Update: Wind advisory issued for Los Angeles County until Friday morning

• March 21, 2025

5 Freeway corridor near Santa Clarita, Santa Barbara County Southwestern Coast and Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range are under an updated wind advisory which was released by the National Weather Service on Thursday at 10:29 p.m. The advisory is in effect until Friday, Mar. 21 at 6 a.m.

The NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA says to expect, “North winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.”

“Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the NWS said. “Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.”

High wind alerts: What each level signifies

When it comes to high wind alerts, understanding the levels of risk is crucial. The NWS classifies them into three distinct categories:

High wind warning: Take action!

Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening. Seek shelter. If you are driving, keep both hands on the wheel and slow down.

Wind advisory: Take action!

Strong winds are occurring but are not so strong as to warrant a High wind warning. Objects that are outdoors should be secured and caution should be taken if driving.

High wind watch: Be prepared!

Sustained, strong winds are possible. Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you’re not caught outside.

How to prepare before strong winds approach

• Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines.
• Secure loose gutters and shutters.
• Identify an interior room of your house, such as a basement or interior bathroom, that you can take shelter in during high wind warnings.
• If you live in a mobile home, identify a sturdy building you can go to if the NWS issues a high wind or severe thunderstorm warning.
• Charge batteries of all essential items such as cell phones and booster packs, weather radios and power tools such as a reciprocating saw, which you might need to clear debris.
• Update your emergency kit and be sure to include enough food and water to last for 3 days for each person in your home.
• Make a list of items outside your home you will need to tie down or put away so that they don’t blow away or fly through a window. When the NWS issues a high wind watch, immediately secure these items to avoid damage or injury once the wind starts picking up.

How to act during strong winds

Take shelter:

• Immediately go inside a sturdy building during a high wind warning or severe thunderstorm warning and move to an interior room or basement.
• If you are in a mobile home, move to a sturdy building before the winds pick up or the storm system reaches your location.

If caught outside or driving:

• Take shelter in your car if you are not near a sturdy building. If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building. Otherwise, move your car to a location where it is less likely to be hit by falling trees or power lines.
• If no shelter is available avoid trees, power lines, and the side of the road. Keep in mind that power lines that are laying on the ground may be live. Do not go near them! Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
• If you are driving and aren’t near a sturdy building, hold the steering wheel with both hands and slow down.
• Keep a distance from high profile vehicles such as trucks, buses and vehicles towing trailers. One strong gust of wind can be enough to flip one of these trailers onto its side.

What to do after strong winds subside

• Do not go near downed power lines. Report downed power lines to the police.
• Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.

​ Orange County Register 

A judge says Mariah Carey didn’t steal ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ from other writers

• March 20, 2025

By ANDREW DALTON

A federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled that Mariah Carey did not steal her perennial megahit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” from other songwriters.

Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani granted Carey’s request for summary judgment on Wednesday, giving her and co-writer and co-defendant Walter Afanasieff a victory without going to trial.

In 2023, songwriters Andy Stone of Louisiana — who goes by the stage name Vince Vance — and Troy Powers of Tennessee filed the $20 million lawsuit alleging that Carey’s 1994 song, which has since become a holiday standard and annual streaming sensation, infringed the copyright of their country 1989 song with the same title.

Their lawyer Gerard P. Fox said he’s “disappointed” in an email to The Associated Press.

Fox said it is his experience that judges at this level “nearly always now dismiss a music copyright case and that one must appeal to reverse and get the case to the jury. My client will make a decision shortly on whether to appeal. We filed based on the opinions of two esteemed musicologists who teach at great colleges.”

Stone and Powers’ suit said their “’All I Want For Christmas Is You’ contains a unique linguistic structure where a person, disillusioned with expensive gifts and seasonal comforts, wants to be with their loved one, and accordingly writes a letter to Santa Claus.”

They said there was an “overwhelming likelihood” Carey and Afanasieff had heard their song — which at one point reached No. 31 on Billboard’s Hot Country chart — and infringed their copyright by taking significant elements from it.

After hearing from two experts for each side, Ramírez Almadani agreed with those from the defense, who said the writers employed common Christmas cliches that existed prior to both songs, and that Carey’s song used them differently. She said the plaintiffs had not met the burden of showing that the songs are substantially similar.

Ramírez Almadani also ordered sanctions against the plaintiffs and their lawyers, saying their suit and subsequent filings were frivolous and that the plaintiffs’ attorneys “made no reasonable effort to ensure that the factual contentions asserted have evidentiary support.”

She said they must pay at least part of the defendants’ attorney fees.

Defense attorneys and publicists for Carey did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Carey’s Christmas colossus has become an even bigger hit in recent years than it was in the 1990s. It has reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart the past six years in a row — measuring the most popular songs each week — not just the holiday-themed — by airplay, sales and streaming.

Carey and Afanasieff have had their own public disagreement — though not one that’s gone to court — over who wrote how much of the song. But the case made them at least temporary allies.

​ Orange County Register 

Angels held to 5 hits in Cactus League loss to White Sox

• March 20, 2025

THE GAME: The Angels had only five hits in a 2-1 Cactus League loss to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday in Glendale, Arizona.

PITCHING REPORT: Right-hander Joel Hurtado gave up two runs in 2⅔ innings. Hurtado, the Angels’ No. 22 prospect according to Baseball America, has not pitched above Class-A. He started because right-hander Jack Kochanowicz instead pitched in a minor-league game because the controlled environment ensured the Angels could get him to his required pitch count. Kochanowicz threw 5⅔ scoreless innings, with seven walks and no strikeouts. He threw 68 pitches. … In the major-league game, right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn was not charged with a run in 1⅓ innings, but he allowed a double that drove in both of the runs charged to Hurtado. Zeferjahn has not allowed a run in seven innings this spring. … Right-hander Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect inning against the top three hitters in the White Sox order. It was Jansen’s first outing since March 9. He had been away because of his mother’s death. Jansen has not allowed a run in four innings this spring. … Left-hander Angel Perdomo worked around two walks in a scoreless inning. Perdomo’s fastball averaged 93.8 mph. “I was looking for a little more coming out of his arm,” Manager Ron Washington said. “He made it through his inning. For a minute there I thought it was going to be a long inning where people were being walked, but he came back and found the strike zone.” It was his first outing with the Angels after he was acquired from the Atlanta Braves. Including eight games with the Braves, Perdomo has allowed two runs in 9⅓ innings this spring.

HITTING REPORT: Tim Anderson drove in a run with a single. Anderson is 13 for 48 (.271) this spring. … The Angels had the tying run at third with one outs after Anderson’s single, but Luis Rengifo and Mickey Moniak each struck out. … Mike Trout was hitless in three trips to the plate, with a walk. … Jo Adell singled in his only trip to the plate. Adell has four hits in his last two games after snapping an 0-for-22 skid. … The Angels have scored two runs or fewer in six of their last nine games. “If we can’t put runs on the board we’re in trouble,” Washington said. “No matter how much good pitching we get and how we play defense, the name of the game is scoring runs. We’ve got to score runs.”

DEFENSE REPORT: Right fielder Jorge Soler made a catch at the warning track. … Anderson, the second baseman, made a backhand stop over the middle and a quick throw to first, but it wasn’t in time. … Left fielder Matthew Lugo made a sliding catch of a ball in front of him.

UP NEXT: Angels (RHP Kyle Hendricks) vs. Texas Rangers (TBD), Friday, 12:10 p.m. PT, at Tempe Diablo Stadium, FDSN West, 830 AM

Angels (LHP Yusei Kikuchi) at Colorado Rockies (RHP Antonio Senzatela), Friday, 1:10 p.m. PT, at Salt River Fields

​ Orange County Register 

USAID suspension will strengthen China and exacerbate suffering, former official says during UCI talk

• March 20, 2025

The effective dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development has dealt a major blow to American “soft power,” said Isobel Coleman, a former senior USAID official.

Speaking at the Beckman Center at UC Irvine on Wednesday evening, March 19, Coleman, who served as USAID’s deputy administrator for policy and programming under the Biden administration, said there will be a severe impact from halting critical foreign assistance programs.

“The work in the field has mostly ground to a halt, and American soft power has taken a big hit,” said Coleman, who led the review of the U.S. mission to the United Nations for former President Joe Biden’s transition team before joining USAID. “Over its 63-year existence, USAID has saved and improved the lives of hundreds of millions of people.”

Coleman’s talk at UCI, part of the School of Social Ecology’s speaker series on contemporary policy issues, comes after the Trump administration made drastic cuts to USAID’s funding and operations as part of a broader effort to reorganize U.S. foreign aid.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on March 10 that an internal review had resulted in the cancellation of 83% of the agency’s programs and much of USAID’s work is at a standstill. The goal, according to the administration, is to prioritize aid that aligns more closely with U.S. interests, focusing on areas including humanitarian aid and disaster response, and to counter China’s influence.

But the halt, Coleman argued, not only exacerbates human suffering, but also shifts the global balance of power, making it “easier for China to extend and deepen its interests around the world.”

“No country is more pleased to see USAID shut down than the People’s Republic of China,” she said, pointing out that China has already signaled its intent to fill the void in countries that once depended on American aid, including Cambodia and Nepal.

This week, the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID hit a legal roadblock when a federal judge ruled the move likely violated constitutional processes, ordering the restoration of email and computer access for all USAID employees, including those on administrative leave.

Coleman said that while USAID’s budget makes up a little more than 0.5% of total federal spending, its reach has been significant. In fiscal year 2023, the agency distributed nearly $43.8 billion in aid, and U.S. aid dollars supported programs in 177 countries and 29 regions, according to the Pew Research Center.

Coleman quoted former President George W. Bush: “We have the power to help. To work with other nations, to reduce suffering and save lives.”

He was talking about why the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program created by the U.S. government in 2003 to address the global HIV/AID epidemic, was important fund, the same reason why she argues USAID is important.

“Of course, American generosity can’t and shouldn’t be endless. There are many needs at home,” Coleman acknowledged. “But the entire USAID budget accounts for half of 1% of the federal budget.”

At the same time, she recognized the need for fiscal responsibility.

“Having worked in government … I want to see our budget deficit reduced, if not eliminated,” Coleman said. “I know how important that is for the long-term health of the U.S. economy and for Americans to be economically prosperous.”

The former USAID official said she anticipated significant reforms would take place under the new administration.

“In some respects, I welcome that, too. Government can use a shakeup now and then,” she said. “But this — no, I did not anticipate.”

Rather than just restoring USAID to its previous form, Coleman argued the focus should be on a “wholesale restructuring of U.S. foreign aid.” She said she supports giving regional offices more authority in directing funds and reducing reliance on Congress to earmark programs and locations for USAID spending.

When an audience member asked whether other players could fill the gap left by USAID, Coleman answered, “Perhaps.”

She pointed to USAID’s role in helping South Korea rebuild after the Korean War, noting that the country, once a recipient of U.S. aid, has since become a donor — providing financial and humanitarian assistance to other nations.

However, Coleman stressed how difficult it would be to replace USAID’s scale, saying it would take about 20 South Koreas to fill the gap.

South Korea, a major U.S. ally and trade partner, has allocated $4.5 billion in government aid for 2025 to support economic growth in developing countries.

“I can’t help but think that the U.S. — the richest country in the history of the world — can afford to extend some generosity to the world’s most destitute,” Coleman said.

She also expressed concern over the loss of USAID’s work in promoting democracy around the world, including supporting investigative journalism in fragile states.

She ended her remarks quoting U2’s Bono: “U.S. development assistance has its flaws, but it was as close to poetry as policy gets.”

​ Orange County Register 

What’s happening with the Institute of Museum and Library Services after Trump’s executive order

• March 20, 2025

By HILLEL ITALIE

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump has named a new acting director for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, one of seven independent government agencies cited in a recent executive order calling for their dismantling “to the maximum extent of the law.”

Trump said that the order “continues the reduction in the elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary.”

Since taking office, Trump has shuttered or drastically curtailed agencies, including the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Institute of Museum and Library of Services, or IMLS, is a key source of funding for museums, libraries and educational institutions.

What is the Institute of Museum and Library Services?

IMLS was established in 1996 by a Republican-led Congress and has a mission to “advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development.” The institute combined the services of previous government agencies, including the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and the Institute of Museum Services.

It distributes thousands of grants nationwide, totaling in recent years to more than $200 million annually. Awards in 2024 ranged from $240,000 for the Chicago History Museum to more than $1 million for several state library training programs named for former Republican first lady Laura Bush to nearly $25,000 for the Lorain Historical Society, which is based in the Ohio hometown of Nobel laureate Toni Morrison.

A spokesperson for Bush declined comment.

Who is the new director?

The new acting director, Keith Sonderling, had recently been confirmed as deputy secretary of the Department of Labor and was from 2020-2024 a commissioner on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He replaces Cyndee Landrum, who had been named acting director in March 2024.

“I am committed to steering this organization in lockstep with this Administration to enhance efficiency and foster innovation,” Sonderling said in a statement after his appointment Thursday. “We will revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations.”

Has the IMLS been targeted before?

During his first term, Trump repeatedly called for the IMLS to be shut down, but funding was maintained by Congress. The American Library Association in a statement this week condemned “eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services. … The Trump administration’s executive order is cutting off at the knees the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer.”

What happens now?

The library association has advised members that the status of current grants remains unclear. If the administration follows the same playbook it has in targeting other small agencies for closure, IMLS could be shut down.

The U.S. Institute of Peace was one of four agencies Trump ordered to be closed last month in an effort to shrink the size of government. On Monday, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency took control of USIP’s headquarters in Washington and used law enforcement to escort the independent think tank’s employees out of the building. Former USIP board members have sued the administration to stop the takeover but a judge on Wednesday declined to immediately block the administration’s actions.

Staff from DOGE have also moved fast in the past weeks to lay off staff, end grants and contracts and remove the leaders of two other agencies that invested in small businesses in Africa and Latin American and the Caribbean. Former board members and leaders of those organizations have also sued, but a judge ruled it would be legal to remove most staff and grants from the U.S. African Development Foundation.

​ Orange County Register 

Bogdan Bogdanovic becoming an X-factor for Clippers

• March 20, 2025

INGLEWOOD — The drive to succeed in sports comes from many sources. It could be parents or coaches, teammates or simply from within. Then there are outside influences, such as shame and embarrassment.

Newly acquired Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic knows the latter well. As a teenager playing basketball in Serbia, a loss in a big game had consequences. Nothing as mundane as running lines or extra practices, though.

“People who know me know that I’ve been playing big games since I was 18, starting with (Serbian club teams) Partizan and then at Fenerbahce,” Bogdanovic said. “If you don’t win a game (there), you can’t go out in the city. You can’t have a normal dinner. You can’t have fun.”

As harsh as it sounds, Bogdanovic, 32, said that type of pressure shaped him, first in club play then for five seasons in the EuroLeague and now the NBA, where he has solidified himself as the backup point guard on the Clippers.

“I don’t feel it anymore. Now, I’m just reading the game,” Bogdanovic said.

Bogdanovic’s ability to read the floor, knowing where to pass or when to shoot, has elevated the Clippers’ offense, giving them a high-level passer and another long-range shooter behind 11-time All-Star James Harden.

“Bogey, him coming to our team really gave us a shot in the arm and helped us out in all of those areas,” assistant coach Brian Shaw said. “(His) spacing, being able to handle the ball takes some of the pressure off of James … and then when we want to seek out mismatches, they have to account for him out on the 3-point line and that leaves the paint and everything open.”

Bogdanovic came to the Clippers on Feb. 6 in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, where he played for four-plus seasons. In his last full season with the Hawks in 2023-24, he averaged career-highs of 16.9 points and 1.2 steals per game and shot 92.1% from the free-throw line and averaged 3.1 assists.

In 17 games with the Clippers (39-30), Bogdanovic is averaging 12.6 points and 3.2 assists and shooting 40% from 3-point range. He made all eight of his shots (four 3-pointers) for 20 points to go with seven assists and two steals in a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.

Center Ivica Zubac said Bogdanovic has been playing at this level for his entire career, but few have noticed because many believe he’s just a shooter.

“The man’s been playing, doing everything on the offensive end throughout his whole career for the national team in Europe and now people can see he’s more than a shooter,” Zubac said. “He’s a great pick-and-roll player. He’s very smart. His IQ is off the charts, and he works really hard so he’s a really good addition to our team.”

Zubac and Bogdanovic have developed a fast friendship, one bonded by the same language. While Zubac is from Croatia and Bogdanovic is Serbian, their native Balkan language is the same but spoken with different dialects.

Zubac said Bogdanovic has helped with more than just words, although it helps during games when the two communicate on plays.

“He gives me a lot of confidence, and I try to return the favor by pushing him to be aggressive,” Zubac said. “He does the same for me, and we’ve developed some chemistry in the pick-and-roll. We’re playing off each other, reading the game, and it’s really easy. So, I’d say him coming here has really made a difference for me.”

Zubac isn’t the only Clippers player happy to have Bogdanovic in the fold.

Following their victory against the Miami Heat, when Bogdanovic had 30 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, and Harden had 24 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, the veteran point guard took to social media comparing himself and Bogdanovic to an iconic movie duo, the stars of “White Men Can’t Jump” with the comment Bad Boys 25’ and hashtag #UNO.

Bogdanovic responded with “Unović” and a saluting face emoji.

“I didn’t know what to write,” Bogdanović said of his response, adding that he wears Harden’s shoes and they play similar games. “So, it was a good thing.”

He added that Harden and Zubac “are the two most guys that are helping me with adjustments.”

Harden said he quickly noticed Bogdanovic’s hesitation on offense and got “on his (butt). He needed to be aggressive. He’s so good, especially offensively, that if he’s reluctant or not shooting the basketball or not being aggressive, it hurts our team.”

While Bogdanovic was quick to make alliances in the locker room, the karma on the court wasn’t instant. His integration was a slow process as the team initially viewed him solely as a shooter.

In his first five games, Bogdanovic shot 37.5% from the field (21 for 56). His 3-point shooting was a dismal 22.8%, which included a horrendous 1-for-12 night in a loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Still, no one gave up on him, he said.

“They have trusted me and not only when it’s going well, when I was shooting 1 for 12, they keep trusting me and they see probably how much I’m putting in work,” said Bogdanovic, who is now at 48.5% from the field and 40% from 3-point range with 3.2 assists per game for a team that has won seven of its past eight games.

Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said he used to look at Bogdanovic “as a shooter, a guy who can handle a little bit. … I didn’t think he could be that good in pick-and-roll situations. But he really has been.”

For Bogdanovic, his emergence as a go-to in pick-and-roll situations and a versatile threat with the ball in his hands was simply a matter of time.

“It’s a little bit different playing with different guys, different tendencies, so it takes time for everybody,” he said. “I was in good shape, but still playing with a new team, new stuff, new role, it’s a little bit different and no matter how good you are, it takes time.”

MEMPHIS AT CLIPPERS

When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Intuit Dome

TV/radio: FDSN SoCal/570 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Amazon ends privacy feature that let Echo users opt out of sending recordings to company

• March 20, 2025

Amazon is ending a little-used privacy feature that let some users of its Echo smart speaker prevent their voice commands from going to the company’s cloud.

Beginning on March 28, Amazon is ending the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” option that kept audio from being sent to Amazon’s cloud and had it process locally on the device instead.

In an email sent to customers who’d been using the option, Amazon said it made the decision to “no longer support this feature” as it expands Alexa’s capabilities with generative artificial intelligence features that rely on being processed in the cloud.

While the change may sound alarming to some privacy-minded users, it was not widely used or available. It only worked on three devices: the 4th generation Echo Dot, the Echo Show 10 and the Echo Show 15 — and only for customers in the U.S. with devices set to English. Amazon said less than 0.03% of customers use it.

People still have the option to prevent Alexa from saving voice recordings. Those who’d been using the “Do Not Send” feature as of March 28 will automatically be opted into the “Don’t save recordings” option, Amazon said.

“The Alexa experience is designed to protect our customers’ privacy and keep their data secure, and that’s not changing. We’re focusing on the privacy tools and controls that our customers use most and work well with generative AI experiences that rely on the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud,” Amazon said in a statement.

​ Orange County Register 

Judge calls Trump administration’s latest response on deportation flights ‘woefully insufficient’

• March 20, 2025

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge instructed the Trump administration on Thursday to explain why its failure to turn around flights carrying deportees to El Salvador did not violate his court order in a growing showdown between the judicial and executive branches.

U.S. District Judge Jeb Boasberg demanded answers after flights carrying Venezuelan immigrants alleged by the Trump administration to be gang members landed in El Salvador after the judge temporarily blocked deportations under an 18th century wartime law. Boasberg had directed the administration to return to the U.S. planes that were already in the air when he ordered the halt.

Boasberg had given the administration until noon Thursday to either provide more details about the flights or make a claim that it must be withheld because it would harm “state secrets.” The administration resisted the judge’s request, calling it an “unnecessary judicial fishing” expedition.

In a written order, Boasberg called Trump officials’ latest response “woefully insufficient.” The judge said the administration “again evaded its obligations” by merely repeating “the same general information about the flights.” And he ordered the administration to “show cause,” as to why it didn’t violate his court order to turn around the planes, increasing the prospect that he may consider holding administration officials in contempt of court.

The Justice Department has said the judge’s verbal directions did not count, that only his written order needed to be followed and that it couldn’t apply to flights that had already left the U.S. A Justice Department spokesperson said Thursday that it “continues to believe that the court’s superfluous questioning of sensitive national security information is inappropriate judicial overreach.”

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official told the judge Thursday the administration needed more time to decide whether it would invoke the state secrets privilege in an effort to block the information’s release.

Boasberg ordered Trump officials by Friday to submit a sworn declaration by a person “with direct involvement in the Cabinet-level discussions” about the state secrets privilege and to tell the court by next Tuesday whether the administration will invoke it.

In a deepening conflict between the judicial and executive branch, Trump and many of his allies have called for impeaching Boasberg, who was nominated to the federal bench by Democratic President Barack Obama. In a rare statement earlier this week, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rejected such calls, saying “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”

​ Orange County Register