4.1-magnitude quake rattles Malibu, San Fernando Valley and beyond

• March 9, 2025

A 4.1-magnitude earthquake shook Malibu, the San Fernando Valley and other parts of Southern California on Sunday afternoon.

The quake struck at 1:03 p.m., 6.9 miles southwest of Westlake Village, 7.1 miles south, southwest of Thousand Oaks and 7.7 miles west, northwest of Malibu, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The temblor was at a depth of about 7.2 miles. It was followed by a series of aftershocks in the same general area, estimated at magnitudes of 2.5, 3.0 and 2.8, the USGS reported.

The quake was felt in Torrance, the San Gabriel Valley and elsewhere, with weak shaking also felt as far away as Redlands and Orange County, according to the agency’s updated map.

No immediate reports of any injuries or damage were available.

A preliminary USGS alert had pegged the magnitude at 4.2.

​ Orange County Register 

Tens of thousands of Mexicans rally with president to celebrate US decision to delay tariffs

• March 9, 2025

By Fabiola Sánchez | Associated Press

MEXICO CITY — Tens of thousands of people packed into Mexico’s City main plaza on Sunday to celebrate with President Claudia Sheinbaum a decision by the U.S. to postpone tariffs on many of the country’s goods.

The crowd clutched large Mexican flags and yelled, “Mexico is to be respected!” as they cheered on Sheinbaum.

“Fortunately, dialogue and respect have prevailed,” she told the crowd.

The celebration comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump postponed 25% tariffs on many imports from Mexico for a month, saying Sheinbaum had made progress on drug smuggling and illegal immigration.

Sheinbaum had planned to announce any retaliatory measures on Sunday, but instead held a mass celebration.

While threats persist, the president said she was optimistic tariffs would not be applied to Mexico and that she would continue to act with a “cool head” in the face of Trump.

Among Sheinbaum’s supporters was Roberto González, a 68-year-old computer scientist who raised a sign that read “we are united Mexicans.”

“The unity of the country is very important,” said González, adding that is the only way Mexico would be able to “face one of the largest powers in the world.”

Also cheering on the president was Mariana Rivera, a 40-year-old social activist who held up a massive Mexican flag as high as her arms allowed.

Despite the dark clouds hanging over the country, the activist said she was convinced that “the president will overcome everything.”

Analysts say they don’t expect the jubilant ceremony to alleviate the climate of uncertainty that threatens new investments and the Mexican economy, but that it would help Sheinbaum consolidate internal support against Trump, who is setting the pace of bilateral relations with his powerful rhetoric.

“This is an event designed more for internal politics,” said political scientist and academic Javier Rosiles Salas, stating that Sheinbaum will seek to strengthen her image and leadership with Sunday’s event.

Rosiles Salas told The Associated Press that despite concerns in Mexico about the economic impacts that a tariff war with the United States — its main trading partner and destination of more than 80% of Mexican exports — could unleash, the confrontation with Trump has been “very profitable for Claudia Sheinbaum” and has allowed her to achieve popular support of over 60% five months into her term.

Although the 62-year-old president appears strong now, it is not clear whether her political support would weaken if the Mexican economy deteriorates because of tensions with the U.S.

For now, the projections of specialists and rating agencies are not favorable. Most analysts agree that if general tariffs are imposed, Mexico could face a contraction of more than 1% of the Gross Domestic Product.

A prolonged climate of uncertainty doesn’t favor Mexico, according to Samuel Ortiz Velásquez, professor of the Faculty of Economics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

After phone conversations with his counterparts in Mexico and Canada, Trump decided last Thursday to pause until April 2 the general tariffs for products that are under a trilateral trade agreement. In early February, Trump also suspended tariffs after Sheinbaum promised to send 10,000 national guards to the northern border to contain drug trafficking.

Despite the agreements, Trump’s decision on the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum from Mexico and Canada, which are scheduled to come into effect on March 12, remains in limbo.

​ Orange County Register 

Winter storm watch for Yosemite from Tuesday to Thursday

• March 9, 2025

Yosemite is the focus of a winter storm watch issued at 12:52 p.m. on Sunday by the National Weather Service. The watch is valid from Tuesday 11 p.m. until Thursday, Mar. 13 at 11 p.m.

According to the NWS Hanford CA, “Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 1 to 3 feet above 4000 feet and up to 4 feet on the highest elevations. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph.”

“Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the Wednesday morning and evening commutes. Strong winds could cause tree damage,” the NWS said. “Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation.”

The full list of affected locations includes:

• Yosemite
• Yosemite Valley
• Mariposa-Madera Lower Sierra
• Fresno-Tulare Lower Sierra
• South End of the Lower Sierra
• San Joaquin River Canyon
• Upper San Joaquin River
• Kaiser to Rodgers Ridge
• Kings Canyon NP
• Grant Grove area
• Sequoia NP
• South End of the Upper Sierra

Winter weather wisdom: Driving tips from the NWS for challenging conditions

Winter weather can make driving treacherous, leading to over 6,000 weather-related vehicle fatalities and over 480,000 injuries each year. When traveling during snow or freezing rain, prioritize safety by slowing down. In near-freezing temperatures, it’s safest to assume that icy conditions exist on roadways and adjust your driving accordingly. Be cautious of ice accumulating on power lines or tree branches, which can lead to snapping and falling hazards. If possible, avoid driving in such conditions. If you must venture out, opt for routes with fewer trees and power lines. Never touch a downed power line, and immediately dial 911 if you come across one. Here are additional winter weather driving tips:

Share your travel plans:

When traveling out of town in hazardous winter weather, inform your family or friends of your destination, planned route, and estimated time of arrival.

Prepare your vehicle:

Ensure your gas tank is full and equip your vehicle with essential winter supplies, including a windshield scraper, jumper cables, a small shovel, flashlight, cell phone, blanket, extra warm clothing, drinking water, and high-calorie non-perishable food.

Stay calm when stranded:

If you become stranded, remain composed. Inform someone about your situation and location. Avoid attempting to walk to safety. Indicate that you need assistance by attaching a cloth to your car’s antenna or mirror, and make your vehicle more visible by using the dome light and flashers

Be mindful of snow plows:

Keep an eye out for snow plows and provide them with ample room to pass. Only overtake a plow when you have a clear view of the road ahead.

Check road conditions:

Before embarking on your journey, check the latest road conditions to make informed travel decisions.

Stay safe on wintry roads with these valuable winter driving tips from the NWS, and reduce the risk of accidents during challenging weather conditions.

​ Orange County Register 

Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water

• March 9, 2025

By Melanie Lidman and Samy Magdy | Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel cut off the electricity supply to Gaza, officials said Sunday, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water for part of the arid territory. Hamas called it part of Israel’s “starvation policy.”

Israel last week suspended supplies of goods to the territory of more than 2 million Palestinians, an echo of the siege it imposed in the earliest days of the war.

Israel is pressing the militant group to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire. That phase ended last weekend. Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.

Hamas instead wants to start negotiations on the ceasefire’s more difficult second phase, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others.

The militant group — which has warned that discontinuing supplies would affect the hostages — said Sunday that it wrapped up the latest round of ceasefire talks with Egyptian mediators without changes to its position.Israel has said it would send a delegation to Qatar on Monday in an effort to “advance” the negotiations.

Israel had warned when it stopped all supplies that water and electricity could be next. The letter from Israel’s energy minister to the Israel Electric Corporation tells it to stop selling power to Gaza.

The territory and its infrastructure have been largely devastated, and most facilities, including hospitals, now use generators. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassam said that Israel has “practically” cut off electricity since the war began and called the latest decision part of Israel’s “starvation policy, in clear disregard for all international laws and norms.”

The desalination plant was providing 18,000 cubic meters of water per day for central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah area, according to Gisha, an Israeli organization dedicated to protecting Palestinians’ right to freedom of movement. Executive director Tania Hary said that it’s expected to run on generators and produce around 2,500 cubic meters per day, about the amount in an Olympic swimming pool.

Israel’s restrictions on fuel entering Gaza have a larger impact, Hary said, and water shortages are a looming issue, because fuel is needed for distribution trucks.

Israel has faced sharp criticism over suspending supplies.

“Any denial of the entry of the necessities of life for civilians may amount to collective punishment,” the U.N. human rights office said Friday.

The International Criminal Court said there was reason to believe Israel had used “starvation as a method of warfare” when it issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year. The allegation is central to South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide.

Israel has denied the accusations, saying it has allowed in enough aid and blaming shortages on what it called the United Nations’ inability to distribute it. It also accused Hamas of siphoning off aid.

The leader of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, warned Friday that attacks against Israel-linked vessels off Yemen would resume within four days if aid doesn’t resume to Gaza. The Houthis described their earlier attacks as solidarity with Palestinians there.

The ceasefire has paused the deadliest and most destructive fighting ever between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The first phase allowed the return of 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli forces have withdrawn to buffer zones inside Gaza, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza and hundreds of trucks of aid entered per day until Israel suspended supplies.

US envoy describes talks with Hamas

The White House on Wednesday made the surprise confirmation of direct U.S. talks with Hamas.

On Sunday, envoy Adam Boehler told Israeli broadcaster Kan that Hamas has suggested a truce of five to 10 years while it would disarm. The militant group has previously called disarming unacceptable.

A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss contacts with the U.S., said that the group had expressed its longstanding position that it would lay down its arms in return for a “fair and just solution” that includes an independent Palestinian state.

Boehler also told CNN that “I think you could see something like a long-term truce, where we forgive prisoners, where Hamas lays down their arms, where they agree they’re not part of the political party going forward. I think that’s a reality. It’s real close.”

When asked if he would speak with the militant group again, Boehler replied, “You never know.”

He added: “I think something could come together within weeks,” and expressed hope for a deal that would see all hostages released, not only American ones. Boehler has said four of the five American hostages in Gaza are dead, with Edan Alexander alive.

Hamas on Sunday didn’t mention the talks, but reiterated its support for a proposal for the establishment of an independent committee of technocrats to run Gaza until Palestinians hold presidential and legislative elections.

Hamas’ attack in October 2023 killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, inside Israel and took 251 people hostage. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other arrangements.

Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t say how many of the dead were militants.

With the cutoff of supplies to Gaza, Palestinians are reporting sharp price increases for dwindling items during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

“Since the ceasefire began, the situation has improved a little. But before that, the situation was very bad,” said Fares al-Qeisi in the southern city of Khan Younis. “I swear to God, one could not satisfy their hunger.”

Magdy reported from Cairo.___

Follow developments at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

​ Orange County Register 

Angels will be ‘very cautious’ with Luis Rengifo because of hamstring issues

• March 9, 2025

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Angels are going to take their time with Luis Rengifo, which has put his availability for Opening Day in question.

The infielder was scratched from the lineup because of left hamstring tightness twice in the last week, and on Sunday manager Ron Washington said he’s not sure if the latest setback would prevent him from being ready when the season opens on March 27.

“I don’t know,” Washington said. “I don’t want to make that statement right now. He’s behind. We’ll see how it works out the next couple days with the hamstring.”

Washington said the Angels will be “backing off him for a few days. He’s already behind and we don’t want to push him and cause a problem. So we’re going to be very cautious with Rengifo the next couple days.”

Rengifo figured to the be the Angels starting second baseman on Opening Day. However, he missed a week of games at the start of spring recovering from an illness. He played just one game, on Feb. 28.

Rengifo was in the lineup on Monday, but he was scratched because of hamstring tightness. Then he was in the lineup on Friday, but the game was rained out. They tried again Saturday, and the hamstring was an issue again.

Rengifo missed the end of the 2023 season with a torn biceps muscle and he missed the last half of last season with a wrist injury that required surgery.

If Rengifo isn’t ready for Opening Day, that opens the door for one of the other infielders in camp.

Kevin Newman was already likely to be the Opening Day shortstop, with Zach Neto starting the season on the injured list. That leaves Tim Anderson, Scott Kingery, Christian Moore and Kyren Paris as the options to play second. If Rengifo is on the injured list, at least two of those four would make the Opening Day roster, one as the starting second baseman and one as the backup middle infielder.

The Angels could be reluctant to use Moore if they think it would be a short-term opening, because they would need to add him to the 40-man roster and then burn one of his options by sending him back when Rengifo was ready.

RULE 5 UPDATE

Left-hander Garrett McDaniels, who was a Rule 5 selection, has made a good impression on Washington.

“I like what he brings,” Washington said. “I’m on the same mantra about being efficient with his pitches, and I thought he did a good job of efficiency yesterday. Just want to keep him going in that direction.”

McDaniels faced three batters with 11 pitches on Saturday. He gave up a double and an infield single, but no runs. In five games this spring, he’s allowed one run in 5 ⅔ innings, with no walks.

The Angels are particularly intrigued with McDaniels’ slider, although McDaniels said it’s been a little too big and slow lately.

“Just working on getting back to the bullet slider I had last year, getting a bunch of swing and miss on it,” McDaniels said on Sunday. “I think I figured it out last night. I did a deep dive (on video) and noticed something with it.”

McDaniels had been in low levels of the Dodgers system. Last season he had a 3.19 ERA across three levels, with 84 strikeouts in 73 ⅓ innings.

Because the Angels took him in the Rule 5 draft, the Angels have to keep him in the majors or offer him back to the Dodgers.

“Right now he’s put himself in position where he’s still alive,” Washington said. “He’s still alive.”

NOTES

Outfielder Nelson Rada, 19, was among the 16 players the Angels sent to minor league camp this weekend, but not before he demonstrated to Washington that he’s making progress in his development. “He showed a lot of maturity,” Washington said. “He had some huge at-bats against left-handers in some huge situations, and he has handled it. We’ve just gotten to the point where he needs to be seeing pitches and playing and reacting to the game every single day. That’s why we sent him out.” …

Left-hander Reid Detmers and right-hander Chase Silseth, two of the three pitchers left in the race for the No. 5 starter job, will flip roles this week. Detmers had been starting and Silseth had been coming out of the bullpen, but on Monday Silseth will start and Detmers will come out of the bullpen. Washington said not to read anything into that besides wanting to “change it up” to give Silseth a chance at starting. Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz is also in the race for the spot.

​ Orange County Register 

Grappling with DOGE: Why cutting waste and fixing entitlements are both essential

• March 9, 2025

The Department of Government Efficiency draws two extreme reactions from budget-focused observers.

On one side, you have cynics rolling their eyes and arguing that the truly consequential problem is not overpriced government boondoggles but rather entitlements like Medicare and Social Security and interest on the national debt.

On the other, you have optimists who believe that if we just find and eliminate enough waste, fraud and abuse, we can balance the budget, unless too much of the savings is handed out as “DOGE dividend” checks. They point to outrageous spending on “gambling monkeys” and luxury pickleball courts as proof that government is a bloated, reckless disaster. Others think the piecemeal savings could wipe out our government’s $2 trillion annual deficit.

Both perspectives are half right and half dangerously wrong.

I spend much of my time warning people that ever-larger chunks of the budget are consumed by entitlement spending, about which President Donald Trump’s cost-cutters can do little without Congress. Around half of the budget is consumed by just three programs: Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

Add in the growing cost of interest payments on our $36 trillion national debt, thanks to both reckless overspending and rising interest rates, and we’re talking about 70% of spending being essentially automatic and untouchable unless real reforms happen.

That’s why the first group of critics shrugs off the cost-cutting work, arguing that finding waste in discretionary spending is like bailing water out of the Titanic with a teacup. They’re missing part of the point.

After all, politicians do spend large sums without restraint, much of it borrowed, on boondoggles that most Americans wouldn’t support if they knew what was happening.

It’s also a matter of good sense. Imagine telling a family drowning in debt that they shouldn’t bother canceling unnecessary streaming subscriptions or eating out less because “the real problem is the mortgage.” It’s a bad argument when applied to household budgets or the federal budget.

Now to be fair, what one person considers wasteful, another person might see as an essential or efficient investment. But this isn’t just a fight over efficiency; it’s a fight over what the federal government should be doing in the first place.

As for me, I look at federal dollars being showered on state governments for local projects, whether for infrastructure, education or pork-barrel transit grants , and see violations of federalism. Should all federal taxpayers really foot the bill for $1.7 million in federal grants to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York, to build holograms of dead comedians?

Defenders of Trump’s cost-cutting are right that every billion spent by government is a billion taken from the pockets of today’s taxpayers or added to our debt. Every grant, redundant agency and special-interest handout is either a current or future tax hike. This is true for both obvious “waste” and debatable “investments.”

Meanwhile, if the cost-cutting team’s defenders wrongly insist it can fix the budget, that’s no excuse to look away from utterly ridiculous spending. Nor is it a reason to put aside questions about whether Americans should shoulder all these well-meaning programs that make little to no difference in most people’s lives.

That’s why we should know where all the money goes. Would you support $12 million to fund a luxury pickleball complex in Las Vegas? There are billions more in examples, including $28 million once spent on Afghan Army camouflage uniforms with a forest pattern, chosen based on an Afghan official’s personal fashion preference, despite most of Afghanistan being desert.

The Washington establishment has no incentive to stop the spending on small, ridiculous stuff or on large, unpaid-for programs. Congress doesn’t have to balance the national budget as the rest of us each must balance our own household’s.

Where does that leave us? With the same old truth that we must soon reform entitlement spending to make Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security sustainable. But we must also cut as much as possible of the absurd waste that infects the budget. Rather than endorsing a false choice, we, the people, should simply demand that Congress be the good steward of our tax dollars it was intended to be. Regardless of what DOGE does.

Veronique de Rugy is the George Gibbs Chair in Political Economy and a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

​ Orange County Register 

No defense for poorly drafted self-defense bill

• March 9, 2025

At this early stage in the legislative process, it takes an unusually bad bill to spark a statewide backlash.

Assembly member Rick Zbur, D-Los Angeles, nevertheless managed this feat with his introduction of Assembly Bill 1333, which seeks to clarify when a person may legally use deadly force to protect themselves. It has no title yet, but it should be called “You Can’t Defend Your Home from Invaders Act.”

“This bill would eliminate certain circumstances under which homicide is justifiable, including, among others, in defense of a habitation or property,” per the Legislative Counsel’s Digest. Zbur said it was not “intended to limit a crime victim’s right to defend yourself, your family, or home” but to “prevent wannabe vigilantes like Kyle Rittenhouse from provoking violence & claiming self defense after the fact.”

However, a legislator’s after-the-fact justifications are not as important as the specific language. For instance, the bill states specifically that “homicide is not justifiable” if “the person used more force than was reasonably necessary to defend against a danger.”

We look askance at bills that respond to national news events, as this one does. But our main concern—and the reason for so much pushback—is that such language will muddy the waters during any incident involving home defense.

As a defense attorney told ABC10 News, the bill “might sound good in a classroom, but it is not going to help jurors making critical decisions.”

The bill would amend the current law, which allows people to use deadly force when resisting murder or any felony to only allow it when someone is planning “to do some great bodily injury upon any person.” But let’s say someone breaks into your house for unknown purposes. Suddenly, the victim’s fate hinges on whether they were sure the invader intended to do “great bodily injury.”

That Zbur thought his legislation made sense when he introduced it reflects poor judgment, to say the least.

The legislation is backed by gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety, which offered specious reasoning to justify this attack on self-defense. “White supremacists and other extremists have hidden behind self-defense laws to fire a gun and turn any conflict into a death sentence,” argued Monisha Henley, a vice president at the group, according to The Center Square. That sort of rhetoric might’ve gotten a pass in previous years, but no one should fall for it.

Zbur’s proposal has rightly drawn considerable backlash, especially from law enforcement, who recognize that what Zbur’s proposal would do is make criminals out of victims. Assemblymember Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, rightly described the bill as “ludicrous, dangerous and deplorable.”

As a result of the backlash, Zbur vowed to revise the legislation, but, again, we’re always more interested in the specific language of legislation rather than discussions about intentions and future promises. This one should instantly go into the hopper.

​ Orange County Register 

More late-winter storms to hit Southern California this week

• March 9, 2025

More late-winter storms are on the way to Southern California this week, with Wednesday and Thursday shaping up to be the heaviest days of rainfall before another system is expected to move into the area next weekend.

Light rain is possible early or late Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. A cold front will move over the area overnight Wednesday into the predawn hours of Thursday, presaging a storm that will carry the potential for flooding.

Forecasters are predicting a 3-to-6 hour period of moderate to heavy rain, with a half-inch to 1 inch per hour. This system will also likely be the biggest snow maker of the season, with 1 to 2 feet of snow forecast for higher elevations.

“Steady rain will turn to showers Thursday. The snow levels will drop to around 3,000 ft and a few inches of snow is possible over the Grapevine and other lower elevations passes,” the NWS said.

Cooler temperatures are expected all week too, with daytime highs dropping to around 60 degrees in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday and Wednesday and around 55 on Thursday and Friday. Overnight lows will generally be in the 40s and lower 50s, but will drop into the 30s on Thursday and Friday in the mountains and the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valley.

In the Inland Empire, there is a greater chance for heavy rain, low snow levels and widespread gusty west winds late Wednesday through Friday. The winds will likely peak on Thursday with gusts of 55-65 mph in the mountains and desert areas, the NWS said.

The snow level should be around 6,000-6,500 feet on Wednesday and lower to around 3,500-4,000 feet Thursday afternoon. Most of the rain will likely fall Thursday morning, when the snow level is around 4,500-5,000 feet, meteorolgists said.

There also could be another round of rain over most of Southern California next weekend.

City News Service contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register