Appeals court says Atlanta family cannot take the government to trial for a mistaken FBI raid

• October 7, 2026

By SUDHIN THANAWALA

ATLANTA (AP) — An Atlanta family cannot take the federal government to trial for a mistaken FBI raid on their home in 2017, but they can seek to hold the agent who led the SWAT team liable, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.

FBI agents broke down the front door of Trina Martin’s Atlanta home before dawn on Oct. 18, 2017, stormed into her bedroom and pointed guns at her and her then-boyfriend as her 7-year-old son screamed for his mom from another room.

The agents quickly realized they had the wrong house and left, but Martin and her boyfriend at the time, Toi Cliatt, said they were left traumatized, and they sued the government and the agent. The U.S. Supreme Court revived their lawsuit last year.

A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Wednesday the government was shielded from liability under an exception to a federal law that allows lawsuits over wrong-house raids. But the panel reversed a decision that gave the agent immunity.

“Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs, a reasonable jury could fairly conclude” that the agent had “failed to engage in reasonable efforts to avoid error, and therefore, violated the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights,” the judges said.

Jenna Sellitto, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Atlanta office, said the agency does not comment on personnel matters.

The FBI team quickly apologized after the raid and left for the right place, with the team leader later saying that his personal GPS device had led him to the wrong address. The FBI was looking for a suspected gang member a few houses away.

Martin and Cliatt’s lawsuit accused the agents of assault and battery, false arrest and other violations.

Their attorney, Patrick Jaicomo, said in a phone interview his clients felt good about Wednesday’s ruling.

The decision on immunity for the agent was a clear win, but there was also reason to be hopeful about the ruling in favor of the government, he said.

That decision was based on 11th Circuit precedent, and the judges wrote separately to encourage the full appeals court to revisit those earlier decisions. Jaicomo, senior attorney with the nonprofit Institute for Justice in Arlington, Virginia, said he plans to seek that review, opening up the possibility that his clients could eventually be allowed to take the government to trial as well.

​ Orange County Register 

What we’ve learned about the Lakers after 2 preseason games

• October 7, 2026

It might have been just the Lakers’ second preseason game, but Coach JJ Redick still had the expectation that his players would implement their scripted game plan.

Fifty-two seconds into Tuesday night’s loss to the Golden State Warriors, however, Redick called timeout.

What he saw during the first half – despite being without Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler and four other players – was “unacceptable,” Redick told reporters after the 124-98 defeat.

How the Lakers started the game was “insane,” Redick added during his postgame press conference.

There were the highs of end-to-end domination from the Lakers – as seen in their 127-103 triumph over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night – but also a dive into what the Lakers could look like without their stars in the equation.

With their regular-season opener against the Warriors two weeks away on Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena, here’s what we have learned about how the Lakers could play with nine new players on the roster and a fresh defensive identity to boot.

DEFENSIVE PRESSURE

Over the past two weeks, the Lakers have emphasized the importance of defensive disruption. Multiple team personnel had referenced wings Ziaire Williams, Adou Thiero and Matisse Thybulle leading the way defensively during training camp.

Reaves, during practice last week, said going up against the trio of wings was simply “not fun.”

The Kings felt that from the get-go. Williams and Thybulle – presumably competing for a starting lineup spot next to Doncic, Reaves, Kessler and likely guard Quentin Grimes – picked up Kings guards Zach LaVine and rookie Darius Acuff Jr. full court, even forcing a shot-clock violation on the first possession of the game. Grimes had his fair share of point-of-attack defensive possessions as well.

“Ziaire and Matisse, you know, they kind of set the tone early for us,” Redick told reporters after Monday’s game.

Thybulle made his presence felt with continuous deflections during his 18 minutes on the court. The Lakers forced 14 turnovers in the first half and the Kings finished the game with 26.

Despite a less fluid performance against the Warriors on Tuesday, the Lakers still forced 23 turnovers.

“It’s super contagious because you see how hard somebody’s giving that effort, full-court playing, picking up 94 feet,” Grimes told reporters after Monday’s game. “You don’t want to be that one guy that’s not picking up or playing super hard on the defensive end.”

KEEPING IT SIMPLE

Redick had said it during the training camp: Much of their early preparation was on defensive principles. Saturday was the first time he implemented an offensive set during training camp.

But when it comes to early returns from Doncic back atop the court, the Lakers looked efficient. The Slovenian star played just under 16 minutes on Monday and still led the team with 21 points. When Doncic was off the court, Grimes showcased his slashing ability and cut to the rim consistently for layup looks through contact.

Centers Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili – with Kessler out for the two preseason games after jamming a finger against the backboard – showcased their respective high-IQ decision-making.

Early in the game against the Kings, Looney made a pair of screens on a set play before rolling into the paint and attracting two defenders. The former Warriors big man – who won three NBA championships with Golden State – cut a pass to Thybulle in the corner, who made a 3-pointer.

While Looney is more of a bruising paint force, Mamukelashvili led the Lakers with assists (five) on Monday. On Tuesday, he led the team in scoring with 15 points – stretching the floor while shooting 3 for 4 from 3-point range.

Redick has called Mamukelashvili an “offensive connector” for the team during training camp.

Other notable offensive notes include forward Jake LaRavia’s improved jump shot and increased aggressiveness that led to 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting on Monday. Redick said LaRavia had worked on his craft with him and assistant coach Beau Levesque during June.

“(LaRavia has) said to me and Beau many times, ‘This is as confident as I’ve felt with my 3-ball in years,’” Redick told reporters Tuesday night.

Additionally, rookie Cameron Carr’s 19 points against the Kings on Monday showed the kind of shot-making ability that will give him a chance to impact the Lakers as the likely next-man-up wing in a fully healthy rotation.

Thiero looked less rushed in the pair of Bay Area games – compared to his rookie season – making the right pass while still imprinting himself on the game – as he did Tuesday while posterizing Warriors rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg with a dunk before landing awkwardly. Redick told reporters after the game that Thiero was “fine.”

SHORT END OF THE BENCH

Three Lakers players on fully guaranteed contracts appeared to be out of favor when it came to rotations in the first two preseason games.

Forward Jarred Vanderbilt – in the third season of a four year, $48 million contract – didn’t enter Monday’s game until the fourth quarter – as did third-year guard Dalton Knecht, who fell out of favor last season after being the Lakers’ 2024 first-round draft pick.

Guard Jaden Hardy helped run the offense a bit on Tuesday due to the shorthanded nature of who was available. But on Monday, Hardy didn’t enter the game until the third quarter.

As things stand, the Lakers have 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts on their roster. By opening night, however, they must be down to the league maximum of 15.

They can either waive one player, or make a two-for-one trade before their Oct. 21 game.

​ Orange County Register 

LAUSD urged to bring back campus police after Highland Park student’s death

• October 7, 2026

More than a dozen parents and other residents called on Los Angeles Unified School District board members Wednesday, Oct. 7, to reinstate campus police at secondary schools following the death of a 17-year-old senior after he fell from his school’s fourth floor.

Xavier Nungaray-Martinez died Sept. 30 after falling from Benjamin Franklin High School in Highland Park. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has ruled Xavier’s death a suicide.

Reina Orellana, a relative who represented Xavier’s family at the school board meeting, said her son dealt with bullying in LAUSD schools to the point where she had to pay him to get psychological help. Now, she said her daughter, who was at Franklin the day Xavier died, is also traumatized. She questioned why school officials didn’t intervene earlier, as family members have said Xavier dealt with bullying since his sophomore year, which made him want to leave the school.

“I would like to know,” Orellana told the board in Spanish, “Where were you when the boy was having problems? Where were you when the boy asked for help? Where were you when the boy was being attacked?”

During public comment, at least a dozen other parents criticized school board members for cutting school police funding by 35% following the 2020 police killing of George Floyd and nationwide protests for racial justice. The school board also decided then to no longer have officers stationed at secondary school campuses, a decision organizers like Maria Luisa Palma believe has led to an increase in violence at schools.

Before Xavier’s death, online video shows an adult standing between two students with his arms out. One student punches the other, and the adult can be heard saying “Stop! Stop! Calm down.” The student who was punched runs out to the hallway and is followed by the other boy before the first student goes head first over the railing.

A classmate said he heard staff yelling for Xavier and trying to get to him before he went over the railing.

Xavier, who was also identified by family as Xavier Amaya and Xavier Amaya Nungaray, had dealt with bullying at the school since his sophomore year, his family said at a vigil last week.

Stephanie Amaya, Xavier’s aunt, said the school and district didn’t do enough to prevent bullying. She started a petition calling for greater security at Los Angeles Unified schools, including more security cameras, better training for security officers, police presence at schools, railing safety systems and greater communication with campus staff.

Luisa Palma, an activist with Oleada, a group that works to educate Los Angeles Unified parents and encourages them to speak out about school-related issues, said the group believes bringing back campus police to all middle and high schools in the district will cut down on issues related to drugs, gangs and crime in schools.

“It’s just one more tool in the district’s toolbox to keep discipline and have some amount of consequences when it does get to this level,” Luisa Palma said.

Raul Claros, who founded the nonprofit California Rising, said he worries that, once his child graduates from fifth grade to middle school, they’ll no longer be in a safe environment. He encouraged board members to work with parents and community groups to find solutions to keep students safe. When he was a student, Claros said teachers had a phone in their classrooms that could call a campus officer.

“That prevented a lot of us as students from even trying to cross that line,” Claros said.

​ Orange County Register 

Ex-Marine to face death penalty in 2025 mass shooting at North Carolina bar

• October 7, 2026

BOLIVIA, N.C. (AP) — A prosecutor announced Wednesday that he would seek the death penalty against a former Marine charged in a mass shooting last year that left three people dead and several others wounded.

“We are not blind to who this defendant is,” Brunswick County District Attorney Jon David said of defendant Nigel Max Edge. “He served this country in Iraq as a Marine, suffered a traumatic brain injury, and has struggled with serious mental illness. Those facts are important and they were weighed, but must be balanced against the circumstances of the crime.”

Authorities allege Edge piloted a small motorboat up to a dockside cocktail bar in Southport on Sept. 27, 2025, and opened fire with a short-barreled semiautomatic rifle. He faces three counts of first-degree murder, as well as multiple attempted murder and weapons charges.

In April, Superior Court Judge Jason Disbrow ordered Edge to undergo psychiatric treatment after it was determined he was unable to understand his legal proceedings enough to help his lawyers.

Defense attorney Matthew Geoffrion filed a motion to continue Wednesday’s hearing, arguing that the extent of Edge’s brain injury will likely make it impossible for him to stand trial. Edge was shot multiple times during a firefight in Iraq, including once in the head.

“The chances of capacity restoration in this case appear low,” Geoffrion said in his motion.

David countered that experts at the state hospital where Edge is being treated “have concluded he is likely to be restored.” But he added that the decision to proceed with a capital punishment case was not final.

“A capital designation guarantees the defendant the highest level of protection our system offers, including the appointment of a second qualified attorney and the most rigorous scrutiny our courts provide,” David said. “If evidence emerges bearing on Mr. Edge’s sanity at the time of the offense, we will reassess. If he is never restored to capacity, the death penalty would not be a lawful sentence and would be removed from consideration.”

Edge’s next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7.

​ Orange County Register 

Editorial: Orange County Fire Authority sets county’s finances ablaze

• October 7, 2026

The Orange County Fire Authority, which provides fire and emergency services for unincorporated county areas and 23 member cities, just approved a 25% raise for its firefighters over the next five years. The costs will be borne by cities at a time when many are facing fiscal challenges, making the decision fiscally irresponsible.

It’s just the latest example of how public-employee unions pressure government agencies to continually ratchet up pay and benefits regardless of the impact on taxpayers. The problem is particularly acute when it comes to public-safety budgets. The public is understandably supportive of firefighters, but that results in the approval of contracts that require cutbacks in other services, or service “crowd out.”

Furthermore, public-safety unions generously fund local politicians’ campaigns — and every ambitious elected official seeks out fire-union endorsements. “Many of the board members who voted in favor of the raise received campaign funding from the county firefighters union,” per the Voice of OC. Among them is Buena Park mayor and supervisorial candidate Connor Traut, who as of this writing has benefited from $428,000 in spending by the union. 

Of course, this is no one-sided affair. Voice of OC noted that the union also contributes directly to the local Democratic and Republican parties. No wonder massive raises sail through virtually uncontested.

Readers should look at Transparent California, which uses public records to reveal pay for statewide public employees. Our perusal shows 103 OCFA employees earning between $400,000 and $597,000 annually in total compensation. They receive the generous 3% at 50 pension plan that allows them to retire with 90% of their final pay at age 50. 

We respect firefighters’ work, but there are typically long lines for firefighter jobs given the compensation. The recruitment concerns cited by unions are largely a myth. Firefighter unions, by the way, were behind efforts to stop cities from exiting these costly contracts by creating their own fire agencies with more reasonable pension benefits. They tout their public service, but it’s all about boosting pay and reducing competition.

Fortunately, Gov. Gavin Newsom recently vetoed two bills that would have sparked a pension-increasing frenzy. Even when the state does the right thing, there’s no controlling taxes and protecting services when local officials act irresponsibly.

​ Orange County Register 

Some guardrails on ChatGPT for Teens don’t work as promised, watchdog group says

• October 7, 2026

By BARBARA ORTUTAY

Some of the guardrails that OpenAI included in its ChatGPT for Teens product don’t work as intended and the chatbot poses an “unacceptable risk” to children, according to a report Wednesday by Common Sense Media.

The watchdog group urged OpenAI to restrict the chatbot to adults “until it can offer a safe, developmentally appropriate experience.”

OpenAI said the group’s testing doesn’t reflect how the chatbot’s safeguards work.

Parents, educators and child development experts have been sounding alarms over children’s use of AI chatbots, which have been blamed for facilitating cheating on schoolwork and even suicide.

While even adults can fall victim to anthropomorphizing AI and develop unhealthy relationships with it, teenagers’ brains are not yet fully developed and they can be particularly vulnerable, child development experts say.

“We are concerned that ChatGPT for Teens could give parents false confidence in guardrails that frequently don’t work,” said the report from Common Sense Media, a group that advocates for using digital media sensibly.

Its report said that some teen-mode features worked as intended, including the chatbot’s refusal of explicit sexual role-play. Others that did not work as intended included alerts meant to notify parents if their child is at risk for suicide, self-harm or eating disorders, along with support for teens in crisis, Common Sense Media said.

“ChatGPT still talks like a friend when teens treat it like a person,” the group said, though OpenAI had promised that the chatbot is prevented from suggesting it has personal feelings toward the user or implying that it is conscious or experiences emotions.

OpenAI said it is “deeply committed to teen safety,” to developing safeguards and giving parents tools to guide their teens’ use of AI.

The San Francisco company said its review of the report’s methodology shows “the bulk of their testing may have begun and concluded before activation of parental controls was complete, making their findings inaccurate.”

Common Sense Media receives funding from OpenAI and other tech companies, including those whose services it evaluates.

​ Orange County Register 

Aerosmith and Steven Tyler reuniting at star-studded Hollywood Bowl shows

• October 7, 2026

Three years after an injury to Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler’s vocal cords forced the hard rock legends to abandon their Peace Out farewell tour, the full band will return for a pair of shows at the Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 29 and Nov. 1.

California, Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends will include Tyler singing with Aerosmith for part of the night and an all-star lineup of friends joining the band, too. Guests announced Wednesday include the Black Crowes, Run-D.M.C., Heart, Duff McKagan and Slash from Guns N’ Roses, Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jerry Cantrell and Mike Inez from Alice in Chains, and Billy Idol and Steve Stevens.

The lineup will vary night to night, but with Don Was as musical director, it will also include Tom Morello, Andrew Watt, Pat Monahan of Train, Sammy Hagar, Eric Church, Sully Erna of Godsmack, Adam Wakeman, Audley Freed, Kenny Aronoff, and more.

Aerosmith, which formed in Boston in 1970, had big plans in 2023 for what was billed as its farewell tour.

“PEACE OUT! After 50 years, 10 world tours, and playing for over 100 million fans… It’s time for one last go!” the band announced on its Instagram page in March 2023.

But in September 2023, on the third date of a world tour that was to end in February 2025, the tour was pushed back a year due to Tyler’s vocal cord injury. Then in August of that year, it was canceled and Aerosmith announced its retirement as Tyler’s voice remained damaged. A performance scheduled for the Kia Forum in December 2024 was among the canceled dates.

In time, Tyler did start showing up for a song or two here and there. In September 2025, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and Yungblud performed during an Ozzy Osbourne tribute at the 2025 MTV VMAs. That same month, he joined Perry during the Joe Perry Project’s opening set for the Who at the Hollywood Bowl in September 2025.

The band teased its return to performing earlier this week with a short online clip of Tyler with rock photographer Ross Halfin adding letters to the Hollywood Bowl marquee on Highland Avenue.

“Do you even know how to spell Aerosmith?” Halfin asks as Tyler stands on a ladder to add the words “With Friends” above the dates Oct. 29 and Nov. 1.

“That looks great! Don’t you miss performing?” Halfin asks a few seconds later as he and Tyler look at the marquee.

“Of all the things I miss, I miss my mind the most,” Tyler replies.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Pacific on Thursday, Oct. 8 in a presale for Citi cardholders. General sales open at 10 a.m. Pacific on Saturday, Oct. 10. For more details, go to aerosmith.com.

​ Orange County Register 

Trump’s executive order on dyed diesel will offer little relief, farmers and truckers say

• October 7, 2026

By SARAH RAZA and MAE ANDERSON

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Farmers, truckers and economists say a move to cut taxes on diesel will provide little relief from record-high fuel prices that have soared since the U.S. attacked Iran months ago.

Industry groups said they appreciate President Donald Trump’s executive order expanding the use of a diesel now reserved for off-road work, but farmers already have access to the fuel and many have already wrapped up harvest. Truckers will struggle to navigate differing state rules.

“In the context of diesel prices that are over two dollars more than they were last year, it just doesn’t come close to closing that wound,” said Matt Perdue, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union.

With less than a month to go before the November election, diesel prices continue to hit record highs as farmers begin their fall harvest. Many have been feeling the squeeze as costs for inputs like diesel, fertilizer and seed have soared thanks to refinery constraints and supply disruptions amid the Iran war.

Diesel averaged $6.30 per gallon across the country on Wednesday, more than 70% higher than one year ago, according to motor club AAA. The executive order defers the $0.24 federal tax per gallon of regular diesel, used for road projects, until the end of the year. Most states also levy their own tax on diesel.

“Dyed” diesel is the same as regular diesel, except for its red dye to help law enforcement enforce penalties for on-road use. It’s already allowed for off-road purposes like farming equipment, such as tractors and combines, as well as construction and heating uses.

Who will see benefits

Savings can compound if states take similar actions; many have eased restrictions or waived taxes on dyed diesel, including South Dakota and Iowa. Perdue said North Dakota has waived the tax on regular diesel. But where the state decision is focused on farmers, he believes the federal decision would largely benefit those on other levels of the supply chain.

Farmers who will see the most benefit are those who haul their own product, like livestock or fresh produce, on public roads. Those who have already wrapped up harvesting won’t see savings.

“Most of our diesel use is behind us,” said Perdue, who grows spring wheat, durum and canola on his family farm.

Both trucking companies and independent truckers may not see much relief either. The effect is likely to be negligible for big trucking companies because the order is on a federal level and states make their own rules, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, wrote in a social media post.

“The largest diesel users are the least likely to use dyed diesel,” he wrote. “A national carrier crossing five or six states in a day faces enormous risk with a patchwork of rules, legal in one state, and subject to fines in the next.”

Many states exempt road diesel from sales tax but apply sales tax to dyed diesel instead, he said.

Easing limits on red-dyed diesel will likely have a minimal effect for small truckers, who pay for fuel up front, said Todd Spencer, president and CEO of trade group the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. He estimates every $1 increase per gallon in fuel costs independent truckers about $400 more per week.

Increased demand for dyed diesel

The savings will be small, but it could still increase competition for dyed diesel, said David Ortega, food economics and policy professor at Michigan State University.

“I think there’s a real chance this could backfire and make the situation worse for farmers,” he said. “Basically anybody that’s running a truck on the highway on regular diesel can now be using this off-highway diesel. Even someone that owns a diesel pickup truck potentially has access to this other type of diesel.”

Perdue in North Dakota said he expects a “rush for dyed diesel, and we’ll see how the supply responds.”

But not all dyed diesel pump stations are set up for larger trucks like semis, said Paul Mitchell, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“It’s going to come down to infrastructure ability to get your vehicles to a place that you can use and fill them up with,” he said.

Supply shortages persist

Henry Hanscom, American Trucking Associations chief advocacy and public affairs officer, pointed out that the executive order directs temporary penalty relief and potential tax deferral for using red-dyed diesel, not outright tax forgiveness. He said the ATA would review the Internal Revenue Service’s implementing guidance of the policy when it is available.

Last month, Trump had threatened a diesel export ban, though he later said it is off the table. On Friday, G7 countries agreed to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products.

“One of the problems we have right now in the world is there’s not enough diesel fuel,” said Gregg Ibendahl, farm management specialist at Kansas State University.

But underlying causes like geopolitical issues won’t be solved overnight.

“The problem we’ve accumulated right now with the Strait of Hormuz and the Russia-Ukraine war, those are going to be longer term things to get fixed,” he said. “Getting that world supply back up again is going to be, I think, at least a year, even in the best cases.”

Anderson reported from New York.

​ Orange County Register