Reports: Chargers agree with RB Najee Harris on a 1-year contract

• March 11, 2025

The Chargers and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris agreed Monday on a one-year contract worth as much as $9.25 million, according to multiple reports that cited unnamed sources. Harris would replace Gus Edwards, who was released earlier in the day.

Harris, 27, rushed for 1,000 yards or more in each of his four seasons with the Steelers, averaging 3.9 yards per carry, and started 68 of 68 games in the NFL after a standout college career at Alabama. He rushed for 1,043 yards and six touchdowns this past season with Pittsburgh.

The Chargers signed Edwards and J.K. Dobbins to two- and one-season contracts during the offseason of 2024. Edwards had 365 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games and Dobbins had a career-best 905 yards and a career-tying nine touchdowns in 13 games.

Dobbins is a pending unrestricted free agent who is said to be testing the open market when the signing period begins at Wednesday at 1 p.m. PT.

Coach Jim Harbaugh and General Manager Joe Hortiz were determined to have a stronger ground game in their second seasons with the Chargers. Harris could deliver as a more durable running back. He has rushed for 4,312 yards and 28 touchdowns during his four seasons in the NFL.

Harbaugh nearly recruited Harris to the University of Michigan as a high school standout in the Bay Area town of Antioch. Harris decided instead to play for Nick Saban at Alabama, helping the Crimson Tide win two national championships. The Steelers picked him in the first round of the 2021 draft.

Harbaugh left Michigan to coach the Chargers in January 2024.

Harris was a Pro Bowl selection in his second season with the Steelers.

Earlier Monday, the Chargers checked off the most important item on their to-do list by re-signing outside linebacker Khalil Mack to a one-year, $18 million deal. Along with re-signing center Bradley Bozeman, defensive lineman Teair Tart and punter JK Scott, the team also reportedly agreed to terms with former Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson on a two-year, $13 million deal.

​ Orange County Register 

Depleted Lakers fall to Nets as Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves struggle with shots

• March 11, 2025

NEW YORK — Once it was evident that LeBron James was likely to miss the remainder of the Lakers’ road trip because of a strained left groin – an absence that will probably extend beyond this weekend – it was clear that Monday’s road game against the Brooklyn Nets was a matchup they could not overlook.

That sentiment became even more accurate as the Lakers’ injury report continued to grow, with starting center Jaxson Hayes and key reserve forward Dorian Finney-Smith also missing the matchup, in addition to starting forward Rui Hachimura.

So the challenge for the Lakers became just as demanding mentally as it was physically: don’t become disengaged against a struggling opponent that had a 21-42 record going into the game.

The undersized Lakers didn’t pass the challenge, falling to the Nets, 111-108, Monday night at Barclays Center after Luka Doncic’s last-second desperation 76-foot heave hit the arena’s overhead scoreboard before falling wide and short.

Doncic and Austin Reaves combined to shoot 11 for 40 from the field (4 for 15 from 3-point range), with the Nets aggressively defending both players with traps and double-teams, challenging the Lakers to beat them with their other players.

And it was those players who helped keep the Lakers in the game despite Doncic (22 points, 12 assists, 12 rebounds) and Reaves (17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds) struggling with their shots in the team’s second straight loss after an eight-game winning streak.

Gabe Vincent made six 3-pointers on his way to a season-high 24 points, his most since joining the Lakers in July 2023, and helped the Lakers get out in front early by scoring 13 of their first 21 points. Jordan Goodwin scored 17 points to go with eight rebounds, making a career-high five 3-pointers on six attempts. Dalton Knecht added 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting.

And even with the Lakers struggling to keep the Nets off of the offensive glass, with Brooklyn grabbing 16 offensive rebounds and scoring 16 second-chance points, Vincent’s late shot-making helped keep the Lakers in the game.

He made a 3-pointer to cut their deficit to 101-98 with 1:49 remaining, and made a pair of free throws to make it 104-100 with 1:22 left.

But the Lakers didn’t get the stops they needed down the stretch.

After Reaves banked in a 30-footer that was assisted by Doncic to cut the margin to 106-103, Ziaire Williams had a putback layup after D’Angelo Russell missed an 18-footer, putting the Nets back up 108-103.

Doncic made a 35-footer with 10.6 seconds left to get them back within two, but the Nets then designed a nice play to get Noah Clowney free and he dunked while getting fouled for a five-point advantage. Reaves made a layup with three seconds left, and the Nets’ Cameron Johnson missed a pair of free throws with 2.1 seconds left before Doncic’s desperation heave.

With all of their injuries, the Lakers used a lineup of Doncic, Reaves, Vincent, Knecht and center Alex Len that had never started together.

Clowney had 19 points and five rebounds off the bench for the Nets, who snapped a seven-game losing streak. Cameron Johnson and Keon Johnson both scored 18 points, and Tyrese Martin added 14.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

OC man accused of tax evasion for deducting personal spending, including gambling losses, as business expenses

• March 11, 2025

LOS ANGELES — An Orange County man has been indicted on federal charges that he committed tax evasion by deducting millions of dollars in gambling losses and other personal expenditures as business expenses.

Edward Michael Greer, of Newport Beach is charged with four counts of tax evasion, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Monday.

According to the indictment, Greer owned an insurance salvage company, the La Mirada-based Greer & Kirby Co. Inc. From 2017 to 2020, Greer allegedly used the company’s bank accounts to pay for personal expenses, including payments to bookmakers Wayne Joseph Nix and Ken Arsenian to cover sports gambling losses, and to purchase a 2021 Mercedes-Benz automobile, court papers show.

The indictment further alleges that Greer concealed these personal payments in the company’s business records, and in many cases directed to payments to be recorded as business expenses to reduce the company’s income.

Nix and Arsenian previously pleaded guilty in L.A. federal court for their roles in operating an illegal sports gambling business and are expected to be sentenced in the coming months.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Monday, March 10

• March 11, 2025

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

Scores and stats from Orange County games on Monday, March 10

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday.

MONDAY’S SCORES

BASEBALL

NORTH HILLS LEAGUE

Sonora 5, Sunny Hills 2

Son: Orr (W, CG, 5H, 2R, 6K). Abad 2-4, 2B, SB, 4RBI. Crowder 1-3, SB, R.

SH: Erickson (5IP, 5H, 1ER, 1K). Ramirez 1-3, 2RBI. Katayama 1-4, SB, R.

FREEWAY LEAGUE

Canyon 8, Yorba Linda 7

Can: Sandoval 1-4, 2B, 2RBI. Helsper 2-4, 2B, RBI. Lau 3-4, RBI.

YL: Webb 2-4, 2RBI. Schneider 3-4, 2B, 2R, RBI. Smith 2-4, R, RBI.

ORANGE COAST LEAGUE

Godinez 7. Valencia 4

God: Magallon (W, 5H. 11H, 4ER, 4K), 1-4, 2B, RBI. Diaz 2-4, 2B, RBI. Guzman 2-4, 2R, RBI.

Val: Paine 3-4, R, RBI. Dominguez 2-3, RBI. 1-3, 2B, 2RBI.

GOLDEN WEST LEAGUE

Segerstrom 3, Costa Mesa 1

Seg: Landeros (W, 5IP, 4H, 0R, 5K). Hernandez 1-3, RBI. Nunez 2-3, 2RBI. Acosta 1-3, 2B, 2R.

CM: Rottschafer (6IP, 7H, 2ER, 4K). Smith 2-3, RBI. Clark 1-3, 2B, R.

CRESTVIEW LEAGUE

Cypress 6, Foothill 5

Cyp: Johnson 3-5, 2RBI. Artaserse 3-5, 2B, RBI. Anderson 2-5, RBI.

Foot: Lauridsen 3-4, HR, 3RBI. Troncale 1-5, HR, RBI. Zweber 1-2, R.

NONLEAGUE

Newport Harbor 2, Aliso Niguel 1

NH: Guy (W, 6IP, 6H, 0ER, 6K). Gahm 2-3, RBI. Perez 1-1, BB, 2R.

AN: Etnire (5IP, 4H, 1ER, 2K). Fleming 3-3, SB, RBI. Schaff 1-2, BB, R.

Rancho Alamitos 6, Saddleback 3

RA: Arguelles (W, 6IP, 6H, 2ER, 3K), 1-3, 2B, RBI. LaBossiere (SV, 1IP, 0H, 0R, K), 1-3, 2RBI. Ballesta 1-2, BB, RBI.

Sadd: Aguilar (6IP, 5H, 1ER, 3K). Lopez 3-3, 3B. Enriquez 1-3, R, RBI.

Edison 2, Katella 0

Edi: Gonzalez (W, CG, 5H, 0R, 4K). Timmons 2-3, 2R. Costello 1-1, RBI.

Kat: Navarro (5IP, 4H, 1ER, 2K). Ureno 1-2, 2B.

Esperanza 5, Milken 3

Esp: Garcia (SV, 2IP, 1H, 0R, 5K). Garcia 1-2, SB, R, 2RBI. Amaro 1-3, 2B, RBI.

Woodbridge 3, Kennedy 2

Wood: Camacho (W, 1IP, 3H, 0R). Namgoong 2-4, 2B, SB, R. Uhrik 1-2, RBI.

Ken: Rojas 2-3, RBI. McCann 1-2, RBI. Alvarez 2-3 R.

Chino Hills 5, Beckman 2

Beck: Head (5IP, 3H, 1ER, 6K). Molina 2-3, 2B 2RBI. Terry 2-3.

Northwood 12, Mission Viejo 3

NW: Yoshimizu 3-4, 2B, 2SB, 2R, 3RBI. Harper 3-4, 3B, 2R, SB, 2RBI. Chubb 1-3, SB, 2RBI.

MV: Osika 2-3, 2B. R. Nestor 1-2, R, RBI. Ursulo 1-2, RBI.

Savanna 9, Los Amigos 3

Sav: Willey (3IP 4K). Cabrera (4IP 0R 1K), 1-1, 2BB, HBP. Eich 2-4, 2RBI. Hernandez 3-5, 2RBI.

Other nonleague scores

Magnolia 7, Western 5

SOFTBALL

NONLEAGUE

Portola 18, Orange 3

Buena Park 10, Whitney 0

University 14, Savanna 1

La Quinta 13, Godinez 12

Beckman 10, Dana Hills 0

Santa Ana 16, Magnolia 0

BOYS TENNIS

NONLEAGUE

Beckman 17, Santa Margarita 1

Orange Lutheran 14, Mission Viejo 4

BOYS GOLF

TRINITY LEAGUE

Mater Dei 197, St. John Bosco 225

Santa Ana CC (par 36)

Medalist: Brayden Jones (MD) 34

NONLEAGUE

Villa Park 202, Canyon 216

Edison 196, Peninsula 200

Cypress 212, Brea Olinda 227

Sunny Hills 183, Crean Lutheran 209

Oxford Academy 236, Gahr 248

GIRLS BEACH VOLLEYBALL

CRESTVIEW LEAGUE

Foothill 3, Canyon 2

Crean Lutheran 5, Yorba Linda 0

EMPIRE LEAGUE

Costa Mesa 4, Calvary Chapel 1

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

NONLEAGUE

Canyon def. Brea Olinda, 25-22, 25-13, 25-15

​ Orange County Register 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers beat Diamondbacks

• March 11, 2025

THE GAME: The Dodgers guaranteed themselves a winning record in Cactus League play with a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.

PITCHING REPORT: Yoshinobu Yamamoto became the first Dodgers starter this spring to pitch into the fifth inning, recording seven strikeouts in five innings while allowing one run on four hits and a walk. Yamamoto’s next start will be in the regular-season opener on March 18 against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo. … Left-hander Alex Vesia had two strikeouts over one inning.

HITTING REPORT: Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez each had extra-base hits while Tommy Edman had two singles and a pair of runs scored as the Dodgers’ top of the order was productive. … Ohtani drilled a double 118.5 mph off the bat to lead off the bottom of the first inning as the Dodgers sent eight batters to the plate and scored two runs on a Freeman double. … Hernandez and Miguel Rojas each were hit by pitches in the left arm but remained in the game. … Roster hopeful Hyeseong Kim played in his sixth consecutive game, coming off the bench with a hit and two runs scored. Kim has started just one game during this stretch.

DEFENSIVE REPORT: Yamamoto completed a difficult play at first base on a high feed from first baseman David Bote in the fifth inning as he regained his footing and dragged a toe across the bag to record an out. “That was a good sign because I can see how physically I am ready to move around,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter.

UP NEXT: Dodgers (RHP Roki Sasaki) vs. Guardians (LHP Doug Nikhazy), Tuesday, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch, Glendale, Ariz., SportsNet LA, 570 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Musk eyes Social Security and benefit programs for cuts while claiming widespread fraud

• March 11, 2025

By CHRIS MEGERIAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk pushed debunked theories about Social Security on Monday while describing federal benefit programs as rife with fraud, suggesting they will be a primary target in his crusade to reduce government spending.

The billionaire entrepreneur, who is advising President Donald Trump, suggested that $500 billion to $700 billion in waste needed to be cut.

“Most of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk told the Fox Business Network. “That’s the big one to eliminate.”

The comments on the popular program and other benefits provided to Americans could rattle politicians on both sides of the aisle as Musk works to downsize the federal government, especially as he already faces blowback for his chainsaw-wielding approach to laying off workers and slashing programs.

Musk’s estimate for the level of fraud in entitlements far outpaces figures from watchdogs like Social Security’s inspector general, who previously said there was $71.8 billion in improper payments from fiscal years 2015 through 2022. That’s less than 1% of benefits paid out during that time period.

Musk also said there were “20 million people who are definitely dead marked as alive in the Social Security database.” However, the leader of the agency has rejected claims about widespread payments to dead people.

“These individuals are not necessarily receiving benefits,” said Lee Dudek, Social Security’s acting commissioner.

The interview with Fox Business was a reminder of Musk’s deep skepticism and even hostility toward the program, which provides monthly benefits to retirees and some children. Trump has promised to defend Social Security from cuts, but Musk has described it as “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,” and the administration is shutting down some of the agency’s offices.

Musk said Monday that federal entitlements are “a mechanism by which the Democrats attract and retain illegal immigrants by essentially paying them to come here and then turning them into voters.” The allegation echoed the “great replacement” theory, which claims that politicians are trying to expand their power by reshaping the country’s racial demographics.

The interview was conducted in the White House complex by Larry Kudlow, who served as an economic adviser to Trump during his first term. During the conversation, Musk seemed to acknowledge the unusual nature of his role in the administration.

“Frankly, I can’t believe I’m here doing this,” Musk said. “It’s kind of bizarre.”

Musk is the world’s richest person and still runs his private enterprises as he advises the president on ways to overhaul the federal government.

He also thanked Trump for his confidence, saying, “Without the president’s support, we couldn’t make any progress here.”

Trump has publicly backed Musk and given him extraordinary influence over the federal government. However, the Republican president has indicated a shift in approach, saying that Musk’s team would use a “scalpel” rather than a “hatchet.”

Musk has not often spoken publicly since joining the administration, preferring instead to present a stream of consciousness on X, his social media platform. On Monday, he accused Democrats of attacking Tesla dealerships; bragged about X being “the top source for news on Earth;” and accused Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a former fighter pilot and astronaut, of being a traitor for visiting Ukraine over the weekend.

Musk’s sitdown with Kudlow was his third interview since joining Trump’s administration, and he hasn’t strayed from his ideological safe space. He previously did a joint interview with the president and Sean Hannity of Fox News, and he sat down with Joe Rogan, a podcaster who endorsed Trump last year.

Republicans have spent decades trying to reduce the size and scope of the federal government, and many have cheered Musk’s work.

“The American people are sick of the swamp. They’re sick of waste, fraud and abuse,” said Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, who leads the National Republican Congressional Committee. “For the first time ever, we finally have the tools to affect it. So I think the voters are going to reward us.”

But there are signs of backlash and skepticism. Some Republicans have even boasted of blocking budget cuts.

Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole issued a statement saying three federal offices in his state — the National Weather Center in Norman, the Social Security Administration Office in Lawton and the Indian Health Services Office in Oklahoma City — would stay open.

“I am thrilled to announce that common sense has prevailed,” he said. Cole added that “all three of these places provide vital and valuable services to Oklahomans and I am so proud to have advocated for them.”

About half of Americans said it’s “a bad thing” that Trump has given Musk a prominent role in his administration, according to a mid-February CNN/SSRS poll. Only a third saw it as “a good thing.”

Another mid-February survey by The Washington Post and Ipsos found that Americans were divided on whether Musk is mainly cutting wasteful spending or necessary programs, with about a third falling into each camp. Another quarter said they weren’t sure.

​ Orange County Register 

LAFC looks to finish off Crew, advance in CONCACAF Champions Cup

• March 11, 2025

No MLS team has ever overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit in CONCACAF competition.

This is less a statement about the quality of MLS clubs than the stacked deck teams around the world face after lopsided defeats in the opening game of a two-leg series.

By snatching a sizable lead against the Columbus Crew last week at BMO Stadium, the Los Angeles Football Club is a big favorite to reach the Champions Cup quarterfinals in April.

LAFC can clinch that berth on Tuesday night at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.

If LAFC loses by fewer than three goals, it moves on. If it loses by three but scores, it would advance. If the visitors are down 3-0 at the end of 90 minutes, the series will be decided during 30 minutes of extra time or a penalty kick shootout.

“If,” of course, implies that despite LAFC’s significant advantage nothing is guaranteed against the Crew, which became the fourth MLS club to trail 3-0 following a CONCACAF first-leg away match.

“For sure we’re going to push for everything,” Columbus head coach Wilfried Nancy said in the wake of last week’s outcome. “This is the way we are. This is the way we do things. After that, we’ll see.”

Comebacks happen, though eliminating LAFC would require a special effort from Nancy’s club, which had won three straight against the Black & Gold, taking the 2023 MLS Cup final and the 2024 Leagues Cup final in the process.

How special?

During the home-and-away aggregate series in the MLS Cup playoffs from 2003-2018, each of the five teams with a three-goal advantage in the first leg advanced.

Around the world, that’s not always been the case.

In 2022, the New England Revolution took a 3-nil edge in the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 series against Liga MX club Pumas, only to lose by the same score in Mexico and ultimately fall on PKs. It was the second time in the competition’s history that a team rallied like that to win a two-leg series.

No stranger to mad-dash comebacks of its own, LAFC overcame a 2-0 Champions League hole in 2020 to topple Mexico’s Club León, 3-0.

UEFA Champions League competition delivered rare second-leg comebacks in recent years.

Paris Saint-Germain took a 4-0 lead on Barcelona in 2017 only to fall 6-1 in the return match.

In 2018, Barcelona led Roma 4-1 before losing 3-0 and bowing out on the away-goal tiebreaker.

The next year, Barcelona was again involved in a topsy-turvy encounter, winning 3-0 at home over Liverpool before a 4-0 defeat in England.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said.

LAFC can help itself by doing more than simply maintaining a lead. Another victory could go a long way in determining seeding for the quarterfinal round against Inter Miami or Jamaica’s Cavalier FC. Miami defeated Cavalier, 2-0, last week. They reunite in Kingston on Thursday.

“The way this competition works, as far as home-field advantage in the next round, if you make it to the next round, it’s important to get as many results as you can to set yourself up,” Cherundolo said. “So this is a game we’re going to Columbus to try to win.”

For seeding purposes, victories in the Round of 16 are valued at three points. Ties, one. If teams are level on points, the tiebreakers are as follows: best goal difference; most goals scored; most away goals scored; most wins; most away wins; fair play considerations; highest club ranking after the round is completed; a draw by CONCACAF.

LAFC AT COLUMBUS CREW

When: Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. PT

Where: Lower.com Field, Columbus, Ohio

TV: FS2

​ Orange County Register 

NOAA’s uncertain future brings tsunami of worry for wildlife, ocean

• March 11, 2025

When the Palisades fire raged and winds whipped ash and debris into the Pacific Ocean, scientists with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration — already out in boats doing water-quality surveys — quickly gathered tainted saltwater samples, knowing the data would be vital to understand the impacts the wildfires would have on the ocean.

When word spreads on the water that a whale or sea creature is entangled in heavy fishing gear and in danger of dying, NOAA response teams quickly assemble in a race to save its life.

And, as catastrophic storms and wild weather bring threats from snow, rain, big swells, mudslides, hurricanes and fire, National Weather Service meteorologists give early warnings so people can stay clear of harm’s way.

A tidal wave of concerns have been raised in recent days as word of large-scale layoffs at NOAA — and its sister weather service branch — have environmentalists and communities worried about impacts locally and across the country.

Layoffs are estimated to be up to 20% of NOAA’s workforce, according to reporting by various news outlets. The cuts are part of efforts by the Trump administration’s new Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with wrangling in an expansive federal government, which in recent weeks has meant offering bureaucrats severance packages to leave and cutting positions at various federal agencies.

President Thomas Jefferson in 1807 founded the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey to provide nautical charts to the maritime community for safe passage into American ports and coastline. The Weather Bureau followed in 1870, and a year later, the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries was founded.

The groups would be America’s first physical science agency, the first dedicated to the atmospheric sciences and the country’s first conservation agency. In 1970, the three agencies were brought together as NOAA, an agency within the Department of Commerce.

“Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep the public informed of the changing environment around them,” its website reads. “From daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration and supporting marine commerce, NOAA’s products and services support economic vitality and affect more than one-third of America’s gross domestic product.”

Much of the agency’s work in Southern California revolves around the ocean — everything from keeping marine wildlife safe from extinction to studying the health of the ocean to warning beachgoers of big waves.

Its staffers are a critical piece of an integral puzzle of researchers who determine the health of fisheries and study whether regulations should be put in place to ensure there’s enough left for future generations, said Ken Franke, president of the Sportfishing Association of California, a nonprofit based out of San Diego that represents most commercial passenger fishing fleets from there to Santa Barbara.

Commercial passenger fishing crews have been trained to collect data and do stock assessments for NOAA, Franke said. The data and samples shared for federally managed fish include tuna and rockfish, information used to determine bag limits that help those species from being overfished.

“We’re just anxious looking at what it is that could potentially be impacted,” he said. “And the moment we see something that is impacted, we will be quick to make sure our congressional offices are made aware.”

The economic engine in California powered by the ocean is “massive,” Franke said, touching trade, food and tourism.

“There’s a long list of people and entities that are connected, economically, to the activity related to recreational fishing. It’s not just about a couple of fish — it’s about a pretty massive economic impact,” he said. “And the key to the whole thing is data.”

Franke is just back from Washington, D.C., where he visited legislative decision-makers to discuss the importance of data collection.

“It’s a process, but it’s intended to protect and sustain resources, so they are there to use in years to come,” Franke said. “We’re doing it really well, we just want to make sure we keep it going.”

NOAA Fisheries has jurisdiction over 165 endangered and threatened species, including blue whales, Oceanic whitetip sharks, Chinook salmon, green sea turtles and several species of corals.

It’s why the Center for Biological Diversity is requesting more information from the federal government about the employment cuts, and which departments will be impacted.

“If we don’t stand up for science and biodiversity, we stand to lose clean water, whales and corals, hurricane protection and fisheries,” said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director at the center. “Oceans make up most of our planet and their ecosystems are vital for supporting life on Earth. We’ve barely begun to even learn about these precious marine species, and once they’re gone we can’t get them back.”

Alisa Schulman-Janiger, director and coordinator of the American Cetacean Society’s Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, talked about its ongoing collaboration with NOAA to document population trends, migration timing and calf production to determine the health of the whale species.

Data compiled by NOAA Fisheries, the ACS/LA Census, and others led the federal agency to declare an “unusual mortality event” in 2019, when many gray whales were skinny and washing ashore dead in the hundreds along the West Coast. The designation allowed further funding and research to figure out why they were dying in mass.

NOAA Fisheries also spearheads the Large Whale Entanglement Response Network, tracking whales that need help out at sea, as well as the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

Along the West Coast, there were 34 whales confirmed entangled in fishing gear in 2024, the highest number since 2018, according to NOAA Fisheries.

Crab pots are the most common form of fishing gear associated with whale entanglements, and NOAA has been working with the Dungeness crab industry to find ways to reduce entanglements, collecting data and identifying entangling gear.

Several years ago, Schulman-Janiger was on a boat in Monterey Bay when she said she spotted floats from fishing gear trailing behind a humpback whale. She contacted the NOAA response team, who rushed out with their boats to try and cut the whale loose. Though it took several weeks due to weather and the whale’s movements, the efforts were successful.

That’s a scenario that plays out up and down the coast, several times a year, when boat captains encounter a whale wrapped in fishing gear. In July, NOAA-led rescue teams spent six days trying to help a humpback first spotted off Palos Verdes, and later off Orange County, eventually freeing the massive mammal from the line wrapped around its tale.

“Being hit by ships or entangled, those are things caused by humans and warrant intervention. If it’s entangled, there may be a possibility to respond, to cut down the possibility of the whale dying,” Schulman-Janiger said. “So (they) directly save lives.”

NOAA Fisheries focuses on the nation’s ocean resources and their habitat, using “sound science and an ecosystem-based approach to management,” its website says, ensuring “productive and sustainable fisheries, safe sources of seafood, recovery and conservation of protected resources and a healthy ecosystem.”

It’s also important to have federal regulators who assess the quality of seafood and test for toxins, Schulman-Janiger noted. “I don’t want to eat something that is full of fire retardants.”

That was why a crew aboard a NOAA research vessel knew it was important to grab samples as they saw ash falling from the sky like snowflakes on the ocean’s surface when the Palisades fire erupted. The effort was described on a NOAA podcast last month by Noelle Bowlin, project lead for NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center.

“Maybe it helps with remediation crews understanding what pollutants are in the air versus what makes it to the water, how far away it gets from the epicenter of the fires,” she said in the podcast. “Let’s collect this information, reach out to other experts in wildfire science and toxicology, and see what we can do to help with the efforts to understand what happened and how to remediate.”

While NOAA cannot discuss internal personnel and management matters, the agency “remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research, and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation’s environmental and economic resilience,” an agency spokesperson said in an email.

Supporters of DOGE, or Trump’s efforts to restructure the federal government, say looking at the federal bureaucracy is part of a much needed effort to curtail government spending or waste and fraud. The president has directed agencies to prepare for more potential trimming of their workforce.

Among the recent cuts are the dismantling of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, a federal committee that advises the secretary of commerce and NOAA on marine resource issues.

Dana Wharf Sportsfishing and Whale Watching manager Donna Kalez, who had submitted an application to serve another term on the committee, said she wasn’t completely surprised at the news that it was cut, saying Trump had tried to dissolve it during his first term in office as well, when she was a committee member.

“I think there’s concern from the fishing community,” she said. “It’s totally disappointing. Hopefully, they will need advice in the future and they will bring it back. We’re waiting to see. Every day is a new day.”

​ Orange County Register