Arizona Cardinals at Rams: Who has the edge?

• October 14, 2023

CARDINALS (1-4) at RAMS (2-3)

When: 1:25 p.m. Sunday

Where: SoFi Stadium

TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 386, 227

Line: Rams by 7

Notable injury designations: Cardinals: S Jalen Thompson (out; hamstring), WR Marquise Brown (questionable; illness), TE Elijah Higgins (questionable; illness), DL Jonathan Ledbetter (questionable; finger), LB Jesse Luketa (questionable; shoulder), LB Myjai Sanders (questionable; thumb), CB Garrett Williams (questionable; knee), LB Josh Woods (questionable; ankle), OL Dennis Daley (questionable; ankle). Rams: LB Ernest Jones (questionable; knee), RG Joe Noteboom (questionable; groin), DT Larrell Murchison (questionable; knee)

What’s at stake? For the Cardinals, a chance to claw out of the NFC West cellar and draw even with the Rams for third in the division. For the Rams, the ability to climb back up to .500 and then, if they beat Pittsburgh next week, finish their three-game homestand with a winning record. Plus, the first home victory of the year would be a nice feather in the Rams’ caps.

Who’s better? In fairness, both teams have surpassed preseason expectations, especially the Cardinals, who have been competitive in every game after outsiders questioned whether they were even trying to build an NFL roster. But the Rams are healthier, especially with their starting quarterback available as Cardinals QB Kyler Murray continues to recover from a torn ACL. And the Rams are deeper overall across the roster, giving them the edge.

Matchup to watch: Rams OLB vs. QB Joshua Dobbs. The Rams have faced dual-threat quarterbacks in each of the past two weeks. The Colts’ Anthony Richardson rushed 10 times for 56 yards and a touchdown, and the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts rushed 15 times for 72 yards and, you guessed it, a touchdown. Dobbs is averaging 5.3 yards per carry this season, including a 44-yarder. The Rams will need outside linebackers Byron Young, Michael Hoecht, Ochaun Mathis and Zach VanValkenburg to keep contain and not allow Dobbs to escape the pocket.

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Rams win if: The offense avoids any of the second-half letdowns that have plagued it the past few weeks and scores twice on both sides of halftime. … The Rams take advantage of RB James Conner’s trip to injured reserve and limit the Arizona run game to less than 75 yards.

Fantasy sleeper: RB Kyren Williams was quiet last week with just 53 yards and 13 carries in a 23-14 loss to Philadelphia, but the Cardinals are 29th in fantasy points allowed to RBs. If the Rams start playing from ahead, expect them to feed Williams a healthy portion of handoffs.

Prediction: Rams 34, Cardinals 17. Beat reporter’s record: 3-2 for the season; 3-2 against the spread.

​ Orange County Register 

Palestinians in Gaza struggle to follow Israeli evacuation order and face dire water shortage

• October 14, 2023

By WAFAA SHURAFA and JOSEPH KRAUSS

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinians struggled Saturday to flee from areas of Gaza targeted by the Israeli military while grappling with a growing water and medical supply shortage ahead of an expected land offensive a week after Hamas’ bloody, wide-ranging attack into Israel.

Israel renewed calls on social media and in leaflets dropped from the air for Gaza residents to move south, while Hamas urged people to stay in their homes. The U.N. and aid groups have said such a rapid exodus would cause untold human suffering, especially for hospitalized patients, older adults and others unable to relocate.

The evacuation directive covers an area of 1.1 million residents, or about half the territory’s population. The Israeli military said “hundreds of thousands” of Palestinians had heeded the warning and headed south. It gave Palestinians a six hour window that ended Saturday afternoon to travel within Gaza without being harmed along two main routes.

A week after Hamas’ attack, Israel was still working to assess the casualties. With special rabbinic approval, workers at a military base in central Israel continued the grueling task of identifying the bodies of the Israelis and foreign nationals who were killed, mostly civilians. Work is normally halted on Saturday, the Jewish sabbath.

On Saturday night, the Israeli military said in a statement it was preparing a coordinated offensive in Gaza using air, ground and naval forces. Israel has not said when the offensive will begin.

It was not clear how many Palestinians remained in north Gaza by Saturday afternoon, said Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. “What we know is that hundreds of thousands of people have fled. And that 1 million people have been displaced in total in one week,” she said.

An estimated 35,000 displaced civilians have crammed into the grounds of Gaza City’s main hospital, sitting under trees in the empty grounds, as well as inside the building’s lobby and corridors, hoping they will be protected from the fighting, medical officials said.

“People think this is the only safe space after their homes were destroyed and they were forced to flee,” said Dr. Medhat Abbas, a Health Ministry official. “Gaza City is a frightening scene of devastation.”

Families in cars, trucks and donkey carts packed with possessions crowded a main road heading away from Gaza City as Israeli airstrikes continued to hammer the 40-kilometer (25-mile) long territory, where basic necessities like food, fuel and drinking water were running low because of a complete Israeli siege.

Water has stopped coming out of taps across the territory. Amal Abu Yahia, a 25-year-old pregnant mother in the Jabaliya refugee camp, said she waits anxiously for the few minutes each day or every other day when contaminated water trickles from the pipes in her basement. She then rations it, prioritizing her 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter. She said she is drinking so little herself, she only urinates every other day.

Near the coast, the only tap water is contaminated with Mediterranean Sea water because of the lack of sanitation facilities. Mohammed Ibrahim, 28, said his neighbors in Gaza City have taken to drinking the salt water.

The Israeli military’s evacuation would force the territory’s entire population to cram into the southern half of Gaza as Israel continues strikes across the territory, including in the south.

Rami Swailem said he and at least five families in his building decided to stay put in his apartment near Gaza City. “We are rooted in our lands,” he said. “We prefer to die in dignity and face our destiny.”

Others were looking desperately for ways to evacuate. “We need a number for drivers from Gaza to the south, it is necessary #help,” read a post on social media. “We need a bus number, office, or any means of transport,” read another.

The U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians expressed concern for those who could not leave, “particularly pregnant women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities,” saying they must be protected. The agency also called for Israel to not target civilians, hospitals, schools, clinics and U.N. locations.

Al-Shifa hospital was receiving hundreds of wounded every hour and had used up 95% of its medical supplies, hospital director Mohammad Abu Selim said. Water is scarce and the fuel powering its generators is dwindling.

“The situation inside the hospital is miserable in every sense of the word,” he said. “The operating rooms don’t stop.”

Patients and personnel from the Al Awda Hospital in Gaza’s far north spent part of their night in the street “with bombs landing in close proximity,” the medical aid group Doctors Without Borders said.

An Israeli military spokesperson, Jonathan Conricus, said the evacuation was aimed at keeping civilians safe and preventing Hamas from using them as human shields. He urged people in the targeted areas to leave immediately and to return “only when we tell them that it is safe to do so.”

“The Palestinian civilians in Gaza are not our enemies. We don’t assess them as such, and we don’t target them as such,” Conricus said. “We are trying to do the right thing.”

Thousands of people crammed into a U.N.-run school-turned-shelter in Deir al-Balah, a farming town south of the evacuation zone. Many slept outside on the ground without mattresses, or in chairs pulled from classrooms.

“I came here with my children. We slept on the ground. We don’t have a mattress, or clothes,” Howeida al-Zaaneen, 63, who is from the northern town of Beit Hanoun, said. “I want to go back to my home, even if it is destroyed.”

The Israeli military said its troops conducted temporary raids into Gaza on Friday to battle militants and hunted for traces of some 150 people — including men, women and children — who were abducted during Hamas’ shocking Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel.

The Gaza Health Ministry said Saturday that over 2,200 people have been killed in the territory, including 724 children and 458 women. The Hamas communications office said that Israel has “completely demolished” over 7,000 housing units so far.

Hamas’ surprise attack killed more than 1,300 people on the Israeli side, most of them civilians, and roughly 1,500 Hamas militants died during the fighting, the Israeli government said.

Egyptian officials said the country’s Rafah border crossing with Gaza would open Saturday for the first time in days to allow foreigners out. One official said both Israel and Palestinian militant groups had agreed to facilitate the departures, but by Saturday evening there had been no movement.

There were believed to be some 1,500 people in Gaza holding Western passports and additional people with passports from other parts of the world.

Fearing a mass exodus of Palestinians, Egyptian authorities erected “temporary” blast walls on Egypt’s side of the crossing, which has been closed for days because of Israeli airstrikes, two Egyptian officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Israel’s raids into Gaza on Friday were the first acknowledgment that Israeli troops had entered the territory since the military began its round-the-clock bombardment in retaliation for the Hamas massacre. Palestinian militants have fired more than 5,500 rockets into Israel since the fighting erupted, the Israeli military said.

Israel has called up some 360,000 military reserves and massed troops and tanks along the border with Gaza. A ground assault in densely populated Gaza would likely bring even higher casualties on both sides in brutal house-to-house fighting.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh on Saturday, and both called for Israel to protect civilians in Gaza.

“As Israel pursues its legitimate right to defend its people and to trying to ensure that this never happens again, it is vitally important that all of us look out for for civilians, and we’re working together to do exactly that,” Blinken said.

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Hamas said Israel’s airstrikes killed 22 hostages, including foreigners. It did not provide their nationalities. The Israeli military denied the claim. Hamas and other Palestinian militants hope to trade the hostages for thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry says 53 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, including 16 on Friday. The U.N. says attacks by Israeli settlers have surged there since the Hamas assault.

The U.S. and Israel’s other allies have pledged ironclad support for the war on Hamas. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, however, said Saturday that the Israeli military needed to give people more time to leave northern Gaza.

“You cannot move such a volume of people in (a) short period of time,” Josep Borrell said.

Krauss reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem, Samya Kullab in Baghdad, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Ashraf Sweilam in El-Arish, Egypt, Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Matthew Lee in Riyadh contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Did you see the ‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse over Southern California?

• October 14, 2023

By CLAIRE RUSH and KATIE OYAN

PORTLAND, Ore.  — A rare “ring of fire” eclipse of the sun that has millions across the Americas waiting with anticipation Saturday has at last appeared into view.

With the presence of cloudy skies, a NASA livestream of the phenomenon reported it in Eugene, Oregon, shortly after 9:15 a.m. local time. This came over an hour after a partial eclipse set in.

The eclipse could be viewed over Southern California skies at 9:30 a.m., and the moon continued its path across the sun at 9:40.

By 10:34 a.m., the moon was taking just a nibble of the sun’s light. An even smaller “nibble” could be seen over Los Angeles at 10:44 a.m.

For the small towns and cities along its narrow path, there was a mix of excitement, worries about the weather and concerns they’d be overwhelmed by visitors flocking to see the celestial event, also called an annular solar eclipse. Clouds and fog threatened to obscure the view of the eclipse in some western states, including California and Oregon.

CAN YOU SEE IT? What time is the solar eclipse? Check this site to know when to look up

We’re getting our first views of the “ring of fire”!

Here’s a look at the annular solar eclipse from Albuquerque, N.M., as the Moon nearly (but not completely) covers up the Sun. pic.twitter.com/SCW8r77FG4

— NASA (@NASA) October 14, 2023

Come watch the eclipse with us!

We’re streaming today’s “ring of fire” eclipse—also known as an annular solar eclipse—with live updates from Oregon to Texas. #AskNASA your questions! https://t.co/m69JrxrMKS https://t.co/CRMmOdx9Fg

— NASA (@NASA) October 14, 2023

You know it @NASASun! Everywhere I’m looking now, I’m surrounded by your embrace. Baby, I can see your halo.#Eclipse https://t.co/EBAyTmTJPn https://t.co/KxFZDHy5pg

— NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) October 14, 2023

The Ring of Fire! #eclipse pic.twitter.com/a3rDXB3bGd

— Justin Davenport (@Bubbinski) October 14, 2023

My trees acted like a natural camera obscura and made little eclipses with their shadows #eclipse pic.twitter.com/DmmIS3d0Z8

— Roberto Villalpando (@daddyrobot) October 14, 2023

The eclipse from the temple of the sun and moon! pic.twitter.com/iaIFnArXRn

— Bray Falls (@astrofalls) October 14, 2023

Since everyone else is posting their peak eclipse photos, we thought we would join in on the fun #SolarEclipse #txwx #sjtwx pic.twitter.com/C9sPQBJGdq

— NWS San Angelo (@NWSSanAngelo) October 14, 2023

What a morning in the East Mountains! Our BCSO deputies had the honor of celebrating the rich culture, history, and immense value the East Mountains bring to Bernalillo County. Plus, witnessing the annular eclipse was a spectacular experience! Grateful to be a part of such an… pic.twitter.com/B8CrjFbcBF

— BCSO (Sheriff) NM (@BCSONM) October 14, 2023

Members of a crowd at the Eugene Science Center in Eugene were desperately wishing for the clouds on the horizon to clear. Dozens of people set up telescopes and cameras with special filters in the hopes of capturing the celestial event.

Shuumei Kodama, 11, woke up at 4:30 a.m. to make the drive from Portland, Oregon, with his dad. Eclipse glasses in hand, he explained that he’s been obsessed with space since he was 5.

“It seems like one of the coolest things I’ve ever heard of,” he said of the annular eclipse. “I want to see every type of eclipse possible one day. That’s my goal.”

Unlike a total solar eclipse, the moon doesn’t completely cover the sun during a ring of fire eclipse. When the moon lines up between Earth and the sun, it leaves a bright, blazing border.

Saturday’s path: Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas in the U.S., with a sliver of California, Arizona and Colorado. Next: Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Brazil. Much of the rest of the Western Hemisphere gets a partial eclipse.

The celestial event brought eclipse watchers from around the U.S. to remote corners of the country to try to get the best view possible. At Bryce Canyon national park in southern Utah tiny lights could be seen along a well known trail that snakes through a valley of red rock hoodoos as eclipse enthusiasts hit the trail before sunrise to stake out their preferred spot

“I just think it’s one of those things that unites us all,” said John Edwards, a cancer drug developer who traveled alone across the country to try to watch the eclipse from Bryce Canyon. “I just think it’s seeing these unique experiences that come rarely is what got me here. This is about as rare as it gets.”

Viewing all depends on clear skies — part of the U.S. path could see clouds. NASA and other groups planned to livestream it.

Tens of thousands were getting a double treat in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the eclipse coincided with an international balloon fiesta that draws close to 100,000 spectators for early morning mass ascensions of hundreds of colorful hot air balloons. Organizers gave out 80,000 pairs of viewing glasses Saturday morning.

Allan Hahn of Aurora, Colorado, has been attending the festival for 34 years, first as a crew member and then as a licensed balloon pilot. His balloon, Heaven Bound Too, was one of 72 selected for a special “glow” performance as skies darken during the eclipse, where pilots use their propane burners to light up their balloons on the field.

“It’s very exciting to be here and have the convergence of our love of flying with something very natural like an eclipse,” he said.

Viewers on the East Coast were prepared to see less of the event — close to a quarter eclipse around midday in some areas, such as New York City — but were nonetheless geared up to watch the skies. In Maine, viewers expected to see only about 12% of the sun covered, but the Clark Telescope on the grounds of the Versant Power Astronomy Center at the University of Maine was open to the public.

The planetarium was selling safety glasses for $2 Saturday to encourage safe viewing, said Shawn Laatsch, director of the Versant Power Astronomy and the Maynard Jordan Planetarium

“As the Moon passes between the Earth and the sun, it casts its shadow on our planet,” said Laatsch. “In a very real sense, solar eclipses are ‘made in the shade’ of the moon.”

Colombia’s Tatacoa desert was playing host to astronomers helping a group of visually impaired people experience the eclipse through raised maps and temperature changes as the moon blots out the sun.

At the Cancun Planetarium, young visitors built box projectors to indirectly and safely view the ring of fire. The ancient Maya — who called eclipses “broken sun” — may have used dark volcanic glass to protect their eyes, said archeologist Arturo Montero of Tepeyac University in Mexico City.

Towns and national parks in the path braced for a huge throngs. Officials in Oregon’s Klamath County urged residents to stock up on groceries and fill their gas tanks in case traffic backs up on its two-lane highways. Utah’s Bryce Canyon expected Saturday to be the park’s busiest day of the year, spokesperson Peter Densmore said. Brazil’s Pedra da Boca state park, known for its rocky outcrops for climbing and rappelling was also expecting crowds.

The entire eclipse — from the moment the moon starts to obscure the sun until it’s back to normal — is 2 1/2 to three hours at any given spot. The ring of fire portion lasts from three to five minutes, depending on location.

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Next April, a total solar eclipse will crisscross the U.S. in the opposite direction. That one will begin in Mexico and go from Texas to New England before ending in eastern Canada.

The next ring of fire eclipse is in October next year at the southernmost tip of South America. Antarctica gets one in 2026. It will be 2039 before another ring of fire is visible in the U.S., and Alaska will be the only state in its direct path.

Oyan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico. AP reporters Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine; Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Brady McCombs in Garfield County, Utah; Astrid Suarez in Bogota, Colombia; María Verza in Cancun, Mexico; and Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo, Brazil, contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

What to do about fireblight and its affect on quince, pear and apple trees

• October 14, 2023

Q I generally leave a lot of the garden/ yard work to my hubby; however, I’ve become concerned – as is he – about the health of our Asian Pear tree. The branches have become all black as have most all the leaves. The fruit is small and burnt-looking, and sucker plants are growing from the bottom/roots. My husband felt he might have overwatered it. I read what you wrote about the loss of black-looking branches just falling off trees and keeping suckers trimmed to ground level (too late). Is there anything we can do to save this tree, or should we cut it down and replace it, or let the suckers take over? Thank you for any advice you can give us.

It sounds like there are at least two issues here. The blackened branches, leaves, and fruit indicate that your Asian pear has been hit by fireblight. This is a bacterial disease that affects quince, Asian and European pears, and apples. 

The first sign of fireblight appears in branch tips, which dry out and turn black as if they had been burned (that’s why it’s called fireblight). If caught early, the affected branches can be removed to prevent or slow spread to the main trunk. When pruning away fireblight, sanitize your pruners or saw with isopropyl alcohol or Lysol so you don’t spread the infection. Sometimes bleach is recommended because it is a very effective disinfectant, but it can be corrosive. If you do use bleach, remember to clean and oil your tools afterwards. Do not compost the infected branches – they should be burned or go directly into the trash.

Fireblight is spread to susceptible trees by bees (disappointing, I know). During flowering, honeybees carry infectious pollen from one tree to another. Ornamental flowering pears are a major source of fireblight. They can be infected, but unfortunately not killed by the disease. If you look at an ornamental pear, you’ll often see blackened branch tips similar to what you’re seeing on your Asian pear. Because life is not fair, these worthless trees can live years with fireblight, but useful fruit-bearing trees can succumb in a year or two.

If your tree has extensive damage, or if the damage has spread to the main trunk, I recommend removing it and replacing it with a fireblight-resistant variety such as Shinko or Kikusui.

Regarding the suckers growing below the graft — they should always be removed. They are from the rootstock and will not produce quality fruit. They also take energy from the fruit-producing part of the tree. Of course, since you’re probably going to remove this tree, this is kind of a moot point. Just something to remember when you plant your next tree.

Los Angeles County

[email protected]; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/

Orange County

[email protected]; 949-809-9760; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/

Riverside County

[email protected]; 951-683-6491 ext. 231; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/

San Bernardino County

[email protected]; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu

​ Orange County Register 

Swanson: Warren-Downey rivalry lights up SoFi Stadium for the first time

• October 14, 2023

INGLEWOOD — Who’s ready for some Friday Night Stadium Lights?

The City of Downey, that’s who.

Because 18,815 supporters – which would be about 17% of the city’s population – made the trek to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Friday night to see a new twist on one of Southern California’s juiciest rivalries: Downey and crosstown rival Warren became the first high school teams to play at the NFL stadium since it opened in 2020.

A grudge match with more than a half-century of history made more history Friday, and the Warren Bears made it six consecutive victories against the Vikings, with a 28-21 win in the Rams’ – and Chargers’ – House.

What was it like to play in an NFL stadium?

“Man, it felt great, a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Downey quarterback Oscar Rios, who couldn’t help but be energized, despite the loss – in which he completed 10 of 14 passes for 73 yards and rushed for a touchdown.

“Oh, it was amazing!” Warren senior running back Jacob Cano said after posing for photographs in the corner of the end zone after the game. “I’m honored to have had this experience.”

What was it like to coach?

“I felt like (Sean) McVay,” said Downey coach Jack Williams, referencing the Rams’ coach, who will be patrolling the same sideline on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

Said Warren’s Kevin Pearson: “I’m a Rams fan – I shed a tear when they came back and I saw the blue and gold uniforms – so to be able to play here? I was a little bit overwhelmed when I first came out.”

And to watch?

“It’s crazy how a high school football game is being played at a professional football stadium,” said Warren senior Jeremy Ramirez, a senior on the track team. “It’s a fun experience – Oh! Ohhh!”

Ramirez lost his train of thought because Madden Iamaleava (23-of-28 passing for 195 yards and four touchdowns) connected with Darius Maddox for a 17-yard touchdown to tie the score at 7-7, and the Warren student section – aka “The Cave” away from home – went wild.

My view of this: https://t.co/RzaU1nejaK pic.twitter.com/vevTq9fh5d

— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) October 14, 2023

The setting stopped being novel between the lines: “We have a saying,” Pearson said, “‘It’s not who you play, it’s how you play.’ But here it was, ‘it’s not where you play, it’s how you play.”

Otherwise, it was definitely different, seeing all the trappings of a high school football contest transported inside of the expansive, state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium.

It was something of a glorious hassle. A chaotic honor. A sensory-overloading thrill.

Cheerleaders did their thing; fans chanted; both sides – Downey’s cardinal-wearing fans were on the east side of the stadium, Warren’s supporters in blue on the west – moaned when calls didn’t go their way.

It took a while for everyone to find a seat and settle down, and even longer in line for concessions, but all those fans – who paid $35 apiece for tickets, with the exception of students and fans, who paid $15 – filled the lower bowl to the brim and created a horseshoe of humanity on the second deck.

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There wasn’t a scoreboard for down and distance, nor were there any sideline reporters, because they all were relegated to a suite-turned-press box four stories up. There also wasn’t any alcohol, or the thumping jock jams that reverberate through the building during Rams and Chargers games.

But there was a ton of support, and it was plenty loud. There was even a first-quarter wave. It was the perfect matchup for a prep premiere at SoFi. Because the city of Downey takes this rivalry between the schools – located about a mile apart – seriously. Last year, approximately 10,000 fans showed up to watch quarterback Nico Iamaleava lead Warren to a 49-22 win at home over Downey, which learned from that loss and went on to win the CIF-SS Division 4 championship.

And there were all variety of partisan T-shirts on Friday by students and alumni, family members and friends and faculty. One popular blue shirt worn by Warren supporters listed all 34 of the Bears’ previous victories over Downey (6-2 this season), dating back to 1916’s 14-0 victory. And maybe the most popular shirt among Vikings fans put it succinctly: “Friends Don’t Let Friends Wear Blue.”

The game was the first of a Friday Night Lights series that will be hosted by the L.A. Bowl, the college bowl game that will feature the Mountain West Conference champion against the Pac-12’s No. 5 finisher on Dec. 16. With the win, Warren (6-2) receives an invite to be honored at that game.

On Friday, the honor was in playing, after which Bears tackle Rogelio Baca made his way toward the stands in the north end zone, finding his family and shouting up at them, on behalf of everyone who participated: “Thank you for coming.”

pic.twitter.com/7QZfl7DWBU

— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) October 14, 2023

​ Orange County Register 

RFK Jr. versus the genius Nobelists

• October 14, 2023

In recent weeks, Bobby Kennedy Jr. published a co-authored book, “Vax-Unvax: Let the Science Speak,” which does not let the science speak, but rather traffics in the same kind of conspiracy theories he often spins about Bill Gates and the supposed dangers of getting vaccinated against killer diseases such as COVID-19 — the miraculous vaccines against which are gorgeously effective — using discredited studies that if heeded would put millions of lives around the world in jeopardy.

Also in recent weeks, COVID vaccine pioneers Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their brilliant work in the lab that led to the development of anti-coronavirus vaccines swiftly administered to billions of people around the world, bringing an end to the worst part of the pandemic that we would still be in the throes of without their genius.

Let’s see, who should I celebrate here, the rich-kid whack job with the oddly circa-1963 skinny ties and permanent hoarse voice on the hustings, or the two selfless scientists whose dogged efforts saved the world’s collective bacon?

I think I’ll let the science speak.

Remember when COVID first began its killer path around the world, mowing down whole swaths of the population, from infants to mostly old folks, from Italian villages to nursing homes in the Bronx? When the concept of creating a vaccine against the disease was first broached, the common wisdom was that the problem at hand was that it would take years to develop and test them.

Whereas in fact, in a matter of months, both Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech vaccines were developed and made available, and they worked — not necessarily preventing getting COVID, which many of us did, but dramatically reducing the disease’s severity, so that when vaccinated people such as your columnist got it, we basically had the sniffles for a couple of days rather than dying in the ICU, our lungs filled up with liquid.

Reading the news stories about the new Nobelists many of us learned the real reason behind the dichotomy: Scientists such as Karikó and Weissman actually drew on decades of painstaking work they had quietly been doing to chemically tweak so-called messenger RNA in our bodies in order to create the supposedly “instant” versions of the two major vaccines.

The pair began to work together as far back as 1998, when they were fighting for access to a photocopy machine at the University of Pennsylvania. They discovered a shared interest in what was thought to be the eccentric notion that mRNA could be used to develop a vaccine against HIV and AIDS.

“The mRNA was delicate, so much so that when it was introduced to cells, the cells instantly destroyed it. Grant reviewers were not impressed,” The New York Times reported.

But Karikó, who long languished as an adjunct professor unable to get funding, and Weissman persevered. They overcame the initial problems. And in so doing they “fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system,” according to the Nobel panel, and “contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times.”

Whereas RFK Jr.? His new book scoffs at the Nobelists’ work that eliminated so much misery because the COVID vaccines are indeed new and “experimental” and can contain aluminum and mercury like the childhood vaccines he has made his bones railing against. I’ll side with getting the sniffles rather than dying a horrible unvaxed death, Bobby.

Larry Wilson is on the Southern California News Group editorial board. [email protected].

​ Orange County Register 

Some thoughts on the fire resistance of California native plants in your garden

• October 14, 2023

Nancee Wells, a field guide in the Dana Point/Laguna Beach area, sent me an email asking about the fire resistance of California native plants. Although California natives will eventually go up in flames in a major conflagration as all plants do, the fire resistance of many native species is significant. In the words of Bert Wilson, the legendary founder of Las Pilitas Nursery: “A watered apple tree leaf burns faster than an unwatered Ceanothus leaf.”

Wilson’s research showed that samples of detached leaves of many California natives that went an entire summer without water took longer to ignite than the leaves of non-natives that had been regularly watered. The reason for this is that many natives have leaves that are small and leathery, characteristics that impart fire resistance. In a flammability test conducted by Wilson in September of 2005, following a series of 90-degree days, the leaves of a large number of California native species that had not been watered all summer took more than a minute to ignite. Among these, Ceanothus species in general, and Ceanothus ‘Wheeler Canyon’ in particular, were singled out as particularly fire resistant with the suggestion that they could potentially serve as a “heat shield” in our landscapes.

Wells inquired about the fire resistance of certain widely planted California natives, with toyon being foremost among them. In the manner of many California natives, the aerial portions of the plant will catch fire without the whole plant burning to the ground. And regardless of how much it burns, it will probably not die in a fire, with fresh shoots growing up from the charred base of the plant soon enough. The name “toyon” was given to the plant either by the Ohlone, a native American tribe in central California or by Spanish explorers in the 1800s, since “tollon” is an old Spanish word for “canyon,” a habitat amenable to toyon’s growth. It’s also called Christmas berry or holly berry since its toothed foliage and winter fruit are vaguely similar to those of the classic holly used for holiday wreaths. There are those who say that Hollywood was, in fact, named after this plant which can be seen growing around the iconic Hollywood sign until today. 

In 2012, the title of the official native plant of the city of Los Angeles was bestowed upon it. Toyon grows in both sunny and somewhat shady locations, in almost any soil, and can go virtually without water after a couple of years in the garden. Its fruit attracts a variety of birds, as well as coyotes and bears, who consume it voraciously as well. In the first years of the last century, cutting toyon branches for Christmas decoration became so widespread that the state of California, in order to prevent the destruction of the species, passed a law in the 1920s outlawing this practice. The only toyon branches you were allowed to cut were those taken from plants growing on your own property; it’s a law that is still in force.

Wells was also curious about the fire resistance of lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia). Yes, this plant also burns slowly, taking more than 60 seconds to ignite in Bert Wilson’s test, a time matched by the closely related sugar bush (Rhus ovata). Both plants grow into handsome informal hedges up to ten feet tall, with lemonade berry more appropriate for coastal locations, and sugar bush better suited to our inland climate. The fruit of both species, when pressed and soaked in hot water, makes a tart beverage.

Coyote brush (Baccharis spp.) was another plant whose fire resistance was queried by Wells. The Pigeon Point cultivar used in landscaping is fire retardant, also lasting more than a minute before igniting in Wilson’s test. There is no ground cover more drought tolerant than coyote brush, a group of plants that includes robust shrubs that are much more floriferous than the ground covers. Snow in Summer (Baccharis pilularis consanguinea), as its name implies, is covered with a blanket of white blooms in late June and early July.

Keep in mind that dead growth in any plant is an invitation to fire so make sure you prune your plants regularly if you live in a wildfire area. It is also true that, when all is said and done, the best defense against wildfire damage is a fire-resistant roof such as those clay tiles you say on Spanish-style homes. Your house may have nothing but gravel surrounding it but if an ember or firebrand blows onto your shingle roof, you may lose everything. 

In “Firescaping your Home” (Timber Press, 2023) by Adrienne Edwards and Rachel Schleiger, I learned that a neighborhood in Santa Rosa was burned to the ground due to a wildfire that raged five miles away. Firebrands or embers blown from that fire were carried in the wind, landing on the flammable roofs of closely spaced homes that had been considered to be in a fire-safe zone. This book contains a plethora of fire-resistant plant selections, many of them California natives, as well as long lists of plants you should avoid due to their flammability.

As always, do your own research, talk to experts and find out what are the best choices for your particular circumstances.

California native of the week: Bush sunflower (Encelia californica) was the final species whose fire resistance aroused the curiosity of Nancee Wells. Like daisy family members in general, it is noteworthy for attracting beneficial insects, the kind that devour or parasitize insect pests. It is useful for planting on slopes following a fire due to its fast rate of growth and tough roots that prevent erosion on denuded sloping terrain. It grows three to five feet tall with a similar girth and shows off two-inch yellow daisies in winter and spring. Although not long-lived it will self-sow and thus perpetuate its presence in the garden. It is not particular about soil but has allelopathic properties, meaning that it contains chemicals that deter other plants from growing in its vicinity.

To those of you who have encountered wildfires where you live, are there any plants, native or otherwise, that have proven to be fire-resistant? If so, please let me know about them by writing to [email protected]. You can also send questions or comments about gardening practices or problems and your photos — taken with horizontal orientation for possible publication here — are always welcome.

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Californians have 4th-highest housing expenses in US

• October 14, 2023

”Survey says” looks at various rankings and scorecards judging geographic locations while noting these grades are best seen as a mix of artful interpretation and data.

Buzz: California’s lofty housing costs are topped by just three places in the nation when you ponder the expense per person.

Source: My trusty spreadsheet reviewed one yardstick of the burden of housing costs – the annual analysis of personal consumption expenditures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The study looks at per capita spending in 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Topline

Californians paid $11,262 per person for housing-related expenses and utility costs in 2022 – 23% above the typical American’s $9,161.

If that seems low, note that the typical California household has nearly three residents. Also, remember that many homeowners have no mortgage or a home loan with a low-low interest rate acquired during the heated days of the pandemic.

Consider the scale of California’s housing cost pain: It was topped by DC at $14,959, Colorado at $11,466 and Massachusetts at $11,315.

By the way, the lowest US spending on housing was $6,436 in Mississippi.

Or peek at housing costs this way: The cost of shelter gobbled up 19% of California’s per capita consumer spending (No. 8 share nationally) vs. 17% nationally. Hawaiians spent the most on housing, 20% of all spending. The low was 14% in North Dakota.

Details

Look at the big picture.

Californians spent $60,272 per person on all goods and services last year (No. 5 nationally). That’s 15% above US expenditures. High? $85,732 (District of Columbia). Low? $39,678 (Mississippi).

Then look at high-profile consumer expenses outside of shelter.

Health: $9,335 spent per Californian (No. 11 nationally) – 12% above the US. High? $12,239 in the District of Columbia. Low? $6,213 in Utah. Health is 15% of Golden State per-capita spending (No. 35 nationally) vs.16% nationally. High? 23% in West Virginia. Low? 13% in Utah.

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Food: $4,534 spent per Californian (No. 13 nationally) – 8% above the US. High? $7,217 in the District of Columbia. Low? $3,198 in Oklahoma. Food is 8% of Golden State per-capita spending (No. 42 nationally) vs. 8% nationally. High? 10% in Mississippi. Low? 7% in Minnesota.

Gasoline/energy: $1,442 spent per Californian (No. 37 nationally) – 6% below the US. High? $2,186 in Iowa. Low? $814 in Hawaii. Fuels equal 2% of Golden State per-capita spending (No. 42 nationally) vs. 3% nationally. High? 5% in Iowa. Low? 1% in Hawaii.

Bottom line

Think about overall spending for every man, woman and child.

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California consumers spent $2.35 trillion on goods and services last year (No. 1 nationally) – that’s 13% of the $17.5 trillion in expenditures nationwide.

But more importantly, Golden State spending was up $206 billion from 2021 (No. 1 gain) –  and a 9.6% jump (12th largest percentage advance among the states). Americans’ total spending rose 9.2% in the year.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at [email protected]

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