SpaceX launch set for Thursday morning from Vandenberg

• May 2, 2024

Start the countdown — Hawthorne-based SpaceX will launch the Maxar 1 mission to orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday, May 2, with a 14-minute window for the launch opening at 11:36 a.m.

If needed, a backup opportunity for the launch will be available at the same time on Friday, May 3.

About eight minutes after lift-off, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg and there is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one of more sonic booms during the landing.

The noise will depend on weather and other conditions.

A live webcast begins approximately 15 minutes before Falcon 9’s liftoff — go to spacex.com/launches.

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​ Orange County Register 

Angels fail to cash in on opportunities in 2-1 loss to Phillies

• May 2, 2024

ANAHEIM — Just when the Angels found enough pitching to slow down the Philadelphia Phillies, they couldn’t find a big hit.

The Angels wasted a solid performance on the mound in a 2-1 loss to the Phillies on Wednesday afternoon.

Starter Patrick Sandoval gave up both runs on a second-inning single, but then he didn’t give up anything else through five innings. Four Angels relievers then shut out the Phillies.

The problem, however, was that the Angels couldn’t come through in numerous opportunities to score, both against Phillies ace Zack Wheeler and the relievers who followed him. The only run was Ehire Adrianza’s homer in the second.

“We had some opportunities to put some runs on board, and we’ve got to learn how to do it,” Manager Ron Washington said. “We’ve just got to learn how to touch the ball and put it in play. And keep things working that way until our office starts clicking.”

The ninth inning was particularly disappointing for the Angels (11-20), who had runners at the corners with one out. Jo Adell could have tied the score with a fly ball, but he struck out. Taylor Ward then hit a fly ball to the warning track in left field, ending the game.

Earlier in the game, Matt Thaiss struck out to strand two runners in the first and third innings. In the fifth, Adell struck out with no outs and a runner at third. Ward and Luis Rengifo then hit line drives to Phillies infielders. Rengifo’s left the bat at 101 mph.

In the eighth, Ward led off with a single but was then was caught trying to steal second base when he wasn’t even supposed to go. Ward missed a sign.

“I need to do a better job of just paying attention over there,” Ward said. “The signs I was given, I thought I saw something and it wasn’t that. So just got to tighten that up.”

Rengifo followed with a single. Pinch-hitter Logan O’Hoppe then hit a ball 111 mph, but directly to left fielder Kyle Schwarber. After an infield hit, Cole Tucker hit a flyout.

To go with the failure in the ninth, the Angels were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, and they left 11 runners on base.

Washington might have lamented the missed opportunities, but instead he was encouraged that the Angels were even creating those opportunities.

“We went out there today and they had one of the best pitchers in baseball out there,” Washington said. “And we battled him and we kept putting ourselves in position to do something good. It just didn’t happen.”

Washington was also satisfied with the work of his pitchers, starting with Sandoval, who struck out 10.

Sandoval threw 36 sliders and 27 changeups among his 102 pitches, the second straight start in which he largely shelved his two fastballs. He threw 14 first-pitch strikes in the 21 batters he faced, a significant improvement from his previous outings.

“Minus that second inning, I feel like I had my best stuff of the whole year,” Sandoval said.

He got into a jam in the second, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk. Schwarber’s single up the middle, which scored both runs, would have been an out if it hadn’t hit a divot on the mound and taken a turn past shortstop Zach Neto.

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“I was going toward the right direction,” Neto said. “It’s one of those things that happens in the game.”

Relievers Hunter Strickland, Amir Garrett, Adam Cimber and Luis Garcia shut down the Phillies over the final four innings, striking out eight more hitters. Rengifo saved a run when he quickly responded after a line drive hopped away from him, firing the ball home in time to get an out at the plate.

It wasn’t good enough to win, though. After a come-from-behind one-run victory on Monday, the Angels couldn’t hold a ninth-inning lead on Tuesday before coming up just short in the rubber game of the series against the team with the most victories in the majors.

“If we keep playing baseball the way we played the last three days against Philadelphia, we’re gonna do some good things going forward,” Washington said. “We played some good baseball these three days. Just came up on the wrong end of them.”

​ Orange County Register 

B-52s’ Kate Pierson lists her Airstream retreat in Mojave Desert for $452K

• May 2, 2024

Kate Pierson of The B-52s has listed her kitschy Airstream “glampground” in the Mojave Desert for $452,000.

Sited in unincorporated Landers with mountain views, Kate’s Lazy Desert comprises two parcels for a total of 10 acres. It comes with six fully hooked up and equipped vintage trailers, including one filled with B-52s memorabilia, a 400-square-foot “homestead cabin” dating to 1955 and a 225-square-foot storage shed.

Records show Pierson and her wife,  the artist and designer Monica Coleman, paid $18,000 for the initial 5-acre property in November 2011. A year later, Kate’s Lazy Desert opened for business with nightly rates from $200-plus, Yelp.com reviews show. In June 2017, the couple expanded the grounds through the purchase of a neighboring 5-acre vacant lot for $20,000.

Since it hit the market in early April, the listing agent Niko Esposito of Paul Kaplan Group/Bennion Deville Homes has heard from “starry-eyed super creatives,” adventure groups and investors hoping to take advantage of the conditional use permit included in the asking price.

The CUP allows the next owner to operate the property as a motel, trailer park or campground.

Given the area’s history as a gathering place for spiritualists and UFO enthusiasts, it’s also ideal for “cosmic vibing” and “extraterrestrial communicating,” the listing reads.

The property is near Joshua Tree National Park, The Integratron and Giant Rock Boulder, a seven-story monolith. There are also popular restaurants in the area, including Pappy and Harriet’s and La Copine.

Pierson, 76, is a founding member and vocalist of The B-52s. Formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976, the band — including Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland and Cindy Wilson — has produced hits such as “Rock Lobster,” “Love Shack,” “Roam” and many others over the years and continues to perform.

In addition to The B-52s, Pierson has appeared as a guest vocalist on Iggy Pop’s “Candy” and R.E.M.’s “Shiny Happy People.” She released her debut solo album, “Guitars and Microphones,” in 2015.

Pierson also ventured into vacation rentals. Before Kate’s Lazy Desert, she launched Kate’s Lazy Meadow, a Catskills motel, in 2003. After selling that property in August 2021 for $2.3 million, Pierson and Coleman opened Kate’s Lazy Cape, a beach house in Truro, Massachusetts. The property is advertised on Airbnb at $850 nightly.

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​ Orange County Register 

Trump calls judge ‘crooked’ after facing a warning of jail time if he violates a trial gag order

• May 2, 2024

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON, SCOTT BAUER and MICHELLE L. PRICE

WAUKESHA, Wis. — Donald Trump returned briefly to the campaign trail Wednesday and called the judge presiding over his hush money trial “crooked” a day after he was held in contempt of court and threatened with jail time for violating a gag order.

Trump’s remarks at events in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan were being closely watched after he received a $9,000 fine for making public statements about people connected to the criminal case. In imposing the fine for posts on Trump’s Truth Social account and campaign website, Judge Juan M. Merchan said that if Trump continued to violate his orders, he would “impose an incarceratory punishment.”

“There is no crime. I have a crooked judge. He’s a totally conflicted judge,” Trump said speaking to supporters at an event in Waukesha, Wisconsin, claiming again that this and other cases against him are led by the White House to undermine his campaign.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at the Waukesha County Expo Center in Waukesha, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

The gag order bars him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his hush money case. Trump is still free to criticize Merchan.

The former president is trying to achieve a balancing act unprecedented in American history by running for a second term as the presumptive Republican nominee while also fighting felony charges in New York. Trump frequently goes after Merchan, prosecutors and potential witnesses at his rallies and on social media, attack lines that play well with his supporters but that have potentially put him in further legal jeopardy.

Trump insists he is merely exercising his free speech rights, but the offending posts from his Truth Social account and campaign website were taken down. Merchan is weighing other alleged gag-order violations and will hear arguments on Thursday.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at the Waukesha County Expo Center in Waukesha, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Trump has often called this case and other criminal cases against him “election interference,” saying they keep him from campaigning for the presidential election in November.

Attendees agreed he is being unfairly prosecuted, contending the trial and gag order were designed to distract him .

“It’s a trial looking for a crime,” said Ray Hanson, of Hartford. Hanson said he expected Trump’s lawyers would “keep him in line” so he doesn’t violate the gag order, as much as he likely wants to talk about the trial.

Manhattan prosecutors have argued Trump and his associates took part in an illegal scheme to influence the 2016 presidential campaign by purchasing and then burying negative stories. He has pleaded not guilty.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at the Waukesha County Expo Center in Waukesha, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Trump’s visits to Wisconsin and Michigan mark his second trip to the swing states in just a month. For the previous rallies, the former president largely focused on immigration, referring to people who are in the U.S. illegally and who are suspected of crimes as “animals.”

Meanwhile, Democrats are hoping to remind voters ahead of these visits about Trump’s position on abortion, which Trump has been openly concerned about being a political liability for him and Republicans.

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan met on Wednesday with half a dozen women, including a family doctor, and warned that a second Trump term would threaten abortion rights even in her state, which enshrined those rights in its state constitution after the Supreme Court overturned national rights to the procedure.

Whitmer appeared with the women at a bookstore in Flint surrounded by signs that read “Stop Trump’s Attacks on Health Care” and “Stop Trump’s Abortion Ban.” She told reporters not to believe Trump’s contention in a Time Magazine interview that Republicans would never have enough votes in the U.S. Senate to pass a national abortion ban.

“We cannot trust anything that Donald Trump says when it comes to abortion. So no one should take any comfort in the fact that, yes, he wants an abortion ban, but he won’t get it because he doesn’t think we’ll have 60 votes in the Senate. Baloney,” she said. “No one would have imagined we’d be here in this moment.”

Wisconsin and Michigan are among a handful of battleground states expected to decide the 2024 election.

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For Trump to win both states, he must do well in suburban areas like the areas outside of Milwaukee and Saginaw, Michigan, where he will hold Wednesday’s events. He underperformed in suburban areas during this year’s primary even as he dominated the Republican field overall.

Trump has repeatedly falsely said that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Trump’s losses in battleground states in 2020 have withstood recounts, audits and reviews by the Justice Department and outside observers.

Gomez Licon reported from Miami, and Price reported from Freeland, Mich.

​ Orange County Register 

Top Orange County swimming times entering CIF-SS Division 2 prelims, May 1

• May 2, 2024

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

Orange County’s leading times, and select others, entering the CIF-SS Division 2 prelims on May 1:

BOYS SWIMMING

200-yard medley relay (O.C. record 1:29.01 Santa Margarita ’23) SM 1:30.22

200 free (O.C. record 1:33.26 Shoults ’16) Maksymowski (Nor) 1:36.47

200 IM (O.C. record 1:45.42 Okubo ’14) Verdolaga (SM) 1:48.49, Lee (Nor) 1:49.82

50 free (O.C. record 19.69 Cavic ’02) Wang (Wood) 20.35

100 butterfly (O.C. record 46.47 Schmitt ’23) Verdolaga (SM) 46.84, Yan (SM) 47.59

100 free (O.C. record 43.85 Buyukuncu ’94) Cehelnik (SM) 44.45, Maksymowski (Nor) 44.76, Jiang (SM) 44.87

500 free (O.C. record 4:12.87 Shoults ’16) Maksymowski (Nor) 4:25.60

200 free relay (O.C. record 1:22.08 Santa Margarita ’23) Nor 1:22.82

100 back (O.C. record 47.36 Najera ’23) Hitchens (Nor) 48.56

100 breast (O.C. record 53.40 Pellini ’17) Yamagata (OA) 54.01- new CIF-SS Div. 4 record, Vu (FV) 54.99

400 free relay (O.C. record 2:59.60 Santa Margarita ’23) SM 3:00.82

GIRLS SWIMMING

200 medley relay (O.C. record 1:39.04 Santa Margarita ’22) SM 1:40.31

200 free (O.C. record 1:43.01 McLaughlin ’15) O’Dell (SM) 1:43.26

200 IM (O.C. record 1:53.38 O’Dell ’23) O’Dell (SM) 1:58.12, Nguyen (FV) 1:58.59

50 free (O.C. record 22.40 O’Dell ’23) Aquino (SM) 22.75

100 butterfly (O.C. record 51.53 McLaughlin ’15) Masud (Wood) 54.01

100 free (O.C. record 48.55 O’Dell ’23) O’Dell (SM) 48.55, Aquino (SM) 49.95

500 free (O.C. record 4:37.30 Evans ’88) DeFabrique (SC) 4:53.17

200 free relay (O.C. record 1:29.61 SM ’23) SM 1:33.75

100 back (O.C. record O’Dell 50.96 ’23) O’Dell (SM) 51.38

100 breast (O.C. record O’Dell 59.73 ’23) O’Dell (SM) 1:00.75. Nguyen (FV) 1:01.20, Nwaizu (LC) 1:01.49- new CIF-SS Div. 4 record

400 free relay (O.C. record 3:14.80 Santa Margarita ’22) SM 3:27.90

Please send updates or corrections to Dan Albano at [email protected] or @OCVswimdive on X

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​ Orange County Register 

What led to escalating tensions, violence at UCLA pro-Palestinian protests

• May 2, 2024

Conflict erupted out on UCLA’s campus in the late hours of Tuesday night as pro-Israel counter protesters attacked members of the “Palestinian Solidarity Encampment” and law enforcement failed to reestablish peace until around 4 a.m., prompting the university to cancel all classes on Wednesday, May 1.

UCLA leadership is now under fire for its slow response to quell last night’s attack, which Gov. Gavin Newsom declared “unacceptable” and UCLA Chancellor Gene Block has vowed will be thoroughly investigated.

The outburst of violence was the culmination of tension that has been simmering on campus since the start of the Israel-Hamas war and rapidly escalated after students’ occupation of Royce Quad last Thursday.

As the days and hours passed after the encampment was established, protesters and counter-protesters flooded the area, waves of furious social media posts flooded the internet, and university leaders issued several statements in unsuccessful attempts to regain control of the campus.

Students protesters and university leaders are now in a standoff. UCLA has declared the encampment “unlawful,” while students are refusing to vacate until their demands are met. The demands include that UCLA’s leaders divest from companies that do business with Israel, sever ties with Israeli universities and demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Here’s a timeline of key events leading up to and during the night of violence:

Wednesday, April 17: Protesters at Columbia University begin occupation of their campus, a protest style quickly mimicked by pro-Palestinian activists at colleges across the nation.

Wednesday, April 24: Around 6 p.m., LAPD arrests 93 protesters at USC’s Alumni Park after they refuse to obey orders to vacate the area. Earlier in the day, protesters attempt to establish an encampment, but are quickly ordered to take tents down by campus public safety.

A University of Southern California protester is detained by USC Department of Public Safety officers during a pro-Palestinian occupation at the campus’ Alumni Park on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Thursday, April 25: Students at UCLA begin their occupation of Royce Quad, setting up about 30 tents and sealing off the area with wooden fences. The Palestine Solidarity Encampment is led by several campus organizations including the UC Divest Coalition, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace.

UCLA students set up a Palestinian solidarity camp at their Westwood campus on Thursday, April 25, 2024. The encampment comes one day after a protest on theircross-town rival USC. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

By late afternoon over 300 protesters gathered in the area. Some Jewish students report feeling unsafe on campus and express their discomfort with protest chants such as “from the river to the sea” and “intifada, intifada,” which they interpret as a call to wipe out the Jewish population in Israel.

“It’s just sad to me because I know a majority of my Jewish friends feel unsafe,” said first-year student Eli Tsives. “They won’t even leave their dorm. They don’t want to walk to classes because they don’t feel safe.”

A small group of counter-protesters forms and scuffles break out between two parties.

Friday, April 26: UCLA administration issues a statement saying that it supports students’ right to free speech and will not request law enforcement intervention at this time. The encampment continues to swell in size and student protest leaders control the foot traffic in and around Royce Quad.

Saturday, April 27: A GoFundMe raises over $50,000 to establish a pro-Israel counter-protest featuring a massive screen and speakers adjacent to the encampment.

Sunday, April 28: A pro-Israel counter-protest takes place, prompting the university to establish metal barriers separating the two groups. The barriers are breached and conflict ensues between the two parties, but no arrests are made and the protests disperse around 3 p.m.

UCLA Vice Chancellor Mary Osako says the university is “heartbroken about the violence that broke out.”

Monday, April 29: Members of the UCLA Faculty stage a walkout in solidarity with the protesting students and attend a rally outside of Royce Hall that draws a crowd of around 400 students, staff and activists.

Some UCLA faculty joined with Pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA on Monday, April 29, 2024. Hundreds of Pro-Palestinian supporters joined in a march from their encampment in front of Royce Hall to areas around the campus. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

“We are out here to support students who are asking for UCLA’s disclosure of investments supporting the war in Gaza and divestment of UCLA commitments’ to the war in Gaza,” said Graeme Blair, assistant professor of political science at UCLA. “I think our role is to protect their rights to express that and share with the administration that we believe they should be allowed to be out here making these demands.”

Council on American-Islamic Relations LA (CAIR-LA) asks UCLA to investigate reports of encampment members being harassed including an alleged incident when a backpack full of mice was thrown into the encampment.

“This incident is part of the constant, daily harassment that students at the UCLA Gaza Solidarity Encampment have been subjected to by counter-protesters in support of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza,” CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said. “The university must take immediate action to protect the students participating in the encampment.”

Tuesday, April 30:

11:48 a.m.: Osako issues a statement that the university is investigating allegations that protesters blocked a student’s access to class, and says “this kind of disruption to our teaching and learning mission is abhorrent, plain and simple.”

Osako also says that campus security is being expanded following altercations between protesters and counter-protesters including, “adding greater numbers of campus law enforcement, safety personnel and student affairs monitors.”

4 p.m.: The university delivers a notices to the encampment informing students that the occupation is “unlawful and violates university policy.” Students are asked to vacate or face disciplinary action.

5:30 p.m.: Student protesters issue a response to the administrations reiterating their intent to remain at the encampment until their demands are met. The statement also condemns the university’s failure to protect protesting students from “Zionist aggressors.”

The statement accuses the UCLA of “refusing to acknowledge the fascist zionist militias’ blatant abuse of power both here on campus and in Palestine” and says that “Zionists threaten our safety every night by verbally, physically, and emotionally assaulting the students participating in the encampment.”

10:30 p.m.: Counter-protesters swarm campus and members of the encampment share online posts saying they are under attack and calling for help.

I am at the UCLA quad, where things have been very tense all day after school law enforcement has asked protesters to leave and a large group of counter protesters has thrown fireworks. Both groups are facing off with lots of media & some cops nearby. pic.twitter.com/1nOGKDn85l

— Emily Holshouser (@emilyytayylor) May 1, 2024

11:00 p.m.: Videos appear of projectiles and fireworks being sent into the encampment.

12:30 a.m.: A group attempts to dismantle the Palestinian encampment, with some people trying to take down fences, plywood and other barricades. Violent clashes ensue between both parties.

Demonstrators clash at an encampment at UCLA late Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. Dueling groups of protesters have clashed at the University of California, Los Angeles, grappling in fistfights and shoving, kicking and using sticks to beat one another. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

12:45 a.m.: Osako issues a statement saying, “Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support. The fire department and medical personnel are on the scene. We are sickened by this senseless violence and it must end.”

Shortly thereafter, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issues a statement condemning the violence and saying the LAPD is on its way.

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1:30 a.m: The LAPD arrives in riot gear and assembles alongside California Highway Patrol officers, but they do not immediately try to break up clashes at the camp.

2:45 a.m.: Officers move in to engage with demonstrators and get them to disperse, telling them to leave or be arrested, ABC7 reported. Forty-five minutes later, the pro-Israel demonstrators had left the quad at the direction and encouragement of police, the station reported.

​ Orange County Register 

Sparks see Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson as keys to ‘core four’

• May 2, 2024

TORRANCE — With less than a week on the job in the WNBA, it is only natural that Sparks rookies Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson are still trying to figure things out. The lottery picks are working hard to position themselves in the organization’s “core four” players, a concept detailed by first-year general manager Raegan Pebley on Wednesday at the team’s media day at El Camino College.

“I’m still figuring that out to be frank. I think we’re with a great group of vets, a great group of girls, they really take us in,” Brink said. “I think we need to listen to the coaching staff. We’re only three days in really, so still figuring that out but continuing to play hard and be myself.”

“Continue to be a sponge and lean on our vets,” Jackson added. “That’s been helping us get through training camp, all the overload of information, so we’re going to continue to do that.”

The Sparks, led by coach Curt Miller, opened training camp Sunday.

After a 17-23 record last season, which ended with missing the playoffs for a franchise-record third straight season, the organization was rewarded with the No. 2 overall pick in the WNBA draft, which the Sparks used to select Brink from Stanford. During the WNBA’s free agency period, the Sparks acquired 2019 All-Star guard Kia Nurse and the No. 4 pick from the Seattle Storm, which the franchise used to draft Jackson from Tennessee, in exchange for the Sparks’ 2026 first-round pick.

“Our goal is that we are building organizationally a core four,” Pebley said. “We want our top six to arguably be starters for any other team in this league.

“We want every player on this roster to be high EQ, high IQ, great culture fits, great skill sets that fit the system that Curt’s building and we believe that those things can all lead in the end to WNBA championships. Championships aren’t usually built overnight, it takes time.”

The Sparks have 18 players on their training camp roster, well above the league’s 12-person roster limit. Brink and Jackson should be considered locks for the opening-day roster.

“Ultimately, the goal is to play and win championships,” Miller said. “We are pros, we all can have that adult conversation. It does take a process and what a foundation we get to start working with two lottery picks, with a lot of young professionals. I’m excited and the challenge of superstars developing and developing into an elite player and not just always acquiring in the arms race superstar players.”

However, Miller is also high on guard Julie Allemand, who is overseas temporarily while rehabbing an ankle injury, and 6-foot-7 center Li Yueru as potential starters. The Sparks acquired Allemand and Yueru from the Chicago Sky in a trade for the eighth overall pick in the draft.

“We believe, when I mention building a core four, a top six becoming arguably starters for any other team in the W and the entire roster being highly skilled players, Li fits that in every way,” Pebley said.

“Li is the biggest surprise of our game so far,” Miller added. “She has absolutely been outstanding the first three days. She is a bona fide center internationally. She is going to impact this league.”

In that scenario, after the two rookies and two former Sky players, that leaves eight available roster spots, the majority of which will likely be filled by protected veterans like two-time All-Star forward Dearica Hamby, forward/center Azurá Stevens (who has been ruled out with an arm injury and will be re-evaluated in approximately eight weeks in mid-June), forward Stephanie Talbot, (who missed last season with a torn ACL injury), guard/forward Rae Burrell (Sparks 2022 first-round pick), the aforementioned Nurse and guards Lexie Brown and Aari McDonald (acquired via trade for Jordin Canada).

“For me going through a short training camp, I want to come in and show that I can run the team, organize the offense and just set the tone defensively,” McDonald said.

Other experienced players battling for roster spots include guard Layshia Clarendon (Cajon High) and forward Monique Billings (Santiago High and UCLA).

“Just taking into account what coach is asking for and executing that at a high level,” Billings said. “Communication, doing the intangibles, high energy, work ethic. I think those are the things that you start with at a baseline and then from there making your shots, doing the things you worked on in the offseason, being a great teammate.”

The Sparks front office could also lean into building out the roster with one or more of the team’s promising young players who are currently on rookie-scale contracts like second-year guard Zia Cooke (Sparks 2023 first-round pick), third-year guard Nia Clouden and rookie guard/forward McKenzie Forbes (Sparks 2024 third-round pick).

Meanwhile, guards Blake Dietrick and Taylor Mikesell both signed training camp contracts.

“It bodes for a very competitive camp, a lot of healthy competition,” Miller continued. “A lot of people fighting for those last roster spots, which ultimately competition in camp only raises the level of play.”

After less than a week of practice, the Sparks will play their first preseason game against the Seattle Storm and former Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike in the WNBA Canada Game on Saturday in Edmonton, Alberta.

Final roster cuts must be made by May 13, which is a mere 16 days after the start of training camp. The WNBA regular season begins May 14, with the Sparks tipping off their season with a home game against the Atlanta Dream on May 15 at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid.

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Sparks Training Camp Roster

(as of Wednesday, May 1)

Zia Cooke, guard, 2nd year, South Carolina

Rickea Jackson, forward, rookie, Tennessee

Lexie Brown, guard, seventh year, Duke

Dearica Hamby, forward, tenth year, Wake Forest

Stephanie Talbot, forward, sixth year, Australia

Kia Nurse, guard/forward, sixth year, Connecticut/Canada

Rae Burrell, guard/forward, third year, Tennessee

Blake Dietrick, guard, sixth year, Princeton

Taylor Mikesell, guard, second year, Ohio State

Aari McDonald, guard, fourth year, Arizona

Julie Allemand, guard, third year, Belgium

Cameron Brink, forward, rookie, Stanford

Azurá Stevens, forward/center, seventh year, Connecticut

Nia Clouden, guard, third year, Michigan State

Layshia Clarendon, guard, eleventh year, California

Li Yueru, center, second year, China

McKenzie Forbes, guard/forward, rookie, USC

Monique Billings, forward, seventh year, UCLA

​ Orange County Register 

Big rigs in California are getting cleaner — but can long-range targets for trucks be met?

• May 2, 2024

By Rob Nikolewski | San Diego Union Tribune

California policymakers want to clean up the emissions spewed by the trucking industry — and they’ve passed mandates and established targets to get there.

The federal government recently followed up, creating its own set of national guidelines that are staggered by year and truck classification.

With California at the forefront, adoption is gaining ground among vehicles that travel around 200 miles or less per day — what’s called the short-haul sector that includes delivery vans, buses, etc.

But can big rigs traveling longer distances eventually complete the transition to zero-emissions at the pace the mandates laid down by California and the federal government require? It’s an open question.

“I think we’re still in the first half of the first inning when it comes to truck electrification, but it’s accelerating quickly,” said Lawren Markle, director of media relations for GNA, a Santa Monica consulting firm owned by TRC Companies that specializes in clean transportation and energy.

But the American Trucking Associations, an industry trade group, says the rules are moving too fast.

“The margins in the trucking industry are very, very slim — like 2 to 3 percent — so it’s a very competitive market as it is,” said Jacqueline Gelb, the trucking associations’ vice president of energy and environmental affairs. “So the fleet likely is not going to be able to wholly bear any type of increase in costs, and that will get passed on to the consumer.”

The mandates

California instituted its Advanced Clean Fleets, or ACF, rule at the start of this year. Among its provisions, the rule requires large fleet operators of more than 50 vehicles or $50 million in revenue to adopt zero-emissions medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

Operators of what’s called “last-mile” delivery trucks and vans — that is, the final phase of moving a product from the back of truck to a customer’s doorstep — must convert at least 10 percent of their fleets to zero-emissions by next year.

A 50 percent zero-emissions requirement is already in effect for local government fleets.

All fleets will have to ramp up to 100 percent zero-emissions, with deadlines ranging from 2035 to 2042 based on individual vehicle types.

Some trucking groups have filed lawsuits challenging the ACF rule, and the California Air Resources Board is seeking a waiver from the federal government to resolve the debate about whether the state can implement the rule. A decision on the waiver has yet to be issued, but many fleets are moving forward on the assumption the ACF will stay in place.

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its greenhouse gas emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles. Known as Phase 3, the limits on carbon dioxide emissions become increasingly stringent each year from 2027 to 2032.

Industry experts believe it will be difficult for diesel-only truck sales to meet the EPA’s Phase 3 targets. Instead, manufacturers will likely need to sell a mix of low-emission technologies, which will likely increase prices of traditional diesel-powered vehicles.

What’s working now

San Diego Gas & Electric recently hosted its annual EV Fleet Day expo that showed off clean trucks, vans, buses and big rigs as well as electric vehicle charging projects.

Representatives of BrightDrop, a subsidiary of General Motors specializing in delivery vehicles, took visitors on tour of its 2024 all-electric Zevo 600.

The interior of the Brightdrop all-electric Zevo 600, which has a combined highway and city range of 272 miles. The vehicle was on display April 19 at SDG&E’s EV Fleet Day in Kearny Mesa. (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Stretching 24 feet, the vehicle boasts a combined highway and city range of 272 miles, which works well for the stops that drivers make each day for companies like FedEx or Amazon.

“At 272 (miles), it makes a driver feel good that he can go out, crank the air conditioning, crank the heat,” said Christa Paterson, sales account executive at BrightDrop. “He’s not going to run out a battery in the middle of the city or on some freeway.”

When the delivery day is done, the vans can return to the company’s depot, get charged overnight when electricity rates are at their lowest and then get back on the road for another day of work.

All-electric vehicles are significantly quieter than diesel-powered vans, and while Paterson said the retail price of the 272-mile BrightDrop comes to about $105,000, state and federal rebates and incentives knock the price down considerably. She estimated GM has sold about 2,000 thus far in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The day before the expo, Paterson said she met a FedEx driver who raved about the technology in his BrightDrop van. “He probably came out of a FedEx van that was 20 years old — you know, with no backup cameras,” she said. “It’s like getting an iPhone 15 over an iPhone 4.”

Just a few feet away, GreenPower Motor Co. displayed its Type D battery-powered school bus that seats about 90 and touts 300 miles of range on a single charge.

“A school bus is actually one of the most opportune applications of electric technology,” said Mark Nestlen, vice president of business development and strategy for company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. “The majority of school bus routes in the United States are 80 miles or less. You have a set route; you know where the bus is going.”

GreenPower Motor Co.’s Type D, all-electric school bus that has a range of 300 miles on a single charge, on display April 19 at SDG&E’s EV Fleet Day. (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Schools can save money on fueling costs, since electric charging is typically cheaper than diesel, and reduce expenses that come with upkeep.

“There are 150 less moving parts than you would have in a traditional school bus” using an internal combustion engine, Nestlen said. “So you obviously have significant reduction in maintenance costs. You don’t change oil in an electric school bus.”

The Grossmont Unified School District has GreenPower Motor school buses on the road, and other schools in the San Diego area are converting their fleets to zero-emissions.

Financial incentives

Battery-powered buses, vans and big rigs have retail price tags that are considerably higher than conventionally fueled vehicles.

But similar to inducements in the passenger car sector, government-funded programs greatly reduce the price of zero-emissions vehicles. When stacked up, the financial incentives can lead to price tags approaching or achieving parity to diesel-powered counterparts.

The most popular program for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in California is the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project, called HVIP for short.

Discounts include up to $120,000 for school buses and garbage trucks, $85,000 for delivery vehicles, $120,000 for commercial trucks and as much as $240,000 for heavy-duty Class 8 trucks and tractor-trailers.

The federal government also offers tax credits of up to $40,000 for electric and fuel vehicles that weigh more than 14,000 pounds and $7,500 for vehicles weighing less than that amount.

Fleets typically work with distributors and utilities such as SDG&E to take advantage of the numerous federal, state and even municipally funded grants and pilot programs available to them.

The long-haul challenge

The range between charges is improving, even for heavy-duty trucks rumbling along the highway.

Volvo Trucks has been one of the early entrants in the electric truck market. One of the big rigs it showed off at the SDG&E outing was the six-battery pack VNR Electric that has a marketed range of 275 miles, depending on factors like payload, topography of the routes and weather.

That’s a pretty good distance but it doesn’t compare to a diesel rig that travels about 600 to 800 miles per day before needing to refuel.

The VNR Electric is built for regional haul, said Katy Link, Electromobility Regional Sales Manager for Volvo Trucks North America. “We don’t go in and say, you’re going to be able to take this across country.”

But such a vehicle can “100 percent” work for a trucking company that’s hauling goods from, say, San Diego to El Centro and back, according to Tracey Craik, regional sales director for TEC Equipment, a dealer and distributor for Volvo and Mack trucks.

“Electric cannot fit every segment of a carrier’s business,” Craik said. “When they go long range, full-battery electric is not going to be able to accomplish that.”

In addition to range, significant challenges include the fact that charging an electric truck can take hours — and time is critical for trucking companies to deliver their products ASAP.

And then there’s the issue of actually making sure that charging stations get built along the routes that truckers use. The lack of charging infrastructure already bedevils the market for EV passenger cars.

So, given the California and EPA mandates, how does the trucking industry transition to zero-emissions for goods traveling hundreds of miles through multiple states?

Volvo Trucks is taking a three-pronged approach.

“EV range is going to improve with time and battery technology is going to improve,” Link said.

Second, Volvo and other manufacturers are looking at rigs powered by hydrogen that can travel long distances.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, which runs a motor. To fuel the vehicles, drivers pull up to a station similar to a conventional gas station and pump hydrogen into the tank. Filling up takes much less time than going to an EV charging station, and like EVs, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles emit no greenhouse gases.

There are issues to overcome, though, including access to supplies of hydrogen that is produced cleanly and a lack of fueling infrastructure.

A fuel cell electric truck on display at EV Fleet Day, held at near the headquarters of San Diego Gas & Electric on April 19. (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The third option is using internal combustion engines that run on renewable fuel — be it clean hydrogen or diesel made from fats and oils, such as soybean oil or canola oil, which is processed to be chemically the same as petroleum diesel.

Volvo Trucks recently rolled out the latest version of its flagship VNL 860. “We’re constantly improving our diesel product to reduce emissions,” Link said.

Despite the long-term challenges, the California Air Resources Board is confident the state’s regulations will be met.

The state “is two years ahead of schedule of its zero-emissions truck targets,” Kate Lamb, information officer for the board, known as CARB for short, said in an email to the Union-Tribune.

A report from last October said manufacturers had already met their 2024 sales benchmarks, “showing market interest in zero-emissions technology.” Improved air quality will also help communities often surrounded by major highways and transportation facilities.

“The regulations are essential to achieving clean air needs and targets,” Lamb said.

Gelb of the American Trucking Associations is skeptical.

“There is a symbiotic relationship between the fleet and the manufacturer of how technology is developed, how it runs in the real world and sharing that information,” Gelb said. “California’s regulations have completely skipped that entire process … They are looking at it as a math problem: ‘I need to reduce this amount of emissions out of my state. How do I need to get there at the absolute fastest?’ ”

A study released earlier this year, which was commissioned by a coalition of trucking groups, estimated that full electrification of the U.S. commercial truck fleet would require nearly $1 trillion in infrastructure investments — $620 billion for chargers, site infrastructure and electric service upgrades and $370 million in upgrades from utilities to meet the demand of commercial vehicles.

On the other hand, an analysis from CARB estimated that fleet operators will see $48 billion in cost savings from 2020 through 2025 — not including public health benefits and incentive programs provided by the state.

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.

​ Orange County Register