’m not trying to speak for Yoshinobu, meant a lot in the sense of, deGrom has a great track record winning Cy Youngs and to go head-to-head with him is something that’s pretty cool, right? But then you get this young phenom guy who’s a great pitcher – it’s a different kind of thing. So I think they’re both kind of different. But he’ll be ready for the task.”

MLB Network has picked up Friday’s game and will broadcast it nationally outside the L.A. and Pittsburgh markets.

UP NEXT

The Dodgers are off Thursday.

Pirates (RHP Paul Skenes, 2-2, 2.87 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 3-1, 0.93 ERA), Friday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market), 570 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Pastor calls for ‘full Target boycott’ over concerns about diversity, equity, inclusion

• April 24, 2025

ATLANTA (AP) — The pastor of a Georgia megachurch who led a nationwide 40-day “fast” boycott of Target stores over the retail chain’s commitment to diversity initiatives is now calling for that effort to continue as a “full Target boycott.”

The Rev. Jamal Bryant said this week that the Minneapolis-based retailer has not met all of the boycott effort’s demands. Among them: Restoring its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion principles and pledging money to Black-owned banks and businesses.

Target announced in January that it would phase out a handful of DEI initiatives, including a program designed to help Black employees build meaningful careers and promote Black-owned businesses. Conservative activists and President Donald Trump have sought to dismantle DEI policies in the federal government and schools.

Bryant is the pastor of one of the South’s largest churches, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, just outside Atlanta. The 40-day “fast” of Target stores coincided with the beginning of Lent on March 5, and other faith leaders endorsed the protest.

“Until Target comes to the table with serious, concrete proposals to meet our four demands, we will remain in this posture,” Bryant said on a website dedicated to the boycott effort.

“Silence and delay are no longer acceptable,” he added. “Our communities deserve action, not platitudes. Our demands are not radical — they are righteous, reasonable, and long overdue.”

In a statement Wednesday, Target said, “we have an ongoing commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all team members, guests, and suppliers.”

“It’s core to how we support and grow our business,” the company said. “We remain focused on supporting organizations and creating opportunities for people in the 2,000 communities where we live and operate.”

Target operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people.

​ Orange County Register 

Narbonne football banned from playoffs for 3 years, stripped of 2024 title

• April 24, 2025

The Narbonne football program has to forfeit the 2024 City Open Division championship and is banned from competing in the postseason for three seasons due to violations of CIF eligibility rules, the L.A. City Section announced Wednesday.

In a statement, the City Section said that “a thorough investigation by the LAUSD and the CIF LA City Section” found that Narbonne “violated CIF bylaw 202 (Accurate information) and CIF bylaw 510 (Undue influence, pre-enrollment contact) during the 2024 football season.”

After the 2025-26 school year, Narbonne may appeal the remainder of the football playoff ban.

Narbonne’s entire athletic program was placed on probation for the remainder of this school year and the following three school years (2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28).

The ruling comes after a season that saw Narbonne’s four Marine League opponents refuse to play their games against the Gauchos. The coaches for Banning (Raymond Grajeda), Gardena (Monty Gilbreath), Carson (Michael Christensen) and San Pedro (Corey Walsh) stood in solidarity by signing a letter stating their concerns regarding Narbonne and possible rule violations.

The letter led to an investigation and the first result was seven players being ruled ineligible for the postseason. Since that ruling came out after the playoff pairings were released, Narbonne was able to compete in the City Section playoffs, and the Gauchos went on to win the Open Division title.

Narbonne’s 2024 regular season consisted of six nonleague games and four league games. The league games went into the books as forfeit wins.

Narbonne also played four playoff games (three in the City Section playoffs and a CIF SoCal Regional game).

The Gauchos finished with a 7-7 record, although now all of the wins are forfeit losses.

Narbonne defeated Dorsey (47-13), Birmingham (27-7) and San Pedro (75-31) in the Open Division playoffs. The Gauchos lost to Pacifica Oxnard 37-20 in the Division 2AA Regional final.

Since the end of the football season, coach Malcolm Manuel has stepped down is now the head coach at Cabrillo High in Long Beach. Star quarterback Jaden O’Neal has moved to Oklahoma and other players have departed to new locations.

Doug Bledsoe, who has coached in the past at Dorsey, University, North Hollywood and Pasadena, was hired as Narbonne’s new coach in February.

In 2019, the Narbonne football program was investigated for various rule violations. That led to the Gauchos serving a two-year postseason ban due to academic misconduct. The Gauchos had to forfeit their 2018 City Open Division championship and seven games. The Gauchos were found to have used ineligible players, by violating  bylaws 202 and 206 (residential eligibility.).

The athletic department was placed on probation through the 2022-23 school year.

That investigation led to football coach Manuel Douglas being reassigned and Joe Aguirre took over as interim coach. Manuel was then hired to lead the football program in July of 2020.

In the fall, the girls volleyball team had to forfeit 14 matches due to using an ineligible player.

​ Orange County Register 

Lakers’ defense confusing Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards

• April 24, 2025

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers entered their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a specific game plan for how to defend Anthony Edwards.

And it’s worked through the first two games of the best-of-seven series, which is tied 1-1 after the Lakers’ Game 2 win on Tuesday night, with the All-NBA guard admitting that how the Lakers have defended him has been confusing.

“I don’t know – it seemed like every time I caught the ball, [the Lakers] kind of went into a zone in a sense,” Edwards responded when asked about the Timberwolves’ lack of ball and player movement in Game 2. “It was kind of confusing at times, but we’ll watch film and be ready.”

The Timberwolves had 14 assists and 13 turnovers in Game 2, shooting 38% from the floor and 20% from 3-point range, compared to 29 assists and 10 turnovers in Game 1, when they shot 51.2% overall and a blistering 21 for 42 from behind the arc.

Edwards didn’t record an assist and had a pair of turnovers in Game 2 after finishing with nine assists and one turnover in Game 1.

The third-seeded Lakers, who can regain home-court advantage by winning either Game 3 (Friday) or Game 4 (Sunday) in Minnesota, say they didn’t alter anything between the first two games.

“We did the same game plan,” Luka Doncic said of the Lakers’ defensive strategy. “We didn’t really change much. It was just a question of if we were gonna be more physical or not. And we were for 48 minutes. We learned from the last game. And we just stuck to it.”

Similar to their Feb. 27 regular-season matchup, the Lakers have been showing early help on Edwards’ isolations from the wings by bringing a help defender over to the strong-side block to deter his drives – a tactic the Lakers also deployed against fellow All-NBA guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City) and Jalen Brunson (New York).

The general purpose of this help is to ensure Edwards’ driving lanes are clogged with a defender to prevent him from getting to the rim if he drives by his primary defender.

The sixth-seeded Timberwolves sometimes countered the Lakers’ strategy in Game 1 by having Edwards attack from the middle of the floor, making it more difficult to show that early help if a Minnesota player was one pass away from Edwards or in the strong-side corner.

In Game 2, the Lakers did a better job of being in the gaps when Edwards looked to drive from the middle of the floor, in addition to the early help they showed when he operated from the wings.

Through the first two games of the series, Edwards is averaging 23.5 points (40.9% shooting – 35.3% from 3-point range) and 4.5 assists compared to the 27.6 points (44.7% shooting – 39.5% from deep) and 4.5 assists he averaged during the regular season.

“We get to watch film and see so many things that they did – to try to force us into more isos and try to force us into having [a] slower the game,” Minnesota center Rudy Gobert said. “We’ll be better in Game 3. It felt like they weren’t helping on my rolls when I was low in the dunker spot. But sometimes you gotta watch film and see exactly what’s happening.”

​ Orange County Register 

Wildfire in New Jersey Pine Barrens expected to grow before it’s contained, officials say

• April 23, 2025

By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI

CHATSWORTH, N.J. (AP) — A fast-moving wildfire engulfing part of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens has not resulted in any injuries, officials said, though it’s expected to grow before forecast rain later this week.

The fire in southern New Jersey’s Lacey and Ocean townships grew to roughly 19 square miles and could continue to burn for days, officials said during an update on Wednesday. No one has been injured so far in the blaze, and 5,000 residents were evacuated but have been permitted to return home. A single commercial building and some vehicles were destroyed in the fire.

“This is still a very active fire,” said Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette. “As we continue to get this under full control the expectation is that the number of acres will grow and will grow in a place that is unpopulated.”

Officials said the fire is believed to be the second-worst in the last two decades, smaller only than a 2007 blaze that burned 26 square miles.

The Garden State Parkway, one of New Jersey’s busiest highways, also reopened Wednesday morning after officials closed a roughly 7-mile stretch in the southern part of the state.

Acting Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency early Wednesday as officials said they’ve contained about 35% of the wildfire.

Video released by the state agency overseeing the fire service showed billowing white and black clouds of smoke, intense flames engulfing pines and firefighters dousing a charred structure.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, authorities said.

Forest fires are a common occurrence in the Pine Barrens, a 1.1 million-acre state and federally protected reserve about the size of the Grand Canyon lying halfway between Philadelphia to the west and the Atlantic coast to the east. The region, with its quick-draining sandy soil, is amid peak forest fire season. The trees are still developing leaves, humidity remains low and winds can kick up, drying out the forest floor.

It’s a vast wilderness in the country’s most densely populated state. LaTourette, the DEP commissioner, said the fire is straddling an area on the edge of wilderness and residential areas.

“It’s the interface where the environment and development meet,” he said.

The area had been under a severe drought until recently, when early spring rains helped dampen the region, but officials cautioned recent low humidity and a dry stretch have heightened the risk of fire.

The Jersey Central Power and Light Company cut power to about 25,000 customers at the request of the Forest Fire Service and the wildfire’s command post Tuesday evening, including thousands in Barnegat Township. A spokesman for the company said Wednesday that some customers could have power restored later in the day.

“This is for the safety of crews battling the fire,” the company wrote on X.

Debi Schaffer was caught in gridlocked traffic after evacuating with her two dogs while her husband agreed to stay with their 22 chickens, The Press of Atlantic City reported.

“I wanted to take them in the car with me; can you imagine 22 chickens in a car?” she told the newspaper.

Around her Waretown house it was “like a war zone,” she said, describing smoke, sirens and the buzz of helicopters.

The site of the fire is near an alpaca farm. The farm said in a Facebook post that the property wasn’t threatened and all of the animals were safe.

The blaze is the second major forest fire in the region in less than a week.

Associated Press writer Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Dog seen in viral video getting thrown in Long Beach is rescued, man arrested, police say

• April 23, 2025

A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of abusing a dog in Long Beach earlier this week — an attack that was captured on video and went viral after it was shared on social media, authorities said.

Long Beach police on Tuesday night, April 22, arrested the suspect in the 800 block of Pine Avenue. The tan dog with floppy ears was rescued and taken to Long Beach Animal Care Services.

Police said they plan to share updates on the dog’s condition “when appropriate, as the investigation remains ongoing.”

The man in the video, who had a skateboard and a backpack with him, was accused of slamming the dog onto the ground by its leash on Monday, April 21, then kicking the animal. The attack prompted the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to offer a $5,000 reward leading to an arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

Whether anyone provided a tip to the police to help them identify the Long Beach suspect was not disclosed by them.

The mistreatment occurred in the 200 block of East 12th Street just past 5:30 a.m., police said. Apartments and the A (Blue) Line are nearby.

The man was booked into jail on suspicion of felony intentional animal cruelty, felony taking a vehicle without an owner’s consent, three misdemeanor counts of possessing unlawful paraphernalia, and single misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and driving while using an electronic communication device, according to the police arrest log.

The apparent surveillance video was place on an Instagram account of the Kris Kelly Foundation, a rescue organization. The post led to more than 2,500 comments — many expressing being shocked by the video, with some saying they went looking around the neighborhood where the attack occurred in hopes of finding the man and the dog.

“Im ready to go look for this guy!” one commenter wrote. “Someone know who this man is. i am so mad i am in tears.”

“Absolutely sickening hope they can find this poor baby,” another said.

“Calling on the universe to find this evil person and deal with him accordingly,” wrote a third.

​ Orange County Register 

Clippers want Norman Powell to stay aggressive for Game 3 versus Nuggets

• April 23, 2025

INGLEWOOD — Clippers guard Norman Powell isn’t worried about his shooting. He isn’t concerned that he has yet to find a steady rhythm in the first two games of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.

Powell is shooting 10 for 26 from the field through eight quarters of play, his most productive stint coming in the fourth quarter Monday when he went 3 for 4 late in the Clippers’ 105-102 victory that evened the best-of-seven series at one game apiece.

The series resumes Thursday night at Intuit Dome, with Game 4 scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

“Obviously for me, shots or buckets aren’t coming as they have been all year, but it’s just about staying confident, riding the waves of the ups and downs of it, trusting my work and just continuing to take the shots that are open,” Powell said after Wednesday’s practice.

“Every shot that I’ve taken in this series have been shots I’ve made all year (that are) just not going in. But I have unwavering confidence in myself, my teammates, and the coaching staff does (as well).”

Their faith isn’t in vain. In 60 regular-season games, Powell averaged 21.4 points and 48.4% from the field and 41.8% from 3-point range.

So far, he is averaging an uncharacteristic 12.5 points on 38.5% shooting in the postseason.

Still, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue isn’t worried about Powell’s slow starts in Games 1 and 2, making just one of nine shots in the first quarters of both games. In conversations with his starting guard, Lue reiterated that Powell just needs to stay aggressive.

Powell’s three well-timed shots in Monday’s game were testament of him not only staying aggressive, but positive against Denver’s tough defense, eventually finding his spots on the floor

“He puts in too much work to get discouraged, so yeah, we need him to be aggressive,” Lue said. “He has to trust in this work; he works too hard sometimes.

“So, I’m glad he was able to make those three shots in the fourth quarter and hopefully that gets him going throughout the course of the series.”

Kawhi Leonard and James Harden continued to have faith in their teammate, routinely looking to get the ball in Powell’s hands in Game 2. Late in the fourth quarter, Powell came up with a steal, whipped the ball over to Leonard, who then swung it back to Powell for a wide-open 3-pointer that gave the Clippers a 103-100 lead with 1:30 to play.

Powell said having the support of Leonard and Harden means a lot. Both All-Stars said they have the utmost confidence in Powell to take big shots down the stretch.

“It’s really helpful. It just shows that they trust the work and they trusted my abilities as a player, as a teammate around this time, you need that,” Powell said. “You need the confidence of your two star players. You need the confidence of the supporting cast and the role players to go out there and execute and win.

“It’s a team game.”

BACK HOME

Games 3 and 4 are at Intuit Dome, where the Clippers were 30-11 during the regular season, winning 11 of their final 12 home games.

Their dominating record at home means little to Derrick Jones Jr. A game is a game, no matter where it’s played, he said.

“I go in there with the same mindset every night. I give it 110% every night. Whatever I have in my body, I leave out on the floor,” the Clippers forward said. “I don’t change my mindset game to game.”

Nuggets interim coach David Adelman recalled the Nuggets’ lone visit to Intuit Dome early in the season, when the noise level – real or not real – was intense.

“They have the crowd towards our bench, it’s like a high school crowd, which is actually really cool,” Adelman told the Denver-area media Wednesday. “The other thing is they pump sound in the place. That place is so loud. It’s very loud whether the crowd is cheering or not.”

Game 3: NUGGETS AT CLIPPERS

What: NBA Western Conference first round

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Where: Intuit Dome

TV/radio: FDSN SoCal, NBA TV/570 AM

​ Orange County Register 

A dozen states sue the Trump administration to stop tariff policy

• April 23, 2025

By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A dozen states sued the Trump administration in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York on Wednesday to stop its tariff policy, saying it is unlawful and has brought chaos to the American economy.

The lawsuit said the policy put in place by President Donald Trump has left the national trade policy subject to Trump’s “whims rather than the sound exercise of lawful authority.”

It challenged Trump’s claim that he could arbitrarily impose tariffs based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The suit asks the court to declare the tariffs to be illegal, and to block government agencies and its officers from enforcing them.

A message sent to the Justice Department for comment was not immediately returned.

The states listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit were Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Vermont.

In a release, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes called Trump’s tariff scheme “insane.”

She said it was “not only economically reckless — it is illegal.”

The lawsuit maintained that only Congress has the power to impose tariffs and that the president can only invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act when an emergency presents an “unusual and extraordinary threat” from abroad.

“By claiming the authority to impose immense and ever-changing tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses, for whatever reason he finds convenient to declare an emergency, the President has upended the constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy,” the lawsuit said.

Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, sued the Trump administration in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California over the tariff policy, saying his state could lose billions of dollars in revenue as the largest importer in the country.

White House spokesperson Kush Desai responded to Newsom’s lawsuit, saying the Trump administration “remains committed to addressing this national emergency that’s decimating America’s industries and leaving our workers behind with every tool at our disposal, from tariffs to negotiations.”

​ Orange County Register