Powerful new obesity drug poised to upend weight loss care

• April 27, 2023

As a growing number of overweight Americans clamor for Ozempic or Wegovy — drugs touted by celebrities and on TikTok to pare pounds — an even more powerful obesity medicine is poised to upend treatment.

Tirzepatide, an Eli Lilly and Co. drug approved to treat type 2 diabetes under the brand name Mounjaro, helped people with the disease who were overweight or had obesity lose up to 16% of their body weight, or more than 34 pounds, over nearly 17 months, the company said on Thursday

The late-stage study of the drug for weight loss adds to earlier evidence that similar participants without diabetes lost up to 22% of their body weight over that period with weekly injections of the drug. For a typical patient on the highest dose, that meant shedding more than 50 pounds.

Having diabetes makes it notoriously difficult to lose weight, said Dr. Nadia Ahmad, Lilly’s medical director of obesity clinical development, which means the recent results are especially significant. “We have not seen this degree of weight reduction,” she said.

Based on the new results, which have not yet been published in full, company officials said they will finalize an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fast-track approval to sell tirzepatide for chronic weight management. A decision could come later this year. A company spokeswoman would not confirm whether the drug would be marketed for weight loss in the U.S. under a different brand name.

If approved for weight loss, tirzepatide could become the most effective drug to date in an arsenal of medications that are transforming the treatment of obesity, which affects more than 4 in 10 American adults and is linked to dozens of diseases that can lead to disability or death.

“If everybody who had obesity in this country lost 20% of their body weight, we would be taking patients off all of these medications for reflux, for diabetes, for hypertension,” said Dr. Caroline Apovian, a director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “We would not be sending patients for stent replacement.”

Industry analysts predict that tirzepatide could become one of the top-selling drugs ever, with annual sales topping $50 billion. It is expected to outpace Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic — a diabetes drug used so commonly to shed pounds that comedian Jimmy Kimmel joked about it at the Oscars — and Wegovy, a version of the drug also known as semaglutide approved for weight loss in 2021. Together, those drugs made nearly $10 billion in 2022, with prescriptions continuing to soar, company reports show.

In separate trials, tirzepatide has resulted in greater weight loss than semaglutide, whose users shed about 15% of their body weight over 16 months. A head-to-head trial comparing the two drugs is planned.

Mounjaro was first approved to treat diabetes last year. Since then, thousands of patients have obtained the drug from doctors and telehealth providers who prescribed it “off-label” to help them slim down.

In California, Matthew Barlow, a 48-year-old health technology executive, said he has lost more than 100 pounds since November by using Mounjaro and changing his diet.

“Psychologically, you don’t want to eat,” said Barlow. “Now I can eat two bites of a dessert and be satisfied.”

Rather than relying solely on diet, exercise and willpower to reduce weight, tirzepatide and other new drugs target the digestive and chemical pathways that underlie obesity, suppressing appetite and blunting cravings for food.

“They have entirely changed the landscape,” said Dr. Amy Rothberg, a University of Michigan endocrinologist who directs a virtual weight loss and diabetes program.

Research has shown that with diet and exercise alone, about a third of people will lose 5% or more of their body weight, said Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. In the latest tirzepatide trial, more than 86% of patients using the highest dose of the drug lost at least 5% of their body weight. More than half on that dose lost at least 15%, the company said.

​ Orange County Register 

Douglas Schoen: America’s primary system needs reform

• April 27, 2023

The likely prospect of Donald Trump – an extreme, twice-impeached, unpopular ex-president – winning the Republican Party’s presidential nomination for the third time in a row is illustrative of a broader problem with the U.S. primary election system that goes far beyond Trump himself and the Republicans who still support him.

Most states adhere to the first-past-the-post principle in primaries, which requires candidates to win only a simple plurality of the vote in order to win their party’s nomination. Many also have a closed primary system, which prevents Independent and unaffiliated voters from participating, ensuring that only the most partisan voters have a say in the nominating process.

This ultimately paves the way for extreme politicians with loyal followings to prevail over consensus candidates with whom most voters can find common ground, especially in primary races with three or more candidates. The end result? Gridlock instead of good governance, chaos instead of conciliation, and partisan rancor instead of results.

There is no one individual whose political ascendancy is more emblematic of this flawed system than Donald Trump. While Trump certainly has more baggage now than when he first sought the nomination in 2016, he was still vastly outside of the mainstream of the GOP at the time, and won the nomination by appealing to a small plurality – not majority – of the Republican Party against a crowded primary field.

Since then, Republican leadership has kowtowed to the Trump-wing of the party, clearly cognizant of the electoral consequences of not doing so. Indeed, most Republicans – i.e., Liz Cheney – who spoke out against the MAGA movement lost their subsequent primary elections.

To be sure, Trump is just one embodiment of this flawed primary system. In last year’s midterm elections, many Republican candidates who were either outside the mainstream or unqualified for office advanced to the general election by winning a small plurality in the primary, only to lose to a Democrat.

The Pennsylvania Senate race provides one glaring example of this. In the closed-primary state, the Trump-endorsed Senate candidate, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was widely viewed as inexperienced and held extreme positions on issues like abortion, won the Republican primary with just 31.2% of the vote. Put another way, Oz was able to advance to the general election even though two-thirds of Republicans didn’t vote for him.

Furthermore, Oz garnered just 951 more votes than the 2nd place finisher, David McCormick, a hedge fund manager who was seen as a more moderate Republican and stronger general election contender. In the end, despite facing a relatively weak Democratic opponent in John Fetterman, Oz ended up losing the general election by five-points.

To be sure, this system has impacted Democrats as well. Had the Democratic Party not made the decision to coalesce around Joe Biden following his victory in South Carolina in 2020, the party very well could have been left with a far-left progressive – the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders – at the top of the ticket, likely handing the general election to Donald Trump.

Ultimately, both parties should be motivated – if not to help democracy, then at the very least to help their party win more general elections – to implement changes to the primary system that put an end to the elevation of extremists, and instead, elevates consensus-builders.

Ranked choice voting – which some states and localities have already adopted – would be a starting point. This is a more democratic and representative system because it allows voters to rank candidates in an election, rather than select only one, thereby ensuring that no candidate is able to win their party’s nomination without being ranked by a majority of voters.

This system incentivizes consensus-building, discourages negative campaigns, and forces candidates to campaign by appealing to the broadest majority of voters, not just their base.

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Additionally, every state should allow open primaries. Allowing Independents to vote in one of the party’s primaries would ensure that general election candidates are more representative of the electorate, and would blunt the ascendancy of extreme candidates.

So many of the problems with the U.S. political system – ranging from extremism to gridlock – stem from our flawed primary election system, which has been hijacked by extreme candidates who feel no need to appeal to a majority of voters.

This is part of the reason why the majority of Americans believe democracy is broken, and on the brink of collapse.

These proposed reforms are a significant – but necessary – step in the right direction. They are necessary to blunt the growing power of both the far-left and the far-right, and to reverse the hollowing out of our nation’s political center.

Douglas Schoen is a longtime Democratic political consultant.

​ Orange County Register 

Lakers take another crack at closing out Grizzlies in Game 6

• April 27, 2023

OK, let’s try this again.

The Lakers need a victory in Game 6 on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena to eliminate the Memphis Grizzlies from their first-round playoff series. They’re roughly in the same position they were in going into Game 5 on Wednesday in Memphis, and you might remember how that turned out.

Poorly.

So, after five games, where do things stand?

The Lakers lead the series 3-2 and can dispatch the Grizzlies with one more victory and advance to face either the Golden State Warriors or the Sacramento Kings in the second round next week. The Warriors also hold a 3-2 lead going into their Game 6 on Friday.

The Grizzlies seized back the momentum in the series with a 116-99 victory in Game 5 at FedEx Forum after the Lakers had taken control with victories in Games 3 and 4 in Los Angeles. Now, is the pressure on the Lakers to close out the Grizzlies? Or is it on the Grizzlies to force a Game 7 on Sunday?

“There’s no pressure,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “It’s just basketball.”

Said Lakers center Anthony Davis when asked the same question: “I think the pressure is on both teams. Obviously, we’re looking not to come back here for a Game 7. In Game 7, anything can happen. Who knows? We’re still in control right now and we’ve got to take care of business on Friday.”

In fact, the Lakers have been in a pressure cooker for months, rallying from a 2-10 start to the season to a play-in game victory that gave them a 10-2 mark going into their first-round series against the Grizzlies. The Lakers advanced as the seventh-seeded team against the second-seeded Grizzlies.

The Lakers haven’t lost two in a row since March and haven’t dropped three consecutive since February. Their third straight loss coincided with the Feb. 9 trade deadline, when their roster makeover was complete and they began a charge to the playoffs that has them where they are presently.

Close-out games are the toughest of them all, especially on an opponent’s home floor. The Lakers acknowledged the difficulty of eliminating a team as young, talented and spirited as the Grizzlies (the best home team in the NBA this season), who turned a close game into a rout in a matter of minutes in the third quarter of Game 5.

The Grizzlies exposed some of the Lakers’ glaring weaknesses, especially their inability to contain Memphis’ guards Desmond Bane, who had 33 points Wednesday, and Ja Morant, who had 31. The game turned in the Grizzlies’ direction when they scored on 15 of 16 possessions during a 26-2 run.

“Those guys were spectacular tonight,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said after Game 5. “We’re going to need even more and better from them in Game 6.”

Bane promised the Grizzlies would beat the Lakers in Game 6 and return Sunday for Game 7.

“I’ll say it again, we’re going to be back for a Game 7 in front of the best fans in the NBA,” he said.

Davis scored a Lakers-leading 31 points on 14-for-23 shooting and tied his career high for rebounds in a playoff game with 19 in Game 5. LeBron James was “(expletive),” in his words, after scoring only 15 points on 5-for-17 shooting, including a 1-for-9 showing from 3-point range.

James, who is 6 for 36 from behind the arc in the series, also had a team-high five turnovers.

“We got to make shots,” Davis said of winning Game 6 and avoiding Game 7. “I think a lot of the guys struggled tonight shooting the basketball. But … we’re going back home. Guys are going to make shots. LeBron will play better. After Game 2, when I played like crap, I had my head down and he was telling me to keep my head up. And I kind of just relayed that same message to him: ‘You have the most points scored ever, you’re the best basketball player to ever touch the court.’

“So, it’s fine. He’ll be fine. He’ll adjust. He’ll get better. Our team will get better and Friday is another opportunity to close the series.”

INJURY UPDATE

Davis said his achy hip was “fine” and gave him no trouble during Game 5.

“Just trying to get treatment around the clock and to make sure that I’m able to go,” he said. “I would play regardless, but where it’s feeling good and where I’m not in so much pain, going out there and limping. So, I’m doing everything I can to make sure I’m able to play and be on the floor to help the team.”

MEMPHIS AT LAKERS

When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Crypto.com Arena

TV/radio: Spectrum SportsNet, ESPN, 710 AM

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​ Orange County Register 

Angels’ Zach Neto gets a well-deserved day off

• April 27, 2023

ANAHEIM — First it was Mike Trout who received the rest treatment on the days when Shohei Ohtani pitched, with that honor going to rookie Zach Neto on Thursday.

Call it at least a small sign of Neto’s rising profile that the Angels are comfortable taking him out of the equation in the hopes that Ohtani’s pitching can rule the day. It worked in the opener of the homestand when Trout sat against the Kansas City Royals and Ohtani guided a 2-0 victory.

Neto has delivered a solid start to his major league career, shoring up the left side of the Angels’ defense with his play at shortstop, along with some promising trips to the plate.

After playing 12 consecutive games since he was recalled from Double-A Rocket City, Neto was given time Thursday to bask in all he has delivered so far.

“(Manager Phil Nevin) came up to me saying I had the day off and just to just sit down in the dugout and kind of learn,” Neto said Thursday morning. “Kind of just sit back and just watch the game, learn things, just be a spectator. Later in the game, I might come in for defense or base running or hitting role.”

Neto showed Wednesday that he is settling in, changing to a two-strike approach early in an at-bat in order to combat the quick approach from A’s starter Luis Medina and ripped an RBI double to right-center in a five-run second inning.

Instead of his typical high leg kick as the pitcher delivers, Neto put his left toe down quickly then drilled a 96-mph fastball into the gap.

“I love his two-strike approach, I really do,” Nevin said. “I know everybody is going to strike out, I get that, this is a tough league. But I really like his two-strike approach and I don’t think it takes anything away from his power or the way his hands fly through the zone. … For him to make those adjustments as a rookie, in your first couple of weeks here, is impressive.”

As of now, Neto has no plans to abandon the high leg kick permanently, preferring to change things out of necessity, as he has been doing. If that makes him something of an unpredictable at-bat for opponents, even better.

“Yeah, for sure,” Neto said. “I think I think pitchers are expecting you to go straight to the big leg kick and being able to counter, with me just going straight to my two-strike (approach), I feel like it kind of throws them off a little bit. It might not. It might. But just being able to feel comfortable, that’s (the goal).”

Arriving as the roster replacement on the day fan favorite David Fletcher was sent down only added to the expectations placed on Neto, but last year’s No. 13 overall draft pick has handled it well.

“I’m definitely starting to feel more comfortable,” Neto said. “I’m starting to talk more with the guys, conversations with everybody: pitchers, hitters, catchers, everybody. I’m at that point now where last series against Kansas City, that’s where I felt more comfortable. It’s a new series now and I’m feeling even more comfortable. I’m just trying to keep being where my feet are and just go out there and keep producing.”

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

The underlying benefit of Patrick Sandoval throwing seven innings on Wednesday, and new-arrival Chase Silseth adding two more innings, is that Nevin had a fresh bullpen heading into Thursday afternoon’s game against the A’s.

And if Ohtani delivered the kind of outing the Angels were expecting, it would mean opening the road trip Friday at Milwaukee with a full arsenal of relievers.

Late-inning left-hander Jose Quijada hasn’t pitched since he struggled Sunday, giving up five runs in two-thirds of an inning. Late-inning right-hander Carlos Estevez was available again Thursday after a five-out save on Tuesday.

“It makes my decisions a little bit easier during the game, obviously,” Nevin said about handling his bullpen. “Or maybe it doesn’t. Now I have a lot of guys to pick from so I won’t know what to do today.”

I think our starters are getting better, they’re working on a lot of things and learning how to pitch deeper into games.”

WHO ARE YOU?

The Angels’ upcoming three-game series against the Brewers will pit the teams against each other for the first time since 2019 when the Angels pulled off a three-game sweep. It is also the first time the Angels have played in Milwaukee since 2016.

In the last 10 games between the teams, the Angels have won eight of them.

UP NEXT

Angels (LHP Tyler Anderson, 1-0, 7.20) vs. Brewers (LHP Wade Miley, 3-1, 1.96), Friday, 5:10 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM

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​ Orange County Register 

Texas police say man continued dinner date after fatal shooting over $40

• April 27, 2023

By JUAN A. LOZANO

HOUSTON — A Texas man has been accused by authorities of pausing his dinner date to fatally shoot an individual who had allegedly posed as a parking attendant and scammed him out of $40, according to court records.

Erick Aguirre has been charged with murder in the April 11 death of 46-year-old Elliot Nix.

During a court hearing on Thursday, Aguirre’s bond was set at $200,000. His attorney, Brent Mayr, declined to comment.

Police say Aguirre, 29, and his date had parked their vehicles near a downtown Houston restaurant when Nix approached them, saying it would cost $20 each to park their cars, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Aguirre paid the $40 but was later told by a restaurant employee that Nix didn’t work for the parking lot and had scammed them, police said.

An employee at a nearby smoke shop later told police he saw Aguirre run back to his car, grab a pistol and go after Nix. The employee said both men went out of his view but he heard a gunshot before 8 p.m. and then saw Aguirre “nonchalantly walking back to his car with the gun in his hand” before putting the gun back in his car and walking back across the street to the restaurant and going inside with his date, according to the affidavit. Nix was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

Aguirre’s date later told police she did not see or hear what he had done and was only told by Aguirre that “he had just scared the guy and everything was fine,” according to the affidavit.

Aguirre’s date said the couple then started walking to their table but they left and ate at another restaurant after Aguirre looked uncomfortable and suggested they go someplace else, according to the affidavit.

Aguirre’s date contacted police two days later after police had released photos of the couple, who had been identified by tips to Crime Stoppers.

“She wanted to do the right thing. She wanted to make sure that she came forward and told the police what she knew,” Rick DeToto, the woman’s attorney told KPRC.

Aguirre, who lives near Corpus Christi, located about 200 miles southwest of Houston, was arrested earlier this week. He remained jailed Thursday.

Houston criminal defense attorney Grant Scheiner, who’s not affiliated with the case, said that under state laws related to protection of property, Aguirre’s attorney will likely be able to make an argument that the use of deadly force was justified.

But the circumstances related to this case, including retrieving a weapon when there was no immediate danger and then continuing with one’s dinner after the alleged shooting, will not help Aguirre, Scheiner said.

In 2021, Texas lawmakers approved legislation allowing people to carry handguns without a license, and the background check and training that had gone with it.

“The problem is that guns are just so widely available and there’s a lot of misinterpretation on when you can use deadly force,” Scheiner said. “You have a lot of guns and not very much knowledge.”

Nix’s fatal shooting comes after several high-profile incidents around the U.S. where nonviolent situations — going to a mistaken address, getting into the wrong car or going into a neighbor’s yard to retrieve a basketball — devolved into shootings.

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​ Orange County Register 

UCLA quarterbacks thriving on the field and in virtual reality

• April 27, 2023

LOS ANGELES — The quarterback battle is continuing at UCLA football’s spring practices, both in real life and in virtual reality.

Ethan Garbers, a redshirt junior and contender for the starting position, has been equipped with a GoPro camera every practice that films his every repetition. Quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson said Garbers wears the camera because he gets a lot of repetitions, but it’s not an indication that he’ll be the starter.

“I’m watching (practice) from 50 feet back the whole field, 50 feet high or the end zone,” Gunderson said. “That’s not the view that they see it from. It’s a really, really good teaching tool to say, ‘Well, why didn’t you see this?’ ‘Well, Coach, that’s why I didn’t see it, I can’t.’”

The quarterbacks can wear an Oculus virtual reality headset and review the 360-degree footage as a training tool.

Although Gunderson didn’t give any hints Thursday morning as to who is ahead in the quarterback race, Garbers did have a productive day. He threw a touchdown pass to tight end Grant Norberg in a 7-on-7 drill and later during a live period orchestrated a three-play touchdown drive from the 20-yard line.

“Even last year when Dorian (Thompson-Robinson) was the guy, I was still treating it like it was my team, like I was going to be the starter,” Garbers said. “I think that’s, for every quarterback, that’s how you’ve got to treat every single day that you’re doing this and it’s important to have that mindset. You’re one snap away, one play away.”

Garbers played in six games last season and was 26 for 37 with two interceptions and two touchdowns.

Highly recruited freshman Dante Moore is on the opposite side of the spectrum in terms of college game experience, but his quick release and accuracy have drawn attention. He completed a 25-yard pass to Cam Brown during a live period Thursday morning.

“It’s really impressive,” Gunderson said. “Off the field, he’s always in that building with a smile on his face. He’s fun to be around. He’s been a joy so far. He’s a football junkie and he likes being around the team.”

Gunderson also said he liked Kent State transfer Colin Schlee’s big arm and powerful throws as well as senior Chase Griffin’s experience and leadership ability.

Emotions run high

There was some chippiness toward the end of Thursday morning’s practice in the final live period in what has otherwise been an even-keeled series of spring practices.

Defensive back Jaylin Davies was involved in a scrum after he nearly broke up a pass to Kyle Ford. Multiple players jumped in before the group was separated and the team switched to designated offensive and defensive drills on opposite sides of the practice facility.

Gunderson rooting for DTR

The NFL draft begins Thursday night with several former UCLA players eligible. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson could be a Day 3 pick, and Gunderson has his fingers crossed.

“I’m hoping that he goes to the best situation possible,” the Bruins quarterbacks coach said. “I think here we’ve prepared him and given him everything we can to get him to the best place.

“So hopefully he can hit the ground running, he can go in there and learn and really soak in more. But excited for whenever, whatever it is. I hope it’s the best situation possible.”

Other Bruins in the NFL draft mix include running back Zach Charbonnet, Antonio Mafi, Jake Bobo, Jon Gaines II and Kazmeir Allen.

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​ Orange County Register 

What to watch: ‘The Citadel’ is a sexy, bonkers thriller — and worth your time

• April 27, 2023

The flood of streaming options surges this week with the release of Prime Video’s hugely hyped actioner “Citadel”; HBO Max’s take on the oft-told Candy Montgomery murder case, “Love & Death”; Paramount+’s redo of the seminal 1987 erotic thriller “Fatal Attraction” (yes, the boiled bunny movie); and Hulu’s adaptation of the daring literary thriller “Saint X.”

My pick, though, for the best of the week goes to “Sisu,” the stand-up-and-cheer action thriller from Finland that lands in theaters this week. And I can’t overlook the peppy “Polite Society.”

Here’s our rundown.

“Citadel”: In this visually arousing spy thriller, the impossibly gorgeous Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden are at the center of a smackdown between two rival agencies — one good but put out to pasture, the other dubious and posing a clear and present danger. Old memories re-emerge and fuel a cinematic bullet train that’s built around kickass action, sultry gazes and frenetic editing. Subtlety is all but extinct in every frame of this six-part Amazon extravaganza from the sometimes marvelous Russo brothers. It’s like a cocaine/Red Bull cocktail. Stanley Tucci co-stars as a former agent with worthwhile intel and he brings gravitas to this over-the-top malarkey. Either you’re gonna love this unruly behemoth or bemoan the sorry state of blockbuster entertainment. Honestly, I kind of dug it and love the pairing of the main stars who appear to be having fun at toying with each other and this “Mission: Impossible”-like scenario. Details: 3 stars out of 4; two episodes debut April 28, one additional episodes drops every Friday through May 26.

“Love & Death”: Hollywood loves to latch onto a story or a franchise and never let go. Such is the sensational murder case of Candy Montgomery, the ‘80s churchgoing momma from Texas who took up an ax and gave her former lover’s depressed wife 41 whacks. This time, scribe David E. Kelley takes a stab at bringing something different to this lurid, true-crime story. He gets about halfway there. At seven episodes, the HBO Max series overstays its own welcome but its two aces in the hole are Elizabeth Olsen as the to-the-point Montgomery, who has it all but desires to spice up her life, and Tom Pelphrey as flashy attorney/church member Don Crowder. Does it improve upon Hulu’s tighter, more intense “Candy” starring Jessica Biel, or the the more interpretive 1990 teledrama “A Killing in a Small Town” with Barbara Hershey? Not entirely. It makes you wonder what might have happened if Kelley branched out and concentrated on the life and career of Crowder, giving scene stealer Pelphrey more time to shine. Now that would have been one hell of a story. As is, “Love & Death” hits all the same notes as its predecessors. Details: 2½ stars; three episodes drop April 27, then one every week through May 25.

“Fatal Attraction”: At just under 2 hours, Adrian Lyne’s deliciously overheated 1987 erotic thriller — wherein a two-timin’ hubby hooks up with a woman who becomes an unhinged stalker when he tries to end the affair — achieved all it intended, even giving us some steamy kitchen sink sex even as it outraged some for how it portrayed mental illness. Now comes Paramount+’s flabby, un-sexy redo from Alexandra Cunningham. The series opens with once hot-shot attorney Daniel Gallagher (Joshua Jackson) getting paroled after a 15-year sentence for the murder of  Alex Forrest (Lizzy Caplan). Alex made life hell for Dan and his family after their affair, but also obsessed about other men she encountered. Since this is laboriously strung out, we spend time with Dan trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter Ellen (Alyssa Jirrels), and even his ex-wife Beth (Amanda Peet) while trying to clear his name. Both Jackson and Caplan tackle the iconic roles with passion and put their own stamp on them, but the pacing and the lack of sparks make this fizzle. I lasted through five episodes and walked away with the clear feeling it needed tightening — which you can say for a good many streaming series now. That said, it has it moments along with some delightful Easter egg references to the giggle-worthy original, including (of course) a white bunny and that unforgettable fury-fueled line from Alex that gets delivered with perfect deluded annunciation by Caplan: “I’m not going to be IGNORED, Dan!” That almost makes this “Fatal” worth watching. Details: 2 stars; three episodes drop April 30, followed by one episode each Sunday until the final two chapters are released May 28.

“Saint X”: My favorite limited series out this week comes from Hulu, but it’s likely to divide viewers. That’s because it takes a very conventional and sordid mystery premise — a college-age vacationer turns up dead in the Caribbean, with suspects aplenty — and then fires up a much more provocative tale about fear, racism, privilege and the dangers of hiding from our real selves. Yes, it’ll take a bit to readjust expectations, but executive producer Leila Gerstein’s version of Alexis Schaitkin’s novel legitimately deserves all of its eight episodes. It also dares to make all of its characters flawed, painfully real and sometimes irritating. Just like all of us. But for that reason you might get fed up with Emily (Alycia Debnam-Carey) a New York documentary-maker who risks everything to find the truth about happened to her sister Alison (West Duchovny, David Duchovny and Tea Leoni’s daughter) on the final day of their vacation on Saint X. Dee Rees directs the first episode of this thoughtful series that says so much more than you’d expect. In pivotal roles as resort workers, Jayden Elijah and Josh Bonzie deliver the best performances — two you won’t forget. Details: 3½ stars; three episodes drop April 26 on Hulu with new episodes weekly.

“Sisu”: Sometimes after a grueling day at work where everyone’s demanding a pound of flesh from you, you need an action-packed movie where the Nazis get the crap beat out of them to properly unwind. That’s what you get and so, so much more in director/screenwriter Jalmari Helander’s gonzo masterpiece — a gory, irreverent smackdown of fascism set in WWII-era Finland and featuring an invincible 60something gold prospector with a cute dog and a lean and mean physique. With minimal dialogue, some of the best editing you’ll find in any film this year, arresting visuals and ridiculous action and stunts, “Sisu” is a ready-made genre classic and further evidence that Helander, director of “Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale” and “Big Game,” deserves to be in the big leagues. Action movies don’t get much better than this. Details: 4 stars; in theaters April 28.

“Polite Society”: In this hyperactive but thoroughly enjoyable action comedy, Londoner and wanna-be stuntwoman Ria Khan (Priya Kansara) suspects that the intentions of her sister’s (Ritu Arya) dreamy, filthy rich beau Salim (Akshaye Khanna) aren’t entirely noble. So she takes some rather bumbling steps to put the breaks on the courtship. Writer/director Nida Manzoor’s feature debut packs a comedic and subversive feminist punch, taking aim at arranged marriages and showing how damaging it is to marginalize women and not allow them to fully pursue their dreams. That it accomplishes all of that through humor and pratfalls without ever getting heavy-handed about its themes is a credit to Manzoor’s innate skill. She’s a filmmaker on the rise. Details: 3 stars; in theaters April 28.

“The Black Demon”: Sometimes after a grueling day at work where everyone’s demanding a pound of flesh from you, you need a killer shark movie to properly unwind. This is not that movie, though it begins with a twinkle of promise. Josh Lucas gives one of the most erratic performances of 2023 as a slick oil company man who takes the fam on a vacation near Baja while he inspects a decommissioned oil rig. The locals are none too keen to see his brood and soon they all — in a laughable plot development — get stranded on the rig where a menacing (and poorly lit) mega shark lurks. Marital spates, giggle-worthy overacting and bargain-basement special effects put this on a par with that 1987 shark stinker “Jaws: The Revenge.” Even the family dog screws up here, barking with his mouth closed. Details: 1 star; in theaters April 28.

Contact Randy Myers at [email protected].

​ Orange County Register 

Nob Fire closes at least 16 miles of Pacific Crest Trail

• April 27, 2023

The Nob Fire burning in the San Bernardino National Forest led authorities to close Pacific Crest Trail from the 15 Freeway up to the San Bernardino and Angeles National Forest borders on Thursday, April 27.

The closure will be in effect until June 30 but the road could re-open earlier, according to Delyn Sieliet, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino National Forest.

She estimated the closure at 16 miles. The Pacific Crest Trail Association, in an announcement on its site, put it at more than 19 miles.

The fire also shut down both lanes of Lytle Creek Road from “the last residential house to the end of the pavement,” she said.

The Nob fire burned 200 acres and was 5% contained as of Thursday morning.

No one has been injured, Sieliet said. The fire is moving mostly west, further into the forest, she added.

“It’s in a pretty remote area,” she said. “This is a very steep rugged area.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Nob fire started near Gobblers Knob, northwest of Lytle Creek, on Wednesday and was first reported to authorities at 10:16 a.m. About 170 firefighters, three water-dropping helicopters and three air tankers were at the scene Thursday.

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​ Orange County Register