Brea man who pretended to be a doctor arrested again in alleged plan to open new clinic

• February 22, 2024

Less than two weeks after being released from prison for impersonating a medical doctor and performing unlicensed medical procedures, a 63-year-old Brea man was arrested for the second time, after allegedly trying to open a new Botox business, prosecutors said Thursday.

The man, identified as Elias Renteria Segoviano, is described as a fake doctor who previously targeted Spanish-speaking women and performed unlicensed medical procedures using “potentially counterfeit” Botox, fillers, and other medical drugs, Orange County District Attorney spokesperson Kimberly Edds said.

In April 2023, he pleaded guilty to multiple felonies and misdemeanors, including 13 felony counts of unauthorized practice of medicine. At least 28 victims have been identified in Segoviano’s illegal practice, which began in 2019.

He was released from prison Dec. 22, 2023 after serving one year and four months.

Segoviano is accused of trying to sublet a space at Phenix Salon Suites in Brea and allegedly giving two suite owners a fake name before entering into a sublease agreement with one of the suite owners.

After learning about his previous criminal behavior from news coverage, the owner canceled the agreement, prosecutors said.

Segoviano is being charged with a misdemeanor count of falsely representing himself as a licensed medical practitioner and two felony counts of the unauthorized practice of medicine, the District Attorney’s Office said.

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​ Orange County Register 

Modesti: National Treasure leads California hopes in Saudi Cup

• February 22, 2024

The best thing happening in Southern California horse racing this weekend might be happening in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Cup, the richest thoroughbred race in the world with a purse of $20 million, will be contested for the fifth time Saturday at about 9:40 a.m. Pacific time when 14 horses run 1 1/8 miles around one turn on the dirt track at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.

The field of 4-year-olds and up comes from the United States, Japan and Arab countries. It’s led by White Abarrio, the U.S. 5-year-old who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic last November at Santa Anita. And it has a lot to interest California fans at a time when the state’s horses are trying to reassert themselves on the world stage.

Start with National Treasure, to be ridden by Santa Anita co-leader Flavien Prat for trainer Bob Baffert.

National Treasure is listed as the 8-1 fourth choice by the Racing Post – behind White Abarrio (3-1) and Japan’s Lemon Pop (5-1) and Derma Sotogake (6-1) – and has the credentials to win.

National Treasure has been keeping California horses in headlines in the past year. His front-running victory in the Preakness last May gave the state’s trainers their only success in Triple Crown races in the two seasons since Churchill Downs barred Baffert from the Derby. National Treasure’s photo-finish second to Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita was the closest any hometown horse came to winning one of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races last fall.

His victory in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January suggested a 4-year-old colt hitting his stride.

“He’s got better and better, he’s beginning to put races together,” Jimmy Barnes, assistant trainer to Baffert, said in Riyadh after National Treasure drew post 7 this week. “He’s really matured and loves it here.”

One question is how National Treasure, preferring to race on or close to the lead, will fare in a field whose other early-speed horses include U.S.-based Saudi Crown (14-1) and Hoist the Gold (40-1).

“Flavien Prat will give him a good trip,” Barnes said, “and that’s all you can ask for.”

That, and you could ask for Baffert’s horse in the Saudi Cup to find a little extra this time after three straight close second-place finishes for the Hall of Fame trainer: Charlatan and Mike Smith were beaten by 8-1 winner Mishriff in 2021, Country Grammer and Prat were caught by 50-1 Emblem Road in 2022, and Country Grammer and Frankie Dettori couldn’t quite catch 16-1 Panthalaasa in 2023.

National Treasure and White Abarrio aren’t the only Saudi Cup runners familiar to Californians.

Senor Buscador (16-1), second in the Pegasus World Cup, is a stretch-running 6-year-old whose first big win was the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar last summer. Hoist the Gold, fourth in the Pegasus, has run at Del Mar and Santa Anita without winning. Two of the Saudi-based horses competing Saturday raced for Baffert before going overseas: Defunded (25-1) won the 2022 Awesome Again and 2023 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita, and Carmel Road (25-1) broke his maiden at Del Mar and finishing second (to Practical Move) in the 2022 Los Alamitos Futurity.

A purse paying $10 million to the winner, $3.5 million to the runner-up, $2 million for third place – down to $200,000 for 10th – makes the trip to Saudi Arabia potentially lucrative for owners, trainers and jockeys.

The race itself should make the trip to our TV sets or wagering accounts worthwhile for fans.

REMEMBERING ART WILSON

A memorial service has been scheduled for Art Wilson, the longtime Southern California News Group racing writer who died Sunday at age 71.

The service will be held Wednesday, March 27, at 11 a.m., at Oakdale Memorial Chapel, 1401 South Grand Ave. in Glendora, Art’s brother, Eddie Wilson, said.

Art’s survivors include Eddie and their sister Deborah Wills.

“The family has been comforted with the outpouring of support and love shown by those who knew him,” Eddie said.

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HELLO AGAIN

Allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m the man who will try to fill Art Wilson’s shoes on the racing beat.

It’s an honor to have been invited to return to the beat, as a freelance correspondent, to write weekly horse-racing columns, report on major Southern California races and related news, and continue Art’s and this newspaper’s commitment to covering the sport.

Some will remember that I covered racing for the Daily News and other SCNG papers, full- or part-time, from 1991 to the early 2010s. It remains a favorite time in my career as a sports, news and editorial writer and editor.

Please send your suggestions about racing coverage. I’m @KevinModesti on X (formerly Twitter). Direct messages are open.

​ Orange County Register 

Horse racing notes: C Z Rocket retired at age 10

• February 22, 2024

SANTA ANITA LEADERS

(Through Thursday)

Jockeys / Wins

Flavien Prat / 32

Juan Hernandez / 32

Antonio Fresu / 26

Frankie Dettori / 19

Hector Berrios / 13

Umberto Rispoli / 13

Trainers / Wins

Mark Glatt / 18

Doug O’Neill / 16

Phil D’Amato / 16

Steve Knapp / 14

Bob Baffert / 13

WEEKEND STAKES AT SANTA ANITA

Saturday

• $100,000 Santa Ana Stakes (Grade III), fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, 1 1/4 miles on turfSunday

• $100,000 Wishing Well Stakes, fillies and mares, 4 and up, about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf

LOS ALAMITOS

Saturday

• $35,000 Denim N Diamonds Handicap, quarter-horse mares, 4-year-olds and up, 350 yards

Sunday

• $125,000 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes, quarter horses, 3-year-olds, 350 yards

DOWN THE STRETCH

• Sierra Leone was bet down to 6-1 favorite in the fourth Kentucky Derby futures pool after the Chad Brown-trained colt and rider Tyler Gaffalione rallied to a half-length win over a deep field in last Saturday’s Risen Star Stakes in Louisiana. Sierra Leone and Risen Star runner-up Track Phantom rose to second and third in the NTRA 3-year-olds rankings. Nysos is No. 1 and Muth No. 4, but both are ineligible for the May 4 Kentucky Derby because of Churchill Downs’ sanctions against trainer Bob Baffert.

• The next Derby steppingstone, the Rebel Stakes in Arkansas on Saturday, looks like a soft touch for Timberlake and jockey Cristian Torres as trainer Brad Cox sends the Champagne Stakes winner out for his first start since a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

• The Santa Ana highlights local weekend stakes action. Khinjani and jockey Frankie Dettori can run down Linda’s Gift and Tiago Pereira if the British-bred filly moves forward off a win in her U.S. debut for Santa Anita-leading trainer Mark Glatt.

• Echo Zulu, champion 2-year-old filly of 2021, was euthanized after injuring a leg in a stall accident while recovering from the foreleg fracture that kept her out of last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, trainer Steve Asmussen told the Daily Racing Form.

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• C Z Rocket, winner of the Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar and the Santa Anita Sprint Championship in 2020, has been retired following a sixth-place finish at the allowance level in Arkansas on Monday, trainer Peter Miller announced. C Z Rocket is a 10-year-old gelding.

• Betting favorites are winning an enormous 45.7% of races at Santa Anita this season, including 12 of 18 on Saturday and Sunday, and seven of the past eight stakes races.

• Upcoming: The Santa Anita Handicap and the San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds are among four graded stakes Saturday, March 2. Reserved-seat sales begin Monday for Santa Anita Derby day, April 6, featuring three graded stakes.

— Kevin Modesti

​ Orange County Register 

Suspect in downtown LA model’s killing pleads not guilty

• February 22, 2024

LOS ANGELES — A 41-year-old Minnesota man charged with the killing of a model who was severely beaten, bound, gagged and stuffed inside the refrigerator of her downtown Los Angeles apartment pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of murder and torture.

Magnus Daniel Humphrey was ordered to remain jailed without bail pending his next court appearance March 7, in connection with the September 2023 killing of Maleesa Mooney, 31.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Humphrey, who was on probation for federal narcotics offenses, was arrested at his home in Minnesota on an unrelated federal warrant. He waived extradition proceedings and was brought back to Los Angeles, where he appeared in a downtown courtroom Thursday.

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Mooney, the sister of Guyanese pop singer Jourdin Pauline, was found dead in her apartment in the 200 block of South Figueroa Street around 3:55 p.m. Sept. 12.

According to court records, Humphrey was charged on Dec. 6 with murder and torture, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The murder charge includes a special allegation of torture.

No details were immediately released on what led investigators to Humphrey.

“We are very pleased that an arrest was made,” a woman who said she was Mooney’s aunt told reporters outside the courthouse following Thursday’s hearing. “We’re full of so many different emotions. We are very grateful and thankful that he was caught. Please continue to pray for our family. We just want justice for my niece.”

According to an autopsy report, Mooney’s body showed evidence of blunt force trauma, including abrasions, lacerations and contusions around her head and neck, body and extremities.

According to the Medical Examiner report, Mooney was last seen alive Sept. 6 on surveillance video at her apartment complex. Police went to her apartment Sept. 12 in response to a call from her mother requesting a welfare check.

Responding officers “found Ms. Mooney’s body wedged inside the refrigerator” with blood on the floor outside of it, according to the autopsy report.

The woman’s wrists and ankles were bound, “and these bindings were tied to each other behind her back with miscellaneous electronic cords and clothing items. Additional clothing items were found around her face and neck. An apparent gag, fashioned out of an article of clothing, was stuffed in her mouth,” according to the report.

The Medical Examiner’s report noted that toxicology testing found evidence of recent cocaine use.

The report noted that the blunt force trauma injuries she suffered “are generally not considered acutely life threatening on their own.”

“However, based on the circumstances of how Ms. Mooney was found, these injuries suggest she was likely involved in (a) violent physical altercation prior to her death,” according to the report.

The report notes that suffocation may have played a role in her death, and the role that alcohol or drugs may have played “is uncertain.”

The report concluded by labeling the death a homicide, caused by “homicidal violence.”

Jourdin Pauline posted a tribute to her sibling on Instagram following her death.

“My heart is crushed, I can’t believe you won’t be here with us anymore. You were so loving and so kind to everyone. You made sure if you ate everyone around you was too. You opened your arms to people who didn’t deserve you as a friend. You’re the best thing to happen to almost everyone’s lives you touched!!!”

She added, “The reason I’m me is because of you!!! … My first best friend the one who taught me everything I know!!!!! How is this even possible you won’t be here. … This feels so surreal. I keep waking up crying thinking I’m in a bad dream. We will get justice for you my sister. I promise you won’t be gone in vain!!!”

Mooney’s family indicated in early October that Mooney was two months pregnant when she died. However, the autopsy report made no mention of pregnancy.

The report noted that while Mooney was last seen alive Sept. 6, surveillance video from the apartment building showed an unidentified male using her key FOB to use the building’s elevator, then carrying plastic bags to her apartment.

Mooney’s body was found two days after another model, 32-year-old Nichole Coats, was found dead inside a downtown apartment less than three miles away. Police eventually determined the deaths were not related, and the Medical Examiner later ruled Coats’ death an accident due to “cocaine and ethanol toxicity.”

​ Orange County Register 

Rivian to cut 10% of salaried staff as EV momentum stalls

• February 22, 2024

By Ed Ludlow and Aashna Shah | Bloomberg

Irvine-based Rivian Automotive shares fell in early trading after the electric-vehicle maker issued a disappointing production forecast and announced plans for another round of job cuts.

The maker of plug-in pickups, SUVs and delivery vans expects to build just 57,000 vehicles this year, in line with last year’s output and well short of analysts’ average estimate for more than 80,000 units.

The company said late Wednesday it will reduce its salaried workforce by about 10%, its third paring in the last year and a half.

Also see: Irvine-based Karma Automotive marks 10 years with eyes on new luxury EVs

The outlook underscores the challenges Rivian is having with scaling production and stemming losses amid a slowdown in the battery-powered vehicle market. The company seen as a challenger to Tesla has struggled with supply-chain snags and now is having trouble managing a tougher environment for consumers.

“Our business is not immune to existing economic and geopolitical uncertainties,” Chief Executive Officer RJ Scaringe said on a conference call. “Most notably, the impact of historically high interest rates, which has negatively impacted demand.”

Rivian shares dropped as much as 15% to $13.07 before the start of regular trading Thursday in New York. The stock has already tumbled 34% this year.

Also see: EVs eligible for $7,500 US tax credit cut to 13 from about 24

Rivian will prioritize cost-cutting over volume growth this year, though it’s still expecting an adjusted loss of $2.7 billion before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The company laid off workers early last year and in mid-2022.

Capital expenditures will rise to $1.75 billion this year, Rivian said, up from about $1.03 billion in 2023. The company initially forecast that it would spend $2 billion last year. Chief Financial Officer Claire McDonough told analysts on the conference call that production-efficiency gains have allowed the company to rein in its capital spending.

Rivian builds the R1T pickup, R1S sport utility vehicle and a battery-electric delivery van at its sole plant in Normal, Illinois. There’s a second factory in the works near Atlanta, where the manufacturer plans to build its first lower-priced EV starting in 2026.

The company reported an adjusted loss of $1.36 a share for the fourth quarter, a bigger deficit than the $1.33-a-share average estimate compiled by Bloomberg. Revenue of $1.32 billion narrowly topped expectations.

Rivian lost over $40,000 on every vehicle it delivered in the last three months of the year, about $10,000 more than it lost per vehicle in the third quarter. The company attributed this in part to delivery of fewer vans to Amazon.com Inc. A year ago, Rivian was losing $124,000 per vehicle as it struggled with supply issues.

Lucid Group Inc., another relatively new player in the EV market, also let down investors with its outlook for the year ahead. The maker of the Air sedan said late Wednesday it expects to make 9,000 vehicles this year, up from just under 8,500 last year but short of what analysts were expecting.

The Newark-based company lost 29 cents a share in the fourth quarter and said it has enough liquidity to continue operations “at least into 2025.” Lucid shares slumped as much as 10% in early trading Thursday and have slumped 12% this year. 

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​ Orange County Register 

Alex Morgan embraces the ‘weirdness’ with US women’s national team

• February 22, 2024

Things moved quickly for Alex Morgan on Monday.

She was preparing for a preseason game with her MLS team, San Diego Wave FC, later that evening, when she received news that she was being called up to join the United States women’s national team for its CONCACAF Gold Cup opener.

“I got out there (Indio on Monday) at 5, then I got the call at 7 that I needed to get to L.A.,” she said following Tuesday’s opener. “I drove to L.A. and got here at around 11 p.m.  The good thing was I was planning to play (Tuesday) with San Diego … it didn’t feel it was too crazy of a scenario, because my husband was telling me to prepare myself, because you could get called in any day.

“A lot of players are going through preseason and you never know. I kind of had that mindset until the last minute, you just never know what’s going to happen. When I got a missed call from (interim coach) Twila (Kilgore) and a text saying call me back, I knew something was up.”

Morgan, 34, was called in as a replacement for forward Mia Fishel, who suffered an ACL injury during Monday’s training.

Morgan entered Tuesday’s 5-0 win over the Dominican Republic in the 67th minute and ended the night with a penalty kick in the 92nd minute. The goal snapped a 10-game goalless streak for Morgan in her 216th appearance with the national team.

The USWNT will continue Group A play Friday against Argentina at 7:15 p.m. The early game will feature Mexico against the Dominican Republic. Both games will be played at Dignity Health Sports Park.

“Alex is a total pro,” Kilgore said. “I knew she would stay ready, we’ve been in pretty consistent contact. She was the next person to call in and ready for the challenge. She was in the right place a lot, we just didn’t find her, then it was really good to convert her PK. It’s really good to have her back in the squad.”

Fans in attendance might have been confused to see Morgan wearing No. 7 instead of her usual No. 13. According to CONCACAF rules, players called in as a replacement for an injured player have to take the jersey of the injured player.

“It was a seven in weirdness,” the former Diamond Bar High star joked. “It’s the rules of the tournament and I get it. It’s going to be weird looking back at photos and videos and highlights of my career.”

Morgan said she had worn jersey No. 5 and No. 21. “But I have not worn anything other than 13 since I was like 21 (years old),” she said.

Next game improvements

Tuesday’s win was as comfortable as a 5-0 win could be.

Kilgore is expecting a tougher challenge against Argentina, who played to a scoreless draw against Mexico.

“I would like to see a bit more efficiency,” Kilgore said. “We asked them to play with this patient urgency. We knew that if we did our job, we’d push them back into our final third or their defensive third and that’s hard to do, but you have to move the ball quickly and try to create these goal-scoring opportunities.

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“I think we were actually a little too patient, I think that we could have served in a few more crosses, with less passes and created a few more opportunities. I just want us to be a bit more efficient. I think that we’ll see a totally different test in our next matches and so we’ve been planning all along for those games, I just expect them to first make sure that we’re doing what we said that we were going to do and then see what challenges actually brought our way and make sure that we’re continuing in our style of play, but adjusting to what’s actually happening in front of us.”

United States vs. Argentina

What: CONCACAF Gold Cup group play

When: 7:15 p.m. Friday

Where: Dignity Health Sports Park

How to watch: Paramount+, ESPN+

​ Orange County Register 

How to plan a trip to Peru’s Machu Picchu in 2024

• February 22, 2024

Lily Girma | (TNS) Bloomberg News

It used to be that you could visit Machu Picchu more than once on the same ticket —entering the Incan ruins at daybreak and then circling back around to see the afternoon sun cast its light on different facets of the jagged landscape and its 500-year-old relics. You could also come without a guide, following your curiosity or a stray alpaca around the expansive grounds. But no matter how you went, lots of planning was required—typically through third parties who controlled the ticketing systems and imposed on it a web of opaque rules and regulations.

The ability to visit without a guide and enter multiple times are both long gone — ditched years ago in an effort to curb excessive foot traffic and bad behavior.

But now there’s good news. As Peru’s tourism industry attempts to recover after an extended post-pandemic lull, the country is trying to make the process of visiting the site easier and more transparent. A state-run ticketing website is in the works for all Machu Picchu visits, and the Peruvian government is also increasing the number of daily visitors allowed entry into the Inca citadel. Officials say the plan is slated to roll out by April. In addition, new circuits introduced in 2021 split the site into four separate walking paths to help prevent overcrowding.

The changes come at a delicate time. While neighboring countries such as Colombia and Brazil are setting new tourism records, Peru remains stuck at 60% of its pre-pandemic international visitation levels. And while Machu Picchu is a main tourism driver to the country, it may not be in the heritage site’s best interest to substantially increase the number of visitors. Before the global shutdown, it saw some 1.5 million annual tourists; about 950,000 visited in 2023.

Complicating the recovery have been several protests throughout the Cusco region over the last year. A one-week strike in January shut down public transportation to Machu Picchu for more than a week, leaving tourists stranded.

The strike — which concerned the new Machu Picchu ticketing system — was quickly resolved and transit has since been restored. But coming after a series of more widespread, politically motivated protests last year, it fueled perceptions of continued disruption, forcing operators in the area to reassure their guests that the current situation would be stable during their trips. “The issues last year were far more serious and widespread than the current situation in Machu Picchu, which is very local and contained,” says Fernando Rodriguez, general manager for Peru at Intrepid Travel.

Despite the shaky publicity, Machu Picchu is poised to have a big year. Bookings for the upcoming tourist season, which stretches from April to October, are far outpacing last year’s figures. Intrepid Travel noted a 55% increase in bookings made in February from the same period in 2023, while luxury operator Jacada Travel’s bookings from December through early February were up 100% year-on-year. And if the protests gave potential visitors pause last year, that seems to blowing over: Cusco-based Alpaca Expeditions has noted that only 5% of its prospective guests are voiced concern over protests when gauging whether to book a trip.

The majestic Huayna Picchu towers over the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu in the high jungle of Peru. (Colleen Thomas/TNS)

More likely to impact visitors will be the increased numbers of daily visitors allowed at Machu Picchu. The system rolling out in April will raise the maximum number of tickets to 5,600 on certain dates during high season, up from 4,044. That increase, confirmed by Peru’s tourism board in an emailed statement without further comment, runs contrary to Unesco recommendations, which call for a limit of 2,244 visitors per day in order to best preserve the site.

Given all the rule changes — and the potential for larger crowds — planning a trip to Machu Picchu this year will look substantially different than it has before. Here’s what you need to know to ensure a smooth trip.

Map out your journey

The first thing to figure out for any trip is timing — and with Machu Picchu it can be an especially important consideration. Here, the dry season runs from May to October, with June through August being the most popular. (Think: American summer vacations.) While it’s hard to skip crowds entirely, shoulder months such as April or November could be your best bets if you’re trying to avoid a big rush. You may get a bit of rain, but with that can come uncrowded footpaths and the possibility of rainbows.

If you can outsource all the planning, do. Relying on your luxury hotel or a tour operator is the best way to take the stress out of handling the many pieces of the puzzle —including tickets and guides. Should disruptions occur along the way, licensed providers are best positioned to find alternative, safe routes to and from Machu Picchu.

As for where to stay: It used to be that the best hotels for a visit to Machu Picchu were in Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of the site. Now there are many decadent options throughout the Sacred Valley — the mountainous area between Cusco and Machu Picchu — which offer access to a wide array of glacial hiking trails, cultural experiences and Incan ruins. (We loved Explora Sacred Valley.)

Figure out how you prefer to get around. After flying into Cusco, it’s easy enough to have your hotel arrange a car transfer. But some hotels, like the riverside Tambo del Inka, part of The Luxury Collection, have an on-site train station, making it possible to nix the winding drive for a scenic ride on PeruRail’s Sacred Valley train route.

Regardless, leave time to acclimate to the altitude — which varies across the region but is typically around 9,000 feet. That extra time will double as a buffer for any travel hiccups — a practice that will bring added peace of mind when your entire trip is built around an activity you can’t reschedule.

Note that if you’re opting to DIY your trip, you should buy Machu Picchu tickets before booking anything else. (It’s like planning a trip to Copenhagen only after you get a table reservation at Noma.) And seats on PeruRail or Inca Rail should be booked at least a month out, especially if you’re intent on a luxurious ride on Belmond’s Hiram Bingham train, which includes gourmet meal service and live Peruvian music.

Know the Machu Picchu circuits

Buying tickets to Machu Picchu now requires opting in to a particular circuit —something you may miss if you’re not reading the fine print. (Until the new ticketing website launches in April, this is done via the Tuboleto.cultura.pe website; to avoid glitches, navigate in Spanish by choosing “tarifa general” from the first drop down list. The rest is intuitive.)

Confusingly, Circuits 1 and 2 are sold as one single option. (Also confusing: both are called “Llaqta de Machupicchu.”) They’re the most popular choice — these trails climb along Machu Picchu’s upper platforms and lead to the most iconic panoramic views. Circuit 3 takes visitors to the lower ruins of Machu Picchu, ideal for those with mobility issues. Other circuits are reserved for those doing more ambitious hiking tours, like trekking the Inka Trail.

If someone tries to steer you toward skipping the online portal and getting a next-day ticket purchase instead, run the other way. While 1,000 of these last-minute tickets are sold daily at the cultural center in Aguas Calientes, it’s a risky proposition that has led to long lines and disappointment for many travelers.

And be aware: All these updates may be short-lived. The impact of tourism growth on Machu Picchu has been a pressing issue dating as far back as 1999, when Unesco first expressed concern that excess visitation could increase the risk of landslides and endanger the entire destination. Master plans to sustainably manage the site have come and gone, with a new one currently in the works. Unesco declined to comment on the new ticket caps, but a spokesperson said that it expects Peru to comply with the aforementioned recommendation to reduce visitation by December — setting up a potential showdown later this year.

___

©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

In the 40th congressional district, voters can’t trust Joe Kerr to represent their interests

• February 22, 2024

At this point, voters in the north county’s 40th cngressional district who are trying to pick a candidate that can beat Young Kim and help end the madness and paralysis in this nation may be confused about which Democrat they can trust. You can trust Allyson Muñiz Damikolas, the chemical engineer and elected education leader. Joe Kerr, not so much.

Allyson is the only one to win elected office – Tustin school board – and she then fended off a culture-war recall accusing her falsely of forcing the dread “Critical Race Theory” on our schoolchildren. Joe, on the other hand, has never won any of his previous races. But he has been polluting your mailboxes and airwaves with truly Trump-grade lies (fashioned with the help of his consultants i77 Strategies, who have regularly worked for Republican candidates.)

You may be wondering, if you saw his latest mailer, how he could have “successfully passed over 200 bills and initiatives” when he has never held elected office? 

Well, that’s a good question, but you don’t have much time to think about it before he tells you that Allyson “believes in chem-trails” and is therefore some kind of rightwing conspiracy nut. This should be beneath response, but here goes: Joe cherrypicked six words out of an answer chemical engineer Allyson was giving to a question about air traffic and fossil fuel pollution.

Also beneath response: a recent mailer accusing her of “funding” all manner of reactionary causes, based on mutual funds in her IRA/401k accounts – something many of us have, and of course we don’t have control or knowledge of every little place those get invested in by managers like Vanguard or Fidelity. How do we have this sort of information about Allyson and not Joe? Because she holds elected office and Joe doesn’t – so her financial holdings are public record. I’m sure Joe’s holdings are the same or worse.

Allyson has been calling herself the only candidate who is 100% pro-choice, a bold but supportable claim considering Planned Parenthood has given Joe a 100% rating. But I submit that august institution did not do its due diligence, and the rating is based on questionnaires Joe filled out during his previous losing campaigns. A politician should be judged not on how they fill out questionnaires, but what they have actually done.

And here’s what Joe Kerr has done, in regard to women’s right to choose: Throughout his 17-year stint as president of the OC Firefighters Union, he poured thousands of dollars into the campaigns of Republican politicians who were anti-choice, and anti-gay rights, as long as they voted to give firefighters higher wages, pensions, and benefits. Van Tran. Todd Spitzer. Ken Maddox. The list goes on. This is not a pro-choice record.

Who remembers Poseidon, the $1.5 billion desalination boondoggle Orange County was almost stuck with until the Coastal Commission thankfully put a stake in its heart last year? It would have raised all our water rates considerably, for the benefit of a Canadian hedge fund group. Meanwhile it would have been an environmental nightmare. But it would have provided a few temporary union construction jobs, and that’s enough for some people.

And to Governor Gavin Newsom, it fit his statewide water plans.  I don’t always disagree with Newsom, but he does think of Orange County as a dumping ground, and wanted to stick us with Poseidon, which happened to be lobbied for by his friends who put on that notorious “French Laundry” lunch during COVID.

So Gov. Newsom appointed Joe Kerr to the Santa Ana Regioal Water Quality Control Board, along with Anaheim klepto-Republican Kris Murray, to push through this pet project of his with as little restrictions as possible. 

And that’s why Newsom endorsed Joe Kerr for Congress last month, but Newsom doesn’t know what’s good for Orange County. We deserve an independent, intelligent, honest representative who evaluates each project on its merits and doesn’t follow anyone’s orders. We deserve Allyson Muñiz Damikolas.

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My own inability to trust Joe Kerr dates back to 2018 and his first unsuccessful run for OC Supervisor. He was living, as he always has, in Coto De Caza, but telling everyone he’d moved to Fullerton so he could run for the open seat there. At first I thought he might be telling the truth about where he lived, and he seemed at least better than Doug Chaffee or Tim Shaw, so I offered to meet him and interview him at his new north county home.

At the last minute he called and said, “Let’s meet instead at the Placentia Fire Station – I’m a firefighter you know! We can have a beer.” I didn’t bother, and I haven’t trusted him since. 

District 40 voters, remember all this when you get the next dozen lying mailers about Allyson. She’s the one who can beat Young Kim and help us take back the House, so our nation can finally get back to slowing climate change, restoring women’s rights, and defending itself from the MAGA assault on democracy.

Vern Nelson, a Democrat, runs the Orange Juice Blog, Orange County’s only independent political blog.

​ Orange County Register