Judge changes mind — rapper T.I. Harris and wife win $53 million more in doll case

• February 5, 2025

A federal judge in Santa Ana this week reinstated more than $53 million in punitive damages against MGA Entertainment in a legal dispute with rapper T.I. Harris and his singer-songwriter wife.

U.S. District Judge James Selna had tentatively ruled nearly a month ago that he would erase the jury’s $53.6 million punitive damages award and uphold the $17.8 million in profits to the singers. But after hearing arguments from both sides on Jan. 6, he said he would issue a final ruling later.

The rapper and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, won all of the $17.8 million in profits from seven MGA dolls and the $53.6 million in punitive damages in a verdict handed down Sept. 23. The Harris family successfully made the case that seven dolls copied their OMG Girlz singing group, which consisted of their daughter and her two partners.

Selna issued a tentative ruling saying there was not enough evidence to show MGA, which has its U.S. headquarters in Chatsworth, acted in a way that would legally warrant the punitive damages in the infringement case.

The argument last month hinged on whether the jury’s verdicts were advisory, which would leave it up to Selna to decide the monetary award.

Selna, however, ruled that both sides had agreed to a jury verdict.

Selna ruled “the parties consented to a jury trial and there was no indication that the verdict on punitive damages was to be treated as an advisory verdict.”

At issue in the trial was whether consumers would be confused and think the Lol Surprise! OMG doll line was some sort of partnership with the OMG Girlz group, which broke up in 2015 but reformed for a show at the Apollo on New Year’s Eve in 2017, officially reunited in 2023 and have toured and recorded since then.

In the follow-up trial the case was narrowed down to seven dolls: Chillax, Roller Chick, Metal Chick, Bhad Gurl, Prism, Miss Divisne and Runaway Diva.

Attorney Paul Loh, who represented MGA, argued to jurors that the company had “never heard any complaints from customers or problems about confusion.”

Since the jury had found the company must turn over all of the profits from the seven dolls, that should be enough punishment, Loh argued.

​ Orange County Register 

Senate confirms Pam Bondi as US attorney general, putting Trump ally at Justice Department’s helm

• February 5, 2025

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and STEPHEN GROVES

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed Pam Bondi as U.S. attorney general Tuesday evening, putting a longtime ally of Donald Trump at the helm of a Justice Department that has already been rattled by the firings of career employees seen as disloyal to the Republican president.

The vote fell almost entirely along party lines, with only Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, joining with all Republicans to pass her confirmation 54-46.

Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and corporate lobbyist, is expected to oversee a radical reshaping of the department that has been the target of Trump’s ire over the criminal cases it brought against him. She enters with the FBI, which she will oversee, in turmoil over the scrutiny of agents involved in investigations related to the president, who has made clear his desire to seek revenge on his perceived adversaries.

Republicans have praised Bondi as a highly qualified leader they contend will bring much-needed change to a department they believe unfairly pursued Trump through investigations resulting in two indictments.

“Pam Bondi has promised to get the department back to its core mission: prosecuting crime and protecting Americans from threats to their safety and their freedoms,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

But Bondi has faced intense scrutiny over her close relationship with the president, who during his term fired an FBI director who refused to pledge loyalty to him and forced out an attorney general who recused himself from the Justice Department’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign.

While Bondi has sought to reassure Democrats that politics would play no part in her decision-making, she also refused at her confirmation hearing last month to rule potential investigations into Trump’s adversaries. And she has repeated Trump’s claims that the prosecutions against him amounted to political persecution, saying the Justice Department “had been weaponized for years and years and years, and it’s got to stop.”

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., praised Bondi as “accomplished and competent” but said his “grave concern is really about President Trump and what he is clearly demanding.”

“That clearly is a loyalty oath to him as opposed to a demand for straightforward, candid advice, including if the president is asking for something to be done like the prosecution of a political adversary,” Welch said.

Bondi’s confirmation vote came just hours after FBI agents sued the Justice Department over efforts to develop a list of employees involved in the Jan. 6 prosecutions, which agents fear could be a precursor to mass firings.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove last week ordered the acting FBI director to provide the names, titles and offices of all FBI employees who worked on the Jan. 6 cases — which Trump has described as a “grave national injustice.” Bove, who defended Trump in his criminal cases before joining the administration, said Justice Department officials would carry out a “review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.”

Justice Department officials have also recently forced out senior FBI executives, fired prosecutors on special counsel Jack Smith’s team who investigated Trump and terminated a group of prosecutors in the D.C. U.S. attorney’s office who were hired to help with the massive Jan. 6 investigation.

Bondi repeatedly stressed at her confirmation hearing that she would not pursue anyone for political reasons, and vowed that the public, not the president, would be her client. But her answers at times echoed Trump’s campaign rhetoric about a politicized justice system.

“They targeted Donald Trump,” Bondi told lawmakers. “They went after him — actually starting back in 2016, they targeted his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him.” She added, “If I am attorney general, I will not politicize that office.”

Trump nominated Bondi for attorney general after it became clear that his initial pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, could not win enough support from Republican senators to be confirmed.

Bondi has been a fixture in Trump’s orbit for years, and a regular defender of the president-elect on news programs amid his legal woes. In a 2023 Fox News appearance, she suggested that “bad” Justice Department prosecutors would be investigated under the Trump administration.

“The investigators will be investigated,” she said.

Smith has said politics played no part in his decisions and the evidence his team gathered was sufficient for Trump to have been convicted at trial on charges of scheming to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Smith dropped that case and a separate one charging Trump with illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, after Trump’s election win in November, citing longstanding Justice Department policy prohibiting criminal cases against a sitting president.

​ Orange County Register 

Street racer convicted in death of Orange County Register editor

• February 5, 2025

A street racer was convicted of vehicular manslaughter on Tuesday, Feb. 4, for his role in the 2020 Santa Ana traffic death of an Orange County Register editor.

An Orange County Superior Court jury deliberated for two and a half hours before finding Ricardo Tolento, now 29, guilty of felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and hit and run with permanent injury or death, along with a misdemeanor count of engaging in a speed contest and a sentencing enhancement for fleeing the scene, related to the July 30, 2020 death of Gene Harbrecht.

The driver Tolento was charged with racing — Louie Robert Villa — was previously convicted in an earlier trial and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Villa, who was driving a BMW, actually crashed into Harbrecht’s pickup. But prosecutors argued that Tolento, who was driving an Infiniti, helped set the deadly events in motion.

Villa — who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the fatal crash and had a previous DUI — was convicted of a more serious count of second-degree murder.

Attorneys during closing arguments inTolento’s trial on Tuesday morning in a Santa Ana courtroom told jurors that the trial really came down to whether or not they believed that Tolento had taken part in a street race.

Jurors were repeatedly shown dashboard camera footage captured by a driver who was stopped behind Tolento and Villa at the Bristol and 17th streets intersection. That footage showed the two vehicles rapidly accelerate and pull away from other drivers on northbound Bristol immediately after the light turned green. Less than a half-mile away, Villa broadsided Harbrecht, who was making a left-hand turn from the other side of Bristol onto Santa Clara.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Brian Orue told jurors that Tolento was traveling at an average speed of 77 mph — in a 45 mph zone — on that stretch of Bristol. Tolento was outpacing Villa, the prosecutor said, until Villa “slingshotted” around Tolento and then crashed into Harbrecht.

Tolento, in his own testimony, repeatedly denied racing Villa. Tolento — who according to the video was in a lane to the right of Villa — said he needed to merge over and believed that Villa wasn’t going to let him in. Tolento testified that he accelerated in order to get ahead of Villa and claimed he was already slowing down before Villa abruptly pulled around him and crashed into Harbrecht.

Harbrecht’s pickup was forced off the roadway, onto a sidewalk and into a fence. Bystanders helped pull the Harbrecht from the wreckage. But he died minutes later.

Tolento testified that he stopped a short distance away and called 911. The call didn’t go through, Tolento said, but a dispatcher quickly called him back and then abruptly hung up after confirming they were already aware of the crash. Tolento said he drove off and continued on his errands, taking a Covid test in Irvine and then going to a church and a tire shop.

Several hours later, an officer pulled Tolento over and arrested him. In an exchange captured on the officer’s body camera, Tolento denied that he had been at the scene of the crash, even after he was told there was video of his car.

When asked by the prosecutor why he lied to the officer, Tolento cited a previous hit-and-run he had been convicted of and a modification he had made to the exhaust on his car to make it louder and said he believed authorities were going to try to tie him to a crash he believed he hadn’t been involved in.

“You heard every excuse under the sun,” Orue told jurors. “A man is dead and the inability to take any responsibility is mind blowing …

“You put that (dashboard) video up, you press play and it is pretty obvious what is going on,” the prosecutor added. “They turned Bristol into their own personal race track and a man paid the ultimate price.”

Tolento’s attorney, Tom Nocella, argued that Tolento wasn’t directly involved in the crash and denied that Tolento had fled the scene.

“Mr. Villa, we know, caused the accident,” Nocella told jurors. “Mr. Villa, we know, crashed …

“He (Tolento) did not hit anyone, he did not race,” the defense attorney added. “He did call 911. He did make those efforts.”

Tolento — who had been free on bail during the trial — was handcuffed and taken into custody following the verdict. He faces up to 11 years in prison when he returns to court for sentencing on April 4.

Harbrecht, a veteran newsman, had been with the Register since 1984, and at the time of his death was serving as the national and international editor for the Southern California News Group, which publishes the Register and 10 other local newspapers.

Gene Harbrecht, a longtime Register editor, was a ‘newsman to his core’

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Tuesday, Feb. 4

• February 5, 2025

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

Scores and stats from Orange County games on Tuesday, Feb. 4

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

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

TUESDAY’S SCORES

GIRLS WATER POLO

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

Round 1

DIVISION 4

Malibu 8, Yorba Linda 7

Westridge 11, Tesoro 5

DIVISION 6

Tustin 11, Tahquitz 7

Cathedral City 26, Orange 4

​ Orange County Register 

FireAid concert and Grammys raise more than $124 million for wildfire relief

• February 5, 2025

The star-studded FireAid concerts raised $100 million for wildfire relief efforts last week while the Grammy Awards weekend brought in $24 million for similar efforts, organizers announced Tuesday.

FireAid, which featured more than 30 acts including Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Nicks, and a surprise Nirvana reunion, took place at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Thursday.

In addition to fans inside the arenas, FireAid was seen by about 50 million viewers on 28 different streaming platforms, all of which offered viewers a chance to donate as they watched.

The $100 million estimate announced Tuesday included sales of tickets and merchandise, sponsorships, large donations by artists such as the Eagles and U2 who did not perform, and contributions from the Irving Azoff family, Andrew Hauptman and Ellen Bronfman Hauptman, and more.

The Los Angeles Clippers, whose home is Intuit Dome, covered operating costs. Steve and Connie Balmer, who own the Clippers and their arena, matched every pledge made during the broadcast of FireAid.

The FireAid Grants Advisory Committee, which is led by the Annenberg Foundation and consists of leaders in the Los Angeles region philanthropic and non-profit communities, is working to determine where the FireAid funds can have the most impact, according to a news release from the organizers. The initial round of grants is expected in mid-February.

In the wake of the wildfires that killed at least 29 people and destroyed thousands of homes, businesses and other structures in Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Altadena and Pasadena, the Recording Academy which runs the Grammy Awards pivoted from its usual celebration to a combination of awards show and wildfire telethon.

Host Trevor Noah reminded viewers throughout the broadcast on Sunday to donate to wildfire relief efforts. On Tuesday, the Recording Academy posted on the social media platform X that the Grammy Awards had raised $9 million.

Other Grammys events held over the weekend, including the annual MusiCares Persons of the Year gala held Friday in honor of the Grateful Dead, added more to the funds raised through Grammys events for a total of $24 million.

​ Orange County Register 

New site sought for 272 living at Pasadena Convention Center fire shelter

• February 5, 2025

The American Red Cross shelter set up by the City of Pasadena at the Convention Center will be winding down operations soon.

On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the Red Cross said while no official date has been set to close the shelter it is actively looking for a new location for residents to be relocated to closer to their home community.

“When the Red Cross took over management of the Pasadena shelter, the Civic Auditorium Complex requested that the facility be returned to the city shortly after the first week of February,” Red Cross Regional Communications Director Angel Sauceda said in a statement.

Christine Susa, a spokesperson for the Convention Center, referred questions about the shelter to the city.

“The longer we operate the shelter at the Convention Center some business decisions will have to be made,” Finance Director Matthew Hawkesworth said during the meeting. “The Convention Center has contractual commitments to entities that are scheduled to move in and host events and operate there.”

As of Tuesday, Feb. 4, 272 people were sheltered at the site. About two-thirds of those residents are from Altadena, according to the Red Cross. The shelter housed as many as 1,140 people at its peak period during the Eaton fire.

The issue arose during Monday night’s Pasadena City Council meeting when District 6 Councilmember Steve Madison said he had heard a rumor that the shelter would be closing this Friday, Feb. 7.

“Not a single person should be turned out,” Madison said. “I don’t care if they live in Altadena or in Pasadena or wherever. These disasters don’t know city limits.”

During public comment several residents, including those living at the shelter, spoke out against closing the shelter and criticized the lack of transparency for those staying there. Some relayed that residents of the shelter had been told that they needed to be out by Friday.

“Residents in the Pasadena shelter will transition to the new shelter location once identified,” Sauceda said. “At this time, we do not have an official moving date for the shelter.”

Hawkesworth said the commitment from the Red Cross and other partners is to find a place for people housed in the Convention Center to go to once the shelter closes.

The Red Cross said it will continue to have sheltering options until all residents have a plan in place to get them to their next housing solution. Each household will work with a Red Cross shelter resident transition casework to navigate people through available resources.

“While we know shelter transitions can feel sudden, please know that these transitions are carefully planned,” Sauceda said. “Red Cross teams are actively collaborating with local services and continuously communicating with each resident to support a smooth transition.”

​ Orange County Register 

Head In The Clouds festival returns to Pasadena with G-Dragon, 2NE1, Rich Brian, and more

• February 5, 2025

88rising and Goldenvoice have announced the return of Head In The Clouds Music & Arts Festival to Brookside at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena on May 31 and June 1.

Known for showcasing top Asian talent, the festival boasts its biggest lineup yet, headlined by G-Dragon in his exclusive North American festival performance, alongside the pioneering K-pop girl group 2NE1 and R&B sensation Dean. Joining them are DPR Ian, one of the most streamed K-pop solo artists, and 88rising mainstay Rich Brian. Fans can also look forward to a DJ set from electronic producer Porter Robinson, the highly anticipated reunion of Chinese rap group Higher Brothers, and the intriguing The Magic Show?!?, a set shrouded in mystery that hints at a connection to a smash-hit album.

Beyond the headliners, the festival will showcase a diverse lineup of rising and established artists, including Thai pop sensation 4EVE and electronic duo ARMNHMR. Fans can also catch performances from Bixby, DPR Artic & DPR Cream, and genre-blending artist Jonah Love. Other standout acts include Karri, Thai rapper Milli, and singer-songwriter Miso. The festival also welcomes Japanese boy band Number_i, as well as emerging talents PIAO, PISCEE, and Seiji Oda.

Beyond the music, Mama’s Nightmarket will curate a diverse selection of Asian food vendors, bringing flavors from across the diaspora. The festival also offers premium experiences, including the 1999 Club, an exclusive package featuring private stage viewing, VIP amenities, and curated food and beverage tastings.

Two-day general admission passes start at $300, with VIP passes starting at $450. The 1999 Club package is priced at $800. All passes go on sale at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 7 at la.hitcfestival.com.

Additionally, Head In The Clouds continues its commitment to the community, partnering with the Rose Bowl Operating Company to contribute $250,000 toward wildfire relief and recovery efforts.

​ Orange County Register 

‘Whiplash in Concert’ brings live jazz fury to Beverly Hills for its 10th anniversary

• February 4, 2025

Imagine watching “Whiplash,” but instead of just hearing its pulse-pounding jazz score through the screen, the music roars to life right before you. The crack of a snare drum, the blare of a trumpet, the energy of an 18-piece big band—this isn’t just a screening; it’s a full-throttle, live-to-film concert experience.

For the first time in Los Angeles, the independent and Oscar-winning film “Whiplash” is getting the live music treatment, with Academy Award-winning composer Justin Hurwitz conducting his own score at the historic Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on Feb. 7 and 8. Presented by TIL Events and Street Food Cinema in collaboration with Hurwitz Concerts and Blumhouse Productions, the high-stakes intensity of Damien Chazelle’s 2014 masterpiece will unfold on the big screen, amplified by the raw, unfiltered power of live jazz.

“There’s nothing quite like hearing a full orchestra and a large jazz band perform live,” says Steve Allison, owner and principal of TIL Events and Street Food Cinema over a recent phone call ahead of the performance. “All of the film’s recorded music is removed—only the sound effects and dialogue remain—so what you’re hearing is a completely live performance. It creates an audio experience you just can’t replicate any other way.”

The event follows the massive success of La La Land in Concert, another live-to-film experience featuring Hurwitz’s music. According to Allison, the team had been working with Hurwitz since 2017 and saw an opportunity to bring Whiplash to the stage in celebration of its 10th anniversary.

“Justin first reached out to us a few years ago after developing La La Land in Concert, which he had been performing around the world,” Allison said. “In 2023, we partnered with him to create a massive outdoor La La Land experience with multiple screens, a 53-piece orchestra, food trucks, photo ops, and 10,000 attendees. It was like a La La Land festival, and it was so successful that we made it an annual event. While we were working on the next edition, Justin mentioned that he had been developing a Whiplash live concert but hadn’t yet staged it in the U.S. Since it’s the film’s 10th anniversary, we knew it was the perfect time to bring it to life.”

Bringing that vision to life meant finding the perfect venue, one that could capture the film’s energy while delivering an experience. For Allison and his team, the choice was clear: the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. With its 1930s architecture and impeccable acoustics, it was the ideal setting. “We wanted a space that felt authentic to the film’s vintage jazz club aesthetic while also providing top-tier sound quality,” Allison explains. “The theater’s pristine restoration and history as a concert hall made it the perfect fit for an event of this scale.”

The logistics of executing a live-to-film concert are no small feat. The musicians, carefully and hand-selected by Hurwitz, will perform the entire score live, replacing the original film’s audio while maintaining perfect synchronization using a click track system. “It’s incredibly challenging. Every note, every beat has to be precise,” Allison says. The event’s drummer, a crucial element of the show and film, has been involved in previous performances and will lead the rehearsal process. Attendees can expect a level of musicianship that mirrors the film’s own themes of precision and passion.

Beyond the music, the event offers a fully immersive experience. The event will feature gourmet food trucks, a lively pre-show atmosphere, and a 15-minute intermission during which audience members may even get a chance to interact with the musicians or composer. A portion of the proceeds will also go toward MusiCares’ LA wildfire disaster relief fund, reinforcing the event’s commitment to supporting the local music community.

For those who have only ever experienced Whiplash on screen, this concert will offer a completely new way to engage with the film. “Watching it at home or in a traditional theater is one thing, but feeling the live music reverberate through the venue—it adds an entirely new layer of depth,” Allison says.

As for what to expect? Allison sums it up in three words: “Intensity, beauty, and the unexpected.”

Whiplash In Concert

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7; 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8

Where: Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills

Tickets and information: Tickets start at $65 at streetfoodcinema.com.

​ Orange County Register