Three Orange County wrestlers win championships at CIF State meet

• March 2, 2025

Esperanza’s Sammy Sanchez and Olivia Davis and Marina’s Aubree Gutierrez won CIF State wrestling championships Saturday in Bakersfield.

Sanchez and Gutierrez are freshmen. Davis is a junior.

Sanchez, a dominating wrestler all season, won the boys title at 106 pounds by technical fall 20-0.

Gutierrez triumphed in the girls 110-pound division with a pin at 5:55. Davis won her title at 145 pounds via an 8-3 decision.

Fountain Valley senior Khale McDonnell advanced to the 215-pound final in which he lost to Poway senior Angelo Posada by a 7-0 decision.

Orange County placers at the CIF State meet:

BOYS

106 pounds

First place: Sammy Sanchez, Esperanza

115 pounds

Fourth place: Max Murillo, Esperanza

132 pounds

Fifth place: Christopher Arreola, Esperanza

138 pounds

Fifth place: Vinnie Gutierrez, Fountain Valley

150 pounds

Fifth place: Nike Valenzuela, Fountain Valley

165 pounds

Seventh place: Cross Rodriguez, Calvary Chapel

190 pounds

Sixth place: Primo Catalano, Fountain Valley

215 pounds

Second place: Khale McDonnell, Fountain Valley

GIRLS

110 pounds

First place: Aubree Gutierrez, Marina

120 pounds

Third place: Kylee Golz, Trabuco Hills

125 pounds

Sixth place: Lilyana Balderas, Anaheim

145 pounds

First place: Olivia Davis, Esperanza

155 pounds

Fourth place: Eva Garcia, Marina

170 pounds

Third place: Angela Salazar, Santa Ana

​ Orange County Register 

Austin Reaves sitting out tonight’s home game vs. Clippers with calf injury

• March 2, 2025

LOS ANGELES — After sitting out for most of the home Lakers’ win over the Clippers on Friday, starting guard Austin Reaves won’t play in tonight’s rematch with the Clippers because of a calf injury.

The Lakers ruled out Reaves, along with two-way guard Jordan Goodwin (sprained right ankle), because of a strained right calf.

Reaves left Friday’s game late in the first quarter, heading to the locker room after being subbed out as part of his normal rotation pattern after scoring six points and blocking a shot in nine minutes.

The team said during the second quarter that Reaves would not return because of right calf soreness.

“Don’t have anything other than he was experiencing some tightness in the calf, some soreness,” Coach JJ Redick said after the game on Friday, which was the second night of a back-to-back set. “Was held out as a precaution.”

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported on Saturday that Reaves’ status will be day-to-day after an MRI on the right calf didn’t reveal a serious injury.

Reaves entered Sunday playing in 53 of the Lakers’ 58 games.

He sat out of five games in early December because of a bruised left pelvis.

Reaves is averaging 19.1 points, six assists and 4.2 rebounds this season – one of 15 players to meet the 19 point-six assist-four rebound statistical threshold, along with Lakers teammates Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Doncic (left calf injury management) and James (left foot injury management) were listed as questionable for the rematch against the Clippers as of Sunday afternoon.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

USAID cuts are already hitting countries around the world. Here are 20 projects that have closed

• March 2, 2025

By Sam Mednick, Wilson McMakin and Monika Pronczuk | Associated Press

DAKAR, Senegal — Countries around the world already are feeling the impact of the Trump administration’s decision to eliminate more than 90% of foreign aid contracts and cut some $60 billion in funding. Hours after the announcement earlier this week, programs were shuttered, leaving millions of people without access to life-saving care.

Some 10,000 contracts with the U.S. Agency for International Development were terminated on Wednesday, in letters sent to nongovernmental organizations across the globe.

The letters said that the programs were being defunded “for convenience and the interests of the U.S. government,” according to a person with knowledge of the content who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.

Many of the programs are in fragile countries that are highly reliant on U.S. aid to support health systems, nutrition programs and stave off starvation. Other major issues like fighting terrorism, human and drug trafficking, including fentanyl, and monitoring and aiding migrants will also suffer as a result of the U.S. cuts, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Here some key projects around the world that AP has confirmed have closed:

1: In Congo, aid group Action Against Hunger will stop treating tens of thousands of malnourished children from May, which the charity said will put the children in “mortal danger.”

2: In Ethiopia, food assistance stopped for more than 1 million people, according to the Tigray Disaster Risk Management Commission. The Ministry of Health was also forced to terminate the contract of 5,000 workers across the country focused on HIV and malaria prevention, vaccinations and helping vulnerable women deal with the trauma of war.

3: In Senegal, the biggest malaria project closed. It distributed bed nets and medication to tens of thousands of people, according to a USAID worker who was not authorized to speak to the media. Maternal and child health and nutrition services also closed. They provided lifesaving care to tens of thousands of pregnant women and treatment that would have prevented and treated acute malnutrition.

4: In South Sudan, the International Rescue Committee closed a project providing access to quality health care and nutrition services to more than 115,000 people.

5: A program shuttered by the Norwegian Refugee Council in Colombia left 50,000 people without lifesaving support including in the northeast, where growing violence has precipitated a once-in-a-generation humanitarian crisis. It included food, shelter, clean water and other basic items for people displaced in the region.

6: In war-torn Sudan, 90 communal kitchens closed in the capital, Khartoum, leaving more than half a million people without consistent access to food, according to the International Rescue Committee.

7: In Bangladesh, 600,000 women and children will lose access to critical maternal health care, protection from violence, reproductive health services and other lifesaving care, according the United Nations Population Fund.

8. In Mali, critical aid, such as access to water, food and health services was cut for more than 270,000 people, according to an aid group that did not want to be named for fear of reprisal.

9. More than 400,000 people in northern Burkina Faso lost access to services such as water. Services for gender-based violence and child protection for thousands are also no longer available, according to an aid group that did not want to be named for fear of reprisal.

10. In Somalia, 50 health centers servicing more than 19,000 people a month closed because health workers are not being paid, according to Alright, a U.S aid group.

11. In Ukraine, cash-based humanitarian programs that reached 1 million people last year were suspended, according to the spokesperson for the U.N. secretary-general.

12. In Afghanistan, hundreds of mobile health teams and other services were suspended, affecting 9 million people, according to the U.N. spokesperson.

13. In Syria, aid programs for some 2.5 million people in the country’s northeast stopped providing services, according to the U.N. secretary-general. Also in the north, a dozen health clinics, including the main referral hospital for the area, have shut down, said Doctors Without Borders.

14. In Kenya, more than 600,000 people living in areas plagued by drought and persistent acute malnutrition will lose access to lifesaving food and nutrition support, according to Mercy Corps.

15. In Haiti, 13,000 people have lost access to nutritional support, according to Action Against Hunger. The cuts will affect in total at least 550,000 people who were receiving aid.

16. In Thailand, hospitals helping some 100,000 refugees from Myanmar have shuttered, according to aid group Border Consortium.

17. In Nigeria, 25,000 extremely malnourished children will stop receiving food assistance by April, according to the International Rescue Committee.

18. In the Philippines, a program to improve access to disaster warning systems for disabled people was stopped, according to Humanity & Inclusion.

19. In Vietnam, a program assisting disabled people through training caregivers and providing at home medical care stopped, according to Humanity & Inclusion.

20. In Yemen, 220,000 displaced people will lose access to critical maternal health care, protection from violence, rape treatment and other lifesaving care, according the United Nations Population Fund.

Associated Press writers Sylvie Corbet in Paris, France, Robert Badendieck in Istanbul, Turkey, Evelyn Musambi in Nairobi, Kenya, Thalia Beaty in New York and Edith Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Madison, Chalamet, Deadwyler and more: The Oscars red carpet is sure to include some stunners

• March 2, 2025

By LEANNE ITALIE, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Mikey Madison, Timothée Chalamet, Danielle Deadwyler, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The list of celebrities with red carpet wow momentum at the Oscars is long.

Julianne Hough kicked things off Sunday in an elegant light beige ethereal look straight off the Christian Dior spring 2025 runway.

The 97th Oscars come less than two months after the devastating Los Angeles fires subdued carpet dressing for a time. As the city moves into rebuild mode, stars have been upping their fashion games heading into the biggest awards night of the season.

Some are notable for playing it glam but safe.

Like Margot Robbie’s Barbie pink, Grande has been mostly sticking to a far paler hue, her signature and an homage to her “Wicked” good witch, Glinda. Castmate and carpet bestie Erivo has always taken fashion risks. She ditched her Elphaba black for last week’s Screen Actors Guild awards, opting for a silver Givenchy look with a high shaggy collar worthy of her bad witch role.

Chalamet has been all over the place on carpet dressing as he navigates his Bob Dylan attention from “A Complete Unknown.” At the SAGs, he married a bright brat green button-up shirt from Chrome Hearts with a shiny black leather suit and a bolo tie as he continues to channel the real-life icon he plays.

Deadwyler is a risk-taker, too. She wore a bright red strapless 3D structured tiered gown from Louis Vuitton at the SAGs.

Some planning to attend as nominees and presenters have generated fashion buzz for different reasons. Jeremy Strong wore a mint green velvet Loro Piana suit with a bucket hat in the same color to the Golden Globes. His white turtleneck topped it all off. He’s nominated for supporting actor at the Oscars.

At the SAGs, strong wore a different shade of green. It was a dusty green for a custom Haans Nicholas Mott suit with satin shawl lapels. He wore it with a bowtie.

Madison, a new fashion darling, was among several stars to go vintage at the recent dinner for Oscar nominees. The star of “Anora” wore a dark blue velvet gown by Bill Blass from 1987. She collected a BAFTA award earlier this month in a custom Prada in ivory, accessorizing with a long matching stole and a vintage Tiffany & Co. diamond necklace.

She also went Hollywood bombshell at the SAGs with a strapless silver Louis Vuitton look with a large pleated bow at the waist. She’s been working with stylist Jamie Mizrahi, who has dressed Adele and Jennifer Lawrence, among many other celebs.

​ Orange County Register 

JSerra, Anaheim, Laguna Beach, St. Margaret’s boys soccer teams in CIF Regional playoffs

• March 2, 2025

CIF Southern Section boys soccer champion JSerra opens the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs with a home game Tuesday against Del Norte of San Diego.

JSerra (17-0-1) defeated Loyola 2-0 in the CIF-SS Open Division final Friday. Del Norte (15-0-7) lost on penalty kicks to St. Augustine in the CIF San Diego Section Open Division final.

Anaheim (10-5-8) plays at Jurupa Hills (17-7-4) in a Division III first-round game Tuesday. Anaheim lost to Warren 3-0 in the CIF-SS Division 3 final. Jurupla Hills lost to Harvard-Westlake 2-0 in the CIF-SS Division 2 championship game.

Laguna Beach (15-4-5) is home against Channel Islands (12-7-4) in a Division IV first-round game Tuesday. Laguna Beach won the CIF-SS Division 4 championship. Channel Islands beat St. Margaret’s 2-1 in the CIF-SS Division 6 final.

St. Margaret’s (11-7-5) is home against St. Monica (15-3-2) in the Division V first round Tuesday. St. Monica won the CIF-SS Division 8 championship.

The CIF SoCal Regional boys soccer playoffs continue with the semifinals Thursday and the finals Saturday. There are no CIF State finals in California high school boys soccer.

​ Orange County Register 

Watch live as stars arrive at the Oscars 2025 red carpet

• March 2, 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s almost time to see how the biggest nailbiter Oscar season of recent years concludes.

Stars are converging at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday for the 97th annual Academy Awards, which will undoubtedly see some first-time Oscar winners in top categories.

It’s the second year the Oscars are starting earlier in the hope that the best picture award will be announced before audiences go to bed.

The best picture race has been a real horserace this year, with “Anora” and “Conclave” scooping up top awards at other shows in recent weeks. “Emilia Pérez,” the leading nominee this year, has had its Oscar chances upended by the surfacing of racist tweets by star Karla Sofía Gascón, so it remains to be seen how often the divisive Netflix narco-musical has its name out after the envelopes are opened Sunday.

The Oscars red carpet is a major fashion showcase. Oscar nominees and winners from past, present and future pose and mingle ahead of the ceremony. The Associated Press has a livestream of stars’ arrivals available below:

Here’s how to watch and other key things to know before Sunday’s show:

What time do the Oscars start?

The Oscars start at 7 p.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. PST. ABC is available with an antenna or through cable and satellite providers.

How can I stream the Oscars?

The show is being livestreamed this year on Hulu. It’s also available on services offering live streaming of ABC such as Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and FuboTV.

I don’t live in the U.S. How can I watch the Oscars?

The Oscars are widely broadcast beyond the United States.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a handy guide to dozens of international territories that have Oscar telecasts.

What’s likely to win and how can I watch the nominated films?

AP Film Writers Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr have made their predictions for this year’s show. And for the first time, you can make your own predictions on APNews.

This year’s nominees are widely available on streaming platforms. The AP has compiled a guide of where to watch, whether you’re trying to cram a film in before the show or catching up after the awards.

​ Orange County Register 

Albert Pujols says he’s ready to manage in the major leagues

• March 2, 2025

TEMPE, Ariz. — With two championships under his belt from his first managing job, Albert Pujols says he’s ready for the next step.

Pujols managed Leones del Escogido to the championships of Dominican League and Caribbean Series this winter, and he confirmed on Sunday that he’ll manage the Dominican team in the World Baseball Classic next year.

Managing in the big leagues remains his ultimate goal, and he says he’s ready whenever the call comes.

“Time will tell,” said Pujols, who was in Angels camp to begin his annual stint as a guest instructor. “Whenever the opportunity comes, if there is some team knocking this year or next year, I mean, why not? I think right now I have a job, which is focusing on the World Baseball Classic, but if there’s any ball club knocking on the door, I’d be open to hear that.”

Angels manager Ron Washington, who is starting his 10th season as a big league manager, said he believes Pujols will be a major league manager.

“Albert was a student of the game,” Washington said. “His days in St. Louis proved that. Always in the right place. Always doing the right thing. Always came up with the big hit. Always was the cheerleader for the team. That’s why he has that pedigree. And it won’t be long before he has a managing job, that’s for sure.”

The next challenge for Pujols will be the WBC. A report surfaced on Saturday that he was going to get the job, and Pujols confirmed it on Sunday.

“It’s an honor,” he said. “I feel really proud to be able not just to be able to represent my country as a player when I did it, but now to be able to lead a great group of guys. I’m really excited. I’m really pumped up.”

For now, though, Pujols is wearing an Angels uniform. He said he plans to spend a few days with the major leaguers and then a few days with the minor leaguers. He said he also spends time during the season at the Angels’ player development complex in the Dominican Republic.

It’s all part of his responsibility as part of the $1 million a year personal services contract that was included in the 10-year, $240-million deal Pujols signed in 2011.

Pujols is joined this week by Vladimir Guerrero and Ervin Santana.

“I love being around those guys and just share my experience and help out the future of this organization,” Pujols said.

Washington said he hopes that the Angels young players take the opportunity to talk to the three guest instructors.

“Championship pedigree, that’s what they bring,” Washington said. “That’s what we’re working toward, a championship pedigree. And they are a part of that championship pedigree that’s been around here for a while. So much experience it’s just ridiculous. Whatever those guys are dreaming or thinking they can do, they’ve already done it. That helps.”

QUICK STUDY

Right-hander Ryan Johnson has made a good impression in his first big league camp, working three scoreless innings in two games.

“He was an animal, an animal that throws the ball across the plate,” Washington said of the 6-foot-6 pitcher. “I certainly hope he can control that energy, man. He expends a lot. That’s his makeup. Don’t get me wrong. But man, is he an animal. I can’t wait to watch him pitch and see exactly what he can do.”

Johnson, 22, was drafted by the Angels with the No. 74 pick in the 2024 draft. The selection, between the second and third rounds, was the Angels’ compensation for losing Shohei Ohtani as a free agent.

Johnson had a 2.21 ERA at Dallas Baptist, with 151 strikeouts and 14 walks in 106 innings. Because of his workload in college, he didn’t pitch in the minors last summer.

His first professional competition has been in big league camp this spring.

“It’s awesome,” Johnson said. “It’s a new experience for me. I’m enjoying every second of being around so many guys, so much experience. Being able to just have conversations, watch how they work.”

Johnson has opened eyes with his unorthodox delivery. He rushes the ball to the plate with a much quicker arm action than usual.

“That’s kind of just how it’s always been, just wanting to get in strong positions and then move as fast as I can,” Johnson said. “Just helps me move directionally, where I want to go, to help me stay in the zone.”

NOTES

Right-hander Michael Peterson is scheduled to make his first appearance of the spring on Monday. Peterson, who is in camp on a minor league deal, came up with an injury after an early bullpen session, so he “fell behind,” Washington said. Peterson, 30, pitched 16 games in relief last season with the Dodgers and Miami Marlins. …

The Angels made their first round of cuts, sending right-handers Victor Mederos, Chris Cortez, Austin Gordon and Angel Felipe, and catchers Dario Laverde and Alberto Rios to minor league camp. …

Washington said he’s been impressed with Christian Moore’s defensive improvement, even though he’s slumped at the plate lately. Moore, the Angels top position player prospect, got starts at second base on back-to-back days this weekend. Washington said he’ll get a start at third “pretty soon.”

​ Orange County Register 

After home burglary, LA podcaster’s hour on hold with 911 highlights dispatcher shortage

• March 2, 2025

A popular LA podcaster said on Instagram Saturday that the Los Angeles Police Department took 59 minutes to answer his 911 call after his home was burglarized.

City officials say the LAPD has a dispatcher shortage, despite hiring 100 additional dispatchers last year.

Evan Lovett, the host of LA in a Minute on YouTube, returned from his son’s baseball game on Friday evening, Feb. 28, only to discover that his home had been broken into and burglarized. Standing behind a pair of shattered sliding glass doors, Lovett said the burglars stole his wife’s family jewelry, coins, baseball cards, and other valuables, including a safe containing “everything that my dad gave me after he passed away.”

“This s–t is unnerving and it’s not cool. And I’ll tell you what else: I was on hold with 911 for 59 minutes, 59 minutes. Luckily, it was just a home burglary; it wasn’t someone dying, choking, or being shot, but what happens if it was a real-time emergency?” Lovett said in his Instagram video.

Lovett said police were “very nice” when they arrived but mentioned how “undermanned” they were. This is a real problem, he said.

Los Angeles Police Capt. Ray Valois told NBC Los Angeles that the department is working on hiring new dispatchers, and it was not unusual to experience longer wait times for non-emergency calls during evenings and weekends.

“When he called 911, the initial call was answered in 74 seconds. The initial operator very quickly got his story that the sliding glass door had been broken. He was inside the house, and there were no suspects at the location. Therefore, since his personal safety was not in immediate danger, the call was transferred to the non-emergency line where it took another 56, 57 minutes to answer,” Capt. Valois told the TV station.

Mayor Karen Bass called the delayed response “unacceptable” and said in a statement that over 100 dispatchers were hired last year, with more currently being hired. Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman said her office had been working closely with city leaders over the last few months to increase the number of 911 dispatchers being hired.

“911 wait times for non-urgent calls are unacceptably long right now due to low recruitment for open positions, for 911 operators and emergency and non-emergency calls being routed through the same operators,” Raman said in a statement released to KCAL News on Saturday.

​ Orange County Register