Tiger Woods and his limp back at Masters, but for how much longer?

• April 4, 2023

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods is back at the Masters, along with his slight limp. It is not every step, every minute. But it is there. And as much hardware as he has in his mended right leg, the limp figures to be with him for as long as he plays the sport he once dominated.

As for how long he keeps playing Augusta National? That’s a little harder to foresee.

Woods conceded that each trip to the Masters – at his age (47) and with surgeries on both legs and his back over the last decade – makes him wonder if it’s going to be the last one.

“I don’t know how many more I have in me,” Woods said Tuesday.

This will be his 25th time playing the Masters, and Woods still is surprised there was a 24th. He was still recovering last year from crashing his car near Rancho Palos Verdes at more than 85 mph, crushing bones in his right leg so badly he said doctors contemplated amputation.

“I didn’t know if I was going to play again at that time,” Woods said. “For some reason, everything kind of came together and I pushed it a little bit and I was able to make the cut, which was nice.”

Woods has an enormous presence at Augusta National because of his impact on the game, not to mention the five green jackets he has won, the last one in 2019. A year ago, the internet lit up with aviation tracking sites that followed his flight plan to the club for a pre-Masters scouting report.

And yet now he gives this Masters a sense of normalcy.

Golf has been consumed with the great divide between the establishment and Saudi-funded LIV Golf, which has 18 players at the Masters who are suspended from playing regular PGA Tour events. There is speculation about how players on both sides will get along.

And then there is Woods at the Masters. Azaleas and dogwoods are in bloom. Thousands follow him in practice rounds. And Thursday will bring a familiar refrain from the first tee: “Fore please, Tiger Woods driving.”

From there, no one is sure what to expect, Woods included.

“He looks good,” said Rory McIlroy, who played Monday with Woods, 63-year-old Fred Couples and 20-year-old Tom Kim. “You know, if he didn’t have to walk up these hills and have all of that, I’d say he’d be one of the favorites. He’s got all of the shots. It’s just that physical limitation of walking 72 holes, especially on a golf course as hilly as this.”

Woods has matured, through time and too many surgeries, from the relentless champion to a guardian willing to pass along some of the local knowledge he picked up as a younger man from Couples and Raymond Floyd, from Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal.

He still wants to compete. There would be no point in staying after the Masters Club dinner Tuesday night if that were not the case. And he still thinks he can find a little magic.

He has said everywhere he has played over the last year – a total of 11 rounds in four tournaments, one of them a 36-hole exhibition in a cart with his son – that hitting shots isn’t the problem. It’s getting to the next one.

“Yeah, mobility, it’s not where I would like it,” Woods said. “I’ve said to you guys before, I’m very lucky to have this leg – it’s mine. Yes, it has been altered and there’s some hardware in there, but it’s still mine. It has been tough and will always be tough. The ability and endurance of what my leg will do going forward will never be the same. I understand that.

“That’s why I can’t prepare and play as many tournaments as I like, but that’s my future, and that’s OK. I’m OK with that.”

Woods found a small victory in just playing last year, and making the cut was a bonus. He has never missed the cut at the Masters as a pro, and that streak is on the line again. Then again, he showed up at Riviera Country Club in February for his first PGA Tour event in seven months and played all four rounds.

“My game is better than it was last year at this particular time,” he said. “My endurance is better. But it aches a little bit more than it did last year just because at that particular time when I came back, I really had not pushed it that often. And I had a little window in which I did push it and was able to come back.

“I just have to be cognizant of how much I can push it,” he said. “Like Rory was saying, I can hit a lot of shots but the difficulty for me is going to be the walking going forward. I wish it could be easier.”

So why bother showing up?

Woods long has said there’s no point in showing up if he didn’t think he could win. He teased with a 67 in the third round at Riviera. The shots are still in there. And he knows Augusta National better than any championship course he plays.

He pointed to Couples, who swings freely and walks casually and still can hold his own. Couples shares the record with Gary Player for most consecutive cuts made at the Masters with 23. Woods can tie them if he makes it to the weekend.

Woods was asked if he felt the younger players to whom he passes along some of his knowledge perceive him as any kind of a threat. In his 13 PGA Tour events since he won his record-tying 82nd title on the PGA Tour, his best finish is a tie for ninth. That was before the car crash.

“Whether I’m a threat to them or not, who knows?” he said. “People probably didn’t think I was a threat in 2019, either, but kind of turned out OK.”

MICKELSON BACK AFTER A YEAR AWAY

Phil Mickelson was back at Augusta National on Tuesday and there were times when it felt as if nothing had changed.

He strode purposefully through the back nine during a practice round with LIV Golf buddies Dustin Johnson, Talor Gooch and Harold Varner III. He split the fairway on the 18th with his tee shot, while Gooch and Varner played from the trees, and stuck his approach to about 10 feet. Polite applause greeted him at every turn.

Things aren’t the same for three-time Masters champion, though.

Ever since making some controversial remarks about LIV Golf, where Mickelson is now a star attraction, he has been the fulcrum in a golf civil war pitting the PGA Tour against the Saudi-backed breakaway league. And the furor surrounding him was so great at this time a year ago that Mickelson made the difficult decision to skip what he called “my favorite week.”

It was the first time since he was recovering from a broken leg in 1994 that Mickelson missed the Masters.

“Being here and being a part of it, and being able to experience this great place and what it means is so fun,” he said, “because as a kid you grow up dreaming about being a part of this. You dream about winning it, being in contention, and then when you actually are a pro and you’re playing here, you’re like, ‘Wow, I want to be a part of this every year.’

“That’s the coolest thing about having won here,” Mickelson added, “is that you’re a part of this event and part of the history.”

Mickelson spent Tuesday fondly recalling his amateur days, when he spent nights in the Crow’s Nest, a quaint-if-somewhat spartan accommodation on the second floor of the Augusta National clubhouse. And he was looking forward to Tuesday night’s champions dinner, when reigning winner Scottie Scheffler joins one of the most exclusive clubs in sports.

On the menu: cheeseburger sliders and firecracker shrimp, tortilla soup, Texas ribeye and blackened redfish, a variety of side dishes and, to top it off, chocolate chip cookies served on a warm skillet with milk-and-cookies ice cream.

“I always fight the weight demons and that cookie, that’s going to be tough for me to pass,” Mickelson said, “but I got to do it.”

Also on the menu: the potential for some uncomfortable moments.

Six former champions are now members of the Saudi circuit, and plenty of words have been exchanged between the two factions. The latest barbs came from 1992 champion Couples, who is decidedly pro-PGA Tour and said during a PGA Tour Champions breakfast last month in Newport Beach that Mickelson was a “nutbag” and Sergio Garcia was “a clown.”

“Fred and I are longtime friends and we’ve had a lot of great experiences in the game of golf,” said Mickelson, who wore the logo of his LIV Golf team, HyFlyers GC, on his grey shirt and black cap during Tuesday’s practice round.

“I think the world of him,” Mickelson said, “and I hope we have a chance to have more great experiences with him as well.”

Phil Mickelson watches his shot on the 12th hole during a practice round on Tuesday ahead of the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Couples sounded open to it Monday, though he stopped short of apologizing for any of his comments. And while he wasn’t grouped with Mickelson for the first two rounds – Couples will go off with Russell Henley and Alex Noren on Thursday about four hours before Mickelson tees off with Tom Hoge and Si Woo Kim – Couples doesn’t mind playing with him, either.

“I would love to be paired with Phil. I mean, he’s one of the best players that ever played,” Couples said. “He loves this place as much as I do, and if we did, we’d look at each other on the first hole and we’d have a good time.”

Mickelson is only two years removed from his triumph at Kiawah Island, when at age 50 he became the oldest major winner with his second PGA Championship. Yet his game is far from where it was or should be. Mickelson has broken 70 twice in nine rounds across three LIV Golf events, and his best finish is 27th in a field of just 48 players.

Still, Varner said after their practice round Tuesday, Mickelson seems “super-engaged right now.”

“I don’t know if that’s because it’s Augusta,” Varner said.

Maybe it is.

Or more precisely, maybe it’s being back at Augusta.

“I’ve got to be realistic. I haven’t scored the way I want to,” Mickelson said before heading off to lunch, “but I do see a lot of positive signs. I’m going to try to just be patient, whether it’s this week or soon, because things are about to click.”

CAN’T DAMPEN TOM KIM’S ENTHUSIASM

Regardless of how Tom Kim’s first Masters turns out, he’ll leave Augusta National with some great memories.

Getting invited to play a practice round with Woods, McIlroy and Couples before a coveted major tournament will do that for a budding 20-year-old star.

“A dream come true,” Kim said Tuesday of his Monday practice round that included a little bit of traditional tomfoolery on the par-3 16th hole.

At Woods’ urging, all four golfers simultaneously attempted to skip their golf balls across the pond and onto the green. While the other three managed to get their balls to hop across the water, Kim misfired, sending a line drive over the pond where it hit the green and kept on going.

Looking back, Kim could only chuckle at his failed attempt.

“I tried to hit it a little low and just airmailed the green,” said Kim, who won twice on the PGA Tour last year. “It didn’t come out low enough. I hit it pin-high, and I’m just glad I didn’t hit anyone.”

But Kim wasn’t going to let a failed trick shot ruin his day.

His first memories of the Masters are of Woods’ famous chip in on that same hole in 2005, when the five-time champion got his Nike ball to bend along the gentle slope of the green before coming to rest on the edge of the cup and then falling in, setting off a raucous celebration.

“For as long as I can remember, that was the biggest thing,” Kim said of Woods’ epic birdie.

Now Kim has his own memory from 16 to cherish.

“It was a dream come true for me, really,” Kim said. “My first memory of just watching golf was the Masters and Tiger winning it, and for me to be able to share my first official practice round with him was a dream come true. And to not just play with Tiger but to have Fred Couples and Rory join us, it was a dream.”

MASTERS PAIRINGS

The Masters is treating this tournament with no significant changes, from the players it chose for formal press conferences right down to the tee times.

There were no awkward groups of LIV Golf players and PGA Tour loyalists. McIlroy won’t be paired with Patrick Reed.

Mickelson is playing with Tom Hoge and Si Woo Kim. Cameron Smith should have a quiet time playing alongside former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan and Sungjae Im of South Korea.

Meanwhile, Woods will be alongside Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland, while McIlroy has Kim and Match Play winner Sam Burns.

Defending champion Scheffler has a traditional grouping with the U.S. Amateur champion, Sam Bennett, with Max Homa along for the ride.

However, none of the LIV players can be found in the four featured pairings that will have their own streaming channel during the opening round.

TIGER MEMORIES

Players often notice subtle changes to Augusta National, real or imagined, that are not recorded as official updates. One of them might be the 16th green. Masters records indicate the last change was in 1973 when the left section of the pond was filled.

Not according to Woods.

He says the green has been redesigned since his famous chip-in in 2005 on the par-3. The topic came up Tuesday when asked if he had ever tried to replicate the shot, in which he pitched it up the slope and watched it make a U-turn, trickle down, pause on the edge of the cup and drop for birdie.

“Yeah, the green has changed. There is a new back, deeper hole location there that they tried to fit,” Woods said. “But my chip there in 2005 is not the same. The green is not the same as it was then.”

Woods doesn’t pay attention to the chip, anyway. He says when he sees a replay of that iconic shot, he tries to figure out how he got there in the first place.

“I did not draw a bad lie on that tee shot to hit it that bad,” he said. “If you want to go back and see the chip, OK, that’s cool. But to hit an 8-iron that bad and that far off line, and I had a perfect lie, was not very good.”

THOMAS CONTROLLING TENSION

Justin Thomas arrived at Augusta National this week with a new approach for his eighth Masters – which includes putting less pressure on himself.

“I feel like in the past, I’ve come in here so tense, like ‘Oh, I’m geared up and I’m ready to go.’ Like I’m going to tear this place up,” Thomas said. “And just as soon as one thing goes wrong, I mean, my mind is in a blender. It’s like, ‘Well, I didn’t think I was going to hit it over here. I thought I was going to hit over here.’

“Next thing you know, you shoot 73, 74 the first day you’re just playing catch-up.”

Thomas has won the PGA Championship twice, but he has only two top-10 finishes at the Masters. He came in fourth in 2020.

Thomas has vowed to trust himself this week, even if a shot doesn’t land where he hopes it will.

“I definitely think that you can want things too bad and try too hard,” Thomas said.

TIGER AND CUTS

Tiger Woods has been a strong proponent of cuts on the PGA Tour, and he’s holding out hope that limited field events – like the Genesis Invitational at Riviera that he hosts – will still have a 36-hole cut.

The eight designated events during the regular season will have fields between 70 and 80 players for a $20 million purse.

“I certainly am pushing for my event to have a cut,” Woods said. “Maybe the player-hosted events may have cuts. … That is still in flux.”

Woods said he is talking with Jack Nicklaus, who created the Memorial, along with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and the tour board.

“I still think that there needs to be a penalty for not playing well,” he said. “Every event shouldn’t be always guaranteed 72 holes. I think that there should be a cut there. But we are trying to figure that out.”

AP sports writers Dave Skretta and Steve Reed contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Grand Prix of Long Beach: Alex Palou recalls 2021 IndyCar glory

• April 4, 2023

LONG BEACH — It was just over 18 months ago that Alex Palou realized a goal he had since he was a youngster. In the final NTT IndyCar race of the season, he finished fourth at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and with that won the coveted series championship.

His father, Ramon, was on hand to see his son make history Sept. 26, 2021, and become the first Spaniard to win the title. Palou and his father could be seen hugging on the track not long after the finish of the race, which was pushed back from its usual time of April to September because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was the best time of my life, the best day,” Palou said Tuesday during Grand Prix media day at the track ahead of next week’s 48th running. “Obviously, when you are crowned champion, in the NTT IndyCar series, it’s something huge, something I dreamt of since I was a kid.”

Palou, who turned 26 on April 1, was just 24 at the time. It was a big deal, especially as it pertains to making history for Spain.

“It didn’t change much, honestly, my life,” he said. “Except when they introduce me as a champion, obviously. And I just want more. We missed it last year, but we fought until the end and, hopefully, this year we can try and get it again.”

By this time, Palou was smiling ear to ear.

“It’s a special place for me,” he said, of Long Beach. “My first IndyCar championship. We had a huge crowd, I remember, that day. It was the end, let’s say, of the pandemic. It will always be a special track for me.”

Thanks to having won three races and a total of eight podiums in just his second IndyCar season, Palou entered that final race of the 2021 season in Long Beach needing only to finish 12th to win the title.

That his father was on hand to see it all unfold made it even sweeter.

“My parents, all of my family, have been with me since Day One,” Palou said. “But, obviously, once you get let’s say the present of being a champion, it’s super rewarding, especially for them. Seeing them so happy made me happier.

“Obviously, they can’t be here each race because it’s a long championship. But it was great that he was there for that special day.”

Palou finished fifth in series points in 2022 with one victory and six podiums. One of those podiums was in Long Beach, where he finished third.

Palou said he would love to add the Grand Prix of Long Beach to his list of winning accomplishments. That was clear when he was asked what a victory April 16 would mean to him.

“Oh, man, everything,” he said. “I mean, I never won this race. Finished fourth in 2021, third last year. We led at some point, but couldn’t really get the win. It’s, I would say, our second-biggest event in IndyCar after the (Indianapolis) 500 just because of the crowd, the placing of this race and the track itself.

“It’s one of the most fun … it’s the most exciting street course that we have. It’s really high speed. We also have the tightest and slowest corner (the hairpin) of them all. And it’s really bumpy, but not so bumpy that you don’t enjoy it. It has a lot of character. So, yeah, beautiful place.”

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THIS AND THAT

Alexander Rossi went back to back at Long Beach in 2018 and 2019. That was the first time a champion repeated since Sebastien Bourdais won three in a row from 2005-07. But 2022 winner Josef Newgarden could be a good bet to repeat. He is coming off a thrilling victory at the Texas Motor Speedway this past Sunday. …

Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe will be inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame at 11 a.m. April 13. The ceremony will take place on South Pine Avenue in front of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. Hunter-Reay won here in 2010, Hinchcliffe in 2017. …

Racing days are Friday (April 14), Saturday (April 15) and Sunday (April 16).

​ Orange County Register 

Don’t buy bunnies as Easter pets, say Southern California rabbit rescue groups

• April 4, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Rabbit rescue groups across Southern California are again urging people not to purchase bunnies as Easter gifts for children, saying that what begins as a well-intentioned gesture often leads to abandoned animals when the novelty wears off and families realize they’re not equipped to properly care for the pets.

Instead, rescue groups and animal control officials recommend buying a stuffed toy bunny or chocolate candy rabbit for kids’ Easter baskets.

“Easter bunnies who magically appear and lay multi-colored eggs shown on greetings cards and cartoons are nothing but a fantasy,” said Lejla Hadzimuratovic, founder and president of Bunny World Foundation, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that has rescued thousands of unwanted rabbits from shelters and owner surrenders since its founding in 2008.

“Every year, we scream from the top of our lungs that bunnies don’t make good Easter gifts, and still, those reminders go unheeded,” Hadzimuratovic told City News Service in 2022.

Retail sales of rabbits, dogs and cats are prohibited in California, but direct sales are still permitted, including online, and illegal street sales occur in urban areas where baby bunnies are sometimes deceptively marketed as adult “dwarfs.”

Despite an ordinance prohibiting the sale and purchase of live animals on the streets of Los Angeles, Hadzimuratovic says “the year-round live animal market in LA’s Fashion District, specifically Santee Alley, is thriving. Typically bought on a whim as a toy for a child, they often live a desolate life in the corner of a filthy cage without enrichment until they are abandoned to a shelter or die of neglect.”

As she did last year, Hadzimuratovic will be attending the L.A. Arboretum’s “Spring Fling” event on Good Friday to counter the popular misconceptions and educate the public about the realities of caring for rabbits. She’ll bring along some of the group’s rescued bunnies who are available for adoption — but only for those who are serious about wanting bunnies in their lives.

“In 2022, 1,200 Los Angeles bunny lovers had their chance to meet some of BWF’s precious rescued bunnies at the gorgeous Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden … It was an inspiring community event and an excellent educational opportunity,” she said. “We’re expecting our efforts to double this time around. We’re bringing twice as many bunnies and volunteers to the event to promote the glory of rescued rabbits and educate the general public about their care.”

BWF saves and re-homes hundreds of unwanted bunnies from Los Angeles-area shelters every year — some of whom have special medical needs that place them at greater risk. But the group’s struggles are magnified each spring by the effects of the holiday, and other groups see the same problem.

“Every year, we receive numerous reports of bunnies who were bought for Easter and then discarded once their cuteness or novelty wore off, which is why we adamantly advocate against buying live animals as Easter gifts,” PETA’s Catie Cryar told CNS. More information from PETA can be found at www.peta.org/features/reasons-never-buy-bunny/.

“Real rabbits and Easter don’t mix,” the Los Angeles Rabbit Foundation proclaimed in its annual Easter message this year.

“Rabbits make poor pets for small children. Most rabbits do not like to be picked up and held, and may scratch or bite in an effort to get free, or be injured when dropped. The typical ‘Easter bunnies’ illegally sold on the streets or in pet stores are usually babies, taken from their mothers before they are properly weaned. They will die soon after purchase — hardly a fun experience for kids!”

The group is a chapter of House Rabbit Society, an international nonprofit headquartered in Richmond, California, that offers education about rabbits.

Jackie Tran, public information officer for Orange County’s animal care department, said OC Animal Care “recommends that the community resist the urge to get a pet on impulse. Bunnies, chicks, ducks, and other small animals are adorable, but they quickly grow into adults and require specialized daily care.”

Advocates for the animals do want them to be adopted into loving homes, saying they can be wonderful companions for those who are serious about the commitment. Advocates say the animals are gentle creatures that offer many benefits over other pets, including their quiet nature and a diet of hay and vegetables that avoids adding to the suffering and environmental harm inherent in factory farming that produces dog and cat food.

Rabbits are not low-maintenance pets. They require feeding, cleaning, and humane indoor housing in a bunny-proofed room, and veterinary care can be expensive, advocates note.

They’re also not ideal pets for small children, as they respond best to quiet energy and can be easily spooked by the hyperactivity of a child.

Animal advocates offered a series of basic tips:

— Domestic rabbits should be kept indoors at all times.

— Rabbits need to be spayed or neutered as soon as they’re old enough (between four and six months) to avoid unnecessary breeding and to aid their health.

— Once they’ve been spayed or neutered, bunnies should be paired with a mate for lifelong companionship. Single bunnies can be lonely and depressed.

— They should be fed a diet of unlimited timothy hay and a daily portion of leafy greens, plus pellets and alfalfa hay for rabbits under 6 months.

— They should never be kept in cages, as they need room to hop around and exercise their legs.

— They need to be thoroughly groomed every two to three months to remove excess fur and have their nails trimmed.

— They’re aggressive chewers, and need to be kept away from electrical cords and anything that can be dangerous if ingested, such as taped or glued boxes.

— Bunnies who stop eating or appear to be in pain can die within 36 hours, and need immediate care from a veterinarian trained in rabbit care.

All six shelters in the Los Angeles Animal Services system have rabbits available for adoption, as do other Southern California shelters, and private rescue groups offer support and mentoring for new bunny owners.

BWF offers a free foster program in which people care for the animals, help promote them on social media and bring them to weekly adoption events until they find a permanent home. They can be contacted at [email protected], www.bunnyworldfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/search/top?q=bunny world foundation.

The House Rabbit Society also has resources for learning about proper rabbit care, which can be found at rabbit.org.

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​ Orange County Register 

Creator of hugely popular Catan board game dies at 70

• April 4, 2023

Associated Press

Klaus Teuber, creator of the hugely popular Catan board game in which players compete to build settlements on a fictional island, has died after a brief illness, according to a family statement. He was 70.

The board game, originally called The Settlers of Catan when introduced in 1995 and based on a set of hexagonal tiles, has sold tens of millions of copies and is available in more than 40 languages. It has spawned dozens of spinoffs and new editions, including electronic versions, not to mention products related to the game.

“It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that the Teuber family announces their beloved husband and father Klaus Teuber passed away at the age of 70 on April 1, 2023 after a short and serious illness,” said the statement posted on the German-language Catan website. The family requested privacy.

A statement from the Catan studio team on social media noted that “While Klaus’ contributions to the board gaming industry are immeasurable, we will remember him most as a kind and selfless human being, an inspirational leader, and most importantly, as a friend.”

Teuber was born in June 1952 in the German town of Rai-Breitenbach. He was working as a dental technician in the 1980s outside the industrial city of Darmstadt when he took up designing board games in his basement, he told The New Yorker magazine in 2014. “I had many problems with the company and the profession,” he said. “I developed games to escape. This was my own world I created.”

In the multi-player game, competitors use five resources to build their colonies, or settlements: wool, grain, lumber, brick, and ore. Teuber never thought his game would become so successful; he finally left his dental technician job in 1998 “when I felt like Catan could feed me and my family,” he told the New Yorker. The game became a family business.

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In the first five months of the pandemic in 2020, sales skyrocketed as people played games in quarantine, the company told NPR.

The Catan studio team urged those mourning Teuber to “honor Klaus’ memory by being kind to one another, pursuing your creative passions fearlessly, and enjoying a game with your loved ones.”

​ Orange County Register 

Panorama City man convicted for role in Jan. 6 Capitol riot

• April 4, 2023

A Panorama City man has been convicted for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection that sought to disrupt the presidential election.

Edward Badalian, 28, was convicted on Tuesday, April 4, of conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding and entering and remaining in a restricted building following a non-jury trial last month, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Badalian, formerly a resident of North Hills, was charged in a superseding indictment returned in a case first filed in March 2021 against Daniel Rodriguez, 40, of Fontana.

Rodriguez, a former Panorama City resident, was indicted and later pleaded guilty to four felonies including the assault of a Metropolitan Police Department officer. The superseding indictment added a conspiracy charge against him. He has remained in custody since his arrest in March 2021.

In the fall of 2020, Badalian and Rodriguez — along with others — created a Telegram group chat called the “Patriots 45 MAGA Gang,” and used it as a platform to advocate violence against groups and individuals that supported the 2020 presidential election results, held positions of authority in government or who held “liberal or communist ideologies,” according to the indictment.

The group had been collecting weapons and tactical gear to bring to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, and coordinating with others before, during and after the riot, according to the indictment.

In late 2020, the two attended rallies in Huntington Beach and Beverly Hills that supported then-President Donald Trump and protested issues including COVID-19 mask mandates in California.

Badalian remains on pre-trial release until his sentencing hearing, set for July 21.

See also: List: These Southern California residents are accused of taking part in the Capitol riot

More than 1,000 individuals have been arrested across the country in the two years since the insurrection — including two-dozen-plus defendants with Southern California ties — as the result of the federal investigation.

More than 275 defendants have pleaded guilty to charges related to the Capitol breach, with most admitting to misdemeanor counts that amount to trespassing in the Capitol or adjacent restricted grounds.

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​ Orange County Register 

Clippers bring plenty of motivation into game against Lakers

• April 4, 2023

PLAYA VISTA — Motivation comes in different forms and from different places. For Russell Westbrook and Ivica Zubac, two former Lakers, seeing purple and gold jerseys across the court could be just the impetus the Clippers need to get back to winning.

The Clippers will be looking for their 11th consecutive victory against the Lakers on Wednesday night when the hallway partners meet up in a crucial late-season game at Crypto.com Arena. One team (the Clippers) will be looking to take another step toward avoiding the play-in tournament, while the other (the Lakers) will be looking to move into the top six in the Western Conference standings and potentially do the same. A half-game separates the Clippers (41-38), who were tied with the Golden State Warriors (41-38) before Tuesday’s games, and the seventh-place Lakers (40-38) with less than a week left in the regular season.

“We all know what our goal is for that game. We need a win,” Zubac said. “We’re going to do whatever, everything we can to get a win. It’s all about the team. It’s not about individuals’ performances, whoever and what you can get individually. It’s all about team performance.”

Still, there were the trades.

Zubac played two seasons with the Lakers before being traded to the Clippers in 2019, while Westbrook joined the Clippers in February after the Lakers traded him to Utah, which waived him, opening the door for him to sign with the other Los Angeles team following 18 tumultuous months as a Laker.

Zubac said both he and Westbrook are simply looking for a victory, not retaliation. The Clippers center has faced the Lakers several times over the past four seasons but he still gets pumped up when the game shows up on the calendar.

“There’s for sure extra motivation,” Zubac said. “I’m playing (against) the team that traded me. Russ is playing (against) the team that traded him. There’s always motivation against the team that got rid of you, so you want to prove them wrong.

“But, at this point in our careers, I mean, Russ is what, 15 years in? He wants to win. I want to win. The whole team wants to win. We’re all just trying to get a win.”

The Clippers can assure themselves of a top-six finish if they can win their three remaining games without injured All-Star wing Paul George (knee), which would create a slightly less stressful path in their pursuit of a championship. But first, they need to get past the surging Lakers, who had won six of their past seven games going into their game at Utah on Tuesday night.

Still, the Clippers have beaten the Lakers in their past 10 meetings (and 31 of 38 since October 2013). Yet, none of those games were perhaps as important as this one.

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“Yeah, I mean this is probably the first meaningful game we’ve played against them,” Coach Tyronn Lue said. “We play in the same city and things like that, but this game has a lot of significance and the biggest thing for me is understanding what we need to do on both sides of the basketball.”

The Clippers are coming off back-to-back losses to the Memphis Grizzlies and the New Orleans Pelicans and are in danger of slipping out of playoff contention. Lue said the team’s motivation must be on the court, not the other bench.

“We got to be good at not turning over the basketball. We’ve got to make sure we take care of the basketball, not let them get out in transition, get easy baskets,” Lue said. “The second thing is just rebounding the basketball. The difference is they have more shooting, so it will be harder to double-team Anthony Davis now like we used to in the past.

“Those things can change and those things can be different but overall (Coach Darvin) Ham has done a great job just keeping his team afloat until they got healthy and made some good trades and now they’re playing good basketball.”

​ Orange County Register 

Santa Ana’s zoning laws discriminate against homeless, lower-income people, lawsuit alleges

• April 4, 2023

Alleging that Santa Ana enacted zoning ordinances that “unabashedly and unlawfully” discriminate, a nonprofit health care provider has sued the city.

The Share Our Selves Corporation, which provides medical and dental services to low-income Santa Ana residents, including the homeless, sued the city on March 20 in federal court. It alleges Santa Ana prevented it from closing escrow on a building that was meant to open as an expanded outpatient clinic, “all because City leaders feared that SOS’s outpatient clinic … would attract too many ‘undesirables’ to that area of the city.”

Known as SOS, the nonprofit alleges that the city is using its land-use regulations “to thwart and obstruct the operations of charitable organizations, like Micah’s Way and the Salvation Army” and targeted the new building project because the clinic’s clientele is predominantly lower-income Latinos and includes homeless people.

The city’s actions, argues Edmond Connor, an attorney representing the nonprofit, are part of “an organized campaign by the city to go after service providers to help the homeless and poor.”

A Santa Ana spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit and pointed instead to staff reports behind the council’s zoning amendments.

The Santa Ana City Council approved an urgency ordinance on Dec. 20 amending different sections of a zoning law that, among other things, immediately required a conditional use permit for government or nonprofit medical clinics in areas zoned for professional purposes. The change aimed to address and “reduce the potential impact to the built environment stemming from these land uses,” according to a staff report.

On Feb. 7, the council approved a second zoning ordinance amendment that addressed numerous topics, including medical offices operating in a professional district. The lawsuit refers to that ordinance language on medical clinics as a “backup measure” and called it “the mirror image” of the urgency ordinance from December.

The change was lumped in with numerous other amendments addressing other zoning regulations and definitions pertaining to family day care, massage parlors, trash bin enclosures, fencing and other sections of the local code — revisions that city officials said are consistent with its updated general plan and were made to protect public safety, among other reasons.

Connor said the city “slipped in” the changes without notice to the organization or proper notice to the general public.

In the lawsuit, nonprofit representatives stated they planned to open a clinic at 2670 North Main St., about a block south of the Main Place Mall.

The health care provider said it was assured by city planners that it would be granted administrative approval. Along with Turner Healthcare Facilities Acquisition LLC, the lawsuit states, the development partners then plunked down at least $500,000 in purchase-related fees and development costs on the remodel that would replace SOS’s El Sol Wellness Center at 1014 North Broadway in Santa Ana.

But the city “hurriedly” changed the zoning requirements through the urgency ordinance, Connor said. And because more time was needed to obtain a conditional use permit, the purchase agreement expired.

County-wide, the nonprofit runs four community health centers in Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Mission Viejo. At Santa Ana’s El Sol Wellness clinic, 87% of the patients served in 2022 were Latino, and of those, 80% qualified for Medi-Cal; 2-5% of the Santa Ana patients last year were homeless, according to the lawsuit.

Santa Ana residents have complained for years that their city is used as a “dumping ground” for homeless people from across the county, and it’s impacted residents’ quality of life. The city has filed various legal actions against the county, other cities and at least one nonprofit that serves the homeless.

Connor counters of the city: “It’s not so much they’re afraid of attracting homeless. They’re trying to drive people out by taking services away from them.”

The lawsuit notes that for-profit medical offices can open in a professional district without going through the hoops now imposed on nonprofit medical offices, which tend to serve poorer populations.

“It’s so disappointing in this day and age to have the city engage in such blatant discrimination,” Connor said.

Connor also represents Micah’s Way, a religious organization that assists lower-income people in Santa Ana. On Jan. 30, the all-volunteer Christian ministry filed a lawsuit against Santa Ana after the city threatened fines and other penalties for giving people who come to their center a snack and a cup of coffee. Until then, Micah’s Way had been offering a muffin and a cup of coffee for years, without any issues, Connor said. A hearing in that case is set for June.

The newer SOS lawsuit seeks to overturn the new provisions of the city’s zoning code, along with at least $500,000 in damages and the reimbursement of legal fees and court costs.

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​ Orange County Register 

All-County Boys Wrestling Team: Fountain Valley’s TJ McDonnell is the O.C. wrestler of the year

• April 4, 2023

BOYS WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

TJ McDONNELL, FOUNTAIN VALLEY, SENIOR

CIF State champion TJ McDonnell of Fountain Valley is the Orange County boys wrestler of the year for the 2022-23 season.

McDonnell was Orange County’s only boys wrestling state champion this season, winning at 182 pounds. He also was his weight class’ champion at the CIF Southern Section Inland Division finals and was first in that weight class at the CIF-SS Masters Meet.

He finished first at the Mann Classic and the Doc Buchanan tournaments, and was the Sunset League champion at his weight class.

For McDonnell nothing could top winning his first state championship after falling short in previous attempts, and he was surprised by how calm he was at the CIF State meet in Bakersfield in late February.

“The whole state tournament, it felt a lot different this time knowing I was supposed to win it,” he said. “I was able to enjoy it more this time.”

TJ McDonnell of Fountain Valley High School, top, competes in the 182-pound championship match at the CIF-SS Inland Division Individual Championships against Laguna Beach’s Jeremy Kanter, pinning him at the 1:14 mark, on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Fountain Valley won a CIF-SS championship and finished 11th in the CIF State team scores.

“I was lucky enough to be on a team with guys who were friends even outside of the (wrestling) room and outside of school,” McDonnell said. “Sometimes the friends you wrestle with are just the friends you wrestle with.”

Fountain Valley coach Brad Woodbury said of McDonnell: “He’s a leader and he puts in the time. He strived to win his first state championship and he did it.”

McDonnell, who has a 3.4 grade-point average, will continue his wrestling career at Oregon State.

COACH OF THE YEAR

BRAD WOODBURY, FOUNTAIN VALLEY

Brad Woodbury of Fountain Valley is the Orange County boys wrestling coach of the year.

Woodbury led the Barons to the CIF Southern Section Inland Division championship. It was the school’s third CIF-SS wrestling championship over the past five years. Fountain Valley compiled 282 points to second-place Hesperia’s 221.

The Barons also won the Sunset League championship, their 12th straight league title and 14th in Woodbury’s 24 seasons as Fountain Valley wrestling coach. Fountain Valley finished 11th among the teams at the CIF State meet.

“Our kids are the hardest-working group of kids around,” said Woodbury, 52, who added that assistant coach Dennis Piramo and the rest of the coaching staff deserve plenty of credit for the program’s success.

Fountain Valley’s Brad Woodbury is the Register’s Orange County boys wrestling coach of the year year for the 2022-23 season. (Photo courtesy of Brad Woodbury)

ALL-COUNTY FIRST TEAM

106 pounds

Elijah Poe, Calvary Chapel, Jr.: Poe finished third in his bracket at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet and was second at the CIF-SS Eastern Division Championships.

113 pounds

Anthony Lucio, Fountain Valley, Jr: He was sixth at the CIF State Championships, finished first at the CIF-SS Masters Meet and was a champion at the CIF-SS Inland Division Championships.

120 pounds

Isaiah Quintero, El Dorado, Jr.: Quintero was runner-up at the CIF State championships, won his division at the CIF-SS Masters Meet and was a CIF-SS Northern Division champion.

126 pounds

Haden Hernandez, Marina, Sr.: He finished eighth at the CIF State meet, second in his bracket at the CIF-SS Masters Meet and was a CIF-SS Inland Division champion.

132 pounds

Benjamin Wimberly, San Clemente, Sr.: Wimberly was second at the Masters Meet, placed eighth at the CIF State finals and won a CIF-SS Eastern Division championship.

138 pounds

Hercules Windrath, Fountain Valley, Jr.: He finished sixth at the CIF State meet, was third at the Masters Meet and was a CIF-SS Inland Division champion.

145 pounds

Steve Caday, Calvary Chapel, Sr.: Caday won the CIF-SS Eastern Division championship and was third at the Masters Meet.

152 pounds

Antonio Aramburu, Corona del Mar, Jr.: Aramburu was a second-place finisher in the CIF-SS Inland Division finals and placed third in his bracket in the Masters Meet.

160 pounds

Will Cox, Yorba Linda, Sr.: Cox was a second-place finisher at the Masters Meet and was a CIF-SS Northern Division champion.

170 pounds

Max McWilliams, Calvary Chapel, Jr.: He won his bracket at the Masters Meet and finished seventh at the CIF State meet.

182 pounds

TJ McDonnell, Fountain Valley, Sr: The Orange County boys wrestler of the year.

195 pounds

Ryland Whitworth, Fountain Valley, Jr.: Whitworth finished fifth at the CIF State Championships, won his bracket at the Masters Meet and was and was a champion at the Inland Division finals.

220 pounds

Henry Sturn, Trabuco Hills, Sr.: He finished fifth at the CIF State meet, won his bracket at the Masters Meet and was an Eastern Division champion.

285 pounds

Dib Sawaya, Valencia, Sr.: Sawaya was second at the Masters Meet and won a Northern Division championship.

ALL-COUNTY SECOND TEAM

106 pounds: Hunter Jauregui, Fountain Valley, Fr.

113 pounds: Aaron Silva, Calvary Chapel, Fr.

120 pounds: Demian Priyama, Newport Harbor, So.

126 pounds: Maddox Herrera, Esperanza, So.

132 pounds: Loscar Riestra, Corona del Mar, Sr.

138 pounds: Kenneth Rogers, Esperanza, Sr.

145 pounds: Josh Valdez, Servite, Jr.

152 pounds: Dominic Morales, San Clemente, Sr.

160 pounds: Zion Hernandez, Corona del Mar, Jr.

170 pounds: Khale McDonnell, Fountain Valley, So.

182 pounds: Talha Bektas, Calvary Chapel, Sr.

195 pounds: Eugenio Franco, Corona del Mar, Jr.

220 pounds: Luke Webb, JSerra, So.

285 pounds: Dylan Avila, Segerstrom, Sr.

​ Orange County Register